ZDF Studios

In the middle of the Indian Ocean, more than 1.500 km from the nearest continent, lies an untouched, mysterious archipelago – the Chagos Islands. This group of 60 islands is one of the last pristine wildernesses on Earth. The Chagos Archipelago is one of the world’s largest marine national parks, and is strictly protected. A scientific expedition has been granted access to this politically disputed territory for the first time. In times of climate change, as global reef communities face a growing crisis, the researchers seek to show how coral reefs fare in places with minimal human interference. During a journey into the unknown, we follow in the footsteps of internationally renowned scientists, who aim to unlock the secrets of a lost world and gain astonishing insights into one of the last true wildernesses on Earth.

One of the most significant cases in European archaeology is the grave of the shaman woman of Bad Dürrenberg, a key finding of the last hunter-gatherer groups. From a time when there were no written records, this site was first researched by the Nazis, who saw a physically strong male warrior from an ‘original Aryan race’ in the buried person. It was, in fact, the most powerful woman of her time. The latest research shows that she was dark-skinned, had physical deformities, and was a spiritual leader. The documentary – using high-end CGI and motion capture – compares the researchers of the Nazi era, who misrepresented and instrumentalised their findings, to today’s researchers, who meticulously compile findings and evidence, and use cross- disciplinary methods to examine and evaluate them. It also substantiates the theory of the powerful roles women played in prehistoric times. The story of this woman, buried with a baby in her arms, still fascinates us 9,000 years after her death.

The British royal family has always been a symbol of Nazi resistance. However, time and again, information from different sources has surfaced about the Windsors’ secret sympathy for the Nazi regime. The newest finds have even fueled the suspicion that, in the summer of 1940, the abdicated King Edward VIII may have leaked sensitive war-related information to Hitler’s regime with the hopes of securing their support for his plans to reassume the throne. The Royals, the British Aristocracy and the Nazis presents video footage and recently surfaced photos to evidence the contemporary royal family’s and leading British aristocrats’ sympathy for National Socialism. It focuses particularly on the decisive roles of Edward and his American wife, Wallis Simpson, who was unsatisfied with her status of a shunned duchess — and introduced Edward to the NS scene.

In 2017, a routine archaeological dig is taking place on the site of a proposed housing development in the village of Fenstanton in the Cambridgeshire Fens. When human remains are found alongside a variety of Roman artefacts, none of the team at Albion Archaeology see anything out of the ordinary. But once the bones are washed back at HQ, something highly unusual is uncovered: a nail through the heelbone of one of the individuals. Could this be evidence of a Roman crucifixion? When they do some research, they find that only one confirmed example has ever been unearthed before, discovered in the 1960s in Jerusalem. To find out more, they call in renowned Osteoarchaeologist Dr Corinne Duhig to investigate.

From prehistoric times to our technologically accelerated present, this exciting and entertaining journey through time explores the thousands of ways in which mankind has perceived, measured and passed time over the course of its history.

In the 14th century, Siena thrived until the Black Death struck in 1348, decimating its population from 50,000 to 25,000. Agnolo di Tura, a shoemaker, chronicled the societal collapse and fear surrounding the epidemic. This documentary explores the history and impact of Yersinia pestis, tracing its origins to Kyrgyzstan and examining contemporary outbreaks, emphasizing ongoing threats from epidemics and recent instances of the plague in various countries.

A feature documentary about the Herculaneum scrolls, a collection of more than 1,800 ancient papyri carbonised by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.