Top 10 Most Mysterious Ancient Civilizations

Sometimes history leaves behind a lot for us to say about ancient civilizations, such as those of the Greeks or the Egyptians. Other civilizations leave behind very little for us to simply theorize what made them run. For what little is left behind, it only raises so many unanswered questions about these historical peoples. Today, it’s time to look into some of those civilizations with the most mystery surrounding their existence.
The Top Ten
1 Land of Punt

Egyptian records state the people of Punt had endured major trading expeditions with them, along with other African nations. They were said to have belonged to a rich land in the middle of Africa, but the catch to it all is that nobody actually knows where the Land of Punt is. The only sources to even hint towards their existence were from ancient Egypt, so the likelihood that these stories were actually true may even just be a myth.

They didn't know where the lived.

2 The Sea Peoples

Historical terrorists, if you may call them. The Sea Peoples raided the East Mediterranean for almost a century, primarily targeting the Egyptians. It is not known where they came from; all that is known is that they'd come in, attack, then sail off.

They conquered Greece and the Near East only to be stopped by a combined arms operation by the Egyptian navy and Egyptian army. Yet we barely know who they were even their names?

3 Clovis

The Clovis People were spread across what is now North America, but very little is known about their history. What they're most associated with is their arrowheads, or Clovis points, which were found all across the continent. Despite their large expansion throughout North America, it's not known what happened to them that led to their disappearance.

They were probably just nomads.

4 Nabta Playa

The Nabta Playa lived in the Nubian Desert thousands of years ago, which would explain why they didn't leave much behind. What they're most known for is the stones they placed to track the movements of the stars, which was a ground mark for other civilizations to pick up when exploring the fields of astronomy.

5 Easter Island

You know the Maoi. But what do you know about the people? Well aside form the famous heads on Easter Island, there's not much on their history. Easter Island is quite far away from other ancient civilizations, so those who found Easter Island likely didn't last very long as a civilization. Some say they quickly left; others say they destroyed their own lives.

6 The Olmecs

The Olmecs were quite advanced in their culture, which can be seen in their development of one of the earliest writing systems in the world, and their art style which included the sculpting of colossal heads. They occupied a similar area that the Mayans occupied, but vanished in a similar fashion that the Mayans did. It's not known how they could've been wiped out despite being such a large Mesoamerican civilization.

7 The Sanxingdui

The Sanxingdui were settled in ancient China for about 500 years before being wiped out. What they're most known for is their bronze heads they created as a part of their culture. It is not known how they were wiped out, although studies suggest a major natural disaster diverted their supplies.

8 Bell-Beaker Culture

Named for their distinct pottery they left behind, the Bell-Beaker Culture was widespread across regions such as modern-day Ireland, England, and Italy. They had a major involvement in trade with other civilizations, and were even said to have built the legendary Stonehenge. However, not much else is known about their culture.

9 Mayans

They are actually still around. There are over 1.4 million people of Mayan descent. Most of whom live in Mexico and Guatemala.

10 Indus Valley Civilization

This civilization laid down the foundation for others to follow, yet so little is still known about them. They thrived with Egypt and Mesopotamia and was one of the largest civilizations of its day. Unfortunately, they disappeared without a trace. Some say it was due to climate change, but we'll never really know.

The Contenders
11 Gobekli Tepe

This civilization's architecture is said to have been far too advanced for its age, being the oldest civilization listed here, which led some to believe aliens intervened somehow. It's not known what purpose their large stone pillars served despite there being over 200 erected throughout the land. As for their culture, well, that's another mystery.

12 Anasazi
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