At any moment, humanity can disappear, if not all, then part of it. This has happened before, and entire civilizations have disappeared as a result of wars, epidemics, climate change, military invasions or volcanic eruptions. Although in most cases the reasons remain mysterious. We offer an overview of 10 civilizations that mysteriously disappeared thousands of years ago.

10. Clovis

Time of existence: 11500 BC e.
Territory: North America
Very little is known about the Clovis culture, a prehistoric Stone Age culture of the tribes that inhabited North America at the time. The name of the culture comes from the Clovis archaeological site, located near the city of Clovis, New Mexico. Among the archaeological finds found here in the 20s of the last century, one can name stone and bone knives, etc. Probably, these people came from Siberia through the Bering Strait to Alaska at the end of the Ice Age. No one knows whether this was the first culture in North America or not. The Clovis culture vanished as suddenly as it appeared. Perhaps the members of this culture assimilated with other tribes.

Time of existence: 5500 - 2750 BC e.
Territory: Ukraine Moldova and Romania
The largest settlements in Europe during the Neolithic period were built by representatives of the Trypillian culture, whose area was the territory of modern Ukraine, Romania and Moldova. The civilization numbered about 15,000 people and is known for its pottery, the fact that they burned their old settlements, having lived in them for 60-80 years, before building new ones. Today, about 3,000 settlements of the Trypillians are known, who had matriarchy, and they worshiped the mother goddess of the clan. Their extinction may have been due to dramatic climate change leading to drought and famine. According to other scientists, Trypillians assimilated among other tribes.

Time of existence: 3300-1300 BC e.
Territory: Pakistan
The Indian civilization was one of the most numerous and significant in the territory of modern Pakistan and India, but, unfortunately, little is known about it. It is only known that representatives of the Indian civilization built hundreds of cities and villages. Each of the cities had a sewer system and a cleaning system. Civilization was non-class, not militant, because it did not even have its own army, but interested in astronomy and agriculture. It was the first civilization to produce cotton fabrics and clothing. Civilization disappeared 4500 years ago, and no one knew about its existence until the ruins of ancient cities were discovered in the 20s of the last century. Scientists have put forward several theories regarding the reasons for the disappearance, including climate change, a sharp temperature drop from frost to extreme heat. According to another theory, the Aryans destroyed civilization by attacking in 1500 BC. e.

Time of existence: 3000-630 BC
Territory: Crete
The existence of the Minoan civilization was not known until the beginning of the 20th century, but then it was found out that the civilization existed for 7000 years and reached its peak of development by 1600 BC. e. For many centuries, palaces were built, completed and rebuilt, forming entire complexes. An example of such complexes can be called palaces in Knossos, this is a labyrinth with which the legend of the Minotaur and King Minos is associated. Today it is an important archaeological center. The first Minoans used Cretan Linear A, which was later changed to Linear B, both of which were based on hieroglyphs. It is believed that the Minoan civilization died as a result of a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera (Santorini). It is believed that people would have survived if the vegetation had not died as a result of the eruption and famine had not set in. The Minoan fleet was dilapidated and the trade-based economy was in decline. According to another version, civilization disappeared as a result of the invasion of the Mycenaeans. The Minoan civilization was one of the most advanced.

Time of existence: 2600 BC - 1520 AD
Territory: Central America
The Maya are a classic example of the disappearance of civilization. Their majestic temples, monuments, cities and roads were swallowed up by the jungle, and the people disappeared. The language and traditions of the Mayan tribe still exist, but the civilization itself experienced the peak of its development in the first millennium of our era, when majestic temples were built. The Maya had a written language, people studied mathematics, created their own calendar, engaged in engineering activities, built pyramids. Among the reasons for the disappearance of the tribe is climate change, which lasted for 900 years and led to drought and famine.

Time of existence: 1600-1100 BC e.
Territory: Greece
Unlike the Minoan civilization, the Mycenaeans prospered not only through trade, but also through conquest - they owned the territory of almost all of Greece. The Mycenaean civilization lasted for 500 years before disappearing in 1100 BC. Several Greek myths are based on the stories of this particular civilization, such as the legend of King Agamemnon, who led the troops during the Trojan War. The Mycenaean civilization was well developed both culturally and economically and left behind many artifacts. The cause of her death is not known. An earthquake, invasions, or peasant uprisings are expected.

Time of existence: 1400 BC
Territory: Mexico
There was once a powerful and prosperous pre-Columbian civilization, the Olmec civilization. The first finds belonging to her, archaeologists date back to 1400 BC. e. In the San Lorenzo area, scientists have found two of the three main Olmec centers, Tenochtitlan and Potrero Nuevo. The Olmecs were skilled builders. Archaeologists during excavations found large monuments in the form of huge stone heads. The Olmec civilization became the ancestor of the Mesoamerican culture, which still exists today. They say that it was she who invented writing, the compass and the calendar. They understood the benefits of bloodletting, sacrificed people and came up with the concept of the number zero. Until the 19th century, historians knew nothing about the existence of civilization.

Time of existence: 600 BC. e.
Territory: Jordan
Nabataea existed in the southern part of Jordan, in the region of Canaan and Arabia from the 6th century BC. Here they built a stunning cave city of Petra in the red mountains of Jordan. The Nabateans are known for their complexes of dams, canals and water reservoirs that helped them survive in the desert. There are no written sources confirming their existence. It is known that they organized an active trade in silk, tusks, spices, precious metals, precious stones, incense, sugar, perfumes and medicines. Unlike other civilizations existing at that time, they did not keep slaves and equally contributed to the development of society. In the 4th century BC e. the Nabataeans left Petra and no one knows why. Archaeological finds indicate that they did not leave the city in a hurry, that they did not survive the attack. Scholars think the nomadic tribe moved north to better lands.

Time of existence: 100 AD
Territory: Ethiopia
The Aksumite kingdom was formed in the first century AD. in what is now Ethiopia. According to legend, the Queen of Sheba was born in this area. Aksum was an important trading center that traded ivory, natural resources, agricultural products and gold with the Roman Empire and India. The Aksumite kingdom was a rich society and the ancestor of African culture, the creator of its own currency, a symbol of power. The most characteristic were monuments in the form of stelae, giant cave obelisks, which played the role of burial chambers for kings and queens. At the very beginning, the inhabitants of the kingdom worshiped many gods, among which was the supreme god Astar. In 324, King Ezana II converted to Christianity and began to promote Christian culture in the kingdom. According to legend, a Jewish queen named Yodit took over the kingdom of Aksum and burned churches and books. According to other sources, it was the pagan queen of Bani al-Hamriyya. Others believe that climate change and famine led to the decline of the kingdom.

Time of existence: 1000-1400 AD
Territory: Cambodia
The Khmer Empire, one of the most powerful empires and the largest vanished civilizations, was located on the territory of modern Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. The capital of the empire, the city of Angkor, has become one of the most famous archaeological centers in Cambodia. The empire, which at that time had up to a million inhabitants, flourished in the first millennium. The inhabitants of the empire professed Hinduism and Buddhism, built numerous temples, towers and other architectural complexes, such as the temple of Angkor, dedicated to the god Vishnu. The decline of the empire was the result of several causes. One of them was roads, along which it was convenient not only to transport goods, but also to advance enemy troops.

At any moment, humanity can disappear, if not all, then part of it. This has happened before, and entire civilizations have disappeared as a result of wars, epidemics, climate change, military invasions or volcanic eruptions. Although in most cases the reasons remain mysterious. We offer an overview of 10 civilizations that mysteriously disappeared thousands of years ago.

Clovis

Time of existence:
11500 BC e.

Territory:
North America

Very little is known about the Clovis culture, a prehistoric Stone Age culture of the tribes that inhabited North America at the time. The name of the culture comes from the Clovis archaeological site, located near the city of Clovis, New Mexico. Among the archaeological finds found here in the 20s of the last century, one can name stone and bone knives, etc. Probably, these people came from Siberia through the Bering Strait to Alaska at the end of the Ice Age. No one knows whether this was the first culture in North America or not. The Clovis culture vanished as suddenly as it appeared. Perhaps the members of this culture assimilated with other tribes.

Trypillia culture

Time of existence:
5500 - 2750 BC e.

Territory:
Ukraine Moldova and Romania

The largest settlements in Europe during the Neolithic period were built by representatives of the Trypillian culture, whose area was the territory of modern Ukraine, Romania and Moldova. The civilization numbered about 15,000 people and is known for its pottery, the fact that they burned their old settlements, having lived in them for 60-80 years, before building new ones. Today, about 3,000 settlements of the Trypillians are known, who had matriarchy, and they worshiped the mother goddess of the clan. Their extinction may have been due to dramatic climate change leading to drought and famine. According to other scientists, Trypillians assimilated among other tribes.

Indian civilization

Time of existence:
3300-1300 BC e.

Territory:
Pakistan

The Indian civilization was one of the most numerous and significant in the territory of modern Pakistan and India, but, unfortunately, little is known about it. It is only known that representatives of the Indian civilization built hundreds of cities and villages. Each of the cities had a sewer system and a cleaning system. Civilization was non-class, not militant, because it did not even have its own army, but interested in astronomy and agriculture. It was the first civilization to produce cotton fabrics and clothing. Civilization disappeared 4500 years ago, and no one knew about its existence until the ruins of ancient cities were discovered in the 20s of the last century. Scientists have put forward several theories regarding the reasons for the disappearance, including climate change, a sharp temperature drop from frost to extreme heat. According to another theory, the Aryans destroyed civilization by attacking in 1500 BC. e.

Minoan civilization

Time of existence:
3000-630 BC

Territory:
Crete

The existence of the Minoan civilization was not known until the beginning of the 20th century, but then it was found out that the civilization existed for 7000 years and reached its peak of development by 1600 BC. e. For many centuries, palaces were built, completed and rebuilt, forming entire complexes. An example of such complexes can be called palaces in Knossos, this is a labyrinth with which the legend of the Minotaur and King Minos is associated. Today it is an important archaeological center. The first Minoans used Cretan Linear A, which was later changed to Linear B, both of which were based on hieroglyphs. It is believed that the Minoan civilization died as a result of a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera (Santorini). It is believed that people would have survived if the vegetation had not died as a result of the eruption and famine had not set in. The Minoan fleet was dilapidated and the trade-based economy was in decline. According to another version, civilization disappeared as a result of the invasion of the Mycenaeans. The Minoan civilization was one of the most advanced.

Mayan civilization

Time of existence:
2600 BC - 1520 AD

Territory:
Central America

The Maya are a classic example of the disappearance of civilization. Their majestic temples, monuments, cities and roads were swallowed up by the jungle, and the people disappeared. The language and traditions of the Mayan tribe still exist, but the civilization itself experienced the peak of its development in the first millennium of our era, when majestic temples were built. The Maya had a written language, people studied mathematics, created their own calendar, engaged in engineering activities, built pyramids. Among the reasons for the disappearance of the tribe is climate change, which lasted for 900 years and led to drought and famine.

Mycenaean civilization

Time of existence:
1600-1100 BC e.

Territory:
Greece

Unlike the Minoan civilization, the Mycenaeans prospered not only through trade, but also through conquest - they owned the territory of almost all of Greece. The Mycenaean civilization lasted for 500 years before disappearing in 1100 BC. Several Greek myths are based on the stories of this particular civilization, such as the legend of King Agamemnon, who led the troops during the Trojan War. The Mycenaean civilization was well developed both culturally and economically and left behind many artifacts. The cause of her death is not known. An earthquake, invasions, or peasant uprisings are expected.

Olmec civilization

Time of existence:
1400 BC

Territory: Mexico
There was once a powerful and prosperous pre-Columbian civilization, the Olmec civilization. The first finds belonging to her, archaeologists date back to 1400 BC. e. In the San Lorenzo area, scientists have found two of the three main Olmec centers, Tenochtitlan and Potrero Nuevo. The Olmecs were skilled builders. Archaeologists during excavations found large monuments in the form of huge stone heads. The Olmec civilization became the ancestor of the Mesoamerican culture, which still exists today. They say that it was she who invented writing, the compass and the calendar. They understood the benefits of bloodletting, sacrificed people and came up with the concept of the number zero. Until the 19th century, historians knew nothing about the existence of civilization.

Nabatea

Time of existence:
600 BC e.

Territory:
Jordan

Nabataea existed in the southern part of Jordan, in the region of Canaan and Arabia from the 6th century BC. Here they built a stunning cave city of Petra in the red mountains of Jordan. The Nabateans are known for their complexes of dams, canals and water reservoirs that helped them survive in the desert. There are no written sources confirming their existence. It is known that they organized an active trade in silk, tusks, spices, precious metals, precious stones, incense, sugar, perfumes and medicines. Unlike other civilizations existing at that time, they did not keep slaves and equally contributed to the development of society. In the 4th century BC e. the Nabataeans left Petra and no one knows why. Archaeological finds indicate that they did not leave the city in a hurry, that they did not survive the attack. Scholars think the nomadic tribe moved north to better lands.

Aksumite kingdom

Time of existence:
100 AD

Territory:
Ethiopia

The Aksumite kingdom was formed in the first century AD. in what is now Ethiopia. According to legend, the Queen of Sheba was born in this area. Aksum was an important trading center that traded ivory, natural resources, agricultural products and gold with the Roman Empire and India. The Aksumite kingdom was a rich society and the ancestor of African culture, the creator of its own currency, a symbol of power. The most characteristic were monuments in the form of stelae, giant cave obelisks, which played the role of burial chambers for kings and queens. At the very beginning, the inhabitants of the kingdom worshiped many gods, among which was the supreme god Astar. In 324, King Ezana II converted to Christianity and began to promote Christian culture in the kingdom. According to legend, a Jewish queen named Yodit took over the kingdom of Aksum and burned churches and books. According to other sources, it was the pagan queen of Bani al-Hamriyya. Others believe that climate change and famine led to the decline of the kingdom.

Khmer Empire

Time of existence:
1000-1400 AD

Territory:
Cambodia

The Khmer Empire, one of the most powerful empires and the largest vanished civilizations, was located on the territory of modern Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. The capital of the empire, the city of Angkor, has become one of the most famous archaeological centers in Cambodia. The empire, which at that time had up to a million inhabitants, flourished in the first millennium. The inhabitants of the empire professed Hinduism and Buddhism, built numerous temples, towers and other architectural complexes, such as the temple of Angkor, dedicated to the god Vishnu. The decline of the empire was the result of several causes. One of them was roads, along which it was convenient not only to transport goods, but also to advance enemy troops.

For most people, ancient history is limited to only three civilizations - Egypt, Rome and Greece. Beyond those three whales, our map of the ancient world is just a gap. However, many vibrant and exciting cultures existed outside this narrow center. Filling in the blanks, in this compilation we will tell you about 10 forgotten ancient civilizations.

Aksumite kingdom

The Kingdom of Aksum has been the subject of countless legends. among them the home of the mythical Prester John, the lost kingdom of the Queen of Saba, or the burial place of the Ark of the Covenant, Aksum has long been at the forefront of the Western imagination. The Ethiopian kingdom is not a myth at all, it once held international trading power. With access to the Nile and the Red Sea with trade routes, trade flourished, and by the beginning of the Common Era, most of the Ethiopian peoples were under Aksumite rule. The power and prosperity of Aksum allowed it to expand into Arabia. In the third century AD, a Persian philosopher wrote that Aksumite was one of the four largest kingdoms in the world, along with Rome, China and Persia. Aksum adopted Christianity immediately after the Roman Empire and continued to flourish in the early Middle Ages. Had it not been for the expansion of Islam, the kingdom would have continued to dominate East Africa. After the Arab conquest coastline Red Sea Aksum has lost its main trade advantage over its neighbors. But they could only blame themselves. Just a few decades earlier, the king had given refuge to the early followers of Muhammad, thus ensuring the expansion of the religion that brought down the kingdom of Aksum.

Kingdom of Kush

Known in ancient Egyptian sources for its abundance of gold and other valuable natural resources, the kingdom of Kush was conquered and exploited by its northern neighbor for nearly half a millennium (ca. 1500–1000 BC). But the origin of Kush extends much deeper into the past - ceramic artifacts dating back to 8000 BC were discovered in the area of ​​​​its capital, Kerma, and as early as 2400 BC. Kush had a highly stratified and complex urban society supported by large-scale agriculture. In the ninth century BC, instability in Egypt allowed the Kushites to regain their independence. And in one of the biggest conquests in history, Kush captured Egypt in 750 BC. Over the next century, a number of Kushite pharaohs controlled territory that far surpassed their Egyptian predecessors. These were the rulers who resumed the creation of the Egyptian pyramids and contributed to their construction in Sudan. They were eventually driven out of Egypt by the Assyrian invasion, ending centuries of cultural exchange between Kush and Egypt. The Kushites fled south, settling on the southeast bank of the Nile. Here they did away with Egyptian influence and developed their own form of writing, now called Meroitic. The manuscripts are still a mystery and have not yet been deciphered, obscuring much of Kush's history. The last king of the realm died in 300 AD, although the fall of his kingdom and the exact reasons for its decline remain a mystery.

Yam Kingdom

The Kingdom of Yam existed as a trading partner and possible rival of the Egyptian kingdom, but its exact location proved almost as elusive as the mythical Atlantis. Based on funerary inscriptions by the Egyptian explorer Harkhuf, it seems that Yams was a land of “incense, ebony, leopard skins, elephant tusks, and boomerangs.” Despite Harhoof's claims of possible overland trips exceeding seven months, Egyptologists have long placed boomerang land just a few hundred miles from the Nile. Conventional wisdom was that there was no way the ancient Egyptians could have crossed the inhospitable expanse of the Sahara Desert. But it seems that we have underestimated the ancient Egyptian traders, because hieroglyphs recently discovered more than 700 kilometers southwest of the Nile confirm the existence of trade between Yam and Egypt and point to the location of Yam in the North Scottish Highlands of Chad. It is not known exactly how the Egyptians crossed hundreds of miles of desert before the invention of the wheel, with only donkeys as beasts of burden.

Xiongnu Empire

The Xiongnu Empire was a confederation of nomadic peoples who dominated northern China from the third century BC. to the first century BC Imagine the Mongol army of Genghis Khan, but a millennium earlier... and with chariots. Many theories exist to explain the origin of the Xiongnu, and at one time some scholars claimed that they were the ancestors of the Huns. Unfortunately, there is little historical information about this people. What we do know is that the Xiongnu raids on China were so devastating that Emperor Qin ordered the earliest building work on the Great Wall. Nearly half a century later, the constant raids of the Hongwu forced the Chinese, this time under the Han Dynasty, to re-fortify and expand the Great Wall even further. In 166 BC, over 100,000 Xiongnu horsemen made it 160 kilometers to the Chinese capital before finally being stopped. The Chinese have finally gained some semblance of control over their northern neighbors. However, the Xiongnu were the first and longest running Asian nomadic empire.

Greco-Bactria

Too often, in stories about the life and conquests of Alexander the Great, we do not remember the people who followed him in battle. The fate of Alexander is well known, but what is known about those people who died for the sake of the young general's conquests? When Alexander died unexpectedly, the Macedonians didn't just go home. Instead, their generals fought each other for supremacy in running the empire. Seleucus I Nicator was quite successful in this, capturing everything from the Mediterranean in the west to what is now Pakistan in the east. However, even the empire of Seleucus is fairly well known, compared to Greco-Bactria. In the third century BC. the province of Bactria (now Afghanistan and Tajikistan) became so strong that it declared independence. Sources describe a rich land of “thousands of cities,” and artifacts found during excavations span centuries. The location of Greco-Bactria made it a hub for a whole litany of cultures: Persians, Indians, Scythians and many nomadic groups all contributed to the development of a completely unique kingdom. Of course, location and wealth also attracted unwanted attention by the early second century B.C. pressure from nomads from the north forced the Greeks to travel south to India. At Alexandria Oxiana, or Ai Khanum as it is now known, spectacular evidence of this radical combination of Greek and Oriental culture was unearthed, before the Afghan war destroyed the site in 1978. During the excavation period, Indian coins, Iranian altars and other finds were found among the ruins of this Greek city, full of Corinthian columns, a gymnasium, an amphitheater and a temple that combines Greek and Zoroastrian elements.

Yuezhi

The Yuezhi are known for having fought with so many peoples. For several centuries they have appeared in the background of an incredible number of significant events in Eurasia. The Yuezhi originated as a confederation of several nomadic tribes on the steppes north of China. Traders traveled long distances to trade jade, silk, and horses. Their flourishing trade brought them into direct conflict with the Xiongnu, who eventually forced them out of the trade. The Yuezhi then headed west, where they encountered and defeated the Greco-Bactrians. By the first and second centuries AD, the Yuezhi were fighting the Scythians, in addition to occasional warfare in Pakistan and Han China. During this period, the tribes united and established their own agricultural economy. This empire survived for three centuries until troops from Persia, Pakistan and India reconquered their old territories.

Kingdom of Mitanni

The state of Mitanni existed from about 1500 BC. until 1200s BC and consisted of what is now Syria and northern Iraq. You know of at least one Mitannian, as there is evidence that the famous queen of Egypt, Nefertiti, was born in a Mesopotamian state. Nefertiti married the Pharaoh to improve relations between the two kingdoms. The Mitannians are believed to have been Indo-Aryan in origin, and their culture demonstrates the level to which ancient Indian influence penetrated Middle Eastern civilization. They supported Hindu beliefs in fate, reincarnation and cremation, which confirm the connection between Mitanni and Egypt. Nefertiti and her husband, Amenhotep IV, were at the center of the religious revolution in Egypt and had a great influence on the pharaoh. While much of the above remains unconfirmed, scientists are hopeful that early excavations will reveal the Mitanni capital and reveal more about the ancient kingdom.

Tuvan

There is no more lost or forgotten kingdom in the world than Tuwana. When the Hittite Empire collapsed, Tuvana was one of a handful of city-states that helped fill the power vacuum in what is now Turkey. During the ninth and eighth centuries BC, Tuvana rose to prominence, strengthening its position between the Phrygian and Assyrian empires to secure trade throughout Anatolia. As a result, substantial wealth has been accumulated. It is likely that Tuvana's central location and the disunity of the Anatolian city-states made the kingdom weaker when, in the early 700s BC. the conquest took place. As the Assyrian Empire expanded westward, it toppled each of the post-Hittite city-states along its path. Up until 2012, all that was known about Tuvan was based on a handful of inscriptions and a few references in some Assyrian documents. The recent discovery of a massive city believed to have been the base of Tuwana's power changes all that. With such a large and well-preserved find, archaeologists began to piece together the history of a strong and wealthy kingdom that ruled the region's trade for several centuries. Since the city captured the Great Silk Road with its location, the archaeological potential of Tuvana is huge.

Mauryan Empire

Chandragupta Maurya was essentially Alexander the Great for India. No wonder they soon met. Chandragapta requested Macedonian aid in his quest to control the subcontinent, but Alexander's troops were too busy mutinying. The undaunted ruler unified most of India under his reign and defeated all conquerors in the subcontinent. He did it all by the age of 20. After Alexander's death, it was the Mauryan Empire that prevented his successors from expanding deeper into India. Chandragapta personally defeated several Macedonian generals in battle, after which the Macedonians preferred agreement rather than the risk of open war. Unlike Alexander, Chandragupta left behind a carefully crafted government to ensure the continuity of his legacy. And it might have survived longer were it not for the coup in 185 BC that left India divided, weak, and open to Greek invasion.

Indo-Greeks

It is impossible to talk about the ancient world without mentioning the Greeks - the Greeks were everywhere. As mentioned before, external pressure doomed the Greco-Bactrians, but the Indo-Greek kingdom carried the torch of Hellenistic culture for another two centuries in northwestern India. The most famous of the Indo Greek kings, Menander, allegedly converted to Buddhism after a long debate with the philosopher Nagasena. The Greek influence can be clearly seen in the fusion of artistic styles. The collapse of the Indo-Greek kingdom was most likely a combination of Yuezhi invasion from the north and Indian expansion from the south.

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Like Indiana Jones, solo archaeologist David Hatcher Childress has made many incredible trips to the most ancient and remote places on earth. Describing lost cities and ancient civilizations, he published six books: a chronicle of travels from the Gobi Desert to Puma Punka in Bolivia, from Mohenjo-Daro to Baalbek. We found him preparing for another archaeological expedition, this time to New Guinea, and asked him to write the following article especially for Atlantis Rising.

1. Mu or Lemuria

According to various secret sources, the first civilization arose 78,000 years ago on the gigantic continent known as Mu or Lemuria. And it existed for an amazing 52,000 years. Civilization was destroyed by earthquakes caused by the shift of the earth's pole, which occurred approximately 26,000 years ago, or in 24,000 BC.

While the civilization of Mu did not achieve as high technology as other later civilizations, however, the peoples of Mu succeeded in erecting mega-stone buildings that were able to withstand earthquakes. This building science was the greatest achievement of Mu.

Perhaps in those days there was one language and one government on the whole Earth. Education was the key to the prosperity of the Empire, every citizen was versed in the laws of the Earth and the Universe, by the age of 21 he was given an excellent education. By the age of 28, a person became a full citizen of the empire.

2. Ancient Atlantis

When the continent of Mu sank into the ocean, today's Pacific Ocean was formed, and the water level in other parts of the Earth dropped significantly. Small in the time of Lemuria, the islands in the Atlantic increased significantly in size. The lands of the Poseidonis archipelago formed a whole small continent. This continent is called Atlantis by modern historians, but its real name was Poseidonis.

Atlantis possessed a high level of technology that surpassed the modern one. In the book "The Inhabitant of Two Planets", dictated in 1884 by philosophers from Tibet to the young Californian Frederick Spencer Oliver, as well as in the continuation of 1940 "The Earthly Return of the Inhabitant", there is a mention of such inventions and devices as: air conditioners, for cleaning the air from harmful vapors; vacuum cylinder lamps, fluorescent lamps; electric rifles; transport on a monorail; water generators, a tool for compressing water from the atmosphere; aircraft controlled by anti-gravity forces.

The clairvoyant Edgar Cayce spoke of the use of planes and crystals in Atlantis to generate tremendous energy. He also mentioned the misuse of power by the Atlanteans, which led to the destruction of their civilization.

3. Rama Empire in India

Fortunately, the ancient books of the Indian Empire of Rama have survived, in contrast to the documents of China, Egypt, Central America and Peru. Now the remains of the empire are swallowed up by the impenetrable jungle or rest on the bottom of the ocean. And yet India, despite numerous military devastation, has managed to preserve much of its ancient history.

It was believed that the Indian civilization appeared not much earlier than 500 AD, 200 years before the invasion of Alexander the Great. However, in the last century, the cities of Mojenjo-Daro and Harappa were discovered in the Indus Valley on the territory of modern Pakistan.

The discovery of these cities forced archaeologists to move the date of the Indian civilization thousands of years ago. To the surprise of modern researchers, these cities were highly organized and were a brilliant example of urban planning. And the sewerage system was more developed than it is now in many Asian countries.

4. The civilization of Osiris in the Mediterranean

During the time of Atlantis and Harappa, the Mediterranean basin was a large fertile valley. The ancient civilization that flourished there was the progenitor of dynastic Egypt, and is known as the Osiris Civilization. The Nile previously flowed in a completely different way than today and was called the Styx. Instead of emptying into the Mediterranean in northern Egypt, the Nile turned west, formed a huge lake in the region of the central part of the modern Mediterranean, flowed out of the lake in the area between Malta and Sicily and emptied into the Atlantic Ocean at the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar). When Atlantis was destroyed, the waters of the Atlantic slowly flooded the Mediterranean Basin, destroying the large cities of the Osirians and forcing them to relocate. This theory explains the strange megalithic remains found at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

It is an archaeological fact that at the bottom of this sea there are more than two hundred sunken cities. The Egyptian civilization, along with the Minoan (Crete) and Mycenaean (Greece) are traces of one large, ancient culture. The Ossyrian civilization left huge earthquake-resistant megalithic structures, owned electricity and other amenities that were common in Atlantis. Like Atlantis and Rama's empire, the Osirians had airships and other vehicles, mostly electrical in nature. Mysterious paths in Malta, which are found under water, may be part of the ancient transport route of the Osirian civilization.

Probably the best example of the high technology of the Osirians is the amazing platform found in Baalbek (Lebanon). The main platform is made up of the largest cut rock blocks, each weighing between 1200 and 1500 tons.

5. Civilizations of the Gobi Desert

Many ancient cities of the Uighur civilization existed during the time of Atlantis on the site of the Gobi desert. However, now the Gobi is a lifeless land scorched by the sun, and it is hard to believe that the waters of the ocean once splashed here.

So far, no traces of this civilization have been found. However, vimanas and other technical devices were not alien to the Wiger area. The famous Russian explorer Nicholas Roerich reported his observations of flying discs in the region of northern Tibet in the 1930s.

Some sources claim that the elders of Lemuria, even before the cataclysm that destroyed their civilization, moved their headquarters to an uninhabited plateau in Central Asia, which we now call Tibet. Here they founded a school known as the Great White Brotherhood.

The great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu wrote the famous Tao Te Ching. At the approach of his death, he went west to the legendary land of Hsi Wang Mu. Could this land be the domain of the White Brotherhood?

6. Tiwanaku

As in Mu and Atlantis, construction in South America reached megalithic scale in the construction of earthquake-resistant structures.

Residential houses and public buildings were built from ordinary stones, but using a unique polygonal technology. These buildings are still standing today. Cusco, the ancient capital of Peru, which was probably built before the Incas, is still quite a populated city, even after thousands of years. Most of the buildings located in downtown Cusco today unite walls that are many hundreds of years old (while younger buildings, already built by the Spaniards, are collapsing).

A few hundred kilometers south of Cusco lie the fantastic ruins of Puma Punqui, high in the Bolivian altiplano. Puma Punca is not far from the famous Tiahuanaco, a massive magalic site where 100-ton blocks are scattered all over the place by an unknown force.

This happened when the South American continent was suddenly subjected to a great cataclysm, probably caused by a pole shift. The former sea ridge can now be seen at an altitude of 3900 m in the Andes mountains. A possible confirmation of this is the multitude of oceanic fossils around Lake Titicaca.

Mayan pyramids found in Central America have their twins on the Indonesian island of Java. The Sukuh Pyramid on the slopes of Mount Lavu near Surakarta in central Java is an amazing temple with a stone stele and a step pyramid, the place of which is rather in the jungles of Central America. The pyramid is virtually identical to the pyramids found at the Vashaktun site near Tikal.

The ancient Mayans were brilliant astronomers and mathematicians whose early cities lived in harmony with nature. They built canals and garden cities in the Yucatan Peninsula.

As pointed out by Edgar Cayce, records of all the wisdom of the Mayan people and other ancient civilizations are found in three places in the earth. Firstly, this is Atlantis or Posidonia, where some of the temples may still be found under many years of bottom overlays, for example, in the Bimini region off the coast of Florida. Secondly, in temple records somewhere in Egypt. And finally, on the Yucatan Peninsula, in America.

It is assumed that the ancient Hall of Records can be located anywhere, probably under some kind of pyramid, in an underground chamber. Some sources say that this repository of ancient knowledge contains quartz crystals that are capable of storing large amounts of information, similar to modern CDs.

8. Ancient China

Ancient China, known as Hanshui China, like other civilizations, was born from the vast Pacific continent of Mu. Ancient Chinese records are known for descriptions of celestial chariots and the jade production they shared with the Maya. Indeed, the ancient Chinese and Mayan languages ​​seem to be very similar.

The mutual influences of China and Central America on each other are evident, both in the field of linguistics and in mythology, religious symbolism, and even trade.

The ancient Chinese invented everything from toilet paper to earthquake detectors to rocket technology and printing techniques. In 1959, archaeologists discovered aluminum tapes made several thousand years ago, this aluminum was obtained from raw materials using electricity.

9. Ancient Ethiopia and Israel

From the ancient texts of the Bible and the Ethiopian book Kebra Negast, we know about the high technology of ancient Ethiopia and Israel. The temple in Jerusalem was built on three giant blocks of hewn stone, similar to those found in Baalbek. Solomon's temple earlier and a Muslim mosque now exist on the site, whose foundations are apparently rooted in the civilization of Osiris.

Solomon's Temple, another example of megalithic construction, was built to contain the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was an electrical generator, and people who carelessly touched it were electrocuted. The ark itself and the golden statue were taken out of the King's Chamber into Great Pyramid Moses at the time of the Exodus.

10. Aroe and the Kingdom of the Sun in the Pacific

At the time when the Mu continent sank into the ocean 24,000 years ago due to the pole shift, the Pacific Ocean was later repopulated by many races from India, China, Africa and America.

The resulting Aroe civilization in the islands of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia built many megalithic pyramids, platforms, roads, and statues.

In New Caledonia, cement columns have been found dating back to 5120 BC. before 10950 BC

The Easter Island statues were placed in a clockwise spiral around the island. And on the island of Pohnpei, a huge stone city was built.

The Polynesians of New Zealand, the Easter Islands, Hawaii and Tahiti still believe that their ancestors had the ability to fly and traveled by air from island to island.

11. "Avalon"

In Celtic mythology, Avalon is mysterious island in the Yellow Sea. King Arthur, after completing his healing from a war injury, is said to have fallen asleep but did not die in Avalon. It is believed that he will "sleep" until Britain takes up her sword again.

In the 12th century, the monks of Glastonbury Abbey allegedly found the remains of King Arthur and his queen, as well as his excalibur (King Arthur's sword) on the island. They also stated that the island is full of apples (in Welsh, Avalon means "Apple").

However, historians question this claim. In other versions of the legend: Avalon is the place of residence of the Fairy Morgana. The fairy Melusina was brought up on Avalon.

There is another interesting point of view about the location of the Land under the waves, which in many ways reconciles the supporters of the geographical and unearthly location of Avalon ...

12. Eldorado

The conquerors of the New World saw many strange things. Eldorado means "golden place" in Spanish. This is a mythical South American country (or city) made of gold and precious stones. In the fruitless search for Eldorado, 16th-century conquistadors (such as Aguirre and Orellana) blazed new trails deep into South America.

The starting point for the creation of legends about Eldorado could be the custom of the Chibcha Indian tribe, when the leader during the coronation was smeared with clay and sprinkled with golden sand until he turned into a “golden man”. After that, he bathed in the lake, leaving precious gifts at its bottom.

The Spanish conquerors plundered and depleted the kingdom of El Dorado, but did not find what they were looking for. The legends of Eldorado have attracted numerous explorers over the centuries to search for the treasures stored there, but instead they lost their property and became destitute. However, treasure hunters still believe that Eldorado is in Colombia.

Using the Google Earth service, scientists managed to find traces ancient civilization, which may turn out to be the legendary El Dorado! In the upper Amazon basin on the border of Brazil and Bolivia, the researchers said they found more than 200 massive earthen structures. On satellite photographs, they look like large geometric figures “cut out” in the ground, but scientists believe that these are the remains of roads, bridges, ditches, streets and squares. live about 60 thousand people. Approximate dating of the structures so far ranges from the 3rd century BC to the 13th century AD.

13. Buyan Island and Belovodie

In Slavic mythology, Buyan Island is described as a magical island that appears and disappears in the ocean. Three brothers live on it - the western, eastern and northern winds. According to some myths, the island is the root of all weather changes. In another myth, on an island in an egg, which is located in an oak, a needle is hidden, on the tip of which lies the death of a koshchei. Some people believe that the island, in fact, is the German island of Rügen of the Russian Old Believers, there is the concept of "Belovodye", which in all respects resembles the theosophical Shambhala - a country of justice and true piety.

Being in 1877 on the shores of the “wandering” lake Lop-nor, north of the Tarim River in Western China (Xinjiang), the famous Russian traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky recorded the story of local residents about how a party of Altai Old Believers came to these places in the late 1850s. over a hundred people. The Old Believers were looking for the Belovodsk "Promised Land".

Belovodye is another mystery of Central Asian history. Modern researchers believe that this is "not a specific geographical name, but a poetic image of a free land, a figurative embodiment of a dream about it."
Therefore, it is no coincidence that the Russian Old Believers were looking for this “happy peasant country” in a vast area - from Altai to Japan and the Pacific Islands and from Mongolia to India and Afghanistan.

In the second half of the 18th century, two settlements in the Bukhtarma and Uimon valleys of the southeastern Altai bore the name Belovodie. The power of the "bosses" and the priests did not reach here - the persecutors of the Old Believers who did not accept the church reform of Patriarch Nikon.
This "neutral land" between the Russian and Chinese empires was included in 1791 into Russia. It was then, according to Chistov, that the legend of Belovodye arose, but the reports about the Central Asian routes of the finders of Belovodye (Mongolia - Western China - Tibet) are of greatest interest.

14. Shambhala

According to ancient legends, Shambhala is hidden in the Himalayas, in a quiet and green and beautiful holy land. This place is mentioned in religious Tibetan and Indian texts.

After the 17th century, when Western people heard about this place, they went on one of the most dangerous adventures in search of this place. Some people think that Shambhala actually belongs to China, others that it is hidden in the mountains of Kazakhstan.

In the ideas of Blavatsky, Shambhala is the last refuge of the representatives of the Atlantean race who survived the world catastrophe:

“... Numerous caves and ruins found in both Americas, as well as in the West Indies, are all associated with the sunken Atlantis. While the hierophants of the Old World at the time of Atlantis were connected with the New World by land routes, the magicians of the now non-existent country had a whole network of underground corridors diverging in all directions ... "
“... there is not a single cave temple in this country that does not have its underground passages diverging in all directions, and that these underground caves and endless corridors, in turn, have their own caves and corridors ...”

In 1920, a Soviet secret expedition and diplomats led an unsuccessful expedition in search of the site. At present, most Buddhists believe that Shambhala is a metaphor for the inner world of those who love peacefulness. In the West, Shambhala was given another name: Shangri-La.

Shambhala was sought by people striving for unlimited power over the world. All those who stand at the top and have real information knew and know about the existence of this monastery, about the existence of the powerful knowledge that is contained in it. They are well aware that real power over the world is concentrated in Shambhala, which is why many have been looking for and are still looking for it, see more in the article of the modern theosophist Nadezhda Urikova ...

According to legend, the city of Is was one of the most beautiful in the world. It was built on the coast of Brittany, below sea level, protected by a dam and gates. The legend says that the rulers of the city were deceived by the devil and opened the gates during a storm. The city was flooded.

Almost all the inhabitants of Is died, and their souls remained under water. Only King Gradlon and his daughter were saved, who decided to cross the sea, saddling the sea horse Morvarch. However, on the way, Saint Gwenole appeared to them, accusing Dahut of the death of the city. He ordered Gradlon to throw his daughter into the sea, after which she turned into a mermaid.

Having escaped, Gradlon founded the city of Quimper, which became his new capital. After his death, in Quimper, between the two towers of the Cathedral of St. Corentin, a statue was erected to him, which has survived to this day.

According to Breton lore, the bells of Ys can sometimes be heard to warn of an approaching storm.

After the destruction of Is, the Franks renamed Lutetia to Paris, since in Breton "Par Is" means "like Is". According to Breton beliefs, Is will rise when Paris is swallowed up by water.

16. Bermeya

Old maps often show islands and lands that are not found today. Some of them are called "Islands of Fantasy", perhaps caused by a mistake in the origin of the geographical craft. But it is believed that Bermeya really existed. Due to a natural disaster, the island disappeared. On old American maps, this island was located off the northwestern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2009, the Mexican government tried to find Bermeya, hoping to expand its oil exploration plans. But they still have not been able to find this legendary island.

17. Hyperborea, Arctida or the Unknown Southern Land

Hyperborea (ancient Greek Ὑπερβορεία - “beyond Boreas”, “beyond the north”) - in ancient Greek mythology and the tradition inheriting it, this is a legendary northern country, the habitat of the blessed people of the Hyperboreans ..

This is the land around the South Pole, depicted on most maps from ancient times to the second half of the 18th century. The outlines of the mainland were depicted inaccurately, often depicting mountains, forests and rivers. Name variations: Unknown Southern Land, Mysterious Southern Land, sometimes simply Southern Land. In theory, South Earth corresponds to Antarctica, although no data about it existed at that time.

A map of this fabulous continent really exists. Aristotle said that what is now the Pacific Ocean was once a continent.

Hyperborea corresponded to another supercontinent that existed simultaneously with Gondwana 200 - 135 million years ago - Laurasia, which began to split into separate continents (North America, Eurasia, separate continental masses in the Arctic) in the Early Cretaceous era (140 - 135 million years back). However, for a long time after that, there was a land connection between North America and Eurasia through the Arctic (the islands of Arctic Canada, Greenland, the central and eastern part of the Arctic, which was then land). The northern part of Hyperborea was the habitat of the white gods (Adityas, Gandharvas, Apsaras (here too), etc.), and later their human descendants, the Aryans

There is one such place on Earth where white clouds float across the blue sky, where, surrounded by mountains, there is an archaeological site long forgotten by people. This place is distinguished by pink-purple sunsets and sunrises, and the stars at night are striking in their clarity. Sometimes you can see a galloping deer, and sometimes a whole herd of wild boars. There you feel some unusual cleanliness, it smells of olives and the fragrance of flowers of fig trees, you breathe easily, and you get the feeling that you are standing where more than one page of a history book has been flipped through. The voice of the wind and the chirping of birds only sometimes drown out the prayer singing coming from the mosques of the surrounding villages. Archaeologists suggest that the remains of buildings belong to the Byzantine period, but most likely they belong to an even more ancient time, as they were dug deep from the ground. This place is called Kfar Rut (i.e. the village of Ruth). It is indicated on the map by a mosaic on one of the ancient synagogues in Israel. Who were these people, and why did their civilization disappear? Perhaps we will never know, but we will be able to feel this period being there, because the whole place breathes ancient history.

19. Ancient China and Pacifida-Mu

Ancient China, known as Hanshui China, like other civilizations, was born from the vast Pacific continent of Mu. As for the mainland or continent of Mu, it could be North America after its separation from Eurasia 135 million years ago ... Pacifida (or Pacifida, also - the Continent of Mu) is a hypothetical sunken continent in the Pacific Ocean. In the ancient myths of different peoples, an island or land is often mentioned in place Pacific Ocean, but the "information" varies... Ancient Chinese records are known for descriptions of celestial chariots and the jade production they shared with the Maya. Indeed, the ancient Chinese and Mayan languages ​​seem to be very similar.

The mutual influences of China and Central America on each other are evident, both in the field of linguistics and in mythology, religious symbolism, and even trade. The ancient Chinese invented everything from toilet paper to earthquake detectors to rocket technology and printing techniques. In 1959, archaeologists discovered aluminum tapes made several thousand years ago, this aluminum was obtained from raw materials using electricity.

20. Europeans of the Tarim Basin

1,000 years before any relationship between East and West was established, hundreds of human mummies were unearthed in the Chinese desert. In 1988, the American scientist Victor Mayer went to the provincial Chinese Museum. He had no particular goal, the researcher of ancient Chinese texts just wanted to find something interesting to work with. But what he found amazed him and turned modern ideas about the history of China upside down.

Mummies lay in one of the halls of the museum. The bodies looked like they had recently died, but according to the museum, they were several thousand years old. Found in the late 1970s by a Chinese expedition in the Tarim Basin between the cities of Urumqi and Loulan, they remained unexplored. The most famous of them are the so-called Cherchen Man and the Loulan Beauty. Where did these people, outwardly similar to the European race, come from? Why were they buried in China? How did they end up with tools that did not exist at that time in any part of the globe, and what was their earthly purpose?

This is how the theory about the migration of peoples to the Tarim Basin around 2500 BC arose. e. These peoples brought with them various elements of civilization: a wheel with spokes, bronze, thereby having a great influence on the Mongoloid tribes. The theory has a lot of evidence: in Chinese, the words for a horse, a cow, a wagon clearly contain Indo-European roots. In addition, in local folklore there are legends about blue-eyed fair-haired people who were the first rulers of the Middle Kingdom.

Before the discovery of the burials in 1977, it was believed that Chinese culture was unique and formed autonomously. However, these findings cast doubt on well-known historical facts - the mummies were found next to the ruins, indicating that there was a whole city built by white people, and these ruins go along the Great Silk Road. It turns out that it was the outsiders who built the Great Silk Road, and not the Chinese at all, as was previously thought.

Believe it or not, friends, but modern humanity may disappear in a couple of years, and this will not be the first time that a civilization has disappeared from the face of the Earth. The disappearance of some of the ancient civilizations known to us was caused by wars, climate change, disease, invasions, 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 don't know much about the 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 this site in the 1920s consist of stone tools and bones.

It is believed that these people arrived from Siberia to Alaska through 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 rather quickly. What contributed to its rapid disappearance? Maybe they hunted too much and destroyed their food supply? Or has climate change, diseases, predators, a meteorite fall led to this? Or maybe the members of this culture simply scattered to join other Indian tribes? Scientists still have a lot of work to do to unravel this mystery.

Culture Cucuteni-Trypillia

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

The largest communities of Neolithic Europe were built on Cucuteni-Trypillia, the territories where modern Ukraine, Romania and Moldova are located. 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 known for its ceramics. They also had a 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 abrupt climate change, which led to the worst droughts in European history. Other theories suggest that the people were scattered among different tribes living in the neighborhood.

Indus Valley Civilization

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

The Indus Valley Civilization is one of those huge civilizations spread over 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 over a hundred cities and villages, including the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Each had its own sewer systems and basic conditions for living in their homes. It appears to have been a classless, armyless civilization that excelled in astronomy and agriculture. It was also the first civilization to make cotton clothing.

The Indus civilization disappeared 4500 years ago and no one knew about it until the ruins were discovered in the 1920s. Several theories attempt to explain this disappearance. These include changes in their environment, the drying up of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, 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, a thorough study began, which revealed many secrets of this mysterious civilization, which existed for about 7000 years and reached its peak around 1600 BC. Over time, archaeologists have found very interesting places. One of them 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 had the eruption not killed off all plant life. This led to the economic decline of a once rich civilization, starvation and death. Another hypothesis is that they were captured by the Mycenaeans. The Minoan Civilization is one of the greatest civilizations that ever existed.

Mayan civilization

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

The Mayan civilization is a classic example of a mysteriously vanished civilization. Its greatest monuments, its cities and roads have been swallowed up by the jungles of Central America, and its population scattered into small villages and settlements. The languages ​​and traditions of the Mayan people are still preserved, but the climax of civilization occurred in the first millennium of our era, when their greatest architectural monuments were built, and its dominance covered a vast territory that would include Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.

One of the greatest peoples of ancient civilization used writing, mathematics, calendars and sophisticated machinery 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 assumed that internal strife, combined with climate change in the Yucatán during the year 900, led to the weakening of crops and famine leading to destruction.

Mycenaean civilization

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

Unlike the Minoan civilization, the Mycenaean flourished not only through trade, but also through conquest. Their empire covered almost all of Greece. The Mycenaean civilization survived five centuries of dominant power before disappearing around 1100 BC. Several Greek myths are centered 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 civilization of the Olmecs 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. At the places of their residence, monuments of giant stone heads were found. This civilization laid the foundation for all subsequent Mesoamerican cultures. It is believed that the Olmecs were the first to develop a writing system, they probably invented the compass and the Mesoamerican calendar. They knew the use of bloodletting, made human sacrifices, and invented the concept of the number zero. This civilization was not discovered by historians until the middle of the 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 Nabataean civilization flourished in southern Jordan, the region of Canaan, and northern Arabia from the 6th century BC. Semitic peoples built the spectacular city of Petra, carved into the sandstone rocks of the Jordanian 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.

Written records have not come down to us, and we know almost nothing about their culture. Nevertheless, it was a prosperous civilization that, due to its geographical position, developed a trade 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 Nabataeans abandoned Petra, and no one knows why. Archaeological evidence suggests that their departure was not hasty, and therefore it was not associated with non-raids of warlike tribes. It is believed that the migration to the north took place in order to find better work.

Aksum Empire

Time of existence: 100 AD
Location: Ethiopia.

The Aksum Empire began in the first century AD in what is now Ethiopia. The legend says that it was the birthplace of the Queen of Sheba. Aksum was an important trading center, from where huge agricultural resources and gold were exported to the Roman Empire and India. It was a wealthy state and the first African culture to issue its own currency, which at the time was a sign of great power.

The most distinctive monuments are the stelae of Aksum, giant carved obelisks that served as burial terminals for kings and nobles. The first Aksumites worshiped many gods, chief among 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 demise of the empire to climate change and the overuse of the 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 the 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 elaborate 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 devastating warfare 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 make every effort to prolong the life of our fragile civilization. I don’t know what her descendants (if any) will call her, but I doubt that after her destruction, something will remain 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.