Ancient Mesoamerica had one of the most incredible calendars ever devised. Discover how they created and used this calendar to track their history and the cosmos.
How did simple fishermen and farmers on the Peruvian coast create the foundation for all later Andean culture? Find out as we discuss the Norte Chico civilization and how they influenced later civilizations to come.
The Olmec were the first great civilization of Mesoamerica. Despite being late comers, they bloomed with incredible speed and left an enduring legacy across all of Central America.
Why did Maya writing remain undecipherable for so long and how was it finally cracked? Find out how this long enigmatic script was finally deciphered and how centuries of recorded Maya history were unlocked.
Poverty Point is the earliest city in North America the largest for centuries. What made such an impressive city possible at a time with no equal. Find out how and why Poverty Point was the anomaly of North America's Archaic period.
Chavin de Huantar dominated the Early Horizon period of Andean history. But why did one small highland city exert such a tremendous influence over the northern Peruvian coast?
Maize is one of humanity's most incredible achievements and it allowed Ancient American culture to blossom and thrive. Discover the fascinating story of this plant and how it transformed the Americas.
Who were the first Americans and how did they arrive in the Americas? The settlement of the Americas is one of the most studied and enigmatic topics in Ancient American history and not without controversy. Find out why this simple question is so puzzling to so many scientists and archaeologists.
Explore the Maya story of creation as recorded by the K'iche Maya and see how the Maya saw the world around them.
In the first millennium CE, one city was ascending to unseen heights in the Lake Titicaca basin, the city of Tiwanaku. Find out what makes the site of Tiwanaku so amazing and how it became a thriving cultural center in the southern Andes.
Tiwanaku was a cultural powerhouse that left a staggering legacy in Andean culture. Tiwanaku is often called an empire, but was that really the case?
The Keweenaw Peninsula furnished eastern North America with the highest quality copper for millennia. Find out how archaic peoples took advantage of the copper in their environment and how it shaped their culture.
The ancient city of Teotihuacan is one of the greatest cities ever constructed in the Americas. It was a city that was remembered by subsequent cultures long after it was abandoned. Because it was never inhabited again, archaeologists can explore the entire city and try to reconstruct the life and history of this magnificent site. Let’s find out what made Teotihuacan such a spectacular city and culture.
All over Arizona lay the ruins of Hohokam art and architecture and engineering. Find out how small farming communities came together to master the Arizona desert and create a thriving and adaptive culture.
How does a culture thrive in the Amazon? For over half a millennium, Marajoara culture flourished at the mouth of the Amazon river and left the world with some of the most beautiful artwork of the Americas. Discover why this culture was misunderstood and how it’s critical reevaluation in the past 40 years has revolutionized our understanding of the pre-columbian Amazon.
Long before the Classic Period of Maya Civilization, great cities, beautiful art and powerful kings were emerging in the Maya region. Often overlooked, the Preclassic period saw the Maya create some of their greatest achievements in history and develop critical components of their culture. Discover how the Maya bloomed late but brilliantly.
One of Mesoamerica’s most famous rulers cultivated a reputation as a courageous warrior, a talented poet and artist and a wise ruler. He led a life of exile and triumph. Discover the thrilling story of Nezahualcoyotl’s life and why his legacy persists to this day in Mexico.
Cahokia was the largest city ever built in the pre-columbian United States. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, this city of great mounds and plazas continues to capture our imagination. Join me as I explore the Cahokia in detail and discover how it helped usher in a new Mississippian order across the Eastern United States.
The Moche are one of Peru’s best known ancient cultures who built towering cities and produced some of the most memorable art of the Americas. See how Moche culture is as complex as it is mysterious.
During the 14th century, an empire was founded in Western Mexico that is nearly forgotten today. The Iréchikwa Tzintzuntzani was one of the greatest empires in the Pre-Columbian Americas. Discover what made this empire so unique in Mesoamerica.
Potatoes are a vegetable beloved by all. See how the potato emerged from obscurity into a vital food crop that feeds the world population and came to grace culinary traditions all over the world.
How did humans reach and settle the islands of the Caribbean? Check out how the exploration and settlement of the Caribbean defies expectations and is much more complicated than you might think.
Was Moncacht Apé a real person? Did he actually travel the entire breadth of North America? We don't know for sure but it's a heck of a story either way. Explore the incredible account a Yazoo man's journey across an entire continent.
Dorset Culture was the culmination of a brilliant and long-lived pre-Inuit tradition in the Arctic. They overcame a punishing environment to produce exquisite art and a durable way of life. Join us and discover what makes the Dorset culture so fascinating.
The Toltecs left a lasting legacy on Mesoamerica that is impressive but paradoxical. Were the Toltecs rulers of an empire or products of popular myth? What can history and archaeology tell us about this culture? Discover why the Toltec legacy is so troublesome to pin down.
Most people that are aware of the Nazca associate them with the Nazca lines. Not enough people know about their artistic and engineering achievements. Today we take a look at the incredible breadth of Nazca culture and history.
The lush coast Pacific Northwest is home to some of North America’s most well-known nations who are renowned for their rich culture. Despite never using agriculture, these nations formed vibrant communities with very complex societies. Discover how these cultures developed over thousands of years.
The Maya Classic period is widely considered the golden age of the ancient Maya and saw incredible achievements in art, architecture and science. Let’s explore what made this time period so brilliant and why the classic period continues to fascinate the scholars and public today.
The lowland Maya left us hundreds of written inscriptions that recount the history of their cities, their kings and their wars. Let's explore this history in the first of three episodes.
Chaco Canyon has excited and baffled archaeologists for over a century. What makes one of the most famous and studied archaeological sites so enigmatic? Find out what made the Chaco Phenomenon such a unique moment in ancient history.
The khipu (quipu) was an indigenous recording device made from knotted cords that were used for many different purposes for centuries. The history of khipus is a fascinating journey through thousands of years of sophistication and refinement. Join us to find out how khipus were used by the Wari and Inca to manage their empires.
The late classic is widely considered the epitome of Maya culture and the history of this period is no less exciting. It was a time full of rises and falls, great kings and kings and conquests and betrayals.
Chocolate has an incredible story from the cacao tree to the chocolate that we love today. Discover chocolate’s long lost Mesoamerican history from its South American origins to its cultivation and rise in Mesoamerica.
The arrival of humans into North and South America is an incredible event that scientists have been trying to illuminate for centuries. Recent discoveries have completely changed our understanding of this topic but have raised more questions.
The Muisca are one of Colombia's most famous cultures because of their connection to gold and the legend of El Dorado. But the Muisca were far more complex than goldsmiths and created a flourishing culture. Discover this culture and it's conquest in this video.
Bison are icons of North American wildlife and have always played an important role to the survival of people on the Great Plains. Indigenous people in North America hunted and exploited bison in many incredible ways but also revered and respected these animals. They knew that when the bison thrived, so did they. In this episode, we will discuss the pre-colonial relationship between bison and humans on the Great Plains.
The Great Plains are well-known for their indigenous traditions but also have a rich history that spans over ten thousand years. Contrary to what some people think, the plains were not a backwater but a rich and flourishing area with a diverse array of cultures that drew in outside influence and people and interacted with their neighbors. Join us as we explore the pre-columbian history of the Great Plains. A big thanks to my patrons for selecting this episode topic!
West Mexico is mysterious and often misunderstood. In some ways, a peripheral area and in other ways closely tied to the rest of Mesoamerica, West Mexico is a paradox. The Teuchitlán culture is the best known culture from this area and its beautiful art is a testament to its rich culture. Join us as we explore the Teuchitlán culture!