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00:00Natural causes stun scientists.
00:03There was one major problem with the natural causes theory.
00:06There was no evidence and no proof.
00:09Is it possible the great king was the victim of a murder and cover-up?
00:13An excavation in Spain leads to an eerie discovery.
00:17They find a hidden shaft that leads to a rectangular chamber.
00:20On some of the shelves are vases and ceramics.
00:24What is this place?
00:25Mysterious stone formations are discovered in a cave in the French Pyrenees Mountains.
00:31What are these things?
00:32And who or what created them?
00:37Buried.
00:39Hidden.
00:41Cursed.
00:43From mystical artifacts and doomed treasures
00:47to mysterious structures and ancient rituals.
00:52Myths and legends that have long been shrouded in the shadows of history
00:58are finally brought into the light.
01:04These are Secrets in the Dark.
01:09Spread across 150 square miles in the Egyptian desert,
01:27just east of the Nile River,
01:29Luxor is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.
01:34Luxor isn't as populated as Cairo or Alexandria,
01:37but it has a special place in history.
01:39It's better known as the former city of Thebes,
01:42famous for its many ruins and monuments.
01:45Today, Luxor is referred to as the largest open-air museum in the world,
01:48and with good reason.
01:53There are a whole bunch of ancient monuments within the city.
01:56You've got the ruins of the Karnak Temple complex.
01:58You've got the Luxor Temple, constructed around 1400 B.C.E.
02:02But the most renowned landmarks are the series of tombs and burial grounds that are across the Nile
02:08in an area called the Valley of the Kings.
02:11The Valley of the Kings is also the location of the Royal Cache,
02:16a tomb buried deep in the Theban necropolis.
02:20The cache was discovered in the late 1800s,
02:22and it contained the mummified remains and artifacts of over 50 kings and queens,
02:27ranging from the 17th to 21st dynasties.
02:30That's the period roughly between 1630 and 943 B.C.E.
02:36The discovery was an incredible treasure trove for historians and scholars.
02:42It provided a wealth of information about ancient Egyptian funeral rites.
02:45It also contained valuable details about the lives and deaths of the royals themselves.
02:51But the mummified remains of one pharaoh in particular were steeped in mystery and entry,
02:57Ramses III.
03:00When Ramses' well-preserved remains were discovered in the late 19th century,
03:05scholars assumed he died of natural causes.
03:09He was older and losing strength, possibly even ill.
03:13And based on the external appearance of his remains,
03:15there was nothing to suggest he'd suffered any kind of trauma or fatal injury,
03:18either by accident or from violent intent.
03:21However, there was one major problem with the natural causes theory.
03:25There was no evidence and no proof.
03:29Pharaohs typically had all their life events depicted in inscriptions
03:33throughout the temples and tombs, including their death.
03:36But there are no images of Ramses' burial and funeral ceremony to be found,
03:41which is highly suspicious,
03:43as if someone or group of individuals wanted to destroy evidence
03:46of the true manner in which Ramses died.
03:49Is it possible the great king was the victim of a murder and cover-up?
03:56Holding the throne for over 30 years,
03:59Ramses III was known as a warrior pharaoh
04:02because of his impressive military conquests
04:04and ability to stave off multiple enemy attacks.
04:08But by the end of Ramses' reign, Egypt was starting to decline and fall into chaos.
04:14The economy was crippled by decades of constant warfare and the land was devastated by drought.
04:19As a result, the citizens were starving, angry, and desperate for change.
04:23To make matters worse, Ramses was well into his 60s,
04:28so this once formidable warrior king was starting to show signs of wear and tear.
04:34People needed to know who was going to be next,
04:36but when it came time to choose an heir to the throne,
04:39Ramses III just kept delaying the selection, and that was a problem.
04:43There was unrest, there was confusion,
04:46and there was this overall fear that there was going to be a power vacuum.
04:49It was one of the most important decisions for a pharaoh to make.
04:53The choice of the heir determined the future success and direction of the entire country.
04:58But in all the inscriptions and hieroglyphs found on the walls of the Temple of Ramses,
05:03no definitive heir was depicted, and that was highly unusual.
05:08Even more mysterious, there was nothing to indicate how Ramses died.
05:12And that question has baffled archaeologists for almost 200 years.
05:16A re-examination of Ramses' mummified remains 200 years after they were first discovered
05:23leads to a shocking revelation.
05:28A CT scan was performed on his entire body,
05:32and the neck area revealed not just evidence of extreme trauma,
05:35but also intent to kill.
05:38Ramses had a throat wound.
05:40It went so deep that it cut his trachea, esophagus, and several arteries, including the carotid.
05:47So this slashing of the neck was clearly fatal.
05:52Earlier examinations of the remains had overlooked the wound,
05:55since his neck was completely covered in wrap textiles like a bandage.
05:58The CT scan also revealed a small amulet in the shape of the eye of Horus,
06:02which someone had placed on top of the wound to cover it up.
06:05There was no shortage of potential motives,
06:08especially from the Egyptian population.
06:11At the time of his murder, the country was in complete turmoil.
06:15The war chest had drained the state treasury,
06:18and the severe drought meant there was no food.
06:21In other words, ideal conditions for a rebellion or uprising.
06:25Is it possible Ramses III was murdered in some sort of citizen's revolt?
06:29The poor economic conditions and dwindling food supplies
06:38led to what might be considered the first labor strike
06:41in Egypt's recorded history in 1156 BCE.
06:45It was actually the skilled craftsmen and artisans
06:48who were building Ramses' monuments in the Valley of the Kings
06:51who finally had enough.
06:53They walked off the job and made their way towards the pharaoh's temple
06:57to voice their complaints in protest.
06:59It was just one example of the unrest that was spreading across Egypt.
07:03And at the time, it was no small thing to protest the all-powerful ruler.
07:08Despite that, the angry workers went ahead with their strike,
07:11desperate times calling for desperate measures.
07:13But did they take it one step further and assassinate their king?
07:17So that's a logical scenario,
07:19but it's unlikely that Ramses III met his fate that way.
07:23Sure, you've got motive, but you don't have opportunity.
07:27The pharaoh's temple was very well protected by trained guards.
07:31And plus, Ramses had at least two personal bodyguards
07:34who rarely left his side.
07:37So this means the murder was likely committed by someone in his inner circle.
07:42Not just someone who had access to the king,
07:44but someone Ramses trusted enough to be alone with.
07:47That's a very small list of people,
07:49but it does include his many wives.
07:54As was the custom,
07:56the pharaohs of ancient Egypt had several wives,
07:59all of whom lived together within the temple walls.
08:03But the wives weren't alone in the temple.
08:06They lived with and raised the children fathered by the pharaoh.
08:09It was from these children, specifically the male children,
08:13that the pharaoh would eventually select an heir.
08:16So you can imagine the level of competition and rivalry
08:19for the pharaoh's attention and affection.
08:22While Ramses hadn't yet selected an heir,
08:25there was one main contender for the throne.
08:27He was the son of his principal wife, Queen Isis,
08:30a young man the king had named after himself, Ramses IV.
08:33In this context, with one wife and son team
08:37seemingly destined to become the future rulers of all Egypt,
08:40there was more than likely dissent and jealousy
08:42among the other wives in the temple.
08:44It certainly addressed the question of opportunity
08:47and access to the king.
08:48The pharaoh's visits to his wives
08:51would have been one of the times
08:52he probably didn't want two bodyguards right next to him.
08:55So is it possible that Ramses was murdered by one of his wives?
09:00The problem with this theory goes back to the wound itself.
09:05The roughly three-inch gash across his neck
09:08sliced right to the bone.
09:10A cut this deep was more likely delivered by a powerful man,
09:14possibly a trained soldier.
09:16If Ramses' murder was plotted and planned by a jealous wife,
09:19she certainly had help.
09:23A closer inspection of Ramses' body from the CT scan
09:26reveals an important clue.
09:28In addition to the neck wound,
09:32the scan showed evidence of a second wound,
09:34this one on his left foot.
09:36It appeared his left big toe had been chopped off,
09:39but there was no sign of healing.
09:41And that means this wound occurred at the same moment
09:44as the neck slash that killed him.
09:47This suggested there were at least two assailants
09:49at the murder scene using two different weapons.
09:52In this scenario, the first assailant,
09:53who was likely a man,
09:55attacked Ramses from behind and slit his throat.
09:57The second assailant attempted an attack as well,
10:00but only managed to wound the pharaoh's foot.
10:03Ramses may well have been trying to defend himself
10:05when the second blow was delivered.
10:06The actual identity of the attackers is difficult,
10:09if not impossible, to verify.
10:12But a discovery in Ramses' tomb
10:14leads to a prime suspect.
10:18The remains of Ramses were found
10:20in the Royal Cache Tomb
10:22in the Valley of the Kings
10:23among several other mummies.
10:25But there was this one as yet unidentified mummy
10:28close to his sarcophagus
10:30that had baffled archaeologists for decades.
10:33This second mummy was referred to as Unknown Man E,
10:37but his nickname was the Screaming Mummy.
10:43He looked like he had died in agony.
10:46His head was back, his mouth was open,
10:49and his hands and feet had been tied.
10:51It was a terrifying image,
10:53but even more intriguing,
10:54the Screaming Mummy hadn't been properly embalmed.
10:58He was wrapped in sheepskin
10:59and not in the traditional textiles and fabrics.
11:03Plus, the corpse still contained his vital organs,
11:05which were typically removed
11:07in the mummification process.
11:09Whoever performed the burial rites
11:11for the Screaming Mummy
11:13did everything in their power
11:14to make sure he would not enter the afterlife.
11:17It was as if he were being punished,
11:19even after his death.
11:21But why?
11:22Who was the Screaming Mummy?
11:25And why was he buried with royalty
11:26so close to Ramses III?
11:32A DNA test is performed
11:34on a sample of the Screaming Mummy's remains.
11:37And it was a 99% match
11:39with the DNA of Ramses III himself.
11:41In other words,
11:42the Screaming Mummy was one of his natural-born sons,
11:45which explains why he was buried
11:46so close to Ramses.
11:48And if the Screaming Mummy
11:49had played a role in his father's murder,
11:51it also explains why he was punished so severely
11:54and denied access to the afterlife,
11:56which for ancient Egyptians
11:57was a fate worse than death itself.
11:59Given the likely intense competition
12:02among the wives and the sons of the pharaoh,
12:04while he's deliberating on his choice of heir,
12:07it seems entirely plausible
12:09that the Screaming Mummy
12:10wanted to make sure
12:11that Ramses' first choice
12:13wouldn't get to inherit the throne.
12:15And the most effective way to do that
12:17was to murder the king
12:18before he made that choice.
12:20In the end, Ramses IV,
12:25the son of Queen Isis,
12:26did become the next pharaoh of Egypt.
12:29So while the killer succeeded
12:30in murdering his father,
12:32his plan ultimately failed,
12:34and he was sentenced to death
12:35either by burning or self-strangulation.
12:40Other questions still remain,
12:42particularly surrounding the fate
12:44of the Screaming Mummy's mother,
12:46one of Ramses' many wives.
12:47But thanks to CT scanning and DNA technology,
12:51one of history's greatest mysteries
12:53can finally be put to rest.
12:56The case of the murdered pharaoh
12:58is just one of the stories
13:00buried amongst the tombs
13:01and burial grounds of ancient Egypt.
13:04There are many more waiting to be solved
13:06with the help of modern science.
13:17Straddling the border
13:34between France and Spain,
13:36the majestic Pyrenees Mountains
13:38extend over 300 miles
13:40from the Mediterranean Sea in the east
13:42to the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
13:45The Pyrenees were formed
13:47between 100 and 150 million years ago,
13:50making them older than the Alps.
13:53Their sediments were deposited
13:54during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras,
13:56and the continental shift
13:57created intense pressure,
13:59which pushed present-day Spain
14:00against France.
14:01The uplifting of the Earth's crust
14:03resulted in what we see now.
14:05At its peak,
14:06the tallest mountain
14:06reaches over 11,000 feet.
14:08The Pyrenees are also home
14:12to hundreds of underground cave systems,
14:15or grott,
14:16filled with strange limestone formations,
14:19interior waterfalls,
14:21and occasionally,
14:22evidence of human activity
14:23going back 35,000 years.
14:26Cave paintings are still visible
14:28on many of the walls.
14:31It's also possible
14:32to climb below
14:33the Paleolithic cave systems
14:35by rappelling with ropes and pulleys,
14:37which is known as spelunking.
14:39It's an extremely precise
14:40and dangerous activity
14:41since you're basically
14:42plunging down slippery rock
14:44and into areas
14:44that haven't necessarily
14:46been explored or mapped out yet.
14:49A small group of spelunkers
14:51is descending a section
14:52of the Brunichel Cave
14:54in the southwest corner
14:55of the French Pyrenees
14:56when they make
14:57a shocking discovery.
15:00When they reached as low
15:01as they could safely go,
15:03they spotted a crack
15:03in a thick layer of clay
15:05just wide enough
15:05to squeeze through.
15:07The other side of the crack
15:08led to a passageway
15:09that opened up
15:10to reveal a massive
15:11chamber-like space
15:12that was completely
15:13hidden from view.
15:16The first thing
15:17they encountered
15:17in the chamber
15:18was the remains
15:18of long-extinct cave bears.
15:21And it's a bit surprising
15:22to see bear bones
15:23this far down,
15:24but it's not unheard of.
15:25After all,
15:26bears do spend
15:27the winter in caves.
15:29That's where they nestle
15:30into what are called hollows
15:31and basically just sleep
15:33through the whole winter.
15:33But it was what lay
15:35beyond the debris
15:36of bear bones
15:37that really got
15:38their attention.
15:39On the floor
15:39of the cave,
15:40there were several
15:41ring-like structures
15:42that appeared to be formed
15:43from chunks
15:44of the cave's stalagmites.
15:47The largest of the circles
15:48measured over 20 feet across.
15:51So they were big.
15:52And the base of each
15:54was between 12 and 16 inches
15:56off the ground.
15:57What are these things?
15:59And who or what
16:00created them?
16:01Given the presence
16:02of bear bones,
16:04it's possible
16:04that the bears
16:05hibernating here
16:06pushed and prodded
16:07the stalagmite debris
16:08into a circle
16:09as part of their
16:11hollow bed structure.
16:13A closer inspection
16:14of the circular structures
16:16leads to a possible answer
16:18and more questions.
16:20In total,
16:21these mysterious rings
16:22were created
16:23from over 400 broken-off
16:24chunks of stalagmite.
16:26Most of them
16:27had been ripped
16:27or yanked from the ground
16:28and then somehow chopped
16:30or hewn into similar-sized pieces.
16:32Dotted around the outside
16:33of the rings
16:34were round holes in the ground
16:35where the ripped stalagmites
16:37had once stood.
16:38That's no small enterprise.
16:40That takes a lot of work
16:41and not the work
16:42of any cave bear.
16:44The stalagmite pieces
16:46were stacked on top
16:47of one another
16:47to produce
16:48what appear to be walls.
16:50Some of the larger stalagmites
16:51were propped upright
16:52on either side
16:53with smaller ones
16:55acting as kind of
16:55vertical supports.
16:57In addition to the two
16:58large circles,
17:00there were a few smaller
17:01semi-circular structures
17:02plus one or two piles
17:05of broken pieces
17:06that looked like
17:06they were sort of
17:07piled up and ready to go.
17:09The stalagmite rings
17:10were clearly the result
17:12of human planning
17:12and design.
17:14But who were these humans
17:15building down there
17:16in the darkness?
17:17And what purpose
17:18did the structure serve
17:19900 feet below ground?
17:21Careful not to disturb
17:25the placement
17:25or condition
17:26of the stalagmite,
17:27researchers take samples
17:29for physical analysis.
17:31The first thing
17:32that showed up
17:33in the tips
17:33of the stalagmites
17:34were sections
17:34that were charred
17:35and discolored,
17:36dark red and black.
17:38Plus, there were
17:38soot stains,
17:39heat fractures
17:40and burnt material,
17:41including the charred
17:42remains of bare bones.
17:43So all this added up
17:45to indicate
17:45the presence of fire.
17:48So in addition
17:49to building
17:49complex structures,
17:50the people in that cave
17:52also used fire,
17:54likely as a light source,
17:56but possibly also
17:57as a heat source.
17:58Those cages are chilly.
17:59Right now,
18:00the temperature in there
18:01is somewhere between
18:01about 46 and 53 degrees Fahrenheit.
18:05It's possible
18:06that when the people
18:07were making these rings,
18:08it was even cooler.
18:12Samples of burnt bone
18:14and charred remains
18:15are taken for
18:16carbon-14 dating.
18:18The results of carbon dating
18:19indicate how
18:20long an organism
18:21has been dead.
18:22In this case,
18:23the remains were found
18:24to be 46,700 years old,
18:27consistent with the upper
18:28or third and final period
18:30of the Paleolithic era.
18:32The Upper Paleolithic period
18:33featured the earliest
18:34known evidence
18:35of organized human settlements,
18:37such as campsites,
18:38some even with storage pits.
18:40It saw the emergence
18:41of more specialized tools,
18:42like the use of
18:43chipped stones.
18:44It's also believed
18:45more complex social groupings
18:47emerged in this era,
18:48and they were supported
18:49by more varied
18:50and reliable food sources.
18:53The cave structures
18:54could certainly be viewed
18:55as evidence
18:56of organized settlements.
18:57And it wouldn't be possible
18:59to cut thick,
19:00rough stalagmites
19:01into equal-sized chunks
19:03unless you had
19:04some kind of specialized tool.
19:06All of that fits.
19:08Organized settlements
19:08and tools
19:10are both known
19:11to be in use
19:12by the Upper Paleolithic era.
19:14However,
19:15there's a major challenge
19:17to this scenario.
19:18The dating of 47,000 years ago
19:20is the absolute limit
19:22or longest period
19:23the carbon-14 technique
19:25can measure.
19:26In other words,
19:27if the structures
19:28were older than 47,000 years,
19:30the carbon-14 dating
19:31wouldn't be able
19:32to indicate that.
19:35A second,
19:36more advanced technique
19:37is applied
19:37with startling results.
19:39The new approach
19:41is called
19:41uranium-series dating,
19:43a technique
19:44that traces
19:44the breakdown
19:45of uranium to thorium.
19:47It doesn't rely
19:48on organic matter
19:49like animal bone
19:50for sample material.
19:51The stalagmites themselves
19:52could be tested
19:53to verify
19:54whether they were
19:54broken off
19:55and moved
19:55into their position
19:56in the circular structures.
19:58The results
19:58were definitive.
20:00The stalagmite rings
20:01weren't 47,000 years old.
20:04They were at least
20:04176,000 years old.
20:08That's 47,000 years old.
20:0940,000 years
20:10before the first appearance
20:11of our human ancestors
20:13in Europe.
20:14That means
20:15these things
20:16weren't made
20:17by Homo sapiens.
20:19If the uranium-series dating
20:21was to be believed,
20:22and there was no reason
20:23not to believe it,
20:24these ring structures
20:25were built
20:26by Neanderthals.
20:32Neanderthals
20:32are an extinct group
20:33of archaic humans
20:34who lived in Eurasia
20:36from at least
20:36200,000 years ago.
20:38There's still debate
20:40in the scientific community
20:41around the extent
20:42of difference
20:43between humans
20:44and Neanderthals
20:45as a species.
20:46We do know
20:47there was a period
20:48of coexistence
20:49and even interbreeding.
20:51Like humans,
20:52Neanderthals
20:53were large brain
20:54and had mastered
20:54the use of fire.
20:56But unlike humans,
20:57Neanderthals
20:58didn't survive.
20:59And the exact reasons
21:00for their disappearance
21:01between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago
21:04is still a matter of debate.
21:08Anthropologists
21:09have traditionally thought
21:10of Neanderthals
21:11as having limited
21:11higher human capabilities,
21:13such as the planning,
21:15design,
21:15or construction
21:16of complex structures.
21:17Add to that,
21:18Neanderthals were not thought
21:19to have ventured
21:19underground much,
21:20let alone 900 feet
21:22below a cave.
21:23This discovery
21:24challenges those assumptions.
21:25It suggests that Neanderthals
21:26were cognitively sophisticated
21:28and that they had
21:30an organized community structure.
21:33Building these rings
21:33almost certainly required
21:34a leader
21:35who had a vision
21:36for the finished piece,
21:37who could give everyone instructions.
21:39And building this
21:40would have required
21:41time,
21:42teamwork,
21:43and at least
21:43some technology.
21:45After all,
21:45this had to be done
21:46by firelight.
21:48And of course,
21:49there's still
21:49the main mystery.
21:51What role
21:52did these structures play
21:53in the lives
21:54of the Neanderthals?
21:55The presence of fire
21:56indicates not only
21:57a light source,
21:58but also a potential
21:59cooking source.
22:01So is it possible
22:02the rings
22:02were for campfires?
22:06It would not be
22:07the first time
22:08evidence of a Neanderthal
22:09campsite
22:10was discovered
22:11in the region.
22:12In the Navamayo area
22:13of Spain
22:14near Madrid,
22:15researchers discovered
22:16a large rock shelter site
22:18that was once used
22:19by Neanderthals
22:20for their hunting camp.
22:22With the use
22:22of taphonomy,
22:23the study of how
22:24organic remains change
22:26before and after
22:27they become fossils,
22:27it was learned
22:29that these early hominins
22:30hunted mainly
22:31bovids and cervids,
22:33early forms
22:34of cattle and deer.
22:35The Neanderthals
22:36at the Navamayo
22:36campsite used the area
22:38primarily as a staging post,
22:39a place between
22:41where they caught
22:41their prey
22:42and the place
22:42of final consumption,
22:44usually in large groups.
22:46But it seems unlikely
22:47that a dark cave
22:48900 feet below ground
22:50with a narrow entrance
22:51is going to be
22:52a convenient place
22:53to cook your dinner.
22:54plus,
22:55the ring shapes
22:56were almost
22:57perfectly round
22:58and precise,
22:59unlike the sort of
23:00random shapes
23:01you would see
23:01at most campfires.
23:03A survey
23:04of the non-random
23:05placement of those circles
23:07led to another
23:08possible explanation.
23:09Maybe there was
23:10something ritualistic
23:12or even sacred
23:13about this space.
23:15The discovery
23:16of burial sites
23:17in the Levant region
23:19of Western Asia
23:19revealed Neanderthals
23:21engaged in various rituals
23:23when burying their dead.
23:25In fact,
23:27Homo sapiens
23:27started to bury
23:28their dead
23:29in the same areas
23:30and around the same time
23:31as their Neanderthal cousins,
23:33roughly 120,000 years ago.
23:36Both species
23:37included a variety
23:38of ceremonial offerings
23:39with their graves,
23:40likely based on
23:41what was available,
23:42like small stones,
23:43animal bones,
23:44and horns.
23:46But the main difference
23:47between the two species
23:48could shed light
23:49on the Pyrenees cave.
23:50Neanderthals tended
23:51to bury their dead
23:52deeper in caves,
23:53whereas Homo sapiens
23:54were buried in cave entrances
23:55or rock shelters.
23:58Neanderthal burials
23:58made greater use of rocks
24:00as rudimentary gravestones,
24:01while Homo sapiens burials
24:02featured more decorative items
24:04such as flowers
24:05and shells
24:05that were painted
24:06with minerals.
24:08It's entirely possible
24:10that the chunks
24:10of cut stalagmite
24:12carefully gathered
24:13and shaped into circles
24:14served as grave markers
24:16for a Neanderthal burial site.
24:18And while the investigation
24:19is ongoing,
24:21we may never know
24:22for certain
24:22the real story
24:23behind these
24:24mysterious circles.
24:26The rings of the Brunickel cave
24:28deep in the Pyrenees mountains
24:30might be the oldest
24:31documented construction
24:32ever made
24:33by ancient human relatives
24:35and proves just how much
24:37we may have underestimated
24:38and underestimated
24:39our prehistoric cousins.
24:40just 18 miles
25:05east of Seville,
25:06the town of Carmona
25:07is one of the oldest
25:08not only in Spain
25:10but all of Europe
25:11with continuous habitation
25:13dating back
25:14over 5,000 years.
25:17Situated on a hill
25:18overlooking the Guadalquivir valley,
25:20the town rises above
25:21fertile plains
25:22known for harvesting
25:23wine,
25:24olive oil,
25:24and grain.
25:25Its strategic military significance
25:27is best exemplified
25:28by the imposing gate
25:30of Seville fortress
25:31and the Alcazar castle.
25:32Dominated at various times
25:36by Phoenician,
25:37Visigoth,
25:38Roman,
25:38and Arab invaders,
25:40Carmona is a treasure trove
25:42of history and culture.
25:44The complex history
25:45of the area
25:46flows through the art,
25:48architecture,
25:48and cultural traditions
25:50that shaped its identity.
25:52The town features
25:53significant Roman-era monuments,
25:55including a first-century
25:57BCE Roman amphitheater
25:58designed for gladiatorial games
26:00and public events,
26:02as well as the necropolis
26:03of Carmona,
26:04which contains multiple tombs
26:06and mausoleums.
26:07The rich and varied history
26:08of the town
26:09has led to numerous
26:10archaeological discoveries
26:11over the years.
26:14Close to the Roman necropolis,
26:16one family is renovating
26:17their home,
26:18adding a swimming pool,
26:20when they make
26:20a curious discovery.
26:22While excavating
26:23their backyard,
26:24they find a hidden shaft
26:25that leads to
26:26a rectangular chamber
26:2710 feet long
26:29and 5 feet wide
26:30with a vaulted ceiling
26:327 feet high.
26:34The walls and floor
26:35are coated
26:35with small fragments
26:37of tiles
26:37mixed with reddish limestone
26:39decorated with
26:40geometric motifs
26:41consisting of
26:42intertwined red
26:43and yellow lines
26:44forming a grid.
26:46The room has
26:46eight individual shelves
26:48built into the walls,
26:49four on each side.
26:51On some of the shelves
26:52and the floor
26:53are vases,
26:54plates,
26:55and ceramics.
26:56What is this place?
26:57A team of archaeologists
27:00from the University of Cordoba
27:02are brought in
27:03to investigate
27:03and are able
27:04to carbon date
27:05the room
27:06to the early
27:06first century CE,
27:08a time when the Romans
27:09ruled the land.
27:11What we're looking at
27:12is most likely
27:13a Roman mausoleum.
27:15The shelves on the walls
27:16are called niches
27:17and the six pots
27:18are probably urns
27:19filled with human remains.
27:21The other objects
27:22found around the space
27:23are probably funeral offerings,
27:25which was a custom
27:26of the time.
27:27Strangely,
27:28one urn has glass
27:29inside of it
27:30and it's filled
27:31to the brim
27:31with a dark,
27:32murky liquid.
27:34What could this liquid be?
27:35And why would it be
27:36buried here
27:37in this tomb?
27:41There are not many
27:42examples of liquids
27:44being found
27:44in Roman archaeological digs,
27:46but there is one
27:47that has been found
27:48a few times
27:49linked to the food
27:50and culture
27:51of the era.
27:53Garum is a fermented
27:54fish sauce
27:55that was a widely
27:56popular condiment
27:57in ancient Rome,
27:58known for its bold,
28:00savoury flavour
28:00that could transform
28:01even the simplest dishes.
28:03Made from small fish
28:04like sardines
28:05and anchovies,
28:06the sauce would use
28:07every part of the fish,
28:09from the guts
28:09to the bones.
28:11Interestingly,
28:12Garum helped
28:13to timestamp
28:13exactly when
28:14Mount Vesuvius exploded
28:16and buried
28:16the Roman city
28:17of Pompeii
28:18under 13 to 20 feet
28:20of volcanic ash,
28:21creating one of the world's
28:22most renowned archaeological sites.
28:29Analysis of residue
28:31revealed that the final batch
28:32of Pompeian garum
28:34was made exclusively
28:35from bogues,
28:36a Mediterranean fish
28:38abundant in the summer months,
28:39and the sauce's contents
28:41provided evidence
28:42supporting the theory
28:43that Mount Vesuvius erupted
28:45on August 24th
28:46in the year 79 CE.
28:49Could this be another instance
28:51of garum shedding light
28:52on an enduring Roman mystery?
28:54It was stored
28:55in large clay vessels
28:56known as amphorae,
28:58similar to those
28:59found in this tomb.
29:00While the liquid
29:01found in Carmona
29:02could be garum
29:03placed in the tomb
29:04as a burial offering,
29:06it's unlikely,
29:07as it would not be
29:07as well preserved
29:08as this liquid
29:09appears to be.
29:12As the team continues
29:14to excavate the tomb,
29:15they find remnants
29:16of another liquid
29:17that is well known
29:18for being part
29:19of funerary rituals
29:20in Roman culture.
29:23Inside one of the urns,
29:24there was a perfume bottle
29:25with patchouli scent,
29:27hinting at a high-status family.
29:29So could the mysterious liquid
29:31found in the other urn
29:32be ancient perfume as well?
29:36Perfumes have been used
29:38by human beings
29:38for over 5,000 years,
29:40with the ancient Egyptians
29:41believed to be
29:42the first to create them.
29:44Roman society
29:44also valued perfumes,
29:46creating highly aromatic resins
29:48for use in rituals,
29:50including funerals,
29:51where it was believed
29:52they would cleanse
29:53and purify the soul
29:54before it journeyed
29:56on to the afterlife.
29:58These scents also help mask
30:00the odors of the deceased.
30:02The perfumes came
30:03in all different scents,
30:04based on spices
30:05such as cinnamon,
30:07spikenard,
30:08frankincense,
30:09and myrrh.
30:10The especially rare
30:11and expensive ones
30:12symbolizes
30:13the deceased's social status.
30:16After cremation,
30:17the bones and ash
30:18were placed in an urn
30:19along with perfumes
30:20stored in glass,
30:21ceramic,
30:22or crystal containers,
30:23and that depended
30:24on the person's wealth.
30:26Wealthy families
30:26often built funerary chambers
30:28to hold the urns
30:29of all family members,
30:31like the one
30:31discovered in Carmona.
30:34While this seems
30:35to be a very strong theory,
30:37there are only a few examples
30:39of perfumes in burials
30:40being used outside of Rome.
30:43Researchers in England
30:44discovered a similar example
30:46in the Roman ruins
30:47of Dorchester in Dorset,
30:49where they found sticky residue
30:50on the plaster
30:52encasing seven individuals
30:53buried in the 4th century CE.
30:56Analysis revealed
30:57that the substance
30:58contained diterpenoids
30:59from pinaceae resins,
31:01derived from conifers
31:02such as pines,
31:04firs,
31:04and cedars.
31:05There were also examples
31:07of this used in cremation
31:09in the Mercy Island Barrow
31:10in Essex,
31:11where they found resin
31:12identified as frankincense.
31:15The resin was unburnt,
31:16meaning it was added
31:17to the cremated remains
31:18after they had already
31:20been placed in a glass vessel,
31:22similar to the urns
31:23found in Carmona.
31:25During Roman times,
31:26perfumes were stored
31:27in specific bottles
31:28known as unguentaria,
31:30which are among
31:31the most common artifacts
31:32found in Roman burials.
31:34And there's no evidence
31:35to suggest that perfume
31:36was ever placed in urns
31:38within a mausoleum.
31:39So it's unlikely
31:40this liquid is perfume.
31:42By analyzing mineral salts,
31:45antioxidants,
31:46and testing for the presence
31:47of ethanol,
31:48the researchers determine
31:50exactly what the liquid is.
31:52It's wine.
31:54White wine, to be exact.
31:55In ancient Roman rituals,
31:57wine was symbolic
31:58and often placed
31:59with the deceased
32:00as part of burial offerings
32:01to assist the soul's transition
32:03into the afterlife.
32:04In fact,
32:05the oldest wine ever found
32:07was of Roman descent.
32:09In 1867,
32:10during the excavation
32:11of a Roman couple's tomb
32:13near Speyer, Germany,
32:14several bottles of wine
32:16were uncovered,
32:17but only one still contained liquid.
32:20Dating back to around 325 CE,
32:22the wine had transformed
32:23over time
32:24into a dark resin-like mass
32:27and cloudy liquid,
32:28preserved because
32:29it contained olive oil
32:30and was heavily sealed
32:31with wax.
32:33Further testing on the wine
32:34produces some rather
32:36surprising results.
32:38It's about 300 years older
32:40than the Speyer wine bottle,
32:42making it the oldest example
32:44of wine ever found.
32:46This is a huge discovery.
32:48They also found traces
32:49of cremated remains
32:50and bone fragments
32:51of a male mixed in
32:52with the wine.
32:53The reason for it
32:54only being a male's remains
32:56might be because
32:56of gender social norms
32:58of the time.
32:58In total,
33:00the various urns
33:01in the mausoleum
33:02contained the remains
33:03of six people,
33:05most likely a family.
33:07Based on the type of tomb
33:08and the objects it housed
33:09like perfume,
33:10wine, amber, ivory,
33:12jewels,
33:13and other burial offerings,
33:14this was probably
33:15a family of high social standing.
33:17All these elements
33:18are rarely preserved,
33:20so they offer
33:20a unique opportunity
33:21for study.
33:23However,
33:24this discovery
33:25also upset
33:26some of the locals
33:26who don't love the idea
33:28of disturbing
33:28an ancient grave.
33:30Some believe
33:31spirits can be bound
33:32to grave goods,
33:33like the ones found here,
33:35and even hint
33:35at the consequences,
33:37claiming to hear
33:38ghostly toasts
33:39near the site.
33:41While this discovery
33:42might shine
33:43a whole new light
33:44on ancient Roman
33:45burial practices
33:46and uncover
33:47the oldest wine
33:48in history,
33:49the team of researchers
33:50must now balance
33:51their curiosity
33:52with the eerie legends
33:54of the area.
33:56located in the heart
34:20of North Holland,
34:21about 20 miles
34:22north of Amsterdam,
34:23Alkmaar is a charming
34:25Dutch city
34:26known for its rich history
34:28and picturesque canals.
34:30With origins
34:31dating back
34:32to the 10th century,
34:33Alkmaar has played
34:34a significant role
34:35in the Netherlands history,
34:37particularly as a symbol
34:38of Dutch resistance
34:39during the siege
34:40of Alkmaar,
34:40one of the first
34:41major victories
34:42against Spanish rule
34:43in the 80 Years' War.
34:46Alkmaar is best known
34:47for its cheese.
34:49Its cheese trading history
34:50dates back
34:51more than 600 years,
34:52at its peak
34:54in the 17th century,
34:55that city traded
34:56millions of pounds
34:58of cheese,
34:58exporting it
34:59all across Europe
35:00and even as far
35:01as North America
35:02and the Caribbean.
35:04One area that attracts
35:05significant attention
35:06is Alkmaar's designated
35:07red light district,
35:08Akterdam.
35:09Known for its legalized
35:10and regulated
35:11window prostitution,
35:12the area has been used
35:13for this purpose
35:14since the Middle Ages.
35:15Though smaller than
35:16Amsterdam's red light district,
35:18Akterdam remains
35:18a notable part
35:19of Alkmaar's
35:20nightlife and history.
35:21Since the buildings
35:24in this area
35:25have stood for centuries,
35:26they often require
35:27rehabilitation
35:28or restoration.
35:30During work
35:31on one such building,
35:33construction workers
35:33find something
35:34disturbingly dark.
35:36So, they're digging up
35:38the floor
35:38and they find
35:39this ancient
35:40tile surface
35:42that's partially
35:42filled with bones.
35:46And they're not
35:47just buried there,
35:48they're laid out
35:48in a deliberate pattern.
35:50The tiles
35:51have been worn down
35:52presumably from years
35:54of use
35:54and it looks like
35:55someone's filled
35:56the gaps
35:56with these bones.
35:58A lot of them
35:59have been sawed
36:00into pieces
36:00to fit precisely
36:01into the missing sections.
36:03The house
36:05was built
36:05in 1609,
36:06but it's possible
36:07that the existing
36:08structure
36:08was constructed
36:09on top of an older
36:10foundation,
36:11a common practice
36:12at the time.
36:13However,
36:13that still doesn't
36:14explain the bones.
36:16Are these human remains?
36:17Why would someone
36:18use bones in this way
36:19and where did they
36:20come from?
36:20About 115 miles
36:25away from Olkermar
36:26in the city
36:27of Ghent, Belgium,
36:28excavations beneath
36:29Saint-Bavo's cathedral
36:30uncovered a series
36:32of nine walls
36:33constructed
36:34from human bones.
36:37Composed primarily
36:38of adult thigh
36:38and shin bones,
36:39the walls are also
36:40interspersed
36:41with partially
36:42shattered skulls.
36:44Smaller
36:45and more fragile bones
36:46such as ribs
36:47and vertebrae
36:47are absent,
36:48possibly because
36:49they were deemed
36:50too difficult
36:50or impractical
36:51to collect.
36:53Conspicuously missing
36:54are arm bones,
36:55which,
36:56all else being equal,
36:57should have been
36:57sturdy enough
36:58to feature
36:58in the construction.
37:00It's unclear
37:01why these specific
37:02remains appear
37:02to have been excluded,
37:04perhaps because
37:04they didn't physically
37:06match the size
37:06of the leg bones
37:07or because they
37:08lacked the appropriate
37:09spiritual significance.
37:13Radiocarbon dating
37:13shows the bones
37:14are from the late
37:151400s
37:16and the walls
37:18were likely built
37:18200 to 300 years
37:19after that.
37:21Above the remains,
37:22full skeletons
37:23suggest a newer
37:24graveyard replacing
37:25earlier burials,
37:27likely during
37:28cemetery clearances.
37:30So this idea
37:30of digging up
37:31all the old bodies
37:32to make room
37:33for new ones
37:33might seem a little
37:34callous,
37:35but this was how
37:36it was done.
37:37It was seen as
37:37a respectful
37:38and practical
37:39tribute to the deceased.
37:41It wasn't seen
37:41as any kind
37:42of disrespect.
37:43This actually reflects
37:46the medieval
37:46Christian belief
37:47in bodily resurrection,
37:48which said that
37:49on Judgment Day,
37:50the dead would be
37:51physically restored.
37:53Because of this,
37:54bones,
37:54especially larger ones
37:55like leg bones
37:56and skulls,
37:57were considered sacred
37:58and essential
37:59for resurrection,
38:00meaning they couldn't
38:01simply be discarded
38:02when cemeteries
38:02became overcrowded.
38:04Instead,
38:05they were carefully
38:06rearranged
38:06and preserved
38:07in structures
38:07like these bone walls,
38:09ensuring that the remains
38:10were still honored.
38:12The homeowners
38:13bring in a team
38:14of municipal archaeologists
38:16to study the bone tiles
38:18further
38:18and are relieved
38:20by the results.
38:21The bones are not
38:22from humans.
38:23They're animal bones.
38:25And they're all
38:25leg and ankle bones
38:26that were trimmed down
38:27to fill the missing
38:28parts of the floor.
38:30Animal bone construction
38:31has been discovered before,
38:33but generally speaking,
38:34it's from the distant past.
38:36While the fact
38:37that these are animal bones
38:38in Alkmaar
38:38might sound like
38:39we've solved
38:40the mystery,
38:41that's not really
38:41a solution at all
38:42because it brings up
38:43a whole bunch
38:44of other questions.
38:45Are these farm animals?
38:47Are they some kind
38:48of hunted animal?
38:49And why would anyone
38:51build a structure
38:52out of that material?
38:56Roughly 300 miles
38:57south of Moscow,
38:59archaeologists uncovered
39:00a remarkable
39:0125,000-year-old structure
39:03in Russia's
39:04forest steppe.
39:05This circular construction,
39:07approximately 40 feet
39:09in diameter,
39:09was meticulously built
39:11using the bones
39:12of at least 60 woolly mammoths.
39:16The sheer scale
39:16and complexity
39:17of this structure
39:18set it apart
39:18from other known
39:19mammoth bone constructions,
39:20which are typically
39:21smaller and less elaborate.
39:23Inside,
39:24evidence of ancient fires
39:25and food remains,
39:26including vegetables,
39:27suggests that this site
39:28served a purpose
39:29beyond shelter.
39:30The exact purpose
39:31of the structure
39:32is still up for debate.
39:33Some people say
39:33it served practical functions
39:35like storage
39:36or a large communal
39:38gathering space.
39:39Others say
39:40it may have been built
39:41for rituals.
39:42In all likelihood,
39:43it probably did
39:44a little of both,
39:44but the design
39:46and the resources
39:47you would need
39:48to build something
39:49with that design
39:49suggest this
39:51was a complex society.
39:54It's believed
39:55that most of the mammoths
39:55used to build the site
39:56were female,
39:57suggesting that Ice Age
39:58inhabitants hunted
39:59or scavenged from herds
40:00rather than trapping
40:01lone males.
40:03Additionally,
40:04some bones
40:04are significantly older
40:05than others,
40:06indicating that
40:06Paleolithic humans
40:07may have used
40:08both recently deceased
40:09and long-dead animals.
40:11The Russian site
40:12is not the only example
40:13of this kind of construction.
40:15Roughly 70 mammoth bone structures
40:17have been discovered
40:18throughout Eastern Europe.
40:20So could the bone tiles
40:21in Alkmaar
40:22be part of a larger structure
40:23made of mammoth bones
40:24or some other ancient beast?
40:28Ongoing tests
40:29and excavations
40:31of the Alkmaar bones
40:32and the surrounding area
40:33continue to uncover
40:34new information.
40:37The bones don't belong
40:38to mammoths
40:39or to any other
40:40ancient creature.
40:41These are actually
40:43from cows.
40:44But they're not just
40:45random cow bones.
40:47They're just
40:47leg and ankle bones.
40:50Similar bone tile floors
40:51have been unearthed
40:52in several other cities
40:53in North Holland.
40:54The port towns
40:55of Horn,
40:56Ankhousen,
40:56and Edam
40:57yielded nearly identical
40:58findings,
40:59all dating to the 15th century.
41:01These discoveries suggest
41:03that using animal bones
41:04in flooring
41:05was a distinctive practice
41:06in medieval North Holland
41:07and that the bone floors
41:09in Alkmaar
41:09likely date to the same period.
41:12The house,
41:13built in 1609,
41:14was probably constructed
41:15over the original flooring.
41:17So now we know
41:18where the bones came from.
41:19But the original question
41:20still remains.
41:22Why were bones used
41:23for floor tiling?
41:26Examining historical events
41:28from that time
41:29may help the archaeologists
41:31unlock the answers
41:32to this mystery.
41:34During this period,
41:35Holland was under
41:35Spanish rule.
41:36But there was an uprising
41:38and in 1572,
41:40Alkmaar joined the rebellion.
41:42That same year,
41:43cities like Brielle
41:43and Ankhousen
41:44aligned with the Waterhousen,
41:46a rebel group
41:47fighting for Dutch independence.
41:49This marked a turning point
41:50as more towns rose in defiance
41:52against Spanish control.
41:54That defiance
41:55had brutal consequences.
41:57The Spanish launched
41:58violent crackdowns
41:59on rebellious cities
42:00and Alkmaar came under fire
42:02in 1573.
42:04But Alkmaar successfully
42:06resisted the Spanish forces,
42:08marking one of the first
42:09major victories
42:10in their revolt
42:11and a decisive turning point
42:13in the Dutch struggle
42:14for independence.
42:16The ongoing war
42:17led to food shortages,
42:19trade disruptions,
42:19and higher taxes.
42:21Many commoners suffered,
42:23especially as resources
42:24were redirected
42:25towards Alkmaar's defense
42:26against the Spaniards.
42:27Perhaps the bone tiles
42:29were used during this time
42:30because materials
42:31like tiles and bricks
42:32were prioritized
42:33for defenses
42:34or became difficult to source.
42:38While there is
42:39no definitive answer
42:40as to why animal bones
42:41were used in floors
42:42across northern Holland,
42:44the pattern suggests
42:45it may have been
42:46a common practice.
42:48Whether it was due
42:49to scarcity,
42:50symbolic tradition,
42:51or simply a creative use
42:53of available materials
42:54is anyone's guess.
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