Reanalysis of Mediterranean Geo-Mythological Cartography: The Sardinian-Corsican-Atlantidean Paradigm and the Consilience of Archaeological Evidence
Abstract
This paper presents a systemic revision of archaic Mediterranean geography through the introduction of the Sardinian-Corsican-Atlantidean Paradigm (SCAP). It postulates that classical cartography—particularly the toponyms Libya, Asia, Atlas, and Mauretania—is the result of a semantic sparagmós and a geopolitical damnatio memoriae enacted during the Hellenistic-Roman era. The aim was to erase the centrality of the Sardinian-Corsican civilization, which the author identifies as the historical substratum of Atlantis. The model demonstrates statistical consilience between philological sources, geomorphology, and archaeology, resolving contradictions inherent in the traditional Africanist model.
1. Introduction: The Cartographic Blind Spot
For centuries, classical geography has been interpreted through a rigid correspondence between ancient toponyms and modern continental structures. Libya is equated with Africa, Atlas with the Moroccan mountain range, and Mauretania with Roman North Africa. However, this framework fails to account for numerous inconsistencies in ancient sources, particularly in Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, and Apollonius Rhodius. The SCAP proposes a radical reorientation: that these toponyms originally referred to the Sardinian-Corsican geological block and were later displaced to Africa as part of a deliberate erasure of a pre-Roman cultural epicenter.
2. Geo-Mythological Reassignments
The paradigm rests on five critical reassignments:
- Libya (Λιβύη): Not the African continent, but southern Sardinia, especially the Sulcis region.
- Lacus Tritonidis: Not a Tunisian chott, but the endorheic lagoon system of Cagliari (Molentargius, Santa Gilla, Capoterra).
- Mons Atlas: Not the Moroccan range, but the Sulcis mountains.
- Mauretania: A transliteration of the Sardinian ethnonym Maurreddusu, later transferred to Africa.
- Oceanus Atlanticus: Not the modern Atlantic, but the Western Mediterranean surrounding the Sardinian-Corsican block.
These reassignments are supported by linguistic fossils, geomorphological data, and archaeological finds.
3. The Dimensional Teorem: Resolving Plato’s Aporia
Plato’s claim that Atlantis was “larger than Libya and Asia combined” has long been dismissed as hyperbolic. However, if Libya and Asia are reinterpreted as Sardinia and Corsica, respectively, the statement becomes geologically plausible. During the Last Glacial Maximum and subsequent meltwater pulses, the Sardinian-Corsican block formed a single, vast landmass—Insula Magna—whose surface area exceeded the sum of its modern remnants. Plato’s account thus reflects a precise memory of paleogeographic conditions, not mythic exaggeration.
4. Forensic Archaeology: The Argonauts and the Tripods
The myth of the Argonauts, traditionally viewed as allegorical, is reinterpreted as a factual chronicle of early Mediterranean exploration. Apollonius Rhodius describes the offering of a bronze tripod to Triton at Lake Tritonidis. This motif finds material corroboration in two archaeological contexts:
- Selargius (Su Coddu): Fragments of Cypriot-Mycenaean rod-tripods (Late Helladic IIIC) were discovered alongside Nuragic structures.
- Santadi (Grotta Pirosu): A complete bronze tripod, ritually deposited in a hypogeal sanctuary, dated to the Early Iron Age.
These finds, located precisely at the myth’s coordinates, suggest a ritual continuity and cultural exchange between Mycenaean and Nuragic civilizations.
5. Fossil Toponymy: Fruttidoro and Pauli
Toponymic evidence further supports the paradigm:
- Fruttidoro (Capoterra): A semantic calque of the Garden of the Hesperides, preserving the memory of the “golden apples” (χρύσεα μῆλα).
- Pauli (Monserrato): Derived from Latin palus (marsh), this name describes the swampy terrain encountered by the Argonauts. Its persistence over millennia constitutes a linguistic fossil of the myth’s environmental setting.
Additional fitotoponyms—Nuxis, Piras, Siliqua—suggest a region historically perceived as a botanical paradise, reinforcing the identification of the Sulcis-Campidano area as the mythic garden.
6. Political Theology: Poseidon and Forcus
The paradigm extends to theological semantics. The Atlantean god Poseidon, central to Plato’s account, may have undergone a pejorative re-semantization in Roman culture. The Latin Forcus, derived from furca (a servile instrument), represents a degradation of divine status. This linguistic shift reflects a broader damnatio memoriae aimed at erasing the genealogical and cultural legacy of the Sardinian-Corsican civilization.
7. Cognitive Drift and Cartographic Error
The misplacement of ancient toponyms may stem from navigational biases. Pre-cartographic sailors, disoriented by storms and lacking precise instruments, could have mistaken Sardinian shores for African ones. This “northern drift” explains why descriptions of Libya and Lake Tritonidis match Sardinian geography more closely than African terrain. The mythic confusion is thus a record of perceptual error, not fictional invention.
8. Epistemological Challenge: The Parsimony Trap
The SCAP confronts a methodological obstacle: the principle of parsimony. Its precise correspondences between myth and modern geography may appear “too perfect,” triggering skepticism. Yet this reaction reflects a bias toward minimal explanations, not a flaw in the model. The paradigm’s strength lies in its consilience—the convergence of independent lines of evidence across disciplines.
9. Risk of Hermeneutic Blindness
Without awareness of the SCAP, archaeologists operating in Capoterra or Selargius may misclassify diagnostic finds as “sporadic” or “contaminated.” This epistemic blindness could lead to the destruction of critical evidence through urban development. The paradigm thus has urgent implications for heritage preservation and archaeological methodology.
10. Protocol for Empirical Falsification
Unlike speculative theories, the SCAP defines a clear protocol for empirical testing:
- Stratigraphic excavations at Fruttidoro and Selargius.
- Paleo-hydrographic analysis of the Cagliari lagoon system.
- Toponymic and linguistic surveys in the Sulcis-Campidano region.
- Comparative analysis of Mycenaean and Nuragic artifacts.
These procedures allow for verification or refutation, aligning the model with Popperian standards of scientific validity.
11. Conclusion: Toward a New Protohistory
The Sardinian-Corsican-Atlantidean Paradigm offers a coherent, testable, and interdisciplinary framework for reinterpreting Mediterranean protohistory. It challenges entrenched assumptions, integrates myth with material culture, and repositions Sardinia and Corsica as central actors in ancient civilization. If validated, it would necessitate a profound revision of historical narratives and academic curricula.
References
- Usai, L. (2025). Localizzazione del leggendario Giardino delle Esperidi a Fruttidoro di Capoterra. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17655297
- Usai, L. (2024–2025). Multiple preprints on geo-mythology, toponymy, and archaeological reinterpretation. Zenodo repository and Harvard University Dataverse.
- Apollonius Rhodius. Argonautica. Book IV.
- Plato. Timaeus and Critias.
- Herodotus. Histories. Book IV.
- Diodorus
🗺️ Geo-Mitologia e Toponomastica
- Sardinian-Corsican-Atlantidean Paradigm (SCAP)
- Geo-Mythology
- Fossil Toponymy
- Lake Tritonidis
- Garden of the Hesperides
- Mons Atlas
- Fruttidoro (Capoterra)
- Pauli (Monserrato)
- Sparagmós Geografico
- Damnatio Memoriae
🧭 Archeologia e Paleogeografia
- Mycenaean Tripods
- Selargius (Su Coddu)
- Santadi (Grotta Pirosu)
- Nuragic Civilization
- Bronze Age Sardinia
- Paleo-hydrography
- Insula Magna
- Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)
- Eustatic Sea Level Rise
- Stratigraphic Excavation
📜 Fonti Classiche e Filologia
- Herodotus
- Diodorus Siculus
- Apollonius Rhodius
- Plato (Timaeus, Critias)
- Tritogeneia
- Poseidon / Forcus
- Classical Toponymy
- Etymological Reinterpretation
- Myth as Historical Chronicle
🧪 Epistemologia e Metodologia
- Consilience
- Empirical Falsification
- Hermeneutic Blindness
- Cognitive Drift
- Popperian Scientific Method
- Epistemic Paradigm Shift
- Interdisciplinary Methodology
- Archaeological Forensics