History

Video documentaries about history of the world

Tutankhamun’s Secrets

Tutankhamun’s Secrets

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

Tutankhamun’s Secrets: On the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s treasure-packed tomb, Dr Janina Ramirez turns detective and heads to Egypt to uncover the real story of how a Briton called Howard Carter unearthed a pharaoh’s tomb when everyone else believed there were no more great Egyptian finds to be made.       She discovers that some of Tutankhamun’s treasures are missing and reveals the name of the person responsible. She delves into the origins of the supposed pharaoh’s curse, finds the surprising truth about the young king’s brutal injuries, and digs out fresh evidence that Tutankhamun wasn’t […]

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Ancient Invisible Cities episode 3 - Istanbul

Ancient Invisible Cities episode 3 – Istanbul

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

Ancient Invisible Cities episode 3 – Istanbul: Classical historian Dr. Michael Scott takes us on an extraordinary journey through the often-invisible treasures of one of the greatest ancient cities in the world – Istanbul. The city has been at the crossroads of Europe and Asia for over two and a half millennia. From the Greeks and Romans, through the Ottomans to the Turks, Istanbul has been fought over, destroyed and rebuilt time after time.       First Michael brings the city’s tumultuous history alive in one iconic building – the Hagia Sophia. Built by the Romans, this Christian Cathedral

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Ancient Invisible Cities episode 2 - Athens

Ancient Invisible Cities episode 2 – Athens

History / 4 minutes of reading / / By

Ancient Invisible Cities episode 2 – Athens: Michael Scott uses the latest 3D-scanning technology to reveal the historical secrets of ancient Athens and tell the story of how this remarkable city created the world’s first democracy two and a half thousand years ago. He begins his journey on the Acropolis, where, in the late 6th century BC, the people of Athens overthrew a tyrant and set up the world’s first democracy. There, he investigates a mysterious, asymmetrical temple called the Erechtheion that sits in the shadow of the world famous Parthenon. Decoding the stories from ancient Greek mythology that were

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Ancient Invisible Cities episode 1 - Cairo

Ancient Invisible Cities episode 1 – Cairo

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

Ancient Invisible Cities episode 1 – Cairo: Dr. Michael Scott uses the latest 3D scanning technology to reveal the historical secrets of Cairo and Ancient Egypt. He explores the first pyramid ever built at Saqqara and finds out how it helped inspire the Great Pyramid of Giza. The 3D scans confirm just how accurately the Great Pyramid was designed and constructed. Michael also investigates the sphinx to try to determine which pharaoh it represents.       But the history of Cairo is not only about the Ancient Egyptians. Michael goes in search of a Roman fortress hidden under a

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The Secret History of Writing episode 3

The Secret History of Writing episode 3

History / 4 minutes of reading / / By

The Secret History of Writing episode 3: The written word is so important in everyday life that there can be few more radical acts than forcing an entire nation to learn a new script. Yet that is what happened in Turkey in 1928 when the founder of the modern Turkish nation, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, decreed that the Arabic script, which had been used to write the Turkish language for more than six centuries, would be replaced by the letters of the Latin alphabet. His motivation lay in events that happened in Europe in the 15th century, at the beginning of

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The Secret History of Writing episode 2

The Secret History of Writing episode 2

History / 4 minutes of reading / / By

The Secret History of Writing episode 2: In 1448, in Mainz, Germany, a goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg was experimenting with a lead alloy and a hand-held mould. His aim was to speed up the process of putting ink on paper. But what he did was speed up history. Gutenberg’s printing press spelled the end of the Middle Ages and ushered in the modern world of science and industry. Every innovation since has been built on this foundation. Yet behind Gutenberg’s invention lay centuries of development and change in the way words were written, without which he could never have succeeded.

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The Secret History of Writing episode 1

The Secret History of Writing episode 1

History / 4 minutes of reading / / By

The Secret History of Writing episode 1: We take it for granted, but every time we pick up a pen, we are employing the most powerful technology ever invented: the technology of writing. The invention of writing about 5,000 years ago made civilisation itself possible, and every innovation of the modern world is based on the foundation of the written word. But how and where did writing begin, and who began it? In From Pictures to Words, the first of three films about the history of writing, we uncover the hidden links between all the diverse writing systems in use

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The Last Days of Anne Boleyn

The Last Days of Anne Boleyn

History / 5 minutes of reading / / By

The Last Days of Anne Boleyn: Anne Boleyn is one of the most famous and controversial women in British history. In 1536, she became the first queen in Britain’s history to be executed. The brutal speed of her downfall and the astonishing nature of the charges against her – treason, adultery, even incest – make her story shocking even to this day.       Yet whilst we know how Anne died, the story of why she had to go and who authored her violent end has been the subject of fiery debate across six centuries. In a radical new

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Pavlopetri - The City Beneath the Waves

Pavlopetri – The City Beneath the Waves

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

Pavlopetri – The City Beneath the Waves: Just off the southern coast of mainland Greece lies the oldest submerged city in the world. It thrived for 2,000 years during the time that saw the birth of western civilisation. An international team of experts uses cutting-edge technology to prise age-old secrets from the complex of streets and stone buildings that lie less than five metres below the surface of the ocean. State-of-the-art CGI helps to raise the city from the seabed, revealing for the first time in 3,500 years how Pavlopetri would once have looked and operated.       Underwater

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The Story of Wales episode 6

The Story of Wales episode 6

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

The Story of Wales episode 6: Huw Edwards reviews how the country changed after World War Two. The people of Wales make their mark on politics and sport, and the nation’s sense of history is revived.       In the last 70 years, Wales has changed more rapidly than ever. In this final episode, a Welshman battles to set up Britain’s most cherished institution, the British parliament votes to drown a Welsh valley, a new generation of sporting heroes sets the flags waving, and television itself becomes part of the story of Wales. We’re a nation of commuters and

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The Story of Wales episode 5

The Story of Wales episode 5

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

The Story of Wales episode 5:  Huw Edwards examines how the mining of Welsh steam coal made the country’s reputation, attracting thousands of workers in the boom times. Then the Depression came.       It’s boom time as Wales becomes known the world over for one particular product – Welsh steam coal, the best you can get. In the space of 50 years, ‘black gold’ builds a new Wales. The coalfield pulls in hundreds of thousands of migrants with a different language and culture, becoming a bustling modern world of its own. Yet no sooner has Wales found itself

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The Story of Wales episode 4

The Story of Wales episode 4

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

The Story of Wales episode 4: The Industrial Revolution turns Wales into a global player, bringing unimaginable wealth – and desperate poverty. From Parys Mountain on Anglesey to Copperopolis, Swansea, in the south, the copper trade transforms the landscape and economy. Iron does the same for Merthyr Tydfil, making it a world-class centre of technology. This brave new Wales fuels massive social turmoil, riots and uprisings – and leads to the first national demands for democracy and workers’ rights.       Huw Edwards presents this history of Wales, showing the country in ways it’s never been seen before. From

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