Naked History – Unearthed

It’s a building that’s recognised across the world – the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy. It’s stood in Miracle Square, Pisa, for over eight hundred years. But why does it lean? Did its medieval architects get their calculations spectacularly wrong? How did they attempt to fix the problem? And will it one day finally topple over – or will it continue to defy the laws of gravity? Investigators uncover the reasons for its famous tilt – and discover that it remains standing due to a combination of medieval engineering, a modern-day rescue plan and sheer luck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s one of the most notorious buildings of the Second World War – the top-secret underground Berlin bunker of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. But where is it really located? What engineering challenges did Hitler face building it? Was it completely impregnable, as its architects hoped? And what happens to the bunker once Nazi Germany is defeated and the war is over? Today, investigators are uncovering the true story – and revealing that Hitler’s Berlin bunker was just one of a several secret bunkers dotted around occupied Europe, each bigger and better-protected than its predecessor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hadrian’s Wall in northern England is one of the most astonishing mega-structures of the ancient world. This mighty barrier was the largest structure in the Roman Empire, running from coast to coast and dividing the island of Britain in two. Why did the Romans build such an impressive fortification? Today archaeologists are investigating the wall’s hidden history and uncovering its buried defences. At Vindolanda fort, hundreds of wooden tablets reveal the harsh reality of life as a soldier on the edge of the Roman Empire. This was an untamed frontier - what dangers lay beyond Rome’s great wall? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 79 AD the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the tiny Roman town of Herculaneum in Italy. Today archaeologists are exploring its incredible secrets. Herculaneum is one of the most perfectly preserved Roman towns in the world. Fine townhouses contain wooden furniture, the remains of food and a library with thousands of papyrus scrolls. How did so much of this town survive the apocalyptic force of a volcano? Archaeologists have also discovered hundreds of bodies all huddled together in boathouses on the seafront. Who were these people and what can their remains tell us about Herculaneum’s final, terrifying hours? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Egypt’s desert sands hide a remarkable secret - Amarna, an entire city buried for more than 3000 years. This metropolis was the vision of a revolutionary pharaoh called Akhenaten; home to two of the most famous Egyptians in history, Queen Nefertiti and her son the boy king Tutankhamun. Why is this city in the middle of a desert? Today archaeologists are uncovering the city’s forgotten ruins and the dark secrets that hide within them. Amarna’s skeletons reveal a life of hardship and forbidden gods. Could these clues help explain why the city disappears? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Empire State Building in New York is an American icon - one of the most famous structures on the planet. This soaring skyscraper was the tallest building in the world when it opened in 1931; a title it held into for more than 40 years. But how much do we really know about this modern mega-structure? There are many surprisingly stories about the Empire State Building. How was it built so fast? What is the secret to its incredible stability? What happened when an airship tried to moor at the top of the world’s tallest building? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thermopylae in Greece is the site of an iconic battle. Legend says that in 480 BC, 300 Spartan warriors - at the head of a small Greek army - died holding off a million invading Persian troops. Their courageous last stand is famous - but how much of this epic tale is true? Today investigators hunt for the real story of the 300 and try to reconstruct the lost battlefield at Thermopylae. Weapons testing reveals the terrifying reality of ancient warfare. Who were the Spartans and did they really face such impossible odds? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sunken town of Baiae in Italy is one of the most extraordinary Roman sites in the world. Many of its grand villas remain frozen in time, lying on the seabed of the Bay of Naples. Geologists think this town was drowned by a super volcano. Today marine archaeologists are diving beneath the waves to uncover its secrets. They’re using laser scanning to map Baiae’s beautiful mosaics, cobbled streets and fabulous statues. Ancient writers say that Baiae was an emperor’s playground and exclusive resort for Rome’s rich and famous. Is there more to this underwater metropolis than meets the eye? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dead Sea Scrolls in Israel are the oldest biblical texts in the world. These fragile Hebrew manuscripts were discovered in 1946, inside desert caves at Qumran in the West Bank. Who wrote the scrolls and why did they disappear? The investigation leads to a spectacular mountain fortress of Masada. Here archaeologists are discovering intriguing clues that suggest the authors of the scrolls fled here during the great Jewish revolt against Rome. Did they come to Masada to escape an ancient apocalypse that destroyed their world? Did they bring with them their precious scrolls? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices