Ancient X-Files
Ancient X Files travels around the world to solve some intriguing riddles. Each story is a piece of detective work by an expert trying to make sense of some puzzling ancient artefact, to find the truth behind some extraordinary legend, to discover the origins of a bizarre myth or to establish the authenticity of a venerated religious relic. This series explores the bits of archaeology and history which seem to defy explanation. Our experts are following chains of clues and putting theories to the test, in an effort to explain the unexplained. Ancient X Files investigates claims about the whereabouts of the lost Ark of the Covenant; attempts to establish the authenticity of a cup some believe to be the Holy Grail; tries to de-code the mysterious Phaistos disc; investigates a cloth which is believed to carry traces of the DNA of Jesus Christ; and deciphers an encrypted book of alchemy written by the great Sir Isaac Newton.
Her enigmatic smile has fascinated art lovers for centuries – but could the Mona Lisa really contain a secret message from Da Vinci? New high-resolution images of the Mona Lisa may reveal hidden numbers and letters. Could they be the key to understanding the enigmatic painting? Also, see a grisly find in the oldest subterranean temple in the world.
Jesuit priest Father Patrick Hough visits Notre Dame Cathedral to examine a relic that's said to be the crown of thorns worn by Christ at his crucifixion. Then head to the mountains of Peru to investigate a hoard of mummies found preserved in disturbing positions.
Dr Sabine Hyland attempts to study the three dimensional language found in sacred knotted Incan relics and crack their intricate code. The puzzling mysteries of ancient Incan counting devices and the secret navigational systems of the Vikings come under scrutiny, as two more enigmas from the past face expert modern analysis.
Following clues in the Old Testament, an archaeologist believes he has discovered the location of the original cities of sin, Sodom and Gomorrah. Go in search of the infamous Biblical cities of sin supposedly destroyed by the wrath of God. Can they be found? Plus, British computer programmer Nick Pelling attempts to crack ‘the most mysterious document in the world’.
Ancient languages expert Mark Guscin attempts to shed light on the secrets of what some believe to be Jesus’ shroud by exploring digital analysis of the relic. Investigate what recent advances in science might reveal about this mysterious religious relic since the last time it was tested in 1988. Then, explore the oldest astronomical temple in the Americas.
A mysterious burial 4,000 years ago and the recent discovery of a body with a missing heart leads to a search for the world's oldest vampire. Following the trail of the oldest suspected vampire, and a look into alleged sightings of two alien-like children in an English village.
Join underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda as he travels across Mexico and Guatemala in search of the legendary Mayan underworld, Xibalba.
After centuries of debate, archaeological evidence unearthed in Bulgaria may reveal not only where the Great Flood happened, but what caused it. Also investigating evidence of what prompted Noah to build his ark. As well as strange standing stones found in Scotland.
Millions of Christians retrace Christ's footsteps every year, but now an archaeologist claims that they may be worshipping at the wrong sites. Experts cast astounding new light on Jesus's crucifixion.
Ancient artefacts that defy rational explanation come under the microscope, as this series explores the unsolved mysteries of the past. Mary Magdalene has long been known as a repentant sinner and witness to the resurrection but newly uncovered Christian artefacts point to her as a victim of the biggest conspiracy in history.
Could Joan have survived her execution? New evidence suggests that France's national heroine may not have been burnt at the stake after all. And architectural hints that suggest the New Jerusalem may have been built in London.
Could the mysterious medieval sword lodged in stone in a remote church in Italy be connected to the legend of King Arthur? A world expert on Arthurian legends is on a mission to find out how a tiny pendant challenges the origins of Christianity, and the mysteries surrounding the so-called Orpheus amulet.
The archaeological findings of Gobekli Tepe, a Neolithic hilltop sanctuary in Turkey, and the discovery of a series of maimed bodies at a muddy landscape in Ireland.
Hidden behind bullet proof glass, guarded by a mysterious order of knights, could this stone cup really be the legendary Holy Grail? And the horrific, mythical monster, half man, half bull that devoured its human victims trapped inside a terrifying labyrinth. But could the blood-curdling legend of the Minotaur be linked to a real place?
Less famous then the Shroud of Turin could the Shroud of Oviedo actually be Christ's burial cloth? NGC traces the blood-stained relic to Israel in a quest to determine whether it holds Christ's DNA, and in a most chilling discovery finds that it contains no evidence of a father's DNA. Later, a linguistic code cracker attempts to solve the riddle of one of the most mysterious ancient objects - the Phaistos Disc. The Phaistos Disc is a curious archaeological find, most likely dating from about 1700 BC. Its purpose and meaning, and even its original geographical place of manufacture, remain disputed, making it one of the most famous mysteries of archaeology. The Phaistos Disc was discovered in the basement of room XL-101 of the Minoan site of Phaistos. The site is near Hagia Triada on the south coast of Crete. Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier recovered this remarkably intact disc about 15 cm. in diameter and uniformly just over 1 cm. thick, on July 3, 1908.
Examining the medieval myth of the Philosopher's Stone, a Holy Grail-type relic which supposedly held the key to alchemy and immortality. Many noted alchemists and adventurers searched obsessively for the artefact hoping to learn its powerful secrets, a quest which allegedly drove some to madness and others to celestial encounters. It's one of the most coveted artefacts of the Bible: a gold-encrusted chest containing the Ten Commandments. Can modern scholarship explain the awful powers of the Ark of the Covenant and tell us how it vanished and where it is today?
| Location | |
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| Language | English |
| Release | 2010-09-27 |
| Producer | Wag TV |