This offer is for a 3 DVD box-set of John's Romer's 6 x 50 minute 2000 series for Channel 4 'Great Excavations' (which was re-titled 'Lost Worlds' when given worldwide release).

Romer's style of television documentary is somewhat out of fashion in this age of 'reality' style television: there are no ridiculous historical recreations with people in bad costumes and worse wigs, no massed academic talking heads with simplistic sound bites, no sensationalism or 'ancient mysteries' to be solved in 50 minutes. Rather we have an intelligent and intellectually stimulating history of archaeology (in the classic televised lecture style of Clark, Bronowski, Schama and others, albeit with some interesting camera angles and arresting visuals and music) that traces the development of this field of study from its early, treasure-hunting and dogmatic roots in elite European culture, to its present position as a popular and ever broadening academic discipline which seeks to incorporate a much wider historical perspective.

Romer does not neglect the darker episodes in archaeological study, including the infamous activities of European treasure hunters in Egypt and the misuse of archaeology by the Nazis and Italian fascists, but still presents a refreshingly optimistic picture of the future of the discipline.

The series is presented in full with no unnecessary editing. Given this and the excellent PAL picture, this is an excellently produced DVD edition. If you want to watch a series on the past that stimulates thought as well as entertains buy this series.

Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 - Aspect ratio 16:9