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The Time Compass: Incas and the Andean Cultures

18 minutes 37 seconds
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At the same time the Turks were invading Byzantium, legend has it that Inca civilization was established by the sun god, Inti. Students learn about the Inca system of terracing and the remarkable transportation routes where messages were sent thousands of miles by Inca runners. They also learn about the mysteries of Inca architecture as exhibited in the still fabled city of Machu Picchu. In spite of having no written language, government accounts were recorded by a system of knotted ropes. The episode closes with an acknowledgment of the Spanish chroniclers who were the first to record Inca history in written form.

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Runtime: 18 minutes 37 seconds

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ASL
Digital illustration of ancient artifacts from the Shang dynasty including a stone dragon and oracle bone script with early Chinese calligraphy. Caption. Because the rulers were all from the same family.
The Time Compass
Episode 1
19 minutes 47 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
Simple map with brown edges is labeled, "Dinastía Qin." Spanish caption. Qin Shi Huang se proclamó emperador.
The Time Compass
Episode 2
17 minutes 22 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
ASL
Digital illustration of diverse people exchanging goods for money in a crowded square. Caption. That it formed a new base of power for the Roman Empire.
The Time Compass
Episode 3
19 minutes 6 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
Color illustration of a faded battle scene with an arc of gold objects passing through it. Spanish caption. Estas tremendas guerras que comenzaron en el año 1096.
The Time Compass
Episode 4
15 minutes 23 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
ASL
Color illustration of ancient Egyptian people standing in a garden with water running through it. Text on image reads, "Irrigation system. Shaduf." Caption. Which let them grow more crops.
The Time Compass
Episode 5
19 minutes 31 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
Color illustration of fish swimming in water next to a green platform with water running through it. Text on image reads, "Sistema de riego. Shaduf." Spanish caption. Narrador. Los egipcios necesitaron mucho ingenio.
The Time Compass
Episode 6
16 minutes 7 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
ASL
Computer model of the city of Caral. The Incan city is tiered with a stairway connecting from the amphitheater at the bottom to a grouping of walled structures at the top. Next to this, an animated alpaca and sign that reads, "Caral year 3,000 B, C."
The Time Compass
Episode 7
18 minutes 37 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
Digital map of South America with Chile highlighted in a light color. Labeled countries along Chile's Eastern border from top to bottom include, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Spanish caption. Hasta el norte de Argentina y centro de Chile.
The Time Compass
Episode 8
14 minutes 55 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
ASL
Animation of a woman wearing a white sheer dress dancing on a stage for a man wearing a green tunic and gold headband seated behind a small wood desk. Caption. It seems that Paris, a Trojan prince.
The Time Compass
Episode 9
19 minutes 38 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
Computer rendering of a few Greek statues and artifacts made to look like they have been placed on display on top of a grassy field. Spanish caption. Los griegos se hicieron esa misma pregunta.
The Time Compass
Episode 10
16 minutes 30 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
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