Ancient Americas

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.