ruins
What archaeologists explore
Ruins are the remains of something destroyed or decayed—typically buildings, cities, or structures that have collapsed or fallen into disrepair: ancient ruins, the ruins of a bombed cathedral.
The word extends to any state of destruction or collapse: His gambling left his finances in ruins.
To be in ruins is to be devastated.
A single ruin is one such remnant, or the state of being ruined: The scandal brought about his ruin.
What stays after most goes
- vestigesRemaining traces of something
- fragmentsIncomplete broken pieces
- tracesSlight remaining amounts
- relicsPreserved items from antiquity
shells · husks · stumps · outlines · footprints · debris · rubble · stones
Volcano-buried Roman city
- ColosseumFlavian arena in Rome
- ParthenonAncient Greek hilltop temple
- AcropolisFortified hilltop in Athens
- Machu PicchuIncan sanctuary in Peru
Petra · Angkor Wat · Stonehenge · pyramids · ziggurats · temples · amphitheaters · aqueducts
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- digUnearth by shoveling
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- potteryFired clay objects
sherds · inscriptions · relics · tombs · site · trenches · carbon-dating · surveying
Breaking down gradually
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- erosionGradual wearing away
- weatheringAtmospheric breakdown of materials
- dilapidationState of ruin
disintegration · collapse · wear · corrosion · degradation · overgrown · moss-covered · tumbledown
remnants
What stays after most goes
- vestigesRemaining traces of something
- fragmentsIncomplete broken pieces
- tracesSlight remaining amounts
relics · shells · husks · stumps · outlines · footprints · debris · rubble · stones · bricks
Pompeii
Volcano-buried Roman city
- ColosseumFlavian arena in Rome
- ParthenonAncient Greek hilltop temple
- AcropolisFortified hilltop in Athens
Machu Picchu · Petra · Angkor Wat · Stonehenge · pyramids · ziggurats · temples · amphitheaters · aqueducts · Pantheon
excavation
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- digUnearth by shoveling
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
pottery · sherds · inscriptions · relics · tombs · site · trenches · carbon-dating · surveying · preservation
crumbling
Breaking down gradually
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- erosionGradual wearing away
- weatheringAtmospheric breakdown of materials
dilapidation · disintegration · collapse · wear · corrosion · degradation · overgrown · moss-covered · tumbledown · derelict
bombed
Failed spectacularly, utterly
- war-tornDamaged by military conflict
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- aftermathResults following an event
demolished · razed · leveled · shattered · blasted · scarred · gutted · charred · burned · looted
walls
Vertical enclosing structures
- columnsUpright structural shafts
- archesWeight-bearing curved spans
- foundationsStructural bases below ground
ramparts · moat · towers · gates · courtyard · stairs · doorways · windows · hearth · cistern
- traveltrip, trips, journey, journeys, travel
- Ancient Egyptpharaoh, pharaohs, sphinx, pyramids, hieroglyphics
- architectureEiffel Tower, buildings, architects, design, thatching
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- cultural heritage.traditions, customs, folklore, monuments, artifacts
- ancient thingsrelics, artifacts, fossils, monuments, megaliths
ruinsmonument
Structure honoring someone remembered
landmark · edifice · palace · fortress · structurally sound
ruinsnew construction
construction · restoration · reconstruction · building · construction site
- ancient ruinsDecayed structures from antiquity
- financial ruinComplete loss of wealth
- in ruins
- road to ruinCourse toward destruction
- Greek ruinsAncient structural remains
- Roman ruinsAncient imperial remnants