: He claimed the Azores were the surviving mountain peaks of the sunken continent. Historical Context and Influence
: He noted the existence of similar plants (like corn and tobacco) and animals on both sides of the Atlantic, suggesting they were once connected.
: He argued that the universal "Flood Myth" found in nearly every culture (Noah, Deucalion, Manu, etc.) was a collective memory of the catastrophic sinking of Atlantis.
: He pointed to similarities in architecture (pyramids in both Egypt and Central America), customs, and symbols as proof of a common Atlantean origin.
: It was an instant bestseller, reaching its eleventh edition within its first few years.
: A large island in the Atlantic Ocean where humanity first transitioned from barbarism to civilization.
is a seminal pseudoarchaeological book published in 1882 by Ignatius L. Donnelly , a Minnesota politician and author. The work is credited with launching the modern "lost civilization" genre and remains the foundational text for many alternative history theories. Core Thesis: Hyperdiffusionism