Television series
Chasing Mummies
- Mystery
- Light-hearted
Chasing Mummies follows Dr. Zahi Hawass across 250 Egyptian excavation sites as he unearths ancient artifacts and manages ongoing digs. It's a fast-paced, accessible window into real archaeology—less dusty lecture hall, more treasure hunt. For anyone who thrilled at Raiders of the Lost Ark but wanted to see what the actual work looks like.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy watching a field expert at work more than a lavish reconstruction, and like the slow thrill of a dig site where a trowel scrape can be the big moment.
Skip it if you want a tight narrative with stakes that escalate, since this is a loose, episodic look at one man's workload that circles back to the same kinds of discovery.
What it asks of you: Ten hour-long episodes that move at a documentary's unhurried pace, with long stretches of sand, paperwork and conversation between the finds.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Ancient Aliens2009
Explores mysteries and strange artifacts from human history with the same sense of wonder and historical puzzle-solving that drives Chasing Mummies, just with more speculative flair.
But The ancient-astronaut-hypothesis framing strains credibility and undermines serious archaeology in ways that might frustrate you.
Expedition Unknown2015
Josh Gates travels the world investigating archaeological mysteries and lost sites with infectious enthusiasm and genuine historical rigor. Captures that same explorer's joy.
But More adventure-show than pure archaeology; the host's personality sometimes overshadows the actual historical content and findings.
Time Team1994
British archaeologists race against the clock to excavate sites, revealing layers of history with charm and real expertise. The time pressure creates genuine narrative stakes.
But Much slower pacing and lower production values than Chasing Mummies; episodes can meander before reaching payoff moments.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Chasing Mummies
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Leopard1963
Both are obsessed with how the past physically remains with us—whether in tombs or villas—and what it costs a culture to preserve, honor, or lose track of it.
Visconti's masterpiece about Sicily during political upheaval, shot with museum-quality cinematography and a visual language that treats history as something lived in, felt, and passed between generations. Slow, gorgeous, profound.
But Italian cinema from the 1960s with almost no plot momentum; requires patience and rewards attention, but can feel deliberately paced to the point of stasis.
More like this (2)
Dig2015
An intimate docuseries following a single Israeli dig site season with anthropologist Dr. Amihai Mazar, showing the meticulous, often repetitive reality of field archaeology.
But Focused, methodical approach means minimal dramatic discovery moments; not every day yields treasure, and the show doesn't hide that.
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb1964
Investigates Egyptian mummification, tomb construction, and burial practices with high production value and genuine scientific inquiry into ancient methods and beliefs.
But More focused on burial ritual than excavation itself; less about the thrill of finding things and more about understanding what was found.
