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