Discover Abandoned Places and the Stories They Leave Behind
-
Pyramiden: The Abandoned Soviet Mining Town in the Arctic
Far above the Arctic Circle, on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, stands Pyramiden, a former Soviet mining town surrounded by rugged mountains and icy landscapes. Its empty apartment blocks, industrial buildings and wide streets preserve the remains of a community that once supported hundreds of workers and their families. Unlike many abandoned settlements that slowly…
-
Kolmanskop: The Abandoned Diamond Town of Namibia
In the Namib Desert of southern Namibia, sand fills the rooms of abandoned houses, covers wooden floors and gathers beneath faded walls. These buildings once belonged to a thriving diamond-mining settlement with a hospital, school, theatre, ballroom and other facilities that reflected the wealth generated by the diamond industry. Today, Kolmanskop stands as one of…
-
The Dyatlov Pass Incident: What Happened to the Nine Hikers?
In February 1959, nine experienced hikers died during a winter expedition in the northern Ural Mountains of the Soviet Union. Search teams later found their tent damaged and abandoned on a remote mountainside. Some of the hikers had left without adequate clothing for the freezing conditions. The discovery raised a question that has fascinated investigators…
-
The Somerton Man: The Mystery of the Man Found Dead on an Australian Beach
On the morning of December 1, 1948, two people walking along Somerton Beach near Adelaide, South Australia, noticed a man lying motionless against a seawall. He wore good-quality clothing. He carried no identification. Someone had removed the labels from his clothing. And nobody seemed to know who he was. For more than seven decades, the…
-
Cahokia: The Ancient City of North America
Long before European settlement transformed the landscape of North America, a large and complex city grew beside the Mississippi River near present-day St. Louis. Cahokia became the largest known pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. At its height, the city covered more than 1,600 hectares and included approximately 120 earthen mounds, large public spaces, residential districts…
-
Conímbriga: The Roman City Ruins of Portugal
Conímbriga is one of the most important Roman archaeological sites in Portugal. Located near Coimbra, the ancient city preserves streets, houses, mosaics, baths, a forum, an aqueduct, defensive walls and other remains that reveal how urban life developed in Roman Lusitania. The settlement existed long before Roman rule. Archaeological evidence confirms human occupation in the…
-
Angkor: The Lost City of the Khmer Empire
Angkor is one of the greatest archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia. Hidden among forests and modern settlements in northern Cambodia, the remains of the ancient Khmer capitals reveal a civilization that developed monumental architecture, enormous reservoirs, canals, roads and sophisticated urban systems. The name Angkor often brings one monument to mind: Angkor Wat. Yet Angkor…
-
Pompeii: The Roman City Preserved by Vesuvius
Pompeii is one of the world’s most remarkable archaeological sites. Buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, the ancient Roman city preserves streets, houses, shops, public buildings, temples, baths, theatres and countless everyday objects beneath layers of volcanic material. Unlike many ancient cities, Pompeii offers an unusually detailed view of ordinary Roman…
-
Chichén Itzá: The Ancient Maya City of Mexico
Chichén Itzá is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Mexico and one of the best-known surviving cities of the ancient Maya world. Located in the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula, the site preserves monumental pyramids, temples, ball courts, platforms, roads and other structures that reveal the scale and complexity of Maya civilization.…