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The Ancient World on Television            October 18 - 24, 2004
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All times Eastern

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Monday, October 18
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4.00 p.m. |DCIVC|

6.00 p.m. |HINT| The Holy Grail
Rennes le Château is a small village in the Pyrénées of Southern France. It's a quiet place until tourists arrive hunting its secrets. According to legend, the Knights Templar brought the Holy Grail here for safekeeping. Those who come on pilgrimage think the Grail is very different than history records. Was it proof of marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene? Did it verify their bloodline survived? Permission has been granted to dig in Rennes le Château...and history or legend is about to change.

7.00 p.m. |HINT|  The Holy Grail 
At the Last Supper, Jesus drank from a chalice, passed it to his Disciples, and it then vanished in history's mists. Some evidence suggests a follower collected Christ's blood in the Holy Grail and fled to England. Follow the first communion cup's elusive trail through those who sought it--from King Arthur to Indiana Jones.
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Tuesday, October 19
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| Cain and Abel: A Murder Mystery
Biblical brothers' bonds are broken by murder in Eden in one of the most chilling accounts in the Old Testament. Journey back to the Land of Nod, where the guilt-ridden fugitive was banished, and find out how Cain lived out his days.
 
8.00 p.m. |PBS| Neanderthals on Trial
Are Neanderthals our ancestors? NOVA explores controversial evidence that the genes of these extinct hominids are mixed with our own, on Neanderthals on Trial, airing Tuesday, January 22, 2002 at 8 PM ET on PBS. For all their brutish reputation, Neanderthals were highly-sophisticated survivors in Europe for over 200,000 years — until modern humans arrived from Africa 100,000 years ago. NOVA investigates what may have happened next. [check local listings]

11.00 p.m. |HINT| Pompeii: Buried Alive
Exploration of the archaeological site of the city that was encrusted by incendiary ash when deadly Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Archaeological director Baldasarre Conticello takes viewers on a tour of Pompeii's ruins, and visits Herculaneum, which was destroyed by Vesuvius at the same time. 
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Wednesday, October 20
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| The Forbidden City: Dynasty and Destiny
A look at China's amazing Forbidden City, which was built in the 15th century by over one-million laborers and was the home of 24 emperors. Its 8,000 rooms contain palaces, temples, libraries, theaters, and living quarters for thousands.
 
8.00 p.m. |HINT| Secrets of Archaeology: Greek Cities in Italy
Nearly 2,800 years ago, a group of Greek settlers landed on the coast of Italy, an event that marked the start of the process that created Magna Graecia--(Latin for Greater Greece)--Greek colonization of Southern Italy and Sicily. Explore the computer-recreated streets of the original Greek colonies as we walk through Cumae, Pasteum, Puteoli, and Neapolis, reconstructed using the most advanced computer graphics.  

8.30 p.m. |DCIVC| Ancient Egyptians - Battle of Megiddo
dna

8.00 p.m. |PBS| Quest for the Phoenicians
They are the 'bad boys' in the Bible, and their seafaring skills are legendary. But who exactly were the Phoenicians, what became of them and what was the secret of their success? National Geographic sets out to solve this mystery through the pioneering work of three very different scientists. Armed with a revolutionary ROV, the first robotic deep sea 'archaeologist' capable of deep-water excavation, Dr. Robert Ballard is on the trail of Phoenician shipwrecks. Meanwhile, in a cave at the bottom of the rock of Gibraltar, a Spanish archaeologist is excavating the site where Phoenician sailors stopped to pray before venturing into the open ocean. And from Lebanon to Tunisia, geneticist Dr. Spencer Wells is searching for Phoenicians — in the DNA of their descendants. These stories converge to paint a new portrait of the Phoenicians, their accomplishments and their ultimate defeat by the Romans. [check local listings]

8.30 p.m. |HINT|Secrets of Archaeology: Travels through Greece
By the 2nd century AD, Greece had long been steeped in myth, tradition, and a rich history that made it a major tourist destination even then. In this episode, we travel with a Roman senator as he journeys to artistic and cultural treasures of Greece, including Corinth's welcoming agora (the center of civic activity), the acoustically perfect Theater at Epidaurus, and the famous sporting competitions and chariot races of Olympia, as well as its majestic Temple of Zeus. Experience the cutting edge of archaeological exploration as we explore these celebrated ancient sites and see them as only the original inhabitants could. 
 
9.00 p.m. |DCIVC|Joshua & The Walls of Jericho
dna

9.00 p.m. |HISTC| Mummies: A World Tour
This episode takes the viewer around the world to examine five remarkable mummies finds, including evidence on their weapons, wealth, wardrobes and tombs.

10.00 p.m. |HINT| Time Team: Flag Fen, Cambridgeshire
Flag Fen, a few miles outside of Peterborough, England, is one of the most important European Bronze-Age sites. Large quantities of organic material from the period, including wood and leather, have survived, pickled in the waterlogged fenland peat. The centerpiece is an alignment of posts passing across what would have been a stretch of open water, linking the mainland with Northey Island. Was this an island of the dead, where Bronze-Age people buried and honored their deceased? 

10.00 p.m. |DISCC| Myth Busters: Ancient Death Ray
Jamie and Adam reflect on one of the world’s oldest urban legends -did the Greek scientist Archimedes set fire to a Roman fleet using only mirrors and sunlight?; moving to more modern times, have you ever tried to remove the fetid funk of a skunk?
 
10.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Egypt Uncovered: Chaos and Kings
dna
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Thursday, October 21
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4.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Joshua & The Walls of Jericho
dna

5.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Egypt Uncovered: Chaos and Kings
dna

7.00 p.m. |HINT| The Rise of Christianity: The First 1000 Years
On January 1, 800 AD, Pope Gregory crowned Frankish King Charlemagne, declaring him the new Holy Roman Emperor. A new Christian Europe emerges from the Dark Ages. In the East, there's a renewed effort to convert the world. Though by 1000 AD, all Europe seems united in Christianity, new wars with Islam loom ahead.  

8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| The Roman Empire in North Africa
dna

8.00 p.m. |HINT| The Myths of Nelson's Navy
Lord Horatio Nelson is honored by many as Britain's greatest hero. But for most of the 200 years since his death, the navy he served has been lost in his huge shadow. The popular image of Nelson's navy is one of a floating hell inhabited by half-starved, press-ganged sailors and run by "rum, sodomy, and the lash." Historians now offer a different picture of life afloat--sailors could become gentlemen and make their fortunes and victory could insure a fabulous profit in prize money.
 
9.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Lost City Of Pompeii - Secrets Of The Dead
dna

9.00 p.m. |TLC| True Curse of the Mummy
Unravel the bone-chilling curses surrounding the tombs of ancient Egypt. Separate fact from fiction with modern scientific principles that reveal the deadly truth behind the untimely demise of explorers brave enough to open these burial chambers.

10.00 p.m. |TLC| The Crypt of the Medici
Machiavelli wrote a book about their politics. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo painted their pictures. For 300 years the influential Medicis dominated Florence, and their mausoleum lies in one of Europe's most beautiful churches.
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Friday, October 22
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4.00 p.m. |DCIVC| The Roman Empire in North Africa
dna

7.00 p.m. |HINT|  Hercules: Power of the Gods
Story of how the mighty son of Zeus became one of the most enduring legends of Greek mythology. Includes the saga of the 12 labors of Hercules, which included battles with the awful 9-headed Hydra serpent and the Ceryneian stag with golden horns.

8.00 p.m. |DTC| Napoleon's Obsession: Quest for Egypt
In a plot to conquer Egypt, Napoleon set sail with 17,000 troops, 700 horses and 150 scientists. Though his conquest failed, research of the scientists that accompanied him gave birth to modern archeology and Egyptology.

9.00 p.m. |DTC| Mysteries of Easter Island
Seek answers to the mysteries surrounding one of the most isolated locations on Earth. The massive stones of Easter Island have been linked to ancient Peruvians and extraterrestrials. Delve deep into the speculation surrounding their origin.

9.00 p.m. |HISTU|  Decisive Battles: Herman the German
Teutoburg Forest, 9 AD. According to the Roman historian Dio, Arminius (aka Herman), Chief of the Cherusci, and his father Segemerus, ambushed and wiped out three legions led by Quinctilius Varus. Not a good day to be out in the woods of Germany if you were a Roman. Strung out and unprepared for battle, the Romans were lulled into a false sense of security and led into the middle of a dense forest and ambushed in the heavy rain. The slaughter--which was total--lasted for three days in a mountain range in the northwest of Germany, and left the Emperor Augustus lusting for revenge and return of his legions' eagle standards.

10.00 p.m. |DTC| Vesuvius: Deadly Fury
In 79 AD, eruptions from Mount Vesuvius buried the city of Pompeii. A burning wave of gas shot out from the side of Vesuvius killing the inhabitants of neighboring Herculaneum in just four minutes. Archaeologists look to these bodies for historical clues.
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Saturday, October 23
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3.00 p.m. |DTC| Napoleon's Obsession: Quest for Egypt
In a plot to conquer Egypt, Napoleon set sail with 17,000 troops, 700 horses and 150 scientists. Though his conquest failed, research of the scientists that accompanied him gave birth to modern archeology and Egyptology.

4.00 p.m. |DTC| Mysteries of Easter Island
Seek answers to the mysteries surrounding one of the most isolated locations on Earth. The massive stones of Easter Island have been linked to ancient Peruvians and extraterrestrials. Delve deep into the speculation surrounding their origin.

5.00 p.m. |DTC| Vesuvius: Deadly Fury
In 79 AD, eruptions from Mount Vesuvius buried the city of Pompeii. A burning wave of gas shot out from the side of Vesuvius killing the inhabitants of neighboring Herculaneum in just four minutes. Archaeologists look to these bodies for historical clues.

6.00 p.m. |HINT| Death and the Journey to Immortality
Egyptian civilization was based on the hope of eternal life after death. We explore some of the ancient places that reveal the secrets of the religion and study the sacred tomb hieroglyphs in the Valley of the Kings. At the cemetery of the pyramid builders in Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies in the Bahariyya Oasis, we learn more about Egyptian burial practices and methods. And we speak with Drs. Zahi Hawass and Salima Ikram to unravel the secrets of mummification.

11.00 p.m. |HINT|Foot Soldier: The Barbarians
Profile of the savage fighters who surrounded and then conquered ancient Rome, ushering in the Dark Ages. Hosted by Richard Karn.
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Sunday, October 24
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5.00 p.m. |TLC| The Crypt of the Medici
Machiavelli wrote a book about their politics. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo painted their pictures. For 300 years the influential Medicis dominated Florence, and their mausoleum lies in one of Europe's most beautiful churches.

6.00 p.m. |HISTC| ROME
The final episode brings us to Caesar’s Rome. In the 2nd century AD, Rome is the undisputed centre of a huge empire. A pompous city of marble, here the super-rich elite’s shallow lifestyle contrasts sharply with the life of ordinary Romans, who eke out a barebones existence while paying obscene rents in buildings about to collapse. 

6.00 p.m. |HINT| Pompeii: Buried Alive
Exploration of the archaeological site of the city that was encrusted by incendiary ash when deadly Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Archaeological director Baldasarre Conticello takes viewers on a tour of Pompeii's ruins, and visits Herculaneum, which was destroyed by Vesuvius at the same time.
 
7.00 p.m. |HINT|  Time Team: Flag Fen, Cambridgeshire
Flag Fen, a few miles outside of Peterborough, England, is one of the most important European Bronze-Age sites. Large quantities of organic material from the period, including wood and leather, have survived, pickled in the waterlogged fenland peat. The centerpiece is an alignment of posts passing across what would have been a stretch of open water, linking the mainland with Northey Island. Was this an island of the dead, where Bronze-Age people buried and honored their deceased?

9.00 p.m. |HINT| Line of Fire: Genghis Khan
The story of the "Universal Ruler"--the man who succeeded his chieftain father at age 13 and had to struggle to overcome hostile tribes. Who then could have predicted the glories to come? His military victories included the conquest of China and lands stretching from the Black Sea to the Pacific. A remarkable administrator and ruler, Genghis Khan's system of "khanites"--the mean by which he ruled conquered countries--lasted for more than 400 years after his death.

11.00 p.m. |HISTU| Decisive Battles: Herman the German
Teutoburg Forest, 9 AD. According to the Roman historian Dio, Arminius (aka Herman), Chief of the Cherusci, and his father Segemerus, ambushed and wiped out three legions led by Quinctilius Varus. Not a good day to be out in the woods of Germany if you were a Roman. Strung out and unprepared for battle, the Romans were lulled into a false sense of security and led into the middle of a dense forest and ambushed in the heavy rain. The slaughter--which was total--lasted for three days in a mountain range in the northwest of Germany, and left the Emperor Augustus lusting for revenge and return of his legions' eagle standards.
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                        Channel Guide

A&E     The Arts and Entertainment Channel (cable)
DTC     Discovery Times Channel (U.S. Cable)*
DCIVC   Discovery Civilization (Canadian Cable)
DISCC   Discovery Channel (Canadian Cable)
DISCU   Discovery Channel (U.S. Cable)
HINT    History International (U.S. Cable)
HISTU   The History Channel (U.S. Cable)
HISTC   History Television (Canadian Cable)
NGU     National Geographic Channel (U.S. Cable)*
PBS     Public Broadcasting System (U.S. National Schedule)
TLC     The Learning Channel (cable)

*n.b. Canadian versions of these two channels have recently
been made available although the Canadian versions don't seem
to be making their schedules available yet. For what it's worth,
the Canadian version does seem to 'match up' in regards to
ancient programming most of the time.
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Copyright (c) 2004 David Meadows. Feel free to distribute these
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::Sunday, October 17, 2004 9:33:41 AM::