Original subtitles

NARRATOR: A disturbing find

uncovered in one of the driest places on earth

reveals a violent past.

- They uncovered the remains of a staggering 96 humans!

NARRATOR: The discovery of a gigantic geoglyph

leads to an international mystery...

WAKEFIELD: The total diameter of the figure

is an astonishing 28 kilometres!

- This thing is HUGE!

- But who was behind it?

NARRATOR: And baffling bones are exposed in Chile...

- The more they dug,

the more the sands revealed bone after bone!

- They are pieces of a puzzle waiting to be solved!

NARRATOR: Astonishing discoveries

unearthed from the depths of the desert!

(tense beat)

(rattling)

Ancient lost cities...

..forgotten treasures...

..mysterious structures!

Extraordinary curiosities once lost to the sands of time are revealed!

As new technology uncovers remarkable tales

hidden beneath the deserts of the world,

the secrets in the sand will FINALLY be exposed!

(cracking)

(atmospheric beat)

(beeps)

The northern region of the state of South Australia

is one of the most arid, barren places on the continent.

This vast desert plain is dotted with dry salt lake beds

and little else.

- Except for some cattle stations,

small, remote communities and indigenous groups,

the area is largely uninhabited due to the harsh conditions.

NARRATOR: A pilot was flying a small plane

between the towns of Coober Pedy and Marree.

On a plateau approximately 60 kilometres west of Marree,

he spotted something strange on the desert floor...

- He couldn't believe his eyes...

Deep, thick lines several kilometres long

appeared to have been carved into the earth...

And when he gets a better look,

it seems to be the HUGE figure of a man!

- He has a prominent beard,

wears a headband and has his hair tied back

and his left hand is holding something above his head.

- The lines that make up the image are about 70 to 90 metres wide.

From top to bottom,

it measures 4.2 kilometres

and the total diameter of the figure is an astonishing 28 kilometres!

- It's visible from over 5,000 feet in the air.

This thing is HUGE!

(tense beat)

NARRATOR: When the pilot changed his flight path

to get a clearer view,

he noticed something else on the figure...

What looked like ritualistic scarring

on his chest!

- Some Aboriginal groups of Australia

practised scarification,

which is cutting one's body intentionally

to produce scars.

Beyond aesthetic purposes,

they used scarification to mark certain milestones in life.

Marriage, the birth of a child, the death of a loved one...

- Given the hairstyle, the headband

and the chest scarring,

the figure might be an Aboriginal man

in a hunting stance.

Could it be an ancient indigenous geoglyph of some kind?

(intriguing beat)

- This is Arabana country.

They have native title to over 69,000 square kilometres

in the region.

NARRATOR: The traditional tribal name of the Arabana

is the Ngurabanna,

which means The Land of the Mound Springs,

water holes that are vital to sustaining life

in the dry desert outback.

- The Arabana have lived in this area

for thousands of years,

so it's possible that the geoglyph had always been there

but no one had noticed it before.

NARRATOR: The scale of the figure

makes it one of the largest geoglyphs in the world,

drawing comparisons to Peru's famous Nazca Lines.

- The Nazca Lines are HUGE line drawings

etched in the ground

spanning some 50 square kilometres

of the Rio Grande de Nasca River basin,

which is one of the driest places on earth!

(drums beating)

- They're thought to be ritual offerings to the gods,

asking for rain in a desert environment.

(drums continue)

- Some of the lines are believed to be around 2,000 years old,

so could the geoglyph in Australia

be as old as the Nazca Lines?

NARRATOR: As the Australians continued to explore the site

on the ground

they found modern bamboo stakes every ten metres

marking the outline of the figure.

- It can't be ancient!

These stakes look like something you'd buy

at your local garden centre!

And their placement is SO accurate

it had to be done using GPS coordinates.

- People start looking for answers

and it eventually leads them to satellite images of the plateau.

There's a picture taken on May 27th 1998

that shows no sign of the figure.

The next available image is from June 28th

and it's clearly visible...

So, we know it must have been built within that timeframe!

- And so begins one of Australia's most perplexing mysteries...

Who created this mysterious geoglyph in the outback?!

- For something THAT big to be built so quickly,

heavy machinery MUST have been used

but nobody in the area saw or heard anything...

It's pretty remote, but that's still surprising!

NARRATOR: Then, a series of cryptic, anonymous faxes

began arriving at local businesses,

alerting them to the figure's presence!

- "There is a giant drawing of an Aborigine

more than two miles long.

The figure could provide your state of Southern Australia

with the type of tourist attraction it is apparently seeking.

Aborigines from local reservations could also benefit

as guides, artists, et cetera."

- Whoever sent this message

must have had intimate knowledge of the figure

as nobody else knew about it except for the pilot

and the few residents of the area that he told.

NARRATOR: Analysis of the language patterns

revealed that much of the phrasing and spelling

seemed to be American.

- They used the term reservations instead of Aboriginal country,

which is the Australian terminology.

They also use miles instead of kilometres.

- The phrase state of Southern Australia is used,

which is wrong!

The state is actually called South Australia.

NARRATOR: Spurred on by the developing mystery,

the Australian Government and curious citizens

made the journey to get a closer look at the geoglyph,

now being called Marree Man after the town nearby.

What they found was extraordinary...

- It's perfectly proportioned

and so well-drawn

that whoever created it likely drew the figure by hand

then used a computer to overlay the image

on a satellite photo of the plateau!

They would've had to adjust the scale

to the contours of the land

then map out the outline using a handheld GPS device!

- GPS technology was VERY new at the time

and only a few industries would have had access to it.

Mining surveyors, academia,

the military.

NARRATOR: They discovered something puzzling

during their examination of the site...

A small pit dug near the figure

that contained a satellite image of the Marree Man

as well as a small American flag!

- Between the flag,

the American terminology in the faxes,

necessary GPS expertise...

It all seems to indicate that Americans were responsible

for the Marree Man!

- Could the US military have been behind it?

They would've had the technology,

access to equipment

and they're EXPERTS at stealth operations!

(atmospheric beat)

NARRATOR: An enormous geoglyph

appeared in the middle of the Australian outback,

leaving local residents wondering who could have been responsible

for its creation...

The United States Air Force did have a presence in the area

at the time,

sharing the joint defence facility Nurrungar

with the Australian Defence Force from 1969 to 1999.

- Some have theorised

that the Marree Man was a parting gift to the ADF...

But if that's the case,

what's up with all the cryptic messages?!

Wouldn't they have just taken credit?

- The US military officially denied any involvement

in the creation of the Marree Man.

So, if it wasn't them... Who was it?

(wind swirling)

(searching beat)

NARRATOR: Several months later,

another clue directed followers and authorities

16,000 kilometres away to England

and a mystery buried near the Cerne Giant

in Dorset.

The Cerne Giant is a 55-metre-tall geoglyph of a naked man

holding a large club

carved with chalk into a hillside

near the village of Cerne Abbas.

- We now have an international scavenger hunt on our hands!

The note discovered had clues that point towards tourism

and support of indigenous athletes of the Sydney Olympics.

- Could this possibly mean that an indigenous group was behind it?

NARRATOR: The land where the Marree Man is situated

was part of a contentious title claim dispute,

leaving some to speculate

that the geoglyph was an attempt to assert ownership of the land

by the Arabana.

- Though the Marree Man appears to be an Aboriginal hunter,

the hairstyle, headband and chest scarring

don't match those of an Arabana man.

And if it WAS a statement of land ownership,

wouldn't they want to take credit for it?

(birds chirping)

- Authorities then turn their attention

to another clue buried near The Long Man of Wilmington

in England.

NARRATOR: Similar to the Cerne Giant,

The Long Man is a hillside geoglyph

but instead of wielding a club

it's holding long, narrow sticks in each hand.

- They are directed to a 1935 book entitled The Red Centre

by H.H. Finlayson.

It contains a photo of an indigenous hunter

similar to the Marree Man geoglyph.

NARRATOR: The author of the book

was associated with the Museum of South Australia

but died in 1991

so he couldn't be responsible for the Marree Man.

With no other clues,

rumours began to circulate about a suspect

who WAS alive and well at the time...

- Bardius Goldberg,

an eccentric artist who liked to thumb his nose at authority,

had a history of creating large-scale artworks on the ground.

- He's alleged to have received $10,000

shortly before the Marree Man was discovered

and he told friends he was working on a BIG project

but he couldn't reveal any details!

- However, Goldberg passed away in 2002

without ever confirming or denying that he was involved

in the making of the Marree Man.

- It's been almost 25 years since the Marree Man was discovered

and in all that time

not ONE person has come forward to say that they helped Goldberg

or claim the geoglyph's creation for themselves!

NARRATOR: In 2012,

the Australian Government awarded the Arabana people

native title of the land

containing the Marree Man.

By this time,

the extreme conditions of the outback

had eroded the outline,

leaving it barely visible.

- Looking for ways to increase tourism in the area,

the Arabana joined forces with a local business owner

who was asked to organise the restoration project.

But even with advances in technology,

it's a daunting task!

- And then, out of the blue,

one final twist in the saga of the Marree Man!

(clicks)

An anonymous email is received

with a set of highly accurate coordinates

outlining the entire figure.

NARRATOR: In 2016,

armed with this precise data,

the team were able to fully restore the Marree Man

to its original glory!

To this day,

tourism in the area continues to flourish

with visitors from far and wide

flocking to see the mysterious wonder in the desert!

- In the end, we may NEVER know who created it...

Some say it was a bored farmer,

others think it was a publicity stunt

to drum up tourism.

And the more conspiracy-minded

even suggest extraterrestrial involvement!

NARRATOR: Perhaps the enigma of the Marree Man

can be summed up by a quote

from one of the original anonymous faxes...

(beeps)

Along the northern coast of Chile lies the Atacama,

one of the oldest and driest deserts on the planet.

(wind whipping)

- This desert is believed to be 150 million years old

and covers a nearly 1,100-kilometre stretch of land

between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

NARRATOR: Arica is Chile's most northern city

and is known as the city where it never rains!

This hyper-arid desert landscape

experiences less than one millimetre of rain each year

and is largely devoid of plant and animal life.

On the edge of the town,

the Arica Water Company were digging ground

to lay a new pipeline

when they made a disturbing discovery

long lost to the sands of the Atacama...

- Less than a metre below the surface,

in an area less than seven square metres,

they uncovered the remains of a staggering 96 humans!

- The deformed but well-preserved human remains

were stuffed with sticks and reeds.

They were decorated with both red and black clay masks

and elaborate wigs.

- This isn't your average burial!

These are intentionally mummified remains!

So, who are they?!

NARRATOR: Using radiocarbon dating,

archaeologists were able to prove that these extraordinary mummies

were at least 7,000 years old!

- This area of Chile was once home to the Chinchorro,

an ancient culture of coastal hunter-gatherers

and fishermen.

They were coastal-dwelling people

who didn't cast any pottery or build any monuments.

They lived from around 7000 BCE to 1500 BCE.

More than 9,000 years ago!

- That means that

these 7,000-year-old South American Chinchorro mummies

are more than 2,000 years OLDER than the mummies of Egypt!

This is an AMAZING discovery!

- While some of the bodies have been inadvertently preserved

by the dry conditions of the desert climate,

resulting in naturally baked mummies,

most of the remains have been intentionally

and meticulously mummified.

- Egyptian mummification practices involved laying human remains flat

and desiccating them

before wrapping and entombing them.

However, in the case of these Chinchorro mummies,

the human remains were bundled together

with other materials

and more or less left to the elements

in shallow grave sites.

And the hyper-dry conditions of the Atacama

made the preservation process even more effective.

NARRATOR: The purposefully preserved remains of the Chinchorro

fall into two main mortuary styles...

Mummies wearing the black clay masks

that date from 5000-3000 BCE

and ones wearing red clay masks

that date from 2500-2000 BCE.

- The black clay mummies had been dismembered,

treated and reassembled

then stuffed with reeds, sticks and ash.

Then they were dressed with clay and painted with manganese,

a pigment derived from local rock formations.

- The red clay mummies were treated with a more surgical approach.

Their organs were removed to dry the cavities

before the stuffing process.

They were then masked and painted with red ochre,

a naturally red-toned clay.

- Whether men, women or children,

these remains were preserved with care

and treated with reverence,

regardless of status.

This is another difference

from the well-known Egyptian mummification practice,

which was primarily accessible to members of the elite.

NARRATOR: Further inland,

additional excavations revealed another SIX recent burial sites

containing HUNDREDS of remains!

These naturally mummified remnants were dated to between 1000 BCE

and 600 CE,

long after the Chinchorro culture came to an end.

- Physical investigation and X-ray imaging

of these more recently discovered bones

uncovered shocking details about how they may have lived

AND died.

- They found broken ribs, cheeks and collarbones,

severe head injuries

and obvious puncture wounds to the soft tissue,

including the groin, lungs and spine.

These are clear signs of traumatic injury due to violence.

NARRATOR: Among the remains,

a young woman drew special attention

because of the brutality of her injuries...

(beat pierces)

NARRATOR: In Chile's arid Atacama desert,

a gruesome discovery of the remains of a young woman

revealed a brutal and violent past.

- It... It... It's horrifying.

- Archaeologists also found spears, knives and stones tied with ropes

alongside the bodies.

The malicious injuries coupled with the weapons

makes one wonder what was the cause of the violence?

- The earlier Chinchorro people

were not strangers to violence either,

but none were treated in such an abusive manner

as these later peoples.

There were a number of fatal wounds

found with the earlier Chinchorro mummies,

like this adult male from around 1780 BCE.

He was found with the head of a harpoon

embedded in his chest

but the pattern of violence within THIS community

appears to have been more sporadic

than that found in later communities.

- The adult Chinchorro population

did show a smaller range of healed and fatal wounds.

However, the level and inconsistency of these traumas

appears to be representative of small skirmishes,

NOTHING like the consistent levels of violence

we see in these later communities!

NARRATOR: To gain a better understanding of the violence

these communities were experiencing

and to determine their origins and migration patterns,

samples were taken from 69 of the naturally preserved mummies

discovered at the six burial sites.

- The result of the sample analysis

proves that the mutilated woman was from further north,

in today's Peru.

- Forty-two people in the sample are believed to be coastal-dwellers

living off the sea and foraging in the desert.

This group of 42 would have had a lifestyle

more similar to that of the earlier Chinchorro peoples.

- The remaining 27 shared an isotopic signature

that indicates that they lived on a more varied, terrestrial diet.

This means they were likely living deeper into the Azapa Valley

and were less reliant on the sea.

- This evidence suggests

that the conflicts were between the farmers of the valley

and the fishermen along the coast.

NARRATOR: At the time,

the river valleys were some of the only places in the Atacama

with enough water to grow a greater range of foods.

- It seems that, after many thousands of years,

groups of these coastal peoples began moving inland,

away from the sea,

in an attempt to forge a new life,

building small villages

along these scarce outcroppings of viable land.

- They planted corn and chilli peppers,

likely trading with

and learning from the non-desert farming communities

of the north and east.

- Though these communities remained small,

many people settling in one area

would naturally lead to increased interpersonal conflict.

However, experts believed there were larger forces at play here.

(drums beating)

(fades)

NARRATOR: Archaeologists turn to the environment,

examining marine life,

weather patterns

and conducting mineral tests

for a more thorough understanding of the situation.

- Fishermen are dependent on the sea

and these ancient communities were no different.

Climate scientists studying historic patterns of El Nino

believe that this recurrent natural event

may have played a role in the violence they experienced.

- El Nino events interrupt the cool upswells

of nutrient-rich water coming from the depths of the ocean

and replaces them with warmer water.

This results in less phytoplankton,

ultimately reducing the available sea life

that these ancient fishermen would have relied on.

- Climate scientists also studied the discarded shells

and marine life remains found in dumpsites

near these coastal communities.

These remains are believed to be food waste

and so they're evidence of the local diet at the time.

- In the same period of time

that these people were experiencing extreme violence,

they also found evidence of a significant seafood shortage.

Less seafood for an extended period of time

could have made these people even more desperate.

- El Nino does not only influence the sea,

it also has a drying effect

on the already parched Atacama landscape.

This warmer, dryer climate

would have also added pressure on these ancient farmers.

NARRATOR: Archaeologists believed that the lack of seafood stocks

had led desperate coastal communities

into the nearby inland farming settlements

in search of food.

(beeping)

- Under the hottest, driest desert conditions

exacerbated by El Nino,

communities likely fought over access to the most basic resources

like food, land and water.

NARRATOR: As the environment changed,

so too did the lifestyles of the Atacama peoples,

who relied upon the sustainability of their resources

and their ability to defend them.

(wind whipping)

(atmospheric jam)

(beeps)

Abusir is situated on Egypt's western desert plateau,

only 25 kilometres south of Cairo.

Despite being so close to such a large urban city,

it feels like it's in the middle of the desert!

- The desert at Abusir is a famed burial ground

of Ancient Egypt.

Over the course of centuries,

many of the kingdom's pharaohs and nobility were buried here.

- It is here, as well as in nearby areas like Giza,

where excavations have revealed incredible artefacts and structures

that have contributed significantly

to our understanding of Ancient Egyptian society.

NARRATOR: A team of archaeologists were excavating a site

when they discovered a vast collection of ceramic vessels.

While it isn't unusual to find ancient ceramics

at archaeological sites,

the sheer volume of them was astounding!

- Inside the vessels,

they find materials that priests would have on hand when embalming

or mummifying a body.

So, could this actually be a tomb?

(atmospheric music)

NARRATOR: At the famous Egyptian burial grounds of Abusir,

archaeologists have discovered a large cache of ceramic vessels

containing embalming materials,

leading them to wonder

if they'd uncovered a previously undiscovered tomb.

- In Ancient Egypt,

the dead would sometimes be buried with some of the instruments

and materials that were used in the embalming process

and it appears that this is what has happened here.

NARRATOR: Archaeologists believe this was what's called a shaft tomb,

essentially a deep rectangular grave.

The Ancient Egyptians sometimes buried their dead

in tombs such as these

along with a diverse range of tools, clothes

and other necessities they might require in the afterlife.

- But there are literally HUNDREDS of these embalming vessels,

which makes one wonder, who were they all for?!

- As they continued to excavate the chamber,

they find a set of four limestone canopic jars.

Canopic jars are essential vessels in the rite of mummification.

NARRATOR: Mummification was an elaborate process

which involved removing the organs from the body,

treating them

and placing the liver, intestines, stomach and lungs

in canopic jars.

They were then usually placed next to the deceased,

where they would remain for all eternity.

- The Egyptians believed the body was the home for the soul or spirit.

If the body was destroyed

or, in other words, decomposed,

the spirit would be lost.

For this reason, great care was taken

in preserving physical manifestation of the body.

This way, both spirit AND body

could continue on together into the afterlife.

- But these four canopic jars are ALL empty...

And not only are these jars empty

but there is NO sarcophagus either!

So, if this is actually a tomb, where is the body?!

(searching music)

- In 1000 BCE,

during the time that we call the Third Intermediate Period,

embalming techniques improved

and for the wealthiest elites

these advances enabled priests to treat the viscera

and then place them back inside the body.

This means the canopic jars would be included in the grave

for symbolic purposes only.

So, that kind of narrows down the time period

we should be looking at

to some time in the Third Intermediate Period

or after.

NARRATOR: After cleaning and inspecting

the empty canopic jars,

the archaeologists noticed inscriptions

written across their surface

indicating the tomb belonged to a man named...

- Throughout Ancient Egyptian history,

there were several men who went by that name

but a tomb like this

would come at a significant financial cost,

so this Wahibre-mery-Neith

would likely have been a wealthy nobleman

or high official of sorts.

- Similar shaft tombs have been found

in the direct vicinity of this one.

In fact, next to Wahibre-mery-Neith lies the tomb of one Udjahorresnet.

Inscriptions on his statue

indicate that he lived around the sixth century BCE.

NARRATOR: This was a period of great volatility and flux

for the kingdom.

In 525 BCE,

the Persian Army, under King Cambyses II,

had invaded and defeated the Egyptians.

Cambyses crowned himself Pharaoh of Egypt

and subjected its people to his rule.

- Udjahorresnet's life's work is inscribed on his statue,

which reads that he convinced the occupying powers

to respect local tradition

and pay homage to Egyptian deities.

NARRATOR: As they continued

to excavate the tomb of Wahibre-mery-Neith,

the archaeologists uncovered a secondary shaft

that descended 16 metres into the bedrock.

At the bottom,

they discovered a large double sarcophagus

composed of two sections...

An outer limestone covering

which encased an inner sarcophagus made of basalt.

Both appeared to be heavily damaged.

- There is clear evidence of looting.

The graverobbers made an opening

in the outer section of the sarcophagus

and then smashed open the inner section

in order to get inside and remove the mummy.

NARRATOR: But despite the damage and looting that had taken place,

they hadn't succeeded in taking ALL of the precious items.

The archaeologists discovered that Wahibre-mery-Neith

had also been buried with 402 ushabti figures.

- Ushabtis are small human figurines

that were an essential component of a person's burial.

In the afterlife,

when the gods called upon the deceased to work,

he or she could turn to the ushabtis,

who acted as servants,

performing manual labour for the departed.

NARRATOR: Inscriptions on his sarcophagus were also found

which partially translated to 'commander of foreign mercenaries'.

- So, Wahibre-mery-Neith WAS a commander of mercenaries

who were fighting for the newly minted Persian ruler

of Egypt.

- What we can tell from this grave is that Egyptians,

despite intense pressures from the ruling Persians,

maintained their rites and traditions,

which might have been VERY difficult

in the face of Persian occupation!

- You can see evidence of this struggle

in the statue of Udjahorresnet.

He is depicted wearing Persian clothing

but described in the text carved on the statue

as an Egyptian official

who lived in accordance with the traditional rules of Maat

or order.

NARRATOR: Wahibre-mery-Neith

may have been fighting for a foreign power

by commanding their soldiers,

but along with his Egyptian peers

maintained their local traditions at a time of incredible uncertainty.

(drums beat and fade)

(beeps)

The Pan-American Highway,

a network of roads connecting North and South America,

runs through Chile's Atacama Desert.

While the Atacama may not be the hottest desert,

it IS one of the driest places on earth!

- Some experts believe that this land,

which stretches over a thousand kilometres,

is one of the oldest deserts in the world.

NARRATOR: During a routine expansion of the Pan-American Highway,

road crews digging new ground

discovered something bizarre in the middle of the desert...

- They uncovered massive bones just below the surface...

And not just some,

but HUNDREDS of them in a 240-metre-long road cut!

- The highway cuts through a harsh landscape,

bordered by the Pacific to the west and the desert to the east.

The bones were found not far from shore,

between Caldera and the inland town of Copiapo.

- Perfectly preserved by the arid climate

of the ancient Atacama,

these bones are pieces of a puzzle

waiting to be solved.

What ancient creature could they be?

- The more they dug,

the more the sands revealed bone after bone...

In fact, many whole skeletons were found side by side!

- It took only a brief inspection by palaeontologists

for the answer to become clear...

These are whale bones!

NARRATOR: Some whale bones were discovered

along with various other marine specimens

lying between two and a half and seven metres below ground,

while the majority of the whale bones

were found at a depth ranging from five to seven metres.

- In total, palaeontologists counted an astounding 31 whale skeletons!

And not just ANY whales...

These are rorqual whales,

a type of baleen or toothless whale

that filter food from the sea using large thin, keratin plates.

The remains represented a wide range of maturation,

from calves to full-grown adults.

- Rorquals can be identified by the ventral grooves

that extend from their chin all the way down to their bellies,

which allows them to open their mouths extra wide!

NARRATOR: Along with the remains of the whales,

they uncovered a variety of other extinct marine mammals

and vertebrates,

including seals, an aquatic sloth,

a walrus whale, sharks and large fish!

- Based on the extinct aquatic sloths and extinct sharks

found in the sediments,

they were able to determine

that the site dates from the late Miocene Era,

so it's between five and 11 million years old!

- How did SO many whales

end up on the edge of the world's driest desert?!

One theory is that a tsunami could be responsible.

NARRATOR: A tsunami can be caused by several factors...

Large earthquakes that occur near or under the ocean,

onshore landslides

and even by volcanic eruptions.

Chile has the fifth highest occurrence of tsunamis

in the world,

with a total of 166 to date!

- One of the biggest tsunamis on record in Chile

was a 50-metre-high wave!

That type of oceanic event would have the force necessary

to disrupt and displace many different types of marine life.

- Depending on their depth

at the time of that type of extreme wave,

a whale near the beach could either be pulled out to sea

or stranded on the sand.

- But we would likely see a lot more disordered and scattered bones

as a result of trauma

rather than the intact skeletons found here along the highway.

- Not to mention the disruption to the land

caused by a wave of that size

would alter the sedimentary structure of the sands

around the bones...

But those changes are NOT present here.

If they weren't ravaged by a tsunami,

the question is did they swim here?!

NARRATOR: Palaeontologists examining the layout of the site

determined that the placement of many of the intact whales

is orthogonal

or lying at a right angle to the flow of the current.

- The orientation of the remains indicates that they didn't swim

but were swept there by the currents.

- Additionally,

experts determined that the majority of whales

found in the deposits

were positioned ventral side up

or, in other words, on their backs.

- When you take into account their bodily orientation

and belly-up discovery,

it's highly likely that these whales washed up dead or dying,

only to be trapped and buried by the sand.

So, how did SO many marine animals get trapped here?

NARRATOR: The location of where these whales were found

is what's known as a super tidal flat,

an area of land

extending just beyond the reach of high tide.

- These flats were cut off from the beach by rock formations,

preventing marine life from entering or exiting

unless there was extremely high tides

or rough storm waters.

This accounts for the lack of apparent scavenging

by marine life

other than some hungry but now fossilised crabs.

- The Atacama Desert

is also incapable of supporting large land animals

that would be interested in scavenging on this salty feast.

The restricted flat,

coupled with the hyper-arid desert climate,

created an excellent environment for in situ decay.

- The whales likely experienced a quick death in the ocean

before being carried to the flat.

So, what killed these whales?

NARRATOR: Stranding or beaching

occurs when large sea mammals or fish

end up on the shore,

unable to return to the water on their own.

While there can be extenuating circumstances,

this is usually due to sickness or injury,

extreme weather or navigational errors.

- While the beaching of lone animals is somewhat common,

mass strandings are MUCH more rare.

- Statistically,

toothed whales have a greater likelihood of mass stranding

due to the fact that they're highly social

and live in larger groups

compared to baleen whales.

NARRATOR: In the late 1980s,

14 humpback whales,

another variety of baleen whale,

were discovered beached along 50 kilometres of coastline

around Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

- The humpbacks showed no signs of bodily trauma

but their stomach contents showed high concentrations of toxins

that likely caused their death.

Could something similar have happened

to these Chilean whales?

NARRATOR: Unlike the beached humpback whales,

the team couldn't test the stomach content

of the rorqual whales

but their skeletal remains could hold the answer...

Experts identified orange-stained blotches

that they believed to be the remains of algal mats.

- Algal mats are multi-layered sheets of microorganisms

that form on the surface of water or rocks.

When these mats reproduce at excessive rates,

they can result in harmful algal blooms,

also known as red or green tides.

- Best estimates are that this massive, ancient whale deposit

is the result of rapid death at sea

due to ingested toxins created by harmful algal blooms.

- Runoff from the iron-rich Andes Mountains

combined with swells of nutrient-rich ocean water

would have created the PERFECT storm for algal blooms.

NARRATOR: The whale remains have all been recovered

and transported to museums for safekeeping.

Named Cerro Ballena or Whale Hill

for the sheer volume of rorqual whales discovered there,

this site will continue to enhance

researchers' understanding of ocean life for years to come!

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