Skip to main content
Doping for Gold

Up Next

Ben Franklin's Bones

Ben Franklin's Bones

Season 14 Episode 1
54:41
Jamestown’s Dark Winter

Jamestown’s Dark Winter

Season 14 Episode 4
54:41
Graveyard of the Giant Beasts

Graveyard of the Giant Beasts

Season 15 Episode 5
55:11
Van Gogh’s Ear

Van Gogh’s Ear

Season 16 Episode 2
55:09
Nero’s Sunken City

Nero’s Sunken City

Season 16 Episode 3
55:11
Leonardo, The Man Who Saved Science

Leonardo, The Man Who Saved Science

Season 16 Episode 4
55:11
The Woman in the Iron Coffin

The Woman in the Iron Coffin

Season 16 Episode 5
55:10
Hannibal in the Alps

Hannibal in the Alps

Season 17 Episode 2
55:10
King Arthur's Lost Kingdom

King Arthur's Lost Kingdom

Season 17 Episode 3
55:41
Egypt's Darkest Hour

Egypt's Darkest Hour

Season 17 Episode 4
55:11
World War Speed

World War Speed

Season 17 Episode 5
55:41
Abandoning the Titanic

Abandoning the Titanic

Season 17 Episode 6
55:15
Back to Show
Secrets of the Dead

Doping for Gold

Season 8 Episode 1

In the back garden of a house in York, England, more than 45 decapitated, Roman-era skeletons are unearthed. Are these men savagely murdered pagan prisoners? Are they soldiers who were killed in battle or executed for crimes against Rome? Modern forensics, archeological sleuthing, and historical records point to a surprising answer.

Watch Preview
Support Provided By
Season
Returning to Babylon
Unlock with PBS Passport
54:45
Archaeologists search for Assyrian artifacts that survived the Isis occupation of Mosul.
The Princes in the Tower
55:15
Find out if the 15th-century murder of two princes in the Tower of London can be solved.
Death in Britannia
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Uncover the only evidence of crucifixion in Roman-occupied Britain.
Eiffel's Race to the Top
Unlock with PBS Passport
54:45
Discover the untold story of Paris’ most famous landmark and the race to top 1,000 feet.
Jurassic Fortunes
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:01
Discover the world of dinosaur fossil collecting, an unusual hobby with a growing market.
The Sunken Basilica
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Explore the sunken remains of an early Christian basilica in western Turkey.
Abandoning the Titanic
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:15
Learn about the captain of a “mystery ship” who turned away from the "unsinkable" Titanic.
World War Speed
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:41
Follow historian James Holland as he unearths the truth about amphetamine use in WWII.
Egypt's Darkest Hour
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:11
Archaeologists discover a mass grave with the bones of nearly 60 people near Luxor, Egypt.
King Arthur's Lost Kingdom
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:41
New evidence suggests the legend of King Arthur began in a Dark Ages trading village.
Hannibal in the Alps
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:10
Where did Hannibal and his army cross the Alps to launch a surprise attack on Rome?
The Woman in the Iron Coffin
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:10
Uncover the story of early America’s free Black communities via 150-year-old remains.
Active loading indicator