Archaeology
Titles available as of October 1, 2009

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Aegean legacy of Atlantis. (ca. 50 min.). Archaeologists are unearthing data that may support the existence of the island Atlantis, once thought to be only a legend and also are looking into the historical roots of the Battle of Troy. Archaeologists make a voyage of discovery into the origins of western culture as they visit the Greek isle of Thera, Crete, Turkey and the Greek mainland where legend and history combine. VHS 5174

Africa a history denied. (ca. 50 min.). Film looks at the extraordinary achievements of Africa's indigenous civilizations. Because Africa's white settlers couldn't believe that natives were responsible for the once great kingdoms of Great Zimbabwe and the Swahili Coast, these ancient cultures were credited to everyone from wandering Phoenicians to the Queen of Sheba. Now the place where human history began is being reclaimed from centuries of indifference by the descendants of those lost kingdoms and the glories of their accomplishments are being revealed. VHS 5178

The ancient mariners. (59 min.). Nautical archaeologists excavate three shipwrecks from the depths of the Eastern Mediterranean and show that these ancient ships are treasure troves of information, including the documentation of trade routes, products, and even social conditions. The three ships, dating from before 300 B.C. to 1025 A.D. tell the story of a significant change in the methods of ship construction--a change reflecting broader alterations in social, political, and economic conditions. Includes animated sequences and special sound effects, along with maps and photographs. VHS 4951

Buried in ash. (60 min.). Depicts Ashfall Site in Antelope County, near Royal, Nebraska, where camelid, horse and rhino complete skeletons have been excavated in a 10-foot layer of volcanic ash that probably came from Idaho about 10,000 years ago. Mike Vorhies, paleontologist, who made the original discovery, directs the dig in association with the University of Nebraska Museum. VHS 3095

The Chaco legacy. (60 min.). Examines archaeological theories about the rise and fall of Chacoan culture, which had a high level of technical development and flourished over 900 years ago in the area of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Shows their extensive water control system, the large network of roads they constructed and several mammoth structures they built. Includes a history of the different excavation projects. Examines the theory that the Chaco civilization was a technological society that collapsed because of the gradual depletion of their resource bases. VHS 4955

Chichén Itzá at the mouth of the well. (27 min.). The fusion of Mayan construction techniques with later elements from central Mexico makes Chichén Itzá one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatán. In this program, archaeological footage and computer re-creations spotlight prominent locations in the city, including the imposing Pyramid of Kukulcán, the Temple of the Warriors, the circular observatory known as El Caracol, the largest ball court in Mesoamerica, and the Well of Sacrifice, a sacred water-filled cenote into which votive offerings and human sacrifices were cast. DVD 4847

China dynasties of power. (ca. 50 min.). Study the "dynasties of power" from the 2nd century B.C. through the rise of the first emperor to discover the achievements of ancient China. While uniting a vast land the Chinese built the 2,600-mile Great Wall, invented paper, printing, the compass and the world's first system of justice. VHS 5176

Death at Jamestown. (ca. 60 min.). Looks at various explanations for the large number of deaths of settlers at Jamestown, the first British colony in the New World. Reviews earlier explanations, such as starvation or diseases like malaria or typhoid fever, and examines new theories, such as sabotage through arsenic poisoning. Includes interviews with archaeologist William M. Kelso and pathologist Frank Hancock. VHS 7569

Decoding Danebury. (50 min.). Looks at a new breed of archaeologist who uses the latest sophisticated research tools to provide a picture of Celtic society. VHS 6895

Digging for slaves the excavation of American slave sites. (50 min.). Provides details of excavations of 18th-century slave quarters on Middleburg Plantation near Charleston, S.C., at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson and at Colonial Williamsburg. Streaming web video. Available to AU community. VHS 2541

Egypt quest for immortality. (ca. 50 min.). With the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen, the world was provided with details of the ancient civilization of Egypt. In the land of the pharaohs a culture existed that believed in eternal life for all, from farmer to aristocracy. Film looks at how archaeologists are discovering the mysteries of the ancients: preparing a mummy for burial, the art of composing a love letter in hieroglyphs and the technology necessary to raise enormous stone buildings. VHS 5171

Empire of the Hittites. (50 min.). Historian Michael Wood goes off in search of some of the answers to questions that have baffled archaeologists for generations. His search takes him to Greece, Turkey, England, Ireland, and Berlin as he tries, with the aid of modern investigative and journalistic techniques, to discover whether the Trojan War really happened. In this segment he discusses the finding of Hittite diplomatic records written on cuneiform tables that mention a war taking place at the time the Trojan War was being fought. These records are presented as the first solid "proof" to back up the story of a Trojan War as related by Homer. DVD 5970, VHS 237 - 239

The eyes of empire. (26 min.). Draws on the anthropological photographic collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford ; the Royal Anthropological Institute ; and the Cambridge University. The program also deals with the work of an amateur archaeologist, Gertrude Bell. VHS 1511 - 1516

The fall of Troy. (60 min.). Historian Michael Wood goes off in search of some of the answers to questions that have baffled archaeologists for generations. His search takes him to Greece, Turkey, England, Ireland, and Berlin as he tries, with the aid of modern investigative and journalistic techniques, to discover whether the Trojan War really happened. In this segment he attempts to correlate the archaeological, historical and literary evidence concerning Troy and the Trojan War. After the fall of Troy, the entire civilization of the Greeks and Hittites go into decline. Gathering together the archeological evidence, Wood concludes that the Troy of the Iliad actually existed, and that the Trojan War was an actual event. DVD 5970, VHS 237 - 239

Heritage-- civilization and the Jews. (540 min.). This series was filmed and researched over a four year period in more than 18 nations on four continents. It chronicles over 3,000 years of Jewish history in the context of other Western religious artifacts, historical sites, and primary literary sources to tell this story of Western Civilization and the Jewish people in it. Programs will include: landscape and archaeological artifacts, sites and reconstructions in the Middle East and the great remains of the classical world; the manuscripts and art which preceded the printed word; the painting sculpture, prints, lithographs, etchings and architecture of later centuries; photographic stills which begin to appear in the 19th century; and black and white film footage from the 20th century. VHS 3391 - 3399

In search of the Trojan War. (300 min.). Historian Michael Wood goes off in search of some of the answers to questions that have baffled archaeologists for generations. His search takes him to Greece, Turkey, Ireland, and Berlin as he tries, with the aid of modern investigative and journalistic techniques, to discover whether the Trojan War really happened. DVD 5970, VHS 237 - 239

In the footsteps of Jesus. (200 min.). This cable TV documentary miniseries used the Bible and other written historical sources as a starting point for an exploration of the life and times of Jesus Christ. A team of archaeologists sought out verification of the words of the Scripture by excavating the area in and around the Holy Land, while a group of historians pored through ancient manuscripts and cross-referenced the results. DVD 4107

The Incas. (60 min.). Chronicles the Inca civilization and how it was built up into one of the best run civilizations ever. Also explores how current archaeologists are attempting to better understand the inner workings of this impressive civilization. VHS 4956

Kennewick man. (15 min.). Documents how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, anthropologists, the federal court, and Native Americans struggled to determine the significance and disposition of a 9,000 year old human skeleton found in 1996 along the Columbia River in Kennewick, Wash. VHS 7891

Legacy the origins of civilization. (360 min.). This six part series explores the influence of ancient culture on our lives today. Host/writer Michael Wood visits the ancient cities and great ports of India and China, the deserts of Egypt and Iraq, the Mexico of the Inca, Aztec and Mayan peoples, the Greek and Roman monuments of Europe and the jungles of Central America searching for the living legacies of these once great civilizations. The series traces how the institutions that arose with urban civilization 5,000 years ago, such as organized religion, bureaucratic government and international trade are still affecting the political and cultural mindset of many parts of the world today. DVD 5701- 5703, VHS 1691-1696

The legend under siege. (50 min.). Historian Michael Wood goes off in search of some of the answers to questions that have baffled archaeologists for generations. His search takes him to Greece, Turkey, England, Ireland, and Berlin as he tries, with the aid of modern investigative and journalistic techniques, to discover whether the Trojan War really happened. In this segment he investigates the excavations of Wilhelm Dorpfeld, Carl William Blegen, and Sir Arthur Evans who thought they had found the real city of Troy. DVD 5970, VHS 237 pt.2

Lost civilizations. (ca. 50 min. ea.). Series looks at ancient civilizations to discover how they developed and grew, their achievements and inventions, their everyday life and the life of the elite. Also looks at factors that caused their demise. VHS 5171-5180

Lost king of the Maya. (60 min.). Travels back 1600 years to show the ancient Mayans' intellect, astronomical abilities and complex culture. A team of archaeologists and historians piece together an image of the rise and fall of Copan, a site in Honduras, and of Yax K'uk Mo, a Mayan king. VHS 6631

The lost vikings. (approx. 60 min.). Civilization in legend and lore, a colony of Vikings in Greenland left no clues to their sudden and mysterious disappearance. Or did they? On a desolate coast of Greenland, an international team of archaeologists, forensic anthropologists, entomologists and botanists set out to investigate clues in a complex chain of events that may have led to the demise of a Viking colony. VHS 7570

The lost world of the Maya. (36 min.). For over a thousand years the Mayan civilization grew and flourished in the rain forests of Central America. Discovered and finally destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors, it was lost again until explorers brought it to light in the 19th century. Eric Thompson, an archaeologist who has had a 45 year love affair with the Maya, takes the viewer on a pilgrimage through the Mayan world, visiting, on the way, all the great ruined cities he has known for half a century. Describes ruins existing in such ancient cities as Tikal, Palenque, Yaxchilan, and Quirigna, and re-creates the Mayas' daily life. Concludes with a description of the theories that have been used to explain why Mayan civilization fell. DVD 5945

Maya the blood of kings. (ca. 50 min.). While Europe was in the midst of the Dark Ages, the Maya of Central America were developing a culture responsible for a complicated writing system, mathematic and astrological calculations and archeological marvels. Explore ruins in the jungles of Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala to understand a people both sophisticated and bloodthirsty and a society that collapsed with mysterious speed. VHS 5172

Mesopotamia return to Eden. (ca. 50 min.). The roots of the world's major religions lie in the river valleys of Mesopotamia's Fertile Crescent. Here in this ancient "Eden" archaeologists are digging for physical clues that may help tell the truth behind many Biblical stories and also unearthing clues to the dawn of civilization itself among the first cities of ancient Sumer. VHS 5173

The mystery of Machu Picchu. (58 min.). Follows a Peruvian expedition that offers new clues to the mystery of Machu Picchu, the famous lost city of the Incas. VHS 4037

The myth of Masada. (22 min.). Scholars and archaeologists examine the story of the defense and mass suicide at Masada and question the accuracy of Josephus' account of the mass suicide. VHS 2458

Myths and the moundbuilders. (60 min.). Archaeological. ecological and experimental studies of the mound builders of the U.S. Midwest and Southeast. The huge earthworks and mounds scattered through the eastern half of the United States prompted people in the nineteenth century to speculate that a lost civilization had preceded the Indians then living among the mounds. Though we've known for some time that the ancestors of those Indians actually built the mounds, archaeologists are still exploring their contents for a better understanding of their builders. Includes both the Hopewell (100 BC- 300 AD) and Mississippian (700-1600 AD) prehistoric American cultures, and discusses social organization in such large communities as Cahokia in East St. Louis. VHS 4949

The naked warriors of Europe. (48 min.). The Celts terrified the Greeks and Romans in battle. Fighting naked, and with the ferocity of wild beasts, they cut off the heads of their enemies for battle trophies. Film examines these fearsome fighters and their lives beyond the field of battle. Searching out their roots in ancient Europe, archaeologists hunt for the artifacts that offer clues to the daily lives of the Celts. They were master farmers and metalworkers, that much is clear,. But how much did their devotion to their enigmatic holy men, the Druids, influence their passion for war? VHS 3971

On the trail of the jaguar. (43 min.). Exploration of the archaeological finds from the Mayan civilization at the Tikal region of northern Guatemala. VHS 3478

On the trail of tragedy the excavation of the Donner Party site. (29 min.). Shows the Archaeological Field School of the University of Nevada, Reno and Forestry Service archaeologists at work at the Donner Camp Historic Site in the Tahoe National Forest in the summer of 1990. This is one of several camp sites that the Donner Party used in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Participants in the dig discuss their fascination with the Donner Party history and the charges of cannibalism and demonstrate the methods archaeologists use to preserve the artifacts they find and the sites they excavate. VHS 2069

Other people's garbage. (60 min.). Archeological excavations of the recent past expand our understanding of the texture of everyday life. Historical archeologists have unique resources not often available to prehistoric archeologists--records, legal, civil and historic documents and oral histories. Looks at the mining town at Mount Diablo, east of San Francisco; the slave quarters on the plantations of Saint Simon's Island, Georgia; and archeological projects made necessary by the expansion of Boston's mass transit system. VHS 4954

Privy to the past. (29 min.). A documentary on the Cypress Archaeological Project, an excavation in West Oakland, California from April 1994 through May 1996. The excavated collections represent a large and diverse set of households from the late 1890's through the early 1920's of people who worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad and lived in cottages, boarding houses and hotels. They also represent workers at a Chinese laundry and African American, German, Irish and other family groups. VHS 7511

The real George Washington. (50 min.). A look at America's first president, whose face is as familiar as the dollar bill but whom most of us hardly know. By using high-tech tools and scientific techniques, archaeologists, scientists, and historians are uncovering new clues about who George Washington really was. DVD 5899

Roman Britain. (25 min.). Artifacts in the British Museum and on-site explorations are used to show the history and civilization of Roman Britain. VHS 2425

Science or sacrilege Native Americans, archaeology, & the law. (57 min.). Discusses the issue of the controversy between Indians and scientists on the excavations and study of Indian burial grounds and remains. Examines the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation act (NAGPRA) passed in 1990, its underlying moral and political issues, its practical consequences, and the prospects for science in the post-NAGPRA world. VHS 4126

The search for Herod's harbor solving a 2,000 year old mystery. (28 min.). An adventure with archaeologists above and below the Mediterranean as they solve the mysteries of King Herod's magnificent harbor at Caesarea Maritima. VHS 1114

Search for the first Americans. (60 min.). Follows the trail of America's first inhabitants. Did they really migrate across a Bering Sea land bridge at the end of the last Ice Age, or did they in fact arrive thousands of years earlier, possibly by some different route as new archaeological evidence increasingly hints? VHS 1957

Seeking the first Americans. (60 min.). Who were the first Americans and when did they arrive? Archaeologists from Texas to Alaska share their search for answers to one of the most controversial questions in North American history. The earliest Americans may have arrived 20-30,000 years ago. A significant controversy has developed over the origin of Clovis Man, the one-age culture of New Mexico dated at 11,000 B.C. VHS 4952

Siberian ice maiden. (60 min.). Archaeologist Natalya Polosmok journeys to the Altay Mountains in southern Siberia to search for traces of an ancient people known as the Pazyryk. Using film footage and interviews, program looks at the life and death of the Siberian Ice Maiden -- a woman mummified, buried and frozen in a wooden tomb on a high plateau in Central Asia over 2400 years ago -- who is believed to be a link to the Pazyryk culture. Also discusses the question of who has rights to ancient graves. VHS 5812

The singer of tales. (50 min.). Historian Michael Wood goes off in search of some of the answers to questions that have baffled archaeologists for generations. His search takes him to Greece, Turkey, England, Ireland, and Berlin as he tries, with the aid of modern investigative and journalistic techniques, to discover whether the Trojan War really happened. In this segment he explores contemporary opinion about Homer and his tale of Troy, whether he is indeed a real person recording actual events, or that the Iliad is a collection of oral, fictitious tales, by an equally fictitious story-teller. DVD 5970

Slave Island New York's hidden history. (49 min.). Examines the excavation of an 18th century slave cemetery in downtown Manhattan. Scholars and leading experts conduct archaeological and forensic analyses of the remains of nearly 400 African Americans slaves who were forced to serve either the Dutch West India Company or English masters. Uses dramatic reenactments, early maps, and documents from slave traders to piece together the history of slavery in the city of New York. DVD 6040

The story of Lucy. (55 min.). In 1974 Don Johanson unearthed Lucy, at almost 3 million years of age, our oldest human ancestor. Lucy's tiny three-and-a-half-foot skeleton set the world of paleoanthropology on its ear. Lucy walked upright and provided evidence that a larger brain was the key difference between early man and the ape. In this film Johanson recounts his discovery of Lucy as he returns to the site of his find in Ethiopia and expounds upon the important information it still continues to generate. VHS 2471

The syphilis enigma. (60 min.). Scientists have generally believed that Columbus' expedition brought syphilis back to Europe with it. But now, the discovery in Europe of a pre-Columbian body with definite signs of syphilis has archeologist Charlotte Roberts convinced that syphilis existed in the Old World long before Columbus ever set sail. VHS 7568

Time Life's Lost civilizations. (500 min.). This Emmy-Award winning series for Outstanding Informational Series features original location cinematography in 25 countries, taking the viewer around the world on an incredible journey from ancient Mesopotamia to modern Tibet. DVD 5831 - 5834

Time Life's Lost civilizations. (151 min.). Mesopotamia: The roots of the world's major religions lie in the valleys of Mesopotamia's Fertile Crescent. Archaeologists, originally searching for the Garden of Eden and sites of other Biblical stories, have unearthed clues to the birth of civilization and cities belonging to its first great empires. Babylonia of the Jewish Exodus was preceded by the kingdom of Assyria, which was itself preceded by Sumer, and the first city--Ur. Ancient Egypt: In 1922, when Howard Carter opened the intact tomb of Tutankhamen the world marveled, for at last there was concrete evidence of details of daily life in the ancient civilization of Egypt. In the land of the pharaohs, a culture existed that believed in eternal life for all, from farmer to aristocrat. Now archaeologists are discovering the mysteries of the ancients, from preparing a mummy for burial to the technology necessary to raise enormous stone buildings. Aegean: Archaeologists are unearthing data that may support the existence of the island Atlantis, once thought to be only a legend, along with the origins of western culture. Searching for the proof of Homeric legends and Troy of the Iliad, Heinrich Schliemann, a German amateur, discovered an ancient city in Turkey, and went on to excavate at Mycenae. Schliemann's belief in an historical truth underlying myth inspired the discovery of Knossos on Crete. Another possible inspiration for Atlantis may be the island of Thera, destroyed by the most violent volcanic eruption in early human history. DVD 5831

Time Life's Lost civilizations. (150 min.). Greece: Five hundred years before the birth of Christ, the small city-states of Greece began a period of cultural excellence, but none was more advanced than Athens. Under Pericles, the entire city strove for perfection in all things, and lead developments in poetry, dramatic theater, and athletic achievement, as exemplified in the Olympic Games. Discover the architectural, intellectual, and artistic achievements of the period, and the elements that led to the end of this glorious "moment of excellence.". China: One of the world's oldest continuous civilizations, China experienced many "dynasties of power" from the 2nd century B.C. through the rise of the first emperor. The achievements of ancient China are illustrated by three dynasties: the Shang (1600 - 1046 BC), the Zhou (1046 - 476 BC), and the Ch'in or Qin (221- 206 BC), under whom China was first unified. While uniting a vast land the Chinese built the 2,600-mile Great Wall, invented paper, printing, the compass, and the world's first system of justice. Rome: Originally a village on the Tiber River, the republic of Rome rose to become one of the world's first super power, dominating the known world under their Pax Romana. From Petra to Hadrian's Wall to Gibraltar, peace was kept by the Legions, while technological development was driven by the demands of administering far-flung military outposts. Thanks to the Roman passion for organization, archaeologists have discovered much about life in ancient Rome's spectacular empire. DVD 5832

Time Life's Lost civilizations. (100 min.). Maya: As Europe suffered through the Dark Ages, the culture of the Maya of Central America was reaching its apex. The classical Maya possessed a complicated writing system, mathematics for complex astrological calculations--still accurate today--and cities of stone set like jewels in the jungle. Life in the majestic temples, broad plazas, painted ball courts, and palaces revolved around the king--who was divine, infallible, and expected to pay for the success of his people with his blood. Inca: Located in what is now Peru, from AD 1438 to AD 1533 the Inca Empire used both conquest and peaceful assimilation to consolidate their rule over the peoples eking out an existence in the vast Andes mountain ranges. The Inca were not alone-the Nazca and Moche also ruled empires, worshiping their ancestors and the Sun. In the end, the extensive Inca road and messenger systems, their medical, engineering, and architectural skills were no match for the swords, horses, and greed of the Spanish conquistadors. DVD 5833

Time Life's Lost civilizations. (102 min.). Africa: White colonists in Africa couldn't believe that natives were responsible for the extensive kingdoms of Great Zimbabwe and the Swahili Coast, and thus credited the achievements of these ancient cultures to wandering Phoenicians, the Queen of Sheba, or Arab travelers. Cecil Rhodes 'explorations' destroyed portions of Great Zimbabwe, but Gertrude Caton Thompson found, excavated, and first asserted that the ruins were of African origin. Their descendants are now reclaiming the legacy of these advanced, lost cultures, with the glories of their accomplishments acknowledged. Tibet: From the 7th to the 11th centuries, Tibetan warrior clans ruled large sections of Central Asia. Travelers on the Silk Road feared them, for their archers and cavalry were fierce and effective. The warriors were in turn conquered by Buddhism, which arrived in the 8th century. In 1642, Tibet became a theocracy as a monk took the throne of the nation, militarism was phased out, and three centuries of relative peace ensued. In the aftermath of the Chinese invasion and the exile of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan culture, and its unique quest for peace, inner knowledge, and nirvana may cease to exist. DVD 5834

The true story of Troy. (100 min.). Chronicles the search for evidence that Troy actually existed in the ancient world and that the Trojan War is a historical fact, focusing on archaeological excavations in modern-day Turkey near the Aegean Sea. DVD 2712

The women of Troy. (50 min.). Historian Michael Wood goes off in search of some of the answers to questions that have baffled archaeologists for generations. His search takes him to Greece, Turkey, England, Ireland, and Berlin as he tries, with the aid of modern investigative and journalistic techniques, to discover whether the Trojan War really happened. In this segment he discusses the women of Troy and their lives after the fall of their city and questions whether Helen of Troy, Queen of Sparta, existed and if her abduction by Paris, Prince of Troy, could have been a motive for the Trojan War. DVD 5970

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