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Antiquated documents and mythologies are also reticent
on the causes which led to the destruction of the
former civilizations. Instead they merely narrate
the events, affairs and the conquests of their times.
Then there are works produced by the courtiers and
written in praise of the ruling elite with details
of wars and conquests, overlooking some very vital
aspects of life. In addition, there are the mythologies.
But in this age of science what we actually need is
a critical evaluation of facts, duly ascertained by
the experts in the light of the scientific analysis
which would ultimately inform us about what really
destroyed the earlier civilizations.
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The remains of the bygone civilizations are found
on three levels. A few ruins are still on the surface;
some went under the ground while others are under
water. In every part of the world the specialists
are working on all the three levels. Nowadays through
the satellites the search in this field has become
all the more easy and the human knowledge has been
breaking bounds ever since.
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We are not certain about the exact number of the
lost civilizations whether under the ground or under
water. We have come to know of only a few of them
through the latest archeological excavations, tourism
and the satellites. It is obvious that a lot more
is buried deep underneath. However the architectural
or the residential monuments, be it pyramids of
Egypt, caves of Ajanta, Ellora or pillars of Rome,
provide us only a partial glimpse of their own age
but enhance our appetite to probe further.
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Nearer
home, in the Indian subcontinent we find Mohenjo-Daro,
Ajanta-Ellora, Dwarka etc. but we have failed to
know till this day how a whole lot of civilization
or a complete culture disappeared off the face of
the earth. The studies carried out so far reveal
that the following features were common to all those
razed civilizations: -
1)
On the eve of destruction all the civilizations
were at their zenith.
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| 2)
Luxuries were abundantly available. |
| 3)
Multifarious modes of worship were common
to all. |
| 4)
Pervasive social & religious oppression
was prevailing. |
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