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The catalogue
2,183 places to sift through. Narrow by kind, country, period or how firmly each one is established — contested and pseudoarchaeological claims are labelled here, never hidden.
🇱🇧 Lebanon · Ancient city
Phoenician to Roman (2750 BCE–300 CE) · Phoenician
Tyre — Al-Mina Phoenician Port in South Governorate, Phoenician coast, Lebanon is a Phoenician to Roman (2750 BCE–300 CE) ancient city attributed to Phoenician culture.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Ancient city
Polonnaruwa Period 1070–1232 CE (Chola 993–1070 preceding) · Sinhalese / Chola Tamil Buddhist and Hindu
Second Sinhalese capital (1070–1232 CE) after Anuradhapura's sack, 12th c metropolis of Parakramabahu I with 3,400-ha Parakrama Samudra reservoir, Atadage Dalada Maligawa tooth relic temple, and Gal…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Postclassic–Epiclassic (800–1400 CE) · Western Mexico (Toltec influence?)
El Chanal Archaeological Zone — Colima in Colima, Mexico is a Postclassic–Epiclassic (800–1400 CE) ancient-city attributed to Western Mexico (Toltec influence?).
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Hellenistic to Byzantine (170 BCE–500 CE) · Hellenistic then Roman (Archelaos)
Elaiussa Sebaste — Archaic Port and Agora in Mersin Province, Turkey is a Hellenistic to Byzantine (170 BCE–500 CE) ancient-city attributed to Hellenistic then Roman (Archelaos).
EG · Submerged site
Ptolemaic precursor? Then Augustan to Roman (26 BCE – 3rd c. CE; Ayyubid reuse 11th–13th) · Roman Egyptian / Indo-Roman
Augustan Red Sea short-cut harbour — lagoon 800 m behind reef at Quseir, silted 1 m, abandoned 3rd c. for southern Berenike.
🇻🇳 Vietnam · Ancient city
Champa early capital (4th–8th c. CE) · Cham (Simhapura)
Tra Kieu Lion Citadel — Simhapura in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam is a Champa early capital (4th–8th c. CE) ancient-city attributed to Cham (Simhapura).
🇸🇩 Sudan · Ancient city
New Kingdom (1390–1070 BCE) · Egyptian New Kingdom
Sesebi — Akhenaten's Nubian City in Northern State, Sudan is a New Kingdom (1390–1070 BCE) ancient-city attributed to Egyptian New Kingdom.
🇱🇧 Lebanon · Ancient city
Neolithic to Phoenician (5000–1200 BCE) · Byblos culture
Byblos — Seaside Neolithic Harbour in Keserwan-Jbeil, coast, Lebanon is a Neolithic to Phoenician (5000–1200 BCE) ancient city attributed to Byblos culture culture.
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Early Hindu 8th–11th c + Gujarat Sultanate 1484–1535 CE · Rajput / Chalukya Hindu + Gujarat Sultanate Islamic
Concentrated ensemble of 8th–16th c heritage within 1,329 ha: Chalukya hill fort and Lakulisa temples on Pavagadh (737 m cone), and Sultanate Champaner – pre-Mughal Islamic city (1484–1535) of Mahmud…
🇮🇳 India · Hydraulic works
Chola Early historic to Medieval (100 – 1030 CE) · Tamil Chola hydraulic statecraft
South Vennar regulator of 2nd-c Chola anicut with Rajendra I inscriptions 1012 CE.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Hellenistic Attalid to Roman Hadrianic (300 BCE – 130 CE) · Attalid Pergamene to Roman Asia provincial
Upper terrace Trajan–Hadrian Corinthian sanctuary behind Zeus altar.
🇰🇪 Kenya · Ancient city
Swahili earliest (8th–14th c CE) · Swahili (proto-Swahili)
Shanga — Pate Island Early Swahili Town in Lamu County, Kenya is a Swahili earliest (8th–14th c CE) ancient-city attributed to Swahili (proto-Swahili). Earliest Swahili town 15 ha with 8th c.
🇹🇳 Tunisia · Ancient city
Roman (1st c. BCE–7th c. CE) · Numidian / Roman-Christian
Hill municipium with double temples and siphon aqueduct.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Classical to Hellenistic (5th–3rd BCE harbour) · Classical Greek / Halieian
Verified – Halieis Porto Cheli Classical harbour 5 m down, Tiryns Mycenaean port successor. American School Halieis 1965 Jameson excavated submerged town walls, mole 150 m at 4–6 m due to Argolic…
🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Isin-Larsa (2025–1763 BCE) · Sumerian/Amorite
Larsa — Tell Senkereh South Mound in Dhi Qar Governorate, southern plain, Iraq is a Isin-Larsa (2025–1763 BCE) ancient city attributed to Sumerian/Amorite culture.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Late Postclassic (Mayapan) · Maya (Yucatán)
Mayapan — walled last Maya capital 1220–1440.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Ancient city
Medieval to Ottoman (12th–20th c CE) · Beja–Ottoman Swahili-type coral city
Suakin — Coral Port City in Red Sea State, Sudan is a Medieval to Ottoman (12th–20th c CE) ancient-city attributed to Beja–Ottoman Swahili-type coral city.
🇬🇷 Greece · Temple complex
5th c. BCE · Elymian (Greek-influenced non-Greek)
Segesta — Elymian Temple in Sicily, Greece is a 5th c. BCE temple-complex attributed to Elymian (Greek-influenced non-Greek).
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Nabataean to Roman (100 BCE–300 CE) · Nabataean (Aretas)
Yotvata Ein Ghadyan — Spice Road Caravanserai in Southern District, Israel is a Nabataean to Roman (100 BCE–300 CE) ancient-city attributed to Nabataean (Aretas).
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Hellenistic–Roman (300 BCE–200 CE) · Seleucid Stratonikeia
Stratonikeia — Lagina Sanctuary Road in Muğla Province, Turkey is a Hellenistic–Roman (300 BCE–200 CE) ancient-city attributed to Seleucid Stratonikeia.
🇮🇱 Israel · Tell
MB to Iron Age (c.2000–600 BCE; peak Philistine Timnah c.1200–600) · Canaanite → Philistine (Timnah) → Judah
Tel Batash is biblical Timnah in Sorek Valley — Samson's Timnah (Judges 14) and Philistine border town between Ekron and Gezer. Mazar/Kelm 1977–89 revealed MB g...
🇸🇾 Syria · Tell
Middle Bronze to Iron (1900–500 BCE) · Canaanite/ Sea Peoples
Tell Kazel — Ancient Sumur in Tartus Governorate, Akkar plain, Syria is a Middle Bronze to Iron (1900–500 BCE) tell attributed to Canaanite/ Sea Peoples culture.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Middle to Late Preclassic Mirador 600 BCE–150 CE · Maya (Mirador Basin)
Formerly Güiro, renamed Wakna: massive Triadic Acropolis (25 m pyramid on 70 m platform) with three temples and deep aguada (reservoir) 80 m diameter excavated into bedrock.
🇮🇷 Iran · Tell
Urartian (8th–6th c. BCE; Argishti/Rusa) · Urartu
Small but classic Urartu hydraulic fortress damming a karstic spring valley NW of Khoy: cyclopean dam wall, rectangular fort, storage pithoi, Haldi-temple pebble mosaic, with red polish Urartu ware…
