Plato's ancient texts describe Atlantis as a formidable island nation lost to the sea in a single day and night of Misfortune but does the evidence support to the rishat structure also known as the eye of the Sahara as the final resting place of this mythical civilization the hypothesis that the rishat structure a prominent geological feature in the Sahara Desert of morania could be the location of the lost city of Atlantis is met with significant challenges from both geological and archaeological perspectives firstly the rishat structure is a natural geological formation resulting from differential erosion not human construction its layers dating from the protozoic to the aivis period 2.5 billion to 480 million years ago vastly predating any timeline for Atlantis which according to Plato existed around 11 to 600 years ago second there is no evidence of an advanced civilization such as man-made structures or artifacts within the Richa structure archaeological finds in the Sahara do not support the existence of a society with the sophistication described by Plato third the location and description of Atlantis according to Plato do not match the richat structure Atlantis is described as an island in the Atlantic Ocean whereas the richat structure is an inland circular geological feature in the Sahara Desert and fourth the timeline for atlantis's existence and destruction around 11,600 years ago does not align with the geological formation of the richat structure or with known habitable periods in the Sahara let's now delve a little deeper into the geological and environmental argument the richar structure is a natural geological formation that was formed by the uplift and erosion of layers of rock specifically sedimentary rock over millions of years the concentric rings are the result of differential erosion of variously resistant rocks geological Studies have not found evidence to support the idea that it was ever underwater in the time frame necessary for the Atlantis story nor have they uncovered any signs of a civilization such as buildings or artifacts within or around the structure the richat structure is a deeply eroded slightly elliptical Dome with concentric Rings it spans approximately 40 km in diameter this structure is not the result of an impact from a meteorite or volcanic activity but rather of geological processes that have taken place over millions of years the concentric rings are made up of various layers of rock that have eroded at different rates more resistant rocks form the Peaks or ridges while less resistant rocks have eroded away more quickly creating valleys this differential erosion is primarily responsible for the Striking appearance of the structure the Rocks within the rishat structure are predominantly sedimentary with some ous and metamorphic rocks present as well these rocks date back to the late proterozoic to ordovician periods making them hundreds of millions to over a billion years old the sedimentary layers include limestones dolomites sandstones and shelles which suggest deposition in various environments from shallow Marine to Desert settings over vast stretches of geological time the richat structure is essentially a deeply eroded anticline a type of fold that is arch-like and convex upwards over time the anticline has been exposed due to erosion revealing the onion-like layers of rock the richette structures environmental conditions over the past several Millennia do not support the existence of a large thriving civilization within its bounds the area is part of the Sahara Desert one of the most arid regions on Earth although the Sahara was more humid and hospitable in the distant past the timeline of these more favorable conditions does not align with the supposed era of Atlantis moreover the specific location of the richar structure being a geological formation with significant elevation differences and composed primarily of rock would have been challenging for sustaining large scale agriculture or Urban Development without significant signs of human modification to the landscape which have not been found the geographical and geological characteristics of the Richer structure itself pose additional challenges to the hypothesis of it being Atlantis the structure is not hidden Beneath the Sea nor does it resemble a port city that could have supported Naval trade or Warfare as described by Plato instead it is a landlocked circular geological formation that while visually striking does not match the detailed descriptions of atlantis's layout size or environment there is a lack of evidence for human settlement geological surveys and studies conducted in and around the rishat structure have found no evidence of human habitation such as tools structures or any other artifacts that would indicate the presence of an advanced civilization like Atlantis the area's geological makeup does not support the existence of a city instead it tells the story of natural geological processes occurring over millions of years the richat structures inv enironmental conditions over the past several Millennia do not support the existence of a large thriving civilization within its bounds the area is part of the Sahara Desert one of the most arid regions on Earth although the Sahara was more humid and hospitable in the distant past the timeline of these more favorable conditions does not align with the supposed era of Atlantis moreover the specific location of the rishat structure being a geological formation with significant elevation differences and composed primarily of rock would have been challenging for sustaining large-scale agriculture or Urban Development without significant signs of human modification to the landscape which have not been found an advanced civilization like Atlantis would have left behind substantial architectural and cultural evidence such as buildings temples roads and artifacts reflecting their daily life technology and Artistic Endeavors in the case of the rich structure no such evidence has been uncovered archaeological excavations and surveys have not revealed ruins or remnants of any constructed features that could be attributed to an ancient Advanced civilization this lack of evidence is significant because even in areas where natural processes have eroded or covered ancient sites some traces of human occupation such as Pottery shards tools or even subsurface features are typically detectable with modern archaeological techniques the geographical and geological characteristics of the Risha structure itself pose additional challenges to the hypothesis of it being Atlantis the structure is not hidden Beneath the Sea nor does it resemble a port city that could have supported Naval trade or Warfare as described by Plato instead it is a landlocked circular geological formation that while visually striking does not match the detailed descriptions of atlantis's layout size or environment Plato describes Atlantis as having a series of concentric circles of land and water with a fertile plane and a bustling Port City while the Reet structure's appearance from above somewhat resembles this description it lacks the scale composition and location to match Plato's detailed account the Sahara Desert has undergone several humid periods the last of which ended approximately 5,000 years ago while these conditions could have supported human populations in the region they still do not coincide with the time frame of atlantis's supposed existence and downfall in summary the lack of human settlement evidence at the rishe structure is based on the absence of archaeological findings the unsuitable environmental conditions for a large civilization and the geographical and geological inconsistencies with descriptions of Atlantis these factors collectively undermine the hypothesis that the rat structure could be the remains of the lost city