History

Secrets of the Dead

Secrets of the Dead is part detective story, part true-life drama that unearths evidence from around the world, challenging prevailing ideas and throwing fresh light on unexplained events.

The Princes in the Tower

55m 16s

Find out if one of history’s greatest cold cases—the imprisonment of two princes in the Tower of London—can finally be solved. Their disappearance led to centuries of mystery and speculation. Were the boys murdered by their uncle, the notorious King Richard III? Or was it a massive conspiracy to hide the truth?

Episodes

  • The Princes in the Tower: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Princes in the Tower

    S21 E3 - 55m 16s

    Find out if one of history’s greatest cold cases—the imprisonment of two princes in the Tower of London—can finally be solved. Their disappearance led to centuries of mystery and speculation. Were the boys murdered by their uncle, the notorious King Richard III? Or was it a massive conspiracy to hide the truth?

  • Death in Britannia: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Death in Britannia

    S21 E2 - 55m 16s

    Uncover what happens when archaeologists study a skeleton found with an iron nail through its heel bone, suggesting the person was the victim of crucifixion in Roman-occupied Britain. Only one other skeleton with evidence of crucifixion has ever been found in the world. Who were they? What was life in Roman Britain like? And why did they receive such a gruesome punishment?

  • Eiffel's Race to the Top: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Eiffel's Race to the Top

    S21 E1 - 54m 46s

    Find out about the race to build Paris’ most famous landmark when two men vied to be the first to build a monument 1,000 feet tall. See how one man’s vision transformed the Paris skyline, making the Eiffel Tower a global icon. Dramatic recreations, official renderings and personal correspondence tell the story.

Extras + Features

  • The Imposter, Lambert Simnel: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Imposter, Lambert Simnel

    S21 E3 - 1m 44s

    On May 27, 1487, a boy was crowned in Dublin as King Edward of England. The English government’s official record states that he was a pretender to the throne named Lambert Simnel, installed as part of a Yorkist rebellion against the crown. But could “Lambert Simnel” have actually been Edward, the elder prince in the tower?

  • Preview | The Princes in the Tower: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Preview | The Princes in the Tower

    S21 E3 - 32s

    Find out if one of history’s greatest cold cases—the imprisonment of two princes in the Tower of London—can finally be solved. Their disappearance led to centuries of mystery and speculation. Were the boys murdered by their uncle, the notorious King Richard III? Or was it a massive conspiracy to hide the truth?

  • Who Were the Princes in the Tower?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Who Were the Princes in the Tower?

    S21 E3 - 1m 50s

    The Princes in the Tower were Edward V and Richard, Duke of York – the sons of King Edward IV, who died suddenly in 1483. After Edward’s death, the princes’ uncle was crowned King Richard III, and the boys were sent to live at the Tower of London. However, they disappeared in the autumn of 1483, and legend has it they were killed on Richard’s orders. But investigators have other theories…

  • Competing Theories for Nail Found in Heel Bone: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Competing Theories for Nail Found in Heel Bone

    S21 E2 - 1m 2s

    Osteoarchaeologist Corinne Duhig is an expert an unraveling mysteries by studying bones. She wonders whether a nail found through the heelbone of Skeleton 4926 could be an ancient culture’s way of preventing a deceased spirit from wandering, or an accidental blow while constructing a coffin around a body. Ultimately, crucifixion is the only explanation that makes sense.

  • Preview | Death in Britannia: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Preview | Death in Britannia

    S21 E2 - 32s

    Uncover what happens when archaeologists study a skeleton found with an iron nail through its heel bone, suggesting the person was the victim of crucifixion in Roman-occupied Britain. Only one other skeleton with evidence of crucifixion has ever been found in the world. Who were they? What was life in Roman Britain like? And why did they receive such a gruesome punishment?

  • Identifying Biological Sex from Skeletal Remains: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Identifying Biological Sex from Skeletal Remains

    S21 E2 - 2m 7s

    Corinne Duhig and Ben Garrod perform a virtual autopsy on Skeleton 4926, whose remains date to the time of the Roman occupation of Britain. Corinne, an osteoarchaeologist, and Ben, a biologist and her former student, inspect a number of features that can help indicate biological sex. Based on the angle of the pelvic bone and a defined brow ridge, they are confident the skeleton is male.

  • Gustave Eiffel’s Credentials: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Gustave Eiffel’s Credentials

    S21 E1 - 1m 34s

    Gustave Eiffel already had several large projects to his name by the time the 1889 World’s Fair was announced. He had engineered Budapest’s railway station and Porto’s Maria Pia Bridge, and was in the midst of completing both the Garabit viaduct in France’s Massif Central and the Statue of Liberty. For Eiffel, building a thousand-foot tower would be a crowning achievement.

  • A Revolutionary Use of Iron: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Revolutionary Use of Iron

    S21 E1 - 1m 26s

    The designs for the competing tower projects represented to different visions for the future: On one side, tradition, as embodied by Jules Bourdais’s stone tower in the academic style as taught at the Beaux-Arts. And on the other side, innovation, exemplified by Gustave Eiffel’s tower that used iron as not just a structural element, but as the central aesthetic.

  • Preview | Eiffel's Race to the Top: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Preview | Eiffel's Race to the Top

    S21 E1 - 32s

    Find out about the race to build Paris’ most famous landmark when two men vied to be the first to build a monument 1,000 feet tall. See how one man’s vision transformed the Paris skyline, making the Eiffel Tower a global icon. Dramatic recreations, official renderings and personal correspondence tell the story.

Schedule

  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    Archaeology at Althorp

    Thursday
    Apr 25

    1 Hour

    Archaeologists conduct an extensive excavation at the Spencer family estate of Althorp, house of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: The Princes in the Tower: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    The Princes in the Tower

    Thursday
    Apr 25

    1 Hour

    Amateur archaeologist Philippa Langley searches for what really happened to Richard III's two nephews, who many believe he had murdered.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: Death in Britannia: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Secrets of the Dead

    Death in Britannia

    Thursday
    Apr 25

    1 Hour

    A skeleton dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain provokes further study after scientists see an iron nail driven through its heel bone, possibly indicating the person was crucified.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    Archaeology at Althorp

    Thursday
    Apr 25

    1 Hour

    Archaeologists conduct an extensive excavation at the Spencer family estate of Althorp, house of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: The Princes in the Tower: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    The Princes in the Tower

    Friday
    Apr 26

    1 Hour

    Amateur archaeologist Philippa Langley searches for what really happened to Richard III's two nephews, who many believe he had murdered.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: Death in Britannia: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Secrets of the Dead

    Death in Britannia

    Friday
    Apr 26

    1 Hour

    A skeleton dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain provokes further study after scientists see an iron nail driven through its heel bone, possibly indicating the person was crucified.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    Archaeology at Althorp

    Friday
    Apr 26

    1 Hour

    Archaeologists conduct an extensive excavation at the Spencer family estate of Althorp, house of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    Archaeology at Althorp

    Friday
    Apr 26

    1 Hour

    Archaeologists conduct an extensive excavation at the Spencer family estate of Althorp, house of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: The Princes in the Tower: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    The Princes in the Tower

    Friday
    Apr 26

    1 Hour

    Amateur archaeologist Philippa Langley searches for what really happened to Richard III's two nephews, who many believe he had murdered.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: Death in Britannia: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Secrets of the Dead

    Death in Britannia

    Friday
    Apr 26

    1 Hour

    A skeleton dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain provokes further study after scientists see an iron nail driven through its heel bone, possibly indicating the person was crucified.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    Archaeology at Althorp

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    Archaeologists conduct an extensive excavation at the Spencer family estate of Althorp, house of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: The Princes in the Tower: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    The Princes in the Tower

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    Amateur archaeologist Philippa Langley searches for what really happened to Richard III's two nephews, who many believe he had murdered.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: Death in Britannia: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Secrets of the Dead

    Death in Britannia

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    A skeleton dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain provokes further study after scientists see an iron nail driven through its heel bone, possibly indicating the person was crucified.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    Archaeology at Althorp

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    Archaeologists conduct an extensive excavation at the Spencer family estate of Althorp, house of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: The Princes in the Tower: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    The Princes in the Tower

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    Amateur archaeologist Philippa Langley searches for what really happened to Richard III's two nephews, who many believe he had murdered.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: Death in Britannia: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Secrets of the Dead

    Death in Britannia

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    A skeleton dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain provokes further study after scientists see an iron nail driven through its heel bone, possibly indicating the person was crucified.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    Archaeology at Althorp

    Monday
    Apr 29

    1 Hour

    Archaeologists conduct an extensive excavation at the Spencer family estate of Althorp, house of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: The Princes in the Tower: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    The Princes in the Tower

    Monday
    Apr 29

    1 Hour

    Amateur archaeologist Philippa Langley searches for what really happened to Richard III's two nephews, who many believe he had murdered.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: Death in Britannia: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Secrets of the Dead

    Death in Britannia

    Monday
    Apr 29

    1 Hour

    A skeleton dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain provokes further study after scientists see an iron nail driven through its heel bone, possibly indicating the person was crucified.
  • Image
    Secrets of the Dead: TVSS: Iconic

    Secrets of the Dead

    Archaeology at Althorp

    Monday
    Apr 29

    1 Hour

    Archaeologists conduct an extensive excavation at the Spencer family estate of Althorp, house of Diana, Princess of Wales.

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