Africa's Golden City
New discoveries reveal how pivotal Great Zimbabwe was to global trade.
Saving Tangier Island
Scientists race to save the historic island on the Chesapeake Bay from rising sea levels.
Finding America's Fallen
Explore the site of the Battle of Camden and its importance to the American Revolution.
Latest Episodes
Filmmaker Statement
Recreating the History and Legacy of Great Zimbabwe
How do you go about telling the story of a vast medieval city-state that barely anyone knows about, and for which little written record exists?
Roman Empire
Hannibal in the Alps
Where did Hannibal and his army cross the Alps to launch a surprise attack on Rome?
The Herculaneum Scrolls
Scientists attempt to read ancient scrolls carbonized by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
The Sunken Basilica
Explore the sunken remains of an early Christian basilica in western Turkey.
Queens of Combat
Experts search for evidence that female gladiators once existed in Ancient Rome.
The Rise & Fall of the Colosseum
The spectacular arena showcasing Ancient Rome’s power also contributed to its downfall.
Death in Britannia
Uncover the only evidence of crucifixion in Roman-occupied Britain.
Nero’s Sunken City
What made Baiae such a special place?
Last Days of Pompeii
Explore the last days in Pompeii, before the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius 2,000 years ago.
The End of the Romans
What if climate change and pandemics caused of the decline of the Roman Empire?
Queens of Combat
A Roman Satirist Mocked Female Fighters. Was He Describing Real Gladiators?
Did Juvenal’s mockery prove female gladiators existed?
Queens of Combat
This Roman Law May Be Proof of Female Gladiators
The ban hints at moral panic, and possibly the clearest proof that female gladiators truly existed.
Queens of Combat
The Only Relief of Named Female Gladiators Ever Found
This rare depiction may be the greatest surviving monument to women in the Roman arena.
Queens of Combat
An Everyday Roman Object Suggests Female Gladiators
A Roman oil lamp shows two female gladiators fighting like men—strong visual proof women fought.
Queens of Combat
New Analysis Changes the Identity of a Roman Statue
Once thought an athlete, this Roman statuette may depict a female gladiator in combat pose.
Queens of Combat
A Roman Poet’s Clue to Women Gladiators in the Arena
Martial described gladiatorial combat and hinted women fought—but can hand-copied texts be trusted?
Lost Treasures
Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the life of Bruno Lohse and his role in the Nazi...
Lost Treasures of Angkor
For the first time, a secret hoard of gold and silver artifacts, discovered in Laos...
Mozart’s Sister
Learn the untold story of Maria Anna Mozart, Wolfgang’s older sister and collaborator.
Picturing Shakespeare
Could the discovery of a third portrait of William Shakespeare be a genuine article?
China’s Bronze Kingdom
The chance discovery of a jade artifact unearths an ancient Chinese city.
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American History
The Civil War’s Lost Massacre
A search for the remains of Black Union soldiers murdered toward the end of the Civil War.
The Woman in the Iron Coffin
Uncover the story of early America’s free Black communities via 150-year-old human remains
Ben Franklin’s Bones
Could Benjamin Franklin have been responsible in some way for the bones in the basement?
Secrets of Spanish Florida
Uncovers one story of America’s past that never made it into textbooks.
Jamestown’s Dark Winter
Uncover the truth about the first permanent English colony in the New World
Gangster's Gold
Join treasure hunters searching for the lost treasure of gangster Dutch Schultz.
The Alcatraz Escape
Scientists investigate whether surviving an escape from Alcatraz prison was possible.
Uncovering NYC: New York City’s First Free Black Communities
Ancient Egypt
Cleopatra’s Last Temple
An unprecedented discovery could reveal new information about Cleopatra’s reign.
Decoding Hieroglyphics
Research is revealing the hieroglyphic texts from within the tomb of an Egyptian scribe.
Egypt’s Darkest Hour
Follow archaeologists examining a rare mass grave from the collapse of ancient Egypt.
Cleopatra's Lost Tomb
Discover whether an amateur archaeologist’s theory leads to the lost tomb of Cleopatra.
She Digs: Women in Archaeology
Ancient Beasts
Graveyard of the Giant Beasts
Follow scientists trying to determine which giant animal was the apex predator
Jurassic Fortunes
Discover the world of dinosaur fossil collecting, an unusual hobby with a growing market.
Hannibal in the Alps
Where did Hannibal and his army cross the Alps to launch a surprise attack on Rome?