lost world
Hidden prehistoric realm
A lost world is a remote, isolated place where prehistoric creatures or ancient civilizations supposedly survive, hidden from modern discovery.
The concept comes from adventure fiction—particularly Conan Doyle's novel of that name—featuring explorers who stumble upon dinosaurs or primitive peoples in uncharted jungles or plateaus.
The phrase now applies figuratively to anything seemingly preserved from an earlier era: The village felt like a lost world, untouched by the twentieth century.
Mythical sunken island
- El DoradoFabled golden city
- Shangri-LaFictional Himalayan utopia
- AvalonMystical island of lore
- LemuriaTheorized lost continent
Mu · Eden · Arcadia · Camelot · Tír na nÓg · Xanadu · Thule · mythology
Organized exploratory journey
- explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
- discoveryAct of finding something
- unchartedNot yet documented
- unmappedLacking cartographic representation
terra incognita · undiscovered · unexplored · frontier · pioneer · cartographer · voyage · trek
Distant or controller
- secludedSet apart, private
- inaccessibleCannot be reached
- isolatedSeparated from others
- untouchedNot contacted or affected
pristine · sequestered · concealed · shrouded · veiled · mysterious · enigmatic · secret
Extinct prehistoric reptiles
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- TriassicFirst Mesozoic period
- megafaunaSpecies over 44 kilograms
pterosaurs · plesiosaurs · ichthyosaurs · archaeopteryx · fossils · amber · trilobites · mastodon
Study of physical remnants
- excavationAct of unearthing
- relicsPreserved items from antiquity
- templesHoly places or head sides
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
civilization · pyramids · hieroglyphics · catacombs · citadel · monoliths · overgrown · crumbling
Atlantis
Mythical sunken island
- El DoradoFabled golden city
- Shangri-LaFictional Himalayan utopia
- AvalonMystical island of lore
Lemuria · Mu · Eden · Arcadia · Camelot · Tír na nÓg · Xanadu · Thule · mythology · folklore
expedition
Organized exploratory journey
- explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
- discoveryAct of finding something
- unchartedNot yet documented
unmapped · terra incognita · undiscovered · unexplored · frontier · pioneer · cartographer · voyage · trek · safari
remote
Distant or controller
- secludedSet apart, private
- inaccessibleCannot be reached
- isolatedSeparated from others
untouched · pristine · sequestered · concealed · shrouded · veiled · mysterious · enigmatic · secret · forgotten
dinosaurs
Extinct prehistoric reptiles
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- TriassicFirst Mesozoic period
megafauna · pterosaurs · plesiosaurs · ichthyosaurs · archaeopteryx · fossils · amber · trilobites · mastodon · paleontology
archaeology
Study of physical remnants
- excavationAct of unearthing
- relicsPreserved items from antiquity
- templesHoly places or head sides
artifacts · civilization · pyramids · hieroglyphics · catacombs · citadel · monoliths · overgrown · crumbling · ancient
Doyle
Gaelic-origin family name
- VerneNineteenth-century French futurist writer
- Skull IslandFictional monster-inhabited atoll
- pulpSoft wet mass
Crichton · Burroughs · adventure · matinee · serial · plateau · survivors · stranded · time capsule
- speculative fictionsci-fi, science fiction, dystopia, fantasy, futurism
- imaginary worldsdreamland, fairyland, wonderland, fantasy realm, fantasy land
- Uncharted Placesterra incognita, uncharted waters, unexplored territory, blank spot, here be dragons
- other realmsotherworld, netherworld, shadow realm, dream realm, alternate reality
- Burroughs FictionTarzan, John Carter, great apes, flier, fliers
- adventureadventure, quest, quests, exploration, explorers