The Bronze Age Collapse and The Story of Phoenicia and Carthage

Our next two episodes cover the period of the collapse of the Bronze Age civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean region.  The first program will give an insight as to what happened in that period of catastrophe and anarchy which may well be the inspiration of Homer's Iliad stories.  The second program is a podcast telling the story of the Phoenicians and their expansion from the eastern Mediterranean coast  along the North African coast as well as  Cyprus, Sardinia and Southern Spain and to South West Britain.  Whilst they were mostly aggressive traders they established the Carthaginian empire.  One of the interesting stories as to the origin of the term Pyrrhic Victory.

The Bronze Age Collapse - Mediterranean Apocalypse    

The Punic Empires of Phoenicia and Carthage

Further Reading:

Late Bronze Age collapse - Wikipedia    

Phoenicia - Wikipedia

The Assyrian Empire Part 2

 Here are a couple more YouTubes about the Assyrians.  They might be a little easier to watch

Concise History of Ancient Assyria and the Assyrian Empire (Historical Highlights and Great Kings)    

Shamshi-Adad & the Old Assyrian Empire (2000-1750 BC) // Ancient History Documentary

The Assyrian Empire

The Assyrian Empire, was a Mesopotamian kingdom and empire of the ancient Near East who lived in the Levant that existed as a state from perhaps as early as the 25th century BC (in the form of the Assur city-state^]) until its collapse between 612 BC and 609 BC – spanning the periods of the Early to Middle Bronze Age through to the late Iron Age. This vast span of time is divided into the Early Period (2500–2025 BC), Old Assyrian Empire (2025–1378 BC), Middle Assyrian Empire (1392–934 BC) and Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–609 BC). 

The Ancient Assyrian Empire

Further Reading

The Assyrian Empire - Wikipedia

The Assyrian Empire - Ancient History Encyclopedia

The Akkadian and Babylonian Empires

The Akkadian Empire  was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia, after the long-lived civilization of Sumer. It was centered in the city of Akkad and its surrounding region. The empire united Akkadian (Assyrian and Babylonian) and Sumerian speakers under one rule. The Akkadian Empire exercised influence across Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Anatolia, sending military expeditions as far south as Dilmun and Magan (modern Bahrain and Oman) in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Akkadian Empire and the Sargonic Dynasty    

The Babylonian Empire - Great Civilizations of History

Further Reading

The Akkadian Empire _ Wikipedia    

Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations - Khan Academy

The Sumerians

The Sumerians were the people of southern Mesopotamia whose civilization flourished between c. 4100-1750 BCE. Their name comes from the region which is frequently – and incorrectly – referred to as a “country”. Sumer was never a cohesive political entity, however, but a region of city-states each with its own king 

Ancient Mesopotamia - The Sumerians

Further Reading

Ancient Mesopotamia - The Sumerians   -  Ancient History Encyclopedia

Sumer - Wikipedia

IRAQ: The Cradle of Civilization

After thousands of years as a hunter/gatherer, man built the first cities 5,000 years ago on the banks of the Euphrates in Southern Iraq. Civilization began. City life transformed the human race with the glorious cultures of Mesopotamia such as Ur and Babylon. Historian Michael Wood stands in the Iraqi desert amid crumbling ruins and dry desolation. He describes a once-thriving metropolis, where merchants brought their goods into the city over a network of lush canals. All that remains is a sea of golden sand, the once-large population drifted away, the complex society vanished. As the world approaches the 21st century, this new series reminds us that other nations and cultures prospered for hundreds or even thousands of years. Now all that remains is the legacy of their civilizations, present and influential in our own. 

IRAQ: The Cradle of Civilization    

Further Reading:

The Cradle of civilization - The Khan Acadamy    

Cradle of civilization Wikipedia

Tibetan History

This week we are going to look at the history of Tibet.  Tibet is a region in East Asia covering much of the Tibetan Plateau spanning about 2.5 million km². It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Tamang, Qiang, Sherpa, and Lhoba peoples and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people

 The links below are two documentaries that I have found on YouTube

The Lost World of Tibet

The Forgotten World of Tibet

Further Reading

Tibet - Wikipedia

The Story of Canada Part 4

Connected (1824 - 1890)

Inventors and entrepreneurs dream of uniting the country using the latest design and technology – and make their fortunes in the process. An extraordinary generation will revolutionize transportation, engineering and communications, making Canada the high-tech superstar of a newly-wired world.

Connected (1824 - 1890)

 Further reading

Titans: From brewers, to rail barons, to oil-and-gas giants, these tycoons changed Canada.    

Economic history of Canada - Wikipedia

The Story of Canada Part 3

 War of Independence (1812 - 1813)

The War of 1812 is Canada's War of Independence. With the British Empire entrenched in a European war, a disparate group of Indigenous, French Canadian, Scottish, African Canadian and even ex-pat American fighters join together to fight for their new homeland.

The War of Independence 1812 - 1813

Further Reading

War of 1812 - The Canadian Encyclopedia

The Story of Canada Part 2

Episode 2 - Hunting Treasure (1777 to 1793

A new generation of rebels and entrepreneurs compete for the key to this land's prosperity – its natural resources – while others fight to protect them. It's an epic quest for treasure that shapes the country to this day.

Hunting Treasure (1777 - 1793)

Further Reading

Exploration of Canada

The Story of Canada Part 1

This week we will begin an exploration of Canadian History.  I have found two series on YouTube but in both cases the full series was unavailable.  However, we will start with episode 1  - "Worlds Collide (pre-1608 – 1759).

Hundreds of Indigenous nations with advanced cultures already live in Canada when French and English colonizers arrive and fight for land claims. Indigenous people suffer as a result of first contact.

Canada: The Story of Us Part 1    

Further Reading

The History of Canada - Wikipedia

The History of South Africa

 This week we will look at the history of South Africa from two perspectives.  The first video is a view of South African history from the point of view of the white South African point of view and the second shorter video is from the point of view of black South African point of view.

South African History 1652 -1902

The TRUE history of South Africa    

Further Reading

History of South Africa

The Great Molghuls Part 3

 The stability of the previous reign continues, and Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) — more the aesthete and less the man of action than his father—is the right person to enjoy it. Meanwhile drama is provided by the rivalries which surround the emperor, especially between his wife and son.

Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658) was something of an enigma. After murdering several relatives to secure the throne for himself, he built the world's most famous monument to love, the Taj Mahal.

Yhe Great Moghuls Part 3

The Great Moghuls Part 2

 When the second Emperor Humayun died suddenly, his thirteen-year-old son was crowned Emperor. He was called Akbar, meaning "Great". He would grow up to amply deserve the name, for he was the greatest of the Great Moghuls.

Aurangzeb murdered two brothers to inherit the throne and imprisoned his father. He greatly extended the Moghul Empire, but Sikh resistance to his attempts to impose Islam hastened his decline.

The Mughal Empire Part 2

The Great Moghuls Part1

The Mughal Empire  or Mogul Empire, self-designated as Gurkani, was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries.  For some two centuries, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of present-day Assam and Bangladesh in the east, and the uplands of the Deccan plateau in south India.

Episode 1

Through the Khyber Pass in 1526 came the founder of the great Moghul Empire, Babur. He rode around with a small band of followers seizing villages and cattle. By the time he came into India, he had built up a sizeable army and had firearms which helped him to win battles that enabled him to crown himself Emperor of India.

In Akbar's great palace city at Fatehpur Sikri near Agra we discover how a Great Moghul lived. Also examined are Akbar's first contacts with Europeans and his obsession with religion.

The Mughal Empire Episode 1     

Further Reading:

Mughal Empire - Wikipedia

History of India

 This week we are going to look at a documentary which looks at the history of India from the Indus Valley civilisations to the end of the Moghul Empire in the mid 19th century.  Next week we will start on a documentary about the Great Moghuls.

History Of India ~ Ancient India     

Some further Reading:

The History of Ancient India (Ancient History Encyclopedia)    

History of India - Wikipedia

Ancient History - Know India    

Indian History Chronology: Ancient India to Modern India

1066 A Year to Conquer England 3/3

Part 3/3

When the winds finally change, Duke William leads his vast invasion fleet across the Channel after months of being trapped in a port in northern France. But King Harold is 300 miles away in the north, having defeated the Vikings. He has to rush back south, gather a new army and head to Hastings to take on this new invasion. The two armies meet at battle in Sussex on 14 October 1066, and the outcome changes the shape of England and Europe forever.

1066 A Year to Conquer England 2/3

King Harold has to take on two invasion forces. First, his brother Tostig attacks the south coast. He is repelled, but there is more to come. Later in the year, a vast Viking invasion force led by King Harald Hardrada of Norway lands in the north of England.  Harold rushes to Stamford Bridge to fight for his kingdom and for his life.

Part 2 of 3 

1066 A Year to Conquer England 1/3

The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman conquest of England. It took place approximately 7 miles (11 kilometres) northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex, and was a decisive Norman victory.

Part 1

When King Edward the Confessor dies without an heir, it triggers a bitter race to succeed him as King of England. Earl Harold is on the spot and takes the crown. But in Normandy, Duke William believes the throne has been promised to him and decides to invade. Meanwhile, in Norway, the Viking king Harald Hardrada also fancies himself as King of England, and he too puts together an invasion force. Very soon, England will be under attack.

Episode 1 of 3 

Further Reading

The Battle of Hastings - Wikipedia

Spartacus Educational – Battle of Hastings

EyeWitness to History.com – The Battle of Hastings

King Arthur's Britain - Part 3

Episode 3 

In the last programme of the series Francis focuses his attention on the Anglo-Saxon invasion.

King Arthur's Britain - Part 3

King Arthur's Britain - Part 2

Episode 2

Francis Pryor sheds light on the so-called 'Dark Ages' and finds a world inhabited by Christianised, literate Britons.

King Arthur's Britain - Part 2

.King Arthur's Britain - Part 1

Francis Pryor argues that Britain's early history was a vibrant period, when the island thrived under foreign influences from as far afield as the Middle East without losing any cultural identity

Episode 1

Francis Pryor reveals that the Roman invasion of Britain was not a brutal suppression of indigenous culture but a mutually beneficial experience that the Britons may have actually instigated.

The Roman Invasion     

Further Reading:
Sub Roman Britain - Wikipedia
Francis Pryor - Wikipedia

Stonehenge, Newgrange and Neanderthal People

This week I found these three short YouTubes about Stonehenge in Britain, Newgrange in Ireland and a cave in the Middle East which you may find of interest they are not long, ranging from from 12 to 15 minutes each.  I hope you find them as interesting as I did.

Massive Prehistoric Monument Found at Stonehenge
Newgrange in Ireland
Neanderthal Cave Excavated in Shanidar

Further Reading

Stonehenge: Neolithic monument found near sacred site
Stonehenge - Wikipedia
Newgrange - Wikipedia
Shanidar Cave - Wikipedia

The Black Death - A 13th Century Pandemic

In this time of a major worldwide pandemic I thought that  we could take a look at The Black Death, also known as the Pestilence and the Great Mortality.  It was the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, resulting in the deaths of up to 75–200 million people in Eurasia and North Africa, peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351.

The two links below relate to two documentaries about the pandemic.  The first is a podcast which gives an overall view of the pandemic, how it started, it's impacts on our history and how it resulted in the reformation that occurred over following centuries, The second is a BBC documentary which provides a more watchable view,  This documentary goes for about 40 to 50 minutes and then seems to start over..

History of the Black Death
Medieval Apocalypse The Black Death BBC Documentary

Further Reading
The Black Death - Wikipedia
The Black Death - The greatest catastrophe ever  - History Today

The Inca Masters of the Clouds : Clash of Empires

The Inca: Masters of the Clouds will explore the origins, achievements and nature of the Inca Empire...

We will travel from the highlands of Ecuador to the shores of Lake Titicaca; from the Pacific Coast to the peaks of the Andes.

Along the way he will build a picture of how this remarkable empire functioned. How did the Inca master their landscape to produce food for millions? How did they build such an astonishing network of roads connecting the cities of the empire? How did their encounter with the Spanish result in disaster?

The Inca: Masters of the Clouds
The Inca: Clash of Empires

Further Reading

The Inca Empire - Wikipedia

The Lost Kingdoms of South America Part 4 - Kingdom of the Desert

In the spectacular deserts of coastal Peru, archaeologist Dr Jago Cooper explores the dramatic rise and fall of Chimor, the first empire of South America. His journey begins among the ruins of a vast lost city once home to an all-powerful monarchy, whose subjects transformed the desert landscape, created gold and silver treasures and believed so strongly in the power of their gods that they made the most shocking of sacrifices. Chimor thrived despite facing some of the most extreme climate conditions in the world, but not even this powerful empire could withstand the forces that eventually destroyed it.

http://boblswalks.blogspot.com/\


Further Reading

Chimú culture - Wikipedia

The Lost Kingdoms of South America Part 3 - Lands of Gold

Through the mountains and jungles of Colombia, Cooper goes in search of the truth behind one of the greatest stories ever told - the legend of El Dorado. His journey takes him from Bogota to the Caribbean coast, through territories once dominated by two cultures, the Muisca and the Tairona, who flourished for centuries before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Cooper reveals forgotten peoples who valued gold in a way the Western world still struggles to understand, travelling to an astonishing lost city and meeting the last survivors of an ancient civilisation.

http://boblswalks.blogspot.com/

Further Reading

El Dorado - Wikipedia
The Muisca People - Wikipedia
The Tairona People - Wikipedia

The Lost Kingdoms of South America Part 2 - The Stone at the Centre

Deep in the Bolivian Andes at the height of 13,000ft stands Tiwanaku, the awe-inspiring ruins of a monolithic temple city. Built by a civilisation who dominated a vast swathe of South America, it was abandoned 1,000 years ago. For centuries it has been a mystery - how did a civilisation flourish at such an altitude and why did it vanish? Jago Cooper journeys through Bolivia's spectacular landscape to investigate the origins of Tiwanaku and finds evidence of an ancient people with amazing understanding of their environment, whose religion was based on collective effort and ritual beer drinking.

http://boblswalks.blogspot.com/

Further Reading:

Tiwanaku Empire - Wikipedia

Tiwanaku - Wikipedia

Tiwanaku Empire - Ancient City and Imperial State in South America

The Lost Kingdoms of South America Part 1 - People of the Clouds

Over the next four weeks we look at the the history of some of South America's ancient civilisations. Exploring ruins and investigating the truth behind legends that surround these cultures,We will journey through Peru, Bolivia and Colombia to reveal the true character of the continent through its archaeology, culture, people and landscapes

Dr Cooper begins with an epic journey into the remote Peruvian Andes in search of the mysterious Chachapoya people. Once numbering half a million, they were known as the 'People of the Clouds'. Dr Cooper reveals how they developed sophisticated methods of recording stories, traded in exotic goods found hundreds of miles from their territory, and had funeral traditions that challenge assumptions about ancient human behaviour. His search for evidence takes him to astonishing cliff tombs untouched for 500 years and one of the most spectacular fortresses in South America, where the fate of the Chachapoya is revealed.

People of the Clouds

Here is some further reading:

Chachapoya Culture - Wikipedia
An Overview of Chachapoya Archaeology and History

The Polynesian Islands Part 2

This week there a couple of videos about how the Polynesians navigated and are based around a reconstruction of a seagoing canoe in Hawaii and a voyage southward to show how it was done.

THE NAVIGATORS Pathfinders Of The Pacific
Light at The Edge of The World - The Wayfinders

The Polynesian Islands Part 1

Today we are going to start our look at the the story of pre European Polynesia.  There are two videoa this week,  The first is a 30 minute documentary which is a rather breathless timeline looking at where the Polynesian people came from.   The second is a 45 minute National Geographic documentary looking at the spread of the Polynesian people across the Pacific.

The Austronesians

The Lost World of The Pacific

Further Reading

Polynesia - Wikipedia
Polynesians - Wikipedia

Reconquista - The story of the Christian Reconquest of Spain Part 2

Part 2 of the Reconquista  looks at what happened in the 13th century in Spain not only between the Christian states and the Moors but also the changing dynamics of relationships between the the various Christian Monarchs and the ambitions of one Monarch to be appointed as Holy Roman Empire.

Reconquista -The Next Generation

Further Reading

Holy Roman Empire - Wikipedia

Reconquista - The story of the Christian Reconquest of Spain

Following our look of the emergence and spread of Islam, we will be looking at the Christian  reconquest of the Iberian peninsula which culminated in the expulsion of the Moors in the 15th Century.  There are two episodes which are both quite a bit longer than the previous episodes.

Reconquista - The Full History

Further Reading

The History of The Iberian - Peninsula -Wikipedia
Reconquista - Wikipedia
Reconquista - Heritage History

The History of Islam Part 3

This week we follow the spread of Islam through North Africa and the establishment of the Islamic Caliphate of Cordoba which lasted from the 8th Century until the 15th Century.  This is a relatively short video which finishes rather abruptly.

The Moors of Andulasia

Further Reading
Al Andalus - Wikipedia
How 700 years of Muslim rule in Spain came to an end - The Conversation
Islam in Spain

The History of Islam Part 2

The early Muslim conquests  began with the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the 7th century. He established a new unified polity in the Arabian Peninsula which under the subsequent Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates saw a century of rapid expansion.

The resulting empire stretched from the borders of China and the Indian subcontinent, across the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and parts of Europe (Sicily and the Iberian Peninsula to the Pyrenees). 

The second episode is entitled The Muslim Conquest of North Africa

The Muslim Conquest of North Africa

Further Reading

Arab - Muslim Conquests in Africa

Early Muslim Conquests – Wikepedia

The History of Islam Part 1

Whilst our U3A has been forced to take a Coronavirus break,  I thought I might post links to a TV series about Islamic history entitled War Of the Worlds  over the next few weeks.  The series is a part of a series looking at Spanish History.

The first episode is entitled Early Islamic Conquest.

War of the Worlds part 1 - Early Islamic Conquest

Further Reading

The Khan Academy. - The Rise of Islamic Empires and States
The Khan Academy - Chronological period in the Islamic World
The Caliphate - Wikipedia
 Islamic Civilization: Timeline and Definition