Secrets of the Dead

History Series / 9 Seasons

Secrets of the Dead is part detective story, part true-life drama that unearths evidence from around the world, challenging prevailing ideas and throwing fresh light on unexplained events.

55m 23s / TV-PG

Why did Vincent van Gogh cut his ear?

3m 40s

During his 15-month stay in the city of Arles, in the south of France, an aspiring artist Vincent van Gogh would paint more than two hundred paintings that captured the people and places he encountered. But during his time here, he would also suffer a cataclysmic breakdown, culminating in an act of bloody self-mutilation. What led to the tragic downfall of this tortured genius?

Preview | Graveyard of the Giant Beasts

30s

A mining operation in Cerrejon, Northern Colombia, opened a window onto a previously unknown period of the earth’s history and a world teeming with giant creatures emerged. The biggest of all was Titanoboa a 43-foot snake, the largest that ever lived. But new discoveries in Cerrejon suggest that Titanoboa’s rule was challenged by a giant crocodilian.

Discovery of the Giant Snake, Titanoboa

3m 39s

Experts examined the bones they discovered at the Cerrejón mine. They recognized that although it was the size of a crocodile vertebrae, it actually belonged to a snake. Anacondas are the largest snakes alive today, but their vertebrae are dwarfed when placed next to that of the Cerrejón monster. Weighing more than a ton, this giant snake was five times bigger than the largest alive today.

Bite Force of the Cerrejón Crocodile

3m 3s

The Cerrejón crocodile the scientists unearthed came out to be about 28 feet, which is bigger than any crocodile that we have alive today. More importantly, it was of a size to match the croc from the dinosaur era, Sarcosuchus. Now that we know how large the croc was, Dr. Greg Erickson can finally estimate the power of its monstrous bite. It is of a magnitude equal to that of a T. rex.

Excavation of the Must Farm, the 'British Pompeii'

2m 54s

An ancient lump of timber spotted in a quarry in southern England leads to a massive archaeological excavation that reveals a prehistoric village, perfectly preserved in mud and silt. The village was built at least 1,000 years after Stonehenge was erected. Were villages like this isolated places, with inhabitants living difficult and primitive lives?

Development of Bronze Age Swords

3m 6s

Swords first appeared during the Bronze Age. But scholars aren't sure whether they were a prestige item — made for show — or designed primarily to kill. Swords developed on human beings over hundreds of years. Neil Burridge, one of the few people replicating Bronze Age swords using authentic techniques, goes over the authentic bronze sword making process.

Preview | After Stonehenge

33s

Explore the charred remains of a 3,000-year old English settlement that’s shedding new light on the ancient history of the western world. Working in secret inside a quarry, experts have less than a year to save the site before the quarry drains.

Discovery of the Bronze Age Boats

3m 38s

The Must Farm site sits in a landscape crisscrossed by a network of waterways. One of the big questions the team wants to answer is whether European Bronze Age villages like this were isolated — or if they had contact with the wider world. The archaeologists discovered eight pristine log boats suggesting these villagers were travelers.

Where Did the Ancient Teotihuacános Come From?

2m 12s

Archaeologists David Carballo and Rebecca Storey examine the ancient bones found at Teotihuacan to find out where the Teotihuacan's ordinary citizens came from. The teeth reveal that the ancient Teotihuacanos are migrants.

Preview | Teotihuacán’s Lost Kings

35s

Follow a team of scientists exploring royal tombs beneath the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacán. After decades of research, these imperial burial chambers may reveal clues about the long-lost Teotihuacán culture and its mysterious people.

The Tunnel Below the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent

3m 52s

Mexican archaeologist Sergio Gomez Chavez and his colleagues discover a tunnel at the Teotihuacán site that continues in a straight path, directly to the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent which stands at the very center of the city.

Teotihuacán, the City of the Gods

2m 2s

The Aztecs reign over Mesoamerica as the last great culture before the Spanish conquest. As they venture south, a group of warriors finds Giant pyramids, the remains of an enormous ancient city completely abandoned. They call it "Teotihuacan," the City of the Gods. Who built this magnificent city? Mexican archaeologist Sergio Gomez Chavez is about to uncover the mystery of the City of the Gods.

The Foundation Deposits Discovered at Taposiris Magna

2m 20s

Kathleen Martinez discovered the foundation deposits at the temple of TapOsiris Magna, which indicates the first direct link between the temple site and Cleopatra’s family line.

Kathleen Martinez's Quest to Find Cleopatra’s Tomb in Egypt

3m 22s

Amateur archaeological sleuth Kathleen Martinez's quest to find Cleopatra's tomb took her to a temple complex known as Taposiris Magna, which is located 25 miles west of Alexandria, Egypt. Could it be the site of Cleopatra's lost tomb?

The SF Bay Model Shows the Escapees Could Have Survived

4m 33s

The Dutch scientists visit the physical model of the San Francisco Bay and delta system to test their theory before they test their raincoat raft in the bay itself. They built a little boat and put it in the bay model to see where it ends up. Were the escapees able to make it to the shore?

The June 1962 Alcatraz Escape

3m 3s

On the night of June 11, 1962, three Alcatraz inmates set out in a raft made of raincoats into the treacherous waters of San Francisco Bay. They were never seen again. Who were the escapees? Where did they go?

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