A new investigative series from NOVA delves into some of the most well-known and enigmatic ancient structures. The three-part investigation, "Building Wonders" explores the Roman Colosseum, Petra, and the Hagia Sophia and premieres February 11-25, 2015 throughout the United States on PBS. With expert investigations and experiments, "Building Wonders" will unearth some of the mysterious engineering feats behind these ancient icons. Read on after the break for episode descriptions and trailers.
The first installment, "Colosseum - Roman Death Trap," premiering February 11 at 9 pm ET, explores the amazing technological innovations of the ancient Romans involved in creating the famous structure. Specialists will attempt to prove its legendary uses by recreating the technology through means the Romans would have had, using the remaining markings in the Colosseum's basement as cues for their construction plans.
Watch the trailer, here:
The second episode, "Petra - Lost City of Stone," premieres February 18 and delves into the history, and mystery, of the impressive cliff temple metropolis. A team of archaeologists and sculptors will combine forces in an attempt to understand how this once thriving cultural center was made possible with ancient technologies and in Jordan's extreme climate, in addition to why it was ultimately forgotten.
Watch the trailer, here:
On February 25, the series will close with "Hagia Sophia - Istanbul's Ancient Mystery." Perplexed by its massive dome which has withstood countless seismic events, investigators use the structure as the basis for their own 8-ton replica, through which they explore the ancient wonder's resilience to both time and seismic activity. A trailer has yet to be published.
For full episode descriptions, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/
