Stephen Oppenheimer (1947- ) qualified in Medicine from Oxford University in 1971. He moved to the orient where he specialised in tropical paediatrics. He was Professor of Paediatrics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong from 1990 to 1994. Much of his research focused on malaria and the unique genetic mutations that protect against it. Since these mutations act as markers Oppenheimer found that they held strong evidence for the migrations caused by the extensive flooding following the last Ice Age. This led him to investigate the cultural origins of the peoples of South East Asia.

Oppenheimer wrote a book^[004], which identified the South China Sea as the original location of the Garden of Eden. Although he makes little reference to Atlantis, the book is of great interest to those that favour an oriental rather than a western location as the inspiration for Plato’s legendary land.

A critical review of Oppenheimer’s volume by Koenraad Elst^(c), the  Belgian orientalist, as well as the more recent supportive views of Dale Drinnon can be found on the Internet^(a).

Oppenheimer has also written a further book^[005] that looks at the origins of modern mankind in Africa and its spread throughout the rest of the world.

In February 2012 it was reported^(b) that the president of Indonesia was encouraging a search for an ancient civilisation in Indonesian waters. This apparently followed meetings with local researchers and Stephen Oppenheimer.

 ^(a) http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2011/10/eden-in-east-in-his-book-eden-in-east.html

^(b) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/03/president-s-men-quest-find-atlantis.html

^(c) http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/reviews/atlantis.html

 
Also see: Sundaland