Mysteries of the Ancient Dead
Death... What happens after? This question has plagued humanity since the very beginning. It has inspired strange ceremonies, incited bizarre rituals, and launched complex religious beliefs. Now, we investigate the secrets of ancient civilizations using their approach to death and the hereafter to shed new light. What can we learn from our long-ago forebears using the clues they left behind for us in their relationship with demise and the great beyond?
- 2022-2025
- 2 seasons
- Documentary
Death... What happens after? This question has plagued humanity since the very beginning. It has inspired strange ceremonies, incited bizarre rituals, and launched complex religious beliefs. Now, we investigate the secrets of ancient civilizations using their approach to death and the hereafter to shed new light. What can we learn from our long-ago forebears using the clues they left behind for us in their relationship with demise and the great beyond?
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Season 2 Episode Guide
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?
Awards
- 2024 - Canadian Screen Award - Best Original Music, Factual, Lifestyle, Reality, or Entertainment - Nominated
- 2026 - Canadian Screen Award - Best History Documentary Program or Series - Nominated
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