Friends and colleagues: For many people, the word "archaeology"
evokes images
of Egypt and the pyramids.  Of course, we all know archaeologists
explore the
human past all over the globe.  Even so, the video offerings on
The
Archaeology Channel, our nonprofit public education service and
streaming
video website (www.archaeologychannel.org), would not be complete
without
coverage of Egyptian civilization, whose wondrous creations have
influenced
and inspired subsequent human cultures for millennia.  Through
images of
common everyday activities and stunning ancient monuments, our
14th video,
Egypt: Gift of the Nile, examines the ways by which the unique
environment of
the Nile Valley shaped the development of classical Egyptian
civilization and
the lifeway of its people.

Particularly impressive in this video is the enormous diversity
of topics
covered, ranging from irrigation practices through personal
adornment,
funerary rites, international trade, and social and political
structures.
This thoroughness is a hallmark of the production company,
Educational Video
Network of Huntsville, Texas, purveyors of classroom videos to
teachers and
schools.  The script was written by Marjorie Haw Russell and the
Executive
Producer is George H. Russell.  Pay special attention to their
skillful use
of the musical score to set the mood for the story line.  Unlike
many
productions we have seen, this video does not exploit sensational
aspects of
Egyptian archaeology, but instead paints a balanced and rather
complete
picture of a functioning society and its environmental context.
In its
portrayal of the annual Nile floods as the pulse of Egyptian
culture, it
allows us to compare this ancient culture-environment
relationship with that
of modern Egypt.  In the 20th century, Egypt altered the natural
rhythm of
the river by construction of the Aswan Dam, the wisdom of which
is now the
subject of debate.  Although this video does not comment on
modern problems,
we at ALI feel that what we learn from archaeological research
about Egypt
and elsewhere includes important lessons that we ignore at our
own risk.

You are invited to enjoy this and the other videos on TAC.  Many
thanks to
those of you who have supported this innovative service as TAC
visitors and
through  participating in our membership and underwriting
programs (described
on our website at www.archaeologychannel.org).  Your help allows
us to
continue and enhance this nonprofit public-education service.  We
also
welcome volunteers and content partners to team with us as we
reach out to
the world community.

Please forward this message to others who may be interested.

Richard M. (Rick) Pettigrew
President and Executive Director
Archaeological Legacy Institute