Crash Course
The Vikings! - Crash Course World History 224
In which John Green teaches you about Vikings! That's right, one of our most requested subjects, the Vikings, right here on Crash Course. So what's the deal with Vikings? Well, the stuff you've heard about them may not be true. The...
Crash Course
The Columbian Exchange Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about the changes wrought by contact between the Old World and the New. John does this by exploring the totally awesome history book "The Columbian Exchange" by Alfred Cosby, Jr. After Columbus...
Crash Course
Medieval Europe: Crash Course European History
Our European history is going to start around 1500 with the Renaissance, but believe it or not, that is not the actual beginning of history in the continent. So, today, we're going to teach you the broad outlines of the so-called Middle...
Crash Course
USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about the Cold War, which was occasionally hot, but on average, it was just cool. In the sense of its temperature. It was by no means cool, man. After World War II, there were basically two big...
Crash Course
Luther and the Protestant Reformation: Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about the Protestant Reformation. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, pretty much everyone in Europe was a Roman Catholic. Not to get all great man, but Martin Luther changed all that. Martin Luther...
Crash Course
The Silk Road and Ancient Trade Crash Course World History
The Silk Road and Ancient Trade: In which John Green teaches you about the so-called Silk Road, a network of trade routes where goods such as ivory, silver, iron, wine, and yes, silk were exchanged across the ancient world, from China to...
Crash Course
2,000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confucius World History
In which John introduces you to quite a lot of Chinese history by discussing the complicated relationship between the Confucian scholars who wrote Chinese history and the emperors (and empress) who made it. Included is a brief...
Crash Course
Rethinking Civilization - Crash Course World History 201
In which John Green returns to teaching World History! This week, we'll be talking about the idea of civilization, some of the traditional hallmarks of so-called civilization, and why some people would choose to live outside the...
Crash Course
Migrations and Intensification: Crash Course Big History
In which Hank and John Green teach you about humanity conquering the Earth. Or at least moving from Africa into the rest of the Earth. As human beings spread out across the world and populations grew, humanity reached a critical mass of...
Crash Course
The Silk Road and Ancient Trade: Crash Course World History
The Silk Road and Ancient Trade: In which John Green teaches you about the so-called Silk Road, a network of trade routes where goods such as ivory, silver, iron, wine, and yes, silk were exchanged across the ancient world, from China to...
Crash Course
Mesopotamia: Crash Course World History
In which John presents Mesopotamia, and the early civilizations that arose around the Fertile Crescent. Topics covered include the birth of territorial kingdoms, empires, Neo-Assyrian torture tactics, sacred marriages, ancient labor...
Curated Video
Brazil History
New ReviewHow has Brazil become the melting pot it is today? Find out by reviewing Brazil’s historical highlights and how the economy has evolved over the centuries. Learn about the arrival of Europeans in the 1500s; how Portugal extended rule and...
Curated Video
Who Was King Tut? Seek-and-Find Adventure
New ReviewExplore the fascinating life of King Tutankhamun, the boy pharaoh of ancient Egypt, in this interactive “seek and find” adventure. As we uncover the story of his short but mysterious reign, viewers can search for hidden treasures and...
Professor Dave Explains
Ancient India Part 1: The Indus Valley Civilization (3500 – 2000 BCE)
So far we've been focused predominately on Mesopotamia and the Near East. But the Indian subcontinent is also home to one of the earliest civilizations in human history, the Indus Valley civilization. When did this begin? Where were...
Professor Dave Explains
Old World Archeology Part 1: The Western World
The first place that human civilization truly began was Ancient Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East. This was followed by Egypt, Greece, and many others. How did these regions develop through to the...
Curated Video
The Decline of Monte Albán
Monte Albán was abandoned around 800 CE during a widespread period of upheaval across Mesoamerica, likely due to a mix of internal elite conflict, environmental stress, and growing disconnect between rulers and commoners. While power...
Curated Video
Noble and Common Life in Ancient Monte Albán
During the Classic period, Monte Albán experienced a flourishing of elite culture, seen in its art, rulers’ monuments, richly decorated tombs, and increasingly exclusive ceremonial spaces. Tombs and murals emphasized genealogy, divine...
Curated Video
Monte Albán: Zapotec Metropolis of the Classic Period
Around 200 CE, Monte Albán underwent major political changes marked by the rise of a new elite, internal conflict, and a transformation of its ceremonial core—reflected in the dismantling and reuse of earlier monuments like the danzantes...
Curated Video
Deciphering the Zapotec Writing System
The Zapotecs developed one of Mesoamerica’s earliest and most extensive writing systems, with a large corpus found at Monte Albán—though the script remains mostly undeciphered today. While we can read some calendar glyphs and names, the...
Curated Video
The Danzantes of Monte Albán
Monte Albán’s Building L houses many danzantes—stone reliefs long thought to depict dancers but now widely interpreted as representations of sacrifice, with some scholars suggesting alternative meanings like bloodletting rituals. These...
Curated Video
Monte Albán’s Regional Dominance in Ancient Oaxaca
Monte Albán’s early history is marked by rapid growth and aggressive expansion, transforming it into the dominant power in the Valley of Oaxaca by 300 BCE. As it extended control over surrounding regions through conquest and influence,...
Curated Video
How Monte Albán Became a Center of Zapotec Civilization
Monte Albán, founded around 500 BCE, was built on a commanding mountaintop at the heart of the Valley of Oaxaca, offering spiritual prestige and strategic defensibility. Despite its challenging terrain, the city rapidly grew into the...
Curated Video
The Rise and Fade of San José Mogote
Before Monte Albán rose to prominence, San José Mogote was the leading settlement in the Valley of Oaxaca around 1300 BCE. Thanks to advanced irrigation, it grew into the valley’s largest village and an important ceremonial center. Over...
Curated Video
An Introduction to the History of Oaxaca and the Zapotec Civilization
The Mexican state of Oaxaca boasts a rich pre-Columbian history, having been one of the earliest regions in the Americas to domesticate crops and develop permanent settlements. It was home to the Zapotec civilization, who built urban...