Did The Chinese Find America Before Columbus? Unlocking The Secrets of The Past | Our History

In the 200 years of its existence as a science, archaeology has cracked many baffling mysteries left by civilisations which had no written history. Subscribe to Our History: https://bit.ly/3v5mKBG Yet some puzzles remain to challenge even the most diligent of investigators. One extraordinary mystery can be found on the Plain of Jars in the remote country of Laos. The huge jars which litter the plain have not been properly studied since the 1930s. Now the clearing of the minefields in the area after decades of war in Indo-China means that the puzzle can be investigated once again and the answer perhaps found to the question: what were these huge jars for? In America, the programme investigates two mysteries. Firstly, the origin of the stone anchors found off the coast of California; do they prove that the New World was discovered by the Chinese centuries before Columbus? And how did a prehistoric stone axe from Europe come to be found in excavations in South Carolina? Finally a story which illustrates how it is still possible to solve the mysteries of the past. Archaeologist Lothar Haselburger reveals how, on a tour of a temple in Turkey, he discovered how the great buildings of the classical world were designed and built. This film was first broadcast: 1996 Watch More Documentaries Our Life - https://bit.ly/3A8xRMJ Our History - https://bit.ly/3rUpdhL Our World - https://bit.ly/3ftuckM Our Stories - https://bit.ly/3ynfFyk Start your journey of discovery with Our History, as we bring you eye-opening documentaries and educational programmes about our world history. We will guide you through awe-inspiring events from our past and help you get a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events that have shaped the world we live in today. Content distributed by ITV Studios.