Lost cities found: unearthing the civilizations of old

[jw5]

Lost cities found: unearthing the civilizations of old

History has witnessed many once-mighty cities vanish and disappear either as a result of natural disasters or through conflict and the wanton destruction of a conquering foe. Others, long abandoned, have simply been forgotten and buried by time. But around the world are numerous examples of settlements thought long lost being unearthed by archaeologists and subsequently rediscovered as places of great cultural and historical significance.

 

[jw5]

Caral, Peru

Caral is the most ancient city of the Americas: archaeologists estimate the site to be at least 5,000 years old. Often referred to as the cradle of civilization, Caral is also one of the oldest urban centers in the world.

 

[jw5]

Caral, Peru

Caral is essentially a temple complex. It's located in the arid Supe Valley, about 20 km (12.5 mi) from the Pacific coast.

 

[jw5]

Caral, Peru

Caral was discovered in 1948, but generated scant academic attention at the time, probably because it lacked the prized Andean artifacts sought after by archaeologists. By the 1970s, however, Caral's significance was belatedly recognized. The city was declared a UNESCO World

 

[blackmondy]

I want to know if they have discovered Atlantis. I'm really fascinated by that civilization.

 

[jw5]

Hvalsey, Greenland

Greenland's largest, best-preserved Norse ruins are found at Hvalsey, near the town of Qaqortoq. The landmark church is believed to date back to the late 13th century.

 

[jw5]

Hvalsey, Greenland

Once a major center in South Greenland, the community was also made up of two great stone walls and 14 dwellings. In the 14th century, the site belonged to the Kings of Norway.

 

[jw5]

Hvalsey, Greenland

Hvalsey is located on a narrow strip of scenic land at the head of a fjord. Beware that visiting during the summer months means enduring clouds of ferocious midges.

 

[jw5]

Tanis, Egypt

The ancient city of Tanis was once the capital of all Egypt. Sited in the Nile Delta northeast of Cairo, it eventually disappeared under a silt plain as the Nile's waters shifted.

 

[jw5]

Tanis, Egypt

In 1939, archaeologists unearthed a royal tomb complex replete with three intact and undisturbed burial chambers.

 

[jw5]

Tanis, Egypt

The "Lost City" of Tanis is fictitiously portrayed in the film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981) as being buried by a cataclysmic sandstorm and rediscovered by Nazis searching for the Ark of the Covenant.

 

[jw5]

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

This ancient fortress is located near the town of Dambulla and is built on a massive wedge of rock nearly 200 m (660 ft) high. Sigiriya dates back to around 477 CE.

 

[jw5]

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

The site was selected by King Kashyapa (477–495 CE) for his new capital. The wall frescoes found in and around the palace ruins depict scantily-clad ladies in waiting.

 

[jw5]

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Abandoned after the king's death, the palace was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Today, it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

[jw5]

Vinland, Canada​

In 1960, the only archaeological evidence of a Norse site in North America was unearthed: L'Anse aux Meadows, on the northernmost tip of the Great Northern Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.

 

[jw5]

Vinland, Canada​

Vinland is where Norse explorer Leif Erikson (c. 970–c. 1020) landed in 1000 CE, near where L'Anse aux Meadows is located. He was the first European to set foot on continental North America, 500 years before Christopher Columbus. Pictured is the famous Vinland map.

 

[jw5]

Vinland, Canada​

L'Anse aux Meadows today features the remains of seven historic Norse dwellings plus reconstructed buildings. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

[Hightech88]

I want to know if they have discovered Atlantis. I'm really fascinated by that civilization.

Yes, it is calling...:

 

[jw5]

Shangdu (Xanadu), China

Shangdu, also known as Xanadu, was the summer capital of Yuan dynasty rulers. It was visited by Venetian explorer Marco Polo in 1275.

 

[jw5]

Shangdu (Xanadu), China

Shangdu was located in what is now Shangdu Town in Zhenglan Banner, Inner Mongolia. It was destroyed in 1369 by the Ming army under Zhu Yuanzhang.