All language subtitles for secrets.of.ancient.structures.s01e06.480p.web.x264.rmteam

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] Throughout history,

the mysteries of death and
the allure of immortality

have held an enduring
fascination for humankind.

- You tend to find a common
theme across the globe,

and that is that death
was always a passage

to the next state.

- [Narrator] Our quest
to honor the departed

and enshrine their memory

has led to the creation of
awe-inspiring monuments.

But these structures are
more than mere resting places

for the dead.

Each holds clues to the
beliefs, technologies,

and aspirations of the
civilizations that created them.

From a grand edifice
born of undying love,

its beauty rivaled only
by the sorrow it embodies.

- This is a story
of dark romance

that produced one of the
most beautiful pieces

of architecture in the world.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] To a
towering sanctuary

whose halls echo the
weight of royal legacies.

- He needs to do something,
something symbolic,

that will cement his
family's claim to the throne.

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] It
serves as a gateway

to understanding not only how
our ancestors faced death,

but how they celebrated
life and power.

- These grand structures suggest
power, grandeur, opulence.

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music continues)

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] In the
heart of Agra, India,

the Taj Mahal stands as the
pinnacle of Mughal grandeur

and architectural perfection,

its white marble,
gleaming under the sun.

(uplifting music)

This marvel of construction
has fascinated the world

for nearly four centuries.

- It's truly breathtaking
standing before the Taj Mahal.

- It's beautiful,
it's expressive,

it's architecturally
relevant, and it's massive.

- The site spans 42 acres

and took over two
decades to complete.

(uplifting music)

- The Taj Mahal's
design blends elements

from various
architectural styles

and is considered the jewel
of Islamic art in India.

- [Narrator] Combining
Islamic design

with Indo Persian styles,

this white marble masterpiece

dazzles with an
intricate tapestry

of inlaid semi-precious stones.

- It creates a mesmerizing
dance between light and shade,

which changes throughout the
day and with the seasons.

- [Narrator] But beneath
a pristine marble facade

lie deep mysteries
of its construction.

(dramatic music)

- What recent discoveries
have given us new clues

as to the grand vision
for this palace?

- What were the true motivations
behind its construction?

(gentle music)

(dramatic music)

- This is a story
of dark romance

that produced one of the
most beautiful pieces

of architecture in the world.

- [Narrator] In 1631, the
Taj Mahal is commissioned

by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan

as a mausoleum for his wife.

Born Arjumand Banu Begum,

she becomes the
ruler's third wife

and soon becomes his favorite,

earning the title
of Mumtaz Mahal

or Chosen One of the Palace.

- The emperor's wife plays a
significant role in his life,

and his reign.

She's not only his
devoted companion,

but also a trusted
political advisor.

- Her death, at the age of
38 devastates Shah Jahan,

who goes into secluded mourning.

It is in his profound
grief that Shah Jahan

conceives the idea of
building the Taj Mahal.

- He built the Taj Mahal
as a tribute to a woman

he considered his closest
partner, political advisor,

who had died in childbirth
at the age of 38,

and the Taj Mahal became
this magnificent mausoleum

in her honor.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] But while
the Taj Mahal is heralded

as a grand monument to love,

could there be deeper,
more complex motivations

behind its construction?

(gentle music)

The road to Shah Jahan's reign

is paved with
conflict and ambition.

(dramatic music)

In 1628, following the death
of his father, Jahangir,

a fierce struggle for
succession erupts.

(bright music)

Shah Jahan emerges victorious,

defeating his younger
brother in a brief

but intense power struggle.

To secure his claim
to the Mughal throne,

he orders the execution
of rival claimants,

securing his position
as the new emperor.

- Now he really needs
to legitimate his rule

and cement his power.

- Over and over in history,

one of the things that
we see is that leaders

who want to show their power

build big structures,
build monuments,

build something not only
to leave a lasting legacy

for their own time in power,

but also to show that they
had the ability to do so.

The grander the structure,

the more people you
had serving you,

because those cultures really
were a top down control system

in their forms of government.

- This was a very specific
Muslim form of charity.

It could be a school.

It could be a mosque.

One of the reasons
why Shah Jahan

may have been able
to appease the people

through its construction and
not face any kind of unrest,

is that it had a broader
purpose, a public purpose.

- These grand structures
serve a symbolic function.

They suggest power,
grandeur, opulence.

- Shah Jahan was one of
the many Mughal rulers.

He was Muslim and he was also
intent on building his power

and displaying it to the
other kingdoms around him.

- In some historical accounts,

he is painted as
a ruthless leader.

But what exactly do we know
about the emperor's character?

(soft tense music)

- [Narrator] The significance
of the project is immense

for the Mughal emperor.

- The Taj Mahal becomes a
gamble on the emperor's vision,

and his ability to realize it.

- He built it of marble.

He brought precious stones

from many, many
different countries.

So this was an endeavor

that required extensive
financial resources,

but also the political authority

and the human capital to
be able to move it across

thousands of miles.

- [Narrator] Estimates
suggest the construction

costs upward of
32 million rupees,

equivalent to more
than 53 billion rupees,

or 600 million US dollars
in today's currency.

- Failure would be catastrophic

for the emperor's
reputation and legacy,

while success would cement
his place in history

and create a lasting
symbol of Mughal glory.

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] The banks of
the Yamuna River are chosen

as the location for
the ambitious project.

(dramatic music)

- Here it is, this
enormous structure

which is located and built
literally on the banks

of a very important river,

which means that it's
immediately visible

from a long distance
by anyone traveling by.

It is intended to be seen.

It is intended also, by
virtue of its appearance,

to communicate spiritual
and political authority.

(soft tense music)

- [Narrator] The ever
shifting river banks

present a formidable
engineering challenge

to the Taj Mahal's construction.

- The river's
unpredictable nature

poses a significant threat

to any structure built
along its shores.

- You're near a water source

that is also going
to impact the soils

that you're building on.

It's going to impact the
construction of the site.

You have to manage
water all the time,

and water can emulsify soil.

It changes its properties.

You can't bear
something on the soil;

you can't push down on,
it's not strong enough.

And so you have to find
a way around that soil

to a much better,
more solid foundation.

- [Narrator] For a building of
the Taj Mahal's immense size

and weight, this
could spell disaster.

- The Taj Mahal weighs
about 80,000 tons.

That is a massive
amount of material.

- How did these builders achieve
this feat of engineering?

And how does this
colossal structure

stand unwavering on such
a precarious location?

(shovel thumps)

- [Narrator] To create a
foundation that can withstand

the heavy load of the structure
on the soft alluvial soil

of the Yamuna riverbank,

a deeply excavated
foundation would be crucial.

- Did they have an advanced
knowledge of soil mechanics

or hydrology?

- How did the
builders anticipate

these environmental challenges

and achieve such precision

without modern
surveying equipment?

- Ground penetrating radar
reveals an excavation depth

of about 17 and-a-half
meters below ground level.

This depth is extraordinary
for a 17th century foundation.

- The idea is to
take the forces down

from above grade down into
solid soil down below.

- This is known as
a "well foundation".

- [Narrator] The
genius of this design

is in its flexibility.

The well foundation
allows for some movement

adapting to the river's changes
rather than resisting them.

- By drilling all of
these vertical shafts

through that poor
soil into good soil

and filling it with a
material such as rock or wood,

you're creating this pile,

a vertical shaft
of solid bearing.

And then when you
have all these points

that are nice and solid,

you can then build
structure over top of that

to bridge from pile to pile.

That's in modern days
called a "pile cap".

It's building a
platform that is stable,

that won't settle differentially

and support these
heavy loads on top.

You have to do a lot of work

just to be able to start
building the Taj Mahal.

(somber music)

(rain pattering)

- [Narrator] While
the monsoon rains

threaten the banks of the river

and the very foundation
of the Taj Mahal,

the walls of the
majestic monument itself

appear to respond to
nature's onslaught

in another poignant way.

- During heavy rains,

the marble walls
of the Taj Mahal

present an interesting
phenomenon.

- It's as if the
stone walls weep

in eternal sympathy with
the emperor's sorrow.

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] These tears
have come to represent

Shah Jahan's enduring grief
over the loss of Mumtaz Mahal.

The secrets of this phenomena

lie hidden in the very
fabric of the monument.

- The facade of the Taj Mahal
is constructed completely

in white marble.

In Mughal culture, colors hold
profound symbolic meaning.

White, in particular, is
associated with purity,

innocence, and spirituality.

- This was very integral
to the construction

or the meaning of this place,

that when you saw the Taj
Mahal from a distance,

you would know that this
was a religious place.

- [Narrator] Science
unveils an explanation

for the Taj Mahal's
mysterious tears.

- The scientific
explanation comes down

to the marble's high
concentration of calcium.

When the rainwater
interacts with the stone,

it forms a saline solution,

which gives the impression
that the marble is weeping.

- It's not actually crying.

But what we have here is
people view the Taj Mahal

with the story in mind.

They are feeling what they
would expect the Shah felt

at the time of the build,

and in feeling that
they're projecting that

onto what they're seeing,

which is the tears streaking
down the sides of the building.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] While
the walls seem to weep

with the sorrow of lost love,

they also stand as a
testament to the immense labor

that brought this
architectural wonder to life

by the hands of an
estimated 20,000 people.

- How the Taj Mahal was built

implies an enormously
skilled labor force.

There's mastery of
art with resources

that had to be sought
from distant parts.

- [Narrator] While the
mausoleum itself is encased

in gleaming white marble,

the surrounding complex
incorporates not only brick

and red sandstone, but
other precious stones.

The Taj Mahal showcases the
exquisite art of pietra dura.

- This is an intricate
inlay technique

that involves the use of
highly polished, colored stones

to create images.

- [Narrator] This precise
and beautiful art form

adorns the monument
with vibrant patterns

utilizing hard stones
like marble, jasper,
and lapis lazuli,

chosen for their rich
colors and durability.

Yet these materials
are not sourced nearby,

but instead imported from
distant lands like China,

Tibet, and Arabia.

- How did the Taj
Mahal's builders manage
to bring together

such a vast array of materials

from these far flung
corners of the continents?

- His networks clearly
spanned from the Silk Road

to the further south
regions of the Indian Ocean.

He was incorporating
jade, sapphire, crystal,

all these luxurious elements

that could not be found
in his own kingdom.

(somber music)

- [Narrator] The
construction of the Taj Mahal

implies an enormously
skilled labor force.

And some scholars
have posited the idea

that perhaps elephants
were involved as well.

(gentle uplifting music)

- The use of elephants
in construction projects

was not uncommon
in ancient India.

- It's believed that over 1000
of these majestic creatures

were used to carry
building materials

from all over Asia back to Agra.

- These powerful animals
were often employed

for their incredible
strength and endurance.

- Apparently, they were
critical to its construction,

but we simply don't
know the extent

to which that was the case.

- The Mughal Empire held
elephants in high esteem,

viewing them as
symbols of royal power

and essential components of
military and ceremonial life.

- They were in many ways
a wonderful manifestation

of a kingdom that was
powerful, that was big.

So in that sense,

they seemed to be part
of the story as well.

- [Narrator] As the colossal
efforts of elephants

may have shaped the
Taj Mahal's grandeur,

a darker legend
emerges about the fate

of its human creators,

suggesting that Shah Jahan's
pursuit of perfection

may have come at
a terrible cost.

- Legend has it that the
Shah cuts off the hands

of the key craftsmen,

so that they can never
build or replicate

this type of structure again.

Some versions of this
legend go as far to say

that he even had some
of the workers blinded.

- [Narrator] The legend suggests
that the Taj Mahal's beauty

was so extraordinary

that its creators
had to be prevented

from ever replicating it.

- Is this story true?

We don't have any
evidence for it,

but what we can say is that
it's just one indication

that this building was
considered unnatural

because of its beauty,

and because of the
sophistication of
its craftsmanship.

- [Narrator] The tale
has endured over time,

continuing to captivate
people's imaginations.

- When we look back
in our own memories,

we remember the
highs and the lows.

The everyday doesn't really
stick with us that well.

And therefore, when
you see something good

like building of the Taj Mahal,

and then you hear a story that,

well, the master builders'
hands were cut off

so nobody else could
build something like it,

it almost fits that realm
of the best and the worst.

(soft music)

- [Narrator] Despite
its fictional nature,

this legend has become
an integral part

of the Taj Mahal's mystique.

- The persistence of this myth

speaks to the Taj
Mahal's ability to
inspire awe and wonder.

- This adds a real
layer of dark romance

to the monument's story.

(thunder rumbling)

- [Narrator] The true
darkness of the Taj Mahal

may reveal itself not
in gruesome tales,

but in the very bones
of its interior.

- In the Taj Mahal, we
find Koranic script,

and this is an element that
we do find in other mosques.

- [Narrator] But what
appears at first glance

to be painted text

is actually an ingenious
use of inlay work.

Thin pieces of black
marble meticulously cut

and fitted into the white walls

to create a flowing
Arabic script.

- The level of
precision is astounding.

Each piece fits
together perfectly

to create smooth,
unbroken lines of text.

- [Narrator] The
contrast between the
black and white marble

creates a striking
visual effect,

but also reveals a complex
theological messaging

woven into the very fabric
of the Taj Mahal's design.

- The scripture is interesting

because it is clearly
intended to orient

the passage of the believer
through this space.

And it begins by trying to
let them and remind them

of the glories of the
celestial realm when they die.

- The inscriptions in the
gateway beckon towards Paradise,

promising celestial bliss.

But as you progress
to the main mausoleum,

the tone dramatically shifts.

- Over the course
of their travels,

as they move closer and closer

to the sacred center
of this building,

they are being warned that
if they are not ready for it,

they will not be found
worthy in order to enter it.

- It warns of a dire fate
awaiting the nonbelievers.

But on entering the
mausoleum itself,

the inscriptions give
way from a warning

to a renewed promise
of entering paradise.

- They're warning them that
its only good practicing,

observant Muslims who
will ultimately be saved.

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] In 2018,

archeologists make
a stunning discovery

on the banks of
the Yamuna River,

directly opposite the Taj Mahal.

They unearth an
ancient structure

that includes remnants of a
fountain, a water channel,

and several rooms.

- They unearth the remains

of what appears to
be a summer palace,

potentially linked to the
Taj Mahal complex itself.

- What does this
discovery reveal

about the Taj Mahal's
original design?

How does it change
our understanding

of this iconic monument?

(gentle bright music)

- [Narrator] The discovery
of the summer palace

across the river
reveals a new dimension

to the Taj Mahal's design,

one that extends beyond
the monument itself.

The structure, renowned for
its symmetrical features,

may have been part of a
grander, mirrored footprint

extending across both
banks of the Yamuna.

- When you approach
this building,

there is that clear
sense of symmetry

about that central axis.

Even when you look at
the wraparound gardens,

the landscaping,

all of that was executed in
a really beautiful vision.

- This discovery suggests
Shah Jahan's vision

for the Taj Mahal was
far more expansive

than previously thought.

- It does seem that
he imagined a space

that would be a larger
political and religious center.

(somber music)

- [Narrator] This revelation
opens up new avenues

of research and interpretation.

- Perhaps the Taj
Mahal was not intended

to be an isolated monument,

but the centerpiece of a larger,

carefully planned landscape.

- One understanding
we have to take away

is that these were projects

undertaken by rulers

who were also cultivating their
images as spiritual leaders.

They were eager to legitimize
their political authority

by producing works that not
only proved their piety,

but that also testified to
their appointment by God.

- Why has this structure
remained hidden for so long?

- What other hidden structures

might still lie buried
around the Taj Mahal?

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] While the Taj Mahal

stands in representation
of one man's devotion

and an empire's grandeur,

the Speyer Cathedral

signifies a different
kind of immortality.

Transcending its
role as a mere tomb,

the monument has endured as
a symbol of power, faith,

and human determination

to leave behind a lasting
mark on the world.

(soft tense music)

On the left bank
of the Rhine River,

the Romanesque towers
of Speyer Cathedral

rise to dominate
the German skyline.

This was conceived
the grand aspiration

of becoming the largest
cathedral in all of Christendom.

- This cathedral is not only
an architectural endeavor,

but a bold statement
of power and prestige.

It contains the largest
Romanesque crypt in the world.

The vault stretches
to a remarkable height
of seven meters.

(soft music)

- [Narrator] As the
cathedral takes shape,

it becomes the center
of a controversy

that would shake the
religious foundations

of medieval Europe.

- How did this power
struggle between religious

and secular authority

shape the construction
of this cathedral?

What hidden symbols or features

might reflect this controversy?

- [Narrator] At the beginning
of the 11th century,

the Holy Roman Empire is
in a period of transition

and consolidation.

- Now, the first
thing you need to know

about the Holy Roman Empire
is it's not particularly holy,

and it's definitely not Roman.

It's a loose German amalgamation

of various little principalities
in the Middle Ages.

The Roman in the title is
a very conscious effort

to try to link it to the
ancient Roman Empire,

but it really doesn't have
anything to do with it.

So in 1024, the Emperor
of the Holy Roman Empire,

Henry II dies without an heir.

And this is where Conrad II

comes onto the historical stage.

He's not a particularly
important German noble.

He manages to convince
enough of the German nobles

to get behind him,

and he's elected as the
new Holy Roman Emperor.

And because he's a new family,

he is therefore
launching a new dynasty.

This is the beginning
of the Salian dynasty,

a dynasty that would
have a profound effect

on not only the
Holy Roman Empire,

but the history of the
Middle Ages in general.

- [Narrator] The rise
of the Salian dynasty

marks a pivotal moment in
medieval European history.

(dramatic music)

- The Salian dynasty
would go on to shape

European political and religious
history for over a century.

- [Narrator] Yet, to legitimize
Conrad II's family name

and imperial lineage, a bold
gesture will be required.

- He's the head of a new
dynasty, a new emperor.

He needs to do something,

something symbolic that will
cement his family's claim

to the throne.

He settles on a new cathedral.

(dramatic music)

- What's so interesting
about Speyer Cathedral

from the start is that,
clearly, Conrad envisioned this

as also an imperial tomb.

- At this time, there
was no fixed place

for the burial of German
kings or Holy Roman Emperors.

This lack of a
centralized burial site

meant that there
was no one space

that could symbolize imperial
stability, and continuity.

(somber music)

- [Narrator] Conrad
II moves to establish

a permanent imperial necropolis.

By choosing a single
location for royal burials,

he can create a
physical representation

of the dynasty's legitimacy.

- This was not simply an
act of religious devotion,

but a calculated political move.

- I think we have to
see it as an expression

of the power of Conrad
as both a political ruler

but also as a local
spiritual ruler.

- By establishing a new
location in a new cathedral

that he built, he's
adding legitimacy to
his family's claim.

He's creating an
enduring monument

that will last from
this point onward

for all emperors of
the Holy Roman Empire,

beginning with his family.

- How did the vision
for this burial site

inform the physical
design of the cathedral?

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] A vast
subterranean chamber

holding the secrets
of emperors and kings

stretches beneath
the Speyer Cathedral.

- This is the largest
Romanesque crypt in the world,

covering an astounding
850 square meters.

- [Narrator] The
design is achieved

through an unprecedented feat
of 11th century engineering,

groin vaults.

- Vaults are an
incredible mechanism

to support structural loads.

They're arches and they
can resist a lot of force.

Think about an egg.

When you push down on an egg,

it's really strong because
it is an arched system.

Imagine that you had
a block of cheese

and you held it and you bent it.

You would see that cracks
would form on the bottom side,

and the top would maybe
wrinkle in compression.

So the bottom side is
experiencing tension,

and the top is
experiencing compression.

So we break bending down into
those two fundamental forces.

We ideally want to
minimize bending

because it requires
a robust section.

So that's where
the arch comes in.

It's this beautiful
mix of axial forces

and bending forces and
resisting those forces

through its vault, or ceiling,

and bringing those forces
down into the haunches

and having them be dissipated

throughout the rest
of the building

and eventually
down into the soil.

Groin vaults, in particular,
are quite interesting.

They're geometrically complex.

You've got two arches
that are intersecting

and the precision required
to get that right,

to make sure there's
equilibrium in the forces

and that that arch
won't collapse,

it's difficult engineering.

- [Narrator] Groin
vaults reduce the need

for internal supporting columns,

allowing the creation of larger,
more open interior spaces.

These architectural departures

would set a new standard
for Romanesque architecture.

- When we get to the Speyer
Cathedral with the new methods

of building these
crisscross arches,

now the spaces are even
larger and grander,

and those structures are
a measure of our wealth,

a measure of our status.

- [Narrator] Even the placement
of the doors is unique,

standing prominently at the
eastern end of Speyer Cathedral,

a bold departure from
traditional medieval
church design,

which typically reserves the
eastern wall for the alter.

(soft music)

The richly decorated doors,

adorned with symbols of
resurrection and eternal life,

create a profound
psychological effect.

They remind visitors of the
honored dead beneath their feet

and their own mortality,

blending imperial grandeur
with spiritual contemplation

in a masterful stroke of
architectural symbolism.

- If you study a cathedral,

you've got clearly a
thirst to find a way

to convey divine on Earth.

So what does a cathedral do

that earlier
churches couldn't do?

Well, through its height,

through its use of vaults
to create openness,

through its use of enormous
windows eventually,

this brings in light.

This brings in a
sense of majesty,

and the verticality
conveys divinity.

So on so many levels, it is
communicating that God is here.

(gentle bright music)

- [Narrator] But Conrad
II would not live

to witness the cathedral's
legacy or even its completion.

The crypt is not consecrated

until two years after Conrad
II's death in 1039 CE.

- So the building
of Speyer Cathedral

had established Conrad II,

not only as the legitimate
ruler of the Holy Roman Empire,

but it also established him
as a religious authority

within the empire as well.

Decades later, in the 1080s,

his grandson Henry IV
would further this aim

by expanding the
cathedral considerably.

But this would bring him into
direct conflict with the Pope.

(soft tense music)

- [Narrator] The
expansion introduces

two key architectural
innovations

that will influence church
design for centuries to come,

a system of decorative
blind arches

and the addition of a
circumferential gallery

encircling the entire cathedral.

But as Speyer Cathedral
reaches new heights

of architectural brilliance,

it becomes embroiled in
a bitter power struggle

that will shake the
foundations of medieval Europe.

- The history of
Speyer Cathedral is
intimately connected

with one of the most significant
and damaging controversies

to rock the body of
the Catholic Church,

this was the Investiture
Controversy of the Middle Ages.

- The Investiture Controversy

was a conflict around the right
to appoint church officials.

- For centuries, kings and
emperors had claimed the right

to appoint new people
into religious positions

within their kingdom
or territory.

But by the time we get
to the 11th century,

popes are becoming
much more powerful,

and the Pope now is
ready to start exerting

more power and influence.

They claim that they
have the sole right

to decide who's going
to be a new bishop.

- Bishops were in
charge of dioceses,

which were territories
of the church,

but they lie within other lands.

And so they could be a potential
threat, rulers thought,

to their authority if
there are more obedient

to the papacy than to them.

- Now, this will put the
Pope on a collision course

with all of the secular
rulers of Europe.

But it would be Henry IV that
would take up the challenge.

- [Narrator] The
cathedral itself

becomes a symbol
of this struggle.

- The building of Speyer
Cathedral was, in a way,

the declaration that
he was both a spiritual

and a political leader,
and that this cathedral,

which was going to
be one of the highest

and most grandiose of the time,

would be an expression of
both those authorities.

(soft music)

- [Narrator] The conflict
will reach its peak

when the papacy decides
to take drastic measures.

- So it all gets started
when the Bishop of Milan dies

and we have a vacancy.

So for a period of time,

there's just a lot of
arguing back and forth

between the Pope and Henry

about who's going to
be this new bishop.

It goes on for too long,

and eventually Henry
loses his patience

and simply appoints the person
that he wants into the role.

This infuriates the Pope.

He immediately
excommunicates Henry.

- The Pope uses his
most powerful tool.

It's called "the interdict".

And the other tool he
used was excommunication.

What does this mean?

Excommunication is the
power to kick someone

out of the Christian body.

And interdict actually
puts a ban on worship

in his territory.

This means that none of his
subjects can go to mass.

They cannot be buried
with the rites.

They, in other words, are
going to suffer spiritually

because of the loss of
these ritual services.

- That is a terrible fate
for any religious person.

And symbolically, it's even
worse for someone like Henry,

the emperor of a vast territory.

The German nobles begin
to line up against him.

He has very few options.

(dramatic music)

He decides to make a
very public penance.

Now, penance in the Middle Ages

was something you had
to do quite visibly,

and it usually needed to
be really embarrassing.

He finds out that the Pope
is staying at Canossa,

so he travels there.

- The Holy Roman
Emperor, Henry IV,

undertakes a perilous
journey across the Alps.

(soft tense music)

- Excommunicated by the Pope,

he's seeking to
salvage his reign

by begging for forgiveness.

(soft tense music)

- He stands barefoot in
the snow for three days,

begging for forgiveness
as a penitent.

(soft tense music)

- The Pope feels pressured
by this public display

and eventually lifts
his excommunication.

- The Pope forgives him,

but this marks a pivotal
moment in medieval history,

because we now have
what was arguably

the most powerful
secular ruler in Europe,

waiting to ask
forgiveness of the Pope.

Never again will we see
popes quite this powerful.

It is the zenith of their power.

- On the one hand,
he's accepting

that he is in this
situation politically weaker

than the Pope.

But on the other, he's modeling
himself as a good Christian

by imitating Christ.

And so I think if we
think from the mindset,

late medieval mindset,

shaming is also a process
of spiritual restoration,

renewal, purification.

It's a ritual act as
much as anything else,

and he is participating in that.

- So while for a time there
was peace between the Pope

and the Holy Roman
Emperor, it didn't last.

The Pope excommunicated him
several times over his lifetime.

And unfortunately for
Henry, he happened to die

during one of those
periods of excommunication.

And this created a
massive controversy,

because if he was
excommunicated,

it meant that he wasn't
allowed to be buried

in Speyer Cathedral,

the very structure that
his grandfather had created

for burying emperors of
the Holy Roman Empire.

- [Narrator] It is five
years following his death

that the punishment is lifted

and Henry IV is finally
interred in the cathedral.

(dramatic music)

Another path of humiliation,
mirroring Henry IV's journey,

extends beyond the
cathedral walls

to the very road leading to it.

- In the Middle Ages, penance
was meant to be public,

and it was meant
to be embarrassing.

Cathedrals usually
played a prominent role

in what is known as
the "walk of shame".

The so-called walk of shame
would begin with a criminal

being escorted from the
church through the town

to their jail.

Along the way, they would
carry embarrassing reminders

of their crime.

They would be forced to endure
the taunts of the townsfolk,

potentially even rotten fruit

or vegetables being
thrown at them.

And this would be a very
public and embarrassing way

of cleansing their soul and
walking towards salvation.

(dramatic music)
(indistinct chatter)

- [Narrator] This public
spectacle blended punishment,

deterrence, and
religious penance

in a uniquely medieval way.

- These walks of shame
were an opportunity

for the penitent to
demonstrate humility.

It was a massive
fall from grace.

But in recognizing
their sins publicly,

they were also begging
for forgiveness.

- [Narrator] The physical layout
of the walk of shame itself

reinforces its
historical significance.

- The two poles, for example,

in the procession of
criminals to the prison,

involved the
cathedral on one end

and the prison on the other.

These are the two poles of
local governance and authority.

So the procession of the
criminal was intended to,

on the one hand,
demonstrate the authority

of these two
institutions locally,

but at the same time,

it was intended to
represent the values

and the beliefs of that
local society, as well.

- [Narrator] The walk of shame
remains a haunting reminder

of the complex relationship
between religion, justice,

and society in medieval Europe.

- The practice of public shaming

gradually falls out of
favor as public attitudes

towards punishment change.

But vestiges of it still
survive in public apologies

and community service.

- When we feel shame, it's
because people that we know,

that we value their
opinions of us

are there to see
what we did wrong.

It's easy to be
shameless, for example,

when you're anonymous
on the internet.

In that walk from the cathedral
through the town of Speyer

presumably everybody
knew everybody else

in some way, shape or form

and everybody will know
what your crime is.

You will forever
be known for that.

(soft tense music)

- [Narrator] From the
heart of medieval Europe

to the sun-drenched coasts
of ancient Anatolia,

another civilization
seeks to honor its dead

and preserve its legacy through
monumental architecture.

Rock cut marvels reveal
a very different approach

to commemorating the deceased

and offer a window
into a unique culture

that bridged the ancient
worlds of Greece and Persia.

(gentle music)

Along the rugged coastline
of modern Turkiye,

carved into the very
face of the mountains,

a haunting visual sight
serves as the last reminder

of a long lost civilization.

- These tombs
really are testament

to the architectural skill
of this ancient people.

- The exterior of these
Lycian tombs is elaborate,

and it really evokes

this kind of
Greco-Mediterranean culture

with columns and
elaborate motifs.

- Despite their grand exteriors,

the interiors of these
tombs are strikingly bare.

Why were they left empty?

- [Narrator] Legend
speaks of these tombs

as gateways for celestial
beings to reach the deceased.

- Maybe their one function

might have been to be
homes for the dead,

but given the fact
that they're empty,

they don't have any items
for them in the other world,

perhaps the purpose
is very different.

We simply don't know.

- We don't truly understand

the significance of
these structures,

because we have
limited historical
records of the Lycians.

(gentle music)

- According to the
historian Herodotus,

the Lycian trace their roots
back to the island of Crete.

The story goes that there
were a pair of brothers,

the sons of Zeus and Europa.

They fought over the rule
of the island of Crete.

Sarpedon lost the dispute

and fled to the mainland
to modern day Turkiye.

He establishes a settlement
known as Termilae,

which later became
known as Lycia.

- The Lycians were known

for their fiercely
independent nature.

They trace their lineage
through their mothers,

which is a unique practice
in the ancient world.

They're also deeply religious

with their primary gods that
they worshiped being Apollo,

Artemis, and Leto.

(soft music)

- [Narrator] The
Lycians left behind

a rich architectural legacy,

but none more striking
than their elaborate tombs.

- These tombs are carved
into sheer cliff faces,

often at dizzying heights.

- The choice of building
high up this way

in these dramatic
landscapes on cliff tops

gives us an idea that they
associated height with divinity.

And we have to remember that
certainly the Greek gods

were believed to live up
high, Mount Etna was the home.

And mountains globally
have long been places

which were considered
to be homes to deities

and sites of divine
communication.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] The Lycians
were master stone masons,

taking advantage of
the soft limestone

prevalent in the region.

This allowed for easier carving

but also proved durable enough

to withstand centuries
of weathering.

- The level of detail in
the carvings is astounding.

- When we look at other
tombs carved into rock

at places like Petra in Jordan,

these are more accessible by
ground entry, more or less.

But what makes these
tombs so unique

is the fact that
they're not accessible.

The fact that they're carved
high into the cliffside.

- How is this achieved,

and why was building
high so important?

(soft music)

- The Lycians viewed death as
a journey to another world.

- They practiced a form
of ancestor worship

and believed the spirits of the
dead needed a place to rest.

- When they die, they believed
that these winged creatures

will come and take them away

and bring them to
the underworld.

- We believe this is why
they built their tombs

in high places to bring the
deceased closer to heaven.

(gentle bright music)

- [Narrator] The Lycians
ability to create these tombs

at these great heights in
seemingly inaccessible locations

suggests that they developed
techniques for working

at extreme elevations.

- They're built
extremely high up,

so we're going to take some
technology to build structures

to support our workers when
we're up carving these tombs.

When you think about the tombs
themselves and the carving,

you have to put it in
the context of the era.

We don't have ready
access to iron,

and so we're using bronze tools.

These tools aren't
particularly sharp.

They aren't particularly hard.

There would have been
a lot of tool wear.

So you're actually going
through a lot of tool materials.

You'll have a lot of people
actually just constructing tools

because you're using
them so quickly.

So while these structures look
relatively simple to build,

the technology at the time
that's required to do it

is actually leading edge.

- It's a totally different
way to construct something.

It's construction
by subtraction.

You are carving out
potential areas of strength

that that entire
rockface is relying on.

To see their thoughtfulness
around building in a column,

to support a slab over a void,

and have another
void on top of that,

it's quite a
meticulous undertaking.

You can't haphazardly
run in there

and just blast and chip
away whatever you want,

because you can't put
it back once it's gone.

(soft music)

- [Narrator] It's believed
these ancient masons

likely began carving from
the top of the cliffs

and worked their way downwards,

sculpting a variety
of inset structures

down the steep terrain.

- They come in a
variety of styles,

each reflecting different
aspects of their culture

and their beliefs.

- The styles may have been
the same styles of the homes

in which the Lycians also lived,

which made these tombs still
part of the local community.

But at the same time,
they're quite high up,

which suggests that
maybe their one function

might have been to be
homes for the dead.

But given the fact
that they're empty,

they don't have any items
for them in the other world

perhaps the purpose
is very different.

We simply don't know.

- [Narrator] One tomb in
particular, the tomb of Amyntas,

boasts an exquisitely
celebrated exterior

carved to resemble a
Greek temple facade.

It contains rooms and chambers.

- These chambers should be
rich with artifacts and clues

about Lycian culture.

But instead, they're empty.

- It's not unusual to
find such places empty

when they're discovered
in modern times,

because there was
so much looting

that went on over the centuries

that anything that wasn't
hidden was basically looted.

- However, there is
a lack of evidence

of any forced entry or damage.

- [Narrator] Does the
explanation then lie

in Lycian funerary
practices themselves?

(dramatic music)

- Worship in this culture
involved ritual offerings,

animal sacrifices, and very
lavish funerary practices.

- One possibility
is that the rooms

were for a period of time

actually a site of
temporary burial.

Perhaps this is where they
performed the rituals necessary

to help the body pass
on to the next world.

Because the Lycians,

like other societies
around the Mediterranean,

believed that death
rituals were critical

to the passage of the
spirit on to the next world.

Now, these rituals varied,

but one thing that they
all shared in common

was the involvement of
multiple stages of preparation.

And so perhaps it's
up in these tombs

that that ritual observance,

which could perhaps
last several days,

took place before the
bodies were finally removed

to their permanent
burial elsewhere.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] But perhaps
the most intriguing theory

for these barren interiors

lies in the mere
symbolism of these tombs.

Some scholars propose that
the elaborate exteriors

of these structures are meant
to serve as a representation

of an eternal house of the dead,

visible reminders of the souls
that once held importance

in Lycian society.

According to this idea,
the empty chambers within

may reflect a belief that the
spirit of a deceased citizen

is no longer in need
of earthly possessions.

- The artistic designs,
the architectural designs

suggest that they
were influenced

by their domestic architecture.

So this raises questions about
what was their intention?

Were they trying to create
homes in the after world,

for example, for the dead,

something that made them
part of the same community,

but obviously was for
those who had passed away?

- If the tombs were
primarily symbolic,

why carve out interior
chambers at all?

- When you look
at ancient people

and their beliefs about
death and the afterlife,

you tend to find a common
theme running through it

across the globe,

and that is that death
was always a passage

to the next stage.

And in some cultures, that
results in caves being the place

where you can cross
over to the afterlife.

In others it was
underground passages,

or through bodies of water,

or up in the air where
you would be taken away.

And these themes repeat
themselves over and over again.

They tend to be places
where you don't really know

what's beyond it.

And so when you've
lost somebody,

you hope that they are
moving on somewhere else,

and then these are the passages

by which you might
be able to go visit.

- Perhaps in this case,

the Lycians were
not burying them

with the items they needed
for their life after death.

Perhaps this was just a place
that they could remember them.

- The Lycian tombs, to this day,

remain one of the ancients'
most elusive secrets.

(soft music)

- We really don't know
why people need to believe

that life goes on after death.

There are lots of religions
out there that cover it.

So there's something
there about the idea

that our consciousness
that's within us

tends to feel a
bit free floating.

It's not necessarily
tied to our body,

and therefore, if our body dies,

then our consciousness should
travel on somewhere else.

- If you think
about why did people

historically treat
the moment of death

and death itself as a moment
to build monumental structures

or structures that
recognize death,

I think we have to confront

that death was an
ever present reality

of people historically,

and that was something
that they were constantly

preoccupied with: How to
get to the other world.

And tombs were about recognizing

that continuing relationship
between the living

and the dead, and the
connections between this world

and the next world.

So if we think
about it that way,

then investing in
these monuments
actually was practical,

but it also had
spiritual purpose.

(gentle uplifting music)

(gentle uplifting
music continues)

(gentle uplifting
music continues)

(gentle uplifting
music continues)