Smithsonian Ch. - Sacred Sites: Series 2 (2018)

Did the legendary King Arthur actually exist? Where did the Nazis look to try and justify their Aryan ideology? What caused the disappearance of ancient Malta's Temple People? Get answers to these questions and more on visits to some of the world's most mysterious historic structures, and gain new insights into the civilizations that built them through recent archaeological discoveries and scientific breakthroughs.

Part 1: King Arthur
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.

Part 2: Maya
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.

Part 3: The Camino
For more than a thousand years, Christian pilgrims have travelled across Europe to walk a sacred path in Northern Spain known as the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. They travel to pray at the tomb of St. James, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus of Nazareth. But now, scholars are exploring the possibility that the Camino may have been a sacred path long before the Christian Age, and new science is questioning whether or not the physical remnants at the tomb are in fact those of James.

Part 4: Malta
The Mediterranean island of Malta and her sister island Gozo are home to some of the oldest sacred sites in the world. Built over 5,000 years ago, they were created by a sophisticated civilization known as the Temple Culture, which flourished for over a thousand years before vanishing. Now, a team of archaeologists and scientists are exploring these ancient sites to see if the Temple People may have left behind clues explaining their disappearance and what implications–if any–their collapse has on modern society.

Part 5: Egyptian Priestesses
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.

Part 6: Nazi Myths
In the 1930s, Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler were convinced Aryans from the mythological land of Atlantis really existed and founded great civilizations across the world. To prove their theory, a special SS division called the Ahnenerbe was formed to carry out archaeological investigations at ancient sites. Join us as we explore the Externsteine, Buddhist temples, and other sacred sites the Nazis hijacked to justify a sinister ideology–one that would have horrific consequences for the lives of millions.