Where one civilization ends another begins. A society in an advanced state of social development is defined as a civilization (Wordnet). From the beginning of humans’ presence on earth, many varied civilizations have been established and many have fallen. While the exact number of lost or fallen civilizations is unknown, it is estimated that somewhere around 7,000 have come and gone with more being found everyday (Stynch). There are many that stick out in the sands of time as the most significant and sophisticated societies prior to ours. Using technology centuries beyond their own and paving the way for many future civilizations, these ancestors of ours discovered many of the basic elements of astrology, mathematics and political structure of the societies in the world today. With all of these great accomplishments and the fact that they were years beyond their own time, one would have to wonder how these great mega societies failed, some never to be seen again. The even bigger question is could these lost civilizations be giving us a basic guide of sorts to survive and learn from their mistakes or, is it just a reminder that all good things must come to an end?
Through many different methods the ruins of these great civilizations, known for shaping cultures in numerous regions of the world, are discovered. Archeologists have dated many of these advanced societies as being around thousands of years ago and existing for thousands of years at a time in some instances. The exact reason for which these societies fail is a vast pool of theories and supporting evidence for most of them but a few tell us exactly what happened to their people. Ranging from famine, war and even illness, these ancient civilizations all succumbed to the same fate of dying off. However, before disappearing completely they left hints as to who they were, how they worked as a community, and the scientific advances of their civilization. However, with all that being said there is still much that is a mystery today leaving a natural curiosity among the people of our current civilizations.
The Harappan Civilization
The Harappan civilization was established at some point during 3000 B.C. and eventually disappeared somewhere around 1500 B.C. (Koeller). Located in what is now known as Pakistan, along the Indus River, this society is considered by many in the scientific community as one of the more mysterious ancient civilizations. The people of this society were the first to establish a way of writing, economic organization, different urban centers and social diversity among its people. It has been estimated that they may have had at one point up to five million inhabitants. This would make it the first mega civilization the world had seen (Stynch).
Unlike many lost civilizations of the world, the cities of the Harappan were not lavish by any means and large buildings were rare in this modest city. The layout of the city was a marvel of its own, showing immense organization of the people who once lived in it. The buildings themselves were constructed of a thick mud formed into bricks, which in the centuries after their existence, causes them to be almost completely wiped from the earth where they once stood (Koeller). The lack of any type of large royal structures such as palaces, or any type of temples indicates that there may have not been any social classes separating the members of the society and there is still no evidence supporting the idea of an authority figure of any sort. Not only did they not have an authoritative figure they also show no evidence of any kind of military at all. This has lead many historians to conclude that they were more than likely a peaceful society characterized by their conservative nature and stable regularity among the people (Koeller).
So how did the Harappan meet their end after existing for 1500 years? There are a few theories as to what happened, but the fact that we are still widely unable to translate the writings of these people makes it immensely unclear. One theory is that an outside force from the western Asia territory invaded and won, as they were considered to be a hostile force. Another is that with all of the flooding of this region life was no longer plausible in the territory as the constant flooding and draining of the water caused desertification of the soil in the land (Koeller).
The Mayan Civilization
Scattered though out much of Central America, are the ruins of a once great and thriving civilization of the Maya. Established in 2600 B.C. Located primarily in the Yucatan peninsula, which consists of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico; their population at its most was an amazing fifteen million (Stynch). The Mayan people would prove to be one of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient world. They would end up leaving their mark, not only in the land with their elaborate pyramids ,but also in the sciences of our everyday life with many astronomical discoveries and even giving us the modern day calendar. Unlike the previously discussed civilization the Maya were an ornately decorated people. They had lavish ceremonial dress and traditions held by the tribe. Their buildings and pyramids are perhaps some of the most recognizable historical structures in the world. Their society itself was a hierarchical system, meaning they were centralized forms of a government ran by a King and separated by different classes within the tribe, including the profession of the tribe member (Crystal).
The Maya were also an immensely intelligent people whom of which made huge advances in language development, 60 of which people still speak, and amazing accomplishments in the field of astronomy. This included the use of observatories where they would study the layout of the sky and stars to predict weather and in some events what they thought to be the future. They were even one of the first societies to include zero while doing their mathematics. In addition to all of the scientific developments, they also mastered in farming and the arts, establishing a rich culture among its people (“The Rise“).
While they were not considered to be a particularly hostile civilization, they were known to shed blood in the name of religion. In the event that they had prisoners from a recent clash with a neighboring tribe, they were known to remove the captives heart in a show of gratitude to the sun, and then cut off the prisoners head as an offering of their blood to the earth (Crystal). Unfortunately, as time went by, many of the Mayans abandoned the glorious cities that once thrived and went back to living in structured villages for reasons still widely unknown. Around 1500 A.D. all of the Mayan cities had been abandoned and the advanced civilization was no more (“The Rise“). While the end of this great civilization is still up for debate, many think it was a violent war that lead to the end of the Maya and others think disease and famine are responsible for the disappearance of this society (Crystal). However it is without a doubt that the burning of all Mayan literature carried out by the Spanish did not help. With only three Mayan books still in existence, it is the reason why many of the questions posed today will remain largely unanswered (Crystal).
Easter Island
Located more than 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile in the Pacific Ocean, is an island surrounded by mystery and intrigue and the story of a time long since passed (Gray). As discussed prior, with many lost civilizations there is usually a debate on how exactly the people of these societies eventually failed. However, that is not the case with Easter Island, as it is quite clear as to what lead to their fall. This island can easily be recognized by its famous hand carved stone statues, called moai and ahu, which surround that island (Gray). The people of Easter Island inhabited the lush forested land beginning in 318 A.D. .Some believe that the original inhabitants, 100 or so people of Polynesian decent, arrived in primitive boats and were probably lost when they came to shore. Initially, the large amount of forestry and the large population of birds and fish helped to sustain the people and is what eventually helped them to thrive as a tribe. This civilization was considered to be immensely rich in religion and in the arts. They, just as the Maya, also were thought to be knowledgeable in astronomy and the sciences of predicting weather (Gray).
As the years progressed so did the population, which weighed heavily on the land as they used lumber to build their homes and canoes the forests were being cut down at an alarming rate. At the same time the fish and bird supply was also suffering as it was the main source of food for the people of this island civilization. As their sources began to become depleted the clan initiated wars over the land, however this was not the reason for their fall (Gray). By around 1400 The island had become barren, what used to be lush forested land was now large open territory. The water supply had gone dry, the birds were no longer and because of soil erosion the possibility of farming was completely gone. This led the inhabitants of the island into famine and eventually they became cannibals who were war driven and self destructive. In 1864 all was lost and the civilization was soon to be non-existent (Gray).
The Chachapoya
The Chachapoya was a tribe that, at best, had around 500,000 plus tribe members, emerging sometime in 800 A.D. and surviving through 1540 A.D.(“Andes“) . This civilization was formed high up in the Andes of Northern Peru in what is referred to as the cloud forests earning them the name “Warriors of the clouds” (Stynch). This location gave them the upper hand as far a war went and also the weather. It was known to rain for many days at a time and the elevated location gave them a sort of drainage system while the high position and tall stone wall worked as a mostly effective way of keeping the enemy out. The people of this tribe were that of an intelligent civilization who were also known for the mummification of their people and their advanced skill in the art of war. The textiles produced by the people of this tribe were of such a fine quality that the neighboring Inca tribes saw them to be as valuable as gold (“Andes“). This particular civilization was also known for their worship of their natural surroundings such as streams, mountains, and possibly snakes as a serpent like figure is found often in the carvings done by these people (Caputo).
While they had the height of the wall and location of their territory as an advantage, it was still not long until the Incas over threw the Chachapoya in 1470 A.D. and for fifty years they were under the rule of the invaders (“Andes“). That is, until the Spanish came and single-handedly defeated the Incas freeing the Chachapoya, who would later become enslaved by those same Spaniards and eventually were wiped out by the influenza and small pox epidemic (“Andes“). While this may not be the exact manner in which this civilization fazed out it is the assumption by most archeologists and historians who have studied the Chachapoya.
With as many as 7,000 lost or fallen civilizations these four examples are not even close to what is needed to fully asses why or how these once great societies have failed (Stynch). What we do know is that out of the 7,000 plus civilizations there were only a handful that have impacted us to the extent of involvement in our everyday lives. However, one cannot avoid being curious as to wonder how these great flourishing societies, populated once with immensely innovative and intelligent people, could have possibly not seen their own impending doom encroaching upon them. If these great civilizations fail what does this mean for our civilization and its future existence? Do we learn from the mistakes of our ancestors and thrive, or succumb to the idea that history repeats itself and one day a college student will be writing papers on our great civilization?
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