Exploring the Roots of Religion

Giza? Why are we so transfixed by their presence today? And what do they reveal about our ancestors - and humanity?

The dynamic force of religious belief is responsible for some of the world's most popular and ancient locales. With these 36 riveting lectures, you can dig through the earth and learn how sacred buildings, complexes, tomb structures, artwork, and more have provided us with unparalleled knowledge about early spiritual experiences around the world. Using the tools and knowledge of their field, archaeologists can now determine the nature of a sacrificial ritual, compare the visible attributes of ancient deities, and map out the orientation of a temple or tomb.

Professor John Hale of the University of Louisville gives you a comprehensive look at specific religious archaeological sites around the world - inside caves and crypts, through vast deserts and ancient cities, from Polynesia to Mexico to the American Midwest.

By the final lap of your international journey, you'll have developed a new vision of religion and its crucial role in ancient history. You'll become more attuned to spirituality's universal elements and its unique characteristics. And you'll realize just how much credit religion deserves for remarkable sites that continue to captivate us.

All Lectures:
1. The Roots of Religious Experience
2. Neanderthal Burials at Shanidar
3. Hunting Magic in Sacred Caves
4. Myths of the Shaman
5. Realm of the Mother Goddess
6. Mysteries of the Megaliths
7. Towers and Tombs of Sumeria
8. Tomb of the First Emperor of China
9. Feasting with the Dead at Petra
10. Druid Sacrifice at Lindow Moss?
11. Honoring Ancestors in Ancient Ohio
12. A Viking Queen Sails to Eternity
13. Dancing with Bulls at Knossos
14. Oracle Bones in Ancient China
15. Sun and Sexuality in Early Scandinavia
16. Apollo Speaks at Klaros
17. Chalice of Blood in Ancient Peru
18. Decoding Rituals at Palenque
19. Temple of the Goddess on Malta
20. The Aten - Monotheism in Egypt
21. Deities of the Acropolis
22. Gods and Pyramids at Teotihuacan
23. Sacred City on the Mississippi
24. Sun and Shadow at Machu Picchu
25. Celestial Gateway at Giza
26. Cosmic Hub at Stonehenge
27. Desert Lines at Nazca
28. Skywatchers at Chaco Canyon
29. Mountain of the Gods at Angkor
30. The Stone Heads of Easter Island
31. Tending Zoroaster's Sacred Fire in Iran
32. Writing the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran
33. Taking Religions Underground at Rome
34. Forging Iron at Jenne-jeno on the Niger
35. Carving Monasteries at Ajanta in India
36. Faiths Lost and Found