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Narrator:
A mysterious lake
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deep beneath the city
of chichen itza.
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00:00:08,909 --> 00:00:10,309
A secret mountain trail
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00:00:10,311 --> 00:00:13,645
that disappears
high above machu picchu.
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00:00:15,750 --> 00:00:20,719
Lost pyramids covered
by the jungles of guatemala.
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00:00:20,721 --> 00:00:22,721
The wonders
of the ancient americas
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00:00:22,723 --> 00:00:25,691
are still brimming
with new discoveries.
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Every day is different
in machu picchu.
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00:00:28,262 --> 00:00:30,462
Every minute is different
in machu picchu.
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Narrator:
Seven legendary monuments
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00:00:32,266 --> 00:00:35,100
defined the ancient americas.
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00:00:35,102 --> 00:00:38,570
Now investigators use
innovative laser technology
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to strip away the forests
that cover them
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and reveal new images
in the desert.
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This lets us see the maya ruins
in a way that we never
thought possible.
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Narrator:
How did the ancient americans
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build such remarkable monuments?
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And why do they look so similar
to the wonders of the old world?
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To solve these mysteries,
we'll blow apart
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mighty pyramids.
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We'll lift up
gigantic stone heads
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from the jungle
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and crack the secret code
behind the bizarre nazca lines.
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Seven astonishing wonders will
reveal the rise of civilization
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in the ancient americas.
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-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com
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captions paid for by
discovery communications
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♪
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the americas, 1492.
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Three spanish ships led
by christopher columbus
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arrive in the new world.
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Here, europeans
encounter wonders
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beyond their imagination --
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mighty pyramids, vast cities,
and temples covered in gold.
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Incredibly, the people
of the americas
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build their wonders
without the technology
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used in the old world.
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They don't use the wheel,
metal construction tools,
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or even beasts of burden.
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How do they engineer
incredible megastructures
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00:02:16,737 --> 00:02:22,274
that rival the monuments
of ancient egypt, babylon,
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and greece?
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A clue lies
with the first wonder,
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in modern-day mexico --
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the stepped pyramid
of chichen itza.
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A thousand years ago,
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this is a powerful,
working city,
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home to 30,000 people,
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the greatest metropolis
of the ancient maya.
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A civilization known
for its remarkable skill
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in astronomy, mathematics,
and architecture.
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Archeologists like memo de anda
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are still making new discoveries
at this mysterious jungle city
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00:03:05,219 --> 00:03:09,655
and its awe-inspiring buildings.
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00:03:09,657 --> 00:03:11,823
Hidden in an
ancient mayan temple,
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00:03:11,825 --> 00:03:18,664
a limestone altar engraved
with scenes of human sacrifice
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and a lost cave
beneath the metropolis,
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untouched for a thousand years,
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filled with offerings
to the gods.
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And 15 miles outside the city,
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aerial laser scans
reveal the true extent
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of a mayan superhighway
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that connects the nearby cities
of coba and yaxuna.
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00:03:42,256 --> 00:03:44,489
But chichen itza's
famous pyramid
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remains one of
the most mysterious of all.
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It contains many secrets,
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despite more than
100 years of archeology.
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We're just scratching
the surface.
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That's literally
what we're doing.
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I'm sure this building
is still hiding
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many, many secrets inside.
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Narrator:
Later, nicknamed "el castillo,"
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spanish for "castle,"
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its beauty rivals,
the great pyramid of giza.
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Built from tens of thousands
of limestone blocks,
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it towers nearly 100 feet high,
as tall as a 10-story building.
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At its peak, a sacred temple
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dedicated to the serpent god,
kukulkan.
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On each side, steep steps
that reflect the maya calendar.
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And at the base, snakeheads.
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How did ancient engineers
build this 60,000-ton structure?
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♪
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the pyramid we see today
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is at least
a thousand years old.
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It shares many similarities
with those in egypt,
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00:05:05,339 --> 00:05:10,375
despite being more
than 7,000 miles away.
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Like the great pyramid,
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the oldest of the original
seven wonders,
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it is made from limestone.
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Chichen itza's design
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also resembles the
stepped pyramid of saqqara
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and the tower of babel
in iraq.
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But the ancient americans
who build it
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only have
stone construction tools,
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unlike their counterparts
in ancient egypt,
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babylon, or greece,
who use metal.
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How do the maya
construct this stone giant
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with the technology
available to them?
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The first step
is to find the limestone.
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Memo searches for it in
the jungle that covers the city.
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♪
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de anda: The maya didn't have to
really go far away
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to find the material
to build their big cities.
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Limestone -- it's everywhere.
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The material is
beneath their feet --
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all this material
is right there.
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Narrator: The limestone
lies within very easy reach.
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The soil is very, very thin.
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00:06:22,950 --> 00:06:26,585
It's not even
two centimeters of soil
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that's laying over
the huge limestone bedrock.
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It's limestone all around us.
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It's actually
the whole peninsula.
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It's a big limestone platform.
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Narrator: Limestone is the
crucial ingredient that allows
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the maya to construct
chichen itza's great buildings.
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But where do workers mine it?
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Just over a quarter of a mile
from the castillo pyramid,
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memo uncovers extraordinary
evidence of a quarry.
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Right here,
we can see a pre-form.
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It's a huge piece of rock --
of limestone --
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that they started working.
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'cause, see,
this is perfectly round,
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and we can see on one side
the start of the formation
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of a mouth of a snake.
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But somehow, they leave it here.
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Maybe because it got broken.
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Narrator: Maya craftsmen
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carved this huge block
a thousand years ago.
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De anda:
And it shows us by being here
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is that they obtained
the material,
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and they work it right here.
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They take it when it was
finished up to the city.
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So that's pretty amazing.
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Narrator:
The local geology provides
chichen itza's builders
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with an endless supply
of limestone.
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But without metal tools,
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00:07:53,607 --> 00:07:57,142
how do they lift the stone
out of the ground?
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00:07:57,144 --> 00:08:00,111
Archeologists think the builders
of the egyptian pyramids
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00:08:00,113 --> 00:08:04,049
used copper chisels,
drills, and saws.
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00:08:04,051 --> 00:08:05,317
The builders of babylon
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00:08:05,319 --> 00:08:08,420
have even stronger
tools made of iron.
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De anda: It is interesting,
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00:08:09,857 --> 00:08:11,423
and it's amazing
at the same time.
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00:08:11,425 --> 00:08:14,292
How can they build
these fantastic cities
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00:08:14,294 --> 00:08:17,128
only with stone tools?
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00:08:17,130 --> 00:08:19,998
One theory is that
the resourceful maya came up
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00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,635
with an ingenious solution.
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00:08:23,637 --> 00:08:28,807
They use shards of razor-sharp
stones, like chert,
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00:08:28,809 --> 00:08:31,610
sometimes attaching them
to wooden sticks.
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They gouge deep channels
into the ground,
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carving a checkerboard pattern
into the limestone.
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The workers dig down
until they reach a natural break
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in the limestone bedrock.
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This way,
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the checkerboard blocks
crack away from the ground.
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Then they use wooden levers
to pry the blocks out.
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♪
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to test this idea,
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00:09:12,619 --> 00:09:15,554
memo heads to
a stonemason's yard in merida,
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around 70 miles
from chichen itza.
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♪
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the stonemasons attempt
an experiment.
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They will use wooden levers
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to try to extract
a two-ton limestone block,
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just as the ancient maya
would have done.
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De anda: All the stones they
put there to make a lever.
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00:09:43,784 --> 00:09:46,017
I think we put
a little bit too many.
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00:09:46,019 --> 00:09:50,322
So we need space
for the big lever.
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These guys are extraordinarily
skillful and strong.
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I mean, they're great.
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So far, so good.
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[ laughs ]
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narrator: Shifting the limestone
the old fashioned way
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00:10:04,004 --> 00:10:08,440
requires both technique
and plenty of strength.
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00:10:08,442 --> 00:10:10,008
De anda: Today, that I have
the opportunity
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00:10:10,010 --> 00:10:13,311
to move this relatively
small stone
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and it was so hard.
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And there were
a lot of people,
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I realized how hard it was.
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And I'm getting more and more
and more respect for the maya,
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for what they do.
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It's amazing.
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Wow, that was great.
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[ laughs ]
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these guys are great.
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[ applause ]
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wow.
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Narrator: The maya
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rely on human power alone
to build their pyramids.
190
00:10:42,876 --> 00:10:46,978
In ancient egypt, the pharaohs
similarly use armies of workers
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00:10:46,980 --> 00:10:50,682
to drag the heavy stone
blocks they need.
192
00:10:50,684 --> 00:10:54,352
But they also have beasts
of burden like cattle,
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00:10:54,354 --> 00:10:58,356
which do not exist
in the americas.
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00:10:58,358 --> 00:11:01,126
The ancient greeks
who build the temple of artemis
195
00:11:01,128 --> 00:11:04,929
or the lighthouse of alexandria
use levers and pulleys.
196
00:11:07,801 --> 00:11:10,301
The architects of the new world
and the old
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00:11:10,303 --> 00:11:12,103
use different tools
and techniques
198
00:11:12,105 --> 00:11:14,439
to construct their wonders.
199
00:11:16,677 --> 00:11:18,076
But, incredibly,
200
00:11:18,078 --> 00:11:22,280
they all create
similar-looking monuments.
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The great pyramid
at chichen itza
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is just one of hundreds
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00:11:26,053 --> 00:11:29,821
that cover mexico
and central america.
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00:11:29,823 --> 00:11:31,623
There are more
pyramid structures
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00:11:31,625 --> 00:11:35,960
in the americas than egypt.
206
00:11:35,962 --> 00:11:39,064
Why are civilizations
on opposite sides of the globe
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obsessed with these buildings?
208
00:11:41,134 --> 00:11:44,869
What are they all for?
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00:11:44,871 --> 00:11:48,339
New technology reveals
an astonishing secret
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00:11:48,341 --> 00:11:52,410
hidden deep beneath
chichen itza's pyramid.
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00:11:52,412 --> 00:11:55,313
And what are these
giant stone heads
212
00:11:55,315 --> 00:11:58,216
concealed in the jungle?
213
00:12:06,393 --> 00:12:09,127
Narrator: The huge
stepped pyramids of mexico
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00:12:09,129 --> 00:12:12,997
are incredible wonders.
215
00:12:12,999 --> 00:12:17,235
These engineering marvels
define the ancient americas.
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00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,474
But they share many
remarkable similarities
217
00:12:22,476 --> 00:12:26,611
with those
in egypt and babylonia.
218
00:12:26,613 --> 00:12:29,247
Why do people with no knowledge
of each other
219
00:12:29,249 --> 00:12:32,650
build the same megastructures?
220
00:12:32,652 --> 00:12:37,756
In egypt,
almost all pyramids are tombs.
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00:12:37,758 --> 00:12:39,424
The great pyramid of giza,
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00:12:39,426 --> 00:12:41,593
the first wonder
of the ancient world,
223
00:12:41,595 --> 00:12:45,396
is the final resting place
for a pharaoh called khufu.
224
00:12:47,367 --> 00:12:51,669
But its american cousin at
chichen itza is very different.
225
00:12:54,674 --> 00:12:56,641
The pyramid at chichen itza
226
00:12:56,643 --> 00:12:59,778
is a temple
brimming with symbolism.
227
00:12:59,780 --> 00:13:05,116
It serves as a monumental
calendar for the city.
228
00:13:05,118 --> 00:13:10,822
18 stone terraces represent
the 18 mayan months of the year.
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00:13:10,824 --> 00:13:14,926
91 steps on each side,
plus the top platform,
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00:13:14,928 --> 00:13:17,695
give 365 steps,
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00:13:17,697 --> 00:13:19,998
one for each day of their year.
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00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,700
And twice a year on the equinox,
233
00:13:22,702 --> 00:13:25,937
the sun casts a shadow
so perfectly aligned,
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00:13:25,939 --> 00:13:31,176
an immense snake appears
to slither down the main steps.
235
00:13:31,178 --> 00:13:33,478
This is the serpent god,
kukulkan,
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00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,181
to whom
the temple is dedicated.
237
00:13:38,919 --> 00:13:42,787
It's hard to understand how
they could master the technique,
238
00:13:42,789 --> 00:13:45,657
not only to build
this fantastic building,
239
00:13:45,659 --> 00:13:47,258
but to make it so beautiful,
240
00:13:47,260 --> 00:13:51,262
so interesting,
and relate it to the sun,
241
00:13:51,264 --> 00:13:54,299
to relate it to the changes
of seasons.
242
00:13:54,301 --> 00:13:56,935
It's great.
243
00:13:56,937 --> 00:13:59,971
Narrator: The shape and function
of the american pyramids
244
00:13:59,973 --> 00:14:02,540
have more in common
with ziggurat temples
245
00:14:02,542 --> 00:14:04,408
like the tower of babel
246
00:14:04,410 --> 00:14:07,045
than the pyramids of egypt.
247
00:14:07,047 --> 00:14:10,281
Both structures soar
to the heavens.
248
00:14:10,283 --> 00:14:14,552
But chichen itza also hides
an incredible secret beneath it.
249
00:14:16,656 --> 00:14:18,957
New radar technology
strips away
250
00:14:18,959 --> 00:14:22,393
the pyramid's
thick limestone shell
251
00:14:22,395 --> 00:14:25,129
and peers through a layer
of rubble
252
00:14:25,131 --> 00:14:26,531
to reveal how it stands
253
00:14:26,533 --> 00:14:32,003
on top of a giant
underground cave full of water,
254
00:14:32,005 --> 00:14:36,774
a formation known as a cenote.
255
00:14:36,776 --> 00:14:41,913
The cave contains as much water
as six olympic swimming pools.
256
00:14:41,915 --> 00:14:46,484
It extends more than
65 feet underground.
257
00:14:46,486 --> 00:14:47,852
This new discovery
258
00:14:47,854 --> 00:14:52,056
is one of the most stunning
finds in mayan archeology.
259
00:14:52,058 --> 00:14:54,225
Could the existence
of this hidden lake
260
00:14:54,227 --> 00:14:56,928
explain why the pyramid is here?
261
00:14:59,733 --> 00:15:04,035
Without digging, there's
no way to access the cenote.
262
00:15:04,037 --> 00:15:07,572
Archeologists hunt for a tunnel
that might lead to it.
263
00:15:07,574 --> 00:15:10,041
But there is more than one
cenote in the area
264
00:15:10,043 --> 00:15:12,443
around chichen itza.
265
00:15:12,445 --> 00:15:14,312
Archeologist memo de anda
266
00:15:14,314 --> 00:15:17,048
investigates
nearby cenote holtun.
267
00:15:17,984 --> 00:15:19,450
Ready to go.
268
00:15:19,452 --> 00:15:20,685
Narrator: The only way
269
00:15:20,687 --> 00:15:24,756
to explore this hidden lake
is to dive.
270
00:15:24,758 --> 00:15:30,762
The way in is a vertical abseil
into the dark.
271
00:15:30,764 --> 00:15:34,565
This is not
for the faint-hearted.
272
00:15:34,567 --> 00:15:39,771
The vast cavern extends
over 220 feet down.
273
00:15:39,773 --> 00:15:42,173
It contains a large
underground lake.
274
00:15:42,175 --> 00:15:46,377
More than 160 feet deep.
275
00:15:46,379 --> 00:15:48,179
De anda:
Going down in a cenote
276
00:15:48,181 --> 00:15:51,482
is one the best experiences
in the world.
277
00:15:51,484 --> 00:15:59,457
♪
278
00:15:59,459 --> 00:16:02,961
narrator: More than 6,000
underground lakes exist
279
00:16:02,963 --> 00:16:06,998
in this part
of central america alone.
280
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,434
De anda:
We're about 8, 9 meters down
281
00:16:09,436 --> 00:16:14,639
and can see the cultural
richness of this place.
282
00:16:14,641 --> 00:16:19,043
♪
283
00:16:19,045 --> 00:16:21,813
and I don't want to approach
too close
284
00:16:21,815 --> 00:16:26,084
because it can destroy
everything in a second.
285
00:16:26,086 --> 00:16:29,554
Narrator: Memo is making some
astonishing discoveries --
286
00:16:29,556 --> 00:16:33,591
ceramic offerings,
animal bones, and human remains,
287
00:16:33,593 --> 00:16:36,861
left here
when the water level is lower.
288
00:16:36,863 --> 00:16:39,497
Each time he dives
into this cenote,
289
00:16:39,499 --> 00:16:43,234
memo takes
high-resolution photographs.
290
00:16:46,339 --> 00:16:50,141
This cenote is a sacred place
for the maya.
291
00:16:53,413 --> 00:16:56,848
De anda: Right in front of me,
you can see a shelf.
292
00:16:56,850 --> 00:17:02,687
It's a natural shelf, ideal
to make a ritual deposit.
293
00:17:02,689 --> 00:17:04,722
Narrator:
More bones, other offerings
294
00:17:04,724 --> 00:17:08,993
and even traces of charcoal
remain on this shelf.
295
00:17:08,995 --> 00:17:14,532
Amazingly, it appears this
platform is once a sacred altar.
296
00:17:14,534 --> 00:17:17,635
De anda: This is part
of the spiritual world.
297
00:17:17,637 --> 00:17:22,073
Cenotes are silent witnesses
of very important part
298
00:17:22,075 --> 00:17:24,342
of the ancient maya life.
299
00:17:24,344 --> 00:17:27,111
This is a very important
part of their universe.
300
00:17:27,113 --> 00:17:29,013
[ conversing in spanish ]
301
00:17:31,084 --> 00:17:34,652
narrator: Memo has found some
truly extraordinary evidence
302
00:17:34,654 --> 00:17:37,622
about the rites
conducted in this cenote.
303
00:17:39,726 --> 00:17:41,759
De anda: It's was
a very, very nice dive,
304
00:17:41,761 --> 00:17:45,963
and I think we get
what we needed.
305
00:17:45,965 --> 00:17:48,332
Narrator: Memo has been
photographing this site
306
00:17:48,334 --> 00:17:49,834
for five years.
307
00:17:49,836 --> 00:17:51,636
A custom-made computer program
308
00:17:51,638 --> 00:17:54,472
processes the photos
taken so far
309
00:17:54,474 --> 00:17:56,307
and turns them into
astonishing,
310
00:17:56,309 --> 00:18:00,912
three-dimensional models
of his discoveries.
311
00:18:00,914 --> 00:18:02,246
De anda:
What I'm looking at right now,
312
00:18:02,248 --> 00:18:05,516
it's a bird's-eye view
of the whole shelf.
313
00:18:05,518 --> 00:18:08,453
This is an amazing,
amazing image.
314
00:18:08,455 --> 00:18:11,355
Is the next best thing
of having an object in my hand.
315
00:18:11,357 --> 00:18:16,394
And the beauty of this
is that we leave them there.
316
00:18:16,396 --> 00:18:17,562
Narrator: These objects
317
00:18:17,564 --> 00:18:20,665
are probably offerings
to the rain god.
318
00:18:20,667 --> 00:18:23,101
There's no way of knowing
if similar ones lie
319
00:18:23,103 --> 00:18:26,137
in the cenote
beneath el castillo.
320
00:18:26,139 --> 00:18:28,806
But archeologists think
these underground lakes
321
00:18:28,808 --> 00:18:31,075
are sacred to the maya.
322
00:18:33,213 --> 00:18:37,248
De anda: This is el castillo,
or kukulkan temple.
323
00:18:37,250 --> 00:18:40,118
One of the things that's amazing
about this building
324
00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:44,755
is that it's situated right in
the middle of four cenotes.
325
00:18:44,757 --> 00:18:48,693
It's the sacred cenote
to the north,
326
00:18:48,695 --> 00:18:51,696
the xtoloc cenote to the south,
327
00:18:51,698 --> 00:18:55,900
sagrado cenote to the east,
328
00:18:55,902 --> 00:18:58,936
and holtun cenote to the west.
329
00:18:58,938 --> 00:19:01,372
Narrator: The ancient maya
divide their universe
330
00:19:01,374 --> 00:19:02,807
into quadrants.
331
00:19:02,809 --> 00:19:06,410
These were aligned with
the four points of the compass.
332
00:19:06,412 --> 00:19:08,279
Could chichen itza's layout be
333
00:19:08,281 --> 00:19:14,152
a physical representation
of the maya universe?
334
00:19:14,154 --> 00:19:16,821
So if you draw two lines,
335
00:19:16,823 --> 00:19:21,692
the center of those lines
is el castillo.
336
00:19:21,694 --> 00:19:23,127
El castillo was built there
337
00:19:23,129 --> 00:19:27,131
because the orientation
of those four cenotes.
338
00:19:27,133 --> 00:19:28,733
Narrator:
How the ancient maya know
339
00:19:28,735 --> 00:19:32,603
about the fifth cenote under
the castillo remains a mystery,
340
00:19:32,605 --> 00:19:35,039
but memo believes they do
341
00:19:35,041 --> 00:19:37,241
and that the great pyramid
is built on this site
342
00:19:37,243 --> 00:19:41,445
because it symbolized
the center of the maya universe.
343
00:19:41,447 --> 00:19:44,916
De anda: When they said there is
a cenote under the castillo,
344
00:19:44,918 --> 00:19:49,987
and you see it's the center
of this sacred alignment,
345
00:19:49,989 --> 00:19:52,323
it makes a lot of sense.
346
00:19:55,662 --> 00:19:57,895
Narrator: The pyramid builders
of the americas
347
00:19:57,897 --> 00:19:59,197
share a common dream
348
00:19:59,199 --> 00:20:02,466
with those in egypt or babylon.
349
00:20:02,468 --> 00:20:04,835
Shaped by their own
unique beliefs,
350
00:20:04,837 --> 00:20:07,972
they all build monuments
worthy of the gods
351
00:20:07,974 --> 00:20:10,174
that reach towards the heavens.
352
00:20:12,946 --> 00:20:15,379
But the way the mayans
use their pyramids
353
00:20:15,381 --> 00:20:18,916
is far from unique
in the ancient americas.
354
00:20:18,918 --> 00:20:21,252
Many other cultures,
like the aztecs,
355
00:20:21,254 --> 00:20:25,456
build pyramids, too,
and believe in a serpent god.
356
00:20:25,458 --> 00:20:29,527
Could a single mother culture
be responsible for them all?
357
00:20:29,529 --> 00:20:33,764
Where does civilization
in the americas begin?
358
00:20:33,766 --> 00:20:37,335
The answer lies with
the next great wonder --
359
00:20:37,337 --> 00:20:41,939
gigantic stone heads buried
in the jungle of central mexico.
360
00:20:41,941 --> 00:20:47,511
And how many more lost cities
are waiting to be found?
361
00:20:55,088 --> 00:20:57,755
♪
362
00:20:57,757 --> 00:21:00,458
narrator: The seven wonders
of the ancient americas
363
00:21:00,460 --> 00:21:04,695
span thousands of miles
and hundreds of years.
364
00:21:04,697 --> 00:21:07,531
But could one civilization
be the inspiration
365
00:21:07,533 --> 00:21:10,034
for many of the cultures
that build them?
366
00:21:12,038 --> 00:21:16,807
A clue lies with the second
wonder, on mexico's gulf coast.
367
00:21:19,312 --> 00:21:22,246
The statues of la venta.
368
00:21:22,248 --> 00:21:25,516
Today, jungle covers
most of this site,
369
00:21:25,518 --> 00:21:28,586
but at its peak 3,000 years ago,
370
00:21:28,588 --> 00:21:30,921
la venta is
a thriving metropolis
371
00:21:30,923 --> 00:21:35,059
built by a mysterious people
called the olmecs.
372
00:21:35,061 --> 00:21:37,295
They lived thousands of years
before the mayan
373
00:21:37,297 --> 00:21:41,399
and aztec civilizations
of mexico.
374
00:21:41,401 --> 00:21:46,137
And at la venta, they leave
behind an astonishing wonder.
375
00:21:50,877 --> 00:21:54,078
Buried beneath the ground
at the heart of the city,
376
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:59,617
archeologists unearth
an enormous stone head
377
00:21:59,619 --> 00:22:03,587
carved entirely
from a single boulder.
378
00:22:07,694 --> 00:22:10,428
Nearby, they discover two more.
379
00:22:13,733 --> 00:22:17,468
Each statue stands
over seven feet high,
380
00:22:17,470 --> 00:22:23,040
weighs up to 20 tons, and wears
the same mysterious headgear.
381
00:22:23,042 --> 00:22:26,410
What are these
3,000-year-old figures?
382
00:22:26,412 --> 00:22:28,612
Could the answer reveal
how civilization
383
00:22:28,614 --> 00:22:31,182
begins in central america?
384
00:22:31,184 --> 00:22:38,656
♪
385
00:22:38,658 --> 00:22:41,459
wow, when you walk up
to these things,
386
00:22:41,461 --> 00:22:43,160
it's right there
in your face.
387
00:22:43,162 --> 00:22:45,996
They're massive.
388
00:22:45,998 --> 00:22:48,299
You can stare right
into their eyes, and, I mean,
389
00:22:48,301 --> 00:22:50,034
you can really tell
that this was an individual.
390
00:22:50,036 --> 00:22:51,502
This is a person.
391
00:22:51,504 --> 00:22:56,107
Narrator: Archeologist
carl wendt hunts for answers.
392
00:22:56,109 --> 00:22:58,376
He starts by investigating
the material
393
00:22:58,378 --> 00:23:00,077
the heads are made from.
394
00:23:00,079 --> 00:23:02,480
They're all basalt,
395
00:23:02,482 --> 00:23:05,816
a type of rock
not found at la venta.
396
00:23:05,818 --> 00:23:07,118
Wendt: Why would they carve
this stone?
397
00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:09,520
You can't find this stuff
anywhere around here.
398
00:23:09,522 --> 00:23:11,822
Bringing this stuff in
for a particular reason,
399
00:23:11,824 --> 00:23:13,290
this was important.
400
00:23:13,292 --> 00:23:14,792
And where they actually
got this rock from
401
00:23:14,794 --> 00:23:18,062
is going to tell us a lot.
402
00:23:18,064 --> 00:23:19,330
Narrator: Carl believes
403
00:23:19,332 --> 00:23:21,465
that tracking down
the source of the basalt
404
00:23:21,467 --> 00:23:24,735
will reveal why
the olmecs carved the statues
405
00:23:24,737 --> 00:23:27,071
and what they represent.
406
00:23:27,073 --> 00:23:30,007
He travels 60 miles north
of la venta
407
00:23:30,009 --> 00:23:33,411
into the tuxtla mountains.
408
00:23:33,413 --> 00:23:37,047
Today, it's a short ride
on the highway,
409
00:23:37,049 --> 00:23:41,085
but for the olmecs,
it's a three-day uphill hike.
410
00:23:41,087 --> 00:23:48,159
♪
411
00:23:48,161 --> 00:23:53,764
here, giant basalt boulders
cover a vast area.
412
00:23:53,766 --> 00:23:55,900
Carl scours the site for proof
413
00:23:55,902 --> 00:23:59,336
la venta's heads
come from this spot.
414
00:23:59,338 --> 00:24:01,105
Pushing deeper into the jungle,
415
00:24:01,107 --> 00:24:06,143
he investigates
an extraordinary discovery.
416
00:24:06,145 --> 00:24:07,511
Wendt: Oh, man.
417
00:24:07,513 --> 00:24:09,613
I've never seen
anything like this before.
418
00:24:09,615 --> 00:24:12,249
This is one of a kind.
419
00:24:12,251 --> 00:24:15,820
This is a pre-form
of an olmec colossal head.
420
00:24:15,822 --> 00:24:17,321
They would have
carved the headdress.
421
00:24:17,323 --> 00:24:21,859
Then you would come down
to the face, to the nose.
422
00:24:21,861 --> 00:24:24,128
And finally, the mouth.
423
00:24:24,130 --> 00:24:25,863
This is the exact same size
424
00:24:25,865 --> 00:24:28,999
as some of the colossal heads
at la venta.
425
00:24:29,001 --> 00:24:31,168
I mean, it's a dead ringer.
426
00:24:31,170 --> 00:24:32,736
With a few more weeks' work,
427
00:24:32,738 --> 00:24:36,373
this stone could've ended up
at la venta.
428
00:24:39,545 --> 00:24:42,279
Narrator: Basalt holds a special
meaning for the people
429
00:24:42,281 --> 00:24:44,915
who carve the heads.
430
00:24:44,917 --> 00:24:48,419
This rock is the product
of volcanic eruptions,
431
00:24:48,421 --> 00:24:49,587
a natural event
432
00:24:49,589 --> 00:24:54,525
the olmecs consider
the work of the gods.
433
00:24:54,527 --> 00:24:55,960
Wendt:
Mountains and volcanoes,
434
00:24:55,962 --> 00:25:00,064
especially, are significant
in olmec religion.
435
00:25:00,066 --> 00:25:03,701
And for these boulders, then,
to be thrown out of the volcano
436
00:25:03,703 --> 00:25:07,371
and strewn throughout this area,
the material itself
437
00:25:07,373 --> 00:25:11,041
would have had
symbolic religious significance.
438
00:25:11,043 --> 00:25:14,879
And the people whose images were
carved into these monuments,
439
00:25:14,881 --> 00:25:18,249
they were aligning themselves
with the deities.
440
00:25:20,386 --> 00:25:23,621
Narrator: Carl believes only
la venta's elite receive
441
00:25:23,623 --> 00:25:26,090
this honor.
442
00:25:26,092 --> 00:25:27,558
Wendt:
These are almost certainly
443
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:29,493
the faces of the priest-kings,
444
00:25:29,495 --> 00:25:32,062
the leaders
of the site of la venta.
445
00:25:34,333 --> 00:25:37,434
Narrator: Incredibly, there is
evidence these people could be
446
00:25:37,436 --> 00:25:42,072
the first royal family
in the americas.
447
00:25:42,074 --> 00:25:43,874
Wendt:
While the faces are different,
448
00:25:43,876 --> 00:25:47,611
we have a certain template
that all these heads follow --
449
00:25:47,613 --> 00:25:51,815
the ear spools,
the headdress, the helmet.
450
00:25:51,817 --> 00:25:53,817
And for the similarity
of design,
451
00:25:53,819 --> 00:25:56,687
it could be that
these individuals were related
452
00:25:56,689 --> 00:25:58,722
and represent not just
a succession of rulers,
453
00:25:58,724 --> 00:26:03,126
but possibly
the first dynasty.
454
00:26:03,128 --> 00:26:08,632
Narrator: The olmecs rise
to power around 1,200 b.C.
455
00:26:08,634 --> 00:26:10,734
They live at the same time
456
00:26:10,736 --> 00:26:13,237
as the new kingdom
pharaohs of egypt,
457
00:26:13,239 --> 00:26:18,576
who also commissioned
giant statues of themselves.
458
00:26:18,578 --> 00:26:19,910
At la venta,
459
00:26:19,912 --> 00:26:26,350
they build the first
planned city in ancient mexico.
460
00:26:26,352 --> 00:26:29,320
La venta has it all --
461
00:26:29,322 --> 00:26:33,190
fertile soils for growing crops,
462
00:26:33,192 --> 00:26:39,997
rich fish stocks and forests
for sourcing building materials.
463
00:26:39,999 --> 00:26:44,201
Because the area is blessed
with so many resources,
464
00:26:44,203 --> 00:26:49,073
fewer people are needed to
produce food to feed the city.
465
00:26:49,075 --> 00:26:51,942
So la venta's inhabitants
can do new jobs
466
00:26:51,944 --> 00:26:54,979
like building huge pyramids.
467
00:26:57,583 --> 00:27:00,484
The olmec lay down
the template for other cities
468
00:27:00,486 --> 00:27:02,486
in central america.
469
00:27:02,488 --> 00:27:06,790
La venta becomes mexico's
cradle of civilization.
470
00:27:09,695 --> 00:27:10,995
Wendt:
The olmec should be remembered
471
00:27:10,997 --> 00:27:13,564
for their sophistication.
472
00:27:13,566 --> 00:27:15,899
They moved hundreds of tons
of stone
473
00:27:15,901 --> 00:27:18,002
through tropical rainforest.
474
00:27:18,004 --> 00:27:20,337
They built cities out of mud.
475
00:27:20,339 --> 00:27:24,575
They developed a sophisticated
religion and symbol system.
476
00:27:24,577 --> 00:27:26,510
The more we learn
about the olmec,
477
00:27:26,512 --> 00:27:28,312
the more we're learning
about the foundations
478
00:27:28,314 --> 00:27:30,781
of mesoamerican society.
479
00:27:30,783 --> 00:27:32,983
Narrator:
Today, the olmec civilization
480
00:27:32,985 --> 00:27:35,152
lies buried in the jungle.
481
00:27:35,154 --> 00:27:37,755
But archeologists
are using new technology
482
00:27:37,757 --> 00:27:40,324
to peer beneath the trees.
483
00:27:40,326 --> 00:27:42,559
Could discoveries
at the next wonder
484
00:27:42,561 --> 00:27:45,162
reveal the true extent
of civilization
485
00:27:45,164 --> 00:27:47,297
in the ancient americas?
486
00:27:47,299 --> 00:27:51,935
And are the maya the victims
of their own success?
487
00:27:51,937 --> 00:27:57,107
♪
488
00:28:04,383 --> 00:28:07,151
narrator:
More than 2,000 years ago,
489
00:28:07,153 --> 00:28:11,989
a revolution sweeps
across the ancient americas.
490
00:28:11,991 --> 00:28:16,260
Inspired by the mysterious
olmec civilization,
491
00:28:16,262 --> 00:28:19,863
people build hulking pyramids
at cities across mexico
492
00:28:19,865 --> 00:28:21,665
and central america.
493
00:28:25,004 --> 00:28:27,871
But the third wonder
lies hidden deep
494
00:28:27,873 --> 00:28:30,474
in the jungles of guatemala --
495
00:28:30,476 --> 00:28:33,644
the mayan city of tikal.
496
00:28:36,382 --> 00:28:39,983
Peeling away the foliage
reveals the center
497
00:28:39,985 --> 00:28:43,721
of a once fabulous metropolis.
498
00:28:43,723 --> 00:28:50,594
Incredible limestone palaces sit
next to slender pyramid temples,
499
00:28:50,596 --> 00:28:55,299
some towering
over 200 feet tall.
500
00:28:55,301 --> 00:28:59,036
Giant stone slabs
commemorating tikal's rulers
501
00:28:59,038 --> 00:29:01,505
border sweeping plazas.
502
00:29:03,943 --> 00:29:06,577
Tikal is home
to the finest concentration
503
00:29:06,579 --> 00:29:09,413
of mayan architecture
in the americas.
504
00:29:11,884 --> 00:29:15,753
Could there be even
more concealed by the jungle?
505
00:29:19,391 --> 00:29:21,692
Archeologist tom garrison
believes
506
00:29:21,694 --> 00:29:23,894
we've only scratched the surface
507
00:29:23,896 --> 00:29:25,763
of what lies hidden here.
508
00:29:25,765 --> 00:29:27,131
Garrison: In my archeology,
509
00:29:27,133 --> 00:29:29,399
it's relatively easy
to find the cities.
510
00:29:29,401 --> 00:29:30,968
They have these massive pyramids
511
00:29:30,970 --> 00:29:33,370
that stick out
of the jungle canopy.
512
00:29:33,372 --> 00:29:34,705
But as you move further
513
00:29:34,707 --> 00:29:37,941
and further outside
of this central area,
514
00:29:37,943 --> 00:29:40,911
the city becomes buried
under this weight of jungle.
515
00:29:40,913 --> 00:29:44,348
And it becomes very difficult
to determine just how vast
516
00:29:44,350 --> 00:29:48,152
and how extensive a place
like tikal really was.
517
00:29:48,154 --> 00:29:50,220
Narrator: Previous attempts
by investigators
518
00:29:50,222 --> 00:29:52,356
to understand
the scale of tikal
519
00:29:52,358 --> 00:29:57,594
by hacking through the jungle
prove impossible.
520
00:29:57,596 --> 00:30:02,266
But now a pioneering new
technique gives tom the edge.
521
00:30:02,268 --> 00:30:06,637
It uses special laser-scanning
technology called lidar
522
00:30:06,639 --> 00:30:08,839
to see through the trees.
523
00:30:11,010 --> 00:30:14,144
A plane-mounted sensor shoots
laser beams
524
00:30:14,146 --> 00:30:16,947
through the jungle canopy
to the floor,
525
00:30:16,949 --> 00:30:21,285
building a picture
of the lost areas of the city.
526
00:30:21,287 --> 00:30:23,187
Garrison:
What this allows us to do
527
00:30:23,189 --> 00:30:26,156
is essentially
digitally deforest the jungle.
528
00:30:26,158 --> 00:30:28,725
And this lets us see the maya
ruins underneath in a way
529
00:30:28,727 --> 00:30:30,594
that we never thought possible.
530
00:30:30,596 --> 00:30:33,597
So now we can see
more of tikal.
531
00:30:33,599 --> 00:30:37,968
Narrator: Lidar peels back over
a thousand years of history
532
00:30:37,970 --> 00:30:41,572
to reveal what tom's
been searching for.
533
00:30:41,574 --> 00:30:45,142
Garrison: We can see the map of
the site's core crystal clear.
534
00:30:45,144 --> 00:30:48,946
We can see the distinctive shape
of tikal's road systems.
535
00:30:48,948 --> 00:30:52,349
Narrator: Lidar reveals
a sprawling road network
536
00:30:52,351 --> 00:30:56,153
encompassing an area
of 16 square miles.
537
00:30:56,155 --> 00:30:57,421
The roads lead
538
00:30:57,423 --> 00:31:00,490
to previously undiscovered
parts of the city --
539
00:31:00,492 --> 00:31:05,529
temples, fortresses,
and residential districts.
540
00:31:05,531 --> 00:31:07,331
There are thousands
of structures out there
541
00:31:07,333 --> 00:31:09,132
in the jungle
that would have been the houses
542
00:31:09,134 --> 00:31:12,970
of the everyday people that
made up most of the population.
543
00:31:12,972 --> 00:31:15,072
The lidar data
over tikal revealed
544
00:31:15,074 --> 00:31:16,340
the city is even larger
545
00:31:16,342 --> 00:31:19,176
and more massive
than we previously thought.
546
00:31:19,178 --> 00:31:23,146
Narrator: Based on tikal's size,
tom estimates the city's kings
547
00:31:23,148 --> 00:31:27,951
likely rule over more
than 100,000 people.
548
00:31:27,953 --> 00:31:31,588
This makes tikal one of
the largest cities ever to exist
549
00:31:31,590 --> 00:31:33,557
in the ancient americas.
550
00:31:35,928 --> 00:31:38,362
Tom's latest lidar results
suggest
551
00:31:38,364 --> 00:31:41,198
that an astonishing
60,000 structures
552
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:44,101
lie buried
in the jungles of guatemala.
553
00:31:46,705 --> 00:31:49,673
The mayans build
an urban civilization,
554
00:31:49,675 --> 00:31:53,610
just like the people
of ancient babylonia or egypt.
555
00:31:55,915 --> 00:31:58,649
But all ancient cities
depend on farming
556
00:31:58,651 --> 00:32:02,486
to feed their huge population.
557
00:32:02,488 --> 00:32:06,356
So how does tikal survive?
558
00:32:06,358 --> 00:32:10,193
The lidar data
reveals another clue.
559
00:32:10,195 --> 00:32:13,063
Tom discovers unusual
linear features
560
00:32:13,065 --> 00:32:18,535
hidden in the heavily forested,
swampy ground outside tikal.
561
00:32:18,537 --> 00:32:21,772
Garrison: This doesn't seem to
be a natural feature.
562
00:32:21,774 --> 00:32:24,808
And what this makes us
wonder is, is this agriculture?
563
00:32:24,810 --> 00:32:30,113
Is this how they're feeding
that vast population at tikal?
564
00:32:30,115 --> 00:32:31,782
Narrator: To find answers,
565
00:32:31,784 --> 00:32:35,018
tom must investigate
in the field.
566
00:32:35,020 --> 00:32:37,621
G.P.S. Guides him and his team
567
00:32:37,623 --> 00:32:43,093
to the exact spot
identified in the lidar scan.
568
00:32:43,095 --> 00:32:46,530
They hack through
dense jungle to get to the site.
569
00:32:49,768 --> 00:32:52,302
Garrison: Well, we're here.
570
00:32:52,304 --> 00:32:54,705
I think what we're seeing,
all of these little ridges,
571
00:32:54,707 --> 00:32:57,140
these are the subtle features
that we must be seeing,
572
00:32:57,142 --> 00:33:00,510
and it goes on
for kilometers.
573
00:33:00,512 --> 00:33:02,512
These are gonna be
the agricultural fields
574
00:33:02,514 --> 00:33:04,748
of the people of tikal.
575
00:33:04,750 --> 00:33:06,183
Narrator:
The ridges suggests
576
00:33:06,185 --> 00:33:08,618
tikal's rulers
deforest and drain
577
00:33:08,620 --> 00:33:13,523
the only fertile areas
close to the city, the swamps.
578
00:33:13,525 --> 00:33:18,328
They then cut a network
of terraces to cultivate crops.
579
00:33:18,330 --> 00:33:21,031
Garrison: And that's
what's going to be
the lifeblood of the city.
580
00:33:21,033 --> 00:33:23,367
That's what supports
this massive population.
581
00:33:23,369 --> 00:33:26,803
And when you have more people,
your city has more power,
582
00:33:26,805 --> 00:33:28,472
you have more wealth.
583
00:33:28,474 --> 00:33:30,707
It could be that
it's these swampy areas,
584
00:33:30,709 --> 00:33:32,542
where we
can hardly see anything,
585
00:33:32,544 --> 00:33:36,380
that are actually the key
to understanding tikal.
586
00:33:36,382 --> 00:33:39,016
Narrator: Tikal's population
burned the jungle
587
00:33:39,018 --> 00:33:40,317
to clear it of trees
588
00:33:40,319 --> 00:33:43,186
before building
the city's terrace system
589
00:33:43,188 --> 00:33:48,191
and planting crops in soil
fertilized by the ash.
590
00:33:48,193 --> 00:33:50,827
To get the most out
of this precious land,
591
00:33:50,829 --> 00:33:55,232
they grow squash on the ground,
maize that rises up through it,
592
00:33:55,234 --> 00:33:58,035
and beans that climb up
the corn.
593
00:33:58,037 --> 00:34:01,038
Maze is their
most important crop.
594
00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:02,672
As a daily staple,
595
00:34:02,674 --> 00:34:07,110
the maya eat it boiled
as gruel or ground into flour
596
00:34:07,112 --> 00:34:09,913
to make tamales and tortillas.
597
00:34:09,915 --> 00:34:13,717
This agricultural land
is so vital to the maya
598
00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,354
that the maize god
is one of their chief deities.
599
00:34:21,627 --> 00:34:26,329
Tikal is an ancient
american superpower.
600
00:34:26,331 --> 00:34:29,633
But great cities like this
suddenly collapse
601
00:34:29,635 --> 00:34:32,936
1,100 years ago.
602
00:34:32,938 --> 00:34:35,672
What brings
the great mayan civilization
603
00:34:35,674 --> 00:34:40,377
in the ancient americas
to an end?
604
00:34:40,379 --> 00:34:42,813
And why do people
in south america
605
00:34:42,815 --> 00:34:46,316
create an entirely different
kind of wonder?
606
00:34:46,318 --> 00:34:49,119
♪
607
00:34:58,230 --> 00:35:00,330
narrator:
1,300 years ago,
608
00:35:00,332 --> 00:35:04,534
the mayan civilization is one
of the greatest on the planet.
609
00:35:04,536 --> 00:35:08,338
Millions of people live
in dazzling cities like tikal.
610
00:35:10,576 --> 00:35:13,477
They build huge
pyramid temples
611
00:35:13,479 --> 00:35:16,746
constructed with simple
stone tools.
612
00:35:16,748 --> 00:35:20,750
But today, almost all of it
is gone.
613
00:35:20,752 --> 00:35:26,123
♪
614
00:35:26,125 --> 00:35:30,660
rising from the thick jungle...
615
00:35:30,662 --> 00:35:35,799
Tikal's biggest pyramid
is a wonder of engineering.
616
00:35:35,801 --> 00:35:38,368
Consisting of seven platforms,
617
00:35:38,370 --> 00:35:42,139
ascended by incredible
steep steps,
618
00:35:42,141 --> 00:35:46,276
climbing over 200 feet high
619
00:35:46,278 --> 00:35:50,147
and crowned with a shrine
to the gods.
620
00:35:50,149 --> 00:35:52,816
This is the tallest
manmade structure
621
00:35:52,818 --> 00:35:55,652
in the ancient americas.
622
00:35:55,654 --> 00:36:00,023
But by the 1500s, it is
so completely overgrown,
623
00:36:00,025 --> 00:36:04,694
the first european explorers
never even find it.
624
00:36:04,696 --> 00:36:07,864
What happens to this
mighty civilization?
625
00:36:10,602 --> 00:36:13,136
Lucero: The classic maya
where a complex society.
626
00:36:13,138 --> 00:36:16,740
There's likely not one reason
for its demise.
627
00:36:16,742 --> 00:36:18,875
Archeologists have
presented many ideas
628
00:36:18,877 --> 00:36:20,744
as to why it happened.
629
00:36:20,746 --> 00:36:25,182
Narrator: Theories range
from invasion and famine
630
00:36:25,184 --> 00:36:29,085
to a rebellion
against the ruling classes.
631
00:36:29,087 --> 00:36:32,222
Anthropologist lisa lucero
thinks a clue
632
00:36:32,224 --> 00:36:36,293
lies with the dazzling pyramids
that make tikal special.
633
00:36:39,164 --> 00:36:41,431
It begins with this limestone,
634
00:36:41,433 --> 00:36:44,401
which is found throughout tikal.
635
00:36:44,403 --> 00:36:47,938
First, the maya would burn
limestone to create lime,
636
00:36:47,940 --> 00:36:51,007
after which they would add water
and let it ferment
637
00:36:51,009 --> 00:36:54,044
before they would add sand
to create plaster.
638
00:36:54,046 --> 00:36:57,214
Narrator: The maya spread the
plaster over tikal's pavements
639
00:36:57,216 --> 00:36:58,848
and buildings.
640
00:36:58,850 --> 00:37:01,051
They then leave the plaster
to dry
641
00:37:01,053 --> 00:37:03,553
and paint it with vivid colors.
642
00:37:03,555 --> 00:37:05,755
But little do the maya realize
643
00:37:05,757 --> 00:37:09,593
achieving the effect
consumes vital resources.
644
00:37:11,463 --> 00:37:14,598
Lucero: This stone is
about a meter square.
645
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,734
It would take 20 trees
to burn enough limestone
646
00:37:17,736 --> 00:37:21,504
to create plaster
to cover this one-meter stone.
647
00:37:21,506 --> 00:37:23,340
Imagine what it would take
to cover
648
00:37:23,342 --> 00:37:24,808
the monumental buildings
of tikal,
649
00:37:24,810 --> 00:37:29,079
some of which are over 70 meters
tall and 50 meters wide.
650
00:37:29,081 --> 00:37:31,781
It would take
thousands of trees.
651
00:37:35,554 --> 00:37:37,387
Narrator: As tikal grows
652
00:37:37,389 --> 00:37:40,724
and its rulers build larger
and larger buildings,
653
00:37:40,726 --> 00:37:44,127
the demand for lime plaster
increases
654
00:37:44,129 --> 00:37:47,297
and tikal's inhabitants
cut down more and more trees
655
00:37:47,299 --> 00:37:50,000
to burn limestone to make it.
656
00:37:50,002 --> 00:37:53,937
Lucero: Tikal was occupied
for nearly a thousand years.
657
00:37:53,939 --> 00:37:57,607
But once kings divert it
from a sustainable path
658
00:37:57,609 --> 00:37:59,409
and increasingly became addicted
659
00:37:59,411 --> 00:38:01,378
to building
monumental architecture,
660
00:38:01,380 --> 00:38:05,615
they became more vulnerable to
any disruptions to the system.
661
00:38:05,617 --> 00:38:06,950
Narrator: Deforestation
662
00:38:06,952 --> 00:38:10,520
unbalances tikal's
fragile ecosystem
663
00:38:10,522 --> 00:38:14,024
and magnifies the environmental
changes in central america
664
00:38:14,026 --> 00:38:16,760
at that time.
665
00:38:16,762 --> 00:38:19,062
Lucero: There were several
prolonged droughts
666
00:38:19,064 --> 00:38:21,231
lasting anywhere
from 8 to 13 years.
667
00:38:21,233 --> 00:38:24,734
Between 800 and 900 c.E.
668
00:38:24,736 --> 00:38:27,671
This meant that
reservoir levels were dropping.
669
00:38:27,673 --> 00:38:29,572
Crops were decimated.
670
00:38:29,574 --> 00:38:31,074
Fewer farmers came,
671
00:38:31,076 --> 00:38:35,512
and kings increasingly
lost power.
672
00:38:35,514 --> 00:38:40,016
Ultimately, people
abandon tikal for good.
673
00:38:40,018 --> 00:38:41,985
Narrator:
With no water to control,
674
00:38:41,987 --> 00:38:46,556
many mayan rulers lose
their hold over the population.
675
00:38:46,558 --> 00:38:50,860
The people leave their cities
to find new opportunities.
676
00:38:50,862 --> 00:38:53,263
Dynasties collapse.
677
00:38:53,265 --> 00:38:59,102
And by 950 a.D.,
tikal is a ghost town.
678
00:38:59,104 --> 00:39:01,271
Lucero: There might have been
a remnant population of 100
679
00:39:01,273 --> 00:39:03,873
or so people,
but it was never occupied again
680
00:39:03,875 --> 00:39:06,443
to the extent
it had been before.
681
00:39:10,182 --> 00:39:12,449
Narrator: As tikal falls,
682
00:39:12,451 --> 00:39:14,684
chichen itza briefly
takes its place
683
00:39:14,686 --> 00:39:19,289
as the greatest mayan city,
before suffering a similar fate.
684
00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:25,328
But hundreds of miles away
in south america,
685
00:39:25,330 --> 00:39:31,701
another civilization, the incas,
take a completely different path
686
00:39:31,703 --> 00:39:36,373
and carve out a huge empire.
687
00:39:36,375 --> 00:39:39,576
Why do the incas build
the fourth wonder --
688
00:39:39,578 --> 00:39:42,645
mountainous machu picchu?
689
00:39:42,647 --> 00:39:47,517
And what lies inside
this lost temple of gold?
690
00:39:47,519 --> 00:39:50,353
♪
691
00:39:58,530 --> 00:40:00,530
narrator: In the 1500s,
692
00:40:00,532 --> 00:40:04,567
the americas are home
to two mighty civilizations.
693
00:40:04,569 --> 00:40:07,971
In the north,
the aztecs build tenochtitlan,
694
00:40:07,973 --> 00:40:11,708
one of the biggest cities
on the planet.
695
00:40:11,710 --> 00:40:15,412
But in south america,
a people called the incas rule
696
00:40:15,414 --> 00:40:19,582
one of the largest empires
in the world.
697
00:40:19,584 --> 00:40:21,651
The incas live
hundreds of years
698
00:40:21,653 --> 00:40:25,155
after the maya and the olmecs.
699
00:40:25,157 --> 00:40:27,724
Like them,
they build huge stone wonders
700
00:40:27,726 --> 00:40:32,195
without the technology
available in the old world.
701
00:40:32,197 --> 00:40:34,130
But the incas are very different
702
00:40:34,132 --> 00:40:38,835
to their neighbors
in mexico or guatemala.
703
00:40:38,837 --> 00:40:43,706
They build a civilization
of remarkable originality,
704
00:40:43,708 --> 00:40:45,442
and their crowning jewel
705
00:40:45,444 --> 00:40:49,412
is wonder number 4 --
machu picchu.
706
00:40:52,884 --> 00:40:56,719
Machu picchu's ruins are
perched along a perilous ridge
707
00:40:56,721 --> 00:41:01,090
that connects to prominent
mountain peaks.
708
00:41:01,092 --> 00:41:04,494
Stone terraces cling
to the steep sides,
709
00:41:04,496 --> 00:41:09,199
home to dozens
of near pristine buildings.
710
00:41:09,201 --> 00:41:12,602
Almost every single one
is made of granite,
711
00:41:12,604 --> 00:41:15,004
one of the toughest rocks
on the planet.
712
00:41:15,006 --> 00:41:17,207
Some are so well-made
713
00:41:17,209 --> 00:41:20,443
that they don't even need mortar
to hold them together.
714
00:41:24,850 --> 00:41:28,251
Why do the incas build places
like machu picchu
715
00:41:28,253 --> 00:41:30,854
instead of pyramids?
716
00:41:30,856 --> 00:41:34,324
What is the purpose
of this city in the clouds?
717
00:41:39,998 --> 00:41:46,603
There are many theories from
a royal palace to a trading hub.
718
00:41:46,605 --> 00:41:50,707
José bastante is machu picchu's
site director.
719
00:41:53,178 --> 00:41:56,613
He believes the answer lies
with the buildings themselves
720
00:41:56,615 --> 00:42:00,283
and uncovers evidence
that tells a new story.
721
00:42:03,588 --> 00:42:07,223
Most of the things going on
in machu picchu
722
00:42:07,225 --> 00:42:12,295
are related
to the ceremonial part.
723
00:42:12,297 --> 00:42:15,498
Narrator: Teams of archeologists
are investigating
724
00:42:15,500 --> 00:42:18,301
every structure
at machu picchu.
725
00:42:18,303 --> 00:42:20,670
They're discovering that
many of the buildings here
726
00:42:20,672 --> 00:42:24,807
seem to align with
the movements of the sun.
727
00:42:24,809 --> 00:42:29,879
Could machu picchu be linked
to the inca religion?
728
00:42:29,881 --> 00:42:36,019
The sun is the most important
deity of the incas.
729
00:42:36,021 --> 00:42:40,390
José heads deeper
into the city to investigate.
730
00:42:40,392 --> 00:42:46,396
In the center stands a sacred
stone known as the intihuatana.
731
00:42:46,398 --> 00:42:50,066
Does this peculiar rock
have a religious function?
732
00:42:52,704 --> 00:42:55,805
Today sees one of the most
important solar events
733
00:42:55,807 --> 00:42:58,074
in the inca calendar --
734
00:42:58,076 --> 00:43:02,078
the equinox, which marks
a change in the seasons.
735
00:43:04,249 --> 00:43:07,350
On most days of the year,
the intihuatana stone
736
00:43:07,352 --> 00:43:13,056
and everything around it,
including people, cast a shadow.
737
00:43:13,058 --> 00:43:16,593
But on the equinox,
as the sun reaches noon,
738
00:43:16,595 --> 00:43:19,429
something strange happens.
739
00:43:19,431 --> 00:43:25,835
♪
740
00:43:25,837 --> 00:43:30,206
the intihuatana stone's
shadow disappears.
741
00:43:30,208 --> 00:43:34,611
Is it designed to mark
this special day?
742
00:43:34,613 --> 00:43:38,314
Because of the particular shape
and angles
743
00:43:38,316 --> 00:43:40,850
of this lithic sculpture
744
00:43:40,852 --> 00:43:42,452
that we call "intihuatana,"
745
00:43:42,454 --> 00:43:44,320
that is actually an altar,
746
00:43:44,322 --> 00:43:48,524
there is no shadow cast
during the equinoxes.
747
00:43:48,526 --> 00:43:52,462
Narrator: How do the incas
achieve this incredible effect?
748
00:43:54,833 --> 00:43:57,166
All along the equator,
on the equinox,
749
00:43:57,168 --> 00:43:59,702
the sun passes
directly overhead,
750
00:43:59,704 --> 00:44:03,239
causing shadows on the ground
to practically vanish.
751
00:44:05,276 --> 00:44:09,779
But machu picchu is
13 degrees south of the equator
752
00:44:09,781 --> 00:44:12,148
where the sun is not overhead.
753
00:44:14,386 --> 00:44:16,519
So to mark this special day,
754
00:44:16,521 --> 00:44:20,723
the incas sculpt the rock to
lean at precisely 13 degrees
755
00:44:20,725 --> 00:44:23,226
so that it points
directly at the sun
756
00:44:23,228 --> 00:44:25,828
and its shadow disappears.
757
00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,735
Machu picchu seems to be
a holy city in the clouds.
758
00:44:32,737 --> 00:44:34,771
A place where the incas
can interact
759
00:44:34,773 --> 00:44:38,574
with their most important god,
the sun.
760
00:44:38,576 --> 00:44:44,414
♪
761
00:44:44,416 --> 00:44:46,182
some believe that the incas
762
00:44:46,184 --> 00:44:48,418
choose this site,
high in the mountains,
763
00:44:48,420 --> 00:44:51,287
to get a better view of the sky.
764
00:44:51,289 --> 00:44:54,457
It's a tempting theory,
but there's a problem.
765
00:44:54,459 --> 00:44:57,927
Machu picchu is regularly
shrouded in cloud.
766
00:44:57,929 --> 00:45:02,932
So why build a temple complex
to the sun here?
767
00:45:02,934 --> 00:45:06,102
José believes a new discovery
helps to explain
768
00:45:06,104 --> 00:45:08,771
why the incas
built a solar observatory
769
00:45:08,773 --> 00:45:11,140
in such a challenging
environment.
770
00:45:13,344 --> 00:45:18,548
This huge rocky outcrop
that resembles a mountain.
771
00:45:18,550 --> 00:45:21,084
Is a shrine.
772
00:45:21,086 --> 00:45:22,685
Narrator: For decades,
773
00:45:22,687 --> 00:45:28,224
archeologists think this is
just another inca temple.
774
00:45:28,226 --> 00:45:30,993
What they didn't realize is that
there was something else
775
00:45:30,995 --> 00:45:33,396
over here
that they didn't notice
776
00:45:33,398 --> 00:45:35,465
and we have just found.
777
00:45:35,467 --> 00:45:39,902
Narrator:
José uncovers faded artwork,
778
00:45:39,904 --> 00:45:42,038
hiding in plain sight.
779
00:45:44,109 --> 00:45:48,511
Bastante: What we're seeing is
traditionally called rock art.
780
00:45:48,513 --> 00:45:54,050
But in the andes,
this is a quilca.
781
00:45:54,052 --> 00:45:56,385
Narrator: José thinks
that this rock art
782
00:45:56,387 --> 00:45:59,088
is not made by the incas.
783
00:45:59,090 --> 00:46:02,391
It looks centuries older.
784
00:46:02,393 --> 00:46:07,897
Bastante: These graphic motifs
have no relationship whatsoever
785
00:46:07,899 --> 00:46:15,605
with the inca civilization
during 15th and 16th century.
786
00:46:15,607 --> 00:46:18,374
Narrator: Machu picchu mountain
may have been sacred
787
00:46:18,376 --> 00:46:22,712
for thousands of years,
long before the incas arrive.
788
00:46:22,714 --> 00:46:25,047
This is an evidence
of presence
789
00:46:25,049 --> 00:46:27,784
of pre-inca people in the area.
790
00:46:27,786 --> 00:46:33,856
We are talking about
between 800 to 1200 a.D.
791
00:46:33,858 --> 00:46:37,093
Narrator: Archeologists believe
this mysterious painting reveals
792
00:46:37,095 --> 00:46:40,797
why the incas are drawn
to this remote site.
793
00:46:42,700 --> 00:46:44,267
Bastante: What we're proposing
794
00:46:44,269 --> 00:46:49,138
is that this place was
considered as sacred
795
00:46:49,140 --> 00:46:50,473
even before the incas.
796
00:46:50,475 --> 00:46:52,074
The incas just arrived
797
00:46:52,076 --> 00:46:55,378
and realized
the sacredness of the place.
798
00:46:58,516 --> 00:47:01,284
Narrator: José believes
machu picchu is built here
799
00:47:01,286 --> 00:47:03,786
because it is already
a sacred site
800
00:47:03,788 --> 00:47:08,324
with an ancient connection
to the gods.
801
00:47:08,326 --> 00:47:12,962
Machu picchu is a miracle
of engineering and devotion,
802
00:47:12,964 --> 00:47:17,767
a sacred mountain metropolis
worthy of the sun god.
803
00:47:17,769 --> 00:47:22,104
Civilizations on both sides
of the world worship the sun.
804
00:47:24,642 --> 00:47:26,642
The incas, like the egyptians
805
00:47:26,644 --> 00:47:29,011
who build
the great pyramid of giza,
806
00:47:29,013 --> 00:47:33,516
believe their rulers are
descended from a solar deity.
807
00:47:33,518 --> 00:47:36,786
But it is just one of many
astonishing cities
808
00:47:36,788 --> 00:47:39,355
in their vast empire.
809
00:47:39,357 --> 00:47:42,959
How does this civilization
create all these buildings
810
00:47:42,961 --> 00:47:45,995
in less than a hundred years?
811
00:47:45,997 --> 00:47:49,031
We'll unearth the answer
in the next wonder --
812
00:47:49,033 --> 00:47:52,134
a lost city of gold.
813
00:47:52,136 --> 00:47:55,538
And could new discoveries
in southern peru
814
00:47:55,540 --> 00:48:00,476
finally reveal the secrets
of the bizarre nazca lines?
815
00:48:00,478 --> 00:48:03,179
♪
816
00:48:11,422 --> 00:48:13,956
narrator: The seven wonders
of the ancient americas
817
00:48:13,958 --> 00:48:16,893
are engineering masterpieces.
818
00:48:16,895 --> 00:48:21,697
Huge monuments built
using only simple stone tools.
819
00:48:21,699 --> 00:48:27,003
In the 15th century, the incas
take the wonders to new heights.
820
00:48:27,005 --> 00:48:30,339
They construct entire cities
like machu picchu
821
00:48:30,341 --> 00:48:33,142
in less than a century.
822
00:48:33,144 --> 00:48:35,778
Today, this mountain metropolis
is regarded
823
00:48:35,780 --> 00:48:39,448
as one of the world's
greatest treasures.
824
00:48:39,450 --> 00:48:45,421
But in the time of the incas,
one building is even greater.
825
00:48:45,423 --> 00:48:50,760
The fifth wonder --
the temple of the sun, cusco.
826
00:48:52,797 --> 00:48:54,797
500 years ago,
827
00:48:54,799 --> 00:48:57,967
this temple is the most
magnificent megastructure
828
00:48:57,969 --> 00:49:01,037
in south america.
829
00:49:01,039 --> 00:49:06,042
Outside, a field of maze
made of real gold
830
00:49:06,044 --> 00:49:11,080
and life-sized
golden statues of llamas.
831
00:49:11,082 --> 00:49:15,251
Inside the sanctuary,
buildings gleam like beacons.
832
00:49:15,253 --> 00:49:19,121
Their thatched roofs
woven with gold threads
833
00:49:19,123 --> 00:49:23,759
and their walls plated
with solid gold.
834
00:49:23,761 --> 00:49:27,964
In the hall of the sun
hangs a huge golden disc...
835
00:49:30,601 --> 00:49:34,036
...Where only the emperor
is allowed to sit.
836
00:49:36,140 --> 00:49:38,574
This golden temple
is very different
837
00:49:38,576 --> 00:49:40,876
to the pyramids of mexico.
838
00:49:40,878 --> 00:49:44,280
It sits at the center
of four inca highways
839
00:49:44,282 --> 00:49:48,684
which connect to all four
corners of their vast empire.
840
00:49:48,686 --> 00:49:52,655
Smaller versions of it exist
in many inca towns.
841
00:49:52,657 --> 00:49:58,661
Cusco is the rome
or alexandria of south america.
842
00:49:58,663 --> 00:50:01,497
How do a people
with no modern weapons,
843
00:50:01,499 --> 00:50:04,533
or even the wheel,
build the largest empire
844
00:50:04,535 --> 00:50:06,836
ever seen in the americas?
845
00:50:09,807 --> 00:50:12,708
Archeologist
roxana gómez torres
846
00:50:12,710 --> 00:50:17,546
investigates a burial ground
300 miles north at bellavista.
847
00:50:20,718 --> 00:50:23,786
It belongs to a tribe
called the ichma.
848
00:50:26,391 --> 00:50:27,690
New discoveries here
849
00:50:27,692 --> 00:50:30,259
are transforming
our view of the incas
850
00:50:30,261 --> 00:50:32,995
and how they expand
their empire.
851
00:50:35,133 --> 00:50:38,701
Roxana and her team
are unearthing mummies.
852
00:50:43,808 --> 00:50:45,975
[ speaking spanish ]
853
00:50:50,748 --> 00:50:53,315
narrator: The incas,
like the ancient egyptians,
854
00:50:53,317 --> 00:50:56,352
mummify and preserve the bodies
of their rulers.
855
00:50:56,354 --> 00:50:58,020
In egypt, royal mummies
856
00:50:58,022 --> 00:51:02,158
are hidden away to
resurrect them in the afterlife.
857
00:51:02,160 --> 00:51:04,293
But in peru,
they are kept inside
858
00:51:04,295 --> 00:51:06,562
the temple of the sun in cusco
859
00:51:06,564 --> 00:51:11,100
and even taken out
for special religious festivals.
860
00:51:11,102 --> 00:51:12,601
Roxana brings the mummies.
861
00:51:12,603 --> 00:51:16,205
She's discovered to
the laboratory for analysis.
862
00:51:16,207 --> 00:51:19,041
This one is almost
six feet in length,
863
00:51:19,043 --> 00:51:22,545
the outside preserved
in near-perfect condition.
864
00:51:22,547 --> 00:51:25,514
Its huge size suggests
that it contains the body
865
00:51:25,516 --> 00:51:28,284
of a particularly
well-respected person.
866
00:51:33,124 --> 00:51:37,760
The mummy appears to be that
of an ichma noble.
867
00:51:37,762 --> 00:51:39,695
But it's covered
from head to toe
868
00:51:39,697 --> 00:51:43,299
in high-quality,
inca-designed fabrics.
869
00:51:56,481 --> 00:51:59,415
The mummy
also has a false head
870
00:51:59,417 --> 00:52:01,784
to give it a more human shape.
871
00:52:01,786 --> 00:52:05,254
It's a feature found
on high-class mummies.
872
00:52:05,256 --> 00:52:06,789
This ichma aristocrat
873
00:52:06,791 --> 00:52:09,892
is buried
almost exactly like an inca.
874
00:52:11,329 --> 00:52:13,462
Why?
875
00:52:13,464 --> 00:52:17,199
X-rays reveal further signs
of inca influence --
876
00:52:17,201 --> 00:52:19,602
small copper implements.
877
00:52:23,007 --> 00:52:26,742
Domestic items from tweezers
to metal hairpins
878
00:52:26,744 --> 00:52:29,278
and the thorns
of colorful seashells
879
00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:30,980
are the kind of valuable items
880
00:52:30,982 --> 00:52:34,884
that would normally only be
buried with important people.
881
00:52:34,886 --> 00:52:37,086
Roxana thinks
that this local chief
882
00:52:37,088 --> 00:52:40,723
is given these burial goods
by his inca overlords.
883
00:52:47,465 --> 00:52:48,898
These gifts reveal
884
00:52:48,900 --> 00:52:52,434
that this important person
is an inca ally.
885
00:52:52,436 --> 00:52:55,171
By showering him
with precious objects,
886
00:52:55,173 --> 00:52:58,607
the incas buy his loyalty.
887
00:52:58,609 --> 00:53:01,877
Roxana believes that this might
explain how the incas
888
00:53:01,879 --> 00:53:03,812
rise to power.
889
00:53:09,153 --> 00:53:12,188
Alliances allow the incas
to construct cities
890
00:53:12,190 --> 00:53:15,391
like machu picchu
and build a vast empire
891
00:53:15,393 --> 00:53:19,662
that stretches 2,000 miles
across south america.
892
00:53:28,606 --> 00:53:30,839
But not everyone wants
893
00:53:30,841 --> 00:53:35,177
to join
this new south american empire.
894
00:53:35,179 --> 00:53:39,782
Those who resist are crushed
with brutal force.
895
00:53:39,784 --> 00:53:42,851
The incas are fierce warriors.
896
00:53:42,853 --> 00:53:45,287
Thanks to their allied troops,
897
00:53:45,289 --> 00:53:47,723
they are able
to field vast armies,
898
00:53:47,725 --> 00:53:53,162
reportedly up to a quarter
of a million strong.
899
00:53:53,164 --> 00:53:55,264
Inca armies intimidate
their enemies
900
00:53:55,266 --> 00:53:59,301
with a terrifying show of force
as they expand their empire.
901
00:53:59,303 --> 00:54:03,105
[ men ululating ]
902
00:54:03,107 --> 00:54:06,609
before a battle, the inca king
offers his opponents
903
00:54:06,611 --> 00:54:09,178
a chance to surrender,
904
00:54:09,180 --> 00:54:12,648
as long as they agree
to pay a regular tribute.
905
00:54:14,986 --> 00:54:18,754
If they refuse, inca soldiers
armed with stone missiles
906
00:54:18,756 --> 00:54:22,858
unleash a carefully timed
barrage of deadly rocks.
907
00:54:25,796 --> 00:54:29,465
Then inca shock troops
armed with maces and clubs
908
00:54:29,467 --> 00:54:33,035
go in to finish off
the enemy in close combat.
909
00:54:37,208 --> 00:54:42,711
The incas win a vast empire
through bribery and brutality.
910
00:54:42,713 --> 00:54:44,246
They export their way of life
911
00:54:44,248 --> 00:54:49,385
and their style of architecture
across the andes.
912
00:54:49,387 --> 00:54:52,054
But there is one wonder
in their vast empire
913
00:54:52,056 --> 00:54:56,125
that predates them
by almost a thousand years
914
00:54:56,127 --> 00:55:00,329
and continues
to baffle investigators --
915
00:55:00,331 --> 00:55:06,001
the nazca lines, giant animal
shapes and geometric spirals
916
00:55:06,003 --> 00:55:11,273
that some believe must be
extra terrestrial in origin.
917
00:55:11,275 --> 00:55:14,209
Could new discoveries reveal
the true purpose
918
00:55:14,211 --> 00:55:16,612
of the nazca lines?
919
00:55:16,614 --> 00:55:19,214
And why did the people
of easter island
920
00:55:19,216 --> 00:55:22,084
build
hundreds of giant stone statues
921
00:55:22,086 --> 00:55:25,654
in one of the most
remote places on earth?
922
00:55:33,864 --> 00:55:36,031
Narrator:
Hundreds of years ago,
923
00:55:36,033 --> 00:55:38,767
civilizations
like the inca and the maya
924
00:55:38,769 --> 00:55:43,272
create astonishing wonders
across the americas.
925
00:55:43,274 --> 00:55:46,108
Many of their pyramids
and statues are similar
926
00:55:46,110 --> 00:55:50,746
to the original seven wonders
of the ancient world.
927
00:55:50,748 --> 00:55:53,649
But the sixth wonder
of the ancient americas
928
00:55:53,651 --> 00:55:57,219
is unlike anything else
on the planet --
929
00:55:57,221 --> 00:56:01,490
the mysterious
nazca lines in peru.
930
00:56:01,492 --> 00:56:05,694
These ancient images that only
makes sense from the air.
931
00:56:07,965 --> 00:56:10,866
There's outlandish theories
about the nazca lines,
932
00:56:10,868 --> 00:56:14,470
including ancient hot-air
balloons, ancient aliens,
933
00:56:14,472 --> 00:56:15,637
a racetrack.
934
00:56:15,639 --> 00:56:17,072
And I think the reason
935
00:56:17,074 --> 00:56:20,476
why we keep having
these ideas come up
936
00:56:20,478 --> 00:56:24,213
is that the lines
remain an enigma.
937
00:56:24,215 --> 00:56:27,616
Narrator: The lines are hundreds
of alien-looking drawings made
938
00:56:27,618 --> 00:56:35,290
by a people called the nazca,
some over 2,000 years old.
939
00:56:35,292 --> 00:56:41,230
Geometric shapes that stretch
across entire landscapes.
940
00:56:41,232 --> 00:56:44,133
Arrow-straight lines that
crisscross through the sand
941
00:56:44,135 --> 00:56:47,736
for hundreds of miles.
942
00:56:47,738 --> 00:56:49,571
Detailed images --
943
00:56:49,573 --> 00:56:53,108
dozens of them stretching
hundreds of feet across.
944
00:56:53,110 --> 00:56:58,881
♪
945
00:56:58,883 --> 00:57:03,152
how do ancient people create
these mysterious monuments?
946
00:57:03,154 --> 00:57:05,120
And why?
947
00:57:07,558 --> 00:57:09,525
Archeologists discovered
the nazca
948
00:57:09,527 --> 00:57:11,660
make the lines
by moving stones
949
00:57:11,662 --> 00:57:15,731
and allowing those underneath
to bleach in the sun.
950
00:57:15,733 --> 00:57:19,001
From the air, it creates
the effect of a drawing
951
00:57:19,003 --> 00:57:21,603
we call a geoglyph.
952
00:57:21,605 --> 00:57:25,674
Today, they repair the damage
done by centuries of rock fall,
953
00:57:25,676 --> 00:57:30,712
remove stray stones, and uncover
new images like this one,
954
00:57:30,714 --> 00:57:33,749
a hunting killer whale.
955
00:57:33,751 --> 00:57:36,552
But how did the nazca
supersized their designs
956
00:57:36,554 --> 00:57:39,755
when they have no way
of seeing them from the air?
957
00:57:42,293 --> 00:57:45,594
Some believe that they use
ancient hot-air balloons,
958
00:57:45,596 --> 00:57:47,896
or even more extraordinarily,
959
00:57:47,898 --> 00:57:51,066
have help from
extraterrestrial visitors.
960
00:57:53,337 --> 00:57:55,204
But any explanation
must account
961
00:57:55,206 --> 00:57:58,974
for some curious
inconsistencies in the designs.
962
00:58:02,179 --> 00:58:07,115
One geoglyph, called
the spider, is pure symmetry,
963
00:58:07,117 --> 00:58:10,219
its abdomen
is a near perfect circle
964
00:58:10,221 --> 00:58:14,656
and its limbs are precisely
mirrored parallel lines.
965
00:58:14,658 --> 00:58:18,093
Right next to it is the condor.
966
00:58:18,095 --> 00:58:22,965
It's just as complex with
razor-sharp connecting lines.
967
00:58:22,967 --> 00:58:26,235
But it contains
curious mistakes.
968
00:58:26,237 --> 00:58:29,037
The wings aren't the same size,
969
00:58:29,039 --> 00:58:31,807
one claw is bigger
than the other.
970
00:58:36,146 --> 00:58:41,250
Could these errors be a clue to
how the nazca build the lines?
971
00:58:41,252 --> 00:58:49,458
♪
972
00:58:49,460 --> 00:58:53,195
archeologists christy conlee
and johny isla
973
00:58:53,197 --> 00:58:55,964
investigate
how the lines are made.
974
00:58:58,435 --> 00:59:01,770
They've come to the edge
of the desert to experiment.
975
00:59:06,343 --> 00:59:10,045
Many of the nazca lines
are incredibly long.
976
00:59:10,047 --> 00:59:12,714
Some stretch for miles.
977
00:59:15,119 --> 00:59:16,652
And then pace out
about 10 meters.
978
00:59:16,654 --> 00:59:18,387
Okay.
979
00:59:18,389 --> 00:59:19,555
Narrator: The first thing
980
00:59:19,557 --> 00:59:21,490
christy and johny
want to work out
981
00:59:21,492 --> 00:59:26,061
is how the nazca make straight
lines with basic equipment.
982
00:59:26,063 --> 00:59:28,297
First, they put two stakes
in the ground
983
00:59:28,299 --> 00:59:29,865
at a distance from each other.
984
00:59:29,867 --> 00:59:32,401
Yeah,
that looks good.
985
00:59:32,403 --> 00:59:34,903
The next task is to put
in a third steak
986
00:59:34,905 --> 00:59:37,439
that lines up
with the first two.
987
00:59:37,441 --> 00:59:40,409
It's done by eye,
creating a sight line
988
00:59:40,411 --> 00:59:42,077
a little bit
to the left.
989
00:59:42,079 --> 00:59:43,946
Perfect.
990
00:59:43,948 --> 00:59:47,182
This can be repeated
any number of times.
991
00:59:49,219 --> 00:59:50,485
Okay, next.
992
00:59:50,487 --> 00:59:52,654
Finally,
christy and johny use rope
993
00:59:52,656 --> 00:59:57,159
to create a precise line
guide between the stakes.
994
00:59:57,161 --> 00:59:59,061
They could have done this
in the past with materials
995
00:59:59,063 --> 01:00:04,800
they had, cotton or llama,
fiber, yarn, or cordage,
996
01:00:04,802 --> 01:00:06,668
and they could have used
rocks as a hammer
997
01:00:06,670 --> 01:00:08,537
and wooden stakes.
998
01:00:08,539 --> 01:00:11,373
But many of the nazca lines
are more complex
999
01:00:11,375 --> 01:00:13,508
than a simple straight line.
1000
01:00:13,510 --> 01:00:16,511
How were these made?
1001
01:00:16,513 --> 01:00:19,548
One theory is that they use
an ingenious technique
1002
01:00:19,550 --> 01:00:23,352
to upscale the images.
1003
01:00:23,354 --> 01:00:26,989
They start with a small drawing
on a piece of cloth.
1004
01:00:29,927 --> 01:00:32,661
Then they divide it
with a grid...
1005
01:00:34,698 --> 01:00:37,899
...And draw a huge grid
on the desert floor,
1006
01:00:37,901 --> 01:00:39,534
copying each cell,
1007
01:00:39,536 --> 01:00:42,170
carving the design
into the earth.
1008
01:00:46,276 --> 01:00:49,011
Once they dig the lines
into the ground,
1009
01:00:49,013 --> 01:00:53,548
they wipe away the grid
and have a perfect nazca line.
1010
01:00:57,488 --> 01:01:02,024
But in this technique, errors
mainly show up in single boxes,
1011
01:01:02,026 --> 01:01:06,028
which does not explain
the asymmetry in the condor.
1012
01:01:10,200 --> 01:01:13,368
Christy believes she
can use a coordinate system,
1013
01:01:13,370 --> 01:01:17,606
rather than a grid, to explain
the asymmetry in the lines.
1014
01:01:19,910 --> 01:01:21,343
Okay, well,
let's do an experiment.
1015
01:01:21,345 --> 01:01:23,645
Let's try
and make our own geoglyph.
1016
01:01:23,647 --> 01:01:26,948
So I sketched out
a somewhat simple one, a star,
1017
01:01:26,950 --> 01:01:30,585
and we can try, and you can do
one side and I'll do the other
1018
01:01:30,587 --> 01:01:34,389
and see if we can make
symmetrical image.
1019
01:01:34,391 --> 01:01:37,292
A coordinate system involves
working out the distance
1020
01:01:37,294 --> 01:01:41,730
of key points on the design
from the central dissecting line
1021
01:01:41,732 --> 01:01:45,467
and then scaling up
these distances
1022
01:01:45,469 --> 01:01:48,937
conlee: And we'll pace down
5 1/2 pieces to here
1023
01:01:48,939 --> 01:01:52,007
and then over to our
first points of the star,
1024
01:01:52,009 --> 01:01:53,308
and we'll continue
from there.
1025
01:01:53,310 --> 01:01:55,343
Let's give it a try.
1026
01:01:58,082 --> 01:02:02,184
Johny and christy
do not have identical strides.
1027
01:02:04,888 --> 01:02:08,890
Will this introduce some
asymmetry into their star?
1028
01:02:11,528 --> 01:02:15,263
They move on to higher ground
to see their work from above.
1029
01:02:18,836 --> 01:02:22,237
Conlee: So from up here, it
doesn't look really distorted.
1030
01:02:22,239 --> 01:02:24,806
I mean, I can see a little bit
on my side to the right
1031
01:02:24,808 --> 01:02:29,611
is maybe smaller, but it's --
I think it looks good.
1032
01:02:29,613 --> 01:02:34,883
The star is not bad,
but it's not perfect.
1033
01:02:34,885 --> 01:02:38,186
The difference in pacing
explains the apparent errors
1034
01:02:38,188 --> 01:02:40,388
in some of the nazca lines.
1035
01:02:44,361 --> 01:02:47,329
But why do the nazca stamp
their artworks
1036
01:02:47,331 --> 01:02:50,732
onto these desert hills?
1037
01:02:50,734 --> 01:02:52,801
No other civilization
in the world
1038
01:02:52,803 --> 01:02:56,171
creates a wonder
quite like this.
1039
01:02:56,173 --> 01:02:59,441
Could the answer lie
with these mysterious pyramids
1040
01:02:59,443 --> 01:03:01,610
in the valley below?
1041
01:03:01,612 --> 01:03:03,345
And...
1042
01:03:03,347 --> 01:03:05,447
Why did the people
of easter island
1043
01:03:05,449 --> 01:03:09,184
create the final wonder
of the ancient americas --
1044
01:03:09,186 --> 01:03:12,420
hundreds of gigantic
stone heads?
1045
01:03:12,422 --> 01:03:15,490
♪
1046
01:03:23,233 --> 01:03:25,834
narrator: The seven wonders
of the ancient americas
1047
01:03:25,836 --> 01:03:28,937
are remarkable
engineering achievements,
1048
01:03:28,939 --> 01:03:32,541
huge sophisticated monuments
built by civilizations
1049
01:03:32,543 --> 01:03:37,279
using little more than
stone tools and human strength.
1050
01:03:37,281 --> 01:03:39,948
But the nazca lines,
the sixth wonder,
1051
01:03:39,950 --> 01:03:42,317
are so strange and baffling.
1052
01:03:42,319 --> 01:03:45,954
They continue
to defy explanation.
1053
01:03:45,956 --> 01:03:48,190
Why do people create huge images
1054
01:03:48,192 --> 01:03:50,325
that they cannot see
from the air
1055
01:03:50,327 --> 01:03:54,863
thousands of years before
the invention of air travel?
1056
01:03:54,865 --> 01:03:59,067
The lines are unlike anything
in the new world or the old,
1057
01:03:59,069 --> 01:04:03,004
but a clue lies
with some familiar monuments,
1058
01:04:03,006 --> 01:04:05,340
mysterious pyramids that rise up
1059
01:04:05,342 --> 01:04:09,244
in the nearby valley
of cahuachi.
1060
01:04:09,246 --> 01:04:11,446
Blowing away the walls
at cahuachi
1061
01:04:11,448 --> 01:04:14,316
reveals hidden cavities.
1062
01:04:14,318 --> 01:04:18,954
Inside them, archeologists
find rich offerings,
1063
01:04:18,956 --> 01:04:24,125
giant seeds stuffed
with rodent head sacrifices,
1064
01:04:24,127 --> 01:04:28,363
a human skull cradling
a guinea pig carcass,
1065
01:04:28,365 --> 01:04:31,366
and mummified
human trophy heads --
1066
01:04:31,368 --> 01:04:34,636
the ultimate gift to the gods.
1067
01:04:34,638 --> 01:04:38,707
Scattered around them
are shards of pottery.
1068
01:04:38,709 --> 01:04:43,979
They depict animals, just like
many of the nazca lines.
1069
01:04:43,981 --> 01:04:47,048
Could offerings like these
reveal why the nazca
1070
01:04:47,050 --> 01:04:50,151
create their images
in the peruvian desert?
1071
01:04:54,691 --> 01:04:57,926
The first step is to find out
if the same people
1072
01:04:57,928 --> 01:05:03,064
who build the pyramids
also make the nazca lines.
1073
01:05:03,066 --> 01:05:05,634
Artifacts at the regional museum
of ica
1074
01:05:05,636 --> 01:05:09,671
match those found
at the pyramids of cahuachi.
1075
01:05:09,673 --> 01:05:11,640
Conlee: Oh, wow.
1076
01:05:11,642 --> 01:05:14,976
Narrator: Christy conlee
examines the pieces.
1077
01:05:14,978 --> 01:05:18,079
This is really
a fantastic textile.
1078
01:05:18,081 --> 01:05:22,584
Narrator: The fabric survives
for more than 1,500 years.
1079
01:05:22,586 --> 01:05:24,586
We're here in the desert
and there is no water,
1080
01:05:24,588 --> 01:05:25,754
there's no rain.
1081
01:05:25,756 --> 01:05:30,525
And so these organic materials
do not rot.
1082
01:05:30,527 --> 01:05:34,930
Narrator: Some of the imagery
is instantly recognizable.
1083
01:05:34,932 --> 01:05:37,666
What you have here
are a series of hummingbirds.
1084
01:05:37,668 --> 01:05:39,668
You have these beaks
of the hummingbirds
1085
01:05:39,670 --> 01:05:42,938
that are going into these, like,
amazingly constructed flowers.
1086
01:05:42,940 --> 01:05:45,774
And just one after another.
1087
01:05:45,776 --> 01:05:50,812
The symbolism is so reminiscent
of the hummingbird geoglyph.
1088
01:05:50,814 --> 01:05:55,817
Narrator: The textiles are just
as revealing as the ceramics.
1089
01:05:55,819 --> 01:05:59,521
Conlee: So we have a monkey.
This spiral pot.
1090
01:05:59,523 --> 01:06:03,658
And this is an amazing example
of an orca, of a killer whale.
1091
01:06:03,660 --> 01:06:07,062
There's actually blood being
represented here in its mouth,
1092
01:06:07,064 --> 01:06:10,365
its tail.
1093
01:06:10,367 --> 01:06:12,500
Narrator:
The orca has curious motifs
1094
01:06:12,502 --> 01:06:14,636
of heads that it has swallowed.
1095
01:06:14,638 --> 01:06:15,937
Conlee: For me,
1096
01:06:15,939 --> 01:06:18,340
there's absolutely no doubt
that the same culture
1097
01:06:18,342 --> 01:06:24,512
that made this pottery
also made the geoglyph.
1098
01:06:24,514 --> 01:06:26,414
Narrator: The same images
from the desert
1099
01:06:26,416 --> 01:06:28,650
appear again and again.
1100
01:06:32,356 --> 01:06:34,956
The similarity of the spiral
of the bowl
1101
01:06:34,958 --> 01:06:38,526
and the spiral geoglyph.
1102
01:06:38,528 --> 01:06:40,895
The monkey
with its curling tail,
1103
01:06:40,897 --> 01:06:45,900
its jug ears, and the hands that
reach around and clasp together.
1104
01:06:48,672 --> 01:06:50,472
The orca, with its jaws,
1105
01:06:50,474 --> 01:06:53,341
its round eyes,
and its distinctive tail,
1106
01:06:53,343 --> 01:06:57,145
even down to the symbolism
of a swallowed head.
1107
01:07:00,250 --> 01:07:03,151
Radiocarbon dating confirms
that the pottery
1108
01:07:03,153 --> 01:07:06,654
and most of the lines are made
by the same nazca people
1109
01:07:06,656 --> 01:07:09,524
who live here
thousands of years ago.
1110
01:07:09,526 --> 01:07:14,662
♪
1111
01:07:14,664 --> 01:07:16,998
archeologists also find pieces
1112
01:07:17,000 --> 01:07:21,302
of smashed nazca pottery
at many of the lines.
1113
01:07:21,304 --> 01:07:24,973
It suggests that people carry
out religious rituals here,
1114
01:07:24,975 --> 01:07:28,243
just as they do at cahuachi.
1115
01:07:28,245 --> 01:07:30,845
Could these broken offerings
at last reveal
1116
01:07:30,847 --> 01:07:33,681
why the nazca
make the lines?
1117
01:07:36,787 --> 01:07:38,420
Archeologist johny isla
1118
01:07:38,422 --> 01:07:40,789
believes the way
to understand the lines
1119
01:07:40,791 --> 01:07:44,993
is not to view them from above,
but to look at them as the nazca
1120
01:07:44,995 --> 01:07:47,829
would have seen them
at ground level.
1121
01:07:50,600 --> 01:07:52,901
[ speaking spanish ]
1122
01:07:56,706 --> 01:07:59,507
♪
1123
01:07:59,509 --> 01:08:01,676
narrator: Johny has spent
countless months
1124
01:08:01,678 --> 01:08:03,411
up on the plateau documenting
1125
01:08:03,413 --> 01:08:07,949
and restoring newly
discovered nazca lines.
1126
01:08:07,951 --> 01:08:10,485
It's given him a unique insight.
1127
01:08:10,487 --> 01:08:13,655
Many are made up
of a single unbroken line,
1128
01:08:13,657 --> 01:08:17,025
like a maze with a way in
and a way out.
1129
01:08:25,635 --> 01:08:29,504
Johny believes that
these lines are pathways.
1130
01:08:39,516 --> 01:08:41,116
If he's right,
1131
01:08:41,118 --> 01:08:45,353
the nazca lines are not to be
viewed as giant pieces of art,
1132
01:08:45,355 --> 01:08:47,789
but processional pathways.
1133
01:09:00,971 --> 01:09:04,038
♪
1134
01:09:04,040 --> 01:09:08,009
johny's exciting insight
reveals the nazca lines
1135
01:09:08,011 --> 01:09:10,512
in a radical new light.
1136
01:09:18,255 --> 01:09:20,555
The nazca people use
the lines
1137
01:09:20,557 --> 01:09:23,158
as giant outdoor temples.
1138
01:09:23,160 --> 01:09:25,260
They walk along them,
1139
01:09:25,262 --> 01:09:29,831
leaving pots containing
offerings to the gods.
1140
01:09:29,833 --> 01:09:32,734
The nazca invent
a unique civilization
1141
01:09:32,736 --> 01:09:36,905
that is as imaginative as that
of the maya and the incas,
1142
01:09:36,907 --> 01:09:40,608
the babylonians
and the egyptians.
1143
01:09:40,610 --> 01:09:43,011
Archeologists
are finally beginning
1144
01:09:43,013 --> 01:09:46,347
to crack the nazca code.
1145
01:09:46,349 --> 01:09:49,384
But the mystery surrounding
the final wonder
1146
01:09:49,386 --> 01:09:51,853
are even harder to decipher --
1147
01:09:51,855 --> 01:09:55,857
the giant stone statues
of easter island.
1148
01:09:55,859 --> 01:10:01,129
Why did the people of this tiny
island build such massive icons?
1149
01:10:01,131 --> 01:10:04,399
And why do so many wonders
in the ancient americas
1150
01:10:04,401 --> 01:10:07,569
disappear for hundreds of years?
1151
01:10:07,571 --> 01:10:12,507
♪
1152
01:10:19,282 --> 01:10:21,783
♪
1153
01:10:21,785 --> 01:10:23,151
narrator: Easter island
1154
01:10:23,153 --> 01:10:27,488
is one of the most
isolated places in the world.
1155
01:10:27,490 --> 01:10:30,258
A solitary outpost
of volcanic rock
1156
01:10:30,260 --> 01:10:34,095
lost in the vast pacific ocean.
1157
01:10:34,097 --> 01:10:38,533
Today, the island is part
of chile in south america.
1158
01:10:38,535 --> 01:10:40,602
It is also home
to one of the most
1159
01:10:40,604 --> 01:10:45,106
mysterious wonders on earth --
the moai.
1160
01:10:49,179 --> 01:10:54,782
All along the island's coast,
wearing solemn expressions
1161
01:10:54,784 --> 01:10:57,652
and top knots
of shaped red stone...
1162
01:10:57,654 --> 01:10:59,520
♪
1163
01:10:59,522 --> 01:11:03,825
...Moai statues stare inland
from deep eye sockets.
1164
01:11:08,231 --> 01:11:12,767
On their backs
are mysterious faded carvings.
1165
01:11:12,769 --> 01:11:17,772
They stand on a solid platform
made of precisely cut blocks.
1166
01:11:17,774 --> 01:11:20,642
But under them
lie grisly secrets.
1167
01:11:20,644 --> 01:11:23,978
♪
1168
01:11:23,980 --> 01:11:27,348
why do the people here
create these wonders?
1169
01:11:31,655 --> 01:11:34,455
The moai are
the lasting legacy of a people
1170
01:11:34,457 --> 01:11:38,593
who arrive on easter island
over 1,000 years ago
1171
01:11:38,595 --> 01:11:40,928
called the rapa nui.
1172
01:11:40,930 --> 01:11:44,065
They build a civilization
in total isolation
1173
01:11:44,067 --> 01:11:47,335
and leave behind very little
about their lives.
1174
01:11:49,773 --> 01:11:53,141
Anthropologist mara mulrooney
thinks that the first step
1175
01:11:53,143 --> 01:11:55,777
towards discovering
the meaning of the moai
1176
01:11:55,779 --> 01:11:58,346
is to find out
just how important they are
1177
01:11:58,348 --> 01:12:00,348
to the people who build them --
1178
01:12:00,350 --> 01:12:02,950
the first rapa nui.
1179
01:12:02,952 --> 01:12:05,219
She's on her way
to the remains of a village
1180
01:12:05,221 --> 01:12:07,522
in the island's northwest.
1181
01:12:07,524 --> 01:12:10,825
It's always exciting for me
to be able to survey areas
1182
01:12:10,827 --> 01:12:13,294
that I haven't surveyed before.
1183
01:12:17,067 --> 01:12:21,469
The rapa nui once lived
in villages near the coast.
1184
01:12:21,471 --> 01:12:26,808
Each tribe has its own set
of magnificent moai statues.
1185
01:12:26,810 --> 01:12:31,479
But by contrast, their houses
are simple structures.
1186
01:12:31,481 --> 01:12:33,147
I don't know.
What do you think?
1187
01:12:33,149 --> 01:12:36,417
I mean, maybe those were
sort of like a front terrace
1188
01:12:36,419 --> 01:12:38,386
of reused paenga stones.
1189
01:12:38,388 --> 01:12:39,954
Yeah, we got some paenga.
1190
01:12:39,956 --> 01:12:41,456
Yeah, yeah.
1191
01:12:41,458 --> 01:12:43,424
This isn't a foundation or a...
[ speaks native language ]
1192
01:12:43,426 --> 01:12:45,193
or a boat-shaped house.
1193
01:12:45,195 --> 01:12:47,128
Which would have
had a super structure
1194
01:12:47,130 --> 01:12:50,298
consisting of twigs and grass.
1195
01:12:50,300 --> 01:12:53,634
It would've looked very much
like an overturned boat.
1196
01:12:53,636 --> 01:12:57,205
Narrator: Why do a people
who live in modest houses
1197
01:12:57,207 --> 01:12:59,407
made partly of twigs and grass
1198
01:12:59,409 --> 01:13:04,112
carve such colossal
stone monoliths?
1199
01:13:04,114 --> 01:13:08,916
The moai stand on huge
ceremonial platforms called ahu,
1200
01:13:08,918 --> 01:13:11,786
built from pebbles
and basalt slabs.
1201
01:13:11,788 --> 01:13:13,921
But buried deep
beneath many of them,
1202
01:13:13,923 --> 01:13:16,424
investigators unearth
macabre clues
1203
01:13:16,426 --> 01:13:20,161
to the makers of the moai,
mysterious chambers
1204
01:13:20,163 --> 01:13:22,563
filled with human bones.
1205
01:13:22,565 --> 01:13:25,800
At one ahu, archeologists
uncovered the remains
1206
01:13:25,802 --> 01:13:29,103
of over 100 individuals.
1207
01:13:29,105 --> 01:13:32,840
Almost every skeleton
has a deformed kneecap.
1208
01:13:32,842 --> 01:13:36,444
This suggests they are
probably all related.
1209
01:13:36,446 --> 01:13:38,813
Why are so many members
of the same family
1210
01:13:38,815 --> 01:13:41,249
buried below the statues?
1211
01:13:41,251 --> 01:13:44,585
And can this reveal
the reason they are built?
1212
01:13:48,091 --> 01:13:52,293
Mara examines the houses
next to this collapsed platform.
1213
01:13:56,099 --> 01:13:57,932
She thinks there may be
a connection
1214
01:13:57,934 --> 01:14:01,803
between these buildings
and the moai.
1215
01:14:01,805 --> 01:14:04,305
These houses are arranged
sort of
1216
01:14:04,307 --> 01:14:06,140
in a semicircular pattern
1217
01:14:06,142 --> 01:14:08,643
around the principal
ceremonial site,
1218
01:14:08,645 --> 01:14:11,279
or the ahu, which is
located right over there.
1219
01:14:11,281 --> 01:14:13,314
It's about 200 meters away.
1220
01:14:13,316 --> 01:14:15,082
Narrator: This is
the largest boathouse
1221
01:14:15,084 --> 01:14:17,185
found anywhere on easter island.
1222
01:14:17,187 --> 01:14:21,055
Its size means it probably
belongs to a chief.
1223
01:14:21,057 --> 01:14:24,025
Mulrooney: This was truly
something special.
1224
01:14:24,027 --> 01:14:26,427
When the high chiefs,
or the ariki,
1225
01:14:26,429 --> 01:14:29,096
would have woken up
and walked outside their door,
1226
01:14:29,098 --> 01:14:33,067
they would have seen the moai.
1227
01:14:33,069 --> 01:14:36,504
Narrator: Mara's investigations
reveal that the largest houses
1228
01:14:36,506 --> 01:14:40,174
are clustered
at the base of the moai.
1229
01:14:40,176 --> 01:14:42,877
This suggests that
the more important people
1230
01:14:42,879 --> 01:14:44,946
are in rapa nui society
1231
01:14:44,948 --> 01:14:48,549
the closer they live
to the monuments.
1232
01:14:48,551 --> 01:14:51,586
Mulrooney: These boat-shaped
houses were concentrated
1233
01:14:51,588 --> 01:14:53,821
around the focal point
of the ahu.
1234
01:14:53,823 --> 01:14:55,690
And further inland,
1235
01:14:55,692 --> 01:14:59,861
what we see are smaller houses,
houses of commoners.
1236
01:14:59,863 --> 01:15:01,963
Narrator:
Mara thinks that each statue
1237
01:15:01,965 --> 01:15:04,465
symbolizes a long-dead ancestor
1238
01:15:04,467 --> 01:15:06,767
such as a chief.
1239
01:15:09,305 --> 01:15:11,072
Mulrooney: The moai
are very closely connected
1240
01:15:11,074 --> 01:15:13,608
with the people who live here,
and they're specific
1241
01:15:13,610 --> 01:15:16,143
to their communities.
1242
01:15:16,145 --> 01:15:19,380
Narrator: The moai why are a
direct link to these ancestors
1243
01:15:19,382 --> 01:15:22,950
and considered to be an
important part of the community.
1244
01:15:22,952 --> 01:15:31,759
♪
1245
01:15:31,761 --> 01:15:34,762
the first people who arrive
on easter island
1246
01:15:34,764 --> 01:15:38,966
split into tribes and divide
the land up between them.
1247
01:15:43,640 --> 01:15:48,075
They soon begin
constructing moai,
1248
01:15:48,077 --> 01:15:50,978
with each growing clan
building statues to honor
1249
01:15:50,980 --> 01:15:53,247
their own ancestors.
1250
01:15:53,249 --> 01:15:54,782
Over time,
1251
01:15:54,784 --> 01:15:59,153
the number of statues increases,
growing with the population.
1252
01:16:01,791 --> 01:16:05,826
Moai building likely becomes
a competition as each tribe
1253
01:16:05,828 --> 01:16:09,997
tries to outdo the other
with bigger and better statues.
1254
01:16:13,336 --> 01:16:14,869
Mulrooney: Just as you
1255
01:16:14,871 --> 01:16:16,704
would want to impress
your neighbors,
1256
01:16:16,706 --> 01:16:18,239
so, too, did the rapa nui.
1257
01:16:18,241 --> 01:16:21,375
And so there was a lot
of friendly competition.
1258
01:16:21,377 --> 01:16:24,011
The monumental size
of a structure
1259
01:16:24,013 --> 01:16:28,616
really reflects
the success of its community.
1260
01:16:28,618 --> 01:16:32,954
Narrator: The moai are at
the heart of island life,
1261
01:16:32,956 --> 01:16:36,157
a direct link to the past.
1262
01:16:36,159 --> 01:16:41,996
The people on this remote island
have few natural resources.
1263
01:16:41,998 --> 01:16:43,831
But the same creative spark
1264
01:16:43,833 --> 01:16:47,001
that inspires the olmec
to carve giant heads
1265
01:16:47,003 --> 01:16:48,903
or the ancient greeks
1266
01:16:48,905 --> 01:16:51,739
to build the mausoleum
of halicarnassus
1267
01:16:51,741 --> 01:16:56,877
also exists
within their civilization.
1268
01:16:56,879 --> 01:16:59,146
But here on this platform,
1269
01:16:59,148 --> 01:17:02,516
the statues are lying
on their faces.
1270
01:17:04,420 --> 01:17:06,420
The islanders pulled
down the moai
1271
01:17:06,422 --> 01:17:12,960
after europeans arrive,
bringing death and disease.
1272
01:17:12,962 --> 01:17:15,363
How does contact with the world
1273
01:17:15,365 --> 01:17:17,264
of the original
seven wonders
1274
01:17:17,266 --> 01:17:21,769
transform the americas
and their wonders?
1275
01:17:21,771 --> 01:17:24,605
And do more wonders
remain hidden,
1276
01:17:24,607 --> 01:17:26,941
waiting to be discovered?
1277
01:17:26,943 --> 01:17:30,611
♪
1278
01:17:37,120 --> 01:17:40,287
♪
1279
01:17:40,289 --> 01:17:43,090
narrator: The seven wonders
of the ancient americas
1280
01:17:43,092 --> 01:17:48,396
are among the most extraordinary
structures in history.
1281
01:17:48,398 --> 01:17:51,799
Their sheer size,
sophistication, and beauty
1282
01:17:51,801 --> 01:17:58,139
equals the wonders of ancient
egypt, babylon, and greece.
1283
01:17:58,141 --> 01:18:00,675
The huge differences
in technology confirm
1284
01:18:00,677 --> 01:18:04,578
that both sides of the world
have no contact with each other.
1285
01:18:06,783 --> 01:18:08,849
Archeologists are not even sure
1286
01:18:08,851 --> 01:18:10,751
how much communication
there is
1287
01:18:10,753 --> 01:18:15,322
between the civilizations
of central and south america.
1288
01:18:15,324 --> 01:18:20,294
Despite this, they all build
strikingly similar creations,
1289
01:18:20,296 --> 01:18:25,232
shaped by the tools they use and
the environments they live in.
1290
01:18:25,234 --> 01:18:27,735
But almost all of
the american wonders
1291
01:18:27,737 --> 01:18:32,540
lie forgotten by the wider world
for centuries.
1292
01:18:32,542 --> 01:18:35,710
By contrast, the fame
of the traditional seven
1293
01:18:35,712 --> 01:18:39,680
persists
throughout the centuries.
1294
01:18:39,682 --> 01:18:41,982
Why does all knowledge
of these remarkable
1295
01:18:41,984 --> 01:18:44,185
american structures vanish
1296
01:18:44,187 --> 01:18:48,189
along with the civilizations
that build them?
1297
01:18:48,191 --> 01:18:51,892
A clue lies in
the inca capital, cusco.
1298
01:18:55,598 --> 01:18:59,066
From the outside,
the convent of santo domingo
1299
01:18:59,068 --> 01:19:01,902
looks like any other
christian church,
1300
01:19:01,904 --> 01:19:05,706
a colonial sanctuary
built in the shape of a cross.
1301
01:19:05,708 --> 01:19:10,377
But for nearly 500 years,
it has hidden a secret.
1302
01:19:10,379 --> 01:19:14,482
Spanish invaders,
conquistadors, build this church
1303
01:19:14,484 --> 01:19:16,851
over the masterful masonry
of the incas'
1304
01:19:16,853 --> 01:19:21,589
most holy sanctuary,
the temple of the sun.
1305
01:19:21,591 --> 01:19:26,694
Outside, only the original
retaining wall is still visible.
1306
01:19:26,696 --> 01:19:30,131
Placing a christian building
over a sacred inca sites
1307
01:19:30,133 --> 01:19:34,235
is one way that europeans stamp
out the inca religion.
1308
01:19:34,237 --> 01:19:37,905
It is a story repeated
across the americas.
1309
01:19:41,477 --> 01:19:44,845
In a bitter twist of fate,
the european civilizations
1310
01:19:44,847 --> 01:19:48,449
that preserve the memory
of the original seven wonders
1311
01:19:48,451 --> 01:19:53,087
almost erase
those in the new world.
1312
01:19:53,089 --> 01:19:54,455
In mexico,
1313
01:19:54,457 --> 01:19:59,927
european conquerors
wipe out the aztec empire.
1314
01:19:59,929 --> 01:20:03,230
They destroy the
great pyramid of tenochtitlan,
1315
01:20:03,232 --> 01:20:05,432
the templo mayor.
1316
01:20:05,434 --> 01:20:07,234
Today all that remains
1317
01:20:07,236 --> 01:20:11,539
lies buried underneath
mexico city.
1318
01:20:11,541 --> 01:20:15,109
The inca never reveal
the location of machu picchu
1319
01:20:15,111 --> 01:20:19,046
to the spanish,
who conquer their empire.
1320
01:20:19,048 --> 01:20:20,881
But the fate of this metropolis
1321
01:20:20,883 --> 01:20:25,119
also raises
an extraordinary possibility --
1322
01:20:25,121 --> 01:20:29,490
are there more wonders waiting
to be found in the americas?
1323
01:20:33,462 --> 01:20:37,832
At machu picchu, archeologist
josé bastante is convinced
1324
01:20:37,834 --> 01:20:43,070
that we know only a fraction
of what surrounds this city.
1325
01:20:43,072 --> 01:20:45,673
He thinks evidence
of a lost road network
1326
01:20:45,675 --> 01:20:49,276
could still exist today.
1327
01:20:49,278 --> 01:20:51,245
We're still discovering
new inca roads
1328
01:20:51,247 --> 01:20:54,181
within the sanctuary borders.
1329
01:20:54,183 --> 01:20:57,151
Narrator: To find these roads,
1330
01:20:57,153 --> 01:20:59,220
josé looks for
unusual entrances
1331
01:20:59,222 --> 01:21:01,121
around the edges
of machu picchu
1332
01:21:01,123 --> 01:21:05,960
that don't appear to lead
anywhere, like this staircase.
1333
01:21:05,962 --> 01:21:07,895
Bastante: This staircase was
always a mystery.
1334
01:21:07,897 --> 01:21:10,097
We didn't know, really,
where it was coming from.
1335
01:21:10,099 --> 01:21:13,234
But recently we just
figured it out.
1336
01:21:13,236 --> 01:21:15,035
We found the road.
1337
01:21:15,037 --> 01:21:18,839
The only issue is that the road
has collapsed at certain points,
1338
01:21:18,841 --> 01:21:20,841
so we cannot follow it
completely.
1339
01:21:20,843 --> 01:21:24,245
[ conversing in spanish ]
1340
01:21:29,118 --> 01:21:31,352
♪
1341
01:21:31,354 --> 01:21:32,686
narrator: José's team
1342
01:21:32,688 --> 01:21:35,623
is investigating
a newly discovered trail.
1343
01:21:39,161 --> 01:21:41,795
He believes this is
the first time this road
1344
01:21:41,797 --> 01:21:44,331
has been explored.
For centuries.
1345
01:21:46,035 --> 01:21:47,768
Bastante: Next to
machu picchu city,
1346
01:21:47,770 --> 01:21:49,904
we have probably found
all the roads,
1347
01:21:49,906 --> 01:21:51,839
but in the area,
1348
01:21:51,841 --> 01:21:54,041
there are still many roads
1349
01:21:54,043 --> 01:21:57,478
to be found lost
in the vegetation.
1350
01:21:57,480 --> 01:21:59,380
Narrator: So far, archeologists
1351
01:21:59,382 --> 01:22:01,715
have uncovered
a web of eight roads
1352
01:22:01,717 --> 01:22:03,817
leading into machu picchu.
1353
01:22:05,922 --> 01:22:10,224
In the future, josé plans to
use aerial scanning technology,
1354
01:22:10,226 --> 01:22:14,762
lidar, to strip away the forests
and search for more.
1355
01:22:14,764 --> 01:22:20,668
He hopes it will reveal new
lost wonders of the americas.
1356
01:22:20,670 --> 01:22:23,771
Technology is opening up
a new age of exploration
1357
01:22:23,773 --> 01:22:25,172
in the americas,
1358
01:22:25,174 --> 01:22:30,110
rediscovering temples,
pyramids, and lost cities.
1359
01:22:30,112 --> 01:22:33,213
But what archeologists
have discovered so far
1360
01:22:33,215 --> 01:22:34,882
about the people who build them
1361
01:22:34,884 --> 01:22:38,552
already tells
a remarkable story.
1362
01:22:38,554 --> 01:22:40,854
The seven wonders
of the ancient americas
1363
01:22:40,856 --> 01:22:45,592
reveal how civilizations living
on opposite sides of the world,
1364
01:22:45,594 --> 01:22:48,095
with no knowledge
of each other,
1365
01:22:48,097 --> 01:22:52,800
can create remarkably
similar-looking megastructures.
1366
01:22:52,802 --> 01:22:56,270
Pyramids,
larger-than-life statues,
1367
01:22:56,272 --> 01:22:59,340
and dazzling cities.
1368
01:22:59,342 --> 01:23:01,642
Each one of these monuments
is shaped
1369
01:23:01,644 --> 01:23:04,545
by the societies
that built them
1370
01:23:04,547 --> 01:23:08,449
and the technology
available to them.
1371
01:23:08,451 --> 01:23:11,118
But the builders
of the original seven wonders
1372
01:23:11,120 --> 01:23:15,222
and those in the americas
share a common trait.
1373
01:23:15,224 --> 01:23:18,125
They all use whatever
resources they have
1374
01:23:18,127 --> 01:23:23,731
to overcome huge challenges
and realize their dreams.
1375
01:23:23,733 --> 01:23:26,533
The seven wonders
of the ancient americas,
1376
01:23:26,535 --> 01:23:29,536
just like the original wonders
of the ancient world,
1377
01:23:29,538 --> 01:23:33,807
are a testament to human
ingenuity and ambition.
1378
01:23:33,809 --> 01:23:42,282
♪
1379
01:23:42,284 --> 01:23:50,724
♪
1380
01:23:50,726 --> 01:23:59,166
♪
1381
01:23:59,168 --> 01:24:07,641
♪
122500
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