The mystery of the disappearance of ancient civilizations

Despite the efforts of archaeologists and historians, the collapse of some civilizations in human history is still unknown.

Troy City - broken or real

The story of Troy is tied to two Homer schools: the Iliad and the Odyssey in Greek mythology. While many ancient civilizations leave material relics for posterity, Troy is regarded as a story in the imagination of the ancients because on the modern earth people do not see traces of The formation is associated with the immortal war and the legendary wooden horse.

Ruins of Troy

But according to recent studies by historians, Troy is real. They claimed that more than 3,000 years ago, Troy was located on a hilltop, near the harbor of the Aegae Sea (this port was buried by sand). When Greek, Italian and Portuguese merchants sailed from the sea of ​​Aegae to the Black Sea, they all stopped in Troy to feed and entertain. New archaeological vestiges have been discovered, such as a piece of boat and iron piles scattered around the layers of earth about 4 km away from Troy (in present-day Turkey), which is proof that the Greek warship had landed. Here before attacking the castle, like Homer's account of the epic Iliad.

Troy wooden horse in legend.

Why did Troy disappear? That is the question that many generations of scientists have gone to search for answers.

Amos Nur, a physics professor at Stanford University in the US, said: 'We believe that natural disasters, especially earthquakes, have played an important role in the mysterious disappearance of many civilizations'. . Other scientists of the American Geophysical Association developed a completely different hypothesis. When studying the eastern Mediterranean region at the end of the Bronze Age , they assumed that a large earthquake could be the main culprit behind the disappearance of many cities such as Troy, Mycenae and Knossos. These cities were swept away from the world map between 1,225 and 1,175 BC. And this thesis was supported by the American Geological and Physical Association.

Harappa culture - baked clay fortresses

An ancient civilization in the whole of the Indian River civilizations was an ancient civilization developed around the time from 2,800 to 1,800 BC. The history book also recognizes the high development of this civilization in economic development, trade, agriculture, art, writing . But this culture has disappeared but the cause so far is still It is unclear but a series of temples have been found to prove existence.

The most popular hypothesis is that the nomad Arian (English: Aryan) appeared and took over. The second hypothesis is widely accepted about climate change . Around 1800 BC, the climate in the Indian basin changed, became colder and drier, the Ghaggra-Hakra river became dry and transformed plate tectonics, the water source of the river system was diverted to The Ganges plain leads to the decline of Harappa civilization .

Other theories argue that the decline of the Indian civilization is related to the end of the Sumerian kingdom and the trade relations with the kingdom no longer exist, or military conflict and dreaded disease. End this culture. The decisive cause for the decline has not been clearly explained. Professor Amos Nur and his colleague Prasad, when considering seismic history, have found catastrophic earthquakes falling on the coastal areas near the border between India and Pakistan. According to their hypothesis, one or more major shocks may have moved the earth's crust, leading to blocking the flow of a large river in the region. Agricultural production was destroyed, serious floods occurred and eventually buried cities under mud.

The walls of Harappa culture .(Photo: Globalheritagefund)

And Maya civilization

Maya is a unique ancient civilization next to the Andes civilization , built by the Mayans , a Native American tribe since 1,000 BC. Maya civilization achieved a high level not only in the field of state construction but also flourished in the field of architecture, mathematics, astronomy and time calculation. Archaeological relics have proved 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 when the Earth spins out. around the sun, more accurately than many of the calendars used by Europe at the time. Moreover, the Mayan religion is also very special because of the combination of rituals and the cycles of the universe.

Illustration of the Mayan Tzolk'in calendar.(Photo: yucatanadventure)

Sharing the same fate with Troy and Harappa civilization, the two cities of Quirigua (present-day East Guatemala) and Benque Viejo , which were the cultural centers of the Mayan period, suddenly disappeared at the end of the century. 9 BC. Many historians in the world believe that this disappearance is the result of constant wars , originally in the Mayan tribe in order to scramble for power and then the Mayans against aggression. named Spanish empire . But the research results of the geographer - physicist Robert Kovach give us another cause of destruction: a terrifying earthquake .

Chan Chan civilization

According to research documents, Chan Chan civilization originated in 850 BC and went through a period of prosperity in the early 15th century.

Chan Chan civilization

However, this civilization faded away when the Inca Empire invaded. Today humanity is still admiring the ruins of Chan Chan civilization as giant and bizarre drawings on the Nazca plateau .

There are many hypotheses around drawings. Many people believe that these bizarre drawings are a way for the ancients to contact alien creatures.

The rage of the planet which is the cause of ruin, but so far, is determined to be the cause of the mysterious disappearance of many civilizations in human history.

Indus valley civilization, Pakistan

The Indus valley civilization is one of the greatest architectural wonders created by humans in the ancient world (known for its degree of influence as Harappan civilization). This is one of the largest cities on the continent .

Indus valley civilization, Pakistan

Located in today's Pakistan position, the Indus valley civilization flourished 4,500 years ago and was later forgotten until the ruins were excavated in the 1920s.

With sophisticated and advanced technologies, this civilization stands out with urban sanitation systems as well as evidence of surprising levels of engineering, math and even dentistry.

Around 1500 BC, the Indus valley civilization was almost forgotten, probably after the invasion 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 today's Cambodia to Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia. Today, it is known as Angkor.

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

Khmer Empire, Cambodia

The Khmer applied both Hinduism and Buddhism to the construction of temples, towers and other complex structures such as Angkor Wat just to worship Vishnu.

Enemy invasions, death from plague, problems of water management affecting agriculture and power conflicts between families of royalty can be the cause of the destruction. of this empire.

Anasazi, New Mexico, USA

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

Their civilization appeared around the 12th century BC, and is still known for its stone structures and building bricks along the cliffs including Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, the White House Ruins and Pueblo Bonito at the northern edge of Chaco Canyon. This architecture was developed into a multi-storey apartment that can only be accessed by rope or ladder.

Anasazi, New Mexico, USA

Ancient Pueblo people do not necessarily " disappear ", however, they abandoned their homeland for reasons that so far have not been answered. Many experts as well as modern Pueblo people - ancient Pueblo people like their ancestors believed that deforestation and drought caused internal conflicts and wars that caused Pueblo people to leave their homeland.

Olmec civilization, Mexico

Veracruz and Tabasco in the tropical lowlands of southern central Mexico used to be a major pre-Columbian civilization, which built the incredible giant capitals, where bloodshed and sacrifices took place. of people, where the concept of zero is invented and basically laying the foundations for all Central American cultures.

Olmec civilization, Mexico

Olmec civilization may even be the first civilization in the Western hemisphere to develop a writing system, and may have invented both Central American compass and calendar. Dating back to 1,500 BC, the Olmec civilization was not discovered by historians until the mid-19th century. Its disappearance was attributed to environmental changes caused by spraying. volcanic movements, earthquakes or may be due to agricultural weakness.

Aksumite Empire, Ethiopia

An empire with major commercial activity with the Roman empire and ancient India was the Aksumite Empire - also known as the Kingdom of Aksum or Axum - ruling the countries in Northwest Africa including Ethiopia since then. 4th century BC.

Aksumite Empire, Ethiopia

Once claimed to be the home of Queen Sheba, the Aksumite Empire may be a powerful, indigenous country of Africa including most of Eritrea today, northern Ethiopia, Yemen, southern Saudi Arabia. and northern Sudan.

The empire had its own alphabet and built giant monuments. This is the first empire to convert to Christianity. The disappearance of this empire is thought to be due to economic isolation when extended to Islam, due to aggression, or climate change that alters the flood pattern of the Nile.

Minoans civilization, Crete

Named after the legendary King Minos, the Cretan Minoan civilization was rediscovered in the early 20th century, and has since uncovered the fascinating pieces of an ancient civilization that began. thrive from over 7,000 years ago. Its peak was around 1600 BC.

Minoans civilization, Crete

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

One of the palaces is the Knossos palace, the " labyrinth " associated with the legend of King Minos, and is now a large archaeological site that attracts tourists. But around 1450 BC, a disaster caused the Minoans civilization to not recover and collapse.

Cucuteni civilization - Trypillian, Ukraine & Romania

The largest settlements in Europe during the Neolithic period were built by Ukraine, Romania and Moldova's Trypillian Cucuteni today. This mysterious civilization flourished in the middle of 5500 BC and in 2750 BC with the characteristic of making pottery and a strange habit of burning your village every 60 to 80 years.

Cucuteni civilization - Trypillian, Ukraine & Romania

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

Nabatean civilization, Jordan

The ancient Nabatean civilization resided in Southern Jordan, Canaan and northern Arabia from the 6th century BC, when Nabatean nomads who spoke Aramaic began to emigrate from Arabia.

Their relics are carved into sandstone blocks on Jordan's mountains, and are remembered for irrigation techniques. The management of complex systems of dams, canals and reservoirs has helped them expand and thrive in an arid desert area.

Nabatean civilization, Jordan

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

Around the 4th century AD, the Nabateans left Petra and so far have not found the exact reason for their departure. It is believed that, after centuries of ruling foreigners, the Nabatean civilization was devastated by Greek farmer groups who eventually converted to Christianity before their land was seized. completely by Arab invaders.

Cahokia, Illinois, USA

Very few Americans realize that there is a remnant of an ancient civilization disappearing in the United States - in Illinois, just across the Mississippi River, from St Louis, Missouri.

The mountain of Cahokia is all that remains of a native Mississippi civilization. The inhabitants of Cahokia do not retain the text but preserve this world heritage with artificial soil covered with grass as well as pottery and other craftwork.

Cahokia, Illinois, USA

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

Mycenae civilization, Greece

Unlike the Minoan, the Mycenaes do not thrive on commerce. The culmination of this civilization was around the time when the Minoan civilization disappeared.

The Mycenaean civilization had to endure dominance for five centuries before disappearing around 1100 BC.

Mycenae civilization, Greece

According to Greek legend, Mycenae defeated Troy mythology. Artifacts of this empire have been found in remote Ireland.

In fact, this civilization with both cultural and economic power has left behind the wealth of architecture, art and craftwork. What happened to Mycenae? It may be due to natural disasters, but most experts believe that it may be due to foreign invaders or internal conflicts that have led to the disappearance of the empire.

Moche civilization, Peru

Moche civilization has developed a perfect agricultural society with palaces, pyramids and elaborate irrigation canals on Peru's northern coast between 100 and 800.

Although they do not have documents kept in writing but have left a few clues about their history. These are extremely detailed, sophisticated pottery and monumental architectural works.

Moche civilization, Peru

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

There are many hypotheses around the reason why the Moche civilization disappeared, but the most common explanation is due to the influence of El Nino, a severe weather pattern with alternating characteristics. severe floods and droughts.

Clovis civilization, North America

Very few people know about the Clovis, a prehistoric Indian race believed to be the first inhabitants of North America.

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

Clovis civilization, North America

In the past 30 years, the ruins of ancient human activity have been discovered, but the reason they disappeared is still in mystery. Some speculate that the Clovis have hunted too much to affect their food supply, or because of climate change, diseases and wild animals that have taken away their food source.

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