Science is constantly throwing up new discoveries, and changing the way we look at the world. This is why it’s so important to study as much as we can, and constantly question everything – sometimes the results are not what we think they might be. Some of the best scientific discoveries of all time are the studies of amazing artifacts and lost civilizations, and these change what we thought we knew about the world.
A great recent example of this is a discovery that has wowed scientists across the world. Looking at a 3,200-year-old stone inscription, experts reckon they have found details of a lost civilization. This is always incredibly exciting for archaeologists and linguists alike and throws up the opportunity for plenty more discoveries to be made. So, let’s delve a little deeper and find out more about this stunning discovery.
The inscription
Stop us if you’ve heard this before – a young Trojan prince loses his throne to a powerful and menacing usurper, who leads a powerful but mysterious civilization known only as the Sea People. No, you haven‘t just read the plot for season 8 of Game of Thrones; this is actually taken from a translation of a 3,200-year-old stone inscription. This is the discovery that has got tongues wagging, and has made a lot of people believe we have discovered a new civilization. The text has taken more than a century for people to actually decipher it fully, but we reckon it’s certainly been well worth it.
What we found
Deciphering the text has revealed so much of interest – firstly, the language used for the inscription is an ancient language known as Luwian. The inscription reveals a powerful ancient kingdom known as Mira, who could well be the Sea Peoples we heard so much about! Anyway, it seems that the ruler of Mira, King Mashuittas, stole the Trojan throne. And, when his son assumed control of the throne, he became ruler of Troy. It is considered that Mira is a forgotten civilization that was made up of a selection of small kingdoms, located in Asia Minor. They shared the Luwian language and had a powerful seafaring culture as well.
Their impact
The Luwians, as we will now refer to them, are thought to have played a crucial role in one of the major conflicts of the time. The Battle of Troy was one of the defining wars at the time and was responsible for wiping many civilizations off the face of the Earth, destroying the Mycenaeans, and the Ancient Egyptians. This conflict is thought to have signified the end of the Bronze Age, as well as the end of many of the powerful civilizations in the world.
Is it real?
Whenever a discovery like this is made, there is always the question of whether it is real or fake. There is a lot of debate surrounding this inscription, not least because it wasn’t an original. It is thought that the translation was made by Georges Perrot in 1878, and the original was destroyed, meaning historians only have Perrot’s copy to refer to. This has led many to believe it might have been a forgery, or even, something that was made up by Perrot. This is possible, however, there are only about a dozen Luwian scholars on the planet, so this would have been tricky!
This is certainly a cool discovery and might help us to understand a lot more about the Bronze Age, and what caused it to come to an end. There are plenty of wonderful things to learn from this inscription, though it’s still a little unclear whether it is definitely legitimate. Of course, we all hope the inscription is legitimate as it would mean the unearthing of a new civilization, and this is always a fascinating discovery.
