Sacred Sites

2016 • Smithsonian Channel
4.8
14 reviews
TV-14
Rating
Eligible
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Season 2 episodes (6)

1 King Arthur
8/13/18
King Arthur. His very name evokes heroic acts, epic quests, and a forgotten age of chivalry. Most experts believe the monarch was simply a legendary figure, but powerful new scientific and archaeological evidence suggests that these mythic tales have their roots in history. Travel to ancient sacred sites across England and Wales to examine these fascinating discoveries and attempt to solve the mystery of whether Arthur was a real person, or just a fable.
2 Maya
8/20/18
In the tropical forests of Mexico and Guatemala stand the sacred sites of the ancient Mayan civilization. Recent scientific discoveries suggest that these monumental temples and pyramids were built to align with not only the heavens, but an equally mysterious supernatural underworld. Travel to the great cities of Palenque, Tikal, and Chichen Itza, where groundbreaking research may locate the most sacred Mayan site of all: the mystical center of the world, which links the underworld, the earth, and the heavens.
3 The Camino
8/27/18
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela is among the most sacred sites of the Christian world and—at 500 miles in length—one of the largest. But new research is revealing that this spiritual path may have been traveled long before the Christian Age, and scholars are wondering if the most famous of the Camino’s sites could actually be the burial place of a forgotten heretic.
4 Malta
9/3/18
Follow a team of experts as they search the sacred sites of Malta to explain the disappearance of the Temple People.
5 Egyptian Priestesses
9/10/18
Much is known about the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, but new archaeology has revealed evidence of another powerful religious and political position, one led by women. Until recently, the God’s Wives of Amun were all but forgotten, but Egyptologists exploring sacred sites have rediscovered their remarkable story. Learn the source of these women’s power, explore their religious ceremonies and festivals, and see how they blazed a trail for the most famous Egyptian queen of all: Cleopatra.
6 Nazi Myths
9/17/18
Follow scientists around the world as they study sacred sites Nazis claimed were built by and for an ancient Aryan race.

About this show

Was the remarkable mountain-carved city of Petra once ruled by women? Did the Knights Templar belong to an obscure cult that worshipped John the Baptist? Did the Pueblo civilization of Chaco Canyon practice cannibalism? Sacred Sites spans the globe to visit some of the world’s most remarkable ancient religious structures. Through recent archaeological discoveries and scientific breakthroughs, we offer fresh insights into the civilizations that built these sites, and examine their sometimes controversial, taboo practices.

Ratings and reviews

4.8
14 reviews
Robert Overton
November 23, 2016
Amazing
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Lynn Vitale
October 29, 2016
Wonderful
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