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A priceless diamond
with a deadly past.
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A picturesque lake
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that hides a ghost town.
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And a pharaoh's tomb
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that was not meant
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to be disturbed.
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Throughout recorded history,
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every major civilization
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has believed in curses
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and their power to inflict harm
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on the unsuspecting.
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Even today,
many people are afraid
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of walking into
a so-called cursed place
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or touching
a reportedly cursed object.
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But if curses are,
in fact, real,
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then what brings them
into existence?
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And how are they triggered?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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A young boy working
for a British excavation team
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led by archaeologist
Howard Carter
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is riding his donkey
home one night
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when suddenly
the animal's hoof slips
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into a hole below the sand.
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Carter and his team
later excavate the site
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and discover
a mysterious chamber
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hidden deep beneath
the shifting sands.
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Peering inside,
they lay their eyes upon
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one of the most incredible
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archaeological finds in history.
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A massive treasure trove of gold
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and ebony artifacts,
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all laid out
before another chamber
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guarded by two imposing statues
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and sealed shut
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with an intricate combination
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of rope knots and clay.
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The long-lost tomb
of King Tutankhamen.
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It was absolutely
a magnificent discovery,
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it made headline news
all over the world,
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and really sort of
captured public imagination
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at just the right time.
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Unlike most of the other tombs
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that had been discovered of
the ancient Egyptian pharaohs,
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King Tut's tomb was untouched.
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It had not been plundered,
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it had not been destroyed,
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and so there was a tremendous
wealth of archaeological data,
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as well as just a stunning
display of artifacts.
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After spending nearly
three months cataloging
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the more than 5,000 relics
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found within
the tomb's antechamber...
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on February 16, 1923,
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at just after 2:00
in the afternoon,
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members of the press
gathered to watch
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Howard Carter finally
break the seal
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protecting King Tut's
burial chamber,
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which had lain undisturbed
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for more than 3,000 years.
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Carter started excavation
of the burial chamber
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within Tutankhamen's tomb,
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and he found the intact
burial of Tutankhamen,
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which was contained,
essentially, within
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nine protective layers.
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The sarcophagus
is very elaborate.
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It's got gold,
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it's inlaid
with precious stones,
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and there's several layers of it
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before you get down
to the central layer,
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which is of course the mummy
of King Tutankhamen himself.
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Once Carter began unwrapping
the mummy of Tutankhamen
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and removed
the funerary death mask
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and made his way
through the different
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mummy bandages
and the bundle itself,
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he was able to see
the face of Tutankhamen,
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which hadn't been seen
by any living person
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for nearly 3,500 years.
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So, in a way, the opening
of the tomb of Tutankhamen
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is a kind of a resurrection.
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The discovery of
King Tut's mummy
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00:04:20,167 --> 00:04:22,708
launched an
international media frenzy,
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making headlines in every major
newspaper around the world.
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But Howard Carter and his team
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had barely begun
enjoying their success
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when several strange things
started happening to them.
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That evening, Howard Carter
is having his dinner,
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and hears a commotion
in the next room.
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Goes in, and his
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pet canary is being attacked
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inside its cage by a king cobra.
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00:04:50,583 --> 00:04:53,500
Now, the king cobra is
a symbol for the pharaoh.
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00:04:53,667 --> 00:04:55,083
And a canary, the symbolism.
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The canary is the first to go.
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The canary is
the weakest and a warning.
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00:05:01,125 --> 00:05:03,000
After that, Lord Carnarvon,
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the financier
of the whole expedition,
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00:05:05,250 --> 00:05:08,250
was there on-site,
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and then, while they're
inventorying the treasures,
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he gets a mosquito bite.
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A few days later, accidentally
nicks the bump with his razor.
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The bump gets infected.
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It leads to blood poisoning,
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and he dies of it.
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00:05:26,292 --> 00:05:27,708
A prominent British radiologist
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came out to the site
to X-ray King Tut,
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and shortly after
handling the mummy,
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he catches a mysterious disease
that cannot be diagnosed,
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cannot be treated,
and it kills him.
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All told, the deaths
of no fewer than
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seven members of
Howard Carter's expedition
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took place shortly
after the reopening
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of Tutankhamen's burial chamber.
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While it was certainly possible
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their untimely deaths were
nothing more than coincidences,
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many believed that by
disturbing King Tut's mummy,
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the archaeologists
had somehow triggered
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a deadly curse.
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To the ancient Egyptians,
death was not the end.
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But in order to guarantee
yourself eternal life,
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you actually had to preserve
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your earthly body for the spirit
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to be able to function properly.
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The idea of a mummy curse
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is to keep those people
out of the tombs.
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The Egyptians said,
if you bothered these mummies,
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you would have a problem.
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And people who have
discovered those tombs
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actually ended up
dying weird ways.
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If that's not a curse,
what would be?
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The ancient Egyptians, uh,
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prepared the body
for mummification
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by removing the internal organs.
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They would remove the brain
through the nose
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with a metal hook,
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and clean out all of the organs
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and put them in jars,
except for the heart
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because, for them, uh, the heart
was the key to the afterlife.
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And then, at that point,
they'd wrap the body in linen,
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and then they'd
put them in sarcophagi
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that looked like human beings,
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00:07:30,583 --> 00:07:33,000
and they were made
to resemble the deceased.
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The Egyptians thought
the soul had multiple parts.
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Upon death, certain
parts of the soul
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went down into the earth,
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certain parts went
up into the sky,
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and then other parts
remained with the actual body.
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If you want that person
perpetuated for eternity,
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you need to maintain all
aspects of the soul together.
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That can happen
if the body is preserved.
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The idea was that, at some
point, you will face the gods,
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and those who are unworthy
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would be obliterated
for all time.
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So these tombs were meant to be
there until the day of judgment.
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You were not supposed
to open these.
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Is it possible that
the ancient Egyptians
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were able to preserve
the soul of King Tut
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within his mummified remains,
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effectively keeping his spirit
alive for thousands of years?
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And if so, could
the pharaoh's spirit
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have unleashed a curse
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upon the men
responsible for disturbing
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his sacred burial chamber?
Perhaps.
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But there are some researchers
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who claim that even before
King Tut's tomb was disturbed,
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there was already
a pharaoh's curse in place.
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A curse that was associated
not with King Tut
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but with his father Akhenaton.
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Akhenaton was controversial
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because he used his
considerable power as pharaoh
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to change the religious system.
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Ancient Egypt had always
been polytheistic...
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Many gods... and then
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there is a new pharaoh
with a new idea.
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Akhenaton announces
there will be one god,
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they will be
a monotheistic people.
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Aten, the sun god, would be
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the one divinity
they all worshipped.
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The sun disc.
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It shook the empire
in really terrible ways.
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Part of this
religious revolution
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included purposely erasing
the names of older gods,
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closing down their temples,
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erasing their names
from monuments,
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and trying to obliterate
these other deities
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that the Egyptians
used to worship.
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Before the reign of Akhenaton,
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the most sacred deity
of the ancient Egyptians
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was known as Amun-Ra,
the chief of all Egyptian gods.
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According to legend,
Amun-Ra was angered
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by Akhenaton's acts of heresy
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and took vengeance
upon the pharaoh.
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For his offense,
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Akhenaton was cursed by Amun-Ra,
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a curse unique
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to religious views in Egypt.
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He would be cursed after death
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to wander endlessly.
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His soul would never
be reunited with his body,
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which was the point of
all those funerary practices.
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He would be disconnected
and dislodged forever.
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Was King Tut's body mummified
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and placed within
a sealed burial chamber
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so that he could escape
the fate of his father?
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00:10:40,542 --> 00:10:43,500
And is that why
breaking the seals
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on the tomb of King Tut
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brought a curse upon
Howard Carter and his team?
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00:10:51,292 --> 00:10:53,208
Well, it would seem
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00:10:53,375 --> 00:10:55,500
that either these tragic deaths
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00:10:55,583 --> 00:10:58,208
were a series
of unfortunate coincidences
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or the curse of the pharaoh
was all too real.
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00:11:01,750 --> 00:11:03,458
But not every alleged curse
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00:11:03,542 --> 00:11:05,792
originates from
the spirit of the dead.
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00:11:05,875 --> 00:11:10,000
Some are thought to be placed
upon physical objects.
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00:11:10,125 --> 00:11:12,917
For instance, there
are those who believe
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00:11:13,042 --> 00:11:15,917
that one of the most valuable
gemstones in the world
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00:11:16,042 --> 00:11:17,750
has the power
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00:11:17,875 --> 00:11:21,167
to kill any man who touches it.
217
00:11:29,292 --> 00:11:32,458
Over one million people turn out
for the funeral procession
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00:11:32,542 --> 00:11:34,458
of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon,
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00:11:34,583 --> 00:11:36,667
otherwise known
as the Queen Mother
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00:11:36,792 --> 00:11:39,917
of Great Britain's
Queen Elizabeth II.
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00:11:40,042 --> 00:11:42,875
Atop her casket, in addition to
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00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,167
ceremonial flowers
and her coat of arms,
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00:11:45,292 --> 00:11:47,000
is the crown she wore
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00:11:47,125 --> 00:11:52,375
at her husband King George VI's
coronation in 1937.
225
00:11:52,500 --> 00:11:57,042
Although it is adorned with
an estimated 2,800 diamonds,
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00:11:57,208 --> 00:12:01,375
one in particular attracts
more awe and fascination
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00:12:01,500 --> 00:12:04,042
from the crowd than the rest.
228
00:12:04,167 --> 00:12:07,667
The diamond known
as the Koh-i-Noor.
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00:12:08,875 --> 00:12:11,000
That, an imperial crown,
230
00:12:11,125 --> 00:12:14,708
and at its center, in the front,
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00:12:14,833 --> 00:12:16,542
the most famous diamond
in the world...
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00:12:16,667 --> 00:12:18,625
The Koh-i-Noor diamond.
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00:12:18,750 --> 00:12:21,292
The name means
"Mountain of Light."
234
00:12:21,417 --> 00:12:25,667
Since 1895, it has
only been worn by a woman,
235
00:12:25,792 --> 00:12:28,667
by Queen Mary, the Queen
Mother's mother-in-law,
236
00:12:28,792 --> 00:12:31,250
and then by
the Queen Mother herself.
237
00:12:32,208 --> 00:12:35,042
Measuring a massive 105 carats,
238
00:12:35,208 --> 00:12:38,792
and estimated to be
worth over $1 billion,
239
00:12:38,875 --> 00:12:40,875
the Koh-i-Noor is one of
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00:12:41,042 --> 00:12:42,833
the largest cut
diamonds in the world.
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00:12:42,958 --> 00:12:45,667
And, according to historians,
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00:12:45,750 --> 00:12:48,125
it is also one of
the most feared.
243
00:12:50,542 --> 00:12:52,000
The Koh-i-Noor diamond
244
00:12:52,125 --> 00:12:54,958
is one of the, uh,
more impressive diamonds
245
00:12:55,042 --> 00:12:59,125
that have ever been unearthed
in the history of humankind.
246
00:13:00,250 --> 00:13:02,000
It was unearthed
somewhere in India,
247
00:13:02,125 --> 00:13:04,500
which was the main spot
that diamonds were unearthed.
248
00:13:04,625 --> 00:13:06,625
But this particular diamond,
249
00:13:06,708 --> 00:13:09,208
it has a very, very long
and sort of tragic
250
00:13:09,375 --> 00:13:11,125
and bloody history.
251
00:13:11,208 --> 00:13:13,167
And there are legends
attached to this,
252
00:13:13,333 --> 00:13:16,667
where it is held to be
accursed and bring curses
253
00:13:16,792 --> 00:13:19,167
to, especially,
any man who touches this,
254
00:13:19,250 --> 00:13:21,375
which is why, even in
the British royalty,
255
00:13:21,542 --> 00:13:23,667
it remains a part of the, um,
256
00:13:23,792 --> 00:13:25,917
Crown Jewels for women only.
257
00:13:27,042 --> 00:13:29,792
A curse on any man
who touches it?
258
00:13:29,875 --> 00:13:32,167
But what could give
a beautiful stone
259
00:13:32,250 --> 00:13:34,000
such a dark power?
260
00:13:34,125 --> 00:13:37,000
Many believe the answer
can be found by examining
261
00:13:37,125 --> 00:13:39,000
the Koh-i-Noor's
storied history,
262
00:13:39,167 --> 00:13:41,750
which, according to records,
dates all the way back
263
00:13:41,875 --> 00:13:43,917
to 14th century India.
264
00:13:44,917 --> 00:13:46,583
The Koh-i-Noor really
catches your eye.
265
00:13:46,708 --> 00:13:49,000
It's like a hundred-carat stone.
266
00:13:49,083 --> 00:13:52,250
But what really catches
your eye is the history.
267
00:13:53,417 --> 00:13:56,417
The diamond was really
first identified
268
00:13:56,542 --> 00:14:01,667
after Mughal Empire invaded
what's now Northern India.
269
00:14:01,750 --> 00:14:06,125
They settled in Delhi
after their conquest
270
00:14:06,250 --> 00:14:10,000
and started
collecting gemstones.
271
00:14:10,125 --> 00:14:14,417
Shah Jahan became
the ruler in 1626.
272
00:14:14,542 --> 00:14:17,792
He designed this throne,
called the Peacock Throne,
273
00:14:17,917 --> 00:14:19,708
that was in the tradition
274
00:14:19,833 --> 00:14:22,375
of biblical throne,
like King Solomon.
275
00:14:22,542 --> 00:14:24,750
It took seven years
276
00:14:24,875 --> 00:14:28,458
and cost three to four times
more than it cost
277
00:14:28,542 --> 00:14:30,917
to build the Taj Mahal.
278
00:14:31,042 --> 00:14:33,417
And you can understand
the immense expense
279
00:14:33,542 --> 00:14:34,917
that this took to create.
280
00:14:35,042 --> 00:14:37,167
And then
at the centerpiece of this
281
00:14:37,292 --> 00:14:40,042
was the Koh-i-Noor
at the very top.
282
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,250
In 1739, after
100 years of peace,
283
00:14:48,375 --> 00:14:53,000
a merciless Persian ruler
named Nader Shah invaded India.
284
00:14:54,208 --> 00:14:56,667
Tens of thousands died
285
00:14:56,792 --> 00:14:59,458
in his relentless quest
for power.
286
00:15:00,917 --> 00:15:02,958
Following his savage victory,
287
00:15:03,042 --> 00:15:05,083
Nader Shah seized the Koh-i-Noor
288
00:15:05,208 --> 00:15:07,750
and had it placed
on his personal armband
289
00:15:07,875 --> 00:15:10,500
as a symbol of his might.
290
00:15:10,625 --> 00:15:11,875
Nader Shah
291
00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:13,440
wasn't going to
keep it in the chair.
292
00:15:13,542 --> 00:15:15,500
It was going to be
with him at all times.
293
00:15:15,583 --> 00:15:18,042
Now, Nader Shah
294
00:15:18,208 --> 00:15:22,000
became a very,
very repressive ruler,
295
00:15:22,125 --> 00:15:24,708
and even his allies
began to hate him.
296
00:15:24,833 --> 00:15:26,292
And they poisoned him.
297
00:15:27,583 --> 00:15:29,458
After Nader Shah's death,
298
00:15:29,542 --> 00:15:32,625
the diamond passed
through various rulers
299
00:15:32,708 --> 00:15:34,875
who-who died in
very violent ways.
300
00:15:36,292 --> 00:15:38,042
In the years after,
301
00:15:38,167 --> 00:15:40,833
the Koh-i-Noor would pass
from one ruler to another,
302
00:15:40,917 --> 00:15:43,833
almost always
drenched in the blood
303
00:15:43,958 --> 00:15:46,167
of its prior owner,
304
00:15:46,250 --> 00:15:48,375
as if the diamond
itself demanded
305
00:15:48,542 --> 00:15:51,958
a mortal sacrifice
in order to possess it.
306
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,167
Because of battles, um,
307
00:15:56,250 --> 00:15:59,125
it fell from
one person to a next
308
00:15:59,250 --> 00:16:03,583
and started to build up
this, um, legend
309
00:16:03,708 --> 00:16:05,958
that it had some kind of curse
310
00:16:06,083 --> 00:16:07,917
associated with it.
311
00:16:09,208 --> 00:16:12,000
Because, as soon as it was
in the hands of one ruler,
312
00:16:12,125 --> 00:16:14,292
they would be killed
or their kingdom
313
00:16:14,417 --> 00:16:17,208
would be lost, and it would
be passed on to another.
314
00:16:18,583 --> 00:16:21,708
Now, these rulers were
wearing the Koh-I-Noor
315
00:16:21,875 --> 00:16:24,125
as the armband
to be a protector.
316
00:16:24,208 --> 00:16:27,750
And this is probably where
the curse legend came in
317
00:16:27,875 --> 00:16:30,083
because the diamond certainly
wasn't protecting them.
318
00:16:31,208 --> 00:16:34,083
And then, in the 19th century,
319
00:16:34,208 --> 00:16:36,542
when the British were in India,
320
00:16:36,708 --> 00:16:39,875
it fell into the hands
of the British Army,
321
00:16:40,042 --> 00:16:43,875
and it was said that
from that point onwards,
322
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,167
that no male
323
00:16:46,292 --> 00:16:49,792
should ever wear this diamond.
324
00:16:50,917 --> 00:16:54,292
Is the supposed curse
of the Koh-i-Noor diamond
325
00:16:54,417 --> 00:16:57,500
merely the stuff
of folklore and legend?
326
00:16:57,625 --> 00:16:59,500
Or is there
any scientific evidence
327
00:16:59,625 --> 00:17:03,250
to prove that its deadly
reputation is justified?
328
00:17:04,625 --> 00:17:07,333
So, diamonds are really good
at taking heat away
329
00:17:07,500 --> 00:17:10,083
from a source and
transmitting it elsewhere.
330
00:17:10,208 --> 00:17:12,958
And if you've never held
a large diamond in your life
331
00:17:13,042 --> 00:17:15,167
and if you've first
encountered the stone
332
00:17:15,250 --> 00:17:16,559
and you're putting it
on your chest
333
00:17:16,583 --> 00:17:19,000
or on a necklace,
it would feel much colder
334
00:17:19,083 --> 00:17:20,667
than anything that you'd have
335
00:17:20,792 --> 00:17:23,292
because the heat is being
sucked out of your skin
336
00:17:23,375 --> 00:17:25,083
and transmitted
through this diamond.
337
00:17:26,208 --> 00:17:28,250
It could be one reason
why somebody might feel like
338
00:17:28,375 --> 00:17:30,500
the stone has got
some magical properties
339
00:17:30,625 --> 00:17:32,000
or why it might be cursed.
340
00:17:33,375 --> 00:17:37,375
As long as we believe that
something bad will happen,
341
00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:41,792
if a male heir actually
uses this or wears it,
342
00:17:41,875 --> 00:17:45,250
then I think that it needs
to be taken seriously.
343
00:17:46,208 --> 00:17:48,125
So, very clearly,
344
00:17:48,250 --> 00:17:51,458
no British king
will ever wear it.
345
00:17:53,833 --> 00:17:56,750
Some may scoff at the idea
that a cursed diamond
346
00:17:56,875 --> 00:17:57,917
can bring about death.
347
00:17:58,042 --> 00:17:59,583
But then again,
348
00:17:59,708 --> 00:18:03,333
I suspect that we probably
won't see a British king
349
00:18:03,458 --> 00:18:07,000
wearing the Koh-i-Noor
anytime soon.
350
00:18:07,167 --> 00:18:09,583
Truth is that
there are many curses
351
00:18:09,708 --> 00:18:11,875
around the world that
are still acknowledged
352
00:18:12,042 --> 00:18:13,833
and feared.
353
00:18:13,917 --> 00:18:17,625
Like the curse that is said
to plague a lake in New Jersey,
354
00:18:17,708 --> 00:18:20,750
where numerous boaters
and swimmers have vanished
355
00:18:20,875 --> 00:18:28,875
without a trace.
356
00:18:33,292 --> 00:18:35,208
Nestled beside
the sleepy suburbs
357
00:18:35,333 --> 00:18:37,000
of Clinton Township
358
00:18:37,125 --> 00:18:40,250
lies Round Valley Reservoir.
359
00:18:41,500 --> 00:18:44,375
First formed in 1960
as a primary water source,
360
00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:47,292
this man-made lake
is beloved by locals
361
00:18:47,375 --> 00:18:50,167
for its great fishing
and scenic views.
362
00:18:50,292 --> 00:18:54,708
But many believe
this idyllic watering hole
363
00:18:54,875 --> 00:18:58,792
conceals a deadly secret.
364
00:19:01,917 --> 00:19:03,500
For more than 40 years,
365
00:19:03,667 --> 00:19:07,833
people have been disappearing
in Round Valley Reservoir.
366
00:19:07,958 --> 00:19:11,542
And not just a few.
367
00:19:12,542 --> 00:19:15,000
More than two dozen men
have been lost
368
00:19:15,125 --> 00:19:17,042
beneath these placid waters,
369
00:19:17,167 --> 00:19:19,208
never to be seen again.
370
00:19:20,250 --> 00:19:22,542
Locals do believe that
this lake is cursed,
371
00:19:22,667 --> 00:19:26,292
and it's easy to understand why
with so many tragic deaths
372
00:19:26,375 --> 00:19:28,542
surrounding it
in just about 40 years.
373
00:19:30,667 --> 00:19:33,250
And while I can't be
sure if it's cursed,
374
00:19:33,375 --> 00:19:36,750
there's always one thing
that's given me the chills.
375
00:19:36,875 --> 00:19:38,792
I heard someone say that
376
00:19:38,875 --> 00:19:41,833
when one body is found
at Round Valley Reservoir,
377
00:19:41,917 --> 00:19:45,167
another quickly replaces it.
378
00:19:46,542 --> 00:19:48,942
We don't even know for sure how
many bodies there really are.
379
00:19:52,542 --> 00:19:54,750
When I worked in news,
380
00:19:54,875 --> 00:19:57,792
I would hear the police
scanner crackle to life
381
00:19:57,917 --> 00:20:00,042
with "Round Valley,"
382
00:20:00,208 --> 00:20:01,875
"fishermen," "trouble,"
383
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,083
"boater,"
384
00:20:03,208 --> 00:20:04,750
somebody has gone
under the water.
385
00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:07,667
It's a creepy, horrible
feeling when you hear this,
386
00:20:07,750 --> 00:20:10,125
because you know
387
00:20:10,250 --> 00:20:11,958
that 90% of the time,
this is not
388
00:20:12,083 --> 00:20:13,583
going to end well.
389
00:20:17,125 --> 00:20:20,083
I can't explain why these people
390
00:20:20,208 --> 00:20:22,000
at the bottom of the lake
haven't been found,
391
00:20:22,125 --> 00:20:24,500
especially after
searching for them
392
00:20:24,667 --> 00:20:27,292
with such a degree of intensity.
393
00:20:27,417 --> 00:20:31,667
Even after bringing
in cadaver-sniffing dogs,
394
00:20:31,833 --> 00:20:33,417
using sonar technology,
395
00:20:33,542 --> 00:20:36,167
and submarines
to crawl the lake,
396
00:20:36,250 --> 00:20:38,500
there was no sign.
It's almost as if
397
00:20:38,625 --> 00:20:41,375
some of these people
disappeared without a trace.
398
00:20:41,542 --> 00:20:43,333
And an interesting thing,
399
00:20:43,417 --> 00:20:46,042
if you're looking for
bones in Round Valley,
400
00:20:46,167 --> 00:20:48,667
is that you aren't
necessarily going to
401
00:20:48,750 --> 00:20:52,125
find a fisherman who
disappeared 13 years ago.
402
00:20:52,208 --> 00:20:55,417
You may find a bone
that was in the ground
403
00:20:55,542 --> 00:20:58,625
long before Round Valley
became a reservoir.
404
00:21:00,625 --> 00:21:03,042
Bones from a time
405
00:21:03,208 --> 00:21:05,667
before Round Valley
became a reservoir?
406
00:21:06,708 --> 00:21:08,458
There are some who
believe that these bones
407
00:21:08,583 --> 00:21:10,417
may have been the very reason
408
00:21:10,542 --> 00:21:14,042
the bodies of those
who have disappeared here
409
00:21:14,167 --> 00:21:16,333
have never been found,
410
00:21:16,458 --> 00:21:19,208
and that the lake's refusal
411
00:21:19,333 --> 00:21:21,167
to give up its victims
412
00:21:21,333 --> 00:21:24,292
is actually an act of revenge.
413
00:21:26,458 --> 00:21:28,792
There was a town here once.
414
00:21:28,875 --> 00:21:31,125
For centuries,
415
00:21:31,208 --> 00:21:33,333
people put down roots
in this valley.
416
00:21:33,458 --> 00:21:36,333
It was very fertile
and rich farmland.
417
00:21:36,458 --> 00:21:37,518
There were thousands of acres,
418
00:21:37,542 --> 00:21:40,083
and people grew their own food.
419
00:21:40,208 --> 00:21:42,167
They raised their animals.
420
00:21:42,250 --> 00:21:43,500
Then, in the 1950s,
421
00:21:43,583 --> 00:21:45,792
there was a drought
in New Jersey.
422
00:21:47,250 --> 00:21:48,833
And they needed
a source of water
423
00:21:48,917 --> 00:21:50,500
for, predominantly, Newark
424
00:21:50,583 --> 00:21:52,667
but the surrounding
area as well,
425
00:21:52,792 --> 00:21:55,458
and so they had to
fill in somewhere,
426
00:21:55,542 --> 00:21:58,083
and Round Valley, they believed,
was the best choice.
427
00:21:59,375 --> 00:22:01,333
People were opposed to
the reservoir being built.
428
00:22:01,458 --> 00:22:03,250
It was a small
farming community,
429
00:22:03,375 --> 00:22:04,667
very close-knit,
430
00:22:04,750 --> 00:22:08,250
and no one wanted
to leave their homes.
431
00:22:08,375 --> 00:22:11,708
Most of the homes were
eventually razed or moved.
432
00:22:11,833 --> 00:22:14,458
Their homes were
either torn down
433
00:22:14,583 --> 00:22:17,833
or they were put on flatbeds
and taken out of the valley.
434
00:22:17,917 --> 00:22:20,708
And that construction
started on the reservoir.
435
00:22:20,833 --> 00:22:24,583
In the 1960s,
they started filling it.
436
00:22:25,875 --> 00:22:28,333
There was a lot
of bad feeling here
437
00:22:28,458 --> 00:22:31,625
when the landowners were
pushed out of their valley.
438
00:22:33,083 --> 00:22:35,542
Did these
ill feelings carry over?
439
00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:39,083
There are people
who will say yes, they did.
440
00:22:39,208 --> 00:22:41,500
When you're at
Round Valley, you feel
441
00:22:41,583 --> 00:22:44,750
the spirit of the people
who came before you.
442
00:22:45,667 --> 00:22:48,000
There is a presence here
443
00:22:48,083 --> 00:22:51,375
that can make you feel
a little disconcerting.
444
00:22:52,542 --> 00:22:54,500
The idea that any body of water,
445
00:22:54,625 --> 00:22:57,958
let alone a man-made one
less than a century old,
446
00:22:58,042 --> 00:23:00,500
could somehow be imbued
with a deadly curse
447
00:23:00,583 --> 00:23:04,208
seems far-fetched,
to say the least.
448
00:23:04,333 --> 00:23:05,833
And yet outlandish
449
00:23:05,958 --> 00:23:09,792
and presumably irrational
notions such as these
450
00:23:09,875 --> 00:23:12,500
have been held
by nearly every culture
451
00:23:12,583 --> 00:23:15,375
throughout history. But why?
452
00:23:16,375 --> 00:23:17,958
We all are afraid of things
453
00:23:18,042 --> 00:23:20,333
and we would like to
be able to understand them,
454
00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:23,333
if only to give a little
mental illusion of control
455
00:23:23,458 --> 00:23:26,417
over things that
go bump in the night.
456
00:23:27,792 --> 00:23:30,833
And so we come up with stories,
and they help.
457
00:23:30,917 --> 00:23:33,917
They're entertaining
and maybe they're true.
458
00:23:34,042 --> 00:23:36,708
And then they get passed down
to children and grandchildren,
459
00:23:36,875 --> 00:23:39,750
and they gain
authority through time.
460
00:23:39,875 --> 00:23:43,167
A curse has to be believed
in order for it to have power.
461
00:23:43,292 --> 00:23:44,667
It's kind of like hypnosis.
462
00:23:44,750 --> 00:23:46,430
You have to be willing
to go under hypnosis
463
00:23:46,542 --> 00:23:48,333
in order for it
to actually be effective.
464
00:23:48,458 --> 00:23:50,667
So maybe these curses
465
00:23:50,792 --> 00:23:52,708
are created by us,
by our imagination,
466
00:23:52,833 --> 00:23:55,500
by us trying to deal
with the mystery of nature.
467
00:23:55,625 --> 00:23:57,042
It's just a game
that we're playing,
468
00:23:57,208 --> 00:23:58,542
but we ascribe meaning to it.
469
00:23:58,667 --> 00:24:01,583
So, if we ascribe
meaning to a curse,
470
00:24:01,708 --> 00:24:03,708
could that actually
make the curse real?
471
00:24:06,167 --> 00:24:09,167
Although it may be human nature
to blame inexplicable tragedies
472
00:24:09,333 --> 00:24:11,958
on some sort of dark force,
473
00:24:12,042 --> 00:24:13,875
according to skeptics,
there's nothing
474
00:24:14,042 --> 00:24:16,167
supernatural about
the disappearances
475
00:24:16,292 --> 00:24:18,333
at Round Valley Reservoir.
476
00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:21,833
They claim that
these strange occurrences
477
00:24:21,917 --> 00:24:25,500
must have a perfectly
rational explanation.
478
00:24:25,625 --> 00:24:28,375
Some people who live
around here think it's more
479
00:24:28,542 --> 00:24:30,833
a matter of respecting
your environment.
480
00:24:30,917 --> 00:24:33,958
And when the wind swirls,
you can get waves
481
00:24:34,042 --> 00:24:37,708
up to three feet tall
on this reservoir.
482
00:24:37,833 --> 00:24:40,625
And that's where
people get in trouble.
483
00:24:40,708 --> 00:24:42,583
They're not expecting it.
484
00:24:43,667 --> 00:24:46,375
In my career, I've
handled anything from, um,
485
00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:49,500
plane crashes,
homicides, suicides,
486
00:24:49,625 --> 00:24:51,625
uh, you know, lost children.
487
00:24:53,083 --> 00:24:56,417
But, uh, when you're
out there in a small boat
488
00:24:56,542 --> 00:24:58,500
and there's fog
coming across the lake,
489
00:24:58,667 --> 00:25:00,667
it can be very eerie at times.
490
00:25:00,750 --> 00:25:02,667
You have these
40-mile-per-hour winds
491
00:25:02,750 --> 00:25:04,125
that come up out of no place.
492
00:25:05,208 --> 00:25:07,292
They only allow small boats.
493
00:25:07,417 --> 00:25:09,417
You have excessively cold water,
494
00:25:09,542 --> 00:25:11,500
which leads to hypothermia.
495
00:25:11,625 --> 00:25:12,750
I can guarantee
496
00:25:12,875 --> 00:25:14,792
probably nine out of ten people
497
00:25:14,917 --> 00:25:17,018
that are out on this lake don't
wear their life preservers.
498
00:25:17,042 --> 00:25:19,750
I think it's because
of those factors.
499
00:25:19,875 --> 00:25:22,500
And you know what?
Just plain bad luck.
500
00:25:22,583 --> 00:25:23,750
Period.
501
00:25:25,875 --> 00:25:27,715
So where did the bodies
of the lost men
502
00:25:27,833 --> 00:25:30,458
of Round Valley Reservoir go?
503
00:25:30,542 --> 00:25:32,792
Could it be that
they're merely trapped
504
00:25:32,875 --> 00:25:34,708
somewhere deep beneath
the lake's surface,
505
00:25:34,875 --> 00:25:38,042
in a place searchers
haven't yet looked?
506
00:25:39,542 --> 00:25:41,500
Or are they really victims
507
00:25:41,667 --> 00:25:44,083
of a deadly curse?
508
00:25:46,042 --> 00:25:48,833
The very notion
that a malevolent force
509
00:25:48,958 --> 00:25:51,250
could plague an entire lake
510
00:25:51,375 --> 00:25:55,333
is a... chilling proposition.
511
00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:59,333
But unlike this
infamous body of water,
512
00:25:59,458 --> 00:26:01,250
some curses
are impossible to avoid,
513
00:26:01,375 --> 00:26:03,042
including one that is thought
514
00:26:03,167 --> 00:26:06,917
to have the power
to strike anyone anywhere.
515
00:26:07,917 --> 00:26:11,208
It's called the curse
of Friday the 13th.
516
00:26:15,833 --> 00:26:17,000
At least once a year,
517
00:26:17,083 --> 00:26:20,833
all around the world,
it happens.
518
00:26:22,917 --> 00:26:25,208
From the moment
the new day dawns...
519
00:26:26,792 --> 00:26:29,000
to the 12th chime of midnight...
520
00:26:31,708 --> 00:26:33,833
it is utterly unavoidable.
521
00:26:34,708 --> 00:26:36,833
No continent is safe.
522
00:26:37,833 --> 00:26:39,625
No country is spared.
523
00:26:39,708 --> 00:26:42,333
No city is immune.
524
00:26:42,417 --> 00:26:45,167
No matter where you are
or what you're doing,
525
00:26:45,333 --> 00:26:48,167
there's no escaping
526
00:26:48,333 --> 00:26:51,125
Friday the 13th.
527
00:26:54,042 --> 00:26:55,722
Well, it's actually
very interesting,
528
00:26:55,750 --> 00:26:57,917
the whole idea
about Friday the 13th,
529
00:26:58,042 --> 00:27:00,750
the mysteriousness,
the-the fear, the dread.
530
00:27:00,875 --> 00:27:03,375
There's a natural human desire
to understand things,
531
00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:04,833
to know why something happened.
532
00:27:04,958 --> 00:27:07,458
And sometimes,
if the unexplainable happened
533
00:27:07,542 --> 00:27:08,875
but there was a curse involved,
534
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,875
you say,
"Aha, I have the reason."
535
00:27:12,042 --> 00:27:13,768
We never know when they're
gonna turn out to be real,
536
00:27:13,792 --> 00:27:15,667
but we have to give all of them
537
00:27:15,750 --> 00:27:17,833
a fair shot and say, "Maybe."
538
00:27:19,125 --> 00:27:21,750
Believe it or not, there is
some statistical evidence
539
00:27:21,875 --> 00:27:25,250
which suggests that
more bad things happen
540
00:27:25,375 --> 00:27:28,917
on Friday the 13th than
any other day of the year.
541
00:27:30,500 --> 00:27:32,583
But is it really cursed?
542
00:27:32,708 --> 00:27:35,917
And, if so, how?
543
00:27:38,250 --> 00:27:40,458
Although it would seem
that the public's awareness
544
00:27:40,542 --> 00:27:43,833
of Friday the 13th really
came of age in modern times,
545
00:27:43,917 --> 00:27:47,875
as it turns out,
the origin of this curse
546
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,042
actually dates back
to the 14th century.
547
00:27:51,917 --> 00:27:53,875
It goes back, in my opinion,
548
00:27:54,042 --> 00:27:56,083
to what happened
to the Knights Templar.
549
00:27:58,083 --> 00:28:02,042
So, the Knights Templar were
founded in the 12th century,
550
00:28:02,167 --> 00:28:04,875
and they were the world's
first combination
551
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,292
of warrior and monk.
552
00:28:09,917 --> 00:28:11,083
They were the guardians
553
00:28:11,208 --> 00:28:13,667
of a lot of the treasures
of various kings
554
00:28:13,833 --> 00:28:15,500
and popes and monarchs,
555
00:28:15,583 --> 00:28:18,167
and because of their
amazing reputation,
556
00:28:18,292 --> 00:28:21,208
they became known as the world's
first international bankers.
557
00:28:22,667 --> 00:28:25,917
Friday the 13th
was such a pivotal day
558
00:28:26,042 --> 00:28:27,750
in the life of
the Knights Templar
559
00:28:27,875 --> 00:28:30,500
that it ended one chapter
and began another.
560
00:28:30,583 --> 00:28:33,833
It literally was the day
of the destruction of the order.
561
00:28:34,875 --> 00:28:36,250
And the Friday the 13th
562
00:28:36,375 --> 00:28:38,750
that was so critical
to the Knights Templar
563
00:28:38,875 --> 00:28:42,333
happened on the 13th
of October in 1307.
564
00:28:42,500 --> 00:28:45,833
The king of France needed money,
565
00:28:45,958 --> 00:28:49,000
but he owed money to everybody,
including the Templars,
566
00:28:49,125 --> 00:28:51,500
and he decided the Knights
Templar had money,
567
00:28:51,625 --> 00:28:53,708
he wanted it,
so he attacked them.
568
00:28:58,375 --> 00:29:01,333
Everyone was arrested,
people were thrown in jail.
569
00:29:01,417 --> 00:29:03,500
They were tortured,
they were being killed.
570
00:29:03,625 --> 00:29:05,458
Then there were long trials.
571
00:29:05,542 --> 00:29:07,333
These trials were conducted
572
00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:09,458
by the Catholic Church,
573
00:29:09,542 --> 00:29:11,667
and it basically ended
574
00:29:11,792 --> 00:29:14,500
with the death
of Jacques de Molay,
575
00:29:14,583 --> 00:29:16,000
the grand master.
576
00:29:18,125 --> 00:29:21,000
Jacques de Molay was
a powerful enigmatic figure,
577
00:29:21,125 --> 00:29:23,958
and so it was important
for the Church
578
00:29:24,083 --> 00:29:26,583
and the Crown to
execute him publicly
579
00:29:26,708 --> 00:29:29,833
to show as an example.
580
00:29:29,958 --> 00:29:31,678
And when they were burning
Jacques de Molay,
581
00:29:31,708 --> 00:29:33,417
the fire was being lit,
582
00:29:33,542 --> 00:29:36,208
he cursed Pope Clement
583
00:29:36,375 --> 00:29:39,708
and also King Philip
584
00:29:39,833 --> 00:29:41,708
and said, "Within this year,
585
00:29:41,833 --> 00:29:43,375
you will die."
586
00:29:43,500 --> 00:29:45,750
And, lo and behold, they did.
587
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,667
What happened was,
within 33 days,
588
00:29:50,750 --> 00:29:54,042
the Pope died of
a terrible illness.
589
00:29:54,167 --> 00:29:56,167
And all of a sudden,
it just seized him
590
00:29:56,292 --> 00:29:58,917
and killed him,
just like that, suddenly.
591
00:29:59,042 --> 00:30:02,292
Seven months later,
the king of France
592
00:30:02,417 --> 00:30:05,708
was on a hunting expedition,
had a massive stroke,
593
00:30:05,875 --> 00:30:09,083
fell down dead
on the ground right there.
594
00:30:12,292 --> 00:30:16,000
In the years since the Templars'
eventual exile from Europe,
595
00:30:16,167 --> 00:30:18,208
there were many
who began to believe
596
00:30:18,333 --> 00:30:21,000
that Jacques de Molay's
death curse applied
597
00:30:21,125 --> 00:30:24,917
not only to his enemies
but also to the very day
598
00:30:25,042 --> 00:30:27,292
that spelled
the beginning of the end
599
00:30:27,375 --> 00:30:28,917
for the Knights Templar.
600
00:30:29,042 --> 00:30:33,208
The day they were arrested:
Friday the 13th.
601
00:30:33,333 --> 00:30:36,833
But is it really possible
that a centuries-old curse
602
00:30:36,958 --> 00:30:39,375
still has the power
to cause bad luck
603
00:30:39,500 --> 00:30:42,958
after 700 years?
604
00:30:43,042 --> 00:30:45,625
There is this legend
around Jacques de Molay
605
00:30:45,708 --> 00:30:49,125
that he possessed some kind
of extraordinary power.
606
00:30:52,042 --> 00:30:53,393
When it comes
to the Knights Templar,
607
00:30:53,417 --> 00:30:55,292
one of the things that
stand out is, of course,
608
00:30:55,375 --> 00:30:58,417
they were the guardians
of the Temple of Jerusalem,
609
00:30:58,542 --> 00:31:00,833
and some people believe
that they may have found
610
00:31:00,958 --> 00:31:02,667
some ancient artifacts there,
611
00:31:02,792 --> 00:31:04,167
possibly the Ark
of the Covenant,
612
00:31:04,292 --> 00:31:07,500
or came across some
ancient knowledge
613
00:31:07,625 --> 00:31:09,792
that was, sort of, confiscated
614
00:31:09,917 --> 00:31:12,000
and held sacred
from the general public.
615
00:31:12,125 --> 00:31:14,000
And so some people look
on Jacques de Molay
616
00:31:14,125 --> 00:31:15,667
as some kind of a sorcerer,
617
00:31:15,750 --> 00:31:17,542
in a way,
where he had this ability
618
00:31:17,667 --> 00:31:22,125
to put a curse that actually
really did come into fruition.
619
00:31:23,083 --> 00:31:25,792
When something happens,
620
00:31:25,875 --> 00:31:28,333
such as De Molay's curse,
the Templar curse,
621
00:31:28,458 --> 00:31:29,958
it's entirely possible
622
00:31:30,042 --> 00:31:32,500
that this actually
has reality behind it.
623
00:31:32,583 --> 00:31:36,583
It's entirely possible that
just simply saying the words
624
00:31:36,708 --> 00:31:38,833
and putting it
in everyone's mind
625
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,667
was like a common prayer
between so many people,
626
00:31:41,792 --> 00:31:45,167
and the power of so many people
desiring it and wanting it
627
00:31:45,250 --> 00:31:47,417
might have influenced
events as they happened.
628
00:31:50,208 --> 00:31:53,167
The story of
Jacques de Molay's curse
629
00:31:53,250 --> 00:31:56,750
on Friday the 13th
is fascinating,
630
00:31:56,875 --> 00:31:59,083
and it raises
an intriguing question.
631
00:31:59,208 --> 00:32:02,667
Can a curse actually
be created by simply
632
00:32:02,792 --> 00:32:04,583
speaking it into existence?
633
00:32:05,750 --> 00:32:08,833
Perhaps a clue can be found
in the ruins of a lost city
634
00:32:08,958 --> 00:32:12,167
located in the jungles
of Honduras.
635
00:32:12,250 --> 00:32:14,125
A city which some believe
636
00:32:14,250 --> 00:32:18,208
would have been
best left forgotten.
637
00:32:30,167 --> 00:32:31,767
Deep in the heart of the jungle,
638
00:32:31,833 --> 00:32:34,125
a team of American explorers,
639
00:32:34,208 --> 00:32:36,833
journalists and archaeologists
make a dramatic discovery...
640
00:32:36,958 --> 00:32:39,458
Evidence of an ancient city
641
00:32:39,542 --> 00:32:43,083
that has been lost
for more than 500 years.
642
00:32:44,250 --> 00:32:46,417
We were standing there
on the banks of this river,
643
00:32:46,542 --> 00:32:49,125
and the archaeologist
was pointing
644
00:32:49,208 --> 00:32:51,375
to this wall of jungle and
saying, "Across the river,
645
00:32:51,542 --> 00:32:54,583
that's the beginning
of the lost city."
646
00:32:57,208 --> 00:32:58,958
So we crossed the river
647
00:32:59,042 --> 00:33:02,500
with soldiers with machetes
cutting a path for us.
648
00:33:04,417 --> 00:33:05,750
And all of a sudden,
there it is,
649
00:33:05,875 --> 00:33:07,708
rising up out of the jungle.
650
00:33:07,833 --> 00:33:09,708
Just straight up, practically.
651
00:33:09,833 --> 00:33:11,667
It was the most amazing thing.
652
00:33:15,167 --> 00:33:16,333
And then what we saw
653
00:33:16,458 --> 00:33:18,875
was a cache of sacred objects
654
00:33:19,042 --> 00:33:21,792
carved out of stone
that had been left
655
00:33:21,875 --> 00:33:24,625
at the time the city
was abandoned.
656
00:33:24,750 --> 00:33:27,417
And this was a gigantic mystery.
657
00:33:28,458 --> 00:33:31,542
Why did these people
leave all of a sudden?
658
00:33:34,875 --> 00:33:36,500
The expedition announced
659
00:33:36,625 --> 00:33:39,208
that they had uncovered
the top level of a vast city
660
00:33:39,333 --> 00:33:43,208
which has been buried under
centuries of jungle vegetation.
661
00:33:43,375 --> 00:33:45,667
Soon afterwards,
many began to speculate
662
00:33:45,833 --> 00:33:48,875
as to whether the ruins were
those of a legendary place
663
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,708
known to Hondurans
as Ciudad Blanca,
664
00:33:52,833 --> 00:33:55,125
or the "White City."
665
00:33:55,208 --> 00:33:57,083
A place that was believed
to have been deserted
666
00:33:57,208 --> 00:34:01,167
centuries ago because
of a deadly curse.
667
00:34:02,667 --> 00:34:05,833
When we went to do our
ground expedition in 2015,
668
00:34:05,958 --> 00:34:08,042
many of the local Hondurans
669
00:34:08,167 --> 00:34:10,333
and the Honduran Air Force
people that were with us
670
00:34:10,500 --> 00:34:12,333
and the special forces people
671
00:34:12,458 --> 00:34:14,601
said, "Oh, yeah. My grandmother
or my grandfather told me
672
00:34:14,625 --> 00:34:16,305
"all about the lost city
when we were kids,
673
00:34:16,333 --> 00:34:18,208
and they said it's cursed."
674
00:34:18,333 --> 00:34:19,667
They said, "If you go there
675
00:34:19,833 --> 00:34:23,958
"and you pick any
of the flowers,
676
00:34:24,042 --> 00:34:26,042
you will die.
You will never come back."
677
00:34:29,542 --> 00:34:31,833
In the case of the White City,
678
00:34:31,958 --> 00:34:33,875
there is a very
interesting tradition
679
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,167
of a Tawahka Indian
680
00:34:36,292 --> 00:34:38,167
who came to
live there with them,
681
00:34:38,250 --> 00:34:41,042
uh, and they refused him
shelter, chased him out.
682
00:34:41,167 --> 00:34:43,833
And in turn, he cursed the city
683
00:34:43,958 --> 00:34:45,750
and he cursed that area...
684
00:34:47,500 --> 00:34:49,792
so that it became, basically,
685
00:34:49,875 --> 00:34:52,167
a poisonous area to live in,
686
00:34:52,292 --> 00:34:54,292
and the people had to abandon
their city and leave.
687
00:34:57,083 --> 00:34:59,292
You know, we heard
these stories,
688
00:34:59,417 --> 00:35:01,542
but, you know, we're scientists.
689
00:35:01,667 --> 00:35:05,542
We're, uh, anthropologists,
archaeologists, ethnobotanists.
690
00:35:05,708 --> 00:35:08,000
You know, we don't
believe in curses.
691
00:35:08,083 --> 00:35:10,333
Or so we thought.
692
00:35:10,458 --> 00:35:15,125
But, you know, sometimes
curses are based on the truth.
693
00:35:19,708 --> 00:35:22,333
After we completed
our first ground expedition,
694
00:35:22,417 --> 00:35:25,000
everybody came back alive,
nobody got injured.
695
00:35:25,125 --> 00:35:26,458
We're shaking hands,
696
00:35:26,583 --> 00:35:29,292
tipping a beer and going,
"Great, we made it."
697
00:35:29,375 --> 00:35:31,000
You know, everyone survived.
698
00:35:31,125 --> 00:35:32,667
We all had
hundreds of bug bites.
699
00:35:34,875 --> 00:35:38,375
Didn't think anything of them
until about a month later.
700
00:35:39,792 --> 00:35:42,208
And 60% of our crew,
701
00:35:42,375 --> 00:35:45,000
including the Hondurans,
they had a bug bite
702
00:35:45,083 --> 00:35:47,542
that didn't go away,
it got bigger.
703
00:35:48,542 --> 00:35:51,583
Eventually it became
a big open wound,
704
00:35:51,708 --> 00:35:53,250
a big open ulcer.
705
00:35:54,333 --> 00:35:56,667
A couple of the people
became very, very ill.
706
00:35:56,792 --> 00:35:58,375
Two of them almost died.
707
00:35:59,542 --> 00:36:01,625
And then we had them diagnosed
at NIH, and they said,
708
00:36:01,708 --> 00:36:05,167
"Yes, you have leishmaniasis,
but not even just
709
00:36:05,292 --> 00:36:07,417
"regular leishmaniasis,
this is an entirely new one.
710
00:36:07,542 --> 00:36:09,667
"We just did a genetic sequence,
711
00:36:09,833 --> 00:36:12,417
and it's a really virulent one
we've never seen before."
712
00:36:14,833 --> 00:36:17,917
More commonly known as
"flesh-eating disease,"
713
00:36:18,042 --> 00:36:20,792
leishmaniasis is
a rare parasitic disease
714
00:36:20,917 --> 00:36:24,250
that is spread by the bites
of certain sand flies.
715
00:36:24,375 --> 00:36:26,042
The affliction eats away
716
00:36:26,208 --> 00:36:29,458
at the skin of the limbs,
nose and mouth.
717
00:36:29,542 --> 00:36:31,458
The new strain that
infected the explorers
718
00:36:31,583 --> 00:36:33,500
is particularly aggressive
719
00:36:33,583 --> 00:36:36,458
and, if not treated
properly, fatal.
720
00:36:38,208 --> 00:36:41,333
But even so, a parasitic disease
721
00:36:41,417 --> 00:36:44,000
is hardly proof
of an ancient curse.
722
00:36:44,167 --> 00:36:47,000
Or is it?
723
00:36:47,125 --> 00:36:49,583
What's interesting about
the legend of this curse
724
00:36:49,708 --> 00:36:52,125
is that it actually
does appear to be true.
725
00:36:52,208 --> 00:36:54,750
How can we explain
that hundreds of years ago
726
00:36:54,875 --> 00:36:57,917
a man left a curse
saying that, forevermore,
727
00:36:58,042 --> 00:37:00,333
people will be
ravaged by disease
728
00:37:00,458 --> 00:37:01,667
and all of these things,
729
00:37:01,792 --> 00:37:03,333
and then we actually
see it happen?
730
00:37:04,792 --> 00:37:07,750
Was it merely a coincidence
that the American team
731
00:37:07,875 --> 00:37:11,833
happened to contract a deadly
and previously unknown disease
732
00:37:11,917 --> 00:37:13,750
at a site believed to be cursed?
733
00:37:15,833 --> 00:37:19,250
Or could the curse
have been real?
734
00:37:19,375 --> 00:37:21,143
As far as journalist
Doug Preston is concerned,
735
00:37:21,167 --> 00:37:23,667
the answer is obvious.
736
00:37:23,750 --> 00:37:26,110
I used to think that curses
were just kind of silly,
737
00:37:26,167 --> 00:37:27,792
but not anymore.
738
00:37:27,875 --> 00:37:31,500
Next time I go somewhere
and I'm told that it's cursed,
739
00:37:31,625 --> 00:37:34,000
I'm really going
to think twice about it.
740
00:37:35,542 --> 00:37:39,125
Can the disease that
infected the archaeologists
741
00:37:39,208 --> 00:37:41,125
who rediscovered the White City
742
00:37:41,208 --> 00:37:43,292
be explained by science,
743
00:37:43,417 --> 00:37:47,042
superstition, or perhaps both?
744
00:37:47,208 --> 00:37:49,625
In any case,
it may have been better
745
00:37:49,708 --> 00:37:53,417
to leave these ruins
undisturbed.
746
00:37:53,542 --> 00:37:56,875
The same can be said
for the body of a man
747
00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:01,958
who had been frozen
in ice for 5,000 years.
748
00:38:09,333 --> 00:38:12,250
While making their way
across a snowy mountain range
749
00:38:12,375 --> 00:38:14,667
spanning the border
of Italy and Austria,
750
00:38:14,750 --> 00:38:18,708
two German hikers
make a gruesome discovery.
751
00:38:19,708 --> 00:38:22,833
The body of a man
half-frozen in ice.
752
00:38:24,792 --> 00:38:27,000
When scientists later
remove the skeleton
753
00:38:27,125 --> 00:38:28,500
from the icy ground,
754
00:38:28,583 --> 00:38:31,750
they come to
a shocking realization.
755
00:38:31,875 --> 00:38:33,083
The man,
756
00:38:33,208 --> 00:38:35,167
who they nicknamed �tzi,
757
00:38:35,292 --> 00:38:38,958
lived over 5,000 years ago.
758
00:38:40,542 --> 00:38:43,375
This is a really
spectacular find
759
00:38:43,542 --> 00:38:46,000
because of the level
of preservation here.
760
00:38:46,125 --> 00:38:48,000
Um, we have
the full body preserved,
761
00:38:48,083 --> 00:38:51,667
including all of his skin,
all of the internal organs,
762
00:38:51,792 --> 00:38:54,152
and all of the possessions that
he was carrying at the time.
763
00:38:55,167 --> 00:38:56,893
And this, therefore,
is giving us unique insights
764
00:38:56,917 --> 00:38:58,750
into this individual
765
00:38:58,875 --> 00:39:01,750
and also what life
was like when he lived.
766
00:39:03,208 --> 00:39:06,917
The recovery of �tzi's skeleton
made headlines worldwide,
767
00:39:07,042 --> 00:39:09,500
and his bones became an object
768
00:39:09,625 --> 00:39:12,833
of intense fascination
and scientific study.
769
00:39:14,042 --> 00:39:16,750
But then, unexpectedly,
770
00:39:16,875 --> 00:39:19,792
a series of bizarre
deaths took place
771
00:39:19,917 --> 00:39:23,625
in the years after �tzi's
bones were recovered.
772
00:39:24,958 --> 00:39:26,833
There's something very
mysterious going on here
773
00:39:26,958 --> 00:39:30,500
with this �tzi Iceman
since he was discovered.
774
00:39:31,542 --> 00:39:34,417
In the early '90s,
and going into the 2000s,
775
00:39:34,542 --> 00:39:36,500
people have died
who were involved
776
00:39:36,625 --> 00:39:40,417
in the discovery
or the presentation of �tzi.
777
00:39:40,542 --> 00:39:43,583
A gentleman called Rainer Henn
had the privilege
778
00:39:43,708 --> 00:39:47,833
of placing �tzi's body into
a body bag at the discovery.
779
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,375
He died in a car crash.
780
00:39:50,500 --> 00:39:53,708
Kurt Fritz, who was involved
in the transportation
781
00:39:53,875 --> 00:39:55,917
of �tzi from
one place to another,
782
00:39:56,042 --> 00:39:58,333
died in an avalanche.
783
00:39:58,458 --> 00:40:01,375
Helmut Simon, one of
the discoverers of �tzi,
784
00:40:01,500 --> 00:40:04,167
had fallen 300 feet
to his death.
785
00:40:04,292 --> 00:40:06,167
Several other people
have died as well.
786
00:40:07,875 --> 00:40:09,750
All told, seven people
787
00:40:09,875 --> 00:40:13,333
connected to
the discovery of �tzi died.
788
00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:17,000
Were their untimely deaths
simply a coincidence?
789
00:40:17,125 --> 00:40:18,375
Or is it possible
790
00:40:18,500 --> 00:40:20,333
that the deaths were actually
791
00:40:20,500 --> 00:40:23,667
the consequence of
disturbing �tzi's bones,
792
00:40:23,792 --> 00:40:27,125
which had remained untouched
for thousands of years?
793
00:40:27,208 --> 00:40:30,583
Some people believe
there may even be a curse
794
00:40:30,708 --> 00:40:34,792
associated with this man
buried in the ice.
795
00:40:35,750 --> 00:40:38,625
�tzi had these
very strange tattoos,
796
00:40:38,750 --> 00:40:41,458
all these spirals
and different designs.
797
00:40:41,542 --> 00:40:44,500
If he was some kind
of shaman or sorcerer,
798
00:40:44,583 --> 00:40:47,792
did he place a curse
over his body
799
00:40:47,917 --> 00:40:51,375
to protect him from future
generations digging him up?
800
00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:53,708
It's known that
it took four full days
801
00:40:53,833 --> 00:40:55,875
to excavate him from the ice,
802
00:40:56,042 --> 00:40:59,125
so there's an element
of desecration of a grave.
803
00:41:00,625 --> 00:41:03,333
There are many, sort of,
curse stories and curse rumors
804
00:41:03,417 --> 00:41:04,851
that follow
the realm of archaeology,
805
00:41:04,875 --> 00:41:07,333
because archaeology
is often involving
806
00:41:07,417 --> 00:41:09,333
digging people
out of their graves.
807
00:41:09,458 --> 00:41:11,208
Is that disturbing their peace,
808
00:41:11,375 --> 00:41:13,500
not allowing them
to rest in peace?
809
00:41:13,667 --> 00:41:17,625
What we can see is
that this does reflect
810
00:41:17,708 --> 00:41:21,667
a popular belief that maybe
there is something wrong
811
00:41:21,792 --> 00:41:25,042
with handling a body
in this mundane sense,
812
00:41:25,167 --> 00:41:27,833
as if it's an object to study.
813
00:41:27,958 --> 00:41:31,792
Cursed bones, cursed tombs,
cursed diamonds,
814
00:41:31,875 --> 00:41:34,583
and even a cursed day
on the calendar?
815
00:41:34,708 --> 00:41:37,042
It seems like there's
curses everywhere we look.
816
00:41:37,167 --> 00:41:39,750
And while that may be
a slight exaggeration,
817
00:41:39,875 --> 00:41:42,000
the fact is, there are
plenty of reasons to believe
818
00:41:42,125 --> 00:41:44,792
that our world is
filled with dark forces
819
00:41:44,875 --> 00:41:47,875
that we don't fully understand.
820
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:52,125
So, until science can provide
us with rational explanations,
821
00:41:52,250 --> 00:41:54,083
perhaps we shouldn't dismiss
822
00:41:54,208 --> 00:41:55,583
the idea that there are
823
00:41:55,708 --> 00:41:58,958
powerful curses
in our world that remain...
824
00:42:00,083 --> 00:42:01,958
unexplained.
825
00:42:02,083 --> 00:42:04,125
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