20 Destroyed Civilizations lost below
#20 Nabataean The Nabatean culture was a massive mix of
Aakaadians, Arabs, and Hebrews, a nomadic people, spread over Palestine and Syria during
ancient times. They were an advanced people who developed sophisticated systems of commerce
and trade. The Nabataean developed intricate methods of dispersing water- keeping them
hydrated and healthy even in the heart of the desert. What could have taken down these
thriving ramblers? Nobody really knows! The Nabataean people fell off of the map and into
the mysteries of history around 106.
#19 Catalhoyuk The vanishing act pulled by the Catalhoyuk
people still puzzles historians to this day, as these ancient artists roamed all over what
we know as Turkey today and disappeared without a trace. The Catalhoyuk empire had impressive
longevity- stretching from 7500 B.C.E. to 5700 B.C.E., and its people were creative
artisans who crafted impressive shrines and murals. Did a sinister fate befall the Catalhoyuk,
or were they simply lost to time?
#18 Minoan The Bronze Age had plenty of its fair share
of epic civilizations, and the Minoans are just one example of that. They lived on Crete
between 3000 B.C.E. and 1000 B.C.E. and were a fiercely pagan race who practiced human
and animal sacrifices. The mighty Minoans met their match when a volcano erupted in
the neighboring Santorini islands, decimating Crete and burying the thriving Minoan civilization
in fiery lava and clouds of ash. We might know what misfortune befell the cursed Minoans,
but nobody can say for sure what happened to our next pick.
#17 Indus Valley Civilization Also known as the Harappan Civilization, this
empire thrived in what we know today as Pakistan. Four thousand five hundred years ago, the
Indus Valley Civilization was a veritable powerhouse until it curiously disappeared
and was lost to our collective memory until the 1920s, when relics of the great civilization
were discovered. The Indus Valley Civilization was light years beyond its time, with advanced
sanitation systems and sophisticated dentistry and medical care, which is why it s so puzzling
that they abandoned their community without a trace.
#16 Mycenaean The Mycenaean people were ruthless conquerors,
sweeping across modern-day Europe with precision and purpose. For five long centuries, the
Mycenaean people ruled the ancient world, so what brought down this once-formidable
empire? Some people speculate that it might have been a natural disaster. Still, realistically
the Mycenaean might have just gotten too big for their britches, exploding into internal
conflict somewhere around 1100 B.C.E. It s a sad end to the Mycenaean story, but infighting
could have spelled doom for the mighty Mycenaean.
#15 Olmec From 1200 to 400 B.C.E., the Olmec civilization
ruled over modern-day Mexico, and you can still find traces of their empire in parts
of the country today. The Olmec people loved to build immense structures, and many of their
temples resemble pyramids from the other side of the world. They also constructed enormous
heads, much like the ones found on Easter Island. It s anyone s guess what the pyramids
or heads were used for, but it was likely some kind of religious purpose. The confounding
thing about the disappearance of the Olmec people is that their bones seem to have evaporated
into thin air. Some have suggested that the arid environment that they called home destroyed
any traces of their bones, but who knows if something more sinister was afoot...
#14 Nabta Playa These nomadic people wandered modern Egypt
roughly eleven thousand years ago and were at the mercy of an unpredictable climate and
the cruel ancient world. The dry season was disastrous for the Nabta Playa, and many inhabitants
died of thirst. Still, the Nabta Playa called this inhospitable corner of the world their
home for hundreds of years, until climate change killed the rainy season and eventually
the Nabta Playa.
#13 Clovis People The Clovis People roamed through New Mexico
s dryest deserts and were one of the very first civilizations to call that part of the
world home. The Clovis civilization thrived between 9050 and 8800 B.C.E. and left behind
some fairly advanced tools. What might have killed the Clovis empire is the same fate
that befell the Mycenaean people; they simply got too big. We speculate that the Clovis
people split up into different tribes and became the ancestors of early Native Americans.
Another more sinister theory is that a comet wiped out the Clovis People entirely. We suppose
that we will never know...
#12 Anasazi Another North American mystery, the Anasazi
people vanished off the face of the planet, leaving behind plenty of artifacts and even
more questions about what happened to them. These creative builders built right into the
cliffs of the American Southwest and used these structures to have a tactical advantage
over their rivals. Amazingly, the mighty Anasazi disappeared, leaving behind their unique structures
and a million questions about what happened to them.
#11 Rapa Nui Anyone who has ever seen the famous puzzling
statues of Easter Island has seen a glimpse of what the Rapa Nui left behind. These gargantuan
heads are the most famous relic from the Rapa Nui, but they are just the tip of the mystery.
Easter Island is located over two thousand miles from the coast of Chile, making it one
of the most remote places on the planet. Where could the Rapa Nui have gone? Some speculated
that they made the treacherous journey over thousands of miles of sea. Others think that
they could have starved to death on distant Easter Island. Nobody actually knows for sure.
#10 Cucuteni-Trypillian These mountain-dwellers were spread over Romania,
Moldova, and Ukraine between 5400 and 2700 B.C.E.., moving around the Carpathian Mountains
with skill and size. The Cucuteni-Trypillian civilization was gigantic: covering over three
hundred and fifty thousand square kilometers (350,000) at their peak. These agricultural
nomads were also creative, leaving behind pottery and other relics. Remarkably, an empire
this size and advanced totally evaporated off the face of the planet, begging the question
of how and why the Cucuteni-Trypillian vanished.
#9 Aksumite Empire This magnificent civilization went by a number
of different names, including The Kingdom of Axum or Aksum, and was a proud powerhouse
of the ancient world. It stretched over the northern part of Africa in 400 B.C.E. and
lasted two hundred years. The famed Queen of Sheba is speculated to have reigned over
the Aksumite Empire, and it was intensely powerful in the old world. The empire was
also extremely advanced, having developed its own alphabet and leaving behind plenty
of sophisticated artifacts such as the Obelisk of Axum. The Aksumite Empire was an early
victim of climate change, with the shifting weather patterns making a lot of their home
inhospitable.
#8 Cahokia The Cahokia people inhabited a certain part
of Illinois back in the day, leaving behind mysterious mounds that have puzzled archaeologists
ever since they were initially unearthed. The Cahokia people also scattered pottery
all over the state, and we are only just now scratching the surface of what was once a
glorious civilization. Back in 600, the Cahokia stretched across the state, numbering over
forty thousand people. What actually happened to the mighty tribe? Climate change, territory
disputes, or larger, more powerful civilizations might have caused them to flee their land
or wiped them out altogether.
#7 Khmer Empire Cambodia s recent tragic past is well known.
Still, before the ravages of Pol Pot, there was a mighty empire that spread across the
region, spilling into neighboring Vietnam and parts of Thailand. Between 802 and 1431,
the Khmer Empire was the number-one game in town, spreading religion and culture throughout
the region. During different times during the Khmer Empire, they were Hindus or Buddhists,
and the relics that they left behind reflect this reality- the most famous being Angkor
Wat. Nobody knows exactly what brought the mighty civilization to its knees.
#6 Arab Empire Back at the beginning of this era, Prophet
Muhammad constructed his Arab Empire or Caliphate, which spread across much of the Arabic world.
Although Islam was practiced in the empire, it wasn t necessarily a theocracy. Instead,
the Arab Empire was a collection of smaller cities and lesser empires that were united
under one mandate from Prophet Muhammad. In 900, the Arab Empire splintered off into different
facets, leading to the rise of the Ottoman and Persian empires, as well as smaller groups
in what we know now as Iraq, Egypt, and Spain.
#5 Mayan Empire The Mayan Empire has a special place in our
collective imagination, and they ve left us plenty of clues and relics to go on as a window
into what made their civilization tick. Spread across much of Mexico and Central America,
the Mayan Empire was strongest between 250 and 900, when it crumbled without any notice
and vanished without a trace. The Mayan collapse is one of history s greatest mysteries. What
caused this vast civilization to evaporate? All we have to go on are countless temples,
relics, and unsubstantiated theories on what might have caused the Mayans doom.
#4 Vikings The Vikings were once the scourge of the seas,
conquering land with abandon. When ancient people saw their signature ships coming across
the water, they trembled in terror! Famous brutes like Erik the Red overtook entire continents,
planting their flags in places like Greenland, which makes what happened next so shocking.
The Vikings faded into the pages of history somewhere around 1400, leaving little or no
clues to what was their ultimate deathblow. Greenland is a famously inhospitable place,
so the Vikings could have fallen victim to weather changes or a miniature Ice Age. They
also might have simply found the continent too harsh for them, and fled to other parts
of Europe. It s anyone s guess.
#3 Mongol Empire Genghis Khan ruled the Mongol Empire with
an iron fist, conquering, pilfering, and reproducing with zest. One in two hundred people today
are distantly related to the Mongol ruler, which gives you an idea of how prolific his
intimate life was! The Mongol Empire swept across continents, taking huge swaths of the
ancient world in its wake. Given the full scope of the Mongol Empire, it s hard to believe
what happened next. The Chinese eventually overtook the Mongol Empire, and once their
strongholds began to crumble, the entire civilizations fell down like a deck of cards.
#2 Achaemenid Persian Empire In 500, Cyrus the Great amassed a considerable
empire, earning him the title King of Kings, and ruling over a massive portion of the ancient
world. Cyrus the Great prided himself in conducting foreign relations and governing over multiple
groups of people. The Achaemenid Persian Empire actually became a blueprint for others that
followed it, including the Greeks. All good things must come to an end, and the Achaemenid
Persian Empire fell at the hands of Alexander the Great.
#1 Roman Empire The most famous empire in the world conquered
and ruled vast territories, giving us culture, art, and history in the process. It lasted
for thousands of years, withstanding threats from Hannibal during the Punic Wars, and minor
uprisings from its conquered territories. What brought down the mightiest of mighty
civilizations? The danger didn t come from outside, but from inside the empire itself.
After two millennia of dominance, Rome collapsed under the weight of itself due to political
infighting in 1453.
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