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CategoriesTemple complexes
Sacred precincts, sanctuaries and the architecture of ritual.
🇵🇪 Peru · Pyramid
Late Preceramic–Initial Period 3000–2500 BCE · Marañón Amazon-Andes (Jaén pre-Carral)
5300-year spiral temple in Amazonian Jaén with world's oldest cacao 5300 BP and Maltese cross hearth.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Old to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE) · Old–New Kingdom Egyptian
Wadi es-Sebua — Amenhotep III Temple North Court in Aswan, Wadi es-Sebua, Egypt is a Old to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE) temple complex attributed to Old…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Old to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE) · Old–New Kingdom Egyptian
Kom Ombo — Dual Temple North Court Marginal in Aswan, Kom Ombo, Egypt is a Old to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE) temple complex attributed to Old–New Kingd…
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Bronze Age to Classical (2000 BCE–500 CE) · Multi-period temple culture
Pergamum — Asklepieion North Stoa Ancillary in İzmir, Bergama, Pergamum, Turkey is a Bronze Age to Classical (2000 BCE–500 CE) temple complex attributed to…
🇮🇱 Israel · Archaeological wonder
Chalcolithic to Iron Age (~4500 BCE – 800 BCE; peak New Kingdom Egyptian 14th–12th century BCE) · Egyptian New Kingdom, Midianite/Edomite and early Arabah nomadic
Three-sided sandstone valley north of Eilat where 10,000 shafts and 1.5 million tonnes of slag mark one of the world's earliest industrial landscapes.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Epiclassic (Totonac Veracruz) · Totonac (Tajín sphere)
Totonac Tajín-sphere city Yohualichan (600–900 CE): 12 m Pyramid of Niches Ome with 90 niches in Sierra Norte, bridge between El Tajín and highlands.
🇯🇵 Japan · Temple complex
Anraku-ji (安楽寺) is a Buddhist temple of the Kōyasan Shingon-shū in Kamiita, Tokushima, Japan. Temple 6 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, the main image is of Bhaisajyaguru (Yakushi Nyōrai).
🇮🇶 Iraq · Tell
Ubaid to Ur III (c.5500–2000 BCE; temple sequence defines Chalcolithic Eridu–Ubaid horizon) · Ubaid → Uruk → Early Dynastic → Ur III
Type-site of Ubaid period — 1919 Ninhursag temple with copper bulls gave Chalcolithic its name.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Old to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE) · Old–New Kingdom Egyptian
Luxor Temple — Roman Chapel Ancillary Niche in Luxor, Luxor Temple, Egypt is a Old to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE) temple complex attributed to Old–New K…
🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Temple complex
Dale Abbey is a village and civil parish in the borough of Erewash in Derbyshire in the East Midlands of England, 6 miles north east of Derby.
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Late Horizon Inca Resistance 1536–1572 · Inca (Neo-Inca State)
Inca Vilcabamba resistance capital: Rosaspata palace, Yurak Rumi 2.5 m white shrine and Ñusta Hispana.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
New Kingdom Ramesside (Seti I–Ramesses II, c.1306–1070 BCE) · Egyptian Ramesside colonial with Nubian population
Ramesside Egyptian colonial walled town (Seti I–Ramesses II c.1300 BCE) 130×90 m on west bank at Third Cataract, with viceroy's residence, sandstone temple of Ramesses II, granaries, and cemeteries with pyramidal tombs.
🇵🇪 Peru · Temple complex
Preceramic Kotosh-Mito tradition (3000–1700 BCE; Temple of Crossed Hands 2300 BCE; White Temple 1800 BCE) · Kotosh-Mito tradition (Iso's) Kotosh religious Kotosh Religious Tradition 3000 BCE predecessor to Chavín
Kotosh Tokyo 1960 exposed-crossed hands 2300 BCE earliest Andes.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Late Classic Maya (675 CE completion; tomb 683 CE interment) · Maya (Palenque Baakal)
Late Classic Maya 27.2 m high 8-step pyramid-temple (600×675 CE) housing only Mesoamerican pyramid tomb comparable to Egyptian: hidden stair 66 steps descending inside to sarcophagus chamber of Pakal…
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Pyramid
Middle Preclassic to Late Classic (1000 BCE–900 CE; E-Group 600–300 BCE) · Maya (Preclassic then Tikal sphere)
Type-site of Mesoamerican E-Group solar observatory: western radial pyramid E-VII (Late Preclassic 500 BCE) aligning via three eastern platforms to sunrise solstices/equinoxes, deliberate horizon…
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Kalinga (Maha-Meghavahana) early historic · Jain (Digambara) / Royal Kalinga
Earliest Jain monastic caves in eastern India (2nd c. BCE–2nd c. CE) on twin sandstone hills near Bhubaneswar — 33 caves on Udayagiri and Khandagiri — excavated under Kalinga king Kharavela (c.40…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Late Classic Maya (Chenés) · Maya (Chenés / Río Bec)
Chenés monster-mouth pyramid Structure II at Hormiguero — 12 m stepped pyramid with 6 m Witz doorway c.600–850 CE.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria · Temple complex
Aladzha Monastery (Bulgarian: Аладжа манастир) is a medieval Orthodox Christian cave monastery complex in northeastern Bulgaria, 17 km north of central Varna and 3 km west of Golden Sands beach…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Late Classic Maya 600–900 CE · Maya (Chontal-Jaina, Gulf)
Northern brick barrio of only brick-built Maya city: three temples with stamped oyster-shell bricks on swamp platform.
🇵🇪 Peru · Temple complex
Initial Period (2000–1500 BCE) Collud-Zarcillo with charcoal 1600 BCE, Olmec-style mural earliest Americas · North Coast Initial Period (Cupisnique antecedent with Chavín precursor mural 1500 BCE)
Ventarrón excavated by Alva 2007–, 2000 BCE mural oldest Americas.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Western Jin to Yuan (300 – 1300 CE) · Buddhist Hexi nomad to Tang imperial
Lower cliffs with 420 CE earliest inscribed cave 169 of 169 caves at Liujia Reservoir.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh · Temple complex
Early Medieval (7th–12th c.) · Chandra-Pala
Ananda Vihara — Mainamati in Comilla District, Mainamati Hills, Bangladesh is a Early Medieval (7th–12th c.) temple complex attributed to Chandra-Pala culture.
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Early Historic (200 BCE–200 CE) · Satavahana
Yeleshwaram — Andhra Early Buddhist in Andhra Pradesh, Nalgonda, India is a Early Historic (200 BCE–200 CE) temple complex attributed to Satavahana culture.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Middle Kingdom to New Kingdom (1900–1100 BCE) · Egyptian turquoise mining
Serabit el-Khadim South Pillar — Hathor Turquoise Terrace Extension in South Sinai, Egypt is a Middle Kingdom to New Kingdom (1900–1100 BCE) temple-complex attributed to Egyptian turquoise mining.
