The Black Death - A 13th Century Pandemic

In this time of a major worldwide pandemic I thought that  we could take a look at The Black Death, also known as the Pestilence and the Great Mortality.  It was the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, resulting in the deaths of up to 75–200 million people in Eurasia and North Africa, peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351.

The two links below relate to two documentaries about the pandemic.  The first is a podcast which gives an overall view of the pandemic, how it started, it's impacts on our history and how it resulted in the reformation that occurred over following centuries, The second is a BBC documentary which provides a more watchable view,  This documentary goes for about 40 to 50 minutes and then seems to start over..

History of the Black Death
Medieval Apocalypse The Black Death BBC Documentary

Further Reading
The Black Death - Wikipedia
The Black Death - The greatest catastrophe ever  - History Today

The Inca Masters of the Clouds : Clash of Empires

The Inca: Masters of the Clouds will explore the origins, achievements and nature of the Inca Empire...

We will travel from the highlands of Ecuador to the shores of Lake Titicaca; from the Pacific Coast to the peaks of the Andes.

Along the way he will build a picture of how this remarkable empire functioned. How did the Inca master their landscape to produce food for millions? How did they build such an astonishing network of roads connecting the cities of the empire? How did their encounter with the Spanish result in disaster?

The Inca: Masters of the Clouds
The Inca: Clash of Empires

Further Reading

The Inca Empire - Wikipedia

The Lost Kingdoms of South America Part 4 - Kingdom of the Desert

In the spectacular deserts of coastal Peru, archaeologist Dr Jago Cooper explores the dramatic rise and fall of Chimor, the first empire of South America. His journey begins among the ruins of a vast lost city once home to an all-powerful monarchy, whose subjects transformed the desert landscape, created gold and silver treasures and believed so strongly in the power of their gods that they made the most shocking of sacrifices. Chimor thrived despite facing some of the most extreme climate conditions in the world, but not even this powerful empire could withstand the forces that eventually destroyed it.

http://boblswalks.blogspot.com/\


Further Reading

Chimú culture - Wikipedia

The Lost Kingdoms of South America Part 3 - Lands of Gold

Through the mountains and jungles of Colombia, Cooper goes in search of the truth behind one of the greatest stories ever told - the legend of El Dorado. His journey takes him from Bogota to the Caribbean coast, through territories once dominated by two cultures, the Muisca and the Tairona, who flourished for centuries before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Cooper reveals forgotten peoples who valued gold in a way the Western world still struggles to understand, travelling to an astonishing lost city and meeting the last survivors of an ancient civilisation.

http://boblswalks.blogspot.com/

Further Reading

El Dorado - Wikipedia
The Muisca People - Wikipedia
The Tairona People - Wikipedia

The Lost Kingdoms of South America Part 2 - The Stone at the Centre

Deep in the Bolivian Andes at the height of 13,000ft stands Tiwanaku, the awe-inspiring ruins of a monolithic temple city. Built by a civilisation who dominated a vast swathe of South America, it was abandoned 1,000 years ago. For centuries it has been a mystery - how did a civilisation flourish at such an altitude and why did it vanish? Jago Cooper journeys through Bolivia's spectacular landscape to investigate the origins of Tiwanaku and finds evidence of an ancient people with amazing understanding of their environment, whose religion was based on collective effort and ritual beer drinking.

http://boblswalks.blogspot.com/

Further Reading:

Tiwanaku Empire - Wikipedia

Tiwanaku - Wikipedia

Tiwanaku Empire - Ancient City and Imperial State in South America

The Lost Kingdoms of South America Part 1 - People of the Clouds

Over the next four weeks we look at the the history of some of South America's ancient civilisations. Exploring ruins and investigating the truth behind legends that surround these cultures,We will journey through Peru, Bolivia and Colombia to reveal the true character of the continent through its archaeology, culture, people and landscapes

Dr Cooper begins with an epic journey into the remote Peruvian Andes in search of the mysterious Chachapoya people. Once numbering half a million, they were known as the 'People of the Clouds'. Dr Cooper reveals how they developed sophisticated methods of recording stories, traded in exotic goods found hundreds of miles from their territory, and had funeral traditions that challenge assumptions about ancient human behaviour. His search for evidence takes him to astonishing cliff tombs untouched for 500 years and one of the most spectacular fortresses in South America, where the fate of the Chachapoya is revealed.

People of the Clouds

Here is some further reading:

Chachapoya Culture - Wikipedia
An Overview of Chachapoya Archaeology and History

The Polynesian Islands Part 2

This week there a couple of videos about how the Polynesians navigated and are based around a reconstruction of a seagoing canoe in Hawaii and a voyage southward to show how it was done.

THE NAVIGATORS Pathfinders Of The Pacific
Light at The Edge of The World - The Wayfinders