Today we journey back to pre-Columbian North America, long before European contact,

to explore the rich and diverse civilizations that once thrived across the continent.

From the cliff dwellings of the ancestral Puebloans to the intricate canal cisterns of the Ho-Hocom

and the distinct pottery of the Moga Yon. The southwest tells stories of

ingenuity and resilience. Moving east we uncovered the Edina and Hopewell cultures known for

their elaborate burial mounds and far-reaching trade networks. Further south the Mississippian

culture built sprawling urban centres like

Cahokia complete with towering earth and mounds. And in the Arctic the Dorset and Thuley

peoples adapted to some of the harshest environments on earth laying the foundation for modern

Inuit cultures.

Join us now as we unravel the legacies of those remarkable civilizations

and reshape our understanding of North America's deep past.

The History of the World podcast, written and presented by Chris Hasler.

Volume 4, The Medieval World Episode 90

Pre-Columbian North America

Music By the close of the first millennium BCE, a rich and diverse tapestry of cultures had woven itself across the immense continent of North America.

Up in the far north, where the world bites with icy winds and endless white, a remarkable

people known as the Dorset had spread their influence.

They were the undisputed masters of what is now, Canada, Greenland and the intricate Arctic

archipelagos nestled in between. These weren't just survivors. They were

truly skilled hunters of marine mammals, seals in particular. Imagine thriving in one of the

planet's harshest environments relying on ingenuity and deep knowledge of the sea.

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