Summary

Something of an unofficial "flipside" to fictional films such as the Indiana Jones series, this unique History Channel documentary rests on a key question about archaeologists. We all know that in the movies, characters like Jones, Benjamin Franklin Gates and Allan Quatermain spend their days dodging booby-traps and snakes and scouting out the darkest hidden corners of exotic temples, searching for priceless artifacts and prized objects. But what of real archaeologists - how do their day-to-day exploits compare? This program provides an answer by introducing viewers to real archaeologists and whisking audiences along on their adventures - subjects such as Arthur Demarest, who works in the Cancun jungles staving off dangerous looters; Mayan expert Peter Mathews, kidnapped by angry villagers in Chiapas while on an archaeological mission; and Egyptian Zahi Hawass, who must navigate his way through a booby trap-filled tomb. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi