This guide uncovers the world's most famous lost cities in a way that's perfect for kids ages 8–12, with a fun fact about each and a free printable worksheet to explore them.
Cities from ancient legends
Troy was long thought to be just a legend from Homer's poems — the city of the Trojan War and the famous wooden horse — until it was rediscovered for real.
Knossos on the island of Crete was a palace so full of winding rooms that it may have inspired the legend of the labyrinth.
Clever cities of the past
Mohenjo-daro was built more than 4,000 years ago with neat brick streets, drains, and a great bath — amazingly advanced for its time.
Göbekli Tepe is one of the oldest structures ever built — older even than the pyramids of Egypt.
Cahokia in North America was a huge city famous for its giant flat-topped mounds of earth.
A city beneath the waves
Thonis-Heracleion was a whole Egyptian port that sank beneath the sea, and was only found again by divers in modern times.
And Palmyra in the desert was once ruled by the bold Queen Zenobia, who dared to defy the Roman Empire.
How are lost cities found?
Archaeologists search for lost cities using old writings, careful digging, and even modern tools like satellites and sonar that can spot ruins hidden underground or underwater. Every discovery adds a new piece to the story of human history.
Explore them all in our Lost Cities activity book, or start with a free worksheet.