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CategoriesAncient cities
Capitals, ports and metropolises that rose, fell and were found again.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Ancient city
Sogdian to Timurid (600 BCE–1400 CE) · Sogdian to Karakhanid to Timurid
Sairam–Isfijab is Kazakhstan's oldest city (600 BCE–1400 CE) — ancient Isfijab, 40-ha citadel–shahristan–rabad on the Syr Darya Silk Road with 8 gates.
🇱🇾 Libya · Ancient city
Hellenistic to Roman (3rd c. BCE–5th c. CE) · Greek / Roman
Marmarica dye harbour with Hellenistic tower and cisterns.
🇹🇭 Thailand · Temple complex
Sukhothai Kingdom 1238–1438 · Thai (Sukhothai)
First capital of Siam (1238–1438) with moated royal city, Wat Mahathat and 193 ruins merging Khmer and Sri Lankan styles, birthplace of Thai alphabet.
🇵🇪 Peru · Megalith
Wari Middle Horizon 600–1000 CE · Wari (Huari imperial)
Wari mausoleum 64 tombs gold queens 600–800 CE, intact 2012.
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Late Archaic 3550–2500 BCE · Norte Chico (Caral)
Caral network city 54 ha 3550–2500 BCE, 10 plazas.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Late Postclassic 1116–1520 CE · Matlatzinca → Aztec
Round Temple of Ehécatl 27 m, Matlatzinca 1116–1476 CE.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Maya Postclassic 1220–1440 CE · Maya (Cocom–League)
Walled capital 9 km wall, 4000 structures, League 1220–1440 CE.
🇺🇸 United States · Earthwork
Mississippian 1000–1250 CE · Mississippian (Cahokian)
Northernmost Mississippian walled town 1000–1250 CE.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Zapotec Postclassic 1250–1521 CE · Zapotec (Tlacolula valley)
Zapotec hill-fortress Palace Six Patios 1250–1400 CE, UNESCO 2010.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Maya Early–Late Classic 250–600 CE · Maya (Kaanul Snake Dynasty)
Snake Dynasty capital 60 ha corridor, 250–600 CE.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Epiclassic 650–900 CE · Epiclassic central Mexican
Fortified hilltop Pyramid of Plumed Serpents, zenith cave, UNESCO 1999.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Ancient city
Hellenistic to Kushan (320 BCE–500 CE) · Seleucids to Kushans (Yuezhi)
Yerkurgan is a Hellenistic–Kushan city (30 ha) near Karshi with Kushan palace, Greek Corinthian capitals, and Buddhist temple on the Silk Road.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Maya Late Preclassic–Late Classic 400 BCE–1450 CE · Maya (Chenés–Puuc)
Five-storey 32 m pyramid, 1.4 km hydraulic canal.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Maya Classic and Chontal Postclassic · Maya (Chontal Acalan)
Chontal capital pyramid 25 m, Cuauhtémoc execution 1525.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Maya Late Classic 300–1000 CE · Maya (Puuc, Uxmal polity)
Palace of Masks 250 Chaac masks, 18 km sacbé 800–950 CE, UNESCO 1996.
🇵🇪 Peru · Megalith
Chimú – Late Intermediate 1200–1532 CE · Chimú → Inca
Chimú hill-fort four walls, Inca tambo after 1470.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Ancient city
Ferghana to Karakhanid (600 BCE–1200 CE) · Ferghana (Dayuan) Buddhist to Islamic
Kuva is Ferghana's Buddhist–Islamic city (20 ha) with 7th–9th c Buddhist temple (9 clay colossi, Gandhara stucco) then Karakhanid palace.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Maya Late Classic 700–1000 CE · Maya (Puuc)
70 m Gran Palacio 90 rooms, Puuc 800–1000 CE.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Maya Classic 200–900 CE · Maya (Rio Bec–Chenés)
Temple of Masks five 3 m stucco masks, Rio Bec–Chenés.
🇩🇿 Algeria · Fortress
Roman (1st–7th c CE) · Roman (Mauretania Caesariensis)
Cheliff valley fortified village with Donatist basilica, inscription of martyrdom 304 CE, and earthquake-prone castellum walls.
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Classic · Maya/Andean
Pampa de las Llamas — 700 collcas storage city.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Temple complex
Maya Classic–Postclassic 300 BCE–1500 CE · Maya (Puuc–Chenés)
Red hill palaces 44 m portico, hematite, Puuc-Toltec 600–1000 CE.
🇸🇾 Syria · Tell
Early Bronze IVA (2600–2300 BCE) archive · Early Syrian Eblaite
Mardikh excavated by Matthiae 1964–, 20,000 tablet fragments, bilingual Sumerian-Eblaite vocabularies and palace colonnade.
