Pyu, Myanmar

Living in the Pyu city-states was a gritty affair, with a population likely in the low hundreds of thousands across their 12 walled cities. These fortified settlements, the largest spanning over 1,400 hectares, were centers of intensive agriculture and trade, but bureaucracy was a persistent headache - the chronicles mention alliances between states, hinting at complex political dynamics. Still, the Pyu's thousand-year civilization left an indelible mark, with their architectural and cultural influences felt in later Burmese kingdoms. For those intrigued by ancient urban ruins and a glimpse of Southeast Asia's distant past, the Pyu sites could be a rewarding, if challenging, destination.