Original subtitles

Narrator: THEY'RE WATCHING YOU.

MORE THAN 4,000 SATELLITES CIRCLE THE EARTH.

EVERY DAY, THEY UNCOVER NEW, MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA

THAT DEFY EXPLANATION.

AK-47s AND LAKES OF MOLTEN GOLD IN THE LAND OF THE GIANTS.

Kourounis: SOME OF THE BLOCKS THAT MAKE UP THESE RUINS

ARE MUCH LARGER THAN ANY HUMAN COULD LIFT BY THEMSELVES.

Narrator: APOCALYPSE U.S.A. -- THE DIRTY MONEY BEHIND THE DEADLY WEAPONS.

Munoz: THAT PUTS PARTS OF THE WEST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES

WITHIN RANGE OF NORTH KOREAN MISSILES.

Narrator: THE SECRET MISSION TO PENETRATE THE PLANET'S CRUST.

Harrison: COULD IT HAVE BEEN MATERIAL

EXTRACTED FROM NEAR THE CENTER OF THE EARTH?

Narrator: AND WEIRD LIGHTS ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.

ONE VERY STRONG POSSIBILITY IS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING

THAT IS ENTERING OUR ATMOSPHERE FROM SPACE.

Narrator: BAFFLING PHENOMENA.

MYSTERIES FROM SPACE.

WHAT ON EARTH ARE THEY?

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

[ BEEPING ] [ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING ]

[ WHIRRING ]

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

**

Narrator: SEPTEMBER, 2017.

ORBITING ABOVE A REMOTE REGION OF THE HORN OF AFRICA,

A MAPPING SATELLITE CAPTURES A GLOWING IMAGE

OF ETHIOPIA'S DALLOL CRATER.

Brand: THE DALLOL CRATER IS MOST FAMOUS

FOR THIS SERIES OF SALT, BRINY LAKES

WHICH ARE BRILLIANTLY COLORED FROM YELLOW TO ORANGE.

Kourounis: IT'S ALMOST LIKE MOTHER NATURE'S PALETTE,

AND SHE'S PAINTING

THESE WONDERFUL GREENS AND YELLOWS IN THE DESERT.

Narrator: THE AREA IS CONSIDERED VIRTUALLY UNINHABITABLE,

BUT SOMETHING IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE CLOSE TO THE LAKES

CATCHES THE EYE OF ARCHAEOLOGIST KAREN BELLINGER.

MY ATTENTION WAS GRABBED BY SOMETHING

A LITTLE FARTHER TO THE WEST OF ALL THAT COLOR,

BECAUSE I NOTICED THE UNMISTAKABLE SIGN OF HUMAN ACTIVITY

IN AN AREA THAT JUST, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES,

IS A DEAD ZONE.

Odell: THERE'S SOME SORT OF A HUMAN SETTLEMENT,

YET IT'S RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF VOLCANIC LANDSCAPE.

WHO WOULD BUILD A TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF HELL?

Narrator: BELLINGER FLIES TO ADDIS ABABA,

ETHIOPIA'S CAPITAL AND LARGEST CITY.

FROM HERE, SHE MUST VENTURE INTO THE DESOLATE WASTELAND

KNOWN AS THE DANAKIL DEPRESSION,

WHERE TEMPERATURES OFTEN REACH 125 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

Phoenix: IT'S AN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT BY EVERY DEFINITION.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S DEADLY.

Narrator: SURVIVING THE TERRAIN AND CONDITIONS

IS ONLY THE FIRST CHALLENGE.

SURROUNDED BY WAR-RAVAGED COUNTRIES,

SOMALIA, SUDAN, AND ERITREA,

ETHIOPIA SUFFERS VIOLENT UNREST.

ALMOST EVERYONE CARRIES AN AK-47 MACHINE GUN

STRAPPED ACROSS THEIR BACK.

Narrator: BELLINGER MUST TRAVEL UNDER THE PROTECTION

OF A DETAIL OF HEAVILY ARMED GUARDS.

**

FOREIGN TRAVEL ADVICE IS WARNING

OF THE POSSIBILITY OF TERRORIST ATTACK

OR KIDNAPPING IN THIS REGION OF ETHIOPIA,

SO I'M TRAVELING WITH A CONTINGENT

OF SOLDIERS ARMED WITH KALASHNIKOVS.

IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER, I GUESS.

**

Narrator: TO REACH THE RUINS IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE,

BELLINGER VENTURES INTO A DESERT --

50,000 SQUARE MILES OF SCORCHED, LIFELESS, CRACKED EARTH.

**

THE LANDSCAPE IS ALL OF A SUDDEN REALLY DIFFERENT.

WE'VE LEFT BEHIND ANY TRACE OF THE SCRUBBY VEGETATION

WE PASSED NOW AND AGAIN JUST A FEW MILES AGO.

AND EVEN THE ROCKS HAVE ALL BUT DISAPPEARED.

IT'S DESOLATE.

Narrator: DESOLATE NOW, BUT LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE OF EARLY CIVILIZATION,

THE RECENT DISCOVERY BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS

OF A PREHISTORIC SKELETON SUGGEST THAT THIS IS THE LAND

WHERE APES FIRST LEFT THE TREES TO WALK UPRIGHT.

THE BONES OF LUCY,

ONE OF THE EARLIEST HOMINID ANCESTORS OF MODERN HUMANS,

WAS FOUND NOT FAR FROM THIS SPOT.

Narrator: THE REGION'S ALPHABET IS ONE OF THE OLDEST STILL IN USE,

AND RECENTLY, ARCHAEOLOGISTS FOUND NOT FAR FROM HERE

THE RUINS OF HARLAA, A LEGENDARY LOST CITY

WHICH LOCALS DESCRIBE AS THE HOME OF SUPER HUMANS.

THEY UNCOVERED AN ENTIRE ANCIENT CITY

BURIED UNDER THE MODERN TOWN.

Altaweel: THE ANCIENT CONSTRUCTION IN THIS TOWN

INVOLVED THESE VERY LARGE BLOCKS, WHICH ARE VERY UNUSUAL.

WHEN THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS STUMBLED UPON THIS PLACE,

THE LOCALS TOLD THEM, "OH, THIS WAS A CITY OF GIANTS."

Narrator: STORIES OF A RACE OF SUPER HUMANS HERE GO BACK CENTURIES.

THE ANCIENT GREEK HISTORIAN HERODOTUS

MENTIONS ETHIOPIA AS A PLACE OF GIANTS --

THESE KIND OF WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.

Narrator: BELLINGER HAS WORKED IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS,

BUT ETHIOPIA'S DALLOL CRATER

MIGHT BE HER TOUGHEST ASSIGNMENT YET.

Bellinger: THE WEATHER LOOKS OKAY NOW,

BUT I'M TOLD IT CAN BE REALLY SEVERE AND DEADLY.

IN FACT, SAND STORMS THE SIZE OF A TSUNAMI

CAN WHIP UP OUT OF NOWHERE.

THE LOCALS CALL THIS PHENOMENON "FIRE WINDS",

AND APPARENTLY IT FEELS LIKE

BEING INSIDE A TORNADO INSIDE AN OVEN.

Narrator: BELLINGER REACHES THE VAST, ACTIVE VOLCANIC CRATER.

THERE WAS A MAJOR ERUPTION HERE AS RECENTLY AS 2011.

Bellinger: IT'S FORBIDDING.

IN FACT, IT'S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE MARS.

THERE'S JUST NOTHING OUT THERE.

JUST DIRT -- CRACKED DIRT AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

Narrator: THE LANDSCAPE IS BECOMING TOO DIFFICULT, EVEN FOR SUVs.

OKAY, THIS IS THE END OF THE ROAD, LITERALLY.

THE ROAD ENDS. [ CHUCKLES ]

SO, I'M GONNA GET OUT AND WALK.

Narrator: THE GUARDS ARE ON EDGE.

THE ONLY TRIBES PEOPLE KNOWN TO INHABIT THIS DESERT

ARE NOTORIOUSLY VIOLENT.

IT IS ALIEN TERRITORY IN MORE THAN ONE WAY.

Bellinger: RIGHT NOW, I'M WALKING ON SOMETHING

THAT I WOULD IMAGINE THE MOON SURFACE WOULD BE LIKE.

IT'S DUSTY AND IT'S GOT THIS SORT OF

OTHERWORLDLY...CONCRETIONS THAT ARE JUST, YOU KNOW,

JUST BUILDUP THAT'S STICKING UP.

I MEAN, IT'S LIKE CORAL.

Narrator: THEN, BELLINGER IS CONFRONTED WITH SOMETHING

THAT LEAVES HER STUNNED.

Bellinger: WOW!

THIS IS CRAZY!

THIS IS NOT LIKE ANYTHING

I'VE EVER EVEN IMAGINED ON THIS PLANET,

MUCH LESS SEEN.

JUST THE ALIENNESS OF THIS -- IT'S KIND OF OVERPOWERING.

I MEAN, IT'S WEIRDLY BEAUTIFUL,

BUT IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY A BIT SCARY, TOO.

Narrator: A BIZARRE, OTHERWORLDLY LANDSCAPE

OF BUBBLING FLUIDS AND STRANGELY SHAPED ROCKS.

Bellinger: THE EARTH IS JUST BREAKING APART HERE.

IT'S TEARING APART UNDERGROUND.

IT'S AMAZING ANY RUINS EVEN REMAIN.

Narrator: BEYOND, BELLINGER SEES THE RUINS FROM THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

THEY ARE NOT WHAT SHE IS EXPECTING.

Bellinger: I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.

Narrator: COMING UP -- SATELLITES, SECRETS, AND LIES.

Baker: IF WE WERE ALL HOLDING HANDS

AND RIDING UNICORNS AND SINGING "KUMBAYA"

AND IT WAS A COMMUNITY OF NATIONS, GREAT.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE REAL WORLD WORKS.

THIS IS IT.

Narrator: AND THE MYSTERY DEEPENS IN THE MOST ALIEN LANDSCAPE ON EARTH.

OH, WOW. IT'S SAND AND SALT BLOCKS.

IT LOOKS JUST LIKE WHAT WE WALKED ON GETTING HERE.

Narrator: IN A REMOTE CORNER OF ETHIOPIA,

ARCHAEOLOGIST KAREN BELLINGER IS INVESTIGATING

WHAT APPEARED IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE TO BE ANCIENT RUINS

LOCATED ON A GLOWING, BUBBLING LANDSCAPE.

WHAT SHE FINDS IS SOMETHING ELSE.

THAT'S DEFINITELY A MODERN STRUCTURE THERE.

MORE THAN ONE.

Narrator: BELLINGER FINDS THE REMAINS OF A SPOOKILY DESERTED SETTLEMENT.

SOME KIND OF...TANKS.

STORAGE TANKS, MAYBE, OF SOME KIND?

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'D BE DOING OUT HERE WITH THIS STUFF.

**

Narrator: THE STRUCTURES AREN'T ANCIENT,

BUT THE WAY THEY'RE BUILT IS STRANGELY PRIMITIVE.

I'VE NEVER SEEN CONSTRUCTION QUITE LIKE THIS BEFORE.

IT'S REALLY TWISTED.

IT'S FALLING IN ON ITSELF.

OH, THIS STUFF IS WEIRD.

OH, WOW. IT'S SAND AND SALT BLOCKS.

IT LOOKS JUST LIKE WHAT WE WALKED ON GETTING HERE.

SOMEBODY HAD THE BRIGHT IDEA TO JUST GO OUT AND CUT SOME BLOCKS

AND MAKE A DESERT IGLOO OF SORTS.

THERE WAS SOME WOOD USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION,

AND IT'S ACTUALLY NOT YET ENTIRELY DECOMPOSED,

WHICH IS ANOTHER CLUE TO THE AGE OF THIS PLACE.

IT'S -- YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ON A...MAGNITUDE OF DECADES,

CERTAINLY NOT CENTURIES.

Narrator: BEYOND THE BUILDINGS ARE SCATTERED VITAL CLUES.

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE, THERE ARE RUSTY VEHICLES, CAR PARTS.

IT JUST LOOKS LIKE AN ABANDONED JUNKYARD

THAT'S COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT.

Bellinger: WOW.

LOOK AT THAT.

A NEARLY INTACT CAR.

Narrator: THE JEEPS ARE EUROPEAN

AND LOOK LIKE THEY DATE BACK

TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR OR SHORTLY AFTER.

BUT WHO CAME TO THIS INSANELY HOT AND HOSTILE PLACE, AND WHY?

SO, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS HERE

THAT THEY FELT WAS WORTH THIS EFFORT AND EXPENSE.

Narrator: A CLUE PERHAPS LIES IN THE STRANGE GOLDEN LAKES.

BELLINGER IS STANDING IN THE CRATER

OF A GIANT, ACTIVE VOLCANO.

THIS PLACE IS KNOWN TO GEOLOGISTS AS THE DALLOL CRATER.

Brand: IF YOU COULD DIG UNDERNEATH THE DALLOL CRATER,

YOU'D SEE THAT THE SUBSURFACE HAS

MORE THAN 300 FEET OF SALT LAYERS

FROM WHERE THERE WAS SHALLOW SEAS

THAT INUNDATED THIS AREA AND THEN EVAPORATED,

LEAVING THE SALT BEHIND.

AND BENEATH THAT IS A MAGMA CHAMBER.

Narrator: BUT THIS IS NO ORDINARY VOLCANO.

THE SALT LAKE IS GLOWING LIKE MOLTEN GOLD,

IN PART SOLIDIFIED, BUBBLING LIKE IT'S ALIVE.

Phoenix: THE WATERS THAT WE SEE IN THESE PONDS ARE HIGHLY ACIDIC,

AND THEY'RE VERY HOT, TOO,

BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

HEATING THEM FROM BENEATH.

Narrator: THE BUBBLING VOLCANIC MAGMA

IS ALSO DOING STRANGE THINGS TO THE EARTH'S SURFACE.

YOU'VE GOT GASSES AND MINERALS AND WATER ALL INTERACTING,

AND IT'S CAUSING THIS OTHERWORLDLY SORT OF APPEARANCE.

Narrator: COULD THE WEIRD LANDSCAPE

PROVIDE CLUES TO THE RUINS NEARBY?

Bellinger: I'M JUST GONNA HAVE A LOOK

AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE AROUND HERE.

Narrator: THIS AREA IS NOT COMPLETELY DESERTED.

A SEMI-NOMADIC TRIBE HAS LIVED HERE FOR GENERATIONS.

Bellinger: THERE'S JUST ONE OTHER SETTLEMENT

VISIBLE AT ALL ON THE SATELLITE.

I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE IT'S STILL INHABITED

AND I CAN FIND SOME PEOPLE TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS PLACE.

Narrator: BUT THE AFAR TRIBE ARE THE VERY PEOPLE

BELLINGER'S ARMED GUARDS ARE PROTECTING HER FROM.

Horton: THE AFAR ARE REALLY QUITE FEROCIOUS.

THEY HAVE A REPUTATION FOR WARFARE, OF BATTLING.

Narrator: FOR CENTURIES, THE AFAR PEOPLE

HAVE LIVED BY HARVESTING AND TRADING

THE SALT THAT FORMS THIS LANDSCAPE.

Kourounis: SALT IS SO PRECIOUS IN THIS AREA.

THE LOCALS REFER TO IT AS "WHITE GOLD",

SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW VERY PRECIOUS THIS COMMODITY IS.

Narrator: SALT PRESERVES FOOD,

WHICH THROUGHOUT HISTORY,

HAS MADE IT A HIGHLY PRIZED COMMODITY --

SO VALUED, IT BECAME CURRENCY.

ROMAN SOLDIERS WERE PAID IN SALT,

WHICH IS WHERE THE WORD "SALARY" COMES FROM.

AND FOR CENTURIES, THE AFAR HAVE GUARDED THEIR SALT

WITH THEIR LIVES.

Altaweel: IF SOMETHING IS YOUR LIVELIHOOD,

YOU EITHER DIE, YOU STARVE, OR LIVE

BECAUSE OF THIS COMMODITY --

THEN THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GONNA DEFEND WITH YOUR LIFE.

Narrator: BELLINGER APPROACHES THE AFAR CAMP CAUTIOUSLY,

LEAVING HER ARMED GUARDS BEHIND.

THE TRIBES PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED TO SEE HER,

BUT ARE WELCOMING.

Bellinger: LISTEN, MOHAMMED,

I'VE DISCOVERED THERE ARE SOME RUINS NEARBY

THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT,

AND I WONDERED IF YOU MIGHT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM.

DO YOU SEE THIS HERE? UHH...

IT'S BY THE BIG CRATER.

I DON'T HAVE THIS INFORMATION.

YOU WANT ASK THE ALI.

COULD YOU BRING ME TO ALI?

YES.

COULD YOU ASK ALI IF HE KNOWS

WHAT THESE RUINS ARE BY THE BIG LAKE THERE?

ITALIAN.

ITALIAN CAMP?

YEAH.

Narrator: BELLINGER IS SHOCKED BY ALI'S STORY.

IT BEGINS WITH THE RISE OF EUROPEAN FASCISM

6,000 MILES AWAY IN ITALY.

IN THE 1930s, THE WORLD'S FIRST FASCIST DICTATOR,

BENITO MUSSOLINI,

ORDERS ITALIAN FORCES TO OCCUPY ETHIOPIA

AND THE DANAKIL DEPRESSION.

HERE, MUSSOLINI IS AFTER NOT SALT, BUT POTASH.

POTASH IS A VALUABLE SALT DERIVATIVE

CONTAINING POTASSIUM NITRATE,

A VITAL INGREDIENT OF GUNPOWDER.

**

AND THE GLOWING POOLS IN THE DALLOL CRATER

CONTAIN ONE OF THE LARGEST DEPOSITS OF POTASH ON EARTH --

AN ESTIMATED 12 BILLION TONS.

IT'S ALL STARTING TO MAKE SENSE NOW.

THE ITALIANS WERE THERE MINING THIS VALUABLE POTASH.

Narrator: WHEN MUSSOLINI'S FASCIST ARMY OVERRUNS THE COUNTRY,

ETHIOPIA'S EMPEROR, HAILE SELASSIE,

IS FORCED INTO EXILE IN LONDON.

BUT IN 1940, MUSSOLINI MAKES THE MISTAKE

OF DECLARING WAR ON BRITAIN.

ETHIOPIAN AND BRITISH FORCES MOUNT A JOINT INVASION

AND DRIVE MUSSOLINI'S FASCISTS OUT OF ADDIS ABABA.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ITALIAN MINING BASE

IN THE DALLOL CRATER IS NOT RECORDED.

DID THE AFAR WARRIORS ATTACK THE SETTLEMENT?

GROUND INVESTIGATION SUGGESTS

THAT IT WAS ABANDONED IN A HURRY.

COULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT THE AFAR TRIBESMEN

BECAME UPSET WITH THE ITALIAN PRESENCE AND DROVE THEM OUT?

Narrator: IF THE AFAR DID GET RID OF THE ITALIANS,

THEY'RE NOT SAYING.

BUT WHATEVER HAPPENED BACK THEN,

THERE'S ONLY AFAR PEOPLE HERE NOW,

DIGGING SALT THE HARD WAY.

Bellinger: SO, CAN YOU SHOW ME FROM THE BEGINNING, MOHAMMED,

HOW THE SALT IS CUT?

WOW.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET THROUGH THAT STUFF.

IT'S LIKE ROCK, LITERALLY.

Chamberlain: THE ITALIANS -- THEY CAME AND WENT,

BUT THE AFAR PEOPLE, THEY HAVE BEEN THERE

AND THEY ARE STILL THERE.

Bellinger: QUITE BEAUTIFUL, ACTUALLY.

WOW. THAT'S A LOT OF WORK.

Narrator: A CITY THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN BUILT BY GIANTS,

A BUBBLING VOLCANO, WHITE GOLD,

AND A PROUD AND RESILIENT PEOPLE CONFRONTED BY A FASCIST ARMY.

ALL THIS FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN FROM SPACE.

UP NEXT, HOW DOES A DIRT-POOR COUNTRY AFFORD

A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM?

DRUG TRAFFICKING, HEROIN TRADE,

HUMAN TRAFFICKING, COUNTERFEIT MONEY.

Narrator: AND STRANGE LIGHTS ACROSS THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

WE'RE FINDING THESE FLASHES ALL OVER THE PLANET.

IT'S LIKE A DISCO BALL IN THE '70s.

Narrator: SEPTEMBER, 2017.

SCOURING SATELLITE IMAGES OF COMMUNIST NORTH KOREA

FOR CLUES TO ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM,

FORMER C.I.A. AGENT LINDSAY MORAN

SPOTS A SERIES OF NEW, ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS

CLOSE TO A KNOWN MISSILE-LAUNCH FACILITY.

Moran: THE FACT THAT THESE ISLANDS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED

SO CLOSE TO SOHEI DEFINITELY SUGGESTS

THAT THERE'S SOME KIND OF LINK BETWEEN THEM

AND NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

Narrator: AT LEAST 16 MISSILE TESTS IN THE LAST YEAR

AND HIS NUMEROUS SPEECHES SUGGEST

THAT COMMUNIST NORTH KOREAN DICTATOR KIM JONG-UN

HAS ONE CLEAR AIM --

TO THREATEN THE UNITED STATES WITH NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION.

Capps: KIM JONG-UN IS THREATENING THE BIGGEST KID IN THE SCHOOLYARD,

WHICH IS THE UNITED STATES,

DRAWING PICTURES, LITERALLY, OF THE WHITE HOUSE BLOWING UP,

SHOWING PICTURES ONLINE.

LIKE, THAT'S CRAZY.

Munoz: JUST THE POSSIBILITY OF REACHING TARGETS INSIDE THE UNITED STATES

SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO BRING THE UNITED STATES

TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE.

THAT'S WHAT KIM WANTS.

ON JULY 4, 2017, THEY ACTUALLY LAUNCHED ONE

THAT WAS CAPABLE OF TRAVELING JUST UNDER 5,000 MILES.

THAT'S REALLY SCARY.

THAT PUTS PARTS OF THE WEST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES --

CALIFORNIA POTENTIALLY --

WITHIN RANGE OF NORTH KOREAN MISSILES.

Narrator: IF JUST ONE 500-KILOTON NUCLEAR WARHEAD HITS LOS ANGELES,

IT WILL KILL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE,

SPREADING DEADLY FIRESTORMS OVER A SIX-MILE RADIUS.

THE CITY OF ANGELS WILL INSTANTLY BECOME HELL ON EARTH.

MORAN CONSIDERS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE NEW ISLANDS

ARE INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCH PADS.

Moran: THESE ROADS CERTAINLY LOOK LIKE

THEY COULD BE USED TO TRANSPORT BALLISTIC WARHEADS,

AND THERE'S EVEN ON SOME OF THE ISLANDS

WHAT APPEARS TO BE LARGE AREAS OF CONCRETE

THAT ARE KNOWN TO BE USED AS BLASTING SITES.

Narrator: OTHERS ARE NOT CONVINCED.

Pappalardo: YOU NEED ROOM TO STORE YOUR OXIDIZERS,

YOUR PROPELLANT, YOUR PAYLOADS, YOUR SECURITY.

ALL OF THESE THINGS NEED SPACE,

AND THESE ISLANDS ARE JUST TOO SMALL.

Narrator: NORTH KOREAN AUTHORITIES

DENY THE ISLANDS HAVE A MILITARY PURPOSE.

THE STATE MEDIA CLAIMS THAT THESE ARE MASSIVE FISH FARMS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE OF NORTH KOREA

HAVE BEEN IN A FAMINE CONDITION FOR DECADES,

AND IT'S NOT BEEN GETTING ANY BETTER.

Narrator: THE COMMUNISTS HERE DO NOT SEE FEEDING THE PEOPLE

AS A PRIORITY.

ALMOST HALF OF NORTH KOREANS ARE UNDERNOURISHED.

IN THE 1990s, UP TO 3.5 MILLION PEOPLE DIE HERE

IN A DEVASTATING FAMINE,

MENTION OF WHICH THE COMMUNIST REGIME PROHIBITS.

STATE MEDIA EVEN BANNED THE WORDS "HUNGER" AND "FAMINE"

WITHIN THE COUNTRY.

THAT PERIOD OF TIME HAD TO BE CALLED THE "ARDUOUS MARCH".

Narrator: EVEN IF THE ISLANDS ARE FISH FARMS,

IT'S FISH THAT'S UNLIKELY

TO FILL THE BELLIES OF ORDINARY NORTH KOREANS.

THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT EXPORTS

ALMOST ALL OF THEIR FISH TO CHINA

AND MAKES OVER $115 MILLION A YEAR OFF THAT EXPORT.

Narrator: SECURITY EXPERTS BELIEVE THE ISLANDS

MAY HAVE ANOTHER FUNCTION.

IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THEY'RE BEING CONSTRUCTED AS ONE THING,

BUT THAT THE ULTERIOR PURPOSE IS SOMETHING MORE NEFARIOUS.

Narrator: OVER MORE THAN A DECADE,

ECONOMIC SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON NORTH KOREA

BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL WEAPONS TESTS

HAVE COST THE REGIME BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

IN RESPONSE, IT SETS UP

A TOP-SECRET UNIT CALLED "ROOM 39".

ITS JOB -- TO RAISE FOREIGN CURRENCY BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

Moran: DRUG TRAFFICKING, HEROIN TRADE,

HUMAN TRAFFICKING, COUNTERFEIT MONEY --

ALL KINDS OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY

THAT IS USED AS THE FINANCIAL TOOL

OF THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT.

ROOM 39 IS RUMORED TO BE INVOLVED IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY

UP TO LIKE $1 BILLION A YEAR.

THESE ISLANDS COULD BE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

OF THE ACTIVITIES OF ROOM 39.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT'S FAR FROM PRYING EYES,

THERE'S THE EASY ACCESS TO BOATS,

IT'S THE PERFECT PLACE WHERE YOU COULD CONDUCT

THE EXCHANGE OF MONEY, WEAPONS, DRUGS, EVEN PEOPLE.

Narrator: SO FAR, ANALYSTS ARE STILL UNABLE TO ESTABLISH

WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THESE NEW ISLANDS CAPTURED FROM SPACE.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE NORTH KOREAN REGIME,

SPECULATING ON WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THESE ISLANDS ARE,

ALL BETS ARE ON THE TABLE.

**

NARRATOR: STILL TO COME -- A MAGIC MOUND THAT KILLS...

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE VISITING THE SITE

AND THEN GETTING SICK OR DROPPING DEAD OF A HEART ATTACK.

NARRATOR: ...AND UNEXPLAINED LIGHTS ACROSS THE PLANET.

ONE VERY STRONG POSSIBILITY IS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING

THAT IS ENTERING OUR ATMOSPHERE FROM SPACE.

**

Narrator: JUNE 12th, 2013.

THE WORLDVIEW-2 SATELLITE IS ORBITING ABOVE A VAST WILDERNESS

IN SOUTHERN SIBERIA.

Agrios: AT THIS SCALE, YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE ANY TOWNS.

A LOT OF FOREST AND KIND OF, SORT OF MOUNTAINOUS REGION

COMING THROUGH HERE,

BUT THIS IS LITERALLY ABOUT AS REMOTE AS YOU CAN GET.

Narrator: THE SATELLITE SPOTS SOMETHING WEIRD.

BULGING CONE APPEARS OUT OF NOWHERE.

IT'S IN THIS LARGE GREEN LANDSCAPE AROUND IT,

BUT THIS MOUND ITSELF IS COMPLETELY BARREN

WITH KIND OF A DIP IN THE MIDDLE

AND ANOTHER SMALL MOUND INSIDE THAT DIP.

IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN EGG SITTING IN A NEST.

Narrator: IMAGE ANALYSIS REVEALS THE FEATURE'S HUGE SCALE.

Agrios: THIS MOUND IS 180 FEET ACROSS --

JUST ENORMOUS IN COMPARISON TO THE SCALE OF OTHER FEATURES

WE SEE IN THE AREA.

Krueger: IT'S ABOUT 130 FEET TALL.

IT'S A REALLY LARGE KIND OF STONE STRUCTURE.

WE DON'T UNDERSTAND IT,

SO WE HAVE A REALLY NEAT MYSTERY ON OUR HANDS.

Narrator: THE LOCAL INHABITANTS, THE BURYAT,

ROAM THE SIBERIAN STEPPES TENDING THEIR REINDEER.

THESE NOMADS WHO LIVE IN TENTS

DON'T BUILD PERMANENT STRUCTURES,

BUT THE MOUND THEY CALL "FIERY EAGLE'S NEST"

IS IN THEIR LEGENDS.

PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT IT'S AN EERIE PLACE,

MAYBE HAUNTED PLACE.

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE VISITING THE SITE

AND THEN EITHER GETTING SICK OR DROPPING DEAD OF A HEART ATTACK.

Morgan: SOME OTHERWORLDLINESS,

SOME CREEPY AURA CIRCULATES AROUND IT.

Narrator: GROUND INVESTIGATION REVEALS

THAT THE MOUND IS MADE OF LOOSE, BROKEN STONES.

THIS IMAGE REMINDS ME OF WHAT WE CALL MINE DUMPS,

WHERE EITHER MATERIAL MECHANICALLY REMOVED

FROM DEEP UNDER THE GROUND

OR JUST PICK-AND-SHOVEL ACTIVITIES

PRODUCE KIND OF A SEMICIRCULAR PILE OF GROUND WORKINGS.

Narrator: GEOLOGISTS ANALYZE THE BROKEN STONES

BUT FIND NO TRACE OF ANY MATERIAL WORTH MINING.

THE ROCK AT THE SURFACE IS LIMESTONE.

THAT'S NOT A ROCK THAT WE TYPICALLY

GO LOOKING FOR MINERAL RESOURCES IN.

THIS IS NO MINE.

Narrator: ATTENTION TURNS TO A BIZARRE FACE-OFF

BETWEEN THE COLD WAR SUPERPOWERS.

THE COLD WAR COMPETITION

BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE SOVIET UNION

TOOK PLACE IN ALL PARTS OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

Krueger: THIS INTENSE COMPETITION

LED TO A LOT OF REALLY BIZARRE TYPES OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS,

LIKE WHO COULD DIG THE DEEPEST HOLE.

ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE EARTH'S CRUST.

Narrator: AMERICA BEGINS ITS JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH

IN 1961 ON MEXICO'S PACIFIC COAST.

PROJECT MOHOLE DRILLS MORE THAN 600 FEET

DIRECTLY INTO THE EARTH, THEN STOPS.

Krueger: THEY DIDN'T GET TOO FAR DOWN BECAUSE CONGRESS FINALLY SAID,

"LOOK, WE'RE NOT GONNA INVEST IN THIS ANYMORE.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF DIGGING A HOLE IN THE GROUND?"

Narrator: THE SOVIETS LOCATE THEIR HOLE ON THE KOLA PENINSULA

IN NORTHWEST RUSSIA,

WHERE THEY DRILL FOR 19 YEARS.

THE RUSSIANS DIG STRAIGHT DOWN --

AN INCREDIBLE EIGHT MILES.

ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS, DRILLING THEN STOPS.

THE TEMPERATURE DOWN THERE IS OVER 350 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

ENOUGH TO MELT DRILLS.

BUT RUMORS SPREAD THAT HELL HAS BEEN OPENED UP

AND THAT DRILLING WORKERS ARE SCARED AWAY

BY THE SCREAMS OF TORTURED SOULS.

[ SCREAMING ]

**

ANALYSTS CONSIDER WHETHER FIERY EAGLE'S NEST

IS FORMED OF WASTE MATERIAL

FROM A SECOND, SECRET SOVIET DEEP-EARTH BOREHOLE.

Harrison: COULD IT HAVE BEEN MATERIAL EXTRACTED

FROM NEAR THE CENTER OF THE EARTH?

Narrator: ANALYSTS CALCULATE THE VOLUME OF WASTE

EXCAVATED FROM THE KOLA BOREHOLE.

Krueger: THE WASTE PRODUCT FROM THAT BORING OPERATION

WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT 12,000 CUBIC FEET.

Narrator: THE VOLUME OF KOLA'S WASTE MATERIAL

IS COMPARED TO EAGLE'S NEST.

THE RESULT IS SURPRISING.

FIERY EAGLE'S NEST HAS ALMOST 8 MILLION CUBIC FEET

OF MATERIAL SURROUNDING IT --

700 TIMES THE WASTE MATERIAL EXCAVATED FROM KOLA,

THE DEEPEST HOLE EVER DUG BY MAN.

THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE LOCATION OF A CONTEST

TO DIG A HOLE TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.

IT REALLY IS SUGGESTIVE, THEN, THAT THIS IS A NATURAL FEATURE.

Narrator: IF IT DOES FORM NATURALLY,

GEOLOGISTS SUSPECT SOMETHING VERY POWERFUL IS AT PLAY.

COULD THIS THING BE VOLCANIC?

WE'RE IN A REGION OF PERMAFROST.

MAGMA BREACHING THE SURFACE MELTS THE PERMAFROST,

WATER GETS INTRODUCED.

WE GET WHAT'S CALLED A PHREATIC ERUPTION.

BOOM! THIS THING WOULD BE VIOLENT.

Narrator: SUCH A SUDDEN UNDERGROUND EXPLOSION

MIGHT EXPLAIN THE CRATER'S ASSOCIATION

WITH THE SUPERNATURAL.

IT WOULD'VE BEEN PRETTY TERRIFYING

IF YOU WERE STANDING NEARBY.

Morgan: TO BE AN EYEWITNESS TO AN EVENT OF THIS MAGNITUDE

WOULD CREATE THE PERFECT STORM OF SUPERSTITION.

Narrator: DESPITE DECADES OF INVESTIGATION,

THE MYSTERY SURROUNDING THIS ENIGMATIC FEATURE

REMAINS UNSOLVED.

WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT

WHERE DID THIS THING COME FROM

AND HOW OLD IT TRULY IS.

Phoenix: IT SEEMS TO HAVE AN AIR OF MYSTERY TO IT,

AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SO INTERESTING.

Krueger: GEOLOGISTS DON'T HAVE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE

ABOUT HOW THIS THING CAME TO BE,

SO MORE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE.

**

Narrator: COMING UP --

VISIBLE FROM SPACE,

SOMETHING OR SOMEONE IS LIGHTING UP THE PLANET...

WHATEVER CAUSED THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE EARTH-SHATTERING.

Narrator: ...AND A CURSED CITY INEXPLICABLY SWALLOWED BY SAND.

HOW COULD THAT BE? IT'S NOT A DESERT.

Narrator: JULY 23, 2015.

ON ITS 1 MILLION-MILE ORBIT, NASA's DISCOVER OBSERVATORY

CAPTURES AN UNIDENTIFIED FLASH OF LIGHT

OVER SOUTH AMERICA.

Kourounis: LOOKS LIKE IT COVERS

PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE NORTH-SOUTH SPAN OF VENEZUELA.

WHAT WOULD BE HAPPENING OVER SOUTH AMERICA THAT IS THAT BIG?

WHATEVER CAUSED THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE EARTH-SHATTERING.

IT'S KIND OF SCARY.

Narrator: METEOROLOGIST RANDY CERVENY INVESTIGATES.

ONE VERY STRONG POSSIBILITY IS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING

THAT IS ENTERING OUR ATMOSPHERE FROM SPACE.

IS THIS A METEORITE THAT'S GONNA HIT THE EARTH?

Cerveny: AS IT HITS THE ATMOSPHERE,

IT'S GONNA BE EXPOSED TO A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF FRICTION,

AND IT'S GONNA START TO PRODUCE A HUGE AMOUNT OF LIGHT.

WE DON'T REALIZE THIS, BUT ABOUT ONCE EVERY YEAR,

A METEOR THE SIZE OF AN AUTOMOBILE

COMES REALLY CLOSE TO THE EARTH.

Sanford: A FLASH OF LIGHT THIS BIG INDICATES

THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY BIG GOING ON.

Narrator: BUT THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF A METEOR IMPACT.

COULD NASA PROVIDE A CLUE?

THE SPACE AGENCY IS TRACKING 12,000 SPACE ROCKS

THREATENING TO BREACH EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

THERE IS ALWAYS THAT SLIM CHANCE

THAT THERE'S ONE BIG ENOUGH OUT THERE

ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH EARTH

THAT WILL WIPE OUT ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET.

**

Narrator: NASA IS READY TO DEFLECT OR DESTROY SUCH A THREAT

WITH A SURFACE NUCLEAR STRIKE.

**

OTHER SCIENTISTS BELIEVE ONLY A DEEP-IMPACT NUCLEAR BLAST,

20 TIMES THE DESTRUCTIVE FORCE OF A SURFACE ATOMIC EXPLOSION,

CAN DESTROY AN ASTEROID.

BUT NO ONE IS SAYING IF A NUCLEAR DEVICE

FIRED FROM A PROTOTYPE

OF THEIR HYPER-VELOCITY ASTEROID INTERCEPT VEHICLE

HAS DESTROYED A SPACE ROCK.

**

FORMER C.I.A. AGENT MIKE BAKER SUSPECTS

THAT IF THE FLASH IS EVIDENCE OF A NUCLEAR BLAST,

IT'S MORE LIKELY A SECRET NUCLEAR WEAPONS TEST.

Baker: ANY TIME YOU HAVE A FLASH,

YOUR MIND HAS TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION.

IT'S A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR

AND TO BE RELENTLESS IN OUR EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND

IF THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON IN THE TESTING REALM.

Narrator: SINCE 1945, THE ATOM BOMBS

DETONATED IN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

ARE EQUIVALENT IN EXPLOSIVE FORCE TO 30,000 HIROSHIMAS.

1963's NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY

OUTLAWS ABOVE-GROUND NUCLEAR TESTING.

BUT THIS WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME

SUCH A TREATY HAS BEEN BROKEN.

LOOK, EVERY COUNTRY DOES IT, RIGHT?

IF THEY'VE GOT THE RESOURCES AND THE MOTIVATION,

THEY'RE GONNA ENGAGE IN DEVELOPMENT

OF WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY AND CAPABILITIES

AND THEY GOT TO TEST IT AS THEY GO ALONG.

NOW, IF WE WERE ALL HOLDING HANDS AND, YOU KNOW,

AND RIDING UNICORNS AND SINGING "KUMBAYA"

AND IT WAS A COMMUNITY OF NATIONS, GREAT.

THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE REAL WORLD WORKS.

Narrator: THE DISCOVER SATELLITE IS CONSTANTLY PHOTOGRAPHING EARTH.

WHEN IMAGE ANALYSTS CHECK MORE PHOTOGRAPHS,

THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.

IN JUST 12 MONTHS,

DISCOVER HAS CAPTURED 866 SIMILAR FLASHES.

WE'RE FINDING THESE FLASHES ALL OVER THE PLANET.

IT'S LIKE A DISCO BALL IN THE '70s.

SO, IT REALLY CAN'T BE NUCLEAR TESTING.

Odell: SO, WHAT IS HAPPENING BETWEEN EARTH AND THIS SATELLITE

TO CAUSE THESE FLASHES?

Narrator: CERVENY WONDERS IF THE FLASHES COULD BE

AN ATMOSPHERIC TRICK OF THE LIGHT.

ICE CRYSTALS CAN ACT ALMOST LIKE A GIANT SOLAR MIRROR.

AND LARGE PORTIONS OF OUR UPPER ATMOSPHERE

HAVE A LOT OF ICE CRYSTALS IN IT,

AND THAT'S WHAT WE THINK ACTUALLY HAPPENED HERE.

WHEN THE SUN HIT THOSE PARTICULAR ICE CRYSTALS,

THEY REFLECTED BACK TO THE SATELLITE AS A BIG GLINT.

IT'S AMAZING THAT THE SATELLITE AND THE SUN LINED UP

IN JUST THE PERFECT DIRECTION

THAT THE SUNLIGHT WOULD REFRACT OFF OF THE ICE CRYSTALS

AND CREATE THIS BEAUTIFUL FORMATION TOTALLY BY ACCIDENT,

BUT NONETHELESS IMPRESSIVE.

**

NARRATOR: SCIENTISTS ARE NOW USING THIS DISCOVERY

TO LOOK FOR INHABITED PLANETS LIKE OUR OWN.

Odell: AMAZINGLY, THESE TINY CRYSTALS

COULD BE USED TO FIND WATER ON OTHER PLANETS,

WHICH IS INCREDIBLY EXCITING.

Kourounis: WE FIND LIQUID WATER ON ANOTHER PLANET,

THAT'S LIKELY WHERE LIFE COULD EXIST.

**

Narrator: NEXT -- A CURSED CITY LOST IN THE SANDS OF TIME.

Gough: A WIDOW QUEEN DOOMS THIS CITY TO A LIFETIME

BURIED UNDER THE SAND.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE PLOT.

Narrator: JUNE, 2005.

ORBITING OVER A FERTILE REGION OF SOUTHWEST INDIA,

THE CARTOSAT-1 MAPPING SATELLITE

CAPTURES AN IMAGE OF BUILDINGS PROTRUDING FROM SAND DUNES.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING'S BEING SWALLOWED BY SAND.

HOW COULD THAT BE? IT'S NOT A DESERT.

SO, IT'S REALLY QUITE A MYSTERY.

WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE? WHERE DID ALL THIS SAND COME FROM?

Narrator: RESEARCH REVEALS THAT THERE IS, INDEED,

AN ENTIRE ANCIENT CITY HIDDEN BENEATH THE SAND.

TALAKADU, SITUATED ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER KAVERI,

DATES BACK TO AT LEAST THE 8th CENTURY A.D. --

A WEALTHY ROYAL CITY

WHERE MONARCHS BUILD GRAND PALACES AND TEMPLES.

TALAKADU WAS A THRIVING PLACE.

WHY WOULD YOU BUILD SUCH GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE

AND SIMPLY LEAVE IT TO ITS OWN DEVICES?

SOMETHING HAPPENED HERE.

Narrator: LOCAL FOLKLORE OFFERS A CLUE.

ACCORDING TO LEGEND,

AN ANCIENT QUEEN LAID A CURSE ON THE CITY --

THAT IT SHOULD BE SMOTHERED BY SAND.

A WIDOW QUEEN DOOMS THIS CITY

TO A LIFETIME BURIED UNDER THE SAND.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE PLOT.

Narrator: FOUR CENTURIES AGO, QUEEN ALAMELAMMA OF TALAKADU

LOSES HER THRONE

AND IS ABOUT TO LOSE HER CROWN JEWELS TO A RIVAL DYNASTY

WHEN SHE DECIDES ON A LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE.

RATHER THAN RETURN THE CROWN JEWELS,

SHE PREFERRED TO SACRIFICE HERSELF...

TO THROW HERSELF OFF A CLIFF.

Narrator: BEFORE SHE TAKES HER LIFE, THE QUEEN CASTS THREE CURSES.

THE QUEEN SAYS, "MAY THE CITY OF TALAKADU

BECOME ENGULFED IN SAND.

MAY THE CITY OF MALANGI BECOME A WHIRLPOOL.

AND MAY THE RAJ'S OF MYSORE NEVER HAVE CHILDREN."

IF SOMEONE LIKE A QUEEN PUT A CURSE ON YOU AND YOUR TOWN,

YOU WOULD BE PETRIFIED.

Narrator: ACCORDING TO LEGEND,

ALL THREE CURSES DO, INDEED, COME TO PASS.

THE TOWN BECAME INUNDATED BY SAND,

A NEIGHBORING VILLAGE WAS ACTUALLY DESTROYED

BY A KIND OF WHIRLPOOL,

AND THE RAJ DID ACTUALLY NOT HAVE ANY SONS.

IF ONE OF THESE ELEMENTS OF THE CURSE CAME TRUE,

YOU MIGHT THINK, "OH, THAT'S A LITTLE ODD."

BUT THE FACT THAT ALL THREE OF THEM SEEM TO HAVE COME TRUE

IS SPOOKY.

Narrator: THE SEARCH FOR A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION

FOR THESE STRANGE HAPPENINGS BEGINS WITH THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

ZOOMING OUT FROM THE IMAGE,

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A DAM ON THE RIVER THAT'S NEARBY,

AND RECORDS SHOW THAT THIS DAM WAS BUILT 400 YEARS AGO --

ABOUT THE SAME TIME OF THE CURSE.

WHAT A DAM IS DESIGNED TO DO IS TO CHANGE THE LOCATION OF WATER.

Goldfinger: THINGS MAY HAPPEN THAT YOU JUST DIDN'T EXPECT.

YOU'D SUDDENLY HAVE A LOT OF SAND THAT CAN MOVE AROUND.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS LOOK AT HOW MUCH SAND IT WOULD TAKE TO COVER THE CITY.

THESE DUNES COVER ABOUT TWO SQUARE MILES

AND ARE ABOUT 30 FEET HIGH.

THAT'S REALLY BIG. THAT IS A LOT OF SAND.

IT'S INCOMPREHENSIBLE

THAT IT COULD'VE COME FROM A DRIED-UP RIVER.

Narrator: BUT INSTEAD OF BEING COVERED FROM ABOVE,

MIGHT THIS ANCIENT CITY HAVE BEEN SWALLOWED FROM BENEATH?

Sanford: IT MIGHT SOUND CRAZY,

BUT THINGS CAN JUST DISAPPEAR INTO THE EARTH.

WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH SINKHOLES ACROSS THE WORLD.

WE'VE HAD RECENT SITUATIONS

WHERE PEOPLE HAVE EVEN LOST THEIR LIVES

AS THE LAND IS CAVED IN AROUND THEM IN A SINKHOLE.

Narrator: SINKHOLES APPEAR

WHEN UNDERGROUND ROCKY HOLLOWS COLLAPSE.

THE LARGEST KNOWN NATURAL SINKHOLE IS IN NORTHWEST EGYPT.

QATTARA IS 75 MILES WIDE, 50 MILES LONG,

AND IS FILLED WITH DEADLY QUICKSAND

TO A TERRIFYING DEPTH OF OVER 400 FEET.

BUT NO SINKHOLE IS KNOWN TO HAVE CONSUMED AN ENTIRE CITY.

IN 2014, ARCHAEOLOGISTS VISIT TALAKADU AND DISCOVER A CLUE.

Bellinger: THEY FIND BROKEN BITS OF POTTERY AND BRICK

THAT ARE ARRAYED IN SUCH A FASHION

THAT SUGGEST TECTONIC ACTIVITY AT THE SITE --

AN ANCIENT EARTHQUAKE.

IT TURNS OUT THAT TALAKADU SITS ON A FAULT LINE.

**

Goldfinger: SO, IT MAY BE THAT TALAKADU WAS JUST BUILT

ON AN UNLUCKY SPOT WHERE A DAM WAS BUILT,

INCREASING THE SAND FLOW,

AND WE HAVE EARTHQUAKES LOWERING THE CITY.

THE FAULT LINE CAN EXPLAIN TWO PARTS OF THIS CURSE --

THE BURYING OF TALAKADU BENEATH THE SAND

AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE RIVER

TO CREATE A WHIRLPOOL THAT CAN DESTROY MALANGI.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE THIRD PART?

HOW CAN AN EARTHQUAKE DESTROY THE CHANCE

OF A ROYAL LINE HAVING SUCCESSIVE HEIRS?

ONLY 1% OF TALAKADU HAS BEEN EXCAVATED.

THERE ARE STILL MYSTERIES HIDING BENEATH THE SAND --

MAYBE EVEN THE ANSWER TO THIS CURSE.