TELEVISION

Cities of the Ancient World

Series: Great Courses
4.5
(23)
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Episodes
24
Rating
TVPG
Year
2014
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

We live in a world of cities - for the first time ever, the majority of the population lives in an urban environment - and reflecting on ancient models of the "city" as a human phenomenon offers important lessons for our culture today. Cities of the Ancient World is your opportunity to survey the breadth of the ancient world through the context of its urban development.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1 to 3 of 24

1. The Lure of the City

30m

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Cities are integral to our modern lives. Begin your tour by considering why wandering ancient humans left the forests and plains to create settlements. The fundamental question of "why" is just the first step toward understanding the inhabitants and lessons from ancient cities.

2. Çatalhöyük

30m

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Imagine a city with no streets, no public buildings, and no common spaces. Built in layers on a small mound, the world's first city offers an intriguing window into life in the Neolithic era. Explore the remains of Çatalhöyük's family housing, murals, and religious shrines.

3. Jericho and Its Walls

30m

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Nearly everyone has heard the story of the walls of Jericho, which famously came tumbling down in the book of Joshua. Look past the biblical story and find out what architectural remains suggest about this city, whose ritual spaces helped create a community and whose walls helped define this urban environment.

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Steven L. Tuckwriter
Steven L. Tuckactor