10 mysterious ancient civilizations that many have never heard of

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Many people interpret the word "civilization" in different ways, but usually archaeologists call ancient civilizations the communities of people "with a high level of cultural and technological development." For example, although the Aborigines of Australia are the oldest culture, continuously inhabiting a certain territory, nomadic habits and lack of infrastructure usually lead to the fact that they are not considered a civilization. Most people have heard of the ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, and Incas. But in fact, there are many more ancient civilizations that are not so well known.

1. Civilization of the Indus Valley

The Indus Valley civilization was located in an area that encompasses parts of modern Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, on the plains near the Indus River. Archaeologists have found evidence of farming communities in these areas, as well as entire cities. The two most famous cities that have been excavated are Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. It turned out that many houses here had their own wells and bathrooms, and there was also a complex underground sewage system. The documents found in Sumer recorded various commercial, religious and artistic events taking place in the region of the Indus Valley civilization, and also described their "exotic products".

The Indus Valley people had their own writing system, but to date all attempts to decipher examples of this writing found on clay and copper tablets have failed. It is not yet clear whether the Indus Valley civilization was a separate civilization or whether it was part of a larger kingdom. The fact remains that it was not possible to find a single artifact proving this theory - for example, statues of famous rulers or images of wars. It is possible that the inhabitants of the Indus River were an isolated civilization with their own language and way of life, which scientists are only now beginning to learn about.

One of the most interesting structures found is the 83 square meter Great Bath at Mohenjo Daro, believed to have been used for ritual ablutions. The reason for the decline of civilization remains a mystery. Historians have put forward a number of possible theories, including the drying up of the river or flooding, trade difficulties with Mesopotamia, or the invasion of an unknown enemy.

2. Aksumite kingdom

Aksum was a kingdom in present-day Northern Ethiopia. In its heyday, it stretched from the edge of the Sahara in the west to the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula in the east. The Axumites developed their own written language, Ge'ez, and traded with other peoples throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. The Persian writer called this nation one of the four greatest forces in the world. Despite this, relatively little is known about Aksum today, and it is generally considered a "lost" civilization.

It is believed that this society was structured, based on a hierarchy of kings and nobles. In the fourth century AD, Axum converted to Orthodoxy (the ruler was persuaded to do so by a former Syrian prisoner who later became Bishop of Axum). Axum is considered the birthplace of the Queen of Sheba and the seat of the Ark of the Covenant. They say that the ark was brought here by Menelik I, the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. The priceless artifact is said to be in a local church.

3. Conar-Sandal

Konar Sandal is located near Jiroft, a city in southern Iran. In 2002, a ziggurat (temple complex with terraces) was discovered here, one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the world. To date, two mounds have been excavated in Konar-Sandal, where they found a large two-story building with very thick walls (this suggests that it was some kind of fortification structure). The discovery of the ziggurat led scientists to speculate that a structured civilization based on ritual and faith lived in this place.

It is believed to date back to around 2200 BC. and may have been created by Aratta, a Bronze Age country that was described in Sumerian texts, but whose location has never been discovered. The head of the archaeological site described the site as "an independent, autochthonous Bronze Age civilization with its own architecture and language." Unfortunately, Konar-Sandal has been looted and unauthorized excavations, and it is not known how much of the treasure was lost. Despite this, it is believed that this civilization can serve as proof of the oldest written language in the world.

4. Sanliurfa, Turkey

Sanliurfa, a city in modern-day Turkey, originally called Urfa or Urga, boasts a long and complex history as well as many religions. A number of interesting archaeological sites have been found here, such as a cave that is believed to be the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham. Sanliurfa was a major center of Syrian culture. In the immediate vicinity of the city is Göbekli Tepe, where megalithic carved stones were carved and installed long before the famous invention of metal tools (and 6,000 years before Stonehenge).

The oldest temple in the world is located in Göbekli Tepe. Stones, up to 5 meters high and weighing from 7 to 10 tons, were arranged in a circle. The largest circle has a diameter of 20 meters, and some of the stones are carved with images of creatures such as foxes, lions, scorpions and vultures. It is believed that people traveled from Urfa to the Göbekli Tepe temple for religious ceremonies, although no evidence has been found to date that these 2 places are related.

5. The Vinca civilization

The Vinca Civilization (also known as the Danube Valley Civilization) boasts what some consider to be one of the earliest writing systems in the world. It contains about 700 symbols, most of which were found depicted on pottery. Although the language has not been translated, it is generally accepted that it contains both numbers and letters. The advanced farming system of the Vinca civilization made it one of the most complex Neolithic cultures known to humans. Evidence found along the banks of the Danube River suggests that this culture existed long before the great civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt.

The first archaeological finds were discovered in 1908 on the Belo Brdo hill near Belgrade. The settlements are believed to have existed for over 1000 years and then were abandoned. Each settlement housed several thousand people living in houses made of intertwined rods and clay. They kept animals, raised crops, and even used a plow. Copper utensils have also been found that are about 1000 years older than when they began to be widely used in Europe. In the necropolis near Varna, the "Golden Treasure of Varna" was discovered with an incredible 6500 years old. It is not known why the Vinca civilization disappeared, but when it did, it took its knowledge and innovation with it.

6. Aryan kingdom

Around 1500 BC a large group of nomads, possibly including the remnants of the Indus Valley civilization, migrated to India. It is unclear whether this mass migration was the result of fleeing a natural disaster or was in fact an invasion. In any case, a new civilization has emerged on the Indian subcontinent. The Aryan language began to develop, and the new settlers actively cultivated agriculture. The Aryan civilization flourished around 1000 BC. By the way, it is worth noting that the name "Aryan" comes from the Sanskrit word "arya", as these migrants to India called themselves. Today, little is known about this civilization, although it is mentioned in the Vedas - a collection of religious texts, in connection with wars and other conflicts. However, there is no way to know how accurate these texts are. Very few artifacts from this period have survived, although archaeological research continues.

7. Mehrgarh

In 1974, excavations began at Mehrgarh, Pakistan, but lack of government interest, land erosion and constant looting of the site left Mehrgarh a relatively unknown civilization. In addition, archaeological excavations have become more difficult due to ongoing tribal feuds and lack of security for the diggers. This is all the more shameful since Mehrgarh is one of the oldest civilizations in the world.

The artifacts found testify to a highly developed society with established trade ties with various regions. It is believed that Mehrgarh existed around 7000 BC, thousands of years before the Indus Valley civilization in the same region. The population of Mehrgarh was about 25,000, but many of the remains are buried deep in the ground, and their discovery is a problem. During the excavations, a complex of well-preserved mud brick buildings and even a cemetery were found.

8. Nineveh

Nineveh (modern-day Mosul in Iraq) was home to one of the oldest and greatest civilizations. The early city was damaged by a series of earthquakes, one of which destroyed the first temple of Ishtar, but Nineveh continued to grow. King Sinacherib (704–681 BC) made Nineveh the capital of the Assyrian Empire by building a great wall with 15 gates around the city, as well as parks, aqueducts, canals and a palace of 80 rooms. Some scholars believe that the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon were actually located in Nineveh and were commissioned by the king. A library was also built containing more than 30,000 clay tablets with inscriptions, which was a huge number for that time.

Scholars and scribes flocked to the city, and it became a center for the development of art, science and architecture. One of the most unusual tablets found at the site told the story of a great flood that destroyed the entire world and a man who survived by building a boat and released a dove in search of land. This version of the story of Noah's Ark was part of an epic poem written in 1800 BC, 1000 years before it was included in the Hebrew Bible. Most of the contents of the library of Nineveh are now in the depositories of the British Library. After the collapse of the Assyrian Empire, in 612 BC. Nineveh was burned to the ground by the combined forces of the Persians, Babylonians and other nations, who divided the territory of the empire among themselves. The ruins began to be excavated in 1846, and work continues to this day, although they were damaged during the recent unrest and were damaged by vandalism.

9. Nubia

Nubia, located south of Egypt in Sudan, was the civilization that once ruled Egypt. Nubia had its own pyramids, the remains of 223 of which can still be seen today. The 25th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, also known as the Black Dynasty due to the dark skin of the Nubian pharaohs, was a period of stability and prosperity, during which great emphasis was placed on culture and art. The kingdom had its own written language and culture, and the lands of the Nubians were rich in gold. The era of power in Nubia came to a close when Pharaoh Sneferu raided Nubia and declared it an outpost for mining. It was stripped of its status as a country and became simply a region of Egypt under the control of the pharaoh. The Nubians were largely assimilated into the Egyptian population, although archaeological evidence of their civilization still survives.

10. Civilization of Norte Chico

The Norte Chico civilization is one of the greatest mysteries for scientists. To date, very little is known about this pre-Columbian society in Peru, which is arguably the oldest known civilization in America. Evidence has been found for the existence of huge structures, including pyramids, as well as remnants of complex irrigation systems, but almost no evidence of what the local people's daily life was like. To date, six pyramids have been discovered, the largest of which is known as the Templo Major. Although the pyramids were not as complex as the later Inca architecture, they were still complex structures.

The settlements of Norte Chico were located north of present-day Lima. Interestingly, Norte Chico was one of the few civilizations that did not seem to know how to make pottery, as no such artifacts were found. It is believed that they used hollowed out pumpkins instead. So far, only a few pieces of art or jewelry have been found among the artifacts of Norte Chico. The settlements were abandoned sometime around 1800 BC, but it is not yet clear why this happened. There is no evidence that this civilization has ever been involved in war or conflict, or that it was affected by a natural disaster. The settlements were concentrated around three main rivers, so it is possible that the prolonged drought caused the migration of the population to other places, but this cannot be proved.