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They're watching you.
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More than 5,000 satellites
circle the earth.
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Every day,
they uncover new
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mysterious phenomena
that defy explanation.
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Revealed from the skies,
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the mystery of the louisiana
swamp castle.
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My god, just look at it.
It's incredible!
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Narrator:
The 100,000-square-mile cipher.
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These patterns
stretch everywhere,
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from texas
to north dakota.
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00:00:34,368 --> 00:00:37,870
Narrator: And russia's deadly
mega chasm.
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It's said that it can
actually suck in aircraft.
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Narrator:
Baffling phenomena.
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Mysteries from space.
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What on earth are they?
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♪♪
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♪♪
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♪♪
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the seemingly endless bayous
of southern louisiana,
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thousands of square miles
of marshlands,
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home to gators, birds,
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and not much else.
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Morgan: This area could not be
more inhospitable.
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This is not a place that
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is inclined towards
sustaining human life.
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Narrator:
Yet despite this,
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a satellite image taken
on January 10th, 2019,
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has uncovered mysterious
evidence of human activity
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in these swamps.
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Looking at the image,
I'm seeing two different
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structures here.
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To the right, there's sort of
a string of boxes or blocks.
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The other structure is really
unusual and kind of surprising.
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It looks like
the top of a rook,
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like a giant chess piece
in the water.
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It's unnerving to think
about what's missing
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from this picture.
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There could be an entire town
under the water.
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What happened here?
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Narrator:
What's drawn martin morgan
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to this site is that,
officially,
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there has never been
a town in these marshlands.
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But clues
suggest otherwise.
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That's not natural.
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You can totally tell --
it's a road.
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Look at that.
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This is a bit eerie.
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♪♪
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narrator: The abandoned road
leads morgan to the set of
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structures at the eastern side
of the river mouth.
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It's just up ahead here.
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This thing is incredible.
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It's even bigger
than it looked
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in the satellite photography.
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Narrator: A line of concrete
ruins stretches
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for some 300 yards
along the shore.
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Behind them are concealed
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hundreds of poles driven deep
into the lake bed.
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Morgan:
This was a massive facility.
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Somebody with money,
lots of it,
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paid to have this built.
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That suggests, to me,
government money.
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Narrator: Morgan thinks
the structures bear
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the hallmarks of a secret
military installation.
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Morgan: Judging by the age,
these could be seven
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or eight decades old.
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That's dropping
all of this right into
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the time period of
the second world war.
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This thing is amazing.
Look at this.
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Narrator: While much of
the structure has long
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since rotted away or been
destroyed by hurricanes,
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clues to what drew
the military
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into these swamps do remain.
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Morgan: All down the line of
these platforms,
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there are iron rings.
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These are gun mounts.
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The fact that you've got
all these gun platforms
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lined up like this
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makes me think that
I might be looking at
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an anti-aircraft
training center.
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Narrator: Declassified military
records confirm
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that these sinking ruins
were once a secret
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world war ii training base
called shell beach,
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and it played a key role
in tackling a catastrophic
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shortcoming in america's
defenses at the dawn
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of world war ii.
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During world war ii,
the american forces,
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particularly the navy,
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had this sort of sense
of invincibility.
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Now that is an image
that's vastly
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different to what the state of
the u.S. Military was
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just as the country was
entering world war ii.
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Narrator: When japanese fighters
and dive bombers
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devastate pearl harbor,
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u.S. Battleships are
ill-prepared
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to defend themselves.
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It's a mistake the navy
vows never to repeat.
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Pavelec: When we get involved
in the war after
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pearl harbor,
the u.S. Military
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has to begin
a crash training program
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to get sailors trained up to
shoot down enemy airplanes.
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Narrator: With nazi u-boats
and planes also threatening
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america's shores,
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the navy starts transporting
rookie gunners into
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the louisiana swamp
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to teach them the art of
anti aircraft warfare.
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Pavelec: Shooting across
the lake would have
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provided a nice field of fire,
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and pilots would actually fly
target planes to
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be shot at to get practice
against live targets.
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Narrator: 40% of the recruits
are volunteers,
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many of them fresh
from high school.
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After just eight weeks,
they are sent to fight
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fascism in europe
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or to join the pacific fleet
and experience
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the hell of naval combat.
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Morgan: Men who trained here
would ultimately be on board
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ships that are fighting off
waves of japanese
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suicide aircraft.
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Narrator: During the first few
months of the war,
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u.S. Anti-aircraft gunners
shoot down 56 enemy planes.
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Within three years,
they are bringing
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down almost 20 times
that number,
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thanks in no small part
to these weird ruins
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in the louisiana bayous.
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Morgan: Just think about
how critical this was.
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I mean, in many ways,
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it was facilities like this
that produced
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the final victory in
the second world war.
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Narrator: The decaying
world war ii facility
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sits just 400 yards
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from the larger sunken
structure in the image.
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It could be a barracks
for the training center,
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but that doesn't
make any sense.
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How would you move people
back and forth?
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Narrator: Up close,
the mystery deepens.
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Look at this thing.
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This looks like what a castle
I drew as a kid looked like.
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If we were in europe,
I'd go,
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"that's definitely a fort."
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but we're not in europe.
Were in louisiana.
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Narrator: There are other
forts on the u.S.'s
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southern coastline dating
from the civil war.
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But this is unlike
any of them.
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Morgan: The forts are very
low profile.
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But this thing, it's just
looming up out of the marsh.
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It's incredible.
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To really get to the bottom
of what this structure is,
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I'm gonna have to get on shore
and walk around it.
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Narrator: Coming up, breaking
into the swamp castle.
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Morgan:
My god, look at this thing.
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I mean, it's like
a cathedral in here.
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Narrator: And the 1,000-year-old
monks of new hampshire.
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If true, there was
a settlement here
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well before columbus.
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Narrator: Drawn by strange,
isolated structures
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revealed from space,
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historian martin morgan
is braving
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the alligator-infested
swamplands of louisiana.
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Almost there.
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Almost there.
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Narrator:
25 miles from new orleans,
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a semi-submerged fortification
sits next to the ruins of
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a world war ii training camp.
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My god,
look at this thing.
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This is
absolutely spectacular.
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Narrator: To morgan,
the structure's medieval design
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is unprecedented.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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I mean, it's like
a cathedral in here.
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♪♪
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I have never seen
anything like this.
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This is unique.
This is one of a kind.
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Narrator: The crumbling walls
suggest the swamp fort
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likely dates from
the early 1800s.
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This structure clearly
belongs to the era before
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the introduction
of rifled artillery,
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because in the era of
rifled artillery,
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this thing would not have
stood a chance.
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Narrator: The middle
of the 19th century
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witnesses the arrival of
rifled barrels,
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revolutionizing
the power, range,
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and accuracy of artillery.
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Brick fortifications
are replaced
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with low-profile concrete ones,
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which can better withstand
the apocalyptic
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onslaught of this new
generation of weapons.
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There are very obvious signs
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that this structure
is falling apart.
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I don't think
it's safe to be in here.
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Narrator: Morgan now believes
that the fort has its
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origins in a momentous event
in early american history.
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Morgan:
If I'm right about this fort,
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it's built because of
the war of 1812.
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During that conflict,
the british attacked american
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cities like baltimore,
washington, d.C.,
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00:11:57,317 --> 00:11:59,117
and then
new orleans itself.
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[cannons blasting]
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narrator:
The war of 1812 is both
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00:12:03,957 --> 00:12:06,858
the first conflict waged by
the newly independent
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00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:08,727
united states,
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00:12:10,163 --> 00:12:13,131
and the last time enemy
soldiers successfully
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00:12:13,233 --> 00:12:14,532
invaded american soil.
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00:12:14,634 --> 00:12:17,435
Walters: The british-american
war of 1812
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00:12:17,537 --> 00:12:19,237
is sometimes even called
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00:12:19,339 --> 00:12:21,206
a second war of independence.
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Interestingly enough, one of
the key turning points
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of the war was actually fought
around new orleans basin.
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Narrator:
In the early 19th century,
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britain is still trying to
control its former
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00:12:34,588 --> 00:12:37,655
colony by restricting trade
and supporting
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00:12:37,758 --> 00:12:40,158
native american rebels.
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00:12:40,260 --> 00:12:43,928
But what finally pushes the u.S.
Into war was the practice
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00:12:44,030 --> 00:12:45,430
of impressment,
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00:12:45,532 --> 00:12:48,666
the capturing of american
sailors and forcing them to
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00:12:48,769 --> 00:12:50,201
work on british ships.
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00:12:53,206 --> 00:12:55,907
Moran: The americans are
naturally angry at
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00:12:56,009 --> 00:12:59,310
this blatant disregard of
the sovereignty of
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00:12:59,412 --> 00:13:00,512
american ships.
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00:13:00,614 --> 00:13:03,915
Hymel: It's a black eye to
the fledgling government,
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00:13:04,017 --> 00:13:05,850
and that's just
not gonna sit right.
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00:13:05,952 --> 00:13:11,289
Narrator: On June 18th, 1812,
president james madison
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00:13:11,391 --> 00:13:13,024
signs the order to do battle
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00:13:13,126 --> 00:13:18,196
with a nation whose warships
outnumber his by 30 to 1.
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00:13:19,599 --> 00:13:24,636
Despite the overwhelming
firepower of the british navy,
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00:13:24,738 --> 00:13:27,238
actually, the americans
do quite well.
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00:13:27,340 --> 00:13:30,608
Hymel: But while the new united
states is having victories
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00:13:30,710 --> 00:13:34,045
at sea, it's on the land
that they're facing defeat
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00:13:34,147 --> 00:13:37,749
after defeat against
the king's troops.
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00:13:37,851 --> 00:13:42,921
Narrator: In 1814,
after capturing detroit,
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00:13:43,023 --> 00:13:46,958
washington d.C., and burning
the white house to the ground,
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00:13:47,060 --> 00:13:49,594
the british turned their
attention to new orleans.
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00:13:49,696 --> 00:13:52,263
Pavelec: New orleans is
vitally important.
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00:13:52,365 --> 00:13:54,165
If the british
can take new orleans,
236
00:13:54,234 --> 00:13:57,035
they control shipping in
and out of the center
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00:13:57,137 --> 00:13:58,236
of the united states.
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00:13:59,806 --> 00:14:02,740
Narrator:
On December 23rd, 1814,
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00:14:02,843 --> 00:14:04,876
50 british ships steal through
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00:14:04,978 --> 00:14:06,744
the waters to the north
of the fort,
241
00:14:06,813 --> 00:14:09,647
towards the american vessels
protecting new orleans.
242
00:14:12,385 --> 00:14:14,619
Pavelec: The british race in
and catch
243
00:14:14,721 --> 00:14:16,754
the americans unprepared,
244
00:14:16,857 --> 00:14:19,824
and they're overtaken very
quickly and very easily.
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00:14:19,926 --> 00:14:24,062
Munoz: By winning that battle,
the british were effectively
246
00:14:24,164 --> 00:14:26,397
allowed to set up
a beachhead
247
00:14:26,499 --> 00:14:29,667
for a larger assault
on the city of new orleans.
248
00:14:31,137 --> 00:14:34,205
Narrator: The british now
believe new orleans is
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00:14:34,307 --> 00:14:36,441
there for the taking,
250
00:14:36,543 --> 00:14:39,477
but they haven't counted
on the defensive prowess
251
00:14:39,546 --> 00:14:40,511
and determination
252
00:14:40,614 --> 00:14:44,182
of the man tasked with
defending the city,
253
00:14:44,284 --> 00:14:46,451
general andrew jackson.
254
00:14:46,553 --> 00:14:50,722
Hymel: Andrew jackson pieces
together vagabonds and pirates,
255
00:14:50,824 --> 00:14:53,291
as well as regular army troops,
256
00:14:53,393 --> 00:14:58,529
and they defend the line that
the british just can't break.
257
00:14:58,632 --> 00:15:01,532
Pavelec: The army stand behind
what they will eventually call
258
00:15:01,635 --> 00:15:03,835
the jackson line,
and the british suffer
259
00:15:03,937 --> 00:15:06,704
horrendous losses
and have to retreat.
260
00:15:08,375 --> 00:15:11,242
Narrator: The battle
for new orleans proves to be
261
00:15:11,344 --> 00:15:14,078
the last major engagement
of the war,
262
00:15:14,180 --> 00:15:16,080
and its hero, general jackson,
263
00:15:16,182 --> 00:15:19,617
goes on to become the seventh
president of the united states.
264
00:15:21,888 --> 00:15:24,889
Stung by how close
their new nation had come
265
00:15:24,991 --> 00:15:27,458
to being conquered,
the u.S. Military
266
00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:29,560
shores up defenses
around the city
267
00:15:29,663 --> 00:15:33,865
by building the swamp castle
revealed from the skies.
268
00:15:33,967 --> 00:15:37,101
That would mean that this fort
was constructed with
269
00:15:37,203 --> 00:15:40,271
the thought in mind that
some other foreign power,
270
00:15:40,373 --> 00:15:43,207
maybe even the british again,
would attack using the same
271
00:15:43,310 --> 00:15:46,344
method as was used
in late 1814.
272
00:15:48,248 --> 00:15:50,214
Narrator:
The fort is a ghostly relic
273
00:15:50,317 --> 00:15:52,784
of america's early struggle
for freedom.
274
00:15:55,255 --> 00:15:58,756
A century later,
when terror once again
275
00:15:58,858 --> 00:16:00,158
threatens these shores,
276
00:16:00,260 --> 00:16:04,462
the military turns to
the louisiana bayous to conduct
277
00:16:04,564 --> 00:16:07,832
vital training
for its world war ii troops.
278
00:16:09,669 --> 00:16:13,504
Today, both structures are
being swallowed by the swamps
279
00:16:13,606 --> 00:16:16,874
they were built to
help protect.
280
00:16:16,977 --> 00:16:19,243
Hymel: And it's kind of amazing
that you've got these two
281
00:16:19,346 --> 00:16:23,047
structures within spitting
distance of each other that
282
00:16:23,149 --> 00:16:24,983
were developed
283
00:16:25,085 --> 00:16:27,118
because the united states
was under threat
284
00:16:27,220 --> 00:16:29,287
from a foreign power.
285
00:16:34,561 --> 00:16:38,096
Narrator: Coming up,
attack of the black blizzard.
286
00:16:38,198 --> 00:16:41,833
This must have been hell
on earth.
287
00:16:41,935 --> 00:16:44,135
Narrator:
And an invisible killer
288
00:16:44,237 --> 00:16:46,738
stalks africa's elephants.
289
00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:48,806
This is really shocking.
290
00:16:48,908 --> 00:16:52,010
These look like full-grown,
healthy elephants,
291
00:16:52,112 --> 00:16:54,379
and they're just laying
there dead.
292
00:17:05,558 --> 00:17:07,191
Narrator:
July 2010.
293
00:17:08,962 --> 00:17:12,030
An aerial survey scans
the state of nebraska,
294
00:17:12,132 --> 00:17:16,267
the heart of america's
agricultural breadbasket.
295
00:17:19,506 --> 00:17:22,006
What we're looking at here
is clearly farmland,
296
00:17:22,108 --> 00:17:24,575
but there's something
strange about this farmland.
297
00:17:24,677 --> 00:17:28,846
Ruben: There are miles
of these dark lines.
298
00:17:28,948 --> 00:17:31,949
It looks like bits of
tic-tac-toe boards just
299
00:17:32,052 --> 00:17:35,219
kind of cut up and scattered
all around the landscape.
300
00:17:37,657 --> 00:17:39,157
Narrator:
Closer analysis reveals
301
00:17:39,259 --> 00:17:42,827
the mystery patterns
appear to be rows of trees,
302
00:17:42,929 --> 00:17:46,764
but what's really weird about
them is how much of the country
303
00:17:46,866 --> 00:17:48,032
they cover.
304
00:17:48,101 --> 00:17:50,868
As I zoom out,
I can see that these
305
00:17:50,970 --> 00:17:53,805
patterns stretch hundreds
of miles,
306
00:17:53,907 --> 00:17:57,075
from texas to north dakota.
307
00:17:57,177 --> 00:18:01,012
Maxar's securewatch software
reveals the rows
308
00:18:01,114 --> 00:18:06,217
extend 100,000 square miles
across six different states.
309
00:18:07,687 --> 00:18:12,090
These patterns not only cover
a huge part of the country,
310
00:18:12,192 --> 00:18:14,659
but also,
as I look back in time,
311
00:18:14,761 --> 00:18:19,564
I can see that these patterns
were here decades ago.
312
00:18:19,666 --> 00:18:23,134
Narrator: The giant rows of
trees first appear on
313
00:18:23,236 --> 00:18:26,637
maps of the midwest
during the 1930s,
314
00:18:26,739 --> 00:18:30,174
providing a clue to
their extraordinary history.
315
00:18:30,276 --> 00:18:34,245
The 1930s area haunting
memory for people
316
00:18:34,347 --> 00:18:36,047
that live in this part
of the world.
317
00:18:36,149 --> 00:18:38,483
Heimler: What we find when
we look at the historical record
318
00:18:38,585 --> 00:18:41,085
is that these trees
were planted to stave off
319
00:18:41,187 --> 00:18:42,987
a severe natural disaster.
320
00:18:44,657 --> 00:18:46,591
Narrator:
The disaster has its origins
321
00:18:46,693 --> 00:18:49,827
70 years earlier
in the 1860s,
322
00:18:49,896 --> 00:18:53,831
when president abraham lincoln
signs the homestead act,
323
00:18:53,933 --> 00:18:57,802
offering anyone a 160-acre
plot of public land
324
00:18:57,904 --> 00:19:00,004
in the midwest
for a few dollars.
325
00:19:02,375 --> 00:19:05,610
Wave after wave of people
take the bait,
326
00:19:05,712 --> 00:19:10,615
turning more than 80 million
acres of native prairie
327
00:19:10,717 --> 00:19:12,583
into farmland.
328
00:19:12,685 --> 00:19:15,653
If there's one thing
that's in every american's
329
00:19:15,755 --> 00:19:18,422
blood from the beginning of
the nation,
330
00:19:18,525 --> 00:19:21,993
it's they wanted
to push west.
331
00:19:22,095 --> 00:19:27,198
And so something like 500,000
families, in a mass exodus, took
332
00:19:27,300 --> 00:19:29,100
the government up on this,
went out,
333
00:19:29,202 --> 00:19:30,268
and settled in the midwest.
334
00:19:30,370 --> 00:19:31,969
[cannon blasts]
335
00:19:32,071 --> 00:19:35,573
narrator:
During world war I,
336
00:19:35,675 --> 00:19:39,544
yet more prairie is converted
to crops as farmers answer
337
00:19:39,646 --> 00:19:42,346
the call to win the war
with wheat.
338
00:19:42,448 --> 00:19:46,784
There's this desperate need
for food from europe, for
339
00:19:46,886 --> 00:19:48,085
the rest united states,
340
00:19:48,188 --> 00:19:50,454
and it's a real boom.
341
00:19:50,557 --> 00:19:52,557
But with every boom,
there's a bust.
342
00:19:55,595 --> 00:19:58,496
Narrator: When the conflict
ends, wheat prices plummet,
343
00:19:58,598 --> 00:20:02,400
forcing desperate farmers to
tear up yet more prairie to
344
00:20:02,502 --> 00:20:04,068
grow extra crops.
345
00:20:06,272 --> 00:20:08,706
And worse is to come.
346
00:20:08,808 --> 00:20:11,909
In the early 1930s, one of
the largest droughts in
347
00:20:12,011 --> 00:20:15,546
1,000 years set in upon
this part of north america.
348
00:20:16,616 --> 00:20:20,518
That drought caused
all of the tilled land
349
00:20:20,620 --> 00:20:24,722
to essentially dry up
and degrade.
350
00:20:24,824 --> 00:20:27,058
Narrator: With no
deep-rooted prairie grass
351
00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:28,593
left to hold it in place,
352
00:20:28,695 --> 00:20:32,196
winds lift the bone-dry
soil skywards,
353
00:20:32,298 --> 00:20:37,001
creating apocalyptic dust
clouds 10,000 feet high.
354
00:20:38,271 --> 00:20:41,239
The result is what's
called the dust bowl.
355
00:20:43,977 --> 00:20:46,811
Ruben: People were shoveling
dust like it was snow.
356
00:20:46,913 --> 00:20:49,780
The eroding soil
created these colossal,
357
00:20:49,882 --> 00:20:53,751
hellish dust storms called
black blizzards that would
358
00:20:53,853 --> 00:20:56,988
block out the sun
for days at a time.
359
00:20:57,090 --> 00:20:59,590
Heimler: It was truly
massive in scale.
360
00:20:59,692 --> 00:21:03,094
It actually enshrouded
the statue of liberty,
361
00:21:03,196 --> 00:21:05,763
and ships at sea in
the atlantic ocean
362
00:21:05,865 --> 00:21:09,233
were covered with dust.
363
00:21:09,302 --> 00:21:11,002
Narrator:
The suffocating dust fills
364
00:21:11,104 --> 00:21:13,404
the lungs of the farmers
and their families,
365
00:21:13,506 --> 00:21:18,676
killing around 7,000 and making
half a million people homeless.
366
00:21:20,113 --> 00:21:23,514
With the midwest
facing economic collapse,
367
00:21:23,616 --> 00:21:27,218
president theodore roosevelt
hatches a plan that gives rise
368
00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,421
to the vast rows
of trees in the image.
369
00:21:30,523 --> 00:21:34,492
Roosevelt's first idea was to
plant a huge swath of trees
370
00:21:34,594 --> 00:21:35,860
1,000 miles wide
371
00:21:35,962 --> 00:21:37,962
that stretched all
the way from the canadian border
372
00:21:38,064 --> 00:21:39,797
to the mexican border.
373
00:21:39,899 --> 00:21:44,101
The trees would theoretically
create a buffer so that
374
00:21:44,203 --> 00:21:46,203
the wind couldn't pick up
these storms,
375
00:21:46,306 --> 00:21:50,975
and the tree roots would keep
the soil in its place.
376
00:21:51,077 --> 00:21:55,046
Narrator: But roosevelt's plan
was astronomically expensive
377
00:21:55,148 --> 00:21:58,182
and would take 12 years
to implement.
378
00:21:58,284 --> 00:21:59,817
There was no way that was
gonna happen,
379
00:21:59,919 --> 00:22:01,419
but why not, instead,
380
00:22:01,521 --> 00:22:04,588
just try to be a little more
minimalist about it,
381
00:22:04,691 --> 00:22:06,257
and that's what they did.
382
00:22:08,061 --> 00:22:10,895
Ruben: The idea was that whole
series of these smaller walls
383
00:22:10,997 --> 00:22:13,464
of trees would go around
individual farms,
384
00:22:13,566 --> 00:22:15,733
creating what was called
the shelterbelt.
385
00:22:17,804 --> 00:22:20,638
Narrator: The so-called
great plains shelterbelt project
386
00:22:20,740 --> 00:22:22,873
mobilizes thousands
of laborers made
387
00:22:22,975 --> 00:22:24,909
unemployed during
the great depression,
388
00:22:25,011 --> 00:22:28,846
who plant 200 million trees
across the midwest.
389
00:22:31,517 --> 00:22:33,818
Ruben: The project turns out
to be an enormous,
390
00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,421
unprecedented success that not
only blocks the dust storms
391
00:22:37,523 --> 00:22:39,757
but also returns fertility
to the land.
392
00:22:39,859 --> 00:22:42,193
Heimler: It's hard to remember
another time in history when
393
00:22:42,295 --> 00:22:45,496
the federal government
intervened in such a decisive
394
00:22:45,598 --> 00:22:46,831
and successful way.
395
00:22:48,468 --> 00:22:51,235
Narrator: Eight decades later,
the remnants of this
396
00:22:51,337 --> 00:22:55,039
audacious plan remain,
revealed from the skies.
397
00:22:56,476 --> 00:22:59,510
Ruben: It's amazing that for all
of our technological advances,
398
00:22:59,612 --> 00:23:04,248
the best idea to fix this was
just planting a lot of trees.
399
00:23:04,350 --> 00:23:07,184
And who knows? These weird
linear forests might still
400
00:23:07,286 --> 00:23:11,489
be visible hundreds of years
from now.
401
00:23:17,530 --> 00:23:21,031
Narrator: Coming up,
the mutant elephant killer.
402
00:23:21,134 --> 00:23:24,034
This could potentially jump
across the species barrier
403
00:23:24,137 --> 00:23:25,736
into humans.
404
00:23:25,838 --> 00:23:28,806
Narrator: And journey to
the center of the earth.
405
00:23:28,908 --> 00:23:32,109
It looks more like
it belongs in sci-fi
406
00:23:32,211 --> 00:23:33,277
than on our planet.
407
00:23:43,322 --> 00:23:45,689
Narrator: A nasa earth
observation satellite scans
408
00:23:45,792 --> 00:23:50,227
the 6,000-square-mile okavango
delta in northern botswana.
409
00:23:53,299 --> 00:23:56,066
This vast wetland system is
a sanctuary for
410
00:23:56,169 --> 00:23:59,303
more than 2,000 species of
plant and animal.
411
00:24:03,543 --> 00:24:08,379
Yet in may 2020, scientists
conducting an aerial survey of
412
00:24:08,481 --> 00:24:12,283
the region discover that
this oasis of life has become
413
00:24:12,385 --> 00:24:13,951
a place of death.
414
00:24:16,856 --> 00:24:18,589
Schuttler:
This is really shocking.
415
00:24:18,724 --> 00:24:21,659
There are dozens,
even hundreds,
416
00:24:21,761 --> 00:24:23,661
of dead elephants.
417
00:24:25,031 --> 00:24:29,300
Narrator: The grisly scene
continues for mile after mile.
418
00:24:29,402 --> 00:24:34,805
More than 350 giant carcasses
litter the ground.
419
00:24:34,907 --> 00:24:38,943
It doesn't look like
any predators attacked them.
420
00:24:39,045 --> 00:24:42,079
These look like full-grown,
healthy elephants,
421
00:24:42,181 --> 00:24:44,615
and they're just
laying there, dead.
422
00:24:46,619 --> 00:24:48,986
You can also see that their
tusks are still intact,
423
00:24:49,088 --> 00:24:50,287
which is very strange.
424
00:24:50,389 --> 00:24:51,822
Normally the tusks
are removed, because
425
00:24:51,924 --> 00:24:53,657
poachers have gone after
these elephants.
426
00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:58,295
Whatever killed them is
something unseen.
427
00:24:58,397 --> 00:25:01,165
And that, to me,
is even more scary.
428
00:25:03,336 --> 00:25:05,970
Narrator: Biologists examine
the aerial images for
429
00:25:06,072 --> 00:25:09,039
clues to the cause of
this carnage.
430
00:25:09,141 --> 00:25:10,875
Nelson: The one thing
you see is that all of
431
00:25:10,977 --> 00:25:14,512
these elephants are dying near
or around watering holes.
432
00:25:14,614 --> 00:25:15,746
So maybe there's something in
433
00:25:15,848 --> 00:25:18,449
the water that's killing
these elephants.
434
00:25:18,551 --> 00:25:21,352
Narrator:
Local newspapers provide
435
00:25:21,454 --> 00:25:23,654
more possible evidence.
436
00:25:23,756 --> 00:25:27,591
We know that villagers
who have come into conflict
437
00:25:27,693 --> 00:25:30,961
with elephants have poisoned
them with cyanide in the water.
438
00:25:34,433 --> 00:25:36,534
Narrator:
Over the past 100 years,
439
00:25:36,636 --> 00:25:39,537
the african elephant
population has plummeted from
440
00:25:39,639 --> 00:25:42,540
10 million two 400,000.
441
00:25:44,110 --> 00:25:46,110
Studies suggest that
the animals have
442
00:25:46,212 --> 00:25:48,712
retained a collective memory
of this slaughter,
443
00:25:48,814 --> 00:25:50,481
[elephant trumpeting]
444
00:25:50,583 --> 00:25:53,450
and they're wreaking their
revenge on local villagers.
445
00:25:53,553 --> 00:25:55,419
[elephant trumpeting]
446
00:25:55,521 --> 00:25:59,189
they kill hundreds of people
in africa a year.
447
00:25:59,292 --> 00:26:03,627
We are looking at one of
the largest land mammals to ever
448
00:26:03,729 --> 00:26:06,463
walk the earth --
it can easily,
449
00:26:06,566 --> 00:26:09,333
and they do,
stomp and gore people.
450
00:26:09,435 --> 00:26:13,237
[elephant trumpeting]
451
00:26:13,372 --> 00:26:16,073
maybe the carnage
that we're seeing has
452
00:26:16,175 --> 00:26:18,342
something to do with
the nearby villages.
453
00:26:20,846 --> 00:26:22,913
Narrator: Other analysts
think toxins are
454
00:26:23,015 --> 00:26:25,682
indeed present
in the water holes,
455
00:26:25,751 --> 00:26:28,519
but natural rather than
man-made ones.
456
00:26:28,621 --> 00:26:31,889
These water holes have
a brilliant color to them,
457
00:26:31,991 --> 00:26:35,593
which leads us to suspect that
there may be cyanobacteria
458
00:26:35,695 --> 00:26:36,894
looming in these.
459
00:26:36,996 --> 00:26:39,463
It creates toxins
called cyanotoxins
460
00:26:39,565 --> 00:26:41,932
that, in high enough
concentration in the water,
461
00:26:42,034 --> 00:26:45,569
will be deadly to anybody
or anything that drinks it.
462
00:26:47,707 --> 00:26:49,406
Narrator:
Satellite images reveal
463
00:26:49,508 --> 00:26:51,408
that prior to the mass deaths,
464
00:26:51,510 --> 00:26:55,312
the okavango had experienced
three years of extreme drought,
465
00:26:57,016 --> 00:26:59,016
concentrating bacterial
toxins in
466
00:26:59,118 --> 00:27:01,485
the watering holes into
a lethal soup.
467
00:27:03,856 --> 00:27:06,290
Yet there are problems
with this theory.
468
00:27:08,327 --> 00:27:12,363
When you look at the images
and the surrounding area,
469
00:27:12,465 --> 00:27:15,899
you don't see the carcasses of
any other large mammals.
470
00:27:16,002 --> 00:27:20,537
You would see dead giraffes,
buffaloes, hippos,
471
00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:24,642
but there's nothing like that,
so it can't be poisoning.
472
00:27:24,744 --> 00:27:29,246
Narrator: Eyewitness accounts
deepen the mystery.
473
00:27:29,348 --> 00:27:32,816
Locals reported that
the elephants were walking
474
00:27:32,918 --> 00:27:34,184
around in circles,
475
00:27:34,286 --> 00:27:38,355
looking very disoriented
before they collapsed.
476
00:27:38,457 --> 00:27:41,358
This means there could be
something neurological,
477
00:27:41,460 --> 00:27:44,294
some sort of impairment going
on in their brains.
478
00:27:44,397 --> 00:27:48,265
Narrator: Weighing in
at around 11 pounds,
479
00:27:48,367 --> 00:27:52,202
elephant brains are the largest
of any land animal
480
00:27:52,304 --> 00:27:56,106
and have three times
as many neurons as humans.
481
00:27:56,208 --> 00:27:57,808
They can use tools,
482
00:27:57,910 --> 00:27:59,677
have been shown to
demonstrate humor,
483
00:27:59,779 --> 00:28:03,947
compassion, and self-awareness
and also understand
484
00:28:04,050 --> 00:28:05,582
different languages.
485
00:28:05,685 --> 00:28:08,052
Mosher: But this also
makes them susceptible
486
00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:10,587
to neurological disorders
and diseases,
487
00:28:10,690 --> 00:28:14,324
so it could be that something
has infected them or affected
488
00:28:14,427 --> 00:28:17,695
their brain in such a way to
cause this strange behavior.
489
00:28:19,098 --> 00:28:21,065
Narrator:
Scientists have identified
490
00:28:21,167 --> 00:28:24,268
several viruses that can attack
the brains of large mammals,
491
00:28:24,370 --> 00:28:26,036
such as elephants.
492
00:28:26,138 --> 00:28:30,240
One possible suspect is
encephalomyocarditis.
493
00:28:32,144 --> 00:28:35,746
Schuttler: This virus is spread
by rodents and rats,
494
00:28:35,848 --> 00:28:37,448
and it attacks the heart,
495
00:28:37,550 --> 00:28:40,617
and then it causes
neurological symptoms
496
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,053
and rapid death.
497
00:28:43,155 --> 00:28:46,990
Narrator: The virus has never
before killed so many elephants
498
00:28:47,093 --> 00:28:48,425
so quickly.
499
00:28:48,527 --> 00:28:52,429
The nightmare scenario
is that the aerial images
500
00:28:52,531 --> 00:28:55,899
are evidence of a new strain
unknown to science.
501
00:28:59,305 --> 00:29:02,773
Szulgit: If this large number of
elephants died of a virus,
502
00:29:02,875 --> 00:29:05,809
we need to think about
the idea that this virus could
503
00:29:05,911 --> 00:29:10,180
potentially jump across
the species barrier into humans.
504
00:29:10,282 --> 00:29:13,717
Narrator: Diseases that can jump
between species, known as
505
00:29:13,819 --> 00:29:17,154
zoonoses, are one of
history's greatest killers
506
00:29:18,591 --> 00:29:23,560
from the great plague to
the black death, ebola to covid,
507
00:29:23,662 --> 00:29:26,196
they have claimed hundreds of
millions of lives.
508
00:29:27,566 --> 00:29:30,901
Today, experts calculate that
60% of
509
00:29:31,003 --> 00:29:34,772
emerging infectious diseases
originate in animals.
510
00:29:34,874 --> 00:29:37,474
Mosher:
One thing's for sure.
511
00:29:37,576 --> 00:29:39,510
These diseases are becoming
more prevalent,
512
00:29:39,612 --> 00:29:42,579
and it's not good news
for anybody.
513
00:29:42,681 --> 00:29:46,350
Narrator: Officials continue
to hunt for who or what
514
00:29:46,452 --> 00:29:49,586
is killing the giants of
the okavango.
515
00:29:49,688 --> 00:29:52,523
Elephants face huge problems.
516
00:29:52,625 --> 00:29:54,858
Now they're facing
a new threat.
517
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,328
So no matter what it is, we got
to get to the bottom of this.
518
00:30:04,503 --> 00:30:09,506
Narrator: Coming up,
the $17 billion treasure hunt.
519
00:30:09,608 --> 00:30:13,677
This is where
the soviets hit pay dirt.
520
00:30:14,914 --> 00:30:17,014
Narrator: And decoding
mystery hill.
521
00:30:18,117 --> 00:30:21,852
Why would someone create
this structure out
522
00:30:21,954 --> 00:30:23,487
in the middle of
the woods like this?
523
00:30:31,363 --> 00:30:34,531
Narrator:
June 26th, 2016.
524
00:30:36,502 --> 00:30:39,870
The geoeye-1 satellite scans
a remote town in
525
00:30:39,972 --> 00:30:41,638
eastern siberia.
526
00:30:41,740 --> 00:30:43,373
This is really one of
527
00:30:43,475 --> 00:30:46,944
the most amazing satellite
images I've ever seen.
528
00:30:49,348 --> 00:30:52,983
There's this enormous crater
in the middle
529
00:30:53,085 --> 00:30:54,384
of the earth.
530
00:30:54,486 --> 00:30:57,855
Narrator:
A hole 1,700 feet deep
531
00:30:57,957 --> 00:31:00,090
and 4,000 ft wide
532
00:31:00,192 --> 00:31:03,093
punctures he town,
a wound in the earth
533
00:31:03,195 --> 00:31:05,529
the width of 15 city blocks.
534
00:31:07,399 --> 00:31:10,033
Ruben: The hole is so large
and so deep,
535
00:31:10,135 --> 00:31:13,403
it said that it can actually
suck in aircraft.
536
00:31:15,374 --> 00:31:18,775
It looks more like it belongs
in sci-fi than on our planet.
537
00:31:21,013 --> 00:31:24,114
Narrator: Analysts study
the massive chasm in detail.
538
00:31:24,216 --> 00:31:26,984
Kourounis: Zooming in,
we can see these concentric
539
00:31:27,086 --> 00:31:30,287
ridges that lead all
the way down to the bottom,
540
00:31:30,389 --> 00:31:32,990
and that tells me that this is
likely a gigantic
541
00:31:33,092 --> 00:31:35,659
open pit mine.
542
00:31:35,761 --> 00:31:40,530
Narrator: The nightmarish void
is a colossal diamond mine,
543
00:31:40,633 --> 00:31:45,002
but it isn't just its scale
or city center location that
544
00:31:45,104 --> 00:31:46,203
puzzles experts.
545
00:31:46,305 --> 00:31:50,574
I don't see any activity
or machinery being used.
546
00:31:50,676 --> 00:31:54,544
The bottom of this hole
is flooded.
547
00:31:54,647 --> 00:31:56,346
That suggests to me that some
548
00:31:56,448 --> 00:31:58,749
kind of disaster
has happened here.
549
00:32:00,853 --> 00:32:03,787
Narrator: Local media reports
confirm that this mine
550
00:32:03,889 --> 00:32:07,591
has indeed become a place
of death,
551
00:32:07,693 --> 00:32:10,527
and it's a tragedy that was
decades in the making.
552
00:32:14,066 --> 00:32:17,701
The story begins in 1950 when
the communist invasion of
553
00:32:17,803 --> 00:32:20,137
south korea,
sponsored by the kremlin,
554
00:32:20,239 --> 00:32:22,439
provokes
an international crisis.
555
00:32:23,976 --> 00:32:27,444
The soviets are supplying
the north koreans with mig
556
00:32:27,546 --> 00:32:30,080
fighter jets, nato ends up
557
00:32:30,182 --> 00:32:33,083
imposing sanctions
against the ussr,
558
00:32:33,185 --> 00:32:37,220
and this forbids the sale of
any defense items to
559
00:32:37,323 --> 00:32:40,190
the soviet union, and that
actually includes diamonds.
560
00:32:41,460 --> 00:32:43,794
Narrator:
The sanctions are devastating
561
00:32:43,896 --> 00:32:47,197
to the ussr, because it
desperately needs industrial
562
00:32:47,299 --> 00:32:50,634
diamonds to help it recover
from the catastrophic fallout
563
00:32:50,736 --> 00:32:52,336
of world war ii.
564
00:32:52,438 --> 00:32:55,205
Ruben: If you want to drill
for oil or gas,
565
00:32:55,307 --> 00:32:57,274
you need diamond-tipped
drill bits.
566
00:32:57,376 --> 00:32:59,042
If you want
precision machines,
567
00:32:59,144 --> 00:33:01,244
you need diamond-tipped
cutting blades.
568
00:33:01,347 --> 00:33:03,380
No diamonds means
they can't rebuild
569
00:33:03,482 --> 00:33:06,216
their industrial strength
and therefore their economy.
570
00:33:08,787 --> 00:33:11,221
Narrator: The sanctions
infuriate soviet dictator
571
00:33:11,323 --> 00:33:12,923
joseph stalin...
572
00:33:14,893 --> 00:33:16,827
...Who dispatches
expeditions to
573
00:33:16,929 --> 00:33:19,429
locate a homegrown
diamond supply.
574
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,401
In 1955, after years
of searching,
575
00:33:24,503 --> 00:33:28,472
geologists find promising
deposits in the icy wastelands
576
00:33:28,574 --> 00:33:31,074
of siberia.
577
00:33:31,176 --> 00:33:33,110
Kourounis:
But in this part of the world,
578
00:33:33,212 --> 00:33:35,012
it's one thing to know that
you've got diamonds in
579
00:33:35,114 --> 00:33:36,980
the ground.
580
00:33:37,082 --> 00:33:39,583
It's another thing entirely to
get them out.
581
00:33:42,221 --> 00:33:46,056
Narrator: In eastern siberia,
winter lasts for seven months,
582
00:33:46,158 --> 00:33:49,693
and temperatures plummet
to minus 40 fahrenheit.
583
00:33:51,463 --> 00:33:55,032
This place is so cold
that oil freezes,
584
00:33:55,134 --> 00:33:57,934
car tires get brittle
and break.
585
00:33:58,037 --> 00:34:01,104
They have to use jet engines
to fog permafrost
586
00:34:01,206 --> 00:34:03,173
so that it can dig a little
bit easier.
587
00:34:03,275 --> 00:34:06,076
On the flip side,
when things do thaw out,
588
00:34:06,178 --> 00:34:08,412
it becomes a huge mess.
589
00:34:08,514 --> 00:34:10,414
It's muddy, it's swampy,
590
00:34:10,516 --> 00:34:12,549
the equipment
sinks into the ground.
591
00:34:12,651 --> 00:34:15,685
Buildings can sink
into the ground.
592
00:34:15,788 --> 00:34:18,855
Narrator: Despite
these extraordinary challenges,
593
00:34:18,957 --> 00:34:20,557
over the following decades,
594
00:34:20,659 --> 00:34:24,027
the diamond mine becomes
the biggest and most productive
595
00:34:24,129 --> 00:34:25,095
on earth.
596
00:34:25,197 --> 00:34:28,732
This enormous,
unsightly hole in
597
00:34:28,834 --> 00:34:33,303
the ground is where
the soviets hit pay dirt.
598
00:34:33,405 --> 00:34:35,338
At one time,
this mine was
599
00:34:35,441 --> 00:34:38,041
producing over 10 million
carats a year.
600
00:34:38,143 --> 00:34:40,744
I mean, that's just
an incredible amount of
601
00:34:40,846 --> 00:34:42,179
precious gems.
602
00:34:42,281 --> 00:34:47,184
Narrator: The mine is named
mir, russian for peace.
603
00:34:47,286 --> 00:34:52,122
Yet much of the $17 billion
worth of diamonds excavated
604
00:34:52,224 --> 00:34:54,057
here helps
line the pockets
605
00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:56,927
of corrupt officials
or finance the soviet
606
00:34:57,029 --> 00:34:57,961
war machine.
607
00:35:04,403 --> 00:35:07,938
By the 1990s,
the mine is deep enough to fit
608
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,808
the empire state building inside
it with room to spare,
609
00:35:11,910 --> 00:35:15,378
leading to the stories of
aircraft disasters that persist
610
00:35:15,481 --> 00:35:16,580
to this day.
611
00:35:16,682 --> 00:35:18,348
There are no fly zones
612
00:35:18,450 --> 00:35:20,617
over this hole,
because helicopters that
613
00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:22,085
would fly over it
would kind of
614
00:35:22,187 --> 00:35:25,922
get sucked in by air moving
down into and out of
615
00:35:26,024 --> 00:35:27,591
this giant pit.
616
00:35:30,496 --> 00:35:33,797
Narrator: As the hunt for
diamonds goes deeper still,
617
00:35:33,899 --> 00:35:37,300
the miners are forced to dig
a six-mile-long labyrinth
618
00:35:37,402 --> 00:35:42,105
of tunnels under
the base of the pit,
619
00:35:42,207 --> 00:35:45,008
and disaster strikes.
620
00:35:45,110 --> 00:35:47,544
More than 100 men are working
underground when, all
621
00:35:47,646 --> 00:35:51,181
of a sudden, the mine floods,
and water traps them.
622
00:35:54,353 --> 00:35:56,586
It breaks through
like a tidal wave.
623
00:36:00,058 --> 00:36:02,659
And eight of the miners
are actually killed.
624
00:36:05,230 --> 00:36:08,431
Narrator: The tragedy brings
the mir mine's epic 60-year
625
00:36:08,534 --> 00:36:11,301
journey towards the center of
the earth to an end,
626
00:36:12,704 --> 00:36:17,007
leaving the apocalyptic void
visible from space.
627
00:36:17,109 --> 00:36:18,275
Kourounis: After the disaster,
628
00:36:18,377 --> 00:36:22,679
the mine is closed, kind of
a watery memorial to those
629
00:36:22,781 --> 00:36:24,147
who lost their lives there,
630
00:36:24,249 --> 00:36:27,250
but also to the rise and fall
of the soviet union.
631
00:36:33,392 --> 00:36:37,260
Narrator: Coming up, did irish
monks discover america?
632
00:36:37,362 --> 00:36:40,030
Morgan: Maybe they sail up
a river in new hampshire,
633
00:36:40,132 --> 00:36:43,266
and they build this monument
to mark their arrival.
634
00:36:51,109 --> 00:36:53,543
Narrator: July 12th, 2014.
635
00:36:56,915 --> 00:36:59,349
Eyes in the sky over
new hampshire capture
636
00:36:59,451 --> 00:37:03,353
a pattern in a wooded area
far below.
637
00:37:03,455 --> 00:37:05,288
Heimler: It's very strange.
638
00:37:05,390 --> 00:37:06,690
In the middle of the forest,
639
00:37:06,792 --> 00:37:11,928
we see -- looks like different
lines that are jutting out
640
00:37:12,030 --> 00:37:14,864
in all different directions.
641
00:37:14,967 --> 00:37:17,334
Narrator:
The mystery symbol's spokes
642
00:37:17,436 --> 00:37:20,036
are each around
2,000 feet long.
643
00:37:21,607 --> 00:37:24,207
Bellinger: The lines are very
straight and symmetrical,
644
00:37:24,309 --> 00:37:27,010
and they meet
at a center point.
645
00:37:27,112 --> 00:37:30,247
From an archaeological
standpoint, that points
646
00:37:30,349 --> 00:37:34,050
to a ceremonial
or a ritual function.
647
00:37:36,788 --> 00:37:39,089
Narrator:
Images taken at ground level
648
00:37:39,191 --> 00:37:41,925
seem to confirm this theory.
649
00:37:42,027 --> 00:37:44,494
The site is actually
a series of
650
00:37:44,630 --> 00:37:49,232
walkways and standing stones
that are massive.
651
00:37:49,334 --> 00:37:52,035
It looks like they are
concentrated on the east
652
00:37:52,137 --> 00:37:54,404
and the west,
so that makes me wonder,
653
00:37:54,506 --> 00:37:57,807
do they mark out some kind of
celestial alignment?
654
00:38:00,779 --> 00:38:03,880
Narrator: Astronomically
aligned stones are not unique.
655
00:38:05,250 --> 00:38:08,051
But this is new hampshire,
not prehistoric britain.
656
00:38:09,254 --> 00:38:13,223
Why would someone
create this structure out
657
00:38:13,325 --> 00:38:15,358
in the middle of the woods
like this?
658
00:38:18,330 --> 00:38:21,364
Narrator: Local land records
dating from 1937
659
00:38:21,466 --> 00:38:23,400
offer the first clues.
660
00:38:23,502 --> 00:38:27,137
They refer to the site
as mystery hill.
661
00:38:28,507 --> 00:38:31,074
We know that this site was
properly examined for
662
00:38:31,176 --> 00:38:34,744
the first time in the 1930s
by william goodwin.
663
00:38:36,014 --> 00:38:38,315
Heimler: William goodwin was
an amateur archaeologist,
664
00:38:38,417 --> 00:38:40,617
and he was obsessed with
finding evidence in
665
00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:45,355
the americas of european
arrival before columbus.
666
00:38:49,227 --> 00:38:51,795
Narrator: As goodwin
excavates mystery hill,
667
00:38:51,897 --> 00:38:54,898
he unearths a series of
structures that he believes
668
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,701
predate columbus
by several 100 years.
669
00:39:00,972 --> 00:39:04,207
He claims that some of them
resemble ancient irish stone
670
00:39:04,309 --> 00:39:06,142
huts called clochans,
671
00:39:06,244 --> 00:39:08,411
which were often used
by monks.
672
00:39:08,513 --> 00:39:11,281
Goodwin believed that
these stones were, in fact,
673
00:39:11,383 --> 00:39:15,652
the last refuge of some irish
monks called the culdees.
674
00:39:15,754 --> 00:39:16,853
That was an incredible theory,
675
00:39:16,955 --> 00:39:19,356
because what would a group of
irish monks be doing in
676
00:39:19,458 --> 00:39:20,824
new hampshire?
677
00:39:20,926 --> 00:39:23,827
Narrator: The claims are
highly controversial,
678
00:39:23,929 --> 00:39:26,596
but further discoveries appear
to lend weight to
679
00:39:26,698 --> 00:39:31,101
the idea that this site has
an ancient irish connection.
680
00:39:31,203 --> 00:39:36,206
Of all the finds that are most
enigmatic at mystery hill,
681
00:39:36,308 --> 00:39:42,011
one of them is a stone granite
slab weighing about 4.5 tons.
682
00:39:42,114 --> 00:39:45,181
Bellinger: It's similarly
constructed and shaped to
683
00:39:45,283 --> 00:39:50,286
the stone wedge burial
chambers used by the celts.
684
00:39:52,491 --> 00:39:54,257
Narrator:
According to most academics,
685
00:39:54,359 --> 00:39:58,895
the first europeans to reach
north america were the vikings,
686
00:39:58,997 --> 00:40:00,697
led by the norse explorer
687
00:40:00,799 --> 00:40:03,066
leif eriksson
during the 10th century.
688
00:40:04,469 --> 00:40:08,571
But what goodwin imagines,
however, is maybe 300 years
689
00:40:08,673 --> 00:40:11,141
before that,
the culdee monks arrive,
690
00:40:11,243 --> 00:40:13,443
and they sail up a river
in new hampshire,
691
00:40:13,545 --> 00:40:16,579
and they build this monument
to mark their arrival.
692
00:40:18,283 --> 00:40:20,950
Narrator: Legend has it that
the first irishman to reach
693
00:40:21,052 --> 00:40:24,988
north america was st. Brendan
in around 512 ad.
694
00:40:26,858 --> 00:40:30,059
While many consider this
a myth, tantalizingly,
695
00:40:30,162 --> 00:40:33,763
some native american religions
bear striking resemblances to
696
00:40:33,865 --> 00:40:35,765
protestant
and catholic beliefs,
697
00:40:37,335 --> 00:40:40,470
and the first north american
vikings referred to parts of
698
00:40:40,572 --> 00:40:42,806
the u.S. As irland it mikla,
699
00:40:42,908 --> 00:40:44,474
or greater ireland.
700
00:40:46,545 --> 00:40:49,179
Hunt: There are some norse
sagas that
701
00:40:49,281 --> 00:40:53,049
talk about traveling
west of iceland,
702
00:40:53,151 --> 00:40:57,220
where they came across
christians who were baptizing.
703
00:40:57,322 --> 00:41:00,857
Maybe there's an element of
truth to these culdean monks.
704
00:41:05,597 --> 00:41:07,664
Narrator: Yet when
archaeologists are brought
705
00:41:07,766 --> 00:41:10,166
in to further excavate
the site,
706
00:41:10,268 --> 00:41:12,368
establishing a direct
connection to
707
00:41:12,471 --> 00:41:14,704
the culdean monks proves to
be impossible.
708
00:41:16,274 --> 00:41:19,509
They find that william goodwin
probably altered some of
709
00:41:19,611 --> 00:41:21,277
the landscape himself,
710
00:41:21,379 --> 00:41:24,214
rebuilt some of
the stone structures.
711
00:41:24,316 --> 00:41:26,516
Heimler: He said he was
putting them back in their
712
00:41:26,618 --> 00:41:27,717
original locations,
713
00:41:27,819 --> 00:41:31,354
but how did he know
their original locations?
714
00:41:31,456 --> 00:41:33,823
Narrator: Many academics have
since dismissed
715
00:41:33,925 --> 00:41:36,493
goodwin's research at
mystery hill
716
00:41:36,595 --> 00:41:38,561
and also claimed that
the stones were
717
00:41:38,663 --> 00:41:41,464
shaped by farmers
in the 19th century.
718
00:41:41,566 --> 00:41:45,368
But to others,
the weird site uncovered from
719
00:41:45,470 --> 00:41:49,038
the skies holds more secrets
yet to be revealed.
720
00:41:50,442 --> 00:41:54,210
I wish we could put a closer
finger on who built this place.
721
00:41:54,312 --> 00:41:59,749
But mystery hill, unfortunately,
remains a mystery.
60992
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