ArchaeoEd Podcast

Cuzco was the capital city of the ancient Inca Empire.  Set in a lush valley high up in the Andes, it was arguably the most sophisticated city in the entire ancient Americas. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https://www.mayan-calendar...

Inca creation stories speak of previous eras, floods, and the eventual creation of the best of peoples - the Inca.  Four brothers and four sisters take an epic journey to discover the Valley of Cuzco. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at...

Nestled in the Valley of Mexico, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was the largest city ever built in the pre-Columbian Americas.   Its daily mixture of violence and beauty was something that we modern humans should contemplate as part of our collective past. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/...

The Aztecs were Mesoamerica's mightiest empire.  But how did they get there?  Well, it all started in a place called Aztlan.  Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https://www.mayan-calendar.com Bars and Dots, Maya date calculator sof...

In the summer of 1999, Ed and crew were risking life and limb to map the western side of Palenque.  More snakes, more fantastic discoveries, and more crazy stories of life in Chiapas, Mexico. Dr. Barnhart is the director of Maya Exploration Center , a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the study of ancient civilizations in the Americas and beyond.  MEC shares their knowledge with the general public t...

In May and June of 1999, Ed and his mapping crew were hard at work puzzling out western Palenque.  More deadly snakes, collapsed tombs, and 100's of ancient buildings were waiting for them in the jungle. Season 6 Episode 2, aired October 1, 2024.  Evergreen Natural Pet A great choice for your pet's CBD supplement needs Go to www.evergreennaturalpet.com for more information and use code &...

The year was 1999.  Ed and his crew started year two of the Palenque Mapping Project.  Ed recounts the story - snakes, pyramids, tombs, and a visit from the President of Mexico!  Season 6, Episode 1 - aired September 1, 2024. Evergreen Natural Pet A great choice for your pet's CBD supplement needs Go to www.evergreennaturalpet.com for more information and use code "MAYA" to get 10%...

The ancient city of Tiwanaku ruled the Southern Andes for 1000 years.  From the Pacific Ocean to the Amazon, their empire spread far and wide.   12,500 ft asl on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the city itself boasts the largest megaliths ever created in South America. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeo...

In 1997, Ed was part of the excavations that discovered the tomb of Copan's first ruler - Yax K'uk' Mo'.  Join him as he tells the story in his usual humorous style. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https://www.may...

There were multiple militaristic civilizations in the ancient Americas.  In this episode, Ed talks about their rise to power and weapons of choice.   Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https://www.mayan-calendar.com Bars and Dots, Maya...

Linda Schele was the most influential Mayanist of her time - some would say of all time.  Ed had the good fortune to be counted among her graduate students.  In this episode, he'll tell you some stories from his time with her.  Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar -...

All over the ancient Americas, from Chile to Alaska, the Milky Way was seen as the path to the otherworld.  Join Ed as he explains his evidence for that assertion.    Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https://www.mayan-calendar.com Bar...

Teotihuacan was the most important city in all of ancient Mesoamerican history.  Despite almost 200 years of archaeology there, there's a whole lot we don't understand.  Join Ed for a discussion of what we know - and still don't know - about Teotihuacan. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://arch...

Day of the Dead is a captivating and globally celebrated holiday. Accompany Ed on a journey through its rich origins, his personal encounters with this vibrant tradition in Latin America, and discover how you too can participate in its wonderful traditions. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/su...

When it comes to lost ancient cities that everyone wants to find, El Dorado runs a close 2nd to Atlantis.  Did it really exist?  Join Ed as he tries to unravel 500 years of stories and expedition accounts.   Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calen...

Ever wonder how Ed became an archaeologist?  Well here's the story.  The year was 1990 and the place was Copan, Honduras.  A field school experience for the record books! Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https://www.mayan-calenda...

Fact - Peru's first pyramids are earlier than Egypt's  Not only did they start earlier, they were built for centuries longer.  Join Ed as the explains Peru's first  civilizations from 3500-200 BCE. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan...

3500 years ago, Poverty Point was a thriving city of over 5000 people in the bayous of northern Louisiana.  Despite not having agriculture or even ceramics, those people built North America's 2nd largest pyramid-mound. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the...

The final chapter of the Palenque Mapping Project, Season 1.  More snakes, more temples, and a robbery at gun point!  I got by with a little help from my friends. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https://www.mayan-calendar.com Bars an...

The continued story of how I mapped Palenque - still in 1998, field season 1 of 3.  In this episode - forest fires, mangos, and skinny dipping. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https://www.mayan-calendar.com Bars and Dots, Maya date c...

From 1998 to 2000, I led the Palenque Mapping Project.  In this episode I'll share the behind the scenes story of how I got the job and the strange things that happened while making the map. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at https...

The Wari were a civilization of 100's of 1000's of people living in the Andes between 500 and 1000 CE.  Never heard of them?  You're not alone.  In this episode, I'll tell you about them and explain why I believe they were the inspiration for the later Inca Empire. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now availab...

Mississippian civilization honored its dead by laying them to rest in pyramidal burial mounds.  But why?  What did it mean to them and where did they get the idea to do it?  In this episode, we'll discuss that tradition - including its origins and evolution.   Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoe...

In the centuries before Columbus, millions of people lived in what's now the eastern United States.  Today, we call that Mississippian Civilization.  In this episode, I'll discuss what we think we know about their religion. Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar...

For most people, Indiana Jones is the archetypal archaeologist.  But is he?  Indie is a lot of things, but a good archaeologist isn't one of them!  Join Dr. Ed as he separates fact from fiction.  Support the show Support ArchaeoEd through Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/archaeoed ArchaeoEd Merch now available! https://archaeoed.com/support/   Mayan Calendar - see the 2026 Mayan Calendar at...