Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:02,068 --> 00:00:04,103
NARRATOR: Could this really be
the man who destroys Troy
2
00:00:04,206 --> 00:00:06,137
with the mythical wooden horse?
3
00:00:06,241 --> 00:00:09,241
Schliemann's been quoted
with saying he'd gazed upon
4
00:00:09,344 --> 00:00:10,448
the face of Agamemnon.
5
00:00:10,551 --> 00:00:13,448
NARRATOR:
Is this corroded metal plate
6
00:00:13,551 --> 00:00:15,000
a weapon of mass destruction?
7
00:00:15,103 --> 00:00:17,724
It's the equivalent of
a nuclear bomb.
8
00:00:19,896 --> 00:00:22,275
NARRATOR: And can these weird
chalk cylinders
9
00:00:22,379 --> 00:00:24,793
unlock the mysteries
of Stonehenge?
10
00:00:24,896 --> 00:00:26,862
It's a giant puzzle,
11
00:00:26,965 --> 00:00:29,103
and we don't have
the picture on the box.
12
00:00:33,793 --> 00:00:35,448
NARRATOR:
These are the most remarkable
13
00:00:35,551 --> 00:00:37,620
and mysterious objects on Earth,
14
00:00:38,931 --> 00:00:44,689
hidden away in museums,
laboratories, and storage rooms.
15
00:00:44,793 --> 00:00:47,241
Now, new research
and technology
16
00:00:47,344 --> 00:00:48,793
can get under their skin
17
00:00:49,965 --> 00:00:51,931
like never before.
18
00:00:52,034 --> 00:00:53,413
We can rebuild them,
19
00:00:55,068 --> 00:00:57,034
pull them apart,
20
00:00:57,137 --> 00:00:59,034
and zoom in
21
00:00:59,137 --> 00:01:02,103
to reveal the unbelievable,
22
00:01:03,241 --> 00:01:05,275
the ancient,
23
00:01:05,379 --> 00:01:07,034
and the truly bizarre.
24
00:01:09,206 --> 00:01:12,793
These are the world's
strangest things.
25
00:01:22,206 --> 00:01:25,379
In the National Archaeological
Museum in Athens is
26
00:01:25,482 --> 00:01:28,517
one of the most iconic finds
from ancient Greece.
27
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:32,862
Some claim it's proof
that one of
28
00:01:32,965 --> 00:01:36,482
the greatest myths
in all of history is true.
29
00:01:38,724 --> 00:01:40,517
Now, with
the latest technology,
30
00:01:40,620 --> 00:01:44,206
we're bringing this mysterious
object out into the light.
31
00:01:47,241 --> 00:01:50,206
This is
the Mask of Agamemnon.
32
00:01:50,310 --> 00:01:52,586
Agamemnon
is said to have been
33
00:01:52,689 --> 00:01:55,724
the Greek king who
led the siege against Troy.
34
00:01:55,827 --> 00:01:57,586
He was seen
as a mythical king, really,
35
00:01:57,689 --> 00:01:59,034
not someone who is real.
36
00:01:59,137 --> 00:02:01,586
NARRATOR: But if this
is Agamemnon's mask,
37
00:02:01,689 --> 00:02:03,827
then he is very real.
38
00:02:04,896 --> 00:02:07,344
Roughly 10 inches tall
by 7 inches wide,
39
00:02:07,448 --> 00:02:10,068
it is crafted from
a single sheet of gold.
40
00:02:11,344 --> 00:02:15,413
Every detail is painstakingly
embossed into its surface.
41
00:02:15,517 --> 00:02:17,896
PLUMMER SIRES: You get the sense
that you're really staring
42
00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,689
into a person's face from
thousands of years ago.
43
00:02:20,793 --> 00:02:23,103
NARRATOR:
But is that really true?
44
00:02:23,206 --> 00:02:25,620
This don't look like
anything that
45
00:02:25,724 --> 00:02:29,000
we see in Greece in
this period.
46
00:02:29,103 --> 00:02:30,379
NARRATOR:
Or was it conjured up by
47
00:02:30,482 --> 00:02:35,068
an archaeologist obsessed with
turning myth into reality?
48
00:02:35,172 --> 00:02:38,241
Looks like the mask had been
redone or repurposed.
49
00:02:38,344 --> 00:02:42,172
NARRATOR: So is this enigmatic
relic the real deal?
50
00:02:42,275 --> 00:02:45,965
Who is the man
behind the gold mask?
51
00:02:46,068 --> 00:02:49,000
And could finding him
really rewrite history?
52
00:02:52,689 --> 00:02:55,379
1876.
Southern Greece.
53
00:02:58,068 --> 00:03:00,931
German archaeologist Heinrich
Schliemann is searching for
54
00:03:01,034 --> 00:03:03,586
a legend in the astonishing
ruins of the Bronze Age
55
00:03:03,689 --> 00:03:05,551
citadel, Mycenae.
56
00:03:05,655 --> 00:03:07,758
Mycenae was clearly
an important town.
57
00:03:07,862 --> 00:03:12,103
It had huge stone masonry
walls, which were these large
58
00:03:12,206 --> 00:03:14,482
boulders or blocks, uh,
59
00:03:14,586 --> 00:03:16,517
reportedly built
by the cyclops monsters,
60
00:03:16,620 --> 00:03:20,103
basically because the walls
were so huge that only monsters
61
00:03:20,206 --> 00:03:21,344
can build such a city.
62
00:03:21,448 --> 00:03:24,275
So it was seen
as this grand, great place.
63
00:03:27,931 --> 00:03:29,551
NARRATOR:
Inside the mighty walls,
64
00:03:29,655 --> 00:03:33,379
Schliemann's dig unearths
a lost tomb complex.
65
00:03:33,482 --> 00:03:36,931
ALTAWEEL: Schliemann discovers
remains of 19 individuals,
66
00:03:37,034 --> 00:03:40,310
from children to adults,
men and women.
67
00:03:40,413 --> 00:03:42,931
NARRATOR:
He uncovers a treasure trove.
68
00:03:43,034 --> 00:03:45,103
ALTAWEEL: There were a number
of precious objects,
69
00:03:45,206 --> 00:03:47,724
including gold and silver,
precious stones,
70
00:03:47,827 --> 00:03:51,068
ornate kinds of jewelry,
even gold leaf covering
71
00:03:51,172 --> 00:03:53,241
for at least
some of the bodies.
72
00:03:53,344 --> 00:03:55,413
NARRATOR:
And he finds something unlike
73
00:03:55,517 --> 00:03:58,620
any previous discovery
from ancient Greece.
74
00:03:58,724 --> 00:04:00,482
Some of the bodies
that were buried in
75
00:04:00,586 --> 00:04:04,620
these tombs had their faces
covered by gold masks.
76
00:04:04,724 --> 00:04:08,448
NARRATOR: No one had seen Greek
death masks like these before,
77
00:04:08,551 --> 00:04:11,586
each one crafted
from a single sheet of gold.
78
00:04:11,689 --> 00:04:14,724
ALTAWEEL: Four of them are
relatively plain in decoration.
79
00:04:14,827 --> 00:04:17,620
What stands out is one mask,
80
00:04:17,724 --> 00:04:19,206
which was actually
quite decorative.
81
00:04:19,310 --> 00:04:20,586
It has more detail.
82
00:04:20,689 --> 00:04:24,000
It looks more like a face
we would recognize.
83
00:04:25,172 --> 00:04:27,896
NARRATOR: It becomes known
as the Mask of Agamemnon.
84
00:04:29,034 --> 00:04:32,241
Has Schliemann really uncovered
the tomb of a mythical king?
85
00:04:33,379 --> 00:04:36,000
Schliemann's been quoted with
saying that he'd written
86
00:04:36,103 --> 00:04:37,206
to the King of Greece,
87
00:04:37,310 --> 00:04:40,724
saying that he'd gazed upon
the face of Agamemnon.
88
00:04:40,827 --> 00:04:42,793
NARRATOR:
Who is Agamemnon,
89
00:04:42,896 --> 00:04:45,620
and why is finding
him such a big deal?
90
00:04:48,137 --> 00:04:50,896
According to myth,
Agamemnon was one of
91
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,000
the most powerful kings of
Greece at the time.
92
00:04:55,103 --> 00:04:56,931
NARRATOR:
Agamemnon's story is told
93
00:04:57,034 --> 00:04:58,862
in the Iliad
and the Odyssey,
94
00:04:58,965 --> 00:05:02,862
the mythical poems of ancient
Greek writer, Homer.
95
00:05:02,965 --> 00:05:05,482
According to Homer,
Agamemnon wages
96
00:05:05,586 --> 00:05:08,275
a legendary 10-year war
against Troy.
97
00:05:09,413 --> 00:05:12,827
It ends when his soldiers
breach the mighty citadel by
98
00:05:12,931 --> 00:05:15,413
hiding inside
a giant wooden horse,
99
00:05:15,517 --> 00:05:18,206
the famous Trojan horse.
100
00:05:18,310 --> 00:05:22,655
The story of the war of Troy
is one of the most important
101
00:05:22,758 --> 00:05:26,413
narratives in the history of
myth and literature.
102
00:05:26,517 --> 00:05:30,206
But is that all it is,
just a myth?
103
00:05:30,310 --> 00:05:33,241
According to Homer,
the Trojan War happened
104
00:05:33,344 --> 00:05:36,586
over 3,000 years ago,
in a mysterious age
105
00:05:36,689 --> 00:05:37,931
we know little about.
106
00:05:38,034 --> 00:05:40,758
Disentangling these stories
and trying to find out
107
00:05:40,862 --> 00:05:43,103
what's truth
versus what's a story, uh,
108
00:05:43,206 --> 00:05:44,517
is not an easy task.
109
00:05:44,620 --> 00:05:46,965
The problem with these stories
is they were full of characters
110
00:05:47,068 --> 00:05:50,379
who seemed potentially quite
real -- kings and warriors that
111
00:05:50,482 --> 00:05:51,793
seemed possible.
112
00:05:51,896 --> 00:05:55,206
But it also had all kinds of
mythological creatures.
113
00:05:55,310 --> 00:05:57,551
We read about the cyclops,
the one-eyed giants.
114
00:05:57,655 --> 00:06:00,310
We read about other sort of
great monsters
115
00:06:00,413 --> 00:06:02,344
fighting these heroes.
116
00:06:02,448 --> 00:06:05,413
NARRATOR: And hard evidence is
very thin on the ground.
117
00:06:05,517 --> 00:06:08,482
Places like Troy,
where the conflict is centered
118
00:06:08,586 --> 00:06:11,103
upon in the Iliad, um,
was not known.
119
00:06:11,206 --> 00:06:12,689
It was for --
many scholars have
120
00:06:12,793 --> 00:06:14,862
considered Troy to be
completely mythological.
121
00:06:16,034 --> 00:06:19,655
NARRATOR: Gods, monsters,
mythical lands --
122
00:06:19,758 --> 00:06:22,000
it's all a bit hard to swallow.
123
00:06:22,103 --> 00:06:24,586
So what makes people think
that this really could
124
00:06:24,689 --> 00:06:26,034
be Agamemnon?
125
00:06:28,827 --> 00:06:30,965
By the time
he finds the mask,
126
00:06:31,068 --> 00:06:34,034
Schliemann has already spent
years obsessed with proving
127
00:06:34,137 --> 00:06:37,172
the Iliad is more than just
a tall tale.
128
00:06:37,275 --> 00:06:39,931
Schliemann thinks that many of
the famous classical stories
129
00:06:40,034 --> 00:06:41,965
like the Iliad were true,
130
00:06:42,068 --> 00:06:43,413
that they were full of
real characters,
131
00:06:43,517 --> 00:06:45,620
not just mythological
kinds of stories.
132
00:06:45,724 --> 00:06:48,275
So he was obsessed
about proving this.
133
00:06:48,379 --> 00:06:50,103
NARRATOR: And Schliemann's
first step is to
134
00:06:50,206 --> 00:06:53,689
hunt for the legendary city
of Troy.
135
00:06:53,793 --> 00:06:55,034
For millennia,
136
00:06:55,137 --> 00:06:57,034
there have been whispers
that the ruins of Troy
137
00:06:57,137 --> 00:06:59,172
are buried somewhere in
the northwest
138
00:06:59,275 --> 00:07:00,413
of modern-day Turkey.
139
00:07:01,655 --> 00:07:04,620
In 1870,
Schliemann begins to excavate
140
00:07:04,724 --> 00:07:07,413
at a site called Hisarlik.
141
00:07:07,517 --> 00:07:11,344
PLUMMER SIRES: Hisarlik was
a man-made mound -- in the past,
142
00:07:11,448 --> 00:07:13,965
it would have been a lot
closer to the coastline,
143
00:07:14,068 --> 00:07:17,965
which means it had a good sight
for incoming ships,
144
00:07:18,068 --> 00:07:21,413
but it also meant that it was
a really good position within
145
00:07:21,517 --> 00:07:22,724
the Mediterranean for trading.
146
00:07:22,827 --> 00:07:25,448
So the location of it
makes sense.
147
00:07:27,551 --> 00:07:29,758
NARRATOR:
After three years of digging,
148
00:07:29,862 --> 00:07:31,551
Schliemann hits the jackpot.
149
00:07:31,655 --> 00:07:34,344
He uncovers a lost city.
150
00:07:34,448 --> 00:07:36,517
There's evidence of
destruction and fire,
151
00:07:36,620 --> 00:07:38,241
which would match well
with the story
152
00:07:38,344 --> 00:07:40,862
that Troy was sacked
by the Greeks.
153
00:07:40,965 --> 00:07:43,379
He finds a group of
high-valued objects,
154
00:07:43,482 --> 00:07:46,344
gold and other kinds of
objects, that he associates with
155
00:07:46,448 --> 00:07:50,034
Priam, the king of the Trojans,
the key character in the Iliad.
156
00:07:50,137 --> 00:07:51,620
NARRATOR:
It is one of the greatest
157
00:07:51,724 --> 00:07:54,103
archaeological finds
of all time.
158
00:07:54,206 --> 00:07:58,172
The discovery of Troy proved
that actually it was not
159
00:07:58,275 --> 00:08:01,689
just some mythological place,
but a real city that existed.
160
00:08:01,793 --> 00:08:04,206
NARRATOR: It's music to
Schliemann's ears.
161
00:08:04,310 --> 00:08:09,000
If Troy is real, what other
myths could be true?
162
00:08:09,103 --> 00:08:11,758
So now, having found a key
location of the Iliad,
163
00:08:11,862 --> 00:08:14,586
his next mission was to find
one of the characters.
164
00:08:14,689 --> 00:08:17,965
NARRATOR: Schliemann
zeroes in on Agamemnon.
165
00:08:18,068 --> 00:08:21,517
According to Homer, after
victory in the siege of Troy,
166
00:08:21,620 --> 00:08:23,862
Agamemnon heads home
to Mycenae,
167
00:08:23,965 --> 00:08:26,517
where he is murdered
by his wife's lover
168
00:08:26,620 --> 00:08:29,172
and buried by the city walls.
169
00:08:29,275 --> 00:08:32,000
This is exactly
where Schliemann finds
170
00:08:32,103 --> 00:08:36,034
the extraordinary gold mask
and seals his fame.
171
00:08:36,137 --> 00:08:39,724
There was a media frenzy,
because it seemed that it was
172
00:08:39,827 --> 00:08:42,310
definitive proof that
the mythological king
173
00:08:42,413 --> 00:08:44,586
of the Greeks during
the Trojan War was real.
174
00:08:48,172 --> 00:08:50,724
NARRATOR: Which is remarkable,
because for decades,
175
00:08:50,827 --> 00:08:54,241
other archaeologists had tried
and failed to find proof of
176
00:08:54,344 --> 00:08:55,620
the Trojan War.
177
00:08:55,724 --> 00:08:59,655
But in the space of just three
years, Schliemann uncovers both
178
00:08:59,758 --> 00:09:03,172
the central location
and the leading man.
179
00:09:03,275 --> 00:09:05,241
ESCOLANO-POVEDA: Schliemann
seemed to be finding
180
00:09:05,344 --> 00:09:08,517
everything that would
corroborate his story
181
00:09:08,620 --> 00:09:10,724
of these mythical figures
182
00:09:10,827 --> 00:09:14,137
being buried
exactly where he was digging.
183
00:09:14,241 --> 00:09:17,310
NARRATOR: Schliemann is either
extraordinarily lucky,
184
00:09:17,413 --> 00:09:20,137
or is it just
too good to be true?
185
00:09:29,517 --> 00:09:32,448
NARRATOR: The mask of Agamemnon
is unlike anything discovered
186
00:09:32,551 --> 00:09:36,206
before from ancient Greece,
and for some experts,
187
00:09:36,310 --> 00:09:38,103
that was a problem.
188
00:09:38,206 --> 00:09:39,965
At the time
of Schliemann,
189
00:09:40,068 --> 00:09:42,931
this would have been a very
odd find, because we don't have
190
00:09:43,034 --> 00:09:45,344
anything like this
from Ancient Greece.
191
00:09:45,448 --> 00:09:49,034
You actually have to go
to Egypt to find
192
00:09:49,137 --> 00:09:50,379
something similar,
193
00:09:50,482 --> 00:09:52,034
this gold mask that would be
194
00:09:52,137 --> 00:09:55,517
placed on the heads of
the deceased.
195
00:09:55,620 --> 00:09:57,965
NARRATOR: And Schliemann
doesn't find just one
196
00:09:58,068 --> 00:10:01,379
never-before-seen mask,
he finds five of them.
197
00:10:01,482 --> 00:10:03,206
For some people,
that was too much.
198
00:10:03,310 --> 00:10:05,206
They didn't believe
that this was authentic.
199
00:10:05,310 --> 00:10:06,413
They thought that
maybe Schliemann
200
00:10:06,517 --> 00:10:08,241
actually had them
forged somehow.
201
00:10:09,793 --> 00:10:12,379
NARRATOR: Not only does
the mask seem out of place,
202
00:10:12,482 --> 00:10:15,586
but Schliemann's reputation
was highly questionable.
203
00:10:15,689 --> 00:10:17,586
People had doubts about him.
204
00:10:17,689 --> 00:10:19,517
They know he was very
charismatic and very
205
00:10:19,620 --> 00:10:21,862
resourceful and very passionate
about what he was doing,
206
00:10:21,965 --> 00:10:24,034
but they didn't always
necessarily believe him.
207
00:10:24,137 --> 00:10:26,344
ESCOLANO-POVEDA: Many of
the objects that he had found
208
00:10:26,448 --> 00:10:30,241
in Troy seemed to belong to
different periods, and he
209
00:10:30,344 --> 00:10:33,206
seemed to have been putting
them together in order to
210
00:10:33,310 --> 00:10:37,862
create these groups of objects
that were very impressive.
211
00:10:37,965 --> 00:10:40,379
They thought that he maybe
just made up stories sometimes.
212
00:10:40,482 --> 00:10:43,620
NARRATOR: And he's done more
than just spinning a tall tale.
213
00:10:43,724 --> 00:10:46,448
Schliemann was actually accused
of smuggling
214
00:10:46,551 --> 00:10:48,655
part of the treasure of Priam
215
00:10:48,758 --> 00:10:52,000
and actually had to pay a fine
because of this
216
00:10:52,103 --> 00:10:53,310
to the Turkish government.
217
00:10:55,137 --> 00:10:58,172
NARRATOR: So it's not exactly
surprising that some suspect
218
00:10:58,275 --> 00:11:01,068
that Schliemann fakes
the discovery of this mask.
219
00:11:02,482 --> 00:11:05,448
But there is a problem
with this accusation.
220
00:11:05,551 --> 00:11:08,620
Schliemann was being observed
during excavations
221
00:11:08,724 --> 00:11:10,586
at Mycenae by Greek officials.
222
00:11:10,689 --> 00:11:13,655
Schliemann was a controversial
figure, so people didn't
223
00:11:13,758 --> 00:11:15,068
completely trust him,
224
00:11:15,172 --> 00:11:17,310
um, and he was being
watched all the time
225
00:11:17,413 --> 00:11:18,517
he was excavating.
226
00:11:18,620 --> 00:11:20,965
NARRATOR: Most scholars
now believe that Schliemann
227
00:11:21,068 --> 00:11:23,034
simply never
had the opportunity
228
00:11:23,137 --> 00:11:26,482
to slip in fake masks
to the dig site unobserved.
229
00:11:26,586 --> 00:11:27,862
They are certain
230
00:11:27,965 --> 00:11:31,551
the mask of Agamemnon is
genuinely ancient,
231
00:11:31,655 --> 00:11:35,103
but some still thought that
something about it smelled off.
232
00:11:37,620 --> 00:11:39,034
Examined in detail,
233
00:11:39,137 --> 00:11:42,241
the crisp features,
the individual hairs of his
234
00:11:42,344 --> 00:11:45,275
beard and handlebar mustache,
really make the mask of
235
00:11:45,379 --> 00:11:47,068
Agamemnon stand out.
236
00:11:47,172 --> 00:11:49,137
The look of the mask
was quite different
237
00:11:49,241 --> 00:11:50,862
from the other masks
that were found.
238
00:11:50,965 --> 00:11:54,172
NARRATOR: The level of detail
seems out of place in something
239
00:11:54,275 --> 00:11:55,758
so ancient.
240
00:11:55,862 --> 00:11:58,206
Some scholars have suggested
it looks more akin
241
00:11:58,310 --> 00:12:01,620
to Classical period
kinds of looks or appearances.
242
00:12:01,724 --> 00:12:05,827
So this is about 700 years
after the story of the Iliad,
243
00:12:05,931 --> 00:12:07,551
around 500 BC.
244
00:12:07,655 --> 00:12:10,517
NARRATOR: So the accusation
is that, ironically,
245
00:12:10,620 --> 00:12:14,103
it looks a bit too Greek
for something so old.
246
00:12:14,206 --> 00:12:15,517
ALTAWEEL:
The idea came that perhaps
247
00:12:15,620 --> 00:12:16,965
Schliemann reworked the mask.
248
00:12:18,517 --> 00:12:20,413
NARRATOR: Visible under
high magnification,
249
00:12:20,517 --> 00:12:23,137
there's one detail that stands
out to scholars.
250
00:12:23,241 --> 00:12:25,793
The mustache looks like
it's been flipped.
251
00:12:25,896 --> 00:12:27,965
It was sort of
pointing upwards
252
00:12:28,068 --> 00:12:29,931
but maybe at one point was
pointing downwards.
253
00:12:31,172 --> 00:12:33,310
NARRATOR: The argument is that
Schliemann didn't have
254
00:12:33,413 --> 00:12:35,517
the opportunity
to slip in a fake,
255
00:12:35,620 --> 00:12:38,448
but maybe
he reworked the original.
256
00:12:38,551 --> 00:12:40,586
ALTAWEEL: It was not very clear
what it looked like.
257
00:12:40,689 --> 00:12:42,137
It initially was removed
from the grave.
258
00:12:42,241 --> 00:12:44,758
It was only photographed some
weeks after its discovery.
259
00:12:44,862 --> 00:12:46,241
So there was a period of time
260
00:12:46,344 --> 00:12:49,482
where someone could have
potentially altered the mask.
261
00:12:49,586 --> 00:12:52,034
NARRATOR: But there is
a flaw in the argument
262
00:12:52,137 --> 00:12:54,482
that it looks
too detailed to be genuine.
263
00:12:56,724 --> 00:12:59,758
It may be different to many
Mycenaean artifacts,
264
00:12:59,862 --> 00:13:02,551
but its look is not unique.
265
00:13:02,655 --> 00:13:05,206
ALTAWEEL: There was
a drinking vessel that was found
266
00:13:05,310 --> 00:13:06,586
with a mane,
267
00:13:06,689 --> 00:13:09,862
a kind of depiction on
the lion, and this mane
268
00:13:09,965 --> 00:13:12,482
was quite similar
to the beard and mustache
269
00:13:12,586 --> 00:13:15,413
of the Agamemnon mask
in terms of the style.
270
00:13:15,517 --> 00:13:17,620
So this gave support,
potentially,
271
00:13:17,724 --> 00:13:20,413
that Agamemnon's mask may
have come from a period
272
00:13:20,517 --> 00:13:22,931
similar in time
to this drinking vessel.
273
00:13:23,034 --> 00:13:25,275
NARRATOR:
Which has finally led to one
274
00:13:25,379 --> 00:13:27,103
very obvious conclusion.
275
00:13:27,206 --> 00:13:29,482
The consensus is that
the mask is real.
276
00:13:29,586 --> 00:13:33,448
It does represent a mask that
was created in antiquity rather
277
00:13:33,551 --> 00:13:35,655
than something that was forged
much later.
278
00:13:35,758 --> 00:13:38,689
NARRATOR:
So is this really the face of
279
00:13:38,793 --> 00:13:42,241
the mythical destroyer of Troy,
King Agamemnon?
280
00:13:44,068 --> 00:13:45,931
The problem is,
with Schliemann,
281
00:13:46,034 --> 00:13:48,379
little is ever quite
as it seems.
282
00:13:49,724 --> 00:13:52,724
Take his undisputed
discovery of Troy.
283
00:13:52,827 --> 00:13:55,896
Schliemann stopped digging
when he found evidence of
284
00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:57,931
a settlement that had suffered
285
00:13:58,034 --> 00:14:02,517
a great fire, and he believed
this to be evidence of
286
00:14:02,620 --> 00:14:03,827
the Trojan War.
287
00:14:03,931 --> 00:14:07,103
What he didn't perceive at
the time is settlements had been
288
00:14:07,206 --> 00:14:10,344
built one on top of each other
almost like a layer cake.
289
00:14:10,448 --> 00:14:13,379
So once a settlement was
abandoned, centuries later,
290
00:14:13,482 --> 00:14:15,517
another one would be built
on top.
291
00:14:15,620 --> 00:14:18,034
ALTAWEEL: What he found was
actually a much earlier city.
292
00:14:18,137 --> 00:14:19,862
Um, and the real Troy from
293
00:14:19,965 --> 00:14:22,655
the period of the Iliad was
actually dug through.
294
00:14:22,758 --> 00:14:24,517
He went right through it
without noticing it.
295
00:14:24,620 --> 00:14:26,241
NARRATOR:
And it seems that Schliemann
296
00:14:26,344 --> 00:14:29,034
got his timings wrong
at Mycenae, too.
297
00:14:29,137 --> 00:14:33,206
The tomb in which
the mask was found doesn't date
298
00:14:33,310 --> 00:14:36,000
to the time in which Agamemnon
299
00:14:36,103 --> 00:14:38,241
is supposed to have lived.
300
00:14:38,344 --> 00:14:41,413
NARRATOR: The mask was found
in a shaft tomb.
301
00:14:41,517 --> 00:14:44,103
And recent studies show that
the Mycenaeans stopped
302
00:14:44,206 --> 00:14:48,620
building these around 300
years before the Trojan wars.
303
00:14:48,724 --> 00:14:50,965
The consensus does seem to be
304
00:14:51,068 --> 00:14:54,103
that the mask
is a genuine artifact,
305
00:14:54,206 --> 00:14:57,379
it just isn't King Agamemnon.
306
00:14:57,482 --> 00:14:58,931
NARRATOR:
If not Agamemnon,
307
00:14:59,034 --> 00:15:01,689
who is the man
behind the gold mask?
308
00:15:09,206 --> 00:15:11,344
NARRATOR:
This fabulous golden object
309
00:15:11,448 --> 00:15:13,379
is known as
the Mask of Agamemnon.
310
00:15:13,482 --> 00:15:16,517
Unfortunately, it turns out
to be hundreds of
311
00:15:16,620 --> 00:15:20,689
years too old for the mythical
destroyer of Troy.
312
00:15:20,793 --> 00:15:22,517
ALTAWEEL: It may
have not been Agamemnon,
313
00:15:22,620 --> 00:15:25,034
but it certainly was
an important individual,
314
00:15:25,137 --> 00:15:28,482
perhaps even a king, who was
buried in this death mask.
315
00:15:29,689 --> 00:15:31,793
NARRATOR:
Recent research suggests
316
00:15:31,896 --> 00:15:33,862
he was a powerful figure.
317
00:15:33,965 --> 00:15:37,793
The Mycenaeans during
the Bronze Age dominated most of
318
00:15:37,896 --> 00:15:40,689
the Mediterranean when it came
to trade and culture
319
00:15:40,793 --> 00:15:43,206
and warfare.
320
00:15:43,310 --> 00:15:44,931
NARRATOR: His influence
would have reached
321
00:15:45,034 --> 00:15:47,310
across the entire region.
322
00:15:47,413 --> 00:15:50,034
ESCOLANO-POVEDA: In the
excavations in Mycenaean cities,
323
00:15:50,137 --> 00:15:55,137
we have found a tomb of
a warrior with lots of elements
324
00:15:55,241 --> 00:15:59,655
that are connected with other
civilizations of the area.
325
00:16:01,586 --> 00:16:04,103
NARRATOR: It seems this king
could have had contact
326
00:16:04,206 --> 00:16:07,931
with a very powerful
and very famous civilization.
327
00:16:08,034 --> 00:16:11,275
We have been able to find
a little head
328
00:16:11,379 --> 00:16:14,448
of the goddess Hathor,
which is an Egyptian goddess.
329
00:16:14,551 --> 00:16:15,896
NARRATOR:
And that could explain where
330
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,413
the Mycenaeans get the idea
331
00:16:17,517 --> 00:16:20,310
for this stunning gold death
mask in the first place.
332
00:16:20,413 --> 00:16:22,275
ALTAWEEL: So it's quite
possible, for instance,
333
00:16:22,379 --> 00:16:26,034
that the Mycenaeans had seen
similar masks on deceased kings
334
00:16:26,137 --> 00:16:28,655
and pharaohs in Egypt and
thought this was a great idea.
335
00:16:31,172 --> 00:16:33,586
NARRATOR: The fact that
this mask isn't the face of
336
00:16:33,689 --> 00:16:36,551
Agamemnon doesn't make it any
less remarkable
337
00:16:36,655 --> 00:16:38,034
or less important.
338
00:16:39,068 --> 00:16:41,482
And the real Agamemnon
might even be
339
00:16:41,586 --> 00:16:42,896
a descendant of this man.
340
00:16:44,034 --> 00:16:46,655
Troy turned out to be real.
341
00:16:46,758 --> 00:16:48,413
So why not Agamemnon?
342
00:16:54,827 --> 00:16:57,620
Behind glass in
the International Spy Museum
343
00:16:57,724 --> 00:17:01,241
in Washington, D.C.,
is a corroded copper plate.
344
00:17:02,517 --> 00:17:05,551
This is an object worth
more than its weight in gold.
345
00:17:06,965 --> 00:17:09,206
NARRATOR: Now, using
the latest technology,
346
00:17:09,310 --> 00:17:11,862
we're bringing it
into the light.
347
00:17:12,931 --> 00:17:16,137
By expanding the object
and zooming in,
348
00:17:17,379 --> 00:17:22,172
faint markings become visible
etched across its surface.
349
00:17:22,275 --> 00:17:24,517
And by digitally removing
the corrosion,
350
00:17:24,620 --> 00:17:28,310
we can finally
see them clearly.
351
00:17:28,413 --> 00:17:31,482
AUERBACH: This object is covered
in tiny symbols and writing.
352
00:17:31,586 --> 00:17:34,379
It's a really highly skilled
piece of engraving.
353
00:17:37,793 --> 00:17:38,862
NARRATOR:
It's hard to read,
354
00:17:38,965 --> 00:17:41,310
because everything
is back to front,
355
00:17:41,413 --> 00:17:43,172
but flip the image,
356
00:17:43,275 --> 00:17:46,310
and the words
"Bank of England" appear.
357
00:17:47,758 --> 00:17:49,206
AUERBACH: As you look
more closely at it,
358
00:17:49,310 --> 00:17:54,137
you see a sign for 10 pounds
and a date, 1937.
359
00:17:54,241 --> 00:17:58,000
This is a printing plate for
making British 10-pound notes.
360
00:17:59,275 --> 00:18:01,310
NARRATOR: Something this
valuable should have been
361
00:18:01,413 --> 00:18:03,793
locked away
in the British Treasury.
362
00:18:03,896 --> 00:18:07,172
But this plate isn't
discovered in a London vault.
363
00:18:07,275 --> 00:18:11,103
It was found in 1959
in the most unexpected
364
00:18:11,206 --> 00:18:15,172
of places -- at the bottom
of an Austrian lake.
365
00:18:15,275 --> 00:18:18,827
NARRATOR: How does it end up
at the bottom of the lake?
366
00:18:18,931 --> 00:18:21,172
Where does it come from?
367
00:18:21,275 --> 00:18:23,068
Is it even real?
368
00:18:26,310 --> 00:18:29,896
By the 1930s, the 10-pound
note design is over
369
00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,965
150 years old,
and it shows.
370
00:18:33,068 --> 00:18:35,827
They were printed
just on white paper.
371
00:18:35,931 --> 00:18:37,517
There was no use of color.
372
00:18:37,620 --> 00:18:41,068
They were printed on one side,
there was no embossing,
373
00:18:41,172 --> 00:18:43,655
there was no metal stripe.
374
00:18:43,758 --> 00:18:45,379
NARRATOR:
The note is produced using
375
00:18:45,482 --> 00:18:48,310
a printing plate
exactly like this.
376
00:18:48,413 --> 00:18:50,724
SELLA: That's going to be
an incredibly carefully
377
00:18:50,827 --> 00:18:53,482
engraved object,
onto which you place the ink,
378
00:18:53,586 --> 00:18:56,379
and then you press it
onto the paper
379
00:18:56,482 --> 00:18:58,103
to produce the final product.
380
00:19:00,034 --> 00:19:02,655
NARRATOR: But close examination
of this plate reveals
381
00:19:02,758 --> 00:19:05,586
a flaw --
next to the abbreviated word
382
00:19:05,689 --> 00:19:08,758
for company is an extra sliver
of metal that
383
00:19:08,862 --> 00:19:11,482
would leave a dot of ink
on the note.
384
00:19:11,586 --> 00:19:14,137
Does this error mean
it's a fake?
385
00:19:15,241 --> 00:19:16,655
Quite the opposite.
386
00:19:16,758 --> 00:19:18,862
The Bank of England
thinks they've got some neat
387
00:19:18,965 --> 00:19:22,137
little tricks
to fool the forgers.
388
00:19:22,241 --> 00:19:25,172
BALL: Britannia has only
one earring instead of two.
389
00:19:25,275 --> 00:19:27,724
And there were a few little
dots that were meant to
390
00:19:27,827 --> 00:19:30,275
look like printing errors
but were actually put there
391
00:19:30,379 --> 00:19:31,241
on purpose.
392
00:19:31,344 --> 00:19:33,413
And the idea was
that these little flaws
393
00:19:33,517 --> 00:19:36,862
were extremely hard to
identify and to replicate.
394
00:19:36,965 --> 00:19:39,172
This was to
deter counterfeiters.
395
00:19:40,655 --> 00:19:41,862
NARRATOR:
By the 1930s,
396
00:19:41,965 --> 00:19:45,068
the notes have up to 150 marks
hidden on them.
397
00:19:46,344 --> 00:19:49,482
The tiny dot on this plate
is definitely one of them.
398
00:19:49,586 --> 00:19:51,137
Others may have been
eaten away
399
00:19:51,241 --> 00:19:54,344
from this plate
after years underwater.
400
00:19:54,448 --> 00:19:57,689
They were made from very,
very fine bits of metal.
401
00:19:57,793 --> 00:20:01,448
Those fine details are exactly
the ones that will corrode
402
00:20:01,551 --> 00:20:02,620
first of all.
403
00:20:02,724 --> 00:20:04,379
NARRATOR: Britannia,
for example,
404
00:20:04,482 --> 00:20:07,000
has been almost
completely erased.
405
00:20:07,103 --> 00:20:10,068
But based on what remains
of this plate,
406
00:20:10,172 --> 00:20:12,413
there seems to be
nothing about it
407
00:20:12,517 --> 00:20:14,448
that indicates
that it would be
408
00:20:14,551 --> 00:20:17,275
anything other than
a genuine printing plate.
409
00:20:17,379 --> 00:20:20,448
NARRATOR: So what is a British
bank plate doing almost
410
00:20:20,551 --> 00:20:23,379
700 miles from London at
the bottom of
411
00:20:23,482 --> 00:20:25,034
Lake Toplitz in Austria?
412
00:20:28,413 --> 00:20:31,379
The key clue to the plate's
origin is that the divers
413
00:20:31,482 --> 00:20:34,620
who find it are searching for
an infamous hoard of treasure.
414
00:20:34,724 --> 00:20:36,551
AUERBACH:
Towards the end of the war,
415
00:20:36,655 --> 00:20:41,137
people see German soldiers
bringing wagons with chests in
416
00:20:41,241 --> 00:20:43,137
them and dropping them
into the lake.
417
00:20:43,241 --> 00:20:45,344
Now, nobody knows
what's in those chests,
418
00:20:45,448 --> 00:20:49,241
but of course, everybody wants
to believe it's Nazi gold.
419
00:20:49,344 --> 00:20:52,655
NARRATOR: But when they dive to
the bottom of the lake in 1959,
420
00:20:52,758 --> 00:20:55,034
it's not gold they find.
421
00:20:55,137 --> 00:20:57,000
AUERBACH: They discover
this copper plate.
422
00:20:57,103 --> 00:21:00,413
NARRATOR: Which raises one
very obvious question.
423
00:21:00,517 --> 00:21:02,413
Why did the Germans have
424
00:21:02,517 --> 00:21:05,034
a printing plate for British
10-pound notes?
425
00:21:08,689 --> 00:21:10,689
NARRATOR: Historians searching
for answers have
426
00:21:10,793 --> 00:21:14,241
zeroed in on secret
Nazi files,
427
00:21:14,344 --> 00:21:17,551
a plan code-named
Operation Andreas,
428
00:21:17,655 --> 00:21:22,379
a deadly scheme to bomb
Britain with money.
429
00:21:22,482 --> 00:21:26,689
The plan is to airdrop
30 billion pounds
430
00:21:26,793 --> 00:21:29,241
in forged notes
over Britain.
431
00:21:29,344 --> 00:21:32,482
BALL: The British people
would find this money and would
432
00:21:32,586 --> 00:21:35,482
start to use it,
and that by, you know,
433
00:21:35,586 --> 00:21:38,896
feeding that into the economic
system, it would undermine
434
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,724
the whole basis of currency
and really
435
00:21:41,827 --> 00:21:44,000
collapse the economic system.
436
00:21:44,103 --> 00:21:47,517
NARRATOR: Britain would end up
in such huge financial distress,
437
00:21:47,620 --> 00:21:50,172
it would be unable
to wage war at all.
438
00:21:50,275 --> 00:21:53,068
Germany would win
without firing a shot.
439
00:21:53,172 --> 00:21:56,448
It's the economic equivalent
of a nuclear bomb.
440
00:21:57,517 --> 00:21:59,517
NARRATOR:
All they have to do is produce
441
00:21:59,620 --> 00:22:01,310
a perfect counterfeit plate.
442
00:22:02,586 --> 00:22:04,724
How are they going to do that?
443
00:22:12,620 --> 00:22:14,482
NARRATOR: A top secret
Nazi plan is going
444
00:22:14,586 --> 00:22:17,413
to destroy Britain
without firing a shot.
445
00:22:17,517 --> 00:22:19,931
Operation Andreas
sets up shop in
446
00:22:20,034 --> 00:22:23,862
a stone mansion
west of downtown Berlin.
447
00:22:23,965 --> 00:22:26,896
The building that they use
is an SS training center
448
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,034
that had already been used
to produce false documents
449
00:22:30,137 --> 00:22:31,413
and forgeries.
450
00:22:31,517 --> 00:22:33,379
NARRATOR: The Nazis
recruit mathematician
451
00:22:33,482 --> 00:22:35,965
and code breaker
Albert Langer to run it.
452
00:22:36,068 --> 00:22:38,758
AUERBACH: He's a highly
skilled scientist,
453
00:22:38,862 --> 00:22:41,862
but he also believes
that King Arthur was real.
454
00:22:41,965 --> 00:22:43,034
He believes that the British
455
00:22:43,137 --> 00:22:46,034
flag contains astral
magical symbols.
456
00:22:47,241 --> 00:22:49,931
Langer comes up
with a fiendish plan --
457
00:22:50,034 --> 00:22:52,931
use a light-sensitive
and acid-resistant dye
458
00:22:53,034 --> 00:22:55,689
to create a perfect copy of
a real plate.
459
00:22:56,931 --> 00:23:01,068
Langer's plan was, to begin
with, to take as perfect as
460
00:23:01,172 --> 00:23:04,620
possible a photograph of
a genuine 10-pound note,
461
00:23:04,724 --> 00:23:09,241
and then to transfer that image
onto a plate using
462
00:23:09,344 --> 00:23:13,000
this acid-resistant dye
that would enable
463
00:23:13,103 --> 00:23:15,482
the rest of the plate
to be etched away.
464
00:23:15,586 --> 00:23:17,551
And so you'd have
a perfect printing plate
465
00:23:17,655 --> 00:23:19,137
for a 10-pound note.
466
00:23:19,241 --> 00:23:23,310
NARRATOR: But even with the best
cameras, Langer struggles.
467
00:23:23,413 --> 00:23:25,172
BALL: None of them
looked convincing
468
00:23:25,275 --> 00:23:28,275
close up, and in fact,
Langer himself said that
469
00:23:28,379 --> 00:23:31,931
the reproduction
of Britannia herself
470
00:23:32,034 --> 00:23:33,758
just looked like an old hag.
471
00:23:36,103 --> 00:23:38,862
NARRATOR: Langer's genius plan
is a flop.
472
00:23:38,965 --> 00:23:40,241
He is forced to abandon
473
00:23:40,344 --> 00:23:43,448
science for old
fashioned craftsmanship.
474
00:23:43,551 --> 00:23:46,482
He hires expert engraver,
Walter Ziedrich.
475
00:23:47,620 --> 00:23:51,068
Even for him,
this is a challenging job.
476
00:23:51,172 --> 00:23:53,965
The engraver has to capture
all those little marks,
477
00:23:54,068 --> 00:23:56,172
those little intentional flaws
478
00:23:56,275 --> 00:23:58,379
that characterize
the genuine thing.
479
00:23:58,482 --> 00:24:00,896
NARRATOR: Britannia
is particularly tricky
480
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:02,310
for the Nazi forgers.
481
00:24:02,413 --> 00:24:05,793
Getting the eyes right
was incredibly difficult.
482
00:24:07,793 --> 00:24:10,034
NARRATOR: It takes Ziedrich
six attempts to make
483
00:24:10,137 --> 00:24:12,000
a perfect-looking plate.
484
00:24:12,103 --> 00:24:14,206
AUERBACH: Now,
we don't know for sure
485
00:24:14,310 --> 00:24:16,137
if this is one of
Ziedrich's plates.
486
00:24:16,241 --> 00:24:18,793
It's not like a forger
can sign his own work.
487
00:24:18,896 --> 00:24:20,344
All we know is that it was
488
00:24:20,448 --> 00:24:22,586
important enough
for them to hide it.
489
00:24:22,689 --> 00:24:24,827
So this was really one of
the better versions.
490
00:24:24,931 --> 00:24:28,103
NARRATOR: But a perfect plate
alone isn't enough.
491
00:24:28,206 --> 00:24:30,724
The Nazis
also need the right paper.
492
00:24:30,827 --> 00:24:32,931
It's actually gotta
feel right.
493
00:24:33,034 --> 00:24:35,137
Is it smooth?
Is it slippery?
494
00:24:35,241 --> 00:24:38,482
Does it fold correctly?
Does it sound right?
495
00:24:38,586 --> 00:24:40,896
Langer was so obsessed
with this
496
00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:45,896
that he actually got some
blind people to test this out.
497
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,448
They wouldn't be distracted by
the look of it and really be
498
00:24:48,551 --> 00:24:51,379
able to listen to the crackle
of the note as it folded.
499
00:24:53,620 --> 00:24:55,620
NARRATOR:
Langer thinks he's cracked it.
500
00:24:55,724 --> 00:24:58,586
All he has to do is
prove it to his paymasters.
501
00:24:59,655 --> 00:25:03,482
AUERBACH: The story goes that
the Germans sent an officer
502
00:25:03,586 --> 00:25:07,862
across to the Swiss border with
a forged passport and a whole
503
00:25:07,965 --> 00:25:13,137
bunch of these forged pound
notes, and then they tipped off
504
00:25:13,241 --> 00:25:15,310
the Swiss authorities that
someone's going to try to cross
505
00:25:15,413 --> 00:25:17,310
the border with fake documents.
506
00:25:17,413 --> 00:25:20,241
They assumed, and they were
right, that the Swiss would
507
00:25:20,344 --> 00:25:22,793
check both the passport
and the money.
508
00:25:22,896 --> 00:25:25,241
Well, they spot
the forged passport.
509
00:25:25,344 --> 00:25:26,724
They know it's a forgery,
510
00:25:26,827 --> 00:25:29,275
but as far as they're concerned,
the money is legitimate.
511
00:25:32,793 --> 00:25:34,793
NARRATOR:
Langer has pulled it off.
512
00:25:34,896 --> 00:25:38,103
They're ready to destroy
the entire British economy.
513
00:25:38,206 --> 00:25:39,482
But on the brink of victory...
514
00:25:39,586 --> 00:25:40,689
[record scratches]
515
00:25:40,793 --> 00:25:44,620
...Operation Andreas
unexpectedly grinds to a halt.
516
00:25:44,724 --> 00:25:47,655
BALL: The problem with
this plan to bomb Britain
517
00:25:47,758 --> 00:25:50,206
with money is that
you have to be able
518
00:25:50,310 --> 00:25:52,206
to get the airplanes
over Britain to do that.
519
00:25:52,310 --> 00:25:54,965
And after the Battle of
Britain, that just
520
00:25:55,068 --> 00:25:57,000
wasn't going to be possible
for the Luftwaffe.
521
00:25:58,586 --> 00:26:01,586
NARRATOR: It's all gone
wrong for Andreas.
522
00:26:01,689 --> 00:26:03,000
Is this the end of
523
00:26:03,103 --> 00:26:05,758
the greatest counterfeiting
operation in history?
524
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,724
In July 1942, Hitler's
spymaster, Heinrich Himmler,
525
00:26:14,827 --> 00:26:18,931
is struggling to pay
his network of foreign agents.
526
00:26:19,034 --> 00:26:21,586
He needs cash
and lots of it,
527
00:26:21,689 --> 00:26:24,448
but Germany doesn't have
any spare...
528
00:26:24,551 --> 00:26:27,103
unless they print it themselves,
of course.
529
00:26:27,206 --> 00:26:29,931
He doesn't care whether or not
the money they have is forged.
530
00:26:30,034 --> 00:26:32,275
NARRATOR: Himmler's code name
for the new plan is
531
00:26:32,379 --> 00:26:33,724
Operation Bernhard,
532
00:26:34,827 --> 00:26:37,137
named after the man put
in charge,
533
00:26:37,241 --> 00:26:39,275
SS Major Bernhard Krueger.
534
00:26:39,379 --> 00:26:42,103
He's a much better choice than
Langer, because this is a guy
535
00:26:42,206 --> 00:26:44,413
experienced in
the art of forgery.
536
00:26:44,517 --> 00:26:46,724
He himself has produced
fake documents.
537
00:26:46,827 --> 00:26:49,275
NARRATOR: The 10-pound plate
and all of the other
538
00:26:49,379 --> 00:26:52,551
equipment have been gathering
dust in a Berlin basement.
539
00:26:54,655 --> 00:26:58,344
Krueger takes it all
to his new forgery HQ,
540
00:26:58,448 --> 00:27:00,172
Sachsenhausen,
541
00:27:00,275 --> 00:27:02,655
a concentration camp
north of Berlin.
542
00:27:04,103 --> 00:27:06,275
One of the main problems
with Andreas
543
00:27:06,379 --> 00:27:08,413
was they had all kinds of
intelligence leaks.
544
00:27:08,517 --> 00:27:10,344
This explains why they set up
545
00:27:10,448 --> 00:27:12,620
the new operation in
the concentration camps.
546
00:27:12,724 --> 00:27:15,551
They could keep it under wraps
if they did it there.
547
00:27:15,655 --> 00:27:18,586
NARRATOR: There is no risk of
workers leaking information out
548
00:27:18,689 --> 00:27:19,896
of the new base.
549
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,000
AUERBACH: Sachsenhausen
is a labor camp,
550
00:27:23,103 --> 00:27:27,586
a vicious, brutal concentration
camp where its occupants can be
551
00:27:27,689 --> 00:27:30,551
executed at any time
and without reason.
552
00:27:30,655 --> 00:27:32,310
NARRATOR:
But Krueger's operation treats
553
00:27:32,413 --> 00:27:35,068
the largely Jewish prisoners
very differently.
554
00:27:35,172 --> 00:27:38,551
He goes to great lengths to
try to make the workers
555
00:27:38,655 --> 00:27:41,068
on his project happy
and comfortable --
556
00:27:41,172 --> 00:27:43,551
distributes extra
rations, cigarettes,
557
00:27:43,655 --> 00:27:46,655
even sets up ping pong tables
for them to amuse themselves.
558
00:27:48,448 --> 00:27:53,000
NARRATOR: By 1943, Operation
Bernhard is in full swing.
559
00:27:53,103 --> 00:27:56,310
The counterfeiting plates turn
out high-quality fake money on
560
00:27:56,413 --> 00:27:57,931
an industrial scale.
561
00:27:58,034 --> 00:28:01,241
Lines of prisoners pass
the notes between them
562
00:28:01,344 --> 00:28:02,862
to make them look used.
563
00:28:02,965 --> 00:28:04,517
The very best,
564
00:28:04,620 --> 00:28:06,241
the ones that were
almost flawless,
565
00:28:06,344 --> 00:28:09,206
were good enough to give to
German spies for
566
00:28:09,310 --> 00:28:10,275
their activities.
567
00:28:10,379 --> 00:28:12,551
NARRATOR: Himmler's spies
are never told
568
00:28:12,655 --> 00:28:14,931
they were receiving
counterfeit money.
569
00:28:15,034 --> 00:28:18,689
The second grade were used
to launder money
570
00:28:18,793 --> 00:28:20,103
throughout Europe.
571
00:28:20,206 --> 00:28:21,689
NARRATOR: And the less
convincing bills
572
00:28:21,793 --> 00:28:23,000
are not circulated.
573
00:28:23,103 --> 00:28:25,793
The lowest quality
of notes were kept
574
00:28:25,896 --> 00:28:29,620
in a room labeled
Abwurf, meaning airdrop.
575
00:28:29,724 --> 00:28:31,724
BALL: That idea
that perhaps one day they
576
00:28:31,827 --> 00:28:34,827
would be air dropped hadn't
been completely abandoned.
577
00:28:36,620 --> 00:28:40,068
NARRATOR:
But it never happens, again.
578
00:28:40,172 --> 00:28:42,000
Germany loses the war.
579
00:28:43,103 --> 00:28:45,206
The work of this plate is
a bust...
580
00:28:46,620 --> 00:28:48,344
...or is it?
581
00:28:48,448 --> 00:28:50,586
The scale of what
Bernhard and Andreas
582
00:28:50,689 --> 00:28:54,310
had actually achieved was
a real shock to the Allies.
583
00:28:54,413 --> 00:28:56,551
NARRATOR: The airdrop plan
may have failed,
584
00:28:56,655 --> 00:29:00,620
but this plate and others like
it still do enormous damage.
585
00:29:00,724 --> 00:29:02,551
It seems that the scheme
was actually
586
00:29:02,655 --> 00:29:04,517
surprisingly effective.
587
00:29:04,620 --> 00:29:08,827
There were over 130 million
pounds of fake notes produced,
588
00:29:08,931 --> 00:29:12,620
around 10 percent
of all sterling on the market.
589
00:29:12,724 --> 00:29:14,379
With just
a little more effort,
590
00:29:14,482 --> 00:29:17,827
this scheme could actually
have been extremely,
591
00:29:17,931 --> 00:29:23,068
disturbingly effective in
disrupting the British economy.
592
00:29:23,172 --> 00:29:26,310
NARRATOR: This remains the only
known surviving plate from
593
00:29:26,413 --> 00:29:29,448
the greatest counterfeiting
operation ever mounted.
594
00:29:29,551 --> 00:29:32,689
Had this plate
and the others like it,
595
00:29:32,793 --> 00:29:34,379
had they done their job,
596
00:29:34,482 --> 00:29:35,931
this could have been one of
597
00:29:36,034 --> 00:29:39,068
the most devastating weapons
of the Second World War.
598
00:29:46,827 --> 00:29:48,586
NARRATOR: In the British
Museum's archives
599
00:29:48,689 --> 00:29:52,241
are three mysterious
chalk artifacts.
600
00:29:52,344 --> 00:29:55,241
They are
a 5,000-year-old puzzle.
601
00:29:56,275 --> 00:29:59,517
Ever since these objects were
discovered in the 19th century,
602
00:29:59,620 --> 00:30:02,137
archaeologists have been
uncertain as to
603
00:30:02,241 --> 00:30:03,241
what they were made for.
604
00:30:04,862 --> 00:30:06,862
NARRATOR: Now, using
the latest technology,
605
00:30:06,965 --> 00:30:10,724
we're bringing these incredible
artifacts into the light.
606
00:30:12,241 --> 00:30:15,206
They are known as
the Folkton Drums.
607
00:30:15,310 --> 00:30:17,551
Although these are
called drums,
608
00:30:17,655 --> 00:30:19,517
they most definitely were
not drums.
609
00:30:19,620 --> 00:30:21,689
It's merely
because of their form
610
00:30:21,793 --> 00:30:23,344
that we have
called them this.
611
00:30:24,620 --> 00:30:27,551
NARRATOR: Each one is
intricately carved.
612
00:30:27,655 --> 00:30:30,758
They're beautiful objects
with geometric
613
00:30:30,862 --> 00:30:33,310
and curvilinear designs,
614
00:30:33,413 --> 00:30:38,137
some that even suggest
a stylized human face.
615
00:30:40,068 --> 00:30:43,137
NARRATOR: But that's not
the strangest thing about them.
616
00:30:43,241 --> 00:30:47,034
These three objects were
incrementally different sizes.
617
00:30:48,241 --> 00:30:52,241
NARRATOR: Each one is .84 times
the diameter of the next
618
00:30:52,344 --> 00:30:53,827
biggest drum.
619
00:30:53,931 --> 00:30:57,275
Small, medium, and large.
620
00:30:57,379 --> 00:31:00,931
They had a mathematical
relationship with one another.
621
00:31:01,034 --> 00:31:04,827
NARRATOR: This is unknown
for Stone Age artifacts,
622
00:31:04,931 --> 00:31:08,172
but new research suggests
an explanation,
623
00:31:08,275 --> 00:31:09,689
one that connects them to
624
00:31:09,793 --> 00:31:13,517
the greatest monument of
the entire Stone Age.
625
00:31:13,620 --> 00:31:17,448
These objects could be related
somehow to Stonehenge.
626
00:31:17,551 --> 00:31:20,103
NARRATOR: What is the meaning
behind this precise
627
00:31:20,206 --> 00:31:21,586
geometric sequence?
628
00:31:22,620 --> 00:31:25,793
What are
these bizarre markings,
629
00:31:25,896 --> 00:31:28,344
and can these
extraordinary objects
630
00:31:28,448 --> 00:31:30,827
unravel the secrets
of Stonehenge?
631
00:31:41,034 --> 00:31:44,620
NARRATOR: 1889, Folkton,
Northern England.
632
00:31:45,724 --> 00:31:48,586
An amateur archaeologist,
excavating a burial mound
633
00:31:48,689 --> 00:31:51,413
finds something unexpected.
634
00:31:51,517 --> 00:31:55,068
The Canon William Greenwell
discovers a grave of
635
00:31:55,172 --> 00:31:59,206
a child, probably around
five years in age.
636
00:31:59,310 --> 00:32:02,206
NARRATOR: The tomb is Neolithic,
a period in
637
00:32:02,310 --> 00:32:07,344
the British Isles that spans
around 4000 to 2500 BCE.
638
00:32:07,448 --> 00:32:09,793
And next to the body
639
00:32:09,896 --> 00:32:13,034
are these three
strange artifacts.
640
00:32:13,137 --> 00:32:15,586
They were placed very
deliberately within it,
641
00:32:15,689 --> 00:32:17,655
behind the head and hips.
642
00:32:17,758 --> 00:32:20,068
NARRATOR:
But what were they for?
643
00:32:24,206 --> 00:32:27,379
Archaeologists have offered
some intriguing ideas.
644
00:32:27,482 --> 00:32:30,482
One holds that
they were a mnemonic device,
645
00:32:30,586 --> 00:32:33,724
an object that would
prompt memory and assist
646
00:32:33,827 --> 00:32:35,275
an individual, for example,
647
00:32:35,379 --> 00:32:37,862
telling a story
to a group of people.
648
00:32:37,965 --> 00:32:40,206
That was a function
of the tactility
649
00:32:40,310 --> 00:32:42,931
of it,
of the lines, incised,
650
00:32:43,034 --> 00:32:46,000
and the shapes, that as
the finger would follow,
651
00:32:46,103 --> 00:32:49,931
They would prompt the next
part of the story.
652
00:32:50,034 --> 00:32:53,275
NARRATOR: Another theory is
that they are talismans.
653
00:32:53,379 --> 00:32:56,241
MacDONALD: They feature
carefully engraved decoration,
654
00:32:56,344 --> 00:33:00,379
showing what could be
interpreted as human eyes.
655
00:33:00,482 --> 00:33:03,862
Might seem to suggest
that they were watchers,
656
00:33:03,965 --> 00:33:06,793
that they are somehow
overseeing the sleep of this
657
00:33:06,896 --> 00:33:09,206
child in death
within the tomb.
658
00:33:09,310 --> 00:33:11,793
That they are, in a sense,
protective objects.
659
00:33:14,620 --> 00:33:17,241
NARRATOR: That fits with
the drums' resting place,
660
00:33:17,344 --> 00:33:19,724
but it doesn't explain
the most puzzling thing
661
00:33:19,827 --> 00:33:21,275
about them.
662
00:33:21,379 --> 00:33:25,034
Their sizes form a precise
geometric sequence.
663
00:33:25,137 --> 00:33:29,413
It's not clear
why this should be the case.
664
00:33:29,517 --> 00:33:31,517
NARRATOR:
Now, new research suggests
665
00:33:31,620 --> 00:33:33,517
that the answer
could lie in one
666
00:33:33,620 --> 00:33:36,517
of the greatest and most
mysterious monuments of
667
00:33:36,620 --> 00:33:39,793
the Neolithic world --
Stonehenge.
668
00:33:44,689 --> 00:33:49,896
The drums are dated
to around 3000 to 2500 BCE,
669
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,413
the same time that
Stonehenge is being built.
670
00:33:53,517 --> 00:33:56,551
The scale and precision of
Stonehenge suggests
671
00:33:56,655 --> 00:33:59,724
that it must have
an important function --
672
00:33:59,827 --> 00:34:03,724
a pagan temple,
a ceremonial burial ground,
673
00:34:04,758 --> 00:34:07,241
and astronomer's
solar calendar.
674
00:34:07,344 --> 00:34:09,206
We're still looking
for answers.
675
00:34:11,310 --> 00:34:13,862
In the early 2000s,
archaeologists
676
00:34:13,965 --> 00:34:16,448
Andrew Chamberlain
and Mike Parker Pearson
677
00:34:16,551 --> 00:34:19,206
investigate the layout
of the site in detail.
678
00:34:19,310 --> 00:34:21,551
BELLINGER: They went to measure
the concentric circles of
679
00:34:21,655 --> 00:34:23,413
Stonehenge and discovered
680
00:34:23,517 --> 00:34:27,310
something quite extraordinary,
that each of them was
681
00:34:27,413 --> 00:34:32,965
a multiple of a measurement of
1.056 modern feet,
682
00:34:33,068 --> 00:34:35,655
which they called
"the long foot."
683
00:34:38,068 --> 00:34:39,551
NARRATOR:
And the long foot doesn't just
684
00:34:39,655 --> 00:34:41,793
appear at Stonehenge.
685
00:34:41,896 --> 00:34:46,206
Two miles away is a site
known as Durrington Walls.
686
00:34:46,310 --> 00:34:49,172
Durrington Walls
itself may have been
687
00:34:49,275 --> 00:34:52,344
a settlement for people
who are creating Stonehenge.
688
00:34:52,448 --> 00:34:55,827
It also features
a now-disappeared henge
689
00:34:55,931 --> 00:34:59,137
monument, which was probably
made in wood.
690
00:34:59,241 --> 00:35:02,241
The Durrington Wall
site happened to have
691
00:35:02,344 --> 00:35:05,551
circular structures,
which also have
692
00:35:05,655 --> 00:35:08,379
this ratio to
the long foot.
693
00:35:10,034 --> 00:35:12,448
NARRATOR: The further afield
researchers look,
694
00:35:12,551 --> 00:35:15,379
the more structures they find
that seem to be built using
695
00:35:15,482 --> 00:35:16,793
this same measurement.
696
00:35:19,482 --> 00:35:23,793
The Ring of Brodgar in
Orkney, 500 miles away,
697
00:35:23,896 --> 00:35:27,482
and the Great Circle in
Newgrange, over 300 miles away
698
00:35:27,586 --> 00:35:31,931
across the Irish sea, they all
seem to use the long foot.
699
00:35:32,034 --> 00:35:35,724
What's so intriguing is
the possibility that it
700
00:35:35,827 --> 00:35:40,103
represents a standardized
measurement system that was in
701
00:35:40,206 --> 00:35:44,172
use not just in the immediate
vicinity of Stonehenge,
702
00:35:44,275 --> 00:35:47,310
but potentially throughout
Neolithic Britain.
703
00:35:49,344 --> 00:35:51,827
NARRATOR: It's as if someone
sent a memo to everyone
704
00:35:51,931 --> 00:35:55,068
across Stone Age Britain
to agree the same system,
705
00:35:55,172 --> 00:35:58,241
and yet this was
5,000 years ago,
706
00:35:58,344 --> 00:36:02,482
almost 3,000 years before
writing even appears in Britain.
707
00:36:04,103 --> 00:36:07,034
Formerly, when we looked
at Neolithic Europe,
708
00:36:07,137 --> 00:36:10,620
we imagined
small farming communities
709
00:36:10,724 --> 00:36:12,517
living in relative isolation.
710
00:36:12,620 --> 00:36:16,172
BELLINGER: if there was
a standard measurement system
711
00:36:16,275 --> 00:36:18,137
in use at the time,
712
00:36:18,241 --> 00:36:21,000
well, the next question becomes,
how are they sharing it
713
00:36:21,103 --> 00:36:22,068
with one another?
714
00:36:22,172 --> 00:36:24,034
NARRATOR: Recently,
an archaeologist
715
00:36:24,137 --> 00:36:26,586
has found
an extraordinary possibility,
716
00:36:26,689 --> 00:36:31,034
a link between the long foot
and the mysterious drums.
717
00:36:31,137 --> 00:36:33,103
Could they hold the answer to
718
00:36:33,206 --> 00:36:36,172
these strange connections
right across the country?
719
00:36:45,862 --> 00:36:47,275
The Folkton Drums have
720
00:36:47,379 --> 00:36:51,034
a precise mathematical
relationship to one another.
721
00:36:51,137 --> 00:36:55,137
NARRATOR: The largest drum is
5.575 inches in diameter.
722
00:36:55,241 --> 00:37:00,103
The next 4.88,
and the next 4.1.
723
00:37:00,206 --> 00:37:05,034
Each one is .84 times the size
of the next biggest drum.
724
00:37:05,137 --> 00:37:07,448
Could this simply
be coincidence?
725
00:37:10,241 --> 00:37:12,586
In 2016,
a researcher at
726
00:37:12,689 --> 00:37:16,620
Manchester University
discovers something amazing.
727
00:37:16,724 --> 00:37:20,448
Dr. Anne Teather
examines the smallest drum
728
00:37:20,551 --> 00:37:26,517
and discovers that its
circumference is 1.056 feet.
729
00:37:26,620 --> 00:37:27,862
NARRATOR:
The long foot.
730
00:37:27,965 --> 00:37:32,965
Dr. Teather takes a cord
measuring exactly 10 long feet.
731
00:37:33,068 --> 00:37:36,137
She wrapped it around
the smallest of these
732
00:37:36,241 --> 00:37:40,482
chalk drums, and it went around
10 times precisely.
733
00:37:40,586 --> 00:37:43,379
NARRATOR: She repeats the test
on the other two drums.
734
00:37:43,482 --> 00:37:45,689
She did the same
with the larger drums,
735
00:37:45,793 --> 00:37:48,068
and it went around eight
or seven.
736
00:37:48,172 --> 00:37:51,137
NARRATOR: This suggests
an astonishing possibility.
737
00:37:51,241 --> 00:37:54,965
One theory is that these drums
could have been used as
738
00:37:55,068 --> 00:37:58,689
portable devices for
the wrapping around of cords,
739
00:37:58,793 --> 00:38:01,862
for the creating of standard
measurements, for laying out
740
00:38:01,965 --> 00:38:04,000
buildings or monuments.
741
00:38:06,172 --> 00:38:08,310
NARRATOR: The suggestion is
that these are like
742
00:38:08,413 --> 00:38:10,655
5000-year-old
measuring tapes,
743
00:38:10,758 --> 00:38:13,310
but with only one
isolated find,
744
00:38:13,413 --> 00:38:15,931
it could all
be coincidence,
745
00:38:16,034 --> 00:38:17,655
except...
746
00:38:17,758 --> 00:38:20,137
it's no longer
just one find.
747
00:38:21,965 --> 00:38:25,896
In 1993 in West Sussex,
50 miles from Stonehenge,
748
00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,551
archaeologists discover
another drum.
749
00:38:29,655 --> 00:38:32,758
But this time
with no carved decorations,
750
00:38:32,862 --> 00:38:34,931
almost as if
it were unfinished.
751
00:38:35,034 --> 00:38:37,827
NARRATOR: When Dr. Teather
tests the new drum with
752
00:38:37,931 --> 00:38:39,413
the 10 long feet cord,
753
00:38:39,517 --> 00:38:42,206
it wraps around
exactly nine times.
754
00:38:43,448 --> 00:38:45,517
The idea that
these strange drums are
755
00:38:45,620 --> 00:38:49,413
tools for the architects of
Stonehenge is attractive,
756
00:38:49,517 --> 00:38:51,896
but there's one very
big problem.
757
00:38:54,448 --> 00:38:56,655
The drums are made out
of chalk.
758
00:38:56,758 --> 00:38:59,137
There is a problem with chalk,
759
00:38:59,241 --> 00:39:01,793
particularly if you're using
it for some kind of
760
00:39:01,896 --> 00:39:03,482
measuring standard.
761
00:39:03,586 --> 00:39:06,620
It is soft,
and it erodes easily.
762
00:39:06,724 --> 00:39:09,655
If these objects were
part of some Neolithic toolkit,
763
00:39:09,758 --> 00:39:13,655
then you'd expect to see marks
of wear upon them.
764
00:39:13,758 --> 00:39:16,413
NARRATOR: But up close,
there are no cord marks
765
00:39:16,517 --> 00:39:19,793
or signs of damage from
regular use as tools.
766
00:39:20,931 --> 00:39:23,068
But weirdly,
in Neolithic Britain,
767
00:39:23,172 --> 00:39:25,689
not all tools
are made to be used.
768
00:39:25,793 --> 00:39:28,827
We call these sorts
of objects skeuomorphs,
769
00:39:28,931 --> 00:39:32,448
objects which were
functionally in one material,
770
00:39:32,551 --> 00:39:35,586
but for which replicas can be
made in another material,
771
00:39:35,689 --> 00:39:37,724
which is not
functionally suitable.
772
00:39:37,827 --> 00:39:40,620
A good example of this would
be a chalk ax,
773
00:39:40,724 --> 00:39:43,206
which, while looking
like an ax,
774
00:39:43,310 --> 00:39:46,413
would shatter if you actually
used it like an ax.
775
00:39:46,517 --> 00:39:48,275
And we've actually found such
776
00:39:48,379 --> 00:39:51,862
a chalk ax from near Arundel
in Britain.
777
00:39:53,413 --> 00:39:55,551
NARRATOR: The working theory
is that the real drums would
778
00:39:55,655 --> 00:39:58,655
have been made of something
more durable, like wood.
779
00:40:01,172 --> 00:40:04,206
So why make copies
out of chalk?
780
00:40:04,310 --> 00:40:08,103
MacDONALD: Their use appears
to have been largely ritual.
781
00:40:08,206 --> 00:40:11,034
It would appear that
the long foot measurement had
782
00:40:11,137 --> 00:40:14,655
an important symbolic as well
as functional use in
783
00:40:14,758 --> 00:40:15,793
this society.
784
00:40:15,896 --> 00:40:19,827
We may view
these two realms,
785
00:40:19,931 --> 00:40:23,000
the functional
and the spiritual,
786
00:40:23,103 --> 00:40:25,275
as different
phenomena today,
787
00:40:25,379 --> 00:40:29,103
but for the people of
the past, this was not the case.
788
00:40:30,413 --> 00:40:32,965
NARRATOR: That fits with
the long foot being used
789
00:40:33,068 --> 00:40:35,448
at a ritual site
like Stonehenge
790
00:40:35,551 --> 00:40:37,724
and why the drums
might be buried in
791
00:40:37,827 --> 00:40:39,000
a tomb.
792
00:40:39,103 --> 00:40:42,241
But if the drums really are
connected to the monuments,
793
00:40:42,344 --> 00:40:44,137
how is it they were found
794
00:40:44,241 --> 00:40:46,448
hundreds of miles
away from any of them?
795
00:40:48,379 --> 00:40:51,379
New evidence that Durrington
Walls may hold an answer.
796
00:40:51,482 --> 00:40:56,551
BELLINGER: Researchers analyzed
38,000 teeth and bones
797
00:40:56,655 --> 00:40:59,172
from animals that had been
butchered and consumed
798
00:40:59,275 --> 00:41:02,241
at the Durrington Walls site,
and they were quite astonished
799
00:41:02,344 --> 00:41:04,620
to find that many of them
had come from
800
00:41:04,724 --> 00:41:07,413
as far away as
the northern tip of Scotland,
801
00:41:07,517 --> 00:41:09,724
500 miles.
802
00:41:09,827 --> 00:41:12,310
NARRATOR: Archaeologists have
had to rethink
803
00:41:12,413 --> 00:41:15,482
ideas of Neolithic
communities being isolated.
804
00:41:15,586 --> 00:41:19,482
There was a huge amount of
contact, and not just with
805
00:41:19,586 --> 00:41:21,068
neighboring communities,
806
00:41:21,172 --> 00:41:24,793
but communities that spanned
the British Isles and could
807
00:41:24,896 --> 00:41:26,517
have even included
the continent.
808
00:41:30,586 --> 00:41:33,068
NARRATOR: The idea that
knowledge of measuring drums
809
00:41:33,172 --> 00:41:35,206
could have
traveled hundreds of miles
810
00:41:35,310 --> 00:41:37,379
no longer seemed so strange.
811
00:41:37,482 --> 00:41:39,931
People were
traveling long distances,
812
00:41:40,034 --> 00:41:43,275
and when people come together,
they share ideas.
813
00:41:43,379 --> 00:41:46,379
They talk,
they talk about religion,
814
00:41:46,482 --> 00:41:50,137
they talk about
what they've experienced.
815
00:41:50,241 --> 00:41:53,034
It's what humans always do.
816
00:41:53,137 --> 00:41:56,068
NARRATOR: These beautiful
and strange chalk objects
817
00:41:56,172 --> 00:41:58,413
are fundamentally
challenging our views
818
00:41:58,517 --> 00:42:01,000
on both the skills
and the beliefs of
819
00:42:01,103 --> 00:42:05,137
the Stone Age people who
crafted them 5,000 years ago.
66536
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.