LIMITED TIME ONLY
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LIMITED TIME ONLY ☆
THE REAL HISTORY OF THE CLASSIC CITIES
Separate the FACT from the FICTION
A 6-Week Live Interactive Journey That Transforms Your Understanding of Ancient Mesoamerica From Disconnected Facts Into a Fascinating Complete Picture
After two decades of teaching ancient history at the college level, I've learned that the most fascinating stories are often hidden beneath the surface. Now, I want to share them with you.
Secure Checkout – Only 40 spots available
Dear Friend,
If you’ve wondered what actually happened after Teotihuacan—and why Mesoamerica became a world of many centers rather than a single successor…
If you’ve seen the Classic Maya described through wars and kings alone, without being shown the art, writing, and cultural traditions that shaped daily life and identity…
If you’ve encountered places like Cholula, Xochicalco, or El Tajín as isolated curiosities, rather than as vibrant cities connected by shared ideas, rivalries, and styles…
And if you want to explore how power, culture, belief, and everyday life interacted in a multipolar Mesoamerica—with enough guidance to see how the pieces fit together, and enough freedom to enjoy the journey…
Then this course will be one of the most rewarding historical journeys you’ll take this year.
Here’s the problem…
Most people meet Late Classic Mesoamerica as a series of impressive but disconnected highlights.
A famous Maya city here.
A dramatic mural there.
A collapse somewhere toward the end.
And while those stories can be exciting, they rarely give you the feeling that you actually understand the world these people lived in.
Over the years—both in the classroom and through World of Antiquity—I’ve seen how often students and viewers are left wanting more than names, dates, and big events. They want to know how different cities related to one another, why styles change from place to place, how beliefs shaped daily life, and what it felt like to live in ancient Mesoamerica.
Most courses never quite get there.
They rush from peak to collapse, or from site to site, without slowing down to explore the connections that make this period so fascinating: rival cities watching one another, artists developing distinct visual languages, rulers competing not just through warfare but through architecture, ritual, and memory.
That’s also where misconceptions creep in.
When the story feels thin or incomplete, it’s easy for mystery to step in—sudden collapses, inexplicable violence, or cultures treated as unknowable rather than understandable. I’ve spent much of my career working directly with the archaeological and historical evidence, and I know how much richer the story becomes when we take the time to explore it carefully.
Drawing on archaeology, art, architecture, writing, and landscape, I will guide you through a vibrant, competitive, and creative world, one where multiple societies were experimenting with different ways of living, ruling, worshipping, and expressing who they were.
The goal is to let you enjoy it with your bearings intact—so the excitement comes from understanding how the pieces fit together.
The Solution: A World Explored in Full
That’s why I created…
Classic Mesoamerica: Sacred Worlds in Conflict
This six-week, live course is designed to:
Connect cities, regions, and traditions into a single historical landscape, rather than isolated case studies
Show how power and culture work together, through art, writing, ritual, warfare, and everyday practice
Reveal how different societies solved the same problems in different ways, without a single empire or script
Equip you with the historian’s toolkit to evaluate bold claims, dramatic stories, and oversimplified timelines
When you understand the how, this world opens up:
Maya cities stop blending together and begin to feel distinct in character, style, and ambition.
Warfare becomes legible as strategy and communication.
Art and architecture reveal how identity and rivalry were made visible.
The Terminal Classic reads as historical transformation, not sudden disappearance.
The Epiclassic emerges as a period of experimentation, not a footnote.
And because this is a live course, you can ask questions throughout, following ideas across regions and centuries, and seeing how one choice leads to another.
Why Learn History with Me, David Miano
When you sign up for a course, you’re not just buying information—you’re choosing a guide. Here’s what I bring to the table and how it translates into real value for you:
I’m a scholar and a storyteller.
I earned my Ph.D. in ancient history at UC San Diego and have spent twenty-plus years teaching college students—and another quarter-million viewers—through my YouTube channel World of Antiquity. My job is to turn dense scholarship into vivid, memorable narratives you’ll want to share with friends.
I teach the historian’s toolkit, not just the timeline.
Every session folds in source criticism, dating methods, and evidence-based reasoning. You’ll walk away knowing how we know what we know.
I specialize in cutting through myths.
Whether it’s the Maya prediction of the end of the world, lost super-civilizations, or pyramid-powered energy grids, I’ve built a reputation for evidence-based debunking. I’ll show you exactly how to weigh claims, so you leave armed with lifelong critical-thinking skills.
I keep class sizes small and the dialogue lively.
With a limited class size, I can answer your questions in real time, run breakout debates, and hold optional office hours. You’ll never feel like one face in a webinar crowd.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a passive slide deck, this isn’t it. If you want a guided, interactive deep dive led by someone who lives and breathes ancient history, and who will equip you to separate fact from fiction long after the course ends. I’d love to have you aboard.
People Are Saying This About My Courses
Here's Everything We’ll Discover Together
All for a ONE-Time Payment of $250 ($125 if you’re a returning student)
…And honestly it’s a steal.
If you were to take a college course on this same subject, you'd pay anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 for a single semester. And you still wouldn't get the personal attention or the focus on the "why" that makes this approach so powerful.
Private tutoring with an expert historian would cost you $150-$200 per hour. That's $900-$1,200 for just the live session time we'll spend together, without any of the materials or community support.
Even basic recorded courses without any live interaction typically sell for $500-$700.
But I wanted to make this accessible to genuine history enthusiasts who truly want to understand the deeper story.
Your investment for the complete experience is just $250 ($125 if you're a returning student).
That's about $42 per live session - less than dinner and a movie, but with insights that will transform how you see Egyptian history forever.
IMPORTANT: Registration Closes 14th of March or When All 40 Spots Are Taken
We begin our journey on March 15, and registration closes on March 14 at midnight ET or when all the spots are taken.
Once we reach capacity, I'll have to close registration - even if that happens before the deadline.
I deliberately keep these groups small to ensure everyone gets the personalized attention and interaction that makes this experience so memorable.
If understanding the true WHY behind Ancient Mesoamerica’s greatest achievements matters to you, I encourage you to secure your spot now while seats are still available.
I look forward to guiding you through this fascinating journey.
Secure Checkout – Limited to 40 Spots ONLY
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have taken any of your other courses to understand this?
Not at all. The course is self-contained and designed to be accessible to anyone with a genuine interest in the subject, whether you're just beginning your exploration or have been fascinated by this civilization for years. I ensure everyone has the context they need to fully engage with each session.
What if I can’t attend one of the live sessions?
Don't worry. While live participation provides the best experience, you'll have access to recordings of all sessions. You can submit questions in advance, and I often address these during the live sessions even if you can't be there.
How interactive are the sessions?
Very interactive! Unlike passive learning experiences, these sessions include dedicated Q&A time, group discussions, and opportunities to engage directly with both me and your fellow participants. I limit each cohort to 40 people specifically to ensure everyone has a chance to participate. But you aren’t required to!
Is this like a college course? Will it be too academic?
While I bring academic rigor to the material, this is not a typical college course. I focus on making the content engaging, meaningful, and accessible. There are no tests or papers - just the joy of discovery and understanding. My teaching style emphasizes storytelling and connections rather than dry facts and dates.
What’s the time commitment beyond the live sessions?
The core commitment is the weekly 90-minute session. The supplementary materials are entirely optional - they're provided as resources for those who wish to deepen their understanding further, but they're not required for meaningful participation.
How is this different from other history courses?
The key difference is our focus on the WHY rather than just the WHAT or HOW. Most courses present disconnected facts or obsess over construction techniques. We explore the underlying motivations, connections, and evolutionary journey that makes sense of everything you've ever learned about the subject.
What if I’ve already taken courses on this subject? Will this be redundant?
Most participants with previous study experience find this course reveals connections and insights they've never encountered before. The "Why Behind the What" approach transforms even familiar material into something new. Previous students often tell me, "I've known these facts for years, but now they finally make sense."
Do you offer a payment plan?
Currently, the workshop is offered as a single payment. This helps keep administrative costs down and allows me to offer the course at a more accessible price point.
What technology do I need to participate?
You'll need a reliable internet connection and a device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) capable of running Zoom. A camera and microphone are recommended for full participation, but not strictly required if you prefer to engage through chat.
A Personal Note
Throughout my career, I've been driven by one simple goal: to understand our ancient past as it really was, not as it's been filtered through centuries of misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
The discoveries I'll share with you have transformed how I see human history.
They've shown me that our ancestors were far more sophisticated, connected, and capable than we've been led to believe.
Now, I want to share these insights with you.
Together, we'll explore the evidence I've uncovered and the patterns I've discovered that paint a very different picture of our shared past.
Will you join me on this extraordinary journey?
Best,
David Miano
