Proposal for Scientific Investigation of Potential Submerged Prehistoric Structures on the Sicily-Malta Platform
Dear European Marine Board Secretariat,
My name is Luigi Usai, an independent researcher deeply interested in marine geosciences and submerged prehistoric landscapes.
I am writing to bring to your attention a set of anomalous bathymetric features that I have been monitoring since 2021 on the Sicily-Malta Platform, in the vicinity of the Sicily-Malta Escarpment.
Using data available through EMODnet Bathymetry, I have identified a structure extending approximately 20 km by 8 km, whose morphology suggests a possible anthropogenic origin — resembling, in its overall arrangement, the spatial organization of a submerged prehistoric settlement.
Over the past four years, I have noted a significant improvement in data resolution on the EMODnet platform, allowing for even clearer visualization of these features. The morphological regularities, angular geometries, and apparent orthogonality observed increasingly suggest that the site warrants systematic scientific investigation to verify whether the anomalies are merely geomorphological artefacts or indicative of buried man-made structures.
Given the potential importance of this discovery — which could substantially contribute to our understanding of submerged prehistoric human activities in the Mediterranean Basin — I would like to propose a dedicated marine survey expedition involving high-resolution multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiling, and visual inspection through ROV/AUV deployments.
If of interest, I am willing to provide additional material — including enhanced imagery, annotated maps, and preliminary analyses — to facilitate an initial scientific assessment by your experts.
I strongly believe that a collaboration between multidisciplinary teams of marine geologists, geoarchaeologists, and geophysicists could yield results of outstanding scientific relevance, aligning perfectly with the European Marine Board’s mission to promote and advance marine research in Europe.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
I remain at your disposal for any further information and would welcome the opportunity to discuss this initiative in more detail.
Yours sincerely,
Dottor Luigi Usai
https://www.atlantisfound.it/