Silver Spring, MD — Revealing the daily life of ancient Egyptians, Ancient Lives debuts on home video on November 3, 2009 from Athena. John Romer, one of television’s best-known archaeologists and a former expedition leader, brings his charming wit and vast experience to this four-part British series, making an ancient culture come alive. Focusing on a village of royal tomb makers outside Thebes, Romer introduces the memorable personalities of scribes, high priests, and stonemasons through their 3,000-year-old manuscripts, artwork, and other relics. This captivating series broadcast on public television in the mid-1980s and on A&E in the early 1990s. Bonus features include a 16-page viewer’s guide, a documentary on ancient Egyptian beer, and more ($49.99, www.AcornOnline.com).

How did ordinary Egyptians live in the time of the pharaohs? Renowned British Egyptologist John Romer explores the ruins of an ancient village just outside Thebes, where generations of craftsmen and artists built and decorated royal tombs. There, relics reveal the most intimate details of the people’s daily lives: their meals, their loves, their quarrels, and even their dreams.

Go inside the pharaohs’ most magnificent tombs and see astonishing art and priceless treasures. Meet the scribes, stonemasons, and high priests who presided over this city of the dead. Learn the secrets of the ancient tomb raiders and the countermeasures taken to protect treasures. This four-part series provides fascinating insights into a civilization now lost to the ages. Produced in 1984, the series was shot on location near the Valley of the Kings.

BONUS FEATURES

• Pharaohs’ Liquid Gold, the quest to recreate ancient Egyptian beer (23-minute documentary)
• 16-page viewer’s guide with maps, The Life of a Scribe, a history of Egyptian script, The Making of Ancient Lives by John Romer, and more.
• Who’s Who among Egyptian Deities (Text)
• Real-Life Indiana Joneses: Archaeologists of Ancient Egypt (Text)

One of the world’s foremost archaeologists, John Romer led the Brooklyn Museum’s expedition to excavate the tomb of Ramesses XI. Since 1979, he has served as president of the Theban Foundation, an organization for the preservation of Egyptian royal tombs.

Athena is Acorn Media Group’s new home video brand for consumers interested in lifelong learning through documentary programming. Each Athena release provides an authoritative and entertaining learning experience through high quality, informative, non-fiction programming, along with a host of extras to extend the learning experience beyond the screen. Athena’s releases include Playing Shakespeare, The Shape of the World with Patrick Stewart, The Adventure of English, The Christians, Ancient Lives, among others. Special web content and clips are available at www.athenalearning.com. Athena’s DVD sets are available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn at (888) 870-8047 or www.acornonline.com.