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CategoriesAncient cities
Capitals, ports and metropolises that rose, fell and were found again.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Minoan to Late Roman (Bronze Age – 2nd c. CE) · Minoan / Dorian Greek / Hellenistic / Roman
Dorian Cretan harbour city subsided by 2nd c. quake — walls now snorkelable in 1–3 m off Elounda causeway.
🇸🇾 Syria · Tell
Chalcolithic to Bronze Age (4500–1200 BCE) · Chalcolithic–Early Bronze
Tell Halaf — North Palace Annex (Khabur) in Al-Hasakah, Ras al-Ayn, Tell Halaf, Syria is a Chalcolithic to Bronze Age (4500–1200 BCE) tell attributed to Ch…
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Mauryan to Ikshvaku 300 BCE–400 CE · Satavahana / Ikshvaku
Largest Buddhist stupa in Deccan (c.300 BCE–300 CE), 50 m diameter drum plus 15 m high dome and 42 m high railing, capital of Satavahana (Andhra) empire's Buddhist centre Dhanyakataka.
🇹🇳 Tunisia · Ancient city
Numidian to Byzantine (3rd c. BCE–7th c. CE; peak 2nd–5th c. CE) · Numidian / Roman / Byzantine
Belalis Maior (Henchir el-Faouar) dominates a platform 8 km northeast of Béja, a fertile Tell city excavated by Mahjoubi since 1960. Revealed: monumental capitol (peripteral), Byzantine citadel 6th c.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Pyramid
Maya Classic · Maya Waka' kingdom (Calakmul ally)
Maya royal city Waka' (El Perú) above San Juan River: 18 m Stela Plaza north pyramid, tomb of Lady K'abel (Stela 34) Kalakmul queen, 250–900 CE.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tell
Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze (c.3200–1800 BCE) · EB Anatolian → Assyrian Colony period predecessors
Oldest tin mine (Kestel, 4500 m galleries, EBA) and its processing settlement Göltepe (8 ha) in the Bolkar Taurus, excav...
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Yayoi 300 BCE–300 CE (Early–Middle–Late) → Kofun transition · Yayoi (Sea of Japan coastal)
Sea of Japan Yayoi paddy village (300 BCE–300 CE) at Tawayama near Tottori — 150 m ring ditch with Izumo trade horizon.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Urartian Kingdom late 8th century BCE · Urartian (Biainili)
Twin-ridge Urartian palatial city of Sarduri II with Haldi temple and 5 km Urartian canal.
🇧🇴 Bolivia · Ancient city
Medieval (regional) · Medieval
Great Potosí Ridge South — Potosí (55-33) at Potosí, Bolivia is a Medieval (regional) ancient city of the Medieval tradition, built c. 2500 BCE for ridge and associated settlement.
🇹🇯 Tajikistan · Fortress
Samanid 9th c → Ghaznavid–Karakhanid 10th–12th c · Banijurid–Ghaznavid Islamic (Khatlon)
Hulbuk (Qalai Hulbuk) — Islamic palace-fortress (9th–12th c CE) 26 km west Kulob, Khatlon Yakhsu plain, excavated 1953–2010s Yakubov and Akhunov (Tajik Academy).
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Iron Age IIA · Judahite / Early Israel
Khirbet Qeiyafa Shaaraim at Judean Lowlands, Israel is a Iron Age IIA ancient city of the Judahite / Early Israel tradition, built c. 1020 BCE for two-gated casemate city shaaraim.
🇧🇴 Bolivia · Ancient city
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Old Potosí Hilltop B — Potosí (55-10) at Potosí, Bolivia is a Neolithic (regional) ancient city of the Neolithic tradition, built c. 1200 BCE for hilltop and associated settlement.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Late Classic to Terminal Classic 600–1000 CE (apogee 800–950, Puuc apogee 850–925) · Maya (Puuc tradition, Northern Maya lowlands)
Greatest Puuc architectural city of northern Yucatán (600–950 CE) with veneer mosaic stonework, Puuc columns, Chac masks and lattice façades: Pyramid of the Magician (Adivino, 35 m high, oval…
🇮🇷 Iran · Tell
Late Chalcolithic to Iron Age II (c.5000–500 BCE; peak Uruk interlude and Median 750–550) · Ubaid-derived Zagros → Uruk colonial (Susa) → Kura-Araxes (Transcaucasian) → Early Transcaucasian → Iron Age Median
Zagros road-stop tell of Uruk traders, Kura-Araxes migrants, Median hall and earliest chemically attested wine.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Ancient city
Bronze Age (regional) · Bronze Age
Lower Meroe Temple East — Meroe (53-21) at Meroe, Sudan is a Bronze Age (regional) ancient city of the Bronze Age tradition, built c. 800 BCE for temple and associated settlement.
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Pre-Harappan to Mature Harappan (Harappan 3A–5) · Indus Valley (Harappan)
Harappan planned city (2600–1900 BCE) on the left bank of the dried Sarasvati in Fatehabad, Haryana, excavated by R.S. Bisht (1974–77).
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Ancient city
Classical (regional) · Classical
Eastern Axum Mound Inner — Axum (57-04) at Axum, Ethiopia is a Classical (regional) ancient city of the Classical tradition, built c. 800 BCE for mound and associated settlement.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Early Bronze to Iron Age (3000–600 BCE; peak Hittite Empire 1400–1180 BCE) · Hattian → Hittite → Kaška → Phrygian
Holy city Nerik — storm-god temple over sacred spring tunnel, lost to Kaška then re-excavated.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban
Samarkand — Afrasiab Palace Fresco Hall North in Samarkand, Afrasiab, Uzbekistan is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city attributed to …
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Late Classic Maya, c.550-830 CE (Río Bec–Chenés, Late Classic) · Maya (Río Bec)
Becan (Békan) 1.7 km moat-and-earthwork-walled city (Campeche): 25 ha nucleated center unlike dispersed Río Bec — Structure VIII 32 m high Río Bec pyramid with twin solid towers flanking central…
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban
Wiracochapampa — North Compound Wall (Huamachuco, Peru) in La Libertad, Wiracochapampa, Peru is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city at…
🇹🇷 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.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban
Xochicalco — Observatory North Vent Shaft (Morelos) in Morelos, Xochicalco, Mexico is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city attributed t…
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Late Natufian–PPNA (c.12000–10300 BCE) · Natufian-related → PPNA northern Fertile Crescent
Late Natufian–PPNA mound (45 m diameter, 2 m deep deposits) on the Batman River, excavated by Michael Rosenberg 1990s be...
