Episode 1 - Risky Rocks
Iain sidesteps the tour guides of the Med and shows how cracks in the Earth have changed the course of human history. They are behind everything from catastrophic. This episode looks at earthquakes in Turkey; the health spa and entrance to hell at Pamukkale (good water and bad gas); a theory that asphalt is behind the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; how the use of copper and tin brought about the Bronze Age and how lead poisoned the Romans. Also included are the volcanic eruptions at Santorini.
Episode 2 - 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.Episode 3 - 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 transform rocks and 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 right up to the present day.Episode 4 - Belief
Today, most accept the planet is shaped by the laws of nature. However it was once believed that many powerful gods were responsible for everything and that they showed their displeasure with almighty catastrophes such as earthquakes or volcanoes. This episode explains how the rocks beneath our feet have been constantly forcing us to rethink our beliefs about life, the universe and everything.Episode 5 - Water
Because water is so crucial, the really successful ancient civilisations were the ones that learned how best to exploit it. This episode looks at the catastrophic flooding of Stone Age hunting grounds at the Black Sea 10,000 years ago; the connection between rocks and human attempts to navigate; the Greeks’ use of sink holes to control their water supply; how silting up left the city of Ephesus stranded inland; and the fall of the Roman Empire. In each, water played a crucial role.Episode 6 - Salt
Salt has played an important role in much more than just food and trade. Salt is a key part of the Atlantic conveyor which switches ice ages on and off. Salt was a means of food and body preservation for the Egyptians in their unpredictable climate, and as preservation and therefore a means of trading for the Phoenicians. Salt was also crucial to the rise and fall of the Venetians, and ultimately influenced the food Italy is famous for today.Promo Banner