Secrets of the Dead

Mark Seen

Catastrophe (1) May 16, 2000 Did a cataclysmic event plunge humankind into the period known as the early Dark Ages? Scientists now believe the early Dark Ages may have been triggered by a natural event that occurred around 535 A.D. Science writer David Keys is convinced that the cause was a phenomenon of cataclysmic proportions. At the center of a complex chain of events seems to be "a loud bang" -- a volcanic explosion equal to "two thousand million Hiroshima size bombs." The subsequent environmental calamity, Keys believes, affected human civilization from Mongolia to Constantinople, precipitating plague, famine, death, great migration, the fall of the great Mexican city of Teotihuacan, the Anglo-Saxon victory over the Celts and perhaps even the rise of Islam. (UK / PBS)Released to video (VHS) as a single episode. Run time 1:50.

Mark Seen

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Catastrophe (2) May 16, 2000 Did a cataclysmic event plunge humankind into the period known as the early Dark Ages? Scientists now believe the early Dark Ages may have been triggered by a natural event that occurred around 535 A.D. Science writer David Keys is convinced that the cause was a phenomenon of cataclysmic proportions. At the center of a complex chain of events seems to be "a loud bang" -- a volcanic explosion equal to "two thousand million Hiroshima size bombs." The subsequent environmental calamity, Keys believes, affected human civilization from Mongolia to Constantinople, precipitating plague, famine, death, great migration, the fall of the great Mexican city of Teotihuacan, the Anglo-Saxon victory over the Celts and perhaps even the rise of Islam. (UK / PBS)Released to video (VHS) as a single episode. Run time 1:50.

Mark Seen

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The Lost Vikings May 17, 2000 Why did Greenland's Vikings disappear? The Vikings of Greenland left no clues to their sudden and mysterious disappearance. Or did they? On a desolate coast of Greenland, an international team of archaeologists, forensic anthropologists, entomologists and botanists sets out to investigate clues in a complex chain of events that may have led to the demise of a Viking colony. Unearthing the ruins of a settlement that included a cathedral complete with stained glass, the scientists carefully identify and date the vestiges of the Viking society. Among their discoveries are a "mini Ice Age," a war with neighboring Inuits, and a religious order that may have doomed the Vikings to obsolescence. (UK/PBS 55 min)

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What Happened to the Hindenburg? Jun 16, 2000 Why did the great airship Hindenburg explode? The disintegration of the Hindenburg in 1937 is one of the most famous disasters of the 20th century. It took more than 100 years to develop what was, in its day, the fastest, most technologically advanced and most luxurious form of transportation in the world -- and 34 seconds to destroy it. The accident that ended the golden age of airships is generally attributed to the ignition of hydrogen gas used for lift. Addison Bain, a retired NASA scientist and hydrogen specialist, sets out on a personal quest of theorizing and experimentation to prove the Hindenburg's real flaw was only skin deep. (UK/PBS 55 min)

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Cannibalism in the Canyon May 18, 2000 What happened to the peaceful ancient Pueblo civilization of the American southwest? For 1000 years, the Anasazi -- a democratic people with rich achievements in architecture, agriculture, astronomy and art -- flourished in what is now New Mexico. Yet around 1200 A.D., something brought their utopia to a sudden and mysterious end. Paleo-anthroplogist Christy Turner has found what he believes are clear signs of cannibalism among the Anasazi ruins, but American Indian groups and other archaeologists are skeptical. And while the evidence is difficult to refute, the meaning of the findings is still open to debate. In the shadow of a debate both scientific and political, question remain: Did the Anasazi culture become cannibalistic, or did cannibals from afar stumble across the perfect victims? (UK/PBS 55 min)

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What Sank the Mary Rose? Dec 19, 2015 A team of experts from the fields of shipbuilding, science, history and archaeology gather to try and pin down why Henry VIII's flagship, The Mary Rose, capsized and sank without warning in 1545

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Witches Curse Jun 27, 2001 (Disease & Disaster) “The Witches Curse” poses a shocking new idea about the violent convulsions, delirium, and strange skin sensations that struck a group of young girls in 17th-century Massachusetts and inspired the infamous Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, 19 of the town’s residents were put to death because they were believed to have been witches. For hundreds of years, this tragedy was blamed on religious fanaticism, adolescent cruelty, and contagious hysteria. But these explanations failed to satisfy a “detective” who embarked on her own fact-finding mission. Was Salem’s Puritan community unwittingly living on bread infected by the fungus from which LSD is derived? Could toxic amounts of this fungus, known as ergot, be the real reason the accusatory teens endured psychotic episodes and saw blood dripping down their walls at night? And what clues could the 2,300-year-old corpse of a Danish murder victim possibly hold for Salem investigators? Tracking down historic outbreaks of ergot poisoning, Dr. Caporael compares its symptoms to those that plagued the girls in Salem, revealing a whole new side of this unsettling period. (UK/PBS 55 min)

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Murder at Stonehenge Jul 4, 2001 A mysterious skeleton buried in a shallow grave beneath a famous ancient monument. Who was he? How long had he been there? And why had his head been severed from its body? Archaeologist Mike Pitts works with scientists, forensics experts and historian to dig up ominous information about early Britain and the circumstances that surrounded the man's death. Was he a cattle thief, an insurgent, or a pagan sacrifice in a newly Christian world? (UK/PBS 55 min)

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Death at Jamestown Jul 11, 2001 The settlers at Jamestown, the first British colony in the New World, were looking for wealth and adventure. But within six months 80 of the original 100 arrivals were dead; 440 of the first 500 died within three years. Death came in sudden, brutal waves marked by severe bruising, weakness, wasting and madness. Did the men die of disease and starvation? Or is it more than a coincidence that the deadly outbreaks always seemed to strike just after the supply ships set sail? Clues from Europe and the recently rediscovered Jamestown site have led pathologist Frank Hancock to a radical new theory that implicates some unlikely suspects. (UK/PBS 55 min)

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Day of the Zulu Jul 18, 2001 During the Anglo-Zulu wars in South Africa, the success of small British regiments against huge numbers of native warriors became the stuff of legend. But in one key 1879 battle, Zulu fighting unites known as Impis decimated the British forces at the battle of Isandlwana. Historian Ian Knight and forensic archaeologist Tony Pollard investigate the battle scene, trying to assess the impact of a solar eclipse on the outcome, and discovering the Zulu use of performance enhancing "battle drugs" that included cannabis and a powerful hallucinogenic mushroom. New evidence reveals the changing tide of the battle, the innovative strategy of the Zulu and one Critical, irreversible British mistake. (UK/PBS 55 min)

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Tomb of Christ Jul 25, 2001 For centuries, visitors to the Church of the Holy Seplulchre in Jerusalem believed that they stood within what was merely a symbolic representation of Jesus' burial place. But what if the edicule within the church, an ancient crumbling structure, really does house Christ's actual tomb? Oxford archaeologists Martin and Birthe Biddle reconstruct Jesus' final day and trace the history of the various incarnations of the edicule -- looking for evidence that there is a tomb present, and trying to decipher whether or not Christ actually lay there. (UK/PBS 55 min)

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The Syphilis Enigma Aug 1, 2001 In 1492, Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic in search of gold. But what his men carried back with them to Europe was something far less appealing. They brought the scourge of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease never before seen in the Old World. At least that is what scientists have generally believed. But now, the discovery in Europe of a pre-Columbian body with definite signs of syphilis has archaeologist Charlotte Roberts convinced that syphilis existed in the Old World long before Columbus ever set sail. New evidence from across Europe is beginning to turn the prevailing Columbus theory on its head (UK/PBS 55 min)

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Search for the First Human May 9, 2001 Ancient hominid fossils ignite controversy over the origins of humankind.

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Mystery of the Black Death Oct 31, 2002 Disease & Disaster. The Mystery of the Black Death begins in September of 1665, when a tailor in the secluded English village of Eyam opened a flea-infested shipment of fabric from London. In a matter of days, the tailor and much of the village were suffering the telltale signs of bubonic plague, the disease that, in the first five years since its arrival, had wiped out a third of the European population. To prevent the outbreak from spreading throughout the region, the whole town was quarantined — no one was allowed in or out. Outsiders assumed that the bacteria would simply wipe out the entire village. But they were wrong. Three hundred and fifty years later, Dr. Stephen O’Brien, a geneticist from the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., is delving into the reasons why some individuals managed to survive the excruciating Black Death while others were dying all around them. Following O’Brien as he takes DNA samples and investigates historical records and family archives, the film sheds light on the resistance to the plague, and reveals a stunning legacy that the plague survivors passed on to their descendants — a similar resistance to the modern-day scourge of AIDS. (UK/PBS 46 min)

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Titanic's Ghosts Nov 21, 2002 Modern Mysteries. After midnight on April 15th, 1912, an urgent knock woke Swedish Titanic passenger Alma Paulson and her four young children. Alma and her children were told to wait in a sitting room below deck for further instructions, and when they finally made it topside, all 20 of the lifeboats were long gone. As the ship’s tilt increased, it became more and more difficult to hold on. A friend tried to help by scooping up two-year-old Gosta, yet none of the Paulsons survived. Only Alma’s body was identified. Six days later, Canadian rescue workers spotted the lifeless body of a fair-haired toddler floating near the site of the wreck. The sailors were so moved by the discovery that they purchased a small white casket and held a service for the little boy in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which the whole town attended. He was buried in the Fairview Lawn cemetery with other unidentified Titanic victims. In this episode of SECRETS OF THE DEAD, historian Alan Ruffman and a team of scientists headed by Dr. Ryan Parr, co-director of the paleo-DNA laboratory at Ontario’s Lakehead Univeristy, use incredible technology to help provide answers — and closure — for relatives of Titanic victims whose remains were never identified.

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The Great Fire of Rome Nov 28, 2002 In 64 AD, Rome was the most magnificent city in the world. Fourteen sprawling districts were home to some two million people. But underneath the glorious façade, trouble was brewing. Rome’s erratic, ruthless ruler, Nero, was known for his decadent lifestyle and violent behavior. At the age of 16, he rose to power following the murder of his stepfather, Claudius. There were rumors that he murdered his mother and kicked his pregnant wife to death. Against the will of the senate, Nero was seeking to rebuild Rome and create a metropolis that conformed to his own grandiose vision. Then, in the early hours of July 19, fire broke out in the cook shops and cafes lining the Circus Maximus. The blaze raged for more than a week. The city’s fire brigades were powerless, and the bulk of Rome was left in shambles. According to the historian Tacitus, Nero watched Rome burn while playing the fiddle and singing about the burning of Troy. Centuries later, questions linger. Was the fire an accident, or was it arson? Is Tacitus a reliable witness? Nero blamed the catastrophe on the Christians — is there any truth to his accusation? This episode recreates the conditions surrounding the fire’s ignition and traces the path of the flames using information from excavated remains of Rome’s burnt-out ruins in search of an explanation for one of antiquity’s greatest disasters. (UK/PBS)

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Tragedy at the Pole Jan 16, 2003 In March of 1912, a team of seasoned Antarctic explorers perished on their way back from the South Pole. Learn what sabotaged their return.

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Bombing Nazi Dams Feb 13, 2003 (Warfare) In the spring of 1943, nearly 150 highly decorated pilots were ordered to report to a Royal Air Force base in England to begin preparations for a top secret Allied raid. In complete secrecy, the team trained to master the dangerous art of high speed, low altitude night flying. On May 16th, 133 of the airmen boarded 19 modified Lancaster bombers. Each aircraft carried a top-secret weapon — a newly-invented bouncing bomb — designed to shatter Germany’s major dams, stem the flow of water to the Ruhr valley’s steel factories, and, ultimately, undermine the enemy’s ability to produce weapons. In a matter of hours, four of the targeted dams were hit and two destroyed, more than 1,000 Germans killed on the ground, and countless factories and homes left in shambles. The raid took its toll on the airmen — 53 men were lost. Nevertheless, the mission was deemed a success and boosted morale throughout the Allied forces. The mysterious bouncing bombs were the brainchild of Allied aircraft designer Barnes Wallis. How did Wallis come up with this unlikely weapon? How did losing his marbles make it all work? What did he go through to make it functional, and how did the elite airmen ensure its successful deployment?

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Blood Red Roses Nov 2, 2003 The Battle of Towton in North Yorkshire, fought during the Wars of the Roses, was reputedly the bloodiest battle ever seen on English soil. In 1996 a mass grave of soldiers was discovered there by chance. This was the catalyst for a multi-disciplinary research project, still unique in Britain ten years after the initial discovery, which included a study of the skeletal remains, the battlefield landscape, the historical evidence and contemporary arms and armour. The discoveries were dramatic and moving; the individuals had clearly suffered traumatic deaths and subsequent research highlighted the often multiple wounds each individual had received before and, in some cases, after they had died. As well as the exciting forensic work the project also revealed much about medieval weaponry and fighting. Blood Red Roses contains all the information about this fascinating discovery, as well as discussing its wider historical, heritage and archaeological implications.

Mark Seen

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Blood Red Roses Nov 2, 2003 The Battle of Towton in North Yorkshire, fought during the Wars of the Roses, was reputedly the bloodiest battle ever seen on English soil. In 1996 a mass grave of soldiers was discovered there by chance. This was the catalyst for a multi-disciplinary research project, still unique in Britain ten years after the initial discovery, which included a study of the skeletal remains, the battlefield landscape, the historical evidence and contemporary arms and armour. The discoveries were dramatic and moving; the individuals had clearly suffered traumatic deaths and subsequent research highlighted the often multiple wounds each individual had received before and, in some cases, after they had died. As well as the exciting forensic work the project also revealed much about medieval weaponry and fighting. Blood Red Roses contains all the information about this fascinating discovery, as well as discussing its wider historical, heritage and archaeological implications. (UK/PBS)

Mark Seen

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Bridge on the River Kwai Nov 13, 2003 (Modern Mysteries) While remnants of the abandoned structure exist today, jungles have consumed much of what remains. Construction records and documents revealing the railway’s route are scarce. So just how did a team of men in such poor condition and confronted with so many obstacles manage to build the railway? And how did their Allied brethren achieve its demolition?

Mark Seen

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Killer Flu Mar 4, 2004 (Disease & Disaster) In 1918, a flu pandemic ripped through the global population with such speed and virulence that by the end of the following year an estimated 40 million people would be dead. Where did this come from and what made it so deadly? Virologists and epidemiologists the world over are still hunting down the answers.

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Shroud of Christ? Apr 12, 2004 In the summer of 2002, a team of textile restorers was invited to Turin to undertake an unprecedented renovation of the shroud, which called for the removal of the shroud's backing cloth and all of its medieval patches. The results were staggering -- brand new forensic evidence that the shroud is indeed 2,000 years old, dating from the time of Christ. Is it the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ, or just a brillian medieval fake?

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D-Day May 20, 2004 In the three years leading up to D-Day, the Allies had assembled an array of weapons and transport vessels specially designed to overcome Hitler's defenses --  among them gliders, landing craft, minesweepers, and swimming tanks. This is the story of the maverick innovators who conceived of such an armory and its implementation into the largest amphibious invasion in the history of the world, and of the brave young men who woe;dd it so capably on the beach of Normandy. Runtime: 1:36.

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Amazon Warrior Women Aug 5, 2004 (Archaeology) The myth of the Amazons, a tribe of bloodthirsty blond women thundering across arid battlefields to the horror of their male foes, has lingered for centuries. Their exploits seized the imagination of the Greek scribes Homer, Hippocrates, and Herodotus. But proof of their existence had always been lacking. Now, a 2,500-year-old mystery may have been solved, cracked by an American scientist whose ten-year odyssey led her tens of thousands of miles in pursuit of the truth. After unearthing evidence of a culture of ancient warrior women in the Russian steppes, Dr. Jeannine Davis-Kimball followed a trail of artifacts to a remote village in Western Mongolia, where her quest for a living link to a long-imagined tribe ended with a startling discovery. There, among the black-eyed Mongols, Davis-Kimball found a blond child, a 9-year-old girl named Meiramgul. Through DNA testing, Davis-Kimball finds that the DNA sequences of the warrior women and those from the girl of Mongolia are identical.

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The Hunt for Nazi Scientists Oct 20, 2005 Days after D-Day, Allied forces joined together for a different kind of mission. Through rare footage, eyewitness testimonies, and real-life accounts, the story is told of the race to capture the German physicists and other scientists and any secrets they may hold of advanced 'vengeance' weapons. Finding the scientists could mean gaining significant advantage in the looming Cold War.Liev Schreiber narrates the story of the scientists' dramatic capture and the influences they have on wars today.

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Gangland Graveyard Nov 17, 2005 On October 6, 2004, FBI agents began digging up a Queens swamp in the hopes of finding the remains of the man who killed John Gotti's son. Instead, they unearthed a severed foot and other pieces of human skeleton, along with personal effects. Forensic tests tied the remains to Mob family captains who had been killed by mob boss Joseph "Big Joey" Massino. This program documents the search which opens a window into the grisly world of the mob.

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Voyage of the Courtesans Nov 24, 2005 In 1789, over two hundred female convicts were pulled out of London's prisons and shipped off to Australia for a life of servitude. See how they took control of the situation to create a better life for themselves and the future of Australia.

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The Sinking of the Andrea Doria Jul 27, 2006 An examination of the evidence to find out just what really happened when this luxury cruise liner sank in 1956.

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Secrets of the Dead: Umbrella Assassin Oct 5, 2006 Investigate the deceptive world of espionage during the Cold War. The KGB used one of the most ingenious and unobtrusive weapons to murder an outspoken Bulgarian dissident. The Umbrella Assassin investigates the cloak and dagger world of Cold War espionage and political intrigue, and examines newly discovered evidence that may reveal just how the umbrella gun actually worked, and who pulled the trigger.

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Dogfight Over Guadalcanal Nov 9, 2006 A pivotal moment in World War II, one of the most legendary and best documented dogfights in Air Force history is reconstructed.

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Battle for the Bible Apr 26, 2007 The story behind the creation of the King James Bible from mysterious and inaccessible Latin texts to a book for the common english speaking people.

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Herculaneum Uncovered May 3, 2007 On August 24th, A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the city of Herculaneum. This program documents the archaeological re-discovery of that ancient, well preserved city on the Bay of Naples.

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Secrets of the Dead: Headless Romans May 10, 2007 This documentary attempts to explain the mystery behind an unusual ancient burial site unearthed in England, and it's connection with a Roman Emperor.

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Irish Escape May 17, 2007 Arrested in 1866, the Fremantle Six escape prison ten years later aboard a whaling ship the Catalpa.

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Aztec Massacre Apr 24, 2008 A recent archaeological discovery of more than 550 bodies near Mexico City suggests that the Aztecs were much more resistant to the Spanish Conquistadors than previously thought.

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Escape from Auschwitz May 1, 2008 The story of Rudolph Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, two young Slovak Jews who escaped the Auschwitz death camp. They immediately wrote a detailed account of their experiences resulting in thousands of lives being saved.

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Doping for Gold May 8, 2008 In the 1970s, female East German athletes came from nowhere to dominate international sport. But behind their success lay a horrifying secret. Doping for Gold reveals the truth behind the biggest state-sponsored doping program the world has ever known, creating a timely perspective on today’s many sports drug scandals.

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Sinking Atlantis May 15, 2008 Five thousand years ago the Minoans, Europe’s first great civilization, flourished on the island of Crete. Yet in their heyday, they mysteriously disappeared. Sinking Atlantis digs deep into the Minoan soil and history, following archaeologists who are finding evidence of a massive tsunami that devastated the Minoans – and may have spawned the myth of Atlantis.

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Executed in Error Oct 2, 2008 In 1910, an American doctor named 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? Almost one hundred years later, investigators have re-opened the files on a murder that became known as one of the crimes of the century.

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Blackbeard's Lost Ship Apr 23, 2009 Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, was the most notorious pirate of his day. At the height of his rein, he commanded a fleet of four ships and a crew of 400 men. They were ruthless seafaring raiders who terrorizing vessels in American waters. In 1718, Blackbeard even blockaded the city of Charleston, crippling its economy. Eventually he was caught and beheaded by a posse from the Royal Navy. Now, 300 years later, a marine archaeology team believe they have found his sunken flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, off the North Carolina coast.

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Michelangelo Revealed May 14, 2009 More than five centuries ago, Michelangelo Buonarroti was the darling of the Catholic Church. The Papacy commissioned him to create many of its most important pieces, including the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. He spent his life glorifying the Church, etching Catholic ideals into masterpieces that defined religion for the masses. Yet when he died, his body was secretly shepherded off to Florence, and the Church was denied the opportunity to honor him with a grand funeral in Rome. Historians have long wondered about the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death, but now, art historian Antonio Forcellino believes he has pieced together evidence of a deep rift between the Church and the esteemed artist. The cause: Michelangelo’s belief in Protestant ideals, and his involvement with a clandestine fellowship trying to put an end to the decadence and corruption of the Clergy and reform the Church from within.

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Airmen and the Headhunters Nov 12, 2009 A tribe in Borneo protects a shot-down U.S. bomber crew from Japanese occupiers during World War II. The local missionaries, who converted the tribe to Christianity, were executed by the Japanese invaders, who had forced out Dutch and British colonialists, while massacring Borneo natives. A surviving missionary from Indonesia, employed by the Japanese military as an area administrator, outwits Japanese forces by hiding the U.S. airmen deep in a jungle canyon. The local Dayak people risk their lives, and force the occupiers to abandon their hunt for the airmen, using blowpipes and machetes against the Japanese army search parties.

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Mumbai Massacre Nov 26, 2009 Accounts of the survivors of the indiscriminate terrorist massacres in Mumbai by Islamic Extremests in November 2008 and how the news media aided the terrorist by giving away the hiding places of the soon to be victims.

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Japanese SuperSub May 7, 2010 During World War 2, Japan developed a super-submarine capable of launching bomber aircraft as a strategic weapon to carry the conflict to the United States mainland. But in the rapidly changing Pacific Theater, one intended mission after another becomes obsolete before the submarines can be deployed

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Churchill's Deadly Decision May 13, 2010 In the summer of 1940 Germany was poised to seize the French fleet and Hitler's threat to invade Britain could become a reality. Winston Churchill could, either trust the promises of the new French government never to hand over their ships to Hitler, or make sure the ships never joined the German navy by destroying them himself. Churchill's Deadliest Decision, reveals the darkest side of Britain's Finest Hour.

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Deadliest Battle May 20, 2010 The Battle of Stalingrad, the deadliest single battle ever seen, has been lauded as a shining example of Stalin's military genius, and altered the course of World War II permanently. The battle established the Soviet Union as a superpower to be reckoned with in the long Cold War that lay ahead. More than a half-century later, with newly uncovered evidence the full impact of this horrific battle is revealed.

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The Silver Pharaoh Nov 4, 2010 Tanis, Egypt, circa 1939. On the brink of World War II, an excavation team led by French archaeologist Pierre Montet unearthed an intact royal burial chamber containing treasures that rival the riches found in Tutankhamun’s tomb almost two decades before. But while the Tut discovery created an international sensation, the opening of the tomb in Tanis made barely a ripple in a world focused on impending war.

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Slave Ship Mutiny Nov 11, 2010 Three disparate Capetowners reveal a long-forgotten, dramatic slave ship revolt en route from Madagascar to South Africa. About half of Cape Town's population are descendants of White, Asian, and Black slaves captured by the Dutch East Indies Company from all around the Indian Ocean. After the captives force the surviving crew below deck, a brave Malagasy warrior and a devious Dutch company agent fight a battle of wits with many surprising turns. For some aboard, the journey ends on infamous Robben Island, where Tokyo Sexwale and Nelson Mandela were later imprisoned.

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Go Behind the Scenes of Slave Ship Mutiny Nov 9, 2010 See what it was like to bring this story to life with special behind-the-scenes footage.

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Lost Ships of Rome Nov 18, 2010 In 2009, archaeologists discovered an underwater graveyard of five Roman shipwrecks off the coast of Ventotene, a small Italian island with a notorious past. It was one of the biggest archaeological finds in recent history. The vessels’ well-preserved cargo indicates that these ships did not break up on the island’s rocks, but instead sank to the seabed intact and upright. They were laden with exotic goods including wine, olive oil, and the ancient delicacy garum; a condiment highly prized among ancient Romans. These sunken treasures are providing researchers with insight into the wreck, how the Romans lived, and Ventotene’s intriguing past.

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Slave Ship Mutiny Nov 10, 2010 Although slaves overpower the Dutch crew on the Meermin, the ship ends up wrecked on a beach 200 miles east of Cape Town.

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Lost In The Amazon Apr 21, 2011 On April 20, 1925, Colonel Percy Fawcett, his elder son Jack Fawcett and Jack’s lifelong friend, Raleigh Rimmell, departed from Cuiabá, the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, to find “Z” — Col. Fawcett’s name for what he believed to be an ancient city lost in the uncharted jungles of Brazil. The search for the mysterious Lost City of Z would be the great explorer’s last expedition. All three men would vanish without a trace.Eighty-six years later, Secrets of the Dead has mounted a modern day quest with explorer Niall McCann to find the truth behind the disappearance of famed adventurer Col. Percy Fawcett and his party in Lost in the Amazon

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China's Terracotta Warriors May 5, 2011 The life-sized terracotta warriors of China are known throughout the world. This clay army of 8,000 including infantry, archers, generals and cavalry was discovered by archaeologists in 1974 after farmers digging a well near the Chinese city of Xian unearthed pieces of clay sculpted in human form.An amazing archaeological find, the terracotta warriors date back more than two thousand years. But what was the purpose of this army of clay soldiers? Who ordered its construction? How were they created? Secrets of the Dead investigates the story behind China’s Terracotta Warriors and documents their return to former glory for the first time.

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The World’s Biggest Bomb May 18, 2011 Beginning in the 1950s, American and Soviet scientists embarked on a perilous race to see who could build and detonate the world’s largest bomb. The results exceeded all expectations about how big a bomb could be built. Initially, the Americans led the way, but then left the field clear for the Soviet Union to break all records.Secrets of the Dead chronicles how the bomb-makers on both sides were working blind as they pushed science into unknown territory to build The World’s Biggest Bomb. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the detonation of the most powerful bomb ever constructed.

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The World's Biggest Bomb May 17, 2011 American and Soviet scientists engage in a dangerous race to build and detonate the world's largest bomb.

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The Man Who Saved the World Oct 24, 2012 An officer aboard a Soviet submarine refuses to fire a nuclear torpedo during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

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Bugging Hitler's Soldiers May 2, 2013 German POWs reveal inner thoughts about the Third Reich, including military secrets that helped the Allies win World War II.

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Death on the Railroad May 9, 2013 Forensic and scientific analysis help determine how 57 Irish immigrants died less than two months after arriving in Pennsylvania to work on the railroad.

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Cavemen Cold Case May 16, 2013 Scientists say some of the 49,000 year-old Neanderthal bones discovered in El Sidrón, Spain, bear signs of cannibalism.

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Ultimate Tut Jul 11, 2013 New scientific research provides insights into how King Tutankhamen was buried, why his tomb remained intact and how he died.

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Bones of the Buddha Jul 24, 2013 Bones of the Buddha is a 2013 television documentary produced by Icon Films and commissioned by WNET/THIRTEEN and ARTE France for the National Geographic Channels. It concerns a controversial Buddhist reliquary from the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, India. It was released in May, 2013, and was broadcast in July 2013 in the US on PBS as part of the Secrets of the Dead series.

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JFK: One PM Central Standard Time Nov 12, 2013 Fifty years after the tragic shooting of President John F. Kennedy, Secrets of the Dead chronicles minute-by-minute the assassination as it was revealed in the CBS newsroom from the moment the President was shot until Walter Cronkite's emotional pronouncement of his death, one hour and eight minutes later.

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The Lost Diary of Dr. Livingstone Mar 27, 2014 New forensic technology helps researchers study Dr. David Livingstone's lost diary, which reveals he witnessed the massacre of slaves by their traders.

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Carthage's Lost Warriors Apr 3, 2014 146 B.C.: Carthage, the proud capital of the vast Carthaginian Empire, is ablaze. Marauding Romans are mercilessly slaughtering and pillaging. Any survivors face a terrifying fate as slaves on Roman galleys or in their quarries. Escaping the bloody carnage is impossible...or is it? Could some of the once-mighty Carthaginians have got away? And even more incredibly – could they have turned west on an epic journey across the vast Atlantic Ocean to new shores? Did they set foot in South America, long before Columbus ever walked the face of the Earth? Ancient documents suggest there was a Carthaginian getaway, and modern science has found evidence to support these extraordinary claims.

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The Lost Gardens of Babylon May 7, 2014 The search for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World despite a lack of physical evidence that they existed. Dr. Stephanie Dalley (Oxford University) posits that the legendary gardens were not located, as commonly believed, in the ancient city of Babylon, but hundreds of miles to its north, in what's now central Iraq.

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The Mona Lisa Mystery Jul 10, 2014 Discover a portrait of a younger and more beautiful Mona Lisa that predated the famous Louvre masterpiece. In September 2012, headline news shook the art world. A secret da Vinci had been uncovered, a portrait of a younger and more beautiful Mona Lisa that predated the famous Louvre masterpiece. Now an elite group of art historians, research physicists, restoration experts and forensic imaging specialists have gained exclusive access to analyze the painting first hand. Applying high-precision, scientific techniques they will aim to verify the painting’s date, decipher hidden mathematical codes within it, and unravel the clues that point to da Vinci’s genuine hand.

Mark Seen

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Resurrecting Richard III Aug 9, 2014 Scientists test the bones of England's fierce King Richard III.

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Resurrecting Richard III Sep 25, 2014 Scientists test the bones of England's fierce King Richard III.

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Ben Franklin’s Bones Jan 29, 2015 In November 1997, when the skeletal remains of at least 28 bodies were unearthed in the basement of an elegant townhouse, police feared it was the work of a serial killer. But when research indicated the bones actually dated to the mid-1700s, the implications became even more dramatic. This was no ordinary house: 36 Craven Street was the former residence of one of the most important men in American history, Benjamin Franklin. Could the unthinkable be possible? Could one of America’s most iconic figures have been responsible in some way for the bones in the basement?

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JFK & LBJ: A Time For Greatness Aug 5, 2015 For many, President Lyndon B. Johnson is chiefly remembered for escalating the United States military involvement in Vietnam. But his legacy is much more than his role in the Vietnam War. In fact, Johnson engineered the passing of two of the most important laws Congress ever approved: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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JFK & LBJ: A Time For Greatness Aug 4, 2015 Dick Cavett's Vietnam combines interviews from Cavett shows with archival footage, network news broadcasts and recently filmed interviews with Dick Cavett, General Wesley K. Clark of the United States Army (retired); Pulitzer Prize-winning author Fredrik Logevall (Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America's Vietnam); and Naftali (who was also featured in Dick Cavett's Watergate) to provide insight and perspective on this controversial chapter of American history.The documentary explores many key figures and moments in the Vietnam War including:– United States Senator Wayne Morse, who voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) which allowed President Lyndon B. Johnson to engage United States troops without a formal declaration of war;– CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite who, in the wake of the Tet Offensive (1968), delivered an editorial declaring the war a stalemate;– audio recording of a conversation between President Lyndon B. Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara;– audio recording of a conversation between President Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger;– President Nixon's invasion of Cambodia (1970) which sparked protests across the United States including those at Kent State University where federal troops shot unarmed college students;– United States military analyst and strategist Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers (1971); and more.– Click here for a complete list of interviewees."In terms of what the war means to Americans today, I think it continues to be to some extent an open wound in the American body politic," says Logevall. How much did we learn?Not enough, says retired General Wesley K. Clark who served in Vietnam. "And to see us go into Iraq in 2003 or Afghanistan in 2001 and end up in a counter resurgence campaign and not have appreciated those lessons and to have to relearn them the hard way is a very painful thing to see."Dick Cavett's Vietnam is a production of Crew Neck Productions in association with Daphne Productions and THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Director is John Scheinfeld. Executive Producers are Robert S. Bader and John Scheinfeld. Producer is Dave Harding. Executive in Charge for WNET is Stephen Segaller. Executive Producer for THIRTEEN is Steve Burns. Coordinating Producer for THIRTEEN is Stephanie Carter.

Mark Seen

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The Real Trojan Horse Oct 14, 2015 The Trojan Horse… It was the ultimate sneak attack, bringing a city that would withstood nine years of battle to its knees. But was it simply a work of fiction? Or did the Greeks really trick the Trojans into defeat with a giant wooden horse that concealed enough soldiers to reduce the powerful city to rubble?

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Vampire Legend Oct 27, 2015 Follow scientists as they uncover "deviant" burials dating back to medieval England, pointing to a belief that the dead could rise from their graves. Predating Eastern European legend, these discoveries force a re-examination of modern vampire lore.

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Jamestown's Dark Winter Nov 24, 2015 The story of the Jamestown settlement, the first permanent English colony in the Americas, is seen through the prism of a 14-year-old English girl whose skull and severed leg were discovered during the excavation of the trash layer of a cellar. The study of her remains reveals evidence that one or more of the settlers, who endured a 1609-10 winter that's often called the "Starving Time," resorted to the unthinkable—cannibalism—to feed themselves.

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Vampire Legend Oct 28, 2015 Information gathered about aberrant, unorthodox burial practices from medieval times shed some light on how today's myths about vampires may have started.

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Jamestown's Dark Winter Nov 25, 2015 Forensic anthropologists excavate an early American colony of Jamestown, Virginia.

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The Alcatraz Escape Mar 30, 2016 On June 11, 1962, bank robbers Frank Morris and Clarence & John Anglin launched a patchwork, raincoat raft into the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay surrounding Alcatraz Prison. The men disappeared, leaving behind a cold case that has mystified law enforcement for over half-a-century. Now, three Dutch scientists have used 3D modeling technology to show that it may have been possible for the men to have survived. Putting their theory to the test, the Dutchmen are recreating the daring escape as closely to the original as possible, right down to launching their own raincoat raft into the bay. Will they make it through the treacherous waters to safety or be swept out to sea? And can they prove once and for all what happened to the escapees?

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Cleopatra's Lost Tomb May 18, 2016 Dr. Kathleen Martinez searches for Cleopatra's lost tomb in a 35-meter deep underground shaft.

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Teotihuacán's Lost Kings May 25, 2016 Scientists explore royal tombs beneath an ancient Mexican city, which may reveal clues about the Teotihuacán culture and its people.

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After Stonehenge Oct 27, 2016 Researchers working in secret inside a quarry study the charred remains of an English settlement that dates back 3,000 years.

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Graveyard of the Giant Beasts Nov 3, 2016 Sixty-five million years ago, a giant meteor hit the earth causing a global catastrophe that destroyed an estimated three quarters of the plants and animal species on the planet, including the mighty dinosaurs. Little was known about the survivors who lived in this post-apocalyptic world until a mining operation in Cerrejon, Northern Colombia — excavating coal cut from deep within the earth’s crust — exposed an important layer in the earth’s geological history laid down more than 10 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs.

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Van Gogh's Ear Dec 15, 2016 The night when Vincent van Gogh cut his own ear defines his turbulent life and art. Generations have theorized about what really happened on December 23, 1888, in the French town of Arles, but no one has been clear on the details-until now.

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Nero’s Sunken City Mar 30, 2017 Nero’s Sunken City Baiae... An ancient Roman city lost to the same volcanoes that entombed Pompeii. But unlike Pompeii, Baiae sits under water, in the Bay of Naples. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the city was an escape for Rome's rich and powerful elite, a place where they were free of the social restrictions of Roman society

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Leonardo, The Man Who Saved Science Apr 6, 2017 Leonardo da Vinci is well known for his inventions as well as his art. New evidence shows that many of his ideas were realized long before he sketched them out in his notebooks-some even 1,700 years before him! Of these “inventions” Leonardo never affirmed that his projects came from his original ideas. The film features drawings of his most famous ideas and inventions some of which trace their original creation to ancient Greece while others were a product of the scientific inventions of golden age of Islamic learning. This knowledge seemed to be lost in Europe during the Dark Ages until the Renaissance when Leonardo recovered it.