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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:01,736 --> 00:00:05,204 Narrator: The island of santorini in the mediterranean sea. 2 00:00:05,206 --> 00:00:07,973 Today, a peaceful paradise. 3 00:00:07,975 --> 00:00:10,843 But buried deep within these colored cliffs 4 00:00:10,845 --> 00:00:12,845 are the ruins of akrotiri, 5 00:00:12,847 --> 00:00:15,347 an ancient city with a dark past. 6 00:00:16,884 --> 00:00:20,886 A mysterious civilization wiped out by a volcanic eruption 7 00:00:20,888 --> 00:00:24,056 100 times more powerful than pompei. 8 00:00:24,058 --> 00:00:27,459 Goodman: That natural disaster changed the course of history. 9 00:00:27,461 --> 00:00:30,863 It was truly a massive, catastrophic event. 10 00:00:30,865 --> 00:00:34,433 Narrator: Today, investigators use innovative underwater robots 11 00:00:34,435 --> 00:00:38,270 and pioneering techniques to discover the true extent 12 00:00:38,272 --> 00:00:41,006 of this earth-shattering eruption. 13 00:00:41,008 --> 00:00:43,475 Papanikolaou: I don't think that there's any other explosion 14 00:00:43,477 --> 00:00:48,347 in recent history that comes close to the santorini eruption. 15 00:00:48,349 --> 00:00:50,182 Narrator: For over 3,000 years, 16 00:00:50,184 --> 00:00:54,553 this eruption has inspired myths of the ancient mediterranean. 17 00:00:54,555 --> 00:00:57,923 Most of the people believe the lost a atlantis city 18 00:00:57,925 --> 00:01:00,192 was here -- was in santorini. 19 00:01:01,862 --> 00:01:05,164 Narrator: But what is the truth behind the most destructive eruption 20 00:01:05,166 --> 00:01:08,033 in recorded history? 21 00:01:08,035 --> 00:01:12,171 To find out, we'll unearth the lost city of akrotiri... 22 00:01:14,175 --> 00:01:16,642 ...Reconstruct magnificent homes... 23 00:01:18,813 --> 00:01:22,981 ...And dive deep beneath this mysterious island. 24 00:01:22,983 --> 00:01:28,087 We'll unearth the fate of this lost civilization, 25 00:01:28,089 --> 00:01:32,458 and reveal the secrets of santorini's deadly mega volcano. 26 00:01:36,797 --> 00:01:39,798 -- Captions by vitac -- www.Vitac.Com 27 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,801 captions paid for by discovery communications 28 00:01:42,803 --> 00:01:45,204 santorini is a greek island 29 00:01:45,206 --> 00:01:48,440 located 140 miles southeast of athens 30 00:01:48,442 --> 00:01:50,075 in the mediterranean sea. 31 00:01:53,447 --> 00:01:55,481 A mysterious ancient civilization 32 00:01:55,483 --> 00:01:59,885 living here thousands of years ago vanishes without a trace. 33 00:01:59,887 --> 00:02:02,855 Papanikolaou: Thousands of years ago in santorini, 34 00:02:02,857 --> 00:02:06,325 a highly developed civilization 35 00:02:06,327 --> 00:02:12,297 and culture disappeared suddenly in the area. 36 00:02:12,299 --> 00:02:14,366 Narrator: Today, this idyllic paradise 37 00:02:14,368 --> 00:02:17,035 is famous for its towering cliffs, 38 00:02:17,037 --> 00:02:21,473 colored beaches, and deep blue waters, 39 00:02:21,475 --> 00:02:24,009 but hidden away at santorini's southern tip 40 00:02:24,011 --> 00:02:26,812 are clues to its mysterious past. 41 00:02:30,518 --> 00:02:34,086 Buried 200 feet beneath the ground, 42 00:02:34,088 --> 00:02:36,889 archeologists uncover akrotiri, 43 00:02:36,891 --> 00:02:39,925 an ancient city over 3,000 years old. 44 00:02:42,496 --> 00:02:44,429 In its prime, its narrow streets 45 00:02:44,431 --> 00:02:48,534 are intricately paved with stone. 46 00:02:48,536 --> 00:02:51,770 Its town square is lined with picturesque houses 47 00:02:51,772 --> 00:02:56,608 that tower three and four stories high. 48 00:02:56,610 --> 00:03:00,512 An array of colorful stones decorate the facades. 49 00:03:03,117 --> 00:03:06,451 What is this thriving civilization? 50 00:03:06,453 --> 00:03:08,387 And what happens to its people? 51 00:03:13,594 --> 00:03:15,994 geologist dimitrios papanikolaou 52 00:03:15,996 --> 00:03:19,064 investigates akrotiri's ancient past. 53 00:03:22,403 --> 00:03:25,704 The ruins suggests a highly sophisticated civilization 54 00:03:25,706 --> 00:03:31,176 flourishes here for thousands of years before its abrupt end. 55 00:03:31,178 --> 00:03:34,313 Papanikolaou: It predates parthenon and the acropolis, 56 00:03:34,315 --> 00:03:37,683 considered all over the world as a symbol 57 00:03:37,685 --> 00:03:40,118 of a high level of culture. 58 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,889 Here, this is 1,000 years before that. 59 00:03:48,095 --> 00:03:51,964 Narrator: Dimitrios examines the city's ancient stone buildings. 60 00:03:55,202 --> 00:03:57,836 He discovers many of the rocks used to construct 61 00:03:57,838 --> 00:04:01,273 the upper floors are volcanic in origin. 62 00:04:01,275 --> 00:04:05,477 The upper part contains a lot of volcanic rocks, 63 00:04:05,479 --> 00:04:09,848 either tufts or some louvers. 64 00:04:09,850 --> 00:04:11,783 Narrator: Dimitrios explores further 65 00:04:11,785 --> 00:04:15,254 and discovers more volcanic rock, 66 00:04:15,256 --> 00:04:18,824 but this volcanic rock is completely different. 67 00:04:18,826 --> 00:04:20,792 It's not used as a building material, 68 00:04:20,794 --> 00:04:24,763 but is dumped unceremoniously. 69 00:04:24,765 --> 00:04:31,436 Here we have some huge boulders of pure lava 70 00:04:31,438 --> 00:04:32,871 and they are found here -- this one, 71 00:04:32,873 --> 00:04:37,409 the other one also very big, another one a little smaller. 72 00:04:37,411 --> 00:04:41,046 Narrator: The unusual rock provides clues to a major catastrophe 73 00:04:41,048 --> 00:04:42,948 that annihilates this city. 74 00:04:45,486 --> 00:04:46,752 The evidence suggests 75 00:04:46,754 --> 00:04:50,489 a massive volcanic eruption buries akrotiri. 76 00:04:52,526 --> 00:04:55,527 But there's no obvious volcanic mountain on santorini 77 00:04:55,529 --> 00:04:57,396 or in the surrounding sea. 78 00:05:00,334 --> 00:05:02,134 So where is the volcano? 79 00:05:05,306 --> 00:05:08,173 To find clues, dimitrios explores the islands 80 00:05:08,175 --> 00:05:10,942 at the heart of santorini's archipelago. 81 00:05:13,580 --> 00:05:17,082 Santorini is a group of five islands -- 82 00:05:17,084 --> 00:05:20,285 santorini, therasia, and aspronisi, 83 00:05:20,287 --> 00:05:22,654 form its outer ring. 84 00:05:22,656 --> 00:05:25,857 The islands of nea kameni, and palaia kameni 85 00:05:25,859 --> 00:05:28,860 lie at its center. 86 00:05:28,862 --> 00:05:34,299 Here, the water is tinted in shades of rusty red. 87 00:05:34,301 --> 00:05:39,438 And patches of colored rocks pepper the dark landscape. 88 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:40,939 Papanikolaou: Looking at the landscape, 89 00:05:40,941 --> 00:05:44,075 we see that there are some contrasting points -- areas -- 90 00:05:44,077 --> 00:05:48,280 small areas where the color is whitest. 91 00:05:50,617 --> 00:05:52,284 Well, these are locations 92 00:05:52,286 --> 00:05:57,222 where gases are coming out from the interior. 93 00:05:57,224 --> 00:06:00,092 Narrator: The colored rocks suggest the ground here releases 94 00:06:00,094 --> 00:06:02,427 clouds of toxic gas. 95 00:06:04,932 --> 00:06:09,935 Exploring further, dimitrios confirms his suspicion. 96 00:06:09,937 --> 00:06:12,371 At the island's summit, he finds gas 97 00:06:12,373 --> 00:06:15,407 escaping through cracks in the earth's surface. 98 00:06:17,411 --> 00:06:21,713 It's clear evidence of volcanic activity. 99 00:06:21,715 --> 00:06:23,515 I would say that I'm standing 100 00:06:23,517 --> 00:06:27,719 really in the heart of the volcano here. 101 00:06:27,721 --> 00:06:29,354 Narrator: The escaping gases hint 102 00:06:29,356 --> 00:06:33,859 at what lurks beneath the island's surface -- 103 00:06:33,861 --> 00:06:38,263 a thick layer of fragmented rock stretches 2 miles underground. 104 00:06:41,368 --> 00:06:43,902 Beneath it lies a spongy layer of crystals 105 00:06:43,904 --> 00:06:46,538 and glowing hot semi-molten rock... 106 00:06:48,842 --> 00:06:51,643 ...All concealing a huge cavern below... 107 00:06:53,847 --> 00:06:56,748 ...Bursting with up to 1.5 trillion gallons 108 00:06:56,750 --> 00:07:04,256 of molten magma hotter than 1,800 degrees fahrenheit. 109 00:07:04,258 --> 00:07:06,625 Is this huge bubbling chamber of magma 110 00:07:06,627 --> 00:07:09,461 key to understanding the island's past? 111 00:07:13,300 --> 00:07:17,803 The whole island is the result of volcanic activity. 112 00:07:17,805 --> 00:07:20,772 The type of rocks, the thermal springs, 113 00:07:20,774 --> 00:07:23,008 the vegetation, the atmosphere, 114 00:07:23,010 --> 00:07:27,245 the fumaroles, everything around here 115 00:07:27,247 --> 00:07:31,917 is the result of active volcanism. 116 00:07:31,919 --> 00:07:35,020 Narrator: Santorini is a volcanic caldera, 117 00:07:35,022 --> 00:07:40,292 a huge depression that forms after a volcano erupts. 118 00:07:40,294 --> 00:07:43,028 Stretching seven miles across and covering an area 119 00:07:43,030 --> 00:07:45,063 over 30 square miles, 120 00:07:45,065 --> 00:07:48,233 it's the largest active caldera in the world. 121 00:07:50,604 --> 00:07:52,037 Its immense size hints 122 00:07:52,039 --> 00:07:55,574 at the enormity of the ancient eruption. 123 00:07:55,576 --> 00:07:58,677 This shows really the energy release 124 00:07:58,679 --> 00:08:00,812 and the magnitude of the explosion. 125 00:08:02,816 --> 00:08:07,652 Narrator: The eruption creates a huge 20-mile high cloud. 126 00:08:07,654 --> 00:08:10,121 That blasts ash as far as egypt 127 00:08:10,123 --> 00:08:12,224 over 200 miles away. 128 00:08:14,361 --> 00:08:16,862 Ancient writers describe how the ash cloud 129 00:08:16,864 --> 00:08:19,631 plunges the world into darkness -- 130 00:08:19,633 --> 00:08:22,467 veiling the sun and causing a global winter 131 00:08:22,469 --> 00:08:24,503 for over two years. 132 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:31,610 A blanket of ash up to 200-feet thick covers the entire island. 133 00:08:36,750 --> 00:08:40,952 as the empty volcano collapses into the water, 134 00:08:40,954 --> 00:08:43,889 it changes the shape of the island forever. 135 00:08:48,228 --> 00:08:52,397 Like the roman ruins at pompei, the ancient remains of akrotiri 136 00:08:52,399 --> 00:08:55,300 are preserved by hot volcanic ash. 137 00:08:57,337 --> 00:09:01,172 A frozen snapshot of akrotiri's last moments. 138 00:09:03,477 --> 00:09:05,944 But there's an unsettling mystery... 139 00:09:05,946 --> 00:09:08,313 All over the excavated area, 140 00:09:08,315 --> 00:09:13,585 there are no bodies found, in contrast to pompei, for example. 141 00:09:13,587 --> 00:09:18,223 There you have plenty of bodies buried below the ashes. 142 00:09:18,225 --> 00:09:20,058 Here there's nothing left. 143 00:09:20,060 --> 00:09:22,360 Narrator: What happens to the people? 144 00:09:25,299 --> 00:09:31,202 How does an entire civilization mysteriously vanish? 145 00:09:31,204 --> 00:09:34,139 At akrotiri, evidence of man-made destruction 146 00:09:34,141 --> 00:09:36,441 provides tantalizing clues. 147 00:09:45,719 --> 00:09:49,487 narrator: Santorini's mega eruption is the most catastrophic volcanic 148 00:09:49,489 --> 00:09:52,857 explosion in recorded history. 149 00:09:52,859 --> 00:09:57,362 I don't think that is any other explosion in recent history 150 00:09:57,364 --> 00:10:01,466 that comes close to the santorini eruption. 151 00:10:01,468 --> 00:10:03,969 Narrator: It varies the ancient city of akrotiri 152 00:10:03,971 --> 00:10:07,739 in lava and ash up to 200-feet thick, 153 00:10:07,741 --> 00:10:11,509 100 times deeper than pompeii. 154 00:10:11,511 --> 00:10:14,813 But unlike that infamous eruption, at akrotiri, 155 00:10:14,815 --> 00:10:17,816 not a single body has ever been recovered. 156 00:10:17,818 --> 00:10:19,851 Papanikolaou: This is one of the big differences. 157 00:10:19,853 --> 00:10:23,054 There have been no bodies found anywhere. 158 00:10:25,492 --> 00:10:27,158 Narrator: Dimitrios believes a clue 159 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,195 to the fate of the people lies inside the city. 160 00:10:34,568 --> 00:10:37,435 Hidden amongst the debris of the ruins, 161 00:10:37,437 --> 00:10:41,072 investigators unearth a strange heavy stone 162 00:10:41,074 --> 00:10:43,174 weighing over 30 pounds. 163 00:10:45,212 --> 00:10:48,780 Archeologists believe the grooves once hold ropes so 164 00:10:48,782 --> 00:10:50,982 it can be used like a wrecking ball. 165 00:10:54,121 --> 00:10:59,457 And in a nearby house, two pots of plaster 166 00:10:59,459 --> 00:11:03,895 and a pot of dried paint lie strewn on the floor -- 167 00:11:03,897 --> 00:11:08,033 a decoration job hastily abandoned. 168 00:11:08,035 --> 00:11:10,702 Are these home repair and demolition tools, 169 00:11:10,704 --> 00:11:14,239 clues to what happens to the lost people of akrotiri? 170 00:11:18,478 --> 00:11:21,846 Today, akrotiri's empty streets remain eerily 171 00:11:21,848 --> 00:11:26,618 filled with rubble and rows of destroyed buildings. 172 00:11:26,620 --> 00:11:28,453 Papanikolaou: The present day ruins show 173 00:11:28,455 --> 00:11:34,592 it was destroyed several times and was rebuilt. 174 00:11:34,594 --> 00:11:38,096 Narrator: For dimitrios, the multiple repairs hold clues 175 00:11:38,098 --> 00:11:41,066 to the fate of the people of akrotiri. 176 00:11:41,068 --> 00:11:42,867 Papanikolaou: We can see in lower parts, 177 00:11:42,869 --> 00:11:46,071 the construction is made of large blocks. 178 00:11:46,073 --> 00:11:49,941 Then you have new construction on top of the early ones 179 00:11:49,943 --> 00:11:52,544 where you have very small blocks. 180 00:11:52,546 --> 00:11:54,813 Narrator: Different styles of construction suggests 181 00:11:54,815 --> 00:11:56,347 that people desperately tried 182 00:11:56,349 --> 00:12:00,018 to repair their homes after a major disaster. 183 00:12:00,020 --> 00:12:04,189 Papanikolaou: They were trying to repair rapidly the city. 184 00:12:04,191 --> 00:12:07,759 This is illustrated all over the settlement here. 185 00:12:10,097 --> 00:12:13,798 Narrator: But what is the cause of all these emergency repairs? 186 00:12:15,802 --> 00:12:18,403 Dimitrios examines the northern part of the city 187 00:12:18,405 --> 00:12:20,371 and finds a major clue. 188 00:12:23,810 --> 00:12:26,478 He discovers a solid stone staircase 189 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,780 split straight down the middle. 190 00:12:30,851 --> 00:12:34,919 It's a pattern of destruction he knows well. 191 00:12:34,921 --> 00:12:38,923 This destruction you can observe in many places in greece 192 00:12:38,925 --> 00:12:41,359 due to earthquakes. 193 00:12:41,361 --> 00:12:44,596 Narrator: The broken staircase is proof that a major earthquake 194 00:12:44,598 --> 00:12:49,667 also devastates akrotiri before the eruption. 195 00:12:49,669 --> 00:12:51,836 The earthquake may have warned the people 196 00:12:51,838 --> 00:12:53,538 of impending disaster. 197 00:12:59,913 --> 00:13:02,647 but dimitrios believes that further warning signals 198 00:13:02,649 --> 00:13:07,218 hit the city before the eruption begins. 199 00:13:07,220 --> 00:13:10,054 He hunts for evidence along the coastline. 200 00:13:12,826 --> 00:13:16,094 An open quarry provides him with a timeline of the events 201 00:13:16,096 --> 00:13:17,595 leading up to the eruption 202 00:13:17,597 --> 00:13:21,466 and a clue to the fate of the people. 203 00:13:21,468 --> 00:13:23,067 Papanikolaou: This is different layers. 204 00:13:23,069 --> 00:13:26,137 Each one meaning a different period 205 00:13:26,139 --> 00:13:28,473 with different characteristics. 206 00:13:28,475 --> 00:13:31,242 Narrator: The separate layers show the material deposited 207 00:13:31,244 --> 00:13:35,847 during different phases of the volcanic eruption. 208 00:13:35,849 --> 00:13:38,449 The lower the layer, the older the event. 209 00:13:45,158 --> 00:13:47,992 dimitrios examines the first layer for clues 210 00:13:47,994 --> 00:13:51,996 to akrotiri's destruction. 211 00:13:51,998 --> 00:13:53,898 Papanikolaou: The deposition of this layer 212 00:13:53,900 --> 00:13:57,302 means the city does not exist as a city. 213 00:13:57,304 --> 00:14:03,241 It is buried below this layer of several meters thick. 214 00:14:03,243 --> 00:14:05,777 Narrator: On close inspection at the very base, 215 00:14:05,779 --> 00:14:09,147 dimitrios discovers a thin layer of ash. 216 00:14:09,149 --> 00:14:11,983 Papanikolaou: See this yellowish material. 217 00:14:11,985 --> 00:14:13,918 This is a distinctive, 218 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,956 very tiny, thin layer, a few centimeters thick, 219 00:14:17,958 --> 00:14:24,362 which is the result of the first explosion. 220 00:14:24,364 --> 00:14:27,999 Narrator: The thin layer of ash suggests the volcano's first eruption 221 00:14:28,001 --> 00:14:30,468 is a minor explosion. 222 00:14:30,470 --> 00:14:33,338 Papanikolaou: This tiny first layer shows the first explosion, 223 00:14:33,340 --> 00:14:35,540 which is not a devastating one, 224 00:14:35,542 --> 00:14:40,078 and this made the warning to people to flee out. 225 00:14:42,716 --> 00:14:46,484 Narrator: The first small eruption spews thin, light ash 226 00:14:46,486 --> 00:14:48,586 across the whole of akrotiri. 227 00:14:52,759 --> 00:14:55,860 The ash and tremors from the volcano's forewarnings 228 00:14:55,862 --> 00:15:00,465 damaged local houses, which are painstakingly repaired. 229 00:15:03,536 --> 00:15:06,037 But the tremors continue over the months 230 00:15:06,039 --> 00:15:10,441 and cause more and more damage to the city's buildings. 231 00:15:10,443 --> 00:15:14,846 As the warning signs increase in their frequency and intensity, 232 00:15:14,848 --> 00:15:16,814 the people pack up their valuables 233 00:15:16,816 --> 00:15:20,685 and evacuate the island to escape the erupting volcano. 234 00:15:25,358 --> 00:15:27,625 Papanikolaou: They took whatever they could just carry 235 00:15:27,627 --> 00:15:32,196 and they went away hoping that they might come back. 236 00:15:35,368 --> 00:15:38,803 Narrator: Dimitrios believes the people escape across the mediterranean 237 00:15:38,805 --> 00:15:43,308 following the volcano's warning signs. 238 00:15:43,310 --> 00:15:45,543 The mega eruption instantly wipes out 239 00:15:45,545 --> 00:15:49,280 all life left on the island. 240 00:15:49,282 --> 00:15:53,318 But its effects are even further reaching. 241 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:56,921 A discovery 850 miles away in egypt 242 00:15:56,923 --> 00:16:01,592 provides evidence of its shocking power. 243 00:16:01,594 --> 00:16:04,195 How does this event become the most powerful 244 00:16:04,197 --> 00:16:07,932 and violent eruption ever witnessed by humankind? 245 00:16:16,910 --> 00:16:20,445 Narrator: Santorini's mega volcano is the most powerful eruption 246 00:16:20,447 --> 00:16:23,748 in written history. 247 00:16:23,750 --> 00:16:28,052 All life on the island is destroyed in an instant. 248 00:16:28,054 --> 00:16:30,421 Papanikolaou: The island changed its morphology 249 00:16:30,423 --> 00:16:32,089 and everything was changed here. 250 00:16:32,091 --> 00:16:35,093 Everything was destroyed by a major explosion. 251 00:16:38,131 --> 00:16:42,266 Narrator: A discovery 850 miles across the mediterranean sea 252 00:16:42,268 --> 00:16:46,204 in egypt provides evidence of its immense power. 253 00:16:50,477 --> 00:16:53,611 In karnak, archeologists discover fragments 254 00:16:53,613 --> 00:16:58,850 of a stone slab that dates back to the 16th century b.C. 255 00:17:02,288 --> 00:17:05,256 Known as the tempest stele of ahmose, 256 00:17:05,258 --> 00:17:08,993 it's the world's oldest weather report. 257 00:17:08,995 --> 00:17:12,463 It describes a huge storm that ravages egypt 258 00:17:12,465 --> 00:17:15,033 where the sky is hit by a tempest of rain 259 00:17:15,035 --> 00:17:17,201 causing intense darkness. 260 00:17:19,873 --> 00:17:21,873 Experts believe this could be proof 261 00:17:21,875 --> 00:17:26,644 of the far-reaching effects of the santorini eruption. 262 00:17:26,646 --> 00:17:28,780 What makes this eruption more powerful 263 00:17:28,782 --> 00:17:30,915 than any other in human history? 264 00:17:39,025 --> 00:17:41,259 ingo sonder is a volcanologist 265 00:17:41,261 --> 00:17:44,028 at the university at buffalo, new york. 266 00:17:46,032 --> 00:17:49,934 He investigates the volcanic process. 267 00:17:49,936 --> 00:17:51,702 I am fascinated by this process. 268 00:17:51,704 --> 00:17:57,909 I'm fascinated by molten rock, and what we can do with it. 269 00:17:57,911 --> 00:18:01,345 Narrator: During santorini's eruption, seawater infiltrates 270 00:18:01,347 --> 00:18:06,117 the volcano's magmatic chamber deep underground. 271 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,053 When the magma rises in the underground chamber, 272 00:18:09,055 --> 00:18:11,222 it cracks the surrounding rock, 273 00:18:11,224 --> 00:18:14,058 causing long fractures that reach the sea. 274 00:18:17,697 --> 00:18:21,232 The cracks act like vacuums and suck the seawater 275 00:18:21,234 --> 00:18:23,101 down into the chamber 276 00:18:23,103 --> 00:18:27,171 so the cold water hits the scorching 1,800-degree magma. 277 00:18:29,242 --> 00:18:31,309 Ingo believes this process of water 278 00:18:31,311 --> 00:18:35,480 mixing with magma is key to santorini's explosive power. 279 00:18:37,951 --> 00:18:41,185 But how can water fuel a volcanic explosion? 280 00:18:45,358 --> 00:18:48,693 To test how water impacts a volcanic eruption, 281 00:18:48,695 --> 00:18:52,063 ingo and his team create their own mini volcano. 282 00:18:54,901 --> 00:18:57,535 They heat 130-pounds of rock 283 00:18:57,537 --> 00:19:01,038 in a high powered induction furnace. 284 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:05,009 Sonder: The rock will melt above 1,200 degrees celsius. 285 00:19:05,011 --> 00:19:07,378 We will heat it up a little bit higher, 286 00:19:07,380 --> 00:19:09,680 so we have it really liquid once we pour it. 287 00:19:09,682 --> 00:19:14,018 Narrator: Ingo sets up the equipment. 288 00:19:14,020 --> 00:19:17,788 Four injection tubes will spray water into the magma. 289 00:19:20,193 --> 00:19:23,628 When the magma reaches 2,300 degrees fahrenheit, 290 00:19:23,630 --> 00:19:25,796 ingo pours it into the container. 291 00:19:28,468 --> 00:19:31,202 First, ingo and his team will test what happens 292 00:19:31,204 --> 00:19:34,705 when water slowly mixes with magma. 293 00:19:34,707 --> 00:19:38,910 He triggers a countdown and clears the surrounding area. 294 00:19:47,053 --> 00:19:51,022 the explosion sends the magma flying 3 feet into the air. 295 00:19:53,059 --> 00:19:55,259 But how does it compare to when the water is mixed 296 00:19:55,261 --> 00:19:58,462 with magma at high speed? 297 00:19:58,464 --> 00:20:00,431 Ingo adjusts the valves. 298 00:20:02,402 --> 00:20:04,569 They run the experiment again. 299 00:20:19,619 --> 00:20:21,352 sonder: Look at that. 300 00:20:21,354 --> 00:20:24,789 Narrator: The molten rock is ejected over 9 feet into the air, 301 00:20:24,791 --> 00:20:29,527 and melt is spread across the surrounding area. 302 00:20:29,529 --> 00:20:33,197 Ingo's tests show the higher the speed of the water, 303 00:20:33,199 --> 00:20:36,567 the more powerful the explosion. 304 00:20:36,569 --> 00:20:40,404 The speed at which the water enters the melt domains 305 00:20:40,406 --> 00:20:43,307 and creates its own mingling. 306 00:20:43,309 --> 00:20:47,745 This is probably the most important component. 307 00:20:47,747 --> 00:20:49,847 Narrator: The faster the speed, the more the water 308 00:20:49,849 --> 00:20:51,415 and magma mix together. 309 00:20:51,417 --> 00:20:56,387 And so the more heat shock the magma receives. 310 00:20:56,389 --> 00:20:58,122 This rapid change in temperature 311 00:20:58,124 --> 00:21:01,325 is converted into mechanical energy 312 00:21:01,327 --> 00:21:04,362 and is what makes the eruption so explosive. 313 00:21:08,968 --> 00:21:12,303 The amount of materials santorini's volcano expels 314 00:21:12,305 --> 00:21:16,774 is a testament to the power of the magma/water interaction. 315 00:21:16,776 --> 00:21:19,510 Papanikolaou: The magma from the interior of the earth, 316 00:21:19,512 --> 00:21:22,413 it takes up together blocks and fragments 317 00:21:22,415 --> 00:21:24,415 of the pre-existing rocks, 318 00:21:24,417 --> 00:21:27,918 and everything is spread tens of kilometers away. 319 00:21:30,323 --> 00:21:33,391 Narrator: As well as lava and ash, an erupting volcano 320 00:21:33,393 --> 00:21:35,760 can spew out solid rock -- 321 00:21:35,762 --> 00:21:41,532 chunks bigger than 2 1/2-inches are known as lava bombs. 322 00:21:41,534 --> 00:21:44,535 They can be thrown incredible distances. 323 00:21:44,537 --> 00:21:47,838 In santorini, archeologists find lava bombs 324 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,675 as far as 5 miles from the volcano. 325 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,314 The explosion of santorini's mega volcano 326 00:21:56,316 --> 00:21:58,783 showers the island with volcanic bombs 327 00:21:58,785 --> 00:22:03,187 and covers its inhabitants in a blanket of volcanic ash. 328 00:22:03,189 --> 00:22:04,989 Papanikolaou: Everything is escalated. 329 00:22:04,991 --> 00:22:08,559 You have bigger and bigger explosions. 330 00:22:08,561 --> 00:22:11,762 Narrator: But the danger isn't over yet. 331 00:22:11,764 --> 00:22:14,365 As archeologists dive beneath the water, 332 00:22:14,367 --> 00:22:16,133 they discover evidence that suggests 333 00:22:16,135 --> 00:22:19,437 the eruption triggers another destructive force of nature 334 00:22:19,439 --> 00:22:22,973 that devastates the surrounding islands -- 335 00:22:22,975 --> 00:22:25,543 a tsunami. 336 00:22:25,545 --> 00:22:27,378 Can a discovery on the coast 337 00:22:27,380 --> 00:22:32,817 75 miles away provide clues about santorini's monster wave? 338 00:22:40,193 --> 00:22:43,160 Narrator: The eruption of santorini is a natural disaster 339 00:22:43,162 --> 00:22:47,331 unparalleled in all of history. 340 00:22:47,333 --> 00:22:50,301 It destroys the ancient city of akrotiri 341 00:22:50,303 --> 00:22:53,170 and changes the shape of the island forever. 342 00:22:55,641 --> 00:22:58,843 The power of the eruption was huge, 343 00:22:58,845 --> 00:23:03,381 the equivalent of 600 atomic bombs, can you imagine this? 344 00:23:03,383 --> 00:23:06,250 It was a catastrophe for sure. 345 00:23:06,252 --> 00:23:08,652 Narrator: But the danger is far from over. 346 00:23:10,656 --> 00:23:14,392 In crete, 75 miles from santorini, 347 00:23:14,394 --> 00:23:19,730 archeologists find unusual, chaotic layers of soil. 348 00:23:19,732 --> 00:23:23,167 They contain a strange mixture of debris -- 349 00:23:23,169 --> 00:23:27,571 pieces of ancient pottery, plates and cups, 350 00:23:27,573 --> 00:23:32,576 chunks of wall plaster from once beautiful homes, 351 00:23:32,578 --> 00:23:36,647 and fragments of cattle bones mixed in with volcanic ash. 352 00:23:38,918 --> 00:23:40,818 Nestled amongst this debris 353 00:23:40,820 --> 00:23:44,221 are 3,000-year-old sea shells and algae 354 00:23:44,223 --> 00:23:47,825 as far as 1,000-feet inland. 355 00:23:47,827 --> 00:23:49,894 Is this mixture of land and sea 356 00:23:49,896 --> 00:23:53,130 proof of a mega tsunami from santorini. 357 00:23:55,134 --> 00:23:59,403 As a santorini native, marine geologist, evi nomikou, 358 00:23:59,405 --> 00:24:04,408 feels a close connection to the volcano. 359 00:24:04,410 --> 00:24:07,711 Nomikou: I was born in santorini. My father was a sailor, 360 00:24:07,713 --> 00:24:09,747 so I'm always close to the sea. 361 00:24:09,749 --> 00:24:13,384 And of course, as a kid, we loved to walk on the volcano 362 00:24:13,386 --> 00:24:17,788 and try to understand what is happening. 363 00:24:17,790 --> 00:24:23,260 Narrator: Today, evi uncovers santorini's underwater secrets. 364 00:24:23,262 --> 00:24:25,830 She investigates how the volcanic eruption here 365 00:24:25,832 --> 00:24:28,799 could trigger a mega tsunami. 366 00:24:28,801 --> 00:24:30,601 Nomikou: Some years ago, the scientists believe 367 00:24:30,603 --> 00:24:33,237 the generation of tsunami happened 368 00:24:33,239 --> 00:24:35,139 because of the caldera collapse. 369 00:24:36,876 --> 00:24:39,543 Narrator: Some experts believe the collapse of the caldera 370 00:24:39,545 --> 00:24:42,379 into the sea displaces so much water 371 00:24:42,381 --> 00:24:44,148 that it triggers the tsunami. 372 00:24:48,187 --> 00:24:52,556 The deadly wave is so huge, towering over 90-feet high, 373 00:24:52,558 --> 00:24:56,327 it overwhelms boats and destroys everything in its path. 374 00:25:01,234 --> 00:25:03,634 But is there any truth to the theory? 375 00:25:08,674 --> 00:25:11,275 evi works with remote-operated vehicle pilot 376 00:25:11,277 --> 00:25:13,177 othonas vlasopoulos 377 00:25:13,179 --> 00:25:17,681 to explore santorini's submerged caldera for evidence. 378 00:25:17,683 --> 00:25:22,620 The secrets of santorini are on the seawater, not on land, okay. 379 00:25:22,622 --> 00:25:25,756 We know lots of what is happening on shore, 380 00:25:25,758 --> 00:25:30,160 but we need to get out what is happening offshore. 381 00:25:30,162 --> 00:25:34,331 Narrator: Othonas prepares an underwater robot. 382 00:25:34,333 --> 00:25:37,067 The cutting edge r.O.V. Is fitted with two cameras 383 00:25:37,069 --> 00:25:40,104 to map and model the caldera floor. 384 00:25:42,808 --> 00:25:45,309 They deploy the robot off the southern edge 385 00:25:45,311 --> 00:25:47,745 of santorini's therasia island. 386 00:25:57,056 --> 00:26:02,493 -We got him 40-meters depth now. -Wow. 40 meters. 387 00:26:02,495 --> 00:26:06,030 Narrator: 130 feet below the water's surface, 388 00:26:06,032 --> 00:26:08,899 evi makes a surprising discovery. 389 00:26:08,901 --> 00:26:13,904 On the caldera floor is a massive landslide. 390 00:26:13,906 --> 00:26:15,239 For sure this is the continuation 391 00:26:15,241 --> 00:26:17,575 of a huge landslide, okay. 392 00:26:17,577 --> 00:26:21,111 So the other water landslide tell us 393 00:26:21,113 --> 00:26:23,581 this part of the island was land 394 00:26:23,583 --> 00:26:29,053 and at the end of the eruption, this part was collapsed. 395 00:26:29,055 --> 00:26:32,289 Narrator: The landslide is evidence that at the time of the eruption, 396 00:26:32,291 --> 00:26:34,858 santorini's islands were connected. 397 00:26:34,860 --> 00:26:37,027 Where the caldera lies today 398 00:26:37,029 --> 00:26:41,832 was once dry land and closed off to the sea. 399 00:26:41,834 --> 00:26:43,400 You have the caldera collapse, 400 00:26:43,402 --> 00:26:47,538 but at that time, santorini was not filled up with water. 401 00:26:47,540 --> 00:26:52,042 The caldera was dry, was completely dry. 402 00:26:52,044 --> 00:26:55,646 Narrator: The caldera is dry and isolated from the sea, 403 00:26:55,648 --> 00:26:57,815 so its collapse cannot be responsible 404 00:26:57,817 --> 00:27:02,953 for generating the mega tsunami that devastates crete. 405 00:27:02,955 --> 00:27:06,824 So what is the true trigger? 406 00:27:06,826 --> 00:27:09,159 Evi analyzes her surveys 407 00:27:09,161 --> 00:27:12,363 of santorini's sea floor to find clues. 408 00:27:15,134 --> 00:27:18,469 The results reveal a huge volume of volcanic material 409 00:27:18,471 --> 00:27:21,772 buried beneath the seabed. 410 00:27:21,774 --> 00:27:25,509 This yellow layer indicates the pyroclastic flows, 411 00:27:25,511 --> 00:27:28,278 so the thickness of the pyroclastic flows 412 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,382 is almost 300 feet. 413 00:27:31,384 --> 00:27:34,284 Narrator: Pyroclastic flows are ground-hugging clouds 414 00:27:34,286 --> 00:27:36,654 of hot volcanic material. 415 00:27:36,656 --> 00:27:40,024 They reach temperatures of 1,800 degrees fahrenheit 416 00:27:40,026 --> 00:27:44,328 and can travel up to 600 miles per hour -- 417 00:27:44,330 --> 00:27:47,498 three times faster than a bullet train, 418 00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:51,268 destroying everything in its path. 419 00:27:51,270 --> 00:27:54,605 Evi believes these huge 300-feet thick deposits 420 00:27:54,607 --> 00:27:56,106 of volcanic material 421 00:27:56,108 --> 00:27:59,810 are the true trigger of the mega tsunami that devastates crete. 422 00:28:03,816 --> 00:28:06,316 The volcano's violent pyroclastic flow 423 00:28:06,318 --> 00:28:09,520 tumbles into the sea, displacing so much water, 424 00:28:09,522 --> 00:28:12,423 it triggers a series of powerful tsunamis. 425 00:28:14,493 --> 00:28:17,327 The tsunamis devastate the coastline of crete 426 00:28:17,329 --> 00:28:19,496 over 75 miles away 427 00:28:19,498 --> 00:28:21,632 and even reach as far as the mediterranean's 428 00:28:21,634 --> 00:28:23,801 eastern shores. 429 00:28:23,803 --> 00:28:28,238 The height of the waves was almost 90 feet. 430 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:31,308 So you had a big tsunami that was devastating 431 00:28:31,310 --> 00:28:34,111 all the northern parts of crete. 432 00:28:36,182 --> 00:28:38,248 Narrator: At santorini's southern tip, 433 00:28:38,250 --> 00:28:41,819 evi explores the pyroclastic deposits on land. 434 00:28:44,657 --> 00:28:46,457 It's an alien landscape 435 00:28:46,459 --> 00:28:49,793 dominated by 130-foot high cliffs. 436 00:28:51,797 --> 00:28:54,498 They are proof of the huge volume of material 437 00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:57,801 ejected by the volcano. 438 00:28:57,803 --> 00:29:00,404 You need to imagine all this volume 439 00:29:00,406 --> 00:29:05,242 of pyroclastic flows that were entering into the sea 440 00:29:05,244 --> 00:29:10,814 with high speeds and generated the tsunami. 441 00:29:10,816 --> 00:29:14,651 This was the total catastrophe of the island. 442 00:29:17,923 --> 00:29:21,625 Narrator: The tsunami and ash wipe out civilizations on islands 443 00:29:21,627 --> 00:29:24,061 for miles around. 444 00:29:24,063 --> 00:29:27,331 But with so much destroyed, scientists and scholars 445 00:29:27,333 --> 00:29:32,936 wage war over the precise date of these cataclysmic events. 446 00:29:32,938 --> 00:29:34,638 Clues buried under water 447 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:38,308 over 600 miles away could provide the answer. 448 00:29:48,954 --> 00:29:51,255 narrator: The santorini eruption explodes 449 00:29:51,257 --> 00:29:56,760 with the power of two million hiroshima atomic bombs. 450 00:29:56,762 --> 00:29:59,563 But when did this cataclysmic event happen? 451 00:30:02,168 --> 00:30:07,004 Evidence for the date may lie across the mediterranean. 452 00:30:07,006 --> 00:30:09,706 I believe that the eruption that led to its tsunami 453 00:30:09,708 --> 00:30:11,809 that made its way to the shores of israel. 454 00:30:13,212 --> 00:30:18,382 Narrator: Beverly goodman is a marine geo-archeologist. 455 00:30:18,384 --> 00:30:20,417 She studies ancient tsunami evidence 456 00:30:20,419 --> 00:30:22,085 along the shores of israel 457 00:30:22,087 --> 00:30:25,722 and makes some surprising discoveries. 458 00:30:25,724 --> 00:30:27,925 Not only do we have evidence for one tsunami, 459 00:30:27,927 --> 00:30:29,459 we have evidence for many tsunamis 460 00:30:29,461 --> 00:30:32,095 that have hit the coast of israel. 461 00:30:32,097 --> 00:30:33,230 Narrator: Any evidence here of 462 00:30:33,232 --> 00:30:37,234 the santorini tsunami could help date it. 463 00:30:37,236 --> 00:30:39,670 Goodman: So the way that I go about trying to find information 464 00:30:39,672 --> 00:30:41,238 about the coastal history 465 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,207 is that we look along the coastline, 466 00:30:43,209 --> 00:30:47,811 but then we also especially go underwater. 467 00:30:47,813 --> 00:30:50,948 Narrator: Beverly and her team head out to sea to collect sediments 468 00:30:50,950 --> 00:30:53,650 near caesarea maritima, 469 00:30:53,652 --> 00:30:56,887 a roman city on israel's mediterranean coast. 470 00:31:00,025 --> 00:31:01,525 A team of divers works up 471 00:31:01,527 --> 00:31:04,928 to 120-feet beneath the water's surface. 472 00:31:07,032 --> 00:31:10,133 To retrieve a core sample, the team uses a hammer 473 00:31:10,135 --> 00:31:14,471 to insert a hollow steel tube into the seabed. 474 00:31:14,473 --> 00:31:17,774 The tube fills up with a section of sand. 475 00:31:17,776 --> 00:31:20,644 The divers secure the core to an airbag 476 00:31:20,646 --> 00:31:22,479 and launch it to the surface. 477 00:31:24,850 --> 00:31:28,719 Back on land, beverly opens and analyzes the cores. 478 00:31:32,524 --> 00:31:34,524 The cores can reveal major events 479 00:31:34,526 --> 00:31:38,095 in the coastline's history. 480 00:31:38,097 --> 00:31:40,697 Goodman: So what we can see here is that when we take a core, 481 00:31:40,699 --> 00:31:44,067 the top of the core is our present situation. 482 00:31:44,069 --> 00:31:47,671 This is today. And as we go down the core, 483 00:31:47,673 --> 00:31:49,406 it's sort of like looking at tree rings 484 00:31:49,408 --> 00:31:52,442 where we're looking back in time. 485 00:31:52,444 --> 00:31:55,545 Narrator: Variations in the sediment can reveal major events 486 00:31:55,547 --> 00:31:58,548 that hit caesarea's coastline. 487 00:31:58,550 --> 00:32:02,619 We want to pay attention and see where we get any chaotic layers 488 00:32:02,621 --> 00:32:06,089 or any big changes, but as we get down to this part, 489 00:32:06,091 --> 00:32:10,093 whoa! Boom! We've got this massive, chaotic layer. 490 00:32:10,095 --> 00:32:15,465 It's full of pieces of broken shell and tiny little pebbles. 491 00:32:15,467 --> 00:32:16,833 Narrator: These chaotic layers 492 00:32:16,835 --> 00:32:19,703 are evidence of ancient tsunami damage. 493 00:32:21,941 --> 00:32:26,810 Beverly homes in on the larger stones and seashells. 494 00:32:26,812 --> 00:32:28,845 This is actually our smoking gun. 495 00:32:28,847 --> 00:32:33,116 This is our fingerprint of our tsunamis. 496 00:32:33,118 --> 00:32:36,286 The core was collected in about 60-feet water depth, 497 00:32:36,288 --> 00:32:39,122 and these are clams that like to live in much deeper water, 498 00:32:39,124 --> 00:32:42,559 so we know that they had to be transported and moved. 499 00:32:44,363 --> 00:32:47,731 Narrator: The cores display three strips of chaotic layers. 500 00:32:47,733 --> 00:32:51,568 It's evidence for three tsunami events. 501 00:32:51,570 --> 00:32:54,404 But is one from the santorini eruption, 502 00:32:54,406 --> 00:32:57,374 and can it help date it? 503 00:32:57,376 --> 00:33:00,110 The first two chaotic layers 504 00:33:00,112 --> 00:33:03,647 contain fragments of roman pottery. 505 00:33:03,649 --> 00:33:08,418 But at the time of the eruption, the roman empire doesn't exist. 506 00:33:08,420 --> 00:33:09,853 It suggests those events 507 00:33:09,855 --> 00:33:14,091 are too recent to be the santorini tsunami. 508 00:33:14,093 --> 00:33:18,962 The third layer, however, contains no pottery whatsoever. 509 00:33:18,964 --> 00:33:22,499 Because we don't see a lot of pottery in here, any pottery, 510 00:33:22,501 --> 00:33:25,635 there's a very good chance that this is an earlier event 511 00:33:25,637 --> 00:33:31,041 and maybe even the event related to santorini's eruption. 512 00:33:31,043 --> 00:33:32,376 Narrator: Beverly sends shells 513 00:33:32,378 --> 00:33:36,079 from this mysterious layer for radiocarbon analysis. 514 00:33:38,350 --> 00:33:41,084 The results are conclusive. 515 00:33:41,086 --> 00:33:43,253 The radiocarbon dates on these deposits 516 00:33:43,255 --> 00:33:46,656 have given us the date of 1650 b.C. 517 00:33:46,658 --> 00:33:48,692 Narrator: Her results give a decisive date 518 00:33:48,694 --> 00:33:52,396 for the obliteration of santorini. 519 00:33:52,398 --> 00:33:55,499 Goodman: These cores are the first evidence of a tsunami deposit 520 00:33:55,501 --> 00:33:59,736 from santorini arriving to the shores of israel. 521 00:33:59,738 --> 00:34:03,540 Narrator: The dating of 1650 b.C. Places the eruption close 522 00:34:03,542 --> 00:34:05,042 to the mysterious collapse 523 00:34:05,044 --> 00:34:07,544 of a mighty sea-faring civilization -- 524 00:34:07,546 --> 00:34:09,780 the minoans. 525 00:34:09,782 --> 00:34:13,050 Although only 70 miles away from santorini, 526 00:34:13,052 --> 00:34:15,485 the minoans have a distinct and separate culture 527 00:34:15,487 --> 00:34:18,889 from the people of akrotiri. 528 00:34:18,891 --> 00:34:21,691 The minoan civilization is situated in crete 529 00:34:21,693 --> 00:34:24,461 and its surrounding islands. 530 00:34:24,463 --> 00:34:27,264 While most people in europe live in simple huts, 531 00:34:27,266 --> 00:34:31,001 the minoans build advanced cities. 532 00:34:31,003 --> 00:34:33,570 But 200 years after the eruption, 533 00:34:33,572 --> 00:34:38,275 the civilization declines and is conquered by invaders. 534 00:34:38,277 --> 00:34:40,277 Is the eruption to blame? 535 00:34:44,783 --> 00:34:46,950 Many archeologists believe 536 00:34:46,952 --> 00:34:49,319 that the santorini eruption plays a role 537 00:34:49,321 --> 00:34:51,354 in the great minoan collapse. 538 00:34:53,358 --> 00:34:57,961 The explosion covers the land in ash, choking the vegetation, 539 00:34:57,963 --> 00:35:02,099 and the tsunami destroys many of their fleets. 540 00:35:02,101 --> 00:35:06,503 They become an open target for enemy attack. 541 00:35:06,505 --> 00:35:09,639 It's the worst natural disaster in recorded history, 542 00:35:09,641 --> 00:35:11,575 and the minoans pay for it. 543 00:35:11,577 --> 00:35:13,610 Finding the tsunami evidence 544 00:35:13,612 --> 00:35:16,613 from this far in the eastern mediterranean shows 545 00:35:16,615 --> 00:35:20,750 that it was truly a massive, catastrophic event, 546 00:35:20,752 --> 00:35:24,387 and makes us really understand what it meant for that time. 547 00:35:26,425 --> 00:35:29,826 Narrator: But who are the people who live in ancient akrotiri? 548 00:35:32,698 --> 00:35:38,535 Many scientists claim santorini is the lost island of atlantis. 549 00:35:38,537 --> 00:35:40,537 Could a discovery on the sea floor 550 00:35:40,539 --> 00:35:43,507 provide evidence of a submerged city? 551 00:35:53,585 --> 00:35:57,187 Narrator: The eruption of santorini in 1650 b.C. 552 00:35:57,189 --> 00:35:59,890 Decimates all life on the island 553 00:35:59,892 --> 00:36:02,092 and erases an entire civilization 554 00:36:02,094 --> 00:36:05,295 from the pages of history. 555 00:36:05,297 --> 00:36:08,431 The mysterious lost people of ancient akrotiri 556 00:36:08,433 --> 00:36:12,536 leave behind no written records of who they are. 557 00:36:12,538 --> 00:36:18,575 Clues, however, can be found in the archeological evidence. 558 00:36:18,577 --> 00:36:21,011 The ruins preserved by the volcanic ash 559 00:36:21,013 --> 00:36:24,414 provide a glimpse of this advanced, lost civilization. 560 00:36:26,418 --> 00:36:27,951 Through the front door, 561 00:36:27,953 --> 00:36:32,055 a stone staircase leads up to the first floor. 562 00:36:32,057 --> 00:36:35,225 The floors are paved with huge slabs of volcanic rock 563 00:36:35,227 --> 00:36:37,260 with vibrant red detail. 564 00:36:39,364 --> 00:36:43,233 Beautiful frescoes adorn the walls depicting local life 565 00:36:43,235 --> 00:36:48,305 by the sea -- sailboats and fishermen with their catch. 566 00:36:48,307 --> 00:36:53,643 Alongside an ancient bathroom with a magnificent clay bathtub 567 00:36:53,645 --> 00:36:57,714 and one of the earliest toilets ever discovered, ingeniously 568 00:36:57,716 --> 00:37:01,117 plumbed into the city's own sewer network. 569 00:37:01,119 --> 00:37:03,286 It's evidence of a highly sophisticated 570 00:37:03,288 --> 00:37:05,855 and cultured society. 571 00:37:05,857 --> 00:37:08,959 What is this civilization, and who are its people? 572 00:37:11,363 --> 00:37:14,731 Most of the people believe the lost atlantis city 573 00:37:14,733 --> 00:37:16,700 was here -- was in santorini. 574 00:37:16,702 --> 00:37:19,803 There was a huge city, a marvelous city 575 00:37:19,805 --> 00:37:21,938 that has been destroyed completely 576 00:37:21,940 --> 00:37:23,873 due to the eruption. 577 00:37:23,875 --> 00:37:25,809 Narrator: In 360 b.C., 578 00:37:25,811 --> 00:37:30,547 the greek philosopher plato records the legend of atlantis, 579 00:37:30,549 --> 00:37:32,549 the story of an advanced civilization 580 00:37:32,551 --> 00:37:37,287 destroyed by the gods for their arrogance. 581 00:37:37,289 --> 00:37:41,524 It's a story that's fascinated us for millennia. 582 00:37:41,526 --> 00:37:43,660 People have searched for physical evidence 583 00:37:43,662 --> 00:37:46,296 of plato's atlantis, but found nothing. 584 00:37:48,567 --> 00:37:52,269 Could santorini be the lost island of atlantis? 585 00:37:52,271 --> 00:37:57,407 Plato say that the civilization was very brilliant, 586 00:37:57,409 --> 00:38:00,243 and we do know the people that they live in santorini 587 00:38:00,245 --> 00:38:03,413 at that time, they were very clever. 588 00:38:03,415 --> 00:38:07,917 That civilization was very sophisticated. 589 00:38:07,919 --> 00:38:11,221 Narrator: But something doesn't stack up. 590 00:38:11,223 --> 00:38:14,357 Plato's atlantis sinks into the ocean, 591 00:38:14,359 --> 00:38:17,460 but santorini doesn't 592 00:38:17,462 --> 00:38:21,564 could more evidence be submerged beneath the waves? 593 00:38:26,038 --> 00:38:28,271 Evi uses her remote operated vehicle 594 00:38:28,273 --> 00:38:31,207 to explore santorini's hidden depths. 595 00:38:33,512 --> 00:38:38,615 She's looking for any evidence of ancient man-made structures. 596 00:38:38,617 --> 00:38:40,283 Nomikou: I'm just wondering what will happen 597 00:38:40,285 --> 00:38:46,189 if we map the area on the smallest dikes over there. 598 00:38:46,191 --> 00:38:47,791 Narrator: In santorini's caldera 599 00:38:47,793 --> 00:38:50,493 on the eastern edge of therasia island, 600 00:38:50,495 --> 00:38:52,629 36-feet below the water, 601 00:38:52,631 --> 00:38:55,231 evi makes an extraordinary discovery. 602 00:38:55,233 --> 00:38:59,436 Yeah. What is this? Yeah, you see the structure 603 00:38:59,438 --> 00:39:01,404 of the lava? -Yes. 604 00:39:01,406 --> 00:39:02,539 It's very peculiar here. 605 00:39:02,541 --> 00:39:06,509 Also, there is a line here. Wow. 606 00:39:06,511 --> 00:39:12,015 So we have some kind of steps very close to the land. 607 00:39:12,017 --> 00:39:14,651 Narrator: An ancient structure bears a striking resemblance 608 00:39:14,653 --> 00:39:18,254 to a stone staircase. 609 00:39:18,256 --> 00:39:21,791 But is it natural or man-made? 610 00:39:21,793 --> 00:39:24,728 The step could be man-made, okay, 611 00:39:24,730 --> 00:39:28,298 because of the shape, the geometry of the step, 612 00:39:28,300 --> 00:39:33,503 they don't have this peculiar lava structure around. 613 00:39:33,505 --> 00:39:37,107 This is completely flat and perpendicular. 614 00:39:39,811 --> 00:39:42,278 Narrator: But why are these steps underwater? 615 00:39:44,449 --> 00:39:47,484 Maybe this is a small part of the ancient port -- 616 00:39:47,486 --> 00:39:50,086 a submerged ancient port. -Amazing. 617 00:39:50,088 --> 00:39:52,722 Narrator: An ancient port within the caldera 618 00:39:52,724 --> 00:39:57,160 matches plato's description of atlantis. 619 00:39:57,162 --> 00:39:58,895 Originally on dry land, 620 00:39:58,897 --> 00:40:00,964 the port collapses into the caldera 621 00:40:00,966 --> 00:40:03,967 during santorini's eruption. It suggests 622 00:40:03,969 --> 00:40:07,203 the port sits right on top of the volcano's epicenter 623 00:40:07,205 --> 00:40:11,474 when it erupts over 3,000 years ago. 624 00:40:11,476 --> 00:40:15,345 If we found some remnants of the port within the caldera, 625 00:40:15,347 --> 00:40:20,617 that means that something that was an ancient city 626 00:40:20,619 --> 00:40:22,485 just in the middle of the caldera 627 00:40:22,487 --> 00:40:25,321 like plato described. 628 00:40:25,323 --> 00:40:27,857 Narrator: Evi will need future exploration 629 00:40:27,859 --> 00:40:29,392 to confirm her findings 630 00:40:29,394 --> 00:40:34,497 and reveal the true relationship between santorini and atlantis. 631 00:40:34,499 --> 00:40:36,299 Nikomou: If you connect geography, 632 00:40:36,301 --> 00:40:39,302 the history, and the catastrophic event 633 00:40:39,304 --> 00:40:41,504 of the eruption, that means you have found 634 00:40:41,506 --> 00:40:44,808 some evidence of the lost atlantis in santorini. 635 00:40:50,715 --> 00:40:54,851 narrator: Santorini is an island borne out of fire and brimstone. 636 00:40:57,222 --> 00:41:00,490 Today, the ruins of akrotiri are all that remains 637 00:41:00,492 --> 00:41:02,358 of the sophisticated civilization 638 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:04,060 that once thrives here. 639 00:41:06,531 --> 00:41:10,166 Wiped from existence in the largest volcanic eruption 640 00:41:10,168 --> 00:41:11,801 in human history. 641 00:41:16,374 --> 00:41:22,445 By unearthing the remains and diving deep into the crater, 642 00:41:22,447 --> 00:41:25,882 experts can piece together the true story of santorini's 643 00:41:25,884 --> 00:41:29,652 mega volcano, and discover the real connection 644 00:41:29,654 --> 00:41:33,923 between ancient akrotiri and the legend of atlantis. 53190

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