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Archaeological Sites (9)
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Angkor, the Lost CityRoger Blais & Morten Parker 1961 12 minA pictorial essay on the ruins of the ancient city of Angkor. The greatest assembly of sculpture the world has ever known--a whole metropolis of palaces and temples, recovered from the jungle. Six hundred monuments, picture-tapestries in stone, and Angkor-Vat, a mile-square temple of grey sandstone, reveal the glories of the Khmers, ancestors of today's Cambodians. -
China 2000 BC - The Rise and Fall of Dynasties in Ancient ChinaWally Longul , Takayoshi Aizawa , … 2013 45 minBetween 2000 B.C. and 221 B.C., many civilizations developed in the area now known as China and each had its own distinct language, culture and gods. This series unveils remarkable new archaeological discoveries that provide clues about how exactly these civilizations merged into one Chinese culture over the course of several centuries.
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China 2000 BC - Unearthing the Truth Behind a Myth: The Xia DynastyWally Longul , Takayoshi Aizawa , … 2013 45 minBetween 2000 B.C. and 221 B.C., many civilizations developed in the area now known as China and each had its own distinct language, culture and gods. This series unveils remarkable new archaeological discoveries that provide clues about how exactly these civilizations merged into one Chinese culture over the course of several centuries.
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Exile - A Myth UnearthedIlan Ziv 2012 1 h 37 minThis feature documentary looks at new evidence that suggests the majority of the Jewish people may not have been exiled following the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Travelling from Galilee to Jerusalem and the catacombs of Rome, the film asks us to rethink our ideas about an event that has played a critical role in the Christian and Jewish traditions.
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Exile - A Myth Unearthed (BBC Version)Ilan Ziv 2013 59 minIt has been depicted in artwork and lamented in poetry and prayer for nearly 2,000 years: the exile of the Jewish people from their homeland in the first century AD, following the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
But what if the exile never happened?
That is the central, provocative question of Exile: A Myth Unearthed, a documentary that looks at the exile through the lenses of archaeology, history, myth and religion, asking what it means for our understanding of history and the contemporary struggle over land in the Middle East.
Since 1985, teams of archaeologists have been painstakingly unearthing artifacts from the ancient town of Sepphoris, in Galilee. Their findings are revolutionizing our knowledge of Jewish history.
Exile travels from Sepphoris to Masada, from Jerusalem to the catacombs of Rome, and features interviews with leading historians and archaeologists. Throughout the film we also follow a group of tourists visiting sites in the Holy Land and hear the traditional interpretation of events such as the siege of Masada—an interpretation which stands in sharp contrast to recent evidence.
The issues raised in Exile are of more than passing historical interest. The myth of exile is an essential narrative in Middle Eastern and European history, and of critical importance to both Christian and Jewish theology. And the possibility that many Jews, such as those of Sepphoris, simply remained where they lived, raises uncomfortable questions. Could some Palestinians actually be their descendants?
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The Lost Pharaoh: The Search for AkhenatenNicholas Kendall 1980 56 minThis feature documentary tells the story of Akhenaten, an ancient pharaoh who was almost lost to history. The film follows Canadian archaeologist Dr. Donald Redford, who uncovered the foundation of one of the pharaoh’s many temples, in his attempt to finally piece together this great Egyptian ruler’s enigmatic story.
Viewer Advisory: This film contains scenes of animal slaughter. -
LouisbourgAlbert Kish 1972 20 minThe Fortress of Louisbourg, a historic landmark on the Atlantic shore of Cape Breton Island, was originally built by King Louis XV to protect French possessions in the New World during the French colonial era. Its restoration is considered to be the biggest archaeological dig in North America. This film gives a detailed account of what was involved in the reconstruction and refurbishing.
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The Man Who Discovered AmericaRalph Maud 1981 20 minThis short documentary looks at the Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad, who uncovered the remains of a Viking settlement at l'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland in 1960. His search for traces of Norse settlements took him from the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico to the Far North of Canada. His numerous expeditions, many of them recorded on film and narrated by Ingstad, form the basis of this fascinating film about a man who is said to have discovered America in a way that few have or ever will.
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The Vinland MysteryWilliam Pettigrew 1984 28 minThis short documentary depicts the search, discovery and authentication of the only known Norse settlement in North America - Vinland the Good. Mentioned in Icelandic manuscripts and speculated about for over two centuries, Vinland is known as "the place where the wild grapes grow" and was thought to be on the eastern coast between Virginia and Newfoundland. In 1960 a curious group of house mounds was uncovered at l'Anse aux Meadows in northern Newfoundland by Drs. Helge Ingstad and Anne Stine Ingstad of Norway. Added to the United Nations World Heritage List, l'Anse aux Meadows is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.
