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00:00In Midyat, Turkey, a research team uncovers an incredible discovery.
00:06In the basement of a historic house, they found a passageway leading to several underground chambers.
00:13So far, roughly 100,000 square feet has been explored.
00:17This complex may be massive when all of it's been excavated.
00:20In Royston, England, workmen uncover an underground chamber.
00:24The most eye-catching feature has to be that there are dozens of images and symbols cut into the lower
00:31part of the wall.
00:32The question is, who built this place and what was it used for?
00:37In Orvieto, Italy, archaeologists discover a secret beneath a private wine cellar.
00:42The team discovered a striking rock-cut staircase descending nearly 33 feet below street level.
00:49But the site is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
00:53What roles did those hidden spaces serve?
00:59Below the busy streets of the world's cities exists a hidden realm of wonder.
01:06Sprawling ancient complexes.
01:10Mysterious tombs.
01:12Top-secret military bases.
01:15Strange structures.
01:17And lost artifacts.
01:20Buried beneath our feet and long forgotten.
01:24Until now.
01:27Underground marvels are exposed to reveal what lies hidden beneath the cities.
01:43Just over 20 miles from the Syrian border in the Mardin province of southeast Turkey lies the ancient city of
01:51Midyat.
01:53Midyat spans over 500 square miles, and it has a population of about 120,000 people.
02:00Economically, it's primarily driven by agriculture, but it is also the center of commerce in the region.
02:06And it is a thriving market where merchants and artisans sell local goods and traditional crafts, such as handmade silver
02:13products and stonework.
02:18The city attracts up to 3 million tourists annually, primarily because of its historic architecture.
02:24Nine churches and monasteries are tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
02:28Over the centuries, Midyat was occupied by Arameans, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans, each adding to the work of
02:37the civilization that preceded it.
02:38It's believed that the city was founded by the Hurrian people in the third millennium BCE, making it around 4
02:46,000 years old.
02:48The first recorded mention of Midyat was during the time of King Asher Nazarpal II, who reigned over the Neo
02:55-Assyrian Empire from 883 to 859 BCE.
03:00Records refer to a city called Matyate, or City of the Caves, and it's widely assumed that they were writing
03:07about Midyat.
03:09In 2020, a team associated with the Martin Museum are doing restoration work in the Old Town section of Midyat,
03:17when they make a surprising discovery.
03:20In the basement of a historic house, they found a passageway leading to several underground chambers.
03:28Clearly, they're not naturally occurring.
03:31Somebody took the time to construct these hidden rooms.
03:38Subsequent excavations reveal a sophisticated subterranean complex of remarkable scope and sophistication.
03:46They unearthed more than 50 interconnected rooms and a tunnel that stretches almost 400 feet, as well as a multitude
03:52of artifacts.
03:53So far, roughly 100,000 square feet has been explored, and it's believed that this could be just the tip
03:59of the iceberg.
04:00This complex may be massive when all of it's been excavated.
04:04The site is given the name Matyate, after the old Assyrian name for the city above it.
04:10So who built this intricate underground complex, and why?
04:15As the excavations continue, details of this subterranean world begin to emerge.
04:22They found holes thought to be for housing amphorae, which are large clay containers for storing liquid, in this case,
04:32likely wine.
04:33So was this complex constructed for the production and storage of wine?
04:39Turkey is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, with evidence of the process dating back thousands
04:47of years.
04:47From around 1700 to 1200 BCE, the Hittites ruled much of this region, and they had a distinct connection to
04:57wine.
04:58Archaeological finds, such as reliefs portraying vines, grapes, and cups, indicate that wine played an important role in the Hittite
05:06culture and economy.
05:07So maybe this was also true of the people who built the Matyate complex.
05:13Given Midyat's location, the area was a cultural and trade crossroads, connecting Mesopotamia and Anatolia.
05:19So it's certainly possible that some rooms in the complex were built to produce wine and sell it on the
05:24open market.
05:26The research team progresses through the underground labyrinth and makes a macabre discovery.
05:33They found human remains.
05:37So was this complex originally constructed as a burial ground?
05:42Also, they came across water wells and silos for food storage, likely grains.
05:48I think this means we can rule out that the complex was built as a burial site.
05:54At the risk of stating the obvious, the dead don't need water or food.
05:59And if it was constructed for wine production and storage, there would be no need for these things either.
06:05People wouldn't have been down there long enough to require supplies.
06:09It looks like the complex was designed for people to spend extended periods of time in.
06:15So is it possible that some of the residents of Midyat were actually living down here?
06:22Turkey is home to over 40 underground cities.
06:26The most notable example is Derenkuyu, located just over 350 miles northeast of Midyat in the Cappadocia region.
06:37Derenkuyu was discovered in 1963, when a man doing renovation work on his home noticed that his chickens kept disappearing
06:43through a crack in the rock.
06:45When he investigated, he discovered a tunnel, which led to the underground city.
06:50The scale of Derenkuyu is astounding.
06:54It has 18 levels of tunnels going down over 250 feet.
06:59The upper levels were for livestock, likely to cut down on odors and potentially hazardous gas buildups.
07:06Food and wine storage, residential areas, and places of worship make up the lower levels.
07:12There's even a Byzantine-era school with vaulted ceilings on the second floor.
07:18There are over 50 ventilation shafts cut into the rock to ensure airflow.
07:29More than 600 entrances to the city have been found, many accessed through homes on the surface.
07:37And it's believed that Derenkuyu could have housed up to 20,000 people if necessary.
07:46Based on discovered artifacts, it's believed that the Hittites were responsible for the original construction of the complex.
07:53Around 1200 BCE.
07:55And the first mention of the underground cities in the region appears in historical records from roughly 370 BCE.
08:03The prevailing school of thought is that Derenkuyu and other complexes like it were used mainly as temporary dwellings whenever
08:11people were threatened by outside forces.
08:13Could that be the case at Matiate?
08:16And if so, who were they hiding from?
08:20As the investigation beneath Midyat broadens, the team uncovers clues that may just solve the mystery once and for all.
08:29Roman-era coins and lamps were found.
08:32And using this information, we can surmise that the complex was likely built in the 2nd or 3rd century CE.
08:40But what's most telling is that they found a Christian church and a large room with a Star of David
08:45symbol on the wall, probably a Jewish synagogue.
08:48So the picture that emerges is that the complex was probably originally constructed as a refuge for early Christians and
08:54Jews.
08:55And that they may have lived down here for extended periods.
08:58But why would they need to go to such lengths?
09:01In the early 1st century CE, the Roman Empire didn't make a distinction between Christians and Jews, because the first
09:09followers of Christianity were largely Jewish.
09:12But in 64 CE, a fire devastated Rome, and Emperor Nero attributed it to the Christians.
09:20Religious persecution began in earnest.
09:23By the 2nd century CE, Christians were viewed as criminals, but persecution was not widespread.
09:31It was localized and sporadic.
09:33Then, in the year 250, Emperor Decius decreed that Christians were a threat to the Roman order and should be
09:40treated as such, with all the power and brutality that the empire could muster.
09:45While the exact numbers are impossible to know, it's thought that thousands of Christians were executed.
09:54But in 313, Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, making Christianity legal.
10:03And then, in 380, Emperor Theodosius issued the Edict of Thessalonica, declaring Nicene Christianity the official religion of the Roman
10:15Empire.
10:16However, evidence suggests that the people of Midyat continued to use the underground complex to hide from later civilizations, such
10:25as the Persians.
10:26And there are even medieval accounts of invading armies encountering deserted cities, suggesting prolonged use of the region's subterranean hideouts.
10:37The research team believes that the Metyate site was repeatedly repurposed over the centuries, above and beyond its original function
10:46as a refuge from religious persecution.
10:49Given the evidence, when the space wasn't occupied, it must have served various purposes for the people living in the
10:54city above.
10:55A storage space for wine and food, and considering the presence of human remains, a catacomb for the dead, and
11:01maybe even a simple respite from the blistering summer heat.
11:06It's thought that Matyate was continually expanded and reshaped over the centuries by the people who lived in the city,
11:13resulting in this extraordinary complex.
11:17Amazingly, we think that less than 5% of it has been uncovered.
11:21So when all is said and done, it may prove to be the largest underground city in the world.
11:28Some experts speculate that Matyate may span a staggering 4 million square feet, and was capable of housing up to
11:3770,000 people.
11:39But for now, that's only speculation, and the truth remains hidden beneath the city of Midyat.
11:57Just under 50 miles north of London, England, in the county of Hertfordshire, lies the town of Royston.
12:07Almost 2,000 years ago, the Romans built this north-south road that connected what is now York and what
12:13is now London.
12:14And this became one of the most vital throughfairs in England.
12:18Royston developed where that north-south road bisects another road, one that ran west to east from the Salisbury Plain
12:27to East Anglia.
12:29In 1162 CE, a chapel was built at Royston and dedicated to St. John the Baptist.
12:37This was later expanded into an Augustinian priory, which is a small Roman Catholic monastery devoted to the teachings of
12:46St. Augustine.
12:48A North African bishop, theologian, and philosopher.
12:52Following that, a market was founded, and the town grew around it.
13:00Ken James I stopped in Royston in 1603, when he was on his way from Edinburgh to London for his
13:07coronation.
13:08He was smitten with the area, and he eventually built a hunting retreat in the town, which became one of
13:13his favorite residences.
13:15Part of that lodge still exists, and many of Royston's other buildings also reflect the town's long, rich history.
13:25August 1742.
13:26Workmen are building a bench in Royston's Meerkat House, a cheese and butter market, when they uncover a surprise.
13:34They were digging a post hole and struck a millstone buried in the ground, and when that millstone was lifted
13:41out, they found this vertical shaft about two feet in diameter, and the best part is, there were toe holds
13:47carved into either side of the shaft that would work as steps.
13:51A small boy was recruited to go down first, followed by a man skinny enough to fit through the opening.
13:59They discovered that the opening led to another cavity, which was filled with dirt and debris.
14:08Perhaps thinking that they had found buried treasure, a team was assembled to empty the space, and some 200 loads
14:17of dirt were ultimately removed, revealing an incredible chamber.
14:24It's bell-shaped and extends roughly 25 feet from floor to ceiling.
14:29Its diameter is around 17 feet, and it's hollowed out of chalky, sedimentary rock.
14:35A number of recesses are carved into the walls, some oblong, others kind of shaped like ovens.
14:41But the most eye-catching feature has to be that there are dozens of images and symbols cut into the
14:48lower part of the walls.
14:49The question is, who built this place, and what was it used for?
14:55The initial investigation of this space reveals several items of interest.
15:00According to records, they found fragments of a small drinking cup, a piece of brass with no markings, and most
15:06interestingly, decayed bones and a human skull.
15:09So maybe what we're looking at is an elaborate grave site.
15:15Among the iconography carved into the walls, there are a bunch of religious references.
15:21So you can see why people might have thought this cave was a religious site and a possible burial site.
15:30Due to the cave's shape and location, other ideas about the site's origins come to light.
15:37Some theorize that the cave may have been what's called a dean hole, essentially an ancient chalk mine.
15:44Chalk was extracted for two main purposes, farming and building materials.
15:49Because when burned, chalk could produce quicklime, which was used in fertilizer, in bricks, and in mortar.
15:57If you compare Royston Cave to other dean hole sites in southern England, the layout is similar.
16:02You've got this slender, vertical shaft leading down to one or several bell-shaped cavities.
16:09Also, like at Royston, a lot of mines were established near crossroads, possibly because chalk was used to build and
16:16maintain the roads.
16:17And here's the third piece.
16:19After use, those shafts were often blocked with objects or backfilled, which is exactly what we see at Royston.
16:27But the backfill in the Royston Cave must have been added after the imagery was etched into the walls.
16:32It had to be removed to reveal the carvings.
16:35So it's possible that the site was originally a chalk mine, but was repurposed later for a different use and
16:40then blocked off and filled.
16:44In the 1990s, some 250 years after the cave's discovery, a local devises a theory of his own, connecting the
16:53site to an ancient secret society.
16:56He proposed that the cave was an early ritual site of the Freemasons, which is the world's oldest fraternal organization
17:03and is known for its use of secret symbols, signs, and ceremonies.
17:08Now, its exact origins are murky, but Freemasonry is believed to have evolved from the early guilds of stonemasons who
17:18built Britain's cathedrals and castles in the Middle Ages.
17:21Eventually, lodges were created where people could exchange ideas about the trade.
17:26But as time went on, some people began accepting honorary members, and that led to the development of Freemasonry.
17:35It's believed that Freemasonry originated in Scotland, where King James I was from.
17:42We know he had a residence in Royston and spent a lot of time there, which has led to speculation
17:49that the cave may have been a private place for the king to engage in Freemasonry rituals hidden away from
17:59any nosy members of the royal court.
18:02A deeper look into the cave's enigmatic iconography may prove to support this theory.
18:10One of the images on the wall shows a figure holding a candle in one hand and a skull in
18:16the other.
18:17The skull could represent mortality, and the candle might represent knowledge.
18:22So this could be a reference to a man being initiated into the Freemasons and experiencing a symbolic metamorphosis.
18:31There's also a carving of St. Lawrence, a historical figure known for his faith and courage.
18:36And there happens to be a degree named after him in Freemasonry.
18:39A degree is like a step up the ladder of advancement, representing a stage of personal development and increased knowledge
18:45within the fraternity.
18:46Below St. Lawrence, there's an image believed to be King David of the Psalms.
18:52One of his arms bends to form a perfect square, a cornerstone of Masonic imagery, usually accompanied by a compass
19:00and symbolizing morality and honesty.
19:04And by the main crucifixion scene, there are also carvings of hands with hearts in them, which represent charity in
19:13today's Freemasonry.
19:14Here's the thing.
19:16There are lots of connections between the iconography we see in the cave and imagery associated with Freemasons.
19:22But the thing is, the Freemasons are super secretive.
19:26So it's not really clear whether the symbols we associate with them today had been adapted in the time of
19:33King James' reign in the early 1600s.
19:36But, if this theory is true, the Royston Cave would be the oldest Freemasonic ritual site in all of England.
19:45Thing is, though, there are no historical records that verify King James was even a member of the Freemasons.
19:53Unsatisfied with any of the explanations surrounding the cave's purpose, an archaeologist conducts an extensive study of records relating to
20:02the site.
20:02And in 1978, proposes a theory of her own.
20:07She believed that the cave was originally used as a storage site for the Knights Templar, and that it was
20:13repurposed into a private worship space for them after disagreements with Royston's priory.
20:20The Knights Templar were a Catholic military order founded in the 12th century to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the
20:26Holy Land.
20:27They were known for their fighting abilities and involvement in the Crusades, but also for acquiring large amounts of wealth
20:33and land throughout Europe, including Hertfordshire, where Royston Cave is located.
20:39Just eight miles away, the Templars had a stronghold in Baldock, and they would visit Royston to sell produce at
20:45the market.
20:46And there are records of squabbles between them and the priory's monks over fees.
20:52And in 1254, the master of the Templars sued the head of the monastery for detaining and beating some of
21:02his men who had come to conduct business at the market.
21:05The Templars were obligated to pray every day.
21:09And if they had fallen out with any priory's monks, they'd likely sought out another place to worship.
21:17The Royston Cave may have provided this space for them, and considering the ample amount of religious imagery, this theory
21:25makes sense on some levels.
21:28Inside the cave, a closer look at the intricate etchings on the walls provides the strongest evidence of a connection
21:36to the Knights Templar.
21:37Some of the carvings, those depicting hands, axe heads, hearts, and concentric circles, can also be found on the walls
21:45of Tour de Coudray in the Castle of Chinon in France.
21:49This castle was used as a prison, where some prominent members of the Knights Templar were held after they were
21:55arrested in October 1307, including their last grandmaster, Jacques de Molay.
22:01This is hardly the kind of connection that can be shrugged off as coincidence, and the Knights Templar theory is
22:06the most captivating explanation of the Royston Cave's purpose.
22:09But still, no official record or concrete proof of its age or function has ever been found.
22:16In the 1790s, an entrepreneurial resident of a neighboring house dug a tunnel into the cave and began charging admission,
22:25which is how it is still accessed.
22:28Thousands of people flocked to the Royston Cave every year to marvel at one of England's greatest mysteries, buried under
22:36the streets of this ancient town.
22:50Around 60 miles north of Rome, in Umbria, central Italy, the town of Orvieto rises 640 feet above the valleys
23:00below, perched on an isolated volcanic rock at the meeting point of the Peglia and Chiana rivers.
23:08The earliest occupation of the Orvieto Plateau dates to the Villanovan period, around 1100 to 750 BCE.
23:16Its strategic position above the Paglia Valley and near the Tiber River fostered agriculture, trade, and regional exchange.
23:23Artisans produced fine pottery and bronze works, with trade networks reaching across the Mediterranean.
23:29By the 8th century BCE, the settlement had developed into Velsna, which is one of the most important cities in
23:36the Etruscan world.
23:38The Etruscan civilization itself covered a bunch of what is now central Italy during the Iron Age, including modern Tuscany,
23:46Lazio, and Umbria, and it expanded into neighboring regions over time.
23:50At its height, Velsna, today called Orvieto, was fortified by a four-mile wall system, underscoring its power and the
24:00rivalries among Etruscan cities.
24:02Inscriptions show its influence extended northward, but rising tensions with Rome led to conflict, and in 264 BCE, a final
24:12siege resulted in its destruction by Roman forces.
24:17In May 2012, archaeologists begin excavating a private wine cellar on Via Ripa, Medici, on the west side of Orvieto,
24:27near the ancient Porta Romana.
24:29What they uncover marks the start of a new chapter in a search to understand the city's layered history.
24:36Beneath the cellar slab, the team discovered a striking rock-cut staircase carved into the west wall,
24:43descending nearly 33 feet below street level, before opening into a chamber.
24:50The space, labeled Area A, widens as it descends, forming a truncated pyramid roughly 20 by 23 feet at its
24:58base.
25:00Beyond Area A, the site includes ancient and medieval cisterns, tunnels, and niches, revealing a continuous evolving use over centuries.
25:09Perhaps most intriguing is a second pyramidal chamber, labeled Area B.
25:13Although left for future excavation, Area B is already known to connect with Area A via an Etruscan tunnel,
25:19which is now filled with a gray, sandy, Pozzolana-like material.
25:22This is a volcanic ash, or burnt earth, that when mixed with lime and water, can be used for mortar
25:27or cement.
25:28But the site, now called Cavitá 254, is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
25:35Since the late 1970s, more than 1,200 human-made, subterranean structures have been documented beneath Orvieto.
25:44Wells, cisterns, tunnels, chambers, and more, all accumulated over the course of nearly 3,000 years.
25:52Together, these spaces form a hidden city, suggesting a complex relationship between Orvieto's surface life and the secret world beneath
26:02its streets.
26:03So, what roles did those hidden spaces serve?
26:09The carved walls and stepped cuts inside Cavitá 254 may reveal a deeper story,
26:16one rooted in the city's drive to build grand monuments above.
26:21As excavations progressed, it was noted that the stone stairs turned at a right angle along the north wall before
26:30terminating.
26:31In antiquity, these stairs collapsed and were replaced by a wooden beam system pegged into post holes.
26:39Could these carefully engineered access systems, along with chisel marks,
26:43indicate that Cavitá 254 was designed as a controlled quarry to extract tufa,
26:49a soft porous rock which was crucial in Orvieto's monumental architecture.
26:55Material dumped into Cavitá 254 includes large quantities of grey bucaro,
27:01a shiny dark grey to black pottery made by the Etruscans from the 7th to the 4th century BCE,
27:09along with black and red figure pottery, common wear fragments, and wash basins and building tiles.
27:16In several cases, fragments from the same vessel were found in different locations,
27:22indicating rapid infill rather than slow accumulation.
27:26This could point to on-site quarry debris left in place when the quarrying abruptly ended.
27:34About 50 miles south, in Cervatary, the site of the Etruscan city of Chisra,
27:40the Vigna-Perrochiali area offers valuable parallels
27:44that may illuminate Cavitá 254's possible function as a controlled quarry.
27:50At Cervatary, excavations in 1983 uncovered this huge trench
27:55that seems to originally have been dug as a quarry.
27:58After quarrying at Cervatary, the trench was abruptly filled in the early 5th century BCE
28:04with about 21,000 cubic feet of debris.
28:08This wasn't a gradual sort of landfill.
28:11It was dumped rapidly in one coordinated act,
28:15using materials from nearby prestigious buildings
28:18like architectural terracottas, column bases, and fine decorative pieces.
28:24In Cavitá 254, we see the same abrupt infill,
28:28massive volumes of pottery and architectural fragments,
28:32all dating no later than roughly 430 BCE.
28:36These parallels could suggest a shared practice
28:40of sealing exhausted quarries with symbolic or practical debris.
28:45But the well-finished walls, except for the eastern one,
28:48don't align with material extraction practices.
28:51Instead of rough surfaces for efficient block removal,
28:54these dressed walls point to a different intention.
28:56And also, the presence of the spiral staircase
28:58is highly unusual in quarry design,
29:01hinting at a more complex use.
29:04Among Orvieto's underground spaces,
29:06certain clues have led some to wonder
29:08if Cavitá 254 served a more carefully engineered function,
29:13woven into the city life above.
29:17Maybe Cavitá 254 played a role
29:19in the management of Orvieto's water supply.
29:22Living on a high plateau is all fine and dandy
29:24from a military perspective,
29:25but water doesn't flow uphill.
29:27The Etruscans would have had to come up
29:29with some serious hydraulic ingenuity,
29:31and maybe that's what this is.
29:33Question is, though,
29:34how could Cavitá 254 have been part
29:36of a larger drainage or stabilization system
29:39hidden beneath the city?
29:43Many settlements were built
29:45on high Tufa plateaus in central Italy,
29:47where the water table lay too deep to reach easily.
29:51To survive, communities relied on collecting
29:54and storing rainwater,
29:55using carefully designed underground systems
29:58instead of tapping groundwater.
30:01Across southern Etruria,
30:03bottle-shaped cisterns,
30:05typically cylindrical with a narrow neck,
30:07became essential features
30:09between the 7th and 3rd centuries BCE.
30:13Many included pure clay rings for waterproofing,
30:16a detail specifically noted
30:18in Orvieto's so-called type 1 cisterns.
30:22These forms demonstrate
30:23a well-established tradition
30:25of adapting subterranean spaces
30:27for secure water collection and storage.
30:31In Orvieto itself,
30:33other cisterns connected to rock-cut basins
30:35created sophisticated storage networks
30:37designed to retain surface runoff
30:39and stabilize supply above the deeper aquifer.
30:42This layered hydraulic strategy
30:44highlights just how deeply water management
30:46shaped the urban fabric of Etruscan cities.
30:49But Cavitá 254 lacks the defining features
30:52of true cistern systems.
30:55There are no catchment channels,
30:57draw shafts, or overflow drains.
30:59Besides, its lack of waterproofing
31:01rules out any original use as a water reservoir.
31:05So altogether, these clues suggest
31:07the space served an evolving function.
31:11Some look to the complete ceiling
31:13of Cavitá 254 as an enduring, intentional act.
31:18The upper layers of Cavitá 254
31:21were reshaped in later centuries,
31:23including a cellar floor.
31:24Just below, archaeologists found
31:26a dome-shaped deposit of mixed Etruscan materials,
31:29likely poured from an original top opening,
31:31and a thick Pozzolana ash layer
31:33about three feet deep,
31:35intentionally sealing the Etruscan fills.
31:37So could this final, deliberate closure
31:39represent an ultimate act of ritual burial?
31:43Among 188 inscribed pieces of ceramic at that site,
31:46most are marked with a single letter
31:48or a short sequence of letters
31:50or symbolic signs.
31:52Those inscriptions almost always run right to left,
31:55and they show these deliberate,
31:57standardized markings.
31:59This is not random.
32:01One of the most striking finds
32:03is a small terracotta relief
32:05depicting a kneeling male warrior
32:07vividly painted and detailed.
32:09The disheveled facial features,
32:12ungrained eyes,
32:13and half-open mouth
32:14evoke the astonishment of Copanius
32:17from the Piergi pediment,
32:18a rare Etruscan relief
32:20from the Temple of Piergi
32:22that illustrates hubris
32:23and its consequences.
32:25This reinforces the idea
32:26that objects deposited here
32:28carry deep, symbolic weight.
32:32While selective pottery-rich fills
32:34do appear at other Etruscan sites,
32:36no direct parallel to Kavita-254's deliberate,
32:40multi-layered ceiling has been identified.
32:43What final message or purpose
32:45this act or this space was meant to serve
32:48ultimately remains unclear.
32:52Beneath the streets of Orvieto
32:54lies a hidden world carved from Tufa,
32:57preserving traces of ancient labor,
33:00ritual, and intention,
33:02but defying any single explanation.
33:05Kavita-254 reflects
33:07this wider underground mystery
33:09with 1,200 cavities
33:12still guarding secrets
33:13we're only beginning to uncover.
33:25About 90 miles southwest of Yazd city,
33:29in central Iran's Golden Triangle
33:32stands Abarku,
33:33a silk road outpost
33:35that linked Persian trade
33:36for more than 1,500 years.
33:40Abarku is part of Yazd province
33:42in Iran's central plateau.
33:44This vast, arid expanse
33:46is ringed by the Zagros Mountains,
33:48the Alborz Range,
33:50and the eastern Iranian highlands.
33:52Historically,
33:54settlements formed
33:54along the plateau's edges.
33:56Thriving in pockets
33:57where rivers descending
33:59from the highlands
34:00replenished groundwater
34:01and allowed agriculture to flourish.
34:05Among the oldest of these settlements,
34:07Abarku was shaped
34:08by relentless drought,
34:10extreme scarcity,
34:11and blisteringly hot summers.
34:14Often surpassing 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
34:17Its endurance depended entirely
34:19on careful stewardship
34:21of limited resources.
34:23And over the generations,
34:24residents developed
34:25a sophisticated system
34:26of earthen architecture,
34:28water management,
34:29and spatial planning.
34:30And this allowed them
34:31to transform this harsh landscape
34:33into a sustainable city.
34:37During routine inspections
34:39of five historic homes
34:40in Abarku's old quarter,
34:42surveyors detect something
34:44unexpected beneath the ground.
34:46The homes had been built
34:48atop rocky foundations,
34:50and the spaces between
34:51those rocky areas
34:53had been turned into gardens.
34:55Using aerial photos
34:56and archaeological studies,
34:58they determined
34:59there were small stone chambers
35:01carved beneath the homes.
35:04After 18 months of excavations,
35:06they uncovered
35:07a vast subterranean network
35:09of corridors,
35:10pathways,
35:11and chambers.
35:12In some areas,
35:13the tunnels were
35:14just three feet high,
35:15while others reached
35:17nearly 10 feet.
35:18So far,
35:20roughly 650,000 square feet
35:22of the underground labyrinth
35:23has been documented.
35:24But estimates suggest
35:26that roughly 150 acres,
35:28about one-third
35:29of Abarku's historic core,
35:31can seal subterranean
35:33corridors and chambers.
35:34The scale and the state
35:36of preservation here
35:37raise deeper questions.
35:39Why build such an extensive network
35:41beneath the city?
35:43And what purpose
35:44did these tunnels serve?
35:46Abarku's tunnel network
35:48scale and precision
35:49hint at an urgent purpose,
35:51possibly shaped
35:52by the pressures of its time.
35:54The meticulous stonework
35:56aligns precisely
35:58with known
35:59Qajar dynasty-era
36:00constructions
36:01above ground.
36:03Historical records
36:04confirm
36:05the Qajar's
36:06extensive investment
36:07in subterranean
36:08infrastructures,
36:09reservoirs,
36:11cisterns,
36:12and tunnel networks,
36:13indicating
36:14there's a possibility
36:15that Abarku's tunnels
36:17were established
36:18during this era.
36:20The Qajars,
36:22originally a Turkmen tribe
36:24from present-day
36:25Azerbaijan,
36:26rose to prominence
36:27amid intense conflict.
36:29After 1779,
36:31Aga Mohammed Khan
36:33launched a ruthless campaign
36:35to unify Iran,
36:36ultimately founding
36:37the Qajar dynasty
36:39sometime between
36:401785 and 1789,
36:43a dynasty that endured
36:45until 1925.
36:46This period was defined
36:49by violence and upheaval
36:51with entire cities
36:52facing destruction.
36:54In such chaotic times,
36:56communities like Abarku
36:57may have naturally
36:58sought safety underground,
37:00away from open conflict.
37:02But so far,
37:03we just don't know
37:05if there were any clear
37:06defensive or fortification features,
37:08such as gates,
37:10caches of weapons,
37:10or fortifications,
37:11in Abarku.
37:12Instead,
37:14the tunnels
37:14appear designed
37:15for broader utility.
37:17They may have offered
37:18safety during a crisis,
37:19but security likely
37:21wasn't their sole
37:22or even their primary purpose.
37:26As the investigation progresses,
37:29archaeologists notice
37:30patterns in the layout,
37:31spaces within the tunnels
37:33that suggest deliberate
37:34and multifunctional design.
37:36The deeper, cooler chambers
37:39may have provided
37:41seasonal relief
37:42during the harshest months,
37:44offering residents
37:45comfortable areas
37:46to gather and rest.
37:48Some might have stayed
37:49underground
37:50for extended periods
37:51as surface conditions
37:53became too extreme.
37:58Similar approaches
37:59to subterranean living
38:01appear globally.
38:02On China's lowest plateau,
38:04communities have inhabited
38:06cave dwellings
38:07for thousands of years,
38:08showcasing parallel innovations
38:10in underground architecture.
38:14Da Kenjuan,
38:15or sunken courtyard homes,
38:17offered insulation
38:18from severe winters
38:19and scorching summers.
38:21Each courtyard
38:22was accessed by ramps,
38:23seamlessly integrating
38:25underground spaces
38:26with surface life.
38:28Similarly,
38:29Abarku's tunnels
38:30feature stairs
38:31descending directly
38:32into the underground network.
38:33Larger chambers
38:35contained carved niches
38:37and deliberate access points,
38:39clearly designed
38:40for practical daily use.
38:43Over 3,000 miles
38:45to the west
38:46in the Mediterranean region,
38:48underground spaces
38:49also safeguarded
38:50vital resources,
38:52particularly food supplies.
38:54In the 15th century,
38:57Valencia became
38:58a major trading power,
39:00which prompted
39:01the construction
39:01of extensive
39:03subterranean silos.
39:04By 1573,
39:07the city built silos
39:08covering roughly
39:0966,000 square feet,
39:12all built
39:13beneath a major square
39:15measuring only
39:16240 by 230 feet.
39:20In 2015,
39:21a study used GPS
39:22and GPR
39:23to determine
39:24there were a total
39:25of 48 silos
39:26silos
39:27and hidden
39:28subterranean granaries.
39:31These silos,
39:33embedded in clay-rich soil
39:34on an elevated hilltop,
39:36maintained consistent
39:37cool temperatures
39:39and low humidity,
39:40essential for long-term
39:41grain storage.
39:43Abarku, however,
39:45shows no signs
39:46of food storage
39:47or permanent occupation.
39:49Its layout suggests
39:50it may have had
39:52evolving purposes
39:53like temporary refuge,
39:55seasonal usage,
39:56and perhaps
39:57eventual abandonment.
39:59Still,
40:00the scale
40:01and precision
40:01of the network
40:02prompt deeper questions
40:04about its full intent.
40:07Historically,
40:09subterranean construction
40:10reflects an ancient tradition
40:12of engineering,
40:13adapted to
40:14environmental challenges.
40:15The city of Matera
40:17in southern Italy
40:18is a remarkable example
40:19of this ingenuity.
40:21Starting in the 9th century,
40:23Matera's residents
40:24carved elaborate homes
40:26and cisterns
40:27directly into limestone bedrock.
40:29This created
40:30a sophisticated
40:31and self-sufficient
40:32underground ecosystem.
40:34With no rivers nearby,
40:36the city relied
40:37on capturing
40:38spring water and rain
40:39through an extensive network
40:41of cisterns
40:42and filtration systems.
40:44Limestone gutters
40:45and clay channels
40:46guided water runoff
40:48into homes,
40:49transforming Matera
40:50into a highly effective
40:52water-harvesting community.
40:55Like Matera,
40:57Abarku conceals
40:58a meticulously engineered
41:00subterranean world.
41:01And it's located
41:02in an area
41:03with limited access
41:04to fresh water
41:05inside the city.
41:06So could the complex
41:08beneath the city
41:09have been constructed
41:10to supply its citizens
41:11with much-needed water?
41:15Based on the evidence
41:17at hand
41:17and historical
41:18engineering projects
41:19in the region,
41:20the researchers
41:21reach a consensus
41:22on the origins
41:23of Abarku's
41:24subterranean complex.
41:26The network
41:27was likely built
41:28as an aqueduct,
41:29a part of Persia's
41:31ancient Qanat tradition
41:32that has supported
41:33water infrastructure
41:34across the region
41:36for thousands of years.
41:37These sophisticated,
41:39hand-dug systems
41:40of gently sloped
41:41shafts and tunnels
41:42were designed
41:43to tap groundwater
41:44beneath hillsides.
41:46Gravity would carry it
41:48for miles,
41:49sometimes up to 30,
41:50to sustain drinking,
41:52farming,
41:52and long-term survival
41:53through extended dry seasons.
41:55In Iran,
41:58a network
41:58of around 22,000
42:00Qanat systems
42:01stretching over
42:02155,000 miles
42:05was fully operational
42:06until recently,
42:08with major cities
42:09like Tehran
42:10relying on them
42:11well into the 1960s
42:13and 70s.
42:15In Yazd alone,
42:17the Qanat system
42:18still delivers
42:19about 12 billion
42:21cubic feet
42:22of water
42:23each year.
42:24That's roughly
42:25a quarter
42:26of the province's
42:26groundwater needs,
42:28despite only receiving
42:29around 2 1⁄2 inches
42:30of rain annually.
42:32Because it was built
42:34on rocky terrain,
42:36Abarca faced difficulty
42:37distributing surface water
42:39to farmland downstream.
42:41Engineers circumvented this
42:43by excavating
42:44extensive underground corridors,
42:46channeling vital water supplies
42:48through solid rock
42:49directly to agricultural areas.
42:52Traditional Qanats
42:53often featured reservoirs,
42:55water mills,
42:56and rest stations,
42:57details that closely resemble
42:59Abarca's niches
43:00and chambers.
43:02Some families
43:03built staircases
43:04connecting their homes
43:05directly to the tunnels,
43:07enabling easy water access
43:08and management,
43:09and a naturally cool environment.
43:12Over generations,
43:13the tunnels likely evolved
43:15and expanded
43:15into larger spaces,
43:17suited to various communal needs.
43:21after some of the aqueducts
43:22dried up,
43:23sewage systems
43:24were rerouted
43:25into the old channels,
43:26making full excavation impossible
43:28and obscuring
43:30whatever else
43:30might be down there.
43:32We know roughly
43:33when the complex was built
43:35and how it may have been used,
43:36but how far it reached,
43:38how long it operated,
43:39and why it disappeared,
43:40all of that remains a mystery.
43:42Beneath Abarcu
43:45lies an enduring record
43:46of ingenuity
43:47and adaptation,
43:49capturing how communities
43:51survived
43:51through resourcefulness.
43:53But even now,
43:54only fragments
43:56have come to light.
43:57The rest remains
43:58buried in stone,
44:00waiting to be understood.
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