The Tribal Eye

Episode 3: Sweat of the Sun

June 10, 1975 • 50 min

Gold has fascinated people in all cultures, representing in their minds perfection and immortality. In the pre-Columbian Indian civilization of Central and South America native craftsmen fashioned gold into the most exquisite expressions of their culture. Few of the beautiful golden artifacts of the Aztecs and Incas are left today. Most of them were melted down by the pillaging Spanish conquistadors. However, some exquisite pre-Columbian art does still exists, and narrator David Attenborough describes how these were used by priests in practical and ritual fashion, including human sacrifice. He explores the Aztec and Inca sites, describing the lives of the people who occupied them and examining those breath-taking treasures that remain.