The Lost City of Nan Madol: Atlantis of the Pacific, Mystery of the East

In the remote Pacific, on the island of Pohnpei, lies what has been called the “eighth wonder of the world“, and the “Atlantis of the Pacific“. Once thought to have been lost city, the ruins of Nan Madol continue to fascinate all who see them. What was this mysterious complex of buildings? Pohnpeian oral tradition records that around the year 1200, the island was conquered by a group who would become known as the Saudeleur, and who enslaved the local population & constructed Nan Madol, a floating city perched atop artificially constructed islets, as their palatial center and power base. From here, they controlled the island and extracted tribute from the local population. SOURCES: Upon a Stone Altar, Handlon Entangled Biographies Western Pacific Ceramics & the Tombs of Pohnpei, Rainbird The Prehistoric Pacific, Terell Micronesia’s Breadfruit Revolution & the Evolution of a Culture Area, Petersen Uncovering Pacific Pasts, Howes et al Airborne LiDAR