The German town of Rungholt, dubbed the “Atlantis of the North Sea” because it was wiped off the map in an epic flood in the 1300s, is set to be excavated for the first time, reports Sun.

Rungholt, a port city that hundreds of years ago was home to 3,000 people, is at the center of a bitter legend that it was flooded to punish its drunken inhabitants.

Local residents who behaved immorally and drank heavily would be destroyed as a punishment from God.

Some say that before Judgment Day, the sunken city will rise from the sea and the church bells will ring again.

The true cause of the city’s flooding was a heavy storm, but despite this, Rungholt was shrouded in mystery as it disappeared in 1362.

The local people of Rungholt would be very rich

Archaeologists have now begun to explore this place.

“Hidden remains of settlements beneath the marshes are first found and mapped over a wide area using various geophysical methods such as magnetic gradiometry, electromagnetic induction and seismic,” said Dennis Wilken of Kiel University.

Using high-tech methods, scientists have already discovered the church, drains and harbor with amazing technology at that time.

The researchers were also able to discover one of the largest systems of wooden piers used for tides at the time.

Those who lived in the city seemed to live a life of luxury, eating shrimp, oysters, poultry, eggs, sheep, cattle, and grain.

Pottery, metal ornaments and weapons from Spain and Flanders have also been found, indicating a rich trading city.