24 Ancient Cities That Were Just Discovered

At the site of the modern-day city of Nabeul, an ancient Roman city called Neapolis once stood until it was demolished by an earthquake-triggered tsunami. Left undiscovered for 1,700 years, the ruins of Neapolis were found in 2017. Among the ruins were a hundred tanks used to produce the fermented fish sauce called garum that was popular in Roman times, suggesting that the city was a major producer of the condiment.

Although a sarcophagus was found in the area in 1984, it was 34 years before archaeologists finally excavated proof of a Trojan city called Tenea in Northern Peloponnesus. Findings include sculptures, grave sites with extensive burial goods, stone walls, marble floors, bronze jugs, and gold and silver coins. Prior to these discoveries, Tenea was only known from ancient texts as a city founded by prisoners after their defeat in the Trojan War.

Until 2018, the ancient city of Limnae was only known through historical texts. Founded by Ionians, it became a bustling port and the richest city on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Excavation teams searching for the city for three years finally uncovered pottery and tiles in 2018 and were able to pinpoint Limnae’s location near the Beşyol plain. Most of the city still lies underground.

Using topographical maps made by LiDAR, scientists have found connections between many already discovered Mayan cities in Guatemala, as well as multiple previously unknown cities covered by dense rainforest, revealing a Mayan megalopolis much larger than they formerly thought. Over 60,000 ancient structures have been outlined, including pyramids, elevated highways, defensive structures, canals, and irrigation systems. This civilization may have supported 10 to 15 million people at its height.

By analyzing satellite imagery and visiting two dozen field sites, scientists have been able to piece together a map of an Amazonian civilization that thrived between 1250 and 1500. Tracts of rainforest previously thought to be uninhabited were actually home to a society of over a million inhabitants. Earthworks that may have been used ceremonially have been found in what were likely fortified villages deep in the rainforest, upending the prevailing notion that pre-Columbian Amazonian society was clustered around waterways.