Mysteriously disappeared civilizations

Believe it or not, friends, modern humanity may disappear in a couple of years, and this will not be the first time a civilization has disappeared from the face of the Earth. The disappearance of some ancient civilizations known to us was caused by wars, climate change, disease, invasions, and eruptions. But in most cases, these reasons are most likely the assumption of learned historians.

Clovis

Time of existence: 11500 BC
Location: North America

We know little about Clovis culture. What is known is that this prehistoric Native American culture is believed to have existed in North America. Its name comes from an archaeological site located near Clovis, New Mexico. Artifacts found at the site in the 1920s consist of stone tools and bones.

It is believed that these people arrived from Siberia to Alaska via the Bering Strait towards the end of the last Ice Age. Whether this was the first crop in North America, no one knows. The life of this civilization passed quite quickly. What contributed to her rapid disappearance? Maybe they hunted too much and destroyed their food supply? Or was it caused by climate change, disease, predators, or a meteorite? Or maybe members of this culture simply dispersed to join other Indian tribes? Scientists still have a lot of work to do to unravel this mystery.

Cucuteni-Trypillia culture

Time of existence: between 5500 and 2750 BC.
Location: Ukraine and Romania.

The largest communities of Neolithic Europe were built in Cucuteni-Trypillia, what is now modern Ukraine, Romania and Moldavia. There were almost 15,000 people in the Cucuteni-Trypillia civilization - a huge community of that time that mysteriously disappeared from the face of the Earth.

The Cucuteni-Trypillia culture is famous for its ceramics. They also had the strange habit of burning down their villages every 60-80 years before building new ones on the ashes of the old ones. To date, scientists have identified about 3,000 archaeological sites from this matriarchal society, at the center of which was the mother goddess. Their disappearance may have been caused by dramatic climate change, which led to the worst droughts in European history. Other theories suggest that the people were scattered among different tribes that lived in the surrounding area.

Indus Valley Civilization

Time of existence: 3300-1300 BC.
Location: Pakistan.

The Indus Valley Civilization is one of those vast civilizations spread across what is now Pakistan and western India. This is one of the most mysterious ancient civilizations. Little is known about her, mainly because no one has ever been able to decipher their language. We know that people built more than a hundred cities and villages, including the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. Each had their own sewer systems and basic living conditions in their homes. It appears to have been a civilization without classes and without an army that excelled in astronomy and agriculture. It was also the first civilization to make cotton clothing.

The Indus civilization disappeared 4,500 years ago and no one knew about it until ruins were discovered in the 1920s. Several theories try to explain this disappearance. These include changes in their environment, drying up of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, and colder and drier temperatures. Another theory suggests an Aryan invasion of the region around 1500 BC.

Minoan civilization

Time of existence: 3000-630 BC.
Location: Crete.

The Minoan civilization was not known until the early 20th century. Since 1900, careful research has begun, which has revealed many secrets of this mysterious civilization, which existed for about 7,000 years and reached its peak around 1600 BC. Over time, archaeologists have found very interesting places. One of these was the palace at Knossos, a labyrinth associated with the legend of King Minos (hence the name of the civilization). Now it is an important archaeological center.

It is believed that the Minoans were destroyed by a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera (Santorini today). There is evidence that they would have survived if the eruption had not killed all plant life. This led to the economic decline of the once rich civilization, famine and death. Another hypothesis is that they were captured by the Mycenaeans. The Minoan Civilization is one of the greatest civilizations that has ever existed.

Mayan civilization

Time of existence: 2600 BC before 1520 AD
Location: Central America.

The Mayan civilization is a classic example of a civilization that mysteriously disappeared. Its greatest monuments, its cities and roads were swallowed up by the jungles of Central America, and its population scattered among small villages and settlements. The languages ​​and traditions of the Maya people still survive, but the civilization's climax occurred in the first millennium AD, when their greatest architectural monuments were built and their dominance spanned a vast area that would include Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.

One of the greatest peoples of ancient civilization used writing, mathematics, a calendar and sophisticated technology to build their pyramids and terraced farms. The reason for the disappearance of this highly advanced civilization is one of the great archaeological debates. It is theorized that internal strife, combined with climate change in the Yucatan during the year 900, led to crop failure and famine leading to destruction.

Mycenaean civilization

Time of existence: 1600-1100 BC.
Location: Greece.

Unlike the Minoan civilization, the Mycenaean civilization flourished not only through trade, but also through conquest. Their empire covered almost all of Greece. The Mycenaean civilization survived five centuries as a dominant force before disappearing around 1100 BC. Several Greek myths center around this civilization. One of them is the myth of the legendary king Agamemnon, who led the Greek army during the Trojan War. The Mycenaean civilization was culturally and economically rich and left behind many artifacts. But the mystery of her disappearance has not yet been solved.

Olmec civilization

Time of existence: 1400 BC
Location: Mexico.

The great pre-Columbian Olmec civilization once flourished in Mexico. The first traces of civilization date back to 1400 BC. The city of San Lorenzo has one of the three main Olmec centers with Tenochtitlan and Potrero Nuevo.

The Olmecs were master builders. In the places where they lived, monuments of giant stone heads were found. This civilization laid the foundation for all subsequent Mesoamerican cultures. The Olmecs are believed to have been the first to develop a written system, and they probably invented the compass and the Mesoamerican calendar. They knew the use of bloodletting, performed human sacrifices and invented the concept of the number zero. This civilization was not discovered by historians until the mid-19th century. Its decline was due to climate change caused by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and possibly a decline in agricultural activity.

Nabataean civilization

Time of existence: 600 BC
Location: Jordan.

The Nabatean civilization flourished in southern Jordan, the Canaan region, and northern Arabia from the 6th century BC. Semitic peoples built the spectacular city of Petra, carved into the sandstone cliffs of the Jordan Mountains. We also know about their talents in hydraulics and the complex system of dams, canals and reservoirs that allowed them to survive in the desert region.

No written records have reached us, and we know almost nothing about their culture. Nevertheless, it was a prosperous civilization that, thanks to its geographical location, created a trading network for the trade and exchange of ivory, silk, spices, precious metals and stones, incense, sugar, perfumes and medicines. Unlike other civilizations of that time, the Nabataeans did not know about slavery, and each contributed to the development of their state.

In the 4th century BC. The Nabateans abandoned Petra and no one knows why. Archaeological evidence suggests that their departure was not hasty, and therefore it was not associated with raids by warlike tribes. It is believed that migration to the north occurred to find better work.

Aksum Empire

Time of existence: 100 AD
Location: Ethiopia.

The Aksum Empire began in the first century AD in the area that is now Ethiopia. Legend has it that this was the birthplace of the Queen of Sheba. Aksum was an important trading center, exporting vast agricultural resources and gold to the Roman Empire and India. It was a wealthy state and the first African culture to issue its own currency, which was a sign of a great power at the time.

The most distinctive monuments are the steles of Aksum, giant carved obelisks that act as funeral terminals for kings and nobles. The first Aksumites worshiped many gods, the main of which was Astar. Then, in 324, King Ezana II was converted to Christianity and became Aksum. According to local legend, a Jewish queen named Yodit conquered the Aksumite Empire and burned their churches and books. Others believe that it was the pagan queen Bani al-Hamwiya who caused the decline of the empire. Other theories attribute the collapse of the empire to climate change and overuse of soil, which led to famine. Aksum took second place in the list of the most ancient civilizations that mysteriously disappeared from the face of the Earth.

Khmer Empire

Time of existence: 1000-1400 AD
Location: Cambodia.

The Khmer Empire, one of the most powerful empires and greatest lost civilizations in Southeast Asia, occupied the territories of modern Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia. The capital of Angkor has become one of the most famous archaeological sites in Cambodia. This empire, which included up to a million people, flourished during the first millennium. The Khmers practiced Hinduism and Buddhism and built temples, towers and other complex structures such as Angkor Wat, a temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. The decline of the Khmer Empire was attributed to a combination of factors, although most believe that ruinous wars contributed to the empire's demise. By the 14th century, the Khmer Empire ceased to exist.

Whatever happens in the future, my dear reader, each of us can apply our strength to extend the life of our fragile civilization. I don’t know what its descendants will call it (if there are any), but I doubt that after its destruction there will be anything left for them. We are standing on the edge of an abyss - this is a fact, and whether a bridge will be built across this abyss depends on you and me.