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[narrator] Could this ancient
Middle Eastern relic
really produce electricity?
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00:00:07,533 --> 00:00:10,433
[Dr. Mark Altaweel]
How could they have batteries
almost 1,700 years
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00:00:10,533 --> 00:00:12,833
before batteries existed?
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00:00:12,933 --> 00:00:18,000
[narrator]
Why is this 3,000-year-old
Egyptian mummy screaming?
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00:00:18,100 --> 00:00:22,400
This person is being denied
an afterlife for eternity.
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00:00:22,500 --> 00:00:25,533
This is a huge deal.
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00:00:25,633 --> 00:00:31,567
[narrator] And is this
medieval device the hand
of the world's first iron man?
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00:00:31,667 --> 00:00:34,933
To the untrained eye,
it just looks like a gauntlet
on a suit of armor.
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00:00:35,033 --> 00:00:37,933
This is something
far, far stranger
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00:00:38,033 --> 00:00:39,633
and more
technologically advanced.
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00:00:43,367 --> 00:00:48,533
[narrator] These are the most
remarkable and mysterious
objects on earth
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00:00:48,633 --> 00:00:54,833
hidden away in museums,
laboratories and storage room.
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00:00:54,933 --> 00:00:57,100
Now, new research
and technology
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00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,267
can get under their skin
like never before.
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00:01:02,067 --> 00:01:07,067
We can rebuild them,
pull them apart,
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00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:11,900
and zoom in
to reveal the unbelievable,
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00:01:12,933 --> 00:01:17,800
the ancient
and the truly bizarre.
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These are
the world's strangest things.
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This priceless
2,000-year-old relic
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is the only one of its kind
in the world.
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Since it was unearthed
in Baghdad in 1936,
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it's become infamous
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as one of the most
controversial finds
of all time.
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For nearly 70 years,
it was stored
in an Iraqi museum.
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Now, it's gone.
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00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,267
In 2003, during the Iraq War,
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Baghdad Museum was plundered,
and it went missing.
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[narrator] But using
the best available data,
we've brought it back.
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Just six inches tall.
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At first glance, it looks like
a dusty old jar...
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but opening it up reveals
something intriguing...
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00:02:29,967 --> 00:02:34,633
a tube of copper
and an iron rod.
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00:02:34,733 --> 00:02:38,367
And in between the two,
you had this bitumen plug
that separated the two items.
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00:02:41,933 --> 00:02:43,733
[narrator] The archaeologist
who finds it
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is struck by a similarity
in this combination of parts,
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not to anything
from the ancient world,
but something from the modern.
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00:02:54,067 --> 00:02:55,933
He basically,
right there on the spot,
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00:02:56,067 --> 00:02:58,900
thought that
it may have been a battery...
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00:02:59,067 --> 00:03:02,833
Which is kind of
a crazy-sounding idea
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00:03:02,933 --> 00:03:06,233
for something
that's 2,000 years old.
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00:03:06,333 --> 00:03:08,967
[narrator]
Accepted history says
the first-known battery
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won't be invented until 1799.
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00:03:13,367 --> 00:03:16,367
How could they have batteries
1,700 years before
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when actually batteries
existed?
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[narrator] It becomes known
as the Baghdad Battery.
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No other jar like this
has ever been found.
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00:03:30,367 --> 00:03:32,400
What is it for?
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00:03:32,500 --> 00:03:36,067
And could it really be
an ancient electrical device?
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00:03:38,967 --> 00:03:42,933
Why would an archaeologist
identify it as a battery
in the first place?
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00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,533
One of the challenges
that we have
in interpreting the past
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is that we do have
a kind of natural inclination
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to bring our own
frames of reference
to what we're seeing.
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So it doesn't surprise me that
something unusual like this
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00:04:00,233 --> 00:04:02,700
might have been interpreted
as a battery.
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[Dr. Altaweel] Most scholars
were very skeptical.
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00:04:06,533 --> 00:04:08,967
As an archaeologist,
I would sort of test an idea,
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um, see if it's possible
or feasible.
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If it's not, then I would
discount it and say,
"Okay, it's not that."
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[narrator]
So the first question is,
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can it actually function
as a battery at all?
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[Dr. Anna Ploszajski]
A battery like this
has three main components.
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There are two electrodes
made of metal
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called the anode
and the cathode.
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00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,833
And the substance
in between those
is called an electrolyte.
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00:04:32,933 --> 00:04:36,867
Electrolytes are liquids
that allow for the flow
of charged particles
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00:04:36,967 --> 00:04:38,667
between the two electrodes.
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In a battery,
it would commonly be
an acidic liquid.
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00:04:43,867 --> 00:04:46,200
[narrator]
The copper and the iron
in this ancient relic
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00:04:46,300 --> 00:04:49,200
look strikingly
like modern electrodes.
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00:04:49,300 --> 00:04:52,333
And that's not
the only similarity.
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00:04:52,433 --> 00:04:57,067
What's really exciting
is that there's evidence
of an acidic solution inside.
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As well as this,
the electrodes show
evidence of corrosion,
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which is exactly
what we would expect
to find inside a battery.
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00:05:04,933 --> 00:05:07,300
[narrator]
So, it seems to have
all the right parts,
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00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,567
but can it actually
make electricity?
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Scientific research
has finally tested this idea.
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00:05:15,333 --> 00:05:18,100
People have done
a reconstruction
of the Baghdad Battery
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00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,500
and found that
because of the chemistry
and the materials involved,
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it kind of can't help
but be a battery,
which is really cool.
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00:05:27,267 --> 00:05:29,267
[narrator]
So, quite remarkably,
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the evidence suggests
it really does work.
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00:05:33,100 --> 00:05:35,633
But is this
an accidental effect
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or are its makers
actually trying
to create electricity?
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Back in the third century,
this region of Mesopotamia
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is at the heart
of the Sasanian Empire.
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And for the time,
the people who live here
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certainly have
a sophisticated culture.
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The capital city of Ctesiphon
is a vast metropolis
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of a quarter
of a million people.
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00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,933
[Dr. Altaweel] One of the
remains of Ctesiphon
is this large arch
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00:06:04,067 --> 00:06:06,500
that you see if you go
outside of Baghdad.
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So, clearly,
the Sasanians were
a very sophisticated society
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of very developed engineers.
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[narrator] If any civilization
in this period is going
to invent a battery,
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the Sasanians
sound like a good prospect.
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In fact, one of the most
ancient universities
was built by the Sasanians.
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Um, they had an ancient school
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that brought scholars
from India, from Rome,
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00:06:28,833 --> 00:06:32,933
from the Greek world, uh,
to basically conduct science.
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[narrator] If the Sasanians
really do create
this mysterious object,
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what is it for?
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00:06:39,700 --> 00:06:42,400
One theory suggests
its electrical charge
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could be used
for plating metal.
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To do this,
you put metal objects
that you want to coat
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in a precious material
into a vat
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of really nasty chemicals
that contain gold,
for example.
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When you pass a current
through that solution,
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then the gold atoms stick
to the metals
that you want to plate.
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00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:08,433
And what you ends up with
is a really thin layer of gold
onto the metal surface.
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[narrator]
And there's no shortage
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00:07:13,533 --> 00:07:17,767
of gold-plated objects
from this period
to support this idea.
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Plating gold, particularly
on things like silver,
or other metals,
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00:07:21,933 --> 00:07:22,900
was very typical.
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00:07:23,067 --> 00:07:25,133
Uh, gold, of course,
was highly precious,
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00:07:25,233 --> 00:07:27,700
highly desired,
but was also very expensive.
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So you often would put
a plate of gold
on another item
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to make it look like
the entire item's made of gold
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to give it
that, kind of, gold shine.
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[narrator]
But there are some issues
with this theory.
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[Dr. Ploszajski] The problem
with the electroplating theory
is that you would have needed
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a lot of Baghdad Batteries
to power it,
and we've only found one.
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[narrator] There's
an even bigger problem.
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00:07:52,700 --> 00:07:55,633
The Sasanians already know
how to plate gold.
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It was a different process
that was much better known
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and much easier to do
called fire gilding,
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00:08:02,567 --> 00:08:04,367
which would have achieved
the same effect
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00:08:04,467 --> 00:08:07,300
of plating
these metal objects with gold.
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00:08:08,167 --> 00:08:09,500
In fire gilding,
what you do is
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00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,733
you create an alloy
out of gold and mercury.
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00:08:12,833 --> 00:08:16,133
You apply that
to the metal surface,
and then you heat it up,
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00:08:16,233 --> 00:08:18,900
which boils away the mercury
into the air
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to leave the gold
on the surface.
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This is a ridiculously
dangerous process,
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00:08:24,467 --> 00:08:25,767
and would have been
extremely bad
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for the health
of everyone involved
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00:08:28,333 --> 00:08:30,067
in doing
this fire gilding process.
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So, we know that now,
but they probably
didn't know that back then.
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[narrator]
The electroplating theory
doesn't hold up,
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and there's
an even more bizarre idea.
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Could this strange object
have been for childbirth?
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00:08:54,433 --> 00:08:58,400
The Baghdad Battery,
a mysterious ancient device
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that produces
an electric charge.
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00:09:02,967 --> 00:09:04,567
What is it for?
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00:09:05,467 --> 00:09:07,667
There's been one argument
that the device
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may have been used
for a kind of electrotherapy.
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Uh, the idea
of using electricity
to numb the pain,
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perhaps in childbirth, labor.
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We do this
in the modern world.
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[narrator] Surprisingly,
using electricity in this way
is not a new idea.
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00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:26,933
There are ancient texts
from the ancient Greek world,
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00:09:27,067 --> 00:09:29,133
uh, the use of electric rays,
for instance.
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Electricity
derived from animals
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00:09:31,067 --> 00:09:34,133
that could be used
to numb the pain
for individuals.
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00:09:34,233 --> 00:09:37,100
So that's indicating
there is a precedent
for this, uh...
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potential use to the battery
for that purpose.
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[narrator]
The problem with this theory
is that there was no shortage,
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of pain relief in this part
of the world already.
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Almost 2,000 years
before this jar...
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would have been made,
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you had text discussing
the use of things.
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Probably comparable
to opium or even cannabis.
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Used to numb pain.
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So, medicinal uses of
different plants,
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00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,133
would have been a
well established practice,
in this part of the world.
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00:10:06,233 --> 00:10:09,700
[narrator]
So probably not a miracle
pain relief.
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00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,900
Their seemed to be flaws in
every ancient battery theory.
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00:10:13,967 --> 00:10:17,200
Maybe the answer is
it's not a battery at all.
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00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,700
The form and shape
of the Baghdad battery,
is a very common shape.
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Very common looking jar,
very plainly decorated.
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00:10:27,667 --> 00:10:32,300
Such jars were often used
to contain scrolls,
parchment effectively.
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[narrator]
But if this jar is designed
to hold scrolls,
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00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,167
why is there acid residue
inside it?
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00:10:41,133 --> 00:10:44,567
And why the copper tube
and iron rod?
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00:10:44,667 --> 00:10:49,767
Any theory has to explain
the function of all
four key elements.
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00:10:49,867 --> 00:10:52,333
[Dr. Altaweel]
You have the liquid inside
the jar.
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You had the jar itself.
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The two items
the rod and the cylinder.
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The fact that they're made
of specific metals.
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You had iron and copper.
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00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:02,433
So you had to come up
with a solution,
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00:11:02,533 --> 00:11:05,067
that effectively brings it
all together.
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00:11:06,233 --> 00:11:08,733
Now there is a new idea,
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00:11:08,833 --> 00:11:11,800
one that could
explain everything.
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00:11:11,900 --> 00:11:13,533
A new and very exciting...
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00:11:13,633 --> 00:11:15,233
theory about the
Baghdad battery,
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00:11:15,333 --> 00:11:18,333
is that it could have been
used in the brewing of beer.
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00:11:19,333 --> 00:11:21,900
When you ferment yeast
to create beer,
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00:11:22,067 --> 00:11:25,367
it also makes substances
like hydrogen sulphide.
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This is a really smelly
and disgusting material.
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00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,067
You can smell it
near volcanoes.
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00:11:30,167 --> 00:11:32,467
It sort of smells like
rotten eggs,
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00:11:32,567 --> 00:11:34,767
and you really don't want
that in your beer.
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00:11:34,867 --> 00:11:38,267
So, today we take
hydrogen sulphide out of beer,
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00:11:38,367 --> 00:11:40,233
using
electrochemical processes.
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00:11:41,900 --> 00:11:43,300
[Dr. Altaweel]
In modern beer making,
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00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,500
copper barrels are often used,
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00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:49,067
to remove smell and
impurities from beer,
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00:11:49,100 --> 00:11:50,567
so potentially
the Baghdad battery
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00:11:50,667 --> 00:11:52,433
is used for a similar purpose.
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00:11:53,833 --> 00:11:56,067
To get rid of the
hydrogen sulphide from beer,
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00:11:56,100 --> 00:11:58,067
what you can do is put a
copper electrode...
202
00:11:58,100 --> 00:12:01,300
into the beer and apply
a voltage to it.
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00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,700
When you do that, the
hydrogen sulfide in the beer,
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00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,767
reacts with the copper
to produce a solid material,
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00:12:06,867 --> 00:12:09,467
which just floats
to the bottom of the vat,
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00:12:09,567 --> 00:12:10,967
which you can then
easily remove,
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00:12:11,067 --> 00:12:12,667
which gets rid of your
hydrogen sulphide.
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00:12:12,767 --> 00:12:15,133
And it's possible that the
Baghdad battery was used,
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00:12:15,233 --> 00:12:16,833
for the same process
back then.
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00:12:18,167 --> 00:12:21,167
[narrator]
But did the Sasanians
really care enough about beer,
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00:12:21,267 --> 00:12:22,633
to go to this much effort?
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00:12:24,700 --> 00:12:27,633
Beer was a big deal
and had been for a long time.
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00:12:27,733 --> 00:12:31,600
We know of brewing in Iraq,
from 3500 BCE,
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00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:33,633
and possibly even older
than that.
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00:12:35,067 --> 00:12:36,400
Beer was a very
common beverage,
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00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:38,467
in this part of the world
for a long time,
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00:12:38,567 --> 00:12:40,933
perhaps even
preferred beverage,
218
00:12:41,067 --> 00:12:43,200
but it was also
full of impurities.
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00:12:43,300 --> 00:12:47,500
And so, perhaps creating
something that could
diminish those impurities,
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00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,733
would have been an innovation
that would be desired
by this period.
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00:12:51,667 --> 00:12:54,100
[narrator]
After 70 years of controversy,
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00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,667
do we finally have
an explanation,
for this strange object?
223
00:12:58,500 --> 00:13:00,067
So I guess the question is,
224
00:13:00,133 --> 00:13:03,433
could the Baghdad battery
have actually been part
of a Baghdad brewery?
225
00:13:03,533 --> 00:13:05,133
Well, the beer is acidic,
226
00:13:05,233 --> 00:13:07,600
so yeah, that would work
as the electrolytes.
227
00:13:07,700 --> 00:13:11,300
The copper and the iron
together create the voltage.
228
00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:15,633
The copper can take
the hydrogen sulphide
out of the beer.
229
00:13:15,733 --> 00:13:19,067
And we also see that corrosion
on the electrodes.
230
00:13:19,133 --> 00:13:21,733
So, yes, it could have worked
in this way.
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00:13:24,067 --> 00:13:27,233
[narrator]
But like every theory about
the Baghdad battery,
232
00:13:27,333 --> 00:13:28,500
there's a snag.
233
00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,167
There's only one problem
with this brewery theory,
234
00:13:31,267 --> 00:13:35,100
which is that the
Baghdad battery itself
is extremely small.
235
00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:36,600
So, if it was used
for brewing beer,
236
00:13:36,700 --> 00:13:40,067
it would have been the
world's first craft beer.
237
00:13:40,133 --> 00:13:43,133
[narrator]
Right now, proving this idea
is impossible.
238
00:13:44,433 --> 00:13:47,300
Because the battery is
still missing.
239
00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:48,633
Unless it's recovered,
240
00:13:48,733 --> 00:13:51,900
this new theory can't be
properly tested.
241
00:13:55,333 --> 00:13:58,400
For now, at least,
the Baghdad battery,
242
00:13:58,500 --> 00:14:02,867
remains one of the world's
most perplexing,
unexplained objects.
243
00:14:07,367 --> 00:14:09,200
Locked away in a Cairo museum,
244
00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:12,167
is one of the strangest
Egyptian relics in history.
245
00:14:13,933 --> 00:14:15,700
Unlike the thousands of
other mummies,
246
00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,367
unearthed from the sands
of Egypt,
247
00:14:17,467 --> 00:14:20,533
that seem calm and composed,
248
00:14:20,633 --> 00:14:25,100
this one appears
to be a snapshot,
of the true horror of death.
249
00:14:27,833 --> 00:14:30,500
Now the body has been
removed from its coffin,
250
00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,800
and painstakingly
reconstructed.
251
00:14:34,467 --> 00:14:37,500
This is the Screaming Mummy.
252
00:14:41,567 --> 00:14:45,600
People think that the
Screaming Mummy is
screaming in agony,
253
00:14:45,700 --> 00:14:48,533
you know, it looks
really horrific.
254
00:14:48,633 --> 00:14:51,900
[narrator]
Even the gold earrings lost
after the body was discovered,
255
00:14:52,067 --> 00:14:54,833
have been digitally restored.
256
00:14:54,933 --> 00:14:57,467
They're definitely not
the jewelry of a peasant.
257
00:14:58,700 --> 00:15:01,067
His body tells a
similar story.
258
00:15:04,167 --> 00:15:07,133
His hair was braided.
He had henna on.
259
00:15:07,233 --> 00:15:12,433
All of this actually suggests
that what we have here
is a man of extreme status.
260
00:15:14,367 --> 00:15:15,833
[narrator]
Yet this emaciated body,
261
00:15:15,933 --> 00:15:19,167
looks nothing like other
high status Egyptian mummies.
262
00:15:20,467 --> 00:15:23,300
"Normal" mummies would be
wrapped in linen bandages,
263
00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,633
which were
symbolically important.
264
00:15:25,733 --> 00:15:28,833
It's really shocking
that this mummy is not.
265
00:15:30,067 --> 00:15:33,367
And his hands and feet
looked like they were tied up.
266
00:15:33,467 --> 00:15:36,767
[Dr. Rebecca]
Why was he buried in this
really disturbing manner?
267
00:15:37,733 --> 00:15:39,100
[narrator] Who is he?
268
00:15:40,233 --> 00:15:42,433
Why is he screaming?
269
00:15:42,533 --> 00:15:47,733
Now, the latest scientific
analysis can reveal
not only his identity,
270
00:15:47,833 --> 00:15:50,900
but the truth behind his
gruesome demise.
271
00:16:01,233 --> 00:16:04,233
The Screaming Mummy
is discovered
in the late 19th century.
272
00:16:05,267 --> 00:16:08,767
Near Egypt's legendary
Valley of the Kings,
273
00:16:09,933 --> 00:16:11,967
and he isn't found alone.
274
00:16:14,267 --> 00:16:18,867
Basically, this was
a discovery of a cache
of mummies.
275
00:16:18,967 --> 00:16:23,467
So there were about 40
in there,
most of them richly decorated,
276
00:16:23,567 --> 00:16:26,933
with coffins and sarcophagi
and things like that.
277
00:16:28,533 --> 00:16:29,800
Some of the mummies
in this cache,
278
00:16:29,900 --> 00:16:31,933
are actually quite well known,
what we might say,
279
00:16:32,067 --> 00:16:34,467
household names
from ancient Egypt.
280
00:16:34,567 --> 00:16:37,600
So, for example, Ramses II.
281
00:16:37,700 --> 00:16:41,133
[narrator]
Ramses II ruled for more than
60 years,
282
00:16:41,233 --> 00:16:45,200
and is considered
one of ancient Egypt's
greatest pharaohs.
283
00:16:45,300 --> 00:16:49,667
So this certainly wasn't just
a group of unimportant people,
284
00:16:49,767 --> 00:16:50,967
but rather a
bringing together,
285
00:16:51,067 --> 00:16:53,800
of some of the biggest names
in ancient Egypt.
286
00:16:55,100 --> 00:16:57,500
[narrator]
But inside one of the coffins,
287
00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,167
archaeologists make a shocking
discovery.
288
00:17:02,067 --> 00:17:04,533
So when they opened up
the lid of the coffin,
289
00:17:04,633 --> 00:17:08,833
they were really surprised
to find,
the body of a young man.
290
00:17:08,933 --> 00:17:12,167
His face was contorted
in what seems like agony.
291
00:17:15,533 --> 00:17:17,200
[narrator]
With no clue to his identity,
292
00:17:17,300 --> 00:17:21,333
archaeologists label him
"Unknown Man E,"
293
00:17:21,433 --> 00:17:25,233
What is this macabre body
doing amongst
such exalted company?
294
00:17:27,167 --> 00:17:30,500
Forensic analysis just adds
to the mystery.
295
00:17:32,100 --> 00:17:35,267
You don't see any calluses,
no thick skin.
296
00:17:35,367 --> 00:17:40,967
The person had
beautiful earrings,
fingernails were manicured.
297
00:17:41,067 --> 00:17:44,600
Person was in good health,
as far as we could see.
298
00:17:44,700 --> 00:17:47,500
[narrator]
This is not a man
who works for his living.
299
00:17:48,767 --> 00:17:51,067
Combined with the location
of his burial.
300
00:17:51,100 --> 00:17:55,067
This suggests
he is a member of
ancient Egypt's ruling elite.
301
00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,833
But there's a problem
with that theory.
302
00:17:58,933 --> 00:18:02,100
His simple wooden coffin
looks nothing like the others.
303
00:18:04,100 --> 00:18:05,600
[Dr. Rebecca]
It's not highly decorated,
304
00:18:05,700 --> 00:18:07,867
so really, this is a
huge question,
305
00:18:07,967 --> 00:18:10,967
why is this man of high status
being buried,
306
00:18:11,067 --> 00:18:13,667
in this completely
plain coffin?
307
00:18:13,767 --> 00:18:17,600
[narrator]
Worse still, it doesn't record
his name.
308
00:18:17,700 --> 00:18:21,800
This is almost unheard of
in elite burials.
309
00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:26,167
This is not a small thing
for the ancient Egyptians.
310
00:18:26,267 --> 00:18:29,200
Names were tied intrinsically,
to your body.
311
00:18:29,300 --> 00:18:33,067
So if you wanted to have
a successful transition,
into the afterlife,
312
00:18:33,133 --> 00:18:35,167
you needed to have your body
intact,
313
00:18:35,267 --> 00:18:38,567
and part of that was having
a recognizable name.
314
00:18:41,267 --> 00:18:43,333
[narrator] Everything about
Egyptian burials,
315
00:18:43,433 --> 00:18:46,200
is to assist your journey
after death.
316
00:18:48,133 --> 00:18:49,600
[Dr. Rebecca]
If you were buried properly,
317
00:18:49,700 --> 00:18:52,433
the idea would be that you
could go into the afterlife.
318
00:18:52,533 --> 00:18:54,500
You could be
in the Field of Reeds,
319
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:58,733
which was at the
ancient Egyptian conception
of what we might call heaven,
320
00:18:58,833 --> 00:19:01,300
and you lived a life
of paradise.
321
00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:05,667
[narrator]
The nameless coffin sends
a stark message.
322
00:19:05,767 --> 00:19:09,067
The implication of burying
someone without their name,
323
00:19:09,167 --> 00:19:12,233
is huge when it comes to
ancient Egyptian theology.
324
00:19:12,333 --> 00:19:17,767
This really means that this
person is being denied,
an afterlife for eternity.
325
00:19:17,867 --> 00:19:19,633
This is a huge deal.
326
00:19:22,633 --> 00:19:24,967
[narrator]
The other essential component
of a successful journey
327
00:19:25,067 --> 00:19:27,167
into the afterlife
is mummification.
328
00:19:29,367 --> 00:19:32,633
Mummification was an
extremely elaborate process.
329
00:19:32,733 --> 00:19:36,567
You would start by removing
by removing the brain
and the internal organs,
330
00:19:36,667 --> 00:19:40,267
um, washing the body
and cleansing it with salt.
331
00:19:41,533 --> 00:19:43,633
[narrator] But a forensic
examination of the corpse
332
00:19:43,733 --> 00:19:47,333
reveals something
even more shocking
than the nameless coffin.
333
00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,333
[Dr. Mark] If you look at
the skull of the mummy,
334
00:19:51,433 --> 00:19:53,433
you see that the brain
is still there.
335
00:19:53,533 --> 00:19:57,133
That is very unusual
because the brain
should have been removed.
336
00:19:58,667 --> 00:20:01,400
[narrator] The abdomen
of the body is also unmarked,
337
00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:04,400
suggesting the other organs
are still in place.
338
00:20:05,867 --> 00:20:07,633
[Dr. Mark]
And that is something...
339
00:20:07,733 --> 00:20:11,133
Especially for a person
from a very high social rank,
340
00:20:11,233 --> 00:20:14,467
that's something
that I've never seen before.
341
00:20:14,567 --> 00:20:16,367
[narrator] And the material
covering the corpse
342
00:20:16,467 --> 00:20:20,133
is completely out of place
for a high status burial.
343
00:20:20,233 --> 00:20:22,767
It's really shocking
that this mummy is wrapped
344
00:20:22,867 --> 00:20:24,767
not in linen
but in a sheepskin.
345
00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,833
I've seen a lot of mummies,
but none was ever
wrapped into a skin
346
00:20:30,933 --> 00:20:33,833
of an animal
that has a bad meaning,
347
00:20:33,933 --> 00:20:36,300
or an unclean meaning
like a sheep.
348
00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,933
So that is something
that is very, very unusual,
349
00:20:39,033 --> 00:20:41,267
and very offensive
for that person.
350
00:20:43,100 --> 00:20:44,800
[Dr. Rebecca]
So if we bring
all of this together,
351
00:20:44,900 --> 00:20:46,933
the fact that
there's no name on the coffin,
352
00:20:47,033 --> 00:20:48,933
the fact that he was wrapped
in sheep skin,
353
00:20:49,033 --> 00:20:51,300
and the fact that
his organs weren't removed.
354
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,267
This all adds up to the idea
355
00:20:54,367 --> 00:20:56,967
that someone has done
this intentionally,
356
00:20:57,067 --> 00:21:00,267
and that this man
is being completely denied
357
00:21:00,367 --> 00:21:02,800
a chance of living
in the afterlife.
358
00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:09,533
[narrator]
A member of the elite
buried in a royal tomb.
359
00:21:09,633 --> 00:21:14,800
His body treated
with contempt,
his soul damned to oblivion.
360
00:21:14,900 --> 00:21:17,833
Who is this cursed man?
361
00:21:26,067 --> 00:21:27,667
[narrator]
The screaming Mummy,
362
00:21:27,767 --> 00:21:32,567
a 3,000-year-old
unidentified corpse
twisted in agony.
363
00:21:34,167 --> 00:21:35,933
For nearly 130 years,
364
00:21:36,067 --> 00:21:39,300
the identity of Unknown Man E
remains a mystery.
365
00:21:40,900 --> 00:21:45,300
Now, 21st century forensics
have been brought
to bare on the body.
366
00:21:48,067 --> 00:21:51,700
In the late 2000s,
an Egyptian archeologist
named Zahi Hawass
367
00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,200
commissioned a number
of DNA analyses.
368
00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:57,533
What these analyses
tell us is that
369
00:21:57,633 --> 00:22:02,267
he was the son
of one of Egypt's greatest
pharaohs, Ramses III.
370
00:22:03,733 --> 00:22:08,200
Ramses III is quite a big deal
in ancient Egyptian history.
371
00:22:08,300 --> 00:22:11,433
He had a number
of military campaigns
that he oversaw,
372
00:22:11,533 --> 00:22:15,800
and he built on
an incredibly prolific scale.
373
00:22:15,900 --> 00:22:20,200
To some Egyptologists,
he's actually the last
of the great pharaohs.
374
00:22:22,267 --> 00:22:25,233
[narrator]
If the Screaming Mummy
is the son of a living God,
375
00:22:25,333 --> 00:22:28,833
what can he have done
to deserve this terrible fate?
376
00:22:32,700 --> 00:22:35,633
An ancient document
located two 2,000 miles away
377
00:22:35,733 --> 00:22:38,733
in Turin, northern Italy,
might hold the key.
378
00:22:40,233 --> 00:22:43,367
It's known
as the Judicial Papyrus.
379
00:22:43,467 --> 00:22:46,767
It seems to record the trial
of a number of people
380
00:22:46,867 --> 00:22:51,567
who are high up
in the court for conspiracy
to assassinate Ramses III.
381
00:22:55,733 --> 00:22:59,600
The pharaohs in ancient Egypt
were able to marry
a number of wives,
382
00:22:59,700 --> 00:23:01,267
however many
they liked, really.
383
00:23:01,367 --> 00:23:05,067
And these wives
would usually be ranked.
384
00:23:05,167 --> 00:23:08,367
The Judicial Papyrus
actually talks
about a lesser queen
385
00:23:08,467 --> 00:23:12,100
whose name was T,
um, and the fact
that she had managed
386
00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,500
to recruit a huge number
of courtiers,
people of real power.
387
00:23:17,500 --> 00:23:20,733
[narrator] The Papyrus
claims that this lesser queen,
388
00:23:20,833 --> 00:23:24,367
a wife of Ramses III
plotted to murder him.
389
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:31,600
And it goes on to suggest
that Queen T had created
this conspiracy
390
00:23:31,700 --> 00:23:35,100
in order to put her own son
on the throne.
391
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:39,067
And that son's name
was Pentawere.
392
00:23:39,167 --> 00:23:41,633
[narrator] The story recorded
in this ancient document
393
00:23:41,733 --> 00:23:44,800
is a dark tale
of conspiracy and murder.
394
00:23:46,667 --> 00:23:50,867
One that might finally
reveal the identity
of the Screaming Mummy.
395
00:23:50,967 --> 00:23:56,100
From the DNA test,
we know that this is one
of the sons of Ramses III.
396
00:23:58,433 --> 00:24:01,500
And we also know that
he was buried in disgrace.
397
00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,067
So if we put that together,
there's only one solution.
398
00:24:05,133 --> 00:24:07,400
This must be Prince Pentawere.
399
00:24:09,467 --> 00:24:11,967
[narrator] There's one problem
with this theory.
400
00:24:12,067 --> 00:24:15,300
Other than the Papyrus,
the name Pentawere appears
401
00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,367
absolutely nowhere
else in ancient Egypt.
402
00:24:19,467 --> 00:24:23,400
There's a very real
possibility that Pentawere
wasn't his real name.
403
00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:27,067
And that actually
this is a pseudonym
used specifically
404
00:24:27,133 --> 00:24:30,067
so that his real name
wouldn't be said
405
00:24:30,133 --> 00:24:35,500
because the action of saying
someone's name gives him life.
406
00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,733
[narrator]
The Screaming Mummy
may have been at the center
407
00:24:37,833 --> 00:24:39,167
of a treasonous plot.
408
00:24:40,967 --> 00:24:43,067
But did the plot succeed?
409
00:24:45,967 --> 00:24:49,500
On the one hand,
we have the Judicial Papyrus,
410
00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,267
at which Ramses III,
seems to be
opening proceedings
411
00:24:53,367 --> 00:24:56,367
and presiding
over the entire trial.
412
00:24:56,467 --> 00:24:59,100
However, he is referred to
as the Great God,
413
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,667
which is often
a title reserved for people
who were dead.
414
00:25:02,767 --> 00:25:06,933
So the Judicial Papyrus
doesn't actually
give us a firm answer
415
00:25:07,067 --> 00:25:10,433
as to whether the plot
against Ramses III
was successful or not.
416
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:13,900
[narrator] In 2007,
417
00:25:14,067 --> 00:25:18,900
Ramses III's mummy
is scanned using
21st century CT technology.
418
00:25:20,333 --> 00:25:22,767
The results are shocking.
419
00:25:22,867 --> 00:25:26,333
Under the linen,
which was carefully placed
and arranged there,
420
00:25:26,433 --> 00:25:30,600
there was a deep wound
stretching from the front
back to the spine,
421
00:25:30,700 --> 00:25:34,467
and that means
that the veins here
on his the sides of the neck
422
00:25:34,567 --> 00:25:35,967
were cut.
423
00:25:36,067 --> 00:25:39,267
And that means the brain
doesn't get any oxygen
and you die instantly.
424
00:25:41,633 --> 00:25:45,667
Meaning that
he was assassinated.
425
00:25:45,767 --> 00:25:48,967
[Dr. Rebecca]
As the most important man
in ancient Egypt,
426
00:25:49,067 --> 00:25:53,267
there is no doubt that
the Pharaoh would have been
extremely, closely guarded.
427
00:25:53,367 --> 00:25:55,600
And this suggests that
anyone who got to him
428
00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:57,467
may have been
someone close to him.
429
00:25:59,233 --> 00:26:02,233
[narrator] Someone like a son.
430
00:26:02,333 --> 00:26:06,633
Which may explain
why Pentawere
is damned to oblivion.
431
00:26:06,733 --> 00:26:10,467
By killing this person
who is seen to
be a living God,
432
00:26:10,567 --> 00:26:15,067
you are committing the most
heinous crime possible.
433
00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:19,367
The conspirators
who were found guilty
of being part of this plot
434
00:26:19,467 --> 00:26:24,367
actually were handed out
some pretty heavy duty
sentences.
435
00:26:24,467 --> 00:26:27,800
[narrator] 28 of them
are sentenced to death.
436
00:26:27,900 --> 00:26:30,967
Royal members of the plot
are ordered to commit suicide.
437
00:26:36,733 --> 00:26:40,433
Is this the fate
of the Screaming Mummy?
438
00:26:40,533 --> 00:26:43,533
On the withered corpse
is one final clue.
439
00:26:43,633 --> 00:26:47,133
[Dr. Mark]
You see kind of indentations
on the wrists,
440
00:26:47,233 --> 00:26:52,267
that means that the person
was probably or most likely
restrained before death
441
00:26:52,367 --> 00:26:55,400
because you even find
pieces of leather
inside of the tongue.
442
00:26:55,500 --> 00:26:58,667
So, I mean, why would
the person be restrained?
443
00:27:00,333 --> 00:27:04,400
The fact that his hands
were bound does suggest
that if this was suicide,
444
00:27:04,500 --> 00:27:07,300
it was probably more likely
to be assisted suicide.
445
00:27:09,667 --> 00:27:12,600
[narrator]
We know his name and his fate.
446
00:27:13,833 --> 00:27:16,467
One final question remains.
447
00:27:16,567 --> 00:27:18,700
Why is he screaming?
448
00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:33,467
Why is this mummy screaming?
449
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,533
It turns out he's not alone.
450
00:27:46,100 --> 00:27:47,833
Screaming Mummies
exist everywhere.
451
00:27:48,933 --> 00:27:52,500
You see some Screaming Mummies
in Sicily, in Italy,
452
00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:54,633
in the middle
and Southern America.
453
00:27:54,733 --> 00:27:59,333
Wherever you see mummies,
you often see a scream.
454
00:27:59,433 --> 00:28:02,133
[narrator] But are they
really screaming at all?
455
00:28:03,767 --> 00:28:07,133
The Screaming Mummy
looks as if it was screaming
456
00:28:07,233 --> 00:28:09,367
because it is poorly prepared.
457
00:28:09,467 --> 00:28:11,767
This was...
this is not done with love.
458
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:16,733
In most cases,
when mummies are produced,
459
00:28:16,833 --> 00:28:20,767
the lower jaw is bound
so that it doesn't open up.
460
00:28:22,933 --> 00:28:24,800
if you bind find the jaw,
461
00:28:24,900 --> 00:28:28,433
then you have joints over here
and over there on both sides
462
00:28:28,533 --> 00:28:30,933
and then your lower jaw
will just drop.
463
00:28:31,067 --> 00:28:34,067
And that obviously looks
as if you were screaming.
464
00:28:34,100 --> 00:28:37,133
So it's just
an accidental thing
that happens
465
00:28:37,233 --> 00:28:40,867
by gravitational forces.
466
00:28:40,967 --> 00:28:42,867
[narrator] The reason
he appears to be screaming
467
00:28:42,967 --> 00:28:46,200
says as much
about us as it does
about the Egyptians.
468
00:28:47,433 --> 00:28:51,067
It is completely normal
that we see emotions,
469
00:28:51,133 --> 00:28:55,067
facial expressions
in a face of a living
or dead body.
470
00:28:55,167 --> 00:28:58,333
This is because our brain
is just hard-wired in a way,
471
00:28:58,433 --> 00:29:01,600
because it is absolutely
necessary to very quickly
find out
472
00:29:01,700 --> 00:29:04,867
which emotion another person
to react properly.
473
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,200
[narrator]
When we see a face
with a gaping mouth,
474
00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:11,833
its head thrown backwards,
475
00:29:11,933 --> 00:29:16,067
our brains instantly
compare it to what we know.
476
00:29:16,167 --> 00:29:19,933
And the closest resemblance
to Pentawere's face,
is a scream.
477
00:29:20,067 --> 00:29:21,933
[screaming sound]
478
00:29:22,067 --> 00:29:27,133
So it seems this corpse
isn't actually screaming.
479
00:29:27,233 --> 00:29:30,733
But that doesn't stop the face
from looking profoundly
disturbing.
480
00:29:33,700 --> 00:29:38,133
[narrator] Locked forever
in an expression of
agonizing torment.
481
00:29:42,767 --> 00:29:45,333
[narrator]
In a glass cabinet
in Jagsthausen Castle
482
00:29:45,433 --> 00:29:47,600
deep in the German
countryside,
483
00:29:47,700 --> 00:29:51,633
lies one of the world's
most incredible objects.
484
00:29:51,733 --> 00:29:55,967
To the untrained eye, it just
looks like a gauntlet you
might see on a suit of armor.
485
00:29:56,067 --> 00:30:00,667
This is something far,
far stranger and more
technologically advanced.
486
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:05,633
[narrator]
Now painstakingly
reconstructing it
487
00:30:05,733 --> 00:30:08,200
using cutting edge
imaging technology...
488
00:30:14,533 --> 00:30:17,400
reveals it in forensic detail.
489
00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:23,667
It's a 500-year-old
medieval marvel,
490
00:30:23,767 --> 00:30:27,667
a mechanical iron hand
with a seven inch long cuff,
491
00:30:27,767 --> 00:30:29,967
the only one of its kind
in the world.
492
00:30:31,667 --> 00:30:34,900
Its fingers are
fully articulated,
493
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:39,533
and inside is a complex
mechanism of cods and springs.
494
00:30:43,367 --> 00:30:49,633
Its owner, Gotz Von
Berlichingen made extravagant
claims for this device.
495
00:30:49,733 --> 00:30:52,200
The iron hands
allows him to hold a glass,
496
00:30:52,300 --> 00:30:56,433
wield a sword, ride a horse
and all these things
497
00:30:56,533 --> 00:31:00,800
made you like pretty manly
and active and virile.
498
00:31:00,900 --> 00:31:03,900
[narrator]
It sounds fantastic,
but maybe that's all it is.
499
00:31:05,500 --> 00:31:07,800
Because Gotz has a well
earned reputation
500
00:31:07,900 --> 00:31:11,067
as a man given to wild
and extravagant claims.
501
00:31:12,733 --> 00:31:16,433
At the end of the day,
people thought, is it all true
what he's writing there?
502
00:31:16,533 --> 00:31:18,567
Does this hand really
properly work?
503
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,100
[narrator] Why was this
device built?
504
00:31:23,867 --> 00:31:25,700
Did it really work?
505
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,900
And who was the man
with the iron hand?
506
00:31:33,100 --> 00:31:36,400
He lives in
15th century Germany.
507
00:31:36,500 --> 00:31:38,700
It is a brutal, violent place.
508
00:31:39,667 --> 00:31:41,667
The Germanic area
509
00:31:41,767 --> 00:31:47,100
was divided up into dozens
of little principalities.
510
00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,700
[Ruth Goodman] Some of them
were ruled by princess
and by Duke's.
511
00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:51,967
They're all at each other's
throats all time
512
00:31:52,067 --> 00:31:54,467
trying to get their bit bigger
than somebody else's.
513
00:31:54,567 --> 00:31:57,600
It's enormously chaotic,
you know.
514
00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:00,267
The same political situation
isn't in place
515
00:32:00,367 --> 00:32:04,800
more than about three weeks
before, Bing,
it's all changed again.
516
00:32:04,900 --> 00:32:09,500
[narrator] This is the
world in which
Gotz Von Berlichingen lives.
517
00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:15,067
He was born in 1480,
and he was a knight
by the age of 17.
518
00:32:17,100 --> 00:32:20,067
At the age of 20, he became
a freelancer, so to speak.
519
00:32:21,833 --> 00:32:23,667
[narrator]
Gotz may be called a knight,
520
00:32:23,767 --> 00:32:26,967
but in reality
he's an infamous mercenary.
521
00:32:27,067 --> 00:32:30,967
He had his own gang
and he was a weapon to hire.
522
00:32:31,067 --> 00:32:35,567
Anybody could hire the gang
and then they would go there
and fight for that person.
523
00:32:35,667 --> 00:32:39,933
And he was killing people
and robbing people and making
money out of that.
524
00:32:42,133 --> 00:32:46,167
[narrator] Then, at the age of
24, it all goes wrong for him.
525
00:32:47,533 --> 00:32:51,867
In 1504, Gotz is fighting for
a Bavarian Duke.
526
00:32:51,967 --> 00:32:55,433
And during one of the battles,
a cannonball hits his arm
527
00:32:55,533 --> 00:32:58,800
and slices of his hand
and a part of his arm.
528
00:33:00,933 --> 00:33:04,567
[narrator] Before antibiotics,
such wounds are often fatal.
529
00:33:05,567 --> 00:33:06,933
Gotz is in luck.
530
00:33:07,067 --> 00:33:12,300
He survives. But he loses
his right forearm and hand.
531
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,367
It seems his days
as a fighting knight are over.
532
00:33:17,633 --> 00:33:20,167
Whilst Gotz is in bed
being ill.
533
00:33:20,267 --> 00:33:21,433
He's not giving up.
534
00:33:21,533 --> 00:33:23,100
He's trying to figure
something out.
535
00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:27,933
He wants to continue to do his
job, so he designs a new arm
and hand
536
00:33:28,067 --> 00:33:32,267
for himself to grab a weapon,
and two continue to kill.
537
00:33:33,533 --> 00:33:35,067
[narrator] He certainly
isn't the first person
538
00:33:35,167 --> 00:33:38,167
to come up with the idea
of artificial body parts.
539
00:33:39,433 --> 00:33:42,067
I think there's a general idea
that prosthetics
540
00:33:42,100 --> 00:33:45,067
haven't been around
for that long.
541
00:33:45,133 --> 00:33:48,067
[Dr. Rebecca] There are a
couple of really good examples
from ancient Egypt,
542
00:33:48,100 --> 00:33:51,933
the best of which is probably
a prosthetic toe
543
00:33:52,067 --> 00:33:57,233
that was designed
to go onto the right toe
of a noble woman.
544
00:33:57,333 --> 00:34:00,967
It's really amazing.
It's made of wood and leather.
545
00:34:01,067 --> 00:34:03,767
It has a hinge
so that it can move with her,
546
00:34:03,867 --> 00:34:09,633
fits movement more easily, and
it has a nice leather strap
for comfort we think.
547
00:34:09,733 --> 00:34:11,867
[narrator] Even the
Romans get in on the act.
548
00:34:13,333 --> 00:34:18,133
Pliny the Elder describes
a man who he finds to be
incredibly heroic.
549
00:34:18,233 --> 00:34:21,700
His name is
Marcus Sergius Silus.
550
00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:25,267
He is famous for having his
arm cut off in battle
551
00:34:25,367 --> 00:34:27,600
and refusing to step down,
552
00:34:27,700 --> 00:34:32,667
and he actually had an iron
bit added onto his arm,
553
00:34:32,767 --> 00:34:34,100
the shield's side arm,
554
00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:36,800
to hold up a shield so that he
could continue fighting.
555
00:34:37,933 --> 00:34:40,133
He was on horse
numerous times.
556
00:34:40,233 --> 00:34:42,533
He went on to fight
numerous battles.
557
00:34:43,933 --> 00:34:47,333
[narrator] But Gotz has
a vision of something far more
sophisticated.
558
00:34:50,067 --> 00:34:54,067
Gotz goes to a blacksmith
and really tries
to find something that works,
559
00:34:54,133 --> 00:34:58,233
not just a hook or a wooden
stump or something,
560
00:34:58,333 --> 00:35:02,933
but something that really
allows him to continue
to function and to work.
561
00:35:06,967 --> 00:35:09,233
[narrator] Two years
after losing his hand,
562
00:35:09,333 --> 00:35:12,333
Gotz is back
on the battlefield
with a metal prosthetic.
563
00:35:14,133 --> 00:35:17,200
But he's not satisfied
with his first attempt.
564
00:35:18,367 --> 00:35:22,467
First one was still rather
relatively remarkable
565
00:35:22,567 --> 00:35:24,533
and that it would open
and close,
566
00:35:24,633 --> 00:35:29,500
but more of a binary
on and off sort of grip.
567
00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:31,967
But the second version
is truly remarkable.
568
00:35:33,733 --> 00:35:35,067
[narrator]
What Gotz comes up with
569
00:35:35,133 --> 00:35:39,333
appears to be a uniquely
sophisticated iron hand.
570
00:35:39,433 --> 00:35:42,633
If you must have taken to his
blacksmith, it was
pretty incredible.
571
00:35:42,733 --> 00:35:46,133
He wanted to have each
individual digits
fully articulated,
572
00:35:46,233 --> 00:35:49,133
and he wanted to be able to
hold a sword and take it
into battle.
573
00:35:49,233 --> 00:35:51,500
That is a pretty incredible
list of demands
574
00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:53,300
to take to a
16th century blacksmith.
575
00:35:54,900 --> 00:35:56,633
[narrator]
It sounds astonishing,
576
00:35:56,733 --> 00:35:59,167
and Gotz certainly tells
everyone it is.
577
00:36:00,933 --> 00:36:03,867
But does it actually work?
578
00:36:03,967 --> 00:36:07,400
Now new research can finally
answer that question.
579
00:36:16,900 --> 00:36:20,200
[narrator]
Gotz Von Berlichingen's
500-year-old iron hand
580
00:36:20,300 --> 00:36:22,933
is a masterpiece
of medieval engineering.
581
00:36:24,733 --> 00:36:28,967
Challenge of building
a prosthetic hand is having
a combination
582
00:36:29,067 --> 00:36:32,167
of being able to move
and adapt the grip.
583
00:36:32,267 --> 00:36:35,467
But then, actually, when
you're ready to hold it,
it actually have it fixed
584
00:36:35,567 --> 00:36:40,533
into a very robust mechanical
hold say, especially
in the case of guts.
585
00:36:40,633 --> 00:36:43,100
If he's holding a sword
for the reign of a horse,
586
00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:46,067
he needs for that to be a very
tight grip.
587
00:36:47,267 --> 00:36:51,067
[narrator] To understand
just how clever
Gotz's hand is,
588
00:36:51,167 --> 00:36:54,067
you need to look
at the mechanisms inside it.
589
00:36:55,067 --> 00:36:57,933
The key is a ratchet
and Paul system.
590
00:36:59,167 --> 00:37:01,267
A ratchet has a series
of teeth.
591
00:37:01,367 --> 00:37:04,800
A paul falls into each tooth
as it rotates,
592
00:37:04,900 --> 00:37:06,700
and because of the shape
of the teeth,
593
00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,533
the paul prevents the joint
going backwards.
594
00:37:09,633 --> 00:37:12,933
To do that, the paul has to be
lifted clear.
595
00:37:16,467 --> 00:37:20,100
It's exactly the same
mechanism still found
in handcuffs.
596
00:37:22,667 --> 00:37:27,667
In the iron hand, each finger
contains three of
these mechanisms
597
00:37:27,767 --> 00:37:30,667
that can lock every knuckle
joint in place.
598
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:33,733
So Gotz can use his good hand
599
00:37:33,833 --> 00:37:38,967
to push the metal fingers
around an object until
the grip is tight enough.
600
00:37:39,067 --> 00:37:41,267
The ratchet and paul keeps it
that way.
601
00:37:41,367 --> 00:37:43,600
Pressing a small button
on the side of the hand
602
00:37:43,700 --> 00:37:48,533
disengages the paul
and releases the ratchets
allowing the hand to open.
603
00:37:50,567 --> 00:37:54,567
Another button on the back
allows the hand to pivot
at the risk joint.
604
00:37:57,067 --> 00:38:01,500
Gotz tells everyone
how fantastic his new hand is.
605
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:05,967
Gotz claimed that his new hand
and arm rendered more service
in the fight,
606
00:38:06,067 --> 00:38:10,567
then did his original hand
and arm out of flesh and bone.
607
00:38:10,667 --> 00:38:14,067
[narrator] The problem
with Gotz is that
he is famously economical
608
00:38:14,133 --> 00:38:16,067
with the truth.
609
00:38:16,133 --> 00:38:18,333
He would write a
beautiful autobiography
610
00:38:18,433 --> 00:38:21,133
and of course which only show
the best of him.
611
00:38:21,233 --> 00:38:24,100
He would not tell about murder
and rubbing people
all the time,
612
00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:29,767
but he would always see that
he's, you know, presented
in a good light.
613
00:38:29,867 --> 00:38:34,100
[narrator] So can Gotz
really hold a glass,
grip the reins of his horse
614
00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:36,867
and wield a sword,
as he claims?
615
00:38:39,567 --> 00:38:43,167
Over the last 500 years,
there's been no shortage
of doubters.
616
00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:48,333
Now new research can finally
settle it once and for all.
617
00:38:50,067 --> 00:38:55,133
The University of Offenburg,
they studied the design
of the hand.
618
00:38:56,900 --> 00:39:01,167
[narrator] The research has
started with his simpler
mark one hand.
619
00:39:01,267 --> 00:39:06,133
Actually used 3D printing
technology to replicate
the design.
620
00:39:06,233 --> 00:39:10,333
And part of what that study
demonstrated was the extremes
621
00:39:10,433 --> 00:39:14,200
that the hand was able to
achieve from relatively
robust grips
622
00:39:14,300 --> 00:39:15,967
that would be used, say,
in a battle
623
00:39:16,067 --> 00:39:20,300
all the way to the more fine
finely dexterous applications,
624
00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:22,333
such as holding a pen.
625
00:39:22,433 --> 00:39:25,567
[narrator]
The mark one hand contains
many of the key technologies
626
00:39:25,667 --> 00:39:29,067
that Gotz refines
in the Mark II.
627
00:39:29,133 --> 00:39:33,967
So based on this research,
it seems Gotz isn't boasting.
628
00:39:34,067 --> 00:39:37,233
His mechanical hand
really does work.
629
00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:40,433
This is effectively
a 500-year-old,
630
00:39:40,533 --> 00:39:45,633
almost fully functioning
mechanical, prosthetic
iron hand.
631
00:39:45,733 --> 00:39:48,300
[narrator] Perhaps
the proof of just
how well it works
632
00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:51,067
is the life Gotz lives.
633
00:39:51,167 --> 00:39:55,600
After losing his hands,
Gotz continues to live
for 58 years,
634
00:39:55,700 --> 00:39:59,433
and his work was blundering,
murdering and, you know,
635
00:39:59,533 --> 00:40:03,900
drinking, gambling,
so his hands quite obviously
worked very well.
636
00:40:05,300 --> 00:40:08,333
[narrator] Gotz has become
a German folk hero,
637
00:40:08,433 --> 00:40:10,400
and it's all because
of something that happened
638
00:40:10,500 --> 00:40:13,000
two hundred years
after his death.
639
00:40:13,100 --> 00:40:15,100
Gotz would probably
not be known
640
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:18,900
if German national poet Goethe
would not have put him
641
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,233
in to one of his plays,
very famous play.
642
00:40:22,333 --> 00:40:26,033
In this play,
Gotz is quoted
as saying in German,
643
00:40:26,133 --> 00:40:29,667
[speaking in German]
which roughly translates
644
00:40:29,767 --> 00:40:33,567
into "Kiss my ass,"
but actually it's much worse.
645
00:40:35,433 --> 00:40:38,967
[narrator] Gotz's iron hand
is centuries ahead
of its time,
646
00:40:39,067 --> 00:40:42,233
a fully functioning
medieval prosthetic.
647
00:40:44,233 --> 00:40:47,067
The latest state of the art,
electronic prosthetics
648
00:40:47,167 --> 00:40:50,667
appear to have moved on
a long way
from Gotz's cranks and levers.
649
00:40:52,267 --> 00:40:55,167
Neuro musculoskeletal
prostheses
650
00:40:55,267 --> 00:40:58,267
connect the prosthetic
directly into
the user's nerves,
651
00:40:58,367 --> 00:41:00,400
muscles and skeleton.
652
00:41:02,333 --> 00:41:03,967
Through the use of electrodes,
653
00:41:04,067 --> 00:41:08,067
it's even possible
for the wearer to control
a prosthetic with their mind.
654
00:41:11,767 --> 00:41:16,400
Gotz's iron hand seems like
a relic of the distant past.
655
00:41:16,500 --> 00:41:20,067
But the researchers who test
his design don't agree.
656
00:41:21,267 --> 00:41:24,100
They believe it could have
far reaching consequences
657
00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:26,400
for people all around
the world.
658
00:41:27,900 --> 00:41:30,700
Cases like Gotz's
are still relevant today
659
00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,433
because of the cost
of prosthetics.
660
00:41:33,533 --> 00:41:36,567
And so especially in
and some geographies,
661
00:41:36,667 --> 00:41:38,833
that just can't afford
some of the most
advanced prosthetics.
662
00:41:38,933 --> 00:41:43,333
So systems like Gotz is good
still be very, very useful.
663
00:41:43,433 --> 00:41:47,100
[narrator] So, ironically,
it's possible in the future
664
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:48,833
there may be people
around the world
665
00:41:48,933 --> 00:41:51,400
who will owe a huge debt
of gratitude
666
00:41:51,500 --> 00:41:55,433
to a man who made
a very successful career
out of robbery and murder.
667
00:41:56,433 --> 00:41:58,633
If Gotz knew
this was going to happen,
668
00:41:58,733 --> 00:42:01,733
he'd probably have put it
in his autobiography.
669
00:42:01,833 --> 00:42:04,467
Anything to make him
sound good.
58940
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