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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:02,042 --> 00:00:04,042 WILLIAM SHATNER: A mysterious Roman chalice 2 00:00:04,208 --> 00:00:06,583 transformed by light. 3 00:00:06,750 --> 00:00:08,833 A blazing inferno 4 00:00:09,042 --> 00:00:11,292 wielded by ancient armies. 5 00:00:11,458 --> 00:00:14,000 And a 2,000-year-old artifact 6 00:00:14,167 --> 00:00:18,333 that may have generated electricity. 7 00:00:20,042 --> 00:00:22,583 Today, we tend to think that modern society 8 00:00:22,750 --> 00:00:27,208 stands at the pinnacle of technological ingenuity. 9 00:00:27,375 --> 00:00:29,250 But is that entirely true? 10 00:00:29,417 --> 00:00:31,042 The historical record has revealed 11 00:00:31,250 --> 00:00:33,000 numerous ancient innovations 12 00:00:33,167 --> 00:00:35,375 that were centuries ahead of their time, 13 00:00:35,542 --> 00:00:39,167 including earthquake detectors, schematics for flying machines 14 00:00:39,333 --> 00:00:42,167 and weapons of mass destruction. 15 00:00:42,375 --> 00:00:45,000 Is it possible that our ancient ancestors 16 00:00:45,167 --> 00:00:48,167 were far more advanced than we realize? 17 00:00:48,292 --> 00:00:52,417 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 18 00:00:52,583 --> 00:00:54,542 ? ? 19 00:01:11,167 --> 00:01:14,042 SHATNER: Within this modern city lie the ruins 20 00:01:14,250 --> 00:01:18,750 of what was once the capital of the Roman Empire. 21 00:01:18,958 --> 00:01:22,667 For centuries, Rome was the most sophisticated metropolis 22 00:01:22,833 --> 00:01:24,583 in the ancient world. 23 00:01:25,750 --> 00:01:27,208 And Roman engineers 24 00:01:27,375 --> 00:01:30,083 also built breathtaking structures 25 00:01:30,250 --> 00:01:32,458 throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, 26 00:01:32,667 --> 00:01:36,000 many of which can still be seen today. 27 00:01:36,083 --> 00:01:39,375 These engineering marvels 28 00:01:39,583 --> 00:01:43,625 have endured the ravages of time for nearly 2,000 years, 29 00:01:43,750 --> 00:01:48,792 and stand as magnificent monuments to Roman ingenuity. 30 00:01:50,917 --> 00:01:53,125 The Romans were certainly 31 00:01:53,333 --> 00:01:55,833 the most brilliant engineers of the ancient world. 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,667 When we think of Rome today, we think of the Colosseum, 33 00:02:00,833 --> 00:02:04,667 we think of the aqueducts, we think of triumphal arches. 34 00:02:04,875 --> 00:02:09,000 All of them are an emblem of Roman civilization. 35 00:02:09,167 --> 00:02:13,333 They could discern effective technologies 36 00:02:13,458 --> 00:02:16,333 and then exploit them to a much greater extent 37 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:19,083 than anyone ever imagined previously. 38 00:02:20,417 --> 00:02:22,000 SHATNER: The engineering achievements 39 00:02:22,083 --> 00:02:23,667 of ancient Rome are well known 40 00:02:23,833 --> 00:02:27,833 and continue to capture people's imagination. 41 00:02:27,958 --> 00:02:30,000 But is it possible that the Romans 42 00:02:30,167 --> 00:02:33,375 were even more advanced than most of us realize? 43 00:02:33,542 --> 00:02:37,667 And could they have possessed technology 44 00:02:37,792 --> 00:02:40,250 that rivals our own? 45 00:02:47,667 --> 00:02:51,333 The curator of the Gallo-Roman Museum 46 00:02:51,417 --> 00:02:55,333 announces an extremely rare archaeological discovery. 47 00:02:55,542 --> 00:02:59,500 Using a metal detector, a local hobbyist unearthed 48 00:02:59,708 --> 00:03:03,042 a fragment of an ancient Roman artifact. 49 00:03:03,208 --> 00:03:07,083 This tiny piece of bronze was once part 50 00:03:07,250 --> 00:03:12,667 of a mysterious object known as a Roman dodecahedron. 51 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:16,500 STEPHEN BULL: Any discovery 52 00:03:16,667 --> 00:03:20,375 of a Roman dodecahedron is remarkable and unusual, 53 00:03:20,542 --> 00:03:24,292 because there's not many more than 100 known to exist. 54 00:03:26,250 --> 00:03:30,708 Generally, a dodecahedron is a 12-sided item, 55 00:03:30,917 --> 00:03:33,667 and the Roman dodecahedron 56 00:03:33,875 --> 00:03:39,167 was about the size of a baseball and had 12 sides. 57 00:03:39,375 --> 00:03:42,917 They were hollow inside and multifaceted, 58 00:03:43,042 --> 00:03:49,167 with different balls or spikes around the outside of them, 59 00:03:49,375 --> 00:03:51,875 which are very difficult to create 60 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,667 through molding or construction. 61 00:03:56,167 --> 00:04:00,125 SUVEEN MATHAUDHU: Roman dodecahedrons have been found all over Europe, 62 00:04:00,250 --> 00:04:03,292 and nobody knows for sure how they were made. 63 00:04:03,417 --> 00:04:05,250 The craftsmanship that it would take 64 00:04:05,375 --> 00:04:07,958 to make a bronze Roman dodecahedron 65 00:04:08,167 --> 00:04:10,000 would have been very challenging 66 00:04:10,167 --> 00:04:12,500 for a metal artisan to make at the time. 67 00:04:12,708 --> 00:04:14,667 So, it could have been an example 68 00:04:14,875 --> 00:04:19,000 of the skill of an artisan 69 00:04:19,208 --> 00:04:20,958 to show, like, "Look what I can do," 70 00:04:21,042 --> 00:04:24,500 because it was very complex and bronze was not cheap. 71 00:04:24,708 --> 00:04:26,833 SHATNER: Historians theorize 72 00:04:26,958 --> 00:04:29,958 that Roman engineers may have fashioned dodecahedrons 73 00:04:30,125 --> 00:04:34,375 using a sophisticated molding process. 74 00:04:34,542 --> 00:04:37,500 But why did the Romans go to such lengths 75 00:04:37,667 --> 00:04:41,625 to craft so many intricate and peculiar pieces of bronze? 76 00:04:41,750 --> 00:04:45,833 What purpose could these strange dodecahedrons 77 00:04:46,042 --> 00:04:48,708 have possibly served? 78 00:04:48,875 --> 00:04:52,208 What's strange about them is that there is no record 79 00:04:52,375 --> 00:04:54,000 of what they were used for. 80 00:04:54,167 --> 00:04:58,667 And it's still quite a puzzle and a mystery to historians, 81 00:04:58,875 --> 00:05:00,875 what function they actually served. 82 00:05:01,042 --> 00:05:04,625 However, there's a number of uses that have been proposed, 83 00:05:04,792 --> 00:05:10,000 from tools in astronomical calculations 84 00:05:10,167 --> 00:05:12,708 to candleholders, 85 00:05:12,875 --> 00:05:16,958 as well as implements in religious performances. 86 00:05:18,625 --> 00:05:21,875 What they are has been disputed many times. 87 00:05:22,042 --> 00:05:26,750 And I do veer towards the very practical explanation, 88 00:05:26,917 --> 00:05:29,917 and that is that it was a sort of knitting device, 89 00:05:30,125 --> 00:05:33,708 because if you put yarn 90 00:05:33,875 --> 00:05:37,250 around the various protrusions on the dodecahedron, 91 00:05:37,375 --> 00:05:40,542 you can create a sleeve 92 00:05:40,750 --> 00:05:44,833 or a tube of knitted fabric. 93 00:05:44,958 --> 00:05:48,375 In theory, that is something really practical 94 00:05:48,542 --> 00:05:52,833 because some Roman garments are depicted with sleeves. 95 00:05:54,583 --> 00:05:56,458 There is still a huge amount of mystery 96 00:05:56,625 --> 00:05:59,333 around these very peculiar objects. 97 00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:01,167 But one of the most popular theories 98 00:06:01,375 --> 00:06:04,250 is that it had a more mystical function. 99 00:06:04,417 --> 00:06:06,833 Perhaps it was used in divination 100 00:06:07,042 --> 00:06:08,875 or sorcery or fortune-telling. 101 00:06:09,083 --> 00:06:12,083 Some historians wonder whether these objects 102 00:06:12,250 --> 00:06:15,042 were used for forbidden rituals. 103 00:06:15,208 --> 00:06:19,333 Now, if these were indeed tools for the so-called dark arts, 104 00:06:19,417 --> 00:06:22,333 this raises the question, is this part of the reason 105 00:06:22,542 --> 00:06:25,667 why there are no records explaining 106 00:06:25,833 --> 00:06:28,417 what this dodecahedron was used for? 107 00:06:30,417 --> 00:06:34,167 SHATNER: Whether Roman dodecahedrons were used during rituals 108 00:06:34,333 --> 00:06:36,792 or for more pragmatic purposes, 109 00:06:36,958 --> 00:06:40,250 they remain a fascinating enigma, 110 00:06:40,458 --> 00:06:43,083 and suggest that the Romans' craftsmanship 111 00:06:43,250 --> 00:06:45,667 was far ahead of their time. 112 00:06:45,833 --> 00:06:49,750 Not unlike another artifact from ancient Rome... 113 00:06:49,875 --> 00:06:53,542 A one-of-a-kind chalice that features 114 00:06:53,708 --> 00:06:56,375 extraordinary properties. 115 00:07:02,292 --> 00:07:05,333 On a pedestal in the British Museum 116 00:07:05,500 --> 00:07:09,667 sits an ornate and mystifying Roman artifact 117 00:07:09,833 --> 00:07:12,000 that is known as the Lycurgus Cup. 118 00:07:14,125 --> 00:07:15,375 KAROL WIGHT: The Lycurgus Cup 119 00:07:15,583 --> 00:07:18,625 is an incredible work of ancient Roman art 120 00:07:18,792 --> 00:07:22,667 that dates to the fourth and fifth centuries AD. 121 00:07:23,708 --> 00:07:26,833 It's incredible because it's part of a rare body 122 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:31,500 of ancient glass vessels called cage cups. 123 00:07:31,667 --> 00:07:36,333 Cage cups were manufactured by a master carver 124 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:38,625 who very carefully diagrammed 125 00:07:38,792 --> 00:07:41,458 the design he wanted to cut into the glass 126 00:07:41,625 --> 00:07:45,292 and then very carefully executed that cutting. 127 00:07:45,458 --> 00:07:49,083 And then that piece of glass was connected to the inner wall 128 00:07:49,208 --> 00:07:52,958 of the cup, which is why they're called cage cups. 129 00:07:53,083 --> 00:07:56,167 And the Lycurgus Cup is one of these rare examples 130 00:07:56,375 --> 00:07:58,875 that were very carefully made, 131 00:07:59,042 --> 00:08:01,875 and only made in very small quantities. 132 00:08:02,917 --> 00:08:04,542 SHATNER: According to historians, 133 00:08:04,708 --> 00:08:07,417 the cup depicts a mythical ruler named Lycurgus, 134 00:08:07,583 --> 00:08:10,042 and the artifact most likely belonged 135 00:08:10,208 --> 00:08:11,667 to an Ancient Roman nobleman 136 00:08:11,750 --> 00:08:14,833 who would have used the chalice to sip wine. 137 00:08:15,042 --> 00:08:19,042 But what's most remarkable about the Lycurgus Cup 138 00:08:19,208 --> 00:08:23,708 is what happens to it when light hits the glass. 139 00:08:26,458 --> 00:08:27,792 WIGHT: The Lycurgus Cup 140 00:08:27,958 --> 00:08:29,792 is made with a very special glass 141 00:08:29,958 --> 00:08:32,542 that's called dichroic glass. 142 00:08:32,750 --> 00:08:35,500 And what that means is that when light is bouncing off 143 00:08:35,708 --> 00:08:37,208 the outside of the glass, 144 00:08:37,375 --> 00:08:42,125 the color of the cup appears to be an olive green color. 145 00:08:42,292 --> 00:08:44,792 But when the light is passing through the glass 146 00:08:44,875 --> 00:08:48,333 from the interior through to the exterior, 147 00:08:48,500 --> 00:08:50,792 the glass looks a reddish color. 148 00:08:52,042 --> 00:08:55,292 The Lycurgus Cup is quite an intriguing artifact 149 00:08:55,458 --> 00:08:57,250 because it's really one of a kind. 150 00:08:57,417 --> 00:09:02,000 The fact that it has these very unique material properties 151 00:09:02,208 --> 00:09:03,583 suggested it may have had 152 00:09:03,750 --> 00:09:07,583 some kind of ritualistic or ceremonial function 153 00:09:07,750 --> 00:09:10,708 and perhaps that interplay between light and color 154 00:09:10,875 --> 00:09:12,917 may have added some mystique or intrigue 155 00:09:13,083 --> 00:09:15,792 around these rituals that took place. 156 00:09:17,375 --> 00:09:19,000 SHATNER: How did the ancient Romans 157 00:09:19,167 --> 00:09:24,125 create a chalice with such mesmerizing optical properties? 158 00:09:24,292 --> 00:09:27,458 It's a fascinating mystery. And in recent years, 159 00:09:27,625 --> 00:09:29,833 experts have discovered that the key 160 00:09:29,958 --> 00:09:32,625 to the Lycurgus Cup's unique effect 161 00:09:32,750 --> 00:09:36,208 is actually invisible to the naked eye. 162 00:09:38,333 --> 00:09:40,583 The secret to the optical behavior 163 00:09:40,750 --> 00:09:43,000 of the Lycurgus Cup lies in the fact 164 00:09:43,208 --> 00:09:46,792 that there was nanoparticles of silver and gold 165 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,167 embedded in the glass that changed the optical properties. 166 00:09:51,583 --> 00:09:53,333 This was one of the earliest... 167 00:09:53,500 --> 00:09:57,875 If not the earliest... examples of a nanocomposite material. 168 00:09:59,792 --> 00:10:01,833 It's possible that the Romans 169 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,667 might have created this cup by accident. 170 00:10:04,875 --> 00:10:07,667 That it might have been a contamination 171 00:10:07,833 --> 00:10:12,167 at the site of where a glass cup was being made. 172 00:10:12,333 --> 00:10:14,250 But it is also possible 173 00:10:14,417 --> 00:10:18,667 that they knew about this technology of nanoparticles. 174 00:10:18,875 --> 00:10:21,250 And this knowledge might have been employed 175 00:10:21,417 --> 00:10:24,583 and used in the creation of this cup. 176 00:10:24,750 --> 00:10:27,833 The history of the Lycurgus Cup is shrouded in mystery. 177 00:10:28,042 --> 00:10:33,167 But the glass was created by these ancient craftspeople 178 00:10:33,333 --> 00:10:36,000 and has survived to this day. 179 00:10:36,208 --> 00:10:39,833 It's a Roman technology that has stood the test of time. 180 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,500 SHATNER: Does the Lycurgus Cup prove 181 00:10:42,708 --> 00:10:44,833 that the Romans had a deeper understanding 182 00:10:44,958 --> 00:10:49,625 of science and technology than we commonly think? 183 00:10:49,750 --> 00:10:52,750 It's a fascinating possibility. 184 00:10:52,875 --> 00:10:56,667 And perhaps further evidence of ancient sophistication 185 00:10:56,833 --> 00:10:58,128 can be found by examining a devastating weapon of war 186 00:10:58,208 --> 00:11:01,167 can be found by examining a devastating weapon of war 187 00:11:01,375 --> 00:11:04,917 that was known as Greek fire. 188 00:11:14,917 --> 00:11:17,958 SHATNER: For four long years, Arab forces have laid siege to 189 00:11:18,125 --> 00:11:20,875 the capital of the Byzantine Empire. 190 00:11:21,917 --> 00:11:24,542 But then the Byzantines risk a daring counterattack 191 00:11:24,750 --> 00:11:28,542 and unleash a devastating inferno. 192 00:11:28,750 --> 00:11:31,833 Streams of flame shoot out from Byzantine vessels, 193 00:11:31,958 --> 00:11:33,833 lighting the water on fire 194 00:11:33,917 --> 00:11:37,125 and incinerating the Arab ships. 195 00:11:37,333 --> 00:11:42,833 This fearsome weapon would come to be known as Greek fire. 196 00:11:44,500 --> 00:11:48,667 GILLAN: Greek fire was one of the most formidable weapons of its era. 197 00:11:48,833 --> 00:11:52,042 Imagine your ship suddenly being engulfed in flames 198 00:11:52,208 --> 00:11:54,708 that were almost impossible to extinguish. 199 00:11:55,792 --> 00:11:58,792 Not only was there this immense physical danger 200 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,292 but there was also a massive psychological impact. 201 00:12:03,417 --> 00:12:06,167 The loud roar of the flames... The sight of it, 202 00:12:06,375 --> 00:12:09,458 the sound of it... Was really enough 203 00:12:09,667 --> 00:12:11,958 to put terror into these Arab forces. 204 00:12:12,958 --> 00:12:15,583 BULL: At sea, Greek fire was very useful 205 00:12:15,708 --> 00:12:19,833 because if there's something a mariner really has a fear of, 206 00:12:20,042 --> 00:12:22,667 it's being set light to on a ship. 207 00:12:22,792 --> 00:12:24,333 Because there's nowhere to go. 208 00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:29,083 And so, Greek fire had a terrifying aspect to it, 209 00:12:29,250 --> 00:12:33,375 setting light to ships and burning people. 210 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,003 SHATNER: Throughout the Middle Ages, the Byzantine Empire 211 00:12:37,083 --> 00:12:41,500 used Greek fire to strike fear into the hearts of fighting men. 212 00:12:41,667 --> 00:12:43,792 But how did the Byzantines develop 213 00:12:43,958 --> 00:12:47,250 such a powerful weapon of mass destruction? 214 00:12:48,250 --> 00:12:50,500 RESSLER: Greek fire acquired its name 215 00:12:50,708 --> 00:12:52,458 simply because the Byzantines spoke Greek. 216 00:12:52,667 --> 00:12:55,000 It was quite mysterious because it was 217 00:12:55,208 --> 00:12:57,167 very quickly established as a state secret 218 00:12:57,333 --> 00:12:58,833 of the Byzantine Empire. 219 00:12:58,958 --> 00:13:04,083 So we don't have a really good, clear idea of what 220 00:13:04,292 --> 00:13:08,500 its constituents were or precisely how it operated. 221 00:13:08,625 --> 00:13:12,167 But we do know that it was a very effective weapons system. 222 00:13:14,125 --> 00:13:15,628 SHATNER: While the exact formula of Greek fire 223 00:13:15,708 --> 00:13:17,625 may be lost to history, 224 00:13:17,792 --> 00:13:20,375 experts have proposed several theories 225 00:13:20,542 --> 00:13:24,292 regarding the composition of this fiery concoction. 226 00:13:25,375 --> 00:13:28,875 RESSLER: Most scholars agree that the basic constituent materials 227 00:13:29,042 --> 00:13:32,667 were probably naphtha, a naturally occurring 228 00:13:32,833 --> 00:13:36,667 hydrocarbon, mixed with pine resin. 229 00:13:36,833 --> 00:13:39,042 The naphtha provided the flammability 230 00:13:39,208 --> 00:13:42,875 and the pine resin thickened the substance 231 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:47,875 and caused it to burn longer once it had been ignited. 232 00:13:48,042 --> 00:13:52,292 The secret to Greek fire being used on water is probably 233 00:13:52,458 --> 00:13:55,625 the addition of quicklime, which likely gave it 234 00:13:55,792 --> 00:13:59,500 an explosive quality that allowed it to burn 235 00:13:59,667 --> 00:14:02,750 and have much more damage on water. 236 00:14:03,792 --> 00:14:07,458 In fact, the water played a role in perpetuating the reaction 237 00:14:07,625 --> 00:14:10,875 and causing the burning to increase. 238 00:14:11,042 --> 00:14:14,167 There is certainly speculation as to the different recipes 239 00:14:14,375 --> 00:14:17,833 for Greek fire, but it would be very difficult to say 240 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:23,625 what the classic Greek fire actually is. 241 00:14:23,792 --> 00:14:27,667 And nobody has actually recreated it 242 00:14:27,833 --> 00:14:29,625 with perfect accuracy. 243 00:14:30,708 --> 00:14:33,500 SHATNER: It seems that, just as the Byzantines intended, 244 00:14:33,583 --> 00:14:37,792 the mystery of Greek fire may never be solved. 245 00:14:37,958 --> 00:14:41,500 But there's another enigmatic weapon from antiquity 246 00:14:41,708 --> 00:14:44,208 that experts can examine more closely 247 00:14:44,375 --> 00:14:49,292 because its secrets are preserved in steel. 248 00:14:54,208 --> 00:14:57,000 For eight long months, European Crusader Knights, 249 00:14:57,125 --> 00:14:58,917 on a quest to conquer the Holy Land, 250 00:14:59,042 --> 00:15:02,792 lay siege to this Middle Eastern city. 251 00:15:02,917 --> 00:15:04,417 In the course of the bloody fighting, 252 00:15:04,583 --> 00:15:07,667 the Crusaders encounter numerous Muslim warriors 253 00:15:07,875 --> 00:15:11,292 who wield astonishing, razor-sharp swords 254 00:15:11,458 --> 00:15:16,375 that are forged from steel that seems to be unbreakable. 255 00:15:16,542 --> 00:15:19,333 The European invaders named these fearsome weapons 256 00:15:19,542 --> 00:15:23,208 after a nearby city, and thus, the blades 257 00:15:23,375 --> 00:15:28,167 became known as Damascus swords. 258 00:15:28,250 --> 00:15:32,792 For the time, the properties of the Damascus blades 259 00:15:32,917 --> 00:15:35,042 bordered on the edge of magic. 260 00:15:35,167 --> 00:15:38,625 Damascus swords had extraordinary, 261 00:15:38,750 --> 00:15:41,833 legendary performance because of their sharpness, 262 00:15:42,042 --> 00:15:44,167 compared to some of the materials at the time. 263 00:15:44,375 --> 00:15:46,833 They were ten times as hard on the edge. 264 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,458 They were also highly superplastic, 265 00:15:49,625 --> 00:15:53,250 meaning that they could bend extremely and still 266 00:15:53,417 --> 00:15:55,625 spring back into the original shape. 267 00:15:55,792 --> 00:15:59,417 And this was something that was observed by the Crusaders. 268 00:15:59,542 --> 00:16:01,333 They saw these blades that they claimed 269 00:16:01,417 --> 00:16:04,125 could bend 90 degrees, that could 270 00:16:04,292 --> 00:16:06,542 cut silk in half in the middle of the air. 271 00:16:06,708 --> 00:16:10,708 For anyone who was in a fight against a Damascus blade, 272 00:16:10,917 --> 00:16:14,625 the behavior of that sword would have been 273 00:16:14,833 --> 00:16:16,417 mind-blowing to observe. 274 00:16:17,625 --> 00:16:20,292 SHATNER: More than 500 years after the end of the Crusades, 275 00:16:20,458 --> 00:16:22,875 the remarkable properties of Damascus swords 276 00:16:23,042 --> 00:16:26,583 continue to inspire fascination and mystery. 277 00:16:26,750 --> 00:16:28,667 What made these ancient blades 278 00:16:28,792 --> 00:16:31,958 so exceptionally strong and flexible? 279 00:16:32,125 --> 00:16:34,167 And how were they created? 280 00:16:34,333 --> 00:16:36,667 Curiously, the answer can be found 281 00:16:36,875 --> 00:16:39,708 not in the city of Damascus, but rather, 282 00:16:39,875 --> 00:16:44,667 3,000 miles away, in India. 283 00:16:44,875 --> 00:16:46,333 MATHAUDHU: In southern India, 284 00:16:46,500 --> 00:16:48,625 they developed the steel that was used, eventually, 285 00:16:48,792 --> 00:16:51,333 to make Damascus swords and blades. 286 00:16:52,417 --> 00:16:56,292 The legends of Indian steel go back to ancient times. 287 00:16:56,417 --> 00:17:00,500 Over time, via trade routes around the Arabian Sea, 288 00:17:00,708 --> 00:17:05,000 the Indians were able to move those materials into Persia, 289 00:17:05,167 --> 00:17:08,333 and that became the center of trade from which Indian steel 290 00:17:08,542 --> 00:17:11,042 got distributed to the rest of the world. 291 00:17:11,208 --> 00:17:14,167 SHATNER: It's fascinating to think that the legendary 292 00:17:14,375 --> 00:17:18,167 Damascus swords trace their origins back to India. 293 00:17:18,333 --> 00:17:20,708 But how did Indian craftsmen 294 00:17:20,875 --> 00:17:24,250 create such incredible steel? 295 00:17:24,417 --> 00:17:27,833 What did they know that the rest of the world didn't? 296 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,792 MATHAUDHU: One of the keys to making high-quality steel 297 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,167 is getting the material to be very hot, 298 00:17:34,333 --> 00:17:36,500 typically thousands of degrees, 299 00:17:36,708 --> 00:17:39,167 and that was very difficult in ancient times. 300 00:17:39,292 --> 00:17:42,083 But in India, they had developed technologies 301 00:17:42,250 --> 00:17:44,167 where they were able to use monsoon winds 302 00:17:44,375 --> 00:17:46,958 to fuel these fires 303 00:17:47,042 --> 00:17:48,750 and get them to very high temperatures. 304 00:17:49,917 --> 00:17:52,417 SHATNER: The idea that the strength of Damascus swords 305 00:17:52,583 --> 00:17:56,625 was forged in the intense flames of Indian fires is intriguing, 306 00:17:56,750 --> 00:18:00,250 but it doesn't completely solve the mystery. 307 00:18:00,417 --> 00:18:02,667 Because even with today's powerful furnaces, 308 00:18:02,833 --> 00:18:08,000 experts still cannot precisely recreate Damascus swords. 309 00:18:08,208 --> 00:18:10,375 And according to one theory, the secret may lie 310 00:18:10,542 --> 00:18:14,000 in the raw material Indian craftsmen used 311 00:18:14,167 --> 00:18:16,583 to fashion their steel. 312 00:18:16,792 --> 00:18:19,917 Iron ores vary tremendously from place to place. 313 00:18:20,083 --> 00:18:22,208 No two ores are exactly alike. 314 00:18:23,583 --> 00:18:28,333 One theory is that there just happened to be an iron ore 315 00:18:28,542 --> 00:18:31,333 with just the right chemical properties, 316 00:18:31,542 --> 00:18:34,375 that happened to be available in India, 317 00:18:34,542 --> 00:18:37,500 and this was the real basis for the very 318 00:18:37,667 --> 00:18:41,458 high-quality steel that was produced from that material. 319 00:18:42,792 --> 00:18:46,333 RESSLER: The reason that the secret to Damascus steel was lost 320 00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:48,583 is that the ore sources ran out, 321 00:18:48,750 --> 00:18:52,167 and so we can't know the individual elements 322 00:18:52,333 --> 00:18:53,667 that were in those iron ores. 323 00:18:53,875 --> 00:18:57,542 There is no way for us to go back in and recreate 324 00:18:57,750 --> 00:19:02,167 the magic that they had done with those original swords. 325 00:19:02,333 --> 00:19:05,333 While we may never know how ancient armies 326 00:19:05,542 --> 00:19:10,667 created inextinguishable flames or unbreakable swords, 327 00:19:10,792 --> 00:19:12,170 we do know that these extraordinary weapons 328 00:19:12,250 --> 00:19:13,378 we do know that these extraordinary weapons 329 00:19:13,458 --> 00:19:17,167 struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. 330 00:19:18,167 --> 00:19:21,000 But not all ancient technology 331 00:19:21,167 --> 00:19:23,167 was designed to be used in battle. 332 00:19:23,333 --> 00:19:25,417 For instance, archaeologists 333 00:19:25,583 --> 00:19:29,333 unearthed what appeared to be merely a small clay jar, 334 00:19:29,458 --> 00:19:31,167 but it may have actually been 335 00:19:31,375 --> 00:19:34,667 the world's first battery. 336 00:19:42,667 --> 00:19:46,250 SHATNER: In the basement of the National Museum of Iraq, 337 00:19:46,417 --> 00:19:49,542 the director of the museum, Wilhelm K�nig, 338 00:19:49,708 --> 00:19:51,792 stumbles upon three small artifacts 339 00:19:51,917 --> 00:19:55,708 that an archaeological team unearthed two years earlier. 340 00:19:57,083 --> 00:20:00,083 He finds a five-inch-tall clay pot, 341 00:20:00,250 --> 00:20:03,708 a copper cylinder and an iron rod. 342 00:20:03,875 --> 00:20:07,417 K�nig dates the objects to roughly 2,000 years ago. 343 00:20:07,542 --> 00:20:09,542 But what's more incredible 344 00:20:09,667 --> 00:20:14,167 is that he theorizes that these seemingly unremarkable items 345 00:20:14,333 --> 00:20:17,167 might have been designed to work together 346 00:20:17,333 --> 00:20:21,542 to form an ancient piece of technology. 347 00:20:21,708 --> 00:20:24,667 Two years later, K�nig publishes his autobiography 348 00:20:24,875 --> 00:20:28,167 in which he announces his stunning claim to the world. 349 00:20:28,333 --> 00:20:32,292 He argues that these three artifacts 350 00:20:32,458 --> 00:20:36,583 may have actually been the world's first battery. 351 00:20:36,750 --> 00:20:38,753 MICHAEL DENNIN: When you look at the Baghdad Battery, 352 00:20:38,833 --> 00:20:42,375 it does have the key components of making a battery, 353 00:20:42,542 --> 00:20:44,542 which is it has two metals of different properties. 354 00:20:44,667 --> 00:20:48,125 Those are your positive and negative electrodes, and then 355 00:20:48,333 --> 00:20:51,458 you need a material between them that allows for 356 00:20:51,625 --> 00:20:53,583 the flow of charge to occur. 357 00:20:53,750 --> 00:20:55,833 That could have been something as simple as 358 00:20:55,958 --> 00:20:59,542 vinegar or wine or lemon juice. 359 00:20:59,708 --> 00:21:01,667 And so it is completely reasonable, 360 00:21:01,833 --> 00:21:03,042 with these components, 361 00:21:03,208 --> 00:21:04,378 to presume that it might have been 362 00:21:04,458 --> 00:21:06,250 a battery of some type. 363 00:21:07,250 --> 00:21:08,708 SHATNER: Is it possible 364 00:21:08,875 --> 00:21:11,667 that the so-called Baghdad Battery really was 365 00:21:11,875 --> 00:21:14,250 an ancient source of electricity? 366 00:21:15,583 --> 00:21:17,500 It's a fascinating theory, 367 00:21:17,708 --> 00:21:20,458 and modern scientists have actually conducted tests 368 00:21:20,625 --> 00:21:23,708 to find out whether it might be true. 369 00:21:23,833 --> 00:21:27,292 In 1940, an American by the name of Willard Gray 370 00:21:27,417 --> 00:21:29,292 who worked for 371 00:21:29,458 --> 00:21:32,083 a General Electric high voltage laboratory 372 00:21:32,250 --> 00:21:35,292 recreated the Baghdad Battery, 373 00:21:35,458 --> 00:21:39,167 and he was able to produce about a one or two-volt charge. 374 00:21:39,333 --> 00:21:41,042 This is incredibly low. 375 00:21:41,208 --> 00:21:43,667 However, even at this low-level charge, 376 00:21:43,875 --> 00:21:46,542 there are still potential uses for this object. 377 00:21:46,708 --> 00:21:49,750 SHATNER: It's incredible that modern scientists have verified 378 00:21:49,917 --> 00:21:51,667 that this ancient artifact 379 00:21:51,833 --> 00:21:54,083 could have actually been a working battery. 380 00:21:55,333 --> 00:21:56,792 But what's even more astounding 381 00:21:56,917 --> 00:22:00,667 is that the Baghdad Battery is strikingly similar 382 00:22:00,833 --> 00:22:03,167 to the first modern battery that was invented 383 00:22:03,375 --> 00:22:05,667 in the 19th century. 384 00:22:06,708 --> 00:22:10,667 GILLAN: In 1800, the Italian scientist Alessandro Volta developed 385 00:22:10,833 --> 00:22:15,292 the first modern battery, which we call the voltaic pile. 386 00:22:15,458 --> 00:22:18,333 This was a groundbreaking innovation because it was 387 00:22:18,458 --> 00:22:21,458 apparently the first time that electricity could be 388 00:22:21,583 --> 00:22:23,667 produced and stored chemically. 389 00:22:24,708 --> 00:22:27,500 The voltaic pile consisted of alternating layers 390 00:22:27,708 --> 00:22:30,792 of copper and zinc with cardboard soaked 391 00:22:30,958 --> 00:22:33,750 in salt water in between each layer, 392 00:22:33,917 --> 00:22:35,708 which is actually remarkably similar 393 00:22:35,875 --> 00:22:39,125 to the materials used for the Baghdad Battery. 394 00:22:39,250 --> 00:22:41,500 So the idea that an object 395 00:22:41,708 --> 00:22:43,667 that could have a similar function as a battery 396 00:22:43,833 --> 00:22:47,250 existed 2,000 years ago is astounding. 397 00:22:47,417 --> 00:22:48,667 And what it really shows us 398 00:22:48,792 --> 00:22:51,292 is that if it were indeed a battery, 399 00:22:51,458 --> 00:22:54,875 ancient civilizations were far ahead of their time. 400 00:22:55,042 --> 00:22:58,333 SHATNER: If the Baghdad Battery was in fact a genuine piece 401 00:22:58,458 --> 00:23:00,625 of ancient technology, 402 00:23:00,792 --> 00:23:03,208 then it naturally begs the question: 403 00:23:03,375 --> 00:23:05,042 what was it used for? 404 00:23:05,208 --> 00:23:06,625 DENNIN: One proposed use 405 00:23:06,833 --> 00:23:08,542 for the Baghdad Battery is electroplating. 406 00:23:08,750 --> 00:23:11,042 Whether it's silver or gold or other metals, 407 00:23:11,208 --> 00:23:12,792 onto jewelry. 408 00:23:12,958 --> 00:23:15,375 It's definitely a possible use of it, 409 00:23:15,583 --> 00:23:17,167 but this would have depended on exactly 410 00:23:17,292 --> 00:23:18,708 what electrolyte was used, 411 00:23:18,875 --> 00:23:20,542 how it was connected to the metal 412 00:23:20,708 --> 00:23:22,542 to cause the electroplating. 413 00:23:22,708 --> 00:23:24,792 So it's not an unreasonable assumption, 414 00:23:24,917 --> 00:23:26,795 but it would have taken a little special engineering 415 00:23:26,875 --> 00:23:29,250 around the battery itself to achieve that. 416 00:23:30,292 --> 00:23:32,542 GILLAN: Another theory suggests that the Baghdad Battery 417 00:23:32,708 --> 00:23:34,958 was actually used as a form of protection 418 00:23:35,125 --> 00:23:37,667 for sacred statues of the gods 419 00:23:37,833 --> 00:23:41,958 so that if anyone dared to touch one of these sacred statues, 420 00:23:42,125 --> 00:23:44,958 they would have received a mild electric shock 421 00:23:45,125 --> 00:23:47,667 from the Baghdad Battery. 422 00:23:48,542 --> 00:23:49,833 Another theory is 423 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,500 that the Baghdad Battery was actually used 424 00:23:52,708 --> 00:23:54,167 for medicinal purposes 425 00:23:54,250 --> 00:23:56,833 as a form of mild electrotherapy. 426 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,292 The Romans and Greeks were actually using electric fish 427 00:24:01,458 --> 00:24:03,833 to create a form of pain relief. 428 00:24:03,958 --> 00:24:07,917 The ancient Egyptians also used electric Nile catfish 429 00:24:08,083 --> 00:24:10,625 for treating certain nerve disorders in people 430 00:24:10,750 --> 00:24:12,500 and also for pain relief. 431 00:24:12,667 --> 00:24:14,833 So it's not unheard of to consider 432 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,500 that the Baghdad Battery could have been used 433 00:24:17,708 --> 00:24:19,250 for similar purposes. 434 00:24:20,417 --> 00:24:23,333 SHATNER: While it's fun to speculate about how the Baghdad Battery 435 00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:25,583 may have been used in ancient times, 436 00:24:25,750 --> 00:24:29,958 we may never unravel the mystery of this curious artifact. 437 00:24:31,375 --> 00:24:37,000 Because, unfortunately, it has once again been lost to history. 438 00:24:38,125 --> 00:24:43,500 GILLAN: In 2003, the National Museum of Iraq was tragically ransacked 439 00:24:43,708 --> 00:24:45,583 in the chaotic aftermath 440 00:24:45,750 --> 00:24:48,333 of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. 441 00:24:48,542 --> 00:24:51,583 The museum became a target for looters. 442 00:24:51,708 --> 00:24:54,292 Among the relics and precious artifacts 443 00:24:54,458 --> 00:24:56,708 that were stolen was the Baghdad Battery. 444 00:24:57,708 --> 00:24:59,542 There's a lot more research we could do 445 00:24:59,708 --> 00:25:02,375 to discover exactly how it worked 446 00:25:02,542 --> 00:25:04,958 but we no longer have that opportunity. 447 00:25:06,167 --> 00:25:10,333 COLLINS: Skeptics today obviously dismiss the idea 448 00:25:10,458 --> 00:25:13,292 that the Baghdad Battery was indeed a battery. 449 00:25:13,458 --> 00:25:15,417 However, the one thing we know 450 00:25:15,583 --> 00:25:18,333 is that the Baghdad Battery works. 451 00:25:18,458 --> 00:25:20,167 It has been replicated 452 00:25:20,375 --> 00:25:22,042 again and again, 453 00:25:22,208 --> 00:25:24,292 and people have shown 454 00:25:24,458 --> 00:25:26,542 how it does generate current. 455 00:25:26,708 --> 00:25:29,333 And we have to accept 456 00:25:29,542 --> 00:25:32,167 that the ancients had a technology 457 00:25:32,375 --> 00:25:36,792 which we only rediscovered in more modern times. 458 00:25:38,417 --> 00:25:40,542 It's fascinating to think that, 459 00:25:40,708 --> 00:25:44,167 when it comes to harnessing electricity, 460 00:25:44,333 --> 00:25:48,667 ancient people may not have been completely in the dark. 461 00:25:48,833 --> 00:25:51,417 And there's another remarkable invention from the past 462 00:25:51,583 --> 00:25:54,583 that also resembles technology we have today. 463 00:25:54,792 --> 00:25:56,542 This ingenious device, 464 00:25:56,708 --> 00:25:59,750 which was created nearly 2,000 years ago, 465 00:25:59,917 --> 00:26:01,833 could detect the tremors of earthquakes 466 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,042 from hundreds of miles away. 467 00:26:09,625 --> 00:26:10,962 SHATNER: Earthquakes... they are perhaps 468 00:26:11,042 --> 00:26:14,625 the most terrifying of natural disasters. 469 00:26:14,750 --> 00:26:17,000 Even today, with modern technology, 470 00:26:17,208 --> 00:26:19,458 we struggle to predict when or where 471 00:26:19,583 --> 00:26:22,083 an earthquake will strike. 472 00:26:22,208 --> 00:26:25,833 But once these forces of nature are unleashed, 473 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,958 experts can measure their power using sensitive instruments 474 00:26:30,125 --> 00:26:34,792 called seismoscopes and seismometers. 475 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,750 CHARLES ADLER: When an earthquake occurs, essentially, sound waves 476 00:26:37,875 --> 00:26:39,292 travel through the ground 477 00:26:39,417 --> 00:26:40,628 from the epicenter of the earthquake 478 00:26:40,708 --> 00:26:42,625 and they rock the ground back and forth. 479 00:26:42,833 --> 00:26:45,958 Modern seismometers are built to pick up on that. 480 00:26:46,083 --> 00:26:49,083 And that's, in fact, how we can detect earthquakes. 481 00:26:49,250 --> 00:26:51,833 SHATNER: Measuring earthquakes immediately after they start 482 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,167 allows quicker evacuation and rescue efforts 483 00:26:55,375 --> 00:26:57,875 and is certainly useful in our modern world. 484 00:26:58,875 --> 00:27:00,500 But what if a technology 485 00:27:00,667 --> 00:27:03,250 with the ability to detect Earthquakes existed 486 00:27:03,375 --> 00:27:05,750 not just in modern times 487 00:27:05,917 --> 00:27:08,167 but 2,000 years ago? 488 00:27:14,750 --> 00:27:17,875 The Han Dynasty is a sprawling empire 489 00:27:18,042 --> 00:27:21,833 that covers Ancient China and parts of Vietnam and Korea. 490 00:27:21,958 --> 00:27:27,000 One day, Zhang Heng, chief astronomer to the emperor, 491 00:27:27,125 --> 00:27:30,042 introduces a mysterious instrument to court. 492 00:27:30,208 --> 00:27:33,833 He claims his device can detect earthquakes... 493 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:35,833 Events considered by the ancient Chinese 494 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,917 to be important signs from heaven. 495 00:27:39,917 --> 00:27:43,667 Zhang Heng was an exceptional figure in Chinese history. 496 00:27:43,750 --> 00:27:45,792 He could be described as a Renaissance man 497 00:27:45,917 --> 00:27:48,333 that was centuries ahead of his time. 498 00:27:48,458 --> 00:27:53,500 Zhang Heng developed one of the earliest instruments 499 00:27:53,625 --> 00:27:55,958 to measure movements in the earth. 500 00:27:56,125 --> 00:27:59,667 This seismoscope could be used to detect 501 00:27:59,833 --> 00:28:03,167 certain natural phenomena, including earthquakes. 502 00:28:03,250 --> 00:28:07,917 SHATNER: Unfortunately, Zhang Heng's original seismoscope, 503 00:28:08,083 --> 00:28:10,750 which was a precursor to modern seismometers, 504 00:28:10,875 --> 00:28:12,917 has been lost to time. 505 00:28:13,042 --> 00:28:14,917 However, based on ancient descriptions 506 00:28:15,083 --> 00:28:16,708 of its general appearance, 507 00:28:16,875 --> 00:28:19,292 historians have created models of the device 508 00:28:19,458 --> 00:28:23,000 that are on display in museums throughout China. 509 00:28:23,167 --> 00:28:25,500 ADLER: In shape, it was a huge urn 510 00:28:25,625 --> 00:28:28,208 which had eight dragons 511 00:28:28,375 --> 00:28:32,333 corresponding to different directions around the rim, 512 00:28:32,500 --> 00:28:34,833 with their faces turned down 513 00:28:35,042 --> 00:28:37,917 looking at large toads which had their mouths open, 514 00:28:38,083 --> 00:28:39,958 and when an earthquake would occur, 515 00:28:40,125 --> 00:28:43,625 the dragon facing in the direction of the earthquake 516 00:28:43,833 --> 00:28:46,875 would eject a ball from its mouth, 517 00:28:47,042 --> 00:28:51,083 which would then fall into the mouth of the toad. 518 00:28:52,083 --> 00:28:55,167 There's an account of it in the Book of the Later Han, 519 00:28:55,333 --> 00:28:59,042 and it describes how the seismoscope was 520 00:28:59,208 --> 00:29:00,875 triggered one day. 521 00:29:01,042 --> 00:29:04,625 No one at the court believed that it actually worked. 522 00:29:04,750 --> 00:29:07,542 But then, a few days later, 523 00:29:07,708 --> 00:29:10,458 a messenger came from about 400 miles away 524 00:29:10,625 --> 00:29:14,125 reporting that there had been a massive earthquake. 525 00:29:14,250 --> 00:29:17,958 And everyone at court was forced to admit 526 00:29:18,125 --> 00:29:21,167 that this seismoscope could detect earthquakes 527 00:29:21,292 --> 00:29:24,042 hundreds and hundreds of miles away. 528 00:29:25,083 --> 00:29:27,917 GILLAN: This was an incredibly important piece of technology 529 00:29:28,083 --> 00:29:30,917 because time was people's lives 530 00:29:31,083 --> 00:29:32,792 when it came to natural disasters. 531 00:29:32,958 --> 00:29:35,542 It allowed help to be sent straightaway 532 00:29:35,708 --> 00:29:37,500 to the affected region 533 00:29:37,667 --> 00:29:40,107 rather than having to wait days for the message to reach them. 534 00:29:41,167 --> 00:29:45,250 STEAVU: This seismoscope was a technological marvel. 535 00:29:45,417 --> 00:29:49,167 In the rest of the world, seismoscopes were not in use 536 00:29:49,333 --> 00:29:51,333 and they were developed in Europe 537 00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:55,417 only in the 17 or 1800s. 538 00:29:55,583 --> 00:30:00,083 So Zhang Heng was numerous centuries ahead of his time. 539 00:30:00,208 --> 00:30:04,000 SHATNER: Zhang Heng was clearly a scientific genius. 540 00:30:04,208 --> 00:30:06,667 But how was he able to build such a remarkable device 541 00:30:06,792 --> 00:30:08,208 centuries before anyone else? 542 00:30:08,375 --> 00:30:13,167 And how did his extraordinary seismoscope work? 543 00:30:14,375 --> 00:30:17,500 GILLAN: We don't actually know exactly how it functioned. 544 00:30:17,708 --> 00:30:19,500 There are historical descriptions 545 00:30:19,708 --> 00:30:21,583 explaining what it looked like, 546 00:30:21,750 --> 00:30:23,375 the general components of it, 547 00:30:23,542 --> 00:30:26,125 but in terms of the nitty-gritty functioning 548 00:30:26,333 --> 00:30:29,500 of this ancient piece of technology it's still unknown. 549 00:30:29,708 --> 00:30:32,000 SHATNER: Because both the seismoscope 550 00:30:32,208 --> 00:30:34,667 and detailed specifications of its inner workings 551 00:30:34,833 --> 00:30:36,417 no longer exist, 552 00:30:36,583 --> 00:30:38,458 experts can only speculate 553 00:30:38,542 --> 00:30:44,000 as to how Zhang Heng's device may have detected earthquakes. 554 00:30:44,167 --> 00:30:46,250 STEAVU: It's been proposed, hypothetically, 555 00:30:46,417 --> 00:30:49,375 that within the urn was a pendulum 556 00:30:49,542 --> 00:30:51,917 which rested on a bronze ball. 557 00:30:52,083 --> 00:30:56,250 When a seismic wave would come, the pendulum would move 558 00:30:56,458 --> 00:30:58,667 in the same direction as the seismic wave, 559 00:30:58,833 --> 00:31:00,167 and the bronze ball would move 560 00:31:00,375 --> 00:31:03,000 in the opposite direction of the seismic wave, 561 00:31:03,167 --> 00:31:05,750 and it would trigger a dragon head 562 00:31:05,917 --> 00:31:09,250 to release a ball that it was holding in its jaws. 563 00:31:09,375 --> 00:31:11,833 However, ultimately, the inner mechanisms 564 00:31:12,042 --> 00:31:14,458 and function of the seismoscope remain a mystery. 565 00:31:14,625 --> 00:31:18,583 SHATNER: The mystery of how this odd device detected earthquakes 566 00:31:18,708 --> 00:31:20,792 in ancient times is fascinating. 567 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,500 And almost two full millennia later, 568 00:31:24,708 --> 00:31:28,333 a team of Chinese scientists set out to finally prove 569 00:31:28,542 --> 00:31:32,000 how the seismoscope could have worked. 570 00:31:32,208 --> 00:31:36,042 In 2005, a team of scientists in China 571 00:31:36,208 --> 00:31:39,875 recreated the seismoscope successfully, 572 00:31:40,042 --> 00:31:43,708 and the device functioned as described in the sources. 573 00:31:43,875 --> 00:31:46,000 It had a very high sensitivity 574 00:31:46,167 --> 00:31:49,833 and was able to detect simulated earthquakes 575 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,667 from about four to 500 miles away. 576 00:31:52,875 --> 00:31:57,125 Not only was it able to detect the simulated earthquakes, 577 00:31:57,292 --> 00:31:59,667 it could also identify accurately the direction 578 00:31:59,875 --> 00:32:01,333 in which they came from. 579 00:32:01,417 --> 00:32:03,458 So from this, they could conclude 580 00:32:03,625 --> 00:32:06,500 that this seismoscope was incredibly refined 581 00:32:06,667 --> 00:32:10,667 and advanced for the era in which it was created. 582 00:32:10,875 --> 00:32:13,208 The Chinese seismometer 583 00:32:13,375 --> 00:32:14,462 was clearly centuries ahead of its time, 584 00:32:14,542 --> 00:32:15,920 was clearly centuries ahead of its time, 585 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,500 and it's not the only instance of ancient people 586 00:32:18,708 --> 00:32:22,167 designing technology that mirrors our own. 587 00:32:22,333 --> 00:32:25,500 In fact, there was one Renaissance man 588 00:32:25,667 --> 00:32:28,833 who foresaw a future filled with flying machines 589 00:32:29,042 --> 00:32:33,333 nearly 400 years before they existed. 590 00:32:39,375 --> 00:32:42,333 SHATNER: In the heart of the city stands the Louvre, 591 00:32:42,458 --> 00:32:46,333 one of the most renowned museums in the world. 592 00:32:46,500 --> 00:32:48,667 Of the hundreds of thousands of artworks contained 593 00:32:48,792 --> 00:32:51,333 in its prestigious galleries, 594 00:32:51,500 --> 00:32:54,500 the biggest attraction is the Mona Lisa, 595 00:32:54,708 --> 00:32:59,083 which draws roughly ten million visitors every year. 596 00:32:59,208 --> 00:33:02,000 The Mona Lisa is one of the many important paintings created 597 00:33:02,167 --> 00:33:07,500 by celebrated Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. 598 00:33:07,708 --> 00:33:11,333 But curiously, da Vinci was much more than just a painter. 599 00:33:11,542 --> 00:33:13,833 He was also a pioneer 600 00:33:13,958 --> 00:33:18,958 who envisioned futuristic technologies. 601 00:33:19,083 --> 00:33:20,750 RESSLER: Leonardo da Vinci 602 00:33:20,875 --> 00:33:22,167 is widely regarded 603 00:33:22,375 --> 00:33:24,458 as the quintessential Renaissance man 604 00:33:24,625 --> 00:33:26,000 because he did it all. 605 00:33:26,167 --> 00:33:29,000 He was an artist, 606 00:33:29,167 --> 00:33:31,917 he was a gifted engineer 607 00:33:32,083 --> 00:33:35,250 and he was also a great craftsman. 608 00:33:35,417 --> 00:33:38,167 So, he had a wide array of skills 609 00:33:38,333 --> 00:33:40,875 combined with a brilliant mind. 610 00:33:41,042 --> 00:33:42,917 When we think of da Vinci, 611 00:33:43,083 --> 00:33:45,958 we often think about his sketches 612 00:33:46,083 --> 00:33:49,167 of amazing machines, and he compiled 613 00:33:49,333 --> 00:33:53,833 this vast collection of sketches in his notebooks. 614 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,208 He was designing fortifications, 615 00:33:57,375 --> 00:34:01,833 port facilities, canals, 616 00:34:02,042 --> 00:34:05,500 catapults and tanks. 617 00:34:05,667 --> 00:34:08,917 These sketches would be completely at home 618 00:34:09,125 --> 00:34:11,292 in the notebook of an engineering student today. 619 00:34:12,333 --> 00:34:14,458 BULL: Leonardo certainly had 620 00:34:14,625 --> 00:34:16,917 an amazing imagination. 621 00:34:17,042 --> 00:34:19,833 But one has to say that Leonardo's ideas 622 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,167 were too advanced for his time, 623 00:34:22,292 --> 00:34:25,542 in the sense that he was stymied 624 00:34:25,708 --> 00:34:29,583 by the lack of the right materials in the period. 625 00:34:29,750 --> 00:34:32,833 However, the fact that very few of the things 626 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,083 Leonardo depicted actually were done 627 00:34:35,250 --> 00:34:38,583 shouldn't really blind us to his genius. 628 00:34:40,208 --> 00:34:41,545 SHATNER: While most of da Vinci's concepts 629 00:34:41,625 --> 00:34:45,417 were too advanced to be built in the 15th century, 630 00:34:45,542 --> 00:34:48,833 incredibly, some traces of his actual achievements 631 00:34:49,042 --> 00:34:51,125 can be seen today. 632 00:34:51,292 --> 00:34:53,292 Near Florence, a canal system 633 00:34:53,417 --> 00:34:56,208 designed by da Vinci has been preserved, 634 00:34:56,375 --> 00:34:58,000 and a military stronghold 635 00:34:58,167 --> 00:35:01,333 he constructed in Switzerland still stands. 636 00:35:04,167 --> 00:35:06,167 But of all the futuristic machines 637 00:35:06,333 --> 00:35:09,458 envisioned by Leonardo da Vinci, 638 00:35:09,667 --> 00:35:14,500 his most famous designs were in pursuit of his dream of flight. 639 00:35:14,667 --> 00:35:17,667 For decades, modern historians have wondered, 640 00:35:17,875 --> 00:35:19,833 did Da Vinci actually discover 641 00:35:20,042 --> 00:35:22,292 the secret to soaring through the sky 642 00:35:22,417 --> 00:35:25,250 centuries before the invention of the airplane? 643 00:35:26,458 --> 00:35:28,000 Leonardo's understanding of flight was 644 00:35:28,208 --> 00:35:30,458 certainly a lot deeper than many of his contemporaries. 645 00:35:30,542 --> 00:35:34,958 He was one of the first people to study actual bird motion 646 00:35:35,125 --> 00:35:39,042 to try to figure out how birds flew under their own power. 647 00:35:39,208 --> 00:35:41,917 If you look at Leonardo's flying machines, 648 00:35:42,083 --> 00:35:45,458 the first machines that he envisions in his notebooks 649 00:35:45,625 --> 00:35:47,958 are, in fact, ornithopter designs, very much like birds, 650 00:35:48,083 --> 00:35:52,000 where they flap their wings to generate the lift for flying. 651 00:35:52,208 --> 00:35:54,042 And then he progressed on to designs 652 00:35:54,208 --> 00:35:56,250 which were much more like gliders. 653 00:35:58,958 --> 00:36:01,333 DENNIN: One of the really fascinating things 654 00:36:01,542 --> 00:36:04,333 about da Vinci's efforts is he was very creative in thinking 655 00:36:04,542 --> 00:36:06,792 about how humans might spin things or turn things. 656 00:36:06,958 --> 00:36:11,000 One of the designs he had was an aerial screw. 657 00:36:11,208 --> 00:36:15,167 And it's a particular structure like a propellor, 658 00:36:15,375 --> 00:36:17,417 to provide lift and have something fly. 659 00:36:18,583 --> 00:36:20,333 SHATNER: Leonardo Da Vinci's principle 660 00:36:20,458 --> 00:36:22,417 of a single screw turning a propellor 661 00:36:22,583 --> 00:36:25,333 to create lift is strikingly similar 662 00:36:25,500 --> 00:36:28,167 to the mechanics behind the modern helicopter. 663 00:36:28,375 --> 00:36:30,667 And over the years, engineers have been inspired 664 00:36:30,875 --> 00:36:33,583 to bring da Vinci's visionary designs to life 665 00:36:33,750 --> 00:36:36,667 through real-world experimentation. 666 00:36:37,833 --> 00:36:40,083 MATTHEW LANDRUS: In 1976, 667 00:36:40,250 --> 00:36:43,542 the Gossamer Condor was flown, 668 00:36:43,708 --> 00:36:45,708 and it was he first human-powered flying machine 669 00:36:45,875 --> 00:36:47,083 with one person operating 670 00:36:47,292 --> 00:36:50,667 this propeller-driven glider, essentially. 671 00:36:50,792 --> 00:36:52,958 It was the first attempt 672 00:36:53,167 --> 00:36:56,208 at what Leonardo was trying to make. 673 00:36:57,667 --> 00:36:59,333 ADLER: A crew at the University of Maryland 674 00:36:59,458 --> 00:37:02,875 used Leonardo's design for the aerial screw. 675 00:37:04,417 --> 00:37:06,708 The quadcopter design worked. 676 00:37:06,875 --> 00:37:08,378 The air screws actually did provide enough lift 677 00:37:08,458 --> 00:37:10,292 to lift the quadcopter up. 678 00:37:10,458 --> 00:37:13,833 And so, there is some promise for a design like that. 679 00:37:13,958 --> 00:37:17,500 So, Leonardo even today does inspire people in their designs. 680 00:37:19,042 --> 00:37:21,083 SHATNER: How did Leonardo da Vinci 681 00:37:21,208 --> 00:37:24,417 create technical designs that remain relevant 682 00:37:24,583 --> 00:37:27,500 more than 500 years after his death? 683 00:37:27,667 --> 00:37:29,792 We may never fully understand the depths 684 00:37:29,917 --> 00:37:33,042 of his extraordinary genius, 685 00:37:33,250 --> 00:37:35,833 but incredibly, there are those who believe 686 00:37:36,042 --> 00:37:37,374 that an ancient civilization, 687 00:37:37,375 --> 00:37:38,250 that an ancient civilization, 688 00:37:38,375 --> 00:37:40,458 located in Mexico 689 00:37:40,625 --> 00:37:45,250 might have actually invented rocket propulsion. 690 00:37:54,542 --> 00:37:56,750 SHATNER: A heavy rainstorm inundates the ruins 691 00:37:56,875 --> 00:37:58,292 of this ancient metropolis 692 00:37:58,458 --> 00:38:00,792 located northeast of Mexico City. 693 00:38:02,833 --> 00:38:06,833 Once the weather clears, archaeologist Sergio G�mez 694 00:38:07,042 --> 00:38:12,167 discovers a mysterious sinkhole at the foot of a large pyramid 695 00:38:12,375 --> 00:38:16,000 known as the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. 696 00:38:16,208 --> 00:38:18,250 COLLINS: What this almighty storm did 697 00:38:18,417 --> 00:38:21,292 was to reveal the entrance 698 00:38:21,417 --> 00:38:24,208 into an underground tunnel 699 00:38:24,375 --> 00:38:29,167 that went for around a hundred meters 700 00:38:29,292 --> 00:38:33,167 directly beneath the pyramid. 701 00:38:33,292 --> 00:38:36,500 A group of around 30 experts, 702 00:38:36,708 --> 00:38:41,417 headed by G�mez, started to clear out these tunnels. 703 00:38:41,583 --> 00:38:45,458 They came to these chambers 704 00:38:45,583 --> 00:38:50,958 that were full of hundreds of yellow spheres. 705 00:38:51,125 --> 00:38:53,833 And these were made out of clay, 706 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,167 and this yellow substance around them 707 00:38:56,375 --> 00:39:00,167 was an oxidized form of pyrite, 708 00:39:00,375 --> 00:39:04,458 so they would have shone in the light. 709 00:39:04,583 --> 00:39:06,083 DAVID WALTON: Those yellow spheres 710 00:39:06,208 --> 00:39:07,500 are all along the ceiling 711 00:39:07,667 --> 00:39:09,417 and all along the walls of this tunnel. 712 00:39:09,583 --> 00:39:12,958 If you have a torch, that torchlight 713 00:39:13,125 --> 00:39:15,125 reflects off of the ceiling. 714 00:39:15,250 --> 00:39:17,625 It looks like the stars in the sky. 715 00:39:18,917 --> 00:39:20,000 And it's just incredible. 716 00:39:21,667 --> 00:39:23,347 SHATNER: Archaeologists have also discovered 717 00:39:23,500 --> 00:39:26,333 other puzzling artifacts at Teotihuacan, 718 00:39:26,542 --> 00:39:29,625 including large quantities of liquid mercury 719 00:39:29,750 --> 00:39:33,500 and sheets of mica crystals. 720 00:39:33,625 --> 00:39:36,333 What's surprising is that these materials 721 00:39:36,458 --> 00:39:38,792 are all used in modern technology. 722 00:39:38,958 --> 00:39:42,500 So what are they doing in an ancient metropolis 723 00:39:42,667 --> 00:39:46,000 that is more than 2,000 years old? 724 00:39:46,208 --> 00:39:49,000 GILLAN: Because, for example, mercury is actually used 725 00:39:49,208 --> 00:39:50,833 as a rocket propellant, 726 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,083 this has led many to suggest that their discovery 727 00:39:54,208 --> 00:39:57,667 may provide evidence for some form of ancient technology, 728 00:39:57,833 --> 00:40:00,542 perhaps used in propulsion or in energy creation. 729 00:40:00,750 --> 00:40:03,417 This is very speculative, but if it were, in fact, true, 730 00:40:03,625 --> 00:40:05,417 we would have to rethink everything we know 731 00:40:05,542 --> 00:40:07,333 about ancient technology. 732 00:40:07,542 --> 00:40:10,667 SHATNER: Is the presence of sophisticated materials 733 00:40:10,833 --> 00:40:14,667 at Teotihuacan just a coincidence? 734 00:40:14,875 --> 00:40:17,542 Or is it really possible that ancient people 735 00:40:17,708 --> 00:40:20,542 invented an early form of rocket fuel? 736 00:40:22,792 --> 00:40:24,458 Ultimately, it's hard to say, 737 00:40:24,542 --> 00:40:27,208 because we still have much more to learn 738 00:40:27,375 --> 00:40:30,208 about the technology of the ancient world. 739 00:40:30,375 --> 00:40:35,750 COLLINS: Teotihuacan is one of the most sophisticated, 740 00:40:35,917 --> 00:40:40,250 technologically advanced ancient sites in the world. 741 00:40:40,417 --> 00:40:45,833 But the big mystery is we don't know who built Teotihuacan, 742 00:40:46,042 --> 00:40:50,333 and how the ancients had this knowledge. 743 00:40:50,542 --> 00:40:53,500 This is something that happens again and again. 744 00:40:53,708 --> 00:40:55,625 We invent something 745 00:40:55,750 --> 00:40:59,208 and instead of preserving the plans 746 00:40:59,375 --> 00:41:03,458 or the technique, it's lost. 747 00:41:05,083 --> 00:41:06,795 GILLAN: There is still a great deal of mystery 748 00:41:06,875 --> 00:41:08,750 about ancient technology. 749 00:41:08,958 --> 00:41:12,458 Whole histories of ancient cultures have been lost. 750 00:41:12,625 --> 00:41:15,750 There's a lot more research we still could do 751 00:41:15,917 --> 00:41:19,458 to discover forms of ancient technology 752 00:41:19,667 --> 00:41:21,875 that may have been lost to time. 753 00:41:25,083 --> 00:41:27,833 From enigmatic gold spheres 754 00:41:27,958 --> 00:41:29,792 to incredibly powerful weapons 755 00:41:29,958 --> 00:41:34,125 to devices that warn of impending disasters, 756 00:41:34,333 --> 00:41:37,792 many ancient pieces of technology are fascinating 757 00:41:37,958 --> 00:41:40,500 and challenge our understanding of history. 758 00:41:40,667 --> 00:41:45,458 If we unlock the secrets of innovations from the past, 759 00:41:45,542 --> 00:41:47,708 could that play a key role in developing 760 00:41:47,917 --> 00:41:50,167 the technology of tomorrow? 761 00:41:50,333 --> 00:41:52,833 It's an intriguing possibility, 762 00:41:53,042 --> 00:41:57,208 but for now, the mysterious inventions of the ancients 763 00:41:57,333 --> 00:42:01,000 will remain unexplained. 764 00:42:01,125 --> 00:42:03,792 >>>>oakislandtk<<<<< www.opensubtitles.org 765 00:42:03,842 --> 00:42:08,392 Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0 62219

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