All language subtitles for Secrets.in.the.Sand.S02E02.1080p.WEB.h264-FREQUENCY_track3_[eng]

[narrator] In what is known
as the Garden of Egypt,

an excavation reveals evidence

that seems to clash
with history.

There was a series of shafts
below the surface.

It was a hidden cemetery,
crowded with bodies.

But who were these people?

And where do
they all come from?

In France, shifting sand
uncovers a baffling structure

lost for centuries.

After more of the sand was
cleared away, it was possible

to get a visual on
the entire structure.

It forms the shape of
a massive bowtie.

On the banks of
the legendary Indus River,

surrounded by desert,

archaeologists unearth
an enormous gravesite.

Dozens of human skeletons,
many found in groups,

almost as though they'd been
buried in mass graves.

Others were disarticulated,
with many of their bones
simply missing.

Ancient lost cities.

Forgotten treasures.

Mysterious structures.

As new technology
uncovers remarkable tales

hidden beneath the deserts
of the world,

the secrets in the sand
will finally be revealed.

West of Egypt's
Nile River Valley,

just 55 miles south
of Cairo,

the Faiyum Basin sits in
a natural depression spread

of over 12,000 square miles
of desert.

The region has long, hot,
arid summers

and short, dry winters.

While the bottom layer of
the basin is fed by canals

connected to the Nile,
the upper layer of Faiyum is

a desert-like terrain,
with escarpments separated by

plateaus and plains.

In ancient times,
Faiyum was a desert oasis,

referred to as
the Garden of Egypt.

This is from a time when
a branch of the Nile River

silted up and fresh water was
diverted to the basin,

attracting vegetation,
wildlife,

and a human population.

As Faiyum grew,
it became home to

several large
and thriving villages,

like Crocodilopolis,
Karanis, and Kahun.

The region was most prosperous
and stable from 2040 BCE
to 1782 BCE,

and that's generally
called Egypt's Golden Age.

The Roman Empire swept into
Egypt around 30 BCE

and eventually brought
Christianity with it

in the next century.

So it was a cultural
and religious invasion

as much as a military one.

However, the people of Faiyum
and elsewhere in Roman Egypt

continued many of
their own traditions,

such as embalming
and burying their dead,

despite the Roman
preference for cremation.

A group of archaeologists is
excavating a dig site on

the eastern edge of Faiyum when
they come across a surprise

six to eight feet
below the surface.

There was a series of shafts
below the surface,

but underneath that was
a second layer of sand

where the mummified remains of
at least 40 individuals

were packed tightly together.

It was a hidden cemetery
crowded with bodies.

[Dan] Initial carbon dating of
the mummies put them

somewhere in the first to
the seventh century CE.

That's the Roman to late-Roman
and Byzantine era.

And while it isn't entirely
unusual to come across ancient

burial sites in the Egyptian
desert, these mummies were

unique for several reasons.

[Alison]
They exhibited no evidence
of the embalming that was

the common practice.

Egyptians believed
the mummified body was the home

of the soul, and if the body
was destroyed,

then the soul or spirit
might be lost.

It was important to preserve
the body with special resins

and oils so it could
enter the afterlife

in the same physical form.

Even more striking, despite
the lack of embalming fluid,

the Faiyum mummies were
extremely well preserved.

The dry conditions of
the Egyptian desert

had slowed the decomposition
process.

But who were
these individuals?

And why were they all packed
tightly together in a way

that defies what we think
we know about

Egyptian funeral rights?

Embalming was just one of
the highly-ritualized

burial practices of
ancient Egypt.

[Anthea]
Everything about the Egyptian
funeral was about preparing

for the afterlife,
including the tomb,

which was a haven for the soul.

Egyptian tombs typically
reflected the status or wealth

of the individual,
which is why kings and pharaohs

were given
the full pyramid treatment.

Inside the tomb,
hieroglyphics and paintings

depicted scenes from
daily life, religious rituals,

and the afterlife journey.

Egyptians also believed that
the deceased would need certain

items in the next world.

These grave goods included
food, clothing,

ceramics, furniture,
and fancy things to wear.

Everything from simple
bracelets and amulets

to luxurious jewelry.

Unlike the grand
and well-appointed tombs of

pharaohs, almost none of
these mummies were buried

with any kind of grave goods.

And what little there was was
made up of everyday items,

such as reed mats,
broken bits of ceramic,

wooden and terracotta figures,
and date seeds and pits.

[Dan] Technically,
you couldn't even call
these burial sites tombs.

There were very few coffins,
and aside from some textile

wrappings and some shrouds,
it looked like not a lot of

care had been given to
each body's preparation.

But that's not a dead end.

It just means this is different
from what we're used to

finding, and maybe that's
what makes it great.

Maybe the fact that these
mummies were placed in graves

this way suggests they were
ordinary citizens,

or maybe they were people with
even lower status than that.

As the archaeologists expand
their excavation,

they come across something
truly astounding.

The cemetery turned out to
be much, much larger

than originally believed.
It was a staggering 300 acres.

That's just under half
a square mile.

Even more shocking,
the high concentration of

bodies was
consistent throughout.

[Anthea] To find a single burial
site containing what was

suddenly estimated to be
hundreds of thousands of

mummified remains is incredible,
but who were these people?

And where do
they all come from?

It wouldn't be the first time
a massive burial was discovered

in the Egyptian desert.

200 miles south of Cairo,
archaeologists excavating

an area near the ancient city
of Amarna discovered a cemetery

estimated to contain over
6,000 individuals.

[Alison]
During Egypt's 18th dynasty,
Amarna was declared

the new capital of Egypt
by an eccentric pharaoh

named Akhenaten.

He pushed to have the city
completed in just five years,

an extreme pace that was only
achievable on the backs

of enslaved laborers.

In other words, consistent
with the profile of

the Amarna individuals.

As with the Faiyum site,
the bodies at Amarna

were stacked closely together
with little ceremony.

There were very few grave goods
and most of them were simply

wrapped or bagged in a rough,
mat-like material.

The origin of the bodies at
Amarna was almost certainly

the city itself.

And while the cemetery at
Faiyum is relatively isolated,

there were two pyramids nearby,
the Meidum and the Seila.

I mean, the Seila was less
than a mile from there,

so maybe the Faiyum burial site
was the final resting place

for workers who built
the pyramids.

There is still an element of
mystery surrounding

the creation of
Egypt's pyramids,

but even a conservative
estimate puts the workforce in

the tens of thousands.

[Alison[
It's believed the backbreaking
work was performed mostly

by work gangs
and agricultural laborers,

and not by enslaved workers,
as is often portrayed.

To get the job done,
massive blocks of

limestone were quarried
and ferried close to the site

on barges along the Nile River.

From there, it was a matter of
transporting the blocks up

and onto the pyramid base using
ramps, ropes, and pulleys.

[Anthony] Not much is known
about the daily life

of the pyramid builders,
but there are records

of some workers' graves
found near existing pyramids.

Analysis of their bones
and teeth suggests that

they were well fed and may have
even received medical care

for injuries.

[Anthea] While the idea of
the Faiyum Cemetery being filled

with the remains of local
pyramid builders

is an intriguing one,

the math doesn't work out.

The Seila and Meidum pyramids
were built in Egypt's

fourth dynasty, which was
just over 2,000 years before

the Roman and Byzantine era.

Such a huge number of bodies
had to come from somewhere.

The nearest big city is Cairo,
or Memphis,

as it was called back then,

but that's more than
40 miles away.

So is it possible another
ancient town or city existed

2,000 years ago closer to where
this cemetery is now?

A deep dive into the Faiyum
historical records

reveals a potential clue.

[Dan] As it turns out, there
were a few villages between

the eastern edge of the Faiyum
Basin and the Nile River.

As soon as the Egyptians
figured out it was possible to

divert the Nile's freshwater to
the west with a series of

canals, populations began to
thrive in the desert.

The villages of Tanis and Seila
were established close to

the main road that connected
the Nile in the Faiyum Basin,

which became an important
trade route.

So not only did merchants
and tradespeople travel from

all over these villages,
but they stayed there

and raised families.

What evolved over time was
a population of

ethnically-diverse individuals,
all living in the same location,

evidently in harmony.

So if the Faiyum mummies as
a group were discovered to

have a diverse genetic makeup,
that would strongly suggest

that they were from one of
the local villages.

Samples of teeth,
bone, and hair are collected

from the mummies for analysis.

37 burials were selected from
across the entire cemetery

to best represent
a cross-section of
the population.

The first observation,
and the most striking,

was connected to hair color.

Of the 37 samples, 5 had
dark brown or black hair,

12 had light or medium
brown hair, 16 were blonde,

and 4 had red hair.

That's pretty strong evidence
that we've got substantial

ethnic diversity,
but here's the kicker.

The bodies with
the same-colored hair

get buried together.

So in other words, mummies with
blonde hair were discovered

clustered in the same place,
and so on.

[Alison] There are several
possible explanations for this.

It might be that members of
the same ethnic group

were buried together as
an organizing principle

of the cemetery.

It's also possible they were
all members of the same family.

But continued work on the site
leads to further revelations.

[Anthony] Many of the graves
were essentially pits,

and they were both
narrow and deep.

As a cross-section,
they resembled an elevator

shaft with mummies stacked
on top of one another.

Strangely, the heads of
the older mummies,

those on the lower half,
were facing west,

and the more recently deceased
mummies' heads

were facing east.

Given the timeline, it may be
that the 180-degree shift

was due to the spread of
Christianity through Egypt.

According to Christian
scripture, Jesus was to return

from the east, so the bodies
might have been reoriented

to prepare for his arrival.

This was backed up by symbols
of the cross found woven

into many of the mummies'
tunics and shrouds.

While the true origin of
the thousands of mummies

remains a mystery,
each discovery,

no matter how small,
is a potential clue

for unlocking the secret.

The Faiyum cemetery represents
a compelling snapshot of

ancient Egypt and a rare
glimpse into the lives

and deaths of those
who lived there.

The peaceful and picturesque
commune of Marliens

lies near the heart of France's
Côte D'Or district,

just 12 miles east of Dijon.

Marliens is a mostly rural
township, made up of rolling

hills and patchwork fields.

While there is agricultural
activity, including the famous

Cote D'Or vineyards,
the farming is limited by

the arid conditions.

Marliens gets a lot of
sunshine, 1,900 hours per year.

And the land can get extremely
dry in the spring and summer

months, which turns
the soil into loose sand.

As with most of Western
Europe, France later fell to

the expanding Roman Empire in
the second century BC.

Known as Gaul
at the time,

France was under
Roman occupation

until the 5th century AD.

Dijon was originally a Roman
settlement called Divio,

as it was located on the main
road dividing the route to

Paris and the route to Lyon.

Archaeologists are surveying
the construction site of

a future gravel pit when
they uncover something unusual.

Just below the surface,
there was what appeared to be

a mysterious shape.

And after brushing aside
a section of the surrounding

sand, an unusual structure
emerged made from raised

and densely packed
earth measuring at least

50 feet across.

After more of the sand was
cleared away, it was possible

to get a visual on
the entire structure.

From above, it forms
the shape of a massive bowtie.

The middle section is a circle
of raised earth measuring

36 feet in diameter.

On either side of the circle,
two curved lines form

a horseshoe shape
about 25 feet across.

One of the horseshoes is
a complete enclosure,

but the other is broken up
by a series of gaps or dashes.

A survey of the surrounding
area is conducted to search for

possible clues connected to
the bowtie formation.

An area of roughly 15 acres
was cordoned off,

and within this,
three different sample

excavations sites
were laid out.

The first site was located
about 1,300 feet from

the initial discovery,

A grave site was discovered
just below the surface.

The grave site,
or necropolis, contained
six ceramic cremation urns

that were dated to
the first Iron Age,

the period from roughly
800 BCE to 100 CE.

Each of the urns was
covered by a lid.

And inside, there was evidence
of cremated bone remains

within the ash.

Some of the bone deposits
were accompanied by rings

and bracelets made from copper
alloy and iron.

The addition of these
ceremonial items was consistent

with other Iron Age burial
sites discovered in France.

But does that mean
the mysterious horseshoe

structure is
an Iron Age creation?

Also in the Côte D'Or
district, a burial mound near

the village of Vix
was discovered
to contain human remains

along with a wealth of
funeral adornments.

The burial took place around
500 BCE, and although most of

the organic matter had
decomposed, the sex of

the deceased was believed to be
female, based on the jewelry

found at the site, as well as
the lack of weapons.

The body had been placed
in a square chamber

measuring almost
100 square feet.

Along with it, there was
a small treasure that included

a 24 carat gold necklace,
a bronze anklet,

and several imported artifacts
from Greece and Italy.

Based on this, it was assumed
the deceased was a woman

of high social status.

[Anthea]
The gravesite is a perfect
symbol of the Iron Age

as a period of great change,
especially the development

of social hierarchies
and a class system.

Many of the aristocracy rose to
the top thanks to the growing

importance of the iron trade.

[Amma] But while the burial
trinkets discovered in the first

excavation site at Marliens
were dated to the Iron Age,

there's still nothing from
the bowtie structure that bears

any of the Iron Age
design hallmarks.

The researchers focused
their efforts on the second

excavation site with
surprising results.

The second site was only 1,300
feet from the first one,

and it was also revealed to
be a necropolis.

When the surface of the second
site's layer of sand was

cleared, five large circular
enclosures were discovered

encased in the earth.

One of them was open,
and four of them were

covered with lids.

But all of them contained
human remains.

The open one, which was also
the largest one at 75 feet

across, contained
a funeral pyre inside.

Several ceramic shards were
recovered from inside

the containers, as well as
five copper alloy pins

and a necklace made of
amber beads,

which were found just outside
the open container.

Carbon dating analysis puts
all the collected evidence

somewhere between
1500 and 1300 BCE,

which corresponds to
the Bronze Age.

Clearly, there's something
about this small patch of land

that holds incredible
significance for it to

be a dedicated burial ground.

Not just once, but by two
different civilizations

who lived a thousand
years apart.

It's definitely possible that
this bowtie structure could

also be connected to
a burial rite of some kind.

But whose?
And from what era?

As the team works on
their third and final

excavation site,
the area immediately

surrounding the bowtie,
more surprises are unearthed.

Several artifacts were collected
from below the surface,

including several
cut flint artifacts,

a copper alloy dagger,
and a pair of armbands that

were likely worn by an archer.

One of the armbands was
discovered to have residues of

iron oxide corresponding
to a substance called pyrite,

an ingredient for
igniting fire.

So, in one relatively contained
space, there were several

weapons which may or may not
have been used as weapons since

they might simply have been
ceremonial, plus the tools of

fire making possibly for
a funeral pyre.

Adding it up, all signs
point to the remains

of an ancient grave site
or necropolis.

[Anthony]
But the real surprise was
that the cut flint artifacts

were identified as having been
created in the Neolithic period,

which began
9,000 years ago.

Is it possible that the origins
of the bowtie structure

go back as far as the 8th
or 7th millennium BCE?

Several regions of France are
home to Neolithic monuments,

such as the stone megaliths of
Brittany and Auvergne.

[Teddy]
Whether they formed a circle,
a large chamber, or were simply

placed upright
along the landscape,

the purpose and construction
of these enormous stone

structures is still
a topic of great debate.

The most famous, of course,
is the Stonehenge Monument on

England's Salisbury Plain.

[Anthea] Stonehenge and circular
Neolithic structures like it

are believed to be inspired
by shapes in nature,

such as the sun and the moon.

The passing of the seasons
and the almost God-like

appearance of the sun may have
been central to the religious

beliefs of
the Neolithic people.

Although the true purpose of
Stonehenge is still open to

interpretation, there's no
doubt about the precision of

its layout and design,
which is impressive

even by today's standards.

Stonehenge functions as
an ancient calendar,

tracking the position of
the sun and the stars

throughout the year.

[Teddy] Looking at the overall
design of the bowtie structure,

it's possible that the central
circle and curving horseshoe

pattern had a similar
significance for

the prehistoric people
who created it.

But at this point,
we just don't know.

Exploration and analysis of
the bowtie site is ongoing,

as researchers continue to
uncover new clues.

But one thing is for certain.

As a burial ground for at least
two and possibly three

different groups living
hundreds to thousands years

apart, the monument at Marliens
is a remarkable testament to

what was once ancient
hallowed ground.

The Indus River is one of
the longest in the world,

flowing over 2,000 miles
through Tibet, India,

Kashmir, and Pakistan.

This powerful current begins in
the tallest peaks of

the Himalayan Mountains before
plunging into one of

the driest valleys on Earth.

The Indus River Valley is one
of the most inhospitable places

in the world.

The temperatures alone make it
incredibly difficult for any

living thing to survive here,
ranging from near freezing in

the winter to over 110 degrees
Fahrenheit in summer.

[Alison] It's not surprising
that the desert itself

is virtually uninhabited.

Only very small human
settlements can survive here

under the extreme
desert conditions.

But this wasn't always the case.

In the arid plains stretching
out from the Indus riverbanks,

archaeologists are excavating
a cluster of strange mounds

rising from the desert floor

when they make
a surprising discovery.

They uncover dozens of
unusual wax seals,

each one remarkably well-crafted
and adorned with intricate
carvings of animals.

Cows, buffalo, tigers, some of
them even depict mythical

creatures including what looks
an awful lot like a unicorn.

To an untrained eye,
they might seem purely

ornamental, but they aren't
just pictures.

They're part of
an ancient language.

[Teddy] They sort of look like
Sumerian, a pictorial language

that used images to represent
words or phrases,

which dates back to
just over 5,000 years

to the people of
ancient Mesopotamia.

But they lived hundreds of
miles from the Indus River

in modern-day Iraq.

So what are these seals
doing here?

Archaeologists working at
the site continue to dig

and soon make
a disturbing discovery.

They begin turning up dozens
of human skeletons.

Many of these bodies
were found in groups,

almost as though they'd been
buried in mass graves.

Others were eerily
disarticulated,

with many of their bones
simply missing.

[Dan] In total,
they find the remains of more

than 30 skeletons.

And unlike organized burials,
where all the bodies are laid

down in these deliberate poses
and look like they're sleeping

or something, most of
these bodies are twisted

into these contorted positions.

At first glance, it might seem
as though these people died

violently, but that might not
be the whole story.

Over the years, shifting desert
sands may have

disturbed the remains,
causing the skeletons to move

and settle in
unnatural positions.

Considering the sheer number
of bodies, this site could

very well be a long
forgotten cemetery.

If so, it's possible that
an ancient civilization

once stood nearby.

But who were these people,
and when did they live here?

As the excavation continues,
the team unearths a series

of items that offer
tantalizing clues.

They discovered a metal statue
of a woman dubbed

the Dancing Girl.

She's small, standing roughly
four inches tall,

and made with
breathtaking detail.

Her arms and legs are
exaggeratedly long,

and a total of 28 bangles have
been individually sculpted

onto her body.

Other copper objects recovered

from the site are more
practical.

Things like axes,
knives, arrowheads,

and vessels like bowls
made out of hammered metal.

[Amma] Analysis shows that many
of these artifacts were made

by combining tin and copper
to create bronze.

Some even contain traces of
arsenic, which is known to

harden bronze and make it
even more durable.

Taken together,
the seals, the human remains,

and these bronze objects,
it's possible we're looking at

a settlement
from the Bronze Age,
which would date the site

to between roughly
3300 and 1200 BCE.

As the excavations at
this site, now known as

Mohenjo-daro, expand
dramatically, the team makes

an astounding breakthrough.

They unearth the ruins of
an entire city,

lost for thousands of years --
the scale is remarkable,

spanning over
250 acres of land.

Not only is it enormous,
it's also meticulously

engineered, with the buildings
laid out in a grid system,

just like we see in
modern cities.

[Alison] The city is
divided into two halves,

with the western side
comprising larger buildings,

and the eastern side believed to
have housed many of

the city's residents.

Based on the size of
these ancient foundations,

we can estimate that up
to 40,000 people lived here,

which would make it one of
the largest cities in the world

at that time.

400 miles northeast of
Mohenjo-daro,

archaeologists had
uncovered the remains of

a second ancient city known
today as Harappa.

Despite the distance between
the two settlements,

they share several
striking features.

Harappa's design
and construction mirror those

of Mohenjo-daro.

Both cities follow
a grid-like layout.

They have buildings made
from bricks.

They have advanced
infrastructure,

like an elaborate sewer system.

And they have washing platforms
in virtually every home.

[Amma] The artifacts discovered
here also bear

a clear resemblance to those
found at Mohenjo-daro.

Among them is a statue known
as "The Other Dancing Girl,"

depicting a woman in a pose
remarkably similar to

what was found at Mohenjo-daro.

Bronze tools and weapons were
also recovered,

crafted using the same
techniques seen in Mohenjo-daro,

suggesting a strong cultural
connection between

the two sites.

Excavations also revealed more
wax seals made of soapstone.

They show similar etchings
and animal figures as the ones

from Mohenjo-daro, meaning that
these two cities communicated

using the same language.

[Alison] The civilization
discovered at Harappa

was a previously unknown one.

And while we don't know what
these people called themselves,

they were dubbed
the Indus Valley Civilization.

Based on the similarities
between Harappa

and Mohenjo-daro, it's safe to
say that the two cities

were connected, and that
Mohenjo-daro was also a part of

the Indus Valley civilization.

While Harappa and Mohenjo-daro
may be the largest cities left

behind by
the Indus Valley Civilization,

they are far from
the only ones.

[Dan] Over the last century,
more than 1,500 settlements

have been discovered,
scattered all across

modern-day Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and India.

That is larger than
ancient Egypt

and ancient Mesopotamia
combined.

[Amma] At its height,
it's thought the Indus Valley

civilization had a population of
more than five million people.

But over the span of just
two centuries, a culture that

thrived for hundreds of years
basically disappeared.

So how could a civilization that
spanned such a vast region,

contained such advanced cities,
and was inhabited by

millions of people
just disappear?

During the Late Bronze Age,
the shores of the Mediterranean

were terrorized by a ruthless
confederacy of fighters

known today as the Sea People.

[Tommy] We don't know much about
who the Sea People were,

but we do know they did not
back down from a fight.

And almost everything we do
know comes from ancient

Egyptian writings,
where early historians recorded

several violent clashes.

[Alison]
The Egyptians told of
a people who came from the sea

in their warships, and none
could stand against them.

These fearsome fighters
repeatedly attacked

ancient Egypt with
devastating consequences.

One inscription from the reign
of Pharaoh Merneptah recounts

an epic battle where Egyptian
archers, charioteers,

infantrymen reportedly killed
over 6,000 Sea People.

[Dan] The Sea People may have
been trying to establish

settlements on land.

One hypothesis is that
they went up the Indus River to

the banks of Mohenjo-daro
and then wiped that city out.

And once that city was
conquered, the rest of

the Indus Valley civilization
may have fallen like dominoes.

[Amma] The collapse of
the civilization coincides

with the rise of another
powerful nomadic people known

as the Aryans,
an Indo-Iranian people

who began to expand
into the Indus Valley

and the Ganges land
around 1800 BCE,

right when the
Indus Valley civilization

started to disappear.

One theory suggests that
the Aryans arrived so fast

and in such great numbers that
they overwhelmed many of

the Indus Valley settlements,
including the larger cities.

[Alison] But despite multiple
threats from invading forces,

the theory that a violent war
caused the downfall of

the Indus Valley civilization
is missing a major piece

of the puzzle.

Neither Mohenjo-daro nor
Harappa show any evidence of

military fortifications,
nor are there any depictions of

war or conquest
in their artwork.

Determined to
find the reason for
the civilization's collapse,

a team of intrepid
researchers ventures into

the Himalayan mountains to
the Dharamjali Cave.

[Amma]
Rock formations like caves

are incredible
sources of information.

Over the course of thousands of
years, water flowing into

the caves carries debris from
the ground above.

This debris, or sediment,

then becomes compressed
into rock.

By looking at these
sedimentary rock structures,

we can reverse engineer
entire environments

that no longer exist.

[Tommy] In this case,
the study focused on

a single stalagmite,
roughly 10 inches long,

located at the back
of the cave.

They were able to reconstruct
Western India's rainfall

patterns, stretching back
thousands of years,

using trace elements,
along with oxygen, carbon,

and calcium isotopes trapped
inside the stalagmite.

[Alison] The analysis revealed
that around 2200 BCE,

the intensity of
summer monsoons

in the Indus River Valley
began to decrease.

As the monsoon pattern shifted,
droughts grew longer and longer.

These droughts lasted anywhere
between 25 and 90 years,

and continued for nearly
two centuries.

The changing climate made
large cities like Mohenjo-daro

and Harappa
completely unsustainable.

Residents basically had to
choose between migrating

or starving, and that's not
a very hard choice

to pick between.

As the cities dried up,
populations were forced to

move to the foothills of
the mountains, and so they had

to set up smaller but more
sustainable communities

that could rely on fewer crops.

While we can't say with total
certainty that climate change

brought down
the Indus Valley civilization,

it certainly seems the most
plausible explanation to date.

Today, the collapse of
the Indus Valley people acts

as a haunting reminder that
even the most powerful

civilizations in the world
are not immune to

Mother Nature's whims,

and the effects of
a changing environment

can have devastating
consequences.

In South Wales,
just west of Cardiff,

the yellow and grey cliffs of
the Vale of Glamorgan

run more than
30 miles along

the coast of
the Bristol Channel.

The Vale,
as it's known,

is part of
the Glamorgan Heritage Coast,

renowned for its stunning
coastline and sandy beaches.

One of the most popular beaches
is nestled into a curve

called Dunraven Bay.

The cooler ocean temperatures
ensure that only the brave

and hardy will attempt to
swim in the bay,

but the surrounding cliffs
offer a spectacular view
for hikers.

The living history of the Vale
goes back as far as

the Stone Age,

when the area was used as
a fortified trading post.

During the Roman Empire,
its strategic location led

the Roman army to build
a second fortress,

and this was transformed
over the years

and used as a convalescent
hospital during both world wars.

Thanks to the Bay's geology,
a lot of that history just

keeps offering itself up.

The stratified, eroding cliffs
and constantly shifting sands

continually kick up hidden
treasures from the past,

and every item that gets
recovered offers this glimpse

into the lives of the people
who lived here before,

and in some cases,
thousands of years before.

A local resident is walking
along the beach when he makes

a startling discovery.

The man was strolling with
his seven-year-old son and dog

when they spotted three bones
in the sand, a small circular

one and two larger bones.

At first, they assumed the bones
were from an animal,

but they took
them home to have a look.

And after further examination,
the family realized

they might be human.

Or there's a third
possibility, too.

Maybe it's not an animal bone
or a human bone, but a fossil.

After all, dinosaurs did live
here millions of years ago.

There have been many
discoveries along

the Welsh coast that
led to direct proof

of dinosaur activity.

The red siltstone rock at
Lavernock Point,

between Cardiff and the town of
Barry, was known to contain

many prehistoric fossils.

On one occasion, a young girl
spotted five giant footprints

on the rock surface,
each spaced about

30 inches apart.

The National Museum of Wales
confirmed the footprints

belonged to a herbivore from
the late Triassic period

called a camelodea.

It was known for
its long body and small head,

and it likely stood only 10 feet
tall and 16 feet long.

And close to Cardiff,
two brothers discovered

the skull, teeth,
claws, and foot bones

of a small dinosaur embedded
right in a cliff face.

They turned out to have
discovered the remains of

a Dracorapid, or dragon thief,
a small meat-eating species

that likely lived on a nearby
island 200 million years ago,

but whose remains washed
onto the shore.

Given the concentration of
dinosaurs in this region,

it's entirely possible that
the Dunraven bones could be

dinosaurs, but judging
by their size

and judging by the shape,
they look an awful lot more

like they're human leg bones.
So now the question is, whose?

And from how long ago?

Throughout its history,
the Bristol Channel has served

as a trade route for
merchant ships.

The area was particularly busy
in the 16th and 17th centuries,

as vessels from all over would
pass in and out of

the Channel's estuary.

[Anthony]
But the Bristol Channel was also
known for having an extremely

high and low tide range,
up to 45 feet.

Combined with the rough
Atlantic waters,

this made for dangerous
sailing conditions

and resulted in many shipwrecks
and many deaths at sea.

[Dan] The prevailing winds
and currents would push

the debris from the wrecks
right up to the Welsh shoreline,

including the bodies
of dead sailors.

So in the days that followed,
the local community would give

those sailors a proper burial
either in existing cemeteries

or, occasionally, in newly
created ones dedicated

specifically to the victims
of the shipwrecks.

One of the more recent
discoveries took place at

Monknash, less than five miles
from Dunraven Bay.

[Dan]
Monknash has this beautiful
beach with this dramatic cliff

for a backdrop.

This one day, when there were
really high tides

and especially strong winter
winds, a big chunk of that

cliffside got eroded,
and that left these

human skeletal
remains sticking out.

I mean, you can see them
from the beach.

[Alison] The cliff made it extra
challenging to reach the bodies

and attempt any kind
of excavation.

And to make matters worse,

the loose, sandy earth
gave way easily.

The excavation took eight days
to complete, and by the time it

was finished, the remains of
six different individuals

were identified.

Bioarchaeological analysis
placed the remains as

dating from the late 16th
or early 17th century.

Historical records show that
the earliest burial license

in the parish of Monknash was
granted in 1609,

which means these six
individuals could easily

have been buried together
after a single event,

such as a shipwreck.

[Anthony]
If the Dunraven bones
belonged to one of the many

shipwrecked sailors from
over the centuries,

then their actual identity
and country of origin would be

difficult, if not impossible,
to trace.

But it's also possible that
the bones have a more

local connection.

Behind the cliffs of Dunraven
Bay lies the original site of

Dunraven Castle,
a fortress with ghostly

sightings and origins
going back millennia.

Dunraven Castle was built
from 1802 to 1806

for a Glamorgan Member of
Parliament named Thomas Wyndham.

Wyndham and his descendants
frequently hosted dignitaries

and diplomats in the castle's
great halls, and they used to

throw these big annual balls
for the Conservative Party.

But long before that,
the castle grounds

were the site
of an Iron Age fortress.

Some of the defensive ditches
and banks remained for

centuries, but most were
destroyed by coastal erosion.

Over the years, that same
erosion led to the discovery of

ancient human burials.

[Anthea] Before it was
ultimately demolished in 1962,

Dunraven Castle was used as
a Red Cross hospital in

both World Wars.

It's unlikely that the patients
who died in the hospital were

buried on site,
but hospital staff and visitors

all reported seeing
the ghost of a woman

dressed in blue at the castle.

But while the story of the blue
ghost certainly adds an element

of spooky otherworldliness,
there's another all too real

story from the late Middle Ages
that might solve the riddle,

and it's the story
of bloodshed.

In 1400 AD, there was
a Welsh-led rebellion against

the King of England, Henry IV.

[Dan] The Welsh Revolt was
the last major phase of

Welsh independence before
the annexation of Wales into

England in 1542.

It began when a Owain Glendower,
a descendant of several Welsh

royal dynasties, declared
himself the Prince of Wales.

After many successful castle
sieges and battlefield

victories, Glendower was crowned
Prince in the presence of

Scottish, French,
Spanish, and Breton envoys.

He summoned a national
parliament, traditional Welsh

laws and established a Welsh
church and two universities.

But the British retaliated
with another series of battles,

including the Battle of
Stalling Down,

which took place on
the Vale of Glamorgan.

However, it didn't
end well for the Brits.

After an 18-hour fight,
the Glendower-led Welsh army,

along with the allied French
army, decimated the English,

who retreated through Cardiff.

Given the reputed death toll
of this battle, is it possible

that the Dunraven bones belong
to one of the fallen soldiers?

Evidence found in a local
village supports that theory.

[Dan] Just three miles from
the battle site, a church in

the town of Llanblethian was
found to have an oak plank

on the floor, which covered
a hidden passageway.

So when that plank was lifted,
it revealed this stone stairway

leading to a crypt --
it wasn't very big.

It was just 17 feet by 15 feet,
but it held the bodies of

more than 300 men,
none of which had coffins.

[Alison] Stalling Down was
the only battle known to have

taken place in the vicinity,
so it was believed the bodies

were all casualties of war.

Once discovered,
they were given a proper burial

in the church graveyard,
which was only six miles

from Dunraven.

With the amount of
erosion to the coast

over the past 200 years,
it's definitely possible

that some of those remains
ended up at the beach.

For now, all we know for sure
is that it's just one of

the potential explanations.

The investigation
into the origins
of the bones of Dunraven

is ongoing and will
no doubt add layers to

Glamorgan's rich history.

Who knows what hidden secrets
remain buried in the shifting

sands of the coast of Wales?