All language subtitles for Secrets.in.the.Sand.S02E08.1080p.WEB.h264-FREQUENCY_track3_[eng]

A team of geologists
conducting an aerial survey

over the vast Libyan desert

make a surprising discovery.

[Teddy]
It's an airplane
from World War II,

an American B-24D
Liberator bomber.

[Dr. Amma]
So what plane is this,

and how did it end up

in the middle
of the Libyan desert?

A team of archaeologists
conducting a survey in Turkey

reveal intricate
carvings and symbols

at the Göbekli Tepe Pillars.

[Anthea]
In addition
to images of wild birds,

snakes, and scorpions,

there are several rows
of a V shape

carved into one of the pillars
of the largest enclosure.

What does that mean?

And how does that connect

with the megalith's
intended purpose?

Archaeologists
are excavating a site

near the Temple Mount
in Jerusalem

when they uncover
a strange structure.

[Dr. Amma]
They unearthed
a walled complex

carved right
into the rock face

that spanned an area
of over 2,000 square feet.

[Teddy]
What exactly was this place?

And how is it connected
to the Temple Mount?

Ancient lost cities.

Forgotten treasures.

Mysterious structures.

As new technology
uncovers remarkable tales

hidden beneath
the deserts of the world,

the "Secrets in the Sand"

will finally be revealed.

Dominated by actively
shifting sand dunes

that reach heights of 350 feet,

the Calanshio Sand Sea covers
over 23,000 square miles

of desert in eastern Libya.

A sand sea, or erg,
as it's known in Arabic,

is an area consisting of,
at least, 20% windblown sand

and receiving no more than six
inches of annual precipitation.

So the resulting climate
in active ergs,

like the Calanshio,
is dry, hot, and windy,

making this part
of eastern Libya

particularly
treacherous and inhospitable.

[Dr. Dan]
While the intense sandstorms

create significant
challenges for settlement,

underneath all that sand,

Libya holds massive
oil reserves.

Drilling for oil was first
authorized in 1955,

and in recent years,
that country has been producing

over a million barrels per day,

creating billions of dollars
in annual revenue.

Geologists prospecting
for an oil company

are flying over eastern Libya,

when they spy something
unusual on the ground below.

[Anthea]
They were conducting
a survey of an area

that included
the Calanshio Sand Sea,

and they spotted something
that, from the plane,

looked like a huge damaged
vehicle of some kind,

half-buried in the sand.

The geologists
alert the authorities,

and a ground crew
is dispatched to investigate.

What they find astounds them.

[Teddy]
It's an airplane
from World War II.

An American B-24D
Liberator bomber.

These planes measured roughly
65 feet long and 18 feet high,

had a high cruise speed,
long range,

and the ability to carry
a heavy payload.

But in comparison
with its contemporaries,

the B-24 was difficult to fly

and had poor
low-speed performance.

Despite this,
at around 18,500 units,

it held the record
for the world's

most produced bomber.

[Dr. Amma]
On first inspection,
it was clear

the plane had not been
shot down.

It appears to have made
a controlled descent,

then skidded across a flat
stretch of sand and gravel

for over 2,000 feet
when it landed.

The stress of the crash broke
the main body of the plane

just behind the wings.

But aside from that,
it was largely intact,

including the propellers.

How did it end up

in the middle
of the Libyan desert?

Searching for answers,

the team examines
the bomber's wreckage.

[Teddy]
Eerily, the plane's interior
contained the crew's belongings,

rations, even flasks
of water and coffee.

The dry desert conditions

had preserved almost everything

from the aircraft's
last mission.

[Dr. Dan]
All of the plane's
50 caliber machine guns

and ammo were still there.

One of the machine guns
was even still working.

The bomber's radio,
also working.

But although the airplane's
engines did not work anymore,

it was clear from analysis
that the engine was running

when the plane crashed.

The rear escape
hatch doors were open,

and all of the plane's
parachutes

and life preservers
were missing.

All these findings support
a mostly functional airplane

abandoned by its crew,

rather than a terrible crash
with all on board.

[Dr. Amma]
We know that during
World War II,

there was an Allied base
in Suluq, Libya.

So it's reasonable to assume

that this plane
originated there.

But that still doesn't tell us

the identity
of the mystery wreck.

Military records show
that on April 4th, 1943,

25 American Air Force
bomber planes

took off
from the base at Suluq.

Their mission was
a high-altitude attack

on the Axis-held port
of Naples, Italy.

By 1943, the fate
of North Africa

had become critical
to the outcome of the war,

as control of the region
meant access

to Mediterranean Sea routes

and a launch pad for invasions
into Southern Europe.

[Dr. Dan]
At 2:50 PM, the bomb group
took off for Italy.

Unfortunately, sandstorms
created poor visibility,

so all the planes
aborted the mission

and returned safely
to the base at Suluq that night.

That is, all of them but one.

The lone exception
was the Lady Be Good.

[Anthea]
The Lady Be Good carried on

until she was
almost at her target,

at which point,
she turned around

and headed home alone.

And that was
the last known detail

about the plane's movements.

But the assumption was
that it went down

somewhere over
the Mediterranean Sea.

[Dr. Dan]
For several years
following the war,

neither the plane
nor its crew had been located,

making it one of the most
famous lost airplanes

of World War II.

So the big question is,

is the aircraft in the desert,
the wreck of the Lady Be Good?

A full inspection
of the crash site

reveals the plane's identity.

But the mystery
of its fate only deepens.

They found the flight logs

and two notebooks
containing the names

of each of the nine
crew members.

And the interior of the plane

also contained identifying
marks of the Lady Be Good.

So without a doubt, this was
the famous missing airplane.

Discovered, recovered,

and parts of it in remarkably
good working condition.

[Anthea]
We know that the rear escape
hatch doors were open

and all of the life preservers
and parachutes were gone.

So it's safe to assume
that the crew bailed out

of the Lady Be Good
at some point

before the crash.

But where?

And where are their bodies?

An international search team
is assembled and dispatched.

During the initial search,

several items
were found in the sand,

confirming
the crew had survived

their jump from the plane.

Improvised arrowheads
had been created

from used parachutes
all pointing north.

A pair of servicemen's rubber
boots were also discovered

almost 20 miles north
of the crash site.

It was believed
the crew placed these items

as directional markers

to lead air and sea rescue teams

to their location.

But despite months of searching,

no remains were found.

A year later,

oil surveyors discovered
the first five bodies

of the Lady Be Good crew.

They were on a plateau
under the Sand Sea,

along with equipment,
canteens, flashlights,

pieces of parachute,
and flight jackets.

They had trekked 85 miles

before finally succumbing
to the brutal desert heat.

[Anthea]
Three more bodies
were eventually recovered

at various distances
from the first five,

indicating they had
the strength to continue,

but ultimately,
they too collapsed

from dehydration and exposure.

The remains
of the ninth crew member

have still not been found.

Tragically,
if the airmen had walked south

instead of north
after their parachute escape,

they would have
arrived at the plane wreck

with a working radio
and plenty of rations.

[Teddy]
The Lady Be Good
crashed hundreds of miles

from its intended flight path

and over 400 miles
from the Mediterranean Sea,

where it was believed
to have disappeared.

So, what went
so horribly wrong?

Is it possible the rookie crew
couldn't handle a bomber

with a reputation for being
challenging to fly?

A reexamination of the Lady Be
Good's missing-in-action report

sheds light on
a possible explanation.

The official version

essentially places
the blame on the navigator

who was serving as a navigator
for the first time.

In the report,

it states he misinterpreted
a directional reading

sent from an Allied
airbase in Benina,

resulting in the plane
going off course.

[Dr. Dan]
A more recent study
points to failure

by an airbase operator
in Benghazi

to respond to the Lady Be Good's
radio calls for help

because he mistakenly believed
that the airplane was German.

[Anthea]
Both scenarios
highlight the possibility

that human error was a factor.

And while it was the maiden
mission for all nine on board,

they were highly-trained
expert servicemen.

And it's almost impossible
to state definitively

if their rookie status

played a role
in the plane's disappearance.

So is it possible
that poor flying conditions

contributed to the crash?

The last known contact
between the Lady Be Good

and the home base in Suluq

provides a critical clue.

All 25 bombers from the mission

turned back towards the base,

because of high winds
and poor visibility.

The Lady Be Good
was the last to do so,

and as she was making
her way back,

the crew radioed the base
for navigational assistance.

The base responded by firing
flares into the night sky,

but they were likely
unseen by the pilot,

who kept flying
and overshot the base.

They continued south for two
hours, deep into the desert,

until the Lady Be Good
ran out of fuel.

At this point,
the crew decided to bail

and let the empty plane glide
for another 16 miles

until it skidded to a relatively
gentle crash in the sand.

[Dr. Amma]
It's likely the crew believed

they were over
the Mediterranean Sea

when they jumped,

because they took
their life preservers with them.

Once they landed,

they began to walk north,

perhaps heading into the wind,

believing once again

they were close
to the Mediterranean

and possibly safety.

Unfortunately, they were over
400 miles from the sea.

Now, recovered parts
of the Lady Be Good

have been sent
to various military museums

for commemoration.

And while the story
has a tragic ending

for those involved,

it is also a story of courage,

perseverance,

and the human will to survive

the harshest
conditions on Earth.

60 Miles north
of the Syrian border,

Turkey's Harran Plain

spreads for 580 square miles

between the upper reaches

of the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers.

Like most of southeastern Turkey

and what used
to be called Mesopotamia,

the Harran Plain is
characterized by dry conditions

with large fluctuations

between the hot days
and the cool nights.

The region rarely gets

more than 15 inches
of rain per year.

The terrain is mostly made up
of limestone plateaus

with occasional patches
of grassland steps.

Evidence of human
activity in the area

dates to the pre-pottery
Neolithic period,

roughly 9,500 to 8,000 BCE,

a time when tribes
of hunter-gatherers

were beginning to transition
towards settled communities.

By the third millennium BCE,

the plain emerged as
an important trade hub,

connecting the Tigris River
to the Mediterranean Sea.

[Teddy]
The region is best known
for an archaeological site

called the Göbekli Tepe,

which means
"Potbelly Hill" in Turkish.

Built roughly 12,000 years ago,

the Göbekli Tepe features

four massive circular
stone monuments

that sit at the crest of a hill

overlooking the plain.

The pillars of the site
are among

the earliest known examples

of megalithic structures,

and their circular shape

has led Göbekli Tepe

to being called
the World's First Temple.

A team of archaeologists
is surveying a section

of the Göbekli Tepe Pillars

containing intricate carvings
and strange symbols

when they make
a curious discovery.

[Anthea]
In addition to images
of wild birds,

snakes, and scorpions,

which were interpreted

to be mythological
representations,

there are
several rows of a V-shape

carved into one of the pillars
of the largest enclosure,

which is known as Enclosure D.

Elsewhere, that same V symbol

appears to be worn
around the neck

of a large bird-like beast.

On other pillars,
there are circles, or discs,

carved right below the placement

of the horizontal slab
of the rock,

kind of like where the two lines
of the T intersect.

Now, inside the disc,

at its center, is a second,
smaller circle,

so it sort of looks
like a donut.

What does that mean?

And how does that

connect with the megalith's
intended purpose?

A survey of the world's
notable megalithic structures

offers a critical clue.

One of the most famous
examples of a man-made megalith

is Egypt's Great Pyramid
of Giza,

the largest and oldest
of the Giza pyramid complex.

Constructed for the pharaoh
Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty,

it was completed around
the early 25th century BCE,

as a mortuary temple
to honor the king.

[Anthea]
The Great Pyramids were central

to the Egyptians' many
elaborate funerary rituals,

all intended to prepare
the king for the afterlife.

But they were also created
to honor their various gods

that held the highest position
in divine society,

including the solar deity Ra,

who was usually credited
with the creation of the world

and was connected
with the life-giving power

of the sun.

[Dr. Alison]
In northeast Scotland,

many stone circles
and other megalithic remains

from the Bronze Age

have been discovered
near Aberdeenshire.

They often featured
recumbent stone circles

with one large stone on its side
flanked by upright stones,

and are believed to be monuments

created to honor
astronomical phenomena,

such as the solstice
and the equinox.

So given these megaliths'
associations

with the power and pathway
of the sun and moon,

is it possible the markings
on the pillars

of Göbekli Tepe
were also connected

to the solar
and lunar calendars?

A team of archaeologists
is surveying

a section of the
Gobekli Tepe pillars

containing intricate carvings
and strange symbols

when they make
a curious discovery.

A deeper exploration
of the pillars' circular shapes

points to a potential answer.

Solar disks and lunar crescents

are frequently
depicted in ancient cultures

all around the world,
because the sun and moon

are often viewed
as religious deities.

Maybe the Göbekli Tepe
disk shapes

represent the sun and moon

with one circle
inside the other.

One of the most significant
archaeological finds

in the past century

was the Nebra Sky Disk,

discovered buried
in Mittelberg Hill

near the German town of Nebra.

The bronze disk,

12 inches in diameter
and weighing nearly five pounds,

is a beautiful depiction
of the sun, crescent moon,

and a cluster of
seven stars, believed to be

the constellation Pleiades.

Radiocarbon dating puts
the item's origin

as being from
1500 to 1700 BCE,

consistent with the early
European Bronze Age,

making the disk
the oldest depiction

of astronomical phenomenon

known from anywhere
in the world.

[Dr. Dan]
The enclosed area
surrounding Mittelberg Hill

was originally settled
in the Neolithic era.

If you're standing
in the enclosure's entrance,

the sun set perfectly
every summer solstice

right behind the highest peak
of the Harz Mountains,

50 miles to the northwest.

It's believed
that the Nebra disk

was created to record
and commemorate

that specific event.

So, is it possible

that the Göbekli Tepe

also contained information
about a single event

in the astronomical calendar,

coded and carved
into those stone pillars?

A re-examination
of the V-shaped carvings

leads to a breakthrough.

[Dr. Alison]
One of the marked pillars
was found to have 365

of the V-shapes carved into it.

And from this,
it was interpreted as each V

representing one day.

It was then possible to count
a solar calendar of 365 days,

consisting of 12 lunar months

and 11 extra epagomenal days,

the days added to a calendar
to make it synchronize

with the solar year,

like our leap year day
of February 29th.

[Anthea]
A separate day appeared as a V

worn around the neck
of a bird-like beast

in the shape
of the solstice constellation.

It was believed the isolated V

was a representation
of the actual solstice recorded

right onto
the Göbekli Tepe pillar.

[Dr. Dan]
If this were the case,
the implications would be huge.

Up to this point,
the Nebra Sky Disk

was considered
the oldest known depiction

of solar and lunar phenomena.

But the Göbekli Tepe was created

thousands of years
before that.

Based on the analysis
of the double circle disk

and the V-shape,

it seems entirely possible
that those who built

the Göbekli Tepe

had astronomical knowledge

that included
a clear observation

of the course of the sun,

including the single
event solstice.

So why was this information
so important to them?

And what did they do
with this knowledge?

A deeper dive into the known
history of Göbekli Tepe

reveals a critical clue.

[Teddy]
Until the site's
discovery in 1994,

archaeologists
generally believed

that humans only began building

organized societies
and complex structures

after the emergence
of agriculture.

And it was only
after those events

that complex
religions emerged.

And while this fertile crescent
region of Mesopotamia

was considered
one of the birthplaces

of organized farming,

Göbekli Tepe was built
by a pre-agricultural society.

This pushes back the origins

of the first
megalithic structure

to the late Paleolithic era
of the hunter-gatherer.

Amazingly,
the builders of Göbekli Tepe

were organized
and settled enough

to accomplish
its temple-like creation

without the use of pack animals

or specialized tools.

They also had a spiritual life
that likely included rituals

to celebrate the summer
or winter solstice.

But there was another
practical explanation

for the significance
of the solstice.

As Mesopotamian societies
transitioned

from hunter-gatherers
to early Neolithic farmers,

it became far more important
to pay close attention

to the seasons.

For societies dependent
on agriculture for their food,

knowing when to plant
and when to harvest

becomes a matter
of life and death.

[Dr. Alison]
So the picture that emerges

is of a community
coming together

to celebrate and honor
the changing of the seasons,

whether that's
an abundance of food,

a drought,
or colder temperatures.

Over 30 years
after its discovery,

the Göbekli Tepe continues
to fascinate and educate,

and it no doubt still contains

a multitude of secrets
waiting to be revealed.

Stretching across
the vast rock plateau

between the Dead Sea
and the Mediterranean,

Jerusalem is one of the oldest
cities in the world.

Jerusalem sits in the foothills
of the Judean Mountains

at an elevation
of nearly 3,000 feet.

Its Mediterranean climate
is characterized by hot,

dry summers
and mild, wet winters.

The three major
Abrahamic religions,

Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam,

all consider Jerusalem
a holy city.

So throughout its long history,

it's been a popular
pilgrimage destination.

But Jerusalem has
also been a center

for religious
and political conflict.

Governed by multiple
dynasties over the years,

the city has been attacked,
besieged, and conquered

over 100 times.

[Dr. Anthony]
According to the Hebrew Bible,

King David conquered
Jerusalem from the Jebusites

and established it
as the capital

of the Kingdom of Israel.

David's son, King Solomon,

commissioned the building
of the First Temple

in the 10th century BCE.

The First Temple
is said to have stood

on the Temple Mount,

where the later
Second Temple stood,

a sacred area of Old Jerusalem

surrounded by fortified walls.

A team of archaeologists
is excavating a site

near Temple Mount,

when they make
a surprising discovery.

[Dr. Amma]
On the eastern slope
of the Mount,

they unearthed a walled complex
carved right into the rock face

that spanned an area
of over 2,000 square feet.

The complex was uncovered

but divided into
a series of chambers

ranging in size
from 20 by 10 feet

to 8 by 6 feet.

[Teddy]
The first chamber opened
onto all the other ones,

which indicated it was
the center of the complex.

So what exactly was this place?

And how is it connected
to the Temple Mount?

This wasn't the first time
that archaeologists

had stumbled
on the mysterious chambers.

[Dr. Anthony]
In 1909,

a British adventurer
named Montagu Parker

embarked on a search

for the elusive
Ark of the Covenant,

which was alleged to contain

the original
Ten Commandment tablets

along with other treasures.

When word got out

that a team
of foreign treasure hunters

was digging into one
of the world's most sensitive

and sacred landmarks,

it caused a massive outcry,

and the dig was abandoned.

[Dr. Amma]
But during his excavations,

Parker uncovered three
of the Temple Mount chambers

and concluded
that they were tombs.

According to tradition,

the Jews wouldn't
bury their dead

inside the city walls,

so Jerusalem was
surrounded by buried tombs,

which were primarily intended
for high-ranking officials,

priests, and their families.

So is it possible
that Parker was right?

Is the Temple Mount discovery
a series of ancient tombs

for powerful priests
and rulers of Judea?

As the excavation continues,

each one of the chambers
reveals a clue.

[Dr. Anthony]
In the center
of one of the rooms,

there's a circular depression
cut right into the rock floor,

two feet in diameter
and two inches deep.

Inside that circle,
a second smaller one was carved,

only a foot in diameter
and less than a foot deep.

These were the marks
of an ancient olive press.

[Dr. Amma]
Another room has a single
rectangular depression

cut into the rock,

measuring 16 by 18 inches
and roughly eight inches deep.

It appears to have been
occupied by a wine press.

The surrounding floor
was likely used

to tread on the grapes

and the sunken rectangular
used as a reservoir

to collect
the pre-fermented wine.

The third room contained

the most intriguing
installation.

Standing upright
in the northwestern corner,

there was a flat,
thin slab of limestone,

measuring roughly
three feet across,

sitting atop a raised platform

and supported on three sides
by small field stones.

Archaeological records
and the Bible

offer many examples
of stones erected

by the ancient Israelites.

They're called, Matzevah.

and are referred to
in the Hebrew Bible

as sacred stones or pillars,

typically associated
with religious

or commemorative practices.

Variants of the Matzevah
appear in the Bible 34 times

usually in a positive light,

such as when Moses set up
12 Matzevah at Mount Sinai

to ratify the covenant
between God and Israel.

[Teddy]
So given the presence
of the Matzevah at the site

and the wine and olive presses,

which were used by many ancient
cultures in ceremonial rituals

to give thanks
for the earth's abundance,

all signs point to it

being a place
of ceremony and worship,

possibly even a shrine,

not a burial site.

Further excavation of the site

reveals more rooms
and more clues.

The complex
has eight rooms in total,

each intended for some
form of ritualized worship.

One room contains
a rock cut rectangular basin

measuring 10 by 16 inches across

and 8 inches deep.

It's connected
to a raised platform

and a shallow channel
on the floor,

likely used to drain liquids.

It's believed
the installation was an altar

possibly used
for animal sacrifice.

Another room was filled
with a thick layer of earth

containing various artifacts
typically associated

with spiritual offerings.

These included shards
of pottery and ceramic vessels,

figurines, beads,
and animal bones.

It appears to have been
a storage space

known as a favissa,

and the various artifacts

had been collected
from different sections

of the complex

and put together
in one location.

[Teddy]
Interestingly,
the opening to the favissa

was covered over
by a large stone wall,

created after the items
were placed in the room,

as if to seal it up.

The question is,

why would someone
have blocked the entrance?

The artifacts
from the storage room

were all dated
to the second Iron Age,

roughly 950 to 586 BCE.

The era corresponds
with the first temple period,

which includes the emergence,
growth, and eventual fall

of the kingdoms
of Israel and Judah.

Key events from the period
may provide some answers.

One of the most
significant changes

in the religious life
of ancient Israel

occurred during the reign
of the Judahite king Hezekiah

in the late 8th century BCE.

According to the Hebrew Bible,

Hezekiah sought to centralize

all worship at the temple
of Solomon in Jerusalem.

So he abolished
many of the ritual sites

scattered across the kingdom,

hoping to put an end
to the worship of idols.

In this context, there's
a potential explanation

for the favissa of Room 5

having its entrance blocked
by a large stone wall.

It's possible that the complex

was one of Israel's
ancient ritual sites,

abolished by King Hezekiah
as part of his reforms,

and that an effort
was made to protect

or hide the evidence of its use.

Samples are taken
from the site

for radiocarbon testing.

Sure enough, it was determined

that the complex
fell out of use

in the 8th century BCE,

coinciding
with Hezekiah's reign.

But beyond that, without proven
documented records,

it's difficult to verify

if the king ordered the site
to be destroyed or sealed up.

[Anthea]
It's also possible the site
simply went out of use

after the Babylonian conquest,

which resulted in the fall
of the Kingdom of Judah

in 587 BCE.

The discovery of the mysterious
shrine near Temple Mount

offers compelling new insight

into the changing
beliefs and practices

of the ancient Israelites.

Who knows how many
others like it are out there,

lost to the sands of time.

Tucked into the farthest
reaches of northwestern Iraq

lies southern Kurdistan.

It is one of four regions

that together form
Greater Kurdistan,

a region extending
across West Asia.

[Dr. Anthony]
Kurdistan is enormous.

Generally defined

as the region traditionally
inhabited by the Kurdish people,

it stretches across large parts
of modern-day Turkey,

Iran, and Iraq.

In Iraq, the movement
for Kurdish independence

has made major strides,

including the establishment
of the Kurdish Autonomous Region

with its own
parliamentary government.

[Dr. Alison]
Most of Iraqi Kurdistan

is dominated
by enormous mountains,

like the Zagros.

Because of its high altitude,

the region is generally cooler
than the rest of Iraq,

and the network of rivers
running through the area

means it's incredibly fertile.

But as you move south,

the landscape
changes dramatically.

Just over six miles
from the town of Kalar,

at a site called Shakhi Kora
in southern Iraqi Kurdistan,

archaeologists
uncover a surprise.

They found
the remains of a series

of large ancient buildings.

One contained
the remains of several rooms

divided by thick
mud-brick walls.

And inside the rooms,

they made an even
stranger discovery.

On the mud floor were stacks
and stacks of upturned bowls

neatly arranged in pairs.

When you look
at the bowls, it's clear

that they weren't
ornamental or decorative.

They were purely functional,

hastily and roughly made
for everyday informal use.

You can think of it like
your family's everyday dishware,

not the fine china.

But it raises a question.

Why were so many
of them found here?

Just over 200 miles south
of Shakhi Kora,

archaeologists
digging in the ruins

of the ancient city of Lagash

discovered a seemingly
similar structure.

[Dr. Alison]
Lagash was founded
over 5,000 years ago

and was once one
of the most important cities

in ancient Sumer.

Over the years,
thousands of artifacts,

including early
cuneiform tablets,

have been
recovered from the city,

giving us unprecedented
insight into life

in ancient Mesopotamia.

[Dr. Dan]
Given how well documented
the site at Lagash is,

it came as a total shock

when a recent excavation found

that there was this previously
undiscovered building.

And it wasn't even
that deep underground.

It was just...19 inches
below the surface.

[Dr. Amma]
Inside the structure,
they found dozens of bowls,

and after analyzing them,
it was revealed

that they had once been
used to hold fish

and other meat dishes.

Other vessels showed
evidence that at one point,

they contained beer,

a popular drink among
ancient Sumerians.

This evidence tells us

that this wasn't
just any building.

These are the remains

of the world's
oldest known tavern.

Could the ruins at Shakhi Kora
have served a similar purpose?

Is it also an ancient tavern?

In the search for answers,

the team begins testing ten
of the ancient bowls

using several methods,

including gas chromatography

and mass spectrometry.

Gas chromatography
and mass spectrometry

are techniques that,
in combination,

can isolate and analyze

individual chemicals
in various products,

including in food.

In this case, the results show

that the bowls
found at Shakhi Kora

were once used to hold
a whole range of dishes,

including seed
and dairy-based foods,

as well as meat dishes
like stew and broth.

Given that piece of evidence,

it's tempting to just
jump to the conclusion

that this was a tavern.

But there are
a few important differences

between the Lagash
and Shakhi Kora site,

and the biggest one
is also the most obvious,

the seating.

The Lagash Tavern had tons
of seats, indoors and out.

The Shakhi Kora ruins
have none at all.

That is a massive clue.

On closer inspection,
another key difference emerges.

The complex at Shakhi Kora
seems to have been much larger

than the Lagash Tavern.

So the question is,

what need did
this ancient settlement have,

for such
a large-scale operation?

What was the function
of this enormous complex?

The secret of Shakhi Kora

may lie in the engraved
inscription

of a single clay tablet
dating back millennia.

[Dr. Anthony]
This tablet was found in an area

that was one
of the world's first cities,

called Uruk,

which would have
stood about 200 miles

from the Shakhi Kora
settlement.

It's one of the earliest known
examples of human writing,

dating back
roughly 5,300 years,

and it tells an amazing story.

On it, we can see
a human head eating from a bowl,

which is interpreted
as meaning ration.

It's followed by the symbol
of a vessel,

which signifies beer.

There are also scratches
across the cuneiform tablet

that seem to indicate how many
beers a person has had,

most likely in return for some
kind of payment,

maybe as labor.

So this is pretty incredible.

What we're looking at

is a bar tab.

[Dr. Alison]
Mesopotamian officials working
in Uruk thousands of years ago

depended on these
cuneiform writing systems

to keep track
of their administrative duties,

making sure they knew
what was traded and to whom.

Knowing that these
bartering systems existed

in southern Mesopotamia
during the early Bronze Age

casts a whole new light
on the complex at Shakhi Kora.

Could this site have been used
for a similar purpose?

And if so, who was
responsible for running

this enormous operation?

The team builds
a chronology of the food hall,

using the ceramic remnants

to retrace the ancient
building's development.

The ceramic vessels
here span several centuries,

and this is in keeping
with the buildings themselves.

They appear to have
been rebuilt and remodeled

over and over again,

though their function
never changed.

With each rebuild, the complex
became more elaborate,

and in its final phase,

even featured monumental pillars

and a sophisticated
subterranean drainage system.

When we arrange the pottery
from the ruins

in chronological order,

an intriguing pattern emerges.

The earlier pieces are often
shaped like large flowerpots

or bowls with beveled rims.

Over time,

we see the quantity of
these beveled-rim bowls increase

eventually overtaking
the older flowerpot styles.

Other forms of pottery also
appear as time goes on,

like rounded jars
and vessels with spouts,

which are both commonly
associated with Uruk

and southern
Mesopotamian culture.

The shift in pottery styles

points to a significant
social transformation,

where the local culture

was slowly being
replaced by Uruk practices.

If this site really was
a food-distribution center,

it was almost certainly overseen
by outsiders from the south

where these kinds
of bartering systems

had already been established.

And that means
that what we're seeing

might be one
of the earliest experiments

with centralized
government ever found

from ancient Mesopotamia.

This experiment
seems to have worked,

at least for a time.

But then things
changed dramatically.

Sometime in the late 4th
to the early 3rd millennia BCE,

the monumental structures
at Shakhi Kora were abandoned.

There were no signs of violence,

no evidence of war.

So what happened?

[Dr. Anthony]
We can't be sure
why this experiment

with centralized
government failed,

but it could be
that the people living here

just had enough.

It may have been a question
of food, housing, or politics.

But the upshot was

that the institution
that fed local workers

for centuries was abandoned.

People returned to smaller,
self-sufficient villages

essentially protesting
the urbanization of their land

and their way of life.

Today,

the remains of the vast
institutional food hall

at Shakhi Kora

stand as a monument

to some of the earliest forms
of centralized rule,

a system that,
despite centuries of success,

ultimately proved
too fragile to last.