A few quick announcements before we begin today's episode.

First, the upcoming Mountains and Oracles tour is pretty much full.

Thank you to everyone who signed up.

It's going to be awesome.

There is one spot left, so if you want to claim it, shoot me an email ASAP.

Second, I'm considering starting a new collaborative podcast project in parallel with this one. And I'm looking for a

researcher slash writer. So if you are a fan of ancient history and you enjoy reading and writing

and you like the idea of being part of a creative project, then write to me and let's talk.

And finally, this episode is also available on YouTube as a video interview.

So if you prefer that format, you can find it on our channel at YouTube.com slash lanternjack.

I hope you enjoyed today's show.

Hi, thanks for tuning in to ancient Greece, Declassified.

Episode 52.

A new theory of democracy's origins.

Five years ago, a bombshell article came out called, It Wasn't Just Greece, Archaeologists find early

democratic societies in the Americas. According to the article, there is increasing evidence that

certain states in Mesoamerica before the Spanish conquest were not ruled by kings, but by

senators and other institutions normally associated with democratic rule.

Now, this seemed to go against the traditional narrative that democracy started in ancient

Greece, was later revived in Europe, and from there was spread to the rest of the world.

So, what's the deal here? Was democracy really more widespread in ancient times than previously

thought?

...