Ancient City Life in the Americas (originally aired July 10, 2020)
b'Land of Water, City of the Dead
Guest:\\xa0Sarah Baires, Associate Professor, Anthropology, Eastern Connecticut State University, and author of "Land of Water, City of the Dead: Religion and Cahokia\'s Emergence"
Outside of St. Louis there is evidence of the ancient city of Cahokia. We take a look at some of their elaborate burial practices to discover their religion and find glimmers of what life was like in this bustling metropolis.\\xa0
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The Glory, Gory Game of Mayan Ball
Guest: Stephen Houston, Chair, Department of Anthropology, Dupee Family Professor of Social Sciences, Brown University
This Mesoamerican ball game combined decapitation, communion with the dead, and worship of the gods. Misconception and mystery still surround the game, but Professor Houston of Brown University weighs in on the rules, history, and deep cultural implications of the sport.'