Archaeological Sites of the Americas

A Growing Archive of Ruins and the Roads that Lead to Them
Follow the clues left in stone.

Browse by region above, or explore curated groups below.

Maya Kingdoms

Jungle cities, sacred rivers, and dynastic legacy in southern Mexico and Central America.

Stencil icon of the seated deity figure from the Balamkú frieze, shown in blocky profile with lifted arms and surrounding geometric elements, rendered as a bold black outline.

Balamkú

Maya Frieze of Colors

Stencil-style icon of the Becán pyramid with central stairway and flanking structures in a black line design.

Becán

Behind the Moat

Stencil icon of the temple facade at Bonampak shown as a bold black silhouette with roof combs and stepped masonry forms.

Bonampak

Maya Blue on Display

Black silhouette icon of Calakmul ruins in Campeche, Mexico, showing a stepped Maya pyramid with stairway and supporting columns.

Calakmul

Climb for the Views

Black silhouette icon representing Caracol, the ancient Maya archaeological site in Cayo District, Belize.

Caracol

Behold the Sky Palace

Stencil icon of Chacchoben shown as a bold black silhouette representing the Maya archaeological site in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Chacchobén

Pyramids Among the Trees

Stencil icon of a Chicanná doorway shown as a geometric black silhouette.

Chicanná

Step inside the Maya World

Stencil icon chichen itza

Chichén Itzá

Majestic City of the Maya

Stencil icon of Cobá in Quintana Roo, Mexico, showing a Maya pyramid with bicycle for site access.

Cobá

Ride the ruins on a bike

Stencil icon of Copán in Honduras, showing a Maya stela with carved ruler figure and glyph motifs.

Copan

Peel Back the Layers

Black silhouette icon representing Ek Balam, the ancient Maya archaeological site in Yucatán, Mexico.

Ek Balam

Tomb Behind the Jaws

Black stencil icon depicting El Castillo, the principal Maya pyramid at the archaeological site of El Meco near Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

El Meco

Pyramid by the Sea

Black stencil icon depicting stepped Maya temple architecture associated with the El Rey archaeological zone in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

El Ray

Among the Resorts

Black stencil-style icon of the ceremonial arch at Kabah, representing Maya Puuc architecture in Yucatán, Mexico

Kabah

Puuc Power and Masks

Black stencil-style icon of Labná’s distinctive Maya arch and palace tower structure

Labná

Puuc on a Pedestal

Black stencil-style icon of Labná’s distinctive Maya arch and palace tower structure

Palenque

City with a Cosmic Tomb

Black stencil icon depicting the main Maya pyramid at San Miguelito in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico, with a broad staircase and summit temple.

San Miguelito

Cancún Before Hotels

Black stencil-style icon representing Sayil’s Great Palace, featuring Puuc-style columns and a central doorway.

Sayil

Grand Palace of Puuc

Stencil icon of Tikal in Petén, Guatemala, showing a stepped Maya pyramid temple with central doorway.

Tikal

Sunrise in the Jungle

Black silhouette icon of Tulum ruins in Quintana Roo, Mexico, showing a Maya temple structure perched on a coastal cliff.

Tulum

El Castillo and Surf

Stencil icon of Uxmal in Yucatán, Mexico, showing a Maya double-headed jaguar throne sculpture.

Uxmal

Puuc Style Built by a Dwarf

Stencil-style icon of Xlapak’s Palace of the Masks, showing a plain lower wall and an ornate upper frieze with geometric Puuc-style patterns.

Xlapak

Where Chaac Reigns

Stencil icon of the three-tower facade of Xpuhil, shown as a bold black silhouette with stepped bases and the site’s distinctive central tower.

Xpuhil

Iconic Rio Bec Towers

Stencil icon of El Castillo, Structure A-6, at Xunantunich shown as a bold black silhouette of the stepped Maya pyramid and summit rooms.

Xunantunich

Giant Masks Above the Plaza

Stencil icon of Yaxchilán in Chiapas, Mexico, showing the roof comb from a Maya temple.

Yaxchilán

Epic River Journey

Central Mexican Powers

Highland capitals, warrior temples, and ceremonial strongholds.

Stencil icon of Cacaxtla in Tlaxcala, Mexico, showing a mural profile figure from the ruins.

Cacaxtla

Indoor Ruins and Murals

Stencil icon of Cantona in Puebla, Mexico, showing stepped platforms with central stairway and maguey plants.

Cantona

Built on Broken Lava

Stencil icon of Chalcatzingo in Morelos, Mexico, showing an Olmec cave-mouth carving motif.

Chalcatzingo

Earth Monster is Home

Stencil icon of Cholula in Puebla, Mexico, showing the Great Pyramid with colonial church above.

Cholula

Largest Pyramid

Stencil icon of El Cuajilote in Veracruz, Mexico, showing a stepped pyramid topped with a large tree.

El Cuajilote

Spring-fed Plaza

Black silhouette icon of El Tlatoani pyramid in Tlayacapan, Mexico, showing stepped platforms rising beneath a mountain backdrop.

El Tlatoani

Tough Climb Big Reward

Stencil icon of El Tajín in Veracruz, Mexico, showing the Pyramid of the Niches with stairway.

El Tajín

Niches to fill a Calendar

Stencil icon of Malinalco in the State of Mexico, showing an Aztec rock-cut temple with stairway entrance.

Malinalco

Climb of the Warriors

Stencil icon of Tula in Hidalgo, Mexico, showing a Toltec warrior column from the Atlantean statues.

Tula

Warriors Still Keep Watch

Black stencil-style icon of Teotenango ruins, depicting a serpent head with an open mouth and curled fangs.

Teotenango

Stone Serpent Citadel

Stencil icon of Teotihuacan in the State of Mexico, showing the Pyramid of the Sun with stairway

Teotihuacán

Where it all Began?

Stencil icon of Tepozteco in Morelos, Mexico, showing an Aztec hilltop temple with stairway and mountain backdrop.

Tepozteco

A Pilgrimage for Pulque

Stencil icon of Xochicalco in Morelos, Mexico, showing the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent with carved motifs.

Xochicalco

Serpents with a View

Stencil icon of Xochitecatl in Tlaxcala, Mexico, showing a megalithic stone portal structure.

Xochitécatl

Offerings for Fertility

Yohualichan ruins stencil icon – stylized pyramid from Sierra Norte of Puebla

Yohualichan

Grand Plaza next to Town

The Oaxaca Highlands

Mountain tombs, sacred plazas, and the highland worlds of the Zapotec and Mixtec.

Stencil icon of Mitla in Oaxaca, Mexico, showing a Zapotec palace facade with geometric fretwork.

Mitla

Entry to the Underworld

Stencil icon of Monte Albán in Oaxaca, Mexico, showing a Zapotec stepped platform with stairway.

Monte Albán

Grand Plaza of Oaxaca

Stencil icon of Yagul in Oaxaca, Mexico, showing the Zapotec ballcourt with parallel stone walls.

Yagul

Ballcourt with Views

Stencil icon of Zaachila in Oaxaca, Mexico, showing a Zapotec geometric motif from the ruins.

Zaachila

Magnificent Tomb of Art

Sacred Valley of Peru

Terraced temples, royal roads, and the heartland of Inca power.

Stencil-style icon of Chinchero ruins showing a colonial church with bell tower and cross, standing on Inca stone terraces.

Chinchero

Terraces with Altitude

Stencil-style icon of Moray ruins showing concentric circular terraces descending into the earth, with surrounding mountain outlines.

Moray

Inca Crop Engineering

Black stencil-style icon of a Chachapoya roundhouse with thatched roof, stone walls, and geometric frieze design, inspired by Kuélap architecture

Machu Picchu

Inca Royal Citidel

Stencil icon of Ollantaytambo in Cusco, Peru, showing an Inca terraced fortress temple.

Ollantay
tambo

Iconic Inca Doors

Stencil icon of Pisac in Cusco, Peru, showing Inca agricultural terraces curving along the mountainside.

Pisac

Tombs and Terraces

Stylized black icon of Tipón, showing Inca terraced stone walls with a central water channel design.

Tipon

Marvel of Hydro

Highland Andes of Peru

Stone fortresses, cloud kingdoms, and echoes of forgotten empires.

Cerro Miraflores icon showing stylized stepped pyramid outline Huamachuco Peru

Cerro Miraflores

Overlooking the Andes

Stylized black icon of a Chavín deity head in profile, featuring fanged mouth, curled motifs, and serpent-like elements based on pre-Columbian stone carvings.

Chavín de Huántar

The Beginning

Black stencil-style icon of a Huari stone tomb, featuring heavy slab construction and stacked rectangular blocks representing ancient Andean burial architecture.

Huari

Stone and Shards

Black stencil-style icon of a Chachapoya roundhouse with thatched roof, stone walls, and geometric frieze design, inspired by Kuélap architecture

Kuélap

Fortress of the Clouds

Black stencil-style icon of the Marcahuamachuco ruins in northern Peru, showing thick outer walls and maze-like interior architecture

Marca
huamachuco

The Top of Peru

Stylized black-and-white icon of two thatched stone buildings representing the ruins of Tarmatambo, Peru

Tarmatambo

Legacy of Water

Black stencil-style icon representing the double stone throne at Vilcashuamán, symbolizing Inca ceremonial architecture and mountain rulership.

Vilcashuamán

Layers of Culture

Black stencil-style icon of the Viracochapampa ruins showing a stepped platform and central structure

Viracocha
pampa

Order in Stone

Sacred Deserts of Peru

Tombs, temples, and the echoes of Peru’s pre-Inca desert empires

Icon of Batan Grande in northern Peru with pyramid outline and tumi knife motif representing the Lambayeque culture.

Batán Grande

Echoes of a Lost Capital

Stencil icon of Caral in the Supe Valley, Peru, showing a stepped pyramid with circular plaza.

Caral

Oldest
Adobe

Stencil-style black icon of a Chimu guardian figure from Chan Chan, Peru.

Chan Chan

Largest Mud City Ever

Black stencil-style icon of two facing dragon-like figures inspired by the friezes of Huaca Arco Iris (El Dragón), symbolizing Moche-era mythology

Huaca Arco

Ceremonial Center Park

Stencil icon of the El Paraíso archaeological complex in the Chillón Valley near Lima, Peru, rendered as a black silhouette representing the monumental Preceramic site.

El Paraíso

Temples Before Pottery

Stencil-style black icon of Ai Apaec, the Moche decapitator god, based on mural motifs from Huaca del Luna.

Huaca de La Luna

Art on Display

Stylized stencil icon of Huaca del Sol pyramid, Moche culture site near Trujillo on Peru’s north coast.

Huaca del Sol

The Americas Adobe King

Stencil icon of Huallamarca in San Isidro, Lima, Peru, shown as a bold black silhouette of the site's adobe pyramid.

Huaca Huallamarca

Pyramid Among City Streets

Stencil icon of the Gran Pirámide at Huaca Pucllana in Lima, Peru, shown as a bold black silhouette of stepped adobe terraces and monumental retaining walls.

Huaca Pucllana

Adobe in the Skyline

Stencil icon of the Pachacamac Idol, shown as a black silhouette representing the carved wooden sacred figure associated with the Pachacamac sanctuary in Peru.

Pachacamac

Oracle by the Sea

Sechín warrior head carving icon representing sacrifice reliefs at Cerro Sechín in northern Peru.

Sechín

Faces of Sacrifice

Icon of the Tomb of the Lord of Sipán, Moche culture site in northern Peru, showing stepped pyramid with burial headdress symbol.

Sipán

Gold of a Lost Lord

Icon of Túcume’s Wall of the Birds, Lambayeque Valley, Peru, showing stylized bird motif above pyramid huaca.

Túcume

Adobe Pyramid Empire

Stylized stencil icon of Los Paredones ruins showing trapezoidal niches and stepped adobe wall outline beneath desert hills

Los Paredones

Inca Adobe Lines

Stylized icon of the Nazca hummingbird geoglyph, based on the famous desert line drawing in southern Peru

Nazca Lines

Art for the Gods

Andean Highlands of Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia

Stone sanctuaries, mountain kingdoms, and sacred landscapes of the northern Andes.

Black stencil-style icon of Ciudad Perdida, showing three circular stone terraces with a staircase ascending to the top tier, flanked by palm trees in the background.

Ciudad Perdida

Trek to the Circles

Black and white stencil-style icon of the Chincana Labyrinth on Isla del Sol, showing central square platform surrounded by smaller stone blocks in a circular layout

Chincana Labyrinth

Path of Pilgrims

Black stencil-style icon of El Infiernito stone monoliths, symbol of the Muisca astronomical observatory in Villa de Leyva, Colombia

El Infiernito

Cosmos and Fertility

Ingapirca icon showing the Temple of the Sun in Cañar, Ecuador

Ingapirca

Oval Inca Temple of the Sun

Stencil-style icon of a fanged human figure statue from San Agustín Archaeological Park in Colombia

San Agustín

Statues and Tombs

Stencil icon of the Kalasasaya doorway at Tiwanaku in Bolivia shown as a black silhouette.

Tiwanaku

Doorway to the Sun

Woodland and Mississippian Heartland

Mounds, villages, museums, and ceremonial landscapes of the Mississippi and Illinois river valleys.

Stencil icon of Albany Mounds showing low earthen Hopewell mounds with trees behind them.

Albany Mounds

Prairie Paths
Through Time

Stencil-style icon representing Angel Mounds, a Mississippian culture earthwork site in Indiana, USA.

Angel Mounds

Aligned with the Milky Way

Stencil icon of Cahokia in Illinois, USA, showing Monks Mound with central stairway.

Cahokia

One Basket of Dirt at a Time

Stencil icon of Dickson Mounds Museum showing the museum building as a simplified black silhouette.

Dickson Mounds

Museum Above
the Valley

Stencil icon of Ogden-Fettie Mounds showing two earthen Hopewell mounds with trees behind them.

Ogden-Fettie

Crescent of
Burial Mounds

Stencil icon of Malchow Mounds showing a wooded path with trees, shrubs, and a gate in the distance.

Malchow

Hidden Above
the Valley

Mississippian Thunderbird petroglyph icon from Millstone Bluff, Illinois, ancient Native American rock art symbol representing power and the sky world

Millstone Bluff

Home to a Thunderbird

Stencil icon of Rockwell Mound showing a small shelter on top of an earthen mound.

Rockwell Mound

Giant Hopewell
Earthwork

Stencil icon of Sinnissippi Mounds showing earthen Hopewell mounds with trees and interpretive signs.

Sinnissippi

High Above
the Rock River

Stencil icon of Toolesboro Mounds showing two earthen Hopewell mounds with trees behind them.

Toolesboro

Where Burials
Shape the Field

Stencil icon of Towosahgy State Historic Site showing the interpretive shelter with low Mississippian mounds behind it.

Towosahgy

Plaza on the Floodplain

Ancestral Puebloan Homelands

Mesa villages, canyon towers, and stone communities of the ancient Southwest.

Black stencil-style icon of Chimney Rock in Colorado, depicting the twin stone towers

Chimney Rock

Aligned with the Moon

Stencil style icon of the Edge of the Cedars feather sash motif in black and white.

Edge of the Cedars

Kiva and Museum

Black stencil icon of Escalante Pueblo showing stepped masonry walls in the foreground with a flat-topped mesa silhouette behind.

Escalante Pueblo

View of the Ancients

Stencil icon of Five Kiva Pueblo showing the sandstone alcove overhang and masonry walls as a solid black silhouette.

5 Kiva Pueblo

Kivas Guard the Canyon

Holly Group black stencil icon showing a tower ruin in Colorado, USA

Holly Group

Perched on a Boulder

Black stencil style icon depicting the characteristic multistory square and circular stone towers of the Hovenweep National Monument ruins.

Hovenweep

Towers Keep Watch

Black stencil style icon representing the rectangular residential room block and the adjacent large circular feature (Great Kiva location) of the Lowry Pueblo site.

Lowry Pueblo

Great Kiva on the Plains

Black stencil icon for mesa verde national park.

Mesa Verde

Cliff Cities in Stone

Stencil icon of Painted Hand Pueblo showing the round tower and cliff ledge.

Painted Hand

Art Transcends Time

Stencil style icon of the Sand Canyon Trail showing rock formations and desert plants in black and white.

Sand Canyon Trail

A Sacred Neighborhood

Stencil icon of juniper, shrubs, and low stone rubble representing Sand Canyon Pueblo.

Sand Canyon Pueblo

Imprints of a City

Stencil icon of Yucca House showing low masonry walls in the foreground with the profile of Ute Mountain behind.

Yucca House

Buried in the Fields

More Sites Coming Soon!

  • Yacay
  • Ruinas del Castillo
  • Chaco Canyon
  • Salmon Ruins
  • Pachacamac
  • El Paraíso
  • Huaca Pucllana
  • Huaca Huallamarca
  • Templo Mayor (CDMX)
  • Ruinas de Maukallacta
  • Aztec Ruins (NM)
  • Alto de los Ídolos
  • Alto de las Piedras
  • El Purutal
  • Vitcos
  • Edzná
  • Antaymarca
  • Canyon de Chelly
  • Bandelier
  • Wupatki
  • Pacatnamu
  • Wickliffe Mounds
  • Towosahgy
  • Montezuma Castle
Discover Civilizations