Airdate: The Real Vikings, The Last Battle of the Vikings

SBS is getting a thematic mood ahead of the season return of Vikings.

Next week it premieres The Real Vikings, a two part series with actor Clive Standen travelling through Scandinavia looking at the warrior history and mythology.

A week later The Vikings Uncovered (pictured) sees presenter Dan Snow searching for lost Vikings sites in America. It will be followed by the return of Vikings on the same night.

The Real Vikings
Explore the history of the Vikings and discover how it inspires Michael Hirst’s writing of the popular television drama, Vikings.

Led by world-renowned Viking experts, Real Vikings travels across Europe, visiting museums and archaeological sites to learn more about the past inhabitants of Scandinavia, this series investigates the Viking invasions of England and Europe: from their warrior-based culture and how it developed, to the role of women within Viking society and the real life hero Ragnar Lothbrok, who was written about in the Icelandic sagas.

Episode One:
Vikings actor Clive Standen travels across Europe with the best Viking experts to discover why Viking raids on Europe were so devastating – and so successful. Clive then travels to Scandinavia with Maude Hirst to explore the pagan beliefs and warrior culture of the Vikings, and to dispel myths about their violent society.

Tuesday, 3 January at 8.30pm and Wednesday, 4 January at 8.40pm on SBS (2 Parts)

The Vikings Uncovered

Dan Snow searches for the lost Vikings in America with Space Archaeologist Dr Sarah Parcak. He learns that the Vikings settled in America at several locations even though only one of these sites has ever been discovered, and sets out on a quest to discover more with Sarah’s help. Sarah use satellites 383 miles above the earth to spot ruins as small as 30 centimetres buried beneath the surface.

Episode One:
In the North Atlantic her task is even more challenging as Sarah is unfamiliar with the territory – she’s an Egyptologist – and Viking dwellings are usually built from turf; it means looking for turf buried under turf. As Sarah seeks permission to excavate in Newfoundland she refines her techniques by searching for Viking sites from Britain to America. The quest takes her to Scotland then Iceland.

Wednesday, 11 January at 7.30pm on SBS.