Lost Treasures of Rome

Archaeologists embark on new digs in Pompeii, to unravel the stories of the people that lived and died here. They race against the clock to unearth a sacrificial skull, uncover clues from the tomb and mummified body of a curiously wealthy freed slave, and venture into stiflingly narrow tunnels beneath the central bathhouse.

How did Rome rise to dominate so much of the ancient world? Off the coast of Sicily, investigators discover traces of a crucial naval battle. Using divers, an underwater robot and a crane, they haul a long lost battleship relic to the surface. In Terracina, south of Rome, a team of archaeologists dig inside an ancient mountaintop temple, and in Carthage, Tunisia, clues reveal how one deadly rivalry tilted the scales of power in favour of Rome.

How did the Colosseum - an arena for bloody gladiatorial battles - become the greatest symbol of the Roman Empire? Archaeologists venture into the Colosseum’s ruins, and launch digs across the Empire, to hunt for clues. As teams descend into hidden tunnels and unearth long-lost amphitheaters in Tuscany and Britain, they piece together the surprising truth about Rome’s iconic Colosseum.

To understand who the gladiators were and to discover the secret of their appeal, archaeologists scale the façade of Rome's famous Colosseum, decipher warrior tombstones and unearth an extraordinary lost amphitheatre in Turkey.

In 79 AD, the eruption of a nearby volcano, Mount Vesuvius, buried Pompeii in millions of tonnes of ash and debris. Now, archaeologists are working to uncover the dark side of this idyllic Roman city by finding the room of an enslaved person.

Archaeologists reveal the stunning new discovery of a Nero megastructure.

Archeologists excavate from mountain tops, crawl underground, and experiment with early technology to reveal ancient Roman engineering secrets.

Experts unearth new truths about Hadrian's wall and Nero’s palace, discover underground frescos, underwater mosaics, and recover part of a warship.

A lavish Pompeii villa, preserved in time by the eruption of Pompeii, showcases the very different lives between the wealthy and the enslaved. In Jordan, a newly uncovered tomb tells the story of the city’s history and archaeologists analyze the construction of a theater where all citizens were welcome.

Archaeologists crawl underground to study the complex heating systems powering the Stabian Baths of Pompeii. Next to the Vatican, they discover a magnificent amphitheater built to boast Emperor Nero’s ambition and pride. And outside Naples, they dive underwater to see the granaries whose trade profits fueled innovations throughout the Empire.

From England to Turkey, archaeologists discover weapons from the frontlines and military bases, proving that the Roman war machine spanned all corners of the empire. They test the true power and might, using ancient designs to build new ships and catapults. The power of Roman propaganda becomes evident in recent findings from gladiators’ tombs.