Lost cities found: unearthing the civilizations of old

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Shangdu (Xanadu), China

Shangdu is a remote but regularly visited UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, only ruins remain, surrounded by a grassy mound that was once the city walls.

 

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Palenque, Mexico

Once a flourishing Maya city, Palenque, located near the Usumacinta River in the Mexican state of Chiapas, was reclaimed by the jungle after its decline, around 799 CE.

 

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Palenque, Mexico

This is K'inich Kan B'alam II, one of the many rulers of Palenque. The tablet was discovered in one of the temples at the site.

 

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Palenque, Mexico

Excavated and restored since being rediscovered in 1784, Pelenque is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, archaeologists believe only about 10% of the total area of the city is explored.

 

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Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan

Built around 2500 BCE, Mohenjo-daro was one of the world's earliest major cities.

 

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Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan

Sited in the Pakistan province of Sindh, Mohenjo-daro (meaning "Mound of the Dead Men") was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley civilization. It was abandoned in 1900 BCE and not rediscovered until the 1920s.

 

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Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan

Successive excavations unearthed some notable artifacts, including "The Priest-King," a seated stone sculpture which is now on display at the National Museum, Karachi. Mohenjo-daro was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

 

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Troy, Turkey

Little is left of the once mighty Troy. The ruins of this ancient and legendary city are located at Hisarlik, in Turkey's Canakkale province.

 

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Troy, Turkey

Undiscovered until the mid-19th century, the remains of the city were subsequently excavated and what you see today falls within the boundaries of the Troy Historical National Park.

 

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Troy, Turkey

In 2018, the Troy Museum opened at Tevfikiye village near the archaeological site. Around 2,000 artifacts uncovered from the area are on display. The park itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.