After a City is Buried

Summary by Krater

An exploration of the history and archaeology of the Chinese city of Kaifeng, whose six historical layers were buried by repeated Yellow River floods, and how this theme connects to buried cities like Pompeii and Plymouth.

From the video

Answers: Why are so many historical cities buried underground and how does archaeology uncover them?

• Kaifeng history
• Yellow River floods
• Urban stratigraphy
• The Forgotten City game
• Pompeii archaeological excavation
• Plymouth volcanic burial
• Native American grave robbing

What it concludes

• Kaifeng was buried and rebuilt six times due to catastrophic Yellow River floods.
• The Golden Rule in The Forgotten City game punishing everyone for one person's sin is ten times worse than historical decimation.
• Many US and global cities and Native American burial sites are submerged or destroyed by human-made infrastructure like dams and floods.
• The Forgotten City mod for Skyrim successfully translates the complex themes of buried civilizations into a narrative role-playing game.