If their were hyper advanced human civilizations, before ours would we know it?

[mathew101281]

I was watching an old tv show called Life after People. It’s about how the earth would far if humans suddenly disappeared. What really surprised me is how many things we consider solid or durable markers of our technological advancement, would disappear almost without a trace within a couple hundred years if their weren’t enough humans around to maintain them. It got me thinking, about the possibility of advanced societies in the past that could have been lost in a similar matter. Then you have bizarre archeological finds like the Sumerian battery that just seem to not make sense with the rest of the technology found around it.

[Carabas]

I was watching an old tv show called Life after People. It’s about how the earth would far if humans suddenly disappeared. What really surprised me is how many things we consider solid or durable markers of our technological advancement, would disappear almost without a trace within a couple hundred years if their weren’t enough humans around to maintain them. It got me thinking, about the possibility of advanced societies in the past that could have been lost in a similar matter. Then you have bizarre archeological finds like the Sumerian battery that just seem to not make sense with the rest of the technology found around it.

Well, one would imagine they'd have left a whole lot more evidence behind than all the non-hyper-advanced civilisations that we do know about.

[kjn]

NASA scientist Gavin Schmidt pondered exactly those questions, including writing a short story about discovering a prehistorical advanced civilisation: "Under the Sun".

[DrNewGod]

Unless they were radically different than everything else we've known, I'd think that the thing to look for would be refined materials. Namely, alloys and ceramics that might not decay over time.

[Starter Set]

Theoretically possible.

For example at one point it's possible that an advanced civilization lived in a area who back then was hospitable but now is a desert or underwater or whatever else kind of environment who would explain why we haven't found any evidence of them yet.

That being said, that's not something i think ever happened. No civilization is an island. I mean, we learned for example of the Hittites from some words from the bible, the Egyptians, the Babylonians and other sources. Before even finding any real archeological sites or texts from them we knew that a civilization existed around that area in that specific time-frame, more or less, just thanks to their neighbors.

Another example are the sea peoples. We don't know much about them but we do now for sure that they existed thanks to the impact they had on the late bronze age and thanks to one very precious Egyptian text. (among other things)

[ed2962]

When we go back to the moon, we'll find that Blue Area with the abandoned city, just you wait.

[SuperiorIronman]

With the planet being a large majority water, that might've happened. However we have nothing to suggest that landmasses supported things like this. It's not to say it's impossible, but we should have more archeological and fossil records of one if one did exist. We also wouldn't know what to even look for. An ancient civilization might have a radically different appearance, bodily structure that might not fossilize well, and have made things out of material that are for all intents and purposes alien to us. Or those materials might be so commonplace to us, we would overlook it.

If you're thinking highly advanced (as in industrial revolution on-wards), probably not. However with their being dozens if not more hominids discovered it's not out of the question to have some early societies build up and then die out later.

[KnockBlock]

It got me thinking, about the possibility of advanced societies in the past that could have been lost in a similar matter. Then you have bizarre archeological finds like the Sumerian battery that just seem to not make sense with the rest of the technology found around it.

Humans in the past indeed lived in a more advanced society. They had technology that people living today are puzzled by. Our human ancestors were more technologically advanced. Something the mainstream education and institutions around the world brainwash the populace about.

[Kirby101]

Humans in the past indeed lived in a more advanced society. They had technology that people living today are puzzled by. Our human ancestors were more technologically advanced. Something the mainstream education and institutions around the world brainwash the populace about.

Where is your evidence for this?

[Carabas]

Humans in the past indeed lived in a more advanced society. They had technology that people living today are puzzled by. Our human ancestors were more technologically advanced. Something the mainstream education and institutions around the world brainwash the populace about.

More like the other way round. We've gotten so comfortable using our advanced tech that we have lost knowledge of some low/no tech techniques by which our ancestors got things done.

[Lee Stone]

Of course, then there's the possibility of actually discovering something and being totally oblivious to it being an artifact, or what its purpose was.

A lot of the tech we have now would just look like oddly shaped rocks if the next civilization never discovers electricity.

I've always pondered the thought that if an ancient civilization used crystals to store information on (much like we do with memory cards), we might never know it.

[Adam Allen]

Of course, then there's the possibility of actually discovering something and being totally oblivious to it being an artifact, or what its purpose was.

A lot of the tech we have now would just look like oddly shaped rocks if the next civilization never discovers electricity.

I've always pondered the thought that if an ancient civilization used crystals to store information on (much like we do with memory cards), we might never know it.

Electricity is just a natural phenomenon, like light or thermal energy. There's no way any civilization evolves technology without being aware of it.

[Lee Stone]

Electricity is just a natural phenomenon, like light or thermal energy. There's no way any civilization evolves technology without being aware of it.

Maybe electricity, itself, was a poor example.
Regardless, they wouldn't know what an iPhone was for.

Similarly, a vinyl record (if one survived) would likely appear to them as a possible wall ornament.
Or a 'rain catcher', with the mysterious grooves designed to lead water to the center. Where it would then flow through the hole to be filtered.