Are there any lost civilizations that have only been discovered in the last century or so?

Question

Are there any civilizations that little is known about (yet definitely exists). Preferably somewhat civilized & also preferably one that every one hasn’t already heard of. Any information helps.

Answer 1

I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for.  Do you want some of those "lost" tribes that have been out of contact for centuries and are discovered in some isolated valley or island (still alive today), or civilizations that died out and evidence is still coming in?

Either way, here are a few:

Scythians.  We know the name from Herodotus, but new stuff is being discovered all the time.  They didn't have a written dialogue, but they did bury their dead:

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/25-...

Here's a book that talks about several previously lost civilizations, in the sense that they were unknown for a long time:

http://books.google.com/books?id=srAxrj4...

Homo floresienses (hobbits) are a previously unknown human species that were discovered on the island of Flores.  They were discovered in the past five years or so.

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/flo...

There are a number of tribes known as "uncontacted peoples" in Brazil and New Guinea, as well as other places.  There are some in India who kill outsiders who try to come to their island.  Here are some links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncontacted...

http://anthropology.net/2008/05/30/aeria...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/0...