(1) Ancient Sumerian texts spoke of an enigmatic and distant country. Its so-called “black ships,” loaded with riches and valuable minerals, arrived in the Mesopotamia via the maritime trading routes. Archaeology now shows that the mythical country of Magan really did exist. (2) Featuring 23 outstanding films selected from 107 entries, The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival is in its 16th year as a leading competition. This preview offers a sample of the remarkably diverse topics and film styles represented by this year’s offerings. Strata Portraits of Humanity is a monthly half-hour newsmagazine-style show designed for the cable TV and Internet platforms. Each episode of the human story is a portrait building on the many layers of the human experience. This is a record we are just beginning to uncover. From that perspective, Strata delivers in-depth coverage of a wide variety of archaeological and cultural heritage topics all around the world.