It is always fascinating in traveling to run upon artifacts and evidence of civilizations long since past. These moments are small glimpses into the past of a people and a culture and give a little understanding to the history of a place. But then we realize that the glimpse is not enough and we find there are so many more questions we want answers to about these people. It creates a drive to learn more and dive deeper into the history and how it connects to the present day. There are many places like this, but here are a few of my favorite places with that glimpse to a past civilization.
Hill of Tara {Ireland}
On a visit to Ireland we went to the see the Hill of Tara. Tara was considered the center of power for the pantheon of pagan gods. Set among the rolling hills, circles spread out from this center point representing different rings of power and different levels of influence.
This site was established by the first Gael people that arrived and was believed to be the seat of the High King. When a new High King was inaugurated, they would hold a symbolic ceremony of the new King being married to the goddess of the land, Maeve, to show his devotion and protection over the land and her people.
Next to the grassy mounds of Tara sits a church dedicated to St. Patrick. A church has stood here since about 1100 where it was believed that when St. Patrick brought the beliefs of Christianity to the Pagan people, and that it was here he had the most success in that cause.
And so since 1100 the two sites sit next each other showing the movement through time and beliefs in this part of Ireland.
Tel Megiddo {Israel}
One of the most profound places of past civilizations was in Israel at the Tel Megiddo National Park where around 30 different civilizations built on top of the ruins of the civilization before them and is now this multilayer timeline of thousands of years.
This spot is along the green furtile land that acts as a crossroads along the only route between Egypt and what was Mesopotamia. So to own this land meant owning the trade route and owning the water that fed the land.
Because it was so sought after people having been fighting to claim this land for thousands of years. With each new wave of victors, they would build their city on top of the city of the taken until there are the different cities stacked on top of each other.
Archeologists have been studying these layers, peeling away a small part of one while still leaving as much of the integrity as possible.
Anchorage {Alaska}
One of the greatest museums I have visited was in Anchorage where it gave an extensive understanding of the many indigenous tribes that called this land home long before it was America’s ‘last frontier’.
The original people of this land arrived thousands of years ago from Asia crossing the Bering Straight, a former land mass that connected the two continents. To see the art and artifacts of these people reflected how they created communities and developed skills and beliefs living in such a harsh environment was really interesting.
One aspect of these communities was the creation of totem poles depicting different animals carved into the wood. Because people relied heavily on animals for their livelihood, the people developed deep rooted connection to the animals and what they represented.
Each animal was believed to have specific power and spiritual meaning. Totem poles were an embodiment of the meaning of the animal and represented a community’s history and traditions. While totem poles can be seen throughout Alaska, the museum has remnants of the oldest poles that have been discovered.
Pape’ete {French Polynesia}
While on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia we came across an ancient site marked with guarding stone figures. When I asked a local when these were from, what they mean, who put them here the answer came back that no one really knew. Somewhere in the pages of the history, the beliefs and practices surrounding this site were lost leaving only questions and guesses behind.
The figures had flowers tucked into their arms, tokens of a recent visitor hoping that by placing flowers good luck would follow.
Near the guarding figures was a tiered ceremonial place surrounded by bright red pronged stands. Again the beliefs and traditions surrounding this place were unknown. The only thing that locals were sure of was that it was for ceremonies.
Maybe for tribunals, maybe for weddings, maybe for the passing of a loved one, maybe for all those things depending on what the day required. The whole place was brilliant for the imagination. While the legends may have been lost, the people of Tahiti still maintained and protected the site and wanted to honor those that first created it.
Cueva de las Maravillas {Dominican Republic}
On a tour of the Cueva de Las Maravillas (or Cave of Wonders) just outside of La Romana, we saw the etching and pictographs of an ancient civilization that called these caves home.
These caves were first called the Jaguar Caves, but then later was renamed Cave of Wonders as the rock formations reflected in the pools of water created such a feeling of wonder to visitors.
The real treasure of the park however is the hundreds of pictographs from the ancient Taínos people that lived here on the island thousands of years ago. There are 472 pictographs in the caves depicting people, animals, shapes, and mythical creatures.
Anthropologists are studying these pictographs trying to understand the people and the stories they were sharing through these pictures. The name Cave of Wonder seemed fitting as we looked at these old drawings and wondered what they all meant and what it must have been like to live here in these caves.
It is so fascinating to see these small glimpses of civilizations long ago. You can’t help wonder at what their life was like and in turn what they would think of how the world is now. Would they embrace the modern or still hold to what they knew? And in turn, would their influence cause us to rethink and maybe simplify our lives to be more in line with the natural world around us?
Seeing sites like these are some of the best history lessons, even when some of the pages of the book are missing.
Thanks for coming along today on visits to places of past civilizations.
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