All language subtitles for Unearthing Nazca - The Complete Story (2019) 720p GAIA x264.ENG

>> Has a new humanoid
species been discovered

in the mountains
near Nazca, Peru?

>> We are living in a
very exciting moment.

This is pure history
in the making.

>> Have scientists working
around the world proven that

the Nazca mummies are genuine?

>> The results strongly supports
that these beings are not

closely related to any
known organism on Earth.

>> Is there a concerted
effort to discredit and deny

the evidence?

>> The Ministry of
Culture, until last Friday,

was interested in participating.

But for unknown reasons,
they've backed down.

>> If it was really an ET mummy,
they should be able to show CAT

scans and X-rays
of the individual.

>> They have done
X-rays on them.

Is that something the
Ministry of Culture

would be interested in?

>> Never-before-seen footage of
the location where the bodies

were found.

>> It's clear that this
was some hidden place.

Maybe there are more subject.

>> New high-resolution CAT
scans that contain startling

revelations.

>> Inside, he was able to detect
the feathers of some creature.

It is clear by scientists
that it's something different.

It is not human.

>> "Unearthing Nazca."

In 2016, a rare
find was discovered

in the Palpa region,
south of Peru,

very close to the
mythical region of Nazca.

A huaquero, or tomb
raider, found a group

of mummified bodies
with surprising physical

characteristics--

hands with three fingers
and elongated heads.

According to his
account, he found them

in a secret tomb, of which
only he knew the location.

The subsequent testing
on these bodies

revealed extraordinary facts,
such as their ancientness

and the fact that it was
a biological organism.

At the same time, the
tests opened more questions

of what these mummified
beings could be.

The country's government
officials and archaeologists

were very adamant about
not being involved.

Yet, they let the testing
continue privately.

What did this huaquero
really find that day in 2016?

And why have the local
authorities not taken part

in the research of what could
be an unparalleled discovery

in Peru?

Is this a well-orchestrated
fraud by a tomb raider?

Or are we facing
a blatant attempt

to discredit such an
astonishing finding?

And if so, for what purpose?

This is the story of a group
of scientists and journalists

from different countries looking
to gain access to the mummies

and discover the
truth, no matter

what the barriers might be.

If you are questioning why a
grave robber should be trusted

with such a find, we want
to bring to your attention

that sometimes the most
astonishing finds in history

can be uncovered in the
most unorthodox ways.

We are not condoning the
idea of robbing graves.

We are simply saying that
throughout history, there

have been discoveries found
by such a person that changed

the course of history
and what we thought

we knew about ancient cultures,
such as the case of the most

ancient biblical texts on
record, the so-called Dead Sea

Scrolls, written in
Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.

The scrolls were found by
Bedouin shepherds looking

for their goats in a cave
of the Qumran region.

They gathered as much
as they could carry

and sold some of the scrolls
to the highest bidder

and used the rest for
kindling for a fire.

This find not only
became a source of income

for the shepherds,
but it provided

a wealth of comparative material
for New Testament scholars,

including many important
parallels between Christianity

and Judaism.

On the other side of the
world, a similar story

took place in Peru in 1987.

Authorities became
aware of a magnificent

find after a disagreement
between two grave robbers that

led to the discovery of
the Lord of Sipan tomb.

This discovery was
compared to the excavation

of King Tut in Egypt.

An almost completely
intact ancient burial,

which is a rare and
dazzling discovery.

It was quite rare
for archaeologists

to have access to a tomb
which is nearly complete,

like the one they
found with Lord Sipan.

This allowed new discoveries
by archaeologists

and historians' previous
knowledge of the Mochi culture.

This story also begins with
a tomb radar, or huaquero,

who we will call Mario.

When entering a secret
tomb, he found something

that he had never seen before--

several mummies with very
different characteristics

to humans, like very strange
heads and hands covered

in a white powder.

Without specifying
the exact site,

he said that it was in a
desert between Palpa and Nazca

in the department of Ica,
an archaeological area

in which several
remnants have been found.

According to those who still
conduct this illicit activity,

it still hides many
more treasures.

Because of his
expertise, Mario knew

that he had found
pieces of great value.

To be absolutely certain,
he contacted Thierry Jamin,

director of the
Institute Inkari,

a nongovernmental
organization located

in Cusco dedicated to the study
of the historical Peruvian

heritage.

The purpose of showing Thierry
the pieces he had found

was to know if they
were authentic or fake.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> Locals from this region of
Peru, from the countryside,

sometimes come to us with
archaeological samples,

ceramics, and other artifacts,
as well as their accounts about

such-and-such a site
they've discovered.

In October 2016, we received
one of those visits.

The group was in possession
of several artifacts--

little bodies, heads, and hands.

They were looking for
our professional opinion

and support.

They wanted our help in
disclosing the findings.

Our first impression was
that they were authentic,

given our expertise in
analyzing mummified objects.

Immediately, we realized the
significance of the findings

and thought it was
a breakthrough.

We felt we did not have the
right to keep it to ourselves.

>> The information was
uploaded to the internet,

so it became public knowledge.

Immediately, people
from all over the world

were interested in the
findings and ready to conduct

a deeper investigation of the
pieces shown on the internet.

>> In October and November
2016, I saw some videos through

internet and YouTube of this
man in Peru presenting little

bodies that didn't look human.

He presented a huge hand.

It didn't look human.

He said that they
were found in a tomb

the middle of the
desert near Nazca.

Then I didn't pay
attention, because I

thought they were fakes.

It's a hoax.

I don't like it.

I don't feel right when
someone wants to be anonymous.

But in March 2017, a biologist
called me and said, Jaime,

look at this.

This is very interesting.

Have you talked
to Thierry Jamin?

He's a French archaeologist
living in Cusco.

And I say, no.

He said, don't you
want to interview him?

And then I interviewed him in
my program in the internet,

and I thought this
was very serious.

I thought this was
very important.

I thought this man had my
credibility, Thierry Jamin.

And I said, I have
to go to Peru.

>> Jaime Maussan contacted
Gaia to see if they wanted

to investigate the bodies
with him and his team.

>> Our real mission on taking
this lead and following Jaime

to see these bodies was
just to see what it is.

We're just literally
there because we're

curious of what it might be.

>> Several crews-- consisting of
camera operators, translators,

journalists, and
forensic experts--

headed to Cusco, Peru, to see
the pieces for themselves.

Thierry believed
the best thing to do

was to alert the
authorities, as well, so they

could join in the discovery.

On January 11,
2017, Thierry Jamin

sent a letter to Dr. Jorge
Nieto Montesinos, director

of the Ministry of
Culture in Peru,

to inform him of the
findings and to request

his participation in
the investigations.

However, an official
response was never received.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> I got in touch with the
Peruvian Ministry of Culture

at the beginning of January
in order to make them aware

of the case.

We were worried
for the possibility

that this archaeological
treasure trove would

be taken out of the country.

We acted promptly to try and
make the government intervene

before the pieces disappeared.

I never received an
official response.

An archaeologist
named Alberto Jacinto,

head of the culture
department at Nazca,

that got in touch
with me via email

to let me know that
the minister in Lima

had assigned him the case and
ordered him to investigate.

But I never received a direct
answer from the ministry

through a letter, as I expected,
in reply to our letter.

>> The null answer from the
Peruvian government left those

interested with no other
alternative but to become

the investigators and
researchers themselves,

to try getting to the
bottom of the matter.

Little by little, an
interdisciplinary group

of professionals took
shape, with people

from five countries.

It included scientist
Konstantin Korotkov from Russia;

journalists from
Mexico and Peru,

as well as the journalistic
team from Gaia in the US;

biologists and forensic doctors
from Mexico, the US, and Peru;

as well as archaeologist
Thierry Jamin from France.

With their combined efforts
and individual abilities,

they would try to reach
an objective explanation

to such a discovery.

The team knew that despite
the excitement and optimism,

it would be necessary to
compile evidence that could

prove the discovery to be real.

So they began the trip
to Peru with hopes

to meet Mario and gain
access to the bodies that had

caused such high expectations.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> We were in contact with
all the players involved

in the finding.

We will start our
research in order

to establish the
authenticity of the pieces.

>> I've only seen the
photographs and the X-rays,

and I'm very impressed with it.

And I think this could be one of
the most important discoveries

ever in the history of
the human race, actually.

>> Well, we are ready to start
this important trip to Peru

to find out if these bodies are
really not human or if they are

just an elaborate hoax.

The results that we
are going to find

through forensic scientists,
biologists, and investigators

are going to be very important.

>> But things in Peru would
not be so simple for the team.

Gaining access to
the bodies would

be much more complicated than
they had anticipated initially.

The team had to
negotiate in length

just to gain access
to the bodies.

The first palpable evidence
was given to the team in Cusco

at the Institute Inkari.

Its director, Thierry Jamin,
showed several objects

that Mario agreed
for the group to see.

Being face-to-face
with the objects

created an atmosphere of
excitement and expectation.

At the same time, it required
them to capture as much data

from the pieces as possible
without losing objectivity.

The first pieces
of evidence were

two strange elongated heads.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> In this piece, there
is a very small mandible--

very small.

In the second piece, we can see
the atlas, or C1, the vertebrae

that sits just below the skull.

We can see some grooves.

There is also what
could be considered

a mouth, nasal sinuses, a nose,
and also orbital cavities,

very prominent.

Those cavities are crossed
by grooves in both pieces.

Both pieces are very similar.

>> But were they real?

During the first
trip, the team learned

that someone who had been
associated with Mario

showed the Ministry of
Culture a three-fingered hand.

The Ministry labeled
it as a fraud.

They declared that the hands
had been intentionally mutilated

by removing two fingers and that
smeared plaster was giving them

a mummified appearance.

Additionally, the
Ministry concluded

that the transformation was
done in a workshop in Nazca.

These assertions would certainly
complicate the investigation.

The Ministry would condition
the Peruvian scientists

to be incredulous and ready
to discredit any information

related to this finding.

Why would the
Ministry of Culture

look at this piece
of evidence and not

the other bodies Thierry
wrote them about?

The team continues
to investigate

all the findings
to see if there was

evidence of something organic.

In this first
visit, Thierry Jamin

showed the group
a couple of bodies

about 60 centimeters
in length, which

had an organic appearance.

Furthermore, one of the
bodies had a strange bulge

in the belly, much like that
of a gestating organism.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> In this being, we find
the joints both in the elbows

and lower limbs.

Also, there are hip joints.

There is a small bulge in
the stomach, near the hips.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> We need radiographs
or, better yet,

CAT scans in order to determine
what this protrusion is.

>> The group moved to a clinic
to perform X-rays and CAT scans

on the bodies and find out if
they actually had an internal

bone structure.

The group also
wanted to learn more

about the bulge in the
belly in one of the bodies.

While performing the
X-rays and CAT scans,

they discovered some interesting
structures inside the body.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> This is a very
important image,

as it allows us to
observe the bones--

the skull with its bone
consistency, but also the metal

within its chest.

This piece of metal won't allow
us to see the bone underneath.

This metal piece is embedded
in the chest of the object.

It blocks the view
from the bones behind.

However, when we reach the
pelvic cavity or lower stomach,

we see three structures
with an oval shape.

These structures do allow
rays to penetrate and show

the bone structure behind.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> You can't see
it in radiographs,

but upon physical
examination of the specimen,

we noticed a structure
between the legs that could be

identified as a birth canal.

We can't be sure,
but it is consistent

with similar structures in
species such as reptiles

that develop and lay eggs.

>> The team was
definitely impressed,

and so Mario
promised more bodies.

They continued with
the investigation.

The team moved to the
southern part of the country,

to the Nazca region.

This place is known worldwide
because of the lines

and figures carved into the
sandy, desert-like floor that

can only be observed
from high altitude.

The structures date
back some 1,700 years,

which coincides with a time
the Nazca culture flourished

in the region.

The lines in the Nazca
figures, the geometric shapes

and the diverse animals, such
as birds, monkeys, spiders,

hummingbirds, and
even a whale, are

scattered over an area which
covers several kilometers.

Each figure varies in size.

They can measure just a
few meters or hundreds.

According to some
studies, the figures

could have served as an
astronomical calendar,

because several of
them are positioned

to indicate equinoxes
or solstices,

as well as the movement
of planets and the moon.

Thanks to the absence
of rainfall in the area

and the mineral
composition of the terrain,

the traces remain almost
unchanged to this day.

Near this area, in
the region of Palpa,

the team was taken
to a secret place,

where Mario promised to have
a big surprise for them.

From the beginning,
Mario refused

to give the exact
location of the tomb.

However, if an
agreement was reached,

he would be willing to show them
a larger, unique mummy, which

they had discussed.

He took the group to the
top floor of his house,

where after more
negotiations, he finally

agreed to bring the piece.

>> We have a very important
mission here in Peru.

I came here together
with a group

of scientists,
professionals, journalists,

because we have
more supposed to see

maybe one of the most important
discovery of the 21st century.

>> Mario placed the box
in front of the team.

Inside was the mummy--

life-sized and in
the fetal position.

It looked almost
human, except for

some remarkable differences.

The mummy had only three
fingers with four phalanges

in its hands and feet.

The head had an elongated shape.

It was covered with
a white powder.

Unlike the Egyptian mummies,
this was a desiccated body,

apparently by natural methods.

It showed no signs of decay
and was in excellent condition.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> We have before us a body
of anthropomorphic structure.

It has a head, neck,
thoracic cage, pelvis,

and upper and lower limbs.

Specifically, in the head, we
notice a well-articulated jaw

bone.

No oracles, but auditory
canals on both sides.

>> It can change the
consciousness of humanity

as a whole.

And all our concepts about
history, about development,

those are just concepts.

And this opens up absolutely
a new page of history.

No doubts that it is
tremendous discovery.

>> The piece was named Maria.

The team took
samples of the body

to be tested in different
laboratories in Russia,

the United States,
Canada, and Mexico.

The X-rays and topographies
that were performed on Maria

showed surprising
results and confirmed

that it was an organic
being with a bone structure.

Konstantin showed
some of the scans

to the head of image analysis at
a medical institute in Russia.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> We performed a CAT scan
of a mature individual,

a mummy referred to as Maria.

It is the skeleton of a
person with an anomaly.

It's three-fingered.

If we consider the
traditional notion,

the mummification
process involves

removal of internal organs.

So technically,
this is not a mummy.

But if we consider that the
body was mummified naturally,

meaning the organs were
simply not removed,

this is a skeleton that
is very well preserved.

And we were able to clearly see
many details in our CAT scans.

All the structures and
bones in the main body

are visible in the
analyzed tomography.

>> If I understand correctly
that some organs remained,

does this prove that
it is a real body?

>> I would say yes, because on
scans of the back of the skull,

we saw structures that are
less dense than bone structures

and most likely are hydrated
remnants of the brain.

>> Gaia also found a radiologist
at a hospital in Denver,

Colorado, to take a
look at the scans.

>> I am very curious to see
what these images look like.

I think what I can offer,
looking at the images,

looking at bones all day long
and having expertise in bone,

the bones of any
mammalian skeleton,

they are incredibly complex,
which is a good thing for this.

Because they are going to be
extremely hard to reproduce.

So I think we'll be able
to tell if these are truly

authentic bones.

Looking at this
skeleton, obviously we

have a fairly
humanoid-looking bone.

We've got the eyes that
are facing forward.

We've got the mandible
with, you can see,

rows of teeth both
above and below.

The shape of the
skull is interesting.

It's very elongated, an atypical
appearance of a human skull

like you and I know.

Looking at the rest
of the skeleton,

we have a thoracic spine
that's holding the ribs,

or your rib cage of the chest.

All of that looks very
humanoid, as well.

Femurs-- we have the
tibia and the fibula.

All of that is pretty typical.

And then even in
the forearm here,

you have bones called
the radius and the ulna.

Now, what's
interesting here is we

see there is a
collection of bones here.

This is called the
carpus of the wrist.

That's a typical appearance,
but as we move outward,

we're seeing really
three distinct fingers,

which is fascinating.

The skull-- I don't
see any suture lines.

There's no bones that are
separate in the skull.

They all appear fused.

So this appears to
be a solid structure.

In the hand, coming
from the carpus,

not only do we see three,
and only three, fingers,

but you have enlargement
of the bones, as well.

So we're seeing the same
thing happening in the feet.

The metacarpals and the
phalanges-- metacarpals

are in the palm of the hand.

Phalanges are the fingers.

So if we look at where
the metacarpals would lie,

these are very thick bones.

They're much thicker than bones
that you would find in my hand

or in your hand.

Same thing with the phalanges,
as well, or the finger bones

are very robust.

>> If the CAT scans and X-rays
proved it was organic bone

and the bones didn't
seem to be altered,

could this be evidence
of a new species?

The team didn't want
to jump to conclusions.

So they waited for the samples
to give them more evidence.

The first tests done
with the samples

was to determine what
the white powder was.

The white powder
that was coating

the bodies, said to be plaster,
was actually a substance

called diatomaceous earth.

This diatomaceous earth is a
fossilized microscopic algae

that formed on the Earth
during the Pleistocene era.

This powder has desiccant
and absorbent qualities

and can also function
as a natural fungicide

and insecticide, which certainly
helped preserve the body

and kept it free of
external pathogens.

Another fact is that there
are deposits of this substance

very close to the Nazca area.

And also, this substance
naturally occurs in some caves.

But what does it
mean that the bodies

are covered with this powder?

Could the bodies have
been placed in these caves

with diatomaceous earth?

Or could this
substance have been

placed on the body
in an unknown ritual?

At this point in
the investigation,

the team was informed of the
discovery of two more bodies.

It was a headless body, about
60 centimeters in length,

and the body of a baby with the
same characteristics as Maria.

Both were covered
with a white powder.

According to Mario,
these two bodies

were found in the
same tomb where

the others were discovered.

The baby's body was
named Wawita, which means

baby in the Quechua dialect.

The headless body
in a seated position

was given the name Victoria.

The Wawita topography
showed the mummy of a child

with a formed skeleton
in the fetal position.

Both hands had
three fingers each.

But there were signs
of finger removal.

The right hand had four visible
bones of the metacarpus.

The left had three bones
of the metacarpus and signs

of bone removal.

Was this body tampered
with by Mario and his team?

Or could the body have been
modified hundreds of years ago?

And if this was the case,
what was the reason?

The team decided to focus on
the other bodies, of which they

could not find evidence of
bone removal or tampering,

because test results
were still coming in.

By now, the results of
the carbon-14 dating study

conducted on Maria by the
laboratory of the Universidad

Nacional Autonoma de
Mexico were received.

The results dated the mummy
to be 1,770 years old.

This placed it in the
period of the Nazca culture

flourishing, thus proving
that the mummy was not modern.

Gaia also did their own testing
at a facility in the United

States called Beta.

And the numbers came out
to be the same for Maria--

approximately 1,700 years old.

The smaller body, Victoria,
was dated around 800 AD.

But there was still
more testing to do

on the bodies that would
prove or disprove what

these bodies might be made of.

Samples were taken again from
the bodies for DNA testing.

The team was hoping to
see if the DNA matched

any modern human species or any
other known biological species

on the planet.

This result could help decide
if there was a serious case

to keep investigating.

Meanwhile, the null answer
given by the Ministry of Culture

and the constant attacks
by Peruvian anthropologists

and archaeologists were
discouraging for the team.

This adverse climate
hindered investigations.

Members of the team reached
out to archaeologists

to come look at the bodies
and decide for themselves,

but they refused.

Instead, many attempts
by these parties

were made to discredit
any information surfacing

about the mummies.

In tests and research
carried out by the team,

the participation of Ministry
scientists still, to this day,

has been non-existent.

Journalist Jaime
Maussan sent a letter

to the Peruvian
Minister of Culture

to request a meeting in which
he could talk about the findings

and results of the
investigations carried out

thus far.

He hoped that the
ministry would join

in the research
of something that

could be a great archaeological
discovery and to allow

them to revise the
evidence firsthand.

But the result was
not what he expected.

>> Very disappointed.

We expected to be treated
by the Minister of Culture

here in Peru.

Unfortunately, they sent someone
from second or third level

to tell us that we should
send an email requesting

for something like this.

It's very unfortunate.

I think they don't
have any interest

to cooperate and to do
any kind of investigation

around this case.

It's very unfortunate to
find the truth for everyone--

not just here in Peru,
but around the world.

>> But the team carried on
to find some kind of truth.

The samples that were
taken by Konstantin

Korotkov on the last visit
were tested in Russia.

The first DNA analysis
performed in Russia

by the Institute of
Analytical Chemistry

at the University
of Saint Petersburg

took just over a month.

Dr. Mikhail Aseev oversaw
the DNA extraction,

and the results showed that it
was an organic specimen that

once had life, specifically
of a female creature,

because the DNA included
the X chromosome.

>> When our scientists
in Saint Petersburg,

in one of the top laboratories,
was able to make DNA testing

of this big body.

And this DNA have
only X chromosomes.

It means that this is a lady.

This is a female.

Now, of course, they
need to make next level

of, next stage of research.

They need to make
sequencing of this DNA.

It means to define genome
and define all genes

and compare those genes with
existing libraries of genes.

>> From the first results of
the DNA test practiced on Maria,

new questions arose.

Although it was an organic
body more than 1,700 years old,

the three-fingered
hands and feet

still needed to
be tested to prove

that they were real, as well.

Besides, more samples needed to
be taken off of the other three

bodies and from Wawita.

It would be necessary to remove
tissues from the mummy's feet,

hands, and body again to
check to see if they, indeed,

belonged to the same individual.

But convincing Mario to
allow taking new samples

would not be so easy.

At first, the fear
that the bodies

could be severely damaged made
him profoundly refuse any more

sample extractions.

The team explained
the need to take

those samples to verify
that all parts of the body

belong to the same subject.

An arduous negotiation was
necessary to convince him

of the new collection
of samples,

but he finally agreed, only for
the bodies of Maria, Wawita,

and Victoria.

Josephina and Alberto
were off limits.

According to Mario,
three more bodies

with similar characteristics
to the previous ones

were discovered
in a nearby cave.

These three bodies, close
to 60 centimeters in length,

also had three-fingered
hands and feet

with an elongated skulls.

The three bodies were
given a nickname--

The Family.

They were covered with
the same white powder

as the previous ones--

diatomaceous earth.

But where was this tomb?

The team wondered if they were
ever going to see this cave

and how many bodies actually
existed in what Mario

referred to as a large tomb.

They, just like the
archaeological experts in Peru,

wanted to know that an actual
tomb or location of the bodies

existed.

To summarize, with these
additional three mummies,

six bodies thus far
had been presented

that were approximately
60 centimeters in length.

Three of them had
been given names.

They were Alberto,
Josephina, and Victoria.

Two of the mummies had
human characteristics--

a life size known as Maria and
the baby they called Wawita.

Also discovered were
three three-fingered hands

and two heads.

It is not certain that these
are all the pieces that

exist because of Mario's
inconsistent accounts.

He sometimes did mention that
there could be many more.

Even Thierry Jamin suspects
that some of those pieces

may be moved out of Peru.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> Mario got in touch
with me in January,

and we met in Bolivia in the
city of La Paz with a lot

of secrecy, because he is
a very mistrusting person.

We sat down, and I tried
to convince him not

to sell any of the
artifacts, telling him

that his name would go down
in history as the man who

made the great discovery.

But he would not listen.

He only cares about the money.

Mario is a huaquero, a
professional tomb robber

for over 25 years with
high-level contacts

from Brazilian politicians
to Peruvian heads of state

and renowned archaeologists
here in Peru.

>> Could Mario have been
selling to the highest bidder?

And if this were true, how was
this jeopardizing the case?

Could the stalling by the
Peruvian government or negative

press provided by
people convinced

it was a hoax actually have
aided in a more sinister plan

to cover it up?

The team could only suspect
these things without proof.

In the meantime, they need
to continue gathering data.

Samples taken from the
different areas of Maria's body,

especially the feet, hands,
pelvis, and under the arm,

were analyzed by DNA
tests at the University

of Saint Petersburg.

The tests connected the
tissues from all these areas

to the same body.

It disproved the theory of
some Peruvian archaeologists

that it was a body built with
parts of different creatures.

The test also revealed
something very interesting.

>> Please tell me, what progress
have you made to analyze

our specimens?

>> We've carried out an
elemental analysis of these

specimens.

And generally speaking,
the data that we received

allows us to make a
conclusion that it

is an ordinary set of
elements, except for cadmium.

We have found cadmium
chloride on the surface

of these specimens.

Actually, the specimens
were obviously

covered with cadmium chloride
and diatomaceous earth.

>> As far as I understand,
cadmium chloride is not found

at all in nature.

>> It needs to be
acidized, extracted,

then transformed into a soluble
form, into cadmium chloride.

It also needs to be
purified, for sure.

It is a complicated procedure.

>> So it is unobtainable or
impossible for the primitive

civilizations?

Is this correct?

>> If they do not have
concentrated acids and simple

chemical reactors, then
it is really impossible.

>> It is clear that
all the subjects,

they were processed
with cadmium chloride.

And those elements
may be created only

by highly developed
civilization.

It's not simple people living
in Nazca area, different tribes,

who was able to make
this chemical process.

Our European civilization
came to this process

only in the mid-19th century.

Now we use a lot
of cadmium chloride

in our civilisation to
preserve different subjects,

because this is the
best preserver that

kills all bacteria, all
contaminations and viruses.

So we use it in our modern life,
but it doesn't exist in nature.

>> Unusual discovery,
but what did it mean?

As the team waited for
more specific DNA results,

Mario agreed to take
some people to the cave.

He invited Peruvian journalists
Jois Mantilla, Thierry Jamin,

his team, and Dr. Konstantin
Korotkov to show them the site.

They departed from
Palpa and entered

an area of arid mountains, where
it would be easy to get lost.

After a few kilometers, they
descended from Mario's old car

and began a hike
along the rocky path.

Later, the trail
disappeared, and the group

had to climb, making their
way between the rocks.

An hour later, they
arrived at the cave.

The entrance was
covered by stones,

which helped it go unnoticed,
except to Mario's expert eyes.

After visiting the
cave, it was clear

that this cave was covered
in diatomaceous earth.

But could this be
the actual cave?

>> In those mountains, there
are no grass, no vegetation,

nothing alive.

So they're totally dead.

And it's a big contrast.

You look there, you
see beautiful place

with a lot of trees
and everything.

You look here, you
see only rocks.

When we came to the cave, the
cave itself, it's not so big.

But it's not like
a cave which had

been used by ancient people,
where they can make fire,

where you can sit together.

No.

It's just a little cave.

All this cave was
covered with this dust.

It was not only on the
floor, but all around,

so it was, again, clear
that it's natural material.

First of all, I don't believe
in anything Mario tells.

It's clear for me, clear,
that the cave we were taken,

it's not the only cave.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> There was a lot of
controversy surrounding

the location of the site
as different groups of tomb

raiders pointed to
different locations,

none of which corresponded
to what had been described.

Mario finally decided to contact
us and show us the place.

Getting there was
very difficult.

Only someone with
local knowledge

would be able to find it,
because to the untrained eye,

there was no way of telling
the entrance to the cave,

as it was covered
by small stones.

When we got to the place,
we did not believe it,

because we had been told
it was a citadel with walls

and a gate, many chambers
with inscriptions,

and there was none of that.

We were disappointed, because it
was not the story we had heard.

I was upset, confused, and
disappointed all at once,

because Mario is the
sole source of the story.

In journalists work,
you cross-reference

several accounts to find
the truth on a story.

But when you have
only one source,

only one person to
tell you that story,

you either believe
them or you don't.

If the bodies are real,
the story can be real.

But in this case, his
original story did not match.

Having said that, several
features did match.

The smell on the cave was
similar to that of the mummies.

The space distribution
also matched.

We saw the exact location where
Wawita, Maria, and the family

of two-foot beings were found.

Those calculations
make it likely

that this was the place
where the mummies were found.

But there were definitely
no ruins or ancient citadel.

>> This fact was a
disappointment for the team.

The tomb, so frequently referred
to, did not exist as such.

However, the cave shown
coincided in many ways

with some of the characteristics
found in the bodies.

Therefore, despite
the disappointment,

it was plausible that
the mummies could

have come from that place.

More genetic results
came trickling in.

There were DNA results from
Mexico and from Russia.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> The sequencing process
itself is run on a device called

the genome sequencer.

In our case, we use
two sequencers--

one for the primary
analysis, MiSeq sequencer

and HiSeq sequencer--
for comparative analysis

of the genomic DNA.

A great amount of data is
generated after sequencing.

This data is generated
in the machine.

After this data
has been generated,

they are transferred
to a computer.

And then our colleague,
Alexei, a bioinformatician,

used them to analyze the data.

He found out that there were
actually ancient samples,

and we could yield the
ancient DNA, and we have it.

The fact that this
ancient DNA has

a lot of variations that are
alternative to the standard

genome is quite interesting.

In other words, it tells
us that we actually

have unique and new data.

>> The latest results from the
DNA studies of the bodies have

shown surprising results
from Maria and Wawita.

This means that according
to the report from the DNA

samples taken from several
areas of the bodies,

they were able to get
approximately 23.8%

from Maria and 25.6% DNA from
Wawita of human-like DNA.

But none of that matched
to modern human DNA.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> The sample was analyzed to
determine whether or not it

contained human DNA, which
was one of the hypotheses that

could explain these
strange bodies.

That possibility was
explored, and the results

were around a 10% match
in strict conditions.

And even relaxing some
of the parameters,

we could not get a 100%
match with human DNA.

The analysis included a
vast array of species.

One of the software
programs we used,

in particular,
performs comparisons

with more than a
million species,

which allows us to approximate
as much as possible the sample

with the DNA of all
currently known species.

Some species were
a higher match,

some plants and bovine DNA, but
still in very small portions.

I have to say that this
sample contains DNA

that we currently don't know.

It could be from an organism
that has not been studied.

Perhaps there was some
microbiological contamination

of the samples.

But it could also be original
DNA from these bodies.

That means that these bodies
could belong to a previously

unknown species.

>> The genetic results were
also showed to William Brown,

a biophysicist from
Southern California,

and his take on the tests
were very interesting.

>> Of the DNA that was isolated,
only 25% of the total matched

any known human gene.

So that means that
75% of this DNA

is not matching any known
human reference sequence.

And this is pretty rigorous,
because there's, like,

the Thousand Human
Genome Project, where

they have done whole genome
sequencing of over 2,000

individuals from every
continent on Earth

and compiled kind of like a
average human reference genome.

And so you take these sequences
isolated from the sample

with this being and you
go going you compare them

to that human
reference genome data.

And only 25% match up.

75% don't.

>> DNA sequencing can
take months or even years,

depending on the
questions asked.

Given the small
samples the team had,

they wanted to ask
the first question--

could this DNA match
any known modern DNA?

And that answer came
out as no from the lab

the Mexico team used in Canada
and also the team in Russia.

Is it normal for all labs
in different countries

to come up with
the same results?

>> I'm Dr. Doug Taylor.

I'm a professor of biotechnology
here at Harrisburg University.

My background is I have a PhD
in biochemistry and molecular

biology.

When you think about
any parameters that

are associated with
or methodologies

for sequencing DNA, how is
it different from one place

versus another?

>> I thought that there just
was a set DNA sequencing process

across every country,
across every lab.

But you're saying
that's not the case.

If you could explain DNA
sequencing differences

in other countries.

>> Start with DNA
sequencing, it's evolving.

What is the question
you're trying to ask?

That'll determine how do
I go about isolating this.

And it can vary from lab to
lab or country to country.

But also comes a next question,
is what am I trying to answer?

And what specific
population of DNA

am I trying to look
at where I think is

going to give me that answer?

And that may
determine, OK, well,

I need to put in this
intermediate step, which

is going to enhance that
population of DNA, which

is going to make it
more likely that I'm

going to get an answer.

This is an incredibly
interesting find.

And it really needs
to be looked into.

And I think it's kind
of an exciting time,

that different groups can
apply different expertise.

We're no longer these little
individual groups anymore.

You have a global community.

We can bring everyone
together on the global scale

to look and provide different
expertise in order to answer

some of these questions.

Is it human, yes or no?

But beyond that, what does
it mean for humans as a race?

>> The DNA samples were
also taken from Victoria,

one of the smaller bodies,
and the results were also very

surprising.

>> Of course, it was very
important for us to make DNA

test of little creatures.

And we didn't want to
disturb big little ones,

because they are so
tiny that, of course,

it should be done only in very
special conditions, in very

sterile room, in
special atmosphere.

So we didn't want to make
it just in simple room.

That's why we had only
access to headless one,

where it was possible to
get samples from the neck.

First conclusions, both
in Russia and in Mexico,

was it is not human.

So of all known to us
DNA of organic life--

I mean human, animals,
plants, bacterias, microbes--

there are no correlation
with DNA of Victoria.

No match at all.

So that's why it is clear
conclusion by scientists

that it's something different.

>> For the experts
involved in this case,

it's clear that this is
something amazing and never

before seen.

But there was still
more data to gather,

data that would
compare their DNA

sample to other human
species on the planet,

such as Neanderthal
or Denisovan.

To take more samples
of the bodies

and to compare the
DNA of these creatures

to other human species, the
Gaia team traveled back to Peru.

This time, they were accompanied
by scientist William Brown, who

had a special
interest in getting

the samples into a specific
lab in the United States.

>> And what are you possibly
going to be doing with

the samples on your end?

>> So if we are successful
in retrieving samples,

I have labs that I work with
where we can do a very thorough

cleaning of the sample
to reduce contamination.

And we can do the kind of
DNA sequencing and analysis

that will definitively
show the nature

or origins of the bodies.

>> Another scientist and PhD
from Russia, Dmitry Galetsky,

accompanied Konstantin
Korotkov to gather data

for their ongoing study they
had going in their labs.

>> How do you feel that your
expertise is going to forward

this case?

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> This is such an
interesting moment in terms

of the anatomical
analysis of the CT scans.

And of course, what
I would like to see

are the tissues, the
composition of the tissues.

>> Do you feel that the small
bodies are more interesting

than Maria and Wawita?

>> The little ones
are very interesting.

First of all,
there's more of them.

There is Josephina,
Alberto, and the rest.

And their skulls have
variance that can be analyzed.

Their anatomy is
absolutely amazing.

>> On the trip, Gaia journalist
Melissa Tittl managed to get

Carla Vargas from the
Physical Anthropology Cabinet

of the Ministry of Culture
of Cusco to talk to her about

the strange bodies
found in Nazca.

Melissa wanted to
find out why they

were reluctant to join the
investigation of this finding

and what their
impressions of it were.

>> What do you think of the
Nazca mummy that came out that

people are saying is a hoax?

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> Well, apparently, based on
the information that we've seen

on the internet, in the news,
and so on, it looks like

a mummy that has been altered to
give the impression that it is

not of earthly origin, that it
would be an extraterrestrial

mummy.

What we have been able to
see, based on the photographs,

is that the hands of the
mummy, it is a real mummy.

But it has been altered
with those purposes.

Some phalanges have
been removed, as well

as some other bone
parts, and other parts

have been added to it.

>> So it's a real mummy, because
it's positioned that way.

But you're saying that
the phalanges, the fingers

and the toes, those
have been altered?

>> They have been altered, yes.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

If it was really
an ET mummy, they

should be able to show CAT scans
and X-rays of the individual,

but they only
showed a photograph.

There are no further studies
that would give credence

to their claim.

It would be nice
to be able to see

an X-ray from the individual
to be able to determine

if it suffered from a
certain pathology or disease

or if it had a condition
that made it different.

>> They have done
X-rays on them.

Would you be interested in
seeing the body or the X-rays

or any of that kind of stuff?

Is that something the
Ministry of Culture

would be interested in?

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> In principle, the
Ministry of Culture,

as the official body in charge
of protecting our cultural

heritage, the first
question would be,

where did these
mummies come from?

Why should we give
a voice to someone

that is destroying our heritage,
someone who is carrying out

clandestine excavations?

Then, if the individual is able
to support his or her research

or work, I think the Ministry
would be willing to study it,

but I don't think
that will happen.

>> After the interview with
the official of the Ministry

of Culture of Cusco, the team
went to the Inkari Institute

to grab more samples, where
Thierry Jamin informed them

that the bodies
have disappeared,

and he doesn't know
where they are.

>> So everyone knew
we were coming,

but then they just
took the bodies.

And now we're just sitting here.

>> Well, we don't know
that they took no bodies.

>> But he's put them in a place.

>> A month ago.

>> A month ago?

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> They've changed places--

they've changed mummies from
place more than three times

to guarantee the
security of the mummies.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> Without more DNA tests, they
could not ask more questions.

For everyone involved
in this case,

they felt that they had
interesting information,

but at every turn,
there was a block

in completing the
investigation, whether it

was from the government, Mario,
or several members of the team.

But then, something
interesting happened.

On August 18, 2013, the
team, including Konstantin

and Dmitry, were able to
get access to the bodies

to do one final tomography that
was of the highest quality.

These CT tomographies
used a special program

that allowed a more
detailed examination

of each layer of the bodies
in a precise way that

would be able to isolate certain
areas for better examination.

>> After we received these
high-resolution images,

Professor Galetsky was able
to make very detailed analysis

of both Maria, big one, and
very important, Josephina,

little creature.

If we talk about Maria,
she's human-like.

First of all, details of her
skull, anatomy of the skull.

Second, of course,
fingers and toes.

So if we go step by step, then,
of course, first the skull.

On the skull, we see
that she has no ears.

And construction of her ear
bone's different from us.

This is the first
main conclusion.

Then, construction
of skull itself

is a little bit different.

Of course, it is
elongated skull.

Maybe not as elongated
as we can see in Paracas,

but still, it is elongated.

It is more elongated compared
with our rounded skull.

Second, different
construction of bones of nose.

But all other topics of
the skull are very similar.

We don't have a lower
part of the body.

So neither organs of
reproduction nor liver,

no kidneys.

It's strange, but this
came to some conclusions

that maybe she was
attacked by some animal.

And Professor Galetsky
was able to find tracks

of claws, fangs on her body.

And all this lower part of
the body is just taken away.

And then we see some
parts of particle

that may be related to blood.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The most interesting
for all of us

was analysis of small bodies.

And we had CT scans
of two bodies.

And now we know that
there's a male and female.

And we had high-resolution
analysis of one of them.

Their anatomy construction is
totally different from ours.

No human beings, no animals have
type of bones that they have.

All living creatures,
we have joints.

For little creatures,
it's not so.

It's some very
strange construction,

like some balls
of tissues inside.

This allowed them to
have some movements,

but not like ourself.

So they were unable to make
like this, but only like this.

And same as like this.

So it's clear that their
movement was quite limited.

Then, construction of their ribs
is, again, totally different

from any living creatures.

Because for all
living creatures,

we have this central bone.

Their hips are rounded, and
they have no this internal part.

Absolutely different
construction of skull.

And of course, fingers and toes.

They don't have
mouths, as we do.

So it's clear that they were
unable to eat hard food.

Then, totally different
construction of ears.

They had ears, but no ears
like we do-- just holes.

And different type of
bones inside the ear.

There are some bones.

It is-- they are the
same, but different.

Then, they had some
holes on their skull

that no living creatures have.

And of course,
it's unclear why do

they have these type of holes.

So what was the reason for
nature to have this hole?

And of course, detailed
analysis in tomography

allowed to see that
it's not construction,

that it's one subject.

Because when they make
analysis on tomography,

they can make it slide by
slide and see tiny details

on high resolution.

So it's clear that it's not
composed of different parts.

It's one and the same subject.

From the very beginning,
from the first X-ray,

we've seen some rounded subjects
in the belly of Josephina.

But when we had this
detailed CT scan,

Professor Galetsky
he was able to make

like a slice on the
image of those eggs.

And he demonstrated those
are real eggs, because they

have some cover, like any egg.

They have some inside content.

And inside, he
was able to detect

the fetus of some creature.

So from one side, it
is Josephina fetus.

From outside, it is fetus
of some living creature.

>> With all this
evidence and detail,

could there be something
in this that suggests,

at the very least, a new
species on this planet?

Finally, on the morning
of November 19, 2018,

Cusco congressman Armando
Villanueva Mercado

presided over a hearing
about the mummies.

Scientists whom had
participated in the study

of the Peruvian mummies
from different countries

were invited.

Every scientist had 15
minutes to present their data.

Several groups presented
tomography analysis

describing their
anatomical structure.

Three groups presented
results of DNA studies

of different samples.

All of these groups
worked independently.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Focusing on the analysis of
the characteristics of the body

structure not noted by other
researchers, in general,

all came to the conclusion
that the anatomical structure

of all mummies is
different from humans.

Mummies are so complex that any
possibility of counterfeiting

is eliminated.

Biologist Ricardo Ringo of
the Mexican company Abraxas

Biosystems presented the
results of the DNA analysis

of the small mummy, Victoria.

CEN4GEN Labs from Canada
performed a sample

processing and sequencing.

The fact that it was
possible to extract DNA

clearly indicated
that the sample

was from biological tissue.

The same conclusion was made
in the Russian laboratory

of VS Boronov.

The Canadian laboratory had
a greater amount of material,

so that they were able
to do better sequencing.

The computerized
analysis of the data

showed that this DNA does not
coincide with any human being

or living organisms.

Comparisons were facilitated
with microorganisms, bacteria,

and animals, such as primates,
crocodiles, and turtles.

The conclusion was
that the specimens

were an unknown species
of living beings.

Therefore, the data
from genetic studies,

the tomography analysis, and
the elementary composition

of bodies clearly demonstrated
that the mummies were genuine

and required more
serious research.

All the groups
worked independently,

using their own
resources and finances.

The main objective
of this presentations

was to attract the attention
of the Peruvian scientific

community and to transfer
the investigation

to the official level.

After the scientific
presentations,

a Peruvian archaeologist
was given the floor.

He stated that all
the data presented

was absolutely unacceptable.

No one knows where
these mummies were found

and how they were extracted.

No archaeologist was involved.

There was no official
authorization.

And it is unclear on what
basis all the studies presented

were made.

Who authorized it, and where
were the samples obtained?

He didn't even want to
consider the results

or that his own
organization wanted nothing

to do with the find
from the beginning.

Other official representatives
of Peruvian science

were not so blatantly negative.

The Peruvian archaeologists'
speeches were more neutral,

but none of them
supported the continuation

of the investigation
at any level.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

>> The Ministry of
Culture, until last Friday,

was interested in participating.

I went there personally to
talk to the Ministry of Culture

myself.

But for unknown reasons, they've
backed down from participating.

>> After all the
findings were presented,

the Peruvian
government went dark.

There was no verdict
by the government.

Was the evidence too convincing?

Was there not enough?

But then, something
unexpected happened.

Despite all the backlash
from the anthropologists

and archaeologists, a university
took interest in the bodies.

About 190 miles south of
Lima, in the Nazca region,

sits the Universidad San Luis
Gonzaga, in the town of Ica.

This university
is well known for

scientific and technological
studies that will help forward

the world in changing
times, specifically

in the country of Peru.

Is it possible that
from the research

gathered thus far, that the
university saw potential

to dive deeper?

The research facility
has all the bodies

but Josephina, which is
being held back by Mario.

Mario believes it
has great value

and refuses to give
it to the universe.

And so the investigation
continues, but in their hands.

It seems that the evidence
offered by scientists

around the world and the
persistence of the crew

sparked an interest with some
of the academic communities

in Peru that could
not be denied.

Perhaps it is the
discovery of a new species,

a parting of waters in
the knowledge of what

we have of the human race.

Or maybe is it something
completely different?

The only people that have
tried to find answers

are a group of people committed,
first and foremost, to finding

what might be the truth.

The journey started with
a quest to give the truth

to the authorities, and it
ended with the bodies being

transferred into a safe and
reliable research facility

for a deeper investigation.

As the university unravels the
truth using high-tech equipment

and more DNA studies, the world
waits for an official answer.

What did Mario really find
in the mountains of Nazca?

And how has this find
sparked a debate that

still refuses to be buried?

[MUSIC PLAYING]