This series will explore the historical origins of things we use in our everyday life - from razors to ketchup, from the width of railroad tracks to security systems, from sports stadiums to earthquake detectors. Organized by civilization or culture, we will learn how these ancient inventions were developed, why they were developed, and how they've contributed to modern society. Along the way, we will also learn about the life of that civilization or culture.
Star-gazing reached incredible heights thousands of years before the Hubble. Learn the amazing advances made by the great ancient culture of Central America. Take another fascinating trip through time to discover the precursors from centuries or even millennia ago of today's cutting-edge technological breakthroughs. Using the latest scholarship, hands-on demonstrations, and dramatic reenactments, WHERE DID IT COME FROM? shows just how far ahead of their times they really were. Without the aid of magnifying technology or even a firm idea of where they stood on the planet, the Mayan grasp of the universe through astrological observation was simply stunning.
Host Michael Guillen travels to Mexico's Yucatan peninsula to get a firsthand look at the ancient world's most skilled astronomers. Climb the giant pyramid of Kukulkan and see how it functioned as a giant solar observatory. Examine El Caracol at Tikal, which looks amazingly like a modern day observatory. Learn how the Maya used the sun to lay out their various temples and observatories and examine their incredibly complex and accurate calendar.
The Ancient maya: The Tools of Astronomy http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category...4473295wjbJrBGH
Learn how weapons and tactics from millennia ago would fit right in to today's arsenal. Michael Guillen, award-winning scientist and journalist, enthusiastically guides you around the globe and back in time to answer the compelling question, Where Did It Come From?
Ancient China: The Personal Weapon http://www.guba.com/watch/2000896582