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Secrets of Lost Empires I—Colosseum
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Program Overview
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Ancient structures may generate awe and provide information about the people
who built them, but they leave many questions unanswered: How were they
constructed? What technologies were available to the builders? What tools did
they use?
In this four-part mini series, NOVA brings together experts from diverse fields
to reconstruct how these monuments might have been built. For each structure,
individual teams are challenged to create a scale model using the materials and
scientific knowledge thought to be available at the time of original
construction (although at times they resort to modern methods). By applying
their knowledge of each culture, their expertise in building techniques, and a
process of trial and error, the teams attempt to reconstruct these ancient
technological wonders.
Colosseum
 Citizens of Rome came to the Colosseum to behold free entertainment that
usually came in the form of violent war games and bloody battles between humans
and animals. This structure's most impressive feature was a massive canopy that
provided shade from the hot sun. In order to investigate the possible forms the
roof may have taken, NOVA's team constructs models at a smaller arena in
Spain.
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