Great Sites of Antiquity Video Clip Collection
Gedeon Programmes
This beautifully filmed collection of 21 three-minute clips brings important sites of antiquity to life with spectacular aerial and ground-level footage, computer-generated reconstructions and fly-throughs, and authentic dramatizations. Each clip marks the site’s geographic location on the globe and then summarizes its history, offering important cultural insights along the way. A wide-open window on the rich legacy bequeathed to humankind by our ancestors. Video clips include… The Near East • Baalbek, Lebanon: Baalbek was one of the most important pilgrimage spots of the Roman Empire. This clip highlights the Temples of Jupiter, Venus, and Bacchus—and the remarkable engineering that was required to build them. • Palmyra, Syria: This clip recounts the dramatic story of an immensely prosperous but short-lived realm situated at a major caravan crossroads between the Parthian and Roman Empires. • Petra, Jordan: The capital of the Nabatean civilization sat astride the ancient Incense Road. In this clip, the Khazneh and intricate water management system are spotlighted. North Africa • Alexandria, Egypt: This clip roams the city of Alexandria, from the Caesarium, to the Macedonian necropolis, to the ingenious network of under-street canals, to the sea floor, where parts of the legendary lighthouse have been discovered. • Carthage, Tunisia: In this clip, Carthage—both the city and the civilization—is surveyed, from its founding to its fall after the Punic Wars with Rome. The city’s ingenious harbor structures are given special attention. • El Jem, Tunisia: Modeled on the Colosseum, the amphitheater in this well-planned Roman city could hold up to 30,000 spectators. That arena and mosaics from the city’s outlying villas are featured in this clip. • Giza and Saqqara, Egypt: On the plateau of Giza and Saqqara are 100 pyramids. This clip goes inside the most ancient, Djoser’s, and the largest, Cheops’—the only one of the Wonders of the Ancient World still standing today. • Thebes, Egypt: The Tomb of Hatshepsut is the focus of this clip. The most majestic edifice in the Valley of the Kings, it serves as a reminder of a powerful ruler whose existence has been all but wiped from the annals of Egyptian history. • Karnak, Egypt: The Temple of Karnak is the largest column sanctuary in the world. This clip roams the sacred precinct, giving special attention to the Temple of Amun Ra, the heart of the complex. • Luxor, Egypt: The Temple of Luxor, with its monumental entrance, colossal colonnade, and courtyards, is featured in this clip. The Chamber of the Divine Birth and the Opet Festival are given special attention. Southern Europe • Cerveteri, Italy: The necropolis near Cerveteri is a true city of the dead, complete with streets and squares. This clip goes inside the tombs, where bas reliefs and murals tell much about Etruscan life. • Delphi, Greece: Sporting events and religious rituals at the Delphi complex, built on a spur of Mount Parnassus in the land of Apollo, are the focus of this clip. The track, sanctuary, and theater are featured. • Olympia, Greece: This clip surveys the sports complex at Olympia: the stadium, the palaestra, the Temple of Hera, and the Temple of Zeus, with its ivory-and-gold statue of the god—one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. • Pompeii, Italy: When Mount Vesuvius erupted, Pompeii was smothered under soot and ash. This clip reveals marvelously preserved structures that provide insights into a populous Roman city where life suddenly stopped. Mesoamerica • Chichén Itzá, Mexico: Once a vital cultural and religious center, Chichén Itzá is renowned for its Cenote of Sacrifice. This clip highlights El Castillo, the Temple of the Warriors, El Caracol, and the ball court where losers lost their heads. • Easter Island, Chile: Also known as Rapa Nui and Isla de Pascua, Easter Island is the home of the Moai. This clip sheds light on those enigmatic statues as well as on the island’s bird-man carvings and rongorongo tablets. • Cahuachi, Peru: The giant geoglyphs of the Nazca are visible in their entirety only from the sky. This clip reveals their enigmatic splendor, as well as details of life—and death—in the city of Cahuachi. • Palenque, Mexico: This clip goes inside the palace complex and the Temple of Inscriptions in this magnificent Mayan city carved from the jungles of Chiapas. Murals and stucco reliefs of human sacrifices are spotlighted. • Teotihuacán, Mexico: Who founded this immense city of 200,000—and, hundreds of years later, who destroyed it? The Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the so-called Avenue of the Dead are featured in this clip. • Trujillo, Peru: Trujillo was once home to the ancient Moche people. The Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the 1,500-year-old remains of the Lord of Sipan are the main focus of this clip. Some finely molded ceramics are also presented. • Uxmal, Mexico: This clip examines the Pyramid of the Magician, the Governor’s Palace, and the Nunnery Quadrangle—mute testimony to the technical skill and spirituality of the Mayan people. Filmed with the patronage of UNESCO. (63 minutes)