All language subtitles for Ancient.Engineering.S01E08.Historys.Greatest.Ships.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-NPMS_track3_[eng]

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] We are surrounded

by extraordinary
feats of engineering.

Constantly pushing
the boundaries

of what's possible.

- Without engineering,
there'd be no modern world.

- [Narrator] Gigantic cities,
amazing infrastructure.

And ingenious inventions.

- Engineering is the key to
turn dreams into reality.

- [Narrator] To reach
these dizzying heights,

today's technology relies
on breakthroughs made

by ancient engineers.

- It's mind boggling
how they did this.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] How did
early civilizations build

on such a scale?

- They raised the bar
for construction in a way

that no one thought possible.

- The sheer engineering ability
is in itself impressive.

- [Narrator] By defying
the known laws of physics.

And daring to dream big.

They constructed
wonders of the world.

From gigantic pyramids

to awe-inspiring temples

and mighty fortresses.

All with the simplest of tools.

[chisels clinking]

- Cannot imagine the skills
people would have needed

to build like this.

- [Narrator] Now it's possible
to unearth the secrets

of the first engineers.
[dramatic music]

- They managed to
construct edifices

that have survived
the ravages of time.

- [Narrator] And reveal
how their genius laid

the foundations for
everything we build today.

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

There's one form of
ancient engineering

that took humanity
to a whole new level,

allowing people to spread to
every corner of the earth.

[dramatic music]

This ingenious invention
erased the boundary

between land and sea.

Connecting civilizations
oceans apart

and this ancient invention
still forms the backbone

of all global trade.

- Ships are fundamental
to the operation

of the modern world.

- [Narrator] Even in the age
of air travel, every year,

over a billion tons of
cargo are moved by ship.

- Maritime trade
is so important.

90% of trade is actually at sea.

- Ships can carry
far greater weights

than anything you
can do on land.

- [Narrator] Fishing boats catch

over 100 million
tons of seafood.

Gigantic ferries deliver
billions of passengers.

And the largest cruise
ships carry more people

than the population
of some small towns.

- Compared to
modern cruise ships,

the Titanic was actually
relatively modest in size.

- [Narrator] Enormous warships
patrol the world's hotspots.

Bristling with
high-tech weaponry.

- We still see the
super powers of today

are building massive navies

to enforce their status
and position in the world.

- [Narrator] In all, as many
as 100,000 merchant ships

traverse the world's oceans.

Alongside over
10,000 naval vessels.

Ships and the global
networks that support them

are a true technological
wonder of our age.

[dramatic music]

Today's large-scale marine
engineering is the result

of centuries of human
endeavor and ingenuity.

[water whooshing]
But until the introduction

of iron ships in the 1800s,

there was only one material
available to maritime engineers.

It was used for
over 10,000 years.

[wind whooshing]
[dramatic music]

Early boat builders relied
exclusively on wood.

And, from this simple
raw ingredient,

constructed an astonishing
array of vessels.

- We see that throughout
maritime history,

the way that people use
the wood, the timber.

Following the grain
of the timber,

using the shape of
the timber itself,

is really highly skilled.
[suspenseful music]

- [Narrator] Wood is a substance

with some crucial properties.

[suspenseful music]

- First of all, wood
is readily available.

Relatively easy to use.

You can carve it into the
shapes that you need to.

And also they provide
a natural buoyancy.

- [Narrator] Buoyancy
is the result

of two forces acting on
an object when in water.

Its weight pulls it down

while the opposing force
of the water pushes up.

If the weight is equal to
or less than this upthrust,

then the object is
buoyant and will float.

[suspenseful music]

Typically, wood has a
lower density than water

and will float,
regardless of size.

But there is a downside.

Wood doesn't last forever.

Tragically, the majority
of ancient ships

have disappeared over time,

rotted away over the millennia.

- It's incredibly rare to
find an intact war ship

because the sea is full of
microorganisms that eat timber.

[suspenseful music]

- [Narrator] But there are clues

to some of the world's
earliest vessels.

Dugout canoes are the oldest
boat type archeologists

have ever found.

Dating back as far as 8,000
years to the Stone Age.

These hollowed out logs were
ideal for inland waterways.

- The very first boats
were intended just

for lakes and rivers.

For just pottering along,
quite close to shore.

- [Narrator] But when early
humans wanted to travel further,

across seas, they
needed something bigger.

One place where vessels evolved

to the next level was Polynesia.

Over 1000 small islands spread
across the South Pacific.

Dugout canoes
lacked the stability

to cross these seas.
[waves whooshing]

To pull off humanity's first
great feat of seafaring,

early engineers
invented the multi-hull.

Boats with two or three
hulls, lashed side by side.

A monumental feat of
engineering at this point

in human history.
[adventurous music]

- These early boats are really
quite complicated to build.

They would have required
a loss of technology

and a lot of effort
and a lot of time

would have been involved.

- It's quite complex technology.

You only really understand it

if you just try and make
yourself a raft or a boat.

It's very, very difficult to do.

- [Narrator] Building a
multi-hull required new tools,

the ability to measure,

and an understanding
of the environment.

Polynesians tied equally-sized
canoes together with vines

or palm fibers.

While a central platform
was laid over crossbeams,

providing space for
supplies and equipment.

Multiple hulls gave
this craft stability

and the capacity to
carry heavy loads.

It was ideally suited
to long journeys

across the seas,
[waves whooshing]

bringing distant
lands within reach

- Around the Pacific
Island nations,

using small craft was
incredibly important

for expanding and exploration.

- [Narrator] Polynesian
boat builders constructed

these vessels using nothing more

than the limited building
materials at hand.

Enabling their people to
spread across the region.

By 900 BC, they reached some
of the most remote islands

within the vast
Polynesian triangle,

across an area of
800,000 square miles.

But oar power alone would
never have been enough

to achieve such a feat.

Long before the
Industrial Revolution,

a technological
breakthrough was needed.

[adventurous music]

One made not at sea,

but on one of the
world's great rivers.

[adventurous music]

Ancient Egyptian civilization
was established in 3100 BC.

[chisels clicking]

Taking root along the rich
fertile banks of the Nile River.

- In a period in which road
travel is extremely difficult

and arduous, rivers
aren't barriers.

Rivers are, in fact, the
super highways of their age.

- [Narrator] To this day,

the river remains
a vital artery.

Plied by tourist
craft and dhows.

But despite the Nile running
the length of the country,

the Egyptians' boats
struggled when traveling

against the current.

Paddles and poles weren't enough

to move efficiently river.

So an engineering
solution was needed.

[wind whooshing]

Around 3000 BC, the Egyptians
were among the first

to invent a device that would
utterly transform the ship.

[suspenseful music]
It would prove its worth

over the subsequent
5,000 years of seafaring,

driving travel,
commerce, and warfare.

The sail.
[adventurous music]

- This is one of the
major developments

in seafaring history.

That's for sure.

It makes economic sense,

because you have
less people on board.

You can travel
faster and further.

So it really is groundbreaking.

- [Narrator] The
sail is essentially

a large piece of fabric,

positioned almost
perpendicular to the wind.

A vessel is driven forward

as the breeze pushes against it,

traveling faster, further,

and more efficiently
than ever before.

This breakthrough engineering
harnessed natural forces

to expand the
possibilities of shipping.

- We don't know exactly
where the sail originated,

but we do know that Egypt
was an early adopter.

And some of the earliest
evidence we have

of sails comes from Egypt.

[adventurous music]

- [Narrator] Most of these
revolutionary Egyptian vessels

have been lost.

But scraps of evidence survive.

- We have tomb inscriptions
and ancient texts showing

that they were building ships
as early as the Bronze Age.

- [Narrator] And one
spectacular discovery reveals

the true genius of
these ancient marvels.

[wind whooshing]

[suspenseful music]

In 1954, archeologists
opened a sealed chamber

close to the Great Pyramid.

Inside, they found the remains

of a
four-and-a-half-thousand-year-old
vessel.

They named it after the Pharaoh

who ruled Egypt at this time.

The Khufu Ship.

- The discovery of the
Khufu Ship was significant

for a number of reasons.

First of all, nobody
had ever quite believed

that the Egyptians
could build something

as sophisticated
as that so early.

It's an amazing
piece of engineering.

- [Narrator] The vessel revealed

how newly-developed metal
tools enabled a quantum leap

in boat building.

[peaceful music]

In place of crude logs,
precision-cut planking.

Wooden planks are both
strong and flexible.

They can be bent or twisted

to fit the curvature
of a ship's hull.

This new construction technique

made far larger ships possible

for both commerce and war.
[awe-inspiring music]

And Khufu's vessel
is a prime example.

- The quality of
the construction

and the technology behind
it blew everyone's mind.

- [Narrator] Its hull was
built from single planks

of Lebanese cedar, a
hard and durable wood.

[awe-inspiring music]

It used logs measuring
up to 76 feet.

Sculpted by the
pharaoh's craftsmen,

they follow the
shape of the hull

and are carved to slot neatly
together like a jigsaw puzzle.

- These were lashed together,

but then as the ship
then goes in the water,

these lashings swell up.

So you really get that nice
waterproofed external shell.

- [Narrator] The lashed hull

and thick planks running
the length of Khufu's Ship

made it a far stronger
and more durable vessel

than the Egyptians'
traditional papyrus rafts.

It's been described as a
masterpiece of carpentry.

[awe-inspiring music]

Now fully reassembled,

the ship's housed in a
specially-built museum,

just outside the pyramid.

[awe-inspiring music]

In theory, it could
still sail today

if launched back onto the Nile.

[wind whooshing]

But vessels like this

weren't only fit to
sail up and down rivers.

[suspenseful music]

- The Egyptians were
able to build very strong

and very seaworthy boats
that would utilize the Nile,

but also the oceans as well.

[waves whooshing]

- [Narrator] Thanks to
their shipbuilding prowess,

the Ancient Egyptians
dominated the Mediterranean Sea

for 3000 years.
[waves whooshing]

Naval power brought
them great wealth,

allowing them to
secure their territory

and control trade routes.
[waves whooshing]

Throughout history, naval
dominance has remained central

to empire building.

And nations with
an engineering edge

still command the seas today.
[peaceful music]

[waves whooshing]
[dramatic music]

No modern force
rivals the sheer scale

and might of the U.S. Navy.

Estimated to have more tonnage

than the next eight
navies combined.

It consists of 11
aircraft carriers,

over 290 deployable
combat vessels,

and roughly 3,700
operational aircraft.

[planes whooshing]

- Not only is the
American Navy enormous,

but they're constantly
pushing the boundaries

of what can be achieved
by ships at sea.

There's constant
innovation happening.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Leading the pack

is the world's most
technologically
advanced surface ship.

[suspenseful music]

Completed in 2020,

the stealth destroyer
USS Zumwalt.

600 feet long,
[dramatic music]

this vast, next-generation
warship is engineered

to go unnoticed.

[intense music]

- The way radar works
is it pings out a signal

and then that reflects off
something which it can detect.

So a big ship that has
a lot of surface area

would provide a big signal back

on the radar and be
very easy to detect.

- [Narrator] Yet
despite being 40% larger

than a standard destroyer,

its sharp angles and
smooth surface ensure

that the Zumwalt is
around 50 times harder

to spot on radar than
its smaller predecessors.

Its radar signature
is equivalent to a
small fishing boat.

[intense music]

Such advanced engineering helps

the U.S. Navy remain
a true powerhouse.

Uncontested ruler of the waves.

[explosion booms]

But there's a new
rival emerging.

- What's really interesting
is the way that China,

who has global ambitions
as a trading nation now,

is also massively
investing in its navy

in order to protect
its shipping interests.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] China's
fleet is growing in power.

Expanding the nation's
sphere of influence.

[waves whooshing]
[dramatic music]

Naval engineering remains
as important today

as in the time of the
Ancient Egyptians.

[wind whooshing]

[peaceful music]
And while Egypt

was one of the
first civilizations

to dominate the
Mediterranean Sea,

other powers ultimately
succeeded them.

Among them, the Phoenicians.
[awe-inspiring music]

Believed to have been
driven to the coast

by aggressive neighbors,

the Phoenicians took
advantage of their location

to become master
seafarers and traders.

Creating a sprawling
network right

across the Mediterranean Sea.
[awe-inspiring music]

- For centuries,
they ruled the waves,

trading with everybody
around the Mediterranean.

Even heading out
into the Atlantic.

[awe-inspiring music]

- [Narrator] Their
advanced vessels were known

for their speed and ability
to maneuver stormy seas.

- Phoenicians use the technique
using mortises and tenons.

So each individual plank was
literally plugged together

with small bits of timber.

And these vessels were
incredibly sturdy, sea worthy,

and were capable of
carrying very large cargoes.

[awe-inspiring music]

- [Narrator] These expert
sailors were so successful

that both Persian
and Assyrian royalty

used Phoenician ships to sail.

[awe-inspiring music]

- The Phoenicians had two
different kinds of ships.

They have merchant ships
and they're deeply connected

to the development of
naval warfare as well.

- [Narrator] The first to
build galleys for combat.

Fighting ships
designed for speed,

with ample space for soldiers.
[suspenseful music]

Often featuring sails,
but mainly propelled

by large teams of rowers.

Allowing them to
navigate independently

of winds and currents.
[suspenseful music]

It's also believed these
galleys featured projections

from the bow, lowering
their resistance

as they moved through the water.

Making them more hydrodynamic.

- The Phoenicians are able
to expand, essentially,

a sea-based empire that
extends all the way

along the North African coast.

And all this is connected
through maritime trade

and naval power
that they establish

within the Mediterranean region.

- [Narrator] The Phoenicians'
long and narrow ships

became the new standard
for naval warfare.

[waves whooshing]
[suspenseful music]

Then, around 250 BC, the
Mediterranean saw the rise

of Roman military might.
[dramatic music]

Roman galleys, with as many
as five tiers of oarsmen,

eventually swept all
rivals from the seas.

[dramatic music]
- After the 1st century BC,

they really don't even
need that much naval power

because they've conquered
all around the Mediterranean.

So they put their effort
into merchant ships.

- [Narrator] But as
the Roman Empire grew,

so did demand for cargo.
[dramatic music]

- They were able to develop
these massive trading vessels

that were feeding the
developing urban populations

of places like Rome.
[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Vast fleets of
merchant ships transported grain

from Egypt to Rome.
[dramatic music]

The largest carrying more
than 500 tons at a time.

Over subsequent centuries,

cargo ships have
continued to grow.

[wind whooshing]

[waves whooshing]
[upbeat music]

Today, vessels are built
on a scale unimaginable

to the Ancient Romans.

Monsters.

Up to 1300 feet long.

The largest transporting

over 20,000 individual
shipping containers.

- The vast majority of
world trade goes by sea.

The cargo ship remains
the building block

of the world's economy.
[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] New container
ships are, on average,

three times the size of
those built 20 years ago.

But the introduction
of larger vessels

hasn't come without
engineering challenges.

- The ships need to constantly
be improved and redesigned.

You've got issues like
ship design, stability,

controlling pollution,

and all of these change as
ships are getting bigger.

As more cargo is carried
all over the world.

[waves whooshing]
[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] A ship
at sea is subject

to a number of forces and
these can distort its structure

if a load is
unevenly distributed.

The vessel may experience
hogging or sagging.

These longitudinal
bending stresses

can even cause a
ship to break apart.

And that's not all
that can go wrong.

[waves whooshing]

Over the years, many
large oil tankers

have run aground or sank.
[melancholy music]

And the consequences
have been disastrous.

Spilling toxic petroleum
products into the oceans.

Devastating entire ecosystems.

The effects are
often felt decades

after such tragedies.
[melancholy music]

- One of the important things

that we need to do in the
shipping industry is to learn

from previous
disaster to make sure

that they never happen again.

- [Narrator] One solution
lies in the design

of these gigantic cargo ships.

Vessels of this scale
are manufactured

at vast and
cutting-edge shipyards.

- The scale of these shipyards
has grown over the years.

From relatively small
docks that we had back

in ancient times,

right through to the
mega yards of today.

[suspenseful music]
[waves whooshing]

- [Narrator] The
largest stretches

for over two and a half miles.

An extensive network

of equipment, buildings,
and technologies.

- Shipyards around
the world can be huge.

And the facilities needed

to be able to construct these
ships are also of equal scale.

- [Narrator] Giant cranes
called Goliaths tower overhead,

lifting individual
pieces of ships.

Some weighing over 1500 tons.

Specialist steel makes
these enormous ships

less prone to fracturing.

Engineered to have far
greater tensile strength

than their predecessors
without becoming too brittle.

Enabling ships to sail further

and endure rougher conditions.

But growing demand
for ships has led

to a rise in pollution
from shipyard workshops.

Huge amounts of
dust, harmful gases,

and noise pollution
[welding gun hissing]

are emitted during the
shipbuilding process.

And ship yards are often located

in environmentally sensitive
areas along coasts.

[intense music]

Shipbuilding needs to become

more efficient and eco-friendly.

[suspenseful music]
But in the meantime,

over 50 million tons of
vessels are built each year.

Including gigantic
container ships.

Among the biggest
vessels in the world,

reaching up to three
football fields in length.

And, despite the
environmental concerns,

year by year, ships
keep on getting bigger.

For one simple reason.

The more they carry, the
lower the transport cost.

[wind whooshing]

[suspenseful music]

And one find from the Dark
Ages has helped reveal

that there were ships capable

of covering enormous
distances many centuries ago.

In 1939, the discovery
of a lifetime

was made beneath the
Suffolk soil in England.

The richest intact early
medieval grave in Europe.

- Some of the greatest
archeological finds in Britain

is the Sutton Hoo,

which is the burial
of an Anglo-Saxon king

in the early part
of the 7th century.

- [Narrator] Hidden
for over 13 centuries

in the mysterious Sutton
Hoo Royal Burial Ground.

[suspenseful music]
- Within the burial chamber,

we see all sorts of
wonderful treasures.

So you know it's a really
wealthy individual.

- [Narrator] finds included
Byzantine silverware,

sumptuous gold jewelry,
luxurious textiles,

and an iconic decorated helmet.

[suspenseful music]

- The artifacts were incredible

because they showed
an interconnected
North Sea and Channel.

Which allowed for
trade by ships,

connecting the Saxons
to the rest of Europe.

[suspenseful music]

- [Narrator] Sutton
Hoo revealed the wealth

of Anglo-Saxon England.

But also offered insights

into the maritime
engineering of its day.

[peaceful music]

- Not only does it have the
most extraordinary collection

of royal treasure, but
also it has this ship

in which the king
was laid to rest.

- [Narrator] Although only rows

of rusted rivets
survived intact,

along with an imprint of
the ships decayed timbers,

it was clear the vessel
was 88 feet long.

Archeologists also
confirmed the ship used

a sophisticated
engineering technique

still practiced today.

[awe-inspiring music]

This technology explains
how the Anglo-Saxons

established far-flung
trade networks

with the European mainland.
[waves whooshing]

It's known as
clinker construction.

- The vessel is being built up,

literally plank by plank.
[awe-inspiring music]

And each plank overlaps
the previous plank.

- [Narrator] Planks
were fastened together

using copper rivets.

The technique appears
deceptively simple.

But, in fact, clinker
construction transformed

the shape and speed of ships.

Planks used in the hull could
be thinner, as they overlapped

along their edges.
[hammer tapping]

The strength of the
overlapping hull

meant less internal
framing was required

in a clinker design.

Resulting in a lighter vessel.

Sitting higher in the water.
[awe-inspiring music]

Less force was needed to move
these ships through the waves.

Enabling them to reach
much higher speeds.

- Clinker vessels were supposed
to stay light and flexible.

And that was the thing about
them that made them so good.

[awe-inspiring music]

- [Narrator] sealing
the overlapping planks

with animal hair and resin

helped make their
clinker-built ships watertight.

[awe-inspiring music]

And their hulls

could be constructed
quickly and efficiently.

[waves whooshing]
[bird shrieks]

[dramatic music]

The ceremonial burial
at Sutton Hoo has proved

that Anglo-Saxon tales of great
halls, glittering treasures,

and formidable
ships were no myth.

[dramatic music]

But while this ancient
vessel had been engineered

and kitted out to signify
the wealth of its owners,

other historic ships
have become famous

for the role they
played in plundering

the wealth of others.
[men shouting]

[wind whooshing]

[dramatic music]
[waves whooshing]

By the 8th century, a
new and deadly breed

of seaborne warriors
began to appear.

[men shouting]
[dramatic music]

Vicious, powerful,
and merciless.

A force that would
ravage Northern Europe,

dominating these waters
for over 200 years.

[dramatic music]

The Vikings.

- The Vikings, without doubt,

were the most effective
and deadly fighting force

of their day.

They were incredibly efficient.

[men shouting]
[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] How did small bands

of Scandinavian invaders lay
waste to swaths of Europe?

- They were incredibly fast

and they were
incredibly violent.

They could come out of nowhere.

Everyone was afraid.

[suspenseful music]

- [Narrator] Key to
the Viking's success

was their advanced
maritime technology.

- In the Viking ships,

we actually see
it's a development

of the Sutton Hoo ship design.

But they've added
important elements.

So while it's built on
earlier ideas of engineering,

it's something that's unique

and develops around
the Viking culture.

[water whooshing]

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator]
Watercraft had always

been essential in Scandinavia.

- Vikings' desire to
find more fertile lands,

to help their population grow.

Scandinavia is a very beautiful,

but also very mountainous, place

and not ideal for growing
certain types of crops.

- [Narrator] In order to expand,

the Vikings needed
better seagoing vessels.

[dramatic music]
[waves whooshing]

- The Vikings developed
their craftsmanship

to a level which had
never been seen before.

They made the most
beautiful ships

that could sail incredibly fast

and they could carry their
armies wherever they wanted.

- [Narrator] A
series of discoveries

have helped
archeologists uncover

the Vikings' ingenious
engineering solutions.

[dramatic music]

The Oseberg ship, found in 1904,

and the Tune ship, now housed

in the Viking Ship
Museum in Oslo.

And 2019 saw the unearthing
of the Gjellestad.

The first Viking ship found
in Norway for over a century.

[hammer tapping]

The Vikings perfected
the technology

of clinker boat building.

And their longships lightweight,
economic construction

was key to their success.
[suspenseful music]

- They're light, they're
flexible, and they're fast.

So they're really
good as raiding ships.

And the word Viking comes
from the Norse word to raid.

So they were going raiding.

That's what they were for.
[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Their
overlapping planks

meant clinker built vessels
were sturdy and agile.

With long, thin hulls that cut
through the water with ease.

[dramatic music]
Under sail and oar power,

these were the fastest
ships of their day.

Modern replicas
have achieved speeds

of up to 19 and a
half miles per hour.

[wind whooshing]

But longships also
had to be stable.

And another key
engineering secret explains

their effectiveness
as raiding vessels.

A simple, yet essential,
feature known as the keel.

- The keel is the main
structural element on a ship.

Almost like the spine
that goes down it.

And it provides the
main structural strength

for the design of a hull.
[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] By running a
single, sturdy beam of oak

along the bottom,
Viking longships

were made strong and stable.

Less prone to capsizing.

This technology also made
them highly maneuverable.

[oars whooshing]

- They could sail in the
most shallow of waters.

No more than a meter

would be able to take a big
Viking boat full of soldiers.

[dramatic music]

- This keel also means that
they could come in anywhere

on the shore.

And that made it very hard

for people living
along the coasts

to know where to expect
a raid to come from.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Viking masts
were also engineered

to be quickly dismantled,

making their longships
easier to hide.

[suspenseful music]

And allowing them to
sail under low bridges.

Thanks to this
brilliant engineering,

the Viking ships could
easily penetrate onto beaches

and up river estuaries.
[water whooshing]

At first, raiding parties
targeted Celtic monasteries

around the British
and Irish coasts.

Rich pickings were
theirs for the taking.

[men shouting]

- This is an age before any
coastal shore fortifications

of any significant size.
[dramatic music]

There was very little
that could be done

to stop an aggressive force

from coming ashore and
taking what they wanted.

[men shouting]

- [Narrator] Nobody
could defend against

these fast-moving,
bloodthirsty warriors.

[dramatic music]

A ruthless attack force.

Carried by longships they'd
engineered to perfection.

[fire crackling]
[men shouting]

[suspenseful music]

But the Viking seafaring
prowess didn't stop there.

Pillaging their
neighbors wasn't enough.

Their refined construction
enabled raiding ships

to venture further
and for longer.

- Viking longships traveled
enormous distances.

And that's another incredible
factor of their design.

- [Narrator] Viking
raids reached

as far as North Africa,
[awe-inspiring music]

up the rivers of Russia, and
deep into the Mediterranean.

In search of land and riches.

But as time went on, the
Vikings became settlers

as well as conquerors.
[awe-inspiring music]

Developing complex trade routes,

using their vessels to
island hop their way

across Iceland and Greenland.

As far as North America.
[awe-inspiring music]

- Vikings were looking
for land and that's where

these greater, long-distance
voyages fit in.

- We know that they reached
the tip of Newfoundland

because a Viking settlement
has been discovered there.

- [Narrator] A spectacular
feat of seafaring,

thanks to their
technologically sound ships,

exceptionally sturdy
in heavy seas.

[awe-inspiring music]

- What the Vikings achieved

was really an extraordinary
leap of faith.

But it was only possible
because the trust,

the belief they had in the
ships that they had built.

[awe-inspiring music]
[water whooshing]

[suspenseful music]

- [Narrator] But in
order to navigate

such unfamiliar waters,

the Vikings needed another
piece of technology.

Centuries before
the first compass

and sextant were invented,

the Vikings ventured
thousands of miles

by reading the position
of the sun and stars.

[awe-inspiring music]

But across the Atlantic Ocean,

the sun could be obscured
for days at a time.

Researchers now believe

that Vikings used
transparent calcite crystals

to locate the sun through
dense clouds or in low light.

[awe-inspiring music]

- There's some evidence

that they developed
a particular artifact

known as a sunstone.

Which polarizes
light and allows you

to work out where
the sun might be,

even though you're
covered with clouds.

And this technology
might've been a way

in which the Vikings were able

to navigate across
these northern waters.

[awe-inspiring music]

- [Narrator]
Experiments have shown

that sunstones really can
fix the bearing of the sun

to within a single
degree of accuracy.

A revolutionary
navigational tool.

[awe-inspiring music]

These were the first in a series

of navigational breakthroughs
made by engineers.

[awe-inspiring music]

In the following centuries,

compasses, sextants, and
sea charts helped sailors

find their way across oceans.

[suspenseful music]
[computer beeping]

Until, in modern times,

GPS satellites allow a vessel
to pinpoint its position

anywhere on earth.

[awe-inspiring music]
But for the Vikings,

simple navigational tools
were all that was needed

to reach distant lands.

[wind whooshing]

[suspenseful music]

The Vikings dared to explore
far beyond their homelands.

Among the greatest trailblazers
of the ancient world.

But these expeditions

would have taken
Viking longships weeks,

if not months, to complete.

Today, the Atlantic
can be crossed

in just a matter of days.

With vessels
traveling ever faster.

But the record for the
quickest ever Atlantic crossing

by a passenger ship
was set back in 1952.

The SS United States
on its maiden voyage.

An extraordinary
990-foot-long vessel.

Over 100 feet longer
than the Titanic.

[awe-inspiring music]

The SS United States
steamed from New York

to the Isles of Scilly
in less than four days.

- Even though it
was retired in 70s,

the SS United States still holds

that record to this day.

Which is incredible.

- [Narrator] The vessel's low

and graceful superstructure
was built entirely of aluminum.

Significantly lighter than
similarly sized vessels.

Allowing it to
take full advantage

of the astonishing 248,000
horsepower produced

by its turbines.
[awe-inspiring music]

[wind whooshing]

[suspenseful music]
But for ancient seafarers

seeking to explore
the wider world,

the Atlantic remained
a daunting barrier.

Seen then as the world's
most dangerous ocean.

[birds shrieking]

- All of the long voyages
had essentially been hopping

from one island
to another island.

But here was a
thousands of miles

of ocean that needed to
be crossed in one go.

- [Narrator] Up to
3000 miles across,

battered by extreme winds.
[suspenseful music]

To truly conquer the Atlantic,

engineers had to make great
progress in ship design.

- In the 15th century,
you have the development

of shipbuilding that's
incredibly important

and it launches Europe
into this Age of Sail.

- [Narrator] A new breed
of ship was on the horizon.

One that would radically
reshape the world.

[suspenseful music]

To cope with the extreme
forces of the open ocean,

the structure of these ships
would need to be much stronger

than ever before.

The breakthrough lay
in a technique known

as carvel construction,

it involved building the frame,

or ribs of the ship, first

before adding planks
to the outside.

Placed flush and smooth.
[awe-inspiring music]

- And they were constructed

with huge internal
timbers as well.

And that allows you to
build a stronger hull.

A stronger hull means you
can build a bigger ship

and a bigger ship means
you can travel further.

[suspenseful music]
[birds chirping]

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] But the
greatest breakthrough

was a stroke of
engineering genius.

A way of overcoming
the limitations of
single-masted ships.

- People wanted larger boats,

especially as they were
beginning to trade.

But if you just increase
the size of the mast,

increase the size of the sail,

it becomes incredibly heavy
and cumbersome to maneuver.

Also, most importantly,
a single mast

put enormous strain
on the vessel.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] A single mast
concentrates huge forces

on one point on the ship,
where the mast joins the keel.

So engineers couldn't
simply keep building

ever bigger, single
masted ships.

They'd fail in high winds.
[dramatic music]

The answer?

If you can't build
bigger, built more.

- If you have three masts,

you're distributing that
weight over a greater area.

Instead of one, which
creates a point of weakness.

- [Narrator] Together,
these changes made

for a stronger,
more balanced ship.

[dramatic music]

- Multiple masts
enabled you to sail

in all sorts of conditions

and to maximize your speed
and your maneuverability.

- You could have
different types of sails

that you could deploy
in different ways.

So this was a huge advantage,
especially in naval battles.

- [Narrator] These ships
were game changers.

Nothing came close
[dramatic music]

to the speed, strength, and size

of such state-of-the-art
vessels.

The most seaworthy
ships of their time.

Ships that completely
reshaped the world.

[dramatic music]
With this technology,

Columbus would
reach the Americas.

Magellan's expedition
would be the first

to circumnavigate
the globe in 1522,

and European powers
would dominate the oceans

for the next four centuries.
[dramatic music]

- The three-masted ship

is a huge technological
breakthrough.

One of the most important
in the history of the world.

[sails whooshing]
[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] These
were the tools

that let European sailors
explore distant lands

and conquer the oceans.

[suspenseful music]

Launching an era
of global commerce,

multi-masted ships created
a web of maritime trade

that tied the Atlantic
world together.

Nations were able to
manage their empires

and profit from the far-flung
lands they controlled.

[suspenseful music]

Vessels returned to Europe
carrying valuable goods,

such as gold,
sugar, and tobacco.

While thousands of
ships took explorers,

merchants, and migrants
from Europe to the Americas.

But they also
[chains clinking]

transported millions of enslaved
men and women from Africa.

Ships carried hundreds
of slaves at a time,

traveling thousands of
miles across the Atlantic.

A brutal slave trade that
wouldn't have been possible

without the sinister
engineering of the slave ship.

Among the biggest
vessels of their day.

[wind whooshing]

[dramatic music]

But engineering in the 15th
century was moving fast

and saw the rise of a host
of other kinds of ships.

In particular, fighting ships.
[cannons booming]

These vessels were
growing ever larger,

as monarchs demanded
cutting-edge war ships

on a massive scale.

- Building bigger warships
wasn't just about showing off.

There was a specific function.
[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] What
engineering developments

could deliver more
effective fighting vessels?

- In the course of
the 16th century,

firearms moved from
essentially showpieces

to genuine items
of naval warfare.

[waves whooshing]

- [Narrator] But
effectively engineering

ship-borne firepower meant
overcoming several obstacles.

- Cannon posed a really big
problem for ship designers,

because they're
incredibly heavy.

And heavy things on ships
are very dangerous indeed.

- [Narrator] Cannon
had to be tied down,

to prevent them moving with
the motion of the ship.

And mounting too
many high on the deck

would cause the ship
to become unstable.

- What they needed to do
was to put the cannons

in the hull,
[dramatic music]

but that didn't work because
the cannons then couldn't fire.

- [Narrator] Could a new type
of warship solve the problem?

[dramatic music]

This was the inspiration
behind what was hoped

to be the greatest
warship of all.

The Mary Rose.
[wind whooshing]

[dramatic music]

One of the mightiest,
most heavily armed
vessels of its day.

- The Mary Rose was a
purpose-built battleship,

constructed to express power,

to protect trade, and
to protect the country.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Built for
Tudor king, Henry VIII.

[dramatic music]

It was a successful
warship for 34 years.

- Mary Rose was the pride
of Henry VII's fleet.

It was a battleship of its day

and one of the most
powerful ships afloat.

- [Narrator] A leviathan
weighing over 600 tons.

Capable of carrying
the most powerful guns.

With as many as 10 sails,

the warship was unusually
fast and maneuverable

for a ship of its size.
[waves whooshing]

Redesigned in the 1530s,
the Mary Rose was fitted out

with the latest
maritime technology,

including a simple,
but effective, new
piece of engineering.

[cannons roaring]

Gun ports.

- Gun ports solve an
important problem.

It allows you to put
the guns lower down,

closer to the center of gravity,

making them a much
more stable platform.

[dramatic music]
[cannons roaring]

- [Narrator] Gun ports made
the warship more deadly

than ever before.

- For the very first time,

you've got people arming ships,

not with four or five cannons,

but with 20, with 30, even 100.

[cannons roaring]
- [Narrator] The new technique

of carvel-style
construction made it easier

to punch through
the ship's hull.

Placed between two frames,

gun ports wouldn't impact
structural integrity.

And, crucially, hinged port
lids meant they could be closed

in rough seas.
[waves whooshing]

- The development
of the gun port

was a key technological advance

in essentially creating
modern naval warfare.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Warships,
such as the Mary Rose,

were engineered to fight
and destroy enemy vessels.

Relying primarily on cannon.

Yet, despite all the
new technology, in 1545,

as the Mary Rose sailed
out of Portsmouth Harbor

to do battle with
French galleys,

the gun ports would prove
the vessel's undoing.

While coming under heavy fire,

King Henry's mighty
warship made a sharp turn.

Disaster struck.
[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Undoubtedly
the gun ports played

an important part
in why she sank.

As she'd heeled over, that's
when the water poured in

and she plummeted
down to the seabed.

[dramatic music]
[waves whooshing]

- It would have been
catastrophic for the king.

This is his flagship.

And to see it capsize and
sink before his very eyes

would have been
truly disastrous.

[water whooshing]

[suspenseful music]

- [Narrator] The
Mary Rose remained

on the seabed for
over four centuries.

But in 1971, divers
made a discovery.

Wooden frames, soon proven
to be part of the ships hull.

And as the team kept exploring,
they found more and more.

[suspenseful music]

- They realized pretty quickly

that it was almost
structurally in one piece,

protected under the sand.

- [Narrator] In 1982, they
decided to raise these remains

as a whole.

Could modern engineering
pull off this feat?

- The process of
taking this ship,

which had lain, more
or less undisturbed,

at the bottom of the sea
for hundreds of years,

was fraught with danger.

- No one had ever
raised a Tudor warship

from a muddy grave ever before.

And the idea to actually
bring it to the surface.

Now that is an extraordinary
thing to even contemplate,

let alone achieve.

- [Narrator] Over 27,000 dives
were made to the Mary Rose

during the reclamation project.

Equating to 22,710
hours on the seabed.

[suspenseful music]

Engineers constructed
giant steel frames

and trusses around the wreck.

The whole structure
was jacked up

and maneuvered onto a cradle.

Which was then lifted.

This was the moment of truth.
[suspenseful music]

- I remember watching
it at the time

and everybody was
holding their breaths.

- [Narrator] Failure
would have destroyed

the fragile remains.
[suspenseful music]

But after 437 years
under the sea,

the Mary Rose
finally resurfaced.

- The whole nation
was galvanized

as the vessel came
up to the surface.

- Raising the ship off the
sea floor is half the battle.

Anything that's been under water

for any length of
time starts to corrode

as soon as it comes in
contact with oxygen.

- [Narrator] Once
returned safely to shore,

the ship underwent many years

of intensive conservation work.

- They were able to preserve it

by just spraying it
constantly with water.

So, in fact, it never
gets to dry out.

You continue to
perfuse it with water

so that it retains
the environment that
had kept it safe

for those hundreds of years.

- [Narrator] Today, the
preservation process is complete

and the Mary Rose is the
only 16th-century warship

on display anywhere
in the world.

- Now the ship is housed with
all its contents, together,

in this fantastic modern museum.

Where it's preserved for
future generations to study

and to see.

- Being able to
see the Mary Rose

in the museum today is
incredibly important.

Because it shows us the
peak of Tudor engineering.

- [Narrator] One of the
most intimidating war ships

of its time.
[dramatic music]

Throughout their
6,000-year history,

ships have driven the
growth of civilization.

Providing the framework
for globalization.

And their importance today
can not be overstated.

[dramatic music]
They have been fundamental

to exploration,
trade, and conquest.

Ancient engineers
perfected the vessels,

letting them reach further,
faster, endure longer journeys.

Playing a vital role
throughout history.

From the Ancient Egyptian sail

to the swift Viking longships

and the imposing
three-masted ships.

Ancient engineering innovations

that changed the world forever.

[dramatic music]