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Ancient World on TV
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The Ancient World on Television (AWOTV) lists programs dealing with the ancient world on PBS, A&E, The History Channel, Discovery Channel, and numerous other channels. These listings are compiled on a weekly basis by David Meadows.
Monday, May 12
3.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Cleopatra's Lost City
Alexandria, one of the greatest cities of the ancient world, was named
after one of history's greatest warriors, Alexander the Great;
archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur tells the story of this beautiful
ancient city and its most famous inhabitant.
4.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Searching For Lost Worlds: Skull Wars - Search For The Missing Link
A skull discovered in Taung, South Africa in 1924 triggered a
controversy over where humans evolved from: Africa or Asia; further
discoveries in South Africa in 1936 settled the issue.
8.00 p.m. |HINT| Crucifixion
Throughout history, crucifixion has been one of the cruelest and most
excruciating ways to die. Approximately 500 years before the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ, the Persian King Darius crucified political opponents
and both Alexander the Great and Caligula used crucifixion as a means of
punishment and entertainment. Watch as a team of forensic experts
reconstruct a 2000-year-old body using the only physical evidence of a
crucifixion ever discovered. Modern day footage will show real
crucifixions that take place in the Philippines. Recreations will be
used along with extensive CGI animation and CSI forensic-style graphics
to illustrate the different types of crucifixion techniques throughout
history and how it eventually kills its victim.
9.00 p.m. |HISTC| ROME II | Philippi
Brutus and Cassius see their military advantage vanish in the wake of
Octavian's new alliance with Mark Antony. In Rome, Vorenus receives
orders to execute scores of Rome's elite, dividing the task among the
Collegium's gang captains. Cicero attempts to warn Brutus of his army's
danger, but is foiled by the arrival of Pullo at his villa. Mark Antony
adds a few names to the list of condemned, as does Atia; Octavia and
Vorena the Elder find themselves enchanted by unlikely suitors; Eirene
shares some domestic news with Pullo; Levi and Timon precipitate a
synagogue melee; and Atia gets Octavia to reveal a secret as Octavian
heads out of Rome. On the plains of Philippi, two armies clash, with the
future of Rome at stake.
10.00 p.m. |HISTU| Ancient Discoveries :Ancient Death Machines
Tuesday, May 13
8.00 p.m. |HISTC| DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH IV | God's Gold - Part 1
This episode goes on the most extraordinary treasure hunt ever! Host
Hunter Ellis ventures on a world-exclusive search for the priceless
golden artifacts of Jerusalem's Temple--lost since the Romans looted
them almost 2000 years ago. From Jerusalem, to Rome, to North Africa,
Turkey, and--finally--back to Israel, we'll follow a trail of clues to
uncover the final hiding place of the most priceless treasures of the
Jewish faith.
10.00 p.m. |HINT| Engineering An Empire: The Aztecs
In less than 200 years the Aztec's transformed themselves from a band of
wandering nomads to the greatest civilization the New World had ever
known. What records remain of this amazing feat indicate they did it
through brilliant military campaigns and by ingeniously applying
technology to master the harsh environment they faced. They built their
capital city where no city should have been possible: in the middle of a
lake. The Aztec also practiced human sacrifice on an unprecedented scale
and made many enemies. By the time the Spaniards landed they had no
trouble recruiting tribal allies to destroy the Aztecs. Watch with host
Peter Weller as we examine the architecture and infrastructure behind
the New World's greatest, and last, indigenous society.
Wednesday, May 14
6.00 p.m. |HINT| History's Mysteries: Lost City of Atlantis
The ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote about the fabled missing
continent. Even South American Indian legend told of a similar tale. Did
a highly civilized and technologically advanced people disappear with
their secrets at the bottom of the sea, or is Atlantis merely myth?
6.00 p.m. |HISTU| Ancient Discoveries: Egyptian Warfare
8.00 p.m. |HISTC| RE-INVENTORS, THE II | Da Vinci Chariot
The chariot had already been in existence for thousands of years before
da Vinci's time when he decided that the design deserved an upgrade.
Equipped with 5-foot long spinning blades, da Vinci's chariot would have
been a terrifying sight charging down the battlefield. But how would it
have stood up against weapons of its time? Would his chariot have found
a place on the 15th-century battlefield? Matt and Jeremy are going to
build it and find out.
9.00 p.m. |HINT|Mummy Forensics: The Fisherman Mystery
In a hidden corner of a London storage facility lies an ancient Peruvian
mummy that has hardly seen the light of day in almost 100 years. Most
mummies from ancient Peru were either bundled in a fetal position or
laid out flat. But for some mysterious reason this Peruvian mummy has
been buried in an unusual cross-legged posture. For the Mummy
Investigation Team the position of the mummy proves to be the starting
point of a thrilling case -- one which challenges our preconceptions and
proves that certain legends just might be true.
Thursday, May 15
6.00 p.m. |HISTU| Ancient Discoveries: Heron of Alexandria
8.00 p.m. |HISTU| Ancient Discoveries: Ancient New York
Friday, May 16
6.00 p.m. |HINT| History's Mysteries: Ancient Drugs
Since mankind's beginnings, and in all civilizations, we have found ways
to alter our everyday consciousness in search of a greater reality. To
this end, we have indulged in many frightening and often toxic
substances in many different rituals. We'll look for answers to why we
take mind-altering trips off the well-trod path.
7.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Mysteries Of The Dead: Belizean Blood Chamber
Archaeological detectives uncover clues to explain what drove the Maya
to make human sacrifices of their children.
8.00 p.m. |HISTC| CITIES OF THE UNDERWORLD | Rome - The Rise
Rome, Italy is known for great food, edgy fashion...and its history. The
Roman Empire was the largest and most powerful in history, and pieces of
this great Empire can be found under practically every street in Rome.
But how did ancient Rome achieve its greatness? The answer lies
underground. From entire underground neighborhoods and one of the oldest
sewer systems in the world, to aqueducts and underground theaters, the
secret to Rome's success can be found beneath the streets. Many modern
engineering marvels are based on ancient Roman design, and the proof is
found in these subterranean locations. Join host Eric Geller as he goes
back to the founding of the Empire and traces technology back to the
beginning. We're peeling back the layers of time on Cities of the
Underworld: The Rise of Rome.
9.00 p.m. |DISCC|Bone Detectives: Shadow Of The Sun Lord
Scotty travels deep inside the jungles of Belize to the ancient Mayan
city of Caracol; archeologists have discovered a body buried in an
unusual manner, in a place it shouldn't be, along with the sacred symbol
of a war god.
10.00 p.m. |NG| King Tut and the Lost Dynasty
Saturday, May 17
6.00 p.m. |DISCU| Secret History of the Freemasons Episode 1
An unprecedented inside look into one of the world's most mysterious
organizations: the Freemasons. Their inner workings, history, and
secrets will be uncovered and centuries old rituals are filmed for the
first time ever.
7.00 p.m. |DISCU| Secret History of the Freemasons Episode 2
An unprecedented inside look into one of the world's most mysterious
organizations: the Freemasons. Their inner workings, history, and
secrets will be uncovered and centuries old rituals are filmed for the
first time ever.
7.00 p.m. |HISTC| ROME II | Philippi
Brutus and Cassius see their military advantage vanish in the wake of
Octavian's new alliance with Mark Antony. In Rome, Vorenus receives
orders to execute scores of Rome's elite, dividing the task among the
Collegium's gang captains. Cicero attempts to warn Brutus of his army's
danger, but is foiled by the arrival of Pullo at his villa. Mark Antony
adds a few names to the list of condemned, as does Atia; Octavia and
Vorena the Elder find themselves enchanted by unlikely suitors; Eirene
shares some domestic news with Pullo; Levi and Timon precipitate a
synagogue melee; and Atia gets Octavia to reveal a secret as Octavian
heads out of Rome. On the plains of Philippi, two armies clash, with the
future of Rome at stake.
Sunday, May 18
6.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Mummy Autopsy: Secrets Of The Salt Plain / The Unknown Sailor
The bodies of three men and two children are found entombed in a cave at
the edge of Bolivia's vast salt plain; James and Tiffany notice that the
skeletons show signs of blows to the head powerful enough to kill them;
how did these injuries come about?
7.00 p.m. |HISTC| ULTIMATE ENGINEERING | Colosseum
The dramatic story behind the building of the Colosseum in Ancient Rome.
To achieve this, the Romans used ground-breaking technology that we
still use today, whilst the money to pay for this grand project enslaved
a people and brought a temple crashing down.
8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Joy Of Lex
Words are in constant flux, being found and lost, being picked apart and
abused, relished or overused into meaninglessness; hear the stories,
passions, and humour associated with words and the people who use them.
| CHANNEL GUIDE |
| A&E | The Arts and Entertainment Channel (cable) |
| DCIVU | Discovery Civilizations (U.S. Cable)* |
| DCIVC | Discovery Civilization (Canadian Cable) |
| DISCU | Discovery Channel (U.S. Cable) |
| DISCC | Discovery Channel (Canadian Cable) |
| DTC | Discovery Times Channel (U.S. Cable) |
| HBO | Home Box Office (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) |
| PBSU | PBS You (U.S. National Schedule) |
| TLC | The Learning Channel (cable) |
| SCI | The Science Channel (U.S. 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.
See also Events

© 2008 by the Archaeological Institute of America www.archaeology.org/events/tv.html |
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