Ancient
The ancient world is full of wonder and mystery. From the discovery of Britain's oldest complete human skeleton to the disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion, we have documentaries, interviews and podcasts covering all of periods and key events in antiquity. Learn more about this fascinating period in history with world leading experts such as Mary Beard and follow us as we take you on tours around some world famous sites as well as the more unknown hidden gems of the ancient and classical era.
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Vindolanda Unearthed
Situated roughly one mile south of Hadrian’s Wall is one of the great jewels of Roman and early medieval archaeology: Vindolanda. Over the past 50 years, annual excavations at this site have revealed incredible amounts of new information. Information that has not only shone more light on the site...
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Tutankhamun: Life Not Death
Renowned Egyptologist Prof. Joann Fletcher explores the most famous pharaoh of them all - Tutankhamun. Jo has curated a very special exhibition in her hometown, Barnsley, not only to celebrate the world of Tutankhamun, but also the people from northern England who played an important role in his...
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Killing God: The Assassination of Julius Caesar
15 March - 'The Ides of March'. It is arguably the most well known date in ancient history. On that day in 44 BC the Roman statesman Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senatorial conspirators in the heart of Rome. But why was this political giant of ancient Rome assassinated? How did th...
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Rise Of Hannibal
He was one of the greatest enemies the Romans ever faced. An excellent general and a larger-than-life figure, who led an army across the alps and dealt a series of crushing defeats upon the Romans on Italian soil. His achievements have become a thing of legend and his name has become immortalised...
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The Roman Invasions with Ray Mears: Caesar's Mission
In 55 BC, Rome had its sights set on Britain. Across two attempts, a huge invasion force led by one of the greatest miltary leaders in history, Julius Caesar, landed in Kent. Eventually he would break through and conquer the southern heart of the island.
It had not been an easy task. In his firs...
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The Roman Invasions With Ray Mears: Claudius' Conquest
In the second episode of this series, bushcraft and survival expert Ray Mears recounts the Claudian invasion of Britain in 43 AD and explores the ensuing Battle of the Medway in the lands of the Iron Age tribe of the Cantiaci. Featuring historians Dr Simon Elliot, Professor Matthias Strohn and Ro...
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The Rise of Judea
The Rise of Judea explores the tumultuous reign of King Herod and the ascent of Roman stewardship in Judea through the words of Flavius Josephus. From his strategic marriage and political wiles to his immense cultural development and architectural marvels, Herod's destructive ambition leads him t...
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The Fall of Judea
The Fatal Conflict Episode 2 uncovers the events that shaped the great Jewish revolt against Rome as told by Jewish General, historian and perceived traitor Flavius Josephus, and uniquely incorporates expert interviews, dramatic recreations, and evocative CGI to create a visual tapestry as rich a...
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The First Britons
If the words British history conjure up images of Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Boudica, Mary Seacole, The Beatles and the Blitz, you’re squinting at a small spec of the history of humanity of these Isles. Even if you go back to the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, or even further to the Iron Age ...
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A Tour of Fishbourne Palace
In 1960, a man was laying a waterpipe underneath the quaint village of Fishbourne near Chichester, West Sussex, when he uncovered what looked like Roman remains. After he duly reported the discover, the archaeologists were called in and they quickly unearthed more and more prestigious finds. They...
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Rise and Fall of Roman Richborough
Richborough was one of the longest Roman-occupied sites in Britain, with history stretching from the Claudian invasion of Britain in 43 AD to the Roman departure almost 4 centuries later. During its long history Richborough transformed on several occasions. From military base to prosperous port t...
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Imagining the Divine
Dr Janina Ramirez takes an exclusive tour of 'Imagining the Divine', the new exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. With the exhibition's co-curator, Jas Eslner, Janina discovers how the art of the 5 major world religions spread across the globe in the first Millennium AD, and takes a fasc...
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In Search of the Minoans
Rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, the Minoan Civilization, whose earliest beginnings were from c. 3500 BC on the island of Crete, became one of the most developed, complex urban civilizations in antiquity. Yet we still kn...
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The Life of Julius Caesar with Simon Elliott
Historian and archaeologist Simon Elliott has written extensively on the Roman world. He answers the key questions surrounding one of history's most compelling figures - Julius Caesar. Who was Julius Caesar and what was his family history? How did military and political changes aid the rise of Ju...
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Debunking The Myths Of Tutankhamun
Who was Tutankhamun? How did he die? Was Tutankhamun's tomb cursed? In this video we attempt to answer all these questions and more with Prof Joyce Tyldesley from the University of Manchester.
Tutankhamun, 'The Boy King' of Ancient Egypt, is one of history's most famous names. Though his short r...
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The World of Stonehenge Revealed: Decoding the Find of the Century
Described as the "most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years", an elaborately decorated 5000 year-old chalk cylinder, discovered buried with 3 child skeletons in Yorkshire and as old as the first phase of Stonehenge, is going on display at the British Mus...
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Stonehenge
Dan Snow visits one of the most recognisable historical sites on Earth. Stonehenge. Timed with the recent solving of the sarsen stones origin mystery, this documentary takes an in-depth look at what we know, and what we don't know, about this iconic Neolithic monument.
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Women of the Trojan War
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The Emperor Justinian
Peter Heather, Professor of Medieval History at KCL, tackles the big questions about the Roman Emperor Justinian.
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Boudica: Death to Rome
In 60/61 AD turmoil seized southern Britain. A massive anti-Roman revolt reared its ugly head in East Anglia, as tens of thousands of Britons attempted to evict the recently-arrived Romans from the island by the spear. At its head was one of the most famous figures in the whole of British history...
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Life and Death in Roman London: The City Rises
Today it is one of the greatest cities on Earth. But London, originally, was a Roman city. Join historian and archaeologist Dr Simon Elliott in this two part series. With the help of leading experts Dr Sophie Jackson and Dr Rebecca Redfern, Simon tells the story of Roman London. From Boudica’s in...
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Life and Death in Roman London: The City Falls
Today it is one of the greatest cities on Earth. But London, originally, was a Roman city. Join Dr Simon Elliott in this two part series where, with the help of leading experts Dr Sophie Jackson and Dr Rebecca Redfern, he tells the story of Roman London. From Boudica’s infamous destruction to how...
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How the Romans Changed the World
"The Ascent of Europe - How the Romans Changed the World
The Romans created one of the greatest empires in history, built with the help of an incredible army of professional legionnaires and a well-oiled political machinery. At its height, a few hundred men ruled over a fifth of mankind and an a...
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An Indigenous History of Australia
To date, there are over 500 different aboriginal 'nations' in Australia, all with distinctive cultures, beliefs, languages and unique histories. Since the arrival of Captain James Cook and the subsequent colonisation of the continent, many of these indigenous populations were, and continue to be ...