Ancient Discoveries

Name: Ancient Discoveries
Genre: History, Mystery, War
Cast: Phil Crowley, Michael Carroll

TV Series2003 – 20091h6 seasons · 42 episodes

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42Episodes, 6 seasons 0Member reviews 0Lists include it

History Mystery War

In the ancient texts of Homer and the walls of Egyptian tombs lie tantalizing clues that are causing historians to re-think just how sophisticated centuries-old societies were. Drawings show that the Egyptians may have unlocked the secret to flight with primitive helicopter designs, and that the Chinese had a "wind car" in the 6th century AD that could transport them over land at up to 30 miles per hour. Even more amazing are 600-year-old designs from Italy for a Batmobile-like "rocket car" that appeared to be fueled by gunpowder. Mechanical maids that could fetch water for people on their own were created by the inventor Philos in the Third century, a concept we still struggle to perfect today! And discoveries about ancient machines of warfare give a new vision of what truly defined the Egyptian empire. Each week, Ancient Discoveries unearths new clues that connect the present with the past in more startling ways than we had ever imagined.

Stars: Phil Crowley Michael Carroll

Where it airs

HistoryNetwork, from TVmaze

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Episode guide

Episode scores10.0 9.0 10.0 9.5 6.0 10.0 –9.0 –10.0 9.5 8.0 9.5

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E1Airborne AssaultNov 5, 2009 · 1h · Assault from the air didn't begin with the era of the airplane. The kite bomb was a medieval siege weapon that dropped bombs from a kite over cities. Ancient bouncing bombs that actually skipped across water terrorized shipping in Turkey in 1453. Ancient China's whistling arrows, the world's earliest rocket-powered explosive missile, and the earliest known successful parachute, are also examined.TVmaze 10.0

E2Guns 'N AmmoNov 12, 2009 · 1h · Some of the strangest and deadliest weapons ever built were prototypes of the modern gun. ANCIENT DISCOVERIES finds out whether a simple bamboo tube could have been the world's first gun. Hidden in an ancient manuscript lays a secret recipe for ancient tracer fire, but does it really work? How far and how high could the mega-mortar "Roaring Meg" have fired its shots to take out a Royalist stronghold? Can a team of experts discover the truth behind the bizarre battlefield phenomena of "wind of the cannonball," when men were seen to drop dead without apparently having been touched by a shot? And did a nine-barreled medieval volleygun mark the birth of the modern machine gun?TVmaze 9.0

E3The Ancient Mega-FortDec 4, 2009 · 1h · Explore the defenses of ancient forts and cities. Discover the invisible underground defensive systems of Cappadocia and how they proved so successful. Test the ancient Mayan killer bee castle defenses, and release bees in an attack. A replica section of the ancient Roman fort of Alesia is built. And the most impregnable walls in history - the multi-layered defenses of Constantinople are investigated and along with the type of cannon that destroyed them in 1453.TVmaze 10.0

E4Ancient Secret AgentsDec 12, 2009 · 1h · The systems by which ancient intelligence services transmitted messages over thousands of miles is investigated. Methods by which ancient spies sent secret messages are reviewed such as invisible ink made of human sperm and how they wrote on the inside of a raw egg. Discover how the ninja used explosives, not just darts and poisons. How a Roman James Bond used a suit made of cork to support him in full armor across a river is also explored.TVmaze 9.5

E5Gruesome MedicineDec 18, 2009 · 1h · Explores ancient medical techniques and possible new applications in the modern era. Techniques reviewed include blood letting by leeches, reading from a torpedo fish, trepanning to relieve pressure on the brain, and Roman battlefield surgery and tools. Other items reviewed include how snake venom was used as medicine and using replica tools and virtual surgery in a computer to see how an arrow was removed from the skull of Prince Henry V of England.TVmaze 6.0

E6Riots and RevolutionDec 18, 2009 · 1h · The show tracks down the secret manual that explained how the Vietnamese defeated not only the US in the 20th century, but the Mongols 700 years earlier. It reveals the largest booby trap in history, one that snagged an entire battle fleet, how king Mithridates used a substance called burning mud in his revolt against Rome, and how the terrorist booby-traps and letter bombs of today were invented hundreds of years ago.TVmaze 10.0

E7Ancient CommandosDec 18, 2009 · 1h · Ancient commandos fought deep behind enemy lines in some of the harshest terrains know to man. The show examines such exploits through storms and snowdrifts, revealing the tech and truth behind the world earliest known ski commandos. A journey to the deserts of Egypt reveals how a tiny army beat off a major invasion force using deception and a bunch of farm animals. The Bayeux tapestry is featured as well as one of the ancient worlds most feared and successful commando units, the Naftun.Not rated yet

E8Ancient Special ForcesDec 18, 2009 · 1h · The show reviews ancient Roman navy SEAL techniques of capturing enemy ships from underwater and replicates the feat. The tactics of ancient Roman war dog units are explored including a historically savage breed of dog, the Mastiff. Finally, the secrets of the samurai sword and how it was made is reviewed and they build and test an ancient Horro, a Japanese device that could protect a galloping cavalryman from arrow fire using thin silk.TVmaze 9.0

E9Twisted Weapons of the EastDec 18, 2009 · 1h · The show travels first to India where they encounter martial artists wielding terrifying 6-foot-long (1.8 m) swords, a projectile that can sever the limbs of any enemies, and an ancient Indian booby trap which impales its victims as they sleep. In Egypt, how camels were turned into weapons of war are explored. Finally, through painstaking research, they construct the world's first unmanned weapon that went onto the battlefield over 2000 years ago.Not rated yet

E10Ancient Record BreakersDec 22, 2009 · 1h · This episode explores some ancient world records that still stand today. The most valuable thing in the ancient world is still the most valuable thing today at 2000 dollars per gram. A replica of a 2000 year old jet engine is built and a weapons team finally reveals the only weapon in history that can shoot around corners. They review what was the fastest thing in the ancient world and explosives experts reveal that the first gun was made of fruit.TVmaze 10.0

E11Mega Ocean ConquestDec 22, 2009 · 1h · From conquering the oceans' depths to defending the freedoms of the seas, ancient man pushed the technological boundaries to the limits in the mega battle for the oceans. New discoveries will reveal how an ancient destroyer rammed its way to victory in one of the most significant battles in human history. In Denmark, a team of divers builds and tests the world's first-ever deep-sea diving suit designed 350 years before the history books tell us it was possible to walk along the seabed. Can CSI science unravel the mystery of a time-traveling ghost ship? And in a groundbreaking sea cannon experiment, naval experts will discover how a 16th-century war fleet blasted their way to victory against an enemy armada seven miles wide, without the loss of a single ship.TVmaze 9.5

E12Rituals of DeathDec 22, 2009 · 1h · Travel to Egypt to discover the mysteries of the mummified crocodiles of Kom Ombo. We'll x-ray an ancient mummy that has held a secret for 2000 years, and reveal the lengths that people will go to to ritualize death. New discoveries at the site of the world famous terracotta army in China reveal incredible insights into the mind-state of the great first emperor of China and his people; and what they believed about death. In Britain, forensic scientists solve a year old murder using 15th century forensic science, as well as hundreds of mini-detectives--blowflies. And using virtual reality techniques doctors will now look inside the body of a victim during a live crucifixion to discover horrific new truths about the suffering on the cross.TVmaze 8.0

E13Secret Science of the OccultDec 28, 2009 · 1h · In Mexico, explorers use a sacred ancient Mayan temple code to search for an occult underworld engineered in the depths of the earth--a mysterious site where no TV cameras have ever ventured. In Britain, investigators uncover the secret technologies behind a life size statue of Jesus Christ that miraculously came to life. Weapons experts reveal the science that saved a holy military order from certain annihilation in the bloodiest siege in history. In Greece, archaeologists solve the mystery of the oracle of the dead; an eerie sanctuary where flying ghosts appeared from the depths of hell.TVmaze 9.5

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Phil CrowleyNarrator Michael CarrollNarrator

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Details

Premiered: December 21, 2003
Ended: December 28, 2009
Status: Ended
Network: History
Country of origin: United States
Language: English
Episode runtime: 1h
TVmaze ID: 2116