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[narrator] revolutionary microbiology
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Investigates the medieval undead.
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[sheila hoffman] placing
the stone in the child's mouth
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Was to prevent them from
coming back to plague the living.
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[narrator] chemical fingerprinting,
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Decodes a roman terror weapon.
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Hundreds of these
sling bullets raining down.
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It would scare the daylights out of anyone.
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[narrator] genetics helped
trace the new human species
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Responsible for stunningly
sophisticated jewelry.
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It doesn't make any sense.
Who was using these techniques
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Tens of thousands of years ago?
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[narrator] in a digital
technology lab of the future,
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Experts uncover clues
invisible to the naked eye.
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I've never seen anything like that before.
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[narrator] and solve mysteries
that have baffled for centuries.
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That right there is what
scientists have been missing.
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All the evidence points
to an incredible discovery.
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This could be a game changer.
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[narrator] state of the
art digital technology
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Closes the toughest cases.
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This mystery finally makes sense.
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[narrator] from the
ancient unexplained files.
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[narrator] mt. Llullaillaco, argentina.
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1999.
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Near the summit of the world's
second highest active volcano,
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Archeologists find three
mummies in pit tombs.
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It's an extraordinary
setting. A towering volcano,
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Containing three small figures.
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They're frozen stiff by
the frigid mountain climate.
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A natural mummification.
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The level of preservation is astonishing.
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It's like they almost died yesterday.
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The scene is unbelievably eerie.
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There's no obvious
wounds or a cause of death.
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The circumstances are really bizarre.
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[narrator] over the next decade,
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A battery of science and high tech
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Pieces together these children's stories,
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To reveal how they met their chilling end.
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An extraordinary amount of
effort must've been put into
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Placing these children
here up on this mountain.
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22,000 feet above sea level.
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How did they end up
entombed in this remote volcano
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Hundreds of miles from civilization.
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[narrator] this baffling
discovery makes mt. Llullaillaco
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The world's highest archeological site.
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Analysis of the three tiny figures
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Shows the oldest is a 13-year-old female.
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She's given the name, maiden.
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Accompanying her is a
younger boy and a girl.
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She displays horrific facial burning.
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[karen bellinger] the girl's
ear has been melted off.
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It looks as if she's been struck
by lightning right in her grave.
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In fact, researchers
call her the lightning girl.
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[narrator] alongside these victims
is a stunning array of grave goods.
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Including gold and silver
figurines, fine pottery
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And exquisite textiles.
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All protentional clues to their deaths.
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It has all the hallmarks
of a ritualistic burial.
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But why build these tombs
at these dizzying altitudes.
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It's deeply mystifying.
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[narrator] first, samples from
the children are radiocarbon dated
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To determine which culture they came from.
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A sample of the maiden's hair
dates to the middle of the inca empire.
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So that helps shed
some light on this mystery.
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This leads us away from
some kind of burial custom
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And more toward sacrifice.
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[narrator] during the 15th century ce,
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Young children gave
their lives to inca gods
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In times of stress, called capacocha.
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This ritual was often performed
on sacred mountain tops.
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But in this case, there's something amiss.
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[carla valentine] now a really
big telltale sign of human sacrifice
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Is how the person died.
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We know the inca used brutal methods.
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Some common methods might be
strangulation or a blow to the head.
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But this does present another mystery.
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These children appear
undamaged and at peace.
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The maiden is healthy, well nourished
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And even her posture seems relaxed.
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[bellinger] it looks as
if she's just nodded off.
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It's pretty poignant actually.
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[narrator] closer analysis of the
artifacts adds yet more intrigue.
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The maiden's headrest feathers
hail from the amazon jungle.
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While figurines are
made of spondylus shells,
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That originate over 100
miles away on the coast.
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We can see that these
are very high status objects.
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These are associated with the inca elite.
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One of the things you might ask is,
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Are these children then
members of the elite themselves?
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Are they royal children and that's why
they have such extravagant grave goods?
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[narrator] to help untangle this mystery,
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The mummies are taken to argentina's
institute of high mountain research.
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With collaboration from the european
universities of bradford and copenhagen,
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They're extensively tested.
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So, what really jumps out
is the level of preservation.
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Everything from fabric
and textiles to plant remains
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To fingernails and hair.
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The organs are undamaged
and there's even blood left
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In the chambers of the heart.
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[narrator] some content of
the digestive tract also remain
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And can be analyzed.
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Looking at the food content in
the stomach and the intestines
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Gives us more clues
about the children's death.
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[hassett] from the maiden's
stomach, we can see that
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She probably had her last bit of
food between two to seven hours
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Before she actually died.
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And looking at her rectum, we can
see that she hadn't defecated after eating.
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She wasn't in any great state of distress.
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The artifacts placed
around her weren't disturbed.
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So the evidence suggests
that the maiden actually did die,
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In position, in her tomb.
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[narrator] but still, the cause
of her death remains unclear.
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Learning how the maiden
died on this bleak mountain top
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Is key to solving this mystery.
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[narrator] researchers hope a ct scan will
shed more light on the maiden's demise.
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This is given to the digital forensics lab
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For pathologist carla
valentine to scrutinize.
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What I have here is a digital visualization
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Of the maiden's ct scan.
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It let's us thoroughly examine
the skeleton for any hidden trauma.
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Let's zoom-in for a closer look.
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There's no obvious fractures.
She seems pretty healthy.
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But our digital model does
reveal something extraordinary.
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Something you would not expect
to find in the mouth of a child.
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It's this curious object clenched
between the maiden's teeth.
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It's a bundle of coca leaves called a quid.
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And users will get a narcotic
high from chewing this.
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Effectively, it's just unprocessed cocaine
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And has the exact same
effect as the powdered form.
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Which suggests the maiden may
have been drugged in her final hours.
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Why on earth would
anyone do this to a child?
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[narrator] more disturbing,
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This wasn't the only intoxicant
forced upon these young children.
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We also find evidence of alcohol
consumption in all three children.
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Likely a maize based
beverage called chicha.
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The cocktail of coca and alcohol
probably made them pretty out of it.
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[narrator] in argentina, three
amazingly preserved child mummies
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Were found on a volcano summit.
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Advanced tech has proved
the oldest, named the maiden,
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Was drugged before death.
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Investigators suspect it may
be linked to child sacrifice.
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To dig deeper into this substance abuse,
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They analyzed the maiden's hair.
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Hair is like a chemical diary. Traces
of what we eat are locked inside.
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Even 500 years later, we
can find out what they ingested.
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And the longer the hair, the
further back in time we can look.
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The maiden's hair is over eight inches long
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And represents about two years of growth.
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[narrator] chemical traces are
extracted from strands of her hair.
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These are purified
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And then identified using
a mass spectrometer.
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The evidence from her hair shows
that about 12 months before she died,
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She had a massive increase
in consumption of coca.
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It's likely that this was
used as a sedative.
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It was certainly not enough to kill her.
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We also find evidence of alcohol
consumption in all three children.
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Likely a maize based
beverage called chicha.
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And we also find cups that probably
would've contained this chicha
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Buried with the children.
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[narrator] all the evidence points to a
rare form of incan ritualistic sacrifice.
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One that shuns a horribly violent
death for something more merciful.
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What would've been a potent cocktail of
drugs and alcohol in these kids' systems,
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Probably meant they wouldn't
have had a clue what was going on.
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One could look at this particular
ritual as a form of euthanasia.
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These children would've
become important intermediaries
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Between the worlds of
the living and the dead,
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But equally they serve as a key reminder
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Of the importance of paying
tribute to the inca emperor.
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[narrator] the three child
mummies are now on display
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At argentina's museum
of high altitude archeology.
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All are a permanent reminder of capacocha.
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These sacrifices had a hugely
important role in inca society.
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It was part of how they maintained
their power and legitimacy.
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[narrator] the altai
mountains, southern russia.
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Archeologists excavating a remote siberian
cave make an extraordinary discovery.
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Deep in the gloomy shadows of this cave, there
are tens of thousands stone age artifacts
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Lying on the floor.
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[mark horton] archeologists
find remains of bone
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As well as worked jewelry artifacts.
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These are items that have been
turned into obviously personal ornaments
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Of one type or another.
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[allan maca] the jewelry
includes ostrich eggshell beads.
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Stone and bone pendants.
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Among all these incredible objects there's
one that stands out above all others.
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And it's a carved stone bracelet
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Made from a very hard green stone.
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[narrator] more eye-catching,
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The bracelet contains a finely bored hole.
191
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Compared to the other stone age items,
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It appears at least 30,000
years more advanced.
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The ability to polish this stone,
194
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To carve this stone and
to also bore a hole in it...
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This suggests a great
technological sophistication.
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It doesn't make any sense.
197
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Who was using these techniques
tens of thousands of years ago?
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[narrator] for nearly a decade,
no one could answer that question.
199
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Now, cutting edge analysis hopes to explain
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Who made this sophisticated bracelet.
201
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[maca] in a way, this
doesn't really make sense.
202
00:12:05,292 --> 00:12:06,991
This really baffles the mind.
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[narrator] the denisova
cave containing this discovery
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Nestles in the altai foothills
near russia's southern border.
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It's been a vital refuge, spanning
300,000 years of human history.
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[horton] now this is
right in the center of asia.
207
00:12:28,348 --> 00:12:34,285
And it's very dry and very cold up there.
208
00:12:34,321 --> 00:12:40,258
So the cave deposits survive very well.
209
00:12:40,293 --> 00:12:43,595
[narrator] to understand who
could've crafted the green bracelet,
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Archeologists first need to
determine what era it came from.
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00:12:47,934 --> 00:12:50,702
Because it's made of stone,
we can't really carbon-date it
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'cause there's no carbon in the stone.
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00:12:53,206 --> 00:12:57,976
So the only way we can date it is work
out a stratigraphic position in the cave
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00:12:58,011 --> 00:13:01,246
And date deposits that are
immediately adjacent to it.
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00:13:03,183 --> 00:13:08,453
[narrator] scientists test the sediment layer
the bracelet was retrieved from, using osl.
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00:13:08,488 --> 00:13:11,689
Optically stimulated luminescence.
217
00:13:11,725 --> 00:13:15,426
Optical dating is a way of figuring
out when minerals in the earth
218
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Were last exposed to sunlight
based on the energy stored inside.
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[narrator] the result is beyond
anyone's wildest expectation.
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We know from dating
the soil deposits around it,
221
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That this bracelet is probably
40,000-50,000 years old.
222
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This is remarkable.
223
00:13:36,049 --> 00:13:40,819
Especially considering the advanced
techniques needed to make it.
224
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[narrator] 50,000 years ago, early
humans possessed crude stone tools.
225
00:13:46,660 --> 00:13:49,494
[maca] there're things
like scrapers, spear points.
226
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Cutting tools in the stone
age or paleolithic period.
227
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[narrator] it seems inconceivable
228
00:13:55,035 --> 00:13:59,237
These could've created this
bracelet's precisely bored hole.
229
00:13:59,272 --> 00:14:04,242
So experts check the dating
accuracy via another method.
230
00:14:04,277 --> 00:14:08,179
Some other ornaments found in
the cave are made out bone and ivory,
231
00:14:08,215 --> 00:14:11,749
Which can be radiocarbon dated.
232
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[horton] radiocarbon dating these
personal ornaments had come out about
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43,000-45,000 years ago.
234
00:14:18,825 --> 00:14:22,560
So again, they seem to
confirm what the osl date is.
235
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This bracelet is extremely ancient.
236
00:14:29,569 --> 00:14:34,138
[narrator] this revelation deepens expert
resolve to track down the early humans
237
00:14:34,174 --> 00:14:36,207
Who crafted this bracelet.
238
00:14:36,243 --> 00:14:38,710
One species is immediately ruled out.
239
00:14:40,247 --> 00:14:42,647
[koons] we know that homo
sapiens were in eurasia
240
00:14:42,682 --> 00:14:45,049
Around the time the bracelet was made.
241
00:14:45,085 --> 00:14:48,086
But the evidence is telling
us that it is not homo sapiens
242
00:14:48,121 --> 00:14:50,488
Who were occupying the cave.
243
00:14:50,523 --> 00:14:53,725
[narrator] instead, the spotlight
falls on the neanderthals,
244
00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,860
Known to have dwelled in this region.
245
00:14:55,896 --> 00:15:00,365
The neanderthals were a relative of
humans who lived in europe and asia
246
00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,735
Until they became extinct
about 40,000 years ago.
247
00:15:03,770 --> 00:15:07,205
We do know that neanderthals
made art and jewelry,
248
00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:12,343
For example, in croatia, archeologists
have found modified eagle talons.
249
00:15:15,615 --> 00:15:20,051
[narrator] so could this green bracelet
have been fashioned by neanderthals?
250
00:15:20,086 --> 00:15:25,189
Some bone fragments found with
cave artifacts should provide the answer.
251
00:15:25,225 --> 00:15:29,494
Scientists use advanced
genomics to trace their origins.
252
00:15:29,529 --> 00:15:32,096
Scientists extract the dna from the bones,
253
00:15:32,132 --> 00:15:34,565
Sequence it and compare it to databases
254
00:15:34,601 --> 00:15:37,802
Containing sequences from
other early human species.
255
00:15:38,905 --> 00:15:42,273
Some of the bones clearly
belonged to neanderthals.
256
00:15:42,309 --> 00:15:45,310
But some of the bones
still can't be identified.
257
00:15:46,947 --> 00:15:51,716
[narrator] these mystery bone samples
share commonalities with neanderthals.
258
00:15:51,751 --> 00:15:55,219
Enough to raise a mind-boggling prospect.
259
00:15:55,255 --> 00:15:59,924
There are some similarities between
the mystery dna and neanderthal dna.
260
00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:04,529
It suggests we could be looking
at a completely new sister species.
261
00:16:10,370 --> 00:16:13,538
[narrator] in russia, investigators
are trying to trace the early humans
262
00:16:13,573 --> 00:16:17,608
Believed to have made a
sophisticated stone bracelet.
263
00:16:17,644 --> 00:16:21,846
But dna analysis of bones found
in a cave with this precious item
264
00:16:21,881 --> 00:16:24,482
Have only deepened the mystery.
265
00:16:24,517 --> 00:16:26,985
[koons] we know that
neanderthals inhabited the cave.
266
00:16:27,020 --> 00:16:29,654
However it looks like
another species lived here too.
267
00:16:31,391 --> 00:16:33,825
[narrator] paleoanthropologists confirm
268
00:16:33,860 --> 00:16:37,795
This is an entirely new human species.
269
00:16:37,831 --> 00:16:42,567
It's named denisovan after the
denisova caves of this discovery.
270
00:16:42,602 --> 00:16:45,803
We know about modern
humans coming out of africa.
271
00:16:45,839 --> 00:16:50,408
And we know about neanderthals
that are living in europe.
272
00:16:50,443 --> 00:16:55,580
But here in central asia was
a third species of early human.
273
00:16:55,615 --> 00:16:57,982
It was one of the great
findings of the decade.
274
00:17:02,222 --> 00:17:07,058
[narrator] branching off from a common
ancestor around 400,000 years ago,
275
00:17:07,093 --> 00:17:10,495
Denisovans and neanderthals
co-exist on the human
276
00:17:10,530 --> 00:17:12,764
Evolutionary timeline.
277
00:17:12,799 --> 00:17:14,365
But the question remains...
278
00:17:14,434 --> 00:17:17,902
Which of these two
species made the bracelet?
279
00:17:17,937 --> 00:17:21,539
To find out, scientists use a
next level dating technique,
280
00:17:21,574 --> 00:17:26,044
Called "relative genetic
aging" on the bone fragments.
281
00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:31,516
We calculate relative genetic ages by
comparing the dna from these cave dwellers
282
00:17:31,551 --> 00:17:34,819
To other human fossils and
counting the differences between them.
283
00:17:36,322 --> 00:17:39,757
Mutations accumulate at a
known rate in modern humans.
284
00:17:39,793 --> 00:17:41,826
So we can use that rate
285
00:17:41,861 --> 00:17:44,595
To figure out how old
these ancient humans were
286
00:17:44,631 --> 00:17:47,532
Based on the number of mutations
that have accumulated in their dna.
287
00:17:49,235 --> 00:17:52,003
[narrator] applying a
complex statistical model
288
00:17:52,038 --> 00:17:53,905
Finally provides an answer.
289
00:17:53,940 --> 00:18:00,111
The youngest hominin fossil found in the
cave dates from 52,000-76,000 years ago.
290
00:18:00,146 --> 00:18:02,046
Unfortunately, it's a real drawback.
291
00:18:02,082 --> 00:18:04,882
This is thousands of years
before the bracelet was made.
292
00:18:05,752 --> 00:18:07,652
[narrator] it's hugely frustrating.
293
00:18:07,687 --> 00:18:10,254
Results show the
denisovans occupied the cave
294
00:18:10,290 --> 00:18:14,125
Some 50,000 years longer than neanderthals.
295
00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,295
But not enough to
crossover with the bracelet.
296
00:18:17,330 --> 00:18:20,431
Experts believe they
remain the prime suspect.
297
00:18:20,467 --> 00:18:24,035
[maca] recent analysis of
the finger bones of denisovans
298
00:18:24,070 --> 00:18:29,474
Shows us that they apparently had
better manual dexterity than neanderthals.
299
00:18:29,509 --> 00:18:33,611
Which may explain how they
might be the ones responsible
300
00:18:33,646 --> 00:18:36,914
For fabricating the
beautiful stone bracelet.
301
00:18:36,950 --> 00:18:41,119
[narrator] hopefully new evidence
will come to light proving this bracelet
302
00:18:41,154 --> 00:18:43,721
Is indeed denisovan handiwork.
303
00:18:43,756 --> 00:18:48,226
Heavens knows what new
discoveries will be made in the future.
304
00:18:48,261 --> 00:18:51,295
At the moment we know
so little about them and their
305
00:18:51,364 --> 00:18:54,499
Intellectual capabilities
and what they're able to do,
306
00:18:54,534 --> 00:18:56,734
We really can't speculate.
307
00:18:56,769 --> 00:18:58,703
I'm still rooting for the denisovans.
308
00:18:58,738 --> 00:19:00,872
And I think many archeologists will be too.
309
00:19:08,414 --> 00:19:10,181
[narrator] the state of yucatan, mexico.
310
00:19:13,253 --> 00:19:15,119
Deep in the jungle,
311
00:19:15,155 --> 00:19:18,389
In the ancient maya city of chichen itza
312
00:19:18,424 --> 00:19:21,926
Lies one of the most
mysterious sights in the americas.
313
00:19:23,997 --> 00:19:27,532
The temple of kukulkan.
314
00:19:27,567 --> 00:19:32,937
This imposing temple is dedicated
to their plumed serpent god.
315
00:19:32,972 --> 00:19:36,741
And it just sprouts
right out of the jungle.
316
00:19:36,776 --> 00:19:41,245
It's a testament to the art and
architecture and the amazing building skills
317
00:19:41,281 --> 00:19:43,247
Of the ancient maya.
318
00:19:43,283 --> 00:19:47,685
However, even today there's surprisingly
little we know about much of this building.
319
00:19:49,455 --> 00:19:51,889
[narrator] this 1,000 year old temple
320
00:19:51,925 --> 00:19:55,526
Dedicated to the maya
god of the wind, sky and sun
321
00:19:55,562 --> 00:19:59,130
Is one of the new seven
wonders of the world.
322
00:19:59,165 --> 00:20:02,533
[sascha auerbach] along with
the great egyptian pyramids,
323
00:20:02,569 --> 00:20:08,706
This temple is the most famous and
impressive pyramid of the ancient world.
324
00:20:08,741 --> 00:20:12,443
But it's still a mystery to
us why it was built here.
325
00:20:13,746 --> 00:20:17,381
[narrator] now, cutting edge
3d mapping will reveal clues
326
00:20:17,417 --> 00:20:19,850
Hidden underground
327
00:20:19,886 --> 00:20:24,388
That could finally unlock the
secret to kukulkan's location.
328
00:20:24,424 --> 00:20:27,658
This new discovery
has the potential to rock
329
00:20:27,694 --> 00:20:29,894
Mesoamerican archeology to its core.
330
00:20:34,968 --> 00:20:36,467
[narrator] for centuries,
331
00:20:36,502 --> 00:20:39,904
Kukulkan has fascinated the world.
332
00:20:39,939 --> 00:20:43,474
The maya are renowned for
creating complex calendars,
333
00:20:43,509 --> 00:20:45,543
Often integrated into their architecture.
334
00:20:46,512 --> 00:20:48,779
Kukulkan is the most famous example.
335
00:20:49,882 --> 00:20:52,783
[bellinger] kukulkan has 91 steps.
336
00:20:52,819 --> 00:20:55,152
Plus one more at the temple on top.
337
00:20:55,188 --> 00:20:57,788
If you multiply that by the four corners,
338
00:20:57,824 --> 00:21:00,258
You come up with 365.
339
00:21:00,293 --> 00:21:02,360
It's the number of days in a calendar year.
340
00:21:03,563 --> 00:21:05,796
[narrator] an additional
phenomenon also connects
341
00:21:05,832 --> 00:21:07,765
The temple to the passing seasons.
342
00:21:09,102 --> 00:21:12,270
One of the most surprising and
spectacular pieces of evidence
343
00:21:12,305 --> 00:21:14,105
Reveals during the equinox.
344
00:21:15,441 --> 00:21:18,209
[narrator] during the March
and September equinoxes,
345
00:21:18,244 --> 00:21:22,513
The god kukulkan appears
to manifest from out of thin air.
346
00:21:23,516 --> 00:21:26,083
As the sun begins to set on these two days
347
00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:30,521
A serpent appears to slither down
the northern staircase of the monument.
348
00:21:32,625 --> 00:21:39,497
The maya would see this play of light
and shadow as the actual god kukulkan.
349
00:21:39,532 --> 00:21:43,334
[narrator] this deity apparition leaves
little doubt to the temple's purpose.
350
00:21:44,771 --> 00:21:48,239
But is there a reason for its location?
351
00:21:48,274 --> 00:21:52,610
Investigators suspect the region's
remarkable geology offers a clue.
352
00:21:53,112 --> 00:21:54,512
[thunder rumbling]
353
00:21:55,615 --> 00:21:58,382
When it rains we expect
that water to run off
354
00:21:58,418 --> 00:22:00,918
The surface and collect in rivers.
355
00:22:00,953 --> 00:22:03,421
But that doesn't happen in yucatan.
356
00:22:03,456 --> 00:22:07,458
The yucatan peninsula with
chichen itza and kukulkan belt
357
00:22:07,493 --> 00:22:09,527
Has no rivers on its surface.
358
00:22:09,562 --> 00:22:12,296
[narrator] the rocky landscape
is riddled with fissures
359
00:22:12,332 --> 00:22:15,032
Funneling rainwater
into underground caverns
360
00:22:15,068 --> 00:22:16,801
Known as cenotes.
361
00:22:16,836 --> 00:22:21,806
Chichen itza means "at
the mouth of the well of itza".
362
00:22:21,841 --> 00:22:26,544
The city is full of sinkholes
and cenotes which hold water
363
00:22:26,579 --> 00:22:29,847
That can be then be used
for drinking or irrigation.
364
00:22:29,882 --> 00:22:32,650
[narrator] but cenotes hold
an even deeper importance.
365
00:22:33,820 --> 00:22:35,653
These cenotes
366
00:22:35,688 --> 00:22:38,589
Were believed by the mayans to be portals
367
00:22:38,624 --> 00:22:42,259
To the underworld that
was inhabited by the gods.
368
00:22:42,295 --> 00:22:45,763
Among the most important
of them being chaac.
369
00:22:45,798 --> 00:22:47,865
The god of life-giving rain.
370
00:22:49,068 --> 00:22:50,379
[vranich] the maya believed that chaac
371
00:22:50,403 --> 00:22:53,471
Held the waters of the
world in these large clay pots
372
00:22:53,506 --> 00:22:57,842
And the sound of thunder were these
pots being broken open to release the rain.
373
00:23:02,882 --> 00:23:05,983
[narrator] experts consider
whether these watery caverns
374
00:23:06,018 --> 00:23:09,653
Now hold the key to this
centuries old kukulkan mystery.
375
00:23:11,457 --> 00:23:16,360
[auerbach] cenotes are so absolutely
crucial to the mayan worldview
376
00:23:16,396 --> 00:23:19,563
And to their understanding
of the cycle of life and death.
377
00:23:19,599 --> 00:23:22,199
Kukulkan might have been arranged
378
00:23:22,235 --> 00:23:25,836
Specifically based on the
placement of the cenotes.
379
00:23:27,340 --> 00:23:31,876
Kukulkan could have a deeper,
darker purpose than we ever expected.
380
00:23:38,651 --> 00:23:40,851
[narrator] in yucatan, mexico,
381
00:23:40,887 --> 00:23:42,920
The stepped pyramid kukulkan
382
00:23:42,955 --> 00:23:46,924
Is one of the great mysteries
of the mayan empire.
383
00:23:46,959 --> 00:23:51,328
Experts believe there's a hidden
reason for its precise location.
384
00:23:51,364 --> 00:23:54,231
But nearly 100 years of
archeological searching
385
00:23:54,267 --> 00:23:55,399
Have drawn a blank.
386
00:23:56,636 --> 00:23:59,970
This is one of the most
famous monuments on earth.
387
00:24:00,006 --> 00:24:02,907
But it's still somewhat
of a shrouded mystery.
388
00:24:06,312 --> 00:24:08,012
[narrator] in 2014,
389
00:24:08,047 --> 00:24:12,550
The shallow geophysics group from the
national autonomous university of mexico,
390
00:24:12,585 --> 00:24:16,520
Combined forces with the national
institute of anthropology and history.
391
00:24:17,323 --> 00:24:19,123
They attempt a new survey
392
00:24:19,158 --> 00:24:22,793
Using electrical resistivity tomography.
393
00:24:22,829 --> 00:24:27,264
This is a method by which you
place a series of spikes in the ground
394
00:24:27,300 --> 00:24:29,233
And pass electrical current through them.
395
00:24:29,268 --> 00:24:31,001
And that current goes into the ground
396
00:24:31,037 --> 00:24:33,838
And bounces off things
that are below the surface.
397
00:24:33,873 --> 00:24:35,439
And as you do a series of these,
398
00:24:35,475 --> 00:24:37,708
You can build up a 3d image of what
399
00:24:37,743 --> 00:24:39,343
The buried substrata look like.
400
00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:44,215
[narrator] the team had to develop
a special non-invasive method
401
00:24:44,250 --> 00:24:46,116
To protect historic kukulkan.
402
00:24:47,386 --> 00:24:49,253
Their efforts pay off.
403
00:24:49,288 --> 00:24:51,288
It's a first survey of its kind,
404
00:24:51,324 --> 00:24:54,091
To produce a detailed
3d image of the temple.
405
00:24:57,430 --> 00:24:58,896
In the digital lab,
406
00:24:58,931 --> 00:25:03,234
Historian sascha auerbach
is given privileged access.
407
00:25:03,269 --> 00:25:05,903
Academics are really
excited about this survey.
408
00:25:05,938 --> 00:25:08,839
It should open a new, hopefully
revolutionary perspective.
409
00:25:09,809 --> 00:25:12,243
Let's add the tomography results.
410
00:25:12,278 --> 00:25:15,346
Look at that. Look at how
that big blue space stands out.
411
00:25:15,381 --> 00:25:19,683
Now in this survey, blue denotes
extremely low electrical resistance.
412
00:25:19,719 --> 00:25:21,919
Far too low to be dirt or rock.
413
00:25:21,954 --> 00:25:24,355
What we're looking at is a watery cavern,
414
00:25:24,390 --> 00:25:26,390
Also known as a cenote.
415
00:25:26,425 --> 00:25:28,692
This also looks like a pretty sizable one.
416
00:25:28,728 --> 00:25:30,594
Using my digital measuring tool,
417
00:25:30,630 --> 00:25:34,231
We can see that it's 114 feet at its widest
418
00:25:34,267 --> 00:25:37,434
And it's over 65 feet deep.
419
00:25:38,037 --> 00:25:39,436
Quite amazing.
420
00:25:39,472 --> 00:25:42,673
Now we go back to our digital
map, we see something else.
421
00:25:42,708 --> 00:25:45,442
As we pull out, two more cenote.
422
00:25:45,478 --> 00:25:48,379
One to the north and one to the south.
423
00:25:48,414 --> 00:25:49,914
But it doesn't stop there.
424
00:25:49,949 --> 00:25:52,049
If we pull back a little bit farther,
425
00:25:52,084 --> 00:25:54,351
We'll see that there are
two more of these cenote.
426
00:25:54,387 --> 00:25:57,121
One to the east and one to the west.
427
00:25:57,156 --> 00:25:58,222
Now let's connect them.
428
00:26:01,193 --> 00:26:02,560
Look at that.
429
00:26:02,595 --> 00:26:05,863
The great temple of
kukulkan sits at the epicenter
430
00:26:05,898 --> 00:26:08,032
Of the maya spiritual universe.
431
00:26:09,302 --> 00:26:11,101
This is truly remarkable.
432
00:26:11,137 --> 00:26:13,237
The equivalent of the
sepulchre for christians
433
00:26:13,272 --> 00:26:15,172
Or the kaaba for muslims.
434
00:26:15,207 --> 00:26:18,309
The holiest of places
in the maya civilization.
435
00:26:22,248 --> 00:26:24,515
[narrator] after centuries of mystery,
436
00:26:24,550 --> 00:26:28,352
The discovery that kukulkan
was aligned with the cenotes,
437
00:26:28,387 --> 00:26:32,222
Reveals this temple is not just a calendar.
438
00:26:32,258 --> 00:26:36,594
It's a portal, through which they
communicated with the gods of the sky,
439
00:26:36,629 --> 00:26:38,395
And underworld.
440
00:26:38,431 --> 00:26:42,499
The temple of kukulkan
and the cenote beneath it,
441
00:26:42,535 --> 00:26:45,135
Are the center of the axis mundi
442
00:26:45,171 --> 00:26:48,205
Or the center of the
world for the ancient maya.
443
00:26:48,207 --> 00:26:51,208
The place where the maya
ceiba tree of life was planted.
444
00:26:52,478 --> 00:26:55,913
The branches of the
ceiba reach up into the sky.
445
00:26:55,948 --> 00:26:58,349
They represent the upperworld.
446
00:26:58,384 --> 00:27:01,552
The body of the ceiba is this
world where the humans live
447
00:27:01,587 --> 00:27:04,989
And the roots of the ceiba
extend down into the underworld.
448
00:27:05,024 --> 00:27:08,525
And so the ceiba tree links
together the three worlds
449
00:27:08,561 --> 00:27:09,994
Of maya cosmology.
450
00:27:18,437 --> 00:27:20,504
[narrator] umbria, central Italy.
451
00:27:22,708 --> 00:27:25,242
Archeologists from
the university of arizona
452
00:27:25,277 --> 00:27:28,612
Are excavating the necropoli dei bambini,
453
00:27:28,648 --> 00:27:31,515
Otherwise known as the children's cemetery.
454
00:27:31,550 --> 00:27:34,084
It dates to the fifth century ad,
455
00:27:35,321 --> 00:27:37,354
And in the ruins of this villa
456
00:27:37,390 --> 00:27:39,723
Were a number of child burials,
457
00:27:40,860 --> 00:27:44,862
Including fetuses and young children.
458
00:27:44,897 --> 00:27:46,797
[narrator] among piles of bones,
459
00:27:46,832 --> 00:27:49,366
The team makes a heart-stopping discovery.
460
00:27:49,402 --> 00:27:51,146
[kiki sanford] there's
a skeleton of a child,
461
00:27:51,170 --> 00:27:56,006
Lying on its side, and a brick
has been forced between its jaws.
462
00:27:58,210 --> 00:28:00,911
I have never seen a child buried like this.
463
00:28:02,348 --> 00:28:06,350
This is a really unusual burial phenomenon,
464
00:28:08,020 --> 00:28:12,656
In an extremely emotive context.
465
00:28:12,692 --> 00:28:17,027
[narrator] some suspect this
is a portent of the evil undead.
466
00:28:17,063 --> 00:28:22,633
According to classical texts, the
unusual burial practices such as this,
467
00:28:22,668 --> 00:28:27,838
Were reserved for individuals who
they believed were the unquiet dead.
468
00:28:27,873 --> 00:28:32,609
It counsels the living to place a
stone in a child's mouth to prevent them
469
00:28:32,645 --> 00:28:35,379
From causing harm to others,
after they become a revenant.
470
00:28:36,315 --> 00:28:38,048
Someone who comes back to life.
471
00:28:38,084 --> 00:28:39,683
The idea being
472
00:28:40,986 --> 00:28:46,490
The soul of the dead individual
passes out through the mouth
473
00:28:46,525 --> 00:28:48,959
And haunts the world.
474
00:28:48,994 --> 00:28:53,330
[narrator] now, revolutionary
science investigates why this child
475
00:28:53,365 --> 00:28:56,400
Suffered such harsh treatment in death.
476
00:28:56,435 --> 00:28:59,536
We have to understand that
the mid-fifth century here in Italy
477
00:28:59,572 --> 00:29:01,805
Is a time of upheaval.
478
00:29:01,841 --> 00:29:06,076
But, what could possibly explain
such a disturbing burial of a child?
479
00:29:12,785 --> 00:29:16,520
[narrator] in 2018, archeologists
excavating an italian children cemetery
480
00:29:16,555 --> 00:29:19,556
Uncover a sinister makeshift tomb.
481
00:29:19,592 --> 00:29:24,561
Inside, a small corpse has
a stone wedged in its mouth.
482
00:29:24,597 --> 00:29:26,864
The burial site is creepy as hell.
483
00:29:28,234 --> 00:29:30,601
[narrator] rubble is
scattered across the skeleton.
484
00:29:30,636 --> 00:29:35,239
So initially they consider if the
stone accidentally fell into the mouth.
485
00:29:35,274 --> 00:29:38,509
Natural jaw opening, as
the muscles decompose,
486
00:29:38,544 --> 00:29:43,280
Is actually quite common and it's
found often in bodies that are in coffins.
487
00:29:43,315 --> 00:29:45,682
But it's much less likely in bodies
488
00:29:45,718 --> 00:29:47,785
When they're lying on their side.
489
00:29:47,820 --> 00:29:51,855
It looks like the jaw has
been intentionally forced open.
490
00:29:53,793 --> 00:29:58,595
[narrator] further analysis of the
stone confirms this was a deliberate act.
491
00:29:58,631 --> 00:30:01,765
The stone in the child's mouth
has a real crystalline sheen to it.
492
00:30:01,834 --> 00:30:07,371
It's obviously not the same as
the stone used for masonry nearby.
493
00:30:07,406 --> 00:30:09,673
This is not a random occurrence.
494
00:30:12,044 --> 00:30:14,945
[horton] also seems to have
some evidence of shaping,
495
00:30:14,980 --> 00:30:18,448
Possibly in order to fit
inside the person's mouth.
496
00:30:19,385 --> 00:30:21,385
[narrator] having established foul play,
497
00:30:21,420 --> 00:30:25,455
Forensic anthropology
helps build a victim profile.
498
00:30:25,491 --> 00:30:29,726
Initial examination of the skeleton
can't tell us if it's a male or female.
499
00:30:29,762 --> 00:30:32,963
But, based on the dental
eruption of the teeth,
500
00:30:32,998 --> 00:30:37,968
We can tell that this child was about
eight to ten years old when it died.
501
00:30:38,003 --> 00:30:41,939
[narrator] but curiously, investigators
can find no skeletal evidence
502
00:30:41,974 --> 00:30:45,843
Why this young child was so badly treated.
503
00:30:45,878 --> 00:30:49,079
They widened their
search for material clues.
504
00:30:49,114 --> 00:30:54,751
So, in this cemetery, there
are a number of other finds that
505
00:30:54,787 --> 00:30:58,655
We might consider really quite creepy.
506
00:30:58,691 --> 00:31:03,393
There are raven talons,
toad bones, cauldrons,
507
00:31:03,429 --> 00:31:11,429
Bits of ash and signs of burning,
and even sacrificed puppies.
508
00:31:11,871 --> 00:31:17,074
[horton] what's interesting is with this
array of what appear to be cult-ish objects.
509
00:31:17,109 --> 00:31:20,844
That maybe, you know, some idea of magic
510
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:24,281
Or something supernatural,
maybe being going on here.
511
00:31:27,953 --> 00:31:30,854
[narrator] it bears the
hallmarks of paganism.
512
00:31:30,890 --> 00:31:34,958
In fifth century Italy,
christianity has taken root.
513
00:31:34,994 --> 00:31:40,130
Anyone displaying idolatrous
beliefs is savagely persecuted.
514
00:31:40,165 --> 00:31:43,734
The stone in the mouth may have
been a supernatural safeguard.
515
00:31:43,769 --> 00:31:46,336
The mid fifth century
is a significant time.
516
00:31:46,372 --> 00:31:49,573
We are right at the cusp
of the medieval period.
517
00:31:49,608 --> 00:31:51,742
Many of the smaller towns and villages
518
00:31:51,777 --> 00:31:55,112
Still retain their folkloric
and superstitious practices.
519
00:31:55,147 --> 00:31:58,982
There was a deep fear of the undead.
520
00:31:59,018 --> 00:32:02,986
The notion that people wouldn't
properly die and go to the underworld,
521
00:32:03,022 --> 00:32:08,158
But their souls, their spirits would
stay in a state of suspended animation
522
00:32:08,193 --> 00:32:09,993
To haunt the present.
523
00:32:10,029 --> 00:32:12,462
So if you can insert a stone in the mouth,
524
00:32:12,498 --> 00:32:16,266
Would let you block the spirit
inside the body when you bury it.
525
00:32:16,302 --> 00:32:19,469
Then you can avoid the
whole issue of undead.
526
00:32:22,541 --> 00:32:26,109
[narrator] but any thoughts this
child was possessed are banished
527
00:32:26,145 --> 00:32:29,546
When scientists analyze the
cemetery's charred deposits.
528
00:32:31,250 --> 00:32:32,916
Sprinkled around the burial site,
529
00:32:32,952 --> 00:32:35,485
There are several patches of what look like
530
00:32:35,521 --> 00:32:40,390
Small grains of charcoal. But
under a microscope, we can tell,
531
00:32:40,426 --> 00:32:43,727
This is the remains of honeysuckle.
532
00:32:43,762 --> 00:32:48,732
It must've been important. They
were sprinkling it all over the place.
533
00:32:48,767 --> 00:32:51,401
[narrator] records reveal,
this sweet smelling flower
534
00:32:51,437 --> 00:32:54,671
Was once regarded as an important panacea.
535
00:32:54,707 --> 00:32:58,608
[horton] in the ancient world,
honeysuckle was not only a cleanser,
536
00:32:58,644 --> 00:33:04,147
But was also seen as a
medicine to salve diseases,
537
00:33:04,183 --> 00:33:06,883
Internal diseases particularly for spleen.
538
00:33:08,020 --> 00:33:09,619
[narrator] armed with this knowledge,
539
00:33:09,655 --> 00:33:14,057
Scientists re-examined the child's
skeletal remains for evidence of disease.
540
00:33:15,461 --> 00:33:17,928
The child lost a tooth before they died.
541
00:33:17,963 --> 00:33:21,298
It appears to be the result
of a periodontal abscess,
542
00:33:21,333 --> 00:33:24,868
Which is a pocket of pus
in the tissues of the gum.
543
00:33:24,903 --> 00:33:29,973
Several diseases are linked to children
getting periodontal abscesses like this.
544
00:33:30,009 --> 00:33:33,410
Chicken pox, measles and malaria.
545
00:33:33,445 --> 00:33:38,949
Most importantly we know it's a
disease that causes an enlarged spleen.
546
00:33:38,984 --> 00:33:43,086
[narrator] to check for malaria, a
ground-breaking test is used on bone samples
547
00:33:43,122 --> 00:33:45,355
Taken from the cemetery.
548
00:33:45,391 --> 00:33:48,425
The malaria parasite excretes hemozoin,
549
00:33:48,460 --> 00:33:53,797
Which you can actually find by
using x-ray diffraction techniques.
550
00:33:53,832 --> 00:34:00,437
Going into the bones and
cells to identify this molecule.
551
00:34:00,472 --> 00:34:06,109
When you look at the results, you
see these big, black, crystalline lumps.
552
00:34:06,145 --> 00:34:10,480
And that is a very clear
sign that this is malaria.
553
00:34:12,384 --> 00:34:16,686
[narrator] malaria in cemetery samples,
together with historical accounts of
554
00:34:16,722 --> 00:34:21,958
Regional pestilence suggests a
huge local outbreak of the disease.
555
00:34:21,994 --> 00:34:26,329
And helps explain why a stone
is jammed in the child's mouth.
556
00:34:26,365 --> 00:34:30,600
The physical symptoms of
malaria can be quite terrible.
557
00:34:30,636 --> 00:34:38,175
I mean, imagine watching a child go into
an open-eyed coma and start convulsing.
558
00:34:38,210 --> 00:34:42,746
You can completely understand why
ancient people would have prescribed this
559
00:34:42,781 --> 00:34:45,915
To malignant supernatural forces.
560
00:34:45,918 --> 00:34:48,985
Placing the stone in the
child's mouth was both a literal
561
00:34:49,021 --> 00:34:52,789
And symbolic way of incapacitating
the child and keeping them
562
00:34:52,825 --> 00:34:54,624
From coming back to plague the living.
563
00:35:02,668 --> 00:35:05,268
[narrator] southern
scotland, united kingdom.
564
00:35:07,973 --> 00:35:13,743
An ancient iron age hillfort flanked
by two unusual roman camps,
565
00:35:13,779 --> 00:35:15,512
Has flummoxed experts.
566
00:35:17,416 --> 00:35:22,185
On the north, the imprint of the roman
encampment doesn't follow the standard,
567
00:35:22,221 --> 00:35:26,923
Symmetrical rectangular
plan. It's strangely elongated.
568
00:35:26,959 --> 00:35:30,160
And to the south, this encampment is wonky,
569
00:35:30,195 --> 00:35:33,697
And has three wide
gateways, facing the hill.
570
00:35:35,834 --> 00:35:38,735
[narrator] adding
intrigue, during the 1960s,
571
00:35:38,770 --> 00:35:42,506
Archeologists discover
a huge pile of slingshot
572
00:35:42,541 --> 00:35:45,909
Strangely accumulated
at the hillfort entrance.
573
00:35:45,944 --> 00:35:51,047
These are small pieces
of lead used as projectiles
574
00:35:51,083 --> 00:35:54,751
By roman infantry men who had slings.
575
00:35:54,786 --> 00:35:58,155
We know the romans
were obsessed with training.
576
00:35:58,190 --> 00:36:00,690
And the fact that these slingshots
577
00:36:00,726 --> 00:36:05,295
Were concentrated towards the gate suggesting
that maybe they're out there practicing.
578
00:36:05,330 --> 00:36:07,063
A sort of target range if you like.
579
00:36:08,934 --> 00:36:14,137
[narrator] for three centuries this ancient
hillfort has been a source of controversy.
580
00:36:14,173 --> 00:36:17,941
Some scholars suggest that this
is the site of a roman training camp,
581
00:36:17,976 --> 00:36:20,177
And others actually have studied it
582
00:36:20,212 --> 00:36:23,713
And say, "no this is the
place, the site of a brutal siege."
583
00:36:23,749 --> 00:36:26,716
[narrator] now it's hoped a
unique archeological discovery
584
00:36:26,752 --> 00:36:31,321
Will finally settle this mystery
and reveal what actually took place
585
00:36:31,356 --> 00:36:34,858
At burnswark, 1,900 years ago.
586
00:36:34,893 --> 00:36:39,229
It's a mystery that has permeated
decades of research and still
587
00:36:39,264 --> 00:36:41,631
People are trying to resolve
what really happened here.
588
00:36:46,638 --> 00:36:49,906
[narrator] in burnswark,
scotland, an iron age hillfort,
589
00:36:49,942 --> 00:36:55,245
Pincered by two oddly configured
roman camps has divided archeologists.
590
00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:58,081
- Some believe it's a training site.
- [soldiers shouting]
591
00:36:58,116 --> 00:36:59,783
[narrator] others, a battlefield.
592
00:36:59,818 --> 00:37:05,054
It's a mystery that has
baffled scholars for ages.
593
00:37:05,057 --> 00:37:08,992
[narrator] in 2015, investigators
revisit this former stronghold
594
00:37:09,027 --> 00:37:12,128
- Of the caledonian selgovae tribe.
- [tribesmen shouting]
595
00:37:12,164 --> 00:37:15,031
[narrator] they attempt to
crack this half century riddle
596
00:37:15,067 --> 00:37:19,002
With battlefield archeology
and modern technology.
597
00:37:19,037 --> 00:37:23,440
Battlefield archeology was
developed to better understand
598
00:37:23,475 --> 00:37:26,276
Kind of, civil war sites
599
00:37:26,311 --> 00:37:29,312
And battlefields by using
sensitive metal detecting
600
00:37:29,348 --> 00:37:34,017
To look at the distribution of
musket balls across the site.
601
00:37:34,052 --> 00:37:37,954
But it works in the same manner
to survey roman battlefields
602
00:37:37,990 --> 00:37:40,357
For sling bullets and arrowheads.
603
00:37:40,392 --> 00:37:46,062
[narrator] a survey of the 17 acre site
reveals far more than anyone bargained for.
604
00:37:46,098 --> 00:37:50,233
Literally thousands of metal objects
scattered across the landscape.
605
00:37:52,504 --> 00:37:55,505
[narrator] a third of the
finds are roman sling bullets,
606
00:37:55,540 --> 00:37:59,142
Most of the standard lemon or acorn shape.
607
00:37:59,177 --> 00:38:01,811
But there's also a new
radically different type.
608
00:38:02,848 --> 00:38:05,015
These are very unusual objects.
609
00:38:05,050 --> 00:38:08,251
They were smaller than
your standard sling bullets.
610
00:38:08,287 --> 00:38:13,690
These artefacts are about an inch
long and they weigh less than an ounce.
611
00:38:13,725 --> 00:38:17,594
What's really interesting about
them is that they have a small hole
612
00:38:17,629 --> 00:38:21,431
Bored into one side.
613
00:38:21,466 --> 00:38:26,303
It's very clear that these are specifically
engineered, but for what and why
614
00:38:26,338 --> 00:38:28,638
Has been baffling.
615
00:38:28,674 --> 00:38:31,474
These perforated bullets may be the key
616
00:38:31,510 --> 00:38:34,511
To finding out what really
happened here at the hillfort.
617
00:38:34,546 --> 00:38:38,581
[narrator] the only way to determine
their true purpose is to test them.
618
00:38:40,619 --> 00:38:45,855
- As they take flight, all hell breaks loose.
- [whistling]
619
00:38:45,891 --> 00:38:52,429
What they discovered is that these objects
created this high pitched whistling,
620
00:38:52,464 --> 00:38:55,265
And they have what's
called an aerophonic quality.
621
00:38:55,300 --> 00:38:59,903
Hundreds of these sling bullets raining
down made a cacophony of sound.
622
00:38:59,938 --> 00:39:03,473
-[whistling] -it would scare
the daylights out of anyone.
623
00:39:03,508 --> 00:39:05,608
[dills] they were
nearly invisible in flight.
624
00:39:05,644 --> 00:39:08,945
So you didn't know when and
where they were going to hit.
625
00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:12,582
They would have been used
to create terror and chaos.
626
00:39:14,986 --> 00:39:18,355
[narrator] this astonishing
revelation undermines the theory
627
00:39:18,390 --> 00:39:21,791
That burnswark was a roman training camp.
628
00:39:21,827 --> 00:39:27,297
The modified holes represent an additional
step in the manufacturing process.
629
00:39:27,332 --> 00:39:31,067
This is additional labor.
It would be unusual to use
630
00:39:31,103 --> 00:39:34,704
Valuable ammunition
like this, just for practice.
631
00:39:36,875 --> 00:39:39,309
It now seems likely that a merciless siege
632
00:39:39,344 --> 00:39:41,678
Or at least a major
skirmish occurred right here.
633
00:39:42,948 --> 00:39:45,348
[narrator] but conclusive proof is needed.
634
00:39:45,384 --> 00:39:51,187
That requires somehow dating
these whistling shots to the roman era.
635
00:39:51,223 --> 00:39:54,524
[horton] we can't directly date these
slingshots because they're made of lead,
636
00:39:54,559 --> 00:39:57,038
They're not made of carbon. So
you can't use radiocarbon dating.
637
00:39:57,062 --> 00:40:01,664
But what we can do is
compare them to other sites
638
00:40:02,467 --> 00:40:04,768
Where slingshots have been found.
639
00:40:04,803 --> 00:40:08,338
Sites that are directly
dated to this period.
640
00:40:10,442 --> 00:40:15,111
[narrator] isotope analysis is used
to chemically fingerprint the slingshot.
641
00:40:15,147 --> 00:40:19,983
This is cross-checked against
catalogued roman shot to get a match.
642
00:40:20,018 --> 00:40:25,922
The bullets from the burnswark site
have the same signature as bullets found
643
00:40:25,957 --> 00:40:28,892
At a nearby roman site called birrens.
644
00:40:28,927 --> 00:40:31,461
Now, in birrens, these bullets
645
00:40:31,496 --> 00:40:35,331
Were excavated in a context
that allowed us to date them
646
00:40:35,367 --> 00:40:36,766
From the antonine period.
647
00:40:36,802 --> 00:40:40,770
This is the reign of the
emperor antoninus pius.
648
00:40:40,806 --> 00:40:45,008
[narrator] antoninus pius is regarded
as the emperor of peace and prosperity.
649
00:40:47,012 --> 00:40:50,213
His reign characterized by
vast construction projects.
650
00:40:52,284 --> 00:40:56,953
In 142 ce, he orders the
building of the antonine wall,
651
00:40:56,988 --> 00:41:00,490
To keep raiding caledonian tribes at bay.
652
00:41:00,525 --> 00:41:04,861
[horton] the romans had a
problem in defending their frontiers.
653
00:41:04,896 --> 00:41:10,400
A decision was made to extend the roman
empire northwards from hadrian's wall,
654
00:41:10,435 --> 00:41:14,904
To the link between the
plate and the four estuaries
655
00:41:14,906 --> 00:41:19,075
And to build a new wall between
the two to annex southern scotland
656
00:41:19,110 --> 00:41:21,544
Into the roman empire.
657
00:41:21,580 --> 00:41:26,015
This puts the roman army on a collision
course with the burnswark hillfort.
658
00:41:28,386 --> 00:41:33,022
[narrator] burnswark is occupied by
the selgovae tribe, meaning the hunters.
659
00:41:33,058 --> 00:41:37,260
These fearsome warriors demanded
rome's most formidable terror weapon.
660
00:41:38,497 --> 00:41:41,931
Thousands of these slingshots
whistling through the air.
661
00:41:41,967 --> 00:41:43,633
This must have been quite terrifying.
662
00:41:46,037 --> 00:41:51,040
These sling bullets are an incredible
find and show us how important it was
663
00:41:51,076 --> 00:41:55,011
For the romans to take this hillfort.
664
00:41:55,046 --> 00:42:01,017
They were willing to employ their most
innovative weapons to expand their empire.
56429
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