5 Unexplained Ancient Civilizations that Mysteriously Vanished

Sea Peoples. In the Late Bronze Age, the Mediterranean world was rocked by a series of raids from a mysterious group known as the Sea Peoples. These seafaring warriors appeared seemingly out of nowhere, launching devastating attacks on coastal towns and trade routes throughout the region. Their identity and motivations remain shrouded in mystery. Still, they played a significant role in the Bronze Age collapse that brought down some of the greatest empires of the time, including the Hittite, Mycenaean, and Metani Kingdoms. Few contemporary sources of information concern the Sea People, and those that exist are not easily interpreted. Ancient tablets, found primarily in Egypt, allude to various naval battles but make few specific mentions of the Sea People, even though they are believed to have classed with three great pharaohs, including Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great. One translated inscription from the era of Ramses II warns, quote, Even more mysterious than the lack of evidence for the Sea People is that they have suddenly vanished, just like the civilizations they may have conquered. After 1178 BC, no more inscriptions or records of the Sea People were made. Still, several theories have sought to explain their origins and sudden disappearance. Some of these theories have suggested that the Sea People may have been displaced Trojans or a collection of numerous tribes of naval raiders from Central Europe. It remains unknown whether they ultimately assimilated into land-dwelling societies, were eliminated by a rival civilization, or, as the records seem to suggest, vanished from the face of the Earth. Vikings first sailed to Greenland around 1000 AD. Ill-equipped, they had no way of knowing what awaited them. After 15 days of rowing, 14 of their 25 ships finally arrived at the shores of Greenland, which they found to be prosperous, with plenty of animals that could be used for their meat, fat, and ivory. The Vikings controlled Greenland for centuries, establishing two main colonies, each comprised of thousands of individuals. However, history shows these colonies abruptly vanished around the early to mid-15th century. Initial attempts to explain the demise of the Greenland Vikings claim that the stubbornness of the Viking culture caused its members to cling to their agricultural methods, which weren't well-suited for use in Greenland's cold, rocky landscape. Conversely, more recent evidence has suggested that the Vikings did, in fact, adapt to the new climate and surroundings, and that their mysterious demise is more likely to be the result of political shifts. The last evidence of the Greenland Vikings is in inscriptions, as well as three letters dating from the early 1400s, which refer to a newlywed Viking couple who had sought shelter on Greenland after being blown off course from their Norway to Iceland voyage. Strangely, these letters make no mention of impending doom or catastrophe for the Greenland Vikings, suggesting that their fall came as a surprise. 400 years later, Europeans returned to Greenland, finding the ruins of Viking settlements, but no trace of the people. Recent studies have radiocarbon-dated mud from the bed of a lake that was once contained within one of the Greenland Viking settlements, finding that during the Viking occupation of Greenland, the climate became progressively drier, making farming and the Norse ways of life less practical. While it's generally accepted now that droughts may have played a part in the disappearance of the Vikings, skeptics have suggested that the ever-resourceful Vikings could have found a way to farm with the water available to them, as modern farmers do. Others claim that we may never understand the whole truth behind the disappearance of the Greenland Vikings. Kingdom of Aksum Deep in the rugged terrain of northern Ethiopia lies the ancient kingdom of Aksum. This civilization once ruled over a vast expanse of land spanning modern-day Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan from the 1st to 10th century AD. While much about the rise and fall of this great empire remains shrouded in mystery, what is clear is that it was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations of its time. The Aksumites were a people of great ingenuity and resourcefulness, building a thriving economy and society that was the envy of their neighbors. One theory about how they managed to grow so quickly is that they were expert traders, using the strategic location of their kingdom to facilitate trade between Europe, Africa, and Asia. They had access to valuable resources like gold and ivory, which they traded for goods like iron, steel, weapons, and spices. Using the wealth they garnered from trade, they hired the best ships, weapons, and warriors, which they used to conquer neighboring kingdoms and expand their territory. They were also expert builders, constructing impressive structures like the towering obelisks that still stand in Aksum today. Climate change may have also played a part in the rise of the Aksumites. Geological records have found that a climactic shift occurred in the 1st century AD, a formative period for the kingdom. This shift doubled the length of the growing season, enabling two crops to be grown each year rather than just one, providing the fledgling empire with a glut of food. But despite their great successes, the Aksumites were not invincible. Over time, their kingdom began to weaken. By 960 CE, Aksum's royal family was overthrown by a legendary warrior queen named Gutit. One theory about why this happened is that a prolonged drought reversed the conditions that allowed the kingdom to proliferate, leading to crop failure, famine, and weakening their population. This made them vulnerable to invasion and conquest. Another theory is that the Aksumites were undone by a mysterious plague or disease that wiped out much of their population, perhaps the same bubonic plague ravaging Europe at the time. Today, the impressive ruins and artifacts that still stand in Aksum serve as a testament to the remarkable achievements of this once great empire, leaving us to wonder what might have been if they had managed to survive and thrive for even longer. Çatalhöyük. In the heart of modern-day Turkey lies one of the world's most remarkable and mysterious archaeological sites. Dating back more than 9,500 years, Çatalhöyük was a sprawling settlement of thousands of people, characterized by its distinctive architecture, intricate art, and rich cultural traditions. At the height of its power, Çatalhöyük was a thriving metropolis with densely packed mud houses adorned with livestock skulls and advanced wall paintings. Narrow streets and a complex network of tunnels and passageways connected dwellings. Çatalhöyük is believed to have once been home to 8,000 individuals inhabiting an area that spans 34 acres. Due to the age of Çatalhöyük, little is known of its inhabitants other than that which can be gleaned from the artifacts they left behind. It was not until 1961 that archaeologists began the first major dig at the site. The dig was led by the British archaeologist James Mallart, who, according to the current excavation director, "...chose his excavation area based on where wall paintings were just sticking up from the ground." The digs recovered tens of thousands of artifacts and continue to do so. These collections include unprecedented objects, such as human skulls adorned with plaster and ochre. Despite what little we know of the people who call Çatalhöyük home, evidence of advanced economic, cultural, and societal practices has been found. All homes appear equal, with no clear seat of power, suggesting a fair and inclusive governmental system. Further supporting this utopian hypothesis is that a similar number of belongings appear to have been kept in each home, suggesting an equality of wealth. A downside to this form of society is that those who do not adhere to the norms are typically shunned or exiled. The numerous fractured skulls found at the site suggest that those who failed to fit in were pelted with projectiles, likely rocks, but not to a fatal extent. Despite their many achievements, the people of Çatalhöyük eventually disappeared, leaving a legacy shrouded in mystery. One theory about their disappearance is that environmental factors, such as drought or climate change, drove them out. Another theory suggests that the people of Çatalhöyük may have moved on due to changing economic or societal conditions. As new civilizations emerged in the region, the people of Çatalhöyük may have migrated elsewhere, abandoning their original homes as burial sites and leaving behind a once-great city that slowly crumbled into ruin. Easter Island, Rapa Nui Easter Island is best known for its massive stone statues, but few know about the creators of these monumental sentinels and their mysterious demise. The Rapa Nui people arrived on the island around 1200 AD and quickly began establishing their society. These early arrivals were met with lush forestry and a rich and varied ecosystem. They were resourceful, developing advanced agricultural techniques that allowed them to thrive in the island's harsh, isolated environment. The Moai are perhaps the most striking and enigmatic feature of Rapa Nui culture. These massive stone sculptures, weighing up to 75 tons each, were carved from the island's volcanic rock and placed on platforms throughout the island. The largest of these statues stands over 30 feet tall. Their intricate details and stylized features suggest they were essential to Rapa Nui's religious and cultural practices. Today, the statues are all that remains of the Rapa Nui, and they may be the most important clue about the civilization's collapse. As the centuries passed, the Rapa Nui flourished and became increasingly obsessed with producing the Moai statues, building more and more until over 900 of these towering figures were on the island. However, the statues also represented a massive drain on the island's resources, requiring vast labor and energy to construct and transport. The island was progressively stripped of its forests to create farmland for the growing population, and log rollers to transport the Moai. By the 16th century, the island's ecosystem was stretched to its limits. The Rapa Nui people had deforested the island to the point where it could no longer support their way of life. Without trees to provide lumber for boats, the Rapa Nui could not leave the island or fish for food. They resorted to eating rats and eventually turned to cannibalism to survive. The collapse of Rapa Nui's society was swift and brutal. When Europeans arrived in the 18th century, they found mere remnants of the civilization which had once produced the infamous and impressive stone statues. Alternative hypotheses about the civilization's collapse have also been presented, including the suggestion that the original inhabitants of Rapa Nui may have deliberately downscaled their society to fit their environment better. Regardless, the story of this civilization, its treatment of the land, and the resulting collapse still serve as a cautionary tale today, a warning to those who would overexploit the Earth for its resources. Subscribe to the new Dark Five Ancient Mysteries for more of antiquity's greatest discoveries. We created this channel to tell more amazing stories and examine unexplained clues about our ancient past. Be sure to like and share this video so that other Dark Five fans can find this channel.