🇪🇬 Egypt · Pyramid
Lepsius I Pyramid
Old Kingdom, 3rd–4th Dynasty transition (~2613 BCE) · Ancient Egyptian
Unfinished giant mudbrick pyramid at Abu Rawash (Lepsius I), c.2613 BCE?, 17 m stump, 150+ m base.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Tell
Tanis (Sân el-Hagar)
Third Intermediate (21st–22nd Dynasty) capital; Late Period · 21st Dynasty Tanite → Libyan 22nd Dynasty → Saite → Greek
Delta Third Intermediate capital (177 ha) built entirely from Pi-Ramesses spolia — 21st dynasty walled city with intact royal gold burials, biblical Zoan.
🇺🇸 United States · Ancient village
Kin Bineola (Kin Binola)
Chaco Late Bonito to Post-Chaco San Juan · Chaco (ancestral Pueblo) → Mesa Verde–San Juan reoccupation
Isolated Chacoan great house outlier (c.1050–1110 CE core, Late Pueblo II, Classic Bonito phase + San Juan reoccupation c.1150) 26 km SW of Chaco proper — closest great house to Chaco that captures…
🇺🇸 United States · Ancient village
Chetro Ketl (Chaco Canyon)
Pueblo II-III; Chacoan florescence then McElmo Mesa Verde · Chacoan Ancestral Puebloans (Homools? Pueblo I-III) → McElmo Mesa Verde
Chaco’s second city (400 rooms, D-shaped, 1010–1110 CE) with colonnade and great kiva — McElmo-renovated great house, 3 storeys high on north Chaco mesa.
🇺🇸 United States · Ancient village
Pueblo Pintado (Red House)
Chaco Bonito to Post-Chaco (Late Pueblo II–III) · Chaco (ancestral Pueblo) → post-Chaco San Juan
Southeasternmost Chaco great house outlier (c.1050–1120 CE, Bonito II–III) on Pintado Mesa overlooking Rio Chaco headwater — eastern gate of Chaco world.
🇵🇪 Peru · Pyramid
Batán Grande — Sicán (Huaca Las Ventanas) Pyramid
Middle Sicán to Late Sicán (Lambayeque) · Sicán / Lambayeque (Moche descendant)
Sicán capital Batán Grande (800–1375 CE): 20 adobe pyramids (Huaca Loro 20 m with Lord of Sicán 2 kg gold mask and 22 sacrifices) in dry forest world-heritage necropolis.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan
Late Postclassic Aztec (Mexica) · Mexica (Aztec) Triple Alliance
Dual shrine pyramid (Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, 1325–1519 CE) — heart of island city Tenochtitlan (population 200,000 in 1519, larger than most European capitals on Lake Texcoco), built in seven…
🇯🇴 Jordan · Ancient village
Beidha
PPNB to Nabataean · PPNB Levantine to Nabataean
Pre-Pottery Neolithic B village (7200–6500 BCE) 5 km north of Petra at Siq al-Barid ('Little Petra'), first excavated by Diana Kirkbride.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Assur
Early Dynastic to Neo-Assyrian to Parthian · Assyrian (Akkadian dialect)
First capital and holy city of Assyria (c.2600 BCE–614 BCE, 70 ha on Tigris bend) — temple of god Assur (Ashur) whose city and god name are one.
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Hazor
Early Bronze to Hellenistic · Canaanite → Israelite → Assyrian
Largest Canaanite and Israelite tell in Israel (100 ha total: 12 ha upper acropolis + 70 ha lower city) — 'head of all those kingdoms' (Joshua 11:10) — with Middle Bronze earthen ramparts, Late…
🇮🇶 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).
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Gezer
Early Bronze to Iron Age · Canaanite → Egyptian → Israelite
Hilltop Canaanite tel (c.3500–586 BCE) with the Gezer Calendar (10th c. BCE, earliest Hebrew inscription — agricultural almanac) and bronze-age standing-stone alignment: 10 monolithic massebot (up to…
🇸🇾 Syria · Ancient city
Palmyra
Hellenistic to Roman (Palmyrene Empire interlude) · Aramaean Palmyrene → Roman
Desert oasis emporium on Silk Road (1st c. BCE–273 CE) — 'Bride of the Desert' — caravans of Queen Zenobia who challenged Rome (267–272 CE, sacked by Aurelian).
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient village
Tetitla Apartment Compound (Teotihuacan)
Classic Teotihuacan (Tlamimilolpa) · Teotihuacano (multi-ethnic)
One of 2,000 apartment compounds that made Teotihuacan (100 BCE–550 CE, 200,000 inhabitants — largest city in Americas) a planned grid city.
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Megiddo
Chalcolithic to Iron Age / Persian · Canaanite → Egyptian → Israelite
Strategic tell commanding Via Maris (Egypt-Mesopotamia road) through Jezreel, occupied 7000 BCE–586 BCE with 26 strata, Thutmosis III 1457 BCE battle (first battle in recorded history), Canaanite…
🇺🇸 United States · Ancient village
Una Vida (Chaco Canyon)
Pueblo I-III; early Bonito · Chacoan pioneer (Pueblo I) → classic Bonito
Earliest canyon great house (800–930 CE) at eastern mouth — L-shaped early Bonito 80-room great house with great kiva, petroglyphs and Fajada alignment, Chaco genesis type.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Paquimé (Casas Grandes)
Postclassic (Medio/Chihuahua culture) · Mogollon-Paquimé (Oasisamerica)
Largest pre-Hispanic pueblo city of northern Mexico (c.1130–1340 CE, 70 ha, population ~2,500) with multi-storey adobe apartments, T-shaped doors, I-shaped ballcourts (Mesoamerican), macaw breeding…
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Pyramid
Uaxactun — Structure E-VII, Group E Astronomical Pyramid
Maya Preclassic to Early Classic, c.500 BCE–300 CE · Maya (Preclassic Lowland)
Pyramid E-VII-sub in Uaxactun Group E (c.500 BCE–200 CE, Preclassic–Early Classic). Eastern triadic platform of the canonical E-Group solar observatory: western pyramid E-VII aligned to three eastern…
🇺🇸 United States · Ancient village
Hungo Pavi (Chaco Canyon)
Pueblo II-III; Chacoan · Chacoan Ancestral Pueblo → McElmo
Chaco south-side great house (72 rooms, 1100 CE) with tower kiva, enclosed plaza and South Road segment — Bonito to McElmo transition across canyon.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · Ancient city
Hegra
Lihyan to Nabataean to Roman Arabia Petraea · Nabataean Arab
Second capital of Nabataean kingdom after Petra (1st c. BCE–106 CE), with 131 rock-cut monumental tombs with decorated façades (Qasr al-Farid loner tomb iconic), Nabataean Aramaic inscriptions…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Calakmul — Structure I (East Acropolis Pyramid)
Maya Early to Late Classic, c.250–900 CE (I: c.400 CE, rebuild 600–700) · Maya (Kanul / Snake dynasty)
East Acropolis pyramid Structure I (? not largest Structure II 55 m, but I is 40 m) at Calakmul (c.250–900 CE, Classic megapower, rival of Tikal).
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Pyramid
Tikal — Temple I (Gran Jaguar) Pyramid
Maya Late Classic, c.730–734 CE, reign Hasaw Chan K'awil · Maya (Classic Lowland)
Temple I — Gran Jaguar — pyramid over tomb of Jasaw Chan K'awiil I (Hasaw Chan K'awil, r.682–734 CE), north of Great Plaza, 47 m high.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
Nuri Pyramid Nu.1 (King Taharqa)
Napatan, 25th Dynasty, c.690–664 BCE · Kushite (Egyptianized Napatan)
Largest pyramid at Nuri (Nu.1) for Taharqa (c.664 BCE, 25th Dynasty), 52 m base, 40–50 m original height.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Pyramid
Ziggurat of Assur (Qal'at Sherqat)
Old Akkadian to Middle Assyrian, c.2600–1200 BCE · Assyrian
Ziggurat of Assur at Qal'at Sherqat — holy city of Ashur, earliest Assyrian capital (c.2600–614 BCE, core Old Akkadian/Ur III, restored Shamshi-Adad I, Shalmaneser I).