© 2025 SDPB
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
ALERT: KJSD-FM 90.3 in Watertown will be off the air from 8:00AM to 8:00PM on 9/26/2025 due to emergency maintenance.

Listeners can tune in to SDPB radio right here on SDPB.org or on the SDPB app anywhere, anytime.
Secrets of the Dead

China's Terracotta Warriors

Season 11 Episode 3 | 53m 40s

The extraordinary story of China's 8,000 terracotta warriors begins two centuries before the birth of Christ. The First Emperor of China was preparing an extravagant tomb for his journey into the afterlife — and decreed that he be protected forever by a monumental army.

Aired: 05/03/11 | Expires: 04/30/20
SECRETS OF THE DEAD is made possible, in part, by public television viewers.
Extras
Watch • 3:23
Secrets of the Dead
The Gladiator Match Rome Couldn’t Get Enough Of
Ancient Rome’s retiarius vs secutor: inside the colosseum’s most popular fight.
Clip: S22 E7 | 3:23
Watch • 0:32
Secrets of the Dead
Preview | Cracking the Queen's Code
See how secret letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots, were finally decoded.
Preview: S22 E9 | 0:32
Watch • 0:32
Secrets of the Dead
Preview | Cleopatra's Last Temple
An unprecedented discovery could reveal new information about Cleopatra’s reign.
Preview: S22 E8 | 0:32
Watch • 3:08
Secrets of the Dead
What the First Gladiator Bones Can Tell Us About How They Lived
The first gladiator bones ever found reveal a small but unmistakable detail about how they lived.
Clip: S22 E7 | 3:08
Watch • 0:32
Secrets of the Dead
Preview | The Rise & Fall of the Colosseum
The spectacular arena showcasing Ancient Rome’s power also contributed to its downfall.
Preview: S22 E7 | 0:32
Watch • 0:32
Secrets of the Dead
Fall 2025 Season Preview
Catch new episodes of Secrets of the Dead on Wednesdays starting October 8 at 10/9c.
Preview: S22 | 0:32
Watch • 4:58
Secrets of the Dead
The Gutmann Family’s Tragic Loss
Simon Goodman recounts the story of his grandparents’ tragic deception by Nazi forces.
Clip: S22 E6 | 4:58
Watch • 1:46
Secrets of the Dead
How Americans Profited Off Looted Art
With the explosion of American museums in the 1950s, provenance took a backseat.
Clip: S22 E6 | 1:46
Watch • 0:32
Secrets of the Dead
Preview | Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief (Part Two)
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the post-war life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.
Preview: S22 E6 | 0:32
Watch • 3:13
Secrets of the Dead
The ERR and the Nazi Party’s Systematic Looting of Europe
During WWII, the ERR operationalized Nazi art looting on an industrial scale.
Clip: S22 E5 | 3:13
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 22
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 21
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 20
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 19
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 18
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 17
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 16
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 15
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 14
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 13
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 12
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 11
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 10
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 9
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 8
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 7
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 6
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 5
  • Secrets of the Dead Season 4
Secrets of the Dead
Cracking the Queen's Code
See how secret letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots, were finally decoded.
Episode: S22 E9
Secrets of the Dead
Cleopatra's Last Temple
An unprecedented discovery could reveal new information about Cleopatra’s reign.
Episode: S22 E8
Secrets of the Dead
The Rise & Fall of the Colosseum
The spectacular arena showcasing Ancient Rome’s power also contributed to its downfall.
Episode: S22 E7
Watch • 54:25
Secrets of the Dead
Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief (Part Two)
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the post-war life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.
Episode: S22 E6 | 54:25
Watch • 54:50
Secrets of the Dead
Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief (Part One)
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.
Episode: S22 E5 | 54:50
Watch • 55:15
Secrets of the Dead
Lost Treasures of Angkor – King's Gold
Priceless artifacts in Laos reveal holy sites from the early days of the Khmer Empire.
Episode: S22 E4 | 55:15
Watch • 55:15
Secrets of the Dead
Lost Treasures of Angkor – The Discovery
The discovery of priceless artifacts in Laos sheds light on the ancient Khmer Empire.
Episode: S22 E3 | 55:15
Watch • 55:15
Secrets of the Dead
Field of Vampires
Uncover the mystery behind the discovery of more than 50 "vampire" burials.
Episode: S22 E2 | 55:15
Watch • 55:23
Secrets of the Dead
The Civil War's Lost Massacre
A search for the remains of Black Union soldiers murdered toward the end of the Civil War.
Episode: S22 E1 | 55:23
Watch • 55:15
Secrets of the Dead
The Herculaneum Scrolls
Scientists attempt to read ancient scrolls carbonized by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
Episode: S21 E6 | 55:15