Unearthing Mysteries: The Complete Series 1-8

Synopsis

All 31 episodes of the archaeological series investigating the mysteries and secrets of the pastMuch of human history is hidden from us, buried deep under our feet. Layered beneath the landscape are the unknown stories of ancient peoples and civilizations, written in bones and long-lost artefacts, waiting to be revealed and deciphered. Between 1999 and 2006, over eight radio series, renowned author and broadcaster Aubrey Manning followed geological and archaeological clues in an attempt to unravel some of these mysteries – from the Lost Map of London and the Amber Room to the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Antikythera Mechanism and the Land of Punt. This landmark radio series, lost for years, can now be listened to again.Journeying around the British Isles and worldwide, he visits sites including tombs, tunnels and temples, setting out to uncover the secrets that lie within them. Could ‘KV 55’ in the Valley of the Kings be the final resting place of the great Pharaoh Akhenaten? What can the ‘Red Lady’ of Paviland tell us about how homo sapiens succeeded Neanderthals? Did the Saxons make top-notch steel 1,000 years before the Industrial Revolution? And was a swamp in the South Anatolian plain the unlikely location for the world’s first city?These and other burning questions are tackled by Manning, with erudite input from a host of expert researchers, historians, scientists and archaeologists. His investigations take in a Roman drinking cult; a Bronze Age archer dubbed the ‘King of Stonehenge’; Boudica’s forgotten husband, Prasutagus; the tale of a saint, severed hands and a sword in the stone – and the remarkable discovery of British prehistoric cave art...Production creditsPresented by Aubrey Manning and Brian Moffat (Series 1, Episode 4)Produced by Dave Sharp, Sue Broom, Pam Rutherford, Helen Sharp and Martin RedfernFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates:Series 1 (first broadcast 13 July-3 August 1999)Valley of the KingsGlozelLost Map of LondonSoutraSeries 2 (first broadcast 7-28 November 2000)Sounds of the Stone AgeThe Amber RoomThe Drinking CultThe Pharos Lighthouse of AlexandriaSeries 3 (first broadcast 30 October – 20 November 2001)The 'Red Lady' of PavilandLondon's Mediaeval MedicineSaxon SteelSan Galgano and the Sword in the StoneSeries 4 (first broadcast 5-26 November 2002)Taming the HorseCatal HuyukThe Amesbury ArcherMeadowcroft Rock ShelterSeries 5 (first broadcast 5-26 August 2003)Lynford NeanderthalsAncient Egyptian IllnessesTri Radial CairnsGreat Orme MineSeries 6 (first broadcast 7-28 December 2004)The Land of PuntWharram PercyBritish Cave ArtMound BuildersSeries 7 (first broadcast 20 December 2005-17 January 2006)The Tunnellers of the First World WarThe Romans in IndiaBen Lawers and Loch TayThe First AmericansSeries 8 (first broadcast 12-26 December 2006)The Antikythera MechanismFirst Residents of BritainPrasutagus, husband of Boudicca© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd