The host explains the role of an archaeologist: to study human history. She explains the difference between archaeologist and paleontologists and describes the work that archaeologists perform, including how they determine where to look for artifacts.

Mary Beard and Marine Archaeologist Jeff Royal analyze fragments from Roman war ships and learn how each part benefited the Romans in battle against Carthage.

Charlie explains radiocarbon dating and how it is used to calculate the approximate age of an object. To make his explanation more concrete, he uses an analogy involving a refrigerator and the number of ice cubes in it.

Don talks to a scientist who helps him understand that the victim had been trying to find the ancestry of the skull. They use equations to calculate where the cheekbones and nose would have been to determine the origins of the artifact.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. talks about artifacts like the afro comb found near the Nile Valley from early African civilizations.