Ancient civilizations that mysteriously disappeared (10 photos). The Egyptian labyrinth keeps the secrets of ancient civilizations Lost ancient civilizations

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

Lifetime: 11500 BC e.
Territory: North America
Very little is known about the Clovis culture, the 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 are stone and bone knives, etc. These people probably 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 disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. Perhaps members of this culture assimilated with other tribes.

Lifetime: 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 consisted of about 15,000 people and was famous for its pottery art and for burning down its old settlements after living in them for 60-80 years before building new ones. Today, about 3,000 settlements of Trypillians are known, who had a matriarchy, and they worshiped the mother goddess of the clan. Their disappearance may have been the result of dramatic climate change leading to drought and famine. According to other scientists, Trypillians assimilated among other tribes.

Lifetime: 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 city had a sewer system and a treatment system. The civilization was non-class, not militant, because it did not even have its own army, but was interested in astronomy and agriculture. It was the first civilization to produce cotton fabrics and clothing. The civilization disappeared 4,500 years ago, and no one knew of its existence until the ruins of ancient cities were discovered in the 20s of the last century. Regarding the reasons for the disappearance, scientists put forward several theories, including climate change and sudden temperature changes from freezing to extreme heat. According to another theory, the Aryans destroyed civilization by attacking in 1500 BC. e.

Lifetime: 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 discovered that the civilization existed for 7,000 years and reached its peak of development by 1600 BC. e. Over the course of many centuries, palaces were built, completed and rebuilt, forming entire complexes. An example of such complexes is the palaces at Knossos, 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 the Cretan Linear A script, which was later replaced by Linear B, both languages ​​based on hieroglyphs. It is believed that the Minoan civilization died as a result of a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera (Santorini island). It is believed that people would have survived if the eruption had not destroyed the vegetation and caused famine. The Minoan fleet was dilapidated and the trade-based economy was in decline. According to another version, civilization disappeared as a result of the Mycenaean invasion. The Minoan civilization was one of the most developed.

Lifetime: 2600 BC – 1520 AD
Territory: Central America
The Mayans are a classic example of the disappearance of a civilization. Their majestic temples, monuments, cities and roads were swallowed up by the jungle, and their people disappeared. The Mayan language and traditions still exist, but the civilization itself experienced its peak in the first millennium AD, when the magnificent temples were built. The Mayans had writing, people studied mathematics, created their own calendar, engaged in engineering, and 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.

Lifetime: 1600-1100 BC e.
Territory: Greece
Unlike 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 its disappearance in 1100 BC. Several Greek myths are based on the stories of this particular civilization, for example, 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 unknown. Suggest earthquakes, invasions or peasant uprisings.

Lifetime: 1400 BC
Territory: Mexico
Once upon a time there was a powerful and prosperous civilization of the pre-Columbian period, the Olmec civilization. Archaeologists date the first finds belonging to her to 1400 BC. e. In the area of ​​the city of San Lorenzo, scientists have found two of the three main Olmec centers, Tenochtitlan and Potrero Nuevo. The Olmecs were skilled builders. During excavations, archaeologists 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
The Nabateans existed in southern Jordan, in the region of Canaan and Arabia, from the 6th century BC. The stunning cave city of Petra was built here in the red mountains of Jordan. The Nabataeans are known for their complexes of dams, canals and water reservoirs that helped them survive in desert conditions. There are no written sources confirming their existence. It is known that they organized an active trade in silk, tusks, spices, valuable 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. Scientists think that the nomadic tribe moved north to better lands.

Time of existence: 100 AD
Territory: Ethiopia
The kingdom of Aksum was formed in the first century AD. in the territory of modern Ethiopia. According to legend, the Queen of Sheba was born in this area. Aksum was important shopping center who traded ivory, natural resources, agricultural products and gold with the Roman Empire and India. The Aksumite kingdom was a wealthy society and the founder of African culture, the creator of its own currency, a symbol of power. The most characteristic monuments were in the form of steles, 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 Bani Al-Hamriya. Others believe that climate change and famine led to the kingdom's decline.

Time of existence: 1000-1400 AD.
Territory: Cambodia
The Khmer Empire, one of the most powerful empires and largest lost civilizations, was located in modern-day Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. The capital of the empire, the city of Angkor, became one of the most famous archaeological centers in Cambodia. The empire, which at the time numbered 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 Angkor temple, dedicated to the god Vishnu. The decline of the empire was the result of several reasons. One of them was roads, along which it was convenient not only to transport goods, but also to advance enemy troops.

Over the last century, humanity has become a powerful technological civilization. And many believe that our ancient ancestors did nothing to help us with this. Of course this is not true. All the technologies we have on this moment, were based on the work of our ancestors. People used to be much smarter than we might think.

Nowadays, batteries are used almost everywhere. But they are not a modern invention. Some scientists believe that the first battery was invented 250 BC. The "ancient battery" was found near Baghdad in 1938. It looks like a large clay jug with an asphalted stopper, inside of which there is an iron rod surrounded by a copper cylinder. When filled with vinegar or other electrolytic liquid, it produces 0.2 to 2 volts of electricity.

This design is similar in functionality to our batteries, but has a rougher design. Why were they used? To allow liquid metals such as gold, silver, chromium to adhere to the surface during the gilding process. This technology is still used today, only in a more advanced variation.

Iron pillar in Delhi

The iron pillar in Delhi, which was built more than 1600 years ago, is not considered an indicator of scientific and technological progress, but many scientists are interested in why this column, more than six meters long, has stood for more than a thousand years and still does not rust?

In itself, it is not considered a unique object, but it reflects the skills of metallurgists of that time. In Dhar there are ancient cannons that have not rusted, as well as other similar pillars. This may indicate that the unique methodology by which such projects were developed was lost. Who knows what heights humanity could have achieved in the field of metallurgy if it had possessed the lost knowledge.

Longyou Caves

In ancient times, our ancestors used caves as shelter from predators. After some time, people came to increase the living space of the cave. Nowadays, technology makes it possible to dig huge tunnels.

Longyou Caves were discovered in 1992. A local resident wanted to pump water out of a small hole, but ended up discovering a huge man-made cave. There are 24 caves in total, which were created by manual labor. They all begin their history 2500 years ago. Many rooms are symmetrical and have various animals and symbols representing nature on the walls.

It was estimated that the Chinese needed to cut out a million cubic meters of stone to create them. What remains interesting is what is the point of this. Since there are no records left, we cannot even guess why this was done.

Lens of Nimrud

It is difficult to figure out what exactly this lens was used for, but some scientists hypothesize that it was part of a telescope. This would explain how the Assyrians knew astronomy so well. The lens was created approximately 3,000 years ago, and was found by an archaeologist from England during excavations in 1853.

It is also hypothesized that the Nimrud lens could be used as a magnifying glass for simple carvings, or it could also be used to make fire.

Chinese earthquake detector

A Scottish physicist invented the modern seismograph in 1841. However, it cannot be said that he was the first to create a device for measuring seismic activity. The Chinese created a device that could detect earthquakes in advance back in 132.

The device was a large bronze vessel with a diameter of just under two meters. He had eight dragons that looked in all directions. Each of the kites pointed at the toad with its mouth open. It is not clear how exactly this device worked, but scientists suggest that a pendulum was placed in the center, which began to move in the direction of the earthquake.

Göbekli Tepe

This remarkable find once again proves how much we underestimated our ancestors. Gobekli Tepe is huge temple complex, whose age is estimated at 12,000 years. What makes it so unique? This is a detailed stone work. Means that at that time technology allowed people to process huge blocks.

Initially, researchers believed that this place was an ancient cemetery, but long-term study showed that the construction of the temple continued for many years, and it was a rich religious building.

Gobekli Tepe is located three hundred meters from the neighboring valley. This is probably the first place for spiritual ceremonies. It is surprising how skillfully the stones are processed, because at that time there were no metal tools yet.

Antikythera Mechanism

At the moment, it is possible to plot a path across the entire planet using a GPS system. However, people of that time did not have our technology. Sailors in ancient times relied on the movements of the planets and stars to navigate the seas.

The found device remained unstudied for many years, and only a thorough examination helped to understand what it was used for.

The Antikythera mechanism could track movements celestial bodies with incredible precision. It has gears, just like modern watches. However, at the time it was created, no such technology existed. Although many parts of the find were lost, it was discovered that the device had seven hands that resembled a clock. Obviously, they indicated the direction of movement of the seven planets that were known at that time.

This is the only find that speaks of the great contribution of the Greeks to science. By the way, the device is more than 2200 years old. To this day, exactly how it was used remains a mystery. It is unlikely that this will give us impetus for the development of new directions, but it has become useful for educational purposes.

Lycurgus Cup

The Lycurgus Cup dates from the fourth century AD. It depicts Lycurgus who has fallen into a trap. Visually this is a very beautiful thing. Inside the green glass are millions of incredibly small fragments of gold and silver. The color of the cup depends on the angle from which you look at it.

Damascus steel

Damascus steel began to be made around the third century. It was part of the Syrian arms market until the 17th century, then the technology was lost, but some experts believe that it can be restored. You can easily recognize Damascus steel by the characteristic pattern on the product. Steel is considered incredibly strong, making it resistant to damage.

Due to their rarity, Damascus steel blades are still in great demand among collectors.

Ancient Greek steam engine of Heron

The first steam engine was patented in 1698 by Thomas Saveney. It really became useful in 1781 when James Watt adapted it for industrial use. Despite this, approximately two thousand years ago the great mathematician Heron had already invented the steam engine.

The water, located in a closed sphere, was heated at the base; at the top there were tubes looking in different directions. When releasing steam, they rotated the entire device along its axis due to torque.

The device was first described in the first century. It is still not clear for what purpose it was created. Perhaps it was simply an attribute of the temple of science in which it was kept. Just imagine what the world would be like today if the creator had thought of attaching an ordinary wheel to this engine.

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Like Indiana Jones, lone archaeologist David Hatcher Childress has made many incredible trips to the most ancient and remote places on the ground. 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 in New Guinea, and asked me to write the following article specifically for Atlantis Rising magazine.

1. Mu or Lemuria

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

While the civilization of Mu had not reached so far high technology, like other, later civilizations, however, the peoples of Mu succeeded in constructing megastone buildings that were able to withstand earthquakes. This building science was Mu's greatest achievement.

Perhaps in those days there was one language and one government throughout the entire Earth. Education was the key to the prosperity of the Empire, every citizen was versed in the laws of the Earth and the Universe, and 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 water levels in other parts of the Earth dropped significantly. The islands in the Atlantic, small during Lemuria, increased significantly in size. The lands of the Poseidonis archipelago formed an entire small continent. This continent is called Atlantis by modern historians, but its real name was Poseidonis.

Atlantis had a high level of technology, superior to modern technology. In the book “The Dweller of Two Planets,” dictated in 1884 by philosophers from Tibet to the young Californian Frederick Spencer Oliver, as well as in the 1940 continuation “The Earthly Return of the Dweller,” there is a mention of such inventions and devices as: air conditioners for purifying the air from harmful vapors; vacuum cylinder lamps, fluorescent lamps; electric rifles; transport by monorail; water generators, a tool for compressing water from the atmosphere; aircraft, controlled by antigravity forces.

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

3. Rama's Empire in India

Fortunately, the ancient books of the Indian Rama Empire have been preserved, unlike the documents of China, Egypt, Central America and Peru. Nowadays, the remains of the empire are swallowed up by impenetrable jungles or rest on the ocean floor. And yet India, despite numerous military devastations, managed to preserve most its ancient history.

Indian civilization was thought to have emerged 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 in what is now Pakistan.

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

4. The civilization of Osiris in the Mediterranean

During the times of Atlantis and Harappa the pool Mediterranean Sea 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 completely differently than it does today and was called Styx. Instead of emptying into the Mediterranean Sea in northern Egypt, the Nile turned west, formed a huge lake in the area of ​​the central part of the modern Mediterranean Sea, flowed out of a lake in the area between Malta and Sicily and flowed into Atlantic Ocean at the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar). When Atlantis was destroyed, the waters of the Atlantic slowly flooded the Mediterranean basin, destroying big cities 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. Egyptian civilization, along with Minoan (Crete) and Mycenaean (Greece) are traces of one large, ancient culture. The Osirian civilization left huge earthquake-resistant megalithic buildings, owned electricity and other amenities that were common in Atlantis. Like Atlantis and the Empire of Rama, the Osirians had airships and other vehicles, mostly electrical in nature. Mysterious routes in Malta, which were found underwater, 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 hewn rock blocks, weighing between 1200 and 1500 tons each.

5. Civilizations of the Gobi Desert

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

So far no traces of this civilization have been found. However, vimanas and other technical devices were not alien to the Uiger region. The famous Russian explorer Nicholas Roerich reported his observations of flying disks 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 book Tao Te Ching. As his death approached, he traveled west to the legendary land of Hsi Wang Mu. Could this land be the possession of the White Brotherhood?

6. Tiahuanaco

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

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

A few hundred kilometers south of Cusco lie the fantastic ruins of Puma Punka, high in the Bolivian altiplano. Puma Punka - near the famous Tiahuanaco, a massive mahalic site where 100-ton blocks are scattered everywhere by an unknown force.

This happened when the South American continent was suddenly hit by a huge 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. Possible evidence of this is the abundance of oceanic fossils around Lake Titicaca.

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

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

As pointed out by Edgar Cayce, the records of all the wisdom of the Mayans and other ancient civilizations are found in three places in the earth. Firstly, this is Atlantis or Poseidonia, where some of the temples may still be discovered under long-term bottom deposits, 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 could 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 compact discs.

8. Ancient China

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

The mutual influences of China and Central America on each other are obvious, 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 high technology ancient Ethiopia and Israel. The Temple in Jerusalem was founded on three giant blocks of cut stone similar to those at Baalbek. An earlier Temple of Solomon and a Muslim mosque now exist on the site, whose foundations apparently date back to the civilization of Osiris.

Solomon's Temple, another example of megalithic construction, was built to house 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 from the King's Chamber to Great Pyramid Moses during the Exodus.

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

While the continent of Mu 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 on the islands of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia built many megalithic pyramids, platforms, roads and statues.

Cement columns dating back to 5120 BC have been found in New Caledonia. to 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, Easter Island, 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 not died 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 was full of apples (in Welsh, Avalon means "Apple").

However, historians have questioned this claim. In other versions of the legend: Avalon is the location of the Fairy Morgana. The fairy Melusine was raised on Avalon

There is another interesting point of view about the location of the Country under the waves, which largely reconciles supporters of the geographical and unearthly location of Avalon...

12. Eldorado

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

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

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

Using the Google Earth service, scientists were able to discover traces of ancient civilization, which may turn out to be the legendary Eldorado! Researchers say they have found more than 200 massive earthworks in the upper Amazon basin on the border of Brazil and Bolivia. In satellite photographs they look like geometric shapes “carved” into the ground large sizes, however, scientists believe that these are the remains of roads, bridges, ditches, streets and squares. The authors of the scientific work note that about 60 thousand people could live in the heart of an ancient civilization in a space of 155 miles. The approximate dating of the buildings so far ranges from the 3rd century BC to the 13th century AD.

13. Buyan Island and Belovodye

In Slavic mythology, Buyan Island is described as a magical island that appears and disappears in the ocean. Three brothers live on it - Western, Eastern and north wind. According to some myths, the island is the root of all changes in weather. In another myth, on an island in an egg located in an oak tree, a needle is hidden, at the tip of which lies the death of the Koshchei. Some people believe that the island is, in fact, the German island of Rügen of the Russian Old Believers, there is a concept of “Belovodye”, which in every way resembles the theosophical Shambhala - a land of justice and true piety.

While in 1877 on the shores of the “wandering” lake Lob-nor, north of the Tarim River in Western China (Xinjiang), the famous Russian traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky wrote down a story local residents how a party of Altai Old Believers numbering more than a hundred people came to these places in the late 1850s. The Old Believers were looking for the Belovodsk “promised land.”

Belovodye is another mystery of Central Asian history. Modern researchers believe that this is “uncertain geographical name, but a poetic image of a free land, a figurative embodiment of the dream of it.”
Therefore, it is no coincidence that Russian Old Believers searched for this “happy peasant country” over 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, the name Belovodye was borne by two settlements in the Bukhtarminskaya and Uimonskaya valleys of southeastern Altai. The power of the “bosses” and priests - persecutors of Old Believers who did not accept the church reform of Patriarch Nikon - did not reach here.
This “neutral land” between the Russian and Chinese empires was incorporated into Russia in 1791. It was then, according to Chistov, that the legend of Belovodye arose, but the greatest interest is reported about the Central Asian routes of Belovodye seekers (Mongolia - Western China - Tibet)

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 Westerners 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 Blavatsky’s view, Shambhala is the last refuge of the Atlantean race who survived the global catastrophe:

“...Numerous caves and ruins are found in the Americas, as well as in the West Indian Islands, all of which are associated with the sunken Atlantis. While the hierophants of the Old World during 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 own 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 conducted an unsuccessful expedition to find the site. Nowadays, most Buddhists believe that Shambhala is a metaphor for inner peace, loving peacefulness. In the West, Shambhala was given another name: “Shangri-La”.

Shambhala was sought by people seeking unlimited power over the world. Everyone who stands at the top and has valid information knew and knows about the existence of this monastery, about the existence of the powerful knowledge that is contained in it. They understand perfectly well that real power over the world is concentrated in Shambhala, which is why many have sought and are still seeking it, see more in the article by 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. Legend has it that the city's rulers were deceived by the devil and opened the gates during a storm. The city was flooded.

Almost all the inhabitants of Isa died, and their souls remained under water. Only King Gradlon and his daughter were saved, who decided to cross the sea riding the sea horse Morvarh. However, on the way, Saint Gwenole appeared to them, accusing Dahut of the destruction 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 St. Corentyne's Cathedral, a statue was erected to him, which has survived to this day.

According to Breton legends, the bells of Isa can sometimes be heard ringing, warning of the approaching storm.

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

16. Bermeya

Old maps often show islands and lands that cannot be found today. Some of them are called "fantasy islands", perhaps caused by a mistake at the birth of the geographical craft. But it is believed that Bermeya really existed. Due to a natural disaster, the island disappeared. On ancient American maps, this island was located off the northwestern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2009, the Mexican government attempted to locate Bermea in hopes of expanding its oil exploration plans. But they still have not managed 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 that follows it, this is the 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 continent were not depicted accurately; mountains, forests and rivers were often depicted. Name options: Unknown Southern Land, Mysterious Southern Land, sometimes simply Southern Land. In theory, South Land 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, individual continental masses in the Arctic) in the Early Cretaceous era (140 - 135 million years back). However, for a long time after this, there was a land connection between North America and Eurasia through the Arctic (the islands of Arctic Canada, Greenland, central and East End Arctic, which was then dry land). The northern part of Hyperborea was the habitat of the white gods (Adityas, Gandharvas, Apsaras (and here), etc.), and later - their human descendants, the Aryans

There is one 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 characterized by pink and 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 is some kind of unusual cleanliness there, it smells of olives and the fragrance of fig tree flowers, you can 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 the buildings date back to the Byzantine period, but most likely they belong to an even more ancient time, since they were dug deep from the ground. This place is called Kfar Rut (that is, the village of Rut). 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? We may never know, but we will be able to experience this period while being there, because this whole place breathes ancient history.

19. Ancient China and Pacifida-Mu

Ancient China, known as Han China, like other civilizations, was born from the vast Pacific continent of Mu. As for the continent 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. Ancient myths of different peoples often mention an island or land in place Pacific Ocean, but the “information” varies...Ancient Chinese records are known for descriptions of celestial chariots and jade production, which they shared with the Mayans. Indeed, ancient Chinese and Mayan languages ​​seem very similar

The mutual influences of China and Central America on each other are obvious, 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

1000 years before any relationship was established between East and West, hundreds of human mummies were unveiled in the Chinese desert. In 1988, American scientist Victor Mayer went to a provincial Chinese museum. He had no particular goal, a researcher of ancient Chinese texts just wanted to find something interesting to work on. But what he found amazed him and turned modern ideas about the history of China upside down.

In one of the halls of the museum there were mummies. The bodies looked like they had died recently, but the museum said 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: the so-called Cherchensky man and the Loulan beauty. Where were these people from who looked like the European race? Why were they buried in China? How did they end up with guns that did not exist in any unit at that time? globe and what was their earthly purpose?

This is how the theory of migration of peoples into the Tarim Basin around 2500 BC arose. e. These peoples brought with them various elements of civilization: the spoked wheel, bronze, thereby having a great influence on the Mongoloid tribes. The theory has a lot of evidence: in Chinese words denoting horse, cow, cart 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 Celestial Empire.

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 the known historical facts- mummies were found next to the ruins, indicating that there was a whole city here, built by white people, and these ruins go along the Great Silk Road. It turns out that it was strangers who built the Great Silk Road, and not the Chinese, as previously thought.

Amazing cities, kingdoms, ruins of palaces, strangely preserved statues... and mysteriously disappeared inhabitants.

Anchor Wat
The golden age of Khmer civilization occurred between the 9th and 13th centuries during the kingdom of Kambuja, whose name later gave Cambodia its name. He ruled vast territories from the capital of Angkor, in western Cambodia. Under the reign of Jayavarman VII, Kambuja reached a political and cultural flowering, which is now evident from the ruins of this palace, the central towers of which symbolize the peaks of Mount Meru - the center of the universe according to Hinduism, and on the towers are the smiling faces of the gods carved from stone.

Ruins of Anuradhapura
It is the former capital of Sri Lanka during the heyday of the ancient Lankan civilization. This place is considered one of the holiest, most important and longest inhabited among the ancient Lankan cities. The city was built around 380 BC and flourished until the population was moved to Polonnaruwa in the 10th century AD. To this day, sacred to Buddhists and Hindus, this city is surrounded by monasteries.

Hugo Kingdom, Tibet
The mysterious Tibetan kingdom, founded by the son of King Glang Darma, was formed around the 10th century and then collapsed under mysterious circumstances 700 years later. Its population of tens of thousands of people disappeared without a trace. The ruins still lie on the slopes of Ngari, famous for its Buddhist monasteries, snow-capped mountains and lakes. The surviving frescoes within the walls of this city are very important, demonstrating daily life its former inhabitants, as well as a unique amazing statue of Buddha, made of gold and silver.

Hampi
Hampi is located among the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the empire now known as the village of Karnataka, India. Perhaps thanks to this ancient city and the temple located in it, the village, which is located nearby, is considered the most important religious center. Since the village itself is located in the center of Vijayanagara, it is often confused with the ancient city itself. This place is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Kingdom of Kerma
This kingdom was a rival Ancient Egypt in the period of time from approximately 2500 BC until 1520 BC. It was founded in Upper Nubia - now a place roughly between Sudan and east coast Nile - and was the main trading center in the Middle Kingdom during Egyptian times. There is a cemetery in this place: in which you can see many large mounds, which are the tombs of emperors. Some archaeologists believe that the Kingdom of Kerma may have been related to the legendary Kingdom of Kush mentioned in the Book of Genesis.

There were three Kushite kingdoms: the first was called Kerma, as the capital of the same name, and existed from 2400 to 1500 BC. BC.; the second was Napata (1000–300 BC) and the third was Meroe (300 BC–300 AD). The Nubians were initially influenced by their northern neighbors, and eventually the Nubian tribes were able to conquer Egypt, with the king of Napata reigning as the pharaoh of the 25th Dynasty until the Assyrian conquest in 656 BC.

Nubian pyramids
Buried Kingdom of Kotte
This kingdom is located on the border of the present city of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, and flourished in what is now the state in the 15th century. Its ruler was the last hereditary one who managed to unite all the peoples of Sri Lanka. By 1450, Parkamab VI completed the unification. During his reign, literature and the arts flourished

Koguro Kingdom
Scattered throughout the Chinese provinces of Jilin and Liaoning are the remains of three cities - the mountain city of Wunu, Guonei and the mountain city of Wangdu - these are the sites of 14 royal tombs. All of these cities once belonged to the Koguro culture, named after the dynasty of the same name, whose representatives ruled in various parts of northern China and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula from 277 BC until 668 AD.

Sabaen Kingdom
The Sabaen people lived in what is now Yemen between 2000 BC and the 8th century AD. This temple was recently discovered in Sirwaa, located east of Sanaa. Known as Almaga, the temple has been preserved in excellent condition with wide entrances and large interior rooms. All made of wood and stone, the tower-like projections weigh approximately 6 tons. 7 huge columns were lifted using a crane-like mechanism. The front of the temple is decorated with two huge sculptures of the Sabi kings.

Sukhothai Historical Park
Located in the north of Thailand. This city was the capital of the state of the same name, which flourished in the 13th-14th centuries. The city walls form a rectangular space of 70 square kilometers, each wall has a gate. Remnants can be found inside royal palace and 26 temples, the largest of which is Wat Mahatha. The park is under the protection of the Department of Arts of Thailand, and is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The park is visited by many people to see and admire the ancient Buddha figure, ruined palace complex and temple ruins.

For the majority of people ancient history limited to only three civilizations - Egypt, Rome and Greece. Beyond those three pillars, our map of the ancient world is just a blank space. However, many vibrant and exciting cultures existed outside this narrow center. Filling in the gaps, in this collection 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 Queen Saba, or the burial place of the Ark of Covenant, Aksum has long been at the center of the Western imagination. Far from being a myth, the Ethiopian kingdom once held international trading power. With access to the Nile and Red Sea trade routes, trade flourished, and by the beginning of the Common Era, most of the Ethiopian peoples were under Aksumite rule. Aksum's power and prosperity allowed it to expand into Arabia. In the third century AD, a Persian philosopher wrote that the kingdom of Aksum was one of the four largest kingdoms in the world, along with Rome, China and Persia. Aksum converted to Christianity immediately after the Roman Empire and continued to flourish into the early Middle Ages. If not for the expansion of Islam, the kingdom would have continued to dominate East Africa. After the Arab conquest coastline Red Sea Axum lost its main trading advantage over its neighbors. But they only had themselves to blame. Just a few decades earlier, the king had given refuge to Muhammad's early followers, thus ensuring the expansion of the religion that would destroy 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 Kush's origins extend much further back - ceramic artifacts dating back to 8000 BC have been 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 greatest conquests in history, Kush captured Egypt in 750 BC. Over the next century, a series of Kushite pharaohs ruled territory that far surpassed their Egyptian predecessors. These were the rulers who resumed the creation 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 southeastern bank of the Nile. Here they broke away from Egyptian influence and developed their own form of writing, now called Meroitic. The manuscripts still remain a mystery and have not yet been deciphered, hiding much of Kush's history. The last king of the kingdom 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 to the Kingdom of Egypt, but its exact location proved almost as elusive as the mythical Atlantis. Based on the funerary inscriptions of the Egyptian explorer Harkhuf, it appears that Yam was the land of “incense, ebony, leopard skins, elephant tusks and boomerangs.” Despite Harkhuf's claims of possible overland travel exceeding seven months, Egyptologists have long placed the land of boomerangs just a few hundred miles from the Nile. The conventional wisdom was that there was no way the ancient Egyptians could have crossed the inhospitable expanse of the Sahara Desert. But it seems 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 Yam's location in the Scottish Highlands of Chad. It is not known exactly how the Egyptians crossed hundreds of miles of desert before the invention of the wheel, using 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 thousand years earlier... and with chariots. Many theories exist to explain the origins of the Xiongnu, and some scholars once claimed that they were the ancestors of the Huns. Unfortunately, there is little historical information left about this people. What we do know is that the Xiongnu raids on China were so destructive that Emperor Qin ordered the earliest construction work on the Great Wall. Almost half a century later, constant raids by Hongwu forced the Chinese, this time under the Han dynasty, to re-fortify and expand Great Wall even further. In 166 BC, more than 100,000 Xiongnu horsemen made it 160 kilometers to the Chinese capital before finally being stopped. The Chinese finally gained some semblance of control over their northern neighbors. However, the Xiongnu were the first and longest lasting Asian nomadic empire.

Greco-Bactria

Too often, in stories about the life and conquests of Alexander the Great, we do not remember those people who followed him in battle. The fate of Alexander is well known, but what is known about those people who died for the conquests of the young general? When Alexander died unexpectedly, the Macedonians didn't just go home. Instead, their generals fought with 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 quite well known, compared to Greco-Bactria. In the third century BC. The province of Bactria (which is now Afghanistan and Tajikistan) became so strong that it declared independence. Sources describe the rich land as “a thousand cities,” and artifacts unearthed span centuries. Greco-Bactria's location made it a melting pot for a whole host of cultures: the 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 BC. 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 Eastern culture was excavated, 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 combining Greek and Zoroastrian elements.

Yuezhi

The Yuezhi are known for having fought with so many nations. For several centuries they 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 exchange jade, silk and horses. Their thriving trade brought them into direct conflict with the Xiongnu, who eventually forced them to abandon 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 unified and established their own agricultural economy. This empire survived for three centuries until armies from Persia, Pakistan and India re-conquered their old territories.

Kingdom of Mitanni

The Mitanni state existed from approximately 1500 BC. to 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 the Mesopotamian state. Nefertiti married the Pharaoh to improve relations between the two kingdoms. The Mitanni are believed to be Indo-Aryan in origin, and their culture demonstrates the extent to which ancient Indian influence permeated through Near Eastern civilization. They supported Hindu beliefs in fate, reincarnation and cremation, which support the connection between Mitanni and Egypt. Nefertiti and her husband, Amenhotep IV, were at the center of the religious revolution in Egypt and had great influence over the pharaoh. While much of the above remains unconfirmed, scientists hope that early excavations will reveal Mitanni's capital and reveal more about the ancient kingdom.

Tuvana

There is no more lost or forgotten kingdom in the world than Tuwana. When the Hittite Empire collapsed, Tuwana 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, Tuwana rose to prominence, strengthening its position between the Phrygian and Assyrian empires to facilitate trade throughout Anatolia. As a result, substantial wealth was accumulated. It is likely that Tuwana's central location and the lack of unity among the Anatolian city-states made the kingdom weaker when it emerged in early 700 BC. conquest took place. As the Assyrian Empire expanded westward, it overthrew 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 mentions in some Assyrian documents. The recent discovery of a massive city believed to be the power base of Tuvana changes all of this. With such a large and well-preserved find, archaeologists began to piece together the history of a strong and wealthy kingdom that controlled the region's trade for several centuries. Since the city was located along the Great Silk Road, the archaeological potential of Tuvana is enormous.

Mauryan Empire

Chandragupta Maurya was essentially the Alexander the Great for India. It is not surprising that they soon met. Chandragapta requested Macedonian assistance in his quest to control the subcontinent, but Alexander's troops were too busy mutinying. The undaunted ruler unified most of India under his rule and defeated all conquerors in the subcontinent. He did all this 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 a battle after which the Macedonians chose agreement rather than risk open war. Unlike Alexander, Chandragupta left behind a carefully constructed government to ensure the duration of his inheritance. And it might have lived longer if not for a coup in 185 BC that left India divided, weak, and open to Greek invasion.

Indo-Greeks

Impossible to talk about 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, supposedly accepted Buddhism after long debates with the philosopher Nagasena. 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 the Yuezhi invasion from the north and Indian expansion from the south.