New DNA Evidence Reveals Complex Evidence About The Viking Age

In 1911, the world was rocked by the "unimaginable" news: the Mona Lisa had been stolen from the Louvre. For over two years, the masterpiece was truly gone, leaving the "greatest detectives in the world" clueless and leading to the interrogation of famous figures like Pablo Picasso. In this documentary, we retrace the footsteps of Vincenzo Peruggia, the house painter who walked out of the museum with Da Vinci’s treasure wrapped in his smock. Through exclusive interviews with Peruggia’s 84-year-old daughter, Celestina, and access to long-lost psychiatric reports and personal letters, we strip away the myths. 💚 Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 📺 You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

Who were the first Europeans, and what did they actually look like? In this feature-length documentary, cutting-edge genetic science and archaeology combine to rewrite thousands of years of human history. By extracting ancient DNA from skull bones buried deep within ancient tombs and ring forts, researchers are peeling back the millennia to uncover the truth about our ancestors—from dark-skinned, blue-eyed hunter-gatherers to the Neolithic farmers who erected Europe’s most magnificent megaliths. Plus, journey into the early Middle Ages to uncover shocking "deviant burials," pagan rituals that survived the arrival of Christianity, and the chilling ancient fear of the living dead. 💚 Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 📺 You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

After ten years of fighting in the Trojan War, Odysseus sets sail for home, unaware that his greatest trial is just beginning. Stranded across a treacherous ancient sea governed by mythical forces, the cunning king of Ithaca must rely on sharp wit and sheer willpower to survive. From outsmarting legendary giants to navigating realm-shifting sorcery and journeying beyond the mortal world, The Odyssey stands as history’s ultimate tale of endurance, leadership, and the relentless pull of home. Meanwhile, on the island of Ithaca, his family faces their own fight to protect his legacy and kingdom before all is lost. Director: Bruce Vigar

Journey across Britain with leading archaeologists as they unearth ground-breaking discoveries that rewrite human history. In this documentary episode, we travel from Norwich Castle Museum into the heart of the Cambridgeshire Fens to explore Must Farm - Britain’s "Bronze Age Pompeii" - revealing industrial-scale fishing, pristine log boats, and combat-scarred weaponry. 💚 Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 📺 You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

How has the sniper rifle evolved over the last 100 years? It's time to find out! Luke Tomes returns to the Royal Armouries to fire some of the most iconic British sniper rifles of the last 100 years. As always, he is joined by Keeper of Firearms & Artillery, Jonathan Ferguson, who talks him through the history, design and development of each rifle, showcasing how British military sniping has evolved from the battlefields of the Second World War to the modern era. First up is the Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk. I (T), the dedicated sniper variant of the British Lee-Enfield rifle developed during the Second World War. Chambered in .303 British, the No. 4 Mk. I (T) was selected for its accuracy and fitted with a telescopic sight, transforming the already proven Lee-Enfield into a specialist precision weapon. Used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces, it combined the fast, smooth action of the Lee-Enfield with the precision required for long-range shooting. It established a foundation for British military sniping that would influence specialist rifles for decades to come. Second is

In the heart of Orion, a star one thousand times wider than our Sun is dying in slow motion. For years, scientists thought they understood it. They were wrong. Betelgeuse has been hiding a secret so close to its surface that finding it took ESO's best telescope, three years of waiting, and a scientist who ran into a room shouting. Tonight, we uncover a hidden companion star skimming through a giant's atmosphere, a mysterious dimming event that fooled the whole world into thinking the star was about to explode, and the real countdown to the supernova that will one day light up our daytime sky. If stories like this pull you in, stick around and subscribe, it helps more than you know. Orion is watching. Prepare yourselves. We begin. Sources: Andrea Dupree, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, published research and commentary on Betelgeuse Jared Goldberg, Flatiron Institute, Center for Computational Astrophysics, research on Betelgeuse's brightness cycles Steve Howell, NASA Ames Research Center, earlier companion star detection research