Searching for Atlantis with Josh Gates | Expedition Unknown

The first foot or so yields nothing, but soon we feel resistance. Oh, >> hey, >> I got something. You have it down there?
>> Yep.
>> Oh, there’s something here. Hold on.
Ah, look at that. That is stone.
I’m off the coast of a remote island exploring what’s known as the Japanese Atlantis, a massive underwater rock formation called the Yanaguni Ruins. I follow my guide through a strange tunnel and once we emerge on the other side, I’m stunned by what I see. Oh my god.
The tunnel opens up to a huge rock structure just enormous.
two gigantic rocks that look like obelisks.
They must be 20 ft tall.
There’s some sort of holes or slits on the side. They’re covered in them. They look like markings of some kind. After a short swim around the point, the full scope of Yanuguni comes into view.
>> Oh my god. Absolutely amazing.
It’s enormous. So much bigger than I expected.
>> The western side of the site opens up to what’s called the main terrace and what appear to be steps cut at 90° angles.
>> Looks like massive stairs.
I wasn’t expecting something this architectural.
Everywhere you look, there seems to be some sort of right angle or straight line. There’s a fierce debate as to whether these are the remains of a civilization older than the pyramids or simply a bizarre natural formation.
We get swept along by the current, which pulls us from one bizarre site to the next.
The steps lead to what’s called the upper terrace. This is the top of the monument, and it’s covered in what certainly looks like cut channels, which some believe were used for drainage.
>> None of this looks accidental. It all feels very designed.
>> As the current continues to push us east, we come to a place called the pool.
>> Some sort of triangular depression here.
It’s absolutely huge.
>> This wedge-shaped depression could have stored water for ceremonies.
>> Some sort of holes on the side.
Several perfectly round holes around the perimeter look to be drilled down into the rock.
>> I’m coming upon a large trench.
Holy.
>> It looks like a kind of room almost like a like a temple.
Couple of loose rocks down here. I’m going to collect these for later analysis.
Analysis of the rock sample could determine how old the site is and just as importantly how it came to be.
Floating upwards out of the trench, I’m met with an undeniably artistic looking formation.
This is known as the turtle.
>> Almost looks like a carved structure with this triangular point.
>> The lines and angles look well, they look perfect. And to be honest, my skepticism is suddenly fading. That is wild.
>> There’s one more part of the ruins that Aratake wants me to see. We swim around to the east and I’m shocked to see something that appears to be looking back at me.
Wa! This is incredible.
Looks like a face. There appear to be two eye sockets. This vertical cut could be the nose. And you can see a defined mouth. also weirdly symmetrical. Clearly strange.
>> My head is spinning with everything that I’ve just seen, but the current is picking up and our air is getting low.
>> The current is terrible in here. We’re going to release the buoy and have the boat get us the hell out.
>> As we get pulled by the swirling water, Aratake releases an emergency buoy to let his team know where to collect us.
The boat adjusts course toward our beacon and carefully navigates into position.
Since the vessel is unable to anchor in these conditions, getting back on the boat is like climbing onto a moving train. Miss the ladder and you’ve got a decent chance of getting diced up in the propeller.
Once we’re safely aboard, I’m left to figure out exactly what it is I just saw.
>> What is going on down there? I almost need to talk myself out of what I’ve just seen because that looks man-made to me. But I don’t know how the hell that’s possible. So, now we just have to figure out what it actually is.
Easier said than done. To get to the bottom of the mystery, I’ll have to meet with experts in both camps. I’m going to start with the latest evidence that the site is in fact a sunken ruin.
Okay, first order of business is to take a closer look at the island above the water. figure out if there’s anything up here that could really give us any clues as to whether or not the Yanuguni ruins were made by man.
Before it was part of Japan, Yanuguni and other volcanic islands were part of the Ryuku Kingdom. The Ryukus were an independent civilization that spent 400 years torn between China to the west and Japan to the north before being annexed by Japan in 1879. And there’s still evidence of their culture today. I pass by hundreds of strange tombs in Yanuguni’s lonely graveyard. They resemble curved turtle shells, and there are terrace steps that resemble the shape of the underwater formation.
I’ve heard that locals here have discovered a stone carving in the jungle said to be almost identical to the face found underwater at Yanuguni.
Masahiro Tanaka is a researcher here who’s volunteered to share the findings with me.
>> Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, Duke.
>> I’ve read that there’s this rock structure high up on the island that may be related to the Yanuguni ruins. I’ve heard you’re the guy to talk to about it.
>> Hi.
>> Yes. It’s a formation that we think is carved. It appears to be an alien face.
>> Like an alien face?
>> Hi.
>> Really? Okay. Well, let’s saddle up.
>> The carving is hard to reach. Located high at top a steep cliff that overlooks the Yanuguni coast. Feels like another world in here.
>> Yeah.
>> Really, really dense the coral path.
Definitely. This would not have been a fun ride on the motorbike. That’s a tree. Fine. Don’t worry about it. I got it. Okay. Whoa. Whoa. Ki, come on. This horse is like dying to run.
Okay. Go.
Ganaguni has this very small breed of horse, but they’re very powerful and very fast. What’s his name?
>> Uh, Daruta.
>> Daruta. Is that Japanese for sea biscuit?
>> Sea biscuit. God, >> I’m doing everything in my power to keep this horse from just breaking out into a full gallop.
>> This horse needs to move. This is crazy.
Slow slow it down there, girl.
Good lord.
This horse is like a rocket. My horse wants to race.
After placing in the inaugural Yanuguni Derby, my horse finally slows his pace.
We dismount and walk into the jungle on foot. Wow.
Whoa.
That looks like a face big time.
>> Oh, a tongue. It’s like a tongue coming out of the mouth. There are some really compelling elements here. This especially looks really sculpted here.
We have this this almond shaped socket and you can see the same kind of arc over here on this side and it looks like a brow and it has the general shape of a face and as you said a a tongue sticking out. It’s really compelling. There’s no missing it and no mistaking it for anything other than a human face. Much like the ruins though, its origins are a complete unknown. This looks like something from the Goonies. You know the Goonies?
Yanugonis?
No. Okay, so Masuhiro may not be up on his 80s American pop movie references, but that is a solid joke, people.
>> And you think this could be related to Yanuguni to the ruins?
>> This mountain overlooks the ruins.
Many believe that this face is a totem, a guardian for underwater ruins.
>> This is sort of watching over the ruins.
Then >> yes, this is considered a holy site.
Remove your shoes. Let me show you something else. Okay, I’m behind you.
Shoes off. Here we go.
>> Wow, this is amazing up here.
This is the best view on the island.
>> Yes.
>> What is this?
>> It’s believed that this was used for rituals.
>> A place for an offering. It’s a perfectly circular depression. This is a very strange site. I’d love to photograph the entire rock so that we can get a better look, you know, at its exact shape.
I photographed the rock to create a detailed three-dimensional model. By comparing this to the supposed underwater face, we should be able to tell if these were deliberately constructed.
Everything I’ve seen so far has been incredible, but also circumstantial. To get hard facts about Yanuguni, I need to consult with the leading scientist who’s thoroughly studied the ruins.
Okay.
I catch a quick flight from Yanuguni to the largest of the Ryuku Islands, Okinawa.
Okinawa is sort of the other Japan. When we think of Japan, we tend to think of technology and neon lights. And here, it’s tropical. Feels like you’re in Hawaii. And the locals are really laidback. This is kind of a looking glass version of the Japan we think we know.
My meeting with the professor isn’t for another hour. So, I take a moment to explore Okinawa’s culture, its people, and its creepy toys. This is a vending machine that dispenses toys uh in the shape of horribly depressed Japanese businessmen. Collect the whole set. I’m just hoping for this guy who lost it all in the stock market.
Oh, yes. Here we go. This is literally a sad guy just staring at his smartphone.
Why?
Sir, NO. DON’T DO IT. DON’T JUMP.
ANOTHER vending machine dispenses. Well, >> Japan, let’s have a conversation here. I understand cultural differences, but you got to cool it with this. This is weird.
>> Next door, the market has several local delicacies on display. Among them, um, savory sea grapes.
>> And from this, you can make a tiny bottle of wine. It’s this big. Like all of southern Japan, life in Okinawa is dependent on the ocean. Can I see what you’re cutting?
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. And that means really fresh sushi.
I could do this. I could be a sushi chef.
>> You’re good.
>> I’m good.
>> Yeah.
>> Well, all right. Can I have a job here?
>> Yes, I can.
>> Yeah.
>> Hello.
>> Uh, we are closed right now because I’m eating all of the food.
Apologies.
After quickly losing my job as a sushi chef, I’m back on the road. I’m headed to meet with a professor Kimura from the University of the Ryukus. This is really the guy who has been at the forefront of advocating for the Yanaguni ruins being a man-made structure. Nobody has done more research or work on the monument than this guy.
Building the Yanuguni monument would have required advanced tools and techniques that weren’t believed to exist in Japan thousands of years ago.
If Professor Kimora’s groundbreaking theory is correct, it would totally alter our understanding of human history. How old do you think this structure is? When do you think this was carved?
>> We found coral samples on some of the rocks at the ruins and carbon tested them to determine that they are more than 3,000 years old.
>> What do you think happened? Do you think that it sank into the ocean?
>> I believe the monument was a religious site that was built on the shore. But shifting of the earth from plate tectonics and earthquakes caused it to sink.
>> And what do you think about the people who built this? Are they a lost civilization of some kind, or are these the people that became the Ryuku Islanders?
>> The Ryuku people lacked the metal tools needed to carve the monument. It would have to have been built by ancient people who came from the mainland.
>> When you first saw the site, what were the things that led you to believe that it’s man-made?
There are strange marks across the ruins that indicate the monument was cut using tools. We also recovered something amazing that may prove that the ruins were built by hand.
Don’t call it Bombay. This is Mumbai now. Even if its colonial past hangs over the city like a ghost. Home to over 20 million people, Mumbai is an eyepopping metropolis on a scale that’s simply impossible to comprehend.
It is a center of both industry and humanity.
>> Thanks, guys. Thank you.
>> Unimaginable wealth and desperate poverty sit side by side here in an urban arena of endless contradictions.
But despite its chaotic atmosphere, despite its many challenges, Mumbai is above all else a place of possibility, a city of dreams. After all, this is the home of Bollywood, where people break out into elaborate dance routines for no reason whatsoever.
Salad.
And I do go Salam sal >> to begin my quest to discover if the lost kingdom of Dwarka is fact or fairy tale. tale I head toward Iskan temple dedicated to Dwarka’s supposed founder the Hindu god Krishna Hinduism is the world’s oldest and third largest religion practiced by at least 850 million people it is a complex belief system involving karma death and rebirth Hindus sacred deities adorn the walls of the Iskan temple a divine refuge against Mumbai’s frenzied atmosphere. It’s here that I meet with temple priest Parajara Devidasi.
I have to confess that I really don’t know very much about Krishna. I need kind of Krishna 101 here.
>> Uh Vic scriptures say Krishna is the origin of everything that is and the one who is the supreme personality of God.
>> Among Hindus, the most supreme being is Krishna.
portrayed as the godchild, the prankster, the lover, and the warrior.
>> So he’s everything.
>> Yes, he’s everything.
>> And so we’re very interested in this story of Dwara and and ancient Dwara was meant to have been Krishna’s city. So how does this place come about?
>> Krishna was actually 5,000 years ago residing in Matura. Matura is Krishna’s hometown. It is a place where he was born. That place was attacked by two demons. He wanted to make a city where no man could actually enter. And that’s when he erected the fort of Dwara.
According to legend, Krishna summoned divine powers to erect the towering city of Dwara which rose up out of the ocean surrounded by a massive stone boundary wall to protect the city from invaders.
Parajada leads us into the temple’s library which houses thousands of ancient Sanskrit writings.
There she brings out a sacred document known as the Maharata that reveals more about Dwarkca and its fate.
>> This is one of the oldest and ancient Vic scriptures. We are going to just read a little bit here about Dwara.
>> And how is Dwarkca described?
>> Dwarka is described as one of the most unique cities in the universe.
It actually was an expansion of Krishna’s energy. It was a very rich and opulent city. All the buildings were made of gold. They all were skyscrapers and the tops of these building actually were floating in the clouds.
>> The city and its palaces were foned with jewels and gems. It is also described as being highly advanced with cryptic illustrations showing vimmanas or so-called flying machines.
It was quite simply the grandest city on earth.
>> This richness and opulence reflected into its citizens where everyone was always happy. It was like a utopia.
>> What becomes of the city of Dwarka?
>> The boundary wall was broken and from all the sides the ocean actually flooded the city with water and everything was submerged under the ocean.
>> So if it does exist it would be submerged.
>> Submerged. Yes. The question is, are these ancient manuscripts purely myths?
Or could the fabled city of Dwarka be based on a real place? And if so, does that mean Krishna may have been a flesh and blood king?
>> A team of scientists believes they may have discovered something under the water that could rock the foundations of history as we know it. And I’m going to join them.
To reach the dig site, I’ll need to get to the coast. So, I make a beline for the local train station, which could easily be mistaken for a Victorian castle.
Inside, however, things are decidedly less regal. Oh boy.
Tens of thousands of people course through the station as journeys across the subcontinent begin and end. Amateurs need not apply. This is next level commuting. When it comes to train etiquette in India, there really is only one rule. Do anything you can to get on board.
Okay, here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go.
WE GOT IT. COME ON. COME ON. GO. GO. GO.
GO. GO.
>> On board the train, there’s only one class of service.
Intimate. This poor guy is in my armpit.
Sir, how you doing down there? I I’m so sorry. It’s been a long day. It’s hot out.
>> Mumbai’s railway system really is the lifeblood of the city. Thousands of trains covering thousands of miles of tracks. Every day, nearly 8 million people ride these rails. That’s the entire population of Switzerland. Yeah, it’s crowded, but it’s also spectacular.
The colors, the sounds, the danger. Forget seat belts. There aren’t even doors. People just hang out of box cars that whip by each other at 60 m an hour. Luckily, it’s only a 14-hour ride, so I got that going for me.
Leaving Mumbai, I’ll actually catch a series of trains about 600 miles northwest near the border of Pakistan in a city named after our ancient legend Dwarka.
After hours aboard the Dargiling Limited, strangers tend to become friends.
>> Hell, a jam session even breaks out with the drummer sitting in my lap.
And as much as I’d like to stay for the encore, this is my stop.
>> Okay, here we go. Sorry guys, got to go.
>> I’M ALIVE. I’M ALIVE. WOO.
Dawn and I’m spilling out onto the streets of a place I’ve never been to before. A seaside city filled with pilgrims and temples. This is the modern-day city of Dwarka. It’s a place that’s incredibly significant to Hindus.
And that’s because this is where Lord Krishna supposedly built his opulent kingdom. The question is where? To find out, I’m meeting with a researcher named Amish, who’s part of a search team trying to find the ruins.
On a glittering beach at the edge of the Arabian Sea, I meet explorer Amish Shaw.
Amish.
>> Josh, how are you?
>> I’m good, man. Nice to meet you.
>> Same.
>> This is uh like the most impressive place ever.
>> This is modern day Dwara.
>> It’s stunning.
>> So, according to legend, ancient Dwara was submerged by the sea multiple times.
They say there was palaces of gold and it was dripping in wealth.
>> What’s the thinking that it was here?
It’s near here. We could be standing right on top of it.
>> So, when did the search for ancient Dorca really kick off in earnest?
>> It started around the early 60s.
>> Okay.
>> Uh there was a world famous archaeologist. His name was Dr. Ralph.
They were demolishing a building here in modern day Dwara and they found a piece of a temple probably like this big. And so they started excavating a little bit more around this temple and it ended up being a sevenstory temple >> underground.
>> Underground.
>> Dr. SRO led the excavation of what turned out to be a more than 3,500year-old temple buried under the city streets. It sparked his interest in finding out just how old this city is and why it shares its name with a legendary sunken kingdom. Where did Ralph and his team start looking for the ancient city?
Ralph started looking offshore because if this ancient city was submerged under the sea, well, where else to look besides in the sea?
>> If you’re looking for a sunken city, you go to the ocean.
>> And so that’s why we’re here. We are continuing this search. We are continuing to try and find this ancient city.
>> And have things been found off the coast?
>> Yes, things have been found.
>> Really? What’s been found?
>> Well, I can tell you about it or I can show you.
>> Show me. Show me. Yes, >> I want to see it.
>> Amish leads me to a waiting boat that takes us into the Arabian Sea where a research vessel is currently anchored offshore.
I’m not certain what I’m about to see, but I’m starting to wonder if the sunken Indian Atlantis and the home of a Hindu god could be right beneath us.
We approach the Indian government’s research vessel which is anchored above the site.
Hello.
We’re welcomed aboard by Dr. As Gower, expert diver, Beimma plumber and Dr.
Sundures from India’s National Institute of Oceanography.
So Dr. Ralph thought this might be a location for ancient Dwarka.
>> Yeah, this is the spa.
>> Is this an area where people commonly go diving?
>> Not so much. There are some security problems and this falls under very high security zone area. So difficult to get permission.
>> So what’s the plan of attack for today?
>> We’re going to go diving. We’re want to show you some of the things that have already been found. And then we’re going to clear off some seaweed and some kelp and some sand and try and find some new stuff.
>> Okay, great. Let’s get wet. Yeah.
We suited up to dive in these restricted waters. We’re spitting distance from Pakistan and tensions run high between the two nations. But with rare government permission to explore these waters, I dive in, eager to see what the scientists have found beneath the waves.
Okay, we are heading down. Visibility is fair.
>> Follow me. Copy that. Very sandy, but it looks like a lot of growth down here. A lot of seaweed on the bottom.
>> The divers start clearing away the thick vegetation, and I join in, fighting through the algae to get a look at the ocean floor.
>> It’s hard to tell if this is coral under here. Josh, you got to check this out.
>> I race over to see what Beimma and the other divers have just revealed.
>> Whoa, look at that. That is definitely man-made.
Those are clear, right angles. There’s no way that this is natural.
>> This is a stone that has definitely been carved for some sort of structure. But what I can’t yet tell.
>> That’s incredible. Let’s see what else is around here.
>> We begin furiously ripping up seaweed around the site. Soon, we found another stone.
>> Here. Right here. And then another.
>> I think we’ve got another one here.
>> And another.
>> There are stones everywhere.
Absolutely. This is architectural. These are ruins.
Beimma. How much of this is down here?
>> We found quite a lot, but it’s all scattered over 200 m.
>> According to holy manuscripts, the ancient city of Dwara was built by the Hindu god Krishna himself.
Exploring these undersea ruins, I’m starting to wonder if this legend is a legend at all.
>> Check this out.
>> That’s awesome. 100% man-made. What on earth is it?
>> It may be the base for a column.
>> So, this would have been some sort of foundation to support a pillar.
>> Exactly.
>> That is outrageous. Awesome. Pedestals aren’t the only architectural element here.
We see arched stones that clearly fit against one another and even what appear to be interlocking pieces. How much of the site do you think you’ve uncovered?
The ocean keeps revealing new things.
There might be a lot more underneath this. So, the question is, is this ancient Dwarkca? That’s what we have to figure out. We’ve got to put this all together. To think that all of this is just sitting down here underneath the ocean just off the modern city is amazing.
I’m out of breath. Not because I’m low on oxygen, but because I’m overwhelmed at seeing the remains of a sunken city.
Once we finish our survey, we head to the surface to regroup.
>> That was incredible. That site is amazing. Almost every turn we took, we found another block that looked like it fit to the last block.
>> Exactly. It was like a giant puzzle. You can see the whole thing fits together.
>> Yes.
>> So, what do you think? Those blocks are forming a wall.
>> Some kind of a structure like harbor.
>> Harbor.
>> So, do you think there’s a lot more down there?
>> Yeah. Yeah. Much more down in this.
>> So, more to see.
>> Yes. Yes.
>> That was astounding. Thank you so much.
This site is incredible and historic, but we don’t yet know if it’s the legendary city of Dwarka. The only way to know for sure will be to map more of the ruins to learn their full extent.
To do exactly that, the scientists have one of the best geoysicists in the world flying to India right now. But Amish has more to show me before he arrives. He believes that as impressive as the ruins are, they’re only the beginning. We head to shore. There, Amish is going to reveal to me the place where this entire story began, the legendary temple of a Hindu god.
I’m in Bolivia to meet an expert on the Tiwanaku in the highest capital city on Earth.
Welcome.
Forget it. Forget it. Oh god.
Welcome to Le Paz is what I was going for. At an altitude of 12,000 ft, this place literally takes your breath away, especially since getting around means going even higher.
This is the Teleferico. It is the world’s highest and longest aerial cable car system. It was built a few years ago to counteract the crushing gridlock down in the city. And as of today, there are six different cable car lines, 20 stations, and more than 900 gondilas gliding above a sea of humanity.
On the crowded streets below are the descendants of the Inca Imara natives and even the enigmatic Tiwanaku.
It’s a blend of cultures that makes for some interesting shopping. Like here at the Witches Market, a one-stop ritual shop selling everything from dried llama fetuses, which is like the local version of a lucky rabbit’s foot, to the unavoidable Andian pan flute. You know, a lot of people don’t know this. I actually took four years of Andian pan flute in college.
Still got it. Still got it.
I give the pipes a rest and make my way to the Leaz National Archaeological Museum.
I’ve arranged to meet with archaeologist Alexi Veranic, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Tiwanaku.
Tiwanaku, this is not a household name to most people. This is not something everybody’s heard of. So, what is Tiwanaku?
>> It’s a place up at 13,000 ft above sea level, right on the shores of Lake Tittikaka. But it’s also a people.
>> The people who built it.
>> The people who built it. You have this megalithic site. The scale is so big.
Some of these stones are tremendous.
>> These stones are so large. When the first travelers came through, they referred to it as the American Stonehenge. Wow.
And much like Stonehenge, Tiwanaku is one of the world’s greatest mysteries.
Located about 50 mi west of Le Paz, Tiwanaku was built around 100 BC, more than a thousand years before the Inca arrived on the scene. The site consists of a large complex of huge stone structures built near the coast of Lake Tittikaka.
You look at it and you think, where did this come from? Why did they build it in this place? It’s in the middle of nowhere. You go there and there is just nothing which has given rise to a lot of wild theories. The ruins feature cryptic gateways, otherworldly carvings, and impossibly large walls, leading conspiracy theorists to claim the site must have been built with alien assistance. Even the Inca, when they arrived at the ruins 500 years after the Tiwanaku collapsed, were stunned by the size and perfection of the stonework.
You know, in fact, the Inca justification to rule was based on the idea that they were the firstborn. The gods made them. They went out to conquer. Then all of a sudden, they get to Tijuana and they’re like, “Oh, no.
There’s something here that’s clearly older than us and even better.” >> Right?
>> So, what do they do? They just changed their history around. They said, “In fact, we were born here.” >> So, the Inca suddenly were born at Tuanaku.
>> They rearranged it a bit and said, “Look what we made.” >> Right?
The precision stonework and massive blocks used at Tiwanaku are more advanced than anything found in the Americas at the time. So, how did they build this engineering marvel?
>> You need to understand what the Tiwanako were and what the site is like. You have to go to this one location. Perfect.
>> So, early the next morning, and I do mean early, I drive the 50 m from Leaz to Tiwanaku.
to mark a very special occasion.
It’s just after 5:00 a.m. and I’ve arrived at Tiwanaku, a place named after the mysterious people who once lived here. So, what am I doing here in the freezing darkness? Well, to this day, locals believe that this is the most important moment of the year in the most important place, sunrise on the winter solstice.
I’m not alone here. Thousands of people are descending on this ancient site, seeking good fortune for the coming year.
Even the president of Bolivia, Avo Morales, is in attendance, dawning traditional garb to soak in the first rays of light at a mysterious stone structure called the gate of the sun.
The Tijuanaku believed the sun was created by a powerful deity known to us as the staff god. The Inca would later call him Viracha. Legend says he emerged from the waters of the nearby lake, creating the sun and building the advanced city of Tiwanaku with the help of giants.
All around me are the descendants of the Tiwanaku. And while it might sound crazy, many of them really believe that this site was built by a god and an army of giants. But when the sun comes up, it’s not hard to see why.
As the first rays of light pierce the frigid air, thousands of hands are held up to the rising sun.
And the mysterious city is revealed.
There are sprawling temples, colossal walls, channels, and stone gutters for water and mysterious carvings.
to find some hard answers as to how it was all built. I wait for the crowds to disperse and then meet with leading archaeologist Joseé Ignasio Ggo at the so-called gate of the sun. So the first thing I noticed are these beautiful carvings. So let’s talk about the big guy in the middle, >> Viracha.
>> This is Viracha.
>> This is a figure that appears all around Latin America. Sometimes this image is called the staff god.
>> The staff god.
>> Viracha is is birthed from the waters of the lake. So he literally comes out of these waters and he sort of creates everything.
>> Yeah.
>> The really impressive part of this gate of course is just the gate itself.
>> This stone is called andesite.
>> Andesite. This was originally one piece of stone. And they moved this by hand.
>> Yeah.
>> That’s the part of this I don’t get.
>> It’s kind of insane.
>> Yes, it is. It is. And they didn’t just move this stone a few feet. The Andesite quarry is 55 miles away. But how it got here is just one of the many mysteries surrounding the Sungate. I’ve also heard some very outlandish stories about like animals that are hidden here in the glyph. So what what do people see here?
>> Uh the people say for instance that this figure appears to be an elephant. An >> ancient elephant. Oh. With like the eye and the trunk here.
>> Yeah.
>> Prehistoric elephants disappeared from South America more than 10,000 years ago. suggesting to some that Tiwanaku was the first major city in human history and inspiring wild speculation that it was built with ancient alien assistance.
But Jose has a much less Stargatey theory.
>> Actually, you can see here is the body in the shape of a huge snake.
>> So, this is not evidence of ice age encounters here, >> I’m afraid. Not >> good. Okay. No, this is good. We’re getting we’re getting the real story here. I like this. Modern archaeologists date the gate and the rest of the city to about 1,500 years ago, not 10,000.
That still doesn’t explain how this place was built. And Jose says that new finds at the site are only deepening the mystery. One thing you can’t tell in the dark is how big this place is. How big is it?
>> Just excavated area, it is uh two square miles.
>> Two square miles. That’s only the parts you’ve excavated. That’s crazy.
And this huge mound that we see over here, is that natural?
>> No, it is artificial.
>> All of it?
>> Yep. A sevenstep pyramid.
>> That’s gigantic.
>> How much of this has been excavated?
>> 3%.
>> 3% of the pyramid has been excavated.
Crazy.
The Aapana Pyramid is a massive structure that once stood five stories tall and is wider than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Archaeologists believe that at the city’s height, between 20 and 40,000 people lived or traveled here. This culture may have controlled an empire that extended from the coast of Peru to Bolivia and northern Chile.
And the heart of that empire was the capital city of Tiwanaku, home to some of the most mysterious construction in the world. And the most baffling of all is the Pumapunk Temple Complex.
And this place just gets weirder and weirder. Yeah.
>> What are these here?
>> This is the H blocks.
>> They are. They’re like giant H’s. Feels like Lego set.
>> That’s right. That’s right. They all are connected.
>> So, all these little indentations that we see on the side, all these little elements, they’re meant to link these things together.
>> That’s right.
>> Interlocking channels carved in the rocks, mysterious shapes, cryptic symbols, and doorways within doorways.
The original function of these ruins has been lost to time, but recent excavations may offer crucial clues.
Archaeologists have found thousands of ceramic vessels for drinking chicha, an alcoholic beverage made from corn, as well as imagery depicting psychedelic rituals. They’ve even uncovered implements for snorting hallucinogenic compounds.
In short, this place may have been the ancient equivalent of Burning Man, a ceremonial center built to honor the enigmatic deities of the sun and the nearby lake.
>> Want to see something crazy? Look at this.
>> Wait, is this one stone?
>> That’s right. That base weights 150 tons.
>> No way.
>> These blocks are the biggest in Tiwanaku and some of the largest in the ancient Americas. Each weighs as much as a hundred cars. And consider this. The Tiwanaku didn’t have the wheel. Yet the builders somehow moved every stone to the site from someplace else. This was not here.
>> Nope. They take it from the mountains over there.
>> No. Awesome.
>> Crazy.
All the stones at Tiwanaku were quarried from one of two places.
from deep in the mountains 10 miles away. And from the other side of Lake Tittikaka, more than 55 miles away and in a sunken courtyard nearby, you can even come face to face with some of the ancient builders.
Wow, look at that. This is one of the Tibano mysteries. One theory is these are the faces of important people of the site, >> leaders and priests, kings.
>> That by the way is an alien. That’s not human. Even you think that doesn’t look human.
>> It can be an ugly man.
>> It’s either an ugly guy or an alien. But I think, case closed, this place was built by extraterrestrials. That’s it.
>> This place was built by aliens for sure.
>> All joking aside, Jose believes the real answer to how Tiwanaku was built isn’t up in the stars, but rather lies hidden beneath our feet.
>> But this temple is not the only underground structure around here.
>> Revolutionary scans conducted by UNESCO use 3D imaging drones to build a topographical map. This map revealed disturbances in the landscape that Jose is racing to investigate.
>> We’re here. We’re in the center of the SATA and the biometries here.
>> So, these are the things that we know about.
>> What did you find on the scan that we didn’t know about?
>> So many interesting things.
>> 35 acres of ruins that we never knew existed.
>> 35 acres of new finds.
>> That’s right.
To put this in perspective, the scan suggests Tiwanaku is about 10 times larger than anyone previously believed.
Jose thinks these foundations buried underground may be the key to understanding how the massive stone structures of Tiwanaku were built.
>> One of the strangest thing we found is this.
We can see some kind of structures.
>> So that’s a totally buried structure.
>> Yeah, we have no idea what they are.
>> No idea what that is.
>> No idea.
And where is this in relation to where we’re standing?
>> This is very near by here.
>> Jose has an imaging expert on standby to investigate the buried ridges. We make our way to the site where I find a familiar face. Bob Leonard.
>> Josh Gates.
>> How you doing, brother?
>> I last worked with him in Guatemala on my search for the tombs of the Maya snake kings.
So, what’s the plan out here, guys?
Well, we’ve been looking at Jose scans and they look like there’s something really interesting here. And so what we do now is go in and confirm it with ground penetrating radar.
>> All right, let’s rock and roll. Come on.
>> GPR sends radio waves into the ground and can detect the presence of structures hidden more than a dozen feet down.
I drag the unit in a grid pattern over the area indicated by the scans while Bob takes note of any disturbances in the data.
Bob, I just ran over some cow poop. I’m sorry.
>> Great. Uh, let’s just call it a $15,000 piece of equipment and uh try to keep it out of the >> Sorry. I’ll do my best.
You hold it right there, Josh. That looks really interesting. See how how that blue got a lot fatter there?
>> Look at that.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> It almost looks like a depression.
>> Yeah. some kind of a pit. That dirt looks disturbed.
>> This is very surprising. I have no idea what it is.
>> Okay, great. Let’s go back over this again. See if we hit it in the other way.
>> We tag our first radar hit. An unusual sunken area covered over with top soil.
It appears to be man-made. So, we continue scanning.
Whoa. It’s getting some good hits. Look at that. Look at that >> right there.
>> Yeah.
Yeah. That’s crazy. That’s the biggest thing we’ve hit. See how that bumps up?
>> Yeah.
>> Bumps up. That’s amazing.
>> That’s a monster.
>> Yeah.
>> So, there’s something right underneath us that runs this whole length here.
>> Yeah.
>> Is it possible to dig it?
>> Yeah, it’s very possible. I can pull some workers from other part of the site if you want.
>> Okay. Yeah, let’s dig.
>> Workers arrive on the scene within minutes and start clearing away the thick brush for a small test pit.
You know, Bob, there are more shovels around here. I think I can get you one.
>> Well, but my hands are full over here. I got, you know, expensive gear all over.
>> I understand. I understand.
>> The first foot or so yields nothing, but soon we feel resistance.
>> Oh, hey, >> I got something. Do you have it down there? Yep.
>> Oh, there’s something here. Hold on.
Ah, look at that. That is stone.
My search for Raptor begins on another historic African outpost on the island of Zanzibar.
It’s been on maps for as long as maps have been drawn. And at its heart is Stone Town. It’s a weathered labyrinth of mouldering citadels and narrow streets. All covered by a blanket of rusted tin. Everything here feels exotic, right down to the ornately carved wooden doors. It’s not every day you encounter brass spikes to defend against ramming elephants. On these humid streets you rub shoulders with an eclectic crowd, from Muslim traders and Buddhist monks to Massai warriors and some high-flying kids.
I’m on my way to meet a local explorer with new information about the hunt for Rapa. But in this neighborhood, it’s a good idea to leave a little early.
>> I’m good, brother.
>> Good. Yeah. Stonetown is a place like no other. I could pick up a local street map, but frankly, it wouldn’t help.
Getting lost here is all but guaranteed.
And well, kind of the point.
They say all roads lead to Rome, but in Stone Town, they converge at a coffee and dominoes hangout known as Jaws Corner. I wonder why they call it that.
>> I’m going to need a bigger cup.
>> Maybe it has something to do with the sharks circling the Domino tables.
>> Yeah, I’m ready.
>> I was the president of my high school Domino’s club.
>> Really?
>> Oh, no. Wait a minute. I worked at Domino’s. Close. Okay, here we go. Bring it.
>> Double door.
>> Chew. Two. Hey.
>> Okay. Double four.
>> Double four.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. Here we go.
>> Again. Again. Again. AGAIN.
>> Give me the watch. Come on.
I may be flushed with victory, but Rapta awaits. To hear the story of this once mighty city, I head to the rooftop bar of the exotic Emerson Hotel. This one-time palace boasts the best views of Zanzibar in town. Up many flights of stairs, I find diver and explorer Alan Sutton.
Josh, take a seat.
>> Thank you. Allan has lived and dived in Zanzibar for decades, and nobody knows more about the island’s history and legends. This is incredible.
>> This is paradise.
>> It is paradise.
>> The only thing missing from our view here is Raptor.
>> Yeah. Um, Raptor’s been missing for a long, long time.
>> Very long time. Yeah.
>> So, okay. Help me understand this place.
When do we first hear about Rapa? When is it first written down?
>> Well, about 2,000 years ago from a paraplas.
>> A parapus. I’m going to need some help with that. Yeah. Well, a paraplus is a nautical log.
>> Specifically, a paraplus is a record kept by sailors to note landmarks and harbors as they navigate through unfamiliar areas. And Allen’s research has revealed this one from 40 AD when an unnamed Roman merchant sailing the ports along the eastern coast of Africa recorded a detailed account of his trip.
>> Okay. To get my bearings here, we have India and Arabia. And this is Eastern Africa.
>> Eastern Africa.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah. And if you look over here, you’ll see >> Rapa Emporium.
>> Yep, that’s correct.
>> It’s on the map.
>> Yes, it is.
>> Translating the paraplas, we learned that Rapa was the very last trading outpost for Rome on the African continent. And the description is that this is kind of a happening place.
>> Yeah, it must have been bustling. You know, they were dealing with really high-end products.
>> In the first century, the Roman Empire was home to more than 50 million people, a quarter of the world’s population.
Many clamoring for exotic goods from Africa and Rapa had it all. Lucky for us, the Paraplus gives up an amazing clue as to where this emporium was. It says the city was 2 days sail south of an island known as >> Manutheus.
>> Manutheus. And what do we think Manutheus is?
>> Well, Manutheus is Sanszibar, which is right where we are now.
>> So, we’re in Manutheus.
>> Yes. Based on a projection of how far a ship could sail in 2 days time, Raptor must lie within a search zone of a few hundred miles from here. Okay, so we have some good clues here now. We know it’s off the coast of East Africa. We know it’s within a few days sailing of where we’re sitting.
>> So, we close.
>> We’re Yeah, we’re definitely close. Can we get closer?
>> Yeah, we can. In in in AD50, uh Claudius Poleamy mentions Raptor as well.
>> Okay.
>> And we can have a look at his map.
>> Okay. We trade in one ancient map that Allan’s uncovered for another. I have to say, for being 2,000 years old, this map’s pretty incredible. We have a real sense of the shape of Africa here.
>> If you have a look over here, >> oh, right there.
>> Yeah.
>> Raptor.
>> Yes. And you’ll see it calls it a metropolis.
>> A metropolis.
>> Yes. It’s expanded. Patalamy’s account written only a h 100red years after the paraplas describes the city as being much more significant including fortifications and a sizable harbor which would have been necessary to accommodate Roman ships of up to 150 ft in length. Well, Alan, now I’m confused.
We’ve got two different maps here that show Rapa. It’s 2 days sail from here.
Why can’t we just go there?
>> Raptor vanished.
>> Literally.
>> Literally by the Middle Ages, it’s disappeared. It’s gone. No one knows where it is.
>> The legends say that Rapa, like Plato’s storied city, was swallowed by the ocean, perhaps obliterated by a violent tsunami.
But of course, Plato’s Atlantis is is the stuff of legend, but this is real.
>> Look, there’s no question this was a real place, and it’s gone.
>> So, Africa’s Atlantis.
>> Africa’s Atlantis. Yes, correct. And by studying these maps and documents, there’s one place within the search zone that Allan has pinpointed as concealing this real Atlantis.
>> Most people think that it’s under the ocean and uh close to Mafia Island.
>> Mafia Island. So it’s so it’s in Italy.
>> No, it’s not. It’s wheelie. Mafia means a pleasant place to live.
>> Thought it meant sleeps with fishes.
>> Different mafia. Yeah.
>> Okay. Mafia Island is about how far from here?
>> It’s 2 days sail south of here.
>> Okay, that’s good. And in Poleamy’s account, he describes raptor as being at 7° south. And interestingly, Mafia Island is at 7° south.
>> In other words, a perfect candidate. Do we know exactly where off the coast of the island Rapa might have been?
>> We don’t know exactly where it is yet, but there two groups of archaeologists on the island looking for it, and I can introduce you to them.
>> I would love that. Okay. It’s a mafia.
I’m heading to an island off the coast of an island known as Mafia, but a 2-day sail is not in the cards, so I squeeze aboard a Cessna 208 caravan. It’s a tight fit.
All right. Well, what else do we need?
Oh, right.
Once the crew boards, we take off and I settle in for a quick 100mile trip. It doesn’t take long to spot our destination.
>> Save the island.
>> Wow.
Mafia may be six times the size of Manhattan, but only has 3% of its population. We land at their version of JFK.
Okay, now what?
Allan called ahead to the archaeology team here to say I was coming, but there’s no cab to hail. Instead, I just grabbed one of these. Well, this little three- wheeled beauty is known as a tuktuk. At least that’s what they call them in Thailand. Around the world, they’re known as pigeons, Johnny bees, baj, bow bow, or easy bikes. Hey, what do you call this?
>> It is a tuk tuk.
>> It’s a tuk tuk. Yeah, it’s a tuk tuk.
As to why it’s emlazed with a huge sticker that reads boss lady that’s partially obscuring my view. It’s because I insisted they put it there.
What can I say? I’m a sassy CEO. Let’s do this.
The team I’m meeting is across the island, so I’ve got a bit of a drive.
Just look at this island. Mafia is one of those places you just don’t find in the world very much anymore. There’s a little bit of tourism here, but at one point this may have been a bustling emporium where the treasures of the continent were traded with the Roman Empire.
I make my way to the far side of the island where I trade in three wheels for no wheels and motor well offshore to a set of watery coordinates. There should be absolutely nothing here, which is why I’m puzzled to spot land. Whoa.
I transfer to a waiting skiff and complete my journey to this improbable spit of terrairma where I find archaeologist Caesar Bea and Dr. Felix Chami.
>> Professor Chami, I presume.
>> Yeah, you’re welcome.
>> Thank you. Very nice to meet both of you. Now, I have read that you are the world’s foremost authority on Rapa.
>> It is true. Yes. Yes.
>> Does that mean that you know where Rapa is?
>> Yes, I know exactly where it is. It is under your feet. This is Raptor.
>> Yes, the Metropolis of Raptor.
>> We are standing on a mysterious linear formation that rises up out of the Indian Ocean. The locals have long referred to it as Moamba Okuta or the Rocky Wall.
>> You’re standing now on the wall of Raptor and it’s quite long. 3 mi east west. You can see how how extensive it goes.
>> So this whole thing I see going off into the distance, that’s all part of Raptor.
>> That’s it.
>> Do you say this is man-made?
>> Yes, this is man-made. Exactly.
>> But to my eyes, it is not at all clear that this is man-made. It’s the kind of hotly debated question I’ve encountered before. Have you ever heard of the Yanuguni ruins in Japan?
>> Yep. Yep.
>> This is another place that there’s a real debate as to whether it’s man-made or geological.
>> I wasn’t expecting something this architectural.
Everywhere you look, there seems to be some sort of right angle or straight line.
>> And this site is just as puzzling. Is this the work of human engineering?
Finding out won’t be easy. I’m informed that Moamba Auta here only shows itself for a brief period every day.
>> So, as the tide comes up, this gets submerged.
>> Yeah, it gets completely submerged.
>> How much time do we have?
>> M roughly half an hour. Half an hour and then we’re underwater.
>> Suddenly, we’re on a short clock to examine the site before the sea claims it once again.
>> So, do you have any doubt that this is Raptor?
>> Not at all.
>> Prove it.
>> Okay, let us show you boulders.
>> Please show me the boulders.
>> Since Raptor was likely destroyed by a tsunami, Dr. Chami contends that this toppled wall is what’s left. We walk down a rapidly sinking path at top the formation to see his proof lying half submerged in the water. Look at this.
This looks like a block. Oh my word.
That is like a squared off block.
>> They are man-made. No nature can create this.
>> This is crazy.
>> They are exactly linear.
>> I mean they are rectangular blocks. This this looks like a Lego set. very geometric. We can even do a measurement of the same.
>> Let’s see. Okay. So, I’m putting this right up in the corner.
>> On the corner is 78 in.
>> 78 in. So, more than 6 ft. So, what do you think this is? Is this is this carved stone or is this like concrete?
>> Yeah, this is what we call Roman concrete.
>> Roman concrete.
The ancient Romans were masters of engineering who invented so-called hydraulic concrete which was used to build harbor walls across the ancient world by sinking squared off quesons of cement that set into a rockh hard material. Dr. Chami and Caesar have recorded these types of so-called blocks all along the vast extent of the wall.
They also contend that there are clear architectural blocks underwater, as well as possible remains of pottery or artifacts from Rapta’s rich emporium.
Can we see it?
>> We can see it. You can dive and see it.
>> Okay, we’re running out of dry land here.
Okay, let’s get moving. This this tide is coming in real quick now.
In the few minutes we’ve been here, the waves have gotten higher and the land beneath our feet is rapidly disappearing. We’re about to get swamped.
This tide is really coming in now.
Oh, big wheel. Caesar. Caesar, come here.
We climb what passes for higher ground here and we call in a boat to pluck us out of the rising water.
>> Hey, bring the vessel here.
>> Hang on. Hang on.
>> Okay, let’s get aboard.
We make it aboard safely and watch as the mysterious stone structure retreats beneath the waves. That wall, if it is a wall, would be a huge discovery and could put Raptor back on the map. But not without a smoking gun. It will take unimpeachable signs of human construction or the discovery of Raptor’s ancient artifacts to prove this is the missing emporium. The truth is underwater, which is where we intend to go.
Visibility is not good.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Stay close to me.
>> Okay. Right behind you.
>> Our time here is limited. Once the tide fully sweeps over the wall, the strong current will sweep us out to sea. We’ll need to work fast. Josh, >> we want to show something here.
Look at this.
>> Oh, look at that.
>> It’s like a channel.
>> Channel for what? Like for water.
>> Like a drain system for moving water out of the oven.
>> It does look like a cut channel.
>> Yes. Look at the geometric cut edges and the wind which is very uniform.
>> Totally uniform. It’s consistent all along here.
It reminds me of Roman hardware construction.
>> The Romans engineering prowess extended to water management. They built elegant aqueducts that function to this day.
Caesar thinks this channel could be part of a system that they built for Rapa.
>> It all seems like design.
>> It may look that way, but looks have been known to deceive.
We continue to search the bottom for any artifacts or evidence of construction.
It’s a job made more challenging by the strong current which drags us against the reef, but this is the only way we’re going to find conclusive evidence of raptor.
>> Getting deeper here. Looks like it’s opening up here.
Oh my word. Huge blocks. Look at the size of that.