Barrick Museum Home
August 17, 2009
Looking for a cool place on-campus to escape the Las Vegas heat? Come visit us at the Barrick Museum and enjoy a free video in our mini-theater. Video presentations change daily.
Monday: Seeking the First Americans, Odyssey, PBSWho were the first americans and when did they arrive? Archeologists from texas to alaska share their search for answers to one of the most controversial questions in North American history. Experts have found evidence that the first Americans may have arrived as early as 20,000 to 30,000 years ago. A significant controversy has developed over the origin of Clovis Man, the stone age culture of New Mexico dated at 11,000 b.c. Did this culture develop within a preexisting population or was it brought via the Bering Strait land bridge from Asia?
Tuesday: Lost King of the Maya, NovaFrom 200 to 900 a.d., the dynasty of the Blood Lords presided over the Maya city of Copan, conducting hallucinogenic vision quests, ritual warfare and human sacrifice. Generations of scholars have dismissed the story of Yax K'uk Mo as pure myth. But today, deep in the lush Honduran rain forest, a team of archaeologists and historians are piecing together a more complete look at the fascinating rise and fall of Copan civilization and Yax K'uk Mo's pivotal role as founder.
Travel back 1600 years and discover the ancient Mayas' sophisticated intellect, astronomical, abilities and complex culture. Explore Copan's beautifully carved monuments, magnificent temples and large pyramids, and discover why the lost city if referred to as ‘the Athens of Central America.' Find out why the success of the Copan dynasty ultimately led to its downfall. And investigate whether new discoveries will transform the legend of Yax K'uk Mo from myth to reality.
Wednesday: Lost Kingdoms of the Maya, National GeographicLong before Columbus, the Maya established one of the most highly developed civilizations of their time in the jungles of Mexico and Central America. Yet this advanced society of priests, astronomers, artisans, and farmers suddenly and mysteriously collapsed more than a thousand years ago.
Accompany archaeologists to Copan, Dos Pilas and other spectacular classic Maya ruins as they unearth artifacts and huge temples of incredible beauty. Recently deciphered hieroglyphs and other new discoveries offer astounding clues to the lives of these ancient people. You'll hear the startling story of one kingdom's downfall and its final desperate hours of violent warfare. Through spine-tingling recreations, witness ancient rituals reenacted on sites where they originally occurred. And meet the enduring Maya who still maintain many of their ancestor's traditions. You'll hear the voices of a magnificent civilization as you uncover Lost Kingdoms of the Maya.
Thursday: Cracking the Maya Code, NovaThis is a definitive look back at how a handful of pioneers deciphered the intricate system of hieroglyphs developed by the Maya. One of the greatest detective stories in all of archaeology, it has never been told in depth on television before. With glorious footage of Maya temples and art, this documentary culminates in the fascinating account of this once magnificent ancient civilization's ingenious method of communication.
Friday: Secrets of the Dead - Aztec Massacre, PBSPreviously, historians believed that Spanish Conquistadors were seen as gods by the Aztecs, who put up little resistance to their conquest. A new find near Mexico City is turning history on its head. Over 550 bodies were found, more than 40 of which appear to be European, indicating that the Aztecs not only resisted the invaders, they sacrificed them to their gods. Aztec Massacre rewrites what we thought we knew about the Aztec civilization.
