Page 2 - David Webster News Today

Humans have populated every environment on earth. We live on the frozen tundra and in the searing deserts. We live in thriving cities of millions and in isolated camps of a few dozen. Some societies seem simple because they are small and their members are selfsufficient and use simple tools. Others seem complex because they have large populations and people depend on each other for food and goods and use sophisticated technology. In between, there is a range that fills the spectrum. All of these...

From ancient sumer clay tablets reveal astonishing details about daily life 5,000 years ago, and tell the story of the invention of writing. Symbols can be the gateway to the hearts and minds of ancient people. Their decipherment is one of the greatest challenges facing archaeologists today. We humans are social animals. Our need to communicate is universal. Some of our messages can be easily understood. But we communicate, too, through abstract symbols that have meaning only within a particular...

Now, in the ruins of the roman empire, scholars grapple with an ageold question how does any one leader acquire so much power . From the tribes of highland new guinea and the chiefdoms of the american northwest, to the kingdoms of the ancient maya, archaeologists trace the evolution of human leadership. Theirs is a journey through time seeking clues to the emergence of the state. Join us now at the dawn of a civilization to uncover the roots of power, prestige and wealth. In the pyramids and mon...

In the forests and jungles of other realms, maya kings rule great cities with the force of their own personalities. They build temples and huge stone billboards to prop up royal dynasties that have little actual power. They perform gruesome rituals that require the skins of other people. They go to war and capture players for their ball games games where the losers never play again. Today, inside ancient pyramids archaeologists face real danger to bring the story of these kings and their politic...

Our beliefs, how we organize our societies and how we make our living. Humans have populated every environment on earth. We live on the frozen tundra and in the searing deserts. We live in thriving cities of millions and in isolated camps of a few dozen. Some societies seem simple because they are small and their members are selfsufficient and use simple tools. Others seem complex because they have large populations and people depend on each other for food and goods and use sophisticated technol...

About life among the maya . From ancient sumer clay tablets reveal astonishing details about daily life 5,000 years ago, and tell the story of the invention of writing. Symbols can be the gateway to the hearts and minds of ancient people. Their decipherment is one of the greatest challenges facing archaeologists today. We humans are social animals. Our need to communicate is universal. Some of our messages can be easily understood. But we communicate, too, through abstract symbols that have mean...

When he immortalized himself in bronze and gold. Now, in the ruins of the roman empire, scholars grapple with an ageold question how does any one leader acquire so much power . From the tribes of highland new guinea and the chiefdoms of the american northwest, to the kingdoms of the ancient maya, archaeologists trace the evolution of human leadership. Theirs is a journey through time seeking clues to the emergence of the state. Join us now at the dawn of a civilization to uncover the roots of po...

At vacation retreats in ancient mexico, aztec kings bathe while their armies sack and burn a remote town. Thousands of captives are marched to the capital where their hearts are offered to gods who sanctioned conquest. Every city and town in the empire pays tribute in exact amount and kind as specified by the aztecs or risks horrible consequences. In the forests and jungles of other realms, maya kings rule great cities with the force of their own personalities. They build temples and huge stone ...

Clay tablets reveal astonishing details about daily life 5,000 years ago, and tell the story of the invention of writing. Symbols can be the gateway to the hearts and minds of ancient people. Their decipherment is one of the greatest challenges facing archaeologists today. We humans are social animals. Our need to communicate is universal. Some of our messages can be easily understood. But we communicate, too, through abstract symbols that have meaning only within a particular culture. These sym...

With the force of their own personalities. They build temples and huge stone billboards to prop up royal dynasties that have little actual power. They perform gruesome rituals that require the skins of other people. They go to war and capture players for their ball games games where the losers never play again. Today, inside ancient pyramids, archaeologists face real danger to bring the story of these kings and their politics out of the past. Before the arrival of europeans, two extraordinary ci...