1 00:00:01,067 --> 00:00:03,703 MONIKA: Do you see this relatively tiny opening? 2 00:00:03,736 --> 00:00:06,740 It leads under the women's bathing rooms. 3 00:00:09,842 --> 00:00:11,744 MAURO: Okay, come on Mario! 4 00:00:11,777 --> 00:00:14,714 NARRATOR: Beneath Pompeii's oldest bathhouse, 5 00:00:14,747 --> 00:00:19,052 cavers are venturing deep into a miraculously preserved space 6 00:00:19,085 --> 00:00:23,723 that remained hidden for nearly 2,000 years. 7 00:00:23,756 --> 00:00:26,225 MONIKA: I'm actually not sure how long they've stayed there. 8 00:00:26,258 --> 00:00:29,262 We'll see how long they've survived. 9 00:00:45,211 --> 00:00:50,817 NARRATOR: They're searching for clues to life and death in the Roman Empire. 10 00:00:50,850 --> 00:00:51,684 MARIO: Ha ha. 11 00:00:56,589 --> 00:01:02,462 (music) 12 00:01:09,435 --> 00:01:14,507 NARRATOR: Pompeii, an ancient city 130 miles south of Rome. 13 00:01:15,875 --> 00:01:20,680 In AD 79, Mount Vesuvius, just 6 miles away, 14 00:01:20,713 --> 00:01:24,917 erupted explosively smothering the entire area 15 00:01:24,950 --> 00:01:29,589 beneath millions of tonnes of volcanic ash and rock. 16 00:01:29,622 --> 00:01:37,130 17 centuries later, archaeologists rediscovered a city frozen in time. 17 00:01:37,163 --> 00:01:40,900 But, even after almost 300 years of excavation, 18 00:01:40,933 --> 00:01:45,238 a third of Pompeii's streets remain unearthed. 19 00:01:45,271 --> 00:01:50,910 Today archaeologists from across the world are digging through the debris, 20 00:01:50,943 --> 00:01:56,516 uncovering surprising new evidence for what it was like to live and die 21 00:01:56,549 --> 00:01:59,218 at the height of the Roman Empire. 22 00:01:59,251 --> 00:02:03,823 MARIO: For an archaeologist, to study in Pompeii is a very special moment. 23 00:02:03,856 --> 00:02:10,463 The possibility to touch the real life 2,000 years ago. 24 00:02:10,496 --> 00:02:13,733 NARRATOR: Much of what we know of the Roman world is through the lives 25 00:02:13,766 --> 00:02:17,904 of those at the top: emperors, senators and generals 26 00:02:17,937 --> 00:02:21,440 living in their vast villas and palaces. 27 00:02:21,473 --> 00:02:27,213 But the great majority of those who lived in the Roman world weren't rich at all. 28 00:02:27,246 --> 00:02:30,683 What was Pompeii like lower down the social order 29 00:02:30,716 --> 00:02:34,187 for the middle classes or enslaved people? 30 00:02:34,220 --> 00:02:38,658 We're following a team of archaeologists excavating Pompeii in search 31 00:02:38,691 --> 00:02:41,928 of the real stories of these hidden lives. 32 00:02:56,242 --> 00:02:59,612 NARRATOR: Buried up to 20 feet beneath volcanic debris, 33 00:02:59,645 --> 00:03:04,016 archaeologists have unearthed a bustling metropolis, 34 00:03:04,049 --> 00:03:09,689 homes for some 15,000 people, in a coastal hub of trade and culture. 35 00:03:11,757 --> 00:03:17,496 In the east, archaeologists discover an arena for gladiator fights. 36 00:03:17,529 --> 00:03:21,935 And in the west, they unearth two theatres. 37 00:03:22,869 --> 00:03:27,707 They uncovered temples dedicated to nine different gods and emperors 38 00:03:27,740 --> 00:03:31,945 and a forum, the heart of business and political affairs. 39 00:03:32,612 --> 00:03:38,918 The excavation of perfectly preserved Pompeii reveals Roman life in the raw. 40 00:03:41,453 --> 00:03:46,325 Today an international team of archaeologists is digging at one of the most complete 41 00:03:46,358 --> 00:03:51,664 Roman bath houses in the world, the Stabian baths. 42 00:03:53,932 --> 00:03:56,936 MONIKA: Good morning! Buongiorno. 43 00:03:56,969 --> 00:03:59,305 (foreign dialogue) Everything fine? 44 00:03:59,338 --> 00:04:00,940 Yeah, yesterday... 45 00:04:00,973 --> 00:04:03,843 NARRATOR: German archaeologist, Monika Trümper, 46 00:04:03,876 --> 00:04:08,614 first came to Pompeii aged 15 on a family holiday. 47 00:04:08,647 --> 00:04:12,451 It sparked the fascination of a lifetime. 48 00:04:12,484 --> 00:04:14,620 MONIKA: I always wanted to excavate here. 49 00:04:14,653 --> 00:04:16,956 This has been the dream site to excavate. 50 00:04:16,989 --> 00:04:19,892 I really like digging in the Earth and cleaning things. 51 00:04:19,925 --> 00:04:21,694 I do not like cleaning things at home, 52 00:04:21,727 --> 00:04:25,031 but I like cleaning things on archaeological sites. 53 00:04:26,165 --> 00:04:30,403 NARRATOR: Monika's team is on a mission to explore the hidden world 54 00:04:30,436 --> 00:04:32,805 of the Roman bathhouse. MONIKA: And as always, 55 00:04:32,838 --> 00:04:35,541 we are running out of time, there's still so much to do. 56 00:04:38,143 --> 00:04:41,781 NARRATOR: A visit to the baths was part of the Roman daily routine. 57 00:04:46,518 --> 00:04:53,660 Bathers would first remove their clothing, then smear their skin with olive oil. 58 00:04:54,227 --> 00:04:58,598 The bathing session began with exercise, to work up a healthy sweat. 59 00:05:01,700 --> 00:05:05,705 Romans didn't use soap. Instead, they scraped off the oil, 60 00:05:05,738 --> 00:05:11,010 sweat and dirt with a tool called a strigil. 61 00:05:11,043 --> 00:05:15,948 Then bathed in rooms at different temperatures, heated by a hypocaust, 62 00:05:15,981 --> 00:05:19,018 a marvel of Roman engineering. 63 00:05:19,051 --> 00:05:22,054 Hot air from a furnace circulated under the floor 64 00:05:22,087 --> 00:05:26,759 between the walls to heat rooms up to a 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 65 00:05:29,061 --> 00:05:35,101 Pompeii's Stabian baths were in use for around 200 years before Vesuvius's eruption 66 00:05:35,134 --> 00:05:39,138 froze them in the state we see today. 67 00:05:39,171 --> 00:05:46,078 The team is digging to solve a mystery: how did a visit to the baths change over time? 68 00:05:46,111 --> 00:05:49,382 MONIKA: We've been studying the Stabian bath because we are interested 69 00:05:49,415 --> 00:05:52,885 in the development of bathing culture in Pompeii. 70 00:05:52,918 --> 00:05:56,389 NARRATOR: Their quest begins behind the scenes. 71 00:05:56,422 --> 00:05:59,592 MONIKA: Visitor! MARCO: Buongiorno. 72 00:05:59,625 --> 00:06:02,061 MONIKA: Right now what you see is a service room. 73 00:06:02,094 --> 00:06:05,765 You see all kinds of installations that serve for the bath. 74 00:06:05,798 --> 00:06:07,400 I'm standing on a channel. 75 00:06:07,433 --> 00:06:09,435 You see another channel behind me. 76 00:06:09,468 --> 00:06:12,772 So these are all installations belonging somehow to particularly 77 00:06:12,805 --> 00:06:16,175 the water management and also the heating system. 78 00:06:16,208 --> 00:06:20,045 It was a room that the bathers were not supposed to ever see or enter, 79 00:06:20,078 --> 00:06:22,982 so it was only for the slaves. 80 00:06:23,015 --> 00:06:26,752 NARRATOR: Monika and joint excavation leader Marco Giglio, 81 00:06:26,785 --> 00:06:29,722 from the University of Naples L'Orientale, 82 00:06:29,755 --> 00:06:34,727 are digging into dirt that predates the eruption of AD 79. 83 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,696 MARCO: We hope to find all sort of things. 84 00:06:37,729 --> 00:06:43,636 Not only beautiful objects, but something useful for the chronology, 85 00:06:43,669 --> 00:06:45,671 for dating this space. 86 00:06:45,704 --> 00:06:50,543 NARRATOR: Dig member Satoshi Higuchi spots a glint of metal in the dirt. 87 00:06:50,576 --> 00:06:52,912 MARCO: Wow! Wow, good. Should be... 88 00:06:55,013 --> 00:06:56,482 MONIKA: I can't see it, what is it? 89 00:06:56,515 --> 00:06:59,051 Ah yeah, I see it now. Oh wow. 90 00:06:59,084 --> 00:07:00,186 What do you think it might be? 91 00:07:04,890 --> 00:07:08,160 MONIKA: Hmm hmm. I guess, yes because it's so thin. -Yes. 92 00:07:08,193 --> 00:07:12,532 The thin needle, something you would stick into your hair. Look at this. 93 00:07:13,832 --> 00:07:15,100 There's more of it? 94 00:07:15,133 --> 00:07:18,237 MARCO: Oh no, it's eh, it's a fibula. 95 00:07:18,270 --> 00:07:20,105 MONIKA: And this is part of the fibula then. 96 00:07:20,138 --> 00:07:23,209 So this is the lower part of the fibula. Wow. 97 00:07:23,242 --> 00:07:26,779 They used to fix clothes. They used this to fix cloth. 98 00:07:26,812 --> 00:07:28,514 And actually, if I remember correctly, 99 00:07:28,547 --> 00:07:33,953 this is the first one we find here at all in the Stabian bath. 100 00:07:33,986 --> 00:07:38,023 NARRATOR: The ornate clothespin is a direct connection to a Pompeiian 101 00:07:38,056 --> 00:07:41,627 living 2,000 years ago. 102 00:07:41,660 --> 00:07:46,665 SATOSHI: It's really exciting and I'm really happy to have found it, 103 00:07:46,698 --> 00:07:53,539 and I hope I can find more interesting things to understand this bath. 104 00:07:53,572 --> 00:07:57,843 MARCO: Very interesting find. Very, very interesting. 105 00:07:57,876 --> 00:08:01,914 Now we will continue to excavate this layer. 106 00:08:01,947 --> 00:08:04,783 NARRATOR: All the evidence the team has found suggests 107 00:08:04,816 --> 00:08:07,086 this was not always a service room, 108 00:08:07,119 --> 00:08:11,023 but was once a public walkway, known as a porticus. 109 00:08:11,056 --> 00:08:16,128 MONIKA: Our hypothesis is that originally it was a porticus, and not a service room, 110 00:08:16,161 --> 00:08:21,267 and only later when you know they, they improved or changed the bath that would have 111 00:08:21,300 --> 00:08:24,937 transformed it into such a service room. 112 00:08:24,970 --> 00:08:29,909 NARRATOR: When did the layout of the baths change and why? 113 00:08:29,942 --> 00:08:34,280 To find out Monika will need to explore deep into an unseen world. 114 00:08:42,054 --> 00:08:44,723 Just outside Pompeii's city walls, 115 00:08:44,756 --> 00:08:47,860 Spanish archaeologist Llorenç Alapont 116 00:08:47,893 --> 00:08:50,162 is leading another pioneering excavation. 117 00:08:58,837 --> 00:09:03,275 NARRATOR: It's estimated 2,000 Pompeiians perished in the eruption. 118 00:09:03,308 --> 00:09:07,379 Their tragic deaths have made Pompeii world-famous. 119 00:09:07,412 --> 00:09:12,952 But the frozen figures reveal almost nothing of these people's life stories. 120 00:09:14,353 --> 00:09:19,592 For greater insight, today Llorenç is excavating the tombs of Pompeiians 121 00:09:19,625 --> 00:09:21,761 who died before the eruption. 122 00:09:23,262 --> 00:09:29,068 His team has removed tons of volcanic debris to reach new and uncharted tombs. 123 00:09:40,712 --> 00:09:45,818 NARRATOR: The size of each freshly unearthed tomb gives a first clue to the occupants. 124 00:09:57,262 --> 00:10:00,733 NARRATOR: Inscriptions can reveal further fascinating information 125 00:10:00,766 --> 00:10:03,802 about the lives of the tomb occupants. 126 00:10:03,835 --> 00:10:08,107 But Llorenç's ultimate goal is to unearth what lies inside the tombs. 127 00:10:22,387 --> 00:10:26,225 NARRATOR: It's difficult to discover forensic detail of the Roman dead, 128 00:10:26,258 --> 00:10:29,261 due to the standard funeral rites of the time. 129 00:10:30,495 --> 00:10:35,701 When a Roman citizen died, relatives put a coin in the deceased's mouth 130 00:10:35,734 --> 00:10:39,705 to pay for safe passage to the underworld. 131 00:10:39,738 --> 00:10:44,476 By law they had to lay the body to rest outside the city limits. 132 00:10:44,509 --> 00:10:50,983 Rich families hired musicians and professional mourners to lead the procession. 133 00:10:51,016 --> 00:10:55,921 At the necropolis, they burned the body on a pyre 134 00:10:55,954 --> 00:10:58,691 and stored the ashes and the coin in an urn, 135 00:10:58,724 --> 00:11:01,093 to keep in the family tomb. 136 00:11:01,126 --> 00:11:03,729 Romans even cremated their emperors. 137 00:11:03,762 --> 00:11:10,069 But they burned Julius Caesar's pyre in public inside Rome's city limits. 138 00:11:10,102 --> 00:11:16,375 The mourners' passions ran so hot they almost burnt down the forum. 139 00:11:16,408 --> 00:11:20,512 Llorenç and his team are hunting for cremation urns. 140 00:11:20,545 --> 00:11:27,786 But finding human ashes among tons of volcanic ashes is no easy task. 141 00:11:27,819 --> 00:11:29,922 They've just unearthed this tomb, 142 00:11:29,955 --> 00:11:35,928 right next to the main gateway into Pompeii built in an eye-catching spot. 143 00:12:03,421 --> 00:12:05,457 NARRATOR: In the southern region of the city 144 00:12:05,490 --> 00:12:10,195 is a residential area known today as Insula 17. 145 00:12:10,228 --> 00:12:14,533 MARIO: Now guys, today we're starting in the 2 areas 146 00:12:14,566 --> 00:12:18,070 to continue the excavation inside in the layers 147 00:12:18,103 --> 00:12:20,172 that we find in the last days. 148 00:12:20,205 --> 00:12:22,074 Okay? Now we go. 149 00:12:23,275 --> 00:12:27,045 NARRATOR: Archaeologist Mario Grimaldi is part of a team 150 00:12:27,078 --> 00:12:30,415 from the University of Bologna that is investigating the lives 151 00:12:30,448 --> 00:12:34,120 of middle-class people at the height of the Roman Empire. 152 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:40,159 The volcanic blanket over Pompeii preserved its public spaces, its cemeteries, 153 00:12:40,192 --> 00:12:43,462 its baths and its grand buildings. 154 00:12:43,495 --> 00:12:48,433 But it also preserved over a thousand ordinary, private homes. 155 00:12:48,466 --> 00:12:50,869 These rarely survive elsewhere, 156 00:12:50,902 --> 00:12:56,008 so Pompeii offers a unique opportunity for archaeologists. 157 00:12:56,041 --> 00:13:00,913 MARIO: In Pompeii we have the possibility to understand the real life, 158 00:13:00,946 --> 00:13:05,050 the people that were living in these houses, with the material, 159 00:13:05,083 --> 00:13:12,825 the artifacts that these people had in their hand before the eruption. 160 00:13:12,858 --> 00:13:16,595 It's important for us to understand this society, 161 00:13:16,628 --> 00:13:19,298 these people that lived in this area, 162 00:13:19,331 --> 00:13:24,136 like a middle-class people in the society. 163 00:13:24,169 --> 00:13:27,439 NARRATOR: Beneath the street that runs alongside the houses, 164 00:13:27,472 --> 00:13:30,509 the team makes a discovery. 165 00:13:30,542 --> 00:13:33,412 MARIO: We have a water pipe. 166 00:13:33,445 --> 00:13:35,914 Now we're cleaning this water pipe. 167 00:13:35,947 --> 00:13:38,650 It's very interesting for us. 168 00:13:38,683 --> 00:13:45,357 The water pipe is a connection from the aqueduct to the water 169 00:13:45,390 --> 00:13:47,292 for the fresh water. 170 00:13:47,325 --> 00:13:50,996 NARRATOR: Roman plumbing was the envy of the ancient world. 171 00:13:51,029 --> 00:13:57,469 Networks of underground lead pipes channeled water from aqueducts along city streets. 172 00:13:57,502 --> 00:14:01,640 Most residents collected their water from roadside fountains. 173 00:14:01,673 --> 00:14:05,244 But richer homeowners could go one step further. 174 00:14:05,277 --> 00:14:10,349 MARIO: If I want in my private house the fresh water, 175 00:14:10,382 --> 00:14:16,321 I pay with my money the connection to the aqueduct. 176 00:14:16,354 --> 00:14:21,627 If we are lucky, it's possible that we find the stamp of the owner. 177 00:14:23,995 --> 00:14:27,032 NARRATOR: But as the team searches, something extraordinary 178 00:14:27,065 --> 00:14:30,269 begins to appear in the same trench that could give 179 00:14:30,302 --> 00:14:33,939 an even bigger insight into these inhabitants' lives. 180 00:14:44,716 --> 00:14:50,422 NARRATOR: In their quest to investigate the occupant of this large tomb, 181 00:14:50,455 --> 00:14:52,892 Llorenç's team hits the jackpot. 182 00:15:09,374 --> 00:15:14,046 NARRATOR: The size and location of Marcus Venerius Secundio's tomb shows 183 00:15:14,079 --> 00:15:18,684 that by his death he must have been a prominent figure in Pompeii. 184 00:15:18,717 --> 00:15:23,923 But what Llorenç unearthed beside the plaque was a complete surprise. 185 00:15:28,460 --> 00:15:34,666 The tomb was revealed to be a walled family enclosure. 186 00:15:34,699 --> 00:15:40,672 In one corner, Llorenç found a small tombstone. 187 00:15:40,705 --> 00:15:45,444 Beneath it, an urn containing the cremated ashes of a woman. 188 00:15:46,311 --> 00:15:51,483 Then the team spotted a sealed door, leading to a burial chamber, 189 00:15:51,516 --> 00:15:55,120 containing Marcus Venerius Secundio's skeleton, 190 00:15:55,153 --> 00:15:59,725 still sporting hair and part of his left ear. 191 00:15:59,758 --> 00:16:03,228 He was buried, not burnt. 192 00:16:03,261 --> 00:16:07,733 An unparalleled opportunity to discover more about an individual life, 193 00:16:07,766 --> 00:16:10,035 and death, in Pompeii. 194 00:16:32,857 --> 00:16:37,162 NARRATOR: There are even hints Marcus may have been embalmed after death. 195 00:16:37,195 --> 00:16:41,133 Scraps of textile found among the remains may be wrappings 196 00:16:41,166 --> 00:16:45,504 to help preserve his body. 197 00:16:45,537 --> 00:16:50,376 As soon as the remains were photographed, the team rushed them into cold storage. 198 00:17:05,723 --> 00:17:10,328 NARRATOR: Wear on the teeth, alongside other signs of aging on the skeleton 199 00:17:10,361 --> 00:17:14,833 suggest Marcus lived to at least 60 years old. 200 00:17:15,867 --> 00:17:20,539 Llorenç hopes further analysis will reveal more about his origins, 201 00:17:20,572 --> 00:17:24,243 where he grew up and perhaps how he died. 202 00:17:25,077 --> 00:17:29,581 But starting from the plaque on Marcus's tomb, Llorenç wants to piece together 203 00:17:29,614 --> 00:17:31,850 key parts of his life story. 204 00:17:52,504 --> 00:17:57,375 NARRATOR: The inscription and the tomb location reveal that by the time of his death, 205 00:17:57,408 --> 00:18:01,213 Marcus was a prominent citizen in Pompeii. 206 00:18:01,246 --> 00:18:07,586 Next Llorenç wants to find out how Marcus gained his freedom and his wealth 207 00:18:07,619 --> 00:18:12,257 and what his rise says about life in the Roman Empire. 208 00:18:17,428 --> 00:18:24,203 At the Stabian baths, Monika is following in the footsteps of bathers 2,000 years ago. 209 00:18:25,170 --> 00:18:28,707 MONIKA: This is the final room of the women's suite. 210 00:18:28,740 --> 00:18:31,143 It's the caldarium, the hot room. 211 00:18:32,244 --> 00:18:36,748 NARRATOR: And the baths weren't just somewhere for citizens to get clean. 212 00:18:36,781 --> 00:18:38,383 MONIKA: We have ancient literary sources that, 213 00:18:38,416 --> 00:18:41,720 you know, complain about the noises coming from baths. 214 00:18:41,753 --> 00:18:46,458 It's not like one of our, you know, luxury spas where you have quiet, you know, 215 00:18:46,491 --> 00:18:47,959 music and so on. 216 00:18:47,992 --> 00:18:51,429 They must have been really, really, really noisy. 217 00:18:51,462 --> 00:18:52,831 Really loud. 218 00:18:53,598 --> 00:18:56,301 NARRATOR: Archaeological evidence indicates that 219 00:18:56,334 --> 00:19:00,205 the Stabian baths served multiple purposes. 220 00:19:00,238 --> 00:19:05,977 More than simply being a place to get clean, they were a vital social hub, 221 00:19:06,010 --> 00:19:11,683 the main place where Romans caught up with friends or discussed casual business. 222 00:19:12,417 --> 00:19:18,957 Monika wants to identify the technology that was key to this social function. 223 00:19:18,990 --> 00:19:22,928 MONIKA: So this is the immersion pool for the women. 224 00:19:22,961 --> 00:19:26,598 It was heated from below by the floor heating. 225 00:19:26,631 --> 00:19:30,268 It was heated from the back and the sides by the wall heating. 226 00:19:30,301 --> 00:19:34,272 And then it has one additional really intriguing feature. 227 00:19:34,305 --> 00:19:37,876 You really have to kneel down in order to appreciate this. 228 00:19:37,909 --> 00:19:42,948 It's a half circular container made out of bronze, 229 00:19:42,981 --> 00:19:47,953 and it's closed at the back and open here in the front. 230 00:19:47,986 --> 00:19:51,723 And so the water constantly goes in there. 231 00:19:51,756 --> 00:19:56,361 And this thing is right above the hottest part of the fireplace, 232 00:19:56,394 --> 00:19:59,431 so right next to the fire so to speak. 233 00:19:59,464 --> 00:20:02,500 And so therefore, it always heats the cooling water 234 00:20:02,533 --> 00:20:04,369 and then the hot water comes out again. 235 00:20:04,402 --> 00:20:08,540 And so this helps additionally to keep the water warm. 236 00:20:09,307 --> 00:20:12,544 NARRATOR: The hot water container is called a testudo. 237 00:20:12,577 --> 00:20:15,447 It's named for its shape. 238 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,818 Testudo in Latin means tortoise. 239 00:20:19,851 --> 00:20:22,621 MONIKA: They are unfortunately rarely preserved because 240 00:20:22,654 --> 00:20:27,292 the metal is very precious and was usually robbed out in antiquity 241 00:20:27,325 --> 00:20:28,793 or any time later. 242 00:20:28,826 --> 00:20:32,030 So this example here is particularly intriguing 243 00:20:32,063 --> 00:20:33,932 because it's fully preserved. 244 00:20:33,965 --> 00:20:37,736 It is so rare and is so, so exciting. 245 00:20:38,636 --> 00:20:42,040 NARRATOR: This is clever Roman technology, 246 00:20:42,073 --> 00:20:46,645 maintaining the bath water at a constant pleasurable temperature, 247 00:20:46,678 --> 00:20:50,949 so up to half a dozen women could relax and socialize. 248 00:20:50,982 --> 00:20:53,918 MONIKA: It's particularly important to get as much information 249 00:20:53,951 --> 00:20:59,591 as possible of such a well-preserved example from all sides. 250 00:20:59,624 --> 00:21:03,295 NARRATOR: Exploring the testudo in detail may also give insight 251 00:21:03,328 --> 00:21:07,766 into how the baths served as a highly sociable space. 252 00:21:07,799 --> 00:21:10,001 But there is a problem. 253 00:21:10,034 --> 00:21:13,338 MONIKA: I can't kind of crawl inside from the pool, 254 00:21:13,371 --> 00:21:16,941 because the opening is very, very narrow and the channel is narrow. 255 00:21:16,974 --> 00:21:19,744 NARRATOR: To examine the precious testudo properly, 256 00:21:19,777 --> 00:21:22,614 Monika needs a different approach. 257 00:21:28,686 --> 00:21:31,089 NARRATOR: Just outside Pompeii's city walls, 258 00:21:31,122 --> 00:21:34,359 another team is exploring underground. 259 00:21:34,392 --> 00:21:40,131 Archaeologist Luana Toniolo has helped excavate 20 feet of volcanic rock and ash 260 00:21:40,164 --> 00:21:44,603 to reach a small room, part of a much larger villa. 261 00:21:45,837 --> 00:21:48,506 LUANA: This is our really latest discovery. 262 00:21:48,539 --> 00:21:51,509 As you can see, we are still working a bit. 263 00:21:51,542 --> 00:21:55,780 So for us, it's really exciting and every day there's something new. 264 00:21:55,813 --> 00:22:00,352 Over there, you can see the window from where the volcanic ash entered 265 00:22:00,385 --> 00:22:05,790 and covered the objects in this room and actually preserved it. 266 00:22:05,823 --> 00:22:10,628 NARRATOR: Ever since excavations began in Pompeii nearly 300 years ago, 267 00:22:10,661 --> 00:22:15,166 diggers have found skeletons entombed in the volcanic ash. 268 00:22:15,199 --> 00:22:18,837 The flesh of the dead has long since decomposed, 269 00:22:18,870 --> 00:22:23,041 leaving only a body-spaced shape surrounding the bones. 270 00:22:23,074 --> 00:22:27,645 By pouring plaster into the cavity, the archaeologists are able to recreate 271 00:22:27,678 --> 00:22:31,416 the original body shape. LUANA: We are still using the same technique 272 00:22:31,449 --> 00:22:33,385 of more than one century ago because 273 00:22:33,418 --> 00:22:36,721 it's really the best technique. 274 00:22:36,754 --> 00:22:40,158 NARRATOR: This team is using plaster to capture the original shape 275 00:22:40,191 --> 00:22:43,495 of other organic objects. 276 00:22:43,528 --> 00:22:45,530 They wait for the plaster to set, 277 00:22:45,563 --> 00:22:49,934 then very carefully scrape away the surrounding ash. 278 00:22:49,967 --> 00:22:53,004 LUANA: We don't know what we are going to see when we pour the plaster 279 00:22:53,037 --> 00:22:57,776 in the holes and what we found in this case is the bed. 280 00:22:57,809 --> 00:23:02,113 NARRATOR: Not just one, but three beds, complete with blankets, 281 00:23:02,146 --> 00:23:06,584 and an array of bedside furniture and storage containers. 282 00:23:06,617 --> 00:23:09,587 LUANA: We can see three beds made of wood. 283 00:23:09,620 --> 00:23:11,823 These beds are really simple. 284 00:23:11,856 --> 00:23:16,761 You can see that they are made of vertical pieces of wood. 285 00:23:16,794 --> 00:23:19,931 NARRATOR: Three people shared this small room. 286 00:23:19,964 --> 00:23:22,834 The basic furniture, and the single small window, 287 00:23:22,867 --> 00:23:27,071 suggest that they were among the poorest of Pompeii. 288 00:23:27,104 --> 00:23:30,809 LUANA: It was used as a room where to sleep and relax. 289 00:23:30,842 --> 00:23:35,180 But at the same time it's a storage room because there 290 00:23:35,213 --> 00:23:39,551 you can see storage containers that were used in the Roman times 291 00:23:39,584 --> 00:23:43,555 to trade food, wine, olives. 292 00:23:43,588 --> 00:23:46,858 The other very important objects that we can find in this room 293 00:23:46,891 --> 00:23:49,127 is this particular object. 294 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,030 That is the part of the chariot that was used 295 00:23:52,063 --> 00:23:55,900 to link the chariot to the horses. 296 00:23:55,933 --> 00:24:00,038 NARRATOR: Incredibly the plaster cast here reveals a rope lashing. 297 00:24:10,882 --> 00:24:13,485 NARRATOR: The evidence has prompted Pompeii archaeologists 298 00:24:13,518 --> 00:24:17,188 to call this "the room of the slaves". 299 00:24:17,221 --> 00:24:21,025 It is the most complete example of such a room ever discovered 300 00:24:21,058 --> 00:24:25,096 in the Roman Empire. LUANA: This room is very important for us, 301 00:24:25,129 --> 00:24:29,067 for the archaeologists, for historians because we can see actually 302 00:24:29,100 --> 00:24:32,871 how slaves and poor people lived. 303 00:24:32,904 --> 00:24:35,807 NARRATOR: There would have been several hundred rooms like this 304 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:38,142 in and around Pompeii. 305 00:24:38,175 --> 00:24:41,813 It's exactly the sort of place where Marcus Venerius Secundio 306 00:24:41,846 --> 00:24:43,882 may have started his life. 307 00:24:44,549 --> 00:24:48,553 But as Marcus's life shows, enslavement wasn't necessarily 308 00:24:48,586 --> 00:24:50,555 a life sentence in the Roman Empire. 309 00:24:53,925 --> 00:24:57,161 In Ancient Rome, enslaved people were a commodity, 310 00:24:57,194 --> 00:24:59,564 auctioned at a market. 311 00:24:59,597 --> 00:25:02,700 Those that were unskilled could be worth the annual salaries 312 00:25:02,733 --> 00:25:05,169 of two foot-soldiers. 313 00:25:05,202 --> 00:25:09,875 Some had tags attached to their necks, as proof of ownership in case they fled. 314 00:25:12,109 --> 00:25:17,181 Those that were educated could be put to work as accountants or secretaries. 315 00:25:17,214 --> 00:25:21,152 They had higher status, and so were paid for their duties. 316 00:25:22,086 --> 00:25:26,357 Enslaved people could use their money to buy their freedom, 317 00:25:26,390 --> 00:25:30,195 acquiring Roman citizenship in a formal ceremony. 318 00:25:30,962 --> 00:25:35,767 As a symbol of their liberty, they wore a felt cap called a Pileus. 319 00:25:38,369 --> 00:25:42,974 Marcus's tomb and inscription reveals he became a wealthy man. 320 00:25:43,007 --> 00:25:47,846 Llorenç wants to know how he bought his way out of enslavement. 321 00:25:54,852 --> 00:26:00,091 At the Stabian baths, Monika is venturing deeper into the incredible unseen 322 00:26:00,124 --> 00:26:03,795 Roman world preserved at Pompeii. 323 00:26:03,828 --> 00:26:06,064 MONIKA: This is kind of the heart of the bath. 324 00:26:06,097 --> 00:26:09,601 This is the service section and the heating system. 325 00:26:09,634 --> 00:26:12,270 But what exactly this heating system looked like, 326 00:26:12,303 --> 00:26:15,406 we do not know and we really want to explore. 327 00:26:15,439 --> 00:26:18,810 It's quite narrow to get into, it's quite dangerous. 328 00:26:19,877 --> 00:26:24,616 NARRATOR: Monika works with a team of speleologists, specialist cavers, 329 00:26:24,649 --> 00:26:26,985 to venture where she can't. 330 00:26:27,018 --> 00:26:29,954 MONIKA: Buongiorno! Mauro, Mario. 331 00:26:29,987 --> 00:26:32,824 NARRATOR: Monika hopes the cavers can find evidence 332 00:26:32,857 --> 00:26:36,761 of how and when the baths were modified. 333 00:26:36,794 --> 00:26:40,231 MONIKA: We do not know whether the whole heating system was remodeled, 334 00:26:40,264 --> 00:26:42,233 or belongs to an older period. 335 00:26:42,266 --> 00:26:47,639 So I'm really excited and looking forward to pictures. 336 00:26:47,672 --> 00:26:51,242 NARRATOR: Mauro traces the route the scorching hot air would have taken 337 00:26:51,275 --> 00:26:54,879 into the heating system 2,000 years ago. 338 00:26:54,912 --> 00:26:58,349 He's one of few to venture into this dangerous void 339 00:26:58,382 --> 00:27:01,820 since Pompeii was buried in volcanic rock. 340 00:27:22,139 --> 00:27:24,375 MONIKA: I'm actually not sure how long they stay there. 341 00:27:24,408 --> 00:27:27,912 We'll see how long they survive. 342 00:27:33,384 --> 00:27:37,989 NARRATOR: Llorenç's investigation into the life of Marcus Venerius Secundio 343 00:27:38,022 --> 00:27:40,859 has brought him to the western edge of Pompeii. 344 00:27:41,893 --> 00:27:46,197 Marcus's tomb inscription states he worked as a custodian, 345 00:27:46,230 --> 00:27:48,166 looking after the temple of Venus. 346 00:27:56,540 --> 00:28:01,946 NARRATOR: Romans worshipped many gods and had many temples in their honor 347 00:28:01,979 --> 00:28:06,451 but Venus was the chief deity and protector of Pompeii. 348 00:28:06,484 --> 00:28:12,490 Natural disasters have sadly reduced Pompeii's largest sacred site to rubble. 349 00:28:12,523 --> 00:28:16,360 Llorenç hunts for any remains of the temple's inner sanctum 350 00:28:16,393 --> 00:28:18,830 that would have contained the statue of Venus. 351 00:28:33,477 --> 00:28:36,514 NARRATOR: Only the stones beneath the doorway remain, 352 00:28:36,547 --> 00:28:40,819 but Llorenç suspects Marcus would have guarded this inner sanctum. 353 00:28:57,001 --> 00:28:59,904 NARRATOR: Working in Pompeii's most hallowed temple 354 00:28:59,937 --> 00:29:03,508 would allow Marcus to mingle among Pompeii's elite. 355 00:29:03,541 --> 00:29:06,344 He was likely to have been rewarded for his work 356 00:29:06,377 --> 00:29:09,147 perhaps through tips or donations. 357 00:29:19,957 --> 00:29:23,795 NARRATOR: The wealth and high status that Marcus gained at the temple 358 00:29:23,828 --> 00:29:27,198 may have allowed him to buy his freedom. 359 00:29:27,231 --> 00:29:29,467 Once he'd escaped enslavement, 360 00:29:29,500 --> 00:29:33,238 Marcus's life took on a truly dramatic twist. 361 00:29:37,341 --> 00:29:41,045 Pompeii's latest discoveries are opening up a new window 362 00:29:41,078 --> 00:29:44,148 into everyday life in the Roman Empire. 363 00:29:44,181 --> 00:29:48,052 Pompeii is much more than a city divided into wealthy elites 364 00:29:48,085 --> 00:29:50,488 and their downtrodden servants. 365 00:29:50,521 --> 00:29:54,325 This was a society where you could rise out of enslavement, 366 00:29:54,358 --> 00:29:58,797 and citizens of all classes relaxed in communal baths. 367 00:30:01,866 --> 00:30:06,204 At insula 17, Mario's team has found a buried skull. 368 00:30:12,042 --> 00:30:14,979 NARRATOR: What's intriguing is the skull's location, 369 00:30:15,012 --> 00:30:20,351 just beneath the street level and close to an underground water pipe. 370 00:30:20,384 --> 00:30:23,221 MARIO: For us it's very interesting this find of this skull 371 00:30:23,254 --> 00:30:27,925 because we are in front of a real time 372 00:30:27,958 --> 00:30:32,496 and a real life in this area before the eruption of 79. 373 00:30:32,529 --> 00:30:35,066 NARRATOR: The team is trying to find other clues 374 00:30:35,099 --> 00:30:37,535 that could shed light on their discovery. 375 00:30:37,568 --> 00:30:41,572 MARIO: Yeah, yeah. You find also, other bones around? 376 00:30:41,605 --> 00:30:44,575 BEATRICE: Yeah. Here. MARIO: Yeah. Okay. 377 00:30:44,608 --> 00:30:48,579 NARRATOR: A tantalizing possibility is, this is the skull of an animal 378 00:30:48,612 --> 00:30:52,149 killed as a sacrificial offering to the Gods. 379 00:30:52,182 --> 00:30:55,353 But Mario needs more evidence. 380 00:30:55,386 --> 00:31:01,993 The team hunts for tell-tale ceramic cups that would once contain other offerings. 381 00:31:02,026 --> 00:31:05,897 ANDREA: There are other parts of the skeleton there. 382 00:31:05,930 --> 00:31:08,633 MARIO: Yeah. But you don't find the cups? 383 00:31:08,666 --> 00:31:10,401 ANDREA: No, no ceramics. 384 00:31:10,434 --> 00:31:12,703 MARIO: Now we continue to clean. 385 00:31:12,736 --> 00:31:19,377 We remove the skull, and to understand if there are other parts of the bones, 386 00:31:19,410 --> 00:31:22,213 of the skull, of the animal. 387 00:31:22,246 --> 00:31:26,484 NARRATOR: The team must carefully extract all the compacted soil 388 00:31:26,517 --> 00:31:31,256 before they attempt the delicate task of removing the skull. 389 00:31:37,528 --> 00:31:43,167 The cavers are crawling ever deeper into the under floor heating system. 390 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,270 MAURO: OK, come on Mario! 391 00:31:46,303 --> 00:31:50,541 NARRATOR: They must document every detail of the subterranean world. 392 00:31:52,109 --> 00:31:56,580 NARRATOR: No-one knows what could lurk in this space. 393 00:31:56,613 --> 00:32:00,485 MARIO: Oh look, down there there's a, there's a bat. 394 00:32:07,992 --> 00:32:10,261 So the spaces over there are lower? MAURO: What? 395 00:32:10,294 --> 00:32:12,163 MARIO: The spaces over there are lower. 396 00:32:12,196 --> 00:32:15,166 MAURO: Yeah, it's around 15 centimeters. 397 00:32:15,199 --> 00:32:20,037 NARRATOR: The invention of the hypocaust system revolutionized bath-houses, 398 00:32:20,070 --> 00:32:23,975 allowing bathers to linger longer in pleasantly warm water 399 00:32:24,008 --> 00:32:27,244 before stepping onto a heated floor. 400 00:32:27,277 --> 00:32:32,083 But comfort above ground creates a highly hazardous, cramped space below. 401 00:32:35,452 --> 00:32:38,222 MONIKA: I hear some voices, so they must be working. 402 00:32:38,255 --> 00:32:40,291 But I can't see them anymore. 403 00:32:40,324 --> 00:32:42,226 NARRATOR: Under the women's hot immersion pool, 404 00:32:44,361 --> 00:32:48,432 the cavers find and photograph one of the best preserved testudos 405 00:32:48,465 --> 00:32:53,537 in the Roman world. Built to be both fire-resistant and watertight, 406 00:32:53,570 --> 00:32:57,074 the tank's sloping underside had been carefully engineered 407 00:32:57,107 --> 00:33:00,277 so that the heat from the furnace that was once nearby 408 00:33:00,310 --> 00:33:03,781 created a circulating supply of hot water. 409 00:33:03,814 --> 00:33:08,753 Beneath the floor of the women's caldarium the cavers spot something else 410 00:33:08,786 --> 00:33:11,389 that could help Monika's investigation. 411 00:33:12,723 --> 00:33:14,025 MARIO: Ha ha. 412 00:33:27,805 --> 00:33:30,641 NARRATOR: At the insula 17 housing block, 413 00:33:30,674 --> 00:33:34,345 the dig's chief archaeologist, Antonella Coralini, 414 00:33:34,378 --> 00:33:38,116 is overseeing the delicate retrieval of the animal skull. 415 00:33:44,855 --> 00:33:47,725 NARRATOR: If they don't release all the compacted soil around 416 00:33:47,758 --> 00:33:51,262 the 2,000 year old skull, it could shatter. 417 00:33:51,295 --> 00:33:55,066 (foreign dialogue) 418 00:33:59,770 --> 00:34:02,740 Oh, beautiful, he? 419 00:34:14,518 --> 00:34:16,620 NARRATOR: It's a fascinating find. 420 00:34:16,653 --> 00:34:18,489 The skull of a bull. 421 00:34:22,893 --> 00:34:25,696 MARIO: It's interesting because it's very strange 422 00:34:25,729 --> 00:34:29,867 that we find a skull of a bull. 423 00:34:30,834 --> 00:34:35,272 NARRATOR: A bull's skull is a rare find in Pompeii. 424 00:34:35,305 --> 00:34:41,479 In ancient Rome, bulls were highly prized and expensive animals. 425 00:34:41,512 --> 00:34:47,685 MARIO: Generally, it was leaved for the Gods, for the ritual sacrifice. 426 00:34:47,718 --> 00:34:50,254 NARRATOR: Romans believed animal sacrifices 427 00:34:50,287 --> 00:34:53,390 could offer insights into the will of the Gods. 428 00:34:53,423 --> 00:34:59,263 Bulls were among the largest and most prestigious animals killed in this way. 429 00:34:59,296 --> 00:35:03,667 An animal that showed no fear before its death was a good omen. 430 00:35:03,700 --> 00:35:06,837 A sign of approval from the Gods. 431 00:35:06,870 --> 00:35:12,243 The animal's internal organs were inspected by a priest called an augur. 432 00:35:12,276 --> 00:35:14,545 If they looked diseased or damaged, 433 00:35:14,578 --> 00:35:19,683 the sacrifice had to be repeated with a new animal. 434 00:35:19,716 --> 00:35:23,821 If the organs were healthy, the Romans offered a portion to the gods 435 00:35:23,854 --> 00:35:26,257 by burning them on the altar 436 00:35:26,290 --> 00:35:28,292 and then feasted on the rest of the animal. 437 00:35:33,363 --> 00:35:38,703 The team carefully cleans the skull, ready for future expert investigation. 438 00:35:39,704 --> 00:35:44,875 Marks left by axe or hammer blows might confirm Mario's suspicion 439 00:35:44,908 --> 00:35:48,445 the bull was killed in a sacrificial ritual. 440 00:35:48,478 --> 00:35:50,181 MARIO: For us now it's important to understand 441 00:35:50,214 --> 00:35:58,222 why this bull was leaved in this area in front of this wall. 442 00:35:58,255 --> 00:36:06,764 It's a possibility for us that we have a ritual time in this area 443 00:36:06,797 --> 00:36:09,500 before the eruption of 79. 444 00:36:10,901 --> 00:36:15,739 NARRATOR: The team suspects that it's no coincidence the skull was found here, 445 00:36:15,772 --> 00:36:17,708 right alongside the freshwater pipe. 446 00:36:19,810 --> 00:36:23,214 Perhaps the bull was sacrificed to commemorate these homes 447 00:36:23,247 --> 00:36:26,751 making their connection to the public water supply. 448 00:36:31,688 --> 00:36:36,260 NARRATOR: Llorenç's investigation into the life of Marcus Venerius Secundio 449 00:36:36,293 --> 00:36:39,397 has brought him to one of Pompeii's most spectacular sights. 450 00:36:57,914 --> 00:37:00,885 NARRATOR: The Odeon was one of two theatres in Pompeii. 451 00:37:06,990 --> 00:37:09,293 (clapping sound) 452 00:37:33,817 --> 00:37:37,688 NARRATOR: The inscription discovered on Marcus's tomb reveals that after 453 00:37:37,721 --> 00:37:40,824 he gained his freedom he became a priest 454 00:37:40,857 --> 00:37:45,529 and paid for a four-day festival of games, plays and music. 455 00:38:03,647 --> 00:38:09,453 NARRATOR: Marcus's festival could also reveal why he was buried and not burnt. 456 00:38:09,486 --> 00:38:15,859 The inscription specifies performances in both Roman Latin, and also Greek. 457 00:38:15,892 --> 00:38:18,062 This was a complete surprise. 458 00:38:34,378 --> 00:38:38,349 NARRATOR: Greek plays, and the Greek-style burial suggest either Marcus had 459 00:38:38,382 --> 00:38:42,486 Greek ancestors, or he was a great fan of Greek culture. 460 00:38:43,754 --> 00:38:47,658 The DNA analysis might resolve the mystery. 461 00:38:47,691 --> 00:38:52,563 Llorenç's discoveries allow him to piece together the rags to riches story 462 00:38:52,596 --> 00:38:56,000 of the best-preserved body ever found in Pompeii. 463 00:38:59,503 --> 00:39:04,541 Marcus Venerius Secundio was enslaved by the city of Pompeii, 464 00:39:04,574 --> 00:39:08,579 a subject of not one, but of all the citizens. 465 00:39:08,612 --> 00:39:11,982 They chose him to guard a temple dedicated to Venus, 466 00:39:12,015 --> 00:39:16,754 the patron goddess of Pompeii. 467 00:39:16,787 --> 00:39:21,558 When Marcus was freed from enslavement, he joined the Augustales, 468 00:39:21,591 --> 00:39:26,797 an elite order of priests devoted to the cult of the emperor. 469 00:39:26,830 --> 00:39:30,467 Like his fellow priests, he became a rich benefactor 470 00:39:30,500 --> 00:39:35,606 and funded a festival of plays, music and games. 471 00:39:35,639 --> 00:39:39,910 His wealth and high status afforded him a monumental tomb, 472 00:39:39,943 --> 00:39:42,847 among the most prominent in Pompeii. 473 00:40:10,707 --> 00:40:14,745 NARRATOR: Under the Stabian baths, cavers Mauro and Mario 474 00:40:14,778 --> 00:40:17,214 discover a rare stamped inscription. 475 00:40:18,682 --> 00:40:24,555 MARIO: M, A. M, A. 476 00:40:24,588 --> 00:40:25,990 I wonder if there's more? 477 00:40:27,057 --> 00:40:29,827 NARRATOR: It's crucial to take a clear photograph, 478 00:40:29,860 --> 00:40:32,196 to get the best possible evidence for Monika. 479 00:40:42,138 --> 00:40:44,041 MONIKA: Are you done? Oh perfect. 480 00:40:44,074 --> 00:40:47,711 Can I see what you've found? What is that? 481 00:40:47,744 --> 00:40:48,612 MAURO: This is testudo. 482 00:40:48,645 --> 00:40:50,714 (foreign dialogue) 483 00:40:50,747 --> 00:40:53,517 MONIKA: Wow, perfect. 484 00:40:53,550 --> 00:40:57,588 Wow, yeah, you can kind of see. Incredible. 485 00:40:57,621 --> 00:41:00,224 NARRATOR: The photos reveal that, from the underside, 486 00:41:00,257 --> 00:41:03,827 the bronze plates of the immersion pool hot water tank 487 00:41:03,860 --> 00:41:07,831 are joined with two neat rows of rivets. 488 00:41:07,864 --> 00:41:11,835 The overlapping plates look like an armored animal shell. 489 00:41:11,868 --> 00:41:15,606 Another compelling reason why the Romans used "testudo", 490 00:41:15,639 --> 00:41:19,643 the Latin word for tortoise, for the tank. 491 00:41:19,676 --> 00:41:23,914 MAURO: Two rows, everywhere the two sheets overlap. 492 00:41:23,947 --> 00:41:26,583 MONIKA: I think this is one of the best preserved ever 493 00:41:26,616 --> 00:41:29,620 and you can also really see it from below 494 00:41:29,653 --> 00:41:32,723 and from above and fully study how it worked. 495 00:41:32,756 --> 00:41:35,559 And this makes it really exciting. 496 00:41:35,592 --> 00:41:40,664 NARRATOR: The discovery of the stamp could help solve the biggest mystery. 497 00:41:40,697 --> 00:41:43,934 How did the layout of the baths change over time? 498 00:41:45,936 --> 00:41:50,207 MARIO: Right over here is where we found the stamp, so we have an "M". 499 00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:56,880 MONIKA: M, R, O or Q, maybe an R. An M again. 500 00:41:56,913 --> 00:42:00,717 And this looks like a P. And this could be an F. 501 00:42:00,750 --> 00:42:04,855 NARRATOR: The stamp is a mark that identifies the tile-maker. 502 00:42:04,888 --> 00:42:07,291 It's a totally unexpected find. 503 00:42:07,324 --> 00:42:09,159 MONIKA: Oh wow, perfect. 504 00:42:09,192 --> 00:42:12,863 This is like the first complete stamp I know of in the Stabian bath. 505 00:42:12,896 --> 00:42:16,300 And, wow, this is really exciting. 506 00:42:16,333 --> 00:42:20,971 NARRATOR: Matching the stamp to others in Pompeii could give an exact time period 507 00:42:21,004 --> 00:42:23,740 for the floor's installation. 508 00:42:23,773 --> 00:42:26,076 MONIKA: Whether this stamp is known in Pompeii, 509 00:42:26,109 --> 00:42:27,945 because it's really, really important. 510 00:42:27,978 --> 00:42:30,948 It might potentially give us a date for the hypocaust system. 511 00:42:30,981 --> 00:42:34,117 So this is really exciting, if it's really a late stamp 512 00:42:34,150 --> 00:42:37,688 we would have a proof that they had to remodel it. 513 00:42:37,721 --> 00:42:42,659 NARRATOR: Further analysis reveals the tile stamp is one of several in Pompeii 514 00:42:42,692 --> 00:42:47,097 that appear to date to after AD 62. 515 00:42:47,130 --> 00:42:52,836 In that year a major earthquake rocked the city and damaged many buildings. 516 00:42:52,869 --> 00:42:56,907 The people of Pompeii took the opportunity to modernize the building, 517 00:42:56,940 --> 00:43:02,312 fitting a brand-new floor above an upgraded heating system. 518 00:43:02,345 --> 00:43:05,849 But the citizens had only a few years to enjoy their majestic 519 00:43:05,882 --> 00:43:12,923 new bath house before Vesuvius's cataclysmic eruption in AD 79. 520 00:43:12,956 --> 00:43:16,226 MONIKA: Everything we excavate that we reveal, I think, 521 00:43:16,259 --> 00:43:21,131 adds to the picture of history of Roman Pompeii in a significant way. 522 00:43:21,164 --> 00:43:26,136 So excavation really has a purpose to help us reconstruct history. 523 00:43:26,169 --> 00:43:29,139 NARRATOR: Pompeii is slowly giving up its secrets, 524 00:43:29,172 --> 00:43:33,010 revealing the everyday lives of its people. 525 00:43:33,043 --> 00:43:39,282 Bathers enjoying the public baths; worshippers making offerings to their gods; 526 00:43:39,315 --> 00:43:43,186 and enslaved people rising to great wealth. 527 00:43:43,219 --> 00:43:45,789 As archaeologists continue to excavate 528 00:43:45,822 --> 00:43:49,893 this extraordinary 2,000-year-old city frozen in time, 529 00:43:49,926 --> 00:43:53,196 their discoveries will shed fresh insights into life 530 00:43:53,229 --> 00:43:55,633 and death at the height of the Roman Empire. 531 00:44:11,748 --> 00:44:13,216 DAVE: Okay, here we go. 532 00:44:13,249 --> 00:44:20,424 Alright, start moving the boat please, about 6 meters 020, 533 00:44:20,457 --> 00:44:24,695 NARRATOR: Off the coast of Sicily, maritime archaeologists 534 00:44:24,728 --> 00:44:28,231 have discovered a mysterious artifact on the sea floor. 535 00:44:28,264 --> 00:44:30,333 DR. CAMPBELL: It's incredibly exciting to be able to see this 536 00:44:30,366 --> 00:44:33,804 sitting here after more than 2,000 years. 537 00:44:33,837 --> 00:44:37,741 NARRATOR: It may reveal clues about a fierce naval battle 538 00:44:37,774 --> 00:44:42,012 that completely changed Ancient Rome's history. 539 00:44:42,045 --> 00:44:45,883 DAVE: We have lift off. DR. CAMPBELL: I'm hoping it comes up in one piece. 540 00:44:54,090 --> 00:44:59,830 (music) 541 00:44:59,863 --> 00:45:03,166 NARRATOR: Rome, the eternal city. 542 00:45:03,199 --> 00:45:09,272 2,000 years ago it was the greatest city of the ancient world 543 00:45:09,305 --> 00:45:12,008 in the heart of a mighty empire that stretched 544 00:45:12,041 --> 00:45:16,780 for almost three million square miles. 545 00:45:16,813 --> 00:45:22,786 Today teams of archaeologists dig Rome and its empire, searching for clues 546 00:45:22,819 --> 00:45:29,159 to understand how this city rose to dominate so much of the ancient world. 547 00:45:29,192 --> 00:45:33,263 DR. SCHEDING: For me as an archaeologist this is a great site because you can see 548 00:45:33,296 --> 00:45:37,000 the growth and rise of the Roman empire. 549 00:45:37,033 --> 00:45:41,171 NARRATOR: How did this one city conquer the entire Italian peninsular, 550 00:45:41,204 --> 00:45:45,442 the Mediterranean world and beyond? 551 00:45:45,475 --> 00:45:50,313 We follow excavators as they investigate how Rome and its people 552 00:45:50,346 --> 00:45:56,120 drove an incredible expansion from city state to imperial power. 553 00:45:58,955 --> 00:46:03,560 In search of answers, Canadian archaeologist, Eve MacDonald, 554 00:46:03,593 --> 00:46:07,164 has come to the heart of the ancient capital. 555 00:46:07,197 --> 00:46:11,902 DR. MACDONALD: Here it is, the Roman Forum, the center of the city of Rome. 556 00:46:15,138 --> 00:46:21,611 The very essence of the city that became a world empire. 557 00:46:21,644 --> 00:46:26,416 NARRATOR: Eve has been studying the Romans for over 20 years. 558 00:46:26,449 --> 00:46:29,186 DR. MACDONALD: I find the Romans absolutely fascinating. 559 00:46:29,219 --> 00:46:32,889 If you don't understand the Romans you really can't understand so much of 560 00:46:32,922 --> 00:46:36,894 Mediterranean history, of world history. 561 00:46:39,162 --> 00:46:43,433 NARRATOR: To see evidence of Rome's early ambitions of conquest, 562 00:46:43,466 --> 00:46:50,440 she's heading to one of the city's oldest structures built in the fourth century BC. 563 00:46:52,208 --> 00:46:56,179 DR. MACDONALD: Here we have a massive defensive wall. 564 00:46:56,212 --> 00:47:01,184 These stones that we look at come from a site outside of Rome itself, 565 00:47:01,217 --> 00:47:05,522 they were quarried from a city called Veii, which isn't very far away. 566 00:47:05,555 --> 00:47:10,560 It's only on a tributary of the Tiber River but it is a symbolic place 567 00:47:10,593 --> 00:47:15,299 because it stands for one of Rome's great early conquests. 568 00:47:16,066 --> 00:47:21,972 NARRATOR: From its earliest times, Rome had a thirst for war and conquest 569 00:47:22,005 --> 00:47:24,608 even before it was a powerful city. 570 00:47:27,944 --> 00:47:33,350 In the fourth century BC, Rome was a vulnerable city state. 571 00:47:33,383 --> 00:47:40,390 It had a track for chariot racing and mass entertainment, the Circus Maximus, 572 00:47:40,423 --> 00:47:44,294 temples for worshipping Gods and for public meetings 573 00:47:44,327 --> 00:47:48,999 and many houses made of mud brick and wood. 574 00:47:49,032 --> 00:47:54,905 It was spread across seven hills an area of 610 acres 575 00:47:54,938 --> 00:48:00,343 and was protected by a huge wall, 32 feet tall, 576 00:48:00,376 --> 00:48:03,647 built in response to repeated attacks. 577 00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:08,652 How did this city begin the conquest that led to its complete control 578 00:48:08,685 --> 00:48:10,888 of the Mediterranean world? 579 00:48:13,556 --> 00:48:16,593 DR. MACDONALD: This wall tells us about two aspects of the Romans. 580 00:48:16,626 --> 00:48:20,163 One is their aggressive conquest of their neighbors 581 00:48:20,196 --> 00:48:22,565 with their taking of the city of Veii 582 00:48:22,598 --> 00:48:27,003 and the other is their incredible resilience in the face of challenge. 583 00:48:27,036 --> 00:48:30,908 It was a zero sum game, conquer or be conquered. 584 00:48:33,443 --> 00:48:39,115 NARRATOR: In Trapani, Sicily, 260 miles south of Rome. 585 00:48:39,148 --> 00:48:43,553 DR. CAMPBELL: I think moving further east to delineate the battle site is a great plan. 586 00:48:43,586 --> 00:48:46,156 NARRATOR: Maritime archaeologist, Peter Campbell, 587 00:48:46,189 --> 00:48:50,060 and his colleagues from the RPM Nautical Foundation 588 00:48:50,093 --> 00:48:55,432 are setting sail on a state of the art research vessel, the Hercules. 589 00:48:55,465 --> 00:48:58,468 They are looking for traces of a brutal naval battle 590 00:48:58,501 --> 00:49:02,238 fought in the third century BC. 591 00:49:02,271 --> 00:49:04,007 DR. CAMPBELL: The battle of the Egadi Islands 592 00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:08,178 is one of the most important ancient naval battles that took place. 593 00:49:08,211 --> 00:49:10,347 This is a point where history changed. 594 00:49:10,380 --> 00:49:16,786 -(Radio dialogue) -Copy that. 595 00:49:16,819 --> 00:49:20,357 NARRATOR: Peter is a specialist in ancient marine warfare, 596 00:49:20,390 --> 00:49:22,726 he hopes the mission will provide clues 597 00:49:22,759 --> 00:49:28,531 to how the Romans mastered the seas to achieve one of their most important conquests. 598 00:49:28,564 --> 00:49:32,669 DR. CAMPBELL: The significance of this battle is that Rome took on 599 00:49:32,702 --> 00:49:36,006 Carthage which was a superpower at the time. 600 00:49:36,039 --> 00:49:39,042 It's really exciting to be part of this project for me 601 00:49:39,075 --> 00:49:43,680 because there's very little evidence for ancient warships that has survived. 602 00:49:43,713 --> 00:49:47,283 NARRATOR: Ancient historical accounts reveal the clash took place 603 00:49:47,316 --> 00:49:52,255 off the western coast of Sicily. To identify the full extent of the battlefield, 604 00:49:52,288 --> 00:49:55,658 the investigators use the very latest search technology, 605 00:49:55,691 --> 00:50:00,196 including side scan sonars, which map the seabed. 606 00:50:00,229 --> 00:50:04,567 DR. CAMPBELL: The search area is 5.5 times larger than Manhattan 607 00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:08,471 and we're sitting on a research vessel 100 meters above the sea floor; 608 00:50:08,504 --> 00:50:13,443 so it's a bit like searching for objects that are less than a meter wide 609 00:50:13,476 --> 00:50:16,679 from sitting on top of the Empire State Building. 610 00:50:16,712 --> 00:50:22,118 NARRATOR: Peter and the team have identified anomalies on the sea floor, 611 00:50:22,151 --> 00:50:28,858 the challenge now is to examine each of these targets at a depth of 260 feet 612 00:50:28,891 --> 00:50:32,228 and find out if they are traces of the battle. 613 00:50:32,261 --> 00:50:36,366 -(Radio dialogue) 614 00:50:36,399 --> 00:50:40,403 The archaeologists head to one of the most promising sites. 615 00:50:40,436 --> 00:50:43,106 CAPTAIN: Copy that. Slowing down 2.7. 616 00:50:43,139 --> 00:50:44,408 4.0 meters to go. 617 00:50:47,110 --> 00:50:53,249 NARRATOR: The team launches a cutting edge remote operated vehicle or ROV. 618 00:50:53,282 --> 00:50:56,719 DR. CAMPBELL: The ROV serves as our eyes on the sea floor. 619 00:50:56,752 --> 00:51:01,357 NARRATOR: Technology like this has revolutionized maritime archaeology, 620 00:51:01,390 --> 00:51:04,795 long lost treasures are now within reach. 621 00:51:05,962 --> 00:51:13,770 This underwater robot houses a high res camera allowing the archaeologists 622 00:51:13,803 --> 00:51:17,174 to study their targets close up. 623 00:51:19,342 --> 00:51:21,578 With the ROV successfully deployed, 624 00:51:23,713 --> 00:51:27,818 Peter and the team can now examine every inch of the sea floor. 625 00:51:29,419 --> 00:51:33,456 DR. CAMPBELL: If you spin left we might have a little flicker of something. 626 00:51:33,489 --> 00:51:36,693 If we can try and see if anything flashes. 627 00:51:38,227 --> 00:51:42,265 -(Radio dialogue) 628 00:51:42,298 --> 00:51:46,870 NARRATOR: The ROV moves carefully from target to target . 629 00:51:46,903 --> 00:51:51,608 DR. CAMPBELL: We've got something there about eight meters away. 630 00:51:51,641 --> 00:51:54,577 I think it's a rock, what do you guys say? DAVE: Rock. 631 00:51:54,610 --> 00:51:57,347 DR. CAMPBELL: Alright, let's keep moving. 632 00:51:57,380 --> 00:51:58,582 If you come back up. 633 00:52:01,317 --> 00:52:04,621 It's a bit like looking for a needle in the world's largest haystack. 634 00:52:04,654 --> 00:52:08,458 So what we're trying to do here is search this area 635 00:52:08,491 --> 00:52:13,296 and hope that something pops out of the abyss. 636 00:52:17,366 --> 00:52:19,536 DAVE: Visual contact. 637 00:52:19,569 --> 00:52:23,640 NARRATOR: Suddenly the image on screen gets everyone excited. 638 00:52:25,908 --> 00:52:29,646 JIM: Stop, large visual contact here. 639 00:52:32,815 --> 00:52:34,984 DR. CAMPBELL: Jonny can you get down? JOHNNY: Looking down. 640 00:52:35,017 --> 00:52:36,419 DAVE: There it is. 641 00:52:36,452 --> 00:52:39,689 DR. CAMPBELL: That's a beauty. JIM: Bingo! 642 00:52:41,691 --> 00:52:46,429 NARRATOR: In Terracina, 50 miles southeast of Rome, 643 00:52:46,462 --> 00:52:49,866 a team of archaeologists is digging at an intriguing site 644 00:52:49,899 --> 00:52:51,635 on top of a mountain. 645 00:52:52,769 --> 00:52:55,505 DR. SCHEDING: This is the central place where all the people 646 00:52:55,538 --> 00:52:58,942 from Terracina are coming together to worship their gods. 647 00:53:04,981 --> 00:53:09,319 NARRATOR: Archaeologists, Paul Scheding and Francesca Diosono 648 00:53:09,352 --> 00:53:11,754 are leading the excavation. DR. SCHEDING: The thing 649 00:53:11,787 --> 00:53:14,524 that I enjoy the most being an archaeologist 650 00:53:14,557 --> 00:53:18,895 is that you can touch history, so you have real objects you can touch. 651 00:53:18,928 --> 00:53:23,700 DR. DIOSONO: We have so much work to do now in a wonderful landscape. 652 00:53:23,733 --> 00:53:26,836 NARRATOR: Terracina is a very ancient settlement, 653 00:53:26,869 --> 00:53:32,442 dating from at least 600 BC and it was one of Rome's neighbors. 654 00:53:32,475 --> 00:53:37,981 Paul and Francesca hope it can yield clues to the early stages of Roman expansion 655 00:53:38,014 --> 00:53:39,983 within the Italian peninsula. 656 00:53:40,016 --> 00:53:43,653 DR. SCHEDING: Hey guys, how are you doing? 657 00:53:43,686 --> 00:53:45,421 Something special? 658 00:53:45,454 --> 00:53:48,524 ARCHAEOLOGIST: Yes, we found an ingot. 659 00:53:48,557 --> 00:53:50,760 DR. SCHEDING: A piece of lead? ARCHAEOLOGIST: Yes. 660 00:53:50,793 --> 00:53:52,562 DR. DIOSONO: With an inscription? 661 00:53:52,595 --> 00:53:57,500 Oh it's very unusual to find, it's very rare. DR. SCHEDING: Yes. 662 00:53:57,533 --> 00:54:00,503 NARRATOR: Inscriptions are valuable clues. 663 00:54:00,536 --> 00:54:05,041 The names and style of lettering can reveal their date. 664 00:54:05,074 --> 00:54:09,312 DR. SCHEDING: This is a V and the A, this has to be maybe an M. 665 00:54:09,345 --> 00:54:10,580 DR. DIOSONO: This is also complete. 666 00:54:10,613 --> 00:54:12,749 DR. SCHEDING: Yes and it's definitely Roman. 667 00:54:12,782 --> 00:54:16,519 So we have something in hand that we can work on. 668 00:54:16,552 --> 00:54:19,022 This is an exciting day actually for us. 669 00:54:19,055 --> 00:54:23,426 NARRATOR: The inscribed ingot shows the presence of the Romans on site 670 00:54:23,459 --> 00:54:26,029 but not when they arrived and took over. 671 00:54:26,062 --> 00:54:32,302 To confirm the date, the archaeologists need much older evidence. 672 00:54:32,335 --> 00:54:35,805 DR. DIOSONO: Hi guys, how's it going? ARCHAEOLOGIST: Fine. 673 00:54:35,838 --> 00:54:41,044 NARRATOR: Francesca checks in with her team in another section of the site. 674 00:54:41,077 --> 00:54:43,513 DR. DIOSONO: How about the material? What did you find? 675 00:54:43,546 --> 00:54:46,949 ARCHAEOLOGIST: We found some pottery, some black clay. 676 00:54:46,982 --> 00:54:49,419 DR. DIOSONO: I think it's a piece of pottery. 677 00:54:49,452 --> 00:54:52,555 Yes, we have to keep it. 678 00:54:52,588 --> 00:54:57,794 NARRATOR: Every tiny shard of pottery they find can provide vital clues. 679 00:54:57,827 --> 00:55:00,997 To the expert eye, minute differences in shape 680 00:55:01,030 --> 00:55:05,835 and decoration can be evidence of place and time of production. 681 00:55:05,868 --> 00:55:13,776 DR. DIOSONO: We found big plates of Roman period, from I think second century BC. 682 00:55:13,809 --> 00:55:18,915 This is a big jar for containing food. 683 00:55:18,948 --> 00:55:23,686 This is pre-Roman pottery but it's very, very small; 684 00:55:23,719 --> 00:55:26,923 this is pre-Roman because it's handmade pottery 685 00:55:26,956 --> 00:55:29,926 so before Rome arriving here. 686 00:55:29,959 --> 00:55:35,031 NARRATOR: The pre-Roman pottery is mostly found in deeper archaeological layers 687 00:55:35,064 --> 00:55:38,101 which points to a date of Roman conquest. 688 00:55:38,134 --> 00:55:40,670 DR. DIOSONO: Terracina's Roman colony started here 689 00:55:40,703 --> 00:55:42,772 at the end of the fourth century BC. 690 00:55:45,708 --> 00:55:49,011 NARRATOR: From its earliest times, Rome started clashing 691 00:55:49,044 --> 00:55:54,917 with its neighbors and was slowly expanding. 692 00:55:54,950 --> 00:55:59,989 In the fourth century BC it kept pushing south to Terracina 693 00:56:02,758 --> 00:56:05,462 and beyond to the bay of Naples. 694 00:56:07,196 --> 00:56:10,066 By the middle of the third century BC, 695 00:56:10,099 --> 00:56:13,536 Rome controlled most of the Italian peninsula. 696 00:56:17,740 --> 00:56:21,511 The excavation is going well for Paul and Francesca 697 00:56:21,544 --> 00:56:25,515 but many mysteries remain unsolved here. 698 00:56:25,548 --> 00:56:29,685 DR. SCHEDING: The temples and the architecture was built in different steps, 699 00:56:29,718 --> 00:56:34,624 so we want to get also a clue how this whole area developed 700 00:56:34,657 --> 00:56:38,862 and to link all the structures to the rise of Rome. 701 00:56:41,931 --> 00:56:44,133 NARRATOR: Off the coast of Sicily. 702 00:56:44,166 --> 00:56:47,236 DR. CAMPBELL: Look at that. 703 00:56:47,269 --> 00:56:53,643 NARRATOR: Peter and the team are trying to work out what the sunken relic is. 704 00:56:53,676 --> 00:56:57,046 DR. CAMPBELL: Oh it's all twisted and covered in fishing line. 705 00:56:57,079 --> 00:56:59,215 Jonny can you get round the back? JOHNNY: Yep. 706 00:56:59,248 --> 00:57:05,888 Yeah, I'll come up and start moving around so you can try and get a good overall view. 707 00:57:05,921 --> 00:57:10,460 NARRATOR: The team hopes this evidence can identify a section of the battle site 708 00:57:10,493 --> 00:57:14,497 where Rome fought for mastery of the Mediterranean. 709 00:57:14,530 --> 00:57:16,065 DR. CAMPBELL: Look at that. 710 00:57:16,098 --> 00:57:19,035 It's a ram. Wow! 711 00:57:20,302 --> 00:57:23,272 It's a bit of a jungle but underneath all of that 712 00:57:23,305 --> 00:57:27,877 it looks like a really impressive robust ram. 713 00:57:27,910 --> 00:57:33,516 NARRATOR: This ram was attached to the front of a ship. 714 00:57:33,549 --> 00:57:37,520 It was designed to strike and sink enemy vessels. 715 00:57:41,123 --> 00:57:43,259 DR. CAMPBELL: This is an incredible discovery. 716 00:57:43,292 --> 00:57:48,698 It extends the battlefield, and it tells us that it covered a huge territory, 717 00:57:48,731 --> 00:57:52,134 much larger than what we expected. 718 00:57:52,167 --> 00:57:55,938 NARRATOR: Now the archaeologists want to lift up the ram 719 00:57:55,971 --> 00:57:58,007 and examine it closely. 720 00:57:58,040 --> 00:58:03,012 They want to find out if it's Roman or Carthaginian. 721 00:58:03,045 --> 00:58:06,048 Team members Jim and Jonny are figuring out 722 00:58:06,081 --> 00:58:09,752 how to do it without damaging the fragile find. 723 00:58:09,785 --> 00:58:11,754 JIM: We're going to have to deal with that ship, 724 00:58:11,787 --> 00:58:16,726 the line that's snarled around it and get some kind of rigging on it, 725 00:58:16,759 --> 00:58:19,629 don't you think Johnny. JOHNNY: Yeah. JIM: To bring it up. 726 00:58:19,662 --> 00:58:22,131 JOHNNY: I think we need divers in the water to try and release that. 727 00:58:25,200 --> 00:58:29,605 NARRATOR: In Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, archaeologist, 728 00:58:29,638 --> 00:58:33,809 Nejib Ben Lazreg is investigating Rome's great rival 729 00:58:33,842 --> 00:58:37,747 in the Battle of the Aegates, the Carthaginians. 730 00:58:38,714 --> 00:58:43,319 PROF LAZREG: I became interested in archaeology after reading 731 00:58:43,352 --> 00:58:45,955 about a discovery done in Egypt. 732 00:58:45,988 --> 00:58:53,029 I knew that Tunisia is full of ancient sites, wherever you dig you find something. 733 00:58:53,062 --> 00:58:57,800 NARRATOR: He heads to the seafront of the modern city looking for ancient remains. 734 00:59:01,003 --> 00:59:05,741 PROF LAZREG: We are in the middle of a military harbor which was round. 735 00:59:05,774 --> 00:59:09,211 In the very middle we have an artificial island because the harbors 736 00:59:09,244 --> 00:59:15,184 were dug in the mainland, they didn't have jetties. 737 00:59:15,217 --> 00:59:19,355 NARRATOR: Carthage's harbor was a masterpiece of ancient engineering. 738 00:59:19,388 --> 00:59:22,759 It could fit up to 220 war ships. 739 00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:28,130 PROF LAZREG: The foundation of the power of Carthage 740 00:59:28,163 --> 00:59:30,900 was due to the control of the sea routes. 741 00:59:35,004 --> 00:59:39,942 NARRATOR: In the third century BC, Carthage was a major power. 742 00:59:39,975 --> 00:59:45,348 Their navy gave them control of territories on the Mediterranean coast. 743 00:59:45,381 --> 00:59:51,621 They had fought the Greeks for over 300 years to conquer western Sicily. 744 00:59:52,555 --> 00:59:59,695 In 264 BC, Carthage seized the Port of Messana on the east coast of the island, 745 00:59:59,728 --> 01:00:03,866 only three miles from Roman territories on the Italian mainland. 746 01:00:07,036 --> 01:00:13,743 Sensing danger, Rome sent troops and ships to Sicily triggering war with Carthage. 747 01:00:19,214 --> 01:00:24,253 PROF LAZREG: Carthage in the third century BC was an important metropolis. 748 01:00:24,286 --> 01:00:27,890 NARRATOR: The Carthaginians were master seafarers, 749 01:00:27,923 --> 01:00:30,660 their ships outnumbered the Romans. 750 01:00:31,227 --> 01:00:34,997 So when the two fleets clashed off the Aegates islands, 751 01:00:35,030 --> 01:00:39,235 it was a crucial test of Rome's maritime ambition. 752 01:00:41,937 --> 01:00:48,110 NARRATOR: 500 miles north of Rome in Gunzenhausen, Germany, 753 01:00:48,143 --> 01:00:51,781 classical historian, Boris Dreyer 754 01:00:51,814 --> 01:00:56,152 is leading a team of experimental archaeologists. 755 01:00:56,185 --> 01:00:59,789 Their innovative project aims to reveal the technology 756 01:00:59,822 --> 01:01:03,225 the Romans used to fight at sea. 757 01:01:03,258 --> 01:01:08,330 They have rebuilt two Roman boats based on wrecks found in the Danube 758 01:01:08,363 --> 01:01:12,769 and the Rhine and want to test their speed and efficiency on water. 759 01:01:14,070 --> 01:01:18,174 PROF DREYER: The best preserved wrecks can be found here in Germany, 760 01:01:18,207 --> 01:01:20,142 not in the Mediterranean. 761 01:01:20,175 --> 01:01:23,746 They were fixed on the bottom of the river so the conditions were airtight 762 01:01:23,779 --> 01:01:27,150 and the ship could survive these 2000 years. 763 01:01:30,219 --> 01:01:34,490 NARRATOR: The wrecks only provide partial evidence. 764 01:01:34,523 --> 01:01:39,796 Boris has had to make some mathematical estimations in important places. 765 01:01:40,329 --> 01:01:42,364 PROF DREYER: This is the ram of the boat. 766 01:01:42,397 --> 01:01:45,367 We don't actually know the length of the ram, 767 01:01:45,400 --> 01:01:52,041 this length is just a guess but we know that there must have been a ram. 768 01:01:52,074 --> 01:01:55,044 NARRATOR: This boat is a quarter of the size of the ones used 769 01:01:55,077 --> 01:01:57,546 in the Battle of the Aegates. 770 01:01:57,579 --> 01:02:00,750 Its ram is made of wood unlike the bigger boats 771 01:02:00,783 --> 01:02:04,420 whose ram was bronze or iron. 772 01:02:04,453 --> 01:02:08,824 Boris thinks the ram reduces the turbulence alongside the hull 773 01:02:08,857 --> 01:02:12,561 and keeps the boat balanced as it cuts through the waves. 774 01:02:12,594 --> 01:02:16,799 PROF DREYER: This kind of design makes the boat more stable in water 775 01:02:16,832 --> 01:02:19,902 because the boat is very shallow. 776 01:02:19,935 --> 01:02:25,407 NARRATOR: The next challenge for Boris and the team is making the boat waterproof. 777 01:02:25,440 --> 01:02:29,578 He wants to try an ancient method using hemp, 778 01:02:29,611 --> 01:02:33,983 one of the earliest plants to be spun into fibre in the ancient world. 779 01:02:34,016 --> 01:02:38,855 PROF DREYER: Hemp is important to make the space between the planks dense. 780 01:02:42,391 --> 01:02:48,397 The planks are pressing to each other so that no water will come into the boat. 781 01:02:48,430 --> 01:02:53,836 NARRATOR: When the wood is wet it expands, compressing the hemp between the planks 782 01:02:53,869 --> 01:02:58,407 and sealing the hull but problems soon emerge. 783 01:03:05,581 --> 01:03:08,350 NARRATOR: Some of the hemp has been pushed in too far 784 01:03:08,383 --> 01:03:11,087 leaving gaps between the planks. 785 01:03:14,890 --> 01:03:17,359 NARRATOR: This can jeopardize the boat's seaworthiness 786 01:03:17,392 --> 01:03:20,362 because the planks will not be locked together. 787 01:03:20,395 --> 01:03:26,002 Boris must make sure all the gaps are filled or his boat could sink. 788 01:03:29,938 --> 01:03:35,978 In Terracina, Paul heads to the center of the modern town. 789 01:03:38,113 --> 01:03:41,350 DR. SCHEDING: Here are some inscriptions left here. 790 01:03:41,383 --> 01:03:47,556 It's the letter I, then V or U and S. 791 01:03:47,589 --> 01:03:54,163 This is the inscription of the man who financed the Forum. 792 01:03:54,196 --> 01:03:57,900 NARRATOR: The full inscription reads Aulus Aemilius, 793 01:03:57,933 --> 01:04:01,103 he was a wealthy Roman citizen. 794 01:04:01,136 --> 01:04:07,042 DR. SCHEDING: This is the ancient Forum and this is the actual ancient floor. 795 01:04:07,075 --> 01:04:12,982 NARRATOR: Wherever Romans like Aulus Aemilius went, they rebuilt Rome. 796 01:04:13,015 --> 01:04:18,487 Their new subjects soon enjoyed the benefits of life under Roman rule. 797 01:04:18,520 --> 01:04:23,592 Right next to Terracina's Forum another ancient structure helps reveal 798 01:04:23,625 --> 01:04:27,396 how the Romans took control of all Italy. 799 01:04:27,429 --> 01:04:31,700 DR. SCHEDING: The most important thing here is the road over there, 800 01:04:31,733 --> 01:04:38,274 you can see coming from the north and going through the south. 801 01:04:38,307 --> 01:04:44,680 NARRATOR: This ancient road, the Via Appia, connects Terracina directly to Rome. 802 01:04:44,713 --> 01:04:48,951 It's evidence of an ingenious tactic of Roman control. 803 01:04:50,652 --> 01:04:54,190 In Rome, 50 miles north of Terracina, 804 01:04:56,091 --> 01:05:01,497 Eve examines traces of the same road leading out of the capital. 805 01:05:01,530 --> 01:05:04,967 DR. MACDONALD: This is this amazing example 806 01:05:05,000 --> 01:05:08,504 of one of the many, many, many thousands of tombs of people 807 01:05:08,537 --> 01:05:13,075 who wanted you to see as you walked into the city 808 01:05:13,108 --> 01:05:16,979 that they were prominent Romans. 809 01:05:17,012 --> 01:05:22,351 NARRATOR: These many tombs of wealthy Romans reveal the importance of this road. 810 01:05:22,384 --> 01:05:25,955 It is the main entrance into the ancient city. 811 01:05:27,056 --> 01:05:31,093 Eve can date the road through these monuments. 812 01:05:31,126 --> 01:05:36,498 DR. MACDONALD: We often date portraits from the Roman period by the hairstyle. 813 01:05:36,531 --> 01:05:42,004 The hairstyle of the woman who's on the left is very similar to the hairstyle 814 01:05:42,037 --> 01:05:49,378 that we see on some of the portraits of the first Roman Empress Livia, 815 01:05:49,411 --> 01:05:53,248 that's Augustus Octavian's wife. 816 01:05:53,281 --> 01:05:58,487 So the first century BC would be a good date for the family here. 817 01:05:58,520 --> 01:06:03,459 NARRATOR: The dates of these tombs reveal that by the first century BC, 818 01:06:03,492 --> 01:06:08,430 the Via Appia was already established as one of the most important highways 819 01:06:08,463 --> 01:06:10,232 in the ancient world. 820 01:06:10,999 --> 01:06:15,637 The Romans began building it almost as soon as they started expanding 821 01:06:15,670 --> 01:06:17,473 in the fourth century BC. 822 01:06:19,775 --> 01:06:25,080 The Via Appia led to Terracina to the south, 823 01:06:25,113 --> 01:06:27,583 extended south east through Capua, 824 01:06:30,085 --> 01:06:33,689 ending at Brundisium in 264 BC. 825 01:06:36,425 --> 01:06:43,465 Spanning over 360 miles, it was the first super highway the Romans ever built 826 01:06:43,498 --> 01:06:47,603 and was a vital route for marching armies and military supplies. 827 01:06:51,540 --> 01:06:57,246 This huge paved road, averaging 20 feet in width, allowed Rome 828 01:06:57,279 --> 01:07:03,619 to concentrate its troops rapidly and maintain control of far flung territories. 829 01:07:03,652 --> 01:07:09,124 It was crucial to Rome's military domination of the Italian peninsular. 830 01:07:09,157 --> 01:07:10,626 DR. MACDONALD: Very early on in Rome's history, 831 01:07:10,659 --> 01:07:14,697 it has the ability to create massive infrastructure. 832 01:07:18,366 --> 01:07:23,872 NARRATOR: In Terracina at the dig site, Paul and Francesca are hunting 833 01:07:23,905 --> 01:07:27,476 for artifacts to date the buildings of the temple here 834 01:07:27,509 --> 01:07:31,113 and find new clues about Rome's expansion 835 01:07:31,146 --> 01:07:34,316 but their project might have to come to a halt. 836 01:07:34,349 --> 01:07:38,454 DR. SCHEDING: There are thunderstorms coming from the north to Terracina. 837 01:07:38,487 --> 01:07:42,724 This is quite a difficult situation for us because we are on top of the mountain, 838 01:07:42,757 --> 01:07:45,394 so we are kind of exposed. 839 01:07:45,427 --> 01:07:48,697 NARRATOR: Last year the team sheltered in one of the ancient temples 840 01:07:48,730 --> 01:07:52,234 during a storm and it was hit by lightning. 841 01:07:52,267 --> 01:07:54,903 DR. SCHEDING: Excavating in a thunderstorm is like 842 01:07:54,936 --> 01:07:57,739 the most dangerous thing that you can do. 843 01:07:57,772 --> 01:08:00,309 NARRATOR: Everyone hurries off the site. 844 01:08:00,342 --> 01:08:04,346 (lightning sound) 845 01:08:04,379 --> 01:08:10,452 In Gunzenhausen, Germany, Boris and his team are ready to put 846 01:08:10,485 --> 01:08:13,422 their Roman replica boat on water. 847 01:08:14,756 --> 01:08:18,861 PROF DREYER: Hello. How is it going? 848 01:08:18,894 --> 01:08:19,728 Are we ready to take off? 849 01:08:19,761 --> 01:08:22,331 (simultaneous dialogue) 850 01:08:22,364 --> 01:08:26,702 Hopefully it will not sink. NARRATOR: They want to test its speed and efficiency 851 01:08:26,735 --> 01:08:29,404 to find out if ship building technology 852 01:08:29,437 --> 01:08:35,444 and engineering are the secret to Rome's expansion into the Mediterranean. 853 01:08:35,477 --> 01:08:42,184 First they need to tow the 2.2 tonne vessel out of the hanger. 854 01:08:46,321 --> 01:08:49,291 BUILDER: You may go ahead. You're ready. 855 01:08:49,324 --> 01:08:51,393 NARRATOR: It has been a year in the making. 856 01:08:51,426 --> 01:08:53,596 So they take great care. 857 01:08:58,266 --> 01:09:04,473 NARRATOR: Once out, Boris reverses the boat slowly into the water. 858 01:09:04,506 --> 01:09:08,944 No one knows if the ancient hemp waterproofing technique will work. 859 01:09:10,545 --> 01:09:12,948 There's a real risk it will sink. 860 01:09:14,583 --> 01:09:19,221 BUILDER: Yeah! Bravo! (Applause). 861 01:09:19,254 --> 01:09:21,257 NARRATOR: The boat is finally afloat 862 01:09:29,431 --> 01:09:32,635 but water starts seeping in. 863 01:09:34,336 --> 01:09:36,772 PROF DREYER: We just have to look here. It's not sure. 864 01:09:40,542 --> 01:09:43,512 Water is coming in but it seems to be okay. 865 01:09:43,545 --> 01:09:45,581 So it's the right amount of water. 866 01:09:45,614 --> 01:09:50,285 NARRATOR: The boat can handle about three inches of water inside the hull 867 01:09:50,318 --> 01:09:53,288 but more could become dangerous. 868 01:09:53,321 --> 01:09:57,426 This allows the planks to expand and lock the hemp inside. 869 01:10:02,564 --> 01:10:06,902 NARRATOR: The Roman ship building design is so far proving solid. 870 01:10:10,672 --> 01:10:14,977 NARRATOR: Off the west coast of Sicily, 871 01:10:15,010 --> 01:10:20,516 the divers have cleaned up the ram and wrapped a strap around it. 872 01:10:22,751 --> 01:10:26,488 Peter and the team aboard the Hercules are getting ready to lift it. 873 01:10:32,027 --> 01:10:34,696 DAVE: Okay, we've got the ram. Here we go. 874 01:10:34,729 --> 01:10:39,401 Alright, start moving the boat please, about 6 meters 020. 875 01:10:42,804 --> 01:10:47,542 NARRATOR: The main challenge is to attach the strap to the ship's powerful crane 876 01:10:47,575 --> 01:10:50,345 without damaging the brittle ram. 877 01:10:50,378 --> 01:10:52,447 DAVE: Back deck deploy the crane. 878 01:10:52,480 --> 01:10:53,983 (Copy that, radio dialogue) 879 01:10:54,917 --> 01:11:00,656 NARRATOR: First, the ROV has to pick up the heavy hook of the crane. 880 01:11:00,689 --> 01:11:04,293 DR. CAMPBELL: Dave if you could just keep an eye on the tether on the top left. 881 01:11:04,326 --> 01:11:06,461 DAVE: Right. No, no, no left. 882 01:11:06,494 --> 01:11:08,430 DR. CAMPBELL: We'll go with the left, yeah, yeah. 883 01:11:11,700 --> 01:11:14,069 Hey. Okay. 884 01:11:14,102 --> 01:11:19,574 NARRATOR: Then it needs to pass the tether of the strap through the crane's hook. 885 01:11:19,607 --> 01:11:21,910 DAVE: You have to spin around and come in that way. 886 01:11:21,943 --> 01:11:25,814 Back up, back up, back up. Let it clear. 887 01:11:25,847 --> 01:11:29,318 NARRATOR: Each movement of the ROV kicks up sand 888 01:11:29,351 --> 01:11:33,722 reducing the water visibility, so progress is slow. 889 01:11:33,755 --> 01:11:34,690 DAVE: You've got a straight shot in. 890 01:11:36,691 --> 01:11:39,928 Push right. 891 01:11:39,961 --> 01:11:41,596 DR. CAMPBELL: Alright! 892 01:11:41,629 --> 01:11:45,367 NARRATOR: Eventually, the two are connected. 893 01:11:45,400 --> 01:11:47,602 JIM: Does everybody agree we're clear? 894 01:11:47,635 --> 01:11:49,938 DAVE: We're clear. JIM: Alright, let's lift. 895 01:11:49,971 --> 01:11:54,443 NARRATOR: The ram has been underwater for 2,300 years. 896 01:11:54,476 --> 01:11:58,914 There's a huge risk that lifting it will tear it apart. 897 01:11:58,947 --> 01:12:02,718 Everyone in the control room holds their breath. 898 01:12:02,751 --> 01:12:05,487 DR. CAMPBELL: I'm hoping it comes up in one piece. 899 01:12:05,520 --> 01:12:07,790 JIM: Yeah. Up three meters. 900 01:12:15,497 --> 01:12:21,169 NARRATOR: In Gunzenhausen, Germany, Boris has enlisted the help of 18 students 901 01:12:21,202 --> 01:12:22,571 and volunteers. 902 01:12:24,773 --> 01:12:27,442 PROF DREYER: Loose the ropes. Okay. 903 01:12:27,475 --> 01:12:29,077 Ready at oars. 904 01:12:29,110 --> 01:12:35,851 Put your oars in the water and at the signal go and go and go and go. 905 01:12:35,884 --> 01:12:39,554 NARRATOR: They want to find out how fast a Roman ship is 906 01:12:39,587 --> 01:12:41,923 and how easy it is to maneuver. 907 01:12:41,956 --> 01:12:47,462 It could reveal if engineering gave Rome the edge in naval warfare. 908 01:12:47,495 --> 01:12:51,433 DR. CAMPBELL: It's the wind. We are rowing against the wind. 909 01:12:51,466 --> 01:12:54,470 Very, very, very difficult, rough. 910 01:12:56,438 --> 01:12:59,708 Go! 911 01:12:59,741 --> 01:13:03,712 NARRATOR: The strong winds bring the boat to a standstill. 912 01:13:03,745 --> 01:13:07,549 KORAI: I can't feel my hands actually but we have to continue rowing. 913 01:13:07,582 --> 01:13:09,684 PROF DREYER: Keep to the rhythm. 914 01:13:09,717 --> 01:13:15,457 NARRATOR: The Roman soldiers who rowed into battle needed their energy to fight. 915 01:13:15,490 --> 01:13:21,897 Far from shore in the full blast of the wind, Boris is facing another challenge. 916 01:13:21,930 --> 01:13:23,432 PROF DREYER: There's no modern keel 917 01:13:23,465 --> 01:13:30,739 and we only have the grip with the rudders in the back part of the ship. 918 01:13:30,772 --> 01:13:33,642 NARRATOR: The ancient keel of the boat is flat, 919 01:13:33,675 --> 01:13:38,613 it only extends around 13 inches underwater. 920 01:13:38,646 --> 01:13:42,584 PROF DREYER: The wind is coming from the side and the ship is drifting. 921 01:13:42,617 --> 01:13:47,889 NARRATOR: In windy conditions the flat boat drifts dangerously. 922 01:13:47,922 --> 01:13:52,194 Boris tries to direct his team and stabilize the course. 923 01:13:58,833 --> 01:14:02,805 NARRATOR: In battle, losing control of the boat could be fatal. 924 01:14:06,307 --> 01:14:10,745 NARRATOR: The Roman admirals and mariners must have been extremely well trained 925 01:14:10,778 --> 01:14:13,682 to navigate large ships at sea. 926 01:14:14,349 --> 01:14:18,253 Back on course, the boat quickly starts gaining speed. 927 01:14:20,655 --> 01:14:24,292 PROF DREYER: I think the design is rather good. 928 01:14:24,325 --> 01:14:26,294 It's a fast ship. 929 01:14:26,327 --> 01:14:29,030 NARRATOR: The boat averages four miles per hour 930 01:14:29,063 --> 01:14:32,167 but it can reach up to eight miles per hour during a sprint. 931 01:14:34,602 --> 01:14:38,039 At this speed, plunging into another ship with the ram attached 932 01:14:38,072 --> 01:14:41,777 to the front would cause catastrophic damage. 933 01:14:54,656 --> 01:14:57,192 NARRATOR: After almost two hours in the water, 934 01:14:57,225 --> 01:15:00,629 Boris and his team return to harbor. 935 01:15:01,363 --> 01:15:03,899 LEO: Before starting I thought it would be harder, 936 01:15:03,932 --> 01:15:05,667 I guess the wind is quite exhausting 937 01:15:05,700 --> 01:15:09,704 but once we are at some speed it's much easier 938 01:15:09,737 --> 01:15:11,707 and I think we could do it for some hours. 939 01:15:13,308 --> 01:15:15,343 PROF DREYER: This boat is very easy to maneuver 940 01:15:15,376 --> 01:15:20,248 and one can understand that Roman soldiers were able to control the boat 941 01:15:20,281 --> 01:15:24,185 to find the best position according to the wind. 942 01:15:24,218 --> 01:15:28,590 I think the result is a success. 943 01:15:28,623 --> 01:15:32,160 NARRATOR: With a fleet of hundreds of fast well built ships, 944 01:15:32,193 --> 01:15:36,031 the highly skilled Roman sailors had become a formidable match 945 01:15:36,064 --> 01:15:38,800 for their enemies, the Carthaginians. 946 01:15:43,271 --> 01:15:48,944 NARRATOR: Off the coast of Sicily, the ram is finally coming out of the sea. 947 01:15:50,411 --> 01:15:51,547 JIM: We have lift off. 948 01:15:52,647 --> 01:15:55,050 Strap to the ram. 949 01:15:55,083 --> 01:15:57,219 DAVE: The ram is at 80. Bring it to the surface. 950 01:15:59,087 --> 01:16:02,290 NARRATOR: Everyone has gathered on deck for the big moment 951 01:16:02,323 --> 01:16:10,098 including the Director of underwater cultural heritage, Valeria Li Vigni. 952 01:16:10,131 --> 01:16:13,368 The heavy ram has made it up in one piece. 953 01:16:19,273 --> 01:16:22,911 JIM: Peter look, the force of the damage here. 954 01:16:22,944 --> 01:16:24,145 DR. CAMPBELL: Right. LI VIGNI: Yes. 955 01:16:24,178 --> 01:16:26,081 JIM: Produced a crack all the way up here. 956 01:16:26,114 --> 01:16:28,683 LI VIGNI: And also in the. JIM: Yes, yes, yes. 957 01:16:28,716 --> 01:16:30,785 DR. CAMPBELL: In the keel, yeah. LI VIGNI: Okay. 958 01:16:30,818 --> 01:16:33,188 DR. CAMPBELL: Yeah, damage on every face. 959 01:16:33,221 --> 01:16:39,094 NARRATOR: It's made of cast bronze but still bears traces of the violent clash 960 01:16:39,127 --> 01:16:44,132 that sank the ship it was attached to during the Battle of the Aegates. 961 01:16:44,165 --> 01:16:47,836 The next challenge for Peter and Valeria is to work out 962 01:16:47,869 --> 01:16:51,740 if it's from a Roman or Carthaginian ship. 963 01:16:54,208 --> 01:16:55,210 DR. CAMPBELL: No inscription? 964 01:16:58,112 --> 01:17:01,282 JIM: Carthaginian navy? LI VIGNI: I think. 965 01:17:01,315 --> 01:17:06,054 NARRATOR: The Romans usually decorate and inscribe their rams. 966 01:17:06,087 --> 01:17:12,727 The lack of any inscription suggests this one is Carthaginian 967 01:17:12,760 --> 01:17:18,833 and remarkably the size of the ram itself hints at the dimensions of the ship. 968 01:17:18,866 --> 01:17:21,069 DR. CAMPBELL: On the inside is the wood. 969 01:17:21,102 --> 01:17:23,171 -These three -Yeah. 970 01:17:23,204 --> 01:17:27,876 Three different timbers yeah, and this, this is a big keel. 971 01:17:27,909 --> 01:17:30,311 JIM: We really need to get some samples, can we do that? 972 01:17:30,344 --> 01:17:32,347 -Here you are. -Great. 973 01:17:32,380 --> 01:17:34,683 DR. CAMPBELL: I mean its big timbers that it's covering here, 974 01:17:34,716 --> 01:17:37,452 I mean, this would have been a big ship. 975 01:17:37,485 --> 01:17:41,423 NARRATOR: The ship size might have been a significant drawback, 976 01:17:41,456 --> 01:17:43,692 it made it harder to maneuver; 977 01:17:43,725 --> 01:17:47,729 this might even be the reason, it was rammed and sank. 978 01:17:47,762 --> 01:17:51,399 DR. CAMPBELL: This ship must have run into one that was much better made 979 01:17:51,432 --> 01:17:56,938 and uh, it must have just crushed like a can when it impacted the other vessel. 980 01:17:59,874 --> 01:18:03,845 NARRATOR: For centuries the Carthaginians ruled the Mediterranean. 981 01:18:03,878 --> 01:18:07,683 The rams on their ships were lethal weapons. 982 01:18:09,417 --> 01:18:13,855 In 241 BC at the Battle of the Aegates, 983 01:18:13,888 --> 01:18:18,760 they outnumbered the Romans but were heavy with supplies. 984 01:18:22,830 --> 01:18:26,101 The Roman navy, now a match for their enemies, 985 01:18:26,134 --> 01:18:30,172 took down their masts and rowed at speed into battle. 986 01:18:31,373 --> 01:18:37,178 They outmaneuvered the Carthaginians, ramming and sinking 50 of their ships 987 01:18:37,211 --> 01:18:39,214 and winning a shock victory. 988 01:18:45,319 --> 01:18:50,825 The unexpected naval victory changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean 989 01:18:50,858 --> 01:18:54,963 and opened the door for Rome's conquests overseas. 990 01:18:56,331 --> 01:19:00,201 DR. CAMPBELL: This was an amazing mission that is rewriting what we know 991 01:19:00,234 --> 01:19:06,174 about the Roman navy, the Carthaginian navy and ancient military history. 992 01:19:06,207 --> 01:19:09,511 It really is giving insight into what it was like to be 993 01:19:09,544 --> 01:19:12,914 on board ships in the ancient period. 994 01:19:12,947 --> 01:19:16,117 NARRATOR: Next season, Peter and the team plan to return 995 01:19:16,150 --> 01:19:20,789 and scour the seabed for more artifacts to get a fuller picture 996 01:19:20,822 --> 01:19:23,024 of this defining Roman victory. 997 01:19:28,162 --> 01:19:29,564 In Tunis, 998 01:19:30,965 --> 01:19:36,304 Nejib investigates how the loss of this battle affected Carthage. 999 01:19:36,337 --> 01:19:40,242 He heads to a very special site in the south of the city. 1000 01:19:41,509 --> 01:19:44,612 PROF LAZREG: We find several layers of burials. 1001 01:19:44,645 --> 01:19:49,484 The earliest layers go back to 750 BC. 1002 01:19:49,517 --> 01:19:55,590 NARRATOR: The site is a tophet, a sacred burial place for children. 1003 01:19:55,623 --> 01:20:00,528 This special cemetery was established at the same time as the city of Carthage, 1004 01:20:00,561 --> 01:20:03,031 around the eighth century BC. 1005 01:20:05,166 --> 01:20:08,937 Each of these stelae was placed next to an urn 1006 01:20:08,970 --> 01:20:12,273 which held the cremated remains of a child. 1007 01:20:12,306 --> 01:20:14,976 Nejib looks for the last burials. 1008 01:20:15,743 --> 01:20:19,214 PROF LAZREG: They stopped by the mid-second BC. 1009 01:20:19,247 --> 01:20:22,917 NARRATOR: Only 100 years after the Battle of the Aegates, 1010 01:20:22,950 --> 01:20:27,255 the Carthaginians abandoned their precious graveyard. 1011 01:20:27,288 --> 01:20:30,425 PROF LAZREG: The tophet functioned with the city, 1012 01:20:30,458 --> 01:20:33,595 the people who lived here and they buried their babies here. 1013 01:20:33,628 --> 01:20:39,034 The use of such a cemetery stopped with the destruction of the city of Carthage. 1014 01:20:42,203 --> 01:20:46,341 NARRATOR: Nejib looks for more clues of this devastating event. 1015 01:20:46,374 --> 01:20:53,481 In a corner of the site he finds an unexpected ancient construction, a vault. 1016 01:20:53,514 --> 01:20:57,552 PROF LAZREG: It was not built by the Carthaginians 1017 01:20:57,585 --> 01:21:04,259 because Carthaginians never knew the use of the vault or nor the arch, 1018 01:21:04,292 --> 01:21:07,462 so it could be only Roman. 1019 01:21:07,495 --> 01:21:10,531 The Romans built this vault and surely many other ones 1020 01:21:10,564 --> 01:21:13,501 on top of the remains of Carthage. 1021 01:21:13,534 --> 01:21:17,572 NARRATOR: The Romans built over this precious burial site. 1022 01:21:17,605 --> 01:21:24,545 It's evidence the Battle of the Aegates wasn't the end of the rivalry. 1023 01:21:24,578 --> 01:21:31,419 A few decades after the clash at sea, a Carthaginian warrior rose up, Hannibal. 1024 01:21:31,819 --> 01:21:38,393 He crossed the Alps with war elephants and wreaked havoc in Italy for 15 years. 1025 01:21:38,426 --> 01:21:45,133 Then in 204 BC, Roman general Scipio landed his army in North Africa, 1026 01:21:45,166 --> 01:21:48,002 forcing Hannibal to return home. 1027 01:21:48,035 --> 01:21:50,438 They fought an epic battle, 1028 01:21:50,471 --> 01:21:55,710 the fast Roman cavalry massacred the Carthaginian infantry. 1029 01:21:55,743 --> 01:22:01,149 Carthage signed a truce that lasted just 50 years until Rome invaded 1030 01:22:01,182 --> 01:22:06,254 and burned it to the ground and later rebuilt it as their own city in Africa. 1031 01:22:09,757 --> 01:22:16,331 In the second century BC, Rome's expansion engulfed the Carthaginian empire 1032 01:22:16,364 --> 01:22:18,934 and was pushing even further. 1033 01:22:23,671 --> 01:22:28,343 NARRATOR: In Terracina, the storm has passed. 1034 01:22:28,376 --> 01:22:32,780 Paul needs to assess its damage on the dig site. 1035 01:22:32,813 --> 01:22:35,516 DR. SCHEDING: The storm last night was very terrible. 1036 01:22:35,549 --> 01:22:37,218 So, what are we doing? 1037 01:22:37,251 --> 01:22:39,320 DR. DIOSONO: Today the soil is very wet. 1038 01:22:39,353 --> 01:22:44,392 I think it's a good idea to make a little survey of the area we don't excavate, 1039 01:22:44,425 --> 01:22:46,962 so we can find pottery. 1040 01:22:47,829 --> 01:22:51,532 NARRATOR: The team can use the setback to its advantage. 1041 01:22:51,565 --> 01:22:57,238 The dark waterlogged soil means pale pottery is much more visible. 1042 01:22:57,271 --> 01:23:02,243 DR. DIOSONO: We have a lot of finds, more finds than a normal day. 1043 01:23:02,276 --> 01:23:05,380 NARRATOR: The temple that once stood here is now in ruins, 1044 01:23:05,413 --> 01:23:09,050 its remains scattered on the mountainside. 1045 01:23:09,083 --> 01:23:13,454 The archaeologists hope these many pieces of pottery can reveal when the Romans 1046 01:23:13,487 --> 01:23:17,225 built it and what it looked like. 1047 01:23:17,258 --> 01:23:21,229 Francesca spots something unexpected among the finds. 1048 01:23:21,262 --> 01:23:25,433 DR. DIOSONO: This is part of the decoration of the temple, it's a terracotta. 1049 01:23:25,466 --> 01:23:27,702 I think it's a flower or something like this. 1050 01:23:27,735 --> 01:23:30,204 DR. SCHEDING: Yeah, that's amazing. 1051 01:23:30,237 --> 01:23:34,776 Wow, yeah this is an actual part of the, of the architecture? 1052 01:23:34,809 --> 01:23:37,712 DR. DIOSONO: Yes, this is the early decoration. 1053 01:23:37,745 --> 01:23:42,517 NARRATOR: The Romans used terracotta to help decorate their buildings. 1054 01:23:42,550 --> 01:23:45,653 The style of these pieces can help pinpoint the date 1055 01:23:45,686 --> 01:23:49,190 of their earliest temple on site. 1056 01:23:49,223 --> 01:23:52,226 DR. SCHEDING: This is a Roman tile, you can see by the form. 1057 01:23:52,259 --> 01:23:54,328 It was part of the roof. 1058 01:23:54,361 --> 01:24:01,302 This must have been part of the second century BC, more or less. 1059 01:24:01,335 --> 01:24:07,341 NARRATOR: From the second century BC, the Romans built magnificent temples here. 1060 01:24:07,374 --> 01:24:10,344 The largest was likely dedicated to Venus, 1061 01:24:10,377 --> 01:24:14,515 their goddess of love, fertility and victory. 1062 01:24:14,548 --> 01:24:18,453 They overlooked the commercial harbor of Terracina 1063 01:24:18,486 --> 01:24:23,258 and were a visual representation of Rome's power and riches. 1064 01:24:26,794 --> 01:24:29,263 DR. SCHEDING: Picture yourself as an ancient Roman standing 1065 01:24:29,296 --> 01:24:31,899 in the street of Terracina, looking up the hill 1066 01:24:31,932 --> 01:24:36,370 and then the monumentalization of these temples like, growing, 1067 01:24:36,403 --> 01:24:42,277 growing and growing as the empire was growing at this very time. 1068 01:24:43,645 --> 01:24:49,150 NARRATOR: Paul thinks the temple here is built on even greater spoils of war. 1069 01:24:49,183 --> 01:24:52,186 He examines an extraordinary recent discovery. 1070 01:24:52,219 --> 01:24:54,222 A terracotta head. 1071 01:24:54,255 --> 01:24:56,724 DR. SCHEDING: What we see here is the most amazing piece 1072 01:24:56,757 --> 01:24:59,627 we found just a couple of days ago. 1073 01:24:59,660 --> 01:25:03,297 NARRATOR: Paul compares its features to an established depiction 1074 01:25:03,330 --> 01:25:05,166 of a famous warrior. 1075 01:25:05,199 --> 01:25:07,768 DR. SCHEDING: The most recognizable feature is 1076 01:25:07,801 --> 01:25:11,372 that he's turning his head and you can see it here. 1077 01:25:11,405 --> 01:25:15,843 So it gives you an expression that he is in a dynamic position 1078 01:25:15,876 --> 01:25:18,613 and looking through the landscape, 1079 01:25:18,646 --> 01:25:22,717 also of the armies he's in control of. 1080 01:25:22,750 --> 01:25:26,954 We are quite sure that it's Alexander the Great. 1081 01:25:26,987 --> 01:25:32,660 NARRATOR: Alexander the Great built a huge empire in the fourth century BC. 1082 01:25:32,693 --> 01:25:36,964 Paul thinks the Romans wanted to follow his example. 1083 01:25:36,997 --> 01:25:42,470 DR. SCHEDING: Alexander the Great, he conquered the East until modern India 1084 01:25:42,503 --> 01:25:47,341 and now the Romans are starting to conquer this territory which was already 1085 01:25:47,374 --> 01:25:48,976 conquered by Alexander the Great. 1086 01:25:49,009 --> 01:25:54,415 So this is really a symbol for the power of Rome in the East. 1087 01:25:54,448 --> 01:25:57,618 NARRATOR: The Romans conquered Alexander's homeland, Greece, 1088 01:25:57,651 --> 01:26:03,224 in the middle of the second century BC, just as they conquered Carthage. 1089 01:26:03,257 --> 01:26:08,362 These incredible victories established Rome as the new military powerhouse 1090 01:26:08,395 --> 01:26:11,265 of the ancient Mediterranean world. 1091 01:26:11,298 --> 01:26:14,268 DR. SCHEDING: You show the man who conquered the world 1092 01:26:14,301 --> 01:26:17,372 and now the Romans have conquered the world. 1093 01:26:21,875 --> 01:26:22,977 NARRATOR: In Rome, 1094 01:26:24,945 --> 01:26:30,251 Eve examines the ancient buildings inside the Forum. 1095 01:26:30,284 --> 01:26:33,588 DR. MACDONALD: We see the Colosseum in the distance there, 1096 01:26:33,621 --> 01:26:36,557 built on the spoils of conquest and war. 1097 01:26:36,590 --> 01:26:41,329 We see triumphal arches to when Roman victorious generals came back 1098 01:26:41,362 --> 01:26:44,632 through to the city, cheering crowds would greet them 1099 01:26:44,665 --> 01:26:51,472 and they would parade the spoils of conquest through the Forum. 1100 01:26:51,505 --> 01:26:56,244 NARRATOR: Rome's unexpected victory in the Battle of the Aegates was a springboard 1101 01:26:56,277 --> 01:27:03,317 for many more conquests, monumentalized in this famous capital city. 1102 01:27:03,350 --> 01:27:09,724 DR. MACDONALD: They were the first to display their enormous power of potential, 1103 01:27:09,757 --> 01:27:13,494 their military might, in such grand terms. 1104 01:27:13,527 --> 01:27:17,232 They're there for us to read and they're there for us to try and understand. 1105 01:27:20,534 --> 01:27:23,437 NARRATOR: The team's investigations have led to new evidence 1106 01:27:23,470 --> 01:27:28,776 of how Rome first expanded into its immediate neighborhood. 1107 01:27:28,809 --> 01:27:32,013 It then built imposing structures like temples 1108 01:27:32,046 --> 01:27:38,453 and roads to control its growing territories and showcase its power. 1109 01:27:42,022 --> 01:27:46,627 The Romans built a mighty fleet that defeated a formidable enemy, 1110 01:27:46,660 --> 01:27:52,533 the Carthaginian empire and gave them control of the Mediterranean. 1111 01:27:54,802 --> 01:28:00,641 Future excavations will add precious information to how one small city 1112 01:28:00,674 --> 01:28:04,279 gained so much power that it dominated the ancient world. 1113 01:28:14,822 --> 01:28:16,424 (speaking foreign language) 1114 01:28:20,160 --> 01:28:23,564 NARRATOR: In Italy, deep in the countryside, 1115 01:28:23,597 --> 01:28:26,434 archaeologists have made the discovery of a lifetime. 1116 01:28:28,435 --> 01:28:30,872 A long lost, Roman Amphitheater. 1117 01:28:37,611 --> 01:28:42,049 NARRATOR: Their excavation, reveals an opening that was buried deep in the ground, 1118 01:28:42,082 --> 01:28:44,352 for over 1,000 years. 1119 01:28:51,158 --> 01:28:54,161 NARRATOR: Now, the team dares to enter the tunnel, 1120 01:28:54,194 --> 01:28:57,065 in a quest to uncover its hidden secrets. 1121 01:29:15,983 --> 01:29:20,888 The Colosseum, in the heart of Rome. 1122 01:29:20,921 --> 01:29:26,094 Today, this monumental building is an enduring symbol of the Roman Empire. 1123 01:29:29,630 --> 01:29:37,638 Famous for its spectacular gladiator contests, of brutality and death, 1124 01:29:37,671 --> 01:29:41,909 its scale, and ambition, was legendary. 1125 01:29:44,211 --> 01:29:48,716 Now, an international team of archaeologists is investigating, 1126 01:29:48,749 --> 01:29:54,655 how this mega structure, became so crucial, to the Roman Empire. 1127 01:29:57,691 --> 01:30:03,130 VALERIE: It was initially, a Roman amphitheater and it becomes the symbol of Rome. 1128 01:30:03,163 --> 01:30:04,966 I have to ask the question why. 1129 01:30:08,135 --> 01:30:12,907 NARRATOR: The weathered facade of today shows little trace of the marble 1130 01:30:12,940 --> 01:30:17,244 that originally adorned this colossus. 1131 01:30:17,277 --> 01:30:24,485 Statues of gods, and goddesses, once stood in the arches. 1132 01:30:24,518 --> 01:30:31,459 This icon, completed in 80 AD, seated 50,000 spectators. 1133 01:30:31,492 --> 01:30:35,129 It was a gift, to the people, from Emperor Vespasian 1134 01:30:35,162 --> 01:30:37,731 and his son, Titus. 1135 01:30:37,764 --> 01:30:42,536 Romans gathered, alongside the Emperor in his Imperial box, 1136 01:30:42,569 --> 01:30:45,973 under a retractable awning, to witness the greatest 1137 01:30:46,006 --> 01:30:51,212 and bloodiest entertainment of ancient Rome, the gladiator fights. 1138 01:30:54,581 --> 01:30:58,453 VALERIE: It was built to impress and, it still does. 1139 01:30:59,287 --> 01:31:01,922 NARRATOR: British archaeologist, Valerie Higgins, 1140 01:31:01,955 --> 01:31:04,725 has made the city of Rome her home, 1141 01:31:04,758 --> 01:31:08,463 and has a lifelong passion, for its ancient civilization. 1142 01:31:10,531 --> 01:31:14,935 She's exploring how the Colosseum an arena of entertainment, 1143 01:31:14,968 --> 01:31:18,172 became so central to the very idea of Rome. 1144 01:31:25,012 --> 01:31:28,649 Valerie wants to investigate, what went on behind the scenes 1145 01:31:28,682 --> 01:31:31,686 of the amphitheater's spectacular shows. 1146 01:31:35,222 --> 01:31:38,959 She heads down to the area beneath the arena floor, 1147 01:31:38,992 --> 01:31:43,598 once a warren of dark tunnels, to look for clues. 1148 01:31:44,832 --> 01:31:49,136 VALERIE: There were lots of these holes, surrounded by white stone, 1149 01:31:49,169 --> 01:31:51,972 all over the basement of the Colosseum. 1150 01:31:52,005 --> 01:31:55,709 And they're quite intriguing. They must have a purpose, 1151 01:31:55,742 --> 01:32:00,114 and that purpose has to be, something that's happening up, on the arena floor. 1152 01:32:02,816 --> 01:32:08,322 NARRATOR: Valerie, hunts for more evidence, in the surviving structures. 1153 01:32:08,355 --> 01:32:10,124 VALERIE: They've cut a groove here, 1154 01:32:10,157 --> 01:32:12,826 you can see that clearly in the rock, so, 1155 01:32:12,859 --> 01:32:16,964 there is something that is going up and down at this point. 1156 01:32:16,997 --> 01:32:20,935 It looks like, there's been some machinery here. 1157 01:32:20,968 --> 01:32:23,871 NARRATOR: Everywhere, there are traces, of the mechanisms 1158 01:32:23,904 --> 01:32:28,375 that powered the dazzling shows up above. 1159 01:32:28,408 --> 01:32:31,178 VALERIE: These stones, are at a strange angle. 1160 01:32:31,211 --> 01:32:35,916 The only reason I can think of, why, they would be there, is, 1161 01:32:35,949 --> 01:32:39,253 that this was a ramp, into the arena. 1162 01:32:39,286 --> 01:32:45,025 It gives you, a sense, of how the Romans created magic, in the spectacle. 1163 01:32:45,058 --> 01:32:49,263 Because, up through the ramp, could come, animals or people, 1164 01:32:49,296 --> 01:32:52,133 appearing as if by magic, in the arena. 1165 01:32:56,036 --> 01:32:57,671 NARRATOR: Expertly designed pullies 1166 01:32:57,705 --> 01:33:04,612 and cages, delivered wild animals into the arena, to astonish the crowds. 1167 01:33:04,645 --> 01:33:07,281 The spectacle began with a hunt. 1168 01:33:07,314 --> 01:33:10,618 Hundreds of wild animals, from across the Roman Empire, 1169 01:33:10,651 --> 01:33:15,222 were released and slaughtered, by trained hunters. 1170 01:33:15,255 --> 01:33:18,258 Next, were the gruesome executions. 1171 01:33:18,291 --> 01:33:23,897 Many convicted criminals, were mauled to death by wild animals. 1172 01:33:23,930 --> 01:33:28,035 And then, the stage was set for the grand finale, 1173 01:33:28,068 --> 01:33:30,938 gladiators, fighting head to head. 1174 01:33:34,174 --> 01:33:37,878 The Romans, went to extraordinary lengths, to entertain, 1175 01:33:37,911 --> 01:33:41,215 the Colosseum's vast crowds. 1176 01:33:41,248 --> 01:33:46,954 To explore why, Valerie's going deeper, behind the scenes. 1177 01:33:50,223 --> 01:33:56,397 At Volterra, in Tuscany, 130 miles north of Rome, 1178 01:33:56,430 --> 01:34:00,935 a team of archaeologists is unearthing an extraordinary discovery. 1179 01:34:02,836 --> 01:34:05,406 One that might help solve the puzzle of why, 1180 01:34:05,439 --> 01:34:09,010 the Colosseum was so central, to the Roman Empire. 1181 01:34:11,478 --> 01:34:13,981 Elena Sorge, is the team leader. 1182 01:34:27,527 --> 01:34:30,264 NARRATOR: For over a millennium, no-one knew 1183 01:34:30,297 --> 01:34:35,269 what lay hidden here, under the grass. 1184 01:34:35,302 --> 01:34:36,737 Until now. 1185 01:34:38,038 --> 01:34:44,011 Buried in the ground, is a long lost, look alike, Colosseum. 1186 01:34:57,858 --> 01:35:02,763 NARRATOR: Finding a totally unknown, unexcavated amphitheater here, 1187 01:35:02,796 --> 01:35:05,399 is one of the discoveries of the century. 1188 01:35:06,600 --> 01:35:10,170 PAUL: Well let's go ahead and kick this one off. MARK: Alright. 1189 01:35:10,203 --> 01:35:15,509 NARRATOR: This ancient virgin site, untouched by previous excavations, 1190 01:35:15,542 --> 01:35:18,846 has attracted an international team. 1191 01:35:18,879 --> 01:35:19,847 MARK: It's good to go. 1192 01:35:23,116 --> 01:35:28,922 NARRATOR: Shifting thousands of tons of soil, they're unearthing the old arena, 1193 01:35:28,955 --> 01:35:34,261 the audience seating, and long lost, hidden treasures. 1194 01:35:37,998 --> 01:35:42,236 Archaeologist, Valeria D'Aquino, grew up in the region, 1195 01:35:42,269 --> 01:35:44,772 and works alongside Elena. 1196 01:35:55,615 --> 01:35:58,852 NARRATOR: And, there's a mystery. 1197 01:35:58,885 --> 01:36:02,856 The ancient people of this region, weren't Roman, 1198 01:36:02,889 --> 01:36:05,860 they were rivals, called Etruscans. 1199 01:36:06,994 --> 01:36:10,230 This was one of the last areas, of the Italian peninsula, 1200 01:36:10,263 --> 01:36:12,266 to fall under Roman rule. 1201 01:36:13,367 --> 01:36:16,871 Why, was a Roman amphitheater, built here at all? 1202 01:36:21,975 --> 01:36:26,180 The team knows, that the best way to find out why it was built, 1203 01:36:26,213 --> 01:36:28,282 is to find out when it was built. 1204 01:36:30,984 --> 01:36:35,055 Any new discovery, could add a crucial piece, to the puzzle. 1205 01:36:46,066 --> 01:36:49,370 The team, has found a vase, deep in the ground. 1206 01:36:53,173 --> 01:36:58,112 It has survived in one piece, for at least 1,500 years. 1207 01:37:01,514 --> 01:37:06,620 NARRATOR: They call, Eva Pianini, the lead restorer, to examine the find. 1208 01:37:13,460 --> 01:37:16,129 NARRATOR: They are looking for any clue that might allow them 1209 01:37:16,162 --> 01:37:18,232 to precisely date the pottery. 1210 01:37:24,504 --> 01:37:27,408 NARRATOR: Eva, sees something, beneath the mud. 1211 01:37:36,683 --> 01:37:39,453 NARRATOR: Valeria, arrives, to take a closer look. 1212 01:37:43,523 --> 01:37:47,294 Could it be a special stamp that might help date it? 1213 01:37:55,168 --> 01:37:57,872 NARRATOR: The ancient potter, has left their mark. 1214 01:38:01,074 --> 01:38:02,276 EVA: (Laughs). 1215 01:38:03,377 --> 01:38:09,149 NARRATOR: No stamp, no date, but still a human touch, from across the centuries. 1216 01:38:11,451 --> 01:38:15,890 Eva, sends the vase, to a lab, off site, for further analysis. 1217 01:38:18,558 --> 01:38:21,028 The hunt for clues, continues. 1218 01:38:24,965 --> 01:38:28,402 On another part of the site, there's a sudden commotion. 1219 01:38:39,446 --> 01:38:42,416 NARRATOR: The team, uncovers an unexpected opening. 1220 01:38:48,621 --> 01:38:50,624 NARRATOR: Elena, races, to the scene. 1221 01:39:04,237 --> 01:39:06,707 (speaking foreign language) 1222 01:39:15,081 --> 01:39:20,020 NARRATOR: Elena, is the first, to enter this tunnel, in over 1,000 years. 1223 01:39:44,544 --> 01:39:47,781 NARRATOR: At Richborough, in southern England, 1224 01:39:47,814 --> 01:39:51,385 another buried Roman amphitheater, is being excavated. 1225 01:39:55,255 --> 01:39:58,659 Tony Wilmott, is the lead archaeologist on the dig. 1226 01:39:59,826 --> 01:40:04,264 TONY: It's exciting to excavate because, it's the one building type, 1227 01:40:04,297 --> 01:40:06,433 that the Roman's invented themselves, 1228 01:40:06,466 --> 01:40:09,269 without pinching it from the Greeks. 1229 01:40:10,403 --> 01:40:17,577 NARRATOR: Tony, is the first, to excavate the amphitheater, in 150 years. 1230 01:40:17,610 --> 01:40:19,546 TONY: We're here to try and understand the amphitheater, 1231 01:40:19,579 --> 01:40:20,847 try and understand everything about it, 1232 01:40:20,880 --> 01:40:25,185 the date, the structure, the way it's built. 1233 01:40:25,218 --> 01:40:27,387 NARRATOR: Most of the huge, ancient structure, 1234 01:40:27,420 --> 01:40:30,057 remains hidden, under this vast mound. 1235 01:40:34,227 --> 01:40:38,865 Over the years, debris and earth, have collapsed into the arena, 1236 01:40:38,898 --> 01:40:41,668 filling it nine feet deep. 1237 01:40:44,537 --> 01:40:49,676 After weeks of digging, the team succeeds in exposing the arena wall. 1238 01:40:53,580 --> 01:40:58,318 On examination, it's clear, that it's made from chalk block. 1239 01:41:00,153 --> 01:41:04,124 This is unlike other Roman walls in the area, 1240 01:41:04,157 --> 01:41:08,628 which were made from more durable stone. 1241 01:41:08,661 --> 01:41:14,301 Historian, Paul Pattison, is responsible for the work at Richborough. 1242 01:41:14,334 --> 01:41:17,504 He has come to examine the arena wall. 1243 01:41:17,537 --> 01:41:21,241 PAUL: It's something of a surprise, the materials that they've used. 1244 01:41:21,274 --> 01:41:25,245 You can see it was very clearly constructed of chalk blocks, 1245 01:41:25,278 --> 01:41:26,646 quarried locally. 1246 01:41:26,679 --> 01:41:30,217 Materials that were easily available, ready to hand, 1247 01:41:30,250 --> 01:41:33,120 rather than having to go some great distance, 1248 01:41:33,153 --> 01:41:36,490 might indicate that the construction is quite early. 1249 01:41:38,658 --> 01:41:45,832 NARRATOR: It was here at Richborough, that the Romans invaded Britain, in 43 AD. 1250 01:41:45,865 --> 01:41:50,571 It now seems likely that the amphitheater may have been built, not long after. 1251 01:41:53,640 --> 01:41:56,276 It's a major discovery for the dig. 1252 01:42:00,346 --> 01:42:06,286 But like the Romans before them, the team must content with the English weather. 1253 01:42:10,490 --> 01:42:14,861 It's raining hard. 1254 01:42:14,894 --> 01:42:20,434 If the soil's wet, the team risks damaging fragments of history underfoot. 1255 01:42:22,602 --> 01:42:26,740 There's no choice, but to stop, and take cover. 1256 01:42:33,279 --> 01:42:38,385 TONY: The rain has now seeped through and we're flooded, basically, 1257 01:42:38,418 --> 01:42:44,491 in the deeper areas, down in the arena, which means that we have to bail it out. 1258 01:42:47,927 --> 01:42:50,497 We'll get there. 1259 01:42:50,530 --> 01:42:53,367 This is the romance of archaeology in action. 1260 01:42:56,970 --> 01:43:02,209 NARRATOR: In Rome, Valerie continues her investigation, 1261 01:43:02,242 --> 01:43:05,913 in a strange structure discovered alongside the Colosseum. 1262 01:43:09,048 --> 01:43:15,789 VALERIE: This is, I would say, residential quarters for the gladiators. 1263 01:43:15,822 --> 01:43:19,459 NARRATOR: There's something here that catches Valerie's eye. 1264 01:43:21,628 --> 01:43:24,464 The remains of a semicircular wall. 1265 01:43:25,798 --> 01:43:28,001 VALERIE: It looks like a curved arena, 1266 01:43:28,034 --> 01:43:32,005 which is the same shape as the arena in the Colosseum. 1267 01:43:32,038 --> 01:43:36,476 NARRATOR: The shape, is a clue to the function, of this large space. 1268 01:43:37,610 --> 01:43:40,614 VALERIE: It's a mini Colosseum. 1269 01:43:40,647 --> 01:43:46,853 This must've been where they were training and preparing for these very complex games. 1270 01:43:46,886 --> 01:43:49,522 What this arena here shows us, is, 1271 01:43:49,555 --> 01:43:52,792 these were not just games that were thrown together 1272 01:43:52,825 --> 01:43:55,829 where you get two guys to come out and fight. 1273 01:43:55,862 --> 01:44:04,537 These were games that took a lot of choreography and a lot of preparation. 1274 01:44:04,570 --> 01:44:08,908 NARRATOR: Gladiator fights, began in the fourth century BC. 1275 01:44:08,941 --> 01:44:12,646 They were performed at funerals, to honor the dead. 1276 01:44:13,647 --> 01:44:18,652 In the first century BC, Julius Caesar super-sized the ritual, 1277 01:44:18,685 --> 01:44:23,957 with games of hundreds of fighters and wild animals, to commemorate his relatives. 1278 01:44:26,359 --> 01:44:30,463 The games later developed into a state funded industry, 1279 01:44:30,496 --> 01:44:34,534 with special schools to train the gladiators, 1280 01:44:34,567 --> 01:44:38,538 and amphitheaters for audiences in their tens of thousands. 1281 01:44:43,843 --> 01:44:49,049 The Colosseum, the biggest ever ancient amphitheater, 1282 01:44:49,082 --> 01:44:53,887 was built by order of Emperor Vespasian, in the first century AD. 1283 01:44:55,555 --> 01:44:59,026 Why did he want this colossus, and its games? 1284 01:45:01,861 --> 01:45:06,066 Valerie, continues her search, into the streets of Rome. 1285 01:45:10,002 --> 01:45:13,573 North of Rome, in Volterra. 1286 01:45:13,606 --> 01:45:15,575 (speaking foreign language) 1287 01:45:19,445 --> 01:45:23,550 NARRATOR: Elena, emerges from her first exploration of the tunnel, 1288 01:45:23,583 --> 01:45:27,354 at the newly discovered amphitheater. 1289 01:45:30,556 --> 01:45:32,792 NARRATOR: On another part of the same site, 1290 01:45:32,825 --> 01:45:37,731 American architectural technologists, Paul Aubin and Mark Dietrick, 1291 01:45:37,764 --> 01:45:42,569 are capturing the ancient structure with a state of the art laser scanner. 1292 01:45:42,602 --> 01:45:43,970 PAUL: That was all filled in. 1293 01:45:44,003 --> 01:45:46,072 MARK: It was all filled in. PAUL: Up to that height. 1294 01:45:46,105 --> 01:45:50,043 NARRATOR: Their laser, bounces off every inch of this ancient structure, 1295 01:45:50,076 --> 01:45:53,546 to create a digital map of the site. 1296 01:45:53,579 --> 01:45:57,551 This means the team can study it, in forensic detail. 1297 01:45:58,418 --> 01:46:02,489 MARK: You can't describe, the feeling of being really inside 1298 01:46:02,522 --> 01:46:04,691 of a monument that has just been discovered 1299 01:46:04,724 --> 01:46:08,462 and is just literally emerging out of the ground. 1300 01:46:09,229 --> 01:46:14,601 NARRATOR: The team, hopes to find clues, to unlock the mysteries of this site. 1301 01:46:15,635 --> 01:46:18,138 When, and why, it was built. 1302 01:46:19,906 --> 01:46:21,841 PAUL: Perfect. 1303 01:46:21,874 --> 01:46:25,011 NARRATOR: Their scans, help to recreate the structure in its prime. 1304 01:46:29,515 --> 01:46:36,489 Volterra's ruins today, form a section of an oval shaped amphitheater. 1305 01:46:36,522 --> 01:46:39,993 Sandstone arches, once supported the seating, 1306 01:46:40,026 --> 01:46:44,664 for 10,000 spectators, around a central arena. 1307 01:46:45,931 --> 01:46:49,569 The team believes, that the builders cut part of the structure 1308 01:46:49,602 --> 01:46:52,205 into the bedrock of a hill, 1309 01:46:52,238 --> 01:46:57,544 and dug vaulted galleries connecting the arena to stairs, around the outside. 1310 01:46:59,645 --> 01:47:05,552 As the pieces of the puzzle come together, a whole amphitheater is emerging, 1311 01:47:05,585 --> 01:47:10,424 with each new discovery, adding to the picture of a mini Colosseum. 1312 01:47:15,828 --> 01:47:17,730 MARK: Finally get to go into this tunnel. 1313 01:47:17,763 --> 01:47:21,868 PAUL: Yeah, really anxious to see what it looks like in there. 1314 01:47:21,901 --> 01:47:26,973 NARRATOR: Mark and Paul, are keen to scan the tunnel, first entered by Elena. 1315 01:47:28,307 --> 01:47:29,709 MARK: Alright, watch your footing here. 1316 01:47:31,210 --> 01:47:35,549 NARRATOR: The entrance is now cleared and ready for their investigations. 1317 01:47:43,890 --> 01:47:46,860 PAUL: So this hasn't seen the light of day in a long time. 1318 01:47:46,893 --> 01:47:48,662 Look at that. MARK: Wow. 1319 01:47:49,696 --> 01:47:52,665 NARRATOR: Their high tech, high precision equipment, 1320 01:47:52,698 --> 01:47:56,603 measures up to two million data points per second. 1321 01:47:58,938 --> 01:48:02,709 PAUL: I just can't believe this. It's spectacular. 1322 01:48:04,176 --> 01:48:05,278 Wow. 1323 01:48:06,112 --> 01:48:08,948 Look how tight the joints are in those arches. 1324 01:48:08,981 --> 01:48:10,717 MARK: That's, that's incredible. 1325 01:48:17,323 --> 01:48:19,325 Definitely try and get in there too. 1326 01:48:19,358 --> 01:48:21,594 What do you think Paul? 1327 01:48:21,627 --> 01:48:25,298 Maybe if we lower the scanner all the way, we can still get a nice shot in there. 1328 01:48:25,331 --> 01:48:26,733 Let's do it. 1329 01:48:33,272 --> 01:48:37,110 PAUL: Let's see what the scanner saw. Oh. Wow. 1330 01:48:37,143 --> 01:48:38,912 MARK: Wow, there's another arch over there. 1331 01:48:38,945 --> 01:48:43,716 PAUL: I didn't know that other arch was back there. 1332 01:48:43,749 --> 01:48:47,186 MARK: I'm just wondering how many other passages must be back there. 1333 01:48:47,219 --> 01:48:49,889 PAUL: That is remarkable. 1334 01:48:49,922 --> 01:48:55,662 NARRATOR: The scans, reveal a network of unknown, hidden passageways, 1335 01:48:55,695 --> 01:49:01,535 that could help the team decipher when, and why, this amphitheater was built. 1336 01:49:08,874 --> 01:49:12,211 NARRATOR: In Rome, Valerie is working with local pilot, 1337 01:49:12,244 --> 01:49:15,181 Marco Giordano, to launch a drone, 1338 01:49:15,214 --> 01:49:20,053 mounted with a high definition camera. 1339 01:49:20,086 --> 01:49:23,757 She hopes a fresh perspective will help her investigation. 1340 01:49:25,725 --> 01:49:29,729 She wants to identify the site of the Theatre of Pompey, 1341 01:49:29,762 --> 01:49:32,332 built 100 years before the Colosseum. 1342 01:49:36,168 --> 01:49:38,204 VALERIE: I can see the buildings today, 1343 01:49:38,237 --> 01:49:42,075 are following the same shape, as the Theatre of Pompey. 1344 01:49:42,108 --> 01:49:44,677 NARRATOR: The theatre, no longer exists, 1345 01:49:44,710 --> 01:49:50,149 but it was originally built in the form of a semi-circle. 1346 01:49:50,182 --> 01:49:53,853 Spotting the tell-tale curve, in the streets below, 1347 01:49:53,886 --> 01:49:56,690 Valerie sets out to find the location. 1348 01:49:59,392 --> 01:50:04,097 VALERIE: Well I can see from the shape of this building that this must be, 1349 01:50:04,130 --> 01:50:08,067 on the seating of the Theatre of Pompey. 1350 01:50:08,100 --> 01:50:12,238 You can see this from the way that it's curved and also, 1351 01:50:12,271 --> 01:50:15,241 from the way that everything is sloping backwards. 1352 01:50:15,274 --> 01:50:19,746 So, underneath our feet here, there would've been steps going up that 1353 01:50:19,779 --> 01:50:22,448 would have been the Roman seating for the stage, 1354 01:50:22,481 --> 01:50:25,718 which was over on this site. 1355 01:50:25,751 --> 01:50:28,921 NARRATOR: The ancient theatre, was built by the Roman politician 1356 01:50:28,954 --> 01:50:32,659 and general, Pompey, in 55 BC. 1357 01:50:35,327 --> 01:50:41,868 It was the first permanent theatre in Rome, built, not in wood, but in stone. 1358 01:50:43,269 --> 01:50:49,342 A vehicle, for Pompey's political ambition, he used it, to win popular support. 1359 01:50:53,446 --> 01:50:59,018 VALERIE: The Theatre of Pompey really demonstrates to us, just how connected, 1360 01:50:59,051 --> 01:51:03,489 politics and entertainment is. 1361 01:51:03,522 --> 01:51:07,226 It's not just about, going to theatre performances, 1362 01:51:07,259 --> 01:51:09,929 this is about political power. 1363 01:51:11,263 --> 01:51:16,069 NARRATOR: Valerie, thinks the Colosseum, a theatre for gladiatorial games, 1364 01:51:16,102 --> 01:51:20,306 was also built, to win popular support. 1365 01:51:20,339 --> 01:51:24,410 VALERIE: This is a really interesting super imposition of the Theatre of Pompey, 1366 01:51:24,443 --> 01:51:27,080 on the modern street plan of Rome. 1367 01:51:27,113 --> 01:51:30,183 If you put it close to, a plan of the Colosseum, 1368 01:51:30,216 --> 01:51:33,453 these are quite similar dimensions. 1369 01:51:33,486 --> 01:51:39,859 NARRATOR: The theatre and amphitheater, are both huge, but different, shapes. 1370 01:51:39,892 --> 01:51:44,530 One is a semi-circle, the other, a near full circle. 1371 01:51:44,563 --> 01:51:49,335 VALERIE: The amphitheater, is a little bit like two theatres put together. 1372 01:51:49,368 --> 01:51:52,038 NARRATOR: Doubling the size of their Colosseum, 1373 01:51:52,071 --> 01:51:54,807 suggests Emperors Vespasian and Titus, 1374 01:51:54,840 --> 01:51:57,777 wanted a huge audience, for their games. 1375 01:52:00,946 --> 01:52:05,284 Valerie's investigations, are closing in, on the true purpose, 1376 01:52:05,317 --> 01:52:07,187 of the giant amphitheater. 1377 01:52:12,291 --> 01:52:19,932 In Richborough, England, now the rainstorm has passed, Tony and Paul, 1378 01:52:19,965 --> 01:52:23,002 are checking progress at the newly exposed wall. 1379 01:52:25,337 --> 01:52:26,439 PAUL: It's really, really come up. 1380 01:52:26,472 --> 01:52:28,207 TONY: Oh it's really come up, yeah. 1381 01:52:28,240 --> 01:52:32,278 Yeah, I mean it hasn't been damaged by the weather either, happily. 1382 01:52:32,311 --> 01:52:38,818 NARRATOR: They can make out, traces, of ancient paint, on plastered walls. 1383 01:52:38,851 --> 01:52:42,121 TONY: We've got blues and, red and yellow. 1384 01:52:42,154 --> 01:52:45,258 The sort of curls of that red over there, I mean, 1385 01:52:45,291 --> 01:52:50,163 I wouldn't be surprised if that was just the last vestiges of, of a figure. 1386 01:52:52,565 --> 01:52:54,901 PAUL: This is a real surprise to me. 1387 01:52:54,934 --> 01:52:56,235 TONY: Oh yeah, yeah. PAUL: You know. 1388 01:52:56,268 --> 01:52:58,437 But to find it plastered and painted. 1389 01:52:58,470 --> 01:53:02,475 TONY: Yeah, if you'd asked me whether it was likely, you know, before we started, 1390 01:53:02,508 --> 01:53:06,112 I'd say, you know, never in a million years. 1391 01:53:06,145 --> 01:53:09,315 NARRATOR: They believe, they've uncovered a fresco, 1392 01:53:09,348 --> 01:53:13,953 where the paint has been applied to wet plaster. 1393 01:53:13,986 --> 01:53:15,922 PAUL: Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought of that. 1394 01:53:15,955 --> 01:53:18,491 TONY: Nor me, nor me. 1395 01:53:18,524 --> 01:53:23,462 NARRATOR: An amphitheater with a fresco like this, is a rare find. 1396 01:53:23,495 --> 01:53:24,497 TONY: There's none in Britain. 1397 01:53:24,530 --> 01:53:26,065 PAUL: No, there's none in Britain. 1398 01:53:26,098 --> 01:53:30,536 A pattern decorative on an arena wall, it is of international importance. 1399 01:53:30,569 --> 01:53:34,607 NARRATOR: Walls, in the Colosseum itself, were painted too. 1400 01:53:34,640 --> 01:53:37,811 Brilliant reds, blues and greens. 1401 01:53:39,179 --> 01:53:43,516 The painted arena wall, reveals how much care the Romans lavished, 1402 01:53:43,549 --> 01:53:47,086 on the Richborough amphitheater. 1403 01:53:48,320 --> 01:53:52,225 It's new evidence of how important this amphitheater was, 1404 01:53:52,258 --> 01:53:54,260 to the Romans who built it. 1405 01:53:58,464 --> 01:54:03,369 But within hours, it starts raining, again. 1406 01:54:07,439 --> 01:54:12,011 They must act fast to protect the newly exposed fresco. 1407 01:54:12,044 --> 01:54:16,249 TONY: Well once again, we've had to cover the walls, cover the chalk walls 1408 01:54:16,282 --> 01:54:19,419 and the wall painting so we're under blue tarps again. 1409 01:54:22,054 --> 01:54:25,157 NARRATOR: For the second time, the weather, forces the team, 1410 01:54:25,190 --> 01:54:26,926 to down tools. 1411 01:54:38,137 --> 01:54:40,473 NARRATOR: Valerie returns to the Colosseum, 1412 01:54:40,506 --> 01:54:47,113 to continue her investigation into why it became so important, to Rome. 1413 01:54:47,146 --> 01:54:50,917 VALERIE: You're always kind of following the curve around. 1414 01:54:50,950 --> 01:54:56,055 NARRATOR: The amphitheater was built, as an oval mega structure, 1415 01:54:56,088 --> 01:55:00,126 measuring a third of a mile, in circumference. 1416 01:55:00,159 --> 01:55:04,697 Spectators, could enter, via 80 archways. 1417 01:55:07,666 --> 01:55:11,604 VALERIE: I can see numbers, written in Roman numerals. 1418 01:55:11,637 --> 01:55:22,381 This one is XXXII, 32 and then, going along, XXXIV, 34. 1419 01:55:22,414 --> 01:55:25,084 What this is indicating, I think, 1420 01:55:25,117 --> 01:55:29,555 has to be the number that was on the ticket that you got, 1421 01:55:29,588 --> 01:55:33,126 in order to enter the arena. 1422 01:55:33,860 --> 01:55:40,166 NARRATOR: As a spectator, you'd be just one of thousands. 1423 01:55:40,199 --> 01:55:45,371 Unlike the half circle of the old Roman Theatre of Pompey, this was a full, 1424 01:55:45,404 --> 01:55:47,674 wrap around arena. 1425 01:55:49,608 --> 01:55:55,214 Audience capacity more than doubled, from 20,000 to 50,000. 1426 01:55:56,648 --> 01:56:02,021 VALERIE: Once inside, you would be directed to your section of seating but, 1427 01:56:02,054 --> 01:56:05,324 you didn't get to choose what it was. 1428 01:56:05,357 --> 01:56:10,363 As you go further up to the top of the amphitheater, it gets steeper. 1429 01:56:10,396 --> 01:56:16,135 You go along dark corridors and you come out, into a section of seating, 1430 01:56:16,168 --> 01:56:18,504 which has been assigned, to you. 1431 01:56:20,305 --> 01:56:23,142 NARRATOR: Seats, were allocated according to social status. 1432 01:56:26,678 --> 01:56:30,116 The place with the worst view, was right at the top. 1433 01:56:31,183 --> 01:56:36,689 VALERIE: It may well have been standing room only and, people who stood there, 1434 01:56:36,722 --> 01:56:40,092 were the slaves and the women. 1435 01:56:40,125 --> 01:56:44,130 NARRATOR: Those with the greatest status, sat closest to the Emperor, 1436 01:56:44,163 --> 01:56:46,098 in his Imperial box. 1437 01:56:46,131 --> 01:56:53,205 First, were the elite senators, sitting in the marble rows above them, 1438 01:56:53,238 --> 01:56:57,010 were a noble rank of Roman knights, known as the equites. 1439 01:57:01,680 --> 01:57:08,087 Above them, were groups of soldiers, adolescent boys with tutors and married men, 1440 01:57:08,120 --> 01:57:10,723 with other, ordinary citizens of Rome. 1441 01:57:13,625 --> 01:57:17,329 In the highest levels, were Rome's lower classes, 1442 01:57:17,362 --> 01:57:20,266 enslaved people and poorer citizens, 1443 01:57:20,299 --> 01:57:22,468 along with women and children. 1444 01:57:25,471 --> 01:57:28,307 VALERIE: When you went to the games at the amphitheater, 1445 01:57:28,340 --> 01:57:33,179 you really were, in a very literal sense, put in your place. 1446 01:57:33,212 --> 01:57:36,582 NARRATOR: The massive wrap around theatre, had another hidden function. 1447 01:57:40,385 --> 01:57:48,094 Engineering a 360 degree space, put everyone in full view of everyone else. 1448 01:57:50,562 --> 01:57:54,133 It's not just the gladiators who were put on show, 1449 01:57:54,166 --> 01:57:56,169 it was the audience, too. 1450 01:57:57,570 --> 01:58:03,175 VALERIE: It was a very socially reinforcing act, to go to the amphitheater 1451 01:58:03,208 --> 01:58:07,680 because, you really understood your place in society. 1452 01:58:07,713 --> 01:58:12,551 NARRATOR: It was a social performance, one that reinforced the hierarchy, 1453 01:58:12,584 --> 01:58:14,287 of Roman society. 1454 01:58:17,823 --> 01:58:20,760 The Colosseum wasn't built simply to entertain the people, 1455 01:58:24,196 --> 01:58:27,233 it was built, to keep them under control. 1456 01:58:31,537 --> 01:58:39,211 In Volterra, Mark and Paul, review their laser scans in 3D. 1457 01:58:39,244 --> 01:58:42,648 PAUL: You can really start to see, the overall shape. 1458 01:58:42,681 --> 01:58:46,452 MARK: I mean, look at that, this was all just a big grass field. 1459 01:58:46,485 --> 01:58:50,656 NARRATOR: The 3D imaging, allows them to identify the underlying engineering. 1460 01:58:54,193 --> 01:58:58,797 Not just the tunnels, but the whole amphitheater. 1461 01:58:58,830 --> 01:59:01,433 MARK: We're really getting a nice hint of the elliptical shape now. 1462 01:59:01,466 --> 01:59:02,968 PAUL: Yeah, that's really neat. 1463 01:59:03,001 --> 01:59:04,970 MARK: We've got it so much more clearer now, 1464 01:59:05,003 --> 01:59:09,408 the geometry of this amazing monument. 1465 01:59:09,441 --> 01:59:15,781 NARRATOR: The digital data, reveals patterns, not obvious, to the naked eye. 1466 01:59:15,814 --> 01:59:21,587 The hope, is that the hidden geometry will hold the key to understanding when, 1467 01:59:21,620 --> 01:59:24,357 and why, this amphitheater was built. 1468 01:59:28,927 --> 01:59:32,899 But Mark and Paul's investigations, don't stop here. 1469 01:59:34,700 --> 01:59:36,869 PAUL: Oh this scan position is absolutely perfect, 1470 01:59:36,902 --> 01:59:41,373 it's going to allow us to the get the tops of these walls over here. 1471 01:59:41,406 --> 01:59:44,543 NARRATOR: This, is the ancient theatre, at Volterra, 1472 01:59:44,576 --> 01:59:48,647 not far from the newly discovered amphitheater. 1473 01:59:48,680 --> 01:59:51,450 It was built at the end of the 1st Century BC. 1474 01:59:55,654 --> 02:00:02,928 The scans, of this building, can be compared with the scans of the amphitheater. 1475 02:00:02,961 --> 02:00:09,768 Analysis of the theatre's seating, and the amphitheater's arena, 1476 02:00:09,801 --> 02:00:13,339 suggests they may have been built by the same architect, 1477 02:00:13,372 --> 02:00:20,213 for the Caecinas, a local clan, not of Roman, but Etruscan origin. 1478 02:00:22,547 --> 02:00:29,355 In the 1st Century BC, with Volterra, under Roman rule, Aulus Caecina, 1479 02:00:29,388 --> 02:00:32,892 wrote a tirade against Caesar, and was banished. 1480 02:00:35,427 --> 02:00:43,969 But over the next 100 years, Caecinas became renowned senators in Rome. 1481 02:00:44,002 --> 02:00:47,640 In Volterra, Caecinas displayed their grand ambitions, 1482 02:00:47,673 --> 02:00:50,776 with lavish Roman buildings, the theatre, 1483 02:00:50,809 --> 02:00:54,280 and now it seems, the amphitheater too. 1484 02:00:58,750 --> 02:01:02,588 Finally, with the help of the 3D scans, 1485 02:01:02,621 --> 02:01:05,624 the team is solving the mystery of when and why, 1486 02:01:05,657 --> 02:01:07,793 this ancient structure was built. 1487 02:01:12,998 --> 02:01:17,002 The evidence suggests that it was constructed around the same time, 1488 02:01:17,035 --> 02:01:21,974 and for the same reason, as the theatre, as a testimony, 1489 02:01:22,007 --> 02:01:25,745 to Roman power, in the reign of Emperor Augustus. 1490 02:01:42,861 --> 02:01:47,366 NARRATOR: The amphitheater, was more than just a spectacular building, 1491 02:01:47,399 --> 02:01:49,535 an arena for gladiatorial games, 1492 02:01:52,571 --> 02:01:56,442 it was a symbol, of Rome, and Romaness. 1493 02:01:58,643 --> 02:02:02,781 Not only in Italy, but in places like Richborough, 1494 02:02:02,814 --> 02:02:05,117 on the outer reaches of the Empire. 1495 02:02:11,456 --> 02:02:16,829 NARRATOR: In Richborough, England, Tony and his team, are investigating 1496 02:02:16,862 --> 02:02:21,867 why this amphitheater was built, 800 miles, from Rome. 1497 02:02:24,569 --> 02:02:27,873 Battling the weather, the team is working on the plastered 1498 02:02:27,906 --> 02:02:32,911 and painted arena wall, when they begin to uncover 1499 02:02:32,944 --> 02:02:35,448 a puzzling structure alongside it. 1500 02:02:45,557 --> 02:02:51,731 Once it's fully dug out, Tony finds a clue, to its function. 1501 02:02:55,133 --> 02:02:57,736 TONY: What we have, is a slight stain here, 1502 02:02:57,769 --> 02:03:01,206 a nice straight line against the mortar floor. 1503 02:03:01,239 --> 02:03:06,879 This is probably the base of a timber frame door, of this entrance. 1504 02:03:08,647 --> 02:03:10,849 NARRATOR: Evidence of a door onto the arena, 1505 02:03:10,882 --> 02:03:13,719 leads Tony to an exciting conclusion. 1506 02:03:15,787 --> 02:03:17,689 TONY: What this is, is a carcer. 1507 02:03:17,722 --> 02:03:21,894 It's a place where animals or people, waiting to go into the arena, 1508 02:03:21,927 --> 02:03:25,731 would be incarcerated, where we get that word from. 1509 02:03:25,764 --> 02:03:28,734 It's a chamber, off the back of the arena wall. 1510 02:03:32,704 --> 02:03:38,110 This is really the waiting room, for anything that's going to die in the arena. 1511 02:03:38,143 --> 02:03:40,479 This would be a very, very grim place. 1512 02:03:40,512 --> 02:03:48,220 This is where, you know, the fear would click in, before that door rose and, 1513 02:03:48,253 --> 02:03:52,624 you went to meet whatever it was in front of you in the arena. 1514 02:03:52,657 --> 02:03:58,130 NARRATOR: This significant find, reveals how even many hundreds of miles from Rome, 1515 02:03:58,163 --> 02:04:01,800 spectacle, is still key. 1516 02:04:01,833 --> 02:04:05,938 PAUL: We have got people coming and going from the rest of the Roman Empire, 1517 02:04:05,971 --> 02:04:08,173 and this is what they might expect. 1518 02:04:08,206 --> 02:04:10,909 These are people who are soldiers, they are traders, 1519 02:04:10,942 --> 02:04:14,813 they are imperial officials and they would want to have, you know, 1520 02:04:14,846 --> 02:04:22,020 those aspects of Roman culture that they could get anywhere else in the Empire. 1521 02:04:22,053 --> 02:04:26,158 NARRATOR: This amphitheater, built soon after the invasion of Britain 1522 02:04:26,191 --> 02:04:31,630 in 43 AD, is the vanguard of Empire, 1523 02:04:31,663 --> 02:04:35,868 not just for the conquerors, but for the vanquished too. 1524 02:04:38,603 --> 02:04:42,307 PAUL: It's about spreading the idea, of the Roman way. 1525 02:04:42,340 --> 02:04:48,847 And the way they do that, is that they try and convince the conquered populations, 1526 02:04:48,880 --> 02:04:53,519 that this new way of life, is a better way of life. 1527 02:04:53,552 --> 02:04:56,822 The amphitheater, and the things that went on in an amphitheater, 1528 02:04:56,855 --> 02:04:58,957 is one way of doing that. 1529 02:04:58,990 --> 02:05:00,693 We see this all over the Roman Empire. 1530 02:05:03,962 --> 02:05:07,833 NARRATOR: 230 amphitheaters, mini Colosseums, 1531 02:05:07,866 --> 02:05:13,772 have been discovered across the Empire. 1532 02:05:13,805 --> 02:05:18,577 Built between the 1st Century BC and the 4th Century AD, 1533 02:05:18,610 --> 02:05:21,580 they stretch from England, to Africa. 1534 02:05:24,349 --> 02:05:27,185 Some of them, still stand. 1535 02:05:27,218 --> 02:05:30,723 At Pompeii and Verrona, in Italy, 1536 02:05:32,891 --> 02:05:34,693 at Arles, in France, 1537 02:05:37,028 --> 02:05:38,664 Italica, in Spain, 1538 02:05:40,765 --> 02:05:42,668 El Djem in Tunisia 1539 02:05:44,769 --> 02:05:46,906 and Pula, in Croatia. 1540 02:05:51,309 --> 02:05:56,315 Their forms of entertainment were always the same, a way for the Roman rulers, 1541 02:05:56,348 --> 02:05:58,784 to spread their Roman values. 1542 02:06:01,820 --> 02:06:05,657 Enemies of Rome, faced public execution. 1543 02:06:05,690 --> 02:06:10,729 They were crucified, burnt at the steak, or mauled by wild animals. 1544 02:06:12,831 --> 02:06:16,969 Gladiators wore armor, inspired by ancient enemies, 1545 02:06:17,002 --> 02:06:19,705 and mythical Roman characters. 1546 02:06:23,975 --> 02:06:26,845 They fought with different weapons and armor, 1547 02:06:26,878 --> 02:06:30,316 to show off Roman values of courage and valor. 1548 02:06:34,986 --> 02:06:41,327 Even facing certain death, a gladiator would be expected to die, bravely. 1549 02:06:46,931 --> 02:06:53,405 The amphitheater, Romanized its conquered peoples. 1550 02:06:53,438 --> 02:06:56,609 But Rome, needed Romanizing too. 1551 02:06:58,010 --> 02:07:01,413 And this would be the task of the greatest amphitheater of them all, 1552 02:07:03,314 --> 02:07:04,817 the Colosseum. 1553 02:07:13,058 --> 02:07:17,429 NARRATOR: All paths, lead back to the Colosseum, and Valerie, 1554 02:07:17,462 --> 02:07:19,832 is at the crux of her investigation. 1555 02:07:23,301 --> 02:07:26,471 VALERIE: Rome was the center of a huge empire. 1556 02:07:26,504 --> 02:07:31,376 And like all huge empires, it has a lot of migration to its center. 1557 02:07:31,409 --> 02:07:35,180 So, most of the people who are sitting around this arena, 1558 02:07:35,213 --> 02:07:38,417 probably originated somewhere else. 1559 02:07:38,450 --> 02:07:41,353 But the one thing that kind of made them Roman, 1560 02:07:41,386 --> 02:07:45,157 that actually created a feeling of Romaness, 1561 02:07:45,190 --> 02:07:48,894 is, that they sat and watched this spectacle. 1562 02:07:52,130 --> 02:07:57,502 NARRATOR: At the Colosseum, the Emperor made sure he personified Rome. 1563 02:07:57,535 --> 02:08:05,744 He had his grand entrance, the Imperial Gate, and he sat, in his Imperial Box, 1564 02:08:05,777 --> 02:08:08,047 for all to see. 1565 02:08:08,714 --> 02:08:13,251 VALERIE: This is the best view in the arena, and it's not only the best view, 1566 02:08:13,284 --> 02:08:17,422 it's the best place to be viewed. 1567 02:08:17,455 --> 02:08:21,493 We should be in no doubt, that, it was putting on games like this, 1568 02:08:21,526 --> 02:08:26,732 that was really crucial to the Emperor keeping power. 1569 02:08:26,765 --> 02:08:32,204 NARRATOR: The genius, of Emperor Vespasian and his son, builders of the Colosseum, 1570 02:08:32,237 --> 02:08:37,109 was to harness the gladiatorial games, to the power of the Emperor. 1571 02:08:38,810 --> 02:08:40,746 But it wouldn't, last forever. 1572 02:08:46,918 --> 02:08:48,153 In Volterra, 1573 02:08:50,221 --> 02:08:55,060 as the team pieces together the story of the once buried amphitheater, 1574 02:08:55,627 --> 02:08:58,497 Valeria uncovers a mysterious structure. 1575 02:09:14,979 --> 02:09:18,984 NARRATOR: This clear line between the original, and new stone, 1576 02:09:19,017 --> 02:09:21,987 shows the window has been bricked up. 1577 02:09:22,020 --> 02:09:26,024 It points to a radical shift in the amphitheater's history. 1578 02:09:41,172 --> 02:09:43,441 NARRATOR: The beginning of the 5th Century AD, 1579 02:09:43,474 --> 02:09:46,411 is around the time the gladiator games were banned, 1580 02:09:46,444 --> 02:09:48,480 throughout the Roman Empire. 1581 02:09:52,116 --> 02:09:56,555 Was this blocked up window, the beginning of the end, for the amphitheater? 1582 02:09:59,424 --> 02:10:06,932 In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine, outlawed the persecution of Christians, 1583 02:10:06,965 --> 02:10:09,868 and his reforms began to the change the games. 1584 02:10:11,269 --> 02:10:15,340 He banned crucifixion for convicted criminals, 1585 02:10:15,373 --> 02:10:20,011 but allowed gladiator fights to persist. 1586 02:10:20,044 --> 02:10:26,318 In 404 AD, a Christian monk, tried to stop a gladiatorial contest, 1587 02:10:26,351 --> 02:10:29,054 but was stoned to death, by the crowd. 1588 02:10:29,587 --> 02:10:34,926 It's said that the sight turned the heart, of the Christian Emperor, Honorius, 1589 02:10:34,959 --> 02:10:38,096 who then banned the games altogether. 1590 02:10:41,666 --> 02:10:48,173 In a new Christian era, the Colosseum came to be seen in a different light. 1591 02:10:52,944 --> 02:10:58,683 VALERIE: This inscription, commemorates the Christians, who were killed, 1592 02:10:58,716 --> 02:11:01,319 under the Roman Empire. 1593 02:11:01,352 --> 02:11:08,293 This became, a place that symbolized all of the Christian martyrs, who died. 1594 02:11:08,326 --> 02:11:13,064 It symbolizes the inhumanity, of what was happening, in the arena, 1595 02:11:13,097 --> 02:11:17,002 when people were being executed in this horrific way. 1596 02:11:22,540 --> 02:11:25,477 NARRATOR: The Roman Empire, was the most powerful on Earth. 1597 02:11:28,413 --> 02:11:34,486 And this amphitheater, the magnificent Colosseum, was its monument. 1598 02:11:35,720 --> 02:11:37,522 Archaeologists are discovering, 1599 02:11:37,555 --> 02:11:41,426 that an amphitheater symbolized Rome, wherever it was built. 1600 02:11:43,261 --> 02:11:48,166 From the provinces, to the outer corners of Empire, 1601 02:11:48,199 --> 02:11:52,237 their excavations are revealing how amphitheaters came to stand, 1602 02:11:52,270 --> 02:11:56,408 for the might of Rome, for social order, 1603 02:11:56,441 --> 02:12:00,212 military valor and imperial power. 1604 02:12:00,912 --> 02:12:06,484 Symbolism, so powerful, that amphitheaters represent the Roman Empire, 1605 02:12:06,517 --> 02:12:08,520 to this day. 1606 02:12:14,459 --> 02:12:16,094 (knocking sound) 1607 02:12:21,499 --> 02:12:23,368 NARRATOR: On the outskirts of Rome 1608 02:12:23,401 --> 02:12:27,105 archaeologists are breaking into a secret underground chamber. 1609 02:12:39,317 --> 02:12:43,155 NARRATOR: It could reveal clues to the disappearance of an ancient palace. 1610 02:12:46,391 --> 02:12:49,294 NARRATOR: Emperor Nero's legendary Golden House. 1611 02:13:11,049 --> 02:13:14,719 NARRATOR: Rome, the eternal city. 1612 02:13:14,752 --> 02:13:20,558 Its monumental wonders still stand proud after two millennia of history. 1613 02:13:20,591 --> 02:13:25,163 And one of its most fascinating ancient structures lies buried here, 1614 02:13:25,196 --> 02:13:27,332 beneath the city. 1615 02:13:27,365 --> 02:13:35,440 The Domus Aurea, the Golden House, a vast palace built in the first century AD. 1616 02:13:35,473 --> 02:13:40,178 It was the most extravagant construction in the history of Rome. 1617 02:13:40,211 --> 02:13:42,580 Why was the Golden House buried? 1618 02:13:42,613 --> 02:13:45,817 And what can its fate reveal about its builder, 1619 02:13:45,850 --> 02:13:49,821 Rome's most notorious emperor, Nero. 1620 02:13:54,525 --> 02:13:59,264 Today, teams of experts are launching investigations across Italy 1621 02:13:59,297 --> 02:14:00,799 that could offer new clues. 1622 02:14:13,878 --> 02:14:17,782 NARRATOR: Beneath the Colle Oppio Park in the center of Rome, 1623 02:14:17,815 --> 02:14:21,219 a team of conservation specialists is fighting to preserve 1624 02:14:21,252 --> 02:14:24,789 the surviving remains of the Domus Aurea, 1625 02:14:24,822 --> 02:14:28,893 an underground maze of painted rooms and corridors. 1626 02:14:28,926 --> 02:14:32,864 Rome native Maria Bartoli is the head of conservation. 1627 02:14:50,181 --> 02:14:52,450 NARRATOR: The surviving sections of the Domus Aurea 1628 02:14:52,483 --> 02:14:55,787 are buried up to 13 feet deep. 1629 02:14:55,820 --> 02:14:59,224 Until excavation in the 18th century, 1630 02:14:59,257 --> 02:15:02,360 almost all of the rooms were back-filled with soil 1631 02:15:02,393 --> 02:15:04,229 and rubble too. 1632 02:15:05,596 --> 02:15:08,633 The Golden House is in fragile condition. 1633 02:15:26,918 --> 02:15:32,190 NARRATOR: The earth above weighs more than 700 pounds per square foot. 1634 02:15:32,223 --> 02:15:36,794 The 2000 year old structure wasn't built to bear this vast load, 1635 02:15:36,827 --> 02:15:38,864 so it's in danger of collapsing. 1636 02:15:44,468 --> 02:15:46,838 NARRATOR: Water is infiltrating from above, 1637 02:15:46,871 --> 02:15:50,475 and the once highly decorated walls are coated in dirt. 1638 02:16:05,790 --> 02:16:08,160 NARRATOR: The team must carefully clear the wall. 1639 02:16:21,372 --> 02:16:23,608 NARRATOR: The work is painstaking. 1640 02:16:23,641 --> 02:16:28,646 It takes hours to reveal and preserve every inch of the ancient decoration. 1641 02:16:28,679 --> 02:16:34,753 And with every passing day, the risk of losing this precious art grows greater. 1642 02:16:53,537 --> 02:16:57,375 NARRATOR: Large swathes of the ancient walls have already been eaten away 1643 02:16:57,408 --> 02:17:02,513 by harmful algae that thrive in the humid climate here. 1644 02:17:02,546 --> 02:17:08,987 Maria must clean all of the walls to prevent another biological attack. 1645 02:17:09,020 --> 02:17:14,226 In the vast underground maze, she has a gargantuan task ahead of her. 1646 02:17:19,530 --> 02:17:23,468 American archaeologist Darius Arya is investigating 1647 02:17:23,501 --> 02:17:28,740 why Nero's magnificent palace ended up rotting underground. 1648 02:17:28,773 --> 02:17:32,710 22 years ago, Darius traded his home in the United States 1649 02:17:32,743 --> 02:17:36,848 for Italy's capital to follow his childhood fascination 1650 02:17:36,881 --> 02:17:38,750 with Roman history. 1651 02:17:38,783 --> 02:17:41,519 DR. ARYA: Nero is a very interesting character. 1652 02:17:41,552 --> 02:17:46,324 I mean this person looms in the history books larger than life. 1653 02:17:46,357 --> 02:17:47,925 He was a showman. 1654 02:17:47,958 --> 02:17:52,797 He's still fascinating and those anecdotes that are applied to him, 1655 02:17:52,830 --> 02:17:57,468 whether or not they're true, just adds those layers of understanding 1656 02:17:57,501 --> 02:17:59,704 the nuanced character of Nero. 1657 02:18:00,805 --> 02:18:07,879 NARRATOR: The fate of the Domus Aurea may be connected to Nero's own story. 1658 02:18:07,912 --> 02:18:14,886 Nero became Emperor at just 16 after his stepfather Claudius died in 54 AD. 1659 02:18:14,919 --> 02:18:18,690 Some say Claudius was poisoned by his wife, Agrippina, 1660 02:18:18,723 --> 02:18:20,992 to make way for her son. 1661 02:18:21,025 --> 02:18:25,129 Ancient writers described Nero as a cold-blooded ruler, 1662 02:18:25,162 --> 02:18:28,566 reporting he poisoned his step-brother out of jealousy, 1663 02:18:28,599 --> 02:18:31,736 and had his domineering mother assassinated. 1664 02:18:31,769 --> 02:18:35,440 They claimed his taste for violence was limitless. 1665 02:18:35,473 --> 02:18:40,578 Roaming the streets at night in disguise, he would stab victims at random 1666 02:18:40,611 --> 02:18:42,647 and throw them into the sewers. 1667 02:18:44,782 --> 02:18:50,088 Darius wants to explore how much of Nero's reputation is true, 1668 02:18:50,121 --> 02:18:53,892 and if it is connected to the fate of the Domus Aurea. 1669 02:18:56,060 --> 02:19:01,432 A few feet into the complex he spots a first clue: 1670 02:19:01,465 --> 02:19:03,535 an un-excavated room. 1671 02:19:05,569 --> 02:19:11,008 DR. ARYA: This room is filled with debris, it's filled with fragments of brick, 1672 02:19:11,041 --> 02:19:14,479 pottery fragments of tuff. 1673 02:19:14,512 --> 02:19:16,013 This is all building material. 1674 02:19:16,046 --> 02:19:17,782 I see some decoration, 1675 02:19:17,815 --> 02:19:21,119 little bits and pieces of marble here and there, and porphyry. 1676 02:19:21,152 --> 02:19:23,488 But this is an intentional fill. 1677 02:19:23,521 --> 02:19:29,093 This is a massive project to fill in this entire space in a very orderly fashion. 1678 02:19:29,126 --> 02:19:34,098 NARRATOR: It is clear evidence someone deliberately buried the Domus Aurea. 1679 02:19:34,131 --> 02:19:36,534 DR. ARYA: Wow, look at this. 1680 02:19:36,567 --> 02:19:41,439 NARRATOR: Strange shapes on the floor in one of the rooms could shed some more light. 1681 02:19:41,472 --> 02:19:43,875 DR. ARYA: You can see a pattern in the cement 1682 02:19:43,908 --> 02:19:49,046 and literally it's showing you where there were panels of cut marble 1683 02:19:49,079 --> 02:19:50,715 that made a decorative pattern. 1684 02:19:50,748 --> 02:19:52,183 They've been removed. 1685 02:19:52,216 --> 02:19:55,820 So all we have just the imprint of what they once were 1686 02:19:55,853 --> 02:19:59,590 and how beautifully this floor would have been. 1687 02:19:59,623 --> 02:20:06,531 NARRATOR: Decorative marble was an unmistakable mark of luxury in the Roman world. 1688 02:20:06,564 --> 02:20:10,535 DR. ARYA: We can still see that you have this beautiful ceiling 1689 02:20:10,568 --> 02:20:12,937 with all kinds of decorative features and shapes, 1690 02:20:12,970 --> 02:20:16,073 elements framing them with the stucco work. 1691 02:20:16,106 --> 02:20:20,077 And there are traces of gilding in the ceiling. 1692 02:20:20,110 --> 02:20:26,017 NARRATOR: Darius can still make out remains of unimaginable splendor. 1693 02:20:26,050 --> 02:20:32,857 It's clear that when Nero built the Domus Aurea he spared no expense. 1694 02:20:32,890 --> 02:20:35,793 Rooms were decorated with brilliant marble walls 1695 02:20:35,826 --> 02:20:40,231 and frescoes to impress his guests. 1696 02:20:40,264 --> 02:20:46,537 Ancient sources describe Nero's hunger for opulence: 1697 02:20:46,570 --> 02:20:48,840 they say he owned a golden fishing net; 1698 02:20:53,878 --> 02:20:57,015 a golden box in which he kept deadly poisons. 1699 02:20:59,650 --> 02:21:02,987 Even his chamber pot was made of gold. 1700 02:21:03,020 --> 02:21:08,226 He plundered the gold for his palace from all the corners of his vast empire. 1701 02:21:11,161 --> 02:21:15,666 DR. ARYA: It was a place for entertainment and leisure more than anything else. 1702 02:21:15,699 --> 02:21:19,203 This is not here the residence of the emperor. 1703 02:21:19,236 --> 02:21:24,809 This is a place for accommodating guests and putting on a great show. 1704 02:21:26,043 --> 02:21:30,615 NARRATOR: The clues suggest that Nero's taste for luxury might be a factor 1705 02:21:30,648 --> 02:21:33,017 in the fate of his Golden House. 1706 02:21:37,321 --> 02:21:41,960 In Tivoli, just outside Rome, at the Villa Adriana. 1707 02:21:46,697 --> 02:21:50,234 NARRATOR: Archaeologists Benedetta Adembri and Marco Fabbri 1708 02:21:50,267 --> 02:21:53,070 are excavating the palace of the Emperor Hadrian 1709 02:21:53,103 --> 02:21:55,874 who came just 49 years after Nero. 1710 02:21:59,577 --> 02:22:01,646 NARRATOR: Discoveries here may help reveal 1711 02:22:01,679 --> 02:22:05,950 if Nero's Domus Aurea was uniquely extravagant, 1712 02:22:05,983 --> 02:22:09,787 or if other Emperors indulged in similar extreme luxury. 1713 02:22:12,289 --> 02:22:15,760 Today the team is investigating an intriguing room 1714 02:22:15,793 --> 02:22:18,096 inside Hadrian's gymnasium. 1715 02:22:21,699 --> 02:22:26,170 NARRATOR: It was re-used in later times, and new floors were added. 1716 02:22:26,203 --> 02:22:30,041 Benedetta and Marco have discovered a void below them. 1717 02:22:33,811 --> 02:22:37,014 It's possible that a forgotten part of the original room 1718 02:22:37,047 --> 02:22:38,783 might be hidden beneath. 1719 02:22:55,065 --> 02:22:59,737 NARRATOR: But they can't just break up the floor without knowing what lies beneath. 1720 02:22:59,770 --> 02:23:04,876 It could cave in, risking their safety, and damage to ancient remains. 1721 02:23:08,812 --> 02:23:13,885 NARRATOR: The team lowers a camera down into the hole to inspect the void. 1722 02:23:17,655 --> 02:23:20,825 It reveals the walls continue below the floor, 1723 02:23:20,858 --> 02:23:24,095 but almost the entire space is filled with rubble. 1724 02:23:30,934 --> 02:23:33,371 NARRATOR: Now Marco can break up the floor. 1725 02:23:33,404 --> 02:23:36,374 The challenge is to remove the right tiles. 1726 02:23:38,275 --> 02:23:42,380 One mistake and the floor could collapse over the void. 1727 02:23:50,921 --> 02:23:54,058 NARRATOR: Now Marco can see the walls below. 1728 02:23:54,091 --> 02:23:56,294 But it's hard to make out any details. 1729 02:24:02,700 --> 02:24:05,770 NARRATOR: Marco decides to venture into the cavity. 1730 02:24:05,803 --> 02:24:07,138 (foreign dialogue) 1731 02:24:09,106 --> 02:24:11,776 Even with 40 years of experience, 1732 02:24:11,809 --> 02:24:15,246 this is one of most challenging excavations in his career. 1733 02:24:26,924 --> 02:24:31,128 NARRATOR: On the Palatine, one of Rome's seven hills, 1734 02:24:31,161 --> 02:24:36,334 archaeologist Maria Teresa D'Alessio is investigating an intriguing site. 1735 02:24:40,337 --> 02:24:44,475 NARRATOR: A structure contemporary to Nero's Domus Aurea. 1736 02:24:44,508 --> 02:24:47,445 PROF. D'ALESSIO: We are in front of the Arch of Constantine 1737 02:24:47,478 --> 02:24:50,247 and the square of the Colosseum. 1738 02:24:50,280 --> 02:24:55,386 It's one of the most wonderful places in Rome for an archaeologist, 1739 02:24:55,419 --> 02:25:00,124 but it's also a little scary. A big responsibility. 1740 02:25:02,126 --> 02:25:04,428 NARRATOR: The site is less than 500 yards 1741 02:25:04,461 --> 02:25:07,865 from the buried remains of Nero's Golden House. 1742 02:25:08,765 --> 02:25:13,304 Maria Teresa believes they could be connected. 1743 02:25:13,337 --> 02:25:18,476 PROF. D'ALESSIO: Probably they were in the project of the structures related 1744 02:25:18,509 --> 02:25:21,479 to the Domus Aurea. 1745 02:25:21,512 --> 02:25:27,885 We know this from the orientation of the structure, from the building techniques. 1746 02:25:27,918 --> 02:25:30,054 NARRATOR: This structure was originally just beyond 1747 02:25:30,087 --> 02:25:32,990 the boundary of Nero's Golden House. 1748 02:25:33,023 --> 02:25:36,994 It shows just how vast the whole palace was. 1749 02:25:37,027 --> 02:25:41,299 PROF. D'ALESSIO: The Domus Aurea occupied a very big part of the city. 1750 02:25:45,202 --> 02:25:51,442 NARRATOR: Ancient writers describe 300 rooms, lavishly decorated with gold, 1751 02:25:51,475 --> 02:25:54,145 gems and mother-of-pearl. 1752 02:25:54,778 --> 02:25:59,183 The palace grounds spread between Rome's Oppian Hill 1753 02:25:59,216 --> 02:26:06,490 and Palatine Hill covering an area more than 20 times larger than the Colosseum. 1754 02:26:06,523 --> 02:26:11,061 In the middle Nero built a private lake for boating. 1755 02:26:11,094 --> 02:26:16,934 Around the palace he grew lavish gardens, vineyards, and forests. 1756 02:26:16,967 --> 02:26:19,837 And at the entrance, he placed a colossal 1757 02:26:19,870 --> 02:26:24,542 120 foot tall bronze statue of himself. 1758 02:26:24,575 --> 02:26:27,779 The Domus Aurea was a gigantic construction. 1759 02:26:33,984 --> 02:26:38,956 Maria Teresa's team is on a mission to unearth the structures here. 1760 02:26:38,989 --> 02:26:45,296 They could shed new light on who destroyed the Domus Aurea, and why. 1761 02:26:45,329 --> 02:26:49,166 PROF. D'ALESSIO: We started from the high part of the level 1762 02:26:49,199 --> 02:26:53,003 and we, nothing were visible before we worked here 1763 02:26:53,036 --> 02:26:58,943 and now we are going down through times, through the history. 1764 02:26:58,976 --> 02:27:00,545 It's like assembling a puzzle. 1765 02:27:01,679 --> 02:27:04,481 NARRATOR: Maria Teresa is checking the team's progress 1766 02:27:04,514 --> 02:27:11,288 when one of her excavators discovers what could be a clue. 1767 02:27:11,321 --> 02:27:12,623 PROF. D'ALESSIO: Oh, wow. 1768 02:27:16,159 --> 02:27:19,230 NARRATOR: 110 miles south, at Baiae. 1769 02:27:22,466 --> 02:27:25,936 NARRATOR: A team of underwater archaeologists is investigating 1770 02:27:25,969 --> 02:27:29,006 an extraordinary Roman city. 1771 02:27:29,039 --> 02:27:34,578 Seismic activity in the 4th century AD plunged Baiae into the sea. 1772 02:27:34,611 --> 02:27:39,884 300 years earlier, in Nero's time, it was a fashionable seaside resort, 1773 02:27:39,917 --> 02:27:43,554 famed for its thermal springs and bath houses. 1774 02:27:43,587 --> 02:27:50,094 Vast villas and estates filled the coastline, only to slip into the sea. 1775 02:27:50,127 --> 02:27:57,034 DR. DAVIDDE: We have around 177 hectares of Roman rooms underwater. 1776 02:27:58,168 --> 02:28:02,539 NARRATOR: Barbara Davidde spearheads the project to map and restore 1777 02:28:02,572 --> 02:28:05,342 the sunken villas that belonged to Nero, 1778 02:28:05,375 --> 02:28:09,113 his family, and Rome's political elite. 1779 02:28:12,282 --> 02:28:15,986 Barbara and her dive team head out on the boat, 1780 02:28:16,019 --> 02:28:20,024 to where the ruins of an imperial property are submerged. 1781 02:28:20,858 --> 02:28:26,564 DR. DAVIDDE: It's always exciting to start an activity underwater. 1782 02:28:29,399 --> 02:28:35,472 NARRATOR: Some 16 feet below the surface, beautiful statues come into view, 1783 02:28:35,505 --> 02:28:38,009 grouped around a long room. 1784 02:28:38,843 --> 02:28:44,448 DR. DAVIDDE: We can see first the mother of Claudius, of the Emperor Claudius, 1785 02:28:44,481 --> 02:28:50,354 as Venus and the statues of probably one of the daughter of Claudius, 1786 02:28:50,387 --> 02:28:53,257 or one of the daughter of the imperial family. 1787 02:28:53,290 --> 02:28:57,027 NARRATOR: The statues depict members of Nero's family: 1788 02:28:57,060 --> 02:29:00,397 the first imperial dynasty to rule Rome. 1789 02:29:00,430 --> 02:29:03,367 They're evidence of the presence of the emperor here, 1790 02:29:03,400 --> 02:29:08,306 and show how important Baiae was for his whole ruling family. 1791 02:29:09,273 --> 02:29:14,712 Nero's ancestor Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 BC, 1792 02:29:14,745 --> 02:29:18,315 sparking a civil war that ended the Republic, 1793 02:29:18,348 --> 02:29:21,585 and led to a long line of emperors. 1794 02:29:21,618 --> 02:29:28,158 First was Caesar's great nephew, Augustus, who ruled for 40 peaceful years 1795 02:29:28,191 --> 02:29:32,396 and was declared a god after he died. 1796 02:29:32,429 --> 02:29:36,200 Tiberius came next in 14 AD. 1797 02:29:36,233 --> 02:29:41,338 He conquered parts of Germany, but was a reclusive emperor back home. 1798 02:29:41,371 --> 02:29:45,609 His successor Caligula was known for his cruelty. 1799 02:29:45,642 --> 02:29:49,580 He enjoyed watching tortures during his feasts. 1800 02:29:49,613 --> 02:29:53,684 His uncle Claudius followed in 41 AD. 1801 02:29:53,717 --> 02:29:59,556 He started the conquest of Britain, and named Nero as his successor. 1802 02:29:59,589 --> 02:30:04,328 The Julio-Claudian family made Baiae their seaside home 1803 02:30:04,361 --> 02:30:06,697 and built an opulent villa at this spot. 1804 02:30:25,215 --> 02:30:30,788 NARRATOR: The Villa was passed down through the generations to Nero. 1805 02:30:30,821 --> 02:30:34,625 Ancient writers said he hosted incredible feasts here. 1806 02:30:37,828 --> 02:30:40,464 Barbara wants to preserve the site, 1807 02:30:40,497 --> 02:30:44,668 and detail all the ruins before the sea claims them. 1808 02:30:44,701 --> 02:30:48,072 DR. DAVIDDE: Underwater is a harsh environment. 1809 02:30:48,105 --> 02:30:52,609 So archaeological remains are at risk. 1810 02:30:52,642 --> 02:31:00,350 It's a big fight against the marine organisms and against the waves, 1811 02:31:00,383 --> 02:31:03,721 the change of the sea level and so on. 1812 02:31:04,555 --> 02:31:11,195 NARRATOR: South west of Nero's villa, the divers spot something on the seafloor. 1813 02:31:11,228 --> 02:31:15,733 As they brush away the silt, an incredible mosaic emerges. 1814 02:31:21,238 --> 02:31:23,507 NARRATOR: In Tivoli, just outside Rome. 1815 02:31:28,745 --> 02:31:33,650 NARRATOR: Marco descends into the underground chamber. 1816 02:31:33,683 --> 02:31:38,656 He hopes to find a lost part of Hadrian's villa below the new floor. 1817 02:31:39,657 --> 02:31:43,927 It could help reveal if other emperors' palaces were as luxurious 1818 02:31:43,960 --> 02:31:45,863 as Nero's Golden House. 1819 02:31:57,641 --> 02:32:01,778 NARRATOR: It looks like an entire room that was carelessly back-filled 1820 02:32:01,811 --> 02:32:03,914 when the new floor was built. 1821 02:32:04,915 --> 02:32:10,387 Suddenly, mixed in with the rubble, Marco spots pieces of painted plaster. 1822 02:32:51,027 --> 02:32:54,831 NARRATOR: Back above ground, Marco and his colleague Benedetta 1823 02:32:54,864 --> 02:32:56,500 analyze the frescoes. 1824 02:33:02,639 --> 02:33:06,944 NARRATOR: The incredible fresco fragments probably date to Hadrian, 1825 02:33:06,977 --> 02:33:11,815 and the back-filled room forms a long lost part of his vast palace. 1826 02:33:22,425 --> 02:33:26,930 NARRATOR: Now Marco and the team want to excavate the entire space. 1827 02:33:26,963 --> 02:33:29,766 They will have to be extremely careful. 1828 02:33:29,799 --> 02:33:34,004 The evidence so far suggests that there will be masses of ancient relics 1829 02:33:34,037 --> 02:33:35,839 mixed in with the rubble. 1830 02:33:40,277 --> 02:33:45,282 At the sunken city of Baiae, in the bay of Naples, 1831 02:33:45,315 --> 02:33:49,787 Barbara's divers investigate the mosaic they found on the sea floor. 1832 02:33:52,422 --> 02:33:57,294 The strong current has lifted many of its delicate pieces. 1833 02:33:57,327 --> 02:34:02,399 The divers carefully identify missing tesserae among the sand. 1834 02:34:05,101 --> 02:34:10,307 Then they use special underwater mortar to reconstruct the 2000 year 1835 02:34:10,340 --> 02:34:16,713 old mosaic: a black and white fish made from pure marble pieces. 1836 02:34:16,746 --> 02:34:21,952 It was likely the floor of a lavish villa belonging to one of the political elite. 1837 02:34:33,997 --> 02:34:37,934 NARRATOR: On the boat, Barbara analyses a larger piece of marble 1838 02:34:37,967 --> 02:34:39,937 recovered from the sea floor. 1839 02:34:41,638 --> 02:34:52,115 DR. DAVIDDE: We have marble from Africa, from Asia, from Greece, and also from Italy. 1840 02:34:52,148 --> 02:34:57,788 These structures was decorated with the luxury marble 1841 02:34:57,821 --> 02:35:01,992 coming from all the Roman world. 1842 02:35:03,526 --> 02:35:08,832 NARRATOR: Discoveries like these reveal the lavish lifestyle of Baiae's rich. 1843 02:35:09,833 --> 02:35:14,471 In the 1st century AD, this spa haven was renowned 1844 02:35:14,504 --> 02:35:17,674 for overindulgence and debauchery. 1845 02:35:17,707 --> 02:35:22,946 It was Rome's sin city, and Nero's favorite playground. 1846 02:35:24,881 --> 02:35:27,017 DR. DAVIDDE: He loved Baiae. 1847 02:35:27,050 --> 02:35:32,356 That's why when they decided to build the Domus Aurea in Rome 1848 02:35:32,389 --> 02:35:39,396 he had the inspiration of the landscape of Baiae. 1849 02:35:39,429 --> 02:35:43,767 NARRATOR: When Nero built his Golden House with a massive artificial lake, 1850 02:35:43,800 --> 02:35:49,106 he brought Baiae and its excesses to Rome for all to witness. 1851 02:35:49,606 --> 02:35:57,414 Nero's notoriety and the downfall of his Domus Aurea may have begun at Baiae. 1852 02:35:57,447 --> 02:36:03,553 The underwater team continues their investigation east-wards. 1853 02:36:03,586 --> 02:36:06,923 Soon a massive structure comes into view, 1854 02:36:06,956 --> 02:36:14,765 with columned walls nearly 330 feet long and 200 feet wide, 1855 02:36:14,798 --> 02:36:18,369 right next to Nero's villa. 1856 02:36:22,906 --> 02:36:28,645 NARRATOR: In Tivoli, Marco and his team painstakingly remove the rubble 1857 02:36:28,678 --> 02:36:33,049 from the underground room at Hadrian's villa. 1858 02:36:33,082 --> 02:36:36,186 He identifies a structure emerging from the debris. 1859 02:36:45,829 --> 02:36:50,134 NARRATOR: As they remove the rubble, the features of the ancient room come into view. 1860 02:37:11,688 --> 02:37:16,126 NARRATOR: It's not long until more fragments of the precious frescoes emerge. 1861 02:37:28,304 --> 02:37:32,509 NARRATOR: Digging deeper Marco uncovers more and more fragments, 1862 02:37:34,611 --> 02:37:36,213 incredibly preserved. 1863 02:38:19,756 --> 02:38:23,861 NARRATOR: The team continues to pull up precious fragments from the room. 1864 02:38:42,111 --> 02:38:44,147 NARRATOR: Only a few traces of wall paintings 1865 02:38:44,180 --> 02:38:47,684 have ever been recovered from Hadrian's villa. 1866 02:38:47,717 --> 02:38:50,353 But here, sealed under the floor, 1867 02:38:50,386 --> 02:38:54,624 they have remained hidden from the elements and the eyes of robbers, 1868 02:38:54,657 --> 02:38:56,793 giving Marco a unique insight. 1869 02:39:09,272 --> 02:39:11,808 NARRATOR: The hidden room shows Hadrian too 1870 02:39:11,841 --> 02:39:15,612 lived in an elaborately decorated palace. 1871 02:39:18,047 --> 02:39:24,054 So the opulence of Nero's Domus Aurea can't be the only reason it was buried. 1872 02:39:30,259 --> 02:39:32,195 NARRATOR: Darius has also come to Tivoli 1873 02:39:32,228 --> 02:39:35,799 and the Villa Adriana to look for more clues. 1874 02:39:37,900 --> 02:39:40,170 There could be more to be found. 1875 02:39:40,203 --> 02:39:44,007 Not from underground, but from above. 1876 02:39:44,040 --> 02:39:46,676 He sends up a high-definition drone 1877 02:39:46,709 --> 02:39:50,380 to see the size of the Villa Adriana. 1878 02:39:50,413 --> 02:39:56,052 DR. ARYA: Really getting a grand view of the entire complex here. 1879 02:39:56,085 --> 02:39:58,789 This is just gorgeous! 1880 02:39:59,556 --> 02:40:04,761 There's a maritime theatre over there, the so-called Greek and Latin libraries. 1881 02:40:04,794 --> 02:40:10,700 The hospitalia all the way over to basically the core of the Imperial residence. 1882 02:40:10,733 --> 02:40:12,902 So there's just so much. 1883 02:40:12,935 --> 02:40:17,240 All just popping out amidst, you know, over 200 acres. 1884 02:40:23,012 --> 02:40:27,684 NARRATOR: Darius continues his investigation on foot. 1885 02:40:28,551 --> 02:40:33,323 DR. ARYA: I'm underneath now an entirely manmade construction. 1886 02:40:33,356 --> 02:40:39,996 What we have here are cells, one after the other, always the same. 1887 02:40:40,029 --> 02:40:45,201 This was what we'd call the slave corridor, the slave rooms. 1888 02:40:45,234 --> 02:40:49,472 NARRATOR: Inside the cells, Darius spots a curious feature. 1889 02:40:49,505 --> 02:40:52,976 DR. ARYA: There are brackets inserted on the walls for a wooden floor, 1890 02:40:53,009 --> 02:40:56,746 so actually it was subdivided into mini floors, little mezzanine floors. 1891 02:40:56,779 --> 02:40:59,783 So we know they're packing in as many people as possible. 1892 02:40:59,816 --> 02:41:01,685 And in fact, it's known as the Cento Camerelle, 1893 02:41:01,718 --> 02:41:07,290 the hundred rooms for thousands of slaves that must have worked here, 1894 02:41:07,323 --> 02:41:12,028 that lived here, that slept here, making the villa work. 1895 02:41:12,061 --> 02:41:16,399 NARRATOR: With its over 200 acres and thousands of enslaved people, 1896 02:41:16,432 --> 02:41:21,738 the Villa Adriana was as lavishly decorated as Nero's Domus Aurea, 1897 02:41:21,771 --> 02:41:23,740 and twice as big. 1898 02:41:23,773 --> 02:41:26,876 DR. ARYA: It is expansive and it is massive, 1899 02:41:26,909 --> 02:41:29,079 bigger than most cities in the Roman world, 1900 02:41:29,112 --> 02:41:31,314 but it's outside the city of Rome. 1901 02:41:31,347 --> 02:41:32,982 And if we take a look at the Domus Aurea, 1902 02:41:33,015 --> 02:41:36,086 you're taking this kind of concept of Hadrian's Villa 1903 02:41:36,119 --> 02:41:38,354 but you're putting it into the city. 1904 02:41:38,387 --> 02:41:43,059 NARRATOR: The location of the Domus Aurea could explain why it's now buried 1905 02:41:43,092 --> 02:41:46,029 with Nero's reputation rotting with it. 1906 02:41:46,062 --> 02:41:49,165 Nero built his palace in the center of Rome, 1907 02:41:49,198 --> 02:41:52,335 claiming a huge area of prime real estate 1908 02:41:52,368 --> 02:41:57,107 and flaunting his luxurious lifestyle for every Roman to see. 1909 02:41:57,140 --> 02:42:00,176 DR. ARYA: This was just something that had never been seen before, 1910 02:42:00,209 --> 02:42:03,379 and it was really something over the top. 1911 02:42:03,412 --> 02:42:07,383 NARRATOR: In central Rome, near the edge of the Domus Aurea, 1912 02:42:07,416 --> 02:42:12,522 Maria Teresa is examining the strange find made by one of her team. 1913 02:42:12,555 --> 02:42:18,361 PROF. D'ALESSIO: And this is the left over material from the production of something, 1914 02:42:18,394 --> 02:42:22,232 probably metal because it's very heavy. 1915 02:42:22,265 --> 02:42:26,970 NARRATOR: The discovery comes from a layer just above Nero's building here, 1916 02:42:27,003 --> 02:42:30,874 dating to the time after the destruction of the palace. 1917 02:42:30,907 --> 02:42:35,278 It is evidence of a change in the way the area was used after Nero. 1918 02:42:38,548 --> 02:42:44,420 In Nero's day the Palatine was where the rich and powerful lived. 1919 02:42:44,453 --> 02:42:46,523 PROF. D'ALESSIO: On the top of the Palatine 1920 02:42:46,556 --> 02:42:51,795 there was the houses of emperors because Romulus, 1921 02:42:51,828 --> 02:42:56,466 the founder, was the first one who lived on the top of the hill. 1922 02:42:56,499 --> 02:43:02,906 And that's why Augustus and other emperors wanted to live there. 1923 02:43:02,939 --> 02:43:07,844 NARRATOR: This area in the vibrant heart of Rome was in demand and changed use 1924 02:43:07,877 --> 02:43:10,380 repeatedly over the centuries. 1925 02:43:10,413 --> 02:43:15,618 In the dig headquarters, Maria Teresa studies excavation records, 1926 02:43:15,651 --> 02:43:21,558 to explore how Nero managed to build his 125 acre palace complex 1927 02:43:21,591 --> 02:43:24,060 on this coveted land. 1928 02:43:24,093 --> 02:43:29,299 She examines a curious layer discovered below his building. 1929 02:43:29,332 --> 02:43:34,637 PROF. D'ALESSIO: We can see these beautiful stairway, marble stairs, 1930 02:43:34,670 --> 02:43:40,910 with black traces on the walls, and also pottery with ashes. 1931 02:43:40,943 --> 02:43:46,616 NARRATOR: The traces of black charring and ashes point to one thing: 1932 02:43:46,649 --> 02:43:48,451 a ferocious fire. 1933 02:43:51,387 --> 02:43:55,091 In 64 AD, ten years into Nero's reign, 1934 02:43:55,124 --> 02:43:58,027 a fire started near a chariot racing arena, 1935 02:43:58,060 --> 02:44:02,599 and raged across the city for six days. 1936 02:44:02,632 --> 02:44:07,437 Ancient writers claimed emperor Nero callously played his lyre 1937 02:44:07,470 --> 02:44:10,273 as he watched the event unfold. 1938 02:44:11,574 --> 02:44:17,480 Cramped streets helped the inferno spread, destroying over half the city, 1939 02:44:17,513 --> 02:44:22,118 and clearing enough space for Nero to build his Domus Aurea. 1940 02:44:23,252 --> 02:44:29,626 Nero accused Christians of starting the fire, and gruesomely executed them, 1941 02:44:29,659 --> 02:44:34,330 allegedly burning some as torches at his garden parties. 1942 02:44:34,363 --> 02:44:41,237 PROF. D'ALESSIO: We know that slope of the Palatine burned with the other structures 1943 02:44:41,270 --> 02:44:50,947 within the fire of 64 and then was the new construction of the Domus Aurea. 1944 02:44:50,980 --> 02:44:54,350 NARRATOR: Some ancient historians claimed Nero had started 1945 02:44:54,383 --> 02:44:57,153 and spread the fire deliberately. 1946 02:44:57,186 --> 02:45:01,691 Modern investigations have since cast doubt on his guilt. 1947 02:45:01,724 --> 02:45:06,696 Rome was a cramped tinderbox ready to ignite with any careless spark 1948 02:45:06,729 --> 02:45:09,532 from countless open fires. 1949 02:45:09,565 --> 02:45:13,503 Nero even opened public buildings and his own estates as shelters, 1950 02:45:13,536 --> 02:45:16,506 and housed those made homeless. 1951 02:45:16,539 --> 02:45:18,975 But the rumors of his involvement were fanned 1952 02:45:19,008 --> 02:45:22,178 by Nero's enemies in the immediate aftermath, 1953 02:45:22,211 --> 02:45:25,148 incensed by excess spending and taxation, 1954 02:45:25,181 --> 02:45:28,751 and now outraged by the building of the Domus Aurea. 1955 02:45:28,784 --> 02:45:32,722 Nero and his palace were now in peril. 1956 02:45:35,591 --> 02:45:39,495 NARRATOR: In the bay of Naples, at the sunken city of Baiae, 1957 02:45:39,528 --> 02:45:42,332 Barbara and her team are continuing their investigation 1958 02:45:42,365 --> 02:45:45,601 of the structure next to Nero's palace. 1959 02:45:45,634 --> 02:45:47,237 It's a massive villa. 1960 02:45:50,506 --> 02:45:54,744 On board the dive boat, she analyses an inscribed lead pipe 1961 02:45:54,777 --> 02:45:57,513 previously recovered from the complex. 1962 02:45:57,546 --> 02:46:02,018 DR. DAVIDDE: This object is very important for us because thanks to this object, 1963 02:46:02,051 --> 02:46:07,323 we can know the name of the owners of this very important villa. 1964 02:46:07,356 --> 02:46:12,628 NARRATOR: The inscription on the pipe reads L Pisonis. 1965 02:46:12,661 --> 02:46:16,299 DR. DAVIDDE: The Pisoni family was a very important family 1966 02:46:16,332 --> 02:46:19,502 during the reign of Nero. 1967 02:46:19,535 --> 02:46:23,506 NARRATOR: Gaius Calpurnius Piso was a high-ranking senator, 1968 02:46:23,539 --> 02:46:26,576 one of Rome's richest and most powerful men. 1969 02:46:27,543 --> 02:46:32,715 From his villa at Baiae he watched Nero's excesses for 11 years, 1970 02:46:32,748 --> 02:46:37,220 until the building of the Domus Aurea on the scorched ruins of Rome 1971 02:46:37,253 --> 02:46:39,222 drove him into action. 1972 02:46:43,092 --> 02:46:50,433 One year after the fire, Piso organized a plot to kill Nero at Baiae. 1973 02:46:50,466 --> 02:46:54,704 One of the conspirators instructed a former servant to sharpen a knife 1974 02:46:54,737 --> 02:46:57,774 for the assassination, 1975 02:46:57,807 --> 02:47:03,112 but the suspicious man reported his former master to Nero's secretary, 1976 02:47:03,145 --> 02:47:07,317 foiling the plot and revealing the 41 conspirators. 1977 02:47:10,453 --> 02:47:16,659 A vengeful Nero ordered Piso to commit suicide, a noble death in Roman eyes. 1978 02:47:19,261 --> 02:47:22,365 The others were executed, or forced into exile. 1979 02:47:25,835 --> 02:47:28,337 DR. DAVIDDE: Nero, discovered them, kill them 1980 02:47:28,370 --> 02:47:34,143 and took all the properties of the Pisoni family. 1981 02:47:34,176 --> 02:47:37,213 NARRATOR: Barbara's investigation at Baiae helps show 1982 02:47:37,246 --> 02:47:40,116 how Nero lost favor with the political elite 1983 02:47:40,149 --> 02:47:43,252 who despised his indulgent palace. 1984 02:47:43,285 --> 02:47:48,458 He escaped Piso's plot but it marked the beginning of the end for Nero, 1985 02:47:48,491 --> 02:47:52,328 his reputation, and his extravagant Domus Aurea. 1986 02:47:58,501 --> 02:48:01,838 In central Rome, on the Palatine Hill, 1987 02:48:01,871 --> 02:48:05,408 Maria Teresa has found more clues that could shed light 1988 02:48:05,441 --> 02:48:08,745 on the ultimate fate of the emperor's hated building. 1989 02:48:09,512 --> 02:48:12,248 PROF. D'ALESSIO: We are quite sure that there is a basin 1990 02:48:12,281 --> 02:48:14,750 because we have waterproof mortar 1991 02:48:14,783 --> 02:48:22,258 inside the basin and we have lots of scrap materials like metals and glasses. 1992 02:48:22,291 --> 02:48:27,530 So it's probably functioned for the production of these materials. 1993 02:48:29,031 --> 02:48:33,469 NARRATOR: Finding the scrap metal and basin suggests an industrial use 1994 02:48:33,502 --> 02:48:36,840 for the area, probably a metal working shop. 1995 02:48:37,674 --> 02:48:43,312 It's a huge change for a site once next to an imperial palace. 1996 02:48:43,345 --> 02:48:47,917 In a different part of the site, the team make another discovery. 1997 02:48:47,950 --> 02:48:50,853 PROF. D'ALESSIO: We have found these incredible stairways 1998 02:48:50,886 --> 02:48:57,326 that was built later during the imperial age. 1999 02:48:57,359 --> 02:49:00,696 We have different levels inside the building, 2000 02:49:00,729 --> 02:49:05,568 the bottom level and another floor upstairs. 2001 02:49:05,601 --> 02:49:11,541 And it connects the lower part of this square 2002 02:49:11,574 --> 02:49:16,379 and this street with the upper level of the Palatine probably. 2003 02:49:16,412 --> 02:49:20,449 We are the first archaeologists who found these stairways. 2004 02:49:20,482 --> 02:49:22,885 So we are very excited about this. 2005 02:49:22,918 --> 02:49:27,623 NARRATOR: Maria Teresa recognizes this type of construction. 2006 02:49:27,656 --> 02:49:31,661 PROF. D'ALESSIO: Something similar was excavated near here 2007 02:49:31,694 --> 02:49:34,730 in another part of the Palatine. 2008 02:49:34,763 --> 02:49:40,970 And it was like a great market built under Hadrian. 2009 02:49:41,003 --> 02:49:45,875 NARRATOR: A change in use of this space, from an imperial building to a public market 2010 02:49:45,908 --> 02:49:49,845 could be an important clue to the demise of the Domus Aurea. 2011 02:49:49,878 --> 02:49:54,684 PROF. D'ALESSIO: It is very interesting that it could be an old market because 2012 02:49:54,717 --> 02:50:01,424 Nero wants all this area for himself, for his private, own palace. 2013 02:50:01,457 --> 02:50:06,929 Later emperors destroyed this project of Nero's 2014 02:50:06,962 --> 02:50:14,370 and they built other structures here, probably with a public function, 2015 02:50:14,403 --> 02:50:21,544 just to give the Roman citizens what Nero took for himself. 2016 02:50:23,345 --> 02:50:28,884 NARRATOR: Maria Teresa's work helps prove the Domus Aurea was deliberately buried 2017 02:50:28,917 --> 02:50:30,987 by later Emperors. 2018 02:50:31,020 --> 02:50:33,923 Her search for more evidence continues. 2019 02:50:38,861 --> 02:50:42,632 Inside the underground remains of the Domus Aurea. 2020 02:50:42,665 --> 02:50:46,636 Maria is checking on the progress the conservation team is making. 2021 02:51:03,719 --> 02:51:06,455 NARRATOR: After days of painstaking work, 2022 02:51:06,488 --> 02:51:08,758 they have managed to recover delicate paintings 2023 02:51:08,791 --> 02:51:11,828 of human figures and ornate columns. 2024 02:51:12,762 --> 02:51:15,698 The team still has a lot of work ahead of them. 2025 02:51:15,731 --> 02:51:19,435 In the humid microclimate inside the Domus Aurea, 2026 02:51:19,468 --> 02:51:23,105 the fight against its deterioration will continue. 2027 02:51:23,138 --> 02:51:26,709 But the team's efforts have been successful so far, 2028 02:51:26,742 --> 02:51:29,812 bringing new sections of Nero's buried palace 2029 02:51:29,845 --> 02:51:33,583 back into view for the first time in 2000 years. 2030 02:51:48,364 --> 02:51:51,600 NARRATOR: Darius's investigation into Nero's notoriety 2031 02:51:51,633 --> 02:51:54,770 and the fate of the Domus Aurea finally brings him 2032 02:51:54,803 --> 02:51:57,940 to Rome's most famous landmark: the Colosseum. 2033 02:51:58,774 --> 02:52:04,847 He spots a clue abandoned, in a corner of the Colosseum square. 2034 02:52:04,880 --> 02:52:07,149 DR. ARYA: So over here you have an inscription, it's a modern inscription, 2035 02:52:07,182 --> 02:52:10,720 and it says that this outline here is for the base 2036 02:52:10,753 --> 02:52:14,623 of where the colossal Statue of Nero once stood. 2037 02:52:14,656 --> 02:52:20,029 NARRATOR: This colossal 125 feet tall statue originally stood at the entrance 2038 02:52:20,062 --> 02:52:27,837 of the Domus Aurea, but was moved to this new location after Nero's death. 2039 02:52:27,870 --> 02:52:31,540 According to ancient writers, by 68 AD, 2040 02:52:31,573 --> 02:52:37,947 Nero was so reviled his Praetorian Guard deserted him. 2041 02:52:37,980 --> 02:52:42,418 Fearing for his life, he fled Rome with just four attendants 2042 02:52:42,451 --> 02:52:45,388 to take refuge in a suburban villa. 2043 02:52:49,091 --> 02:52:55,431 The senate declared Nero a public enemy, and sentenced him to be beaten to death. 2044 02:52:58,534 --> 02:53:01,871 When guards finally came to arrest him, 2045 02:53:01,904 --> 02:53:06,041 Nero begged his private secretary, Epaphroditus, 2046 02:53:06,074 --> 02:53:08,578 to help him commit suicide. 2047 02:53:12,448 --> 02:53:16,786 Nero was dead but his Domus Aurea remained. 2048 02:53:17,853 --> 02:53:23,626 Darius finds more traces of the old palace around the Colosseum. 2049 02:53:23,659 --> 02:53:26,662 DR. ARYA: So we have right here a bunch of shaved down walls, 2050 02:53:26,695 --> 02:53:30,800 and we can tell this is Neronian by the building typology, 2051 02:53:30,833 --> 02:53:32,835 by the kind of bricks. 2052 02:53:32,868 --> 02:53:37,440 Here these truncated walls were part of pavilion spaces 2053 02:53:37,473 --> 02:53:43,179 that then lined the lake that was part of the Domus Aurea complex. 2054 02:53:43,212 --> 02:53:47,483 NARRATOR: Shortly after Nero's death the new Emperor, Vespasian, 2055 02:53:47,516 --> 02:53:50,119 ordered the lake to be drained. 2056 02:53:50,152 --> 02:53:53,189 He wanted to make way for a new construction: 2057 02:53:53,222 --> 02:53:54,857 the Colosseum. 2058 02:53:54,890 --> 02:53:56,859 DR. ARYA: That's a bold political statement. 2059 02:53:56,892 --> 02:53:59,028 It's a powerful political message. 2060 02:53:59,061 --> 02:54:05,034 Placing that very public amphitheater in a place that had previously been occupied 2061 02:54:05,067 --> 02:54:11,941 by this exaggerated residential complex of Nero, the Domus Aurea. 2062 02:54:11,974 --> 02:54:16,512 NARRATOR: Vespasian and successive Roman Emperors were careful not to flaunt 2063 02:54:16,545 --> 02:54:18,881 their spectacular wealth. 2064 02:54:18,914 --> 02:54:22,918 Building by building they buried Nero's Golden House, 2065 02:54:22,951 --> 02:54:26,956 and gave central Rome back to the Roman people. 2066 02:54:26,989 --> 02:54:29,191 The magnificent palace was buried, 2067 02:54:29,224 --> 02:54:33,195 leaving its golden rooms and precious frescoes to rot, 2068 02:54:33,228 --> 02:54:36,298 alongside Nero's reputation. 2069 02:54:36,331 --> 02:54:40,202 DR. ARYA: It's really hard nowadays to rehabilitate the character 2070 02:54:40,235 --> 02:54:42,238 and the reign of Nero. 2071 02:54:42,271 --> 02:54:46,876 He did obviously bear the brunt of people's anger 2072 02:54:46,909 --> 02:54:51,146 and displeasure when he created his massive Domus Aurea. 2073 02:54:51,179 --> 02:54:54,049 He ends up dying alone. 2074 02:54:54,082 --> 02:54:56,853 Doesn't have much of a great legacy. 2075 02:54:57,954 --> 02:55:00,523 NARRATOR: Though there is some evidence Nero was popular 2076 02:55:00,556 --> 02:55:02,791 with the common people of Rome, 2077 02:55:02,824 --> 02:55:05,928 his reputation was forged by historians writing 2078 02:55:05,961 --> 02:55:09,098 in the reign of his immediate successors. 2079 02:55:10,265 --> 02:55:15,037 They may have tried to curry their favor with negative depictions of him. 2080 02:55:17,706 --> 02:55:20,876 DR. ARYA: I almost feel sorry for Nero. Almost. 2081 02:55:20,909 --> 02:55:24,680 Ultimately, I think the history books do judge him fairly, 2082 02:55:24,713 --> 02:55:26,782 because his way of running the government 2083 02:55:26,815 --> 02:55:32,121 and so forth weren't really taking Rome in the direction of stability 2084 02:55:32,154 --> 02:55:34,189 and continued success. 2085 02:55:34,222 --> 02:55:37,760 But we're still kind of enamored with this larger than life persona. 2086 02:55:40,929 --> 02:55:44,900 NARRATOR: This season, our archaeologists have unearthed new evidence 2087 02:55:44,933 --> 02:55:47,369 about Rome's most notorious emperor, 2088 02:55:47,402 --> 02:55:50,573 and the fate of his infamous palace. 2089 02:55:50,606 --> 02:55:56,378 Their combined downfall was due to Nero's taste for immeasurable luxury, 2090 02:55:56,411 --> 02:55:59,582 the sheer scale of his golden palace, 2091 02:55:59,615 --> 02:56:04,954 and his land grab of the smoldering ruins of burned down Rome. 2092 02:56:04,987 --> 02:56:09,224 Their work will continue, and their discoveries will shed more light 2093 02:56:09,257 --> 02:56:11,260 on Rome's most reviled emperor. 2094 02:56:18,900 --> 02:56:23,706 NARRATOR: In the shadow of Hadrian's Wall in the north of Britain archaeologists 2095 02:56:23,739 --> 02:56:27,977 are digging through the ruined rubble of a massive Roman mystery. 2096 02:56:28,010 --> 02:56:32,281 FRANK: This building, was it built for something special? 2097 02:56:32,314 --> 02:56:35,951 Totally unexpected. Really excited. 2098 02:56:35,984 --> 02:56:38,654 NARRATOR: They're uncovering buried ancient treasures 2099 02:56:38,687 --> 02:56:42,691 that haven't seen the light of day for nearly 2,000 years. 2100 02:56:42,724 --> 02:56:43,959 FRANK: Is that an edge? 2101 02:56:43,992 --> 02:56:46,795 Because if it's not wall, what is it? 2102 02:56:46,828 --> 02:56:49,031 This is just bizarre, isn't it? 2103 02:56:49,064 --> 02:56:53,168 NARRATOR: Unlocking the secrets of a forgotten world on Rome's wildest 2104 02:56:53,201 --> 02:56:55,971 and most northern frontier. 2105 02:56:56,004 --> 02:56:58,741 MALE: Dog's came along and placed its paw on there. 2106 02:56:58,774 --> 02:57:01,010 It's absolutely amazing. That's phenomenal. 2107 02:57:01,043 --> 02:57:03,179 That's, that's just a moment in time. 2108 02:57:15,757 --> 02:57:20,663 NARRATOR: Hadrian's Wall, the biggest structure the Romans ever built. 2109 02:57:20,696 --> 02:57:27,102 Constructed in 122 AD it defined the most northern edge of the greatest empire 2110 02:57:27,135 --> 02:57:29,104 the world had ever seen. 2111 02:57:29,137 --> 02:57:34,276 This was the final frontier where Rome's Empire ended 2112 02:57:34,309 --> 02:57:37,413 and barbarian territory began. 2113 02:57:37,446 --> 02:57:39,682 ROB: Hadrian's Wall is fascinating. 2114 02:57:39,715 --> 02:57:43,352 When you look at a Roman frontier it's not just about big walls creating a border. 2115 02:57:43,385 --> 02:57:48,157 It's actually about a dynamic culture, dynamic landscape. 2116 02:57:48,190 --> 02:57:50,859 NARRATOR: Over a thousand miles away in Rome, 2117 02:57:50,892 --> 02:57:54,329 spectacular monuments are lasting testament to the glory 2118 02:57:54,362 --> 02:57:56,765 of this ancient civilization. 2119 02:57:56,798 --> 02:58:00,436 But now, teams of archaeologists are investigating the margins 2120 02:58:00,469 --> 02:58:06,308 of Rome's mighty empire to unlock the secrets of their most distant outposts. 2121 02:58:06,341 --> 02:58:09,111 ANDREW: The majority of information is yet to come 2122 02:58:09,144 --> 02:58:11,080 and that's extremely exciting. 2123 02:58:11,113 --> 02:58:14,116 NARRATOR: They're on a mission to find out how the Romans maintained 2124 02:58:14,149 --> 02:58:18,420 their far flung borders and discovered what life was like for those 2125 02:58:18,453 --> 02:58:21,290 at the very wildest edges of the empire. 2126 02:58:21,323 --> 02:58:26,095 ANDREAS: Just by getting their remains you really can get in touch with the people 2127 02:58:26,128 --> 02:58:29,932 which were living thousands of years ago. 2128 02:58:29,965 --> 02:58:35,237 It's like diving into history and it's really great. 2129 02:58:35,270 --> 02:58:39,508 NARRATOR: On a search for answers, archaeologist Andrew Birley has enlisted 2130 02:58:39,541 --> 02:58:44,546 an army of volunteers to excavate a massive frontier fort. 2131 02:58:44,579 --> 02:58:50,419 Known as Vindolanda it lies just one mile south of Hadrian's Wall. 2132 02:58:50,452 --> 02:58:52,321 ANDREW: Oh hang on a second. 2133 02:58:52,354 --> 02:58:54,923 PAUL: There we go. ANDREW: Very crumbly. 2134 02:58:54,956 --> 02:58:59,061 What you've got there is probably a little silver denarius, a Roman coin. 2135 02:58:59,094 --> 02:59:01,296 That's going to be really helpful to date the fill 2136 02:59:01,329 --> 02:59:03,298 that you're working in right now. 2137 02:59:03,331 --> 02:59:07,102 NARRATOR: Andrew is leading the excavation and has lived and breathed 2138 02:59:07,135 --> 02:59:09,972 this incredible site for his entire life. 2139 02:59:10,005 --> 02:59:11,940 ANDREW: I'm the third generation of archaeologists 2140 02:59:11,973 --> 02:59:14,176 on this site and my family's been involved 2141 02:59:14,209 --> 02:59:18,147 with Vindolanda, one way or another, since 1929. 2142 02:59:18,180 --> 02:59:21,150 NARRATOR: Through nearly 100 years of digging this fort, 2143 02:59:21,183 --> 02:59:24,186 Andrew and his ancestors have made it their mission 2144 02:59:24,219 --> 02:59:28,023 to pick this site apart stone by stone. 2145 02:59:28,056 --> 02:59:29,858 ANDREW: When you look at stones like this around about me, 2146 02:59:29,891 --> 02:59:31,994 they look like dusty old Roman ruins. 2147 02:59:32,027 --> 02:59:36,165 But you've got to remember they're populated and built and inhabited by real people. 2148 02:59:36,198 --> 02:59:38,534 NARRATOR: Vindolanda Fort is the perfect place 2149 02:59:38,567 --> 02:59:42,604 to unlock the secrets of life in this wild frontier. 2150 02:59:42,637 --> 02:59:46,441 It was built by Roman soldiers sent to conquer this region 2151 02:59:46,474 --> 02:59:49,178 50 years before Hadrian's Wall. 2152 02:59:49,211 --> 02:59:53,182 As the Romans drove north across Britain following their invasion, 2153 02:59:53,215 --> 02:59:57,419 they'd face battles every step of the way. 2154 02:59:57,452 --> 03:00:03,425 In 60 AD a southern tribal leader, Boudica, rebelled against the Roman invasion. 2155 03:00:03,458 --> 03:00:07,896 She burnt down their cities but finally the Roman army prevailed. 2156 03:00:07,929 --> 03:00:12,234 Further north, another fierce female leader, Cartimandua, 2157 03:00:12,267 --> 03:00:15,404 also resisted but eventually surrendered, 2158 03:00:15,437 --> 03:00:21,210 handing over rebels in exchange for wealth and protection. 2159 03:00:21,243 --> 03:00:25,214 But the tribes furthest north would not yield to the invaders. 2160 03:00:25,247 --> 03:00:31,553 They constantly raided Roman camps and posed a terrifying threat. 2161 03:00:31,586 --> 03:00:34,023 The Romans needed a solution to the problem. 2162 03:00:37,225 --> 03:00:43,932 Vindolanda, a huge power base was the Roman's attempt to quell the barbarian north. 2163 03:00:43,965 --> 03:00:49,137 It was garrison for over 300 years until the end of the Roman Empire. 2164 03:00:49,170 --> 03:00:52,541 ANDREW: Vindolanda is an incredible time capsule preserved in this landscape. 2165 03:00:52,574 --> 03:00:55,544 It was the home of thousands and thousands of people. 2166 03:00:55,577 --> 03:00:59,181 An excavation like this can give us a lot more detail 2167 03:00:59,214 --> 03:01:01,049 about how those people lived their lives 2168 03:01:01,082 --> 03:01:03,252 and it's an opportunity that we just can't miss. 2169 03:01:05,921 --> 03:01:09,024 N ARRATOR: Every stone they lift may reveal another clue 2170 03:01:09,057 --> 03:01:13,328 to the story of those people who lived on this frontier. 2171 03:01:13,361 --> 03:01:16,398 Andrew and his team of volunteers are now focused 2172 03:01:16,431 --> 03:01:20,335 on the southwest corner of the site. 2173 03:01:20,368 --> 03:01:22,237 ANDREW: Right, let's just lift that out 2174 03:01:22,270 --> 03:01:25,641 and see if there's anything surviving in that mud. It may or may not. 2175 03:01:25,674 --> 03:01:28,543 I think what you've got there is the copper alloy disease, 2176 03:01:28,576 --> 03:01:30,379 the bronze disease and the artifact 2177 03:01:30,412 --> 03:01:32,614 has basically rotted its way into the soil. 2178 03:01:32,647 --> 03:01:36,151 That's so frustrating. So, you've got a tiny little bit of a broach 2179 03:01:36,184 --> 03:01:37,920 and the rest of it's gone. But it's a good start. 2180 03:01:37,953 --> 03:01:39,454 I'll go and get a bag for that. 2181 03:01:39,487 --> 03:01:42,257 NARRATOR: Under Andrew's watchful eye the volunteers 2182 03:01:42,290 --> 03:01:47,162 are beginning to reveal floors and walls across the site. 2183 03:01:47,195 --> 03:01:50,032 ANDREW: Can I just have a little peek over here. 2184 03:01:50,065 --> 03:01:51,934 I don't know, that just sort of. FEMALE: Tinny. 2185 03:01:51,967 --> 03:01:55,337 ANDREW: Tinny sound, yeah. I think you're very close to it there. 2186 03:01:55,370 --> 03:01:57,372 That's really tight. That's as good as a surface 2187 03:01:57,405 --> 03:01:59,341 you were working on over there. 2188 03:01:59,374 --> 03:02:04,012 NARRATOR: The emerging walls are evidence of substantial buildings. 2189 03:02:04,045 --> 03:02:05,647 ANDREW: That's a beast isn't it? 2190 03:02:05,680 --> 03:02:10,018 NARRATOR: More and more walls begin to appear. 2191 03:02:10,051 --> 03:02:13,288 ANDREW: Because that wall definitely goes underneath where your hand shovel is. 2192 03:02:13,321 --> 03:02:16,124 And you've got no sign of the wall where you're kneeling have you? No. 2193 03:02:16,157 --> 03:02:19,494 Pop those out and see if you've got an edge of a corner. 2194 03:02:19,527 --> 03:02:22,764 NARRATOR: This looks like a complete maze of overlapping walls, 2195 03:02:22,797 --> 03:02:27,402 but to Andrew's expert eye it reveals different layers of occupation. 2196 03:02:27,435 --> 03:02:30,639 ANDREW: We're dealing with hundreds of years of people living on this site. 2197 03:02:30,672 --> 03:02:34,042 Building after building popped on top of one another. 2198 03:02:34,075 --> 03:02:37,245 New demolition, new construction. 2199 03:02:37,278 --> 03:02:41,149 NARRATOR: The evidence of Vindolanda suggests that throughout their occupation 2200 03:02:41,182 --> 03:02:46,021 of this frontier, even before Hadrian's Wall was built, 2201 03:02:46,054 --> 03:02:51,093 the Roman's constantly had to react and adapt to new challenges. 2202 03:02:51,126 --> 03:02:55,464 The massive scale of one building is especially intriguing. 2203 03:02:55,497 --> 03:02:57,766 ANDREW: Where I'm standing, I'm in quite an exciting space. 2204 03:02:57,799 --> 03:03:01,269 I'm inside an Army Barrack in one of the rooms and all of this rubble 2205 03:03:01,302 --> 03:03:04,272 is the collapsed walls fallen inside the rooms. 2206 03:03:04,305 --> 03:03:06,708 NARRATOR: The presence of cavalry shows the strength 2207 03:03:06,741 --> 03:03:08,510 of the forces stationed here. 2208 03:03:11,479 --> 03:03:15,484 The Roman army was made up of legions of foot soldiers. 2209 03:03:15,517 --> 03:03:19,054 But its cavalry regiments were its most powerful fighting force. 2210 03:03:22,123 --> 03:03:27,095 The most elite horsemen were highly trained soldiers called the alae. 2211 03:03:27,128 --> 03:03:30,732 Posted to Britain's frontier, it's clear that Rome had deployed 2212 03:03:30,765 --> 03:03:35,837 its toughest troops against the northern tribes. 2213 03:03:35,870 --> 03:03:40,042 Some of the best riders from across the whole empire were selected 2214 03:03:40,075 --> 03:03:42,144 to join this elite unit. 2215 03:03:43,612 --> 03:03:48,316 With a daily range of up to 50 miles, they could offer rapid response 2216 03:03:48,349 --> 03:03:53,288 wherever and whenever a threat arose in Rome's wild frontiers. 2217 03:03:55,757 --> 03:04:00,529 Andrew's excavations at Vindolanda reveal the true level of military force 2218 03:04:00,562 --> 03:04:05,601 that the Roman's needed to gain and then maintain its most northern frontier. 2219 03:04:10,738 --> 03:04:14,843 ROB: Roman frontiers are some of the most exciting spaces in history. 2220 03:04:14,876 --> 03:04:18,380 It's a contact zone where anything can happen. 2221 03:04:18,413 --> 03:04:20,649 NARRATOR: Originally from New York State, 2222 03:04:20,682 --> 03:04:24,453 archaeologist Rob Collins has made Rome's northern frontier 2223 03:04:24,486 --> 03:04:28,323 his home and his passion for the last 20 years. 2224 03:04:28,356 --> 03:04:33,095 Rob is now investigating the terrain around Vindolanda for more evidence 2225 03:04:33,128 --> 03:04:36,865 of how the Romans protected themselves at the edge of empire. 2226 03:04:36,898 --> 03:04:41,136 ROB: Looking at this groove through the ground, this is not natural. 2227 03:04:41,169 --> 03:04:43,338 This is man-made. There's a real stark 2228 03:04:43,371 --> 03:04:48,343 V shape cut to it, and it runs east and west. 2229 03:04:48,376 --> 03:04:51,213 NARRATOR: This ditch stretches into the distance 2230 03:04:51,246 --> 03:04:55,417 and runs in exactly the same direction as Hadrian's Wall. 2231 03:04:55,450 --> 03:05:01,523 Its V shape suggests it's military and there are other signs it could be defensive. 2232 03:05:01,556 --> 03:05:02,824 ROB: This is incredible. 2233 03:05:02,857 --> 03:05:04,793 You can see these lumps and bumps, 2234 03:05:04,826 --> 03:05:08,430 turfs of cut grass that have been taken from the surrounding landscape, 2235 03:05:08,463 --> 03:05:13,602 that have been stacked up and actually build a nice big mound behind that ditch. 2236 03:05:14,736 --> 03:05:19,508 NARRATOR: The mound is evidence that this was once a massive turf wall. 2237 03:05:19,541 --> 03:05:22,544 ROB: The fact that they chose to build here in turf might suggest 2238 03:05:22,577 --> 03:05:25,480 that there was a need for speed for the Romans. 2239 03:05:25,513 --> 03:05:29,684 Everything they need to build the turf wall is right here in the local landscape. 2240 03:05:29,717 --> 03:05:34,156 NARRATOR: This was a quick-fix solution to create a border defense. 2241 03:05:34,189 --> 03:05:36,625 The mighty forces at Vindolanda fort 2242 03:05:36,658 --> 03:05:40,162 were clearly not enough to hold back the enemy. 2243 03:05:40,195 --> 03:05:42,464 ROB: This is a danger zone. 2244 03:05:42,497 --> 03:05:45,233 There is warfare, there is raiding. 2245 03:05:45,266 --> 03:05:49,238 The Romans are in an active landscape that they are securing. 2246 03:05:51,439 --> 03:05:54,509 NARRATOR: This turf wall and ditch were a crucial step 2247 03:05:54,542 --> 03:05:58,246 in the Romans' struggle to gain this frontier. 2248 03:05:58,279 --> 03:06:03,885 It was the start of the greatest construction project in Roman history. 2249 03:06:03,918 --> 03:06:09,257 The Romans built Hadrian's Wall after 40 years of intense hostility. 2250 03:06:09,290 --> 03:06:14,729 It was 73 miles long, up to 15 feet high and 10 feet thick. 2251 03:06:14,762 --> 03:06:18,667 It was heavily guarded with small forts at regular intervals 2252 03:06:18,700 --> 03:06:23,738 and watch towers in between manned by soldiers day and night. 2253 03:06:23,771 --> 03:06:29,010 Running parallel to the wall along its north side, they dug a defensive ditch. 2254 03:06:29,043 --> 03:06:31,613 And on the south side strategically placed 2255 03:06:31,646 --> 03:06:35,016 garrisons held hundreds of soldiers. 2256 03:06:35,049 --> 03:06:39,788 It's clear that this wild territory was so dangerous it could only be won 2257 03:06:39,821 --> 03:06:44,226 with a massive war and a huge military presence. 2258 03:06:46,961 --> 03:06:51,900 It would take some 15,000 men six years to build. 2259 03:06:51,933 --> 03:06:55,737 Nearly 2,000 years later its survival is testament 2260 03:06:55,770 --> 03:06:58,306 to the quality of their workmanship. 2261 03:06:58,339 --> 03:07:03,945 Rob heads along the wall scrutinizing every inch of its surface. 2262 03:07:03,978 --> 03:07:07,849 ROB: This is a fairly normal facing stone for Hadrian's Wall. 2263 03:07:07,882 --> 03:07:10,986 But what the soldier that carved the stone also did 2264 03:07:11,019 --> 03:07:14,322 was carve this phallus in relief. 2265 03:07:14,355 --> 03:07:16,391 It's fascinating. 2266 03:07:16,424 --> 03:07:18,560 In the Roman period, the phallus is a symbol 2267 03:07:18,593 --> 03:07:22,264 which is used for good luck, for protection. 2268 03:07:22,297 --> 03:07:25,033 It's the sort of thing that can ward off the evil eye. 2269 03:07:25,066 --> 03:07:27,602 And so, the inclusion of a phallic symbol is a way 2270 03:07:27,635 --> 03:07:31,273 to activate that sense of protection. 2271 03:07:31,306 --> 03:07:34,476 NARRATOR: It's a rare glimpse into the Roman mind set 2272 03:07:34,509 --> 03:07:38,079 and a very human reminder of the fear felt by the soldiers 2273 03:07:38,112 --> 03:07:42,584 as they built the wall and tried to conquer this wild frontier. 2274 03:07:44,852 --> 03:07:51,526 460 miles away in Kalkriese in Germany on another of Rome's remote frontiers. 2275 03:07:57,932 --> 03:08:01,369 NARRATOR: A team of archaeologists is also hunting for clues 2276 03:08:01,402 --> 03:08:04,039 to life on the front line. 2277 03:08:04,072 --> 03:08:08,477 The Romans marched through this wilderness intent on conquest. 2278 03:08:10,912 --> 03:08:14,582 Archaeologist Stefan Burmeister is on a quest 2279 03:08:14,615 --> 03:08:18,053 to find out exactly what happened. 2280 03:08:18,086 --> 03:08:22,490 STEFAN: We want to find out what we actually have on this site. 2281 03:08:22,523 --> 03:08:25,527 Could it have been a Roman camp site? 2282 03:08:25,560 --> 03:08:28,397 And we hope to find out this summer. 2283 03:08:29,431 --> 03:08:33,368 NARRATOR: This site covers around 60 acres 2284 03:08:33,401 --> 03:08:36,672 and finding a camp is like finding a needle in a haystack. 2285 03:08:40,174 --> 03:08:41,910 MALE: Nothing (Laughs). 2286 03:08:42,610 --> 03:08:45,680 STEFAN: The problem of identifying a Roman campsite is 2287 03:08:45,713 --> 03:08:49,684 that it just is a very short event in time. 2288 03:08:49,717 --> 03:08:52,620 Just installation for one night perhaps. 2289 03:08:52,653 --> 03:08:54,956 It's not a very strong installation. 2290 03:08:54,989 --> 03:08:59,561 Just very quickly built and not really big, firm walls. 2291 03:08:59,594 --> 03:09:04,432 And this is difficult to detect after about 2,000 years. 2292 03:09:04,465 --> 03:09:07,369 NARRATOR: Centuries of forest growth makes uncovering 2293 03:09:07,402 --> 03:09:11,072 a lost marching camp a huge challenge. 2294 03:09:11,105 --> 03:09:15,143 But scanning the ground, it's clear that clues are still buried 2295 03:09:15,176 --> 03:09:19,047 within the soil and the team is determined to uncover them. 2296 03:09:23,785 --> 03:09:26,154 NARRATOR: In the forests of northern Germany. 2297 03:09:26,187 --> 03:09:28,523 ASTON: It's a metal object. 2298 03:09:28,556 --> 03:09:31,025 NARRATOR: The team of archaeologists is beginning to find 2299 03:09:31,058 --> 03:09:36,464 what they hope might be the first tantalizing clues of a lost Roman camp. 2300 03:09:36,497 --> 03:09:41,870 STEFAN: We have here this brownish soil going down here in this V shaped bottom 2301 03:09:41,903 --> 03:09:46,574 and fits very well into the idea of a Roman campsite. 2302 03:09:46,607 --> 03:09:50,211 NARRATOR: The V shaped ditch is a fast and effective defense. 2303 03:09:50,244 --> 03:09:54,416 Marking it out with poles, Stefan and his team have followed 2304 03:09:54,449 --> 03:09:59,020 the line of the ditch and it seems to surround the area where they are digging. 2305 03:09:59,053 --> 03:10:04,025 They believe it's strong evidence of a marching camp. 2306 03:10:04,058 --> 03:10:09,431 In their on-site lab, they analyze hundreds more small metal fragments 2307 03:10:09,464 --> 03:10:10,999 discovered in the soil. 2308 03:10:11,032 --> 03:10:13,134 REBEKKA: There are a lot of bronze fittings, 2309 03:10:13,167 --> 03:10:16,137 little attachments like copper alloy buckles. 2310 03:10:16,170 --> 03:10:18,640 It's a little bit like a big puzzle. 2311 03:10:18,673 --> 03:10:23,077 We have at least 300 fragments that we need to put together. 2312 03:10:23,110 --> 03:10:26,848 NARRATOR: Conservator Rebekka Kuiter painstakingly cleans 2313 03:10:26,881 --> 03:10:29,451 every single fragment by hand. 2314 03:10:29,484 --> 03:10:31,953 REBEKKA: I'm just selectively under the microscope 2315 03:10:31,986 --> 03:10:33,688 cleaning bit by bit. 2316 03:10:33,721 --> 03:10:37,725 That's quite time consuming but it's necessary to not damage 2317 03:10:37,758 --> 03:10:39,528 the objects any further. 2318 03:10:41,195 --> 03:10:45,633 NARRATOR: As Rebekka removes 2,000 years of dirt and corrosion, 2319 03:10:45,666 --> 03:10:48,636 the fragments begin to reveal their secrets. 2320 03:10:48,669 --> 03:10:53,107 REBEKKA: We have a breast plate here and it has some small decorations 2321 03:10:53,140 --> 03:10:58,913 like a decorative washer, which is worked into a decorative shape. 2322 03:10:58,946 --> 03:11:03,918 This is the oldest plate armor that is found in such a complete fashion. 2323 03:11:03,951 --> 03:11:07,889 NARRATOR: The breast plate is an incredibly rare find. 2324 03:11:07,922 --> 03:11:12,293 Once Rebekka has cleaned the armor up, it promises an equally rare glimpse 2325 03:11:12,326 --> 03:11:17,065 into the life and death of a soldier on Rome's wild frontiers. 2326 03:11:18,332 --> 03:11:23,304 Just one mile south of Hadrian's Wall, at Vindolanda fort. 2327 03:11:23,337 --> 03:11:26,241 ANDREW: That's similar if not the same. 2328 03:11:26,274 --> 03:11:28,710 Yeah, I think it's the same vessel, I think you're right. 2329 03:11:28,743 --> 03:11:31,480 Oh you've got a good sort of mix of stuff coming through. 2330 03:11:32,414 --> 03:11:36,317 NARRATOR: Andrew and his team continue to strip away the rubble, 2331 03:11:36,350 --> 03:11:40,788 searching for valuable clues about the life of Romans who established themselves 2332 03:11:40,821 --> 03:11:44,792 on Britain's wild frontier. 2333 03:11:44,825 --> 03:11:47,862 ANDREW: Can I just give you that, there we go. Good stuff. 2334 03:11:47,895 --> 03:11:49,564 FEMALE: How sweet. ANDREW: It's a good start. 2335 03:11:49,597 --> 03:11:52,033 Right, we'll get that logged in Amy. Thank you very much. 2336 03:11:52,066 --> 03:11:56,037 NARRATOR: Marta Alberti is second in command of the dig. 2337 03:11:56,070 --> 03:12:00,842 MARTA: One of our volunteers has just found this really nice kitchen knife. 2338 03:12:00,875 --> 03:12:03,745 It's quite exciting. It's in really lovely condition. 2339 03:12:03,778 --> 03:12:05,647 It's really nice to go back in time 2340 03:12:05,680 --> 03:12:07,815 and think about everyday life of these people 2341 03:12:07,848 --> 03:12:13,354 and how they sat down to have their dinner or, you know, lie down as Romans do. 2342 03:12:13,387 --> 03:12:18,326 NARRATOR: Soon another surprising find reveals more of every day Roman life 2343 03:12:18,359 --> 03:12:20,828 on this frontier. 2344 03:12:20,861 --> 03:12:22,697 MARTA: Gorgeous example. 2345 03:12:22,730 --> 03:12:26,134 This is a lovely neck of a bottle. 2346 03:12:26,167 --> 03:12:28,069 You can see the rim right there. 2347 03:12:28,102 --> 03:12:33,741 The body would have perhaps been globular or kind of a slight pear shape 2348 03:12:33,774 --> 03:12:35,944 and this could have been used for either pouring 2349 03:12:35,977 --> 03:12:43,117 very fancy drinks or, more likely, as a kind of container of perfumes 2350 03:12:43,150 --> 03:12:47,956 and other beauty products. Happy times. 2351 03:12:47,989 --> 03:12:50,692 NARRATOR: It's an intriguing find. 2352 03:12:50,725 --> 03:12:55,296 Perfume was worn by men and women, but probably not by soldiers 2353 03:12:55,329 --> 03:13:00,234 while battling to defend the border. 2354 03:13:00,267 --> 03:13:02,971 The team hunts for further evidence that could reveal 2355 03:13:03,004 --> 03:13:07,642 why such a luxury item was left here in the frontline fort. 2356 03:13:10,978 --> 03:13:15,883 Back at the Kalkriese dig site, the team is carefully 2357 03:13:15,916 --> 03:13:20,421 excavating a new find in their Roman marching camp. 2358 03:13:20,454 --> 03:13:23,057 MARC: We found here parts of an animal. 2359 03:13:23,090 --> 03:13:28,196 We can see these tooth and they looked like horse. 2360 03:13:28,229 --> 03:13:32,033 Out of this context and the rest of the photographic profiles 2361 03:13:32,066 --> 03:13:36,404 I can say it's 90 percent Roman. 2362 03:13:36,437 --> 03:13:41,242 NARRATOR: This jaw bone is evidence of an animal that could have carried supplies, 2363 03:13:41,275 --> 03:13:43,745 or even a cavalry officer. 2364 03:13:44,712 --> 03:13:49,684 With a dead horse buried here and Roman armor lying not far away, 2365 03:13:49,717 --> 03:13:53,922 the story of this marching camp is becoming increasingly intriguing. 2366 03:13:55,423 --> 03:14:00,928 Stefan joins Rebekka in the lab to analyze the armor in more detail. 2367 03:14:00,961 --> 03:14:02,263 REBEKKA: And this one is very bent. 2368 03:14:02,296 --> 03:14:04,766 STEFAN: Any idea why it's so sharply bent? 2369 03:14:04,799 --> 03:14:08,403 REBEKKA: This one is the one which is bent like down. 2370 03:14:08,436 --> 03:14:10,805 STEFAN: So, it must have been a blow or something like that? 2371 03:14:10,838 --> 03:14:12,674 REBEKKA: Yeah. 2372 03:14:12,707 --> 03:14:15,843 NARRATOR: The wearer of this armor had clearly been in battle 2373 03:14:15,876 --> 03:14:21,683 and recent chemical analysis reveals another more sinister clue to his fate. 2374 03:14:21,716 --> 03:14:26,688 STEFAN: We had some phosphate analysis and they clearly give us the evidence 2375 03:14:26,721 --> 03:14:30,258 that there must have been a body inside. 2376 03:14:30,291 --> 03:14:32,493 NARRATOR: The forest soil is acidic. 2377 03:14:32,526 --> 03:14:36,864 So, over 2,000 years the flesh and skeleton rotted away 2378 03:14:36,897 --> 03:14:39,734 leaving only chemical traces. 2379 03:14:39,767 --> 03:14:43,504 It's proof that the soldier who wore this armor died in it 2380 03:14:43,537 --> 03:14:47,508 and was still wearing it when he was buried in the ground. 2381 03:14:47,541 --> 03:14:51,779 The team believes there is even more to this macabre story. 2382 03:14:51,812 --> 03:14:54,348 REBEKKA: Right next to the armor we also found a pair of handcuffs, 2383 03:14:54,381 --> 03:14:56,451 the one that shackles your hands and your neck. 2384 03:14:56,484 --> 03:15:00,321 And that's very interesting that we find it in direct neighborhood to the armor. 2385 03:15:00,354 --> 03:15:05,727 And we think that a soldier might have been shackled there. 2386 03:15:05,760 --> 03:15:10,331 STEFAN: This gives us the impression that we have here a shackled legionary 2387 03:15:10,364 --> 03:15:16,137 in his body armor and displayed by the victors. 2388 03:15:16,170 --> 03:15:19,273 NARRATOR: The shocking find suggests that a Roman soldier 2389 03:15:19,306 --> 03:15:25,446 in full battle armor was shackled, killed and left to rot in the ground. 2390 03:15:25,479 --> 03:15:30,752 It's not the image of the invincible Roman soldier that we are used to. 2391 03:15:30,785 --> 03:15:34,455 But it does align with ancient written accounts of a catastrophic event 2392 03:15:34,488 --> 03:15:37,492 that happened here 2,000 years ago. 2393 03:15:40,294 --> 03:15:45,466 NARRATOR: In nine AD a German chief and former Roman soldier, Arminius, 2394 03:15:45,499 --> 03:15:47,202 rose up against the Romans. 2395 03:15:50,571 --> 03:15:53,875 He spread a rumor of a revolt in the forested north 2396 03:15:53,908 --> 03:15:57,312 and tricked the Romans into sending three legions to suppress it. 2397 03:16:00,347 --> 03:16:04,852 Arminius knew the Roman legions needed open spaces to organize 2398 03:16:04,885 --> 03:16:08,022 into battle formation. 2399 03:16:08,055 --> 03:16:13,528 So, he lured them into the Teutoburg forest where they had to march single file. 2400 03:16:13,561 --> 03:16:19,200 Arminius' men attacked and massacred 20,000 Romans. 2401 03:16:19,233 --> 03:16:22,937 One of the biggest military disasters in Roman history. 2402 03:16:24,605 --> 03:16:28,176 STEFAN: If the Romans wouldn't have lost this battle here in Kalkriese 2403 03:16:28,209 --> 03:16:33,981 we could suggest that history would have taken a completely different course. 2404 03:16:34,014 --> 03:16:38,019 NARRATOR: Success or failure in Rome's frontiers was clearly key 2405 03:16:38,052 --> 03:16:39,887 to the empire's fortunes. 2406 03:16:39,920 --> 03:16:42,390 STEFAN: The Romans aimed to conquer the whole world. 2407 03:16:42,423 --> 03:16:49,831 After the battle, in the end they stopped their expansion over the next generations. 2408 03:16:49,864 --> 03:16:52,333 NARRATOR: The Romans were forced to retreat 2409 03:16:52,366 --> 03:16:56,137 and draw up their German borders further south. 2410 03:16:59,907 --> 03:17:03,311 NARRATOR: In Mogglingen in southern Germany, 2411 03:17:03,344 --> 03:17:08,249 a team of archaeologists is investigating another Roman frontier site, 2412 03:17:08,282 --> 03:17:12,887 over 200 miles south of the catastrophic defeat of Teutoburg, 2413 03:17:12,920 --> 03:17:15,623 this became the Romans new Germanic frontier. 2414 03:17:20,361 --> 03:17:23,898 NARRATOR: The dig is led by Andreas Schaflitzl. 2415 03:17:23,931 --> 03:17:27,935 ANDREAS: I'm most interested in the way the people are living here 2416 03:17:27,968 --> 03:17:29,904 far away from Rome. 2417 03:17:29,937 --> 03:17:34,442 The living, which is not mentioned in the text everybody learnt at school. 2418 03:17:34,475 --> 03:17:39,447 That's something which is really, really interesting to see and to get it. 2419 03:17:39,480 --> 03:17:43,951 Show me your rubbish and I can tell you who you are. 2420 03:17:43,984 --> 03:17:49,457 NARRATOR: The team is finding lots of Roman stone work beneath the fields. 2421 03:17:49,490 --> 03:17:52,360 It looks like a mass of buried rubble, 2422 03:17:52,393 --> 03:17:57,098 but for expert Andrea's one section has the very distinctive form 2423 03:17:57,131 --> 03:18:01,702 of a defensive ditch. Just like the one in Kalkriese. 2424 03:18:01,735 --> 03:18:04,472 ANDREAS: We have this typical V shape. 2425 03:18:04,505 --> 03:18:06,908 Let's look how deep it is. 2426 03:18:06,941 --> 03:18:13,648 So, we have 1 meter 40 and we are seeing erosion takes around half a meter. 2427 03:18:13,681 --> 03:18:21,155 So, we think we will have a ditch deep up to two meters in Roman times. 2428 03:18:21,188 --> 03:18:22,523 That's pretty impressive. 2429 03:18:22,556 --> 03:18:27,461 A two meters ditch is for fortification and defense. 2430 03:18:27,494 --> 03:18:33,401 So, it's very likely that it would be in some kind of military use. 2431 03:18:33,434 --> 03:18:36,237 NARRATOR: A 6 and a half foot ditch could be evidence 2432 03:18:36,270 --> 03:18:39,173 of a previously unknown Roman fort. 2433 03:18:39,206 --> 03:18:42,510 And a sign that the Romans had to put up heavy defenses 2434 03:18:42,543 --> 03:18:45,580 in the years following their catastrophic defeat. 2435 03:18:47,982 --> 03:18:51,385 Andreas heads into the surrounding forest to find out 2436 03:18:51,418 --> 03:18:55,389 how far the Roman frontier defenses stretched. 2437 03:18:55,422 --> 03:18:58,626 ANDREAS: Here these are stones between the roots. 2438 03:19:01,628 --> 03:19:03,464 Here is what we are searching for. 2439 03:19:03,497 --> 03:19:07,001 These are the stones are lying in one line. 2440 03:19:07,034 --> 03:19:12,306 It is the outside of the wall which directs here 2441 03:19:12,339 --> 03:19:17,578 next to this tree and comes under this pathway. 2442 03:19:17,611 --> 03:19:19,747 NARRATOR: To Andreas' expert eye, 2443 03:19:19,780 --> 03:19:25,286 a leafy covered bank is evidence of a buried ruined structure. 2444 03:19:25,319 --> 03:19:30,624 ANDREAS: Here on the slope we have overgrown section of a very good preserved 2445 03:19:30,657 --> 03:19:33,127 remains of the wall. 2446 03:19:33,160 --> 03:19:37,164 If we count the slopes here and the debris 2447 03:19:37,197 --> 03:19:40,101 and count them together how high we would get, 2448 03:19:40,134 --> 03:19:46,040 it was a wall, it was approximately three meters high. 2449 03:19:46,073 --> 03:19:48,509 NARRATOR: To investigate the true scale of the wall, 2450 03:19:48,542 --> 03:19:52,713 Andreas examines high tech digital surveys of the region. 2451 03:19:52,746 --> 03:19:54,448 ANDREAS: If you go up in the air 2452 03:19:54,481 --> 03:19:58,352 and using the LIDAR technique then you can scan the terrain. 2453 03:19:58,385 --> 03:20:01,489 Removing all the trees and then you will see 2454 03:20:01,522 --> 03:20:07,261 how this wall is straight going through the forest. 2455 03:20:07,294 --> 03:20:12,266 NARRATOR: It's clear that this once formed part of a massive frontier defense, 2456 03:20:12,299 --> 03:20:15,836 just like Hadrian's Wall in Britain. 2457 03:20:15,869 --> 03:20:20,574 Known as the Limes Germanicus the Romans built this massive border defense 2458 03:20:20,607 --> 03:20:22,643 in the century fallowing their defeat 2459 03:20:22,676 --> 03:20:26,080 at the Teutoburg Forest in nine AD. 2460 03:20:26,113 --> 03:20:34,188 It would eventually stretch 350 miles includes 60 forts and over 900 watch towers. 2461 03:20:34,221 --> 03:20:40,061 The Limes Germanicus suggests the beginnings of a new imperial policy. 2462 03:20:40,094 --> 03:20:43,664 The Romans realized that before they could expand their empire, 2463 03:20:43,697 --> 03:20:47,735 they first needed to consolidate and defend their borders. 2464 03:20:47,768 --> 03:20:54,642 100 years later, Hadrian's Wall became the ultimate symbol of this strategy. 2465 03:20:54,675 --> 03:20:58,479 Andreas and his team continue their dig to hunt for evidence 2466 03:20:58,512 --> 03:21:02,750 of what life was like after the Romans heavily defended this border. 2467 03:21:05,586 --> 03:21:12,193 South of the Romans' wall across Britain, at Vindolanda Fort. 2468 03:21:12,226 --> 03:21:15,129 PAUL: I think I've found a coin Marta. 2469 03:21:15,162 --> 03:21:17,631 NARRATOR: The finds keep on coming. 2470 03:21:17,664 --> 03:21:20,167 MARTA: Oh there you go. PAUL: Ah, you can actually see the silver on it, 2471 03:21:20,200 --> 03:21:21,702 can't you? MARTA: That's lovely. 2472 03:21:21,735 --> 03:21:23,304 He's got a beard. 2473 03:21:23,337 --> 03:21:25,372 Almost resembles Paul. PAUL: (Laughs) Thank you. 2474 03:21:25,405 --> 03:21:26,841 MARTA: Turn around, give me a profile. 2475 03:21:26,874 --> 03:21:28,376 PAUL: No, no, no, it's the Roman nose. MARTA: Perfect. 2476 03:21:29,710 --> 03:21:31,612 NARRATOR: The treasures the team is unearthing 2477 03:21:31,645 --> 03:21:34,649 at Vindolanda are not just military artifacts. 2478 03:21:36,750 --> 03:21:40,888 They suggest that this fort has a more complex story. 2479 03:21:40,921 --> 03:21:43,858 MARTA: We have the largest collection of leather objects 2480 03:21:43,891 --> 03:21:45,759 anywhere in the Roman Empire. 2481 03:21:45,792 --> 03:21:52,333 And that equates to 7,000 leather artifacts, of which 5,000 are shoes. 2482 03:21:52,366 --> 03:21:55,569 NARRATOR: Organic material like clothing normally decays 2483 03:21:55,602 --> 03:21:58,539 and is lost to the archaeological record. 2484 03:21:58,572 --> 03:22:02,243 But these items are incredibly well preserved. 2485 03:22:02,276 --> 03:22:04,478 MARTA: Things have been buried so far down 2486 03:22:04,511 --> 03:22:07,548 and covered with so much debris and so much clay 2487 03:22:07,581 --> 03:22:12,319 that oxygen from the outside world does not penetrate those deeper layers. 2488 03:22:12,352 --> 03:22:18,392 This means that objects made of leather survive really well. 2489 03:22:18,425 --> 03:22:20,895 NARRATOR: These objects offer fascinating insights 2490 03:22:20,928 --> 03:22:24,431 into the lives of the fort's inhabitants. 2491 03:22:24,464 --> 03:22:27,801 MARTA: This is a very elaborate gentleman shoe 2492 03:22:27,834 --> 03:22:30,804 and it's got lovely cut out leather uppers. 2493 03:22:30,837 --> 03:22:35,376 If we turn this shoe around we can see a pattern of hob nails. 2494 03:22:35,409 --> 03:22:39,180 Hob nails are very useful in muddy places like Vindolanda 2495 03:22:39,213 --> 03:22:41,882 because they allow for a better grip. 2496 03:22:41,915 --> 03:22:45,219 NARRATOR: This is an amazing glimpse of a shoe actually worn 2497 03:22:45,252 --> 03:22:48,322 by one of Rome's frontline soldiers. 2498 03:22:48,355 --> 03:22:51,525 But it's not the only type of footwear here. 2499 03:22:51,558 --> 03:22:54,428 MARTA: So, if we look at this shoe, it's much smaller. 2500 03:22:55,963 --> 03:22:58,899 And we think it's a lady's shoe. 2501 03:22:58,932 --> 03:23:01,702 If this is indeed a lady's shoe, 2502 03:23:01,735 --> 03:23:04,838 then we've got contemporary occupation of the fort 2503 03:23:04,871 --> 03:23:08,842 by both soldiers and women. 2504 03:23:08,875 --> 03:23:12,780 NARRATOR: And the collection reveals something even more extraordinary. 2505 03:23:12,813 --> 03:23:16,517 MARTA: We've got interesting evidence right here of children's shoes. 2506 03:23:16,550 --> 03:23:21,889 Very, very nicely decorated upper, some nice lattice work. 2507 03:23:21,922 --> 03:23:24,391 The reason why shoes are so exciting to me 2508 03:23:24,424 --> 03:23:27,361 is that they bring you really close to the wearer. 2509 03:23:27,394 --> 03:23:32,299 You can imagine a child running around in this rather sophisticated footwear. 2510 03:23:32,332 --> 03:23:39,373 Or maybe it's raining and you want to put on a more closed boot like this one. 2511 03:23:39,406 --> 03:23:43,877 NARRATOR: Finds like these help archaeologists piece together what life was like 2512 03:23:43,910 --> 03:23:47,748 for those living at the furthest reaches of the Roman Empire. 2513 03:23:48,715 --> 03:23:53,020 When Roman soldiers arrived here in about 85 AD, 2514 03:23:53,053 --> 03:23:59,460 they rapidly built a fort of earth and grassed turf. 2515 03:23:59,493 --> 03:24:04,965 Along the top they added a wooden parapet and watch towers. 2516 03:24:04,998 --> 03:24:09,970 Under constant threat from the locals they had to strengthen its defenses, 2517 03:24:10,003 --> 03:24:12,974 finally opting for a stone rampart. 2518 03:24:13,708 --> 03:24:18,479 This formed a defensive wall completely surrounding Vindolanda. 2519 03:24:19,446 --> 03:24:24,818 And the finds prove it wasn't just a massive fighting force stationed here. 2520 03:24:24,851 --> 03:24:30,258 The soldiers' families lived here too, in a settlement alongside the fort. 2521 03:24:31,792 --> 03:24:36,730 As Andrew and his team dig deeper, they discover more surprising evidence 2522 03:24:36,763 --> 03:24:38,399 about these communities. 2523 03:24:38,432 --> 03:24:42,603 ANDREW: This here is a semicircular curve coming through. 2524 03:24:42,636 --> 03:24:44,872 Probably for a wattle and daub building. 2525 03:24:44,905 --> 03:24:49,843 NARRATOR: The curved shape means that this is no ordinary Roman house. 2526 03:24:49,876 --> 03:24:53,781 ANDREW: So, we've got local architecture coming in here, which is fantastic to see. 2527 03:24:53,814 --> 03:24:56,050 But what on earth is it doing inside a Roman fort? 2528 03:25:00,654 --> 03:25:04,725 NARRATOR: In Mogglingen, southern Germany, Andreas 2529 03:25:04,758 --> 03:25:07,828 and his team are uncovering more evidence of the Romans 2530 03:25:07,861 --> 03:25:12,900 who lived by the Limes Germanicus, the massive border wall. 2531 03:25:12,933 --> 03:25:15,903 ANDREAS: You see here mortar on the stones. 2532 03:25:15,936 --> 03:25:18,839 NARRATOR: As more of the buried evidence is unearthed, 2533 03:25:18,872 --> 03:25:21,809 Andreas discovers some unusual stone work. 2534 03:25:21,842 --> 03:25:23,477 ANDREAS: Here we have a structure. 2535 03:25:23,510 --> 03:25:28,549 You can see here some stones which were standing upside. 2536 03:25:28,582 --> 03:25:33,587 It could be a foundation for a statue. 2537 03:25:33,620 --> 03:25:37,958 NARRATOR: Statue bases like this are not usually found in military forts. 2538 03:25:37,991 --> 03:25:42,896 So, Andreas now suspects this is evidence of a very different building here. 2539 03:25:42,929 --> 03:25:45,599 ANDREAS: With the other evidences we have found now, 2540 03:25:45,632 --> 03:25:53,140 it could be part of a sanctuary or of sacrifice space taking place here. 2541 03:25:53,173 --> 03:25:55,676 NARRATOR: Sanctuaries were built throughout the empire 2542 03:25:55,709 --> 03:25:59,546 for citizens to worship emperors and gods. 2543 03:25:59,579 --> 03:26:04,585 Finds like this add to our understanding of life at the fringes of empire. 2544 03:26:04,618 --> 03:26:08,522 They show these weren't just militarized zones. 2545 03:26:08,555 --> 03:26:11,759 Roman civilization and culture also took root 2546 03:26:11,792 --> 03:26:14,762 behind the protection of these border walls. 2547 03:26:18,165 --> 03:26:22,536 In Carlisle, on the western wing of Hadrian's Wall. 2548 03:26:24,604 --> 03:26:29,109 FRANK: Is that an edge? Because if it's not wall, what is it? 2549 03:26:29,142 --> 03:26:31,678 This is just bizarre isn't it? 2550 03:26:31,711 --> 03:26:35,816 NARRATOR: Archaeologist Frank Giecco is leading an excavation to discover 2551 03:26:35,849 --> 03:26:39,019 the extent of the Roman presence here. 2552 03:26:39,052 --> 03:26:41,555 FRANK: Oh, it's an incredible opportunity. 2553 03:26:41,588 --> 03:26:44,425 Carlisle has always had a strategic location. 2554 03:26:44,458 --> 03:26:47,828 It controls the crossing point between basically 2555 03:26:47,861 --> 03:26:49,496 present day England and Scotland. 2556 03:26:49,529 --> 03:26:52,433 It's always been a key place. 2557 03:26:52,466 --> 03:26:56,970 NARRATOR: Carlisle was once the site of the biggest fort on Hadrian's Wall. 2558 03:26:57,003 --> 03:27:01,975 But its Roman heritage is almost completely buried beneath the modern city. 2559 03:27:02,008 --> 03:27:05,145 FRANK: If we've seen two percent I'd be amazed. 2560 03:27:05,178 --> 03:27:09,616 Probably we've still got, you know, 98 percent of Roman Carlisle to find. 2561 03:27:09,649 --> 03:27:13,854 So, plenty more secrets I'm sure to be revealed on this site. 2562 03:27:15,956 --> 03:27:18,759 NARRATOR: After painstakingly removing the top soil, 2563 03:27:18,792 --> 03:27:25,532 the team is rewarded with some tantalizing glimpses of life 2,000 years ago. 2564 03:27:25,565 --> 03:27:27,000 FRANK: That's got to be a dog hasn't it? 2565 03:27:27,033 --> 03:27:29,169 That must be not quite set 2566 03:27:29,202 --> 03:27:32,139 and a dog has come along and placed its paw on there. 2567 03:27:32,172 --> 03:27:35,509 It is absolutely amazing. 2568 03:27:35,542 --> 03:27:37,811 NARRATOR: These clay tiles were made locally 2569 03:27:37,844 --> 03:27:41,148 and clearly left out in the open air to dry. 2570 03:27:41,181 --> 03:27:42,883 FRANK: I've just noticed this. 2571 03:27:42,916 --> 03:27:46,720 The prints of a deer that walked on it when it was laid out 2572 03:27:46,753 --> 03:27:48,822 to dry before it was fired. 2573 03:27:48,855 --> 03:27:53,194 So, that's a little moment in time captured forever. 2574 03:27:55,962 --> 03:28:00,634 NARRATOR: As the team excavates, it's finding lots of these clay tiles. 2575 03:28:00,667 --> 03:28:05,973 Many are neatly stacked in columns exactly as the Romans left them. 2576 03:28:06,006 --> 03:28:11,011 Frank thinks it's a sure fire indication of the structure they've discovered. 2577 03:28:11,044 --> 03:28:14,615 FRANK: These clay pillars would have supported the under floor heating 2578 03:28:14,648 --> 03:28:16,850 for the bath house complex. 2579 03:28:16,883 --> 03:28:20,821 So, we've got fragments of floor, the walls, the ceiling, 2580 03:28:20,854 --> 03:28:23,257 this just massive jumble of material. 2581 03:28:23,290 --> 03:28:25,726 But it's incredible for us archaeologists 2582 03:28:25,759 --> 03:28:29,930 because it's just a snapshot in time that it's preserved there. 2583 03:28:31,698 --> 03:28:35,802 NARRATOR: Communal bath houses were a staple of Roman life. 2584 03:28:35,835 --> 03:28:39,740 Grand examples survive in Rome and Pompeii. 2585 03:28:39,773 --> 03:28:45,279 Soldiers also enjoyed this luxury in smaller versions inside their forts. 2586 03:28:46,146 --> 03:28:49,049 But a bath house of this scale in a garrison town 2587 03:28:49,082 --> 03:28:52,019 on Britain's frontier is surprising. 2588 03:28:53,954 --> 03:28:55,856 FRANK: This building is probably four times 2589 03:28:55,889 --> 03:28:59,626 the size of a standard military bath house. 2590 03:28:59,659 --> 03:29:02,162 Was it built for something special? 2591 03:29:02,195 --> 03:29:03,964 Totally unexpected. 2592 03:29:03,997 --> 03:29:05,199 Really excited. 2593 03:29:07,200 --> 03:29:10,203 NARRATOR: As the team digs, a group of strangely shaped 2594 03:29:10,236 --> 03:29:13,874 objects are another unexpected discovery. 2595 03:29:13,907 --> 03:29:17,644 KEVIN: These formed a curved roof. 2596 03:29:17,677 --> 03:29:22,683 The way they worked is it has a small nozzle and that slots into there 2597 03:29:22,716 --> 03:29:26,587 and so you can adjust the angle of your curve on the roof. 2598 03:29:26,620 --> 03:29:29,856 So, these ceramic tubes are thought to have come over 2599 03:29:29,889 --> 03:29:34,227 from North Africa in the early third century. 2600 03:29:34,260 --> 03:29:39,933 And they were an African method of making a lightweight roof. 2601 03:29:39,966 --> 03:29:42,235 FRANK: Just an amazing bit of the site isn't it? 2602 03:29:42,268 --> 03:29:47,341 NARRATOR: The more the team digs, the more enticing this bath house becomes. 2603 03:29:47,374 --> 03:29:50,844 It is far bigger than expected in military territory 2604 03:29:50,877 --> 03:29:53,113 and there are African influences. 2605 03:29:53,146 --> 03:29:57,684 The team continues to hunt for more clues to find out what it can reveal 2606 03:29:57,717 --> 03:30:00,187 about Rome's wild frontier. 2607 03:30:04,024 --> 03:30:07,027 NARRATOR: At Vindolanda, Andrew and his team dig deeper 2608 03:30:07,060 --> 03:30:10,030 around the mysterious round shaped buildings 2609 03:30:10,063 --> 03:30:12,933 that they've uncovered in the Roman fort. 2610 03:30:12,966 --> 03:30:17,170 ANDREW: Okay. We've got a black stain curving around 2611 03:30:17,203 --> 03:30:19,172 in the soil here and it's circular, 2612 03:30:19,205 --> 03:30:21,908 so it's got to be a roundhouse. 2613 03:30:21,941 --> 03:30:26,113 You can just about make out the curve just beyond it there of a stone wall 2614 03:30:26,146 --> 03:30:30,851 coming through and that's the stone version of the timber version 2615 03:30:30,884 --> 03:30:34,187 we're looking at here where we've just got the stains. 2616 03:30:34,220 --> 03:30:39,359 NARRATOR: The two round houses are not expected in a Roman fort. 2617 03:30:39,392 --> 03:30:41,461 ANDREW: The Romans don't built round houses. 2618 03:30:41,494 --> 03:30:44,364 The native Britains do, but the Romans don't. 2619 03:30:44,397 --> 03:30:47,701 NARRATOR: As the team continues to dig across the site, 2620 03:30:47,734 --> 03:30:51,738 more evidence of these mysterious round houses emerges. 2621 03:30:51,771 --> 03:30:55,709 ANDREW: There's a curve there, isn't there? Oooo. 2622 03:30:55,742 --> 03:30:58,912 It's possible we have another circular hut coming through. 2623 03:30:58,945 --> 03:31:03,850 NARRATOR: The site is covered with a whole village of British round houses. 2624 03:31:03,883 --> 03:31:08,121 They seem to be contemporary with the fort. 2625 03:31:08,154 --> 03:31:12,259 Andrew and the team dig inside them to find out what's going on. 2626 03:31:12,292 --> 03:31:15,796 ANDREW: That is absolutely gorgeous. Beautifully made. 2627 03:31:15,829 --> 03:31:18,365 NARRATOR: And finally uncover a clue. 2628 03:31:18,398 --> 03:31:21,735 ANDREW: It just shows you the sort of preservation as part of the site. 2629 03:31:21,768 --> 03:31:24,838 Wow. What a lovely thing. 2630 03:31:24,871 --> 03:31:27,107 That's definitely Roman rather than British. 2631 03:31:27,140 --> 03:31:29,776 It's a sort of a traditional military style quern stone. 2632 03:31:29,809 --> 03:31:31,978 A really nice one. 2633 03:31:32,011 --> 03:31:37,884 NARRATOR: Quern stones are tools that the Romans used to grind cereals into flour. 2634 03:31:37,917 --> 03:31:43,057 It's startling evidence that Romans and conquered Britains were living side by side. 2635 03:31:48,027 --> 03:31:53,467 In Carlisle, 25 miles west along Hadrian's Wall, 2636 03:31:53,500 --> 03:31:57,204 archaeologists investigating the massive lost bath house 2637 03:31:57,237 --> 03:32:01,007 analyze their finds in the dig's lab. 2638 03:32:01,040 --> 03:32:03,877 REBEKKA: Yeah, I know that's nice isn't it. It's even got his head on. 2639 03:32:03,910 --> 03:32:06,480 This could be an antler. 2640 03:32:06,513 --> 03:32:09,416 It's like a little pick and mix. 2641 03:32:09,449 --> 03:32:11,818 FRANK: That's beautiful isn't it? 2642 03:32:11,851 --> 03:32:17,224 NARRATOR: They hope to find clues to why such an enormous bath house was built here. 2643 03:32:17,257 --> 03:32:22,829 They meticulously sieve and scrutinize every bucket of earth from the excavation 2644 03:32:22,862 --> 03:32:26,199 to make sure they don't miss any tiny treasures. 2645 03:32:26,232 --> 03:32:29,202 REBEKKA: It looks like two, yeah two halves of plenty. 2646 03:32:29,235 --> 03:32:30,937 FEMALE: Is it a figure though? 2647 03:32:30,970 --> 03:32:32,806 REBEKKA: Yeah, it is a figure. It's a person with a hat on. 2648 03:32:35,508 --> 03:32:38,211 NARRATOR: Objects like this small jewel probably 2649 03:32:38,244 --> 03:32:42,783 fell out of a ring or broach while its owner was bathing. 2650 03:32:42,816 --> 03:32:45,986 Its good evidence that this was not a military bath house 2651 03:32:46,019 --> 03:32:50,056 and its bathers were a little more genteel. 2652 03:32:50,089 --> 03:32:53,093 Frank and the team think that clues on the tiles 2653 03:32:53,126 --> 03:32:57,230 hold the key to why such a grand bath house was built here. 2654 03:32:57,263 --> 03:33:01,168 REBEKKA: So, we've got these the stamp I M P. 2655 03:33:01,201 --> 03:33:06,173 So, we've got the I, we've got the M and we've got the P for imperator. 2656 03:33:06,206 --> 03:33:10,210 NARRATOR: In ancient Latin imperator means Emperor. 2657 03:33:10,243 --> 03:33:14,848 These tiles have the Emperor's personal stamp. 2658 03:33:14,881 --> 03:33:16,383 FRANK: Just the word imperator. 2659 03:33:16,416 --> 03:33:19,553 It's not a legionary tile or an auxiliary tile. 2660 03:33:19,586 --> 03:33:23,156 This is the imperial court and that's, that's the thing 2661 03:33:23,189 --> 03:33:25,225 that makes this building, you know, 2662 03:33:25,258 --> 03:33:29,596 other than the size and where they've come from, this little stamp here it's. 2663 03:33:29,629 --> 03:33:30,530 FEMALE: It's what makes it so special. 2664 03:33:30,563 --> 03:33:32,132 REBEKKA: It makes it special. 2665 03:33:32,165 --> 03:33:34,868 NARRATOR: The inscription suggests this bath house 2666 03:33:34,901 --> 03:33:37,404 may have been an imperial building, 2667 03:33:37,437 --> 03:33:41,274 built as a personal gift to the city from an emperor. 2668 03:33:41,307 --> 03:33:45,478 It's an incredibly discovery and suggests that the emperor himself 2669 03:33:45,511 --> 03:33:49,182 was taking a keen interest in this frontier. 2670 03:33:49,215 --> 03:33:53,587 Frank believes further clues reveal the identity of this emperor. 2671 03:33:53,620 --> 03:33:57,023 FRANK: We've got the inscription that's likely to be his wife, 2672 03:33:57,056 --> 03:33:59,426 you know, Septimus Julia Domna. 2673 03:33:59,459 --> 03:34:05,365 NARRATOR: Julia Domna was the wife of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus. 2674 03:34:05,398 --> 03:34:07,968 Suddenly, the presence of a massive bath house 2675 03:34:08,001 --> 03:34:10,871 with African tiles is beginning to make sense. 2676 03:34:15,141 --> 03:34:20,247 In the early third century, African born emperor Septimius Severus 2677 03:34:20,280 --> 03:34:25,518 came to Britain to rule the Roman empire from York. 2678 03:34:25,551 --> 03:34:31,258 He strengthened Hadrian's Wall and its forts and built granaries to supply campaigns 2679 03:34:31,291 --> 03:34:33,126 even further to the north. 2680 03:34:36,496 --> 03:34:39,099 The garrisons alongside the wall were transforming 2681 03:34:39,132 --> 03:34:43,170 from military bases to communities and villages. 2682 03:34:44,004 --> 03:34:48,208 And so the emperor constructed Carlisle's spectacular bath house 2683 03:34:48,241 --> 03:34:52,479 as a bold statement that this far flung frontier garrison 2684 03:34:52,512 --> 03:34:57,617 was now an established fully Roman town. 2685 03:34:57,650 --> 03:35:02,255 FRANK: By the third century, Carlisle isn't just a frontier garrison town. 2686 03:35:02,288 --> 03:35:04,658 It's not the Wild West. 2687 03:35:04,691 --> 03:35:06,159 It was part of the Roman Empire. 2688 03:35:11,431 --> 03:35:16,236 NARRATOR: On Hadrian's Wall, Rob is heading to one of the 80 small forts 2689 03:35:16,269 --> 03:35:21,007 which the Romans built at regular intervals along its length. 2690 03:35:21,040 --> 03:35:24,177 He's on the hunt to understand more about the relationship 2691 03:35:24,210 --> 03:35:27,714 between the Romans and the locals. 2692 03:35:27,747 --> 03:35:30,717 Sitting directly on the wall, these installations 2693 03:35:30,750 --> 03:35:33,553 would have provided one of the first points of contact 2694 03:35:33,586 --> 03:35:36,389 between soldiers and barbarians. 2695 03:35:36,422 --> 03:35:39,526 ROB: These are very nicely prepared in cut stone blocks. 2696 03:35:39,559 --> 03:35:41,695 You can see how they, how they join together, 2697 03:35:41,728 --> 03:35:44,197 how they sit on top of each other very neatly. 2698 03:35:44,230 --> 03:35:46,967 You can see that here and, and also here on the other side, 2699 03:35:47,000 --> 03:35:49,769 which has been laid to create a gate. 2700 03:35:49,802 --> 03:35:53,340 NARRATOR: This gate was clearly the main entrance for the small platoon 2701 03:35:53,373 --> 03:35:56,142 of soldiers stationed here. 2702 03:35:56,175 --> 03:35:59,579 Venturing further towards the far side of the mile castle, 2703 03:35:59,612 --> 03:36:02,682 Rob spots something intriguing. 2704 03:36:02,715 --> 03:36:05,185 ROB: Now, these blocks are really interesting. 2705 03:36:05,218 --> 03:36:07,487 They're very large, they're heavy blocks. 2706 03:36:07,520 --> 03:36:12,292 These blocks are evidence of another gate. 2707 03:36:12,325 --> 03:36:15,695 NARRATOR: The position of this second gate is a surprise 2708 03:36:15,728 --> 03:36:18,298 because it forms a break in the wall. 2709 03:36:18,331 --> 03:36:20,333 ROB: What this tells us is not only that mile castles 2710 03:36:20,366 --> 03:36:22,802 could allow soldiers in from the south, 2711 03:36:22,835 --> 03:36:27,741 but also there's a gate which allowed access north into barbarian lands. 2712 03:36:28,274 --> 03:36:33,146 If there are 80-mile castles, if there are 80 gates through Hadrian's Wall 2713 03:36:33,179 --> 03:36:36,249 that can be found every mile along its length, 2714 03:36:36,282 --> 03:36:41,788 that raises questions about just how closed a barrier the wall is intended to be. 2715 03:36:42,688 --> 03:36:46,726 NARRATOR: This evidence suggests that the Romans didn't close off the frontier 2716 03:36:46,759 --> 03:36:51,398 completely and Hadrian's Wall wasn't an impervious barrier. 2717 03:36:52,865 --> 03:36:56,269 With fortified breaks in the wall, they could control 2718 03:36:56,302 --> 03:37:00,173 who was coming into their territory and also had easy access 2719 03:37:00,206 --> 03:37:03,176 points to expand their frontiers further. 2720 03:37:06,646 --> 03:37:11,484 At the dig site in Carlisle, Frank and the team have expanded 2721 03:37:11,517 --> 03:37:14,587 their excavation alongside the bath house 2722 03:37:14,620 --> 03:37:18,458 and are unearthing a curious structure. 2723 03:37:18,491 --> 03:37:21,861 They've uncovered a beautifully preserved cobble surface 2724 03:37:21,894 --> 03:37:24,431 which they believe is a Roman road. 2725 03:37:25,031 --> 03:37:28,735 FRANK: We're quite excited about this little stretch of road. 2726 03:37:28,768 --> 03:37:31,671 It's heading towards Hadrian's Wall and the mile castle. 2727 03:37:33,339 --> 03:37:39,279 NARRATOR: Soldiers stationed in the mile castles would have needed supplies 2728 03:37:39,312 --> 03:37:44,384 but this road side is producing a surprising wealth of finds. 2729 03:37:44,417 --> 03:37:47,854 FRANK: So, this is just some of the stuff we've found today from this area, 2730 03:37:47,887 --> 03:37:49,856 which is a really nice little assembly. 2731 03:37:49,889 --> 03:37:55,295 So, we've got animal bone, coarse pottery, fine pottery that's been imported 2732 03:37:55,328 --> 03:38:03,536 from France, nails from the timber buildings and bits of amphora from southern Spain. 2733 03:38:03,569 --> 03:38:06,506 So, this has just given us an idea of what was going on in this area. 2734 03:38:06,539 --> 03:38:10,376 So, basically people are preparing food, eating food. 2735 03:38:10,409 --> 03:38:12,212 So we've got cooking. 2736 03:38:12,245 --> 03:38:15,282 These are basically just fast food restaurants. 2737 03:38:16,216 --> 03:38:19,752 NARRATOR: The cosmopolitan finds reveal that diners here 2738 03:38:19,785 --> 03:38:26,192 could enjoy all the trappings of fine Roman living from around the empire. 2739 03:38:26,225 --> 03:38:30,730 This is more like a bustling high street than a military highway. 2740 03:38:30,763 --> 03:38:34,367 And with gateways in the mile castles, it's possible 2741 03:38:34,400 --> 03:38:39,672 that this road didn't just head to the wall, it went through it. 2742 03:38:39,705 --> 03:38:41,608 FRANK: This could have been quite a busy road 2743 03:38:41,641 --> 03:38:43,910 with people coming north and south beyond the wall. 2744 03:38:43,943 --> 03:38:46,412 Could they have been coming here just to have something to eat? 2745 03:38:46,445 --> 03:38:50,183 It would have been probably the first place south of Hadrian's Wall 2746 03:38:50,216 --> 03:38:52,952 where you could have got a glass of wine. 2747 03:38:52,985 --> 03:38:57,624 NARRATOR: This latest discovery shines new light on life on both sides 2748 03:38:57,657 --> 03:38:59,425 of Hadrian's Wall. 2749 03:38:59,458 --> 03:39:02,896 It is startling evidence that it changed dramatically 2750 03:39:02,929 --> 03:39:07,233 in the 300 years that the wall was in use. 2751 03:39:07,266 --> 03:39:09,869 These new investigations are transforming 2752 03:39:09,902 --> 03:39:12,672 our understanding of Hadrian's Wall 2753 03:39:12,705 --> 03:39:17,644 and life in Rome's wildest frontiers. 2754 03:39:17,677 --> 03:39:21,681 These territories were once so dangerous that they not only required 2755 03:39:21,714 --> 03:39:28,588 a huge military presence but monumental border walls to control them. 2756 03:39:28,621 --> 03:39:34,794 In the shadow of these mighty defenses, Rome began to tame the wilderness. 2757 03:39:34,827 --> 03:39:40,233 Families grew up alongside the soldiers garrisoned in their forts, 2758 03:39:40,266 --> 03:39:48,241 their civilization began to flourish with sumptuous bath houses and sanctuaries 2759 03:39:48,274 --> 03:39:53,713 and people from both sides of the wall may have enjoyed the luxuries of Roman life. 2760 03:39:57,917 --> 03:40:02,222 ROB: It would be very easy to dismiss frontiers as the edge of empire, 2761 03:40:02,255 --> 03:40:05,225 not something that's really important to an emperor sitting in Rome. 2762 03:40:05,258 --> 03:40:07,694 But actually, it's exactly the opposite. 2763 03:40:07,727 --> 03:40:11,531 Frontiers are about securing the peace of the Roman Empire. 2764 03:40:11,564 --> 03:40:13,566 Without the Roman frontiers, 2765 03:40:13,599 --> 03:40:15,602 we would not have the Roman Empire. 2766 03:40:26,078 --> 03:40:34,821 NARRATOR: In Herculaneum, Italy, archaeologists make a shocking discovery. 2767 03:40:34,854 --> 03:40:40,026 At the edge of the ancient town, a skeleton emerges from the dirt. 2768 03:40:40,059 --> 03:40:46,933 FRANCESCO: We will study his DNA because we know that his DNA tell us something. 2769 03:40:46,966 --> 03:40:51,971 NARRATOR: It's the first new body discovered here in over 25 years. 2770 03:40:52,004 --> 03:40:57,477 This skeleton could provide tantalizing clues to this town's final moments 2771 03:40:57,510 --> 03:41:01,348 and the apocalyptic event that sealed its fate. 2772 03:41:14,860 --> 03:41:18,665 In 79 AD the Roman world experienced 2773 03:41:18,698 --> 03:41:22,368 one of the greatest catastrophes in known history: 2774 03:41:22,401 --> 03:41:25,538 the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. 2775 03:41:25,571 --> 03:41:28,808 It devastated the surrounding towns and villages, 2776 03:41:28,841 --> 03:41:33,046 burying them beneath layers of volcanic pumice and ash. 2777 03:41:33,713 --> 03:41:38,818 Pompeii, on the volcano's southern slope, was destroyed 2778 03:41:38,851 --> 03:41:43,856 and is famous for its crushed homes and bodies frozen in time. 2779 03:41:43,889 --> 03:41:49,729 But nearby, on Vesuvius's western slope, lies a lesser-known town: 2780 03:41:49,762 --> 03:41:51,931 Herculaneum. 2781 03:41:51,964 --> 03:41:58,471 Buried four times deeper than Pompeii, it has survived in extraordinary condition. 2782 03:41:58,504 --> 03:42:01,874 Today, a team of archaeologists, geologists 2783 03:42:01,907 --> 03:42:05,678 and forensic anthropologists search for clues 2784 03:42:05,711 --> 03:42:10,850 to uncover what happened to Herculaneum and its thousands of residents. 2785 03:42:10,883 --> 03:42:17,123 To piece together the final deadly 24 hours of the eruption. 2786 03:42:17,156 --> 03:42:20,893 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: There is something just so special about this site; 2787 03:42:20,926 --> 03:42:24,630 it's a little jewel. 2788 03:42:24,663 --> 03:42:27,567 NARRATOR: Archaeologist, Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, 2789 03:42:27,600 --> 03:42:31,371 first visited this ancient town as a teenager. 2790 03:42:31,404 --> 03:42:35,708 He was so fascinated by it that he has spent most of his career working 2791 03:42:35,741 --> 03:42:39,145 to preserve the site and its treasures. 2792 03:42:39,178 --> 03:42:41,848 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: We've only excavated something like a quarter 2793 03:42:41,881 --> 03:42:43,449 of the site of Herculaneum. 2794 03:42:43,482 --> 03:42:45,452 There is still stuff to excavate. 2795 03:42:47,820 --> 03:42:51,057 NARRATOR: Archaeologists have discovered some of the best preserved buildings 2796 03:42:51,090 --> 03:42:54,127 in the Roman world here. 2797 03:42:54,160 --> 03:42:57,163 Andrew searches the site, looking for evidence 2798 03:42:57,196 --> 03:43:02,101 of the ways in which Herculaneum's fate differed from Pompeii's. 2799 03:43:02,134 --> 03:43:04,871 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: Isn't this place absolutely stunning? 2800 03:43:04,904 --> 03:43:08,541 Up above us, you can see that there's a second floor. 2801 03:43:08,574 --> 03:43:11,177 This is something you get in Herculaneum. 2802 03:43:11,210 --> 03:43:14,046 Pompeii is kind of decapitated by the eruption. 2803 03:43:14,079 --> 03:43:18,050 You've just got the ground floor, and now we can see, ah, 2804 03:43:18,083 --> 03:43:24,457 there's a whole life going on up above us, rooms above here and above there. 2805 03:43:24,490 --> 03:43:26,759 NARRATOR: Dozens of houses in Herculaneum 2806 03:43:26,792 --> 03:43:30,163 have beautifully preserved walls and upper floors. 2807 03:43:30,196 --> 03:43:32,231 And there's more. 2808 03:43:32,264 --> 03:43:35,201 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: Over here, we've got what has to be a bedroom. 2809 03:43:35,234 --> 03:43:39,505 You know it's a bedroom because, for once, you've got a bed in it. 2810 03:43:39,538 --> 03:43:44,444 In Pompeii, you don't find beds; they disappeared, they were made of wood. 2811 03:43:44,477 --> 03:43:47,180 In Herculaneum the wood is preserved. 2812 03:43:47,213 --> 03:43:50,683 NARRATOR: Artifacts like this are exceptionally rare, 2813 03:43:50,716 --> 03:43:54,887 making this town an ancient treasure trove. 2814 03:43:54,920 --> 03:43:58,157 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: Over here, we have this glorious wooden screen, 2815 03:43:58,190 --> 03:44:02,829 which enabled you then to close off this room. 2816 03:44:02,862 --> 03:44:05,665 Obviously, this is cased in glass and metal, 2817 03:44:05,698 --> 03:44:13,639 but in there is the original wood of the screen, stunningly preserved. 2818 03:44:13,672 --> 03:44:18,544 NARRATOR: The wooden bed and screen are blackened by the eruptions but, remarkably, 2819 03:44:18,577 --> 03:44:20,780 they are still intact. 2820 03:44:20,813 --> 03:44:23,783 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: They probably had wooden screens in Pompeii too, 2821 03:44:23,816 --> 03:44:25,952 but pfft, gone. 2822 03:44:25,985 --> 03:44:34,627 Here were many wooden details that get preserved; beams, shutters, all sorts of stuff. 2823 03:44:34,660 --> 03:44:41,734 NARRATOR: At Pompeii, just over 8 miles away the eruption incinerated wooden objects. 2824 03:44:41,767 --> 03:44:45,104 This stark difference suggests that the volcanic eruption 2825 03:44:45,137 --> 03:44:49,842 hit Herculaneum in a very different way. 2826 03:44:49,875 --> 03:44:53,513 To uncover how these wooden objects have survived, 2827 03:44:53,546 --> 03:44:56,849 the team needs to continue their investigation of the town 2828 03:44:56,882 --> 03:45:01,120 and find out what happened on the day Vesuvius erupted. 2829 03:45:09,061 --> 03:45:13,833 14 miles west of Herculaneum, across the Bay of Naples, 2830 03:45:13,866 --> 03:45:19,972 Jasmine Elmer explores the location of the former Roman town of Misenum. 2831 03:45:20,005 --> 03:45:24,744 Jasmine wants to investigate two ancient letters written by someone 2832 03:45:24,777 --> 03:45:32,151 who claims to have witnessed the volcanic eruption of 79 AD from here. 2833 03:45:32,184 --> 03:45:35,555 JASMINE: It's such an amazing treat to have letters like this that survived. 2834 03:45:35,588 --> 03:45:39,058 We have so few eyewitness accounts from the ancient world, 2835 03:45:39,091 --> 03:45:42,028 let alone of something so catastrophic. 2836 03:45:42,061 --> 03:45:45,598 NARRATOR: These letters are just two of hundreds written by a Roman 2837 03:45:45,631 --> 03:45:48,668 known as Pliny the Younger. 2838 03:45:48,701 --> 03:45:52,004 JASMINE: In Pliny's letters, we have an account of what he calls a cladde, 2839 03:45:52,037 --> 03:45:54,807 a catastrophe, a disaster, that happens 2840 03:45:54,840 --> 03:46:00,913 and seeing what he calls an unusual cloud of size and appearance. 2841 03:46:00,946 --> 03:46:04,684 NARRATOR: The letters recount that 17-year-old Pliny was in Misenum 2842 03:46:04,717 --> 03:46:07,386 with his mother and his uncle, a Naval Commander, 2843 03:46:07,419 --> 03:46:13,159 also called Pliny, when they noticed a dark cloud to the east. 2844 03:46:13,192 --> 03:46:16,662 Pliny the Elder, a natural philosopher at heart, 2845 03:46:16,695 --> 03:46:18,998 climbed to higher ground to get a better view 2846 03:46:19,031 --> 03:46:24,270 of the peculiar phenomenon, and saw the cloud was arising from a mountain. 2847 03:46:24,303 --> 03:46:27,373 He ordered a light vessel from his fleet to be readied 2848 03:46:27,406 --> 03:46:31,077 for him to sail across the bay to take a closer look. 2849 03:46:31,110 --> 03:46:35,715 But, before he set sail, Pliny the Elder received a message from his friend, 2850 03:46:35,748 --> 03:46:40,886 Rectina, in distress near Mount Vesuvius, pleading for his help. 2851 03:46:40,919 --> 03:46:45,124 He turned his crossing into a rescue mission. 2852 03:46:45,157 --> 03:46:48,160 Pliny the Younger's letters, written in Latin, 2853 03:46:48,193 --> 03:46:52,098 were penned decades after the catastrophic eruption. 2854 03:46:52,131 --> 03:46:56,268 leading experts to question the accuracy of his account. 2855 03:46:56,301 --> 03:46:59,739 JASMINE: These letters were written to the Roman historian Tacitus, 2856 03:46:59,772 --> 03:47:02,408 about 25 years after the event. 2857 03:47:02,441 --> 03:47:05,378 Now, some people might say that makes them slightly unreliable 2858 03:47:05,411 --> 03:47:11,384 and how accurate is Pliny's memory of the events that occurred? 2859 03:47:11,417 --> 03:47:14,854 NARRATOR: Jasmine wants to investigate the letters to explore 2860 03:47:14,887 --> 03:47:19,158 how reliable Pliny's account of the eruption is. 2861 03:47:19,191 --> 03:47:22,194 If his story stands up to modern scrutiny, 2862 03:47:22,227 --> 03:47:24,797 it could help explain what happened to towns 2863 03:47:24,830 --> 03:47:29,101 like Herculaneum during the eruption. 2864 03:47:29,134 --> 03:47:32,672 Jasmine plans to follow in the footsteps of Pliny the Elder, 2865 03:47:32,705 --> 03:47:34,874 to see if it would have been possible to launch 2866 03:47:34,907 --> 03:47:39,045 a Naval rescue mission from these waters. 2867 03:47:39,078 --> 03:47:42,982 JASMINE: Here in the Latin, we see that Pliny the Elder goes "in periculum" 2868 03:47:43,015 --> 03:47:44,950 into the danger zone. 2869 03:47:44,983 --> 03:47:47,920 Where others are fleeing, he is going. 2870 03:47:47,953 --> 03:47:51,457 Now, is this true of what happened, or is Pliny 2871 03:47:51,490 --> 03:47:56,195 the Younger trying to embellish the bravery of his uncle? 2872 03:48:05,370 --> 03:48:09,275 NARRATOR: Today, the ruins of Herculaneum lie just inland, 2873 03:48:09,308 --> 03:48:13,813 but due to land movement and sea level changes over two millennia, 2874 03:48:13,846 --> 03:48:17,950 in 79 AD Herculaneum was right on the coast. 2875 03:48:17,983 --> 03:48:22,955 Several bodies have been discovered along the town's ancient beach. 2876 03:48:22,988 --> 03:48:28,461 At his lab at Chieti University, Luigi Capasso investigates the remains 2877 03:48:28,494 --> 03:48:31,130 of a skeleton previously excavated here. 2878 03:48:37,936 --> 03:48:41,373 NARRATOR: For more than two decades, Luigi has been working alongside 2879 03:48:41,406 --> 03:48:47,480 archaeologists to study the bones of people found here in Herculaneum. 2880 03:48:47,513 --> 03:48:52,017 He wants to unravel the stories of those who died in the eruption. 2881 03:48:52,050 --> 03:48:57,423 Their remains could help reveal what happened in this town's final hours. 2882 03:48:57,456 --> 03:49:01,026 LUIGI: Okay, this is the last, finished. 2883 03:49:01,059 --> 03:49:12,004 We have a near complete skeleton of a man, probably 40-45 age. 2884 03:49:12,037 --> 03:49:21,313 This skeleton show many traces of trauma that occurred before death. 2885 03:49:21,346 --> 03:49:31,423 For example, the left femur shows a previous injury that caused new bone formation. 2886 03:49:31,456 --> 03:49:35,561 We have the traces on the face. 2887 03:49:35,594 --> 03:49:44,036 This trauma is due to a violent impact with a very hard object. 2888 03:49:44,069 --> 03:49:48,874 NARRATOR: This evidence suggests the man lead a violent life. 2889 03:49:48,907 --> 03:49:55,581 Further clues uncovered alongside him shed more light on his story. 2890 03:49:55,614 --> 03:50:00,519 When the skeleton was excavated, archaeologists discovered a bag containing 2891 03:50:00,552 --> 03:50:05,558 a blade characteristic of an ancient Roman woodworking tool. 2892 03:50:05,591 --> 03:50:12,464 By his side, the remains of a sword with an ivory handle. 2893 03:50:12,497 --> 03:50:18,304 He carried 14 coins of silver and gold; a sign he was a wealthy man. 2894 03:50:23,342 --> 03:50:26,145 Next to his body, archaeologists discovered 2895 03:50:26,178 --> 03:50:31,083 the charred remains of an upturned boat. 2896 03:50:31,116 --> 03:50:35,988 Who was this man and what was he doing on the ancient beach that day? 2897 03:50:37,522 --> 03:50:44,063 Examining the skeleton, an intriguing piece of evidence catches Luigi's eye. 2898 03:50:44,096 --> 03:50:46,565 LUIGI: So, can be very interesting 2899 03:50:46,598 --> 03:50:51,304 to see the detail of this part under the microscope. 2900 03:50:56,942 --> 03:51:02,948 This very strange combination, a total co-penetration 2901 03:51:02,981 --> 03:51:08,053 between the metal to the bone. 2902 03:51:08,086 --> 03:51:12,057 NARRATOR: The microscope analysis reveals a piece of metal has fused 2903 03:51:12,090 --> 03:51:14,627 to the man's hip bone. 2904 03:51:14,660 --> 03:51:19,198 To try to understand how this happened, Luigi examines an image 2905 03:51:19,231 --> 03:51:22,668 of the objects found alongside the skeleton. 2906 03:51:22,701 --> 03:51:31,410 LUIGI: These two swords was found in connection with the body and probably 2907 03:51:31,443 --> 03:51:40,152 one of the piece of metal that is lost in this object, fused with the bone. 2908 03:51:41,453 --> 03:51:44,089 NARRATOR: Luigi believes the heat produced during 2909 03:51:44,122 --> 03:51:50,062 the volcanic eruption fused part of the sword to the man's hip. 2910 03:51:50,095 --> 03:51:54,934 This evidence offers Luigi a clue to the man's identity. 2911 03:51:54,967 --> 03:52:01,440 LUIGI: The archaeological evidence, such as the sword, 2912 03:52:01,473 --> 03:52:07,646 fit with the evidence of previous injuries 2913 03:52:07,679 --> 03:52:15,955 so we can conclude that this man was a soldier. 2914 03:52:15,988 --> 03:52:19,358 NARRATOR: The elaborate design of the sword, and an ornate belt, 2915 03:52:19,391 --> 03:52:22,027 suggest he wasn't a regular soldier. 2916 03:52:22,060 --> 03:52:25,364 He was likely a high-ranking Praetorian Guard. 2917 03:52:29,234 --> 03:52:36,608 The Praetorian Guard was an elite military unit that protected the Emperor. 2918 03:52:36,641 --> 03:52:41,280 Only the bravest Roman soldiers who had proved their worth in battle, 2919 03:52:41,313 --> 03:52:43,616 were chosen to join the unit. 2920 03:52:47,219 --> 03:52:50,122 They weren't just skilled fighters. 2921 03:52:50,155 --> 03:52:54,159 The Praetorian Guard included specialist soldiers, 2922 03:52:54,192 --> 03:52:57,396 such as naval engineers, known as the Faber Navalis. 2923 03:53:02,100 --> 03:53:06,071 They served for shorter terms than ordinary soldiers, 2924 03:53:06,104 --> 03:53:09,976 but were paid up to three and a half times their salaries. 2925 03:53:12,110 --> 03:53:15,547 There is no evidence of a military base at Herculaneum. 2926 03:53:15,580 --> 03:53:18,617 The closest was in Misenum across the bay. 2927 03:53:19,351 --> 03:53:24,323 This elite naval engineer may have been part of a rescue mission. 2928 03:53:24,356 --> 03:53:28,627 He could be evidence to support Pliny's account. 2929 03:53:28,660 --> 03:53:33,499 Analysis of the boat discovered next to him could yield more clues. 2930 03:53:39,171 --> 03:53:44,076 NARRATOR: East of Herculaneum, Volcanologist Giuseppe Mastrolorenzo 2931 03:53:44,109 --> 03:53:49,181 ascends the slope of the infamous volcano, Mount Vesuvius. 2932 03:53:49,214 --> 03:53:52,551 He's looking for evidence that could help shed light on the sequence 2933 03:53:52,584 --> 03:53:58,624 of volcanic events that took place during the 79 AD eruption. 2934 03:53:58,657 --> 03:54:01,127 GIUSEPPE: Okay now, I can see the hot spot. 2935 03:54:04,729 --> 03:54:08,734 NARRATOR: Mount Vesuvius lies just five miles from Herculaneum 2936 03:54:08,767 --> 03:54:13,806 and is still an active volcano. 2937 03:54:13,839 --> 03:54:20,145 Normally, visitors to this iconic spot can't go further than the outer rim. 2938 03:54:20,178 --> 03:54:23,715 But Giuseppe has studied Vesuvius for over 30 years 2939 03:54:23,748 --> 03:54:27,453 and has been granted permission to descend into the crater. 2940 03:54:28,821 --> 03:54:34,493 GIUSEPPE: This is a monitoring station used for monitoring the CO2 2941 03:54:34,526 --> 03:54:38,097 which is emitted from the ground. 2942 03:54:38,130 --> 03:54:41,467 NARRATOR: Monitoring stations are dotted around the crater. 2943 03:54:41,500 --> 03:54:45,337 They detect any sign the volcano is heating up. 2944 03:54:45,370 --> 03:54:48,774 GIUSEPPE: Beneath here, there is a very wide magma chamber, 2945 03:54:48,807 --> 03:54:54,913 and we must detect any change which can be a possible indicator. 2946 03:54:54,946 --> 03:54:59,418 NARRATOR: Giuseppe uses a digital thermometer to check today's surface temperature. 2947 03:55:04,256 --> 03:55:07,326 GIUSEPPE: Okay, it is relatively low. 2948 03:55:07,359 --> 03:55:13,332 Well, the temperature in this area is less than 30 degrees Celsius, 2949 03:55:13,365 --> 03:55:15,634 which is normal in this period. 2950 03:55:15,667 --> 03:55:17,736 There have been no change. 2951 03:55:17,769 --> 03:55:19,705 You are safe here, today. 2952 03:55:21,806 --> 03:55:25,210 NARRATOR: Safe to proceed with his investigation of the volcano, 2953 03:55:25,243 --> 03:55:28,847 Giuseppe continues along the crater's edge. 2954 03:55:28,880 --> 03:55:33,819 GIUSEPPE: In 79 AD, this area was completely different, so there was not this crater, 2955 03:55:33,852 --> 03:55:36,655 which has been formed in the last centuries. 2956 03:55:36,688 --> 03:55:41,260 But the eruption started from some place around here. 2957 03:55:43,395 --> 03:55:47,432 NARRATOR: During the eruption, some 12 million tons of volcanic ash 2958 03:55:47,465 --> 03:55:51,370 and rock was propelled into the atmosphere every minute. 2959 03:55:53,872 --> 03:56:00,379 GIUSEPPE: During this phase, the first eruptive column was formed. 2960 03:56:00,412 --> 03:56:06,285 This column is an increasing column of gas 2961 03:56:06,318 --> 03:56:14,560 and particles which can reach the elevation of about 35 km 2962 03:56:14,593 --> 03:56:20,866 three times the maximum elevation of an aircraft. 2963 03:56:21,399 --> 03:56:24,436 NARRATOR: This giant column of ash aligns with Piny 2964 03:56:24,469 --> 03:56:30,008 the Younger's account of seeing an unusual cloud arising from the mountain. 2965 03:56:30,041 --> 03:56:34,213 On the ground, Giuseppe spots a clue to what happened next 2966 03:56:34,246 --> 03:56:37,650 at the nearby town of Herculaneum and Pompeii. 2967 03:56:38,550 --> 03:56:42,955 GIUSEPPE: These rocks are about the size of the pumice that fell in Pompeii. 2968 03:56:45,357 --> 03:56:52,231 The particles were blown by the wind to the east, toward Pompeii, 2969 03:56:52,264 --> 03:57:00,472 and so a fallout of particles occurred and lasted for hours, for hours and hours. 2970 03:57:00,505 --> 03:57:02,341 NARRATOR: Expert analysis of pumice 2971 03:57:02,374 --> 03:57:06,044 and ash deposits has revealed a north-westerly wind 2972 03:57:06,077 --> 03:57:12,451 blew the cloud of volcanic debris away from Herculaneum and over Pompeii. 2973 03:57:12,484 --> 03:57:16,822 The burning hot rocks and thick ash rained down on Pompeii, 2974 03:57:16,855 --> 03:57:22,628 causing roofs to collapse, crushing and killing those sheltering in their homes. 2975 03:57:22,661 --> 03:57:25,731 Herculaneum, located to the west of the volcano, 2976 03:57:25,764 --> 03:57:28,834 and its population of more than 4,000 people, 2977 03:57:28,867 --> 03:57:32,604 were initially spared from this rocky fallout. 2978 03:57:32,637 --> 03:57:36,708 GIUSEPPE: The people in Herculaneum observed this giant column. 2979 03:57:36,741 --> 03:57:39,378 I think they were terrified. 2980 03:57:41,946 --> 03:57:44,950 NARRATOR: The north-westerly wind saved Herculaneum 2981 03:57:44,983 --> 03:57:47,653 from the bombardment that hit Pompeii, 2982 03:57:47,686 --> 03:57:52,958 allowing time for escape, and for Pliny the Elder to launch a rescue mission. 2983 03:57:53,959 --> 03:57:58,930 To uncover what happened next to Herculaneum and its remaining residents, 2984 03:57:58,963 --> 03:58:04,370 Giuseppe needs to investigate the layers of volcanic debris inside the town. 2985 03:58:07,138 --> 03:58:12,544 Off the coast of the ancient town of Misenum, Jasmine continues her hunt. 2986 03:58:12,577 --> 03:58:16,415 She is searching for evidence to corroborate Pliny the Younger's account 2987 03:58:16,448 --> 03:58:18,583 of his uncle's rescue mission. 2988 03:58:18,616 --> 03:58:22,087 JASMINE: Pliny the Elder orders some quadriremes, some Romany military ships, 2989 03:58:22,120 --> 03:58:25,291 to cross the Bay of Naples with him at the helm. 2990 03:58:27,092 --> 03:58:30,462 NARRATOR: Pliny the Elder's fleet sets off from Misenum 2991 03:58:30,495 --> 03:58:34,499 and heads towards the base of Vesuvius. 2992 03:58:34,532 --> 03:58:38,603 If Pliny had ships at his disposal to launch a rescue mission, 2993 03:58:38,636 --> 03:58:42,308 there must have been a harbor somewhere nearby. 2994 03:58:43,042 --> 03:58:46,845 Jasmine searches the bay for any evidence of one. 2995 03:58:47,712 --> 03:58:51,783 Rounding the coast, she spots something intriguing. 2996 03:58:51,816 --> 03:58:55,821 JASMINE: You can just see over there one pilae that reaches out above the sea. 2997 03:58:55,854 --> 03:58:57,723 It's quite amazing that we can see that. 2998 03:58:57,756 --> 03:59:01,360 Pilae have a few functions: one is to mark the edge of the harbor, 2999 03:59:01,393 --> 03:59:04,830 but also to provide protection from the waves coming in 3000 03:59:04,863 --> 03:59:07,599 from the Bay of Naples. 3001 03:59:07,632 --> 03:59:10,502 NARRATOR: The upper part of this structure is modern, 3002 03:59:10,535 --> 03:59:15,374 but it sits on a characteristically Roman base. 3003 03:59:15,407 --> 03:59:20,912 Using satellite imagery, remnants of other pilae are visible beneath the surface. 3004 03:59:20,945 --> 03:59:25,984 They are unmistakable proof of two Roman breakwaters here marking the entrance 3005 03:59:26,017 --> 03:59:30,956 to a vast military port that housed a unit of Praetorian Guards. 3006 03:59:30,989 --> 03:59:35,160 JASMINE: You can see how large it is, and it gives us a great understanding 3007 03:59:35,193 --> 03:59:38,930 of how important this harbor truly was. 3008 03:59:38,963 --> 03:59:44,803 It's all the more evidence that Pliny had some 6,000 men at his disposal. 3009 03:59:44,836 --> 03:59:49,741 NARRATOR: The evidence of the harbor suggests Pliny the Younger's account of events 3010 03:59:49,774 --> 03:59:54,980 during the early stages of the eruption is so far accurate. 3011 03:59:55,013 --> 03:59:58,751 Pliny the Elder could have launched his rescue ships from here. 3012 03:59:59,718 --> 04:00:03,021 To continue to explore the truth behind the letters, 3013 04:00:03,054 --> 04:00:07,626 Jasmine next intends to retrace the fleet's route across the bay, 3014 04:00:07,659 --> 04:00:09,961 towards Herculaneum. 3015 04:00:09,994 --> 04:00:14,065 JASMINE: You can imagine the chaos that Pliny the Elder was facing, 3016 04:00:14,098 --> 04:00:17,536 rushing around and launching his rescue mission to rescue 3017 04:00:17,569 --> 04:00:20,606 those people at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. 3018 04:00:26,010 --> 04:00:30,449 NARRATOR: At Herculaneum, Andrew wants to examine the fragile remains 3019 04:00:30,482 --> 04:00:36,955 of the wooden boat discovered next to the Praetorian Guard on the ancient beach. 3020 04:00:36,988 --> 04:00:40,859 It could help determine if he was one of Pliny's men. 3021 04:00:40,892 --> 04:00:43,628 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: So here, we've got this extraordinary thing. 3022 04:00:43,661 --> 04:00:51,236 At Herculaneum, wood survives, wood is preserved, and that meant that this is the only 3023 04:00:51,269 --> 04:00:57,943 example of a boat found in Pompeii and Herculaneum. 3024 04:00:57,976 --> 04:01:00,846 NARRATOR: The high-tech support cradle gives Andrew 3025 04:01:00,879 --> 04:01:06,785 the chance to study the boat up close. 3026 04:01:06,818 --> 04:01:12,724 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: If you look carefully, you see that there is no room for a mast. 3027 04:01:12,757 --> 04:01:15,126 So that means it's got to be rowed. 3028 04:01:15,159 --> 04:01:17,562 This is a big boat. 3029 04:01:17,595 --> 04:01:21,766 NARRATOR: Some think this rowing boat is a simple fishing vessel. 3030 04:01:21,799 --> 04:01:24,836 But it's big enough to hold at least eight people 3031 04:01:24,869 --> 04:01:28,474 and Andrew believes its size is a clue. 3032 04:01:29,475 --> 04:01:32,110 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: If Admiral Pliny has said, 3033 04:01:32,143 --> 04:01:34,980 "Right, we're going to rescue the people of Herculaneum," 3034 04:01:35,013 --> 04:01:38,116 it makes sense to send out a boat of this size. 3035 04:01:38,149 --> 04:01:43,088 So, I would like to think that this is part of the rescue mission. 3036 04:01:43,755 --> 04:01:46,658 NARRATOR: The discovery of the Praetorian Guard's skeleton, 3037 04:01:46,691 --> 04:01:52,197 next to the large boat, is strong evidence that Pliny did launch a rescue mission, 3038 04:01:52,230 --> 04:01:54,566 as his nephew later claimed. 3039 04:01:54,599 --> 04:01:59,971 This Praetorian made it onto the beach, but didn't make it out alive. 3040 04:02:00,004 --> 04:02:07,980 He died a horrific death, in heat so powerful it melded his sword to his bones. 3041 04:02:09,581 --> 04:02:12,050 To uncover exactly what happened here, 3042 04:02:12,083 --> 04:02:15,621 the team must continue the search for more evidence. 3043 04:02:20,758 --> 04:02:24,329 Pier Paolo Petrone has spent most of his career studying 3044 04:02:24,362 --> 04:02:26,565 the bones found at Herculaneum. 3045 04:02:37,842 --> 04:02:41,079 NARRATOR: He's keen to uncover as much as he can about the fate 3046 04:02:41,112 --> 04:02:42,548 of the people here. 3047 04:02:49,754 --> 04:02:54,359 NARRATOR: At the edge of the archaeological site, on what was once the town's beach, 3048 04:02:54,392 --> 04:02:59,197 engineers building a wall make a shocking discovery. 3049 04:02:59,230 --> 04:03:02,167 Pier Paolo was immediately called to the scene, 3050 04:03:02,200 --> 04:03:06,705 as they have just uncovered a skeleton buried in layers of volcanic debris, 3051 04:03:06,738 --> 04:03:08,907 close to where the Praetorian Guard was found. 3052 04:03:20,985 --> 04:03:27,292 NARRATOR: This is the first new body found at Herculaneum for more than two decades. 3053 04:03:27,325 --> 04:03:33,298 Pier Paolo uses a low-pressure water jet to carefully wash away surrounding debris 3054 04:03:33,331 --> 04:03:36,768 and expose the bones for an initial examination. 3055 04:03:38,336 --> 04:03:41,806 The discovery is so significant the Park's director 3056 04:03:41,839 --> 04:03:44,776 oversees the excavation. 3057 04:03:44,809 --> 04:03:48,046 FRANCESCO: From the first study, anthropological study, 3058 04:03:48,079 --> 04:03:54,052 we know that it was a man aged between 40-45, 3059 04:03:54,085 --> 04:03:59,257 and we will study his DNA because we know the DNA 3060 04:03:59,290 --> 04:04:02,794 from all these victims tell us something. 3061 04:04:03,628 --> 04:04:07,132 NARRATOR: Pier Paolo's team carefully removes more debris 3062 04:04:07,165 --> 04:04:10,002 and uncovers wooden beams lying across the body. 3063 04:04:27,852 --> 04:04:30,855 NARRATOR: The wooden beams are evidence that something sudden 3064 04:04:30,888 --> 04:04:34,893 and catastrophic happened here, with a force strong enough 3065 04:04:34,926 --> 04:04:39,264 to propel roofs across the town, and onto the beach. 3066 04:04:39,297 --> 04:04:42,500 Analysis of the beam's position on top of the body 3067 04:04:42,533 --> 04:04:44,469 could reveal if these were the cause of death. 3068 04:04:59,217 --> 04:05:02,053 NARRATOR: The team use a hand-held 3D scanner 3069 04:05:02,086 --> 04:05:05,857 to digitally record the position of the skeleton in-situ, 3070 04:05:05,890 --> 04:05:08,794 before they remove the remains for further study. 3071 04:05:22,907 --> 04:05:26,845 NARRATOR: This new discovery could provide more tantalizing clues 3072 04:05:26,878 --> 04:05:29,881 to Herculaneum's final moments. 3073 04:05:29,914 --> 04:05:32,884 The victim's location on the ancient beach adds 3074 04:05:32,917 --> 04:05:36,121 to the team's understanding of what happened here. 3075 04:05:36,154 --> 04:05:38,790 And this man was not alone on the shoreline. 3076 04:05:40,825 --> 04:05:44,229 Years earlier, when archaeologists were exploring buried stone 3077 04:05:44,262 --> 04:05:49,735 arches outside the town, they discovered over 300 skeletons. 3078 04:05:53,070 --> 04:05:58,076 In front of one arch, they found a middle-aged woman with her jewelry. 3079 04:05:58,109 --> 04:06:02,781 Precious rings still hanging off her fingers. 3080 04:06:02,814 --> 04:06:05,550 Leaning against a wall, a young woman. 3081 04:06:05,583 --> 04:06:08,219 Next to her, they found tiny bones. 3082 04:06:08,252 --> 04:06:12,590 She was seven months pregnant. 3083 04:06:12,623 --> 04:06:17,428 2,000 years ago, these arches were entrance to boathouses. 3084 04:06:17,461 --> 04:06:22,100 Analysis of how these victims died could reveal what happened in Herculaneum's 3085 04:06:22,133 --> 04:06:25,170 deadly final moments. 3086 04:06:25,203 --> 04:06:30,375 Fewer than 50 bodies have been discovered inside the town itself. 3087 04:06:30,408 --> 04:06:33,878 Most of the population must have fled when neighboring Pompeii 3088 04:06:33,911 --> 04:06:37,315 was being battered by falling volcanic rocks. 3089 04:06:45,256 --> 04:06:49,394 NARRATOR: The size and solidity of the boathouses offers Pier Paolo a clue 3090 04:06:49,427 --> 04:06:52,030 to why these people didn't flee. 3091 04:07:16,454 --> 04:07:21,960 NARRATOR: Earthquakes often occur before volcanic eruptions. 3092 04:07:21,993 --> 04:07:26,331 In 79 Ad, those who chose not to flee the town likely 3093 04:07:26,364 --> 04:07:29,534 came to these sturdy boathouses for shelter. 3094 04:07:29,567 --> 04:07:32,904 Not knowing they wouldn't be safe this time. 3095 04:07:34,138 --> 04:07:39,444 Examining the positions of the skeletons, Pier Paolo notices something strange. 3096 04:08:05,369 --> 04:08:08,273 NARRATOR: People at Herculaneum were not found contorted 3097 04:08:08,306 --> 04:08:11,542 and twisted, like those at Pompeii. 3098 04:08:11,575 --> 04:08:15,313 The evidence suggests they suffered a very different death. 3099 04:08:16,681 --> 04:08:23,021 Analyzing these skeletons could uncover vital clues to Herculaneum's final hours, 3100 04:08:23,054 --> 04:08:26,258 and how the aftermath of the deadly eruption unfolded. 3101 04:08:32,196 --> 04:08:34,732 NARRATOR: On a boat in the Bay of Naples, 3102 04:08:34,765 --> 04:08:38,236 Jasmine is tracing Pliny the Elder's reported route 3103 04:08:38,269 --> 04:08:41,706 from the ancient harbor, towards Vesuvius. 3104 04:08:44,075 --> 04:08:46,577 JASMINE: We're now going to cross the Bay of Naples, 3105 04:08:46,610 --> 04:08:49,280 as Pliny the Elder did with his fleet to rescue 3106 04:08:49,313 --> 04:08:52,517 those people at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. 3107 04:08:53,484 --> 04:08:55,653 NARRATOR: According to the ancient accounts, 3108 04:08:55,686 --> 04:08:58,589 the rescue ships headed towards Herculaneum, 3109 04:08:58,622 --> 04:09:03,728 straight into the danger zone, with Pliny the Elder aboard observing the eruption. 3110 04:09:04,395 --> 04:09:07,231 But as they approached the base of Vesuvius, 3111 04:09:07,264 --> 04:09:11,669 giant boulders propelled out of the volcano covered the shoreline, 3112 04:09:11,702 --> 04:09:14,739 blocking large vessels from landing. 3113 04:09:15,773 --> 04:09:20,178 So, Pliny diverted his ships further south to Stabiae, 3114 04:09:20,211 --> 04:09:22,347 where he was greeted by a close friend, 3115 04:09:22,380 --> 04:09:27,986 Pomponianus, and planned his return to the base of the volcano the next morning. 3116 04:09:32,223 --> 04:09:36,661 Jasmine reaches the modern shore of Castellammare Di Stabia, 3117 04:09:36,694 --> 04:09:39,497 the location of ancient Stabiae. 3118 04:09:40,030 --> 04:09:43,801 JASMINE: After an unsuccessful attempt to land at Herculaneum, 3119 04:09:43,834 --> 04:09:47,805 Pliny the Elder lands here at Stabiae, where the conditions are much more favorable. 3120 04:09:47,838 --> 04:09:50,541 He immediately consoles his friend, Pomponianus, 3121 04:09:50,574 --> 04:09:53,444 who seems terrified by the events that are happening. 3122 04:09:53,477 --> 04:09:57,215 However, at this time, it's still possible that those stranded around 3123 04:09:57,248 --> 04:10:00,752 the foothills of Vesuvius had a chance of survival. 3124 04:10:00,785 --> 04:10:03,654 NARRATOR: Pliny's account holds up so far. 3125 04:10:03,687 --> 04:10:07,158 So there was still hope for those at Herculaneum. 3126 04:10:09,360 --> 04:10:13,731 Praetorian Guards on smaller boats could get through the volcanic debris 3127 04:10:13,764 --> 04:10:15,767 and make it ashore. 3128 04:10:15,800 --> 04:10:20,338 But with the volcanic stones raining down, the danger was growing. 3129 04:10:25,543 --> 04:10:30,348 In his lab in Naples, Pier Paolo continues his investigation 3130 04:10:30,381 --> 04:10:34,519 of how the people in Herculaneum's boathouses were killed. 3131 04:10:43,661 --> 04:10:48,066 NARRATOR: Examining the shattered skull, he notices some unusual markings. 3132 04:11:02,746 --> 04:11:07,618 NARRATOR: The clean fractures and charred edges reveal this skull wasn't broken 3133 04:11:07,651 --> 04:11:13,157 by an external force, like falling rocks or a collapsing roof. 3134 04:11:13,190 --> 04:11:17,662 The evidence leads Pier Paolo to a much more extraordinary conclusion. 3135 04:11:30,407 --> 04:11:33,311 NARRATOR: The cause of death is swift and gruesome 3136 04:11:33,344 --> 04:11:37,115 and it's not the only shocking evidence he finds. 3137 04:11:37,148 --> 04:11:41,753 Analysis of a jaw also reveals a strange discoloration on the bones. 3138 04:12:06,443 --> 04:12:10,148 NARRATOR: There's only one thing that could cause skulls to explode 3139 04:12:10,181 --> 04:12:11,749 and blood to vaporize. 3140 04:12:19,523 --> 04:12:24,795 NARRATOR: Temperatures of nearly 500 degrees Celsius, 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 3141 04:12:24,828 --> 04:12:28,699 could finally explain Herculaneum's victims' poses 3142 04:12:28,732 --> 04:12:32,170 and the melded skeleton of the Praetorian Guard. 3143 04:12:53,324 --> 04:12:57,662 NARRATOR: Pier Paolo's investigation reveals that the people in the boathouses, 3144 04:12:57,695 --> 04:13:01,265 and the soldier, weren't crushed by falling objects, 3145 04:13:01,298 --> 04:13:03,601 then covered with ash in which their bodies 3146 04:13:03,634 --> 04:13:08,372 slowly contorted after death, like many at Pompeii. 3147 04:13:08,405 --> 04:13:14,245 Death here was swift, caused by an extreme heat that vaporized flesh 3148 04:13:14,278 --> 04:13:16,748 and boiled brains, in an instant. 3149 04:13:19,250 --> 04:13:24,656 What caused the extreme temperature that devastated Herculaneum but not Pompeii? 3150 04:13:26,090 --> 04:13:30,762 Looking for an answer, Pier Paolo examines another shocking discovery. 3151 04:13:40,504 --> 04:13:45,576 NARRATOR: At Herculaneum, Andrew is investigating an incredibly preserved 3152 04:13:45,609 --> 04:13:48,012 structure in the center of town. 3153 04:13:49,013 --> 04:13:53,651 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: This is an amazing building. 3154 04:13:53,684 --> 04:13:59,457 NARRATOR: Archaeologists made an incredible discovery here. 3155 04:13:59,490 --> 04:14:05,429 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: So, in here we've got a little side room and, ah, ha, ha, 3156 04:14:05,462 --> 04:14:12,803 this was one of the big, big surprises of this excavation because, on the whole, 3157 04:14:12,836 --> 04:14:14,705 we don't find skeletons here. 3158 04:14:14,738 --> 04:14:18,476 But here was one astonishing skeleton. 3159 04:14:22,513 --> 04:14:25,383 NARRATOR: Very few bodies have been found in Herculaneum, 3160 04:14:25,416 --> 04:14:27,985 other than those at the boathouse. 3161 04:14:28,018 --> 04:14:33,491 The man discovered here had his flesh vaporized, just like them. 3162 04:14:33,524 --> 04:14:39,030 Today, his remains are preserved beneath plastic for protection from the elements. 3163 04:14:39,063 --> 04:14:43,701 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: One thing you can notice is that this is a proper bed place. 3164 04:14:43,734 --> 04:14:49,807 You see, there's wood going around all the sides, so this is an official bedroom. 3165 04:14:49,840 --> 04:14:51,842 But why is he still here? 3166 04:14:51,875 --> 04:14:56,781 There's an enormous eruption going on, why hasn't he fled like everyone else? 3167 04:14:57,715 --> 04:15:01,018 NARRATOR: Andrew explores the rest of the building, 3168 04:15:01,051 --> 04:15:07,591 clues to this man's identify could explain his gruesome death. 3169 04:15:07,624 --> 04:15:09,894 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: It's always great when you've got an inscription 3170 04:15:09,927 --> 04:15:15,599 it gives you a clue and it starts with words, sacred to Augustus. 3171 04:15:15,632 --> 04:15:21,505 And then, there's this wonderful detail that, at the opening of the building, 3172 04:15:21,538 --> 04:15:26,043 Canem Dedarum, they gave a dinner and who is the dinner for? 3173 04:15:26,076 --> 04:15:28,979 This is the crucial clue. 3174 04:15:29,012 --> 04:15:36,387 Decurionbus et Augustabilibus, for the Decurions and the Augustales. 3175 04:15:36,420 --> 04:15:41,392 So, these are the two most important groups of people in town, 3176 04:15:41,425 --> 04:15:44,896 and this must be the College of the Augustales. 3177 04:15:46,264 --> 04:15:50,501 NARRATOR: The College of the Augustales was a place for a cult-like worship 3178 04:15:50,534 --> 04:15:56,507 of dead emperors, an important practice in Roman culture at this time. 3179 04:15:56,540 --> 04:16:01,112 This association could explain the identity of the victim discovered in the bed. 3180 04:16:05,416 --> 04:16:08,119 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: Here, we've got this major public building 3181 04:16:08,152 --> 04:16:09,987 and it's at the heart of the town. 3182 04:16:10,020 --> 04:16:13,691 So, it matters looking after the building properly, 3183 04:16:13,724 --> 04:16:18,896 and that's why you've got a guardian permanently there with his own bed place. 3184 04:16:18,929 --> 04:16:23,067 NARRATOR: As a custodian, this man may have been forbidden from leaving the building 3185 04:16:23,100 --> 04:16:26,404 while on duty, even in emergencies. 3186 04:16:26,437 --> 04:16:28,639 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: So maybe they told him, "You stay here. 3187 04:16:28,672 --> 04:16:33,544 Vesuvius may erupt, you stay." Yes, boss. 3188 04:16:33,577 --> 04:16:37,748 NARRATOR: As archaeologists worked to excavate the custodian's remains, 3189 04:16:37,781 --> 04:16:42,820 they discovered strange black fragments surrounding his skull. 3190 04:16:42,853 --> 04:16:45,456 Pier Paolo was part of the team. 3191 04:16:45,489 --> 04:16:50,094 Intrigued, he took them back to his laboratory to find out more. 3192 04:17:03,140 --> 04:17:08,746 NARRATOR: Pier Paolo needs a special microscope to examine the strange fragments. 3193 04:17:12,883 --> 04:17:15,920 NARRATOR: Using this high powered stereo-microscope, 3194 04:17:15,953 --> 04:17:20,057 Pier Paolo can view the surface of the fragments in incredible detail. 3195 04:17:51,655 --> 04:17:54,959 NARRATOR: The biochemical and microscopic analysis reveals 3196 04:17:54,992 --> 04:17:58,796 this main's brain was turned into glass. 3197 04:17:58,829 --> 04:18:02,867 It's evidence a strange phenomenon hit the town. 3198 04:18:16,747 --> 04:18:22,019 NARRATOR: The custodian of the College of the Augustales was killed by extreme heat 3199 04:18:22,052 --> 04:18:25,990 which vaporized his flesh and melted his brain. 3200 04:18:26,023 --> 04:18:30,595 Rapid cooling then turned his molten brain to glass. 3201 04:18:31,529 --> 04:18:35,065 Analysis of the volcanic debris at Herculaneum 3202 04:18:35,098 --> 04:18:40,171 could finally explain what caused this extreme and deadly heat. 3203 04:18:43,707 --> 04:18:48,312 Ten miles south of Herculaneum, in Castellammare Di Stabia, 3204 04:18:48,345 --> 04:18:53,951 Jasmine's continuing her investigation of Pliny the Younger's account. 3205 04:18:53,984 --> 04:18:58,088 According to his letters, this coastline is where Pliny the Elder 3206 04:18:58,121 --> 04:19:00,057 took shelter for the night. 3207 04:19:01,024 --> 04:19:05,629 JASMINE: It's during this sleep that things really take a turn for worse at Vesuvius. 3208 04:19:05,662 --> 04:19:09,867 Pliny tells us that there is cinere, ashes. 3209 04:19:09,900 --> 04:19:13,337 Mixtis pumicabus, which means mixed with pumice. 3210 04:19:13,370 --> 04:19:19,209 Vastisquer tremore, it means very, very big tremors are happening at this stage. 3211 04:19:19,242 --> 04:19:24,682 So now, we're entering a violent stage of the eruption. 3212 04:19:24,715 --> 04:19:28,319 NARRATOR: Fearing for their lives, Pliny the Elder, and his friends, 3213 04:19:28,352 --> 04:19:32,389 fled Stabiae with pillows strapped to their heads, 3214 04:19:32,422 --> 04:19:36,093 to protect them from the falling stones and cinders. 3215 04:19:36,126 --> 04:19:40,230 They headed down to the shore to see if they could escape by boat, 3216 04:19:40,263 --> 04:19:45,836 but found the sea too violent to set sail. 3217 04:19:45,869 --> 04:19:49,873 According to Pliny the Younger, his uncle, out of options, 3218 04:19:49,906 --> 04:19:56,147 lay down on a sail and suffocated to death from toxic volcanic fumes. 3219 04:19:57,214 --> 04:19:59,650 JASMINE: The drama of the letters here is really clear. 3220 04:19:59,683 --> 04:20:03,087 We simply are told 'corpus inventum,' 3221 04:20:03,120 --> 04:20:07,324 that his corpus was found the next day on the beach. 3222 04:20:07,357 --> 04:20:12,262 NARRATOR: Modern science has proven volcanoes release gases such as Sulphur Dioxide 3223 04:20:12,295 --> 04:20:16,000 and Carbon Dioxide, which can be harmful to humans. 3224 04:20:16,033 --> 04:20:19,036 Inhalation of these noxious gases could have played 3225 04:20:19,069 --> 04:20:22,773 a role in Pliny the Elder's death at Stabiae. 3226 04:20:22,806 --> 04:20:27,111 Jasmine's investigation reveals that Pliny the Younger's account of events, 3227 04:20:27,144 --> 04:20:30,648 following the eruption, appear accurate. 3228 04:20:30,681 --> 04:20:34,418 JASMINE: As a piece of literary evidence, these letters are amazing. 3229 04:20:34,451 --> 04:20:38,789 His accounts are really very accurate, if we connect them to the archaeology. 3230 04:20:38,822 --> 04:20:40,257 But we also learn about what happened 3231 04:20:40,290 --> 04:20:43,828 to these individuals in intense and graphic detail. 3232 04:20:52,903 --> 04:20:58,876 NARRATOR: At Herculaneum, Giuseppe heads to the edge of the ancient site, 3233 04:20:58,909 --> 04:21:04,281 to a tunnel excavated in the solidified volcanic debris, known as tuff. 3234 04:21:04,814 --> 04:21:08,419 GIUSEPPE: So now we are inside this tuff. 3235 04:21:08,452 --> 04:21:11,055 NARRATOR: He's hunting for the conclusive evidence 3236 04:21:11,088 --> 04:21:14,792 of what deadly phenomenon struck this town. 3237 04:21:14,825 --> 04:21:19,830 Locked within the tuff, Giuseppe spots the clue to what happened here. 3238 04:21:19,863 --> 04:21:24,902 GIUSEPPE: As you can see here, we have a wood carbonized wood, 3239 04:21:24,935 --> 04:21:30,474 and this indicates that there was no air, no oxygen. 3240 04:21:30,507 --> 04:21:33,811 NARRATOR: The natural phenomenon that struck Herculaneum 3241 04:21:33,844 --> 04:21:36,947 consumed all the oxygen in the air. 3242 04:21:36,980 --> 04:21:40,884 Without oxygen, wooden objects couldn't burn. 3243 04:21:40,917 --> 04:21:44,154 Instead, they were turned into carbon. 3244 04:21:44,187 --> 04:21:49,160 This explains the remarkable preservation of the wooden screen and bed. 3245 04:21:50,194 --> 04:21:54,732 Giuseppe heads outside to continue his investigation. 3246 04:21:54,765 --> 04:22:00,404 GIUSEPPE: You can see these tiles and bricks transported, 3247 04:22:00,437 --> 04:22:04,775 engulfed, and moved as a cloud, 3248 04:22:12,082 --> 04:22:15,385 NARRATOR: Giuseppe's investigation shows that the deadly phenomenon 3249 04:22:15,418 --> 04:22:20,891 that destroyed Herculaneum was a giant cloud of searing hot gas and ash 3250 04:22:20,924 --> 04:22:23,527 that came crashing down the volcano's slopes. 3251 04:22:26,296 --> 04:22:29,166 It's known as a pyroclastic surge. 3252 04:22:31,868 --> 04:22:36,306 Around noon, Mount Vesuvius erupted, hurling ash, pumice, 3253 04:22:36,339 --> 04:22:40,111 and toxic gases more than 20 miles into the atmosphere. 3254 04:22:41,045 --> 04:22:45,349 The following day, the cloud of gas and ash collapsed 3255 04:22:45,382 --> 04:22:48,385 and barreled down the sides of the volcano. 3256 04:22:50,420 --> 04:22:56,059 The 1,000 degree Fahrenheit wave hit Herculaneum in less than five minutes, 3257 04:22:56,092 --> 04:22:58,929 and blasted the flesh off people's bones. 3258 04:22:59,562 --> 04:23:03,300 Those left at the town were killed in an instant. 3259 04:23:03,333 --> 04:23:06,570 After several waves of pyroclastic surges, 3260 04:23:06,603 --> 04:23:11,542 Herculaneum was buried under 82 ft. of debris. 3261 04:23:16,213 --> 04:23:19,149 PROF. WALLACE-HADRILL: It's unbelievably gruesome the moment of destruction. 3262 04:23:19,182 --> 04:23:24,388 But what is catastrophe for them is wonderful for us 3263 04:23:24,421 --> 04:23:30,594 because it's that destruction that preserves for us very, very vivid traces 3264 04:23:30,627 --> 04:23:33,564 of what life was like just then. 3265 04:23:34,197 --> 04:23:39,303 NARRATOR: Herculaneum's final moments are slowly being uncovered. 3266 04:23:39,336 --> 04:23:44,508 The evidence discovered by archaeologists reveals that hundreds of citizens fled 3267 04:23:44,541 --> 04:23:50,948 to the beach, where brave soldiers attempted a rescue mission. 3268 04:23:50,981 --> 04:23:56,119 Blood-stained bones and fused metal weapons reveal an intense heat 3269 04:23:56,152 --> 04:24:00,190 that killed these unsuspecting victims. 3270 04:24:00,223 --> 04:24:03,961 And, miraculously, preserved wooden objects are proof of the rare 3271 04:24:03,994 --> 04:24:08,899 pyroclastic flow that buried this town for two millennia. 3272 04:24:11,001 --> 04:24:16,373 As experts continue to investigate this preserved ancient wonder, 3273 04:24:16,406 --> 04:24:19,042 their discoveries will shed new light 3274 04:24:19,075 --> 04:24:22,313 onto one of history's deadliest eruptions. 3275 04:24:22,680 --> 04:24:28,219 Captioned by SubTitlePro LLC