Ancient China from Above (Seasons 1–2)

"Ancient China from Above" (2020) is a British documentary series you can watch online on iFILM. Hosts Allan Maca and Sam Willis use satellite imagery and LiDAR scanning to reveal ancient Chinese sites at a scale ground expeditions never managed — including Great Wall sections that centuries of surveys had mapped incorrectly.

The series reaches Khublai Khan's buried capital in Inner Mongolia and a recently uncovered settlement roughly 4,000 years old. Its inhabitants left jade carvings strikingly similar to Mesoamerican artifacts and conducted ritual sacrifices on a scale unique in Chinese archaeology — China's own Pompeii, only much older. A good fit for viewers who prefer their history revealed by radar rather than a shovel. Watch "Ancient China from Above" (2020) online on iFILM.