🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Hyllarima Temple of Zeus Hyllos — Kavaklıdere Upland
Classical to Roman · Carian, Hellenistic
850-m Kavaklıdere upland Zeus Hyllos 2nd BCE prostylos with agora odeion, Chrysaoric League pastoral city.
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CategoriesAncient cities
Capitals, ports and metropolises that rose, fell and were found again.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Early Dynastic to Neo-Assyrian (c. 2700 BCE – 612 BCE) · Assyrian / Mitanni / Neo-Assyrian
Assyrian capital's Tigris quay – 60 m limestone quay with winged lamassu harbour gate under fields.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Classical to Roman · Carian, Hellenistic
850-m Kavaklıdere upland Zeus Hyllos 2nd BCE prostylos with agora odeion, Chrysaoric League pastoral city.
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Mauryan Ashoka → Sunga 3rd–1st c BCE · Sunga Buddhist Hinayana — early narrative sculpture
Bharhut Satna Stupa — Sunga–Satavahana Buddhist stupa (3rd c BCE Ashokan nucleus, 2nd c BCE Sunga rail decoration) at Bharhut 15 km Satna, discovered 1873 by Cunningham with 40 ft stupa, red…
🇸🇾 Syria · Ancient city
Early Bronze to Old Babylonian (Ebla to Hammurabi) · Semitic Ebla-Mari–Akkadian world, Dagan cult
Holy city of god Dagan at Euphrates-Balikh mouth, tell Bi'a = Early Dynastic Tuttul (c.2600–1700 BCE) where Ebla tablets locate Dagan's oracle and Sargon of Akkad stopped for blessing.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Pyramid
Late Preclassic (Mirador Basin Preclassic) · Maya (Preclassic Mirador)
Preclassic 400 BCE giant triadic pyramid Structure 1 at Nakbe — 45 m high Mirador Basin predecessor to El Mirador, earliest Maya monumental pyramid.
🇺🇸 United States · Earthwork
Late Woodland to Mississippian (Coles Creek – Lake George phase 700–1500 CE) · Plaquemine / Mississippian (Lake George)
Yazoo Basin Mississippian–Plaquemine center (700–1500 CE, peak 1300–1500): 25 mounds over 40 ha including 8-m-high concial-temple Mound C (55×40 m), flat-top Mound A 12 m high (80×60 m) second…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Early Classic to Epiclassic 600–1200 CE (apogee 800–1150, Veracruz Central tradition) · Classic Veracruz / Totonac (Gulf Coast, central Veracruz cultural tradition)
Classic Veracruz capital (600–1200 CE) famed for Pyramid of the Niches (365 niches – one per solar day – 18 m high with 365 + 7 step symbolism, seven-storey enclave temple), 17 ballcourts (most of…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Terminal Classic – Postclassic (900–1520 CE) · Maya (Putún-Chontal / Campeche coast)
Postclassic salt–shell island port (900–1520 CE) on Uaymil sand barrier island north of Jaina, 25 km offshore Campeche mangroves: 20 low platforms 1–2 m high with columned halls, oratories and…
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan · Ancient city
Achaemenid 5th c BCE → Khwarezmshahs 11th–13th c CE → Golden Horde · Khwarezmian → Seljuk → Khwarezmshahs → Mongol
Konye-Urgench — capital of Khwarezm (Achaemenid–Golden Horde, 5th c BCE–17th c CE) 35 km south Uzbekistan border, excavated 1930s Tolstov and 1990s Berlin.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Medieval (regional) · Medieval
Royal Derinkuyu Reservoir I — Derinkuyu, Cappadocia (59-33) at Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey is a Medieval (regional) ancient city of the Medieval tradition, built c.
🇲🇹 Malta · Ancient city
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Sacred Hypogeum Platform B — Hypogeum, Paola (59-23) at Hypogeum, Paola, Malta is a Early Historic (regional) ancient city of the Early Historic tradition, built c.
🇧🇴 Bolivia · Ancient city
Late Horizon Inca Imperial (1463–1536 CE) · Inca (Tawantinsuyu – Tupac Yupanqui / Huayna Capac)
Gigantic Inca imperial town (c.1463–1530s, Tupac Yupanqui) on eastern Andean slope guarding Cochabamba–Antisuyo frontier: Kallanka great hall 78 m long × 26 m wide × 13 m high (largest roofed Inca…
🇮🇷 Iran · Tell
Neolithic to Iron Age II (c.6000–800 BCE; continuum sample) · Iranian Plateau local → Proto-Elamite → Old Elamite (?) → Iron Age Median-affinity
Iran's longest tell with two ziggurats — carbon-painted Sialk ware and Median horse burials.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Ancient city
Predynastic to Ptolemaic to Late Antique · Egyptian (Lower Egyptian Delta)
Delta metropolis and cult centre of ram god Banebdjedet (Greek Mendes), capital of 16th Nome and briefly capital of 29th Dynasty (Nepherites I, c.399–380 BCE) under Persian-period independence.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Tell
Early Dynastic to Hellenistic (c.3000 BCE–100 BCE) · Sumerian → Akkadian → Babylonian → Hellenistic
Cutha (Tell Ibrahim, ancient Kutha/Gudua) is the Nergal cult centre on the Euphrates branch northeast of Babylon, famed in legend as 'Cutha of the Legend of Ner...
🇿🇦 South Africa · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban
Thulamela — Citadel Ancillary Enclosure (Kruger) in Limpopo, Kruger, Thulamela, South Africa is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city at…
🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Royal Eridu Hilltop South — Eridu (53-34) at Eridu, Iraq is a Early Historic (regional) ancient city of the Early Historic tradition, built c. 400 BCE for hilltop and associated settlement.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Postclassic (Chichimec / Aztec) · Chichimec / Aztec (Nahua)
Aztec twin-stair Coatepetl pyramid at Tenayuca — 38×22 m 19 m high with 40 serpent-head balustrades, 6 rebuild nests c.1220–1350 CE precursor to Templo Mayor.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Late Postclassic Aztec (Mexica) · Mexica (Aztec) Triple Alliance
Dual shrine pyramid (Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, 1325–1519 CE) — heart of island city Tenochtitlan (population 200,000 in 1519, larger than most European capitals on Lake Texcoco), built in seven…
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Byzantine (peak Classical Lycian 6th–4th c. BCE and Roman) · Lycian (Anatolian Indo-European) → Persian satrapy → Hellenistic → Roman
Lycian capital Xanthos and marsh sanctuary Letoon — trilingual stele solved Lycian.
🇿🇦 South Africa · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban
Mapungubwe — Hill Ancillary Midden Terrace (Limpopo) in Limpopo, Mapungubwe, South Africa is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city attri…
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban; Inca
Intipunku Sun Gate — North Approach (Machu Picchu) in Cusco, Machu Picchu, Intipunku, Peru is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city attr…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban
Casas Grandes (Paquimé) — Unit 12 North Room Block in Chihuahua, Casas Grandes, Paquimé, Mexico is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city…
🇱🇾 Libya · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban
Leptis Magna — Severan Basilica North Apse in Al-Murgub, Leptis Magna, Libya is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city attributed to Bron…
