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Narrator: Hidden for centuries,
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a strange mega structure
emerges from beneath the sea
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00:00:09,009 --> 00:00:10,776
and sand.
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00:00:10,877 --> 00:00:14,513
An ancient timber circle...
Seahenge.
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I think it's
an upside down tree.
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00:00:17,550 --> 00:00:20,486
It was huge,
and it went down so far.
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00:00:20,587 --> 00:00:23,922
Narrator: Lost beneath the waves
for thousands of years,
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this submerged wooden circle
conceals many
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prehistoric secrets.
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00:00:28,661 --> 00:00:31,130
Something peculiar
is going on here.
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00:00:31,231 --> 00:00:33,065
And could hold clues that marked
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00:00:33,166 --> 00:00:35,701
the beginning of the bronze age.
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00:00:35,802 --> 00:00:37,202
Knight: This is a period
where we see
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the first metal objects
being produced.
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Society is getting very
technologically savvy
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at this point.
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Narrator: Today, experts use
pioneering technology
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and 3D scan analysis
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to shed new light on who
builds this unique monument.
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What dark rituals are
performed here?
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What secrets does it share
with the iconic Stonehenge?
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To solve these mysteries,
we blow apart
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this bronze age monument
piece by piece.
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We investigate a second
submerged prehistoric circle,
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unearth ancient skeletons,
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00:01:20,780 --> 00:01:25,484
and digitally rebuild
the lost mega structure
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to uncover the truth behind
this strange sunken wonder.
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Holme beach,
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a remote stretch of coast
in eastern England.
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Today, it is a peaceful haven,
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but the discovery of
a strange relic reveals
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a dark macabre past
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and could transform
our understanding
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of our prehistoric world.
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One summer's day,
coastal sands shift
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00:02:07,894 --> 00:02:10,129
and reveal an ancient secret.
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Hidden in the silt is
a mysterious structure...
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55 timber posts
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arranged in a wide circle.
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They're made from tree trunks
split down
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the middle and covered
in strange markings.
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And in the center of the circle,
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erupting from the sand
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sits a colossal,
strangely shaped object.
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What is this peculiar structure?
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♪♪
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Maisie Taylor
investigates the wood
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of this submerged edifice.
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You had these quite stunted,
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00:02:57,210 --> 00:03:01,313
obviously very damaged timbers
in the circle.
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Narrator: The
extraordinarily-shaped object at
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the center of the circle
captures Maisie's attention.
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00:03:07,921 --> 00:03:13,292
At first, it appears this
object is a huge tree branch,
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00:03:13,393 --> 00:03:17,129
but closer inspection turns
this theory on its head.
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Taylor:
The more you looked at it,
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the more you thought
they're roots.
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I think it's
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on upside down tree.
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00:03:25,171 --> 00:03:26,738
Narrator:
With the threat of the sea
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washing the newly exposed
structure away,
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Maisie and an 11-strong team
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of archaeologists race to
excavate the site.
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They dig 4 feet down
into the mud
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to carefully extract
each timber.
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They use heavy lifting equipment
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to finally remove
the central tree.
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Taylor: The most extraordinary
thing we found was it was huge,
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and it went down so far.
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Narrator: With the timber circle
safely extracted
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00:04:01,107 --> 00:04:03,308
and preserved
in tanks of fresh water,
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experts can investigate clues
to its age and origins.
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When scientists examine
the tree rings of
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00:04:11,084 --> 00:04:15,554
the wood, they discover it
dates back to 2049 B.C.
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00:04:18,258 --> 00:04:21,393
It means the structure
is 4,000 years old
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00:04:21,494 --> 00:04:24,396
and dates to the bronze age.
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00:04:24,497 --> 00:04:25,831
At this time,
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00:04:25,932 --> 00:04:28,133
monumental circles of
different types
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00:04:28,234 --> 00:04:31,169
stand proudly across
the country.
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00:04:31,271 --> 00:04:33,572
The best surviving
is Stonehenge,
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built 1,000 years earlier.
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Used by prehistoric people
for centuries,
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this stone landmark is
a monumental reminder of
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our ancestral past.
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Originally in the center,
five archways stand in
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a horseshoe shape,
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00:04:51,357 --> 00:04:54,192
surrounded by two concentric
circles of rock.
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With the layout of the timber
circle resembling Britain’s
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iconic stone circle,
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local press coined
the name seahenge.
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All that remains
on the beach today is
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a metal pole that marks
the spot where it once stands.
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00:05:15,315 --> 00:05:17,215
What does the mysterious
structure look like
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in its prime?
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00:05:20,219 --> 00:05:21,853
Maisie believes
measurements from
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the excavation could
provide evidence.
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If you start looking at
those depths below ground,
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it gives you
the height above ground.
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Narrator: The timbers
they discover at seahenge
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plunge 3 to 4 feet
into the sand.
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00:05:39,172 --> 00:05:41,873
Taylor: The rule of thumb
is that a third of
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00:05:41,974 --> 00:05:45,544
the wood needs to be in
the ground to make it stable.
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Narrator: Maisie tests this
theory at a smaller scale
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to calculate the original
height of the structure.
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It really is quite stable,
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00:05:56,422 --> 00:05:59,658
so I think we can get on
with our calculations
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assuming roughly a third
is underground.
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Let's have a look.
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00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:09,434
Yeah, it's about a third.
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Narrator: Maisie's calculations
reveal the original timber
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00:06:15,942 --> 00:06:19,311
circle is a staggering
10 feet tall.
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00:06:19,412 --> 00:06:24,683
Taylor: This amazing wall would
have been pretty impressive.
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I'm 5-foot tall,
so the timbers are
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going to be twice as tall as me.
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Narrator:
When they're unearthed,
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the timbers are worn
and weathered,
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but in their prime,
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the trunks tower
up to 10 feet high
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and stand shoulder to shoulder
to form a circular fence.
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At the front,
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a y-shaped post creates a gap,
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an entrance that gives access
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to the tree stump in the center.
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To close the circle, a final
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00:07:01,687 --> 00:07:04,790
post stands in front of
the entrance,
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00:07:04,891 --> 00:07:06,258
which perfectly aligns with
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00:07:06,359 --> 00:07:08,827
the rising sun
on the summer solstice.
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What is the purpose of seahenge?
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00:07:15,301 --> 00:07:20,138
This solar alignment is
similar to Stonehenge, where
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the heel stone aligns
with the rising sun.
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Each year on the solstice,
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ancient people host
sacred rituals here.
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00:07:29,382 --> 00:07:32,818
But the central stump in
the heart of this circle
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00:07:32,919 --> 00:07:36,188
is a clue that seahenge has
a different purpose.
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00:07:38,758 --> 00:07:42,527
John Collis is on a mission to
solve this mystery.
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The tides at seahenge have swept
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away any loose evidence
around the circle,
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00:07:49,669 --> 00:07:51,937
but John spots a similarity with
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00:07:52,038 --> 00:07:55,507
another prehistoric site
70 miles inland.
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It's called wigber low,
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00:08:00,079 --> 00:08:03,949
a 16-yard stone circle
surrounded by colossal
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limestone blocks.
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00:08:07,253 --> 00:08:09,387
Its layout is similar
to seahenge.
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00:08:10,523 --> 00:08:12,457
It offers a unique window into
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00:08:12,558 --> 00:08:14,759
the lost world
of the bronze age.
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When John excavates the site,
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00:08:18,598 --> 00:08:22,033
he discovers multiple
fragments of bone and pottery
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dating back to the time
of seahenge.
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Could human remains scattered
within the mounds of wigber low
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00:08:30,676 --> 00:08:33,445
reveal the purpose
of these strange structures
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00:08:33,546 --> 00:08:36,114
and give us a rare insight into
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00:08:36,182 --> 00:08:39,618
the fascinating lives
of these ancient people?
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00:08:39,719 --> 00:08:42,888
Right away across the mound,
we were picking up teeth,
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00:08:42,989 --> 00:08:45,457
finger bones, toe bones,
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00:08:45,558 --> 00:08:49,327
but also very noticeably
absent were any traces of
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the larger bones.
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So immediately,
we began to think
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00:08:53,566 --> 00:08:56,668
that something peculiar
is going on here.
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Narrator: John suspects the
presence of small human bones,
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but the lack of large ones,
could be a sign wigber low
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00:09:04,310 --> 00:09:07,512
is used as a dark
prehistoric ritual called
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excarnation.
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Collis: Excarnation
is a burial rite.
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When somebody dies,
they are laid out,
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exposed to scavenging birds.
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The flesh is removed,
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00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:24,162
and many of the
bones are left behind.
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Narrator: Excarnation is also
known as a sky burial.
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Once complete,
the large bones are
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00:09:32,572 --> 00:09:35,173
removed and buried in a grave.
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But traces of
the ritual remain in
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the form of tiny bones
that fall from the body.
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Collis: Excarnation seems
to be the most
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sensible interpretation.
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Very small bones are simply
trickled down through
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the mound, but larger bones,
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00:09:52,458 --> 00:09:55,493
one would expect,
are just missing.
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Narrator: John's discovery of
pottery and small human bones
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at wigber low prove people of
the bronze age performed rituals
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00:10:03,235 --> 00:10:04,369
for their dead.
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00:10:05,972 --> 00:10:10,809
Is seahenge an excarnation
site like wigber low?
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Collis: We know in other
societies that exposure of
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the dead can be taking place
in trees.
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00:10:18,985 --> 00:10:21,753
This is one interpretation for
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00:10:21,854 --> 00:10:25,190
the upturned tree trunk
in seahenge.
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Narrator: When someone dies,
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00:10:32,064 --> 00:10:34,966
the community carries their
body to the timber circle.
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They lay the body out
on the upturned stump,
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expose it to the elements,
189
00:10:45,444 --> 00:10:47,312
and let the flesh decompose.
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00:10:51,150 --> 00:10:53,752
Visible for the surrounding
communities to see,
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00:10:53,853 --> 00:10:58,223
scavenging animals move in
to strip down the corpse.
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00:11:02,294 --> 00:11:04,696
Once the excarnation
is complete,
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00:11:04,797 --> 00:11:06,831
the remaining bones
are gathered to be
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00:11:06,932 --> 00:11:08,199
buried elsewhere.
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00:11:12,972 --> 00:11:16,441
Maisie believes the inverted
tree trunk at seahenge
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00:11:16,542 --> 00:11:20,078
is a clear sign of excarnation
taking place.
197
00:11:20,179 --> 00:11:21,680
Taylor: The central tree
198
00:11:21,781 --> 00:11:25,784
is precisely the right shape
and size to place
199
00:11:25,885 --> 00:11:31,322
a... what we call a crouched
body in the embryo position.
200
00:11:33,392 --> 00:11:34,926
Narrator:
The discovery of seahenge
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00:11:35,027 --> 00:11:37,862
reveals that people of
the bronze age celebrate
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00:11:37,963 --> 00:11:41,833
the dead in the form of
elaborate sky burials.
203
00:11:41,934 --> 00:11:44,302
But what can another
mysterious object
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00:11:44,403 --> 00:11:46,337
imprisoned beneath the sands
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00:11:46,439 --> 00:11:49,774
reveal about this 4,000-year-old
burial rite?
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00:11:59,351 --> 00:12:03,288
Narrator: Seahenge,
an ancient sky burial site
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00:12:03,389 --> 00:12:06,291
where scavenging birds eat
the flesh of the dead
208
00:12:06,392 --> 00:12:10,061
unearthed from the sand
after 4,000 years.
209
00:12:13,299 --> 00:12:15,400
But just weeks after
its discovery,
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00:12:15,501 --> 00:12:17,936
another mysterious
monument emerges.
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00:12:19,672 --> 00:12:21,806
Seahenge is not alone.
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00:12:24,977 --> 00:12:28,012
Just 300 feet east
of their first find,
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00:12:28,114 --> 00:12:32,383
archaeologists uncover a series
of ancient flat timbers.
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00:12:33,819 --> 00:12:37,555
Now decayed, they once form
a huge second circle.
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00:12:40,059 --> 00:12:42,193
Over 40 feet wide,
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00:12:42,294 --> 00:12:45,230
it covers an even bigger area
than seahenge.
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00:12:46,265 --> 00:12:48,233
On the inside,
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00:12:48,334 --> 00:12:52,137
up to 60 smaller posts
Mark out an inner circle.
219
00:12:55,141 --> 00:12:57,342
Finally, in the very center,
220
00:12:57,443 --> 00:13:02,213
a woven wicker fence surrounds
two logs lying side by side.
221
00:13:04,817 --> 00:13:07,519
Could this second circle
mean seahenge is
222
00:13:07,620 --> 00:13:09,454
part of an even bigger ritual?
223
00:13:11,791 --> 00:13:14,459
Today, the second timber
circle lies hidden
224
00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:15,827
beneath the sands,
225
00:13:17,496 --> 00:13:19,898
but all is not lost.
226
00:13:19,999 --> 00:13:22,200
Before it is
completely reburied,
227
00:13:22,301 --> 00:13:25,236
archaeologists take
a sample from the monument.
228
00:13:27,373 --> 00:13:31,209
Cathy Tyers believes dating
the wood can reveal.
229
00:13:31,310 --> 00:13:34,145
If seahenge
and the second timber circle
230
00:13:34,246 --> 00:13:37,282
are constructed at
the same time.
231
00:13:37,383 --> 00:13:40,485
To do this, she observes
ring patterns on
232
00:13:40,586 --> 00:13:43,288
wood that form over
the lifespan of the tree,
233
00:13:43,389 --> 00:13:46,491
a snapshot of
the climate conditions
234
00:13:46,592 --> 00:13:48,493
in which the tree grew.
235
00:13:49,895 --> 00:13:51,830
The wide rings
are actually where
236
00:13:51,931 --> 00:13:54,065
the tree was very happy
that year.
237
00:13:54,166 --> 00:13:56,134
It wasn't short of nutrients,
238
00:13:56,235 --> 00:13:58,903
whereas some of these rings in
this sample are actually very,
239
00:13:59,004 --> 00:14:00,238
very narrow,
240
00:14:00,339 --> 00:14:03,374
so it shows that the tree was
actually under stress.
241
00:14:03,475 --> 00:14:07,345
So those wide and narrow rings
that pattern through
242
00:14:07,446 --> 00:14:11,616
time is giving us some
information about the climate.
243
00:14:11,717 --> 00:14:13,918
Narrator: Cathy compares
the ring patterns from
244
00:14:14,019 --> 00:14:17,155
the second circle timber
to those from seahenge.
245
00:14:17,256 --> 00:14:22,260
If the ring patterns match,
this is proof
246
00:14:22,361 --> 00:14:24,929
both circles are built
at the same time.
247
00:14:26,498 --> 00:14:29,934
Tyers:
The black line was seahenge.
248
00:14:30,035 --> 00:14:32,270
The red line is actually from
249
00:14:32,371 --> 00:14:35,173
the other timber circle
that was discovered.
250
00:14:35,274 --> 00:14:37,575
And what we can see here is
251
00:14:37,676 --> 00:14:39,410
that the ring pattern is
very similar.
252
00:14:39,511 --> 00:14:42,513
We've got peaks
and troughs... so wide
253
00:14:42,615 --> 00:14:45,383
and narrow rings
in the same place.
254
00:14:45,484 --> 00:14:49,454
And because that outermost
ring on
255
00:14:49,555 --> 00:14:53,091
a lot of those timbers
is only partially formed,
256
00:14:53,192 --> 00:14:55,426
what we can actually say is
that they were
257
00:14:55,527 --> 00:14:59,898
felled in spring or very
early summer 2049 B.C.
258
00:15:01,066 --> 00:15:04,269
Narrator: This evidence reveals
the second timber circle is
259
00:15:04,370 --> 00:15:07,038
built within just a few months
of seahenge.
260
00:15:08,507 --> 00:15:11,409
This could mean that both
these monuments are
261
00:15:11,510 --> 00:15:14,846
part of a complex and
intricate burial practice.
262
00:15:16,815 --> 00:15:20,919
Archaeologist Maisie Taylor
believes the two central beams
263
00:15:21,020 --> 00:15:22,987
of the second timber circle are
264
00:15:23,088 --> 00:15:26,724
the key to understanding
the role each monument plays in
265
00:15:26,825 --> 00:15:29,127
this 4,000-year-old ritual.
266
00:15:30,596 --> 00:15:34,465
Taylor: In the very center are
two huge logs.
267
00:15:34,566 --> 00:15:39,604
They were about 6 feet apart
and precisely aligned so that
268
00:15:39,705 --> 00:15:44,642
the most logical and sensible
explanation is that a coffin
269
00:15:44,743 --> 00:15:47,178
would have sat on them,
and this site
270
00:15:47,279 --> 00:15:49,881
was the final resting place
271
00:15:49,982 --> 00:15:51,716
for somebody.
272
00:15:55,187 --> 00:15:57,622
Narrator: Maisie thinks
that when the excarnation
273
00:15:57,723 --> 00:16:00,158
of the body
at seahenge is complete,
274
00:16:00,225 --> 00:16:03,428
the bones are placed into
a coffin made from
275
00:16:03,529 --> 00:16:05,063
a hollowed-out tree trunk.
276
00:16:07,633 --> 00:16:10,668
The mourners then carry it
300 feet
277
00:16:10,769 --> 00:16:14,005
in a ceremonial procession
to the second circle.
278
00:16:17,910 --> 00:16:21,212
Here they lay the coffin
across two central stumps
279
00:16:21,313 --> 00:16:23,748
and Bury it with earth,
280
00:16:23,849 --> 00:16:26,351
cementing the transition
to the afterlife.
281
00:16:29,521 --> 00:16:31,789
4,000 years ago,
282
00:16:31,890 --> 00:16:33,925
the inhabitants
of this area build
283
00:16:34,026 --> 00:16:37,428
not one but two monumental
timber circles.
284
00:16:38,697 --> 00:16:41,032
Here they host elaborate
ceremonies to
285
00:16:41,133 --> 00:16:43,234
commemorate the death
of their loved ones.
286
00:16:45,371 --> 00:16:48,406
These practices are
not unique to seahenge.
287
00:16:48,507 --> 00:16:51,776
At Stonehenge,
cremated human remains
288
00:16:51,877 --> 00:16:54,412
and hundreds of
skeletons are buried around
289
00:16:54,513 --> 00:16:56,080
the outside of the circle.
290
00:16:56,181 --> 00:17:00,418
But in Holme beach,
the bones remain
291
00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:02,920
inside the second timber circle.
292
00:17:03,022 --> 00:17:05,490
Are the people
that build Stonehenge
293
00:17:05,591 --> 00:17:07,392
and seahenge related?
294
00:17:08,727 --> 00:17:11,863
Could clues unearthed
two miles from seahenge
295
00:17:11,964 --> 00:17:13,331
reveal the answer?
296
00:17:21,306 --> 00:17:24,609
Narrator: 4,000 years ago,
297
00:17:24,710 --> 00:17:27,612
two mysterious circles
300 feet apart
298
00:17:27,713 --> 00:17:30,114
and twice the height of a human
299
00:17:30,215 --> 00:17:33,017
are built with colossal tree
trunks at their center.
300
00:17:34,386 --> 00:17:36,421
Archaeologists believe
they are used
301
00:17:36,522 --> 00:17:38,856
in complex burial rituals,
302
00:17:38,957 --> 00:17:41,359
but who are the groundbreaking
303
00:17:41,460 --> 00:17:44,262
ancient engineers
behind these monuments?
304
00:17:47,299 --> 00:17:50,435
David Robertson is on
a mission to track them down.
305
00:17:51,670 --> 00:17:53,538
He heads to Thornham village,
306
00:17:53,639 --> 00:17:56,340
just two miles from seahenge,
to investigate.
307
00:17:57,376 --> 00:17:58,976
Robertson: This location is
really interesting,
308
00:17:59,078 --> 00:18:02,213
because looking straight out
there is where the sight of
309
00:18:02,314 --> 00:18:04,449
seahenge and the second
timber circle
310
00:18:04,550 --> 00:18:05,950
at Holme beach would have bean.
311
00:18:07,419 --> 00:18:09,720
Narrator: But this hilltop
overlooking seahenge
312
00:18:09,822 --> 00:18:12,423
is more than just
a vantage point.
313
00:18:12,524 --> 00:18:15,460
David thinks it could hold
clues to identifying
314
00:18:15,561 --> 00:18:18,629
the builders of the seahenge
ritual complex.
315
00:18:18,730 --> 00:18:20,832
Robertson: One of the reasons
this site is so important
316
00:18:20,933 --> 00:18:22,366
is that we have
aerial photographs
317
00:18:22,468 --> 00:18:25,236
by the raf that show crop marks.
318
00:18:27,806 --> 00:18:29,574
Narrator: Distinct lines
in the fields are
319
00:18:29,675 --> 00:18:33,611
a clear sign that something
hides beneath the ground
320
00:18:33,712 --> 00:18:35,179
and needs investigation.
321
00:18:38,617 --> 00:18:41,219
When archaeologists
excavate the site,
322
00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,454
they uncover the remains
of a fort
323
00:18:43,555 --> 00:18:46,724
dating back to the Romans,
and in the center,
324
00:18:48,393 --> 00:18:50,795
they unearth dozens of
skeletons buried
325
00:18:50,896 --> 00:18:52,263
in shallow graves.
326
00:18:54,766 --> 00:18:57,368
But it's what they find
beneath the foundation,
327
00:18:57,469 --> 00:18:59,537
which most excites them...
328
00:18:59,638 --> 00:19:02,173
Evidence of a much
older settlement.
329
00:19:03,642 --> 00:19:06,077
They unearth eight fragments
of pottery
330
00:19:07,746 --> 00:19:10,848
that date back
to the early bronze age
331
00:19:10,949 --> 00:19:13,618
and are delicately
and distinctively decorated.
332
00:19:15,921 --> 00:19:19,757
Can this pottery help identify
the builders of seahenge?
333
00:19:22,728 --> 00:19:25,796
David believes that the unique
style of pottery is
334
00:19:25,898 --> 00:19:29,600
a direct link to a particular
group of highly skilled people.
335
00:19:30,903 --> 00:19:36,007
It is the signature of
the beaker people,
336
00:19:36,108 --> 00:19:37,441
named after their unique,
337
00:19:37,543 --> 00:19:40,778
bell-shaped drinking vessels
known as beakers,
338
00:19:40,879 --> 00:19:44,815
but they are from
mainland Europe.
339
00:19:44,917 --> 00:19:48,085
What is their distinctive
pottery doing here?
340
00:19:49,588 --> 00:19:51,489
Is it imported?
341
00:19:51,590 --> 00:19:54,492
Or is it evidence the beaker
people are in Britain
342
00:19:54,593 --> 00:19:56,894
and could be the builders
of seahenge?
343
00:19:58,697 --> 00:20:01,332
Matt knight believes
an ancient skeleton
344
00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,101
holds the key to unlocking
this mystery.
345
00:20:04,203 --> 00:20:08,239
Archaeologists excavated
the grave of a young woman
346
00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:11,542
buried at Sorisdale on
the west coast of Scotland,
347
00:20:11,643 --> 00:20:17,215
and she was buried with a very
small, ornately-decorated pot.
348
00:20:17,316 --> 00:20:19,717
The style of the pot
suggests to us
349
00:20:19,818 --> 00:20:22,853
that she is one of
the beaker people.
350
00:20:22,955 --> 00:20:25,456
Narrator: Radiocarbon dating of
the skeleton shows
351
00:20:25,557 --> 00:20:28,693
she dates back to 2470 B.C.,
352
00:20:28,794 --> 00:20:32,663
400 years before
seahenge is built.
353
00:20:32,764 --> 00:20:35,233
She is proof
the beaker people are
354
00:20:35,334 --> 00:20:38,069
in Britain in time
to build seahenge.
355
00:20:40,138 --> 00:20:42,740
Is there more evidence
they build it?
356
00:20:42,841 --> 00:20:46,277
Matt believes the answer lies
with the technology used
357
00:20:46,378 --> 00:20:48,179
to fell the timber and construct
358
00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,048
the magnificent wood circle.
359
00:20:52,251 --> 00:20:53,618
Knight: This is a period
where we see
360
00:20:53,719 --> 00:20:56,420
the first metal objects
being produced.
361
00:20:56,521 --> 00:21:00,825
We start off with copper
daggers and copper axes
362
00:21:00,926 --> 00:21:03,194
and over time, that transforms
363
00:21:03,295 --> 00:21:05,596
and is alloyed with tin
to make bronze styles
364
00:21:05,697 --> 00:21:06,897
of axes.
365
00:21:06,999 --> 00:21:09,934
Narrator:
By the time seahenge is built,
366
00:21:10,035 --> 00:21:13,471
bronze tools are
spreading across the country.
367
00:21:13,572 --> 00:21:16,874
Matt believes the beaker
people are responsible.
368
00:21:16,975 --> 00:21:21,045
They come to Britain for
copper and tin to make bronze.
369
00:21:21,146 --> 00:21:25,750
Metal would have been a key
part of why people moved.
370
00:21:25,851 --> 00:21:28,586
This is the first metal age
of Britain.
371
00:21:31,056 --> 00:21:33,824
Narrator: The beaker people
make their way across Europe
372
00:21:33,925 --> 00:21:36,894
and arrive in Britain
by 2500 B.C.
373
00:21:42,734 --> 00:21:45,536
They are skilled metal workers
374
00:21:45,637 --> 00:21:48,572
and bring their bronze-making
technology with them.
375
00:21:54,146 --> 00:21:56,947
Here they mine
and smelt British copper
376
00:21:57,049 --> 00:21:58,883
and tin to make their bronze.
377
00:21:59,918 --> 00:22:03,020
This marks the beginning of
the British bronze age.
378
00:22:04,790 --> 00:22:07,792
They forge bronze tools that
are sharper
379
00:22:07,893 --> 00:22:11,028
and stronger than any used
in Britain before.
380
00:22:16,068 --> 00:22:19,270
Knight: This period where
bronze becomes adopted
381
00:22:19,371 --> 00:22:22,206
is around the time that seahenge
was being built,
382
00:22:22,307 --> 00:22:24,675
and we can link all
these different ideas
383
00:22:24,776 --> 00:22:29,080
relating to metal-working,
pottery, and monument building.
384
00:22:29,181 --> 00:22:31,816
Narrator: The beaker people
introduce bronze technology
385
00:22:31,917 --> 00:22:34,852
to Britain and build
magnificent monuments.
386
00:22:34,953 --> 00:22:36,721
They set about constructing
387
00:22:36,822 --> 00:22:39,290
seahenge and the second
timber circle,
388
00:22:41,059 --> 00:22:45,529
and they travel inland
to erect 20-ton Sarsen boulders,
389
00:22:45,630 --> 00:22:49,166
adding a third circle to
Britain’s iconic Stonehenge.
390
00:22:51,203 --> 00:22:53,571
They add the finishing touches
to the colossal
391
00:22:53,672 --> 00:22:55,373
Avebury stone circle
392
00:22:55,474 --> 00:22:58,442
and build thousands of
settlements across Britain’s
393
00:22:58,543 --> 00:23:00,244
rolling landscape.
394
00:23:00,345 --> 00:23:04,949
How do the revolutionary,
bronze-wielding beaker people
395
00:23:05,050 --> 00:23:08,586
bring about such
dramatic change to Britain?
396
00:23:08,687 --> 00:23:13,624
Studying the DNA of 400 European
skeletons from before
397
00:23:13,725 --> 00:23:16,193
and after
the beaker people arrive,
398
00:23:16,294 --> 00:23:18,896
Matt discovers
something astonishing.
399
00:23:18,997 --> 00:23:22,833
The DNA was particularly
remarkable in showing this 90%
400
00:23:22,934 --> 00:23:27,004
turnover in genetic material
over the course of 1,000 years.
401
00:23:27,105 --> 00:23:30,207
Narrator: Incredibly,
within just 1,000 years
402
00:23:30,308 --> 00:23:33,110
of the first beaker people
arriving in Britain,
403
00:23:33,211 --> 00:23:37,381
they make up 90%
of the entire population.
404
00:23:37,482 --> 00:23:39,517
Is this evidence that
the beaker people
405
00:23:39,618 --> 00:23:42,420
violently overthrow
the indigenous inhabitants
406
00:23:42,521 --> 00:23:43,954
of Britain?
407
00:23:44,055 --> 00:23:46,524
Matt believes
the long transition period of
408
00:23:46,625 --> 00:23:50,261
1,000 years shows a different,
more surprising story.
409
00:23:51,463 --> 00:23:54,465
We suspect that over
the course of 1,000 years,
410
00:23:54,566 --> 00:23:58,068
you get this integration of
communities, intermarriage of
411
00:23:58,170 --> 00:24:02,907
people, and that slowly produces
the genetic makeup.
412
00:24:03,008 --> 00:24:05,976
Narrator: Matt's research shows
that these new people are not
413
00:24:06,077 --> 00:24:08,179
a threat
to the indigenous communities,
414
00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:10,614
but instead are
a welcome addition.
415
00:24:14,085 --> 00:24:17,354
4,500 years ago,
the beaker people migrate
416
00:24:17,456 --> 00:24:20,124
to Britain and mix with
the indigenous people.
417
00:24:22,694 --> 00:24:23,894
They integrate with them,
418
00:24:23,995 --> 00:24:27,832
forming a new British culture
and build monuments to
419
00:24:27,933 --> 00:24:29,467
celebrate the dead.
420
00:24:29,568 --> 00:24:33,971
Can their bronze tools tell us
more secrets of seahenge?
421
00:24:34,072 --> 00:24:36,240
What can discoveries
on its timbers
422
00:24:36,341 --> 00:24:39,510
reveal about life
in these prehistoric times?
423
00:24:47,752 --> 00:24:49,587
Narrator:
Seahenge is a mysterious
424
00:24:49,688 --> 00:24:53,591
4,000-year-old structure found
on the English coast.
425
00:24:53,692 --> 00:24:56,961
Archaeologists discover
it is built by
426
00:24:57,062 --> 00:25:00,564
the migrants who bring
bronze to Britain.
427
00:25:00,665 --> 00:25:04,134
Can clues found at seahenge
reveal more
428
00:25:04,236 --> 00:25:07,037
about these pioneering people
and how they live?
429
00:25:11,510 --> 00:25:14,411
When archaeologists extract
the ancient timbers,
430
00:25:14,513 --> 00:25:17,982
they make
a remarkable discovery.
431
00:25:18,083 --> 00:25:21,085
At the base, where the logs
are best preserved,
432
00:25:21,186 --> 00:25:24,655
they find dozens of scars
in the wood,
433
00:25:24,756 --> 00:25:27,691
the marks of bronze tools,
434
00:25:27,792 --> 00:25:31,428
most likely the axes the
builders used to fell the trees.
435
00:25:35,267 --> 00:25:38,369
Other timbers carry shaving
marks where branches
436
00:25:38,470 --> 00:25:41,972
and twigs have been stripped...
These incredible
437
00:25:42,073 --> 00:25:46,210
ancient records etched into
the wood reveal remarkable
438
00:25:46,311 --> 00:25:49,513
evidence about bronze age
people and how they live.
439
00:25:53,652 --> 00:25:56,453
Archaeologist
and ancient wood specialist
440
00:25:56,555 --> 00:25:58,055
Maisie Taylor is
441
00:25:58,156 --> 00:26:02,626
conducting a forensic analysis
of the seahenge timbers.
442
00:26:02,727 --> 00:26:05,362
To examine the axe markings
443
00:26:05,463 --> 00:26:07,932
in the microscopic details
she needs,
444
00:26:08,033 --> 00:26:12,236
Maisie uses ultra high
resolution 3D scans.
445
00:26:12,337 --> 00:26:16,774
This point here, an axe has
completely bitten in and stuck,
446
00:26:16,875 --> 00:26:18,242
and they've had to pull it out.
447
00:26:18,343 --> 00:26:21,211
We've got the whole shape
of the axe
448
00:26:21,313 --> 00:26:23,614
and the complete width, as well.
449
00:26:23,715 --> 00:26:27,017
That is the precise shape of
the axe.
450
00:26:27,118 --> 00:26:30,688
Narrator: But when Maisie
inspects another seahenge
451
00:26:30,789 --> 00:26:33,624
timber, she discovers
different axe markings.
452
00:26:34,893 --> 00:26:37,628
When we look at
the axe marks on here,
453
00:26:37,729 --> 00:26:39,129
they look quite different.
454
00:26:39,230 --> 00:26:41,966
They're definitely
wider, flatter.
455
00:26:42,067 --> 00:26:46,470
So whoever cut this down
was using a different axe.
456
00:26:48,373 --> 00:26:51,375
Narrator: Maisie believes that
by studying the variation of
457
00:26:51,476 --> 00:26:53,577
axe marks on the timbers,
458
00:26:53,678 --> 00:26:57,081
she can calculate the size of
the workforce involved in
459
00:26:57,182 --> 00:26:58,882
the construction of seahenge.
460
00:27:00,785 --> 00:27:04,722
I've got a bronze-bladed tool.
461
00:27:04,823 --> 00:27:06,957
One of things
that isn't so clear
462
00:27:07,058 --> 00:27:09,893
is blemishes on
the edge of the blade,
463
00:27:09,995 --> 00:27:13,163
and so when the axe bites in,
464
00:27:13,264 --> 00:27:17,501
it will leave the pattern
of the blemishes.
465
00:27:17,602 --> 00:27:20,704
Narrator: The blemishes create
a unique fingerprint for each
466
00:27:20,805 --> 00:27:24,174
axe used in the construction
of seahenge.
467
00:27:24,275 --> 00:27:26,677
Maisie uses
this information to count
468
00:27:26,778 --> 00:27:29,580
the total number of axes.
469
00:27:29,681 --> 00:27:34,151
Taylor: There has to be at least
50 different axes,
470
00:27:34,252 --> 00:27:39,556
and so you've got at least 50,
50 plus people just working on
471
00:27:39,658 --> 00:27:42,292
the trees and the timbers.
472
00:27:42,394 --> 00:27:44,828
Narrator: This realization
uproots historical
473
00:27:44,929 --> 00:27:47,898
assumptions about
bronze age communities.
474
00:27:47,999 --> 00:27:50,567
Far from being primitive tribes,
475
00:27:50,669 --> 00:27:53,971
the builders of seahenge are,
in fact, a highly organized
476
00:27:54,072 --> 00:27:56,974
and skilled society.
477
00:27:57,075 --> 00:28:00,911
Taylor: Somebody has decided
what they're going to build,
478
00:28:01,012 --> 00:28:05,115
rounded up the people who've
got the right skills,
479
00:28:05,216 --> 00:28:08,185
and got them all working
480
00:28:08,286 --> 00:28:13,824
and ending up with a carefully
worked-out structure.
481
00:28:13,925 --> 00:28:15,859
Narrator: But with seahenge
surrounded by
482
00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:18,962
two miles of flat sands
and dunes,
483
00:28:19,064 --> 00:28:22,499
where do the beaker
people source the wood?
484
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,869
Analysis of the timbers reveal
485
00:28:25,970 --> 00:28:29,006
seahenge is built
from solid oak.
486
00:28:31,209 --> 00:28:34,478
Taylor: It's absolutely clear
that the wood could not have
487
00:28:34,579 --> 00:28:37,581
been growing
immediately alongside
488
00:28:37,682 --> 00:28:41,585
where the monument was made,
because they're healthy young
489
00:28:41,653 --> 00:28:44,922
oak trees,
and they don't grow in water,
490
00:28:45,023 --> 00:28:48,092
and they certainly don't grow
on the edge of the tide.
491
00:28:48,193 --> 00:28:51,095
Narrator:
The oak must come from inland.
492
00:28:51,196 --> 00:28:54,765
How do they transport tons of
timber to this coastal site?
493
00:28:57,068 --> 00:28:59,970
Maisie turns her attention
to the 3D scans
494
00:29:00,071 --> 00:29:02,740
of the upturned tree trunk.
495
00:29:02,841 --> 00:29:06,243
You can see two holes cut really
496
00:29:06,344 --> 00:29:09,413
quite precisely on either side.
497
00:29:09,514 --> 00:29:10,914
Narrator:
But close examination of
498
00:29:11,015 --> 00:29:13,851
the holes reveals
something extraordinary.
499
00:29:13,952 --> 00:29:18,021
There are still traces of
where the rope went through.
500
00:29:18,123 --> 00:29:21,091
Narrator: And Maisie suspects
these holes
501
00:29:21,192 --> 00:29:23,460
and rope markings could reveal
502
00:29:23,561 --> 00:29:26,930
how they position
this two-ton tree trunk.
503
00:29:27,031 --> 00:29:30,768
Taylor: It was obvious there was
still rope in place.
504
00:29:30,869 --> 00:29:32,970
Narrator:
Scientific tests reveal
505
00:29:33,071 --> 00:29:34,972
the rope is made
from honeysuckle,
506
00:29:35,073 --> 00:29:37,608
a plant commonly growing
in woodland.
507
00:29:39,210 --> 00:29:42,312
Honeysuckle grows
by winding itself around
508
00:29:42,413 --> 00:29:45,015
anything it can get hold of,
including itself,
509
00:29:45,116 --> 00:29:47,351
and they exploited that to make
510
00:29:47,452 --> 00:29:49,720
very strong rope.
511
00:29:51,089 --> 00:29:53,423
Narrator: But how did
the builders of seahenge move
512
00:29:53,525 --> 00:29:57,961
a two-ton tree trunk using
just strands of honeysuckle?
513
00:29:58,062 --> 00:30:00,397
Taylor: Well,
the rope, originally,
514
00:30:00,498 --> 00:30:02,866
would have encircled the trunk.
515
00:30:02,967 --> 00:30:05,202
Presumably when
they were towing it,
516
00:30:05,303 --> 00:30:08,739
the ropes trailed up, and they
were still attached through
517
00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,575
the holes, proving
518
00:30:11,676 --> 00:30:14,545
once and for all that these
holes were used for towing.
519
00:30:19,350 --> 00:30:22,085
Narrator: First,
workers cut down trees
520
00:30:23,655 --> 00:30:25,989
and uproot one large oak stump.
521
00:30:30,128 --> 00:30:33,463
They drill holes into the stump
522
00:30:33,565 --> 00:30:35,866
and attach ropes
made from honeysuckle.
523
00:30:41,806 --> 00:30:45,342
Then they haul the timber
through the woodland
524
00:30:45,443 --> 00:30:47,744
to where they build
their magnificent monument
525
00:30:47,846 --> 00:30:48,979
for the dead.
526
00:30:51,516 --> 00:30:55,686
Here they dig a hole
and a circular trench so they
527
00:30:55,787 --> 00:30:59,857
can install the central altar
and the timber fence around it.
528
00:31:02,594 --> 00:31:05,596
But one mystery
remains unsolved.
529
00:31:05,697 --> 00:31:08,465
Why bring all the materials
to this site
530
00:31:08,533 --> 00:31:10,534
rather than building
near the woodland?
531
00:31:12,070 --> 00:31:14,171
With the discovery of over 1,000
532
00:31:14,272 --> 00:31:16,540
prehistoric circular
formations across
533
00:31:16,641 --> 00:31:17,808
Britain’s landscape,
534
00:31:19,677 --> 00:31:23,680
why are the seahenge circles
the only ones found by the sea?
535
00:31:33,958 --> 00:31:35,926
Narrator: 4,000 years ago,
536
00:31:36,027 --> 00:31:39,263
not long after Stonehenge
is built, two more
537
00:31:39,364 --> 00:31:41,765
strange prehistoric monuments
rise up
538
00:31:41,866 --> 00:31:44,401
on the English coastline...
539
00:31:44,502 --> 00:31:47,938
Seahenge and a second
timber circle.
540
00:31:48,039 --> 00:31:50,574
But why do the bronze age people
541
00:31:50,675 --> 00:31:53,877
build these monuments here
on this remote beach?
542
00:31:56,814 --> 00:31:59,182
David Robertson believes
the clues lie
543
00:31:59,284 --> 00:32:01,718
in the sand around seahenge.
544
00:32:01,853 --> 00:32:04,588
The sand that's in
my hand at the moment,
545
00:32:04,689 --> 00:32:06,590
that's the modern beach deposit.
546
00:32:06,691 --> 00:32:09,359
But these weren't here
when seahenge
547
00:32:09,460 --> 00:32:11,094
was built in the bronze age.
548
00:32:11,195 --> 00:32:15,065
Narrator: What does this beach
look like back then?
549
00:32:15,166 --> 00:32:17,935
Not far away,
there are sediments just
550
00:32:18,036 --> 00:32:20,504
like those that seahenge
was built within.
551
00:32:23,274 --> 00:32:25,142
Narrator:
3 feet beneath the sand
552
00:32:25,243 --> 00:32:27,411
lies a completely
different sediment.
553
00:32:28,646 --> 00:32:29,780
In parts of the beach,
554
00:32:29,881 --> 00:32:32,449
this sediment is visible today.
555
00:32:32,550 --> 00:32:36,219
If I just scrape off a little
bit of the clays and silts,
556
00:32:36,321 --> 00:32:37,854
run them through my hand,
557
00:32:37,956 --> 00:32:40,524
you can see how soft
and sticky they are
558
00:32:40,625 --> 00:32:42,659
all over my fingers.
559
00:32:42,727 --> 00:32:46,063
And if I pick up
some of the sand
560
00:32:46,164 --> 00:32:49,333
that's on the beach,
lays around,
561
00:32:49,434 --> 00:32:52,669
you can see how different
the two are.
562
00:32:52,770 --> 00:32:55,639
Narrator:
The ancient clays are formed
563
00:32:55,740 --> 00:32:57,708
from very fine particles,
564
00:32:57,809 --> 00:33:01,345
unlike the larger grains of
modern beach sand.
565
00:33:01,446 --> 00:33:03,647
We know from
the seahenge excavations
566
00:33:03,748 --> 00:33:06,016
and from work
on the second circle
567
00:33:06,117 --> 00:33:10,787
that both structures were built
in the environment that... that
568
00:33:10,888 --> 00:33:13,423
silts and the clays
were laid down in.
569
00:33:14,692 --> 00:33:16,560
Narrator: Both timber circles
are built in
570
00:33:16,661 --> 00:33:19,029
these sticky gray clays
and silts.
571
00:33:22,467 --> 00:33:26,036
David surveys the coast to
look for a modern equivalent.
572
00:33:27,472 --> 00:33:29,573
If he can find
the matching soil,
573
00:33:29,674 --> 00:33:32,042
it will reveal
the original environment
574
00:33:32,143 --> 00:33:34,144
the timber circles are built in.
575
00:33:34,245 --> 00:33:36,680
I'm just having
a very gentle scrape
576
00:33:36,781 --> 00:33:39,649
around in these modern salt
marsh deposits.
577
00:33:39,751 --> 00:33:41,551
Having a look at the color.
578
00:33:41,652 --> 00:33:44,788
Having a look at
the consistency,
579
00:33:44,889 --> 00:33:46,757
narrator:
David compares the sediment
580
00:33:46,858 --> 00:33:48,959
from this modern salt marsh to
581
00:33:49,060 --> 00:33:52,262
the Clay and silt samples
from seahenge.
582
00:33:52,363 --> 00:33:53,463
Although you can see
the colors are
583
00:33:53,564 --> 00:33:54,631
slightly different,
584
00:33:54,732 --> 00:33:57,534
the modern salt marsh sediment
is slightly darker,
585
00:33:57,635 --> 00:34:00,637
there is a lot of similarity
in consistency,
586
00:34:00,705 --> 00:34:05,375
both are silts and clays,
both are very, very sticky.
587
00:34:05,476 --> 00:34:08,545
Narrator: From this sticky soil,
David can deduce that
588
00:34:08,646 --> 00:34:11,982
seahenge is built
in a salt marsh.
589
00:34:12,083 --> 00:34:13,650
I believe this is just like
590
00:34:13,751 --> 00:34:15,619
the environment in which
the two circles
591
00:34:15,720 --> 00:34:17,854
were constructed.
592
00:34:17,955 --> 00:34:20,724
Narrator: A surprising
discovery just yards from
593
00:34:20,825 --> 00:34:23,627
seahenge makes it possible
to piece together
594
00:34:23,728 --> 00:34:25,262
this ancient environment.
595
00:34:29,067 --> 00:34:33,170
When archaeologists extract
the timbers of seahenge,
596
00:34:33,271 --> 00:34:36,139
they find an antler
buried in the peat
597
00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:39,009
dating to the same period
as seahenge.
598
00:34:39,110 --> 00:34:40,977
It comes from a red deer,
599
00:34:42,447 --> 00:34:45,615
a clue this area
is not always a beach.
600
00:34:48,953 --> 00:34:53,056
This unexpected discovery lets
scientists paint a clear
601
00:34:53,157 --> 00:34:56,660
picture of the prehistoric
landscape around seahenge.
602
00:34:58,062 --> 00:34:58,929
In its prime,
603
00:34:59,030 --> 00:35:01,765
the would circle sits in
a grassy marshland
604
00:35:01,866 --> 00:35:05,035
teeming with life,
miles away from the sea.
605
00:35:07,004 --> 00:35:09,806
Why is this landscape
so different from today?
606
00:35:15,179 --> 00:35:16,546
Robertson:
At some point in the past,
607
00:35:16,647 --> 00:35:19,149
potentially in the iron age
or maybe later,
608
00:35:19,250 --> 00:35:22,486
the sea engulfed this area.
609
00:35:22,587 --> 00:35:24,754
Narrator:
Over thousands of years,
610
00:35:24,856 --> 00:35:26,923
the north sea
inundates the region,
611
00:35:27,024 --> 00:35:29,860
destroying the timber circles
and burying them
612
00:35:29,961 --> 00:35:31,795
beneath the sand.
613
00:35:31,896 --> 00:35:34,998
But how do the remnants
survive to be discovered?
614
00:35:38,336 --> 00:35:41,438
As plants growing in
the marshland die,
615
00:35:41,539 --> 00:35:45,208
they decompose into a thick
layer of peat that builds up
616
00:35:45,309 --> 00:35:46,376
around seahenge.
617
00:35:50,314 --> 00:35:53,617
When a protective sand dune
moves inland,
618
00:35:53,718 --> 00:35:56,186
it exposes seahenge
to the ocean.
619
00:36:01,759 --> 00:36:05,228
Now the tide submerges
seahenge twice a day,
620
00:36:06,731 --> 00:36:08,532
and its timber begins to decay.
621
00:36:12,069 --> 00:36:15,172
But sealed in
the water-logged peat,
622
00:36:15,273 --> 00:36:17,607
the bases survive
623
00:36:17,708 --> 00:36:20,544
to be discovered
4,000 years later.
624
00:36:22,980 --> 00:36:25,115
Robertson: Without
the peat beds, seahenge
625
00:36:25,216 --> 00:36:27,684
and the second circle wouldn't
have survived.
626
00:36:29,587 --> 00:36:31,254
Narrator: Over 4,000 years,
627
00:36:31,355 --> 00:36:36,393
the sea, peat, and environment
all work in perfect Harmony
628
00:36:36,494 --> 00:36:39,796
to preserve the two timber
circles for us today.
629
00:36:41,766 --> 00:36:43,900
Why do the people
choose this remote,
630
00:36:44,001 --> 00:36:45,502
seemingly uninhabitable,
631
00:36:45,603 --> 00:36:48,171
marshy location
for their great monument?
632
00:36:49,540 --> 00:36:54,110
Can an ancient settlement
40 miles away reveal clues?
633
00:37:04,488 --> 00:37:07,691
Narrator: On the eastern coast
of England,
634
00:37:07,792 --> 00:37:11,161
investigations at seahenge
reveal a tribe of people
635
00:37:11,262 --> 00:37:12,596
from Europe
636
00:37:12,697 --> 00:37:14,831
who bring bronze to Britain.
637
00:37:16,634 --> 00:37:19,336
Why do they build
their monumental timber circle
638
00:37:19,437 --> 00:37:23,139
in this netherworld
between land and sea?
639
00:37:26,143 --> 00:37:29,212
Francis Pryor believes
a bronze age settlement
640
00:37:29,313 --> 00:37:31,381
discovered in
a vast marshy basin
641
00:37:31,482 --> 00:37:34,784
40 miles from seahenge
could hold clues.
642
00:37:37,355 --> 00:37:40,490
The fen base is very
low-lying landing.
643
00:37:40,591 --> 00:37:42,792
It covers about a million acres,
644
00:37:42,893 --> 00:37:46,396
which used to flood from
the sea.
645
00:37:46,497 --> 00:37:48,031
Narrator:
It's identical to the original
646
00:37:48,132 --> 00:37:49,599
environment around seahenge.
647
00:37:51,102 --> 00:37:54,137
Here, Francis discovers
a surprising structure
648
00:37:54,238 --> 00:37:56,039
beneath the mud.
649
00:37:56,140 --> 00:38:00,410
This, then, is
the bronze age causeway,
650
00:38:00,511 --> 00:38:03,813
constructed from about 1300 B.C.
651
00:38:03,914 --> 00:38:06,783
Narrator:
700 years after seahenge,
652
00:38:06,884 --> 00:38:09,519
people here construct
this colossal wooden
653
00:38:09,620 --> 00:38:13,323
causeway on the edge of
the fen basin in an area
654
00:38:13,424 --> 00:38:15,692
known today as flag fen.
655
00:38:17,395 --> 00:38:21,264
It stretches almost a mile
through dense marshland
656
00:38:21,332 --> 00:38:23,633
connecting two
bronze age settlements.
657
00:38:25,236 --> 00:38:27,270
Pryor: We estimate
that there are about
658
00:38:27,371 --> 00:38:32,742
60,000 timbers
in the flag fen causeway,
659
00:38:32,843 --> 00:38:36,346
so it was a major
engineering undertaking.
660
00:38:37,548 --> 00:38:39,182
Narrator: This community uses
661
00:38:39,283 --> 00:38:41,885
the same building
techniques for their causeway
662
00:38:41,952 --> 00:38:44,921
as the builders of
the sacred timber circles,
663
00:38:45,022 --> 00:38:49,326
working in great teams to
build the enormous structures.
664
00:38:49,427 --> 00:38:51,294
But unlike seahenge
on the coast,
665
00:38:51,395 --> 00:38:54,364
this sheltered basin is
littered with hundreds of
666
00:38:54,465 --> 00:38:55,465
extra clues.
667
00:38:57,001 --> 00:38:59,002
Francis's team finds hundreds
668
00:38:59,103 --> 00:39:02,572
of bronze artifacts
alongside the causeway.
669
00:39:02,673 --> 00:39:06,209
The causeway,
like a modern road,
670
00:39:06,310 --> 00:39:08,345
was used for carrying goods.
671
00:39:08,446 --> 00:39:12,248
We actually found a wheel,
we found pieces of axles,
672
00:39:12,350 --> 00:39:16,786
so society is getting very
technologically savvy
673
00:39:16,887 --> 00:39:18,555
at this point.
674
00:39:18,656 --> 00:39:21,458
Narrator: Discoveries here
reveal the huge efforts
675
00:39:21,559 --> 00:39:24,561
bronze age people make
to settle marshy wetlands.
676
00:39:26,364 --> 00:39:27,864
But why are they so determined
677
00:39:27,965 --> 00:39:31,334
to live and Bury
their dead here?
678
00:39:31,435 --> 00:39:35,638
Francis believes the people
are fascinated by water.
679
00:39:35,740 --> 00:39:37,507
Pryor: Every day,
we look in the mirror,
680
00:39:37,608 --> 00:39:41,411
but in the bronze age,
people didn't have mirrors,
681
00:39:41,512 --> 00:39:44,347
so they didn't know what
their faces looked like,
682
00:39:44,448 --> 00:39:48,318
unless they look down
into the water,
683
00:39:48,419 --> 00:39:52,922
but you pass below the water,
and you drown.
684
00:39:53,023 --> 00:39:56,593
It's the world of death,
it's the world of the ancestors.
685
00:39:58,729 --> 00:40:01,531
Narrator: Just like the people
at flag fen,
686
00:40:01,632 --> 00:40:04,334
the people of seahenge are
drawn to water.
687
00:40:05,603 --> 00:40:08,071
What can this ancient
fascination tell us
688
00:40:08,172 --> 00:40:09,439
about seahenge?
689
00:40:10,808 --> 00:40:13,943
You get a similar feeling
at seahenge,
690
00:40:14,044 --> 00:40:16,880
where the tree is placed
upside down,
691
00:40:16,981 --> 00:40:20,683
and it's going down into
692
00:40:20,785 --> 00:40:23,286
the world below the surface.
693
00:40:23,387 --> 00:40:26,256
They also had a vision of
694
00:40:26,357 --> 00:40:31,261
the afterlife being below
the ground, below water.
695
00:40:31,362 --> 00:40:33,696
Narrator: Francis's
investigations reveal
696
00:40:33,798 --> 00:40:35,198
that people of the bronze age
697
00:40:35,299 --> 00:40:38,535
have a deep spiritual
connection with the afterlife,
698
00:40:38,636 --> 00:40:41,037
and the monuments they build
form a direct
699
00:40:41,138 --> 00:40:43,973
link from their world
to the spiritual world.
700
00:40:45,843 --> 00:40:47,977
Pryor: And that's why sites
like flag fen
701
00:40:48,078 --> 00:40:51,581
and seahenge were so
important to people,
702
00:40:51,682 --> 00:40:54,751
because those sites
gave structure
703
00:40:54,852 --> 00:40:56,753
and meaning to their lives.
704
00:41:00,658 --> 00:41:04,761
Narrator: 4,500 years ago,
a sophisticated people
705
00:41:04,862 --> 00:41:06,162
migrate to Britain
706
00:41:06,263 --> 00:41:09,065
and kickstart
the British bronze age.
707
00:41:11,368 --> 00:41:14,003
They build
two colossal timber circles
708
00:41:14,104 --> 00:41:16,706
to commemorate their dead.
709
00:41:16,807 --> 00:41:19,943
Over time, these people
thrive in Britain.
710
00:41:22,279 --> 00:41:26,549
These unique timber circles
finally reveal secrets that
711
00:41:26,650 --> 00:41:28,651
revolutionize our understanding
712
00:41:28,752 --> 00:41:32,222
of the bronze age and
the people who make it possible.
713
00:41:32,323 --> 00:41:36,826
♪♪
714
00:41:36,927 --> 00:41:44,927
♪♪
715
00:41:46,837 --> 00:41:54,837
♪♪
716
00:41:56,847 --> 00:42:03,720
♪♪
56662
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