Summary: As the last great Aztec ruler, Montezuma II inherited a sprawling yet fragile empire. This program studies his governance, its abrupt end at the hands of the conquistadors, and its historical meanings. Paralleling a major exhibition at the British Museum, the film features artifacts, architecture, and images that speak to Montezuma's humanity, his self-proclaimed divinity, and the cultural...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: A major gateway to sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan has seen the rise and fall of many powerful kingdoms and refined cultures-and the key to understanding these ancient civilizations lies in the multitude of archaeological treasures that dot the landscape and that are still buried beneath the sands. This program follows the trail of the young French naturalist and pioneer Frederic Cailliaud, whose...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: When excavation in downtown Manhattan unearthed an 18th-century Negro burial ground, New Yorkers were reminded that slavery was not limited to the South. This program explores an often-overlooked chapter in the history of the city and the colonies in general by examining the oldest slave cemetery ever found in North America. Scholars and leading experts conduct archaeological and forensic...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
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
View online at AVOD
Summary: Intent on finding Vilcabamba, a semi-fabled city concealed in a remote jungle region of the Inca empire, explorer Hiram Bingham found himself face-to-face with one of the most astonishing archaeological discoveries of the 20th century-the ruins of Machu Picchu. Bingham's encounter brought the wonders of the ancient Incan nation into the modern spotlight, and subsequent discoveries at the site...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: The remains of more than 10,000 Native Americans unearthed at archaeological sites across the U.S. are in the possession of museums such as the Smithsonian. Is the analysis of the bones valid scientific research, or is it a desecration of Native American culture? This program focuses on the tensions between scientists, historians, and museum curators and Native American groups, as the bones...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005