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.Egyptian records state the people of Punt had major trading expeditions with them and other African nations. They were said to have belonged to a rich land in the middle of Africa, but nobody actually knows where the Land of Punt is. The only sources hinting at their existence were from ancient Egypt, so the likelihood that these stories were true may be just a myth.
They didn't know where they lived.
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.
The Clovis People were spread across what is now North America, but very little is known about their history. They are most associated with 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.
The Nabta Playa lived in the Nubian Desert thousands of years ago, which would explain why they didn't leave much behind. They are most known for the stones they placed to track the movements of the stars, which were a ground mark for other civilizations to use when exploring astronomy.
You know the Moai, but what do you know about the people? Well, aside from the famous heads on Easter Island, there's not much on their history. Easter Island is quite far 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.
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 to the Mayans but vanished in a similar fashion. It's not known how they could have been wiped out despite being such a large Mesoamerican civilization.
The Sanxingdui settled in ancient China for about 500 years before being wiped out. They are most known for the bronze heads they created as part of their culture. It is not known how they were wiped out, although studies suggest a major natural disaster diverted their supplies.
Named for the distinct pottery they left behind, the Bell-Beaker Culture was widespread across regions such as modern-day Ireland, England, and Italy. They had 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.
They are actually still around. There are over 1.4 million people of Mayan descent, most of whom live in Mexico and Guatemala.
This civilization laid down the foundation for others to follow, yet so little is still known about them. They thrived alongside Egypt and Mesopotamia and were one of the largest civilizations of their day. Unfortunately, they disappeared without a trace. Some say it was due to climate change, but we'll never really know.
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.