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

Preview | Lost Ships of Rome

30s

In 2009, a team of marine archeologists carrying out a sonar survey of the seabed around the remote Italian island of Ventotene made an astonishing discovery. The wrecks of five ancient Roman ships were found in pristine condition, each one fully laden with exotic goods. Remarkably, much of the cargo remained exactly as the ancient Roman crews had loaded it.

Preview | Slave Ship Mutiny

31s

The slave ship Meermin set sail from Madagascar for South Africa in 1766, but the ship would never make it to Cape Town, the slaves mutinied and managed to overpower the Dutch crew, ordering the ship be sailed back to Madagascar and freedom.

Go Behind the Scenes of Slave Ship Mutiny

30m 2s

Learn how the story of Massavana and The Meermin was uncovered through interviews with historian Nigel Warden and producer/director Joe Kennedy. See what it was like to bring this story to life with special behind-the-scenes footage of the actors, crew and interviews with drama director Nic Young. Understand just how much the story means to South Africans such as heritage activist Lucy Campbell.

Preview | The Silver Pharaoh

31s

The royal tomb of Pharaoh Psusennes I is one of the most spectacular of all the ancient Egyptian treasures — even more remarkable than that of Tutankhamun. So why hasn't the world heard about it? What mysteries does it contain? And what does it reveal about ancient Egypt?

Preview | Deadliest Battle

30s

The Battle of Stalingrad is known as one of the most pivotal actions of World War II. For decades after the war, the battle was seen as a victory for Stalin, whose carefully executed withdrawal baited Hitler's army into a battle that slowly decimated the German forces. But now, newly-released archives are revealing a very different picture of the battle that changed the course of history.

Preview | Churchill's Deadly Decision

30s

July 3, 1940. After only 54 days into office, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered his Navy to take control of French ships or destroy them. What led to this unprecedented and controversial attack was a series of events that saw France being overrun by the Nazis in a matter of weeks, Roosevelt fearing that Britain would fall, and Churchill needing a way to prove otherwise.

Preview | Japanese SuperSub

30s

Discover Japan's superior submarine technology and just how close the Japanese came to using the subs to blow up the Panama Canal, terrorize the U.S., and possibly enact a deadly biological attack. The supersub, obtained by the U.S. at the end of the war, combined the tactical advantages of sea and sky. But why did America sink one of its most prized military captures?

Preview | Mumbai Massacre

30s

Timed for the first anniversary of the attacks, "Mumbai Massacre" brings viewers survivor accounts, closed-circuit footage from within the hotels, and actual words spoken by victims and terrorists. Told from the perspective of the victims, the film places viewers inside the maelstrom, becoming witnesses to critical decisions that meant the difference between life and death.

Preview | The Airmen and the Headhunters

30s

In 1944, a U.S. bomber was hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire, and the crew ejected and parachuted into the wilderness. They were taken in and protected by members of the Dayak tribe — the "wild men of Borneo," infamous for their custom of hunting and smoking enemy heads. Months later, the airmen were found by an eccentric British Major who devised an ingenious plan to rescue them.

Preview | Michelangelo Revealed

30s

More than 500 ago, Michelangelo Buonarroti was the darling of the Catholic Church, commissioned to create many of its most important pieces. Historians have long wondered about the mysterious circumstances of his death — and now, art historian Antonio Forcellino believes he has pieced together evidence of a deep rift between the Church and the esteemed artist.

Preview | Blackbeard's Lost Ship

30s

Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, was the most notorious pirate of his day. Now, 300 years later, a marine archaeology team believe they have found his sunken flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, off the North Carolina coast. Did Blackbeard accidentally run his ship aground, or was it a deliberate plot to betray his crew and cheat them out of their share of the plunder?

Preview | Executed in Error

30s

In 1910, American doctor Hawley Crippen was convicted in England of poisoning and dismembering his wife. The vicious murder-and execution that followed made international headlines. It was a landmark case — the first trial by media, and the first to be dominated by forensic science. But did the prosecutors get it right?

Preview | Sinking Atlantis

30s

Drawing from the archaeological records, new revelations about Minoan language and religion and shocking new geological discoveries, archeologists connects fact with fiction and reveal the truth behind the reign and fall of the great Minoan civilization.

Preview | Doping for Gold

30s

In Cold War-era East Germany, young female athletes were injected with male hormones and anabolic steroids — all in the name of “international prestige through success in sports.” Twenty years later, many still suffer from the aftereffects: severe physical illness and disabilities. Discover the price these women paid to bring Olympic pride to their country.

Preview | Aztec Massacre

30s

Archaeologists make a grisly find: 400 skeletons buried in a mass grave, undisturbed for 500 years, since the time of the Spanish conquest. But this is no ordinary gravesite. The remains suggest these people met a gruesome end at the hands of the Aztecs, who ruled Mesoamerica in the 14th through 16th centuries. But who were the victims and why were they killed?

Preview | Headless Romans

30s

In the back garden of a house in York, England, more than 45 decapitated, Roman-era skeletons are unearthed. Are these men savagely murdered pagan prisoners? Are they soldiers who were killed in battle or executed for crimes against Rome? Modern forensics, archeological sleuthing, and historical records point to a surprising answer.

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