Secrets of the sky tombs

DVD - 2017

The Himalayas were among the last places on Earth that homo sapiens came to inhabit. Now, join an international team of scientists as they climb to the world's highest tombs to unearth secrets of the people who settled these extreme environments.

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Subjects
Genres
Documentary television programs
Video recordings for the hearing impaired
Published
[Arlington, Virginia] : PBS Distribution [2017]
Language
English
Other Authors
Liesl Clark (television director), Jay O. Sanders, 1953- (narrator)
Edition
Widescreen
Item Description
Title from title screen.
Wide screen.
Originally broadcast on PBS as an episode of Nova.
Physical Description
1 videodisc (approximately 54 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in
Format
DVD, widescreen; stereo.
Audience
Not rated.
Production Credits
Edited by Jean Dunoyer ; camera, Liesl Clark ; music, APM.
ISBN
9781531700126
Contents unavailable.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-The PBS series brings viewers to the high-altitude villages and ancient burial sites in the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal. Ancient sky tombs are set into the sides of cliffs, and intrepid adventurers/scientists perform extreme archaeology to access them, the crews rappelling to the sites. Like detectives, the archaeologists and laboratory specialists discover, date, and interpret the material and skeletal remains uncovered in the tombs. The archaeologists learn that many of the tombs are very ancient, with dates ranging back to 400 CE. Even older natural mummies from 400 BCE are also found. Archaeologists, biologists, and other specialists work together in search of answers to pressing questions, including the discovery of the origins of the Himalayan peoples. DNA evidence from the bones reveals that the ancient inhabitants of the Himalayas came from East Asia, although the region's location along the Silk Road allowed for a wide range of influences, such as those from India. Among the finds are an early Buddhist artifact and a death mask made of gold. Viewers will get an introduction to Buddhism in Nepal, including current and ancient burial practices, beliefs about the dead, and reincarnation. Educators should know that there are many images of human skeletons, as well as a discussion with an accompanying (nongraphic yet suggestive) visual of "sky burial," where the recently deceased are given over to vultures. VERDICT The program will provide high school geography, history, and anthropology students with insights into Himalayan culture.-Jeffrey Meyer, Mount Pleasant Public Library, IA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.