Mesoamericana‪+‬ Jess Acosta

This episode will untangle the Toltec's legend from reality and recount the Legend of Quetzalcoatl, the Toltec's chief deity. There is some discussion of human sacrifice, including the use of children, so be advised ahead of listening. The Toltec lead directly to the Aztecs so there is some overlap of the 2 cultures as well. Enjoy!

In this episode we will be
*Exploring the ritual of Hanal Pixan
*Comparing the Spanish to the Maya in terms of what drove them
*Recounting the city and story of Tikal. 
*Addressing the impact of the fall of Constantinople in regards to the arrival of the Spanish 

Some stories from the Popol Vuh including the 2nd and 3rd creation up to the 4th creation. Also a brief overview of the Mayan calendars, day and month names as well as the festivities that take place in each of those months. 

In this episode we look at Copan and it's epic string of 16 rulers that took it from a backwater town to an important Mayan city. Also, we'll stroll about Chichen Itza and look at the Toltec/Teotihuacan influence of their buildings to the North of the site as well as the more Mayan buildings to the South of the site. We'll also learn how to represent numbers in the Mayan style and we'll do some basic math. If you are a teacher looking for common core numbering system that uses something other than base-10, this is your episode! Enjoy! 

Teo is a lynchpin city that I just couldn’t pass up and cacao is one of if not the most important trade item in Mesoamerica. Enjoy my take on both topics!

From the settling of the Americans to the fall of El Mirador we look at what prehistoric people experienced, what makes obsidian so special and look at 3 of the most important cities, Takalik Abaj, Kaminaljuyu and El Mirador. It’s a whirlwind tour and you’re invited! Enjoy!