Mar 2025

The Rosetta Stone

In 1799, French soldiers in Egypt unearthed what would become one of the world’s most famous artefacts. After a desperate race to decipher its symbols, the Rosetta Stone provided the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs, casting new light on the culture and history of this l ... Show More

58m 53s

Mar 2025

Genghis Khan and the Mongols, Part 1 of 2

We're in the Mongol lands of Central Asia in the late 1100s. This is a place of nomadic warriors, a region divided between tribes. But one man will emerge to unite them. Armed with the greatest military mind of his age, he will lead the Mongol peoples far beyond their own borders ... Show More

55m 14s

Mar 2025

Genghis Khan and the Mongols, Part 2 of 2

The leader brings reforms to his newly unified Mongol nation. The man formerly known as Temüjin will now conquer an empire bigger than any before in recorded history. But what are the innovations that underpin his supremacy? And how will history judge him - as a cruel tyrant, or ... Show More

53m 29s

Apr 2024

The Aztecs

Since the arrival of the Aztecs in central Mexico from the early 1300s, history has been fascinated by them. They’re widely reputed to be a savage people who left behind obsidian knives, skull racks, and disturbing remnants of human sacrifice. But in reality, the Aztecs were far ... Show More

57m 38s

Apr 2024

Aztec myths

Were the Aztecs really obsessed with death and sacrifice? Did they have a pantheon of deities similar to the ancient Greeks or Romans? And how did a magical gem change the fortune of the Aztec people? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Camilla Townsend delves into their myths, legends a ... Show More

47m 53s

Dec 2019

9. The Aztecs - A Clash of Worlds

Beneath the busy streets of Mexico City, a buried god lies waiting to be discovered...This episode, we look back at the age of the Aztecs. Learn how this society grew from nothing to create one of the world's largest cities in the middle of a lake. Discover Aztec riddles, poetry ... Show More

4h 14m

Nov 2023

385. The Fall of the Aztecs: The Woman Who Changed The World (Part 2)

Hernán Cortés has set sail from Cuba, eager to find the truth behind the rumours of gold on the coast of Mexico. Ahead lies a world he can barely imagine - a land of pyramid temples, terrifying gods and unknown peoples - the empire of the Aztecs. But Cortés has a secret weapon: a ... Show More

52m 52s

Apr 2024

Sex in the Aztec Empire

The Aztec Empire might conjure up images of human sacrifice.And whilst religious violence was part of their society, theirs was also a very egalitarian society where pleasure was valued and sexuality was an unashamed part of every day life.How was queerness perceived and represen ... Show More

44m 4s

Nov 2023

387. The Fall of the Aztecs: Prisoners of Montezuma (Part 4)

The year is 1519. Hernán Cortés and his Spanish comrades have arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztecs, and have been welcomed by their Emperor Montezuma. But what is Montezuma planning? Are the Spaniards his guests - or his prisoners? Has he really acknowledged th ... Show More

44m 24s

May 2021

51. Aztecs

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook talk to award-winning writer Camilla Townsend, author of the revelatory Fifth Sun. Professor Townsend used Nahuatl language sources to write an engaging history offering a new interpretation of events in Mexico centuries ago. Learn more about you ... Show More

53m 36s

Nov 2023

388. The Fall of the Aztecs: The Festival of Blood (Part 5)

“The blood flowed like water…” It is 1520 and word has reached Hernán Cortés in Tenochtitlan that another group of Spaniards led by the ferocious Pánfilo de Narváez, have landed on the coast to hunt him down. Taking drastic action, he decides to leave the city with his wily mist ... Show More

49m 38s

Nov 2020

The Aztecs (Radio Edit)

Travel back to the land of the Aztecs for stories of sacrifice and fancy diets. Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Joel Dommett and historian Dr Caroline Dodds Pennock to ask just how much food can be traced back to the Aztecs? Was cannibalism really a respectful process? And at w ... Show More

29m 14s