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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:00,060 --> 00:00:02,477 [calm music] 2 00:00:12,100 --> 00:00:14,767 [intense music] 3 00:00:36,060 --> 00:00:37,416 - [Narrator] The Sumerians were noted 4 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:38,855 for their worship of many gods. 5 00:00:38,879 --> 00:00:39,689 [calm music] 6 00:00:39,713 --> 00:00:41,196 Among them was Enki, 7 00:00:41,220 --> 00:00:45,996 a god known for being the patron deity of the city of Eridu. 8 00:00:46,020 --> 00:00:49,536 Enki is depicted in many pieces of Sumerian art 9 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,136 and literature, including the Babylonian creation epic, 10 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:57,756 the "Enuma Elish," "The Epic of Gilgamesh," and others. 11 00:00:57,780 --> 00:01:00,276 Due to his prominence in such works, 12 00:01:00,300 --> 00:01:02,436 it's fair to assume he played a large role 13 00:01:02,460 --> 00:01:04,326 in Sumerian culture. 14 00:01:04,350 --> 00:01:07,536 Much about Enki remains shrouded in mystery 15 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,596 and begs further exploration. 16 00:01:10,620 --> 00:01:13,896 Enki, a god known for his inherent worth, 17 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,506 represented healing, fertility, 18 00:01:16,530 --> 00:01:19,296 and creation in Sumerian culture. 19 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:22,536 His intelligent magic often included trickery 20 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,386 to benefit the good of the human race. 21 00:01:25,410 --> 00:01:28,568 Son of a sky god, Enki was thought to reign over the earth 22 00:01:28,592 --> 00:01:30,876 and high heavens as a leader 23 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:33,366 of the Anunna gods in Sumeria. 24 00:01:33,390 --> 00:01:35,256 It is believed that Enki inhabited 25 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,886 the Earth nearly 400,000 years ago. 26 00:01:38,910 --> 00:01:41,646 Enki was known by a variety of names, 27 00:01:41,670 --> 00:01:45,366 including Enkig, Ea, Nissiku, 28 00:01:45,390 --> 00:01:47,286 and Nudimmund. 29 00:01:47,310 --> 00:01:49,896 The names come with a variety of translations such 30 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:51,786 as prince, lord of the earth, 31 00:01:51,810 --> 00:01:55,776 and creator, gift of fertility and creation. 32 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,246 In Sumerian culture, 33 00:01:57,270 --> 00:01:58,656 Enki is heavily connected 34 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,986 to the concepts of fertility and creation. 35 00:02:02,010 --> 00:02:04,716 This is often represented by water. 36 00:02:04,740 --> 00:02:07,269 Ancient images of Enki show rivers flowing 37 00:02:07,293 --> 00:02:09,966 from his masculine shoulders. 38 00:02:09,990 --> 00:02:12,778 The rivers depicted are thought to be the Euphrates 39 00:02:12,802 --> 00:02:16,776 and Tigris rivers that flow through Mesopotamia 40 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,106 and signify his gift of fertility to the land. 41 00:02:20,130 --> 00:02:21,396 According to legend, 42 00:02:21,420 --> 00:02:23,676 the rivers were formed from his semen, 43 00:02:23,700 --> 00:02:28,026 which further supports his ties to the concept of fertility. 44 00:02:28,050 --> 00:02:30,516 In addition, other symbols associated 45 00:02:30,540 --> 00:02:32,856 with Enki are the goat and the fish, 46 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,146 which also signify fertility or fertileness. 47 00:02:37,170 --> 00:02:41,016 One Sumerian lore depicts Enki as the founder of Eridu, 48 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,746 possibly Mesopotamia's first city, 49 00:02:43,770 --> 00:02:46,626 thus establishing the beginning of life on earth. 50 00:02:46,650 --> 00:02:49,596 The spiritual site of Eridu has been compared 51 00:02:49,620 --> 00:02:53,496 to the Judeo-Christian concept of the Garden of Eden. 52 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,508 The intelligent yet mischievous Enki suggested 53 00:02:56,532 --> 00:03:00,426 the gods create other beings to mine the gold for them. 54 00:03:00,450 --> 00:03:03,936 The Anunnaki were thought to be clone masters who sought 55 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,086 to clone lesser beings such as the human race 56 00:03:07,110 --> 00:03:08,616 to do their work. 57 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:10,686 Control of human beings is still thought 58 00:03:10,710 --> 00:03:14,466 to be happening under Anunnaki gods today. 59 00:03:14,490 --> 00:03:17,916 Although Enki contributed to the concept of cloning, 60 00:03:17,940 --> 00:03:21,156 which could be considered manipulation of the human race, 61 00:03:21,180 --> 00:03:22,566 he was well intended 62 00:03:22,590 --> 00:03:25,056 and provided humans with information on how 63 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,186 to restore balance to the Earth 64 00:03:27,210 --> 00:03:29,946 after devastating droughts and famine. 65 00:03:29,970 --> 00:03:33,276 Enki had a substantial cosmic family line. 66 00:03:33,300 --> 00:03:36,216 His immediate family included a father figure, 67 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,516 mother, brother, wife, and four sons. 68 00:03:39,540 --> 00:03:42,541 An additional eight children were born later as mentioned 69 00:03:42,565 --> 00:03:44,436 in a folk tale. 70 00:03:44,460 --> 00:03:45,666 The names and relations 71 00:03:45,690 --> 00:03:50,166 of Enki's family members vary throughout ancient texts. 72 00:03:50,190 --> 00:03:53,046 Enki was a very powerful god 73 00:03:53,070 --> 00:03:56,556 and had the assistance of mythical beings at his service. 74 00:03:56,580 --> 00:03:59,467 Legends describe an assortment of creatures such 75 00:03:59,491 --> 00:04:01,626 as mermaids, giants, 76 00:04:01,650 --> 00:04:05,976 and even demons that aided Enki in his earthly endeavors. 77 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,706 Also, he could call upon both destructive 78 00:04:08,730 --> 00:04:11,969 and caring existences and keep favored humanity 79 00:04:11,993 --> 00:04:14,136 and social justice. 80 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,256 He was known for his intelligence, wisdom, 81 00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:20,076 and gift for divine arts and crafts. 82 00:04:20,100 --> 00:04:23,406 Enki's knowledge of rituals included exorcism as well 83 00:04:23,430 --> 00:04:25,626 as healing prayers and chants. 84 00:04:25,650 --> 00:04:28,566 An important figure in mythological history, 85 00:04:28,590 --> 00:04:31,836 Enki remains one of the greatest Sumerian legends 86 00:04:31,860 --> 00:04:34,776 and one of the most complex Sumerian gods. 87 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,916 As such, one can spend a significant amount of time delving 88 00:04:38,940 --> 00:04:41,826 into the history and mystery of Enki. 89 00:04:41,850 --> 00:04:44,646 Continue to explore this fascinating mythical being 90 00:04:44,670 --> 00:04:47,163 on your own and enjoy the journey. 91 00:04:48,055 --> 00:04:50,472 [epic music] 92 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,250 A discovery comes along that challenges those theories. 93 00:04:55,274 --> 00:04:56,084 [mysterious music] 94 00:04:56,108 --> 00:04:59,346 We can thank the late great journalist George Plimpton 95 00:04:59,370 --> 00:05:00,180 for one artifact 96 00:05:00,204 --> 00:05:03,036 that has recently challenged that narrative, 97 00:05:03,060 --> 00:05:06,096 potentially setting back the history of mathematics 98 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,576 and casting a new light on the ever-intriguing culture 99 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:11,766 of the ancient Babylonians. 100 00:05:11,790 --> 00:05:15,216 The artifact known as Plimpton 322 is 101 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:16,836 a cuneiform tablet that 102 00:05:16,860 --> 00:05:19,386 was purchased almost a century ago 103 00:05:19,410 --> 00:05:21,846 from the real-life Indiana Jones 104 00:05:21,870 --> 00:05:23,256 and could potentially prove that 105 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:26,136 the ancient Babylonians were the first civilization 106 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,776 to understand trigonometry. 107 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,696 Cuneiform tablets. 108 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,156 Pythagoras is thought to have been the first 109 00:05:33,180 --> 00:05:35,526 to understand that the area of the square 110 00:05:35,550 --> 00:05:39,126 of the hypotenuse of a right-angle triangle is equal 111 00:05:39,150 --> 00:05:41,136 to the sum of the areas of the squares 112 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:45,786 of its other two sides, aka the Pythagorean theorem, 113 00:05:45,810 --> 00:05:48,006 but it's not necessarily well documented 114 00:05:48,030 --> 00:05:51,726 that Pythagoras actually conceptualized this equation, 115 00:05:51,750 --> 00:05:55,926 nor are there any other of his mathematical achievements. 116 00:05:55,950 --> 00:05:58,956 Pythagoras ran a school that was shrouded in mystery 117 00:05:58,980 --> 00:06:03,396 and secrecy with a cabalistic take on math and numbers. 118 00:06:03,420 --> 00:06:04,866 Some believe it is possible 119 00:06:04,890 --> 00:06:07,356 that his students may have been responsible 120 00:06:07,380 --> 00:06:10,206 for his supposed achievements in mathematics, 121 00:06:10,230 --> 00:06:12,876 but due to either reverence or fear, 122 00:06:12,900 --> 00:06:15,276 gave credit to Pythagoras. 123 00:06:15,300 --> 00:06:19,296 Interpretations and documentation from the time are scarce 124 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,506 as knowledge was typically spread by word of mouth. 125 00:06:22,530 --> 00:06:23,676 At the same time, 126 00:06:23,700 --> 00:06:27,396 Pythagoras's school was almost cult-like with stories 127 00:06:27,420 --> 00:06:28,926 of members being murdered 128 00:06:28,950 --> 00:06:32,976 for not maintaining the school's secrecy and learnings. 129 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,196 The ancient Babylonians, on the other hand, 130 00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:37,210 used cuneiform tablets to record much 131 00:06:37,234 --> 00:06:40,386 of their intellectual work with thousands 132 00:06:40,410 --> 00:06:43,446 of tablets having been recovered to this day. 133 00:06:43,470 --> 00:06:47,076 Many of them were excavated in the early 1900s 134 00:06:47,100 --> 00:06:49,836 and sold to museums or collectors, 135 00:06:49,860 --> 00:06:52,356 but some of the implications of their carvings 136 00:06:52,380 --> 00:06:54,876 are challenging what archeologists have believed 137 00:06:54,900 --> 00:06:57,066 about ancient history. 138 00:06:57,090 --> 00:07:00,126 One of these tablets was purchased by George Plimpton 139 00:07:00,150 --> 00:07:02,763 for a mere $10 in 1922 140 00:07:02,787 --> 00:07:05,136 and has been the center of a heated debate 141 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,176 between archeologists. 142 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:11,016 The new theory pairs the findings from Plimpton 322 143 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:15,396 with another tablet known as YBC 7289 144 00:07:15,420 --> 00:07:19,386 and posits that Babylonian mathematics included trigonometry 145 00:07:19,410 --> 00:07:23,196 predating the Greeks by 1,000 years. 146 00:07:23,220 --> 00:07:26,226 These ancient Babylonians used a base-60 system 147 00:07:26,250 --> 00:07:27,996 of mathematics rather than 148 00:07:28,020 --> 00:07:31,023 the base-10 system that we use today. 149 00:07:31,890 --> 00:07:34,489 While we have all assumed Pythagoras to be the first 150 00:07:34,513 --> 00:07:37,611 to postulate his eponymous theory, 151 00:07:37,635 --> 00:07:39,786 Hipparchus is generally known 152 00:07:39,810 --> 00:07:42,396 to be the Greek father of trigonometry 153 00:07:42,420 --> 00:07:45,846 and the first to produce a trigonometric table known 154 00:07:45,870 --> 00:07:48,066 as the table of chords. 155 00:07:48,090 --> 00:07:51,336 Hipparchus's work required a knowledge of trigonometry 156 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,066 for measuring astronomical distances, 157 00:07:54,090 --> 00:07:56,376 but much of the basis for his work came 158 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,516 from Babylonian mathematics using the base-60 system. 159 00:08:00,540 --> 00:08:02,559 Also, few details are known specifically 160 00:08:02,583 --> 00:08:06,451 about his life despite being credited with the discovery 161 00:08:06,475 --> 00:08:09,606 of a large field of mathematics. 162 00:08:09,630 --> 00:08:12,396 The base-60 system allowed the Babylonians 163 00:08:12,420 --> 00:08:15,396 to make trigonometric calculations in terms 164 00:08:15,420 --> 00:08:18,336 of ratios rather than angles. 165 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:19,536 What is so fascinating 166 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:21,666 about this discovery is that it brings 167 00:08:21,690 --> 00:08:25,056 a subjective interpretation to mathematics, 168 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,186 which may seem counterintuitive, 169 00:08:27,210 --> 00:08:28,926 but the ancient Babylonian system 170 00:08:28,950 --> 00:08:31,656 of trigonometry shows that they were capable 171 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,116 of achieving similar results using 172 00:08:34,140 --> 00:08:37,056 a different mathematical perspective. 173 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:38,916 Part of their base-60 174 00:08:38,940 --> 00:08:42,426 or sexagesimal system is even retained today 175 00:08:42,450 --> 00:08:44,313 in certain elements of our lives. 176 00:08:46,508 --> 00:08:48,925 [epic music] 177 00:08:51,100 --> 00:08:51,910 [mysterious music] 178 00:08:51,934 --> 00:08:54,066 Long before the sprawling city streets 179 00:08:54,090 --> 00:08:56,976 of Mexico City stood another city, 180 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,376 one almost lost in the mists of time, 181 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,466 if not for the efforts of some amazing archeologists 182 00:09:02,490 --> 00:09:04,356 and a little luck. 183 00:09:04,380 --> 00:09:05,190 Under the streets 184 00:09:05,214 --> 00:09:08,016 of this Latin American city is another city that 185 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,956 was once called Tenochtitlan, 186 00:09:10,980 --> 00:09:13,416 found underneath the now historical sector 187 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,096 of modern Mexico City. 188 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,796 Although its initial construction would look nothing like 189 00:09:17,820 --> 00:09:19,086 what we see today. 190 00:09:19,110 --> 00:09:21,581 Instead, the present Mexico City has been built 191 00:09:21,605 --> 00:09:23,496 on a dry lake bed, 192 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,106 previously known as Lake Texcoco 193 00:09:26,130 --> 00:09:29,266 and the former Tenochtitlan had its foundations built 194 00:09:29,290 --> 00:09:33,606 on an island by the once great Aztec empire. 195 00:09:33,630 --> 00:09:35,166 The great city was expanded 196 00:09:35,190 --> 00:09:38,526 and added to over the centuries until its ultimate fall 197 00:09:38,550 --> 00:09:42,546 at the hands of the invading Spanish in the 15th century. 198 00:09:42,570 --> 00:09:45,756 Before its downfall, it was a true marvel to behold 199 00:09:45,780 --> 00:09:47,526 and was one of the largest cities 200 00:09:47,550 --> 00:09:50,106 in the pre-Columbian Americas. 201 00:09:50,130 --> 00:09:52,026 Bernal Diaz del Castillo 202 00:09:52,050 --> 00:09:54,606 in his "Conquest of New Spain" offers us 203 00:09:54,630 --> 00:09:56,436 some insights into the surprise 204 00:09:56,460 --> 00:09:59,383 of the conquerors as they approached the city. 205 00:09:59,407 --> 00:10:01,026 "When we saw so many cities 206 00:10:01,050 --> 00:10:03,066 and villages built in the water 207 00:10:03,090 --> 00:10:06,306 and other great towns on dry land, we were amazed 208 00:10:06,330 --> 00:10:09,276 and said that it was like the enchantments on account 209 00:10:09,300 --> 00:10:10,896 of the great towers and cues 210 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:12,906 and buildings rising from the water, 211 00:10:12,930 --> 00:10:15,036 and all built of masonry. 212 00:10:15,060 --> 00:10:17,196 And some of our soldiers even asked whether 213 00:10:17,220 --> 00:10:20,076 the things that we saw were not a dream. 214 00:10:20,100 --> 00:10:22,176 I do not know how to describe it, 215 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,116 seeing things as we did that had never been heard 216 00:10:25,140 --> 00:10:28,511 or seen of before, not even dreamed about." 217 00:10:28,535 --> 00:10:29,345 [enigmatic music] 218 00:10:29,369 --> 00:10:32,466 The great city was founded in 1325 AD 219 00:10:32,490 --> 00:10:35,526 and unlike most of the civilizations around the world, 220 00:10:35,550 --> 00:10:38,196 great cultures need a secure cornerstone 221 00:10:38,220 --> 00:10:40,506 of religious underpinnings to bring order 222 00:10:40,530 --> 00:10:42,696 and control to the masses. 223 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,066 The Mexica was founded the city 224 00:10:45,090 --> 00:10:47,166 and ruled over the Aztec empire. 225 00:10:47,190 --> 00:10:49,446 However, there are suggestions that they were 226 00:10:49,470 --> 00:10:51,546 a harsh civilization and plenty 227 00:10:51,570 --> 00:10:55,146 of evidence that shows they possessed a cruel streak. 228 00:10:55,170 --> 00:10:56,346 The religion was based 229 00:10:56,370 --> 00:10:58,566 on an ancient prophecy that recognized 230 00:10:58,590 --> 00:11:01,596 the early tribal cultures of Central America 231 00:11:01,620 --> 00:11:03,426 and noted that they would find peace 232 00:11:03,450 --> 00:11:06,786 in a great city whose sight would be signaled to them 233 00:11:06,810 --> 00:11:09,486 in the form of a great eagle that held a snake 234 00:11:09,510 --> 00:11:12,876 in its mouth resting on top of a cactus. 235 00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:15,666 Interestingly, the Mexica concluded that the answer 236 00:11:15,690 --> 00:11:20,196 to this prophecy was found on an island in Lake Texcoco, 237 00:11:20,220 --> 00:11:21,336 fulfilling their belief 238 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,216 and creating a foundation to build the great city 239 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,496 and open it to not only their people 240 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,266 but also to their gods. 241 00:11:28,290 --> 00:11:32,076 During excavations of Tenochtitlan in 2006, 242 00:11:32,100 --> 00:11:35,295 archeologists uncovered a massive stone tablet dedicated 243 00:11:35,319 --> 00:11:39,186 to one of their gods called Tlaltecuhtli. 244 00:11:39,210 --> 00:11:43,026 They're calling it the largest Aztec idol ever found, 245 00:11:43,050 --> 00:11:45,156 and it seems a title well deserved weighing 246 00:11:45,180 --> 00:11:47,196 at 12 and 1/2 tons. 247 00:11:47,220 --> 00:11:49,356 A spectacular statue of that size 248 00:11:49,380 --> 00:11:52,806 with almost perfect detail should be fascinating enough, 249 00:11:52,830 --> 00:11:54,996 but it seems it's even more intriguing 250 00:11:55,020 --> 00:11:56,976 because some were speculating 251 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:58,716 this structure may have been a door 252 00:11:58,740 --> 00:12:00,033 to a hidden chamber. 253 00:12:01,260 --> 00:12:03,426 The monolith of Tlaltecuhtli 254 00:12:03,450 --> 00:12:07,716 was excavated within close proximity to the Templo Mayor, 255 00:12:07,740 --> 00:12:10,236 which was actually discovered by accident 256 00:12:10,260 --> 00:12:11,736 as workers uncovered a corner 257 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:13,896 of the great monolith while sweeping some 258 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:15,696 of the temple steps. 259 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,066 Templo Mayor was the main temple 260 00:12:18,090 --> 00:12:21,546 and was used by the Aztecs for ceremonial purposes. 261 00:12:21,570 --> 00:12:25,476 Unfortunately, this was primarily human sacrifice. 262 00:12:25,500 --> 00:12:29,106 Archeologists have reported that in one ceremony alone, 263 00:12:29,130 --> 00:12:32,703 thousands of victims were sacrificed in 1487. 264 00:12:33,630 --> 00:12:36,576 Tlaltecuhtli, the Earth God goddess was 265 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,746 a Mesoamerican earth goddess associated with fertility. 266 00:12:40,770 --> 00:12:42,696 As she was seen as their source of life, 267 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:44,406 the Aztecs sought necessary 268 00:12:44,430 --> 00:12:48,006 to constantly please their goddess with blood sacrifices, 269 00:12:48,030 --> 00:12:50,496 especially human hearts. 270 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,106 According to the creation legend surrounding it, 271 00:12:53,130 --> 00:12:56,556 the earth first roamed on the primordial sea in the form 272 00:12:56,580 --> 00:12:58,836 of a monster by this name. 273 00:12:58,860 --> 00:13:02,496 The legend also goes on to say that this goddess was fierce 274 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,406 and had a taste for human flesh so ferocious 275 00:13:05,430 --> 00:13:06,996 that one single gaping mouth 276 00:13:07,020 --> 00:13:09,486 with teeth of flint knives was not enough 277 00:13:09,510 --> 00:13:11,676 to satisfy her bestial hunger. 278 00:13:11,700 --> 00:13:14,736 To remedy this, she had more mouths at her elbows 279 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:19,506 and knees that could simultaneously devour her victims. 280 00:13:19,530 --> 00:13:22,896 She was so savage that even other gods were afraid of her. 281 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,249 The myth continues to say that the gods Tezcatlipoca 282 00:13:26,273 --> 00:13:29,886 and Quetzalcoatl transformed into giant serpents 283 00:13:29,910 --> 00:13:31,566 and strangled Tlaltecuhtli 284 00:13:31,590 --> 00:13:34,206 until her giant body split in two. 285 00:13:34,230 --> 00:13:37,176 They threw one half of her broken body up in the sky 286 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,116 and it was transformed into the vault of the heavens 287 00:13:40,140 --> 00:13:42,936 and the other half of her created the earth. 288 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:44,526 The other deities were appalled 289 00:13:44,550 --> 00:13:47,556 by what the serpents had done to Tlaltecuhtli, 290 00:13:47,580 --> 00:13:51,006 so they descended to the earth half to console her. 291 00:13:51,030 --> 00:13:53,556 They commanded that all the fruits necessary 292 00:13:53,580 --> 00:13:56,586 for the survival of humans should come from her. 293 00:13:56,610 --> 00:14:00,726 From that moment, all creation was to come from her body. 294 00:14:00,750 --> 00:14:02,736 They made it so that all trees, flowers, 295 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,676 and herbs would spring from her hair, wells, 296 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:07,686 and springs to come from her eyes, 297 00:14:07,710 --> 00:14:10,926 her mouth would create the rivers, lakes, and caverns, 298 00:14:10,950 --> 00:14:14,496 and her nose would create the mountain ranges and valleys. 299 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,926 The goddess sprang back to life in a new way, 300 00:14:16,950 --> 00:14:19,086 but despite the gifts she had been given, 301 00:14:19,110 --> 00:14:21,876 she is said to still cry out at night with her longing 302 00:14:21,900 --> 00:14:25,416 to continue to eat the hearts of humankind. 303 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:26,526 The legend continues, 304 00:14:26,550 --> 00:14:29,196 the goddess was restless and will not stay quiet 305 00:14:29,220 --> 00:14:32,136 and still until she was given the sacrifices, 306 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:33,366 nor would she bear fruit 307 00:14:33,390 --> 00:14:35,826 on the land unless her thirst was quenched 308 00:14:35,850 --> 00:14:36,993 with the blood of men. 309 00:14:37,860 --> 00:14:39,816 Some researchers believe that the increase 310 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,336 in human sacrifice in the later stages 311 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,166 of the Mayan civilization 312 00:14:44,190 --> 00:14:46,056 and the almost frenzied pace it took 313 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,686 with the Aztecs was due to the decline of their society. 314 00:14:49,710 --> 00:14:52,146 This downward spiral would've made it very easy 315 00:14:52,170 --> 00:14:54,576 for the Spanish to conquer them. 316 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:56,736 Unfortunately, when the massive statue 317 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:58,656 of Tlaltecuhtli was discovered, 318 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:01,686 it was fragmented into four pieces with a section 319 00:15:01,710 --> 00:15:03,036 of its core missing 320 00:15:03,060 --> 00:15:06,636 or possibly destroyed by the decimation of time. 321 00:15:06,660 --> 00:15:09,396 However, despite its incomplete appearance, 322 00:15:09,420 --> 00:15:12,396 the monolith of this earth monster deity is 323 00:15:12,420 --> 00:15:14,136 one that radiates great power 324 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,226 and intimidation to all those in its presence. 325 00:15:17,250 --> 00:15:19,416 The Aztecs believed that the presentation 326 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,486 of a monument should be in accordance 327 00:15:21,510 --> 00:15:23,706 with its cosmological place 328 00:15:23,730 --> 00:15:27,426 and as Tlaltecuhtli was depicted as an earth monster, 329 00:15:27,450 --> 00:15:29,436 she was placed in the earth underneath 330 00:15:29,460 --> 00:15:31,446 or below other objects. 331 00:15:31,470 --> 00:15:32,976 She was also often carved 332 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,456 beneath Aztec monuments rather than in plain sight, 333 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,096 like those of the carvings at Tlaloc, 334 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:40,216 and is believed that this 335 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,176 is so that she can take her position of the earth as well 336 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,936 as resting against the earth itself. 337 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,856 She's also placed front forward 338 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,766 in the many representations found of her. 339 00:15:50,790 --> 00:15:52,026 In the Aztec culture, 340 00:15:52,050 --> 00:15:53,796 it was commonplace for their deities 341 00:15:53,820 --> 00:15:56,886 to be presented this way as to show their power 342 00:15:56,910 --> 00:15:59,256 and distinguish them from other figures. 343 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,026 Directly underneath the statue, 344 00:16:01,050 --> 00:16:03,546 they discovered the largest find of offerings, 345 00:16:03,570 --> 00:16:05,826 which included shells and corals, 346 00:16:05,850 --> 00:16:09,096 a tiny pine mask, a sawfish bill, 347 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,016 8 and 1/2 thousand animal bones, 348 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:15,366 a jar of grain, a scepter, and many fire god sculptures. 349 00:16:15,390 --> 00:16:17,796 Archeologists believe these used to be an arrangement 350 00:16:17,820 --> 00:16:21,636 of sacrificial ornaments or offerings to the goddess. 351 00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:23,096 The gods of old and their worshipers 352 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:25,326 have always fascinated us. 353 00:16:25,350 --> 00:16:26,646 Even in modern religion, 354 00:16:26,670 --> 00:16:29,376 we venerate statues of saints in buildings 355 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,836 and churches that were adorned with symbolism 356 00:16:31,860 --> 00:16:35,526 and carvings that are linked to old pagan worship, 357 00:16:35,550 --> 00:16:37,866 but sadly, even with the many lives 358 00:16:37,890 --> 00:16:40,956 that the Aztecs sacrificed to Tlaltecuhtli 359 00:16:40,980 --> 00:16:43,536 to placate her thirst for human hearts, 360 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,603 the once great city of Tenochtitlan was abandoned 361 00:16:46,627 --> 00:16:48,306 by their goddess. 362 00:16:48,330 --> 00:16:50,106 Following a failed aqueduct design 363 00:16:50,130 --> 00:16:52,716 to bring fresh water to the Aztec people, 364 00:16:52,740 --> 00:16:54,546 a massive flood destroyed the city 365 00:16:54,570 --> 00:16:59,406 in 1502 AD including many satellite towns and villages. 366 00:16:59,430 --> 00:17:01,776 Even though the city was built by mortar, 367 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:03,246 the walls could not sustain 368 00:17:03,270 --> 00:17:05,706 the devastating attack by the water. 369 00:17:05,730 --> 00:17:08,466 However, the Mexica were persistent 370 00:17:08,490 --> 00:17:11,316 and began rebuilding once the waters receded. 371 00:17:11,340 --> 00:17:12,187 For the most part, 372 00:17:12,211 --> 00:17:13,656 the technological genius 373 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,446 of the Aztec people allowed them to build dams, 374 00:17:16,470 --> 00:17:19,656 which actually controlled the level of water quite well. 375 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:21,816 However, after the Spanish conquest, 376 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:23,346 the dams were destroyed 377 00:17:23,370 --> 00:17:26,736 and the flooding once again claimed this great city 378 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:28,641 of ancient times. 379 00:17:28,665 --> 00:17:31,082 [epic music] 380 00:17:35,259 --> 00:17:36,966 [haunting music] 381 00:17:36,990 --> 00:17:40,056 A strange circular rock known as Alien Mountain 382 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,586 in Sri Lanka is so called because of its cylindrical shape, 383 00:17:44,610 --> 00:17:47,616 numerous UFO sightings, ancient legends, 384 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,046 and spiritual connotations. 385 00:17:50,070 --> 00:17:52,416 Now newly discovered petroglyphs, 386 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,656 which some believe to be an antique astronomical code 387 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:57,996 have been discovered at the site as well. 388 00:17:58,020 --> 00:17:59,883 Some researchers believe that the mountain 389 00:17:59,907 --> 00:18:03,126 and its ancient rock carvings provide proof 390 00:18:03,150 --> 00:18:05,783 of extraterrestrial visitors on Earth. 391 00:18:07,710 --> 00:18:10,536 Sri Lanka is a large independent island nation 392 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:12,066 in the Indian Ocean, 393 00:18:12,090 --> 00:18:16,206 located about 26 miles off the southeast coast of India. 394 00:18:16,230 --> 00:18:19,806 The island was colonized by anatomically modern humans 395 00:18:19,830 --> 00:18:22,476 in the last Interglacial period dating back 396 00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:25,956 to around 125,000 years ago. 397 00:18:25,980 --> 00:18:27,906 Danigala Mountain is situated 398 00:18:27,930 --> 00:18:30,906 in the Polonnaruwa district of Sri Lanka 399 00:18:30,930 --> 00:18:32,976 and has long been known as a sacred site 400 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:34,956 to the local population. 401 00:18:34,980 --> 00:18:38,256 The mountain itself is a unique cylindrical shaped rock, 402 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,686 which is known by various intriguing names 403 00:18:40,710 --> 00:18:42,966 including Alien Mountain, 404 00:18:42,990 --> 00:18:46,549 Kandegama Rock, and the Stargate of King Ravana. 405 00:18:46,573 --> 00:18:47,383 [cryptic music] 406 00:18:47,407 --> 00:18:48,456 It's believed to be one of the places 407 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,517 where King Ravana landed his special aircraft Dandu Monara. 408 00:18:53,370 --> 00:18:54,658 According to Hindu legend, 409 00:18:54,682 --> 00:18:57,906 King Ravana was one of the most powerful beings ever 410 00:18:57,930 --> 00:18:59,466 to roam the universe. 411 00:18:59,490 --> 00:19:02,436 He ruled in Sri Lanka over the Monara gods, 412 00:19:02,460 --> 00:19:04,596 humans, and demons. 413 00:19:04,620 --> 00:19:06,906 Legend says that Ravana ruled Lanka 414 00:19:06,930 --> 00:19:09,696 for several hundred years prior to the times 415 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,966 of Ramayana when he was killed by Prince Janmab 416 00:19:12,990 --> 00:19:15,156 for kidnapping his wife Sita. 417 00:19:15,180 --> 00:19:18,066 Some researchers believed that this Ramayana 418 00:19:18,090 --> 00:19:20,526 was not entirely a fictional character 419 00:19:20,550 --> 00:19:21,457 and may have been based 420 00:19:21,481 --> 00:19:23,976 on a real king who ruled over Sri Lanka 421 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:28,506 from 2554 to 2517 BC. 422 00:19:28,530 --> 00:19:31,146 Under the rule of the scholarly Ravana, 423 00:19:31,170 --> 00:19:33,246 Sri Lanka witnessed great advancements 424 00:19:33,270 --> 00:19:35,106 in science and medicine. 425 00:19:35,130 --> 00:19:37,866 The Pushpaka Vimana or the airplane 426 00:19:37,890 --> 00:19:39,066 in which some versions 427 00:19:39,090 --> 00:19:40,746 of the legend is said to have flown 428 00:19:40,770 --> 00:19:43,206 during his reign is held up as an example 429 00:19:43,230 --> 00:19:45,636 of the great scientific achievements taking place 430 00:19:45,660 --> 00:19:46,776 at the time. 431 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,383 The word vimana is composed of "vi" the sky, 432 00:19:50,407 --> 00:19:52,476 "mana" meaning measure. 433 00:19:52,500 --> 00:19:54,006 Vimana is something that measures 434 00:19:54,030 --> 00:19:55,896 the sky as it crosses it. 435 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,466 Indian legends are full of stories of vimana. 436 00:19:59,490 --> 00:20:01,206 The most well-known of these legends 437 00:20:01,230 --> 00:20:05,316 of the Pushpaka Vimana concerns Rama who was returning 438 00:20:05,340 --> 00:20:08,886 from Lanka to Ayodhya along with Sita 439 00:20:08,910 --> 00:20:10,833 after defeating Ravana. 440 00:20:10,857 --> 00:20:14,496 The vimana that was used by Ravana himself was also known 441 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:15,874 as Dandu Monara. 442 00:20:15,898 --> 00:20:16,717 [plucky music] 443 00:20:16,741 --> 00:20:18,846 In the local Sinhalaese language, 444 00:20:18,870 --> 00:20:20,646 monara means peacock 445 00:20:20,670 --> 00:20:22,596 and Dandu Monara means 446 00:20:22,620 --> 00:20:25,776 that which can fly resembling a peacock. 447 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,806 In fact, the story of Ravana flying in a vimana 448 00:20:28,830 --> 00:20:32,171 with his wife Mandodari is depicted in the insignia 449 00:20:32,195 --> 00:20:34,656 of Sri Lanka's most famous hotel, 450 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,086 Galle Face Hotel Colombo. 451 00:20:37,110 --> 00:20:40,386 In some ancient texts which discuss these flying machines, 452 00:20:40,410 --> 00:20:43,656 there are tantalizing mentions of possible fuels used, 453 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:45,906 aeronautics, meteorology, 454 00:20:45,930 --> 00:20:49,446 and aerial maneuvers that were deployed in flying them. 455 00:20:49,470 --> 00:20:51,516 Some researchers have noted the connection 456 00:20:51,540 --> 00:20:53,436 between these ancient vimanas 457 00:20:53,460 --> 00:20:55,956 and the designation of Alien Mountain 458 00:20:55,980 --> 00:20:58,866 to describe Danigala Mountain. 459 00:20:58,890 --> 00:21:00,216 There's just one problem, 460 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:03,186 there is no record of any UFO sightings in the area 461 00:21:03,210 --> 00:21:04,506 of the mountain. 462 00:21:04,530 --> 00:21:08,466 It could be perhaps the designation Alien Mountain comes 463 00:21:08,490 --> 00:21:11,046 from the connection with the ancient vimanas, 464 00:21:11,070 --> 00:21:12,966 though no one seems to be sure of that, 465 00:21:12,990 --> 00:21:14,106 it's possible through 466 00:21:14,130 --> 00:21:16,146 the alien connection that it goes 467 00:21:16,170 --> 00:21:18,860 further back than modern UFO sightings. 468 00:21:18,884 --> 00:21:19,694 [elusive music] 469 00:21:19,718 --> 00:21:21,366 In September 2020, 470 00:21:21,390 --> 00:21:23,616 a doctor published a controversial report 471 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,676 on the Research Gate scientific networking site 472 00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:27,726 on the petroglyphs 473 00:21:27,750 --> 00:21:32,406 at Alien Mountain entitled "Danigala Coding Sri Lanka." 474 00:21:32,430 --> 00:21:33,247 In this report, 475 00:21:33,271 --> 00:21:35,916 which describes the new discovery of petroglyphs 476 00:21:35,940 --> 00:21:38,376 in a part of the northwest slope of the mountain 477 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:40,026 in July 2020, 478 00:21:40,050 --> 00:21:43,086 Danigala states, "Those bind ruins 479 00:21:43,110 --> 00:21:44,286 are dominantly compared 480 00:21:44,310 --> 00:21:47,376 with other archeological sites in Sri Lanka 481 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,836 and the Southeast Asia region. 482 00:21:49,860 --> 00:21:52,236 The type of symbols bind ruins 483 00:21:52,260 --> 00:21:54,816 and petroglyphs found are quite new, 484 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,486 and for the first time discovered in Sri Lankan 485 00:21:57,510 --> 00:21:58,760 during archeoastronomical 486 00:21:59,670 --> 00:22:02,466 and geological preliminary survey conducted 487 00:22:02,490 --> 00:22:05,916 by the Central Culture Fund with a corporation 488 00:22:05,940 --> 00:22:07,926 of South Asian Astrobiology 489 00:22:07,950 --> 00:22:12,936 and Earth Sciences Research Unit of Eco Astronomy Sri Lanka. 490 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,306 Hence, this is a new discovery. 491 00:22:15,330 --> 00:22:17,736 It should be considered as our geological, 492 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,916 astronomical, and archeological heritage site, 493 00:22:20,940 --> 00:22:23,226 which represents the collective memory 494 00:22:23,250 --> 00:22:27,936 of the anthropomorphic scenes affected by mother nature." 495 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:29,586 He's the CEO and founder 496 00:22:29,610 --> 00:22:32,196 of Eco Astronomy Sri Lanka established 497 00:22:32,220 --> 00:22:36,827 in 2016 as a newly developed research area in Sri Lanka. 498 00:22:36,851 --> 00:22:38,217 Their research focuses 499 00:22:38,241 --> 00:22:41,046 on comparative systematic analysis 500 00:22:41,070 --> 00:22:44,256 of extreme environmental conditions of planet Earth, 501 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:46,987 which related to extraterrestrial life based 502 00:22:47,011 --> 00:22:51,276 on paleontological and meteorological factors. 503 00:22:51,300 --> 00:22:54,456 He believes that the rock carvings found at Alien Mountain, 504 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:56,226 so-called bind ruins, 505 00:22:56,250 --> 00:22:58,086 when two or more ruins are connected 506 00:22:58,110 --> 00:22:59,077 or bound together, 507 00:22:59,101 --> 00:23:02,796 constitute a lost astronomical counting system created 508 00:23:02,820 --> 00:23:05,943 by the Neolithic hunters thousands of years ago. 509 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,396 Though such bind ruins are unique, 510 00:23:09,420 --> 00:23:12,336 ancient rock art in Sri Lanka is fairly common. 511 00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:16,356 It first came to the attention of researchers in 1897 512 00:23:16,380 --> 00:23:18,276 and to date over 40 sites 513 00:23:18,300 --> 00:23:20,316 have been cataloged on the island. 514 00:23:20,340 --> 00:23:22,566 These sites mostly rock shelters 515 00:23:22,590 --> 00:23:25,026 are mainly concentrated in the eastern, 516 00:23:25,050 --> 00:23:27,276 southeastern north, central, 517 00:23:27,300 --> 00:23:30,036 and central hill regions of the island. 518 00:23:30,060 --> 00:23:32,916 The paintings in the caves generally depict humans 519 00:23:32,940 --> 00:23:35,316 and animals such as elephants, leopards, 520 00:23:35,340 --> 00:23:37,326 stags, deer, and dogs. 521 00:23:37,350 --> 00:23:38,856 It's important to note that 522 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:40,686 the animals depicted are not shown 523 00:23:40,710 --> 00:23:44,106 in hunting scenes when they're shown alongside humans, 524 00:23:44,130 --> 00:23:47,956 they appear almost as companions rather than prey. 525 00:23:47,980 --> 00:23:50,556 [ethereal music] 526 00:23:50,580 --> 00:23:53,616 Some researchers have pointed out these similarities 527 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,406 between the circular Danigala Mountain 528 00:23:56,430 --> 00:23:58,686 and the prominent ancient rock fortress 529 00:23:58,710 --> 00:24:00,966 in the Northern Matale district near 530 00:24:00,990 --> 00:24:02,346 the town of Dambulla 531 00:24:02,370 --> 00:24:04,926 in the central province of Sri Lanka, 532 00:24:04,950 --> 00:24:07,998 this enigmatic rock outcrop rises dramatically 533 00:24:08,022 --> 00:24:09,786 from the plains. 534 00:24:09,810 --> 00:24:12,396 Its almost vertical walls soar skyward 535 00:24:12,420 --> 00:24:15,216 to a flat top summit that contains the ruins 536 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,406 of an ancient civilization believed 537 00:24:17,430 --> 00:24:18,906 to be once the focal point 538 00:24:18,930 --> 00:24:21,576 of the short-lived kingdom of Kassapa. 539 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,286 Given its stunning appearance, 540 00:24:23,310 --> 00:24:25,986 it's perhaps not surprising that Sigiriya is known 541 00:24:26,010 --> 00:24:29,286 by locals as the eighth wonder of the world. 542 00:24:29,310 --> 00:24:32,676 The fortress complex is located on a massive rock plateau, 543 00:24:32,700 --> 00:24:36,216 1,214 feet above sea level. 544 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:38,496 The fortress complex includes the remains 545 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:39,816 of a ruined palace, 546 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,446 surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, 547 00:24:43,470 --> 00:24:47,736 huge gardens, ponds, canals, alleys, and fountains. 548 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:49,656 From the 3rd century BC, 549 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:53,526 the rocky plateau of Sigiriya functioned as a monastery. 550 00:24:53,550 --> 00:24:56,466 In the second half of the 5th century AD, 551 00:24:56,490 --> 00:25:00,546 King Kashyapa constructed a royal residence there, 552 00:25:00,570 --> 00:25:01,626 but after his death, 553 00:25:01,650 --> 00:25:03,816 the site again became a Buddhist monastery, 554 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:06,336 which lasted up until the 14th century 555 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:08,256 when it was finally abandoned. 556 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:09,696 The western wall of the palace 557 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:11,136 was almost entirely covered 558 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:15,216 by stunning frescoes created during the reign of Kashyapa, 559 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,916 18 of which survived to this day. 560 00:25:17,940 --> 00:25:19,648 The frescoes depict naked females 561 00:25:19,672 --> 00:25:21,846 and are considered to be either portraits 562 00:25:21,870 --> 00:25:24,546 of Kashyapa's wives and concubines 563 00:25:24,570 --> 00:25:27,726 or priestesses performing religious rituals. 564 00:25:27,750 --> 00:25:31,776 Another striking feature of Sigiriya is its mirror wall. 565 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,506 In ancient times, it was polished so thoroughly that 566 00:25:34,530 --> 00:25:37,116 the king could see his reflection in it. 567 00:25:37,140 --> 00:25:39,396 The mirror wall is painted with inscriptions 568 00:25:39,420 --> 00:25:42,756 and poems written by the visitors to the area, 569 00:25:42,780 --> 00:25:44,616 the most ancient of which dates back 570 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,706 to the 8th century showing that Sigiriya was 571 00:25:47,730 --> 00:25:51,516 a tourist destination more than a thousand years ago. 572 00:25:51,540 --> 00:25:53,916 Sigiriya has also water gardens, 573 00:25:53,940 --> 00:25:55,686 cave and boulder gardens, 574 00:25:55,710 --> 00:25:57,576 and also terrace gardens. 575 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,216 They're located on the western part of the site 576 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:01,686 and were watered using 577 00:26:01,710 --> 00:26:04,476 an incredibly complex hydraulic system 578 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:07,056 which consisted of canals, locks, 579 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,846 lakes, dams, bridges, fountains, 580 00:26:09,870 --> 00:26:12,603 as well as surface and underground water pumps. 581 00:26:13,620 --> 00:26:15,456 The buildings and landscape gardens 582 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:17,706 of Sigiriya show that the creators 583 00:26:17,730 --> 00:26:20,339 of this incredible architectural monument used unique 584 00:26:20,363 --> 00:26:21,337 [mysterious music] 585 00:26:21,361 --> 00:26:24,666 and creative technical skills and technologies. 586 00:26:24,690 --> 00:26:26,706 In fact, so astonishing are 587 00:26:26,730 --> 00:26:29,826 the features that some paranormal researchers believe 588 00:26:29,850 --> 00:26:31,596 the site to be the result 589 00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:33,696 of extraterrestrial intervention 590 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,936 rather than human ingenuity and hard work. 591 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,396 These researchers point out the architectural 592 00:26:39,420 --> 00:26:42,996 and engineering design at the site which is advanced even 593 00:26:43,020 --> 00:26:45,534 by 21st century standards. 594 00:26:45,558 --> 00:26:47,046 One legend surrounding 595 00:26:47,070 --> 00:26:48,846 the huge rock fortress states 596 00:26:48,870 --> 00:26:50,999 that it was built initially for Kubera, 597 00:26:51,023 --> 00:26:54,726 the treasurer of the Gods of Vishwakarma, 598 00:26:54,750 --> 00:26:56,013 the divine engineer. 599 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,556 One alien hunter suggested that the rock fortress 600 00:26:59,580 --> 00:27:00,906 was something like a lighthouse 601 00:27:00,930 --> 00:27:02,553 for ancient aliens and their vimanas, 602 00:27:02,577 --> 00:27:03,387 [energy pulsating] 603 00:27:03,411 --> 00:27:05,736 reasoning that if they were landing at night, 604 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:07,296 the crystals in the mirror wall 605 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:11,316 of the site would reflect the light back from the craft. 606 00:27:11,340 --> 00:27:13,656 Believers in the ancient alien theory 607 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,640 for the site question how ancient builders created 608 00:27:16,664 --> 00:27:18,726 such extraordinary structures 609 00:27:18,750 --> 00:27:22,296 on top of a rock over 1,200 feet high. 610 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,606 But why would this suggest aliens? 611 00:27:24,630 --> 00:27:26,706 There are numerous archeological sites 612 00:27:26,730 --> 00:27:27,756 throughout the world, 613 00:27:27,780 --> 00:27:30,486 far higher up and more inaccessible. 614 00:27:30,510 --> 00:27:33,040 The most obvious examples being the Inca Citadel 615 00:27:33,064 --> 00:27:35,226 of Machu Picchu in Peru, 616 00:27:35,250 --> 00:27:40,250 located 7,970 feet up on a mountain ridge. 617 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,486 The palace and fortress complex 618 00:27:42,510 --> 00:27:44,766 of Sigiriya has been recognized as one 619 00:27:44,790 --> 00:27:47,646 of the finest examples of ancient urban planning 620 00:27:47,670 --> 00:27:48,786 in the world. 621 00:27:48,810 --> 00:27:51,996 Taking into account the uniqueness of this site, 622 00:27:52,020 --> 00:27:56,403 UNESCO declared it a world heritage site in 1982. 623 00:27:58,412 --> 00:28:00,829 [epic music] 624 00:28:03,332 --> 00:28:06,082 [haunting music] 625 00:28:07,290 --> 00:28:10,176 The Inga Stone is located in the middle of the waters 626 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,990 of the Inga River near the small city of Inga 627 00:28:13,014 --> 00:28:16,866 in Paraiba state in the northwest of Brazil. 628 00:28:16,890 --> 00:28:20,234 This controversial historical treasure 150 feet long 629 00:28:20,258 --> 00:28:22,926 and 13 feet in height is covered in carvings 630 00:28:22,950 --> 00:28:27,006 of strange unidentified geometric symbols 631 00:28:27,030 --> 00:28:29,256 of various sizes and shapes. 632 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,125 Although many researchers have speculated on the origins 633 00:28:32,149 --> 00:28:34,176 and the meaning of the symbols, 634 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,756 no theory has yet been proven. 635 00:28:36,780 --> 00:28:37,836 Were they made by 636 00:28:37,860 --> 00:28:40,146 a previously unknown civilization 637 00:28:40,170 --> 00:28:43,956 maybe possessing ancient technology long since forgotten? 638 00:28:43,980 --> 00:28:46,113 What do the symbols really mean? 639 00:28:46,951 --> 00:28:48,546 [mysterious music] 640 00:28:48,570 --> 00:28:51,186 The area where the site is located covers 641 00:28:51,210 --> 00:28:54,876 around 40 hectares of extensive granite outcrops 642 00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:57,666 that contain a large number of rock carvings. 643 00:28:57,690 --> 00:28:59,856 The main outcrop is popularly known 644 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,946 as Pedra do Inga, the Stone of Inga, 645 00:29:02,970 --> 00:29:06,636 and forms a wall oriented northeast-southeast 646 00:29:06,660 --> 00:29:10,536 and features the three main rock panels at the site. 647 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:11,556 In the rainy season, 648 00:29:11,580 --> 00:29:14,496 this large monolith is partially covered by water 649 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,616 and can only be seen in its entirety in dry weather 650 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:20,316 and when the riverbed is completely dry. 651 00:29:20,340 --> 00:29:21,966 Although there is speculation as 652 00:29:21,990 --> 00:29:24,906 to what tools could have been used to make the carvings, 653 00:29:24,930 --> 00:29:26,646 it's believed that the figures were made 654 00:29:26,670 --> 00:29:29,856 with round stones found in nearby streams. 655 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,586 Archeological research indicates the existence 656 00:29:32,610 --> 00:29:35,766 of lithic workshops in the vicinity of the site 657 00:29:35,790 --> 00:29:38,766 and temporary camps associated with the main site 658 00:29:38,790 --> 00:29:43,176 in use from about 10,000 BC to around 1,400 AD, 659 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,066 possibly as a sacred place used 660 00:29:45,090 --> 00:29:48,036 by the local prehistoric populations. 661 00:29:48,060 --> 00:29:50,316 There is also evidence of other occupations 662 00:29:50,340 --> 00:29:52,626 in the areas outside of the main site, 663 00:29:52,650 --> 00:29:54,936 which is associated with it. 664 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:56,730 So far, experts have identified 665 00:29:56,754 --> 00:30:00,636 more than 400 engravings on the stone's surface. 666 00:30:00,660 --> 00:30:03,426 Most of the Inga carvings are hard to understand, 667 00:30:03,450 --> 00:30:05,523 but some of them are thought 668 00:30:05,547 --> 00:30:06,876 to represent celestial features 669 00:30:06,900 --> 00:30:09,096 with two being similar to the Milky Way 670 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,406 and the constellation of Orion. 671 00:30:11,430 --> 00:30:14,706 Others are thought to be representations of circles, 672 00:30:14,730 --> 00:30:19,206 geometric shapes, animals, fruits, weapons, 673 00:30:19,230 --> 00:30:21,786 human shapes, and birds. 674 00:30:21,810 --> 00:30:24,396 Many of the carvings seem to relate to the daily life 675 00:30:24,420 --> 00:30:26,946 of the local population at the time. 676 00:30:26,970 --> 00:30:30,045 The exact origin of the inscriptions is still unknown. 677 00:30:30,069 --> 00:30:30,879 [ominous music] 678 00:30:30,903 --> 00:30:33,426 Brazil was officially discovered in 1500 679 00:30:33,450 --> 00:30:36,006 when a fleet on its way to India commanded 680 00:30:36,030 --> 00:30:39,816 by Portuguese diplomat Pedro Alvarez Cabral landed 681 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:43,896 in Porto Seguro between Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. 682 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:46,716 The first references to the mysterious carvings 683 00:30:46,740 --> 00:30:49,356 are found in the reports of the European settlers 684 00:30:49,380 --> 00:30:52,116 in the state in the 16th century. 685 00:30:52,140 --> 00:30:53,406 Among these references, 686 00:30:53,430 --> 00:30:54,816 the most important is 687 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,666 the "Dialogues of Brazil's Grandness" 688 00:30:57,690 --> 00:31:00,786 attributed to Ambrosio Fernandes Brandao 689 00:31:00,810 --> 00:31:04,416 written between 1519 and 1618. 690 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:08,263 According to the researcher Gabriela Martin in 2008, 691 00:31:08,287 --> 00:31:10,176 "The Inga stone is undoubtedly 692 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,906 the most famous rock engraving in Brazil, 693 00:31:12,930 --> 00:31:15,636 but as a result of this exalted reputation, 694 00:31:15,660 --> 00:31:18,876 a number of groundless theories, hopeful speculations 695 00:31:18,900 --> 00:31:21,756 and popular myths have grown up around the stone 696 00:31:21,780 --> 00:31:24,486 and the origin and meaning of its carvings. 697 00:31:24,510 --> 00:31:28,206 Hidden treasures are mentioned as are lost Venetian sailors 698 00:31:28,230 --> 00:31:30,996 and of course extraterrestrial beings. 699 00:31:31,020 --> 00:31:32,951 Where would we be without their help?" 700 00:31:32,975 --> 00:31:33,785 [mysterious music] 701 00:31:33,809 --> 00:31:38,076 Gabriele D'Annunzio Baraldi from 1938 to 2002 702 00:31:38,100 --> 00:31:39,576 was Italian by birth, 703 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,966 but lived in Brazil, Sao Paulo until his death. 704 00:31:42,990 --> 00:31:44,736 Baraldi claimed that the area 705 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:47,886 around the Inga Stone was a Hittite colony 706 00:31:47,910 --> 00:31:50,976 and that the Hittite empire had existed in Brazil. 707 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,616 This was apparently based on the basic similarity 708 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:56,496 and nothing more between Hittite inscriptions 709 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,566 and those on the Inga stone. 710 00:31:58,590 --> 00:32:00,756 The Hittites occupied the ancient region 711 00:32:00,780 --> 00:32:03,126 of Anatolia, modern-day Turkey, 712 00:32:03,150 --> 00:32:05,496 around 1700 BC, 713 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:08,196 so how they found the way to Brazil is anyone's guess, 714 00:32:08,220 --> 00:32:10,059 perhaps the extraterrestrials brought them. 715 00:32:10,083 --> 00:32:12,301 [energy pulsating] 716 00:32:12,325 --> 00:32:13,476 [mysterious music] 717 00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:15,186 In the early 20th century, 718 00:32:15,210 --> 00:32:18,396 the Austrian traveler Ludwig Schwennhagen toured 719 00:32:18,420 --> 00:32:21,996 various parts of Northeastern Brazil studying traces 720 00:32:22,020 --> 00:32:23,526 of what he believed to be the presence 721 00:32:23,550 --> 00:32:25,776 of Phoenicians in this region. 722 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:27,366 Besides numerous articles, 723 00:32:27,390 --> 00:32:30,396 he published a book, "Ancient History of Brazil," 724 00:32:30,420 --> 00:32:32,586 associating the inscriptions of Inga 725 00:32:32,610 --> 00:32:34,326 with the Phoenicians. 726 00:32:34,350 --> 00:32:36,456 The Phoenicians were a maritime people 727 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,646 who occupied the coast of Levant, 728 00:32:38,670 --> 00:32:41,136 modern Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, 729 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:42,666 and most of Western Turkey 730 00:32:42,690 --> 00:32:46,566 from around 1500 to 332 BC. 731 00:32:46,590 --> 00:32:49,386 Again, what were they doing in Brazil? 732 00:32:49,410 --> 00:32:51,273 But the theory of Phoenicians in Brazil 733 00:32:51,297 --> 00:32:54,186 and the Americas has a long history as part 734 00:32:54,210 --> 00:32:56,526 of the recurring, often bizarre attempts 735 00:32:56,550 --> 00:32:59,076 to find ancient Semitic inscriptions 736 00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:00,876 in the western hemisphere. 737 00:33:00,900 --> 00:33:03,576 In 1872, a stone inscribed 738 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,246 with Phoenician writing was allegedly discovered 739 00:33:06,270 --> 00:33:08,586 in Paraiba, northeast Brazil. 740 00:33:08,610 --> 00:33:10,806 The letter sent from the original discoverer 741 00:33:10,830 --> 00:33:12,366 of the stone to the president 742 00:33:12,390 --> 00:33:13,986 of the Brazilian Historical 743 00:33:14,010 --> 00:33:16,694 and Geographic Institute is worth quoting: 744 00:33:16,718 --> 00:33:17,528 [eerie music] 745 00:33:17,552 --> 00:33:20,466 "As I was having stones carried into my property, 746 00:33:20,490 --> 00:33:23,256 my slaves brought me one that they had already broken 747 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:24,696 into four pieces. 748 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:26,916 This stone presented numerous characters 749 00:33:26,940 --> 00:33:28,626 that no one understood. 750 00:33:28,650 --> 00:33:30,486 I had them copied by my son, 751 00:33:30,510 --> 00:33:32,766 who knows a little about draftsmanship, 752 00:33:32,790 --> 00:33:36,306 and I was resolved to send this copy to your Excellency 753 00:33:36,330 --> 00:33:38,016 as president of the Historical 754 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,506 and Geographical Institute of Brazil 755 00:33:40,530 --> 00:33:41,946 to see if your Excellency 756 00:33:41,970 --> 00:33:43,926 or some other person could determine 757 00:33:43,950 --> 00:33:45,546 what these letters mean, 758 00:33:45,570 --> 00:33:48,066 and as I have arrived in this capital city 759 00:33:48,090 --> 00:33:50,136 and have not had the time to give them personally 760 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:51,366 to your Excellency, 761 00:33:51,390 --> 00:33:53,646 I have sent them to him through the post. 762 00:33:53,670 --> 00:33:55,266 I am with all consideration 763 00:33:55,290 --> 00:33:57,306 and respect for your Excellency. 764 00:33:57,330 --> 00:34:00,156 Attentive, devoted, and obliged servant, 765 00:34:00,180 --> 00:34:01,656 Joaquim Alves de Costa, 766 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:05,943 Rio, 11th of September, 1872." 767 00:34:05,967 --> 00:34:06,777 [thunder crashing] 768 00:34:06,801 --> 00:34:08,526 The inscription itself told the story 769 00:34:08,550 --> 00:34:11,316 of a Phoenician ship which was caught in a storm 770 00:34:11,340 --> 00:34:13,176 and separated from a fleet sailing 771 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:15,138 from Egypt around Africa. 772 00:34:15,162 --> 00:34:15,972 [enigmatic music] 773 00:34:15,996 --> 00:34:20,526 The stone also mentions the Pharaoh Necho I or Necho II. 774 00:34:20,550 --> 00:34:22,626 A transcription was shown to the director 775 00:34:22,650 --> 00:34:24,726 of the National Museum of Brazil who 776 00:34:24,750 --> 00:34:27,516 at first accepted the inscription as genuine, 777 00:34:27,540 --> 00:34:28,716 but Alves de Costa 778 00:34:28,740 --> 00:34:32,016 and his estate proved impossible to locate 779 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:33,906 and it was concluded that the whole affair 780 00:34:33,930 --> 00:34:36,006 was nothing more than a hoax. 781 00:34:36,030 --> 00:34:38,165 Marshall McKusick has reviewed 782 00:34:38,189 --> 00:34:40,986 and dismissed various theories of Phoenicians 783 00:34:41,010 --> 00:34:43,356 or Canaanites in the new world, 784 00:34:43,380 --> 00:34:46,626 observing that "In this modern day everyone wishes 785 00:34:46,650 --> 00:34:48,456 to be his own authority 786 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:49,596 and the personal search 787 00:34:49,620 --> 00:34:51,966 for cultural alternatives seems 788 00:34:51,990 --> 00:34:55,497 to make every idea or theory equal in value." 789 00:34:55,521 --> 00:34:56,331 [mysterious music] 790 00:34:56,355 --> 00:34:57,876 Ronald H. Fritze has discussed 791 00:34:57,900 --> 00:34:59,436 the theory of such claims 792 00:34:59,460 --> 00:35:02,136 from the 17th to the 20th centuries, 793 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,026 concluding that although the journey 794 00:35:04,050 --> 00:35:06,186 to Brazil was technically possible, 795 00:35:06,210 --> 00:35:09,066 no archeological evidence has yet been discovered 796 00:35:09,090 --> 00:35:10,356 to prove it. 797 00:35:10,380 --> 00:35:13,536 Peruvian electrical engineer Huari Roman 798 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:14,976 has linked the Inga stone 799 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:19,026 with refugees from the sunken continent of Atlantis. 800 00:35:19,050 --> 00:35:21,456 Roman claims that before the great flood, 801 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,756 most of central Brazil was a huge inland sea 802 00:35:24,780 --> 00:35:25,956 and that the Atlanteans 803 00:35:25,980 --> 00:35:28,326 and Arawaks lived around this lake, 804 00:35:28,350 --> 00:35:30,396 and that the one artifact left behind 805 00:35:30,420 --> 00:35:32,946 by them was the Inga stone. 806 00:35:32,970 --> 00:35:33,779 After the deluge, 807 00:35:33,803 --> 00:35:34,613 [waves crashing] 808 00:35:34,637 --> 00:35:37,416 a cataclysm inundated Atlantis and Brazil, 809 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:39,456 destroying the Inland Sea. 810 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:41,856 Some groups fled to the Andean Highlands 811 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:45,786 of Peru eventually developing the empire of Tiwanaku, 812 00:35:45,810 --> 00:35:48,546 which then later became the Incan Empire. 813 00:35:48,570 --> 00:35:52,386 What is Roman's evidence for this extraordinary theory? 814 00:35:52,410 --> 00:35:55,236 Apparently, he's keeping that to himself. 815 00:35:55,260 --> 00:35:57,246 Who also those who believe that the signs 816 00:35:57,270 --> 00:36:00,756 on the Inga stone are the work of extraterrestrials? 817 00:36:00,780 --> 00:36:02,379 According to Claudio Quintans 818 00:36:02,403 --> 00:36:05,706 of the Paraibano Center for Ufology, 819 00:36:05,730 --> 00:36:07,986 it is unlikely that the prehistoric people 820 00:36:08,010 --> 00:36:09,276 of the area would've been able 821 00:36:09,300 --> 00:36:11,706 to make such intricate carvings. 822 00:36:11,730 --> 00:36:14,616 Therefore, he believes the carvings were actually made 823 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,496 by extraterrestrial visitors to the planet, 824 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:19,716 and some symbols may be interpreted 825 00:36:19,740 --> 00:36:22,686 as explaining the distance between the planets such 826 00:36:22,710 --> 00:36:24,246 as the Earth and the Moon, 827 00:36:24,270 --> 00:36:25,833 and even further beyond that. 828 00:36:25,857 --> 00:36:26,667 [haunting music] 829 00:36:26,691 --> 00:36:29,256 He adds that the Inga stone shows some formulas 830 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:31,536 for the production of quantum energy. 831 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:32,370 There must be a queue 832 00:36:32,394 --> 00:36:35,166 of physicists forming around Quintans's house 833 00:36:35,190 --> 00:36:37,026 to ask just where he obtained 834 00:36:37,050 --> 00:36:40,476 that earth-shattering information and what it means. 835 00:36:40,500 --> 00:36:41,310 [mysterious music] 836 00:36:41,334 --> 00:36:43,146 The attitude of Quintan's is very common 837 00:36:43,170 --> 00:36:45,546 in alternative history theories. 838 00:36:45,570 --> 00:36:47,856 The belief is that there's no way that the natives 839 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,406 of Brazil could have ever been advanced enough 840 00:36:50,430 --> 00:36:53,586 to make anything that required any technological skill 841 00:36:53,610 --> 00:36:54,816 or knowledge. 842 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:57,816 In fact, in Brazil's Natural History Museum, 843 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:00,096 there are stone instruments which the natives used 844 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:03,030 for various activities including grooving stones 845 00:37:03,054 --> 00:37:07,266 to make inscriptions such as those on the Inga stone. 846 00:37:07,290 --> 00:37:10,536 Spanish engineer Francisco Pavia Alemany 847 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:12,876 has mathematically studied the stone, 848 00:37:12,900 --> 00:37:16,776 and his first results were published in 1986. 849 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:20,526 Alemany identified a series of bowls on the stone's surface 850 00:37:20,550 --> 00:37:22,266 and another petroglyph etched 851 00:37:22,290 --> 00:37:24,846 into the vertical surface of the wall of Inga 852 00:37:24,870 --> 00:37:27,156 that formed a solar calendar. 853 00:37:27,180 --> 00:37:28,950 Alemany later focused on recording 854 00:37:28,974 --> 00:37:31,476 and documenting a series of symbols 855 00:37:31,500 --> 00:37:34,746 on the surface which represented stars that appeared 856 00:37:34,770 --> 00:37:36,846 to have been grouped together in what appeared 857 00:37:36,870 --> 00:37:38,796 to be constellations. 858 00:37:38,820 --> 00:37:41,946 According to him, it's the coexistence of the bowls 859 00:37:41,970 --> 00:37:45,036 and constellations on the rock surface which give 860 00:37:45,060 --> 00:37:48,936 the stone its archeoastronomical significance. 861 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:51,246 Although there are a number of theories 862 00:37:51,270 --> 00:37:54,006 to explain the unusual designs on the stone, 863 00:37:54,030 --> 00:37:55,926 the simplest is probably true. 864 00:37:55,950 --> 00:37:58,086 The symbols represent various cultural 865 00:37:58,110 --> 00:38:01,776 and spiritual teachings passed on by local tribal elders 866 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:03,936 to the younger generations. 867 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,726 Unfortunately, there have been virtually no studies 868 00:38:06,750 --> 00:38:10,086 of the technological development, social structure, 869 00:38:10,110 --> 00:38:13,326 or cultural complexity of the prehistoric populations 870 00:38:13,350 --> 00:38:15,126 of Northeastern Brazil. 871 00:38:15,150 --> 00:38:16,746 Hence, there's a gap in our knowledge 872 00:38:16,770 --> 00:38:18,276 of the cultures of the area, 873 00:38:18,300 --> 00:38:19,656 which allows all sorts 874 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:21,832 of bizarre unsubstantiated theories 875 00:38:21,856 --> 00:38:23,729 to wriggle through unchecked. 876 00:38:23,753 --> 00:38:24,563 [calm music] 877 00:38:24,587 --> 00:38:26,946 The Inga stone and the area around it represents 878 00:38:26,970 --> 00:38:29,616 a people who created expressive art in rock 879 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:31,986 with a high technical capacity. 880 00:38:32,010 --> 00:38:35,256 The site is remarkable for its almost exclusive use 881 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,386 of non-figurative representations 882 00:38:37,410 --> 00:38:40,339 on its panels expressing the creative genius of 883 00:38:40,363 --> 00:38:44,886 a human group that appropriated abstract aesthetic standards 884 00:38:44,910 --> 00:38:46,506 as a means of expression 885 00:38:46,530 --> 00:38:49,386 of possibly symbolic religious concepts. 886 00:38:49,410 --> 00:38:51,276 The local populations were unlike 887 00:38:51,300 --> 00:38:54,126 other prehistoric Brazilian cultures in this, 888 00:38:54,150 --> 00:38:56,706 who mostly made use of anthropomorphic 889 00:38:56,730 --> 00:38:59,286 and zoomorphic representations. 890 00:38:59,310 --> 00:39:02,916 Unfortunately today the site where the Inga stone stands 891 00:39:02,940 --> 00:39:04,566 is under constant threat, 892 00:39:04,590 --> 00:39:06,906 not only from the elements but from the hundreds 893 00:39:06,930 --> 00:39:09,966 of tourists who trample all over it almost daily. 894 00:39:09,990 --> 00:39:11,256 There have been also cases 895 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:13,836 of the stone being damaged by vandals, 896 00:39:13,860 --> 00:39:16,146 so there is an urgent need for the Inga stone 897 00:39:16,170 --> 00:39:18,066 to be protected and preserved 898 00:39:18,090 --> 00:39:20,136 if we want future generations to be 899 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:22,593 as fascinated by it as we are. 900 00:39:25,221 --> 00:39:27,638 [epic music] 901 00:39:29,392 --> 00:39:30,202 [ethereal music] 902 00:39:30,226 --> 00:39:32,706 Controversy has arisen around an artifact known 903 00:39:32,730 --> 00:39:35,009 as the Nazareth Inscription long believed 904 00:39:35,033 --> 00:39:36,066 [feet stomping] 905 00:39:36,090 --> 00:39:38,790 to be an official Roman response to the disappearance 906 00:39:38,814 --> 00:39:41,526 of Jesus' body from its tomb. 907 00:39:41,550 --> 00:39:43,266 New researchers cast doubt 908 00:39:43,290 --> 00:39:45,096 on the origin of the inscription, 909 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:45,997 which was acquired 910 00:39:46,021 --> 00:39:48,005 by German collector in Paris in 1878. 911 00:39:48,029 --> 00:39:49,596 [playful carnival music] 912 00:39:49,620 --> 00:39:51,560 However, apart from a note indicating 913 00:39:51,584 --> 00:39:52,394 [ethereal music continues] 914 00:39:52,418 --> 00:39:53,826 that it had come from Nazareth, 915 00:39:53,850 --> 00:39:57,096 its history has remained something of a mystery. 916 00:39:57,120 --> 00:39:58,773 The Nazareth Inscription. 917 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:02,406 The Nazareth Inscription itself is written on a block 918 00:40:02,430 --> 00:40:05,676 of marble, about two feet tall, a foot wide, 919 00:40:05,700 --> 00:40:07,506 and two inches deep. 920 00:40:07,530 --> 00:40:10,416 The first of its 22 lines of text carved 921 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:12,306 in Greek letters announces 922 00:40:12,330 --> 00:40:14,111 an "Edict of Caesar." 923 00:40:14,135 --> 00:40:14,945 [trumpet blowing] 924 00:40:14,969 --> 00:40:16,776 The edict calls for capital punishment 925 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,776 for anyone who removes a body from a tomb. 926 00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:22,146 If the tablet did originate in Nazareth, 927 00:40:22,170 --> 00:40:24,816 it's understandable how one could make a connection 928 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:28,716 between this edict and the beginnings of Christianity. 929 00:40:28,740 --> 00:40:30,696 Perhaps the inscription had something to do 930 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:34,086 with the controversy over the famous empty tomb 931 00:40:34,110 --> 00:40:36,276 and suggests that a Roman emperor was aware 932 00:40:36,300 --> 00:40:39,906 of disturbing claims about a crucified man rising 933 00:40:39,930 --> 00:40:43,353 from the dead in a distant province of his wide empire. 934 00:40:44,220 --> 00:40:45,756 The style of the letters used 935 00:40:45,780 --> 00:40:48,546 in the inscription certainly indicates it was written 936 00:40:48,570 --> 00:40:50,916 in the first half of the 1st century. 937 00:40:50,940 --> 00:40:51,762 - [Soldier] What do we want! - [Narrator] Indeed, no one- 938 00:40:51,786 --> 00:40:52,745 has ever questioned- - [Soldiers] Justice! 939 00:40:52,769 --> 00:40:53,578 - [Soldier] When do we want it! 940 00:40:53,602 --> 00:40:54,412 - [Soldiers] Now! - [Narrator] The authenticity 941 00:40:54,436 --> 00:40:56,076 of the Nazareth inscription, 942 00:40:56,100 --> 00:40:59,556 so it's highly unlikely that this is a forgery, 943 00:40:59,580 --> 00:41:01,086 but its interpretation 944 00:41:01,110 --> 00:41:02,886 and possible connection to the story 945 00:41:02,910 --> 00:41:04,566 of the resurrection of Christ 946 00:41:04,590 --> 00:41:07,296 are still fiercely debated today. 947 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:09,853 The translation of the inscription reads: 948 00:41:09,877 --> 00:41:11,160 "Edict of Caesar. 949 00:41:11,184 --> 00:41:12,007 [bell dinging] 950 00:41:12,031 --> 00:41:13,326 It is my decision, 951 00:41:13,350 --> 00:41:15,429 graves and tombs, whoever has made them 952 00:41:15,453 --> 00:41:19,356 for the religious observances of parents, or children, 953 00:41:19,380 --> 00:41:20,826 or household members, 954 00:41:20,850 --> 00:41:23,736 that these remain undisturbed forever. 955 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:25,031 But if anyone legally charges 956 00:41:25,055 --> 00:41:27,486 that another person has destroyed 957 00:41:27,510 --> 00:41:29,736 or has in any manner extracted 958 00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:31,356 those who have been buried, 959 00:41:31,380 --> 00:41:33,456 or has moved with wicked intent 960 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:35,916 those who have been buried to other places, 961 00:41:35,940 --> 00:41:37,686 committing a crime against them, 962 00:41:37,710 --> 00:41:39,870 or has moved sepulchral stones, 963 00:41:39,894 --> 00:41:41,976 against such a person, 964 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:44,421 I order that a judicial tribunal be created, 965 00:41:44,445 --> 00:41:45,426 [bell dinging] 966 00:41:45,450 --> 00:41:47,076 just as concerning the gods 967 00:41:47,100 --> 00:41:49,446 in human religious observances. 968 00:41:49,470 --> 00:41:52,236 Even more so it will be obligatory to treat 969 00:41:52,260 --> 00:41:55,116 with honor those who have been entombed. 970 00:41:55,140 --> 00:41:58,386 You are absolutely not to allow anyone to move, 971 00:41:58,410 --> 00:42:00,366 But if so, I wish that one 972 00:42:00,390 --> 00:42:03,126 to suffer capital punishment under the title 973 00:42:03,150 --> 00:42:05,166 of tomb-breaker." 974 00:42:05,190 --> 00:42:08,166 The discovery of the Nazareth Inscription. 975 00:42:08,190 --> 00:42:10,416 When scholar and collector of antiquities, 976 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:15,006 Wilhelm Froehner died in his Paris home in 1925, 977 00:42:15,030 --> 00:42:17,646 he left behind among his possessions 978 00:42:17,670 --> 00:42:19,266 a curious inscription 979 00:42:19,290 --> 00:42:20,826 and manuscripts that could be 980 00:42:20,850 --> 00:42:23,736 the oldest surviving artifact of Christianity. 981 00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:25,176 By the time he died, 982 00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:27,726 he'd been in possession of the Nazareth Inscription 983 00:42:27,750 --> 00:42:29,436 for nearly 50 years. 984 00:42:29,460 --> 00:42:32,173 His inventory of the inscription simply states, 985 00:42:32,197 --> 00:42:36,606 "This marble was sent from Nazareth in 1878." 986 00:42:36,630 --> 00:42:39,053 In 1925, the collection was acquired 987 00:42:39,077 --> 00:42:41,736 by the Paris National Library where 988 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:44,256 the Nazareth inscription was rediscovered 989 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,286 and read by a monsieur Rostovtzeff. 990 00:42:47,310 --> 00:42:49,566 Rostovtzeff informed his friend 991 00:42:49,590 --> 00:42:52,476 the scholar Franz Cumont about the inscription, 992 00:42:52,500 --> 00:42:56,196 and in 1930 he published a Greek transcription 993 00:42:56,220 --> 00:42:59,376 and a translation of the inscription with a commentary. 994 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,356 Cumont came to the conclusion 995 00:43:01,380 --> 00:43:03,426 that there were two possible contexts 996 00:43:03,450 --> 00:43:04,596 for the inscription, 997 00:43:04,620 --> 00:43:07,989 which have remained the leading contenders to this day 998 00:43:08,013 --> 00:43:08,823 [feet stomping] 999 00:43:08,847 --> 00:43:11,136 Theories about the inscription's origin. 1000 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:12,486 The first suggests that 1001 00:43:12,510 --> 00:43:14,676 the edict was issued against the background 1002 00:43:14,700 --> 00:43:17,886 of the general upheavals of Rome's violent transition 1003 00:43:17,910 --> 00:43:19,806 from republic to empire. 1004 00:43:19,830 --> 00:43:21,516 The end of the republic had witnessed 1005 00:43:21,540 --> 00:43:24,636 the eastern provinces extensively plundered, 1006 00:43:24,660 --> 00:43:27,456 tombs and temples alike were ravaged. 1007 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:29,736 Perhaps the Nazareth inscription was part 1008 00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:32,466 of a general effort to restore order. 1009 00:43:32,490 --> 00:43:35,526 If this is the case, then the inscription would belong 1010 00:43:35,550 --> 00:43:37,656 to the final decade's BC 1011 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:40,209 and thus originally to a fully Roman dominion 1012 00:43:40,233 --> 00:43:41,043 [fire crackling] 1013 00:43:41,067 --> 00:43:42,126 somewhere like Greece 1014 00:43:42,150 --> 00:43:44,076 or more likely Asia Minor, 1015 00:43:44,100 --> 00:43:47,286 before eventually surfacing in Palestine. 1016 00:43:47,310 --> 00:43:49,356 Palestinian origins. 1017 00:43:49,380 --> 00:43:51,315 The primary alternative explanation 1018 00:43:51,339 --> 00:43:53,796 is that the edict is a response 1019 00:43:53,820 --> 00:43:55,121 to the Christian gospel 1020 00:43:55,145 --> 00:43:55,955 [bell dinging] 1021 00:43:55,979 --> 00:43:58,146 and the hostile conflicts it aroused. 1022 00:43:58,170 --> 00:43:59,796 In the Bible, the disciples 1023 00:43:59,820 --> 00:44:03,246 of Jesus claimed that they found their master's tomb empty, 1024 00:44:03,270 --> 00:44:05,496 and the Gospel of Matthew makes it clear 1025 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:07,476 that opposing accounts of the empty tomb 1026 00:44:07,500 --> 00:44:09,336 were being circulated. 1027 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:12,006 Those Jews who did not believe that Jesus was 1028 00:44:12,030 --> 00:44:14,166 the Messiah spread the rumor that 1029 00:44:14,190 --> 00:44:16,416 the disciples had stolen the body, 1030 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:17,646 and according to Matthew, 1031 00:44:17,670 --> 00:44:19,146 they bribed the Roman guards 1032 00:44:19,170 --> 00:44:23,076 into swearing this alternative truth before the governor. 1033 00:44:23,100 --> 00:44:26,046 Could it be that, aware of enduring tensions 1034 00:44:26,070 --> 00:44:29,136 and conflict over the claims of the resurrection, 1035 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:32,946 the emperor issued an edict specifying harsh penalties 1036 00:44:32,970 --> 00:44:36,216 for violating tombs and the bodies lying within? 1037 00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:38,166 But while this of course doesn't prove 1038 00:44:38,190 --> 00:44:39,666 that the inscription is evidence 1039 00:44:39,690 --> 00:44:41,526 for the resurrection of Christ, 1040 00:44:41,550 --> 00:44:43,926 it does indicate that the story of the resurrection 1041 00:44:43,950 --> 00:44:47,556 of Christ was already circulating very early on, 1042 00:44:47,580 --> 00:44:48,696 perhaps even in the reign 1043 00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:52,236 of Emperor Claudius around 41 AD. 1044 00:44:52,260 --> 00:44:53,856 If the story of the resurrection 1045 00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:57,606 of Christ was widely known soon after his crucifixion, 1046 00:44:57,630 --> 00:44:59,496 it could be that it was circulated 1047 00:44:59,520 --> 00:45:02,376 by his apostles themselves. 1048 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:04,356 In his 1968 book, 1049 00:45:04,380 --> 00:45:06,336 author Michael Green wrote that there 1050 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:08,076 was firm contemporary evidence 1051 00:45:08,100 --> 00:45:10,626 for the presence of Jesus' empty tomb. 1052 00:45:10,650 --> 00:45:11,460 He said this piece 1053 00:45:11,484 --> 00:45:15,546 of evidence is called the Nazareth Inscription 1054 00:45:15,570 --> 00:45:17,736 after the town where it was found. 1055 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:20,676 It is an imperial edict belonging either 1056 00:45:20,700 --> 00:45:24,636 to the reign of Tiberius, 14-37 AD, 1057 00:45:24,660 --> 00:45:28,206 or of Claudius 41-54 AD, 1058 00:45:28,230 --> 00:45:31,446 and it's an invective backed with heavy sanctions 1059 00:45:31,470 --> 00:45:34,236 against meddling around with tombs and graves. 1060 00:45:34,260 --> 00:45:36,036 It looked very much as if the news 1061 00:45:36,060 --> 00:45:39,756 of the empty tomb had got back to Rome in a garbled form. 1062 00:45:39,780 --> 00:45:41,946 Pilate would have had to report 1063 00:45:41,970 --> 00:45:43,476 and he would obviously have said 1064 00:45:43,500 --> 00:45:45,336 the tomb had been rifled. 1065 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:48,573 This edict, it seems, is the imperial reaction, 1066 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:50,766 but as mentioned earlier, 1067 00:45:50,790 --> 00:45:52,656 the inscription provides no evidence 1068 00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:54,756 for any specific event. 1069 00:45:54,780 --> 00:45:57,752 Indeed, skeptics of the Jesus connection argue 1070 00:45:57,776 --> 00:45:59,693 that there is absolutely nothing linking 1071 00:45:59,717 --> 00:46:02,586 this inscription with Christianity, 1072 00:46:02,610 --> 00:46:04,596 only the town it was found in. 1073 00:46:04,620 --> 00:46:07,086 Even though Jesus was not buried in Nazareth, 1074 00:46:07,110 --> 00:46:08,946 and its possible date. 1075 00:46:08,970 --> 00:46:11,646 They also point out that the law is prefaced 1076 00:46:11,670 --> 00:46:13,566 by a reference to the importance 1077 00:46:13,590 --> 00:46:15,546 of family burial cult, 1078 00:46:15,570 --> 00:46:17,586 so the incentive for the law seems 1079 00:46:17,610 --> 00:46:19,116 seems to been an objection 1080 00:46:19,140 --> 00:46:21,276 to those who were depriving people of the right 1081 00:46:21,300 --> 00:46:23,946 to pay homage to their dead ancestors, 1082 00:46:23,970 --> 00:46:26,406 something that would appear to have no connection 1083 00:46:26,430 --> 00:46:29,016 with the missing body of Jesus. 1084 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:30,666 Skeptics also point out that 1085 00:46:30,690 --> 00:46:32,766 in the late 19th century there 1086 00:46:32,790 --> 00:46:34,926 were only two major market centers 1087 00:46:34,950 --> 00:46:37,896 for all antiquities recovered in Palestine, 1088 00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:39,966 Jerusalem, and Nazareth. 1089 00:46:39,990 --> 00:46:43,836 Thus de Zulueta makes the plausible conjecture that 1090 00:46:43,860 --> 00:46:47,826 the slab was recovered either in Samaria or Decapolis 1091 00:46:47,850 --> 00:46:48,996 and either purchased 1092 00:46:49,020 --> 00:46:51,966 or shipped via the nearest possible place, 1093 00:46:51,990 --> 00:46:54,246 which would've been Nazareth. 1094 00:46:54,270 --> 00:46:56,736 New evidence: In April 2020, 1095 00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:59,226 it was announced that scientists had conducted 1096 00:46:59,250 --> 00:47:01,926 the first isotope analysis of marble sample 1097 00:47:01,950 --> 00:47:05,016 from the slab containing the inscription. 1098 00:47:05,040 --> 00:47:07,956 The research team sensationally discovered that 1099 00:47:07,980 --> 00:47:09,876 the unique isotopic fingerprints 1100 00:47:09,900 --> 00:47:11,736 of the marble were a close match 1101 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:13,866 for a signature found in white marble 1102 00:47:13,890 --> 00:47:15,966 from the Greek island of Kos 1103 00:47:15,990 --> 00:47:17,833 of Turkey's southwestern coast. 1104 00:47:17,857 --> 00:47:18,667 [waves crashing] 1105 00:47:18,691 --> 00:47:20,526 As Kos is a long way from Nazareth, 1106 00:47:20,550 --> 00:47:22,536 the results of the tests would certainly seem 1107 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:23,923 to reduce the likelihood that 1108 00:47:23,947 --> 00:47:27,846 the edict had any connection with early Christianity. 1109 00:47:27,870 --> 00:47:30,276 Researchers believe that the inscription, 1110 00:47:30,300 --> 00:47:31,506 rather than referring 1111 00:47:31,530 --> 00:47:33,931 to the story of Jesus' empty tomb, 1112 00:47:33,955 --> 00:47:36,611 relates to an incident which took place decades 1113 00:47:36,635 --> 00:47:38,946 before the death of Jesus. 1114 00:47:38,970 --> 00:47:41,843 The incident took place on Kos in the 30s BC 1115 00:47:42,750 --> 00:47:44,766 and involved what happened after the death 1116 00:47:44,790 --> 00:47:46,386 of an extremely unpopular 1117 00:47:46,410 --> 00:47:49,072 but powerful official named Nicias. 1118 00:47:49,096 --> 00:47:49,906 [wolf howling] 1119 00:47:49,930 --> 00:47:50,946 After Nicias's demise, 1120 00:47:50,970 --> 00:47:54,696 locals broke into his tomb and desecrated the body. 1121 00:47:54,720 --> 00:47:57,516 Researchers now believe that the Roman edict warning 1122 00:47:57,540 --> 00:47:59,946 of harsh punishments for grave desecration 1123 00:47:59,970 --> 00:48:02,226 was response to the fate suffered 1124 00:48:02,250 --> 00:48:04,266 by the body of Nicias. 1125 00:48:04,290 --> 00:48:06,306 Lead study author Kyle Harper, 1126 00:48:06,330 --> 00:48:07,596 a professor of classics 1127 00:48:07,620 --> 00:48:10,086 and letters at the University of Oklahoma said 1128 00:48:10,110 --> 00:48:11,443 of the discovery, 1129 00:48:11,467 --> 00:48:12,876 "We believe that it's 1130 00:48:12,900 --> 00:48:15,876 the first time stable isotope chemistry 1131 00:48:15,900 --> 00:48:17,586 has ever been used to establish 1132 00:48:17,610 --> 00:48:20,646 the provenance of an inscription, period. 1133 00:48:20,670 --> 00:48:22,836 We got lucky twice over. 1134 00:48:22,860 --> 00:48:25,206 First, it was very direct match with 1135 00:48:25,230 --> 00:48:27,486 a rather unexpected marble quarry 1136 00:48:27,510 --> 00:48:30,479 so we could really pinpoint its origins on Kos. 1137 00:48:30,503 --> 00:48:31,357 [bell dinging] 1138 00:48:31,381 --> 00:48:33,876 Second, it happened that we know of an episode 1139 00:48:33,900 --> 00:48:36,426 of tomb violation that was very famous 1140 00:48:36,450 --> 00:48:37,975 in the exact right period. 1141 00:48:37,999 --> 00:48:38,809 [waves crashing] 1142 00:48:38,833 --> 00:48:39,838 I would've never hoped 1143 00:48:39,862 --> 00:48:42,094 for such a remarkable alignment." 1144 00:48:42,118 --> 00:48:42,928 [insects chirring] 1145 00:48:42,952 --> 00:48:44,868 Harper and his team have also suggested 1146 00:48:44,892 --> 00:48:48,336 the Greek dialect on the inscription does not match 1147 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:50,586 a Nazarene background for the period 1148 00:48:50,610 --> 00:48:52,116 and that it could have been written anywhere 1149 00:48:52,140 --> 00:48:55,236 between 100 BC and 100 AD. 1150 00:48:55,260 --> 00:48:57,066 But although Harper's work proves 1151 00:48:57,090 --> 00:48:59,226 that the marble was sourced from Kos, 1152 00:48:59,250 --> 00:49:01,536 it doesn't prove that Nazareth's Inscription 1153 00:49:01,560 --> 00:49:03,366 was inscribed in Kos. 1154 00:49:03,390 --> 00:49:05,436 Indeed, since its publication, 1155 00:49:05,460 --> 00:49:07,356 Harper's research has been questioned 1156 00:49:07,380 --> 00:49:08,946 by other researchers 1157 00:49:08,970 --> 00:49:10,296 and is certainly not set 1158 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,576 to be the final word on the edict. 1159 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:14,526 One researcher has pointed out 1160 00:49:14,550 --> 00:49:16,566 that with the Herodian Dynasty, 1161 00:49:16,590 --> 00:49:19,056 which ruled Judea for almost 80 years 1162 00:49:19,080 --> 00:49:22,086 from 37 BC to 39 AD, 1163 00:49:22,110 --> 00:49:24,936 traded regularly with the island of Kos. 1164 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:25,769 Perhaps, they reason, 1165 00:49:25,793 --> 00:49:26,603 [waves crashing] 1166 00:49:26,627 --> 00:49:29,676 marble was commercially transported to Judea from Kos 1167 00:49:29,700 --> 00:49:32,316 and found its way into Nazareth during the reign 1168 00:49:32,340 --> 00:49:34,536 of Claudius or Nero. 1169 00:49:34,560 --> 00:49:36,186 At the moment, there's no way of knowing 1170 00:49:36,210 --> 00:49:38,706 for certain where the stone was inscribed 1171 00:49:38,730 --> 00:49:41,376 and what exactly it was referring to. 1172 00:49:41,400 --> 00:49:44,916 It seems the debate about the Nazareth inscription is set 1173 00:49:44,940 --> 00:49:47,253 to rage on for many years to come. 1174 00:49:48,209 --> 00:49:50,626 [epic music] 1175 00:49:53,405 --> 00:49:54,396 [dramatic music] 1176 00:49:54,420 --> 00:49:57,486 Evidence from the 11,000-year-old carvings 1177 00:49:57,510 --> 00:49:59,226 on an ancient temple site 1178 00:49:59,250 --> 00:50:01,266 in what is now Turkey suggests 1179 00:50:01,290 --> 00:50:02,932 that a mass of comet fragments hit 1180 00:50:02,956 --> 00:50:06,486 the Earth around 11,000 BC. 1181 00:50:06,510 --> 00:50:07,836 There is also other evidence 1182 00:50:07,860 --> 00:50:10,236 to support this catastrophic event 1183 00:50:10,260 --> 00:50:12,546 from a Greenland ice core. 1184 00:50:12,570 --> 00:50:14,466 The impact, which probably resulted 1185 00:50:14,490 --> 00:50:16,356 from the breakup of a giant comet 1186 00:50:16,380 --> 00:50:17,886 in the inner solar system, 1187 00:50:17,910 --> 00:50:19,416 triggered a cold climate, 1188 00:50:19,440 --> 00:50:22,026 which lasted at least a thousand years 1189 00:50:22,050 --> 00:50:23,556 and seems to have been remembered 1190 00:50:23,580 --> 00:50:25,746 by the hunter-gatherers in the area 1191 00:50:25,770 --> 00:50:27,834 for thousands of years afterwards. 1192 00:50:27,858 --> 00:50:30,775 [mysterious music] 1193 00:50:38,298 --> 00:50:39,819 Gobekli Tepe. 1194 00:50:39,843 --> 00:50:43,023 Gobekli Tepe, Turkish for the hill of the navel is 1195 00:50:43,047 --> 00:50:46,106 a 1,000-foot diameter mound located 1196 00:50:46,130 --> 00:50:47,166 at the highest point 1197 00:50:47,190 --> 00:50:50,076 of a mountain ridge in southeastern Turkey. 1198 00:50:50,100 --> 00:50:52,686 The site includes two phases of use, 1199 00:50:52,710 --> 00:50:53,976 believed to be social 1200 00:50:54,000 --> 00:50:56,616 or ritual in nature by its discoverer 1201 00:50:56,640 --> 00:50:58,716 and excavator Klaus Schmidt. 1202 00:50:58,740 --> 00:51:02,087 It dates back to the 10th-8th millennium BC 1203 00:51:02,111 --> 00:51:06,186 and since 1994, excavations conducted by Klaus Schmidt 1204 00:51:06,210 --> 00:51:07,386 of the Istanbul branch 1205 00:51:07,410 --> 00:51:10,030 of the German Archeological Institute have 1206 00:51:11,232 --> 00:51:12,432 been taking place at the site. 1207 00:51:18,030 --> 00:51:20,676 Results to date have been outstanding, 1208 00:51:20,700 --> 00:51:22,176 especially bearing in mind that 1209 00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:25,146 the excavators estimate that their work has uncovered 1210 00:51:25,170 --> 00:51:27,786 a mere 5% of the site. 1211 00:51:27,810 --> 00:51:30,246 Gobekli Tepe consists of four arrangements 1212 00:51:30,270 --> 00:51:33,186 of monolithic pillars linked together by segments 1213 00:51:33,210 --> 00:51:35,939 of coarsely built dry stone walls to form a series 1214 00:51:35,963 --> 00:51:39,276 of circular or oval structures. 1215 00:51:39,300 --> 00:51:40,716 There are two large pillars 1216 00:51:40,740 --> 00:51:42,606 in the center of each complex, 1217 00:51:42,630 --> 00:51:43,776 which are encircled 1218 00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:46,716 by slightly smaller stones facing inwards. 1219 00:51:46,740 --> 00:51:48,786 During the first phase of the site, 1220 00:51:48,810 --> 00:51:52,356 circles of huge T-shaped stone pillars were erected, 1221 00:51:52,380 --> 00:51:55,536 at the moment, the world's oldest known megaliths. 1222 00:51:55,560 --> 00:51:57,666 Archeologists believed that these pillars 1223 00:51:57,690 --> 00:52:00,096 could have once supported roofs. 1224 00:52:00,120 --> 00:52:01,623 The structures vary in size between 33 1225 00:52:01,647 --> 00:52:04,536 and 98 feet in diameter 1226 00:52:04,560 --> 00:52:07,236 and have floors made of burned lime. 1227 00:52:07,260 --> 00:52:08,706 The megaliths themselves, 1228 00:52:08,730 --> 00:52:11,196 43 of which have been unearthed so far, 1229 00:52:11,220 --> 00:52:14,226 are mainly T-shaped pillars of soft limestone 1230 00:52:14,250 --> 00:52:17,166 up to around 16 feet in height. 1231 00:52:17,190 --> 00:52:19,146 The stone would've been excavated 1232 00:52:19,170 --> 00:52:21,336 and transported from a stone quarry 1233 00:52:21,360 --> 00:52:24,876 on the lowest southwestern slope of the hill. 1234 00:52:24,900 --> 00:52:27,793 Geophysical surveys on the hill indicate there are 1235 00:52:27,817 --> 00:52:32,676 as many as 250 more megaliths lying buried around the site, 1236 00:52:32,700 --> 00:52:36,426 suggesting that another 16 complexes once existed 1237 00:52:36,450 --> 00:52:38,256 at Gobekli Tepe. 1238 00:52:38,280 --> 00:52:40,406 Although the pictograms at Gobekli Tepe 1239 00:52:40,430 --> 00:52:42,786 do not represent a form of writing, 1240 00:52:42,810 --> 00:52:45,426 they may have functioned as sacred symbols 1241 00:52:45,450 --> 00:52:47,736 whose meanings were implicitly understood 1242 00:52:47,760 --> 00:52:50,166 by the local population at the time. 1243 00:52:50,190 --> 00:52:52,746 The carving of the comet impact. 1244 00:52:52,770 --> 00:52:55,029 The mysterious megaliths at Gobekli Tepe 1245 00:52:55,053 --> 00:52:57,156 have been puzzling archeologists 1246 00:52:57,180 --> 00:52:58,776 and challenging presumptions 1247 00:52:58,800 --> 00:53:02,016 about prehistoric culture since their discovery. 1248 00:53:02,040 --> 00:53:03,696 The most debated point is how 1249 00:53:03,720 --> 00:53:06,036 a nomadic hunter-gatherer society 1250 00:53:06,060 --> 00:53:09,393 with a supposedly primitive social structure could plan 1251 00:53:09,417 --> 00:53:13,086 and build such monumental stone circles. 1252 00:53:13,110 --> 00:53:15,096 It was recently announced that researchers 1253 00:53:15,120 --> 00:53:16,566 from the University of Edinburgh 1254 00:53:16,590 --> 00:53:19,506 in Scotland had found evidence for the recording 1255 00:53:19,530 --> 00:53:21,606 of a devastating comet impact 1256 00:53:21,630 --> 00:53:25,506 more than 13,000 years ago while examining symbols 1257 00:53:25,530 --> 00:53:27,126 on a decorated stone 1258 00:53:27,150 --> 00:53:30,276 from Gobekli Tepe called the Vulture Stone. 1259 00:53:30,300 --> 00:53:33,996 Using computer star tracking software called Stellarium, 1260 00:53:34,020 --> 00:53:35,676 the researchers were able to track 1261 00:53:35,700 --> 00:53:37,176 what the sky looked like 1262 00:53:37,200 --> 00:53:39,876 in the time Gobekli Tepe was in use. 1263 00:53:39,900 --> 00:53:43,056 The team matched carvings of animals on the Vulture Stone, 1264 00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:44,738 which they interpreted as astronomical symbols, 1265 00:53:44,762 --> 00:53:46,236 [celestial music] 1266 00:53:46,260 --> 00:53:47,796 to patterns of stars 1267 00:53:47,820 --> 00:53:51,246 and were able to pinpoint the cataclysmic event caused 1268 00:53:51,270 --> 00:53:53,256 by the comet fragments hitting the Earth 1269 00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:58,280 to 10,950 BC, give or take 250 years. 1270 00:53:58,530 --> 00:53:59,976 Another image on the stone, 1271 00:54:00,000 --> 00:54:01,356 that of a headless man, 1272 00:54:01,380 --> 00:54:03,756 is believed to symbolize human disaster 1273 00:54:03,780 --> 00:54:06,036 and extensive loss of life. 1274 00:54:06,060 --> 00:54:08,286 Scientists have speculated for decades 1275 00:54:08,310 --> 00:54:10,026 whether a comet could have been the cause 1276 00:54:10,050 --> 00:54:13,146 of a sudden fall in temperature during a period known 1277 00:54:13,170 --> 00:54:15,186 as the Younger Dryas. 1278 00:54:15,210 --> 00:54:17,856 The Younger Dryas was essentially a mini ice age, 1279 00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:20,226 which lasted around a thousand years 1280 00:54:20,250 --> 00:54:23,286 and it's considered a critical period for humanity 1281 00:54:23,310 --> 00:54:25,506 as it was around the time agriculture 1282 00:54:25,530 --> 00:54:28,416 and the first Neolithic civilizations arose, 1283 00:54:28,440 --> 00:54:32,496 possibly in response to the arrival of a colder climate. 1284 00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:34,884 Dr. Martin Sweatman of the School of Engineering 1285 00:54:34,908 --> 00:54:37,753 at the University of Edinburgh led the research 1286 00:54:37,777 --> 00:54:40,013 into the Vulture Stone and commented 1287 00:54:40,037 --> 00:54:42,313 on the team's findings. 1288 00:54:42,337 --> 00:54:43,956 "I think this research, 1289 00:54:43,980 --> 00:54:45,306 along with a recent finding 1290 00:54:45,330 --> 00:54:47,376 of a widespread platinum anomaly 1291 00:54:47,400 --> 00:54:49,656 across the North American continent, 1292 00:54:49,680 --> 00:54:51,936 virtually seal the case in favor 1293 00:54:51,960 --> 00:54:54,486 of a Younger Dryas comet impact. 1294 00:54:54,510 --> 00:54:57,966 Our work serves to reinforce that physical evidence. 1295 00:54:57,990 --> 00:54:59,376 What is happening here is 1296 00:54:59,400 --> 00:55:01,200 the process of paradigm change. 1297 00:55:01,224 --> 00:55:02,034 [explosion booming] 1298 00:55:02,058 --> 00:55:04,776 It appears Gobekli Tepe was, among other things, 1299 00:55:04,800 --> 00:55:07,686 an observatory for monitoring the night sky. 1300 00:55:07,710 --> 00:55:09,486 One of its pillars seems to have served 1301 00:55:09,510 --> 00:55:12,246 as a memorial to this devastating event, 1302 00:55:12,270 --> 00:55:15,370 probably the worst day in history since the end 1303 00:55:16,964 --> 00:55:17,773 of the Ice Age." 1304 00:55:17,797 --> 00:55:18,607 The Vulture Stone, 1305 00:55:18,631 --> 00:55:21,096 labeled by archeologists Pillar 43, 1306 00:55:21,120 --> 00:55:23,136 is one of the oldest artifacts discovered 1307 00:55:23,160 --> 00:55:24,486 at Gobekli Tepe, 1308 00:55:24,510 --> 00:55:26,095 and archeologists have found that it exhibits signs 1309 00:55:26,119 --> 00:55:27,306 [mysterious music] 1310 00:55:27,330 --> 00:55:30,366 of being cared for by the people there for millennia, 1311 00:55:30,390 --> 00:55:32,826 which indicates that what was carved onto it 1312 00:55:32,850 --> 00:55:34,596 was very important. 1313 00:55:34,620 --> 00:55:37,270 Perhaps the event that researchers believe the images 1314 00:55:38,696 --> 00:55:40,236 on the stone depicted had a long-lasting impact 1315 00:55:40,260 --> 00:55:42,876 on the civilization in the area. 1316 00:55:42,900 --> 00:55:45,366 In their paper published on the Vulture Stone, 1317 00:55:45,390 --> 00:55:47,286 images in "Mediterranean Archeology 1318 00:55:47,310 --> 00:55:51,266 and Archeometry" in 2017, Dr. Sweatman 1319 00:55:51,290 --> 00:55:54,126 and Dimitrios Tsikritsis described 1320 00:55:54,150 --> 00:55:55,266 their findings connecting 1321 00:55:55,290 --> 00:55:57,336 the comet strike with Gobekli Tepe 1322 00:55:57,360 --> 00:56:00,276 and the onset of the Younger Dryas in more detail. 1323 00:56:00,300 --> 00:56:03,279 They said, "Symbolism on pillar 18 is consistent 1324 00:56:03,303 --> 00:56:06,126 with an event of cosmic origin. 1325 00:56:06,150 --> 00:56:08,302 The fox symbolism in particular suggests 1326 00:56:08,326 --> 00:56:10,446 a cosmic event originating 1327 00:56:10,470 --> 00:56:12,696 from a specific position. 1328 00:56:12,720 --> 00:56:14,076 The belt, buckle, eclipse, 1329 00:56:14,100 --> 00:56:16,206 and snake symbols are consistent 1330 00:56:16,230 --> 00:56:18,666 with a cometary encounter. 1331 00:56:18,690 --> 00:56:20,646 We also find evidence that a key function 1332 00:56:20,670 --> 00:56:24,006 of Gobekli Tepe was to observe meteor showers 1333 00:56:24,030 --> 00:56:26,376 and record cometary encounters. 1334 00:56:26,400 --> 00:56:28,806 Indeed, the people of Gobekli Tepe appear 1335 00:56:28,830 --> 00:56:30,576 to have had a special interest 1336 00:56:30,600 --> 00:56:32,736 in the Taurid meteor stream, 1337 00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:35,976 the same meteor stream that is proposed as responsible 1338 00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:38,226 for the Younger Dryas event." 1339 00:56:38,250 --> 00:56:39,951 Is Gobekli Tepe the smoking gun 1340 00:56:39,975 --> 00:56:42,756 for the Younger Dryas cometary encounter 1341 00:56:42,780 --> 00:56:45,696 and hence for coherent catastrophism? 1342 00:56:45,720 --> 00:56:49,026 Was Gobekli Tepe an observatory? 1343 00:56:49,050 --> 00:56:51,006 Dr. Sweatman's comment that Gobekli Tepe 1344 00:56:51,030 --> 00:56:52,356 may have functioned 1345 00:56:52,380 --> 00:56:54,126 as an observatory at some stage 1346 00:56:54,150 --> 00:56:57,216 in its history is a controversial one. 1347 00:56:57,240 --> 00:56:59,256 The claims of Gobekli Tepe's connection 1348 00:56:59,280 --> 00:57:01,836 to the night sky have been mostly rejected 1349 00:57:01,860 --> 00:57:05,826 by the main archeological team excavating the temple. 1350 00:57:05,850 --> 00:57:06,936 In their opinion, 1351 00:57:06,960 --> 00:57:10,536 although Gobekli Tepe is extraordinarily well preserved, 1352 00:57:10,560 --> 00:57:13,116 time and the elements have changed the location 1353 00:57:13,140 --> 00:57:15,396 of certain features at the site. 1354 00:57:15,420 --> 00:57:18,486 Some of the pillars at Gobekli Tepe were certainly removed 1355 00:57:18,510 --> 00:57:21,936 and recycled elsewhere during occupation of the site. 1356 00:57:21,960 --> 00:57:24,936 Moreover, later civilizations in the area 1357 00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:27,640 and more recently farmers have repositioned parts 1358 00:57:27,664 --> 00:57:29,256 of certain pillars, 1359 00:57:29,280 --> 00:57:32,496 even on some occasions breaking pieces off. 1360 00:57:32,520 --> 00:57:33,966 In a paper written in response 1361 00:57:33,990 --> 00:57:36,666 to the claims of Dr. Sweatman and his team, 1362 00:57:36,690 --> 00:57:38,496 they stated their main objection 1363 00:57:38,520 --> 00:57:42,433 to his claim that Gobekli Tepe was an observatory is 1364 00:57:42,457 --> 00:57:43,860 "There is significant possibility 1365 00:57:43,884 --> 00:57:46,896 that we are dealing with roofed structures. 1366 00:57:46,920 --> 00:57:49,146 This fact alone would pose limitations 1367 00:57:49,170 --> 00:57:51,756 to a function of sky observatories. 1368 00:57:51,780 --> 00:57:54,306 The arches depicted on the western broad side 1369 00:57:54,330 --> 00:57:56,701 of Pillar 43 could even be images 1370 00:57:56,725 --> 00:57:59,856 of the monumental buildings themselves covered 1371 00:57:59,880 --> 00:58:01,956 by a corbel roof." 1372 00:58:01,980 --> 00:58:04,446 Dr. Sweatman published a quick response 1373 00:58:04,470 --> 00:58:06,426 to the criticism of their work 1374 00:58:06,450 --> 00:58:09,006 by the excavators of Gobekli Tepe, 1375 00:58:09,030 --> 00:58:10,956 and in this response they reiterated 1376 00:58:10,980 --> 00:58:13,438 their hypothesis that Gobekli Tepe had been, 1377 00:58:13,462 --> 00:58:17,496 at an early stage at the site's history, an observatory, 1378 00:58:17,520 --> 00:58:20,766 whether it was in later life a roofed structure or not. 1379 00:58:20,790 --> 00:58:22,707 They said, "We suggest construction 1380 00:58:22,731 --> 00:58:23,541 [celestial music] 1381 00:58:23,565 --> 00:58:25,176 of the rough stone enclosure walls, 1382 00:58:25,200 --> 00:58:28,056 might or might not have supported a roof, 1383 00:58:28,080 --> 00:58:29,976 might have followed an earlier phase 1384 00:58:30,000 --> 00:58:31,302 of construction consisting 1385 00:58:31,326 --> 00:58:34,236 of relatively freestanding pillars. 1386 00:58:34,260 --> 00:58:36,516 We suggest this because the carvings on many 1387 00:58:36,540 --> 00:58:39,336 of the pillars are covered by these walls. 1388 00:58:39,360 --> 00:58:41,886 Given the undoubted extreme effort required 1389 00:58:41,910 --> 00:58:44,976 and limited resources available to construct the pillars 1390 00:58:45,000 --> 00:58:46,236 and their carvings, 1391 00:58:46,260 --> 00:58:48,486 it makes little sense to us that the builders 1392 00:58:48,510 --> 00:58:51,576 of Gobekli Tepe would have immediately hidden many 1393 00:58:51,600 --> 00:58:54,816 of the carvings within the rough stone enclosure wall. 1394 00:58:54,840 --> 00:58:57,336 We also note that whether Gobekli Tepe 1395 00:58:57,360 --> 00:58:59,466 was roofed at some point or not, 1396 00:58:59,490 --> 00:59:01,746 this has little bearing on the statistics 1397 00:59:01,770 --> 00:59:03,426 in our interpretation. 1398 00:59:03,450 --> 00:59:06,066 It only affects interpretation of the usage 1399 00:59:06,090 --> 00:59:09,552 of Gobekli Tepe at some point in its history." 1400 00:59:09,576 --> 00:59:11,993 [epic music] 1401 00:59:14,250 --> 00:59:15,990 Most people are familiar with the biblical story 1402 00:59:16,014 --> 00:59:16,824 [celestial music] 1403 00:59:16,848 --> 00:59:18,186 of Sodom and Gomorrah. 1404 00:59:18,210 --> 00:59:20,946 For most scholars, it is just a story, 1405 00:59:20,970 --> 00:59:23,316 but one scientific study has determined 1406 00:59:23,340 --> 00:59:24,846 that a clay tablet dating 1407 00:59:24,870 --> 00:59:27,546 from around 700 BC is a copy 1408 00:59:27,570 --> 00:59:29,406 of notes taken by an eyewitness 1409 00:59:29,430 --> 00:59:30,904 to the ancient asteroid impact 1410 00:59:30,928 --> 00:59:31,738 [asteroid whooshing] 1411 00:59:31,762 --> 00:59:33,906 believed to be responsible for the destruction 1412 00:59:33,930 --> 00:59:36,276 of the two biblical cities. 1413 00:59:36,300 --> 00:59:38,496 The cuneiform symbols on the tablet, 1414 00:59:38,520 --> 00:59:41,016 recently translated by researchers, 1415 00:59:41,040 --> 00:59:43,206 are believed to detail an account written 1416 00:59:43,230 --> 00:59:45,996 by an ancient Sumerian astronomer watching 1417 00:59:46,020 --> 00:59:47,856 the asteroid impact. 1418 00:59:47,880 --> 00:59:49,446 There were other competing theories 1419 00:59:49,470 --> 00:59:52,506 for the destruction of the two cities however. 1420 00:59:52,530 --> 00:59:54,726 Recently one researcher wrote 1421 00:59:54,750 --> 00:59:56,196 that he was convinced that Sodom 1422 00:59:56,220 --> 00:59:57,456 and Gomorrah were destroyed 1423 00:59:57,480 --> 00:59:59,316 by a massive earthquake followed 1424 00:59:59,340 --> 01:00:01,323 by a catastrophic landslide. 1425 01:00:02,220 --> 01:00:04,323 The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 1426 01:00:05,370 --> 01:00:08,856 Sodom and Gomorrah were two notoriously sinful cities 1427 01:00:08,880 --> 01:00:10,956 in the biblical book of Genesis, 1428 01:00:10,980 --> 01:00:13,416 located in the region of the Dead Sea 1429 01:00:13,440 --> 01:00:15,006 between what are now Israel 1430 01:00:15,030 --> 01:00:17,406 and Jordan in the Middle East. 1431 01:00:17,430 --> 01:00:20,125 Along with the cities of Admah, Zeboim, 1432 01:00:20,149 --> 01:00:23,226 and Zoar, Sodom and Gomorrah constituted 1433 01:00:23,250 --> 01:00:25,896 the five cities of the plain referenced 1434 01:00:25,920 --> 01:00:27,336 throughout both the Old 1435 01:00:27,360 --> 01:00:29,766 and New Testaments and the Quran. 1436 01:00:29,790 --> 01:00:32,316 Genesis describes God's dissatisfaction 1437 01:00:32,340 --> 01:00:34,626 with Sodom and Gomorrah and his decision 1438 01:00:34,650 --> 01:00:35,459 to destroy them, 1439 01:00:35,483 --> 01:00:36,293 [energy whirring] 1440 01:00:36,317 --> 01:00:37,506 "The sun had risen over 1441 01:00:37,530 --> 01:00:40,176 the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 1442 01:00:40,200 --> 01:00:43,356 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone 1443 01:00:43,380 --> 01:00:45,846 and fire from the Lord out of heaven, 1444 01:00:45,870 --> 01:00:48,936 and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, 1445 01:00:48,960 --> 01:00:50,946 and all the inhabitants of the cities, 1446 01:00:50,970 --> 01:00:53,076 and what grew on the ground. 1447 01:00:53,100 --> 01:00:55,172 But his wife from behind him looked back, 1448 01:00:55,196 --> 01:00:56,006 [celestial music] 1449 01:00:56,030 --> 01:00:58,236 and she became a pillar of salt. 1450 01:00:58,260 --> 01:01:00,636 Now Abraham arose early in the morning 1451 01:01:00,660 --> 01:01:03,696 and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord, 1452 01:01:03,720 --> 01:01:06,306 and he looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah 1453 01:01:06,330 --> 01:01:08,616 and toward all the land of the valley, 1454 01:01:08,640 --> 01:01:10,100 and he saw, and behold, 1455 01:01:10,124 --> 01:01:10,934 [fire crackling] 1456 01:01:10,958 --> 01:01:14,466 the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace. 1457 01:01:14,490 --> 01:01:16,026 Thus, it came about, 1458 01:01:16,050 --> 01:01:18,516 when God destroyed the cities of the valley, 1459 01:01:18,540 --> 01:01:20,526 that God remembered Abraham 1460 01:01:20,550 --> 01:01:22,266 and sent Lot out in the midst 1461 01:01:22,290 --> 01:01:25,326 of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities 1462 01:01:25,350 --> 01:01:26,921 in which Lot lived." 1463 01:01:26,945 --> 01:01:27,755 [fire crackling] 1464 01:01:27,779 --> 01:01:29,916 It is an extremely dramatic story, 1465 01:01:29,940 --> 01:01:31,926 but is it merely fiction? 1466 01:01:31,950 --> 01:01:34,236 According to archeologists, scientists, 1467 01:01:34,260 --> 01:01:37,446 and biblical scholars, there is no evidence that Sodom 1468 01:01:37,470 --> 01:01:40,446 and its sister town Gomorrah even existed, 1469 01:01:40,470 --> 01:01:41,586 let alone that they came 1470 01:01:41,610 --> 01:01:43,898 to a sudden and disastrous end. 1471 01:01:43,922 --> 01:01:44,732 [eluding music] 1472 01:01:44,756 --> 01:01:46,143 The ancient clay tablet. 1473 01:01:47,520 --> 01:01:50,916 In March 2008, it was announced in the media that 1474 01:01:50,940 --> 01:01:53,727 an ancient clay tablet that had perplexed scientists 1475 01:01:53,751 --> 01:01:57,396 for over 150 years had been identified 1476 01:01:57,420 --> 01:01:59,317 as a witness's account of an asteroid 1477 01:01:59,341 --> 01:02:00,151 [cryptic music] 1478 01:02:00,175 --> 01:02:01,506 that destroyed the biblical cities 1479 01:02:01,530 --> 01:02:04,866 of Sodom and Gomorrah 5,000 years ago. 1480 01:02:04,890 --> 01:02:08,196 The cuneiform tablet known as the Planisphere is 1481 01:02:08,220 --> 01:02:12,243 in the British Museum collection number K8538, 1482 01:02:12,267 --> 01:02:15,486 and was discovered by Henry Layard in the remains 1483 01:02:15,510 --> 01:02:18,696 of the library in the royal palace at Nineveh. 1484 01:02:18,720 --> 01:02:19,716 The tablet was made 1485 01:02:19,740 --> 01:02:23,406 by an Assyrian scribe around 700 BC. 1486 01:02:23,430 --> 01:02:26,676 The recently translated cuneiform symbols are believed 1487 01:02:26,700 --> 01:02:29,436 to be an ancient copy of the night notebook made 1488 01:02:29,460 --> 01:02:32,136 by an ancient Sumerian astronomer who watched 1489 01:02:32,160 --> 01:02:33,786 the asteroid impact. 1490 01:02:33,810 --> 01:02:35,856 Astonishingly, scholars have been able 1491 01:02:35,880 --> 01:02:38,586 to pinpoint the date of the impact at dawn 1492 01:02:38,610 --> 01:02:42,996 on the 29th of June 3123 BC, 1493 01:02:43,020 --> 01:02:45,006 based on the symbols on the tablet 1494 01:02:45,030 --> 01:02:47,196 which describe cloud formation 1495 01:02:47,220 --> 01:02:50,193 and the positions of constellations in the sky. 1496 01:02:51,210 --> 01:02:53,706 The theory was put forward by Alan Bond, 1497 01:02:53,730 --> 01:02:56,616 Managing Director of Reaction Engines Limited, 1498 01:02:56,640 --> 01:02:57,577 and Mark Hempsell, 1499 01:02:57,601 --> 01:02:59,436 Senior Lecturer in Astronautics 1500 01:02:59,460 --> 01:03:02,286 at Bristol University in the UK, 1501 01:03:02,310 --> 01:03:04,836 who spent eight years researching the subject 1502 01:03:04,860 --> 01:03:08,196 and collecting evidence to support their theory. 1503 01:03:08,220 --> 01:03:10,326 The asteroid in question is believed 1504 01:03:10,350 --> 01:03:12,426 to have been over half a mile wide 1505 01:03:12,450 --> 01:03:14,706 and probably crashed into the Austrian Alps 1506 01:03:14,730 --> 01:03:16,776 at Kofels where there is evidence 1507 01:03:16,800 --> 01:03:19,206 of a huge ancient landslide. 1508 01:03:19,230 --> 01:03:20,039 It had long been thought 1509 01:03:20,063 --> 01:03:20,873 [asteroid roaring] 1510 01:03:20,897 --> 01:03:23,316 that a large object had impacted at Kofels, 1511 01:03:23,340 --> 01:03:27,366 the evidence being a giant landslide 640 feet thick 1512 01:03:27,390 --> 01:03:30,426 and 3.1 miles in diameter. 1513 01:03:30,450 --> 01:03:32,346 Hempsell described the ancient event 1514 01:03:32,370 --> 01:03:34,273 as he believes it happened. 1515 01:03:34,297 --> 01:03:35,844 "It came in at a very low angle 1516 01:03:35,868 --> 01:03:36,678 [asteroid whooshing] 1517 01:03:36,702 --> 01:03:38,406 around six degrees and then clipped 1518 01:03:38,430 --> 01:03:40,069 a mountain called Gamskogel 1519 01:03:40,093 --> 01:03:40,903 [calm music] 1520 01:03:40,927 --> 01:03:43,266 around 11 kilometers from Kofels. 1521 01:03:43,290 --> 01:03:44,415 This caused it to explode, 1522 01:03:44,439 --> 01:03:45,249 [explosion banging] 1523 01:03:45,273 --> 01:03:46,686 and as it traveled down the valley, 1524 01:03:46,710 --> 01:03:48,426 it became a fireball. 1525 01:03:48,450 --> 01:03:49,264 When it hit Kofels 1526 01:03:49,288 --> 01:03:50,098 [fireball whooshing] 1527 01:03:50,122 --> 01:03:51,936 it created enormous pressure, 1528 01:03:51,960 --> 01:03:55,116 which pulverized the rock and caused the landslide, 1529 01:03:55,140 --> 01:03:56,646 but because it wasn't solid, 1530 01:03:56,670 --> 01:03:58,176 there was no crater." 1531 01:03:58,200 --> 01:03:59,736 Another conclusion can be made 1532 01:03:59,760 --> 01:04:01,596 from the trajectory. 1533 01:04:01,620 --> 01:04:03,726 The back plume from the explosion, 1534 01:04:03,750 --> 01:04:04,559 the mushroom cloud, 1535 01:04:04,583 --> 01:04:05,393 [explosion banging] 1536 01:04:05,417 --> 01:04:07,836 would be bent over the Mediterranean Sea, 1537 01:04:07,860 --> 01:04:09,456 reentering the atmosphere 1538 01:04:09,480 --> 01:04:12,696 over the Levant, Sinai, and Northern Egypt. 1539 01:04:12,720 --> 01:04:14,946 The ground heating, though very short, 1540 01:04:14,970 --> 01:04:17,676 would be enough to ignite any flammable material 1541 01:04:17,700 --> 01:04:20,076 including human hair and clothes. 1542 01:04:20,100 --> 01:04:23,076 It's probable more people died under the plume 1543 01:04:23,100 --> 01:04:26,736 than in the Alps due to the impact blast. 1544 01:04:26,760 --> 01:04:28,266 According to Dr. Hempsell, 1545 01:04:28,290 --> 01:04:31,266 around 386,000 square miles 1546 01:04:31,290 --> 01:04:33,636 would've been devastated by the asteroid, 1547 01:04:33,660 --> 01:04:35,376 and the impact would've been equivalent 1548 01:04:35,400 --> 01:04:39,156 to more than 1000 tons of TNT exploding. 1549 01:04:39,180 --> 01:04:39,990 He believes that 1550 01:04:40,014 --> 01:04:43,176 at least 20 ancient myths record devastation 1551 01:04:43,200 --> 01:04:45,396 which could equate to that of the type 1552 01:04:45,420 --> 01:04:48,426 and on the scale of the asteroid's impact. 1553 01:04:48,450 --> 01:04:50,706 These stories include the Old Testament tale 1554 01:04:50,730 --> 01:04:52,686 of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah 1555 01:04:52,710 --> 01:04:55,926 and the ancient Greek myth of Phaeton, son of Helios, 1556 01:04:55,950 --> 01:04:57,966 who fell into the river Eridanus 1557 01:04:57,990 --> 01:05:01,596 after losing control of his father's sun chariot. 1558 01:05:01,620 --> 01:05:03,546 Bond and Hempsell presented their theory 1559 01:05:03,570 --> 01:05:06,163 in their 2008 monograph, 1560 01:05:06,187 --> 01:05:09,966 "A Sumerian Observation of the Kofels Impact." 1561 01:05:09,990 --> 01:05:12,636 However, the academic world was far from convinced 1562 01:05:12,660 --> 01:05:14,376 by the asteroid theory. 1563 01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:17,916 Jon Taylor, a retired expert in Near Eastern archeology 1564 01:05:17,940 --> 01:05:19,326 at the British Museum, 1565 01:05:19,350 --> 01:05:21,366 pointed out that there was no evidence that 1566 01:05:21,390 --> 01:05:23,436 the ancient Sumerians had the ability 1567 01:05:23,460 --> 01:05:26,496 to make such accurate astronomical records, 1568 01:05:26,520 --> 01:05:28,806 and that our knowledge of Sumerian language 1569 01:05:28,830 --> 01:05:30,853 was very far from complete. 1570 01:05:30,877 --> 01:05:34,956 "I remain unconvinced by these results," he stated. 1571 01:05:34,980 --> 01:05:38,166 In December 2018, yet another theory accounting 1572 01:05:38,190 --> 01:05:41,286 for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah emerged. 1573 01:05:41,310 --> 01:05:43,836 This time, it was a meteor that exploded 1574 01:05:43,860 --> 01:05:47,526 in the air near the Dead Sea 3,700 years ago 1575 01:05:47,550 --> 01:05:50,046 and could have wiped out communities in the area 1576 01:05:50,070 --> 01:05:53,226 of the Bronze Age city of Tall el-Hammam, 1577 01:05:53,250 --> 01:05:56,346 which according to one of its excavators, Steven Collins, 1578 01:05:56,370 --> 01:05:59,253 is the biblical city of Sodom from the Bible. 1579 01:06:00,120 --> 01:06:03,276 Part of the abstract from the conference presentation 1580 01:06:03,300 --> 01:06:05,736 by the two proponents of this new theory, 1581 01:06:05,760 --> 01:06:08,016 archeologists Philip J. Silvia 1582 01:06:08,040 --> 01:06:09,156 and Steven Collins 1583 01:06:09,180 --> 01:06:13,033 of Trinity Southwest University in Albuquerque, reads, 1584 01:06:13,057 --> 01:06:15,546 "The paper surveys the multiple lines 1585 01:06:15,570 --> 01:06:17,916 of evidence that collectively suggest 1586 01:06:17,940 --> 01:06:20,946 a Tunguska-like cosmic airburst event 1587 01:06:20,970 --> 01:06:23,136 that obliterated civilization, 1588 01:06:23,160 --> 01:06:26,316 including the Middle Bronze Age city-state anchored 1589 01:06:26,340 --> 01:06:28,236 by Tall el-Hammam. 1590 01:06:28,260 --> 01:06:29,714 In the Middle Ghor, 1591 01:06:29,738 --> 01:06:31,806 the 25-kilometer diameter circular plain 1592 01:06:31,830 --> 01:06:33,679 immediately north of the Dead Sea, 1593 01:06:33,703 --> 01:06:36,574 3,700 years before present." 1594 01:06:36,598 --> 01:06:37,408 [mysterious music] 1595 01:06:37,432 --> 01:06:40,026 The two researchers also have an intriguing explanation 1596 01:06:40,050 --> 01:06:42,216 as to how Lot's wife could have been turned 1597 01:06:42,240 --> 01:06:44,016 into a pillar of salt. 1598 01:06:44,040 --> 01:06:46,176 They theorize that the intense shock waves 1599 01:06:46,200 --> 01:06:48,876 from the blast may have also covered the area 1600 01:06:48,900 --> 01:06:52,956 with a superheated brine of Dead Sea anhydride salts. 1601 01:06:52,980 --> 01:06:55,716 This catastrophic event could also account for 1602 01:06:55,740 --> 01:06:57,456 the archeological evidence 1603 01:06:57,480 --> 01:07:00,126 that indicates that it took almost 600 years 1604 01:07:00,150 --> 01:07:02,646 for civilization to return to the area, 1605 01:07:02,670 --> 01:07:06,576 as the soil had been rendered useless for agriculture. 1606 01:07:06,600 --> 01:07:09,966 Did an earthquake destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? 1607 01:07:09,990 --> 01:07:12,066 A conflicting theory for the destruction 1608 01:07:12,090 --> 01:07:15,636 of the two biblical cities emerged a few years ago. 1609 01:07:15,660 --> 01:07:18,216 Retired geologist Graham Harris believes 1610 01:07:18,240 --> 01:07:21,036 that not only did Sodom and Gomorrah exist, 1611 01:07:21,060 --> 01:07:22,806 but that they were also destroyed 1612 01:07:22,830 --> 01:07:25,479 by a dreadful natural apocalypse corresponding 1613 01:07:25,503 --> 01:07:28,386 to the description in the book of Genesis. 1614 01:07:28,410 --> 01:07:30,296 Harris spent 10 years researching 1615 01:07:30,320 --> 01:07:32,976 in the area where the two biblical cities 1616 01:07:33,000 --> 01:07:34,746 were supposed to be located 1617 01:07:34,770 --> 01:07:36,336 and came to the conclusion that 1618 01:07:36,360 --> 01:07:37,896 the conditions there were perfect 1619 01:07:37,920 --> 01:07:40,416 for a massive earthquake that would've triggered 1620 01:07:40,440 --> 01:07:42,126 a huge landslide. 1621 01:07:42,150 --> 01:07:44,346 Harris believes the resulting destruction 1622 01:07:44,370 --> 01:07:46,326 of settlements in the area would've been 1623 01:07:46,350 --> 01:07:50,556 so devastating that it could have passed into folklore. 1624 01:07:50,580 --> 01:07:53,893 A summary of Harris's 2015 book on the subject, 1625 01:07:53,917 --> 01:07:55,416 "Destruction of Sodom: 1626 01:07:55,440 --> 01:07:58,483 The A Scientific Commentary," states, 1627 01:07:58,507 --> 01:08:00,486 "In 'The Destruction of Sodom, ' 1628 01:08:00,510 --> 01:08:02,886 the biblical account of the destruction of Sodom 1629 01:08:02,910 --> 01:08:05,496 and Gomorrah is examined under the spotlight 1630 01:08:05,520 --> 01:08:07,730 of modern science against a cultural backdrop 1631 01:08:07,754 --> 01:08:10,416 of history and archeology. 1632 01:08:10,440 --> 01:08:12,576 In this scientific reconstruction, 1633 01:08:12,600 --> 01:08:14,436 the account of the events described 1634 01:08:14,460 --> 01:08:16,806 in the book of Genesis is verified, 1635 01:08:16,830 --> 01:08:18,156 and it is established that 1636 01:08:18,180 --> 01:08:22,696 the destruction occurred at about 2350 BC as a result 1637 01:08:22,720 --> 01:08:26,376 of an earthquake-induced landslide transporting Sodom 1638 01:08:26,400 --> 01:08:28,566 to the depths of the Dead Sea. 1639 01:08:28,590 --> 01:08:30,576 Strands of geography, geology, 1640 01:08:30,600 --> 01:08:33,036 and engineering science are drawn together 1641 01:08:33,060 --> 01:08:34,866 to provide comprehensive treatment 1642 01:08:34,890 --> 01:08:37,510 of all relevant scientific aspects pertinent 1643 01:08:37,534 --> 01:08:40,866 to a rational understanding of the mechanics 1644 01:08:40,890 --> 01:08:42,606 of the disaster. 1645 01:08:42,630 --> 01:08:45,576 Graham Harris provides evidence that the mainstay 1646 01:08:45,600 --> 01:08:47,893 of Canaanite commerce was the exploitation 1647 01:08:47,917 --> 01:08:51,306 of the bitumen resources of the Dead Sea, 1648 01:08:51,330 --> 01:08:52,716 that the Sodomites were among 1649 01:08:52,740 --> 01:08:55,123 the world's first chemical engineers. 1650 01:08:55,147 --> 01:08:57,546 "The Destruction of Sodom" is an example 1651 01:08:57,570 --> 01:08:59,466 of the application of science 1652 01:08:59,490 --> 01:09:00,476 to a fuller understanding 1653 01:09:00,500 --> 01:09:01,310 [bright music] 1654 01:09:01,334 --> 01:09:04,416 of one of the most intriguing events in the Old Testament 1655 01:09:04,440 --> 01:09:07,026 and will be of direct interest to scholars, 1656 01:09:07,050 --> 01:09:09,426 as well as to the wider public. 1657 01:09:09,450 --> 01:09:11,226 All these competing theories, of course, 1658 01:09:11,250 --> 01:09:13,356 can't be right, and thus far, 1659 01:09:13,380 --> 01:09:15,906 none of them have proved convincing enough 1660 01:09:15,930 --> 01:09:18,863 to be taken seriously by the academic world. 1661 01:09:20,312 --> 01:09:22,979 [ominous music] 1662 01:10:05,729 --> 01:10:08,396 [intense music] 128856

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