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Abandoned Civilisations

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Ruined cities overgrown by jungle. Towns buried beneath the ground. Statues lying half- hidden in the sand. Why do civilisations collapse? Why are towns abandoned? And how do once mighty cities come to be forgotten about? From the pyramids of Egypt to the ruins at Angkor in Cambodia and on to the mysteries of the Easter Island moai statues, Abandoned Civilisations is a brilliant pictorial work examining lost worlds. What emerges is a picture of how vast societies can rise, thrive and then collapse. We admire how whole cities develop, but equally fascinating is what happens when their moment has passed. From the 9th century temples at Khajuraho in India which were lost in the date palm trees until stumbled across by European engineers in the 19th century to Mayan pyramids in the Guatemalan jungle to Roman cities semi-buried – but consequently preserved – in the North African desert, the book explores why societies fall and what, once abandoned, they leave behind to history. With 150 striking colour photographs exploring 100 worlds, Abandoned Civilisations is a fascinating visual history of the mysteries of lost societies.

224 pages, Hardcover

Published July 14, 2018

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Kieron Connolly

17 books3 followers

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile.
2,439 reviews924 followers
July 4, 2024
A gorgeous collection of photographs depicting ancient burial sites, cities, places of worship, and unknown places. The descriptions and explanations were succinct and not overly wordy.
Profile Image for Andy Hickman.
7,393 reviews51 followers
July 8, 2020
Gorgeous book, breath-taking images, oh to actually visit there in person! Wow!
Historical narratives break your heart and make you wish these places had been better respected and preserved.
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Abandoned Civilisations: The Mysteries Behind More Than 90 Lost Worlds (Hardcover)
by Kieron Connolly
Profile Image for Brian.
385 reviews4 followers
February 13, 2019
Didn't quite go into the amount of information that I was hoping it would, but there was some beautiful photography. it's bizarre how many civilizations have come and gone
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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