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Explore the fascinating mysteries of ancient civilizations, from secret underground tunnels that may connect all of Europe to India's legendary flying machines. Delve into the untold stories of advanced technologies and hidden wonders that challenge our understanding of history.
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00:00Tunnels, metro, underground systems and even secret passageways to the houses of the rich and famous.
00:06Why else do we need tunnels, you may wonder?
00:09To hide.
00:10Many cities have underground tunnels and even underground doppelgangers.
00:15Now let's make it clear.
00:16Those passages are normally not connected,
00:19contrary to the popular rumor claiming that it was possible to get from Scotland to Turkey
00:24using underground passageways built around 5,000 years ago.
00:28I mean, it sounds insane even today.
00:32Imagine building it back in the day.
00:36These tunnels have an official name, the Erdstahl Tunnels,
00:39and they were most likely built in the Middle Ages.
00:42However, we still don't have the exact information about the date.
00:47The highest concentration of those tunnels are in Bavaria, Germany,
00:51but there are many of them in Great Britain and France too.
00:55Erdstahl Tunnels, a unique type of earthen passage found globally,
01:00are characterized by their narrow, oval-shaped corridors and tight choke points,
01:04known as schluss, or slipouts.
01:08Despite speculation, their purpose remains a mystery.
01:11However, some of those tunnels have fireplaces and even vents,
01:16which might mean those were used primarily for shelter.
01:20Dating back to the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th century,
01:25Erdstahl Tunnels lack archaeological signs and historical records.
01:29So it's not a surprise that there are many rumors about their use.
01:35Some scientists are sure those were storage spaces,
01:39though their narrowness makes this impractical.
01:42Another idea is that they provided hiding spots for farmers during tribal raids.
01:47However, their single entry point raises doubts about their effectiveness in evading threats.
01:54Now, if you're feeling like Indiana Jones and want to venture into those tunnels,
01:58you're in luck.
01:59A few structures, like the Erdstahl-Rotkobluchen in Austria,
02:03welcome visitors to explore these enigmatic structures.
02:06Most of them are close to the public eye, though.
02:10The origins of Erdstahl Tunnels remain largely unknown,
02:14just like their real functions.
02:16And if you think,
02:17hey, it's the 21st century here,
02:19we can study pretty much everything.
02:21Well, you're wrong.
02:23What makes these tunnels hard to study are the tight confines.
02:27Traditional surveying methods often prove inadequate in such spaces.
02:32To solve this problem,
02:34scientists use a handheld device that integrates an RGB camera,
02:38a gyroscope,
02:39and high-resolution depth sensors,
02:42allowing them to capture intricate details of the tunnels.
02:45They also use modern techniques like 3D surveying
02:49in hopes of uncovering the true origins and purposes of those tunnels.
02:53One hypothesis even suggests they may have been poorly conceived dwellings,
02:59abandoned when their inadequacies became apparent.
03:01Still, not everyone quite agrees with this idea.
03:06Other theories suggest they served spiritual purposes.
03:10Experts believe they may have been used for practical matters,
03:13such as granaries or hiding spots from looters.
03:17As we don't have exact info on who built it and when,
03:21it may be pretty much anyone, even a sloth.
03:24Nope, I'm not a lunatic.
03:26Sloths can build giant tunnels.
03:29Check this out.
03:30In 2009, a farmer in southern Brazil was driving his tractor through a cornfield
03:36when it suddenly sank into the ground.
03:39He quickly discovered he had broken through the top of an underground tunnel.
03:43When researchers came to investigate,
03:45they found a tunnel around 6.5 feet high
03:48and the same 6.5 feet wide,
03:51extending about 50 feet long,
03:54right beneath the farmer's house.
03:55When they looked closer,
03:57they instantly saw deep claw marks on the walls.
04:01That was the proof the tunnel wasn't human-made.
04:05So that thing the farmer uncovered was a megafauna paleoburro,
04:10a prehistoric tunnel dug by ancient creatures
04:13like giant ground sloths or giant armadillos from over 10,000 years ago.
04:19I know, it's hard to imagine those beasts,
04:22but let me help you.
04:23Take a hamster.
04:25Now, increase it to the size of an elephant.
04:28Ah, don't forget,
04:29this 13-foot-tall hamster could also walk on two legs.
04:34During their time,
04:35around 15 million to 10,000 years ago,
04:38many species of sloths and giant armadillos roamed the Americas,
04:43some even digging similar tunnels.
04:47Today, many of these tunnels are filled with sediment,
04:50though some remain clear,
04:52similar to the one the farmer discovered.
04:54This 2009 find sparked significant interest,
04:59leading to the discovery of over 1,500 paleoburros across southern Brazil,
05:04making it the era with the highest concentration of such sites worldwide.
05:08But no one knows exactly why there are so many of them in southern Brazil.
05:13While some paleoburros exist throughout South America,
05:18none have been found in North America,
05:20which is weird, since those huge sloths roamed the entire continent.
05:26The exact purpose of these large tunnels remains a mystery,
05:29but scientists believe they may have served as nursing spaces,
05:33temperature regulation, or hibernation areas.
05:37Tunnels likely developed over centuries as successive generations of sloths and armadillos expanded them.
05:44Now, let's take a look at fugu's.
05:47No, not the Japanese fatal delicacy,
05:50and no, not a town in New Guinea.
05:52To see them, we got to travel to the UK.
05:55So, fugu's are underground structures too,
05:58but they don't look exactly like tunnels.
06:00They are dry stone structures.
06:04They look as if a cave had been decorated with stones from the inside.
06:09There are only around 15 of them found so far,
06:13and most of them are located in Cornwall.
06:16According to the estimates,
06:18those tunnels were built about 2,400 years ago,
06:21and they're still in pristine condition,
06:23which is truly fascinating.
06:26I mean, back in the day,
06:28people had no cool machinery whatsoever,
06:30yet their structures still last.
06:34And if you dare to buy an apartment today,
06:37well, chances are you won't be too happy about the quality.
06:41Going back to our fugu's,
06:43there's nothing extraordinary about their supposed purpose.
06:46They could be used for spiritual purposes,
06:49as a place to hide or a food storage.
06:53The latest application, though, is a bit weird.
06:56I guess it's not a secret for anyone
06:58that England is famous for its excessive humidity.
07:01And if you want to store your food properly,
07:03you gotta avoid the humidity at all costs.
07:06Otherwise, say, welcome to mold and fungi.
07:10But ancient people weren't dull-witted at all,
07:13or they wouldn't have survived,
07:14and you and I wouldn't be around now.
07:17So they might have adapted those fugu's
07:19to store just some products,
07:21those that already had natural molds in them,
07:24assisting in the preservation of perishable food,
07:26like milk, butter, and cheese.
07:29But hey, those are just speculations.
07:32The true reason why they were built remains unknown.
07:36What makes fugu's unique
07:38is that they are intentionally built tunnels,
07:41not just excavated mines like those in Wales.
07:43They were crafted by digging deep trenches,
07:47lining them with stone slabs,
07:49covering them with capstones,
07:50and then filling over them,
07:52all of which took significant time and effort.
07:56Still, no matter how hard those were to construct,
07:59cities around the globe are often built
08:02over intricate tunnel systems,
08:04each unique to its location.
08:06For instance, Paris is famous
08:08for its extensive underground quarries,
08:11which were abandoned years ago,
08:13but still pose a risk of collapse
08:15in certain areas above.
08:18London boasts one of the largest tunnel networks
08:21in the world,
08:22including many that were specifically created
08:24for military purposes.
08:26In New York City,
08:27there are rumors of secret tunnels,
08:30while Los Angeles has old tunnels
08:32from the Prohibition era
08:34used for speakeasies.
08:35Many other cities also have their share
08:38of enigmatic tunnels,
08:39and surprisingly,
08:40Florida is no exception.
08:42It happened in the year 2011,
08:45in Ybor City.
08:46Near a former post office,
08:48flooding uncovered something weird,
08:50a section of an unknown structure.
08:53Back then,
08:54people didn't pay much attention to that,
08:56so it took another seven years
08:57to discover something truly fascinating.
09:01This historic neighborhood
09:02was founded in the 1880s,
09:04but it remained unknown until 2018
09:07that it also has a hidden tunnel network.
09:10We only learned of it
09:12because of renovation work.
09:13The exact purpose,
09:15of course,
09:16is unknown,
09:17but most scientists
09:18are pretty sure
09:19that they serve to connect
09:20to early gaming spots
09:22and the Port of Tampa.
09:23Figuring out how extensive
09:25the tunnel network is
09:27is tricky.
09:28In 2018,
09:29a historic home in Seminole Heights
09:31revealed locked doors
09:33leading to tunnels
09:34from the 1920s.
09:35One local even said
09:37he traveled through a tunnel
09:38for 20 minutes.
09:40Rumors suggest
09:41some tunnels connect
09:42to the Hillsborough River
09:43and Ybor City.
09:45Research is ongoing,
09:47but no new info
09:48has emerged yet.
09:50The ancient Indian texts
09:52mention beautifully decorated chariots
09:55or entire palaces
09:56called vimanas
09:57that could take off
09:59and in a matter of seconds
10:00fly away as far as space.
10:03Some people believe
10:04these vimanas
10:05only existed
10:06in Indian mythology,
10:08but it's also possible
10:09that they were based
10:10on a real technology
10:12that had been lost
10:13over the centuries.
10:14According to the Vedas,
10:16ancient Indian religious texts,
10:18there was the elephant vimana
10:20with several engines
10:21and many other types
10:22named after animals
10:23and birds.
10:24There was one
10:25for local travel,
10:26one for visiting
10:27different countries,
10:28and one for traveling
10:29to the moon
10:30and various planets.
10:31They could develop
10:32a great speed.
10:34One vimana had the superpower
10:35of invisibility.
10:37Another one was shaped
10:38like a sphere
10:39and was built
10:40on the winds
10:40produced by mercury.
10:42This vimana was said
10:44to generate
10:44an enormous ray
10:45like the sun
10:46and make noise
10:47like the storm's thunder.
10:49All the vimanas
10:50were unbreakable
10:51and perfect for attacks
10:53on foes.
10:54Now,
10:55to operate a vimana,
10:56you'd need to know
10:57a lot of stuff,
10:58pretty much like
10:59today's airplane pilots.
11:0032 secrets in total.
11:02They'd cover
11:03the aircraft structure
11:04and the secrets
11:05of taking off
11:06and maneuvering
11:07without crashing.
11:08That's a good thing.
11:09The pilot was also
11:10expected to know
11:11how to be seen
11:12and unseen,
11:14how to be hidden,
11:15how to be quick,
11:16how to manage
11:17contractions
11:18and expansion,
11:19and many other tricks.
11:21To hide the flying machine
11:22from foes,
11:23the pilot was instructed
11:25to move to the
11:25eighth atmospheric layer
11:27above the earth
11:28and use the power
11:29of dark solar rays.
11:31This instruction
11:32might sound a bit weird,
11:33but there were others,
11:34more realistic ones,
11:36which still make sense
11:37in modern aeronautics.
11:39There are sections
11:40of ancient texts
11:41on the vimanas
11:42that focus on details
11:43like flight paths,
11:45pilot training,
11:46navigation,
11:47and even suitable clothes
11:49for pilots
11:50and recommended food
11:51for long flights.
11:52There was also
11:53a lot of technical detail
11:55about the use
11:56of heat-absorbing metals,
11:57the metals utilized,
11:59and melting points.
12:00The supporters
12:01of the theory
12:02that the vimanas
12:03were more than just myths
12:04are sure
12:05that the ancient Indians
12:06would unlikely
12:08go into all these details
12:09just for a beautiful story.
12:11So,
12:12the flying palaces
12:13might have been real
12:14and way ahead
12:15of their time,
12:16like many other
12:17great Indian inventions.
12:20Back in the 6th century BCE,
12:22an Indian physician
12:24named Shashruta
12:25basically wrote
12:26the original guide
12:27to medicine and surgery.
12:29They even called him
12:30the father of surgery
12:31for his work.
12:32Shashruta laid down
12:34the details
12:34on hundreds
12:35of medicinal plants
12:36and described
12:38complex surgical procedures.
12:39He gave instructions
12:41on nose reconstructions
12:42and skin transplants
12:44from one part
12:45of the body
12:45to another.
12:46The original method
12:47of rhinoplasty,
12:48which involved
12:49taking a piece of skin
12:50from the forehead
12:51to reconstruct the nose,
12:52is still used today.
12:54But back then,
12:55it had a slightly
12:56different purpose
12:57than surprising
12:58your followers
12:59on social media.
13:00Those nose jobs
13:01helped out folks
13:02who had lost their noses
13:04as punishment
13:05for crimes
13:06or in fights.
13:07Now,
13:08you gotta thank
13:08an ancient Indian math prodigy
13:11for the invention
13:12of zero.
13:13It might not seem
13:14like a big deal,
13:15but without it,
13:16we would have
13:17no binary system
13:18and no computers.
13:19People before
13:20the 5th century CE
13:22were only thinking
13:23about some sort
13:24of a sign
13:25to indicate nothing.
13:26The invention
13:27made addition,
13:28subtraction,
13:29and other mathematical
13:30operations
13:31a whole lot easier.
13:32You can see
13:33the oldest zero
13:34in existence
13:35carved in the wall
13:36of a temple
13:37in Gwalior, India.
13:39The Indus Valley
13:40civilization
13:41was using rulers
13:42in the 1500 BCE
13:44and earlier.
13:45Made from ivory,
13:47these rulers
13:47were found
13:48during excavations
13:49in what is present-day
13:50Pakistan
13:51and northwestern India.
13:53They were widely used
13:54in architecture
13:55with amazing accuracy.
13:57They had units
13:58corresponding to
13:59slightly over 1 inch
14:00that were marked
14:01with precise subdivisions
14:03within 5 thousandths
14:04of an inch.
14:06The next invention
14:07is more of a concept
14:08than a physical item.
14:10Standardization
14:11is all about
14:12setting the rules
14:13based on a bunch
14:14of people,
14:15things,
14:15or interests.
14:16One of its cool
14:17applications
14:18that we've all
14:19gotten used to
14:19is standard weights.
14:21Whether you're using
14:22pounds or kilograms,
14:24you need these
14:24universal measurements
14:25for weight, right?
14:27For this,
14:28we owe a big shout-out
14:29to the merchants
14:30from the Indus Valley
14:31civilization
14:32who lived around
14:334 thousand years ago.
14:35They were measuring
14:36everything
14:36from food grains
14:38to fancy luxury goods
14:39using these
14:40standardized weights.
14:41And their weights
14:42had decimal
14:43and binary mathematical
14:44systems going on.
14:46They didn't have
14:47high-tech gear,
14:48but they pulled off
14:49some serious precision
14:50using complex calculations
14:52and even sand
14:54for construction.
14:55Their art of standardization
14:57made its way
14:57to Persia
14:58and Central Asia,
14:59basically becoming
15:00the global
15:01weight-watching standard.
15:03So, if yoga
15:05is your go-to exercise,
15:06you definitely
15:07have a personal reason
15:09to appreciate
15:09the ancient
15:10Indian geniuses.
15:12Over 5 thousand years ago,
15:14during the rule
15:15of the Indus Sarasvati
15:16civilization
15:17in northern India,
15:19yoga was first
15:20mentioned in the Vedas.
15:21Yoga was refined
15:23and shaped
15:23over the centuries
15:24until it grew
15:25into a massive teaching
15:26with over 200
15:28sacred writings
15:29dedicated to this way
15:30of obtaining
15:31enlightenment.
15:32At the beginning
15:33of the current era,
15:34yoga got a new trajectory
15:36thanks to a Hindu writer
15:37who laid down
15:38a system of yoga
15:39in his text,
15:40the Yoga Sutras.
15:42It became
15:43a whole-body
15:43rejuvenation,
15:44a life-extending
15:46practice with poses
15:47that you are still
15:48doing on the mat
15:49today.
15:50Yoga has reached
15:51the Western world
15:52only in the 19th century
15:53and it caught on
15:55like wildfire.
15:57Chess,
15:58the all-time
15:59top game
15:59for intellectuals,
16:00is also
16:01an Indian invention.
16:03Its ancestor
16:04was called
16:04Chaturanga
16:05and it was
16:06a strategic
16:07board game
16:07that started
16:08gaining popularity
16:09around 3,000 years
16:11before the current era.
16:12This early
16:13Indian version
16:14of chess
16:15was played
16:15by four people,
16:16not two,
16:17and had 64 squares.
16:19Each player
16:20had eight pieces
16:21ranging from
16:22pawns to kings,
16:24bishops to knights,
16:25and there was no
16:26standard six-faced
16:27dice.
16:28They rolled
16:28with an oblong one.
16:30Players facing off
16:31were actually allies,
16:33forming two teams
16:34based on the direction
16:35they sat.
16:36Chess,
16:37that we know
16:37and love today,
16:38was first mentioned
16:39in ancient
16:40Indian literature
16:41in a legend.
16:42It said that
16:43the wife of a villain
16:44called Ravana
16:45had invented
16:46the game
16:47to amuse him.
16:48Now,
16:49the word
16:49shampoo
16:50comes from
16:51the Hindi word,
16:52which means
16:53to soothe
16:53or knead.
16:55The substance
16:55was invented
16:56in India
16:57in 1762
16:58and was originally
17:00used for head
17:00massages,
17:01hence the name.
17:02The first shampoo
17:03was made of
17:04natural oils
17:05and herbs.
17:06British traders
17:07fell in love
17:08with the idea
17:09and brought it
17:10back with them
17:10to England.
17:11It took years
17:12for the original
17:13head massage oil
17:14to evolve into shampoo
17:15as we know it today,
17:16but it's still
17:18an Indian invention.
17:20Unlike the ancient Greeks,
17:21who wore animal skins,
17:23the Indians
17:24started cultivating
17:25cotton back
17:26in the 5th
17:26and 4th centuries
17:27before the current era.
17:29They used cotton threads
17:30to produce fabrics
17:32that soon became
17:33a huge hit
17:34in the Mediterranean
17:35and beyond.
17:36Jute and wool
17:37also have their
17:38origins in India.
17:40Cashmere,
17:40the finest
17:41and most exclusive
17:42type of wool,
17:43actually comes
17:44from the cashmere region
17:45of India.
17:47Buttons that sit proudly
17:48on that cashmere cardigan
17:49of yours
17:50also have ancient
17:51Indian origins.
17:52Some 5,000 years ago,
17:55the Indus Valley
17:56civilization
17:56started cutting
17:57seashells
17:58into geometric shapes
17:59with tiny holes in them.
18:01First,
18:02they were just decorations,
18:03but then people
18:04started using them
18:05to fasten clothes.
18:07Now,
18:08when you think
18:08about radio
18:09communication pioneers,
18:11Marconi's name
18:12usually steals
18:13the spotlight.
18:14He got a Nobel Prize
18:15in physics
18:16in 1909
18:17for his
18:18groundbreaking radio work.
18:20But there's
18:20an unsung hero
18:22in the radio waves game,
18:23and his name
18:24is Sir Jadish
18:25Chandra Bose.
18:27He spilled the beans
18:28on radio communication
18:29way back in 1895.
18:32He shot
18:33an electromagnetic wave
18:34across 75 feet
18:36at the town hall
18:37in Calcutta,
18:38and it went
18:39through walls,
18:40rang a bell,
18:41and even set off
18:42some gunpowder.
18:43Marconi took a page
18:44from Bose's book
18:45using his invention,
18:47the Mercury Coherer,
18:48as a blueprint
18:49for his own
18:50two-way radio.
18:51Bose didn't patent
18:52his genius creation,
18:54so he only got his credit
18:55a century later.
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