"Ancient Apocalypse is a television series, described by Netflix as a documentary, in which British writer Graham Hancock shares an unscientific theory. He claims that a highly advanced civilization existed during the last ice age and was destroyed by meteor impacts about 12,000 years ago. Hancock suggests that people who survived the disaster passed their knowledge to early hunter-gatherer groups around the world, leading to the development of the first known civilizations. In the series, Hancock visits archaeological sites and natural landmarks, claiming they provide evidence for his ideas. He often accuses archaeologists of ignoring or hiding this evidence.

The series includes claims that are not supported by scientific evidence. It selects only information that supports Hancock’s ideas and does not show evidence that contradicts them. Some experts have criticized the program for undermining the achievements of Indigenous peoples. Other reviewers, who are not scientists, also found Hancock’s ideas unconvincing and said his criticism of traditional archaeology was unfair and similar to conspiracy theories. Some experts who appeared in the first season said the way they were shown in the series was misleading.

The first season of the series, made by ITN Productions, was released on Netflix in November 2022. A second season, which includes actor Keanu Reeves and focuses on the Americas, was released in October 2024."

Synopsis

In the series, Hancock claims that an advanced civilization existed during the last ice age. He suggests that this civilization was destroyed about 12,000 years ago when the climate changed suddenly during the Younger Dryas cool period. He believes that a few people from this civilization taught early hunter-gatherers around the world how to farm, build large structures, and study the stars. Hancock does not believe that the earliest known civilizations developed these skills on their own or that distant groups of people independently created similar ideas. Instead, he argues that all ancient cultures learned from the same advanced ice age civilization. He uses ancient monuments and myths as examples to support his claim and says that archaeologists are not paying enough attention to these clues. His ideas include the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis, which suggests that climate change was caused by a meteor hitting Earth. However, this hypothesis has been thoroughly disproven by scientists.

Production and release

The series was made by ITN Productions and put out by Netflix on November 10, 2022. Hancock's son, Sean, works at Netflix as a manager who oversees "unscripted originals." The series was the second most-watched show on Netflix during the week it was released.

Two archaeologists who appeared in the first season, Katya Stroud, a senior curator at Heritage Malta, and Necmi Karul, the director of excavations at Göbekli Tepe, stated that their interviews were altered and shown in a way that did not match the actual situation.

A second season was released on Netflix on October 16, 2024, and included the actor Keanu Reeves alongside Hancock. Plans to film parts of the second season in the USA were cancelled after Indigenous groups opposed how Hancock portrayed their history and culture.

Reception

Archaeologists and other experts strongly criticize the show Ancient Apocalypse for the theories it presents. These theories are not based on real science and are not supported by evidence. The show also includes many claims that are easy to prove wrong. The Society for American Archaeology said the series should not be called a documentary. Instead, they asked Netflix to reclassify it as science fiction. They explained that the series spreads false information and harms the reputation of archaeology. The show also repeats ideas that have been linked to racist and white supremacist beliefs. It harms Indigenous people and encourages harmful actions.

Archaeologist Flint Dibble said the show does not provide evidence to support the theories of the show's host, Graham Hancock. Instead, there is strong evidence that contradicts the dates Hancock claims. John Hoopes, an archaeologist who studies pseudoscience, said the series does not share other possible explanations or evidence that goes against Hancock's ideas. David Connolly, another archaeologist, said Hancock picks only evidence that supports his claims, even if it is not complete. He described this as taking parts of real research, adding his own ideas, and then using more real research to finish his arguments. Dr. Colin Elder, an archaeologist at the University of Salford, said Hancock does not look for evidence from many sources. Instead, he finds one person who agrees with him and puts them on TV. He ignores arguments that disagree with his ideas. Julien Riel-Salvatore, another archaeologist, said it is easy to prove that the main ideas in Ancient Apocalypse are incorrect. He also said the series weakens the ability to think critically.

When Hancock claimed that experts are hiding the truth, archaeologists said they would be happy to find evidence of an ancient ice age civilization. They said they would take Hancock's ideas seriously if real evidence existed.

Courrier International noted that the show never asks Hancock's critics to explain their views. Instead, the series calls archaeologists "pseudo-experts" and says they treat Hancock unfairly, without naming them or explaining their arguments. The Guardian said Netflix made a deliberate effort to support conspiracy theories by making the series. It suggested that Hancock's son, who works for Netflix, might have influenced the decision to produce the show.

Author Jason Colavito said Ancient Apocalypse is not the worst show in its genre, but he criticized it for casting doubt on the value of experts, favoring emotions over facts, and changing history to fit certain ideas. He said the show supports views that oppose academic research. James Delingpole, a conservative writer who said he likes Hancock's ideas, criticized the series for making it seem like Hancock's work is unusual and not respected by real experts.

German scholar Andreas Grünschloß said Hancock uses incorrect descriptions of Indigenous traditions to support his ideas. For example, he described the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl as "white," which was a mistake made by Spanish colonists. Grünschloß said Hancock presents his fiction as real research. In one episode, Hancock claimed that the ancient temples in Malta, built between 3600 and 2500 BC, were actually built 10,000 years earlier during the last ice age. Maltese archaeologists said these claims are false. Experts who study the Pacific islands said Hancock's ideas about Nan Madol are deeply disrespectful to the people who built the structures. They linked these ideas to 19th-century racist and white supremacist beliefs. Impact physicist Mark Boslough, writing in Skeptic magazine, criticized the show for promoting the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis, which most scientists no longer support.