The Ancient World with Bettany Hughes

Professor Bettany Hughes takes viewers on a journey of discovery as she investigates 10 of the greatest and most intriguing Egyptian mummies - and the secrets that lie beneath the bandages. Having remained in their tombs for thousands of years, wrapped, embalmed and buried with treasure, each mummy tells the story of the criminals, priests, children and pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.

Bettany Hughes relives eight pivotal days that defined the Roman Empire and made it the world's first superpower.

Unearthing the glittering, golden treasures of the pharaohs.

Historian Bettany Hughes has embarked on an epic, personal journey. Inspired by Homer's The Odyssey, she will sail the unpredictable Mediterranean seas, tracing Odysseus's long journey home. Her mission: to experience what the Greek hero experienced and to uncover truths behind the myths and legends, all while enjoying the delights of ancient Greece today. Follow her 1,700-mile adventure as it takes her to over a dozen islands and 22 historic sites and puts her through two hair-raising storms and even an earthquake.

The rise and fall of one of the most extreme civilisations the world has ever witnessed – one founded on discipline, sacrifice and frugality, centred on the collective, whose goal was to create the perfect state and the perfect warrior.

The historian explores the land that inspired her passion for the past by embarking upon a 900-mile journey along the river Nile and examining how it shaped ancient Egypt.

A documentary movie covering the 700-year reign in Spain and Portugal of the Moors. It focus on Andlucia and specifically Fes, Granada and Cordoba.

Bettany Hughes follows in the footsteps of 18th century aristocrats going on a Grand Tour as she travels through France and Italy to see how travel, the arts and culture and the finest foods can enrich and inspire our lives.

Renowned historian and Wanderlust contributing editor Bettany Hughes is back on our screens with Seven Wonders of The Ancient World – and the series will make use of augmented reality (AR), allowing viewers to explore the lost sites.

Best known for the myth of the Minotaur, Crete gave birth to Europe's first civilization. Yet little is known about those who inhabited the island. But now, with fresh archeological evidence, light is finally being shed on this ancient culture.

What can the ancient world's vision of the planet, such as the legend of powerful Greek Goddess Gaia, teach us? Acclaimed historian Bettany Hughes explores our relationship with Mother Earth in this fascinating documentary on BBC Select. Now, more than ever, our use and misuse of the planet is under scrutiny. Can the past hold the answers to how we can possibly have a future on the Earth?

Bettany Hughes take viewers on armchair travels to explore household-name treasures and new finds from across the world.

A forensic dig into history's most enduring mysteries. In Voices of the Dead, Professor Bettany Hughes leads a forensic investigation into some of the most enduring mysteries of the ancient world and brings viewers face-to-face with the extraordinary people of the past she unearths along the way.

In this fascinating documentary, historian Bettany Hughes travels to the seven wonders of the Buddhist world.Her journey begins at the Mahabodhi Temple in India, where Buddhism was born; here Hughes examines the foundations of the belief system - the three jewels.At Nepal's Boudhanath Stupa, she looks deeper into the concept of dharma - the teaching of Buddha, and at the Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka, Bettany explores karma, the idea that our intentional acts will be mirrored in the future.At Wat Pho Temple in Thailand, Hughes explores samsara, the endless cycle of birth and death that Buddhists seek to end by achieving enlightenment, before travelling to Angkor Wat in Cambodia to learn more about the practice of meditation.In Hong Kong, Hughes visits the Giant Buddha and looks more closely at Zen, before arriving at the final wonder, the Hsi Lai temple in Los Angeles, to discover more about the ultimate goal for all Buddhists - nirvana.

Professor Bettany Hughes investigates the story of Bacchus, god of wine, revelry, theatre and excess, travelling to Georgia, Jordan, Greece and Britain to discover his origins and his presence in the modern world, and explore how 'losing oneself' plays a vital role in the development of civilisation. Bettany begins in Georgia where she discovers evidence of the world's oldest wine production, and the role it may have played in building communities. In Athens she reveals Bacchus's pivotal role in a society where his ecstatic worship was embraced by all classes, and most importantly women. On Cyprus she uncovers startling parallels between Bacchus and Christ. Finally, Bettany follows the god's modern embrace in Nietzsche's philosophy, experimental theatre and the hedonistic hippie movement to conclude that, while this god of ecstasy is worthy of contemporary reconsideration, it is vital to heed the warning of the ancients - "MEDEN AGAN" - nothing in excess.

It is a book that originated thousands of years ago in the Middle East. The subject of intensive scholarship and interpretation, the Bible and its rich narratives have shaped politics, culture, and the human experience through the ages. Seven people from different walks of life offer their perspectives on what history's best selling book says about spiritual life and relationships with others.