Ancient Superstructures

★ 8.7•2020•3 Seasons•ANIME

Documentary

"Ancient Superstructures“ reveals the secrets behind the world’s most famous monuments. Some of the ancient marvels which are among the most studied and scrutinized monuments in the world still remain shrouded in mystery. What if the answers were right in front of us… but invisible to the human eye? This ground-breaking series takes a unique approach in delving into engineering mysteries behind the world’s most famous ancient structures, by observing them from different perspectives of scale. From satellite imagery and aerial views right down to macro and microscopic levels, each perspective reveals data that helps shed new light on historical and construction enigmas that have baffled historians for years.

Episodes

Season:

1. Mont Saint-Michel

52m

In France, on the coast of Normandy, in a vast bay swept by the most powerful tide in Europe, stands the Mont-Saint-Michel. Both a masterful abbey and an impregnable fortress, this silhouette is known around the world and attracts nearly 3 million visitors each year. Yet the Mont Saint-Michel is far from having revealed all its secrets. Today, with the help of the latest technology, experts now have the means to scrutinize this site on all scales and try to fill in the gaps of its fascinating history. By viewing this monument from different points of view, using satellite images and microscopic details, archaeologists, scientists and historians are making groundbreaking discoveries about the history of this amazing structure. It was already built in the Middle Ages, but there are still many questions around.

Aired: 11/1/2020

2. Petra, The Desert Rose

50m

Nestled in the Jordanian desert, Petra is regarded as the Eighth Wonder Of The World. Forgotten for centuries, this city was erected 2000 years ago by Nabataeans, a civilization of Arab merchants. It was rediscovered during the 20th century by a Swiss explorer. Even today, scientists are still fascinated by its monumental facades carved into the rock and its unique hydraulic system. Using the latest technology, experts can go beyond what the eye can see, and are on a mission to unravel Petra’s mysteries.

Aired: 11/8/2020