Digging for the Truth

One of the most enduring legends of all time, Atlantis was described as a perfect society, but it was destroyed in a cataclysm that drowned the entire continent. Could it still be out there?

In less than seventy years, Genghis Khaan and his Mongol hordes created the largest land empire in recorded history. How were they able to achieve such military dominance? And what ultimately became of the great Empire of the Khaans? To find out, Josh builds a ger on the Mongolian steppe, fires arrows from horseback like a Mongolian warrior, and uses DNA science to trace the genetic legacy of the military genius, Genghis Khaan.

The mysterious death of the King Tut continues to puzzle archaeologists and scholars alike. From the moment the `Boy King's' mummy was discovered in the Valley of the Kings, rumors of foul play emerged. Recent X-ray's of King Tut's mummy show signs of a possible attack, but new evidence may point to another cause of death. In his quest for the truth, Josh climbs into King Tut's tomb, fires the weapons Tut took to his grave, and uses modern science to dig deeper into the rumors of Tut's murder.

Join host Josh Bernstein as he climbs into King Tut's tomb, fires the weapons King Tut took to his grave, and uses modern science to dig deeper into the mysterious rumors of King Tut's murder.

For nearly a century archaeologists place the height of the Maya civilization during the First Millennium AD. But revolutionary discoveries in Guatemala are now challenging those views. Just when did the Maya Civilization truly reach its peak? Josh tracks the origins of the Maya throughout Mexico and in the Central American rainforest. He climbs the tallest Maya pyramid, shovels muck from a jungle swamp, and reveals the known oldest mural in the Maya world.

Was Ramesses II Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh? He built soaring statues, grand temples and monuments of himself throughout Egypt and declared himself a living god. Decode the propaganda of the pharaohs.

In 1911, Hiram Bingham, famed American explorer, stumbled across a remote Inca city atop a high peak in the Andes. The site was called Machu Picchu - perhaps the most famous ruin in the world. What was its purpose? Was it, like Bingham believed, a military fortress? Or did this glorious ruin have a secret purpose? From the mountains of Peru, Josh will follow in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham. He builds a log bridge across a raging river, examines the stonework at the site, and reviews ancient manuscripts to discover the `true' purpose of Machu Picchu.

Enter a realm of temples, tombs, and mummies to find out exactly how the Egyptians prepared the dead for the afterlife and why these sacred practices disappeared.

The "red-rose" city of Petra stands as one of the most glorious and mysterious archaeological sites on earth. Created over 2500 years ago, the ornate Petra cityscape was literally carved into the rose-colored walls of Jordan's Shara Mountains. The builders of Petra - the Nabataeans -- were thought to be some of the wealthiest people ever to inhabit the Middle East, but they - along with their riches - vanished. Just what was Petra? Could the Arabian site be still hiding precious treasure? Like the heroic character Indiana Jones, he rides horseback through Petra's winding `Siq', examines Petra's only surviving parchment manuscript, and goes underneath the ancient `Treasury' in search of hidden riches.

In the Bolivian Andes, an ancient city rests 13,000 feet above sea level. With its giant, freestanding monoliths and grand design, Tiwanaku has long been compared to Stonehenge. Is there a connection?

King David is the shepherd poet who slays the giant Goliath, according to the Old Testament. He then goes on to become the first king of a united Israel.

Scholars believe copper scroll manuscripts dating back to 1st century AD conceal detailed treasure maps, listing hiding places where the priests of Jerusalem's Second Temple stored precious artifacts.

The Aztecs were the largest civilization to ever rule Mesoamerica, and they were also the bloodiest. In recent years, archaeology and modern science are shedding new light on their prolific practice of human sacrifice. Could the gruesome tales of sacrifice and dismemberment, as told in the Spanish chronicles of the 16th century possibly be true? Could 80,400 people have been sacrificed in just 4 days in 1487? Josh travels to Mexico City to investigate and use forensic science to examine the bones of sacrificial rituals. He'll try his hand at the weapons of the Aztecs, sample the potions of the priests and even cut through flesh using the technology of the ancients.