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Abandoned cities,
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ancient cultures
nearly erased by time,
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and colossal empires
that simply vanished
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without a trace.
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How does a civilization
become lost?
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Is it decimated by wars,
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or does it die off as the result
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of some deadly plague
or cataclysm?
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What could cause a once‐thriving
group of people‐‐
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like the Mayans, for example‐‐
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to just abandon
their great cities,
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never to return?
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Well, that is what we'll try
and find out.
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Explorers John Lloyd Stephens
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and Frederick Catherwood mount
an expedition to investigate
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reports of mysterious ruins
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located in this remote,
largely uncharted region.
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After scouting and mapping miles
of dark, impenetrable jungle,
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they find some unusual features
in the dense brush.
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Oddly‐shaped stones,
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peculiar carvings
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and strange artifacts
that could only be manmade.
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It isn't long
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before they realize they've made
an incredible discovery:
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The remains of the mysterious
ancient Maya civilization,
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deep in the rainforest.
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And what was so remarkable
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to Stephens and Catherwood is,
eventually,
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they found temples and platforms
and pyramids.
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There was monumental
architecture and conical mounds
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and other building platforms
in the rainforest.
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And to look at these cities
in the jungle,
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kind of coming out
of the jungle was...
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was just absolutely remarkable,
and it got people's attention.
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On their
return to the United States,
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Stephens and Catherwood publish
an illustrated book
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of their findings,
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detailing 44 individual ruins.
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Readers are astounded by the
book's meticulous illustrations,
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which portray
a sophisticated ancient society.
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And news of the astonishing find
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quickly spreads
around the world.
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The Maya become more mysterious
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as we collect more information.
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They have
a sophisticated writing system.
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They obviously have a
sophisticated religious system,
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a calendar system.
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And so, the calendar which would
have been a very useful tool
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for the Maya elite and priests
to be able to understand,
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say, for example, when there was
gonna be a solar eclipse.
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They were ancient astronomers
and architects.
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They have social structure
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that we're just beginning
to understand,
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and their cities are remarkable.
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At its peak,
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the Maya civilization stretched
from Guatemala and Belize
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to western Honduras
and El Salvador.
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Their total population was
estimated to be in the millions,
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and concentrated
in large city centers
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like Copán, Tikal and Calakmul.
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And then, suddenly,
during the ninth century A. D.,
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this advanced society
just collapsed.
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Vast cities, ornate palaces,
towering pyramids‐‐
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all of it completely abandoned,
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left to be reclaimed
by the jungle.
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But why?
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The mystery
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of why Maya civilization
collapsed is one
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that archeology has been
debating forever.
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830 is right about when all
of the cities in the Maya area
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and all over Mesoamerica
are falling apart.
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They drop their tools,
and they walk away.
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They're abandoning those cities,
and it's a mystery.
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Where did the people go?
Why did they leave?
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If you have such
a sophisticated civilization,
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how do these things collapse?
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What went wrong?
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For decades,
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archaeologists have speculated
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as to what might have caused
the sudden demise of the Maya.
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Dozens of theories‐‐
blaming everything
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from drought, to disease,
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to devastating earthquakes‐‐
have been proposed.
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Yet, the simple truth is no one
knows what really happened.
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But a recent study‐‐
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using state‐of‐the‐art
technology‐‐
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might have provided
a significant clue.
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An airplane operated
by the University of Houston's.
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National Center
for Airborne Laser Mapping
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flies 2,000 feet
above the thick jungle canopy.
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As the plane reaches
its target area,
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an advanced scanning technology
called "lidar" is used
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to fire laser pulses through
the trees at the ground below.
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When the resulting data
is later compiled
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into a three‐dimensional
rendering of the area,
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the scientists are stunned
by what they see.
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Once lidar got involved,
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we saw roads leading
out into other city centers.
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We saw thousands
upon thousands of houses.
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Collectively, all the areas
that they covered
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were over 60,000 new buildings
that we didn't see before.
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Previously, they thought
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that the Maya reached probably
a maximum level
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of population
of around five million.
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But the estimates now take us up
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to at least 15 to 20 million.
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Ever since the rediscovery
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of Maya ruins by Europeans
in the 19th century,
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nearly every piece of data
uncovered about the Maya
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raised more and more questions.
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But now, after scientists
began using lidar,
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they finally started
to find answers,
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such as the possible cause
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of the Maya civilization's
collapse: War.
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Once we started going out
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and recording
and mapping these sites,
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we see defense
warfare structures.
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This is a remarkable thing
that we never knew
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that these defensive works
were out there,
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leading archeologists
to scratch their heads
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00:06:51,745 --> 00:06:54,557
and basically say, "Oh, my gosh."
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The Maya were warlike,
and warfare was very important."
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We know there was
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warfare going on.
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They were building all kinds
of defensive structures.
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Could that have something to do
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00:07:05,842 --> 00:07:08,237
with the vanishing
of the Mayans?
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More and more,
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as the classic period went on,
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monuments became full
of war imagery
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and people taking captives
and people being beheaded.
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So we know war was a factor.
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If it was just war, the victors
would have claimed the land,
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00:07:29,115 --> 00:07:31,469
and the losers
would have beat it.
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But that's not the fact.
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Everybody left.
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Why?
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According to the Popol Vuh,
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the written history of the Maya,
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they believed that time
was cyclical in nature.
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Each cycle lasted
for a fixed number of years,
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at which time, a great cataclysm
would wipe the slate clean
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so a new world could be born
from the old one's ashes.
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So was this the real reason?
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Did the Maya abandon their great
cities and disband their culture
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simply because
an ancient prophecy
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told them when exactly to do it?
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BARNHART
The timing is very interesting.
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In 830, a great cycle is ending.
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There was certainly evidence
for them
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to believe
that things were going bad.
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There were climate problems.
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There were resource problems.
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There were people fighting.
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Were they timing
the leaving of their cities
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to the calendar
that they created?
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That's a... a big possibility.
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Right or wrong,
the Maya believed
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that the end of
their civilization was at hand.
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And while that may seem like
a farfetched notion,
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there actually exists
one group of people
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that hold similar beliefs:
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The descendants of the Maya.
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When you talk
to modern Maya people
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in the Guatemalan Highlands,
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people called day keepers,
Ajq'ij‐‐
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they are priests
who still follow the calendar,
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and they teach people
that things begin
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and they come to an end,
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and that to be in harmony
with the world, you need
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to know these cycles and change
before the world changes you.
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It's very possible
that back then,
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when all the signs that
the world was going a serious
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wrong direction,
that the Maya civilization
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as a whole said,
"These are the signs.
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"The time is now.
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Let's collectively
change ourselves."
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Was the collapse
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of the Maya civilization
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simply the result
of a self‐fulfilling prophecy?
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There are many
who aren't so sure.
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As far as they're concerned,
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something more
sinister happened.
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And they believe
the evidence can be found
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by studying the fate of another
ancient civilization,
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one found much closer to home:
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The Anasazi.
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Set into the high cliffs
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of Mesa Verde National Park
in southwestern Colorado
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is what many consider to be
America's biggest mystery.
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A mystery carved in solid rock.
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Cliff Palace,
as it has come to be known,
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contains more than 150 chambers
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connected by extensive ramps
and stairways.
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According to most archaeologists
and historians,
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it was constructed
almost a thousand years ago
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by a tribe
of Ancestral Puebloans
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known as the Anasazi.
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The Ancestral Pueblo
are a people
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that grew up in the Four Corners
area of the United States.
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They're actually in an area
called the San Juan Basin,
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where they spent most
of their culture's history,
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all the way
into Paleo‐Indian times,
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which is about 12,000 years ago.
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They're a culture
we call Basket Maker,
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and they did most
of their cooking and gathering
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in pit houses
and weaved baskets.
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00:11:28,396 --> 00:11:32,084
I think one of the things
that's the most admirable
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00:11:32,108 --> 00:11:36,088
about the Ancestral Pueblo
is their ability to live
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00:11:36,112 --> 00:11:39,800
in such
a resource‐poor environment.
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It was highland desert.
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00:11:42,493 --> 00:11:45,055
There were not
many natural plants to eat.
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00:11:45,079 --> 00:11:47,892
It was very difficult
to grow corn.
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00:11:47,916 --> 00:11:50,186
There were not a whole lot
of animals to hunt,
215
00:11:50,210 --> 00:11:54,273
and yet they found a way
to live in that niche
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00:11:54,297 --> 00:11:56,132
and survive.
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00:11:57,425 --> 00:11:59,403
Starting in the ninth century,
218
00:11:59,427 --> 00:12:01,989
the Anasazi expanded
their civilization
219
00:12:02,013 --> 00:12:06,076
by building massive structures
throughout the Southwest,
220
00:12:06,100 --> 00:12:09,371
first in New Mexico's
Chaco Canyon
221
00:12:09,395 --> 00:12:12,023
and later in the cliffs
of Mesa Verde.
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00:12:13,608 --> 00:12:16,003
There was a big explosion
223
00:12:16,027 --> 00:12:18,964
in the kind of architecture
they were making
224
00:12:18,988 --> 00:12:22,259
and its scale
and its sophistication.
225
00:12:22,283 --> 00:12:27,389
There were already tens of
thousands of little communities,
226
00:12:27,413 --> 00:12:31,227
but now they started building
these gigantic buildings.
227
00:12:31,251 --> 00:12:33,395
We call them "great houses,"
228
00:12:33,419 --> 00:12:35,397
and they were
apartment complexes
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but on a scale
that the Pueblo had never made.
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Hundreds of individual rooms
231
00:12:41,261 --> 00:12:44,073
would make up
these great houses,
232
00:12:44,097 --> 00:12:48,101
and they could be upwards
of five stories tall.
233
00:12:51,521 --> 00:12:53,040
For years,
234
00:12:53,064 --> 00:12:55,417
people studying the Anasazi
have wondered
235
00:12:55,441 --> 00:12:57,253
how a simple group of people
236
00:12:57,277 --> 00:13:00,923
developed into an advanced
civilization so quickly.
237
00:13:00,947 --> 00:13:04,635
But perhaps an even more
intriguing question is:
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Why would those same people
239
00:13:06,661 --> 00:13:10,474
go to such great lengths
to build incredible structures,
240
00:13:10,498 --> 00:13:13,126
only to abandon them?
241
00:13:14,752 --> 00:13:16,730
And then, during the 1200s,
242
00:13:16,754 --> 00:13:19,775
very mysteriously,
suddenly, it disappeared.
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00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:22,987
When archaeologists looked
at these remains
244
00:13:23,011 --> 00:13:25,864
at the time of
the civilization disappearance,
245
00:13:25,888 --> 00:13:28,492
it was very sudden, as if people
just grabbed what they could
246
00:13:28,516 --> 00:13:31,036
and took off.
247
00:13:31,060 --> 00:13:33,163
People just up and left.
248
00:13:33,187 --> 00:13:35,958
They left behind
all of their belongings.
249
00:13:35,982 --> 00:13:41,714
And there is evidence that this
activity occurred very quickly.
250
00:13:41,738 --> 00:13:46,301
It was almost as if
they left behind ghost towns.
251
00:13:46,325 --> 00:13:49,930
So, what really happened
to the Anasazi?
252
00:13:49,954 --> 00:13:54,101
We know that drought
must have been a factor,
253
00:13:54,125 --> 00:13:56,311
because there were periods
254
00:13:56,335 --> 00:13:58,897
when there was
virtually no rain.
255
00:13:58,921 --> 00:14:03,652
We can say
they left for drought reasons,
256
00:14:03,676 --> 00:14:06,113
but if these
perfectly good places
257
00:14:06,137 --> 00:14:07,948
were good again
after the drought,
258
00:14:07,972 --> 00:14:09,366
why didn't they come back?
259
00:14:09,390 --> 00:14:12,870
It had to be more than
just a practical.
260
00:14:12,894 --> 00:14:15,521
"Well, we can't plant here
anymore."
261
00:14:16,606 --> 00:14:18,375
If it wasn't drought
262
00:14:18,399 --> 00:14:22,129
that forced the Anasazi
to leave their cliff dwellings,
263
00:14:22,153 --> 00:14:25,674
then what was it?
264
00:14:25,698 --> 00:14:28,677
According to
some anthropologists,
265
00:14:28,701 --> 00:14:31,055
the answer may lie
in their own mythology
266
00:14:31,079 --> 00:14:35,017
and a tale about
a shadowy supernatural figure
267
00:14:35,041 --> 00:14:38,044
known as the Gambler.
268
00:14:41,380 --> 00:14:44,568
The story of the
Gambler tells of a very powerful figure.
269
00:14:44,592 --> 00:14:47,571
He challenges all the people
of the Four Corners region
270
00:14:47,595 --> 00:14:50,616
to these gambling matches,
and he always wins.
271
00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,367
And in these stories,
272
00:14:52,391 --> 00:14:54,203
the people give away
their goods.
273
00:14:54,227 --> 00:14:58,207
Eventually, they're giving away
even their homes and their food
274
00:14:58,231 --> 00:15:01,251
and eventually themselves
as slaves
275
00:15:01,275 --> 00:15:03,653
to this powerful gambler figure.
276
00:15:05,613 --> 00:15:07,257
And in their mythology,
277
00:15:07,281 --> 00:15:09,802
they say the Gambler
is the one who taught them
278
00:15:09,826 --> 00:15:12,054
how to build these great houses
279
00:15:12,078 --> 00:15:14,598
and asked them to do it,
basically,
280
00:15:14,622 --> 00:15:16,225
in terms of slavery.
281
00:15:16,249 --> 00:15:19,061
They were then his to command.
282
00:15:19,085 --> 00:15:21,271
Eventually, in the story,
283
00:15:21,295 --> 00:15:25,275
the gods decide that the Gambler
has overstepped.
284
00:15:25,299 --> 00:15:28,612
He has become full of hubris.
285
00:15:28,636 --> 00:15:30,864
He's behaving in a way
he shouldn't.
286
00:15:30,888 --> 00:15:34,267
So he's eventually defeated
and banished from Chaco Canyon.
287
00:15:36,727 --> 00:15:38,622
So, when the Gambler
was finally defeated,
288
00:15:38,646 --> 00:15:42,441
it's said that he laid
some kind of curse on the land.
289
00:15:43,776 --> 00:15:46,922
He said,
"I will kill you with lightning,
290
00:15:46,946 --> 00:15:49,341
"and I will send war
and disease among you.
291
00:15:49,365 --> 00:15:52,136
"May the cold freeze you.
292
00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:53,929
"May the fire burn you.
293
00:15:53,953 --> 00:15:57,182
May the waters drown you."
294
00:15:57,206 --> 00:16:01,186
Some groups say he opened up
some kind of vortex.
295
00:16:01,210 --> 00:16:05,023
And because there was so much
badness and so much suffering,
296
00:16:05,047 --> 00:16:08,569
everyone made the decision
to leave
297
00:16:08,593 --> 00:16:10,887
and never go there again.
298
00:16:12,555 --> 00:16:16,618
Many cultures
have tales of a wily trickster,
299
00:16:16,642 --> 00:16:19,454
someone who cheats people
out of hearth and home
300
00:16:19,478 --> 00:16:21,498
before laying a curse
on their village
301
00:16:21,522 --> 00:16:23,750
and vanishing
in a puff of smoke.
302
00:16:23,774 --> 00:16:27,254
But could the Anasazi legend
of the Gambler
303
00:16:27,278 --> 00:16:32,176
have actually been based
on a real‐life event?
304
00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:33,844
I went into museum collections,
305
00:16:33,868 --> 00:16:37,264
and I found hundreds
of gambling pieces excavated
306
00:16:37,288 --> 00:16:39,600
from Pueblo Bonito and the other
buildings in the canyon,
307
00:16:39,624 --> 00:16:43,520
things like dice or pieces used
in different guessing games.
308
00:16:43,544 --> 00:16:45,689
There's a lot
of archaeological evidence
309
00:16:45,713 --> 00:16:47,649
for gambling at Chaco Canyon.
310
00:16:47,673 --> 00:16:50,402
And I do think
the stories are literal
311
00:16:50,426 --> 00:16:53,906
in the sense that it was
a major aspect of the society.
312
00:16:53,930 --> 00:16:56,933
It has to do with actual people,
historical events.
313
00:16:58,601 --> 00:17:01,163
Does archaeological
evidence of gambling
314
00:17:01,187 --> 00:17:03,498
mean the Anasazi legend
of the Gambler
315
00:17:03,522 --> 00:17:07,419
is simply a parable about
the dangers of unchecked vice?
316
00:17:07,443 --> 00:17:10,505
Or were the Anasazi forced
to flee from their homes
317
00:17:10,529 --> 00:17:12,216
after being tormented
by some sort
318
00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:16,261
of dark, supernatural force?
319
00:17:16,285 --> 00:17:18,722
Very often, abandoned villages
or abandoned sites
320
00:17:18,746 --> 00:17:20,807
are held to be haunted
by the ghosts.
321
00:17:20,831 --> 00:17:24,269
This is probably
a very widespread notion that,
322
00:17:24,293 --> 00:17:26,146
when a civilization collapses,
323
00:17:26,170 --> 00:17:28,357
very often,
something went wrong.
324
00:17:28,381 --> 00:17:32,027
And it's not purely physical.
It's something spiritual.
325
00:17:32,051 --> 00:17:35,197
Today, Pueblo people
will go to Chaco,
326
00:17:35,221 --> 00:17:37,533
and they will honor
their ancestors there.
327
00:17:37,557 --> 00:17:40,118
But some groups of them say
328
00:17:40,142 --> 00:17:42,788
that there was a very bad thing
that happened there
329
00:17:42,812 --> 00:17:46,375
and that their ancestors,
for a long period of time,
330
00:17:46,399 --> 00:17:49,569
didn't go there and they wanted
nothing to do with it.
331
00:17:53,573 --> 00:17:57,219
Could a deadly curse
really have caused the Anasazi
332
00:17:57,243 --> 00:18:00,222
to abandon
their elaborate cliff dwellings?
333
00:18:00,246 --> 00:18:03,725
There are those who believe that
dark forces were responsible
334
00:18:03,749 --> 00:18:07,145
and that similar forces
were also behind
335
00:18:07,169 --> 00:18:09,648
the mysterious disappearance
of what might have been
336
00:18:09,672 --> 00:18:11,441
the world's first civilization,
337
00:18:11,465 --> 00:18:14,820
the one located
at a place now known
338
00:18:14,844 --> 00:18:17,263
as Gobekli Tepe.
339
00:18:26,105 --> 00:18:27,833
While plowing his field,
340
00:18:27,857 --> 00:18:31,128
shepherd Safak Yildiz spots
a strangely shaped stone
341
00:18:31,152 --> 00:18:34,131
emerging from the parched earth.
342
00:18:34,155 --> 00:18:35,924
When he brushes away the dirt,
343
00:18:35,948 --> 00:18:40,095
he realizes the stone may be
part of a much larger object.
344
00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,306
After reporting his find,
345
00:18:42,330 --> 00:18:45,559
he is visited
by archaeologist Klaus Schmidt
346
00:18:45,583 --> 00:18:48,711
and a team from the German
Archaeological Institute.
347
00:18:50,588 --> 00:18:52,399
Further excavation reveals
348
00:18:52,423 --> 00:18:55,152
the stone is actually part
of a massive,
349
00:18:55,176 --> 00:18:57,946
elaborately carved stone pillar,
350
00:18:57,970 --> 00:19:01,408
one in what turns out
to be dozens
351
00:19:01,432 --> 00:19:05,770
that form an ancient
underground complex.
352
00:19:07,271 --> 00:19:10,542
Gobekli Tepe is
arguably the most important
353
00:19:10,566 --> 00:19:13,754
archaeological discovery
in recent years.
354
00:19:13,778 --> 00:19:18,884
We're talking about
a whole series of stone circles
355
00:19:18,908 --> 00:19:22,387
built on the top of a mountain.
356
00:19:22,411 --> 00:19:25,641
If you can imagine
Stonehenge in England
357
00:19:25,665 --> 00:19:28,810
but multiply it by 20 times
358
00:19:28,834 --> 00:19:31,647
and have these stones in circles
359
00:19:31,671 --> 00:19:36,068
facing towards two massive,
great monoliths
360
00:19:36,092 --> 00:19:39,363
as much as
18 and a half feet tall,
361
00:19:39,387 --> 00:19:42,616
weighing between 15 and 20 tons,
362
00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:47,412
this is what we see
at Gobekli Tepe.
363
00:19:47,436 --> 00:19:52,292
Gobekli Tepe could very well be
the first lost civilization.
364
00:19:52,316 --> 00:19:55,128
We've only uncovered
a small percentage of it,
365
00:19:55,152 --> 00:19:56,588
like ten or 15%.
366
00:19:56,612 --> 00:19:59,716
We have no idea, really,
how much bigger this is
367
00:19:59,740 --> 00:20:02,886
and what else
we're gonna find there.
368
00:20:02,910 --> 00:20:05,055
We have to ask ourselves:
369
00:20:05,079 --> 00:20:08,058
Could Gobekli Tepe been
370
00:20:08,082 --> 00:20:11,103
a place of commerce and trade?
371
00:20:11,127 --> 00:20:15,065
And I think the answer
is an undoubted yes,
372
00:20:15,089 --> 00:20:19,695
because its construction
would have necessitated
373
00:20:19,719 --> 00:20:22,280
the presence
of not just hundreds
374
00:20:22,304 --> 00:20:27,202
but many thousands of people
coming from across the region
375
00:20:27,226 --> 00:20:30,396
who, at the beginning,
were hunter‐gatherers.
376
00:20:31,731 --> 00:20:34,251
While there are many theories,
377
00:20:34,275 --> 00:20:38,296
the true purpose of Gobekli Tepe
remains shrouded in mystery.
378
00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,717
But no less mysterious
than the stones themselves
379
00:20:41,741 --> 00:20:45,887
is the lost civilization
that fashioned them.
380
00:20:45,911 --> 00:20:49,307
Because when sediment layers
of the site were carbon‐dated,
381
00:20:49,331 --> 00:20:53,270
it was shockingly revealed
that Gobekli Tepe
382
00:20:53,294 --> 00:20:56,422
is more than 12,000 years old.
383
00:20:58,716 --> 00:21:00,861
Gobekli Tepe
really did send shock waves
384
00:21:00,885 --> 00:21:03,780
through the whole world
of early prehistory,
385
00:21:03,804 --> 00:21:06,241
because we'd never before
known or imagined, even,
386
00:21:06,265 --> 00:21:07,909
that simple hunter‐gatherers
387
00:21:07,933 --> 00:21:11,121
could produce such spectacular
monumental structures
388
00:21:11,145 --> 00:21:13,915
as‐as are found at Gobekli Tepe.
389
00:21:13,939 --> 00:21:15,751
Now, many of these pillars
390
00:21:15,775 --> 00:21:19,087
also have remarkable carvings
on them, wonderful carvings
391
00:21:19,111 --> 00:21:21,965
and bas‐reliefs of animals,
birds, insects,
392
00:21:21,989 --> 00:21:23,258
all kinds of things.
393
00:21:23,282 --> 00:21:25,302
So to fashion those
and carve them
394
00:21:25,326 --> 00:21:27,137
and set them up
in these structures
395
00:21:27,161 --> 00:21:29,288
was just absolutely amazing.
396
00:21:31,248 --> 00:21:33,769
More than one‐third
of Gobekli Tepe's stone pillars
397
00:21:33,793 --> 00:21:36,480
contain elaborate
bas‐relief carvings
398
00:21:36,504 --> 00:21:38,106
of various animals.
399
00:21:38,130 --> 00:21:41,943
But what has many archaeologists
and historians puzzled
400
00:21:41,967 --> 00:21:44,362
is that many
of the species depicted,
401
00:21:44,386 --> 00:21:48,617
like geese and armadillos
and wild boar,
402
00:21:48,641 --> 00:21:52,120
are not indigenous to the area.
403
00:21:52,144 --> 00:21:56,541
That location just happens
to be near where Noah
404
00:21:56,565 --> 00:22:00,253
and the animals in the ark
ended the long journey
405
00:22:00,277 --> 00:22:02,172
through the flood.
406
00:22:02,196 --> 00:22:05,467
And these giant pillars
in Gobekli Tepe
407
00:22:05,491 --> 00:22:09,679
have carvings of animals,
many different kinds of animals.
408
00:22:09,703 --> 00:22:12,641
Are these the animals
from the ark?
409
00:22:12,665 --> 00:22:15,644
Did the stories
about those animals
410
00:22:15,668 --> 00:22:19,088
end up being depicted in stone?
411
00:22:20,506 --> 00:22:22,359
Could there
really be a connection
412
00:22:22,383 --> 00:22:24,820
between Gobekli Tepe
and the Great Flood?
413
00:22:24,844 --> 00:22:26,321
Perhaps.
414
00:22:26,345 --> 00:22:29,699
But according to
another audacious theory,
415
00:22:29,723 --> 00:22:32,285
the animal carvings
at Gobekli Tepe
416
00:22:32,309 --> 00:22:34,454
may have been inspired
by another,
417
00:22:34,478 --> 00:22:37,648
even older biblical story.
418
00:22:39,775 --> 00:22:44,506
Gobekli Tepe
is located in the very area
419
00:22:44,530 --> 00:22:49,511
that the Bible tells us
the Garden of Eden was located.
420
00:22:49,535 --> 00:22:54,099
It is said that Eden was where
the four rivers of paradise
421
00:22:54,123 --> 00:22:55,976
took their rise.
422
00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:00,689
Two of those rivers were
the Euphrates and the Tigris
423
00:23:00,713 --> 00:23:03,233
that flowed through Mesopotamia.
424
00:23:03,257 --> 00:23:07,320
And these both rose
in the same area
425
00:23:07,344 --> 00:23:09,447
as Gobekli Tepe.
426
00:23:09,471 --> 00:23:13,451
Professor Klaus Schmidt,
the German archaeologist,
427
00:23:13,475 --> 00:23:16,037
even suggested himself
428
00:23:16,061 --> 00:23:18,707
that this could be
the area of Eden
429
00:23:18,731 --> 00:23:23,152
and the point of foundation
of civilization.
430
00:23:24,945 --> 00:23:27,173
The Garden of Eden?
431
00:23:27,197 --> 00:23:30,510
It's a fascinating theory
432
00:23:30,534 --> 00:23:34,556
but one that is not
without its problems.
433
00:23:34,580 --> 00:23:37,893
Because archaeological evidence
shows that Gobekli Tepe
434
00:23:37,917 --> 00:23:40,979
was not only later abandoned,
435
00:23:41,003 --> 00:23:44,399
but also backfilled
and deliberately buried.
436
00:23:44,423 --> 00:23:46,568
Why...
437
00:23:46,592 --> 00:23:50,614
would anyone want to leave‐‐
and bury‐‐
438
00:23:50,638 --> 00:23:52,866
paradise?
439
00:23:52,890 --> 00:23:55,785
Around 8000 B. C.,
440
00:23:55,809 --> 00:23:59,289
the people of Gobekli Tepe
just vanish.
441
00:23:59,313 --> 00:24:01,583
They just disappear.
442
00:24:01,607 --> 00:24:04,586
So we have to ask ourself:
Where did they go?
443
00:24:04,610 --> 00:24:08,423
Did they just vanish
into oblivion?
444
00:24:08,447 --> 00:24:12,469
What we know is that recently
archaeologists discovered
445
00:24:12,493 --> 00:24:16,288
a number of human skulls
that had been modified.
446
00:24:17,915 --> 00:24:22,020
And what this means is
that they had been sculpted,
447
00:24:22,044 --> 00:24:25,023
or that they had been pierced,
448
00:24:25,047 --> 00:24:27,859
uh, so that they
could be hung up
449
00:24:27,883 --> 00:24:30,803
perhaps on some kind
of frame or platform.
450
00:24:32,596 --> 00:24:35,158
They found
skulls that are smashed in.
451
00:24:35,182 --> 00:24:37,953
They found remains that look
as if there's been some kind
452
00:24:37,977 --> 00:24:41,873
of mass ritual or murder
or sacrifice going on.
453
00:24:41,897 --> 00:24:45,502
There may have actually been
a skull cult there.
454
00:24:45,526 --> 00:24:46,795
Do we know
what these people were doing?
455
00:24:46,819 --> 00:24:48,296
Of course not,
because they were doing this
456
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,382
thousands of years
before writing took place.
457
00:24:50,406 --> 00:24:52,175
We can try and guess.
458
00:24:52,199 --> 00:24:55,303
We‐we know important rituals
took place there.
459
00:24:58,330 --> 00:25:01,726
Klaus Schmidt
would talk about this as Eden.
460
00:25:01,750 --> 00:25:04,062
I think what he meant was
this is an Edenic society.
461
00:25:04,086 --> 00:25:06,231
Because if you look at the story
462
00:25:06,255 --> 00:25:08,650
of the Garden of Eden
in the Bible,
463
00:25:08,674 --> 00:25:10,568
that's
a hunter‐gatherer society.
464
00:25:10,592 --> 00:25:13,780
That's before we discover
agriculture.
465
00:25:13,804 --> 00:25:17,617
And so the fact that here's
this place, Gobekli Tepe,
466
00:25:17,641 --> 00:25:19,577
it's really challenging
our understandings
467
00:25:19,601 --> 00:25:22,872
of our own origins,
our own religious origins.
468
00:25:22,896 --> 00:25:25,125
And you start thinking about
what else we're gonna find.
469
00:25:25,149 --> 00:25:27,210
It remains to be
seen what will be found
470
00:25:27,234 --> 00:25:28,586
in the rest of the site.
471
00:25:28,610 --> 00:25:30,672
But, certainly,
I'm sure Gobekli Tepe
472
00:25:30,696 --> 00:25:32,549
has plenty more surprises
for us.
473
00:25:32,573 --> 00:25:34,384
Every new enclosure excavated,
474
00:25:34,408 --> 00:25:36,720
every new piece of evidence puts
another piece in the jigsaw
475
00:25:36,744 --> 00:25:38,388
but also, at the same time,
476
00:25:38,412 --> 00:25:41,999
raises new questions that we
find very difficult to answer.
477
00:25:44,418 --> 00:25:46,146
Whether Gobekli Tepe has
478
00:25:46,170 --> 00:25:49,566
a connection
to biblical stories or not,
479
00:25:49,590 --> 00:25:51,234
one thing is certain:
480
00:25:51,258 --> 00:25:54,654
Its builders chose to bury
their great creation,
481
00:25:54,678 --> 00:25:58,575
and we may never know why
or where they went,
482
00:25:58,599 --> 00:26:01,286
not unlike
another ancient civilization
483
00:26:01,310 --> 00:26:04,748
that also buried
their most important artifacts,
484
00:26:04,772 --> 00:26:07,917
giant stone heads that suggest
485
00:26:07,941 --> 00:26:10,920
they might have possessed
the ability to harness
486
00:26:10,944 --> 00:26:15,574
one of the most powerful forces
in the universe.
487
00:26:24,291 --> 00:26:26,102
Archaeologist Matthew Stirling
488
00:26:26,126 --> 00:26:28,730
is excavating an ancient site
489
00:26:28,754 --> 00:26:31,441
once occupied
by the Olmec people,
490
00:26:31,465 --> 00:26:35,445
a lost Mesoamerican civilization
491
00:26:35,469 --> 00:26:38,490
dating as far back as 1200 B. C.
492
00:26:38,514 --> 00:26:43,203
As Stirling's team unearths
and catalogs numerous artifacts,
493
00:26:43,227 --> 00:26:45,830
they notice a number
of unusually large,
494
00:26:45,854 --> 00:26:49,417
rounded boulders buried nearby.
495
00:26:49,441 --> 00:26:53,671
What emerges from the ground
are, quite literally,
496
00:26:53,695 --> 00:26:56,925
some of the largest
archaeological finds
497
00:26:56,949 --> 00:26:59,427
of the 20th century.
498
00:26:59,451 --> 00:27:01,638
Over the next several decades,
499
00:27:01,662 --> 00:27:06,518
17 colossal heads
carved from solid basalt
500
00:27:06,542 --> 00:27:09,312
were ultimately discovered
in the area,
501
00:27:09,336 --> 00:27:13,191
the largest measuring
a staggering 11 feet tall
502
00:27:13,215 --> 00:27:16,694
and weighing 50 tons.
503
00:27:16,718 --> 00:27:18,780
When you walk up
to these imposing,
504
00:27:18,804 --> 00:27:20,490
you know, stone monuments,
505
00:27:20,514 --> 00:27:22,867
you see these things
are‐are huge,
506
00:27:22,891 --> 00:27:25,870
with these just amazing
lifelike features.
507
00:27:25,894 --> 00:27:27,789
It would have taken
thousands of people
508
00:27:27,813 --> 00:27:30,917
to drag these stones
through the rainforest,
509
00:27:30,941 --> 00:27:34,796
through mud and swamps,
onto the tops of their sites.
510
00:27:34,820 --> 00:27:38,424
But perhaps what's
most striking about these giant heads
511
00:27:38,448 --> 00:27:40,343
is not their size
512
00:27:40,367 --> 00:27:43,555
or how they were brought
to the middle of the jungle
513
00:27:43,579 --> 00:27:48,434
but rather who they seem
to be depicting.
514
00:27:48,458 --> 00:27:50,979
The colossal heads have
515
00:27:51,003 --> 00:27:53,898
an African appearance.
516
00:27:53,922 --> 00:27:56,651
But, also, equally,
517
00:27:56,675 --> 00:28:01,823
they've been seen to have
a Polynesian appearance as well.
518
00:28:01,847 --> 00:28:05,577
Is it possible
that the Olmec were the result
519
00:28:05,601 --> 00:28:10,582
of transpacific
or even transatlantic migrations
520
00:28:10,606 --> 00:28:13,751
of peoples
from other continents?
521
00:28:13,775 --> 00:28:16,337
Although mainstream
historians dismiss the notion
522
00:28:16,361 --> 00:28:19,591
that the Olmec originated
in Asia or Africa,
523
00:28:19,615 --> 00:28:22,343
the appearance
of the Olmec heads
524
00:28:22,367 --> 00:28:25,346
suggests that it is possible.
525
00:28:25,370 --> 00:28:29,350
But not only do we not know
where the Olmec came from,
526
00:28:29,374 --> 00:28:34,063
we also don't know
where they went.
527
00:28:34,087 --> 00:28:36,900
One of the real frustrations
to archaeologists
528
00:28:36,924 --> 00:28:38,401
who study the Olmec
529
00:28:38,425 --> 00:28:42,238
is that we don't have
a single Olmec skeleton
530
00:28:42,262 --> 00:28:45,033
that we can look at and analyze.
531
00:28:45,057 --> 00:28:47,577
For over a thousand years,
532
00:28:47,601 --> 00:28:51,623
the Olmec were the culture
in the middle of Mesoamerica.
533
00:28:51,647 --> 00:28:54,208
But then they faded away.
534
00:28:54,232 --> 00:28:58,713
And why exactly they stopped
535
00:28:58,737 --> 00:29:01,073
is something we're not sure of.
536
00:29:02,908 --> 00:29:05,762
The Olmec
disappeared so completely,
537
00:29:05,786 --> 00:29:09,599
all that's left of them
are scattered remains,
538
00:29:09,623 --> 00:29:13,019
some sculptures and figurines.
539
00:29:13,043 --> 00:29:15,396
Which means,
if we're to answer the riddle
540
00:29:15,420 --> 00:29:19,567
of the Olmecs' disappearance,
there's only one place to look:
541
00:29:19,591 --> 00:29:22,820
Those huge,
imposing stone heads,
542
00:29:22,844 --> 00:29:26,491
staring back at us through time
543
00:29:26,515 --> 00:29:30,268
with their odd,
sphinxlike gazes.
544
00:29:32,270 --> 00:29:35,500
One of the most remarkable
discoveries
545
00:29:35,524 --> 00:29:39,128
in connection with the art
of the Olmec
546
00:29:39,152 --> 00:29:42,030
is the presence of magnetism.
547
00:29:43,323 --> 00:29:46,094
In a number
of different statues,
548
00:29:46,118 --> 00:29:48,846
when a compass
is brought up to them,
549
00:29:48,870 --> 00:29:51,265
the needles move.
550
00:29:51,289 --> 00:29:54,686
Archaeologists in the late 1960s
and early 1970s
551
00:29:54,710 --> 00:29:57,438
used magnetometers to find many
552
00:29:57,462 --> 00:30:00,692
of the most remarkable
colossal heads.
553
00:30:00,716 --> 00:30:02,443
The Olmec heads
554
00:30:02,467 --> 00:30:05,029
probably gave off
magnetic signatures,
555
00:30:05,053 --> 00:30:06,781
because they're made of basalt,
556
00:30:06,805 --> 00:30:10,368
a dense volcanic rock
that becomes magnetic
557
00:30:10,392 --> 00:30:13,246
as it cools.
558
00:30:13,270 --> 00:30:16,833
So, by making the heads
of basalt
559
00:30:16,857 --> 00:30:19,460
that came
from the volcano itself,
560
00:30:19,484 --> 00:30:21,462
that same energy
561
00:30:21,486 --> 00:30:25,049
was inherited
by those colossal heads.
562
00:30:25,073 --> 00:30:29,345
What all of this suggests
is that the Olmec
563
00:30:29,369 --> 00:30:32,807
went out
and deliberately chose rocks
564
00:30:32,831 --> 00:30:35,667
that had this magnetic effect.
565
00:30:36,668 --> 00:30:38,837
Magnetic stones.
566
00:30:40,547 --> 00:30:43,109
If the Olmec
were harnessing magnetism,
567
00:30:43,133 --> 00:30:46,320
what were they using it for?
568
00:30:46,344 --> 00:30:48,156
There are many theories
about how the Olmecs
569
00:30:48,180 --> 00:30:49,907
may have used magnetism.
570
00:30:49,931 --> 00:30:53,411
One interesting speculation
is whether they could have moved
571
00:30:53,435 --> 00:30:57,415
some of the large stones
using magnetic levitation.
572
00:30:57,439 --> 00:30:59,584
It's very simple to get magnets
573
00:30:59,608 --> 00:31:02,628
to either attract
or repel each other
574
00:31:02,652 --> 00:31:05,214
if their poles are opposing.
575
00:31:05,238 --> 00:31:09,844
It's difficult to imagine even
using modern moving technology
576
00:31:09,868 --> 00:31:11,554
to move very large stones.
577
00:31:11,578 --> 00:31:13,264
Yet they were moved.
578
00:31:13,288 --> 00:31:15,516
Levitation?
579
00:31:15,540 --> 00:31:17,518
It's a fascinating theory,
580
00:31:17,542 --> 00:31:19,771
although one
that's hard to prove,
581
00:31:19,795 --> 00:31:22,523
not unlike another theory
that suggests
582
00:31:22,547 --> 00:31:25,943
that the Olmec may have been
using the magnetic properties
583
00:31:25,967 --> 00:31:29,638
in their giant stone heads
for healing purposes.
584
00:31:31,389 --> 00:31:35,203
Colossal head ten from San
Lorenzo has what appears to be
585
00:31:35,227 --> 00:31:38,456
these little
multiperforated beads
586
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,501
all over all of the head
in his headdress.
587
00:31:41,525 --> 00:31:45,046
In a recent excavation, the lead
archeologists found thousands,
588
00:31:45,070 --> 00:31:49,842
144,000 of
these little magnetic cubes.
589
00:31:49,866 --> 00:31:52,804
And they could have been then
strung together in mats
590
00:31:52,828 --> 00:31:54,913
and possibly,
in this case, the headdress.
591
00:31:57,791 --> 00:31:59,894
And leading
some archeologists to say,
592
00:31:59,918 --> 00:32:01,562
"What about
the magnetic qualities
593
00:32:01,586 --> 00:32:03,731
that might have been used
in possible healing?"
594
00:32:03,755 --> 00:32:05,441
We know the importance
595
00:32:05,465 --> 00:32:07,902
of magnets used
in certain therapies.
596
00:32:07,926 --> 00:32:10,071
And did the Olmec‐‐
did they already discover
597
00:32:10,095 --> 00:32:13,324
the important health benefits
of‐of magnetic therapy?
598
00:32:13,348 --> 00:32:16,244
If the Olmec leaders
599
00:32:16,268 --> 00:32:18,746
were using the power
of magnetism
600
00:32:18,770 --> 00:32:20,790
for some type of healing,
601
00:32:20,814 --> 00:32:24,377
it may have had
the opposite affect.
602
00:32:24,401 --> 00:32:27,839
Magnetic fields can be
healing or harmful.
603
00:32:27,863 --> 00:32:30,842
In some cases,
people who have been exposed
604
00:32:30,866 --> 00:32:32,802
to very strong magnetic fields
605
00:32:32,826 --> 00:32:36,013
have lapsed into comas,
had seizures.
606
00:32:36,037 --> 00:32:39,016
Some people have even died
after being exposed
607
00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:40,768
to very strong magnetic fields.
608
00:32:40,792 --> 00:32:42,770
So, could the presence
609
00:32:42,794 --> 00:32:45,773
of magnetism in the art objects
610
00:32:45,797 --> 00:32:48,192
that were fashioned
by the Olmecs
611
00:32:48,216 --> 00:32:50,194
have had something to do
612
00:32:50,218 --> 00:32:53,781
with why
they deliberately buried many
613
00:32:53,805 --> 00:32:57,618
of their statues and figurines?
614
00:32:57,642 --> 00:33:01,205
We do not have
any definitive answers.
615
00:33:01,229 --> 00:33:03,457
But what we do know is
616
00:33:03,481 --> 00:33:07,503
that the Olmec culture
dissolved.
617
00:33:07,527 --> 00:33:10,739
It disappeared
almost into oblivion.
618
00:33:14,326 --> 00:33:17,013
Did the Olmecs meddle
with magnetic powers
619
00:33:17,037 --> 00:33:20,183
that were simply
beyond their ability to control?
620
00:33:20,207 --> 00:33:22,018
Recent findings suggest
621
00:33:22,042 --> 00:33:25,688
such a fantastic notion
is entirely possible.
622
00:33:25,712 --> 00:33:27,815
Theirs is a cautionary tale
623
00:33:27,839 --> 00:33:32,361
of technology run amok,
and, just like our next example,
624
00:33:32,385 --> 00:33:36,032
the consequence
of trying to harness a power
625
00:33:36,056 --> 00:33:38,975
far too deadly to be contained.
626
00:33:46,524 --> 00:33:47,919
Located more than 2,000 miles
627
00:33:47,943 --> 00:33:49,754
west of South America,
628
00:33:49,778 --> 00:33:54,091
it is one of the most remote and
desolate islands in the world.
629
00:33:54,115 --> 00:33:58,095
It is also the home
of nearly 1,000 moai,
630
00:33:58,119 --> 00:34:01,265
a collection of giant
megalithic stone sentinels
631
00:34:01,289 --> 00:34:04,101
whose purpose remains
as mysterious
632
00:34:04,125 --> 00:34:06,544
as the lost civilization
that carved them.
633
00:34:09,965 --> 00:34:12,693
Located in what is now Cambodia,
634
00:34:12,717 --> 00:34:17,031
this enormous, 402‐acre
temple complex was once part
635
00:34:17,055 --> 00:34:22,203
of the thriving city of Angkor,
the capital of the Khmer Empire.
636
00:34:22,227 --> 00:34:24,372
Although most historians agree
637
00:34:24,396 --> 00:34:26,624
that the Khmer people
were most likely vanquished
638
00:34:26,648 --> 00:34:30,378
by a series of devastating wars,
the real reason
639
00:34:30,402 --> 00:34:34,072
for their complete disappearance
is unknown.
640
00:34:36,783 --> 00:34:38,719
Located on an island
641
00:34:38,743 --> 00:34:41,806
in what is now Dare County,
North Carolina.
642
00:34:41,830 --> 00:34:45,726
This English colony was
originally conceived in 1585
643
00:34:45,750 --> 00:34:50,106
as part of Sir Walter Raleigh's
plan to settle North America.
644
00:34:50,130 --> 00:34:52,858
When English explorers returned
645
00:34:52,882 --> 00:34:55,486
to check in on the colony
in 1590,
646
00:34:55,510 --> 00:35:00,324
they found that its estimated
121 inhabitants
647
00:35:00,348 --> 00:35:03,411
had vanished.
648
00:35:03,435 --> 00:35:06,998
The only clue they left behind
was the word "Croatoan,"
649
00:35:07,022 --> 00:35:09,107
mysteriously carved into a tree.
650
00:35:11,109 --> 00:35:13,254
All of these, and more,
651
00:35:13,278 --> 00:35:16,948
are examples of civilizations
that simply vanished.
652
00:35:18,033 --> 00:35:19,760
But why?
653
00:35:19,784 --> 00:35:22,763
And how?
654
00:35:22,787 --> 00:35:24,807
Perhaps the answer can be found
655
00:35:24,831 --> 00:35:27,393
by examining
a more recent cataclysm,
656
00:35:27,417 --> 00:35:32,047
one that forced an entire city
to be abandoned.
657
00:35:40,805 --> 00:35:43,451
A magnitude
nine point earthquake
658
00:35:43,475 --> 00:35:46,245
triggers a devastating tsunami
659
00:35:46,269 --> 00:35:49,373
along the country's
eastern shore.
660
00:35:49,397 --> 00:35:52,585
Giant waves up to 50 feet tall
661
00:35:52,609 --> 00:35:54,629
are sent crashing
into the coast,
662
00:35:54,653 --> 00:35:57,298
killing almost 16,000 people
663
00:35:57,322 --> 00:35:59,634
and destroying hundreds
of buildings,
664
00:35:59,658 --> 00:36:03,763
including the Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Power Plant.
665
00:36:03,787 --> 00:36:06,349
As seawater pours
into the plant,
666
00:36:06,373 --> 00:36:08,017
it triggers a chain reaction
667
00:36:08,041 --> 00:36:11,979
that leads to
three nuclear meltdowns,
668
00:36:12,003 --> 00:36:14,065
multiple hydrogen explosions,
669
00:36:14,089 --> 00:36:16,651
and a massive flood
of radioactive contamination
670
00:36:16,675 --> 00:36:18,176
into the surrounding area.
671
00:36:20,136 --> 00:36:23,598
200,000 people
are immediately evacuated.
672
00:36:26,518 --> 00:36:31,415
In less than 48 hours,
this once‐thriving city
673
00:36:31,439 --> 00:36:34,168
becomes a ghost town.
674
00:36:34,192 --> 00:36:35,628
An entire city
675
00:36:35,652 --> 00:36:37,046
was abandoned
676
00:36:37,070 --> 00:36:39,006
in the middle
of the Fukushima crisis.
677
00:36:39,030 --> 00:36:40,508
Something like from
678
00:36:40,532 --> 00:36:43,177
a post‐apocalyptic
science fiction movie.
679
00:36:43,201 --> 00:36:46,889
Food still
on the shelf in stores.
680
00:36:46,913 --> 00:36:48,849
People literally did not go down
681
00:36:48,873 --> 00:36:50,851
into the house
to grab their coats.
682
00:36:50,875 --> 00:36:52,853
They just got theirselves
683
00:36:52,877 --> 00:36:55,690
and their family into the car
and drove
684
00:36:55,714 --> 00:36:57,692
because of the danger
of radiation leakage.
685
00:36:57,716 --> 00:36:59,735
The Japanese didn't
686
00:36:59,759 --> 00:37:01,862
prepare adequately for tsunamis
687
00:37:01,886 --> 00:37:03,948
because this was just
an unforeseen consequence
688
00:37:03,972 --> 00:37:06,784
of a catastrophically large
earthquake.
689
00:37:06,808 --> 00:37:09,286
The earthquake that caused
the tsunami was one
690
00:37:09,310 --> 00:37:11,789
of the‐the nastiest earthquakes
ever recorded.
691
00:37:11,813 --> 00:37:13,874
Nobody had envisioned this level
692
00:37:13,898 --> 00:37:17,086
of catastrophe happening
all at once.
693
00:37:17,110 --> 00:37:19,880
We know that no
one will ever go and live there again.
694
00:37:19,904 --> 00:37:21,674
This place is gonna have to be
vacant for years
695
00:37:21,698 --> 00:37:23,300
because it's radioactive.
696
00:37:23,324 --> 00:37:26,595
We tend to think
that just because we live in a world
697
00:37:26,619 --> 00:37:29,140
with advanced technology,
modern medicine,
698
00:37:29,164 --> 00:37:32,560
and the ability to fly around
the world in a single day,
699
00:37:32,584 --> 00:37:35,712
that our civilization is safe
from extinction.
700
00:37:36,963 --> 00:37:38,858
But disasters,
701
00:37:38,882 --> 00:37:44,071
like the one at Fukushima,
prove that is not the case.
702
00:37:44,095 --> 00:37:49,452
I look at an event like
Fukushima and see a pattern:
703
00:37:49,476 --> 00:37:52,204
That we are not that different
704
00:37:52,228 --> 00:37:54,832
than the people
that lived in the past.
705
00:37:54,856 --> 00:38:00,129
We have, as civilizations, again
and again created technologies,
706
00:38:00,153 --> 00:38:04,783
and forgotten the power
of nature.
707
00:38:05,992 --> 00:38:10,306
Civilizations disappear rapidly.
708
00:38:10,330 --> 00:38:14,143
So we have to ask ourselves
whether, in past ages,
709
00:38:14,167 --> 00:38:17,688
natural catastrophes
can have combined
710
00:38:17,712 --> 00:38:21,692
with the presence
of human civilizations
711
00:38:21,716 --> 00:38:26,697
to create cataclysms
that completely obliterated
712
00:38:26,721 --> 00:38:29,450
entire civilizations.
713
00:38:29,474 --> 00:38:32,620
Whether by natural catastrophe
714
00:38:32,644 --> 00:38:36,540
or by war, famine or disease,
715
00:38:36,564 --> 00:38:38,876
all civilizations, even our own,
716
00:38:38,900 --> 00:38:41,128
are destined
not to last forever.
717
00:38:41,152 --> 00:38:45,299
But is there any way to stop
the inevitable from happening,
718
00:38:45,323 --> 00:38:47,927
or are we really doomed
719
00:38:47,951 --> 00:38:50,829
to repeat the mistakes
of the past?
720
00:39:01,005 --> 00:39:04,610
A panel of experts from
the Future of Humanity Institute
721
00:39:04,634 --> 00:39:07,154
publish the results
of a survey regarding
722
00:39:07,178 --> 00:39:09,532
the global catastrophic risks
723
00:39:09,556 --> 00:39:12,827
that humanity will face
in the 21st century.
724
00:39:12,851 --> 00:39:16,330
The results of the questionnaire
are both surprising
725
00:39:16,354 --> 00:39:18,165
and concerning,
726
00:39:18,189 --> 00:39:23,003
because the experts agree that
there is a one‐in‐five chance
727
00:39:23,027 --> 00:39:27,532
of human extinction
before the year 2100.
728
00:39:32,787 --> 00:39:34,932
At the 2008 Oxford conference,
729
00:39:34,956 --> 00:39:37,601
participants considered
nanotechnology,
730
00:39:37,625 --> 00:39:40,604
artificial intelligence and war
to be the three categories
731
00:39:40,628 --> 00:39:42,839
that were most likely to
bring about such an event.
732
00:39:44,632 --> 00:39:48,279
Personally, the one
that keeps me awake at night
733
00:39:48,303 --> 00:39:52,199
is the unbridled development
of artificial intelligence.
734
00:39:52,223 --> 00:39:55,202
It's partially because of
the weaponization
735
00:39:55,226 --> 00:39:57,788
of artificial intelligence,
736
00:39:57,812 --> 00:40:01,542
and what I like to refer to as
the dark triad of offensive,
737
00:40:01,566 --> 00:40:03,627
lethal, autonomous machines.
738
00:40:03,651 --> 00:40:07,089
The possibility
of programming errors
739
00:40:07,113 --> 00:40:09,758
or of users deliberately
inflicting these
740
00:40:09,782 --> 00:40:12,303
upon enemy populations is
741
00:40:12,327 --> 00:40:14,722
the type of thing
that makes me nervous.
742
00:40:14,746 --> 00:40:16,640
The development
of artificial intelligence
743
00:40:16,664 --> 00:40:19,143
is supposed to make lives
a lot easier,
744
00:40:19,167 --> 00:40:20,811
but in practice might represent
745
00:40:20,835 --> 00:40:22,771
the biggest existential threat
of all.
746
00:40:22,795 --> 00:40:26,025
When we see a civilization
that effectively disappears
747
00:40:26,049 --> 00:40:29,236
without a record of
precisely why they left,
748
00:40:29,260 --> 00:40:31,030
the answer is often rooted
in the development
749
00:40:31,054 --> 00:40:32,489
of advanced technology,
750
00:40:32,513 --> 00:40:36,660
because advanced technology
enables a larger population
751
00:40:36,684 --> 00:40:38,412
to live in a smaller area.
752
00:40:38,436 --> 00:40:42,958
But if something happens
to the resources themselves,
753
00:40:42,982 --> 00:40:44,585
then you don't have the capacity
754
00:40:44,609 --> 00:40:46,670
to support
the population anymore.
755
00:40:46,694 --> 00:40:49,256
When I look at an episode like
756
00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:52,676
Rome making an incredible
drainage system
757
00:40:52,700 --> 00:40:55,971
out of lead pipes,
and then everyone goes nuts‐‐.
758
00:40:55,995 --> 00:41:00,267
Is it all that different
than human society
759
00:41:00,291 --> 00:41:03,729
building up technology
to the point where we forget
760
00:41:03,753 --> 00:41:06,941
that we're really
just part of an ecosystem
761
00:41:06,965 --> 00:41:10,027
that's much more powerful than
us no matter what we build?
762
00:41:10,051 --> 00:41:12,821
We have a tendency
to assume that we can always
763
00:41:12,845 --> 00:41:16,200
innovate our way out of
the crisis of the moment.
764
00:41:16,224 --> 00:41:18,535
There's also no guarantee
that technology will save
765
00:41:18,559 --> 00:41:22,146
a civilization when it's faced
with an existential threat.
766
00:41:25,692 --> 00:41:27,503
Will we live to see the day
767
00:41:27,527 --> 00:41:30,506
when our own civilization
comes to an end?
768
00:41:30,530 --> 00:41:33,676
Given how advanced we've become,
it seems unlikely
769
00:41:33,700 --> 00:41:36,303
that all of
our current technology‐‐
770
00:41:36,327 --> 00:41:39,139
our cities, architecture,
culture‐‐
771
00:41:39,163 --> 00:41:42,142
could ever be reduced to
a giant pile of rocks
772
00:41:42,166 --> 00:41:44,144
and a few carvings,
but then again,
773
00:41:44,168 --> 00:41:48,315
maybe it's our naive belief
that it can't happen to us
774
00:41:48,339 --> 00:41:51,402
that makes our demise
inevitable.
775
00:41:51,426 --> 00:41:54,154
So is there any way
we can prevent it?
776
00:41:54,178 --> 00:41:58,575
Perhaps the answer will be
one more that for now remains
777
00:41:58,599 --> 00:42:00,703
unexplained.
778
00:42:00,727 --> 00:42:03,354
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