Lost Civilizations of the World
What was the name of this group that formed the foundation of future Mesoamerican civilizations that dwelled in the Mexican tropics, known for bloodletting and military strategy?
- Incredibly, the Olmec were years ahead of their time when they determined the number "0" and also left behind a written language that possibly beat the Phoenicians to such literature.
Angkor Wat, a gorgeous and towering temple complex located in Cambodia, was created by which lost civilization?
- This civilization extended from Cambodia to Thailand and was responsible for building the largest religious monument in the world: Angkor Wat.
Between 2200 and 1900 BC, which of the following civilizations lived in the Indus Valley, now modern Pakistan?
- This group of people was responsible for producing some of the most ancient writing samples discovered, with main cities rediscovered in what is now the provinces of Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan.
Petra is a famous stone city built into the cliffs of Jordan. What was the name of the civilization that crafted it?
- The stone city of Petra in South Jordan remains one of the most impressive engineering and technological achievements of the ancient world, thanks to the Nabateans.
What was the group that created an early civilization in the Americas during the 13th or 14th century, including parts of Utah and Colorado?
- Also known as the Ancestral Puebloans, this Native American culture settled in the Four Corners area of the US: Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers lies the so-called Cradle of Civilization, due to the many cultures that emerged there. What was the group that settled in the area in approximately 3300 BC?
- This civilization created strong walled cities and flourished in the area between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, with the ancient city of Ur being one of the most significant.
What was the name of the civilization that built the famous Easter Island statues, shaped like elongated heads?
- The statues of Easter Island date back to around 500 AD when the Rapanui people constructed these giants, many of which still have bodies that actually extend past the current level of the soil.
The Southwestern United States had an ancient lost civilization of its own, with what people disappearing after settling in modern Arizona and New Mexico around 13,000 years ago?
- As one of the oldest civilizations in the Americas, broadly dating back to the Upper Paleolithic, the Clovis people left behind relics and tools that have been discovered.
What was the name of the group that settled in West Africa with an advanced culture around 900 BC, primarily in Nigeria?
- This group crafted terracotta statues that archaeologists have since uncovered and even technologically-advanced iron furnaces.
During the Han and Jin dynasties of ancient China, Niya was an important city center at the end of the Silk Road. What was the surrounding civilization called?
- Archaeologists have unearthed building ruins, pottery, and even mummies from this lost city, hinting at the people who lived there.
