Historians and others examine temples built in India more than 1,000 years ago. They remain quite intriguing, though today’s tourists rarely visit them. Records reveal that trained elephants had to drag millions of stone blocks to help erect these structures. The program notes that due to the temples’ size, the U.S. Senate, Versailles, the Houses of Parliament, and St. Paul’s Basilica in Rome could all fit within a single one of them. Michael Bell narrates as footage and animated maps are used to help viewers learn more about what these ancient structures look like and why they were built.
The Great Wall of China covers 40,000 miles and remains the largest man-made structure in the world. During this segment of the Mysteries of Asia series, the filmmakers travel to different parts of the wall, including some that tourists cannot visit. They interview local authorities and historians who reveal that the Great Wall is not just one large wall but actually more than 20 walls that were built over 2,000 years.
An in-depth look at the many mysteries surrounding the temple ruins at Angkor. Interviewed experts explain that back in 1860, when the first European explorer discovered the ruins in northwestern Cambodia, he was told by local residents that the huge structures had either been built by giants or had built themselves. Others would later come up with more practical theories, including those who believed that the temples were built by Jews who migrated to China or by Alexander the Great.
Hiram Bingham explores the lost cities of the Inca. "When he reached Peru, Bingham came face to face with the Inca world for the first time, he was entranced." "One episode of the Inca history fascinated him above all others, Vicabamba the last strong hold of the Inca kings."
leading scholars chart the Aztec empire's rise and fall in this authoritative profile of one of the world's most intriguing civilizations. The program examines how the society eventually dominated ancient America and how the Spanish vanquished the mighty Aztecs in a matter of months. Aztec influences on contemporary Mexico are discussed, and exciting new discoveries are revealed at the Great Temple of Tenochtitlán excavation site.
Over several years, Parry spent a month living with fifteen different tribes in remote regions of the world. The result is an insight into wildly differing cultures that are vibrant, hospitable and full of spirit despite numerous hardships. Parry’s insatiable curiosity takes him deep into the heart of each community, whether they be forest people, cannibals or nomadic herders, where beyond the obvious differences, he finds the same loves, trials and issues we have the world over.
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