AQ 10/19/26 AQ 10/19/26

The Toltec Coyote Warrior of Tula

This Toltec plumbate ceramic figure is covered in shimmering shell mosaic, with carved bone teeth and a human face emerging from the coyote's mouth.

AQ 10/15/26 AQ 10/15/26

Quipus (khipus) in the Andes: Knotted cords as writing

Khipus (quipus) are a sophisticated record-keeping system used by the Inca (Inka) in the Andean region of South America.

AQ 10/8/26 AQ 10/8/26

Ear Ornaments in the Pre-Columbian Americas

Among the many cultures of the ancient Americas, ear ornaments took many forms, including earspools, ear plugs, ear plaques, and ear flares.

AQ 10/5/26 AQ 10/5/26

The Blood Queen from Edzná, the Maya ruler Lady Ixb’aah Pahk

In this video, we focus on Lady Ixb'aah Pahk', a ruler of the Maya city-state of Edzná in Campeche, Mexico.

AQ 10/1/26 AQ 10/1/26

Cupisnique Vessel from Ancient Peru

Look at a clay vessel featuring a thorny oyster, made over two thousand years ago in Peru in the Cupisnique cultural tradition.

AQ 9/30/26 AQ 9/30/26

Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala and The First New Chronicle and Good Government

Learn about Guaman Poma, the Indigenous author who documented pre-colonial and colonial Peru in a massive, illustrated manuscript. T

AQ 9/21/26 AQ 9/21/26

Lambayeque (Sicán) tumis or ceremonial knives

Learn what a tumi (ceremonial knife) is in the ancient Andes, looking in detail at Sicán (Lambayeque) examples in gold, silver, and turquoise.

AQ 9/17/26 AQ 9/17/26

Wari Tapestry-Woven Tunic

Look closely at a tapestry-woven Wari tunic from 600 to 850 CE. This video considers how the Wari Empire used diverse materials to create complex textiles.

AQ 9/10/26 AQ 9/10/26

The Maya Maize God

For the ancient Maya, maize or corn wasn’t just food—it was life itself.

AQ 9/2/26 AQ 9/2/26

Cenotes in the Ancient Maya World

How did the ancient Maya survive in the arid Yucatán Peninsula?

AQ 8/24/26 AQ 8/24/26

Paleolithic art, an introduction

Prehistoric art spans a long time, but one of the most important periods is the Paleolithic era, or Old Stone Age.

AQ 8/20/26 AQ 8/20/26

Diego Rivera, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park

Diego Rivera's mural "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park" is filled with over a hundred figures from Mexico's history, spanning 400 years.

AQ 7/27/26 AQ 7/27/26

Chavín Craftsmanship and Metalworking: A Chest Ornament with Agnathic Feline Face

A 2,000-year-old Chavin gold ornament helps us learn how ancient Andean art reflects early metallurgical skills in Peru.

AQ 7/13/26 AQ 7/13/26

Spondylus Shell in the Kingdom of Chimor in the Ancient Andes

The Chimú kingdom of Chimor thrived along the coast of what is now Peru, growing wealthy in part because of the Spondylus shell.

AQ 7/2/26 AQ 7/2/26

Remedios Varo, The Call (La Llamada)

Remedios Varo was deeply interested in the occult, mysticism, magic, astrology, witchcraft, and more, and she explored these ideas alongside close friends like Leonora Carrington while they lived in Mexico City.