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00:00:01,668 --> 00:00:03,503
NARRATOR:
Giant volcanic rock walls

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00:00:03,503 --> 00:00:05,339
rise up from the sea.

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00:00:05,339 --> 00:00:08,008
BRUCE FENTON:
We consider the sheer scale

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00:00:08,008 --> 00:00:11,595
of the Nan Madol construction
site‐‐ it's mind‐boggling.

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00:00:11,595 --> 00:00:16,350
NARRATOR:
Just how were these massive
structures built, and why?

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00:00:16,350 --> 00:00:20,437
Ancient astronaut theorists
Giorgio Tsoukalos

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00:00:20,437 --> 00:00:23,357
and David Childress embark
on an incredible journey

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00:00:23,357 --> 00:00:26,777
to these remote ruins
in search of answers.

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00:00:26,777 --> 00:00:28,737
GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS:
Wow. Look at this.

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00:00:28,737 --> 00:00:32,282
DAVID CHILDRESS:
250 million tons

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00:00:32,282 --> 00:00:37,454
of basalt just piled up
and into artificial islands.

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NARRATOR:
Will they solve the mystery of

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00:00:40,249 --> 00:00:42,751
one of the world's
most baffling sites?

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ROSS CONKLIN:
We should be getting
close to the wall.

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CHILDRESS:
So as soon as you get close
to those stones, it disconnects.

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That's so strange.

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CHILDRESS
The more you know,

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the more mysterious it gets.

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NARRATOR:
There is a doorway

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00:00:57,933 --> 00:01:00,727
in the universe.

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Beyond it is
the promise of truth.

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It demands
we question everything

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we have ever been taught.

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The evidence is all around us.

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The future is
right before our eyes.

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We are not alone.

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We have never been alone.

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NARRATOR:
The Pacific Ocean.

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January 1836.

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The British cutter <i>Lambton</i>
arrives at the shores

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of the Micronesian island
of Pohnpei.

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It is one of the first
European expeditions

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to reach this remote landmass,

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00:01:48,567 --> 00:01:53,447
which is located roughly 2,500
miles northeast of Australia.

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The ship's surgeon,
identified only as Dr. Campbell,

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writes about a megalithic site

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00:02:00,495 --> 00:02:03,540
that stands off
Pohnpei's southeastern shore.

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He speculates
that the massive structures

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00:02:07,502 --> 00:02:10,297
are as old
as the Egyptian pyramids,

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and must have been
the work of great men.

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It is one of
the earliest accounts

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00:02:16,136 --> 00:02:18,639
of what will later
be known as Nan Madol.

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Nan Madol is this
amazing construction.

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It's‐it's a full‐on city.

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00:02:26,229 --> 00:02:30,192
When pilots during World War II
would fly over

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00:02:30,192 --> 00:02:32,819
that part of the Pacific, they
would look out their windows,

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00:02:32,819 --> 00:02:35,656
and they would see
what essentially was described

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as the Venice of the Pacific.

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So that became
one of its nicknames.

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NARRATOR:
Today, much of Nan Madol is
hidden beneath dense vegetation,

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making it appear as though
the edge of Pohnpei

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00:02:47,834 --> 00:02:50,879
extends further out
into the ocean.

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00:02:50,879 --> 00:02:54,716
But in reality, it is
an 11‐square‐mile complex

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consisting of more than
100 man‐made islets

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00:02:58,428 --> 00:03:01,348
standing atop
a submerged coral reef.

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00:03:02,849 --> 00:03:06,478
Archaeologists estimate
that to construct the site,

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00:03:06,478 --> 00:03:09,564
the builders used
250 million tons of basalt,

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00:03:09,564 --> 00:03:13,402
a black rock that forms when
basaltic lava from a volcano

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00:03:13,402 --> 00:03:16,363
cools and becomes solid.

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Some of the basalt logs and
blocks weigh upwards of 50 tons.

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00:03:27,416 --> 00:03:32,921
Nan Madol is this mysterious
island in the middle of nowhere.

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You have at least 600 miles
in every direction

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where there is
absolutely nothing.

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00:03:40,512 --> 00:03:46,476
And so, to find this incredible
megalithic structure there,

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00:03:46,476 --> 00:03:49,271
you have to wonder
why that place existed

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in the first place.

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When we consider the sheer scale

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00:03:53,191 --> 00:03:57,154
of the Nan Madol construction
site, it's mind‐boggling.

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Why would they need
this scale of construction

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00:04:00,949 --> 00:04:04,327
on a tiny island
in the middle of nowhere?

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00:04:04,327 --> 00:04:07,456
It is a complete mystery

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who exactly constructed it
and when.

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NARRATOR:
Historians have attributed
the megalithic construction

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to the Saudeleur Dynasty.

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00:04:17,883 --> 00:04:21,845
The empire ruled over Nan Madol
for approximately 500 years,

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00:04:21,845 --> 00:04:25,640
from 1100 to 1628 AD.

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00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,186
But speculation that they were
the builders of Nan Madol

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00:04:29,186 --> 00:04:31,897
has been the subject
of controversy,

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as many believe that an accurate
dating of the structures

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00:04:35,317 --> 00:04:38,361
is virtually impossible
to determine.

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00:04:38,361 --> 00:04:42,324
It's difficult, really,
to put dates on Nan Madol.

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00:04:42,324 --> 00:04:45,452
Currently, mainstream
archaeologists are

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00:04:45,452 --> 00:04:49,289
giving the city a date
of about 1100 AD,

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00:04:49,289 --> 00:04:52,167
and they're coming up
with that date by dating

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00:04:52,167 --> 00:04:55,003
some of the coral rubble
that's there.

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What I think of there
is that this is the date

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00:04:59,341 --> 00:05:03,720
of the last repair work
on this amazing city

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00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,138
and that the city itself

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00:05:05,138 --> 00:05:09,476
was actually built
much earlier than that.

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The thing is
they left no records.

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They left no literature,
no history, no art,

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nothing that says that they had
these advanced technologies

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or concepts like mathematics

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that would enable them to build
such an archeological wonder.

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So, it leaves this great mystery

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00:05:24,533 --> 00:05:28,328
of who actually constructed
Nan Madol and why.

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NARRATOR:
A team of scientists,
backed by the U. S. Department

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00:05:38,421 --> 00:05:42,259
of State Ambassadors Fund
for Cultural Preservation,

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00:05:42,259 --> 00:05:46,054
completes a six‐month project to
conduct the first lidar survey

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00:05:46,054 --> 00:05:48,682
of this World Heritage Site.

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00:05:48,682 --> 00:05:54,479
Lidar utilizes laser wave pulses
to create a 3‐D representation

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00:05:54,479 --> 00:05:57,357
of an area and allows
unprecedented access

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00:05:57,357 --> 00:05:59,860
to otherwise
impenetrable locations.

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00:06:01,194 --> 00:06:06,116
This recent lidar survey
at Temwen Island and Nan Madol

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00:06:06,116 --> 00:06:08,243
indicates that there was

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00:06:08,243 --> 00:06:11,288
a specially designed
irrigation system

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that could support people

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on this relatively small island
adjacent to Pohnpei.

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And then Nan Madol
is built there, too.

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So, who then would have built

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00:06:24,551 --> 00:06:27,804
such a sophisticated
irrigation system,

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which no one knew about
until this recent lidar survey?

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And it doesn't seem that
the‐the so‐called builders,

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the Saudeleurs,
were the builders of this.

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00:06:37,147 --> 00:06:39,983
NARRATOR:
While the study continues
to credit the construction

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00:06:39,983 --> 00:06:42,402
of Nan Madol to the Saudeleurs,

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many researchers suggest
that the oral history

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of the people of Pohnpei
contradicts this notion.

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00:06:49,159 --> 00:06:51,244
This recent lidar survey
is sensational

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00:06:51,244 --> 00:06:54,748
because the big mystery
about Nan Madol was always:

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Where did the people get
their food from or their water?

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00:06:58,001 --> 00:07:00,253
And according
to the local population,

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it had to be boated in.

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00:07:01,796 --> 00:07:05,258
But if you now look
at this new lidar survey,

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which suggests that there is
an artificial irrigation system

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00:07:08,470 --> 00:07:12,515
on Temwen, well, they could've
collected the water right there,

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and this leads me to think
that the Saudeleurs

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appropriated whatever was
at Temwen Island and Nan Madol.

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NARRATOR:
Does the lidar survey prove
that the conventional theories

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crediting the Saudeleurs as the
creators of Nan Madol are wrong?

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But if so, who built Nan Madol,
and why?

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Intrigued by the results
of the recent lidar survey,

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00:07:45,131 --> 00:07:47,884
ancient astronaut theorists
Giorgio Tsoukalos

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00:07:47,884 --> 00:07:51,388
and David Childress
embark on a journey

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00:07:51,388 --> 00:07:53,515
to the remote island of Pohnpei.

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They are hoping to find evidence
that could shed new light

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on what has become
a centuries‐old mystery.

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‐Here we are.
‐This is exciting.

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NARRATOR:
This expedition
is the first for Giorgio,

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but David's fifth visit
to the megalithic site.

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‐All right. Hello.
‐Good morning.
‐Hi, Gus. This is our guide.

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‐How are you, Gus?
Good to see you.
‐Welcome to Pohnpei.

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NARRATOR: At Mangrove Bay
on the island's north shore,

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00:08:16,162 --> 00:08:18,248
Giorgio and David meet up
with Micronesia's

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National Historic Preservation
Officer, Gus Kohler.

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‐So, ready to go? Okay.
‐Yeah. Let's get going, yeah.

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NARRATOR:
From here, they will travel
by boat to Nan Madol.

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TSOUKALOS:
Nan Madol is one of the last

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00:08:30,468 --> 00:08:33,471
ancient mysteries
that I have yet to see,

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and it's been 30 years
since I've wanted to come here.

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And I cannot wait
to see what awaits us.

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And what better guide
than David Childress?

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CHILDRESS: Nan Madol is
the eighth wonder of the world.

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It's one of the most
amazing megalithic sites

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that I've ever seen.

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But it's very little known.

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The archeologists
who come here...

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‐What do they say?
‐Yeah, what‐‐ they‐‐

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How do they say it was made,
Nan Madol?

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Every‐Everyone has
their own theory.

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00:09:00,707 --> 00:09:02,208
‐Sure.
‐Their own different theory.
‐Yeah.

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If you imagine, if you carry it,
uh, you know,

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00:09:05,086 --> 00:09:06,963
it's‐it's a very uneven terrain.

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You've got mountains,
you've got valleys,

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‐you've got water.
‐It's very rugged.

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‐Very rugged.
‐Very rugged.

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And then the‐the question

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00:09:13,762 --> 00:09:17,307
of putting it or having it
hung underneath a boat...

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‐It's incredible.
‐I mean, w‐we've tried to carry
lots, small ones on rafts,

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tried to imitate how‐‐
it's just impossible.

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‐They can't do it?
‐Really? So you have
actually tried...

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We've tried.
We've experimented.

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...to do it the way that
mainstream archeology suggests

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and it didn't quite work.

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Uh, not with the rafts
that we had.

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NARRATOR:
According to
mainstream scholars,

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00:09:36,367 --> 00:09:39,245
bamboo rafts
transported the blocks used

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00:09:39,245 --> 00:09:41,790
in the construction
of Nan Madol.

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00:09:41,790 --> 00:09:44,250
But Gus Kohler does not agree.

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00:09:44,250 --> 00:09:46,795
As far as he's concerned,

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00:09:46,795 --> 00:09:50,548
this method has repeatedly
been tested and has failed,

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even when the smallest
of basalt columns are used.

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00:09:53,802 --> 00:09:55,804
One of the most recent attempts

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00:09:55,804 --> 00:10:00,308
was made for a
television documentary in 1995.

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00:10:00,308 --> 00:10:03,978
After several attempts,
they were unable to demonstrate

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how this would be done,

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00:10:05,897 --> 00:10:09,109
even with smaller blocks
weighing only one ton.

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NARRATOR:
After a 90‐minute boat ride,

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00:10:13,696 --> 00:10:16,074
David and Giorgio
get their first look

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00:10:16,074 --> 00:10:19,119
at the massive basalt walls
of Nan Madol.

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CHILDRESS:
All right, so here we go.

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00:10:20,578 --> 00:10:22,622
Here's the massive
sea wall here.

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00:10:22,622 --> 00:10:24,290
But it's just huge.

194
00:10:24,290 --> 00:10:26,751
Look at these giant stones.
(stammers)

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00:10:26,751 --> 00:10:28,795
How they're piled up here.

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00:10:28,795 --> 00:10:32,006
‐But it‐it's just, it's huge.
‐TSOUKALOS: Incredible.

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00:10:32,006 --> 00:10:37,011
CHILDRESS:
It's just 250 million tons

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00:10:37,011 --> 00:10:40,390
of basalt just piled up
and into giant walls

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00:10:40,390 --> 00:10:43,560
and artificial islands.

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00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:45,645
It‐it boggles the mind.

201
00:10:45,645 --> 00:10:47,313
It's‐it's so incredible.

202
00:10:47,313 --> 00:10:50,066
I mean, some of these blocks
are just massive, massive.

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00:10:50,066 --> 00:10:51,818
CHILDRESS:
Yeah, huge.

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00:10:53,528 --> 00:10:55,488
TSOUKALOS:
The first time I laid eyes

205
00:10:55,488 --> 00:10:59,617
on Nan Madol,
I thought it was prehistoric.

206
00:10:59,617 --> 00:11:04,414
This place potentially
is thousands of years older

207
00:11:04,414 --> 00:11:07,458
than what mainstream
archeology suggests.

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00:11:09,002 --> 00:11:11,588
CHILDRESS:
Nan Madol astounds you
when you see it,

209
00:11:11,588 --> 00:11:15,341
but most archeologists
really don't want

210
00:11:15,341 --> 00:11:17,510
to open this Pandora's box

211
00:11:17,510 --> 00:11:21,598
of what is there on this island,

212
00:11:21,598 --> 00:11:24,184
because it's not
easily explained

213
00:11:24,184 --> 00:11:26,519
by mainstream archeology.

214
00:11:26,519 --> 00:11:29,189
NARRATOR:
Rufino Mauricio,

215
00:11:29,189 --> 00:11:30,940
the Director of
the Federal States

216
00:11:30,940 --> 00:11:33,860
of Micronesia Office
of National Archives,

217
00:11:33,860 --> 00:11:36,529
is among many who believe
that the secret

218
00:11:36,529 --> 00:11:40,408
to Nan Madol's origins
may not be a terrestrial one.

219
00:11:40,408 --> 00:11:44,287
MAURICIO: The existence
of Nan Madol itself

220
00:11:44,287 --> 00:11:46,456
continues to puzzle people

221
00:11:46,456 --> 00:11:50,752
because it welcomes
all kinds of possibilities,

222
00:11:50,752 --> 00:11:54,339
including possibilities of
people from the outer space...

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00:11:58,301 --> 00:12:00,261
NARRATOR:
People from outer space?

224
00:12:00,261 --> 00:12:02,889
It is a question that Giorgio

225
00:12:02,889 --> 00:12:04,724
and David are determined
to answer.

226
00:12:04,724 --> 00:12:08,061
And as the first step
in their investigation,

227
00:12:08,061 --> 00:12:11,147
they are eager to make a closer
examination of the site

228
00:12:11,147 --> 00:12:14,984
and investigate the details
of its baffling construction.

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00:12:20,615 --> 00:12:22,700
CHILDRESS:
So here we're just on the edge

230
00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:25,578
‐of Temwen Island.
‐TSOUKALOS: Amazing.

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00:12:25,578 --> 00:12:28,790
NARRATOR:
After docking on Pohnpei's
Temwen Island,

232
00:12:28,790 --> 00:12:32,168
ancient astronaut theorists
Giorgio Tsoukalos

233
00:12:32,168 --> 00:12:33,628
and David Childress

234
00:12:33,628 --> 00:12:36,339
are now approaching
the ancient ruins

235
00:12:36,339 --> 00:12:38,508
of Nan Madol by land.

236
00:12:38,508 --> 00:12:41,094
With them is Micronesia's

237
00:12:41,094 --> 00:12:45,139
National Historic Preservation
Officer, Gus Kohler.

238
00:12:45,139 --> 00:12:47,016
Okay, we're gonna
make a left up there.

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00:12:47,016 --> 00:12:49,602
A left up here? Okay.

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00:12:49,602 --> 00:12:51,312
CHILDRESS:
This is it, huh? Okay.

241
00:12:51,312 --> 00:12:53,147
‐KOHLER: This is it.
‐TSOUKALOS: Yes.

242
00:12:53,147 --> 00:12:56,859
NARRATOR:
To get an expert opinion
on the construction

243
00:12:56,859 --> 00:12:58,861
of this staggering
megalithic complex...

244
00:12:58,861 --> 00:13:00,571
‐Yeah, let's do it.
‐KOHLER: Follow me.

245
00:13:00,571 --> 00:13:02,407
...they have enlisted
UCLA Professor

246
00:13:02,407 --> 00:13:05,285
of Structural Engineering
Dr. Henry Burton.

247
00:13:05,285 --> 00:13:07,704
HENRY BURTON:
I'm a structural engineer,

248
00:13:07,704 --> 00:13:10,456
so I think about how to
design things to make sure

249
00:13:10,456 --> 00:13:12,000
that they move
through structures

250
00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,168
in a way that they're...
that they're stable.

251
00:13:14,168 --> 00:13:15,878
Are you okay back there?

252
00:13:15,878 --> 00:13:17,839
BURTON:
So, my role is to bring
a modern perspective

253
00:13:17,839 --> 00:13:21,676
on the structures that we're
seeing here in Micronesia.

254
00:13:23,219 --> 00:13:25,513
TSOUKALOS:
Wow. Look at this.

255
00:13:25,513 --> 00:13:28,057
‐KOHLER: Amazing, huh?
‐BURTON: That's amazing.

256
00:13:28,057 --> 00:13:30,018
‐I mean,
look at some of those...
‐BURTON: I know.

257
00:13:30,018 --> 00:13:32,603
‐But, I mean...
‐Look at that one.
‐BURTON: Look at that guy.

258
00:13:32,603 --> 00:13:35,315
CHILDRESS:
So, here's this huge wall here

259
00:13:35,315 --> 00:13:38,234
full of prismatic basalt.

260
00:13:38,234 --> 00:13:41,154
How would you build that,
then, today?

261
00:13:41,154 --> 00:13:43,239
Well, you'll‐‐
You'd certainly need cranes,

262
00:13:43,239 --> 00:13:44,615
I can tell you that.

263
00:13:44,615 --> 00:13:47,952
Um, even for some
of these smaller blocks,

264
00:13:47,952 --> 00:13:52,123
you're talking about
on the order of tens of tons.

265
00:13:52,123 --> 00:13:54,459
CHILDRESS:
So, how would you build this

266
00:13:54,459 --> 00:13:57,253
if you didn't have any cranes?

267
00:13:57,253 --> 00:13:59,714
Well, that I can't...
I can't, um...

268
00:13:59,714 --> 00:14:03,342
Yeah, I can't think of any way

269
00:14:03,342 --> 00:14:05,344
that you'd be able
to build this.

270
00:14:06,345 --> 00:14:08,347
TSOUKALOS:
Because one would argue,

271
00:14:08,347 --> 00:14:11,142
perhaps, this was done
with some sort of scaffolding,

272
00:14:11,142 --> 00:14:15,063
but wouldn't you need
really strong trees?

273
00:14:15,063 --> 00:14:18,191
And they don't really have
strong trees here

274
00:14:18,191 --> 00:14:20,401
to build that type
of scaffolding.

275
00:14:20,401 --> 00:14:22,695
Yeah. It's a mystery to me.

276
00:14:22,695 --> 00:14:26,407
I can't imagine how it could be
built without cranes.

277
00:14:26,407 --> 00:14:29,410
So, Gus, uh,
what is your tradition

278
00:14:29,410 --> 00:14:32,205
of how they built these walls?

279
00:14:45,134 --> 00:14:48,012
And that is, distance‐wise,
how long? How far?

280
00:14:49,597 --> 00:14:51,557
20 miles? Okay.

281
00:14:51,557 --> 00:14:53,935
Just imagine moving
that boulder right there.

282
00:14:53,935 --> 00:14:56,437
How many people would it take
to move that?

283
00:14:56,437 --> 00:14:58,064
What kind of a boat

284
00:14:58,064 --> 00:15:01,526
would you have that you could
put that boulder on?

285
00:15:01,526 --> 00:15:04,445
Well, I mean, you'd‐you'd be
talking about a barge, right?

286
00:15:04,445 --> 00:15:07,448
So, um, there are barges

287
00:15:07,448 --> 00:15:10,493
that hold up to, uh,
hundreds of tons.

288
00:15:10,493 --> 00:15:13,162
They have hundreds of tons
in terms of‐of capacity,

289
00:15:13,162 --> 00:15:14,705
so that's what
you're talking about.

290
00:15:14,705 --> 00:15:16,666
You're talking about
basically shipping barges.

291
00:15:16,666 --> 00:15:18,918
‐Giant shipping barge.
‐BURTON: Yes.

292
00:15:18,918 --> 00:15:21,254
‐Like what we have today.
‐Yes.

293
00:15:21,254 --> 00:15:26,050
TSOUKALOS:
The idea that people
actually dragged these things

294
00:15:26,050 --> 00:15:27,969
across a rugged terrain
or on rafts,

295
00:15:27,969 --> 00:15:30,304
it's absolutely preposterous
in my opinion.

296
00:15:30,304 --> 00:15:33,182
The bottom line is
that it is an impossibility

297
00:15:33,182 --> 00:15:38,104
to move 250 million tons
of basalt

298
00:15:38,104 --> 00:15:40,439
from one side of the island
to the other

299
00:15:40,439 --> 00:15:45,403
without modern technology,
without modern machinery.

300
00:15:47,321 --> 00:15:50,324
NARRATOR:
As a heavy rain
suddenly sets in,

301
00:15:50,324 --> 00:15:53,035
the team makes its way
through the ancient site

302
00:15:53,035 --> 00:15:56,581
and towards a remarkable feature
in one of the basalt walls.

303
00:15:56,581 --> 00:15:58,833
TSOUKALOS:
So, the weather here
changes every 30 seconds.

304
00:15:59,876 --> 00:16:01,627
(chuckles)

305
00:16:01,627 --> 00:16:03,838
NARRATOR:
For structural engineer
Henry Burton,

306
00:16:03,838 --> 00:16:06,007
just as impressive as the size

307
00:16:06,007 --> 00:16:09,010
of the stones
used to construct Nan Madol

308
00:16:09,010 --> 00:16:12,096
is the engineering knowledge the
ancient builders must have had.

309
00:16:13,931 --> 00:16:16,517
BURTON:
So, what's interesting
about this is if you look

310
00:16:16,517 --> 00:16:18,186
at the doorway
in any modern building

311
00:16:18,186 --> 00:16:20,354
and you open up the walls,

312
00:16:20,354 --> 00:16:23,107
you'll find a beam
directly over the doorway.

313
00:16:23,107 --> 00:16:25,776
And why this type of beam
is important is because

314
00:16:25,776 --> 00:16:27,612
it supports all of the load
that's above it.

315
00:16:27,612 --> 00:16:28,946
It's called a lintel.

316
00:16:28,946 --> 00:16:31,240
Right? So, that's actually
a‐a structural element

317
00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:33,034
that's used in design.

318
00:16:33,034 --> 00:16:34,493
This is interesting because

319
00:16:34,493 --> 00:16:36,370
this is actually
in bending, right?

320
00:16:36,370 --> 00:16:38,414
It's subtle,
but this is actually

321
00:16:38,414 --> 00:16:39,832
a bending action
that you're seeing here,

322
00:16:39,832 --> 00:16:41,083
and it becomes a little bit

323
00:16:41,083 --> 00:16:42,919
more interesting
when you have to do the design.

324
00:16:42,919 --> 00:16:46,339
Wh‐What type of mathematics
or physics is involved here?

325
00:16:46,339 --> 00:16:48,591
Well, there are several things
you have to think about.

326
00:16:48,591 --> 00:16:50,051
So, first,
you'd have to think about

327
00:16:50,051 --> 00:16:52,094
the load
that's being placed on this.

328
00:16:52,094 --> 00:16:53,387
Right?
Then you would have to consider

329
00:16:53,387 --> 00:16:55,681
the structural mechanics,
so you'd have to consider

330
00:16:55,681 --> 00:16:57,475
the cross‐sectional properties
of this thing.

331
00:16:57,475 --> 00:17:00,186
You would have to consider
the material properties.

332
00:17:00,186 --> 00:17:01,562
Now, if we're talking about

333
00:17:01,562 --> 00:17:03,314
sort of what governs
the bending shape

334
00:17:03,314 --> 00:17:06,525
of this thing, then there's
some actual calculus involved

335
00:17:06,525 --> 00:17:08,527
in‐in understanding that.

336
00:17:10,238 --> 00:17:12,240
TSOUKALOS:
Dr. Burton said

337
00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,034
that in order to calculate
these stress levels,

338
00:17:15,034 --> 00:17:18,913
he would need advanced
mathematics such as calculus.

339
00:17:18,913 --> 00:17:22,124
And that is a pretty tall order,
because even archaeologists

340
00:17:22,124 --> 00:17:25,419
would have to admit
that calculus

341
00:17:25,419 --> 00:17:28,923
did not exist in the 1100 AD.

342
00:17:28,923 --> 00:17:31,384
Calculus,
for all intents and purposes,

343
00:17:31,384 --> 00:17:35,930
was not invented
until the 17th century AD.

344
00:17:40,768 --> 00:17:42,937
(birds squawking)

345
00:17:42,937 --> 00:17:44,480
So, gentleman,
we're gonna cross.

346
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:46,232
All right, let's do it.

347
00:17:49,694 --> 00:17:52,613
NARRATOR:
Although no inscriptions
of any kind exist

348
00:17:52,613 --> 00:17:54,198
on the stone structures,

349
00:17:54,198 --> 00:17:58,286
in 1907,
excavations were performed

350
00:17:58,286 --> 00:18:02,373
in areas believed to be
ceremonial temples and tombs.

351
00:18:02,373 --> 00:18:04,709
KOHLER:
So, this is the central part

352
00:18:04,709 --> 00:18:07,169
of Nandauwas,
the ceremonial center.

353
00:18:07,169 --> 00:18:09,630
TSOUKALOS:
This is unreal.

354
00:18:09,630 --> 00:18:13,217
Right up front,
you'll see a tomb.

355
00:18:14,218 --> 00:18:15,678
CHILDRESS:
Isn't this great?

356
00:18:15,678 --> 00:18:18,389
This is just something else,
isn't it?

357
00:18:19,432 --> 00:18:21,392
TSOUKALOS:
Wow.

358
00:18:21,392 --> 00:18:23,936
This is extraordinary.

359
00:18:29,567 --> 00:18:30,901
TSOUKALOS:
And then this was,

360
00:18:30,901 --> 00:18:33,613
uh, some type of a tomb
at some point?

361
00:18:35,114 --> 00:18:36,490
Okay.

362
00:18:36,490 --> 00:18:38,451
CHILDRESS:
But they're not really sure

363
00:18:38,451 --> 00:18:41,287
that it was a tomb, are they?
Do they...

364
00:18:42,330 --> 00:18:44,081
TSOUKALOS:
And‐and what did they discover?

365
00:18:44,081 --> 00:18:45,666
Did they discover bones?

366
00:18:51,005 --> 00:18:53,007
And then later,

367
00:18:53,007 --> 00:18:55,718
some of the excavated material
from here

368
00:18:55,718 --> 00:18:59,180
was put on a ship,
and that ship sank

369
00:18:59,180 --> 00:19:01,807
in the Marshall Islands,
and everything was lost.

370
00:19:01,807 --> 00:19:04,060
So, the excavator died
and the ship sank.

371
00:19:04,060 --> 00:19:08,397
So is this similar to, like,
the curse of the pharaohs?

372
00:19:08,397 --> 00:19:10,441
Because also in ancient Egypt,
they were saying

373
00:19:10,441 --> 00:19:12,360
that if you excavate something,

374
00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:14,570
you'll have a curse
and you die.

375
00:19:14,570 --> 00:19:17,156
‐And some people have died.
‐Well...

376
00:19:23,329 --> 00:19:27,249
NARRATOR:
Although Pohnpei is home
to 34,000 people,

377
00:19:27,249 --> 00:19:30,503
Nan Madol is
completely uninhabited

378
00:19:30,503 --> 00:19:33,005
and has been for centuries.

379
00:19:33,005 --> 00:19:36,717
Among the reasons is that
the native islanders believe

380
00:19:36,717 --> 00:19:38,678
this ancient site is cursed.

381
00:19:38,678 --> 00:19:40,262
HENRY:
There's all kinds

382
00:19:40,262 --> 00:19:42,598
of taboos
about visiting this place,

383
00:19:42,598 --> 00:19:44,934
like it's got ghosts there.

384
00:19:44,934 --> 00:19:47,061
CHILDRESS:
The local islanders believe

385
00:19:47,061 --> 00:19:50,147
that the city of Nan Madol
is cursed, and they believe

386
00:19:50,147 --> 00:19:53,401
that if they spend the night
there, they'll die.

387
00:19:53,401 --> 00:19:56,112
The islanders say that at night,

388
00:19:56,112 --> 00:19:59,865
there are lights
that move around in the city.

389
00:20:11,961 --> 00:20:14,213
NARRATOR:
An unexplainable death

390
00:20:14,213 --> 00:20:16,549
after the opening
of a sacred tomb?

391
00:20:16,549 --> 00:20:18,509
‐(thunder rumbles)
‐All evidence

392
00:20:18,509 --> 00:20:21,387
gathered from the site
mysteriously lost at sea?

393
00:20:24,181 --> 00:20:27,351
Could Nan Madol be home
to something that mankind

394
00:20:27,351 --> 00:20:29,937
is not yet meant to discover?

395
00:20:39,447 --> 00:20:41,574
Man, oh, man.

396
00:20:41,574 --> 00:20:43,743
Wait, look how tall that is.

397
00:20:43,743 --> 00:20:46,579
NARRATOR:
While visiting
the ancient site of Nan Madol,

398
00:20:46,579 --> 00:20:49,081
ancient astronaut theorists
Giorgio Tsoukalos

399
00:20:49,081 --> 00:20:50,583
and David Childress,

400
00:20:50,583 --> 00:20:53,210
along with their guide,
Gus Kohler,

401
00:20:53,210 --> 00:20:56,672
and structural engineer
Dr. Henry Burton,

402
00:20:56,672 --> 00:20:58,883
have traveled
to the site of Nandauwas,

403
00:20:58,883 --> 00:21:01,218
the royal mortuary
said to belong

404
00:21:01,218 --> 00:21:04,305
to Nan Madol's
original builders.

405
00:21:04,305 --> 00:21:07,933
This is supposed to be the
biggest stone here at Nandauwas.

406
00:21:07,933 --> 00:21:09,351
This cornerstone right here?

407
00:21:09,351 --> 00:21:11,353
To this day, it's...
it's supposed to be

408
00:21:11,353 --> 00:21:15,149
the biggest
of all the stones here.

409
00:21:15,149 --> 00:21:17,902
Henry, do you think you can
calculate the weight of this?

410
00:21:17,902 --> 00:21:19,862
Yeah, we can
certainly estimate it.

411
00:21:19,862 --> 00:21:21,822
Um, I have a measuring tape‐‐
we can estimate

412
00:21:21,822 --> 00:21:23,783
the volume,
and we know the density,

413
00:21:23,783 --> 00:21:25,159
so that can give us the mass.

414
00:21:25,159 --> 00:21:26,285
All right, let's do that.

415
00:21:27,495 --> 00:21:29,371
BURTON: Yeah, so this is
about four meters.

416
00:21:29,371 --> 00:21:33,834
All right, here's,
uh, the far... corner here.

417
00:21:33,834 --> 00:21:35,795
NARRATOR:
Using the dimensions
and the density

418
00:21:35,795 --> 00:21:38,047
of one of
the basalt stone blocks,

419
00:21:38,047 --> 00:21:40,883
‐Dr. Burton calculates
its weight.
‐TSOUKALOS: 250.

420
00:21:40,883 --> 00:21:43,886
‐Two meters, 50.
‐All right, so based
on the measurements,

421
00:21:43,886 --> 00:21:45,888
we are looking at a weight
of about 54 tons.

422
00:21:45,888 --> 00:21:48,641
‐54 tons?
‐Yeah, so 50 tons, give or take.
‐Wow.

423
00:21:48,641 --> 00:21:51,727
And you have
one, two, three, four

424
00:21:51,727 --> 00:21:55,731
of those monoliths essentially
stacked on top of each other

425
00:21:55,731 --> 00:21:58,359
at a height of 40 feet?

426
00:21:58,359 --> 00:21:59,902
CHILDRESS:
So, Gus,

427
00:21:59,902 --> 00:22:02,530
what is then the oral history

428
00:22:02,530 --> 00:22:05,407
of moving this stone
on the island?

429
00:22:05,407 --> 00:22:07,326
Well, according to the legends,

430
00:22:07,326 --> 00:22:10,162
uh, the stones
were flown up there.

431
00:22:14,917 --> 00:22:16,669
NARRATOR:
For generations,

432
00:22:16,669 --> 00:22:19,505
the people of Pohnpei
have told the story

433
00:22:19,505 --> 00:22:22,883
that Nan Madol was constructed
by strange visitors

434
00:22:22,883 --> 00:22:25,845
through a process of levitation.

435
00:22:25,845 --> 00:22:27,888
It is this legend

436
00:22:27,888 --> 00:22:30,558
that has suggested
to ancient astronaut theorists

437
00:22:30,558 --> 00:22:34,687
that Nan Madol is not only
an ancient megalithic structure,

438
00:22:34,687 --> 00:22:38,524
it is also
an extraterrestrial one.

439
00:22:38,524 --> 00:22:41,569
We have in the oral traditions

440
00:22:41,569 --> 00:22:43,863
a story about two brothers...

441
00:23:09,138 --> 00:23:11,473
NARRATOR:
According to legend,

442
00:23:11,473 --> 00:23:14,059
the twin sorcerers
who created Nan Madol

443
00:23:14,059 --> 00:23:16,478
were of giant proportions,

444
00:23:16,478 --> 00:23:18,772
much like the legends
of Easter Island,

445
00:23:18,772 --> 00:23:20,900
‐where it is said
‐(rumbling)

446
00:23:20,900 --> 00:23:22,902
that giants magically floated

447
00:23:22,902 --> 00:23:25,487
the stone moai statues
into place.

448
00:23:25,487 --> 00:23:28,908
Similar stories
involving levitation

449
00:23:28,908 --> 00:23:33,037
are associated with numerous
other megalithic sites...

450
00:23:33,037 --> 00:23:35,748
like Stonehenge in England,

451
00:23:35,748 --> 00:23:38,459
the Great Pyramid
in Giza, Egypt,

452
00:23:38,459 --> 00:23:41,837
the Uxmal pyramid
in the Yucatan peninsula,

453
00:23:41,837 --> 00:23:44,381
and Puma Punku in Bolivia.

454
00:23:45,674 --> 00:23:48,260
There are other stories
around the world

455
00:23:48,260 --> 00:23:51,055
that say the exact same thing:

456
00:23:51,055 --> 00:23:55,601
how gigantic stones
were moved into place

457
00:23:55,601 --> 00:23:57,603
as if by magic.

458
00:23:57,603 --> 00:24:00,272
And you have to ask yourself:
Is there a connection?

459
00:24:00,272 --> 00:24:03,943
Did all of our ancestors
receive the same knowledge

460
00:24:03,943 --> 00:24:06,070
from extraterrestrials?

461
00:24:06,070 --> 00:24:09,114
And the answer to that is
a resounding yes.

462
00:24:16,956 --> 00:24:17,957
Okay.

463
00:24:22,086 --> 00:24:23,379
CHILDRESS:
Yeah, they don't know‐‐ I think

464
00:24:23,379 --> 00:24:24,838
they don't know
where it came from.

465
00:24:24,838 --> 00:24:26,799
‐TSOUKALOS: Aha.
‐But it's not from here, right?

466
00:24:28,550 --> 00:24:30,219
CHILDRESS:
So, yeah, 60% of the stones,

467
00:24:30,219 --> 00:24:31,971
they don't know
where they came from.

468
00:24:31,971 --> 00:24:35,516
That's incredible,
that the 60% is essentially

469
00:24:35,516 --> 00:24:38,018
still a mystery, yes?

470
00:24:38,018 --> 00:24:39,478
Huh.

471
00:24:41,522 --> 00:24:44,233
NARRATOR: For decades,
mainstream archaeologists

472
00:24:44,233 --> 00:24:47,528
had been frustrated by their
failure to identify the source

473
00:24:47,528 --> 00:24:50,990
for much of the basalt used in
the construction of Nan Madol.

474
00:24:50,990 --> 00:24:53,993
But recently,
a growing number of scientists

475
00:24:53,993 --> 00:24:56,203
have become convinced
that it came

476
00:24:56,203 --> 00:24:58,247
from a volcanic outcropping

477
00:24:58,247 --> 00:25:01,208
located 25 miles northeast
of Nan Madol

478
00:25:01,208 --> 00:25:03,252
called Pwisehn Malek.

479
00:25:03,252 --> 00:25:07,589
The unusual formation extends
over 400 feet into the air,

480
00:25:07,589 --> 00:25:11,051
and incredibly, the rock used
to construct Nan Madol

481
00:25:11,051 --> 00:25:13,053
appears to have been extracted

482
00:25:13,053 --> 00:25:15,639
from the least accessible part
of the mountain:

483
00:25:15,639 --> 00:25:17,516
the very top.

484
00:25:17,516 --> 00:25:19,018
But how?

485
00:25:19,018 --> 00:25:22,021
According to the oral history
of Pohnpei,

486
00:25:22,021 --> 00:25:24,898
the basalt was taken
by what the natives referred to

487
00:25:24,898 --> 00:25:27,359
as a "giant bird."

488
00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:29,737
There's one story that says
that at some point

489
00:25:29,737 --> 00:25:32,322
there were these giant roosters

490
00:25:32,322 --> 00:25:35,659
that lived on top
of that mountain,

491
00:25:35,659 --> 00:25:39,038
and this rooster took
these basalt blocks

492
00:25:39,038 --> 00:25:42,166
and flew them over to Nan Madol.

493
00:25:43,459 --> 00:25:46,545
Now, monster roosters
do not exist,

494
00:25:46,545 --> 00:25:50,716
so my mind always goes
to misunderstood technology,

495
00:25:50,716 --> 00:25:54,970
machines that were provided
by the extraterrestrials.

496
00:25:57,389 --> 00:26:00,601
CHILDRESS:
I believe that
the islanders are correct

497
00:26:00,601 --> 00:26:05,439
when they say all those stones
were flown through the air,

498
00:26:05,439 --> 00:26:09,568
because I can't see how
it was done in any other way.

499
00:26:10,986 --> 00:26:13,238
NARRATOR:
As far as ancient
astronaut theorists

500
00:26:13,238 --> 00:26:15,657
are concerned,
the local legends,

501
00:26:15,657 --> 00:26:17,534
along with hard evidence

502
00:26:17,534 --> 00:26:20,079
that basalt appears
to have been excavated

503
00:26:20,079 --> 00:26:23,832
from the top of Pwisehn Malek,
add credence to the idea

504
00:26:23,832 --> 00:26:27,002
that advanced alien technology
was used in the construction

505
00:26:27,002 --> 00:26:28,837
of Nan Madol.

506
00:26:28,837 --> 00:26:31,548
And to help prove their theory,
Giorgio Tsoukalos

507
00:26:31,548 --> 00:26:35,511
and David Childress,
along with structural engineer

508
00:26:35,511 --> 00:26:39,098
Dr. Henry Burton, travel
25 miles across the island

509
00:26:39,098 --> 00:26:42,017
to visit
the nearest basalt quarry.

510
00:26:42,017 --> 00:26:44,103
TSOUKALOS:
Man, look at this.

511
00:26:44,103 --> 00:26:46,105
‐BURTON: Wow.
‐What a quarry, huh?

512
00:26:46,105 --> 00:26:50,025
So how does one free the basalt
from‐from this wall?

513
00:26:50,025 --> 00:26:51,944
Yeah, no, it would,
it would certainly require

514
00:26:51,944 --> 00:26:53,612
some specialized tools,

515
00:26:53,612 --> 00:26:56,365
some type of excavator,
some type of drill tip.

516
00:26:56,365 --> 00:26:57,991
Once you start taking rocks off,

517
00:26:57,991 --> 00:27:01,120
depending on how much room
you have to drive things up,

518
00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:03,122
um, depending on the size
of the blocks,

519
00:27:03,122 --> 00:27:04,998
you might need a crane
to sort of move things around.

520
00:27:04,998 --> 00:27:07,084
You would need
some type of machinery

521
00:27:07,084 --> 00:27:09,253
to be able to do that today.

522
00:27:09,253 --> 00:27:12,172
How did people from
at least a thousand years ago

523
00:27:12,172 --> 00:27:13,966
remove these blocks

524
00:27:13,966 --> 00:27:15,968
from this quarry?

525
00:27:15,968 --> 00:27:18,887
CHILDRESS:
They had to somehow pry

526
00:27:18,887 --> 00:27:21,640
these columns out of the cliff

527
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,269
and, you know, remove them
so that they would be, yeah,

528
00:27:25,269 --> 00:27:27,646
‐stand‐alone piece
of prismatic basalt...
‐Yeah.

529
00:27:27,646 --> 00:27:31,024
...and then, and then move it,
millions of tons of it.

530
00:27:31,024 --> 00:27:33,068
I would think that, yeah,
there was very much

531
00:27:33,068 --> 00:27:36,989
a special survey done
of this island,

532
00:27:36,989 --> 00:27:39,658
looking for material
that could be used to build.

533
00:27:39,658 --> 00:27:41,326
‐TSOUKALOS: Right.
‐And I would say

534
00:27:41,326 --> 00:27:43,996
that an aerial survey
would accomplish all of that.

535
00:27:43,996 --> 00:27:46,623
Yes, yes.
Or any type of, you know,

536
00:27:46,623 --> 00:27:50,168
advanced, uh, radar technology
that, in my opinion,

537
00:27:50,168 --> 00:27:53,964
existed with the
extraterrestrials at the time.

538
00:27:55,340 --> 00:27:57,342
NARRATOR:
For Giorgio and David,

539
00:27:57,342 --> 00:27:59,928
the more they learn
about Nan Madol,

540
00:27:59,928 --> 00:28:02,180
from the weight
of the basalt columns

541
00:28:02,180 --> 00:28:05,100
to the distance
they had to be transported

542
00:28:05,100 --> 00:28:08,645
to the tools that would be
needed to quarry the rock,

543
00:28:08,645 --> 00:28:10,814
the more difficult
it becomes to explain

544
00:28:10,814 --> 00:28:13,233
how all of this
could have been accomplished

545
00:28:13,233 --> 00:28:17,571
without the help of advanced
extraterrestrial technology.

546
00:28:17,571 --> 00:28:21,533
Nevertheless, according to
the oral history of Pohnpei,

547
00:28:21,533 --> 00:28:24,453
the most compelling evidence
cannot be found

548
00:28:24,453 --> 00:28:27,748
by examining the megalithic
structures themselves,

549
00:28:27,748 --> 00:28:30,626
but what lies beneath them.

550
00:28:39,217 --> 00:28:40,928
NARRATOR:
In search of further clues

551
00:28:40,928 --> 00:28:43,055
to help solve the mystery
of Nan Madol,

552
00:28:43,055 --> 00:28:46,058
David Childress
and Giorgio Tsoukalos

553
00:28:46,058 --> 00:28:49,436
meet up once again with
historical preservation officer

554
00:28:49,436 --> 00:28:51,146
Gus Kohler.

555
00:28:51,146 --> 00:28:53,148
‐You guys ready for a trip?
‐All right. Yes.

556
00:28:53,148 --> 00:28:55,359
NARRATOR:
Gus has provided access

557
00:28:55,359 --> 00:28:59,404
to underwater drones so they can
get an additional perspective

558
00:28:59,404 --> 00:29:01,531
on the ruins of Nan Madol.

559
00:29:01,531 --> 00:29:04,826
With their drone operator,
Ross Conklin,

560
00:29:04,826 --> 00:29:07,412
David and Giorgio head out
towards an area

561
00:29:07,412 --> 00:29:09,790
where it has been reported
that there are a number

562
00:29:09,790 --> 00:29:13,961
of incredible structures that
lie hidden under the water,

563
00:29:13,961 --> 00:29:16,922
structures that
some believe are part

564
00:29:16,922 --> 00:29:19,091
of an incredibly ancient
submerged city

565
00:29:19,091 --> 00:29:21,134
called Kanamwayso.

566
00:29:30,268 --> 00:29:33,730
And it's deep under the water.
Uh, it's‐it's another city.

567
00:29:34,773 --> 00:29:35,941
It's different than Nan Madol.

568
00:29:35,941 --> 00:29:37,317
It's a second city.

569
00:29:37,317 --> 00:29:40,529
Could it be that
the coral reef itself is...

570
00:29:40,529 --> 00:29:43,573
is that city,
and the corals grown over it?

571
00:29:46,451 --> 00:29:49,287
NARRATOR:
After a short trip
across the shoreline,

572
00:29:49,287 --> 00:29:52,457
the team arrives
at their destination.

573
00:29:52,457 --> 00:29:55,585
So, when you were scuba diving
here about 30 years ago,

574
00:29:55,585 --> 00:29:59,297
you saw basalt columns
encrusted in coral.

575
00:29:59,297 --> 00:30:00,632
CHILDRESS:
That's what we think.

576
00:30:00,632 --> 00:30:02,134
We‐we think
they're basalt column.

577
00:30:02,134 --> 00:30:05,303
‐We‐we don't know.
‐So wouldn't that

578
00:30:05,303 --> 00:30:09,933
correlate with an extreme age,
if you have columns, you know,

579
00:30:09,933 --> 00:30:12,978
‐encrusted in‐in... in coral?
‐It would have been, I mean‐‐

580
00:30:12,978 --> 00:30:16,565
It's about 80 feet deep or so,
and it would mean that

581
00:30:16,565 --> 00:30:20,068
the ocean levels were 80 feet
lower than they are today

582
00:30:20,068 --> 00:30:22,821
‐whenever they built that.
‐Right. And that would mean

583
00:30:22,821 --> 00:30:25,157
that we're talking
12,000 years ago, at least.

584
00:30:25,157 --> 00:30:27,117
‐Like, the last ice age, yeah.
‐Right.

585
00:30:27,117 --> 00:30:30,162
So, yeah,
that the city would be

586
00:30:30,162 --> 00:30:32,748
12,000 years old or older.

587
00:30:34,166 --> 00:30:37,335
NARRATOR:
12,000 years old?

588
00:30:37,335 --> 00:30:39,838
Is it possible
that extraterrestrials

589
00:30:39,838 --> 00:30:42,049
were not only responsible
for constructing

590
00:30:42,049 --> 00:30:44,259
the incredible
Nan Madol complex,

591
00:30:44,259 --> 00:30:48,180
but also an earlier structure
that is now beneath the water,

592
00:30:48,180 --> 00:30:51,850
and that they are
still accessing to this day?

593
00:30:51,850 --> 00:30:54,061
(thunder crashing)

594
00:30:54,061 --> 00:30:55,979
In many ancient texts,

595
00:30:55,979 --> 00:30:58,899
there can be found accounts
of a great flood

596
00:30:58,899 --> 00:31:01,693
wiping out a previous
civilization of humans,

597
00:31:01,693 --> 00:31:05,363
such as in the Sumerian epic
of Gilgamesh,

598
00:31:05,363 --> 00:31:07,449
the Egyptian Edu Creation texts,

599
00:31:07,449 --> 00:31:09,701
the Vedic texts of India,

600
00:31:09,701 --> 00:31:12,162
and the Bible's Book of Genesis.

601
00:31:12,162 --> 00:31:15,749
Today, more and more
scientific evidence is emerging

602
00:31:15,749 --> 00:31:19,294
to suggest that such a cataclysm
may actually have happened

603
00:31:19,294 --> 00:31:21,797
around the end
of the last ice age,

604
00:31:21,797 --> 00:31:24,216
12,000 years ago,

605
00:31:24,216 --> 00:31:27,552
when sea levels
were 400 feet lower.

606
00:31:27,552 --> 00:31:31,598
Is it possible that Nan Madol
was built that long ago

607
00:31:31,598 --> 00:31:35,143
by a now forgotten
pre‐flood civilization?

608
00:31:35,143 --> 00:31:38,772
NEWMAN:
The builders in Nan Madol were
a very advanced civilization.

609
00:31:38,772 --> 00:31:41,441
So whether these people
originated on the island,

610
00:31:41,441 --> 00:31:44,319
or as tradition states‐‐
they came from other areas...

611
00:31:44,319 --> 00:31:47,572
It may have been an inheritance
from the lost city

612
00:31:47,572 --> 00:31:51,034
that was actually underwater
that Nan Madol was built upon.

613
00:31:53,078 --> 00:31:55,831
NARRATOR:
The team prepares to launch
an underwater drone.

614
00:31:55,831 --> 00:31:58,792
This will be the first time
that the ruins

615
00:31:58,792 --> 00:32:01,461
have ever been explored
in this way.

616
00:32:01,461 --> 00:32:04,005
All right, so, Gus,
I'm gonna ask you for a hand

617
00:32:04,005 --> 00:32:05,632
with this cable,
just to wrangle it.

618
00:32:05,632 --> 00:32:07,592
GUS:
Okay.

619
00:32:07,592 --> 00:32:10,303
Watch mode. Boom.

620
00:32:10,303 --> 00:32:13,765
All right, so you just
kind of drop it.

621
00:32:13,765 --> 00:32:15,308
CHILDRESS:
Yeah. There it is.

622
00:32:15,308 --> 00:32:16,768
‐All right.
‐CONKLIN: And...

623
00:32:18,937 --> 00:32:20,772
CONKLIN:
All right, now we're moving.

624
00:32:20,772 --> 00:32:22,607
TSOUKALOS:
Cool.

625
00:32:23,942 --> 00:32:26,111
A little bit of an image.

626
00:32:26,111 --> 00:32:28,363
TSOUKALOS:
Ooh. Yeah, look at that.

627
00:32:30,073 --> 00:32:32,450
CONKLIN:
Open ocean, open ocean.

628
00:32:32,450 --> 00:32:35,620
We should be getting close
to the wall.

629
00:32:35,620 --> 00:32:37,581
‐Wow, cool.
‐So let me drop down.

630
00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:43,295
‐And there we start
to see the wall again.
‐Mm‐hmm.

631
00:32:45,213 --> 00:32:48,300
CONKLIN:
Now, disconnected there
for a second...

632
00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:50,302
‐(beeps)
‐...and connected.

633
00:32:50,302 --> 00:32:54,306
NARRATOR:
Curiously, the image being
relayed by the drone

634
00:32:54,306 --> 00:32:57,475
continues to cut out every time
it starts to get close

635
00:32:57,475 --> 00:33:00,145
to what appears to be
an underwater wall

636
00:33:00,145 --> 00:33:02,397
of basalt columns.

637
00:33:04,024 --> 00:33:06,651
‐It keeps disconnecting.
‐Aha.

638
00:33:06,651 --> 00:33:10,572
NARRATOR:
The drone Ross is using tested
perfectly just one day earlier,

639
00:33:10,572 --> 00:33:13,950
and in an area that
was also rich in basalt,

640
00:33:13,950 --> 00:33:19,164
so he is genuinely baffled as
to why it is now malfunctioning.

641
00:33:19,164 --> 00:33:21,374
I think what we should do
is reel this one back in.

642
00:33:21,374 --> 00:33:23,793
I have another underwater drone.

643
00:33:23,793 --> 00:33:25,503
We'll give that one a try

644
00:33:25,503 --> 00:33:27,464
and we'll just go
straight to that wall.

645
00:33:27,464 --> 00:33:29,799
KOHLER:
Okay, fingers crossed.

646
00:33:42,354 --> 00:33:46,024
NARRATOR: While exploring
a vast underwater complex

647
00:33:46,024 --> 00:33:49,694
submerged beneath
the ancient ruins of Nan Madol,

648
00:33:49,694 --> 00:33:52,489
ancient astronaut theorists
Giorgio Tsoukalos

649
00:33:52,489 --> 00:33:55,700
and David Childress, along with
historic preservation officer

650
00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:59,371
Gus Kohler and drone operator
Ross Conklin,

651
00:33:59,371 --> 00:34:02,582
have just experienced
a mysterious setback.

652
00:34:02,582 --> 00:34:05,252
The submersible drone
they deployed

653
00:34:05,252 --> 00:34:07,254
suddenly stopped working.

654
00:34:07,254 --> 00:34:10,548
Fortunately, Ross came prepared
with a backup.

655
00:34:12,092 --> 00:34:13,385
CONKLIN:
All right,

656
00:34:13,385 --> 00:34:15,053
so I'm heading right
for that corner over there.

657
00:34:16,721 --> 00:34:18,556
Okay.

658
00:34:22,227 --> 00:34:25,063
(beeping)

659
00:34:25,063 --> 00:34:26,273
‐Okay. Disconnected.
‐Yeah.

660
00:34:26,273 --> 00:34:28,817
CONKLIN:
Okay, disconnected. Wow.

661
00:34:28,817 --> 00:34:30,527
CHILDRESS:
So as soon as you get
close to those stones...

662
00:34:30,527 --> 00:34:33,029
‐CONKLIN: Unbelievable. Yeah.
‐...it disconnects.

663
00:34:33,029 --> 00:34:34,823
CONKLIN:
So I'm just right
below the surface,

664
00:34:34,823 --> 00:34:36,408
and as soon as I try and drop...

665
00:34:36,408 --> 00:34:38,410
TSOUKALOS:
This is now our second one now.

666
00:34:38,410 --> 00:34:39,786
CHILDRESS:
Yeah, now it's doing it to both.

667
00:34:39,786 --> 00:34:42,163
That's so strange.

668
00:34:42,163 --> 00:34:43,999
NARRATOR:
Curiously,

669
00:34:43,999 --> 00:34:47,877
the second drone
has also malfunctioned.

670
00:34:47,877 --> 00:34:50,255
Could the stone materials
have something to do with it?

671
00:34:50,255 --> 00:34:52,090
TSOUKALOS:
Both underwater drones worked

672
00:34:52,090 --> 00:34:55,176
on the north side of the island
the day before.

673
00:34:55,176 --> 00:34:59,472
And then we came
to the area of Nan Madol,

674
00:34:59,472 --> 00:35:03,101
and outside, only a few feet
away from Nan Madol,

675
00:35:03,101 --> 00:35:05,854
those machines no longer worked.

676
00:35:05,854 --> 00:35:08,690
It's as if something or someone

677
00:35:08,690 --> 00:35:11,192
was interfering
with the devices.

678
00:35:11,192 --> 00:35:15,405
So it's very strange to think
that maybe somehow

679
00:35:15,405 --> 00:35:18,491
those basalt blocks
have been magnetized.

680
00:35:18,491 --> 00:35:21,911
And if that is the case,
what were they exposed to

681
00:35:21,911 --> 00:35:25,332
that they are
now apparently magnetized,

682
00:35:25,332 --> 00:35:27,083
as some people have suggested?

683
00:35:28,793 --> 00:35:31,379
CHILDRESS:
People see lights in this city.

684
00:35:31,379 --> 00:35:33,548
At night, they see
lights moving around, and it‐‐

685
00:35:33,548 --> 00:35:37,302
and that may be because
the whole city's magnetic

686
00:35:37,302 --> 00:35:39,471
and it's some kind
of electromagnetic,

687
00:35:39,471 --> 00:35:41,640
‐you know,
phenomenon that's coming...
‐Phenomenon. Yeah.

688
00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:43,475
‐...from the rocks themselves.
‐Right.

689
00:35:43,475 --> 00:35:47,145
NARRATOR:
Oceanic basalt
like that found at Nan Madol

690
00:35:47,145 --> 00:35:49,064
is ferromagnetic,

691
00:35:49,064 --> 00:35:52,067
meaning that, when exposed
to a magnetic charge,

692
00:35:52,067 --> 00:35:55,070
it becomes
magnetically charged itself.

693
00:35:55,070 --> 00:35:56,696
MICHAEL DENNIN:
Rocks really have

694
00:35:56,696 --> 00:35:58,990
three basic effects
on magnetic fields.

695
00:35:58,990 --> 00:36:00,533
They either have no effect,

696
00:36:00,533 --> 00:36:02,369
so the magnetic field stays
kind of straight.

697
00:36:02,369 --> 00:36:05,497
They can effectively repel
magnetic fields or attract them.

698
00:36:06,956 --> 00:36:09,959
Volcanic rock enhances
the magnetic field.

699
00:36:12,003 --> 00:36:13,380
CHILDRESS:
The natives say

700
00:36:13,380 --> 00:36:17,050
that the stones
all flew across the island.

701
00:36:17,050 --> 00:36:19,135
And if that was the case,

702
00:36:19,135 --> 00:36:22,764
then some magnetic energy

703
00:36:22,764 --> 00:36:25,392
was put onto the stones,

704
00:36:25,392 --> 00:36:28,019
levitated them,
they put them into place

705
00:36:28,019 --> 00:36:32,273
and that energy is still there
in a residual manner.

706
00:36:32,273 --> 00:36:35,902
And that is why the drones
wouldn't work there,

707
00:36:35,902 --> 00:36:39,322
because there's still
this energy that was used

708
00:36:39,322 --> 00:36:41,616
to levitate the stones.

709
00:36:41,616 --> 00:36:45,537
If they flew these stones
through the air,

710
00:36:45,537 --> 00:36:50,041
if they're using
some antigravity technology,

711
00:36:50,041 --> 00:36:52,544
they would then be magnetized.

712
00:36:52,544 --> 00:36:56,089
TSOUKALOS:
Clearly, it has something to do
with the structure.

713
00:36:56,089 --> 00:36:58,675
It's highly unlikely
that two pieces of equipment

714
00:36:58,675 --> 00:37:01,052
are malfunctioning
all at the same time.

715
00:37:02,595 --> 00:37:05,223
NARRATOR:
If the legend of Nan Madol
is true

716
00:37:05,223 --> 00:37:08,101
and it was constructed
by otherworldly visitors

717
00:37:08,101 --> 00:37:12,230
using levitation technology,
what was it built for?

718
00:37:12,230 --> 00:37:14,399
TSOUKALOS:
Why would anybody have

719
00:37:14,399 --> 00:37:17,902
to create artificial land
or islands back in the day?

720
00:37:17,902 --> 00:37:20,113
Especially with
a sizeable island

721
00:37:20,113 --> 00:37:21,781
‐right here.
‐Right here.

722
00:37:21,781 --> 00:37:23,825
But think of Venice in Italy.

723
00:37:23,825 --> 00:37:26,035
It's a port city.
It has canals.

724
00:37:26,035 --> 00:37:27,579
It's very much for boats.

725
00:37:27,579 --> 00:37:29,497
To me,
it's a giant naval base here

726
00:37:29,497 --> 00:37:30,832
for huge ships,

727
00:37:30,832 --> 00:37:32,751
and those‐those ships
were coming out

728
00:37:32,751 --> 00:37:36,504
of Southeast Asia
into the vast Pacific,

729
00:37:36,504 --> 00:37:39,007
and they would meet here.

730
00:37:39,007 --> 00:37:41,509
And then they would go on
to other islands

731
00:37:41,509 --> 00:37:45,513
and then to Mexico
and to Colombia and Peru.

732
00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:48,600
But then, also,

733
00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,352
‐it's airships
and high technology.
‐Right.

734
00:37:53,605 --> 00:37:57,108
CHILDRESS:
I don't think that naval traffic
and airship traffic

735
00:37:57,108 --> 00:38:00,278
are necessarily, uh, exclusive
of each other.

736
00:38:00,278 --> 00:38:01,738
And it would seem that,
you know,

737
00:38:01,738 --> 00:38:03,531
it's a combination of both.

738
00:38:03,531 --> 00:38:05,074
They were using it
as a stepping‐stone,

739
00:38:05,074 --> 00:38:07,035
going out
to other Pacific islands,

740
00:38:07,035 --> 00:38:09,954
where other megaliths and
pyramids and things were built.

741
00:38:11,206 --> 00:38:13,416
NARRATOR:
Was Nan Madol a port

742
00:38:13,416 --> 00:38:16,961
for an advanced
pre‐flood civilization?

743
00:38:16,961 --> 00:38:19,297
As far as David Childress
is concerned,

744
00:38:19,297 --> 00:38:21,633
it was not only a port

745
00:38:21,633 --> 00:38:24,469
but one with
an extraordinary origin.

746
00:38:24,469 --> 00:38:26,971
And he believes
the most important evidence

747
00:38:26,971 --> 00:38:29,599
to support his theory
can be found

748
00:38:29,599 --> 00:38:32,060
by examining
the basalt stone used

749
00:38:32,060 --> 00:38:35,104
to build the massive complex.

750
00:38:41,319 --> 00:38:43,363
NARRATOR:
For more than three decades,

751
00:38:43,363 --> 00:38:46,032
ancient astronaut theorist
David Childress

752
00:38:46,032 --> 00:38:48,618
has been studying Nan Madol.

753
00:38:48,618 --> 00:38:50,161
Over the years,

754
00:38:50,161 --> 00:38:52,372
he has entertained
dozens of theories

755
00:38:52,372 --> 00:38:55,041
as to how it was constructed
and why.

756
00:38:55,041 --> 00:38:57,460
Based on what he has learned
over the course

757
00:38:57,460 --> 00:38:59,504
of his latest investigation,

758
00:38:59,504 --> 00:39:01,673
he is now more convinced
than ever

759
00:39:01,673 --> 00:39:03,299
that it was built either by

760
00:39:03,299 --> 00:39:07,345
or with the help from
extraterrestrial visitors.

761
00:39:07,345 --> 00:39:09,264
He is also convinced

762
00:39:09,264 --> 00:39:11,850
that the complex was built
with basalt rock

763
00:39:11,850 --> 00:39:15,019
because of
its electromagnetic properties,

764
00:39:15,019 --> 00:39:17,188
properties that would
make it possible

765
00:39:17,188 --> 00:39:20,692
to levitate the large
megaton stones into place.

766
00:39:21,985 --> 00:39:25,029
Nan Madol is built
out of millions

767
00:39:25,029 --> 00:39:27,657
and millions of tons of basalt,

768
00:39:27,657 --> 00:39:29,033
which is magnetic.

769
00:39:29,033 --> 00:39:31,369
And perhaps this is something

770
00:39:31,369 --> 00:39:34,038
that extraterrestrials
can manipulate,

771
00:39:34,038 --> 00:39:36,082
use for themselves.

772
00:39:36,082 --> 00:39:38,501
Even it could
possibly help power

773
00:39:38,501 --> 00:39:41,212
their spaceships and things.

774
00:39:41,212 --> 00:39:44,841
Nan Madol for sure
had to have been built

775
00:39:44,841 --> 00:39:47,343
when the worldwide water levels

776
00:39:47,343 --> 00:39:49,637
were much, much lower.

777
00:39:49,637 --> 00:39:52,724
And that,
according to science,

778
00:39:52,724 --> 00:39:56,436
was between 11,000
and 20,000 years ago.

779
00:39:56,436 --> 00:39:58,396
So, right there,

780
00:39:58,396 --> 00:40:01,232
we have physical evidence
of a site that,

781
00:40:01,232 --> 00:40:04,569
in my opinion,
was built in prehistory.

782
00:40:04,569 --> 00:40:08,740
NEWMAN: When you find evidence
deep under the water

783
00:40:08,740 --> 00:40:12,076
that potentially goes back
tens of thousands of years

784
00:40:12,076 --> 00:40:14,370
in a very important part
of the Pacific,

785
00:40:14,370 --> 00:40:16,414
it does raise the question:

786
00:40:16,414 --> 00:40:20,835
Is there a much earlier epoch to
Nan Madol than people realize?

787
00:40:20,835 --> 00:40:25,590
The incredible site of Nan Madol
looks like it was part

788
00:40:25,590 --> 00:40:28,259
of a great culture
that existed throughout

789
00:40:28,259 --> 00:40:30,261
the Pacific and probably beyond.

790
00:40:30,261 --> 00:40:33,181
We find evidence of similar
construction at Gunung Padang,

791
00:40:33,181 --> 00:40:36,434
which potentially goes back
20,000 years.

792
00:40:36,434 --> 00:40:38,895
We find similar basalt columns

793
00:40:38,895 --> 00:40:41,898
at Olmec sites
in ancient Mexico.

794
00:40:41,898 --> 00:40:44,108
And these builders
may have been influencing,

795
00:40:44,108 --> 00:40:47,779
uh, the pyramid constructions
in ancient Mexico.

796
00:40:47,779 --> 00:40:49,906
All these are indicators

797
00:40:49,906 --> 00:40:53,117
of an ancient lost civilization
in the Pacific.

798
00:40:53,117 --> 00:40:55,787
TSOUKALOS:
There's no doubt in my mind

799
00:40:55,787 --> 00:40:58,915
that the engineering knowledge
for Nan Madol

800
00:40:58,915 --> 00:41:01,668
came from the extraterrestrials.

801
00:41:01,668 --> 00:41:05,004
I have seen megalithic
structures around the world,

802
00:41:05,004 --> 00:41:10,301
but this one is one of the few
that absolutely defies logic.

803
00:41:10,301 --> 00:41:14,305
I would categorize Nan Madol
in the same category

804
00:41:14,305 --> 00:41:16,140
like the Great Pyramid of Egypt

805
00:41:16,140 --> 00:41:18,518
and also Puma Punku.

806
00:41:18,518 --> 00:41:21,396
And you have to ask yourself,
is there a connection?

807
00:41:21,396 --> 00:41:24,774
And the answer to that
is a resounding yes.

808
00:41:24,774 --> 00:41:29,821
NARRATOR:
Do the incredible megalithic
constructions at Nan Madol

809
00:41:29,821 --> 00:41:32,156
provide evidence that mankind

810
00:41:32,156 --> 00:41:34,617
has only begun
to scratch the surface

811
00:41:34,617 --> 00:41:37,161
of an alien presence
on planet Earth,

812
00:41:37,161 --> 00:41:41,666
one that dates back
tens of thousands of years?

813
00:41:41,666 --> 00:41:46,045
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,

814
00:41:46,045 --> 00:41:49,340
the answer is a profound yes

815
00:41:49,340 --> 00:41:52,635
and they are also convinced
that further investigations

816
00:41:52,635 --> 00:41:54,345
will not only prove

817
00:41:54,345 --> 00:41:57,473
that extraterrestrials have
revealed themselves to humanity

818
00:41:57,473 --> 00:41:59,851
at different times
throughout history

819
00:41:59,851 --> 00:42:02,645
but that we are
about to be visited

820
00:42:02,645 --> 00:42:07,108
by these same
alien visitors again.

821
00:42:08,401 --> 00:42:09,944
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