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The Ancient World on Television                January 3-9, 2005
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All times Eastern

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n.b. official descriptions are provided by the respective
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Happy New Year All!
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Tuesday, January  4
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| Archenemy: The Philistines
Filmed on location in the Holy Land, this hour chronicles the history of the Philistines, the ruthless warriors of the Hebrew Bible's early period. Visits to archaeological digs reveal fascinating artifacts that provide new information about Philistine culture.

8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Unearthing the Lost Empire of the Queen of Sheba
dna
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Wednesday, January 5
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6.00 p.m. |HINT|   The Odyssey of Troy
What is it about the legendary city that more than 3,000 years after its fall, we still try to unravel Troy's mysteries? Scholars attempt to answer the question by researching the Greek poet Homer, possibly one of the greatest poets in Western Europe's history, and his epic tale of love and war, and comparing his text to archaeological sites. 

7.00 p.m. |HINT|  The Sunken City
The ancient Roman City of Ostia was once a vital seaport. Yet it died a slow, painful death. This documentary explores the reasons for its demise and looks at the abandoned wasteland today. 

7.00 p.m. |DTC| Pyramid of Doom: An Ancient Murder Mystery
Excavations at an ancient pyramid in Peru reveal some 70 skeletons grotesquely splayed across a mud plaza in positions of sudden, violent death. An archaeological team reveals a dark side of one of antiquity's most brilliant civilizations.
 
8.00 p.m. |HINT|  The Cities of the Pharaohs
Perhaps no person in the history of mankind has wielded more power than a pharaoh in ancient Egypt. The pharaohs ruled the population with an iron hand and were worshipped as direct descendents of the Sun God. They were considered immortal, capable of subduing the forces of nature and of laying down a challenge to the centuries. A challenge that was taken up and won by the pharaohs' magnificent tombs and the sacred temples erected in honor of the gods. We visit the sanctuaries of Karnak and Luxor and explore the temples, residences, shops, and streets of ancient cities such as Memphis and Thebes.

8.30 p.m. |HINT| Egypt According to Cleopatra
Walk the streets of Alexandria during the time of the Ptolemies along with its citizens as Cleopatra herself serves as virtual tour guide through Egypt during her reign as Queen. From the exotic yet cosmopolitan capital, built by Alexander the Great, to the Sanctuary of Dendera to the magical Isle of Philae, we explore her empire by land and sea. And, we follow Cleopatra as she sets sail for Italy on a visit to Caesar and end our journey within the city walls of Rome, where an Egyptian temple is being erected for Cleopatra's deity protector, Isis.
 
9.00 p.m. |HISTC| Meet the Ancestors - Stonehenge Enigma
In the spring of 2002, a should-be routine excavation began in advance of the building of a new school at Amesbury in Wiltshire, England. By the end of the excavation, the richest Bronze Age burial ever found in Britain had been discovered. The Bronze Age human remains discovered at the site had been buried near the great temple of Stonehenge. Were the remains discovered those of a king of Stonehenge?

11.00 p.m. |HINT| Rome: The Ultimate Empire
Sam Waterston narrates this Emmy Award-winning series that sweeps through 7,000 years of history--from Ancient Mesopotamia to modern-day Tibet--and transports viewers across the ages using dramatic reenactments, location footage from 25 countries, and recent archaeological discoveries to reconstruct the ancient past. In this episode, we explore the glory of Rome--from founding to its zenith--and march along as the Romans conquer the then-known world.
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Thursday, January 6
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7.00 p.m. |HINT|  The Greatest Pharaohs, Part 2
A visit to the newly opened pyramid complex of the Pharaoh Snefru and the ancient burial ground of Abydos.

8.00 p.m. |HINT| Who Wrote the New Testament?
Part 2 investigates the letters of the New Testament, many of which warn the early Christian communities against heretics and their teachings. We examine the letters of the brothers of Jesus, James and Jude, and look at how the Jewish movement in Jerusalem, led by James, eventually clashed with Paul's preachings on Christ. And speaking of Paul, we look at Saul's conversion to Paul, and how his subsequent correspondences with the Mediterranean congregations helped Christianity grow from a seed movement in its homeland into a pullulating global movement.  
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Friday, January 7
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5.00 p.m. |DCIVC|Secrets of Ancient Empires: First Civilizations
dna

6.00 p.m. |HINT|   The Colosseum
Nothing symbolizes the Roman Empire at its height or Rome in magnificent ruins more than the Colosseum. Built in 70 AD, it seated 80,000 people, boasted a retractable roof, underground staging devices, marble seating, and lavish decorations. It still serves as the prototype for the modern stadium. The complexity of its construction, the beauty of its architecture, and the functionality of its design made it the perfect place for massive crowds to congregate for the bloody spectacles it contained.

7.00 p.m. |DTC| The Assassination of King Tut
Did King Tut's gleaming death mask hide an ancient homicide? Dead since 1323 B.C. and hastily mummified, Egypt's boy king lay in an unfinished tomb until its 1922 discovery. Modern forensics sheds light on what caused the blows to the King's skull.

7.00 p.m. |DCIVC| King Arthur
dna

7.00 p.m. |HINT|    Constantine: The Christian Emperor
Portrait of the ruler who overcame civil war and barbarian invasions to bring Rome a long period of peace. Nevertheless, the city of Rome itself was facing disaster. In response, Constantine founded the new Roman capital, Constantinople, and also converted his empire to Christianity. 

8.00 p.m. |DTC| Pyramids Are Everywhere
Travel beyond Egypt to Java, China and Iraq to learn why civilizations around the globe constructed pyramids. Ancient people were striving to be closer to God and the laws of physics required them to start with a broad base as they built upward.

9.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Mysteries of the Sphinx
dna

9.00 p.m. |DTC| Pyramid Builders
Discover the genius of a handful of men responsible for one of man's greatest achievements. Rulers like Egypt's Imhotep, China's Emperor Chin and Mayan ruler Yax K'uk Mo masterminded some of the most ambitious structures in history.

9.00 p.m. |DISCC| Colosseum: A Gladiator's Story
Revealing the true life of a gladiator in all its grit and glory, this spectacular dramatized documentary reveals the truth about the events that took place inside the arena.

10.00 p.m. |DTC| Why Build Pyramids?
Pyramids served many purposes throughout history, from a gateway to heaven for Buddhists to a sacrificial altar for Mayans. Learn how the same structure that guarded Pharaoh's treasures in the afterlife served to honor the gods with human sacrifice.
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Sunday, January 9
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8.00 p.m. |HISTC| The Boy Who Would be King
An adventure packed documentary exploring the extraordinary life and times of the young Prince Charles up to the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. Charles II became known as the 'Merry Monarch.' But was he a sex-obsessed hedonist with no principles, or a brilliant political strategist with a common touch, who saved the British monarchy?

8.00 p.m. |HINT| The Longbow
Medieval weapons expert Mike Loades trains people how to fight authentically with ancient arms and armor. One of Hollywood's foremost historical fight stunt arrangers, in this series, he illustrates the great advances in fighting technology that underpinned British medieval history and goes to the historical record to see how the weapons were really used. In this episode, Mike focuses on the longbow, and especially its use at the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years' War. English King Edward III laid claim to the French crown, and in 1346 sailed with a massive invasion force to France. In his army of 14,000 men were 7,500 archers; and Crecy proved the greatest test of nerve and skill the longbowmen had ever faced when they stood against the full might of the French armored cavalry. And bowyer Chris Boynton makes a reflexed bow like the ones found on Henry VIII's sunken flagship, the Mary Rose. 

9.00 p.m. |HINT| The Roman Conquests
Although Caesar invaded it in 54 BC, Britain wasn't conquered until 43 AD when Claudius established Roman garrisons at Lincoln, York, and Chester. Viewers go inside this savage period in British history and enter the battlefield from an unique perspective--of those who fought and died there. And a bloody period it proved to be for the Romans had not reckoned on the ferocious campaign mounted against the all-powerful Legions under the leadership of the legendary Queen Boudicca.
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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) 2005 David Meadows. Feel free to distribute these
listings via email to your pals, students, teachers, etc., but
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::Sunday, January 02, 2005 10:51:38 AM::
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