JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK (NARRATOR): Hello, and welcome to the Art of the Ancient Americas galleries. Here you’ll see objects from across North, Central, and South America, representing 6,000 years of incredibly diverse cultural, artistic, and technological innovation.

BEN ALBERTI: These worlds from the past were very different from our contemporary world. We have no language to really explain how they perceived the world. So, we should practice humility in the face of things from the past… Not to assume that we are going to be able to understand what we have in front of us right away, to hold on to the parts of it that are really very different from our own ways of doing things.

JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK: Hear from scholars and artists who will share new interpretations, dispel myths, and give deeper insight into the rich, complex cultures of the ancient Americas. Each object tells a story, offers a new perspective.

DAVID CARBALLO: Native peoples of the Americas were interconnected. They traveled great distances; they were not static and sequestered in their respective regions. They were forging networks and continually moving and evolving the landscape.

DIANA MAGALONI: The meanings of colors or the meaning of the image is not only created by the forms, but it's also created by the way the pigments are chosen, processed, and applied.

JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK: I’m José María Yazpik, an actor and advocate for cultural heritage. Join me as we explore the enduring legacies of the arts of the ancient Americas.

This Audio Guide is sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies.