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♪♪
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FOX: The year is 1200 BC.
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On the coast
of modern-day Turkey,
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00:00:11,178 --> 00:00:15,848
1,000 Greek ships lay siege
to the city of Troy.
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For 10 years, the battle rages,
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00:00:18,986 --> 00:00:21,987
until the most cunning deception
in history
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helps the Greeks win the war.
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♪♪
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We've been told
that the Battle of Troy,
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as recorded in Homer's "Iliad,"
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is the greatest piece
of fiction ever written.
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But did it actually happen?
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New archaeological evidence
has begun to blur the line
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between myth and reality
like never before.
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I think
the Trojan War happened,
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and I think
all of this supports it.
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That's exciting.
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I'll hunt down the most
legendary heroes...
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Mac SWEENEY:
What you see in front of you
is the tomb of Achilles.
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FOX:...and gain special access
to one of the greatest
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archaeological finds
of the modern age...
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It's 3,500 years old?
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I'll hold it like it was
my newborn baby.
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...to find out if the greatest
Greek myth ever told...
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Troy would have been a lot
like the D-Day of World War II.
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FOX:...was not really
a myth at all.
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Mac SWEENEY: There should be
something to find.
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FOX: All across the world,
our ancient ancestors
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left behind towering mysteries
and enchanting myths.
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That looks
like a magic wand.
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As an actress, I've been lucky
enough to peek
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behind the curtain at some
of these ancient sites...
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I've never been
in a crypt before.
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...and it's ignited
an insatiable curiosity in me
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to know more about
these lost worlds...
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It's amazing that, under our
feet, there's so much history.
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FOX:...some of which are still
buried deep in our distant past.
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That is amazing!
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♪♪
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♪♪
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FOX: The only thing I ever
loved in school
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was studying Greek mythology,
so I have to experience it.
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♪♪
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I'm on the picturesque waters
of the Aegean Sea,
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headed to an island off
the northwest coast of Turkey.
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3,000 years ago,
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this area could have
been the backdrop
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for the greatest Greek myth
of all time -- the Trojan War,
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where powerful gods and men
clashed like titans.
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Most people view the story
of the Trojan War as fantasy.
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Maybe some of it was written
in a more romantic way,
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but I think there were
historical facts
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included in that.
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FOX: Set around 1200 BC,
this mythical war took place
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between an attacking Greek force
from southern Greece
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and the Trojans who ruled
the northwest coast
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of modern-day Turkey.
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The first written account
of this conflict
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comes 400 years later in
Homer's epic poem "The Iliad,"
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and recently,
incredible new artifacts
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have been
discovered in this area
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that suggest this epic war
could have been real.
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Stories that are in the Bible
are equally as fantastical,
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but they found
the Walls of Jericho.
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That is a real location,
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and there was a real wall
that fell.
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So a lot of these stories
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do contain legitimate
historical information,
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and I don't know why people are
so hesitant to embrace that.
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FOX:
Could the pages of "The Iliad"
be a treasure map
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leading us
to the truth of the Trojan War,
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or is it just
a fantastical work of fiction?
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To find out, I'm on the island
of Bozcaada
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to meet a local legend.
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- Hi.
- Hello!
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- Nice to have you.
- How are you?
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- Good to see you.
- Good. How are you?
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You look like
a gentleman today.
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I like your
white trousers.
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Thank you very much.
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FOX:
Dr. Haluk Sahin is a well-known
Turkish journalist
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00:04:02,443 --> 00:04:03,875
and professor
who has spent
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00:04:03,877 --> 00:04:08,380
over 2 decades deciphering
the secrets of "The Iliad."
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What was the catalyst
for the Trojan War?
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Well, the face that
launched 1,000 ships,
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the beautiful face
of Helen, the queen.
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According to Homer, the
Trojan War began after Paris,
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a Trojan prince, abducted
the most beautiful woman
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in the ancient world --
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the Greek queen, Helen,
took her back to Troy,
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a heavily fortified city known
throughout the ancient world
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as being impenetrable.
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In response, the Greeks sent
a dream team of heroes
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including the mighty Achilles,
Ajax, and the cunning Odysseus,
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plus thousands of elite soldiers
to recover Helen
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and to destroy the city.
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FOX:
Is this island written about
in "The Iliad"?
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SAHIN:
Yes, Bozcaada, known as Tenedos
in ancient times,
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played a very important role in
the Trojan War for the Greeks.
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After they left the Trojan horse
in front of the city,
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they hid their ships
behind the island,
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waiting for a signal.
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FOX: According to legend,
after years of failing
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to take the city of Troy,
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the Greeks deployed one of
the most cunning battle tactics
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of all time...
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the Trojan horse.
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While pretending to retreat
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and hiding their ships
behind the island that I'm on,
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the infamous Trojan horse was
gifted to the people of Troy.
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This massive wooden peace
offering with Greek soldiers
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inside gained them access
inside the city gates.
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The Greek soldiers then
unleashed an ambush attack,
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and the city of Troy fell.
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♪♪
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Goztepe is right up there.
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It's the highest point
on the island.
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FOX:
Using the words of Homer,
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Haluk is going to try
and pinpoint for me
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00:06:04,932 --> 00:06:09,368
exactly where this war
would have played out.
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SAHIN:
Here we are.
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♪♪
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Okay, this is our island,
the island of Bozcaada,
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known as Tenedos
in ancient times,
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and Homer talks about Troy
being across from Tenedos,
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and here we are.
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See some of the white buildings
over there?
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That's Troy.
- So cool, wow.
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And if we go this way,
there is Mount Ida,
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and gods Zeus and Hera came to
watch the war from Mount Ida.
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FOX:
About 70 miles to the southeast
of Troy is Mount Ida
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where, according to Homer,
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gods came to watch
the epic war unfold.
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FOX: You can say, like,
"Look, we're standing here."
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00:07:02,856 --> 00:07:05,056
Homer described all of this.
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00:07:05,058 --> 00:07:07,292
He was familiar
with the geography.
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00:07:07,294 --> 00:07:09,428
He could have traveled here
and seen it,
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00:07:09,430 --> 00:07:14,099
but there's still a lot more
dots that have to be connected.
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00:07:14,101 --> 00:07:17,135
FOX: Did Homer simply reference
recognizable landmarks
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to make this mythical story
sound more authentic,
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or was he reporting
on real events?
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To find out, I'm headed
to the Turkish mainland,
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where the ruins of the ancient
city of Troy are believed to be.
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♪♪
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Three miles from the Aegean Sea
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are 4,000-year-old ruins,
first discovered in 1870.
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Could these crumbling walls
and massive foundations
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really be the mighty city
at the center of Homer's legend?
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Let me just climb
over this mountain here.
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How are you?
- Brian Rose.
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- Megan. Nice to meet you.
- Good to meet you.
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FOX:
I'm joined by world-renowned
archaeologist Brian Rose,
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who has dedicated
25 years to this site,
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and he literally wrote
the book on it.
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The geographical references
to the site of Troy
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in "The Iliad"
only match this one,
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but there are a lot of mysteries
that still surround the site.
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FOX:
Although these ruins have been
studied for nearly 200 years,
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no archaeologist has been
able to definitively prove
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whether or not
this is Homer's Troy
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because it's one
of the most complicated
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archaeological sites
in the world.
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ROSE:
One of the reasons it's hard
to understand the site
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is that occupation here
lasted for 4,500 years.
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Do you just mean different
people lived here?
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- Yeah.
- Okay.
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Different people lived here,
starting around 3000 BC,
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going to about 1500 AD,
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and so we have these layers
of different settlements.
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So how many cultures
or people have lived here,
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like, if you cut a cake open,
you can count the layers?
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Right, so we would say that
there are nine layers,
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one built
on top of the other.
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FOX: For thousands of years,
this city was built
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00:09:00,173 --> 00:09:02,474
and rebuilt on top of itself,
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creating a quagmire
of walls and roads.
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00:09:05,546 --> 00:09:07,212
Through painstaking
investigation
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00:09:07,214 --> 00:09:09,714
and high-tech digital
reconstruction,
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00:09:09,716 --> 00:09:13,018
archaeologists have been able
to reconstruct the layers.
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00:09:13,020 --> 00:09:15,353
The first dates to 3000 BC.
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That's 500 years before
Egypt's pyramids were built.
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The next layer, city 2,
is from 2400 BC,
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right around the time
when the pyramids
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were believed to be completed.
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All in all, evidence of nine
completely different cities
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can be found on the site,
one on top of the other.
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♪♪
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ROSE: Because of these layers,
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the city is incredibly
difficult to understand,
190
00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:45,783
but Troy VI, which is roughly
between 1800 and 1300 BC,
191
00:09:45,785 --> 00:09:48,486
that's about late Bronze Age,
and that's the phase
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00:09:48,488 --> 00:09:52,357
that a lot of people associate
with the Troy of Homer.
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Can you explain why we believe
that it's in the sixth strata?
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00:09:58,031 --> 00:10:01,633
ROSE:
Because the fortification walls
were incredibly strong,
195
00:10:01,635 --> 00:10:04,603
5 meters thick,
over 10 meters high,
196
00:10:04,605 --> 00:10:07,939
that we can understand
in accordance with the strength
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00:10:07,941 --> 00:10:12,177
that Homer described
the city as having had.
198
00:10:12,179 --> 00:10:14,546
FOX:
Homer said the walls of Troy
were so strong
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00:10:14,548 --> 00:10:18,016
that they looked like they were
built by the god Poseidon.
200
00:10:18,018 --> 00:10:21,286
Here, at level 6, the walls
are more than 32 feet tall
201
00:10:21,288 --> 00:10:23,788
and 16 feet wide,
202
00:10:23,790 --> 00:10:28,293
as thick as the Great Wall
of China and 10 feet taller.
203
00:10:28,295 --> 00:10:31,229
But Homer also described Troy
as being a mighty city
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00:10:31,231 --> 00:10:34,065
with tens of thousands
of people,
205
00:10:34,067 --> 00:10:39,037
and all in all, level 6
is only 650 feet across.
206
00:10:39,039 --> 00:10:41,473
Is this really
the great city of Troy?
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00:10:41,475 --> 00:10:43,675
The way it's described,
208
00:10:43,677 --> 00:10:48,246
I would've imagined
it being larger.
209
00:10:48,248 --> 00:10:50,849
You're exactly right, but,
with remote sensing,
210
00:10:50,851 --> 00:10:52,250
we've been able to show
211
00:10:52,252 --> 00:10:54,753
that there was an enormous
residential district
212
00:10:54,755 --> 00:10:57,155
to the southwest
and east of the city
213
00:10:57,157 --> 00:10:58,757
that we call
the Lower City.
214
00:10:58,759 --> 00:11:01,393
That's where people lived,
and so I can point that out.
215
00:11:01,395 --> 00:11:02,694
Yeah.
216
00:11:05,098 --> 00:11:08,900
So the one thing to watch out
for are the centipedes.
217
00:11:08,902 --> 00:11:10,535
They won't kill you,
218
00:11:10,537 --> 00:11:13,605
but they are poisonous
when they sting you,
219
00:11:13,607 --> 00:11:17,175
and down there, there
are a number of snakes.
220
00:11:17,177 --> 00:11:18,710
The small ones are more
poisonous than the...
221
00:11:18,712 --> 00:11:20,011
Brian, are you
**** with me?
222
00:11:20,013 --> 00:11:22,280
I'm telling you
the truth.
223
00:11:22,282 --> 00:11:24,082
Here is civilization,
just ahead of us.
224
00:11:24,084 --> 00:11:26,251
Okay.
225
00:11:26,253 --> 00:11:29,254
ROSE: So as we look out
on the horizon,
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00:11:29,256 --> 00:11:31,856
the residential district
would've extended
227
00:11:31,858 --> 00:11:37,429
beyond that line of trees
that you see in the distance.
228
00:11:37,431 --> 00:11:39,798
The population may conceivably
have reached
229
00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,033
something like 10,000 people,
230
00:11:42,035 --> 00:11:44,102
which is phenomenal
for that period.
231
00:11:44,104 --> 00:11:46,504
- Yeah.
- So this was a mighty city.
232
00:11:46,506 --> 00:11:49,074
That's so cool.
233
00:11:49,076 --> 00:11:52,510
FOX: After having him confirm
there are some parallels
234
00:11:52,512 --> 00:11:54,646
between the evidence and the
things that they've found here
235
00:11:54,648 --> 00:11:58,717
with "The Iliad,"
for me, that opens the door to,
236
00:11:58,719 --> 00:12:02,821
"There has to be other clues."
237
00:12:02,823 --> 00:12:05,290
I believe that the city of Troy
was real,
238
00:12:05,292 --> 00:12:07,859
but what about
the Trojan War itself?
239
00:12:07,861 --> 00:12:10,028
There has to be other dots
to connect.
240
00:12:13,133 --> 00:12:14,499
Wow.
241
00:12:16,169 --> 00:12:18,937
And the truth could be hidden
in one of the greatest
242
00:12:18,939 --> 00:12:21,439
archaeological finds
of the modern age.
243
00:12:21,441 --> 00:12:24,776
Wow, and it's
3,500 years old?
244
00:12:34,588 --> 00:12:35,954
FOX: We've been taught that
the Trojan War,
245
00:12:35,956 --> 00:12:39,124
immortalized in Homer's "Iliad,"
was just a legend
246
00:12:39,126 --> 00:12:43,795
from one of the greatest
works of fiction ever written,
247
00:12:43,797 --> 00:12:47,699
but I'm on a journey to find out
if this mythical war was real.
248
00:12:47,701 --> 00:12:50,902
♪♪
249
00:12:50,904 --> 00:12:52,403
- How are you?
- Good to meet you in person.
250
00:12:52,405 --> 00:12:53,404
I'm Eric.
- Good to see you.
251
00:12:53,406 --> 00:12:54,539
How are you?
- Yes, welcome.
252
00:12:55,809 --> 00:12:59,244
FOX: Dr. Eric Cline
might have the answers.
253
00:12:59,246 --> 00:13:01,946
He's spent his career
studying little-known texts
254
00:13:01,948 --> 00:13:03,481
from the ancient world.
255
00:13:03,483 --> 00:13:05,884
The Trojan War is why I got
into archaeology.
256
00:13:05,886 --> 00:13:07,218
- Yeah.
- When I was 7,
257
00:13:07,220 --> 00:13:09,254
my mother gave me a book,
and I told my parents,
258
00:13:09,256 --> 00:13:10,522
"I'm going to be
an archaeologist,"
259
00:13:10,524 --> 00:13:13,324
so this is, like, near
and dear to my heart.
260
00:13:13,326 --> 00:13:14,793
FOX: Eric's research has focused
261
00:13:14,795 --> 00:13:17,061
on a mysterious
ancient civilization
262
00:13:17,063 --> 00:13:19,531
known as the Hittites
that could be the key
263
00:13:19,533 --> 00:13:22,433
to proving that
the Trojan War was real.
264
00:13:22,435 --> 00:13:25,203
The Hittites, they do
connect to Troy, and...
265
00:13:25,205 --> 00:13:26,771
I don't know much
about the Hittites
266
00:13:26,773 --> 00:13:28,306
at all,
honestly, so...
267
00:13:28,308 --> 00:13:30,508
Well, you would have been
in good company 200 years ago
268
00:13:30,510 --> 00:13:32,410
because they were
completely lost to history.
269
00:13:32,412 --> 00:13:33,678
Were they?
270
00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:37,315
Yeah, we only just found them
in, like, the late 1800s.
271
00:13:37,317 --> 00:13:39,584
FOX:
For centuries,
the Bible's Old Testament
272
00:13:39,586 --> 00:13:41,252
was the only source
that mentioned
273
00:13:41,254 --> 00:13:43,922
the mysterious Hittite people,
274
00:13:43,924 --> 00:13:46,324
but modern archaeology
has revealed that the Hittites
275
00:13:46,326 --> 00:13:49,761
were actually a major player
in the ancient world.
276
00:13:49,763 --> 00:13:52,564
Between 1700 and 1200 BC,
277
00:13:52,566 --> 00:13:55,366
the time that the Trojan War
would have been happening,
278
00:13:55,368 --> 00:13:57,769
the Hittites controlled
massive swathes of land
279
00:13:57,771 --> 00:14:02,774
from the western coast of Turkey
to Syria and Lebanon.
280
00:14:02,776 --> 00:14:04,909
The Hittites are part of
what I call
281
00:14:04,911 --> 00:14:08,213
the G8 of the ancient world.
- Okay.
282
00:14:08,215 --> 00:14:10,148
The Hittite Empire
was basically everything
283
00:14:10,150 --> 00:14:12,050
that's in red on this map,
284
00:14:12,052 --> 00:14:15,920
and then the capital city
is right here, Hattusa,
285
00:14:15,922 --> 00:14:18,122
and Troy is over here.
286
00:14:18,124 --> 00:14:19,657
But the true power
of the Hittites
287
00:14:19,659 --> 00:14:21,860
was not the land
they conquered.
288
00:14:21,862 --> 00:14:24,896
It was the precious ancient
knowledge that they left behind.
289
00:14:24,898 --> 00:14:29,100
The connections that we've got
to Troy come from Hattusa.
290
00:14:29,102 --> 00:14:32,804
The archaeologists
started excavating in 1906.
291
00:14:32,806 --> 00:14:34,372
A year later,
they hit the archives.
292
00:14:34,374 --> 00:14:37,108
They hit
all of the tablets.
293
00:14:37,110 --> 00:14:40,745
FOX: During excavations near the
location of the Hittite capital,
294
00:14:40,747 --> 00:14:42,814
archaeologists uncovered
a massive
295
00:14:42,816 --> 00:14:46,251
cache of over 25,000 clay
tablets
296
00:14:46,253 --> 00:14:49,153
containing everything from
the oldest-known peace treaty
297
00:14:49,155 --> 00:14:54,359
from 1258 BC
to intimate military records.
298
00:14:54,361 --> 00:14:56,394
Once they were able
to read Hittite,
299
00:14:56,396 --> 00:14:59,063
which happened
within 5 or 6 years or so,
300
00:14:59,065 --> 00:15:01,065
they realized
this was a treasure trove.
301
00:15:01,067 --> 00:15:03,067
Within that
period of time,
302
00:15:03,069 --> 00:15:07,538
they found tablets
mentioning things like Troy.
303
00:15:07,540 --> 00:15:11,676
In the Hittite text, there is
a place they call Wilusa.
304
00:15:11,678 --> 00:15:14,445
Wilusa is the Hittite
name for Troy
305
00:15:14,447 --> 00:15:18,016
because the original name
for Troy was Wilios.
306
00:15:18,018 --> 00:15:19,284
Mm.
307
00:15:19,286 --> 00:15:20,385
Doesn't Wilios sound a lot
like Wilusa?
308
00:15:20,387 --> 00:15:23,388
- Yeah.
- Yeah, so I kind of go, "Hmm."
309
00:15:23,390 --> 00:15:25,890
Now, let me add something else
into the equation here,
310
00:15:25,892 --> 00:15:28,526
and this is where
the Trojan War comes in.
311
00:15:28,528 --> 00:15:29,928
In the Hittite records,
312
00:15:29,930 --> 00:15:33,831
some of the tablets
that deal with Wilusa and Troy
313
00:15:33,833 --> 00:15:36,601
also talked about the Greeks,
and they talked about wars
314
00:15:36,603 --> 00:15:39,137
involving the Greeks
and the Trojans, and...
315
00:15:39,139 --> 00:15:40,505
- Ooh, that's exciting.
- Isn't it?
316
00:15:40,507 --> 00:15:41,773
- Yeah.
- I know. I know.
317
00:15:41,775 --> 00:15:44,008
Now, where it gets even
more interesting --
318
00:15:44,010 --> 00:15:47,345
There is a treaty between
one of the Hittite kings
319
00:15:47,347 --> 00:15:51,049
with a guy
named Alaksandu of Wilusa.
320
00:15:51,051 --> 00:15:54,385
So we already said another
name for Troy is Wilios.
321
00:15:54,387 --> 00:15:55,620
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
322
00:15:55,622 --> 00:15:58,389
Paris, as in Paris
and Helen and all that,
323
00:15:58,391 --> 00:16:00,024
there's another name
for Paris, right?
324
00:16:00,026 --> 00:16:03,127
His name is Alexander.
325
00:16:03,129 --> 00:16:05,196
FOX: Paris, the son
of the king of Troy,
326
00:16:05,198 --> 00:16:07,365
who Homer said abducted
the Greek queen Helen
327
00:16:07,367 --> 00:16:09,534
and ignited the Trojan War,
328
00:16:09,536 --> 00:16:14,806
was also given the name
Alexander as a child.
329
00:16:14,808 --> 00:16:16,874
CLINE: Let's see if I can
diagram this for you.
330
00:16:16,876 --> 00:16:19,978
We've got Paris, right?
331
00:16:19,980 --> 00:16:24,716
Alternate name for him
is Alexander.
332
00:16:24,718 --> 00:16:27,485
We've also got Troy.
333
00:16:27,487 --> 00:16:30,521
Alternate name for that
is Wilios.
334
00:16:30,523 --> 00:16:35,026
So if you've got Alexander
of Wilios from Homer,
335
00:16:35,028 --> 00:16:38,129
and you've got
Alaksandu of Wilusa,
336
00:16:38,131 --> 00:16:40,398
on the other hand,
from the Hittites...
337
00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:41,866
I like Occam's razor --
338
00:16:41,868 --> 00:16:44,135
"The simplest solution
is probably the most correct."
339
00:16:44,137 --> 00:16:46,838
I think that might be
the same guy.
340
00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:48,106
Yeah.
341
00:16:48,108 --> 00:16:50,541
I mean, I don't know how
you could argue against it.
342
00:16:50,543 --> 00:16:54,512
FOX:
If Paris is just a fictional
character concocted by Homer,
343
00:16:54,514 --> 00:16:56,447
how is he mentioned
by the Hittites' writings
344
00:16:56,449 --> 00:17:00,251
over 500 years
before Homer was even born?
345
00:17:00,253 --> 00:17:03,488
How significant was
finding those tablets?
346
00:17:03,490 --> 00:17:05,623
This gave us the keys
to the kingdom.
347
00:17:05,625 --> 00:17:08,459
It's as good as it gets
without actually finding
348
00:17:08,461 --> 00:17:11,662
a tablet that says,
"PS, the Trojan War happened."
349
00:17:11,664 --> 00:17:13,564
Right.
350
00:17:13,566 --> 00:17:15,733
FOX: These Hittite tablets
are one of the greatest
351
00:17:15,735 --> 00:17:20,038
archaeological hauls in history,
and because of that,
352
00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,574
they are kept under strict lock
and key in Istanbul, Turkey.
353
00:17:23,576 --> 00:17:26,844
No one outside of the Turkish
archaeological community
354
00:17:26,846 --> 00:17:28,379
is allowed access.
355
00:17:28,381 --> 00:17:30,048
I know it's almost impossible --
356
00:17:30,050 --> 00:17:31,916
It's nearly impossible
to see one of these,
357
00:17:31,918 --> 00:17:33,751
but I'm going to go.
358
00:17:33,753 --> 00:17:36,754
After days of phone calls
and working back channels,
359
00:17:36,756 --> 00:17:40,024
I've managed to get access
to see one of these tablets
360
00:17:40,026 --> 00:17:42,326
housed at the
Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
361
00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:49,233
Wow.
362
00:17:49,235 --> 00:17:52,236
Thank you.
363
00:17:52,238 --> 00:17:55,773
FOX:
I'm joined by museum archivist
Veysel Donbaz,
364
00:17:55,775 --> 00:17:57,475
one of the world's
leading experts
365
00:17:57,477 --> 00:17:59,577
in dead ancient languages.
366
00:18:04,851 --> 00:18:06,751
MAN:
Alexander's tablet.
367
00:18:06,753 --> 00:18:10,021
- Mm.
- And it's 3,500 years old?
368
00:18:13,626 --> 00:18:15,359
I would love to touch
the tablet.
369
00:18:15,361 --> 00:18:17,495
I'll hold it like it was
my newborn baby.
370
00:18:19,966 --> 00:18:21,232
It's really heavy, wow.
371
00:18:24,671 --> 00:18:26,871
Wow.
372
00:18:34,581 --> 00:18:38,015
The Alaksandu that's mentioned
in this tablet,
373
00:18:38,017 --> 00:18:39,717
that's also another name
for Alexander,
374
00:18:39,719 --> 00:18:42,286
which was also
another name for Paris,
375
00:18:42,288 --> 00:18:44,455
who was the son
of the king of Troy.
376
00:18:45,658 --> 00:18:48,926
By reading these tablets,
we have further proof
377
00:18:48,928 --> 00:18:54,165
and further confirmation
that the Homeric Troy was real.
378
00:18:54,167 --> 00:18:56,334
FOX: And if Alexander was real,
379
00:18:56,336 --> 00:18:59,837
what other heroes of this
epic tale could be real, too?
380
00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,982
- Are we going up there?
- Yes. Yes!
381
00:19:19,425 --> 00:19:23,361
♪♪
382
00:19:23,363 --> 00:19:27,131
FOX:
I've discovered that the city
of Troy existed, and Paris,
383
00:19:27,133 --> 00:19:29,467
the Trojan prince who was said
to have stolen Helen
384
00:19:29,469 --> 00:19:32,136
and ignited this
10-year Trojan War,
385
00:19:32,138 --> 00:19:34,972
was likely a real person, too.
386
00:19:34,974 --> 00:19:36,374
FOX: I want to know,
what was the truth,
387
00:19:36,376 --> 00:19:39,944
if there ever was a truth
to begin with?
388
00:19:39,946 --> 00:19:42,046
Now I'm on the hunt to see
what other key figures
389
00:19:42,048 --> 00:19:44,515
from this myth
could also be real.
390
00:19:44,517 --> 00:19:46,317
The story, this really
important story,
391
00:19:46,319 --> 00:19:49,520
is an all-consuming
passion.
392
00:19:49,522 --> 00:19:53,357
To find out,
I'm with Dr. Naoise Mac Sweeney,
393
00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:55,359
a historian
whose groundbreaking research
394
00:19:55,361 --> 00:19:56,827
on ancient Greek mythology
395
00:19:56,829 --> 00:20:00,631
is changing the way
that we look at the past.
396
00:20:00,633 --> 00:20:02,633
Let me just
get over this hill.
397
00:20:02,635 --> 00:20:07,104
You should be able to see
Besik Bay.
398
00:20:07,106 --> 00:20:08,973
Just miles from the city of Troy
399
00:20:08,975 --> 00:20:12,043
is a stretch of beach
known as Besik Bay,
400
00:20:12,045 --> 00:20:13,277
where the Greek army is said
401
00:20:13,279 --> 00:20:15,780
to have set up
their camp during the war.
402
00:20:15,782 --> 00:20:20,117
♪♪
403
00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,687
Mac SWEENEY:
What you see in front
of you is Besik Bay,
404
00:20:22,689 --> 00:20:25,356
which really fits nicely
with the Homeric description
405
00:20:25,358 --> 00:20:28,226
of the landscape
of the Greek camp
406
00:20:28,228 --> 00:20:31,963
and crucially,
the camp of Achilles.
407
00:20:31,965 --> 00:20:34,465
FOX:
The key to uncovering the truth
about the Trojan War
408
00:20:34,467 --> 00:20:37,368
could be with one of the Greek's
greatest heroes --
409
00:20:37,370 --> 00:20:42,340
Achilles, a fearsome half-man,
half-god warrior
410
00:20:42,342 --> 00:20:45,743
who slays Trojans
by the dozens.
411
00:20:45,745 --> 00:20:49,247
"The Iliad" is the story
of the wrath of Achilles,
412
00:20:49,249 --> 00:20:51,515
and then there's passages
within "The Iliad"
413
00:20:51,517 --> 00:20:53,150
which give us a sense
of the location
414
00:20:53,152 --> 00:20:55,219
of where
Achilles might have been.
415
00:20:55,221 --> 00:20:56,821
Specific enough
where you go,
416
00:20:56,823 --> 00:21:01,525
"Oh, this must be the place
because this is the only place
417
00:21:01,527 --> 00:21:04,996
that matches exactly what
he wrote in this passage"?
418
00:21:04,998 --> 00:21:07,064
Pretty much, right?
419
00:21:07,066 --> 00:21:09,767
Okay, so here we've got
a little passage of "Book II"
420
00:21:09,769 --> 00:21:11,435
of "The Iliad,"
and here we can say,
421
00:21:11,437 --> 00:21:13,904
so, Achilles,
he's down by the beach.
422
00:21:13,906 --> 00:21:16,407
So we've got his horses
and the chariots.
423
00:21:16,409 --> 00:21:18,909
They are tethered, and
the horses are grazing on...
424
00:21:18,911 --> 00:21:20,711
And he's very specific
about this.
425
00:21:20,713 --> 00:21:22,980
The horses are eating this
really particular type
426
00:21:22,982 --> 00:21:25,783
of clover, which is
fed on freshwater marshes,
427
00:21:25,785 --> 00:21:27,718
and that fits this landscape
because just over there,
428
00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,021
we've got a freshwater stream,
which runs down,
429
00:21:30,023 --> 00:21:31,656
and it's one of the few
places along the coast
430
00:21:31,658 --> 00:21:33,758
which kind of has
that kind of combination.
431
00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:36,827
So it's really like piecing
together the jigsaw pieces.
432
00:21:39,032 --> 00:21:40,364
FOX: Ten years into the war,
433
00:21:40,366 --> 00:21:43,267
after slaughtering
hundreds of Trojan soldiers,
434
00:21:43,269 --> 00:21:46,170
Achilles is ultimately
killed by Paris,
435
00:21:46,172 --> 00:21:48,105
the Trojan prince who
strikes him in the heel
436
00:21:48,107 --> 00:21:51,242
with a poison arrow.
437
00:21:51,244 --> 00:21:52,810
For thousands of years,
438
00:21:52,812 --> 00:21:55,846
people have come to this area
in search of Achilles' tomb
439
00:21:55,848 --> 00:21:59,650
because clues provided by Homer
suggest his final resting spot
440
00:21:59,652 --> 00:22:02,019
is just a few hundred yards
from here
441
00:22:02,021 --> 00:22:04,588
under a mound called Sivri Tepe.
442
00:22:05,858 --> 00:22:09,060
So that black circle
there is Sivri Tepe,
443
00:22:09,062 --> 00:22:11,796
what we think is
the tomb of Achilles.
444
00:22:11,798 --> 00:22:15,132
- Are we going up there?
- Yes. Yes!
445
00:22:17,036 --> 00:22:19,236
Mac SWEENEY:
Certainly in antiquity because
they thought
446
00:22:19,238 --> 00:22:21,238
there was an Achilles.
They thought there was a tomb,
447
00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,307
and I'm pretty sure
they thought it was here.
448
00:22:23,309 --> 00:22:27,378
FOX:
Did Homer say, "It's a thousand
paces past a certain landmark,"
449
00:22:27,380 --> 00:22:29,413
and then that's how we
end up with that?
450
00:22:29,415 --> 00:22:30,548
Something close.
451
00:22:30,550 --> 00:22:32,249
Actually, it's towards
the end of "The Iliad."
452
00:22:32,251 --> 00:22:34,685
Achilles' best friend,
and actually, we think,
453
00:22:34,687 --> 00:22:37,555
his lover, Patroclus,
dies in battle.
454
00:22:37,557 --> 00:22:39,390
Achilles is grieving,
and what he does is,
455
00:22:39,392 --> 00:22:42,193
he buries his lover here,
456
00:22:42,195 --> 00:22:44,795
and what Achilles requests
is that, when he dies,
457
00:22:44,797 --> 00:22:47,598
he's buried in the same
mound as Patroclus.
458
00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:49,900
In fact, actually, the ghost
of Patroclus
459
00:22:49,902 --> 00:22:51,435
comes back
to talk to Achilles,
460
00:22:51,437 --> 00:22:53,771
and he says, "Don't let us
be separated in death.
461
00:22:53,773 --> 00:22:55,005
We weren't
separated in life.
462
00:22:55,007 --> 00:22:57,141
Let's not be
separated in death."
463
00:22:57,143 --> 00:22:59,443
FOX: The belief that Achilles
was buried at this mound
464
00:22:59,445 --> 00:23:02,313
was so strong
that even one of the most famous
465
00:23:02,315 --> 00:23:04,315
and powerful kings
of the ancient world
466
00:23:04,317 --> 00:23:07,451
came here to pay his respects.
467
00:23:07,453 --> 00:23:09,954
Alexander the Great
comes to visit, right?
468
00:23:09,956 --> 00:23:14,325
He thinks it's Achilles' tomb,
so then they start to...
469
00:23:14,327 --> 00:23:16,026
You know, they have a whole
bunch of ceremonies around it.
470
00:23:16,028 --> 00:23:18,329
He and his lover, Hephaestion,
471
00:23:18,331 --> 00:23:20,731
they kind of celebrate
Achilles and Patroclus
472
00:23:20,733 --> 00:23:24,635
as kind of...
as parallels for themselves.
473
00:23:24,637 --> 00:23:26,137
When he leaves, in the years
that follow,
474
00:23:26,139 --> 00:23:27,738
they start building
the mound higher,
475
00:23:27,740 --> 00:23:29,473
so they actually
raised the mound
476
00:23:29,475 --> 00:23:31,275
another kind of 12 meters or so.
477
00:23:31,277 --> 00:23:32,576
It's like a tourist destination,
right?
478
00:23:32,578 --> 00:23:34,211
So Alexander is
the first tourist
479
00:23:34,213 --> 00:23:37,081
to come to pay
homage to Achilles.
480
00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:38,916
How many times
has it been excavated?
481
00:23:38,918 --> 00:23:39,984
Do you know?
482
00:23:39,986 --> 00:23:41,719
So it's never been
fully excavated,
483
00:23:41,721 --> 00:23:44,355
but we've had a couple of slices
kind of cut out of it,
484
00:23:44,357 --> 00:23:45,856
enough to know
what's going on.
485
00:23:45,858 --> 00:23:47,658
Is that a burial mound?
486
00:23:49,962 --> 00:23:51,462
- No, right?
- Okay.
487
00:23:51,464 --> 00:23:53,097
We know now,
through excavations,
488
00:23:53,099 --> 00:23:54,665
that it's
a settlement mound.
489
00:23:54,667 --> 00:23:56,967
That's where basically
people lived.
490
00:23:56,969 --> 00:23:59,136
FOX: Although Achilles
isn't buried here,
491
00:23:59,138 --> 00:24:03,007
the obsession to find him didn't
end with Alexander the Great.
492
00:24:03,009 --> 00:24:05,176
Over the centuries,
Roman emperors,
493
00:24:05,178 --> 00:24:07,611
powerful sultans
and amateur explorers
494
00:24:07,613 --> 00:24:09,780
have all made the pilgrimage
to this area,
495
00:24:09,782 --> 00:24:13,083
looking for
the lost tomb of Achilles.
496
00:24:13,085 --> 00:24:16,287
Are there any burial mounds
that haven't been excavated?
497
00:24:16,289 --> 00:24:17,555
Yeah.
498
00:24:17,557 --> 00:24:19,857
There's really just a whole
landscape full of mounds
499
00:24:19,859 --> 00:24:21,759
associated with
the tomb of Achilles.
500
00:24:21,761 --> 00:24:24,528
Why are there so many
potential tombs for him?
501
00:24:24,530 --> 00:24:27,264
Different people want to claim
a link with the Homeric past
502
00:24:27,266 --> 00:24:29,800
because it's such
a powerful shared past.
503
00:24:29,802 --> 00:24:32,236
We, as a society,
still care about it.
504
00:24:32,238 --> 00:24:34,939
FOX:
If we can find Achilles' final
resting place,
505
00:24:34,941 --> 00:24:36,907
it would be one of
the most powerful pieces
506
00:24:36,909 --> 00:24:38,542
of physical evidence to suggest
507
00:24:38,544 --> 00:24:41,378
that the Trojan War
actually happened,
508
00:24:41,380 --> 00:24:42,947
and it could mean
that there might be truth
509
00:24:42,949 --> 00:24:45,549
in other Greek gods
and legends.
510
00:24:45,551 --> 00:24:50,988
The problem is there are burial
mounds all over this landscape.
511
00:24:50,990 --> 00:24:54,492
So based on the descriptions
that Homer gave in "The Iliad,"
512
00:24:54,494 --> 00:24:56,293
where should we look?
513
00:24:56,295 --> 00:24:58,128
Tell you what,
I'll show you instead.
514
00:24:58,130 --> 00:25:02,233
♪♪
515
00:25:02,235 --> 00:25:03,934
Around here.
516
00:25:03,936 --> 00:25:07,605
♪♪
517
00:25:07,607 --> 00:25:09,240
Okay.
518
00:25:09,242 --> 00:25:11,909
♪♪
519
00:25:11,911 --> 00:25:13,744
The thing that's really worth
seeing from here
520
00:25:13,746 --> 00:25:15,045
is across the bay, so...
521
00:25:15,047 --> 00:25:16,647
All the way down there,
at the end.
522
00:25:16,649 --> 00:25:17,815
Yeah.
523
00:25:17,817 --> 00:25:21,018
Up to the north,
the least-explored plateau.
524
00:25:21,020 --> 00:25:22,419
FOX: So that's
virgin over there.
525
00:25:22,421 --> 00:25:23,988
That hasn't been...
- Yeah.
526
00:25:23,990 --> 00:25:25,356
We can go for it.
527
00:25:25,358 --> 00:25:27,057
There should be
something to find.
528
00:25:27,059 --> 00:25:29,226
♪♪
529
00:25:37,003 --> 00:25:39,770
♪♪
530
00:25:39,772 --> 00:25:42,039
So that's virgin over there.
That hasn't been...
531
00:25:42,041 --> 00:25:43,574
Yeah.
We can go for it.
532
00:25:43,576 --> 00:25:46,143
There should be
something to find.
533
00:25:46,145 --> 00:25:49,246
FOX: Just miles from
the ancient city of Troy,
534
00:25:49,248 --> 00:25:51,215
with the help of historian
Naoise Mac Sweeney,
535
00:25:51,217 --> 00:25:53,684
we have zeroed in
on an area of Turkish coastline
536
00:25:53,686 --> 00:25:55,085
that she believes
could be teeming
537
00:25:55,087 --> 00:25:57,454
with unexplored
burial mounds,
538
00:25:57,456 --> 00:26:00,558
and one of them could be
the tomb of Achilles,
539
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:02,993
the greatest hero
of the Trojan War.
540
00:26:05,197 --> 00:26:06,564
FOX: Hi.
How are you?
541
00:26:07,466 --> 00:26:10,034
Hi.
Megan.
542
00:26:10,036 --> 00:26:12,703
FOX:
But with 40 square miles of land
in our search area
543
00:26:12,705 --> 00:26:15,973
and Achilles' tomb
likely hidden below ground,
544
00:26:15,975 --> 00:26:18,142
we'll need some help
to try and find him.
545
00:26:25,051 --> 00:26:27,017
Aerial survey engineer Mehmet
is armed
546
00:26:27,019 --> 00:26:29,386
with a state-of-the-art
mapping drone.
547
00:26:29,388 --> 00:26:31,789
It captures tens of thousands
of high-res images
548
00:26:31,791 --> 00:26:33,724
and then uses software
to piece them together
549
00:26:33,726 --> 00:26:36,760
to create
a 3-D map of the landscape
550
00:26:36,762 --> 00:26:41,098
that can reveal anomalies that
the naked eye could never find.
551
00:26:41,100 --> 00:26:43,734
If you want to find
other mounds, right, we know
552
00:26:43,736 --> 00:26:47,104
that there are some up the ridge
here and a bit further north.
553
00:26:47,106 --> 00:26:48,639
That's something
that you can do...
554
00:26:48,641 --> 00:26:50,140
Yes, we can do,
exactly.
555
00:26:50,142 --> 00:26:51,642
Are you going to show me
how to put it up?
556
00:26:51,644 --> 00:26:53,077
Of course.
557
00:26:53,079 --> 00:26:55,279
Three times...
Okay.
558
00:27:03,356 --> 00:27:04,388
Okay.
559
00:27:08,127 --> 00:27:12,029
Hey, I did it, you guys!
- Well done.
560
00:27:12,031 --> 00:27:15,132
Another milestone.
561
00:27:15,134 --> 00:27:16,834
FOX: It will take several hours
for the drone
562
00:27:16,836 --> 00:27:18,769
to finish its flight path
563
00:27:18,771 --> 00:27:20,838
and then a week
to analyze the data.
564
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:27,778
♪♪
565
00:27:27,780 --> 00:27:29,880
So while I wait, I'm headed
to investigate
566
00:27:29,882 --> 00:27:32,883
rarely seen artifacts
that could be the key to proving
567
00:27:32,885 --> 00:27:35,219
that the Trojan War
really happened.
568
00:27:42,128 --> 00:27:46,864
I'm joined by Resit Berker,
my local fixer and translator.
569
00:27:46,866 --> 00:27:48,932
Growing up in Turkey,
he has been obsessed
570
00:27:48,934 --> 00:27:51,602
by the legends of Troy
from an early age.
571
00:28:05,584 --> 00:28:09,386
We're heading to the Canakkale
Archaeological Museum,
572
00:28:09,388 --> 00:28:11,488
located 16 miles
north of the site
573
00:28:11,490 --> 00:28:13,524
which may have been
Homer's Troy,
574
00:28:13,526 --> 00:28:15,292
to see some of
the rarest artifacts
575
00:28:15,294 --> 00:28:18,862
discovered in the ruins
of that ancient city.
576
00:28:18,864 --> 00:28:21,231
[ Speaking Turkish ]
577
00:28:28,974 --> 00:28:30,708
FOX:
Head Archaeologist Rustem Aslan
578
00:28:30,710 --> 00:28:33,977
has been studying
the ruins of Troy since 1988,
579
00:28:33,979 --> 00:28:36,914
searching for evidence
of the Trojan War,
580
00:28:36,916 --> 00:28:40,684
and he may have
finally found it.
581
00:28:58,404 --> 00:28:59,870
FOX: These arrowheads are not
582
00:28:59,872 --> 00:29:02,506
only consistent with the type
of weapons used by the Greeks
583
00:29:02,508 --> 00:29:05,542
but also date
to around 1200 BC,
584
00:29:05,544 --> 00:29:08,278
right when the Trojan War
would have been unfolding.
585
00:29:13,719 --> 00:29:18,789
So these were being shot
by the enemy at the Trojan wall?
586
00:29:24,029 --> 00:29:26,230
And that's exciting for you
because you know that,
587
00:29:26,232 --> 00:29:28,465
in the story,
a lot of the battles took place
588
00:29:28,467 --> 00:29:30,267
right out front
of the West Gate.
589
00:29:35,775 --> 00:29:38,675
So when you discover arrowheads,
that confirms that.
590
00:29:38,677 --> 00:29:41,411
So then you're like, "Oh, it's
exactly as the story said,
591
00:29:41,413 --> 00:29:44,047
in the exact place."
592
00:29:44,049 --> 00:29:46,450
FOX: Hector was the most
powerful Trojan warrior
593
00:29:46,452 --> 00:29:49,052
and defended his city
to the death.
594
00:29:49,054 --> 00:29:51,288
As the Greeks stormed
the Western Gate,
595
00:29:51,290 --> 00:29:53,557
Hector fought Achilles
head-to-head,
596
00:29:53,559 --> 00:29:55,392
and these arrowheads
could've been used
597
00:29:55,394 --> 00:29:58,796
in that very battle
3,000 years ago.
598
00:30:12,044 --> 00:30:16,146
Why is there no real
written record of the Trojans?
599
00:30:16,148 --> 00:30:18,749
Why are they still
so mysterious?
600
00:30:37,870 --> 00:30:39,236
FOX: I'm one of the few people
601
00:30:39,238 --> 00:30:40,771
to see this rare piece
of writing
602
00:30:40,773 --> 00:30:42,906
that was pulled
from the ruins of Troy.
603
00:30:48,414 --> 00:30:50,347
This 3,000-year-old bronze seal
604
00:30:50,349 --> 00:30:52,850
is written in
Luwian hieroglyphs,
605
00:30:52,852 --> 00:30:57,020
a mysterious language spoken
in parts of ancient Turkey.
606
00:30:57,022 --> 00:30:58,755
FOX:
Do you know what it says?
607
00:31:01,660 --> 00:31:03,393
Oh, yeah.
608
00:31:06,565 --> 00:31:10,300
Was it carried as, like,
a talisman?
609
00:31:10,302 --> 00:31:12,035
Okay.
610
00:31:17,843 --> 00:31:20,777
FOX: This seal would have acted
like an ancient passport,
611
00:31:20,779 --> 00:31:23,747
allowing this foreign messenger
into the city of Troy.
612
00:31:26,352 --> 00:31:28,151
- With gloves?
- And touch it.
613
00:31:36,996 --> 00:31:38,362
You haven't touched it yet?
614
00:31:38,364 --> 00:31:39,997
Well, you should
touch it before me.
615
00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:42,766
Okay.
616
00:31:46,305 --> 00:31:48,272
It's so cool.
617
00:31:51,810 --> 00:31:53,210
Wow.
618
00:31:54,647 --> 00:31:57,881
- You should touch it now.
- Yes.
619
00:32:00,719 --> 00:32:04,288
It's heavy, and, I mean,
it feels like
620
00:32:04,290 --> 00:32:05,889
I shouldn't be
touching it, obviously.
621
00:32:05,891 --> 00:32:08,125
It feels like I shouldn't
be able to do that.
622
00:32:14,767 --> 00:32:18,201
Why is that the most significant
find in the last 50 years?
623
00:32:38,123 --> 00:32:40,290
FOX: This bronze seal means
Greeks and Trojans
624
00:32:40,292 --> 00:32:44,161
weren't the only people swept up
in this decade-long conflict.
625
00:32:44,163 --> 00:32:47,965
What mysterious kingdom could
this messenger have belonged to,
626
00:32:47,967 --> 00:32:50,100
and why were they
a part of the war?
627
00:32:50,102 --> 00:32:52,002
Well, it seems like it was
a battle
628
00:32:52,004 --> 00:32:53,737
that was part of
a much larger one.
629
00:32:53,739 --> 00:32:55,872
Exactly.
630
00:32:55,874 --> 00:32:57,474
Wow.
631
00:32:57,476 --> 00:33:02,212
FOX:
The story of this Trojan War
just got a whole lot bigger.
632
00:33:12,791 --> 00:33:16,426
FOX: The key to uncovering
whether the Trojan War was real
633
00:33:16,428 --> 00:33:19,062
could lie
in a mysterious bronze seal
634
00:33:19,064 --> 00:33:22,466
found in the ruins of Troy from
the time of that infamous war.
635
00:33:23,435 --> 00:33:26,837
This is the only written record
ever discovered in that city,
636
00:33:26,839 --> 00:33:29,139
written in an ancient
and mysterious language
637
00:33:29,141 --> 00:33:32,209
called Luwian.
638
00:33:32,211 --> 00:33:36,847
I actually got to see and hold
in my hand the Luwian seal.
639
00:33:36,849 --> 00:33:39,883
- Yes.
- And so who were the Luwians,
640
00:33:39,885 --> 00:33:42,986
and how did that seal
end up in Troy?
641
00:33:42,988 --> 00:33:45,222
Yeah, I've been digging
into this for best part
642
00:33:45,224 --> 00:33:47,657
of 4 or 5 years
myself now,
643
00:33:47,659 --> 00:33:49,493
and I had exactly
the same question.
644
00:33:50,629 --> 00:33:53,730
FOX:
Dr. Colin Barras is a well-known
academic journalist
645
00:33:53,732 --> 00:33:55,999
who studies emerging
archaeological theories
646
00:33:56,001 --> 00:33:57,801
about the ancient world.
647
00:33:57,803 --> 00:34:01,371
That Luwian seal actually
might be a key
648
00:34:01,373 --> 00:34:04,174
to understanding
a much bigger story.
649
00:34:04,176 --> 00:34:07,844
Exactly who those Luwians are
is a bit controversial.
650
00:34:07,846 --> 00:34:10,147
In what we now consider
western Turkey, we have,
651
00:34:10,149 --> 00:34:14,051
at this point, a whole bunch
of small isolated kingdoms,
652
00:34:14,053 --> 00:34:16,186
and one guy in particular
I talked to,
653
00:34:16,188 --> 00:34:18,221
Professor Eberhard Zangger,
654
00:34:18,223 --> 00:34:20,357
he would argue that,
collectively,
655
00:34:20,359 --> 00:34:23,927
those kingdoms have this
shared cultural identity.
656
00:34:23,929 --> 00:34:26,930
He would call that
a Luwian civilization,
657
00:34:26,932 --> 00:34:29,366
and Troy itself
is actually...
658
00:34:29,368 --> 00:34:32,269
As well as being the site of
the Trojans, it's a Luwian town.
659
00:34:32,271 --> 00:34:34,871
It's part of a Luwian kingdom.
660
00:34:34,873 --> 00:34:36,440
When we try to answer
the question of,
661
00:34:36,442 --> 00:34:39,943
"Well, who are the Trojans?"
the Trojans were Luwians.
662
00:34:39,945 --> 00:34:43,046
That's why the Luwian seal is
there because it belonged there.
663
00:34:43,048 --> 00:34:44,381
That was the Luwian kingdom,
664
00:34:44,383 --> 00:34:47,384
and the Trojans
were a part of that.
665
00:34:47,386 --> 00:34:51,588
FOX:
So according to this theory,
during the 13th century BC,
666
00:34:51,590 --> 00:34:53,490
the time of the Trojan War,
667
00:34:53,492 --> 00:34:57,360
this area of the world was split
into three major powers --
668
00:34:57,362 --> 00:35:00,464
the Luwians, occupying
most of modern-day Turkey,
669
00:35:00,466 --> 00:35:05,869
including Troy; the Greeks,
also known as the Mycenaeans;
670
00:35:05,871 --> 00:35:08,905
and the Hittites to the east.
671
00:35:08,907 --> 00:35:13,043
And this is where we really
have to go, like, much grander.
672
00:35:13,045 --> 00:35:15,512
These Luwian kingdoms decide
they want
673
00:35:15,514 --> 00:35:16,780
to increase their territory,
674
00:35:16,782 --> 00:35:18,315
gain more wealth,
gain more power,
675
00:35:18,317 --> 00:35:21,251
and one of their first moves
is against their neighbors,
676
00:35:21,253 --> 00:35:23,520
the Hittites.
677
00:35:23,522 --> 00:35:25,055
FOX:
The Luwians defeat the Hittites
678
00:35:25,057 --> 00:35:27,524
and take over
their large area of land,
679
00:35:27,526 --> 00:35:30,160
becoming an even more
powerful force,
680
00:35:30,162 --> 00:35:33,096
and the fear was that
they wouldn't stop there.
681
00:35:33,098 --> 00:35:36,733
So at the point that war is
breaking out, we can argue
682
00:35:36,735 --> 00:35:40,770
that there were really two
major superpowers, if you will,
683
00:35:40,772 --> 00:35:44,441
in the region at this time --
the Mycenaeans and the Luwians,
684
00:35:44,443 --> 00:35:47,677
and the Mycenaeans decide
that they might well
685
00:35:47,679 --> 00:35:49,880
be next on the hit list.
686
00:35:49,882 --> 00:35:52,516
They sail across the sea,
687
00:35:52,518 --> 00:35:55,452
begin attacking the Luwians
in their own territory,
688
00:35:55,454 --> 00:35:57,921
including, most famously,
Troy itself.
689
00:35:57,923 --> 00:35:59,856
Well, it seems like it was
a battle
690
00:35:59,858 --> 00:36:01,691
that was part of
a much larger one.
691
00:36:01,693 --> 00:36:03,059
Exactly.
Exactly.
692
00:36:03,061 --> 00:36:05,896
So no longer are we seeing Troy
as an isolated battle.
693
00:36:05,898 --> 00:36:10,066
Maybe it was actually a skirmish
in a much broader war
694
00:36:10,068 --> 00:36:12,802
that was being fought on
multiple fronts, World War Zero.
695
00:36:12,804 --> 00:36:15,172
Wow.
696
00:36:15,174 --> 00:36:18,008
That's so cool.
697
00:36:18,010 --> 00:36:20,911
So in that scenario,
Troy would have been a lot
698
00:36:20,913 --> 00:36:25,682
like the D-Day
of World War II.
699
00:36:25,684 --> 00:36:27,784
In essence, yeah.
700
00:36:27,786 --> 00:36:29,686
FOX: Up until this point
in the investigation,
701
00:36:29,688 --> 00:36:32,656
it's only been
about the Trojan War,
702
00:36:32,658 --> 00:36:34,991
that Troy could've just been
a smaller battle
703
00:36:34,993 --> 00:36:36,359
that was a part
of this huge war.
704
00:36:36,361 --> 00:36:39,729
This is something
that is revolutionary.
705
00:36:39,731 --> 00:36:42,766
If what was going on at Troy was
part of something much larger,
706
00:36:42,768 --> 00:36:45,368
what we would consider
a World War Zero,
707
00:36:45,370 --> 00:36:48,405
why do you think we have
only Homer's retelling?
708
00:36:48,407 --> 00:36:50,307
Right.
What's going on there?
709
00:36:50,309 --> 00:36:54,077
What happened after this
World War Zero scenario is,
710
00:36:54,079 --> 00:36:56,580
basically, there's a collapse
across the entire region.
711
00:36:56,582 --> 00:36:58,381
Civilizations are falling,
712
00:36:58,383 --> 00:37:01,551
and archaeologists
would call this episode
713
00:37:01,553 --> 00:37:02,953
the Bronze Age Collapse,
714
00:37:02,955 --> 00:37:05,689
and it's one of
the most dramatic events
715
00:37:05,691 --> 00:37:07,224
in the entire history
of this region.
716
00:37:07,226 --> 00:37:09,593
So we're really talking
about the Dark Age.
717
00:37:09,595 --> 00:37:11,494
They're losing their ability
718
00:37:11,496 --> 00:37:14,130
to keep very accurate
written records.
719
00:37:14,132 --> 00:37:17,467
FOX:
A hundred years after the
Trojan War would've happened,
720
00:37:17,469 --> 00:37:20,737
the entire world is plunged
into the Dark Ages...
721
00:37:20,739 --> 00:37:23,540
♪♪
722
00:37:23,542 --> 00:37:25,809
...where language
and written records are lost,
723
00:37:25,811 --> 00:37:30,280
and only oral tradition
keeps history alive.
724
00:37:30,282 --> 00:37:32,415
After this dark period ends,
725
00:37:32,417 --> 00:37:35,719
Homer rises to prominence
and writes "The Iliad."
726
00:37:35,721 --> 00:37:38,421
Was Homer a keeper
of this ancient knowledge,
727
00:37:38,423 --> 00:37:41,324
and that's why he's the first
and only person to commit
728
00:37:41,326 --> 00:37:44,294
this epic history
to written record?
729
00:37:44,296 --> 00:37:46,596
This, I think, seems probable
730
00:37:46,598 --> 00:37:48,665
because you have someone
hundreds of years later
731
00:37:48,667 --> 00:37:50,567
writing this epic poem
about it.
732
00:37:50,569 --> 00:37:52,068
It had to be...
733
00:37:52,070 --> 00:37:54,371
There had to be more because
like you said, and you noted,
734
00:37:54,373 --> 00:37:57,307
Troy was such a small town.
735
00:37:57,309 --> 00:38:01,211
So what was it about that
that was so impactful
736
00:38:01,213 --> 00:38:03,480
and the whole idea that,
in "The Iliad," you know,
737
00:38:03,482 --> 00:38:06,583
all of the gods are involved
in what's going on,
738
00:38:06,585 --> 00:38:08,685
and that does speak
to something.
739
00:38:08,687 --> 00:38:10,387
It was worldwide.
740
00:38:10,389 --> 00:38:11,788
There was a great amount
of people
741
00:38:11,790 --> 00:38:14,090
being affected by this thing,
742
00:38:14,092 --> 00:38:15,959
by this fight and this battle
that was going on.
743
00:38:15,961 --> 00:38:17,994
So, for me, this resonates
with me
744
00:38:17,996 --> 00:38:22,432
and makes a lot of sense,
and it's pretty groundbreaking.
745
00:38:24,603 --> 00:38:26,336
FOX: Not only is it more
and more likely
746
00:38:26,338 --> 00:38:28,872
that the Trojan War was real,
747
00:38:28,874 --> 00:38:31,741
but that it was part of an even
larger sequence of events
748
00:38:31,743 --> 00:38:34,244
that changed the whole world.
749
00:38:44,222 --> 00:38:46,189
FOX: The key to determining
whether the Trojan War
750
00:38:46,191 --> 00:38:47,657
was real could lie
751
00:38:47,659 --> 00:38:49,759
in a never-before-explored
swath of land
752
00:38:49,761 --> 00:38:53,163
surrounding the ancient city
of Troy,
753
00:38:53,165 --> 00:38:55,632
which myth and legends say
is the final resting spot
754
00:38:55,634 --> 00:38:59,235
of the infamous
Greek warrior Achilles.
755
00:38:59,237 --> 00:39:01,438
You want to find other mounds,
right?
756
00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:04,040
We know that there are some up
the ridge here
757
00:39:04,042 --> 00:39:06,443
and a bit further north.
758
00:39:06,445 --> 00:39:09,312
FOX: A week ago, we deployed a
state-of-the-art survey drone
759
00:39:09,314 --> 00:39:10,747
to scan this area
760
00:39:10,749 --> 00:39:14,351
where dozens of unexamined
burial mounds still lie.
761
00:39:14,353 --> 00:39:15,819
Could one of them hold
the remains
762
00:39:15,821 --> 00:39:19,489
of a 3,000-year-old
half-man, half-god?
763
00:39:19,491 --> 00:39:21,024
- Hello.
- Hey.
764
00:39:21,026 --> 00:39:22,025
- How are you?
- How's it going?
765
00:39:22,027 --> 00:39:24,227
FOX: The results are in.
766
00:39:24,229 --> 00:39:26,529
All right. I'm ready
to see what you have.
767
00:39:26,531 --> 00:39:28,565
Yeah, we got
some data for you.
768
00:39:28,567 --> 00:39:30,834
FOX:
I'm meeting with Eric Agnello
and Kory Kellum
769
00:39:30,836 --> 00:39:34,471
of Phoenix LiDAR
in Culver City, California.
770
00:39:34,473 --> 00:39:37,140
They're experts at analyzing
survey data for clues
771
00:39:37,142 --> 00:39:40,443
of what lies below
the Earth's surface.
772
00:39:40,445 --> 00:39:42,178
FOX: We wanted to take a look
at the mounds
773
00:39:42,180 --> 00:39:44,514
and see if there were
any anomalies
774
00:39:44,516 --> 00:39:46,182
or what we could see
775
00:39:46,184 --> 00:39:48,551
that could give us
more information about Achilles.
776
00:39:48,553 --> 00:39:51,054
We were able to make
a 3-D representation
777
00:39:51,056 --> 00:39:53,456
of most of the terrain.
778
00:39:53,458 --> 00:39:54,858
And definitely, I think,
779
00:39:54,860 --> 00:39:57,861
the most interesting thing
here is this mound here.
780
00:39:57,863 --> 00:40:00,764
♪♪
781
00:40:00,766 --> 00:40:03,333
Clearly very uniform,
it's very even.
782
00:40:03,335 --> 00:40:06,436
If we go to the backside,
however,
783
00:40:06,438 --> 00:40:08,071
what you can't see
with the naked eye,
784
00:40:08,073 --> 00:40:09,873
and you can see
from the data set,
785
00:40:09,875 --> 00:40:13,777
is what appears to be
kind of a shelving here.
786
00:40:13,779 --> 00:40:17,046
It's hidden by the
vegetation that's there,
787
00:40:17,048 --> 00:40:18,281
but if you pull a good
cross section,
788
00:40:18,283 --> 00:40:20,316
you can see that we do
have one area here
789
00:40:20,318 --> 00:40:23,853
where there definitely
is some kind of a shelf.
790
00:40:23,855 --> 00:40:26,222
To me, that's an obvious
anomaly.
791
00:40:26,224 --> 00:40:28,024
Okay.
What would that be?
792
00:40:28,026 --> 00:40:29,526
My first thought would
be that there was
793
00:40:29,528 --> 00:40:33,696
some kind of an entry point
to whatever is underneath.
794
00:40:33,698 --> 00:40:35,198
FOX:
This strange shelf-like anomaly
795
00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,033
jutting out
from the burial mound
796
00:40:37,035 --> 00:40:40,570
is consistent with the work
of ancient Greeks.
797
00:40:40,572 --> 00:40:43,173
Throughout antiquity, Greeks
buried their most important
798
00:40:43,175 --> 00:40:45,842
heroes in beehive-shaped tombs.
799
00:40:45,844 --> 00:40:47,744
They were often equipped
with entrances that,
800
00:40:47,746 --> 00:40:51,948
when viewed from the side,
stuck out like large shelves.
801
00:40:51,950 --> 00:40:56,152
We can do a width on that...
whatever that shelf is.
802
00:40:56,154 --> 00:41:00,523
The opening is 20 feet, about
the width of a two-car garage.
803
00:41:00,525 --> 00:41:02,792
It would've required
a lot of manpower
804
00:41:02,794 --> 00:41:06,529
to put something
like this there.
805
00:41:06,531 --> 00:41:08,865
FOX: It's obvious that that
was regarded
806
00:41:08,867 --> 00:41:10,800
as some sort of
an important site.
807
00:41:10,802 --> 00:41:12,702
We don't know what they were
using it for,
808
00:41:12,704 --> 00:41:16,539
and until we're able to go there
and excavate and explore,
809
00:41:16,541 --> 00:41:18,541
it's, you know, anybody's guess.
810
00:41:18,543 --> 00:41:20,977
AGNELLO:
Given the disturbance on
the backside that we looked at,
811
00:41:20,979 --> 00:41:24,113
this was put there
for a significant purpose.
812
00:41:24,115 --> 00:41:25,982
Okay, so Achilles
could be there.
813
00:41:25,984 --> 00:41:28,585
- Yeah. This is important.
- Or anybody could be there.
814
00:41:28,587 --> 00:41:31,321
FOX:
I do believe Achilles existed,
815
00:41:31,323 --> 00:41:35,158
and I do believe that he was
buried in that region somewhere.
816
00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:38,761
♪♪
817
00:41:38,763 --> 00:41:41,631
FOX:
In the last several decades,
archaeological discoveries
818
00:41:41,633 --> 00:41:44,334
have proven
that the mythical city of Troy,
819
00:41:44,336 --> 00:41:47,103
that Homer described
in his epic poem "The Iliad"
820
00:41:47,105 --> 00:41:50,940
nearly 3,000 years ago,
was real.
821
00:41:50,942 --> 00:41:54,511
We've been able to show
that this was a mighty city.
822
00:41:54,513 --> 00:41:56,412
FOX:
And a great battle took place.
823
00:41:56,414 --> 00:42:01,150
So these were being shot
by the enemy at the Trojan wall.
824
00:42:01,152 --> 00:42:02,552
Yes.
825
00:42:03,522 --> 00:42:07,423
FOX:
Each new discovery refocuses
our view on the Trojan War
826
00:42:07,425 --> 00:42:09,425
and suggests that
this ancient work of fiction
827
00:42:09,427 --> 00:42:12,395
may actually be a window
into the past,
828
00:42:12,397 --> 00:42:14,864
so if Achilles did slay
the great Hector,
829
00:42:14,866 --> 00:42:17,634
and the Trojan horse
was the key to a Greek victory,
830
00:42:17,636 --> 00:42:19,636
what other myths
of the ancient world
831
00:42:19,638 --> 00:42:23,439
that we've written off
as fiction might also be true?
832
00:42:23,441 --> 00:42:28,444
♪♪
66390
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