Modern treasure hunters, led by archaeologist Ben Gates, search for a chest of riches rumored to have been stashed away by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin during the Revolutionary War. The chest's whereabouts may lie in secret clues embedded in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and Gates is in a race to find the gold before his enemies do.
This documentary delves into the mysteries surrounding the Neanderthals and what their fossil record tells us about their lives and disappearance.
Egyptian archeologists dig into history, discovering tombs and artifacts over 4,000 years old as they search for a buried pyramid in this documentary.
Thanks to new excavations in Mauritius and Madagascar, as well as archival and museum research in France, Spain, England and Canada, a group of international scholars paint a new portrait of the world of piracy in the Indian Ocean.
Over the past 50 years, thousands of exquisitely painted Maya vases, almost all looted from tombs, have flooded into public and private collections. These amazing works of art, filled with humor and mystery, have opened an extraordinary window on the Maya past. But the race to unearth these treasures has destroyed temples and palaces, culminating in the takeover of entire ancient cities by looter armies. OUT OF THE MAYA TOMBS (formerly titled DANCE OF THE MAIZE GOD) enters the world of the vases to explore the royal life and rich mythology of the Maya, as well as the tangled issues involved in the collection and study of Maya art. The story is told by villagers, looters, archaeologists, scholars, dealers and curators. For each, these vases have a radically different value and meaning.
Documentary following a real-world Indiana Jones: Brent Easter. A federal agent for Homeland Security Investigations, Easter tracks the black market sale of antiquities, tracing sacred artifacts stolen from a village in India to a store on Madison Avenue.
A sound is heard from the depth of the soil as the archeological exploration of the Shahre Sukhte goes on. While following the archeologists to document the explorations, the film in parallel seeks out the sound coming from the depths of the soil and steps deep in history to accompany the ancient citizens of the city. The film depicts the wonderful city of “Shahre Sukhte” (The Burnt City) in Zabol in Iran, which was home to one of the highest civilizations at the dawn of history lasting for over 1400 years. In this city was no central government or leadership in Shahr-e-Sukhte. The government was administered by a group that was matriarchal, meaning that power was in the hands of women. It may be for this reason that we witness no trace of violence and war in this city. Something that the world today desperately needs.
Archaeologists Slade and Eve set out on an adventure to find the legendary Lost Book of Creation which is believed to hold the secret powers of the universe and the answer to why we exist. The first installment of a planned trilogy.
Professional, native and antiquarian researchers combine to investigate the archaeological history and modern legacy of Eastern Native civilization near Turners Falls, Massachusetts. They uncover possible evidence of a vast astronomical construct that covered a large area of what is now the northeastern United States.
The raising of King Henry VIII’s flagship Mary Rose in 1982 remains one of the most significant events in the history of maritime salvage. Comparable to the recovery of the 17th century Swedish warship Vasa in 1961, the climax of this complex and expensive operation was watched by around 60 million people worldwide. But 300 reels of film recently found in the archive of The Mary Rose Trust provide additional insight into the operation.
Built in 1755 at the height of the French and Indian War, Braddock's Road was one of the nation's most infamous military roads. Traces of this historic route, in western Maryland, still remain, buried beneath soil and brush, and a team of archaeologists is on the hunt.
Dr. Mark Fairchild, world-renowned archaeologist, traces the hidden years of Saint Paul's life in the mountainous Turkish countryside of Rough Cilicia.
The Scythians, skilled horsemen and nomadic conquerors, built a feared empire in the vast Eurasian steppe between the 9th and 3rd centuries B.C. All that remains are their graves: the Kourganes. In April 1999, a 2400 year-old Scythian tomb was discovered in Kazakhstan. It contained, among other treasures, twelve horses completely harnessed in gold, suggesting high social status.
Focused on the 2018-2020 excavation of Todos los Santos Church on Heping Island, Taiwan, this film delves into maritime exploration and colonisation of Taiwan. The director combines archaeological findings with a cross-disciplinary musical performance, capturing the delicate excavation process. Furthermore, the film traces a creative journey from the site to historical events in Asia.
Chaco Canyon, located in northwest New Mexico, is perhaps the only site in the world constructed in an elaborate pattern that mirrors the yearly cycle of the sun and the 19-year cycle of the moon. How did an ancient civilization, with no known written language, arrange its buildings into a virtual celestial calendar, spanning an area roughly the size of Ireland?
Ancient pharaoh Akhenaten was almost lost to history. Canadian archaeologist Donald Redford, who uncovered the foundation of one of the pharaoh’s many temples, attempts to finally piece together this great Egyptian ruler’s enigmatic story.
Documentary correlating contemporary archaeological discoveries in the Far North with the descriptions of Viking explorations and settlements detailed in the Icelandic sagas, suggesting a pattern of exploration and trading that extended over the circumpolar region for thousands of years before Columbus' celebrated voyage.
Drama documentary based on the latest discovery of a 16th Century sailing shipwreck found close to Malta by an underwater research team led by maritime archaeologist Timmy Gambin.