An atlas of Earth’s mysterious places — megaliths, pyramids, lost and sunken cities — with the evidence shown plainly: what is verified, what is contested, and what is still unknown.

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CountriesEC

Ecuador

20 places in the atlas, 1 of them inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage.

Kinds found here

Ancient cities9
Earthworks9
Pyramids6
Temple complexes5
Archaeological wonders4
Mounds3
Ancient villages2
Hydraulic works2
Megaliths2
Platforms2
Platform mounds2
Ceremonials1

How well established

Verified18
Accepted1
Hypothetical1

Top regions

Morona-Santiago, Upano Valley, Kilimope plateau north extension beyond Sangay2
Azuay, Cuenca1
Azuay, Cuenca, Tomebamba Valley1
Cañar Province1
Chimborazo / Cañar, Achupallas–Ingapirca1

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Verified18 Widely accepted1

Esmeraldas (Ecuador) / Nariño (Colombia), Pacific Lowlands

Manabí, Manta, Huaca Jocay — Manteño1

Morona-Santiago / Pastaza, Villano River tributary west of Upano Valley (Villano-Upano watershed)1

Morona-Santiago / Zamora-Chinchipe (EC) – Amazonas (PE), Cordillera del Cóndor1

Morona-Santiago Province, Upano Valley1

Morona-Santiago, Upano River valley east plateau (Sangay canton)1

Morona-Santiago, Upano Valley southern Kilimope sector south of Sangay volcano1

Contested

Hypothetical1

Unverified0

Pseudoarchaeology0

Heritage

UNESCO World Heritage only

Excavation

Partially excavated12 Buried3 Excavated2 Unexcavated1 Excavation ongoing1 Not applicable1

4 places

Earthworks Partially excavated Clear all

✓Verified

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Earthwork

Upano — Villano Valley Lidar Gardens at Villano River West (Upano West)

Regional Development (200–600 CE) · Upano (Kilimope) / Huapula fringe

Western raised fields of Upano at Villano River — 120 beds 40×8 m and 2 km canal.

✓Verified

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Ancient village

Upano — Kilimope Southern Platform at Sangay Valley South (Upano South)

Formative to Regional Development (500 BCE – 600 CE) · Upano (Kilamope–Sangay) / Huapula

Southern platform village of Upano at Sangay South — 8 platforms 40×25 m and 600 m causeway.

✓Verified

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Ancient city

Tumaco–La Tolita

Late Formative – Classic (c.600 BCE–400 CE) Tumaco–La Tolita · Tumaco–La Tolita (Tumaco-La Tolita I-II)

Tumaco–La Tolita is the classic Late Formative Pacific lowland tradition spanning the Colombia–Ecuador border from Nariño (Tumaco) to Esmeraldas (Isla La Tolita / Pampa de Oro) at 5 m in…

≈Accepted

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Pyramid

Cochasquí Pyramids

Quitu-Cara / Integration Period · Caranqui / Quitu

15 earthen truncated pyramids with ramps, 10–20 m high, built by Quitu-Cara (Caranqui) people astride equatorial line, aligning to volcanoes Cayambe and Cotacachi with solar/astronomical purpose.

Ecuador

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4 places

Upano — Villano Valley Lidar Gardens at Villano River West (Upano West)

Tumaco–La Tolita

Cochasquí Pyramids