Summary: Could Ethiopia have been founded by the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba? In this program art historian Gus Casely-Hayford searches for the facts behind the legend by traveling to several important religious sites: Gondar, with its stunning icons; Lalibela, a cluster of 11 churches carved from single blocks of stone; remote Debre Damo monastery; Axum, allegedly home to the Ark of the...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: The Victorian explorer who discovered the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, with its high, sweeping walls and complex passageways, had no idea who could have built it. The vast stone city remained at the center of debate for decades. In this program art historian Gus Casely-Hayford pieces together the story of the African empire and how it was linked to surrounding kingdoms as part of a medieval gold...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: A collection of extraordinary plaques, seized as loot during the colonial aggression that ended the powerful Benin Empire in 1897, depict life in the African kingdom's royal court at its height. In this program art historian Gus Casely-Hayford travels to legendary Timbuktu, the Great Mosque of Djenn, the Oba Royal Palace, and Dogon country to learn more about how the plaques were made and what...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
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Summary: This program profiles the warriors of the White Nile, a tribe that others call Dinka but that calls itself Moinjang: Man of the Men. Wedding negotiations, which involve a bride price usually paid in cattle, are highlighted, along with a traditional high-stakes contest to be the fattest man in the land. The impacts of Sudan's civil war and of a thriving slave trade, intensified by famine and...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010