All language subtitles for What.on.Earth.S04E19.1080p.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.

**

A SCI-FI SLAB
THE SIZE OF A TOWN

WITH A LABYRINTH
OF PASSAGE WAYS...

Carter: THIS BLOCK IS OVER
80,000 SQUARE FEET.

IT'S JUST A GINORMOUS BLOCK
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

Narrator: ...A SHIP
STRANDED ON THE ISLAND

THAT TIME FORGOT...

Morgan: THEIR IMMEDIATE REACTION
WHEN CONFRONTED WITH ANY

AND ALL VISITORS
IS THEY MURDER PEOPLE.

Narrator: ...AND THE MYSTERY
UNDERSEA DISCS

THAT SCIENCE STILL
CAN'T EXPLAIN.

Morgan: NOBODY'S READY TO STEP
UP AND PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION

AS TO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE.

Narrator: BAFFLING PHENOMENA,
MYSTERIES FROM SPACE.

WHAT ON EARTH ARE THEY?

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

**

JUNE 2015 --

ORBITING OVER A SMALL ISLAND
IN THE ADRIATIC SEA,

THE WORLDVIEW-2 SATELLITE
CAPTURES AN IMAGE,

WHICH CONTINUES
TO BAFFLE SCIENTISTS.

JUST OFF THE COAST, A BRIGHT,
WHITE CIRCLE ON THE SEA FLOOR.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING
THAT JUST HAPPENS.

IT IS EXTREMELY WEIRD.

Narrator: TO ADD TO THE MYSTERY,
WHEN SATELLITE ANALYSTS

ZOOM OUT, THEY FIND THE
MYSTERIOUS CIRCLE IS NOT ALONE.

THIS IS REALLY STRANGE.

IT LOOKS LIKE A LINE OF
CROP CIRCLES UNDER THE OCEAN.

Narrator: THE ADRIATIC SEA
LIES BETWEEN SIX COUNTRIES.

THE NEAREST MAINLAND IS CROATIA,

A COUNTRY WITH A TURBULENT
AND COMPLEX HISTORY.

THE SATELLITE IMAGE IS SPOTTED
BY CROATIAN MARINE SCIENTIST

HRVOJE CIZMEK.

THE SATELLITE REVEALS
THE NINE UNEXPLAINED CIRCLES

ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL IN SHAPE.

THEY ARE ALSO EVENLY SPACED
ALONG THE COAST.

CIZMEK TAKES A FERRY
TO THE CRES-LOSINJ ARCHIPELAGO

AND TO THE TINY ISLAND OF UNIJE,
WHERE THE CIRCLES ARE LOCATED.

THE REGULARITY AND NEAR-PERFECT
FORM OF THE CIRCLES

SUGGESTS SOMETHING MANMADE,

BUT THERE IS
NO HEAVY INDUSTRY HERE,

JUST A SMALL FISHING VILLAGE,

WHICH IS MOSTLY ABANDONED
IN THE WINTER MONTHS.

CIZMEK CHARTERS A BOAT
AND HEADS OUT TO THE SPOT

CAPTURED IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

**

THE CAPTAIN KNOWS
THESE WATERS WELL,

BUT HE'S ENTIRELY
UNAWARE OF THE DISCS.

**

FROM THE IMAGE,
CIZMEK ESTIMATES THE CIRCLES

ARE ALMOST 200-FEET WIDE.

THIS SHALLOW AREA
OF THE ADRIATIC

HAS UNUSUALLY HIGH LEVELS
OF FRESH WATER,

FLOWING IN FROM THE
SURROUNDING MOUNTAIN RANGES.

CIZMEK PREPARES TO DIVE.

**

IN THE LOW-SALINE WATERS,
SEAGRASS THRIVES.

BUT, STRANGELY, THE CIRCLE
IS A DEAD ZONE.

CIZMEK CAN SEE NO OBVIOUS CAUSE

FOR THE LACK
OF ORGANIC MATERIAL.

CIZMEK PUTS THE CALL OUT TO
INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS

OF MARINE BIOLOGISTS

TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS
STUDIED A SIMILAR PHENOMENON.

HE LEARNS THAT, IN 2008,

DANISH SCIENTISTS DETECT
SEABED DEAD ZONES

OFF THE COAST OF
NORTHERN EUROPE'S BALTIC SEA.

MARINE BIOLOGISTS PINPOINT
THE CAUSE -- DEADLY TOXINS.

TESTS ON THE CIRCLES IN DENMARK

REVEALED THAT SULFIDES
WERE IN THE MUD,

KILLING THE SEAGRASS.

SULFIDES ARE POISONOUS.

YOU DON'T WANT THAT
IN YOUR WATER.

Nelson: SEAGRASS IS ACTUALLY
QUITE SENSITIVE.

IT'S LIKE YOUR CANARY
IN A COAL MINE.

IT WILL REACT TO
THE SMALLEST OF POLLUTANTS

AND IT WILL BE THE FIRST
INDICATORS OF A PROBLEM.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

-HI, BRENDAN.
-HELLO.

Narrator: TO INVESTIGATE,
CIZMEK HAS CALLED IN

UNDERWATER VEHICLE OPERATOR
BRENDAN COOK

AND HIS SPECIALIST R.O.V.

**

I'VE COINED THIS GUY
AS B.A. BARACUS.

[ CHUCKLES ]

**

LET'S GET
THIS GUY GOING.

I'LL JUST
THROW HER OVERBOARD.

**

WE'RE GETTING CLOSER
TO THE BOTTOM NOW.

JUST ABOUT
10 METERS DEEP.

**

YOU GET
A VERY CLEAR CIRCLE.

IT'S VERY STRANGE.

I SEE THERE'S SOME GROWTH THAT'S
HAPPENING CLOSE TO THE EDGE.

-YES.
-AND IT'S INSIDE THE CIRCLE.

I'LL DRIVE A LITTLE CLOSER
SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK IN IT.

**

Narrator: CIZMEK CAN'T DETECT
THE SIGNS OF THE DISTRESS

HE'D EXPECT, LIKE BROWN LEAVES
WITH BLACKENED EDGES.

THIS IS NOT THE WORK OF TOXINS.

**

CIZMEK USES THE R.O.V. CAMERA

TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
AT THE DEAD ZONE DISC.

HEY, H.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

THE AREA ISN'T FLAT,
BUT HAS A DIP IN THE MIDDLE

LIKE A SATELLITE DISH.

I JUST CAN'T GET OVER HOW --
YOU KNOW,

HOW CONCAVED IT IS
DOWN IN THE MIDDLE.

THIS DEPRESSION --
IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE IT'S

A CRATER
WITHIN A CRATER.

Carter: THIS DOES NOT
LOOK NATURAL.

THIS LOOKS LIKE IT WAS
ACTUALLY MAN-MADE,

AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE
THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.

Narrator: COMING UP...

SATELLITES REVEAL A SECRET
MILITARY STRONGHOLD.

I HAVE TO WONDER, WHAT ARE
THE RUSSIANS DOING THERE?

Narrator: AND THE INVESTIGATION
INTO THE UNDERSEA DEAD ZONES

TAKES A DARK TURN.

YOU THINK THIS COULD
HAVE BEEN CAUSED

BY AN EXPLOSION, THEN?

YEP.

Morgan: IS THIS BASE CONDUCTING
TESTS THAT HAS MARKED

THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA FLOOR?

**

Narrator: OFF THE COAST OF
A TINY CROATIAN ISLAND

IN THE ADRIATIC SEA,
MARINE SCIENTIST HRVOJE CIZMEK

IS INVESTIGATING
A SERIES OF REGULAR,

NEAR-PERFECT INDENTATIONS.

THEY'RE DEAD ZONES, AND THEIR
CONCAVE SHAPE LEADS CIZMEK

TO BELIEVE THEY COULD
BE CRATERS FROM EXPLOSIONS.

HE WONDERS IF LOCAL FISHERMEN
COULD BE RESPONSIBLE.

[ EXPLOSIONS ]

YOU DROP A BOMB IN THE WATER

AND COLLECT ALL THE FISH
THAT FLOAT TO THE TOP.

Nelson: IF THAT PIECE OF
DYNAMITE WERE TO HIT

THE SEA FLOOR AND EXPLODE,
IT COULD DISTURB THE GROUND

ENOUGH TO CREATE
A PERFECT CIRCLE.

Narrator: BUT DYNAMITE FISHING
CAN'T EXPLAIN

THE REGULAR PATTERN
OF UNDERSEA CRATERS

SEEN IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

BLAST FISHING IS NOT
AN EXACT ART.

YOU JUST THROW THE DYNAMITE
OVER, AND IT EXPLODES,

AND THEN YOU COLLECT FISH.

SO THAT KIND OF PROCESS

WOULDN'T YIELD
A REGULAR INTERVAL OF CIRCLES.

IT JUST WOULDN'T
HAPPEN THAT WAY.

DO YOU THINK THE MILITARY
HAD SOMETHING TO DO

WITH THESE DEPRESSIONS?

MAYBE.
THE HOLES?

YEP.

Narrator: THIS REGION WAS ONCE
PART OF YUGOSLAVIA,

WHICH SUFFERED
TERRIBLE REPRESSION --

FIRST FROM HITLER'S NAZIS,

THEN UNDER DICTATOR JOSIP TITO'S
REPRESSIVE COMMUNIST REGIME.

DESPITE SHARING THE SAME
POLITICAL IDEALS,

UNDER TITO'S RULE,
YUGOSLAVIA'S RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE SOVIET UNION
DETERIORATES.

WHAT HE OPPOSED FROM THE SOVIETS
WAS THEIR LEADERSHIP,

THEIR AUTHORITY OVER HIM.

HE DIDN'T DISAGREE WITH
THE COMMUNISM OF IT ALL.

HE RAILED AGAINST THE CONTROL

THAT THEY WANTED
TO EXERT ON HIM.

Narrator: THE CONFLICT BETWEEN
TITO AND THE KREMLIN GETS SO BAD

THAT TITO GOES ROGUE
AND TURNS THE PARADISE ISLANDS

OFF THE CROATIAN COAST

INTO A TOP-SECRET
MILITARY TESTING ZONE.

JUST SOUTH OF THE MYSTERIOUS
DEAD ZONE CRATERS IS VIS.

VIS MAY LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER
OF THE ADRIATIC'S 1,300 ISLANDS,

BUT THIS ISLAND
HIDES A SECRET.

DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS REVEAL IT
IS TITO'S SECRET SUBMARINE BASE,

A VAST SERIES OF CAVERNS
AND TUNNELS

HIDING SUBTERRANEAN
WAREHOUSES AND CONTROL ROOMS.

Kourounis: IT'S REALLY
INTERESTING HOW THIS STRUCTURE

COULD BE USED AS A HIDEOUT.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT TOTALLY
REMINDS ME OF SOMETHING

THAT A JAMES BOND VILLAIN
WOULD USE AS HIS SECRET LAYER.

Narrator: EXPERTS BELIEVE
IN THE 1970s,

TITO USES HIS BASES
TO TRY TO KEEP PACE

WITH SOVIET
MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS

SUCH AS THEIR NEW WEAPON KNOWN
AS A SUPER-CAVITATING TORPEDO.

DON'T JUST THINK OF A SMALL
ROUND COMING OUT OF A HANDGUN.

I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, LARGE CALIBERS

FOR A SUBMARINE --

PERHAPS LOOKING TO SHOOT
AN AIRCRAFT DOWN.

OR AN AIRCRAFT, CONVERSELY,

LOOKING TO SHOOT A TARGET
THAT'S UNDERWATER.

Narrator: WHAT MAKES
THESE SUPERCAVITATERS

SO DEADLY IS THEIR VELOCITY.

BLASTED FROM THEIR CHAMBERS
SHEATHED IN BUBBLES,

THEY'RE EFFECTIVELY TRAVELING
THROUGH AIR, JUST UNDERWATER.

Baker: WHY WOULD A MILITARY
WANT THIS TECHNOLOGY?

WELL, ANYTHING
THAT CHANGES THE GAME,

MILITARIES AROUND THE WORLD
WILL LOOK AT IT.

Narrator: IF TITO WAS DEVELOPING
SUPERCAVITATING TORPEDOS

TO OUTDO THE SOVIETS,

THEN THIS SECRET BASE IS
THE IDEAL PLACE TO HIDE THEM.

IS THIS BASE CONDUCTING TESTS
THAT HAS MARKED THE BOTTOM

OF THE SEA FLOOR?

Narrator: TO FIND OUT, CIZMEK
NEEDS TO DATE THE SEAGRASS

ON THE EDGES OF THE MYSTERIOUS
CIRCULAR DEAD ZONES.

IT'S A BIG ONE.
YEAH.

BIG ONE.

HE KNOWS THIS SEAGRASS SPECIES
GROWS AT A STEADY RATE

OF TWO CENTIMETERS
OR AN INCH A YEAR,

SO ITS HEIGHT WILL CONFIRM

THE DATE THE CIRCULAR
CRATER WAS MADE.

CIZMEK HEADS BACK TO THE ISLAND.

IF, IN THE 1980s, LARGE WEAPONS

WERE BEING DEPLOYED
IN THESE WATERS,

SURELY THE ISLANDERS
WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT.

**

CIZMEK'S INQUIRIES ARE MET
WITH A WALL OF SILENCE.

THESE STRANGE CONCAVE CIRCLES
SEEN FROM SPACE

CONTINUE TO BAFFLE SCIENTISTS.

AND NOBODY'S READY TO STEP UP
AND PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION

AS TO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

SHIPWRECKED TERROR
ON THE REAL SKULL ISLAND...

Pepper: THEY'LL BOARD YOUR BOAT,
KILL WHO THEY HAVE TO,

AND THEN DEMAND A RANSOM
TO RELEASE THE SURVIVORS.

Narrator: ...AND A GIANT
SCI-FI STRUCTURE

IN THE MOTHERLAND OF THE MOB.

Baker: THE POINT OF THE MAFIA
IS TO MAKE MONEY.

IF IT MAKES MONEY,
THEY'RE INCLINED TO DO IT.

Narrator: MARCH 2017 --

ORBITING OVER THE SOUTHERN
ITALIAN ISLAND OF SICILY,

THE WORLDVIEW-2 SATELLITE SPOTS

A WEIRD PATTERN
IN THE LANDSCAPE.

IT'S A VERY UNUSUAL FORMATION.

Pepper: YOU HAVE
THIS BIG, GRAY SQUARE

IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE SICILIAN HILLSIDE

WITH NO REASON
WHY IT SHOULD BE THERE.

Narrator: IMAGE ANALYSIS REVEALS
THE FEATURE'S SCALE.

Carter: THIS BLOCK IS OVER
80,000 SQUARE FEET.

IT'S JUST A GINORMOUS BLOCK
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

WHEN YOU SCAN IN CLOSE,
YOU CAN SEE THAT IT ALMOST

LOOKS LIKE A CANOPY OF CONCRETE
COVERING THE GROUND.

Narrator: THIS IS NOT THE
WORLD'S ONLY CONCRETE STRUCTURE

OF THIS SCALE
AND ROUGHLY THIS SHAPE.

IN WELDON SPRINGS, MISSOURI,
A HUGE CONCRETE SLAB

CAN BE FOUND AT THE SITE
OF A URANIUM PROCESSING PLANT.

U.S. GOVERNMENT
DUG THIS HUGE HOLE,

BURIED ALL
THIS RADIOACTIVE WASTE,

AND THEN CAPPED IT
WITH CONCRETE.

Narrator: THE SIMILARITY OF
THE TWO SHAPES IN THE TWO

SATELLITE IMAGES IS STARK.

BUT SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.

WHEN INVESTIGATORS CHECK
GOVERNMENT RECORDS,

THEY FIND NO OFFICIAL
NUCLEAR WASTE DUMPS IN SICILY.

BUT THERE IS A NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATION HERE

WITH ENOUGH POWER
AND MONEY TO BUILD ONE.

**

Carter: YOU HAVE
TO ASK YOURSELF,

"COULD THIS BE CONNECTED
TO THE SICILIAN MAFIA?"

THIS IS THEIR BIRTHPLACE.

THIS IS WHERE THEY
COME FROM -- SICILY.

AND THEY'RE VERY MUCH IN CONTROL
OF WHAT GOES ON HERE.

Narrator: THE VERY WORD "MAFIA"
IS SICILIAN.

300 YEARS AGO, GROUPS
OF SICILIANS FORMED CLANS

TO ENFORCE THEIR OWN JUSTICE

AND TO PROTECT ISLANDS FROM
OFTEN HOSTILE FOREIGN OCCUPIERS.

IN THE 19th CENTURY,
SOME OF THESE CLANS

BECOME PRIVATE ARMIES

WHO EXTORT PROTECTION MONEY
FROM LANDOWNERS.

IN 2009, INFORMANT
FRANCESCO FONTI REVEALS

THAT THE MOB IS MAKING MONEY
FROM THE NUCLEAR WASTE BUSINESS.

Baker: IS IT POSSIBLE
LOOKING AT THIS IMAGE

THAT IT'S A NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP
MANAGED BY THE MAFIA

AND THEY JUST PILED
A BIG LOAD OF CONCRETE

OVER THE TOP OF IT?

IT IS A POSSIBILITY.

Narrator: IF THE SUSPICIOUS
SICILIAN STRUCTURE

IS A ROGUE RADIOACTIVE DUMP,

THERE'S NO EVIDENCE IT'S SAFE.

IF I WAS ONE OF THE LOCALS,
I WOULD BE VERY CONCERNED

ABOUT RADIOACTIVE WASTE
SPILLING OUT

AND CAUSING SOME TYPE
OF AN ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE.

Narrator: THOUGH THE MOB ADMITS
TO HANDLING NUCLEAR WASTE,

MAFIA SOURCES CLAIM THE WASTE
WAS DUMPED AT SEA,

NOT BURIED UNDER CONCRETE.

GEOLOGIST MARTIN PEPPER
CONSIDERS SICILY'S

GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE LANDSCAPE
AND WONDERS IF

THE CONCRETE STRUCTURE'S
PROXIMITY TO MOUNT ETNA

COULD YIELD CLUES
TO ITS PURPOSE.

MOUNT ETNA IS THE BIGGEST
SUPERVOLCANO OF ALL OF EUROPE.

IF THAT GOES OFF,
THAT COULD BLOW US

ALL BACK TO THE STONE AGE.

Narrator: RECORDS REVEAL THAT
OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS,

ETNA ERUPTS 49 TIMES.

SICILIANS DEVELOP
SURPRISING NEW WAYS

OF PROTECTING THEIR TOWNS
FROM THE OVERWHELMING FORCE

OF MOLTEN LAVA FLOWS.

Chamberlain: IF YOU HAVE
THE THREAT OF LAVA

COMING TO YOUR TOWN, THAT'S
THE THREAT OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION.

Narrator: IN 1992, MOUNT ETNA
SENDS A STREAM OF MOLTEN LAVA

TO THE TOWN OF ZAFFERANA.

ENGINEERS DROP HUGE SLABS
OF CONCRETE FROM HELICOPTERS

IN AN ATTEMPT
TO DIVERT ITS FLOW.

HERE WE HAVE THIS IMAGE,
NOW WITH A CONCRETE BLOCK --

MAKES ME WONDER IF IT'S RELATED
TO THE SAME EXPERIENCE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CHECK
LOCAL RECORDS TO CONFIRM

IF CONCRETE WAS USED
TO HALT A LAVA FLOW HERE.

WHAT THEY UNCOVER
IS AN EVEN STRANGER TRUTH.

THE CONCRETE STRUCTURE
IS A KIND OF WEIRD TOMB,

UNDER WHICH THE ENTIRE TOWN
OF GIBELLINA IS BURIED.

IN 1968, IT'S HIT BY
A DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE.

400 PEOPLE DIE,
1,000 ARE INJURED,

AND 100,000 ARE LEFT HOMELESS.

GIBELLINA'S SURVIVORS CONSTRUCT
A NEW VILLAGE SEVEN MILES AWAY.

BUT WHAT TO DO
WITH THEIR BELOVED TOWN?

Krueger: THE LOCALS VIEWED
THIS SITE AS SO SACRED,

SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY DIDN'T
WANT TO REBUILD OVER IT.

THEY SIMPLY WANTED IT TO BE
A MEMORIAL TO REMEMBER.

Narrator: IN 1984,
THE TOWN MAYOR ORDERS

AN EXTRAORDINARY MEMORIAL.

THE ENTIRE HISTORIC TOWN
OF GIBELLINA

IS ENCASED IN CONCRETE.

THE SIX-FOOT-WIDE LINES
MAP OUT THE STREETS.

THE CONCRETE SLABS ENCASE
ITS LONG-DESTROYED BUILDINGS --

A GHOSTLY STONE REMINDER
OF A TOWN THAT ONCE WAS.

THIS CAN BE SEEN FROM SPACE

AND THAT IS A WONDERFUL
REMINDER OF OUR HUMANITY

AND OF THE PEOPLE THAT LOST
THEIR LIVES TO THIS EARTHQUAKE.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

MASS MURDER IN
THE RUSSIAN FORESTS...

Moran: THIS IS HIDDEN.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
THEY DON'T WANT ANYONE

TO FIND OR SEE.

Narrator: ...AND AN S.O.S.
FROM THE CREW

MAROONED ON TERROR ISLAND.

HE SAID, "WILD MEN BEARING
HOMEMADE WEAPONS --

ABOUT 50 OF THEM --
WERE BOARDING BOATS

AND COMING TOWARD THE SHIP."

Narrator: FEBRUARY 2017 --

ORBITING 700 MILES OFF
THE WESTERN COAST OF INDIA,

AN EARTH-OBSERVATION
SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHED

THE CARCASS OF A LARGE SHIP.

IT'S MAROONED ON
A REMOTE ISLAND REEF.

Pepper: THIS BOAT
IS RIGHT OFF THE COAST

OF NORTH SENTINEL ISLAND.

THAT'S OVER 400 MILES
FROM THE COASTLINE

OF ANY MAJOR LAND AREA,

SO THIS IS EXTREMELY REMOTE.

Narrator: THE STRANDED SHIP
IS HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY

FROM KNOWN SHIPPING ROUTES.

WHAT'S MORE, THE ISLAND
IT HAS RUN AGROUND ON

IS INHABITED BY ONE OF THE
WORLD'S LAST UNCONTACTED TRIBES.

THE WATERS AROUND IT ARE
A STRICT NO-GO ZONE.

THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS SAID
THAT NO ONE IS ALLOWED

TO GO WITHIN
THREE MILES OF THIS ISLAND.

I CAN'T THINK OF ANY
GOOD REASON

WHY THIS SHIP WOULD BE HERE.

Narrator: NORTH SENTINEL ISLAND
IS LOCATED IN THE BAY OF BENGAL.

INVESTIGATORS CONSIDER IF ONE
OF THE BAY'S MOST NOTORIOUS

INDUSTRIES COULD BE LINKED
TO THE APPEARANCE

OF THE SKELETAL VESSEL --

SHIPBREAKING.

IN THESE BIG RECYCLING YARDS,
THEY HAVE TONS OF THESE SHIPS

TIED TOGETHER,
WAITING IN LINE TO BE RECYCLED.

Narrator: TO THE NORTH
OF THE ABANDONED SHIP

LIES CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH,

THE WORLD'S LARGEST
SHIPBREAKING CENTER.

200,000 WORKERS STRIP
OVER 200 HUGE TANKERS

FOR THEIR VALUABLE
METAL FRAMES AND COMPONENTS

EVERY YEAR.

AND ALL BY HAND.

Kourounis: THEY TAKE OLD SHIPS
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,

AND THEY BREAK THEM
DOWN FOR SCRAP METAL.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CONSIDER
IF THIS COULD ACCOUNT

FOR THE APPEARANCE
OF THE MYSTERY VESSEL.

SAFETY REGULATIONS HERE
ARE NOTORIOUSLY LAX,

AND GHOST SHIPS ARE KNOWN
TO FLOAT THOUSANDS OF MILES.

Chamberlain: THIS SHIP
COULD HAVE JUST DRIFTED

AND ENDED UP BEACHED HERE.

Narrator: ANALYSIS OF
THE SHIP IN THE IMAGE

SUGGESTS THAT IT'S
OVER 300-FEET LONG.

SOME INVESTIGATORS DOUBT
THAT THE SHIPYARD'S OWNERS

WOULD ALLOW A SHIP OF SUCH
POTENTIAL VALUE TO DRIFT AWAY.

Pepper: JUST ONE SHIP CAN GO
FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

IF IT WENT MISSING, THEY'D SPEND
A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY

TRYING TO FIND IT
TO BRING IT BACK HOME.

THERE'S A LOT OF
VALUABLE METALS IN THERE.

Narrator: A SEARCH OF RECENT
MARITIME RECORDS REVEALS

A POSSIBLE CLUE FOR THE ORIGIN
OF THE GHOST SHIP.

ONE OF THE BIG CONCERNS
WITH INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING,

OF COURSE, IS PIRATES.

Narrator: TO THE SOUTHEAST
OF SOUTH SENTINEL ISLAND

LIES THE STRAIT OF MALACCA.

ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS,

THESE WATERS ARE
THE OCEAN'S MOST PERILOUS

WHEN IT COMES TO PIRACY,

ACCOUNTING FOR OVER 40%
OF ATTACKS WORLDWIDE.

Pepper: THESE
ARE RUTHLESS PEOPLE.

THEY'LL BOARD YOUR BOAT,
KILL WHO THEY HAVE TO,

TAKE THE REST HOSTAGE,
STEAL ALL YOUR GOODS,

AND THEN DEMAND A RANSOM
TO RELEASE THE SURVIVORS.

Mosher: IF PIRATES
DID CAPTURE THIS SHIP,

THEY WOULD HAVE STRIPPED IT
FOR ALL THAT IT WAS WORTH

AND THEN ABANDON IT
IN THE OCEAN,

PILOTLESS WITHOUT ANYBODY
TO STEER IT.

THIS COULD EXPLAIN WHY IT LANDED
AT THIS UNLIKELY LOCATION.

Narrator: ANALYSIS OF
THE REGION'S SHIPPING RECORDS

REVEALS THAT A SHIP MATCHING
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ONE

IN THE IMAGE WAS LOST AT SEA --
THE MV PRIMROSE IN 1981.

BUT ACCORDING TO THESE RECORDS,
SHE WASN'T A VICTIM OF PIRACY.

SHE WAS A CASUALTY
OF AN IMMENSE TROPICAL STORM.

A CYCLONE WOULD DEFINITELY
BE BIG ENOUGH

TO STEER A HUGE SHIP
LIKE THIS OFF-COURSE.

Narrator: THE SUPER-STORM DRIVES
THE SHIP MILES OFF-COURSE

AND MAROONS IT
ON THE CORAL REEF.

WITH THE SHIP INTACT
AND LAND CLOSE,

THERE APPEARS NO IMMEDIATE
THREAT TO THE CREW.

YET THE CAPTAIN SENDS
AN URGENT DISTRESS CALL.

HE SAID, "WILD MEN BEARING
HOMEMADE WEAPONS --

ABOUT 50 OF THEM --
WERE BOARDING BOATS

AND COMING TOWARD THE SHIP."

Kourounis: TALK ABOUT BAD LUCK.

OF ALL THE ISLANDS IN THE WORLD
TO RUN AGROUND ON,

THEY HAD TO HIT NORTH SENTINEL,

HOME TO THE MOST AGGRESSIVE,
DANGEROUS TRIBE IN THE WORLD.

Narrator: NORTH SENTINEL
ISLAND'S INHABITANTS CHOOSE

TO REMAIN ISOLATED
FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

THEY ACCOMPLISH THIS BY
REPELLING ANY VISITORS

WITH DEADLY FORCE.

THEIR IMMEDIATE REACTION,
WHEN CONFRONTED WITH

ANY AND ALL VISITORS,
IS THEY MURDER PEOPLE.

Narrator: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT
HOW MANY SENTINELESE

LIVE ON THE ISLAND,
BUT ANTHROPOLOGISTS BELIEVE

THEY NUMBER AROUND 500

AND THEIR PEOPLE HAVE
LIVED ON THE ISLAND

FOR OVER 60,000 YEARS.

THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE
THAT THEY MAY BE DESCENDED

DIRECTLY FROM THE FIRST
GROUP OF MODERN HUMANS

TO COME OUT OF AFRICA.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS BELIEVE
THE SENTINELESE

HAVE NOT DEVELOPED
AGRICULTURE AND RELY

ON LIGHTNING STRIKES
TO CREATE FIRE.

ATTEMPTS TO LAND
ON THE ISLAND

AND LEARN MORE ABOUT
THEIR WAY OF LIFE

HAVE OFTEN BEEN GREETED WITH
SALVOS OF SPEARS AND ARROWS.

Bellinger: CLEARLY,
THE INHABITANTS OF THIS ISLAND

DO NOT WANT TO BE VISITED
BY OUTSIDERS FOR ANY REASON.

Narrator: AS THE CAPTAIN
OF THE MV PRIMROSE SENDS OUT

DISTRESS CALLS, MORE WARRIORS
ASSEMBLE ON THE BEACH.

WAR CANOES BRING ARMED MEN
WHO ATTEMPT TO BOARD THE SHIP.

BUT THEY STRUGGLE TO BREACH
THE STORM'S RAGING WAVES.

THIS IS SUPER-TENSE
FOR THE GUYS ON BOARD

BECAUSE THE STORM
HAS PUT THEM THERE,

BUT IT'S ALSO KEEPING
THE NATIVES AT BAY.

Narrator: THE STORM WAVES WILL
ONLY REPEL THE ATTACKERS

FOR SO LONG.

THE PRIMROSE'S CAPTAIN RADIOS
FOR AN URGENT AIR DROP

OF FIREARMS SO HE AND HIS CREW
CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES.

THE ONLY WEAPONS THEY HAD
WOULD BE IMPROVISED --

SOME FLARE GUNS AND AXES.

THAT'S ABOUT IT.

Narrator: THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT
LAUNCHES AN AIRBORNE RESCUE.

BATTERED BY THE STORM,

THE PILOT LOWERS A WINCH
TOWARDS THE STRANDED VESSEL.

BRAVING SENTINELESE
SPEARS AND ARROWS,

HE MANAGES TO LIFT
THE 28-STRONG CREW TO SAFETY.

YOU GOT THIS PILOT BRAVING
NOT ONLY THE WEATHER,

BUT THE SPEARS AND ARROWS
COMING AT HIM FROM THE ISLAND.

EVERY PERSON ON-BOARD
WERE SAVED IN THE NICK OF TIME.

Narrator: THE SATELLITE IMAGE
SUGGESTS THAT,

FOLLOWING THE RESCUE,
THE MV PRIMROSE WAS STRIPPED

OF LARGE SECTIONS OF METAL.

INVESTIGATORS SPECULATE THAT
THE SENTINELESE HAVE USED THEM

TO MAKE MORE WEAPONS,

READY TO ATTACK
THE NEXT SHIP AND CREW

WHO DARE TO ENCROACH
ON THEIR ISLAND'S LOST WORLD.

COMING UP...

THE RAMPAGING WARRIORS
OF THE GIANT RED SNAKE...

TO BECOME A MAN, YOU HAVE
TO DECAPITATE THE HEAD,

WHICH YOU WEAR
AS A TROPHY ON YOUR BELT.

Narrator: ...AND SATELLITES
CAPTURE A NEW THREAT

FROM RUSSIA.

THESE ARE FOLKS WHO CAN START
THEIR OWN WAR AND FINISH IT.

[ GUNFIRE ]

Narrator: JULY 2016 --
ABOVE A REMOTE REGION

OF WESTERN RUSSIA'S VAST
AGRICULTURAL PLAINS,

THE WORLDVIEW-1 SATELLITE SPOTS
AN UNNATURAL GEOMETRIC SHAPE.

AND WITHIN IT, A SERIES
OF REGIMENTED STRUCTURES.

Capps: THIS IMAGE IS FROM
A REMOTE PART OF RUSSIA,

SO, OF COURSE, I'M IMMEDIATELY
WONDERING WHAT IS THE FACILITY.

Moran: THIS IS HIDDEN.

THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT THEY DON'T WANT

ANYONE TO FIND OR SEE.

Narrator: THE STRUCTURES APPEAR
TO BE TOO BIG TO BE HOUSES.

THEY ONLY HAVE ONE
SMALL ACCESS ROAD

AND ARE SO ISOLATED
THAT ANALYSTS WONDER

IF THE FACILITY MIGHT SERVE
A SINISTER PURPOSE.

I HAVE TO WONDER -- WHAT ARE
THE RUSSIANS DOING THERE?

Narrator: ANALYSTS EXAMINE
THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR CLUES.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VAST
PLAIN LIES THE TOWN OF YAVAS.

HISTORICAL RECORDS REVEAL
IN THE 1930s,

YAVAS IS PART OF A NETWORK
OF LABOR CAMPS,

INCARCERATING 60,000
OF SOVIET DICTATOR STALIN'S

POLITICAL PRISONERS.

Capps: YOU SAY SOMETHING WRONG
OR SOMEONE THINKS

YOU SAID SOMETHING WRONG,

AND THEN NOT ONLY
ARE YOU DISAPPEARING,

BUT YOUR FAMILY'S DISAPPEARING,
YOUR FRIENDS ARE DISAPPEARING.

Narrator: DURING STALIN'S PURGE,
OR GREAT TERROR,

HIS SECRET POLICE NOT ONLY
DISPATCH SUSPECTED DISSIDENTS

TO GULAGS, THEY EXECUTE
THOUSANDS OF THEM EVERY DAY.

MILLIONS ARE KILLED,
AND NOT JUST ORDINARY RUSSIANS.

OF THE 2,000 PARTY FAITHFUL

ATTENDING 1934'S
COMMUNIST CONGRESS,

OVER HALF ARE EXECUTED.

Baker: THEY WERE BRUTAL,
EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE,

VERY VIOLENT,
AND VERY OPPRESSIVE,

AND THEY MAINTAINED
COMPLETE CONTROL OVER SOCIETY.

Pavelec: SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY
STALIN WAS INCREDIBLY PSYCHOTIC

AND JUST DISTURBED, BUT IT'S
EVEN MORE POWERFUL TO SAY

THAT HE WAS ABSOLUTELY
RATIONAL AND CALCULATING,

EVEN THOUGH HE WAS
INCREDIBLY PARANOID.

Narrator: ANALYSTS
CONSIDER IF THE BUILDINGS

IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE ARE
A PREVIOUSLY UNDOCUMENTED

SOVIET DEATH CAMP.

Munoz: FROM THE OVERHEAD
PERSPECTIVE,

IT SCREAMS A DETENTION CENTER,

A PRISON FOR DETAINING
EITHER POLITICAL DISSIDENTS,

SO-CALLED ENEMIES OF THE STATE.

Narrator: BUT EVEN
FOR A SECRET CAMP,

HISTORIANS WOULD EXPECT TO FIND
SOME RECORD OF THE DEAD

OR OF THE OFFICERS
RUNNING THE CAMP.

YET, IN THIS CASE,
THEY FIND NOTHING.

THE IMAGE COMES TO THE ATTENTION
OF FORMER C.I.A. AGENT

LINDSAY MORAN.

SHE BELIEVES CLUES TO
THE FACILITY'S PURPOSE

MAY LIE WITH THE BUILDINGS'
REGIMENTED LAYOUT.

IT GIVES ME THE SENSE
THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON

WITH THE MILITARY THERE.

Narrator: MORAN CONSIDERS
IF THE REGULAR SPACING

BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS
IS SIGNIFICANT.

YOU HAVE VOLATILE WEAPONS,
POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS,

WITHIN EACH OF THE BUILDINGS.

IT WOULD MAKE SENSE
TO SPACE THEM FAR APART.

I MEAN, WE'RE PROBABLY TALKING
WARHEADS OR MISSILES.

Narrator: GIVEN THE FACILITY'S
REMOTE LOCATION,

SOME ANALYSTS CONSIDER
IF THE STRUCTURES COULD HIDE

SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL
WARHEADS KNOWN TO MAN.

WHEN WE TALK NUCLEAR WEAPONS,
WE THINK OF THESE LARGE ICBMs

COMING OUT OF THE GROUND

OR THESE "DOCTOR STRANGELOVE"
TYPE WEAPONS

THAT ARE ABLE TO LEVEL,
YOU KNOW, WHOLE CITIES,

BUT THERE'S ALSO A SUBSET
OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

KNOWN AS TACTICAL
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

NOW, THOSE CAN BE
MOVED VERY FAST.

SO IT'S PLAUSIBLE THAT
IT COULD BE USED TO HOUSE

THESE SO-CALLED
TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

Narrator: NUCLEAR WEAPONS
FACILITIES REQUIRE

TOP-LEVEL SECURITY,

YET WHEN MILITARY ANALYSTS
SCAN THE IMAGE

THEY FIND NO EVIDENCE
OF THE GUARD POSTS

OR HIGH-TECH FENCING
INSTALLED AT NUCLEAR BASES.

WHAT'S MORE, NUCLEAR WEAPONS
ARE MOST COMMONLY

STORED UNDERGROUND.

INVESTIGATORS INSTEAD CONSIDER
IF THE REGIMENTED BUILDINGS

COULD INDICATE THE FACILITY
IS A SECRET MILITARY ENCAMPMENT.

Moran: IS THIS A PLACE
WHERE, PERHAPS,

SPECIAL FORCES WOULD TRAIN?

Narrator: RUSSIA'S MOST FEARED
ELITE FORCE IS THE KSO,

A 2,000-STRONG TEAM

OF HIGHLY-TRAINED
COMBAT-READY TROOPS.

**

Baker: THESE ARE
THE BEST OPERATORS

IN THE RUSSIAN MILITARY --

EXTREMELY CAPABLE,
VERY PROFESSIONAL,

AND, YOU KNOW,
THEY RANK RIGHT UP THERE

WITH THE TOP SPECIAL-FORCES
GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD.

Narrator: KSO OPERATIVES
USUALLY WORK IN THE SHADOWS,

BUT ONE DARING MISSION
IN LATE 2016

REVEALS THE TEAM'S
OPERATIONAL PROWESS.

IN THE WAR-TORN CITY
OF ALEPPO, SYRIA,

A BATTLE RAGES BETWEEN
A CRACK KSO COMBAT TEAM

AND THE ISLAMIST
INSURGENTS OF AL-NUSRA.

FOR OVER TWO DAYS,
JUST 16 KSO OPERATIVES

HOLD BACK A 300-STRONG
ENEMY ATTACK.

Capps: THOSE NUMBERS ARE CRAZY.

THOSE ARE POPCORN,
AMERICAN-MOVIES,

EVERYTHING'S-BLOWING-UP NUMBERS,
EXCEPT THESE ARE CONFIRMED.

THIS ISN'T FAKE.
THIS ISN'T HOLLYWOOD.

THESE ARE FOLKS WHO CAN START
THEIR OWN WAR AND FINISH IT.

Narrator: ANALYSTS CONSIDER
IF THIS REMOTE FACILITY

IS A SECRET KSO BASE.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE KINDS
OF MISSIONS AND RAIDS

THAT THESE GUYS ARE
GOING TO BE CONDUCTING,

THIS HAS TO TAKE PLACE
IN AN AREA

WHERE IT'S NOT GOING TO
DRAW ANY UNDUE ATTENTION.

WHEN THEY'RE PRACTICING,
IT'S GOING TO SOUND LIKE

A REAL RAID IS GOING DOWN.

Narrator: IF THIS STRANGE
GROUP OF STRUCTURES

IS A TRAINING GROUND
FOR ELITE SPECIAL FORCES,

THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
ISN'T SAYING.

WITHOUT GETTING A CLOSER LOOK
AND SEEING WHAT IS EXACTLY

INSIDE THESE BUILDINGS
WITHIN THE PARAMETER,

IT IS HARD TO SAY.

Narrator: ANALYSTS CONTINUE
TO MONITOR THE LOCATION

BY SATELLITE.

Baker: ANYTIME YOU HAVE
A SITE INSIDE RUSSIA

THAT YOU'RE NOT CLEAR
ABOUT WHAT ITS PURPOSE IS,

BUT IT APPEARS TO BE MILITARY...

WE'LL BE ON IT,
WE'LL BE STUDYING THIS

AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT IS.

Narrator: COMING UP...

SEEN FROM SPACE,
THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE

AGAINST A CRAZED,
MURDEROUS HORDE.

THE FIRST THING I WOULD WANT
TO DO IS KEEP THEM OUT

BY BUILDING THIS GIANT
125-MILE WALL.

Narrator: OCTOBER 2011 --

PASSING OVER NORTHEASTERN IRAN,

THE GEOEYE-1 SATELLITE
PHOTOGRAPHS A BIZARRE RED LINE

RUNNING FOR MILES
ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE.

IT SORT OF LOOKS
LIKE A SUPER-HIGHWAY,

BUT THERE ARE NO
MODERN HIGHWAYS HERE.

THIS IS THE RURAL PART OF IRAN.

WHY DOES IT DOMINATE AN
OTHERWISE FEATURELESS LANDSCAPE?

Narrator: A SHADOW IN THE
SATELLITE IMAGE PROVIDES A CLUE.

Hoffman: WHEN IT'S LONG
AND STRAIGHT LIKE THIS

AND IT'S CASTING A SHADOW,
YOU HAVE TO THINK, "WALL."

Joyce: I'VE HEARD OF
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,

I'VE HEARD OF
HADRIAN'S WALL IN SCOTLAND.

BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A WALL
IN NORTHERN IRAN.

Narrator: WHEN INVESTIGATORS
VISIT IRAN, THEY DISCOVER

THE MASSIVE STRUCTURE IS KNOWN
LOCALLY AS "THE RED SNAKE."

BUT WHO BUILT IT
AND WHY IS A MYSTERY.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAD VERY LITTLE
INFORMATION ABOUT IT,

EVEN WHEN IT DATED TO.

IT'S ALMOST BEEN FORGOTTEN.

Narrator: SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHY
PROVIDES INVESTIGATORS

WITH THEIR FIRST VIEW
OF THE WALL'S ENTIRE LENGTH.

THIS WALL IS ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE.

FROM THE CASPIAN SEA IN THE WEST

TO THIS MOUNTAIN RANGE
IN THE EAST,

I SEE IT'S OVER
A HUNDRED MILES LONG.

Narrator: EXAMINING THE WALL'S
DETAIL, ARCHAEOLOGISTS CALCULATE

THE STRUCTURE WEIGHS
4,500,000 TONS,

12 TIMES THE WEIGHT
OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.

WHOEVER BUILT IT POSSESSED
CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES.

Mosher: THIS STRUCTURE WAS
FORMED FROM MORE THAN

200 MILLION PERFECTLY FORMED
BRICKS STACKED 30 FEET WIDE

AND, IN SOME CASES,
10 FEET HIGH.

THIS IS AN ENGINEERING MARVEL.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS LOOK
AT THE REGION'S

RICH ANCIENT HISTORY FOR CLUES.

THIS PART OF THE MIDDLE EAST
IS KNOWN AS

THE FERTILE CRESCENT,
AND IT'S WHERE WE SEE

THE FIRST CITIES
EMERGING IN THE WORLD,

WE SEE THE FIRST
WRITING SYSTEMS EMERGING,

AND GREAT CIVILIZATIONS
SUCCEED ONE ANOTHER.

THE QUESTION REALLY IS,
WHICH PERIOD OF TIME?

WHICH EMPIRE HAD THE SKILL,
THE MONEY,

AND THE MOTIVATION TO BUILD
THIS MASSIVE STRUCTURE?

Narrator: GROUND INVESTIGATION
REVEALS THE REMAINS OF 38 FORTS.

RUINS AREA ALSO VISIBLE
IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

Joyce: THE FORTS, WHICH ARE ALL
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE WALL,

SHOW THAT IT WAS
SOMEBODY IN THE SOUTH

WHO WANTED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES
FROM SOMEBODY IN THE NORTH.

Narrator: ANALYSTS CONSIDER
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THESE FORTS

AND THOSE FOUND
AT HADRIAN'S WALL,

A ROMAN-ERA FORTIFICATION
BUILT TO PREVENT MARAUDING SCOTS

FROM INVADING ENGLAND.

Altaweel: IN BOTH CASES,
WE SEE ARMY BARRACKS

ALONG THESE DEFENSIVE WALLS

AND THE BARRACKS WERE
ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED

IN A VERY SIMILAR MANNER.

Narrator: ALTHOUGH
THE ROMAN EMPIRE DID ENCOMPASS

THIS REGION OF IRAN,
HISTORIANS FIND NO EVIDENCE

THEY HOLD A PERMANENT
PRESENCE HERE.

THIS IS REALLY FRONTIER.

IT'S SO FAR AWAY FROM ROME,

IT'S LOGICAL TO DISCOUNT
THE ROMANS HERE.

SO WHO DID THIS?

[ HORSE NEIGHS ]

Narrator: ANCIENT TEXTS YIELD
ANOTHER POSSIBLE CLUE.

THIS PARTICULAR AREA
IS ALSO QUITE FAMOUS

BECAUSE IT'S BELIEVED TO BE

WHERE ALEXANDER THE GREAT
PASSED THROUGH

WHILE ATTACKING
THE PERSIAN EMPIRE.

Narrator:
BORN IN THE FOURTH CENTURY B.C.,

ALEXANDER ASCENDS TO THE THRONE
OF THE ANCIENT GREEK KINGDOM

OF MACEDON AT THE AGE OF 20.

10 DAYS LATER, HIS VAST
EMPIRE INCLUDES IRAN,

KNOWN THEN AS PERSIA.

THE PERSIANS, AT ONE POINT,
INVADED AND BURNED DOWN

ATHENS AND OTHER GREEK CITIES,
AND ALEXANDER TOOK REVENGE

AND CONQUERED
THIS MASSIVE EMPIRE.

Narrator: TO CONFIRM IF THIS
IS ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S WALL,

ARCHAEOLOGISTS
CARBON-DATE CHARCOAL

FROM THE WALL'S
MANY BRICK KILNS.

RESULTS DATE THE WALL

TO THE FIFTH AND SIXTH
CENTURIES A.D.,

800 YEARS TOO LATE
FOR ALEXANDER,

BUT THE DATE LINES UP PERFECTLY
WITH ANOTHER GREAT CIVILIZATION.

THESE RADIO-CARBON
DATES PLACE IT FIRMLY

WITHIN THE PERIOD OF WHAT
WE KNOW AS THE SASSANIAN EMPIRE.

THE SASSANIDS ARE VERY WEALTHY,

PARTLY BECAUSE THEY'RE
CONTROLLING THE SILK ROAD.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER
THAT, FROM THE THIRD

TO THE SEVENTH CENTURIES,
THE SASSANIANS ARE THIS REGION'S

MAJOR MILITARY POWER.

THEY FIGHT AND WIN
SEVERAL WARS WITH THE ROMANS,

AT ONE POINT KIDNAPPING AND
SLAYING THE EMPEROR VALERIAN.

BUT THESE CAMPAIGNS TAKE PLACE
ON THE WESTERN BORDER

OF THEIR EMPIRE,
IN MODERN-DAY TURKEY,

HUNDREDS OF MILES
FROM THE IRANIAN WALL

IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

Horton: THIS WALL SEEMS TO FORM
THE NORTHERN FRONTIER

OF THE SASSANIAN EMPIRE.

AND WE THINK THE REASON
WHY IT'S CONSTRUCTED HERE

IS TO PROVIDE
A DEFENSIVE FRONTIER

TO GROUPS LIVING TO THE NORTH,
ALSO KNOWN AS THE WHITE HUNS.

Narrator: THE WHITE HUN ARE
BANDS OF HORSEBACK WARRIORS,

ORIGINATING FROM THE STEPPES
OF MODERN-DAY KAZAKHSTAN

DURING THE FIFTH CENTURY A.D.

[ HORSE NEIGHS ]

IN A 110-YEAR CAMPAIGN
OF PILLAGE AND PLUNDER,

THEY EARN A REPUTATION
FOR BRUTAL BATTLEFIELD TACTICS.

Hunt: WHITE HUN VALUES
ARE REALLY BRUTAL.

TO BECOME A MAN, YOU HAVE
TO KILL SOMEBODY IN BATTLE.

YOU HAVE TO DECAPITATE THE HEAD,

WHICH YOU WEAR
AS A TROPHY ON YOUR BELT.

Jeff: IF I WERE A PERSIAN
KINGDOM, THE FIRST THING

I WOULD WANT TO DO IS KEEP
THEM OUT BY BUILDING THIS GIANT,

125-MILE WALL.

Narrator: JUST HOW LONG
THE SASSANIAN EMPIRE'S WALL

WITHSTANDS THE MARAUDING
WHITE HUN HORDES

REMAINS A MYSTERY.

Mosher: BEHIND YOU ARE
THE RICHES OF YOUR EMPIRE,

AND BEFORE YOU ARE
THE WILD WHITE HUN

JUST WAITING TO ATTACK YOU.

Narrator:
IRAN'S GIANT RED SNAKE,

THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
OF A POWERFUL CIVILIZATION,

REVEALED FROM SPACE.