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NOVA airs Wednesday nights at 9PM on most PBS stations. See the national schedule or check local listings.

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Picture of the original construction of the Eiffel Tower

Explore the revolutionary engineering behind Paris’s iconic landmark. Completed in just over two years for the 1889 World’s Fair, the iron tower smashed the record for the tallest structure on Earth, ushering in a new age of global construction that reached for the skies. How did the engineers do it? Follow the innovations, successes, and failures that made one of the most famous buildings on the planet possible. (Premiered February 14, 2024 at 9 pm on PBS)

Explore the engineering behind Paris’s iconic landmark, the tallest structure of its time.

Building the Eiffel Tower

Human Skeleton in front of a dark blue background

After the devastating 2019 fire at Notre Dame, two mysterious sarcophaguses were discovered under the cathedral’s stone floor. Who is buried in them, and what secrets will these coffins reveal? Follow a team of archaeologists and historians as they attempt to solve centuries-old mysteries using the latest scientific investigation techniques. What can forensic analysis of the remains reveal about one of the world’s most famous cathedrals and those who devoted their lives to it? (Premiered December 18 at 9 pm on PBS.)

Mysterious bodies are found under one of the world’s most famous cathedrals.

Lost Tombs of Notre Dame

General - US & Territories

Recent stunning discoveries are exploding the myth of the Amazon as a primeval wilderness, revealing traces of ancient civilizations that flourished there for centuries. Dense settlements indicate populations in the millions, supported by sophisticated agricultural systems, while huge geometric earthworks and roadways bear witness to complex religious ideas and social networks. The evidence is now clear that, far from being an untouched wilderness, the Amazon has been shaped by human hands for millennia. (Premiered February 15, 2023)

Archaeological discoveries reveal long-forgotten ancient civilizations in the Amazon.

Ancient Builders of the Amazon

Where do we come from? To find out, journey back to a time when multiple human species walked the earth. Discover how radical fossil finds in Morocco rewrote the history of our origins – suggesting we did not have a single birthplace, but that modern Homo sapiens emerged from a mosaic of prehistoric, early human communities. Explore the tools, language, and rituals that bound us together, and the setbacks that nearly destroyed us. (A 5-part series premiering September 17, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.

Human: Origins

From the time humans arose in Africa, they have been on the move – but one species, Homo sapiens, has journeyed farther than any other. Follow in our ancestors’ footsteps as they travel the globe, and meet the mysterious hobbit-like humans they may have encountered along the way. How did Homo sapiens manage to thrive across the planet? And how did our drive to explore shape us and the world as we know it today? (Premiering September 24, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Follow Homo sapiens as they venture out of Africa and spread farther than any other human species.

Human: Journeys

Close-up of neanderthal with sun in the background

For hundreds of thousands of years, Neanderthals thrived across Europe. Then, Homo sapiens arrived. Explore the surprising encounters between these two human species, including evidence of interbreeding that has reshaped our understanding of early human history. As a brutal ice age descended, both groups were pushed to their limits. Uncover the latest archaeological and genetic breakthroughs revealing the surprising truth behind the Neanderthals' mysterious disappearance. How did Homo sapiens manage to survive and outlast our remaining human cousins? And how did our time together – written in our DNA – leave a lasting impact on us? (Premiering October 1, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.

Human: Neanderthal Encounters

Journey back to when humans first ventured into the Americas, a world teeming with colossal megafauna and dramatic climate shifts. Witness their ingenious survival tactics against formidable predators, and uncover the mystery of ancient footprints in the desert of White Sands. See how these pioneers transformed from nomads to living in rooted communities, forever altering our world. (Premiering October 8, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.

Human: Into the Americas

What caused humans to stop roaming and start building? How did we transform from a tiny, fragile population of Homo sapiens into the 8 billion strong, globally interconnected species we are today? Discover pivotal moments that set humanity on a new path – toward cities and modern civilizations. What role did the domestication of plants and animals play in this transformation? And how did the invention of writing begin to reshape how we shared knowledge and organized society? From ancient temples like Göbekli Tepe in Turkey to the Egyptian Empire that built the Pyramids along the banks of the Nile, witness the birth of cities, the dawn of communication, and the inherent human drive to build, connect, and thrive against all odds. (Premiering October 15, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.

Schedule

Upcoming Episodes

Human: Origins

Human: Journeys

Human: Neanderthal Encounters

Human: Into the Americas

Human: Building Empires

Recent Episodes

Building the Eiffel Tower

Lost Tombs of Notre Dame

Ancient Builders of the Amazon

Upcoming Episodes

Human: Origins

Human: Journeys

Human: Neanderthal Encounters

Human: Into the Americas

Human: Building Empires

Recent Episodes

Building the Eiffel Tower

Lost Tombs of Notre Dame

Ancient Builders of the Amazon

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