🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Eridu
Ubaid to Neo-Babylonian · Ubaid → Sumerian → Babylonian
Sumerian sacred city traditionally first city in the world (Sumerian King List), center of god Enki/Ea cult (Abzu).
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Gezer
Early Bronze to Iron Age · Canaanite → Egyptian → Israelite
Hilltop Canaanite tel (c.3500–586 BCE) with the Gezer Calendar (10th c. BCE, earliest Hebrew inscription — agricultural almanac) and bronze-age standing-stone alignment: 10 monolithic massebot (up to…
🇸🇾 Syria · Ancient city
Palmyra
Hellenistic to Roman (Palmyrene Empire interlude) · Aramaean Palmyrene → Roman
Desert oasis emporium on Silk Road (1st c. BCE–273 CE) — 'Bride of the Desert' — caravans of Queen Zenobia who challenged Rome (267–272 CE, sacked by Aurelian).
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Megiddo
Chalcolithic to Iron Age / Persian · Canaanite → Egyptian → Israelite
Strategic tell commanding Via Maris (Egypt-Mesopotamia road) through Jezreel, occupied 7000 BCE–586 BCE with 26 strata, Thutmosis III 1457 BCE battle (first battle in recorded history), Canaanite…
🇮🇶 Iraq · Buried city
Buried City of Brown
Middle Bronze Age (2100–1550 BCE) · Middle Bronze Age
Buried City of Brown in Dhi Qar, Iraq is a Middle Bronze Age (2100–1550 BCE) buried city attributed to Middle Bronze Age culture.
🇺🇸 United States · Ancient city
Peñasco Blanco — Chaco Canyon Outer Great House West
Pueblo II–III (1050–1140 CE) · Ancestral Pueblo (Chacoan)
Cliff-point Great House 1050 CE — oval arc & solstice pictograph.
🇺🇸 United States · Ancient city
Kin Bineola — Chaco Outlier Great House South
Pueblo II–III Chacoan (1080–1140 CE) · Ancestral Pueblo (Chacoan)
South Road Great House 1080 CE — 120 rooms, kiva & 9 m Chaco road.
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe · Ancient city
Great Zimbabwe
Iron Age (Zimbabwe Period: Great Zimbabwe 1100–1450 CE) · Ancestral Shona (Karanga)
Capital of Kingdom of Zimbabwe (11th–15th c) with dry-stone walls up to 11 m (Great Enclosure) without mortar, Hill Complex and Valley Enclosures controlling Indian Ocean gold trade.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Ancient city
Memphis (Men-nefer) – Mit Rahina Lost Metropolis
Early Dynastic to Late Antiquity (c.3100 BCE – 641 CE Arab conquest) · Egyptian (all periods), Persian, Greek, Roman
3100 BCE 'White Walls' capital covering 8 km – now invisible under fields except Ptah temple colossus.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Derr — Buried Temple North Ancillary Pylon (Nubia, Border)
Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE) · Bronze Age
Derr — Buried Temple North Ancillary Pylon (Nubia, Border) in Aswan, Derr, New Derr, Egypt is a Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE) buried city attribu…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Tell Atrib — Buried Mudbrick Platform (Central Delta, Egypt)
Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE) · Bronze Age
Tell Atrib — Buried Mudbrick Platform (Central Delta, Egypt) in Qalyubia, Tell Atrib, Egypt is a Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE) buried city attrib…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Hierakonpolis — Buried Necropolis HK43 (Nekhen, Egypt)
Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE) · Bronze Age
Hierakonpolis — Buried Necropolis HK43 (Nekhen, Egypt) in Aswan, Hierakonpolis, HK43, Egypt is a Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE) buried city attrib…
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Hazor
Early Bronze to Hellenistic · Canaanite → Israelite → Assyrian
Largest Canaanite and Israelite tell in Israel (100 ha total: 12 ha upper acropolis + 70 ha lower city) — 'head of all those kingdoms' (Joshua 11:10) — with Middle Bronze earthen ramparts, Late…
🇯🇴 Jordan · Ancient city
Umm ar-Rasas (Kastron Mefaa)
Roman to Umayyad (3rd–8th c CE; Byzantine peak 5th–8th c) · Roman / Byzantine / Ghassanid / Umayyad
Desert frontier city on Via Nova Traiana, Umm ar-Rasas contains Roman castrum, five Byzantine churches with superb mosaic floors, and the intact 14×6 m mosaic map in St Stephen's Church (718 CE) –…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Paquimé (Casas Grandes)
Postclassic (Medio/Chihuahua culture) · Mogollon-Paquimé (Oasisamerica)
Largest pre-Hispanic pueblo city of northern Mexico (c.1130–1340 CE, 70 ha, population ~2,500) with multi-storey adobe apartments, T-shaped doors, I-shaped ballcourts (Mesoamerican), macaw breeding…
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · Ancient city
Hegra
Lihyan to Nabataean to Roman Arabia Petraea · Nabataean Arab
Second capital of Nabataean kingdom after Petra (1st c. BCE–106 CE), with 131 rock-cut monumental tombs with decorated façades (Qasr al-Farid loner tomb iconic), Nabataean Aramaic inscriptions…
🇵🇰 Pakistan · Ancient city
Mohenjo-daro
Mature Harappan (2600–1900 BCE) · Indus Valley / Harappan
Largest city of Indus Valley Civilization (2500–1900 BCE) with grid plan, Great Bath (12x7 m citadel tank), granary, brick drains and standardized weights; script undeciphered. Abandoned c.1900 BCE.
🇵🇰 Pakistan · Ancient city
Taxila
Gandhara 6th c BCE–5th c CE (Achaemenid to late Kushan) · Gandharan / multi-empire (Persian, Greek, Buddhist)
Palimpsest city spanning Gandhara civilization 6th c BCE–5th c CE with three successive cities (Bhir Mound, Sirkap, Sirsukh) and Buddhist monastery complex Dharmarajika.
🇮🇹 Italy · Buried city
Pompeii
Roman (foundation Oscan 6th c BCE, Roman from 80 BCE) · Roman
Roman city of 12,000 buried by Vesuvius eruption 24 August 79 CE under 4–6 m pumice and ash, preserving streets, villas, Forum, amphitheatre, baths and plaster casts of victims.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Ani
Bagratuni Armenian Kingdom · Armenian
Medieval Armenian capital (961–1045) at peak 100,000 inhabitants, Bagratuni palaces, Cathedral of Ani (1001), Tigran Honents church with frescoes, double city walls.
🇺🇸 United States · Buried city
Cahokia Mounds
Emergent Mississippian to Stirling phase · Mississippian (Illinoian)
Largest Mississippian centre (650–1400 CE) with 120 mounds including Monks Mound (30 m, 1000x700 ft base, largest earthen platform north of Mexico).
🇲🇱 Mali · Ancient city
Djenné-Djeno
Bio. Iron Age to Medieval (c.250 BCE–1400 CE; peak 400–1200 CE) · Djenné-Djeno culture / Inland Niger Delta Iron Age / Soninke-Bozo
Oldest sub-Saharan city (250 BCE–1400 CE) on Inland Niger Delta: 33 ha tell 8 m high with 69 mounds cluster spanning 4 km, without stone architecture but rich bio-archaeological sequence: slag, rice,…
🇮🇷 Iran · Ancient city
Susa
Neolithic to Medieval (c.4200 BCE–1218 CE; Elamite capital c.2700–646 BCE; Achaemenid palace 522–331 BCE) · Elamite / Persian Achaemenid / Seleucid / Parthian / Sassanian
Elamite capital then Achaemenid administrative capital (Darius I, 522 BCE), Susa preserves mound sequence from 4200 BCE: Apadana of Darius (36 limestone columns, glazed brick friezes of Immortals and…
🇮🇹 Italy · Buried city
Herculaneum
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…