Mysterious Places with Stacy Keach

In the deserts of Northwest New Mexico, Chaco Canyon is an archaeological site rich with information, much of it still buried underground. Archaeologists estimate that for every one excavated structure there may be hundreds unexcavated. Astronomers, archaeologists and experts visit this expansive and remarkable settlement where we begin to piece together the mysteries of the Anasazi culture.

Why was Salem the site of the world's most infamous witch trials? How were witches "proven" guilty? What drove the hysteria? Historians, psychiatrists, and practicing witches seek out answers, as we visit sites in Salem (the Witch House, the Peabody-Essex Museum, Crow Haven Corner), and Danvers (the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, the Village Parsonage).

Even after years of in-depth study, this crude yet stunning arrangement of stones known as Stonehenge in the English countryside continues to astound. Who built it? What was its use? Was it a sun temple? A spiritual center? Or is there another, more current theory? What do we learn from the research of modern scholars and the ancient practices of the druids?

Tales of chivalry, romance and spiritual quest in one of England's most sacred sites. Was King Arthur really buried the Abbey of Glastonbury? Is the Holy Grail hidden in the red healing waters of "Chalice Well"? Do the grassy ridges that circle the Tor indicate that this tower on a hill was once the Isle of Avalon?

Beautiful and mysterious, the Land's End Peninsula in Cornwall embraces an astonishing range of ancient monuments. We'll explore the history of this ageless landscape by the sea. How did these ancient sites come to be built at Land's End? Are they aligned by astronomy? Are they organized along the energy Ley Lines that mystics detect beneath the grassy knolls of this breathtaking site?

Chichen Itza is one of the most impressive of all the Mayan cities found scattered throughout Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Here we discover such mysterious structures as El Caracol, known as the Temple of the Warriors, and the magnificent pyramid known as El Castillo. What kind of rituals took place here? Did astronomy play an important role in the lives of the ancient Maya?

Explore the mysterious landscapes of three of England's most extraordinary sites, all within several hundred miles of one another: Glastonbury with its rich Arthurian legends of the Holy Grail, the Chalice Well, and the Tor, Land's End, with the ancient stone sculptures and underground chambers, and Stonehenge a massive and astounding achievement whose origins remain shrouded in mystery.

Deep in the Yucatan Peninsula, the Mayan city of Uxmal still stands. We visit the architecturally stunning Governor's Palace and the mysterious Pyramid of the Magician. What clues do they offer to the ritual lives of the ancient Maya? Can we begin to understand their complex society? Plus: the recently excavated Seven Standing Warriors in nearby Kabah and the magnificent Roman-like arch in Labna.

Here is the incredible story of Teotihuacan-and how 200,000 of its inhabitants "vanished" around the year 750 A.D. We explore the mesmerizing ruins: the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, the Avenue of the Dead, and the astonishing Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. Plus: the latest discoveries underground-sacrificial chambers.

Nestled in the woods of New Hampshire, and the focus of a heated scientific debate, is an amazing stone complex of chambers and standing stones known as America's Stonehenge. With its array of archeo-astronomical alignments, it is possibly the most important archaeological site in North America. A major question is: who built this, and when?

A church or a cathedral has stood on the hill at Chartres for over 1500 years. Who built the first dolmens on the site and why? Where did they get the scientific knowledge? What is the significance of the alignment of the cathedral? Why has this site always drawn the pious? Let's join Stacy Keach to find out the answers to these questions and more!

The rock fortress of Masada rises some 1,400 feet above the western shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth. In 74 A.D., this architectural miracle became the site of a bloodbath when 960 Jewish men and women committed suicide. Why did they do it? And why are some scientists now claiming that the mass suicide was actually a mass extermination?

Temples, palaces, stunning vistas: the ancient and mystical city of Jerusalem calls out across the ages. Caught at the crossroads of three great religions, it is home to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. In this episode, we'll travel to this timeless, sacred city in Israel, and try to make sense of its mysteries.

In this special edition of Mysterious Places, we capture the magic and majesty of the most extraordinary pre-Columbian cities in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. These include the iconic cities of Chichen Itza and Uxmal, with their inspiring Puuc style. Let's join Stacy Keach as he explores the mysteries of the ancient people who built, and abandoned, these soaring architectural wonders.

In northwestern Spain in Galicia, the city of Santiago de Compostella lies a magnificent cathedral that serves as a sacred shrine. The cathedral is said to contain the mortal remains of St. James. What is the evidence? Why do thousands of pilgrims continue to travel the traditional route to St James' shrine? Let's join Stacy Keach as he sets out to answer these questions and more!

The Mediterranean island of Crete is home to the mysterious palace of Knossos, center of ancient Minoan ceremonial culture. King Minos is said to have kept the mythological half-man, half-bull Minotaur here. But what really went on in the dark halls of the palace's underground labyrinth? Stacy Keach investigates this and more.

On August 24th in the year 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted, burying the thriving cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Rediscovered in 1748, and since fully excavated, these cities provide an extraordinary glimpse into the habits and the manners of the ancient Romans, and may in fact answer the question: what was life really like in ancient Rome?

Known in antiquity as the center of the world, Delphi in Southern Greece, is a sacred place where many gods were worshipped, foremost among them: Apollo-god of poetry, music, reason, and prophesy. What made this site such a powerful magnet for pilgrims? Why did these pilgrims put so much faith in the Delphic oracle?

In the 8th century B.C., a strange civilization appeared in the North of Italy. Who were the Etruscans? Where did they come from, and why were they so different from the other ancient societies of the time? Most mysteriously, what caused their rapid fall from power-and virtual disappearance-in the 5th century B.C.?

In the outback of Australia, one of the world's most bizarre rock formations is huge, imposing, and orange. To the aborigines, it is the part of the Earth that is 'pregnant,' from where all life sprung. What is the curious culture that developed around this strange formation? What secrets lay in the caves at its base?

From Stone Age ruins to wedge graves from the Neolithic Age, South West Ireland's so-called Dingle Peninsula is a land of ancient monuments, mysterious structures, and strange shrines. These sacred and rugged lands celebrate human ingenuity and set forth crucial insights into the mysteries of the past.

Our journey to New Orleans probes the rich history of Big Easy rites and rituals from mysterious voodoo, haunting cemeteries, and the occult. Stacy Keach is here to help us find out more about New Orleans' St. John's Eve celebrations, haunting gathering places, and its most famous voodoo queen, Marie Laveau.

In this special edition episode, explore the mysterious features of three of Europe's most extraordinary places: Galicia, Spain, Campania, Italy, and Delphi, Greece. Some mysteries explored are of an ancient oracle in Delphi who is said to have the ability to see into the future, and the haunting plaster casts that capture the final tragic seconds in the lives of the ancient residents of Pompeii.

Why has this simple Scottish "loch" attracted monster-seekers for decades? Does a monstrous prehistoric animal live in these waters? Some claim that one does. What does the latest scientific evidence suggest about the existence of a Loch Ness Monster? We travel to Scotland, interview experts from several fields, and catch up with the "loch-watchers."

Some people have called the island of Menorca, Spain an open air museum. Specifically, they point to the thousands of archaeological sites scattered throughout the island. These sites were built over 5,000 years ago. Several of Menorca's top archaeologists take us on an exciting journey through history as we investigate the island.