Civilizations

May 18, 2012

To The Contrary

For the first time in U.S. history, white newborns are outnumbered by babies of color; the U.S. Army recently made history by officially opening jobs in combat battalions to women, but direct ground combat roles are still exclusive to men; To The Contrary travels to China to explore the role the U.S. Foreign Service plays in diplomacy overseas. Continue

Nomad's Land: Interactive Map

Independent Lens

Our ancestors were nomads, but today, out of 6.8 billion people, only 30 million lead migratory lives. Summer Pasture (airing May 10 on Independent Lens on PBS) spotlights a nomadic family in the grasslands of Dzachukha in eastern Tibet. Many nomadic societies around the world are facing threats to their way of life, including forced relocation and climate change. Continue

Civilization (Part 1)

Civilization: The West and the Rest with Niall Ferguson

The two-part series examines Niall Ferguson's six principles of prosperity: Competition, Science, Modern Medicine, Democracy, Consumerism, and Work Ethic. The first part focuses on competition, science, and property, comparing the historical trajectories of the West, China (competition), the Middle East (science), and Latin America (property). Continue

Civilization - Preview

Civilization: The West and the Rest with Niall Ferguson

What led the West to be so influential? And how long will the West sustain its supremacy? Premieres on Tuesdays, May 22 and 29, 2012 on PBS (check local listings). Continue

Forgotten Mayan Society Discovered

Quest for the Lost Maya

Follow archaeologists as they unearth evidence of a previously unknown Mayan society based in the Yucatán Peninsula of southern Mexico. The film surveys the Maya's dramatic rise to prominence in the "pre-classic era" (800-700 B.C.) , as well as new evidence of the collapse of their civilization around A.D. 900. Continue

Timeline of Robert Mugabe's Rule in Zimbabwe

POV

Trace key events in the history of Zimbabwe dating back to the Mutapa Empire in 1400 AD through modern times under Robert Mugabe's rule. Continue

Egyptian Secrets & Science

Secrets of the Pharaohs

Modern science provides a fresh insight on ancient Egypt. Continue

The Vast Egyptian Empire

Empires

When Rome was a marsh and the Acropolis an empty rock, Egypt was at its pinacle. Continue

Life in Ancient Rome

Empires

As with most cultures, social class dictated the quality of life in Ancient Rome. Continue

Interactive: Plains Indians Memoir & Soule Photos

Antiques Roadshow

In the 1870s, H.S. Kilbourne was an Army surgeon at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Now, for the first time, ROADSHOW is publishing the memoirs of his extraordinary experiences among the American Plains Indians, along with a slideshow of images by famed 19th-century photographer William S. Soule. Continue

More from Civilization: The Clock

Civilization: The West and the Rest with Niall Ferguson

Niall Ferguson discusses the clock as a metaphor for the shift of global power. Continue

Capturing the Last Vestiges of an Iconic American Symbol

Independent Lens

Montana filmmaker Doug Hawes-Davis lives in a place where at one time, bison outnumbered people by more than two to one. Now the embattled animal — a common symbol of the American West — is clinging to its last vestiges of wildness, as cattle ranching, hunting, and habitat loss threaten once again to bring it to the brink of extinction. Continue

The Rise and Fall of a Civilization

Quest for the Lost Maya

Quest for the Lost Maya explores archaeological evidence of a previously unknown Mayan society based in the Yucatan Peninsula of southern Mexico. The film surveys their dramatic rise to prominence in the "pre-classic era" (800-700 BCE) of the Maya, as well as new evidence of the collapse of their civilization in the 800-900s CE. Continue

Full Episode

Cave People of the Himalaya

Everest climber and thrill seeker Pete Athans returns to the Himalayas with Dr. Mark Aldenderfer in search of the caves and mummies of a lost civilization. There they risk their own safety to reveal astonishing evidence of a previously unknown 1,500-year-old death ritual high in the Himalayan caves. Continue

Explore Global Gender Diversity

Independent Lens

On nearly every continent, and for all of recorded history, thriving cultures have recognized, revered, and integrated more than two genders. Worldwide, the sheer variety of gender expression is almost limitless. Take a tour and learn how other cultures see gender diversity. Continue

Life in Ancient Egypt