Ancient Apocalypse

7.3202150m3 seasons15 episodesDocumentary

Ancient Apocalypse investigates six catastrophic stories of how the world’s greatest civilisations collapsed. Every continent has its ruins — places where only stones tell the tale of a fallen people. They might lay buried under the Earth, in the shade of jungle canopy or amidst the teeming industry of a modern city. However, they all raise the same questions: How could something so great all but vanish? Why do civilisations collapse? In this 6-part series, we uncover the scientific reasons why some of history’s most fascinating peoples have disappeared in the face of the natural world’s might. We investigate the end of The Akkadian Empire, The Lost City of Helike, Sodom and Gomorrha, The mystery of the Sea Peoples, The Maya Civilisation and Doggerland. Some of the world’s greatest natural disasters reduced these societies to nothing.

Status

Returning Series

Original Language

German

Production

ZDF Enterprises, ZDFinfo, World Media Rights

Created By

Nicky Traversin, Justin Rickette, Patrick Dickinson, Kim Lask

Last Episode

S3 E3 · Aug 31, 2025