Rome's Lost Coliseums

Roman coliseums - home to gladiators. Warriors fight to the death in front of baying crowds in the tens of thousands. The Roman Empire builds more than two hundred of these megastructures across its vast territories. Where does this obsession begin? And how do the rulers use this spectacle to control their citizens? We visit a lost coliseum in Capua, Italy to reveal the hidden roots of these brutal monuments. And in El Jem, Tunisia we reconstruct a rarely visited coliseum that is the pinnacle of Roman engineering... to decode the secrets of Rome’s lost coliseums. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samarra – a stunning lost city in the deserts of Iraq. In the ninth century this medieval masterpiece is the capital of the mighty Abbasid Caliphate, one of the greatest empires in world history. Why is Samarra built, when the Abbasids already have a capital city, Baghdad? What are the engineering secrets of the enormous, spiral-shaped minaret that soars over the city? And why is Samarra abandoned by its rulers after just fifty-six years? Now, investigators use ground-breaking technology to answer these questions, in a region threatened by terrorism and off-limits to visitors for years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, western England. Legends say that this is where the famed King Arthur is born in the 6th century AD. He is described as a mighty warrior, defender of his kingdom, and the protagonist of many famous stories: from having a magical sword called Excalibur to building Camelot. But what is the truth? Is King Arthur real, or just imagination? Now, investigators reveal traces of a grand fortress at Tintagel during King Arthur’s time, and discoveries across Britain bring new information on his kingdom, weapons, and fierce enemies. If King Arthur really existed, who was he? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Abydos, southern Egypt – two colossal temples rise up from the barren desert. They are built by Egypt’s mightiest pharaohs Seti I and Ramses the Great, miles from their capital. Why do they raise these huge monuments here? On a quest for answers, investigators use drone imaging to trace clues deep into the desert. Experts venture inside Egypt’s most bizarre subterranean megastructure for the first time, to discover an ancient cult. Can it unlock the secrets to Seti and Ramses’ immense pharaonic power? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rising up from the sparkling waters of the Nile, stands Philae – a stunning templecomplex on a remote island at the southern tip of Egypt. Today, investigators decode ancient inscriptions and use drone technology to discover why this secluded sanctuary attracted the greatest leaders of the ancient world, from pharaohs to Roman emperors. Hidden messages reveal traces of a hostile takeover, and underwater investigations expose Philae’s dramatic escape from a sunken fate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next door to the Valley of the Kings, lies an even more enigmatic necropolis - the Valley of the Queens. Investigators have unearthed 90 tombs here and are piecing together the truth of these forgotten rulers. Do these royal women hold more power than previously believed? How does one Queen manage to become a Pharaoh? And why are so many tombs catastrophically damaged? Now, investigators venture deep into the tunnels to hunt for clues to discover the golden age of Egypt’s queens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ancient city of Persepolis – in the mountains of Iran – is the capital of the first world empire, Persia. What can it reveal about the scale of this imperial powerhouse? Iranian archaeologist Ali Asadi investigates the ruins to reveal magnificent palaces, halls, and military quarters. How do the Persians conquer most of the known ancient world? And how do they control it for over two centuries? We unearth engineering marvels that span for thousands of miles, and uncover brand-new inventions that revolutionize the world, to discover the secrets of ancient Persia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mount Nemrut - a mysterious sky-scraping monument perched high in the Taurus mountains of southeastern Turkey.  Giant decapitated statues surround an enormous man-made mountain summit. But why was Mount Nemrut built?  And how? Today, archaeologists decode ancient inscriptions to discover the purpose of this bizarre megastructure, and reveal the identity of the King who ordered its construction. We finally uncover how the ancients build this engineering marvel… and reveal the reasons for its destruction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pyramid of Lahun – is this the strangest pyramid of all? Rising 160 feet above Egypt’s Western Desert, yet it’s once encircled by water, making it look as if it floats. It’s the brainchild of Pharaoh Senusret II, who builds it to overlook an oasis he creates to channel water from the Nile and help feed Egypt’s hungry millions. The pharaoh uses ground-breaking technology to stop the pyramid from sinking into the wet ground – with the same attention to detail inside, where ancient engineers devise mind-boggling decoys and dead-end tunnels to deter tomb raiders from disturbing the pharaoh’s eternal sleep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep in the Iraqi desert, lies the great Ziggurat of Ur. Long off-limits in a violent warzone, now we have exclusive access to explore these 4000-year-old ruins. What did the ziggurat look like in its prime? Is this lost city home to the first civilization ever known: the Sumerians of Mesopotamia? We reconstruct the ziggurat - revealing a shimmering white shrine on its summit, aligned with the moon. We unearth macabre skeletons - sacrifices to the King. And reveal the marvels of engineering, that made this one of the first, and greatest, cities on the planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices