Ancient Cultures: Americas
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El Mirador, the Lost City of the Maya
Now overgrown by jungle, the ancient site was once the thriving capital of the Maya civilization
May 2011 |
By Chip Brown
Endangered Site: Chan Chan, Peru
About 600 years ago, this city on the Pacific coast was the largest city in the Americas
March 2009 |
By Bruce Hathaway
Who Discovered Machu Picchu?
Controversy swirls as to whether an archaeologist's claim to fame as the discoverer of Machu Picchu has any merit
March 2009 |
By Peter Eisner
Ancient Citadel
At least 1,200 years old, New Mexico's Acoma Pueblo remains a touchstone for a resilient indigenous culture
May 2008 |
By David Zax
A Brief History of Chocolate
Uncover the bittersweet story of this ancient treat and watch a VIDEO
March 01, 2008 |
By Amanda Bensen
The Mystery of Tikal
An ancient Mayan city, once hidden by overgrown jungle, evokes a childlike sense of wonder
January 2008 |
By Mark Strauss
Machu Picchu’s Ancient Beauty
The “lost city of the Incas” has captivated visitors with its magnificent setting and detailed stonework
January 2008 |
By Jess Blumberg
Tongue Tied
Some 200 Native American languages are dying out and with them valuable history
October 31, 2007 |
By Robin T. Reid
Down to Earth
Anthropologist Amber VanDerwarker is unraveling the mysteries of the ancient Olmec by figuring out what they ate
October 2007 |
By Andrew Lawler
Snapshot: Tikal
A virtual vacation to Tikal National Park in Guatemala
July 01, 2007 |
By Maggie Frank
Return of the Sun Cult
In Peru, scientists discover the oldest solar observatory in the Americas
May 01, 2007 |
By Eric Jaffe
Saving Machu Picchu
Will the opening of a bridge give new life to the surrounding community or further encroach upon the World Heritage Site?
May 01, 2007 |
By Whitney Dangerfield
Students of the Game
When the Aztec and Maya played it 500 to 1,000 years ago, the losers sometimes lost their headsliterally. Today scholars are visiting remote Mexican villages to study the oldest sport in the Americas, ulama, now on the verge of extinction
April 2006 |
By John Fox
Secrets of the Range Creek Ranch
Archaeologists cheered when Waldo Wilcox's vast spread was deeded to the state of Utah, believing that it holds keys to a tribe that flourished 1,000 years ago - and then mysteriously vanished.
March 2006 |
By Keith Kloor
Traces of a Lost People
Who roamed the Colorado Plateau thousands of years ago? And what do their stunning paintings signify?
March 2005 |
By Kurt Repanshek
The Aztecs: Blood and Glory
A new exhibition probes the contradictions of an advanced civilization that practiced human sacrifice
January 2005 |
By Dan Hofstadter
The Aztecs: Blood and Glory
A new exhibition probes the contradictions of an advanced civilization that practiced human sacrifice
January 2005 |
By Dan Hofstadter
Secrets of the Maya: Deciphering Tikal
After decades of intense research, the ancient ruins of Mexico and Central America are yielding new insights into the pre-Columbia culture
July 2004 |
By David Roberts
Of Majesty and Mayhem
An exhibition of ancient Maya art points up the opulence and violence of the great Mesoamerican civilization
July 2004 |
By Stanley Meisler
