Secrets Of The Roman Baths | And Why Swimming Is Banned!

In this video, Alice Loxton visits one of the most fascinating Roman sites in Britain, the Roman baths in the glorious city of Bath. But don’t worry, this is not another dreaded Latin lesson.

Alice takes you, through the best bits of the history, the history without the boring bits. She looks at everything from trendy hairstyles to sacrificial altars, we’ll get to grips with ancient curses, beguiling myths and front page news discoveries. She even shows you where our ancestors got it wrong, with typos and botched jobs - which landed them, in, well, a lot of hot water.

So gather your rubber ducks and grab a towel, it’s time to dive head first into the remarkable secrets history of the Roman baths.

The rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire

Before the sun never set on the British Empire; before Genghis Khan swept the steppe; before Rome extended its influence to encircle the Mediterranean Sea; there was ancient Assyria. Considered by historians to be the first true empire, Assyria’s innovations laid the groundwork for every superpower that has followed. Marian H Feldman details the rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire.

Why Egypt's lifeline is drying up | Nile Conflict

The River Nile. One of the world’s most ancient and legendary waterways, bringing life to otherwise inhospitable regions of Egypt.

But the Nile is slowly dying, its tributaries and channels drying up and threatening the livelihoods of millions who depend on its nourishing waters. Some of this is the natural cycle of the river – parts of the Nile have dried up before, making entire cities like ancient Meroe vanish. But a major construction project upriver is further endangering the life of the river. In this video we will explore what’s happening and look at the possible solutions to this impending tragedy.

The Ancient City of Babylon: History of the Babylonian Empire

The ancient city of Babylon was a city in Mesopotamia which is now modern-day Iraq. The city of Babylon is so well known to many due to the many references to it in the Bible, although none of them are particularly glowing comments. The history of Babylon and the Babylonian Empire dates back thousands of years, and apart from its mentions in the Bible, Babylon is known for many things including its impressive Ishtar Gate, magnificent walls and buildings, the belief that it was a great seat of culture and learning and the, potentially fantastical, Hanging Gardens of Babylon built by Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife.

Although some ancient sources say that Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great founded the city of Babylon, it is widely believed that Babylon was already founded prior to the reign of Sargon. Unfortunately, the ruins of Old Babylon have been lost to us since the water level has steadily risen over the years, and the ruins which are visible today date to over one thousand years after the city was founded! The known history of Babylon begins with its most famous king, Hammurabi who is best known for his law code.

The Mind-Boggling Rock Cut Temples of India

Everyone is trying to understand how the Ellora caves were built, cut out of the rocks, without the use of ‘modern’ technology it is a construction that we would be hard pressed to replicate today. This new, never before seen documentary will look closely at this intricate temple and suggest—as have many archaeologists—that thousands of years ago, ancient cultures were far more advanced than some scholars are crediting them for. What baffles experts is their incredible precision and design. It seems very plausible that whoever built these fascinating cave may have been using an unknown advanced ancient technology. Cave 16, the magnificent Kailasa Temple, and is notable for being the largest monolithic structure in the world that was carved out of a single piece of rock!

Is Mount Vesuvius Rumbling Back To Life?

Since Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying the city of Pompeii, it has been frozen in time. But now, more secrets behind the ancient Roman city are being revealed with the help of new technologies in Science Channel’s Lost World Of Pompeii Pompeii is a delicately conserved attraction that is under constant threat from the wears and tear of extensive tourism, the specter of landslides and the possibility of another devastating eruption from Mount Vesuvius.

10 Most Controversial Recent Discoveries

Since the beginning of time, we have counted on science and archeology to learn more about ourselves and our world. We’ve only been around for a fraction of the Earth’s age so we’re left to pick up pieces of our distant history. So far, we’ve done a pretty good job. From what we’ve found, we’ve been able to tell a story of our world. However, once in a while, we discover strange things that question everything we know. From ancient giants who lived in the Americas to alien pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt, here are 10 of the most controversial discoveries.

Is There A Scientific Case For The Ark Of The Covenant?

According to the Bible, The Ark of the Covenant was a box which housed the two tablets of stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments. It was constructed by a man called Belazeel on Mount Sinai in Ancient Egypt to the instructions given to Moses by God. An object of immense power - capable of laying waste armies, of killing those who dared touch it in a flash of sparks, and guaranteed victory to those who carried it before them into battle. Over the centuries it has remained an object of great mystery, inspiring books, feature films and infinite questions. But can modern science shed new light on what the Ark really was? This compelling and controversial film aims to shed new light on the Ark of the Covenant and perhaps finally unravel the truth behind one of the greatest biblical mysteries of all.

The Wondrous Architecture Of The Dark Ages | An Age Of Light

The Dark Ages have been misunderstood. History has identified the period following the fall of the Roman Empire with a descent into barbarism – a terrible time when civilisation stopped. Waldemar Januszczak disagrees.

In this landmark 4-part series Waldemar argues that the Dark Ages were a time of great artistic achievement, with new ideas and religions provoking new artistic adventures. He embarks on a fascinating trip across Europe, Africa and Asia, visits the world’s most famous collections and discovers hidden artistic gems, all to prove that the Dark Ages were actually an ‘Age of Light'.

Strangest Things Found In The Middle Of Nowhere

When you're in the middle of nowhere, it can be really unsettling to discover something strange and out of place. That's exactly what the people in this video had to contend with - an aire of mystery surrounding random things in random places.

The 10 Most Controversial Discoveries

Archaeological finds are of immeasurable value in understanding how life was lived in the past. Accordingly, the objects that have lain dormant in the ground for so many centuries give us an authentic insight into days long past. However, not every discovery by the researchers is always like a small piece of the mosaic that can be seamlessly integrated into the overall historical picture. In fact, many artifacts have already been recovered, which would cause heated debates among the experts. The 10 discoveries that we will show you in today's video have always been hotly debated. Stay tuned for inexplicable footprints, ancient Egyptian artwork and mysterious sanctuaries - let's get started!

15 Biggest Trees in the World

Some of the biggest trees in the world. It's hard to believe how huge these trees have grown! Today's were showcasing the biggest trees in the world based on height, width, and mass.

15 Strangest Things Ever Discovered

Over the years, we've made some unusual and intriguing discoveries. From unusual sinkholes to two eyed fish, here are the weirdest discoveries ever made! Enjoy!

12 Most Amazing Finds In The Desert

The deserts of Earth are the closest thing we can find to an alien environment without leaving our home planet. Many of them are yet to be completely explored, which makes them a great place to find the strange and the unusual. From the ruins of long lost civilizations to objects that have fallen from space, we’ve put together this video as a guide to the weird and wonderful discoveries that have been made by people searching these hot and barren landscapes, so you can explore them from the comfort of your own home.

The Proto-Robots of Antiquity

Robots may seem like a completely modern phenomenon, but the idea of creating artificial beings is by no means new. In this video we’ll look at the ancient predecessors of our modern robots, and see their development from a concept in mythology, to the earliest simple devices, and finally to full-fledged self-moving statues.