Mysteries of the Ancient Dead

Episode 1

The Moche, Tarim Mummies, Medieval Bed Burials

Peruvian burial mounds at Huaca Rajada and San José de Moro reveal Peruvian elite, honoured after death with ceramics, jewels, and other grave goods. But a recurring scene etched into Moche artifacts suggests a darker vision of mortality and ceramic cups pulled from the San José do Moro burial mound test positive for human blood. In one of the driest places on Earth, ancient boats hold a startling discovery: 4,000 year-old mummies, carefully preserved by nature. Foreign textiles suggest the dead may have been travellers. Are these the bodies of migrants or Silk Road traders? All across Europe, archaeologists discover an unusual burial custom that emerged around 500 AD. Men, women, and children are buried in their beds, their bodies posed as if they are sleeping. In England, the practice is limited to women. How does a single relic, plucked from one of these burials, unlock the mystery of bed burials?