Ancient Superstructures

Synopsis

"Ancient Superstructures“ reveals the secrets behind the world’s most famous monuments. Some of the ancient marvels which are among the most studied and scrutinized monuments in the world still remain shrouded in mystery. What if the answers were right in front of us… but invisible to the human eye? This ground-breaking series takes a unique approach in delving into engineering mysteries behind the world’s most famous ancient structures, by observing them from different perspectives of scale. From satellite imagery and aerial views right down to macro and microscopic levels, each perspective reveals data that helps shed new light on historical and construction enigmas that have baffled historians for years.

First Air Date: 2020-11-01

Last Air Date: 2024-10-29

Number of Seasons: 3

Number of Episodes: 14

Networks: histoire, ZDF, RMC Découverte

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Lemmy Constantine as Narrator

Seasons

Season 1 (2020) - (4 Episodes)

Season 2 (2021) - (4 Episodes)

Season 3 (2024) - (6 Episodes)

Season 1 (2020)

‘Ancient Superstructures’ reveals the secrets behind the Great Wall of China, Jordan’s gem Petra, the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu and the French island commune of Le Mont Saint-Michel. These ancient marvels have been scrutinized for centuries and yet they remain shrouded in mystery. By observing them from different perspectives of scale – from satellite imagery right down to macro and microscopic levels – this groundbreaking series sheds new light on historical and construction enigmas.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Mont Saint-Michel (2020-11-01)

In France, on the coast of Normandy, in a vast bay swept by the most powerful tide in Europe, stands the Mont-Saint-Michel. Both a masterful abbey and an impregnable fortress, this silhouette is known around the world and attracts nearly 3 million visitors each year. Yet the Mont Saint-Michel is far from having revealed all its secrets. Today, with the help of the latest technology, experts now have the means to scrutinize this site on all scales and try to fill in the gaps of its fascinating history. By viewing this monument from different points of view, using satellite images and microscopic details, archaeologists, scientists and historians are making groundbreaking discoveries about the history of this amazing structure. It was already built in the Middle Ages, but there are still many questions around.
Ep. 2: Petra, The Desert Rose (2020-11-08)

Nestled in the Jordanian desert, Petra is regarded as the Eighth Wonder Of The World. Forgotten for centuries, this city was erected 2000 years ago by Nabataeans, a civilization of Arab merchants. It was rediscovered during the 20th century by a Swiss explorer. Even today, scientists are still fascinated by its monumental facades carved into the rock and its unique hydraulic system. Using the latest technology, experts can go beyond what the eye can see, and are on a mission to unravel Petra’s mysteries.
Ep. 3: The Great Wall Of China (2020-11-15)

On the planet’s largest continent, in Asia, the Great Wall of China spans the country from East to West: but this enigmatic monument is still shrouded in mystery. Thanks to the latest digital technology, today's experts now have the means to scrutinize this UNESCO World Heritage site from all perspectives and scales, from the infinitely far to the infinitely close. History, science, construction… they dissect the work of ancient builders to try to reveal secrets kept for millennia.
Ep. 4: Machu Picchu (2020-11-22)

Erected at 2430 meters high on a rocky crest in the heart of the Peruvian Andes, the city of Machu Picchu remains in the eyes of many this civilization’s most breathtaking and enigmatic urban creation. This extraordinary sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, still holds many mysteries. But today, using state-of-the-art technology, experts now have the means to go back in time to probe the invisible, to explore what lies beneath and around this ancient city, and reveal its secrets.