But an ancient civilization that has technology that makes 2008 humanity wonder. I don't know, if the people from Atlantis were so advanced, what happened. How did they get theri knowledge, why wasn't it passed on. I read the Atlantis/Egypt news blurb, it said nothing, really, just that their might be a city under ash...
If what you are saying is correct, the ancient civilization cure aging, can use pillars of black smoke read minds, and kill, and they can reanimate the dead. Sounds like the future to me.
You see, if the writers say that it is Atalntis, then they will have to explain Atlantis, something better left to myth and legend. Saying it's from the future, well, you on't have to explain it.
And maybe that's the point, occurring the same way. Maybe Alpert is searching for people who would eventually be involved in the project, so it occurs the same way.

Hey, I don't pretend to have a clue, I'm just trying to make sense of what the writers are showing us.