Cabo Verdean Atlanteans
The point of this writing is not to make a persuasive argument, or give a dissertation on the subjects of mythology, religion, archeology, geology and/or genetics. The point is to grapple with understanding our collective lost histories as a species and to motivate a re-connection with our shared past. I am fond of the words of writer and journalist, Graham Hancock, who said: "I
believe we are a species with amnesia, I think we have forgotten our
roots and our origins. I think we are quite lost in many ways. And we
live in a society that invests huge amounts of money and vast quantities of energy in ensuring that we all stay lost." I think this question of Cabo Verdean Atlanteans serves as a vehicle of a greater discussion and reflection of history, what is real, what is not.
One can argue the question and claim of Cabo Verdeans being decedent of Atlanteans is pseudo-intellectual and pseudo-archeology. However, I take no offense to this. We know unequivocally the science of archeology has been rife with cycles of racism, theft, appropriation and dogmatic worldviews of our collective history. Asking questions and presenting ideas for review and discussion instead of telling you what is objectively true based on incomplete evidence is honorable in comparison. Also, I wish to reclaim the word theory from the realm of bad public relations and re-assert it to simply to what it is: a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena. So, bringing forth a theory of history in this context is just that: a theory based on the evidence, subject to the scrutiny of others and not an article of faith.
I have always been fascinated by the story of Atlantis and the conceptual framework of lost civilizations. I can
recall many an evening as a child and young adult watching documentaries with my brother
that theorized the location of Atlantis. As the years have progressed,
this "conceptual framework" is being supported by the scientific evidence, and science is coming back to catastrophism or cataclysm to explain our history, cycles of civilization and that this is the natural order of our existence. There
is more and more evidence catastrophism and not gradualism explains our
world. This has re-entered the mainstream dialogue and not left to the sidebar discussions of religion.
One can start a review of these ideas of catastrophism vs. gradualism with the various works and interviews of individuals like Dr. Robert Schoch, Graham Hancock, Randall Carlson and previous and subsequent works of various other professionals in fields ranging from geology to astrophysics. The answer to my question is based on research (of my own and of others), history, my acquired knowledge over time, available genetic data
and several presumptions. These presumptions are: One, Atlantis is a real place; Two,
the location is identified. Presumptions are a common tenet of law
and science.
As a Cabo Verdean, this question came
to me after seeing a set of videos in 2018, done by Bright Insight regarding the existence and location of
Atlantis. I was interested in these videos given the shared interest in the above mentioned individuals, their work and a general interest in geology and archeology. The videos are worth watching, and are foundational in answering this question for me. Nevertheless, I am very aware of the pitfalls using YouTube as source material and its current intersection with conspiracy theory,
disinformation, incorrect information, and rabbit holes, but I offer the disclaimer so that you can follow your
own standards for researching a particular subject and advise you to use your own critical thinking skills when determining the veracity of information you are consuming.
I wrote all of the above to simply say this: the accumulated material (linked below) led me to conclude that the Richat Structure in Mauritania is the ruins of Atlantis. After Atlantis' destruction from cataclysmic events, the survivors took up refuge in the surrounding areas. These areas encompassed but were not necessarily limited to modern day Maghreb, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Guinea Bissau. Millennia later, The Mauri, also known as the Berbers or Moors came to the Iberian peninsula,
which consists of Portugal and Spain. The Moors ruled it as Al-Andalus
from 711 to well past the "discovery" of an uninhabited Cabo Verde, in which the Portuguese colonized in the 1400's and used it to propagate the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade. Cabo Verdean
genetic ancestry consists of both African and European ancestry which more specifically originates from Senegal and Iberian Peninsula.
I will refrain from making a persuasive argument regarding this conclusion and focus on providing the source material that inform my general opinions for one's own review in the spirit of dialogue and communication regarding shared history; perhaps I will make arguments in future writings. Nevertheless, I find this example interesting not only because I am Cabo Verdean, but because it involves what some claim to be pseudo-history and what is objectively known history. It speaks to this disconnect in our study of the past and whether we are having an honest discussion with ourselves in the context of our existence. As a post-script, it is interesting to note that another
theorized location of Atlantis is the Straights of Gibraltar, i.e.
the Iberian Peninsula; this, perhaps coincidentally, involves the same collection of peoples. Given our current geopolitical climate, some would argue we are simply "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic" and our system of governance is failed. This seems to be an unfortunate, but appropriate metaphor for a civilization consumed by the sea.
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