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The Ancient World on Television             February 14-20, 2005
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All times Eastern

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Monday, February 14
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| Mystery Gold of the Black Sea Warriors
Long before Egypt and Babylon left their imprint on history, a remarkable culture crafted a vast treasure trove of exquisite golden objects that dazzles the eye and tantalizes the senses. They were the Thracians. Feared and ruthless warriors, they challenged the might of the Greek and Roman empires. According to Homer, they fought on the side of Troy during the Trojan Wars. They left behind an enduring legacy, epitomized by the renegade slave Spartacus, then disappeared into history's mists.

8.00 p.m. |HINT| Heaven on Earth: Christianity
Christy Kenneally explores the art and architecture of Christianity and visits some of the earliest outposts of Christianity. He begins his journey on Ireland's Island of Inishmurray, where Celtic monks took sanctuary in beehive-shaped stone huts built to survive both the extreme climate and Viking attacks. Some of the other spectacular locations he visits include the monolithic rock-hewn cave churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, Santa Sophia (Hagia Sophia in Greek) in Istanbul, and the spectacular Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona.
 
8.30 p.m. |HINT|   Heaven on Earth: Islam
Presenter Christy Kenneally explores the art and architecture of Islam. He begins his journey in Djenné, Mali, West Africa, where he discovers the largest mud structure in the world--the Djenné Mosque. He continues on to the largest mosque in India, the Jama Masjid Mosque in Dehli. From there, he travels to the Muslim Mosque of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, once a Christian Cathedral. Next, Christy explores the artistic splendor of the Great Mosque of Córdoba, Spain and, finally, the unique and imposing structure that is the New York Mosque.

9.00 p.m. |HISTU| The Holy Grail
For all its fame, the Holy Grail remains shrouded in mystery. What exactly was it? Could it have survived to this day? Why has it inspired so many treasure seekers? To Christians, it is the holiest of objects, the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper, also believed to be the chalice that Joseph of Arimathea used to catch Christ's blood as he died on the cross. Though now thought of as a goblet, the actual word "grail" comes to us from the Latin word gradalis--a flat dish or shallow vessel brought to the table during various courses of a meal. The story itself did not originate until medieval times, when it helped inflame the Crusaders' quest. Host and adventurer Josh Bernstein follows the Grail's trail from Holy Land to medieval French castles to a dark chapter in the Nazi saga, when Hitler financed a search for the Grail to unite a secret society of knights. On the way, Josh learns its true meaning and power.
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Tuesday, February 15
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3.00 p.m. |DISCC| Ancient Clues: Neanderthals
The discovery of a 120,000-year-old skull fragment in a cave in southern France provides scientific proof that Neanderthals engaged in ritual cannibalism.

3.30 p.m. |DISCC| Ancient Clues: The Wounded King
A Mayan king is found to have survived incredible injuries that cannot have been simply battle wounds; fascinating details of the life of Yax KukMo are revealed.

7.00 p.m. |HINT|  Jerusalem: Holy Deadly City
The history of the city that is the spiritual center of three of the world's major religions. Explores the mysteries hidden under the city, far from the view of tourists, and shows what the city was like at the time of the great kings David and Solomon.

8.00 p.m. |DCIVC|Ancient Egyptians - Tomb Robbers
dna

8.00 p.m. |DISCU| The Emperor's Mummy/ Death of a Warrior
In Peru, analysis of skeletons in a burial pit reveals throats that were slit with enough force to nearly decapitate the victims. These deaths were part of an organized ritual. But why did they need to appease their gods with so much blood? 

9.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Quest for the Lost Pharaoh
dna

11.00 p.m. |HINT| Atlantis: The Lost Civilization
Why has the legend of a continent under the sea captivated the imaginations of generations of people that have searched for Atlantis? Did Atlantis really exist, and if so, where? Plato discussed the legend in two of his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, the only known written accounts from ancient sources that refer specifically to Atlantis. Atlantis has been linked to Bimini, the Canary Islands, Santorini, and Troy, among other places. What kind of people were the Atlanteans? According to scholars of Atlantis, they developed a technologically advanced civilization that has yet to be surpassed. Did Atlantis sink to the bottom of the ocean in a day and a night? What catastrophic events may have led to its demise? Or is the tale pure fiction invented by a Plato to illustrate a philosophic argument?  
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Wednesday, February 16
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| Secrets at Delphi
An exploration of the hallowed Greek ground at Delphi, where Zeus's two eagles crossed paths and the Oracle prophesied the fortunes of kings and countries.
 
8.00 p.m. |HINT|  The Road to El Dorado
Discover the gems of the 15th century Incan empire, a domain which covered much of South America. The splendid cities of Cuzco and Chairana and the grandeur of Machu Picchu captivated the imagination and, unfortunately, greed of the Spanish conquistadors. Lifelike virtual construction gives viewers a close look at the massive sacred grounds of the Temple of the Sun at Cuzco, religious and political capital of a world known to generations of European adventurers as El Dorado. 

8.30 p.m. |HINT| The Lost Cities of the Maya
Between the 3rd and 10th centuries AD, the Mayan civilization ruled much of Central America. Travel back to the magnificent Mayan cities of Uxmal, Tulúm, Chichén Itzá, and the capital Palenque, with its breathtaking pyramid built by master mathematicians. Experience the cutting edge of archaeological exploration as we take viewers on a virtual tour of these ancient cities to see them as only their inhabitants could have done.
 
9.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Quest For Gold: Ancient Egypt
dna

9.00 p.m. |HISTC| Dawn of the Maya
In the tangled jungle of northern Guatemala lie clues to the origin of the great Maya civilization. A one-hour Special follows archaeologists as they excavate magnificent Preclassic ruins, from an enormous carved mask to temples that may hold tombs of the first Maya kings to a stunning mural depicting a Maya creation myth.

10.00 p.m. |HINT|  Time Team: Hartlepool, Northumbria
In 640 AD, on a storm-swept headland surrounded on three sides by the sea, St. Aidan founded a monastery at what is now modern-day Hartlepool in Northumbria, England. Occupied by both monks and nuns, it survived for three centuries before finally being destroyed by the Danes in the 9th century. Join Time Team as they investigate the site and unearth a piece of metal thought to be a clasp from a book used in the monastery and a complete female burial--all in three days!  

11.00 p.m. |HINT| Aegean: Legacy of Atlantis
This episode of the Emmy Award-winning series explores ancient civilizations that spread through the Aegean Sea and searches for historical roots of some of Western civilization's oldest legends, including an examination of ruins on the Greek Island of Thera (modern-day Santorini) for the basis of the Atlantis legend. On Crete, the Greek mainland, and Turkey, we follow the trail of clues that leads from ancient myths to evidence of the Trojan War, Trojan Horse, Minoan civilization, and the Minotaur. Sam Waterston narrates. 
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Thursday, February 17
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| The Greatest Pharaohs, Part 4
Cleopatra uses her cunning mix of politics and seduction in a desperate bid to maintain her power, but fails.

8.00 p.m. |HINT| Maintaining the Truth
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.  

11.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Discovery Time Capsule: Ancient Civilizations
dna
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Friday, February 18
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8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Seven Wonders of the World: Ghosts of Wonder
dna
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Saturday, February 19
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7.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Legend Hunters: The Holy Grail & Noah's Ark
dna
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Sunday, February 20
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6.00 p.m. |HINT|Atlantis: The Lost Civilization
Why has the legend of a continent under the sea captivated the imaginations of generations of people that have searched for Atlantis? Did Atlantis really exist, and if so, where? Plato discussed the legend in two of his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, the only known written accounts from ancient sources that refer specifically to Atlantis. Atlantis has been linked to Bimini, the Canary Islands, Santorini, and Troy, among other places. What kind of people were the Atlanteans? According to scholars of Atlantis, they developed a technologically advanced civilization that has yet to be surpassed. Did Atlantis sink to the bottom of the ocean in a day and a night? What catastrophic events may have led to its demise? Or is the tale pure fiction invented by a Plato to illustrate a philosophic argument?

7.00 p.m. |HINT|  History Explorer
In 640 AD, on a storm-swept headland surrounded on three sides by the sea, St. Aidan founded a monastery at what is now modern-day Hartlepool in Northumbria, England. Occupied by both monks and nuns, it survived for three centuries before finally being destroyed by the Danes in the 9th century. Join Time Team as they investigate the site and unearth a piece of metal thought to be a clasp from a book used in the monastery and a complete female burial--all in three days!

9.00 p.m. |HINT| Line of Fire: Viking! The Norse Raiders
During the long years of the Dark Ages, there was no more feared sight than that of a Viking longship on the horizon. The Norsemen were ruthless warriors who plundered for land and gold as they made settlements in Britain, most notably in York. We take viewers back to 991 BC to experience the Battle of Maldon--a battle for which history provides the only detailed description of an Anglo-Saxon army during the Viking era. Features groundbreaking 3-D CGI animation combined with atmospheric recreations.

10.00 p.m. |TLC| Noah's Ark: The True Story
Search for the truth behind the story of Noah and his ark. Find out how Noah could have built such a structure and whether or not a great flood took place on the earth. The search for remains of the ark continues today.
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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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::Sunday, February 13, 2005 12:19:26 PM::
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