Lost Cities of the Ancients

S1 E3 • 9/6/2006

The Dark Lords of Hattusha

It was one of the greatest vanishing acts in history. More than 3000 years ago a mysterious and ruthless civilization rose from nothing, created a brutal and unstoppable army, and built an Empire that rivalled Egypt and Babylon. And yet, just as it was at the height of its powers, this great empire suddenly vanished from history. This is the story of the formidable Hittites, a civilization bent on world domination. Their long lost capital, Hattusha, which disappeared thousands of years ago, has now been rediscovered and archaeologists have unearthed here one of the most astonishing and ingenious cities of the ancient world – with rings of impenetrable walls, secret tunnels, temples and palaces – and even a vast pyramid-like structure, facing Egypt. And buried in this lost city is one of the greatest libraries of the ancient world. All the secrets of this mysterious empire were written in two codes – one a unique form of hieroglyphs. Using these deciphered texts, this film recreates the lost world of the Hittites, telling the story of what happened to them, and what caused an empire built to last forever to vanish so completely from history.