Lost Worlds of South America

By: Edwin Barnhart, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Edwin Barnhart

Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Buried by the centuries on soaring mountain slopes and beneath arid deserts and lush jungles of South America, the remains of extraordinary, majestic civilizations - many unknown until recent decades - are now coming to light and raising tantalizing questions about what else may be awaiting discovery.

Take an adventurous trek to these wilds of South America and the great civilizations of the ancients. In 24 eye-opening lectures, you'll take an in-depth look at the emerging finds and archaeological knowledge of more than 12 seminal civilizations, giving you rich insight into the creative vision and monumental achievements of these wellsprings of human life.

The ancient South Americans show us striking models of how societies can function and organize themselves. The technologies and social structures seen here were wholly invented, using no preexisting models, as these dynamic peoples struggled to tame their environment and carve out societies and empires.

Recently unearthed marvels include elaborately prepared and adorned mummies that predate Egypt's by 2000 years; imposing palaces, solar observatories, and dramatically decorated pyramids; stunning art objects in gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and ceramic; and evidence of huge urban civilizations in the Amazon.

In their amazing sophistication and scale, the sites reveal some of the most remarkable ancient artifacts found anywhere in the world. The breathtaking valleys, mountains, and deserts you will study in this course reveal wonders that rival anything we know of the ancient world. Travel with us to a lost and splendorous past - a fountainhead of civilization that speaks unforgettably of human striving, vision, and the indomitable will to endure.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

Excellent content and performance

If you could sum up Lost Worlds of South America in three words, what would they be?

Informational, interesting, great series

What other book might you compare Lost Worlds of South America to and why?

History related books

Which character – as performed by Professor Edwin Barnhart – was your favorite?

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Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not really because there was lot of information to digest. Better to take in couple of lectures at a time.

Fast paced, easy to follow and informative!

Very well told! Only wished it had included indigenous groups outside of Peru and the Amazon.

inLove

I absolutely LOVE this great course audio book. The narration is engaging and the information is easy to understand and relate too. I am so inspired and have learned so much about the cultures of south America that are under represented in history books. This is my favorite great course ever! Cannot wait to listen to more by the same author, Edwin Barnhart. :)

Interesting, but...

Interesting topic, informative
Not nearly enough on the Amazon
Marred by language usage errors and idiosyncratic word forms

I thought I knew South American Ancient Cultures!

This is a wonderful lecture series. It's easy to follow and opens a world of amazing ancient cultures. If you have any interest in the pre-Columbian history of the Western Hemisphere, this is a must.

Fascinating look at pre-Columbian civilizations

The ancient communities and civilizations of South America were as impressive as those of Egypt and Rome. Early farming techniques employed impressive irrigation systems, and we have them to thank for corn and potatoes. It’s hard to imagine that there are still undiscovered communities living by the old ways in the Amazonian forests.

Very Good. A must for Peru Travelers.

Would you listen to Lost Worlds of South America again? Why?

This was a very good and informative audio book. I liked everything about this lecture series..... except one trivial matter.... He states on a few occasions that these native peoples discovered certain things "totally on their own". Since we don;t know how most of these people arrived in the new world, we don't know how they learned to carve stone, smelt metal, etc.. I believe there were dozens if not hundreds of sea fearing people who ended up in south America. They would have brought and dispersed their knowledge. But that is a minor quibble. He does give some of his theories and opinions, which I appreciated. I found his comments on Pre INCA stonework very compelling. This is a must listen for any Peru Traveler. as an aside; 3 friends and I were going to Peru two years ago but LAN airlines gave our seats away to their employees at LAX. Remembering that painful experience saddened me . When I go to Peru next year (on DELTA or UNITED) I will listen to this again. He brings Peru to life. Definitely worth the purchase.

Fantastic course on forgotten history.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lost Worlds of South America?

I'd say probably his theory about the inter-connectedness of South American religion.

Any additional comments?

I bought this one along with Barnhart's other course, Maya to Aztec, in the recent two for one sale; while I'm still working through the Mesoamerica course, I loved this one. The descriptions of other cultures, theories about the South American past, Barnhart's fascinating take on the inter-connectedness of pre-Columbian South American religions and the role of the fanged deity, were all fascinating. Most of the things you read/hear about involving pre-Columbian South America begin and end with the Inca; this course demonstrates that this best-known South American civilization was the culmination of a long tradition stretching back thousands of years, and provides persuasive evidence that Peru's north coast is a real cradle of civilization. Highly recommended for those interested in pre-Columbian history, or just history in general.

Worth listening to over and over

Dr. Ed Barnhart has done an amazing presentation of the ancient peoples of South America. My wife and I have just finished listening to this for the second time and enjoyed every lecture!

Riveting and exciting course

Loved this course! Excellent narator! I am very hungry to learn more!!! There are areas I want to explore further.