There is mounting scientific evidence that our planet was struck with a massive cataclysm 12,000 years ago which destroyed ancient civilizations that would have existed at that time. My book studies the evidence of this:
https://www.amazon.com/Aftershock-Ancient-Cataclysm-Erased-History/dp/1534907106/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474478153&sr=8-1&keywords=brien+foerster