The most ancient civilization. Interesting facts about civilization

I know enough about the civilizations of antiquity - the question has been of interest to me since my school days. Unfortunately, most of the material that was taught at school was superficial, so I had to look for information on my own. Since the history of the indigenous peoples of America is of particular interest to me, I will tell you about the most mysterious civilization that inhabited this continent.

Ancient Mayan Civilization

In the history of this people, it is characteristic that one of the first for their time they managed to determine the direct relationship between celestial objects and crop yield. The priests watched the heavens, accurately predicting the moment when the season favorable for sowing would come. In addition, we determined how the stars are moving depending on the specific time of the year. Astronomical knowledge was distinguished by the particular complexity of calculations, as a result of which the accuracy length of the year was calculated more accurately than even in the modern calendar. Mayan astronomers determined the time it takes for the moon to complete a revolution around our planet, and this allowed us to accurately predict satellite eclipses. Of considerable interest is the original calendar of this people, or rather two. One had 265 days, and the other 365.

Such a volume of information, accordingly, required fixing for future generations, which led to appearance of writing and calculation systems. This people is the only one of all that inhabited America of that era, whose writing was much more perfect than ordinary hieroglyphs. However, in the 9th century AD, for unknown reasons, these people leave their cities. Why? And where did they go? There is still no clear explanation for these questions.

Society structure

A special group of society was servants of the gods - priests, which were divided into castes:

ideologists;
astronomers;
predictors;
"all-seeing".

Power was inherited, and kings and their ancestors were equated with gods. The foundation of society were communities who lived at some distance from the city limits. Such a need was caused by the peculiarity of land cultivation, in which plots were changed every 5 years. In their free time, the people of the communities engaged in construction or military affairs, which later led to the emergence of a new class - professional warriors supported by communities. The wars that were waged by these people were of a short duration - raids on neighbors and capture of slaves.

The Sumerians are the inhabitants of Mesopotamia - the region located between the two great Asian rivers Tigris and Euphrates. The emergence of the Sumerian civilization around 4000 BC. The origin of the Sumerians is still unknown. Probably, they were not the original inhabitants of Mesopotamia, but came there from some mountainous area. This hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that the concepts of "mountain" and "" were denoted by one symbol. In general, the Sumerians are considered the most ancient people who had a written language at all. Sumerian writing (“cuneiform”) was based on pictograms, that is, images of signs characterizing a particular object, as well as its features. Moreover, the Sumerians owned not only representatives of the upper classes and religious cults but also commoners.

Scientists have found that the Sumerians originally had about 1000 pictograms, but later they became a more abbreviated 600-character script.

What were the achievements of the Sumerian civilization

The Sumerians first began to create literature. Moreover, they created the prototypes of the first public libraries. The Sumerians achieved great success in architecture and construction. It was the Sumerians who began to burn bricks and use them in the construction of various buildings. Some of the layouts developed by them were used during the palace buildings.

Sumerian medicine was highly developed even by the standards of those ancient times. And the achievements of the Sumerians in mathematics and astronomy are worthy of sincere admiration. Suffice it to say that their scientists not only established that the Earth revolves around the Sun and the Moon revolves around the Earth, but also created a very accurate calendar of lunar eclipses. For this, it is necessary long years persistent observations and careful mathematical processing of the results.

As for their religious beliefs, the Sumerians believed in a great variety of gods, among which stood out the "older" or "great" group of 50 deities. The Sumerians believed that they were created in order to serve God. In their opinion, with their successes and labor they “fed” the gods. These inhabitants also believed in the myth of a worldwide flood. According to Sumerian beliefs, man was created from clay, which was mixed with divine blood. And the Earth in their view was an interval between the Higher and Lower worlds.

The question of the most ancient civilization on planet Earth is still open.

Atlantis

There are many hypotheses about Atlantis - the sunken mainland, which was first mentioned in the dialogues ("Timaeus", "Critias" - 359-347 BC). , allegedly existed nine thousand years ago in the Strait of Gibraltar and sank as a result of a devastating earthquake. Describing the way of life of the Atlanteans, Plato showed a high level of civilization on this continent. In 2004, Dr. Rainer Kuen (Germany), in satellite photographs of southwestern Spain, noticed fragments of buildings described in Plato's dialogues, and suggested that Atlantis should be sought there. But despite the lively discussions caused by numerous versions of the existence of Atlantis as the most ancient civilization, research by scientists has not yet confirmed any of them. Lemuria In the middle of the nineteenth century, another assumption appeared about the oldest civilization on earth. This continent is called Lemuria or Mu and, allegedly, it was located in the South Pacific Ocean, and then some natural cataclysm destroyed the ancient continent. Only small rocky islands of the Pacific Ocean remind of it: Tahiti, Samoa, Hawaii, Easter Island, etc. Hypotheses about the existence of Lemuria - Mu also do not yet have scientific evidence.

sunken city

Another mysterious hypothesis about an ancient civilization arose in 2001, when the ruins of a huge city were found at the bottom of the Gulf of Cambay in western India. Studies have shown that the city is four thousand years older than the most ancient Indian civilization. The study of this find has not yet been completed.

Sumerian civilization

The existence of the Sumerian civilization in the distant past, which is considered to be the most ancient on Earth, is officially confirmed, it has about six thousand years. Sumer was located on the swampy banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia, in the south of modern Iraq. O high level Sumerian civilization, scientists began to speak after they deciphered the cuneiform texts of a unique people. These texts refer to the period from the 29th-28th centuries to the 3rd-1st BC. The Sumerian language is unlike any other language in human history. But scientists still managed to read the Sumerian writings. The information encrypted in these texts shocked the researchers. It turned out that the Sumerians possessed such knowledge that it is impossible to assume among the most ancient peoples. They knew mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, medicine and were the first on earth to master writing. They considered themselves descendants of the inhabitants of the planet Nibiru, which was located between Mars and Jupiter, which passes through solar system once every 3600 years. The Sumerians, who lived in the south, were strong, short people with round, shaved heads. This is how they portrayed themselves in the statues discovered during the excavations of the Sumerian settlements. In the northern Mesopotamia settled the Akkidians - steppe nomads. They, unlike the Sumerians, were tall, slender people with long black hair and beards, and oblong faces. They were called "blackheads". The most famous Sumerian cities are Lagosh and Ummu. It was there that archaeologists found the most valuable writings telling about the life of the Sumerians, their idea of the structure of the world, their art, religion and the level of development of sciences. It is also known that the city-states had their own rulers - patesi (now this word is read "ensi"). First, the patesi of Lagashi was a ruler named Eannatum (mid-3rd millennium BC), who conquered Umma and expanded his possessions, and then (twenty-fifth century BC) - Lugaland, then Urukagina, and even later (22nd century BC) Gudea. Gudea is known from an inscription on an ensi statue found by archaeologists, which tells how Gudea built a temple dedicated to the god Ningirsu. Archaeologists have found the ruins of this temple - the palace. The interior decoration, doors, columns are made of precious wood with copper and bronze decorations. In the courtyard of the temple there was a pool and a platform of stone slabs lined with palm trees.

Australian aborigines

Some researchers have reason to believe that one of the most ancient civilizations was the natives of Australia, whose descendants still live on this continent. People lived in tribes where there were not even leaders, everyone was equal. The men hunted kangaroos, while the women gathered fruits and edible plants. This civilization had no writing, temples, palaces.

At a time when primitive people moved from gathering and hunting to agriculture, which implies a settled way of life, the first settlements began to appear. As they developed, there was a need for the invention of writing, allowing the transfer of accumulated knowledge to new generations, the emergence of crafts and the division of labor. In the process of natural development of communities, ancient civilizations were formed, the cultural heritage of which is of particular value even today.

Ancient Rome (27 BC - 476 AD)

The ancient civilization of the classical era had big influence for development modern world. The Romans borrowed a lot from Greek culture, preserving and multiplying its achievements. There are many estimates of the population of the Roman Empire in different periods, ranging from 45 to 120 million people.

They were the first to widely use concrete in construction: from heavy-duty roads to monuments and temple complexes. A developed network of aqueducts provided water to cities and agricultural lands, and a sewer network was built to drain sewage. The similarity of modern newspapers also arose in Ancient Rome- signs made of stone or metal with important public news were placed in crowded places.

Interesting!

The state was democratic and provided for the poor social support. It was in Rome that the concept of citizenship and patronage was first introduced.

Chavin civilization (898 BC - 200 AD)

ancient culture South America pre-Columbian era existed on the territory of the modern state of Peru - in the north of the Andes mountain range, in the fertile valley of the Mosna River. Now the descendants of some Indian tribes live here.

The capital of all settlements and the religious center was the city of Chavin de Huantar, which gave the name to the civilization. The ruins left from it are today an archaeological monument of culture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Chavin civilization was highly developed: its representatives knew how to melt metals and make jewelry from gold, which was also used as solder, had knowledge of acoustics and built a network of drainage channels to protect against floods during the rainy season.

In addition, the Chavinians domesticated llamas, whose meat was harvested and sold, and also built an irrigation system for lands where potatoes, quinoa and corn were grown.

Maya civilization (1200 BC - 900 BC)

The most famous and highly developed culture of Mesoamerica existed on the territory of such modern states like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize and Honduras (western part).

In the early 1980s, more than 1,000 ancient Mayan cities and about 3,000 small settlements were discovered. The heyday of civilization fell on 1000-250 years. BC e. At that time, the population of cities was about 10,000 inhabitants - much more than in the average city of ancient Europe.

The Maya are known primarily as excellent astronomers, astrologers and mathematicians. They determined the length of the year, created complex and accurate calendars, a vigesimal counting system, and also introduced the concept of zero. The ancient people left behind a rich cultural heritage - hieroglyphic writing, unique stone sculptures and pyramids.

Phoenicia (1200 BC - 332 BC)

Translated from Greek means "land of purple". The name is associated with the main craft of the Phoenicians - the manufacture of purple dye from mollusks that live off the coast. The territory of the state extended along the east coast mediterranean sea. The capital of Phoenicia - Tire was located in modern Lebanon.

The development of civilization was facilitated by its access to the sea. The first Phoenicians were engaged in fishing and trade, then they mastered the technology of building deck ships. Thanks to a strong fleet, they managed to expand the boundaries of their territory, conquering dozens of colonies on the Mediterranean coast. So Hades was second in population only to Rome.

Interesting!

The Phoenicians invented the alphabetic letter - the prototype of the Latin alphabet, glass manufacturing technology, and were the first to circle Africa from east to west.

Olmec civilization (1500 BC - 401 AD)

The most ancient people Central America lived in the territory of modern Mexico (the states of Veracruz, Tabasco and Guerrero). The Olmec civilization had a significant impact on all subsequent cultures of Mesoamerica, especially on the Aztec and Mayan tribes. The total number of each of the settlements did not exceed several thousand people.

The Olmecs are the most ancient and highly developed civilization Mesoamerica. Its name is given conditionally, according to one of the tribes, and literally means "inhabitant of the rubber country." In addition to agriculture, livestock breeding and beekeeping, they were engaged in stone carving and the manufacture of ceramic products.

The monuments of Olmec art include huge stone heads from 1.5 to 3 meters high and basalt steles depicting noble Olmecs. The priests of the ancient people had deep knowledge in the field of mathematics and astronomy, and some elements of their writing were borrowed later by the Maya.

Hittite civilization (1600 BC - 1178 BC)

The first settlements arose on the territory of modern Turkey (Antalya), later the possessions of the empire expanded to the lands of present-day Syria and Lebanon.

The Hittites were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding, achieved significant success in applied arts (they made products from ceramics and stone). However, due to the lack of fertile land and the frequent raids of conquerors, the development of civilization was slow.

Rapid progress occurred in the 2nd century BC. when the Hittites discovered deposits of iron ore. Having mastered the secret of its melting, they learned how to forge weapons and armor, and also invented a three-man chariot. Being monopolists in metalworking, the Hittites quickly became rich in the arms trade and created a powerful army, with the help of which they expanded the boundaries of their possessions.

However, the invasion of the "peoples of the sea" - the Black Sea tribes that cut off the Hittites from the main trade routes, became the main reason for the decline of the great civilization. After themselves, they left multi-level underground cities in Cappadocia, the ruins of the ancient capital of Hattusa, which have survived to this day, as well as the foundations of diplomacy and democracy.

Nubian civilization (2000 BC - 1000 BC)

The African state was located in the fertile Nile Valley (the territory of Egypt and Sudan). Nubia is historical area between the first and sixth rapids of the great river, where in different time there were kingdoms of Kush, Kerma and the Meroitic.

The name of the civilization comes from the ancient Egyptian word "nub", which means "gold". The fertile lands of Nubia and deposits of precious and non-ferrous metals were the cause of frequent wars with Egypt, which the state won with varying degrees of success.

Interesting!

Women in society had equal rights with men: they actively participated in politics, trade and even war. There are periods when the state was headed by queens.

Ancient Chinese civilization (2070 BC - 500 AD)

One of the most ancient cultures on the planet Earth, which had a significant impact on the development of all mankind. The Yellow River Valley (Huang He) is considered to be the cradle of Chinese civilization.

During the reign of the first Shang Dynasty (1712–1066 BC), writing was formed, agriculture and law were actively developed. Her reign ended the uprising of the Zhou clan, who created their own empire that lasted about eight centuries. This time was marked by the growth of trade and the urban population. Crafts and culture developed.

Dynasties of rulers succeeded each other until 1912, until the last of them, the Han, ceased to exist. Chinese civilization gave the world several valuable inventions: paper, gunpowder, compass, silk and printing technology.

Crete-Minoan civilization (2600 BC - 1400 BC)

Aegean culture bronze age originated on the Greek island of Crete. The remains of an ancient civilization were discovered by the British archaeologist Arthur Evans at the end of the 19th century. He named it after Minos, the mythical king of Crete.

main cultural and political centers the states were concentrated in such cities as Knossos (the capital), Festus, Malia and Zakros. The Minoans were active in maritime trade, exchanging olive oil, copper, bronze and ceramics for gold and silver, fishing, but also often engaged in piracy.

Interesting!

Cretan writing consisted of hieroglyphic and pictorial characters, and has not been deciphered to this day.

Ancient Greece (3000 BC - 30 BC)

Territory Ancient Greece stretched along the Balkan Peninsula, including the islands in the Aegean Sea.

The contribution of a great civilization to the development of all spheres of human life is difficult to overestimate. modern science uses many fundamental knowledge in the field of mathematics, psychology, anatomy and physics, discovered by ancient Greek scientists.

Here the first ideas about the atomic structure of matter, philosophy, law and democracy were formulated. Cultural heritage Ancient Greece - unique ancient architecture, the art of vase painting, painting, monumental human sculptures, as well as elegiac poetry and mythology.

Data on the population of Ancient Greece in various sources is ambiguous and ranges from several thousand to several million people.

Civilization of Ancient Egypt (3100 BC - 332 BC)

It was located in northeast Africa along the Nile. The Egyptian civilization lasted 40 centuries, and during this time it became one of the most highly developed cultures of the ancient world.

The prosperity of the state largely depended on the annual flood of the river. The Egyptians built irrigation systems to retain water in order to reap a rich crop of grain. They were excellent architects who built the great pyramids, the secrets of which have not been solved to this day.

The most famous achievements of Egyptian civilization include the invention of the decimal system of calculation, the calendar and the zodiac circle. The priests of the Nile Valley knew human anatomy and were able to perform complex operations.

Interesting!

The Egyptians created a cure for infectious diseases and invented a method of preserving the bodies of the dead, like mummification.

People recorded their knowledge and history on papyrus scrolls. Some of them have survived to this day thanks to the perfect technology for manufacturing the material.

Indus civilization (3300 BC - 1300 BC)

In some sources it is also referred to as the Harappan culture. It originated in the Indus Valley about three thousand years ago. The largest cities are Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. This is the third oldest civilization after the Egyptian and Mesopotamian. Its territory was more than twice their total area.

Researchers believe that during its heyday, about 5 million people lived in it. Indian culture developed its own system of measures and weights, as well as an accurate scale for measuring length. Metallurgy (manufacturing of bronze, lead, copper), sculpture and jewelry were also developed.

Interesting!

Already at that time, the inhabitants of the Indus Valley used the services of a dentist and public baths, and every house had a toilet with sewerage and running water.

Civilization of Ancient Mesopotamia (3500 BC - 500 BC)

In some sources it is referred to as the "culture of Mesopotamia". Mesopotamia was located in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (the territory of modern Iraq and Syria). The ancient culture is considered the cradle of civilization - at different times such states as Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia existed here.

Historians believe that before the fall last empire about 10% of the world's population lived here. ancient kingdom in Mesopotamia - Sumerian. largest cities of that time were Nippur, Kish, Sippar, Uruk. More than 55 thousand people lived in each of them.

People use many achievements of this great civilization to this day: the priests of Mesopotamia developed the zodiac system, introduced the practice of measuring angles in degrees, and defined the second as the sixtieth part of a minute. The Sumerians were the first to master shipbuilding in order to trade with other states. They are also credited with inventing the wheel.

Atlantis (15000 BC - 9500 BC)

The Aryan civilization was highly developed. One of its main legacies, which has come down to our days, is Ayurveda. This is the first treatise on the cause of diseases and the methods of their treatment, which now forms the basis of Indian literature. traditional medicine. The Aryans also gave the world the Vedas - a sacred collection of knowledge about the structure of the Universe.

Lemuria (18 million years BC - 700 thousand years BC)

Mythical civilization, located on the sunken Indian Ocean mainland. According to esoteric theory, Australia, Easter Island, Ceylon and Tibet are parts of it that have not gone under water.

The Ethiopians are considered descendants of the Lemurians. As an argument proving the existence of an ancient civilization, followers of the theory cite huge stone statues found on Easter Island, as well as Nan Madol, an archipelago of 92 artificially created islands in pacific ocean whose age is incalculable.

The Lemurians had a deep knowledge of mathematics, physics, medicine and cosmology. After the death of civilization, some of them passed to the Atlanteans. There is a hypothesis according to which grains of invaluable knowledge of the latter were inherited by the civilizations of the East (Sumerians, Egyptians, Akkadians and others).

Hyperborea (55 million years BC - 12,000 years BC)

A mythical civilization supposedly existed on the Kola Peninsula in the pre-glacial period. She is mentioned in ancient Greek mythology. In ancient works, the Hyperboreans are described as one of the peoples close to God. They worshiped Apollo, were fluent in the art of writing music and poems, and knew philosophy.

Hyperboreans are natives of the single Ancestral Motherland of Mankind, who survived after the global cataclysm. They created their own state, which the Hellenes called "Paradise Land". Hyperborea is described as a beautiful sunny country with warm climate, whose population lives in harmony with nature, not knowing sorrows and illnesses. However, historians call the myth of an ancient civilization a utopia, devoid of reliable foundations.

Asura civilization (300 million years ago - 30 thousand years ago)

The legends of many ancient peoples say that long before man lived on the planet demigods - asuras. It is believed that they were the forerunners of another powerful race - the Atlanteans.

Asuras were distinguished by their enormous growth (up to 50 meters), and their life expectancy was 80,000-100,000 years. Their civilization lasted for about ten million years. It is believed that the heavenly abode of the asuras were three cities: gold, silver and iron. The rest were underground, and on its surface there were only temples and stations for communication with space.