Ancient America

Precursors to the Aztecs (amazing in their own right), the Toltec people were the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilization honored for their artisanship and tactile warfare - considered so fierce and respectable that the Aztecs claimed descendancy from them! How did this empire come to be regarded as the apex of culture, sophistication, and civilization? Why did the Aztecs overtake them, and how? And…which came first: the Mayans, the Toltecs, or the Aztecs? Explore these questions and more as you step into amazing architectural sites in Indiana Jones-eque style.

Der Westen befindet sich in einer Krise: Unsere Demokratie ist angeschlagen, die Deindustrialisierung bedroht den Wohlstand und Flüchtende machen sich auf in westliche Länder und stehen vor den Toren.In diesem außergewöhnlichen historischen Vergleich erkunden die Autoren die unheimlichen Parallelen–und produktiven Unterschiede–zwischen dem Untergang Roms und dem Fall des Westens, um aus der antiken Geschichte neue Lehren zu ziehen.

En la última década o dos, ha habido un aumento de interés en la historia maya. Esto fue en parte alimentado por la mítica predicción maya del fin del mundo en 2012, que por un corto período de tiempo puso a esta civilización bajo la atención de los medios de comunicación. Pero hay mucho más en su cultura que la idea errónea común sobre su calendario.

Volume One is the story of the trials and tribulations over many years of how the Old World—involving Norse men, Marco Polo, Portuguese, Aztecs, Mound Builders, etc—finally made the decision to seek out...the Indies..... in detail.

Robert Benjamin Lewis (1802 - 1858) was an African American and Native American author, inventor, and entrepreneur. In the ethnological work Light and Truth, Lewis claims that Adam and Eve were people of color, as were the Egyptians and many great figures of the ancient world, including Julius Caesar and Plato. Denouncing notions of white superiority, he asserts that all humans have a common origin, and pointed to a shared cultural history between Africans and Native Americans.

Dive into the heart of Mexico’s vibrant history with Mexican History! This audiobook is your passport to understanding the forces that have shaped the fascinating nation of Mexico. From the dawn of civilizations to the challenges of the modern era, this compelling and comprehensive audiobook has you covered.

The Olmec people are widely recognized as the first major civilization of Mexico and are thus generally regarded as the mother civilization of Mesoamerica, making them the people from which all subsequent Mesoamerican cultures derived. By and large, the Olmec culture is perhaps best identifiable by their so-called colossal heads, mammoth basalt head-statues wearing helmet-like headdresses found throughout Olmec habitation sites.

Venerado por muchas culturas, el «Señor del espejo humeante», uno de los dioses principales del gran Imperio azteca, es también una de las deidades mesoamericanas más interesantes, y a la vez difíciles de entender. Conductor de los destinos del mundo, dador y despojador, patrón de reyes y de esclavos, sembrador de discordias y revelador de pecados, señor de la noche y la oscuridad, primer sol de la creación.

Thriving between AD 100-750, Teotihuacan was one of the largest cities in the ancient world, with a population estimated at upwards of 150,000-250,000, over three times the size of contemporary Mayan capitals. Furthermore, Teotihuacan was a supremely well-planned and efficient city that was able to field massive armies and extend its power far beyond its home base. Teotihuacan not only served as a vital center for trade in Ancient Mesoamerica, but also spread its architecture, art, religion, and culture.

The Toltecs are one of the most mysterious and little understood of all the ancient cultures of Mesoamerica. This culture was venerated by later civilizations, such as the Aztecs. Even today, “Toltec knowledge” is used as a kind of shorthand for arcane wisdom from an ancient culture. However, discussing the actual history of the Toltecs is extremely difficult. Much of what we know of these people comes from writings and oral traditions of the Aztecs, as translated and interpreted by the European invaders.

Martin Robison Delany (1812-1885) was an African-American abolitionist, journalist, physician, and author. He was one of the first three black people admitted to Harvard Medical School. Delany dreamed of establishing a settlement in West Africa and visited Liberia, a United States colony founded by the American Colonization Society. He was a prolific writer, and his book The Origin and Objects of Ancient Freemasonry, Its Introduction Into the United States, and Legitimacy Among Colored Men was published 1853.

The Olmec people are widely recognized as the first major civilization of Mexico and are thus generally regarded as the mother civilization of Mesoamerica, making them the people from which all subsequent Mesoamerican cultures derived. Learn about the Olmec, Mayans, Aztecs, and other Mesoamerican cultures in this audiobook

Many of us don’t know much about mythological stories from these regions, and it is my pleasure and privilege to educate you on the intricate details that lie within them. That’s why I have also provided some fascinating facts and historical background about each of these peoples. Creation myths, legacies, the sacrificing of children, the empires, and their wars are all mentioned and touched on in this book.

Travel back to a thousand years before the Aztecs, when volcanos obliterated cities, impelling the survivors to find a place of safety. These survivors built the largest city in the Americas and one of the world’s top seven megacities. They erected the highest pyramid in Mexico and apartment compounds for 125,000 people. Teotihuacan stood out as Mesoamerica’s leading metropolis from the third to sixth century CE. Its multi-ethnic population developed coast-to-coast trade, extending south to Central America.

Around 2,000 years ago, the Maya people were raising pyramids to house their many gods and to bury their kings. This is just one of the special secrets uncovered by archaeologists in their stunning finds in parts of Central America. More than anything, the Maya left us with many questions. It’s the job of scientists and archaeologists to explain how a thriving people came to such a quick end. There are no simple answers, but we can discover so much with a shovel and brushes! Come, explore this fascinating civilization with us - and don’t forget your Indiana Jones hat!

In 1872, China—ravaged by poverty, population growth, and aggressive European armies—sent 120 boys to America to learn the secrets of Western innovation. They studied at New England's finest schools and were driven by a desire for progress and reform. When anti-Chinese fervor forced them back home, the young men had to overcome a suspicious imperial court and a country deeply resistant to change in technology and culture. Fortunate Sons tells a remarkable story, weaving together the dramas of personal lives with the fascinating tale of a nation's endeavor to become a world power.

The Inka empire was the largest pre-Columbian polity in the New World. Its vast expanse, its ethnic diversity, and the fact that the empire may have been consolidated in less than a century have prompted much scholarly interest in its creation. In this study, Besom explores the ritual practices of human sacrifice and the worship of mountains, attested in both archaeological investigations and ethnohistorical sources, as tools in the establishment and preservation of political power.

Brazil has a rich and complicated history that few outside South America know about. It leads the world in some of the most profitable exports (gold, sugar, oil, and coffee), yet Brazil has one of the largest wealth disparities in the world, being known for crime and poverty.

The ancient world often evokes wonder and even confusion, and few places accomplish any of that more than the incredible ruined stone temple of Puma Punku. Puma Punku is a marvel of engineering, stonemasonry and design. These facts are obvious to even the lay observer, as Puma Punku’s stonework is remarkable even for the Andes where visitors have long wondered at ancient stone joints where even a knife bade could not fit between the stones.

In this comprehensive survey, updated for this new edition, Henderson explores the entire Maya cultural tradition, from the earliest traces of settlement through the period of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. His wide-ranging account treats diverse aspects of the Maya world, from religion and philosophy to the environments of the various Maya peoples, using deciphered Maya texts to reconstruct the ancient societies.