Grounded in the humanities, the author earned a rigorous Italian Classical Lyceum Diploma in 1993, with in-depth studies of Latin and Ancient Greek. Although a later shift led to a master's degree in finance magna cum laude, a profound passion for history, archaeology and ancient languages remained constant, cultivated through rigorous self-study.
The author's archaeological activities began in 2010 on Lampedusa, an island that proved to be fertile ground for on-site investigations. Discoveries through the years—including Eneolithic idols, a Bronze Age village, and Neolithic huts—led to collaborations with eminent specialists in Central Mediterranean prehistory such as Professors Tusa, Bonanno, and Galili. This research and fieldwork on Lampedusa culminated in several publications: the volume La preistoria di Lampedusa (The Prehistory of Lampedusa) in 2014, followed by the 2016 article La Preistoria di Lampedusa: nuove ipotesi e interrogativi (The Prehistory of Lampedusa: New Hypotheses and Questions) in Sicilia Archeologica. This body of work on the island's prehistory concluded in 2022 with the publication of Lampedusa preistorica (Prehistoric Lampedusa).
The in-depth study of Central Mediterranean prehistory naturally led the author to engage with the myth of Atlantis. However, an initial hypothesis locating Plato's island somewhere between Lampedusa, Malta, Tunisia, or Sardinia was ultimately set aside due to the absence of conclusive archaeological evidence.
A methodological breakthrough occurred in 2018 with the application of an innovative deciphering method. Based on reconstructing a double layer of translation applied to toponyms, ethnonyms, and proper nouns in Plato's Critias, this approach involved the targeted translation of "Egyptianization" and subsequent "Hellenization" layers of these terms. This led to the hypothesis that Plato was, in fact, describing the epic of the Hyksos and their invasion of Egypt around 1650 BC, identifying Atlantis with the city of Avaris in the Nile Delta. Subsequent research confirmed the consistency between this thesis and archaeological data and historical sources. In 2021, this thesis was presented in the English volume Atletenu, aimed at stimulating renewed scientific debate. The Italian version, Gli Atletenu di Avaris (The Atletenu of Avaris), was published in 2025, integrated with new additions and improvements. The second English edition, The Atletenu of Avaris, also released in 2025, further strengthens the original insights with updated content and new discoveries supporting the identification of Atlantis with Avaris.
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Year 2016: a fiedd survey in Lampedusa (Prof. Bonanno left, Diego Ratti center, Prof. Tusa right)
