All language subtitles for Secrets.of.the.Underground.S02E05.Atlantis.in.America.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD+2.0.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS.

THIS 2,000-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY
STIRS UP IMAGES

OF AN UNDERWATER UTOPIA.

THIS COULD BE THE PLACE.

NOBODY KNOWS WHERE
THIS LOST CITY IS.

IT HAS OBSESSED EXPLORERS
FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD

TO MODERN-DAY MAN,
WHO HAVE SCOURED THE GLOBE

LOOKING FOR ITS EXISTENCE.

ALL HAVE COME UP EMPTY.

SCIENTISTS HAVE DONE
A LOT OF WORK,

BUT THERE HAVE BEEN
NO CONCLUSIVE ANSWERS.

BUT WHAT IF...

- BACK INTO THE UNDERGROUND.
- ...THEY WERE ALL LOOKING

IN THE WRONG PLACE?

OH, MY GOODNESS.

WE'RE EXPLORING A RADICAL THEORY
THAT WILL TAKE US TO A REGION

WHERE FEW HAVE LOOKED
FOR THE LOST CITY--

NORTH AMERICA.

COULD IT BE IN THE NEW WORLD?
THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION.

BURIED DEEP BELOW
THE EARTH'S SURFACE,

THERE ARE COUNTLESS
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES.

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

THAT'S AMAZING.

IT'S SUPER DEEP!

I'M ROB NELSON,
A SCIENTIST AND EXPLORER

INVESTIGATING
OUR PLANET'S HIDDEN DEPTHS.

- GETTING DEEPER.
- HOLY MOLY, STEFAN.

AND HELPING ME UNCOVER
THESE SUBTERRANEAN SECRETS

IS TECH SPECIALIST STEFAN BURNS.

OH, MY GOD.
LOOK AT THAT!

TOGETHER...

I GOT SOMETHING!

...WE ARE UNCOVERING
NEW LEADS IN OUR QUEST

TO SOLVE EARTH'S
MOST ENDURING MYSTERIES.

- THERE WE GO.
- WHOO!

THESE ARE THE SECRETS
OF THE UNDERGROUND.

Captions by VITAC--
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THAT RIGHT THERE
IS WHERE WE'RE GOING.

THAT'S BIMINI.

WE'RE TRAVELLING FROM MIAMI
TO THE BAHAMAS TO EXPLORE

ONE OF THE OLDEST
LEGENDS ON EARTH.

RIGHT OUT HERE IS WHERE
SOME PEOPLE THINK

COULD BE THE LOST CITY
OF ATLANTIS.

- EXCITED!
- I'M HERE WITH STEFAN BURNS

TO HELP ME GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF AN ENDURING MYSTERY.

OH, MAN! I'VE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT
THIS MYTH FOR A LONG TIME.

I READ ABOUT IT AS A KID.
I READ ABOUT THIS PLACE.

STRADDLING THE WORLDS
OF HISTORY AND MYTH,

ATLANTIS WAS SAID TO BE
A PROSPEROUS,

ANCIENT SEAFARING CIVILIZATION,

ACCORDING TO PLATO'S
WORKS OVER 2,000 YEARS AGO.

BUT VIOLENT EARTHQUAKES
AND FLOODS DECIMATED ATLANTIS,

AND IT WAS SAID TO DISAPPEAR
INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA

IN JUST ONE DAY.

FOR TWO MILLENNIA,
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SEARCHING

FOR ITS RUINS FROM
THE MEDITERRANEAN

IN PLATO'S BACKYARD
TO PLACES AS FAR-FLUNG

AS INDIA AND THE NORTH POLE.

BUT STARTLING NEW CLUES
ARE LEADING EXPLORERS

IN A RADICAL DIRECTION--

TO NORTH AMERICA.

THEY'VE POINTED TO A NUMBER
OF BIZARRE SITES

ACROSS THE CONTINENT
AS BEARING RESEMBLANCE

TO THE CITY PLATO DESCRIBED.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HIT THEM ALL

WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY NO ONE
HAS EVER DEPLOYED BEFORE.

ARE WE ON A NEW-WORLD
GOOSE CHASE,

OR COULD THE MOST FAMOUS
LOST CITY OF ALL TIME

TRULY BE IN AMERICA'S BACKYARD?

IT'S REALLY EASY TO THINK
THAT IT'S JUST HOGWASH.

BUT THERE ARE A LOT
OF INTERESTING THINGS

ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING.

WE'LL START WHERE SO MUCH
CONTROVERSY HAS ERUPTED.

SCIENTISTS HAVE DONE
A LOT OF WORK OUT HERE.

OKAY.

BUT THERE HAVE BEEN
NO CONCLUSIVE ANSWERS.

REFERRED TO AS BIMINI ROAD,
A HALF-MILE LONG ROCK STRUCTURE

ON THE SEA FLOOR WAS DISCOVERED
BY DIVERS IN 1968.

IT'S BEEN A HOT SPOT
FOR EXPLORATION EVER SINCE,

BUT NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE
TO GLEAN CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE

CONNECTING IT TO
THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS.

WE CAN LOOK AT IT
WITH FRESH EYES.

WE'RE GOING TO USE
SOME TECH

THAT NOBODY HAS EVER
USED BEFORE.

YEAH.

SEE THAT HORIZON
OVER THERE?

THAT'S BIMINI.

CAN YOU SEE IT?YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

RIGHT OUT THERE.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE FANTASTIC
EYESIGHT-- 20/15.

I HAVE 20/13.

YEAH, RIGHT.

I'M SERIOUS, I DO.

OH, YEAH.THAT'S WHAT THE DOCTOR SAID.

BEFORE THE END
OF THE LAST ICE AGE,

AROUND 12,000 YEARS AGO,
SEA LEVELS WERE AT LEAST

300 FEET BELOW
WHERE THEY ARE NOW.

IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE IT NOW,
BUT BIMINI WOULD HAVE BEEN

WELL ABOVE THE WATER LINE
BEFORE SEA LEVELS ROSE.

WERE THE STONES PLACED HERE
BY A LONG-LOST

ANCIENT CIVILIZATION ON PAR
WITH THE ANCIENT GREEKS?

OR ARE THEY PRODUCTS OF NATURE?

TO GET A GOOD LOOK,
WE'RE SWITCHING TO A BOAT

STRAPPED TO THE GILLS
WITH HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT.

HEY, ERIK!

- HEY, GUYS.
- HEY.

STEFAN HAS BROUGHT
IN THE HELP OF ERIK ANDERSON,

WHO PROGRAMS SONAR TECH
WITH SUCH HIGH RESOLUTION

IT CAN PICK UP ON EVEN
THE SMALLEST CORNER OF A ROCK.

I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT
THE TECH YOU HAVE.

ABSOLUTELY.

WE'LL BE USING THE SONAR TECH
TO PRODUCE THIS FIRST-EVER,

HIGH-RESOLUTION 3-D MAP
OF BIMINI ROAD.

BUT OUR GOAL GOES BEYOND THAT.

I'LL FIND THE BEST SPOT
HERE TO DIVE,

AND SEE THESE
STRUCTURES UP CLOSE.

HOPEFULLY, IT'LL SHOW
SOMETHING COOL.

BUT MAN-MADE
VERSUS GEOLOGIC--

I THINK THAT'S
THE REAL KEY HERE.

EXACTLY.

AND IF ROB DOESN'T COME UP
FROM THE DIVE, FIND HIM.

WE'LL FIND ROB.OKAY.

FIND ME
IF I DON'T COME UP?

NO, WE WANT YOU
TO COME UP.

YOU BETTER JUMP IN IF
I DON'T COME UP, OKAY?

I'LL JUMP IN, FOR SURE.

WELCOME ABOARD,
GENTLEMEN.

ALL RIGHT.

DIVERS HAVE BEEN
COMING OUT HERE FOR YEARS

TO MARVEL AT
THE ROCK FORMATIONS.

SOME HOLD STRONG
TO THE VISION OF ATLANTIS,

WHILE OTHERS SUGGEST
THE POSSIBILITY

OF A LOST NATIVE AMERICAN
CIVILIZATION

PRE-DATING EUROPEAN CONTACT
BY THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

IT LOOKS LIKE
WE'RE ABOUT--

ABOUT A QUARTER MILE AWAY
FROM THE SITE HERE.

WE'RE STARTING TO SEE
THESE ROCK FORMATIONS HERE.

AH.

SO, THIS IS WHAT
MOST LOCALS ARE CALLING

THE BIMINI ROAD.

THIS AREA IS SO EXPANSIVE,

THERE'S NO WAY ALL OF IT
HAS BEEN EXPLORED.

PHOTOS BELIEVED TO BE
THE RUINS OF ATLANTIS

WERE TAKEN IN THE 1960s
BEFORE THE INVENTION OF GPS,

AND THE LOCATIONS
HAVE BEEN LOST.

THIS CUTTING-EDGE MAP
TAKES OUT THE GUESSWORK

AND CAN IDENTIFY UNUSUAL SPOTS
THAT WARRANT A CLOSER LOOK.

HOLY MOLY.

LOOK AT THE SIZE
OF THOSE ROCKS.

- THEY'RE HUGE!
- OH, MY GOD.

THIS NEW SONAR IS THE ONLY WAY
TO GET THE FULL PERSPECTIVE

OF WHAT'S LURKING UNDERNEATH.

IT SEEMS VERY LINEAR.VERY LINEAR.

IT HAS JUST A TREMENDOUS
PATTERN TO IT.

THAT IS VERY WEIRD.

YOU DEFINITELY NEED
TO DIVE ON THAT.

OUR HIGH-TECH MAP ENABLES US
TO HONE IN ON A SPECIFIC AREA.

SECTIONS OF ROCK THAT APPEAR
TO BE MAN-MADE

WOULD BE COMPRISED OF
VERY STRAIGHT PARALLEL LINES

AND RIGHT ANGELS,
INDICATING THE USE OF TOOLS.

IT IS ODD HOW IT POPS UP AND
THERE'S NOTHING ELSE AROUND IT.

CAN WE SPIN THIS AROUND AND LOOK
AT IT AS WE'RE COLLECTING IT?

OH, THAT'S
A GREAT ANGLE.

IF IT WAS A ROAD,
IT COULD HAVE BEEN LINED

WITH THE EDIFICES
OF A THRIVING ANCIENT CULTURE,

A THOROUGHFARE
FOR GOODS AND PEOPLE.

I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA
SEE SOMETHING THAT'S MAN-MADE,

IT'S GONNA BE
IN THAT AREA.

I'LL LET YOU GUYS
STAY UP HERE.

I'M GONNA START
GETTING ON MY DIVE GEAR

AND HOP IN THE WATER.

ZIP ME UP.

AH.

I WON'T BE TOO LONG.

YOU'RE TAKING
VIDEO, RIGHT, ROB?

YEAH. I GOT MY GoPro.
I WILL TAKE IT DOWN.

I WILL SHOOT
ANYTHING I SEE.

IF THESE ARE ROADS, PERHAPS
THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT

OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO
WASN'T AS PRIMITIVE

AS WE THOUGHT IT WAS.

ANCIENT ROMAN ENGINEERS
BUILT ROADS

WHEREVER THEY CONQUERED
TO MOVE ARMIES, PEOPLE,

AND GOODS ACROSS THE EMPIRE.

COULD THESE PEOPLE HAVE BUILT
A CIVILIZATION TO RIVAL

THE SOPHISTICATED ANCIENT WORLD

THAT PLATO AND SOCRATES
INHABITED?

SEE YOU IN A LITTLE BIT.

THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF THESE ROCK
FORMATIONS ARE TRULY ASTOUNDING.

BUT UP CLOSE,
THEY REVEAL SOMETHING

COMPLETELY BEWILDERING.

HOLY MOLY.

COMING UP...

HERE'S THE DESCENT DOWN.

AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY
WHAT I WAS EXPECTING.

...MY UNDERWATER DISCOVERIES
BLOW THE LID

ON EVERYTHING WE KNOW
ABOUT ATLANTIS...

THIS LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS
COULD VERY WELL REPRESENT

SOME CIVILIZATION
THAT EXISTED IN THE AMERICAS.

...LEADING US TO THE MOST
UNEXPECTED CORNERS OF THE EARTH.

OH, SICK!
IS THAT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE?

OH, WOW.

WE'RE AT THE SITE
OF WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS

BIMINI ROAD TO FIND OUT
IF THESE ROCK FORMATIONS

SHOW SIGNS OF HUMAN HANDIWORK

AND COULD BELONG
TO THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS.

MANY HAVE COME BEFORE US
SEEKING THE SAME ANSWER,

BUT NONE HAVE HAD ACCESS
TO THE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

WE'RE USING TODAY.

NO ONE'S EVER DONE A SURVEY
WITH THIS EQUIPMENT BEFORE.

THIS IS STATE-OF-THE-ART.

LOOK AT THAT. LOOK HOW
STRAIGHT THAT FORMATION IS.

IT IS UNUSUAL.
I CAN SEE HOW IT SPARKED UP

THESE HYPOTHESES
AND THEORIES.

IT'LL BE REALLY GOOD
TO SEE WHAT ROB CONFIRMS.

YEAH.

ATLANTIS WAS SAID TO BE RICH
WITH GLISTENING METALS,

SOPHISTICATED ARCHITECTURE,
AND ABUNDANT WILDLIFE.

ANY TRACE OF IT LEFT TODAY
WOULD HAVE UNDERGONE

THOUSANDS OF YEARS
OF WEATHERING AND EROSION.

AS A SCIENTIST,
I'M TRAINED TO LOOK FOR

ANY CLUES THAT
MIGHT LIE BENEATH--

TOOL MARKS IN THE ROCKS,
SIGNS OF MORTAR,

ANYTHING THAT WOULD INDICATE
THEY WERE MANIPULATED BY MAN.

WHOO!
HEY, MADE IT.

THAT WAS AWESOME.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
QUITE LIKE THAT.

THAT WAS REALLY UNIQUE.

THE ROCK FORMATIONS
OF BIMINI ARE BREATHTAKING,

BUT COULD THEY BE MAN-MADE?

AND IF SO, ARE THEY
ALL THAT'S LEFT

OF AN ANCIENT CULTURE
THAT ONCE EXISTED IN AMERICA?

- ALL RIGHT.
- ALL RIGHT.

ALL OF IT IS ON HERE.

I'M REALLY EXCITED
TO SEE IT.

LOOKING AT THE SONAR,
IT LOOKS LIKE A GIANT ROAD.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY
NOT THAT.

IT'S JUST ON A MUCH LARGER
SCALE THAN I EXPECTED

WHEN I WENT DOWN THERE, WHICH IS
INTERESTING IN AND OF ITSELF.

SO, HERE'S
THE DESCENT DOWN.

THERE WE GO.
CHECK THAT OUT RIGHT THERE.

OH, WOW.
THOSE STONES--

YOU SEE
HOW LARGE THEY ARE?

YEAH.

IF THERE WAS A ROAD
BEING BUILT,

I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD
USE SUCH LARGE STONES.

THEY'RE HUGE.

ON THE SONAR DATA,
YOU KNOW, THEY SHOW

VERY PRECISE, ALMOST LIKE
THEY WERE DROPPED IN PLACE.

HERE, THIS LOOKS
FAIRLY SCATTERED.

CHECK THIS OUT RIGHT HERE.

SO, THIS IS OFF THE EDGE
OF ONE OF THEM.

AND A COUPLE TIMES
I WOULD LOOK UNDERNEATH THEM,

AND THEY WERE
MORE OR LESS HOLLOW.

THAT IS KIND OF A COMMON
WEATHERING FEATURE,

AT LEAST, LIKE, IN UTAH.

YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE
THE LARGE ROCKS

THAT ARE WEATHERED AT THE BASE
AND THEY BULGE OUTWARDS--

THE MUSHROOMS.

WATER IS ONE OF NATURE'S
MOST POWERFUL TOOLS,

AND OVER TIME, CAN BREAK DOWN
AND SCULPT TO THE ROCK,

WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE
HAPPENED HERE.

IT'S SAFE TO SAY
THESE ARE NATURAL FORMATIONS,

NOT MAN-MADE WONDERS.

STEFAN AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO DO IN A MATTER OF HOURS

WHAT WOULD'VE TAKEN A TEAM
OF EXPLORERS YEARS.

IT SEEMS THAT BIMINI
IS NOT A LOST ROAD

THAT CONNECTED THE ARMIES,
TRADE, AND PEOPLE OF ATLANTIS.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER LOCATION
ON OUR LIST

THAT'S UNDERGONE
LESS EXPLORATION,

WHICH IS CURIOUS CONSIDERING
IT HAS THE CHARACTERISTICS

OF PLATO'S PORTRAYALS
OF ATLANTIS--

CONCENTRIC RINGS
OF LAND AND SEA.

IF WE GO BACK
TO PLATO'S ORIGINAL WORK,

HE TALKED ABOUT
ALTERNATE ZONES OF SEA AND LAND,

LARGER AND SMALLER,
ENCIRCLING ONE ANOTHER.

HE DIDN'T DESCRIBE IT
SPECIFICALLY

WITH GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS.MM-HMM.

THIS LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS
COULD VERY WELL REPRESENT

SOME CIVILIZATION
THAT EXISTED IN THE AMERICAS.

MMM.

WHERE DID THE NOTION OF
AN AMERICAN ATLANTIS COME FROM?

A RADICAL IDEA PROPOSED BY SOME
IS THAT ANCIENT SEAFARERS

CROSSED THE ATLANTIC
AND CONTINUED

UP THE MISSISSIPPI,
ENCOUNTERING A CIVILIZATION HERE

WELL BEFORE
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.

TALES OF THE SOCIETY
WOULD HAVE GROWN

OVER THE CENTURIES
INTO MYTHICAL PROPORTIONS,

SPAWNING THE LEGEND OF ATLANTIS.

THE IDEA OF PRE-COLUMBUS
NATIVE-AMERICAN CONTACT,

AND THE IDEA THAT
MAY HAVE HAD SOME CIVILIZATION

THAT IS LOST TO US NOW--
THAT IS REALLY INTRIGUING.

THERE ARE SITES
ON THE NORTH AMERICAN MAINLAND

THAT SUGGEST THE PRESENCE
OF A FAR MORE ADVANCED CULTURE

THAN WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT
IN OUR HISTORY BOOKS.

ONE OF THEM IN PARTICULAR
BEARS A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE

TO DESCRIPTIONS OF ATLANTIS.

THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
IS BRIMMING WITH

MODERN SUPERSTRUCTURES,
BUT COULD IT ONCE HAVE BEEN HOME

TO A CIVILIZATION
OF ATLANTIAN PROPORTIONS?

HERE AT POVERTY POINT
IN PIONEER, LOUISIANA,

AN ANCIENT SITE SPANNING
400 ACRES,

HAS PUZZLED ARCHEOLOGISTS
SINCE IT WAS SPOTTED

IN A WORLD-WAR-II-ERA
ARCHIVAL PHOTO.

FREAKING HOT OUT HERE.

THESE BIZARRE,
CIRCULAR EARTH RINGS

SURROUNDED BY A SERIES OF MOUNDS
ARE ONE OF THE ONLY KNOWN

ANCIENT STRUCTURES IN THE WORLD

THAT FIT DESCRIPTIONS
OF THE LOST CITY.

SOME CLAIM IT WAS
A CENTER FOR TRADE,

WHILE OTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED IT
WAS A RELIGIOUS CEREMONIAL SITE.

BUT EVERYONE SEEMS TO AGREE
THAT IT WAS BUILT BY AN ARCHAIC,

HUNTER-GATHERER SOCIETY.

SO, WHY DID THEY BUILD
SUCH A COMPLEX STRUCTURE?

THIS THING IS HUGE.

THIS IS SAID TO BE
THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPLEX

EARTHWORK IN NORTH AMERICA.

LOOKS LIKE IT TOOK
A LOT OF WORK.

YEAH, I WILL SAY BUILDING THIS
WITH MODERN BULLDOZERS

AND EXCAVATION TOOLS
WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME.

AND THEY WERE NOT BUILDING IT
WITH MODERN BULLDOZERS.

NO.
THIS MOUND ALONE

WAS MADE UP OF OVER
300,000 CUBIC YARDS OF DIRT,

ENOUGH TO FILL MORE
THAN 17,000 DUMP TRUCKS.

APPARENTLY, WE'RE RIGHT
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CIRCLE,

SO I THINK WE SHOULD GET
A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THIS.

OKAY.

WE NEED TO SEE JUST
HOW CLOSELY THIS LOCATION

MATCHES THE ACCOUNTS
OF PLATO'S ATLANTIS.

AND WE CAN'T
DO IT FROM DOWN HERE.

BUT DRONE FOOTAGE ALONE
MAY NOT PICK UP

ON ALL RAISED AREAS
OF THE GROUND,

SO WE'RE ATTACHING
TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL.

WE HAVE OUR
LiDAR UNIT HERE.

WE'RE GONNA ATTACH IT
TO THE DRONE

AND JUST DO
A REALLY LOW HOVER,

AND JUST DO A GRID
OVER THE SITE.

LiDAR WORKS BY GENERATING
MILLIONS OF POINTS WITH LASERS,

CREATING A 3-D MAP.

- TAKE OFF.
- ONE, TWO, THREE.

WHOO!

NICE.

OKAY, I'M GOING OVER.

THAT'S AWESOME!
WHOO!

WE'LL DO A FEW PASSES
OVER THE AREA,

AND THEN COMBINE
ALL THE IMAGES.

ISN'T THAT COOL?
IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE MOUND.

WHERE'S THE RIVER?
CAN YOU SEE THAT FROM HERE?

IN ORDER TO ALIGN WITH
THE IMAGE OF ATLANTIS

AS ALTERNATING RINGS
OF LAND AND SEA,

THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE
A WATER SOURCE NEARBY

OF WHICH, IN LOW-LYING
LOUISIANA, THERE'S NO SHORTAGE.

DO YOU SEE ANY OF THE CONCENTRIC
CIRCLES FROM HERE THAT POP OUT?

NOT OBVIOUSLY.

THE CONCENTRIC RINGS
ARE SO SUBTLE,

THEY'RE NOT SHOWING UP
ON OUR DRONE FOOTAGE.

HOPEFULLY, OUR TECH
WILL REVEAL

THE TRUE CONFIGURATION
OF THE GROUND.

STEFAN IS CREATING
A 3-D MAP OF THE SITE,

WHICH COULD PICK UP STRUCTURES
HIDDEN FROM AN ARIAL VIEW.

LET'S CHECK IT OUT.I'M EXCITED.

WE MAY HAVE JUST BROUGHT
AMERICA'S LOST CITY

BACK TO LIFE.

OH, SICK!
IS THAT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE?

OH, WOW.

OUR QUEST
FOR THE LOST CITY

HAS LED US TO POVERTY POINT
IN LOUISIANA...

LET'S CHECK IT OUT.

...WHERE A STRANGE SITE

BEARS RESEMBLANCE
TO PLATO'S ATLANTIS.

I'M EXCITED!

WE'RE MOMENTS AWAY
FROM SEEING IF WE'VE UNCOVERED

HIDDEN FEATURES
OF A LONG-GONE CIVILIZATION.

OH, WOW.

WE DIDN'T SEE
ANYTHING FROM THE AIR,

AND LOOK AT THESE CIRCLES
RIGHT HERE.

IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

SO, IT LOOKS LIKE
THESE CIRCLES

RADIATE OUTWARDS
FROM THIS CENTRAL MOUND.

WHAT'S AMAZING ABOUT
THIS IS THAT WE HAVE

THIS TENDRIL
OF THE RIVER COMING OFF,

AND THEN THE CIRCLES
FOLLOW THAT PERFECTLY.

AND THEN, WE LOSE THEM
ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RIVER.

YEAH.

THE QUESTION IS,
DO THESE CIRCLES CONTINUE

TO THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE RIVER?

WELL, THIS IS FLOODPLAIN
OVER THERE TO THE RIGHT.

ALL OF THAT
IS FLOODPLAIN.

EASILY, THAT RIVER
COULD HAVE BENDED

AND TWISTED THROUGH THERE
AND ERASED THOSE CIRCLES.

YEAH.

SINCE LiDAR ONLY DETECTS
FEATURES ABOVE GROUND,

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
SWITCH UP OUR EQUIPMENT.

AND THAT'S WHERE STEFAN'S
EXPERTISE REALLY COMES IN HANDY.

SO I THINK THE BEST
THING WE COULD DO IS MAYBE

SCAN IT ALL WITH GPR AND SEE
UNDERNEATH THIS FLOODPLAIN,

SEE IF WE CAN
FIND THESE CIRCLES.

IF WE CAN PROVE
THESE CIRCULAR EARTHWORKS

ONCE CONNECTED
ALL THE WAY AROUND,

WE COULD BE ONE STEP CLOSER
TO UNCOVERING

THE SOUGHT-AFTER FABLED CITY.

LET'S GO.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER
IS ABOUT A MILE AWAY,

AND SINCE IT LIES
ON THE FLOODPLAIN,

WOULD HAVE ERODED FASTER.

TODAY, IT LOOKS LIKE
NOTHING BUT FLAT FARMLAND.

ALL RIGHT.
HERE'S THE GPR.

LET ME JUST LOOK AT THE MAP
HERE REAL QUICK.

IF THESE CONCENTRIC RINGS
ARE ACTUALLY FULL CIRCLES,

THEY WOULD CUT
RIGHT THROUGH HERE.

YEAH, I THINK IF WE JUST
FOLLOW THIS ROAD

FROM THIS PANEL
RIGHT HERE ALL THE WAY DOWN,

I THINK THAT'D BE GOOD.

AND THE IDEA IS
I WILL FIND SIX OR SEVEN

OF THESE, YOU KNOW,
CIRCULAR RING FEATURES.

THAT ARE FAIRLY
EVENLY SPACED.

YEAH. I'M SURPRISED NO ONE'S
EVEN SCANNED THIS AREA BEFORE.

I MEAN, THAT'D BE A HUGE
DISCOVERY IF WE FOUND THESE.

THOUSANDS OF YEARS
OF NATURAL CHANGES

COULD HAVE SUBMERGED ANY SIGN
OF THE OTHER HALF UNDERGROUND.

AND IF IT'S THERE,
THE GPR WILL DETECT IT.

- ALL RIGHT, READY?
- YEAH, I'M READY.

LET'S DO THIS.

AND WE'RE OFF.
OFF TO THE RACES.

SO, WE'RE GETTING, ACTUALLY,
IT LOOKS LIKE

DEPTH OF ABOUT
10 FEET HERE.

YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS
COULD BE A FOOT DOWN,

THEY COULD BE
FIVE FEET DOWN.

THEY COULD BE BELOW 10 FEET,
BUT I DOUBT THAT'S THE CASE.

SO, RIGHT NOW
WE'RE WALKING THROUGH AN AREA

WHICH IS JUST INSIDE OF
THE CIRCLES, IF THEY EXIST.

SO THIS WOULD BE
A REALLY--

WHOA, WHOA,
WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!

LOOK AT THAT.

WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?

THAT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

I THINK IT'S JUST
SLIGHTLY MORE SATURATED.

IT'S GOT TO BE
A DRAINAGE DITCH.

I CAN SEE IT RIGHT THERE.OH, YEAH.

THAT'S A DRAINAGE DITCH,
FOR SURE.

IT'S TOO SMALL, TOO.

SEE HOW IT
CURVES IN THERE?

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
THAT'S MUCH LARGER.

ALL RIGHT,
LET'S KEEP GOING.

ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE ALMOST DONE.

WE WOULD'VE SEEN
THEM BY NOW.

THROUGH OUR
GROUND-BREAKING SCANS,

WE'VE DEBUNKED THE THEORY THAT
THIS IS THE SITE OF ATLANTIS.

BUT WE'RE NOT THE FIRST
TO QUESTION THE ORIGINS

OF THE MYSTERIOUS MOUNDS
AT POVERTY POINT.

MAINSTREAM SCHOLARS DISMISS
THE ATLANTIAN CLAIMS,

BUT THEY HAVE MADE DRAMATIC
DISCOVERIES

THAT COULD INDICATE THAT THERE
WAS AN ADVANCED CIVILIZATION

INHABITING NORTH AMERICA
BEFORE THE TIME

OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS
OR EGYPTIANS.

THAT PROSPECT HAS ARCHEOLOGISTS
WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK

PULLING OUT ARTIFACTS,
SO MANY THAT THEY HAD TO

HOUSE THEM ALL
IN A BUILDING SET UP ONSITE.

- COME ON IN.
- THANK YOU.

WOW, THIS IS
SOME FACILITY, HUH?

YEAH, IT IS.

HERE TO SHOW US SOME
OF THEIR FINDS

IS ARCHEOLOGIST
DIANA GREENLEE.

THIS IS A SHERD
FROM A BOWL.

YOU CAN SEE HOW BIG
IT WOULD'VE BEEN.

THERE WAS A PIT
THAT THEY FOUND

ABOUT 2,700 PIECES
OF THESE STONE BOWLS.

OH, MY GOSH.

IT CAME FROM GEORGIA.

THAT'S A LONG WAYS
FROM HERE.

IT'S QUITE A WAYS.

YOU KNOW, THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T
CARRY THOSE OVER LAND.

BUT THEY PROBABLY WENT
DOWN RIVER TO THE GULF

AND THEN ACROSS,
AND THEN UP THE MISSISSIPPI.

WE TEND TO THINK OF PREHISTORIC
NATIVE AMERICAN SOCIETIES

AS HUNTER-GATHERERS,
BUT THESE IMPORTED MINERALS

IMPLY AN ADVANCED TRADE ROUTE.

WE HAVE THESE PLUMMETS
MADE OUT OF HEMATITE

AND MAGNETITE, WHICH
WOULD'VE COME FROM ARKANSAS.

DO WE KNOW THE AGE
OF SOME OF THESE ARTIFACTS?

YES. FROM ABOUT 1,700
TO 1,100 B.C.

WOW. WE'RE TALKING 3,100,
3,700 YEARS AGO?

YEP.TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE,

THESE GROUNDS WERE INHABITED

WELL BEFORE THE ACROPOLIS
WAS EVEN BUILT.

THAT'S A LONG TIME AGO
TO HAVE A--

BASICALLY, A SOCIETY
THAT WAS BRINGING THINGS IN

FROM A LONG WAYS AWAY

AND BUILDING
THESE GIANT STRUCTURES.

I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE
ANY EVIDENCE THAT THEY WERE

WORKING WITH,
LIKE, RAW METAL--

LET'S SAY LEAD,
IRON, OR COPPER?

COPPER. WE DO HAVE
COPPER ARTIFACTS HERE.

THIS IS A BEAD.

OH, WOW.

THE WALLS OF ATLANTIS
WERE DESCRIBED AS FLASHING

WITH THE RED LIGHT
OF ORICHALCUM--

LITERAL TRANSLATION BEING,
"MOUNTAIN COPPER."

HISTORICALLY, RELICS OF CROWNING
ARCHITECTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS

HAVE BEEN LOOTED
BY SUBSEQUENT CULTURES.

ROME, ONCE ABUNDANT
WITH PRECIOUS MARBLE,

WAS USED AS A QUARRY
BY LATER CIVILIZATIONS

TO BEAUTIFY
THEIR OWN STRUCTURES.

IF POVERTY POINT
HAS BEEN SITTING HERE

FOR 350,000 YEARS
AND COPPER-ADORNED STRUCTURES

ONCE EXISTED AT THE SITE,
SURELY THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN

RANSACKED BY LATER SOCIETIES.

IS THERE COPPER THAT CAN BE
FOUND IN THIS AREA?

NO.

IT CAME FROM
A LONG WAYS AWAY.

IT HAS BEEN ASSUMED
FOR A LONG TIME

THAT THE COPPER CAME FROM

THE LAKE SUPERIOR REGION
OF MICHIGAN.

HOW MANY OF THESE COPPER
ARTIFACTS HAVE YOU FOUND?

WELL, WE HAVE--
I THINK IT'S ABOUT 198.

THE COPPER ARTIFACTS
RANGING FROM PENDANTS TO KNIVES

HAVE BEEN TRACED TO MICHIGAN.

SOME USE THIS FINDING
TO SUPPORT THEIR THEORY

THAT THE GREAT LAKES REGION

ONCE SUPPLIED COPPER
TO THE FABLED CITY.

OUR JOURNEY MAY HAVE
LAUNCHED FROM A CURIOSITY

ABOUT AN OUTLANDISH LEGEND
SPANNING THE AGES,

BUT WE MAY BE ON TO SOMETHING
EVEN BIGGER THAN THAT--

THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF SEEMINGLY
UNRECORDED HISTORY.

COMING UP,
AND ADVANCED ARIAL SCAN...

HOLY MOLY.

...REVEALS A TREASURE TROVE
LOCKED IN TIME.

I GOT SOMETHING!

WHOA.
THAT IS AMAZING.

WOW.

WHAT A VIEW.

COPPER ARTIFACTS FOUND
IN POVERTY POINT, LOUISIANA,

HAVE BEEN TRACED
1,000 MILES NORTH

TO THE LAKE SUPERIOR
REGION OF MICHIGAN,

SUGGESTING THE EXISTENCE OF SOME
PRE-COLUMBUS CIVILIZATION

WITH TRADE ROUTES SPANNING THE
BORDERS OF MODERN-DAY AMERICA.

IT BEGS A CONTROVERSIAL
QUESTION--

COULD THIS SOMEHOW TIE IN
TO THE MOST FAMOUS

LOST CULTURE
OF ALL TIME, ATLANTIS?

MAYBE NOT THE ONE
PLATO WROTE ABOUT,

BUT SOME SOPHISTICATED
CIVILIZATION

ONCE THRIVED AND DIED HERE.

HERE WE ARE, RIGHT ON THE END
OF THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA

YOU CAN SEE ALL THE LAKES
THAT ARE ON THIS MAP

SPOTTED OUT
IN THE DISTANCE THERE,

AND WE'RE RIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE OF COPPER COUNTRY.

THEY SAY THE LARGEST
NATIVE COPPER DEPOSITS

IN THE WORLD EXIST HERE
IN THIS MINERAL RANGE.

THIS IS JUST
A MASSIVE AREA.

SOME CLAIM THAT AS MUCH
AS A BILLION POUNDS OF COPPER

WAS MINED FROM HERE
IN ANCIENT TIMES,

MORE THAN ENOUGH TO SUPPLY
THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS.

COULD IT HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO
SPEARHEADS, SHIELDS, KNIVES,

AND LINE THE WALLS
OF THE GLISTENING CITY

PLATO DESCRIBED?

I'M A LITTLE SKEPTICAL
OF THAT.

I MEAN, THIS IS
THE WORLD'S LARGEST

NATIVE COPPER DEPOSIT KNOWN,
BUT A BILLION POUNDS?

IF THAT'S THE CASE,
THIS MOUNTAINSIDE

COULD BE LITTERED WITH MINES.

AND THE REGION WOULD BE
ALMOST AS EXPANSIVE

AS THE CITY
OF ANCIENT ROME ITSELF.

BUT THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE
RECORD OF THIS AREA

COMES FROM THIS MAP FROM 1862--

A SURVEY OF MINING PITS DONE BY
ARCHEOLOGIST CHARLES WHITTLESEY.

HE TURNED UP SOME KNIVES
AND SPEARHEADS,

BUT WE ARE AFTER SIGNS
OF THE MOTHER LODE.

THE KEY FOR US
IS TO FIGURE OUT

WHERE ALL THE COPPER PITS
ARE NOW,

TRY TO GET A MORE
DETAILED MAP,

AND THEN FIGURE OUT
IF THIS ESTIMATE

OF A BILLION POUNDS
IS ACTUALLY REAL.

YEAH.

FOLLOWING WHITTLESEY'S MAP,

WE MAKE OUR WAY AROUND
THE STEEP MOUNTAINSIDE

TO SEE ONE OF THESE
MINES FOR OURSELVES.

SO, A LITTLE BIT
FURTHER UP.

ACTUALLY SAYS WE'RE GETTING
PRETTY CLOSE RIGHT NOW.

OH, MY GOODNESS!

LOOK AT THIS!

THIS IS ONE OF THE PIT MINES.

YOU GOT ONE, TWO,
THREE, FOUR, FIVE.

THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.

AT FIRST GLANCE,
THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE MUCH--

SHALLOW, RAVINE-LIKE
INDENTATIONS IN THE GROUND.

BUT THEY REPRESENT
SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER.

THESE PIT MINES COULD DOT
THE LANDSCAPE

OVER HUNDREDS OF ACRES,

AND STILL COULD BE JUST A SMALL
SAMPLE OF WHAT ONCE EXISTED.

DID THE COPPER LEAVE
FROM HERE TO ADORN

AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION?

WHAT'S SO COOL ABOUT THIS
IS THE COPPER

THAT WE SAW DOWN
AT POVERTY POINT,

IT VERY LIKELY COULD HAVE COME
FROM ONE OF THESE MINES

OR AT LEAST ONE
OF THE MINES NEARBY.

BUT I NEVER THOUGHT
OF NATIVE AMERICANS

HARVESTING COPPER,

BUT THIS WOULD'VE BEEN
ONE OF THE LARGEST SITES.

YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF IT
'CAUSE YOU WERE NEVER TAUGHT IT.

PEOPLE-- WE NEVER HAD ANY IDEA
THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE.

THIS RESEARCH
AND THESE DISCOVERIES

ARE BEING MADE RIGHT NOW.

IF WE FIND EVIDENCE OF
COPPER MINING ON A MASSIVE SCALE

OVER 5,000 YEARS AGO,

EVERYTHING WE'VE LEARNED
IN OUR HISTORY BOOKS

ABOUT THE ORIGINS
OF NORTH AMERICAN CULTURE

COULD BE CHALLENGED.

I'LL LET YOU KNOW IF I FIND
ANY COPPER, STEFAN.

ALL RIGHT.

WERE THE PEOPLE HERE
THE FIRST TO DISCOVER

THE VALUE OF THIS METAL?

I'VE GOT MY FANCY
METAL DETECTOR,

BUT HOW DID THEY COME ACROSS IT,

AND ON WHAT SCALE?

I GOT SOMETHING!

HEY, NICE WORK!

FIND ONE FOR ME!

IF THIS IS HOW MUCH COPPER
IS STILL LEFT HERE,

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH
ONCE EXISTED FOR ANCIENT MINERS.

WAS THERE A LARGE-SCALE
WORKFORCE

THAT WENT MYSTERIOUSLY
UNDOCUMENTED?

AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST
EUROPEAN CONTACT,

MANY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES
LIVED A NOMADIC EXISTENCE

CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR SMALL
FOOTPRINT ON THE EARTH.

SO, HOW COULD A CULTURE
THAT LIKELY PRE-DATES

THE NATIVE AMERICANS OF
THE 1500s HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE

FOR SUCH COMPLEX
MINING CAPABILITIES?

WELL, THE ONE THING
WE KNOW IS

THERE IS A WHOLE LOT
OF COPPER IN THIS ROCK.

WHAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT

IS ABOUT HOW MUCH
COPPER THEY PULLED OUT.

THEY SAID A BILLION
POUNDS OF COPPER.

THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT.

IN ORDER TO FIGURE OUT
HOW MUCH COPPER

WAS ACTUALLY REMOVED
FROM HERE IN ANCIENT TIMES,

WE NEED TO SEE
HOW MANY MINES EXISTED.

BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM.

DENSE TREE COVER MAKES COUNTING
THESE SMALL, RAVINE-LIKE MINES

ACROSS THE MOUNTAINSIDE
SLOW-GOING.

- HEY, GUYS.
- HEY.

- THANKS FOR COMING. ROB.
- ABSOLUTELY.

SO STEFAN'S CALLED ON THE HELP
OF LiDAR TECH SPECIALISTS.

THIS IS THE ONLY MAP
THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW

THAT REALLY SHOWS THE LOCATION
OF SOME OF THESE ANCIENT MINES.

BUT WE HAVE A SUSPICION
THAT THERE MIGHT BE

A WHOLE BUNCH
OF UNDISCOVERED PIT MINES

WHICH ARE NOW OBSCURED

BY ALL THE DENSE
VEGETATION AROUND US.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO GET A HOLD OF.

WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW MANY THERE ARE.

WELL, TODAY WE HAVE
OUR MINI-RANGER PAYLOAD.

WE'LL BE FLYING IT
ON A HEXICOPTER,

SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COVER
A DECENT AMOUNT OF GROUND.

SWEET.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS,
BUT I AM SUPER EXCITED

ABOUT RUNNING THIS LiDAR SCAN.WE ARE, TOO.

THIS LiDAR HAS THE CAPABILITY
TO PENETRATE THROUGH LEAVES

AND BRANCHES TO SURVEY
THE GROUND BELOW.

THIS ALLOWS US TO THEN
STRIP AWAY THE VEGETATION

IN ORDER TO COUNT ALL THE PIT
MINES ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE.

SO BEHIND US, WE HAVE OUR GPS
REFERENCE STATION SET UP.

THAT'S LOGGING RAW
SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS,

WHICH WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE
SENDING TO OUR DRONE

IN REAL-TIME VIA BLUETOOTH.

AND THEN, WE HAVE A WIFI ANTENNA
SET UP ON TOP OF OUR VEHICLE.

THAT'S GONNA BE TALKING TO
THE LiDAR PAYLOAD DIRECTLY.

OKAY. LET'S
FIRE THIS THING UP.

OH, WOW.

- THIS IS THE ACTUAL LiDAR UNIT.
- WOW.

THIS IS THE PHOENIX
MINI RANGER.

THAT'S A BIG PAYLOAD.

AS OPPOSED TO THE LiDAR
WE USED AT POVERTY POINT

THAT HAD AN ACCURACY OF
ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR HAND,

THIS UNIT HAS PRECISION
DOWN TO HALF AN INCH.

NO PEBBLE WILL GO UNTURNED.

OH, YEAH!

I THINK THIS ONE WOULD
DEFINITELY CHOP YOUR HEAD OFF.

AN AIRCRAFT OF THIS COMPLEXITY
INVOLVES SO MANY MOVING PARTS,

IT'S ESSENTIALLY LIKE
LAUNCHING A SPACE SHUTTLE.

I'M READY FOR LAUNCH, CONRAD.
ARE YOU READY?

- SENSOR'S READY.
- OKAY.

WE'RE LAUNCHING.
- OH, YEAH.

THAT IS RIDICULOUS!

COMING UP...

ALL RIGHT,
ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

OH, IT'S COMING UP.

- OH, MY GOD. THAT IS SO COOL.
- LOOK AT THAT.

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M
SEEING A HUGE AMOUNT OF MINES.

I MEAN, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.

OH, YEAH.
THAT IS RIDICULOUS!

THE LEGEND OF ATLANTIS
NORMALLY SPARKS UP

IMAGES OF RUINS UNDERWATER,

BUT OUR JOURNEY HAS
TAKEN US INTO THE SKY.

THAT COULD
FREAK SOME PEOPLE OUT

IF THEY SAW THAT
ALL OF A SUDDEN.

OH, MY GOSH. IT LOOKS LIKE
AN ALIEN SPACECRAFT.

WE'VE JUST LAUNCHED AN ADVANCED
ARIAL LiDAR SYSTEM

WHICH WILL CREATE A 3-D
RENDERING OF THE MOUNTAINSIDE

TO GET A TOTAL COUNT

OF THE ANCIENT PIT MINES
THAT EXIST HERE.

THAT'S A BEAST.

BUT THEN IT WILL BE ABLE
TO DO SOMETHING

WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE--

ACTUALLY STRIP AWAY
ALL OF THESE TREES

TO REVEAL ANY REMNANTS
OF AN ANCIENT CULTURE

THAT HAVE BEEN
COVERED UP OVER TIME.

ALL RIGHT.
SHE'S COMING BACK.

THIS TECHNOLOGY MAY HELP US
FIND ANSWERS TO A MYSTERY

THAT REMAINS UNSOLVED--

WAS A LARGE-SCALE
MINING OPERATION

SUPPLYING AN ANCIENT SOCIETY
RIGHT HERE IN NORTH AMERICA?

EASE HER DOWN.

AND WHERE DID ALL
THAT COPPER GO?

- NICE.
- FIRST LiDAR SURVEY DONE.

GOOD JOB.

IF ENOUGH MINES SHOW UP,

IT COULD SIGNIFY
A LOST WORKFORCE

THAT RIVALS
THE PYRAMID BUILDERS.

IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME
ARIAL LiDAR

HAS UNEARTHED REMNANTS
OF A CIVILIZATION.

IN 2015, LiDAR HELPED
DISCOVER MEDIEVAL CITIES

BURIED BENEATH THE
FOREST FLOOR IN CAMBODIA,

NOT FAR FROM THE FAMOUS
TEMPLE COMPLEX OF ANGKOR WAT.

SO, THIS IS KIND OF
THE EXCITING MOMENT, ISN'T IT?

YOU GET THE DATA.
IT'S, LIKE, ABOUT TO APPEAR.

SEE IF IT LOOKS GOOD.BUT NOT YET.

ALL RIGHT,
ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

OH, IT'S COMING UP.

OH, HA.OH, MY GOD.

THAT IS SO COOL.LOOK AT THAT.

THIS IS THE PRELIMINARY RENDER
OF THE FIRST-EVER 3-D LiDAR MAP

USED TO SEARCH
FOR THESE ANCIENT MINES,

AND THE IMAGES ARE INCREDIBLE.

THIS IS MILES AHEAD
OF ANY LiDAR THAT WE'VE USED.

WE'VE ONLY DONE ONE PASS,
AND ALREADY WE'RE SEEING

FASCINATING GLIMMERS
OF WHAT LIES BENEATH.

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU,

BUT I'M SEEING
A HUGE AMOUNT OF MINES.

I MEAN,
THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.

BUT WE'RE NOT STOPPING HERE.

WITH SUCH ENCOURAGING EVIDENCE
OF LARGE-SCALE MINING ACTIVITY,

WE'RE GOING TO SCAN
A FAR LARGER STRETCH

AND USE THE TECH
TO STRIP AWAY THE VEGETATION

TO GET A PRECISE COUNT.

I MEAN, IT REALLY IS IMPRESSIVE
HOW LARGE OF AN AREA

THESE PIT MINES COVER.

THE INITIAL 3-D MODEL SUGGESTS
WE MAY BE UNCOVERING

A MISSING CHAPTER
OF AMERICAN HISTORY--

EVIDENCE OF A NATIVE POPULATION

FAR MORE
TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED

THAN WE PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.

BUT WHO'S TO SAY THAT THESE
AREN'T PITS JUST DUG OUT

BY TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY
PROSPECTORS?

WE REALLY NEED TO FIGURE OUT
THE AGE RANGE OF THESE MINES.

THAT'S THE NEXT KEY.

LAKE MEDORA-- NOW AN IDYLLIC
SETTING FOR LOCALS AND TOURISTS

LOOKING TO RELAX IN NATURE.

IT WAS FORMED ALMOST
12,000 YEARS AGO

AS THE RESULT OF GLACIAL RUNOFF,

AND IT'S BEEN FILLING UP
WITH SEDIMENT EVER SINCE.

HEY!

WE'RE MEETING UP WITH
GEOLOGISTS DAVID POMPEANI

AND KATHERINE VOLL

TO DATE THE COPPER-MINING
ACTIVITY IN REGION.

- GOOD TO SEE YOU.
- YEAH, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

- HEY, KAT.
- HEY, STEFAN.

THIS PLACE
IS BEAUTIFUL, HUH?

YEAH, IT'S
A BEAUTIFUL LAKE.

WE'RE GONNA HEADING OUT
TO THE DEEP SPOT.

WE'RE GONNA ANCHOR OUT THERE
AND HOPEFULLY GET A GOOD CORE.

SO, WHAT MAKES THIS LAKE
PARTICULARLY WELL SUITED

TO DATING THE COPPER
FROM THIS REGION?

THE CHARLES WHITTLESEY MAP
PLACES PREHISTORIC MINE PITS

ALL ALONG THIS AREA.

SO WHEN YOU MINE
AND WORK METALS,

THEY EMIT A POLLUTION
IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

AS THE METALS ARE
DEPOSITED IN THE LAKE,

THEY FALL TO THE BOTTOM AND
THEY'RE STUCK TO THE SEDIMENT.

AND THEY ACCUMULATE
OVER TIME.

AND WE CAN GO THROUGH
AND ANALYZE THOSE LAYERS,

AND DATE THEM
WITH RADIOCARBON

IN ORDER TO GET AN AGE
OF THE POLLUTION.

ALL RIGHT.
LET'S GET OUT THERE, HUH?

YEP, SURE.

IF WE CAN PROVE THAT
LARGE-SCALE MINING

WAS HAPPENING HERE OVER 6,000
YEARS AGO, AS SOME HAVE SAID,

THAT COULD MEAN THERE WAS
A SOPHISTICATED CIVILIZATION

HERE IN NORTH AMERICA BEFORE THE
PEAK OF ANCIENT EGYPT OR GREECE.

SOME HAVE POSITED THAT
ANCIENT SEAFARERS

ACTUALLY TRAVERSED
THE ATLANTIC TO NORTH AMERICA

AND CONTINUED UP
THE MISSISSIPPI.

THEY WOULD'VE COME ACROSS THIS
COMPLEX SOCIETY AT ITS PEAK,

AND RETURNED TO EUROPE
WITH TALES OF THEIR JOURNEY.

IF THAT'S TRUE, DID THEY
TRADE FOR COPPER

WITHOUT LEAVING EVEN A TRACE

OF THIS TRANSCONTINENTAL
ENCOUNTER BEHIND?

SO, WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY
TRIANGULATED OURSELVES

IN THE MIDDLE
OF OUR ANCHORS.

SO WE'RE VERY STABLE,
ROCK-SOLID,

READY TO CORE, RIGHT?RIGHT.

CARBON DATING THE BOTTOM
OF THE LAKE WILL HELP DETERMINE

IF A NATIVE POPULATION

EVEN EXISTED AT THE SAME TIME
AS THE ANCIENT GREEKS.

IF IT DID, WE WILL HAVE UNLOCKED
A SOCIETY LARGELY MISSING

FROM OUR HISTORY BOOKS.

KIND OF COOL TO KNOW
THAT THIS LAKE BED

IS KEEPING TRACK OF TIME?

AND HUMAN ACTIVITY
IN THE REGION.

WHAT KIND OF WORLD DID
THE INHABITANTS HERE CREATE?

METALLURGY DOESN'T OCCUR
WITHOUT ADVANCED TOOLS

AND A MASSIVE LABOR FORCE.

STONE HAMMERS WOULD HAVE
BEEN USED TO CHIP AWAY

AT THE HARD BEDROCK
TO GET TO THE COPPER.

THEN THE ROCK FRAGMENTS
WOULD BE HEATED

TO TEASE OUT THE COPPER VEINS--

ALL THIS AN UNIMAGINABLY SLOW
AND PAINSTAKING PROCESS.

IT RAISES FUNDAMENTAL
QUESTIONS--

WHAT WERE THESE PEOPLE
USING THE COPPER FOR,

AND WHERE DID IT ALL GO?

IT SEEMS UNLIKELY
THEY WOULD HAVE GONE

THROUGH ALL THIS EFFORT

WITHOUT IT SERVING SOME CENTRAL
PURPOSE FOR THEIR SOCIETY.

ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE ALL READY TO GO.

WE'VE GOT THE CORE SET.
ROB, YOU HAVE IT?

LET'S GET IT IN.

I GOT THE RODS.

THE RODS.

GATHERING THIS CORE IS
EFFECTIVELY LIKE PUSHING

A GIANT STRAW INTO THE LAKE.

START LOWERING DOWN.

IT WILL DESCEND INTO
THE DEPTHS OF THE WATER.

ONE MORE ROD, STEFAN.

THERE YOU GO.

AND WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN.
KEEP GOING.

COULD THE BOTTOM OF THIS LAKE
HOLD THE KEY TO A CIVILIZATION

MISSING FROM
THE HISTORY BOOKS?

THIS IS THE LAST PUSH.

- KEEP GOING.
- STEFAN AND I ARE ON

LAKE MEDORA,
MOMENTS AWAY FROM GATHERING

WHAT COULD BE THE MISSING LINK
TO THEY MYSTERY OF ATLANTIS.

- THIS IS THE LAST PUSH.
- SLOW AND STEADY, ROB.

- SLOW AND STEADY. READY?
- HERE WE GO.

HERE GOES.

KEEP GOING.

I CAN FEEL IT GOING
ALL THE WAY IN.

THAT'S AS FAR
AS IT'S GOING.

EVERYONE GET A HAND
ON IT.

ROB, YOU GET A HAND.YEP, YEP.

ONE UNIT, THE WHOLE TIME.THERE WE GO.

NOW WE GOT IT.

DATING A CORE
OF LAKE SEDIMENT

CAN TELL US EXACTLY WHEN
AN ANCIENT MINING SOCIETY

INHABITED THE AREA.

READY FOR
THE NEXT ONE.

IF ANCIENT MINERS WERE HERE
THOUSANDS OF YEARS

BEFORE WE EVER THOUGHT,
COULD THEY HAVE PULLED

A BILLION POUNDS
OUT OF THIS EARTH?

AND DID THAT COPPER SERVE
AND AMERICAN ATLANTIS?

PERFECT.

- THIS IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.
- GO FOR IT.

ROB, GO SLOW.

OH, WOW.

LOOK AT THAT.

KEEP GOING.
I GOT IT, I GOT IT.

MOVE IT OVER ON TO
THE DECK.

- YEP, RIGHT HERE?
- YEP.

- SWEET. GOT IT.
- THAT'S IT.

- WOW. THIS IS AMAZING.
- THIS IS SUPER COOL.

HERE'S THE LAKE WATER.

THIS IS WHERE
THE SEDIMENT BEGINS,

AND IT ACCUMULATES LAYER
BY LAYER OVER TIME.

THE CORE RECORDS AGE
WITH EACH LAYER OF DIRT,

ALMOST LIKE A TREE TRUNK
DOES WITH ITS RINGS.

HOW MANY YEARS IS REPRESENTED
HERE IN THIS CORE?

THERE'S SEVERAL
THOUSAND,

MAYBE UP TO 7,000 YEARS
OF SEDIMENT IN THIS CORE.

NO KIDDING.

THE FINAL PIECE TO
THIS PUZZLE THAT HAS ELUDED US

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS
LIES IN THAT CORE.

COULD A LARGE-SCALE
MINING OPERATION

SHOW UP THOUSANDS OF YEARS
BEFORE THE ANCIENT GREEKS

LAID THEIR FIRST STONE,

BEFORE THE ANCIENT
EGYPTIANS ENTOMBED

THEIR FIRST PHARAOH?

THE LORE OF ATLANTIS
MAY HAVE SPAWNED THIS JOURNEY,

BUT THE REALITY
WE MAY HAVE UNCOVERED

COULD BE EVEN MORE
MIND-BLOWING THAN THE MYTH.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS.

COULD IT BE IN THE NEW WORLD?
THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION.

ATLANTIS WAS SAID TO BE
COVERED IN ORICHALCUM,

OR "MOUNTAIN COPPER."

SOME BELIEVERS CLAIM THIS AREA
OF MICHIGAN PROVIDED

A BILLION POUNDS
TO SERVE A LOST CIVILIZATION.

IF THERE WAS ANY NUMBER
THAT WE DEVELOPED

WHICH IS CLOSE
TO A BILLION POUNDS,

I THINK
WE'VE HIT A HOME RUN.

SO THE FIRST STEP IS
GETTING A CALCULATION

ON HOW MUCH COPPER THERE IS.

THE SECOND THING IS WE NEED
TO TRY TO DATE THIS.

WE NEED TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT
WHEN IN HISTORY

THIS COPPER WAS BEING MINED,

AND DOES THAT RELATE TO WHAT
WE UNDERSTAND OF ATLANTIS?

THE PURPOSE OF THE ARIAL LiDAR
WE DEPLOYED OVER THE MOUNTAIN

WAS TO GET A COUNT
OF THE ANCIENT PIT MINES,

AND THE RESULTS ARE IN.

CHECK THIS OUT.

THIS IS ANIMATION
OF THE LiDAR DATA.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

FINALLY, WE'RE ABLE TO USE
THIS TECHNOLOGY

FOR ITS GROUND-BREAKING
CAPABILITIES.

STRIPPING THE VEGETATION
TO EXPOSE THE LAND BELOW

REVEALS A TRULY
ASTOUNDING IMAGE.

NEVER BEFORE WOULD
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE

TO GET THIS PERSPECTIVE
OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

THE GREATEST
MINING LANDS ON EARTH.

I MEAN, THIS RIDGE IS RIDDLED
WITH PIT MINES.

APPLYING OUR LiDAR FINDINGS
FROM ONE MOUNTAIN RIDGE

TO CONSIDER THE ENTIRE
AREA AROUND THIS LAKE,

WE'VE APPROXIMATED THAT
THOUSANDS OF MINES COULD EXIST.

CONSIDERING ALL THE VARIABLES,

WE RAN THE CALCULATIONS
TO APPROXIMATE

HOW MUCH COPPER WE THINK
CAME OUT OF THIS REGION,

AND FOUND THAT IT COULD'VE
PROVIDED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

IF NOT MILLIONS OF POUNDS
TO ANCIENT MINERS.

IT'S AN INCREDIBLY
IMPRESSIVE NUMBER.

THAT'S A LOT OF COPPER.

THIS IS EXCITING.

WHERE DID ALL THE COPPER GO?

COULD THESE BE THE ORICHALCUM
RICHES DESCRIBED BY PLATO?

TO MAKE A CLAIM THAT HUGE,
WE NEED TO DATE THE CORE SAMPLE.

LOOK AT THIS RIGHT HERE.
RIGHT AROUND 6,030 YEARS AGO,

YOU HAVE A HUGE
INCREASE IN THE LEVELS.

WOW.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

THAT'S BASICALLY A TIME
SIGNATURE, A STAMP,

ON WHEN THE SMELTING
TOOK PLACE.

6,000 YEARS AGO.

THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS
WEREN'T CONSTRUCTED

FOR ANOTHER 1,500 YEARS.

THE INVENTION OF THE WHEEL
HAPPENED 500 YEARS

AFTER THIS
COPPER-MINING SOCIETY.

THIS WAS LIKELY ONE OF
THE FIRST PLACES

COPPER WAS EVER
WORKED ON THE PLANET.

SO, HOW DID SUCH A SIGNIFICANT
PIECE OF OUR WORLD HISTORY

JUST DISAPPEAR?

SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

COULD THIS BE
THE LOST CIVILIZATION

THAT PEOPLE THINK
BUILT ATLANTIS?

WELL, I DON'T THINK
WE'VE FOUND

ENOUGH EVIDENCE
FOR ATLANTIS.

BUT I THINK
THROUGHOUT HISTORY,

THIS IDEA
OF A MEGA-CIVILIZATION

MIGHT'VE GONE THROUGH
A GAME OF TELEPHONE.

AND IF THERE WAS SOME
PRE-COLUMBUS CONTACT

WITH NORTH AMERICA,

THAT MESSAGE COULD'VE
SPREAD OVER INTO EUROPE

AND THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BLOWN
INTO A STORY OF ATLANTIS.

THE QUEST TO FIND
ATLANTIS HAD LED US

TO A MIND-BLOWING DISCOVERY
OF AN ADVANCED CIVILIZATION

IN AMERICA THOUSANDS OF YEARS
BEFORE WE EVER KNEW.

WHAT LOST, SOPHISTICATED
CULTURE EXISTED HERE

WITH TECHNOLOGY RIVALING

THAT OF THE ANCIENT
GREEKS AND EGYPTIANS?

WHEN DID THEY DIE OUT?

AS ARCHEOLOGISTS CONTINUE TO
UNCOVER CLUES AND TECHNOLOGY

CONTINUES TO REVOLUTIONIZE,
WE MAY SOON BE ABLE

TO FULLY FILL IN THIS
VITAL MISSING CHAPTER

OF OUR AMERICAN HISTORY.