“Thirteen Seasons In, Josh Gates Proves the Search for the Unknown Never Ends

Josh Gates Returns After One of Expedition Unknown’s Greatest Discoveries

Josh Gates entered the latest season of Expedition Unknown carrying the weight of one of the most significant discoveries in the show’s history. During the previous season, Gates and his team uncovered a tomb near the Treasury at Petra, Jordan—containing the remains of 12 ancient skeletons. For a series built on uncovering the world’s hidden past, it was a moment that set a remarkably high bar.

As the new season launched, the challenge was clear: how do you follow an achievement of that scale?

“It was a really exciting find,” Gates said. “We’re incredibly fortunate on Expedition Unknown to work alongside explorers who are doing genuinely important work all over the world. Luckily for us, there’s no shortage of amazing discoveries happening right now.”

An Explorer Shaped by Curiosity, Not Comfort

Often compared to a modern-day Indiana Jones, Gates brings academic grounding to his adventures. He holds a degree in archaeology from Tufts University and has hosted multiple exploration-based series, including Legendary Locations and Expedition Unknown.

Despite his fearless on-screen persona, Gates admits he has limits. High places make him uneasy, and he would much rather crawl through narrow underground tunnels than stand on the edge of a mountain cliff. Ironically, that preference has become one of his greatest strengths.

“I know it doesn’t make much sense,” he said. “I’m a big guy, but tight spaces don’t bother me as much as heights. When you’re underground, you’re focused on discovery. Awe takes over.”

Inside the Season Premiere: Hidden Nazi Facilities

The season opener pushes Gates deep underground as he investigates Adolf Hitler’s secret Amerikabomber program—a long-range aircraft designed to reach the United States during World War II.

In Poland, Gates explores sealed Nazi tunnels and abandoned weapons facilities that had remained unseen for more than 75 years. These subterranean complexes were believed to be part of the infrastructure intended to support the development of Hitler’s transatlantic bombing ambitions.

“If that plane had worked,” Gates explained, “the course of the war could have changed dramatically.”

A Global Search for Lost History

Beyond Europe, the new season spans continents and centuries. Gates sails across the Mediterranean to explore ancient shipwrecks linked to Greece’s so-called “Bermuda Triangle.” In Turkey, he examines the symbols and mysteries of Göbekli Tepe—widely considered the oldest known man-made structures on Earth.

In the Pacific, he embarks on a mission to rediscover the lost aircraft of a World War II American hero, blending modern technology with old-fashioned investigative work.

Each expedition reinforces the show’s core mission: uncovering stories that history left unfinished.

Thirteen Seasons and Still Counting

Now in its 13th season, Expedition Unknown has taken Gates from Papua New Guinea in search of Amelia Earhart to Romania, South Africa, the Arabian Sea, and beyond. With more than 200 episodes produced, one might assume the world’s mysteries would eventually run dry.

Gates disagrees.

“When we started, people asked how many mysteries could possibly be left,” he said. “What I’ve learned is that discovery is endless. There’s so much of our shared human past we still don’t understand.”

Technology Changes, Exploration Endures

Advances in technology—such as ground-penetrating radar, digital imaging, and enhanced scanning tools—have transformed modern archaeology. Gates saw this firsthand in Petra, where technology revealed details once invisible to the naked eye.

Still, he insists that technology can never replace fieldwork.

“You can use every tool imaginable,” Gates said, “but archaeology still requires ground truth. Someone has to go there, dig carefully, and do the hard work.”

Looking Ahead

As Expedition Unknown continues, Gates remains motivated by curiosity rather than spectacle. Whether navigating sealed tunnels, ancient ruins, or remote seas, his mission stays the same: follow the evidence, ask better questions, and keep exploring.

For Gates, the unknown isn’t shrinking—it’s expanding.

And that, he says, is the greatest discovery of all.