The first three seasons of the show focused on host Josh Bernstein, who journeyed on various explorations of historical icons and mysteries.

Bernstein was the president and CEO of BOSS (Boulder Outdoor Survival School) and has a degree in anthropology and psychology from Cornell University.

He then traveled to various locations to ask questions of researchers, and he often he put himself into situations (e.g., working in a quarry, climbing a rock-face) that simulated the activities of people in the period he explored.

Almost all of the researchers he talked to were professionals in the subject at hand, and many of the places he visited (e.g., the inside of a pyramid) are not open to the general public.

In late 2006, Bernstein's book Digging for the Truth: One Man's Epic Adventure Exploring the World's Greatest Archaeological Mysteries was published.