Watch Where Did It Come From? Full Episodes, Video & More

Ancient Greece: Modern Ship Building

Aired on Sep 07, 200644m

Modern warships, cargo, and container ships are the cutting edge of maritime technology. But 2,500 years ago, no one dominated shipbuilding like the Greeks.

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Ancient Rome: The Rise Of Apartments

Aired on Sep 14, 200644m

High-rise, high-density living isn't new. Romans were living in high-rise apartments 2,000 years ago. Travel to Rome and its ancient seaport of Ostia, where many of them still exist.

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Ancient Egypt: Iconic Structures

Aired on Apr 01, 201644m

Discover how monumental masterpieces including the Great Pyramid, Library at Alexander, Temple of Karnak, Sphinx, and obelisks were built using only the most primitive tools and brute labor.

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Ancient Greece: Weapons of Mass Destruction

Aired on Sep 28, 200644m

An examination of ancient Greek weapons of mass destruction, including a catapult that could launch a 25-pound missile over a quarter of a mile, deadly poisoned arrows, and Archimedes' infamous "burning mirror."

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Ancient Rome: The Mobile Society

Aired on Oct 05, 200644m

Travel to the heart of the Roman Empire to examine a remarkable civil engineering project that resulted in a 53-thousand-mile network of highways, which is little-changed today.

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Ancient China: The Personal Weapon

Aired on Oct 19, 200644m

Today's missiles, machine guns, and smart weapons may seem cutting-edge, but many were invented by the ancient Chinese. Learn how ancient Chinese armies developed battlefield strategies that shape how we go to war today.

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Ancient China: Agriculture

Aired on Nov 30, 200643m

Travel to China to explore the roots of modern agricultural genius as host Michael Guillen explains the ancient history of today's advanced farming technology.

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Ancient Egypt: Modern Medicine

Aired on Dec 05, 200644m

Surgeries, amputations, prescription medicine, fertility and contraception—what we associate with modern medicine was actually introduced by the Egyptians more than 5,000 years ago.

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The Ancient Maya: The Tools of Astronomy

Aired on Dec 06, 200644m

Travel to Mexico's Yucatan peninsula to get a firsthand look at the ancient world's most skilled astronomers and some of their achievements: the Maya.

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The Ancient Maya: Power Centers

Aired on Dec 11, 200644m

Travel to the Yucatan and Guatemala to explore how the Maya were able to build the city of Tikal without metal tools or beasts of burden.

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Ancient China: The Origins Of Drilling and Mining

Aired on Dec 13, 200644m

How did China extract natural resources more than 2,000 years ago? Explore ancient drilling rigs and see how the modern-day science of geobotany was pioneered by the Chinese.

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Ancient China: Masters of the Wind and Waves

Aired on Dec 18, 200644m

Find out how ancient Chinese paper and silk making skills allowed them to make lighter than air objects and how this knowledge let them to sail into the wind to uncover maritime innovations.