Rome · Classical antiquity
Drugs in Ancient Rome - DOCUMENTARY
Reviews textual and residue evidence for cannabis, opium and other intoxicants in the ancient world.
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Documentaries about the ancient world
Full documentaries and lectures from museums, universities and documentary makers, chosen by our desks. Each one opens on YouTube.
Greece · Prehistoric Naxos, Neolithic to Archaic
What Happened To The Sunken City Of Naxos?
Traces the prehistoric story of Naxos from Neolithic settlement to Grotta and the submerged Mycenaean town.
Rome · Roman Republic and Empire
The Mega Corporations Who Ruled Rome (DOCUMENTARY)
Describes how Roman businesses and contractor companies were organised within the ancient economy.
Rome · Second Punic War, 216 BC
True Size of the Battle of Cannae (FULL DOCUMENTARY)
Uses 3D simulation to model army sizes and deployment at the Battle of Cannae.
Greece · Late Bronze Age Mediterranean
Homer's Odyssey - The Real History & Archaeology Behind The Myth
Examines the Late Bronze Age archaeology and seafaring cultures behind Homer's Odyssey.
Greece · Late Bronze Age Aegean and Anatolia
The Real Trojan War - Archaeology & History Behind Homer's Iliad Revealed
Reconstructs a possible historical Trojan War using excavations at Troy and the Hittite archives of Hattusa.
Rome · Roman gladiatorial games
Rise and Fall of the Gladiators FULL DOCUMENTARY
Covers the origins, daily life, female fighters and staged naval battles of Roman gladiators.
Rome · Late Roman Republic, 91-27 BC
The Men Who Killed Rome - Fall of the Republic DOCUMENTARY
Traces events from the Social War to Augustus that ended the Roman Republic.
Wider World · Hellenistic Bactria, c. 250-130 BC
After Alexander - The Mysterious Kingdom Of The Greco-Bactrians // Ancient History Documentary
Follows the history of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom established in Central Asia after Alexander's conquests.
Wider World · Nasca culture, Peru, c. 100 BC-AD 700
Who Made The Nazca Lines? And Why? - Archaeology Documentary
Examines who the Nasca were, how and why they made the Nazca Lines, and their decline.
Rome · Late Antique Europe, AD 476
476 AD - A Tour Of Post-Roman Europe // European History Documentary
Surveys the kingdoms and peoples of Europe, from Italy to Britannia, in the year AD 476.
Greece · Mycenaean Greece, c. 1600-1100 BC
The Complete Bronze Age Greek World // Ancient History Prehistory Archaeology Mycenaeans Documentary
Visits Mycenaean sites including Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Thebes and Crete to describe Bronze Age Greece.
Near East · Hittite Anatolia, c. 1650-1180 BC
The Entire History Of The Hittites / Ancient History Documentary
Narrates Hittite history from origins through the Old and New Kingdoms to collapse and successor states.
Egypt · Ancient Egypt, c. 3100-30 BC
18. Egypt - Fall of the Pharaohs
Traces the rise of Egyptian civilisation in the Nile Valley and the end of pharaonic rule.
Prehistory · Pre-Pottery Neolithic Anatolia, c. 9500-8000 BC
Did Civilisation Begin At Karahan Tepe? - Humanity before Göbekli Tepe // Prehistory Documentary
Explores Karahan Tepe and related Neolithic sites in southeastern Turkey alongside Göbekli Tepe.
Greece · Bronze Age Messenia
What Happened To The Lost Mycenaean Palace Of Nichoria? - Bronze Age Greece History Documentary
Tells the story of prehistoric Greece through the excavated Mycenaean settlement of Nichoria in Messenia.
Near East · Carthage, c. 814-146 BC
17. Carthage - Empire of the Phoenicians
Follows Carthage from its Phoenician origins and Mediterranean voyages to its destruction by Rome.
Rome · Roman civil war, 30 BC
The Death of Antony & Cleopatra (30 B.C.E.)
Animated account of Octavian's advance on Egypt and the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra.
Rome · Roman civil war, 31 BC
The Battle of Actium (31 B.C.E.)
Animated reconstruction of the naval Battle of Actium between Octavian and Antony with Cleopatra.
Rome · Late Roman Republic, 35-32 BC
War and Peace ...and War (35 to 32 B.C.E.)
Follows the breakdown of relations between Octavian and Antony leading to renewed war.
Near East · Nabataean Arabia, c. 300 BC-AD 106
15. The Nabataeans - The Last Days Of Petra
Covers the Nabataean traders of Petra, their desert kingdom and its eventual end.
Rome · Roman-Parthian war, 42-33 BC
Antony's Invasion of Parthia (42 to 33 B.C.E.)
Animated account of Mark Antony's campaign against Parthia and its failure.
Rome · Late Roman Republic, 42-36 BC
Sextus Pompeius and the Sicilian War (42 to 36 B.C.E.)
Covers Sextus Pompeius's naval power and the Sicilian War against Octavian.
Rome · Roman civil war, 42 BC
The Battle of Philippi (42 B.C.E.)
Animated reconstruction of the Battle of Philippi against Brutus and Cassius.
Near East · Late Bronze Age, c. 1200 BC
The Bronze Age Collapse (approximately 1200 B.C.E.)
Animated overview of the collapse of Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age states around 1200 BC.