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CategoriesAncient cities
Capitals, ports and metropolises that rose, fell and were found again.
🇸🇻 El Salvador · Ancient city
Preclassic to Classic · Maya
Tazumal & Joya de Cerén (paired) in Santa Ana Department, El Salvador is a Preclassic to Classic ancient city attributed to Maya culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 675).
🇳🇬 Nigeria · Ancient city
Hausa Late Iron Age to Sultanate (c.1100 CE–present) · Hausa (Katsinawa)
Hausa walled city (14 km walls, 7 gates) with Gobarau Minaret and Kusugu well legend.
🇬🇭 Ghana · Ancient city
Late Iron Age / Akan · Akan-Bono
Crowned hilltop capital of Bono (Bono Manso) 13th–18th c, mother of Akan gold kingdoms (Mampong, Asante).
🇮🇷 Iran · Tell
Median (c.750–550 BCE) · Median
Median period fire-temple complex (3 ha) on a low hill near Malayer, excavated by David Stronach. Median levels (c.750–5...
🇸🇾 Syria · Tell
EB IV to Iron I (c.2400–1000 BCE) · Eblaite → Amorite → Mitanni → Hittite/Emar → Aramaean
Euphrates terrace tell now peninsula in Tabqa Lake, excavated by Rudolph Dornemann; Emar texts identify it as Azu on the...
🇩🇿 Algeria · Ancient city
Roman to Byzantine (1st c. BCE–7th c. CE) · Roman (Numidia)
Limes military colony at Biskra oasis with camp and Triton mosaic.
🇹🇳 Tunisia · Ancient city
Roman to Hafsid (2nd c. BCE–15th c. CE) · Numidian / Roman / Byzantine / Islamic
Hilltop municipium with amphitheatre reused as Borj fortress.
🇩🇿 Algeria · Ancient city
Roman (100 CE – 7th c CE; Trajanic foundation) · Roman (Numidia, Legio III Augusta veterans)
The northern insula quarter of the perfect Trajanic grid city (12×12 insulae), Timgad North exposes veterans' houses, library with mosaic, northern baths and market, beyond the bli...
🇮🇳 India · Submerged site
Late Harappan to Historical (maybe 1500 BCE onward; claimed 3500 BCE) · Harappan(?) / Historical Hindu
Ancient sacred city of Krishna described in Mahabharata, being searched offshore Bet Dwarka and Gulf of Khambhat.
🇲🇱 Mali · Ancient city
Djenné-Djeno culture · Djenné-Djeno (Niger Inland Delta)
Djenné-Djeno in Mopti Region, Mali is a Djenné-Djeno culture ancient city attributed to Djenné-Djeno (Niger Inland Delta) culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 116).
🇸🇾 Syria · Tell
EB IV to MB II (c.2500–1700 BCE) · Eblaite → Amorite → Old Babylonian
28 ha Ebla-period town on the Matakh plain south of Aleppo, Italian excavations by Francesca Baffi. EB IV–MB II (c.2500–...
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Middle to Upper Palaeolithic (c.55000–16000 BCE) · Late Mousterian → Aurignacian → Kebaran/Geometric Kebaran
Active Levantine cave site (55 ka–16 ka) in the Galilee karst, excavated by Ofer Marder and Omry Barzilai. Mousterian th...
🇬🇷 Greece · Ancient city
Cycladic to Hellenistic · Cycladic/Greek
Delos (Island of the Gods) in Cyclades, Greece is a Cycladic to Hellenistic ancient city attributed to Cycladic/Greek culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 530).
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Late Classic Maya · Maya (K'ak' Tiliw satellite of Copán)
Quiriguá in Izabal, Guatemala is a Late Classic Maya ancient city attributed to Maya (K'ak' Tiliw satellite of Copán) culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 149).
🇩🇿 Algeria · Ancient city
Phoenician / Numidian / Roman · Mauretanian / Roman
Splendid royal capital of Juba II and Cleopatra Selene (25 BCE) then capital of Mauretania Caesariensis, with harbour, great theatre, amphitheatre and museums of Greek copies.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Archaic to Roman (600 BCE – 5th c. CE) · Samian Greek / Ionian
Verified – Samos Heraion sacred mole 480 m at 2 m off Ireon, Hera sanctuary harbour. Polycrates 530 BCE mole, Herodotus 3.60 Samian harbour wonders. Excavated Kyrieleis 1960s German.
🇮🇹 Italy · Buried city
Roman · Roman
Roman seaside town buried under 20 m pyroclastic flow from Vesuvius 79 CE, preserving wooden furniture, upper storeys, frescoes and unique carbonized papyri scrolls (Villa of the Papyri, now being…
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Ionian to Byzantine · Ionian Greek / Roman
Ephesus (Efes) in Izmir Province, Turkey is a Ionian to Byzantine ancient city attributed to Ionian Greek / Roman culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 1018).
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Hellenistic to Roman · Attalid / Roman
Pergamon (Pergama) in Izmir Province, Turkey is a Hellenistic to Roman ancient city attributed to Attalid / Roman culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 1457).
🇨🇳 China · Ancient city
Koguryo · Koguryo
Complex of Koguryo Tombs (Jian) in Jilin Province / DPRK, China is a Koguryo ancient city attributed to Koguryo culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 1135).
GR · Ancient city
Archaic to Byzantine (c.600 BCE – 14th c. CE harbour) · Corinthian / Classical / Hellenistic / Roman
Corinth Gulf western harbour — 600 m Canopus-style canal + Long Walls, now 2–3 m subsided northwest of Corinth.
🇧🇷 Brazil · Ancient city
Xinguano 800–1600 CE · Xinguano / Arawak
Cluster of 20+ pre-Columbian settlements in Xingu with causeways 50 m wide, plazas, reservoirs, showing dense urbanism (population 50k) in Amazon before 1492, built 800–1400 CE, described by Michael…
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Classic · Maya/Andean
Q'umarkaj — K'iche' capital with Temple of Tohil.
🇯🇴 Jordan · Ancient city
PPNA (c.9300–8600 BCE) · Sultaniyean PPNA
PPNA village (c.9300–8600 BCE) on the Lisan Peninsula at -200 m beside the Dead Sea, excavated by Bill Finlayson. Rectan...
