4th century BC. Alexander III of Macedonia has just unified all the cities of Greece. He then embarks on a punitive expedition against Persia. With Egypt conquered and Alexandria founded, Alexander invades the vast Persian Empire of Darius III. Although greatly outnumbered, his troops win victory after victory. After Babylon, Alexander seizes the capital, Persepolis, and Darius is assassinated as he tries to flee. The victory by Alexander, henceforth...

Andy Torbet and some local seafaring volunteers build a boat made of just willow and cow hide and set out to cross the dangerous Pentland Firth as the ancient Orcadians would have done. Neil Oliver investigates the extraordinary discovery of some human bones, Chris Packham goes in search of whales, and Shini Somara uncovers the powers of the tides.

The Vikings were an ambitious, daring and frightening people who left an indelible mark on the British psyche. Yet archaeology has revealed very little about their time in Britain and even less about what happened to them afterwards. Archaeologist Julian Richards finds new evidence about what really happened during the dramatic period when Vikings roamed the seas around Britain. This episode investigates loot found secreted in pagan graves in Norway....

This colorful book for young readers includes the rousing tales of Aeneas's danger-filled journey to Italy, where he founded the Roman race; Romulus's establishment of the city of Rome; brave Horatius's single-handed defense of Rome's main bridge against an entire army; and much more.

Tour archaeological remains of what were once Roman cities of North Africa. During the 3rd Century A.D., this land was not a desert but fertile olive grove country. See important art and architecture of the Southern Mediterranean during this time and learn about the region's politics, economy and society and relation to Rome. (24 minutes)

West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village is set in 125 acres. Here in the 1960s and '70s a series of archaeological digs revealed the remains of a substantial settlement of over 70 houses of which eight have been reconstructed. The earliest remains go back as far as 420 BC, coinciding with a period during which the Roman legions withdrew from Britain, leaving it open to the Anglo-Saxon invasions. The Village was settled until 650 AD, the age of Beowulf, when...

From the Publisher: Many of the familiar aspects of modern life are no more than a century or two old, yet our deep social structures and skills were in large measure developed by small bands of our prehistoric ancestors many millennia ago. In this book, readers are invited to think seriously about who we are by considering who we have been.

Delve deeper into the dastardly deeds of history’s greatest blockbuster rulers as this new series dishes up the much-loved revolting recipe of sketches and songs peppered with gruesome gags and hideous hilarity, but adds a bold new twist and an exciting new cast. Each episode will take a sideways look at the life and times of one prominent historical figure. The approach is even bigger and bolder, capturing the rottenest, most remarkable names across...

Narrative of the story of human origins and the many ties that still bind us deeply to the world before writing.