National Geographic - USA (2021-11)

UNEARTHING 100 TREASURES OF THE PAST

3 .7 mya–5 0 ,0 00 ya
Roots of our famBone fragments reveal that ily tree
humcoman ancestry is far mplex than first thought. ore

The dawn of cultureAncient storytellers begin to

depict their daily lives and emerging belief systems.

The foundations of societyNomads settle into urban areas,

developing stratified social classes and division of labor.

Converging worldsCivilizations become wealthy

superpowers connected by trade but troubled by conflict.

Ancient tribes and dynastiesRulers conquer new territory

while cemwith palaces and pyramenting power at homids. e

An age of artisansHistory is enshrined in art and

imfromagery by skilled craftspeople Greece to China and Africa.

50 ,0 00 ya–3 000 B.C. 3000 –15 00 B.C. 1500 –10 00 B.C. 1000 –5 00 B.C. 500 –2 00 B.C.

3.7 MILLION YEARS AGO*
The preserved in volcanic ash, prove LAETOLI FOOTPRINTS,
that our earliest ancestors walked upright. •Tanzania, found in 1978

AT LEAST 30,000 YEARS AGO

Aboriginal world’s longest continuing art ROCK ART is the

form. •Australia, unknown

3000 B.C.

Evidence of sacrifices and funer-als in ANCIENT EGYPT is found

along the Nile. •Egypt, late 1800s

1650-1200 B.C.

HATTUSHA’S Wtell the story of the quarrelsomRITTEN records e

Hittite Empire. •Turkey, 1800s

1000-750 B.C.

Anew clues to the peopling of the LAPITA CEMETERY offers

Pacific. •Vanuatu, 2003

900-200 B.C.

SCYTHIANriding male and fem graves hold horse- ale warriors,

and mSteppe, Ukraine, and Russia, 1700sasterful goldworks. •Eurasian

3.2 MA fossilized skeleton, ILLION YEARS AGOLUCY, is the
mthose ancestors. •ost complete set of bones of Ethiopia, 1974

2.4 TOFossils from 1.4 MILLIO OLDUVAI GON YEARS AGRGEO
include an early toolmreveal East Africa as the cradle of aker and
humanity. •Tanzania, 1959

1.8 TO 1.75 MILLION YEARS AGO
Fossils found in when early humDMans first mANISI show igrated
out of Africa. •Georgia, 1991
335,000-236,000 YEARS AGO
An entirely new species of humHOMO NALEDI, is found in a an,
cave. •South Africa, 2013
250,000-50,000 YEADNA sleuthing identifies RS AGO
DENhumISOVANan family tree. •S as a part of the Siberia, 2008

100,000-50,000 YEABones of the tiny people of Flores RS AGO
Island are those of our RELATIVES. •Indonesia, 2003SMALLEST

36,000 ALifelike, Ice Age cave paintings ND 20,000 YEARS AGO

are found at LASCAUX. •France, 1994 and 1940CHAUVET AND

18,500 YEAThe MONRS ATE VERDEGO settlement

shows the marrived thousands of years earlier ost ancient Americans

than first thought. •Chile, 1977

9600 B.C.Finds at GÖBEKLI TEPE suggest

that it’s the world’s oldest t•Turkey, 1994 emple.

4500 B.C.The Sumerians develop writing

and urbanize the Uruk. •Iraq, 1849FIRST CITY, in

3300 B.C.The prehistoric huntsman ÖTZI

is killed; his intact body remfrozen for millennia. •Italy, 1991ains

3000 B.C.

The homSTONEHENes and quarries of GE architects are

unearthed. •England, 2003

10,000-4000 B.C.Rock art MASTERPIECES OF

THE SAHARAteeming with life. • depict a desert Northern

Africa, mid-1800s

2600-2300 B.C.Treasure is uncovered in UR’S

ROYAL TOMBS. •Iraq, 1922

2500-1900 B.C.

Ruins of MHarappa hint at advanced urban ohenjo Daro and

planning in the •Pakistan, 1826INDUS VALLEY.

2550-2470 B.C.

Excavations reveal the lives of those who built the PYRAMIDS

AT GIZA. •Egypt, 1990s

2000-1500 B.C.A KHOK PHANOM DI “princess”

is found buried with m120,000 beads. •Thailand, 1984ore than

1800-1200 B.C.KNOSSOS’ CRYPTIC TABLETS

tell the secrets of Mlife. •Greece, 1878 inoan palace

1792-1750 B.C.The most complete list of laws

fromOF HAM antiquity, the MURABI, is found LAW CODE

etched in stone. •Iran, 1901

1600 B.C.

The life at the zenith of the Bronze RUINS OF AKROTIRI show

Age. •Greece, 1800s

1320 B.C.

The with goods fromULUBURUN SHIPW nine different RECK, filled

Bronze Age cultures, is spotted by a sponge diver. •Turkey, 1982

1390-1336 B.C.CLAY TABLETS offer rare insights

into ancient Egyptian diplomand power. •Egypt, 1887 acy

1700-1100 B.C.Golden treasure is unearthed from

MAgamYCENemAE,non. • the legendary city of Greece, 1841

1322 B.C.The lavish tomb of KING TUT

sparks worldwide Egyptom•Egypt, 1922 ania.

1750-1180 B.C.An amateur archaeologist finds

the on a real city. •LEGEND OTurkey, 1870sF TROY is based

1600-1045 B.C.

Thousands of “oracle bones” prove the SHANG DYNASTY

wasn’t a fable. •China, 1899

1250 B.C.Bones with grievous injuries mark

Europe’s •Germany, 1996OLDEST BATTLEFIELD.

530 B.C.A CELTIC CHIEFTAIN is buried

like a pharaoh, bedecked in gold. •Germany, 1978

575 B.C.Built by a fabled king, the ISHTAR

GATE•Iraq, 1899 is Babylon’s crowning glory.

900-100 B.C.ETRUSCAN NECROPOLISES hold

the richly decorated graves of leaders. •Italy, 1500s

730-656 B.C.

KUSHITE KINGSpyramids but place tom emulate Egyptian bs under

them. •Sudan, early 1900s

1200-400 B.C.

COcarved fromLOSSAL STO 10-ton basalt boul-NE HEADS

ders likely honor Olm•Mexico, 1858 ec leaders.

MID-800S B.C.

An inscription feeds controversy: Was the biblical KING DAVID fact

or fiction? •Israel, 1993

912-609 B.C.

Excavations reveal the extrav-agance of a NEO-ASSYRIAN

PALACE. •Iraq, 1840s

1000-800 B.C.Preserved PREHISTORIC HOUSES

of Mlife 3,000 years ago. •ust Farm are snapshots of daily England, 1999

518 B.C.Darius the Great immortalizes

his reign with the complex. •Iran, 1930sPERSEPOLIS

UNKNOWN DATE

A star-bedecked is recovered fromN smEBRA SKY DISK ugglers, its

origins a mystery. •Germany, 1999

450 B.C.

Once lost at sea, the WARRIORS are icons of Greek RIACE

sculpture. •Ionian Sea, Italy, 1972

400 B.C.

Ornate vessels of the Panagyurishte hoard exemplify fine THRACIAN

GOLDWORKING. •Bulgaria, 1949

900-1 B.C.The NOK TERRA-COTTA

figures hint at a sophisticated ancient culture. •Nigeria, 1920s

350-320 B.C.Remains found in the TOMBS OF

Vthe Great’s father. •ERGINA could be Alexander Greece, 1977

210 B.C.

TERRA-COTTA Wdiscovered by farmARRIOers. •China, 1974RS are

100 B.C.

Afound in a Rom COMPLEX STAR CLOan shipwreck off CK is

Antikythera island. •Greece, 1900

800 B.C.-AUnderwater excavations reveal .D. 800

the pharaohs. •SUNKENEgypt, 1992 CITIES of the

447 B.C.

Excavations reveal the glory of the PARTHENON. •Greece, 1800s

75,000 YEAFinds in SHANRS AGIDAR CAVEO reveal
Neanderthals cared for their sick and injured. •Iraq, 1950s

*MOST ORIGIN DATES AND RANGES ARE APPROXIMATE. SOURCE: ANN R. WILLIAMS (GENERAL EDITOR), LOST CITIES, ANCIENT TOMBS