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Watch Where Did It Come From? Season 1 Episode 12 Online

Documentary

COUNTRIES: United States of America
Subtitles: English

How did China extract natural resources more than 2,000 years ago? Explore ancient drilling rigs and see how the modern-day science of geobotany was pioneered the Chinese.

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Where Did It Come From? - Season 1

S01 E012006-09-07

Ancient Greece: Modern Ship BuildingModern warships, cargo, and container ships are the cutting edge of maritime technology. But 2,500 years ago, no one dominated shipbuilding like the Greeks.

S01 E022006-09-14

Ancient Rome: The Rise of ApartmentsHigh-rise, high-density living isn't new. Romans were living in high-rise apartments 2,000 years ago. Travel to Rome and its ancient seaport of Ostia, where many of them still exist.

S01 E032006-09-14

Ancient Egypt: Iconic StructuresDiscover how monumental masterpieces including the Great Pyramid, Library at Alexander, Temple of Karnak, Sphinx, and obelisks were built using only the most primitive tools and brute labor.

S01 E042006-09-14

Ancient Greece: Weapons of Mass DestructionThe Ancient Greeks were masters of weaponry. From the massive Ballista launcher, giant mirrors to produce fiery death rays, and even poisons and biological toxins, they originated ideas still used in modern warfare.

S01 E052006-09-14

Ancient Rome: The Mobile SocietyTravel to the heart of the Roman Empire to examine a remarkable civil engineering project that resulted in a 53-thousand-mile network of highways, which is little-changed today.

S01 E062006-09-14

Ancient Rome: The Modern StadiumMichael takes us back to the "bread and circus" days of the ancient Roman Empire to find the origins of today's multi-million-dollar, multi-purpose stadiums.

S01 E072006-09-14

Ancient China: Personal WeaponAncient Chinese civil wars spawned the revolutionary crossbow and stirrup. Later, perhaps the greatest Chinese triumphs were gunpowder and the cannon, used to arm the Great Wall. These influenced warfare for centuries to follow.

S01 E082006-09-14

Ancient China: AgricultureTo help feed their population, Ancient China created the world's first canal systems, the plough and the winnowing machine for grain and rice. Today, China boasts the world's longest canal and the largest dam.

S01 E092006-09-14

Ancient Egypt: Modern MedicineThe Edwin Smith Papyrus in New York, gives amazing insights into the way the Ancient Egyptians pioneered medicine, and laid the foundations for modern treatment in diverse areas such as gynaecology and psychoanalysis.

S01 E102006-09-14

Ancient Maya: The Tools of AstronomyDiscover how the Ancient Maya built their sophisticated observatories, and how they were obsessed with the movements of the Sun, Moon and planets. See the fascinating Long Calendar which attempted to predict the end of the world.

S01 E112006-09-14

Ancient Maya: Power CentersMichael takes us to the Central American jungle to find out how 2000 years ago the ancient Maya mined and fashioned limestone from virgin territory to create their great city of Tikal, paving the way for modern building development.

S01 E122006-09-14

Ancient China: Origins of Drilling and MiningHow did China extract natural resources more than 2,000 years ago? Explore ancient drilling rigs and see how the modern-day science of geobotany was pioneered the Chinese.

S01 E132006-09-14

Ancient China: Masters of the WindSails, rudders, kites and wings, were all invented by the Chinese. Michael travels to Hong Kong to sail a junk for himself, and investigates how these various innovations contributed to modes of transport taken for granted today.

Where Did It Come From? - Seasons

Season 1

Where Did It Come From? - Cast & Crew

Michael Guillen