Mon, Apr 3, 2006
Patagonia or 'The Land of the Big Feet' is, perhaps more than any other place on Earth, home to stories and legends about giants. Since the 16th century, explorers like Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake have told of seeing giants along the Patagonian coast. Could such stories be true? According to the Argentine newspaper, El Tribuno, gauchos in the region have filed over twenty sightings in the area since 2000. Josh Bernstein investigates an intriguing connection between centuries of historical accounts and an amazing ancient creature known to science as the Mylodon. Could this creature, long thought extinct and commonly referred to as a giant ground sloth, somehow have survived the epochs and into the present era? Josh sets sail along the Patagonian coast; treks across the region's treacherous glaciers; and descends into prehistoric caves as he tries to catch sight of the elusive beast and uncover the truth behind the giants of Patagonia.
Mon, Feb 20, 2006
Josh Bernstein investigates America's oldest missing person's case-- the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. In 1587, over 100 settlers landed in the New World to build England's first permanent colony in North America. But, three years later, they had vanished. Did they starve to death? Were they killed by natives? Were there any survivors? Josh travels across two continents to examine the archaeological evidence. He flies high above Roanoke Island in a powered paraglide to scan the terrain; climbs and cores a cypress tree to find out what the climate was like when the colonists disappeared; and conducts a new DNA study that reveals groundbreaking evidence about the fate of the lost settlers.
Mon, Jan 23, 2006
Join Josh Bernstein as he braves the Peruvian Amazon in search of the ancient civilization of Chavin de Huantar. There, he'll explore the secrets of a real 3,000-year old temple of doom. Complete with sacred idols and bizarre rituals, the temple was at the heart of an ancient cult that controlled society - not by war or force - but through mind control and hallucinogenic plants like the San Pedro cactus. To investigate this civilization, Josh goes croc hunting in the Amazon; crawls through the deep, dark tunnels of the mysterious temple; and finds out just how potent the San Pedro cactus was in the cult of Chavin.
Mon, Jan 30, 2006
By the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors had conquered the Incas of South America and the Aztecs of Mexico. Seemingly invincible, they looked to North America next. They left a trail of destruction from Florida to the Mississippi River, but then - among a sophisticated community of pyramid-building Native Americans - the conquistadors met their match. Who were these people and how did they fight off - and defeat - what was then the most powerful army in the world? The secret is in the pyramids. Josh Bernstein will scale these great earthen mounds, build his own pyramid, and even face death by fire ants all in a quest to unlock the secrets of America's pyramids.
Mon, Mar 20, 2006
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey describe an epic story of the legendary Trojan war fought over the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen of Troy. It is said her face launched a thousand ships. But, did this ten year war actually take place? Was Achilles a true warrior? Did Greek soldiers really hide in a giant wooden horse and overrun the Trojans to finally declare victory? Setting out across the Aegean Sea with Homer's works as his guide, Josh Bernstein follows a trail of clues - up mountains, under the sea and aboard a chariot - to find the real story behind the Trojan War. And, he uncovers new research by explorer Robert Bittlestone, who believes he has unearthed proof of Odysseus' kingdom in Greece!
Mon, Jan 24, 2005
The great Egyptian Pyramids of Giza have inspired awe and wonder and, quite likely, fierce speculation from the moment they were built. In fact, even the date of their construction has become a topic of debate. Explorer, survival expert, and host Josh Bernstein takes a hard look at the competing theories as to who really built the pyramids--and when. Archaeologists say it was the ancient Egyptians, others argue for an even older civilization. Josh examines the evidence, explores secret chambers in the heart of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, visits the first pyramid ever built, and tries his hand at ancient stone-quarrying techniques. It's a hard-won perspective, but, with the discovery of a mysterious flooded chamber deep beneath the Sphinx, Josh learns what appears to be the final truth.
Mon, Mar 6, 2006
The City of the Gods (Teotihuacan) is home to the third-largest pyramid in the world; is many times larger than the largest Mayan and Aztec cities ever built; and today it's the world's biggest ghost town. At its height, more people lived in the City of the Gods than in any European city for centuries to come. But it now lies in silent ruins with no inhabitants left to explain what happened here -- or why. That's about to change. Josh Bernstein soars above the great city; crawls down dangerous mining shafts below it; and even plays one of the world's oldest sports...all in the hunt for clues to Mexico's most mysterious mecca.
Mon, Feb 27, 2006
Cleopatra has been heralded as Egypt's great beauty, a queen so irresistible that she seduced the likes of Caesar and Marc Anthony and nearly brought Rome to its knees. But, as Josh Bernstein finds out, it wasn't her beauty that captivated. Cleopatra was perhaps the most intelligent and cunning of Egypt's rulers. Unlike her predecessors, she took pains to learn the different languages of the region she controlled and she knew the value of good PR. So, how did she become the last of the pharaohs? Josh goes beyond the legend to uncover the real Cleopatra. He digs deep beneath the desert for ancient mummies; searches towering temples for forgotten clues; and with a little help from The History Channel's Deep Sea Detectives, dives Alexandria Harbor in search of Cleopatra's Palace.
Mon, Mar 13, 2006
Traveling back through time along the ancient incense trails of the Near and Middle East, Josh Bernstein seeks to unearth the real story behind the legends of the mysterious Queen of Sheba. He explores underground churches and ruined temples in northern Ethiopia, and journeys into the volatile tribal deserts of Yemen, where he must first earn the trust of machine gun-toting Bedouin tribesmen before he can explore a forgotten city named for the Bible's most famous queen.