Secrets of the Dead

Archaeologists discover the remains of a young woman, dating back to 1609. She was one of the early settlers from England who sought to establish a thriving settlement but, as winter fell, the colony quickly crumbled.

Scientists theorize that the three men who escaped Alcatraz in 1962 may have been able to survive, contradicting the original thought that they perished at sea.

Archaeologists have long believed that while the Egyptians were building pyramids 3,000 years ago, the people living in Western Europe were far less advanced. But a new discovery suggests something far more exciting. Five years ago, the remains of an incredible, ancient site began to emerge from a quarry in eastern England. Due to its delicate nature, experts have largely been working in secret – until now. What they've found is simply unheard of: a 3000-year-old settlement that would have risen above the marshy fens, made up of well-built houses on stilts. A thriving economic hub the size of a modern country town surrounded this settlement – complete with busy harbors and rivers packed with metalwork traders, selling their goods across Europe. Shockingly, evidence suggests the town may have been attacked and set afire before being abandoned. The ancient artifacts – unprecedented in number and quality – are telling a dramatically new story about Bronze Age life in Britain.

A mining operation in Cerrejón, Northern Colombia, opened a window into a previously unknown period of the earth’s history, where a world teeming with giant creatures emerged. The biggest of them all was Titanoboa—a 43-foot snake, the largest that ever lived. No other creature could match Titanoboa in its size and strength…or so it was thought. New discoveries in Cerrejón suggest that Titanoboa’s rule was challenged by a giant crocodilian. Now, follow scientists as they come to grips with the size of this animal and uncover what made it so successful. Close analysis of fossils and scientific experiments reveal unmatched hunting prowess. So which one was the apex predator in Cerrejón 58 million years ago?

Archaeologists map underwater ruins of ancient Rome's version of Las Vegas.