Machu Picchu-Lost City of the Inca-Photos

Abby and Nile explore the ancient city of the Children of the Sun,the mysterious hidden Inca enclave nestled high in the Peruvian mountains. See More-Learn More

The Incas believed that gold was the sweat of the sun. Gold was only valued when it was used to create ceremonial objects, such as containers and jewelry, or when it was used to adorn tombs and temples.

Machu Picchu-Lost City of the Inca-Photos

Abby and Nile explore the ancient city of the Children of the Sun,the mysterious hidden Inca enclave nestled high in the Peruvian mountains. See More-Learn More

The Incas believed that gold was the sweat of the sun. Gold was only valued when it was used to create ceremonial objects, such as containers and jewelry, or when it was used to adorn tombs and temples.

Snakes with Two Heads-photos

Life is Confusing For Two-Headed Snakes
The two-headed monsters of myth may have a basis in reality. Two-headed snakes are rare but not unheard of, and one recently found in Spain is giving scientists an opportunity to study how the anomaly affects their ability to hunt and mate.

"We hear of one every several years," said Gordon Burghardt, a herpetologist at the University of Tennessee who has studied several two-headed snakes.

The snake in Spain, discovered near the village of Pinoso, is a two-month-old non-venomous ladder snake Elaphe scalaris. It is about eight inches (20 centimeters) long.

It's probably lucky it was captured—its chances of surviving in the wild are nil, said Burghardt.

"Just watching them feed, often fighting over which head will swallow the prey, shows that feeding takes a good deal of time, during which they would be highly vulnerable to predators," said Burghardt. "They also have a great deal of difficulty deciding which direction to go, and if they had to respond to an attack quickly they would just not be capable of it."

And that's assuming that both heads are hungry at the same time, and both are interested in pursuing the same prey.

"Having two heads would be a hindrance in the wild," agreed James Badman of Arizona State University. "It would be much harder to catch prey." Arizona State was home to a two-headed king snake that was found as a baby. It lived for nearly 17 years in captivity at the university.

Even in captivity, there are problems. Snakes operate a good deal by smell, and if one head catches the scent of prey on the other's head, it will attack and try to swallow the second head.

On the whole, though, they can do quite well in captivity, said Burghardt. Thelma and Louise, a two-headed corn snake at the San Diego Zoo that's now deceased, had 15 normal babies.

Anomaly, Not Evolution

Two-headed snakes typically occur in the same way that Siamese twins do. A developing embryo begins to split into identical twins but then stops part way, leaving the twins joined.

Sweet Good-Byes of Ancient Egypt-video

This video is for all who love Ancient Egypt. You can see them gently waving good-bye to each other in these Ancient Egyptian Tomb paintings. The Treasures are from King Tut and the beautiful paintings with green accents are from Cleopatra's Tomb.
Scroll down and turn off the Odeo Music Player before watching this video.

Sweet Good-Byes of Ancient Egypt-video

This video is for all who love Ancient Egypt. You can see them gently waving good-bye to each other in these Ancient Egyptian Tomb paintings. The Treasures are from King Tut and the beautiful paintings with green accents are from Cleopatra's Tomb.
Scroll down and turn off the Odeo Music Player before watching this video.

The Longest Fish in the World:Oarfish,photos

An oarfish can easily be mistaken for a sea serpent, but they are really the longest bony fish in the sea, growing to fifty feet or more in length. Oarfish are rare but found worldwide in tropical and temperate waters at depths from the surface to 3,000 feet. Not much is known about their habits and life cycles, but they probably only come to the surface when injured or dying. They feed on very small fish, shrimp, and other invertebrates that they filter through their toothless mouths. Oarfish have shiny, silvery bodies, bright red crests on their heads, and are also known as ribbon fish. In 2001, divers inspecting a navy buoy in the Bahamas were the first to videotape a five-foot oarfish in the water.

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry-Photos

The Egyptians wore regular clothes but always wore elaborate jewelry. The personal jewelry was worn for ornamention and to show how wealthy the person was. Some of the jewelry included earrings, bracelets, anklets, rings, and beaded necklaces. The gems the Egyptians put in the jewelry were garnet, onyx, turquoise, amethyst, and lapis lazuli. They also added copper, gold, and shells. Egyptians also wore necklaces of colorful beads and amulets. They thought that wearing jewelry brought good luck.

Jewelry was extremely popular throughout the history of the Egyptian nation. Excavations of tombs have shown that queens of Egypt were almost always buried with a multitude of jewelry to be used in the afterlife. The amount of jewelry worn by an individual often indicated their social position and level of wealth. Jeweled collars, such as the one depicted on the Nefertiti costume of the statue uncovered and now on display in Berlin, were very popular and usually made of very brightly colored gems. The clothing of Nefertiti was not displayed on the statue, save the headdress; however it is quite easy to imagine that her dress was just as elaborate and bejeweled. Rings, anklets and bracelets were also part of the normal ancient Egypt fashion. Earrings, even in ancient Egypt, were common among wealthy women.
Even the poor, who could not afford much, attempted to adorn themselves with as much jewelry as was possible. While not nearly as expensive, the jewelry of the commoner was usually very brightly colored and was constructed of materials such as pottery.

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry-Photos

The Egyptians wore regular clothes but always wore elaborate jewelry. The personal jewelry was worn for ornamention and to show how wealthy the person was. Some of the jewelry included earrings, bracelets, anklets, rings, and beaded necklaces. The gems the Egyptians put in the jewelry were garnet, onyx, turquoise, amethyst, and lapis lazuli. They also added copper, gold, and shells. Egyptians also wore necklaces of colorful beads and amulets. They thought that wearing jewelry brought good luck.

Jewelry was extremely popular throughout the history of the Egyptian nation. Excavations of tombs have shown that queens of Egypt were almost always buried with a multitude of jewelry to be used in the afterlife. The amount of jewelry worn by an individual often indicated their social position and level of wealth. Jeweled collars, such as the one depicted on the Nefertiti costume of the statue uncovered and now on display in Berlin, were very popular and usually made of very brightly colored gems. The clothing of Nefertiti was not displayed on the statue, save the headdress; however it is quite easy to imagine that her dress was just as elaborate and bejeweled. Rings, anklets and bracelets were also part of the normal ancient Egypt fashion. Earrings, even in ancient Egypt, were common among wealthy women.
Even the poor, who could not afford much, attempted to adorn themselves with as much jewelry as was possible. While not nearly as expensive, the jewelry of the commoner was usually very brightly colored and was constructed of materials such as pottery.

Giant Royal Incas-Mummies Nine Feet Tall-photos

Second mummified head of a giant man richly decorated in gold headgear and body covering. Right: Interior view of the private museum revealing an array of golden artifacts.

Giant mummified head of an Inca King. Notice shadow of individual on the right of the glass case for perspective.

The actual mummified head of the crowned king in the photograph is almost twice as large as my own and I wear the largest hat of anyone in my acquaintance. When we were invited to the private gold museum to begin with I was expected to be dazzled by gold. However, it dawned on me the minute I walked through the door that the size of the head, and indeed his whole body, was the unique feature of this king. The gold was impressive, but the size of the man was something more impressive than gold.

The golden tunic that hung on the wall was made of spun gold. This was the first time in my life I had seen gold woven into a fabric for clothing. The tunic was over eight feet tall and tailored in such a way as to suggest that it was not intended to drag on the floor behind a king, but rather to hang straight down to the floor and no further. That made the tunic itself a measuring device for the original height of the giant king. It was shocking to imagine a man who could first wear this tunic without looking like a small child playing with his mother's clothing and secondly it was shocking to imagine the shear weight of the garment. The golden necklace at the foot of the tunic would have hung to the floor around the neck of anyone I know. The golden shoulder shield in the photograph was almost twice the size of shoulder pads used by professional football players.There was also a set of golden gloves whose hands and fingers extended from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger about twelve to fourteen inches. I couldn't tell exactly because they were kept behind security glass.

Nine-and-a-half feet tall is large for a human mummy, especially when it is found among today's diminutive Peruvians, whose average stature is just five feet. Understandably, professional anthropologists find tales of ancient giants amusing, but nothing more. Physical evidence may nonetheless exist to demonstrate that an oversized race of men did indeed dominate parts of prehistoric South America.

Giant Royal Incas-Mummies Nine Feet Tall-photos

Second mummified head of a giant man richly decorated in gold headgear and body covering. Right: Interior view of the private museum revealing an array of golden artifacts.

Giant mummified head of an Inca King. Notice shadow of individual on the right of the glass case for perspective.

The actual mummified head of the crowned king in the photograph is almost twice as large as my own and I wear the largest hat of anyone in my acquaintance. When we were invited to the private gold museum to begin with I was expected to be dazzled by gold. However, it dawned on me the minute I walked through the door that the size of the head, and indeed his whole body, was the unique feature of this king. The gold was impressive, but the size of the man was something more impressive than gold.

The golden tunic that hung on the wall was made of spun gold. This was the first time in my life I had seen gold woven into a fabric for clothing. The tunic was over eight feet tall and tailored in such a way as to suggest that it was not intended to drag on the floor behind a king, but rather to hang straight down to the floor and no further. That made the tunic itself a measuring device for the original height of the giant king. It was shocking to imagine a man who could first wear this tunic without looking like a small child playing with his mother's clothing and secondly it was shocking to imagine the shear weight of the garment. The golden necklace at the foot of the tunic would have hung to the floor around the neck of anyone I know. The golden shoulder shield in the photograph was almost twice the size of shoulder pads used by professional football players.There was also a set of golden gloves whose hands and fingers extended from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger about twelve to fourteen inches. I couldn't tell exactly because they were kept behind security glass.

Nine-and-a-half feet tall is large for a human mummy, especially when it is found among today's diminutive Peruvians, whose average stature is just five feet. Understandably, professional anthropologists find tales of ancient giants amusing, but nothing more. Physical evidence may nonetheless exist to demonstrate that an oversized race of men did indeed dominate parts of prehistoric South America.

Quetzal, Sacred Bird of the Maya

Sacred to ancient Mesoamerican people, gorgeously plumed quetzals live in the mountains of Central America.

Quetzal Profile
The resplendent quetzal is an aptly named bird that many consider among the world's most beautiful. These vibrantly colored animals live in the mountainous, tropical forests of Central America where they eat fruit, insects, lizards, and other small creatures.During mating season, male quetzals grow twin tail feathers that form an amazing train up to three feet (one meter) long. Females do not have long trains, but they do share the brilliant blue, green, and red coloring of their mates. Male colors tend to be more vibrant.Resplendent quetzal pairs use their powerful beaks to hollow hole nests in rotted trees or stumps. Inside, they take turns incubating two or three eggs—though males have such long tails that they sometimes stick outside the nest.Young quetzals can fly at about three weeks of age, but males do not begin to grow their long tail plumes for three years.

Hear the Quetzal in the cloud forest.

Quetzal, Sacred Bird of the Maya

Sacred to ancient Mesoamerican people, gorgeously plumed quetzals live in the mountains of Central America.

Quetzal Profile
The resplendent quetzal is an aptly named bird that many consider among the world's most beautiful. These vibrantly colored animals live in the mountainous, tropical forests of Central America where they eat fruit, insects, lizards, and other small creatures.During mating season, male quetzals grow twin tail feathers that form an amazing train up to three feet (one meter) long. Females do not have long trains, but they do share the brilliant blue, green, and red coloring of their mates. Male colors tend to be more vibrant.Resplendent quetzal pairs use their powerful beaks to hollow hole nests in rotted trees or stumps. Inside, they take turns incubating two or three eggs—though males have such long tails that they sometimes stick outside the nest.Young quetzals can fly at about three weeks of age, but males do not begin to grow their long tail plumes for three years.

Hear the Quetzal in the cloud forest.

Genghis Kahn:Treasures of Inner Mongolia-photos

WHO WAS GENGHIS KHAN?
Genghis Khan was born in the early 1160's (it has been argued between 1162 and 1167, but recently agreement has been made for 1167), the son of the Kiyat-Borjigid chieftain Yisugei. He was named Temujen because, at the time of his birth, his father had captured a Tatar chieftain of the same name. Legend says that the newborn Temujen had a bloodclot in the palm of his hand, an omen that he was destined to be a hero.
When Temujen was a boy, his father was poisoned by a group of Tatars, and the Kiyat tribe broke up and scattered, abandoning their chief's family and leaving Temujen's mother, Ho'elun, to raise her children alone. Accounts of Temujen glorify him as intelligent, brave, and an adept fighter, even from an early age, and as such a potential threat to the leaders of other tribes of the steppe. As a young man, despite extreme hardships, he repeatedly met perils and endured crises through force of character and willpower.
In 1189, after he was elected the new leader of the Kiyat, he embarked on a series of military campaigns to unify the peoples of the steppe. In 1206, after a series of skilful victories, Temujen was acknowledged as supreme leader of the steppe at a khuriltai, a traditional meeting of tribal leaders to decide upon the future military and state matters. He was given the title of Genghis Khan meaning "emperor of all emperors" or "oceanic ruler". Genghis Khan's campaigns and those of his descendants led to the creation of an immense empire that stretched from Hungary to Korea.
According to legend, Genghis Khan passed through the Ordos area during his final battle campaign and was so taken with the beautiful grasslands that he dropped his horsewhip. When attendants went to fetch it, Genghis told them to let it be and expressed a desire to be buried in the Ordos grasslands. The attendants buried the horsewhip on the spot and erected a ceremonial stone mount over it. Since the early Qing dynasty (1614-1911), there has been a shrine to Genghis Khan's memory located at the site where this event is purported to have occurred.

GENGHIS KHAN: TREASURES OF INNER MONGOLIA was produced by the People's Republic of China, in association with The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. TELUS, Canadian Airlines International, ITV and The Edmonton Journal joined with The Provincial Museum in giving visitors a glimpse of life on the steppes of Inner Mongolia.