Ancient Treasures with Bettany Hughes

The truth behind the legendary adventures of Jason and the Argonauts are revealed as Bettany explores the hidden treasures of Georgia. She learns the story of Tamar, the queen who became a king and explores the concealed tunnels of Khertvisi. In Tbilisi, Bettany examines a cache of 19th-century photography before exploring the old town and finding much of what was photographed still exists.

Historian Bettany Hughes travels to Bulgaria, where a mosaic of cultures has generated an incredible history. Visiting the Black Sea, she explores Varna’s 6,000-year-old gold treasure hoard and uncovers the lives of the people who forged one of Europe's earliest cultures. In the valley of the Thracian kings, she enters a 2,300-year-old tomb with extraordinary vibrant frescos still intact.

Historian Bettany Hughes is on a journey to uncover the latest finds at five of Turkey’s most important ancient cities. From gold-colored fragments of King Midas’ father’s shroud at Gordion, the healing rooms at Pergamon and visiting possibly the last nomadic community in Anatolia at Sagalassos, Bettany discovers how each of the cities plays a vital role in the story of humanity.

In Europe's highest settlement, the Azerbaijani mountain village of Khinalig, Bettany Hughes witnesses a language unlike any other. This region also provided the source material for Eric Clapton's Layla and the 12th-century writer Nizami Ganjavi, dubbed the Shakespeare of the East. Bettany also visits the landlocked area of Nakhchivan, so remote and inhospitable it’s only accessible by air.

Bettany Hughes returns to Oman, a country shaped by the sea. Journeying to Masirah, Oman’s largest island, Bettany uncovers a biodiverse wonderland. Here the human story can be traced back 8,000 years to the earliest settlers. Bettany then visits one of Oman’s stunning wadis, a gorge full of life-giving water, where she meets archeologists investigating evidence of its first inhabitants.

Using state of the art technology, historian Bettany Hughes lifts the lid on Estonia’s hidden treasures, which mix modern and ancient traditions. Exploring a sacred burial site, she unearths evidence of human sacrifice and a massive medieval shipwreck. Heading west, Bettany visits the island of Kihnu, where she's guided through the unique folklore and customs of the last European matriarchy.

From Albania to Turkey and Greece, Bettany Hughes encounters the oldest sword on record, the earliest evidence of human government and the pirate queen who took on the Roman Empire. She’s also granted access to Alexander the Great’s birthplace, investigating the emperor’s sister and witnessing the restoration of hundreds of precious artefacts discovered at the site.