jjares reviewed The Famous Lost Cities of Antiquity: The History of Large Settlements in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and the Middle East that Suddenly Disappeared on + 3275 more book reviews
This is an overview of several important cities in Egypt, Greece, and the Middle East that disappeared. Only recently has archaeology found these places again. Some were considered myths because no one knew where they were located. Bless Charles Rivers for the abundance of photos and maps; they helped tremendously.
Heracleion-Canopus-Naucratis was an important international port region in the Mediterranean Sea area. This is where people entered and exited Egypt. These cities operated as one giant metropolitan port. Due to a buildup of sediment, the coastline extended into the sea. This process took about 5000 years and wouldn't have been obvious to its citizens.
After about 2000 years, the process was reversed, and Heracleion began sinking. Eventually, the area sank as the water table rose. Because it happened so gradually, the people were unaware until it was too late. Then, a series of earthquakes decimated the coastline, submerging these three cities and Alexandria.
Alexandria was created in Egypt in a limited space (to show the Greeks' idea of Hellenism). It was also built on the Nile delta. Alexandria was a multicultural city. When Ptolemy inherited Egypt, he made Alexandria the capital, which hurt the three cities mentioned above.
When the Romans took over Egypt, they continued to use Alexandria. By the time the Romans moved in, the subsidence was earnestly underway. The same thing that destroyed Heracleion-Canopus-Naucratis also sank Alexandria.
For about 100 years, Mari was the most important city in Mesopotamia. After Babylonian King Hammurabi captured the city, it was eventually deserted and abandoned. When archeologists in the 1800s and 1900s found frequent mention of Mari, no one had any idea of its locale or size.
Heinrich Schliemann found Troy in the 1870s. It was located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. He also worked sites on the island of Crete, eventually opening up the ancient area of Knossos. However, the British gentleman scholar Arthur Evans did extensive digging on Crete and named the area the Minoan Culture.
The map of Crete (page 103) shows dozens of sites where work is being done to excavate ancient sites. Evidence shows that these sites were devastated by earthquakes and rebuilt, only to have it happen repeatedly. Then, catastrophic fires leveled the sites. Eventually, the Minoans were so weakened that they could not afford to rebuild.
Finally, this book describes the hunt for Ubar (also called Iram or Webar). They describe how knowledge of Ubar came about. This ancient city was reputed to be in the "Empty Quarter" of Oman. To understand this, think about the film LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Those mountain-high sand dunes were the 'empty quarter.'
Of all the stories of excavation, the one about Ubar is the most interesting, long, and involved. Nicholas Clapp and a group of archaeologists went to Oman and found pottery shards and indications that they might have found Ubar. However, a huge sinkhole developed in the middle of the site (hundreds of feet wide and more than 40 feet deep). This ended their trek but they claim they found Ubar. Some question that.
It took the technological advances of the 20th century to assist in the search for these missing cities. The sites are in various states of discovery, but much more is expected in the future.
Heracleion-Canopus-Naucratis was an important international port region in the Mediterranean Sea area. This is where people entered and exited Egypt. These cities operated as one giant metropolitan port. Due to a buildup of sediment, the coastline extended into the sea. This process took about 5000 years and wouldn't have been obvious to its citizens.
After about 2000 years, the process was reversed, and Heracleion began sinking. Eventually, the area sank as the water table rose. Because it happened so gradually, the people were unaware until it was too late. Then, a series of earthquakes decimated the coastline, submerging these three cities and Alexandria.
Alexandria was created in Egypt in a limited space (to show the Greeks' idea of Hellenism). It was also built on the Nile delta. Alexandria was a multicultural city. When Ptolemy inherited Egypt, he made Alexandria the capital, which hurt the three cities mentioned above.
When the Romans took over Egypt, they continued to use Alexandria. By the time the Romans moved in, the subsidence was earnestly underway. The same thing that destroyed Heracleion-Canopus-Naucratis also sank Alexandria.
For about 100 years, Mari was the most important city in Mesopotamia. After Babylonian King Hammurabi captured the city, it was eventually deserted and abandoned. When archeologists in the 1800s and 1900s found frequent mention of Mari, no one had any idea of its locale or size.
Heinrich Schliemann found Troy in the 1870s. It was located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. He also worked sites on the island of Crete, eventually opening up the ancient area of Knossos. However, the British gentleman scholar Arthur Evans did extensive digging on Crete and named the area the Minoan Culture.
The map of Crete (page 103) shows dozens of sites where work is being done to excavate ancient sites. Evidence shows that these sites were devastated by earthquakes and rebuilt, only to have it happen repeatedly. Then, catastrophic fires leveled the sites. Eventually, the Minoans were so weakened that they could not afford to rebuild.
Finally, this book describes the hunt for Ubar (also called Iram or Webar). They describe how knowledge of Ubar came about. This ancient city was reputed to be in the "Empty Quarter" of Oman. To understand this, think about the film LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Those mountain-high sand dunes were the 'empty quarter.'
Of all the stories of excavation, the one about Ubar is the most interesting, long, and involved. Nicholas Clapp and a group of archaeologists went to Oman and found pottery shards and indications that they might have found Ubar. However, a huge sinkhole developed in the middle of the site (hundreds of feet wide and more than 40 feet deep). This ended their trek but they claim they found Ubar. Some question that.
It took the technological advances of the 20th century to assist in the search for these missing cities. The sites are in various states of discovery, but much more is expected in the future.
