This is the 14134th most frequent Russian word.
описали
"Described."
Here, 'описали' means 'described' and refers to the act of detailing or explaining ancient cultures.
В книге описали древние культуры.
In the book, they described ancient cultures.
In this context, 'описали' is used to convey how someone characterized or expressed the impressions they had about the trip.
Мы описали свои впечатления о поездке.
We described our impressions about the trip.
Here, 'описали' involves the scientific act of documenting and explaining characteristics of a new species.