Albert Lin of ‘LOST CITIES REVEALED WITH ALBERT LIN’ from National Geographic TV On The Message He Hopes Viewers Take From The Docuseries
After many years of exploring the planet and our history on it, I am left with a deep sense of wonder and awe. There is ancient wisdom that we are part of, and each chance for discovery helps us regain what that. It is a huge adventure, and I hope the show helps its viewers they are all a part of that adventure.
I had the pleasure to interview Albert Lin, Star of ‘LOST CITIES REVEALED WITH ALBERT LIN’ from National Geographic TV.
Our ancient history is full of incredible stories and National Geographic Explorer Albert Lin is on a mission to unlock the secrets of lost cities and the intriguing people who inhabited them. The team uses cutting edge technology, like LiDAR, to strip back layers of time. Albert pushes himself and his team to the edge to uncover meaningful sites of antiquity in the six-part series, LOST CITIES REVEALED WITH ALBERT LIN. Explore historical mysteries in some of the most remote environments on earth, including the jungles in Mexico, deserts in Sudan, mountains in Peru, the cliffs in Scotland, underwater in Israel, and mountain caves in Oman.
Can you share what personally inspired you to embark on this unique career path?
I think I have always been on a search for my roots, but the more I traveled the more I realized we are all part of a shared humanity and that every culture is an experiment in our human experience that could tell me something about what’s within me. This goes back to the very start of my journey and my first grants from National Geographic over a decade and a half ago. What you see on the TV is much more than a TV show for me, it has been a life quest to find out what’s at the root of who we are so I can help imagine what we are to become.
Your work on LOST CITIES REVEALED combines cutting-edge technology and archaeology to unveil ancient mysteries. Can you share some insights into how LiDAR and other tech innovations are transforming the field of archaeology?
With LiDAR we can strip back the trees, with geophysics we can look beneath the sands, and with modeling we can rebuild what was once there. The real adventure is in figuring out where to point it all!
This series takes you to some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. Could you describe one particularly unforgettable moment or discovery during your explorations in the jungles of Mexico or any other location featured in the show?
There are so many!! waking up to scorpions called death stalkers in Sudan, narrowing missing a massive boulder fall in Israel (it actually crushed my prosthetic), or loosing all our cameras in rough river accident at the headwaters of the Amazon to name a few. But I think one moment that stands out in particular would be stepping into Pakal’s Tomb in the heart of a pyramid and seeing ancient inscriptions written on its wall of a mythical origin city. To be able to search for this mythical city will be something I never forget, and what we found was absolutely mind blowing.
LOST CITIES REVEALED promises to reveal the secrets of lost cities and their inhabitants. Can you give us a glimpse into the kind of stories and mysteries viewers can expect to uncover in this series?
Each of these quests is a grand adventure across incredible landscapes, and the power of cutting edge tools allow us to open what I truly believe is a new age of discovery. Working with leading archaeologists around the globe make discoveries of ancient capital cities buried in the sands of Sudan, of hidden sarcophagi high up in the cloud forests of Peru, mythical origin places in Mexico and more. I still pinch myself to realize it all really happened. Then we combine these discoveries with amazing graphics and reconstructive modeling to try and reveal what these echos of our ancient past can tell us.
The show highlights the importance of pushing boundaries to discover meaningful sites of antiquity. What are some of the physical and intellectual challenges you and your team faced while filming in these remote and challenging locations?
Working in active conflict zones was tricky, we got tear gassed and flash bombed in Sudan just months before war broke out there. But working with archaeologists (both international and Sudanese) we were able to reveal a story of identity in elements of an ancient capital city buried understand that was deeply moving in a time of struggle. Seeing it reflected in the tearful eyes of our Sudanese partners made me realize how strongly these stories impact the people whom they are from. And in a way, I’ve come to realize we are all part of a shared humanity, so really we all share these stories.
The premiere of LOST CITIES REVEALED is just around the corner. As the star of the show, what are you most excited for viewers to experience or learn from this six-part series?
After many years of exploring the planet and our history on it, I am left with a deep sense of wonder and awe. There is ancient wisdom that we are part of, and each chance for discovery helps us regain what that. It is a huge adventure, and I hope the show helps its viewers they are all a part of that adventure.
For those intrigued by LOST CITIES REVEALED WITH ALBERT LIN and eager to follow your journey, how can they stay updated on your future projects and explorations?
LOST CITIES REVEALED WITH ALBERT LIN premieres on NatGeo TV and Disney+ on November 23, 2023.
Follow me on @exploreralbert on socials and go to www.exploreralbert.com to sign up for updates and see whats coming next!
