All language subtitles for Secrets.in.the.Sand.S01E04.1080p.WEB.h264-BAWD_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR: A bizarre discovery
in the sand of Wadi al-Jarf

may reveal the secret
of Egypt's largest pyramid.

- They have to be man-made,
but what are they?

NARRATOR: Astounding camel rock art

discovered on the edge
of the Saudi Arabian desert

may change our understanding
of human history in the region.

- This site is much, much older
than we initially thought.

NARRATOR: And an
extraordinary rock formation

discovered in the Sahara
is out of this world.

- It's really an awe-inspiring
sight, but what exactly is it?

NARRATOR: Astonishing discoveries

unearthed from the depths
of the desert.

Ancient lost cities,

forgotten treasures,

mysterious structures,

extraordinary curiosities,
once lost to the sands of time

are finally revealed

as new technology
uncovers remarkable tales

hidden beneath the deserts
of the world.

The secrets in the sand

will finally be exposed.

- (trickling sand grains)

NARRATOR: 150 kilometres
south of Suez, Egypt,

along the western coast of
the Red Sea, is Wadi El-Jarf.

This region is part of
Egypt's Eastern desert,

approximately 220,000 square
kilometres of the Sahara,

that conceals innumerable mysteries

lost to the sands of time.

- Around 95% of Egypt's population

lives within 20km
of the Nile River Basin.

While the rest of the country
is virtually uninhabited

because of the hostile
desert environment,

Wadi El-Jarf included.

NARRATOR: A large team
of marine archaeologists

were investigating a remote section

of the Red Sea coast at Wadi El-Jarf

when they discovered
something strange in the water.

- At first sight, it looks
sort of like a landform

running parallel to the shoreline.

At low tide, it becomes
even more visible.

- It could be a shoal,
which are ridges that form

where currents deposits material

that builds up over time
and creates a shallower area.

- But shoals are usually made up
of sand or other fine sediment.

However, this formation at Wadi
El-Jarf appears to be made of rock.

NARRATOR: The marine archaeologists

continued their investigation
underwater.

And discovered that the
formation was L-shaped,

stretching about 160m east,

then turning southeast

and extending
for roughly another 120m.

- This is a huge structure!

- Whatever it is, could have been
on land when it was constructed

and then over the years,
erosion and rising sea levels

ate into the coast
and it ended up submerged.

- Maybe it's the ruins of an ancient
palace that sat close to the shore,

or a military outpost

for defending against enemies
coming from the sea.

- But this is a desolate area.

There's no evidence that
there was ever a city here

or anything worth defending.

NARRATOR: As the team
explored beneath the water,

they made another
surprising discovery.

Limestone blocks on the sea floor,

all with a hole cut into them.

NARDI: They're about
the size of a microwave,

and have been shaped into
a trapezoid with rounded corners.

They have to be man-made.
But what are they?

NARRATOR: The team
moved the excavations

onto the shore at Wadi El-Jarf

and unearthed further evidence
of ancient activity.

The ruins of two
large stone structures,

about 30m in length
and eight to 12m in width.

- The buildings seem to have
five or six rooms,

separated by low walls constructed
with limestone and pebbles.

The same materials used to build
the underwater structure.

Another 99 limestone blocks with
holes cut into them were found.

But unlike the ones
discovered on the sea floor,

these seem to have traces
of rope attached to them.

LEONARD: So the limestone
blocks found at Wadi El-Jarf

are most likely anchors.

The ones found on the seabed
probably fell off boats.

The ones found in the collection
on land were probably stored

in the two buildings
that were discovered.

CANTOR: Given the L-shape
and the presence of anchors,

it's likely the underwater
structure was a pier,

which also would have
served as a breakwater,

protecting moored ships from
the ravages of the Red Sea.

- Considering all the evidence
found in the vicinity of the pier,

it looks like there must have been

significant maritime activity
on this part of the coast.

NARRATOR: In 1823, a British
explorer had discovered tunnels

around 6km inland
from the location of the pier,

but nobody had
investigated them further.

Interested in a possible connection,

the team ventured to the site.

- There are 30 long narrow tunnels
carved into the hillside.

They average 15-20 metres in length,

3m in width and 2.5m in height.

Clearly, they're man-made.

And they're spacious enough
for human activity.

But what were they for?

NARRATOR: Exploring
the tunnel complex further,

the team discovered
something strange.

Hundreds of pieces of wood.

CANTOR: Several pieces of the wood
are thought to be parts of oars.

And there are also lengths
of rope and dozens of jars.

So this whole system of tunnels
looks like it must have been used

as a storage area for boat parts
and supplies for voyages.

LEONARD: But maybe this
tunnel system was used

for more than just storage
and supplies.

It's entirely possible
that whole boats

were assembled
and stored here.

NARDI: All signs point
to Wadi El-Jarf

being a major seafaring hub.

Which is kind of strange,
considering that population centres

at the time were hundreds of
kilometres across the desert.

CANTOR: And there's no evidence
of any infrastructure

or extensive human presence

that you typically find
at a busy port site.

Why would the Ancient Egyptians

build this harbour complex
in the middle of nowhere?

NARRATOR: In Egypt, a discovery
in the waters of the Red Sea

had sparked interest
from archaeologists

who drew a potential connection

to a series of tunnels 6km inland.

Further exploring the tunnels,

the team made
an astonishing discovery

that may be
one of the most important

in the storied history
of Egyptian Archaeology.

- There are around 800 pieces
of inscribed papyri!

And most are very well preserved

because of the dry
desert environment

and from being in the tunnels,
sheltered from the elements.

NARRATOR: The archaeologists

set about analysing
and translating the papyri.

And found that one of the
best preserved pieces

made reference to the year after
the 13th cattle count,

approximately 2570 BCE,

during Pharaoh Khufu's reign.

Famously, Khufu's tomb

lies within the largest
pyramid in Egypt,

the Great Pyramid of Giza.

An architectural feat commissioned
by the pharaoh himself.

NARDI: The cattle count
was a way for Egyptian officials

to collect taxes based on
assessing the value

of a farmer's crops and livestock.

They travelled from place to place
every two years

and quite literally counted cows.

- If the papyri were written after

the 13th cattle count
of Khufu's reign,

then that means that this was
the 27th year of his time in power

and they date back
almost 4,600 years.

CANTOR: These are the oldest
inscribed papyri ever found.

And the harbour at Wadi El-Jarf
is the oldest of its kind.

NARRATOR: Their remarkable age

is even noted by the Guinness Book
of World Records.

Further analysis of the papyri

not only revealed
the age of the harbour site,

including the pier
originally discovered,

but surprising details
about what transpired there

during Khufu's reign.

- There are two basic
categories of documentation.

The first is a
sort of accounting ledger

detailing deliveries to the area.

The second, and by far
the more intriguing of the two,

seems to be the daily diary
of a man named Merer.

WAKEFIELD: He appears to have
been a bureaucrat of some kind

who was in charge of a team of men

ferrying goods throughout Egypt.

At one point, the journals
mention a stop at Tura,

a town known for
its limestone quarry.

NARDI: Merer describes
loading their boat with stone

and taking it up the Nile River.

So it seems likely that they
were building something.

But what exactly was it?

NARRATOR: Merer's diary
also references

reporting to the noble Ankh-haf,

who was thought to be
the half-brother of Khufu

and a powerful figure within
the pharaoh's inner circle.

- It's been long suspected that
Ankh-haf oversaw the building

of the Great Pyramid at Giza.

We know that Tura limestone
was used

for the pyramids' outer layer, so
Merer's diary provides a glimpse

into the logistical and
engineering feats required

to build one of the
wonders of the world.

- One thing that has puzzled
experts over the years

is how the Ancient Egyptians got
the massive stones to Giza

to build the pyramids.

The Nile is several miles away,

and it would have required
a Herculean effort

to transport them over land.

LEONARD: According to
Merer's account,

the stones were taken from Tura
directly to Giza by boat.

Which supports the popular theory

that the Egyptians redirected parts
of the Nile, probably using canals,

and constructed a major port close
to the pyramid complex at Giza.

- But if Merer and his men
were involved

in the building of
the Great Pyramid,

then why was his diary found over
200km away at Wadi El-Jarf?

NARRATOR: Wadi El-Jarf is about
50km across the Red Sea

from the Sinai peninsula,

the location of Egypt's
mining operations.

Some experts believe
that Merer's responsibilities

were more focused on acquiring
and delivering materials

like copper and turquoise that
were needed to make the tools

used to build the Great Pyramid.

LEONARD: So the harbour was
probably built to secure easy access

to the resources needed for
these huge construction projects.

And despite this important role,

Wadi El-Jarf was probably
only in use for a few decades.

NARDI: Why the harbour
was ultimately abandoned

is still up for debate.
But the common belief

is that it may have been shut down
at the end of Khufu's reign,

having served its purpose of
helping to build the Great Pyramid.

- Maybe, for his final act,

as operations at the harbour
came to an end,

Merer simply tossed the
papyri into the tunnel

and sealed the entrance,
symbolically closing the book

on this chapter of
Ancient Egyptian history,

only for it to be opened again
an astounding 4,600 years later.

NARRATOR: This was
a monumental discovery.

Merer's diary provides the
only first-hand account

of the logistical and engineering
achievements that went into

one of the most fabled construction
projects in world history.

- (wind whistles)

- (echoing wind)

NARRATOR:
In northern Saudi Arabia,

just south of the city of Sakakah,
is the Al Nafud desert.

Which translates to
'The Great Sand Dune.'

This is the second-largest
stretch of the Arabian desert

and features enormous
crescent-shaped,

red-tinted sand dunes.

- The extreme heat of this desert

can reach as high
as 54 degrees Celsius

and never drops below
15 degrees, even in the winter.

- Not much thrives here in this
65,000 square kilometre desert.

It even has a reputation
for being impassable

and incredibly inhospitable.

NARRATOR: Along the northern
edge of the desert,

8km outside Sakakah,

researchers exploring the region

were drawn to
a crumbling outcropping

of three striated
sandstone rock spurs.

When they looked closely,

they discovered clear traces
of human life.

NARDI: Along the rock face
are carved outlines

of what looks like legs and bodies.

Some are very faint etchings,

others are crumbling,
rounded-out shapes.

But they are clearly
images of animals.

- The artworks are large.
Practically life-sized!

Measuring 1.5 to 2.5m in length,

with legs up to 1m tall.

They are very distinctive
animals. They're camels.

- (grunts)

NARRATOR: Camels are an essential
part of Saudi Arabian culture,

integral to modern life, and
are still celebrated today.

53% of the Arabian peninsula's
camels are found in this area,

providing food, labour,
and entertainment.

- There is even a camel pageant at
King Abdulaziz Camel Festival,

awarding the most beautiful
camel each year

from Gulf and Arab countries.

So it is not surprising that these
magnificent beasts of burden

would be featured in local art
throughout the ages.

- Looking around,
there are 12 separate panels

with a total of 21 animal images.

The animals include 17 camels,

and what is likely an
early ancestor of the horse.

LEONARD: The images carved
at the rock spurs are reliefs.

A technique of sculpting in which

the image protrudes
from the background

but is still connected to it.

- They are made in both low relief,

featuring slightly raised images,

and high relief, where the image
stands out in three dimensions

from the flat surface, creating
more shadow and distinction.

NARRATOR: Experts compare this site

with the only other known
three-dimensional camel relief,

at Petra, Jordan.

The images at Petra's Bab as-Siq

revealed a monumental
sculptural group

along a narrow passageway

that features
herdsmen guiding camels.

- They're believed to be
from 50 BCE,

and are among the earliest
surviving reliefs in Petra.

So it's possible these camel
images outside Sakakah

could be around
2,000 years old as well.

- The images in Petra are
attributed to the Nabataeans,

Arabian nomads from the Negev Desert

who lived between the 6th century
BCE and 100 CE.

The Petra reliefs
feature similar subject matter.

But the works here in Saudi Arabia

are smaller than the giant
3.5m figures found there.

ELLIS: Historic
Nabataean caravan routes

crossed through what is now
the Sakakah Basin,

connecting the entire peninsula,

moving people and goods
over hundreds of years.

So it's possible
they could be responsible

for the images here too.

LEONARD: However, another
notable difference in the images

is that the animals at Sakakah
appear to be unharnessed

and featured in
their natural environment,

where humans play a secondary role.

This is unlike the Petra images

where the camels
are being guided by men.

So maybe they weren't
created by the Nabataeans.

- (sheep bleat)

HARIDY: While nomadic
Neolithic people of Arabia

did herd cattle, sheep, and goats,

they had not yet
domesticated camels,

likely only hunting them for food.

NARRATOR: Surveying the area
of ground and sediment

around the rock bases, researchers
discovered dozens of flint pieces

among the crumbling rocks and sand.

- When flint, which is
a form of quartz,

is struck by a heavier
or harder stone,

it creates jagged and
sharp fragments.

The pieces of flint found here

were likely tools used
to create the artwork.

NARRATOR: To date the artwork,

experts measured the regrowth
of the rock's natural varnish,

a coating on its surface caused
by atmospheric exposure.

This layer is mainly composed
of clay and oxides

and grows only a few micrometres
per thousand years.

HARIDY: The depth of
the varnish on the art

reveals that this site is much, much
older than we initially thought,

even older than the
2,000-year-old Petra camels.

NARRATOR: Further testing revealed

that the Sakakah camel site
actually dates

between 7,000
and 8,000 years ago.

Making these the oldest life-sized
animal reliefs in the world.

- The site is astounding,
not only given its age,

but considering the effort
it would have taken to create it.

Especially given the available
technologies at that time.

NARRATOR: While many areas of the
rock spur are still quite imposing,

digital reconstruction of the site
lead experts to believe

that the spurs would have
reached up to 10m in height,

and were between 70m
and 80m in length

at the time the art was created.

- It's likely that the reliefs
were created

over different periods
by multiple artists,

whether taking on panels
individually

or working on them in tandem.

Which could explain the differences
in style across the site.

HARIDY:
Given the enormous height,

and the fact that these life-sized,

two and three-dimensional camels

are seen throughout
the rock's surface,

one would assume that
whoever made these

would have needed some form
of ancient scaffolding.

NARDI: But why were they drawn here?

Seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

NARRATOR: On the edge of the
Arabian desert in Saudi Arabia,

the discovery of the oldest
animal reliefs in the world

pushed experts to unearth
more answers.

Archaeologists excavated
a one-by-five metre,

40cm deep trench, on the north side
of the centre rock spur.

They discovered artefacts
that ranged widely in age.

Some dated as far back as
the mid-6th millennium BCE,

while others were as recent as 1587.

- Eight transverse arrowheads were
among the artefacts discovered.

Their style is indicative of items

that were previously
catalogued in Jordan.

- Transverse arrowheads
tend to be much smaller

than the triangular arrowheads
you might normally think of.

They can range from
a few centimetres in length

to the size of a thumb nail.

NARRATOR: Transverse
arrowheads are a Neolithic relic

of ancient hunter-gatherer
societies.

They may be small, but
nonetheless, they are deadly.

Designed to penetrate deep
into the prey's flesh.

- These arrowheads are believed
to date from 5600-5300 BCE.

The evidence found in the
trench supports the idea

that Neolithic people seem to
have repeatedly returned

to this camel site over
a wide spectrum of time.

NARRATOR: The rock formations
are positioned

between the vast expanse
of the desert

and the mountainous
massif to the north,

an area of the Earth's crust
that is defined by faults.

- The rocks at the camel site

sit between 550-650m
above sea level.

And given their height
above the sand,

they would be visible
from quite a distance,

which could be helpful
after a long, dusty trek

through the extreme heat
of the desert.

ELLIS: Some people even think
that the original formation

may have looked somewhat
like a camel from a distance.

So perhaps the site
and its camel reliefs

were a landmark of some kind.

NARRATOR: Expanding the search,
researchers and locals alike

uncovered another 11 rock art sites

with similar carved
and engraved images

distributed along the edges
of the Al-Nafud Desert.

With a twelfth site as far away
as southern Jordan.

LEONARD: Teams have identified
a total of 27 panels,

depicting an astonishing 37
life-sized carvings of camels.

They all share common
characteristics,

including details like hair,
eyes, and ribs.

NARDI: It's believed that this site
was in use over a prolonged period,

and that communities
likely revisited

and added to the art over time.

Though the exact reason people
were drawn here is still unknown.

HARIDY: The camel rock art sites

across the Nafud desert,
including at Sakakah,

stand as evidence of
a deep artistic tradition.

NARRATOR: Above all, these sites
are testament to the fact

that the wild camel was a creature
of great cultural importance

for the Neolithic peoples
of this land.

The beginnings of a relationship
between man and animal

that would remain an integral
element of life in the region

for generations to come.

- (howling wind)

NARRATOR: The Adrar Plateau
in northwest Mauritania

is a remote, hostile region
of the Sahara desert,

mostly comprised of
desolate canyons,

imposing sand dunes, and
parched rocky landscapes.

- It's extremely dry here, averaging
around 70mm of rain annually.

And that mainly falls during August
and September,

which would explain why the region
is almost completely devoid of life.

NARRATOR: This extraordinary terrain

is even more striking
when viewed from above.

- All systems are good at this time.

- (boom)

NARRATOR: Astronauts on
a four-day orbit around Earth

aboard the Gemini IV spacecraft

were asked by NASA to photograph
the planet's landscape.

While flying over the Adrar Plateau,

they spotted something striking
in the middle of the desert.

ELLIS: It's a huge circular
formation on the ground

that has concentric rings
of different colours

extending out from
a large central area.

WAKEFIELD: It looks kind of like
a multi-coloured bull's-eye

carved into the desert.

And if the astronauts
could see it from space,

it must be absolutely massive.

- It's determined that the
diameter of the structure

is an astounding 40 kilometres.

It's really an awe-inspiring sight,

but what exactly is it?

NARRATOR: Named
the Richat Structure,

but most commonly referred to
as the Eye of the Sahara,

this mysterious geological formation

has perplexed scientists
ever since its discovery.

- Perhaps it's an impact crater,

created when an object from space
slammed into the Earth's surface.

After all, a circular formation
of this magnitude

is very rare
outside of meteorite strikes.

- Researchers in the area have found
what are called brecciated cherts.

These are small, angular pieces of
sedimentary rock, similar to quartz,

that are made up of smaller rock
fragments and minerals

that have been cemented
together over time.

WAKEFIELD: Whenever there's
a large extra-terrestrial impact,

a huge amount of debris, in the form
of different rock types,

is launched into the air.

These fragments then fall
back to the ground.

And over the years,
they slowly meld together.

NARRATOR: Breccias can be found
at almost all major impact sites.

Among them, northern Arizona's
famous Meteor Crater,

an almost otherworldly site

gouged into the desert
of the Colorado Plateau.

- It's a spectacular crater,

roughly 1,200 metres across

and 170 metres deep.

It's thought to be
around 50,000 years old,

which is actually fairly young
in geological time.

- About 150km southwest
of the Eye of the Sahara

is an impact site believed to be
significantly older.

The Aouelloul Crater could be
up to three million years old.

ELLIS: It's pretty close to the Eye,
so maybe this area

was once a hotbed
for meteorite activity.

WAKEFIELD: The Aouelloul Crater
is quite a bit smaller though,

with a circumference
of roughly 1.2km.

But there are
similar characteristics.

Like a raised rim around
a relatively flat centre.

NARRATOR: Further investigation
at the Eye of the Sahara

didn't uncover any
other evidence of impact.

Naturally, explosive incidents
leave traces behind,

but such pieces of evidence
were never found here.

- Yes, they found breccia,
but they were small.

An impact severe enough
to make a crater this large

would leave much bigger rocks
called megabreccia.

CANTOR: You would also find
shatter cones on surrounding rocks.

These are marks and fractures
caused by shockwaves,

but they haven't been
found at the site.

- The Eye is also very shallow
compared to how wide it is.

It's 40km across and yet
it's only about 50m deep.

If something hit the ground
with enough force

to leave a depression this wide,

there would be evidence
of the collision

at least 10km below
the surface of the Earth.

CANTOR: So if the Eye
isn't an impact crater,

what else could it be?

NARRATOR: The origin of an enormous
rock formation in the Sahara desert

has captured the curiosity
of people all over the world.

Many believe it might have
mythical origins.

WAKEFIELD: Some theorise
that the Eye

is actually the remains of the
legendary lost city of Atlantis.

ELLIS: Plato first
described Atlantis

in writings dated to 360 BCE,

claiming it was constructed
using concentric rings

that were varied
between land and water,

which kind of fits
the description of the Eye.

NARRATOR: Critics are
quick to point out

that most scholars believe
that the story of Atlantis

is nothing but a rhetorical
concept used by Plato.

A morality tale

about the destruction of an
advanced utopian society.

- It's a bit of a far-fetched
idea for several reasons.

First off, Plato describes
Atlantis's location

as being in the Atlantic, just
beyond the Pillars of Hercules,

which most people assume to be
in the Strait of Gibraltar,

hundreds of kilometres
away from the Eye.

- Atlantis is also said to have been
surrounded by flat plains.

That's not really an accurate
description of the rugged landscape

that surrounds
the Eye of the Sahara.

Plato also suggested that
there was a main canal

that ran through the city,

but there's obviously
nothing like that here.

- There's really no physical
evidence to suggest

that an advanced society
existed here.

But the Eye of the Sahara
has been home

to many interesting
archaeological finds

that are much older
than the mythical Atlantis.

NARRATOR: Along the outermost rings,

archaeologists have
unearthed stone tools.

Mostly primitive oval and
pear-shaped hand-axes

called bifaces, commonly
used by early humans.

- This means that there could
have been early human activity

in this area
over a million years ago.

Maybe this was the site

of some kind of ancient village
where early humans lived.

- But no evidence of human-made
structures has been found.

And there are no other deposits
that suggest

that early people lived here
on a permanent basis.

It's more likely that the area

was used temporarily
for hunting and tool-making.

And even if they did live here,
that doesn't tell us anything

about how the Eye
was actually formed.

NARRATOR: A recent theory

put forth by two Canadian geologists

may clarify the origins of the
mysterious Eye of the Sahara

once and for all.

- They believe that
the Eye was formed

more than a hundred million
years ago

when the supercontinent Pangea
was pulled apart by plate tectonics,

separating what are now
South America and Africa.

WAKEFIELD: Molten rock bubbled up
towards the surface of the Earth,

but didn't manage to break through,

which produced a dome
that's made up of layers of rock.

This uplift also created fault lines
in and around the Eye,

and melted limestone near
the centre, which collapsed,

and created the brecciated rock
formations found there today.

- Then sometime after,
there was a violent eruption

that caused the entire dome
to disintegrate.

And then it was just a matter of
millions of years of erosion

to create this
spectacular formation.

And so, this striking
ring-like appearance

is likely due to the presence
of different kinds of rock

that erode at various speeds.

NARRATOR: There is fear
among experts

that as climate change
accelerates desertification,

the Eye of the Sahara could
become buried in the sand

and one of the most arresting
geological formations on Earth

would be lost forever.

But until then, the great eye in
the desert watches over us all.

NARRATOR:
150km southwest of Cairo

in the Western desert of Egypt,

lies a hot, dusty stretch of orange
sand and dry rock formations

known as Wadi El Hitan.

- The Western desert takes up
two-thirds of Egypt,

covering nearly 700,000 square km
of the country in sand.

- Wadi El Hitan
is a remote desert valley

that is made up of a series of
escarpments with ancient sands

that can be dated as far back
as 48 million years ago.

NARRATOR: Under 43 degree
Centigrade heat,

and demanding field conditions,

a team made up of palaeontologists
and masters students

were surveying a site when they
discovered a near complete,

though fragmented, fossil
of an ancient creature.

- They carefully uncovered
a partial skull,

a series of disassociated vertebrae

and some other strange bones
lying next to one another.

This specimen measures
nearly 2m in length.

- So the bones of this animal
were found all together.

Articulated.
Connected to one another.

And what this means is that there
was no post-mortem movement,

and therefore the animal was
found exactly where it died.

- This is clearly a sea creature,
and a large one at that.

But how did a sea creature end up
in the middle of the Western desert?

CANTOR: You wouldn't know it

by looking at this field
of endless sand,

but tens of millions of years ago,

it was entirely underwater.

NARRATOR: 250 million years ago,

this desert was the bed
of the Central Tethys Sea,

named after the
Greek goddess of the seas.

It existed between
the super continents

of Gondwana and Laurasia before
these landmasses broke apart,

forming the modern continents
and oceans we know today.

- The sea floor closed up
with the settling of the plates

approximately 50 million years ago
during the Cenozoic Era.

This left a shallow bay
that eventually dried up.

MIFFLIN: So even though it looks
like a vast desert wasteland,

this area is well known for
having the richest collection

of marine fossils in Egypt.

NARRATOR: In 2015,
a fully intact Basilosaurus,

one of the first pre-historic
whales, was discovered.

- The Arabic name Wadi El Hitan,
means valley of the whales.

It's called that
because of the hundreds

of ancient whale skeletons that
have been discovered right here.

So perhaps maybe
this too is a whale.

NARRATOR: Among the
numerous whale species

discovered here in the valley,

palaeontologists have also found
Phiomicetus anubis,

named after the Ancient
Egyptians' god of death.

- This is not your average whale
by any stretch of the imagination.

It's very small
compared to modern whales.

It's only about 3m long and
weighed approximately 600kg.

MIFFLIN: Especially when considering

that the average right whale
living today is 18m long,

and the blue whale
can be up to 33m long.

NARRATOR: This whale has an
elongated head with a long snout,

indicating that it would
have had a hefty bite

for any unsuspecting prey.

It's believed this would have
been a carnivorous predator

similar to today's orcas.

- But that's not even
the strangest thing

about this 43 million-year-old
fossil of a whale in the desert.

This whale seems to
have legs. Four legs.

And legs are used for walking.
It was a walking whale!

HARIDY: More surprisingly,

this is not the first
walking whale discovered.

In 2011, palaeontologists in Peru

found a 4m long whale fossil

that had hooves and webbed feet.

Through evolution, whales went
from small hoofed mammals

who occasionally swam,
to the ocean-dwelling animals,

like blue whales,
that we have today.

NARRATOR: Further examination
of the skull of the sea creature

found in the Wadi
revealed two opercules,

bone structures
that protect the gills

and define the connection
of the head to the body.

LEONARD: The presence
of this bone structure here

indicates that these remains
are not those of a whale.

In fact, it seems to be
some type of very large fish.

But what kind of fish is it?

NARRATOR: Palaeontologists
noticed another particular set

of unique bones, known as
the Weberian Apparatus.

- This is amazing!

The Weberian Apparatus is
a distinctive arrangement

of small bones that connect the swim
bladder to the auditory system.

It enhances the fish's ability
to hear

under the extreme pressure caused
by swimming in deep water.

CANTOR: The bones
of the Weberian Apparatus

are unique to the bony fishes.

A category of 8,000 species,

including carps, minnows,
suckers, and catfish.

NARRATOR: Dating the bones

by the strata layer
they were discovered in,

palaeontologists were able to
estimate the age of the fish

to 37 million years old.

LEONARD: Due to the extremely
dry conditions of the desert

that prevent moisture damage,

these bones are incredibly well
preserved despite their age.

CANTOR: And they are
very anatomically modern.

In fact, it's remarkably similar
to its living relative,

the catfish.

NARRATOR: The name catfish refers
to the long feelers around the mouth

that give the fish the appearance
of having whiskers.

They're generally omnivorous
scavengers and bottom-feeders.

- Catfish are a diverse
group of fish.

And they're the most abundant
freshwater fishes in the world,

accounting for 22%
of all fish found in freshwater.

- However, they were historically
a saltwater species

that adapted their tolerance to
freshwater over many generations.

CANTOR: It's likely a member
of the Ariidae catfish family,

which lived primarily in the sea

due to its high tolerance
for saltwater.

NARRATOR: Palaeontologists compared

the reconstructed specimen
discovered in the Wadi

with other prehistoric
fossilised catfish

found in other regions of Africa.

And determined that this individual

was in fact a new genus of catfish.

- This is the oldest and most
complete catfish specimen

found in this region to date.

Named Qarmoutus hitanensis.

'Qarmoutus' from
the Old Arabic word for catfish

and 'hitanensis'
meaning 'from the whale'.

LEONARD: This is also
the first marine catfish

to be found in the
Valley of the Whales.

Meaning that even at
nearly 2m in length,

it was still possibly prey

to many of the mammalian
predators in its midst.

- Every species plays
a special role in its ecosystem.

And each new fossil fills in
a part of the larger picture

that can't be properly understood

until all members of its respective
marine community are discovered.

NARRATOR: The importance
of Wadi Al-Hitan

to the world of Vertebrate
Palaeontology can't be understated.

It's helping to answer questions
about the lives, feeding behaviour,

and relationships of whales and
other ancient sea creatures.

This catfish discovery at
Wadi Al-Hitan contributes

to an expanding and inspiring
snapshot of marine evolution.

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