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Notions of past grandeur
have always captivated the human mind. The idea that we are the result of a
long line of developments, and cultural transformations pulls us out of the
prison of time and urges us to imagine what life would have been were we born
in different times. Yet, a lot of civilizations and prosperous cities never
made it into modern era, destined instead to fall as quickly as they rose.
This is a list of 10 of
the most breathtaking lost treasures of human civilization.
Cities that were either
destroyed, or abandoned, and all but forgotten, only to be rediscovered much
later so we may marvel at their once magnificent stint at the helm of human
progress.
Pavlopetri, Greece
While there is no strong
evidence that the legendary city of Atlantis existed outside popular myth and
folklore, many parts of the world have fallen prey to the ever changing wishes
of the fickle mistress that is the Sea. Pavlopetri was a town of pre-Classical
Greece that was settled in the Stone Age and persisted until approximately the
tenth century BC, and is the oldest submerged town in the world. Archaeological
in particular have taken a fond liking for the site, since the fact that it is
submerged has presented a evocative case study of a civilization that has been
very well preserved and not contaminated by the remnants left behind by the
occupants who followed soon after. The existence of this site gets one thinking
about how many such sites must exist around the world, as surely, sea levels
have risen and fallen for thousands of years, and early human settlers have
tended to stay at sites such as Pavlopetri - sites that have proximity to water
sources and trade routes.
Akrotiri, Santorini
There is little written
material left by the Minoan Civilization thus they were largely left forgotten
until the renewed push behind archaeological efforts in the 20th century. The
discovery of the palace at Knossos revived interest in the Minoan Civilization.
Similarly, on the small island of Santorini, there exists the minoan outpost of
Akrotiri. The island is also home to the Thera volcano. Many possible
explanations for the glorius minoan civilizations coming to an end have been
postulated, but the most likely one points to the island of Santorini and its
volcano. While the city was in its prime, the very volcano that brought about
its eventual demise provided a natural water heating system for the minoans
that was in probability the first city-wide hot water system in the world. The
city also features exceptionally well preserved frescoes, homes up to three
stories high, and a complex planned settlement.
Tikal, Guatemala
Once the capital of the
Mayan Kingdom, Tikal was occupied from the 2nd to the 9th century AD. Thanks to
the almost perfect preservation of the city the details of the culture that
once flourished here are very well known, and very little is left undiscovered,
and this offers an opportunity to the interested tourist to get a true picture
of life in those times. Tikal was eventually abandoned because it was unable to
sustain a growing population. Abandonment occurred over a number of years and
the city was left for the jungles to grow over. Yet rumours of a lost city
persisted and the city was found in 1848. Tikal is the largest surviving
archaeological site in the New World and features 70m high pyramids, palaces,
and even a playing arena for the Mayan ball game.
Timgad, Algeria
Timgad was founded by
emperor Trajan in the middle of the desert and yet it become a large vibrant
trading city, and survived many ups and downs. It even went through a period
where it was known as a center of Christianity after it was ransacked in the 2nd
century and had to reinvent itself. It could not survive the 7th century
sacking by the Vandals though - an event which led to its eventual abandonment.
The desert sands then buried the city until 1881, when it was rediscovered. The
rediscovered ruins offer a brilliant glimpse into Roman administrated cities in
Africa. The magnificent Arch of Trajan still forms the gateway to the city,
with other attractions including the baths and the temple of Jupiter that
rivals the Roman Pantheon in size. An inscription in the forum reads : “To
hunt, bathe, play games and laugh. This is life!”
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu is the
quintessential lost city. This old Inca city, set picturesquely on the top of a
mountain, was only inhabited for a short period of time, before the Spanish
raids brought an abrupt end to the civilization. The raids never found the city
though, and the locals never revealed its location, and the abandoned city had
to wait till the 20th century to be discovered again, and it is not yet certain
whether Machu Pichu was used as a retreat, a full fledged city, or simply a
sanctuary of some sort. The city is easy to reach in modern times, although
this has brought a large influx of tourists and has prompted some to wonder
whether such large numbers are sustainable.
Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan
The Indus Valley
civilization is one of the worlds most ancient civilizations, reaching its peak
at approximately 2000 BC. It was also one of the most advanced civilizations
for its time, achieving advances in science, language and culture. The advanced
nature of this civilization can be seen at Mohenjo-daro with its ordered
streets and drainage system.The lack of a temple or palace at the site has led
some to consider it an egalitarian civilization, but there is no confirming
evidence for this claim. The Indus and its floods destroyed the city multiple
times with new settlements consequently built in their The city was finally
abandoned for unknown reasons around 1800 BC and re-discovered only in 1922.
Petra, Jordan
While Petra may not be
lost, it was certainly abandoned. The desert city flourished until an
earthquake destroyed the vital water system that sustained its population,
which preferred to simply move to nearby settlements that had access to
essential resources. From then on the site was left to the desert, attracting
only the most curious of travelers and grave robbers. Currently it is a world
heritage site and one of the greatest middle eastern archaeological sites. The
city is partly built from ground up, and partly carved into the red rock that
populates the region. The architecture features are a fusion of Roman, Greek
and native Nabataean.
Troy, Turkey
Troy was thought for a
long time to be a myth until in 1871 Heinrich Schliemann found huge defensive
walls at the location of the ancient city of Ilium, as well as golden jewelry
postulated to be the jewels of Helen. Modern excavations of the site have
revealed the city to be large – large enough to be the basis of the ancient
legend. The city was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times, and there is a
debate as to which of these layers might relate to the city besieged by the
Greeks. Interestingly, the mighty walls of the city would have been more than a
match for the weaponry available at that time, and this probably further
validates the legend of the Trojan Horse.
Pompeii, Italy
When Mount Vesuvius
erupted in 79 AD, it buried with it the ancient city of pompeii. The ash, which
destroyed so many lives, yet perfectly preserved the architecture of Pompeii.
Pompeii still shows marks of a living city, not just a lost one - political slogans
are daubed on walls; “Vote for Lucius Popidius Sabinus!” There is also less
politically correct graffiti on toilet walls. A mural shows a riot that
occurred around the cities amphitheater. The city has much to offer
archaeologists and tourists alike. Also, for whatever reason, the authorities
decided not to remove a lot of the dead bodies in the city and you can still
see them today, throughout the ruins as ghostly plaster casts left hollow in
the ash.
Xanadu, Mongolia
Xanadu, in Inner
Mongolia, described in the famous Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, was the summer
capital of Kubla Khan's Yuan Dynasty in China. The city is 2 km wide, and 1.4
km long and the palace alone, where Kublai Khan stayed in summer, has sides of
roughly 550m, covering an area of around 40% the size of the Forbidden City in
Beijing. The most visible modern-day remnants are the earthen walls. At its
zenith, over 100,000 people lived within its walls.
But in 1369 Xanadu was
occupied by the Ming army and put to the torch. The last reigning Khan, Toghun
Temür, fled the city. Today, only ruins remain, surrounded by a grassy mound
that was once the city walls, but since 2002, restoration effort has been
undertaken, and Xanadu has been officially declared a UN World Heritage Site.
