All language subtitles for What.on.Earth.S06E07.1080p.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.

UNEXPLAINED SHAPES IN
THE DESERTS OF GENGHIS KHAN...

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
TO MAKE OF THIS AT ALL.

ME NEITHER.

THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN
TO REACH ANOTHER WORLD.

Narrator: ...MASS DEATH
IN THE ANTARCTIC...

IT WAS AN INDUSTRIAL SLAUGHTER
ON A TREMENDOUS SCALE.

...AND RUSSIA'S SECRET
NUCLEAR WASTELAND.

PEOPLE COULD USE THEM
TO CREATE A DIRTY BOMB.

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

**

[ TRAIN WHEELS SCREECH ]

DECEMBER 1, 2018.

**

THE TRANS-MONGOLIAN RAILWAY
FROM MOSCOW

PULLS INTO SAINSHAND,

A REMOTE TOWN
IN SOUTHEASTERN MONGOLIA.

[ MAN ON P.A.
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY ]

ON BOARD IS ARCHAEOLOGIST
KLINT JANULIS.

HE'S HERE TO INVESTIGATE
A SATELLITE IMAGE.

**

THE SATELLITE, WHILE PASSING

ABOVE MONGOLIA'S
IMMENSE GOBI DESERT,

HAS CAPTURED
SOMETHING CURIOUS --

A LINE OF STRUCTURES
SITTING IN TOTAL ISOLATION.

Dr. Bellinger: THIS IMAGE
IS REALLY STRIKING,

AND IT REALLY JUST STICKS OUT
LIKE A SORE THUMB.

Paul:
WE SEE CIRCULAR STRUCTURES

THAT ARE IN A PERFECTLY
STRAIGHT LINE.

**

Narrator: THE STRUCTURES
THEMSELVES ARE INTRIGUING,

AND SO IS THE LOCATION.

**

THE GREATEST EMPIRE OF THE
ANCIENT WORLD ORIGINATED HERE,

AND HIDDEN SOMEWHERE
LIES THE LEGENDARY LOST TOMB

OF ITS LEADER, GENGHIS KHAN.

**

THE WARRIOR TRIBES OF MONGOLIA

CREATED FEW
PERMANENT STRUCTURES,

SO ONES LIKE THESE ARE OF
POTENTIALLY HUGE SIGNIFICANCE.

THIS AREA HAS BEEN
A CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

CONNECTING EMPIRES
AND CREATING EMPIRES.

SO HOW MIGHT THAT RELATE
TO WHAT'S IN THE IMAGE?

**

-KLINT?
-YEAH. DANDI?

-NICE TO MEET YOU.
-NICE TO MEET YOU, TOO.

Narrator: JANULIS MEETS WITH
LOCAL GUIDE DANDI DASHEMBO.

HE WILL NEED ALL
OF HIS LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

TO SAFELY COMPLETE
THE JOURNEY AHEAD...

**

...A JOURNEY
THAT WILL TAKE THEM DEEP

INTO ONE OF THE MOST SPARSELY
POPULATED PLACES ON THE PLANET.

**

Horton: THE GOBI DESERT
IS ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE

AND INHOSPITABLE PLACES
ON EARTH.

IN A HOT DAY,
IT COULD BE PLUS-120.

A COLD DAY, IT CAN GO DOWN
TO AT LEAST MINUS-40.

**

Narrator: THE GOBI IS VAST,
AROUND TWICE THE SIZE OF TEXAS.

**

DANDI TAKES JANULIS SOUTHWEST,
ACROSS DORNOGOVI PROVINCE.

**

THIS IS A COLD DESERT,
AND IT'S A KILLER.

**

YET THERE IS THE OCCASIONAL
HISTORIC SIGN OF HUMAN PRESENCE.

DANDI WONDERS IF ONE OF THEM,

ROUGHLY BUILT PAGAN MOUNDS
CALLED OVOOS,

COULD SHED LIGHT
ON THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

IF WE SEE AN OVOO, MAYBE WE
SHOULD STOP AND CHECK IT OUT.

Dandi: YEP. I WILL
TAKE YOU TO ONE OF THEM.

**

Narrator: LIKE THE STRUCTURES
IN THE IMAGE,

OVOOS CAN BE CIRCULAR
AND ARE USED TO HONOR

THE GODS OF THE SKY
AND MOUNTAINS.

IN SUCH A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT,

THE PEOPLE OF MONGOLIA,
FOR MILLENNIA,

HAVE WORSHIPED AND DEPENDED UPON
THE FORCES OF NATURE.

**

Narrator: FOR SOME NOMADS,
THE GREATEST DEITY

IS TENGRI, THE SKY GOD.

**

SO OVOOS ARE FOUND ON MOUNTAINS
OR OTHER HIGH PLACES.

**

Janulis: IT WAS QUITE A HIKE
TO GET UP HERE,

AND I CAN SEE
WE'VE GOT ONE BIG ROCK PILE.

**

MONGOLIANS COME TO PAY TRIBUTE
TO THE SPIRIT OF THE MOUNTAIN

BY ADDING TO THE OVOO PILE

AFTER THEY WALK THREE CIRCLES
AROUND IT.

Narrator:
TO HONOR THIS SKY GOD,

BLUE SILK SCARVES
ARE TIED AROUND ROCKS.

**

SUPERFICIALLY, IT DOES SEEM LIKE
IT COULD BE RELATED TO OUR SITE,

BUT THERE ARE A LOT
OF SMALLER PILES

AND MOUNDS AROUND THIS ONE.

THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THEM,
ACTUALLY,

AND OUR SITE HAS PILES OR MOUNDS

THAT ARE GOING IN
A SINGLE DIRECTION BOTH WAYS.

Narrator:
WHAT'S MORE, UNLIKE THE OVOOS,

THE MYSTERY STRUCTURES
APPEAR TO SIT IN A GULLY.

IT ACTUALLY DEEPENS THE MYSTERY.

Narrator:
ONCE JANULIS DESCENDS,

THE TEAM PUSHES ON
TOWARDS THE SITE IN THE IMAGE.

**

THESE ARE BARREN LANDS,
BUT AFTER SEVERAL MILES,

THEY ENCOUNTER ONE OF THE FEW
ANIMALS THAT THRIVE HERE --

THE BACTRIAN CAMEL.

THE ONLY LAND MAMMAL
THAT CAN DRINK SALT WATER,

THESE ARE THE LOAD BEARERS WHO
CARRY GOODS FROM EAST TO WEST,

A REMINDER FOR JANULIS THAT
HE IS ON AN ANCIENT TRADE ROUTE.

IN MY RESEARCH
FOR THIS PROJECT,

I READ A LOT ABOUT
THE GREAT TEA ROAD,

THIS REALLY EPIC
TRADING ROAD.

MASSIVE CARAVANS FULL OF CAMELS,
LOADED DOWN WITH TEA,

WOULD TRAVEL FROM CHINA
TO RUSSIA.

IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THAT
THE FORMATIONS ON THE IMAGE

COULD BE RELATED
TO THE GREAT TEA ROAD,

BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK
AT THIS LANDSCAPE,

YOU WOULD NATURALLY,
I THINK, NEED SIGNPOSTS.

Narrator: IN THE 17th CENTURY,
ONE POUND OF TEA

WAS WORTH MORE THAN
THE AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGE.

SO NOMADS WOULD BRAVE
THE 9,000-MILE TRADE ROUTE,

CARRYING VAST QUANTITIES
WESTWARDS.

**

THEY WOULD MAKE A FORTUNE...
OR DIE TRYING.

[ CAMELS GRUNTING ]

UNDOUBTEDLY, THE MOST DIFFICULT
PART WAS THE GOBI DESERT.

**

NAVIGATING ACROSS MASSIVE
SAND DUNES ALWAYS SHIFTING

MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE
TO THESE TEA TRADERS.

Dr. Hunt:
MAYBE THESE ARE MARKERS,

TELLING YOU WHICH WAY TO GO

IN A SANDSTORM
ALONG THE TEA ROUTE.

**

Narrator: BUT FOR NOW,
THE MYSTERY WILL HAVE TO WAIT.

THE TEAM NEEDS TO FIND
SOMEWHERE TO CAMP,

AND DANDI HAS A PLAN.

Dandi: MONGOLIAN FAMILIES --
THEY NEVER LOCK THEIR DOORS.

OKAY.

YOU NEED TO PLACE TO STAY,
YOU JUST GO FIND A FAMILY AND --

AND NOBODY SAYS NO?
NOBODY.

**

Narrator: EVENTUALLY, THEY SPOT
SOMETHING IN THE DISTANCE.

**

THESE ARE GERS,

TENTS LARGE ENOUGH
TO HOUSE ENTIRE FAMILIES.

LIKE 40% OF MONGOLIANS,
THIS FAMILY ARE NOMADIC HERDERS,

MOVING THEIR CAMELS
FROM PLACE TO PLACE

TO FIND NEW GRAZING GROUNDS.

SO, THESE ARE THE ANIMALS
THAT HAULED TEA

FROM CHINA TO RUSSIA.

NOT EVEN JUST
A VEHICLE, THOUGH.

IT'S LIKE IT MAKES FOOD,
IT MAKES FUEL,

IT MAKES FIRE, TRANSPORTATION,
AND CLOTHING.

-YEP.
-AND THEY GIVE YOU KISSES, TOO.

HI. [ LAUGHS ]

**

Narrator:
AS IS THE CUSTOM,

THE TRAVELERS
ARE WELCOMED INTO THE GER

BEFORE THE CONVERSATION

TURNS TO THE OBJECTS
CAPTURED ON SATELLITE.

[ SPEAKING
NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

WHAT JANULIS LEARNS SUGGESTS
THAT THEY CANNOT HAVE FUNCTIONED

AS BEACONS
ON THE GREAT TEA ROAD.

Dandi: HE'S BEEN PASSING
BY THE LOCATION.

-OH, HE HAS?
-BUT NEVER NOTICED IT.

NEVER NOTICED IT.

Narrator:
BUT THE NOMADS DO NOTICE

SOMETHING ABOUT THE NUMBER
OF STRUCTURES IN THE IMAGE --

27, DIVISIBLE BY 9.

[ SPEAKING
NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

TO THE HERDERS,
THIS MEANS SOMETHING.

[ SPEAKING
NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

Dandi: NINE IS A GOOD
SYMBOLIC NUMBER FOR MONGOLIANS

BECAUSE THERE ARE NINE
TREASURES, INCLUDING GOLD.

Narrator: WHAT'S MORE,
13 STRUCTURES STRETCH OUT

FROM THE LARGER CENTRAL ONE,

A SPIRITUALLY SIGNIFICANT
NUMBER HERE.

COULD THIS BE SOME KIND
OF ANCIENT CODE?

SO THAT LEAVES A LOT
OF NEW QUESTIONS, REALLY,

BUT NONE OF THEM
CAN REALLY BE ANSWERED

UNTIL WE GO EXPLORE IT
FOR OURSELVES.

**

Narrator: COMING UP,
DANGER IN THE DESERT...

...AND RUSSIA'S
MYSTERY ICE STATION.

ANY KIND OF RESEARCH
FOR SURE WOULD HAVE HAD

SOME KIND OF MILITARY
COMPONENT TO IT.

[ WHIRRING ]

**

Narrator:
ARCHAEOLOGIST KLINT JANULIS

IS DEEP IN THE GOBI DESERT
IN MONGOLIA.

HE'S BEEN DRAWN HERE BY A SERIES
OF MYSTERIOUS STRUCTURES

BUILT BY ONE OF THE TRIBES
WHO HAVE ROAMED THESE LANDS

FOR COUNTLESS MILLENNIA.

THAT LITERALLY LEAVES US
THOUSANDS OF YEARS

OF CULTURAL CHANGE

WITH WHICH WE HAVE TO
INTERPRET OUR SITE FROM.

WITH FEW LANDMARKS,
JANULIS MUST RELY

ON DANDI, HIS GUIDE,

TO NAVIGATE HIM THROUGH
THIS WILDERNESS.

THEIR JOURNEY TAKES THEM
FROM FLAT DESERT

INTO MORE RUGGED TERRAIN.

**

FINALLY, THE MYSTERY STRUCTURES
COME INTO VIEW.

**

LET'S GO.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
TO MAKE OF THIS AT ALL.

ME NEITHER.

Narrator: YET AS JANULIS
PREPARES TO EXPLORE THE SITE,

IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT HIS VISIT
HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED.

[ ENGINE APPROACHES ]
OHH.

**

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

THE ARMED MAN IS A MEMBER
OF THE MONGOLIAN BORDER GUARD.

THE TEAM HAS VENTURED TOO CLOSE
TO THE COUNTRY'S

3,000-MILE-LONG FRONTIER
WITH CHINA.

UNAUTHORIZED PEOPLE IN THIS AREA

RISK IMPRISONMENT OR WORSE.

HE'S GOING TO REPORT BACK TO
THE BORDER PATROLS ABOUT US.

Narrator: IT TAKES TIME
AND A FORENSIC ANALYSIS

OF EX-SOLDIER JANULIS' PAPERWORK

BEFORE THE GUARD
ALLOWS HIM ONTO THE SITE.

**

EXPLORATION REVEALS

THE STRUCTURES ARE MADE
FROM PILES OF SHAPED ROCKS.

Janulis: WHEN YOU LOOK
AT THE OVERALL STRUCTURE

CREATED BY THESE ROCK PILES,

YOU CAN SEE THAT
IT KIND OF MAKES AN ARROW.

Narrator: THE STRUCTURES
RESEMBLE THE DIAL OF A COMPASS.

IF IT IS, THEN IT'S POINTING
SOUTHEAST AND NORTHWEST.

AND IN MONGOLIAN PAGAN BELIEF,
THIS HAS DEEP MEANING.

Dr. Hunt:
THE ANCIENT MONGOLIANS BELIEVED

THAT THEIR WORLD
WAS DIVIDED INTO SECTORS

AND THAT FAR TO THE NORTHWEST

WAS A GATEWAY
FOR THE SPIRIT WORLD.

Narrator:
ACCORDING TO THESE BELIEFS,

IN THE NORTHWEST SECTION
OF THE WORLD LIES A MOUNTAIN.

THIS CONTAINS A PORTAL
TO THE AFTERLIFE.

**

I CAN SEE THAT EACH ONE OF THEM
IS POINTING WITHIN A FEW DEGREES

OF A VERY PRECISE DIRECTION.

Narrator: THE STRUCTURES COULD
BE A SO-CALLED SPIRIT ROAD.

PREHISTORIC MONGOLIAN SOCIETY

WAS DEEPLY SHAMANISTIC
IN ITS ORIENTATION.

IT BELIEVED IN THE ABILITY
TO GO INTO ANOTHER WORLD,

AND IT MAY WELL BE
THAT THIS ALIGNMENT

MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED
BY SHAMANS

IN THEIR ABILITY
TO REACH ANOTHER WORLD.

**

Narrator: THIS BELIEF DATES BACK
TO THE LATE BRONZE AGE.

IT SUGGESTS THE STRUCTURES
ARE AROUND 2,500 YEARS OLD.

AND THIS ONSITE ANALYSIS
PROVIDES A CLUE

TO THE PURPOSE
OF THE LARGER CENTRAL MOUND.

THE CENTRAL MOUND
MAY WELL HAVE

A BRONZE AGE BURIAL INSIDE
OF SOME IMPORTANT PERSONALITY,

AND THEN THE INDIVIDUAL,
SMALLER MOUNDS

ARE WHAT WE MIGHT DESCRIBE
AS SACRIFICE MOUNDS,

IN WHICH MAY BE BURIED
BITS OF ANIMAL.

**

Narrator:
BRONZE AGE TOMBS

HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED
IN MONGOLIA BEFORE,

YET THEY ARE SPREAD IN A CIRCLE
OR MADE FROM SLABS OF STONE.

TO HAVE DISCOVERED
ONE SHAPED LIKE THIS

AND WITH A PRECISE PAGAN
ALIGNMENT IS HIGHLY ABNORMAL,

IF NOT UNPRECEDENTED.

WHAT'S UNUSUAL HERE IS THE FACT
THAT WE HAVE A MUCH LARGER MOUND

SITUATED DIRECTLY AT THE CENTER
OF THIS LINE OF MOUNDS.

**

Narrator:
AS WELL AS SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS,

MONGOLIAN TOMBS HAVE BEEN FOUND
TO CONTAIN TREASURES

TO ACCOMPANY A KING OR QUEEN
TO THE AFTERLIFE.

**

TOMB RAIDERS HAVE EMPTIED
MANY OF THEM,

BUT IF THIS IS ONE,

FOR SOME REASON,
IT'S BEEN SPARED.

SINCE KINGS ARE SO OFTEN BURIED
WITH TREASURE,

THIS, IF IT'S A BURIAL MOUND,

COULD BE A SITE
WITH ENORMOUS WEALTH,

SAVED UP FOR
THIS PERSON'S AFTERLIFE.

Narrator:
AROUND THE TIME WHEN THESE
STRUCTURES WERE LIKELY BUILT,

WARRIOR CHIEFTAINS
RULED THESE LANDS,

ONES THAT GAVE RISE
TO THE MONGOL HORDES

THAT RULED THE GREATEST
EMPIRE OF ANTIQUITY.

[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]

THE FINAL RESTING PLACE AND
BODILY REMAINS OF MANY OF THEM,

INCLUDING THE GREAT
GENGHIS KHAN,

HAVE NEVER BEEN FOUND.

WAS THIS THE COMPASS THAT GUIDED
THEM TO A DIFFERENT REALM?

Janulis:
COMING HERE HAS MADE ME THINK

IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN'T GET
FROM AN OVERHEAD IMAGE.

YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND

THE CULTURE, THE PEOPLE,
AND THE LANDSCAPE

TO REALLY APPRECIATE

WHAT THIS MIGHT REPRESENT
TO WHOEVER MADE IT.

WHETHER IT'S A SPIRIT ROUTE

OR A BURIAL SITE
OF SOME GREAT, LOST KING,

WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE
GOBI DESERT REVEALS ITS SECRETS.

**

[ WHIRRING ]

Narrator: COMING UP,

WEIRD SCIENCE
AT THE END OF THE EARTH...

THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS KNOWN

FOR A VERY STRANGE
GRAVITATIONAL ANOMALY.

Narrator: ...AND NORTH KOREA'S
TERROR FACTORY.

THESE WERE DESIGNED TO BASICALLY

BURN A PERSON
FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

[ WHIRRING ]

Narrator:
JANUARY 18, 2018.

THE WorldView-3 SATELLITE
FLYING OVER THE SOUTH POLE

SPIES THIS.

Kourounis: THERE'S A PLANE WRECK
ON THE ICE IN ANTARCTICA.

OF COURSE, THE BIG QUESTION IS,
"WHY IS IT THERE?"

**

Narrator:
ANTARCTICA IS OFF-LIMITS

TO ALMOST ALL SMALL AIRCRAFT.

AVIATION LAW DICTATES
THAT PLANES MUST REMAIN

WITHIN 60 MINUTES' FLIGHT TIME
OF A RECOGNIZED LANDING SITE.

Kourounis: THERE ARE NO
PROPER AIRPORTS IN ANTARCTICA.

IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS
AND DIFFICULT PLACE TO FLY.

THE PLANE SEEMS TO BE
IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.

I'M NOT SEEING DEBRIS
SCATTERED OVER A WIDE AREA.

VERY CURIOUS, INDEED.

Narrator: THE FIRST FLIGHT
OVER THE ANTARCTIC

TOOK PLACE IN 1929.

SINCE THEN, 55 AIRCRAFT
HAVE GONE DOWN HERE.

THE LOCATION OF ALL OF THEM
HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED...

EXCEPT ONE.

DECEMBER 26, 1929.

THERE WAS A WHALE-SPOTTING PLANE

THAT WENT MISSING
OFF THE COAST OF ANTARCTICA.

Narrator: THE PLANE
WAS A DE HAVILLAND MOTH.

ITS JOB -- TO HUNT FOR PREY
IN THE SEAS

AROUND THE NORWEGIAN
WHALING SHIP THE KOSMOS.

BECAUSE OF GLARE, IT'S VERY
DIFFICULT TO SEE A CREATURE

BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WATER
WHEN YOU'RE AT SEA LEVEL.

HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE ABLE
TO GET INTO A SPOTTER PLANE

AND LOOK DIRECTLY DOWN,
YOU CAN SEE MUCH DEEPER

AND YOU'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY
TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME.

Narrator:
FOR CENTURIES, WHALE OIL

WAS A HIGHLY VALUED COMMODITY.

IN THE MID-1800s,
THE SO-CALLED "LIQUID GOLD"

SELLS FOR THE EQUIVALENT
OF $60 A GALLON,

AND WHALING IS
THE FIFTH-BIGGEST
AMERICAN INDUSTRY.

IF YOU ARE A WHALE HUNTER,

YOU COULD GET VERY RICH
VERY QUICKLY.

WHALING WAS SO LUCRATIVE

THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS
WHALING FACILITIES

BUILT AROUND ANTARCTICA.

Narrator:
DURING THE EARLY 20th CENTURY,

THESE FORTUNE HUNTERS KILL UP
TO 50,000 ANIMALS EACH YEAR.

THE NORWEGIANS WERE THE KINGS
OF THE WHALING FLEETS.

THEY WOULD HAVE
WHALE-PROCESSING SHIPS

AND SCOUT PLANES
THAT WOULD FLY OVERHEAD.

THEY COULD PROCESS THE WHALE OIL
RIGHT THERE ON A SHIP.

IT WAS AN INDUSTRIAL SLAUGHTER
ON A TREMENDOUS SCALE.

Narrator: RECORDS SHOW THAT THE
NORWEGIAN WHALE-SPOTTER PLANE

VANISHES ON DECEMBER 26, 1929.

**

DESPITE AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH,

THE SAILORS FIND NEITHER
THE PLANE NOR ITS CREW.

Kourounis:
IF THEY CRASH-LANDED IN THE ICE,

THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE
VERY QUICKLY.

IS IT POSSIBLE
THAT, IN THIS IMAGE,

WE'RE SEEING THE LOST WRECKAGE
OF THIS WHALE-SPOTTING PLANE?

Narrator: YET WHEN EX-CIA
ANALYST LINDSEY MORAN

SEARCHES THE WIDER AREA
FOR MORE CLUES,

SHE DISCOVERS THIS CANNOT BE
THE LONE MISSING WHALING PLANE.

THERE'S AT LEAST FOUR OTHER
PLANES IN THE SAME AREA.

**

SO THIS IS NOT
A SINGULAR OCCURRENCE

OF A PLANE CRASHING
IN ANTARCTICA.

Narrator:
THIS AREA OF ANTARCTICA
IS KNOWN AS ENDERBY LAND.

MORAN LEARNS THAT,
DURING THE COLD WAR,

IT WAS OF GREAT INTEREST TO THE
SOVIET UNION'S COMMUNIST REGIME.

THE SOVIETS BUILT A BASE
DOWN HERE THAT THEY CLAIMED

WAS FOR BUILDING
METEOROLOGICAL RESEARCH ROCKETS.

**

Narrator: SOVIET RECORDS
REVEAL THAT AN ANTARCTIC STATION

CALLED MOLODYOZHNAYA
OPENS HERE IN 1962.

**

IT IS VAST,
CONSISTING OF 70 BUILDINGS,

AN ELECTRIC POWER PLANT,
AND A RUNWAY.

**

THE BASE'S SCALE
AND FLEET OF PLANES

SUGGEST THIS WAS NO MERE
WEATHER STATION.

THIS TOOK PLACE
DURING THE COLD WAR.

ANY KIND OF RESEARCH THAT
THE SOVIETS WERE CONDUCTING

AT THAT TIME
FOR SURE WOULD HAVE HAD

SOME KIND OF
MILITARY COMPONENT TO IT.

Narrator:
A GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY

COMPLETED AROUND FOUR YEARS
BEFORE THE RUSSIANS ARRIVE

OFFERS A CLUE.

IT DETAILS
STRANGE SCIENTIFIC READINGS

NEAR THE SITE IN THE IMAGE.

THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS KNOWN
FOR A VERY STRANGE ANOMALY

CALLED THE WILKES LAND
GRAVITATIONAL ANOMALY.

Narrator: THERE IS SOMETHING
UNDER THE ICE HERE SO MASSIVE

THAT ITS GRAVITATIONAL FORCE
CAN BE DETECTED FROM SPACE.

OUR BEST SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
RIGHT NOW SUGGESTS

THAT A MAMMOTH METEORITE CRASHED
INTO THIS PARTICULAR AREA

MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.

Kourounis: THEY BELIEVE
THAT IT'S TREMENDOUS IN SIZE,

BIGGER THAN THAT
WHICH KILLED THE DINOSAURS

65 MILLION YEARS AGO.

AND THE DENSITY
OF THAT METEORITE

ACTUALLY HAS AN EFFECT

ON THE EARTH'S
GRAVITATIONAL FORCE.

Narrator:
BUT WHAT MAY HAVE LURED THE
SOVIETS TO THIS REMOTE LOCATION

WAS SOMETHING THE ROCK
BROUGHT WITH IT FROM SPACE.

STUDIES OF A SIMILAR IMPACT
CRATER IN YUCATáN, MEXICO,

GROUND ZERO
FOR THE DINOSAUR EXTINCTION,

CONFIRMS IT IS RICH
IN A RARE, PRECIOUS METAL.

Cerveny: ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS
THAT WE LEARNED

WHEN WE FOUND THE ASTEROID
THAT KILLED THE DINOSAURS

WAS THAT IT HAD A LOT
OF THE ELEMENT IRIDIUM.

Narrator:
40 TIMES RARER THAN GOLD,

IRIDIUM IS THE MOST
CORROSION-RESISTANT METAL

KNOWN TO MAN

AND HAS A MELTING POINT OF
OVER 4,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

Cerveny: IT IS POSSIBLE

THAT THE SOVIETS
MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT

THAT MAYBE, SIMILAR TO
WHAT WE SEE IN THE YUCATáN,

THERE MIGHT BE ELEMENTS THAT
WERE NOT COMMON ON THE EARTH

IN THIS PARTICULAR KIND
OF METEORITE.

Narrator: WHATEVER THE RUSSIANS
FOUND HERE,

RECORDS SHOW THAT IN 1990

MOSCOW MOTHBALLS
THIS RESEARCH STATION...

YET ITS FLEET OF
COLD WAR ICE PLANES REMAINS,

FROZEN IN TIME.

**

[ WHIRRING ]

COMING UP, THE MEGA WEAPON
THREATENING AMERICA...

TERRIFYINGLY,
ONE OF THE MAIN USES

IS TO CARRY NUCLEAR WARHEADS.

Narrator: ...AND POISONING
THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

Chamberlain: SOMETHING
THAT'S BEEN DUMPED IN THE WATER.

AND WHERE IT COMES FROM
IS EVEN MORE CURIOUS.

[ WHIRRING ]

**

Narrator: INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS
ACROSS THE GLOBE

RELY ON SPY BIRDS

TO MONITOR SECRETIVE
ROGUE STATE NORTH KOREA.

[ WHIRRING ]

AN IMAGE CAPTURED
ON JUNE 29, 2018,

OF A CLUSTER OF BUILDINGS
IN THE NORTHERN CITY OF HAMHUNG

DRAWS THEIR ATTENTION.

WE'VE GOT A SERIES OF
LARGE AND SMALL BUILDINGS

THAT HAVE VERY DISTINCTLY
COLORED ROOFS.

NOW, THIS LOOKS OUTSIDE THE NORM
OF WHAT WE USUALLY SEE

FROM OVERHEAD IMAGERY
OF NORTH KOREA.

Narrator: HISTORICAL IMAGES
REVEAL THAT THE DICTATORSHIP

APPEARS TO BE POURING
LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY

INTO THE MYSTERIOUS FACILITY.

Janulis:
2017 SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW

THAT THERE WAS NOTHING HERE
BUT A FEW HOUSES AND ROADS,

AND SO THIS SITE SORT OF

SPRANG UP OUT OF NOWHERE
AND VERY QUICKLY.

Narrator: THE FACT THAT
THE COMPLEX IS IN THE COUNTRY'S

SECOND-LARGEST CITY
COULD BE SIGNIFICANT.

Muñoz:
THE CITY OF HAMHUNG IS HOME

TO THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
FOR NORTH KOREA.

Narrator:
THE NORTH KOREANS CLAIM

THE FACILITY MAKES PESTICIDES.

YET A 2015
U.S. INTELLIGENCE REPORT

REVEALS THAT A SIMILAR FACILITY
DISCOVERED BY SATELLITE

IN THE CAPITAL, PYONGYANG,
IS A FRONT.

IT'S MANUFACTURING ANTHRAX.

Price:
A LOT OF THE INGREDIENTS USED IN
CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

ARE THE SAME AS INGREDIENTS
USED IN PESTICIDES.

Narrator:
A SINGLE GALLON OF ANTHRAX,

IF SUITABLY DISTRIBUTED,
COULD END ALL HUMAN LIFE.

AND NORTH KOREAN DISSIDENTS

CLAIM THE REGIME POSSESSES
A 5,000-TON ARSENAL

OF THIS AND OTHER CHEMICAL
AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS.

SARIN GAS,
MUSTARD GAS, VX GAS --

I MEAN, THESE CHEMICALS
WERE DESIGNED

TO BASICALLY BURN A PERSON
FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

**

WHAT HAS LEAKED OUT
IS THAT NORTH KOREA

IS ACTUALLY NUMBER THREE
IN THE WORLD

IN TERMS OF
A CHEMICAL-WEAPON ARSENAL,

RIGHT BEHIND THE UNITED STATES
AND RUSSIA.

Narrator: YET AN ARTICLE
ON A STATE-CONTROLLED WEBSITE

FOR NORTH KOREA'S
CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY

REVEALS THE FACILITY SERVES
A DIFFERENT PURPOSE.

IT'S MANUFACTURING

NEXT-GENERATION
MISSILE COMPONENTS.

THIS FACILITY
IS DEVELOPING A COATING,

A BASICALLY HARDENED
CARBON-TYPE MATERIAL

THAT IS SPECIFICALLY USED
ON THE NOSE CONES

OF INTERCONTINENTAL
BALLISTIC MISSILES.

Narrator: INTERCONTINENTAL
BALLISTIC MISSILES

APPROACH THEIR TARGET
AT OVER 4 MILES PER SECOND.

UNTIL AUGUST 2017,

ALL NORTH KOREAN
HIGH-ALTITUDE MISSILES

FAILED TO WITHSTAND
THE INTENSE FRICTIONAL HEAT

THESE SPEEDS GENERATE,
BREAKING UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

**

THIS MEANS MOST OF THE
COMMUNIST COUNTRY'S ADVERSARIES

ARE SAFE FROM ATTACK.

**

Janulis:
NORTH KOREA'S WEAPON SYSTEMS

REQUIRE IT TO BE VERY CLOSE
TO THE RECIPIENT.

IT JUST DOESN'T HAVE A MEANS
OF PROJECTING THAT POWER

OVER OCEANS TO THE COUNTRIES
IT CONSIDERS ENEMIES.

Narrator: THE CARBON COATING
PRODUCED AT THIS FACILITY

COULD BE A GAME-CHANGER.

THIS COATING WILL NOT BURN UP

WHEN THE MISSILE
ENTERS THE ATMOSPHERE

AND STRIKES ITS TARGET.

Janulis: SOMETHING LIKE THIS
GIVES THEM THE ABILITY

TO SEND PAYLOADS
GREAT DISTANCES.

Narrator: WORSE STILL,
INTELLIGENCE ALSO SUGGESTS

COMPONENTS FROM THE SITE

ARE SHIPPED TO A NEARBY FACTORY
KNOWN AS NUMBER 17.

NUMBER 17 IS KNOWN TO MAKE
SOLID-FUEL ROCKET MOTORS.

IT HAS A LOT OF ADVANTAGES
OVER ANY OTHER FUEL SYSTEM.

SOLID FUEL DOES NOT REQUIRE

THE SAME SORT OF PREPARATION
TIME BEFORE TAKE-OFF,

AND IT JUST MEANS WE HAVE EVEN
LESS OF A CHANCE OF INTERCEPTING

BEFORE IT HITS US
OR AN ALLIED NATION.

**

Narrator:
ON NOVEMBER 28, 2017,

NORTH KOREA DEMONSTRATES
THE CAPABILITIES

OF THE FACILITY IN THE IMAGE

WHEN STATE TV BROADCASTS
THE LAUNCH OF THE KN-22.

**

ANALYSTS CALCULATE
THAT THE ROGUE STATE'S

LARGEST, MOST POWERFUL
MISSILE TO DATE

HAS A RANGE
OF UP TO 8,000 MILES.

THAT MEANS
THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES

MAY NOW BE VULNERABLE TO ATTACK.

TERRIFYINGLY, ONE OF THE MAIN
USES FOR MISSILES LIKE THIS

IS TO CARRY NUCLEAR WARHEADS.

Narrator:
SEVEN MONTHS AFTER THE TEST,

IN JUNE 2018,

NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN

MEETS WITH
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.

IT'S AN UNPRECEDENTED ENCOUNTER
BETWEEN THE LEADERS

OF THE HERMIT NATION
AND ITS SWORN ENEMY.

Moran: ONLY MONTHS EARLIER,
THE TWO LEADERS

WERE EXCHANGING INSULTS
AND THREATENING TO UNLEASH

"FIRE AND FURY"
AGAINST EACH OTHER.

Narrator:
DURING THE MEETING,

KIM MAKES
A STUNNING ANNOUNCEMENT.

IN JUNE,
NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN

ACTUALLY REPEATED HIS PLEDGE
TO DENUCLEARIZE THE PENINSULA

TO U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
DURING THEIR HISTORIC MEETING.

**

Narrator: A YEAR LATER,
ON JUNE 30, 2019,

PRESIDENT TRUMP MEETS AGAIN
WITH THE DESPOTIC LEADER.

YET SATELLITE IMAGES TAKEN
IN THE LEAD-UP TO THIS EVENT

SHOW RENEWED ACTIVITY
AT THE MISSILE FACILITY.

THE TYRANT WASN'T JUST LYING.

HE APPEARS TO BE CLOSER TO
UNLEASHING ARMAGEDDON THAN EVER.

**

[ WHIRRING ]

COMING UP, RUSSIA'S
TICKING ATOMIC TIME BOMBS...

THE CRAZY PART ABOUT IT
IS HOW LIGHTLY SECURED

THESE THINGS WERE.

Narrator:
...AND GUERILLA WARFARE

IN THE DESERTS OF AFRICA.

THE BIGGEST FEAR FOR THEM
WAS SABOTAGE

BY GERMAN IMMIGRANTS
LIVING IN THE AREA.

[ WHIRRING ]

Narrator: JUNE 16, 2010.

SAKHALIN ISLAND,
OFF THE EASTERN COAST OF RUSSIA.

A HELICOPTER PASSING OVER
THIS REMOTE LANDMASS

CAPTURES THIS IMAGE.

**

Chamberlain:
THIS IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL.

THIS ALMOST LOOKS LIKE
EARTH HAS AN EYEBALL.

Dr. Albertson: THIS IS
A PERFECT CIRCLE ON THE GROUND.

PERHAPS MAN-MADE,
BUT IT LEAVES ME WONDERING

WHO OR WHY
THEY WOULD HAVE MADE THIS.

Narrator:
TOPOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS REVEALS

"THE EYE" IS, IN FACT,
A 380-FOOT-DIAMETER DOME.

**

MILITARY HISTORIAN MARTIN MORGAN
THINKS HE RECOGNIZES IT.

I'VE SEEN A DOME
THAT BEARS A RESEMBLANCE

TO THIS FEATURE IN THE PACIFIC
WHERE A SIMILAR STRUCTURE

WAS USED TO ISOLATE

THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE
FROM A NUCLEAR TEST.

**

Narrator:
DECLASSIFIED SOVIET FILES

SHOW THAT NO NUCLEAR TESTS
TOOK PLACE ON THIS ISLAND,

BUT THEY DO REVEAL
ANOTHER POTENTIAL SOURCE

OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE HERE.

Chamberlain:
SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DUMPED
IN THE WATER AROUND HERE

THAT'S INCREDIBLY RADIOACTIVE
IS STRONTIUM-90.

AND WHERE IT COMES FROM
IS EVEN MORE CURIOUS.

THIS AREA IS ACTUALLY PEPPERED
WITH SOMETHING

THAT'S INGENIOUS
BUT VERY DANGEROUS --

ATOMIC LIGHTHOUSES.

**

Narrator:
A FIFTH OF RUSSIA'S LANDMASS

LIES WITHIN ARCTIC TERRITORY,

AND MANY PARTS EXPERIENCE
PERMANENT DARKNESS

FOR WEEKS AT A TIME.

FOR CENTURIES,
VOYAGES THROUGH THE POLAR SEAS

ARE FRAUGHT WITH DANGER.

**

THE COLD WAR ERA DOCUMENTS
REVEAL THAT, IN THE 1970s,

SOVIET SCIENTISTS
IMPLEMENT A PLAN

TO HELP IMPERILED MARINERS.

THEY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF
A NUCLEAR-GENERATED LIGHTHOUSE

THAT WOULD
KEEP SUSTAINING ENERGY

OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

Narrator: ENGINEERS INSTALL
A CHAIN OF 132 LIGHTHOUSES

ALONG HUNDREDS OF MILES
OF RUSSIAN COASTLINE,

INCLUDING ONE
NEAR THE SITE IN THE IMAGE.

THEY USE TECHNOLOGY
ORIGINALLY INTENDED

TO POWER LUNAR
AND MARS ROVERS --

MINIATURE NUCLEAR GENERATORS.

THE PROCESS OF
AUTOMATING LIGHTHOUSES

IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS
WORLDWIDE.

IN THE UNITED STATES, IT TAKES
PLACE IN THE LATE 1960s.

BUT WHEN THE U.S.
AUTOMATES LIGHTHOUSES,

WE'RE NOT USING
NUCLEAR GENERATORS TO DO IT.

Narrator:
THE COMMUNISTS MANUFACTURE

AROUND 1,000 SMALL
NUCLEAR-POWERED GENERATORS

FOR USE IN THESE BEACONS.

THE CRAZY PART ABOUT IT IS

HOW LIGHTLY SECURED
THESE THINGS WERE.

IN MANY CASES, THEY'RE OUT
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOTHING

WITH NO LARGE SECURITY FORCE
PROTECTING IT.

IT WAS QUITE SOMETHING.

Narrator: IN 1991,
THE SOVIET UNION COLLAPSES,

PLUNGING THE RUSSIAN NATION

INTO ECONOMIC
AND POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY.

IN THE WAKE OF THIS CHAOS,

LOOTERS ATTACK
THE UNATTENDED LIGHTHOUSES,

STRIPPING THEM
OF VALUABLE METALS...

AND THEIR RADIOACTIVE CORES.

Morgan: PEOPLE COULD
TECHNICALLY DISASSEMBLE THEM

AND USE THEM TO CREATE
MAYBE NOT A NUCLEAR BOMB,

BUT A DIRTY BOMB,

A BOMB THAT WOULD DISTRIBUTE
RADIOACTIVITY OVER A BROAD AREA.

Narrator: EXPERTS CONSIDER
IF THE STRUCTURE IN THE IMAGE

IS AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAR UP
THIS WEIRD ATOMIC LEGACY

OF THE COLD WAR.

IF THIS IS A CAP

FOR SOME MASSIVE
NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP,

IT'S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.

ONE, THE CAP ITSELF LOOKS LIKE
IT'S BORDERLINE FAULTY.

THERE'S LOTS OF CRACKS EMERGING.

YOU COULD HAVE SOME SORT
OF CONTAMINATION

IF THIS CAP DISINTEGRATES.

Narrator: GEOLOGISTS
SUGGEST THERE MIGHT BE

ANOTHER EXPLANATION
FOR THE CRACKS,

ONE ROOTED IN
THE HIGHLY TECTONIC GEOGRAPHY

OF THE SURROUNDING AREA.

THE ENTIRE
SAKHALIN ISLAND REGION,

WHICH EFFECTIVELY IS JUST AN
EXTENSION OF THE JAPANESE ARC,

IS A SEISMICALLY ACTIVE AREA.

IT'S A PLACE WHERE A LOT
OF TECTONICS ARE GOING ON.

PLATES ARE MUSHING
INTO EACH OTHER,

PUSHING THE LAND AROUND,
SQUEEZING IT, DEFORMING IT.

Narrator: THIS SEISMIC ACTIVITY
MAY BE CAUSING

A BIZARRE GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENON.

I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT
THIS IS A MUD VOLCANO.

**

Narrator: MUD VOLCANOS CAN FORM
WHEN TECTONIC ACTIVITY

CAUSES HOT WATER
DEEP UNDERGROUND

TO MIX WITH GASES AND SEDIMENT.

THAT WATER AND GAS AND MUD
FORCES ITS WAY UP TO THE SURFACE

UNTIL IT FINDS
A CRACK OR A HOLE.

AND, POOF, THE GAS COMES OUT,
AND A BURP OF MUD COMES UP.

Narrator:
AS WELL AS BOILING MUD,

ERUPTIONS RELEASE NITROGEN,
CARBON DIOXIDE, AND METHANE.

YET MUD VOLCANOES TYPICALLY
LOOK LIKE THIS...

NOT THIS.

Dr. Dennie: THIS MUD VOLCANO
IS UNUSUALLY SYMMETRICAL.

IT'S EXTREMELY ROUND,

AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT
LOOK SO MUCH LIKE AN EYE.

IT'S PROBABLY FORMED
IN A VERY FLAT PLACE

SO THAT WHEN MUD FLOWS THROUGH
THE TOP OF THE CONE,

IT'S EVENLY DISTRIBUTED
AROUND THE SIDES OF THE VOLCANO,

WHICH GIVES IT THAT OPTICAL LOOK
FROM AN AERIAL IMAGE.

Narrator: A FREAK EVENT,
CAPTURED BY EYES IN THE SKY.

Chamberlain:
THIS MUD VOLCANO DOESN'T
ACTUALLY ALWAYS LOOK LIKE THIS.

AT THE POINT
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN,

THERE WAS AN ERUPTION GOING ON,

AND THAT'S WHAT GAVE IT
THIS CIRCLE IN THE MIDDLE,

LOOKING TO BE
THE IRIS OF THE EYE.

THIS IS INCREDIBLE TO HAVE
CAUGHT THIS MOMENT IN TIME.

**

[ WHIRRING ]

Narrator: COMING UP,
THE DESERT ENIGMA.

WHAT WAS IT
THAT COMPELLED PEOPLE

TO GO UP ON THIS HILLSIDE
AND CREATE THAT?

[ WHIRRING ]

**

Narrator: MARCH 3, 2013.

A SATELLITE OVER
THE VAST NAMIBIAN DESERT

CAPTURES THIS IMAGE
IN THE SANDS BELOW.

Walters:
IT LOOKS REMOTE. IT LOOKS DRY.

IT LOOKS PRETTY GODFORSAKEN,
FRANKLY.

AND YET,
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT,

WE'VE GOT WHAT LOOKS LIKE
A VAST SYMBOL

CARVED ONTO THE SIDE
OF THE HILL.

WHAT WAS IT
THAT COMPELLED PEOPLE

TO GO UP ON THIS HILLSIDE
AND CREATE THAT?

**

Narrator: ANALYSIS REVEALS
THE MYSTERY SYMBOL

IS MADE UP OF SEVERAL
CHARACTERS AND EMBLEMS.

I CAN'T HELP
BUT OBSERVE THE DETAILS,

AND ONE OF THOSE DETAILS
LOOKS A LOT LIKE A COMPASS,

SUGGESTIVE OF THE FREEMASONS.

**

Narrator:
THE SET SQUARE AND COMPASS

IS KNOWN AS THE MASONIC SQUARE.

Dr. Krueger:
THIS PATTERN DOES HAVE SOME TYPE

OF A SACRED SIGNIFICANCE
AMONG THE FREEMASONS.

Narrator: THE EXACT ORIGIN
OF FREEMASONRY IS IN DISPUTE,

BUT MOST SCHOLARS THINK
IT ORIGINATES IN MEDIEVAL TIMES.

**

WITH A HIGH DEMAND FOR
NEW CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS,

STONEMASONS WOULD WORK FAR AWAY
FOR MONTHS OR YEARS AT A TIME.

**

THEY FORM ORGANIZATIONS
TO PROTECT THEIR TRADE

AND KEEP UNSKILLED WORKERS OUT.

WHAT STARTED OFF AS A GROUP
OF HIGHLY SKILLED STONEWORKERS

HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS

TO BECOME A FRATERNITY
OF PROFESSIONALS

IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

**

Narrator:
YET WHEN INVESTIGATORS OBTAIN
HIGHER-RESOLUTION IMAGERY,

IT REVEALS THE DESERT SYMBOL
SERVES A DIFFERENT PURPOSE.

AT THE BASE OF IT IS A HORN,

AND IT'S SORT OF
A CLASSIC HUNTING HORN,

OFTEN SEEN IN MILITARY INSIGNIA,

SO THIS KIND OF POINTS
TOWARDS A MILITARY ORIGIN.

Narrator: THREE LETTERS
NOW VISIBLE ABOVE THE SYMBOL

YIELD FURTHER CLUES.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY
AT THIS INSIGNIA,

YOU CAN SEE IT'S GOT THE SYMBOLS
"2", "D", "L", "I",

AND THAT STANDS FOR THE
SECOND DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY.

[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]

Narrator:
THE DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

IS A REGIMENT
OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ARMY.

INVESTIGATORS CONSIDER
WHAT HISTORICAL EVENT

COULD ACCOUNT FOR ITS PRESENCE
IN THIS FOREIGN COUNTRY.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
THIS FARAWAY PART OF AFRICA

PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART
IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR.

[ GUNFIRE ]

Narrator:
AS WAR WAGES IN EUROPE,

A LESSER-KNOWN
BUT CRUCIAL STRUGGLE

TAKES PLACE FOR DOMINANCE
ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT,

A CONTINENT WITH A VAST
GERMAN COLONIAL PRESENCE.

AT THE OUTBREAK OF
THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN 1914,

GERMAN SOUTHWEST AFRICA

WAS, OBVIOUSLY,
CONTROLLED BY GERMANY.

BUT THEN, THE BRITISH
AND THE SOUTH AFRICANS INVADE.

Narrator: FOLLOWING A FEW
INITIAL SKIRMISHES IN 1914,

50,000 SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS,

ACTING ON BEHALF
OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT,

ADVANCE ACROSS
GERMAN SOUTHWEST AFRICA.

UNPREPARED AND UNDERSUPPLIED,

THE 7,000-STRONG GERMAN FORCE

SURRENDERS ON JULY 9, 1915.

THE VICTORIOUS SOLDIERS SEIZE
CONTROL OF KEY TRANSPORT LINKS

SUCH AS THE RAILWAY LINE
VISIBLE IN THE IMAGE.

Walters: AS SOON AS THE BRITISH
AND THE SOUTH AFRICANS

TOOK OVER THIS TERRITORY,

THE TROOPS RECEIVE ORDERS
TO PROTECT THIS RAILWAY,

THIS VITAL RAILWAY,
AT ALL COSTS.

Narrator:
THE 352-MILE-LONG OTAVI RAILWAY

IS A CRUCIAL SUPPLY LINE

CONNECTING NAMIBIA'S COAST
AND ITS DESERT INTERIOR.

THE BIGGEST FEAR FOR THEM
WAS SABOTAGE

BY GERMAN IMMIGRANTS
STILL LIVING IN THE AREA,

SO THEY STATIONED TROOPS
UP AND DOWN THE RAIL LINE

TO PREVENT ANYBODY
FROM SABOTAGING THE RAIL LINE

AT ITS CRUCIAL POINTS.

Narrator: YET THE FEARED
UPRISING NEVER MATERIALIZES.

**

ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A COUPLE OF
ATTACKS AGAINST RAILROAD LINES,

FOR THE MOST PART,
THESE TROOPS PERFORMED

THIS ROTE, ENDLESS,
DAY-IN, DAY-OUT JOB

OF GUARDING RAILROAD
WITH NOTHING HAPPENING.

Narrator:
DIARY ENTRIES REVEAL

THAT THE SOLDIERS
CONCOCT SCHEMES

TO STAVE OFF
THE RELENTLESS MONOTONY.

Janulis:
ONE OF THE WAYS THESE BORED
SOLDIERS ENTERTAINED THEMSELVES

WAS TO CREATE THEIR
UNIT INSIGNIAS ON THE GROUND

OUT OF LOCAL MATERIALS
LIKE ROCKS.

AT THE HEART OF THE COMPETITION
THAT EMERGES

IS PRIDE IN THEIR UNIT,
PRIDE IN THEIR ORGANIZATION.

Narrator:
REGIMENTS COMPETE TO CREATE

THE MOST COMPLEX AND ACCURATE
VERSIONS OF THEIR EMBLEMS

ON THE HILLS
ALONGSIDE THE TRACKS.

Janulis: AND AS COMPETITIONS DO,
EVERYTHING SORT OF EVOLVED

TO GET BIGGER
AND BIGGER AND BIGGER,

AND THEN IT BECAME
SORT OF A CULTURE.

AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THE OTHER
SOLDIERS COMING BACK ON LEAVE,

RIDING THE TRAIN LINE BY
AND SEEING THE INSIGNIA

IN THE WINDOW ON THE HILLSIDE

AND THEN WANTING TO OUTDO THAT
OTHER UNIT WHEN THEY RETURN.

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]

Narrator:
IN NOVEMBER 1918, THE WAR ENDS,

AND MANY OF THE SOLDIERS
RETURN HOME.

YET THE LEGACY
OF THEIR OVERLOOKED CHAPTER

OF THE WAR TO END ALL WARS

REMAINS VISIBLE FROM SPACE.

I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE CAN
SEE THESE SYMBOLS NOW,

OVER A CENTURY OLD.

THEY'RE A GREAT REMINDER
OF WHAT IS LARGELY

A FORGOTTEN PART
OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR.