The mysteгy of the disappeaгance of ancient civilizations

Tгoy - fake oг гeal

The stoгy of Tгoy is associated with two of Homeг's exam schools: the Iliad and the Odyssey in Gгeek mythology. While many ancient civilizations left physical гemains foг posteгity, Tгoy is consideгed as a stoгy in the imagination of the ancients becaυse on the modeгn eaгth, people do not see any tгace of it. The wall is associated with the immoгtal waг and the legendaгy wooden hoгse.

But according to recent studies of historians, Troy is real. They assert that more than 3,000 years ago, Troy was located on a hilltop, near the harbor leading to the Aegae Sea (now this port has been buried by sand). When Greek, Italian, and Portuguese merchants sailed from the Aegae to the Black Sea, they all stopped at Troy to supply food and entertain. Newly discovered archaeological remains such as: boat fragments and iron stakes scattered under the soil layers about 4 km from Troy (in present-day Turkey) are evidence that Greek warships once docked. here before attacking the city, as Homer tells it in the Iliad.

Why did Troy disappear? That is the question that generations of scientists have struggled to answer.

"We believe that natural disasters, especially earthquakes, have played an important role in the mysterious disappearance of many civilizations," said Amos Nur, a professor of physics at Stanford University in the US . . Other scientists from the American Geophysical Union have developed a completely different hypothesis. When they studied the eastern Mediterranean at the end of the Bronze Age , they suggested that a major earthquake could be the main culprit behind the disappearance of cities like Troy, Mycenae, and Knossos. These cities were swept off the world map between 1,225 - 1,175 BC. And this thesis has been supported by the American Geographical and Physical Association.

Harappa culture - baked clay fortresses

An ancient civilization that was part of the Indus civilization was an Ancient civilization that developed between 2,800 and 1,800 BC. History books also record the high development of this civilization in terms of economic development, commerce, agriculture, art, writing... But this culture has disappeared but the cause still remains until now. unknown, but the series of temples discovered prove the existence.

The most popular theory is that the nomads Arian (English: Aryan) appeared and conquered. The second widely accepted hypothesis is about climate changes . Around 1,800 BC, the climate in the Indus basin changed, becoming colder and drier, the Ghaggra-Hakra River became dry, changing plate tectonics, the water source of the river system was diverted towards The Ganges Delta led to the decline of the Harappa civilization .

Other theories suggest that the decline of the Indus civilization was related to the end of the Sumerian kingdom and the cessation of trade relations with the kingdom, or to the cessation of military strife and disease. end this culture. The decisive cause for the decline is still unclear. Professor Amos Nur and his colleague Prasad, when reviewing seismic history, found that there were catastrophic earthquakes that hit coastal areas near the border between India and Pakistan. According to their hypothesis, one or more large tremors may have caused the earth's crust to move, thereby blocking the flow of a major river in the region. Agricultural production was destroyed, severe floods occurred and eventually buried cities in mud.

And the Mayan civilization

Maya is a unique ancient civilization next to the Andes civilization , built by the Maya , a Native American tribe from 1,000 BC. The Maya civilization reached a high level not only in the field of state construction but also brilliantly developed in the fields of architecture, mathematics, astronomy and time calculation. Archaeological remains have proven that the Maya developed the concept of " zero " in 357, nearly 900 years earlier than Europe, accurately determining the length of a year, the time it takes for the earth to rotate one full year. circumnavigation of the sun, which is more accurate than many of the calendars used in Europe at the time. Not only that, the Mayan religion is also very special because there is a combination of rituals with the cycles of the universe.

Sharing the same fate as Troy and the Harappa civilization, the two cities of Quirigua (present-day Eastern Guatemala) and Benque Viejo , which were the cultural centers of the Maya at their height, suddenly disappeared at the end of the 5th century. 9 BC. Many historians around the world believe that this disappearance is the result of continuous wars , initially within the Mayan tribe to compete for power and then against the invasion of the Maya. named after the Spanish Empire . But the research results of geophysicist Robert Kovach give us another destructive cause: a terrible earthquake .

Chan Chan Civilization

According to research documents, the Chan Chan civilization originated in 850 BC and experienced its peak in the early 15th century.

However, this civilization was destroyed when the Inca Empire invaded. Today, humanity is still admiring the ruins of the Chan Chan civilization as giant, peculiar drawings on the Nazca plateau.

There are many theories surrounding the drawings. Many people believe that these strange drawings are a way for the ancients to communicate with alien beings.

The rage of the planet was originally the cause of ruin, but so far, this has also been identified as the cause of the mysterious disappearance of many civilizations in human history.

Indus Valley Civilization, Pakistan

The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the greatest man-made architectural wonders of the ancient world (known to a degree of influence as the Harappan civilization). It is one of the largest municipalities on the continent .

Located in present-day Pakistan, the Indus valley civilization flourished 4,500 years ago and then was forgotten until the ruins were unearthed in the 1920s.

With sophisticated and advanced technologies, this civilization stands out for its urban sanitation system as well as evidence of surprising proficiency in engineering, mathematics and even dentistry.

By around 1500 BC, the Indus valley civilization was largely forgotten, be it after invasions of Indo-European tribes or the collapse of agriculture due to climate change.

Khmer Empire, Cambodia

As one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia, Khmer civilization influenced from present-day Cambodia to Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia. Today, it is known as Angkor.

In addition to the monuments carved on the stone, no written evidence exists, so our understanding of this ancient civilization is only pieced together from archaeological investigations, reliefs on walls in temples and external documents including Chinese documents.

The Khmer applied both Hinduism and Buddhism to the construction of temples, towers and other elaborate structures such as Angkor Wat solely dedicated to the god Vishnu.

Enemy invasions, plague deaths, water management problems affecting agriculture, and power conflicts between royal families could all be to blame for the destruction. downfall of this empire.

Anasazi, New Mexico, USA

" Anasazi " is the modern name for the ancient Pueblo people, who lived in the "Four Corners " area of ​​the Southeastern United States at the junction of the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. .

Their civilization emerged around the 12th century BC, and are still known for the stone and brick structures built along the cliffs including Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, the ruins of the White House (White House Ruins) and Pueblo Bonito at the northern edge of Chaco Canyon. This structure was developed into a multi-storey apartment building that is usually only accessible by ropes or ladders.

The ancient Pueblo people did not necessarily " disappear ", however, they abandoned their homeland for reasons that are still unanswered. Many experts as well as modern Pueblo people who consider the ancient Pueblo people as their ancestors believe that deforestation and drought caused internal strife and wars that drove the Pueblo people to leave their homeland.

Olmec civilization, Mexico

Veracruz and Tabasco in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico were once a powerful pre-Columbian civilization that built amazingly huge capitals, where bloodshed and sacrifices took place. man, which invented the concept of zero and basically laid the foundation for all Central American cultures.

The Olmec civilization may even have been the first civilization in the Western Hemisphere to have developed a writing system, and may have invented both the compass and the Mesoamerican calendar. Dating back to around 1,500 BC, the Olmec civilization was not discovered by historians until the mid-19th century. Its disappearance is thought to be due to environmental changes caused by the eruptions. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or possibly a weakening of agriculture.

Aksumite Empire, Ethiopia

One empire that had major trade with the Roman Empire and ancient India was the Aksumite Empire - also known as the Kingdom of Aksum or Axum - which ruled the countries of Northwestern Africa including Ethiopia since the 1st century. 4th century BC.

Once thought to be the home of the queen of Sheba, the Aksumite empire may have been a powerful indigenous development of Africa that included most of present-day Eritrea, northern Ethiopia, Yemen, and southern Saudi Arabia. and northern Sudan.

This kingdom in Ethiopia is not a myth, it was once a real trading power. With access to both the Nile and the Red Sea trade routes, Aksum's trade flourished, and by early AD most of Ethiopia was under Aksum's rule. Aksum's power and prosperity allowed them to expand into Arabia. In the 3rd century, a Persian philosopher wrote that Aksum was one of the four largest kingdoms in the world, next to Rome, China and Persia.

Aksum adopted Christianity not long after the Roman Empire and continued to thrive throughout the early Middle Ages. If not for the expansion of Islam, Aksum would have continued to dominate East Africa. After the Arab conquest of the Red Sea coast, Aksum lost its main trading advantage to its neighbors. Of course, they can only blame themselves. Just a few decades earlier, the king of Aksum had granted asylum to the followers of Saint Muhammad, thereby enabling a religion to destroy his own empire.

Minoans civilization, Crete

Named after the legendary King Minos, the Minoan civilization of Crete was rediscovered in the early 20th century, and since then has discovered more fascinating pieces of an ancient civilization that began flourished more than 7,000 years ago. Its peak was around 1600 BC.

It is one of the commercial centers that appeared around 2700 BC, and is said to be an advanced civilization with magnificent palaces rebuilt many times after a series of natural disasters (possibly earthquakes). and the eruption of Thera volcano).

One of those palaces is the palace of Knossos, the " labyrinth " associated with the legend of King Minos, and now a major archaeological site of tourist attraction. But around 1450 BC, a disaster caused the Minoans civilization to fail to recover and collapse.

Cucuteni Civilization - Trypillian, Ukraine & Romania

The largest settlements in Neolithic Europe were built by the Cucuteni Trypillians of present-day Ukraine, Romania and Moldova. This mysterious civilization flourished between 5500 BC and 2750 BC characterized by pottery making and the strange habit of burning down its village every 60 to 80 years.

The villages were then rebuilt on the ashes of the old village. About 3,000 archaeological sites about Cucuteni - Trypillian have been identified. Like many other civilizations, the Cucuteni - Trypillian civilization may have been wiped out by climate change, but another theory is that they gradually merged with other ethnic groups until the culture their own disappeared.

Nabatean civilization, Jordan

The ancient Nabatean civilization inhabited southern Jordan, Canaan and northern Arabia from the 6th century BC, when Aramaic-speaking Nabatean nomads began to migrate from Arabia.

Their monuments are carved into the sandstones of the mountains of Jordan, and are remembered for their irrigation technology. The management of a complex system of dams, canals and reservoirs has enabled them to expand and thrive in an arid desert region.

They were invaded by the Romans in 65 BC and lost control of the country in 106 AD. Later, the name was changed to the kingdom of Arabia Petrea.

Around the 4th century AD, the Nabateans left Petra without finding the exact reason why they left. It is believed that, after centuries of foreign rule, the Nabatean civilization died out as groups of Greek peasants finally converted to Christianity before their lands were seized. entirely by Arab invaders.

Cahokia, Illinois, USA

Few Americans realize that there are ruins of an ancient civilization that disappeared right here in America - in Illinois, just across the Mississippi River, from St Louis, Missouri.

The Cahokia mountain is all that remains of an indigenous Mississippian civilization. The inhabitants of Cahokia did not preserve the text, but preserved this world heritage site with artificial mounds covered with grass as well as with pottery and other artifacts.

Cahokia was once the largest urban center in North Central America among the major Mexican cities and may have been home to about 40,000 people in 1250. Cahokia was wiped out about 100 years ago by humans. Europe to North America, possibly due to environmental factors or invasions by other peoples.

Mycenaean civilization, Greece

Unlike the Minoans, the Mycenaeans did not thrive in trade. The peak of this civilization was around the time the Minoan civilization disappeared.

The Mycenaean civilization once suffered from domination for 5 centuries before disappearing around 1100 BC.

According to Greek myth, Mycenae defeated the mythical Troy. Artifacts of this empire have been found in distant Ireland.

In fact, this civilization with both cultural and economic might left behind a wealth of architecture, art and craft. What happened to to craft Mycenae? It could have been natural disasters, but most experts believe it could have been foreign invaders or internal strife that led to the empire's disappearance.

Moche Civilization, Peru

The Moche civilization developed a perfect agrarian society with elaborate palaces, pyramids, and irrigation canals on the northern coast of Peru between AD 100 and 800.

Although they had no written records, they did leave a few clues about their history. These are extremely detailed and sophisticated ceramics and monumental architectural works.

In 2006, a Moche room was discovered and it appears that this room was used to store human remains.

There are many theories about why the Moche civilization disappeared, but the most popular explanation is the influence of El Nino, a severe weather pattern with alternating weather characteristics. periods of severe floods and droughts.

Clovis Civilization, North America

Very little is known about the Clovis, a prehistoric Indian people believed to be the first inhabitants of North America.

Stone artifacts, bones and blades are the only clues that this civilization ever existed.

Over the past 30 years, remnants of ancient human activity have been discovered, but the reason they disappeared remains a mystery. Some speculate that the Clovis hunted too much, affecting their food supply, or that climate change, disease and wild animals took away their food.

Others believe that the Clovis did not completely disappear, but simply dispersed into Native American tribes.

Civilization of the Yam

The Kingdom of Yam may have existed as a trading partner and rival to the Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, but its exact location remains as elusive as the myth of Atlantis. Based on the inscriptions on the grave of the Egyptian explorer Harkhuf, it seems that Yam was a land of "incense, ebony, leopard, ivory and boomerang".

Despite Harhuf's claims of land voyages lasting more than seven months, Egyptologists have long identified the land of boomerangs just a few hundred miles from the Nile. Conventional wisdom is that there was no way the Egyptians could cross the harsh swath of the Sahara. There are also questions about what one finds on the other side of the Sahara. But it probably underestimated the ancient Egyptian traders, as recently discovered hieroglyphs about 700km southwest of the Nile confirm the existence of trade between Yam and Ai Egypt as well as indicating Yam's location north of the Chad Plateau.

Exactly how the Egyptians crossed thousands of miles in the desert before the advent of the wheel, and with just donkeys, is still a mystery. But at least their destination is no longer shrouded in secrecy.

Civilization of the Kush

Known from ancient Egyptian sources for its abundance of gold and other valuable natural resources, Kush was conquered and mined by its northern neighbor Egypt in nearly half of its history. millennium (about 1500 - 1000 BC). But Kush's origins go deeper than that - ancient remains from 8000 BC have been discovered in the Kerma capital area, and by the early 2400s, Kush had a complex society. and highly associated with agriculture on a large scale.

In the 9th century BC, instability in Egypt allowed the Kush to regain their independence. And in one of history's most spectacular twists of fortune, Kush conquered Egypt in 750 BC. In the following century, a series of Kush pharaohs ruled over a territory much larger than their Egyptian predecessors. It was the rulers of Kush who restored the construction of the pyramids and brought them to Sudan. The Kush were eventually swept out of Egypt by the Assyrian invasion, ending centuries of Egyptian and Kush cultural exchange.

The Kush fled south and reestablished their country at Meroe on the southeastern bank of the Nile. In Meroe, the Kush escaped Egyptian influence and developed their own script, now known as the Meroitic. The typeface remains a mystery and unsolved, carrying with it the shadow of much of Kush history. The last king of Kush died in 200 AD, although the cause of his kingdom's decline and fall remains unknown.

Dilmun Civilization

Once an important trading district in its heyday, Dilmun covered present-day Bahrain, Kuwait and parts of Saudi Arabia. Although there is not much evidence, scholars believe that some areas such as Saar and Qal'at al-Bahrain were inhabited by the ancient Dilmun people. Many artifacts dating back to the 3rd millennium BC found in Saar support this hypothesis.

The Dilmuns controlled trade routes in the Persian Gulf and communications as far as Türkiye. The numerous streams that flow through this area make the legendary Bahrain referred to as the Garden of Eden in the Bible. Described as "the land where the sun rises", Dilmun plays an important role in Summer folklore.

Elam civilization

Despite calling himself Haltam, "Elam" comes from the Old Hebrew name for the word Haltam. The Elam civilization was master if located on the territory of present-day Iran and a small part of Iraq. As one of the oldest civilizations, Elam dates back to the 3rd millennium BC and is the oldest civilization in Iran.

Located along the border of Sumer and Akkad, the topography of Elam is similar to its neighbors but has a unique language. Elam has existed as an independent kingdom for more than a millennium but we know very little about them because ancient Elam documents do not record legends, literature or scientific achievements, but mainly praise them. the king and gave orders. Therefore, they had a small impact on the development of modern civilizations compared to Egypt and Sumer.

Norte Chico Civilization

Beginning in the 3rd millennium BC and lasting for more than 1,200 years, Norte Chico is considered the oldest civilization in South America, covering what is now Peru. The Kingdom of Norte Chico has 20 large cities with advanced architecture and agriculture. They also developed a complex irrigation system that was unprecedented in the Americas at that time.

Religious artifacts are found throughout the area, most often near the famous Norte Chico stone pyramids. This civilization had a significant influence on later South American culture, as the Chavin civilization emerged a few hundred years after the death of Norte Chicos.

Punt Civilization

A trading partner with ancient Egypt, the land of the Punt people famous for their spices, ebony and gold, lies somewhere between South Africa and the coast of the Middle East. Although the Egyptians carefully described the terrain and people of the kingdom of Punt, they did not specify the location of this ancient civilization.

Much of our understanding of the Punt comes from the time of Hatshepsut, the female Pharaoh who ruled Egypt around the 15th century BC. The bas-reliefs in her temple document a trade voyage to Punt, with unique details such as the beehive-shaped houses.

A painting on the temple wall depicts Hatshepsut receiving wonderful gifts from this enchanted land. Researchers have yet to find the exact location of the kingdom of Punt, although there are many ancient Egyptian artifacts describing this place.

Yuezhi civilization

These are the ancient people who ruled Bactria and India from 128 BC to 450 AD. They began as nomadic tribes in northeastern China, trading jade, silk and horses over a large area. After a dispute with the Xiongnu tribe, they moved west, conquering Greco-Bactria and displacing the Saka. Gradually, they formed "agrarian, sedentary economy ", and the Yuezhi monasteries helped spread Buddhism in China. 

Greco-Bactrian civilization

After the death of Alexander the Great, a state called Greco-Bactria split off in the 3rd century BC, in what is now Afghanistan and Tajikistan. This kingdom was a rich place, with a unique civilization mixed between Greece and the East. The history of Greco-Bactria is traced through coins, but much remains unknown about this kingdom destroyed by the Khushans. 

Etruscan Civilization

In northern Italy, the Etruscans prospered from the 8th to 3rd centuries BC, until their conquest by Rome. Although the culture has been wiped out, many of their tombs and murals remain. The independent Etruscan cities and states are connected by religion, language and culture. This society based on agriculture and commerce was theocratic, in which religious rituals were a part of daily life. 

Mitanni Civilization

Located in the land of the Hurrians (present-day Syria, Northern Iraq, Southeast Turkey), the kingdom of the ancient Indo-Aryans existed from the 16th to the 13th centuries BC. At one time Mitanni was very powerful and influential, some suggest that this empire could expand due to the decline of the ancient Babylonian empire. However, much of their history was destroyed by the Assyrians. At its height, Mitanni maintained good relations with Egypt, as shown in correspondence between King Mitanni and the Egyptian pharaoh.