Archaeologists discover lost Maya city in Mexico Using advanced computer technology and laser mapping, a team of archaeologists has uncovered temple pyramids, plazas, and a reservoir belonging to a lost Maya city in Mexico, now named Valeriana. Believed to be founded around 150 CE, the city remained hidden in the dense Mexican jungle for centuries. Throughout history, many once-thriving cities have disappear either as a result of natural disasters or through conflict and the wanton destruction of a conquering foe. Others, long abandoned, have simply been forgotten and buried by time. But around the world are numerous examples of settlements thought long lost being unearthed by archaeologists and subsequently rediscovered as places of great cultural and historical significance.

Caral, Peru Caral is the most ancient city of the Americas: archaeologists estimate the site to be at least 5,000 years old. Often referred to as the cradle of civilization, Caral is also one of the oldest urban centers in the world. Caral is essentially a temple complex. It's located in the arid Supe Valley, about 20 km (12.5 mi) from the Pacific coast.

Caral was discovered in 1948, but generated scant academic attention at the time, probably because it lacked the prized Andean artifacts sought after by archaeologists. By the 1970s, however, Caral's significance was belatedly recognized. The city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.

Tanis, Egypt In 1939, archaeologists unearthed a royal tomb complex replete with three intact and undisturbed burial chambers.

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