Pavlopetri, the Oldest Drowned Town
In shallow, clear water off southern Greece, the streets and houses of a 5,000-year-old town lie just below the surface.
What was reported
Pavlopetri lies in a few metres of water off the coast of Laconia in southern Greece. Streets, houses, courtyards and tombs can be seen on the sea floor, and swimmers can float above them.
It was discovered in 1967 by the oceanographer Nicholas Flemming and mapped in detail between 2009 and 2013. Its earliest remains are about 5,000 years old, making it one of the oldest known submerged towns in the world.
Explanations offered
The town sank gradually as the land subsided and sea levels changed, probably through earthquakes in the area, around 1000 BC. It's one of many real drowned settlements that may lie behind legends like Atlantis. The site is protected, and diving is restricted.
- When
- Found in 1967
- Where
- Off Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece
- Witnesses
- Marine archaeologists
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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