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.
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.
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
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.
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.
The Maya Maize God
For the ancient Maya, maize or corn wasn’t just food—it was life itself.
Cenotes in the Ancient Maya World
How did the ancient Maya survive in the arid Yucatán Peninsula?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tezcatlipoca: Identifying Aztec Deities
Learn how to identify the Aztec (Mexica) god Tezcatlipoca ("Smoking Mirror") in art.
Leonora Carrington, Kitchen Garden on the Eyot and Surrealism in Mexico
Modern surrealist artist Leonora Carrington often turned to alchemy, magic, mythical creatures, the occult, folklore, fairy tales, and more.
What is a mosaic? Examples from Aztec, Roman, Thai, Islamic, and Byzantine Art
This video focuses on understanding mosaics, both how they are made and the materials they are made from.
Camelid Sacrum in the Shape of a Canine, Tequixquiac, Meixco
Could this camelid sacrum bone be one of the oldest artworks in North America, made 16,000 years ago?
Pre-Columbian Golden Eagle Pendants from Central America and the Lost-Wax Technique
This video focuses on pre-Columbian golden pendants from Central America, specifically Costa Rica and Panama, made between about 700 and 1519 in the Isthmo-Colombian region.
Structure 40 at Yaxchilan and Bird Jaguar IV
Built by Bird Jaguar IV or Yaxum B’ahlam IV in the 8th century, Structure 40 publicized Bird Jaguar IV’s dynastic lineage and helped to justify his rule at the Maya city-state of Yaxchilan.
Colima Dogs and West Mexican Ceramics
Dogs have been immortalized in art across the globe for thousands of years.