Lost Continents

Overview

L. Sprague de Camp spent much of his career challenging questionable history and pseudoscience. This book examines various theories about Atlantis and other lost lands, presenting the scientific case against their reality and tracing how these ideas were picked up and reshaped by later theorists, scientists, enthusiasts, occultists, frauds, and fiction writers. It covers major speculative places like Atlantis, Mu, and Lemuria in detail, and also looks at the origins of lesser-known ones such as Thule, Hyperborea, and Rutas.

The text explains that the Mu myth came from a misreading of Mayan writings, while the name Lemuria was originally a geological hypothesis for a land bridge connecting India and South Africa. It also discusses how the concept appears in modern speculative fiction and the many searches for a real Atlantis. The 1970 edition was revised to account for the renewed acceptance of Alfred Wegener's continental drift theory and new research into the ancient volcanic eruption on the Aegean island of Thera. Many who believe Plato's story of Atlantis had a historical kernel consider that eruption to be the event behind it.

Importance

If you want solid facts about lost continents, de Camp’s book is still the go-to resource. Stories of sunken lands and ancient civilizations wiped out by floods show up repeatedly in modern pseudoreligions and cults. Famous examples include James Churchward’s Mu, the Theosophical versions of Hyperborea, Lemuria, and Atlantis, plus the Nazi myths about Thule. Since the people pushing these tales often hide or twist their sources, de Camp’s work provides a clear, objective account for anyone seeking the truth.