Original subtitles

Romany: IN THE ANDES MOUNTAINS 1,200 YEARS AGO...

A POWERFUL CIVILIZATION APPEARED OUT OF THIN AIR.

[ INDISTINCT WHISPERING ]

THE ANCIENT INCAS ACCUSED THEM OF SORCERY.

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN CURSED?

♪♪

SOME BELIEVE THESE WERE THE FIRST EUROPEANS TO SETTLE

IN SOUTH AMERICA.

COULD THEY REALLY BE A TRIBE OF LOST WARRIORS

FROM ACROSS THE ATLANTIC?

NOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THESE MYSTERIOUS PEOPLE

MAY FINALLY BE REVEALED...

IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?

...BY THE MUMMIES THEY LEFT BEHIND.

I FOUND SOMETHING!

♪♪

I'M ARCHEOLOGIST AND MUMMY EXPERT RAMY ROMANY.

ACROSS THE GLOBE, EARTH IS GIVING UP HER DEAD.

OH, MY GOD, PEDRO, LOOK AT THIS.

THANKS TO CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY,

NEW MUMMIES ARE UNEARTHED EVERY DAY.

IT'S LIKE AN UNDERWATER CRIME SCENE.

THESE MUMMIES HOLD EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS...

OH, MY GOD, WHAT IS THIS?

PRICELESS.

...IF YOU KNOW HOW TO UNWRAP THEM.

THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

THIS IS...

--Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

♪♪

Romany: HUNDREDS OF MUMMIES HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED

IN THE PERUVIAN ANDES,

DATING BACK TO THE TIME OF THE INCA.

♪♪

BUT UNLIKE THE INCA, WHO BURIED THEIR DEAD,

THESE MUMMIES WERE FOUND ENTOMBED

IN CLAY STATUES HANGING OFF OF SHEER CLIFF FACES.

♪♪

VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS CLOUD PEOPLE.

THEY VANISHED AS SUDDENLY AS THEY APPEARED.

THE SECRETS OF THE CLOUD PEOPLE ARE PROTECTED

BY A POWERFUL MUMMY'S CURSE THAT'S SAID TO CLAIM THE LIFE

OF ANYONE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO INTERFERE WITH THEIR DEAD.

♪♪

I'VE COME TO PERU TO EXAMINE THESE MOUNTAIN MUMMIES

FOR MYSELF AND TO SEE IF I CAN FINALLY

UNWRAP THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE CLOUD PEOPLE.

♪♪

I'VE ARRANGED SPECIAL ACCESS TO THE LARGEST COLLECTION

OF MUMMIES IN SOUTH AMERICA.

I'LL BE EXAMINING THESE CLOUD PEOPLE MUMMIES WITH THE DIRECTOR

OF THE LEIMEBAMBA MUSEUM,

ARCHAEOLOGIST AND MUMMY EXPERT SONIA GUELLEN.

I OBSESS OVER MUMMIES, SONIA.

HOW MUCH MUMMIES ARE THERE IN THAT MUMMY VAULT OF YOURS?

WOW.

♪♪

LOOK AT THESE. THAT'S WILD.[ DOOR OPENS ]

THEY LOOK SO DIFFERENT.

♪♪

AND WHERE WERE THE --

Romany: THESE MUMMIES WERE DISCOVERED IN SIX CLIFFSIDE TOMBS

300 FEET ABOVE NEARBY LAGUNA DE LOS CONDORES.

IN CONTRAST TO EGYPTIAN MUMMIES, WHOSE ENTRAILS WERE REMOVED

THROUGH AN INCISION ALONG THEIR LEFT SIDE,

THESE MUMMIES' ORGANS WERE REMOVED THROUGH THE ANUS.

THEIR HANDS WERE THEN PLACED NEAR THEIR FACES,

AND THEY WERE SEATED UPRIGHT,

ALLOWING THEIR BODILY FLUIDS TO CONTINUE DRAINING.

THIS HELPED DRY THE MUMMY IN THIS HUMID CLIMATE.

WOW.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

OH, I SEE IT.

IS THERE A BIG LOOTING PROBLEM?

CERTAINLY. VERY BIG. MM.HMM.

Romany: LOOTING AND TOMB RAIDING

IS A PROBLEM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

MUMMIES LIKE THESE WOULD'VE HAD METAL ARTIFACTS

WRAPPED UP WITH THEM.

THESE ARTIFACTS COULD HAVE GIVEN US VALUABLE INSIGHTS

INTO THEIR OWNERS' ANCESTRY.

HOW HARD IS IT TO GET ANY DNA SAMPLES FROM THESE MUMMIES?

THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH DNA,

IS THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK DNA IS A STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWER.

YOU GET THE DNA FROM THE MUMMY

AND YOU KNOW EVERYTHING FROM THAT,

BUT WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES,

IT'S VERY HARD TO GET SOUND DNA IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Romany: USING DNA TO TRACE THE ORIGIN OF A MUMMY

IS AN INEXACT SCIENCE AT BEST.

BONES AND TEETH PROVIDE DNA SAMPLES,

BUT IT'S DNA THAT HAS BEEN DECOMPOSING FOR CENTURIES.

A SAMPLE IS ALMOST ALWAYS DEGRADED AND CONTAMINATED.

IT IS THEN FURTHER DAMAGED

DURING THE UNAVOIDABLE LABS EXTRACTION PROCESS AND ANALYSIS.

IT'S CLEAR WHY THE DNA TESTS

OF THESE MUMMIES HAVE BEEN INCONCLUSIVE.

WHAT WERE THEY LIKE?

-THEY WERE WARRIORS? -YES.

THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.

THE PLACEMENT OF THESE MUMMIES HIGH UP AMONG CLIFFS NEAR WATER

IS INTRIGUING.

IT IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER BURIAL PRACTICE IN THIS REGION.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHO THESE PEOPLE WERE,

I NEED THE EQUIVALENT OF EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS.

THAT MEANS I'M HEADING TO LIMA.

♪♪

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]

I'M HEADING TO THE NATIONAL LIBRARY TO MEET

A HISTORIAN AND RESEARCHER NAMED FELIPE PORTOCARRERO.

HE'S AN EXPERT ON PERU'S INDIGENOUS CULTURES

AND HAS STUDIED THE CHACHAPOYAS FOR YEARS.

-HEY, RAMY. -FELIPE.

-FINALLY, I GET TO MEET YOU. -HOW ARE YOU DOING, MY FRIEND?

-HOW ARE YOU DOING? -VERY WELL.

I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS,

AND I KNOW YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME ANSWERS.

YEAH, I MEAN, THE CHACHAPOYANS ARE A MYSTERY.

THEY WERE DIFFERENT FROM CLASSIC ANDEAN SORT OF CULTURES.

THEY BURIED THEIR MUMMIES

INSIDE SARCOPHAGUS INSIDE, LIKE, CASKETS.

THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE INCAS.

YES, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, INCAS DO IT UNDERGROUND,

AND THE CHACHAPOYAS WERE TRYING TO PROTECT THEIR MUMMIES

WITH SOME SORT OF SPELL, YOU KNOW,

SO THAT ANYONE THAT WOULD EVEN COME NEAR TO THEM

WOULD SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES.

AND DID PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT IF THEY GET ANYWHERE CLOSE

TO THEIR MUMMIES THAT THEY WOULD BE CURSED?

DEFINITELY.

Romany: THE CHACHAPOYAS WERE A REGIONAL POWER

IN THE NORTHERN ANDES OF PERU FROM THE 7th CENTURY A.D.

THROUGH THE MID 16th CENTURY.

THEIR ONLY SIGNIFICANT RIVALS IN THE AREA WERE THE INCAS,

STARTING IN THE 15th CENTURY.

THE INCAS -- THE MOST FEARED CIVILIZATION IN SOUTH AMERICA.

DID THE INCAS THEMSELVES FEAR THE CHACHAPOYAN PEOPLE?

I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THE INCAS DIDN'T FEAR ANYBODY, YOU KNOW?

BUT WITH THE CHACHAPOYANS, THEY WERE CAUTIOUS.

WE HAVE THIS ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT

THAT GIVES US DECENT DETAIL ON WHO THEY WERE.

I MEAN, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.

-ABSOLUTELY. -LET'S GO.

♪♪

CALLED "CRóNICA DEL PERú," OR "CHRONICLES ABOUT PERU."

IT WAS WRITTEN BY PEDRO CIEZA DE LEON.

Romany: PEDRO CIEZA DE LEON'S FOUR-VOLUME WORK

CHRONICLED THE LOCAL GEOGRAPHY, PLANTS, AND ANIMALS OF PERU.

IT IS CONSIDERED THE MOST CREDIBLE SOURCE OF ITS TIME.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT TO MY INVESTIGATION,

IT IS A FIRSTHAND DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE.

THE DESCRIPTION ON WHERE THE CHACHAPOYANS CAME FROM --

FORTRESS-LIKE BUILDINGS --

HUGE, UP HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS, YOU KNOW?

LIKE A FOGGY TERRITORY.

THEY GAVE THEM THE CLOUD PEOPLE'S NAME

BECAUSE THEY JUST LITERALLY LOOKED AT THEM

COMING FROM THE CLOUDS.YES.

PEDRO CIEZA DESCRIBES CHACHAPOYAS AS TALL,

THEY WERE WHITER, OR LIGHT SKINNED,

AND THEY WERE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL.

TALL, WHITE, AND BEAUTIFUL.

BEAUTIFUL IS RELATIVE, BUT THEY WERE TALL AND WHITE?

YES.

DID THE SPANISH DESCRIBE ANY OTHER CULTURE THEY SAW HERE

ANYWHERE CLOSE TO HOW THEY DESCRIBED THE CLOUD PEOPLE?

I WOULDN'T SAY SO.

THEY LOOKED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE REGION.

EXACTLY.

AND WE HAVE NO CLUE WHERE THEY CAME FROM.

THE DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THIS PRIME RESOURCE

CLEARLY POINT TO AN ANCIENT PEOPLE

WHO HAD COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FEATURES

THAN ANY OTHER PEOPLE EVER SEEN IN THE NEW WORLD.

WHEN I APPROACHED THIS BOOK, I WAS HOPING TO FIND ANSWERS,

BUT I ENDED UP EVEN WITH MORE QUESTIONS

AND WITH NO IDEA WHERE TO START NOW.

♪♪

FELIPE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

I DID END UP WITH MANY MORE QUESTIONS

AFTER LOOKING AT THOSE DOCUMENTS,

BUT NOW I AM MORE MOTIVATED

THAN EVER TO GO DEEP INTO THE AMAZONAS

TO FIND ANSWERS ABOUT THIS MYSTICAL TRIBE.

BUT FIRST, I GOT TO DO SOME SHOPPING.

AS ALWAYS,

A LITTLE LOCAL PREPARATION IS KEY.

♪♪

THIS IS THE BIGGEST MARKET IN LIMA, PERU --

THE GAMARRA MARKET.

IT BEGAN AS A TEXTILE MARKET MORE THAN 120 YEARS AGO

AND HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE MORE THAN 20,000 STALLS.

THEY SELL ALL KINDS OF THINGS, INCLUDING EXACTLY WHAT I NEED

FOR MY EXPEDITION HIGH UP INTO THE ANDES MOUNTAINS.

THESE ARE COCA LEAVES -- YOU KNOW,

THE ONES THEY MAKE COCAINE FROM, EXCEPT THIS IS LEGAL.

COCA LEAVES HAVE BEEN USED AS MEDICINE IN PERU

SINCE 3,000 B.C.

THEY HELP REDUCE THE NAUSEA AND HEADACHE

OF THE ALTITUDE SICKNESS

THAT MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE ABOVE 8,000 FEET.

AND I WILL BE TRAVELING TO 10,000 FEET.

IT'S THE ULTIMATE MEDICINE FOR ALTITUDE.

I'M READY.

THE MORE EXOTIC SIDE OF THE MARKET

IS AN AREA THAT SELLS ITEMS RELATED TO BLACK MAGIC.

EVEN TODAY, LOCAL PERUVIANS STILL BELIEVE IN CURSES.

♪♪

SOME BELIEVE THAT THE MOST POWERFUL CURSES

CAME FROM THE CLOUD PEOPLE,

WHOSE SORCERERS USED THEM TO PROTECT THEIR MUMMIES.

SOMEONE TOLD ME ABOUT A LOCAL SHAMAN HERE

WHO DOES CEREMONIAL PROTECTION

BEFORE YOU GO DEEP INTO THE AMAZONAS

TO PROTECT YOU FROM THE CURSE.

BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.

HOLA. HOLA. QUé TAL.

¿COMO ESTAS?

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR THE CURSE OF THE MUMMIES?

LIKE THIS?

[ SPEAKS SPANISH ]

[ COUGHS ]

[ RATTLING ]

I'M BEING PROTECTED RIGHT NOW.

[ RATTLING CONTINUES ]

WHOA.

THAT'S IT? YES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NOW I CAN GO LOOKING FOR MUMMIES.

♪♪

WITH A STASH OF COCA LEAVES AND A SHAMAN'S PROTECTION

FROM ANY CURSE, I'M HEADING TO KUéLAP,

THE LARGEST CHACHAPOYAN CITY EVER FOUND.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS LOCATION MIGHT TELL ME

ABOUT THE CLOUD PEOPLE'S ORIGINS.

♪♪

KUéLAP IS THE CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT OF THE CLOUD PEOPLE.

IT HAS A MASSIVE FORTRESS-LIKE STONE STRUCTURE

THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE IN THE AMERICAS.

♪♪

WE ARE LITERALLY ON THE EDGE OF A CLIFF.

I CAN'T EVEN SEE HOW FAR DOWN IT GOES.

MOST OF KUéLAP WAS BUILT AROUND 900 A.D.,

MORE THAN 300 YEARS BEFORE THE INCAS

BECAME THE REGION'S SUPERPOWER.

THE FINAL APPROACH IS A MUDDY TRAIL,

AND THIS TIME OF THE YEAR,

MY BEST OPTION IS TO REACH IT ON HORSEBACK.

THE ENGINEERING SKILLS REQUIRED TO BUILD SUCH A REMOTE FORTRESS

AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 10,000 FEET

ARE JUST NOT SEEN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THIS REGION.

WOW!

I DID NOT EXPECT THAT.

♪♪

♪♪

Romany: I'M IN PERU ON A MISSION

TO UNCOVER THE UNEXPLAINED ORIGINS OF THE CLOUD PEOPLE.

THEY WERE DESCRIBED AS TALL AND WHITE,

DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER PEOPLE IN SOUTH AMERICA,

AND THEIR MUMMIES WERE PRESERVED IN HIGHLY UNUSUAL WAYS.

♪♪

WOW!

KUéLAP IS THE LARGEST CITY OF THE CLOUD PEOPLE EVER FOUND.

I WANT TO INVESTIGATE WHAT THESE RUINS MIGHT TELL ME

ABOUT WHERE THIS MYSTERIOUS TRIBE COULD HAVE COME FROM.

BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF MY FRIEND

AND FELLOW EXPLORER JOSH GATES,

I'VE ARRANGED TO MEET RESEARCHER BRIEN FOERSTER.

HE'S AN EXPERT ON MEGALITHIC STRUCTURES

THROUGHOUT SOUTH AMERICA.

I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS PLACE.

15-ACRE STRUCTURE

THAT APPARENTLY THE CLOUD PEOPLE LIVED IN.

AND THERE'S ENOUGH STONE HERE

TO BUILD THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA THREE TIMES.

♪♪

Foerster: 30 MILLION TO 40 MILLION CUBIC FEET.

LOOK AT THIS.YEAH.

THIS IS GLORIOUS.

I AM BLOWN AWAY.

♪♪

WHAT DID THEY USE THIS PART OF THE BUILDING FOR?

WELL, THIS COULD BE, LIKE, THE ROYAL NOBLE CENTER,

AND NOTICE HOW MANY OF THE BUILDINGS ARE ROUND.

THEY ARE REALLY UNIQUE.

CIRCULAR STRUCTURES ARE VERY UNCOMMON

IN PRE-COLUMBIAN AMERICA.

HERE WE HAVE 400-PLUS OF THEM,

SO THAT MEANS THAT NO KNOWN ANDEAN CIVILIZATION BUILT THIS.

THE ONLY OTHER ROUND BUILDINGS THAT PEOPLE LIVED IN

FROM THE IRON AGE WERE THE CELTICS.

THAT'S RIGHT.

Romany: THE CLOUD PEOPLE'S RUINS

ARE SIMILAR TO CELTIC STRUCTURES IN EUROPE

THAT WERE STILL BEING BUILT AT THE SAME TIME.

BUILDERS IN BOTH PLACES CUT AND PLACED STONES

OF A SIMILAR SIZE

TO CONSTRUCT BASES OF A SIMILAR DIAMETER AND HEIGHT.

AND THEY BOTH FINISHED EACH STRUCTURE

WITH A THATCHED ROOF.

AND NO OTHER STRUCTURE IN SOUTH AMERICA HAS SUCH A DESIGN.

WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THE CHACHAPOYAS,

THE CLOUD PEOPLE, CAME FROM EUROPE?

I BELIEVE SO.

WOW.

THERE IS NO OTHER RECORD

THAT THE EUROPEANS WOULD HAVE BEEN

ANYWHERE CLOSE TO HERE AT THIS TIME.

NOT ACCORDING TO THE ACADEMICS,

BUT I LISTEN TO THE ORAL TRADITIONS

OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE.

THE CLOUD PEOPLE COMPLETELY PRE-DATE

THE VIKINGS BY HUNDREDS OF YEARS,

AND YOU THINK THEY CAME FROM EUROPE?

EXACTLY, BECAUSE CURRENTS FROM THE STRAIGHT OF GIBRALTAR

COULD TAKE YOU RIGHT TO THE MOUTH OF THE AMAZON.

♪♪

WOW.

Romany: THE CELTICS WERE AN ANCIENT SEAFARING CULTURE,

AND THEIR EMPIRE STRETCHED FROM SCOTLAND TO SPAIN.

IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT A CELTIC VESSEL

COULD'VE BEEN CAUGHT IN THE ATLANTIC'S POWERFUL CURRENT

AND CARRIED HUNDREDS OF MILES TO THE MOUTH OF THE AMAZON RIVER.

STRANDED, THIS ROGUE GROUP COULD HAVE TRAVELED

TO THE RIVER'S SOURCE

UNTIL THEY HIT THE ANDES MOUNTAINS.

IN THIS UNINHABITED PLACE, THEY COULD'VE BUILT

AND DEFENDED A FORTRESS HIGH UP IN THE CLOUDS.

THIS WOULD MAKE THE CLOUD PEOPLE THE FIRST EVER EUROPEANS

TO SETTLE IN THE NEW WORLD,

PRE-DATING THE VIKINGS' ARRIVAL IN NORTH AMERICA BY 300 YEARS.

HERE AT THEIR FORTRESS, KUéLAP, NUMEROUS CLOUD PEOPLE BODIES

WERE DISCOVERED WITHIN THE CITY WALLS,

AND BOTH CULTURES WRAPPED HEIRLOOMS UP WITH THE DEAD.

BUT AT KUéLAP, ANY EVIDENCE THAT MIGHT PROVE A CONNECTION

BETWEEN THE CLOUD PEOPLE AND THE CELTS WAS LOOTED

AND LOST LONG AGO.

♪♪

BUT IF I CAN FIND A TOMB THAT HASN'T BEEN DISCOVERED,

HASN'T BEEN LOOTED, THERE MAY BE STILL RELICS

AND OTHER EVIDENCE THAT COULD PROVE THE CLOUD PEOPLE

ACTUALLY CAME FROM EUROPE.

I'LL NEED SOME HELP TO FOCUS A SEARCH THAT WILL INCLUDE

THOUSANDS OF SQUARE MILES OF VIRGIN CLOUD FOREST.

♪♪

I'M ON MY WAY TO MEET PEDRO CóRDOVA.

HE'S A LOCAL EXPLORER AND A RESEARCHER

WORKING ON CHACHAPOYAN CULTURE

AND TRYING TO FIND THEIR UNDISCOVERED RUINS.

I BELIEVE THAT IN THIS CASE,

THE CLOUD PEOPLE'S POWERFUL MUMMY CURSE

MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP ME.

-PEDRO! -HEY!

HEY, MAN.

FEAR OF A CURSE MAY HAVE KEPT LOOTERS AWAY,

AND LOCALS MIGHT KNOW THE AREAS

THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO AVOID.

FROM WHAT I READ, THE CLOUD PEOPLE WERE SORCERERS,

AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY PUT A CURSE ON THEIR MUMMIES

TO PROTECT THEM FROM ANYTHING.

I KNOW THAT LOCAL PERUVIANS DO BELIEVE IN THE MUMMY CURSE.

IT'S ANTIMONIA.

IT'S THIS CURSE, AND USUALLY HAPPENS

ONCE SOMEBODY GETS CLOSER TO SOME SORT OF RUIN, REMAINS.

Romany: MUMMY CURSES CAPTIVATE PEOPLE'S IMAGINATIONS,

BUT THEY ARE ROOTED IN SCIENTIFIC FACT.

RECENT LAB STUDIES HAVE REVEALED THAT ANCIENT MUMMIES IN TOMBS

CAN CARRY TOXIC MOLD,

WHICH CAN INFECT ANYONE THAT TOUCHES THE DEAD.

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN CURSED?

THIS GUY, HIS NAME IS JORGE, AND HE HAD ALL THE SYMPTOMS.

DO YOU THINK HE REMEMBERS

OR KNOWS THE PLACE THAT HE'S BEEN CURSED AT?

I'M PRETTY SURE HE DOES.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEVER WILL GO AWAY FROM HIS MIND.

THAT'S PERFECT.

I WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE CURSE IS AND I WANT TO GO THERE.

♪♪

HOLA, JORGE.

¿COMO ESTAS?

CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT HAPPENED?

[ CATTLE LOWING ]

ALL THE LOCAL DOCTORS COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHAT HE HAD.

HE DECIDED THAT DOCTORS DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER,

AND HE WENT TO A SHAMAN, AND THE SHAMAN TOLD HIM

TO DESCRIBE THE EXACT SPOT

HE WENT TO WHEN THE CATTLE STOPPED.

♪♪

AND HE DESCRIBED THE EXACT SPOT, AND THE SHAMAN TOLD HIM,

"I KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SPOT."

THAT IS THE CURSE.

THE ANTIMONIA.

ACCORDING TO THE SHAMAN, IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS AN INDICATION

OF NEARBY CLOUD PEOPLE TOMBS AND RUINS.

JORGE, WHERE EXACTLY WAS THAT SPOT?

ON THIS MAP?

RIGHT HERE? Sí.

[ SPEAKS SPANISH ]

I KNOW WHAT JORGE'S TALKING ABOUT.

IT'S FAR AWAY, IT'S A LONG JOURNEY.

IT'S DEFINITELY CHACHAPOYA PEOPLES UP IN THE FOREST,

UP NEAR THE CLOUDS, UP IN THE SKY, AS HE'S DESCRIBING.

CAN WE GET THERE?

YES, BUT IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE.

TAKE ME THERE.

♪♪

Romany: I'M HEADING INTO AN AREA OF THE PERUVIAN CLOUD FOREST,

WHERE THE LOCALS BELIEVE A POWERFUL CURSE

IS PROTECTING THE MUMMIES OF AN ANCIENT TRIBE.

I'M HOPING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER THE MYSTERIOUS CLOUD PEOPLE

COULD REALLY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST EUROPEANS

TO ARRIVE IN SOUTH AMERICA,

MORE THAN 600 YEARS BEFORE THE SPANIARDS DID.

♪♪

APPARENTLY, THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO THE LOCATION IS USING HORSES,

THAT PEDRO IS PREPPING BEHIND ME RIGHT NOW.

THAT IS THE LOCATION.

ALL THE LOCAL PERUVIANS BELIEVE IT'S CURSED.

EVEN PEDRO HIMSELF IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE GOING UP THERE,

BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHY I NEED TO GO UP THERE.

♪♪

NORMALLY, ARCHAEOLOGY IS DIGGING DOWN INTO THE DIRT

TO UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF HISTORY.

THIS IS TAKING US UP THOUSANDS OF FEET IN ELEVATION,

TO MAYBE UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE CHACHAPOYAS.

♪♪

[ HORSE BLUSTERING, NEIGHING ]

PEDRO, MY HORSE IS ACTING UP.YEP, YEP.

YES!

THE HORSES ARE OBVIOUSLY BOTHERED BY SOMETHING.

[ WHINNYING ][ SHOUTS ]

-IT'S A SIGN. HEY -- -SHH.

YOU WANT TO GO BACK?

MOST LIKELY, THE HIGH ALTITUDE.HEY, RIGHT, MAN, I DON'T THINK

THESE HORSES ARE GONNA GO ANYWHERE.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HIKE.OKAY. LET'S GET OFF.

Romany: THE SOLUTION? NO HORSES.

WE'RE WALKING.

♪♪

SOME CHACHAPOYAN SITES HAVE RECENTLY BEEN FOUND

IN THIS GENERAL AREA.

BASED ON THE INFORMATION JORGE GAVE US,

WE'LL HAVE TO NAVIGATE THIS THICK JUNGLE

TO GET NEAR THE RUINS JORGE BELIEVES GAVE HIM THE CURSE,

THE ANTIMONIA.

BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE WE'LL LOOK FOR AN UNLOOTED TOMB,

AND AN UNDISTURBED MUMMY.

♪♪

WOW.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

THIS IS THE THICKEST I'VE EVER BEEN IN.

♪♪

WATCH OUT WHERE YOU STEP.

♪♪

LOOK AT THIS! IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?

♪♪

BE CAREFUL, PEDRO.

DID YOU SEE THOSE SYMBOLS?

WOW.

THIS IS THE SAME EXACT SYMBOLS THAT THERE IN KUéLAP.

[ PANTING ]

LOOK AT THAT.

-THIS IS AMAZING. -THIS IS CLOUD PEOPLE RUINS.

-THIS IS IT. -IT IS.

THOSE SYMBOLS REPRESENT AUTHORITY,

SO MOST LIKELY WE ARE ON A PLACE WHERE SOMEBODY WITH POWER LIVED.

WE'D BE VERY LUCKY TO FIND HERE AN ITEM WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

LET'S TRY TO GET IN.

Romany: THESE ROUND STRUCTURES

ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO WHAT WE SAW AT KUéLAP.

I FIND THESE SYMBOLS OF ROYALTY,

THE EYES OF THE PUMA, ENCOURAGING.

MY HOPE IS TO FIND A METAL ARTIFACT

WHOSE MAKE-UP AND CRAFTSMANSHIP REVEAL

WHETHER THERE'S A LINK BETWEEN THE CLOUD PEOPLE

AND THE CELTIC WARRIORS.

♪♪

[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]

♪♪

♪♪

Romany: WE ARE NOW JUST OVER 9,000 FEET,

AND I'M DEFINITELY FEELING THE ALTITUDE.

♪♪

[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]

THE LOW-OXYGEN ENVIRONMENT MEANS I HAVE TO BREATHE MORE

TO GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF AIR.

MY HEART RATE IS HIGHER, AND MY HEAD IS STARTING TO HURT.

[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]

PEDRO, LOOK AT THIS.

-DO YOU SEE THIS? -WOW.

LOOK.

♪♪

[ PANTING ]

IT LOOKS DEEP.

PEDRO, THIS IS VERY PROMISING.

THIS LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU WOULD FIND IN A TOMB

OR A MAUSOLEUM -- IT STARTS WITH A SHAFT

LIKE THAT, YOU GO ALL THE WAY IN,

AND IT ENDS UP LEADING TO A BURIAL CHAMBER.

I'M GOING IN.

♪♪

[ GRUNTS ]

[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]

I CAN BARELY FIT IN HERE.

SOME CELTS BURIED THEIR DEAD IN WHAT ARE CALLED WEDGE TOMBS.

THE WALLS OF SUCH CHAMBERS NARROW TOWARDS THE END,

AND THE STONES WE'RE SEEING HERE

WOULD SERVE AS SLABS FOR THE ROOF OF THE WEDGE TOMB.

THE ENTRANCE TO SUCH TOMBS

ALWAYS FACE TOWARDS THE SETTING SUN, THE WEST.

IT LOOKING DARK, MAN.

[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]

I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING.

THERE'S A TON OF SPIDERS HERE, PEDRO.

♪♪

[ GRUNTING ]

♪♪

I SEE THE END OF THIS TUNNEL.

♪♪

[ GRUNTING ]

♪♪

I SEE THE LIGHT.

♪♪

WOW, LOOK AT THAT.

PEDRO! PEDRO!

I FOUND A SKULL!

♪♪

[ GRUNTING, BREATHING HEAVILY ]

♪♪

I SEE THE LIGHT.

Romany: HIGH UP IN THE PERUVIAN ANDES,

I'M LOOKING FOR A CLOUD PEOPLE TOMB THAT HASN'T BEEN LOOTED.

I BELIEVE THEIR MUMMIES COULD PROVIDE ME WITH

THE EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS THAT THE CLOUD PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN

THE FIRST EUROPEANS TO ARRIVE IN THE NEW WORLD,

HUNDREDS OF YEARS EARLIER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.

♪♪

LOOK AT THAT!

WOW!

I'VE JUST DISCOVERED A HUMAN SKULL

AT THE OTHER END OF THE TUNNEL.

OH, MY GOD, PEDRO. THIS IS AMAZING.

LOOK. WOW.

YOU SEE THE MARKINGS RIGHT HERE?

YEP.

THESE ARE ALL PROOF THAT THIS IS AN ANCIENT,

EITHER INCAN OR CHACHAPOYAN,

MOST LIKELY CLOUD PEOPLE MUMMY.

THIS IS VERY, VERY EXCITING.

HAVING A SKULL LIKE THIS HERE

IS A GREAT CLUE FOR US.

WOW, LOOK AT THIS.

THIS IS VERY LIKELY AN ANCIENT MUMMY.

WE SHOULD KEEP LOOKING AROUND HERE.

ABSOLUTELY.

LET'S GO.

THE CELTICS WERE AT THE IRON AGE.

IF THIS SKELETON WAS CELTIC, WE VERY LIKELY WOULD FIND

AN IRON ARTIFACT THAT WAS BURIED WITH IT.

YEAH, LET'S DO THIS.

MY METAL DETRACTOR WILL LET US KNOW

IF THERE ARE ARTIFACTS NEAR THIS FIND

THAT CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CLUES ABOUT THIS SKULL.

[ METAL HACKING ]

[ BEEPING ] -PEDRO?

SO, ALL THAT DIRT...

[ MUTTERS ]

♪♪

-WHAT IS THIS? -THIS BURNS.

I GOT BIT OR SOMETHING.IT'S URTICA.

VERY, VERY ITCHY.WHAT IS THAT?

IT'S GONNA BURN. IT'S A PLANT. A WEED THAT BURNS YOU.

[ GROANS SOFTLY ]

♪♪

IT'S ON FIRE.

ALL THIS -- ALL THIS WEED.

WE HAVE BURNING PLANTS ALL AROUND US

AND YOU MENTION THIS NOW?SORRY ABOUT THAT.

HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?

COULD LAST UP TO 30 MINUTES. JUST DON'T SCRATCH.

JUST WIPE IT CAREFULLY AND DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE,

'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA PASS IT ON.

GOTTA BE CAREFUL.

Romany: I'LL BE LEAVING THIS CLOUD PEOPLE SKULL HERE,

AND REPORT THIS SITE TO THE PERUVIAN AUTHORITIES.

♪♪

BUT IT IS EVIDENCE THAT THERE ARE NO UNDISTURBED TOMBS HERE.

♪♪

THE CLOUD PEOPLE PLACED THEIR ROYAL MUMMIES IN SARCOPHAGI,

HIGH UP ON THE CLIFFS NEAR THEIR CITIES.

THE SKULL WE FOUND COULD HAVE BEEN WASHED DOWN

BY THE HEAVY RAINS AND EROSION FROM THE CLIFFS ABOVE,

SO THE ONLY WAY FORWARD,

AND THE NEXT PLACE TO LOOK, IS UP.

PEDRO, DO YOU SEE THIS? RIGHT THERE?

OH, YEAH.

THAT COULD VERY WELL BE A BURIAL CHAMBER.

LET ME GET A CLOSER LOOK.

LET'S DRONE.

♪♪

THIS WAY, WE CAN GET A CLOSER LOOK AT IT.

IT'S WORTH IT.

WE GET THERE.[ BEEPS ]

♪♪

[ DRONE WHIRRING ]

♪♪

♪♪

OH, MY GOD. DO YOU SEE THIS?

THESE ARE SARCOPHAGI.

LOOK AT THAT!

LOOK AT THIS.

IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE SIGHT,

TO SEE 13 SARCOPHAGI WITH THEIR CLOUD PEOPLE ART, RIGHT THERE.

A THOUSAND YEARS AGO, THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.

DO YOU SEE THIS?IS THAT A HOLE?

WHAT IS IT?

I THINK IT'S A HOLE.

OH, NO.

LOOTERS.

WE SAW THESE 13 SARCOPHAGI

THAT ARE IDENTICAL TO THE ONES IN A MUSEUM.

THEY LOOK LIKE CLOUD PEOPLE'S ART AND SARCOPHAGI.

THEY ARE LOOTED. SOMEONE HAS BEEN THERE BEFORE.

THIEVES HAVE COMPLETELY BUSTED INTO THESE SARCOPHAGI

AND HAD STOLEN THE MUMMIES, AND PROBABLY EVERYTHING ELSE.

PEDRO, WHERE ELSE?

SO, THE HIGHER STATUS YOU GET IN THIS CULTURE,

THE HIGHER YOU WILL GET BURIED, SO LET'S KEEP LOOKING HIGHER.

THE HIGHER, THE BETTER.

WE ARE NOW AT 10,000 FEET.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA FIND ANYTHING ELSE HERE.

♪♪

WAIT, LOOK AT THIS.

THAT'S A WATERFALL.

WHEN I WAS IN LEIMEBAMBA MUSEUM, TALKING TO SONIA,

SHE SAID THAT'S THE PRIME PLACE --

IN FRONT OF A LAKE, WHERE WATER IS, HIGH IN THE CLIFF.

AND THAT WOULD BE THE BEST HIDING SPOT,

'CAUSE IF THERE'S A WATERFALL RIGHT IN FRONT OF A CAVE,

THEN MOST LIKELY THERE'S NO LOOTERS

THAT WERE EVEN ABLE TO REACH THERE.

I THINK WE SHOULD GO TO THE WATERFALL.

LET'S GO.

♪♪

♪♪

LOOK AT THAT!

-WOW! -WHOO-HOO!

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE SAW ON THE DRONE.

IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, IF WE GO ALL THE WAY DOWN,

WE CAN PROBABLY FIND MULTIPLE CAVES

THAT THE CHACHAPOYANS WOULD HAVE USED

1,000 YEARS AGO AS A BURIAL PLACE.

THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE IS TO FOLLOW THE WATER.

AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE'RE GONNA NEED A WHOLE TEAM.

WE'RE GONNA NEED ROPES.

IT'S GONNA BE MORE COMPLEX THAN WHAT YOU THINK.

WELL, NO ONE SAID IT'S GONNA BE EASY.

Romany: THIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS LOCATIONS

I'VE EVER TRIED TO REACH,

BUT DIFFICULT-TO-ACCESS PLACES ARE LEAST LIKELY TO BE LOOTED,

AND THE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE A FIND.

WE GOT THIS, PEDRO.[ LAUGHS ]

WE GOT THIS.

TAKE CARE. VAMOS, GUYS. VAMOS, VAMOS.

[ WATER RUSHING ]

AS MUCH AS I'D HOPED TO FIND A CLOUD PEOPLE TOMB,

MY CURIOSITY ONCE AGAIN

IS PUTTING ME IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS POSITION.

♪♪

[ LAUGHS ]

WHOA!

[ BLEEP ] [ LAUGHS ]

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, I CAN'T GET A GRIP!

WAIT!

WHERE? BOTH FEET WHERE?

AGH!

OHH!

♪♪

-HOLA. -HOLA.

I WOULD LOVE TO GET THE BEST DRINK IN THE HOUSE.

OKAY. GRACIAS.

I COME TO BARS WHEN I'M IN TOWNS LIKE THIS

BECAUSE IN BARS YOU CAN ACTUALLY LEARN THE MOST

ABOUT LOCAL CULTURE, LOCAL BELIEFS.

AND I AM HERE TO LEARN ABOUT THE MUMMY CURSE AND SEE...

♪♪

UM, BUT...

WHICH...

WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW?

ANTS?

ARE YOU SURE I EAT THESE?

I EAT THESE? I EAT THEM? IN MY MOUTH?

[ SHUDDERS ]

THAT'S ONE DELIGHTFUL-LOOKING ANT.

OKAY, I'M GOING FOR IT.

♪♪

OOF.

I C-- [ LAUGHS ]

IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'D THINK ANTS WOULD TASTE LIKE.

NOT GREAT.

♪♪

AGH!

OH! [BLEEP]

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, I CAN'T GET A GRIP! WAIT!

♪♪

Romany: I'VE BEEN SEARCHING

FOR AN UNDISCOVERED CLOUD PEOPLE TOMB,

SEARING AMONG THE CLIFFS NEAR THE MYSTERIOUS TRIBE'S RUINS.

♪♪

I BELIEVE THEIR MUMMIES AND THE ARTIFACTS

WRAPPED WITH THEM WILL TELL US

WHETHER THESE PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN THE DESCENDENTS

OF ROGUE CELTIC WARRIORS FROM EUROPE...

♪♪

...LIVING IN SOUTH AMERICA FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS

BEFORE THE SPANIARDS ARRIVED IN THE 16th CENTURY,

BUT FIRST, I HAVE TO GET PAST THIS WATERFALL.

WHOA!

OH! [BLEEP]

[ LAUGHS ] WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT,

I CAN'T GET A GRIP! WAIT!

WHERE? BOTH FEET WHERE?

THERE'S NO PLACE TO PUT YOUR FEET.

FASTER?

AH! AGH!

♪♪

[ MAN SHOUTING ]

WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS?

THE WATERFALL IS VERY SLIPPERY.

THERE'S NO PLACE TO PUT YOUR FEET.

SO YOU END UP FLYING DOWN.

THERE IS NO SIGN OF A CAVE.

MAYBE THERE'S FOUR MORE DIPS LIKE THAT.

AND THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO IS THAT I LIVE.

-THAT IS MORE STEEP. -YOU GOT IT.

♪♪

-AHH! -[ SHOUTS ]

Romany: WE ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST

IN MODERN MOUNTAINEERING EQUIPMENT,

SO HOW COULD THE CLOUD PEOPLE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS

500 OR MORE YEARS AGO?

WE KNOW THEY MOVED GIANT BOULDERS

TO BUILD THEIR STRUCTURES HIGH UP IN THE MOUNTAINS,

AND I BELIEVE IF THEY COULD DO THAT,

THEY COULD'VE HANDLED THESE WATERFALLS

EVEN WITH THE HEAVY LOADS.

IT'S A CAVE. THAT'S A FULL-ON CAVE.

IT'S DEEP.

THAT IS EXACTLY THE PERFECT SPOT

WHERE THE CHACHAPOYANS WOULD HAVE DONE IT.

♪♪

AFTER DAYS OF EXPLORING THE RAIN FOREST

AND THOUSANDS OF VERTICAL FEET, UP AND DOWN,

THIS CAVE LOOKS INCREDIBLY PROMISING.

[ GRUNTING ]

♪♪

WHEN I'M IN A CAVE LIKE THIS, I'M LOOKING FOR GENERALLY

A FLAT, HORIZONTAL SURFACE

THAT IS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HAD HUMAN ACTIVITY.

I'M ALSO ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BATS AND SNAKES.

♪♪

♪♪

IT'S POSSIBLE THAT I'VE GOTTEN ALL THIS WRONG,

BUT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING.

[ SIGHS ]

♪♪

[ BREATHES SHARPLY ]

I FOUND SOMETHING!

♪♪

THERE ARE SO MANY BONES IN HERE.

ALL HUMAN BONES.

ABOUT SEVEN SKULLS.

THIS SEEMS TO BE A FULL FAMILY BURIED TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.

AND THEY'RE COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

WRAPPING EVERYWHERE.

I CAN SEE MOSS ALL OVER THE BONES.

♪♪

THIS IS AN UNDISTURBED TOMB.

ONLY DISTURBED BY THE WATERFALL, BUT UNLOOTED.

THE BONES ARE OLD AND DRY

AND DON'T HAVE ANY MUMMIFIED FLESH ON THEM,

SO I'M NOT REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ANTIMONY AT THIS SITE.

THE CURSE HAS PROBABLY KEPT THIS A SECRET FOR 1,000 YEARS.

BUT THIS CAN TELL US WHERE THE CLOUD PEOPLE ACTUALLY CAME FROM.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

♪♪

WHAT AN AMAZING FEELING TO HAVE RAPPELLED FROM A MOUNTAIN,

FROM ONE WATERFALL TO THE OTHER, WHILE I'M SEARCHING THE RUINS --

FROM GOING AGAINST THE CURSE

TO JUST FINALLY FIND SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SEARCHING AMONG THE CLIFFS NEAR A BODY OF WATER

CLOSE THE CLOUD PEOPLE RUINS HAS PAID OFF,

AND FORENSIC TESTS OF THESE BONES DISCOVERED HERE TODAY

HAVE LED TO ASTONISHING RESULTS.

THESE CLOUD PEOPLE BODIES WERE AFFLICTED WITH TUBERCULOSIS.

THIS MEANS THAT A CLOUD PEOPLE DISEASE WAS PRESENT HERE

IN SOUTH AMERICA MORE THAN 600 YEARS

BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPANIARDS.

AND IF ONE MORE CLOUD PEOPLE TOMB THAT HASN'T BEEN LOOTED

OR DAMAGED BY CENTURIES OF WATER CAN BE FOUND,

IT WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE.

WE WILL KNOW ONCE AND FOR ALL

WHETHER THE MYSTERIOUS CLOUD PEOPLE OF PERU

WERE IN FACT THE FIRST EUROPEANS TO ARRIVE IN SOUTH AMERICA.

WE WILL KNOW BECAUSE THE CLOUD PEOPLE'S MUMMIES WERE THE KEY

TO UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF THE PAST.

♪♪