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Episodes
- S1 E1 - South America's Lost Cradle of CivilizationJune 17, 196730minConsider the remarkable evidence for South America as one of the true wellsprings of human civilization. Grasp the diversity of early South American cultures, from the Andean civilizations to the desert and Amazon regions; what these cultures shared; and their extraordinary innovations in agriculture, architecture, handcrafts, social organization, and religion.#HistoryFree trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E2 - Discovering Peru's Earliest CitiesNovember 20, 201230minThe first cities in the Americas date to 3000 B.C. Investigate the means of subsistence of coastal and inland valley cities, and evidence for trade in marine and agricultural products. Learn about the sites of Kotosh, El Paraiso, and Caral and their striking features of architecture, including plazas, pyramids, and solar observatories.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E3 - South America's First PeopleDecember 21, 196830minThe earliest evidence of humans in the Americas comes not from North America, but from Chile. Investigate the important Monte Verde site and its view into everyday life 15,000 years ago. Learn also about "Quilcas" cave art, the astonishing Chinchorro mummies--predating Egypt's-- and evidence of early agriculture and trade at Huaca Prieta.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E4 - Ceramics, Textiles, and Organized StatesNovember 20, 201228minObserve pivotal changes in northern Peruvian societies in 1800-900 B.C., such as the architectural styles of the southern and northern valleys, which indicate the rise of a state identity. Note the area's earliest evidence of metallurgy and weaving, and stone sculptures reflecting the first warlike violence seen in South America.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E5 - Chavin and the Rise of Religious AuthorityNovember 20, 201228minThe Peruvian site of Chavín marks the emergence of religion as the focus of public art. Study Chavín's distinctive architecture, with images of its characteristic "fanged deity." Learn about later religious iconography and artifacts at Chavín suggesting that it was the center of a cult that spread to other sites in the region.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E6 - Cupisnique to Salinar-Elite Rulers and WarJanuary 1, 196427minWith the waning of Chavín's culture, striking new elements appear in the region's archaeological record. Here, encounter the Salinar culture, a new settlement pattern showing no ceremonial architecture and the first "elite" housing. Examine the evidence of defensive citadels and what may have triggered warfare and emerging social hierarchy.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E7 - Paracas-Mummies, Shamans, and Severed HeadsNovember 20, 201229minInvestigate the fascinating Paracas tombs of the 1st millennium B.C., which contain richly adorned mummies, and grasp the significance of mummification. Study the elaborate iconography of Paracas textiles, the meaning of the supernatural beings they depict, and the practice of head hunting as a means to control the spirits of the dead.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E8 - The Nazca Lines and Underground ChannelsNovember 20, 201230minThe Nazca are yet another South American people of striking accomplishments. Learn about their remarkable irrigation system of underground aquifers, aqueducts, and wells, and their fine polychrome pottery and textiles. Penetrate the mystery of the "Nazca Lines," massive geoglyphs scratched into the earth, which may be the result of ritual pilgrimage.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E9 - The Moche-Pyramids, Gold, and WarriorsNovember 20, 201228minIn the first of three lectures on the Andean Moche culture, chart this civilization's outstanding features. Discover the immense pyramids, adorned with brilliant color murals, road systems, and sophisticated art. Examine the evidence of extensive warfare, both in the art and in excavated weaponry and sacrificial victims.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E10 - The Moche-Richest Tombs in the New WorldFebruary 8, 196928minThe Moche tombs offer compelling evidence of the culture's social structure and cosmology. Investigate the sumptuous contents of the three principal tombs of Sipan--the enigmatic buried figures and dazzling costumes, jewelry, and surrounding objects. Contemplate who these buried people might have been, with relation to imagery in Moche art.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E11 - The Moche-Drugs, Sex, Music, and PuppiesNovember 20, 201235minThis lecture investigates the dramatic iconography seen on Moche ceramics. First, learn about the complex rituals and practices of modern South American shamanism. Then study images on Moche pottery usually interpreted as depicting victory in war, and indications that they actually describe an elaborate culture of shamanic healing.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E12 - Enigmatic Tiwanaku by Lake TiticacaNovember 20, 201233minLake Titicaca is the site of one of South America's most impressive civilizations. Discover the huge urban complex of Tiwanaku and its cultural connections to Chavín de Huantar. Explore Tiwanaku's mysterious architecture and its "raised field" agriculture, an engineering feat that allowed for the support of a large population.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E13 - The Amazon-Civilization Lost in the JungleJune 17, 196728minRecent discoveries indicate the presence of massive ancient civilizations in the Amazon. Survey the evidence, starting with the Beni region's elaborate systems of mounds, causeways, and canals. Continue with the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon, noting wide areas of human-enriched soil, towns ringed by moats, geoglyphs, and pottery dating to 6000 B.C.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E14 - The Wari-Foundations of the Inca Empire?November 20, 201229minHere, track the remarkable innovations of the Wari culture, highlighting its walled cities, paved road systems, large-scale livestock herding, and ingenious form of terraced agriculture. Examine the evidence of satellite communities of the Wari and the question of whether Wari expansion constituted empire building or a more benign diffusion of culture.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E15 - The Chimú--Empire of the Northern CoastNovember 20, 201229minThis lecture introduces a culture of warrior kings who became conquerors, second in influence only to the Inca. Learn about the Chimú's extraordinary royal citadels, urban organization, and intervalley irrigation technology. Investigate their subjugation of neighboring cultures, their imperial administration centers, and what may have motivated their conquest.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E16 - The Sican-Goldsmiths of the Northern CoastNovember 20, 201230minContrasting with the Chimú, Sican civilization comprised a confederation of equal and independent city-states. Study the apparent Moche influence in Sican pyramid building, elaborate burial styles, and extensive human sacrifice. Observe the unique qualities of Sican art in the mastery of metallurgy and stunning ritual objects in ceramic, gold, and copper.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E17 - The Inca Origins-Mythology v. ArchaeologyNovember 20, 201230minBegin your study of the great Inca civilization by tracing the culture's origin myth, featuring a creator deity who made the cosmos and charged the Inca to found a kingdom in a fertile valley. Compare the mythology with archaeological evidence that suggests that the myths were based in part on historical truths.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E18 - Cuzco and the Tawantinsuyu EmpireNovember 20, 201231minThe city of Cuzco stands as the supreme achievement in architecture and aesthetics of pre-Columbian South America. Study the city's astounding features, such as its hydraulic engineering, anti-seismic construction, and its perfectly fitting stonework that defies explanation. Learn also about the culture of ancestral mummies, the golden Coricancha temple, and other architectural marvels.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E19 - The Inca-From Raiders to EmpireNovember 20, 201229minIn charting the rise of Inca civilization, follow the pivotal reign of Pachacuti, the 9th Inca, whose vision to unify the Andes led to large-scale conquest. Learn how his heir, Tupac, doubled the imperial territories, and how the empire was ultimately torn apart by civil war and disease.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E20 - The Inca-Gifts of the EmpireNovember 20, 201228minAs a glimpse into how the empire functioned so effectively, learn about the Mit'a, a system of labor taxation, noting the services subjects provided to the empire and how they benefited in return. Grasp the Inca's ingenious technology of road building, suspension bridges, and freeze-drying vegetables, and how they eliminated hunger.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E21 - The Khipu-Language Hidden in KnotsNovember 20, 201234minThe Inca used a complex system of records encoded on knotted strings. Study what is known of the khipu, starting with Spanish accounts of their use and the "khipucamayuq" who recorded and read them. Learn how numbers were encoded, and review evidence suggesting that the khipu may contain a form of writing.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E22 - Machu Picchu and the Sacred ValleyNovember 20, 201230minThe mountainside complex of Machu Picchu was a royal estate of Pachacuti, the 9th Inca. Walk the site, entering at the Sun Gate, and explore the causeways, terraces, and many rooms of undetermined function. Study the solar-aligned Torreon and other astronomical structures of the site, and their significance in Inca cosmology.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E23 - Spanish Contact-Pizarro Conquers the IncaAugust 18, 196529minIn one of history's most unusual incidents, the Inca empire was defeated by a Spanish force of 168 men. Study the events surrounding the capture and demise of Atahualpa--the last true Inca ruler--the destructive conquest by Francisco Pizarro, and the following struggle within the empire against Spanish rule.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E24 - Remnants of the Past-Andean Culture TodayNovember 20, 201231minThe Andean civilizations have left a remarkable legacy in the modern world. Investigate the many ways in which contemporary peoples in South America maintain ancient ways of life, seen in agriculture, community organization, traditional lifestyles, and astronomical and religious observances, and contemplate what these practices mean in our own time.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
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