ITV - Legacy The Origins of Civilization (1991) Part 1 Iraq The Cradle of Civilization

Exploring the foundations of the modern world. Five thousand years ago there began the most momentous revolution in human history. Beginning first in Mesopotamia, now Iraq, city civilization emerged for the first time on earth, to be followed in Egypt, India, China and the Americas. In each place, civilization arose independently and each had its own distinctive vision of the goals of life. The ideals of these ancient civilizations still shape the lives of the majority of mankind. In this fascinating historical search, Michael Wood explores these ancient cultures, looking for their essential character and their continuing legacy. What is civilization? Did it mean the same to the Chinese, the Indians and the Greeks? What can the values of the ancient cultures teach us today? And do the ideals of the West–a latecomer to civilization–really have universal validity? Michael Wood's book and television series Legacy addresses these questions, affording fresh insights into the rise and decline of societies and the very nature of civilization. This absorbing investigation of ancient cultures provides us with the impetus to look anew at the way we regard history and its still profound and unpredictable influence on our lives at the end of the twentieth century. WHAT CAN THE PAST TEACH US ABOUT THE PRESENT? In this profound and provocative documentary, historian Michael Wood travels the globe to trace the origins of six great civilizations. These ancient cultures offer surprising perspectives on today’s most urgent questions What purpose does society serve? How can it survive–and thrive–within the limits of nature? Journey to Iraq, where humans built the first cities and faced the first environmental crisis; to India, where a culture of spirituality flourished; to China, where ritual and respect for ancestors reflected ideas of cosmic harmony; to Egypt, where monuments to the dead promised stability and eternal life; to Central America, where the Aztecs and Maya carved out bloody empires; and to Western Europe, where the individual became the center of society. In every locale, Legacy takes a fresh, strikingly relevant look at the roots of civilization. This breathtaking and thought provoking series explores the influence of ancient culture on our lives today. Host/writer Michael Wood visits the ancient cities and ports of India and China, the deserts of Egypt and Iraq, the Mexico of the Inca, Mayan and Aztec peoples, the Greek and Roman monuments of Europe and the jungles of Central America, searching for the living legacies of these once great civilizations. Beautifully filmed on location in fourteen countries and four continents.

Part 1 Iraq The Cradle of Civilization

After thousands of years as a hunter/gatherer, man built the first cities 5,000 years ago on the banks of the Euphrates River, in places like Uruk and Eridu in modern-day Iraq. Civilization as we know it began with the glorious cultures of Ur, Nineveh, and Babylon. They left us literature, astronomy, and mathematics, as well as lessons in overpopulation and environmental stewardship. In this program, Michael Wood explores the history of Iraq, tracing the roots of civilization to the Sumerians of Mesopotamia. Wood examines this early Mesopotamian society, discussing Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which are known as the birthplace of civilization, the region's agrarian-based culture, the first alphabet and the first schools, and the value placed on religious worship and spiritual plurality.

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