00:00There is a remarkable archaeological site near Saint Louis, in Missouri, which few people have heard of.
00:08Named Cahokia, it was once a flourishing metropolis housing up to 2,000 inhabitants during the 11th century.
00:15This place is littered with imposing earthenware, hand-shaped,
00:20the most monumental of which still exists today at the Cahokia Mount State Historic Site.
00:27Although many aspects of this civilization remain mysterious,
00:31researchers have been able to reconstruct certain elements thanks to the remains discovered.
00:37Among these discoveries were particularly ancient teeth.
00:41Their detailed analysis revealed that Cahokia welcomed a great diversity of indigenous peoples.
00:48About a third of the inhabitants came from other regions of the center of the continent,
00:54which scientists determined by studying the chemical composition of the found teeth.
01:00Remarkable facts, the arrangement of the mounds indicates that Cahokia was a city designed with a precise organization
01:07and not a simple juxtaposition of villages.
01:10The elites resided at the top of these structures, while the rest of the population occupied other dwellings.
01:16It is fascinating to imagine that this city housed varied activities,
01:20such as agriculture, hunting, woodworking, pottery and weaving.
01:27At the very heart of Cahokia stood a colossal mound of about 30 meters high,
01:34surrounded by a vast wooden palisade.
01:36Inside this enclosure was the city's nerve center, including a large open space.
01:44Archaeologists estimate that the latter had been designed to symbolize the four cardinal points.
01:50It could be believed that those who built it sought to create a place in perfect harmony with the universe.
01:56The center of Cahokia was the heart of major ceremonies and gatherings,
02:00and its importance was such that foreign visitors came especially to attend it.
02:07The fate of this city remains uncertain.
02:09Some advance that its collapse would be due to excessive deforestation, which disrupted the natural balance.
02:17Others, specialists, dispute this hypothesis,
02:20emphasizing that the quality of the soil was still preserved after the city's abandonment.
02:25The first settlers had not yet arrived at the time, thus removing all influence from them.
02:32Another theory evokes conflicts with neighboring communities, which would have precipitated its decline.
02:39Today, more than 65 tertres are still visible,
02:43and it is even possible to climb the most important of them.
02:47This exceptional site could soon obtain the status of a national park,
02:52another reason to discover it before it becomes too popular a destination.
02:58Mohenjo-daro is another disappeared ancient city that remains surrounded by mystery.
03:04Located in present-day Pakistan, it experienced its peak during the Bronze Age
03:08and was distinguished by its remarkable level of advancement.
03:13Its water supply network and sophisticated architecture surpassed those of other cities of the time.
03:20However, it remains much less famous than the great ancient cities of Egypt or Mesopotamia.
03:27Even more enigmatic is its sudden abandonment, whose cause remains still unknown.
03:35Although the city was established in 1911, archaeologists took their time to understand its importance.
03:42The excavations revealed an advanced sanitation system,
03:47including more than 700 wells, private baths and large public baths.
03:55Impressively, even the individual dwellings had toilets
04:00connected to a network of functional sewers that extended throughout the city.
04:05Mohenjo-daro was also a dynamic shopping centre,
04:09producing refined pottery, jewellery and figurines,
04:12which were exported throughout the region.
04:16Despite this sophistication, the reason for its abandonment remains unknown.
04:21Some suggest that changes in the Indus River could have been a decisive factor.
04:28As for the inscriptions left by its inhabitants,
04:31they remain indescribable, even for the most experienced experts,
04:35further complicating the reconstruction of its history.
04:40Have you ever heard of the lost village of Kolmanskop?
04:44In the past, it was a small colony located in the heart of the Namibian desert.
04:49According to legend, it would be named after a certain Kolman,
04:52who would have imprisoned himself in the dunes before disappearing forever.
04:56However, this is not the most curious aspect.
05:00In 1908, a chemist discovered a shiny stone and showed it to his team leader,
05:05who turned out to be an amateur mineralogist.
05:08After analysis, they realised that it was a diamond.
05:12Kolmanskop quickly became the most prosperous city in Africa
05:16and one of the richest places in the world.
05:19There were luxurious houses, a school, a hospital
05:22and even an ice factory to supply the food guards.
05:26The hospital was equipped with the very first X-ray machine in Australasia,
05:30supposedly used to ensure that the workers would not try to swallow sweet diamonds.
05:35But at the end of the 1920s,
05:38the discovery of another diamond deposit nearby led to the decline of Kolmanskop.
05:43Little by little, its inhabitants left in search of new opportunities,
05:47leaving behind them a deserted city.
05:49In 1938, all industrial equipment was moved southwards,
05:53condemning Kolmanskop to oblivion.
05:56Its last inhabitant left the place between 1956 and 1960.
06:01However, the arid climate allowed a remarkable preservation of the buildings,
06:06transforming this ghost city into a site popular with visitors.
06:10You have certainly heard of Machu Picchu,
06:13this fascinating ancient city located in Peru,
06:15Perched on the vertiginous heights of the Andes,
06:18it extends over a vast area and overlooks the surrounding valleys.
06:22Its historical importance and architecture
06:25deserve to be classified among the wonders of the modern world.
06:29However, its true use remains a mystery.
06:32Although it was able to house up to 750 people,
06:35human traces are limited there.
06:38Some say that it was above all a spiritual place
06:41while others see it as a luxurious village centre intended for the Inca elite.
06:46The presence of vast terraces suggests an experimental agricultural function
06:51or a commercial role.
06:54Another, more surprising hypothesis evokes the possibility of a prison
06:58due to the discovery of a space resembling a cell.
07:02It is intriguing to note that even today,
07:05the archives of Kolmanskop,
07:07It is intriguing to note that even today,
07:10archaeologists and historians struggle to understand
07:13how this city was built.
07:16Did you know that the Incas probably did not use wheels to transport materials?
07:21Yet, huge blocks of granite were hoisted to the top of the Andes,
07:26even though their weight was considerable.
07:29Some estimate that hundreds of workers
07:32joined forces to progress each rock to the top.
07:36The huge stones of Machu Picchu are so perfectly adjusted
07:40that no crack is visible between them.
07:43This remarkable detail gives the structure an incredible resistance to earthquakes,
07:47a major asset in a country like Peru, subject to earthquakes.
07:51But how do these blocks manage to stay in place despite the earthquakes?
07:55They actually undergo slight movements
07:58before spontaneously finding their original position,
08:01giving the impression of a natural dance.
08:03Some say that dampened wood wedges
08:06were used to stabilize the stones,
08:09but this hypothesis seems incompatible with the extent of the constructions.
08:13The builders of Machu Picchu also seem to have gone from beasts of stone to tools of iron.
08:19They had to shape and assemble each element with the sole force of their hands.
08:23In addition, the citadel rests on a tectonic fault,
08:27which required the displacement of vast amounts of rocks and earth
08:30in order to flatten the ground.
08:33It is even thought that the real feat would be hidden under the surface,
08:37where deep foundations and an ingenious drainage system ensure the stability of the site.
08:43Moreover, an underground hydraulic network, until now unknown,
08:47has recently been put to use thanks to 3D digitization.
08:50The Incas did not use mortars to assemble the granite blocks,
08:54but their work was so precise that it is impossible to slip a sheet of paper there.
08:57A hypothesis suggests that the artisans used stone tools
09:01made of materials harder than the blocks they shaped.
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