Treasures Decoded

Since its discovery nearly a century ago, archaeologists have been trying to unlock the secrets of King Tut's tomb, but many questions remain. Why does the tomb appear to be so hastily built? Why is there a strange, black mold peppering the walls? And most intriguingly, does the tomb also house the mummy of ancient Egypt's most iconic queen, Nefertiti? Travel with us to the Valley of the Kings, where Howard Carter made his spectacular discovery in 1922, as we use the latest in digital technology to solve these puzzling mysteries.

Archaeologist Danny Harman retraces the footsteps of the original 1952 expedition and visits the very cave where the heavily oxidized scroll was discovered. Rare archive footage reveals the tense moment scientists opened the fragile scroll for the first time in 2,000 years and Professor Lawrence Schiffman, an expert in ancient Hebrew guides us through the text which lists 64 hiding places of vast quantities of treasure - and he reveals why the original translation might not have been as accurate as originally thought.

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.

Ramesses II was the most powerful pharaoh ever to rule Egypt, and his capital city, Pi-Ramesses, was his crowning achievement. It was the biggest building program since the pyramids, but somehow, this metropolis completely vanished from history. What happened? Where did it go? And where was it built to begin with? Join us on the hunt for the lost city of Ramesses the Great, a story of dramatic ruins that misled archaeologists for decades and the brilliant detective work that finally uncovered the fate of this magnificent city.

Over a thousand years ago a great civilisation built a thriving metropolis in the heart of North America. It was larger than Paris, London and Rome at the time and was known as Cahokia. This vast city is one of the best kept secrets of western archaeology, but using cutting edge technologies like LIDAR Secrets: World's Greatest Pyramid can finally unravel its mysteries. Our investigators trace the rise and fall of this mighty civilisation which exploded into existence in 900 AD but vanished less than four hundred years later. Archaeologists John Kelly and Tim Pauketat explore the artifacts decades of excavations have unearthed at the site and what they teaches us about the culture and beliefs of the people here.

Around 360 B.C., the Greek philosopher Plato recorded the legend of Atlantis, the great civilization swallowed by the sea. For centuries, adventurers and archaeologists have searched in vain for the lost city. But now, an international team of experts has uncovered evidence of an epic catastrophe that wiped out a technically advanced and wealthy Mediterranean civilization 3,500 years ago. Join us as we detail a devastating natural disaster and the cataclysmic events that changed history and inspired a myth.