Unearthing Ancient Secrets
New forensic techniques are radically altering our understanding of the past, and helping to resolve mysteries about the lives of some of the greatest figures in history. In this series leading experts from around the world apply modern forensic techniques to re-examine the myths and mysteries that have fascinated us for centuries.
Science Mysteries is a series of films made by Atlantic Productions, and updated for the Science Channel with increased emphasis on the science within the films. We look at the forensic techniques featured, and show how these techniques are continuing to evolve.
Catch it Mondays at 9 p.m. e/p!
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Cleopatra: The Case For Murder
For two thousand years only one verdict has been recorded – suicide by snakebite. But the scientific evidence suggests this is unlikely to be how Cleopatra died. Criminal Profiler Pat Brown, and a team of experts from fields as diverse as archaeology and toxicology, apply the forensic analysis of a 21st century criminal investigation to re-examine the circumstances of the Egyptian queen’s alleged suicide.
Khubilai Khan and The Fleet That Vanished
In 1281, the Mongol leader Khubilai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, built the world’s largest navy to carry his army to Japan. But in one catastrophic night, 4,000 ships sank in a terrible hurricane and one of the greatest military forces of all time was destroyed. Now a team of underwater archaeologists has discovered the wreck of a huge Mongol warship which they believe is from that fleet. Through forensic analysis of the remains, this film allows us to finally understand why a hurricane eight hundred ears ago destroyed one of the greatest empires of history.
Alexander The Great: A Murder Mystery
Intrigue and suspicion have surrounded the untimely demise of Alexander the Great since the day he died. But now modern science could finally tell us what really happened. With the assistance of detective John Grieve of Scotland Yard, the latest historical research, and the analysis of experts in ancient poisons and disease, this film pieces together the forensic evidence to solve a 2,300 year old murder mystery.
Secrets of the Gladiators
The blood of Roman Gladiators kept an Empire entertained for more than 500 years, and the brutal legends of how they fought and killed still spellbind us today. But from Hollywood movies to the small screen, legend has concealed the truth. Now for the first time, the bones of Gladiators have been excavated and identified. This film joins a team of forensic scientists to analyse their skeletons, expose the myths and resurrect the life of a real Gladiator.
The Assassination of Julius Caesar
In the first ever application of modern science to the murder of Julius Caesar, this film uses the latest Crime Scene Investigation techniques, computer reconstruction technology, and experts including Luciano Garofano of the Italian Carabinieri and criminal profiler Dr Harold Bursztajn of Harvard Medical school, to reveal a shocking new assessment of the truth behind ancient history’s most famous assassination.
Super Survivors of the Great Plague
In the winter of 1665, the Great Plague swept through London killing a third of its population. But why were some men and women mysteriously resistant to the deadliest disease then known? Through a series of groundbreaking experiments and archaeological discoveries, we reveal how the Great Plague’s super survivors could hold the key to fighting the infectious diseases of the 21st century, and how our own bodies could teach us to outsmart nature's most vicious killers.
Jack The Ripper: Secrets of a Serial Killer
Jack The Ripper’s reign of terror remains one of history's greatest mysteries: motiveless, unmatched in brutality, and still unsolved. Now Laura Richards of Scotland Yard's Violent Crime Directorate re-opens the case. With the benefits of modern criminology and psychological analysis, and working with a team of experts, Richards uses 21st century techniques to understand a 19th century killer. The results completely change our understanding of Jack The Ripper, providing a detailed psychological study of the kind of person he was, where he lived and even what he may have looked like.
Inside Egypt’s Lost Tomb
When Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, many believed that the Valley of the Kings had given up its last secret. Now, more than eighty years later, archaeologists have unearthed the entrance to a new tomb just a few metres away. But who or what lies inside? As cameras are allowed to follow the excavation of a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings for the first time, we follow the experts using 21st century scientific techniques to unravel the mysteries of tomb KV63. Could this be the final resting place of Tutankhamun's mother?
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