🇮🇶 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).
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Pyramid
Tikal Temple VI (Temple of the Inscriptions)
Late Classic (Tepeu 2) · Maya (Tikal dynasty)
Tikal Temple VI — 12 m pyramid with 12 m roof comb bearing 180-glyph history text of Tikal 766 CE, SE causeway terminus.
🇲🇷 Mauritania · Ancient city
Koumbi Saleh
Medieval Ghana Empire (c.400–1240 CE; flourished 800–1200) · Soninke (Ghana Empire) / Berber / Islamic traders
Postulated capital of Ghana (Wagadou) Empire (5th–13th c CE) controlling trans-Saharan gold-salt trade.
🇹🇳 Tunisia · Ancient city
Leptis Minor
Phoenicio-Punic to Byzantine (8th c. BCE–7th c. CE; peak 2nd c. BCE–4th c. CE) · Phoenician / Punic / Roman / Byzantine
Leptis Minor (Leptiminus, modern Lamta) was Byzacena's other Leptis, Phoenician 8th c. BCE foundation distinct from Libyan Leptis Magna.
🇮🇷 Iran · Tell
Tepe Nushi Jan (Noushijan)
Iron Age III Median (c.750–600 BCE) · Median (pre-Achaemenid Iranian)
Hilltop Median triad 60 km S of Hamadan: West Temple with small fire altar inside a sanctuary, Central Temple with vaulted altar niche, and hypostyle Columned Hall (12 wooden posts on stone bases) –…
🇳🇬 Nigeria · Ancient city
Zaria City Walls
Early Kano to Sokoto (14th–19th c. CE; peak 16th–18th c.) · Hausa (Zazzau) / Fulani
Zaria City Walls (Birnin Zaria) are Hausa Kingdom of Zazzau's 14th-c. mud walls 14 km circuit encircling Zau Zau hill and Emir's palace, founded by Queen Amina legend but archaeologically Sarkin…
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Pataliputra — Kumhrar Mauryan Site
Magadhan to Mauryan to Gupta 490 BCE–550 CE · Magadhan / Mauryan / Shunga / Gupta
Capital of Magadha, Maurya and Gupta empires (c.490 BCE–550 CE) sprawling 14 km along Ganga at present Patna; Kumhrar quarter preserves famed 80-pillared Mauryan audience hall (3rd c.
🇲🇩 Moldova · Ancient city
Petreni Cucuteni-Trypillia Mega-Settlement
Chalcolithic (4000–3600 BCE, Cucuteni A–B) · Cucuteni-Trypillia
Moldovan mega-settlement of Cucuteni A–B / Trypillia BII, 30–35 ha, c.4000–3600 BCE, with ca. 500 houses in oval ring and two mega-structures.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Tell
Borsippa
Old Babylonian to Hellenistic (c.2000–100 BCE; peak Neo-Babylonian 626–539) · Amorite → Kassite → Neo-Babylonian (Nabu cult)
Borsippa (modern Birs Nimrud) is the sister city of Babylon 17 km south, cult centre of Nabu (scribal god) with the Ezida temple and 70-m ruined ziggurat (most...
🇻🇳 Vietnam · Ancient city
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Early Dai Viet Dinh–Le 968–1009 · Dai Co Viet (Kinh)
First capital of centralized Đại Cồ Việt after independence (968–1010 CE) — fortress between limestone karst towers (Tam Coc–Trang An) and river at Hoa Lu, Dinh (968) and Early Le (980) citadels —…
🇸🇾 Syria · Ancient city
Tell Mozan West Annex — Urkesh Outer Palace
Early Dynastic to Mittani (3000–1200 BCE) Hurrian Urkesh · Hurrian (Urkesh) then Mittani Washshukanni? debate
Tell Mozan West Annex — Urkesh Outer Palace in Al-Hasakah Governorate, Syria is a Early Dynastic to Mittani (3000–1200 BCE) Hurrian Urkesh ancient-city attributed to Hurrian (Urkesh) then Mittani…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Tula Grande (Tollan)
Early Postclassic 850–1160 CE (Tollan apogee 950–1150) · Toltec (Tolteca-Chichimeca, Nahua-affiliated)
Capital of Toltec Empire (Tollan, 950–1160 CE) spanning 16 km² on Malinche Hill: Pyramid B (Temple of the Morning Star) crowned by four 4.6 m basalt Atlante warrior columns on coatepantli (serpent…
🇱🇾 Libya · Ancient city
Zawila
Islamic Fezzan (8th–15th c. CE; peak 10th–13th c.) · Garamantian / Islamic (Ibadi-Berber)
Zawila (Zuwayla) in Fezzan is a medieval Garamantian–Islamic oasis city, 8th–15th c. capital after Germa (Garama) decline.
🇦🇫 Afghanistan · Ancient city
Mes Aynak — Buddhist Monastery and Copper Mine
Kushan to Islamic (100 BCE–800 CE) copper mine with Buddhist monastery · Kushan then Ghaznavid copper mining Buddhist
Mes Aynak — Buddhist Monastery and Copper Mine in Logar Province, Afghanistan is a Kushan to Islamic (100 BCE–800 CE) copper mine with Buddhist monastery ancient-city attributed to Kushan then…
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Salihundam — Srikakulam Buddhist Site
Early Historic (3rd c. BCE–4th CE) · Satavahana-Ikshvaku
Salihundam — Srikakulam Buddhist Site in Andhra Pradesh, Srikakulam, India is a Early Historic (3rd c. BCE–4th CE) temple complex attributed to Satavahana-Ikshvaku culture.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Hormiguero Structure II Pyramid (Chenés)
Late Classic Maya (Chenés) · Maya (Chenés / Río Bec)
Chenés monster-mouth pyramid Structure II at Hormiguero — 12 m stepped pyramid with 6 m Witz doorway c.600–850 CE.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tell
Sumaki Höyük
Early Bronze I–II (c.3100–2600 BCE) with later BA · Ninevite 5 → Akkadian → Khabur ware
Ninevite 5 period settlement (250 × 200 m, 10 m high) on the Beşiri plain, Ilısu salvage zone, excavated by Barbara Helw...
🇮🇶 Iraq · Tell
Tell Hawa
Neolithic–Iron Age (c.6100–600 BCE) plus later · Halaf → Ubaid → Ninevite 5 → ED–Akkadian → Mittanian–Assyrian
Sinjar plain megamound 80 ha (Halaf–Assyrian 6k yr sequence, 25 m high) near Tel Afar.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Comalcalco — North Plaza
Late Classic Maya 600–900 CE · Maya (Chontal-Jaina, Gulf)
Northern brick barrio of only brick-built Maya city: three temples with stamped oyster-shell bricks on swamp platform.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tell
Hacınebi Tepe South — Lower Slopes
Late Chalcolithic 3800–3100 BCE (Phases A–B2) then Roman farmstead · Late Chalcolithic → Uruk contact/colonial → Roman
Uruk contact citadel lower town — Late Chalcolithic B2 Uruk colony (3600 BCE).
🇯🇴 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) –…
🇮🇶 Iraq · Tell
Kisurra (Tell Abu Hatab)
Early Dynastic–Old Babylonian (c.2700–1700 BCE) · Sumerian → Amorite Kisurra kingdom
Twin mound Abu Hatab (Kisurra) in the Euphrates back-marshes: Isin-Larsa era kingdom squeezed between Isin and Larsa, palatial archives (EB Kisurra texts), and ED IIIb votive stone of King Ibaya.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Archaeological wonder
Wadi Hawar (Wadi Howar) – Yellow Nile
Early Holocene to Late Antiquity (9500 BCE–500 CE) · Holocene Saharan pastoral / Nubian
1000-km Yellow Nile former tributary with 400 Holocene pastoral scatters 9500–2000 BCE.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tell
Kavuşan Höyük
Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze (c.6000–1500 BCE) · Hassuna-Halaf → Ninevite 5 → Akkadian → Khabur ware
Large Tigris terrace tell (320 × 280 m, 15 m high) in the Ilısu reservoir zone, excavated 2002–2011 by G. Kozbe and Halu...