🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Elephanta Caves
Late Gupta to Early Chalukya 5th–8th century CE · Hindu (Shaiva) and Buddhist under Kalachuri/Chalukya patronage
Rock-cut Shaiva cave complex on Elephanta Island with colossal Trimurti sculpture, 5th–8th c. CE.
Search places, or jump to a section
The catalogue
367 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.
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Late Gupta to Early Chalukya 5th–8th century CE · Hindu (Shaiva) and Buddhist under Kalachuri/Chalukya patronage
Rock-cut Shaiva cave complex on Elephanta Island with colossal Trimurti sculpture, 5th–8th c. CE.
🇵🇪 Peru · Temple complex
Late Chavín to Sechin Casma (350–200 BCE) fortress and 13-tower ridge 200 BCE (Ghezzi UNESCO 2021) · Sechin / Casma Late Chavín solar observatory state
Chankillo UNESCO 2021 Ghezzi 2001 fortress with solar riddle.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Temple complex
Kushan to Hepthalite (100–600 CE) · Kushans and Hepthalites (White Huns)
Sangir Tepe is a Kushan–Hepthalite temple–citadel (1st–6th c) with fire temple, Buddhist votive stupas, and 3-m enclosure wall near Termez.
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Early Chalukya, 6th–7th century CE · Hindu and Jain under Early Chalukya dynasty
Four 6th-c. Chalukya sandstone cave temples at Vatapi with Nataraja and Vishnu iconography.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Temple complex
Classic (450–600 CE) · Teotihuacan
Atetelco Palace — Teotihuacan in Mexico State, Mexico is a Classic (450–600 CE) temple-complex attributed to Teotihuacan. Palatial compound with Jaguar Palace and Courtyard of the Jaguars murals.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Temple complex
Late Classic (600–800 CE) · Mezcala culture
Mezcala Temple — La Montaña in Guerrero, Mexico is a Late Classic (600–800 CE) temple-complex attributed to Mezcala culture. Hilltop temple with Mezcala mask and temple platform on Guerrero sierra.
🇩🇰 Denmark · Ancient city
Roman Iron Age → Vendel–Viking 200–1100 (Bornholm central place) · Bornholm Iron Age (Burgundians? Bornholm island central place, guldgubbar sanctuary)
Sorte Muld (Black Soil) — Iron Age central-place and sanctuary (Late Roman 200–400 → Viking Age 400–1100, peak Vendel 600–800) on Bornholm plateau 2 km south Svaneke, eastern Bornholm's richest site.