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Aztec Massacre

Season 7 Episode 1 | 53m 03s

Archaeologists make a grisly find: Four hundred skeletons buried in a mass grave. The bodies have lain undisturbed for 500 years, since the time of the Spanish conquest. But this is no ordinary gravesite. The remains suggest these people met a gruesome end at the hands of the Aztecs, who ruled Mesoamerica in the 14th through 16th centuries. But who were the victims and why were they killed?

Aired: 04/22/08
SECRETS OF THE DEAD is made possible, in part, by public television viewers.
Extras
Dating back 3,000 years, the site raises key questions about the city’s sudden disappearance.
In 1986, workers found jade under a field, revealing ritual pits of a mysterious civilization.
A towering 3-meter bronze figure offers rare clues to a lost civilization uncovered in Sanxingdui.
Using 3D scanning and modeling, archaeologists have spent decades reconstructing the "Divine Tree."
New evidence suggests an amphitheater became a stronghold linked to Arthur’s Round Table.
New dating shows a Roman villa mosaic was laid in the 5th century, reshaping post-Roman Britain.
Did Cirencester remain the center of a prosperous post-Roman kingdom in the time of King Arthur?
A Roman military belt bearing a dragon design may hint at the military roots of King Arthur.
Iron smelting at a temple site may have inspired the legend of King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur.
A professor seeks to prove Arthurian legends have roots in actual British history.
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The chance discovery of a jade artifact unearths an ancient Chinese city.
A professor seeks to prove Arthurian legends have roots in actual British history.
Experts search for evidence that female gladiators once existed in Ancient Rome.
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Scientists study medieval bubonic plague victims in hopes of preventing future outbreaks.
See how secret letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots, were finally decoded.
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The spectacular arena showcasing Ancient Rome’s power also contributed to its downfall.
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the post-war life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.