Ancient Afghanistan: The Land of a Thousand C...

How do you celebrate the New Year in ancient Rome? With an assassination and a bloody free-for-all for the imperial throne, of course.Following the murder of the gladiator emperor Commodus on New Year’s Eve 192, a chaotic succession battle erupted. Tristan Hughes and Dr. Simon El ...  Show more

What was it like to share Britain with Neanderthals and cave hyenas 40,000 years ago?Tristan Hughes ventures deep underground to Kents Cavern, a glittering labyrinth affectionately known as Britain’s first home. He's joined by archaeological scientist Dr. Helen Fewlass on a live, ...  Show more

In the highlands of the Iranian Plateau, a collection of enormous pillars reach up to the sky...In this episode, we tell the story of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Find out how this remarkable ancient power sprung up from the rubble of a ruined world to become the most powerful ...  Show more

At the edge of the Gobi Desert, Dunhuang was once a bustling oasis on the famous Silk Road connecting China and the Mediterranean. For more than 1000 years, Dunhuang was an important pilgrimage site and a cultural melting pot where ideas, technologies and art flowed freel ...

It is one of the truly great civilisations in world history and yet the story of Persia has faded from view in the west. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are joined by Professor Ali Ansari to discuss Persia's extraordinary influence on the modern world. Learn more about your ad ...  Show more