Ancient Americas

Maya History
Quest for the Lost City - YouTube
A set of panels turned up in a private collection.  They were created by the Mayans.  These panels are a clue to a mystery.  The city from where these panels came is lost in the Central American jungles.  The quality of the panels hints that the city was huge.  They call the site of this missing city Site Q.  It is the most lost Mayan city.  This is a documentary about the search for this lost city.  *Recommended as a bonus documentary for middle school and high school classrooms.*

Breaking the Maya Code - YouTube
In 1965, Russian linguist Yuri Knorosov cracked the Maya Code.  It is about Copan, a Mayan site.  It had been abandoned before the Spanish explorers came to Central America.  When they stumbled onto the remains of Copan, they stumbled upon a mystery.  What did the pictures on the ruins mean?  What stories were hidden in these pictures?  Cracking the Maya Code is an older documentary.  *Recommended for a high school and middle school history classroom.*

Lost Kingdoms of South America
People of the Clouds - YouTube
Dr. Jago Cooper explores the ancient kingdoms of South America.  For the most part, the Inca dominate the history textbooks.  Cooper explores other kingdoms that had an impact on South America.  The first kingdom is the “People of the Clouds.”  They are a mysterious civilization.  He starts off his exploration in Lima to learn more about the People of the Clouds.  He goes into the Andes to explore the remnants of the civilization.  *Highly recommended for a history class and independent study students.*

The Stone at the Center - YouTube
Dr. Jago Cooper is exploring a second lost civilization of South America in the Stone at the Center.  They are from Bolivia and live in the Andes.  They left behind a spectacular temple.  This temple was the heart of this civilization.  The temple stands at the height of 13,000 feet.  This civilization lasted over 500 years even though the Andes provided a challenging environment.  They should not have thrived, but they did.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Lands of Gold - YouTube
In the Land of Gold, Jago Cooper explores another lost kingdom of South America.  Cooper explores both the Muisca and Tairona.  Their gold carvings drew the Spanish conquistadors into their lands.  Was the land of El Dorado hidden in Columbia?  Both cultures were skilled in gold making.  Cooper explores this myth and teaches about the Muisca and Tairona cultures.  Columbia was on the way to the Inca Homeland.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Kingdom of the Desert - YouTube
The Lost Kingdoms of South America concludes with the Chimor of Peru.   They came from the sea.  The Chimor built one of the largest pre-Columbia cities in North America.  Once they accomplished that, they seemed to have disappeared into the desert from which they emerged.  Cooper examines one last culture to help put them in their place among the Incas.  *Highly recommended for a history classroom and independent study students.* 

Lost Kingdoms of Central America
Kingdom of the Jaguar - YouTube
Dr. Jago Cooper explores the Lost Kingdoms of Central America.  The first episode in this series is called Kingdom of the Jaguar.  Cooper starts off his journey exploring a cave that the people believed was a tunnel to the underworld.  This civilization rose out of the marshes of Southern Mexico.  They built the first pyramids.  They are known as the Olmec.  They came before the Mayan People.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

The People Who Greeted Columbus - YouTube
In Lost Kingdoms of Central America episode 2 “The People who Greeted Columbus,” Jago Cooper explores the Taino civilization.  He explores their origins, their myths, and the people.  This civilization was the one that greeted Columbus.  It was where primitive life met progress.  This episode is a reexamination of the cultures Columbus encountered.  Please forgive the sound quality and issues throughout this video.  *Recommended for use in the classroom.*

Between Oceans and Empires - YouTube
The Lost Kingdoms of Central America continues in Between Empires and Oceans.  Dr. Jago Cooper starts off his journey in Costa Rica.  Archeologists ignored the country for decades, unaware of a hidden civilization so close.  They built cities and carved a living out of the landscape.  When Columbus found this civilization the people were covered head to toe in gold.  So why was this civilization ignored?  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

The Land Where Time Began - YouTube
The Lost Kingdoms of Central America concludes with the “Place Where Time Began.”  Dr. Jago Cooper explores the Teotihuacan civilization.  For hundreds of years, it was the biggest state in the world.  They built huge pyramids.  However, nobody knows the identity of this civilization.  Dr. Cooper tries to find out more about this final mysterious civilization.  *Highly recommended for a history class.  Also recommended for independent study students.*