What the Ancients Did for Us

Synopsis

A compilation of three programmes in which Adam Hart-Davis builds and tests some of the most extraordinary inventions from the ancient world of the Egyptians, the Romans and the Greeks.

Egypt - From the noisy bazaars of Cairo to the serene temples of Luxur, Amani Zain tells the stories behind the golden age of these industrious peoples. From boats to bead drills, from pyramids to mummification, the programme shows us the lasting effect this ancient world has left on the technology we use today.

Greece - From the Acropolis in Athens, to remote Aegeon islands, roving reporter Hermoine Cockburn travels the Mediterranean and tells the stories behind these inventive peoples during the golden era of this great civilisation. From ancient computers to catapults, from ray guns to the planets, the programme shows the lasting effect the Greek world has left on the technology we use today.

Rome - In this programme Adam Hart-Davis builds and tests some of the most extraordinary inventions from the world of ancient Rome. From ballistas to bath houses, from the military to marble cutting, Adam shows us the lasting effect the Roman World has left on the technology we use today. On location in Rome, Amani Zain also tells us the stories behind the Colosseum, the Parthenon and the Circus Maximus during the golden age of this great empire.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2006

Year of production

2004

Notes

Broadcast on BBC2 on 30/3/2005 (Egypt), 9/3/2005 (Rome), 4/4/2005 (Greece)

Subjects

History; Technology

Keywords

ancient civilisations; Egyptology; Greece - classical; Roman Empire; technological innovation

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£39.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

180 minutes

Year

2006

Type

VHS

Format

PAL

Price

£34.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

180 minutes

Year

2006

Sponsor

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

Open University Worldwide

Web

http://www.ouw.co.uk External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 1908 274066

Address

Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA

Notes

NB. As of May 2016 Open University Worldwide are no longer distributing DVDs. They have posted this message on their website: ‘Unfortunately Open University Worldwide Limited has decided that product sales are no longer viable given the reduced funding to Higher Education institutions and diminishing demand for the products we have traditionally stocked. At present the Open University Students Association (OUSA) will continue to sell the "Good Study Guide", and we are in discussion with other possible distributors to continue to make The Open University’s products available for purchase. As soon as we have any information on other channels of distribution we will update this notice’. Some products are still available via second hand dealers on Amazon.co.uk