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    Canada Avalon Member Chakra's Avatar
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    Default Atlantis' Mythical Metal Found in Shipwreck

    This is interesting...


    According to the legend, there was an 8th continent known as Atlantis. This mysterious continent was said to have sunk a long time ago and when it did it took all of its orichalum with it. Orichalum is a metal that is mentioned in several ancient writings including the story of Atlantis in the Critias dialogue, which was recorded by Plato around 360 BC. According to the dialogue, orichalcum was very valuable and was second only to gold in value.

    Now a team of divers say they have recovered no less than 39 blocks of this precious metal from a shipwreck that is believed to have happened 2600 years ago. This ship was likely from somewhere in Greece or somewhere in Asia Minor and was carrying this metal to Gela in Southern Sicily, when it was then caught in a storm and sank to the bottom of the ocean about 300 meters from the port.

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    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Atlantis' Mythical Metal Found in Shipwreck

    Quote Posted by Chakra (here)
    orichalcum
    It's not known, at all, what exactly that was: just the name was passed down, with some degree of mystery attached to it. I'm wondering how anyone might recognize it with certainty.
    The video says the 39 ingots that were recovered were made from an alloy of 75-80% copper, 15-20% zinc, and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron. But that does seem to correlate, pretty much, with what some researchers do think orichalcum may well have been. Fascinating stuff.
    Last edited by Bill Ryan; 14th March 2017 at 03:33.

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    Bhutan Avalon Member enigma3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Atlantis' Mythical Metal Found in Shipwreck

    I wonder whether the value of this shiny metal was due to the artistry of the metalworker in creating the proper alloy? At that time a metalworker capable of producing this alloy would have been highly valued.

    I also think of the trading necessary to bring all the metals together. Fascinating story.

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    Australia Avalon Member 7alon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Atlantis' Mythical Metal Found in Shipwreck

    Quote Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
    Quote Posted by Chakra (here)
    orichalcum
    It's not known, at all, what exactly that was: just the name was passed down, with some degree of mystery attached to it. I'm wondering how anyone might recognize it with certainty.
    The video says the 39 ingots that were recovered were made from an alloy of 75-80% copper, 15-20% zinc, and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron. But that does seem to correlate, pretty much, with what some researchers do think orichalcum may well have been. Fascinating stuff.
    This is the first time I've heard of this metal, as I haven't really followed the story and research of Atlantis. After reading the wikipedia entry, would it be correct to assume it may have been a metal that was not mined, but created from other mined metals for a particular use? I know copper and zinc when combined with the right ratios make brass, which is used for a number of things like electronics, ammunition, musical instruments, etc.

    Maybe this metal was used for a similar purpose? Has there been many or any tests on this metal? I'm trying to find more info about it now, but not having a lot of luck.

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    Canada Avalon Member Chakra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Atlantis' Mythical Metal Found in Shipwreck

    Quote Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
    Quote Posted by Chakra (here)
    orichalcum
    It's not known, at all, what exactly that was: just the name was passed down, with some degree of mystery attached to it. I'm wondering how anyone might recognize it with certainty.
    The video says the 39 ingots that were recovered were made from an alloy of 75-80% copper, 15-20% zinc, and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron. But that does seem to correlate, pretty much, with what some researchers do think orichalcum may well have been. Fascinating stuff.
    Maybe it came to Earth when Maldek exploded ??? Which might account for the shortage of it and the high value that was placed on it.

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    Default Re: Atlantis' Mythical Metal Found in Shipwreck

    RT News March 3rd 2017:

    https://www.rt.com/viral/379302-anci...loy-shipwreck/

    Quote An alloy, which according to Greek legend was mined on the ancient mythical island of Atlantis, has been discovered on a shipwreck which sank off the coast of Sicily 2,600 years ago. Some 47 ingots of ‘orichalcum’ have so far been recovered from the ancient underwater find.
    Described as brass-like and made through the reaction of zinc ore, charcoal and copper, the alloy has never before been discovered in such quantity. Uncovered back in 2015, the ingots’ composition was revealed only after analysis using X-ray fluorescence, reported Seeker.


    Two Corinthian helmets, believed to have been part of the ship’s defense against pirates, were also discovered at the shipwreck. "Another hypothesis is that they were meant to be an offer to the gods," according to Sebastiano Tusa, an archaeologist involved in the find and superintendent of the Sea at Palermo.

    Orichalcum became legendary through the writings of Greek philosopher Plato, who wrote that the material was mined in Atlantis, where it covered Poseidon’s temple.


    Along with the ingots 39, lumps of orichalcum were also recovered from the shipwreck, believed to have sunk en route from Greece to Gela in Sicily, a wealthy city, rich in artisan workshops.

    READ MORE: Mini-Atlantis? Eerie underwater museum revealed off Canary Islands

    "It was likely caught in a sudden storm and sank just when it was about to enter the port," Tusa said.

    The seas around Sicily contain at least two other ancient shipwrecks, making it “a priceless mine of archaeological finds” according to Adriana Fresina, a member of Tusa’s team.
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    Default Re: Atlantis' Mythical Metal Found in Shipwreck

    Reading up on the history of brass per Wikipedia the article sheds some light.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass

    Quote By the 8th–7th century BC Assyrian cuneiform tablets mention the exploitation of the "copper of the mountains" and this may refer to "natural" brass.[46] "Oreikhalkon" (mountain copper),[47] the Ancient Greek translation of this term, was later adapted to the Latin aurichalcum meaning "golden copper" which became the standard term for brass.[48] In the 4th century BC Plato knew orichalkos as rare and nearly as valuable as gold[49] and Pliny describes how aurichalcum had come from Cypriot ore deposits which had been exhausted by the 1st century AD

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