Secrets

The Shroud of Turin. Is it the burial cloth of Jesus Christ? A work of art? Or the greatest prank ever pulled? The Vatican itself refuses to take an official position on its authenticity, and with limited access to the cloth for testing, there's seemingly no way for scientists to end the debate. Or is there? Join four experts as they explore four radically different theories, using groundbreaking research and archeological expertise. Their one goal: to decode a treasure that has been revered, rejected, and argued about for more than 600 years.

It stands as tall as a six-story building and is the length of a jumbo jet. Egypt's Great Sphinx is the biggest single stone statue in existence, and the mysteries surrounding it are equally sizable. When was the monument built, and why? Was it an act of devotion or part of a much larger plan? Join a team of international investigators as they attempt to shed new light on these age-old questions, using the latest research and techniques in order to solve the complex riddle of the Sphinx once and for all.

A ten-inch golden statue discovered in a cave near Bogota may be the key to the greatest treasure never found: El Dorado. For centuries, rumors of a "Lost City of Gold" attracted explorers and fortune hunters to the Colombian Andes in search of riches. Now, after 500 years of futility and bloodshed, investigators try to finish the job, using the found statue, a beautiful model of a golden raft, as their guide. See legend and fact collide as we apply forensic techniques and decipher ancient documents to uncover the truth behind the myth.

The stone giants of Easter Island are some of the most recognizable statues on Earth, and some of the least understood. Why were hundreds of these enormous figures built, and how? And what prompted the Islanders to topple all of them to the ground, save for one? To answer these questions, our team of experts gathers evidence on the island and pores over a centuries-old eyewitness account. They also use modern analysis to decipher the symbolic code cut into the last statue standing, a carving that reveals a story of extraordinary struggle.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence and one of history's greatest mysteries. How was the 50-story monument built by a Bronze Age society with only simple hand tools at their disposal? Follow experts Mark Lehner and Peter James as they attempt to solve this puzzle, armed with a radical new approach and a 4,500-year-old diary that gives an eyewitness account of the monument's construction.

Queen Nefertiti was the most powerful woman in ancient Egypt. But few would know anything about her if it weren't for her statue, discovered in the Amarna Desert in 1912. She's since become a global icon... and a very controversial figure. Many believe the unearthing of her likeness was staged, and that the bust, currently insured for $400 million, is one of the greatest art frauds of all time. Follow our team of experts as they sort through the clues, visit the sites, and put the spectacular object to the test to solve this ancient secret.

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.

In a cave by the Dead Sea, a copper scroll treasure map from the time of Jesus was found, promising riches estimated to be worth billions by today's standards. Over half a century later, mystery still surrounds this ancient manuscript. Could these fragments of corroded metal really hold the clues to a massive buried fortune? If so, where did these vast treasures come from? Why were they buried? And are they still out there? Join the investigation as we reveal the secrets behind this very unique and valuable Dead Sea Scroll.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cutting-edge technology and dedicated digging have unearthed new secrets about ancient Egypt's fabled sunken city.

See how a 1,900-year-old battlefield in Scotland is revealing new insights into ancient Rome's military tactics.

Could a sunken, 9,000-year-old stone circle be the origins of the world's most famous prehistoric monument: Stonehenge?