- published: 07 Oct 2015
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Lost city is a term that is generally considered to refer to a well-populated area which fell into terminal decline, became extensively or completely uninhabited, and whose location has been forgotten. Some lost cities whose locations have been rediscovered have been studied extensively by scientists. Recently abandoned cities or cities whose location was never in question might be referred to as ruins or ghost towns. The search for such lost cities by European explorers and adventurers in the Americas, Africa and in Southeast Asia from the 15th century onwards eventually led to the development of archaeology.
Lost cities generally fall into two broad categories:
Cities may become lost for a variety of reasons including natural disasters, economic or social upheaval, or war.
The Arabian city of Ubar (Iram of the Pillars) was abandoned after much of the desert city and its primary water source collapsed into a sinkhole. Once wealthy from trade, the region became lost to modern history and was thought to be only a figment of mythical tales. The city was rediscovered in 1992 when satellite photography revealed traces of the ancient trade routes leading to it.