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Exploring the Roots of Religion

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Giza? Why are we so transfixed by their presence today? And what do they reveal about our ancestors - and humanity?

The dynamic force of religious belief is responsible for some of the world's most popular and ancient locales. With these 36 riveting lectures, you can dig through the earth and learn how sacred buildings, complexes, tomb structures, artwork, and more have provided us with unparalleled knowledge about early spiritual experiences around the world. Using the tools and knowledge of their field, archaeologists can now determine the nature of a sacrificial ritual, compare the visible attributes of ancient deities, and map out the orientation of a temple or tomb.

Professor John Hale of the University of Louisville gives you a comprehensive look at specific religious archaeological sites around the world - inside caves and crypts, through vast deserts and ancient cities, from Polynesia to Mexico to the American Midwest.

By the final lap of your international journey, you'll have developed a new vision of religion and its crucial role in ancient history. You'll become more attuned to spirituality's universal elements and its unique characteristics. And you'll realize just how much credit religion deserves for remarkable sites that continue to captivate us.

Syllabus

  • The Roots of Religious Experience
  • Neanderthal Burials at Shanidar
  • Hunting Magic in Sacred Caves
  • Myths of the Shaman
  • Realm of the Mother Goddess
  • Mysteries of the Megaliths
  • Towers and Tombs of Sumeria
  • Tomb of the First Emperor of China
  • Feasting with the Dead at Petra
  • Druid Sacrifice at Lindow Moss?
  • Honoring Ancestors in Ancient Ohio
  • A Viking Queen Sails to Eternity
  • Dancing with Bulls at Knossos
  • Oracle Bones in Ancient China
  • Sun and Sexuality in Early Scandinavia
  • Apollo Speaks at Klaros
  • Chalice of Blood in Ancient Peru
  • Decoding Rituals at Palenque
  • Temple of the Goddess on Malta
  • The Aten-Monotheism in Egypt
  • Deities of the Acropolis
  • Gods and Pyramids at Teotihuacan
  • Sacred City on the Mississippi
  • Sun and Shadow at Machu Picchu
  • Celestial Gateway at Giza
  • Cosmic Hub at Stonehenge
  • Desert Lines at Nazca
  • Skywatchers at Chaco Canyon
  • Mountain of the Gods at Angkor
  • The Stone Heads of Easter Island
  • Tending Zoroaster's Sacred Fire in Iran
  • Writing the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran
  • Taking Religions Underground at Rome
  • Forging Iron at Jenne-jeno on the Niger
  • Carving Monasteries at Ajanta in India
  • Faiths Lost and Found

Taught by

John R. Hale

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