BBC Rome\'s Lost Empire

[John1]

Fun with satellites and archaeologists;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01...st_Empire/

[Kegluneq]

Aha, so that's why Mattingly missed TRAC/RAC this year...

I was pleasantly surprised by the programme. Although Dan Snow is the stereotypical Hunky Adventurer™ he at least emphasised his own limited archaeological knowledge/interest, and didn't feign total ignorance/expertise. The actual history was fairly basic, but seeing the key sites of the Dacian Wars was certainly interesting. The research presented was also fascinating - a paradigm shift in aerial archaeology? - and resulted in some important findings (and some unsurprising failings). Mattingly seemed impressed at least.

Mildly disappointed with the 3D reconstructions, which were as basic as they could possibly be. At least a little effort on textures would have been nice.

[Nathan Ross]

I know that complaining about Romans-on-TV is a bit of a theme on RAT (and I'm guilty of it), but I have to disagree with Robert about this one! I was quite looking forward to it as some light entertainment, mainly because I like those computer graphic bits of huge buildings rising up out of the ground... But the show left me annoyed more than anything.

Part of the problem is Dan Snow ('as a military historian' he says at one point - eh?). He totally lacks screen presence or charisma, and tries to feign it by looking intense and gesticulating a lot. At least Simon Schama has actually written stuff, and appears to know what he's talking about. The content was occasionally interesting (the North Africa stuff in particular), but it was all let down by the tone. There was this silly insistence that history was being 'turned on its head' (as Dan put it) right there on the show, as we watched! Assorted archaeologists, no doubt eminent in their field, were made to mug to the cameras and feign intense interest as some pre-scripted 'discovery' was unveiled on unlikely-looking 'computer technology' screens (complete with whizzing clicking noises and meaningless techno-icons). A bit insulting, I would think, considering a lifetime of study was supposedly being 'overturned' here! The Dacian specialist looked especially woebegone as he pretended never to have noticed a huge earthwork at Sarmezigetusa until it was pointed out on the space-map...

The 'discoveries' themselves were mildly interesting, but not as earthshattering as the presentation of them wanted us to believe. Why did Dan Snow have to put on a wetsuit and dive into the Danube just to 'discover' the murky foundations of Trajan's bridge? And the lengthy scene of several people driving around the Tunisian desert in landrovers 'searching' for a 'lost' Roman fort was just stupid.

Turned thumbs for this one!

[Kegluneq]

The 'discoveries' themselves were mildly interesting, but not as earthshattering as the presentation of them wanted us to believe. Why did Dan Snow have to put on a wetsuit and dive into the Danube just to 'discover' the murky foundations of Trajan's bridge? And the lengthy scene of several people driving around the Tunisian desert in landrovers 'searching' for a 'lost' Roman fort was just stupid.

I should perhaps have qualified that I was pleasantly surprised within the context of Dan Snow documentaries... Neil Oliver does standing on stormy hilltops with his hair blowing in the wind; Dan Snow runs up pyramids and guides skiffs across mighty lakes for no apparent reason other than giving the womenfolk something appealing to look about whilst he talks to the kids (presumably, as you say, to make up for his fairly bland screen presence). So, uh, my standards were not amazingly high.

In his defence, diving down to the bridge foundations did at least provide a rare experience of Roman architecture from that period/context.

[mcbishop]

In his defence, diving down to the bridge foundations did at least provide a rare experience of Roman architecture from that period/context.

As opposed to walking to either end where piers survive above water (two in Romania, one in Serbia). All it did was show us what diving in leek and potato soup looks like ;-)

Mike Bishop

[Kegluneq]

As opposed to walking to either end where piers survive above water (two in Romania, one in Serbia). All it did was show us what diving in leek and potato soup looks like ;-)

Since I don't have much chance of seeing either anyway any time soon I can still enjoy the experience vicariously :S I may well concede that I was in a very generous mood when I watched the programme however...

[John1]

so on balance I'm guessing it wasn't hard core enough for RATs, probaly not the target audience though, I suspect it hooked a few new comers for the future, good to see Mattinglys work and North Africa getting a bit of profile

[Nathan Ross]

All it did was show us what diving in leek and potato soup looks like

Well that was worth knowing anyway.

probaly not the target audience though

True! I actually watched round at my brother's house, and he quite enjoyed it (not helped by me groaning and saying 'oh come on!' and 'you can't be serious!' at intervals, which I'm sure was very irritating...)

[mcbishop]

Okay, it's now on iPlayer for Sassenachs (although strictly speaking, that term also applies to the inhabitants of the Lowlands). I'm saving it for tomorrow evening when I will sit with numbered cards so I can hold up a score, ice dancing style ;-)

Mike Bishop

[Ovid]

BAH "Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only, but all BBC iPlayer Radio programmes are available to you. "

[Draconis]

Given that we hardly ever see anything at all on Roman history here, I would be thankful even for Bonehead Roman history programs... better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

[Graham Sumner]

Am I mistaken or was the program actually discovering things already found by conventional means?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/201...080629.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...194337.htm



It seemed the impression given was that it was outstanding to discover forts along a frontier or a lighthouse at a port! The latter looked very similar to the illustration in a book I have by the French author Jacques Martin in the adventures of Alix series!

Dan Snow also seemed amazed to see the Limes in Tunisia, when he had already been to the very same spot in his own program on Hadrian a year or two ago!

Still it was interesting to learn that even the isolated forts in the desert apparently had the equivalent of the Vicus around them

Graham.

[Robert Vermaat]

Dan Snow also seemed amazed to see ..

That's modern 'headline' journalism for you. Every article must be amazing, every find a breakthrough. I'm going to look at this later, but with disappointment about the 'Dark Ages' series still in mind I don't keep my hopes up.

[Graham Sumner]

Robert
Is that the series on art in the Dark Ages currently on BBC 4, which is on tonight in fact?

Graham.

[Robert Vermaat]

Yes it is. I missed part 3, but I'll try to catch the repeat later this week.