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Alastair Sooke explores the sumptuous treasures of the Golden Age of Egyptian art, starting with troubling psychological portraits of tyrant king Senwosret III, and ending with the golden mask of boy-king Tutankhamun.

Alastair Sooke looks at how, despite political decline, the final era of the Egyptian Empire saw its art enjoy revival and rebirth. From the colossal statues of Rameses II that proclaimed the pharaoh's power to the final flourishes under Queen Cleopatra, Sooke discovers that the subsequent invasions by foreign rulers, from the Nubians and Alexander the Great to the Romans, produced a new hybrid ar

Exploring fresh archaeological excavations that shed new light on the lives of those who worked tirelessly on the pyramids.

A dig hopes to excavate the 2000-year-old tomb of Qin Shihuang, China's First Emperor.

In a brutal world where nature is both friend and foe, the ancient powers are just beginning. They must use all their skill and ingenuity to shape their territory and establish their cultures.

In an unpredictable world, the ancient powers must lay down the foundations of their societies to show their strength, protect their people and ultimately build their way to glory.

To pay for armies and other costs, the ancient powers had to tax territories and monetise their assets. But in this world of commerce, ancient societies stored their wealth in different ways.

In a world where enemies watch for weakness, the ancient powers must use all their strength and cunning to defend their people, conquer new lands, and rise to the challenge of the battlefield.

In an unruly world, the ancient powers must lead their people, create ways to govern and keep rebellion at bay. To achieve this, they may invent caste systems, organise gladiatorial games or turn to gods.

Though the ancient powers have endured for centuries, their destruction is close at hand. However, some will leave lasting legacies that will continue to shape the world long after their downfall.

Alastair Sooke tells the story of Ancient Egyptian art and how it reflected the civilisation's religion, through thirty extraordinary masterpieces.

Alastair Sooke explores the sumptuous treasures of the Golden Age of Egyptian art, starting with troubling psychological portraits of tyrant king Senwosret III, and ending with the golden mask of boy-king Tutankhamun.

Alastair Sooke looks at how, despite political decline, the final era of the Egyptian Empire saw its art enjoy revival and rebirth. From the colossal statues of Rameses II that proclaimed the pharaoh's power to the final flourishes under Queen Cleopatra, Sooke discovers that the subsequent invasions by foreign rulers, from the Nubians and Alexander the Great to the Romans, produced a new hybrid ar

Exploring fresh archaeological excavations that shed new light on the lives of those who worked tirelessly on the pyramids.

Archaeologist Richard Miles presents a series charting the history of the breakthroughs and watersheds in our long quest to understand our ancient past. He begins by going back 2,000 years to explore how archaeology began by trying to prove a biblical truth - a quest that soon got archaeologists into dangerous water.

Archaeologist Richard Miles shows how discoveries in the 18th and 19th centuries overturned ideas of when and where civilisation began, as empires competed to 'own' the past.

David Attenborough tells the story of the discovery and reconstruction in Argentina of the world's largest known dinosaur, a brand-new species of titanosaur. Measuring 37m long - close to four London buses put end to end - and weighing 70 metric tons, it now holds the record as the biggest animal ever to walk the earth.

In a brutal world where nature is both friend and foe, the ancient powers are just beginning. They must use all their skill and ingenuity to shape their territory and establish their cultures.

In an unpredictable world, the ancient powers must lay down the foundations of their societies to show their strength, protect their people and ultimately build their way to glory.

To pay for armies and other costs, the ancient powers had to tax territories and monetise their assets. But in this world of commerce, ancient societies stored their wealth in different ways.

In a world where enemies watch for weakness, the ancient powers must use all their strength and cunning to defend their people, conquer new lands, and rise to the challenge of the battlefield.

In an unruly world, the ancient powers must lead their people, create ways to govern and keep rebellion at bay. To achieve this, they may invent caste systems, organise gladiatorial games or turn to gods.