The Toba Eruption

For millions of years, the islands of New Zealand remained a pristine wilderness, untouched by human footsteps. That changed in the 13th century when the world’s most elite mariners executed one of history’s greatest feats of navigation. Guided by the stars and ocean swells, the ...  Show more

Sometime around 66 million years ago, a meteor smashed into what is today the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The impact of that event changed life on Earth in ways that are still evident today. Evidence for this impact wasn’t obvious. There was strong skepticism when the theory was ...  Show more

"What happens when a volcano erupts just six miles from a bustling city? In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius is regarded as a source of bounty by those who live in its shadow. But one of history’s most infamous natural disasters soon unfolds. How did the lucky ones make their escape? And how ...  Show more

In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, over 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, lies one of the world’s most iconic archaeological treasure troves - Rapa Nui, known to the outside world as Easter Island. Famed for the towering stone faces of the moai, the island has u ...

Warning: this episode contains explicit language and discussions of sex.Pompeii is a city frozen in time and shows us exactly how the Romans really lived. Buried by volcanic ash and debris from a catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, visitors to the Roman town can still see ...  Show more

It was the biggest mass extinction event in Earth’s history. 250 million years ago, a 252 million years ago, Earth faced its deadliest crisis. 97% of all life was wiped out in the Permian Extinction – a cataclysm so severe it’s known as The Great Dying.In this episode of The Anci ...  Show more