Excavated world heritage places

🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut

Dazu Rock Carvings

Tang to Southern Song ~650–1252 CE · Chinese esoteric Buddhist (Tang–Song)

50,000 Tantric cliff sculptures — China's last Buddhist rock-cut synthesis at Baoding.

🇨🇳 China · Archaeological wonder

Forbidden City (Imperial Palace, Beijing)

Ming to Qing 1406–1420 construction, occupied 1420–1912 CE · Ming / Qing Chinese imperial

Ming-Qing imperial palace (1420–1912, 961 buildings, 9,999 rooms) occupying 72 ha within Beijing's inner city, the world's largest wooden palace ensemble.

🇮🇳 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.

🇹🇷 Turkey · Tell

Gordion

EB to Medieval (c.3000 BCE–1200 CE; peak Phrygia 900–600 BCE) · Hittite → Phrygian (Midas) → Persian → Galatian → Roman

Gordion is the Phrygian capital (Yassıhöyük) — Midas's city (Midas Mound tumulus 53 m), terraced citadel with Phrygian Gate (Ashlar), and 100-tumulus necropolis...

🇪🇸 Spain · Hydraulic works

Aqueduct of Segovia

Roman Flavian Trajanic c.112 CE · Roman (Hispania)

Aqueduct of Segovia – 28.5m double-tier granite ashlar aqueduct (167 arches, 15 km total, 813m bridge) carrying Río Frío to Alcázar without mortar, c.112 CE Flavian-Trajanic. UNESCO 1985.

🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut

Badami Cave Temples

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.

🇮🇪 Ireland · Megalith

Knowth Annex — Kerbstone K13 North Mound Art

Late Neolithic (3200 BCE) · Boyne art tradition

Knowth satellite mound N, decorated K13 excavated by Eogan, with classic Boyne passage-art facing Newgrange at winter solstice.

🇸🇻 El Salvador · Ancient city

Tazumal & Joya de Cerén (paired)

Preclassic to Classic · Maya

Tazumal & Joya de Cerén (paired) in Santa Ana Department, El Salvador is a Preclassic to Classic ancient city attributed to Maya culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 675).

🇬🇷 Greece · Ancient city

Delos (Island of the Gods)

Cycladic to Hellenistic · Cycladic/Greek

Delos (Island of the Gods) in Cyclades, Greece is a Cycladic to Hellenistic ancient city attributed to Cycladic/Greek culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 530).

🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Earthwork

Silbury Hill — Avebury Landscape

Late Neolithic · Late Neolithic Wessex

Largest prehistoric artificial mound in Europe (c. 2400 BCE), 39.3 m high conical chalk mound in Avebury World Heritage Site.

🇪🇸 Spain · Cave

Cueva de Tito Bustillo

Upper Palaeolithic (Magdalenian) · Magdalenian

Major Magdalenian cave on the Sella River with 12 galleries of polychrome paintings (c. 22,000–10,000 BP), including horses, reindeer and famous anthropomorph, plus habitation deposits.

🇩🇿 Algeria · Ancient city

Tipasa of Mauretania – Coastal Basilicas

Punic (6th c BCE) – Roman – Christian (5th c CE) · Punic / Mauretanian / Roman

Coastal UNESCO port with Punic necropolis (6th c BCE tophet), Roman forum, theatre, and two Christian basilicas (Salsa martyr shrine) on promontory with offshore islet. Numidian–Ma...

🇲🇹 Malta · Megalith

Ħaġar Qim

Chalcolithic (Temple Period) · Maltese Temple culture (Ġgantija/Tarxien phases)

Hilltop megalithic temple overlooking Filfla islet, globigerina/coralline limestone, monumental façade with 57-tonne largest stone in Maltese temples.