#446 – Ed Barnhart: Maya, Aztec, Inca, and Lost Civilizations of South America

The dialogue between experts reveals both the looming possibilities and the skeptical viewpoints regarding lost or undiscovered ancient civilizations in the Americas, specifically within the lush landscapes of the Amazon rainforest and beyond.

Ancient civilizations may have existed in the Amazon rainforest that have been swallowed up by the environment over centuries

Ed Barnhart, an archaeologist, discusses the untapped potential of the Amazon rainforest in revealing ancient civilizations. He suggests that while the Amazon might not be a commonly discussed hub of ancient civilization now, it could become a focal point in the future due to its earliest pottery and potential evidence of the region's distant significance.

Archaeologists have found evidence of large geometric earthworks, Terra Preta soil, and other signs of past human settlement in the Amazon basin, suggesting the possibility of an advanced civilization that has been obscured by the dense vegetation

Evidence of Terra Preta, or Black Earth, along with large geometric earthworks in the Amazon basin, points to significant farming and human activity that could suggest a vast civilization. More of these structures are being uncovered as forests are opened up, ranging from the bottom of Bolivia to Guyana. The Xingu area of Brazil, among others, displays evidence of civilizations with large mounds and extensive causeways that indicate dense populations and advanced city planning.

Despite the dense jungle environment, the dialogue suggests that exploring these areas could uncover civilizations like the difficult-to-explore Maya region. Barnhart emphasizes the importance of reasserting the presence of great civilizations in the Americas prior to European contact.

There are theories that a single lost advanced ancient civilization may have seeded the development of later Mesoamerican and South American cultures, but archaeological evidence does not conclusively support this

Ed Barnhart confronts Graham Hancock’s hypothesis of a lost "mother civilization" that influenced subsequent cultures. He points to the stone depictions in Chavin de Huantar, which suggest indigenous practices and religions possibly originating from an ancient Amazonian civilization. This deity and its iconography potentially diffused into Andean civilizations.

Archaeologist Ed Barnhart disagrees with theorist Graham Hancock's hypothesis of a single lost "mother civilization" that spread its knowledge across the ancient world

Barnhart is skeptical of Hancock's claims of a catastrophic-destroyed advanced civilization from which all later societies descended. He ...

In this examination of ancient civilizations, the intricate development and sociopolitical structures of the Maya and Incan empires are explored, revealing their sophisticated cultures and belief systems.

The Maya civilization exhibited a highly advanced culture and belief system, including a sophisticated calendar and writing system

The Maya had a complex religious worldview centered around a "fanged deity" that recurred across their art and iconography over thousands of years

Ed Barnhart recognizes a "fanged deity" shared across several Andean civilizations, indicating a complex character with a broad role in Maya belief systems. This deity is represented with circular eyes, a fanged mouth, and snakes emanating from its head and belt, indicative of its involvement in both the more terrifying and ordinary aspects of Maya religion. Despite the deity’s fearsome representation, including being depicted with severed human heads, it’s also shown in a softer light, for instance, with a puppy, suggesting multifaceted significance in their religious worldview.

Maya society was originally organized around hereditary royal dynasties, but later shifted towards more decentralized, council-based systems of governance

Barnhart describes the Maya's original sociopolitical structure as kinship-based, with royal dynasties ruling for approximately 400 years, a period known as the "Age of Kings". This dynastic rule legitimized the divine authority of elites to govern and communicate with the gods. Later, as Maya society evolved, there was a shift from monarchies to more collective, council-based systems. This transition might be linked to significant migrations, civil wars, and other changes during the post-classic period.

Ed Barnhart also discusses the development of Maya society, with the first signs of Maya culture around 1800 BCE. He notes the interconnectedness of the Maya with neighboring societies like the Olmec and Zapotecs. The Maya's religious involvement deepened as they engaged with the Olmecs to the north. The Maya also created a series of calendars, including the Tzolk'in and the Haab', which were central aspects of their culture and demonstrated their timekeeping sophistication and cosmological beliefs.

The Inca Empire built a vast, complex civilization in the Andes region, characterized by advanced infrastructure, record-keeping, and centralized administration

The Inca implemented a sophisticated "mita" system of rotating labor and communally shared resources that enabled their empire to function effectively

Barnhart explains how the Inca Empire used the mita system, where people took turns working in different roles such as farming or serving in the army. This system facilitated immense infrastructure projects and communal feasts with agricultural excess. The empire also implemented khipu, a complex record-keeping system using knotted strings that encoded not only numbers but potentially language and narrative histori ...

Ed Barnhart addresses the deep and lasting impact of European contact and colonization on the indigenous populations of the Americas, marked by an immense loss of life and the destruction of sophisticated civilizations.

The arrival of European explorers and settlers in the Americas led to the rapid decimation of indigenous populations through the spread of disease

Epidemics of diseases brought from Europe killed up to 90% of the indigenous people in some regions within the first 50 years of contact

Barnhart emphasizes the tragic consequences of the Columbian Exchange, which saw the Americas receiving 13 infectious diseases from the Old World. This resulted in the decimation of indigenous populations, with an estimated 90% of the 150 million native people dying within the first 50 years of contact. He considers these mass deaths as something that did not have to happen, framing them not as a fair fight but as a tragic calamity. Barnhart mentions that this catastrophic mortality rate among the Maya population underscored the lethal impact of these European-brought diseases.

This catastrophic loss of life resulted in a collapse of traditional knowledge, social structures, and cultural continuity in many indigenous societies

The vast death toll led to an irrevocable loss of knowledge, especially because it was often the elders and young—keepers and inheritors of knowledge—who perished. The surviving generation was left demoralized and half-taught, struggling to maintain their traditions and pass on their knowledge. Barnhart recounts the story of a Spanish priest in the Amazon who unknowingly spread disease among the indigenous people, contributing to the erosion of their society and culture.

Indigenous populations fiercely resisted European colonization, leading to cycles of conflict, subjugation, and the fragmentation of once-powerful civilizations

Groups like the Aztec and Maya faced severe oppression and destruction under Spanish colonial rule, with many of their cultural and religious practices being forcibly suppressed

The European explorers and settlers, such as Hernando de Soto, went through indigenous cities, bringing diseases, utilizing resources, and committing acts of violence. De Soto, noted for his brutality and deceit, ruled through fear and without respect, committing murder and other atrocities against indigenous populations, including burning people at the stake and having his dogs attack them.

The Spanish, encountering the Aztecs during a period of severe drought, witnessed human sacrifice practices, which sometimes included consumption of the individuals killed. On one occasion, the Spanish reacted to one of these ceremonies by locking the doors and slaughtering e ...