What is the oldest civilization. The most ancient civilization. Persia: the oldest civilized empire

65 million years ago, a giant asteroid fell into the territory of Yucatan, the stellar wound left by it on the surface of the Earth is now clearly visible from space. Yucatan is rich in sulfur deposits. And a strong blow raised billions of tons of flammable dust into the atmosphere. Terrible fires began, the lack of sunlight caused the effect of a nuclear winter.

The fall of the asteroid into the Yucatan region and the events that followed are considered to be the death of the dinosaurs. This hypothesis has always had many supporters. But were only giant lizards inhabiting our planet? Or maybe at that time much more intelligent creatures lived on the planet. The Mahabharata says that many beings, such as the nagas, have disappeared. It talks about the global extermination of the Nagas - divine beings.

One of the most high-profile archaeological discoveries of the 20th century was in Turkmenistan, on the Khodjapil plateau, dinosaur footprints were discovered. The size of their paws reached 60 centimeters. But most of all, next to the giants were human footprints. The discovery shocked the scientific community when a reasonable question was first raised, or maybe in the era of the existence of dinosaurs, people also existed?

For some reason, we want to consider these traces as human, but we must assume that 65 million years ago it was not a person, but perhaps a human-like creature that could speak, could communicate. Moreover, by the nature of these tracks, scientists determined that it was not just a dash of dinosaurs or intelligent creatures, but some kind of reasonable movement aimed at doing something, or it is possible that these creatures, like today's shepherds, grazed these dinosaurs.

The Sumerian-Akkadian civilization is considered the most ancient on Earth, according to the generally accepted version, it was in the Middle East that agriculture, religion and science originated. Thanks to this civilization, the civilization of Mesopotamia, we use the circle divided into 360 degrees, also we use the seven-day week thanks to them.

Scientists took as a starting point the moment when ancient people managed to domesticate wild animals, began to develop cattle breeding and agriculture. The official historical doctrine says that this was the beginning of modern civilization. Scientists believe that the territory of domestication of animals and plants was wider than the territory of Mesopotamia. It was from Palestine, Syria to Central Iraq. This is the so-called fertile crescent.

The Sumerians, an ancient people who inhabited the interfluve of the Tigris and Euphrates on clay tablets, recorded completely different information about the emergence of their civilization. Agriculture and architecture, mathematics and astronomy, they considered the gift of the gods, and not the result of the progressive development of their society. After all, it cannot be that an extremely advanced civilization appeared in the Ancient World. The Sumerians sincerely believed that their civilization appeared as a result of some unique event that occurred in antiquity. That they are descendants of ancient people. They believed that these people came from other stars, and they shared their knowledge with the Sumerians. The Sumerians called the representatives of this highly developed race the Anunaki, aliens from heaven. Moreover, one of the Sumerian myths tells that, before arriving in Uruk, the capital of Sumer, one of the goddesses Inanna visited Arata, a certain neighboring state. Moreover, the goddess managed to be married to the king of Arata. According to the Sumerian myth, the neighboring country was famous for its fabulous wealth. There was a lot of gold and silver there. Inanna decided to leave Arata only because of her love for the king of Uruk, Enmerkar. According to scientists, the first highly developed civilization appeared on earth not at all 6 thousand years ago. If we generalize several archaeological schools, take into account the change in the Earth's climate, astronomical data, then another chronology of historical events is created. The ancient world, according to this theory, was preceded by antediluvian civilizations. It is high time to put Arata civilization on the historical map. Evidence of its existence, already collected, is not enough. Arata is the ancestral home of the later cultures of Eastern Europe. But the connection is direct, there is no continuity. Because people change, nomads come, even other races come, and in this way other cultures are formed.

In the middle of the 19th century, the Russian scientist Peter Koeppen in his work “Inventory of Ancient Monuments” first mentions the Stone Grave, the ruins of an ancient sanctuary in the valley of the Molochnaya River in the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine. Köppen writes that his guide saw an inscription on stone blocks, one of which was a yard or more long, that is, more than seventy centimeters. However, before the ancient petroglyphs are discovered and studied, a whole century will pass. Already the Soviet orientalist Anatoly Kifishin will declare that there are traces of proto-Sumerian writing in the petroglyphs of Kamennaya Mogila. Today, a number of historians support the hypothesis that an even more ancient state existed north of Sumer. Its culture and scientific knowledge could be inherited by the peoples of the Middle East. Often, the oldest state on Earth is called Arata. During the heyday of this ancient civilization, its territory occupied half of Eurasia. The territory was pinned down from the Danube to India. And it developed from 20-30 thousand years BC to 5-6 thousand years BC, when the Aryan invasion began, that is, the Indo-Aryan core began to form.

Disputes of historians about which civilizations arose first, where they appeared, what name they had, probably will never stop. These questions have occupied the minds of scientists for many years. There are also discussions about which of the first civilizations to consider the most ancient on Earth.

Rating of the first civilizations

At the moment, historians have data that make it possible to compile a list of those civilizations that appeared among the first. Here are the first five.

Australian aborigines

Many scientists are supporters of the fact that on the Australian mainland the civilization of the aborigines appeared among the first. Their way of life left an imprint on their way of life, cultural traditions and customs. For a long time, their culture was considered primitive, but it turned out to be rich enough, only too mysterious for us.

Atlantis

This civilization was mentioned by Plato. She existed near the Strait of Gibraltar and sank due to a powerful earthquake. Many scientists doubt its existence.

Lemuria

There is also such a point of view that on a huge and mysterious continent that existed more than 80 thousand years ago, an early civilization called Lemuria lived. She died due to a powerful earthquake. Some scholars believe that one of the achievements of this civilization was the construction of buildings made of stone.

Ancient Slavs

There is no exact data on the existence of this civilization, which was called Hyperborea. After changing the axis of rotation of our planet, the climate began to change, which led to the resettlement of the Slavs to other lands. Settlement and redistribution provided the basis for the formation of new civilizations. Slavic civilization reached its heyday in the 7th-9th centuries.

Sumerians

Most scientists single out the Sumerian among the early civilizations, believing that it is the most ancient.

Civilization from nowhere

The Sumerians are the oldest civilization in the world, according to most scientists. The time of its appearance is approximately the end of the fourth millennium BC.

The most mysterious thing is that almost no one can explain where it came from. It is believed that the Sumerians belong to an ancient Semitic tribe that once lived on our planet.

But these are just assumptions, no evidence of this exists so far. In the course of research, no links were found between the Sumerians and the Semitic tribes. These were two completely different civilizations, although both were ancient.

Until now, it has not become known to which race the Sumerians belonged. All events that are to some extent connected with this civilization are shrouded in mystery. They remain a mystery to scientists.

Secrets of the Sumerian Civilization

The most ancient civilization left behind many mysteries and unsolved mysteries. It is they who make archaeologists all over the world still engage in excavations and research in order to at least slightly open the veil of this mystery.

Most scholars associate with the Sumerians:

• writing;
• the first skills in metal processing;
• the invention of the wheel;
• appearance of the potter's wheel.

After themselves, the Sumerians left many manuscripts, deciphering which, scientists never cease to be amazed. It turns out that this civilization even knew what our science reached only relatively recently.

1. The Sumerians used the ternary number system. It is used in modern computers.
2. The Sumerians were familiar with the principle of the golden ratio.
3. They had deep knowledge in the field of chemistry, astronomy, physics and other sciences.
4. The Sumerians were among the first to learn how to make soap.
5. First time they made beer.
6. According to archaeological finds, it was the Sumerians who first learned how to make and burn bricks.
7. Sumerian builders were able to build beautiful temples and palaces, which surpassed many modern buildings in their beauty.
8. Their state structure was at a high level. They had governing bodies, a court, laws that protected citizens.

It must be taken into account that the Sumerians had all this when Ancient Greece and Rome did not exist. In terms of development, the Sumerian civilization was very close to modern society.

It was a civilization that had its own ideas about beauty. During excavations, tablets were found, which depict proverbs, poems and entire works about adventures.

Archaeologists in the habitat of the Sumerians found mines in which gold was mined. Why did they need such a large amount of precious metal in the Stone Age? A conjectural answer can be obtained if you get acquainted with Sumerian mythology.

Sumerian myths

By studying the records of this ancient civilization, scientists learned that the Sumerians knew that 12 planets revolved around the sun. These are the ones that are well known at the present time and another one between Jupiter and Mars called Nabiru.

This planet had such an elongated orbit that it appeared in the solar system once every 3600 years. According to modern calculations of astronomers, it should pass near our planet between 2100 and 2158 years.

According to Sumerian records, more than 4 billion years ago there was a catastrophe so grandiose that the whole solar system, many planets have changed the tilt of their axis.

According to the Sumerians, mysterious planet Nabiru the Anunnaki descended upon our land. By the way, even in scripture there is a mention of "descended from heaven." They were incredibly tall - from 4 to 5 meters, with a wide face and black hair. In the images, they always have large protruding ears; in their understanding, this is a symbol of wisdom.

According to the mythology of the Sumerians, the Anunnaki created earthlings with the aim that they were engaged in gold mining. The first attempts to extract the precious metal from the waters of the Persian Gulf were unsuccessful. Then the search began to lead in the mines.

According to the explanations, a huge amount of gold was required to protect the atmosphere of Nabiru with gold dust. It is worth recalling that such technologies are currently used in space projects. Gold was transported to the planet once every 3600 years, when it came as close to the Earth as possible.

In the annals of the Sumerians, you can find a lot of interesting and mysterious information that is quite difficult to put into your head. modern man. All this is perceived as myths and inventions of an ancient civilization. I just can’t believe that this is possible at the dawn of the birth of mankind.

It is problematic to answer the question which of the civilizations is the oldest. There are many versions and theories, but one thing is for sure: the Sumerian is the most mysterious and mysterious.

Despite the fact that studies have provided a lot of information about this civilization, it still remains unknown where it came from, and even with such a wealth of knowledge. One can only be sure that for many years to come, scientists around the world will be provided with work to find answers to this question. And in the future we have to digest a lot of new information. Let's hope that it will be even more interesting and informative.

Which of the human ancient civilizations appeared earlier than others? Scientists for many years, literally bit by bit, collect information about our ancestors, learning more and more new facts. Our planet at different times was inhabited by various civilizations that ceased to exist many thousands of years ago. Did you know that the most ancient civilization on the planet surpassed the modern one in terms of the amount of knowledge and scientific achievements? Find out about this and much more from the ranking of the oldest civilizations in the world.

The most ancient civilizations

Kingdom of the Sun

After the immersion of the Lemurian civilization under water in the middle Pacific Ocean many islands were formed, on which the Aroe peoples began to live. Thanks to their knowledge, the Aroe peoples excelled in the construction of roads, pyramids, unique stone statues and even streets. The civilization of the Aroe peoples or the "Kingdom of the Sun" existed about 13 thousand years ago, which makes it one of the oldest among the developed civilizations in the world.

Ancient Israel and Ethiopia

The peoples living in Ancient Israel and Ethiopia were famous for their super-technological achievements, which were ahead of all other civilizations of that time. Direct evidence of the high development of the ancient Israelites was the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, which was located on hewn stones, similar to the buildings in Baalbak, as well as the Temple of Solomon, built on the principle of megalithic buildings. Also in the Temple of Solomon, according to the Bible, the Ark of the Covenant was built.

Rama Empire (India)

The remains of this ancient civilization are now located deep at the bottom of the ocean or overgrown with impenetrable jungle. Some scholars argue that Indian civilization began its existence a little earlier than 500 AD. But literally at the end of the last century, in the territory of Pakistan, in the Indus Valley, the more ancient Indian cities of Harappa and Mozhenjo-Daro were found. Thus, archaeologists have moved the date of the emergence of Indian civilization by several millennia back. Cities were an example of excellent urban planning, where there were central districts of government and residential areas. The sewerage system was much more elaborate than in many Asian countries today.

Ancient Atlantis

After the complete sinking of the Mu continent to the bottom of the ocean, as a result of the catastrophe, the boundaries of the modern Pacific Ocean were formed, and therefore the water level in other parts of the planet dropped significantly. On the territory of the lands of the Poseidonis Archipelago, a whole continent was formed. Modern historians are accustomed to calling this continent Atlantis, but Poseidonis remains its original name.

Scientists have long agreed that Atlantis was superior in almost all areas of development. modern civilization. Many ancient scriptures and books written by early scientists mention the presence of such inventions as water generators, fluorescent lamps, monorail vehicles, electricity-firing rifles, aircraft, and even the semblance of modern air conditioners to purify the air in stuffy and dusty rooms. Scientists believe that Atlantis ceased to exist due to the misuse of power.

Lemuria or Mu

The most ancient civilization on earth existed almost 80 thousand years ago, on a huge continent called Lemuria or Mu. According to ancient sources, civilization existed for about 52 thousand years. Unfortunately, Lemuria was destroyed at the very peak of development by a strong earthquake that occurred about 26 thousand years ago.

Lemuria never set itself the goal of overtaking other civilizations in development, and, in many respects, was inferior to them. But the main achievement of civilization was the construction of surprisingly strong stone buildings that could withstand the strongest earthquakes.

Scientists also believe that the civilization of Mu gave the whole world unique language communication control scheme. The key to the rapid development of civilization was education, thanks to which every citizen was well versed in the laws of the Universe and the Earth. Already by the age of 21, the citizens of Lemuria were well-versed in basic sciences, and at the age of 28, every inhabitant of Lemuria became a full member of the Empire and could count on receiving a place among high-ranking officials.

The mysteries of many other peoples and civilizations that existed on earth, scientists have yet to learn in the future. Will we be able to understand our ancestors and accept the fact that perhaps they were much better developed than us and possessed such unique technologies that we do not even know about. One conclusion we can draw for sure is that our ancestors were imperious, disciplined and educated peoples who so riskily plunged into dangerous experiments for the sake of the prosperity of mankind.

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The history of mankind can be compared with the biography of one family - over time, some members of the household leave, others are born, and everyone lives life in his own way, leaving certain memories of himself. In the case of the global “family” of homo sapiens, entire civilizations act as its members - some of them manage to exist for thousands of years, and some of them are not allowed to last even several centuries, however, one way or another, the place of the lost civilization is immediately occupied by the next one - in this is great justice and great meaning Stories.

1. Olmec civilization

The Olmecs are one of the oldest civilizations in Central America, with an outstanding culture and an unusually high level of development of science and technology for their time.

The "visiting card" of the Olmecs are giant sculptures in the form of heads, located in modern Mexico. The heyday of the Olmec state fell on the period between 1500 and 400 BC, according to historians, this people achieved impressive success in architecture, agriculture, medicine, writing and other branches of knowledge. The Olmecs had a fairly accurate calendar and a mathematical system that used the number "0", which can be considered a real breakthrough.

Having existed for more than a thousand years, the Olmec civilization, for reasons still unclear, fell into decline, but other states arose on its ruins, such as ...

2. Aztec Empire

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The "golden age" of the Aztec civilization is considered the period between 1428 and 1521 - at that time the empire covered vast territories, where, according to some estimates, about 5 million people lived, while the population of its capital, Tenochtitlan, located on the site of the modern Mexico City, was about 200 thousand people.

The Aztecs borrowed a lot from the Olmec civilization, including religious beliefs, ritual games, traditions of human sacrifice, language, calendar, and some achievements of science and culture. The Aztec Empire was one of the richest and most highly developed states of pre-Columbian America - suffice it to mention at least the most complex aqueducts they built, designed to irrigate the famous floating gardens.

With the isolation of the Aztec state from the rest of the world, and along with the state itself, it was over when the detachment of the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes was allowed to enter Tenochtitlan. One can imagine the surprise of the Spaniards, who were expecting a meeting with the "primitive barbarians" - their eyes saw a huge rich city with wide streets and stunningly beautiful architecture.

It is likely that greed, the envy of the Spaniards for the wealth of the townspeople, as well as European diseases and modern weapons of the conquistadors, led to the destruction

the Aztec state and the genocide of a great people, and just a few years later, another Indian civilization fell victim to European invaders ...

3. Inca Empire

The Inca state, which occupied the territory of modern Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador, existed for more than three centuries - from the beginning of the 13th to the end of the 16th, when conquistadors came to the country under the command of the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro.

The capital of the Inca Empire was located in the mountains, on the site modern city Cusco. Thanks to the unusually high level of technological development at that time, the Incas managed to build an effective system of agriculture, turning mountain slopes into fertile fields and developing technologies for irrigating them. The buildings of the city of Machu Picchu and other structures that have survived to our time testify to the highest skill of Inca architects. Based on astronomical observations and their mathematical system, the Incas created an accurate calendar, they developed their own script, and achieved notable successes in medicine and other sciences. Scientists are still puzzling over how the people, who did not have modern tools and devices, managed to build architectural and engineering masterpieces.

Acquaintance with European civilization was a real tragedy for the Incas (as well as for other indigenous peoples of the American continent) - most of the population was destroyed by European diseases, the weapons of the conquistadors and the civil strife of various tribes that had begun, and their cities were plundered.

Such is the sad fate of the once powerful country, the size of which was comparable to the largest Eurasian states, for example, what we call ...

4. Persian Empire

The Persian Empire has been one of the main players in the world political arena for several centuries. Possessing outstanding technologies and knowledge, the Persians built a road network, unique in its branching and quality, connecting the most developed cities of the empire, developed an unparalleled sewage system, created an alphabet and numbers. They were the first to use the assimilation of conquered peoples instead of their extermination, trying to make the religious and cultural traditions of foreigners a part of their culture, thanks to which they managed to create one of the largest and most influential states on the planet, such examples in the history of mankind are quite rare and one of them…

5. Macedonian Empire

By and large, this state owes its existence to one person - Alexander the Great. His empire covered part of modern Greece and Egypt, the territory of the former power of the Achaemenids and part of India. Alexander managed to subjugate many countries thanks to his talent as a commander and the high level of training of troops. Not the last role in the creation of the empire was also played by the assimilation of the peoples of the occupied territories - marriages between the soldiers of the Macedonian army and representatives of the local population.

After the death of Alexander the Great, the empire lasted for about three centuries. As a result of numerous conflicts between the heirs of the legendary conqueror, the country fell apart and most of it became part of another great state, called ...

6. Roman Empire

Roman civilization originated in the city-states on the territory of modern Italy, the main of which was, of course, Rome. The empire was formed under the strong influence of Greek civilization - the Romans borrowed from the Greeks many ideas of state and social structure, which they were able to successfully translate into life.

zn, as a result of which one of the greatest empires in the history of mankind appeared on the world map. Under the rule of the Caesars, the scattered regions of Italy united, and due to the successes of the Roman military leaders, the young state gradually turned into the most influential empire in the world, which included modern Italy, Spain, Greece, France, significant parts of Germany and Great Britain, regions in North Africa (including - Egypt) and vast territories in the Middle East.

The victorious march of the Romans around the world was prevented by the collapse of the empire into the western and eastern parts. The history of the Western Roman Empire ended in 476, the Eastern Roman Empire, which is also called the Byzantine Empire, lasted almost a thousand years longer - until 1453.

The unified Roman Empire was one of the largest states in the history of mankind, only some giants surpassed it in size, for example ...

7. Mongol Empire

The state, covering the most extensive contiguous territory in history, was born at the behest of the great Mongol commander, whose name became almost synonymous with a successful policy of conquest. The history of the empire of Genghis Khan lasted a little more than a century and a half, from 1206 to 1368 - during this time, the territories of modern Russia, India, China and some countries of Eastern Europe, in total, the area of ​​occupied lands were under the rule of the first great khan and his successors was about 33 million km2. The military successes of the Mongols are explained, first of all, by the widespread use of cavalry - their opponents simply did not have a chance to cope with countless hordes of skillful horsemen who appeared as if from nowhere and smashed the infantry to smithereens.

The death of the great Khan Ogedei, the third son of Genghis Khan, prevented the continuation of the aggressive policy of the Mongols. Who knows - if it were not for a combination of circumstances, perhaps Western Europe would have got acquainted with all the "charms" of the Mongol invasion. During the struggle for power of several Mongolian political leaders, the empire broke up into four states - the Golden Horde, the Ilkhanate in the Middle East, the Yuan Empire in China and the Chagatai ulus in Central Asia.

It is worth noting that the Mongols were not mindless barbarians, as Western historians often try to present them in their works. In the occupied territories, they introduced laws that were quite humane in relation to the indigenous population - for example, it was strictly forbidden to persecute local residents for their religious beliefs. So progressive domestic politics it would be worth learning, for example, the elite of such a state as ...

8 Ancient Egypt

Located in the Nile River valley, the state in different forms existed for more than 4 thousand years. Countless studies, thousands of books, feature films and documentaries have been devoted to the history of Egyptian civilization, but scientists continue to argue about the technologies and knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, which allowed them to create, for example, the famous pyramids of Giza and other wonders of architectural thought.

Heyday ancient egypt characterized the highest level the development of traditional religion, the Egyptian language, medicine, architecture, agricultural technology, mathematics and various arts. Egypt is one of the three oldest states on the planet, including Sumerian and

The Indian civilization, the latter also bears the name ...

9. Harappan Civilization

The Indian civilization is far from being as well known as Ancient Egypt, although both states were formed at about the same time - in the middle of the fourth millennium BC. The period of existence of a civilization located on the territory of modern Pakistan covers more than one and a half thousand years.

One of the distinguishing features of the Harappan civilization can be considered a peaceful, creative policy of the authorities, both internal and external.

While the rulers of other countries were waging wars and intimidating their own citizens, considering violence to be the main tool for strengthening power, the leaders of the Harappan state directed all their efforts to the development of society, strengthening the economy and improving technology.

Archaeologists claim that in the course of studying the settlements of the Indus civilization, they discovered only a small number of weapons, while there were no human remains with signs of violent death, which allows us to conclude that the Indus state was peaceful.

The Harappans lived in clean, well-planned cities with sewerage and water systems, and virtually every house had a bathroom and toilet. Unfortunately, we know little about the Indus civilization, however, the available information indicates that it was one of the most progressive countries of that era.

Goodwill and peacefulness were also characteristic of the people who created the state on the islands of the Caribbean - we know it under the name ...

10. Arawaks

Arawaks - the collective name of a whole group of peoples who inhabited the islands caribbean and northern South America. It was the Arawaks who were the first of the Indian tribes to meet Christopher Columbus upon his arrival in the New World. According to various estimates, during the first expedition

Columbus, the number of island Arawaks ranged from 300 to 400 thousand people, although some sources give other figures - up to several million.

Possessing a developed culture, the Arawaks were very friendly to each other and to strangers - according to the testimony of the expedition members, the natives shouted to European ships approaching their islands: “Tainos!”, which means “peace” in the local dialect. From here came the second common name of the island Arawak tribes - Taino.

The Taino were engaged in trade, agriculture, fishing and hunting, unlike many other Indian tribes, they practically did not participate in military conflicts. The only people with whom the Arawaks were at enmity were the cannibals who lived on the territory of the modern state of Puerto Rico.

The Arawak civilization is characterized by a highly organized structure of society, its hierarchy, as well as the commitment of the population to universal human values ​​- for example, Arawak women had the right to refuse a man to marry, which was unheard of for the Indians, however, as well as for many Europeans of that time.

With the advent of the conquerors, the Arawak state quickly fell into decay - the population decreased several times due to the lack of immunity to diseases of the Old World and armed conflicts with the Spaniards. The Taino are now considered extinct, although some of the islands in the Caribbean still have remnants of the culture of this once highly developed civilization.

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Millions of people around the globe, just like you and me, are fascinated by ancient civilizations. The truth is that a large number of civilizations that existed on Earth in ancient times, possessed technologies that are incomprehensible even now. Thousands of years ago, ancient cultures kept amazing knowledge - from astronomy and biology to chemistry and engineering.

1. ancient egyptian civilization

The ancient Egyptian language is considered one of the oldest on Earth. It has existed for five millennia and is considered a long-liver in a large language family. According to researchers, this language can be divided into five stages: Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian, New Egyptian, Demotic and Coptic. The writing system consisted of hieroglyphs and its development can be traced back to 2690 BC.

From a scientific point of view, the ancient Egyptians were ahead of their time: already in 1650 BC. they knew multiplication, division, fractional and prime numbers, linear equations and geometry. They are officially considered the builders of the pyramids. But perhaps the most interesting is the fact that they were the first ancient civilization to learn how to measure time. The Egyptians not only invented a calendar, they created a mechanism that keeps track of time - water and sundials.

2. Ancient Mayan Civilization

Like the ancient Egyptians, the Maya were also brilliant astronomers and mathematicians. They are credited - although this is a very controversial issue - with the invention of zero, as well as the amazingly accurate measurement of the length of the solar year.

The ancient Maya inhabited the southern part of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. They were one of the most important and advanced ancient civilizations that ever existed on Earth. The Maya manuscripts are especially famous - the only writing system of pre-Columbian North and South America. The earliest records subsequently discovered in San Bartolo (Guatemala) were made in the third century BC.

It is curious that this ancient civilization of Mesoamerica perfectly mastered the technology of making rubber products - and this happened three thousand years before people from the Old World knew what rubber was. When the Spanish conquistadors first set foot on the American continent, they were struck by the fact that they had to deal not with a primitive, but with a highly developed culture.

3. Indus Valley Civilization

It is believed that the ancient Indian civilization is the oldest on the planet. She is 8 thousand years old, and this is thousands of years older than Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It is famous for several amazing things, but above all for its good city planning. Before building such cities as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, their designers made a project for each of the many details. According to researchers, during the heyday of the Indus Valley civilization, there were more than five million inhabitants. The ancient Hindus were among the first to build houses from baked bricks, equipped with an extremely complex sewerage and water supply system.

They achieved incredible accuracy in measuring mass, length and time, among the first to create a system of uniform measures and weights.

4. The ancient civilization of Caral

One of the most mysterious and advanced civilizations that ever existed in South America. It was located in the coastal regions of modern Peru. According to historians, this civilization invented cuneiform, one of the earliest forms of written communication.

Karal is one of the most complex ancient civilizations that have ever existed on Earth. Thousands of years ago they created pyramids, circular squares and intricate staircases. Their pyramidal complex covers as much as 165 acres and is one of the largest on Earth. These pyramids were built simultaneously with the ancient Egyptians. The main one occupies an area equal to almost four football fields, and its height is 18 meters.

The most important detail that should be mentioned when it comes to Caral is the absence of weapons and mutilated bodies in the excavation sites. Not a single sign of war was found there, which allows us to conclude that Caral was a highly developed diplomatic state, the oldest city in the western hemisphere of the planet.

It turns out that this virtually unknown ancient Peruvian civilization developed advanced methods in agronomy, medicine, engineering, and architecture over 5,000 years ago.

Their scientific knowledge led today's researchers into a dead end. Scientists have failed to unravel many of the mysteries behind this largest of South American civilizations. This concerns the use of energy, fluid mechanics. The inhabitants of Caral were able to channel wind energy, now known as the Venturi effect, through underground channels and fires to reach high temperatures.

The researchers discovered with curiosity that Caral's physicians used willow as the active chemical in the production of aspirin, which was used to relieve headaches. Ancient engineers were brilliant specialists. They mastered civil engineering and applied earthquake resistance technologies, so their buildings have survived for five thousand years.

5. The ancient civilization of Tiahuanaco

Thousands of years ago, on the shores of Lake Titicaca in the Andes, an ancient civilization was born, which very quickly became one of the most developed on Earth. Like many other advanced civilizations, it mysteriously disappeared after five hundred years of its existence. Its representatives created such fabulous cities as Tiahuanaco and Puma Punku, and also became the progenitors of another great civilization - the ancient Incas.

According to scientists, Tiahuanaco appeared "suddenly" somewhere around 300 AD, and reached its peak between 500 and 900 AD.

The ancient inhabitants of Tiahuanaco created sophisticated methods of farming and building waterways that still function today. Irrigation systems, modern even by today's standards, provided the necessary amount of water for crops.

Researchers have calculated that in the 700s of our era, the Tiahuanaco civilization dominated and ruled over a vast territory covering modern Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. The population ranged from three hundred thousand to one and a half million people.

The ancient builders of Tiwanaku created some of the most impressive ancient monuments on the planet by erecting gigantic structures made of megalithic stones. The most notable structures built by this ancient civilization are Akapana, Puma Punku and Eastern Akapana, Putuni, Keri Kala and Kalasasaya. One of the most famous structures is the Gate of the Sun.

According to archaeologist Arthur Poznansky, the temples of Tiahuanaco were built from polished stone blocks with several rows of small round holes in them. According to Poznansky, these holes were used in the distant past to attach something to them. These round holes are extremely precise and it's hard to believe that an ancient civilization made them without any advanced technology.