All language subtitles for Secrets.of.the.Underground.S01E07.Secret.History.of.the.New.World.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD+2.0.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

DEEP BENEATH A POPULAR
CALIFORNIA RESORT TOWN

LURKS A LONG,
DORMANT SUPERVOLCANO.

BUT COULD A RECENT STRING
OF DEADLY EVENTS BE A SIGN

THAT IT'S COMING BACK TO LIFE?

HOLY SMOKES.
I FEEL A LITTLE BIT WOOZY.

I'LL DEPLOY CUTTING-EDGE TECH
TO PEER MILES UNDERGROUND,

SEARCHING FOR NEW
SIGNS OF TROUBLE.

IS THAT
WHAT I THINK IT IS?

MEANWHILE, HIDDEN IN THICK BRUSH
ON THE CONNECTICUT COAST

LIE A CLUSTER
OF MYSTERIOUS RUINS.

COULD THEY HAVE BEEN BUILT
BY ANCIENT EUROPEANS

ALMOST A THOUSAND YEARS
BEFORE COLUMBUS?

THIS MAY REWRITE
THE HISTORY OF BOOKS.

A REVOLUTIONARY NEW IMAGING
SCAN COULD CRACK THE CASE.

THERE'S DEFINITELY
SOMETHING THERE.

THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.

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

MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIFORNIA.

EVERY YEAR, NEARLY 3 MILLION
TOURISTS FLOCK HERE

FOR THE MAJESTIC VIEWS
AND WORLD-CLASS SKI SLOPES.

AND WITH NEARBY POPULATION
CENTERS SACRAMENTO, FRESNO,

AND RENO, NEVADA,
THE AREA IS HOME

TO OVER A MILLION
PERMANENT RESIDENTS, AS WELL.

BUT WHAT MANY DON'T KNOW

IS THAT THIS PEACEFUL
OASIS SITS ATOP

THE REMNANTS OF A SUPERVOLCANO.

760,000 YEARS AGO, IT ERUPTED

IN THE SECOND-LARGEST KNOWN
EXPLOSIVE VOLCANIC BLAST

IN THE HISTORY
OF NORTH AMERICA.

BUT A RECENT STRING OF BIZARRE
AND FRIGHTENING EVENTS

HAS LED MANY TO WONDER
IF THIS SLEEPING GIANT

IS COMING BACK TO LIFE.

I NEED TO SEE
THIS AREA FOR MYSELF.

I'M JUST GONNA GET AN OVERLOOK
OF THIS HOT SPRING.

SINCE THE 1960s,
AT A GEOTHERMAL SPRING

IN THE AREA KNOWN AS HOT CREEK,

SUDDEN SPIKES IN TEMPERATURE
HAVE SCALDED

AND EVEN KILLED NUMEROUS PEOPLE.

AND IN 2006 ON NEARBY
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN,

TWO SKI PATROLLERS
FELL INTO A CONCEALED CRATER

THAT WAS EMITTING TOXIC
SUBTERRANEAN GASES.

TWO MORE WENT IN AFTER THEM.

ONLY ONE SURVIVED.

AND SEVERAL YEARS
BEFORE THAT TRAGEDY,

AT THE BASE OF THE
VERY SAME MOUNTAIN,

OVER 100 ACRES OF TREES DIED
WITHIN THE SPAN OF A YEAR.

ALL THAT REMAINS
IS A BARREN GHOST FOREST.

IS ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY
JUST A COINCIDENCE,

OR IS SOMETHING
HAPPENING UNDERGROUND?

COULD IT ERUPT AGAIN?

THE FIRST PLACE I WANT
TO CHECK OUT IS HOT CREEK.

WHOA.

YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT DOWN HERE.

LOOK AT THAT.

PRETTY IDYLLIC SCENE THAT WE'RE
IN RIGHT AT THE MOMENT.

YOU GOT THE MOUNTAINS
RIGHT BACK THERE,

THIS BEAUTIFUL STREAM
RUNNING THROUGH IT,

AND THIS TURQUOISE
BLUE SPOT RIGHT HERE

THAT'S STEAMING IS HOT CREEK.

THE WATER HERE
IS REALLY DECEIVING.

THE CRYSTAL BLUE WATERS
MIGHT LOOK INVITING,

BUT THEY'RE KNOWN
TO BE DEADLY.

THE WATER TEMPERATURE
AT THIS PARTICULAR

HOT SPRING FLUCTUATES
DRAMATICALLY.

IN FACT, OVER
400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

IT SEEMS THESE WATERS
HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN THIS LETHAL.

THE EARLIEST KNOWN
INHABITANTS OF THIS AREA

WERE NATIVE AMERICANS

WHO MAY HAVE CONSIDERED
THESE POOLS SACRED

FOR THEIR SPIRITUAL
AND MEDICINAL POWERS.

IN THE EARLY 1900s,

PIONEERS WOULD FLOCK
TO THE AREA'S HOT SPRINGS

TO BATH IN ITS WARM,
HEALING WATERS.

AND AS RECENTLY AS THE 1970s,

HOT CREEK WAS A POPULAR
TOURIST DESTINATION.

SO, WHAT COULD TURN
A SOOTHING NATURAL SPA

INTO A SMOLDERING CAULDRON?

HOPEFULLY, I CAN GET CLOSE
ENOUGH TO FIGURE IT OUT.

I'VE WADED ACROSS A LOT
OF CREEKS IN THE PAST,

BUT NONE OF 'EM QUITE SO CLOSE
TO A HOT SPRING

WHERE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE
HAVE ACTUALLY DIED.

WHEN I BEGIN TO CROSS...
WHOO!

...I NOTICE SOMETHING ODD.

IT IS COLD.
DOG IT!

OOH, PAINFULLY COLD.

HAA! HAA!

OH!

OH, MY FEET ARE POPSICLES.

IT'S LIKE AN ICE BATH.

BUT THEN, WITHIN A SPAN
OF LESS THAN 100 YARDS,

THE WATER TEMPERATURE JUMPS.

OH, MY GOSH.

I CAN CLEARLY SEE WHY
THIS PLACE IS SO DANGEROUS.

HOLY SMOKES.
LOOK AT THIS HOT SPRING.

HOO!

OH, MY GOD. THAT WATER--

I ONLY GOT MY HAND
ABOUT THIS FAR FROM IT,

AND JUST THE STEAM COMING OFF
OF IT WAS SCALDING HOT.

I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THIS
ONCE BEFORE

AT ANOTHER SET
OF DEADLY SPRINGS.

IN 2016 AT
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK,

A MAN FELL INTO A SCALDING
HOT SPRING AND DIED INSTANTLY.

BUT THE SPRING'S
EXTREME TEMPERATURE

WASN'T ITS ONLY KILLER
CHARACTERISTIC.

WHEN AUTHORITIES CAME
TO RETRIEVE THE BODY,

THEY FOUND NO TRACE OF HIM.

HE HAD COMPLETELY DISSOLVED
IN THE SULFURIC ACID

BUBBLING UP
FROM THE EARTH'S CORE.

THE HEAT SOURCE IN YELLOWSTONE

IS AN ACTIVE MAGMA CHAMBER
MILES BELOW THE EARTH'S SURFACE.

BUT WHILE YELLOWSTONE'S
HOT SPRINGS ARE DANGEROUS,

AT LEAST THEY SEEM
MORE PREDICTABLE.

HOT CREEK'S TEMPERATURES
FLUCTUATE SO FREQUENTLY,

THE DANGERS ARE HARDER
TO FORECAST.

I NEED TO TEST THE NATURE
OF THIS WATER, THE CHEMISTRY,

HOW HOT IT IS,

AND HOPEFULLY,
THAT'LL HELP ME FIGURE OUT,

YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON.

IF WE CAN ASSOCIATE
THE CHEMICALS THAT ARE

COMING OUT OF THOSE GASES

WITH ONES THAT ARE VERY COMMON
IN VOLCANIC AREAS,

THEN I CAN START
TO PUT THE PUZZLE TOGETHER.

SO, TO FIGURE THAT OUT,
I NEED THE XRF GUN.

IT'S GONNA SHOOT OUT
A LASER BEAM OUT OF THE FRONT,

AND IT'S GOING TO ALLOW ME
TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT CHEMICALS
ARE IN THIS WATER.

AND IF I POINT IT OVER WHERE
THOSE BUBBLES ARE DEGASSING,

THEN IT'S GONNA ALLOW ME
TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT THE COMPOSITION OF THAT IS.

IT'S PRETTY BRILLIANT
TECHNOLOGY.

OKAY, WELL, WE'VE
DEFINITELY GOT CHEMICALS

THAT ARE ASSOCIATED
WITH VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

WE'VE GOT ALUMINUM,
WE'VE GOT COPPER,

WE'VE GOT SOME GOLD.

AND ONE THAT'S MORE INTRIGUING
TO ME RIGHT HERE IS HELIUM.

HOLY SMOKES.

HELIUM MAY BE FUN
AT BIRTHDAY PARTY,

BUT IN THE WORLD OF VOLCANOLOGY,

IT SPELLS TROUBLE.

IN 2014, THE SECOND-HIGHEST
VOLCANO IN JAPAN, MT. ONTAKE,

ERUPTED UNEXPECTED.

IT KILLED 58 PEOPLE,
AND 5 ARE STILL MISSING.

IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT
FUTURE CATASTROPHES,

SCIENTISTS RE-EXAMINED
THE CHEMICAL DATA IN THE REGION,

AND WHAT THEY FOUND
WAS AN INCREASE

IN HELIUM GASES
PRIOR TO THE BLAST.

OFTEN RIGHT BEFORE
A VOLCANO ERUPTS,

YOU HAVE A HUGE DEGASSING
OF HELIUM.

IS CALIFORNIA'S ANCIENT
SUPERVOLCANO HEATING UP

FOR AN EXPLOSIVE COMEBACK?

AND IF SO, HOW MUCH
TIME HAVE WE GO?

THERE IS SOMETHING
UNDERNEATH IT

THAT'S PUSHING IT UPWARDS.

MOMENT OF TRUTH
RIGHT HERE.

WHOA!

AND LATER, I'LL INVESTIGATE
AN ANCIENT IRISH RUIN

ON THE COAST...
OF CONNECTICUT?

CUTTING-EDGE IMAGING
TECHNOLOGY WILL HELP ME

GET TO THE BOTTOM OF A MYSTERY

THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO REWRITE AMERICAN HISTORY.

I'M IN MAMMOTH LAKES,
CALIFORNIA,

AN OASIS OF NATURAL BEAUTY

SITTING ATOP
A DORMANT SUPERVOLCANO.

WELL, WE'VE DEFINITELY
GOT CHEMICALS

THAT ARE ASSOCIATED
WITH VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

MY CHEMICAL TESTING
AT HOT CREEK CONFIRMS

THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL
OF HELIUM BUBBLING UP HERE.

COULD THIS BE A SIGN
OF IMPENDING DOOM

FOR THE MILLION-PLUS RESIDENTS
OF SACRAMENTO, FRESNO, AND RENO?

WHEN MAGMA MOVES UP
FROM THE EARTH'S CORE,

IT RELEASES NATURAL GASES
LIKE C.O.2 AND HELIUM.

IN FACT, THAT BUILD-UP
OF PRESSURE IN THE HELIUM

IS OFTEN WHAT BREAKS THE CRUST

AND ALLOWS THE WHOLE THING
TO START SHOOTING UP.

I THINK WE CAN SAY,
WITHOUT MUCH DOUBT,

THAT THIS PARTICULAR HOT SPRING

IS ASSOCIATED WITH
VOLCANIC ACTIVITY UNDERNEATH.

BUT IS THIS HOT SPRING
JUST AN ODD ANOMALY

IN AN OTHERWISE QUIET
GEOLOGICAL REGION?

OR IS IT THE TIP
OF A SUPERVOLCANIC ICEBERG?

TO FIND OUT, I'LL NEED
TO FIND MORE EVIDENCE

IN OTHER PARTS
OF THE 200-SQUARE MILE CAULDRON.

I'VE HEARD ABOUT
ANOTHER SPOT IN MAMMOTH LAKES

WHERE STRANGE
NATURAL PHENOMENA ARE OCCURRING.

JUST ACROSS THE VALLEY
FROM HOT CREEK,

THERE'S A CRATER
THAT'S BEEN KNOWN

TO SPEW LETHAL LEVELS OF C.O.2.

COULD THIS BE A SIGN
OF SOMETHING BIGGER

HAPPENING UNDER THE SURFACE?

I TREKKED 15 MILES WEST TO
THE SITE OF AN INFAMOUS TRAGEDY

THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2006.

IN THE WAKE OF A BLIZZARD
THAT YEAR,

THREE SKI PATROLLERS PERISHED
IN A CRATER ON THE SLOPES.

BUT IT TURNS OUT,
THIS WASN'T JUST ANY OLD CRATER.

IT WAS A FUMAROLE.

THESE ARE OPENINGS
IN THE EARTH'S CRUST

THAT EMIT AN ARRAY
OF TOXIC VAPORS,

INCLUDING C.O.2,
WHICH TENDS TO ACCUMULATE

IN HIGHLY CONCENTRATED POCKETS
NEAR THE GROUND.

THE GASES FROM THESE FUMAROLES

ARE OFTEN UNDETECTABLE
TO HUMANS,

SO THEY FUNCTION AS NATURE'S
CLANDESTINE KILLER

CAPABLE OF SUFFOCATING
ANYONE WHO FALLS IN THEIR PATH.

FOR PEOPLE TO DIE
FROM SOMETHING LIKE THAT,

THEN IT HAS TO BE
JUST A LOT OF TOXIC FUMES.

THIS COULD BE A FACTOR
THAT MIGHT LEAD ME TO BELIEVE

THAT THIS VOLCANO
IS WAKING UP.

IT'S SOMEWHERE
DOWN THIS SLOPE.

THAT MEANS WE DON'T
HAVE TO HIKE UP.

WE JUST HAVE TO SKI DOWN.

IN FACT, THE ONLY WAY TO GET
TO THIS THING IS BY SKIING.

AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING.

FUMAROLES AREN'T UNCOMMON
IN VOLCANICALLY ACTIVE AREAS.

IN FACT, THERE ARE OVER
4,000 OF THEM SPEWING STEAM

IN YELLOWSTONE ALONE.

AND IN 1914 WHEN ALASKA'S
NOVARUPTA VOLCANO ERUPTED,

IT CREATED THE VALLEY
OF TEN THOUSAND SMOKES,

LEAVING THOUSANDS OF SMOLDERING
FUMAROLES IN ITS WAKE.

SO, COULD THESE FUMAROLES ON
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN BE A DARK OMEN

FOR WHAT IS TO COME.

OH, WOW.

THERE IT IS.

RIGHT THERE.

SO, RIGHT HERE IS WHERE

THREE SKI PATROL
LOST THEIR LIFE.

YOU CAN SEE IT SMOKING,
IT VENTING.

YOU CAN ACTUALLY SMELL SOME
SULFUR AT THE MOMENT, AS WELL.

THE DANGER HERE
IS PLAINLY VISIBLE,

AND I'LL NEED TO
BE REALLY CAREFUL

ABOUT KEEPING A SAFE DISTANCE.

MY C.O.2 MONITOR
WILL HELP ME DETERMINE

HOW CLOSE I CAN GET.

SO, CARBON DIOXIDE,
RIGHT AT THE MOMENT,

I'M VERY FAR FROM THIS.

IT'S 100 PARTS PER MILLION

STRONGER THAN
IT NORMALLY SHOULD BE.

SO, I'M GONNA WAVE IT
AROUND HERE,

SEE HOW TOXIC THE GAS
IS RIGHT NOW.

THE MORE C.O.2
COMING FROM THE GROUND,

THE STRONGER IT IS,

THE MORE LIKELY IT IS

THAT THIS VOLCANO
IS COMING BACK TO LIFE.

AND I HAVE TO DO
THIS PRETTY QUICK

BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE
TO BE AROUND

THESE TOXIC FUMES FOR VERY LONG.

HOLY CRAP.
I'M FEELING A LITTLE BIT WOOZY.

BEFORE LONG,
THE DEVICE TELLS ME

IT'S JUST TOO DANGEROUS
TO GET ANY CLOSER.

I GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE.

SO, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN
TO HOT CREEK

WHERE WE'VE LOCATED TOXIC METALS
COMING OUT OF THE GROUND,

WHICH INDICATE
VOLCANIC ACTIVITY,

AND NOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE
TO SEE THAT THERE

IS A LOT OF C.O.2

COMING OUT OF THE GROUND
HERE ON MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN.

SO, ARE THESE TWO HOT SPOTS
15 MILES APART

SIGNS THAT
THE ANCIENT SUPERVOLCANO

IS STIRRING ONCE AGAIN?

THERE IS SOMETHING
GOING ON UNDERNEATH HERE.

AND THERE'S ONE MORE SPOT
ON THE MOUNTAIN

WHERE A STRANGE PHENOMENON

IS HAPPENING THAT COULD
OFFER FURTHER EVIDENCE

OF AN IMPENDING APOCALYPSE.

TO GET THERE,
I'LL NEED TO DITCH MY SKIS

AND HEAD OUT ON FOOT.

THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN
IS COVERED IN DENSE FOREST,

BUT IN THE 1990s,
LOCALS NOTICED THE TREES

WERE DYING AT A RAPID PACE.

CHECK THIS OUT.
THIS IS COMPLETELY BIZARRE.

WITHIN THE SPAN OF A YEAR,

NEARLY 100 ACRES WORTH OF TREES
JUST...DIED.

WE LOOK LIKE WE'RE
IN A GHOST FOREST RIGHT NOW.

I MEAN, ALL THESE TREES,
THEY'RE HUGE TREES,

THEY'RE DEAD, AND THEY'RE WHITE,

AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW
WHAT TO MAKE OF THIS.

IS THIS FOREST ANOTHER CASUALTY
OF WHAT'S HAPPENING UNDERGROUND,

OR COULD THERE BE
SOME OTHER EXPLANATION

FOR ITS PECULIAR DEMISE?

A FEW THINGS THAT COME TO MIND.

FIRST OF ALL, COULD IT BE
AN INSECT INFESTATION?

BUT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE
OF INSECT DAMAGE.

I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS--

LOOK AT THIS.
IT'S COMPLETELY SMOOTH BARK.

THIS IS COMPLETELY PRISTINE.

NOW, THE OTHER THING
THAT COMES TO MIND IS

I'VE SEEN A LOT OF FIRES
COME THROUGH,

LITTLE PATCHES LIKE THIS.

PROBLEM WITH THAT IS
THAT MOST OF THE TIME

WHEN YOU HAVE A FIRE,

YOU GET JUST LIKE THE BOTTOM
PART OF THESE TREES BURNT,

COMPLETELY SCORCHED.

ALSO, IF YOU LOOK UP THERE,
ALL THESE LITTLE BRANCHES

WOULD PROBABLY BE COMPLETELY
CHARRED AND BURNT.

THAT'S LIKE THE FIRST THING
THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN A FIRE.

AS I WIND MY WAY THROUGH
THIS HAUNTING LANDSCAPE,

I REALIZE THERE'S A TELLING CLUE
RIGHT BENEATH MY FEET.

SO, I KNELT DOWN HERE
TO TRY TO LOOK AT THE SOIL,

AND THIS IS REALLY INTRIGUING.
LOOK AT THIS.

IF YOU TAKE
A BIG HANDFUL OF DIRT,

AND INSIDE OF IT, LIKE,

ALL OF THESE LITTLE GRAY ROCKS.
THIS IS PUMICE.

PUMICE IS A TYPE
OF VOLCANIC ROCK THAT FORMS

WHEN LAVA ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE
COOLS RAPIDLY.

BUT THERE'S BEEN
NO MAJOR ERUPTION OF LAVA HERE

IN ALMOST 800,000 YEARS.

SO, HOW DID ALL
THIS PUMICE COLLECT HERE?

COULD THERE BE A MAGMA
CHAMBER BUBBLING UP HERE, TOO,

KILLING THE FOREST FROM BELOW?

I THINK THE ONLY WAY, REALLY,
TO TELL IS TO DO A TEST.

FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON
WITH THE SOIL CHEMISTRY HERE.

MAYBE THAT WILL ANSWER
SOME OF MY QUESTIONS.

ONCE AGAIN, MY TRUSTY C.O.2
DETECTOR PAINTS A GRIM PICTURE.

NORMALLY, WE'RE AT ABOUT
350 PARTS PER MILLION.

IT'S GOING UP MORE,
MORE, AND MORE.

COULD THIS LITTLE-KNOWN
GHOST FOREST TELL US

THAT THIS VOLCANO
IS ABOUT TO BLOW?

FREAKING ZEROED OUT.

IT PEAKED OUT
THE C.O.2 METER-- ALL 8s.

AND OBVIOUSLY, THE C.O.2
HAS KILLED ALL THE TREES.

I'M-- HONESTLY,
I AM A LITTLE BIT OUT OF BREATH

RIGHT AT THE MOMENT.

I THINK I PROBABLY SHOULD
GET BACK TO THE CAR.

I'VE NOW FOUND EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS

OF C.O.2 IN THREE DISTINCT AREAS

WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES
OF THIS ANCIENT SUPERVOLCANO.

I NEED TO FIGURE OUT
WHERE IT'S COMING FROM

AND WHAT'S TRIGGERING IT.

TO DO THAT, I NEED TO KNOW
WHAT'S GOING ON UNDERGROUND.

AND THERE'S ONE NEW PIECE
OF TECH THAT CAN TELL ME.

WHOA! IS THAT
WHAT I THINK IT IS?

IS THAT
A MAGMA CHAMBER?

I'M IN MAMMOTH LAKES,
CALIFORNIA,

ABOUT 150 MILES
NORTHEAST OF FRESNO,

INVESTIGATING ALARMING SIGNS
OF POSSIBLE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

AND THERE ARE CLUES
POINTING TOWARDS

AN IMMINENT ERUPTION SCATTERED
THROUGHOUT THIS VALLEY,

WHICH IS THE SITE
OF THE SECOND-LARGEST

EXPLOSIVE VOLCANIC ERUPTION
IN NORTH AMERICA.

THAT MAMMOTH BLAST
760,000 YEARS AGO

WAS SO POWERFUL,

IT SENT A FLAMING COLUMN
OF ASH EIGHT MILES HIGH,

DEPOSITING SOME FRAGMENTS
AS FAR EAST AS KANSAS.

EVEN IF THE POWER
OF THE NEXT ERUPTION

IS JUST A SMALL FRACTION
OF THAT,

IT WOULD BE
AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT

TO THE MILLIONS WHO LIVE IN

AND VISIT THE AREA EACH YEAR.

SO FAR, I FOUND A LOT OF SMOKE,
BUT NOT MUCH FIRE,

SO I'M CALLING IN MY FRIEND
GEOPHYSICIST JARED PEACOCK

TO HELP GET A READ
ON WHAT'S GOING ON

DEEP BENEATH
THE EARTH'S SURFACE.

ROB.
HOW YOU DOING?

GOOD, HOW ABOUT YOU?

THANKS FOR MEETING ME
OUT HERE.

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
IF THIS PLACE IS INCREASING

IN VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

CLEARLY, THERE'S
SOMETHING DOWN THERE.

SURE. SO,
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE

IS THE REMNANTS
OF AN OLD VOLCANO.

YOU CAN SEE
THE CALDERA BOUNDARIES

RIGHT WHERE THE HILLS
START ON THAT SIDE

AND WHERE THE MOUNTAINS
START ON THIS SIDE.

FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT,

JARED POINTS OUT
AN ALARMING FEATURE

THAT COULD SPELL TROUBLE.

SO, WHAT WE GOT HERE
IS WE GOT InSAR DATA

OVER THE LAST
20 YEARS OR SO.

InSAR, OR INTERFEROMETRIC
SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR,

IS A A TYPE OF REMOTE
SENSING TECHNOLOGY.

IT FOCUSES AN EXTREMELY
NARROW BEAM

OF RADIATION ON THE TARGET,

WHICH THEN BOUNCES BACK
TO A SENSOR ON THE ANTENNA.

THESE InSAR ANTENNAS
ARE CAPABLE

OF CREATING ELEVATION MAPS

THAT ARE ACCURATE DOWN
TO THE CENTIMETER.

AND ONE OF THE MOST TROUBLING
AREAS InSAR HAS PINPOINTED

HAPPENS TO BE VERY CLOSE
TO MAMMOTH LAKES.

SO RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE, YOU
SEE THE RESURGENT DOME.

WOW, LOOK AT THAT.
RESURGENT DOME,

MEANING THAT
IT'S COMING BACK

BECAUSE OF SOME MAGMA UNDERNEATH
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

THERE IS SOMETHING UNDERNEATH IT
THAT'S PUSHING IT UPWARDS.

WOW.

YEAH, IT'S CLOSE TO A METER
OVER THE LAST 20 OR 30 YEARS.

WELL, FROM WHAT I KNOW
ABOUT VOLCANOS,

THEY DO UPLIFT
BEFORE THEY EXPLODE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THIS COULD BE A FRIGHTENING SIGN
THAT TROUBLE IS BREWING.

SWELLING GROUND LEVELS
ON VOLCANOS

HAVE OFTEN PRECEDED
DEVASTATING ERUPTIONS.

THE LARGEST VOLCANO ON EARTH,
HAWAII'S MAUNA LOA,

IS PRONE TO CYCLES OF SWELLING
AND RECEDING GROUND LEVELS.

UNDERSTANDING THESE CHANGES
HELPED VOLCANOLOGISTS PREDICT

MASSIVE ERUPTIONS
IN 1975 AND 1984.

IN 1980, EXPERTS AND LAYMEN
ALIKE OBSERVED A BULGE

GROWING OUT OF THE NORTHERN
SUMMIT OF MOUNT ST. HELENS.

AND SURE ENOUGH,
ON MAY 18th OF THAT YEAR,

THE MOUNT FAMOUSLY EXPLODED.

SO, COULD THIS ONE BE
A SIMILAR HARBINGER OF DOOM?

TO TRY TO DETERMINE
IF THE LONG VALLEY CALDERA

IS COMING BACK TO LIFE,

WE NEED TO SCAN FOR SIGNS
OF TROUBLE DEEP UNDERGROUND,

AND JARED HAS
A CUTTING-EDGE EXPERIMENT

THAT CAN DO JUST THAT.

BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE
DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BULGE

REVEALED BY THE InSAR DATA.

SO, WE, BASICALLY,
FROM THAT OTHER PEAK SCOUTED

OUT THIS RESURGENT DOME,

AND WE HIKED
ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP.

WE MADE IT
JUST BEFORE SUNSET.

WE ONLY HAVE
A LITTLE BIT OF TIME,

SO WE GOT TO SET UP
BOTH OF THESE PIPES,

AND THOSE ARE GOING
TO DETECT CHANGES

IN THE EARTH'S
MAGNETIC FIELD.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO DETECT
IF THERE'S LIQUID UNDERGROUND.

WE'RE GOING TO CONDUCT
WHAT'S CALLED

A MAGNETOTELLURIC SURVEY.

IT USES ELECTRICAL
AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

TO IDENTIFY VARIATIONS
BENEATH EARTH'S SURFACE.

WITH THE DATA,
IT THEN CONSTRUCTS A 3-D MAP

OF THE GEOLOGICAL LAYERS.

THIS IS A TECHNOLOGY
THAT CAN PLOT OUT AREAS

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FEET DEEP,

SO I'M HOPING IT WILL
FINALLY TELL ME

IF AN ACTIVE MAGMA CHAMBER

IS CAUSING THE RECENT SURGE

IN DEADLY
GEOLOGIC ACTIVITY HERE.

CAN WE RUN THAT REAL QUICK
AND SEE WHAT WE GOT?

YEAH.

MOMENT OF TRUTH
RIGHT HERE.

AND GO.

WHOA!

WHAT ARE
WE LOOKING AT?

IS THAT
WHAT I THINK IT IS?

HOW DO YOU INTERPRET
SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

WELL, IT'S COMPLICATED.

WHAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT HERE

IS DEFINITELY
SOME SORT OF LIQUID,

WE CAN TELL THAT.THAT'S RIGHT.

WOW, THIS IS
IMPRESSIVE, JARED.

SO, THAT'S A WHOLE BUNCH
OF DIFFERENT CHAMBERS.

THAT'S NOT ONE
MAGMA CHAMBER.

RIGHT,
THERE'S DEFINITELY

SOME SORT OF MAGNETIC ACTIVITY
IN THIS AREA.

THIS IS BIG.

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A VAST,
UNDERGROUND NETWORK

OF SUPERHEATED FLUIDS BENEATH
THIS LONG, DORMANT SUPERVOLCANO.

AS WE ANALYZE THE DATA,

JARED SHOWS ME EACH DANGER ZONE
I INVESTIGATED

OCCURRED RIGHT ABOVE
ONE OF THESE POCKETS.

WE CAN SEE WHERE IT FLOWS
ALL THE WAY TO HOT CREEK.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS
THE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

DOESN'T APPEAR
TO BE CENTRALIZED.

IT'S SPARSE AND SPREAD OUT.

WE CAN SAY CONCLUSIVELY

THAT THERE'S NO GIANT
MAGMA CHAMBER BELOW.

THERE ARE SMALLER,
SATELLITE ONES AROUND THE AREA.

SO, IT SEEMS
THE OMINOUS EVENTS

THAT HAVE BEEN
HAPPENING AROUND HERE RECENTLY

AREN'T THE PRELUDE TO ANOTHER
SUPERVOLCANIC ERUPTIONS,

BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY
THE HUGE RELIEF IT SHOULD BE.

BECAUSE AS WE'VE SEEN,

MOLTEN LAVA ISN'T
THE ONLY LETHAL WEAPON

IN THE VOLCANIC ARSENAL.

THE M.T. SURVEY
REVEALED A LITERAL MINEFIELD

OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
THAT CAN MANIFEST ITSELF

IN SUPERHEATED GROUND WATER,
TOXIC-GAS EMISSIONS,

AND WORST OF ALL,
SUDDEN EXPLOSIONS.

WE STILL HAVE
A LOT MORE TO LEARN

ABOUT VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

BEFORE WE CAN
ACCURATELY PREDICT IT

AND PREVENT ITS MOST
DIRE CONSEQUENCES.

BUT NEW TECHNOLOGY
IS NOW GIVING US

AN UNPRECEDENTED GLIMPSE
OF THE TURBULENT AND FIERY WORLD

THAT LIES DEEP BENEATH OUR FEET.

NOW FROM THE HIGH COUNTRY
OF EASTERN CALIFORNIA,

I'M HEADING TO THE SHORES
OF RURAL CONNECTICUT.

IN THE HISTORIC TOWN
OF GROTON LIES A LITTLE-KNOWN,

BUT POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MYSTERY.

EVEN THE SITE'S NAME,
GUNGYWAMP, IS AN ENIGMA.

SOME CLAIM IT COMES
FROM THE MOHEGAN TERM

FOR "PLACE OF LEDGES,"

WHILE OTHERS BELIEVE IT REFERS
TO AN ANCIENT GAELIC PHRASE

FOR "THE CHURCH OF THE PEOPLE."

WHAT IS THE REAL STORY
BEHIND THIS PLACE?

I'M HIKING THROUGH
100-ACRE STRETCH OF FOREST

WHERE A COLLECTION
OF BIZARRE STAR STRUCTURES

LIE BURIED BENEATH
THE FRESHLY FALLEN SNOW.

FOR DECADES, ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE
BEEN INTRIGUED BY THIS PLACE.

LOOK AT THAT.
CHECK THIS OUT.

OH, MY GOD.

WHOA.

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW
TO INTERPRET THIS STRUCTURE.

IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE
ANYTHING I HAVE EVER SEEN.

WHO BUILT THESE STRUCTURES
AND WHY?

WAS THIS A COLONIAL SETTLEMENT,

A SACRED NATIVE-AMERICAN SITE,

OR IS THERE, AS ONE
ARCHAEOLOGIST BELIEVES,

ANOTHER, MORE SURPRISING
EXPLANATION--

THAT IT WAS BUILT ALMOST
1,000 YEARS BEFORE COLUMBUS

BY A COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED GROUP
OF SETTLERS.

WHAT THIS REMINDS ME OF IS
SOME SORT OF MEDIEVAL STRUCTURE.

ARE THESE RUINS HARBORING
AN INCREDIBLE SECRET?

TO FIND OUT, I'LL USE
CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

TO DETECT DETAILS THAT HAVEN'T
BEEN SEEN IN CENTURIES.

THIS WILL BE SOMETHING

THAT WILL COMPLETELY CHANGE
THE HISTORY BOOKS.

I'M AT THE GUNGYWAMP
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

IN GROTON, CONNECTICUT,

WHERE SCHOLARS
HAVE STRUGGLED TO EXPLAIN

THE PRESENCE OF
A HISTORIC COMPLEX OF RUINS.

WERE THEY BUILT BY COLONISTS,
NATIVE AMERICANS,

OR MAYBE EVEN A MYSTERIOUS
GROUP OF MEDIEVAL SETTLERS?

I'M BATTLING HEAVY SNOW COVER
TO LOOK FOR HIDDEN CLUES

WITHIN THESE
SUBTERRANEAN STRUCTURES,

AND HOPEFULLY UNEARTH
THEIR ANCIENT SECRETS.

OH, WOW!

YOU CAN LOOK RIGHT DOWN
INTO A CAVITY RIGHT DOWN THERE.

THIS OPENS UP
INTO A ROOM.

HERE, LET'S GO DOWN
RIGHT THROUGH HERE,

SEE IF WE CAN GET
THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.

LOOK AT THIS!

OH, MY GOSH.
THIS IS A STRUCTURE.

THAT'S WHAT WE SAW RIGHT THERE.
THAT WAS THE WINDOW.

AS I EXPLORE
THIS BIZARRE STRUCTURE,

I'M CURIOUS WHAT IT
COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR.

LOOK AT THAT.

AND IT'S NOT LONG BEFORE I
UNCOVER AN EVEN STRANGER DETAIL.

OHH, BUDDY!

OH, WOW!

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE
IS A TINY CRAWL SPACE,

BASICALLY BRANCHING OFF
OF THE SIDE OF THE MAIN CHAMBER.

BASICALLY, YOU'RE LOOKING
AT SOMETHING

THAT'S MAYBE FOUR FEET WIDE
IN DIAMETER,

MAYBE THREE FEET TALL.

BUT I HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT THIS IS FOR.

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING,
IT SEEMS TOO SMALL

FOR ANY REAL PURPOSE,

SO I'M WONDERING IF IT COULD
BE CEREMONIAL IN NATURE.

SO, THAT'S WHAT
REALLY INTRIGUES ME.

WHAT WAS THIS
STRUCTURE USED FOR,

WHY WAS IT BUILT,

AND FOR THAT MATTER,
WHO BUILT IT?

I'VE CALLED IN
A LOCAL ARCHAEOLOGIST

WHO MIGHT BE ABLE
TO HELP ME FIGURE IT OUT.

HEY.
HEY.

HOW YOU DOING?
I'M VANCE.

VANCE TIEDE HAS BEEN
INVESTIGATING

THE GUNGYWAMP SITE
FOR YEARS.

WHY DO YOU THINK
THIS STRUCTURE

COULDN'T BE, SAY,
A NATIVE-AMERICAN STRUCTURE?

THE PROBLEM
WITH THAT EXPLANATION,

IF WE LOOK AT SOME
OF THE STONES

THAT HAVE BEEN USED HERE,

SOME OF THEM
HAVE BEEN QUARRIED.

OHH.
AND THAT SUGGESTS

SOME SORT OF METAL TOOL,

MADE EITHER OF BRONZE
OR PERHAPS IRON.

AS FAR AS WE KNOW,
THESE STONE-WORKING TOOLS

WERE NOT AVAILABLE
IN NORTH AMERICA

UNTIL THE PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD.

IS IT REASONABLE TO THINK
THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN

SOMEBODY FROM ENGLAND
THAT CAME OVER HERE, SETTLED,

BUILT THIS, YOU KNOW,
POST-COLUMBUS?

IT IS POSSIBLE.

AT FIRST GLANCE,
THE CHAMBER SEEMS

TO RESEMBLE THE ROOT CELLARS
THAT COLONIAL FARMERS

TYPICALLY BUILT
INTO THE LANDSCAPE

TO STORE VEGETABLES
AND OTHER PERISHABLES.

BUT VANCE BELIEVES IT HAS
A MORE STRIKING SIMILARITY

WITH ANOTHER
KIND OF STRUCTURE.

THEY'RE, IN FACT,
MORE CONSISTENT

WITH WHAT
WE CALL ORATORIES,

OR SMALL CHAPELS
THAT ARE FOUND

IN IRISH
MONASTIC SETTINGS.

ACCORDING TO VANCE,
STONE STRUCTURES

EERILY SIMILAR TO THESE

ARE FOUND ON THE WEST COAST
OF IRELAND,

WHERE THEY WERE BUILT
BY EARLY CHRISTIAN MONKS

1,500 YEARS AGO.

IF VANCE'S THEORY IS TRUE,

THIS WOULD BE YET ANOTHER CASE

OF SOMEONE BEATING COLUMBUS
TO THE NEW WORLD.

IN RECENT YEARS, NEW EVIDENCE

HAS REVEALED THAT OTHERS
FROM THE OLD WORLD

LIKELY REACHED THESE SHORES LONG
BEFORE THE SPANIARD SET SAIL.

ONE AUTHOR BELIEVES THAT
A CELEBRATED CHINESE MARINER

NAMED ZHENG HE
CROSSED THE PACIFIC

AND LANDED ON THE WEST COAST
IN THE EARLY 15th CENTURY,

MORE THAN 70 YEARS
BEFORE COLUMBUS.

AND IN NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA,

ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE DISCOVERED

THE REMAINS
OF A VIKING SETTLEMENT

DATING BACK MORE
THAN 400 YEARS BEFORE THAT.

BUT COULD IT BE POSSIBLE

THAT THERE WERE EUROPEAN
VISITORS HERE EVEN EARLIER,

AND THAT THEY WERE
ACTUALLY IRISH MONKS?

YOU HAVE UNIQUE
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES HERE.

THERE'S SOME INTERESTING THINGS
THAT HAPPEN WITH THE LIGHT

THAT MAKE
THIS CHAMBER FUNCTION

LIKE A SUNDIAL NOT
FOR THE HOUR OF THE DAY,

BUT FOR THE DAY
OF THE YEAR.

VANCE BELIEVES THE STRUCTURE'S
DESIGN INDICATES

IT WAS ACTUALLY
AN ASTRONOMICAL TOOL,

BUT NOT FOR ANY OF THE KNOWN
INHABITANTS OF THE AREA.

IF NATIVE TRIBES CONSTRUCTED IT,
THEY MIGHT HAVE ALIGNED IT

WITH THE LATE SUMMER
CORN HARVEST,

BUT THERE DOESN'T SEEM
TO BE A CORRELATION,

AND THE VIKING STRUCTURES
RARELY LINE UP

WITH HEAVENLY BODIES AT ALL.

SCANDINAVIA IS HOME TO JUST
ONE ANCIENT STRUCTURE

THAT'S THOUGHT TO ALIGN
WITH THE HEAVENS--

ALE'S STONES
IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN.

BUT ACCORDING TO VANCE,

ANCIENT IRISH STRUCTURES
SIMILAR TO THIS CHAMBER

WERE BUILT TO ALIGN
WITH THE WINTER SOLSTICE--

THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR,

WHICH HAPPENS TO FALL
JUST BEFORE

ONE OF THE CHRISTIAN
CALENDAR'S HOLIEST DAYS--

CHRISTMAS.

IT'S EITHER
A FORTUITOUS ALIGNMENT

TOTALLY BY CHANCE,

OR THE DESIGNER KNEW
EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING.

TO TEST THIS THEORY,
VANCE AND I SET UP AN EXPERIMENT

WITH JUST A FEW SIMPLE TOOLS.

USING AN APP ON MY PHONE
THAT TRACKS SOLAR MOVEMENTS,

I CAN CALCULATE
THE EXACT TRAJECTORY

ON ANY GIVEN DAY OF THE YEAR.

IT'S GONNA BE
IN THIS DIRECTION.

SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT
WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS THE SUN

TO COME UP
SOMEWHERE OVER HERE

AND POINT
INTO THE CAVITY.

YES.

ACCORDING TO VANCE,
SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE HAPPENS

WHEN THE SUN HITS THE CHAMBER

ON THE DAY
OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE.

IS THE KEY CLUE
ABOUT THE PURPOSE

OF THIS CHAMBER
HOVERING IN THE SKY ABOVE?

AS THE SUN RISES...WOW, LOOK AT THAT.

I'M AT THE GUNGYWAMP
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

IN GROTON, CONNECTICUT,

WHERE SCHOLARS
HAVE STRUGGLED TO EXPLAIN

THE PRESENCE OF
A HISTORIC COMPLEX OF RUINS.

WERE THEY BUILT BY COLONISTS,
NATIVE AMERICANS,

OR MAYBE EVEN A MYSTERIOUS GROUP
OF MEDIEVAL SETTLERS?

I'VE TEAMED UP WITH
ARCHAEOLOGIST VANCE TIEDE

TO SET UP A SIMPLE TEST
THAT MIGHT PROVIDE A KEY CLUE.

OH, MY GOODNESS.Tiede: THE SUN GOES IN,

AND AS THE SUN
CONTINUES TO RISE,

IT ENTERS THE SIDE CHAMBER
AND GOES OUT.

THAT'S SO COOL.

THE SMALLER CHAMBER
WITHIN THE CHAMBER

LITERALLY FILLS WITH LIGHT
JUST DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

AND THAT REALLY
ONLY HAPPENS

AT SUNRISE
ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE.

BUT THIS CHAMBER'S ALIGNMENT
WITH THE WINTER SOLSTICE

IS ONLY HALF OF THE STORY.

VANCE THEN TAKES ME
TO THE SMALL WINDOW

AT THE BACK OF THE CHAMBER.

OKAY, CAN YOU SEE
THAT THERE?

OH, YEAH, OKAY.

WE'VE PLACED THE FLASHLIGHT
AT AN ANGLE

TO MATCH THE SUNSET
ON THE SPRING EQUINOX.

BETTER KNOWN ON THE CHRISTIAN
CALENDAR AS EASTER.

THEN VANCE AND I BUILD A FIRE
TO GET A BETTER SENSE

OF HOW THIS WILL PLAY OUT.

LIGHTING IT UP.

WHEN THE SMOKE'S UP,

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE
REALLY CLEARLY

THIS BEAM OF LIGHT
COMING THROUGH THE WINDOW.

OH, MY GOODNESS,

AND IT'S SHINING
RIGHT DOWN THERE AT THE CAVITY.

ON THE SPRING EQUINOX,
THE LIGHT BEAMS IN

THROUGH THE SMALL WINDOW
AND HITS THE SMALL SIDE CHAMBER,

JUST AS IT DOES
ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE,

BUT THIS TIME
FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

SO IT SEEMS THE SUN'S TRAJECTORY
THROUGH THE STRUCTURE

COULD BE A POWERFUL
RELIGIOUS SYMBOL

MARKING THE TWO MAJOR EVENTS
IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST.

SO, DURING EASTER,
THE LIGHT ESSENTIALLY--

IT LOOKS LIKE
IT'S COMING OUT OF THE CAVE.

YES.

AND THEN DURING,
ESSENTIALLY, CHRISTMASTIME,

IT LOOKS LIKE THE LIGHT'S
GOING INTO THE CAVE.

CORRECT. IT'S LIKE THE BEGINNING
AND THE END,

THE BIRTH,
AND THE RESURRECTION.

FOR AN IRISH MONK
OR ANY CHRISTIAN

IN ANY CENTURY
SINCE THEN,

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
A VERY POWERFUL METAPHOR.

AND PARTICULARLY
FOR THE IRISH

BECAUSE THE IRISH CHURCH
CHARACTERIZED CHRIST

AS THE TRUE SUN,
THE SOLAR SUN.

I HAVE TO ADMIT--
VANCE'S ARGUMENT IS INTRIGUING.

THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE
A HUGE COINCIDENCE.

BUT TO USE THIS
AS THE BASIS TO CLAIM

THAT MEDIEVAL IRISH MONKS
CROSSED THE ATLANTIC

AND BUILT THIS SITE STILL SEEMS
A BIT FAR-FETCHED TO ME.

AFTER ALL, MOST AMERICAN
COLONISTS WERE CHRISTIANS

WHO CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS
AND EASTER, TOO.

BUT VANCE ISN'T READY
TO REST HIS CASE JUST YET.

HE ASSURES ME THAT THERE ARE
MORE CLUES NEARBY.

WHAT YOU SEE IS
THERE'S A STONE WALL.

IT LOOKS LIKE
AN INSCRIPTION.

ALL I SEE ARE A COUPLE
OF SLICES IN THE ROCK.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
TO SEE IN NATURAL LIGHTING.

YOU CAN FEEL IT
WITH YOUR HANDS.

YOU CAN KIND OF
FEEL IT THERE.

THERE'S DEFINITELY
A LINE DOWN HERE.

I'M NOT CONVINCED
THAT WHAT I'M SEEING

IS REALLY A PETROGLYPH,
BUT IF IT IS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

VANCE BELIEVES IT BEARS
A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE

TO A WIDELY USED
RELIGIOUS SYMBOL.

THOSE THREE LINES
ARE TOTALLY CONSISTENT

WITH WHAT COULD BE SEEN IN EARLY
IRISH CHRISTIAN MANUSCRIPTS,

UNIQUELY TO IRISH
EARLY CHRISTIAN MANUSCRIPTS.

THESE ARE OGOM
OR OGHAM LETTERS.

IT'S A WRITING SYSTEM
THAT'S MADE WITH STRAIGHT LINES

BECAUSE IT'S EASY
TO CHISEL INTO WOOD,

OR IN THIS CASE,
STONE.

OGHAM IS AN ANCIENT
IRISH ALPHABET

THAT WAS USED
IN THE ENGLISH ISLES.

IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE
BEEN USED IN IRELAND

FROM THE 4th THROUGH
THE 10th CENTURIES.

TODAY, ABOUT 400 KNOWN
OGHAM INSCRIPTIONS SURVIVE,

MAINLY IN SOUTHERN IRELAND.

OVER 100 OF THEM
ARE CONCENTRATED

IN THE COUNTY OF KERRY--

A DISTRICT ON THE EDGE
OF IRELAND THAT FACES DUE WEST

TOWARDS
THEIR NEW ENGLAND COAST.

THIS UPRIGHT'S CONSISTENT
WITH THE LETTER "B."

AND THESE
TWO UPRIGHTS TOGETHER

ARE CONSISTENT
WITH THE LETTER "L."

THIS WHAT LOOKS
LIKE AN "I"

AND THE LETTER "C"
WITH THIS OVER BAR

IS RECOGNIZED UNIVERSALLY
IN CHRISTIANITY

AS THE NAME SPELLED
IN GREEK LETTERS

FOR "JESUS," "IESOUS."

IF VANCE IS RIGHT,
THIS ETCHING COULD BE

AN OGHAM SIGN FOR "LORD."

BUT COULDN'T SOMEONE
WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THESE SYMBOLS

HAVE CARVED THEM HERE LATER?

VANCE THINKS
IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY,

BELIEVING THIS COMBINATION
OF GREEK AND OGHAM

IS SO SPECIFIC
THAT IT'S DOUBTFUL

ANYONE OTHER THAN
THESE LEARNED IRISH MONKS

WOULD HAVE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF IT.

BUT FOR THEM TO HAVE
LEFT THESE MARKINGS

IN CONNECTICUT
1,500 YEARS AGO,

THEY WOULD HAVE NEEDED
A MEANS OF GETTING HERE.

THE 6th CENTURY IRISH
WERE EXPERT SEAFARERS,

LIKELY SAILING SEAMLESSLY
BETWEEN THE IRISH ISLES.

BUT COULD THEY HAVE MADE IT
ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC?

IN THE 1970s,
RENOWNED EXPLORER TIM SEVERIN

BUILT A TYPICAL
IRISH VESSEL OF THE TIME

WITH ONLY LEATHER, WOOD,
AND PRIMITIVE TOOLS.

SHOCKINGLY, HE COMPLETED
THE 4,500 MILES VOYAGE,

PROVING IT WAS
ENTIRELY POSSIBLE.

BUT DID IT REALLY HAPPEN

ALMOST A 1,000 YEARS
BEFORE COLUMBUS?

THESE MARKINGS ARE TOO FAINT

FOR ME TO DECIPHER
WITH ANY CERTAINTY.

IS THIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
THAT WILL REWRITE HISTORY,

OR JUST A FORTUITOUS CRACK
IN THE ROCKS?

TO GET A BETTER LOOK, I'M GOING
TO DEPLOY A NEW TECHNOLOGY

THAT CAN LITERALLY
LET ME SEE THE CARVING

IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT.

SO THIS IS
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.

OH, MY GOSH.
WOW.

I'M IN THE SMALL TOWN
OF GROTON, CONNECTICUT,

INVESTIGATING A RADICAL CLAIM

THAT THE FIRST SETTLERS
IN NORTH AMERICA

WERE ACTUALLY
MEDIEVAL IRISH MONKS.

IT MAY SEEM A BIT UNBELIEVABLE,

BUT THAT THEORY IS BECOMING
MORE PLAUSIBLE BY THE MINUTE.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THIS IN MY WHOLE LIFE.

THERE ARE TWO STONE CHAMBERS
ON THE GUNGYWAMP GROUNDS

THAT BEAR
A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE

TO EARLY CHRISTIAN CHAPELS
ON THE EMERALD ISLE.

AND MYSTERIOUS MARKINGS
ON NEARBY MARKS

MAY BE OF MEDIEVAL ORIGIN,
AS WELL.

AND IF YOU RUN
YOUR FINGERS OVER IT,

YOU CAN ACTUALLY
FEEL THE LETTERS.

I NEED TO GET A BETTER LOOK
AT THESE ETCHINGS,

SO I'M BRINGING IN
RICH HOUSE,

A SPECIALIST
IN A NEW TECHNIQUE

CALLED REFLECTANCE
TRANSFORMATION IMAGING, OR RTI.

YOU SEE THAT LITTLE
INDENTATION IN THE ROCK?

KIND OF UP AND AROUND?

HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

I'M HOPING THAT
THE TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU HAVE

MIGHT JUST ALLOW US
TO SEE IT MORE CLEARLY.

RTI IS ALMOST KNOWN
AS POLYNOMIAL TEXTURE MAPPING.

IT WAS INVENTED
BY RESEARCH SCIENTISTS IN 2001.

IT STITCHES TOGETHER
A SERIES OF PHOTOS

TAKING BY A CAMERA
IN A FIXED POSITION

WITH A ROTATING
LIGHT SOURCE.

THIS ELIMINATES SHADOWS
ON THE SURFACE

AND BRINGS OUT DETAILS
NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE

WITH THE NAKED EYE.

WE SET UP
AT THE FIRST CARVING,

GRADUALLY MOVING
THE LIGHT SOURCE

BETWEEN EACH PHOTOGRAPH.

WHEN YOU GET THE FLASH OFF
TO THE SIDE,

AND YOU SNAP A PHOTO,

YOU REALLY CAN SEE THE IMAGE
A LITTLE BIT BETTER

THAN YOU CAN JUST LOOKING
AT IT ON THIS FLAT LIGHT.

THIS TEST WILL SHAVE CENTURIES
OF WEAR OFF THESE MARKINGS

AND GIVE US
A CLEARER PICTURE

OF WHAT THE ORIGINAL
CARVER INTENDED.

GET RID OF
THE DISTRACTING COLOR,

AND THEN I'M GONNA ADD
CONTRAST ON THE LEVELS.

SO, THAT'S REALLY JUST READING
THE 3-D SURFACE INFORMATION.

WOW.

WELL, THAT'S-- THERE'S
DEFINITELY SOMETHING THERE

WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT
LIKE THIS.

I DEFINITELY SEE
A REALLY STRONG LINE HERE.

THE RTI IMAGE SEEMS TO CONFIRM
VANCE'S INTERPRETATION.

WHAT WE CAN SEE,
IT LOOKS LIKE, BASICALLY,

ONE, TWO, THREE SLASHES,

A "J," AND A "C."

I'M STARTING TO BELIEVE.

BUT BEFORE I EMBRACE
THIS THEORY WHOLEHEARTEDLY,

I WANT TO SEE
A PHYSICAL ARTIFACT LEFT

BY ONE OF THESE MERRY MONKS.

OVER 500 ARTIFACTS
HAVE BEEN RECOVERED HERE.

MANY OF THEM ARE PRESERVED

AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF CONNECTICUT,

SO I'M HEADING THERE TO MEET
WITH BRIAN JONES,

CONNECTICUT'S
STATE ARCHAEOLOGIST

TO GET A FIRSTHAND LOOK.

I'M REALLY INTERESTED
IN THIS IDEA

OF KIND OF AN IRISH BACKGROUND
TO THAT PARTICULAR SITE.

MAYBE PRE-COLONIAL.

RIGHT. WE HAVE AN OVERWHELMING
AMOUNT OF MATERIAL

FROM THE MID-18th CENTURY

UP UNTIL EVEN THE MID-20th
CENTURY OUT THERE.

NOW, THERE IS A VERY ANCIENT
NATIVE AMERICAN PRESENCE

ON THE LANDSCAPE,
THOUGH.

AND RIGHT BEHIND YOU,
YOU'VE GOT SOME ARTIFACTS

THERE ON THE TABLE.

WE'VE GOT SOME
PROJECTILE POINTS.

FROM THE PERIOD, IT'S PROBABLY
A JAVELIN OR DART TIP.

THERE ARE SOME FASCINATING
ANCIENT FINDS HERE,

BUT NOTHING THAT SEEMS CONNECTED
TO THE EMERALD ISLE.

SO, I'M WONDERING
IS THERE ANY CHANCE

THE MEDIEVAL ARTIFACTS
I'M HUNTING FOR

COULD HAVE BEEN LOST
OR OVERLOOKED.

IF YOU WERE LOOKING
FOR SOME SORT

OF 5th CENTURY ARTIFACT,
WHAT WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR?

WELL, IF YOU THINK
OF THAT PERIOD IN IRELAND,

YOU'VE GOT SOME ACTUALLY
BEAUTIFUL ORNATE

METALWORK GOING ON,
BEAUTIFUL BRIDGES.

I DON'T KNOW IF SOME POOR MONK
COMING OVER HERE

WOULD BE WEARING A FANCY BROOCH
THAT MAYBE SOME LORD WOULD.

WHAT ABOUT THE SYMBOLS,
THE PETROGLYPHS IN THE ROCK?

I MEAN, HOW WOULD YOU
EXPLAIN THAT?

LOOKING AT
THE TYPE OF STONE,

IT'S COARSE,
IT'S FOLDED,

AND THERE'S A LOT
OF INTERESTING CRACKS

AND WEATHERING
HAPPENING THERE.

I CAN'T SEE
WHAT VANCE SEES.

WE KNOW THERE'S
SURVEYORS MARKS OUT THERE,

SO THERE'S SOME REALLY
LEGITIMATE CARVING

HAPPENING
IN THE LANDSCAPE.

I CAN SEE SOME OF THE IMAGES
ON THE ROCK

NOW THAT WE HAVE RTI,

AND I THINK WHAT I NEED TO DO
IS TAKE THOSE IMAGES

AND TRY TO LOOK BACK
IN THE LITERATURE,

SEE IF THEY MATCH UP
IN SOME WAY.

YEAH, THAT'S IT.

DO THE RESEARCH
AND SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH.

SO, WE HAVE THIS CURIOUS
SET OF CARVINGS

THAT COULD HAVE
ANCIENT IRISH ORIGINS,

BUT NO OTHER ARTIFACTS
TO SUPPORT THAT THEORY.

STILL, IT'S POSSIBLE
ANY ARTICLES LEFT BY THE IRISH

WERE CARRIED OFF
BY LATER VISITORS,

OR EVEN REMAIN
BURIED AT THE SITE.

AND THE IMAGES PRODUCED
BY THE RTI PHOTOGRAPHY

INDICATES THE MARKINGS
WERE MANMADE.

BUT WHOSE TO SAY IF
THEY WERE UNIQUELY IRISH,

AS OPPOSED TO JUST
RANDOM ETCHINGS ON A ROCK?

I NEED TO DIG A BIT DEEPER

INTO THIS MYSTERIOUS SECT
OF IRISH MONKS,

AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS
A PRISTINE EXAMPLE

OF THEIR CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

IS JUST A QUICK DRIVE
FROM BRIAN'S OFFICE.

FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
IS HOME TO A RARE COPY

OF IRELAND'S NATIONAL TREASURE,

THE BOOK OF KELLS.

THIS IS AN OLD IRISH BIBLE.

IT IS VERY RARE.

HENCE, I'M USING GLOVES.

SO, THIS IS THE BOOK OF KELLS.

THE ORIGINAL BOOK OF KELLS

IS HOUSED
IN DUBLIN'S TRINITY COLLEGE

AND IS SO FRAGILE,
THAT EVEN TURNING ITS PAGES

CAN CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE.

IN THE LATE '80s,
A SWISS PUBLISHING HOUSE

PRODUCED A SMALL NUMBER
OF EXACT COPIES

VALUED AT $15,000 EACH.

WHAT I'M LOOKING AT NOW

IS A TRUE FACSIMILE
OF THE ORIGINAL.

EVERY DETAIL IS PRESERVED,

EVEN DOWN TO THE WORMHOLES
BORED INTO IT

WHEN IT WAS BURIED
FOR SAFEKEEPING

IN THE MIDDLE AGES.

IF THE IRISH DID
REACH NORTH AMERICA,

THEY MAY HAVE BELONGED
TO THE SAME ORDER OF MONKS

THAT CREATED THIS BOOK.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR
IN THIS TEXT IS ANYTHING

THAT RESEMBLES THE CARVINGS
IN THE ROCK.

AND BEYOND THAT,
IS THERE ANYTHING

THAT POINTS TO IT
BEING UNIQUELY IRISH?

AS I REACH THE BOOK OF MATTHEW,
I FIND A FAMILIAR SIGN.

THIS RIGHT HERE
IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL.

THIS IS "C.H.," SPACE,

AND THEN YOU HAVE THE TWO LINES,

AND ANOTHER SPACE,
AND THEN A LINE.

YOU INTERPRET
THIS AS CHRIST OR LORD.

IT'S NOT THE SAME, NECESSARILY,
AS WHAT WE SAW AT GUNGYWAMP--

A "J.C.,"
WHICH WOULD BE "JESUS LORD."

I THINK THAT'S FAIRLY SIMILAR.

BUT AS I TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
AT ONE OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS,

I FIND SOMETHING
MUCH MORE TELLING

THAN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED.

HOLD ON A SECOND.

HERE YOU HAVE
A DEPICTION OF CHRIST

BASICALLY TALKING TO THE DEVIL.

BUT WHAT'S
MORE INTERESTING TO ME

IS YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF
CHAMBER-LIKE THING RIGHT HERE

WITH A WINDOW IN IT.

NOW, AROUND THE WINDOW, TWO
SLASHES, A SPACE, AND A SLASH.

THERE ARE DIFFERENCES.

THE POSSIBLE INSCRIPTIONS
AT GUNGYWAMP

WEREN'T ON THE CHAMBER,
BUT A FEW FEET AWAY.

HOWEVER, THE ILLUSTRATION
OF A STONE CHAMBER

IS STRIKINGLY SIMILAR
TO THE ONE I INVESTIGATED.

IT'S A COINCIDENCE
THAT I'M NOT SURE WE CAN DENY.

SO, COULD MEDIEVAL IRISH MONKS

HAVE REALLY SET FOOT
IN NORTH AMERICA

A THOUSAND YEARS
BEFORE COLUMBUS?

WITH SO MUCH OF GUNGYWAMP
STILL SHROUDED IN MYSTERY,

IT'S A COMPELLING POSSIBILITY

THAT NEEDS TO BE
INVESTIGATED FURTHER.

BECAUSE IF THIS TURNS
OUT TO BE TRUE,

IF THE IRISH WERE HERE
IN THE AMERICAS IN THE 500s,

THEY WOULD REWRITE
THE HISTORY BOOKS.

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