The Ancients

Today, we often see the Amazon basin as an endless expanse of trees and rainforest. But 2,000 years ago, at the same time that great cities like Rome, Athens and Alexandria were at their height, this massive area of South America was home to a huge range of landscapes, biodiversity and ancient Amazonian civilisations. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by author and journali...

From the arrival of the first humans reaching the Japanese archipelago some 50,000 years ago to the enduring Jomon culture, Japan has a fascinating prehistory. This is discovered in the rich archaeological record that includes stone circles, intricate ceramics and evidence of the incredibly diverse hunter-gatherer lifestyle that was mastered. Join Tristan Hughes and archaeologist Dr. Simon Kaner t...

When they were discovered in the Qumran Caves in the mid-20th century, the Dead Sea Scrolls revolutionised our understanding of biblical history. But one particular scroll was different. It was not written on parchment or papyrus like the other scrolls, but on metal - 99% copper and 1% tin. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes visits Jordan so see the this fascinating Copper Scroll in p...

It’s 279 BC. On a large plain in Southern Italy near the town of Asculum, a famous Greek warlord likened to Alexander the Great faces down the legions of the Roman Republic. His name was Pyrrhus of Epirus. And the victory that he won at Asculum would come to define his legacy. In this instalment of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Louis Rawlings to dive into the cauldron of political...

In this instalment of The Ancients we're going north of the Arctic circle to uncover the incredible story of the Thule Inuit. Expanding out from present day Alaska east across North America all the way to Greenland more than 1,000 years ago, the early Inuit managed to survive and thrive in freezing cold conditions. But how exactly did they do so? What did they hunt? And how did they live? Tristan...

In the aftermath of Alexander the Great’s death his former generals carved out their own kingdoms in the chaos that was the Wars of the Successors. Arguably the most successful of those successors Ptolemy is today's subject, the general who came from Alexander’s deathbed in Babylon to claim one of the richest jewels of Alexander’s empire. Tristan Hughes invites Dr Toby Wilkinson to discuss the man...

What was the most popular sporting spectacle in ancient Rome? Gladiator bouts? Beast hunts? It was in fact chariot racing! For centuries the Romans were enraptured by the galloping of horses and the thill of the chase. And it all took place in perhaps Rome's greatest arena. A massive racetrack that could hold over 100,000 spectators - The Circus Maximus. In today's episode of The Ancients Tristan...

The Edomites are in the Old Testament, an ancient people who lived around Petra, Jordan before the Nabateans and before Petra was even created. King Herod was a descendant of the Edomites, and perhaps most infamously they are remembered for supporting the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, rejoicing when he sacked Jerusalem in the 6th century BC. Tristan Hughes is joined by archaeologist Dr Matthew V...

Tristan Hughes and his guest Dr. Joyce Tyldesley OBE are heading to the Underworld for the final installation of The Ancients exploration of the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. They encounter the infamous jackal-headed deity Anubis, analyse Egyptian archaeology and discuss the origins of mummification, the Book of the Dead and the weighing of hearts. Presented by Tristan Hughes. Edited and pr...

One of the most famous and recognisable Persian kings of antiquity, Darius the Great was an Achaemenid superstar, ruling the Achaemenid Persian Empire some 2,500 years ago. His tale is preserved in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus; Darius’ story stretches from India to Ukraine and the Great Steppe. Reverend Professor Lloyd LLewellyn-Jones joins Tristan Hughes to discuss the rise, reig...

The story of Osiris and how he became King of the Dead is a gruesome tale and one of the most famous legends from Egyptian mythology. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Campbell Price to explore the myth which culminates in a divine and bloody battle between the God of Chaos Set and Osiris’ son Horus. Presented by Tristan Hughes. Edited and produced by Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie...

It’s 146 BC. Fire rises high over the North African coast. The once-thriving port city of Carthage is burning. Thousands of Roman soldiers have breached the defences and swarmed into the city, intent on wiping this city from the face of the earth. This is the fall of Carthage. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Eve MacDonald to plot the steps that lead to the Romans ruthlessly crushing this ancient Me...

Isis, Hathor, Sekhmet and Bastet were adored and honoured in Ancient Egypt, with their stories passed between thousands of followers and down through the generations through spoken word and painted hieroglyph. But there weren't simply maternal, wifely, caring deitites. They could also transform into deadly beasts and deliver horrific vengeance when crossed. Tristan Hughes is joined by archaeologis...

67 million years ago the most famous meat-eating dinosaur prowled the earth - the Tyrannosaurus Rex. At it's full size, this prehistoric apex predator was taller than a double decker bus and weighed more than seven tonnes, whilst it's teeth were the size of bananas. But how much do we actually know about this so called 'King of the Dinosaurs'? In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joi...

Of all the Egyptian Gods it is Ra, the God of the Sun, who is perhaps most well known in the popular imagination. He is said to have voyaged across the sky on his solar barge and then come nightfall descended into the underworld to battle all sorts of monstrous creatures. But Ra is a complicated character. He is often fused with other Egyptian gods and transformed into different solar deities enti...

In the early 5th century AD, after almost four centuries of iron-fisted Roman rule, the empire in Britain was beginning to fade. Franks, Saxons and Roman usurpers were running rampant. Britannia was on its last legs and in 410 AD, the Britons were told to ‘look to their own defences’. However the story of the fall of Roman Britain is far more complex than the traditional tale of swift Roman withdr...

The legends of Ra and Hathor, of Osiris and Isis, of Anubis and Set have been passed from mouth to ear in Egypt for millennia. They were painted on temple walls, etched on delicate papyrus and discovered at the heart of the pyramids. But who were the Gods of Egypt? How did their myths originate? And from where did the ancient Egyptians believe their Gods came from? On the Ancients this September a...

2000 years ago, in the year 9 AD, a Roman Army walked into a trap deep in wilds of Germania. Over 15,000 men were massacred at Teutoburg Forest, making it one of the bloodiest ambushes in history. But what happened next?  Today's episode of the Ancients continues the terrifying story we began last week, as Tristan Hughes is joined by a host of leading experts to analyse the moves that played...

Ancient India was the single greatest trading partner of the Roman Empire. For centuries, Indian sailors navigated the Indian Ocean and Red Sea to bring goods, ideas and religious beliefs to the Greco-Roman ports based on the Egyptian coast. But how did this lucrative trade begin? And what sorts of goods passed along it? In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by William Dalry...

Tristan Hughes travels to the site of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, one of the most epic defeats of the Roman army when an alliance of Germanic peoples ambushed three Roman legions. Across two episodes leading experts analyse every move leading up to those terrifying days in early September 9 AD, deep in the Teutoburg Forest. All stemming from the Roman Invasion of Germany. Presented by Tris...

Despite being one of the most visited historic spots on the planet today, Petra was once a so-called ‘lost city,’ hidden from western eyes in a vast desert landscape for hundreds of years. What is the story of this rose-red ancient city and its inhabitants? The powerful Nabataean civilisation who built Petra more than two thousand years ago, but remain a mystery to so many today. Who were their ki...

The word 'Sirens' conjures up many images, possibly of beautiful mermaid-like creatures luring sailors to their watery deaths. These ancient Greek mythical creatures, linked to the Queen of the Underworld Persephone, feature in well known myths such as Jason and the Argonauts and Homer’s story of Odysseus - The Odyssey. But their popular modern portrayal as 'sexy maidens' does not originate from a...

It's one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in the world. But did you know that beer is also one of the world's oldest beverages, with a history that stretches back more than 10,000 years. Beer was the beverage of choice for a whole host of ancient Bronze Age civilisations arrayed across Mesopotamia. But why did cities like Babylon and Uruk become the first great beer drinking cultures in histor...

Cats! These much loved furry friends have brightened people’s lives for millenia. And it was the same in ancient times. They were pets. They were pest control against rats. They were even in some cases considered sacred. But how did they become the pet of choice for homes the world over? And why were they first domesticated? In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor...

It is the most famous monument of ancient Greece. Its remains standing tall above modern Athens today, more than 2,000 years old. The Parthenon. A temple, treasury, the residence of a powerful general after Alexander the Great’s death…and his courtesans, a church, a mosque, a gunpowder store, a tourist site. It’s safe to say that the Parthenon has had a pretty fascinating story over the past two a...