Was the Ark of the Covenant smuggled across the desert and preserved to this day? Did Atlantis really exist, as described by Plato? And is there a City of Gold hidden in the Andes? Set out on a heart-pounding globe-trotting quest as Discovery Channel presents SOLVING HISTORY WITH OLLY STEEDS, a new eight-part series that explores the mythology and folklore – and quite possibly, the factual origins – of the mysteries that have fueled human imagination across cultures and through generations. Premiering Wednesday, February 24 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT and hosted by British journalist Oliver “Olly” Steeds, the series travels to the ends of the Earth to investigate the truth behind some of the world’s biggest mysteries. From the lost city of Atlantis to the Ark of the Covenant to the Nazca Lines, Steeds doesn’t just talk to the theorist experts; he puts their controversial claims to the test. Steeds employs hidden cameras, holds clandestine meetings with smugglers, treks to remote locations to see relics, and throws himself head-long and hands-on into local rituals to get the real story and weed fact from fiction.
Steeds’ quizzical mind and general wanderlust has taken him to over 70 countries and include an unexpected 1,100 kilometre walk across the Gobi Desert, being hunted down by bandits on the Chinese-Tibetan borders, being chased across the Shangtu Grasslands by The People’s Liberation Army, breaking his arm riding a horse across Mongolia, being imprisoned on charges of espionage, mistakenly running six consecutive marathons across the Sahara, having horses kidnapped by rustlers, studying kung-fu with Shaolin Monks, retrieving video tapes from a kidnapped family in Nicaragua, and leading a Royal Geographical Society Expedition to research the Grass Silk Road. Recently, Steeds has spent a large part of each year living with different tribes: the Mek, the Machigenga and the Kombai – one of the last groups thought to have practiced cannibalism.
Highlights from the first episodes of SOLVING HISTORY WITH OLLY STEEDS include:
SOLVING HISTORY WITH OLLY STEEDS: “Ark of the Covenant”
Wednesday, February 24 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
The Ark of the Covenant, a golden chest built to hold the Ten Commandments, is one of the most important religious artifacts in the world. Jews, Christians and Muslims believe that it was the presence of God on Earth. But over 2,500 years ago, the Ark disappeared. Ever since, legends, theories and Hollywood blockbusters have tried to explain what happened to it. Was it destroyed or captured? Or could it still exist? Steeds explores the plausibility of one of the most exciting theories: that the famous Ark of the Covenant was smuggled out of Jerusalem, through the deserts of Egypt, into Ethiopia and that the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church – a sect of Christianity millions strong – believes they protect that very same Ark to this day.
SOLVING HISTORY WITH OLLY STEEDS: “Nazca Lines”
Wednesday, March 3 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Carved into the Peruvian desert thousands of years ago, the Nazca Lines have puzzled archaeologists and laypeople alike ever since their discovery 100 years ago. Stretching over hundreds of square kilometres, thousands of geometric shapes and animal figures mark the desert landscape – some as big as football fields, but all as flat as the land itself, making them virtually invisible from the ground. Theories to explain the lines range from giant maps of the stars to alien runways to places for elaborate and bizarre rituals. Why would a people who couldn’t fly have built images that could only be seen from the air? Steeds travels to ancient cemeteries and Nazcan cities curiously off-limits to camera crews. He explores underground tunnels used in psychedelic cult initiations and tries to venture into the spirit world himself to unravel the mystery of the Nazca Lines.
SOLVING HISTORY WITH OLLY STEEDS: “Lost City of Gold”
Wednesday, March 10 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
El Dorado – its very name has become synonymous with legend of a mythical city of gold lost in the wilds of South America. But is it really a myth? Is there actually a city packed with gold hidden somewhere in the Andes? For hundreds of years explorers have mounted expeditions to find it. Now Steeds has learned of new clues that could mean one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time is right around the corner. From the golden churches of the Incan capital Cusco, Steeds follows the trail of El Dorado along a road of ruins deep into the remote Andes Mountains, leading an expedition that promises to open a new chapter in the centuries-old hunt for the City of Gold and change the face of archaeology.
SOLVING HISTORY WITH OLLY STEEDS: “Atlantis”
Wednesday, March 17 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Perhaps the most famous lost city of the ancient world, Atlantis is an enduring symbol of mystery and beauty. Beginning with Plato, people have dedicated their lives to finding the missing continent. But what happened to Atlantis? Are there forces of nature deadly enough to annihilate an entire civilization in an instant? To find out, Steeds explores the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, travels to an ancient city swallowed by the Earth, treks Europe’s most active volcano and journeys to the site of one of the world’s worst disasters. Through dogged reporting, Steeds reveals new evidence that could explain the mystery of what really happened to the fabled city of Atlantis.
