1 00:00:07,401 --> 00:00:10,134 (dramatic music) 2 00:00:10,134 --> 00:00:12,400 - [Narrator] Since the dawn of human history, 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,500 civilizations have gazed up to the stars 4 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:17,700 to make sense of our existence. 5 00:00:17,700 --> 00:00:20,367 The cyclic patterns of celestial bodies 6 00:00:20,367 --> 00:00:22,867 guiding our understanding of ourselves 7 00:00:22,867 --> 00:00:24,767 and the world around us. 8 00:00:24,767 --> 00:00:26,267 The intricate carvings 9 00:00:26,267 --> 00:00:29,767 etched into the sandstone structure of Angkor Wat 10 00:00:29,767 --> 00:00:32,901 tell us a story written in the skies. 11 00:00:32,901 --> 00:00:36,434 Every inch of this ancient complex is coordinated 12 00:00:36,434 --> 00:00:38,300 with the cosmic realms. 13 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:41,734 - Angkor Wat is basically a three dimensional reflection 14 00:00:41,734 --> 00:00:44,201 of the Hindu universe in cosmology. 15 00:00:45,567 --> 00:00:48,734 - [Narrator] In Mexico, the ancient Mayan building, 16 00:00:48,734 --> 00:00:51,100 a ladder to the heavens. 17 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:54,634 The pyramid of Kukulcan is a wonder of the world 18 00:00:54,634 --> 00:00:57,067 shimmering with solar alignments. 19 00:00:57,067 --> 00:00:59,033 - It's actually a pyramid built on a pyramid, 20 00:00:59,033 --> 00:01:00,234 built on a pyramid. 21 00:01:00,234 --> 00:01:02,834 - [Narrator] What secrets contained within 22 00:01:02,834 --> 00:01:06,500 potentially unlock a gateway to other dimensions? 23 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:10,800 A strange earthen mound in Ireland curiously captures 24 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,667 the inaugural rays of solstice sunlight. 25 00:01:13,667 --> 00:01:17,167 - On the day of the winter solstice, the sun would penetrate 26 00:01:17,167 --> 00:01:22,001 to the very back chamber of the passage tomb. 27 00:01:23,100 --> 00:01:24,134 - [Narrator] What were the motives 28 00:01:24,134 --> 00:01:26,433 of its mysterious architects 29 00:01:26,433 --> 00:01:28,801 and how exactly did they forge this link 30 00:01:28,801 --> 00:01:30,901 between earth and sky? 31 00:01:34,500 --> 00:01:37,301 (dramatic music) 32 00:01:54,533 --> 00:01:57,101 (bright music) 33 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,067 In the light of Cambodia's rising sun, 34 00:02:02,067 --> 00:02:05,067 stands a temple unlike any other. 35 00:02:05,067 --> 00:02:09,334 Its sandstone spires seemingly reaching the heavens above. 36 00:02:09,334 --> 00:02:12,801 - Sprawling over 400 acres, Angkor Wat 37 00:02:12,801 --> 00:02:15,567 is the largest religious monument ever built. 38 00:02:17,701 --> 00:02:20,201 It's truly a wonder of the ancient world. 39 00:02:23,167 --> 00:02:26,100 - One of the things that is so striking 40 00:02:26,100 --> 00:02:27,934 is how massive the actual site is. 41 00:02:27,934 --> 00:02:29,834 So there is like the Angkor Wat temple, 42 00:02:29,834 --> 00:02:31,833 but then there's all the other temples 43 00:02:31,833 --> 00:02:34,401 that are part of the whole cultural site. 44 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:40,034 - Angkor Wat without question 45 00:02:40,034 --> 00:02:43,167 is one of the great marvels of human engineering, 46 00:02:43,167 --> 00:02:47,334 but it's also a stunning work of art decorated 47 00:02:47,334 --> 00:02:50,633 with innumerable bas-relief sculptures. 48 00:02:50,633 --> 00:02:53,033 It is surrounded by an enormous moat 49 00:02:53,033 --> 00:02:55,134 in a beautiful landscape. 50 00:02:55,134 --> 00:02:58,401 It is one of the great contributions to human engineering. 51 00:02:59,967 --> 00:03:02,301 - [Narrator] Built by the rulers of the Khmer Empire, 52 00:03:03,733 --> 00:03:07,834 Angkor Wat is a relic of the 12th century, a mighty monument 53 00:03:07,834 --> 00:03:12,334 to a civilization largely reclaimed by the jungle. 54 00:03:12,334 --> 00:03:16,900 It stands as a keeper of ancient stories etched in stone 55 00:03:16,900 --> 00:03:18,900 and serves as a cosmic blueprint 56 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:21,800 with divine symbolism intricately woven 57 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,700 into its very foundations. 58 00:03:24,700 --> 00:03:27,734 - The purpose behind its construction was 59 00:03:27,734 --> 00:03:30,234 to have it embody the cosmos. 60 00:03:33,933 --> 00:03:36,567 (bright music) 61 00:03:39,567 --> 00:03:42,934 - Angkor Wat is basically a three dimensional reflection 62 00:03:42,934 --> 00:03:45,567 of the Hindu universe in cosmology. 63 00:03:45,567 --> 00:03:48,567 - From its foundation to its peak, 64 00:03:48,567 --> 00:03:53,801 every element of this temple symbolizes the higher realm. 65 00:03:58,067 --> 00:04:00,867 - How were its ancient architects able 66 00:04:00,867 --> 00:04:03,834 to achieve such detail and precision? 67 00:04:04,700 --> 00:04:06,667 And why was Angkor Wat ultimately left 68 00:04:06,667 --> 00:04:08,534 to be reclaimed by nature? 69 00:04:11,733 --> 00:04:13,634 - [Narrator] In the mid 19th century 70 00:04:13,634 --> 00:04:17,000 while traversing the dense landscapes of Southeast Asia 71 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,601 in search of natural specimens, French Explorer Henri Mouhot 72 00:04:21,601 --> 00:04:24,034 stumbles upon a remarkable discovery, 73 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,533 a massive 3.6 kilometer stone wall guarding a series 74 00:04:31,533 --> 00:04:32,967 of raised galleries 75 00:04:32,967 --> 00:04:36,301 and a quintet of tall towers, the tallest 76 00:04:36,301 --> 00:04:39,967 of which stretches 65 meters into the sky. 77 00:04:41,567 --> 00:04:45,067 In his writings, Mouhot declares the temple a rival 78 00:04:45,067 --> 00:04:49,467 to that of Solomon, erected by some ancient Michelangelo 79 00:04:49,467 --> 00:04:52,334 and proclaims it grander than anything left to us 80 00:04:52,334 --> 00:04:54,667 by Greece or Rome. 81 00:04:54,667 --> 00:04:57,401 - He's simply awestruck by the complex. 82 00:04:57,401 --> 00:05:01,200 It affects him so profoundly, he compares it 83 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:02,534 to the pyramids. 84 00:05:05,733 --> 00:05:08,133 - Angkor Wat is quite magical in a sense 85 00:05:08,133 --> 00:05:11,534 that it's very intertwined with the nature around it. 86 00:05:11,534 --> 00:05:14,534 Over time, they have sort of become one and the same. 87 00:05:16,201 --> 00:05:18,100 There's still parts of the complex today, 88 00:05:18,100 --> 00:05:19,467 so not Angkor Wat proper, 89 00:05:19,467 --> 00:05:21,700 but the surrounding complex 90 00:05:21,700 --> 00:05:25,601 that give people the same vision 91 00:05:25,601 --> 00:05:27,700 as the French Explorer coming across 92 00:05:27,700 --> 00:05:29,234 the temple for the first time. 93 00:05:30,401 --> 00:05:33,434 So it's almost like you're discovering parts 94 00:05:33,434 --> 00:05:35,600 of this complex yourself when you're walking 95 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:37,367 to some of the more remote areas. 96 00:05:38,734 --> 00:05:39,934 - [Narrator] Though this age old structure 97 00:05:39,934 --> 00:05:41,700 had been known to local peoples 98 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:44,567 and other foreign visitors for centuries, 99 00:05:44,567 --> 00:05:46,234 the nature of its true origins 100 00:05:46,234 --> 00:05:49,801 and purpose long remained a source of speculation. 101 00:05:50,633 --> 00:05:53,133 Legends spoke of divine architects 102 00:05:53,133 --> 00:05:55,933 constructing the temple in a single night 103 00:05:55,933 --> 00:05:59,034 or giants raising it from the earth. 104 00:05:59,034 --> 00:06:01,467 However, we've since pieced together 105 00:06:01,467 --> 00:06:03,633 a more comprehensive picture 106 00:06:03,633 --> 00:06:05,100 tracing the building's foundation 107 00:06:05,100 --> 00:06:09,434 to the mighty Khmer Empire of the 12th century CE. 108 00:06:10,833 --> 00:06:12,434 - The Khmer Empire was one 109 00:06:12,434 --> 00:06:15,367 of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient world. 110 00:06:17,134 --> 00:06:20,000 They were incredibly sophisticated builders and craftsmen, 111 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,301 and they profoundly shaped the history of Southeast Asia. 112 00:06:25,167 --> 00:06:28,934 They ruled for six centuries over a vast empire 113 00:06:28,934 --> 00:06:32,434 stretching from southern China to southern Vietnam, 114 00:06:32,434 --> 00:06:34,801 from Burma to the Mekong River. 115 00:06:36,167 --> 00:06:38,833 - [Narrator] At its heart lies the capital of Angkor, 116 00:06:38,833 --> 00:06:41,934 a metropolis unrivaled in its time. 117 00:06:41,934 --> 00:06:44,867 Home to nearly a million citizens at its peak, 118 00:06:44,867 --> 00:06:48,933 it was once the largest pre-industrial city on earth. 119 00:06:48,933 --> 00:06:50,601 - Angkor Wat stands as one 120 00:06:50,601 --> 00:06:54,134 of the few remaining architectural marvels of this people. 121 00:06:57,467 --> 00:06:58,834 - One of the reasons why there's 122 00:06:58,834 --> 00:07:01,034 so few architectural remains of the Khmer Empire 123 00:07:01,034 --> 00:07:02,400 is because of the fact 124 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:07,000 that they dedicated stone constructions to deities 125 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,334 and gods versus common people, 126 00:07:09,334 --> 00:07:11,067 which would live in wooden structures 127 00:07:11,067 --> 00:07:13,201 and haven't survived the test of time. 128 00:07:14,533 --> 00:07:17,167 - [Narrator] The Khmer left few written records, 129 00:07:17,167 --> 00:07:20,600 but their story is carved in stone. 130 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,434 Through these detailed bas-reliefs 131 00:07:22,434 --> 00:07:25,334 and inscriptions, historians and architects 132 00:07:25,334 --> 00:07:27,567 have begun to piece together the rise 133 00:07:27,567 --> 00:07:30,267 and fall of this formidable empire. 134 00:07:31,934 --> 00:07:35,934 In the early 12th century, King Suryavarman II ascends 135 00:07:35,934 --> 00:07:38,534 to the throne commanding what had grown 136 00:07:38,534 --> 00:07:40,867 to become a powerful empire. 137 00:07:42,267 --> 00:07:44,367 - His reign marked the end of decades 138 00:07:44,367 --> 00:07:46,534 of civil war and unrest. 139 00:07:46,534 --> 00:07:48,500 He's an incredibly capable ruler. 140 00:07:48,500 --> 00:07:52,034 He not only expands the empire through a mixture of warfare 141 00:07:52,034 --> 00:07:54,900 and diplomacy, but he also fosters art 142 00:07:54,900 --> 00:07:56,834 and culture within its borders. 143 00:07:59,001 --> 00:08:02,467 - [Narrator] By 1122 CE, at the King's order, 144 00:08:02,467 --> 00:08:06,933 work begins on Angkor Wat, a stone compound destined 145 00:08:06,933 --> 00:08:09,934 to become the spiritual epicenter of the empire. 146 00:08:09,934 --> 00:08:12,567 Carved from a sandstone canvas. 147 00:08:12,567 --> 00:08:17,667 - Sandstone has been used to build everything from tools 148 00:08:17,667 --> 00:08:21,300 to shelters since prehistoric times. 149 00:08:21,300 --> 00:08:24,334 It's an incredibly durable material, 150 00:08:24,334 --> 00:08:28,067 making it naturally resistant to harsh weather. 151 00:08:28,067 --> 00:08:29,400 - If we think about Cambodia 152 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,567 and its climate, it's very susceptible to drought, 153 00:08:31,567 --> 00:08:33,233 but also torrential monsoon, 154 00:08:33,233 --> 00:08:34,601 so you're going to need a material 155 00:08:34,601 --> 00:08:37,267 that's able to withstand both extremes. 156 00:08:37,267 --> 00:08:40,967 - What makes Angkor Wat Angkor Wat is we're able to move 157 00:08:40,967 --> 00:08:44,934 five to to 10 million shaped sandstone blocks into place. 158 00:08:44,934 --> 00:08:48,133 They're each about 1.5 tons, so they're big 159 00:08:48,133 --> 00:08:52,267 but not too big to slide around using incline planes 160 00:08:52,267 --> 00:08:54,467 and rolling on logs. 161 00:08:54,467 --> 00:08:56,867 - [Narrator] The magnitude of the material used 162 00:08:56,867 --> 00:08:59,834 had puzzled researchers as there are no quarries 163 00:08:59,834 --> 00:09:02,734 within the immediate vicinity of the site. 164 00:09:02,734 --> 00:09:05,334 - Where did the stone come from? 165 00:09:05,334 --> 00:09:06,834 If not sourced locally, 166 00:09:06,834 --> 00:09:09,300 how did the 12th century workforce transport 167 00:09:09,300 --> 00:09:12,700 such heavy materials from distant areas? 168 00:09:12,700 --> 00:09:15,534 (dramatic music) 169 00:09:17,234 --> 00:09:19,367 - [Narrator] Angkor Wat is likely supplied 170 00:09:19,367 --> 00:09:21,900 by quarries at the base of Mount Kulen, 171 00:09:21,900 --> 00:09:25,567 located 40 kilometers northeast of the temple. 172 00:09:25,567 --> 00:09:27,167 It's initially hypothesized 173 00:09:27,167 --> 00:09:29,834 that these mammoth stones were transported 174 00:09:29,834 --> 00:09:32,967 via a circuitous route along roads and rivers. 175 00:09:34,334 --> 00:09:37,834 However, in recent decades, satellite images 176 00:09:37,834 --> 00:09:41,467 and LIDAR technology have revealed a vast network 177 00:09:41,467 --> 00:09:45,200 of ancient canals, some of which trace a direct path 178 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,967 from Kulen to the temple grounds. 179 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:51,767 - The discovery of these canals indicates 180 00:09:51,767 --> 00:09:53,534 that they may have used them for the transport 181 00:09:53,534 --> 00:09:55,500 of their building materials. 182 00:09:55,500 --> 00:09:57,034 - [Narrator] Even with a canal, 183 00:09:57,034 --> 00:09:59,834 enabling direct delivery from the quarry to the jobsite 184 00:09:59,834 --> 00:10:03,201 construction remained a massive undertaking. 185 00:10:04,167 --> 00:10:05,134 - Some estimates say that there was 186 00:10:05,134 --> 00:10:07,867 around 300,000 people supported 187 00:10:07,867 --> 00:10:09,834 by a thousand elephants 188 00:10:09,834 --> 00:10:12,034 working on the construction of this project. 189 00:10:12,034 --> 00:10:13,233 - [Narrator] The full structure 190 00:10:13,233 --> 00:10:16,200 takes over three decades to complete, 191 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,634 and although that might seem like a long time 192 00:10:18,634 --> 00:10:21,134 by today's standards, it's speculated 193 00:10:21,134 --> 00:10:23,600 that it would've taken their European counterparts 194 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,134 of the same period centuries. 195 00:10:29,467 --> 00:10:32,167 Among the myriad of architectural wonders 196 00:10:32,167 --> 00:10:35,734 scattered across Asia, Angkor Wat stands out 197 00:10:35,734 --> 00:10:37,701 in more ways than one, 198 00:10:37,701 --> 00:10:40,633 starting with its unique orientation. 199 00:10:40,633 --> 00:10:43,067 - Most Khmer temples face the east 200 00:10:43,067 --> 00:10:47,067 because Hindu deities normally sit facing the rising sun, 201 00:10:47,067 --> 00:10:50,967 which is seen as a symbol of renewal and growth. 202 00:10:50,967 --> 00:10:53,533 But Angkor Wat is oriented to the west 203 00:10:53,533 --> 00:10:57,134 and this has puzzled researchers for centuries. 204 00:10:59,300 --> 00:11:02,134 - [Narrator] Though unconventional, the precise position 205 00:11:02,134 --> 00:11:05,633 of the temple facilitates a stunning celestial event 206 00:11:05,633 --> 00:11:07,534 that occurs twice a year. 207 00:11:08,833 --> 00:11:11,201 During the spring and autumn equinoxes, 208 00:11:11,201 --> 00:11:14,301 times when night and day reach equilibrium, 209 00:11:14,301 --> 00:11:17,333 the temple's central tower aligns perfectly 210 00:11:17,333 --> 00:11:18,801 with the rising sun. 211 00:11:21,367 --> 00:11:23,400 - In any culture that is building spaces 212 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,100 that's based on celestial events, the solstice, the equinox, 213 00:11:27,100 --> 00:11:29,434 what we're seeing is that they're looking upwards. 214 00:11:29,434 --> 00:11:32,434 When they're looking upwards, that's where you're dreaming, 215 00:11:32,434 --> 00:11:33,600 where you're creative. 216 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:35,201 When you're actually operating 217 00:11:35,201 --> 00:11:37,100 or getting things done, you're looking downwards. 218 00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:39,900 That's when you're working with your hands. 219 00:11:39,900 --> 00:11:43,567 When you manipulate the world, you look down. 220 00:11:43,567 --> 00:11:44,734 You look up, when you're imagining 221 00:11:44,734 --> 00:11:47,367 how the world is being manipulated. 222 00:11:47,367 --> 00:11:49,900 - [Narrator] The Khmer understanding of the cosmos seems 223 00:11:49,900 --> 00:11:53,534 to be embedded in nearly every element of Angkor Wat 224 00:11:53,534 --> 00:11:57,200 and this spiritual journey begins at its perimeter. 225 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,900 - The moats around Angkor Wat are really quite impressive. 226 00:12:00,900 --> 00:12:02,833 They're about a kilometer long on each side 227 00:12:02,833 --> 00:12:06,801 and about two football pitches in widths. 228 00:12:06,801 --> 00:12:09,467 When we look back at ancient civilizations 229 00:12:09,467 --> 00:12:12,434 and their success, it actually has a lot to do 230 00:12:12,434 --> 00:12:13,767 with control of water. 231 00:12:13,767 --> 00:12:17,701 The most successful societies developed canals 232 00:12:17,701 --> 00:12:22,500 and water control systems not only to irrigate their fields, 233 00:12:22,500 --> 00:12:24,500 but also so that any structures 234 00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:27,833 that they built remain stable over long periods of time 235 00:12:27,833 --> 00:12:29,634 and work essentially sinking into the mud 236 00:12:29,634 --> 00:12:31,034 or sinking into the ground. 237 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,567 - [Narrator] Given the immense height of the temple 238 00:12:35,567 --> 00:12:37,734 and the region's volatile climate, 239 00:12:37,734 --> 00:12:40,934 this moat is a careful design choice. 240 00:12:40,934 --> 00:12:44,167 Khmer engineers construct the aquatic perimeter 241 00:12:44,167 --> 00:12:47,667 to counterbalance the outward pressure of the shifting soils 242 00:12:47,667 --> 00:12:49,467 beneath the temple's foundation. 243 00:12:50,801 --> 00:12:53,800 - The moat was a crucial engineering decision 244 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:56,901 to ensure the temple's structural resilience. 245 00:12:58,334 --> 00:13:00,701 - [Narrator] Without this imposing waterway, 246 00:13:00,701 --> 00:13:03,433 the 900 year old structure would likely have 247 00:13:03,433 --> 00:13:05,267 collapsed long ago. 248 00:13:05,267 --> 00:13:09,500 Yet Angkor Wat's moat transcends mere practicality. 249 00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:13,034 It also carries a profound spiritual significance. 250 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:16,867 - The moat surrounding Angkor Wat 251 00:13:16,867 --> 00:13:19,234 represents the cosmic ocean, 252 00:13:19,234 --> 00:13:22,700 a mythical body of water that marks the edge 253 00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:24,867 of the universe in Hindu cosmology. 254 00:13:28,001 --> 00:13:29,600 - [Narrator] Once across the threshold 255 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:31,500 into this symbolic realm, 256 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:35,001 visitors are greeted by an immense enclosure wall, 257 00:13:35,001 --> 00:13:39,567 towering 4.5 meters and stretching over three kilometers. 258 00:13:40,934 --> 00:13:44,734 Once through the gate, visitors enter the outer enclosure, 259 00:13:44,734 --> 00:13:47,500 an area that is vast and open, 260 00:13:47,500 --> 00:13:50,734 designed to make you feel small and humble in the face 261 00:13:50,734 --> 00:13:52,934 of something far greater than yourself. 262 00:13:57,733 --> 00:14:00,267 As you continue along the central path, 263 00:14:00,267 --> 00:14:01,834 the journey becomes progressively 264 00:14:01,834 --> 00:14:03,834 more focused on the divine. 265 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,100 The main tower of Angkor Wat rises at the heart 266 00:14:08,100 --> 00:14:11,934 of the temple complex symbolizing Mount Meru. 267 00:14:13,067 --> 00:14:14,467 - In Hindu cosmology, 268 00:14:14,467 --> 00:14:17,634 Mount Meru is considered the mythical mountain 269 00:14:17,634 --> 00:14:19,401 where the gods reside. 270 00:14:19,401 --> 00:14:23,434 It serves as the central axes of both the spiritual 271 00:14:23,434 --> 00:14:25,401 and physical universes. 272 00:14:27,033 --> 00:14:29,100 - [Narrator] The temple comprises three ascending terraces 273 00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:32,567 of galleries each rising higher than the last, 274 00:14:32,567 --> 00:14:35,901 mimicking the arduous trek towards the heavens. 275 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,634 - The labyrinth of galleries guides visitors 276 00:14:41,634 --> 00:14:44,801 into the center of a sacred shrine. 277 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,767 - [Narrator] Here, the walls come alive 278 00:14:50,767 --> 00:14:53,734 with vibrant tales from Hindu mythology, 279 00:14:53,734 --> 00:14:55,800 offering a first glimpse into the kings 280 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:59,767 and deities that inspired this grand design. 281 00:14:59,767 --> 00:15:02,501 - Everywhere you look is an absolute masterpiece 282 00:15:02,501 --> 00:15:04,867 of ancient Khmer sculpting. 283 00:15:04,867 --> 00:15:07,501 (bright music) 284 00:15:09,534 --> 00:15:11,667 - We know that there's hundreds 285 00:15:11,667 --> 00:15:13,534 and thousands of different craftsmen 286 00:15:13,534 --> 00:15:15,467 working to carve these reliefs, 287 00:15:15,467 --> 00:15:17,834 but at the end of the day, it almost looks like it was done 288 00:15:17,834 --> 00:15:20,467 by one master, just the uniformity of it. 289 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:24,733 - The bas-reliefs are extraordinary. 290 00:15:24,733 --> 00:15:26,534 They are vivid. 291 00:15:26,534 --> 00:15:28,867 They come out of the walls, 292 00:15:28,867 --> 00:15:32,234 and one can imagine that as one enters the temple 293 00:15:32,234 --> 00:15:35,734 during the height of the power of the Khmer people, 294 00:15:35,734 --> 00:15:38,667 the bas-relief moving in the shimmering light 295 00:15:38,667 --> 00:15:42,467 from the candles, it would've been very, very powerful 296 00:15:42,467 --> 00:15:43,967 and mysterious. 297 00:15:45,534 --> 00:15:48,967 Perhaps the most intriguing 298 00:15:48,967 --> 00:15:53,334 and significant of the bas-relief is the enormous relief 299 00:15:53,334 --> 00:15:55,967 that depicts the churning of the ocean of milk. 300 00:15:55,967 --> 00:15:59,467 Now this is one of the most important stories 301 00:15:59,467 --> 00:16:03,234 in Hindu religion and it speaks to the forces of good 302 00:16:03,234 --> 00:16:08,301 and evil collaborating in pursuit of the elixir of eternity, 303 00:16:09,367 --> 00:16:11,867 and it's dedicated to the god Vishnu, 304 00:16:11,867 --> 00:16:13,700 the god who provided order 305 00:16:13,700 --> 00:16:16,534 and the restoring of balance in society. 306 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,801 - King Suryavaman II fostered a devotion 307 00:16:23,801 --> 00:16:25,967 to the Hindu god Vishnu. 308 00:16:27,467 --> 00:16:30,967 This was a departure from popular Hindu sects at the time 309 00:16:30,967 --> 00:16:35,133 who predominantly worshiped Shiva as their primary deity. 310 00:16:35,133 --> 00:16:37,934 - Angkor Wat was dedicated to Vishnu. 311 00:16:37,934 --> 00:16:39,100 Now there are reasons for it 312 00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:41,201 that makes sense given the king. 313 00:16:42,434 --> 00:16:47,034 First of all, he was the god of order and protection. 314 00:16:47,701 --> 00:16:49,100 Secondly, the anchoring. 315 00:16:49,100 --> 00:16:52,300 The westward facing orientation is intended to convey 316 00:16:52,300 --> 00:16:53,934 that idea of order 317 00:16:53,934 --> 00:16:58,034 because at two times of a year during the equinox, 318 00:16:58,034 --> 00:16:59,901 it fills up with light. 319 00:16:59,901 --> 00:17:03,434 Now, why is the equinox perhaps spiritually significant? 320 00:17:03,434 --> 00:17:05,000 Well, the moment of equinox 321 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,767 is when night and day are equally long. 322 00:17:07,767 --> 00:17:11,300 It's a time of balance and cosmic order. 323 00:17:11,300 --> 00:17:14,201 - [Narrator] During the equinoxes, the shadow cast 324 00:17:14,201 --> 00:17:16,967 by a pillar marks the opposing end points 325 00:17:16,967 --> 00:17:18,767 of this bas-relief. 326 00:17:18,767 --> 00:17:21,300 During the summer and winter solstices, 327 00:17:21,300 --> 00:17:23,934 the longest and shortest days of the year, 328 00:17:23,934 --> 00:17:26,334 the same shadow highlights the center 329 00:17:26,334 --> 00:17:28,134 of this divine carving. 330 00:17:28,134 --> 00:17:29,867 - Over the course of a year, 331 00:17:29,867 --> 00:17:32,667 the shadow moves across the entire bas-relief, 332 00:17:32,667 --> 00:17:34,934 essentially functioning as a calendar. 333 00:17:35,934 --> 00:17:37,600 - [Narrator] The movement of this shadow 334 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,300 mimics the encrypted tug of war 335 00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:43,967 pendulating from side to side throughout the year. 336 00:17:43,967 --> 00:17:47,133 - The cosmology is played out 337 00:17:47,133 --> 00:17:49,934 through the westward orientation of the temple. 338 00:17:49,934 --> 00:17:52,700 - Many civilizations have drawn connections 339 00:17:52,700 --> 00:17:55,100 between astronomical observations 340 00:17:55,100 --> 00:17:57,867 and their religious beliefs, believing that in part, 341 00:17:57,867 --> 00:18:01,000 their lives were governed by the celestial. 342 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,933 This stems from a basic human need 343 00:18:03,933 --> 00:18:06,934 to understand the universe and our place in it. 344 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:09,767 - [Narrator] Some scholars suggest 345 00:18:09,767 --> 00:18:12,067 that Angkor Wat is not only a temple 346 00:18:12,067 --> 00:18:15,034 dedicated to Vishnu and cosmic order, 347 00:18:15,034 --> 00:18:18,534 but was also intended to be a tomb for its commissioner 348 00:18:18,534 --> 00:18:22,167 and ruler, King's Suryavaman II. 349 00:18:22,167 --> 00:18:25,900 - What was the king's true intention for the structure? 350 00:18:25,900 --> 00:18:29,600 Was it merely a temple or was it a mausoleum? 351 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,334 (bright music) 352 00:18:32,334 --> 00:18:34,934 - As far as we know, the king was never buried there. 353 00:18:34,934 --> 00:18:39,101 We believe that he was killed on a battle site far away. 354 00:18:43,834 --> 00:18:46,400 - [Narrator] Although King Suryavaman II's temple 355 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:50,000 still stands, his death precipitated the decline 356 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,000 of his dynasty and the Khmer Empire. 357 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,101 - So not long after Angkor Wat was built 358 00:18:57,101 --> 00:18:59,701 and the king died in battle, we think, 359 00:18:59,701 --> 00:19:01,667 the Khmer regime fell 360 00:19:01,667 --> 00:19:05,334 and the new power in place was Buddhist, 361 00:19:05,334 --> 00:19:08,801 and so it was converted into a Buddhist structure. 362 00:19:10,001 --> 00:19:12,234 - This is a rare example 363 00:19:12,234 --> 00:19:17,101 of religious conversion in monumental architecture. 364 00:19:20,767 --> 00:19:23,100 - But 300 years later after it was built, 365 00:19:23,100 --> 00:19:25,634 Angkor Wat would be abandoned. 366 00:19:25,634 --> 00:19:29,167 Now, a lot of this had to do with catastrophic flooding, 367 00:19:29,167 --> 00:19:33,134 which was in many ways a legacy of the intricate 368 00:19:33,134 --> 00:19:36,634 and sophisticated water system that had been developed 369 00:19:36,634 --> 00:19:39,534 by the people during the 12th century. 370 00:19:39,534 --> 00:19:41,033 - The extreme weather events 371 00:19:41,033 --> 00:19:43,501 that occurred at Angkor Wat overwhelmed that system. 372 00:19:44,467 --> 00:19:45,934 When we desig buildings, 373 00:19:45,934 --> 00:19:49,234 we base our designs on climactic data, historic data 374 00:19:49,234 --> 00:19:52,467 that our structures will experience, its probability. 375 00:19:52,467 --> 00:19:55,434 Angkor Wat was designed at a certain period in time 376 00:19:55,434 --> 00:19:57,134 for a particular experience. 377 00:19:58,567 --> 00:19:59,967 In the 15th century, 378 00:19:59,967 --> 00:20:02,733 there would be these extreme monsoon seasons followed 379 00:20:02,733 --> 00:20:05,567 by these extreme droughts, and the system couldn't keep up. 380 00:20:05,567 --> 00:20:09,967 - Ironically, this city's connection to water would be one 381 00:20:09,967 --> 00:20:13,834 of the reasons for its monumental downfall. 382 00:20:16,067 --> 00:20:19,134 - Angkor itself was destroyed by flooding. 383 00:20:20,301 --> 00:20:21,634 - [Narrator] Though the temple is visited 384 00:20:21,634 --> 00:20:23,600 and preserved by local monks 385 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,767 and Khmer people through time, 386 00:20:25,767 --> 00:20:27,901 its full splendor is not understood 387 00:20:27,901 --> 00:20:29,567 by the modern Western world 388 00:20:29,567 --> 00:20:33,934 until Henri Mouhot's fortuitous encounter in 1860, 389 00:20:33,934 --> 00:20:35,767 which sparks a new era 390 00:20:35,767 --> 00:20:38,234 of intense study on the structural design. 391 00:20:39,934 --> 00:20:44,067 By the 1990s, evidence of an astral motive grows stronger 392 00:20:44,067 --> 00:20:47,434 as a series of researchers identify calculations 393 00:20:47,434 --> 00:20:49,234 that reflect the cosmic clock. 394 00:20:52,067 --> 00:20:53,967 Using the Khmer unit of measurement 395 00:20:53,967 --> 00:20:57,434 known as the Cambodian qubit or HNt, 396 00:20:57,434 --> 00:20:58,734 experts have postulated 397 00:20:58,734 --> 00:21:01,400 that the temple's dimensions further encode 398 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,401 an advanced understanding of time and space. 399 00:21:05,734 --> 00:21:07,834 For example, the dimensions 400 00:21:07,834 --> 00:21:09,867 of the temple's highest terrace are believed 401 00:21:09,867 --> 00:21:14,334 to equal 365 HNt, corresponding to the number 402 00:21:14,334 --> 00:21:15,467 of days in a year. 403 00:21:16,834 --> 00:21:19,700 The base of the central tower measures 91 HNt, 404 00:21:19,700 --> 00:21:22,501 aligning with the 91 days that separate 405 00:21:22,501 --> 00:21:24,867 a solstice from an equinox. 406 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,033 Additionally, within the temple's central structure, 407 00:21:31,033 --> 00:21:34,534 the distance between each step is 12 HNt, 408 00:21:34,534 --> 00:21:38,367 reflecting the 12 lunar cycles that make up a year. 409 00:21:40,867 --> 00:21:44,000 These are only a few of the dozens of dimensions 410 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,067 that seem to correlate with celestial cycles 411 00:21:47,067 --> 00:21:51,167 and no doubt there are many more still to be discovered. 412 00:21:51,167 --> 00:21:53,967 - Despite centuries of studies, 413 00:21:53,967 --> 00:21:58,834 Angkor Wat continues to guard its many secrets. 414 00:22:01,201 --> 00:22:03,034 - [Narrator] The Khmer are not the only 415 00:22:03,034 --> 00:22:05,034 nor even the first civilization 416 00:22:05,034 --> 00:22:08,134 to achieve this celestial union with architecture. 417 00:22:08,967 --> 00:22:10,734 On the other side of the globe, 418 00:22:10,734 --> 00:22:13,467 nearly 16,000 kilometers away, 419 00:22:13,467 --> 00:22:15,033 another ancient structure 420 00:22:15,033 --> 00:22:17,767 with hidden secrets is similarly imbued 421 00:22:17,767 --> 00:22:20,300 with solar significance. 422 00:22:20,300 --> 00:22:24,934 - This pyramid appears relatively simple at first glance, 423 00:22:24,934 --> 00:22:29,801 but in actuality it's been found to harbor hidden chambers, 424 00:22:30,367 --> 00:22:31,834 human remains, 425 00:22:31,834 --> 00:22:35,034 and possibly an intended portal to another realm. 426 00:22:38,734 --> 00:22:40,400 - [Narrator] Nestled in the lush heart 427 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,734 of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is a city 428 00:22:43,734 --> 00:22:47,201 that offers a glimpse into a world long past. 429 00:22:49,900 --> 00:22:53,300 - Chichen Itza was a thriving metropolis. 430 00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:56,467 It was famous at the time that it was first encountered 431 00:22:56,467 --> 00:23:00,933 by Europeans for being this sophisticated urban culture. 432 00:23:00,933 --> 00:23:04,934 It was the center of Mayan culture at the time. 433 00:23:04,934 --> 00:23:06,434 - [Narrator] This ruinous site 434 00:23:06,434 --> 00:23:09,434 is one of the seven wanders of the modern world, 435 00:23:09,434 --> 00:23:12,867 and its centerpiece is the pyramid of Kukulcan, 436 00:23:12,867 --> 00:23:15,834 otherwise known as El Castillo. 437 00:23:15,834 --> 00:23:18,167 Its simple facade guards secrets 438 00:23:18,167 --> 00:23:21,000 that date back for over a millennia. 439 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,900 - Not unlike the pyramids of Egypt, 440 00:23:23,900 --> 00:23:26,101 historians, archeologists are still puzzling 441 00:23:26,101 --> 00:23:29,434 to this day about the particular function of this pyramid. 442 00:23:30,767 --> 00:23:32,267 - [Narrator] Researchers have discovered 443 00:23:32,267 --> 00:23:36,034 strange numerical, visual and even acoustic features 444 00:23:36,034 --> 00:23:38,034 within the pyramid's architecture 445 00:23:38,034 --> 00:23:41,134 that seemingly linked the structure to the Maya calendar. 446 00:23:42,301 --> 00:23:44,600 - Could this have been an observatory 447 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:48,333 or a site of celestial ceremonies? 448 00:23:48,333 --> 00:23:52,934 How do the skies above facilitate its mystical purposes 449 00:23:52,934 --> 00:23:56,767 and what other mysteries lie beneath its stone exterior? 450 00:23:56,767 --> 00:23:59,534 (dramatic music) 451 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,267 - Often referred to as the Greeks of American civilization, 452 00:24:15,334 --> 00:24:17,600 the Mayans were an incredibly diverse 453 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,867 and advanced civilization. 454 00:24:21,201 --> 00:24:23,601 - They left behind an extraordinary legacy 455 00:24:23,601 --> 00:24:25,900 in terms of monumental architecture. 456 00:24:25,900 --> 00:24:27,333 But at the time, 457 00:24:27,333 --> 00:24:30,667 they were also a large thriving economic, social 458 00:24:30,667 --> 00:24:33,101 and political empire. 459 00:24:33,101 --> 00:24:36,500 - These famous Mesoamerican ruins were once home 460 00:24:36,500 --> 00:24:40,434 to a lively city, founded by Maya settlers as early 461 00:24:40,434 --> 00:24:42,367 as the fifth century CE. 462 00:24:43,867 --> 00:24:46,333 By the 10th century, Chichen Itza had grown to be one 463 00:24:46,333 --> 00:24:48,801 of the biggest cities in Mayan history. 464 00:24:49,700 --> 00:24:51,667 During this era, somewhere between the 10th 465 00:24:51,667 --> 00:24:53,500 and 12th centuries, 466 00:24:53,500 --> 00:24:57,000 construction began on a grand four-sided pyramid 467 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,933 dedicated to their feathered serpent god, Kukulcan. 468 00:25:00,933 --> 00:25:02,167 - The pyramid is dedicated 469 00:25:02,167 --> 00:25:04,767 to the most powerful of the Mayan gods. 470 00:25:04,767 --> 00:25:07,834 He was a feathered serpent kind of creature. 471 00:25:07,834 --> 00:25:09,600 He embodied the cosmos. 472 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:11,400 He could move between the realms 473 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,267 of existence from this world to the world 474 00:25:15,267 --> 00:25:17,901 of the deities down to the underworld. 475 00:25:19,300 --> 00:25:21,633 - [Narrator] Kukulcan was one of the most revered deities 476 00:25:21,633 --> 00:25:23,934 in the Maya Pantheon, which included 477 00:25:23,934 --> 00:25:27,067 over 200 gods and goddesses. 478 00:25:27,067 --> 00:25:30,500 Kukulcan was believed to govern the cycles of the cosmos 479 00:25:30,500 --> 00:25:35,033 and oversee the seasonal rhythms of growth and decay. 480 00:25:35,033 --> 00:25:38,633 - We can see that with Kukulcan being the feathered serpent, 481 00:25:38,633 --> 00:25:41,934 that there was a great reverence on flight on the air 482 00:25:41,934 --> 00:25:45,934 and the space above, this is that divine space, the space 483 00:25:45,934 --> 00:25:49,067 that they would reach up to that they could build up to, 484 00:25:49,067 --> 00:25:51,167 but could not engage in themselves. 485 00:25:51,167 --> 00:25:55,833 Because as men, we don't fly. 486 00:25:55,833 --> 00:25:58,101 - [Narrator] At a soaring 30 meters, 487 00:25:58,101 --> 00:26:00,867 The temple of Kukulcan attempted to close the gap 488 00:26:00,867 --> 00:26:03,533 between humans and the heavens. 489 00:26:03,533 --> 00:26:06,133 - Having been to El Castillo in Chichen Itza, 490 00:26:06,133 --> 00:26:08,834 it's really quite an impressive pyramid. 491 00:26:10,967 --> 00:26:13,634 It's situated by itself on a plane, 492 00:26:13,634 --> 00:26:17,067 so it looks very impressive and imposing. 493 00:26:19,201 --> 00:26:21,800 - [Narrator] When the Spanish arrived in the new world 494 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,900 and saw this towering fortresslike structure, 495 00:26:24,900 --> 00:26:28,867 they called it El Castillo, which means the castle. 496 00:26:30,334 --> 00:26:33,833 - When the Spanish got there, this would've been, you know, 497 00:26:33,833 --> 00:26:37,234 something that's really out of context for them. 498 00:26:37,234 --> 00:26:39,067 There wouldn't be anything in Spain 499 00:26:39,067 --> 00:26:41,301 or the rest of the world that they've been to 500 00:26:41,301 --> 00:26:44,334 that would really compare to these types of structures. 501 00:26:46,467 --> 00:26:48,633 - While this monument may appear unassuming, 502 00:26:48,633 --> 00:26:52,233 you have to consider at what time it was being constructed 503 00:26:52,233 --> 00:26:54,333 and what materials were available to them. 504 00:26:54,333 --> 00:26:57,167 - The structures themselves are made of the local limestone. 505 00:26:57,167 --> 00:27:00,867 There is no other material in the Yucatan 506 00:27:00,867 --> 00:27:03,934 to use to construct, so all of their buildings 507 00:27:03,934 --> 00:27:05,234 are actually constructed 508 00:27:05,234 --> 00:27:08,400 of a relatively porous limestone material. 509 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,734 - [Narrator] El Castillo's simple design is striking. 510 00:27:11,734 --> 00:27:14,400 The square base measures over 55 meters 511 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:16,800 on each symmetrical side. 512 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:19,867 Four uniform staircases meet at the pinnacle, 513 00:27:19,867 --> 00:27:23,034 a rectangular sanctuary with a flat stone roof 514 00:27:23,034 --> 00:27:27,934 that contains four entrances and three inner rooms. 515 00:27:27,934 --> 00:27:30,900 - The structure is impressively well proportioned 516 00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:33,834 from its foundation to its temple. 517 00:27:33,834 --> 00:27:37,567 So how did they achieve such a masterful feat 518 00:27:37,567 --> 00:27:39,834 with incredibly limited tools? 519 00:27:42,034 --> 00:27:43,867 - El Castillo's a stepped pyramid 520 00:27:43,867 --> 00:27:47,100 where we've actually built terraces of rock up 521 00:27:47,100 --> 00:27:49,200 to produce the pyramid shape. 522 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,067 That's a very stable structure. 523 00:27:51,067 --> 00:27:54,033 It's a very easy construction methodology. 524 00:27:54,033 --> 00:27:57,133 Again, you can use simple incline planes 525 00:27:57,133 --> 00:28:00,367 to push rocks up ramps and place them 526 00:28:00,367 --> 00:28:02,267 and then continue to build your pyramid 527 00:28:02,267 --> 00:28:04,301 as you place layer and layer and layer. 528 00:28:05,467 --> 00:28:08,467 - [Narrator] This temple dedicated to Kukulcan 529 00:28:08,467 --> 00:28:10,300 dominates the landscape. 530 00:28:10,300 --> 00:28:12,534 However, many believe this structure 531 00:28:12,534 --> 00:28:16,633 to be more than just a massive monument of worship. 532 00:28:16,633 --> 00:28:19,667 - The Mayans developed a very sophisticated approach 533 00:28:19,667 --> 00:28:22,334 to astronomy that led to the development 534 00:28:22,334 --> 00:28:26,367 of these multiple calendrical systems, which were used 535 00:28:26,367 --> 00:28:29,801 to help them not only with their religious observances, 536 00:28:29,801 --> 00:28:33,033 but with organizing the rotation of crops, 537 00:28:33,033 --> 00:28:35,633 harvesting and other economic activities. 538 00:28:35,633 --> 00:28:37,867 - The Mayan calendar has similarities 539 00:28:37,867 --> 00:28:42,967 to our modern calendar, a 365 day year, for example, 540 00:28:43,801 --> 00:28:45,467 but it was also a lot more complex, 541 00:28:45,467 --> 00:28:46,834 combining multiple cycles 542 00:28:46,834 --> 00:28:49,801 to track time with remarkable accuracy. 543 00:28:52,934 --> 00:28:54,733 This profound comprehension 544 00:28:54,733 --> 00:28:57,101 of cosmic cycles is physically embodied 545 00:28:57,101 --> 00:29:01,334 in many Maya structures, including the pyramid of Kukulcan. 546 00:29:02,901 --> 00:29:07,067 This monument has 91 steps on all four sides, 547 00:29:07,067 --> 00:29:10,267 and when added together with a temple landing on top, 548 00:29:10,267 --> 00:29:15,334 these equal 365, one step for each day of the year. 549 00:29:17,667 --> 00:29:20,067 91 is also the number of days 550 00:29:20,067 --> 00:29:23,600 between each annual quarter marked by the equinoxes 551 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:25,501 and solstices, 552 00:29:25,501 --> 00:29:29,667 and each side of the structure has 52 decorative panels, 553 00:29:29,667 --> 00:29:31,067 which is the exact number 554 00:29:31,067 --> 00:29:33,801 of years in the Mayan calendar cycle. 555 00:29:34,833 --> 00:29:36,200 - In essence, 556 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:41,201 this pyramid embodies the Mayan calendar itself. 557 00:29:43,700 --> 00:29:45,867 - But what was the ultimate purpose 558 00:29:45,867 --> 00:29:48,001 for this cosmic coordination? 559 00:29:49,734 --> 00:29:51,834 Could aligning their architecture 560 00:29:51,834 --> 00:29:53,934 with the eternal coil of time, 561 00:29:53,934 --> 00:29:57,234 facilitate a deeper connection with their deities? 562 00:29:58,334 --> 00:30:00,067 - [Narrator] The meticulous design matched 563 00:30:00,067 --> 00:30:03,767 with the porous properties at the site's limestone slabs 564 00:30:03,767 --> 00:30:06,001 give rise to a fascinating occurrence 565 00:30:06,001 --> 00:30:08,167 at the foot of the pyramid. 566 00:30:08,167 --> 00:30:10,234 - When you clap your hands at the base of the pyramid, 567 00:30:10,234 --> 00:30:13,333 the sound bounces off different stone surfaces. 568 00:30:13,333 --> 00:30:15,833 (hands clapping) 569 00:30:15,833 --> 00:30:18,167 And it almost mimics the chirp of a bird. 570 00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:23,167 - [Narrator] This fleeting echo strikingly resembles 571 00:30:23,167 --> 00:30:25,401 the warble of the quetzal bird. 572 00:30:25,401 --> 00:30:27,100 (quetzal bird chirping) 573 00:30:27,100 --> 00:30:30,967 - This is a sacred bird that still exists to this day. 574 00:30:30,967 --> 00:30:35,801 Its distinctive look of green feathers with a red body. 575 00:30:35,801 --> 00:30:38,767 It evoked for them similar elements to the image 576 00:30:38,767 --> 00:30:41,367 of the feathered serpent deity, Kukulcan. 577 00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:45,667 - Was this effect intentional? 578 00:30:45,667 --> 00:30:49,334 How could the Maya have engineered such an acoustic marvel? 579 00:30:51,934 --> 00:30:55,767 - I would find it very surprising if the echo sounds 580 00:30:55,767 --> 00:30:58,700 produced by El Castillo were intentional. 581 00:30:58,700 --> 00:31:00,433 I think it would've been very difficult 582 00:31:00,433 --> 00:31:04,600 or almost impossible for the people of that time to be able 583 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,134 to recognize these audio effects. 584 00:31:07,134 --> 00:31:11,067 I think it probably arose simply as a result 585 00:31:11,067 --> 00:31:13,734 of the technology used to build the structure 586 00:31:13,734 --> 00:31:15,567 and not a direct intent. 587 00:31:18,233 --> 00:31:21,400 - When we think about the marvels of this engineering, 588 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,167 we do have to wonder what is intentional and what is not. 589 00:31:24,167 --> 00:31:27,567 But another interesting effect 590 00:31:27,567 --> 00:31:30,300 is actually the use of light. 591 00:31:30,300 --> 00:31:31,834 - [Narrator] During the equinoxes, 592 00:31:31,834 --> 00:31:35,234 when day and night stand in perfect balance, 593 00:31:35,234 --> 00:31:39,833 a mysterious shadow seems to slither down the balustrade. 594 00:31:39,833 --> 00:31:42,500 - The way the light shines in at midday, 595 00:31:42,500 --> 00:31:45,434 it can look like a serpent 596 00:31:45,434 --> 00:31:47,967 slowly coming down the walls. 597 00:31:47,967 --> 00:31:50,467 - [Narrator] As the sun moves through the sky, 598 00:31:50,467 --> 00:31:53,401 the undulating shadow seems to align perfectly 599 00:31:53,401 --> 00:31:56,301 with a serpent skull at the base of the steps. 600 00:31:56,301 --> 00:31:59,067 It's as if Kukulcan himself is descending 601 00:31:59,067 --> 00:32:02,967 from the higher realm to bless his worshipers. 602 00:32:02,967 --> 00:32:07,200 While the pyramid's exterior dazzles with divine symbolism, 603 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:10,534 its interior guards an age old secret. 604 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:16,300 In the early 1900s, the ruins of Chichen Itza 605 00:32:16,300 --> 00:32:18,733 were largely covered by dense jungle. 606 00:32:18,733 --> 00:32:21,134 Much of its architecture obscured. 607 00:32:22,334 --> 00:32:24,667 In the 1920s and 30s, 608 00:32:24,667 --> 00:32:27,467 explorers began clearing the vegetation, 609 00:32:27,467 --> 00:32:29,301 slowly revealing its grandeur 610 00:32:29,301 --> 00:32:33,167 and intricate design, including a hidden passage 611 00:32:33,167 --> 00:32:35,334 leading to a sealed chamber. 612 00:32:38,134 --> 00:32:40,701 As the door to this room creaks open, 613 00:32:40,701 --> 00:32:42,834 rare artifacts are revealed. 614 00:32:43,967 --> 00:32:46,001 - One of the most interesting discoveries 615 00:32:46,001 --> 00:32:48,934 was a red jaguar throne. 616 00:32:48,934 --> 00:32:52,800 The jaguar itself is associated with power and authority. 617 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,300 The color red is associated with birth 618 00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:59,300 and sacrifice and death in the Mayan tradition. 619 00:32:59,300 --> 00:33:01,000 - [Narrator] Beyond the treasures found 620 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,601 in what has become known as the hall of offerings, 621 00:33:03,601 --> 00:33:05,433 in an adjoining chamber, 622 00:33:05,433 --> 00:33:08,467 archeologists make a startling discovery. 623 00:33:09,634 --> 00:33:11,067 - There's a room that's now been named 624 00:33:11,067 --> 00:33:13,934 the chamber of sacrifice because they discovered in it 625 00:33:13,934 --> 00:33:15,834 the presence of human bones. 626 00:33:17,734 --> 00:33:21,034 - Could they have been sacrificial offerings 627 00:33:22,234 --> 00:33:24,734 and what prompted their concealment 628 00:33:24,734 --> 00:33:27,401 deep within this ancient structure? 629 00:33:29,867 --> 00:33:31,601 - [Narrator] Further investigation reveals 630 00:33:31,601 --> 00:33:32,934 that these hidden chambers, 631 00:33:32,934 --> 00:33:35,100 are part of a much older pyramid 632 00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:38,067 that lies beneath the current structure. 633 00:33:38,067 --> 00:33:42,367 The ancient temple dates to between 800 CE and 1000 CE 634 00:33:42,367 --> 00:33:45,201 and is approximately 17 meters high. 635 00:33:45,201 --> 00:33:47,534 About half the size of El Castillo. 636 00:33:49,900 --> 00:33:53,401 The Maya often built new temples over older ones 637 00:33:53,401 --> 00:33:55,900 creating layers of history. 638 00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:58,667 It's not until 2016, however, 639 00:33:58,667 --> 00:34:00,234 that technological advancements adds 640 00:34:00,234 --> 00:34:03,667 yet another fascinating layer to this tale. 641 00:34:03,667 --> 00:34:05,767 When digital mapping detects the presence 642 00:34:05,767 --> 00:34:08,533 of a third building at the site's core, 643 00:34:08,533 --> 00:34:13,267 a 10 meter tall pyramid nestled inside the other two. 644 00:34:13,267 --> 00:34:16,467 Analysis has since dated this interior pyramid 645 00:34:16,467 --> 00:34:18,933 to as early as 550 CE, 646 00:34:18,933 --> 00:34:21,200 approximately half a millennia older 647 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:24,033 than the exterior we see today. 648 00:34:24,033 --> 00:34:25,300 - It's actually a pyramid 649 00:34:25,300 --> 00:34:26,934 built on a pyramid, built on a pyramid. 650 00:34:26,934 --> 00:34:29,867 - So essentially it's like a Russian doll of pyramids. 651 00:34:31,267 --> 00:34:33,333 - [Narrator] In capturing the skeleton of this building, 652 00:34:33,333 --> 00:34:36,601 digital mapping has also revealed the earthen foundations 653 00:34:36,601 --> 00:34:38,201 upon which it's built. 654 00:34:39,467 --> 00:34:42,767 This thousand year old stone shrine rests on a layer 655 00:34:42,767 --> 00:34:46,700 of limestone bedrock around five meters thick, 656 00:34:46,700 --> 00:34:49,101 below which is not compact earth, 657 00:34:49,101 --> 00:34:53,801 but a cavernous 20 meter deep well believed to be a cenote. 658 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:57,267 (bright music) 659 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:03,934 - The Yucatan is really interesting 660 00:35:03,934 --> 00:35:06,834 because it doesn't have above ground water flow 661 00:35:06,834 --> 00:35:08,700 and all the water actually flows 662 00:35:08,700 --> 00:35:10,601 through underground cave systems. 663 00:35:10,601 --> 00:35:14,934 Periodically in the Yucatan, some of the caves collapse 664 00:35:14,934 --> 00:35:18,834 and they produce these basically very large holes 665 00:35:18,834 --> 00:35:20,401 in the ground called cenotes. 666 00:35:24,334 --> 00:35:26,334 - Today, the Yucatan Peninsula is known 667 00:35:26,334 --> 00:35:28,567 as the cenote capital of the world. 668 00:35:28,567 --> 00:35:30,867 There are over 6,000 there, 669 00:35:30,867 --> 00:35:33,767 and this helps us reflect on the Itza people 670 00:35:33,767 --> 00:35:36,034 who once lived there and built the pyramid. 671 00:35:36,034 --> 00:35:39,600 These cenotes were critical reservoirs 672 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:42,067 that they relied upon for daily use, 673 00:35:42,067 --> 00:35:46,501 but they were also critical to the performance of rituals. 674 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:50,434 - [Narrator] The city of Chichen Itza 675 00:35:50,434 --> 00:35:53,934 is built in the proximity of four cenotes. 676 00:35:53,934 --> 00:35:57,601 The most northern of these is known as the Sacred Cenote 677 00:35:57,601 --> 00:35:59,667 used by the Mayan as a site of ritual 678 00:35:59,667 --> 00:36:01,801 and sacrifice to the gods. 679 00:36:03,067 --> 00:36:07,233 Over the centuries valuables such as jade, ceramics, gold, 680 00:36:07,233 --> 00:36:10,567 and even human remains have been recovered from the depths 681 00:36:10,567 --> 00:36:12,301 of this revered site. 682 00:36:12,301 --> 00:36:16,633 - Any kind of crevice like this can be a gateway 683 00:36:16,633 --> 00:36:18,800 to another reality. 684 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:20,334 So these are portals 685 00:36:20,334 --> 00:36:25,067 and for the Itza, these were portals that led to Xibalba, 686 00:36:25,067 --> 00:36:26,867 which is their underworld. 687 00:36:29,234 --> 00:36:31,967 - [Narrator] To grasp the significance of this discovery 688 00:36:31,967 --> 00:36:35,167 and whether the Maya knew of the cenote's existence, 689 00:36:35,167 --> 00:36:37,401 researchers must uncover an entryway 690 00:36:37,401 --> 00:36:40,800 connecting the pyramid to the cavern below. 691 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:42,933 If they succeed, it may reveal 692 00:36:42,933 --> 00:36:45,934 that Kukulcan is not merely a path of ascension 693 00:36:45,934 --> 00:36:49,301 to the heavens, but also a portal to the cross section 694 00:36:49,301 --> 00:36:54,167 of dimensions, or in other words, the axis mundi. 695 00:36:57,734 --> 00:37:01,200 - The axis mundi is a concept we find 696 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:04,001 in a lot of ancient cultures. 697 00:37:04,001 --> 00:37:08,734 It's Latin for the axis of the world, the center place 698 00:37:08,734 --> 00:37:10,967 of the world where different elements 699 00:37:10,967 --> 00:37:12,901 of the cosmos come together. 700 00:37:12,901 --> 00:37:17,633 Often that's sky and earth, sometimes it's sky, earth 701 00:37:17,633 --> 00:37:22,301 and underworld, but it's the nexus that joins the universe. 702 00:37:22,301 --> 00:37:24,967 - [Narrator] Could it be that the pyramid of Kukulcan, 703 00:37:24,967 --> 00:37:28,167 designed in dimensions guided by the stars, 704 00:37:28,167 --> 00:37:31,400 serves as the Mayas axis mundi? 705 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,201 (peaceful music) 706 00:37:38,801 --> 00:37:40,901 Today over a millennia 707 00:37:40,901 --> 00:37:44,300 after its original construction, the pyramid of Kukulcan 708 00:37:44,300 --> 00:37:47,300 and the surrounding city of Chichen Itza have become 709 00:37:47,300 --> 00:37:50,301 one of the most visited destinations in the world. 710 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,467 - I think the pyramid teaches us that there's still 711 00:37:54,467 --> 00:37:58,301 so much we don't understand about previous societies. 712 00:38:00,401 --> 00:38:03,267 - [Narrator] Many wonder what secrets remain enshrined 713 00:38:03,267 --> 00:38:07,534 in this limestone sanctuary and do the waters below hold 714 00:38:07,534 --> 00:38:10,534 the answers previously thought to be lost to time? 715 00:38:15,034 --> 00:38:18,534 Guarding yet another cosmic enigma on the opposite edge 716 00:38:18,534 --> 00:38:21,967 of the Atlantic, an unassuming artificial mound 717 00:38:21,967 --> 00:38:23,767 rises from the earth. 718 00:38:23,767 --> 00:38:28,867 Its form standing strong for over 5,000 years. 719 00:38:30,100 --> 00:38:32,934 - This amazing structure predates Stonehenge, the temples 720 00:38:32,934 --> 00:38:36,734 of ancient Greece, and even the Pyramids of Giza. 721 00:38:36,734 --> 00:38:38,434 - [Narrator] Known today as Newgrange, 722 00:38:38,434 --> 00:38:42,700 this monument retains an air of mystery in modern times. 723 00:38:42,700 --> 00:38:44,267 - The construction of Newgrange 724 00:38:44,267 --> 00:38:48,633 required a sophisticated understanding of both astronomy 725 00:38:48,633 --> 00:38:52,701 and architecture, making it one of the most remarkable feats 726 00:38:52,701 --> 00:38:54,034 of the ancient world. 727 00:38:56,134 --> 00:38:57,734 - [Narrator] The architectural elements 728 00:38:57,734 --> 00:39:02,133 of this ancient edifice seems centuries ahead of their time, 729 00:39:02,133 --> 00:39:06,300 yet so much remains unknown about the neolithic visionaries 730 00:39:06,300 --> 00:39:07,367 who created it. 731 00:39:08,967 --> 00:39:12,033 - Who were the architects behind this ancient wonder? 732 00:39:12,033 --> 00:39:15,634 How did they make such accurate astronomical alignments 733 00:39:15,634 --> 00:39:17,167 with prehistoric tools 734 00:39:18,367 --> 00:39:21,200 and what inspired them to forge a connection 735 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:23,101 with the patterns of the sun? 736 00:39:24,367 --> 00:39:27,201 (dramatic music) 737 00:39:32,767 --> 00:39:34,467 - [Narrator] Situated along the bend 738 00:39:34,467 --> 00:39:35,933 In Ireland's River Boyne 739 00:39:35,933 --> 00:39:39,867 is the UNESCO heritage complex of Brú na Bóinne. 740 00:39:41,834 --> 00:39:44,667 Here, a collection of at least 90 monuments 741 00:39:44,667 --> 00:39:46,967 spread across eight square kilometers 742 00:39:46,967 --> 00:39:48,601 hold the largest collection 743 00:39:48,601 --> 00:39:51,134 of megalithic art in all of Europe. 744 00:39:52,433 --> 00:39:56,433 Dominating this stone spectacle landscape is Newgrange, 745 00:39:56,433 --> 00:40:00,533 a large passage tomb sheathed by a cairn. 746 00:40:00,533 --> 00:40:04,767 - A passage tomb is a burial chamber covered by earth, 747 00:40:04,767 --> 00:40:08,101 which can be accessed by a narrow passageway. 748 00:40:08,101 --> 00:40:11,100 Some are covered by cairns, which are piles 749 00:40:11,100 --> 00:40:15,333 of stones usually erected as a memorial or marker. 750 00:40:15,333 --> 00:40:17,834 These are quite common in neolithic times 751 00:40:17,834 --> 00:40:20,700 and are typically found across Western Europe. 752 00:40:20,700 --> 00:40:22,034 - [Narrator] There are many examples 753 00:40:22,034 --> 00:40:23,767 of this type of construction, 754 00:40:23,767 --> 00:40:26,467 but few rival Newgrange. 755 00:40:26,467 --> 00:40:30,600 Comprised of an astounding 200,000 tons of material, 756 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:35,801 the mound measures 13 meters high and 85 meters in diameter. 757 00:40:37,133 --> 00:40:40,634 - Although Newgrange is not large to us, 758 00:40:40,634 --> 00:40:43,034 in comparison to modern structures, 759 00:40:43,034 --> 00:40:45,301 to our neolithic ancestors, 760 00:40:45,301 --> 00:40:47,434 it was likely enormous. 761 00:40:50,433 --> 00:40:51,934 - It's massive, 762 00:40:51,934 --> 00:40:56,934 and it does make you wonder who built this? 763 00:40:57,667 --> 00:40:59,034 How did they build this, 764 00:40:59,034 --> 00:41:01,101 and most importantly, why did they build it? 765 00:41:03,700 --> 00:41:05,734 - [Narrator] Using radiocarbon dating, 766 00:41:05,734 --> 00:41:07,167 researchers have determined 767 00:41:07,167 --> 00:41:11,867 that Newgrange was erected in or around 3200 BCE. 768 00:41:12,834 --> 00:41:15,567 - We don't actually know a lot about the people 769 00:41:15,567 --> 00:41:18,334 who constructed this complex. 770 00:41:18,334 --> 00:41:21,801 They were likely farmers who raised livestock 771 00:41:21,801 --> 00:41:24,567 and grew crops in the surrounding region. 772 00:41:26,333 --> 00:41:28,400 - We think they were an advanced society 773 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:31,367 that had a refined knowledge of stonework 774 00:41:31,367 --> 00:41:32,867 and architectural design. 775 00:41:35,267 --> 00:41:37,200 - [Narrator] From a bird's eye view, 776 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,267 Newgrange camouflages itself. 777 00:41:39,267 --> 00:41:42,433 It's roof sowed with green grass. 778 00:41:42,433 --> 00:41:43,934 From the ground, however, 779 00:41:43,934 --> 00:41:47,234 it's imposing exterior is difficult to miss. 780 00:41:47,234 --> 00:41:50,667 Faced with contrasting cobblestones of white quartz 781 00:41:50,667 --> 00:41:52,001 and black granite. 782 00:41:54,701 --> 00:41:56,267 - Were these ancient planners trying 783 00:41:56,267 --> 00:41:58,801 to illuminate certain parts of the building? 784 00:41:59,700 --> 00:42:01,434 - [Narrator] The answer to this question 785 00:42:01,434 --> 00:42:03,067 might never be known. 786 00:42:03,067 --> 00:42:05,900 The facade we see at Newgrange today is the result 787 00:42:05,900 --> 00:42:08,434 of a 20th century restoration. 788 00:42:08,434 --> 00:42:11,734 While the cobble stones used were discovered on site, 789 00:42:11,734 --> 00:42:13,900 and there is evidence that contrasting stones 790 00:42:13,900 --> 00:42:16,800 were part of the original design, the accuracy 791 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,734 of their placement remains a topic of debate. 792 00:42:19,734 --> 00:42:21,000 - The challenge in reconstruction 793 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:23,600 is how do we recreate the facade 794 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:27,400 of a neolithic structure when we're not even entirely sure 795 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,067 what it might have looked like in its original form. 796 00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:33,701 - [Narrator] The dome itself is a pile of thousands 797 00:42:33,701 --> 00:42:35,901 of water rolled pebbles pulled from the depths 798 00:42:35,901 --> 00:42:38,467 of a nearby pond, each measuring up 799 00:42:38,467 --> 00:42:41,600 to 22 centimeters in length. 800 00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:44,901 The hundreds of larger slabs that form the structure's bones 801 00:42:44,901 --> 00:42:49,000 and perimeter, are predominantly crafted from greywacke, 802 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:52,467 a type of sandstone, some pieces measuring upwards 803 00:42:52,467 --> 00:42:53,867 of four meters in length. 804 00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:58,667 Yet these formidable boulders 805 00:42:58,667 --> 00:43:01,567 are not so easily sourced as the pebbles. 806 00:43:02,834 --> 00:43:06,067 - The megaliths, the large stones that were used 807 00:43:06,067 --> 00:43:09,134 to build Newgrange were hauled 808 00:43:09,134 --> 00:43:12,134 from maybe 50 kilometers away. 809 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:18,133 - Some theories suggest the stones may have been transported 810 00:43:18,133 --> 00:43:22,534 over land using wooden rollers or a sled. 811 00:43:22,534 --> 00:43:23,900 Then there are other theories 812 00:43:23,900 --> 00:43:26,800 that they may have been floated down the coastline 813 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,967 and transported by water up the river. 814 00:43:29,967 --> 00:43:33,234 Either way, this would've been a monumental task. 815 00:43:33,234 --> 00:43:35,634 - [Narrator] This incredible task suggests 816 00:43:35,634 --> 00:43:38,433 that the ancient architects could have had a labor pool 817 00:43:38,433 --> 00:43:40,833 numbering in the hundreds. 818 00:43:40,833 --> 00:43:43,734 Even with so many hands, it would've been a task 819 00:43:43,734 --> 00:43:46,100 that took decades to complete. 820 00:43:46,100 --> 00:43:50,133 - This was a time when metal hadn't been fully developed, 821 00:43:50,133 --> 00:43:53,867 so the workforce's tools were made entirely 822 00:43:53,867 --> 00:43:57,034 of wood, stone and bone. 823 00:43:58,867 --> 00:44:01,034 - Building of it must have taken they estimate 824 00:44:01,034 --> 00:44:03,734 as long as 70 years or more to build, 825 00:44:03,734 --> 00:44:06,434 which would've been more than one lifetime 826 00:44:06,434 --> 00:44:09,367 for many of the people who were involved in this building, 827 00:44:09,367 --> 00:44:13,600 it meant that society had to organize over the generations 828 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:16,533 to continue its work so clearly 829 00:44:16,533 --> 00:44:21,133 as purpose from the start resonated long term in the culture 830 00:44:21,133 --> 00:44:23,267 and was considered important to complete. 831 00:44:24,067 --> 00:44:25,700 - The prehistoric prestige 832 00:44:25,700 --> 00:44:27,701 of this site may have been etched 833 00:44:27,701 --> 00:44:31,301 into the very stones that support its walls. 834 00:44:31,301 --> 00:44:33,733 Among the hundreds of greywacke rocks 835 00:44:33,733 --> 00:44:36,300 that line the building's edge and interior, 836 00:44:36,300 --> 00:44:39,267 75 are arranged with some of the most cohesive 837 00:44:39,267 --> 00:44:43,767 artistic compositions of neolithic times, the most prominent 838 00:44:43,767 --> 00:44:46,901 of which can be seen on the tomb's entry stone, 839 00:44:46,901 --> 00:44:50,434 boldly marked with a large triple spiral design. 840 00:44:52,700 --> 00:44:55,034 - What do these carvings signify? 841 00:44:55,034 --> 00:44:58,067 Do they mark a boundary between two realms? 842 00:44:58,067 --> 00:45:01,734 Are they an abstract representation of ancient beliefs, 843 00:45:01,734 --> 00:45:03,867 or could they be the mark of a dynasty? 844 00:45:06,167 --> 00:45:08,267 - Since we don't really have any written records 845 00:45:08,267 --> 00:45:11,201 of this society, we have to rely on artifacts. 846 00:45:12,867 --> 00:45:15,534 - Venturing inward, cryptic carvings 847 00:45:15,534 --> 00:45:18,100 mark the narrow walls. 848 00:45:18,100 --> 00:45:23,134 - The passage into the structure is long and claustrophobic, 849 00:45:24,267 --> 00:45:27,767 and when you get to the center of the tomb, 850 00:45:27,767 --> 00:45:29,934 you're confronted by three chambers. 851 00:45:33,767 --> 00:45:35,700 - [Narrator] The entire floor plan mimics 852 00:45:35,700 --> 00:45:37,467 the shape of a cruciform. 853 00:45:37,467 --> 00:45:41,101 Its most inner region protected by a vaulted ceiling 854 00:45:41,101 --> 00:45:43,901 that has remarkably stood the test of time. 855 00:45:45,401 --> 00:45:46,934 - In some ways, the passage 856 00:45:46,934 --> 00:45:50,467 and the chambers within the building are a bit rough, 857 00:45:50,467 --> 00:45:52,934 but it's amazing the technology 858 00:45:52,934 --> 00:45:56,767 that went into constructing this thing in the very back 859 00:45:56,767 --> 00:46:00,267 of the passage where the chambers, the burial chambers are. 860 00:46:00,267 --> 00:46:03,934 If you look up, there's a high corbel dome, 861 00:46:07,334 --> 00:46:11,934 and that dome has not leaked in 5,000 years, 862 00:46:11,934 --> 00:46:14,334 more than 5,000 years. 863 00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:18,934 - [Narrator] It's beneath these corbel stones 864 00:46:18,934 --> 00:46:21,067 in the tomb's quiet chambers, 865 00:46:21,067 --> 00:46:24,434 where the mysteries of Newgrange begin to unfold. 866 00:46:27,667 --> 00:46:30,834 After thousands of years in ruin beneath layers of earth 867 00:46:30,834 --> 00:46:33,867 and vegetation, Newgrange becomes a site 868 00:46:33,867 --> 00:46:37,200 of intense intrigue when a local farmer rediscovers 869 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:40,167 its concealed entrance in 1699. 870 00:46:42,767 --> 00:46:45,100 it will be another two and a half centuries 871 00:46:45,100 --> 00:46:48,167 before the first thorough archeological excavation 872 00:46:48,167 --> 00:46:50,934 is conducted by Michael J. O'Kelly 873 00:46:50,934 --> 00:46:53,334 in the 1960s and 70s. 874 00:46:54,500 --> 00:46:57,033 As his team clears the corridor and chambers, 875 00:46:57,033 --> 00:46:59,934 they uncover large stone basins believed 876 00:46:59,934 --> 00:47:02,501 to once cradle the ashes of the dead. 877 00:47:05,101 --> 00:47:09,467 Beneath the floor, a large pit is dug in the central chamber 878 00:47:09,467 --> 00:47:10,967 and a discovery is made 879 00:47:10,967 --> 00:47:14,567 that confirms Newgrange is not just a site of ceremony, 880 00:47:14,567 --> 00:47:16,067 but also a tomb. 881 00:47:17,334 --> 00:47:21,934 - They discovered 23 components of human remains, 882 00:47:21,934 --> 00:47:25,801 which likely belonged to five people. 883 00:47:25,801 --> 00:47:30,867 Is this a collective grave, and if so, for whom? 884 00:47:31,534 --> 00:47:32,900 - [Narrator] Recent DNA analysis 885 00:47:32,900 --> 00:47:35,433 of the recovered bone samples from a neolithic man 886 00:47:35,433 --> 00:47:39,934 identified as NG10 provides startling insight. 887 00:47:41,334 --> 00:47:44,133 A genetic profile marks him as the offspring 888 00:47:44,133 --> 00:47:48,067 of an incestuous union within this ancient community. 889 00:47:49,267 --> 00:47:51,833 - It's likely that his parents were siblings 890 00:47:51,833 --> 00:47:54,301 or were looking at a parent and a child. 891 00:47:55,733 --> 00:47:58,633 This man may have been part of a dynasty that was concerned 892 00:47:58,633 --> 00:48:00,301 with preserving the royal bloodline. 893 00:48:01,967 --> 00:48:03,501 - [Narrator] This practice has been observed 894 00:48:03,501 --> 00:48:05,734 in other dynastic societies, 895 00:48:05,734 --> 00:48:08,800 including the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. 896 00:48:08,800 --> 00:48:11,367 The earthly importance of those buried 897 00:48:11,367 --> 00:48:12,934 and the ingenuity 898 00:48:12,934 --> 00:48:15,334 of the ancient architects were further highlighted 899 00:48:15,334 --> 00:48:17,834 in December, 1967. 900 00:48:20,533 --> 00:48:23,900 While working in the chamber, O' Kelly bore witness 901 00:48:23,900 --> 00:48:28,134 to a surprising spectacle firsthand, a magical glimmer 902 00:48:28,134 --> 00:48:30,967 of natural light streaming from a crevice 903 00:48:30,967 --> 00:48:33,734 above the tomb's entrance. 904 00:48:33,734 --> 00:48:36,734 - There was a roof box, which was carved out 905 00:48:36,734 --> 00:48:39,200 above the entrance to the passageway, 906 00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:42,834 which allowed the sun on the winter solstice 907 00:48:42,834 --> 00:48:46,401 to enter right into the very back chamber. 908 00:48:47,867 --> 00:48:50,900 - This unique display occurs only once annually, 909 00:48:50,900 --> 00:48:53,067 on the shortest day of the year. 910 00:48:53,067 --> 00:48:55,633 - The winter solstice. 911 00:48:55,633 --> 00:49:00,033 This is the longest period of time that the sun is absent. 912 00:49:00,033 --> 00:49:03,233 - [Narrator] Once a year at the dawn of the winter solstice 913 00:49:03,233 --> 00:49:08,067 for 17 minutes, the sun illuminates the heart of Newgrange, 914 00:49:09,300 --> 00:49:11,434 flooding the central alcove of ancestral ashes 915 00:49:11,434 --> 00:49:14,801 before retreating to the vast skies above. 916 00:49:17,100 --> 00:49:19,634 - Greatest spectacle was for the people inside, 917 00:49:19,634 --> 00:49:21,200 deep inside the chamber, 918 00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:23,734 but there was another spectacle outside. 919 00:49:23,734 --> 00:49:27,934 In Newgrange, the entranceway was covered with white stones 920 00:49:27,934 --> 00:49:32,434 that would reflect the pink of the rising sun 921 00:49:32,434 --> 00:49:34,067 on the winter solstice. 922 00:49:36,201 --> 00:49:39,934 - It's astonishing to imagine prehistoric people 923 00:49:39,934 --> 00:49:43,767 planning and building such a structure 924 00:49:43,767 --> 00:49:45,901 that aligns with the stars. 925 00:49:48,233 --> 00:49:50,201 - With the advent of the Bronze Age, 926 00:49:50,201 --> 00:49:53,034 Newgrange largely falls out of use as a wave 927 00:49:53,034 --> 00:49:56,267 of settlers overtake the native population. 928 00:49:56,267 --> 00:50:00,033 Yet its celestial significance lingers on. 929 00:50:00,033 --> 00:50:02,867 The new communities erect additional menhires 930 00:50:02,867 --> 00:50:04,367 around the mound, 931 00:50:04,367 --> 00:50:08,134 forming what is now known as the Great Circle. 932 00:50:08,134 --> 00:50:11,033 Continuing the interplay of structure and sun, 933 00:50:11,033 --> 00:50:14,133 it casts shadows across the site. 934 00:50:14,133 --> 00:50:17,100 The shade of its tallest pillar, touching the middle 935 00:50:17,100 --> 00:50:19,733 of the famously carved entry curve 936 00:50:19,733 --> 00:50:21,733 on the day of the winter solstice. 937 00:50:21,733 --> 00:50:24,534 (dramatic music) 938 00:50:26,534 --> 00:50:29,867 - In Britain, we're famous for our stone circles, 939 00:50:29,867 --> 00:50:33,634 and Stonehenge is always the number one visited site, 940 00:50:33,634 --> 00:50:35,767 but it's not just about Stonehenge. 941 00:50:35,767 --> 00:50:39,201 There are so many other sites that predate it. 942 00:50:39,201 --> 00:50:42,034 And Newgrange is a fantastic example. 943 00:50:42,034 --> 00:50:45,100 - [Narrator] Due to the gradual shifting of Earth's axis, 944 00:50:45,100 --> 00:50:48,134 our astronomical clock runs four minutes faster 945 00:50:48,134 --> 00:50:51,867 than that of Newgrange's neolithic engineers. 946 00:50:51,867 --> 00:50:54,734 Yet still, people visit every year 947 00:50:54,734 --> 00:50:57,467 to watch the solstice sunrise herald the dawn 948 00:50:57,467 --> 00:50:58,934 of a new phase. 949 00:51:01,067 --> 00:51:04,434 From the haunting neolithic stone monuments of Ireland 950 00:51:04,434 --> 00:51:08,301 to the awe-inspiring Mesoamerican pyramids of Mexico 951 00:51:10,301 --> 00:51:13,801 and the breathtakingly ornate temples of Cambodia, 952 00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:18,100 these ancient wonders stand through time 953 00:51:18,100 --> 00:51:22,033 as architectural reflections of the cosmos. 954 00:51:22,033 --> 00:51:24,101 Though modern investigations have begun 955 00:51:24,101 --> 00:51:26,200 to unravel their mysteries, 956 00:51:26,200 --> 00:51:30,033 countless secrets remain veiled in the midst of time, 957 00:51:30,033 --> 00:51:31,534 just waiting for the bold 958 00:51:31,534 --> 00:51:35,501 and curious to uncover even more of the hidden secrets 959 00:51:35,501 --> 00:51:38,601 of these ancient structures. 960 00:51:38,601 --> 00:51:42,001 (dramatic music begins) 961 00:51:52,467 --> 00:51:55,967 (dramatic music continues) 962 00:52:08,467 --> 00:52:10,034 (dramatic music ends)