The ancient tombs kept under lock and key

27 August 2019|History

BEST OF 2019: A sense of mystery surrounds the keyhole-shaped kofun tombs in Japan.

Although the iconic Mozu Tombs in Sakai city, Osaka have recently been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, surprisingly little is actually known about these intriguing monuments, kept under lock and key by the Japanese government.  

Video by Matt Dworzańczyk
Image courtesy of Sakai City Government and Sakai City Museum

BBC Reel
Playlist
37 videos
148:25

Hidden Histories

  • Sintra's mysterious 'inverted tower'
    History

    Sintra's mysterious 'inverted tower'

    BEST OF 2019: Quinta da Regaleira's 'inverted tower' celebrates Portugal's Templar past.

    Watch now
  • Japan's mysterious 'keyhole' tombs
    NOW WATCHINGHistory

    Japan's mysterious 'keyhole' tombs

    BEST OF 2019: Who's really buried in these intriguing monuments?

    Now Playing
  • The secret of a murdered priest
    NEXT UPPhotography

    The secret of a murdered priest

    For decades, the iconic portrait of a priest murdered in the Spanish Civil War hid an unexpected secret.

    Watch now
  • Why did an entire civilisation vanish?
    History

    Why did an entire civilisation vanish?

    What made the Harappan civilisation leave their cities for the Himalayas?

    Watch now
  • The case of the stolen frescoes
    History

    The case of the stolen frescoes

    An international crime investigation puts the ancient Italian city of Matera on the world stage.

    Watch now
  • Diving into a medieval mystery
    History

    Diving into a medieval mystery

    Three divers have lost their lives trying to discover the origin of this mysterious spring.

    Watch now
  • The secret of the oldest lake in Europe
    Nature

    The secret of the oldest lake in Europe

    Two families have been guarding Europe's oldest lake's secret for generations

    Watch now
  • Is this the real face of Elizabeth I?
    Art

    Is this the real face of Elizabeth I?

    Artist Mat Collishaw attempts to unmask this famously image-conscious monarch.

    Watch now
  • Australia’s mysterious ancient stones
    History

    Australia’s mysterious ancient stones

    In the south Australian countryside sits a mysterious indigenous stone arrangement.

    Watch now
  • Cambodia’s buried temples
    History

    Cambodia’s buried temples

    Architect and sculptor Dy Proeung buried his life’s work to preserve it, and save his life.

    Watch now
  • London's only lighthouse
    History

    London's only lighthouse

    In the heart of London, on the banks of the River Thames, is a landmark that very few know even exists.

    Watch now
  • The tiny Russian village of the dead
    Remote Places

    The tiny Russian village of the dead

    Why is the village of Dargavs in Russia also known as the 'City of the Dead'?

    Watch now
  • The river of a thousand secrets
    History

    The river of a thousand secrets

    Under the noses of millions of Londoners lies a huge archaeological site.

    Watch now
  • Uncovering an ancient Greek city
    History

    Uncovering an ancient Greek city

    Archaeologists continue their quest to unearth an ancient Messinian city.

    Watch now
  • The hunt for a famous lost author
    History

    The hunt for a famous lost author

    The story of how the chance find of a bracelet in the sea helped solve a decades-old hunt for a missing author.

    Watch now
  • Uncovering the hidden colour of history
    Art

    Uncovering the hidden colour of history

    How black-and-white photos are being brought back to life.

    Watch now
  • The history of the British cup of tea
    Food

    The history of the British cup of tea

    How a Portuguese queen established one of the most iconic British traditions.

     

    Watch now
  • The island uncovering a hidden past
    History

    The island uncovering a hidden past

    Orkney has a rich archaeological heritage, but it's eroding into the sea.

    Watch now
  • The female warrior that history forgot
    History

    The female warrior that history forgot

    Dandara was a fierce warrior who defended a kingdom of freed slaves - so why has history forgotten her?

    Watch now
  • Shining light on 2,000-year-old secrets
    History

    Shining light on 2,000-year-old secrets

    Scientists are using light brighter than the Sun to decipher scrolls buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.

    Watch now
  • Detectorists steal £3m Viking treasure
    History

    Detectorists steal £3m Viking treasure

    Metal detectorists stole a viking hoard that rewrites Anglo-Saxon history.

    Watch now
  • An ingenious way to escape the Nazis
    History

    An ingenious way to escape the Nazis

    Inside Lyon’s extensive network of narrow passageways that helped Resistance fighters evade the Nazis

    Watch now
  • Inside an abandoned Soviet base
    History

    Inside an abandoned Soviet base

    Take a look inside Wünsdorf, a complex near Berlin that housed tens of thousands of Soviet troops.

    Watch now
  • The dislodged 101-year-old ship
    History

    The dislodged 101-year-old ship

    Officials are watching the vessel which moved closer to the edge last week.

    Watch now
  • Unlocking secrets from old camera film
    Photography

    Unlocking secrets from old camera film

    The Rescued Film Project aims to develop all the world's unprocessed camera film.

    Watch now
  • The secret lab where Nazis hid gold
    History

    The secret lab where Nazis hid gold

    A secret laboratory 800m below the Pyrenees.

    Watch now
  • Uncovering secrets in Sudan's pyramids
    History

    Uncovering secrets in Sudan's pyramids

    Pearce Paul Creasman, an underwater archaeologist, explores the murky depths of Sudan's pyramids.

    Watch now
  • Is this the world's oldest novel?
    Culture

    Is this the world's oldest novel?

    The Tale of Genji is a Japanese novel written a thousand years ago by female author Murasaki Shikibu.

    Watch now
  • The ship lost for more than 300 years
    History

    The ship lost for more than 300 years

    The Vasa set sail in 1628 and sank after two hours. It lay under the sea until 1961.

    Watch now
  • The 'lost' weapon buried for 100 years
    History

    The 'lost' weapon buried for 100 years

    How does a massive military cannon go missing for almost 100 years?

    Watch now
  • How Notre-Dame has always survived
    History

    How Notre-Dame has always survived

    The 850-year-old cathedral has stood the test of time from the French Revolution to World War Two.

    Watch now
  • Italy’s secret ‘ghost town’ hotels

    Italy’s secret ‘ghost town’ hotels

    It’s a tourism model that relies on staying hidden.

    Watch now
  • The ancient symbols hidden in a cave
    History

    The ancient symbols hidden in a cave

    The Wemyss Caves in Scotland house the mysterious ancient Pictish carvings.

    Watch now
  • The other Great Wall no-one knows

    The other Great Wall no-one knows

    It took 350 million bricks to build.

    Watch now
  • Secrets of Girl with a Pearl Earring
    Art

    Secrets of Girl with a Pearl Earring

    Can new research unlock its mysteries?

    Watch now
  • The slave ship hidden for 200 years
    History

    The slave ship hidden for 200 years

    It lies beneath the waves of one of the world’s most popular beaches.

    Watch now
  • The man who built his own castle
    Design

    The man who built his own castle

    None of his teachers believed he could do it.

    Watch now

More videos

  • The night the world almost almost ended
    History

    The night the world almost almost ended

    In 1983, Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov had thirty minutes to decide the fate of humanity.

    Watch now
  • The original Fyre Festival
    History

    The original Fyre Festival

    Fifty years ago, the Altamont festival became famous for all the wrong reasons.

    Watch now
  • Diving into a medieval mystery
    History

    Diving into a medieval mystery

    Three divers have lost their lives trying to discover the origin of this mysterious spring.

    Watch now
  • Detectorists steal £3m Viking treasure
    History

    Detectorists steal £3m Viking treasure

    Metal detectorists stole a viking hoard that rewrites Anglo-Saxon history.

    Watch now
  • The case of the stolen frescoes
    History

    The case of the stolen frescoes

    An international crime investigation puts the ancient Italian city of Matera on the world stage.

    Watch now
  • Australia’s mysterious ancient stones
    History

    Australia’s mysterious ancient stones

    In the south Australian countryside sits a mysterious indigenous stone arrangement.

    Watch now
  • The temple that emerged from the waters
    History

    The temple that emerged from the waters

    The ruins of Wat Nong Bua Yai, a temple in Thailand, reemerged due to a drought after 20 years under water.

    Watch now
  • The river of a thousand secrets
    History

    The river of a thousand secrets

    Under the noses of millions of Londoners lies a huge archaeological site.

    Watch now
  • The dislodged 101-year-old ship
    History

    The dislodged 101-year-old ship

    Officials are watching the vessel which moved closer to the edge last week.

    Watch now
  • Shining light on 2,000-year-old secrets
    History

    Shining light on 2,000-year-old secrets

    Scientists are using light brighter than the Sun to decipher scrolls buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.

    Watch now