Marajoara Culture: How to thrive in the Amazon

How does a culture thrive in the Amazon? For over half a millennium, Marajoara culture flourished at the mouth of the Amazon river and left the world with some of the most beautiful artwork of the Americas. Discover why this culture was misunderstood and how it’s critical reevaluation in the past 40 years has revolutionized our understanding of the pre-columbian Amazon.
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Sources and Bibliography: docs.google.com/document/d/1i...

[@feveraven]

as a northern brazilian, i'm so happy foreigners are eager to learn about native amazonic cultures!! they're fascinating, and very much affect brazilian life till today

[@altobonifacio8936]

Same, brazil is amazing

[@matthewbeedle7439]

@@altobonifacio8936 l

[@michelmotta3930]

Fl chegado, tu é da pedreira tbm?

[@T.R.A.I.N.I.N.G.]

the amazon is forest

[@victoreguchii]

@@michelmotta3930 eu era da cidade velha, pertinho do carmo kkkkkkkk

[@enriquegarcia2790]

The masks of the marajoara are allegedly the inspiration for the major's mask entry in the legend of zelda series.

[@henriquejambu]

i can't believe i never made this connection before - majora, marajoara, OMG!

[@deathdoor]

Yes, but also heavily inspired on a manga that I don't remember the name, that also inspired Hayao Miyazaki a lot.

[@cegesh1459]

Makes sense looking at the names. Cool

[@SeveralGhost]

@astronomicalindie had to be, right?

[@marrcxrp6866]

@astronomicalindie close, mononoke was inspired by the Asaro Mudmen tribe of papua new guinea, or at least the small forest spirits are

[@gabrielb5742]

It's always good to see pre-columbian history other than inca, maya and aztec getting the recognition it deserves, great video, muito obrigado por existir.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@isaacangelos]

Are you surprised that the Inca, Maya, and Aztec get so much attention? They built cities, states, and cultures that were comparable to the old world, but outside of Mesoamerican, Peruvian, and possibly Mississippian cultures, few other cultures in the Americas were particularly advanced.

[@gabrielb5742]

@@isaacangelos i'm not surprised and neither belittling them, but as you can see in the video there were in fact advanced cultures in other regions, and these regions were the firsts to have contact with Europeans so their historical value is immense. And even if they were banging stones together like monkeys i would still praise the channel for bringing up a history about a culture group that's part of the history of my culture, nationality and the genetics that compose my very being.

[@isaacangelos]

@@gabrielb5742 Francisco de Orellana’s journal is most likely embellished, so the idea that there were societies as advanced as Mesoamerica and the Andes mountains that were outside of these regions is questionable. Was Marajoara culture advanced in its own way? Yes, but they didn’t have a Tenochtitlan, a Teotihuacan, a Tikal, a Cahokia, etc., and there is little evidence of a great state or of great architecture other than maybe their mounds. I think the video was a good topic to discuss because native culture in these regions is rarely discussed. I’m not trying to disrespect Marajoara culture or say that it is primitive.

[@gabrielb5742]

​@@isaacangelos what's the point you are trying to make exactly? Even if you take the source as dubious, do you think it's not valid to study the history of the Germanics because they were living in huts while the Latins built monuments that stand to this day? That they were not advanced in their own way with their warrior culture that inevitably brought down the giant of Rome? Do you think that the Germanics were not good enough to be studied because of that? Architecture, technology and demographics don't make something more or less deserving of study, it just make it more attractive, and i already said i'm not surprised that it's more studied, but that doesn't deny the right of the other indigenous tribes to the spotlight. That's exactly why you Greeks don't have Constantinople anymore and never will again, Greeks live in their glorious long gone past and think of anyone else as uncivilized, it was inevitable the downfall of the city to the "less-advanced" Turks.

[@bumbleguppy]

If our spirits are in our bones, the fact I had my wisdom teeth removed explains a lot. Great video, keep them coming!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@piedpiper1172]

😂

[@michaeladu6120]

I'm gonna love your series on the cultures of the Amazon. My people, the Ashanti of Ghana, also lived in tropical forests, similar to the Amazon and I want desperately for someone to dispel the notion that forest peoples are/were backward.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! To clarify, I probably won't return to the Amazon until next year but I'm glad you're looking forward to it!

[@ardd.c.8113]

A human who adapts to the environment (s)he lives in is never backwards, tropical forest just make it hard to communicate with other groups due to the remoteness by the wilderness, not ideal for cultures to evolve into something larger, which is fine by itself, it only becomes problematic when bigger societies come in contact with them. Have you heard about the Surinamese Maroons people who maintained old Ghanese believes and rituals? 'Katibo ye ye' is an interesting documentary for you to check out. The amazone/ ghana connection is fascinating

[@Tadesan]

But, um, the forest is backwards. The forest is an antithesis of sophistication by definition. So, I must make you aware, that your culture is backwards BECAUSE it is a forest culture. It's not a representation of your 'failure to adapt'. In fact it is a representation of your choice not to adapt in alternative fashion. Nothing wrong with any of that. But accept the fact that the forest lifestyle is definitively backwards.

[@grovermartin6874]

@@Tadesan Maybe. I am looking forward to his digging into the people of the tera preta (pun intended) and the astonishing food forests of the Amazon. Such a highly developed, clever people.

[@catboyedgeworth2469]

@@Tadesan what??

[@victoreguchii]

It is wonderfully refreshing to find beautiful and thoughtful content about the history of my ancestors. I'm from Belém, just across the river from Marajó. When I was studying industrial design at the state university there, I studied a lot of their iconography, pottery, and history. Another very important society from the region is the Tapajós people, which lived much farther inland and also had their unique symbology and pottery. Congrats and thanks for letting more people know about this amazing piece of history!! On a side note, never ask for açaí "juice" if you're in the region because people will laugh at you! We eat it in the consistency of a thick cream with tapioca and/or cassava toasted "flour", along with some fried/salt dried fish, shrimp or jerky! A hug from Brazil!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! And thanks for the advice! Hugs from the US!

[@ericacaa]

I have two friends from Santarém and they told me that when they were little they used to play with old tools and artifacts they would easily find in the tapajos river

[@dubuyajay9964]

I wish I had a house on Marajo. I'm just scared of the chicken eater spiders. 😭🐔🕷️🌴🏝️

[@bwnco]

My girlfriend is on soure!! 😊. Ive been teaching her history of her own island! 😅😅😅

[@kwali5467]

I literally can’t stop binging these history episodes

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you. Don't spend all your binge time here. Other Ancient American channels need love too!

[@CaucAsianSasquatch]

Because the content is Excellent, the research is top notch and the narrator is clear, succinct and easily understood. The best History of the Americas channel I've found.

[@VoidLantadd]

​@@AncientAmericas As a matter of fact I do intend to spend all my binge time here, because it's such a great introduction to this part of history. Your content is opening the door for me to Ancient American history in the same way Historia Civilis did for me with Roman history. I'll be sure to check out other channels when I'm done.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@VoidLantadd Now that is a compliment! Historia Civilis was one of the big inspirations for my channel! Thank you!

[@EpreTroll]

Never heard of this before, great discovery!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@Lima_Lima_Lima]

Well, it is for you.

[@AncientAmericas]

@Kazumaf I think you're referring to sweet potatoes. Regardless, either they made contact with South America and there is very compelling evidence for that, or some sweet potatoes drifted out to sea on some unmoored canoe and landed in Polynesia.

[@JazzyWaffles]

Ancient panties: are sometimes plain, sometimes fancy. Archaeologists: Ah yes, these must have ritual significance. Ancient Marajoaran woman: Mine has flowers on it because I like flowers

[@AncientAmericas]

Any time archaeologists say something has ritual significance, it's often a way of saying something was special but we have no idea why and how.

[@dashiellgillingham4579]

That's definitely not impossible, although in pre-industrial societies it is much harder to obtain things with a lot of decoration if you don't have resources or status.

[@Gildedmuse]

@@AncientAmericas It's the human equivalent to the Paleontologists' "Sexual display" or when an Astrophysicist says, "Dark matter". "Ah, so you have no idea."

[@szurketaltos2693]

Premodern peoples often dedicated much more of their lives to ritual than we do, and often conceived of objects and events in ritualistic terms. For instance, Cortez was understood to be Quetzalcoatl, and witch hunts have been associated with the little ice age. It's usually not a bad guess for archaeologists.

[@anthonyhayes1267]

@@AncientAmericas and "fertility ritual item" means "I know exactly what this is, but I don't wanna say ancient dildo"

[@sophroniel]

I wish all the energy for places like Egypt, the UK & Israel was put into these largely unstudied areas of South America! So much will get lost the more time passes!!

[@AncientAmericas]

Wouldn't that be nice?

[@user-ux6dt8pk4k]

governments never will, look at the underwater ruins of cuba... 20 years and no news, or hy brasil, which can even be located in google maps but no one has actually gone and investigated despite what ancient cartographers said about this island

[@rodrigoe.gordillo2617]

@@user-ux6dt8pk4k sounds cool

[@incanusolorin2607]

20:39 açaí and manioc are actually widely consumed by millions of people all across Brazil, although we in the south mostly eat açaí with guaraná as an ice cream.

[@matheuspojo]

Here in Belém we consume it mostly as the marojaras used to, with fish and manioc flour.

[@incanusolorin2607]

@@matheuspojo Pois é, tô ligado. Sou doido pra ir aí em cima provar açaí salgado. Aqui em Minas só tem o doce.

[@carloseduardoaguiar8712]

Im from Belém (a city localized in the Amazon Delta right next to the Marajó archipelago), it is great to see the marajoara culture becoming more notable to an international audience. We have museums dedicated to it and much of our culinary comes from them, like the manioc (we call it "macaxeira" here) and the açaí.

[@AncientAmericas]

I was very happy to learn about it! It's a fascinating culture.

[@grovermartin6874]

@@AncientAmericas I hope you will be able to include more than just a passing reference to the rich culture around manioc/cassava/yuca/macaxeira. I have only recently discovered this delicious food, and am wild for it.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@grovermartin6874 Manioc is on the episode list. Unfortunately, I have no clue when it will be made.

[@grovermartin6874]

@@AncientAmericas We'll be here! All of your programs have been educational and entertaining!

[@bwnco]

My girlfriend is in soure! ❤😊

[@stephenmeier4658]

The book *1491: America before Columbus* covers this topic in good detail, and this is a great subject for further exploration! Thanks for the video 🤠

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome! 1491: America before Columbus is a great book and I actually used it in the creation of this video.

[@rolandsalomonsson3854]

Kåre Prutz, the Norwegian author and journalist, was selfmade and found out the "real" history all himself. For that the establishment persued him, banned him etc. In reallity they envied him his intelligens. NOW we know humans at least 50000 bc had capacity to make sea-travels for weeks in the Pacifics. There also was a large middle landingstation to rest in the middle of Northern Pacifig (North the Hawaii´s). Everything also shows the sollutreans made travells over North Atlantic at least 26000 bc, using seavessels like the Umiak and Kayak. Inuit regularly made those trips and landed in Northwestern Irland, Scotland. Munks wrote it down. In a few cases they also left there DNA among the people. Unfortunately they also rgurlarily died from European decises. If inuits could, why should not Northmen be able? Like Kåre Prutz describe it. A curiosity is that in Guiana you can find a "white" tribe which still fight any intrusion of modern civilication. In the Americas the Spanish wrote about other White tribes. Note also navigation in high sea was performed as Kåre Prutz showed from medieval notification, from about 1000 bc. The feonicians did it about 1700 bc. Brendans boats probably was "Umiaks", that is cpies of the Inuit vessels. Most historians do not understand what a Chart is. It´s a list of geographical positions, which means the seafaring people was handling quolified mathematics and also vikings knew that mathematic. Modern people look at graphical outcome of the Charta (list) which non-mathematics could understand better and call it "charta". Such Charta´s (lists) were very expensive and normaly were held secret in order to get trade-advanteges. JUST READ "AMERICA BEFORE COLUMBUS" and other books of Kåre Prutz! That´s probably why the north american indians was more imume to European decises than thos indians in Meso- resp Suth-americas.

[@mathidra]

I love your videos! I told my World History teacher about you, hopefully we get to watch a video of yours in class!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@cegesh1459]

Cool

[@beretperson]

This channel always make me wish we could just...look into the past. The detective work made by archaeologists is fascinating and very impressive, but imagine if we could just KNOW what all these fascinating cultures were like, why their remains look the way they do, what happened to them, etc

[@AncientAmericas]

You're not alone. That sentiment is always in the back of my mind as well.

[@diamondtiara84]

Maybe it's time for a time machine?

[@AncientAmericas]

@@diamondtiara84 well if I had a time machine I'd probably spend less time sightseeing and more time stopping the genocide.

[@jaymevosburgh3660]

@@diamondtiara84 Everything would come to ruin if anyone ever did find a way to travel to the past. Someone would certainly mess with the wrong thing or event. But it would be great if there were a way to look into the past. I have taken some very powerful hallucinogenic plants & fungi and gave had visions ov the past, but I could never be sure if it were real or just caused by my brain :) I like to think I had a real glimpse ov the past, an event that occurred in my families ancient past. But then again i have also had conversations with the spiritual entities that live inside plants and discussed their medical, magickal, and culinary benefits...so it was probably just my brain.

[@chou3595]

or see an alternative world where the American continent remains indigenous...

[@jarekb8622]

How you don’t have at least above 100k subscribers is beyond me

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you. I'm actually amazed I have more than 10k subscribers.

[@NocturnalDoom]

@@AncientAmericas thanks for interacting 😉

[@Slammedbimmah30]

The right video will blow this mans account up and all his other videos with it. Love your work!

[@AncientAmericas]

@@Slammedbimmah30 thanks!

[@ximoleee8719]

Thanks for share some Brazilian pre-Columbian history. It's important to revalue the history of native American people. I remember that when I was in school we only studied about native American people the fact that they sold brazilwood to the europeans... And the rest of the history of Brazil is about the colonization... That's bad.

[@AncientAmericas]

Agreed! Hopefully things will get better.

[@FOLIPE]

Indigenous people didn't disappear after Cabral arrived thought. At least at my school I remember them being mentioned during the colonial era which is a must as indigenous people were living both beyond and within the borders of the colony and interacted with it or lived in it in ways that shaped modern Brazil.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@FOLIPE That is correct. My words were a but ambiguous. To clarify, I meant that the densely populated settlements and complex political states that Carvajal had seen were gone.

[@incanusolorin2607]

And that they were enslaved and/or massacred by the europeans.

[@teresafernandez9849]

@@FOLIPE the USA is very obsessed with the word "extinct", when it's bout Native ppl, they use it way to much and untruthful!! Thank goodness for México and South America, they are the truth keepers!!

[@gabrielmendonca8490]

Absolutely amazing video, even as a Brazilian a never had such deep dive into the marajoara culture, mostly because we learn more in school about more southern and coastal tribes (it's tough to cover all of the tribes in such diverse and big country tbh, but they should do a better job still). I'm fascinated by their history and your channel.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@TheDeadlyDan]

Great presentation with good insights and information. Highlighted here is the "modern" tendency to think that any society is obligated to continually advance technologically. History is replete with the model of a culture living for millenia "as is" and thriving. This bias tends to limit our investigations or lead us into incorrect interpretations.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I completely agree. Western thinking traditionally equates advancement with technological development.

[@Tadesan]

Ok .. but... how about stop getting cholera?

[@TheDeadlyDan]

@@Tadesan If you have cholera, you've been eating or drinking bacterial tainted food or water. Maybe start washing your dishes?

[@incanusolorin2607]

I’m from Brazil and it’s great to see the Marajoara culture being taught to foreigners. Great video!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@Carloshache]

One of the most amazing thing with cassava (manioc) is that these traditional varieties used here are very poisonous before being prepared in a complicated way. This is actually because these indigenous farmers selected the poisonous varieties themselves! These needed to be aged, peeled, pressed and dried or prepared in other complicated ways to become non-poison. This is totaly contrary to our supermarket "ready to eat"-culture of today. But the less poisonous varieties back-then were more easily dug up and stolen by thieves (who just needed to peel and boil the less-poison ones in boiling water) or eaten by wild boars. The poison varieties of cassava promoted a culture of long term investment in cassava agriculture where culture were centered on cassava preparation. So it probably "built" social cohersion and civilization in a way.

[@erinmcdonald7781]

That's an uncommon, fascinating and insightful decision they made. Shows, again, how deeply the indigenous peoples understood and respected their environment. Also, I've never understood why the fact that they didn't leave a bunch of garbage around wasn't more appreciated. 💚😎

[@thecaveofthedead]

Just amazing. I still had that impression that the Amazon was sparsely populated and couldn't sustain complex, stratified societies. A revelation.

[@AncientAmericas]

I remember the day I first learned about this, it was a mind blown moment.

[@teresafernandez9849]

Not anymore! Drones have picked up images of ancient buried cities!

[@AztlanHistorian]

As usual you did a magnificent work. I'm glad to see your channel keeps growing Just two comments: 1. The shell mounds (also known as "sambaquis") are not universally agreed to be dumps, as some seem to have a pretty structured set of layers, which has led some specialists to think they may have served a ceremonial function; but such conclusion is heavily contested to say the least. 2. It's sad to remember that many of the Marajoara pottery pieces we knew were lost in the tragic fire of the National Museum of Brazil in 2018 :( Again, I hope you keep with the fantastic work and well, you still have a lot of continent to cover! Greetings!

[@jimpennin9588]

You make great content too 👍

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! It's wonderful to hear from a channel that I'm a huge fan of! Two responses: 1. I had no idea about that. Thanks for telling me! I'll keep that in mind for next time. 2. Yes, I was heartbroken when it happened years ago. I actually agonized over the decision to mention that in the video but I decided it against it because I didn't want a modern tragedy to overshadow the video.

[@jimpennin9588]

@@AncientAmericas can...can we ship you two? 🤣😁

[@CanalPanendithas]

@@AncientAmericas unfortunately brazilian modern history consists of constant attacks to culture, be it by reckless management or openly attacking and wrecking institutions. every 2 years or so an important museum will burn down. already happened this year to a very important movie collection

[@blipboigilgamesh7865]

I'm a northen brazilian, and it's pretty fascinating that I could figure out how similar the Marajoara people's diet is to traditional Paraense cuisine. Also props for saying "Açaí" right!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@maldito_sudaka]

As a Brazilian historian, I'm very thankful for this video.

[@AncientAmericas]

I'm thankful you enjoyed it!

[@dubuyajay9964]

Varghina ayy lmao? XD. 👽🛸🇧🇷🌎

[@kitchentroll5868]

You do a great job in this video. Having concentrated my studies on Meso-American and Andean cultures, my knowledge of the Marajoara Culture was sorely lacking. As I watched your thesis unfold, I was reminded of some things from the past 40 years: When I was doing my undergraduate work in the early 1980s, there was a rogue theory whispered between "desperately trying to be respectable" archaeology students and "not altogether respectable" professors that there was a stifling amount of "dead old white guy" bias choking the life out of research and field work in the Americas (I'm looking at you, J Eric Thompson). In these whispered conversations, the "Relacion" by Gaspar de Carvajal and the various accounts of Hernando de Soto's encounters with native people in the Gulf region of North America featured large. Later, when I was doing comparative linguistic work at Universidade de São Paulo, I fell in with a crew of of "very respectable" Brazilian students and was introduced to more rogue theories: Many native languages within the Amazon Basin seemed to be a mish-mash of several language families, as if small bands of survivors from disparate groups came together to form a new group (this could be explained by natives who had escaped slavery, of course, but there were historical accounts of this linguistic oddity from the earliest days of colonization), and - from the botanist in our cabal - the belief that the fabled botanical diversity of the Amazon rain forest was largely exaggerated, for, in his opinion, many plants he encountered seemed more like domesticate plants that had become "feral" or, as he termed them, "escapadas", than truly wild. Then, I was shown dozens of aerial photographs of geoglyphs that had been exposed by deforestation of the rain forest. "Mind blowing" is a meme these days, but trust me, it felt like my head would explode seeing those images and trying to understand the reticence of Academe to accept that some dead old white guys had been seriously wrong about pre-Columbian population density in the Americas. It would be another twenty years before the Amazonian geoglyphs were taken seriously by Academe and, then, only after Michael Heckenberger (et al.) had discovered evidence of large settlements, roads, and complex croplands in the mid-jungle. Even now, Heckenberger's findings are fiercely debated. These days, LIDAR and satellite imagery can prove in a few days what two centuries of grunt work with a trowel and endless arguments could not. The Amazon was populated with diverse and sophisticate cultures whose material culture is largely lost to us because, as you noted, the environment is corrosive in the extreme. The pH of the soil destroys bone, wood, and all but the hardest stone in short order. As an afterthought, I am also mindful that the learned opinion of the dead old white guys of the 1800s in the United States was uniform in believing that the prairie of the (now) corn belt, was a barren, infertile, unfarmable region, suitable only for grazing cattle. "Slash-and-burn"... smh

[@flmbprt]

On the hipotesys of the Marajoara beeing matrilinear: it matches the Tupi sistem, where the man joins the bride's family. Tupi are from amazonian origins, and spread "down the river" to the seashores, and from there north (possibly up to the Caribean Isles) and south (up to niwadays brazilian state of São Paulo).

[@joaolucasprates]

Não sabia disso. Obrigado por compartilhar

[@FOLIPE]

Interesting seeing this kind of content in English. I remember Marajoara culture getting a lot of attention in Brazilian media some ten years ago when I was in high school, but we never learned about them at school (only tupis, tamoios and the such were mentioned, usually starting around the arrival of Cabral).

[@TheOldBlackShuckyDog]

Damn, you’re actually speaking like a historian, you’re not just some nerd with a sword and a webcam. I’m impressed

[@AncientAmericas]

Yeah, I'm surprised too.

[@TheOldBlackShuckyDog]

@@AncientAmericas just realised how that came across, I wasn’t calling you the nerd with the webcam/sword, just that there’s a lot of them about atm lol

[@AncientAmericas]

@@TheOldBlackShuckyDog Lol. No worries. I knew you were you just joking and I was playing along.

[@cozyfallout]

This is fantastic! Thank you so much for covering the fascinating indigenous history of the Amazon and Marajó island. I'm from the Amazon and I once did a presentation during highschool that was about Amazonian civilizations, with a special focus on Marajoara culture. Needless to say, I was so excited when I saw this video. Amazing video. You just got a new subscriber.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@SakamotoCreations]

Amazing video once again. Can we get a video about the Caribbean cultures?

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Caribbean culture is on the list. It will be covered some day.

[@NocturnalDoom]

@@AncientAmericas yes please! And thank you 😊 I’m from Barranquilla; would love to know what was there before and it’s proven harder than one would expect

[@Johnmartin-vz7yc]

I love the dry sense of humour! Great talks, just enough information and he brings the subject to life.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@prophetofbara1214]

Very glad you finally began touching on more obscure pre columbian cultures like the Amazon and Hohokam. Can't wait to see you tackle the Caribbean, Great Plains, and Colombian Savannahs someday

[@AncientAmericas]

All in good time I hope!

[@pizzahutmobile]

I’m so hype for more of your Amazonian society videos this is the most interesting topic ever for me

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you. We probably won't return to the Amazon until next year but I think I know what I'll be covering. Stay tuned!

[@pizzahutmobile]

@@AncientAmericas can’t wait bro

[@madderhat5852]

Their pottery is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

[@sizanogreen9900]

I feel like we are in a renaissance of amazonian archeology. I find those newer discoveries like those big road networks or the mounds of the french guyanese coast very fascinating. Looking forward to your look at the region:)

[@AncientAmericas]

I sure hope that's the case.

[@gabrielbrunoparreira5670]

Have been waiting for this video haha. Now if you ever want to do a other video about Amazon culture, the other very famous culture in Brazilian Amazon was the Tapajós. They were more inland in the Amazon River, and actually their society never declined before European arrival. The modern city of Santarém in Pará is built "on top" of their past largest city. Thanks again for the video and great work as usual.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I knew nothing about the Tapajó but I've added them to my list! Thanks for the tip!

[@atlasaltera]

I know I'm going to start my week right now that there's a new AA video to play tomorrow morning! Just so stoked that I had to get my first comment in before going to bed haha. I've been super interested in Amazonian archaeological findings ever sense coming across to terra pretta research in high school.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks! I hope you enjoy it. There's no terra prieta on Marajo island but I'm hoping to discuss it in the next Amazonian episode.

[@rafaelalodio5116]

5:45 It always amazes me how famous this picture on the right got, what amazes me even more is that I live in a state (Acre) which there are people living in the same way as they did thousands of years ago, while others like myself have Internet and all the modern crap.

[@rubinortiz2311]

Are you actually indigenous American or do you just like talking about our history. If the latter is true I personally thank you for taking such interest in our people and shedding more light on our history despite not being native.

[@AncientAmericas]

I am not indigenous though I do have indigenous family. I just find the history fascinating and under-appreciated.

[@rubinortiz2311]

@@AncientAmericas keep it up man. More people must be enlightened about our history.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@rubinortiz2311 I plan on it!

[@pinchevulpes]

When white people come and ask for our knowledge I hope they come like you (Channel Owner) with respect. Not those new age hippie types who appropriate to enable their lifestyle choices.

[@AThousandYoung]

I read the first sentence and thought you were about to get offended and insult the channel. LOL.

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

The Savannah seems like it was manmade similar to the Scottish highlands and moors, in other words the forrest was cleared away, possibly thousands of years ago when the climate was warmer as is the case for the highlands

[@AncientAmericas]

Interesting idea. There's good literature out there on the geography of Marajo Island if you want to learn more.

[@kylemull842]

This video is of such a supreme quality I immediately plan on watching everything else you’ve ever done. Thanks for both educating and keeping me company through the work day

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome! It's my pleasure!

[@wanderleimaciel9465]

Brazil is back! Come over and visit Marajó! Beautiful people and beautiful culture! A vivid city! Happy new year! 2023 we are back!!

[@lmnop29]

I've been looking for a channel like yours that covers ancient cultures of the Americas, which are so often overlooked in academia. Thank you for your work!

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome!

[@kirby282]

These videos are SO well done. I'm so happy to grab some tea and have a cozy time learning about amazing ancient cultures!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@boio_]

Ok, these gotta be my favourite pottery designs, the aesthetic damn!

[@AncientAmericas]

Right?!

[@Ptaku93]

Not only one episode about pre-Columbian Amazon, but a whole series?! That is the best info, such a fascinating, mysterious topic, finally covered with proper care! Thank you so much!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Just to clarify, this is the first Amazon episode but not the first in a series of episodes. I probably won't get back to the Amazon until next year. (There's a lot of two continents to cover.)

[@Ptaku93]

@@AncientAmericas I can wait. Sounds like the perfect New Year's Day episode :)

[@igor-yp1xv]

I'm sooo happy to see Brazil featuring in an episode in this channel ❤️😍 great episode! I love açaí and manioc, my mother has a set of contemporary marajoara ceramics. Did I say I'm happy??? 🤩

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@MasterOfCydonia]

I like seeing this. It goes to show that no matter the type of the land, Humans will be damn good at adapting to what is needed.

[@krono5el]

These people are beyond incredible and fascinating to no end.

[@pawebielinski4903]

I love the channel! Thank you for bringing us these quality material!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@--Paws--]

Finally ran into a video talking about this tribe. I remember running into a similar video years ago about a civilization where it mentions how they turned the jungle into some sort of farmlands and communities. They made wooden structures that were enormous. The structures were elaborate yet simple at the same time, the video had illustrations. However, due to the structures being made of wood none of it remains and their farmlands have become absorbed by the jungle. According to that video, their methods of farming made it possible for the Amazon Rainforest to become what it is today.

[@arthurbarros5189]

I'm from Belém do Pará, marajó Island Is quite close. We love açaí here, and I Need to point out: You do not crush the açaí. It Is a hard fruit, Its insides are wood-like. The Thick "wine" Is grinded out of It.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks for the clarification! I love learning these details from people who are more familiar with these areas than I am.

[@arthurbarros5189]

@@AncientAmericas I'll give you another One, then: I've Met an anthropology teacher in UFPA Who told me some people way up the river consume It "sour". They consider our fresh ground açaí unfit for use, and let It Age a bit. Basically, they consume It in a state we would consider unfit Edit: i forgot to mention, UFPA Is the Federal university of Pará state.

[@Thecoffeefreak]

Great video. Always happy to see your videos and how they present humanities incredible ability to adapt and thrive no matter what the conditions are. It gives me great comfort.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Humans can thrive where ever they need to.

[@th3omachos]

I'm from Marajó, thanks for the content dude, never expected that i would see people from the US talking about the marojoarans, it's a great video.

[@Pendragon-dnd]

Super thankful I found this channel. I love thorough history like this!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@enrixosjjdjd187]

I weep at the thought of what still might lay buried under the amazon, lost perhaps forever. Fact is, if things like terra petra are manmade, then somewhere in the amazon a buried, ancient culture lays buried potentially much more advanced than the other pre columbian cultures!

[@matheussanthiago9685]

well, if it serves of any solace, the amazon soil is quite poor, the forest maintain it's own supply though organic decay, which is a very shallow layer when enough of the forest get destroyed the self-sustained system will break and the forest will perish even without further human intervention and the biggest tropical rainforest will be reduced to savannah in a matter of decades indescribably bad for everyone everywhere but it might allow new archaeological discoveries, who knows and at the rate of destruction we're currently in, the tipping point might be closer than ever

[@dashiellgillingham4579]

I'm going to warn you that thinking of cultures in terms of 'advancement' is a serious mistake and leave it at that. We do need more eyes on the Amazon.

[@enrixosjjdjd187]

@@dashiellgillingham4579 I am thinking in terms of sophistication, complexity of social structure, ability to mold their enviorment etc. There are mentions of advanced cultures deep in the amazon in some texts and myths, and as we've seen we can easily miss forgotten civilization in smaller areas like the "City of the monkey god" Tell me then how should I think of "cultures"

[@dashiellgillingham4579]

@@enrixosjjdjd187 Yeah, that's the response I was hoping to avoid. Basically, if you keep elaborating on that thought for long enough you will inevitably collapse into defining your own culture as the most advanced and all other cultures as more or less 'advanced' based solely on their similarity to yours. There are proofs on this, I've seen them, but it takes an actual college course on anthropology to explain it to my satisfaction. The short version is when you get into details and stop talking in abstractions, there is no meaningful statistic by which we can compare cultures other than how similar they are. It's a lot better for your understanding of these things to think in terms of 'how did these people solve this problem,' 'how did these other people solve this problem,' and 'how did these solutions enable other aspects of this culture.' Humans get do generally better at solving problems as time goes on, but there's no such thing as a 'better' culture. We trade out the gears of our social machinery, and every one of those gears can connect to different ones, in different ways. Even specialization in general has the trade off that specialists do not understand what specialists in different societal roles are doing.

[@enrixosjjdjd187]

@@dashiellgillingham4579 thats like your opinion, man

[@WesJFin]

Thanks you for these incredibly well crafted videos. I can not wait for more pre-columbian info, for some reason it is so interesting to me.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@benjaminunger1065]

Thanks for putting this together! Another great video.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@joshuapeters3998]

This is the best indigenous history channel hands down. Thank you.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@adrianovianna2694]

Marajoara descendent here. Will you make videos about Tapajós, and Xingu rivers societies? Very impressive pottery too.

[@AncientAmericas]

I'd definitely like to at some point.

[@JulioCesar-rj2xq]

brazil here! we only study the Marajós to the name, and you brought so much more than I thought a "gringo" (Foreigner) could. It's good work, and I am going to share with my friends here. Seeing how my ancestors did so much with (relatively) so little os amazing. Could you do something about indigenous peoples of today's São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro? Sorry for bad english, If so. Valeu gringo!

[@AncientAmericas]

That's quite a compliment! Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@emm_arr]

Really good video. I can only listen while working, rather than watching, and this - like other good documentaries - works well as a radio programme. Thank you - and subscribed!

[@harriotteworthington3147]

You channel is the BEST! 💗 Thank you for referencing Aguirre Wrath of God… my first exposure to Herzog’s portfolio of work and, ironically, seen at the time I was enthusiastically studying the Yanomami (awarded degrees in sociology & anthropology). My college chums would joke around, muttering “luh-luh-luh-luh-luh-luh-luh-luh” whenever they approached me from behind. We definitely were our own little tribe, eclectic and odd to the general student population. Thank you for the memories as well as the presentation!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@michaireneuszjakubowski5289]

Fantastic video, as usual. You mentioned there may be upcoming videos regarding how the inhabitants of the Amazon rainforest dealt with restrictive soils; I've been reading about terra preta recently, fascinating topic, but accessible information seems scarce. Can't wait for you to elaborate on that!

[@AncientAmericas]

I can't wait to elaborate on it either! It's extremely fascinating.

[@stephennelson4954]

"That is like everyone in the united States except Indiana disappearing." Me, a Hoosier: _"It's free real estate"_

[@AncientAmericas]

"That sure was tragic. Time for some affordable ocean front property!"

[@vercingetorixsonofavernia6598]

These videos have been amazing man. Please keep it up

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you Vercingetorix! Give those Romans hell.

[@juniorsoares7277]

This Channel, makes me travel in another world, i love it.

[@Jeff_denHartog]

Bem legal ver outras pessoas querendo aprender sobre cultura Indígena :)

[@tessfairfield6435]

This was very interesting. I hope we get to learn more about other river communities like those along the Mississippi and St. Lawrence

[@AncientAmericas]

All in good time!

[@SageThyme23]

Marajó island has always fascinated me so this video was incredible for me

[@ianbruce6515]

Thank you for these videos. So fascinating! Hoping to get a video soon on the 'black earth' settlements

[@stephaniev3.083]

Yay!!!! 🎊🎉💃🎉🎊👏👏👏 I was hoping you would do an Amazonian culture!! Thank you!! 😁

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome! I hope your enjoy it as much as I did.

[@schnee3able]

ah... to be first.

[@AncientAmericas]

Bask in your glory!

[@andrewprice8717]

Randomly came across this channel and I have now subscribed, this is great!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@TheResidance]

You should do the tarascans next! A society that resisted the Aztecs with possible links to south American civilizations sounds like it'd be right up your alley!

[@AncientAmericas]

They will get their episode for sure!

[@joatanpereira4272]

Can you do a video on the tribes of the Northeast of Brazil? People tend to forget about them for some reason

[@AncientAmericas]

Which specific people? I'm always looking to add more topics to my list.

[@joatanpereira4272]

@@AncientAmericas I think the most well documented ones are the Cariris and the Potiguaras. What actually interests me is how the tribes lived in the Caatinga biome, part of the northeastern region. It's a hot and dry climate, and unfortunately most the tribes kind of disappeared (either got killed or blended into the Portuguese society), so it would be awesome to know how they lived in such environment.

[@loganwilcox4037]

Did the Marajoara utilize terra preta soil technique or was that only done more inland? Great video btw

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you. No, the Marajoara people never created or used terra prieta.

[@gedgar]

YAAAAAY always excited to see a video from u :-)

[@AncientAmericas]

Always excited to see a comment this quick!

[@ericlester3056]

Glad to have found this channel. Earned my sub, keep up the great work!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@thetalamhclisteach1848]

This culture is proof of the adaptability of humanity

[@AncientAmericas]

Humans ain't quitters.

[@CanalTremocos]

Found this channel recently. Realy good videos. 👍

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@Luiz_a_mendes]

As a Brazilian, i'm Very happy tô see this amazing video. thak you so much to speak about this people that most of historical KZbinrs put aside. Please, bring more about Amazon and something about the indigenous people of the caatinga (northeast of Brasil)

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome!

[@Strick-IX]

Very fascinating! As a student of archaeology, I must say this video was exquisitely crafted and researched, presenting a plethora of pertinent information for researchers and laymen alike. Keep up the good work!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! What kind of archaeology do you study?

[@Strick-IX]

@@AncientAmericas I'm getting into bioarchaeology with concentrations in forensic anthropology and CRM. Needless to say, I have my work cut out for me, but I'm so close to obtaining my BA that I can practically taste it!

[@AncientAmericas]

@@Strick-IX very cool! Best of luck!

[@nextabe1]

I've seen Aguirre, The Wrath of God. Very cool to know its historical origin!

[@austinsontv]

Love your work! Keep it up!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

Already looking forward to more!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@ianashman7060]

This is so fascinating, I can't believe it's so sparsely talked about!

[@warrendourond7236]

Great video! Thanks for what you do!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@thescholar-general5975]

Great video, it is sometimes frustrating how little people study or talk about these cultures. Finding your channel is like a breath of fresh air.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@henriquejambu]

This video was so amazing! I'm from Belém, the city just outside the Marajó island, and I've never seen a video in english talk with so much detail about our region's history, thank you so much for this. I hope this video can reach more and more people so they can learn a bit about this part of the Amazon. Is there any way I could subtitle this to Portuguese? Really want this content to reach more people. Great work! P.S.: and yes! eating açaí with fish and manioca flour is still part of our daily diet, it's so delicious!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@brunovilela3619]

Wow Wow WOW I'm so happy to have discovered this channel!!!!

[@AncientAmericas]

I'm happy you discovered it too.

[@garrethgoodworth2494]

Fine without visuals - thank you SO MUCH for covering such an obscure topic.

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome!

[@bleached_anus1487]

This channel is amazing, keep up the great work and you’ll definitely blow up!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@ght.s1732]

Thank you for your great work!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@gimps3937]

Great video! Really loved this

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@SuperRitz44]

So great to see a history channel dedicated to the civilizations of the Americas!

[@AncientAmericas]

Isn't it? I wish there were more.

[@yesid17]

woooooooo so good!!! can't wait for the next one

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@tolkien2]

This is amazing, loved this video!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@GringoLoco]

Very informative, as always!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you Gringo Loco!