🇱🇾 Libya · Ancient city
Hadrianopolis (Driana) North Extramural Dunes
Roman to Byzantine (2nd–7th c. CE) · Roman (Cyrenaica)
Dune suburb of Hadrianopolis with fish vats and submerged mole.
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CategoriesAncient cities
Capitals, ports and metropolises that rose, fell and were found again.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Early–Middle Formative (1500–500 BCE) · Olmec (Guerrero Olmec)
Teopantecuanitlán — Balsas Olmec Center in Guerrero, Mexico is a Early–Middle Formative (1500–500 BCE) ancient-city attributed to Olmec (Guerrero Olmec).
🇱🇾 Libya · Ancient city
Roman to Byzantine (2nd–7th c. CE) · Roman (Cyrenaica)
Dune suburb of Hadrianopolis with fish vats and submerged mole.
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Middle Horizon Wari (550–1100 CE) · Wari (Huari)
Pikillacta — Wari Administrative Center in Cusco Region, Peru is a Middle Horizon Wari (550–1100 CE) ancient-city attributed to Wari (Huari).
🇪🇨 Ecuador · Ancient city
Regional Development (350 BCE–400 CE) · Jama-Coaque
San Isidro — Jama-Coaque Ceremonial Center in Manabí Province, Ecuador is a Regional Development (350 BCE–400 CE) ancient-city attributed to Jama-Coaque.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tell
Hittite (c.1600–1180 BCE; peak 1500–1200 as weather-god city) · Hittite (Empire, weather-god cult)
Sarissa (Kuşaklı) on a windswept 1600-m ridge is the Hittite sacred city of the weather-god — planned Hittite city with 2-km wall, dam and granary, built under...
🇬🇷 Greece · Temple complex
Archaic to Hellenistic (651–250 BCE) · Megarian colonial Greek
Selinunte Acropolis Temples — Sicily in Sicily, Greece is a Archaic to Hellenistic (651–250 BCE) temple-complex attributed to Megarian colonial Greek.
🇳🇬 Nigeria · Fortress
Sokoto period (19th c. CE; Gobir resistance) · Hausa (Gobir)
Late Gobir fortified birni (4.2 km) after 1808 fall of Al Kalawa.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Ubaid to Neo-Babylonian (4000–500 BCE) · Sumerian
Ur — Tell Muqayyar Diqdiqqah Residential in Dhi Qar Governorate, Euphrates, Iraq is a Ubaid to Neo-Babylonian (4000–500 BCE) ancient city attributed to Sumerian culture.
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Late Natufian (c.12000–9600 BCE) · Natufian
Natufian open-air hamlet (c.12000–9600 BCE) at the Hula lake edge, excavated by Jean Perrot. Over 50 round semi-subterra...
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Hellenistic–Roman (300 BCE–200 CE) · Lycian (Balboura) Kibyra tetrapolis
Balboura — Lycian Mountain City in Burdur Province, Turkey is a Hellenistic–Roman (300 BCE–200 CE) ancient-city attributed to Lycian (Balboura) Kibyra tetrapolis.
🇱🇧 Lebanon · Ancient city
Phoenician to Roman (2750 BCE–300 CE) · Phoenician
Tyre — Al-Mina Phoenician Port in South Governorate, Phoenician coast, Lebanon is a Phoenician to Roman (2750 BCE–300 CE) ancient city attributed to Phoenician culture.
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Late Intermediate 1100–1470 CE Chachapoya · Chachapoyas
Remote fortified town on Achil ridge between Utcubamba and Huabayacu tributaries of Marañón: 60 circular houses, watchtower 8 m diameter on ridge apex, and 150 m defensive wall with parapet.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Ancient city
Polonnaruwa Period 1070–1232 CE (Chola 993–1070 preceding) · Sinhalese / Chola Tamil Buddhist and Hindu
Second Sinhalese capital (1070–1232 CE) after Anuradhapura's sack, 12th c metropolis of Parakramabahu I with 3,400-ha Parakrama Samudra reservoir, Atadage Dalada Maligawa tooth relic temple, and Gal…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Postclassic–Epiclassic (800–1400 CE) · Western Mexico (Toltec influence?)
El Chanal Archaeological Zone — Colima in Colima, Mexico is a Postclassic–Epiclassic (800–1400 CE) ancient-city attributed to Western Mexico (Toltec influence?).
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Hellenistic to Byzantine (170 BCE–500 CE) · Hellenistic then Roman (Archelaos)
Elaiussa Sebaste — Archaic Port and Agora in Mersin Province, Turkey is a Hellenistic to Byzantine (170 BCE–500 CE) ancient-city attributed to Hellenistic then Roman (Archelaos).
EG · Submerged site
Ptolemaic precursor? Then Augustan to Roman (26 BCE – 3rd c. CE; Ayyubid reuse 11th–13th) · Roman Egyptian / Indo-Roman
Augustan Red Sea short-cut harbour — lagoon 800 m behind reef at Quseir, silted 1 m, abandoned 3rd c. for southern Berenike.
🇻🇳 Vietnam · Ancient city
Champa early capital (4th–8th c. CE) · Cham (Simhapura)
Tra Kieu Lion Citadel — Simhapura in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam is a Champa early capital (4th–8th c. CE) ancient-city attributed to Cham (Simhapura).
🇸🇩 Sudan · Ancient city
New Kingdom (1390–1070 BCE) · Egyptian New Kingdom
Sesebi — Akhenaten's Nubian City in Northern State, Sudan is a New Kingdom (1390–1070 BCE) ancient-city attributed to Egyptian New Kingdom.
🇱🇧 Lebanon · Ancient city
Neolithic to Phoenician (5000–1200 BCE) · Byblos culture
Byblos — Seaside Neolithic Harbour in Keserwan-Jbeil, coast, Lebanon is a Neolithic to Phoenician (5000–1200 BCE) ancient city attributed to Byblos culture culture.
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Early Hindu 8th–11th c + Gujarat Sultanate 1484–1535 CE · Rajput / Chalukya Hindu + Gujarat Sultanate Islamic
Concentrated ensemble of 8th–16th c heritage within 1,329 ha: Chalukya hill fort and Lakulisa temples on Pavagadh (737 m cone), and Sultanate Champaner – pre-Mughal Islamic city (1484–1535) of Mahmud…
🇮🇳 India · Hydraulic works
Chola Early historic to Medieval (100 – 1030 CE) · Tamil Chola hydraulic statecraft
South Vennar regulator of 2nd-c Chola anicut with Rajendra I inscriptions 1012 CE.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Hellenistic Attalid to Roman Hadrianic (300 BCE – 130 CE) · Attalid Pergamene to Roman Asia provincial
Upper terrace Trajan–Hadrian Corinthian sanctuary behind Zeus altar.
🇰🇪 Kenya · Ancient city
Swahili earliest (8th–14th c CE) · Swahili (proto-Swahili)
Shanga — Pate Island Early Swahili Town in Lamu County, Kenya is a Swahili earliest (8th–14th c CE) ancient-city attributed to Swahili (proto-Swahili). Earliest Swahili town 15 ha with 8th c.
🇹🇳 Tunisia · Ancient city
Roman (1st c. BCE–7th c. CE) · Numidian / Roman-Christian
Hill municipium with double temples and siphon aqueduct.
