There are no lost civilizations..

Only lost cultures. Still all cultures have something in common. I find tribes making our modern civilisation lack in community. What is it that is nailing community?

Yes there are.
And what a great question,

There most certainly are lost civilizations, just look at my signature to find one such civilization, not just a culture.

There may be more out there waiting for us to find, not a lot but a few, and with lost civilizations, you will find lost cultures as well.

Lost cultures are everywhere; lost civilizations are the hardest to find, and to find those you must find all the elements that constitute a civilization, which is not something that is easy to come by.

Originally posted by AlienCarnage
There most certainly are lost civilizations, just look at my signature to find one such civilization, not just a culture.

Ahem.

Well, if you know about it, then it's not "lost," is it?

Also, every time I see a list of the "requirements" that have to be met for a culture to be considered a "civilization," a written language is at the top of that list.

What did the written language used at Caral look like?


Harte

Originally posted by Harte

Ahem.

Well, if you know about it, then it's not "lost," is it?

Also, every time I see a list of the "requirements" that have to be met for a culture to be considered a "civilization," a written language is at the top of that list.

What did the written language used at Caral look like?


Harte

So...

Maybe that should be changed then? According to that logic one could have not only what appears to be "Civilization" but also an "Empire" and still not be considered a "Civilization" by certain criteria. ETA: Also I think you're playing with semantics here. Caral Supe was "Lost" until it was found.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ffa3b81fec65.gif[/atsimg]

Inca

Holding their capital at the great puma-shaped city of Cuzco, the Inca civilization dominated the Andes region from 1438 to 1533. Known as Tawantin suyu, or "the land of the four regions," in Quechua, the Inca civilization was highly distinct and developed. Inca rule extended to nearly a hundred linguistic or ethnic communities, some 9 to 14 million people connected by a 25,000 kilometer road system. Cities were built with precise, unmatched stonework, constructed over many levels of mountain terrain. Terrace farming was a useful form of agriculture. There is evidence of excellent metalwork and even successful brain surgery in Inca civilization. The Incas had no written language, but used quipu, a system of knotted strings, to record information.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e8c396b01cf4.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/cf6214303d89.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by etherical waterwave


So I am assuming you have searched every place on Earth? Beneath the desert? Under the deepest waters? In every part of the forest? What's that, you haven't? Than you are speculating as well.

Sand can bury a full town within one year, now add about 1000-10,000 years and the civilization is lost for sure. They could have disappeared from droughts, hunger, lack of water, wars, and etc. Than the old place lays forgotten for nature to retake.

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Maybe that should be changed then? According to that logic one could have not only what appears to be "Civilization" but also an "Empire" and still not be considered a "Civilization" by certain criteria.

That is absolutely correct.

It's not my logic. The word "civilization" has a specific meaning in Anthropology. When you're talking about ancient cultures, you are talking, by definition, about Anthropology.

"Civilization" is a term used to classify a culture. Like the term "Pre-Pottery."

Anthropology has to have some kind of definition for the term in order to differentiate between, say, a culture like Sumer and a culture like the Mississippian Mound Builders.

Originally posted by SLAYER69ETA: Also I think you're playing with semantics here. Caral Supe was "Lost" until it was found.

So, every "found" civilization is also a "lost" one?

If you want it that way, then what's the point of discussing "lost" civilizations at all? Why not discuss "found" ones only?

Harte

reply to post by AlienCarnage


Everything is s ss ssstill alive !

Originally posted by Harte
So, every "found" civilization is also a "lost" one?
Harte

Yes obviously for something to be 'found' it has to have been lost

1. to come upon by chance; meet with: He found a nickel in the street.
2. to locate, attain, or obtain by search or effort: to find an apartment; to find happiness.
3. to locate or recover (something lost or misplaced): I can't find my blue socks. source

Arguing otherwise is arguing for the sake of it. Any 'point' your trying to make by arguing the semantics makes you seem petty.

For the sake of argument lost civilizations are generally those who's history and/or location has been lost.

Originally posted by etherical waterwave
Only lost cultures. Still all cultures have something in common. I find tribes making our modern civilisation lack in community. What is it that is nailing community?

edit on 2011/3/1 by etherical waterwave because: (no reason given)

Egypt can be called a civilization which was once lost to us, much of its culture is still in fact 'lost' to us. you cannot call the Ancient Egyptian Civilisation a tribe or a culture.

Civilisation

—n
1. a human society that has highly developed material and spiritual resources and a complex cultural, political, and legal organization; an advanced state in social development
2. the peoples or nations collectively who have achieved such a state
3. the total culture and way of life of a particular people, nation, region, or period: classical civilization
4. the process of bringing or achieving civilization
5. intellectual, cultural, and moral refinement
6. cities or populated areas, as contrasted with sparsely inhabited areas, deserts, etc

Still I overlook things


rereading the thread..

reply to post by Equinox99



Those are ..sst..hidden ssstivilisations.

Originally posted by Versa

Originally posted by etherical waterwave
Only lost cultures. Still all cultures have something in common. I find tribes making our modern civilisation lack in community. What is it that is nailing community?

edit on 2011/3/1 by etherical waterwave because: (no reason given)

Egypt can be called a civilization which was once lost to us, much of its culture is still in fact 'lost' to us. you cannot call the Ancient Egyptian Civilisation a tribe or a culture.

That's correct.

Ancient Egypt meets the criteria required to be classified as a "civilization."

A dictionary is not the proper reference for the term, though, because the word "civilization" in common useage means many other things beyond what it means in an anthropological context.

Here:

A solid working definition of civilization is difficult and depends upon your own judgment. Here are a few textbook definitions:

Civilization is a form of human culture in which many people live in urban centers, have mastered the art of smelting metals, and have developed a method of writing.

The first civilizations began in cities, which were larger, more populated, and more complex in their political, economic and social structure than Neolithic villages.

One definition of civilization requires that a civilized people have a sense of history -- meaning that the past counts in the present.

Source: www.historyguide.org...

Something along those lines is what Anthropology means. However, the definition is not concrete. There are a great many elements involved and a particular culture need not show evidence of every, single element in order to be called a "civilization."

Harte

reply to post by Harte


Thanks for the link there's a nice amount of general info there, more reading for me