Online Class: Pre-Columbian Mythology

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8Lessons
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17Exams &
Assignments -
4Hours
average time -
0.4CEUs
Course Description
These were civilizations like no other--and there has been nothing like them since. Creating horrifying methods of human sacrifice, public sports from which modern soccer, football, and basketball eventually developed, and some of history's greatest monuments, these civilizations will never be forgotten. The Inca--rulers of the Andes; the Mayans--geniuses of Central America, and the Aztecs--brutal tyrants of Mexico. These are societies that blew the minds of those who first discovered them, then shriveled away under the stress of disease and opportunistic foreign empires.
Take a journey with us into the time before Columbus discovered the Americas, when mystical and magnificent kingdoms worshipped gods unlike those thought up by any other civilization. Learn about the bizarre rituals, strange deities, and sometimes shocking uses of religion this trio of civilizations employed to gain control over their continents. These are some of the best untold stories in human history--what happens when a portion of humanity splits off to form itself, moves a world away, and develops for thousands of years. Excitement, mysteries, and gut-wrenching realities abound.
This course is perfect for those looking to learn more about the ancient culture of Latin America before travel, for determining your interest or brushing up on archaeology, for the adventurous, and the studious. This is a world unlike anything you've ever known, cutting through the shroud of mystery to give you the facts about one of most important eras in human history. The role of Pre-Columbian mythology shaped an entire world, and learning about it may reshape yours!
Course Lessons
Lesson 1: Prehistoric America
South and Central America, before the arrival of Columbus, was a vibrant, well-populated area with some of the world's most advanced and culturally important civilizations in the history of mankind.Lesson 2: The Incans
Before the Inca, there were several significant cultures in the Andean region. One of the best known is the Tiahuanaco civilization, centered around a city of the same name.Lesson 3: The Aztecs
The Aztec Empire is perhaps the most well known of the empires conquered by the Europeans in the 16th century.Lesson 4: The Mayans
The number of Mayans was much smaller than the populations of the Inca or Aztec empires, however the Mayan empire was the most enduring of each of the civilizations that survived until the European invasions.Lesson 5: Other Beliefs and Rites
The people of the Amazon, who lived beyond the reaches of the Incas to the west, and the Mayans to the north, had their own mythologies.Lesson 6: What We See Now
When it comes to the people themselves, large populations of Mayans and Quechua (those originally dominated by the Inca), still exist, though the Incan and true Aztec bloodlines have very much been diluted by the sands of time.Lesson 7: The Arrival of the Europeans
The South American powers did not throw up the white flag in fear, but were devastated by lies and disease -- a scene of carnage perhaps not even the most violent of priests could have ever envisioned.Lesson 8: Ancient Mythology in Latin American Today
The integration of myth into one,s daily life, and seeing parts of the world as something more than they are, is central to the region's history.
Learning Outcomes
- Summarize prehistoric America.
- Summarize the history of The Incans.
- Summarize the history of the Aztecs and Mayans.
- Summarize the arrival of the Europeans and the resulting consequences.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

Student Testimonials
- "The course was fun and Mr. McKenna is an awesome teacher and always provides positive feedback and he made me think deeper into the subject matter and I learned things I never knew before." -- Diana C.