The rise and fall of the Maya and Aztec civilizations that ruled vast stretches of pre-Columbian America; the enthralling history of these sophisticated societies and their religions, governments, social organizations and more.
EPISODE 1
The Maya, Aztecs, and Mesoamerica
Surveying the geography, cultures and time span to be covered; discussing the organization of a study and its key concepts; learning and understanding important places, civilizations and events in Meso-America.
EPISODE 2
Olmec Civilization Emerges
The Olmecs at the dawn of the Meso-American civilization; how the Olmecs represent one of only six cradles of early civilization in world history; how they were discovered; investigating three sites where they lived.
EPISODE 3
Olmec Art as the Mother Culture
Delving into Olmec art; searching for clues about who the Olmecs were and what preoccupied them; the mysteries of giant sculpted heads, jaguar carvings and full-bearded figures depicting men who some think were foreigners.
EPISODE 4
Olmec Contemporaries
Investigating other cultures that thrived in Meso-America at the time of the Olmecs, such as the Zapotecs in the Oaxaca Valley; probing intriguing archeological evidence that raises the question of who influenced whom.
EPISODE 5
Mesoamerican Plants, Cuisine, and Medicine
The botany of Meso-America and how it benefited not just the people of the region, but eventually the entire world; the native vegetation and its impact on global diet and culture, from corn and chocolate to vanilla and chili peppers.
EPISODE 6
Early Highland Maya - Izapa to Kaminaljuyu
Tracing the origin of the Maya civilization to a dramatic change in the nature of public monuments; studying early Maya highland cities such as Izapa, with its amazing religious carvings; Kaminaljuyu and the dawn of the Classic Maya period.
Edwin Barnhart
