Giulia Clark

A look at relevant scientific issues

Historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Peter Ginn and Tom Pinfold turn the clock back 500 years to the early Tudor period to become tenant farmers on monastery land.

How do you build a medieval castle from scratch? Domestic historian Ruth Goodman and archeologists Peter Ginn and Tom Pinfold make perhaps their most ambitious foray into the past as they head to France to take part in a build that has been underway since 1997. Our intrepid history adventurers join this magnificent construction at Guédelon Castle to recreate authentic medieval castle living from within its rising walls.

Unprecedented access to the renowned hospital's modern wards and private archive.

Tracy Borman and Jason Watkins explore the mystery of what happened to the two young princes that were brought to the Tower of London in 1483 by their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester. A few weeks later, the two boys vanished without a trace. Jason treads the boards as Shakespeare's greatest villain, Richard III, to try to get inside his mind, while Tracy investigates the discovery of the bones of two children found at the Tower in the 1600s.

For over 1,000 years, chariots were indispensable weapons in ancient China. The art of chariot driving and special warfare were used there for longer than anywhere else. Their contribution to the unification of the Chinese empire is undisputed. New archaeological discoveries reveal how the Chinese developed and perfected this sophisticated weapon. In the Bronze Age, over 3,000 years ago, chariots and other war equipment arrived in China from Central Asia via the Hexi Corridor. In addition to trade and new alliances, their spread was mainly due to the Zhou dynasty's incessant military campaigns against rebellious vassal states and the constant attacks by the mobile cavalries of its northern neighbors. Manned with spearmen or archers, the chariots were a decisive weapon in battle.

They were the absolute superstars in ancient Rome: charioteers. The heroes of the racetrack, often slaves, risked their lives in every competition. Only a few enjoyed the rewards of victory into old age. Using ancient documents and artifacts, the documentary traces the biography of Scorpus, probably the most successful Roman charioteer.

Historian Thomas Penn reveals the secrets of founder of Britain’s great Tudor Dynasty - and his amazing trajectory to power. Two weeks after landing on the shores Wales in 1485 with a small band of mercenaries, Henry of Richmond defeats the notorious Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. He is crowned Henry VII and then begins a career of realpolitik, a charming exterior making a savage ambition. The War of the Roses, his wife Elizabeth of York, and the beginning of the Renaissance are all part of this incredible history, as are Henry’s obsessions with money and astonishing spy network.

Hannibal is one of the most famous warlords in history. To invade Rome, he crossed the Alps in just 16 days with 30,000 men, horses and an elephant army. How was that possible? Investigators are now looking for evidence of Hannibal's mythical warfare.