Living In Atlantis Over 11,000 years ago there existed an island nation located in the middle of the Atlantic ocean populated by a noble and powerful race. The people of this island possessed great wealth thanks to the natural resources found throughout their island. The island was a centre for trade and commerce. The rulers of this land had great control over their own people and over  people as far as Europe and Africa. Plato describes the Atlantians as great engineers and architects. There were palaces, harbours, temples and docks. The capital city was built on a hill and was surrounded by rings of water, which were joined by tunnels large enough for a ship to sail through. A huge canal connected the outer rings of water to the ocean. On the outskirts of the capital city there were huge fields where farmers grew the city's food. Past the fields were mountains where wealthy villagers lived. Plato goes into great detail about the amazing buildings - complete with hot and cold fountains, shared dining halls and stone walls covered with precious metals. Check that you understand what these words mean in this document Noble: somebody of good character with moral qualities. Wealth: riches. Natural resources: soil, timber, oil, minerals and other goods taken more or less as they are from the Earth. Outskirts: the edges of the city which are not near the centre. For further information visit: Atlantis Further reading: "Atlantis"- Mark Doty, Harper Perennial, 1995 "Unearthing Atlantis: An Archaeological Odyssey"- Charles Pellegrino, Random House, 1991