Contact Early Possible European Descendants

[Minimalist]

So was the moonshot.

The government is not going to fund archaeological research.

[Digit]

No problem Min. Just get the Russians to claim they colonised America first and the money to prove them wrong will flow like Niagera!

[Forum Monk]

No problem Min. Just get the Russians to claim they colonised America first and the money to prove them wrong will flow like Niagera!

You're out of date, Dig. Cold War's over. Now you would have to say, the Chinese, or better yet, some middle eastern group and the die hard, true blue, america firsters, will fund the research out of their own pockets.

[Rokcet Scientist]

No problem Min. Just get the Russians to claim they colonised America first and the money to prove them wrong will flow like Niagera!

You're out of date, Dig. Cold War's over. Now you would have to say, the Chinese, or better yet, some middle eastern group and the die hard, true blue, america firsters, will fund the research out of their own pockets.

They got gambling billions to bankroll it with!

[Rokcet Scientist]

[...] It seems to me that every Roman or Greek shipwreck they find is nothing but a pile of amphorae left on the bottom.
For some reason the only exceptions seem to be the Black Sea and the Baltic.

Imo you forget a few, Mini.

Like Ptolemaic Alexandria, which was submerged for 1,700 years, and although IN the port of Alexandria, right in front of people's eyes, literally within reach in just 20 feet of water, it was completely forgotten until about 15 years ago. A multitude of statues, columns, causeways, building foundations and inscriptions: palaces, temples, the library!, etc. etc. They'll still be studying that site for the next century, imo.

Or how about the great Vedic port city of Dvaraka, submerged well over twice as long ago, in the 15th century BCE. Recently discovered. Large buildings, extensive fortifications, port jetties, etc. etc. Exactly like the Veda recorded it. Off the coast of present day Gujarat!

Just 2 of probably thousands of archaeological sites yet to be discovered, that, although submerged for millennia, still yield an abundance of data and clues. A discovery process that will keep archaeologists more than busy for centuries.

Older sites, thousands of them, from the early Holocene or even late Pleistocene will simply be farther out to sea and deeper.

[Digit]

Serching for such sites needn't be blind luck though, a study of ancient coast lines and rivers should narrow the search area considerably as the vast majority of larger settlements have always been built on waterways.

[Rokcet Scientist]

Of course.
So what's keeping us?
Let's get crackin'!
Is anybody effectively compiling that list/map?

[Minimalist]

A multitude of statues, columns, causeways, building foundations and inscriptions: palaces, temples, the library!, etc. etc.

Mainly stones, there. And it is not a deep dive in Alexandria harbor.

[Rokcet Scientist]

Mainly stones, there.

Which is mainly what we're looking for, isn't it?

And it is not a deep dive in Alexandria harbor.

In 1957 man exited earth's atmosphere for the first time in human history. By proxy: Sputnik.
Within a mere 12 years man, himself, stood on the moon.
One must learn to walk before one can run. But it can develop very fast.

[Minimalist]

I thought we were looking for wooden boats from 20,000 years ago?

And, when you show me the profit motive to develop underwater archaeological research to a similar degree as the military-industrial complex benefitted from the space race, I'll agree with you.

[Digit]

'Find' Atlantis Min and you'll be buried in money!

[Minimalist]

The Club won't let that happen.

[Rokcet Scientist]

'Find' Atlantis Min and you'll be buried in money!

Finding Atlantis is easy! Because there are dozens of 'm. Dozens of Atlantises! And we know where: at the intersections of waterways and coastlines in the late Pleistocene. Or early Holocene. Take your pick. The latter is more promising of course.
That about eliminates 99% of the sea area to be explored. The remaining 1% deserves close attention and detailed, high-res mapping/sensing exploration. For starters.

It's a doable project, imo.

Since the end of the cold war we got a few hundred navy submarines, with high-tech sonar on board, with no real purpose... Here's a galant task!
In addition to tracking and mapping the whales.
Good exercise, too!

The Club won't let that happen.

Please expand?

[Minimalist]

Thanks to the internet the Club can no control information but they can still control grant applications and budgets. They won't give up that power willingly.

You'll need someone who is independently funded, like Ballard, and then the Club will simply denounce anything he finds as "pseudo-science."

[Rokcet Scientist]

'Find' Atlantis Min and you'll be buried in money!

Finding Atlantis is easy! Because there are dozens of 'm. Dozens of Atlantises! And we know where: at the intersections of waterways and coastlines in the late Pleistocene. Or early Holocene. Take your pick. The latter is more promising of course.
That about eliminates 99% of the sea area to be explored. The remaining 1% deserves close attention and detailed, high-res mapping/sensing exploration. For starters.

It's a doable project, imo.

Since the end of the cold war we got a few hundred navy submarines, with high-tech sonar on board, with no real purpose... Here's a galant task! A great service to human culture.
This, in addition to tracking and mapping whales, and other sealife, for natural conservation purposes of course.
Good exercise, too!

The Club won't let that happen.

Please expand?