2. The name of a (hypothetical) vanished continent, located in the Pacific Ocean but now, like Atlantis and Lemuria?, sunk beneath the waters. The idea of this continent first appeared in the works of the archaeologist Augustus Le Plongeon (1826-1908), who was one of the first to excavate Mayan? ruins at Yucatan? His attempts to translate surviving Mayan writings resulted in a story of the continent of Mu, which had foundered in a similar fashion to Atlantis, with the survivors founding the Mayan civilisation. |
Mu is used as an SI prefix to represent one one millionth, or 10-6. |
This lost continent was later popularised by James Churchward in a series of books, beginning with `Lost Continent of Mu' (1926). The books still have devotees, but they are not considered serious archaeology, and nowadays are found in bookshops classed under `New Age' or `Religion and Spirituality' |
2. The name of a (hypothetical) vanished continent, located in the Pacific Ocean but now, like Atlantis and Lemuria?, sunk beneath the waters. The idea of this continent first appeared in the works of the archaeologist [Augustus Le Plongeon]? (1826-1908), who was one of the first to excavate Mayan? ruins at Yucatan? His attempts to translate surviving Mayan writings resulted in a story of the continent of Mu, which had foundered in a similar fashion to Atlantis, with the survivors founding the Mayan civilisation. This lost continent was later popularised by James Churchward in a series of books, beginning with `Lost Continent of Mu' (1926). The books still have devotees, but they are not considered serious archaeology, and nowadays are found in bookshops classed under `New Age' or `Religion and Spirituality' |
See also: lost cities and Phantom Islands. |