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A massive monument carved out of solid rock, a monster-sized super-dome that defies the laws of gravity. These awe inspiring feats of engineering defy explanation, yet they are not modern--they were actually built thousands of years ago. The Great Pyramid was the tallest structure on earth for over 4,000 years! But what techniques, materials and tools could ancient engineers have used to build it? Stonehenge is one of the most mysterious structures ever built, but could the secret to its construction ever be revealed? Abu Simbel is ancient Egypt's greatest monument which even eclipses today's Mount Rushmore. How did the ancient engineers make the seemingly impossible possible?

Ancient Impossible picks up where HISTORY's long running Ancient Discoveries left off. In this next generation of storytelling, Ancient Impossible reveals how many of today's technological achievements were actually developed centuries ago. Colossal monuments, impossible feats of engineering and technologies so precise they defy reinvention—the ancient world was far more advanced than we ever imagined. We'll travel through history to reveal a radically different picture of the past, with innovations so far ahead of their time, they're still in use today. New science uncovers a lost world more like our own than we ever suspected, and reveals how modern technology has its blueprint in the ancient world.

Primary Title
  • Ancient Impossible
Episode Title
  • Monster Monuments
Date Broadcast
  • Monday 16 February 2015
Start Time
  • 13 : 30
Finish Time
  • 14 : 30
Duration
  • 60:00
Series
  • 1
Episode
  • 3
Channel
  • History
Broadcaster
  • Sky Network Television
Programme Description
  • Ancient Impossible picks up where HISTORY's long running Ancient Discoveries left off. In this next generation of storytelling, Ancient Impossible reveals how many of today's technological achievements were actually developed centuries ago. Colossal monuments, impossible feats of engineering and technologies so precise they defy reinvention—the ancient world was far more advanced than we ever imagined. We'll travel through history to reveal a radically different picture of the past, with innovations so far ahead of their time, they're still in use today. New science uncovers a lost world more like our own than we ever suspected, and reveals how modern technology has its blueprint in the ancient world.
Episode Description
  • A massive monument carved out of solid rock, a monster-sized super-dome that defies the laws of gravity. These awe inspiring feats of engineering defy explanation, yet they are not modern--they were actually built thousands of years ago. The Great Pyramid was the tallest structure on earth for over 4,000 years! But what techniques, materials and tools could ancient engineers have used to build it? Stonehenge is one of the most mysterious structures ever built, but could the secret to its construction ever be revealed? Abu Simbel is ancient Egypt's greatest monument which even eclipses today's Mount Rushmore. How did the ancient engineers make the seemingly impossible possible?
Classification
  • PGR
Owning Collection
  • Chapman Archive
Broadcast Platform
  • Television
Languages
  • English
Captions
Live Broadcast
  • No
Rights Statement
  • Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Subjects
  • Documentary television programs--United States
  • Civilization, Ancient
  • Science, Ancient
Genres
  • Documentary
  • Educational
  • History
Hosts
  • Steve Wolf (Host)
Contributors
  • Bill Graves (Narrator)
  • Stuart Clarke (Producer)
  • Wild Dream Films (Production Unit)
Subjects
  • Documentary television programs--United States
  • Civilization, Ancient
  • Science, Ancient