Original subtitles

[narrator] A vast complex built on grand ambitions.

This was going to be a place that would represent the highest aspirations

of the Soviet Union.

[narrator] A hotel haunted by a tumultuous past.

[Sascha Auerbach] At one point, this former 5-star hotel

housed thousands of squatters.

[narrator] And a creepy clifftop castle, concealing a gateway to hell.

[Dominic Selwood] To the locals, it could only mean

[Dominic Selwood] To the locals, it could only mean

that the SS were practicing occult magic.

[dramatic music playing]

[narrator] Decaying relics.

Ruins of lost worlds.

Sites haunted by the past.

Their secrets waiting to be revealed.

[intense music playing]

[intense music playing]

In the disputed region of Abkhazia

is the wreckage of a site where a nation's dream became a nightmare.

[Jim Meigs] We're on the coast of the Black Sea

and not far from the beach,

we come upon this complex of concrete buildings

that are crumbling into ruin.

[dramatic music playing]

[Geoff Wawro] It's this Soviet constructivist architecture.

[Geoff Wawro] It's this Soviet constructivist architecture.

Very practical, very heroic, very grand-scale.

It's hard to say, at first glance, what this thing is.

[Rob Bell] There's something unmistakably apocalyptic about this site.

But what was it for?

And why is it now in ruins?

[suspenseful music playing]

[narrator] At one time,

this location promised to deliver heroic victory over Western rivals.

this location promised to deliver heroic victory over Western rivals.

[Wawro] When you go inside, it very much has the look

of a dormitory, a hotel, a barracks.

Because you got these long hallways

with, you know, small rooms off each.

[Meigs] At one end, the roof is completely gone.

And that exposes a massive swimming pool.

Certainly, no hotel would need

an Olympic-sized swimming pool,

so this was clearly something else.

[Bell] This was once a center of excellence.

But something catastrophic destroyed it.

The legacy of which is still being felt today.

[mysterious music playing]

[Daur Arshba speaking local language]

[interpreter] Okay. Here is the main entrance.

And the main driveway.

You can see remaining asphalt here.

And back in the day, it looked presentable.

And back in the day, it looked presentable.

There was less vegetation around.

Trees and shrubs were trimmed.

It looked beautiful.

[narrator] Daur Arshba is the director of this site today.

Spanning nearly 160 acres,

four wheels is the only way to get around.

[Arshba speaking local language]

[interpreter] Actually, I can tell you that I have a direct connection.

Because this complex was built by my father.

Because this complex was built by my father.

As a child, I spent a lot of time here.

And I also remember how it was.

And now, my soul cries out.

[Bell] The first thing to say about where we are is that the country we're in,

Abkhazia, doesn't really exist.

But try telling that to the 240,000 people who live here,

and you're not gonna get your warmest of welcomes.

[Meigs] It's not recognized as an independent nation.

But it sees itself as a distinct people and a distinct land.

But it sees itself as a distinct people and a distinct land.

During the days of the Soviet Union,

this region was part of the Republic of Georgia,

which itself was part of the USSR.

And that's where the story of this complex really begins.

[narrator] Initiated in the mid-1960s,

the project was part of a grand and ambitious plan.

[Bell] If buildings can represent dreams and aspirations,

then this one certainly did that.

[intense music playing]

[Meigs] This was gonna be a center that would bring together

the best and the brightest from all across the Soviet Union,

and train them for a very distinct type of world domination.

[narrator] This is the Eshera Sports Complex.

The central Olympic base of the USSR.

[Wawro] This place was chosen because it's sat along a stretch of coast land

that was favored by the Soviet elite, because of the weather.

[Meigs] Athletes could get away from the darkness and cold

of the endless winters

and train and focus on their sports

in this beautiful, temperate, warm environment.

[dynamic music playing]

[interpreter] All of the Soviet athletes

came through this unique training center.

Why unique?

Because, even now, there is no training center of such scale in the world.

Because, even now, there is no training center of such scale in the world.

Construction of such a sports complex is financially demanding,

and many countries couldn't afford it, whereas the USSR could.

[Wawro] Well, the place was a marvel,

because it had, you know, four football pitches.

It had a... An Olympic-sized swimming pool.

It had basketball courts. It had a couple of running tracks.

It had, you know, facilities for... For 40 different sports.

[Bell] At one point, the pool would have been kitted out

with all the latest technology.

with all the latest technology.

And packed full of hopeful athletes

training to be the best they could.

[narrator] Daur had the privilege of seeing firsthand what it took

to be the best.

[Arshba's interpreter] The USSR water polo team trained here, in this pool.

This is a leftover sample of the glass outer wall.

It looked like a fishbowl, encased in glass.

It looked like a fishbowl, encased in glass.

We could stay behind the glass and see how teams trained.

[enthralling music playing]

[Bell] To house all the athletes,

there was a 9-story accommodation block,

which also had a huge canteen,

serving the very best food.

You know, there was no expense spared in this pursuit for victory.

[Wawro] It was the perfect place to psych up the athletes

to do well for, you know, Mother Russia.

[narrator] There was also another factor driving the relentless pursuit

[narrator] There was also another factor driving the relentless pursuit

of sporting excellence.

[Meigs] The Soviet Union wanted to prove

they had a superior system to that of the West.

If they could show that their people

were the fastest and the strongest,

that would be a kind of confirmation

that the Soviet system was the superior way to organize a society.

[enthralling music fading]

[narrator] At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow,

[narrator] At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow,

that ideological clash was supposed to play out on the world stage.

[subdued music playing]

In 1979, the USSR invaded Afghanistan to prop up a Communist government.

In response, the US decided to boycott the 1980 Olympics.

And ultimately, 65 other countries around the world

also refused to attend those games.

[speaking indistinctly]

[Wawro] Well, this was a very tough decision

for President Jimmy Carter to take,

because all these American Olympians have been training for years.

because all these American Olympians have been training for years.

[Arshba speaking local language]

[interpreter] Of course, we can speculate now.

I think they got scared.

It is politics, after all.

I believe that sport and politics should not mix.

Although, nowadays, everything unfortunately is politicized.

Especially sport.

[hopeful music playing]

[narrator] In the absence of the United States,

the Soviet team dominated the games,

securing a record 80 gold medals.

securing a record 80 gold medals.

[Meigs] Some of that spectacular performance

was partly due to the training

that took place at this center.

[Arshba's interpreter] I had a feeling of pride.

First of all, due to the fact my father was heavily involved in the process.

Secondly, I was proud that this complex was built in Abkhazia.

[narrator] For the next decade, the sports complex continued to churn out

world-beating athletes.

world-beating athletes.

[dramatic music playing]

[Bell] But it wouldn't be long before the whole thing came crashing down.

Change was coming.

[music intensifies and stops]

[suspenseful music playing]

[narrator] In the disputed region of Abkhazia

is a once-world-beating Soviet sports complex.

By the early 1990s,

it became an arena for a very different kind of battle.

[Meigs] As the Soviet Union collapsed,

its control over the various Soviet states collapsed as well.

And many of those states began to dissolve into warring factions.

And many of those states began to dissolve into warring factions.

[tense music playing]

[Wawro] Georgia emerged as an independent state,

including this Abkhazi province.

And so, in 1992, the Abkhazi population of Georgia tried to separate

from Georgia to form their own state.

-[exploding] -And of course, the Georgians resisted.

[Arshba's interpreter] After the collapse of the Union,

there were very few athletes.

And by the beginning of the war,

even if there were people left at the complex,

I believe they were quickly evacuated.

I believe they were quickly evacuated.

[narrator] For over a year, there was vicious fighting in the streets,

the conflict claiming the lives of over 15,000 people.

[tense music playing]

This building was caught in the deadly cross fire.

[Wawro] This sports complex, unfortunately, sat in the cockpit of the war

between the Abkhazi and the Georgians,

and it's... It's in that westernmost area.

and it's... It's in that westernmost area.

And so it becomes yet another front in the fighting.

[intense music playing]

[Arshba speaking local language]

[interpreter] I believe it could have been a firing point,

as the river is right there.

[speaking local language]

[interpreter] And snipers were probably located inside of the building.

And on the higher level, to hold the vantage point.

Consequently, the buildings suffered a lot during the war.

[tense music playing]

[Meigs] These buildings were so damaged

that they were really beyond repair.

[intense music playing]

[narrator] All around Abkhazia are the scars of conflict.

None more so than at this prestigious site.

Daur is confident that days of glory will return.

[Arshba speaking local language]

[interpreter] It's a great location

to build some sport-related structures.

Also, the climate is comfortable.

So, we keep our hopes for a flourishing future.

[Bell] Whether that happens or not, nobody knows.

And until then, well, it's empty.

And it remains isolated, much like Abkhazia.

[dynamic music fading]

[intense music playing]

[narrator] In a dense forest, 30 miles north of the Czech capital, Prague,

stands a castle with a supernatural attraction.

[suspenseful music playing]

The deep, orange forest stretches out in every direction.

[Auerbach] Then, through a clearing in the trees,

you see this monumental structure.

you see this monumental structure.

It feels, still, eerie.

[narrator] Inside, the unnerving atmosphere becomes ever more acute.

As your eyes become accustomed to the darkness,

you start to see horrible metal instruments.

And symbols of the occult.

[ominous music playing]

[Dr. Alicia Gutierrez-Romine] These thrones are adorned with satanic symbolism,

and there are these grotesque faces carved into the structures.

and there are these grotesque faces carved into the structures.

[narrator] For centuries,

this isolated stronghold has been a magnet

for those obsessed with its dark power.

[Dr. Gutierrez-Romine] Evil men have come to this place,

and they have committed unspeakable acts.

[unsettling music playing]

[mysterious music playing]

[narrator] For Zuzana Pavlikova-Simonkova,

Houska Castle is more than a historical ruin.

Houska Castle is more than a historical ruin.

It's a family heirloom.

[Pavlikova-Simonkova speaking local language]

[interpreter] Houska was bought by my great-great grandfather

in 1924.

The atmosphere here is sometimes quite strange.

[speaking local language]

[interpreter] I've had a few mysterious experiences with my dad.

[Pavlikova-Simonkova speaking local language]

[interpreter] Every time we would go to the hunting hall,

a lightbulb burst.

[Pavlikova-Simonkova speaking local language]

[Pavlikova-Simonkova speaking local language]

And at first, you think it's a coincidence.

[speaking local language]

[interpreter] But when it happens every time you enter,

it is a bit strange.

[mysterious music playing]

[narrator] Houska Castle has been confiscated from its owners

at least three times in its history.

The reasons why aren't immediately clear.

[Dr. Gutierrez-Romine] There's never really been any strategic value

to this castle.

to this castle.

It's not near any borders, and it's not near any routes that an army would take.

There aren't even any important trading routes nearby.

So, why build it at all?

[narrator] As the castle keeper, Miroslav Konopasek knows,

at Houska, the devil is in the detail.

[suspenseful music playing]

[Konopasek's interpreter] Now, we're in the oldest part of the castle.

[Konopasek's interpreter] Now, we're in the oldest part of the castle.

The chapel is dedicated to the archangel, Michael.

On this wall, you can see him fighting a dragon,

which symbolized evil.

[Selwood] He's long been associated with good overcoming evil.

The battle between heaven and hell.

There's a very good reason why he's painted on these walls.

[dramatic music playing]

[narrator] It's a story that dates back to the ninth century,

[narrator] It's a story that dates back to the ninth century,

before the castle or chapel existed.

[ominous music playing]

[speaking local language]

[interpreter] Right where we are standing, the earth shattered.

[Konopasek speaking local language]

[interpreter] The crack was so deep that people called it an entrance to hell.

[speaking local language]

[narrator] Determined to explore what lay in the depths of this pit,

a powerful local lord

a powerful local lord

turned to those desperate enough to find out.

[Auerbach] Prisoners sentenced to death

could earn a pardon if they agreed to be lowered

into this allegedly bottomless pit.

And then, come back and report what they saw.

[Dr. Gutierrez-Romine] When the first man was lowered into the pit,

he began screaming in horror

after just a few seconds.

And he begged to be pulled back up.

[haunting music playing]

[Auerbach] When he was hauled out, it was reported that his hair

[Auerbach] When he was hauled out, it was reported that his hair

had turned shock white.

That he appeared to have aged 30 years,

and he was extremely wrinkled all over.

[Konopasek's interpreter] He said that hell under the castle

is much worse than his sentence awaiting him up here.

[narrator] Real or imagined,

the locals' terror was genuine enough for them to seal over the pit,

building the chapel and castle on top.

[Selwood] What better to cover an entrance to hell

[Selwood] What better to cover an entrance to hell

than a chapel dedicated to the Archangel,

who does battle with Satan himself?

[narrator] Although the pit was sealed,

the malevolent spirit of Houska continued to attract attention.

During the Thirty Years' War, in the 1600s,

Houska Castle fell under the control of a Swedish army.

[narrator] Their commander, Oronto, remained after the war

and sought to harness the power of hell for his own gain.

and sought to harness the power of hell for his own gain.

[intense music playing]

[Dr. Gutierrez-Romine] He was obsessed with legends surrounding the castle.

And it is rumored that he even performed black magic rituals

to try to achieve immortality.

[narrator] Oronto's looting of the local area

soon riled up the villagers,

putting his claims of immortality to the test.

[Konopasek speaking local language]

[interpreter] They announced the reward of 100 gold coins

for the head of the Swedish commander.

for the head of the Swedish commander.

[Auerbach] With a sizeable bounty on his head,

he was shot to death by two opportunistic local huntsmen.

[music intensifies and stops]

[narrator] Oronto wouldn't be the castle's last occupant with sinister ambitions.

[unsettling music playing]

[Selwood] There was another evil force coming to Houska.

One that would do anything to achieve total domination.

[music winds down and stops]

[suspenseful music playing]

[intense music playing]

[narrator] In the dense forests of the Czech Republic

is Houska Castle.

According to legend, it was built on top of a portal to hell.

And in the late 1930s,

it attracted the attention of some notorious occultists.

[tense music playing]

[Auerbach] When the Second World War broke out in 1939,

the Waffen-SS took the castle for themselves.

the Waffen-SS took the castle for themselves.

[narrator] Their leader, Heinrich Himmler,

is said to have been fascinated by the supernatural.

[Selwood] It's theorized that Himmler genuinely believed

that the power of the old occult masters

would help the Nazis rule the world.

[Gutierrez-Romine] Himmler is said to have used his power

to collect as many books about witchcraft,

the supernatural, and the occult as possible.

the supernatural, and the occult as possible.

His collection totaled

approximately 13,000 books and manuscripts.

[narrator] The castle was soon used in service of his obsession.

[Konopasek speaking in local language]

[translator] When the allies were bombarding Germany,

they brought books from chapels and churches.

They brought occult, Jewish Kabbalah,

and masonic literature here.

[narrator] But stories persist

that the SS used Houska as more than just a library.

[Selwood] Locals claimed to have heard moans, screams and cries

in many different languages coming from the castle at night.

[Auerbach] And the rumor went around it was being used,

uh, for some fringe scientific experiments on human subjects.

[narrator] Some claim that the SS were attempting to create

[narrator] Some claim that the SS were attempting to create

super soldiers by performing black magic rituals.

[translator] The rituals were the same, well, similar,

to the ones done by priests during baptisms, surprisingly,

but it's done using different darker energies.

The subjects died during the ceremony.

That's a fact.

[narrator] Once the war had ended,

the castle was used as a children's sanctuary.

One of its former residents told Miroslav an unsettling story.

One of its former residents told Miroslav an unsettling story.

[Konopasek speaking in local language]

[translator] They were playing in a wooden shed

and found dead Germans under the floor.

They weren't allowed to leave the castle for four days.

Weird uniformed men came,

they weren't soldiers, firefighters or policemen.

I think they were Germans, but in different uniforms,

and they were showing them what they used to do here during the war.

[narrator] The truth of what happened here may never be known,

but there is no doubt that a very real evil

did stalk these halls.

[Selwood] It's clear that Himmler

and some of his crackpot henchmen in the SS

were profoundly into the occult,

but there's also a lot of exaggeration

around how widespread that was.

[Gutierrez-Romine] Sometimes it's difficult for us to understand

how people could be so evil,

how people could be so evil,

so we conjure these wild conspiracy theories

to try to explain human psychology

that we can't comprehend.

[narrator] After the war,

Houska was seized by the communist state.

It was finally returned to Zuzana's family in the 1990s.

It was finally returned to Zuzana's family in the 1990s.

Today she is working to preserve the castle

and all its legends for future generations.

[Simonkova speaking in local language]

[translator] In our family, we say that things should be made better not worse...

...so I don't think I have the option not to preserve it.

It's a certain continuity. Tradition.

That's how I see it.

[narrator] On the coast of West Africa

is a scarred structure that embodies

a country's devastating past.

Liberia is one of the oldest nations on the continent of Africa,

and its capital is a city called Monrovia.

[Mabry] Monrovia is a vibrant city

[Mabry] Monrovia is a vibrant city

with mainly low-rise buildings,

so this abandoned structure really stands out from the crowd.

[Auerbach] It's 9 stories tall, 300 rooms.

Judging by its size and organization,

it might have been a hospital at one point

or maybe a high-end office block.

It looks like the place had been looted from top to bottom.

[Auerbach] This picture of the building is complicated

[Auerbach] This picture of the building is complicated

by the structure that's next to it,

which is in this strange circular shape.

It almost looks like a spaceship of some sort.

[narrator] One feature reveals what this place used to be.

[Mabry] An empty swimming pool tells us that this building

must have been a hotel.

[narrator] What ripped apart this once luxurious vacation hot spot?

This hotel bears the scars of a catastrophic event.

This hotel bears the scars of a catastrophic event.

[narrator] Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean

in Liberia's capital city

is a decaying relic of a bygone era.

[Selwood] Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world,

so it's easy to forget that it was once one of Africa's richest nations.

[narrator] In the 1950s and 60s,

Liberia's economy was thriving due to its rich natural resources

Liberia's economy was thriving due to its rich natural resources

such as rubber, iron ore, and diamonds.

With that came an appetite to tap into another industry.

Liberia wanted to open the country up to more foreign tourists,

and this was the hotel to realize that ambition.

[narrator] This was the Ducor Palace Hotel.

[translator] It makes me feel bad

to see that this place has been spoiled.

to see that this place has been spoiled.

[narrator] Henry Buckle used to work here as a waiter.

[translator] Over there is where the workers lived.

We were given an apartment through that door.

[narrator] Built in 1960,

the Ducor Palace was operated by a well-known hotel empire.

[Mabry] The InterContinental hotel chain took over,

and it became Africa's and even the world's

and it became Africa's and even the world's

most luxurious hotels.

[narrator] Africa's first five-star hotel

changed the face of Liberia's capital.

[Mabry] The hotel illuminated Monrovia's skies,

and it was the heart and soul of the city.

And it was a stomping ground for many of the rich and famous,

and hosted important African leaders.

[Auerbach] One caretaker claimed he even saw

Idi Amin, the Ugandan dictator, swimming in the pool

while still wearing his gun.

[Henry Buckle speaking in local language]

[translator] Most of the people who stayed here

took rooms on this side because of the sea view.

Around 40 to 50 people would stay on each floor.

The foreign tourists would always be on the same floor.

[narrator] It offered its guests whether from home or abroad

[narrator] It offered its guests whether from home or abroad

the very best from the moment they arrived.

[Selwood] From the lobby you could ascend

a grand circular stairway to the main restaurant.

And the creme de la creme,

a 360 degree rooftop bar from which to enjoy the vista.

[narrator] Henry's career in the hotel evolved

from waiter to chef.

[Buckle speaking in local language]

[translator] As a waiter, I would go into the kitchen with the order,

[translator] As a waiter, I would go into the kitchen with the order,

and as I stood there watching them cooking and preparing the food,

I started to learn how to cook.

[Selwood] In the 1960s and 1970s,

it was a place of prosperity and extreme privilege.

[narrator] However, by the 1980s,

a radical change was on the horizon.

InterContinental ceased management of Ducor Palace.

It was only the beginning of the hotel's downfall.

It was only the beginning of the hotel's downfall.

In 1989, a civil war was about to break out in Liberia,

and the hotel reacted by closing its doors to visitors.

[Auerbach] Trained rebels invaded Liberia

from the neighboring country, the Ivory Coast.

They were led by Charles Taylor

who wanted to overthrow Liberian government and take over.

[narrator] Taylor, a sacked government worker,

had fled to the U.S. where he was imprisoned

only to escape and return home

only to escape and return home

as head of a rebel militia.

But they weren't the only bloodthirsty insurgents

wanting to topple the regime.

In 1990, a rival gorilla force beat them to it,

torturing and murdering the president.

Once that was done, both groups turned against each other,

and plunged Liberia into a civil war.

[shouting]

[narrator] By 1992,

[narrator] By 1992,

fighting had intensified in Monrovia.

The hotel, now housing an interim government,

offered some protection from the bloodshed.

Four years later, a ceasefire brought some respite from the violence,

and a surprising winner emerged from elections that followed.

In 1997, Charles Taylor won an election

and became president of Liberia,

but there were many who were not happy with this.

[narrator] Under a tyrannical regime,

[narrator] Under a tyrannical regime,

the hotel would soon find itself once again

caught in the crossfire.

[narrator] In 1999,

rebel forces invaded Liberia

attempting to oust warlord turned president, Charles Taylor.

Eventually, they reach the capital of Monrovia,

and the once luxurious Ducor Palace Hotel

was again under siege.

was again under siege.

[Mabry] This hotel, which had a strategic view of the city,

became a firing position for Taylor's rag tag army.

[narrator] Liberia's second civil war was finally brought to an end in 2003

after George W. Bush called for Taylor to step down,

and he was indicted by a UN-sponsored war crimes tribunal.

This prompted Charles Taylor's resignation from his office

This prompted Charles Taylor's resignation from his office

of president and he was exiled to Nigeria.

[narrator] Taylor was gone,

but Liberia's economy and infrastructure were shattered.

[Auerbach] It was one of Africa's

bloodiest and most brutal conflicts.

It resulted in the fatalities of a quarter million residents,

and this is in a country where the entire population

is just over two million.

[narrator] The hotel found another purpose

[narrator] The hotel found another purpose

as a home to thousands of displaced residents

from the slums of Monrovia.

[Selwood] They were removed in 2007

when the Liberian government leased the hotel

to none other than the Libyan despot, Colonel Gaddafi,

who was a keen purchaser of African prime real estate.

[Buckle speaking local language]

[translator] They gave Gaddafi a lease of over 30 years,

and within two years, his people came

and put in place big plans for renovation.

and put in place big plans for renovation.

[narrator] Gaddafi was now in charge of a multi-million dollar

refit of the hotel decor, but not for long.

[Mabry] In 2010, a clean up of the war-torn building began,

but relations were turning sour

between the Liberian government and Gaddafi,

and so the project kept being delayed.

Gaddafi was killed by his own people,

and with his demise came the collapse of his projects

including the rehabilitation of the Ducor Palace Hotel.

including the rehabilitation of the Ducor Palace Hotel.

[Auerbach] Liberia is in the midst of a slow,

painful process of rebuilding following its civil war.

Hotels are once again starting to open for business for tourists.

[narrator] However, there are still no plans

to revive what was once the pride of Liberia.

[Buckle speaking in local language]

[translator] As it is right now, the way the hotel is damaged,

it needs multiple investors to fix it.

Because right now, the government doesn't have the money to do it.

[narrator] Despite this,

it remains a special place for Monrovia's residents.

[Selwood] Locals still like to visit.

They spend special occasions here

such as Christmas and Independence Day

so they can admire its spectacular views.

so they can admire its spectacular views.

[narrator] In North Central Arizona,

concealed within this barren land

is the story of a way of life forever lost.

[Dr. Katherine Landdeck] They call it the Painted Desert for a reason.

The rocks and stones and spaces

just have so many different colors.

Nature has created this space

that it looks like an artist has taken to it.

that it looks like an artist has taken to it.

It's just so beautiful.

[Auerbach] Almost blending in with the landscape,

you start to pick out these structures.

[Landdeck] As you get a little bit closer,

you can see that these are definitely manmade.

They have stacked stones and were once

very carefully built.

[Gutierrez-Romine] As you go from room to room,

it becomes clear that this was part of a really large settlement.

[narrator] Distinctive dark features in the surrounding terrain

are a telltale sign of a violent past.

[Auerbach] Nearby, the geology around the trail

starts to look a bit different.

This rock looks to be lava flows.

[Gutierrez-Romine] In the distance you can see a distinctly-shaped hill,

and as you get closer, you realize it's a volcano.

Could this have something to do

with these ruins in the desert?

[narrator] In the striking desert of Northern Arizona

are scattered remains of a settlement.

[Ian Hough] Working in this beautiful landscape,

this beautiful environment is really enlightening.

I take a lot of personal gratification

from being able to share that with other people.

[narrator] Ian Hough is an archaeologist fascinated

by the ancient communities that once inhabited

by the ancient communities that once inhabited

this unforgiving terrain.

Decades of research have helped uncover the mystery

of what brought life to this arid region.

You look across that landscape and, um, it looks very harsh

and inhospitable and indeed it is,

uh, but people, you know, 900 years ago found a way

to live in that environment and thrive for multiple generations,

so, it's a testament to their resiliency

and their adaptability.

and their adaptability.

[Landdeck] Just looking at this,

it is obvious that these people had a lot of skill,

that this was a complex society

that had a community that was able to do something

at this sophisticated level.

[narrator] This is the Wupatki Pueblo,

an ancient Indigenous American settlement

once home to hundreds of people.

[Hough] So, right now, I'm standing at the base of the citadel,

and it's one of the larger archaeological sites

and it's one of the larger archaeological sites

here at Wupatki National Monument.

When this place was built and occupied,

the walls would have been a little bit taller than what you see today.

[Auerbach] It probably began its life as the home

of a single family and then just grew over time

until it became this sprawling 100-room pueblo.

[Hough] And within the middle may have been an open area or a plaza,

and people would have been going about daily activities,

and that could be anything from preparing food

and that could be anything from preparing food

to, you know, playing with children

to just going about daily chores.

[narrator] The people that called this home

were some of the first to roam this parched land,

and they came from far and wide.

[Landdeck] Through oral tradition, we're able to determine

that the builders of the Wupatki Pueblo

are the ancestors of the Hopi people

and likely of the Zuni as well.

[Gutierrez-Romine] There was a real melting pot

of different cultures and groups who were living here

and in harmony in these buildings.

[Landdeck] And so, the big question is

how are these people able to sustain themselves

when the reality of the physical space they're in

is just so poor.

[Gutierrez-Romine] You need to have good farming land in order to grow crops.

You cannot live on just hunting alone.

[narrator] It seems the key to life here

[narrator] It seems the key to life here

lies around 15 miles southwest of Wupatki Pueblo...

...at the Sunset Crater Volcano.

[Gutierrez-Romine] Around 1085 AD,

the volcano erupted and it sent out a massive

plume of smoke and ash in this region.

[Hough] We have some evidence that shows

the Sunset Crater Volcano erupted in the late 1080s,

and it could have been an eruption that lasted for several years.

[Landdeck] This eruption was most definitely

[Landdeck] This eruption was most definitely

witnessed, uh, by the ancestors

of today's Pueblo Indians.

They're going to have seen it, they're going to have fled from it,

and we believe they survived it.

[Gutierrez-Romine] It changed the lives of the people living here,

but probably not in the way you imagine it.

[narrator] Instead of destroying life here,

it created the conditions for a community to prosper.

[Auerbach] At several points during the explosion,

cindery ash was thrown up to 18 miles into the air.

All of this volcanic material settled on the landscape

and acted as a kind of sponge.

[Landdeck] It helped the soil absorb water,

and it made it possible for this new community

to grow food and survive.

[narrator] But the life-giving force

that spewed forth from the volcano's bowels

would soon be depleted.

[Hough] It looks like people stopped building

additional rooms and expanding the pueblo

in 1225 or 1250.

And certainly by 1250,

it appears people are leaving that particular location

to set up pueblos in nearby areas not that far away.

[Landdeck] The theories today about the Wupatki Pueblo

is that after 100 years or so,

the soil had lost its fertility.

the soil had lost its fertility.

The ash had degraded enough

that it wasn't able to sustain the soil any more

and so the people moved on.

[Auerbach] But that wasn't the end.

About 500 years later,

Navajo people took up residence in the region.

[narrator] In time, a controversial new government policy

threatened the Navajo's very existence.

[Landdeck] In the 1860s,

the Navajo were one of those people who were moved by force.

They were made to walk

They were made to walk

500 miles away from the area where they had been living,

uh, to a reservation system.

[Auerbach] Peshlakai Etsettie and his wives

were amongst the people who were forced to march

to Fort Sumner and held there.

They were eventually released in 1868

and they returned to the Wupatki area.

But the Peshlakai family's life at Wupatki ends

with the death of Stella Peshlakai.

[narrator] This brought an end

to the latest period of Indigenous American settlement at Wupatki.

Today the National Park Service continues its work

to preserve the integrity of this ancient site

and its earliest occupants.

[Hough] It's important to recognize places like Wupatki

as not being abandoned in the sense that the word

as not being abandoned in the sense that the word

suggests that nobody appears to be living there.

But through consultation

with our associated tribal communities,

we've learned that they view places like Wupatki Pueblo

as still being inhabited.

[Gutierrez-Romine] For the modem people who are descended

from the villages here at Wupatki,

it is still full of the spirits of their ancestors.