Maps of ancient civilizations in kmz. Antique world maps HQ

Signs of pregnancy after embryo implantation

Vintage cards- another inexhaustible storehouse of a beautiful spectacle.

1. To begin with - clay.

Babylonian map of the world, k. VIII-n. 7th century BC e., Clay, British Museum, London.
Late Babylonian clay tablet from Mesopotamia. Here is a map of the world known to the Babylonians. It contains both real geographical objects and mythological elements. ancient famous map peace. You can read about it on Wikipedia.

2.

Jerusalem at the Center of the World, leaf from "Itinerarium Sacrae Scipturae" by Heinrich Bunting (1545-1606). A Journey Through the Holy Scriptures, first published in 1581.
"Itinerarium Sacrae Scriptura" is a book containing woodcut maps of the Holy Land. A very popular work at the time. It has been reprinted and translated several times.

Mappa Europae in Forma Virginis. Another Heinrich Bünting map. Map of Europe in the form of Our Lady, 1582.

4.

Map in accordance with the ideas of the Greek philosopher Posidonius (139/135 - 51/50 BC). The map was made by the cartographers Petrus Bertius and Melchior Tavernier in 1628. Many details were not known from Posidonius, but the cartographers showed the ancient Greek philosopher's ideas about the location of the continents.

5.

Ptolemaic picture of the world. The map was made in 1467, a quarter of a century before the first voyage of Columbus (1492-93). Author Jacob d "Angelo based on Claudius Ptolemy. Parchment, ink, paint. Stored in the National Library of Poland bn.org.pl.

6.

The same map, only in the form of an engraving published in 1482. Engraver Johannes Schnitzer.

7.

Map of Juan de la Cosa, member of the expeditions of Columbus, 1500.
The only map that has survived to our time, compiled by a direct participant in the first expeditions of Christopher Columbus.
The map is the oldest one that absolutely undeniably represents America. A number of earlier maps are known that supposedly, but not indisputably, depict America - for example, the map of Pizzigano. Maps are also known that accurately depict America, but their dating is disputed - such as the map of Vinland. The dating of the map by Juan de la Cosa is not in dispute; it reflects the geographical discoveries of Portugal, Spain and England as of the last years of the 15th century.

8.

Planisphere Cantino, 1502, Biblioteca Estense, Modena, Italy. Click the link for a larger version.

The Cantino planisphere is one of the first maps to reflect new discoveries. Read more about Planisphere Cantino on Wikipedia - I will not retell. The Cantino planisphere predates the Kaveri map and Waldseemüller's famous map, which is called the "Certificate of the Birth of America" ​​- the first map to contain the name America.

9.

Fragment of the Cantino Planisphere: Europe and Jerusalem

10.

Cantino Planisphere Fragment: Caribbean Islands

11.

Fragments of the Cantino Planisphere: The coastline of Brazil (left) and the Persian Gulf (right)

12.

Map of Pietro Coppo, Venice, 1520. One of latest maps world, which shows the so-called "dragon tail" of Asia. This idea of ​​Asia was based on the teachings of Ptolemy, in which the Indian Ocean appeared as a closed lake. .

13.

Plan of Venice, 1565. A similar style can still be found on tourist maps.

Sea monsters on the maps.

14.
.

Carta Marina, printed 1539, fragments. By clicking on the pictures - full version maps in good resolution.

It turned out that modern surveys of the movements of water and air masses surprisingly resemble the outlines of the monsters of the ancient map. Moreover, monsters are depicted just in those places where adverse natural phenomena occur most often. Read more. Most likely, with the help of monsters, the dangers that await sailors in certain places were depicted.

15.

Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, 1570.
The map shows the monsters surrounding Iceland.

A few more examples of sea monsters.
16.

Natural History of Norway, 1755

17.

Sea Serpents of Buffalo Land, North America, 1872

21.

Whale is like an island. Novi Orbis Indiae Occidentalis by Honorius Philoponus, 1621.
, as well as other ancient sea monsters.

22.

The motif of a fish or whale, with life activity on them, is extremely popular, starting from ancient world resting on whales, and to the Russian native "Miracle Yudo Fish Kit".
Here, for example, is a drawing from a 15th-century manuscript depicting St. Brendan the Navigator, staying on a fish biting its tail. Such a fish symbolizes, perhaps, the eternal life of the saint. This is just my guess. If anyone can tell me the symbolism of a fish biting its tail, I will be grateful. .

Unknown Southern Land - Terra Australis Incognita.

As soon as they did not depict the South Land (lat. Terra Australis) from ancient times until the second half of the 18th century. More on this on Wikipedia.

23-24.


World map from 1587 showing a fantastic continent at the site of Antarctica. .

25-27.



Fragments of a world map produced in Amsterdam in 1689. Antarctica (Terra Australis) is simply missing. the whole map is a large file that allows you to admire many details.

28.

Italian map from 1566. One of the first maps, where the northern part of America is listed as Canada. .

To be continued...

P.S. Since I am not writing an essay on the history of cartography, but simply demonstrating some art objects from the world of maps, the article does not contain many of the famous, important and beautiful cards. Compensating for this omission, I give links to materials about some of the cartographic masterpieces lost in the post.

www.darcroastedblend.com/ - main source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_world_maps
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_cartography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_cartography
Collection of old maps

Download over 200 vintage maps for free high resolution. The section is constantly updated.

How about printing out a map and hanging it on the wall?

Many of us in childhood had huge wall maps hanging on the wall, carefully hung on push pins. Many hours have been spent painstakingly studying them. New countries and cities appeared before my eyes as if by magic. Someone learned by heart the capitals of states, someone calculated distances, and someone just looked for their hometown, trying to learn more about the world around them. Now they are no less popular, and buying wall maps is not a big deal.

Whether you're going on vacation or want to find a place you've seen on the news, you just have to walk up to the wall and find it. Having returned from vacation, you can trace the entire path with undisguised pleasure by running your finger along the surface. And even carefully mark a winding route with a pencil, so that when you accidentally throw a glance at the wall map, unforgettable moments of relaxation pop up in your memory. Yes and modern technologies allow you to make maps much more colorful and detailed.

Vintage cards

The current wall maps are not comparable to their dull and often torn progenitors. Colorfulness, clarity of the picture, extraordinary detail will make them a real treasure of your collection. Incoming guests will definitely stay with her, and then they will ask with envy where you bought such a lovely thing.

To be honest, from an aesthetic point of view, kats win competitions with many design solutions. No matter how apotheosis they prove to you that such a picture or vase will look good, I assure you, there is nothing more mysterious and interesting than wall map.

A lot of things change in life. There are ups and downs, but the stability that the wall map is a symbol of always remains somewhere deep in the soul. One has only to hang a map on the wall once and a whole world will appear in your house, not invented, but real. Our world with you, where today there is an incredibly vast Russia, Africa immersed in the heat, Europe expiring with politics, romantic Caribbean islands. But you never know the beautiful places on earth that can easily fit on your wall.

Many centuries have passed since people began to mark symbols on objects that could tell others about their location. The simplest landmarks are trees, paths, rivers, at that time everything was put on primitive maps. Today it is already a problem to find your city on an ordinary globe if its population is less than five hundred thousand people. The maps created by our ancestors are in museums and tell about the history of the development of cartography. But old drawings can tell a lot interesting facts and give the opportunity to unravel the mysteries of the past.

I doubt that today you can find a sample of a hand-written map with symbols applied by a modern traveler that would identify the population of the country or the people living there. When creating a map today, preference is given to the accuracy and clarity of the borders of states, while losing aesthetics.

But along with the fact that ancient maps are fictitious, inconvenient to use, they are a work of art. Many artists around the world are amazed and inspired by ancient maps and study them with great pleasure and admiration. In our computerized and internet era, there are many different maps to be found. It is very convenient and fast. Collecting cartographic material for many years, today we can provide you with more than two hundred maps, they can be downloaded or printed directly from the site in excellent quality and high resolution. Anyone can do this, be it a local historian, historian, treasure hunter or just a curious person.

Most people use maps to purposefully search for ancient items from our ancestors. Those who believe in the secrets of treasures and treasures can use ancient cards, and maybe luck will smile at them. But we must not forget that an old map can be a wonderful decor in your home. Your guests will certainly be surprised and captivated by this wall design, thanks to which you can learn a lot about your region and about the whole world as a whole.

You can also make a gift and associate it with an old map. For example, a Chinese lover can be presented with an ancient Chinese map that was copied from a stone column in 1137. The birthday boy will certainly be delighted and will remember the gift for a long time. On our site you will find all the cards you are interested in. Get a lot of pleasure from studying them and experience a lot of positive emotions.

A large updated selection of old maps in high resolution.

Ancient civilizations have always excited the minds of scientists, treasure hunters and lovers of historical puzzles. The Sumerians, Egyptians or Romans left a lot of evidence of their existence, but they were not the first on the planet. In addition to the legends about their rise and fall, there are blank spots in history that have not yet been filled.

All these civilizations were outstanding in their time and in many ways surpassed not only their era, but also modern achievements. But, for various reasons, they disappeared from the face of the Earth, having lost their greatness and power. It's about not only about the empires that certainly flourished on the planet, but also about the cultures that may have existed. For example, the well-known Atlantis has not yet been found, but could it even exist?

The editors of InPlanet have compiled a list of the most ancient civilizations, the legacy of which still causes heated debate among historians. We present to your attention the 12 greatest empires that left behind a lot of mysteries!

1 Lemuria continent / 4 million years ago

The origins of all ancient civilizations originate from the myth of the mysterious continent of Lemuria, which went under water many millions of years ago. Its existence was repeatedly mentioned in the myths of different peoples and philosophical works. They spoke of a highly developed race of apes who had excellent education and advanced architecture. According to legend, he was in the Indian Ocean and the main proof of his existence is the island of Madagascar, inhabited by lemurs.

2 Hyperborea / before 11540 BC


The mysterious land of Hyperborea has been haunting the minds of scientists and researchers for many years who want to find at least some evidence of its existence. So on this moment There is an opinion that Hyperborea was located in the Arctic and was inhabited by the ancestors of the Slavs. At that time, the continent was not yet covered with ice, but blossomed and fragrant. And this, by the way, is possible, because scientists have found that 30-15000 years BC. The climate in the Arctic was favorable.

It is worth noting that attempts to find Hyperborea have been practiced for a long time, for example, Germany and the USSR during the Second World War sent expeditions to search for the lost country. But it was never possible to establish whether there really was a country that became the progenitor of the Slavs.

3 Aroe civilization / 13000 BC


This civilization belongs to the category of mythical, despite the fact that there are a lot of buildings that prove the existence of peoples on the islands of Micronesia, Polynesia and Easter. Ancient cement statues dating back to 10950 BC have been discovered in New Caledonia.

According to legend, the civilization of Aroe, or the Kingdom of the Sun, was formed in the Pacific Ocean after the disappearance of the continent of Lemuria. Among the indigenous inhabitants of these islands, legends still circulate about ancestors capable of flying through the air.

4 Civilizations of the Gobi Desert / approximately 10,000 BC


Another mysterious civilization, the existence of which is disputed. Now the Gobi desert is the most sparsely populated place on the planet, arid and destructive. However, there is an opinion that many thousands of years ago a certain civilization of the White Island lived there, which stood on the same level with Atlantis. It was called the country of Agharti, the underground city, Shambhala and the land of Hsi Wang Mu.

In those years, the desert was the sea, and the White Island towered over it like a green oasis. Scientists have confirmed that this was indeed the case, but the date is confusing - the sea from the Gobi Desert disappeared 40 million years ago. Whether a settlement of sages could exist there at that time, or later, has not been scientifically proven.

5 Atlantis / 9500 BC


This mythical state is perhaps the most famous in the whole world. There is no exact evidence that there really was an island that went under water along with a highly developed civilization. But until now, sailors, historians and adventurers are looking for an underwater city filled with the treasures of ancient Atlantis.

The main proof of the existence of Atlantis is the works of Plato, who described the war of this island with Athens, as a result of which the Atlanteans simply went under water along with the island. There are many theories and myths about this civilization, and even entire scientific movements.

6 Ancient China / 8500 BC - our days


Chinese civilization is recognized as one of the oldest in the world. Scientists believe that its first beginnings appeared 8000 years ago BC. Written sources record the existence of a state called China as early as 3500 years ago. According to this, archaeologists discover pot shards in China dating back to 17-18,000 years BC. The ancient and rich history of China has shown that this state, ruled by dynasties for many millennia, was one of the most developed and strongest in the world.

7 Civilization of Osiris / before 4000 AD


Since officially this civilization cannot be considered to have existed, one can only guess about the dates of its heyday. According to legend, the Osirians were the progenitors of the Egyptian civilization and, accordingly, lived in the Mediterranean basin before their appearance.

Of course, all guesses about this civilization are based on unreliable facts, for example, that the Osirian civilization died due to the fact that the death of Atlantis provoked the flooding of the Mediterranean basin. There is no exact evidence of these events, therefore, only a mass of flooded cities at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea can be considered as confirmation of a civilization that has gone under water.

8 Ancient Egypt / 4000 BC - VI-VII centuries. AD


The ancient Egyptian civilization existed for about 40 centuries and reached its peak in the middle of this time period. To study this culture, there is a separate science of Egyptology, which studies the diverse history of this empire.

Ancient Egypt had everything it needed for development and prosperity - fertile land in the Nile River valley, religion, state administration and an army. Despite the fact that Ancient Egypt fell and was absorbed by the Roman Empire, there are still traces of this powerful civilization on the planet - a huge Sphinx, ancient pyramids and a lot of historical artifacts.

9 Sumerians and Babylon / 3300 BC - 1000 BC


For a long time Sumerian civilization attributed the title of the first in the world. The Sumerians were the first to engage in crafts, agriculture, pottery and construction. In 2300 BC, this territory was captured by the Babylonians, who, led by Babylon, became the cultural and political center of the Ancient World. Both of these civilizations are the strongest states of Ancient Mesopotamia.

10 Ancient Greece / 3000 BC - I century. BC.


This ancient state was called Hellas and was considered one of the most powerful in the ancient world. Greece, this territory was nicknamed by the Romans, who captured Hellas in the first century BC. For three thousand years of existence, the Greek Empire left behind a rich history, a lot of architectural monuments and many literary masterpieces that are still popular today. What are the myths of ancient Greece!

11 Maya / 2000 BC - 16th century AD


Legends about the power and greatness of this amazing civilization are still circulating and pushing people in search of ancient treasures. In addition to untold riches, the Maya Indians had unique knowledge in astronomy, which allowed them to develop an accurate calendar. They also had amazing knowledge in construction, thanks to which their devastated cities are still included in the UNESCO heritage list.

This highly developed civilization had developed medicine, agriculture, water supply systems and a rich culture. Unfortunately, in the Middle Ages, this empire began to fade, and with the advent of the conquistadors, it completely disappeared.

12 Ancient Rome / 753 BC - V c. AD


The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful in the history of the Ancient World. She left behind a bright mark in history, enslaved many small states and won a lot of bloody wars. Ancient Rome had its own mythology, a powerful army, a management system and was the center of civilization during its heyday.

The Roman Empire gave the world a rich cultural heritage and history that still excites the minds of scientists. Like all ancient empires, it died out due to exorbitant ambitions and plans to conquer the whole world.

All these ancient civilizations left behind a huge cultural heritage and a lot of mysteries that have yet to be solved. Time will tell whether humanity will be able to find out whether some empires existed or not. In the meantime, we can only be content with conjectures and already existing facts.

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 ...).

In order to correctly display the oldest of civilizations in chronological order, it becomes necessary 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 humble village into a great city laid out in the shape of a puma. 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 the military force that spearheaded 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 the 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.

At one time, ancient Persia ruled all of Central Asia, most of Europe and Egypt. But that all changed when the legendary Macedonian soldier, the great Alexander, brought the entire Persian Empire to its knees and effectively “ended” 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. Even though the rise 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 period.

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, Democracy And Senate Concept. 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 this would not have happened before they gave the world some of the most useful inventions and products, such as gunpowder, paper, printing, the 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 recent times 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.

The history of ancient Egypt took place in a series of stable Kingdoms divided by periods of relative instability known as the Intermediate Periods: the Early Bronze Age Old Kingdom, the Middle Bronze Age Middle Kingdom, and the Late Bronze Age New Kingdom.



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 around 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 is no known evidence of 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. humans found the concept of 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.

Approximately 5-7 thousand years ago, in 7 main centers of agriculture, primitive people are moving from a nomadic lifestyle to a settled way of life, which entails the formation of the ancient civilizations of the world.

Civilizations of Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is between the Tigris and Euphrates. It is believed that it was there that the most ancient civilization (4-3 thousand BC) of the ancient world, the Sumerians, was located. Their origins are still unknown, because in Mesopotamia the Sumerians were an alien people from the island of Delmun, which is not found on any ancient map. The Sumerians were skilled farmers. Their cities of Uruk, Sippar, Kish and others had an extensive irrigation system. They had their own cuneiform writing. The peculiarity of this civilization was the ability to smelt metals, deep astronomical knowledge and a high degree of urbanization of the state. The technology of the Sumerians was far ahead of many other nations that developed in parallel with them.

Rice. 1. Centers of agriculture according to Vavilov.

The main cultural heritage of the Sumerians is the myth of the Anunaki and the creation of man. According to modern interpretation, man was created by the Anunnaki with the help of genetic engineering as a slave to perform heavy physical work for the "gods".

In the 3rd millennium BC. the Sumerians were absorbed by the growing power of Babylon.

Rice. 2. Sumerian city.

African Civilization

The state of Ancient Egypt arose along the banks of the Nile around the 4th millennium BC. The Egyptians had a unique religion with over 3,000 different gods.

The Egyptians left behind great amount artifacts, including not only pyramids and sarcophagi, but also a huge number of hieroglyphs, pottery and papyri.

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The Egyptians report an even more ancient state - Punt. Many expeditions were equipped there for the exchange of goods, but there is very little information about it. It is believed that Punt is the pra-civilization of Ethiopia.

Mayan civilization

Indian Mesoamerican civilization arose about 4 thousand years ago. The people were represented by many city-states akin to the Sumerian ones - agriculture was developed in them. In addition, the Maya achieved great success in jade carving, sculpture and painting. Their astronomical calculations were way ahead of their time and incredibly accurate. The Mayan people built stone pyramids akin to Egyptian ones (according to another version, they came to ready-made cities abandoned by the previous civilization) and observatories for observing heavenly bodies.

Rice. 3. Mayan pyramids.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Mayan calendar, ending in 2012, became widely known, which created a hypothesis about the mathematically calculated date of the end of the world. However, as studies have shown, the Mayan priests simply calculated the time with a margin, and by 2012 their descendants simply had to update the data. The calendar was divided into three parts - religious (260 days), practical (365 days) and chronological (360 days).

Civilizations of India and China

The civilization of China originated about 5,000 years ago along the Yellow River. The legendary period of the Three Rulers of the Five Emperors was the beginning of their statehood. Despite the isolation of the Chinese, their achievements, except for porcelain, they will reveal to the world much later than other civilizations.

Along the rivers Indus and Ganges, the civilization of India arose. This happened in the 3rd millennium BC. The fame of India was brought not only by a complex caste system of relationships, but also by legends about the "war of the gods" in the area of ​​​​the city of Mohenjo-Daro. They had their own unique language and script. Hindus from ancient times were good mathematicians and builders, and medicine reached a high level in India.

General characteristics of ancient civilizations

While tribal relations existed in Europe, the first states arose in the main "Vavilov" centers of agriculture. The role of the most ancient civilizations is that, due to their scattered location on the planet, trade relations, foreign policy, unique language and racial groups begin to form among mankind. The specialization of production and the first religious polytheistic cults are being formed.

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