All language subtitles for secrets.of.ancient.structures.s01e04.480p.web.x264.rmteam

(faint electronic beep)

(thrilling music)

- [Narrator] Perched
atop the remains

of a long extinct
volcanic formation,

an ancient fortress rises from
the ashes of a fiery past.

- How did the ancient
engineers manage to construct

such an elaborate complex on
a near vertical rock face?

- [Narrator] On a remote island,

stone sentinels bear
silent witness to the power

of human creation.

Hewn from a foundation
forged in molten rock.

- Each statue is unique,

with distinct facial features

and subtle variations in design.

- [Narrator] And an intricate
Hindu temple showcases

the extraordinary vision of
the architects who transformed

a volcanic canvas into a
masterpiece of devotion,

blending faith and artistry
of an unprecedented scale.

- The level of detail achieved
by the ancient sculptures

is indeed astonishing.

- [Narrator] These
monumental achievements,

born from Earth's
eruptive legacy,

serve as enduring reminders
of humanity's ability

to shape the raw materials of
our planet's turbulent history

into awe-inspiring
works of engineering.

(thrilling music)

(gentle music)

Towering 180 meters above the
central plains of Sri Lanka,

the massive granite rock
formation of Sigiriya stands

as a pillar of ancient
engineering and artistry.

- When you first
look at Sigiriya,

you're straight away in awe

because it's so hard to
imagine being able to build

on top of this rock surface
but also getting up there.

The fact that they had
to chip away at the side

is truly amazing,

and I can't think
of anything else

that's quite compared to it.

- [Narrator] The
palace complex atop

the rock formation occupies
approximately 1.5 hectares,

consisting of elaborate
gardens, pools,

and other structures.

Its sophisticated
hydraulics systems,

some still functioning today,
span hundreds of meters.

- The irrigation systems
are really interesting.

I'm no mechanical engineer,

but I can absolutely recognize
the ingenuity behind this.

They run perpetually
just gravity-fed systems

to deliver water to the
most important parts.

There was so much thought
put into this design

to recognize the vision
of this beautiful,

lush garden and
metropolis really.

- Some of the evidence
we have of the use

of this palace comes from
these stunning frescoes

which still survive
of women bathing,

which have been known as cloud
maidens or celestial nymphs.

They could also be members

of the female court
or concubines.

- [Narrator] Often hailed as
the Eighth Wonder of the World,

this UNESCO World Heritage Site

has inspired as much
mystery and intrigue

as it has awe throughout
its storied history.

- So how did this
violent world give birth

to the magical Sigiriya
that we see today?

How did the ancient
engineers manage to construct

such an elaborate complex on
a near-vertical rock face?

- [Narrator] Also
known as the Lion Rock,

Sigiriya's imposing presence
has long captivated visitors.

But the story behind the origins

of the colossal formation
lies hidden within its stone.

- Two billion years ago,

this area was a hotbed
of volcanic activity.

- Seeing the full picture
requires us to step back in time

long before humans
walked the Earth.

- There were no
lush rainforests.

There were no
ancient structures.

This was just a hotbed
of fire and molten rock.

- [Narrator] As volcanoes erupt,

sometimes some of the magma
doesn't make it to the surface.

Instead, it's solidifies
within a volcano's throat.

This hardened magma forms
what is called a plug,

essentially a giant cork of
solid rock sealing the volcano.

In active volcanoes,

these plugs can act
like pressure cookers.

Volcanic gases accumulate
beneath the hardened magma,

causing a dangerous buildup
of pressure within the volcano

and explosive eruptions.

- And then, over time,

with climate and erosion
and wind and rain

that beats away at the
softer stone on the outside,

essentially leaving
just the plug intact.

- [Narrator] What is
left today is the core

of incredibly hard granite

that has withstood
the test of time.

- It's a testament
to the immense forces

that shaped our planet.

This structure stands
as a natural monument

to the Earth's fiery past.

- [Narrator] Once
hidden within a volcano,

this awe-inspiring
rock now stands proudly

as a silent witness to billions
of years of Earth's history.

But the mysteries of
Sigiriya extend beyond

the rock formation itself

to the remains of the grand
complex on and surrounding it,

creating conflicting theories
regarding its first settlers

and their ultimate purpose.

- Were the monks even the
first to lay ground here?

Or does its mysterious history
stretch back even further?

- This provides us
with a unique window

into the evolution of a
human culture in this period.

- [Narrator] Centuries ago,
between 477 and 495 CE,

the rock formation was primarily
used as a royal residence.

Its origins, steeped in a saga
of treachery and violence.

- Historical accounts tell
us that King Kashyapa came

to power through
betrayal and bloodshed.

According to these stories,

although he was the eldest son
of his father King Dhatusena,

he was illegitimate.

His mother was a commoner.

And so when it came time,

he was passed over for his
younger brother, Moggallana.

Infuriated, King
Kashyapa raised an army

and marched against his father.

His brother fled to South India.

His father was captured, and
according to some accounts,

Dhatusena met a
pretty gruesome end.

In one version, Kashyapa
had him walled up alive.

- [Narrator] In 473 CE,
Kashyapa and Migara orchestrate

a coup against Dhatusena.

Kashyapa imprisoned his
father and seizes the throne.

Following this brutal
seizure of power,

King Kashyapa seeks an
impregnable stronghold

to protect himself.

Fearing retribution from
his brother Moggallana,

who had fled to India,

Kashyapa looked for a more
secure location for his capital,

but where?

Drawing inspiration
from Alakamanda,

a mythical celestial
city of Buddhist lore,

Kashyapa envisions
his grand new capital

and royal residence atop
Sigiriya's lofty heights.

- Kashyapa has managed to
get himself on the throne.

He's still in a
weakened position.

He needs to make a symbolic
gesture that shows his power

and his longevity.

This huge, massive stone
column rising out of the jungle

provides the perfect basis
for a defensible fortress,

and it offers an
opportunity for Kashyapa

to project his power and
might to everyone around.

- [Narrator] But further
analysis challenges the idea

that Kashyapa is the original
settler of this area,

suggesting that its
history predates the King

by at least centuries.

Evidence suggests this
site was originally

a Buddhist monastery,

possibly dating back to
the third century BCE.

- Sigiriya obviously
had these pre-histories

even before King
Kashyapa decided

to build his own palace there,
and one of them was monastic.

One of the elements that we
find resonating across cultures

is the idea of being
of height and divinity.

So, in that sense, I
think it would have been

a perfect choice for
a monastic community

to build a community

that would be both ascending
spiritually, but also isolated.

- [Narrator] Modern archeology
reveals curious features

that don't align with the image

of a fifth century
royal residence.

Surrounding Sigiriya
are numerous rock
shelters and caves,

their entrances bearing
distinctive carved features.

- Sigiriya has the
other attribute

that would have lent
itself to a ritual site.

It's very clear there
was a long tradition

of using this space for living,

but also for ritual purposes.

- The shelters were created
under large boulders

with carved trip ledges.

- [Narrator] This seems to
suggest long term habitation,

which leads to the question:

Who were these
early inhabitants?

A closer examination
of these caves

reveals ancient
inscriptions nearby;

inscriptions dating
back to the third

and first centuries BCE,

record donations to these
shelters to Buddhist monks.

- This is the first
real piece of evidence

that its history stretches
far beyond its time

as a royal palace.

- [Narrator] A historical record

of the monarchs of Sri Lanka
also describes the area

as a large forest, before
King Kashyapa transforms it.

- But were the monks even
the first to lay ground here,

or does Sigiriya's
mysterious history

stretch back even further?

- [Narrator] Excavations at the
Aligala Rock Shelter uncover

the earliest traces of human
occupation at the site,

revealing a story

of human activity
stretching back millennia.

- The remnants include
modest personal items,

so not in line with
the lavish trappings

of a royal lifestyle.

- We know historically,

going back to Neolithic
and even Mesolithic times,

that the use of caves had
served ritual purposes.

And archeologists and other
scholars are convinced

that there are a lot
of reasons for this,

including the fact that its
natural properties lend it

to the mysterious, darkness
pierced by light periodically.

The fact that it
can be an entrance

that can seem to be
a passageway, perhaps
to an underworld.

- [Narrator] The discoveries
paint a vivid picture

of prehistoric life.

- We find evidence
of the manipulation

of the stone in there.

So, for example, they
created water channels

so that water could
recede naturally.

So all of this tells us that
the caves were one of the ways

in which local people
adapted to the environment

in order to have a
thriving social life,

as well as an economic life.

- [Narrator] But one of the
most groundbreaking discoveries

at Aligala is evidence
of early iron production,

dating back to 900 BCE.

This place is a site
at a crucial juncture

in human technological
development,

the transition from
stone to metal tools.

- This is a unique
window into the evolution

of human culture in this
region over thousands of years.

- [Narrator] While prehistoric
humans found shelter

in Sigiriya's caves,

it was King Kashyapa's
grand vision

that would ultimately
transform this natural wonder

into an architectural marvel.

How did the usurper king turn
a formidable rock fortress

into one of the ancient world's

most sophisticated
urban centers?

- Sigiriya stands as one of
the best preserved examples

of ancient urban
planning in South Asia.

- [Narrator] Its
layout demonstrates
a sophisticated blend

of geometric precision
and adaptation

to the natural landscape.

- Its design is a masterclass

in balancing symmetry
with asymmetry.

- [Narrator] At first glance,

Sigiriya's water gardens
appear perfectly symmetrical

with their rectangular
pools and straight pathways.

But a closer look reveals
subtle asymmetries

that create harmony with
the surrounding landscape.

The blend of regularity
and irregularity

is a hallmark of advanced
design principles.

- The design doesn't fight
against the natural features

but incorporates
them seamlessly.

- [Narrator] Boulders
become parts of buildings,

natural depressions
are turned into ponds,

and the rock itself
becomes a dramatic backdrop

for the entire city.

Boasting a complex network
of dams, canals, lakes,

and underground water conduits,

Sigiriya's water management
system is nothing short

of revolutionary for its time.

- What was done by these
ancient designers and architects

is they stored the water.

They collected it.

During the monsoon rain period,

they would collect the
water on top of the rock

and store it in cisterns
at the highest portions

of the rock.

So basically we have this
elevated source of water

and we're storing it.

And then through a system
of pipes and channels cut

into the rock,

we can then take that
water to lower elevations

to our water gardens,
to our pools, et cetera.

So this system is really
amazing because what they did

is they relied on the
elevation difference

between the cisterns
and the water features

to create pressure.

- [Narrator] But while these
ingenious water features serve

a practical purpose, they also
hint at a more indulgent use.

- There are features of Sigiriya

which hint at a very
different purpose

than simply a fortress,

that instead paint a picture
of a place of beauty,

a place of luscious
terraced gardens

and beautiful fountains fed by
elaborate hydraulic systems,

of mirrored walls with
elaborate frescoes

of half naked celestial women.

This was not your
average fortress.

It was a pleasure palace.

- [Narrator] But the
most striking evidence

for this theory lies on
the rock wall itself.

During King Kashyapa's
reign in the fifth century,

the wall was plastered and
polished to such a high degree

that it created a
mirror-like effect.

But why create a reflective
surface on a fortress wall?

On the rock face
opposite the Mirror Wall,

artwork lends further credence
to the suggestion of Sigiriya

as a sanctuary of indulgence.

- It takes us into their minds,

into their systems of values.

It gives us a sense of
their personalities.

And so in that sense,

they are extraordinarily
valuable windows into the past.

- [Narrator] These frescoes
depict dozens of female figures,

often referred to as cloud
maidens or celestial nymphs.

These paintings are remarkable,

not just for their
artistic quality,

but for their subject matter,

which has also been
a subject for debate.

Some argue these women
represent Apsaras,

celestial beings in Hindu
and Buddhist mythology.

Others suggest they
are portraits of women

from King Kashyapa's
court or harem.

- The sensual nature of
these frescoes does align

with the theory that this was
some type of pleasure palace.

- [Narrator] However,
it is important to note

that religious art in South Asia

often incorporates
sensual imagery,

so these frescoes don't
necessarily indicate

a purely secular purpose.

While Sigiriya's Mirror
Wall may have been intended

to reflect the
stunning frescoes,

it would unexpectedly become
a canvas in its own right,

preserving a trove
of information on
Sigiriya's rich past.

(gentle music)

Beginning in the
early seventh century,

visitors to Sigiriya leave
their mark on this wall

in the form of graffiti.

Over 1,800 pieces
of prose or poetry

have now been identified,

offering a fascinating
glimpse into the minds

of ancient travelers.

- Graffiti is just one of
those delightful encounters

with the past,

which scholars find in
many different contexts.

- [Narrator] Many showcase
a high literacy level

and a deep appreciation
for art and poetry.

And these writings also confirm
that Sigiriya was indeed

the residence of King Kashyapa.

- And what it does is bring
you to the individuals

who were there in
different points of time.

- [Narrator] The Mirror Wall
graffiti also provides insights

into the social structure
of ancient Sri Lanka.

Of the 685 individuals
identified through the graffiti,

there emerges a
cross-section of society,

royalty, officials, clergy
and even metal workers.

A dozen of these
writers are women,

and many note their names
and places of origin.

- The graffiti on the Mirror
Wall reveals valuable insights

into Sigiriya's
changing role over time.

From an archeological
perspective,

coming across graffiti is a
tangible moment with the past.

You're able to get a sense
of individuals who walked

in the same room that you're
in, and it's quite remarkable.

- [Narrator] There's a
notable absence of graffiti

for about 100 years
after Kashyapa's death,

suggesting the site was
inaccessible during that time.

Later, it seems the
Buddhist monastery

that took over the site
may have allowed visitors

as a source of income,

leading to this outpouring
of written expression.

So what can studies of
ancient handwriting tell us

about cultural and
evolutionary context?

Today, the Mirror Wall remains

a striking historical document,

reflecting not only images,

but valuable information on
those who visited Sigiriya

throughout the ages.

- A wall polished
to a mirror finish,

and elaborate frescoes of
half-naked celestial women,

was this a fortress
or a pleasure palace?

Or a little bit of both?

- Sigiriya is one
of the most unique

and beautiful places I've ever
visited as an archeologist.

I still cannot comprehend how
you have the structure on top

of this large,
secluded mass of land,

and how they were able to
sculpt the natural bedrock

and then build on top of it

and create these really
intricate systems.

- [Narrator] From
the engineering feet

of Sigiriya's grand fortress,

an army of carved stone
sentinels dot the landscape

of a remote South
Pacific island,

rivaling even Sigiriya's
awe-inspiring grandeur.

Poised on the windswept
grasslands of Easter Island,

the somber faces of the Moai

have captivated our collective
imagination for centuries,

while challenging
our understanding

of an ancient civilization.

- You know, when we look at

these remarkable stone
monolithic sculptures

which have such strong features,

they're compelling to look at,

and you do want to
understand why they felt

that these features were so
important to memorialize.

- These sculptures are massive.

The biggest one is 86 tons.

That's equivalent to
seven school buses,

seven school buses,
one sculpture.

That's amazing.

- Nearly 1,000 statues showcase

remarkable artistic consistency

despite being carved over
a period of 500 years.

- [Narrator] With
the largest standing

at an imposing ten meters tall,

the mystery surrounding these
statues remain as monumental

as the Moai themselves.

And perhaps most intriguingly,

what led to the
systematic toppling of
these revered statues

in the years before
European contact?

In the vast expanse
of the South Pacific,

a tiny speck of land is
known as Easter Island.

- I think, with Easter Island

the appeal is that
it's so remote,

it's just so far away from what
seems to feel like anything.

And the fact that you've got
these amazing stone monuments

that were obviously created
by an ancient civilization out

in the middle of nowhere,

is just very astounding
and interesting.

- [Narrator] Formed by the
eruption of three volcanoes

between 780,000 and
110,000 years ago,

Easter Island is small,

spanning about 164
square kilometers.

Also known as Rapa Nui by
its indigenous inhabitants,

it is one of the most isolated
inhabited places on Earth.

It sits over 3,000 kilometers
from the coast of Chile,

and roughly 2,000
kilometers away from

the nearest populated island.

- How did anyone find
this remote outpost,

let alone settle it?

- [Narrator] Most evidence
points to Polynesian settlers

arriving sometime
between 400 and 800 CE.

And some sources suggest
a much later arrival,

as late as 1200 CE.

According to legend, however,

Easter Island was settled
by a Polynesian chief

named Hota Matu'a,

who sailed there with his
family in a double canoe.

- To get there would have
been an extraordinary

and daunting journey,
one has to imagine,

because they're over a thousand
miles from the nearest land.

They would have had to be
skilled at sailing or rowing.

They would have known the sea.

So they obviously
had nautical skills

that were critical
to their success.

- [Narrator] Would they be
navigating thousands of miles

of open ocean,

using only the stars and
currents as their guide?

Can we imagine what
it would be like

to come across an island
as remote as Easter Island?

The Rapa Nui, a complex society
that still exists today,

grew to near 15,000
on this remote island.

They eventually gave
birth to towering statues

that remain to
this day, the Moai.

- The Moai are believed to
represent deified ancestors,

created to honor
important chiefs

or other high-ranking
individuals.

- [Narrator] While many are
buried up to their shoulders,

earning them the popular
title of Easter Island heads,

Moai are actually
full body statues.

- They were believed
to embody the mana,

or the spiritual power of
the person they represented.

- The Moai are some

of the world's most
recognizable figures,

and essentially what they are,

are these monolithic stone
structures that are carved

in the shape of people.

- [Narrator] The size and number
of Moai a clan could create

and erect were seen as a display
of their power and status.

Larger statues required
more resources and labor,

indicating greater
influence and wealth.

But where on this remote
island did they come from?

Clues lie within the silent
depths of an extinct volcano,

where the quarry of
Rano Raraku is revealed.

The Raraku isn't just
a quarry, however.

It's a time capsule slowly
revealing the secrets

of Moai creation.

Discoveries here have
completely revolutionized

our understanding of how
these Moai came to be.

- When we take a look at the
remarkable legacy of the Moai,

the fact that they are cut
in a very sophisticated way,

this tells us we're
dealing with a society,

which is a complex society
already by this time.

- [Narrator] Excavations of
this volcanic crater expose

a massive open air workshop.

Close to 400 Moai, in
different stages of completion,

are found frozen in time.

- If the Moai are a
representation of their culture

and the individuals coming
together as a group,

then it's not surprising
that they were built out of

the volcanic rock,

because that is something
that is also enduring.

It built the island.

It's why the island is there.

And now they are bringing
these sculptures representing

the people out of the
bones of the island itself.

- [Narrator] This discovery
changes our understanding

of Moai production.

It wasn't a simple
assembly line.

It was a complex,
multi-stage process

that evolved over time.

As archeologists dig deeper,

they uncover clues to the
ingenious techniques used

by the ancient
Rapa Nui sculptors.

- The Moai are
pretty fascinating

because they're actually made

of relatively hard volcanic ash.

When you think of the Rapa
Nui and their technologies,

they don't have
metal implements.

So carving such large statues
out of volcanic ash takes

an immense amount of work,

because you just
don't have tools

that are gonna be
very efficient.

- [Narrator] Experts
uncover evidence

that the statues were
carved while still attached

to the bedrock.

It appears that the sculptors
would outline the Moai shape

and then carefully chip away
at the surrounding stone.

Then they would separate
it from the rock face

and finish the back.

The level of detail and
consistency across hundreds

of statues speaks to
a highly organized

and skilled workforce.

The Moai are primarily
carved from tuff,

a compressed volcanic ash
that is relatively soft

and easy to carve when first
exposed, but hardens over time.

- This is a soft rock, which
makes it easier to carve,

which helps illustrate the
delicate features of the Moai,

like the elongated ears, the
defined chin, the heavy brows.

- [Narrator] Further
archeological research reveals

that the ancient sculptors
also used three other types

of volcanic rock, basalt, red
scoria, and white trachyte.

- These sculptures, when
we look more closely

at how they're fabricated,

also point to larger scale
economic relationships,

perhaps trading networks,

certainly sharing and
organization around the movement

of certain kinds of
specialized stones.

For example, the eyes were made
of either coral or obsidian,

which would have had to have
been carried from elsewhere.

We also find them mobilizing
many different kinds of rock

in the production of it.

- [Narrator] Excavations
unveil specialized tools,

including a type of
chisel called toki,

used to expertly carve
the stone giants.

- A team of archeologists
uncovers more

than 1,500 volcanic stone
basalt carving tools.

- [Narrator] The carving process

likely involved multiple stages,

including percussion flaking,
pecking, and grinding.

Toki were typically
ground to sharpen them.

- Finding tools, from an
archeological perspective,

is probably one of the
most important finds

that you can have,

because these artifacts
tells a bigger story

from the perspective
of the individuals

who were able to
sculpt something so
large and monumental

with their bare hands.

And it just goes to show
that human ingenuity comes

in all shapes and sizes.

And these tools are
fundamental to understanding

how the Moai were made.

- [Narrator] These discoveries
led to analysis of the tools

and new insights into
the society that created

the Moai statues.

The findings challenged previous
theories about competition

and collapse on Easter Island,

suggesting instead
a more co-operative

and sophisticated society.

The Toki are made from basalt,

quarried from various
sites across the island.

But analysis of the chemical
makeup of Toki reveals more

than just the
tools' composition.

- These tools represent
parts of a bigger story.

- [Narrator] It suggests
a level of cooperation

and shared resources
among different groups,

challenging long held theories

about Easter Island's history.

- It paints a picture of a
people who shared knowledge

and resources and
worked together on
large scale projects.

- [Narrator] With the
largest erected Moai weighing

a staggering 86 tons,

the monumental task
of transporting these
colossal statues

across kilometers
of rugged terrain

would demand significant
teamwork and ingenuity.

- Moving these sculptures
across the island

at 78 tons a piece, it seems
like an astronomical feat.

And how did they do that?

They didn't have the modern
equipment that we have.

Who knows what that
terrain was like?

It couldn't have
been an easy task.

- [Narrator] The
Moai were placed

on stone platforms called
Ahu, often facing inland,

as if watching over their
descendants on the island.

- The idea that the Moai
were set up to protect

the people on the island
comes from the way

that they're facing.

They're facing inwards,

they're facing towards the
village, they're watching.

And this goes along with the
fact that they're very large.

They're watching over you.

And this is a common
refrain that we feel

if somebody's watching over us,

somebody looking down
on us from above,

then they're there to
protect or care for us.

- [Narrator] So
why was protection

an important element of society?

What did they need
protection from?

How prevalent was superstition
in the Rapa Nui society?

- When they're facing outwards,

they're more a
warrior protector.

But when they're facing inwards,

they're a protector
that's a guardian

of the people who live there.

- [Narrator] Some suggest
the statues were dragged

on sleds made from the island's
now vanished palm trees.

- Some of the other things
that they might have done

would be to roll
them out on logs,

or to lever them
from spot to spot.

- [Narrator] Others proposed
they were moved upright

in a walking motion.

The latter theory has
gained significant traction,

supported by fascinating
archeological recreations.

- There's lots of theories
how they might have done it.

One of the ones that's
most talked about

is sort of walking
these sculptures,

just pivoting them with ropes,

to move them across the
island like they were walking.

Imagine seeing that?

- Dragging the entire mass of
an object is very difficult

because you have a huge amount
of friction with the ground.

It's very hard to move
the entire object.

It's much easier to
rotate the object,

because then you're not
employing all of the friction

that you would have
in dragging it.

So, if we take a Moai
and put it on the ground,

and we rotate it upwards
while pinning the bottom,

I'll actually move it up
without having to move

the entire mass.

And then, again,

I pin the top and then
I rotate the bottom up.

So I get this kind
of walking motion

where I'm only moving about
half the mass at a time

by using this walking technique
to move the Moai up a hill.

- [Narrator] The idea
draws further support

from Rapa Nui oral tradition.

Local legend actually
states that the Moai walked

to their platforms.

This could be a
metaphorical description

of the rocking/walking motion
used to transport them.

The truth may involve a
combination of methods adapted

to different terrains
and statue sizes.

What's clear is that moving

the Moai required immense
effort and planning.

The amount of labor and
resources needed to create,

transport, and erect
a single Moai suggest

a highly structured society
with shared beliefs and goals.

So why did the Rapa Nui
invest so much effort

into this practice?

By the time the
Europeans first arrived

on Easter Island in 1722,

they found a decimated
population and
many Moai toppled.

For centuries, the creation
of the Moai was central

to Rapa Nui culture,

but sometime in the 18th
century this practice came

to an end.

- What happened to the society?

How did a culture capable

of such monumental achievements
seemingly collapse?

- [Narrator] By 1868, all of
the Moai had been toppled.

The reasons behind this shift,

and the alleged collapse
of the Rapa Nui society,

have been the subject
of intense debate.

Traditionally, many scholars
believed in a narrative

of ecological collapse.

This theory suggested

that the Rapa Nui people
overexploited their resources,

leading to deforestation,
warfare, and population decline.

Recent research
paints a new picture.

- Ongoing research in the
form of archeological digs

and others is suggesting
that actually colonization

was the real culprit.

That we actually have a
thriving society much longer

than they initially thought,
right until the 18th century,

and that it was the arrival
of European colonizers

that ultimately led
to the devastation

of the local population.

- [Narrator] These factors,
including the devastation

of the island's population,

also disrupted
traditional practices,

including Moai construction.

What was once seen as
evidence of internal conflict

and societal collapse has now
been painted as resilience

in the face of
external pressure.

- When people invest so much
time in constructing things

like the Moai or
giant structures,

it really says it has to
be very important to them

and a central feature
of their culture.

- [Narrator] While some
may have fallen due

to natural causes
like earthquakes,

many were likely
deliberately toppled during

the turmoil following
European contact.

Rather than self-inflicted
ecological disaster,

the changes in Rapa Nui
society appear to be the result

of colonial impact.

The Rapa Nui people,

facing new threats
and cultural upheaval,

may have turned
against these symbols

of their traditional beliefs.

Nestled within the Ellora caves
of Maharashtra, India lies

a Hindu temple also
carved from volcanic rock,

but on a scale that
seems to defy belief.

- The sheer size of Kailasa
Temple is truly breathtaking.

- So the interesting thing
about Kailasa is really,

it's difficult to
envision at the start.

I mean, you're going to
have to think about things

a little bit differently
to construct it.

Most structures that humans
build start with the ground up

so you can see
where you're going.

With Kailasa, it's
kind of the opposite.

- Ancient builders had to remove

an estimated 200,000
tons of rock.

This is the equivalent
weight of 20 Eiffel Towers.

- [Narrator] Even
more astonishing

is the level of detail achieved
by its ancient sculptors.

- Kailasa is also well known

for its elaborate,
ornate interior.

It has over 30,000 carvings.

These are often
mystical beast deities,

narratives of Hindu stories,

and clearly the work that
went into this was the work

of incredibly skilled artisans.

- [Narrator] For
all its grandeur,

Kailasa Temple continues to
astound experts to this day.

- You're basically carving
out the negative space.

You're taking away
from this rock

instead of adding something,

instead of building
something from the ground up.

It just totally inverts
your thinking process

of how to construct something.

- How did they manage to
carve such a complex piece

of architecture from
a piece of rock?

- [Narrator] As you enter,

you're greeted by the
imposing entrance tower.

Moving past it,

you encounter the iconic
sculpture of Ravana attempting

to lift Mount Kailash
carved from a single rock.

Nearby stands the Nandi Mandapa,

housing a large sculpture
of Shiva's sacred bull.

At the heart of the
temple lies the main hall.

If you look up, you'll
see a ceiling adorned

with intricate paintings.

The walls showcase
scenes from Hindu epics.

But a burning question remains:

How did ancient craftsmen,
armed with only basic tools,

manage to carve something so
complex from a single rock?

Kailasa Temple's construction
is generally attributed

to the Rashtrakuta
king Krishna I,

who ruled from
approximately 756 to 773 CE.

- One of the greatest mysteries
associated with the site

is where all that rock went.

- [Narrator] A
captivating legend offers

a more romantic depiction
of the temple's creation,

tying its construction
to a miraculous healing.

- The queen prays to Lord Shiva,

vowing to build a grand
temple dedicated to the deity

if her husband recovers.

- Here, because they're
asking for divine help,

she has to make a promise.

And in that sense,

what do I think the person
asking for help wants?

Well, it's a divine being.
We need to build a temple.

And where is my hardship for
asking for this boon or favor?

And I will fast until it's done.

So it's set up as a
bargain, not just a prayer.

- When the king recovers,

the queen is eager
to fulfill her vow.

- This not only saves
the queen's life,

but also results in

the remarkable monolithic
structure we see today.

- [Narrator] The Kailasa
Temple story begins long before

chisel strikes the first stone.

To fully grasp its
origins requires delving

into the area's volcanic past.

The entire Ellora
complex sits atop

a massive plateau
called the Deccan Traps.

- What many don't realize
is that the very foundation

of the temple is
volcanic in nature.

- [Narrator] This massive
volcanic formation began

to take shape around
66.25 million years ago,

as India drifted northward
over the Reunion hotspot.

- As India moves northward
over this hotspot,

it triggers enormous
volcanic eruptions.

- [Narrator] This
geological event

triggered colossal
fissure eruptions

spewing lava through cracks
in the Earth's crust.

In less than 30,000 years,

these eruptions
blanketed an area

of 500,000 square kilometers

with lava flows up to
3,200 meters thick,

forever altering the landscape

of what would become
modern day India.

This ancient lava flow
creates layer upon layer

of basalt rock,

providing the perfect canvas
for the temple's creators.

- The builders of the temple
weren't just master sculptors;

they were geological geniuses.

- [Narrator] The site's
geology itself also influences

the temple's design.

- We know that rock is strong.

We know that it's monolithic.

So it doesn't have a
lot of cracks in it.

It doesn't have a lot of
defects which are going to act

as potential failure points
for large structures.

So with Kailasa,

what they did was actually
really innovative in that they,

very likely at the outset,

would recognize that if
they built their structure

as they designed it, it
would be self-supporting.

- [Narrator] While
the volcanic origins

of the Deccan Traps
provide the raw materials

for the Kailasa Temple,

they also set the stage for
one of its greatest mysteries.

How did the ancient craftsmen
carve this massive structure

from the top down?

- When we're building
new structures,

we start at the ground up.

We start with that foundation

that's going to support
everything we're
gonna build above.

In this case, we're doing
the complete opposite.

How do you even design
where you're gonna get to?

You have to be thinking about
the end even before you start

and thinking about what
you're going to leave in place

and take away to make sure
that that meets your needs

instead of putting a piece in
place to build what you want.

It's the complete
opposite thought process

of designing and building.

This is like, this
is discovering.

- When we're digging
structures in the ground

and relying on the
native material

to support the structure
in the long run,

it's always a bit of a gamble.

We build a lot of tunnels
nowadays as engineers,

and we spend vast amounts
of time drilling holes

into the ground to
see what's underground

and whether we're going
to encounter, you know,

a soft area or, you know,

some shale that's
in the limestone

that's not gonna be load
supporting in the long run.

So we spend a lot of
time in monitoring

or figuring out what
the ground looks like

before we start building
structures underground.

When Kailasa was built,

we didn't have the technology
to drill into the ground

and know what was there.

So they were taking
a bit of a gamble

in that they may not
have known specifically

whether there were seams
or unusual materials

in the material that
they were excavating

before they started.

So there is a bit of
luck to what happened,

is that they didn't
encounter anything

that was really problematic
for the structure itself.

- [Narrator] The architects
would have to envision

the entire structure
within the rock

before they started carving.

Any miscalculation could
have been disastrous

as errors couldn't
be corrected easily

in the top down approach.

They likely started by carving
out the temple's main shrine

and its roof then
worked their way down,

removing more rock to
create the lower levels,

courtyards, and
subsidiary shrines.

- The process to me
is that of shaping

and discovering along the way.

You might excavate
out the major volumes.

You take away all the material

around that main central volume,

and then you start carving
out the inside of it

to create that interior space.

- [Narrator] The
craftsmen's skill is evident

in the temple's
intricate details.

And, incredibly, this
massive undertaking

was accomplished only
using chisels and hammers,

the tools available in
the eighth century CE.

The precision achieved

with such basic
implements is astounding.

- And then you start going
back to the details of things.

You carve in a sconce,
you carve in a column,

you evolve the structure
as you're discovering

and designing it, which
is just really neat.

It sounds like a lot of fun

and a lot of hard work,
obviously, as well.

You're taking this material away

and then you have to
discard that material

as well somewhere else.

- [Narrator] This construction
method would require

the removal of an estimated
200,000 tons of volcanic rock,

but perplexingly, it seems to
have vanished into thin air.

To put the scale in perspective,

the amount of rock
removed is enough to build

a three meter high wall
stretching for two kilometers.

It's as if the 200,000 tons
of rock simply vanished.

The mystery of the absence
of debris has given rise

to fascinating tales,

including the legend
of a divine tool gifted

by Lord Shiva himself.

- Archeologists have not
been able to figure out

where it is.

It seems to, in other
words, have vanished.

And here we have this wonderful
story of how the rock,

as it was being dug out of
the temple, simply vanished.

It turned into mist.

And when we think about
that, that says that Shiva,

to whom the temple
was dedicated,

was supporting this and
considered this a worthy tribute

in his honor.

- [Narrator] According to myth,

the tool called a Bhumi Astra,

had the power to turn
rock and soil into vapor,

in addition to powers
such as summoning jewels.

- It's an intriguing
question, isn't it,

whether these stories

that seem to imply
supernatural origins

to these famous temples
are, in fact, you know,

generated by the fact that these

are spectacular
sights in themselves.

And I think that that's it.

I think we have to put
ourselves in the person

of the typical, ordinary person
who comes across the temple

the first time and sees
something extraordinary,

and Kailasa is one of
those extraordinary sights.

- [Narrator] This miraculous
tool allegedly allowed

the temple to be built
from top to bottom

with incredible speed, leaving
no trace of the removed rock.

While this supernatural
tale serves

to capture the imagination,

researchers have unearthed
more grounded explanations.

- When you're talking about
200,000 tons of material,

if we divide that by
a density of four,

we're actually talking

about 50,000 cubic
meters of material.

This is, it's a huge
amount of material.

To put that in a
modern perspective,

large dump trucks carry about
ten cubic meters of material.

So, the 50,000 cubic
meters of material

that was removed at
Kailasa represents

about 5,000 dump trucks.

So imagine trying to
do all that by hand

and trying to find a place
to put all of that material.

- [Narrator] The rock
could have been used

to build other
structures in the area,

but no evidence of
this has been found.

Others proposed
that it was crushed

and used as building
material elsewhere.

But again, there's
no historical record

of such a massive undertaking.

Ancient builders may have
had a system for removing

and disposing of the
rock as they carved,

perhaps using a series
of ramps or pulleys

to transport the debris
away from the site.

- So as you excavate along,

you have to discard the
material that you're extracting.

And there's no evidence
of a city nearby, a town,

a village that would have needed

these materials or something.

There's no indication of
where that refuse went.

We don't really know.

- [Narrator] This absence
of historical documentation

only deepens the mystery.

Also discovered in the
temple is a network

of hidden passages and chambers.

A main hidden passage features
intricately carved walls

and a narrow entry leading to

an unknown chamber
deep within the temple.

These secretive spaces

have puzzled researchers
for centuries.

- What secrets do they hold?

Who was allowed to access them,

and what rituals or activities
might have taken place

with their shadowy confines?

- [Narrator] Some speculate
that these passages

may have been used
for secret rituals,

perhaps ceremonies too
sacred for public view.

- The fact that people have come

to build stories around them

that imply a more mysterious
past is not surprising,

because here we are dealing with

a very profoundly spiritual
place, a place that,

as a temple, functions
in the cultural mindsets

of the people at the
time, as a meeting zone,

a site of communication between
the living and the dead,

between the divine
and the earthly.

And as such, is it
really that unreasonable

that they wouldn't believe
that these interior, cavernous,

dark, mysterious spaces
also participated

in that supernatural activity?

There's still so much we
don't know about Kailasa,

how it was used.

And this includes
these underground
chambers and other areas

that clearly played an
important role in the temple.

But how they were
used, we don't know.

Could they have been
sites of ritual,

of other kinds of religious
or spiritual uses?

Very possibly. We
simply don't know.

- [Narrator] As we
continue to study

these mysterious
passages and chambers,

we're left with more
questions than answers.

Will we ever uncover
the secrets hidden

within this ancient
volcanic structure?

(gentle music)

Sigiriya, with its
enigmatic origins

and elaborate engineering,

continues to challenge
our understanding

of ancient Sri
Lankan civilization.

- There are features of Sigiriya

which hint at a
purpose very different

than simply a military fortress.

It hints at something
far more beautiful,

a place of elaborate water
fountains fed by complex

and sophisticated water
hydraulic systems,

of beautiful terraced,
well-kept gardens.

This was something different.

- [Narrator] The
Easter Island Moai,

standing solemnly over
a remote Pacific island,

remain silent on the
mysteries of their past.

- They acted as a conduit
between the mortal world

and the realm of the gods.

- [Narrator] And
the Kailasa Temple,

carved from a single rock
with inexplicable precision,

defies full explanation.

- Traditionally, to
build a temple like that

would take years.

- [Narrator] The
enduring questions and
mysteries associated

with these ancient
structures continue

to elude archeologists and
historians to this day.

Will modern archeology

and science one day unveil
their hidden secrets?

(gentle music continues)