Some Consideration of the Deluge Legends
These were inscribed by the first then on a column of orichalcum, which was situated in the middle of the island, at the Temple of Poseidon, whither the people were gathered together.
The Story of Atlantis
And they were supplied indeed with many things from foreign countries, on account of their extensive empire; but the island afforded them the greater part of everything of which they stood in need.[14] In the first place the island supplied them with such things as are dug out of mines in a solid state, and with such as are melted: and orichalcum, which is now but seldom mentioned, but then was much celebrated, was dug out of the earth in many parts of the island, and was considered as the most honourable of all metals except gold.
Orichalcum
Plato's account of Atlantis mentions a mysterious metal known as orichalcum.
The walls were coated with brass, tin, and orichalcum, which sparkled like fire.
Pliny the Elder, in his work Natural History, refers to orichalcum, describing it as a metal that was once in high demand but had since become scarce.
Several hypotheses exist regarding orichalcum's composition.
Other ancient texts mention orichalcum.
Virgil's Aeneid describes armor made from a blend of gold and orichalcum.
In Homeric mythology, orichalcum is also referenced in relation to Aphrodite's jewelry, further supporting the idea that it was considered valuable.
Many historians believe these ingots could be orichalcum.
Another shipwreck in 2017 revealed 47 more ingots of the same composition, reinforcing the possibility that this metal is orichalcum.
Although there is still uncertainty about the true nature of orichalcum, the evidence found in ancient texts and shipwrecks suggests that it was a valuable metal in antiquity.
Critias, the story of Atlantis
The island was rich in minerals, including orichalcum, a precious metal second only to gold.
These walls were covered with precious metals, with the outermost wall covered in bronze, the middle in tin, and the innermost in orichalcum, which glowed with a fiery luster.
The wealth of the Atlanteans was immense, with vast quantities of gold, silver, orichalcum, and other precious resources at their disposal.