Skip to main content
Access to this video is a benefit for members through PBS Passport.

Up Next

Shadows of the Ancients

Shadows of the Ancients

Season 13 Episode 9
26:14
Visiting Ancient Mayo Lands

Visiting Ancient Mayo Lands

Season 13 Episode 10
26:14
Baja Journeys: Volcanoes/Oceans

Baja Journeys: Volcanoes/Oceans

Season 13 Episode 11
26:14
Baja People: Oases/Mountains

Baja People: Oases/Mountains

Season 13 Episode 12
26:14
Baja Boojums: Bizarre Plants

Baja Boojums: Bizarre Plants

Season 13 Episode 13
26:14
The Driest Desert in the World

The Driest Desert in the World

Season 14 Episode 1401
26:14
Ancient Andean Civilizations

Ancient Andean Civilizations

Season 14 Episode 1402
26:14
People and Their Prickly Plants

People and Their Prickly Plants

Season 14 Episode 1403
26:14
The Lost Palm Weavers of Sonora

The Lost Palm Weavers of Sonora

Season 14 Episode 1404
26:14
Monumental Dunes

Monumental Dunes

Season 14 Episode 1405
26:14
Tracks in the Shifting Sand

Tracks in the Shifting Sand

Season 14 Episode 1406
26:14
Sea to Sky: Along an Incan Road

Sea to Sky: Along an Incan Road

Season 14 Episode 1407
26:14
Back to Show
The Desert Speaks

Oaxaca: Footsteps in Tradition

Season 13 Episode 8

The Valle de Tehuacán, in the Mexican state of Puebla, is not only home to the world’s greatest variety of cacti; it is also probably the birthplace of domestic corn. That corn became a staple for people throughout North America, including the civilizations that inhabited nearby Monte Albán. Those civilizations sowed the creative seeds for the Zapotecan culture that still thrives today.