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NARRATOR: In the jungles
of Central America,
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the Maya people thrived
for more than 2,000 years.
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The Mayans were very,
very sophisticated.
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They built huge pyramid cities.
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They created the only writing
system in all of the Americas.
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NARRATOR: The Maya possessed
knowledge that defies explanation.
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How did they understand
the long, vast orbits
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of the Earth through
the Milky Way galaxy?
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NARRATOR:
And new evidence has revealed
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a civilization
more extraordinary
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and more ancient
than we ever imagined.
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We have discovered a lost
chapter of human history.
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NARRATOR: But could the
Maya's greatest secret
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involve contact with visitors
from beyond Earth?
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WILLIAM HENRY: The early Maya
themselves said we were taught by
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extraterrestrial beings.
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NARRATOR:
There is a doorway
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in the universe.
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Beyond it is
the promise of truth.
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It demands
we question everything
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we have ever been taught.
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The evidence is all around us.
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The future is
right before our eyes.
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We are not alone.
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We have never been alone.
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Throughout Central America
stand the ruins of the Maya,
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considered by many to be
the greatest civilization
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in the history of the Americas.
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While archaeologists
and historians have been
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studying this ancient culture
for over four centuries,
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there are still many questions
left to answer
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since much of the Maya's history
is still hidden
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within the jungles
of Mexico and Guatemala.
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The roots of the Maya
are very obscure,
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but traditional
Maya scholarship says
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that historically you have
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the more primitive
pre-Classical Maya
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and then you've got
the Classical Maya,
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who are more advanced.
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NARRATOR: For centuries,
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scholars considered the height
of the Maya civilization
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to be during the Classic era,
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between roughly 250 and 900 AD.
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Before this was
the pre-Classic era,
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that began around 2,000 BC
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and was believed to be
made up of nomadic people
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who lived in simple dwellings.
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There was a thinking
that the Classic period
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was really where they
started building cities.
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But then in the '60s and '70s,
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as we got deeper
into the jungle,
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we realized
there were older cities
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that were as big, and
in some cases, bigger
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than the Classic ones.
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NARRATOR:
Today, archaeologists believe
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that the Maya built cities
throughout Central America
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and thrived as a civilization
for more than 2,000 years.
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They were responsible
for some of the most impressive
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architecture in the entire
North American continent,
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and this is just one of
their many accomplishments.
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The Maya really stand out
among ancient civilizations
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in terms of their achievements.
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They created
the only writing system
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we know in all of the Americas.
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And through that writing system,
they were able to conduct
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very scientific investigations,
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and they became masters
of mathematics and astronomy.
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The Maya were arguably
the ancient world's
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best astronomers,
even excelling the Greeks.
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Many of the Maya sites
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all through the Yucatan,
Guatemala, Belize,
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and throughout Mexico are
kind of astronomically aligned.
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Now, they even have
observatories
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as parts of the site,
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the most famous being,
really, at Palenque
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and at Chich�n Itza,
for instance,
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where they have literally places
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where they would
observe the stars.
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NARRATOR: Why the Maya
were so preoccupied
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with tracking the stars
remains a mystery.
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But scholars agree
that they possessed
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a remarkably advanced
understanding of astronomy,
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which is perhaps most evident
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within their
highly sophisticated
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and complex calendar system.
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Librarian Ernst F�rstemann
uses his extensive knowledge
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of mathematics to decipher
the dots and symbols
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of a 12th-century Maya text
known as the Dresden Codex.
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In doing so,
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he unlocks the secrets
of the Maya calendar.
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The Maya have
what's widely understood
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as the most sophisticated
ancient calendar ever made.
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It involves
so many different cycles.
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It's so sophisticated, in fact,
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that early scholars thought
that the Maya were,
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as they called,
esoteric time worshipers.
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The Maya are very interested
in the cycles of life.
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So a lot of their calendars
were created
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to track those cycles and look
for harmonies between cycles
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to better harmonize themselves
with the natural world.
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ANDREW COLLINS: The long
count calendar of the Maya
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lasted for 5,125 years.
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It was backdated to have begun
in 3114 BC,
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which meant
that it actually ended
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on December 21, 2012.
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And many of us will remember
how it was believed
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that there was gonna be
a time of great transformation,
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possibly the end of the world.
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NARRATOR:
In 2012,
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over a thousand years
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after the fall
of the Maya civilization,
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their calendar became known
to people all around the world.
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Many believed that the
final date on the calendar
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was intended to mark
an apocalyptic event.
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BARNHART: The idea that the Maya predicted
the end of the world was really
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just a Western misunderstanding
of how their calendar works
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and what they were using
their calendar for.
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Westerners see time as a line,
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it goes back into the past
and forward into the future,
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and we're the point
in the middle.
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The Maya saw time
as a cycle that kept going
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like the hands of a clock.
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When it hit 12,
it didn't just explode,
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it just went back
around for another loop.
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So Maya calendar systems
were set up
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to be never-ending cycles.
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NARRATOR: While the Maya were
exceptional at tracking time
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and observing the heavens,
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archaeologists were astounded
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when they discovered
that this ancient culture
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was tracking what is known
in astronomy as precession.
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Precession is the wobbling
of the Earth on its axis
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which changes the location of
constellations in the night sky.
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It's actually a huge cycle
that lasts 26,000 years.
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And the Maya,
without a shadow of a doubt,
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were calculating precession.
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They were able to say,
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back in the distant past,
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this planet would've been
in that constellation.
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NARRATOR:
Scholars remain mystified
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as to how the Maya came to have
such an advanced understanding
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of astronomy, mathematics
and timekeeping,
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and answers have been
difficult to come by,
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since a large portion of
the Maya's writing and artifacts
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have been lost or destroyed
over the centuries.
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There was a big cultural shift
between about 900 and 1200 AD,
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and one of
the prevailing theories
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about the end of
Maya civilization was that
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basically they taxed
their resources,
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that they created
an unstable landscape
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that then lent itself
to landslides, to fires,
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to floods,
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and that can lead
to societal collapse.
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NARRATOR: In the 16 century,
Spanish conquistadors arrived
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in the Maya cities of
the Yucat�n Peninsula.
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They found the sites sparsely
populated or even abandoned,
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with many structures
already in ruins.
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And while Spanish colonizers
were the first Europeans
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to record their accounts
of the Maya culture,
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they were also responsible
for destroying
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much of the Maya's own history.
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When the Spanish showed up,
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they wanted to convert
them to Christianity.
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Step one in that process
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is dividing them from their
traditional wisdoms.
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And those were
written in the books.
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So, the Spanish
on purpose burned
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every document they could find.
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They destroyed
as much as they could.
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Today we have
four surviving books that
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at least scholarship has been
able to study and know about.
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There are probably more,
almost certainly,
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hiding in the mountains
in Guatemala.
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And the Maya, for good reason,
hide them.
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NARRATOR:
Have the secrets of the Maya
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and how they built
such an advanced civilization
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more than a thousand years ago
been lost forever?
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Ancient astronaut theorists
suggest
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there are still answers
to be found
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in the Maya texts
that have survived,
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and their accounts
of powerful beings
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who came down from the sky.
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NARRATOR: The Getty Museum
opens an exhibition
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displaying the oldest book
ever discovered in the Americas,
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called the Maya Codex of Mexico.
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Like other Maya codices,
the roughly 900-year-old text
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consists of illustrations
and hieroglyphs
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written on tree bark pages
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that were bound together
like a book.
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DAVID CHILDRESS: The Mayans had hundreds,
thousands of codexes that were
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describing the Mayan history
and the gods
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and everything that
they wanted to write down.
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And four Mayan codices
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are known to exist
and to have survived.
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NARRATOR: In addition
to these manuscripts,
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archaeologists have found
Maya hieroglyphs
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carved on temples that
date to as early as
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the third century BC.
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But since the great majority
of the Maya codices
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00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,040
have been lost or destroyed,
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scholars have only recently
begun to decipher
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the ancient writing system.
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It's been a long process to
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translate Maya hieroglyphs,
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and we're not done.
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00:11:49,540 --> 00:11:51,290
Experts estimate we've got
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maybe 80% of it translated,
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and there are still
glyphs that elude us.
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DAVID CHEETHAM: About 70 years
ago, Maya archaeologists
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started to unravel
the Maya hieroglyphic world,
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and by the '70s, the '80s,
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more and more of the language
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00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:11,410
was understood in terms of
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00:12:11,620 --> 00:12:13,080
its interface with the glyphs.
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NARRATOR: As scholars slowly learned
how to read Maya hieroglyphs,
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they discovered
the codices contain
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00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,500
richly illustrated
astronomical charts,
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divination tables
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and instructions for
religious ceremonies.
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00:12:27,870 --> 00:12:30,830
But the most important story
found in the codices
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is a historical record
known as the Popol Vuh.
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00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:38,330
Their creation story
is called Popol Vuh.
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00:12:38,540 --> 00:12:42,660
And its opening chapters
outlined that the gods,
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which they call the
makers and modelers,
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set up the world.
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00:12:46,910 --> 00:12:49,660
But the story
really centers around
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two boys, a pair of twins
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they call the Hero Twins,
Hunahpu and Balanque.
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And they battle with
the lords of death,
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00:12:58,950 --> 00:13:01,580
and they make the world safe
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for creation, us, to occur.
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NARRATOR: According to the
story, after the Hero Twins
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have prepared the Earth
for humanity,
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they are followed by
a larger pantheon of gods.
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TSOUKALOS: Their beginning of creation,
and they have a date for it,
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is the 11th of August,
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3114 BC.
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The Popol Vuh says
that on that day,
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00:13:29,250 --> 00:13:33,250
the road of the stars
descended from the sky,
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00:13:33,410 --> 00:13:36,000
and the gods, 13 of them,
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00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,950
descended from the
heavens down to Earth
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and imparted knowledge
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to the local population.
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00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:46,450
NARRATOR: While researchers
have documented more than
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00:13:46,580 --> 00:13:48,500
250 Maya gods,
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00:13:48,660 --> 00:13:51,660
this original pantheon
of 13 beings
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taught the ancient Maya
agriculture, mathematics
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and astronomy.
249
00:13:57,870 --> 00:14:00,450
The most prominent of
all the Maya gods
250
00:14:00,580 --> 00:14:02,450
described in the Popol Vuh
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00:14:02,620 --> 00:14:05,330
is the flying serpent Kukulkan.
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00:14:05,500 --> 00:14:07,950
Lofty thinking and knowledge
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00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,660
was a gift from Kukulkan,
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00:14:10,870 --> 00:14:13,160
who gave them sophistication,
255
00:14:13,330 --> 00:14:16,910
the art of speech,
also mathematics.
256
00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:19,540
Kukulkan was the second deity
257
00:14:19,700 --> 00:14:22,870
in the Maya pantheon.
258
00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:27,700
And the name means
both "wind" and "giver."
259
00:14:27,830 --> 00:14:29,660
You find Kukulkan connected with
260
00:14:29,790 --> 00:14:31,700
a lot of the happenings
in the sky,
261
00:14:31,870 --> 00:14:33,620
whether it's, you know,
thunder, lightning,
262
00:14:33,750 --> 00:14:35,620
storms, rain.
263
00:14:35,700 --> 00:14:39,040
And his appearance
was as a serpent,
264
00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,660
which is a very common
265
00:14:41,830 --> 00:14:43,660
symbol for wisdom.
266
00:14:43,870 --> 00:14:48,160
NARRATOR: What ancient astronaut
theorists find particularly intriguing
267
00:14:48,330 --> 00:14:50,950
about Kukulkan is that this god
268
00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,910
is not always depicted
as a flying serpent,
269
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,250
but is sometimes shown
as a humanoid face
270
00:14:57,450 --> 00:14:59,120
emerging from
the serpent's mouth.
271
00:14:59,290 --> 00:15:01,620
HENRY: In Mayan iconography,
272
00:15:01,790 --> 00:15:04,450
Kukulkan is shown as
a serpentine being
273
00:15:04,620 --> 00:15:07,790
with a humanoid head
that flies through the sky.
274
00:15:07,950 --> 00:15:10,580
And it makes you wonder
what is going on here?
275
00:15:10,700 --> 00:15:12,080
It's very possible that
276
00:15:12,290 --> 00:15:14,910
it's some sort of a craft
that is interpreted
277
00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:16,660
as a feathered serpent
278
00:15:16,790 --> 00:15:18,830
and a god being
emerges from that craft
279
00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,370
and is a culture bearer.
280
00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:26,330
TSOUKALOS: Kukulkan looks like a
snake shooting across the sky.
281
00:15:26,500 --> 00:15:28,500
If you look at
a modern-day plane,
282
00:15:28,660 --> 00:15:32,120
that looks like a flying snake
if you don't have
283
00:15:32,290 --> 00:15:34,370
the vocabulary
with which to describe
284
00:15:34,580 --> 00:15:36,830
the fuselage and the wings,
for example.
285
00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,910
So, of course, we have
stories of flying snakes
286
00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,370
because those were
the best terms
287
00:15:43,540 --> 00:15:46,580
with which to describe
what they witnessed.
288
00:15:47,830 --> 00:15:49,500
NARRATOR: Is it
possible that the gods
289
00:15:49,660 --> 00:15:52,830
described in the Maya writings
were otherworldly visitors
290
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,330
witnessed by their
earliest ancestors,
291
00:15:55,540 --> 00:15:58,160
as ancient astronaut
theorists suggest?
292
00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:01,910
The first known Maya codices
293
00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:03,160
containing the Popol Vuh
294
00:16:03,330 --> 00:16:06,830
date to the 16th century AD.
295
00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,790
But archaeologists have
clearly identified figures
296
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,830
from the Popol Vuh
featured on Maya temples
297
00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:15,000
that are hundreds
of years older,
298
00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,580
and ancient astronaut
theorists suggest
299
00:16:17,750 --> 00:16:21,790
they provide further evidence of
an extraterrestrial influence.
300
00:16:21,950 --> 00:16:24,330
Like the carvings found at
301
00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:27,250
the ruins of Quirigua
in Guatemala.
302
00:16:27,450 --> 00:16:29,700
TSOUKALOS: What's
interesting is that
303
00:16:29,870 --> 00:16:32,000
often repeated motif
304
00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,700
of what seems to be
people in helmets.
305
00:16:36,870 --> 00:16:39,160
In Quirigua, Guatemala,
306
00:16:39,330 --> 00:16:42,450
there is this helmeted person
307
00:16:42,620 --> 00:16:45,950
sitting in what seems
very reminiscent of
308
00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:48,790
something technological
in nature,
309
00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,700
what looks to be some
type of a spacecraft.
310
00:16:52,870 --> 00:16:56,330
NARRATOR: Perhaps the most
extraordinary Maya depiction
311
00:16:56,540 --> 00:16:59,000
of a being that descended
from the heavens
312
00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,120
can be found on a pyramid
313
00:17:01,250 --> 00:17:03,500
in the ancient city
of Chich�n Itza.
314
00:17:04,580 --> 00:17:08,410
ERICH VON D�NIKEN: The Maya said the
guardians of the sky descended.
315
00:17:08,580 --> 00:17:10,330
And they showed it
in their temples.
316
00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:12,660
For example, the temple
of Chich�n Itza,
317
00:17:12,790 --> 00:17:15,330
every year on March 21st,
318
00:17:15,540 --> 00:17:18,330
you can see the descending
of god Kukulkan,
319
00:17:18,500 --> 00:17:20,370
the feathered serpent
coming down.
320
00:17:20,540 --> 00:17:21,910
The sun goes up,
321
00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:23,830
and because of the
astronomical orientation,
322
00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:25,330
because of the steps,
323
00:17:25,450 --> 00:17:28,620
you see a triangle shadow
going down the step,
324
00:17:28,830 --> 00:17:31,830
the step exactly in the
center of the pyramid.
325
00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,200
CHILDRESS: These
discoveries support
326
00:17:34,370 --> 00:17:38,410
the Mayan legends of
how the god Itzamna
327
00:17:38,580 --> 00:17:41,500
came down and, and gave
knowledge of writing and books,
328
00:17:41,700 --> 00:17:45,120
while the feathered serpent
Kukulkan came
329
00:17:45,250 --> 00:17:49,370
and he gave them knowledge
of astronomy and agriculture.
330
00:17:49,540 --> 00:17:52,450
It would seem that the
core Mayan knowledge
331
00:17:52,620 --> 00:17:54,080
came from these gods
332
00:17:54,290 --> 00:17:56,500
who were probably
extraterrestrials.
333
00:17:57,540 --> 00:17:59,830
NARRATOR: Could it be that
stories of the Popol Vuh
334
00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,370
aren't fictional mythology,
335
00:18:01,540 --> 00:18:04,910
but are, in fact,
recorded history of
336
00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:07,080
ancient Maya interaction
337
00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:09,370
with beings who descended
from the sky?
338
00:18:09,540 --> 00:18:12,700
Perhaps further clues
can be found by
339
00:18:12,910 --> 00:18:15,120
examining a Maya city
in Honduras
340
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:16,870
that was literally built
341
00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,750
to reflect the cosmos.
342
00:18:27,950 --> 00:18:29,200
NARRATOR: This ancient site,
343
00:18:29,410 --> 00:18:31,330
located deep in the jungle,
344
00:18:31,540 --> 00:18:34,200
served as one of the most
important city centers
345
00:18:34,410 --> 00:18:36,160
of the Maya civilization.
346
00:18:36,290 --> 00:18:40,160
At the peak of its power
in the seventh century AD,
347
00:18:40,370 --> 00:18:43,540
the kingdom of Copan had
a population of at least
348
00:18:43,700 --> 00:18:46,660
20,000 people
and covered an area
349
00:18:46,870 --> 00:18:49,500
of over 100 square miles.
350
00:18:51,540 --> 00:18:53,700
Copan is a Classic Maya city
351
00:18:53,910 --> 00:18:58,290
that sits at the far eastern
edge of the Maya world.
352
00:18:58,450 --> 00:19:01,250
Most of the Maya world
is built out of limestone,
353
00:19:01,370 --> 00:19:03,370
and a lot of those
limestone monuments
354
00:19:03,540 --> 00:19:05,120
have now melted.
355
00:19:05,250 --> 00:19:09,450
But Copan's sculpture,
because it's in volcanic tuff,
356
00:19:09,660 --> 00:19:11,080
is beautiful.
357
00:19:11,250 --> 00:19:15,160
It's deep relief
and still very visible.
358
00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:20,250
DAVID SEDAT: The city of Copan is
probably one of the longest known
359
00:19:20,370 --> 00:19:25,410
and most investigated
Maya city today.
360
00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,250
These fantastic carved
stones of Copan
361
00:19:30,410 --> 00:19:35,330
evoke the imagination
and the mystery of this place.
362
00:19:35,500 --> 00:19:39,620
It was called the Athens
of the Maya world.
363
00:19:40,660 --> 00:19:44,160
NARRATOR: Among the most remarkable
carvings discovered at Copan
364
00:19:44,370 --> 00:19:47,410
are the 15 stone statues
known as "stelae"
365
00:19:47,620 --> 00:19:51,660
that connect the city's
ancient rulers with the gods.
366
00:19:51,870 --> 00:19:54,660
CHEETHAM: The most
fantastic part of Copan is
367
00:19:54,830 --> 00:19:59,200
the carved monuments
which are carved in the round.
368
00:19:59,410 --> 00:20:01,830
They're not what
we call plano-convex
369
00:20:01,910 --> 00:20:03,700
like a slab with a, you know,
370
00:20:03,830 --> 00:20:05,290
a low-relief carving.
371
00:20:05,450 --> 00:20:07,790
These are carved in a sort
of Michelangelo way
372
00:20:07,950 --> 00:20:11,450
in the round, and they're
absolutely fantastic.
373
00:20:13,540 --> 00:20:16,160
NARRATOR: The most
well-known of Copan's stelae
374
00:20:16,330 --> 00:20:18,500
were built during
the 36-year reign
375
00:20:18,700 --> 00:20:21,410
of the ruler Waxaklajuun
Ub'aah K'awiil,
376
00:20:21,580 --> 00:20:24,580
better known by the
nickname "18 Rabbit."
377
00:20:24,750 --> 00:20:26,910
SEDAT: On one of the
stelae of Copan,
378
00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,500
18 Rabbit portrayed himself
379
00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:32,540
as the foremost
patron god of Copan,
380
00:20:32,700 --> 00:20:36,540
the all-encompassing god
K'intay Ahau.
381
00:20:36,700 --> 00:20:38,160
And on the stelae,
382
00:20:38,370 --> 00:20:42,660
he basically gives a
dissertation on the cosmos.
383
00:20:42,870 --> 00:20:44,580
TSOUKALOS: For all
intents and purposes,
384
00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:48,660
18 Rabbit is depicted
like modern-day astronauts.
385
00:20:48,830 --> 00:20:52,500
You see tubes, you
see weird boxes,
386
00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:55,040
you see weird canisters
and tanks.
387
00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,290
You see boots.
388
00:20:57,450 --> 00:21:01,620
It's stuff that looks more
technological in origin.
389
00:21:01,830 --> 00:21:06,120
And what's fascinating is
that in Tikal, in Guatemala,
390
00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:08,660
one of the stelae
shows this being
391
00:21:08,870 --> 00:21:12,000
with a tube that comes
straight down in the front
392
00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:13,500
and then it goes to the left
393
00:21:13,700 --> 00:21:16,160
and it culminates in
some sort of a tank.
394
00:21:16,290 --> 00:21:20,000
It all looks very
technological in origin.
395
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,330
CHILDRESS: It would
seem that these gods
396
00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:24,000
of the ancient Maya
397
00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,700
were real physical beings,
398
00:21:26,870 --> 00:21:31,500
and interacting with the Mayans,
giving them knowledge,
399
00:21:31,580 --> 00:21:34,200
and were really
instrumental in creating
400
00:21:34,370 --> 00:21:37,700
this advanced culture
in Central America.
401
00:21:40,750 --> 00:21:43,750
NARRATOR: Do the incredible ruins
of Copan serve to commemorate
402
00:21:43,910 --> 00:21:48,290
the Maya's interactions
with extraterrestrials?
403
00:21:48,410 --> 00:21:51,950
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,
404
00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:54,620
the answer is a resounding yes.
405
00:21:54,750 --> 00:21:57,910
And they suggest further
evidence can be found
406
00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:02,080
by examining the artwork
at another famous Maya site
407
00:22:02,250 --> 00:22:05,330
400 miles to the northwest.
408
00:22:12,870 --> 00:22:15,500
Under a pyramid called
the Temple of Inscriptions
409
00:22:15,620 --> 00:22:17,500
at the ruins of Palenque,
410
00:22:17,700 --> 00:22:20,500
archaeologist Alberto
Ruz Lhuillier
411
00:22:20,700 --> 00:22:23,200
discovers a mysterious
underground stairway
412
00:22:23,370 --> 00:22:25,750
obstructed with large stones.
413
00:22:26,910 --> 00:22:29,290
Over the next three years,
414
00:22:29,450 --> 00:22:31,830
Ruz and his team carefully
clear the stairwell
415
00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,040
consisting of 71 steps.
416
00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,620
When the door at the base of
the stairwell is finally opened,
417
00:22:38,790 --> 00:22:42,660
they encounter room after room
of skeletons and artifacts.
418
00:22:42,830 --> 00:22:46,000
And in the final room,
they find the tomb
419
00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:49,660
of King K'inich Janaab' Pakal.
420
00:22:49,830 --> 00:22:53,660
One of the best-known
and famous Maya ahau
421
00:22:53,830 --> 00:22:55,370
or "royal lord,"
422
00:22:55,540 --> 00:22:59,370
was Pakal, who ruled
in the seventh century AD.
423
00:22:59,540 --> 00:23:03,160
And he ruled for 68 years
at this site,
424
00:23:03,370 --> 00:23:06,000
thus making him
the longest-lived ruler
425
00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,620
in the Americas that we know of.
426
00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:11,410
NARRATOR: While Pakal became
427
00:23:11,580 --> 00:23:14,410
a famous leader
during his lifetime,
428
00:23:14,580 --> 00:23:18,080
today he remains one of the most
well-known Maya kings
429
00:23:18,250 --> 00:23:21,950
because of the magnificence
of his tomb and sarcophagus.
430
00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:26,330
The tomb of Pakal is one
of the most amazing pieces
431
00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:29,000
of Maya art that
we've ever found.
432
00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:33,120
On the top of the lid is
a very elaborate carving
433
00:23:33,330 --> 00:23:36,370
that we believe is a
depiction of Pakal
434
00:23:36,540 --> 00:23:40,410
falling into the underworld
upon his death.
435
00:23:40,540 --> 00:23:44,290
NARRATOR: Although many
historians and archaeologists
436
00:23:44,410 --> 00:23:46,580
interpret the carving
on Pakal's lid
437
00:23:46,750 --> 00:23:49,330
as the king's descent
into the underworld,
438
00:23:49,540 --> 00:23:51,830
ancient astronaut theorists
suggest
439
00:23:51,950 --> 00:23:55,700
it depicts a very different
type of journey.
440
00:23:55,870 --> 00:23:59,000
The sarcophagus of Lord Pakal
forever will remain
441
00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,620
one of the smoking guns of the
ancient astronaut theory.
442
00:24:02,790 --> 00:24:05,660
He is in a reclining position.
443
00:24:05,830 --> 00:24:08,580
He has a breathing apparatus
attached to his nose.
444
00:24:08,750 --> 00:24:12,160
His hands are manipulating
some buttons.
445
00:24:12,370 --> 00:24:15,450
And his feet are on pedals.
446
00:24:15,620 --> 00:24:19,750
It looks as if Pakal
is lifting off into space
447
00:24:19,910 --> 00:24:23,120
inside some type
of a rocket vehicle.
448
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,410
NARRATOR: As far as ancient
astronaut theorists are concerned,
449
00:24:29,540 --> 00:24:32,660
the idea that King Pakal's
sarcophagus lid
450
00:24:32,870 --> 00:24:36,450
depicts a journey to space
is supported by Maya writing
451
00:24:36,620 --> 00:24:39,330
that surrounds
the iconic carving.
452
00:24:39,540 --> 00:24:41,000
TSOUKALOS: Those Maya glyphs say
453
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:45,500
that this is King Pakal's
journey to Xibalba.
454
00:24:45,660 --> 00:24:47,950
"Xibalba" means "underworld."
455
00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:52,410
Well, archaeologists,
about 15 years ago,
456
00:24:52,580 --> 00:24:56,540
revisited the term "Xibalba"
and concluded
457
00:24:56,700 --> 00:25:00,000
that, actually, "Xibalba"
can also be translated
458
00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,620
as "Milky Way."
459
00:25:02,790 --> 00:25:05,500
And all of a sudden,
this depiction makes sense
460
00:25:05,660 --> 00:25:09,000
because what we have here
is a representation
461
00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,910
of King Pakal on his journey
to the Milky Way.
462
00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:15,450
NARRATOR: Could it
be that the carving
463
00:25:15,620 --> 00:25:17,700
on King Pakal's sarcophagus
464
00:25:17,870 --> 00:25:20,910
depicts the cockpit
of a spacecraft?
465
00:25:22,660 --> 00:25:25,450
Do the artifacts of
Palenque and Copan
466
00:25:25,660 --> 00:25:29,330
support the notion that the Maya
did not just write stories
467
00:25:29,540 --> 00:25:32,160
about gods who came
down from the sky
468
00:25:32,370 --> 00:25:36,330
but had real encounters
with otherworldly visitors?
469
00:25:36,500 --> 00:25:39,830
Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes,
470
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,330
and suggest further
evidence can be found
471
00:25:43,500 --> 00:25:46,160
at the oldest Maya site
ever discovered.
472
00:25:46,370 --> 00:25:49,000
A site that, until
the 20th century,
473
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,410
had remained hidden in
the jungles of Guatemala
474
00:25:52,580 --> 00:25:55,830
for more than 1,000 years.
475
00:25:59,870 --> 00:26:02,080
NARRATOR: The Mirador Basin,
476
00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:05,790
northern Guatemala, 1978.
477
00:26:06,830 --> 00:26:08,790
A team of American
archaeologists
478
00:26:08,910 --> 00:26:12,540
launches a project to excavate
a mysterious ancient site
479
00:26:12,700 --> 00:26:16,000
that has been discovered
deep in the jungle.
480
00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:20,450
Called El Mirador, it features
two gigantic pyramids
481
00:26:20,580 --> 00:26:24,200
now known as El Tigre
and La Danta.
482
00:26:24,370 --> 00:26:28,450
BARNHART: The Mirador Basin
is very deep in the jungle.
483
00:26:28,620 --> 00:26:30,450
You can fly a plane over it,
484
00:26:30,540 --> 00:26:32,330
but you don't really
see anything.
485
00:26:32,410 --> 00:26:34,500
Everything is covered in trees.
486
00:26:34,700 --> 00:26:36,160
So, we assumed,
487
00:26:36,290 --> 00:26:37,620
if humans were ever in there,
488
00:26:37,830 --> 00:26:40,620
they weren't building
anything of substance.
489
00:26:40,830 --> 00:26:43,290
But as we got in on the
ground and we could see
490
00:26:43,410 --> 00:26:46,330
from the bottom of the trees
instead of on the top,
491
00:26:46,450 --> 00:26:48,160
we realized that a lot
of the things
492
00:26:48,290 --> 00:26:52,660
we mistaked for mountains
were actually gigantic pyramids.
493
00:26:53,830 --> 00:26:55,330
NARRATOR: Artwork
carved on the pyramids
494
00:26:55,540 --> 00:27:00,000
at El Mirador identified them
as belonging to the Maya.
495
00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:04,370
La Danta, the bigger of the two,
is larger in volume
496
00:27:04,540 --> 00:27:07,870
than the Great Pyramid
of Giza in Egypt.
497
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,580
CHEETHAM: La Danta,
it's not just a pyramid,
498
00:27:10,700 --> 00:27:12,620
it's a pyramid with
pyramids on top of it.
499
00:27:12,750 --> 00:27:14,910
I mean, this is a
massive structure
500
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:16,910
that's rivaling or even bigger
501
00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:21,160
than any other known
Maya temple complex.
502
00:27:23,950 --> 00:27:26,830
NARRATOR: Researchers for the
Mirador Archaeological Project,
503
00:27:26,950 --> 00:27:31,160
which ran from 1978 to 1983,
504
00:27:31,330 --> 00:27:32,700
were astonished to find
505
00:27:32,830 --> 00:27:34,540
such massive Maya structures
506
00:27:34,700 --> 00:27:36,870
in this remote jungle area.
507
00:27:38,790 --> 00:27:40,750
And it begged the question,
508
00:27:40,910 --> 00:27:44,660
could this be one of the oldest
Maya sites ever discovered,
509
00:27:44,790 --> 00:27:48,330
built at a time when the
environment was more hospitable?
510
00:27:50,370 --> 00:27:54,200
The answer would be provided
by archaeologist Richard Hansen,
511
00:27:54,330 --> 00:27:56,660
who was in charge
of the Tigre Complex
512
00:27:56,870 --> 00:27:59,620
in the western sector
of the site.
513
00:27:59,830 --> 00:28:02,160
TSOUKALOS: In March of 1979,
514
00:28:02,330 --> 00:28:05,290
Richard Hansen was excavating
a room within a structure
515
00:28:05,450 --> 00:28:07,700
called the Jaguar Paw Temple.
516
00:28:07,870 --> 00:28:10,000
At the time, these
structures were understood
517
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:13,660
to be from what they call
the Classic Maya period,
518
00:28:13,830 --> 00:28:17,790
which dates from about
250 AD to 900 AD.
519
00:28:17,910 --> 00:28:20,450
And that's because
archaeologists didn't think
520
00:28:20,620 --> 00:28:22,790
the Maya were capable
of building
521
00:28:22,950 --> 00:28:26,830
large structures like this
before that time.
522
00:28:27,950 --> 00:28:30,580
But Hansen came upon
ceramic artifacts
523
00:28:30,700 --> 00:28:33,410
that he immediately recognized
as Chicanel,
524
00:28:33,580 --> 00:28:38,370
which means that these are
artifacts from around 200 BC.
525
00:28:38,500 --> 00:28:40,410
And, of course, he was shocked.
526
00:28:40,540 --> 00:28:43,950
Richard Hansen himself said
that he suddenly realized
527
00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:48,200
the whole evolutionary model
for the Maya was wrong.
528
00:28:48,370 --> 00:28:51,370
And in that moment,
he was the only person
529
00:28:51,540 --> 00:28:53,790
in the world who knew it.
530
00:28:54,950 --> 00:28:56,660
NARRATOR: Since
Hansen's discovery,
531
00:28:56,830 --> 00:28:58,830
other scientific data
has revealed
532
00:28:58,950 --> 00:29:03,160
that El Mirador dates
to at least 600 BC,
533
00:29:03,370 --> 00:29:05,790
and could be even older.
534
00:29:05,950 --> 00:29:08,910
This is long before
the Classic Maya era,
535
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,000
which is the period when most
archaeologists had believed
536
00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,410
the Maya started building
monumental structures.
537
00:29:17,370 --> 00:29:22,000
The debate on how to
subdivide Maya history
538
00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:26,330
has actually gone on for as long
as we've been studying the Maya.
539
00:29:26,500 --> 00:29:29,330
But for decades,
540
00:29:29,540 --> 00:29:31,580
there was an understanding
541
00:29:31,750 --> 00:29:33,660
that, before the Classic period,
542
00:29:33,870 --> 00:29:35,830
they had more humble,
543
00:29:35,950 --> 00:29:38,120
village-style living.
544
00:29:38,290 --> 00:29:40,830
CHEETHAM: It's in the
last 50 years or so,
545
00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:44,000
including information
from places like El Mirador,
546
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,950
that we have, as archaeologists,
come to both understand
547
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,660
and appreciate the fact
that a great civilization
548
00:29:50,750 --> 00:29:53,000
actually predates
the Classic period.
549
00:29:55,250 --> 00:29:57,290
NARRATOR: For ancient
astronaut theorists,
550
00:29:57,410 --> 00:30:00,790
the discoveries at El Mirador
support the idea
551
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:04,290
that the Maya stories
of sky gods are, in fact,
552
00:30:04,450 --> 00:30:09,160
historical accounts of
extraterrestrial visitation.
553
00:30:09,330 --> 00:30:11,790
HENRY: The Maya said
that they were in contact
554
00:30:11,910 --> 00:30:14,040
with the gods and that they
were given this knowledge
555
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,950
directly by these
extraterrestrial beings.
556
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,040
And what we have discovered
is the pyramids
557
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:22,410
that were constructed,
likely, to honor
558
00:30:22,580 --> 00:30:24,500
these otherworldly beings.
559
00:30:27,750 --> 00:30:30,500
NARRATOR: In 2003, 24 years
560
00:30:30,620 --> 00:30:34,620
after his first incredible
discovery at El Mirador,
561
00:30:34,790 --> 00:30:38,040
Dr. Richard Hansen
got the opportunity
562
00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,330
to conduct a survey of a much
larger area of the basin
563
00:30:41,500 --> 00:30:47,160
using a sophisticated remote
sensing method called lidar.
564
00:30:47,250 --> 00:30:52,160
Lidar is a laser-imaging
detection and ranging device.
565
00:30:52,330 --> 00:30:55,950
It uses light in the same way
a radar uses radio
566
00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,040
for detection and ranging.
567
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,330
JUAN CARLOS FERNANDEZ-DIAZ:
A compact system can be flown
568
00:31:00,540 --> 00:31:01,870
on a small airplane.
569
00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:03,500
In four to five hours,
570
00:31:03,660 --> 00:31:06,500
we can map 200 square kilometers
571
00:31:06,620 --> 00:31:07,910
at really high resolution,
572
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:10,330
something that will take
years or decades
573
00:31:10,500 --> 00:31:14,000
for a ground crew to do
using traditional techniques.
574
00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,250
NARRATOR: Dr. Hansen
spent nearly two decades
575
00:31:17,410 --> 00:31:21,040
performing his lidar survey
and what he uncovered was
576
00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:24,750
that the pyramids of El Tigre
and La Danta provide
577
00:31:24,950 --> 00:31:26,250
only a small glimpse
578
00:31:26,370 --> 00:31:30,160
of what is hidden
in the Mirador jungle.
579
00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,660
NARRATOR: 19 years
into the vast lidar study
580
00:31:41,830 --> 00:31:44,620
of the Mirador Basin,
Dr. Richard Hansen
581
00:31:44,790 --> 00:31:48,580
and his archaeological team
announce their findings.
582
00:31:49,790 --> 00:31:52,500
Incredibly, lidar
surveys covering
583
00:31:52,700 --> 00:31:55,200
1.6 million acres of the jungle
584
00:31:55,370 --> 00:31:59,540
have revealed nearly 1,000
ancient Maya settlements
585
00:31:59,700 --> 00:32:01,660
including houses, palaces
586
00:32:01,870 --> 00:32:04,330
and colossal pyramids.
587
00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:06,500
And they are believed
to date back
588
00:32:06,700 --> 00:32:08,950
at least 3,000 years--
589
00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,040
long before the height
of the Maya civilization.
590
00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:15,870
CHEETHAM: These are some
of the largest buildings
591
00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:17,790
that were ever made by the Maya.
592
00:32:17,950 --> 00:32:19,580
Some of these buildings include
593
00:32:19,790 --> 00:32:21,660
things like ball courts,
594
00:32:21,790 --> 00:32:24,160
temple structures,
palace structures,
595
00:32:24,330 --> 00:32:27,830
residential compounds,
plaza groups.
596
00:32:27,950 --> 00:32:29,410
It boggles the mind.
597
00:32:30,540 --> 00:32:34,000
TAYLOR: What's amazing is
we've found what seems to be
598
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:36,000
an entire civilization
599
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,660
that's rival of the
Egyptian civilization
600
00:32:38,870 --> 00:32:40,330
that the Mayans had built
601
00:32:40,540 --> 00:32:41,580
a long time ago
602
00:32:41,700 --> 00:32:42,830
we never knew were there.
603
00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:44,160
There are pyramids there
604
00:32:44,290 --> 00:32:46,370
that rival the
pyramids in Egypt.
605
00:32:48,700 --> 00:32:52,950
NARRATOR: The results of the lidar
study established the pre-Classic Maya
606
00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:54,700
as being just as advanced
607
00:32:54,910 --> 00:32:56,750
as other great
early civilizations
608
00:32:56,910 --> 00:32:58,870
like the Egyptians
609
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,250
and the Greeks.
610
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,120
And archaeologists were
astounded
611
00:33:04,290 --> 00:33:06,870
by how much the Maya built.
612
00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,660
The data revealed that
hidden within the jungles
613
00:33:09,870 --> 00:33:11,160
of the Mirador Basin
614
00:33:11,370 --> 00:33:15,370
are more than 110,000
ancient structures.
615
00:33:16,540 --> 00:33:18,000
Archaeologists realize
616
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,040
that this area was at one time
617
00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:22,200
densely populated.
618
00:33:22,370 --> 00:33:26,000
And they built huge
pyramid cities.
619
00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:27,870
There were hundreds
of thousands,
620
00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,250
if not even millions
of people living there.
621
00:33:31,410 --> 00:33:34,120
FERNANDEZ-DIAZ: It's really
awesome when we can go
622
00:33:34,290 --> 00:33:37,580
and find a city that's
unknown to modern science.
623
00:33:37,750 --> 00:33:38,830
I mean, that's incredible.
624
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,000
And for me, some of the,
625
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:42,000
like, really cool things,
626
00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:43,660
it's actually being able
627
00:33:43,830 --> 00:33:46,830
to see features that remind
us that the Maya were
628
00:33:46,950 --> 00:33:48,160
just like you and I.
629
00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,500
And being able to see
stuff like a market.
630
00:33:51,700 --> 00:33:53,000
I mean, we think about pyramids
631
00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:54,870
and, like, temples
and stuff like that,
632
00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:56,620
but finding some structures
633
00:33:56,750 --> 00:33:58,290
that archaeologists
interpret to be a market
634
00:33:58,410 --> 00:34:00,330
where people came
from different places
635
00:34:00,500 --> 00:34:03,540
to exchange goods
and services, that's amazing.
636
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,000
NARRATOR: Dr.
Hansen's lidar survey
637
00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:12,160
produced one incredible
revelation after another.
638
00:34:14,250 --> 00:34:16,830
But for archaeologists,
the most astonishing of all
639
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,870
was an elaborate
network of causeways
640
00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:21,660
or elevated roads.
641
00:34:22,870 --> 00:34:25,660
HENRY: El Mirador had
these elevated causeways--
642
00:34:25,830 --> 00:34:27,120
superhighways is the way
643
00:34:27,250 --> 00:34:29,250
the archaeologists
described them--
644
00:34:29,410 --> 00:34:32,500
and they were actually also
covered with white plaster
645
00:34:32,620 --> 00:34:35,250
so that they would reflect
the light of the moon
646
00:34:35,450 --> 00:34:38,700
so that then they could travel
during the-the nighttime hours.
647
00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:42,580
These ancient Maya
causeways are considered
648
00:34:42,750 --> 00:34:45,450
more sophisticated than those
of other civilizations
649
00:34:45,540 --> 00:34:48,660
of the time, like the
Greeks and Romans
650
00:34:48,830 --> 00:34:52,540
due to the fact that they were
elevated over many miles.
651
00:34:53,790 --> 00:34:55,500
FERNANDEZ-DIAZ: The longest
causeway that we know
652
00:34:55,660 --> 00:34:58,250
is over a hundred
kilometers long.
653
00:34:58,370 --> 00:35:00,290
The largest portion of
the causeway connects
654
00:35:00,450 --> 00:35:03,000
the site of Mirador
to other sites.
655
00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:05,580
Some of these causeways
were the size
656
00:35:05,790 --> 00:35:07,830
of a four-lane highway.
657
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:12,000
They are probably between two
and five meters in elevation
658
00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:14,000
with relationship
to the lowlands.
659
00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:16,790
So it was a massive undertaking.
660
00:35:17,950 --> 00:35:20,950
Name another city in 1000 BC
661
00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:23,160
that had elevated roadways
662
00:35:23,370 --> 00:35:26,120
that are as wide as a
four-lane highway.
663
00:35:26,250 --> 00:35:27,500
There is none.
664
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:32,750
NARRATOR: The discoveries that continue
to be made in the Mirador Basin
665
00:35:32,950 --> 00:35:36,250
are completely upending our
understanding of the Maya,
666
00:35:36,410 --> 00:35:38,370
and present new questions
667
00:35:38,540 --> 00:35:41,250
as to how this
sophisticated culture
668
00:35:41,370 --> 00:35:45,790
emerged seemingly out of nowhere
more than 3,000 years ago.
669
00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:48,910
What we have discovered
right there
670
00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:51,950
is a lost chapter
671
00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:53,250
of human history.
672
00:35:53,450 --> 00:35:56,200
Because they now determined
673
00:35:56,370 --> 00:36:01,040
that even a thousand years
before the Classical Maya period
674
00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:04,370
they had an entire
network of roads
675
00:36:04,540 --> 00:36:07,540
with buildings, with structures.
676
00:36:07,700 --> 00:36:09,750
I mean, my mind is blown
677
00:36:09,910 --> 00:36:15,580
because this is a complete
rewriting of Maya history.
678
00:36:16,660 --> 00:36:18,500
HENRY: We have a whole
new scenario here.
679
00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:22,830
The evolutionary theory of
how the Maya came along
680
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:24,290
is wrong.
681
00:36:24,410 --> 00:36:26,790
It's completely upset
by this discovery.
682
00:36:28,370 --> 00:36:31,120
NARRATOR: How is it that
the early Maya developed
683
00:36:31,290 --> 00:36:33,120
sophisticated cities
and structures
684
00:36:33,250 --> 00:36:35,290
at a time when it is thought
685
00:36:35,500 --> 00:36:38,040
the entire North
American continent was
686
00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,950
populated by primitive
nomadic people?
687
00:36:41,950 --> 00:36:45,790
Could it be that the Maya
creation story is, in fact,
688
00:36:45,950 --> 00:36:49,870
a historical account
of extraterrestrial visitation?
689
00:36:52,330 --> 00:36:56,160
Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes and suggest
690
00:36:56,330 --> 00:36:58,000
further evidence can be found
691
00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:00,330
by examining the
Maya's connection
692
00:37:00,410 --> 00:37:03,200
with the Pleiades star cluster.
693
00:37:07,790 --> 00:37:10,830
NARRATOR: Located over
400 light-years from Earth,
694
00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:13,160
near the constellation
of Taurus,
695
00:37:13,370 --> 00:37:16,500
is a star cluster known
as the Pleiades.
696
00:37:16,700 --> 00:37:19,950
It is commonly recognized
as seven bright stars
697
00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:22,410
referred to as the
Seven Sisters.
698
00:37:23,450 --> 00:37:26,830
But there are, in fact,
around 3,000 stars
699
00:37:26,950 --> 00:37:28,660
in the Pleiades star cluster.
700
00:37:28,870 --> 00:37:32,290
This area of the night sky
held great significance
701
00:37:32,410 --> 00:37:34,370
for the Maya civilization.
702
00:37:36,750 --> 00:37:39,620
COLLINS: The Maya
themselves associate
703
00:37:39,790 --> 00:37:42,500
the celestial beings
that had contact
704
00:37:42,620 --> 00:37:47,330
with their own ancestors
with the Pleiades constellation.
705
00:37:47,450 --> 00:37:49,120
In more recent years,
706
00:37:49,250 --> 00:37:52,040
this has come through the work
707
00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:53,500
and the teachings
708
00:37:53,700 --> 00:37:56,660
of a writer and researcher
709
00:37:56,790 --> 00:38:00,160
by the name of Jos� Arg�elles,
710
00:38:00,330 --> 00:38:02,450
who during the 1970s
711
00:38:02,620 --> 00:38:05,830
spent a long time
in the Maya lands,
712
00:38:05,910 --> 00:38:07,830
having his own experiences
713
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:10,330
talking to the Maya themselves,
714
00:38:10,500 --> 00:38:12,410
and coming to the conclusion
715
00:38:12,580 --> 00:38:16,450
that the founders of the
Mayan civilization were,
716
00:38:16,580 --> 00:38:20,660
in fact, star beings that had
come down in the distant past.
717
00:38:21,700 --> 00:38:24,830
That had given the Maya
the knowledge and wisdom
718
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,950
to create the foundations
of their civilization.
719
00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,370
NARRATOR: Could it be
that the Maya identify
720
00:38:35,540 --> 00:38:37,580
the Pleiades as the
home of the gods
721
00:38:37,750 --> 00:38:40,000
because this was told
to their ancestors
722
00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:42,580
by extraterrestrial visitors?
723
00:38:44,540 --> 00:38:48,080
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,
724
00:38:48,250 --> 00:38:50,330
that question was
answered by the recent
725
00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:52,950
lidar studies at El Mirador.
726
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,080
Because what they revealed
is that, incredibly,
727
00:38:57,290 --> 00:38:59,330
the ancient structures
of El Mirador
728
00:38:59,540 --> 00:39:02,200
appear to have been
intentionally positioned
729
00:39:02,370 --> 00:39:05,750
to mirror the seven brightest
stars of the Pleiades.
730
00:39:05,950 --> 00:39:10,450
Some archaeologists have
suggested that El Mirador is
731
00:39:10,620 --> 00:39:12,330
aligned with the Pleiades
732
00:39:12,540 --> 00:39:15,790
and that the pyramids
and other structures there
733
00:39:15,910 --> 00:39:19,660
are actually recreating
the Pleiades star system
734
00:39:19,830 --> 00:39:22,830
on the grounds in the
El Mirador basin.
735
00:39:23,870 --> 00:39:26,870
TSOUKALOS: In my opinion,
those structures are
736
00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:30,870
calling cards of our
visitors long ago.
737
00:39:31,910 --> 00:39:36,000
NARRATOR: Does the layout of El
Mirador provide the ultimate proof
738
00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:38,370
that Maya society
was the product
739
00:39:38,540 --> 00:39:40,500
of extraterrestrial
intervention?
740
00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:44,290
While ancient astronaut
theorists find
741
00:39:44,450 --> 00:39:46,330
this possibility intriguing,
742
00:39:46,450 --> 00:39:48,830
they believe even more
profound discoveries
743
00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,080
are yet to be made.
744
00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:54,080
BARNHART: The things that we've
actually been able to excavate,
745
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,000
it's just a fraction,
746
00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:59,500
a sub-percent of what's actually
747
00:39:59,660 --> 00:40:01,370
out there to see.
748
00:40:02,500 --> 00:40:04,910
I can say with confidence
that we have dug
749
00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:08,580
less than one percent
of the Maya world.
750
00:40:08,700 --> 00:40:12,540
Even in cities we know well,
like Palenque for example,
751
00:40:12,700 --> 00:40:14,450
I made a map of Palenque.
752
00:40:14,620 --> 00:40:18,000
I mapped almost 1,500 buildings.
753
00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:20,500
We've excavated 33.
754
00:40:20,620 --> 00:40:22,540
And that's a well-known city.
755
00:40:23,450 --> 00:40:26,250
We have barely begun to scratch
756
00:40:26,370 --> 00:40:27,830
the surface of what's
still remaining
757
00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:29,500
of ancient Maya society.
758
00:40:30,450 --> 00:40:32,580
CHEETHAM: As a tourist
or an archaeologist going
759
00:40:32,790 --> 00:40:34,290
into the Maya lowland,
760
00:40:34,370 --> 00:40:36,040
it's quite remarkable to see
761
00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,160
pyramids sticking out
of the canopy of the jungle.
762
00:40:39,290 --> 00:40:40,790
And you're tempted to think,
763
00:40:40,950 --> 00:40:43,120
"Well, wow, there must be
thousands of sites
764
00:40:43,290 --> 00:40:45,620
that are remaining
to be discovered."
765
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:50,830
HENRY: When we look at what is
happening in Maya country now,
766
00:40:50,950 --> 00:40:55,660
it's a resurgence
of a civilization long lost,
767
00:40:55,790 --> 00:40:58,200
but that is truly among
the most magnificent
768
00:40:58,370 --> 00:41:00,450
in all human history.
769
00:41:00,620 --> 00:41:02,290
The modern Maya have to be
770
00:41:02,450 --> 00:41:03,870
incredibly proud of this.
771
00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:05,080
This is their lineage.
772
00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:06,660
This is their ancestors
773
00:41:06,830 --> 00:41:08,830
that built these
magnificent cities
774
00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:12,540
that are now being
unveiled and uncovered.
775
00:41:13,580 --> 00:41:15,450
I think what we're
gonna be finding here is
776
00:41:15,580 --> 00:41:18,500
some incredible new
discoveries among the Maya.
777
00:41:18,660 --> 00:41:20,830
And it's ultimately gonna
point to the Pleiades
778
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,660
and extraterrestrials
as the ones that were
779
00:41:23,830 --> 00:41:26,580
the teachers of
this civilization.
780
00:41:27,950 --> 00:41:31,450
NARRATOR: Could the lost
cities of the Mirador Basin--
781
00:41:31,620 --> 00:41:34,500
that archaeologists are
only now beginning to explore--
782
00:41:34,700 --> 00:41:37,450
hold incredible
new evidence about,
783
00:41:37,620 --> 00:41:39,330
not only the Maya
784
00:41:39,500 --> 00:41:42,620
but the origins of
human civilization?
785
00:41:43,750 --> 00:41:47,040
Are the jungles of
Central America hiding
786
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:50,160
the ultimate proof of
ancient alien visitation?
787
00:41:51,370 --> 00:41:53,290
Perhaps as we continue
to unravel
788
00:41:53,370 --> 00:41:55,040
the mysteries of the Maya,
789
00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:59,000
we will learn that their
stories of sky gods are,
790
00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:01,410
in fact, historical accounts
791
00:42:01,580 --> 00:42:04,870
of our extraterrestrial past.
792
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,910
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