The Shroud of Turin: Is it Jesus' burial cloth, the oldest photograph ever taken, or a hoax? You be the judge.
Join Egyptian historians and archeological experts on a mission to decode the mysteries of Egypt's Great Sphinx.
A 10-inch golden raft may help scientists decode the 500-year mystery of El Dorado and the Lost City of Gold.
Watch as archeologists, scientists, and historians unearth the secrets of England's most notorious ruler, Richard III, from a British city parking lot.
The Vinland Map was allegedly created 50 years before Christopher Columbus set sail, but amazingly, it features the coast of North America. Join the investigation of a map that, if authentic, will completely rewrite the history of the Western world.
How did an ancient fragment of papyrus become one of the most controversial religious documents in the world?
Unlock the secrets of an ancient religious cult behind the giant statues of Easter Island.
For over 200 years, archaeologists have debated how Egyptians built the Great Pyramid. Do we finally have an answer?
Join the investigation of the bust of Nefertiti as we attempt to determine if it was a great find or a great hoax.
Follow the hunt for the truth about the most famous lost treasure of them all: the Ark of the Covenant.
Follow the high-tech examination of an ancient spear believed by many to have magical properties.
Join our experts as they study the wreckage of a ship thought to be captained by the notorious pirate Blackbeard.
The Great Wall of China is more than just a part of history, it's part of the world's geography, a sprawling, massive edifice of mud, reeds, and billions of bricks. But why did the Chinese go to such lengths to build it? And what secrets have enabled it to survive for over 2,000 years? We unravel its mysteries and rewrite its complex history through groundbreaking science and pioneering drone technology. This is how the wall was built, what its real purpose was, how it has survived multiple earthquakes and attacks, and how long it really runs.
Could Queen Nefertiti's mummy be hidden somewhere in King Tut's tomb? It's just one of many mysteries we investigate.
Journey from the Holy Land to Egypt to Rome as we reveal the secrets of a 2,000-year-old copper scroll treasure map.
The quest for the Holy Grail has consumed knights and crusaders, and has inspired legendary tales and Hollywood blockbusters. Could it be that the epic search is finally over? One church in Spain says they have found the sacred chalice, and that they have evidence to prove it, but some experts believe this is just the latest in a long line of false claims. Our team traces the extraordinary story behind this ultimate relic and uses forensic and historic analysis in an attempt to solve this 2,000-year mystery.
How could one of ancient Egypt's largest cities simply vanish? Join the hunt to find out.
Five hundred years before Columbus arrived, a metropolis flourished in North America. It was bigger than Paris and London and featured a towering pyramid that still stands today. What happened to this ancient mega-city and why has it remained one of Western archaeology's best-kept secrets? Using modern technology, we explore this lost empire and reveal its shocking past that marked the dramatic rise and fall of America's first great city.
Join our team of experts as they travel to the Mediterranean to find the truth behind the legend of Atlantis.
Inside the legendary city of Babylon in modern-day Iraq lie the remains of a vast structure, which ancient records suggest was the Tower of Babel. Is it possible that this biblical stairway to heaven actually existed? Experts think it did, and thanks to satellite technology and new discoveries, they have pinpointed exactly where the legendary tower once stood, and what it looked like. Join us as we revisit the inspiration for one of the strangest stories in the Bible, and then recreate the spectacular skyscraper in all its glory.
Over 2,000 years ago, Petra was a flourishing capital city in the Arabian Desert, but at some point, its inhabitants fled the majestic metropolis. Why they abandoned it has remained one of the great mysteries of the ancient world. But now, archaeologists have uncovered incredible new evidence that is unlocking the secrets and rewriting the history of this desert city. Join us as we examine the remarkable history of Petra, how the Nabataeans transformed it into a thriving oasis, and why and when the tribe's luck eventually ran out.
Stonehenge is a marvel of prehistoric architecture. For centuries, archaeologists have been piecing together its history and its meaning, but the reason for its location in a remote corner of England remains one of its biggest mysteries. Now, after years of investigation, a team of experts has discovered an ancient mass grave at the Stonehenge site, a revelation that is overturning and reshaping the 5,000 year history of this massive edifice. Join us as we reveal new secrets about the world's most famous surviving monument from the Stone Age.
It remains one of the grisliest finds in ancient archaeology: the skeletons of over 80 battle-scarred men, many of them ritualistically decapitated and then buried nearly 2,000 years ago in York, England. Who were these people? Now, after more than a decade, a team of archaeologists and scientists believe they've finally solved the mystery. Could this site actually be the largest gladiatorial cemetery ever found? Join us as we apply modern day technology to reveal the secrets hidden in these ancient bones and remains of the Roman Empire.
It's one of the greatest and strangest stories ever told, the biblical tale of God unleashing 10 plagues on Egypt until its pharaoh released his Hebrew slaves. Scholars have categorized this as a parable, but now, new evidence found in the ruins of an ancient Egyptian temple suggests that an apocalyptic natural disaster rocked the world 3,500 years ago and may be the true cause of the ten plagues. If the experts are right, our understanding of the Bible, and 3,500 years of Egyptian history, will change forever.
In the 1840s, Western explorers entered the Amazon rainforest and stumbled upon the ancient ritual of head shrinking. This isolated ceremonial practice soon became an obsession to trophy collectors, setting off a bizarre international trade, and a deadly new chapter in the history of the Shuar tribe. Follow a team of anthropologists, historians, and scientists as they use DNA, forensic science, and computer modeling to examine the ancient craft of head shrinking and the story of a society of victims, who were also perpetrators.
In Northern Europe, many ancient bog bodies have been discovered, spread across hundreds of square miles of cold wetlands. These corpses tell a story of brutal death and mysterious rituals during Northern Europe's Iron Age. For decades, there were few explanations as to why these people were so violently killed. Now, using new techniques utilized by police to solve modern murders, archaeologists are cracking these 2,300-year-old cold cases, while discovering new insights into this enigmatic period of world history.
On a hilltop in southeastern Turkey, archaeologists have unearthed a complex of standing stones that pre-dates Stonehenge by more than 6,000 years. This monument has rewritten prehistoric archaeology and fascinated some theologians, who have linked the site to the Garden of Eden. Take an up-close look at Gobekli Tepe and its intricate carvings, which feature a landscape with wildlife, birds, and serpents. Then see how this 11,000-year-old wonder has forced archaeologists to rethink their understanding of the beginnings of human civilization.
The story of Jonah and the Whale is one of the most famous, and most mysterious, tales in the Old Testament. Recent finds by archaeologists in the ruins beneath Jonah's shrine in Iraq make a compelling argument that many of the events and characters in this biblical parable are based on fact. See treasures that date back over 2,500 years and discover a lost world where the prophet Jonah himself may have preached.
From the 8th to 11th century, the Vikings ruled what is now Scandinavia and terrorized Northern Europe. But a thousand years ago, these fearsome fighters disappeared from history. Now, a remarkable discovery in Denmark may finally explain what defeated this seemingly invincible nation. Follow a team of archaeologists as they excavate a fascinating burial site, use state-of-the-art X-ray technology to analyze their findings, and examine the life of an elite warrior.
Until recently, the Egyptian pharaoh known as Psamtik I was little more than a footnote in history. That all changed in 2017 when archaeologists excavating a site in a Cairo suburb stumbled upon the remnants of a massive statue made in his honor. See how this remarkable find has led to the rediscovery of a game-changing ruler who rescued his crumbling country from vicious invaders, brought a golden era to ancient Egypt, and had a far greater impact on western civilization--and western art--than history had led experts to believe.
Egypt's Valley of the Kings is a royal cemetery unlike any other. For over 200 years, archaeologists have combed over every inch of it in search of knowledge and treasure. Many believed the valley had no more secrets to reveal, but that all changed in 2011 when an unidentified tomb was found, a discovery that has rewritten what we know about ancient Egypt's royal burials. Join us as we investigate the mysteries inside the burial site involving a dismembered princess, a second coffin, and evidence of state-sponsored tomb raiding.
Hierakonpolis was once one of the ancient world's forgotten cities, only of passing interest to archaeologists. That changed with the discovery of a prehistoric cemetery containing the remains of Egypt's first kings and those of wild and exotic animals. Evidence suggests these beasts were gathered from across the continent, but why? Follow archaeologists as they explore this 6,000-year-old cemetery, unlocking secrets that are redefining everything scholars thought they knew about Egypt in the time before the pharaohs.
In the Old Testament, Solomon was painted as a wise king who amassed a fortune. For centuries, historians and treasure seekers have been on the hunt for the source of his legendary wealth. Now, recent discoveries in the Timna Valley in Israel have revealed an industrial complex from the time of the king that could have made him rich beyond man's wildest dreams. Could archaeologists have found proof that King Solomon's mines are real?
Tutankhamun's tomb remains the greatest archaeological find of all time. For almost a century, its dazzling treasures have told the story of the Boy King's short life. As all 5,000 artifacts from his tomb are being brought together at the Grand Egyptian Museum, a far stranger tale is emerging of the young pharaoh's supernatural experiences after death. Join Egyptologists as they gather evidence and attempt to decode the secrets of Tut's underworld adventure.
It's a gruesome mass murder no one knew about until a 2011 excavation revealed the sinister secret. Discover the story of a pre-Viking warrior tribe that was massacred in Swedish ringfort Sandby Borg and left to rot where they fell. Follow investigators as they piece together what happened 1,500 years ago, using cutting-edge modern forensic analysis. It's a tale of betrayal and power struggles that has haunted the island of Oland for centuries.
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii is best known for the volcanic eruption that both buried and preserved it. Now, experts are reexamining a 2,000-year-old crime scene that suggests this was a city where the fear of death loomed long before Mount Vesuvius covered it in ash. Delve into a world of lawlessness, political intrigue, and underworld godfathers.
Ancient records marked a modest Tunisian coastal town as the location of a one-time thriving Roman metropolis called Neapolis, but for centuries there was little archaeological evidence to support such a claim. That all changed when a massive storm exposed the ruins of ancient streets and buildings beneath in the Mediterranean Sea. Join a team of scientists as they investigate the submerged city in hopes of revealing new secrets about the rise and fall of the world's greatest empire.
Not only was Cleopatra's Roman lover and protector Julius Caesar murdered in 44 B.C., but the world itself seemed to have turned against her. Ominous celestial visions filled the skies, and Egypt became gripped by drought, famine, and disease. New evidence found in Greenland's ice sheets suggests the fall of ancient Egypt shouldn't entirely be linked to Cleopatra; it may have been hastened by a colossal volcanic eruption.
In 2006, a construction team in Italy stumbled upon an isolated skeleton from a Roman-era burial. Experts believed it was the remains of a man who was crucified. If so, the skeleton would only be the second example found of crucifixion in Roman times. Could this be the key that unlocks one of the Bible's secrets regarding the death of Jesus? Join us as we use modern technology to examine this rare archaeological find, learn more about this barbaric form of execution, and gain new insights into the most famous crucifixion of them all.
Canopus was a sacred city, beloved by Cleopatra and shaped not only by ancient Egyptians, but by Greeks, Romans, and Christians for millennia. And then it was gone...submerged beneath the waves by a series of earthquakes, floods, and rising seawater. Now, thanks to a unique, cutting edge excavation, the lost city of Canopus has been found, startling the archaeological world and revealing new secrets about this bustling, brilliant city and the saints, sinners, pharaohs, and emperors who occupied it.
In 2015, an archaeological investigation of an ancient Scottish battlefield uncovered a vast array of ballistic weaponry. X-ray scans revealed it came from a secret weapon called a manuballista, the Roman Empire's equivalent of an assault rifle. Military experts believe it was more accurate and more deadly than any other in the ancient world, but does reality match the legend? Join us as we reconstruct this terrifying killing machine to test its true power and to demonstrate how it stamped out resistance and paved the way for Rome's domination.
A routine dive for shipwrecks off the Mediterranean coast turns into the discovery of a lifetime for maritime archaeologists Ehud Galili when he stumbles upon the perfectly preserved remains of a 9,000-year-old settlement. Among the findings: a megalithic stone circle, twice as old as Stonehenge. Who were the people who built this remarkable monument? Why did they do it? And what rituals were held here? A remarkable breakthrough in DNA technology may answer these and other questions surrounding this mysterious find.
No single civilization has had more impact on history than the ancient Greeks. But how it all started has always been shrouded in mystery. But now, a remarkable new discovery is revealing the mysterious origins of one of history's greatest cultures. See how the discovery of a 3,500-year-old tomb of a warrior-king plus a hoard of treasures from the age of myths and legends is helping a team of archaeologists piece together the story of how ancient Greece sprang into life and destroyed the even older Minoan civilization in the process.
See why the discovery of strangely elongated skulls in an ancient cemetery is giving new insights into the fall of Rome.
In 2014, a shocking and gruesome discovery was made in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos: a tomb, untouched for thousands of years, containing the mutilated remains of pharaoh. Most remarkably of all, official records say this king never existed. Who was this unknown ruler and why is there no apparent record of his reign? Follow investigators across the globe as they attempt to piece together the life and death of Seneb-kay and the breakaway dynasty he governed during one of the most violent and volatile periods in the country’s history.
The history of the Holy Lance, preserved in a museum in Vienna, is long and eventful. It is first mentioned in the New Testament Gospel of John, when a blind Roman soldier named Longinus uses it to pierce Jesus' side on the cross. When the blood of Jesus gushes out and bathes Longinus' eyes, he covers his sight. Linked to a miracle, the spear has been the subject of centuries of legends about its supposed power and has passed into the hands of kings and conquering rods. What are its real origins? Why has it sparked so much passion and legends? Discover the history of the Holy Lance.
For centuries Troy was believed to be a mythical city. Now, a leading team of American archaeologists have discovered an ancient thriving city, and evidence of a real Trojan War.
