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

What I should have known earlier

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

Educational, Well Written & Read

Any additional comments?

I wish I had already learned from these lectures before I spent time in Meso-America and South America. I would have understood so much more. Dr. Barnhart has developed well organized lectures and his presentation of his material is very easy to listen to and to understand. LOVED IT

I love this dude

More! More! More! Must know more about the jaguar God and the fanged deity !!!!!! Thank you!

Great overview

I thoroughly enjoyed this course because it provided me with a great overview of the topic. I have had bits and pieces of history and archaeology of the region over the years but the professor weaves a wonderful tale of the long stretch of this civilization. I don't think he reflected a similar depth of understanding of the Spanish presence in the region, particularly the role of the Church, as he resorted to all the time worn stereotypes. It was also a bit painful to hear that flat US accent as he dealt with important Spanish vocabulary. But we take the good with the bad. His is the view of the archaeologist, of course.

Amazing

I lived in south america for 4 years and i wish i read this before.

Another excellently presented greats course!

Pleasantly reminded of what keeps bringing me back to these courses - Passionately presented information.

The benefits of enthusiasm

Excellent lectures on a subject I previously had no interest in. A key element of a successful lecture is enthusiasm for the subject and Barnhart's love of the material comes through strongly and make the listener more interested in it as well. A lot of the lectures are based on analysis or archeological evidence which is all they have to go on. It was fascinating to hear him speculate on various topics based on the little evidence that is available.. He is very careful to let you know when he is doing that and f he is in agreement with generally held beliefs or if he has his own take on it. He presents his views and how he thinks the evidence back it up. For example, he returns frequently to the question of the religion of the people in the region. Were they followers of many Gods as was common for Native Americans or did they believe in one, Jaguar based "fanged deity." He believes the latter and defends that view well.

Very interesting and informative

I appreciate the honest research and excitement generated here about the evolving knowledge about a cradle of civilization that deserves much more attention than it gets. it's crazy how much is coming out in recent years that totally redefines what we thought we knew

I love all of the courses with Edwin Barnhart!

All of the stories of ancient Americas are so fascinating. This was a wonderful listen.

Remarkable

Very informative and well done! I would like to see the course expanded and updated.

This course is informative and fun

This course was amazing, I blasted through it in 3 days. I learned an incredible amount about the ancient peoples of South America and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.