Lost Civilizations

By Krisztian Ardai & Vegh Bence

1. The Maya

 The Mayans once occupied the entire Yucatan Peninsula in what

is today Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. While the Mayan
language is still spoken today throughout Mexico and Central
America, the great civilization fell into decline before the arrival
of European settlers to the region, and no one is certain why.
2. Nabta Playa

 Though little is known about the people who once inhabited this
large basin roughly 500 miles south of modern-day Cairo, or
what may have become of them, we have discovered from
archaeological sites in the area that the people here farmed,
domesticated animals, and fashioned ceramic vessels more than
9,000 years ago. Among the most striking ruins that remain in
Nabta Playa are stone circles resembling Stonehenge.
3. Çatalhöyük

 Considered by some to be one of the first urban settlements in the

world, this ancient city in modern-day Turkey is in some ways
most notable for its unusual architecture. Built without streets as
we know them, the city was instead a sort of honeycomb of
buildings, all connected together. The inhabitants used the
rooftops to travel, and climbed down ladders to access their
dwellings.
 Instead of having communal cemeteries, residents buried their
dead beneath the floors of their homes.
4.Thonis,Egypt
 A scene of a scuba diver exploring a massive Egyptian statue
may seem like something from the upcoming Tom
Cruise Mummy movie, but it's actually archaeologists attempting
to piece together the history of the city of Thonis. Once the
gateway to Egypt, Thonis is now on the bottom of the
Mediterranean Sea. Like the fabled city of Atlantis, Thonis sank
beneath the waves.
5.Derinkuyu

 Not as old as Catalhoyuk, perhaps, but equally unusual is the

underground city of Derinkuyu. Derinkuyu is also located in
what is now Turkey. Though it is not the only underground city in
the region, it is one of the most extensive, reaching its greatest
size sometime between the years 500 and 1000 CE.
 It was fully abandoned in 1923, not to be reopened to the public
until 1969.
6. Easter Island

 Famous for its moai, the large stone statues that are virtually
synonymous with its name, Easter Island is also known as Rapa
Nui and was once home to a thriving and industrious, if not
particularly large, population. By the time European explorers
discovered the 63 square mile island, the population had declined
dramatically, likely as a result of over-harvesting of the local
palm trees. Whatever the actual reason, the origins and decline of
Easter Island and its unique culture and statues have retained a
lasting fascination ever since.
7.Cahokia

 There are lost civilizations waiting just beneath the surface of

even America's heartland. Just across the Mississippi river from
St. Louis, Cahokia was once the largest known city in North
America. Consisting of almost a hundred earthen mounds, many
of which can still be visited today, as well as a huge central plaza,
the city's inhabitants are known to have diverted the flow of the
Mississippi river. No one knows why they abandoned the city
around 1200 AD. Some researchers believe that two significant
floods could have contributed to its decline and abandonment.
8.Foothills Mountain Complex

 The civilization that we call "Anasazi" left behind incredible

pueblo cities cut into the cities of cliffs throughout the American
Southwest, known now as the Foothills Mountain Complex. What
they did not leave behind was a reason for their decline, or even
their actual name. The name "Anasazi" comes from Navajo and
means ancient enemies. Many contemporary descendants of this
ancient civilization prefer the term Ancestral Puebloans. Popular
theories about the decline of the Puebloans include drought,
famine, war, and, of course, something to do with aliens.
9.Angkor

 Today, Angkor Wat is one of the most famous and immediately

recognizable ruins in the world. However, Angkor Wat was once
simply part of a larger city, Angkor. The enormous temple
complex—the largest religious monument on earth, occupying
some 402 acres—was once a part of a metropolis larger than
modern-day New York City. Angkor was the capital of the Khmer
Empire. The city flourished during much of the Khmer rule, but
fell into ruin 300 years before the end of the empire.
10.Roanoke

 The myths surrounding Roanoke have become a significant part

of American history and folklore. The so-called "lost colony" of
Roanoke Island, located in what is now Dare County, North
Carolina, has inspired countless storytellers since the colonists
vanished without a trace. The only sign they were even there was
the word "Croatoan" carved on a fence post. The significance of
that single word has haunted tales of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
as much as the strange disappearance of its more than one
hundred inhabitants.
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