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Everyone knows about the major lost cities in the world; their ancient ruins spring to mind immediately when you hear names like Pompeii, Machu Picchu, and Angkor Wat. They're tourist destinations and major archaeological sites, and you've probably seen dozens of pictures of them.

But there are, of course, many, many more "lost cities" all over the world. These stony relics of times past can date back thousands of years, and are stunning in not only their good condition, but in the way that they resemble modern cities so closely. Here are 28 of the cities you've probably never heard of.

1. Carthage



Carthage, located in what is now Tunisia, was founded by Phoenicians in the first millenium BCE. It quickly rose to power thanks to its coastal location, but soon, it found itself fending off the Romans. Carthage finally fell when Rome burned the city and massacred and enslaved its citizens. The Romans would rebuild, though, and Carthage would end up being a major Roman city as well. It was came under Muslim rule in 698 CE.

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2. Ciudad Perdida



Its current name translates to "Lost City," but this mysterious ruin in Colombia's Sierra Nevada is also known as Teyuna and Buritaca. Founded in 800 CE, it predates the Inca city of Machu Picchu by about 650 years. It would not be rediscovered, though, until 1972. It seems to have been the central city in a network of villages built by the native Tairona people. It features terraces, a lattice of roads, and circular plazas. It might have been home to up to 8,000 people.

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3. Troy



You probably know about Troy from the Iliad, but the doomed city was actually a very real place. Located in the northwest corner of what is now Turkey. The city contains many archaeological layers that show us many different cultures living here, but the Trojan War is said to have taken place right here in the mid- to late-13th century BCE.

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4. Skara Brae



On the largest of the Orkney Islands in Scotland is the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae. It predates both the Great Pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England. It lay buried for thousands of years until a violent storm exposed the stone dwellings in 1850. Skara Brae was occupied from about 3180 to 2500 BCE, but increasingly cold weather caused the inhabitants to leave.

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5. Memphis



No, not the one in Tennessee! This Memphis was the first capital of Egypt and remained an important city for thousands of years. Legend says that King Menes built the city by rerouting the Nile, and its founding is dated by Herodotus as 3100 BCE. It remained a powerful city even after the Egyptian capital was moved to Thebes. Eventually, though, Alexandria became the favorite city in Greek and Roman times, and Memphis continued to decline.

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6. Caral



In this photo, the city of Caral looks like nothing more than a continuation of the arid Peruvian landscape. But this is actually the remains of one of the largest cities of the Norte Chico people. It's considered one of the oldest urban centers in the Americas, dating to 2600 to 2000 BCE. It may have been home to 3,000 people.

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