Top 10 Lost Human Civilizations

Mesoamerica was home to many famous lost cultures. The earliest were the Olmecs, whose civilization lasted over a thousand years, between roughly 1500 BCE and 400 BCE. Primarily located on the Gulf Coast of present-day Mexico, the Olmecs are most famous for carving large stone heads, as well as several pyramids. However, much about them remains a mystery. Why their culture died out is the biggest question mark, with theories suggesting environmental changes as the most likely culprit. Even the Olmecs’ name for themselves is unknown, since the word “Olmec” is merely the Aztec term for the ancestral people who lived in the area, meaning “rubber people.”

Also called the Aksumite Empire, the Kingdom of Aksum was located in present day Ethiopia and parts of the Horn of Africa, as well as the southern Arabian peninsula. Aksum became a great power during antiquity, due to its near-monopoly on the trade between Rome and India. Aksum is also famous for its elaborate gravestones known as stele or obelisks. These became less common following the kingdom’s conversion to Christianity. The rise of Islam in the Middle East heralded the beginning of a gradual decline for the Kingdom, and Aksum became virtually lost to history after its collapse.

One of the first major Greek civilizations, the Mycenaeans flourished during the last part of the Bronze Age. Much of their culture was centered around palaces in which administrative and commercial business was conducted. The biggest of these was located at Mycenae, hence the civilization’s name. While the Mycenaean’s civilization declined, along with many others in the Late Bronze Age Collapse, much of their culture was passed on to successive Greek civilizations. This included everything from their gods to the origins of city-states such as Athens and Thebes. The Mycenaeans may even have been those who took part in the semi-legendary Trojan War.

A previous culture related to, and eventually taken over by the Mycenaeans, the Minoan civilization was primarily centered on the island of Crete, and may have been the first civilization in Europe. Like the Mycenaeans, the Minoans’ civilization was also palatial. However, very little about their religion or social structure is known compared to their contemporaries. There may have been some cultural influence between the two, though to what degree is uncertain. The Minoans’ subsumption into Mycenaean civilization, and the chaos of the Bronze Age Collapse, led to them becoming nearly forgotten for millennia, with their rediscovery only truly occurring in the 20th century.

No, not the residents of the modern U.S. state of Mississippi. Rather, this pre-Columbian Native American culture thrived throughout the region of what is now the USA, from roughly 800 to 1600 CE. Originating from the Mississippi River Valley, the Mississippians are perhaps best known for their mounds. These were large earthen platforms atop which they built their settlements, the largest of which was called Cahokia, located in present-day Illinois. While they had no form of writing, some of their cultural practices survived in successor tribes. Their civilization was already on the decline by the time European settlers arrived, with some explanations pointing to environmental causes and famine.

Everyone knows the ancient cradles of civilization - Egypt, Mesopotamia, China. But their more obscure but crucial contemporary was the Indus Valley Civilization, also called the Harappan Civilization. Based in what is today Pakistan and northwestern India in the Indus Valley, this civilization possessed impressive architectural achievements for the time, with evidence of urban planning, as well as drainage and water supply systems. However, despite the Indus Civilization’s size, it eventually dispersed, with drought being the most commonly theorized reason. Despite its influence on successive cultures, the Indus Valley Civilization’s language remains currently undeciphered, leaving much about it still mysterious.

The Khmer Empire, or Kambuja, was a dominant force in Asia between 802 and 1431 CE. Its capital city, Angkor, boasted the incredible Angkor Wat temple complex, still a hugely important site in modern Cambodia. The Khmer Empire maintained control through access to water, utilizing elaborate systems of canals and reservoirs to facilitate trade and agriculture. It also had one of the world’s earliest healthcare systems, boasting over 100 hospitals. The Empire’s striking palaces and architecture remain, and much of what is known about its culture is derived from Angkor Wat’s bas-reliefs, as well as historical accounts from visiting Chinese diplomats. The Khmer Empire faced a slow decline from internal and external strife, as well as climate change.

One of the world’s oldest discovered cities, Çatalhöyük was located in the south of modern Turkey. Founded around 9000 years ago, this Neolithic city’s most striking feature is the fact that its buildings were clustered together, with few, if any, formal streets, and most buildings being accessed through the rooftops. The interconnected, stacked nature of the city has led to its remarkable preservation. Çatalhöyük appeared to have an egalitarian society and its people may have worshiped a goddess. While much about the city is still being uncovered, the lack of nearby water sources likely led to its eventual abandonment prior to the Bronze Age.

The Maya civilization is arguably the most famous one on our list. This Mesoamerican civilization ruled over the Yucatan peninsula, to varying degrees, for over a millennium. Known for its massive step pyramids, advanced architecture, calendar, as well as innovations in mathematics and astronomy, the Mayans were among the most advanced North American cultures. Millions of Maya descendents still live in essentially the same region. However, while their spoken language has survived with many variations, Spanish colonizers destroyed most examples of their written heritage, which led to much of the history of the Maya civilization being lost.

During the Late Bronze Age Collapse, one of the contributing factors to the downfall of many of the notable civilizations of the time is suggested to have been the so-called “Sea Peoples.” These raiders attacked several eastern Mediterranean cultures, including Egypt, Cyprus, and Phoenicia. Unlike most lost civilizations, information about the Sea Peoples is particularly scant. The primary source of information about them comes from their victims. Hypotheses about their possible origins include everything from nationless pirates to the Trojans. But without a way to connect the Sea Peoples to a specific home, their origins remain a mystery.

Is there a lost civilization that we’re uncivilized for forgetting? Enlighten us in the comments!