Lost Worlds of the Mediterranean (Full Episode) | Drain the Oceans
Lost Worlds of the Mediterranean (Full Episode) | Drain the Oceans
The Mediterranean was once home to some of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations. Draining the sea unlocks the mysteries of their rise and fall.
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Lost Worlds of the Mediterranean (Full Episode) | Drain the Oceans
• Lost Worlds of the Mediterranean (Ful…
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Content
3.136 -> NARRATOR:
Beneath the clear blue waters
5.104 -> of the Mediterranean lie
treasures of ancient empires,
10.309 -> relics of their bloody wars,
15.515 -> and secrets of the seismic
forces that shaped them,
19.819 -> lost beneath the waves...
24.39 -> until now.
27.293 -> Imagine if we could
empty the oceans,
30.062 -> letting the water drain away
32.264 -> to reveal the secrets
of the seafloor.
36.669 -> Now, we can.
41.807 -> Using the latest underwater
scanning technology,
45.611 -> piercing the deep oceans,
48.18 -> and turning accurate data
into 3D images.
54.62 -> This time,
what apocalyptic disaster
58.257 -> triggered the collapse
of Europe's first civilization?
63.362 -> Can an extraordinary
2,500-year-old shipwreck
67.5 -> unlock the secrets
of Ancient Greece?
71.37 -> How did these deadly objects
73.806 -> turn Ancient Rome
into a superpower?
77.377 -> And why does the Sin City
of the Roman Empire
80.98 -> lie abandoned
beneath the waves?
86.685 -> (music)
89.121 -> (music)
94.76 -> (music)
101.701 -> Ancient people call it
the Middle Sea,
105.004 -> the center of the known world.
107.34 -> The Egyptians,
Greeks and Romans
109.742 -> build mighty civilizations
upon its shores.
114.514 -> Empires battle for supremacy
across its waters.
119.619 -> Cities grow rich and powerful
through trade.
123.989 -> The Mediterranean becomes
a superhighway,
127.66 -> connecting cultures that
will shape the modern world.
132.131 -> But only by draining the sea
can we reveal
135.801 -> its biggest and most
terrifying secret.
139.839 -> What happened on this
spectacular Greek island
143.509 -> to doom an entire civilization?
149.782 -> COSTAS SYNOLAKIS: They must have
thought this was it,
151.917 -> the end of the world.
155.021 -> NARRATOR: 3,600 years ago.
158.624 -> 15 centuries before
the Roman Empire.
162.662 -> A mysterious people dominate
the Mediterranean.
166.966 -> We call them the Minoans.
170.87 -> Their home is on Crete.
173.873 -> Here they build magnificent
temples and palaces,
177.843 -> and decorate them
with stunning frescoes.
182.348 -> Celebrating their love
of life and of nature.
190.189 -> But there's a darker side, too.
193.993 -> The Minoan royal palace
at Knossos
196.528 -> is said to contain a labyrinth.
199.698 -> Home to the Minotaur.
202.334 -> A fearsome creature...
204.136 -> part man, part bull,
206.539 -> with a terrible appetite
for human flesh.
212.545 -> But apart from a grisly myth,
215.047 -> much about the Minoan world
still remains a mystery.
219.985 -> MICHAEL SCOTT: We can't
decipher their language.
221.787 -> We only have their
archaeological remains,
223.556 -> but what that tells us, I think,
225.024 -> is that they were
extremely imaginative,
227.994 -> they were extremely adventurous,
230.129 -> and that they developed
231.397 -> a sophisticated
hierarchical society
234.067 -> that was capable of producing
elements of art and architecture
238.037 -> which still astound us today.
243.008 -> NARRATOR: Historians do know
that the Minoans spread
245.811 -> across the Mediterranean,
248.081 -> trading olive oil and pottery
for gold and ivory,
252.918 -> growing ever richer
and more powerful.
256.889 -> And then,
in the 15th century BC,
260.693 -> their ancient civilization
begins to fade
263.863 -> from the pages of history.
268.835 -> For centuries,
no one knows why.
274.34 -> Until scientists start
to look closely
277.443 -> at the nearby island
of Santorini.
283.782 -> SYNOLAKIS: Santorini, it has
this very, very calm water.
288.954 -> It's almost like it plays
with you and deceives you.
292.325 -> Looking at this view,
you would never imagine
295.661 -> how dangerous it once was
and how dangerous it is.
300.766 -> NARRATOR: The island is famous
302.301 -> for its spectacular,
jagged cliffs,
305.071 -> which tower above
a beautiful natural harbor.
310.475 -> But what created them?
312.644 -> And can they help explain
the downfall of the Minoans?
321.42 -> Marine geologist Evi Nomikou
believes that crucial clues
326.291 -> may lie deep beneath
Santorini's tranquil waters.
330.863 -> EVI NOMIKOU:
As I was born in Santorini,
332.364 -> I wanted to study the area
to reveal their secret.
338.404 -> Being a marine geologist means
that you're having access
342.708 -> to the mystic world
of the seafloor,
345.143 -> so you can see features
that nobody else can see.
350.65 -> NARRATOR:
She harnesses the latest
351.984 -> multi-beam sonar technology
354.587 -> to scan the depths
of the huge bay.
358.524 -> By transforming her data
into powerful computer imagery,
363.428 -> it's possible to drain away the
waters of the Mediterranean...
367.966 -> (music)
372.971 -> ...and reveal Santorini's
terrifying secret.
377.776 -> The sheer cliffs tower
1,000 feet above sea level
382.782 -> and drop a further 1,000 feet
to the seafloor.
387.42 -> Framing a vast basin
389.254 -> large enough to hold
10,000 Olympic stadiums.
395.46 -> The basin is a huge crater,
399.398 -> and Santorini itself is the
remnant of a gigantic volcano.
405.07 -> (music)
408.574 -> But that's not all.
410.743 -> On the rim of the crater,
412.811 -> more evidence of Santorini's
violent past.
416.915 -> (music)
421.486 -> (screams)
424.49 -> Undiscovered until 1967,
428.16 -> these shattered ruins
are all that remain
430.863 -> of a once-thriving city,
433.366 -> known today as Akrotiri.
436.902 -> It was destroyed when
the volcano erupted,
439.772 -> and buried under so much ash
that it remained hidden
443.809 -> for 3,500 years.
446.945 -> LEFTERIS ZORZOS: It's almost
like a window back in time,
449.214 -> where you can see how it was
when it was destroyed.
453.185 -> NARRATOR: And deep in the ruins
455.02 -> archaeologists discover
something remarkable.
460.759 -> (rumbling)
464.163 -> These stone steps
were not broken
466.665 -> by the ash and lava
from a volcano.
469.301 -> (rumbling)
474.573 -> They were shattered
by an earthquake.
479.411 -> ZORZOS: When the earthquake
happened,
481.246 -> everyone fled their town,
484.45 -> but then they came back to start
rebuilding their homes,
486.952 -> and this is exactly
what we're seeing here.
491.957 -> NARRATOR: Believing
the danger over,
494.06 -> people move furniture
into the streets,
496.795 -> so they can start repairing
their houses.
500.266 -> ZORZOS: We're seeing the beds
placed outside of their homes,
503.569 -> we're seeing the stones and mud
506.004 -> getting ready to be used
to rebuild these homes.
510.309 -> NARRATOR: But then they are
struck by an apocalypse.
514.112 -> (rumbling)
517.45 -> (explosion)
522.821 -> The first stage of the eruption
is so powerful
526.359 -> that it engulfs Akrotiri
528.527 -> and suffocates the whole island
in a thick layer of debris.
536.401 -> And the date of this
cataclysmic eruption?
539.772 -> Around 1625 BC, the same time
as the Minoans
545.277 -> begin to disappear from
the pages of history.
549.414 -> But how could a single eruption
trigger the collapse
552.451 -> of a great civilization based
on an island 70 miles away?
559.391 -> Until recently most scientists
have focused
562.461 -> only on the evidence
above ground.
566.398 -> But Evi Nomikou believes
that once again
569.935 -> the real clues lie underwater.
574.006 -> EVI NOMIKOU: Scientists
have been occupied
575.474 -> studying only
the on-land geology,
578.276 -> so we are starting
mapping the seafloor,
580.98 -> in order to find out
the total volume
583.181 -> of that big, destructive
eruption.
588.286 -> NARRATOR: Evi heads outside
the great crater
590.856 -> to hunt for new evidence
on the seabed.
596.428 -> And what she finds
is extraordinary.
600.732 -> Proof of the sheer scale
of this eruption.
606.105 -> As the waters of
the Mediterranean recede
608.607 -> still further, they reveal
wide stone terraces,
613.678 -> fanning out from
the mouth of the volcano...
617.249 -> the size of 20-story buildings.
624.29 -> They point to one cause.
632.264 -> They're called
pyroclastic flows:
635.333 -> torrents of superheated gas
and molten rock.
640.038 -> NOMIKOU: The pyroclastic flow
can cover everything.
643.509 -> They travel like a hurricane.
645.477 -> They can destroy
everything on their path
648.948 -> because of the high temperature,
up to 1,000 Celsius.
657.156 -> NARRATOR:
When they hit the sea,
658.957 -> the pyroclastic flows cool and
become solid ramparts of rock.
665.798 -> Around Santorini, they stretch
for a staggering 20 miles
670.035 -> in every direction.
673.338 -> Evidence of multiple eruptions
lasting for days.
680.645 -> By measuring
the stone terraces,
682.914 -> scientists calculate that
the volcano throws out
686.118 -> 14 cubic miles of debris.
689.354 -> An eruption far more powerful
than they had ever imagined.
694.293 -> It's one of the biggest
volcanic explosions
697.563 -> in the history of the planet.
699.999 -> (explosion)
707.639 -> SYNOLAKIS: Let's try to imagine
what this eruption looked like.
711.643 -> If you were sitting somewhere in
any of the neighboring islands,
715.214 -> it would have appeared
like the end of the world.
719.184 -> NARRATOR: At first
the volcano blasts out
721.487 -> a column of superheated debris
more than 20 miles high.
727.592 -> SYNOLAKIS: This huge funnel
of black ash and cloud
731.029 -> could have been seen going
all the way to the sky.
734.7 -> NARRATOR: Some of the volcanic
plume falls to Earth
737.803 -> many miles from Santorini.
741.707 -> SYNOLAKIS: It would have been
raining pumice
743.676 -> on the surrounding islands.
745.477 -> NARRATOR: But now
the volcano unleashes
747.846 -> its most devastating surprise,
750.749 -> and in its path lies Crete,
the center of the Minoan world.
760.325 -> NARRATOR: 70 miles
from Santorini,
762.261 -> the Minoans on Crete see the
soaring column of ash and smoke
766.765 -> from the erupting volcano.
769.601 -> But they have no idea
of the disaster to come.
774.539 -> The volcano blasts millions
of tons of lava into the sea.
779.311 -> Triggering wave after wave
of powerful tsunamis.
785.583 -> SYNOLAKIS: When the tsunami
arrived in Crete,
787.853 -> they were probably taken
totally by surprise.
790.288 -> Imagine seeing
this wall of water,
794.126 -> in some places ten meters high,
advancing in.
798.196 -> It must have looked like
this was the end of the world.
801.032 -> Totally unexpected.
802.467 -> The wrath of the gods.
805.437 -> NARRATOR: Entire coastal
communities are swept away
808.773 -> by waves up to 30 feet tall.
813.145 -> Ports are destroyed
and ships smashed to pieces.
824.823 -> And the gods
aren't finished yet.
828.593 -> After the eruption
and the tsunamis,
831.229 -> another disaster is looming.
834.032 -> Clouds of volcanic ash
cast a deadly pall
837.569 -> over the whole Mediterranean,
dramatically cooling the Earth.
845.41 -> SCOTT: There were a series
of effects from the eruption
848.713 -> that together fatally weakened
the Minoan civilization.
853.986 -> A tsunami event, a divine event.
856.521 -> The destabilization
of their economy,
859.424 -> the failure of harvests
over several years.
862.594 -> That was the moment when Minoan
civilization started to die.
869.001 -> NARRATOR: Without their ports
and ships,
871.236 -> the Minoans lose their mastery
over the Mediterranean.
877.475 -> Invaders challenge their power.
884.082 -> And as the sun sets on the
collapsing Minoan civilization,
888.52 -> new powers arise.
891.623 -> 500 miles from Crete,
just off the coast of Cyprus,
895.928 -> the draining waters
of the Mediterranean
898.33 -> reveal a remarkable discovery
almost 2,500 years old.
906.871 -> What can it tell us about
the lives, the power,
910.609 -> and the pleasures
of the Ancient Greeks?
914.479 -> In the centuries after
the fall of the Minoans,
917.582 -> the city-states of Greece
919.284 -> produce dazzling art
and architecture.
923.722 -> Forging ideas in mathematics,
democracy and theater
928.393 -> that still shape our world.
932.631 -> The Greeks take to the sea
in their wooden sailing ships
936.034 -> risking their lives
to explore, colonize,
939.471 -> and trade with each other.
944.91 -> Hundreds of boats shuttle
across the Mediterranean,
948.313 -> linking settlements in
Africa, Asia and Europe.
952.984 -> They are the lifeblood
of Greek civilization.
958.39 -> But these ships are a mystery.
961.56 -> Only a few remnants have
survived to offer a glimpse
965.129 -> into how they worked
and what they carried...
969.701 -> until now.
972.837 -> A shipwreck,
recently discovered
974.74 -> in the seas off Cyprus,
976.775 -> is helping to bring this
lost world back to life.
983.715 -> Archaeologist Stella Demesticha
and her team
987.152 -> are unlocking
the wreck's secrets.
992.024 -> Where did it come from?
994.993 -> What was it carrying?
1000.332 -> And why did it sink?
1003.568 -> STELLA DEMESTICHA: It's pretty
deep, so it takes a while
1006.505 -> when you're diving before
you can see the sea bottom.
1012.611 -> SCOTT: It looks all very
higgledy-piggledy,
1014.78 -> it looks like, well, someone's
dropped a whole load of garbage
1020.018 -> in the ocean.
1023.221 -> NARRATOR: But this apparent
chaos is packed with clues
1026.925 -> about the lost world
of the Ancient Greeks.
1030.562 -> DEMESTICHA: This is really
fantastic for an archaeologist.
1034.699 -> NARRATOR: Exploring such
a deep and complex site
1037.569 -> is challenging.
1041.406 -> DEMESTICHA: Diving at 45 meters
has several constraints,
1046.011 -> and time is one of them.
1049.715 -> The maximum we can stay per day
is 20 minutes.
1054.285 -> NARRATOR: It's almost
impossible to work effectively
1056.688 -> at such depths.
1060.158 -> So the team explores the site
1062.46 -> using a technique
called photogrammetry,
1065.697 -> taking hundreds of pictures
of the wreck
1067.899 -> from different angles.
1072.638 -> DEMESTICHA: So instead of trying
to make decisions at 45 meters
1078.043 -> where your brain
doesn't work properly,
1081.313 -> taking the pictures allows us
to have the luxury
1085.583 -> of diving through the screen
of our computer
1088.753 -> as long as we wanted.
1094.025 -> NARRATOR: Using the unique
photogrammetry data,
1097.162 -> it's possible
for the first time
1099.731 -> to drain the Mediterranean...
1103.001 -> allowing sunshine to illuminate
a site that's been in darkness
1107.405 -> for 2,500 years.
1110.542 -> (music)
1114.679 -> The debris lies
in the shape of a ship.
1121.219 -> Much of the timber hull
has rotted away,
1124.088 -> leaving only its ancient cargo.
1129.627 -> Hundreds of earthenware jars,
known as amphorae,
1134.232 -> piled neatly on top
of each other,
1137.068 -> many of them still intact.
1139.904 -> (music)
1144.409 -> SCOTT: Amphorae look very odd.
1145.943 -> They look very ungainly
and not very well designed
1149.18 -> to be storage jars or certainly
container jars on a sea vessel.
1153.618 -> But they are a design that's
evolved over centuries.
1156.255 -> And actually if you stack them
all really neatly together,
1158.857 -> they do all make sense,
1161.059 -> and they were the way
that you transported things
1164.062 -> around the ancient world.
1167.699 -> NARRATOR: Amphorae like this
1169.167 -> give the archaeologists
some vital clues.
1174.339 -> Their distinctive shape varies,
1176.742 -> depending on where and when
they were made.
1181.346 -> This one dates from
the 4th century BC
1184.949 -> and comes from
the Greek island of Chios,
1187.953 -> 500 miles from the wreck site.
1191.556 -> So what was in it?
1195.093 -> Although the amphorae
are all now empty,
1198.23 -> they offer intriguing clues
about what they once contained.
1202.967 -> DEMESTICHA: In this case we have
the opportunity to see evidence.
1207.572 -> This dark coating
inside the amphora,
1210.775 -> we have to imagine that it was
all over the inside walls,
1214.947 -> and it was pitch, or resin,
1217.315 -> so it was a kind of sealant
to make these walls waterproof.
1222.553 -> So we are sure that these
are Chian wine containers.
1227.292 -> NARRATOR: Wine from the island
of Chios is highly prized
1230.795 -> throughout
the Ancient Mediterranean.
1233.532 -> The wrecked ship is loaded
with the equivalent
1236.134 -> of more than 10,000
modern-sized bottles.
1240.238 -> A hugely valuable cargo
and a telling insight
1244.208 -> into the Ancient Greek trade
in luxury goods.
1249.414 -> SCOTT: The Greeks
loved their wine.
1253.018 -> This little wreck off Cyprus
1254.452 -> is the tip of the iceberg
of the wine trade.
1257.622 -> It was an absolutely fundamental
part of their society
1262.56 -> and of all their
cultural experiences,
1264.762 -> whether that be religious
1266.765 -> or whether it be
letting their hair down
1268.533 -> and having a really good time.
1271.302 -> DEMESTICHA: The greatest thing
about Ancient Greeks
1274.005 -> is their love for life.
1275.94 -> They like to talk, to think,
to discuss, to drink, to party.
1281.279 -> SCOTT: There was a great profit
to be made
1283.448 -> in making sure that the rich
around the Mediterranean world
1287.852 -> had a good supply of
very good wine to drink.
1293.357 -> NARRATOR: Trading in wine
and other luxury items
1295.96 -> makes good money for
the Greek city-states.
1299.064 -> But their ships carry
an even more precious cargo,
1302.734 -> as they traverse
the Mediterranean and beyond,
1306.371 -> from Egypt to Southern France,
1309.407 -> they spread Greek
ideas and culture
1312.243 -> that influence
Western civilization
1314.679 -> to the present day.
1317.682 -> But this cargo never
reaches its destination.
1322.82 -> DEMESTICHA: One of the most
important questions that we ask
1325.69 -> in shipwreck archaeology
is why this ship sunk.
1333.131 -> NARRATOR: The biggest clue is
the shape of the debris.
1337.268 -> The way that the jars
lie grouped together
1340.071 -> rather than scattered about
1342.006 -> proves that the vessel
didn't capsize.
1348.313 -> So what did happen?
1351.449 -> DEMESTICHA: The ships in
antiquity were open-decked.
1355.687 -> The hold was not covered
with a deck,
1358.155 -> so when the waves were
very high, or we have a storm,
1362.393 -> then the water was coming in.
1367.566 -> NARRATOR: The ship is most
likely overwhelmed by a wave.
1375.073 -> Pulled down by the weight
of all the expensive wine
1378.809 -> to a watery grave.
1380.912 -> (music)
1387.752 -> (music)
1390.188 -> (music)
1395.126 -> As the waters
of the Mediterranean
1397.228 -> continue to drain away,
1401.032 -> they uncover unique evidence
of a titanic clash
1405.069 -> between two ancient
superpowers.
1409.473 -> This is the site of a battle
1411.509 -> that would change
the course of history.
1415.012 -> WILLIAM M. MURRAY: When they saw
the Romans in front of them,
1416.914 -> they had one of these
'Oh, no!' moments.
1422.687 -> NARRATOR: What can these
bizarre objects on the seabed
1426.19 -> tell us about the merciless
rise of the Romans?
1435.233 -> NARRATOR: The third century BC.
1438.036 -> Rome already controls
mainland Italy,
1441.172 -> and has ambitions to expand
across the whole Mediterranean.
1445.877 -> But its navy is weak.
1448.479 -> JON HENDERSON: Rome was known
as being a terrestrial power,
1450.848 -> not a maritime power, it was not
known for fighting sea battles,
1454.719 -> but they were set on
a militaristic path
1456.454 -> of maritime control.
1458.657 -> NARRATOR: This brings them
into conflict
1460.324 -> with another superpower
of the Mediterranean:
1463.694 -> the Carthaginians.
1467.332 -> SCOTT: The Carthaginians were
great traders, great seafarers,
1470.135 -> controlling most of the west
and central Mediterranean,
1473.838 -> and it was that fact
1475.173 -> that brought them
into conflict with Rome.
1479.377 -> NARRATOR: Carthage,
from its position
1481.079 -> on the north coast of Africa,
1483.247 -> commands the most powerful navy
in the region.
1487.284 -> To challenge Carthage,
1489.02 -> Rome must first learn
a new kind of naval warfare.
1496.06 -> So begins a titanic struggle
1499.063 -> that will last for
more than 100 years.
1503.201 -> The winner will dominate
the Mediterranean
1506.471 -> for the next seven centuries.
1511.242 -> Its first truly decisive
encounter happens
1514.345 -> somewhere off
the west coast of Sicily,
1518.883 -> near the Egadi Islands.
1521.92 -> Here, according to
ancient historian Polybius,
1525.79 -> the mighty navies
of Rome and Carthage
1528.459 -> go head-to-head
in an epic battle.
1533.464 -> He describes the clash
of two huge fleets
1536.634 -> involving 400 ships,
and at least 100,000 men...
1543.475 -> turning the waters of
the Mediterranean blood-red.
1551.749 -> But Polybius writes his history
1553.751 -> at least half a century
after the battle
1557.422 -> and for a Roman audience.
1560.091 -> So how reliable is his account?
1564.129 -> However huge this battle
may have been,
1566.898 -> no one has ever been able
to find any trace of it.
1571.335 -> MURRAY: Taking the description
from an ancient historian
1574.338 -> and actually pointing
to the exact place
1577.708 -> on the surface of the globe
where the battle took place
1580.211 -> is extremely difficult.
1583.314 -> NARRATOR: Bill Murray and
a team of marine archaeologists
1586.584 -> are on the trail of
some extraordinary finds
1589.687 -> reported by local fishermen.
1593.758 -> But the area they need
to survey is huge,
1597.127 -> many miles across.
1600.798 -> So first, they sonar scan
the seabed.
1608.372 -> Then they launch
a remotely operated vehicle
1611.476 -> to investigate the finds.
1613.978 -> (music)
1616.414 -> (music)
1621.386 -> PETER CAMPBELL: As you're
watching the live feed
1623.154 -> of the video from the ROV, and
it's going across the seafloor,
1626.691 -> the shapes suddenly
pop into view,
1628.393 -> and it's incredibly distinctive.
1629.927 -> So there's a great moment
of excitement
1631.596 -> as these objects are first seen.
1634.732 -> NARRATOR: They discover
a truly astonishing shape
1638.035 -> 300 feet down.
1644.075 -> CAMPBELL: These are
the rarest artifacts
1645.409 -> we have from antiquity.
1650.915 -> NARRATOR: So what is it?
1656.353 -> Using the data gathered
by the expedition,
1659.256 -> it's possible to pull the plug
on the Mediterranean,
1662.86 -> emptying the waters from
around the coast of Sicily.
1666.397 -> The mysterious object on the
seabed comes clearly into view.
1671.502 -> It's three feet wide
and made of metal.
1674.939 -> Its jagged edges suggest
a deadly purpose.
1679.01 -> SCOTT: So these are
bronze battering rams.
1682.647 -> They would have been attached
to the front of a ship,
1686.384 -> and this was the main method
1688.152 -> of attacking and destroying
ships in antiquity.
1692.39 -> NARRATOR: Rams are
the superweapons
1694.592 -> of ancient naval warfare.
1697.461 -> The large vertical fin is
like a splitting axe,
1701.399 -> and the horizontal fins
are like blades,
1704.402 -> to slice through
an enemy ship's timbers.
1707.605 -> SCOTT: You didn't
have cannon fire,
1709.273 -> there were no kind of guns
a la Pirates of the Caribbean
1711.909 -> or anything like that.
1713.344 -> The only way to take down
the enemy ship
1715.179 -> was to smash a massive hole
in the middle of it
1717.782 -> and let it sink to the bottom,
1719.25 -> and the only way of doing that
was to ram it.
1721.519 -> (crashing)
1726.29 -> NARRATOR: A closer look reveals
1727.692 -> that this ram is
battle-damaged,
1730.327 -> its metal edges
broken and distorted
1732.83 -> by a violent collision.
1737.835 -> MURRAY: In one episode
1739.237 -> we're told that the men
up in a forward tower
1742.607 -> were literally catapulted
out of the tower
1745.576 -> and into the sea
after a ram strike.
1752.349 -> And we're told that it was
an effective ram strike,
1754.519 -> because as the ancient author
wrote, 'Bronze hit bronze.'
1765.429 -> NARRATOR: And this isn't
the only discovery.
1769.567 -> Based on data from the survey,
1772.069 -> draining away more
of the Mediterranean
1774.772 -> reveals a remarkable pattern.
1777.909 -> Ten more rams, scattered
1780.111 -> across two square miles.
1783.147 -> More than enough
to convince historians
1786.05 -> that an important naval battle
took place here.
1791.422 -> But is it the legendary
Battle of the Egadi Islands
1795.459 -> described by Polybius?
1799.797 -> An unlikely piece of evidence
may hold the answer.
1806.103 -> A single amphora storage jar,
found near one of the rams.
1813.51 -> By analyzing its shape
1815.98 -> archaeologists can narrow down
when and where it was made.
1821.719 -> It's like finding
a black box recorder.
1826.023 -> The team believes the amphora
is Carthaginian
1829.26 -> and dates
to the 3rd century BC,
1832.496 -> the same period as the Battle
of the Egadi Islands.
1838.069 -> The historian Polybius
describes how the Carthaginians
1841.672 -> are carrying supplies for
their soldiers in Sicily.
1846.61 -> Could this amphora
be part of that cargo?
1851.382 -> POLYBIUS: The plan was to cross
to Mount Erice,
1853.384 -> unobserved by the enemy,
and offload the stores.
1857.288 -> Then take on soldiers
in the lightened ships
1859.957 -> and engage the enemy.
1863.927 -> NARRATOR: But the Carthaginians
never make it.
1867.331 -> Compelling evidence
from the drained seabed
1870.368 -> now indicates this is
where it all happened.
1874.905 -> MURRAY: A number of rams line up
and give us a bearing
1877.608 -> that makes some sense,
1880.444 -> and that's fascinating,
that is exciting.
1883.414 -> NARRATOR: The words
of an ancient historian
1885.616 -> and the evidence
of modern technology
1888.319 -> both point
to the same conclusion:
1891.722 -> this is the site of the Battle
of the Egadi Islands.
1898.262 -> MURRAY: It was an important
enough event for the Romans
1900.297 -> that they remembered the date.
1901.799 -> It was actually written down
in a calendar somewhere,
1904.435 -> and we know that it occurred
on 10 March, 241 BC.
1911.809 -> This is not your typical naval
battle where both sides prepare.
1915.612 -> This was a battle
of opportunity.
1920.384 -> NARRATOR: The Carthaginians,
still laden with supplies,
1924.021 -> head for shore believing
the coast is clear.
1930.194 -> But the Romans keep dozens
of their ships hidden
1933.397 -> behind one of the islands.
1935.566 -> It's a huge ambush.
1938.903 -> MURRAY: The lookouts spied the
Carthaginian ships coming in,
1942.239 -> and as the Carthaginians saw
the Romans in front of them,
1945.042 -> they had one of these
'Oh, no!' moments.
1948.846 -> CAMPBELL: So we're talking about
tens of thousands of men
1951.248 -> on board these ships,
1952.85 -> and they would have lined up
across from each other
1954.985 -> in lines of battle,
1956.621 -> headed toward each other
at a great rate,
1958.289 -> and smashed into each other
head-to-head.
1962.993 -> (crashing)
1966.831 -> (men yelling)
1972.67 -> NARRATOR: Polybius describes
what happened next.
1977.308 -> POLYBIUS: Before long,
they were defeated.
1980.31 -> 50 of the Carthaginians' ships
were sunk,
1983.213 -> and 70 captured
with their crews,
1985.949 -> while the prisoners
numbered almost 10,000.
1990.788 -> NARRATOR: Another discovery on
the seabed is a stark reminder
1994.792 -> that this epic victory came
at a high price in human life.
2005.436 -> This is the last resting place
of thousands of brave men.
2013.544 -> And it has been judged
so important
2016.147 -> that its exact location
must remain secret.
2021.185 -> CAMPBELL: There's nothing else
really like this.
2022.586 -> It's the first
ancient battle site
2024.055 -> that's ever been discovered.
2025.689 -> It's just an incredible
debris field.
2029.193 -> SCOTT: The Battle of the Egadi
Islands was the turning point,
2031.429 -> when a Roman fleet managed
to absolutely trounce
2037.368 -> a Carthaginian fleet at sea.
2040.538 -> CAMPBELL: This was
the defining battle
2042.106 -> where Rome went from a regional
power to a superpower.
2047.01 -> NARRATOR: The struggle between
Rome and Carthage
2049.513 -> would last for another century.
2052.617 -> But victory here
set Rome on a path
2055.953 -> to shaping the destiny of
Europe for the next 700 years.
2062.793 -> As the last of its water
runs away,
2065.696 -> the Mediterranean reveals
a final secret.
2069.7 -> What can draining
the Bay of Naples teach us
2073.404 -> about the glory and the
decadence of the Roman Empire?
2083.614 -> NARRATOR: 2,000 years ago
2085.616 -> Rome has grown far beyond
its Italian homeland.
2089.653 -> Its legions control a vast area
2092.656 -> from North Africa
to Northern Europe,
2096.159 -> from Spain to the Black Sea,
2099.33 -> and the Roman navy dominates
the Mediterranean,
2103.2 -> from its port next
to the city of Baiae
2107.071 -> in the shadow
of mighty Vesuvius.
2112.676 -> Baiae earns a reputation as
the Sin City of Ancient Rome.
2117.914 -> It's famous for debauchery
and excess.
2124.521 -> But what really went on
in this seaside party town?
2129.66 -> And why does so much of it lie
abandoned beneath the waves?
2137.401 -> Now, marine archaeologist
Jon Henderson is exploring
2141.905 -> the secrets
of this sunken city.
2147.144 -> Starting with
the huge harbor walls
2149.847 -> that once surrounded
the city's port.
2154.718 -> HENDERSON: These are built
by the Romans.
2157.288 -> They were incredible engineers.
2159.756 -> You can still see
the artificial construction
2161.958 -> of this very clearly.
2164.094 -> You can see the brickwork,
overlapping bricks.
2168.098 -> Amazing!
2174.038 -> NARRATOR: Beyond the port walls
lie magnificent villas
2177.808 -> where Roman emperors
host lavish parties.
2181.812 -> HENDERSON: Look at this.
2183.614 -> This is a mosaic floor
of one of the bath houses.
2188.552 -> Looks like it was
just done yesterday.
2190.688 -> It's phenomenal!
2192.99 -> Absolutely amazing!
2198.696 -> This is called the nymphaeum.
2200.931 -> It's actually
an elaborate dining room
2202.966 -> for the Emperor Claudius.
2204.768 -> You can imagine people
eating food
2206.67 -> surrounded by
these water nymphs.
2209.173 -> It was built to entertain the
emperor's most honored guests.
2216.513 -> Well, one of the things
I'm interested in
2217.748 -> is actually the scale
of the site.
2219.45 -> Much of the focus has been on
the resort area of Baiae itself.
2223.12 -> But on the margins of the site
2224.488 -> there are constantly
new areas coming up.
2227.09 -> (music)
2231.962 -> That's it, slow it down.
2237.334 -> There's a lot down there.
2241.305 -> NARRATOR: So why did the Romans
lavish so much wealth
2244.775 -> on building
a pleasure city here?
2249.279 -> HENDERSON:
The Romans came to Baiae
2251.015 -> because of the lovely maritime
climate and the thermal springs.
2255.052 -> But Baiae was also
a very important port,
2257.287 -> it's a natural port,
2258.422 -> it's one of the best ports
2260.024 -> on the western coast of Italy
at the time.
2263.66 -> NARRATOR: Wealth brought
pleasure and excess
2266.163 -> to this Las Vegas
of the Roman world.
2270.033 -> HENDERSON: There were parties,
there was drinking,
2272.202 -> it was a place
to get prostitutes,
2274.538 -> and writers at the time referred
to it as 'a harbor of vice'
2277.941 -> or 'a vortex of luxury.'
2281.211 -> NARRATOR: The famous
Roman philosopher Seneca
2284.181 -> is appalled by what he finds.
2287.918 -> SENECA: Baiae is a place
to be avoided.
2291.521 -> People wandering drunk
along the beach,
2294.791 -> the riotous reveling
of sailing parties,
2298.128 -> the lakes noisy with singing.
2302.032 -> NARRATOR: But time is running
out for this party town.
2308.205 -> Gradually many of its most
impressive public buildings
2311.641 -> and private villas are
lost beneath the waves.
2318.682 -> What happened?
2322.052 -> Based on detailed
sonar scanning,
2324.789 -> draining away the Mediterranean
begins to reveal the real story
2329.626 -> of the rise and fall of Baiae.
2334.03 -> It exposes just how much of
the city fell under the waves.
2338.668 -> 430 acres of streets, shops,
2342.873 -> warehouses, and luxury villas.
2348.712 -> Draining beyond the town
uncovers the reason--
2353.116 -> an extraordinary landscape,
2355.352 -> shaped by powerful
underground forces.
2359.656 -> The whole town sits inside
the shallow crater
2365.295 -> of a giant volcano.
2368.465 -> HENDERSON:
You hear about Naples,
2370.133 -> people talk about Vesuvius,
they don't seem to realize that
2372.369 -> the whole western Bay of Naples
itself is a massive volcano.
2377.508 -> We're actually standing
in a volcano now.
2381.712 -> NARRATOR: The people of Baiae
may not understand
2384.781 -> the unpredictable forces
stirring beneath them.
2389.686 -> DOUGAL JERRAM: And we know
we're sat on a volcano.
2392.823 -> But it's not
your normal volcano.
2394.658 -> It's this much larger and much
more complex volcanic system.
2400.063 -> NARRATOR: There's remarkable
evidence of its restless power
2402.966 -> three miles away, across the
bay in the Temple of Serapis.
2411.075 -> JERRAM: It's really when you
get into the Roman ruins
2413.21 -> that you can see
what's going on.
2415.011 -> You have to look closely,
though.
2416.246 -> If you look up
at the column behind me,
2418.315 -> you'll see in the middle part
2419.65 -> it's got this strange
texture to it.
2422.119 -> Lots and lots of holes in it.
2424.954 -> There's even bits of shell
on this.
2426.69 -> This is a stone-boring
marine mollusk.
2429.326 -> That tells me that this stuff
has been under the sea.
2433.83 -> Time enough for those mollusks
2435.231 -> to get to grips
with the columns.
2436.967 -> But look now,
these columns are in place,
2439.503 -> and look where those
marker horizons are now.
2442.038 -> That's like a tide
on the side of a bath
2444.208 -> telling you where
the sea level was.
2446.409 -> So we know that this has been
dropped under the sea,
2450.247 -> and it's now risen above.
2452.516 -> NARRATOR: Can draining
the waters of the bay
2454.751 -> even further explain why
this ancient landscape
2458.355 -> is constantly rising
and falling,
2462.826 -> and finally show why the Romans
lost their Sin City?
2475.739 -> NARRATOR: Baiae,
once a major Roman port,
2480.244 -> lies half-submerged amid
a volcanic landscape.
2485.448 -> (music)
2489.453 -> Jon Henderson has been
exploring the area
2491.921 -> beneath the waves,
2494.758 -> and he finds a telltale sign
of the power at work here.
2499.696 -> HENDERSON: So we've got
all these bubbles
2500.864 -> are coming out of the ground,
2503.6 -> all this hot air coming up
from the seabed.
2510.74 -> You really get a sense here
of the power that's underneath,
2514.677 -> waiting to burst out.
2517.848 -> Hot water piling out
of the ground under the sea.
2523.353 -> I've never seen
anything like this.
2526.323 -> NARRATOR: These underwater
vents are superheated
2529.026 -> by molten rock
from the volcano below,
2532.228 -> evidence that the forces
stirring under Baiae
2535.798 -> are highly active.
2538.469 -> Locals call the area
Campi Flegri,
2541.672 -> the Fields of Fire.
2544.708 -> Now, for the first time,
draining the water
2548.111 -> from the entire bay exposes
an extraordinary site.
2554.184 -> 24 separate volcanoes
nesting inside the crater.
2561.792 -> It spans an incredible
38 square miles.
2568.264 -> But geologists here
have been mapping
2570.467 -> deep inside the Earth itself.
2574.104 -> Now, draining not only
the Mediterranean,
2577.474 -> but looking deep into
the layers of rock below it,
2581.611 -> reveals a fantastical sight.
2585.248 -> Giant cauldrons of
superheated molten rock,
2588.618 -> known as a magma chambers,
2591.054 -> that slowly empty and fill
over centuries.
2595.492 -> Evidence that this
huge volcanic system
2599.029 -> is still very much alive.
2602.733 -> HENDERSON: Basically you've got
magma chambers
2604.434 -> sitting under the sea, which
operate almost like bellows.
2607.638 -> When they fill full of lava,
the ground goes up,
2610.54 -> and then when they empty again
the ground goes down,
2612.676 -> and this process is
going on constantly.
2615.412 -> NARRATOR: It's as if the land
within the Campi Flegri crater
2618.815 -> itself is breathing.
2623.453 -> SCOTT: You feel like
you're standing
2624.855 -> on some kind of giant's chest.
2629.393 -> You feel minute compared
to the giant tectonic forces
2634.23 -> that are creating
the world around you.
2636.332 -> NARRATOR: The damage caused
2637.768 -> by these breathing
chambers of magma
2640.637 -> coincides with the decline
of the Roman Empire.
2645.142 -> As part of the city slides
beneath the Mediterranean,
2648.878 -> the population shrinks
and the parties end;
2653.617 -> Sin City is no more.
2659.889 -> Today, the scientists studying
the landscape here
2663.16 -> believe that pressures
in the magma chambers
2665.929 -> are increasing once again,
2668.198 -> and that could have
catastrophic consequences
2671.301 -> for the millions of people
living close by.
2675.171 -> JERRAM: We know
it's an active system.
2676.94 -> So one of the interesting
problems we have
2678.875 -> with something the size
of Campi Flegri is,
2682.245 -> is it going to erupt big or
is it going to erupt small?
2686.85 -> NARRATOR:
Big could mean very big.
2693.29 -> In AD 79,
nearby Vesuvius erupts.
2698.495 -> It destroys
the city of Pompeii.
2702.833 -> Thousands of people burn to
death or choke on volcanic ash.
2710.207 -> But scientists know
the volcanic system
2712.609 -> feeding the Fields of Fire
is far larger
2716.346 -> and far more powerful
than Vesuvius.
2720.65 -> And with so many people
living nearby,
2723.386 -> it's vital to keep a close eye
2725.822 -> on the breathing giant
beneath them.
2730.661 -> JERRAM: It's even more critical
2731.862 -> that we monitor
volcanoes like this,
2733.964 -> and that's because we're verging
2735.865 -> on the side of what we call
a supervolcano.
2738.902 -> NARRATOR: Even the smallest
changes in the ground level,
2741.871 -> or its temperature, could be
a vital warning sign
2745.509 -> that the unstoppable forces of
nature are about to turn ugly.
2752.782 -> JERRAM: If we had an eruption
2754.117 -> where these multiple craters
evacuated,
2756.92 -> it would be devastating.
2759.289 -> It would essentially
flatten this area.
2763.526 -> NARRATOR: The eruption could be
almost ten times more powerful
2767.597 -> than the one at Santorini that
shattered the Minoan world.
2771.868 -> (music)
2777.54 -> Vast amounts
of volcanic material
2779.776 -> would be ejected
into the atmosphere,
2782.579 -> blocking out the sunlight.
2787.351 -> Global temperatures
would plummet
2789.753 -> with devastating consequences.
2796.526 -> New scanning technology
reveals remarkable evidence
2800.097 -> lying hidden beneath the waters
of the Mediterranean.
2804.334 -> The raw forces of nature
2806.302 -> still shaping
this volcanic landscape.
2811.508 -> Priceless evidence of the trade
that drove the ancient world,
2817.347 -> and an epic battle that changed
the course of history.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmH4FDs3yl0