According to the philosopher and sociologist Adam Ferguson, civilization can be called the stage community development, characterized by the presence of social classes, writing, cities, the development of crafts and agriculture, and - most importantly - the rationalization of thinking.
Based on this definition, let's try to find out which of the most ancient civilizations of our planet are known to historians, as well as find out how they were formed, what they achieved and how they became part of history. ancient world. The site also contains an article about the most mysterious civilizations in history.
The oldest civilization
Sumerians
Origin period: between IV and III millennium BC 
The data available to historians indicate that it was the Sumerian civilization that preceded the others. The Sumerians came to the fertile lands between the Tigris and Euphrates, also known as Mesopotamia, at the end of the 4th millennium BC, driving the Proto-Sumerian tribes from their homes. The Sumerian civilization had a pronounced agricultural character, supported by an extensive irrigation system, on which the life of the first city-states of Mesopotamia (Kish, Uruk, Sippar, etc.) depended. Irrigation channels contributed to the timely transportation of water to the sown fields, drainage channels, dams and dams helped to avoid flooding crops during the rapid flood of the Euphrates.
The Sumerians are considered the founders of cuneiform writing, the earliest form of writing known to science. The oldest monument of Sumerian writing is a tablet from the city of Kish, dating approximately to 3500 BC. The system of symbols depicted on it is a transitional link from pictographic proto-writing to cuneiform.
With the development of writing, the formation of the foundations of civilization began: an urban revolution took place, the Sumerians sent settlers to create colonies in the remote lands of Mesopotamia, architecture was improved, monumental temples were erected with adjacent farms, and social inequality was aggravated. According to the results of archaeological research, the Sumerians had knowledge of the mining and smelting of copper, and were also familiar with the wheel.
Each Sumerian city was an independent state - "nome" - with a leader and patron god. In such a city, the prototype of the ancient Greek policies, up to 50-60 thousand people could live. However, there was still a peculiar center - this is the nome of Nippur, in which the sanctuary of Enlil, the main deity of the Sumerian pantheon, one of the most ancient religions of the world, was located.
As for the social structure of the Sumerians, the inhabitants of each nome could belong to one of four strata: nobility (temple priests, elders), artisans-merchants, communal farmers and warriors. There were also slaves - debtors who put themselves at the complete disposal of the creditor, and prisoners of war, who were at the very bottom of the hierarchy.
To date history mysterious civilization the Sumerians acquired a huge amount of speculation, but it is known for certain that this people had knowledge of heliocentric system world, knew about the circle of the zodiac, owned the sexagesimal number system (its echoes have come down to us in the clock face and the division of the year into seasons and months) and kept a historical chronicle.
Secrets of the first civilizations - the Sumerians
In the XXIV century BC. Sumerian civilization was conquered and absorbed Babylonian kingdom.
Ancient civilizations: secrets and hypotheses
Atlantis
About Atlantis, the civilization mentioned in Plato's "dialogues", we only know that it existed about 9 thousand years ago, was located on the islands near the Strait of Gibraltar and went to the bottom of the ocean due to a powerful earthquake. Most modern scientists agree that Atlantis is nothing more than an invention of the ancient Greek philosopher, but many researchers still do not give up hope of finding confirmation of its existence.
Lemuria (Mu)
In the epic of the inhabitants of Tibet, India and Polynesia, one can find references to an ancient civilization called Lemuria. According to legend, about 80 thousand years ago, the waters of the Indian Ocean washed the mainland, inhabited by snake-headed proto-humans.
In the middle of the 19th century, scientists suggested that the island of Madagascar could be part of a sunken continent. More recent studies have shown that about 60 million years ago Madagascar was part of the Hindustan Peninsula - perhaps there is no mystery, and the notorious Lemuria is part of the Hindustan plate, previously separated from the Asian continent.
hyperborea
Another mysterious northern mainland, whose inhabitants are credited with the creation of the most ancient Slavic civilization. An indication of Hyperborea is very common in ancient Greek mythology, but still, the vast majority of researchers are inclined to the pseudo-historical nature of this location.
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How did human mentality and psychology lead to these huge changes? It continues to be a popular topic among historians and anthropologists, and a serious discussion to this day. Let's highlight some of the oldest civilizations that have ever existed in the world.
Of course, we will talk about civilizations that, as we know, really exist, in contrast to those that are shrouded in myths and conjectures (civilizations of Atlantis, Lemuria and Rama ...).
To properly represent the oldest of civilizations in chronological order, there is a need to look at the very cradle of civilization. Having said that, here is a list of the ten oldest civilizations that have ever existed in the world:
Inca civilization
Period: 1438 AD - 1532 AD
Starting place: current Peru
Current location:
Ecuador, Peru and Chile
The Incas were the largest empire in South America during the pre-Columbian era. This civilization flourished in the areas of what is now Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, and had its administrative, military, and political center located in Cuzco, which is in present-day Peru. The Incas had their societies fairly well developed and the empire was prosperous from the start.
The Incas were devout followers of the Sun God Inti. They had a king who was called "sapa inca" which means "child of the sun". Pachacuti, the first Inca emperor, transformed it from a modest village into great city laid out in the shape of a cougar. He expanded the tradition of ancestor worship.
When the ruler died, his son took over the rule of the people, but all his wealth would be distributed to his other relatives, who in return supported his political influence. This significantly led to a sudden increase in the power of the Incas. The Incas continued to become great builders, they continued to build fortresses and places like Machu Picchu and the city of Cusco, which are still preserved on our planet.
Aztec civilization
Period: 1345 AD - 1521 AD
Source location:
South-central region of pre-Columbian Mexico
Current location:
Mexican
The Aztecs came to the "scene" can be said at a time when the Incas acted as powerful rivals in South America. Around the 1200s and early 1300s, people in what is now Mexico lived in their three major rival cities - Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. Around 1325, these rivals formed an alliance, and thus the new state was brought under the authority of the Valley of Mexico. By the way, then people preferred the name Mexica, not the Aztecs. The emergence of the Aztecs took place during the century of the fall of another influential civilization in Mexico and Central America - the Maya.
The city of Tenochtitlan was military force who led the conquest of new territory. But the Aztec emperor did not rule over every city, but had the subordination of the entire people. Local governments remained in place, but were forced to pay various sums in favor of the Triple Alliance.
In the early 1500s, the Aztec civilization was indeed at the height of its power. But then the Spaniards arrived with plans to expand their lands. This eventually led to a huge battle between the Incas and an alliance of Spanish conquistadors and local allies that they gathered led by the famous Hernán Cortés in 1521. Defeat in this decisive battle eventually led to the fall of the once famous Aztec empire.
Roman civilization
Period:
Place of origin:
Latini village
Current location:
Rome
Roman civilization entered the "picture of the world" around the 6th century BC. Even the story behind ancient Rome is a legend, full of myths. But at the height of their power, the Romans controlled the largest piece of land in that era - the entire current district that surrounds the modern Mediterranean Sea was part of ancient Rome.
Early Rome was ruled by kings, but after only seven of them ruled, the Romans took over their own city and ruled themselves. They then had a council known as the "senate" that ruled over them. From this point on, we can already talk about the "Roman Republic".
Rome also saw the rise and fall of some of greatest emperors in human civilization such as Julius Caesar, Trajan and Augustus. But over time, the empire of Rome became so vast that it was simply impossible to bring it to uniform rules. But in the end, the Roman Empire was invaded by millions of barbarians from the north and east of Europe.
Persian civilization
Period: 550 BC - 465 BC
Place of origin:
Egypt in the west to Turkey in the north and through Mesopotamia to the Indus River in the east.
Current location:
Modern day Iran
There was a time when the ancient Persian civilization was, in fact, the most powerful empire in the world. Although having ruled for only a little over 200 years, the Persians took over land that covered over 2 million square miles. From the southern parts of Egypt to parts of Greece, and then east to parts of India, the Persian Empire was known for its military strength and wise rulers. They created such a vast empire only after 200 years (before 550 BC), the Persian Empire (or Persis as it was called then) used to be divided into factions among a number of some leaders.
But then King Cyrus II, who later became known as Cyrus the Great, came to power and united the entire Persian kingdom. He then went on to conquer ancient Babylon. In fact, his conquest was so swift that by the end of 533 B.C. he has already invaded India, far to the east. And even when Cyrus passed away, his bloodline continued its merciless expansion and even fought in legendary battle with the brave Spartans.
In my time ancient persia ruled all of Central Asia, most of Europe and Egypt. But everything changed when the legendary Macedonian soldier, great Alexander, brought the entire Persian Empire to its knees and effectively "finished" civilization in 530 BC.
ancient greek civilization
Period: 2700 BC - 1500 BC
Source location:
Italy, Sicily, North Africa and as far west as France
Current location:
Greece
The ancient Greeks may not have been the oldest civilization, but they are undoubtedly one of the most influential civilizations that have ever existed in the world. Although the rise of ancient Greece originated from the Cycladic and Minoan civilization (2700 BC - 1500 BC), there is evidence of burials discovered in the Franchti Cave in Argolis, Greece, which dates back to 7250 BC.
The history of this civilization is scattered over such a huge period of time that historians had to divide it into different periods, the most popular of which were the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods.
These periods also saw many of the ancient Greeks come into the limelight - many of them forever changing the direction of the entire world. Many of them still talk about it to this day. The Greeks created the ancient Olympic Games, the concept of democracy and the senate. They created the foundation for modern geometry, biology, physics and whatnot. Pythagoras, Archimedes, Socrates, Euclid, Plato, Aristotle, Alexander the Great... the history books are full of such names whose inventions, theories, beliefs and heroism had a significant impact on subsequent civilizations.
Chinese civilization
Period: 1600 BC E. - 1046 BC
Source location:
Yellow River and the Yangtze region.
Current location:
Country China
Ancient China - also known as Han China is undoubtedly one of the most varied stories about this civilization. The Yellow River civilization is said to be the cradle of all Chinese civilization, as it was here that the earliest dynasties were founded. It was around 2700 BC that the legendary Yellow Emperor began his reign at a time that would later lead to the birth of many dynasties that would continue to rule the Chinese mainland.
In 2070 B.C. the Xia dynasty became the first power of all China, as described in the ancient historical chronicles. Since then, many dynasties emerged and held control of China at various times until the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1912 with the Xinhai Revolution. And thus ended more than four thousand years of the history of ancient Chinese civilization, which also fascinates historians and ordinary people to this day. But that wouldn't have happened before they gave the world some of the most useful inventions and products such as gunpowder, paper, printing, compass, alcohol, cannons and many others.
Mayan civilization
Period: 2600 BC - 900 AD
Place of origin:
Around the present day Yucatan
Current location:
Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas in Mexico and south through Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras
The ancient Mayan civilization flourished in Central America from about 2600 BC and was much talked about in Lately because of the timing of the creation of their famous calendar.
After the civilization was established, it continued to flourish and become one of the most complex civilizations with a rapidly growing population of 19 million people. By 700 B.C. The Maya had already developed their own way of writing, which they used to create their own solar calendars carved in stone. According to them, the world was created on August 11, 3114 BC, this is the date from which their calendar is counted. And the supposed end was December 21, 2012.
The ancient Maya were culturally richer than many modern civilizations. The Maya and Aztecs built pyramids, many of which are larger than those in Egypt. But their sudden decline and abrupt end has long been one of the most intriguing mysteries. ancient history Why does the Maya, an amazingly sophisticated civilization of over 19 million people, suddenly collapse sometime in the 8th or 9th century? Although the Maya people never completely disappeared, their descendants still live throughout Central America.
ancient egyptian civilization
Period:
3100-2686
Place of origin:
bank of the river Nile
Current location:
Egypt
Ancient Egypt is one of the oldest and culturally rich civilizations on this list. The ancient Egyptians are known for their amazing culture, the ever-standing pyramids, the sphinx, the pharaohs and the once majestic civilization that lay along the banks of the Nile River. The civilization unified around 3150 BC (according to traditional Egyptian chronology) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh. But this would not have been possible had it not been for the arrival of early settlers around the Nile Valley in early 3500 BC.
Story ancient egypt took place in a series of stable kingdoms separated by periods of relative instability known as the intervening periods: the early Old Kingdom bronze age, the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age.
Ancient Egypt gave the world pyramids, mummies that preserve the ancient pharaohs to this day, the first of the solar calendars, hieroglyphs and much more.
Ancient Egypt reached its pinnacle to the New Kingdom, where pharaohs like Ramesses the Great held such power that another modern civilization, the Nubians, also came under Egyptian rule.
Indus Valley Civilization
Period: 2600 BC -1900 BC
Place of origin:
Around the Indus river basins
Current location:
Northeastern Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwestern India
One of the oldest civilizations on this list is the Indus Valley Civilization. It lies in the very cradle of civilization that originated in the Indus Valley region. This civilization flourished in areas extending from what is today northeastern Afghanistan in Pakistan and northwestern India.
Along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of the three early civilizations of the Old World, and of the three most widespread - its area is 1.25 million km2! Entire populations of people were settled around the basins of the Indus River, one of the main rivers in Asia, and another river called the Ghaggar-Hakra, which once coursed through northeastern India and eastern Pakistan.
Also known as the Harappan civilization and the Mohenjo-Daro civilization, named after the excavations where the remains of the civilization were found, the peak phase of this civilization is said to have lasted from 2600 BC until about 1900 BC.
A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture is evident in the Indus Valley Civilization, making them the first urban centers in the region. The people of the Indus civilization achieved high precision in measuring length, mass and time. And based on the artifacts found in the excavations, it is clear that the culture was quite rich in arts and crafts.
Mesopotamian civilization
Period: 3500 BC -500 BC
Place of origin:
northeast, Zagros Mountains, southeast of Arabian Plateau
Current location:
Iran, Syria and Turkey
And now - the first civilization that ever arose on planet Earth after the evolution of people. The origin of Mesopotamia dates back to the past, and there are no known evidence any other civilized society before it. The time scale of ancient Mesopotamia is usually around 3300 BC. - 750 BC Mesopotamia is generally credited with being the first place where civilized societies really began to take shape.
Somewhere around 8000 B.C. people found concept Agriculture and slowly began to domesticate animals both for food purposes and to assist in agriculture. Previously, all this created art. But all this was part of human culture, not human civilization. And then the Mesopotamians rose up, refined, added and formalized all these systems, combining them to form the first civilization. They flourished in the regions of present-day Iraq - they were then known as Babylonia, Sumer and Assyria.
Disputes of historians about which civilizations arose first, where they appeared, what name they had, probably will never stop. These questions have occupied the minds of scientists for many years. There are also discussions about which of the first civilizations to consider the most ancient on Earth.
Rating of the first civilizations
At the moment, historians have data that make it possible to compile a list of those civilizations that appeared among the first. Here are the first five.
Australian aborigines
Many scientists are supporters of the fact that on the Australian mainland the civilization of the aborigines appeared among the first. Their way of life left an imprint on their way of life, cultural traditions and customs. For a long time, their culture was considered primitive, but it turned out to be rich enough, only too mysterious for us.
Atlantis
This civilization was mentioned by Plato. She existed near the Strait of Gibraltar and sank due to a powerful earthquake. Many scientists doubt its existence.
Lemuria
There is also such a point of view that on a huge and mysterious continent that existed more than 80 thousand years ago, an early civilization called Lemuria lived. She died due to a powerful earthquake. Some scholars believe that one of the achievements of this civilization was the construction of buildings made of stone.
Ancient Slavs
There is no exact data on the existence of this civilization, which was called Hyperborea. After changing the axis of rotation of our planet, the climate began to change, which led to the resettlement of the Slavs to other lands. Settlement and redistribution provided the basis for the formation of new civilizations. Slavic civilization reached its heyday in the 7th-9th centuries.
Sumerians
Most scientists single out the Sumerian among the early civilizations, believing that it is the most ancient.
Civilization from nowhere
The Sumerians are the most ancient civilization in the world, according to most scientists. The time of its appearance is approximately the end of the fourth millennium BC.
The most mysterious thing is that almost no one can explain where it came from. It is believed that the Sumerians belong to an ancient Semitic tribe that once lived on our planet.
But these are just assumptions, no evidence of this exists so far. In the course of research, no links were found between the Sumerians and the Semitic tribes. These were two completely different civilizations, although both were ancient.
Until now, it has not become known to which race the Sumerians belonged. All events that are to some extent connected with this civilization are shrouded in mystery. They remain a mystery to scientists.
Secrets of the Sumerian Civilization
The most ancient civilization left behind many mysteries and unsolved mysteries. It is they who make archaeologists all over the world still engage in excavations and research in order to at least slightly open the veil of this mystery.
Most scholars associate with the Sumerians:
- writing;
- the first skills in metal processing;
- the invention of the wheel;
- appearance of the potter's wheel.
After themselves, the Sumerians left many manuscripts, deciphering which, scientists never cease to be amazed. It turns out that this civilization even knew what our science reached only relatively recently.
- The Sumerians used the ternary number system. It is used in modern computers.
- The Sumerians were familiar with the principle of the golden ratio.
- They had deep knowledge in the field of chemistry, astronomy, physics and other sciences.
- The Sumerians were among the first to learn how to make soap.
- First time they made beer.
- According to archaeological finds, it was the Sumerians who first learned how to make and fire bricks.
- Sumerian builders were able to build beautiful temples and palaces, which surpassed many modern buildings in their beauty.
- State structure they had on high level. They had governing bodies, a court, laws that protected citizens.
It must be taken into account that the Sumerians had all this when Ancient Greece and Rome did not exist. In terms of development, the Sumerian civilization was very close to modern society.
It was a civilization that had its own ideas about beauty. During excavations, tablets were found, which depict proverbs, poems and entire works about adventures.
Archaeologists in the habitat of the Sumerians found mines in which gold was mined. Why are they a large number of precious metal was needed in the Stone Age? A tentative answer can be obtained by looking at Sumerian mythology.
Sumerian myths
By studying the records of this ancient civilization, scientists learned that the Sumerians knew that 12 planets revolved around the sun. These are the ones that are well known at the present time and another one between Jupiter and Mars called Nabiru.
This planet had such an elongated orbit that it appeared in the solar system once every 3600 years. According to modern calculations of astronomers, it should pass near our planet between 2100 and 2158 years.
According to Sumerian records, more than 4 billion years ago there was a catastrophe so grandiose that the whole solar system, many planets have changed the tilt of their axis.
According to the Sumerians, the Anunaki descended from the mysterious planet Nabiru to our land. Incidentally, even in scripture there is a mention of "descended from heaven." They were incredibly tall - from 4 to 5 meters, with a wide face and black hair. In the images, they always have large protruding ears; in their understanding, this is a symbol of wisdom.
According to the mythology of the Sumerians, the Anunnaki created earthlings with the aim that they were engaged in gold mining. The first attempts to extract the precious metal from the waters of the Persian Gulf were unsuccessful. Then the search began to lead in the mines.
According to the explanations, a huge amount of gold was required to protect the atmosphere of Nabiru with gold dust. It is worth recalling that such technologies are currently used in space projects. Gold was transported to the planet once every 3600 years, when it came as close to the Earth as possible.
In the annals of the Sumerians, you can find a lot of interesting and mysterious information that is quite difficult to put into your head. modern man. All this is perceived as myths and inventions of an ancient civilization. I just can’t believe that this is possible at the dawn of the birth of mankind.
It is problematic to answer the question which of the civilizations is the oldest. There are many versions and theories, but one thing is for sure: the Sumerian is the most mysterious and mysterious.
Despite the fact that studies have provided a lot of information about this civilization, it still remains unknown where it came from, and even with such a wealth of knowledge. One can only be sure that long years scientists around the world will be provided with the work to find answers to this question. And in the future we have to digest a lot of new information. Let's hope that it will be even more interesting and informative.
According to scientists, civilization is a stage of the social system, characterized by the development of agriculture and crafts, the existence of cities, social classes, writing, as well as the progressive and rational thinking of the population. The history of mankind is calculated in millennia, and during this period of time, more than one highly developed and powerful civilization was born and died. What were the most ancient civilizations on Earth, how did they develop, what did they achieve and how did they influence modern world can be found in this article.
Sumer
Sumerian civilization arose at the turn of 4 - 3 thousand BC. e. in the territory between the Middle Eastern rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians built several fortified cities, whose economy was based on the cultivation of fertile land, irrigated by a network of irrigation canals.
Each Sumerian city was separate independent state, with its ruler and patron deity. They could accommodate 50-60 thousand people. A kind of capital was the city of Nippur, in which the sanctuary of Enlil, the main god of the Sumerian religion, was located.
Already in those distant times, the Sumerians:
- built high stone walls and monumental buildings;
- mined and used copper;
- were familiar with the wheel and used it;
- possessed progressive knowledge in the field of astronomy;
- kept a historical record.
But their main achievement is the invention of cuneiform writing - the most early form writing, the oldest example of which is a clay tablet, tentatively dated to 3.5 thousand BC. e. And, although the Sumerian civilization ceased to exist in the 24th century BC, conquered by the Babylonian kingdom, the memory of it was preserved in the well-known and still circle of the zodiac, as well as the division of the day into hours, minutes and seconds, and the year into seasons and months.
Ancient Egypt is the name of the historical region and cultural ancient civilization that stretched along the banks of the Nile in its lower part. Its history spans 40 centuries. The development of civilization was ensured by the annual floods of the river, leaving fertile silt on the soil, and a system of irrigation canals. They made it possible to grow grain crops in abundance on these lands, which made it possible to provide food not only for their own population, but also to establish trade with the Mediterranean countries.
In addition to agriculture, Egypt was famous for its advanced building technologies at that time. They made it possible to organize the collective construction of huge structures that have survived the centuries and have become symbols of modern Egypt:
- pyramids and the Sphinx;
- temple and palace complexes with monumental statues and colorful wall paintings.
Among other achievements of the ancient Egyptians, the original writing system, achievements in mathematics, astronomy and practical medicine. The peculiar and mysterious culture of Egypt attracted peoples in antiquity, and it is still popular today.
The Indian or Harappan civilization existed on Earth in the 33rd-13th century BC. It developed in the Indus River Valley and was distinguished by the largest area of all then existing civilizations with a population of approximately 5 million people.
Soil fertility, plant diversity and natural moisture of the area contributed to the development of the main occupation of the Harrapans - agriculture. They lived in fortified cities, which were distinguished by the correct layout, the presence of running water and sewerage.
Already at that time the ancient Indians:
- used copper and bronze tools and weapons;
- they knew how to make persistent mineral and vegetable dyes, aromatic substances and poisons;
- made glass and artificial gems.
The most important achievements of the Harrapan civilization are the invention of one of the most convenient and widespread number systems - decimal and the beginning of the recording of the Vedas - the oldest known collection of sacred texts.
Chinese civilization has a long and interesting story, and its peculiarity is that it developed separately from other centers of ancient civilizations. The territory of this country has always been densely populated, there were many successive warring kingdoms on it.
But the history of the most powerful Chinese state began in the 3rd century BC. e., when the ruler of the kingdom of Qin united the 7 strongest kingdoms into a single empire and carried out fundamental reforms that affected all spheres of society. This time was marked by the development of agriculture and crafts, the creation of great philosophical, romantic, historical and religious works.
In subsequent centuries, China was still ruled by many more, both local and alien dynasties, and periods of empire power were repeatedly replaced by periods of decline. However, the country has always come out of every crisis with dignity, having managed to preserve its national identity and increase its cultural wealth.
Ancient China, like no other ancient civilization, gave the world many technologies and inventions that we still use today:
- silk;
- porcelain;
- paper;
- powder;
- typography,
as well as dozens of other equally important inventions, without which the modern world would not be what it is now.
This ancient country occupied a narrow strip of land on east coast Mediterranean Sea, delimited from the rest of the land by the Lebanese mountains. The very first settlements on it arose about 3 thousand years BC. e.
A few centuries later, cities flaunted in their place - Ugarid and Arvad in the northern part, Tire and Sidon in the south, Byblos - in the center. They got stronger powerful walls and were built up with 2-storey adobe or brick houses. Local residents were engaged in the following:
- kept sheep and cows;
- grew grapes, olives and dates;
- traded in olive oil, wine and wood of the famous Lebanese cedars, cypresses and oaks;
- they made purple dye and dyed fabrics with it, which were popular with the nobility of all neighboring states.
The Phoenicians gave the world the alphabet, which became the ancestor of many modern alphabetic, as well as some other writing systems.
Modern humanity owes a lot to this ancient civilization, located in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and on the islands of the Aegean Sea. Little Ancient Greece in its heyday stood out even among the powerful powers of its time - Egypt, Babylonia and Persia - and, above all, not with its conquests, but with its cultural influence on its contemporaries.
It was here that the fundamental concepts of philosophy, politics, social order, medicine, sports, literature, art and education were born in the sense in which they are commonly understood today. Any sphere of modern arts (theater, architecture, painting, music, literature) or science, one way or another, has experienced the influence of this enlightened state.
Ancient Greece in the view of modern man is inextricably linked with:
- majestic marble temples and statues;
- fascinating mythology;
- theater;
- original frescoes and ceramics;
- Olympic Games.
All this makes Ancient Greece one of the most interesting and attractive ancient civilizations that ever existed on Earth. The progenitor of the arts and sciences, she still attracts the attention of those who are passionate about the history of mankind.
The list of the world's most ancient civilizations would not be complete without the majestic ancient Rome. This is one of the largest empires in the history of the world, reaching the peak of its power in the 2nd century AD. e. and left a memorable mark in all the lands where her victorious legions could visit. These are stone fortifications and roads, aqueducts and bridges thrown over local rivers. The construction of all these structures became possible after the invention by the Romans of concrete and the arch as the main architectural detail.
There is something to see and the eternal city. These are famous:
- the Colosseum and circuses where gladiator fights took place;
- Roman Forum, once the center public life cities;
- The Pantheon, distinguished by the largest dome that ancient buildings had;
- Palatine - the most famous and largest hill of Rome, where its history began;
- the huge baths of Caracalla and Diocletian and much more.
Heritage ancient rome well known - this is Roman law and Latin language, as well as Christianity, which originated on the territory of the Roman Empire.
This is the oldest civilization that arose on the South American continent. The beginning of its formation falls on the 20th century BC. e., but it reached its greatest development in the classical period, which lasted from the 3rd to the 10th century AD. e. The heyday of the Mayan culture did not last long - by the time the Spanish conquerors arrived, it was in complete decline.
On the territory of the Maya empire there were about 1 thousand populous cities with luxurious stone palaces, wide squares, huge stepped temples-pyramids. The cities were connected by a network of well-maintained paved roads with road stations and inns, some of which have survived to this day.
The most famous Mayan cities:
- Chichen Itza;
- Palenque;
- Tikal;
- Uxmal;
- Copan;
- Quirigua.
The ancient Mayans were excellent mathematicians and astronomers, as evidenced by the creation of the famous solar calendar. But the main gift that this ancient Indian civilization and those that followed it presented to the world was plants used by the local population for food (corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, pumpkins, capsicum and vegetable peppers), as well as tobacco.
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