Ancient Impossible
TV Show · Documentary · History

Ancient Impossible, the new H2 series, picks up where HISTORY’s long running Ancient Discoveries left off. In this next generation of storytelling, Ancient Impossible reveals how many of today’s technological achievements were actually developed centuries ago. Colossal monuments, impossible feats of engineering and technologies so precise they defy reinvention–the ancient world was far more advanced than we ever imagined. We’ll travel through history to reveal a radically different picture of the past, with innovations so far ahead of their time, they’re still in use today. New science uncovers a lost world more like our own than we ever suspected, and reveals how modern technology has its blueprint in the ancient world.

2014 · 41m
Starring Darius Arya, Bettany Hughes, Mary-Ann Ochota
Director Bo Channon

Season 1

  • EPISODE 1
    Ultimate Weapons
    Ancient humans created weapons of mass destruction, including death rays, cannons that used steam power and troop ships.
    39m
  • EPISODE 2
    Moving Mountains
    Impressive technology allowed ancient people to move huge, heavy objects.
    38m
  • EPISODE 3
    Monster Monuments
    Exploring ancient feats of engineering that defy explanation, including Stonehenge, the pyramids and a super-sized dome.
    39m
  • EPISODE 4
    Warrior Tech
    Weapons and armor used by ancient people.
    39m
  • EPISODE 5
    Ancient Einsteins
    Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, these are some of the most ingenious minds in history. But many of their accomplishments would never have been possible without some of the geniuses of the ancient world. The fact is that most of our modern world is possible because of the incredible minds that lived thousands of years ago. We show the amazing genius of Archimedes, who managed to make water flow uphill and pull a ship up a beach single handed! Meet Philon the genius behind the world's first robot, and Ctesibius who was experimenting with pneumatics centuries before anyone else. As impossible as it sounds, Heron of Alexandria invented the world's first steam engine, as well as automatic doors and vending machines! You'd be surprised to find out just how much of today's technology would be impossible without these "Ancient Einsteins.
    39m
  • EPISODE 6
    Power Tools
    Seemingly modern-day, powerful tools actually originated thousands of years ago.
    39m

Related

Cast & Crew

  • Darius Arya
    Self
  • Bettany Hughes
    Self
  • Mary-Ann Ochota
    Self
  • Hunter Ellis
    Self
  • A‌G
    Alan Gilchrist
    Narrator
  • B‌G
    Bill Graves
    Narrator
  • S‌W
    Steve Wolf
    Self
  • B‌C
    Bo Channon
    Director
  • B‌C
    Bo Channon
    Producer
  • D‌Z
    Dave Zigerelli
    Producer

About

Ancient Impossible

Documentary

Ancient Impossible, the new H2 series, picks up where HISTORY’s long running Ancient Discoveries left off. In this next generation of storytelling, Ancient Impossible reveals how many of today’s technological achievements were actually developed centuries ago. Colossal monuments, impossible feats of engineering and technologies so precise they defy reinvention–the ancient world was far more advanced than we ever imagined. We’ll travel through history to reveal a radically different picture of the past, with innovations so far ahead of their time, they’re still in use today. New science uncovers a lost world more like our own than we ever suspected, and reveals how modern technology has its blueprint in the ancient world.

Information

Studio
History
Released
2014
Rated
PG
Region of Origin
United States
© 2014 A+E Networks. All Rights Reserved.

Languages

Original Audio
English
Audio

English (United States) (AAC)

Subtitles

English (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
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  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
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  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

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  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
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