SECRETS OF THE DEAD: Returning to Babylon

By Jennifer Robinson / Web Producer

Published September 30, 2024 at 3:22 PM PDT

Bekas Hasan, of Duhok Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage, Kurdistan Regional Government, stands in front of an animated relief.

Premieres Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app + Encore Sunday, Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2

Discover the remarkable story of one of the world's greatest lost cities: Nineveh. Why did this great city disappear? And could it also be the site of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the last lost wonder of the ancient world?

A moving story of a people reclaiming their cultural heritage after an occupying force tried to erase it. Priceless artifacts from the Assyrian Empire were destroyed during the Isis occupation of Mosul. Now, a team of archaeologists is dedicated to finding pieces that survived. One possible discovery: the location of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

By mixing emotional and inspiring human stories, with remarkable archaeological breakthroughs and cutting-edge forensics, SECRETS OF THE DEAD "Returning to Babylon" shows how new discoveries are helping Iraqis reclaim their remarkable history, and uncovering the most complete picture of ancient Nineveh ever - capital of one of the greatest civilizations and the world's first genuine superpower, the Assyrians.

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More than 2,500 years ago, the Assyrians in Nineveh built the first great empire in human history. Excelling in science, engineering and warfare, they were the beginnings of modern civilization. But Daesh occupied the Iraqi city of Mosul for three years and destroyed many ancient Assyrian treasures. Can archaeologists unearth new discoveries among the wreckage?

Watch On Your Schedule: "Returning to Babylon" will be available to stream with the PBS app. Watch the best of PBS anytime, anywhere on the free PBS app. Stream your favorite PBS shows on-demand and livestream shows from your local station, all from your favorite device.

In war-torn Mosul, archaeologists unearth the largest-known image of the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. This is the first time an image of a major god has been discovered inside an Assyrian palace.

SECRETS OF THE DEAD is an award-winning history and science PBS documentary series created by The WNET Group and is made possible by all of you.

SECRETS OF THE DEAD: Returning to Babylon

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