Lost Kingdoms of Africa
Lost Kingdoms of Africa is a British television documentary series. It is produced by the BBC. It describes the pre-colonial history of Africa. The series is narrated by Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford. The series was originally commissoned as part of the Wonderful Africa Season on BBC Four in the lead up to the 2010 World Cup. The first season of Lost Kingdoms of Africa was originally screened in the UK on BBC Four each Tuesday night over four weeks, starting on 5 January 2010. The second season of Lost Kingdoms of Africa was broadcast over four weeks, starting on 30 January 2012.
Seasons
1. Nubia
Air Date: 2010-01-05
The first episode looks at Nubia, in what is now northern Sudan, a kingdom that dominated a vast area of the eastern Sahara for thousands of years. Its people were described as barbarians and mercenaries, and yet Nubia has left us with some of the most spectacular monuments in the world.
2. Ethiopia
Air Date: 2010-01-12
Art historian Gus Casely-Hayford explores the history of the old African kingdom of Ethiopia, which ended when Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by the military in 1974.
3. Great Zimbabwe
Air Date: 2010-01-19
Gus Casely-Hayford explores the history of Great Zimbabwe, a symbol of African genius which gives an insight into the empires which once dominated southern Africa.
4. West Africa
Air Date: 2010-01-26
Gus Casely-Hayford travels to Nigeria and Mali to explore the story behind a series of magnificent 16th-century bronzes made in the ancient kingdom of Benin.
1. The Kingdom of Asante
Air Date: 2012-01-30
Asante in West Africa was a kingdom that was built on gold and slaves, which ensured its important place in an economy that linked three continents.
2. The Zulu Kingdom
Air Date: 2012-02-06
In South Africa, Gus Casely-Hayford visits evocative sites in Zulu history and searches for the secrets behind the Zulu's cultural power and military strength.
3. The Berber Kingdom of Morocco
Air Date: 2012-02-13
Gus Casely-Hayford visits Morocco, once the centre of a vast kingdom created by African Berbers that stretched from northern Spain to West Africa.
4. Bunyoro & Buganda
Air Date: 2012-02-20
Gus Casely-Hayford visits Uganda to explore how Bunyoro saw its dominance challenged by the rise of Buganda, a neighbouring kingdom on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Select an episode to start watching
Rating
10.0/10
Release Date
2010-01-05
Episodes
8 (2 seasons)
Status
Pilot
Cast
Videos
Production Companies
BBC