Top PBS HD Documentaries of 2008

1. Nova: Cracking the Maya Code. The Mayans created an elaborate, ornate written language carved in stone and recorded in books. The invading Europeans destroyed huge numbers of books and forbid use of the language. Within a few hundred years the writing became unreadable, seemingly lost to humankind forever. In the twentieth century, in fits and starts, researchers rediscovered the meaning of the Mayan hieroglyphs. The personalities and genius involved are fascinating and amazing. The Mayan writing is beautiful and artistic. Most of all, the realization that written human knowledge could become inscrutable and lost to mankind within a few hundred years is a scary and humbling prospect. The trappings of civilization may be far more fleeting and ephemeral than it seems.
2. Nova: Secrets of the Parthenon. The massive Parthenon in Athens, Greece was assembled in 8 short years without the aid of modern heavy machinery. Even so, the parts fit together precisely, to tolerances of less than a millimeter. And fastidious attention to design detail makes it look even more impressive, while guaranteeing that no two stones are alike. This episode describes how the team repairing the Parthenon discovered that the task was even more challenging than imagined. You will gain even more respect for the accomplishments of the ancient Greeks when you learn the extent of their design and construction wizardry.