Journalist Oliver "Olly" Steeds travels to the ends of the earth to investigate the truth behind some of the world's biggest mysteries. From the lost city of Atlantis to the Ark of the Covenant to the Nazca Lines, Olly doesn't just talk to the theorist experts; he puts their controversial claims to the test. Olly employs hidden cameras, holds clandestine meetings with smugglers, treks to remote locations to see relics, and throws himself head-long and hands-on into the native rituals to get the real story and weed out the myths.
EPISODE GUIDE
ARK OF THE COVENANT
The Ark of the Covenant, a golden chest built to hold the Ten Commandments, is one of the most important religious artifacts in the world. Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe that it was the presence of God on earth. But over 2500 years ago, the Ark disappeared. Ever since, legends, theories and Hollywood blockbusters have tried to explain what happened to it. Was it destroyed or captured? Or could it still exist? Olly explores the plausibility of one of the most exciting theories: that the famous Ark of the Covenant was smuggled out of Jerusalem, through the deserts of Egypt, into Ethiopia and that the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church - a sect of Christianity millions strong - believes they protect that very same Ark to this day.
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NAZCA LINES
Carved into the Peruvian desert thousands of years ago, the Nazca Lines have puzzled archaeologists and laypeople alike ever since their discovery 100 years ago. Stretching over hundreds of square miles, thousands of geometric shapes and animal figures mark the desert landscape - some as big as football fields, but all flat as the land itself, making them virtually invisible from the ground. Theories to explain the lines range from giant maps of the stars to alien runways to places for elaborate and bizarre rituals. Why would a people who couldn't fly have built images that could only be seen from the air? Olly travels to ancient cemeteries and Nazcan cities curiously off-limits to camera crews. He explores underground tunnels used in psychedelic cult initiations and tries to venture into the spirit world himself to unravel the mystery of the Nazca Lines.
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LOST CITY OF GOLD
El Dorado -- its very name has become synonymous with legend of a mythical city of gold lost in the wilds of South America. But is it really a myth? Is there actually a city packed with gold hidden somewhere in the Andes? For hundreds of years explorers have mounted expeditions to find it. Now Olly has learned of new clues that could mean one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time is right around the corner. From the golden churches of the Incan capital Cusco, Olly follows the trail of El Dorado along a road of ruins deep into the remote Andes Mountains, leading an expedition that promises to open a new chapter in the centuries-old hunt for the City of Gold and change the face of archaeology.
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ATLANTIS
Perhaps the most famous lost city of the ancient world, Atlantis is an enduring symbol of mystery and beauty. Beginning with Plato, people have dedicated their lives to finding the missing continent. But what happened to Atlantis? Are there forces of nature deadly enough to annihilate an entire civilization in an instant? To find out, Olly explores the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, travels to an ancient city swallowed by the earth, treks Europe's most active volcano, and journeys to the site of one of the world's worst disasters. Through dogged reporting, Olly reveals new evidence that could explain the mystery of what really happened to the fabled city of Atlantis.
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NAZI TREASURE
The infamous Amber Room is the most valuable piece of missing art in the world. For more than 200 years these lavish wall panels, made entirely from carved amber, gems and gold, were the pride of the Russian czars - that is, before the Nazis looted the treasure in 1941. It was taken to a medieval fortress in the city of Koenigsberg, which was the last place it was ever seen. Olly takes up this great unsolved mystery of WWII, beginning in the modern hell hole of Kaliningrad. He then travels through Nazi hideouts across Europe to piece together clues that narrow down the final hiding place of this treasure. From an underground German fortress, into secret Czech mine-shafts, and by drilling deep beneath a medieval castle used by the SS, Olly uncovers exciting new evidence that could lead once and for all to the discovery of the Amber Room.
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HITLER'S MUMMIES
Olly Steeds journeys into the nightmare of Nazi propaganda and explores its chilling legacy today. His quest takes him to the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa in search of mythical blond-haired mummies and to a secret crypt the Nazis thought was the center of the world. In the marshes of northern Europe, he examines ancient bog bodies that the Nazis bizarrely used to justify their policies. Olly's quest becomes personal when he confronts a modern-day believer of the SS mission. Finally, Olly uses his own DNA to test Hitler's theories of racial superiority.
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DEVIL'S ISLAND
Long before Alcatraz, there was Devil's Island - the most notorious and vicious prison complex ever constructed. Over a century of operation, 70,000 men were incarcerated there. Built in the tropics of French Guiana, it was called the perfect prison - penned in by the jungle on one side and the sea on the other. Escape was said to be impossible. But was it? Olly explores the horrors of prison life and tests first-hand whether tales of great escapes could be true.
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