All language subtitles for What.on.Earth.S04E14.1080p.DSCP.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-BTN_track3_[eng]

Narrator: THEY'RE WATCHING YOU.

MORE THAN 4,000 SATELLITES
CIRCLE THE EARTH.

EVERY DAY, THEY UNCOVER NEW,

MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA
THAT DEFY EXPLANATION.

[ BEEPING, DISTORTED MUSIC ]

A LOST JUNGLE CITY
MADE OF CORAL,

MALEVOLENT SPIRITS,
AND CANNIBALS...

Hunt: EVERY SPIRIT HAS A DARK
SOURCE OF POWER

YOU REALLY DON'T
WANT TO DRAW ON.

THE MORE PEOPLE YOU KILL
AND THE MORE YOU EAT,

THE STRONGER YOU BECOME.

Narrator: ...COSSACKS,
BLOOD RITUALS,

AND THE POSSIBLE ORIGIN
OF ALL HUMAN CIVILIZATION.

IT COULD BE ONE OF THE OLDEST
MAN-MADE STRUCTURES ON EARTH.

Narrator:
AND WHAT IS THE MOB DOING

TO THE WORLD'S MOST
DANGEROUS VOLCANO?

Carter: I THINK
WHAT'S MOST INCREDIBLE

ABOUT THESE SATELLITE IMAGES

IS THAT THEY ACTUALLY SHOW US
THE MAFIA IN ACTION.

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

**

[ FREQUENCY WARBLES ]
[ WHIRRING ]

**

MARCH 7th, 2017.

A SATELLITE PASSING HIGH
ABOVE KENYA IN EAST AFRICA

CAPTURES A DENSE FOREST,

CONCEALING A SERIES OF
STRANGE GEOMETRIC SHAPES.

TUCKED AWAY IN THE TREES IS WHAT
LOOKS TO BE AN ABANDONED CITY.

THIS IS GOT TO BE ANCIENT.

NOT JUST BECAUSE THE BUILDINGS
LOOK LIKE THEY'RE IN RUINS,

BUT BECAUSE THE FOREST
IS ENCOMPASSING IT.

IT'S ENGULFING IT.

WHOEVER USED TO LIVE HERE,
THEY'RE LONG GONE.

Narrator: THE SATELLITE IMAGE
SHOWS THE REMAINS

OF NUMEROUS LARGE BUILDINGS.

THIS IS, INDEED,
AN ABANDONED CITY.

LOCAL PEOPLE CALL IT "GEDI."

BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE
NO MENTION OF SUCH A CITY

IN THE HISTORY BOOKS.

Hoffman: ALL THE SOPHISTICATION,
ALL THIS PLANNING

THAT WAS PUT INTO
CREATING THIS PLACE

MAKES IT EVEN MORE ENIGMATIC,

BECAUSE WHY IS IT NOT
SOMEHOW ON THE RECORD BOOKS.

Kourounis: IT'S AS IF THE CITY
WAS ERASED FROM HISTORY

OR DIDN'T WANT TO BE
MENTIONED FOR SOME REASON.

Narrator: ARCHEOLOGIST
KAREN BELLINGER HAS TRAVELED

TO KENYA TO TRY TO SOLVE THE
MYSTERY OF WHAT THIS PLACE IS

AND WHY IT WAS
SUDDENLY ABANDONED.

BELLINGER'S JOURNEY
BEGINS IN MOMBASA,

THE NEAREST MAJOR CITY
TO THE RUINS.

HER INVESTIGATION WON'T BE EASY.

THIS PART OF AFRICA HAS
A DARK AND COMPLEX HISTORY.

WE KNOW THIS REGION
WAS A REAL MELTING POT

OF POPULATIONS OVER CENTURIES.

IT'S A PLACE THAT WAS CONQUERED
MANY TIMES, AND, AS A RESULT,

WE REALLY HAVE A LOT
OF POTENTIAL PLAYERS

IN THIS MYSTERY.

Narrator: BELLINGER'S GUIDE
TELLS HER THAT A SWAHILI TRIBE

LIVING NEAR THE RUINED CITY

HAS RECOVERED SEVERAL
ARTIFACTS FROM THE SITE.

IN THE VILLAGE, BELLINGER MEETS
ZARO AND HIS FATHER RANDO.

LOVELY TO MEET YOU.

SHE HOPES THEIR DISCOVERIES
WILL SHED SOME LIGHT

ON WHO BUILT
AND LIVED IN GEDI.

WOW.
WHAT SHE FINDS STUNS HER.

THIS IS AMAZING.
WOW! THESE ARE COINS.

LOOKS LIKE THESE
ARE CHINESE COINS.

THIS IS MONEY FROM CHINA,
ANCIENT MONEY FROM CHINA.

YEAH.

BELLINGER LEARNS THAT PEOPLE
HAVE ALSO FOUND

SILVER NECKLACES FROM EUROPE,

MEDIEVAL GLASS FROM EGYPT,

AND FRAGMENTS OF MING DYNASTY
VASES AT THE SITE.

THE ARTIFACTS ARE FROM SO MANY
DISPARATE PLACES IT SUGGESTS

SHE HAS FOUND THE RUINS
OF A PROSPEROUS,

ANCIENT TRADING POST.

THIS POPULATION WAS
INCREDIBLY SOPHISTICATED.

Hoffman: THAT ADDS TO
THE MYSTERY OF THIS.

IF THESE GUYS WERE SO WEALTHY,

SO WELL CONNECTED
INTERNATIONALLY, WHO WERE THEY?

IF IT WAS SO PROSPEROUS, WHY
DOESN'T ANYBODY REMEMBER THEM?

Narrator: BELLINGER BELIEVES
THE NEWEST ARTIFACTS ARE AROUND

400 YEARS OLD,

SUGGESTING THIS CITY WAS
ABANDONED IN THE 17th CENTURY.

BUT WHEN ZARO'S FATHER
TELLS HER ABOUT WHAT ELSE

HE HAS SEEN AMONGST THE RUINS,
THE MYSTERY OF GEDI DEEPENS.

THE TRIBESPEOPLE'S STORIES
ARE THE FIRST CLUE

THAT SOMETHING MALEVOLENT
FORCED THE PEOPLE OF GEDI

TO FLEE THEIR CITY.

YOU SAY THAT THEY ARE STILL
IN THE RUINS TODAY?

**

Narrator: BELLINGER IS
DETERMINED TO DISCOVER

WHAT IT IS ABOUT GEDI THAT
TERRIFIES THE LOCALS SO MUCH.

FROM THE VILLAGE, IT'S A HIKE
THROUGH THE FOREST TO THE RUINS.

ZARO'S WARNINGS SEEM TO ECHO
THROUGH THE TREES.

THIS PLACE IS -- IT'S REALLY --
IT'S VERY ATMOSPHERIC.

IT'S A BIT EERIE.

Narrator: AS BELLINGER
APPROACHES GEDI FROM THE GROUND,

THE DENSE JUNGLE BEGINS
TO REVEAL ITS SECRETS.

DOZENS OF CRUMBLING BUILDINGS
ARE OPEN TO THE SKIES,

BUT THE RUINS EXTEND
INTO THE JUNGLE.

IT'S JUST MASSIVE.

IT'S MUCH BIGGER,
MUCH MORE THAN I EXPECTED

TO FIND FROM
THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

THE PLOT REALLY THICKENS
WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND

HOW BIG THIS CITY WAS.

Narrator: AS BELLINGER INSPECTS
THE BUILDINGS UP CLOSE,

SHE DISCOVERS SOMETHING BIZARRE.

Bellinger: I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THAT.

Narrator: THE GHOST CITY
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE

IS MADE OF CORAL.

IN AFRICA, TYPICALLY, PEOPLE
WOULD HAVE BUILT STRUCTURES

OF ALL KINDS
OUT OF MUD AND TIMBER.

Narrator: AS SHE PROBES
DEEPER INTO THE CITY,

BELLINGER LOCATES THE REMAINS
OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE PALACES

AND LARGE HOUSES
AND REINFORCED VAULTS,

MOST LIKELY USED FOR
STORING GOLD AND TREASURE.

ALL APPEAR TO BE MADE FROM
INTRICATELY ARRANGED BLOCKS

OF MARINE LIFE.

Rose: THINGS ARE BUILT OUT OF
CORAL THAT YOU'VE TAKEN

FROM MILES AWAY.

THAT SUGGESTS THAT THIS HAD
SOME KIND OF A RITUAL

OR SPECIAL FUNCTION.

Narrator: AT THE EDGE
OF THE RUINS,

BELLINGER DISCOVERS
A POSSIBLE CLUE

AS TO WHY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
CHOSE TO ABANDON

THIS WEALTHY CORAL CITY.

THIS IS INTERESTING.

Narrator: SECTIONS OF WHAT
APPEARS TO BE

TWO HEAVILY FORTIFIED WALLS
WITH HOLES CUT OUT OF THEM.

Bellinger: THESE HOLES WOULD
HAVE BEEN USED AS SPY HOLES

AND POTENTIALLY EVEN FOR THE USE
OF DEFENSIVE WEAPONS

OF SOME KIND.

Narrator: THE DISCOVERY
IS ANOTHER CLUE

AS TO WHY GEDI
MAY HAVE BEEN ABANDONED.

THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
WERE TERRIFIED OF SOMEONE

OR SOMETHING.

Kourounis: THE CITY WAS
QUITE WELL-DEFENDED.

NOW, WHAT WERE THEY PROTECTING
THEMSELVES FROM?

THAT'S THE QUESTION.

Narrator: COMING UP...

TERROR IN THE JUNGLE...

-CANNIBALS?
-YES.

THEY ATE PEOPLE?

THEY WOULD EAT WHOEVER
THEY WOULD GET.

[ ALL SHOUTING ]

THIS IS REAL.
THIS IS NOT A HORROR MOVIE.

Narrator: ...AND A SUPER-HEATED
CLOUD OF DEATH

THREATENING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO.

YOU CANNOT ESCAPE,
YOU CANNOT PROTECT YOURSELF.

YOU WILL DIE.

**

NARRATOR: ARCHEOLOGIST
KAREN BELLINGER

IS IN EASTERN AFRICA,
INVESTIGATING ANCIENT RUINS

CAPTURED BY SATELLITE.

HER INVESTIGATION SUGGESTS
THEY WERE PART OF A LARGE CITY

OF GREAT WEALTH,

BUT, BIZARRELY, IT DOESN'T
APPEAR IN ANY HISTORY BOOKS.

A LARGE DEFENSIVE WALL
HINTS AT A SINISTER END

FOR THE PEOPLE HERE.

Bellinger: PEOPLE IN THE CITY
AT SOME POINT

WERE WORRIED ABOUT
THE POSSIBILITY

OF HOSTILE OUTSIDERS
OR EVEN INVADERS.

Narrator: AS BELLINGER EXPLORERS
A LARGE BUILDING

VISIBLE ON THE SATELLITE IMAGE,

SHE FINDS A CLUE AS TO WHO MIGHT
HAVE INHABITED THIS RUINED CITY.

IT'S NOT WHAT SHE EXPECTED.

THIS IS MIHRAB.

THIS IS A SPACE IN A MOSQUE,
TRADITIONALLY, THAT FACED MECCA.

WHOEVER LIVED HERE,
THEY WERE MUSLIM.

Narrator: FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF
THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD

IN 632 A.D., THE MIDDLE EAST
SUFFERS SEVERAL WARS

OVER WHO WOULD SUCCEED HIM
AS THE LEADER OF ISLAM.

THE CONFLICTS GENERATE
WAVES OF REFUGEES

WHO MIGRATE SOUTH THROUGH
EAST AFRICA AND INTO KENYA.

WE KNOW THAT ISLAM SPREAD
FROM ARABIAN NORTH AFRICA

DOWN TO THE EAST COAST OF AFRICA

AFTER ABOUT
THE 8th CENTURY A.D.

Narrator: THE MOSQUE SUGGESTS
THAT THE CITY'S RICHES

WERE AMASSED BY MUSLIM TRADERS
DESCENDED FROM THESE REFUGEES.

BUT THE LOCAL SWAHILI TRIBESMEN
HAVE WARNED BELLINGER THE RUINS

ARE NOW UNDER THE CONTROL
OF MALEVOLENT SPIRITS.

THE CITY IS THE HOME
OF THE JINN,

SUPERNATURAL CREATES DESCRIBED
IN EARLY ARABIAN MYTHOLOGY.

ACCORDING TO THE QUR'AN,

THE JINN WERE CREATED
ALONGSIDE HUMANS.

WHILE HUMANS WERE MADE
OUT OF MUD AND EARTH,

THE JINN WERE MADE OUT
OF SMOKELESS FIRE.

Narrator: JINN FORMED
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE GENIE

IN THE TALES OF ALADDIN.

THEY CAN SHAPE SHIFT TO TAKE
THE FORM OF HUMANS AND ANIMALS

AND DWELL IN ABANDONED PLACES
SUCH AS RUINS AND TOMBS,

MANY OF WHICH LITTER THE SITE.

THE JINN ARE KNOWN TO HAUNT
CERTAIN PLACES,

AND ESPECIALLY ANCIENT PLACES.

Narrator: THE TRIBE'S BELIEF
THAT JINN HAUNT THE CITY

PROVIDES MORE POSSIBLE EVIDENCE

THAT SOMETHING
EVIL HAPPENED HERE.

Hunt: EVERY JINN ALSO HAS
A DARK SOURCE OF POWER

YOU REALLY DON'T
WANT TO DRAW ON.

THEY'RE ALIGNED
WITH SHAITAN, SATAN,

SO YOU REALLY DON'T WANT
TO MESS WITH THEM.

**

Narrator:
ARMED WITH WHAT SHE HAS LEARNED,

BELLINGER ARRANGES TO MEET WITH
HISTORIAN RAFAEL CAMBO

BACK IN MOMBASA.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
AGREEING TO MEET ME HERE.

WELCOME.
HAVE A SEAT.

SHE HOPES HE CAN
SHED LIGHT ON WHO

OR WHAT COULD HAVE FORCED
GEDI'S MUSLIM RESIDENTS

TO ABANDON THEIR CITY
DURING THE 17th CENTURY.

CAMBO TELLS BELLINGER THAT
WHEN GEDI WAS DESERTED

IT WAS UNDER CONTROL
OF THE PORTUGUESE EMPIRE,

THE FIRST GLOBAL
EMPIRE IN HISTORY,

WHICH STRETCHED FROM
SOUTH AMERICA TO AFRICA, INDIA,

AND SOUTHEAST ASIA.

THE PORTUGUESE USED THE REGION
TO MAKE MILLIONS FROM TRADE

IN GOLD, IVORY, AND SLAVES.

CAMBO REVEALS THAT AT
THE TURN OF THE 17th CENTURY,

SEVERAL WARRIOR TRIBES
ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW

THEIR COLONIAL RULERS AND GAIN
CONTROL OF THIS WEALTH.

OKAY, SO WE HAD BOTH LOCAL
AND INTERNATIONAL GROUPS

ACTUALLY TUSSLING OVER THIS
VERY LUCRATIVE TRADE CENTER.

BELLINGER LEARNS THAT ONE
PARTICULARLY FEARSOME TRIBE

THAT WAS HOSTILE TO MUSLIMS
WAS ACTIVE IN THE GEDI AREA

WHEN IT WAS DESERTED.

THE ZIMBA TRIBE.

OKAY.

CA-- CANNIBALS?
YES.

THEY ATE PEOPLE?

CAMBO TELLS BELLINGER
THAT THE ZIMBA ORIGINATE

FROM THE ZAMBEZI RIVER BASIN.

DURING THE LATE 16th CENTURY,

WAR PARTIES ROAM UP
THE COAST TOWARDS KENYA,

SLAUGHTERING ALL IN THEIR PATH.

**

THE FEROCIOUS ZIMBA EAT
THEIR ENEMIES IN THE BELIEF

THAT THEY WILL STEAL
THEIR LIFE FORCE.

Maca: THE MORE PEOPLE YOU KILL
AND THE MORE YOU EAT,

THE STRONGER YOU BECOME
AND THE MORE POWERFUL

A WARRIOR YOU GET TO BE.

Hunt: RUMORS STILL OCCUR
AROUND THE WORLD

OF PEOPLE EATING OTHER PEOPLE
TO ABSORB THEIR POWER.

Narrator: AFTER
BUTCHERING AN ENEMY,

CANNIBAL WARRIORS
CONSUME THE BRAIN

TO ABSORB THEIR
VICTIM'S KNOWLEDGE

AND THE HEART TO GAIN
THEIR POWER AND COURAGE.

IN OUR SAFE, COMFORTABLE,
MODERN WORLD,

WE CAN'T COMPREHEND
THE TERROR OF KNOWING

THAT SOMEBODY LIKE
THE ZIMBA WARRIORS

ARE COMING TO KILL US
AND EAT US AND EAT OUR KIDS.

IT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
THIS IS REAL.

THIS IS NOT A HORROR MOVIE.

THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING
TO ME, RAFAEL,

BECAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT
WHETHER MAYBE THE ZIMBA

HAD SOMETHING TO DO
WITH THE DOWNFALL OF THIS --

OF THIS CITY.

Narrator: EVIDENCE THAT
THE ZIMBA EVER REACHED GEDI

REMAINS ELUSIVE.

SOME ARCHEOLOGISTS SPECULATE
THAT A PLAGUE OR CATASTROPHIC

DROUGHT COULD HAVE FORCED
ITS RESIDENTS TO FLEE.

BUT THESE ARE JUST THEORIES.

WHATEVER HAPPENED HERE,
IT WAS SOMETHING SO POWERFUL

AND SO OVERWHELMING
THAT ALL RECORD OF THE CITY

AND ITS PEOPLE WERE
WIPED FROM HISTORY.

KNOWING ALL THAT WE KNOW
ABOUT THIS PLACE,

IT'S A GENUINE MYSTERY AS TO HOW
IT COULD FALL OFF THE MAP.

**

Narrator: COMING UP --
VIKINGS, SLAVES,

AND NAZIS IN
THE BADLANDS OF RUSSIA.

Morgan: LIFE, DURING THE TIME,
IT WAS PUNCTUATED

BY THE GREATEST BRUTALITY

THAT HUMANKIND
COULD INFLICT ON ITSELF.

Narrator: AND A MULTIMILLION
DOLLAR COVER-UP

IN THE HELL FIRES
OF MOUNT VESUVIUS.

Carter: YOU COULD
GET RID OF EVIDENCE,

YOU COULD GET RID OF BODIES,

YOU COULD GET RID OF
ALMOST ANYTHING YOU NEED TO.

Narrator: JULY 12th, 2017.

THE SENTINEL-2 EARTH OBSERVATION
SATELLITE FLIES OVER NAPLES

ON THE WEST COAST OF ITALY.

AS IT PASSES THE NEARBY
VOLCANO MOUNT VESUVIUS,

IT CAPTURES THIS IMAGE.

THIS JUST SCREAMS
"DANGER" TO ME.

Brand: THERE'S A PLUME OF SMOKE

COMING FROM ONE OF THE MOST
DANGEROUS VOLCANOS IN THE WORLD.

IT LOOKS LIKE
IT'S ABOUT TO ERUPT.

Narrator: SINCE RECORDS BEGAN,
VESUVIUS HAS ERUPTED 50 TIMES,

MOST RECENTLY IN 1944

WHEN BURNING ROCKS
THE SIZE OF BASKETBALLS

RAINED DOWN ON LOCAL RESIDENTS

AND THE OCCUPYING
ALLIED FORCES.

**

ANOTHER ERUPTION
IS LONG OVERDUE.

VESUVIUS CAN ERUPT AS LARGE
AS WHAT WE VOLCANOLOGISTS

CALL A V.E.I. 5.

5 IS BIG. 5 IS HUGE.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY
A HELLISH INFERNO

WHEN THIS VOLCANO ERUPTS.

THE VOLCANO IS SO DANGEROUS
THAT THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT

IS PAYING CITIZENS
AND FAMILIES

TO MOVE AWAY FROM
THE FLANKS OF THE VOLCANO.

THIS IS EUROPE'S
TICKING TIME BOMB.

Narrator: THE NIGHTMARE SCENARIO
IS THAT THE SATELLITE IMAGE

SHOWS THE FIRST PHASE
OF WHAT VOLCANOLOGISTS CALL

"PYROCLASTIC FLOWS" --

1,800-DEGREE CLOUDS OF GAS

AND BURNING ROCK THAT SWEEP DOWN
THE FLANKS OF VOLCANOS

AT UP TO 300 MILES PER HOUR.

THOSE ARE TERRIFYING.
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO.

YOU CANNOT ESCAPE,
YOU CANNOT PROTECT YOURSELF.

YOU WILL DIE IF YOU ARE CAUGHT
IN A PYROCLASTIC FLOW.

IN A.D. 79, PYROCLASTIC FLOWS
FROM VESUVIUS

ANNIHILATED THE NEARBY TOWNS
OF POMPEII AND HERCULANEUM,

KILLING AN ESTIMATED
30,000 PEOPLE.

VOLCANOLOGISTS FEAR THAT
A 21st-CENTURY ERUPTION

WILL MAKE POMPEII
LOOK LIKE CHILD'S PLAY.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE POPULATION
OF THE SURROUNDING AREA

IS SO MUCH DENSER.

YOU HAVE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE

COMPARED TO TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

Narrator: YET WHEN VOLCANOLOGIST
BRITTANY BRAND CONSULTS

GEOLOGICAL REPORTS OF THE AREA,

SHE DISCOVERS SOMETHING
DOESN'T STACK UP.

Brand: WHEN VOLCANOS ERUPT,
THEY'RE NOT QUIET.

[ EXPLOSION ]

THEY PRODUCE A LOT
OF SEISMIC ENERGY,

AND THE THING THAT'S
CURIOUS HERE IS THAT

WHEN THIS IMAGE WAS TAKEN,

THE VOLCANO WAS QUIET.

SO WHAT IS CAUSING THE SMOKE?

Narrator: ANALYST BRONWYN AGRIOS
TURNED TO THE IMAGE FOR CLUES.

THE SMOKE ACTUALLY ISN'T COMING
FROM ONE CENTRAL LOCATION

LIKE YOU'D EXPECT A VOLCANO TO.

THERE'S A LOT OF SMOKE
AROUND THE EDGES

AND THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

IT LOOKS MORE LIKE THE SMOKE

THAT YOU'D SEE
COMING OFF OF WILD FIRES.

Narrator: AGRIOS APPLIES
AN INFRARED FILTER

TO REMOVE THE SMOKE PLUMES
FROM THE IMAGE.

IT REVEALS THAT THESE ARE
NO ORDINARY WILD FIRES.

Agrios: YOU ACTUALLY SEE
THAT THERE ARE LITERALLY

DOZENS OF FIRES.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY
HAS GONE OUT

AND ACTUALLY SET THESE FIRES.

BUT WHY WOULD SOMEONE
LIGHT A VOLCANO ON FIRE?

[ FIRE CRACKLING ]

Narrator: WHEN ARSON
INVESTIGATORS

ARRIVE ON THE SCENE,
THEY DISCOVER A BIZARRE,

POSSIBLE CLUE
TO THE ORIGIN OF THE BLAZES.

THEY'RE FINDING DEAD CATS
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FIRES.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WHY ARE THERE CATS
APPARENTLY BURNED ALIVE

RIGHT NEAR THESE MASSIVE FIRES?

Narrator: EX-CIA OPERATIVE
MIKE BAKER IS AN EXPERT

ON COORDINATED
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.

HE SUSPECTS THE BURNED
CAT CORPSES REPRESENT

A GRUESOME ATTEMPT BY THE
ARSONIST TO COVER THEIR TRACKS.

Baker: WHAT THEY DO IS
THEY SOAK A RAG,

THEY TIE IT TO THE CAT'S TAIL,
THEY LIGHT IT ON FIRE,

AND IT GOES OFF
IN THIS RANDOM PATTERN,

BUT AN ARSON INVESTIGATOR
COMING IN AFTER THE FACT

IS NOT GOING TO SEE
THE TRADITIONAL PATTERN

THAT THEY LOOK FOR WHEN THEY'RE
INVESTIGATING POST-FIRE.

Narrator: WHEN JOURNALIST
SARA CARTER CALLS CONTACTS

LIVING NEAR VESUVIUS
TO IDENTIFY THE CULPRITS,

THE INVESTIGATION TAKES
ANOTHER BIZARRE TWIST.

Carter: SO, I'VE CONTACTED
ITALIAN SOURCES,

AND THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE
SAYING --

THEY BELIEVE THIS IS
A MOB OPERATION.

THEY BELIEVE THAT THESE FIRES
ARE INTENTIONALLY SET

BY THE MOB.

Narrator: FOR MOST OF ITS
150-YEAR HISTORY,

THE MAFIA'S REVENUE COMES
FROM THINGS LIKE EXTORTION,

GAMBLING, AND DRUGS.

TODAY, IT HAS BRANCHED OUT,
MAKING MONEY FROM ACTIVITIES

SUCH AS SELLING WEAPONS
TO I.S.I.S. IN EXCHANGE FOR

LOOTED MIDDLE EASTERN ARTIFACTS.

CARTER'S CONTACTS
TELL HER THE FIRES

ARE LINKED TO ANOTHER OF THESE
NEW REVENUE STREAMS --

WASTE MANAGEMENT.

IF YOU'RE IN THE MOB, I MEAN,
WHAT BETTER BUSINESS

TO HAVE THAN
WASTE DISPOSAL, RIGHT?

YOU COULD GET RID OF EVIDENCE,
YOU COULD GET RID OF BODIES,

YOU COULD GET RID OF
ALMOST ANYTHING YOU NEED TO.

Narrator: MOST ITALIAN
WASTE-DISPOSAL COMPANIES

ARE ENTIRELY LEGITIMATE,

BUT SOME ARE RUN
BY THE COSA NOSTRA.

IN 2008, FOLLOWING
A 10-YEAR TRIAL,

16 MEMBERS
OF THE CASALESI FAMILY,

HEADED BY A MAN NICKNAMED
"THE WASTE DISPOSAL KING,"

ARE CONVICTED OF RUNNING ILLEGAL
WASTE DUMPS AROUND NAPLES.

THESE ILLEGAL DUMPS
ENABLE THE MOB

TO SAVE MILLIONS
ON NORMAL DISPOSAL COSTS.

Baker: THEY'RE
A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION,

SO BY DEFINITION THEY'RE NOT
COMMUNITY MINDED, RIGHT?

THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT THIS AS

"HOW DO WE FOLLOW THE LETTER
OF THE LAW IN WASTE MANAGEMENT?

HOW DO WE DISPOSE
OF THE GARBAGE?"

THEY DON'T CARE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE
THE MOB USED THE FIRES

ON VESUVIUS TO CLEAR LAND
TO ILLEGALLY DUMP

THOUSANDS OF TONS OF GARBAGE.

THE PRACTICE HELPS THE MAFIA
GENERATE $9 BILLION

EVERY YEAR FROM WASTE DISPOSAL.

Baker:
IT'S A REVENUE STREAM LEGALLY,

BUT IT'S ALSO
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM

TO MAKE MONEY THROUGH KICKBACKS,

THROUGH ILLEGAL CONTRACTING,
THROUGH EXTORTION.

SO, YOU KNOW, WASTE MANAGEMENT
IS BIG BUSINESS

FOR THE MAFIA IN ITALY.

**

Narrator: TODAY,
THE SMOKE PLUMES ARE GONE,

BUT THE DARK SPECTER
OF THE MAFIA

AND THE NEXT VESUVIAN
MEGA ERUPTION

STILL LOOMS OVER
THIS PART OF ITALY.

I THINK WHAT'S MOST INCREDIBLE
ABOUT THESE SATELLITE IMAGES

IS THAT THEY ACTUALLY SHOW US
THE MAFIA IN ACTION.

**

Narrator: COMING UP --
A SECRET MILITARY BASE

AND HITLER'S MIRACLE WEAPONS...

THESE WEAPONS WERE, IN EVERY
CATEGORY, AHEAD OF THEIR TIME.

...AND SUICIDAL SATELLITES
DO BATTLE IN EARTH'S ORBIT.

THIS IS YET ANOTHER STEP
TOWARDS ACTUAL WARFARE IN SPACE.

Narrator: SEPTEMBER 10th, 2013.

AS A SATELLITE FLIES
OVER A COASTAL INLET

NEAR MURMANSK
IN NORTHERN RUSSIA,

IT PHOTOGRAPHS THIS STRUCTURE
IN THE ISOLATED LANDSCAPE.

IT'S VERY, VERY ODD, VERY,
VERY STRANGE-LOOKING IMAGE.

Gough: A PERFECT, CIRCULAR SHAPE
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WILDERNESS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY
MANMADE, BUT ITS PURPOSE --

THAT REMAINS A MYSTERY.

Narrator: THE STRUCTURE IS
SURROUNDED BY A MOAT OF WATER.

THERE'S A TEXTURING ON IT
THAT LOOKS OLD, YOU KNOW?

SO IT MAY HAVE BEEN HERE
FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.

Narrator: THE STRUCTURE LIES
JUST 15 MILES

FROM THE NORWEIGIAN BORDER.

IT REMINDS SOME HISTORIANS
OF STRONGHOLDS BUILT BY VIKINGS.

YOU'RE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE
VIKINGS FOR IT TO MAKE SENSE,

THERE'S RUSSIAN-VIKING HERITAGE,

AND THE VIKINGS HAD A PAST
OF BUILDING CIRCULAR

PIECES OF MILITARY ARCHITECTURE.

Narrator:
IN THE 9th CENTURY, A.D.,

BANDS OF VIKING WARRIORS
MARAUD THROUGH NORTHERN RUSSIA.

Horton: THEY TOOK THEIR SHIPS
DOWN THE RUSSIAN RIVERS.

THEY WERE ALL OVER THIS AREA
OF NORTHEAST RUSSIA, IN FACT.

THEIR WORD "RUS"
ACTUALLY MEANS "VIKING."

Narrator: MANY OF THESE
WARRIORS WERE SLAVERS,

SEIZING UP TO 3,000
PEOPLE IN EACH RAID.

THE MYSTERY STRUCTURE BEARS
A STRONG RESEMBLANCE

TO A CIRCULAR VIKING FORT
KNOWN AS A TRELLEBORG,

WHICH LITERALLY MEANS
"A FORTRESS BUILT BY SLAVES."

BUT ANALYSIS REVEALS A MAJOR
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE FORTS

AND THE CONSTRUCTION
IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

VIKING SETTLEMENTS, ALTHOUGH
THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ROUND

IN THE OVERALL DESIGN,

THE SIZE OF THAT CIRCULAR
FOOTPRINT WAS HUGE.

THIS IS JUST A FEW TENS
OF FEET ACROSS,

SO THIS IS NOT A VIKING
SETTLEMENT IN MY VIEW.

Narrator: THE MYSTERY DEEPENS
WHEN INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER

MORE CIRCULAR STRUCTURES NEARBY,

SOME FLOODED
OR CONCEALED WITH WATER.

Pavelec: IT IS EXTREMELY WEIRD.
IT'S NOT ONLY THIS ONE.

THERE'S A COUPLE OF THEM
IN THE SAME AREA

THAT SHOW THE SAME SORTS
OF FORMATIONS --

PERFECT CIRCLES IN POOLS.

Narrator: THE UNIFORMITY
OF THE STRUCTURES SUGGESTS

THEY WERE BUILT
IN THE 20th CENTURY.

ANALYSIS OF A BUILDING
NEAR ONE OF THE STRUCTURES

ENABLES INVESTIGATORS
TO PINPOINT THE DATE

OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION.

Morgan: IT APPEARS TO BE KIND OF
IN DILAPIDATED CONDITION

AND OVERGROWN, AND IT POINTS
TOWARD THE SECOND WORLD WAR

AS A POTENTIAL TIME PERIOD
THAT THESE SITES BELONG TO.

Narrator: ON JUNE 22nd, 1941,

GERMANY LAUNCHES
OPERATION BARBAROSSA,

A BLITZKRIEG INVASION OF RUSSIA.

HITLER'S ASSAULT
ULTIMATELY FAILS,

BUT THIS AREA OF RUSSIA
REMAINS UNDER NAZI CONTROL

UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR.

Morgan: WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT
THESE STRUCTURES FALL

WITHIN THAT OCCUPIED TERRITORY,
IT CERTAINLY OPENS UP

THE POSSIBILITY
THAT THE GERMANS BUILT THESE.

Narrator: IN THE LATTER
STAGES OF THE WAR,

THE NAZIS DESIGN AND TEST

A NEW GENERATION OF
RADICAL MILITARY HARDWARE,

HOPING IT WILL TURN THE TIDE
AGAINST THE ALLIES.

Walters: NAZIS WERE DEVELOPING
CIRCULAR AIRCRAFT,

WHICH WOULD HAVE LOOKED
LIKE FLYING SAUCERS.

IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP
TOP-SECRET NEW AIRCRAFT,

YOU NEED TO DO THAT
IN REMOTE AREAS,

AND THIS COULD WELL BE
ONE OF THOSE AREAS.

Narrator: THE REVOLUTIONARY
CRAFT ARE WHAT THE NAZIS CALL

"WUNDERWAFFE,"
"MIRACLE WEAPONS."

THE NAZIS HAD THE MOST
INCREDIBLE AMBITION

WHEN IT CAME TO CREATING
AIRCRAFT THAT WAS FAR SUPERIOR,

FAR WEIRDER THAN ANYONE ELSE
HAD EVEN CONCEIVED.

Narrator: WHILE SOME WUNDERWAFFE
DO NOT PROGRESS PAST

PROTOTYPE PHASE, OTHERS PROVE
TO BE HUGE SUCCESSES.

THE FOCKE-WULF 61
IS WIDELY REGARDED

AS THE FIRST
FUNCTIONAL HELICOPTER.

AND THE V-2, THE FIRST MAN-MADE
OBJECT TO ENTER SPACE,

WILL DIRECTLY INFLUENCE THE
DESIGN OF THE SATURN V ROCKET

THAT TAKES THE APOLLO
ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON.

YOU STILL CAN'T HELP
BUT RESPECT THE FACT

THAT INCREDIBLE TECHNICAL GENIUS
WENT INTO DESIGNING

THESE WEAPONS, AND THESE WEAPONS
WERE, IN EVERY CATEGORY,

AHEAD OF THEIR TIME.

Narrator: IN 1940,
THE GERMANS BEGIN CONSTRUCTION

OF THE SACK AS-6,

A 16-FOOT DIAMETER
DISC-SHAPED CRAFT.

RUMORS PERSIST THAT THE NAZIS
GO ON TO SECRETLY DESIGN

AND BUILD A MORE AMBITIOUS

CIRCULAR VERTICAL
TAKE-OFF CRAFT,

A 137-FOOT WIDE,
JET-POWERED NAZI UFO.

THIS CIRCULAR-CRAFT
TECHNOLOGY WOULD LAUNCH

AND RETURN TO THE SAME SPOT.

WHEN I LOOK AT
THE SATELLITE IMAGE,

THAT WOULD BE A PERFECT
EXAMPLE OF A LAUNCH PAD.

Narrator: THE NAZI CONSTRUCT
DOZENS OF WUNDERWAFFE TESTS

AND LAUNCH FACILITIES,

BUT CLOSE ANALYSIS SUGGESTS
THIS WASN'T ONE OF THEM.

D'Antonio: THERE'S NO REMNANT

OF ANY ENERGY-GENERATION
FACILITIES.

YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE A SITE
THAT'S A LAUNCH PAD

WITHOUT THE ATTENDANT
SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER
A CLUE TO THE ORIGIN

OF THE STRUCTURES
IN AERIAL IMAGES

OF NAZI-OCCUPIED TERRITORY
ON THE NORTHERN COAST OF FRANCE.

Pavelec: WHAT IT LOOKS TO ME
LIKE IS A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS

THAT I SEE ON THE NORMANDY
COAST, WHICH IS GUN PLACEMENTS.

Narrator: SCALE ANALYSIS
OF THE STRUCTURE SUGGESTS

THAT THEY CARRIED HUGE
360-DEGREE

ROTATING ARTILLERY GUNS
CAPABLE OF FIRING A SHELL PACKED

WITH OVER 335 POUNDS
OF EXPLOSIVES

ON TO A TARGET UP
TO 17 MILES AWAY.

Morgan: IT COULD PENETRATE
THE ARMOR OF A WARSHIP

AND THEN INTRODUCE
AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE

INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE WARSHIP
OF SUCH A FORCE AND POWER

THAT IT COULD SINK THAT SHIP.

Narrator: THE QUESTION REMAINS
OF WHAT NEARBY

NAZI INSTALLATIONS
WERE THESE HUGE GUNS PROTECTING.

RECORDS REVEAL THAT FOLLOWING
THE END OF WORLD WAR II,

THE SOVIET MILITARY LIMIT ACCESS
TO THE SITE FOR SEVERAL DECADES.

WHATEVER ITS PURPOSE,
THIS REMOTE, OVERGROWN BASE

IS A HAUNTING REMINDER
OF THE TERRIFYING POWER

OF THE GERMAN WAR MACHINE.

Walters: WAR DOESN'T JUST LEAVE
SCARS ON HUMANITY AND PEOPLE.

IT ALSO LEAVES SCARS
ON THE PLANET.

AND YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT
IMAGES SUCH AS THIS TO REALIZE

THAT THE REMNANTS OF WAR
WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US.

Narrator: COMING UP --
PAGAN BLOOD RITES

IN THE LAND OF THE COSSACKS...

Altaweel: THESE FEATURES WE'RE
SEEING MAY HAVE BEEN ALMOST LIKE

AMPHITHEATERS OF SACRIFICE.

Narrator: ...AND A SPACE STATION
GOES AWOL IN EARTH'S ORBIT.

Capps: IF THIS IS ABOUT
TO CRASH INTO THE EARTH,

WELL, IT'S KIND OF LIKE GETTING
A PICTURE OF THE TITANIC

RIGHT BEFORE THE ICEBERG.

Narrator: OCTOBER 6th, 2010.

THE WorldView-2 SATELLITE
CAPTURES THIS IMAGE IN THE SKIES

OVER EASTERN CANADA.

Sanford: THIS OBJECT
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE IMAGE --

IT JUST LOOKS LIKE
IT'S HANGING IN MIDAIR.

Narrator:
THE IMAGE BAFFLES ANALYSTS.

Marchetti:
THIS IMAGE IS INTERESTING

BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE
A SATELLITE.

HOW THE HECK DID THEY CAPTURE
THE SATELLITE ZOOMING

UNDER ANOTHER SATELLITE?

Narrator: THE OBJECT
IN THE IMAGE APPEARS TO BE

JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET AWAY.

IT FUELS FEARS THAT THERE IS
A LARGE OUT-OF-CONTROL OBJECT

ORBITING THE EARTH
AT ALMOST FIVE MILES PER SECOND.

Grush: IF YOU WERE TO GET SUCH
A CLEAR IMAGE OF A SATELLITE

USING ANOTHER SATELLITE,

THE TWO PROBES WOULD HAVE
TO BE DANGEROUSLY CLOSE.

Pappalardo: ANY SATELLITE
OPERATOR WHO WOULD SEE

AN IMAGE LIKE THIS
WOULD BE TERRIFIED.

THIS WOULD BE, LIKE,
A HORROR SHOW.

ARE WE LOOKING AT
A SPACECRAFT GONE ROUGE?

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ANALYZE
THE IMAGE FOR CLUES.

THE OBJECT IN THIS PICTURE,
IT HAS ALL THESE SQUARES ON IT

THAT LOOK LIKE THEY
COULD BE SOLAR PANELS.

WHEN YOU COUNT THEM, IT'S THE
SAME NUMBER AS YOU WOULD FIND

ON THE CHINESE SPACE STATION.

Narrator:
ON SEPTEMBER 29th, 2011,

THE CHINESE LAUNCHED TIANGONG-1,

THE COUNTRY'S FIRST
PROTOTYPE SPACE STATION

ON A 2-YEAR MISSION.

BUT AFTER THE CHINESE
SPACE AGENCY PUTS TIANGONG-1

INTO SLEEP MODE,

THE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR
MISSION GOES BAD.

IN DECEMBER, 2015,
CHINA ADMITTED

THAT THEY LOST COMMUNICATION
WITH THE SPACE STATION.

Sanford: WHICH MEANS THAT
THEY CAN'T CONTROL IT,

AND IT MIGHT BE
FALLING OUT OF ORBIT.

Narrator: AS THE OUT-OF-CONTROL
35-FOOT LONG,

9-TON SPACE STATION
ORBITS OUR PLANET,

GRAVITY RELENTLESSLY
DRAGS IT DOWN

TOWARDS THE EARTH'S SURFACE.

Capps: IF THIS IS A SHOT
OF THE TIANGONG-1

JUST AS IT'S ABOUT
TO CRASH INTO THE EARTH,

WELL, IT'S KIND OF LIKE GETTING
A PICTURE OF THE TITANIC

RIGHT BEFORE THE ICEBERG.

Narrator: WHEN DROPPED FROM
ORBIT, A METAL ROD JUST

20 FEET LONG WOULD EXPLODE
WITH THE SAME FORCE

AS A NUCLEAR BOMB.

IT'S GOING TO CRASH INTO
THE EARTH, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

Sanford: THERE ARE GONNA
BE SOME BIG PIECES

THAT ARE GONNA LAND SOMEWHERE.

THEY MIGHT LAND IN THE OCEAN.
THAT'S FINE.

BUT WHAT IF THEY LAND
IN NEW YORK CITY?

Narrator: WHEN ANALYSTS
RETURN TO THE IMAGE,

THEY DISCOVER KEY DIFFERENCES

BETWEEN THE MYSTERY SATELLITE
AND THE ROUGE CHINESE CRAFT.

TIANGONG DOESN'T EXACTLY MATCH
WHAT WE SEE IN THIS IMAGE.

IT'S MORE OF A CIRCULAR MODULE
STRUCTURE WITH SOLAR PANELS

THAT COME OUT TO THE SIDE.

Narrator: AVIATION EXPERT
JOE PAPPALARDO

HAS ANOTHER THEORY.

THIS SATELLITE ISN'T ROUGE --

IT'S SUICIDAL.

CHINA, RUSSIA,
AND THE UNTIED STATES

ARE ALL INTERESTED
IN DOMINATING SPACE MILITARILY.

ONE WAY THEY DO THIS IS
WITH SATELLITES THAT COLLIDE

WITH OTHER SATELLITES,
SUICIDE MISSIONS.

Narrator: IN 2017, AFTER LYING
DORMANT FOR TWO YEARS,

A MYSTERIOUS RUSSIAN
SATELLITE SUDDENLY

AND DRAMATICALLY
CHANGES ITS ORBIT,

HEADING STRAIGHT FOR
A CHINESE WEATHER SATELLITE,

COMING WITHIN JUST
A FEW DOZEN FEET.

IF THIS IS SOMEHOW A SATELLITE
DESIGNED TO GET CLOSE

TO ANOTHER ONE
FOR NEFARIOUS PURPOSES,

IT WOULD BE YET ANOTHER STEP
TOWARDS ACTUAL WARFARE IN SPACE.

**

Narrator: SATELLITES CAPABLE
OF HUNTING DOWN

AND DESTROYING ENEMY SPACE CRAFT

WERE COVERTLY DEVELOPED BY
THE SOVIETS DURING THE COLD WAR.

THE IMAGE FUELS FEARS
THE PROGRAM IS BEING REVIVED.

BUT WHEN ANALYST
AMANDA MARCHETTI EXAMINES

THE IMAGE IN GREATER DETAIL,

SHE NOTICES SOMETHING
ISN'T RIGHT.

Marchetti: SO, IF THIS
WERE A SATELLITE,

I WOULD EXPECT
THESE SOLAR PANELS

TO BE SHOWING UP VERY BRIGHTLY
BUT THEY'RE NOT.

THEY'RE VERY DARK.

Narrator: AS MARCHETTI ZOOMS IN
CLOSER, SHE DISCOVERS A CLUE

TO THE ORIGIN
OF THE MYSTERY OBJECT.

Marchetti: I ACTUALLY
CAN SEE A SMALL BOAT

SAILING RIGHT OUTSIDE
OF THE MAIN FEATURE

THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO THIS ALL JUST LEADS ME
TO CONCLUDE

THAT THIS FEATURE THAT
WE'RE SEEING THAT LOOKS VERY ODD

IS IN FACT IN THE WATER.

Narrator: THE SUICIDAL PIECE
OF SPACE HARDWARE IS,

IT TRANSPIRES,
A TRICK OF THE EYE --

A SATELLITE-SHAPED
FISH FARM SEEN FROM SPACE.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT SOMEONE
DESIGNED THIS FISH FARM

AND IT LOOKS EXACTLY
LIKE A SATELLITE, RIGHT?

Narrator: WHILE THE OUTCOME
IS HARMLESS ENOUGH,

THE IMAGE IS A CHILLING REMINDER

THAT WAR WILL SOON
BE MOVING INTO SPACE.

Pappalardo: IT DOES OPEN UP
A LOT OF QUESTIONS OVER SPACE,

WEAPONRY, AND THE FUTURE
OF THIS ENVIRONMENT

THAT WE ALL HAVE A STAKE IN.

**

Narrator: COMING UP,
THE DRUNKEN, MURDEROUS

HORSEBACK WARRIORS WHO SPREAD
TERROR WHEREVER THEY WENT.

Gough: THE COSSACKS WERE
ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING.

THEY WERE RUTHLESS.

THEY DID NOT FEAR DEATH.

Narrator: SEPTEMBER, 2016.

A SATELLITE PASSING
OVER EASTERN UKRAINE

CAPTURES AN IMAGE OF AN UNUSUAL
FEATURE IN THE RURAL LANDSCAPE.

Chamberlain: THIS IMAGE
IS REALLY WEIRD.

THERE'S THIS BIG ROUND THING
THAT LOOKS LIKE A CRATER,

AND THERE'S LEGS COMING OFF
ON SOME OF THE SIDES.

Horton: IT REALLY IS MYSTERIOUS.

THE QUESTION IS
WHO BUILT IT AND WHY?

Narrator: ARCHEOLOGIST
MARK ALTAWEEL HAS SPENT

ALMOST TWO DECADES
STUDYING SATELLITE IMAGES.

Altaweel: TO ME, IT LOOKS
DEFINITELY ANCIENT.

THE MOUNTAINS LOOK ERODED.

THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'VE
BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.

Narrator: ALTAWEEL CONSIDERS IF
THE STRUCTURE COULD BE CONNECTED

TO A PEOPLE WHO DOMINATED
THIS LANDSCAPE FOR CENTURIES--

THE COSSACKS.

[ ALL SHOUTING ]

Altaweel: THE COSSACKS WERE,
LIKE, THE BIG BAD BOYS

OF EASTERN EUROPE --
MOUNTED HORSEBACK

WITH BIG, CURVY SWORDS, HEADGEAR
THAT LOOKED INTIMIDATING.

Narrator: IT IS THOUGHT
THE FIRST COSSACK WARRIORS

WERE 15th-CENTURY
FUGITIVE SLAVES,

ESCAPED CONVICTS,
AND MILITARY DESERTERS.

**

THE HORSE-BACKED WARRIORS MOST
FEARED WEAPON IS THE SHASHKA,

A FEARSOME CURVED SABER
THAT DREW BLOOD IN BATTLE

RIGHT UP TO WORLD WAR II.

THOSE WHO WITNESSED
THEM IN ACTION

COMPARE THEM TO THE MIGHTY
SPARTANS, ONLY MORE DRUNK.

THE COSSACKS WERE
ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING.

THEY WERE RUTHLESS.

THEY DID NOT FEAR DEATH.

Altaweel: WE KNOW THAT THESE
COSSACKS DID BUILD SUCH KINDS

OF ROUND FORTRESSES
TO PROTECT THEMSELVES,

OFTEN ALONG OR NEXT TO RIVERS.

AND GUESS WHAT?

THIS IS NEXT TO A RIVER.

Narrator: OTHERS ARE NOT
CONVINCED THAT THE STRUCTURE

IN THE IMAGE
SERVED A MILITARY PURPOSE.

Horton: WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE SATELLITE IMAGE CLOSELY,

YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S
NO DITCH AROUND THE OUTSIDE.

USELESS AS A MILITARY DEFENSE.

MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE
A PREHISTORIC RITUAL MONUMENT

OF SOME TYPE.

Narrator: ANALYSIS
OF THE MOUND'S ORIENTATION

BACKS UP THE THEORY
THAT IT HAD CEREMONIAL FUNCTION.

Gough: WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE ALIGNMENT OF IT,

YOU SEE THAT IT'S ORIENTATED
TOWARDS THE SOLSTICES,

AND THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.

IT DOES SUGGEST THAT SOMEHOW
THERE'S A KIND OF RITUAL

ASSOCIATION OF THIS FEATURE.

Narrator: THE ANCIENT PAGAN
CULTURES OF THE UKRAINE

OFTEN HONORED THEIR GODS
WITH ANIMAL OR HUMAN SACRIFICE.

[ THUNDER CRASHES ]

THE HEIGHT AND SHAPE
OF THE MOUND

SUGGESTS THE CENTRAL
FEATURE IN THE IMAGE

COULD HAVE BEEN A KIND OF
SACRIFICIAL ARENA

AWASH WITH THE BLOOD
OF BUTCHERED BODIES.

Altaweel: HIGH PLACES OFTEN
ARE HOLY PLACES,

SO PERHAPS THESE FEATURES
WE'RE SEEING MAY HAVE BEEN

ALMOST LIKE AMPHITHEATERS
OF SACRIFICE,

AREAS WHERE YOU WOULD
GATHER PEOPLE OR ANIMALS

OR WHATEVER YOU'RE SACRIFICING.

Narrator:
BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION

IN THE HEART OF UKRAINE,
SOME SPECULATE THAT

THE STRUCTURE
IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE

COULD BE A REMNANT OF AN EVEN
OLDER CIVILIZATION --

PERHAPS THE VERY FIRST
IN HUMAN HISTORY.

IT COULD BE ONE OF THE OLDEST
MAN-MADE STRUCTURES ON EARTH.

Narrator: ANCIENT SOURCES
REFERRED TO A LEGENDARY REALM

KNOWN AS "ARATTA,"
A LAND OF FABULOUS WEALTH,

REMOTE AND DIFFICULT TO REACH.

ARATTA IS A SORT OF
MYSTERIOUS MOTHERLAND.

AND THE HISTORIANS
HAVE NEVER SATISFACTORILY

IDENTIFIED WHERE ARATTA IS.

BUT PEOPLE HAVE CLAIMED
THAT POSSIBLY IT'S IN

THIS PART OF UKRAINE.

Narrator: ACCORDING
TO SOME SOURCES,

THE ARATTA CIVILIZATION
IS THE FIRST IN HUMAN HISTORY.

ITS PEOPLE GO ON TO FORM MANY
OF THE GREAT EMPIRES

OF THE ANCIENT WORLD.

THEY BELIEVE THAT ARATTA
IS THE START OF SOMETHING

THAT INFLUENCED
THE ENTIRE CIVILIZED WORLD.

SO WE'RE TALKING ANCIENT EGYPT,
MESOPOTAMIA, INDIA --

YOU NAME IT.

Narrator: IF ARATTA IS REAL,
IT COULD HELP EXPLAIN A MYSTERY

THAT'S STUMPED
SCIENTISTS FOR DECADES.

HOW IS IT THAT COUNTRIES ON
OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE WORLD

SHARE SO MANY SIMILARITIES
IN THEIR LANGUAGE?

Horton: ENGLISH, GERMAN, FRENCH,
ITALIAN, SPANISH --

THIS IS PART OF
A LANGUAGE FAMILY

SHARED FROM THE WESTERN
PART OF EUROPE

RIGHT THE WAY THROUGH
PERSIA AND INTO INDIA --

A COMMON LANGUAGE THAT ASSUMES
IT HAS A COMMON ORIGIN.

Narrator: NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS
THAT AS MANY AS 400 LANGUAGES

AROUND THE WORLD
COULD TRACE THEIR ROOTS

TO A SINGLE ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
HERE IN EASTERN UKRAINE.

Altaweel: I AM ALMOST SURE
THAT WHEN WE INVESTIGATE THIS

WE WILL REWRITE
THE HISTORY BOOKS.

WE MAY LEARN THAT
AN ENTIRELY NEW PEOPLE

EMERGED IN THIS LANDSCAPE.

Narrator: WHAT LIES WITHIN
THE MYSTERY CRAB-LIKE STRUCTURE

CAPTURED BY THE SATELLITE
COULD LEAD US

TO THE ORIGINS OF ALL
HUMAN CIVILIZATION ON EARTH.