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00:00The Nazca Geoglyphs in Peru.
00:05These fabulous vestiges of a long gone civilization have withstood time without ever revealing
00:15all their secrets.
00:19Some say they are maps of the sky.
00:22Others claim they are astrological calendars or even landing strips for alien spaceships.
00:28But up until now, none of these theories has been proven.
00:39Today, archaeologists are convinced that the key to this enigma isn't in the sky, but buried
00:47deep in the sand.
00:49Little by little, mummies, incredible fabrics, ceramics and mysterious elongated skulls are
00:56emerging from the ground.
00:58What will these precious discoveries reveal?
01:01Will analyzing their DNA, using scanners, 3D microscopes and augmented reality help solve
01:08one of the biggest secrets of humankind?
01:11The secret of the Nazca Geoglyphs.
01:25We are in the heart of one of the most arid regions of the world, over 350 kilometers south
01:32of Lima.
01:33It's here, between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, that experts from all over the world
01:39have begun new archaeological digs.
01:47Archaeologists, geologists and anthropologists will join forces in order to map out the traditions
01:53and living habits of the Nazca and understand the lines.
02:06Between 200 BC and 700 AD, this little known civilization drew thousands of geoglyphs here, in this once
02:14fertile valley.
02:23To grasp their full scale, you need to gain altitude.
02:31Because this giant puzzle spreads over approximately 500 square kilometers.
02:37Despite numerous reconnaissance flights, Johnny Isla, of the Palpa-Nasca program, knows there
02:51are still more geoglyphs to be discovered.
02:54The monkey is one of the most emblematic figures in the area.
03:01It measures 83 meters by 70.
03:04It was etched on a plain at the beginning of the Nazca civilization.
03:11It's one of the most iconic representations of fertility.
03:18The first Nazca lived in an arid area where water was essential.
03:24The spiral-shaped tail represents the cycle of life.
03:29The quantity and entanglement of the geoglyphs is such that up until today, it hasn't been
03:42possible to draw up a full inventory.
03:50In order to do this, the Peruvian authorities have decided to call upon NASA and its high-resolution
03:56airborne radar.
04:03The UAV SAR is one of a kind.
04:05It's designed to decrypt ground topography and map out major archaeological sites such as
04:11the Nazcas.
04:13Bruce Chapman, researcher with the space archaeology program, monitored the project.
04:26How do you know if you've discovered a new geoglyph if there's no definitive catalogue of geoglyphs?
04:45With the synthetic aperture radar data, we're very sensitive to where the piles of rocks are aligned.
04:52And so, can that data be used to help create a definitive catalogue of the Nazca lines?
04:58So, we image almost the entire World Heritage Site between the town of Palpa and Nazca, and also areas south and north of that area.
05:07Some are shaped like the hummingbird and the hands and the astronaut, very fanciful shapes.
05:13And then another type of geoglyph are these geometric geoglyphs.
05:20And these can be huge, many kilometers long.
05:22In the case of the lines, which are like these very straight paths, they can be many, many kilometers long.
05:29Line completed.
05:33Copy that. Line completed.
05:35The data collected by Nazca's radar has helped draw up a catalogue and a more complete map of these ancient designs.
05:54Most of the geoglyphs are clustered around the Nazca area, but there are others, more to the north, in the Palpa area.
06:05Recent aerial research helped locate very different geoglyphs from the Nazca's.
06:12Hidden by hills or located in inaccessible areas, unknown geoglyphs have recently been identified.
06:20The discovery of these new designs is a great step forward for local archaeology and world research on the line.
06:39This is the Pierres Gordas sector in Palpa.
06:44We're going to see a recently discovered geoglyph that hasn't been shown to the public yet.
06:52This monumental killer whale etched on the hillside, a few kilometers inland, is an important deity.
07:02In times preceding Nazca civilization, many communities lived along the coast, enjoying the ocean's resources.
07:21Fishermen and seashell gatherers probably chanced upon killer whales while going out to sea.
07:26Fascinated by the power and ferocity of this sea mammal, they gave it deity status.
07:34In Chincha, north of Nazca, archaeologists have discovered other lines etched in the desert ground.
07:59Charles Stanish, professor at the University of South Florida, doesn't think these are Nazca lines.
08:12Charles Stanish, professor at the University of South Florida, doesn't think these are Nazca lines.
08:16We recently discovered a set of lines very similar to the Nazca lines, but much older.
08:20It's very clear to us that the Paracas is the antecedent culture to Nazca.
08:31The whole idea of building lines in the desert, as we see so brilliantly in Nazca, was created here.
08:39This means the first geoglyphs were created much earlier than believed.
08:51They were etched by the Paracas over 2,400 years ago.
08:56In Animas Altas, Aisha Bashir-Bashar, archaeologist of the EHESS, the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences in Paris,
09:13heads a team of Franco-Peruvian researchers.
09:16She also is studying the very first line etchers, the Paracas.
09:23Shall we stop here?
09:28Without GPS, finding the lines would be extremely difficult.
09:40Let's see. They're here, look.
09:48These are roads, markers that guided men and llama caravans.
09:53They served as landmarks for people in the desert.
09:56And what do we have to find our way?
10:00GPS, otherwise we get lost.
10:03What we believe is that the people came from the highlands up in Huancavalica,
10:09coming down through this modern road that is also an ancient road.
10:13And they would descend on the mountains marked by the solstice.
10:23Although the lines were used as roads to connect sites where different populations converged,
10:29the figures etched on the hillsides probably served a different purpose.
10:33It was almost like a giant billboard that says,
10:36come to my place, come and trade with us, come and interact with us.
10:41The various communities would converge in the heart of the desert, on neutral territory.
10:48The mountain people would bring alpaca wool and vegetables such as potatoes.
10:53In exchange, the coast peoples would bring fish, seafood and seashells such as the spondylus.
11:11Billboards, roads, that explanation goes for the Paracas lines.
11:16However, the enigma of the Nazca geoglyphs is far more complex than it seems.
11:22More to the south, trapeziums can be found,
11:25as well as other geometric figures that are only visible from the sky.
11:30What could have been their purpose?
11:43The specialists are convinced that to understand the geoglyphs,
11:46you also need to learn more about the Nazca and their culture.
11:54For many years now, Giuseppe Orifici, director of the archaeological Nazca project,
11:59has been excavating on the Kawachi site.
12:05Ancient symbol of the greatness of the Nazca civilization,
12:09Kawachi is comprised of a group of temples, necropolises, walls and pyramids,
12:15nowadays covered in sand.
12:18The monumental center that spread over 24 square kilometers
12:23was probably inhabited between 200 BC and 450 AD.
12:33For the archaeologists, each discovery uncovers new clues on the line etchers' daily life,
12:39their physical appearance, rights and beliefs.
12:44The archaeologists had to clear out several tons of sand.
12:48But it was worth it.
12:50They've just made an interesting discovery.
12:53A mummy, buried very near the Great Pyramid.
12:57These remains will be analyzed at the anthropology lab.
13:01What will it tell them?
13:07Back at the lab, anthropologists Lucidos and Guido Agresti
13:11have begun their examination of the mummy's skeleton.
13:14So here you can clearly see the pathology.
13:17It's called parrot's beak.
13:18This is an individual who suffered from serious lumbar vertebrae problems
13:22in his lower back.
13:24And that's interesting.
13:25Look, the tibia shows a weakness.
13:28It's mended at the epiphysis.
13:31It must have been very painful.
13:35He probably had little contact points with the left knee because of the pain,
13:40so he compensated with the right leg.
13:43Eventually the joint became severely worn, above average.
13:47We could imagine that this man came from a distant region,
13:50that he traveled many kilometers to come to the Kowachi ceremonial center,
13:54despite the pains linked to his back and leg pathology.
13:57He probably ended his life here.
14:00The pilgrims who traveled to Kowachi offered up to the priests their excess harvest
14:12and small offerings sealed in jars before burying them.
14:16These small objects, such as these three clay fragments linked by a thread,
14:23possibly symbolize the union of a family that wanted to leave a trace of their pilgrimage to Kowachi.
14:31With its temples and pyramids, Kowachi was an important ceremonial center,
14:38visited by the religious elite and numerous pilgrims.
14:42For a long time, we wondered how the Nazca had made these geoglyphs that spoke to the sky.
15:00How many people were committed to this task? And what was their method?
15:05These geoglyphs are normally meant to be observed from the sky.
15:16In our opinion, the ancient Nazca didn't need to see them.
15:20They etched them as an offering and a ritual for their gods.
15:24This god, the anthropomorphic mythical being you can see on the ceramic and fabrics,
15:31is always represented in flight.
15:33This is a being that watches everything from high up.
15:42Figures such as the bird, the hummingbird, the monkey or the spider are only visible from the sky.
15:49You can hardly see them on the ground.
15:51The important thing wasn't the representation from down here,
15:54but that a superior being should be able to see them.
16:08To draw these giant figures, the Nazca made good use of the region's specific geology.
16:14The part we see here is a line that was cleared of its rocks to reveal sandy soil,
16:28which is lighter in color, to create contrast.
16:31Drawing outlines on such a large scale meant that the Nazca must have had mathematical skills,
16:45specifically in geometry.
16:48They would start by drawing small-scale models and then transfer them to a large surface,
16:54as we do nowadays with a pantograph.
16:57We think that only one or two people directed the project,
17:01but the number of workers would depend on the size of the designs.
17:05For the spirals, a group of 15 to 20 people were enough to clear the ground,
17:10because the rocks weren't taken away.
17:12They were just pushed to the edge of the lines.
17:15So it was easier.
17:17All it took was a light clearing.
17:19That's it.
17:20The Nazca didn't just etch all these symbols on the ground.
17:27They also reproduced them on a variety of everyday objects.
17:32These ceramics brought by the people who visited the geoglyphs have accumulated over time.
17:43One of the most common rituals consisted of breaking finely decorated ceramics
17:48that were probably filled with water.
17:51Analyzing these thousands of fragments helped date and draw up a chronology
18:09of when the geoglyphs were in use.
18:12The exceptional treasures on display at the Antonini Museum
18:30highlight the importance of ceramics for the Nazca
18:33and the virtuosity of their creators.
18:36Among the most emblematic designs, the most common is the hummingbird.
18:43The hummingbird is often associated to the flower it draws nectar from.
18:58The hummingbird is very emblematic because it has the possibility,
19:03when scared or in danger, of being capable of stopping its heart and playing dead.
19:12And then, coming back to life.
19:15In a way, it's a bit like the symbol of resurrection of the Nazca Pampa.
19:20The remarkable quality of these ceramics and their rich iconography shed light on numerous aspects
19:35of the Nazca's daily life and beliefs.
19:41The spider is a symbol which is linked mainly to the concepts of fertility and water.
19:47Water was the most precious commodity for the Nazca.
19:54The offerings and geoglyphs were a means to invoke the deities to obtain rain.
20:07On the Paracas side of Animus Altas, the team has been excavating for several days now.
20:12Despite the heat, the dust and the tons of sand cleared away, everyone's heart is in their work.
20:19Because beneath the layers of shoveled earth, an exceptional freeze is appearing.
20:27Each discovery substantiates the influence of the Paracas culture on the Nazca.
20:32No other comparable wall seems to have survived the ravages of time.
20:43This freeze is unique.
20:46It's the early Paracas freeze to show these complex figures.
20:49Rituals and ceremonies were celebrated in this building.
20:56And everyone could see this freeze.
20:59So these figures held meaning for the people who came and took part in the rituals and ceremonies.
21:04This figure is an illustration of El Cerro Colado, the creature with large circular eyes.
21:12Here you can easily make out its eyes, mouth, body.
21:17And here, a snake-shaped headdress.
21:19This is an emblematic Paracas figure that can be found on the fabrics, ceramics and even in the geoglyphs.
21:32In Kawachi, the excavations are making progress and deliver new clues every day about Nazca traditions and culture.
21:51For example, here, we're discovering new offerings.
21:56Fabrics that are slowly being uncovered.
21:59This is the first time we've come up with a tunic this size for a child.
22:09A very small child.
22:11It's a child, probably an important one.
22:16What we can say is that this is an example of the importance of fabrics for the Nazca,
22:23and especially of their use for children.
22:25Funerary fabrics are offerings.
22:29They're very important to the gods.
22:34These richly embroidered fabrics that show identical motifs to those etched in the Pampa,
22:40a proof of the constant relationship the Nazca had with the geoglyphs and their gods.
22:45This giant figure represents a traditional Andean weaving loom.
22:48It shows a ball of yarn symbolized by spirals.
22:52The narrower trapezium is a sort of stick with which the Nazca wove the yarn used to create the fabrics for the offerings.
22:59The uniqueness and complexity of Paracas textile art still fascinates specialists from all over the world.
23:07At the research department of the Quai Branly Museum in Paris, Christophe Moulerat, in charge of ancient fabric imagery and archeology,
23:21is studying the manufacturing secrets of these extraordinary the manufacturing secrets of these extraordinary Paracas and Nazca fabrics.
23:29Today he's about to test the latest generation in 3D digital microscopes that push back the boundaries of optical microscopy.
23:37We're going to use this 3D digital camera for macroscopic observations.
23:44This will take us right to the heart of the fabric to appreciate the full complexity and diversity of the dyes as well as the fibers used.
23:53Paracas fabrics are generally made from alpaca, llama and sometimes vicuรฑa fibers.
24:01The most fascinating thing about them is their incredible diversity in color.
24:16Here you have all at once blue, yellow, reds and greens that are extremely contrasted.
24:22Over 250 shades of color have been identified on certain types of fabrics.
24:26In fact, this green is merely the combination of a dark, almost black thread with a green thread.
24:33And the combination of both produces a certain shade of green which is different from the other greens that can be observed in this motif.
24:43Protected from the light and humidity, the vivid colors of these incredible embroidered shrouds have been miraculously preserved for over 2,000 years.
24:52In Coachi, the team directed by Giuseppe Orifici has just made an exceptional discovery.
25:03A fardo, a Nazca funerary bundle.
25:07Extracting it is a very delicate operation. It must remain in its initial position.
25:28๏ฟฝ blaz, blaz, blaz.
25:35Whose remains are these?
25:36Do they belong to a priest who lived in Coachi?
25:41whose remains are these do they belong to a priest who lived in kawachi or to a simple pilgrim
25:55anthropologists lucy dos and guido agresti with the help of jessica levy fabric specialist
26:04we'll try to make it speak that's fine perfect i think you agree he's in a huddle position
26:14seated you can't see the arms they're probably folded against the thorax but you can clearly
26:21see the right leg which is still attached to the coxal bone the joint is still visible so on the
26:29joint you can see the plant fiber rope that was probably used to tie up the individual who was
26:34already in a very huddled position and you can see the head half covered by this fabric it's bound
26:42i do think that initially it was over the knee
26:44to ensure eternal life for their dead both the paracas and the nasca made fardos
26:57the first step consisted of securely tying the body in a huddled position
27:02then it was wrapped in several layers of precious cloth even children were entitled to this funerary
27:11ritual only the quantity and quality of the fabrics used varied for some high-ranking mummies up to 30
27:18mantos have been identified between each fabric layer of the fardo they would place clothing corn
27:26cobs and other offerings other such items would also be arranged during the funerary ritual before the tomb was closed
27:34this funerary tradition was passed on from the paracas to the nasca
27:46as soon as he arrives in lima christophe mullera goes to the national museum of archaeology which hosts an exceptional collection of paracas fardos
28:06this is a big day for christophe and elsa tomasto a peruvian anthropologist who specializes in pre-inca civilizations
28:13after weeks of negotiations the peruvian ministry of culture has granted them permission to perform a world first the virtual exploration of a fardo
28:23the resulting images will then be treated thanks to unique software developed by silva audio world specialist in mixed reality
28:30world specialist in mixed reality this technology combines augmented reality and virtual reality to create interactive holograms
28:38i'm going to use this machine which will help you perform holographic analysis through this device and we'll project it on the fardo
28:53okay you mean i'm going to be looking at what's inside using these glasses that's right it's something rather unusual it's never been done before has it no never we're all set for the virtual search yeah here we go
29:05so i'm actually inside the fardo right now it gives you an overall view and you can see how the items inside the fardo are placed just as if you were wearing x-ray glasses
29:32the upside of such a technology is that it achieves virtual perspective without needing to touch the object and in a very precise way
29:39so the fabrics here are in fact invisible yes i'm going to switch to another contrast so you can see more fabrics
29:46so you can see more fabrics there you see now you have more fabrics yeah i see a few more
29:54there's a considerable amount of space reserved for the fabrics so this must have been a rather important individual
30:01before returning to paris the lima museum ofCameraman
30:23Before returning to Paris, the Lima Museum has allowed Christophe Mullerat access to
30:33a well-guarded treasure, its collection of Paracas mantos.
30:39These fabulous funerary shrouds were manufactured between 500 BC and 200 AD.
30:50These one-of-a-kind masterpieces are never taken out of their encasement.
30:54Carmen Aida Teis, in charge of the preservation of the fabrics, has never had the opportunity
31:00to show them to a specialist before.
31:04The motifs could represent mythical ancestors who helped the deceased become one of them
31:09and from beyond, play a protective role for the community.
31:14This shows the mantos are a testimony to the Paracas beliefs and mythology.
31:27This killer whale isn't represented in a naturalist version.
31:31Several parts of its body belong to other animals.
31:35For example, you can see fox ears, fangs, a bird's wing and here, apparently, an insect wing.
31:46However the tail is indeed a killer whale's.
31:50The paws and their small claws belong to a monkey.
31:54One of its arms is extended and it's wearing a trophy skull.
32:01Often represented not only on fabrics but also on ceramics and geoglyphs, what could these
32:07innumerable trophy heads mean?
32:17These iconographic items are connected to a ritual consisting in the beheading and death of
32:22a young individual.
32:26This probably corresponds to a ritual fight, the outcome of which was the decapitation of
32:31a young person.
32:36Today, we know that the Nazca used hallucinogenic drugs to dull the pain of decapitation.
32:49This way, they could fearlessly participate in these ceremonies that led the sacrificed individual
32:54to death, but more importantly, to eternal life.
33:14What did these heads represent?
33:15Who did they belong to?
33:18One of the hypotheses suggests that the goal is not to secure trophies from the enemy, but
33:23to possess the power of an ancestor that will link you to the gods.
33:27So they weren't enemies then?
33:29Apparently not.
33:31The aim was to find a balance with nature, with the world.
33:36Their belief was that shedding blood helped fertilize the ground.
33:42Their strain-shaped skulls were discovered on the Paracast sites.
33:47In her laboratory, Elsa Tamasto is studying one of these which shows a very peculiar type
33:51of deformation.
33:53It's magnificent and very well preserved, perfect for DNA sampling.
34:00And for this, we need a tooth.
34:06We're looking to obtain additional information to learn more about the Paracas populations.
34:16This is perfect for a facial reconstruction.
34:21Thanks to the technology developed by Sylvain Orturo, Elsa Tamasto will be able to carry
34:25out an unprecedented analysis of the skull.
34:28Okay, so here I'm preparing an anthropological analysis of the skull that was scanned in
34:36view of a maxillofacial reconstruction.
34:39I will go in higher density, you will see this path, for example.
34:43Uh-huh.
34:44Oh yeah, oh my God.
34:49Wow.
34:50I've never seen like that.
34:53You see both hemispheres.
34:55Exactly.
34:56Oh.
34:57And the circumvolution.
34:58Yes.
34:59Incredible.
35:00Incredible.
35:01At the research department of the Quai Branly Museum in Paris, Christophe Moulerat has asked
35:11Philippe Charlier, a forensic expert and anthropologist, to proceed with a virtual autopsy and put a
35:17face on the Paracas skull.
35:20I'm coming closer to the teeth.
35:27There's some obvious wear and tear near the left mandible.
35:31There's a very visible abscess.
35:34Such a poor state of dental hygiene happens in populations that did not have antibiotics.
35:40It could have led to the individual's death.
35:43Yes, it can really be the cause of death.
35:48We have the basic anthropological data.
35:51We have plausible gender, seemingly a woman.
35:54And we have an age of death at approximately 45 years.
35:58And here we have a 3D modeling of this object that will allow the artist to overlay the layers of skin, muscle and fat.
36:07And also put hair on this head.
36:11And create a face from her skull.
36:18This face from the past has features in every way comparable to that of the actual populations in the Nazca region.
36:25Only the deformed skull is different from its distant descendants.
36:32For a very long time, these fascinating skulls were the subject of strong debate.
36:37But they are in fact human.
36:39And scientists now know how they were shaped.
36:47During the first years of their life, newborns' heads were compressed with straps and small planks.
36:54The process was painless, except when the pressure was incorrectly mastered.
36:59This could then result in brain injuries, dreadful pain and even death.
37:05This compression technique was used to obtain various skull shapes.
37:09We have observed differences depending on the area.
37:19This type of elongated skull comes from the mountains, while these flattened ones come from the coast.
37:24Out of the 1,300 individuals we exhumed, all show a typical Nazca total cranial deformation.
37:42Deformed skulls weren't exclusive of the cultural elite, because most of the individuals had them.
37:51The different ethnic groups probably adopted a specific skull shape to distinguish themselves from other groups.
38:05In his Californian laboratory, Professor Lars Ferren Schmitz studies the DNA of ancient populations.
38:16His objective? To better understand the movement of the Nazca and Paracas populations,
38:22and discover if there were any connections between them or with other southern American populations.
38:30The scientist is about to extract the DNA from the Paracas tooth Elsa Tomasto sent him.
38:37He'll be able to compare the sample he just extracted with the considerable DNA database he already has on Paracas and Nazca mummies.
38:46This, of course, first allows us to say that these individuals were humans and not aliens.
38:52And then, of course, also, which is far more interesting, allows us to say that there's population continuity between the Paracas and the Nazca people in the region.
39:02So there was no population exchange, no bigger migration coming in.
39:06From 200 BC onwards, the Nazca culture progressively imposed itself at the expense of the Paracas culture.
39:19But the Nazca, in time, would also experience an inexorable downfall.
39:25Right when Nazca culture started developing, water became progressively scarce.
39:31The region faced a slow desertification process.
39:34We observe an increase in the production of geoglyphs on the hills, the plateaus, and in the desert.
39:41This indicates an intensification in ritual ceremonies.
39:45They were asking the gods for more and more water.
39:47To own water was to own power.
39:48Kawachi's priestly elite settled along a strip of fertile land irrigated by a river.
40:01But little by little, the region experienced important climatic changes, periods of severe droughts or violent floods.
40:16Such a succession of natural disasters undermine religious beliefs.
40:30But when offerings yield no result, the society enters a period of crisis.
40:37We've seen this with Kawachi's downfall.
40:39The intense period of climatic disturbances and earthquakes marks the beginning of the population's lack of faith.
40:58The Nazca turn away from Kawachi and redouble their messages to the hereafter.
41:05When these geoglyphs started to lose meaning with regards to their initial religious vocation,
41:15the last generations started to make new figures, and more specifically geometrical designs such as trapeziums or very large lines.
41:23In most cases, these cut across the older geoglyphs.
41:28In Palpa, a trapezium overlays an older hummingbird.
41:34A little further over, trapeziums also cut through other naturalist motifs, such as a whale, with the same intent, to replace the symbols of the past with new figures.
41:49To ward off the water shortage, geoglyph production accelerates.
41:54The Nazca etch more and more lines on the slopes and plateaus in the hope that rain will fall abundantly on the Andes and replenish the rivers.
42:03But obviously, with such a climate, even the gods are helpless.
42:09Because the requests were not granted, the population started leaving the Pampa, and Kawachi declined in power.
42:16The lines the ancient Nazca drew have defied time.
42:32And for their descendants, it is essential to preserve this link of eternity that connects them to the ancient people of the Pampa and their beliefs.
42:48These lines, whose purposes evolved over time, are the witnesses of the full history of the Paracas and Nazca civilizations.
42:57Some were used as communication routes that connected different places in the Pampa.
43:05They could also attract people to trading sites, like enormous road signs.
43:10I think that in Nazca culture, the geoglyphs are associated to the concept of eternity.
43:24Like the city of Kawachi, they survive time, and even natural disasters, beyond death itself.
43:32These geoglyphs are an integral part of this higher element, which, to them, is time.
43:45A circular time that revolves around itself in endless rebirth.
43:52A time where geoglyphs are eternal.
43:55A video of the apophth is a ใใจใซใใงใใใใใซใชใใ็งใใกใฎ็ฎๆจใซ่งฆใใ
44:08How are you doing?
44:09How are you doing?
44:11How are you doing?
44:12How are you doing?
44:14How are you doing?
44:17How are you doing?
44:19How are you doing?
44:20Are you doing?
44:21When are you?
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