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S2 E5 The Tomb of the Sunken Skulls, The Aztecs, Israeli Kiln and Donkey Burials

Documentary

PG

47m

Aug 9, 2025

Shattered skulls found suggest a violence but also reverence for the deceased. From the ruins of an iconic temple, the remains of Aztec human sacrifices provide new insights. A kiln is unearthed, bearing the bodies of two mysterious women.

Season 2, 6 Episodes

Season 2 (6 Episodes)

Mysteries of the Ancient Dead - The Moche, Tarim Mummies, Medieval Bed Burials

The Moche, Tarim Mummies, Medieval Bed Burials,

Ancient Moche burial mounds hint at an advanced civilization. The skeletons of ancient boats protrude from the sands, who were their mummified passengers? Archaeologists uncover men, women, and children buried in their beds all across Europe.

Mysteries of the Ancient Dead - Makpan Cave Burials, Ancient Greeks and the Tomb of the Diver, Hopewell Mounds

Makpan Cave Burials, Ancient Greeks and the Tomb of the Diver, Hopewell Mounds,

On the island of Alor, the first complete child burial from the Holocene is an archaeological anomaly. Unusual funerary frescoes defy Greek convention. Hopewell burial mounds reveal an ancient culture with grasp on science and engineering.

Mysteries of the Ancient Dead - Igoro Hanging Burials, Catacombs of El Shoqafa, Kurgan Mounds

Igoro Hanging Burials, Catacombs of El Shoqafa, Kurgan Mounds,

From a dizzying burial tradition found on the cliffs of the Cordillera Mountain range, to Kom El Shoqafa, a catacomb network, and Scythian burial mounds all over the Eurasian Steppe, what do burial practices reveal about death through the ages?

Mysteries of the Ancient Dead - Lycian Tombs of Fethiye, Lhop Burials, Nubian Pyramids

Lycian Tombs of Fethiye, Lhop Burials, Nubian Pyramids,

Expansive cities are carved into limestone by the Lycians to house their dead. For the Lhop, the transition between life and death is a perilous path. As the age of the pyramid winds down in Egypt, the Nubians build pyramids of their own.

Mysteries of the Ancient Dead - The Tomb of the Sunken Skulls, The Aztecs, Israeli Kiln and Donkey Burials

The Tomb of the Sunken Skulls, The Aztecs, Israeli Kiln and Donkey Burials,

Shattered skulls found suggest a violence but also reverence for the deceased. From the ruins of an iconic temple, the remains of Aztec human sacrifices provide new insights. A kiln is unearthed, bearing the bodies of two mysterious women.

Mysteries of the Ancient Dead - Guanche Mummies, Haniwa Figurines, Stonehenge

Guanche Mummies, Haniwa Figurines, Stonehenge,

In caves on the Canary Islands, mummies offer a window into a lost civilization. Haniwa clay figures connect the earthly to the otherworldly in a Japanese tomb. Under Stonehenge, cremated remains challenge theories about the site's purpose.

Details

Mysteries of the Ancient Dead

Documentary

PG

1 Season

47m

Death... What happens after? This question has plagued humanity since the very beginning. Now, we investigate the secrets of ancient civilizations using their approach to death and the hereafter to shed new light.

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