Digging for the Truth - Season 3 (2007)

For nearly a century archaeologists place the height of the Maya civilization during the First Millennium AD. However, revolutionary discoveries in Guatemala are now challenging those views. When did the Maya Civilization truly reach its peak? Join host Josh Bernstein as he tracks the origins of the Maya throughout Mexico and the Central American rain forest. He climbs the tallest Maya pyramid, shovels muck from a jungle swamp, and reveals the known oldest mural in the Maya world.

Was Ramesses II Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh? He built soaring statues, grand temples, and monuments to himself throughout Egypt. He even declared himself a living god. What forces drove him to be the greatest pharaoh? Join host Josh Bernstein as he travels to Egypt to try his hand at stone masonry, decodes the propaganda of the pharaohs, and gets hi-tech to discover if Ramesses II was as "great" as he thought he was.

In 1911, Hiram Bingham, famed American explorer, stumbled across a remote Inca city atop a high peak in the Andes. The site was called Machu Picchu--perhaps the most famous ruin in the world. Was it, like Bingham believed, a military fortress or did this glorious ruin have a secret purpose? From the mountains of Peru, host Josh Bernstein will follow in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham. He builds a log bridge across a raging river, examines the stonework at the site, and reviews ancient manuscripts to discover the "true" purpose of Machu Picchu.

For over 3,000 years, ancient Egyptians preserved their dead in the desert sands. Today the secrets of the Egyptian afterlife are being revealed! Join host Josh Bernstein as he enters a realm of temples, tombs, and mummies. How did the Egyptians prepare the dead for the afterlife and why did these sacred practices disappear? On his exploration, Josh explores the royal tombs at Giza, mines the key ingredient used to preserve the dead, and uncovers a secret cache of golden mummies!

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In the Bolivian Andes, a sprawling ancient city rests 13,000 feet above sea level - Tiwanaku. With its giant, freestanding monoliths and grand design, Tiwanaku has long been compared to Stonehenge in England. The two sites were built on opposite sides of the globe, but they both share a design that pays tribute to the sun. What's the `real' connection between Stonehenge and the "Stonehenge of the Americas"? Flying out from La Paz, Josh tours Tiwanaku from both the air and on the ground. He harvests and transports the very stone used to build Tiwanaku. And, he divse ...

In the Old Testament, King David is the shepherd poet who, after slaying the giant Goliath, goes on to become the first king of a united Israel. But was he a real historical figure, or a mythological King? According to some scientists the archaeological evidence appears to call the story into question; others claim they have already found the evidence to prove it's true. To find out, Josh examines an ancient basalt slab inscribed with David's name, recreates his famous fight with Goliath, and descends through a `secret' waterway into the heart of Jerusalem.

Decades ago, archaeologists found rolls of dusty manuscripts dating to the 1st century AD hidden in caves in Israel. But one of these manuscripts wasn't written on leather or papyrus - it was inscribed on a copper scroll! Scholars believe the copper scroll is an inventory list of treasures from Jerusalem's Second Temple, and holds clues to their whereabouts. But where is the treasure today? In his search, Josh rappels into caves outside Qumran, creates his own copper scroll, and uses ground-penetrating radar inside a newly excavated tunnel hundreds of yards ...

The Aztecs were the largest civilization to ever rule Mesoamerica, and they were also the bloodiest. In recent years, archaeology and modern science are shedding new light on their prolific practice of human sacrifice. Could the gruesome tales of sacrifice and dismemberment, as told in the Spanish chronicles of the 16th century possibly be true? Could 80,400 people have been sacrificed in just 4 days in 1487? Josh travels to Mexico City to investigate and use forensic science to examine the bones of sacrificial rituals. He'll try his hand at the weapons of the Aztecs,...