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00:00In Ybor City, Florida, workers uncover hidden tunnels, raising questions
00:05surrounding their purpose. Who had the means, who had the motive to build them?
00:11And what might they suggest about the hidden activity that once moved beneath
00:16Ybor City? In Naples, Italy, a hidden tomb was uncovered deep underground. We
00:23believe the necropolis once held dozens of tombs. The key questions
00:29persist. Who was buried here? And what do these elaborate chambers tell us about the
00:35Hellenistic Neapolis? In Nushabad, Iran, a local digging a well unearths a massive
00:42underground complex known today as Ui. Ui had largely stayed hidden from the
00:47modern world until its rediscovery in 2006. And the question remains, why was it
00:52built in the first place? Below the busy streets of the world's cities exists a
00:59hidden realm of wonder, sprawling ancient complexes, mysterious tombs, top-secret
01:10military bases, strange structures, and lost artifacts buried beneath our feet and
01:19long-forgotten until now. Underground marbles are exposed to reveal what lies hidden beneath
01:29the cities.
01:40Three miles northeast of downtown Tampa, Florida lies Ybor City, a vibrant
01:46neighborhood born of industry and shaped by immigrants. But long ago, it was a haven for
01:52organized crime where ambition and vice collided. In 1885, Spanish-born magnate Vincent Martinez Ybor moved his
02:02operations from Key West to Tampa, pushed by labor unrest, weak infrastructure, and political
02:08instability in Cuba. Attracted by Tampa's rail lines and port, he bought 40 acres northeast of downtown and built a
02:16planned community of factories and worker housing, laying the foundation for the city's rise as an industrial powerhouse.
02:28In 1896, cigar industrialists expanded their reach by founding the Florida Brewing Company.
02:33Set near Key Rail Lines and Government Spring, a crucial water source, the brewery thrived.
02:40By 1900, it was reportedly exporting more beer to Cuba than any other American brewery.
02:47As Ybor City expanded, so did Tampa's underworld. From the late 1800s through the mid-20th century,
02:54the city gained a reputation for organized crime that was so entrenched that federal authorities
03:00ranked it as one of America's most corrupt cities. In November 2018, demolition crews working at 12th
03:08Street and 6th Avenue in Ybor City uncover a brick-lined tunnel, reigniting questions about the
03:15neighborhood's rumored subterranean past. The tunnel has rounded ceilings and a flat, mostly dirt floor,
03:24and modifications like intersecting pipes, electrical wiring, and double locks. Reinforced by three layers
03:33of brick, the ceiling sits roughly one foot beneath street level. While a small segment of the tunnel was
03:41initially exposed during streetcar construction in the early 2000s, the 2018 excavation revealed additional
03:48details. Glass bottles, traces of a spring, and a direct connection into the basement of the Florida
03:55Brewing Company. At least three tunnels have been documented beneath Ybor. At the former Blue Ribbon
04:03store on 7th Avenue and 15th Street, a local news report mentioned three separate passages extending from
04:09the 26,000 square foot building. A fire in 2000 destroyed the building and sealed any existing entrances,
04:16leaving the extent of these tunnels unknown. In a region where basements are uncommon,
04:24these tunnels raise important questions. Who had the means, who had the motive to build them? And what
04:30might they suggest about the hidden activity that once moved beneath Ybor City? The straightforward
04:37design of the tunnels suggests they might have initially served a practical purpose. The tunnel discovered
04:45in 2018 appears to date to between 1885 and the late 1890s, right in line with Ybor City's early expansion.
04:56Structurally, it matches dual-use sewer systems designed to manage both wastewater and stormwater that
05:05were constructed in other U.S. cities around that time. Could the tunnels represent the city's first
05:12attempts at sanitation and stormwater control?
05:17In the 17 and 1800s, cities along the eastern seaboard built brick storm drains that doubled as sewage
05:25channels. Gravity would transport waste toward the bays or channels. The tunnel discovered in 2018 likely
05:32once extended directly to the Ybor channel before being sealed off, which supports the idea that it
05:38originally functioned to carry wastewater toward the waterfront. At the time, Tampa was experiencing
05:45explosive growth. The arrival of the railroad in 1883, the construction of the ultra-luxurious
05:51Tampa Bay Hotel in 1891, and the rise of the cigar manufacturing and brewing industries
05:56transformed the city. By 1900, Tampa's population had tripled to 16,000. Dealing with sewage and drainage
06:03would have likely been a concern. Roughly 1,000 miles north in New York City, similar challenges led
06:12to groundbreaking infrastructure innovations. By 1849, New York's population had surged to nearly 500,000
06:23people. Sewage flowed into the rivers, and the city was struck by one of its worst outbreaks of cholera.
06:29In response, 70 miles of sewer pipe were laid in just five years. It's reasonable to think that other
06:37fast-growing cities like Ybor may have looked to similar solutions. In Ybor, a team laser scanning the
06:452018 tunnel found an artesian spring still flowing through the tunnel, one that was documented nearly a
06:53century earlier. While the spring alone doesn't confirm the tunnel's purpose, its presence along with
07:01the drainage pipes strongly suggests the structure was intended for early water management or sewage.
07:10Interestingly, some of the pipes date to the 1970s or 80s, indicating later reuse or modification.
07:17While this particular tunnel was eventually identified as a stormwater sewer on a 1927 city
07:24plan, other tunnels don't appear in official records. Some of the tunnels also have flat dirt floors,
07:32which make them less effective for drainage. While they may have started as part of Ybor's early
07:37sanitation efforts, more advanced systems were in place by 1905. So it's possible their use evolved
07:43beyond any original civic function. Local lore, combined with the location of the tunnels,
07:50has led some to question whether they were built or later used for covert activity. Even before
07:57national prohibition, Florida had enacted its own ban on alcohol, which meant that Tampa was dry.
08:04But by the 1920s, liquor arrived by boat from Cuba and the Caribbean, and it also came in from local
08:10stills across Hillsborough County. Given the hundreds of bootlegging arrests on record,
08:17could these tunnels have offered smugglers a protected route underneath Ybor?
08:23By 1930, Tampa had roughly 130 underground liquor retailers. In Ybor, bootlegging became a thriving cottage
08:33industry. Some estimates suggest half the neighborhood's families were involved,
08:38as homemade stills supplied cafes, restaurants, and speakeasies. With that level of activity,
08:47the tunnels may have offered a discreet way to move cash and contraband, especially for Tampa's
08:53Italian community, who profited heavily from the trade. That underworld economy overlapped with the rise
09:01of mob figures, like Charlie Wall, who built an empire on gambling, and by the 1890s had taken over
09:08Tampa's Bolida Rackets, an illegal numbers game with an 80 to 1 payoff, reportedly with backing from local
09:15business leaders eager to keep profits in the city. By the 1930s, Italian bootlegging operations were
09:22encroaching on Wall's territory. A violent turf war broke out, and in the late 30s, assassins tried to
09:28kill Charlie Wall in broad daylight, blasting at his car with a sawed-off shotgun. But Wall escaped
09:33into his home, slipping through a tunnel-like passage that linked his garage to the house.
09:38In that climate, tunnels would have offered a secure way to transport contraband and an essential
09:43means of escape and protection. Just 20 miles southwest in St. Petersburg, another tunnel offers a
09:50possible glimpse into how criminal networks in Florida may have operated below ground.
09:57Beneath the historic Snell Arcade, a reinforced concrete tunnel extends roughly 30 feet under the
10:04sidewalk. It's only accessible through a hidden four-square-foot hatch in the basement, and Al Capone
10:10was rumored to have kept an office there. During Prohibition, the Snell Arcade housed a rooftop nightclub
10:17rumored to be a speakeasy and a taxi office linked to several moonshine arrests in the 1930s. Given that
10:26history, the tunnel may have offered a way to move alcohol without drawing attention from the police or the
10:34public. While the Snell Arcade tunnel might have initially served as utility access, some suggest
10:41it continues beyond the basement wall, possibly extending beneath the street toward a former bank.
10:47This alignment has led some to believe that the tunnel was later adapted for secretly transporting cash or
10:55other contraband. But here's the thing, there's been no reported conclusive evidence linking Ybor's tunnels
11:02to organized crime. In the 1920s, public corruption and limited policing, at times just nine officers
11:08for the entire city, meant organized crime related to Belita and prohibition could operate without relying
11:14on elaborate tunnel systems. But that doesn't mean they didn't serve another nefarious purpose.
11:20Historians are now confident that Ybor's tunnels originated as part of an early sewage system
11:27abandoned by the city before the 1920s. And while the passageways have never been definitively tied to
11:35running contraband, it's not a stretch to wonder if bootleggers and smugglers use these secret corridors for their
11:43illicit purposes. The tunnels beneath Ybor City offer traces of a complex past and could illustrate a town defined as
11:52much by what was hidden below ground as by what was built above it.
12:07On the western coast of the Italian peninsula, 120 miles southeast of Rome,
12:13Naples sits on this sweeping curve of the bay that bears its name.
12:19Naples sits within a natural arc of hills that stretches from the promontory of Posilipo to the
12:26Sorrentine Peninsula. This coastal setting helped define its long role as a maritime hub,
12:33first in Greek antiquity and later as one of the Mediterranean's most influential port cities.
12:41Greek colonists arrived between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE, first on the island of Pithikusai and
12:48then later at Kumai on the mainland. By around 600 BCE, they founded Neapolis, meaning new city, a planned
12:57settlement with temples and a theater and a major port, as well as a defined civic center.
13:05Neapolis was absorbed into the Roman Republic in 327 BCE, but retained autonomy for another 200 years,
13:13allowing Greek customs to persist under Roman rule. From the 6th century CE onwards, Naples transitioned
13:20through Byzantine, Norman and Swabian rule. From 1265 on, under Angevin rule, Naples flourished as a dynastic
13:29capital, notable for its Gothic architecture, blending French, Greek and Arab cultural elements.
13:38In 1889, beneath the courtyard of a 19th century palazzo in Naples' Sanita district,
13:44a barren digging for water pierces the ceiling of a long buried chamber, uncovering one of the city's
13:51most extraordinary archaeological sites. 40 feet below the palazzo, a steep staircase leads to the
13:59hypogeum of Kristallini Street. Four rock-cut tombs carved directly into the volcanic rock hillside.
14:07Each has its own monumental entrance. One is even framed by ionic columns. These entrances originally
14:14opened onto the ancient necropolis pathway, actively used between the 4th and 1st centuries BCE.
14:21Each tomb follows a two-level plan. The lower chambers, built in the Hellenistic period,
14:27contained carved stone beds, statues, and symbolic offerings consistent with traditional Greek burial
14:34customs. Later Roman adaptations introduced niches for urns and Latin inscriptions on the upper levels.
14:44In all, 700 artifacts were discovered, reflecting the tomb's extensive and evolving use.
14:52After centuries of activity, flooding and mudslides buried the necropolis beneath layers of sediment,
14:57eventually concealing it entirely. By the 1500s, the Sanita was built above it. Now, workers may have
15:05encountered the site in the 1700s, but even today, its full extent is unknown. We believe the necropolis once
15:12held dozens of tombs. The Hypogeum of Kristallini Street opened to the public for the first time in 2022.
15:21But key questions persist. Who was buried here? And what do these elaborate chambers tell us about the
15:28ancient beliefs, identity, and ramifications of social status in Hellenistic Neapolis?
15:35The vivid frescoes and symbolic motifs inside the Hypogeum of Kristallini Street raises questions about
15:43whether these tombs were more than resting places. The deepest and most intact chamber,
15:51Tomb C, is framed by fluted columns, scarlet painted steps, and elaborate frescoes. The density of symbolic
15:59detail raises the question, was this space designed for cultic ritual or commemorative rites?
16:07Dominating one wall is a 20-inch limestone Medusa head, a common protective emblem in Hellenistic tombs
16:15meant to ward off evil. Nearby lies a silver wine jug and meticulously carved offerings. These features
16:25imply the chamber may have been deliberately crafted to blend symbolic protection with rituals of
16:33remembrance. Near the tomb's entrance there's this painted golden dish that depicts two characters
16:38who are believed to be Dionysus and Ariadne. Those are characters associated with fertility,
16:44rebirth, and divine ecstasy. Now there are also laurel and myrtle garlands. Those are plants that are
16:52associated with Dionysus. Unlike public ceremonies conducted at the civic level, Dionysian mystery
17:00cults practice private, initiatory rituals for individuals or small groups seeking favorable
17:06afterlives. Kristallini's iconography may indicate similar private rites were enacted here.
17:15500 miles east at Amphipolis in northern Greece, archaeological discoveries provide clear evidence of ritual spaces dedicated to cult worship.
17:26Excavations in 2024 beneath a later Byzantine basilica revealed a dedicated cult building reconstructed during the 4th century BCE.
17:37Archaeologists found dense ritual deposits including female figurines, womb effigies, oyster shells, and animal bones indicating sustained cultic activities, likely
17:50honoring a female deity, possibly Artemis.
17:54Antipolis provides definitive evidence of cult activity, votive offerings, ritual objects, and a clear devotional setting.
18:04While artifacts were found at Kristallini, the most striking elements are the carefully arranged architecture and evocative imagery raising an
18:15important archaeological distinction.
18:18Is this a genuine cult space or a commemorative tomb that only mimics sacred ritual forms?
18:28In 1968, about 50 miles southeast of Naples at Paestum, the tomb of the diver was discovered.
18:36The tomb is dated to around 480 to 470 BCE, and it consists of five slabs of limestone forming this
18:45small painted chamber.
18:47The interior walls depict young men crowned with laurel who are eating and making music, but the most striking feature
18:55is the tomb's ceiling.
18:57It shows this solitary figure diving headfirst into shallow water framed by trees and by sky.
19:05That image is unique. It's unlike any other from that time in history.
19:10The burial contents are unusually sparse, with no human remains or inscriptions.
19:17This absence of typical offering suggests that the tomb's meaning may have relied heavily on its painted imagery,
19:23with visual symbolism itself serving as a key form of commemoration, perhaps replacing material offerings.
19:34Interpretations of the diver's imagery vary from metaphors on the soul's passage into the afterlife,
19:40to depictions of suicide. Some even argue these scenes were borrowed from popular attic face motifs,
19:47and may not reflect a fully developed or unified funerary belief system.
19:53Cristalini, by contrast, represents a more integrated ritual environment.
19:59Its carved architecture and mythic iconography points to deliberate planning aimed at shaping commemorative practice.
20:08But the limited evidence makes it difficult to determine which rights or beliefs, if any, were actually tied to the
20:15space.
20:17The architecture, materials, and detailed iconography at Cristalini hint at a particular social standing.
20:26The tombs clearly reflect high-status decorative traditions observed in the 4th century BCE at Macedonian burials and at Greek
20:35-speaking cities across southern Italy.
20:37You've got monumental facades, you've got richly painted interiors, you've got symbolic imagery, all of that aligns with their customs
20:44and beliefs.
20:45So, given these parallels, is it safe to assume that these tombs were commissioned by the prominent Greek families of
20:55Neapolis?
20:57HypoGMC exemplifies its substantial investment. Carved directly into the rock, its furnishings include stone beds with intricate palmette and geometric
21:07patterns resembling inlaid precious stones.
21:10Painted pillows with carefully detailed bread stitching, along with expensive pigments like matter yellow and Egyptian blue, reinforce the exceptional
21:21resources of the tomb's patrons.
21:23Perhaps the strongest evidence of Greek patronage lies in the Greek inscriptions of personal names and six headstones, bearing the
21:32word kaira, meaning farewell.
21:35These inscriptions, coupled with sophisticated design elements, indicate a deliberate expression of cultural identity and elite status.
21:44Over 450 miles south, the Tholos tombs at Pylos highlight a different approach to elite burial practices.
21:54Excavations at Pylos uncovered two beehive-shaped tombs 15 feet underground and dating back 3,500 years.
22:03Although looted in antiquity, the chamber floors were once lined entirely in gold foil.
22:10It was clearly intended as a powerful visual statement of wealth and prestige.
22:17Look at these artifacts. You've got Baltic amber, you've got Egyptian amulets, you've got a gold pendant depicting the Egyptian
22:24goddess Hawthor, protector of the dead.
22:27There's a pattern to these. They are rare and they're imports.
22:31Those two things suggest that early rulers deliberately displayed objects like this to broadcast their trade connections and their cosmopolitan
22:42tastes.
22:43This outward-facing strategy contrasts with Kristallini's more narrow focus that linked them back to their Hellenistic roots.
22:50At Kristallini, elite status was asserted not through lavish foreign goods, but through culturally specific visual narratives, inscriptions, and localized
23:00symbolic motifs, indicating a tightly defined community identity rather than a broader Mediterranean cosmopolitanism.
23:09In 2023, archaeologists uncovered the remarkably intact tomb of Cerberus, dating to around 2,200 years ago, just over 10
23:20miles west of Naples.
23:22The tomb's painted garlands and vivid mythological scenes include a rare depiction of Hercules capturing Cerberus, the three-headed hound
23:32of the Roman underworld.
23:33The tomb's impressive scale and intricate imagery suggest it was commissioned by an elite family for a prominent Roman patriarch
23:41in ancient Latourna.
23:43Inside, archaeologists found libation vessels, glass ointment jars, and astrigal, which is a grooming tool used by ancient Greeks and
23:53Romans, in bath rituals.
23:56Based on these findings, it seems that the tomb's lavish elements were strategically chosen to assert the social standing and
24:04enduring legacy of its occupant.
24:08At Kristallini, imagery of Dionysus could also reflect elite status, particularly for families involved in the wine trade.
24:17Because in Hellenistic southern Italy, Dionysus embodies big-picture themes like transformation and immortality, but he's also explicitly linked to
24:26wine and rituals around wine.
24:28So, this imagery could be doing two things at once here.
24:31It could be signifying spiritual aspirations, but also professional and economic identity.
24:38The visual language at Kristallini corresponds with philosophical ideas circulating in southern Italy at the time.
24:45From 530 BCE onwards, Pythagorean philosophy was centered in southern Italian cities, like Croton,
24:52and likely influenced local views of immortality, cosmic order, and the afterlife.
24:57Although a direct link can't be established, these ideas may have informed how some elite community used tombs to express
25:05beliefs in harmony, identity, and continuity beyond death.
25:11Around 20 Hellenistic tombs have been documented beneath Naples' Sunita district.
25:16But the hypogeum of Kristallini is by far the most intact.
25:21Still, questions remain about the individuals behind its construction, their motivations, and the precise beliefs embedded in its design.
25:41Deep inside central Iran's Ishfahan province, about six miles north of the historic city of Kashan, is the desert town
25:50of Nushabad.
25:52Now, as I understand it, the Persian name Nushabad is traditionally translated as something like city of cold, tasty water.
26:00And listen, in this part of the world, cold water is going to taste really good.
26:04The climate is very hot, but Nushabad's 12,000 or so inhabitants have been using a freshwater spring at the
26:11foot of the nearby mountains.
26:12And for more than 1,500 years, that underground water system has supported not only drinking water, but also agriculture,
26:20and even public baths.
26:22But the design of the city itself is also ingenious.
26:26Towering over the streets are vertical towers called windcatchers, which are designed to harness the slightest breeze and funnel it
26:32indoors.
26:34These impressive structures have towered above Nushabad's desert skyline for centuries.
26:39But in 2006, an accidental discovery shines a light on what lies beneath this ancient city.
26:48A local resident in a nearby village was digging a well on his property when he unearthed what appeared to
26:55be an underground tunnel.
26:57Upon closer inspection, it was clear that this was a man-made corridor that had been cut into the earth
27:02and rock.
27:03By 2007, formal excavations had begun, and what they found at the end of this tunnel would blow your mind.
27:10It's this Byzantine complex of interconnected rooms with three stories of narrow hallways and stairwells
27:19that led to this dense concentration of hidden chambers and canals going all the way down between 13 and 60
27:26feet.
27:27Each room had a height of approximately 6 feet, which strongly suggested they had been designed for human occupation.
27:33But there didn't appear to be a main entryway into this underground city.
27:37As the site was more thoroughly investigated, a number of secret entrances were discovered.
27:41These doorways were cleverly concealed within some of the town's older residences.
27:46The scale of this thing is enormous.
27:49It's estimated to be over three and a half acres, and it seems to have been dug out continuously over
27:54years.
27:55But who built it, and why?
27:59Researchers date the structure by examining its architectural details, along with stone tools and pottery that were excavated from the
28:08site.
28:09Their analysis places the construction of this underground edifice to about 1,500 years ago.
28:15This was the era of the Sasanian dynasty in Iran.
28:21The Sasanians were one of the most influential empires in that country's entire history.
28:27Under their regime, academia flourished, and an artistic renaissance began to bloom.
28:33Archaeologists have found evidence of expert metalwork and gem engraving from this period.
28:39New Shabbat itself was situated along a valuable trade route between Tehran and the Persian Gulf, which was part of
28:45the Silk Road.
28:46This made the city a valuable stop for travelers and merchants alike.
28:51To this day, there are ruins of centuries-old inns buried in the surrounding desert.
28:57But New Shabbat's geographical location also made it vulnerable to attack.
29:03During the 7th century's Muslim conquest, the Sasanians were crushed by the Arabs.
29:09But evidence suggests the underground city of New Shabbat, which had been built during their reign, continued to be extensively
29:15used for hundreds of years.
29:17The subterranean underground world was locally known as Uy.
29:22But despite its incredible size and 1,500-year history, Uy had largely stayed hidden from the modern world until
29:29its rediscovery in 2006.
29:31And the question remains, why was it built in the first place?
29:36A subterranean complex hints at subterfuge, and there may have been a good cause for secrecy in Sasanian Iran.
29:45The kingdom adopted Zoroastrianism as its state religion.
29:49And while there was tolerance for other beliefs, some did face religious persecution.
29:55One such religion might have been Mithraism, which was gaining popularity in Rome at the same time Christianity was exploding
30:03across the empire.
30:05Mithraism was inspired by the Iranian deity Mithra, and worshippers would congregate at these underground temples called Mithraia.
30:14There's almost no literary evidence of Mithraic practices, but hundreds of these temples have been discovered in underground chambers throughout
30:22the former Roman Empire.
30:25In the northwestern part of the country, the Mithra Temple of Morage features multiple rooms, domed ceilings, and a grand
30:31entrance corridor.
30:33It's possible New Shabbat's Uy also could have served as a secret place of worship.
30:39But there's been no reported discovery of any Mithraic artifacts or iconography at New Shabbat's underground city.
30:46And a dedicated Mithraim was usually only about 75 feet long and 30 feet wide.
30:53It would have held no more than 20 or 30 people, far fewer than the sprawling complex buried under New
31:00Shabbat.
31:03The harsh living conditions in the desert may have been motivation enough for the construction of an underground city.
31:11One obvious reason to build a complex of this size below ground is to shield the people from the punishingly
31:18hot weather you get in that region.
31:20The structure's cooler temperature was achieved by this brilliant series of air darts throughout the complex that could circulate the
31:28cooler air.
31:29The complex appears to have been built around the freshwater spring that was the town's namesake.
31:35And it used water pipes and canals to move the water from one place to another.
31:39This was part of an ancient Iranian water system called a kanaat, which delivered groundwater to the surface through a
31:46series of gently sloping underground tunnels.
31:49It's highly plausible that the need to get cool air and fresh water to its residents in the most efficient
31:55way possible is what drove the design of this structure.
32:01And while the structure itself may appear too grandiose for such a utilitarian purpose, architecture during the time of the
32:07Sasanians could be over the top.
32:10But the sheer scale of this underground complex betrays a larger, more important purpose.
32:15The secret entrances into the underground suggest that residents could quickly and easily go into hiding.
32:19But why?
32:23The town of New Shabad may have created this mysterious habitat as a means of escaping an imminent threat.
32:31Around 1220, Genghis Khan, the leader of the Mongolian Empire, marched his armies into the Khwarazmian Empire, which included much
32:40of present-day Iran.
32:42Now, because of New Shabad's proximity to a valuable trade route, it was a likely target.
32:47The city's giant underground shelter could easily have served as a wartime refuge for its residents.
32:54By entering through secret entrances above ground, the population could effectively disappear from view.
33:00And because of the access to the spring water, people could have sustained themselves there for weeks at a time.
33:06There are also many architectural details throughout the halls that were clearly built for defensive purposes.
33:13One of the more ingenious features is the corridors between the interconnected rooms, which are often angled to eliminate direct
33:21sight lines between spaces.
33:23This would make it much easier to hide from your enemy, or conversely, it's the ideal space to mount a
33:30surprise defensive maneuver.
33:31In certain corridors, there's also evidence of booby traps and disguised pits, which could ensnare unsuspecting intruders.
33:40Whether it was built in a time of the Sassanians' conflicts with the Romans, or during their later battles with
33:44the Mongols,
33:45the fact that this shelter and water system were hidden underground strongly suggests that safeguarding New Shabad from invaders was
33:54the main reason it was built this way.
33:58Today, researchers believe that this enormous structure may be even larger than previously thought.
34:06Currently, locals and tourists can enter the underground city through an adjacent cistern, but this isn't thought to be the
34:12original entrance.
34:14So, there's a very real possibility that this underground network of tunnels may extend far beyond the walls of New
34:19Shabad.
34:21Many of the rooms were amalgamated in the centuries following the Sassanian dynasty.
34:26And modern infrastructure, such as water pipes, storage spaces, and even toilets, were eventually incorporated.
34:33This complex is a wonder of engineering that was continually updated right until the beginning of the 20th century, until
34:41it was reportedly abandoned in the 1920s.
34:44It took the accidental discovery in 2006 for current generations to bring their own ingenuity and adaptations to this incredible
34:53underground city.
34:54Today, the site is recognized as one of the oldest underground structures in the world.
35:00And as researchers continue their exploration, new mysteries are likely waiting to be uncovered within New Shabad's secret subterranean city.
35:22Situated near the center of Italy, and within 200 miles of iconic cities like Naples and Florence, is the nation's
35:30capital, Rome.
35:34Rome is one of the most prominent centers of culture and power in the history of the world.
35:40And there's a reason that it's known as the Eternal City.
35:43It's existed for almost 28 centuries, making it one of the oldest cities in Europe.
35:48And within Rome, there's the sovereign country of Vatican City, which is the administrative center of the Catholic Church.
35:55For centuries, the Roman Empire was a colossus of cultural and economic power.
36:01At its height, it spanned about 2 million square miles, with its highly professionalized military controlling territory in Western Europe,
36:09the Middle East, and Northern Africa.
36:11At one point, Rome ruled over 60 million people, which at the time was more than 20% of the
36:18world's population.
36:21Today, 1,500 years after the fall of the Roman Empire, the city is an archaeological gold mine.
36:28Priceless artifacts are pulled out of there every year.
36:33In 2016, the city is in the middle of undertaking an excavation of a different kind.
36:40The Metro Sea Project is a years-long expansion of public transportation from Rome's eastern suburbs.
36:47But the construction of one of its underground tunnels leads to an unexpected discovery.
36:54Near the Aurelian Walls on Rome's Kylian Hill, workers came into contact with a large structure buried 30 feet below
37:04ground.
37:05Archaeologists were brought in to conduct their own analysis and excavation,
37:10and soon realized that what they were looking at was the remains of a large military complex spanning over 9
37:18,000 square feet
37:20and containing 39 dormitory-style rooms.
37:25Two years later, they announced the discovery of another mysterious building buried below the barracks at a depth of about
37:3240 feet.
37:33It appears to be the remains of a luxurious Roman house, or domus.
37:37Like the barracks, these remains are remarkably intact.
37:41But their lavish decor stands in stark contrast to the military building.
37:46There's evidence that suggests the home was deliberately dismantled and covered up.
37:51The walls were raised, and the room seemed to have been carefully and purposefully filled with earth.
37:56This is not your typical Roman ruin.
37:59This house appears to have been intentionally buried.
38:02So who lived in this place, and why was it buried?
38:06As the excavation continues, it becomes evident that the domus was designed for comfort.
38:13The house covers an area of about 3,000 square feet with 14 rooms.
38:18It also looks like the property had a large courtyard with a fountain and a bathhouse.
38:23Even by today's standards, this was a pretty sweet pad.
38:27The interiors of the home are no less decadent.
38:31Many of the rooms have floors covered in black and white mosaics made from marble and gray slate.
38:38And there are two rare figurative mosaics as well.
38:42One panel depicts a solitary bird perched on a branch.
38:47Another depicts two figures, possibly deities, who appear to be locked in combat.
38:54Further excavation places the construction of the house and the barracks in the 2nd century BCE, during the reign of
39:02Emperor Hadrian.
39:05In this century, Kylian Hill, where the barracks and domus were discovered, was an area with a conspicuous display of
39:12wealth and power.
39:13The Roman emperor's secret police, known as the Frumentari, were stationed here, as were the emperor's horse brigades.
39:21The city's firefighters and police forces were also located on Kylian Hill.
39:26The hill was also a fashionable neighborhood for the city's aristocracy.
39:31And given the amenities in the courtyard of the buried house, the mosaics and the private bathhouse,
39:37it's clear that they likely belonged to one of Rome's elites.
39:41The fact that the home was situated within the barracks grounds on Kylian Hill suggests that the resident could have
39:48been a Roman senator with connections to the military.
39:51A politician living in this domus would have effectively had their own private security force living on the property with
40:00them.
40:01Is it possible that this individual was caught in some kind of intrigue or political upheaval and needed protection?
40:10In 271 BCE, Kylian Hill was home to a violent uprising when workers at the Mint revolted.
40:18The emperor implicated several senators in the plot, and they were eventually put to death.
40:24Could one of those senators have been the owner of the domus behind the barracks?
40:28If so, the burial of his opulent home may have followed soon after his execution.
40:35If this senator had loyalists inside the barracks, it's conceivable he could have taken up residence there.
40:42But maintaining a private army in the middle of one of the most powerful and influential regions in Rome would
40:48hardly have gone unnoticed.
40:50Nor would it have been acceptable to the neighboring power brokers, much less the leaders of the military.
40:58The burial of the barracks and the domus may have been a public erasure.
41:02Edicts like this were well within the powers of the state.
41:06There was this formal punishment in the Roman world called damnatio memoriae, which means condemnation of memory.
41:15And this was a death penalty, but it was more than just that.
41:18It also removed a person from the public record.
41:21A perceived traitor within the ruling class would be executed,
41:25and then their name would be removed from any inscriptions and public monuments.
41:30Their statues and their property would also be demolished.
41:34Is it possible that this is what happened to the owner of the mystery house?
41:39The buried villa certainly suggests some kind of deliberate erasure has taken place.
41:46Whoever lived in the domus prior to its burial may have been under house arrest
41:51and watched over by military guard until his scheduled execution.
41:55However, there is no physical evidence to corroborate the theory.
42:01Ultimately, the best explanation for why this luxury home was nestled on military grounds may be the simplest one.
42:09The proximity of the luxury home to the military barracks seems like it should tell us a lot about who
42:14lived here.
42:15In this context, it seems highly likely that this was the private residence of the commanding officer of the adjacent
42:22barracks.
42:24It wouldn't have been unusual for a Roman general to have lived in luxury.
42:29A commander's residence was known as a praetorium, and it was essentially the nucleus of any military facility.
42:35A praetorium that was unearthed at Castor in Cambridgeshire was truly palatial
42:41and one of the largest structures from the Roman Empire ever discovered in England,
42:45far exceeding the size of the mysterious villa on Kylian Hill.
42:50If the buried domus in Kylian Hill really was the home of a high-level military officer,
42:57that would make it the first time within the city of Rome that a military barracks has been found
43:02with the private residence of its commander.
43:10It would have taken a lot of effort to cover up the domus, so what was the motivation to do
43:18so?
43:19Both structures have now been painstakingly taken apart and removed piece by piece,
43:25but the plan is to rebuild them when the transit stop is completed.
43:32Romans of today will be able to puzzle over the remains when the domus and the barracks
43:37are reinstalled near the metro station.
43:42The questions surrounding the barracks and its neighboring villa may never be fully answered.
43:49For now, it seems the people who buried these mysterious structures
43:53have successfully erased their true origins from Roman history.
43:59The first time it is,
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