you thought was modern may in fact be ancient...

ANCIENT DISCOVERIES

Season Three Premiere Thursday, October 23 at 9 pm (ET) on History�

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 10, 2008� Helicopters that flew over the Nile in the time of the Pharaohs? A Chinese car powered solely by wind in the 6th century? Is it possible the ancients were so technologically advanced that they successfully designed the template for today's planes, trains, automobiles and other engineering marvels? Countless modern inventions may have been conceived thousands of years ago in such far-away lands as ancient Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and the Far East. Go back millennia to see how our ancestors' grandest ideas mirror those of modern society in the series ANCIENT DISCOVERIES, airing Thursdays at 9 pm (ET) starting October 23 on History �

In the ancient texts of Homer and on the walls of Egyptian tombs lie tantalizing clues that are causing historians to re-think just how sophisticated centuries-old societies were. Drawings show that the Egyptians may have unlocked the secret to flight with primitive helicopter designs, and that the Chinese had a "wind car" in the 6th century AD that could transport them over land at up to 30 miles per hour. Even more amazing are 600-year-old designs from Italy for a Batmobile-like "rocket car" that appeared to be fueled by gunpowder.

Mechanical maids that could fetch water for people on their own were created by the inventor Philos in the Third century, a concept we still struggle to perfect today! And discoveries about ancient machines of warfare give a new vision of what truly defined the Egyptian empire. Each week, ANCIENT DISCOVERIES unearths new clues that connect the present with the past in more startling ways than we had ever imagined.

Episodes of ANCIENT DISCOVERIES include:

ANCIENT DISCOVERIES: DEATH WEAPONS OF THE EAST (Thursday, October 23 at 9 p.m. ET) � ANCIENT DISCOVERIES reveals the hidden science behind Ancient China's most bizarre lethal tactics and weapons. How did the ancients survive a stone being smashed on their heads? Was the technique of the Gi � part spear, part sword, part pike, and part axe � all-in-one? And, how did the concealed crossbows of ancient China � used for assassination, some strapped to the assassins back, others small enough to fit up your sleeve � actually work? From ultra slow speed trials of a weapon that strikes at 100 miles an hour, to a startling demonstration of Dim Mack � we reveal the ability of Chi warriors to kill a man with a single touch.

ANCIENT DISCOVERIES: IMPOSSIBLE NAVAL ENGINEERING (Thursday, October 30 at 9 p.m. ET) � Naval engineering has led the way in technological advances through out history. For the simple reason that if anything goes wrong at sea, you're dead. ANCIENT DISCOVERIES reveals the most extraordinary naval ambitions of antiquity. The macabre collapsible death-yacht, commissioned by Roman emperor Nero, as a one- time-only assassination device--designed to kill his own mother. The ship that needed no engine and powered up-river by itself. The underwater booby trap defense system that smashed through pirate hulls in 15th century Italy. The chemical bomb fire ships that killed hundreds on the high seas of ancient Greece. And, in a high adrenaline investigation, for the first time on television, we build and test the oldest white-water rapids crafts ever discovered.

ANCIENT DISCOVERIES: ANCIENT TANK TECH (Thursday, November 6 at 9 p.m. ET) � Amazingly, the ancients understood the principles of the modern tank. From the jungles of Southeast Asia, where arrows and cannons were fired from the backs of battle elephants, to the jousting fields of the heavy armored medieval English knight� the ancients combined armor with speed to create the ancient version of the tank. The armor was so effective it could stop a hail of bullets. But what was the ancient anti-tank weapon that devastated enemy heavy infantry, elephants and cavalry alike?

ANCIENT DISCOVERIES: ANCIENT TORTURE TECH (Thursday, November 13 at 9 p.m. ET) � The terrifying and disturbing truth behind the technology of torture is revealed. Not only did men cause each other incredible pain, they went to great lengths to develop technologically advanced devices with which to do it... exercising precision. A new discovery reveals that it wasn't joints that were pulled apart on the rack � it was the actual victim's bone that snapped apart. ANCIENT DISCOVERIES investigates what actually kills a person who is being burned alive at the stake � fire, smoke or heat? We set a stuntman on fire to reveal the truth behind roman emperor Nero's burning tunic of death. And, in a ground breaking new study, ANCIENT DISCOVERIES reveals how Vlad the Impaler � the original Dracula - impaled his victims from top to bottom with 3-inch wide stakes � while still keeping them alive for up to three days. Historians, doctors, model makers, virtual reality artists, and brave volunteers� are all on the case, to reveal the startling torture technologies of the ancient world

ANCIENT DISCOVERIES: ANCIENT MINING MACHINES (Thursday, November 20 at 9 p.m. ET) � The Romans created a hydraulic mining system that literally blew millions of tons of material away and ancient sappers dug under mega walls and brought a whole castle down. But how was this possible? And, the invention of gunpowder forever changed the way we mine� but who brought explosives into mines? In 1689 in Cornwall England, miner Thomas Eplsey invented gunpowder mining. The technique would eventually kill him � but it revolutionized how we mine today. ANCIENT DISCOVERIES travels beneath the earth to reveal the unique technologies of ancient miners.

ANCIENT DISCOVERIES is produced by Wild Dream Films for History�. Executive Producers for History� are Michael Stiller and Marlene Braga. Ben Mole is Executive Producer for Wild Dream Films.

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