The Sunken Town of Lake Atitlán
PlacesLake Atitlán, Sololá, Guatemala · Found in 1996Confirmed
A Maya island town lies under Lake Atitlán, drowned when the water rose about 2,000 years ago.
What was reported
In 1996 the diver Roberto Samayoa noticed unusual stone structures in Lake Atitlán, in the Guatemalan highlands. Archaeologists investigated and found Samabaj, a Maya settlement about 2,000 years old, now some 15 to 20 metres under the water.
It had stone buildings, altars and carved monuments on what was then an island.
Explanations offered
The lake has no outlet to the sea, and its level rose quickly, drowning the island. Samabaj has been called a Maya Atlantis, but it's a well-documented archaeological site.
- When
- Found in 1996
- Where
- Lake Atitlán, Sololá, Guatemala
- Witnesses
- A diver, then archaeologists
- Status
- Confirmed
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