Lost & Found: Ancient Cities Travelogue

BY AARADHYA SINGH

Ancient civilisations laid foundations for the world as we know it today. The lost civilisations of the ancient times
can be re-discovered and found in the culture and tradition we live in today. Below are some lost civilisations and
monuments that are worth a visit!

1. ANATOLIAN PLATEAU
Anatolia is the portion of Turkey that extends from the Bosphorus and Aegean coast eastward to the
borders of the Soviet Union, Iran and Iraq. It has been the center of several civilizations since prehistoric
times because of its strategic location at the intersection of Asia and Europe. One of such civilisations was
Catal Huyuk around the 7th millennium BC. Catal Huyuk was one of the world’s first towns that were made
of mud bricks. The houses did not have doors and they entered through hatches in roofs. Since houses were
made touching each other, the roofs might have acted like streets!
Catal Huyuk was abandoned about 5000 BC, and then forgotten for thousands of years until it was
rediscovered by James Mellaart in 1958.

2. ZIGGURATS
The Sumerian civilization began around 4000 BC. They lived in the area between the Tigris and the
Euphrates in West AsiaThe Sumerians built huge structures, called Ziggurats, with steps to climb to the top.
These were their temples,and religious ceremonies were held at the top.People left offerings of food and
wine on the steps of the ziggurats for the gods. Naturally the priest enjoyed these offerings as gods couldn’t
eat it themselves! The Ziggurat was built in the heart of the town and was the center of the daily life of the
Sumerians.
3. TERRACOTTA ARMY
A group of farmers who were digging a well were greeted with the strange sight of life sized statues of
warriors in terracotta. They had stumbled upon the tomb of Qin Shih Huang di, the first Chinese emperor,
who also constructed the beginnings of the great wall of China. This tomb is situated in the North East of
Xian. More than 7200 terracotta warriors were discovered. They were arranged in battle formation and
represented the army of Qin Shih Huang di. Over 700,000 workers were employed to construct this tomb.

4. CELTIC STONE MONUMENT, IRELAND

Celtic inscribed stones are stone monuments dating from 400 to 1000 AD which have inscriptions in Celtic
or Latin text. The origin of the Celts remains shrouded in mystery, but what is known is that they spread
throughout Europe because of their large-scale migrations. Around 900 BC, the Celts began to arrive in the
British Isles, where they lived in settlements as artisans and smiths, and mingled with the local people.
After 400 BC, because of shortages in food and available land, some Celts migrated to Germany, Austria,
and Italy. In 51 BC, Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, where the Celts had settled, and divided it into Roman
provinces.. The Celts first burst into recorded history in the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans in
about 500 B.C, but they were by then, already a mighty and widespread people.