Meet the Ancestors
Season 5
Meet the Ancestors aka Ancestors was a BBC Television documentary series that documented the archaeological excavation and scientific reconstruction of human remains. The series was introduced by archaeologist Julian Richards and often included facial reconstructions by Caroline Wilkinson.
Where to Watch Season 5
6 Episodes
- Lost Palace of Hampton CourtE1
Episode 1Lost Palace of Hampton CourtRichards joins a team as they start to dig within the walls of Hampton Court Palace for evidence to support the assistant curator's theory that the original palace built by Cardinal Wolsey, largely obliterated by Henry VIII, may have Italian Renaissance roots, thus making it one of the most significant buildings in English architectural history. - Slave IslandE2
Episode 2Slave IslandRichards investigates how the 1991 discovery of a forgotten burial ground in Manhattan shed new light on the history of slavery in America. Archaeological evidence has exploded the myth that New York had always been a 'free' state, revealing the crucial role played by African-Americans in the city's development and prosperity. - Celtic CausewayE3
Episode 3Celtic CausewayRichards looks at how the discovery of the remains of an ancient trackway in the fenlands of Lincolnshire has thrown new light on the rituals of the Iron Age. Made of wooden posts some five metres long, the track ran over marshy ground to the open water and was no ordinary thoroughfare. This was a place were the Celts went to worship their deities. - Chariot QueenE4
Episode 4Chariot QueenRichards investigates the discovery of a grave containing the body of tallest Iron Age woman ever found in Britain and a dismantled chariot, a find which caused great excitement and speculation among archaeologists. Initial theories suggested the woman must have been a Celtic princess, but the realisation that the carriage was intended for battle led experts to conclude they must be the remains of a warrior queen similar to the celebrated Boudicca. - The Forgotten BattlefieldE5
Episode 5The Forgotten BattlefieldRichards pieces together the story of life on the World War I front line as amateur archaeologists unearth a complex system of trenches, an exceptional array of military hardware and an astonishing collection of personal artefacts either forgotten or discarded at the end of the conflict. - Malaria and the Fall of RomeE6
Episode 6Malaria and the Fall of RomeRichards and the team visit an archaeological site where the bodies of 47 babies and children were recently excavated. The discovery that the youngsters died from malaria has given rise to the theory that the fall of one of history's greatest empires was in part due to an epidemic : so when a fleet of Roman cargo ships are discovered deliberately sunk in mysterious circumstances at a site in Sardinia, the experts arrive hoping to find conclusive evidence.
