atlantis

Researchers have announced the discovery of a huge ancient city, lost beneath the Caribbean Sea. Yet despite possibly predating the pyramids at Giza, its finders insist their breakthrough is not the legendary city of Atlantis. Satellite images of the city - which is not the same as the underwater site off the coast of Cuba proposed by Russian experts in 2001 - appear to show a pyramid, platforms and ruined buildings. And the project's leader, who wishes to remain anonymous, is conviced they're no fluke of nature.

Underwater archaeology may still be in its relative infancy, but that hasn't stopped it making some of the world's biggest recent discoveries. From Cleopatra to ancient plonk, there's plenty more under the sea than a load of old shipwrecks - though they can be pretty spectacular too. Even Egyptological legend Zahi Hawass is getting a piece of the action, scouring the Nile for ancient treasure. So we thought we'd strike while the iron's wet and bring you a top ten of the world's underwater archaeology sites. If you think we're talking rot, or if there's anywhere we've missed, don't hesitate to have your say either via the comments box below, our contact page or by emailing me direct. Happy snorkelling!

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a prehistoric city, buried beneath a reservoir in southern England. The 'mini-Atlantis' was unearthed after water levels were lowered at the old Tottiford Reservoir, near Moretonhampstead - and comes complete with a Stonehenge-esque ceremonial site.

Archaeologists observing the city are justifiably astonished at its existence.

By the middle of the 13th century, Dunwich was a prosperous coastal city with a fearsome royal flotilla, extravagant priories and thousands of happy inhabitants. It was a genuine rival to London, and the envy of Europe. But just two hundred years later the city lay in ruins, torn to shreds by the tyrannical tides of the East Anglian coast; its once-illustrious ramparts reduced to ruins at the bottom of the North Sea. Today the town remains a stunning coastal retreat, and the shattered pieces of its greyfriars' abbey broods beatifully across the beach. But now a team of experts believe new technology will allow them to observe the sunken remains of Dunwich, through the thick silt of its watery grave.

Atlantis has got to be one of the world's most longstanding myths. Devised by Plato over 2,500 years ago, its popularity has rarely waned, and has been the birthplace for some of humanity's most truly bizarre theories. From Gibraltar to the Aegean, it seems everyone's had their say on the whereabouts of the mysterious island, that was supposedly created by Poseidon. Not all of Atlantis' proponents, it must be said, are total crackpots. There's logic, bathymetric studies and topographical data to back their claims - however spurious they may frequently seem. Others most definitely do fit the conspiracy theorist bill, however, and you'll see from some of these possibilities that Plato's baby has been stretched to within an inch of its life to squeeze some credibility into a hopeless hunch. Yet despite all this hot air - or because of it - Atlantis still manages to capture the imagination of people the world over, and is rarely out of the news across the globe.

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Plato first mentioned the lost city of Atlantis around 2,400 years ago. But now a team of American archaeologists are unearthing the secrets of a 3,500-year-old partially submerged city lying in the Saronic Gulf of Greece.

Lying 60 miles southwest of the modern capital Athens, 'Korphos-Kalamianos' is just miles away from the ancient city of Mycenae and was most likely built between 1400 - 1200 BC.

Florida State University professor Daniel J. Pullen and the University of Pennsylvania's Assistant Professor of Classical Studies Thomas F. Tartaron discovered the site whilst conducting an initial 2007 study.