Ancient Lost Civilizations

The idea of Ancient Lost Civilizations has been blown hugely out of proportion by the battle between alternative theories and mainstream models preferred by the majority of scientists. It has gotten to the point where the most extreme interpretations define the whole opinion of “alternative theories” and “mainstream models” when in reality, there is a large range of interpretation within both of those general classifications.

The fact is that there are many, many Ancient Lost Civilizations. We are literally finding them all of the time. To say that we don’t have any example of advanced civilizations in the seven thousand years of late Prehistory (which we can also specify as what we call the Neolithic) simply isn’t true. Gobekli Tepe is the perfect example — most famous, but not the only by far — of a Lost Civilization.

Gobekli Tepe represents a level of technology that is well beyond what we assumed humans were capable of at the time. It truly is an exceptional site. Since we must imagine it as it would have looked then, when it was busy, functioning, maintained, and flourishing.

As a general rule we appear to have a tendency to underestimate just how illustrious a structure, site, or city was from the ruins that we discover. Like we did with dinosaurs. We find the bones, and then just wrap them with skin in our sketches — forgetting completely about the muscle. Our early sketches were almost certainly freakish compared to what the original looked like. Our interpretations are probably much better now.

I believe that we have a tendency to do the same in our understanding of ancient sites. Even for glorious discoveries like the Minoan Palaces, Egyptian Royal Residences, and the Palaces and Temples of Sumer, it is hard to imagine just how exquisite they were.

The issue here — and the real contention between mainstream and alternative models of the human story — is that these lost civilizations are viewed in more exaggerated contexts than the mainstream view. A modest site , to the stone pillars being landing pads for Ancient Aliens. Those are the extremes, but there are middle interpretations to consider.

Graham Hancock believes that a relatively advanced, sea-faring, globally present, metal-age society can explain the evidence for a lost civilization. I think that this is an excellent example of a middle ground. We can also take steps in both directions from that middle ground.

Towards the mainstream model, we can recognize how illustrious a site like Gobekli Tepe could have been. I like to imagine the Shire from Lord of the Rings. A bustling society of thousands concentrated together, perhaps. Those pillars could have been roofed and covered with layers upon layers of animal skins. Very warm and protected from the environment.

The insides would have been clean as well. The pillars were brand-new, cleaned and replaced over the centuries. They would have been cleaned, and polished. The floors might have been covered in nice, warm, pleasant animal furs. Pots, shelves or storage areas for food, clothing, tools, weapons, hunting materials, dry boots and wet boots, sleeping materials — all the implements of life, could have had their place. There would have been people with an eye for interior decoration even then, who knew how to keep a home as well as any today.

This is lets say the extreme end of the mainstream interpretation. Let us not forget that this society would have had a strong communal life as well. Neighbours would be coming home together from the fields, either from gathering wild grain or from farming, carrying their collective harvest. They would have been chatting and giggling amiably sometimes, other times sad because Brian was just eaten by wolves, or terrified because a roaming tribe was seen on the edges of their traditional lands.

Some would have been tasked with dealing to the grain, others to fruits and vegetables, and still more to the animals from the hunt. On a regular basis a great deal of industry was taking place. All of the grains and produce were taken care of somehow. Cleaned and processed. The hides from animals were cut away and preserved, used for clothing, shelter, tools, or decoratively. This site like Gobekli Tepe were alive. This is also true for others like Catalhoyuk and Asili Hoyuk.

The question is, is there more to this story?

The Theory of a Lost Civilization and the Lost Story Interpretation

In the context of the Theory of a Lost Civilization these relatively advanced cultures can be indicative of an even more advanced civilization during the Last Ice Age, which feature as a range of possibilities in the Lost Story of Humanity. This is the first potentially contentious feature.

I believe that there is no reason to assume that Gobekli Tepe — itself one of the ancient lost civilizations come to light — was the birthplace of their culture. On the one hand, it could have been a revolution in itself. However, their people arrived there from somewhere. It is imminently possible that their people brought skills for building, technology, and living from somewhere else first.

At this age, around 10,000 BCE, there are important events taking place that are worth consideration. The Ice Age was ending. This time (more specifically 9,700 BCE or 11,700 years ago) is the end of the Younger Dryas, when the world was well on its way to warming towards its currently levels. The Persian Gulf was dry during the Last Ice Age. It could have began experiencing severe, disastrous seasonal flooding for decades, centuries really, before it flooded in earnest.

This precise situation could have forced an exodus of a civilization from the dry Persian Gulf from the last ice age, who had reached similar — or superior — levels of culture during the Last Ice Age, before they were forced to leave by flood.

All of the worlds most ancient and revered traditions speak of a Golden Age, known by various names, that existed in a distant time. It was almost entirely wiped out, with the exception of a few surviving families or tribes in most versions of the legend.

(Yet it should also be noted that there are an enormous number of extant flood myths available, so it follows that a large number of families and tribes around the world survived, and we are their descendants.)

Examining The Idea of Ancient Lost Civilizations

In the end, the idea of Ancient Lost Civilization, especially in our exploration of Prehistory over the last several decades and centuries of discoveries (such as the Sumerians and Egyptians only centuries ago) is a definite reality. We should be more humble in what we know for sure, compared to what we know.

The greatest issue is the range of interpretations of what a Lost Civilization actually is.