Watch Ancient Apocalypse

Ancient Apocalypse is a fascinating Netflix docuseries that explores major catastrophes and disasters that shaped ancient civilizations. With dramatic recreations and insights from experts, this show investigates events like famines, plagues, and natural disasters to understand how ancient societies coped with and survived existential threats.

The docuseries kicks off by examining the collapse of the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia around 2200 BCE. Through a combination of climate change and invasion, the once mighty Akkadian civilization crumbled in just a few decades. This collapse upended the entire ancient Near East. The show analyzes archaeological and geological evidence to piece together the factors that led to the demise of the world's first empire.

Another gripping episode investigates the Late Bronze Age Collapse between 1200-1000 BCE which wiped out many eastern Mediterranean civilizations like the Hittites and Mycenaean Greeks. This catastrophic decline set the stage for new groups like the Phoenicians and Philistines to rise. The episode explores various theories from droughts to earthquakes to explain this enigmatic historical period that erased thriving cultures.

The plague episode tracks the initial outbreak and spread of the virulent Justinianic Plague that ravaged the Byzantine Empire and beyond starting in 541 CE. This vicious strain of bubonic plague persisted for over 200 years, severely depopulating urban centers like Constantinople. Modern genomic analysis provides clues into how trade networks facilitated the wide transmission of this first-recorded plague pandemic.

An episode on the largest volcanic eruption in human history investigates the global effects of the little-known eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy around 3900 BCE. This colossal Bronze Age eruption impacted civilizations for thousands of miles, with its massive ash cloud altering climate and causing crop failures. The show analyzes ash layers and tree rings to piece together the true scale of this ancient super-eruption.

Other gripping episodes explore catastrophes like mega-tsunamis in the Mediterranean, the great Athenian plague that ravaged Ancient Greece, and extreme early droughts in Egypt and the Middle East that potentially inspired Biblical stories of famine. Expert interviews provide context on how ancient people interpreted and survived these disasters.

By using modern science to reconstruct ancient catastrophes, the series offers thought-provoking insights into how landmark disasters impacted early societies. The show highlights the fragility but also resilience of ancient groups facing massive threats to their very survival. Ancient Apocalypse is an epic exploration into cataclysmic ancient events that shaped our shared human history.

Ancient Apocalypse is a series that ran for 2 seasons (14 episodes) between November 11, 2022 and on Netflix