Secret Civilizations: Incan and Mayan Worlds - Season 1 (2007)

In many regions in the Andes, where the Inca Empire once flourished, mummies are frequently discovered. It has become clear that there was a mummy culture unlike any other seen in the world. Why did this unique Andean mummy culture take root here and how did it spread? This episode sheds valuable light on these intriguing questions.

The city in the sky -- Machu Picchu -- is one of the most beautiful World Heritage Sites and the main symbol of the Inca Empire. The continuing excavations at Machu Picchu have brought to light many of the secrets of Incan prosperity. The city itself is built on a steep Andean mountain ridge, and scholars have often wondered how and why the Incans built it in this harsh environment. This episode explores the Incan secrets in building this magnificent city.

With a vast network of 70 cities, the Maya civilization in Central America enjoyed prosperity in the area's dense jungles for 2,000 years. How was the Maya civilization able to flourish in the middle of this severe jungle region, where it is very difficult to collect water without large rivers? This final episode in the series challenges this mystery.

This episode provides spectacular panoramas of Machu Picchu, the symbol of Incan civilization; Templo Mayor in Mexico City, the main temple of the Aztec civilization; and the pyramids of the ancient Mayan civilization, which flourished within the rain forests of Central America. Incan and Mayan Worlds from the Sky views these sites from the air to vividly show their unique characteristics and captivating history.