4 x 50
for Channel 4/
Discovery Channel/ History TV/ France5
Originally broadcast
July 2003, Channel 4
Executive Producer
David Dugan
Series Producer
Michael Barnes
Directors
Mark Lewis - Fireship
Michael Barnes – Chariots &Turtle Martin Gorst - Crane |
|
|
Machines Time Forgot
Ancient
engineering mysteries are unravelled by engineers and archaeologists, as
they reconstruct achievements of the past using only the tools
available at the time.
Four programmes that, through investigation and reconstruction, attempt
to reveal the secrets of the first submarine, 'Greek fire', the
Assyrian war chariot and the cranes that hoisted the stones that
created Gothic cathedrals.
This form of action archaeology involves disagreement and strife.
At the heart of each experiment lies a mystery. Tempers often
become frayed, as rivals offer alternative theories. Yet by the
end of the film the squabbles give way to a remarkable sense of
achievement. Whatever the outcome, there is always a feeling of
awe at the ingenuity of the ancients.
|
|
|
"According to this, the Byzantine empire fended off the invading Muslim
hordes for centuries with a legendary piece of military hardware know
as 'Greek fire'. Reputedly a form of flame-thrower
mounted on a boat, sadly – as so often with weapons of mass
destruction – no contemporary record or design for this all
conquering piece of hardware has survived. Here, a team of
historians and engineers risk life, limb and severe singing to recreate
from materials available at the time a speculative model of this
extraordinary weapon"
Daily Telegraph
|
|
