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Engineering an Empire - The Maya

At the height of its glory, this mysterious civilization ruled a territory of 125,000 square miles across parts of Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. What began as a modest population of hunters and gatherers expanded into more than forty flourishing city-states who engineered sky-high temple-pyramids, ornate palaces and advanced hydraulic systems. Where did they come from and what catastrophes caused the collapse of this innovative civilization? From the Temple-Pyramids at Tikal, to the royal tomb at Palenque, to the star observatory at Chichén Itzá, this episode will examine the architecture and infrastructure that enabled the rise and fall of the ancient Maya civilization.

Secrets of the ancients - Olmec Heads

The Olmec civilization in Mexico sculpted massive stone heads 3000 years ago — 500 years before Rome was founded. These statues weighed up to 40 tonnes and were made from stone that came from the Tuxtla mountains more than 160 kilometres away. The journey would have taken the Olmecs across great rivers and virtually impassable swamps. How did they manage that?

Mystery of the Maya

Witness the splendor of the Mayan civilization through the discovery of their pyramids, palaces and temples. Deep within the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala, and extending into the Yucatan Peninsula lie the fabled pyramids, temples and palaces of the Maya. While Europe still slumbered in the midst of the dark ages, these innovative people had charted the heavens, evolved the only true writing system native to the Americas and had made tremendous strides in the areas of mathematics and calendars. Without the advantage of metal tools, beasts of burden or even the wheel, they were able to construct vast cities with an amazing degree of architectural perfection and variety. Filmed on location at numerous sacred sites throughout Central America including the ruins at Palenque, Tikal, Tulum, Chichen Itza, Copan and Uxmal, Mystery of the Maya explores the culture, science and history of this people.

Cracking the Maya Code

The ancient Maya civilization of Central America left behind an intricate and mysterious hieroglyphic script, carved on monuments, painted on pottery, and drawn in handmade bark-paper books. For centuries, scholars considered it too complex ever to understand—until recently, when an ingenious series of breakthroughs finally cracked the code and unleashed a torrent of new insights into the Mayas' turbulent past. For the first time, NOVA presents the epic inside story of how the decoding was done—traveling to the remote jungles of southern Mexico and Central America to investigate how the code was broken and what Maya writings now reveal.

Unsolved History - Aztec Temple of Blood

An Aztec sacrifice of 20,000 people over a period of four days in 1411 is examined. The sacrifice consisted of a sacrificial priest cutting the person's skin beneath the rib cage, reaching up and cutting the arteries and veins attached to their heart and pulling it out. Then the body was pushed down the stairs of the altar. After an examination, it is proven that this many people could be sacrificed in such a small amount of time.