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Cultures and Civilizations

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Moche, Peru

Paseo de la Cultura Mochica

This walk to the Pacific Ocean is surrounded by modern statues of Mochica Gods.
Caral, Peru

Pyramids of Caral-Supe

A 5,000-year-old city in Peru holds the remains of a stunning set of astronomically-aligned pyramids.
An ancient wall with a path running through it under a metal roof
Yulin, China

Shimao Relics

A massive ancient Chinese city with stone walls and evidence of human sacrifices.
ancient

Podcast: The Complaint Tablet of Ea-Nasir

Turns out, beefing about bad service really is as old as time.
The Podcast Team July 12, 2023
In May, the massive sculpture sometimes called Monument 9, or an "Earth Monster," was repatriated to Mexico, where it had been looted years earlier.
sculptures

An Olmec 'Earth Monster' Returns to Mexico

The repatriation of an ancient sculpture highlights the influential early Mesoamerican culture.
Karl Taube June 19, 2023
Zempoala, Mexico

Zona Arqueológica Cempoala

Palace, temple, and pyramid ruins mark the ancient Mesoamerican capital of Totonacapan.
Written and Photographed by Matt Payne
railroads

Colorado Winter Wonderland

Pack your snowshoes and see the Centennial State like never before. We hand-picked a collection of unique Colorado destinations transformed by glistening frost and white snow.
wondrous performances

Podcast: Oyotunji African Village

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team September 28, 2022
A partial reconstruction of a 700-year-old pit house, where it originally stood, on the ancient bank of the Brooks River. A modern hut has been built around it to preserve the site.
King Salmon, Alaska

Brooks River Archaeological District

One of Alaska's most significant ancient sites, spanning millennia and cultures, is right under the feet of some famously fat bears.
Québec City, Québec

Onhoüa Chetek8e

A reconstituted ancestral village of the Huron-Wendat Nation.
Teotenango
Tenango del Valle, Mexico

Teotenango

The archeological ruins of the ancient fortified city of the mysterious Teotenanca civilization.
The largest platform mound at Aztalan
Jefferson, Wisconsin

Aztalan State Park

The site of an ancient Mississippian settlement that appears to have flourished during the 10th to 13th centuries.
The South Pacific atoll of Teti'aroa is about 30 miles north of Tahiti.
islands

French Polynesia's Teti'aroa Has Been an A-Lister Retreat for Centuries

Research reveals the lush islets have been a setting for royal relaxation, political negotiations, and ritual fattening.
Bridget Alex May 19, 2021
Dholavira archaeological site
Dholavira, India

Dholavira

This archaeological site was once a grand city of the Indus Valley Civilization with a sophisticated system for conserving water.
The hilltop remains of Navan Fort, an Iron Age site that a new paper argues has a broader history than previously thought.
medieval

Subterranean Scans Reveal New Mysteries at an Ancient Irish 'Fort'

Navan Fort is perched on an Irish hilltop, but some of its history hides beneath the soil.
Isaac Schultz July 23, 2020
A slice-of-life display
Cuenca, Ecuador

Museo Pumapungo (Pumapungo Museum)

This museum’s collection includes rescued birds, fine art, and a collection of shrunken heads.
Inside view of a representation of a communal structure from an Amazon village.
Manaus, Brazil

Museu do Homem do Norte (Northern Man Museum)

This anthropological museum offers a glimpse into the lives of the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon River Basin.
Tile depicting the Moche creator god, Ayapec.
Moche, Peru

Huaca de la Luna

The outside of this exposed Moche pyramid is covered with striking colorful adobe friezes.