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Lost Lands and Phantom Islands - Earth's Vanishing Geographies

The appeal of lost lands and phantom islands has captivated human imagination for centuries. These geographical enigmas, often mentioned in myths, legends, and early navigational charts, evoke a sense of mystery and adventure. They represent places that once appeared on maps or in tales, but have since eluded discovery or been debunked as fictional. This research delves into the fascinating realms of lost lands and phantom islands, exploring their origins, cultural significance, and the explanations behind their existence.

Origins and Historical Accounts

Lost lands and phantom islands have their origins in ancient cartography and folklore, where accounts of distant and mysterious lands fueled the imaginations of explorers and scholars alike. One of the most famous examples is Atlantis, the mythical island first mentioned by Plato in his dialogues. Plato described Atlantis as an advanced civilization that sank into the sea in a single day and night, sparking countless theories and expeditions in search of its remains.

In medieval times, maps depicted fantastical islands like Thule, believed to be the northernmost land reachable by ancient voyagers. Thule and similar islands represented the edge of the known world, beyond which mystery and the great unknown where located. These tales often intertwined with religious beliefs and cosmological ideas, shaping the worldview of societies.

Exploration and Encounters

During the Age of Exploration, European sailors encountered numerous phantom islands that appeared on maps but vanished upon closer inspection. These islands were sometimes the result of navigational errors, optical illusions caused by atmospheric conditions, or the misinterpretation of natural features such as icebergs or volcanic eruptions.

For instance, Buss Island, reported by several explorers in the Arctic, turned out to be a mirage caused by unusual atmospheric refraction.

Explorers like Cristoforo Colombo famously searched for mythical islands such as Antillia, believed to lie west of Portugal and Spain. The quest for these elusive lands drove exploration and pushed the boundaries of geographical knowledge, contributing to both scientific discovery and cultural exchange.

Cultural Significance and Mythology

Beyond their geographical implications, lost lands and phantom islands hold profound cultural significance. They often feature in myths and legends as paradises, utopias, or realms inhabited by supernatural beings. The tale of Avalon, the legendary island associated with King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake, embodies themes of immortality and otherworldly beauty. These narratives resonate across cultures, reflecting human desires for discovery, escape, and transcendence.

In folklore, phantom islands sometimes serve as cautionary tales, warning sailors of treacherous waters or marking the boundaries between the known and the unknown. They blur the lines between reality and fantasy, offering glimpses into the collective psyche of civilizations throughout history.

Scientific Explanations and Modern Understanding

Modern science claims to have unraveled many mysteries surrounding lost lands and phantom islands. Satellite imagery, sonar mapping, and advanced geo-spatial technologies have allowed researchers to confirm the existence or non-existence of these elusive features. For example, the island of Bermeja, once thought to lie off the coast of Mexico, was officially disproven in the 20th century through systematic surveys.

Moreover, geological processes such as tectonic activity, sea level changes, and erosion, provide some explanations for the disappearance of landmasses over time. Islands may submerge due to volcanic activity, coastal erosion, or shifts in the Earth’s crust, somewhat demystifying once-mythical places and revealing the dynamic nature of our planet’s geography.

Contemporary Examples and New Discoveries

Despite scientific advancements, tales of lost lands and phantom islands persist into the contemporary era.

Furthermore, ongoing exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic regions continues to unveil new geological features and underwater landforms previously unknown to science.

The following list of 20 lost lands and 20 phantom islands highlights the evolving nature of geographical knowledge and the interconnectedness of cultural narratives with scientific inquiry.

Lost Lands (Geography and Mythology):

Atlantis: The most famous lost land, described by Plato as a highly advanced civilization that sank into the sea.
Lemuria, also called Mu: A hypothetical lost continent in the Indian Ocean called Kumari Kandam, proposed in the 19th century to explain geological and biological similarities between India and Madagascar. Legendary lost continent, proposed by Augustus Le Plongeon as the homeland of the Maya civilization, now largely considered a pseudoscientific concept.
Hy-Brasil: A phantom island off the coast of Ireland in Celtic mythology, said to appear every seven years and be shrouded in mist. Some researchers consider it to be a vanished land connected to present-day Brasil.
Thule: In ancient Greek and Roman literature, Thule was a distant place located beyond the borders of the known world, often associated with Scandinavia or Iceland.
Avalon: A legendary island in Arthurian legend, associated with King Arthur and said to be the place where the sword Excalibur was forged and where Arthur was taken after his death.
Lyonesse: A mythical land said to have existed off the coast of Cornwall, England, now submerged beneath the sea.
Ys: A legendary city in Breton folklore, said to have been submerged beneath the sea due to the pride and sins of its inhabitants.
Greater Adria: It is named after Adria, a geologic region found in Italy, where evidence of the microcontinental fragment was first observed. Greater Adria’s size can be compared to that of modern day Greenland.The only part remaining relatively intact is a strip running from Turin and Istria to the Heel of Italy, under the Adriatic Sea. Most of the remains are 1,000 kms (620 mi) under Europe, deep in the earth.
Zealandia, also known as Te Riu-a-Māui for the Maori, or Tasmantis, is an almost entirely submerged mass of continental crust in Oceania. Satellite imagery shows it to be almost the size of Australia. A 2021 study suggests Zealandia is over a billion years old, about twice as old as geologists previously thought.
Neolithic Malta:When Malta was still connected by land to Sicily, circa 12,000 years ago, the site of Marsaxlokk towered at least 150 metres above sea-level.
Balkanatolia. It was an island continent or a series of islands, separate from Asia and also from Western Europe. The area now comprises approximately the modern Balkans and Anatolia.
Beringia: Today is defined as the land and maritime area around the Bering Strait. At various times, it formed a land bridge referred to as the Bering land bridge, that was up to 1,000 kms (620 mi) wide at its greatest extent and which covered an area as large as British Columbia and Alberta combined.
Doggerland. It was an area of land in Northern Europe, now submerged beneath the North Sea, that connected Britain to continental Europe. Geological surveys have suggested that it stretched from what is now the east coast of Great Britain to what is now the Netherlands, the western coast of Germany and the Danish peninsula of Jutland.
Dvaraka, an ancient submerged city in modern-era Gujarat, India. Modern Dwarka. It’s known as a Hindu pilgrimage site.
Graham Island/Isola Ferdinandea is a submarine volcano in the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily that has, on more than one occasion, risen above the surface via volcanic action and soon thereafter been washed away. Since 300 BC this cycle of events has occurred four times.
Kerguelen Plateau: One of the largest igneous provinces in the world, it covers an area three times the size of California. It rises 2,000m (6,600 ft) above the surrounding oceanic basins. Most of the plateau is less than 3,000 m (9,800 ft) below sea level. It’s located in the Southern Indian Ocean.
Maui Nui: Located in the US state of Hawaii. Built from seven shield volcanoes. It broke up as rising sea levels flooded the connections between the volcanoes, creating the islands of the modern-era state.
Sundaland is a region of Southeast Asia corresponding to a larger landmass that was exposed millions of years ago during periods when sea levels were lower. It includes Bali, Borneo, Java, Sumatra in Indonesia, and their surrounding small islands, as well as the Malay Peninsula on the Asian mainland.
Viking-Bergen Banks are underwater hills in the North Sea, east of the Shetland Islands and west of Norway. When sea levels were lower during the Last Glacial Period, the hills formed an island that may have been occupied by humans.
Buyan, an island with the ability to appear and disappear in Slavic mythology.

Phantom Islands:

Sandy Island: A phantom island that appeared on maps in the Coral Sea, supposedly located between New Caledonia and Australia. It was listed as non-existent in 2012.
Frisland: A phantom island shown on maps in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Age of Discovery, now believed to have been a cartographic error.
Buss Island: Reported by several explorers in the Arctic, Buss Island turned out to be a mirage caused by unusual atmospheric refraction.
St. Brendan’s Island: A phantom island in the Atlantic Ocean, appearing on maps from the 15th to 18th centuries, named after the legendary Irish saint.
Antillia: A phantom island west of Portugal and Spain, appearing on maps during the Age of Discovery, possibly originating from tales of Atlantis.
Emerald Island: Reported to lie between Australia and Antarctica and south of Macquarie Island. Said to be a lush, green paradise.
Crocker Land: A phantom island supposedly sighted during an Arctic expedition, later found not to exist. A hoax invented by explorer Robert Peary to gain more financial aid from George Crocker, one of his financial backers.
Aurora Islands: Phantom islands reported in the South Atlantic, believed to be visible only under specific weather conditions.
St. Matthew Island: A phantom island once thought to lie roughly one thousand kilometers northeast of Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean. It appeared on navigational charts as late as the twentieth century.
Isle of Demons: A phantom island reported by sailors in the North Atlantic in Canada. It was believed that the island was populated by demons and wild beasts which would torment and attack any ships that passed, or anyone that was foolish enough to wander onto the island.
Island of Mayda: A non-existent island in the North Atlantic that has been shown on several published maps at various points in history. It was most often represented as being crescent-shaped and its position has varied widely over time. Early maps drew the island west of Brittany and southwest of Ireland.
Porcupine Bank: A phantom island reported off the west coast of Ireland, believed to have been a misidentification of a shallow bank.
Anaa-ti. Located in French Polynesia in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Believed to be a mistaken sighting of a nearby island.
Antonio de Ulloa Island.Discovered by the Spanish captain Antonio de Ulloa in the South Pacific Ocean. Noted as doubtful in 1875.
Arthur Island. Phantom Island in the South Pacific Ocean. Noted to be needing confirmation of existence and position in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Bermeja.Discovered in the early 16th century by Spain, but mysteriously vanished sometime during the 17th century. A phantom island off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, which appeared on maps until it was disproven in the 20th century. While no dominant theory holds, it is possible that the island submerged due to tectonic movements, nearby Scorpion Reef.
Bonetta Rocks.Location given between Cape Verde and Mauritania. Could not be found in 1838.
Cassiterides. Ancient source of Phoenician tin. Exact location unknown but thought to have possibly referred to now silt-connected islands within the marshes of Briere.
Davis Land. Supposedly sighted by the pirate Edward Davis in the Pacific along the same latitude as the Spanish-controlled gold mines of Copiago. At the time, it was believed that gold could be found elsewhere along the latitude, so several navigators were instructed to search for it. Never found, it was also believed by William Dampier to be the coast of Terra Australis Incognita.
Cloate’s Island. West of Australia. Removed from charts by 1856 or earlier.

These lost lands, vanished cities and phantom islands have fascinated explorers, historians, and cartographers throughout history, blending myth, folklore, and geographical exploration into a rich tapestry of cultural narratives and mysteries.

They represent more than mere geographical curiosities—they embody the human spirit of exploration, imagination, and discovery.

From ancient myths to modern scientific scrutiny, these enigmatic features have shaped historical narratives and cultural identities across civilizations. Their legacy endures in literature, art, and the collective consciousness.

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Lost Lands and Phantom Islands

Interesting sources, additional info, images, credits, attributions and other points of views here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lost_lands

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Adria

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealandia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkanatolia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beringia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doggerland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dv%C4%81rak%C4%81 Dwarka

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Island_(Mediterranean_Sea)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerguelen_Plateau

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maui_Nui

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundaland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking-Bergen_Banks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumari_Kandam (Lemuria)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemuria

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_(mythical_lost_continent)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ys

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_island

Further reading

Brooke-Hitching, Edward (2016). The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps. London: Simon & Schuster UK. ISBN 978-1-4711-5945-9.
“Thompson Island”. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009.
Stommel, Henry (1984). Lost Islands: The Story of Islands That Have Vanished from Nautical Charts. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. ISBN 978-0-7748-0210-9.
Gaddis, Vincent, Invisible Horizons, Chilton Books. New York. 1965.
Clark Barnaby Firestone, The Coasts of Illusion: A Study of Travel Tales, Harper Books, 1924.
Johnson, Donald S., Phantom Islands of the Atlantic, New York, Walker Publishing, 1996 (Rev. ed.).
William Shepard Walsh, A Handy Book of Curious Information, J. B. Lippincott, 1913.
Dirk Liesemer, Lexikon der Phantominseln. Hamburg, mareverlag, 2016, ISBN 978-3-86648-236-4.
Ramsay, Raymond (1972). No Longer on the Map. New York: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0-670-51433-5.
Gould, Rupert T. (1928). “The Auroras, and Other Doubtful Islands”. Oddities: A Book of Unexplained Facts. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 124–163.
L. Ivanov and N. Ivanova. Phantom islands. In: The World of Antarctica. Generis Publishing, 2022. pp. 74–77. ISBN 979-8-88676-403-1