We Deciphered Ancient Text From 5000 Years Ago

We tend to think of butterflies and moths as gentle, elegant creatures floating through summer meadows, but the truth hidden inside the deep jungle is far more sinister. Millions of years before humans walked the Earth, these ancient survival specialists were fluttering alongside dinosaurs, evolving bizarre and terrifying ways to stay alive. Even more shocking is the dark history and hidden behavior that science is just beginning to understand. For centuries, superstitious cultures viewed these nighttime flyers as omens of death, believing shape-shifting witches took the form of moths to steal human souls. In the remote rainforests of Malaysia, that folklore feels incredibly real. Deep in the wilderness, an inconspicuous species tracks the scent of warm skin to find its prey. This isn't your average insect; it is a true vampire moth that drills deep into sleeping hosts to drink blood. Witness the beautiful, the bizarre, and the downright deadly sides of nature's ultimate survivors.

Journey inside Petra's ancient city in this brand NEW history documentary. History Hit’s Tristan Hughes travels to the magnificent ancient wonder of Petra - a once thriving city now abandoned in the middle of the desert. From advanced engineering to beautiful rock cut tombs, we uncover the reality of Petra and the fascinating civilisation that built it, the Nabataeans. 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.

Watch this podcast episode from our sister channel, The Ancients, all about the dramatic fall of Babylon. The year is 539 BC. The greatest city of the ancient world has fallen. Babylon has opened it's gates to a new conqueror: the mighty Persian king Cyrus the Great. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined once again by friend of the show Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to uncover the dramatic fall of Babylon and the ascent of Persia’s Achaemenid empire. From the final decades of Babylonian rule to Cyrus’ blood-stained triumph and the city’s remarkable survival under a new regime, they discover how one of history’s most iconic capitals lost its crown - a seismic chapter in the tumultuous story of the Ancient Near East. 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.

We dived deep into the Belize jungle to uncover a lost Maya metropolis. Marvel at the long-abandoned sites of a long-gone civilisation, stare in amazement at the intricately designed structures emerging from the lush forest made green by centuries of Maya poo! 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.

King Henry VIII is one of history’s most recognizable figures, but the man behind the myth is far more complex than his six wives and his famous appetite. This documentary tracks the radical transformation of the "Royal Spare" who was never meant to be King. From his golden youth as a pious polyglot and star athlete to the tragic jousting accident that left him in lifelong agony, we explore how a desperate obsession with a male heir led Henry to tear his kingdom apart. Discover the truth behind the Bloody Reformation, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the chilling moment he warned his third wife to "remember Anne" when she dared to question his authority. Was he a cold-blooded monster, or a man haunted by the traumatic civil wars of his father's past? 💚 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

Join us at Chalke History Festival, the UK’s biggest celebration of living history, as we explore how human careers have evolved from the Stone Age to the Age of Exploration. Join Kyle Cairns as he tries his hand at ancient and historic trades — from Neolithic cordage weaving to the mastery of sail making. Each craft is judged on skill, difficulty, working conditions, social status, and whether our host could actually do the job — all to find the ultimate historical career! Expect hands-on lessons, fascinating insights from living historians, and a fresh appreciation for the trades that built civilisation. Huge shoutout to our contributors at Prehistory To Present, Heritage Blades, Chanz De Reiz, The Historic Sailmmaker, Pario Gallico, and of course Chalke History Festival for making it all possible! Directed and produced by McKenna Fernandez. Written and presented by Kyle Cairns. Edited by Matthew Wilson and Ben Keir. 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