14 Ancient Cities That Were Lost for Centuries
These ancient cities vanished for ages — only to be rediscovered and rewrite history.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
These ancient civilizations, hidden beneath jungles, deserts, and oceans, were thought to be myths until scientists discovered them. Upon their discovery, each city told stories of forgotten emperors, falling civilizations, and stunning architecture. Their unearthing has prompted historians to reconsider our understanding of the ancient world.
1. Pompeii – Buried by Fire, Frozen in Time
Jebulon on Wikimedia Commons
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, it smothered Pompeii in ash, preserving it under layers of volcanic debris. The city was forgotten until 1748, when excavations uncovered eerie casts of people caught mid-action.
2. Machu Picchu – Hidden in the Clouds
Allard Schmidt on Wikimedia Commons
High in Peru’s Andes, this Incan citadel escaped Spanish conquest due to its remote location. Rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, its intricate stonework and terraced hillsides amazed the modern world.
3. Petra – The Rose-Red City Carved in Stone
Teogomez on Wikimedia Commons
Hidden among Jordan’s sandstone cliffs, Petra was once a thriving Nabataean trading hub. After its decline, it disappeared from Western knowledge until 1812, when explorer Johann Burckhardt found it.
4. Angkor – The Jungle-Claimed Empire
Editorq35 on Wikimedia Commons
Once the capital of the mighty Khmer Empire, Angkor was home to over a million people at its peak. After its fall in the 15th century, thick forests consumed its temples. Western explorers stumbled upon it in the 19th century.
5. Troy – Myth Turned Reality
Gary Todd on Wikimedia Commons
Long dismissed as a legend from Homer’s Iliad, Heinrich Schliemann unearthed Troy in the 1870s in modern-day Turkey. Layers of ruins revealed multiple cities built atop one another.
6. Babylon – Rediscovered Beneath the Sands
HerbertReichart on Wikimedia Commons
Once one of the greatest cities of ancient Mesopotamia, Babylon was lost to history after centuries of conquest and decay. Excavations in the 19th century revealed its massive walls, ziggurats, and remnants of the Ishtar Gate.
7. Teotihuacan – The Mysterious City of the Gods
Syced on Wikimedia Commons
Near today’s Mexico City, Teotihuacan thrived long before the Aztecs discovered its abandoned temples. No one knows who built it or why it was deserted.
8. Mohenjo-daro – India’s Forgotten Metropolis
Ghanghro on Wikimedia Commons
This advanced city of the Indus Valley Civilization had complex drainage systems, wide streets, and multi-story homes 4,500 years ago. Rediscovered in the 1920s, its precision and planning shocked archaeologists.
9. Tikal – A Mayan City Swallowed by the Jungle
Gary Todd on Wikimedia Commosn
Once a thriving center of Mayan culture, Tikal was abandoned around 900 AD and overtaken by dense rainforest. Rediscovered in the 19th century, it took decades to uncover its towering pyramids.
10. Çatalhöyük – One of the First Cities Ever Built
Daderot on Wikimedia Commons
Located in modern-day Turkey, this Neolithic settlement dates back to 7500 BCE. Its discovery in the 1950s revealed tightly packed homes with rooftop entrances and no streets.
11. Hattusa – The Lost Hittite Capital
Mx. Granger on Wikimedia Commons
Forgotten for millennia, this Anatolian capital was discovered in the early 1900s. Massive stone walls, detailed carvings, and cuneiform tablets revealed the sophistication of the Hittite Empire.
12. Caral – The Oldest Known City in the Americas
Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel Barker on Wikimedia Commons
This Peruvian site predates the pyramids of Egypt, with ruins dating back to 2600 BCE. Rediscovered in the late 20th century, Caral had massive ceremonial structures and a complex society, without evidence of warfare.
13. Helike – Atlantis of the Ancient Greeks
Wikimedia Commons
This Greek city sank into the sea after an earthquake and a tsunami in 373 BCE. Long thought to be a myth, it was found underwater in the early 2000s.
14. Skara Brae – A Stone Age Village Preserved by Storm
Solmyr on Wikimedia Commons
Uncovered in 1850 after a wild storm, this Scottish village dates back to 3000 BCE. Its stone homes, beds, and even dressers are remarkably intact.