Lost

Ancient civilizations; that time before time; beyond even the rising infant sun of recorded history. The article that follows is meat for those of us who speculate on these mysteries of human civilization. Emma Young attempts to separate fact from fiction in "Lost."

"Researchers are beginning to unravel the stories of Earth's mysterious lost civilizations, and separate the evidence from the prolific myths."

There's nothing like a 'lost civilisation' to spark interest in a gripping tale of destruction and lost knowledge. But when it comes to the tales of lost civilisations, limited facts are often embellished by documentary-makers and writers. "So often, the facts are sacrificed for a nice yarn," says Colin Hope, an Egyptologist and director of the Centre for Archaeology and Ancient History at Monash University, Melbourne.

For many lost civilisations, such as Atlantis and Easter Island, the yarn goes far beyond the evidence. But, for others, recent research is revealing startling gems of truth at the heart of some previously disregarded or overlooked stories - such as the great cities of Africa or even El Dorado, a fabulous city reputed by Spanish conquistadors to lie hidden deep within the Amazon jungle.

So what do researchers really know about our lost civilisations? Where do the facts end and the fantasy begin?
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