Original subtitles

IN A MAJOR CITY RIDDLED WITH UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAYS...

...COULD A SHADOW GOVERNMENT BE PLANNING FOR THE END OF DAYS?

THERE'S, LIKE, A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS HERE

THAT ARE REALLY ODD.

I'LL DEPLOY ADVANCED SONIC TECHNOLOGY

TO SEE THROUGH THE WALLS UNDER DENVER.

AND IN OHIO, MYSTERY SHROUDS AN ANCIENT MOUND

SHAPED LIKE A SERPENT.

COULD THIS HAVE BEEN THE FOCAL POINT

OF BLOODY HUMAN SACRIFICES?

SO RIGHT DOWN HERE, THERE'S SOMETHING.

I'LL USE A MAGNETOMETER TO SEE INSIDE THE SNAKE.

HIDDEN JUST BELOW THE EARTH'S SURFACE,

THERE ARE COUNTLESS UNSOLVED MYSTERIES.

AND TODAY, WE FINALLY HAVE THE TOOLS TO UNLOCK THEM.

LOOK AT THAT!WHOA.

I THINK THIS IS IT.

I'M ROB NELSON,

A SCIENTIST USING STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY

TO PEEL THE LID OFF OUR PLANET'S HIDDEN DEPTHS.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH RIGHT HERE.

HOLY MOLY!

THESE ARE THE SECRETS OF THE UNDERGROUND.

Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

I'M IN DENVER, COLORADO,

AMERICA'S FASTEST-GROWING MAJOR CITY

AND THE ONE RECENTLY NAMED

THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY.

BUT SOME BELIEVE THIS IDYLLIC METROPOLIS

IS HIDING AN ENORMOUS SECRET.

THERE ARE CLAIMS THAT HIDDEN DEEP UNDER THE CITY

IS A SECRET NETWORK OF TUNNELS.

AND RUMORS HAVE SWIRLED ABOUT THE EXISTENCE

OF TUNNEL ENTRANCES BENEATH NOT ONE,

BUT THREE DIFFERENT PARTS OF DENVER.

UNDER THE AIRPORT...

THE STATE CAPITOL...

AND DOWNTOWN'S FINANCIAL DISTRICT.

CONSPIRACY THEORISTS HAVE MADE WILD ASSERTIONS

THAT THESE TUNNELS LEAD TO THE UNDERGROUND HEADQUARTERS

OF A SECRET ORGANIZATION

PLANNING TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT.

I'M NOT SURE I BUY INTO THESE CLAIMS,

BUT I DO THINK THE PRESENCE OF TUNNEL ENTRANCES

UNDER SO MANY PARTS OF DENVER IS WEIRD.

SO I'M GOING TO USE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

THE FIRST STOP IN MY INVESTIGATION, THE AIRPORT,

WHERE I'VE ARRANGED TO MEET

OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN HEATH MONTGOMERY.

I'M EXPLORING THE IDEA OF A TUNNEL NETWORK.

AND I'VE HEARD THERE'S A PRETTY ELABORATE ONE

UNDERNEATH THE AIRPORT, TOO.

IS THAT TRUE? THAT IS TRUE.

AND IT'S ACTUALLY USED TO CARRY BAGS BACK AND FORTH,

BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED PEOPLE FROM SAYING

IT'S FOR OTHER REASONS, CONSPIRACY REASONS.

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ACTUALLY HEAR QUITE A LOT.

THAT LEADS TO, LIKE, BIGGER CONSPIRACY THEORIES, TOO.

I'VE READ THAT THERE IS JUST A TON FOCUSED HERE ON THE AIRPORT.

YEAH, YOU KNOW, ROB, WHETHER IT'S ALIENS

OR UNDERGROUND BUNKERS OR NEW WORLD ORDER,

PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE A DIFFERENT CONSPIRACY THEORY EVERY MONTH,

AND WE CERTAINLY HEAR ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET DOWN THERE AND LOOK AT THE TUNNELS

AND KIND OF SEE WITH MY OWN EYES?

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

AND WE'VE GOT 35,000 PEOPLE WORKING IN THIS AIRPORT.

AND ABOUT 1,000 OF THEM ARE IN THOSE TUNNELS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

THERE'S 1,000 PEOPLE IN THE TUNNELS?

THERE'S ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE WHO WORK DOWN IN THE TUNNELS.

IT'S NOT A SAFE PLACE FOR US TO GO.

I KNOW THAT'S NOT GONNA HELP OUR CASE

WHEN WE TALK TO THE CONSPIRACY GUYS,

BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN DO.

SO, THIS CLEARLY ISN'T THE FIRST TIME

HEATH HAS HEARD THESE QUESTIONS.

WHAT HE'S SAYING SOUNDS REASONABLE ENOUGH.

AFTER ALL, STRICT ACCESS PROCEDURES ARE NOW IN PLACE

AT MAJOR AIRPORTS EVERYWHERE.

BUT I HAVE TO WONDER, IS THIS REALLY

JUST STANDARD AIRPORT PROTOCOL AT WORK

OR COULD THAT JUST BE A CONVENIENT COVER

TO CONCEAL SOMETHING BIGGER, AS SOME BELIEVE?

IN MY RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED SOME ODD FACTS

ABOUT DENVER INTERNATIONAL, FACTS THAT HAVE FUELED RUMORS

THAT THERE'S SOMETHING STRANGE GOING ON BENEATH IT.

RECORDS SHOW THAT, DURING THE AIRPORT'S ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION,

OVER 110 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF EARTH

WERE REMOVED FROM THE GROUND.

THAT'S ENOUGH TO COVER 32 CITY BLOCKS

A QUARTER MILE DEEP.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE FAR MORE THAN WOULD BE NEEDED

TO CONSTRUCT A TYPICAL AIRPORT BAGGAGE NETWORK.

SO WHERE DID ALL THIS DIRT COME FROM,

AND WHAT'S THERE NOW?

I DECIDE TO INVESTIGATE ON MY OWN TO SEARCH FOR CLUES

THAT MIGHT SIGNAL SOMETHING UNUSUAL.

AND RIGHT AWAY, I'M STRUCK BY THE PECULIAR SYMBOLS

SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE TERMINAL.

THERE'S, LIKE, A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS HERE

AT THE AIRPORT THAT ARE REALLY ODD.

EXHIBIT "A"-- A SERIES OF GIANT MURALS,

COMMISSIONED BY THE AIRPORT AND STATE GOVERNMENT,

WHICH APPEARS TO PORTRAY THE APOCALYPSE.

SOME OF THIS SYMBOLISM REALLY IS KIND OF WEIRD.

THE ARTIST, LEO TANGUMA, SAYS AIRPORT OFFICIALS

GAVE HIM FREE LICENSE TO FOLLOW HIS IMAGINATION.

AND HE DENIES ANY HIDDEN SYMBOLISM IN THE PAINTINGS.

BUT THIS ISN'T THE ONLY STRANGE ARTWORK HERE.

THERE'S A BIG GARGOYLE HERE BEHIND ME.

THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD-LUCK GARGOYLE,

BUT IT'S SUPER CREEPY.

THERE'S A PLAQUE THAT REFERENCES

THE NEW WORLD AIRPORT COMMISSION,

A GROUP SAID TO HAVE BEEN CREATED

TO PLAN THE AIRPORT'S GRAND-OPENING FESTIVITIES.

BUT SOME SUSPECT THAT IT ACTUALLY REFERS TO A GROUP

HEATH MENTIONED TO ME EARLIER, THE NEW WORLD ORDER...

A PHRASE MADE FAMOUS BY H. G. WELLS' 1940 BOOK

OF THE SAME NAME.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER ORIGINALLY REFERRED TO A DESIRE

TO PEACEFULLY UNITE THE WORLD'S NATIONS

AND BRING AN END TO WAR.

THIS TERM HAS SINCE BEEN LINKED TO RUMORS OF A POWERFUL,

UNSEEN GROUP OF ELITES CONSPIRING TO REPLACE DEMOCRACY

WITH AN AUTHORITARIAN WORLD GOVERNMENT.

SOME SUSPECT THE AIRPORT TUNNELS LEAD TO A SECRET BUNKER COMPLEX,

WHERE THIS NEW WORLD ORDER IS HEADQUARTERED.

I'M FINDING IT ALL A LITTLE HARD TO BELIEVE.

UNTIL AN ANONYMOUS AIRPORT INSIDER APPROACHES ME

AND ADDS FUEL TO THE FIRE.

YOU'VE BEEN WORKING HERE A LONG TIME?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN ANY OF THESE THEORIES?

HAVE YOU BEEN DOWN IN THE TUNNELS DOWN BELOW HERE?

HE CAME UP TO ME WHILE I WAS DOWN ON THE FLOOR,

LOOKING AT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT SYMBOLS

AND SAID THAT HE HAD EXTRA INFORMATION TO TELL ME.

IF THE GUARD CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND

WHAT'S GOING ON UNDER THE AIRPORT,

I MIGHT STILL HAVE A SHOT AT SOLVING THIS MYSTERY.

CAN YOU TAKE ME THERE?

ALL RIGHT.

HUH?

OKAY.OKAY.

OKAY. WILL DO.

HE KEPT GETTING CALLS FROM SECURITY.

I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WANTED HIM

TO BE SHOWING ME AROUND.

I'M STILL TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND WHAT HE THINKS IT IS,

BUT-- UH...

I THINK THERE'S NOT A LOT WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT.

THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY,

AND THINGS HAVE TO BE CLEARED BEFOREHAND.

IT'S DISRUPTIVE FOR THE AIRPORT.

IT LOOKS LIKE I'M GETTING SHUT DOWN AGAIN.

SIMPLE AIRPORT PROTOCOL OR SOMETHING MORE?

THAT GUARD WHO SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED ON ME

DEFINITELY HINTED AT SOMETHING MORE.

BUT THE NEW WORLD ORDER THEORY SOUNDS SO FAR-FETCHED.

SO NOW I'M BEGINNING TO WONDER ABOUT ANOTHER THEORY

I'VE COME ACROSS--

THAT THE TUNNELS BELOW THE AIRPORT MAY ACTUALLY LEAD

TO A MASSIVE CONTINUITY-OF-GOVERNMENT SITE.

SOMETIMES CALLED A COG SITE,

IT REFERS TO A SERIES OF CLASSIFIED UNDERGROUND LOCATIONS

THAT CAN SECURELY HOUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

IF WASHINGTON, D.C., IS DESTROYED.

IF THAT'S TRUE,

THIS WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY COG SITE IN THE UNITED STATES.

IN 1992, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS

REVEALED A TOP SECRET BUNKER SYSTEM HIDDEN UNDER

THE SWANKY GREENBRIER RESORT IN WEST VIRGINIA.

IT HAD SPACE TO HOUSE OVER 1,000 PEOPLE.

FOR THREE DECADES, IT WAS KEPT PERMANENTLY PREPPED

WITH FOOD AND OTHER SUPPLIES.

THEN, SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, IT WAS DECOMMISSIONED.

COULD DENVER BE HIDING A MASSIVE COG SITE,

LIKE THE GREENBRIER ONCE DID?

IF SO, IT'S CLEARLY BEING WELL-PROTECTED.

WITH THE EYES OF AIRPORT SECURITY

NOW WATCHING MY EVERY MOVE,

I'M OUT OF OPTIONS HERE-- FOR NOW.

BUT THE AIRPORT ISN'T THE ONLY SPOT IN DENVER

WHERE SECRET TUNNELS ARE SAID TO EXIST.

THERE ARE RUMORS OF A LABYRINTH LEADING

TO AND FROM THE VERY HEART OF COLORADO'S STATE GOVERNMENT...

THE CAPITOL BUILDING.

COULD THESE ALSO BE CONNECTED TO THE THEORIES

SURROUNDING THE AIRPORT

AND PERHAPS EVEN A NETWORK OF SUBTERRANEAN SUPER-BUNKERS?

I'M GONNA RUN A PAIR OF HIGH-TECH EXPERIMENTS THERE

TO SEE WHAT I CAN FIND OUT.

HOW IS THERE NO MAP OF THE TUNNEL SYSTEM HERE?

AND LATER...

I'LL TRAVEL TO THE BUCKEYE STATE

TO INVESTIGATE AN ANCIENT EARTH MOUND

SHAPED LIKE A MASSIVE SERPENT.

WILL GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR

REVEAL THAT HUMAN REMAINS ARE BURIED INSIDE?

SO RIGHT DOWN HERE, THERE'S SOMETHING.

VICTIMS OF A BLOODY SACRIFICE RITUAL?

IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?!

I'M LOOKING INTO A SERIES OF TUNNELS

BURIED DEEP BELOW THE CITY OF DENVER

THAT CONSPIRACY THEORISTS THINK

MAY BE HIDING SOMETHING VERY TOP-SECRET,

LIKE A NEW WORLD ORDER OF POWERFUL ELITES,

A GOVERNMENT SUPER BUNKER,

OR EVEN A SINISTER RACE OF SHAPE-SHIFTING LIZARD PEOPLE.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND ELIMINATE THAT LAST ONE-- IMMEDIATELY.

ALTHOUGH, THE INTERNET CLAIMS TO HAVE

SOME PRETTY ENTERTAINING EVIDENCE.

I'M ANXIOUS TO APPLY SOME STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY

TO SOLVING THIS MYSTERY,

BUT I'VE JUST BEEN DENIED ACCESS TO THE TUNNELS

THAT HAVE FUELED THE WILDEST CONSPIRACIES UNDER THE AIRPORT.

SO I'M HEADING TO ANOTHER PART OF TOWN,

WHERE SECRET TUNNELS ARE SAID TO EXIST,

THE STATE CAPITOL, TO HUNT FOR CLUES

ABOUT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON UNDER DENVER.

THIS IS THE STATE BUILDING.

I'VE GOT A CONTACT THAT I'M GONNA MEET,

WHO TOLD ME THAT I CAN GET DOWN INTO THE BASEMENT.

ROB. YEAH.

THANK YOU FOR MEETING ME HERE.

MY PLEASURE.

CAPITOL SPOKESMAN DOUG PLATT

WILL BE MY ESCORT INTO THE ABYSS.

SO, WE'RE GONNA LOCK THIS DOOR.

THIS IS THE HEART OF THE GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM.

WOW.

NOW, HERE'S SOMETHING YOU WOULDN'T SEE

UNDER MOST GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART HEATING SYSTEM,

INSTALLED IN 2013,

RELIES ON THE ENERGY CONTAINED IN AN AQUIFER UNDER THE CAPITOL.

IT COST $6 MILLION,

A TIDY SUM TO HEAT A SINGLE GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

COLORADO'S THE ONLY STATE CAPITOL BUILDING IN THE COUNTRY

THAT HAS A MODERN GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM.

FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE THERE'S SOMETHING TOP-SECRET

HAPPENING UNDER DENVER, THIS IS A MAJOR RED FLAG.

A CONTINUITY-OF-GOVERNMENT SITE NEEDS ITS OWN SOURCE OF POWER

IN CASE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY

KNOCKS OUT THE FEDERAL ELECTRICITY GRID.

AFTER THE 9/11 ATTACK, VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY

WAS SHUTTLED TO A BUNKER BENEATH PENNSYLVANIA CALLED SITE R.

IT'S RUMORED TO RUN OFF SEVERAL GAS GENERATORS

THE SIZE OF LOCOMOTIVES.

BUT AT SOME POINT, THE FUEL IN THOSE GENERATORS WOULD RUN OUT.

GEOTHERMAL POWER, HOWEVER, IS EFFECTIVELY UNLIMITED.

IT COULD POTENTIALLY RUN AN UNDERGROUND SITE HERE

INDEFINITELY.

IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THIS HEATING UPGRADE IS EVIDENCE

THAT THE CAPITOL IS PREPPING TO OPERATE COVERTLY

OFF THE NATIONAL POWER GRID.

BUT DOUG SAYS THE NEW PLANT IS JUST ABOUT SAVING MONEY.

IT'S REALLY VERY SIMPLE.

THE COMPANY THAT INSTALLED IT

GUARANTEED ENERGY SAVINGS TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE STATE.

THERE'S NOTHING SHADY OR NOTHING STRANGE ABOUT THAT.

IT'S TRUE.

NO ONE WOULD ARGUE ABOUT SAVING MONEY.

BUT SOME SAY THE COST CUTTING IS A SIDE BENEFIT OF SOME OTHER

MORE COVERT OBJECTIVE.

BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR,

THERE ARE DOZENS OF PASSAGEWAYS AND LOCKED DOORS DOWN HERE.

ANY ONE OF THEM COULD LEAD

TO A LARGER BUNKER OR SECRET SITE.

IT REMINDS ME OF PICTURES I'VE SEEN

OF AN EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT SITE IN CANADA.

IT WAS A FOUR-STORY SHELTER BURIED UNDERGROUND

TO WITHSTAND A NUCLEAR STRIKE ON THE NEARBY CAPITAL, OTTAWA.

IT COULD SUPPORT OVER 500 SENIOR GOVERNMENT

AND MILITARY PERSONNEL FOR A MONTH.

IT CONTAINED A VAULT

CAPABLE OF HOLDING CANADA'S ENTIRE GOLD RESERVE,

AND IT FEATURED A NETWORK OF CONNECTING PASSAGEWAYS,

LIKE THE ONES I'M IN NOW.

IT COULD TAKE ME DAYS TO EXPLORE ALL THESE TUNNELS,

SO I NEED A FASTER WAY TO UNDERSTAND

THE FULL SCOPE OF THIS UNDERGROUND NETWORK.

IS THERE A MAP THAT I COULD LOOK AT TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT

WHERE I AM RIGHT AT THE MOMENT?

YOU KNOW, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO COMPREHENSIVE MAP

OF THE TUNNELS THAT WAS EVER CREATED.

HOW IS THERE NO MAP OF THE TUNNEL SYSTEM HERE?

I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE'S NOT A MAP OF THE TUNNEL SYSTEM.

I JUST KNOW, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NOT ONE.

SO, WE HAVE A STATE CAPITOL WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART HEATING

BUT NO MAP TO ITS BASEMENT LEVELS?

SO, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FIGURE OUT

WHERE THESE TUNNELS ARE FROM UP ABOVE.

DOWN IN THIS LABYRINTH,

IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHICH DIRECTION I'M FACING,

SO I NEED SOMEONE ABOVEGROUND TO ACT AS MY EYES

TO CREATE A MORE ACCURATE MAP.

BUT IT WON'T BE EASY.

THERE ARE NO VISUAL POINTS OF REFERENCE TO THE SURFACE,

AND GPS WON'T WORK DOWN HERE AT ALL.

SO I'VE RECRUITED AN EXPERT

IN GROUND-PENETRATING TECHNOLOGY, STEFAN BURNS,

AND HE HAS THE PERFECT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT FOR THIS JOB.

I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO USE ONE OF THESE.

IT'S CALLED A SOND.

IT'S NORMALLY USED TO FIND BLOCKAGES IN PIPES UNDERGROUND.

IT WORKS AS A BEACON,

PUTTING OUT ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

THAT PASS THROUGH ROCK OR SOIL.

A RECEIVER ABOVEGROUND USES THOSE WAVES TO LOCATE EXACTLY

WHERE THE SOND IS BENEATH IT.

ALL RIGHT, ROB, I'M HEADING UPSTAIRS.

LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND.

STEFAN, YOU JUST LET ME KNOW

WHEN YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.

OVER.

I'M GOING TO USE THE SOND TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE A MAP

OF WHERE THIS TUNNEL LEADS TO ON THE SURFACE.

All right, rob, I'm in the area.

GO AHEAD AND SET THAT SOND, AND I'LL START LOOKING.

OVER.

STEFAN, THE SOND IS SET.

WE ARE CLOSE TO THE MANHOLE COVER BUT SLIGHTLY OFF.

SEE IF YOU CAN FIND IT.

STEFAN IS SEARCHING FOR WHAT'S CALLED A NULL.

IT REFERS TO THE EDGES OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD

EMITTED BY THE SOND,

WHICH HE CAN PICK UP WITH HIS RECEIVER.

I THINK I FOUND THE FIRST NULL. OVER.

FANTASTIC. PUT A POINT RIGHT THERE.

WE'LL DO THE SAME THING DOWN HERE,

AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT LOCATION.

LET'S GO TO HAVE YOU MOVE 80 FEET DOWN THAT TUNNEL.

MOVING 80 FEET DOWN.

...6, 7, 8...

OKAY, HERE'S OUR NEXT LOCATION.

Second location here.

I'M STANDING MAYBE 200 FEET AWAY FROM THE CAPITOL BUILDING.

THIS TUNNEL IS HEADING INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA,

IT SEEMS LIKE.

I'M WONDERING IF IT COULD CONNECT THE CAPITOL

TO MORE SECRET TUNNELS I'VE HEARD ABOUT

A COUPLE OF MILES NORTHWEST OF HERE,

UNDER DENVER'S FINANCIAL DISTRICT.

AND, IF SO, WHAT EXACTLY COULD THEY BE FOR?

BUT WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

JUST UNDER WHERE STEFAN IS STANDING,

THE TUNNEL ENDS AT A WALL.

HOWEVER, SOMETHING ABOUT THE WALL LOOKS CONSPICUOUS,

LIKE IT'S NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION.

SO WHY WAS IT BUILT,

AND COULD IT BE HIDING SOMETHING?

OUR SONIC ECHO TEST IS ABOUT TO TELL US.

YOU THINK THAT'S AN AIR GAP.IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT.

I'M UNDER DENVER'S STATE CAPITOL,

EXPLORING AN ELABORATE SYSTEM OF SECRET TUNNELS

THAT HAVE SPAWNED A PLETHORA OF GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY THEORIES.

BUT I MAY HAVE JUST HIT A DEAD END.

OR DID I?

ALL RIGHT, THIS IS THE END OF THE TUNNEL RIGHT HERE.

I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S ANYTHING BEHIND THIS WALL.

THE WALL LOOKS NEW, THOUGH, WOULDN'T YOU SAY?

YEAH.

DENVER IS THAT WAY. THE AIRPORT'S THAT WAY.

SO I WANT TO SCAN THIS WHOLE ROOM.

YEP.

YEAH, ACTUALLY, LET ME SEE THAT MALLET.

JUST LISTEN TO IT.

THIS IS SOLID.

SOUNDS HOLLOW, RIGHT?

NOW I'M ACTUALLY GETTING A LITTLE CONVINCED.

YEAH, RIGHT?

I WANT TO KNOW IF THE TUNNEL WE'RE IN

CONTINUES BEYOND THIS WALL TOWARD DOWNTOWN,

BECAUSE IF IT DOES,

THAT COULD LEND CREDENCE TO THE RUMORS

ABOUT DENVER'S SUBTERRANEAN SECRETES.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS DESIGNED AS A BARRIER

TO BLOCK THE TUNNEL.

BUT WHY? WHAT IS IT HIDING?

TO FIND OUT, WE'RE GOING TO USE

WHAT'S CALLED SONIC ECHO TESTING.

BY SENDING A SOUND WAVE INTO THE WALL

AND READING THE ECHO, WE CAN DETECT HOW THICK IT IS

AND WHETHER THERE'S A CAVITY ON THE OTHER SIDE.

SO, WE HAVE A MALLET. WE'RE GONNA BANG THE WALL.

IT'S GONNA SEND THOSE SOUND WAVES IN,

AND WHEN IT GETS A DENSITY CHANGE,

IT'S GONNA BOUNCE BACK.

SO THIS WILL TELL US HOW THICK THE WALL IS.

GO.

AND RIGHT OFF THE BAT...

JUST ONE KNOCK IS ALL IT TAKES TO TELL US

THERE'S AN ABRUPT DENSITY CHANGE BEHIND THIS WALL.

SO, WE FOUND IT RIGHT THERE.

THERE COULD BE SOMETHING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS WALL.

MAYBE LET'S GO FURTHER DOWN

AND SEE IF IT'S LIKE THAT THROUGHOUT THE SLAB.

GO.

THAT'S A GREAT HISTOGRAM RIGHT THERE.

YOU THINK THAT'S AN AIR GAP.

IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT.

I MEAN, IF I WAS TO BE TESTING A WALL

IN A BUILDING, THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD BE LOOKING LIKE.

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT WALL IN A BUILDING,

THIS IS GONNA BE AIR, RIGHT?

WE'VE GOT TO GO DOWNTOWN

AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND THE TUNNELS DOWN THERE.

YEAH, THERE IS DEFINITELY A CONNECTION.

I CAME TO DENVER THINKING THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES

ABOUT ITS UNDERGROUND WERE WILD FANTASIES,

BUT I'M FINDING MYSELF MORE AND MORE INTRIGUED.

FIRST, I GOT SHUT DOWN AT THE AIRPORT.

BUT ALL THOSE STRANGE SYMBOLS

AND THAT ROGUE GUARD WHO APPROACHED ME,

CLAIMING HE KNOWS ABOUT A SECRET SUBTERRANEAN REALM,

GOT MY ATTENTION.

THEN UNDER THE CAPITOL WAS A MASSIVE

OFF-GRID HEATING SYSTEM

AND A LABYRINTH WITH NO MAP THAT DEAD-ENDED IN NEW DRYWALL.

WHAT, IF ANYTHING, IS DENVER HIDING?

THE INTERNET HAS ALL SORTS OF THEORIES,

BUT I WANT TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH.

SO I'M HEADING FOR ONE MORE FOCAL POINT

OF DENVER'S UNDERGROUND RUMOR MILL,

THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT DOWNTOWN.

IF I CAN GAIN ACCESS TO THE TUNNELS

RUMORED TO BE BENEATH IT, I MIGHT BE ABLE

TO CONNECT THEM BACK TO THE CAPITOL

AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON DOWN THERE.

ONE OF THE BUILDINGS RUMORED TO HAVE A TUNNEL ENTRANCE

BENEATH IT IS A RESTAURANT CALLED THE RIO GRANDE.

YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A DOOR DOWN THERE

THAT IS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.

I THINK IT USED TO GO TO A TUNNEL, MAYBE.

REALLY?

WE DON'T OPEN IT ANYMORE, THOUGH.

I CAN SHOW YOU, IF YOU'D LIKE.I WOULD LOVE TO.

ALL RIGHT, MAN. RIGHT THIS WAY.ALL RIGHT.

OKAY, WATCH YOUR HEAD DOWN HERE.

THIS BASEMENT'S REALLY OLD AND LOW.

WHOA!YOU GOT YOUR FLASHLIGHT?

ALL RIGHT. RIGHT THIS WAY.

WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS THE STREET RIGHT NOW.

HOLY MOLY.

HERE'S THE DOOR I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT.

WHOA! RIGHT THERE.

CAN WE OPEN THIS?WE CAN'T OPEN IT.

WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT A POTENTIAL CAVE-IN,

SO WE HAVE THIS BRACE ON THE DOOR.

IF YOU CAN SEE, THE HINGES ARE BLOWN HERE A LITTLE BIT.

DO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THIS DOOR IS

RELATIVE TO THE FRONT?

IS THIS UNDERNEATH THE SIDEWALK OR IS THIS UNDER THE FRONT DOOR?

RIGHT HERE, THIS IS BLAKE STREET RIGHT HERE,

SO THIS IS THE EDGE OF THE BUILDING.

AND THEN RIGHT HERE IS THE STREET.

THE TUNNEL APPEARS TO CONNECT

TO ANOTHER BUILDING ACROSS BLAKE STREET.

THAT SEEMS A BIT CURIOUS.

COULD IT ALSO CONNECT TO THE CAPITOL?

THE NEXT STEP IS GOING ACROSS THE STREET,

DIRECTLY ACROSS HERE, TO SEE IF THE BUILDING THERE,

IN THE BASEMENT, HAS A CORRESPONDING DOOR.

I MAKE MY WAY ACROSS THE ROAD

TO ONE OF LOWER DOWNTOWN'S MOST HISTORIC PUBS,

THE BLAKE STREET VAULT.

ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1863 AS A SALOON AND BOARDINGHOUSE,

ITS LONG HISTORY COULD PROVIDE ME WITH MORE CLUES.

I'M ACTUALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TUNNELS UNDERNEATH THE CITY.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO TUNNELS...TWO TUNNELS.

...THAT GO UNDER THE SIDEWALK.

WHOA.

AND DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY LEAD, BY CHANCE?

I MEAN--WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.

REALLY?

IT'S STRANGE THAT PEOPLE SEEM TO KNOW THESE TUNNELS EXIST,

BUT NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THEY LEAD OR WHAT THEY'RE BEING USED FOR.

I TEAM UP AGAIN WITH MY TECHNICIAN,

STEFAN BURNS, TO GET A CLOSER LOOK.

LET'S START OVER HERE, STEFAN.

CHECK THIS THING OUT.

IT'S A...

PRETTY OLD-LOOKING ARCHWAY.

THIS LOOKS LIKE IT WAS SEALED OFF, TO ME.

LOOK AT THE TOP.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S NOT FLUSH AND CONNECTED.

I CAN'T TELL IF THE TUNNEL BEHIND THIS DOOR

LEADS TOWARD THE CAPITOL,

BUT THE DIRECTION IT FACES AND THE WAY IT'S BEEN SEALED OFF

INDICATES IT LIKELY CONNECTS TO THE ONE ACROSS THE STREET.

THE QUESTION IS, WHY?

SOME BELIEVE THERE IS A VAST GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY

PLAYING OUT BENEATH DENVER--

A SHADOW GOVERNMENT, A NEW WORLD ORDER,

OR A SPRAWLING SUPER-BUNKER SET ASIDE FOR CATASTROPHE.

I'VE FOUND CLUES POINTING TO HIGHLY SENSITIVE SECRET TUNNELS

UNDER DENVER'S AIRPORT AND CAPITOL BUILDING,

AND NOW I'M INVESTIGATING AND UNDERGROUND LINK

BETWEEN TWO PROMINENT BUILDINGS IN THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT.

BUT I'M STILL NOT SURE WHAT IT ADDS UP TO

OR IF IT EVEN ADDS UP AT ALL.

THEN A FRIEND TEXTS ME ABOUT A COLLEAGUE IN DENVER

NAMED TRACY BEACH, A HISTORIAN WHO MAY BE ABLE

TO HELP ME SOLVE AT LEAST ONE PIECE OF PUZZLE.

NAMELY, WHY IS THERE A SEALED-OFF TUNNEL

CONNECTING TWO BUILDINGS ON BLAKE STREET?

AS IT TURNS OUT, THE SECRET PASSAGEWAY

IS A LITTLE-KNOWN REMNANT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S NOTORIOUS PAST.

THIS WAS BUILT IN 1889

BY A MADAM NAMED JENNIE ROGERS.

AND IF YOU LOOK UP HERE AT THE TOP,

ORIGINALLY, IT WAS THREE STORIES TALL.

AT THE VERY, VERY TOP, YOU'RE GONNA NOTICE

THERE'S SOME STONE-CARVED FACES.

NOW, AS THE RUMOR SHOWS

THAT THESE ARE ACTUALLY THE FACES OF THE PEOPLE

THAT SHE BLACKMAILED

IN ORDER TO GET THE MONEY TO BUILD THIS BUILDING.

THIS IS A BROTHEL RIGHT HERE?

YES. YES.

ACTUALLY, THIS WAS THE PREMIER BROTHEL.

THIS ENTIRE STREET WAS KNOWN AS HOLIDAY STREET ORIGINALLY,

AND IT WAS WALL-TO-WALL BORDELLOS, POORHOUSES,

EVERYTHING STRAIGHT DOWN THIS ROAD.

IT TURNS OUT THAT THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE BROTHEL

WAS A RESTAURANT AND VIEWING ROOM,

WHILE THE SECOND FLOOR HOUSED THE WOMEN.

THE PLACE DID A BRISK BUSINESS, BUT NOT ALL OF ITS CUSTOMERS

WANTED TO BE SEEN ENTERING THE FRONT DOOR.

SO TRACY BELIEVES THEY ENTERED THROUGH MORE INNOCUOUS SALOONS

OR RESTAURANTS DOWN THE BLOCK, LIKE THE PRESENT-DAY RIO GRANDE,

WHERE MEN COULD ACCESS THE TUNNELS,

THEN SECRETLY MAKE THEIR WAY UNDERGROUND

TO THE NEARBY BROTHELS.

WHICH MAKES ME WONDER IF THAT BLOCKED-OFF TUNNEL

UNDER THE CAPITOL

COULD HAVE ALSO CONNECTED TO THESE BROTHEL TUNNELS,

ALLOWING DENVER'S UPPER CLASS

TO FREELY CONDUCT THEIR ILLICIT ENCOUNTERS.

WE'VE BEEN IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT TUNNELS,

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TUNNELS UNDER THE STATEHOUSE

AND YOU'VE GOT TUNNELS UNDER THESE OTHER OLD BUILDINGS.

AND THEY SEEM TO POINT IN THIS PARTICULAR DIRECTION,

AND IF IT'S BECAUSE OF THE BROTHELS,

THEN IT KIND OF MAKES A LITTLE BIT OF SENSE.

YES. THEY JUST WANT TO SNEAK IN

AND SNEAK OUT WITHOUT ANYONE NOTICING.

SO, THE TUNNELS UNDER THE CAPITOL

AND DOWNTOWN COULD VERY WELL BE EVIDENCE

OF A GOVERNMENT COVER-UP,

BUT NOT NECESSARILY ON THE SAME SCALE

THAT SOME CONSPIRACY THEORISTS IMAGINED.

IT APPEARS THESE PASSAGEWAYS WERE JUST A WELL-KEPT SECRET

TO PROTECT THE REPUTATION OF DENVER'S ELITE.

BUT THE REAL FOCAL POINT OF BROADER SUSPICIONS

IS THE SITE I WASN'T ABLE TO PENETRATE,

A MASSIVE SUBTERRANEAN REALM UNDER THE DENVER AIRPORT,

AN AREA BELIEVED TO BE BIG ENOUGH

TO HOUSE 32 CITY BLOCKS A QUARTER OF A MILE HIGH.

IS ALL THAT SPACE REALLY JUST FOR BAGGAGE HANDLERS?

I'M NOT SO SURE.

BUT IF IT IS PART OF SOME LARGE CLASSIFIED SITE,

THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING A GOOD JOB

OF KEEPING IT A SECRET.

NOW MY QUEST TO UNLOCK AMERICA'S UNDERGROUND SECRETS

TAKES ME OVER 1,000 MILES EAST, TO THE OHIO VALLEY

AND A MYSTERY THAT'S GONE UNEXPLAINED FOR CENTURIES...

A GIGANTIC MAN-MADE EFFIGY, OR EARTH MOUND,

STRETCHING OVER A QUARTER MILE LONG.

IN FACT, IT'S BELIEVED TO BE

THE LARGEST EARTHWORK EFFIGY MOUND IN THE WORLD,

AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT'S FOR.

WAS THIS SERPENT MOUND SIMPLY A SHRINE

FOR RELIGIOUS RITUALS, AS SOME BELIEVE?

OR DOES IT CONCEAL SOMETHING

FAR MORE DISTURBING BELOW THE SURFACE,

LIKE THE VICTIMS OF SOME RITUALISTIC SACRIFICE?

AND THIS HAS BAFFLED SCIENTISTS FOR CENTURIES,

AND WE'RE HERE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED

BY AMERICA'S ANCIENT EARTHEN STRUCTURES,

LIKE EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT IN IOWA,

AN AREA OF OVER 200 PREHISTORIC MOUNDS

SHAPED LIKE BEARS, BIRDS, AND OTHER ANIMALS.

BUT THEIR BEAUTY AND IMPRESSIVENESS

IS OVERSHADOWED BY THE SOLEMN NATURE

OF WHAT LIES BELOW.

IF HUMANS WERE BURIED UNDER THESE

BEAR-SHAPED MOUNDS IN IOWA,

COULDN'T THERE ALSO BE REMAINS BENEATH OHIO'S SERPENT MOUND?

IT'S A PROTECTED SITE,

SO I CAN'T JUST TAKE A SHOVEL TO IT AND START DIGGING.

LUCKILY, I'VE GOT THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY

TO HELP ME PROBE ITS BURIED SECRETS.

I'M TEAMING UP WITH ARCHAEOLOGIST

DR. JARROD BURKS, WHO NOT ONLY HAS THE TOOLS,

BUT ACCESS TO THE SITE.

FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST DECADE,

JARROD HAS BEEN USING STATE-OF-THE-ART TECH

TO STUDY SERPENT MOUND,

AND HE'S BEEN ABLE TO UNCOVER CLUES

BENEATH ITS SURFACE THAT NO ONE HAS SEEN BEFORE.

YET, EVEN HE STILL HAS A LOT TO LEARN

ABOUT THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THIS MYSTERIOUS SITE.

SO, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS MOUND?

THAT'S BEEN THE CHALLENGE FOR THE LAST 200 YEARS,

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THE SERPENT MOUND WAS BUILT.

IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST WELL-KNOWN MOUND

IN THIS PART OF THE UNITED STATES,

AND, YET, IT'S THE LEAST UNDERSTOOD.

SEVERAL DIFFERENT NATIVE TRIBES

LIVED IN THIS PART OF OHIO OVER THE MILLENNIA,

BUT NONE OF THEM LEFT BEHIND ANY OTHER SITES

THAT LOOK EVEN REMOTELY LIKE THIS ONE.

SO THERE IS STILL A DEBATE

ABOUT WHO BUILT THE MOUND AND WHY.

BUT TWO TRIBES ARE THE MOST LIKELY CANDIDATES.

FIRST, THE ADENA.

THEY WERE HUNTER-GATHERERS WHO LIVED HERE

FROM ABOUT 800 B.C. TO 1000 A.D.

THEY LEFT BEHIND NUMEROUS BURIAL MOUNDS

ACROSS SOUTHERN OHIO,

BUT NONE OF THEM DEMONSTRATE THE LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION

WE CAN SEE IN SERPENT MOUND.

WAS THIS THEIR CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

OR THE WORK OF A MORE ADVANCED CIVILIZATION?

THE COMMON PERCEPTION OF PRE-COLUMBIAN TRIBES ASSUMES

THEY WERE ALL PRIMITIVE-- SMALL, SIMPLE GROUPS

WHO EVOLVED LITTLE OVER THE CENTURIES.

BUT, IN FACT, NATIVE AMERICANS, LIKE EUROPEANS,

PROGRESSED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF HISTORY,

EVOLVING FROM NOMADIC WANDERERS INTO SOPHISTICATED SOCIETIES

BUILT ON AGRICULTURE, TRADE, AND ENGINEERING.

AND THAT EVOLUTION IS CLEAR IN A SECOND NATIVE CULTURE

THAT SUCCEEDED THE ADENA IN OHIO 1,000 YEARS LATER,

THE FORT ANCIENTS.

THEY LIVED IN THIS AREA FROM 1000 TO 1750 A.D.,

BUILDING PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS AND FARMING CORN.

IT SEEMS CONCEIVABLE THAT

THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF BUILDING THE SERPENT.

BUT THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE ANYWHERE ELSE

THAT THE FORT ANCIENTS CREATED MONUMENTS QUITE LIKE THIS.

SO, WHO REALLY BUILT SERPENT MOUND?

AND WHY?

IT SEEMS LIKE A MOUND LIKE THIS

MUST BE SOME SORT OF BURIAL MOUND.

I DON'T KNOW WHY ELSE PEOPLE WOULD MAKE IT.

BUT JARROD HASN'T FOUND ANY EVIDENCE

OF HUMAN REMAINS THUS FAR.

SO, TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON WHAT I THINK

IS THE MOST PROMISING SECTION OF THE ENTIRE MOUND.

WE'RE GONNA BE SURVEYING THIS UPPER SECTION TODAY.

WE'RE GONNA GO FROM UPPER MID-BODY TO THE HEAD.

THAT'S WHAT I'M MOST INTERESTED IN

BECAUSE IF THIS IS A BURIAL MOUND,

I WOULD GUESS THAT THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING NEAR THE HEAD.

NOW STATE-OF-THE-ART SCANNING TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP US

SEE BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE SERPENT

LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS THE GPR UNIT-- GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR.

GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR FIRES ENERGY WAVES UNDER THE SURFACE.

ANY ANOMALIES BURIED BELOW WILL BOUNCE THESE WAVES

BACK TO A SENSOR MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF OUR GPR

THAT WILL REVEAL THE SIZE, SHAPE,

AND LOCATION OF WHAT'S HIDDEN UNDERGROUND.

IF THIS SERPENT IS A MASS-BURIAL SITE,

OUR GPR SHOULD DETECT EVIDENCE OF TOMBS.

AT FIRST, THE GPR SCREEN IS QUIET,

INDICATING NO ANOMALIES UNDERGROUND.

BUT THEN...

ARE YOU SEEING SOMETHING RIGHT THERE?

YEAH. HERE'S AN ANOMALY.

THERE'S SOME STUFF.

THE ON-SCREEN DATA SPIKES,

INDICATING SOMETHING OTHER THAN DIRT BELOW.

SO RIGHT DOWN HERE, THERE'S SOMETHING.

COULD THIS BE THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF AN ANCIENT CLUE

THAT FINALLY UNLOCKS THE SERPENT MOUND'S SECRETS?

I'M USING GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR

TO SCAN INSIDE OHIO'S GIANT SERPENT MOUND.

AND I'VE JUST COME ACROSS AN UNDERGROUND ANOMALY

THAT COULD BE A MAJOR CLUE TO THE SITE'S PURPOSE.

ARE YOU SEEING SOMETHING RIGHT THERE?

YEAH.

SO IT'S PRETTY SOLID UNTIL RIGHT THERE.

SO DOWN IN THE GROUND HERE,

THERE'S SOME KIND OF DIFFERENCE IN THE SOIL.

WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY UP THE NECK OF THE SERPENT.

THE HEAD IS OVER THERE, AND THE BODY'S DOWN THERE.

THE GPR IS TELLING US THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING

OTHER THAN SOIL UNDER THE MOUND HERE.

HAS ANYBODY FOUND ANY INDICATIONS

OF BURIAL MOUNDS?

NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.

WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE FINDING THAT LITTLE BLIP.

AND I'M THINKING WE MAY BE ON TO SOMETHING BIG.

BUT JARROD TELLS ME HE'S SEEN SIMILAR ANOMALIES

IN OTHER SECTIONS OF THE SERPENT,

AND TAKEN AS A WHOLE,

THEIR PATTERN AND SCALE LOOKS LESS

LIKE A COLLECTION OF BODIES

AND MORE LIKE SOME SORT OF PRIMITIVE STRUCTURAL FOUNDATION.

STONE WAS PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL.

OKAY.

SO, STONE WOULD MAKE A RADAR ANOMALY LIKE THAT.

STONES, BUT NO BODIES.

THESE FINDINGS WON'T HELP US DETERMINE

WHY SERPENT MOUND WAS BUILT,

BUT IT COULD BE A BIG CLUE ABOUT WHO BUILT IT.

AND FIGURING THAT OUT COULD LEAD US TO ITS PURPOSE.

SINCE THE MAJORITY OF THE MOUNDS CONSTRUCTED BY THE ADENA

WERE BURIAL MOUNDS, THAT'S A STRIKE AGAINST THEM

FOR BEING THE ARCHITECTS OF THE SERPENT.

ACCORDING TO JARROD, USING ROCKS MIXED WITH SOIL

WAS A TECHNIQUE DEVELOPED BY LATER CULTURES IN THIS AREA,

WHICH COULD INDICATE

A MORE ADVANCED GROUP OF PEOPLE CREATED THIS MOUND,

LIKE THE FORT ANCIENTS-- NOT FOR BURIALS,

BUT, QUITE POSSIBLY, TO WORSHIP THE SERPENT.

AS ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD MYTHICAL SYMBOLS,

THE SERPENT'S MEANING VARIES ACROSS DIFFERENT CULTURES.

IN MAYAN CULTURE, IT WAS BELIEVED TO REPRESENT REBIRTH.

BUT THE SERPENT IS MOSTLY SEEN AS A FOREBODING SYMBOL.

MUCH OF WESTERN CULTURE ASSOCIATES IT

WITH TEMPTATION AND EVIL.

AND SOME ANCIENT NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES

ALSO HAD A DARKER ASSOCIATION WITH THE SERPENT.

IT WAS A SYMBOL THAT WAS TO BE RESPECTED AND FEARED.

AT THE FAMOUS TEMPLE OF THE FEATHERED SERPENT

IN TEOTIHUACáN, MEXICO, BRUTAL HUMAN-SACRIFICE RITUALS

WERE PERFORMED IN THE SERPENT'S HONOR.

COULD SIMILAR BLOOD-THIRSTY RITUALS

HAVE TAKEN PLACE HERE IN OHIO, OUR OWN BACKYARD?

JARROD HAS ANOTHER TECH TOOL

WE CAN USE TO PROBE FOR NEW CLUES.

THIS IS A MAGNETOMETER.

IT SENSES DIFFERENCES IN THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD

AS YOU'RE WALKING ALONG.

IT HAS TWO SENSORS IN IT.

THE TOP SENSOR MEASURES EARTH'S BASELINE MAGNETIC FIELD,

WHICH STAYS RELATIVELY CONSTANT.

THE SENSOR ON THE BOTTOM DETECTS ANY CHANGES

TO THAT MAGNETIC FIELD

CAUSED BY ALTERATIONS TO THE SOIL.

MAGNETOMETERS ARE ALSO USED

IN THE MILITARY TO DETECT SUBMARINES.

OURS ISN'T QUITE MILITARY-GRADE,

BUT IT DOES HAVE ONE SPECIAL ABILITY

THAT MAKES IT PERFECT FOR OUR INVESTIGATION.

IT'S REALLY GOOD AT FINDING BURNED SOIL.

THIS DEVICE SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY

IF FIRES WERE EVER BURNED AT THE SITE.

THAT'S BECAUSE WHEN THE SOIL REACHES

A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 600 DEGREES CELSIUS,

THE IRON IN IT BECOMES PERMANENTLY MAGNETIZED,

LEAVING BEHIND A DISTINCT FIRE FINGERPRINT.

IF IT WAS USED FOR SOME SORT OF

SACRED RITUALISTIC THING, YOU'D PROBABLY IMAGINE

THERE'D BE LOTS OF BURNING AROUND IT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

THERE OFTEN IS AT THESE CEREMONIAL SITES, YEAH.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S RUN IT.

WE SCAN THE ENTIRE AREA AROUND THE HEAD OF THE SERPENT,

LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE OF BURNED SOIL,

COLLECTING THOUSANDS OF DATA POINTS WITH THE MAGNETOMETER

THAT CAN THEN BE ANALYZED FOR SIGNS OF FIRE.

ALL RIGHT, SO, WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS

WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ANALYZE THE DATA.

GONNA PLUG IT INTO JARROD'S LAPTOP.

HERE IS TODAY'S DATA

ADDED ON TO WHAT WE HAD ALREADY DONE,

AND, SO, WE CAN SEE THE BODY OF THE SERPENT THERE.

OH, WOW.AND WE CAN SEE THE SHAPE

OF THE HEAD OF THE SERPENT THERE.

THE MAGNETOMETER HASN'T TURNED UP

ANY EVIDENCE OF BURNED SOIL

THAT WOULD SUGGEST ANY KIND OF HUMAN-SACRIFICE RITUAL,

BUT IT HAS REVEALED SOMETHING MORE UNEXPECTED.

IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?

ANOTHER PART OF THE SERPENT NOT VISIBLE ABOVEGROUND.

IT LOOKS LIKE A BRAND-NEW COIL.

YEAH, SO, HERE'S THE SERPENT.

YEP.THEN THERE'S THAT THING THERE

THAT'S A DIFFERENT, NEW PART OF THE SERPENT.

IT'S ALMOST THE EXACT SAME SIZE

AND SHAPE AS THESE OTHER ONES

THAT WE CAN SEE ABOVEGROUND.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY'S EVER SEEN BEFORE.

IT'S ONLY SHOWING UP

IN THE MAGNETOMETER DATA HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

THIS IS PROBABLY AN ANCIENT PART OF THE SERPENT

THAT WAS ERASED FOR SOME REASON.

THE DETECTION OF THIS LOST COIL OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW MYSTERY.

WHY WOULD THE BUILDERS HAVE CHANGED THE SERPENT

AFTER IT WAS BUILT?

AND COULD THIS COIL BE A CLUE

ABOUT THE STRANGE SITE'S TRUE PURPOSE?

I MAY BE CLOSER THAN EVER

TO SOLVING THIS CENTURIES-OLD SECRET.

THE ORIGIN OF OHIO'S MYSTERIOUS SERPENT MOUND

HAS BAFFLED SCIENTISTS FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY.

BUT NEW GPR AND MAGNETOMETER DATA

IS BRINGING ME CLOSER THAN EVER TO UNDERSTANDING ITS ORIGINS.

SCANNING TESTS HAVE REVEALED

A LOST COIL SHOOTING OFF FROM THE SERPENT

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN DECONSTRUCTED FOR SOME REASON.

BUT WHY, AND WHAT CAN IT TELL US

ABOUT THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THIS PECULIAR LANDMARK?

I NEED TO KEEP DIGGING FOR ANSWERS,

SO I'M HEADING TO MEET DR. BRAD LEPPER,

CURATOR OF ARCHAEOLOGY AT OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION.

BRAD HAS UNCOVERED NUMEROUS ARTIFACTS

AT HISTORICAL SITES AROUND THE AREA.

I'M HOPING SOME OF THESE PRICELESS ANTIQUITIES

CAN HELP ME PINPOINT WHO BUILT SERPENT MOUND AND WHY.

SO, THIS IS THE COLLECTIONS FACILITY.

OKAY.

AND I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF OBJECTS BACK HERE

THAT I THINK WILL BE PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT

FOR UNDERSTANDING SERPENT MOUND.

IN BRAD'S COLLECTION IS A RELIC THAT HE CLAIMS

WILL PROVE CONCLUSIVELY WHICH GROUP WAS RESPONSIBLE

FOR BUILDING THE SERPENT MOUND AND ERASING THE MISSING COIL.

THIS MYSTICAL RELIC WAS FOUND

LESS THAN 50 MILES FROM SERPENT MOUND.

WOW. I AM BLOWN AWAY.

THIS IS AMAZING.

IT LOOKS LIKE A MIX BETWEEN A SNAKE AND A FISH.

EXACTLY.

MANY OF THESE SPIRITUAL MYTHOLOGICAL BEINGS

ARE MIXTURES OF FEATURES DRAWN FROM OTHER ANIMALS.

IT'S NOT REPRESENTING A FISH OF ANY KIND.

IT'S NOT REPRESENTING A SNAKE OF ANY PARTICULAR KIND.

IT'S REPRESENTING THE LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD,

THIS GREAT HORNED SERPENT BEING.

RADIOCARBON DATING SUGGESTS IT'S AROUND 1,000 YEARS OLD,

LEADING BRAD TO BELIEVE IT WAS CARVED

BY THE SECOND TRIBE TO INHABIT THIS AREA,

THE FORT ANCIENTS.

THIS IS A SURPRISING DEVELOPMENT,

SINCE UNTIL NOW, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE FORT ANCIENTS

DIDN'T BUILD LARGE EFFIGIES LIKE THIS.

BUT BRAD SEES THIS CARVING AS STRONG EVIDENCE

THAT THE FORT ANCIENTS WERE THE TRIBE

THAT REVERED A SERPENT GOD.

YOU SAY THAT THE SNAKE REPRESENTS THIS UNDERWORLD.

SO, WHAT COULD IT BE?

WE KNOW AMERICAN INDIANS BUILT SHRINES

TO TRY TO DRAW ON THE POWERS

OF THAT SUPERNATURAL BEING.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT SERPENT MOUND IS.

IT'S A SHRINE TO THE GREAT UNDERWORLD SERPENT.

BUT IS THAT ALL IT WAS?

IF SO, WHY WOULD THE BUILDERS ERASE

ONE OF THE COILS AND REDIRECT THE BODY?

COULD THERE ALSO HAVE BEEN SOME OTHER,

MORE PRACTICAL PURPOSE TO THE MOUND

THAT REQUIRED A CHANGE IN THE DESIGN?

THERE'S ONE FINAL THEORY THAT'S BEEN FLOATED

ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF SERPENT MOUND

THAT I'D LIKE TO TEST.

I NEED TO GET ANOTHER LOOK AT IT, A DIFFERENT LOOK,

FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE.

BUT I CAN ONLY DO IT RIGHT BEFORE SUNSET.

SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO STEP BACK,

GET A BIGGER PERSPECTIVE.

ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH THIS THING,

GET A DRONE'S-EYE VIEW.

THE MISSING COIL WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE,

JUST BEHIND THE HEAD.

WITH LIMITED MANPOWER AND PRIMITIVE TOOLS,

IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN EASY TO BUILD.

SO WHY WOULD THEY HAVE MADE

SUCH A DRASTIC CHANGE AFTER THE FACT?

IS IT POSSIBLE THEY REALIZED

THIS PARTICULAR COIL WAS IN THE WRONG SPOT

AND REMOVED IT?

IF SO, THE NEXT QUESTION IS,

THE WRONG SPOT IN RELATION TO WHAT?

AS THE DRONE RISES ABOVE THE TREE LINE,

A LIKELY ANSWER COMES INTO FOCUS.

THE SUN IS SETTING

JUST TO THE LEFT OF THE SERPENT'S HEAD.

BUT ABOUT A MONTH AGO,

ON THE NIGHT OF THE SUMMER SOLSTICE,

IT WOULD HAVE SET A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE NORTH.

SO, IF YOU LOOK RIGHT DOWN THE NECK

ON THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR,

IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE POINTING RIGHT AT THE SUNSET.

WAS THIS THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF SERPENT MOUND?

FOR MANY CORN-GROWING CULTURES, LIKE THE AZTECS,

THE SUMMER SOLSTICE WAS A KEY DATE

IN THE CROP CYCLE.

THE FIRST FULL MOON AFTER THE SOLSTICE

WAS THE TIME TO PLANT THE CORN.

AND A SUCCESSFUL CORN HARVEST

COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SURVIVAL AND STARVATION.

PEOPLE HERE DID DEPEND ON THE SEASONS.

THEY DEPENDED ON BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND

THE CYCLES OF SUMMER AND WINTER AND FALL AND SPRING.

SO, FOR THE FORT ANCIENT FARMERS LIVING HERE 1,000 YEARS AGO,

BEING ABLE TO TRACK THE DAYS OF THE YEAR

TO KNOW THE BEST TIME TO HARVEST

AND TO PLANT THEIR CROPS WAS CRUCIAL TO THEIR SURVIVAL.

MAYBE THAT MISSING COIL WAS THROWING OFF

THE PLACEMENT OF THE SERPENT'S HEAD,

SO IT WAS REMOVED TO ALLOW A PERFECT ALIGNMENT

WITH THE SOLSTICE SUNSET.

OUR SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF SERPENT MOUND

HAS REVEALED SECRETS

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO UNCOVER

WITHOUT THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY.

FOR STARTERS, I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THE MOUND

DIDN'T ALWAYS LOOK LIKE IT DOES TODAY

AND THAT IT'S NOT A BURIAL SITE, AS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.

INSTEAD, THIS MOUND LIKELY SERVED A DUAL PURPOSE

FOR THE NATIVES WHO CONSTRUCTED IT.

IT WAS A TRIBUTE TO THE SERPENT GOD THEY REVERED,

AND IT MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN A GIANT EARTHEN ALMANAC,

ONE OF THE LARGEST AND EARLIEST CALENDARS

EVER DEVISED IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

THE SERPENT MOUND HAS HIDDEN ITS SECRETS FOR CENTURIES.

IT JUST NEEDED SCIENCE TO DECODE THEM.