The Earth's Secrets: Lost Worlds That Might Still Be Hidden

For centuries, people have been sharing incredible tales of lost worlds and civilizations. Back when the maps had huge, blank spaces, it was easy to believe that these mysterious lands might exist, tucked away somewhere. Nowadays? The whole idea of a "lost world" seems more like a punchline than a possibility. I think that's because many of us feel like we've charted every inch of the planet. We've got satellites everywhere, and photos of everything. But here’s the thing: those images can’t show you what lies at the bottom of the deep ocean trenches. They can’t see into the Earth’s complex cave systems. Even scientists admit that over 85% of Earth's species are still unknown! If we haven't found the life, how can we be sure we've found all the land? So, before we completely dismiss the idea, I’m encouraging everyone to keep an open mind about the following famous Lost Worlds. Some of them might just be waiting for the right person to stumble upon them.

1. Lemuria: The Mother Continent

Also known as Mu, this is a continent said to have been swallowed by the sea and now rests under the Indian or Pacific Ocean. Theosophist Helena Blavatsky claimed the L'Amourian people were ape-like giants with the gift of telepathy. Others suggest that all of mankind originated here, from a land that once stretched from Hawaii to Easter Island and Fiji. The myth says it was utterly destroyed and sank 12,000 years ago during a catastrophic earthquake.

2. Agartha: The Underground Kingdom

Tibetan legends tell of Agartha, an underground world linked to the Earth's surface via a massive, intricate network of tunnels. It’s described as a peaceful land, inhabited by gentle people who secretly try to balance out the chaos on the surface. Plato even spoke of broad and narrow tunnels leading to the Earth’s center, governed by a "marvelous ruler." Some believers think the survivors of Atlantis fled here, tunneling under the Himalayas, patiently waiting for their moment to re-emerge.

3. Lyonesse: Home of a Round Table Knight

This mythical country is the home of Sir Tristan, one of King Arthur's famed Knights of the Round Table. It's said to have been located close to Cornwall, though its precise location is unknown. Later stories claim Lyonesse sank beneath the waves sometime after the Tristan tales. Lord Tennyson, the great British poet, even described Lyonesse as the place where King Arthur fought his final, mortal battle.

4. Cantre'r Gwaelod: The Welsh Atlantis

Meaning "the lowland hundred," this is Wales's own legendary sunken kingdom. It is believed to lie under the waters of Cardigan Bay. The most popular myth is quite frustrating: the land was protected by a wall and gates to regulate water levels. Unfortunately, the prince, put in charge of the all-important gate, a notorious drunkard, neglected his duties. The sea swept through, and the land was ruined. While there’s no reliable proof, there have been several reported sightings of sunken stone walls and human habitations in the bay.

5. El Dorado: The Gilded City

When the Spanish invaded Mexico in the 16th century, they heard whispers of a fabulous city paved with gold, ruled by a priest-king called El Dorado, or "The Gilded King." His body was supposedly coated in powdered gold every day. Francisco Pizarro famously found some gold while overwhelming the Inca, but that didn't stop his eventual assassination in 1541. Today, El Dorado is considered a mythical place in the Americas, but many people still believe a city of gold exists, waiting to be found.

6. Avalon: The Island of Apples

Most researchers believe the name Avalon comes from the Welsh word for "apple." This is the legendary island where King Arthur’s sword Excalibur was forged, and where the mortally wounded King Arthur was taken after the Battle of Camlann to recover. The Welsh, Cornish, and Breton legends say Arthur never died; he will return to lead his people again. The island became associated with Glastonbury in 1190 after monks there claimed to have found the remains of Arthur and his queen.

7. Atlantis: The Most Famous Doom

Atlantis is probably the most famous lost civilization of all. Plato claimed it met its sudden demise 10,000 years ago, destroyed in one night by massive earthquakes and floods. Some researchers believe it was a vast empire that encompassed parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Others think that the Atlantean survivors were responsible for building structures like Stonehenge and the pyramids. The most stable theory, however, is that Plato mythologized the historical eruption of Thera, which destroyed the Minoan culture of Crete.

A Thought Experiment: Finding the Gold

I absolutely believe that prehistoric civilizations and lost worlds do exist. And speaking of El Dorado, I have a scenario I want to throw at you:

Let's say you're lost in the jungle and you accidentally stumble upon El Dorado (or any other City of Gold). What do you do?

This is a tough one, right? Do you try to carry out as much gold as you can, say, grab a golden chair, and sneak it out to sell at a pawn shop? Or do you decide to tell the world? How do you even claim a city? And wouldn't the risk be huge? If someone knew you knew where the City of Gold was, wouldn't they try to make you take them there... and then maybe silence you? A lot of scenarios here! I just think it’s hilarious to imagine the future. We've all seen the movie 2012, and while it's just a movie, it's not unthinkable that water could completely destroy a civilization, even one as large as ours, in a day. It just disappears beneath the deepest part of the ocean, where nobody can reach it. Imagine 20,000 years from now, future people are talking about the "Lost City of New York" or the "Lost Continent of Asia." They'd be looking at Mount Rushmore, wondering, "Who were these people?" just like we look at the Sphinx. Their proof of a "prehistoric civilization" might be a bent iPhone they found in the sediment.

So, what do you think? Do prehistoric civilizations or lost cities really exist, just waiting to be rediscovered?