Journeys from the Centre of the Earth

From DocuWiki

1 General Information
2 Cover
3 Information
4 Screenshots
5 Technical Specs
6 Links

[edit] General Information

Nature Documentary presented by Iain Stewart and published by BBC in 2004 - English narration

[edit] Cover

[edit] Information

The Open University and the BBC are taking viewers on a journey from the centre of the Earth to some of the world's top holiday hot-spots to uncover how the rocks underfoot have influenced the history and the make-up of the Mediterranean. Journeys from the Centre of the Earth is a six-part Open University and BBC co-production.

The programme follows Scottish geologist Dr Iain Stewart as he takes viewers on a "rock n roll" tour of the Mediterranean, explaining how geology is behind everything from the rise and fall of civilisations to religion, architecture and food.

Iain says "After they see the programme I'm hoping people will look at their favourite holiday spots in a new light, and that they will fully appreciate that the rocks that they had once thought of as unassuming are in fact pivotal to the present look and feel of their sought-out surroundings."

Iain's tour will take viewers across the Mediterranean region to take in Jordan, Turkey, Greece and Spain, as he reveals untold stories of favourite holiday destinations and shows how rocks have played a key part in almost every aspect of human existence.

[edit] Risky Rocks

Earthquakes created a huge network of cracks in the ground that have had a huge impact on human history. These faults are pathways for materials to rise to the surface which can bring life or death. They are behind everything from catastrophic volcanoes to natural health spas and valuable mineral deposits. Filmed in Greece, Turkey and Jordan.

[edit] Architecture

The architecture of ancient civilisations was largely dictated by the types of rocks that were accessible to their builders. Iain Stewart reveals how geology influenced the Egyptians to build pyramids, the Greeks to build squares and the Romans to build perfect arches. It all comes down to how the rocks were formed millions of years ago. Filmed in Egypt, Italy and Greece.

[edit] Art

Geology has had a huge influence in shaping the history of art. Early cave painters scraped their colours from rocks on the earth's surface, while the Egyptians and Arabs developed ingenious techniques to dramatically broaden the range of their palettes. As well as exploring ancient techniques, Iain Stewart looks at how advances in our understanding of rocks have given each generation of artists new options. Filmed in Egypt, France and Spain.

[edit] Beliefs

Geological events have influenced the way we believe the world around us works. From the birth of Christianity to recent discoveries about the extinction of dinosaurs, geology has played a vital role in our perception of where we came from. Filmed in Greece, Italy and Portugal.

[edit] Water

Iain Stewart tells the story of man's 10,000-year battle with water. Because water is so crucial, the really successful ancient civilisations were the ones that learned how best to exploit it. From the catastrophic flooding of Stone Age hunting grounds at the Black Sea, to the fall of the Roman Empire, water played a crucial role. Even today, we ignore the power of water at our peril. Filmed in Greece, Spain and Jordan.

[edit] Salt

Salt has played a crucial role in everything from the existence of ice ages to the preservation of food and dead bodies in ancient Egypt. Filmed in Egypt, Venice and Sicily.