Ancient ruins. The most impressive ruins in the world. War never changes

Many historical monuments, which has worldwide fame, is impossible to see today for a number of reasons. You can spend holidays in Istanbul, Rome and Athens, exploring the ancient ruins and monuments that have survived to this day and, in addition, enjoy the beauties of modernity. We offer an overview of cities whose streets are no longer walkable, but you can still get to know them.

Those for whom history and mythology are not empty words know that there were legendary cities, the glory of which far exceeds the glory of Rome or Athens. But, unfortunately, they disappeared from the face of the Earth and remained only in legends. The location of some of them can be calculated thanks to modern technologies. If these cities had survived to this day, then today they would probably be the most developed and beautiful in the world. In many cases, we have the opportunity to visit the ruins of the legendary metropolises and get acquainted with the features of architecture, building materials and engineering of that time.

The ancient city of Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians, on the territory of modern Tunisia, under the rule of the legendary queen Elissa, or Dido. The city was a large, prosperous center of the region. For this reason, the rulers of Syracuse and Rome looked at him with envy.
The city survived the war with Rome, but in 698 BC. was destroyed during the Muslim invasion. At one time, Carthage, with its hills, the Forum, houses decorated with mosaics and paved streets, was the pearl of the Mediterranean.

14. Troy

Troy - legendary city, sung in the epic works of Homer ("Iliad" and "Odyssey"), played an important role in history during the 12th-14th centuries BC. e. Archaeologists carefully and carefully examined layer by layer during the excavations of the city (today it is located in Turkey). Its ruins have stood for thousands of years and thanks to them we can imagine what the city was like in its best years.

The ancient city of Tikal is located deep in the jungles of Guatemala. Once it was the capital of one of the powerful and warlike state of one of the Mayan tribes. The city was founded in the 4th century BC. and existed until 200-900 AD. Excavations have shown that Tikal had many monuments, temples and palaces, and the city itself was a center of art and architecture. In addition, there were many pyramids in it, decorated with faces of gods carved from stone and other images.

Memphis was founded in 3100 B.C. during the reign of the first Egyptian dynasty. At one time, the city was a fortress that controlled land and water routes between Upper Egypt and the Nile Delta. The city later became religious center and a thriving capital beautiful temples and works of art. majestic temple, royal palaces and a statue of Ramses II - all this was in the center of the ancient city. The ruins exist today and beckon with their mystery, but this is only a small part of the greatness of the whole city.

11. Babylon and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Iraq)

The capital of the Mesopotamian Empire, Babylon was known for its luxury and innovation. Today, its ruins are located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq, and the Babylonian Hanging Gardens are generally considered one of the seven wonders of the world, although there is not a single material confirmation of this fact. The legend associated with the Hanging Gardens tells that King Nebuchadnezzar II built them for his wife, who missed her homeland, located in a mountainous region. The gardens were located in the middle of the desert on terraces, which were watered thanks to a specially built irrigation system. If the gardens existed today, they would be one of the most desirable attractions and a real paradise on earth.

Ctesiphon was the capital of the ancient Persian Empire and was located on the banks of the Tigris River in what is now Iraq. It could be another incredible city with masterpieces of architecture and technology. One of the sights of the city is an amazing, from the point of view of ancient construction technologies, vaulted wall, which was located above the massive and grandiose throne room. Today it is the largest brick arch in the world.

Located in the Indus River Valley, which today flows through the territory of Pakistan, the city of Mohenjo-Daro was built in 2600 BC. and was not inferior in size to the Greek and Egyptian cities of that period.
The ruins testify to the masterpiece of engineering solutions in the construction of entire residential complexes, shops and streets.

Unique ancient city, which is located on the territory of the National Park of the same name in the United States, surprises with more than 600 dwellings built by the Anasazi people from stone, wood and limestone in the rocks. Massive rocks have become home to 100 inhabitants. To get to these houses, you need to climb stairs. If the city were inhabited today, it would be one of the unique places in the world.

Imagine a city with 1,001 churches amid picturesque hills. Such a city existed and was called Ani, now it is the territory of modern Turkey. It was the capital of the Armenian kingdom in the 10th century. Until now, the ruins of these churches are being explored, and each time they surprise with the richness of the decor and the unique architectural style. The city of Ani has always been a rival of the mighty Constantinople in terms of population.

The city of the god Amun, the god of the Sun, Thebes was buried in luxury, splendor worthy of the gods. The ruins of the legendary Thebes, witnesses former luxury, and today impress visitors. Tutankhamun's tomb is located in Thebes. During its prosperity, talented artists lived in the city, who painted the walls of the tombs with frescoes, carved images from stone and sculpted statues. Thebes took pride in the pomp of the streets, adorned with many statues, some of which have survived to this day, having stood for thousands of years.

Vijayanagar, whose ruins are today in India, was one of the largest cities in the world with a population of 500,000 people. At one time it was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, which was located in southern India. The city at that time contained impressive religious buildings and sculptures, among which were majestic temples some of which have survived to this day. caves, running water, community centers and temple complexes were located in all parts of the city.

The city of Persepolis, is the territory of modern Iran, was built for a century, and, judging by the ruins, all this was not in vain, since, obviously, during its heyday (for two centuries) the city was luxurious, and today it would be one of the most beautiful. A huge architectural complex was built in Persepolis with carved statues of slaves, kings and other figures of the Persian Empire. In addition, majestic royal palaces with columns and large halls were built in the city. Unfortunately big royal palace was burned by Alexander the Great, who wanted to destroy the Persian kingdom.

Palenque is another powerful Mayan city-state located in the Valley of Mexico, which impresses with its architecture and engineering solutions. Although the city was abandoned about a thousand years ago, its ruins have survived to this day and are amazing with the grandeur of massive platforms, palaces, squares and sports arenas. The city had tap water thanks to the aqueducts that have survived to this day - in other words, living in the city was comfortable, unless, of course, traditional human sacrifices are taken into account.

Petra is the city made famous by the Indiana Jones trilogy. The city is literally carved out of pink stone right in the rock, today it is the territory of Jordan. In Petra, which stood on the trade route from Asia to Arabia, silk and spices were traded, thanks to which the city flourished. Today, no one lives in the city, but at one time 30,000 people lived in the city, and 10,000 people constantly visited the settlement during their journey, including Bedouins and merchants.

The ancient city of Angkor, whose ruins now jut out like an island from the forests and farm fields of modern Cambodia, was once proud luxury buildings and a million inhabitants, which made it the most big city pre-industrial period in the world. In the 9th-15th centuries, the city was often visited. At 400 square kilometers there were temples, huge and neatly carved statues. Especially popular today famous temple Angkor with the famous luxurious decor.

The Maya civilization was one of the greatest pre-Columbian civilizations. Its scale extended to the entire northern region of Central America, including the territories modern states- Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico and the southwestern outskirts of Honduras.

Most of the Maya city-states reached their peak of urbanism and large-scale construction during the classical period from 250 to 900 AD. The most notable monuments of this period are the ancient temples that were built in almost every major city. For reasons still unknown, most of the Mayan centers fell into disrepair over the next few centuries. And by the time the conquistadors arrived, the Mayan civilization was already in deep decline.

There are several versions possible cause the death of a civilization, including soil depletion, loss of water sources and erosion, earthquakes, disease, and the likely military invasions of other highly developed cultures. Some Mayan cities with the highest historical and cultural value included in . Of particular tourist interest today is ancient architecture, stone sculptures, bas-reliefs and stylized religious paintings on the walls of houses. As well as preserved massive palaces, ancient temples and pyramids.

We have already told you about the impressive ones, today you can get acquainted with the most interesting ancient cities of the Mayan civilization.

Ancient Mayan Cities - PHOTO

The ruins of Tikal are located on the territory of the eponymous national park. And this is perhaps one of the largest archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization in Central America. It was this place that became the inspiration, and then reflected in the Mel Gibson film Apocalypse. A trip to Tikal is financially quite expensive, compared to other destinations to the ruins of the Mayan civilization. But the preserved pyramids, stone royal palaces, paintings and frescoes are worth seeing. In 1979 national park Tikal has been declared an object world heritage UNESCO. By the way, be on the alert, in the dense forests surrounding the park, there are predatory jaguars.

The large pre-Columbian city of Chichen Itza is located in Mexican state Yucatan. This large ruined city, apparently, was one of the Tollans - a place of worship of the mythological deity Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent). This is evidenced by the images found in the ball stadium. Chichen Itza is known for its wide variety of architectural styles. This city was attractive to residents, since there were two deep cenotes that provided the population with water all year round. One of these natural wells is the Sacred Cenote, a place of sacrifice and pilgrimage for the ancient Maya. Chichen Itza is very popular with tourists, with more than 1.2 million visitors every year.

This Mayan city flourished in southern Mexico in the 7th century BC. After the fall, the city was swallowed up by the jungle for a long time before being rediscovered and turned into famous place archaeological sites. Palenque is located on the Usumacinta River, 130 km south of Ciudad del Carmen. It is much smaller than Tikal, but it boasts of its architecture, preserved sculptures and bas-reliefs of the ancient Maya. Numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions on the monuments allowed experts to restore most the history of Palenque. The same experts and archaeologists claim that only 10% of the territory of the ancient city has been excavated and studied at the moment. The rest is nearby, but hidden underground, in thickets of dense jungle.

The ancient ruins of the city of Calakmul are hidden in the jungles of the Mexican state of Campeche. This is one of largest cities Mayan. More than 6,500 buildings have been discovered on an area of ​​about 20 square kilometers. Most great pyramids reach a height of 50 meters and a base width of 140 meters. In the classical period, the era of the dawn of Calakmul was observed. At that time, he was in fierce rivalry with Tikal, this confrontation can be compared with the clarification of the political ambitions of the two superpowers. Called the Serpent Kingdom, Calakmul spread its active influence over a radius of several hundred kilometers. This is evidenced by the characteristic stone emblems depicting a snake's head, found in small Mayan villages.

The Mayan ruins of Uxmal are located 62 kilometers from Merida, administrative center state of Yucatan. The ruins are famous for their size and decoration of buildings. But little is known about them, since significant archaeological research was not carried out here. Uxmal was founded in 500 AD. Most of the surviving buildings date back to 800 - 900 years, pyramids and various structures can be observed in almost their original form. prevailing here architectural style Puuk is distinguished by the variety of decorations on the facades of buildings.

The ruins are located on the shores of a lagoon in the Orange Walk district in north-central Belize. Translated from the Mayan language, the name of the city, which has a history of three thousand years, means "drowned crocodile." Unlike other Mayan cities, Lamanai was still inhabited when the Spanish conquistadors invaded in the 16th century. During excavations carried out in the 1970s, three significant structures came into focus: the Temple of the Mask, the Temple of the Jaguar, and the High Temple. To be among these ruins, located deep in the jungle, you must join an organized boat trip from the city of Orange Walk. There is a small museum displaying ancient artifacts and telling about the history of the Maya.

The name of this ancient archaeological site means "Stone Woman". It is connected with the history of the Belizeans, according to which, allegedly since 1892, the ghost of a woman periodically appears in these places. A white-robed ghost with fiery red eyes climbs the stairs to the top of the main temple and dissolves through the wall. The ruins are located near the village of San Jose Succotz in the west of the country. In this village, you need to take a small ferry to cross the Mopan River. Having reached the ruins, do not deny yourself the opportunity to climb to the top of the Shunantunich Palace - a huge pyramid that offers stunning views of the river valley.

The walled city of Tulum, which served as a port for the city of Coba, is located on east coast the Yucatan Peninsula. It was built in the 1200s, at a time when the Mayan civilization was already in decline. Therefore, it lacks some elegance and grace in architecture, characteristic of the classical period of development. But unique place location on the coast caribbean, the proximity of numerous beaches and Mexican resorts, made the Mayan port city of Tulum very popular among tourists.

The great city of the ancient Maya, which served as a home for 50 thousand inhabitants at the peak of its development, is located 90 kilometers east of Chichen Itza, about 40 kilometers west of the Caribbean Sea and 44 kilometers northeast of Tulum. All directions today are interconnected by modern convenient roads. Most of the objects were built between 500 and 900 years. The city has several tall pyramids. The most high pyramid El Castillo, belonging to the Nohoch Mul group of buildings, reaches a height of 42 meters. To the top of the temple, where a small altar is located, which served as a place of sacrifice, there are 120 steps, along which those who wish can climb.

Ceremonial and shopping mall Maya Altun Ha is located 50 kilometers from the city of Belize. This area, only 10 kilometers from Caribbean coast, known for its rich wildlife. Typical inhabitants of the local forests are armadillos, tapirs, agoutis, foxes, tairas and white-tailed deer. In addition to impressive wildlife Altun-Kha is known for artifacts found here by archaeologists from. Among them is a huge jade sculpture depicting the head of the sun god Kinich Ahau. This find is today considered a national treasure of Belize.

The large center of archaeological excavations of Caracol is located 40 kilometers south of Shunantunich in Cayo district. The ruins stretch 500 meters above sea level on the Waka Plateau. Caracol is now known as one of the most important political centers Maya civilization in the classical period. At one time, Karakol stretched over an area of ​​more than 200 square kilometers. This more territory modern Belize - the most big city in the country. Even more surprising is that the current population of Belizeans is only half of its ancient predecessors.

The stunning Mayan ruins are located on the banks of the Usumacinta River in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas. Yaxchilan was at one time a powerful city-state, and was a kind of competition to such cities as Palenque and Tikal. Yaxchilan is famous big amount well-preserved stone decorated elements decorating the door and window openings of the main temple. On them, as well as on various statues, there are hieroglyphic texts telling about the ruling dynasty and the history of the city. The names of some of the rulers sounded menacing: Moon Skull and Jaguar Bird dominated Yaxchilan in the fifth century.

In the department of Izabal in the southeast of Guatemala, there is a three-kilometer zone of archaeological excavations of Quirigua. During the classical period of the development of the Mayan civilization, this ancient city was at the crossroads of several important trade routes. An interesting attraction of this place is the Acropolis, the construction of which began in 550. Archaeological park Quirigua is famous for its tall stone monuments. Considering that the city is located on the site of a transform geological fault and was prone to major earthquakes and floods in ancient times, it is worth a visit to see the preserved monuments and appreciate the urban planning skills of the ancient Maya.

The archaeological site of the Mayan civilization Copan is located in the western part of Honduras on the border with Guatemala. This one is relatively small town known for a series of well-preserved architectural artifacts. Some of the stelae, sculptural decorations and bas-reliefs are among the best evidence of the art of ancient Mesoamerica. Some stone structures Copanas date back to the 9th century BC. Most high temple reaches a height of 30 meters. The dawn of the settlement falls on the 5th century, at that time about 20 thousand inhabitants lived here.

The ruins of Cajal Pech are located near the city of San Ignacio in the Cayo region on a strategic high ground at the confluence of the Makal and Mopan rivers. Most of the main dates of construction date back to the Classical period, but existing evidence speaks of continuous habitation at the site as early as 1200 BC. The city is a concentration in a small area of ​​34 stone structures located around the central acropolis. The highest temple is about 25 meters high. Cahal Pech, like many other cities, was abandoned in the 9th century AD for unknown reasons.

This is only a small part of the huge historical and cultural heritage that left behind mysterious civilization. In total, in the northern region of Central America, more than 400 large archaeological sites were discovered, and over 4,000 small, but no less interesting ancient settlements belonging to the peoples and cultures of the Mayan civilization that existed for more than 2,500 years.

The story of Emperor Trajan's victory over a mighty barbarian kingdom is not just a story from a pen. This is an event whose glory is carved in 155 scenes on the spiral frieze of a mighty monumental column, which fascinates to this day.

Triumph of the Emperor.

Trajan's Column, with a statue of Saint Peter erected by the pope during the Renaissance on top, towers over the ruins of Trajan's Forum, which once included two libraries and large area for citizens and a spacious Basilica. The construction of the Forum was carried out at the expense of war trophies mined from Dacia.

Fighting side by side with his warriors in the campaigns between 101 and 106 AD, Emperor Trajan mustered tens of thousands of Roman legionaries who crossed the Danube through the two most long bridge that ever seen ancient world. Trajan's victory demonstrated the apparent power of Rome, at the peak of the principate: crushing the mighty barbarian kingdom on the turf fields of their mountain home twice, methodically erasing it from the face of ancient Europe.

Trajan's war with the Dacians, whose country was located on the territory of present-day Romania, became the defining event of his 19-year reign. The wealth brought to Rome was staggering. One contemporary chronicler boasted that the conquest brought over 200 tons of gold and 450 tons of silver to the state, not to mention a new fertile province.

Reconstruction of the appearance of Trajan's bridge by engineer E. Duperrex (1907)

The mining literally changed the landscape of Rome. To commemorate the victory, Trajan ordered the construction of a new forum, which would include a spacious square surrounded by colonnades, two libraries, a large public building, known as the Basilica of Ulpia, and perhaps even a temple. Forum was " miraculously under open sky ”, one of the early historians admired that no devastating description of death would be enough to describe it.

Above the forum towered a stone column 38 meters high, crowned with a bronze statue of the conqueror. The strip of bas-relief that spirals around the column, like a modern comic book, is the story of the Dacian campaigns: thousands of skillfully carved Romans and Dacians march, build, fight, swim, sneak, negotiate, plead and die in 155 scenes. Completed in 113, the column stood for more than 1900 years.

The column is one of the most characteristic monumental sculptures survivors of the fall of Rome. For centuries, classicists have treated carving as a visual history of warfare, with Trajan as the hero and Decebalus, the Dacian king, as his worthy adversary. Archaeologists have carefully examined the scenes to learn about the uniforms, weapons, equipment, and tactics of the Roman army.

Drawing from relief: Dacians surrendering to the mercy of Trajan

Deceptive column. A heroic chronicle of conquest or a collection of short stories?

The column had big influence and inspired later monuments in Rome and throughout the empire. Over the centuries, as the city's landmarks were destroyed, the column continued to fascinate and inspire awe. Renaissance Pope replaced Trajan's statue with Saint Peter's to consecrate ancient artifact. Artists lowered themselves in baskets from above in order to study it in detail. It later became a favorite tourist attraction: the German poet Goethe climbed the 185 interior steps in 1787 to " enjoy this incomparable view". Plaster casts of the column were made as early as the 16th century, and they retain details that acid rain and pollution have worn away. Debate still rages over the column's design, meaning and, above all, historical accuracy. Sometimes it seems that there are as many interpretations as there are carvings, and there are 2662 of them!

According to the archaeologist Filippo Coarelli, working under the direction of the emperor, the sculptors followed a plan to create a colonnaded version of Trajan's scroll on 17 drums from the finest Carrara marble. The emperor is the hero of this story. He appears 58 times, portrayed as a cunning commander, a skilled statesman, and a pious ruler. Here he makes a speech to the troops; there he deliberately consults with his advisers; there he is present at the sacrifices to the gods. " This is Trajan's attempt to show himself not only as a commander"- "says Coarelli," but also a cultural figure».

Of course, Coarelli is speculating. Whatever their appearance, Trajan's memories are long gone. In fact, evidence gleaned from a column and excavations at Sarmizegetusa, the Dacian capital, suggests that the carving tells more about Roman prejudice than reality.

John Coulston, an expert on Roman iconography, weapons and equipment at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, studied the column up close for months from the scaffolding that surrounded it during restoration work in the 1980s and 90s. As the author of a dissertation on this monument, John cautions against modern interpretations and interpretations when reading the monument. Coulston claims that no genius was behind the carving. Slight differences in style and obvious errors, such as windows that disrupt the scenes and the scenes themselves at inconsistent heights, convinced him that the sculptors created the column on the fly, relying on what they had heard about the wars.

The work, in his opinion, was more "inspired" than "founded". Most of the column does not show many battles for the two wars. Less than a quarter of the frieze shows battles or sieges, and Trajan himself is never shown in battle. Meanwhile, the legionnaires—the well-trained backbone of the Roman war machine—are busy building forts and bridges, clearing roads, and even harvesting crops. The column depicts them as a force of order and civilization rather than destruction and conquest.

War never changes.

The column emphasizes the vast scale of the empire. Trajan's army included African cavalry, Iberian slingers, archers from the Levant in peaked helmets, and bare-chested Germans in trousers that would have seemed barbaric to Romans in togas. They all fight the Dacians, anticipating that anyone, regardless of background, can become a Roman citizen. Curiously, Trajan himself comes from Roman Spain.

Some scenes remain ambiguous and their interpretations conflicting. Are the besieged Dacians reaching for the cup to commit suicide by drinking poison instead of facing humiliation at the hands of the victorious Romans? Or are they just thirsty? Dacian nobles gathered around Trajan for surrender or negotiations? What about the picture of women torturing shirtless, bound Roman captives with flaming torches? Ernest Oberländer-Tirnoveanu, Head National Museum history of Romania, disagrees: "These are definitely Dacian prisoners being tortured by angry widows of murdered Roman soldiers." Like so much in the column, what you see tends to depend on what you think of the Romans and Dacians.

Among Roman politicians, "Dacian" was synonymous with duplicity. The historian Tacitus called them " a people that can never be trusted". They were known for demanding money for protection from Rome, while they themselves sent warriors on raids in her border towns. In 101, Trajan moved to punish the restless Dacians. In the first major battle, Trajan defeated the Dacians in the battle of Tapai. The storm indicated to the Romans that the god Jupiter was on their side. This event is clearly reflected on the Column.

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Jupiter throwing lightning and modern battle art

After almost two years of fighting, the Dacian king Decebalus entered into an agreement with Trajan, and then quickly tore it up.

Rome has been betrayed too many times. During the second invasion, Trajan did not fuss. Just look at the scenes that show the sacking of Sarmizegetusa or the village on fire. But when the Dacians were defeated, they became a favorite subject for Roman sculptors. Trajan's forum had dozens of statues of handsome, bearded Dacian warriors, a proud marble army in the heart of Rome. Of course, such a message was intended for the Romans, not for the surviving Dacians, most of whom were sold into slavery. None of the Dacians could come and see the column. It was created for Roman citizens to demonstrate the power of the imperial machine to conquer such a noble and ferocious people.

In a visual narrative that stretches from the base of the column to its top, Trajan and his soldiers triumph over the Dacians. In this scene of plaster and marble dust, cast between 1939 and 1943, Trajan (left) watches the battle while two Roman auxiliaries offer him the enemy's severed heads.

For two bloody wars, literally all of Dacia was devastated, Rome did not leave a stone unturned from the capital. One contemporary claimed that Trajan took 500,000 prisoners, bringing about 10,000 to Rome to participate in the gladiatorial games, which were held for 123 days. Truly a new Carthage. The proud ruler of Dacia spared himself the humiliation of surrender. Its end is carved on a pillar with this scene. Kneeling under an oak tree, he raises a long, curved blade to his own neck.

Death of Decebalus

« Decebalus, when his capital and his whole kingdom were occupied and he himself was in danger of being captured, committed suicide; and his head was brought to Rome”, wrote the Roman historian Cassius Dio a century later.

Barbarically civilized.

Trajan's Column may be propaganda, but archaeologists say there is some truth in it. Excavations at the Dacian sites, including Sarmizegetusa, continue to reveal traces of a civilization far more sophisticated than was implied by the Romans' derogatory "barbarian" term. The Dacians did not have a written language, so what we know about their culture is filtered through Roman sources. Ample evidence suggests that they dominated the region for centuries, raiding and exacting tribute from their neighbors. The Dacians were skilled metalworkers, they mined and smelted iron and gold to create magnificent jewelry and weapons.

Sarmizegetusa was their political and spiritual capital. The ruined city is now high in the mountains of central Romania. In Trajan's time, a 1,600-kilometer journey from Rome would have taken at least a month. Tall beech trees, casting a cold shade even on a warm day on a wide stone road leading from the thick, half-buried walls of the fortress down to a wide, flat meadow. This green terraced space carved into the mountainside was the religious heart of the Dacian world.

Romans loading a pack transport with booty from the city

The latest archaeological data confirm the impressive art of architecture for such an unfriendly people, some trends were brought here even by the influence of Rome and Hellas. A large number of artificial terraces on more than 280 hectares of area occupied by the city and there is no sign that the Dacians grew food here. There are no cultivated fields. Instead, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of dense clusters of workshops and homes, as well as iron ore processing furnaces, tons of ready-to-work pieces of iron, and dozens of anvils. The city appears to have been a center for metal production, supplying other Dacians with weapons and tools in exchange for gold and grain.

The Dacians turned precious metals into jewelry. These gold coins with Roman images and bracelets are from the ruins of Sarmizegetusa, and have been restored in recent years.

After the fall of Sarmizegetusa, the most holy temples and altars of Dacia were destroyed. Everything was dismantled by the Romans. The rest of Dacia was also devastated. At the top of the column, the denouement is visible: a village set on fire, Dacians fleeing, a province empty of everything but cows and goats.

Devastated Dacia at the very end of the story

On this note, perhaps, it is possible to complete the story about the interesting things of this impressive, without exaggeration influential and, on the whole, very beautiful building in its time.

Much of what we know about ancient civilizations today comes from archeology and written documents left to us as the legacy of the ancients. In some cases, artifacts can leave clues as to who the people who created the ancient monuments, now in ruins, were. But often we have more questions than answers.

Lake Michigan holds the secret of Stonehenge at the bottom

Historians, archaeologists, and geologists have many theories about the ruins on this list, but they are just theories. These ancient ruins have more questions than answers, and in some cases, experts are not even sure that they were created by human civilization on Earth.

STONEHENGE LAKE MICHIGAN.

In 2007, explorer Mark Holley was scouring the bottom of Lake Michigan looking for the cause of shipwrecks. Indeed, among other things, this place is considered an analogue of "". At the site of the study, he discovered that the lake harbors a structure similar to Stonehenge in its waters. 13 meters below the surface of the water are large stones arranged in a circular shape.

We do not know who built this structure and why it was built. Location mysterious building kept secret to follow the wishes of the Traverse Bay American Indian Community, who seek to keep the area a secret.

The stones do not look as great as we would like, but they are almost perfectly aligned with each other. At the same time, if they were laid out by people, then the circular rock formation should have appeared between 6,000 and 10,000 years.

Over 6,000 years ago, the Lake Michigan region was dry and home to hunter-gatherers. The reason why some suggest that education rocks may be older than 6000 years, associated with the image on one of outer rings mountain circle.

Underwater explorers have found a petroglyph clearly carved on a large granite block that looks like an ancient "mastodon" animal. The ancient elephant is a serious artifact in itself, as it disappeared about 10,000 years ago, so for ancient man who carved the animal had to live at the same time as the mastodon in order to meet.

On the other hand, some geologists claim that all formations are "built" in a natural way. Yonaguni is in an area prone to frequent earthquakes, which causes the sandstone to break down and the subsequent movement of the plates into exotic shapes.

Of course, it is very unusual to see so many of these types of formations in such a small area. But we have no evidence that Yonaguni's education is really the work of man, skeptics say.

GOBEKLI TEPE.

Göbekli Tepe is a unique archaeological site that has the potential to completely change the way historians and archaeologists understand human history.

Potbellied Hill (another name for Göbekli Tepe) challenges many of the assumptions made about hunter-gatherers who, after completing this phase of development, moved on to farming and raising livestock. Gobekli Tepe - ancient area, located in Turkey, but unlike the other ruins on our list, there is no doubt that it was man-made.

The area was discovered in 1963, and construction is now suspected places of worship began in the Mesolithic, stretching for several thousand years. Initially, researchers believed that this was an ancient human settlement. However, more than that, this is something more than a medieval burial.

In 1994, Klaus Schmidt came across an overview of Göbekli Tepe and decided to take a closer look at the ancient ruins. On the spot, he found out that limestone stones and slabs had the potential not only for tombstones, but also for T-pillars.

The ongoing excavation allowed the team of archaeologists to find massive columns that were buried under the surface. Studying amazing artifact will take about 50 years, experts believe. Schmidt, for example, even proposed leaving most of the complex intact, preserving the structure by scientists of future generations, when archaeological tools should become more advanced.

The massive structure was created by placing a ring of massive 7-ton stone pillars on the ground. Another ring of stone pillars will be placed on top, continuing to create the gently sloping hill structure. The ruins date back 11,000 years and were created at a time when there were no settled inhabitants in the region.

An interesting structure would require a large number of people working for a long period of time. Bones found at the excavation site confirm that the builders hunted wild animals a lot.

Surprisingly, we see in this artifact the ability to create large structures. After all, in fact, the weight of some parts of the complex reaches 50 thousand tons! It is still not really clear how ancient people could handle such a huge weight of stones.

The researchers, comparing the images with the constellation map of that time, also concluded that around 10950 BC, a comet could have fallen to Earth. The image of a man without a head speaks of the numerous victims of a long-past event, scientists have suggested. In addition, a major catastrophe was followed by a period from the end of the 11th to the end of the 10th millennium BC, known as the Younger Dryas, which was marked by a sharp cooling.

Today, the archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe is known as the "Navel of the Earth". Huge temple complex on the Navel Mountain was erected in the era of the pre-ceramic Neolithic, dating back to 12 thousand years. Indeed, this oldest building on a planet older than Stonehenge and the first Egyptian pyramids. The monument is not just a heritage of ancestors, it shows us how little we know about ancient civilizations and amazing technologies of ancient people.

Original taken from geogen_mir in MYSTERIES OF CIVILIZATION. Ancient ruins in paintings and engravings by Sebastian and Marco Riccia

Original taken from by_enigma in The ruins of an ancient civilization in the paintings and engravings of Sebastiano Ricci and Marco Ricci

Hubert Robert, Panini Giovanni Paolo and, of course, Piranesi Giovanni are recognized masters of painting. However, there were painters little known to us who also painted the ruined legacy of previous civilizations. It was with such artists that I wanted to introduce you. Meet Sebastiano Ricci and Marco Ricci.

My remarks: People very often post collections like this without understanding their hidden meaning. As far as I understand, the artists who painted these paintings lived at the end of the 17th century. And Italy is depicted in the paintings of their time. And what do we see? And we see "ancient" Rome. Just this one" ancient world"No more than 100 years old. If not less. Pay attention to the statues, they are painted almost intact in the paintings. With rare exceptions. Only the heads are torn off. the statues have been preserved. The material from which they are made is stronger than the one from which the houses were built? But one way or another, we can safely date "ancient" Rome to the 16th century. By the way, in the next picture and the last one, the pyramids are very clearly visible. But the current archaeologists will dig up such ruins and, how to drink, they will attribute them to the time before the birth of Christ.
In general, all this converges with my research on this matter. The history known to us began in Europe somewhere in the 15th century. And all the antiquities from there, from the Middle Ages. Although what kind of Middle Ages is it?
I wrote a comment here:We have an abandoned building from 1986. it was not completed. Bushes and trees like those sprouted on it. what's in the pictures. And thicker birch trees grow nearby than here. This is despite the fact that Belarus is not Italy. Our trees grow slowly. The ruins according to the structure of damage to buildings are not destroyed by time and not by local marauders. There is no "cultural layer" on the ground under the buildings. I believe that the artists painted the destruction that occurred during their lifetime..