The Ak'Dool Hill-city
A city hidden in plain sight
"Growing up, we children knew the hill was good for treasure. Old coins, pottery shards, that sort of thing. Of course, we didn't realize we had an entire city underfoot until one side slid off in an earthquake. Ever since the word got out, we've had scholars scuttling about the thing, picking it apart and restoring what parts of it they can for tourists to come and see."
Although locals had their legends of some lost Dwarven city in their valley, it's whereabouts had been forgotten because rise and fall of the site predates written history in the region. After its accidental rediscovery, more settlements like it from the same culture have been found in the surrounding mountains, now that archaeologists know what to look for.
A Prehistoric Site
Government
Excavation is ongoing, but archaeological evidence suggests that this city had no one ruler over it. Rather, the elders of several prominent families likely counciled together in the courtyard shared between their dwellings to come to decisions for the rest of the small city.
Infrastructure
The prehistoric settlement consisted of many cylindrical dwellings densely nestled and stacked. All were entered from above, using a ladder in most cases and stairs in the wealthiest. As more living space was added over time, the bottom layers would be filled in with rocks, earth, and sometimes even discarded items to prevent collapse.
The walls were constructed with stone and mud brick, covered in stucco and shored up on the outside with earth and other dwellings.
Districts
The hill-city had two major districts: the center and the perimeter.
The houses in the center of the city were larger and all connected to a courtyard surrounding a natural projection of rock. It is suspected to be the ruling district because of the scale of the dwellings, and because a couple of the old buried rooms were filled in partially with valuables sculpted out of gold, greenstone, and ivory.
The lower tier was more densely populated than the other, and likely housed the working classes. Several shallow animal pens mark the edge of the city. Beyond that, farmland would have stretched out to the river, and some food might have even been planted on the artificial slopes of the city itself, too.
RUINED SETTLEMENT
Abandoned ~1400 years into prehistory
Written for Mini Camp 2022
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I'm really intrigued by these buildings that are entered basically by the roof (?). Is there a reason why buildings were continuously built upwards, and the lower floors stopped being used?