Ancient Discoveries

Episode Guide

Secret Science of the Occult

Premiere Date: 12/28/2009

In Mexico, explorers use a sacred ancient Mayan temple code to search for an occult underworld engineered in the depths of the earth--a mysterious site where no TV cameras have ever ventured. In Britain, investigators uncover the secret technologies behind a life size statue of Jesus Christ that miraculously came to life. Weapons experts reveal the science that saved a holy military order from certain annihilation in the bloodiest siege in history. In Greece, archaeologists solve the mystery of the oracle of the dead; an eerie sanctuary where flying ghosts appeared from the depths of hell.

Mega Ocean Conquest

Premiere Date: 12/22/2009

From conquering the depths of the oceans to defending the freedoms of the seas--ancient man pushed the technological boundaries to the limits in the mega battle for the oceans. New discoveries will reveal how an ancient destroyer rammed its way to victory in one of the most significant battles in human history. In Denmark, a team of divers build and test the world's first ever deep sea diving suit that was designed 350 years before the history books tell us it was possible to walk along the seabed. Can CSI science unravel the mystery of a time traveling ghost ship? And in a groundbreaking sea cannon experiment, naval experts will discover how a 16th century war fleet blasted their way to victory against an enemy armada seven miles wide, without the loss of a single ship.

Rituals of Death

Premiere Date: 12/22/2009

Travel to Egypt to discover the mysteries of the mummified crocodiles of Kom Ombo. We'll x-ray an ancient mummy that has held a secret for 2000 years, and reveal the lengths that people will go to to ritualize death. New discoveries at the site of the world famous terracotta army in China reveal incredible insights into the mind-state of the great first emperor of China and his people; and what they believed about death. In Britain, forensic scientists solve a year old murder using 15th century forensic science, as well as hundreds of mini-detectives--blowflies. And using virtual reality techniques doctors will now look inside the body of a victim during a live crucifixion to discover horrific new truths about the suffering on the cross.

Ancient Record Breakers

Premiere Date: 12/22/2009

Amazingly some of the world records that still stand today were set in the ancient world. The most valuable thing in the ancient world is still the most valuable thing today--2000 dollars per gram! And incredibly it is made from nothing more than rotting shellfish. What was the fastest thing in the ancient world and is it still the fastest man-made machine today? Ancient Discoveries builds a replica of a 2000 year old jet engine. A weapons team finally reveal the only weapon in history that can shoot around corners--and solve a 500 year old debate. Explosives experts reveal that the world's first gun was made of fruit. And on a windswept beach in Britain, can a team of historians and engineers beat the ancient world land speed record?

Gruesome Medicine

Premiere Date: 12/18/2009

Modern medicine it isn't, but at the time, it was the best that could be done--and perhaps may have new applications in our world. Examine how the leech was used as an ancient medical cure and test one on a live patient to see how much blood comes out. Travel to Spain to take a reading from a live torpedo fish and to do a pain test with the same level of electricity on a live volunteer. Investigate trepanning, the ancient Inca art of relieving pressure on the brain by cutting open a hole in the skull, as well as Roman battlefield surgery techniques and tools. Learn how snake venom was used as medicine in the ancient world--a technique that medics are re-learning today. Using replica tools and virtual surgery in the computer, see how brain surgery performed on Prince Henry V of England to remove an arrow from his skull--the first ever life-saving surgery ever performed on a historical figure.

Ancient Special Forces

Premiere Date: 12/18/2009

Discover the ancient Roman navy SEAL technique of capturing enemy ships from underwater and replicate the feat with a champion free-diver who will work with ancient tools underwater on one breath for six minutes. We attempt to solve one of History's greatest mysteries, the tactics of ancient Roman war dog units; we meet a historically savage breed of dog--the Mastiff--that may have been used on the battlefields of antiquity. Learn the secrets of the samurai sword--how it was made and how it became the most legendary blade in History. Finally, we build and test an ancient Horro--a Japanese device that could protect a galloping cavalryman from arrow fire, yet was only made from a billowing layer of thin silk.

Riots and Revolution

Premiere Date: 12/18/2009

Discover a book that has never been seen in the west until now. In a world exclusive we track down the secret manual that explained how the Vietnamese defeated not only the US in the 20th century, but the Mongols 700 years earlier--including a revelation of the largest booby trap in history--one that snagged an entire battle fleet. Next, discover how king Mithridates used a substance called burning mud in his revolt against Rome. Learn how the terrorist booby-traps and letter bombs of today were invented hundreds of years ago. Investigate the legend that the Christians wiped out paganism in an attack on their temples with fire so hot it could melt bronze. And, learn how the great ancient revolutionary Spartacus kick-started his great revolt against the Roman Empire.

Twisted Weapons of the East

Premiere Date: 12/18/2009

Travel to the farthest corners of the ancient East to uncover weapons never before seen by the world at large. In India, we encounter martial artists wielding terrifying six foot long flexible steel swords, a steel projectile that can sever the limbs of any enemies, and an ancient Indian booby trap which impales its victims as they sleep. In Egypt, the ways in which a camel was turned into a weapon of war are explored and tested. Traveling further east to China, experts investigate how armor that could stop arrows were made of nothing more than paper. Finally, through painstaking research, we construct the world's first unmanned weapon that went onto the battlefield over 2000 years ago.

Ancient Commandos

Exactly as they do today, ancient commandos fought deep behind enemy lines in some of the harshest terrains know to man. Battle through storms and five foot snowdrifts to reveal the tech and truth behind the world earliest known ski commandos. Journey to the deserts of Egypt and reveal how a tiny army beat off a major invasion force using deception and a bunch of farm animals. The famous Bayeux tapestry that tells the story of the last invasion of England in 1066 hides a secret clue to the triumph of an elite fighting force. We reveal how the simple stirrup changed the entire course of history. Then, uncover the secrets of the Naftun--one of the ancient worlds most feared and successful commando units.

Ancient Secret Agents

Premiere Date: 12/12/2009

Investigate the systems by which ancient intelligence services transmitted messages over thousands of miles--the fire beacon, the horse and the pigeon. This episode sets up a great race between these three systems to see which communicates the swiftest. Learn how ancient spies sent secret messages using invisible ink made of human sperm and how they wrote on the inside of a raw egg. Discover how Japan's covert assassins, the ninja, used more than darts and poisons--they were pretty good with explosives as well. Find out how a Roman James Bond used a suit made of cork to support him in full armor during a covert operation across a river.

Ancient Mega-Fort

Premiere Date: 12/04/2009

Holding off invasion and protecting its people, ancient civilizations came up with creative, efficient and effective means of self-protection and defense. Walk the grounds of the castle that helped create Great Britain and learn why it was such an impregnable fortress. Discover the invisible underground defensive systems of Cappadocia and how they proved so successful that it is the longest continually inhabited fortress in history. Test the ancient Mayan killer bee castle defenses, and release bees in an attack. Next, build a replica section of the ancient Roman fort of Alesia and discover whether the great general Julius Caesar could really have built 24 miles of defenses in just six weeks. Investigate the most impregnable walls in history--the multi-layered defenses of Constantinople, and discover the type of cannon that the sultan Mehmet used to finally destroy them in the great siege of 1453.

Airborne Assault

Assault from the air didn't begin with the era of the airplane. Take a look back at early methods of airborne attack. The kite bomb was a medieval siege weapon that dropped bombs from a kite over cities. We'll build one and test it with startling new insights and success. Ancient bouncing bombs that actually skipped across water--the forerunners of the famous Dam Buster projectiles--terrorized shipping in Turkey in 1453. Learn the secrets of ancient China's whistling arrows--used by commanders to direct the flow of a battle. Investigate the world's earliest rocket-powered explosive missile from the ancient battlefields of China. Finally, in one of the most dramatic tests ever conducted, we'll build the earliest known successful parachute and drops a skydiver from 6,000 feet.

Death Weapons of the East

The oldest known weapon is the staff. Watch with surprising results a comparison test between a staff and a shotgun. Learn about the ermei--a deadly Chinese underwater attack weapon. Which is more powerful, a meteor hammer or a punch? Can Chi Warriors really kill a man with a single touch? Investigate the ability of eastern warriors to withstand pain such as smashing concrete on live human heads. Finally, ancient Chinese crossbows are examined, including one small enough to fit up your sleeve.

Ancient Death Machines

Premiere Date: 02/25/2008

Military innovation is consistently at the cutting edge of technological advances. Almost all technology on the planet today owes its origins to inventions driven by one purpose--war. From apocalyptic skyscraper siege machines to ancient landmines and flamethrowers which had the potential to extinguish hundreds of lives in minutes, most of today's lethal weapons owe their origins to the inventors of the ancient world.

Mega-Structures of the Deep

Premiere Date: 01/28/2008

Our modern day landscapes are littered with the remains of ancient superstructures. Now, cutting edge archaeology is beginning to reveal that this century's most exciting discoveries actually lie at the bottom of the ocean.

09 - Mega Machines

Premiere Date: 02/20/2007

In 2004 the American School of Classical Studies in Greece made a surprising discovery of two limestone coffins which dated back 3000 years. Archaeologist Guy Sanders was not only surprised by the quality of the sarcophagi but shocked by their size and weight. The coffins weighed 3 tons, and he concluded that the people of the Geometric Period must have used massive machines to move them. From the Pharos of Alexandria to the Parthenon on the Acropolis we will delve into the world of the ancient heavy engineers, and discover how their machines were used to build and transport some of the most amazing structures in Antiquity.

07 - Cars & Planes

Premiere Date: 01/30/2007

Surprising archaeological finds have led historians to new conclusions about the transportation technology invented by ancient peoples. An ancient railway was built in Greece in the 6th century BC and wind cars' dating to the 6th century AD used in China could carry thirty men and traveled hundreds of miles per day. Evidence of possible flying machines goes all the way back to ancient Greek, Egyptian and Chinese societies. Tombs in Abydos, Egypt, are adorned with hieroglyphics shaped remarkably like a modern helicopter. Forgotten through the ages, these machines are stunning examples of ancient societies' skill and determination.

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