civilization

Civilization: Is the West History episode 1

Civilization: Is the West History episode 1

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

Civilization: Is the West History episode 1: The first programme in the series begins in 1420 when Ming China had a credible claim to be the most advanced civilization in the world: ‘All Under Heaven’. England on the eve of the Wars of the Roses would have seemed quite primitive by contrast. Yet the lead that China had established in technology was not to be translated into sustained economic growth. In China a monolithic empire stifled colonial expansion and economic innovation. In Europe political division bred competition. The question for our own time is whether or not we have lost […]

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Archaeology - A Secret History episode 3 - The Power of the Past

Archaeology – A Secret History episode 3 – The Power of the Past

History / 4 minutes of reading / / By

Archaeology – A Secret History episode 3 – The Power of the Past: shows how 20th-century attention turned from civilisation and kings to the search for the common man against a background of science and competing political ideologies. Archaeology stands as a pivotal discipline that unveils the story of human activity through the meticulous study and analysis of material culture. This encompasses artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, and cultural landscapes. Rooted in both social sciences and humanities, archaeology in Europe is seen as a distinct discipline, while in North America, it aligns closely with anthropology. Archaeologists delve into the depths

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Archaeology - A Secret History episode 2 - The Search for Civilisation

Archaeology – A Secret History episode 2 – The Search for Civilisation

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

Archaeology – A Secret History episode 2 : Archaeologist Richard Miles shows how discoveries in the 18th and 19th centuries overturned ideas of when and where civilisation began as empires competed to literally ‘own’ the past.     Archaeologist Richard Miles presents a series charting the history of the breakthroughs and watersheds in our long quest to understand our ancient past.   Archaeology – A Secret History episode 2 – In the Beginning   Archaeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts and cultural landscapes. Archaeology can

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First Civilizations episode 4 - Trade

First Civilizations episode 4 – Trade

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

The finale episode, First Civilizations – Trade episode 4, examines an ancient civilization unlike any other, that of the Indus Valley. Rather than imposing order through war or religion, it relied on the free flow of trade. The exchange of goods promoted wealth, co-operation and trust.     A look at the first human civilizations, which emerged in the Near East, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, the Andes, and Mesoamerica. All subsequent civilizations have been derived from these original six foundational civilizations. First Civilizations Having lived as mobile foragers for 99 percent of our time on Earth, why did humans

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First Civilizations episode 3 - Cities

First Civilizations episode 3 – Cities

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

First Civilizations – Cities episode 3, view the birthplace of civilization: the Middle East, site of the world’s first villages, towns and cities, from the hills of Turkey to the plains of Iraq. They were crucibles of invention and innovation-turbo-charging the pace of progress.     A look at the first human civilizations, which emerged in the Near East, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, the Andes, and Mesoamerica. All subsequent civilizations have been derived from these original six foundational civilizations. First Civilizations Having lived as mobile foragers for 99 percent of our time on Earth, why did humans set out

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First Civilizations episode 2 - Religion

First Civilizations episode 2 – Religion

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

First Civilizations episode 2 – Religion: discover the secret to the stability and cohesion of Ancient Egypt—religion. When people share a core set of beliefs, they are more likely to identify as one. That was true for the first civilizations and it’s just as true today.     A look at the first human civilizations, which emerged in the Near East, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, the Andes, and Mesoamerica. All subsequent civilizations have been derived from these original six foundational civilizations. First civilizations having lived as mobile foragers for 99 percent of our time on Earth, why did humans

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First Civilizations episode 1 - War

First Civilizations episode 1 – War

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

First Civilizations episode 1 – War – Examine the process of “destructive creation”, the idea that fear, rivalry and conflict strengthen community bonds while stimulating an arms race of technological progress. The result is civilization. Ancient Mesoamerica exemplifies this development.     First Civilizations Having lived as mobile foragers for 99 percent of our time on Earth, why did humans set out on the road to civilization? How did they create villages, towns, cities, and states, and establish the blueprint for the modern world?   First Civilizations episode 1 – War   First Civilizations identifies four cornerstones of civilization –

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Africa's Great Civilizations

Africa’s Great Civilizations

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

In his six-hour – 6 part series, Africa’s Great Civilizations, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes a new look at the history of Africa, from the birth of humankind to the dawn of the 20th century. This is a breathtaking and personal journey through two hundred thousand years of history, from the origins, on the African continent, of art, writing and civilization itself, through the millennia in which Africa and Africans shaped not only shaped their own rich civilizations, but also the wider world.   Africa’s Great Civilizations Part 1     Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores Africa’s rich history. Journey

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