Julian Dorey Podcast #341 - The BRUTAL Rise of Aztec Empire & Lost Ancient Civilizations of South America | Luke Caverns
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Oct 1, 2025 
In this discussion, Luke Caverns, an ancient civilizations historian, delves into the fascinating world of Mesoamerican and South American cultures. He reveals the origins of the Aztecs, their dramatic settlement of Tenochtitlan, and the strategic brilliance of their military organization. Luke explores the influence of Teotihuacan on Aztec imperial methods and recounts how atrocities led to subject peoples siding with Cortés. Additionally, he discusses groundbreaking LIDAR discoveries in the Amazon, the enigma of the Olmec colossal heads, and the fascinating interplay of history and disease.
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Disease Was A Decisive, Often Unintended Weapon
- European diseases (smallpox, flu) unintentionally devastated indigenous populations and reshaped colonial outcomes more than purely military actions.
- Missionaries and friars often spread infections while trying to help or baptize local people.
Olmecs: Early Monumental Builders
- The Olmec civilization arose along the Coatzcalcos river around 1800–1500 BC with sophisticated agriculture and massive basalt monuments.
- From their earliest phases they carved colossal heads (6–52 tons) whose transport remains archaeologically puzzling.
Olmec Heads Remain A Transport Mystery
- Engineering models show transport by narrow river rafts would have been problematic for 6–52 ton Olmec heads, deepening the mystery of their movement.
- Archaeologists lack a definitive solution to how those massive basalt sculptures traveled from quarry to site.
