Easter Island: Mysteries of a Lost World

The contrast between the majestic statues of Easter Island and the desolation of their surroundings is stark. For decades Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as the islanders call it, has been seen as a warning from history for the planet as a whole - willfully expend natural resources and the collapse of civilization is inevitable. But archaeologist Dr. Jago Cooper believes this is a disastrous misreading of what happened on Easter Island. He believes that its culture was a success story not a failure, and the real reasons for its ultimate demise were far more shocking. Cooper argues that there is an important lesson that the experience of Easter Island can teach the rest of the world, but it doesn't begin by blaming its inhabitants for their own downfall. This film examines the latest scientific and archaeological evidence to reveal a compelling new narrative, one that sees the famous statues as only part of a complex culture that thrived in isolation. Cooper finds a path between competing theories about what happened to Easter Island to make us see this unique place in a fresh light.

Easter Island: Mysteries of a Lost World (Part 1/2)

Easter Island: Mysteries of a Lost World (Part 2/2)

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Secrets of Lost Empires - Easter Island
Lost Kingdoms of South America

The Real Sin City: Sodom and Gomorrah

The Bible says that God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as punishment for their wicked ways. But is there any evidence that such a thing actually happened? Josh Bernstein travels to the Near East to follow clues from the Scriptures. In modern-day Jordan, nestled near the Dead Sea, two sister cities reveal archaeological evidence of a great destruction. And on a nearby mountain is a strange "Pillar of Salt." Could these be the fabled cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and if so, can the tools of modern-day archeology reconstruct what happened in those fateful days before these cities were laid to waste?

Related Links
Ancient Apocalypse - Sodom and Gomorrah

Lost Treasures of Petra (Digging for the Truth)

The "red-rose" city of Petra stands as one of the most glorious and mysterious archaeological sites on earth. Created over 2,500 years ago, the ornate Petra cityscape was literally carved into the rose-colored walls of Jordan's Shara Mountains. The builders of Petra, the Nabataeans, were thought to be some of the wealthiest people ever to inhabit the Middle East, but they, along with their riches, simply vanished. What was Petra and could the Arabian site be still hiding precious treasure? Josh Bernstein examines Petra's only surviving parchment manuscript, and goes underneath the ancient "Treasury" in search of hidden riches.

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Ancient Megastructures - Petra
The Ports of the Desert

Mapping the Layers of Life

Bulgaria has several little known archaeological sites that potentially hold the answers to key questions about the foundation of western civilisation. Dr Shawn Ross of UNSW's Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences led a field trip for the Tundzha Regional Archaeological Project.

The Tundzha Regional Archaeological Project In the meanders of the Tundzha River lie ancient cities that once controlled the vast corridor between the Thracian plain and the Black and Aegean Seas. These cities were major economic and political centers as well as sites of cultural interaction between Thracians, Macedonians, Greeks, and Romans. The Tundzha Regional Archaeological Project seeks to explore the environmental and archaeological landscapes of the Tundzha river. This research will lead to an understanding of the political and social structure of Thracian society.

Related Links
Secrets of Archaeology

The Ancient Mariners (PBS Odyssey)

The Ancient Mariners is a PBS documentary which follows nautical archaeologists as they excavate three shipwrecks in the depths of the eastern Mediterranean. Although many cargo ships sailed the Mediterranean for thousands of years, under archaeologists have only recently discovered and excavated their remains. Uncover the many clues about these ancient shipbuilders and seafarers as the archaeologists try to reconstruct the vivid past of the busy Mediterranean sea trade.