Lost civilizations are an intrigue. Ever since the beginning of time, humanity has formed marvelous civilizations and lost them too. Records that date more than hundreds of years ago, from when explorers began discovering giant pits filled with treasures, temples frozen in time in the depths of jungles prove that humanity is capable of doing great deeds and creating wonders.
Many of us ask, “Why did those lost civilizations abandon their thriving cities, trade routes, and lush agricultural lands?” The truth is that we cannot be too sure. All we have left are legends and folk tales to give us vague answers to these questions.
The Five Mysterious Lost Civilizations of the World:
The Mayan Civilization
Once a thriving civilization with great monuments, roads, and brilliant cities, today all that remains here, is a ruined temple amidst the American jungles in the areas that stretch across Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. The Mayan civilization had the greatest and massive agricultural project in Yucatán during the first millennium AD. They made far-reaching use of math, writing, calendar, and engineering techniques to create their terraced farms and pyramids. Mayans still exist and had scattered into smaller villages for unknown reasons and still maintain their customs and language.
What destroyed this civilization is still one of the most disputed debates in the archaeological world.
The Indus Valley Civilization
A civilization that once spread across the present-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, it was home to approximately five million people. In ancient times, thousands of years ago, this civilization was famous by the name “Harappan Civilization” or “Indus Civilization.” They had sophisticated roadside drainage systems, multistory houses and brick hives, and metallurgy shops, which they abandoned more than 3,000 years before.
Archaeological research suggests that climatic changes like rainfall patterns made it difficult for the civilization (and others) to raise enough food for their massive population, which caused them to disperse.
Easter Island
This civilization is very famous for its statues of human heads or Moai, lined along the coasts of the island. They had the ability to navigate hundreds of miles across oceans and travel from one island to another. So, how did this extraordinary civilization vanish?
This civilization occupied the Easter Island between 700 and 200 AD, and it seems likely that they used up all their agricultural resources. Probably their techniques were not as sophisticated, and they had to move on.
Catalhöyük
Known as the oldest city in the world, Catalhöyük thrived as the greatest agricultural and building civilization about 7,000-9,000 years back. Today, it is the south-central Turkey. Its structure is the most interesting feature, which distinguishes it from other cities in the old world. There were no roads, and buildings had holes in the roof for entry.
They were right next to one another and in the shape of hives. People used ladders and sidewalks to get to the rooftops. They hung bull skulls at the entrance of their homes as décor ideas and buried the bones of their dead ones beneath dirt on their floors to honor them. This was a pre iron-age civilization, and they were pre-literate.
Nevertheless, they had abundant art, a sophisticated society and they practiced public rituals. It existed for 2,000 years and had approximately 10,000 people by the time it eventually vanished. The reason is still unknown.
Cahokia
In ancient times, before North America came into being, the Mississippians occupied the areas that are now in Illinois. You can find remains of this ancient civilization in the huge earthen pyramids and structures like the Stonehenge here. They used the Stonehenge to track star movements.
This civilization thrived between 600-1400 AD, and it spread across six square miles. They had hundreds of earthen mounds, approximately 40,000 people, and they built a grand plaza. These Mesoamerican people were great artists, farmers, architects, and they used copper, stone, and shells in their artistic work.
According to archaeological findings, the civilization existed until the 1200s, and the reason for its vanishing was famine and disease.
There are many other lost civilizations in the history of humanity. If you’d like to read about some others, do let us know by leaving a message down below. Thank you for making time to read this blog. Please feel free to share your thoughts about it down below because we will sincerely appreciate your comments. Do subscribe to our future blogs too.
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