Ancient Americas
Ancient Americas
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Ancient Life on the Great Plains
The Great Plains are well-known for their indigenous traditions but also have a rich history that spans over ten thousand years. Contrary to what some people think, the plains were not a backwater but a rich and flourishing area with a diverse array of cultures that drew in outside influence and people and interacted with their neighbors. Join us as we explore the pre-columbian history of the Great Plains. A big thanks to my patrons for
Chapters:
Introduction: 0:00
Paleoindians on the Plains: 5:42
Archaic Plains Period: 14:43
Plains Woodland: 24:14
Plains Village Period: 32:58
Conclusion: 50:22
Patreon: www.patreon.com/ancientamericas
Facebook: AncientAmericas ​
Sources and Bibliography: docs.google.com/document/d/1oqJ7TMCOuGtk-NTIq9WnqS0oumZ76LTbsEoD4jsnhIA/edit?usp=sharing
Mentioned Videos:
Food That Time Forgot: Pemmican, The Ultimate Survival Food: ua-cam.com/video/AYDuOKI8maQ/v-deo.htmlsi=2ACN83gb64F-xvME
The Crow Creek Massacre Archaeological Site: ua-cam.com/video/W1wMos2Pu_w/v-deo.htmlsi=zW5YkGnoq6pQvP0u
The Terrifying Collapse of the Plains American Indians: ua-cam.com/video/2qxvePKBjP4/v-deo.htmlsi=-1D4AABT3aJ2u97n
They Were Just in the Way | Indian Removal: ua-cam.com/video/A5P6vJs1jmY/v-deo.htmlsi=EEvPP3xv5f0UHxSd
Переглядів: 131 541

Відео

Bison, People, and Plains
Переглядів 191 тис.Місяць тому
Bison are icons of North American wildlife and have always played an important role to the survival of people on the Great Plains. Indigenous people in North America hunted and exploited bison in many incredible ways but also revered and respected these animals. They knew that when the bison thrived, so did they. In this episode, we will discuss the pre-colonial relationship between bison and h...
The Muisca: Legends of Gold
Переглядів 70 тис.3 місяці тому
The Muisca are one of Colombia's most famous cultures because of their connection to gold and the legend of El Dorado. But the Muisca were far more complex than goldsmiths and created a flourishing culture. Discover this culture and it's conquest in this video. Patreon: www.patreon.com/ancientamericas Facebook: AncientAmericas ​ Sources and Bibliography: docs.google.com/document/d/...
The Settlement of the Americas: New Discoveries
Переглядів 345 тис.4 місяці тому
The arrival of humans into North and South America is an incredible event that scientists have been trying to illuminate for centuries. Recent discoveries have completely changed our understanding of this topic but have raised more questions. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Disclaimers 02:17 Siberian Origins 10:54 Migration into America 13:43 Possible Means of Arrival 20:27 Problems with Mig...
The Ancient History of Chocolate
Переглядів 204 тис.6 місяців тому
Chocolate has an incredible story from the cacao tree to the chocolate that we love today. Discover chocolate’s long lost Mesoamerican history from its South American origins to its cultivation and rise in Mesoamerica. Thumbnail image by kamazotz, www.deviantart.com/kamazotz/art/7th-century-chocolate-pourer-763520267 Watch Atlas Altera's video here: ua-cam.com/video/EQMcp-BwbBU/v-deo.html Chapt...
The History of Maya Cities: Part II
Переглядів 64 тис.7 місяців тому
The late classic is widely considered the epitome of Maya culture and the history of this period is no less exciting. It was a time full of rises and falls, great kings and kings and conquests and betrayals. Patreon: www.patreon.com/ancientamericas Facebook: AncientAmericas ​ Sources and Bibliography: docs.google.com/document/d/1ZsKq318unOt8yLJGClarTDy0AQd4wDbrBMBBIfqXkZw/edit?usp=...
The Khipu (knot what you think...)
Переглядів 166 тис.9 місяців тому
The khipu (quipu) was an indigenous recording device made from knotted cords that were used for many different purposes for centuries. The history of khipus is a fascinating journey through thousands of years of sophistication and refinement. Join us to find out how khipus were used by the Wari and Inca to manage their empires. Patreon: www.patreon.com/ancientamericas Facebook: Anc...
Peru Bound!
Переглядів 8 тис.10 місяців тому
It's official, we are traveling to Peru in 2024. Join me and fellow viewers for an incredible week of travel and see some incredible ancient sites! Registration opens on August 18 for patrons and channel members and on August 21 for regular viewers. Trip details: trovatrip.com/trip/south-america/peru/peru-with-ancient-americas-may-2024-1 Patreon: www.patreon.com/ancientamericas
Chaco Canyon and the Chaco Phenomenon
Переглядів 758 тис.10 місяців тому
Chaco Canyon has excited and baffled archaeologists for over a century. What makes one of the most famous and studied archaeological sites so enigmatic? Find out what made the Chaco Phenomenon such a unique moment in ancient history. AA Trip survey link: my.trovatrip.com/public/l/survey/theancientamericaschannel Geography: 1:45 Early History: 3:10 Great Houses: 6:03 Economy: 18:39 Outliers: 24:...
The History of Maya Cities: Part 1
Переглядів 105 тис.Рік тому
The lowland Maya left us hundreds of written inscriptions that recount the history of their cities, their kings and their wars. Let's explore this history in the first of three episodes. Patreon: www.patreon.com/ancientamericas Facebook: AncientAmericas ​ Sources and Bibliography: docs.google.com/document/d/17_B1ZsOs2gv9AlaWvsCcrTNYJrim_ecuhivTT2e-sM8/edit?usp=sharing Chapters: Int...
Life in the Classic Maya Period: Majesty and Beauty
Переглядів 130 тис.Рік тому
The Maya Classic period is widely considered the golden age of the ancient Maya and saw incredible achievements in art, architecture and science. Let’s explore what made this time period so brilliant and why the classic period continues to fascinate the scholars and public today. Intro: 0:01 Disclaimers: 1:22 Political Introduction: 3:28 City Organization: 5:03 Maya Kings and Queens: 8:12 Maya ...
100K Q&A: Better Late Than Never
Переглядів 23 тис.Рік тому
I recently took questions over on my Patreon and answered them all (to varying degrees of success) for your viewing pleasure! Thank you to all my subscribers for helping me reach this mark! Chapters: Intro - 00:00 Question 1: Settlement of the Americas - 1:11 Question 2: Polynesian-American contact - 5:00 Question 3: Old Man Yells at Kids These Days - 7:02 Question 4: Pre-Columbian agriculture ...
The Evolution of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Abundance, Prosperity & Complexity
Переглядів 538 тис.Рік тому
Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring today's video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: ow.ly/pP2s50Mf3eb NOTE: The map of the Northwest coast in this episode is not aligned to North but East. This was done to allow a more detailed map. Apologies for any confusion it may cause. The lush coast Pacific Northwest is home to some of North America’s most well-known nations who are renowned ...
Nazca Culture: Reading Between the Lines
Переглядів 127 тис.Рік тому
Nazca Culture: Reading Between the Lines
The Trouble with Toltecs
Переглядів 513 тис.Рік тому
The Trouble with Toltecs
Dorset Culture and the Arctic Odyssey
Переглядів 178 тис.Рік тому
Dorset Culture and the Arctic Odyssey
The Incredible Journey of Moncacht Apé Across North America
Переглядів 454 тис.Рік тому
The Incredible Journey of Moncacht Apé Across North America
The Settlement of the Caribbean (A Part of Project Exploration)
Переглядів 151 тис.Рік тому
The Settlement of the Caribbean (A Part of Project Exploration)
Potatoes: South America's Gift to the World
Переглядів 262 тис.2 роки тому
Potatoes: South America's Gift to the World
The Tarascan/Purépecha Empire: The Forgotten Empire of Mexico
Переглядів 952 тис.2 роки тому
The Tarascan/Purépecha Empire: The Forgotten Empire of Mexico
Moche Culture
Переглядів 169 тис.2 роки тому
Moche Culture
Cahokia: Mississippian Metropolis
Переглядів 1,9 млн2 роки тому
Cahokia: Mississippian Metropolis
Nezahualcoyotl: Texcoco’s Warrior Poet, Philosopher and King
Переглядів 201 тис.2 роки тому
Nezahualcoyotl: Texcoco’s Warrior Poet, Philosopher and King
The Rise of the Maya: Preclassic Brilliance
Переглядів 178 тис.2 роки тому
The Rise of the Maya: Preclassic Brilliance
Marajoara Culture: How to thrive in the Amazon
Переглядів 233 тис.2 роки тому
Marajoara Culture: How to thrive in the Amazon
The Hohokam: Triumph in the Desert
Переглядів 299 тис.2 роки тому
The Hohokam: Triumph in the Desert
Teotihuacan: Where One Becomes a God
Переглядів 633 тис.3 роки тому
Teotihuacan: Where One Becomes a God
Old Copper Culture: North America's Forgotten Metal Workers
Переглядів 866 тис.3 роки тому
Old Copper Culture: North America's Forgotten Metal Workers
Tiwanaku Part 2: The Empire?
Переглядів 100 тис.3 роки тому
Tiwanaku Part 2: The Empire?
Tiwanaku Part 1: The City
Переглядів 184 тис.3 роки тому
Tiwanaku Part 1: The City

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @Rhysling2
    @Rhysling2 18 годин тому

    Brilliant documentary - thank you - but WAY too many ads during the show, Others less gifted have figured out the money better. Want to watch more, but please not tis way.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 18 годин тому

      Thank you! Unfortunately, UA-cam has made mid-roll ads and all or nothing deal to my dismay and I can't control how many there are.

  • @timmorris171
    @timmorris171 20 годин тому

    Marinated and grilled to a medium rare. DELICIOUS.

  • @donaldnixon919
    @donaldnixon919 День тому

    The Mayans did not construct the Civilization at all... Its not true. The pyramids and Civilization was constructed with the same Mathematical and Astrological ComputTions found in Egypt/ kemet. 99% of the ststues are ststues of Black people. MAYANS DID NOT HAVE BEARDS, BRAIDS ETC

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 19 годин тому

      Which mathematics? Is there a formula? I'd love to read up on it.

  • @michaelrudolph7003
    @michaelrudolph7003 День тому

    I love how if an outside group destroys something of historical significance even in the distant past, they're idiots, but internal war, slavery, murder, rape, erasure of all evidence of some group of people and whatever amazing artifacts or structures they would have put up, the response is to never mention it. Seems like the worst kind of mindless idiocy I can imagine. And then if it's destroyed by archaeology and recorded (somewhere) and the artifacts all stored in boxes never to be seen again, that's the epitome of morality!! You've just got it all figured out don't you? Disgusting and insane.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas День тому

      My dude, the older I get, the less I have it all figured out. I am always learning. Wanting to preserve monuments of the ancient past is not an endorsement of everything that happened in the ancient past. You are 100% correct that there was a lot of violence but that doesn't mean that these structures and artifacts should be destroyed. (If future generations took that approach, I imagine they could find many reasons to bulldoze the monuments of the present day, and I really hope they don't.) For the local people, this is their heritage and their past and it has enormous cultural value to them and it's a loss to their communities when those areas are looted or destroyed and artifacts smuggled out to be sold on the black market. I imagine if the Chinese came to the US and bulldozed the US capitol, looted it and put it all in a museum back in China, we'd be rightfully pissed. Those criticisms of archaeology are valid but not the norm of the field. Archaeology has unfortunately been very destructive in the past. (Google Heinrich Schliemann for some depressing reading.) It's also resulted in a lot of artifacts being taken out of their countries of origins and shipped to museums abroad or being completely lost and that's terrible. That said, archaeologists these days do their best not to damage sites but some do, unintentionally or otherise but that usually brings a lot of criticism and in some cases, criminal charges. Also, artifacts that are recovered now almost always stay in their nation of origin. It's not perfect, but its getting better. When done properly, archaeology teaches us about our past, the good, the bad and the ugly and helps us to understand and celebrate that past. It gives ancient people a voice that we can heed in our own time.

  • @ismaelarvaixa4771
    @ismaelarvaixa4771 День тому

    Michoacános are hard I always knew that

  • @donaldnixon919
    @donaldnixon919 День тому

    Mayans did not construct the Civilizations in South America. The Olmecs did Thousands of years before Mayans.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas День тому

      The Maya didn't do much in South America. They were in North America.

  • @kevincage1641
    @kevincage1641 День тому

    Tolteca are Giants

  • @henrysanchez7977
    @henrysanchez7977 День тому

    A new ken burns, read Comanche Moon for a less candy coated telling.

  • @OgOssman
    @OgOssman День тому

    The greedy settlers didn't want people to know that there were already people in North america. It was easier to steal land that way.

  • @damiensamora6470
    @damiensamora6470 День тому

    I think the llano estacado region is super interesting and deserves its own video especially the theory’s of how the plains people Coronado wrote about might have bin the southern athabaskans migrating to the south west

  • @stevenfrench7940
    @stevenfrench7940 День тому

    Wanted to say thank you for saying Kiowa right

  • @moonbasket
    @moonbasket День тому

    I used to live in a Nebraska and I miss it sometimes. The plains are so beautiful and lovely. I am an Appalachian mountain man in my soul, but I understand the call of the wide blue skies of the plains.

  • @berniekatzroy
    @berniekatzroy День тому

    Cahokia jazz

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas День тому

      And now they're in Utah, where there is no jazz...

    • @berniekatzroy
      @berniekatzroy День тому

      @@AncientAmericas have you read Cahokia Jazz, it's an interesting alternate history novel.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas День тому

      @@berniekatzroy I have not. When is it set?

    • @berniekatzroy
      @berniekatzroy День тому

      @@AncientAmericas some what modern times, I'd give it a read and maybe do a video on it for the fans.

  • @learningwithlowell
    @learningwithlowell День тому

    Fascinating watch, and well researched. It surprises me how interconnected people were in the Americas.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas День тому

      Thank you! There are other really interesting instances of continent-spanning trade and communication.

    • @learningwithlowell
      @learningwithlowell День тому

      @@AncientAmericas I honestly look forward to everything you put out :) Keep up the great work!

  • @jarkokuklovsky9239
    @jarkokuklovsky9239 День тому

    Aveni is liar! He lies trouthout his academic? life!

  • @jarkokuklovsky9239
    @jarkokuklovsky9239 День тому

    Nazca lines are clearly depicting the transfer time from 4th Age of the Sun to pur current 5th Age of Sun, cca 3113 BCE started our 5th Age of Sun! Nazca lines confirms it on the Monkey carving with 4 and 5 fingers and plus 6 toes, and the 8 coils of the tail!!!

  • @frankmonagas6217
    @frankmonagas6217 День тому

    Clovis people first findings Re in the Delaware region, Clovis spear point technology are found in 2 regions Europe and the Americas,, not found in Asia.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas День тому

      Yup! There's no known examples of clovis in Asia and the earliest Clovis dates are in the Eastern US.

  • @Fizzler99
    @Fizzler99 День тому

    I’ve never heard of this place before in my life

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas День тому

      It's an incredible place! Highly recommend visiting it if you ever pass through St. Louis.

  • @michalkuzniar8076
    @michalkuzniar8076 2 дні тому

    Very good content

  • @bonefetcherbrimley7740
    @bonefetcherbrimley7740 2 дні тому

    This channel is awesome, its on the same level of L.A. Beast for me. Learning about history is great!

  • @hamerWithoutAmaster
    @hamerWithoutAmaster 2 дні тому

    Would you consider doing a culture from East Coast Canada / Northeast US. and or Tlaxaca

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      I would definitely like to get to those areas sometime.

  • @AncientPottery
    @AncientPottery 2 дні тому

    Buffalo, buffalo buffalo. There, I said it and I'm not sorry.

  • @JKTCGMV13
    @JKTCGMV13 2 дні тому

    It’s amazing/sad that people of North America were able to kill massive amounts of bison in a single event, yet the populations remained numerous and healthy. But as soon as white people arrived they nearly vanished. At a surface level, jumps sound like they would quickly destroy a population, yet they didn’t. Just goes to show how in tune with nature these hunters were.

  • @buds8423
    @buds8423 2 дні тому

    Your geographic points are a bit off…

  • @danieldeanmasterfinisher4715

    Hmmm… . 🤔 wonder what the ancient native Americans thought or did about tornadoes , was there a word for tornadoes in their language? 🌪️

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      Very good question and I have no clue. That's probably a better question for a plains indian descedant.

  • @jarkokuklovsky9239
    @jarkokuklovsky9239 2 дні тому

    Idiot, how got tobacco into egyptiam mummies? So, how can you discover molten chocolate???

  • @jarkokuklovsky9239
    @jarkokuklovsky9239 2 дні тому

    4 Ahau 8 Cumku and number 48 and in reverse, 84, tied to ASTRONOMY!!!!

  • @jarkokuklovsky9239
    @jarkokuklovsky9239 2 дні тому

    Jaguar Sun full of Sunspots marking the Sun Ages, so does the Jabuar " Olmec" people...

  • @jarkokuklovsky9239
    @jarkokuklovsky9239 2 дні тому

    The giants, the so called " Ulmeca/ Olmecs" were Jaguar people with FIERY EYEBROWS ( Fiery eyes) , therefore as Yama people of the God of the Death and Black hole...They ruled the 3rd Age of Sun...The Black hole was clearly depicted by these Jaguar people, the false nicked " Olmecs" due kauchuk rubber balls for tchachtli ball game where the Sun= ball went trough the " ring"= black hole! 4th sun age run the Chanes= Serpent people, known as " Maya", as the red race after black " Ulmeca"..Now, white colonists from Europe are there in 5th Age of Sun! And after them, the yellow race will be the new colonists there in " golden age" or 1st sun age, see Codex Zouche-Nuttall,page 36- nonfirming it!!!

  • @jeffreyboyd4719
    @jeffreyboyd4719 2 дні тому

    My geography professor taught that the ancient plains Indians used fire to expand the grasslands to increase bison herds.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      That is correct! If you watched the previous bison episode, we discuss how fire regimes were used to increasing grazing area for bison.

    • @jeffreyboyd4719
      @jeffreyboyd4719 2 дні тому

      @@AncientAmericas I haven't seen it but I'll watch it.

  • @CraigStCyrPlus
    @CraigStCyrPlus 2 дні тому

    The Rapper Hoe tribe were always a problem. Lots of noise complaints.

  • @comentedonakeyboard
    @comentedonakeyboard 2 дні тому

    So there are not UFO related sites in Roswell.

  • @joshbertrand5929
    @joshbertrand5929 2 дні тому

    You can add Triquet Island in British Columbia Canada at 14,000 years old as an additional point of data toward the coastal inhabitation during the glacier retreat.

  • @joshbertrand5929
    @joshbertrand5929 2 дні тому

    Triquet Island in British Columbia, Canada. Inhabited 14,000 years ago. Fits the retreat of the ice caps, but along the coast.

  • @steambub
    @steambub 2 дні тому

    Any chance of a video on Mississippi river trade?

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      I'd like to do an episode someday on trade across the americas. I'm sure the Mississippi would come up in that episode.

  • @stevecall5744
    @stevecall5744 2 дні тому

    Glaciers covered most of northern North America. Were there no glaciers covering Siberia or Beringia? Curious.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      Beringia was never covered by glaciers during the LGM. You can find maps online that show the extent of the glaciers and they'll show a (mostly) ice free Beringia.

  • @plnbdy
    @plnbdy 2 дні тому

    Chaco was a slaving culture.... cannibalism....

  • @JKTCGMV13
    @JKTCGMV13 2 дні тому

    I just completed a tour of a buffalo jump. I’m glad I watched this video before I visited so I was able to appreciate it better. The Vore Buffalo Jump specifically, which is the only known sinkhole to be used in a jump

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      Funny enough, one of the bone pits shown in my previous Bison episode is from that very jump.

    • @JKTCGMV13
      @JKTCGMV13 2 дні тому

      @@AncientAmericas it’s an excellently preserved site

  • @haroldpetri1495
    @haroldpetri1495 2 дні тому

    Hey buddy i noticed you made no interest in adding the dogs and horses in the food categories and the early paleo indian period.... hmmm

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      You are correct but there's a lot of other animals I didn't mention either.

  • @marksadventures3889
    @marksadventures3889 2 дні тому

    Stopped at 07:45 there IS evidence now going back to 35,000 years of Polynesian people in Central and South America- in the Badlands evidence is also found of humans slightly later but way before 20,000 years ago. I know it is hard keeping up with dates and new information as I've had the same issue regarding a video I was about to out. After further investigation I found the document I was referring to was under investigation by the British Library. I will not be able to complete the documentary until I have all the facts, for or against. 2 months works screwed.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      If you don't mind me asking, what sites have those dates? What documents at the British library are you referring to?

  • @Megahieron
    @Megahieron 2 дні тому

    There is enough evidence that people also arrived by boats from different areas.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      Yeah, lots of people probably did arrive by boats.

  • @monsieurdorgat6864
    @monsieurdorgat6864 2 дні тому

    An excellent resource, as always. So much of indigenous American history is a tragedy, so it's so interesting and refreshing to learn about pre-colonial American history! It's insane that we know so little about this because the oral history was demolished along with the people, and now we have to go hard on archeological techniques when in the past you probably could rely on oral history.

  • @holdingpattern245
    @holdingpattern245 3 дні тому

    What I find most interesting about the Great Plains is that it had a shared language that was used for diplomatic and commercial purposes, similar to English in the current world, and it was a sign language.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      Plains sign language. That's a very fascinating topic in its own right.

  • @mrbaab5932
    @mrbaab5932 3 дні тому

    Clovis first?

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      Nope, there's much earlier occupation elsewhere in North and south america. To date, no one has found a human pre-clovis site in the Great plains.

  • @evershumor1302
    @evershumor1302 3 дні тому

    30:40 how is that a bow? I don't see it. Anyone can explain?

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 3 дні тому

      That's what the original caption said. It does look a bit odd.

    • @evershumor1302
      @evershumor1302 3 дні тому

      @@AncientAmericas is it a special type of bow or how should I see it. Thats what I'm not clear about.

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 2 дні тому

      Check out the book in the bibliography about plains rock art. That's going to be much more helpful.

  • @reubenmiller-rosenfeld8004
    @reubenmiller-rosenfeld8004 3 дні тому

    Wow someday people will argue about whether the blue jean culture was the earliest group to inhabit Mars.

  • @croakingfrog3173
    @croakingfrog3173 3 дні тому

    Stating that the Olmecs were definitely the oldest major civilization in South America seems a bit presumptuous doesn't it, when you consider how little we know about so many of the ruins there?

    • @AncientAmericas
      @AncientAmericas 3 дні тому

      The Olmecs were in Mesoamerica, not South America but new discoveries could always change the narrative about early civilizations in Mesoamerica. Heck, the discovery of the Olmec back in the 60's radically changed our understanding of the origins of Mesoamerican culture and forced a rewriting of the history books.

    • @croakingfrog3173
      @croakingfrog3173 2 дні тому

      @@AncientAmericas Ah yes, later I realized you had said Meso-America, not South America, but by then I was driving and couldn't delete my mistake. Thanks for your info on this fascinating topic!

  • @daneTHEgray
    @daneTHEgray 3 дні тому

    So good! thanks for making it accessible

  • @dawnlandspodcast8217
    @dawnlandspodcast8217 3 дні тому

    22:12 RIP to all the heroes lost to deadly constipation before they figured out fish oil

  • @georgetazberik6834
    @georgetazberik6834 3 дні тому

    Why isn't there an epic movie or series of movies about his life?