CLASS A->Projects->A 3-D construction of Atlantis


3-D (three dimentional) drawing of Atlantis

Instructions: Work in two groups to develop a three-dimensional construction of what Atlantis looked like (materials: cardboard, clay, glue, various objects (legos etc.) to represent structures and things, paints, crayons, etc.) OR a drawing (2- dimensional or 3- dimensional) of what Atlantis looked like.


Resources

Details about Atlantis - the island and its people (by Plato in Timaeus and Critias)

From Timaeus
· Based in the Atlantic Ocean - Opposite the Pillars of Heracles* (Straits of Gibraltar)
· The Atlantic was then navigable
· Larger than Libya and Asia combined
· From Atlantis you could reach other islands and then a true continent

From Critias
Note: The unit of measurement given in translation of Timaeus and Critias is typically the stade or stadia. The conversion is: 1 stade = 185 meters


Canal From Sea
· Canal 300' wide, 100' deep
· 50 stades from the sea was a hill where the rings of Sea and Land were built

Inner Ring
· This was the next ring of water which was 1 stade - 600'
· The centre land was 5 stades in diameter - 3000' (.5 miles)
· The inner ring was surrounded on both sides by a wall covered with orichalcum

Middle Ring
· This was the next set of water / land rings which were 2 stades in width
· This was surrounded on both sides by a wall covered with tin

Outer Ring
· It was the Ring closest to sea with its internal land 3 stades in width
· It was surrounded on both sides by a wall covered with brass
· It contained a horse racing track

Outer Wall
· This was a wall which encircled the outer ring at a distance of 50 stades

Bridges
· A sixth of a stadia
· Walled
· Towers and gates on the bridges
· Guarded at either end

Plain
· Oblong, 3000 stadia long, 1000 stadia wide
· Open to the sea on the south (where the canal exited to the sea)
· Surrounded by mountains to the north

Ditch around the Plain
· 100 feet deep
· 1 stade wide
· 10,000 stades long (surrounding the whole plain)

Military
· Plain consisted of 10 stade square lots
· Each lot supplied:
· 1/6 of a war chariot
· 2 horses and riders
· one pair of chariot horses, a horseman, and a charioteer
· 2 heavily armed soldiers
· 2 slingers
· 3 stone shooters
· 3 javelin men
· 4 sailors (for fleet of 1200 ships)

OTHER
· Abundant timber, elephants, marshes, swamps, rivers, mountains, plains
· Hot and cold springs
· Stone was white, black, and yellow - stone was excavated from the centre of the island and land rings to form covered docking areas

For artists impressions of what Atlantis looked like visit:

Alantis - Fact, Fiction or Exaggeration

Artitst 1 impressions

Artist 2 impressions