Lost Kingdoms of Central America

Discover the ancient civilizations of Central America as we join archaeologist Jago Cooper digging through ancient history.

Like the Lost Kingdoms of South America, Jago’s investigations are shown on site by visiting the ancient ruins, archaeological excavations and walking in the footsteps of history.

This time, we’ll examine ancient civilizations such as the Olmec, the Taíno, the Chiriquí and even a visit to the once mighty city of Teotihuacan.

Pre-dating the Maya and Aztec, what secrets do these ancient Central American civilizations hold and how why did they ultimately dissapear?

Episode 1: Kingdom of the Jaguar

Episode one joins Jago as he begins by journeying through southern Mexico.

Here he investigate the rise and fall of America’s oldest civilization, the Olmec, which thrived over 3,000 years ago.

He encounters colossal stone heads and the oldest rubber balls in the world and descends deep inside an ancient cave network in search of a were-jaguar.

Episode 2: The People Who Greeted Columbus

From well documented historical research we know the Taino people of the Caribbean were the first people of the Americas to greet Christopher Columbus.

But what is their story and how did their society really function?

Investigating the matter, Jago reveals they had a multicultural society complete with drug-infused rituals, strange skulls and amazing navigation.

Episode 3: Between Oceans and Empires

Episode three joins Jago in exploring the forgotten people of ancient Costa Rica, a people who built a series of spectacular settlements amongst the rivers and volcanoes of Central America.

The archaeology finds show hundreds of mysterious, giant stone spheres – but what were they used for?

It’s a historical period of time steadily being unraveled by archaeologists, showcasing a thriving ancient civilization.

Episode 4: The Place Where Time Began

In the fourth and final episode, Jago explores the mysterious and ancient civilization of Teotihuacan – a central point of power and dominance in the ancient Americas almost 2000 years ago.

For hundreds of years this great city state was the biggest in the New World.

Its rulers built monumental pyramids and temples and then went on to build a vast empire that was maintained through force.

But who was this ancient civilization and how did they maintain such a strong seat of power for as long as they did?