1 00:00:01,535 --> 00:00:03,669 Okay. Here we go. 2 00:00:03,671 --> 00:00:07,606 My missions often start with a legend... 3 00:00:07,608 --> 00:00:08,941 GATES: So if the story is true, 4 00:00:08,943 --> 00:00:11,744 somewhere on this property, Robin Hood is buried. 5 00:00:11,746 --> 00:00:14,279 ...that drives me to uncover new evidence... 6 00:00:14,281 --> 00:00:17,449 Oh, my God. Skull, yeah? 7 00:00:17,451 --> 00:00:18,617 ...and find the truth... 8 00:00:18,619 --> 00:00:20,185 So if we really want to understand 9 00:00:20,187 --> 00:00:21,420 who D.B. Cooper is, 10 00:00:21,422 --> 00:00:23,288 we have to understand that there is no D.B. Cooper. 11 00:00:23,290 --> 00:00:25,791 ...behind the story. 12 00:00:25,793 --> 00:00:27,126 Whoa! 13 00:00:27,128 --> 00:00:30,129 Now I'm taking another look at my investigations 14 00:00:30,131 --> 00:00:32,598 into some of history's most intriguing mysteries... 15 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,733 This is incredible. 16 00:00:34,735 --> 00:00:36,635 ...with bonus footage you didn't see 17 00:00:36,637 --> 00:00:38,237 in the original episodes... 18 00:00:38,239 --> 00:00:41,240 This, I could get used to, my own Viking crew out here 19 00:00:41,242 --> 00:00:44,109 on the high seas dying of scurvy. 20 00:00:44,111 --> 00:00:46,245 ...as I try to determine once and for all 21 00:00:46,247 --> 00:00:49,915 whether these legends are fact or just pure fiction. 22 00:00:49,917 --> 00:00:54,086 ♪♪ 23 00:00:54,088 --> 00:00:55,821 My name is Josh Gates. 24 00:00:55,823 --> 00:00:57,256 Look at that! 25 00:00:57,258 --> 00:01:02,027 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration, 26 00:01:02,029 --> 00:01:05,264 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 27 00:01:05,266 --> 00:01:06,865 This is horrible. 28 00:01:06,867 --> 00:01:08,667 This is officially horrible. 29 00:01:08,669 --> 00:01:10,969 My travels have taken me to the ends of the Earth... 30 00:01:10,971 --> 00:01:12,237 It's flooded! Back it up! 31 00:01:12,239 --> 00:01:14,840 ...as I investigate the greatest legends in history. 32 00:01:14,842 --> 00:01:16,408 We're good to fly. Let's go. 33 00:01:16,410 --> 00:01:19,311 This is "Expedition Unknown." 34 00:01:19,313 --> 00:01:22,481 ♪♪ 35 00:01:22,483 --> 00:01:25,717 Truth is stranger than fiction, as the saying goes. 36 00:01:25,719 --> 00:01:27,986 There's one group of legendary voyagers 37 00:01:27,988 --> 00:01:29,988 that looms large in our imagination 38 00:01:29,990 --> 00:01:33,625 and our history books. 39 00:01:33,627 --> 00:01:35,394 Starting around the 8th century, 40 00:01:35,396 --> 00:01:37,963 the Vikings sail thousands of miles, 41 00:01:37,965 --> 00:01:40,032 conquering and settling lands in Europe 42 00:01:40,034 --> 00:01:45,037 and across the North Atlantic, and they do it all without GPS. 43 00:01:45,039 --> 00:01:48,707 So how exactly do they accomplish such amazing feats? 44 00:01:48,709 --> 00:01:50,943 According to legends, the Vikings used 45 00:01:50,945 --> 00:01:54,313 a mystical navigation crystal called a sunstone. 46 00:01:54,315 --> 00:01:57,449 Even on overcast days, when it's held to the sky, 47 00:01:57,451 --> 00:02:00,819 it can pinpoint the location of the sun. 48 00:02:00,821 --> 00:02:04,723 But the question remains, is the magical sunstone real? 49 00:02:04,725 --> 00:02:06,925 Is it fact or fiction? 50 00:02:06,927 --> 00:02:14,967 ♪♪ 51 00:02:14,969 --> 00:02:17,503 Viking sunstones appear in Norse legends, 52 00:02:17,505 --> 00:02:21,907 but so far, archaeologists haven't found a real one. 53 00:02:21,909 --> 00:02:23,675 There is a form of calcite crystal 54 00:02:23,677 --> 00:02:27,980 found in Scandinavian countries that might just fit the bill. 55 00:02:27,982 --> 00:02:31,383 Could this calcite be the elusive sunstone? 56 00:02:31,385 --> 00:02:34,753 No one has ever tested the theory on the open seas. 57 00:02:36,924 --> 00:02:41,159 I start my investigation at Viking ground zero, Norway. 58 00:02:41,161 --> 00:02:43,362 Seagull, let's talk about the sunstone. 59 00:02:43,364 --> 00:02:45,264 You're an export navigator. 60 00:02:45,266 --> 00:02:46,698 What are your thoughts? 61 00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:48,133 Real? Legend? 62 00:02:48,135 --> 00:02:51,370 Are you gonna peck my eyes out or vomit all over the place? 63 00:02:51,372 --> 00:02:52,671 Yep. Okay. 64 00:02:52,673 --> 00:02:56,108 I'm out of here. 65 00:02:56,110 --> 00:02:59,945 First, I need to get my hands on some pure Norwegian calcite. 66 00:02:59,947 --> 00:03:02,781 ♪♪ 67 00:03:02,783 --> 00:03:04,750 At an old mine outside of Oslo, 68 00:03:04,752 --> 00:03:07,586 I meet with experienced miner Christian Berg. 69 00:03:09,557 --> 00:03:12,558 And how do you know when you're chipping away at rock 70 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,294 that the whole thing is not gonna fall down on you? 71 00:03:15,296 --> 00:03:16,428 Pure luck. 72 00:03:16,430 --> 00:03:17,529 I don't think that's true. 73 00:03:17,531 --> 00:03:19,898 I hope that's not true. 74 00:03:19,900 --> 00:03:21,400 Oh, there we go. -Oh. 75 00:03:21,402 --> 00:03:22,668 Got it. Look at that. 76 00:03:22,670 --> 00:03:25,637 We got it. [ Blows ] 77 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:27,272 Look at that. 78 00:03:27,274 --> 00:03:29,341 That could be a Viking sunstone right there. 79 00:03:29,343 --> 00:03:31,410 Christian, nice work. 80 00:03:31,412 --> 00:03:32,911 Achievement unlocked. 81 00:03:32,913 --> 00:03:35,013 Sunstone acquired. 82 00:03:35,015 --> 00:03:38,350 But in order to test whether the legends are fact or fiction, 83 00:03:38,352 --> 00:03:42,788 I'll also need something called a twilight board. 84 00:03:42,790 --> 00:03:46,058 A twilight board is said to be a sort of ancient sundial, 85 00:03:46,060 --> 00:03:49,828 but instead of showing time, it shows direction. 86 00:03:49,830 --> 00:03:51,930 Using it together with a sunstone, 87 00:03:51,932 --> 00:03:55,233 the Vikings could potentially navigate the seas. 88 00:03:55,235 --> 00:03:59,438 ♪♪ 89 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,407 I turn to my new friend, Gyra, an accomplished woodworker 90 00:04:02,409 --> 00:04:05,444 and Viking cosplay enthusiast, for help. 91 00:04:05,446 --> 00:04:08,447 Using diagrams based on historical records, 92 00:04:08,449 --> 00:04:12,451 he agrees to carve a replica of a twilight board. 93 00:04:12,453 --> 00:04:14,987 Of course, there's no such thing as a free replica, 94 00:04:14,989 --> 00:04:17,022 so he puts me to work. 95 00:04:17,024 --> 00:04:19,825 You're really good, yes? 96 00:04:19,827 --> 00:04:21,760 -Thank you. -We can employ you here. 97 00:04:21,762 --> 00:04:23,495 All right. Do you pay well? 98 00:04:23,497 --> 00:04:25,364 No. It's a double day, no pay. 99 00:04:25,366 --> 00:04:26,565 Okay. I'm in. 100 00:04:26,567 --> 00:04:28,200 But it's more than worth it. 101 00:04:28,202 --> 00:04:30,035 Once he finishes the twilight board, 102 00:04:30,037 --> 00:04:32,337 I'm stunned by the results. 103 00:04:32,339 --> 00:04:34,039 Let me see. 104 00:04:34,041 --> 00:04:37,643 How about that? 105 00:04:37,645 --> 00:04:38,844 Are you kidding me? Look at that. 106 00:04:38,846 --> 00:04:41,747 It's perfect, man. 107 00:04:41,749 --> 00:04:44,082 Now, in order to determine whether the legend 108 00:04:44,084 --> 00:04:47,019 of the Viking sunstone is fact or fiction, 109 00:04:47,021 --> 00:04:51,957 we'll have to test it and the twilight board on the ocean. 110 00:04:51,959 --> 00:04:53,792 Lucky for me, Gyra has completed 111 00:04:53,794 --> 00:04:56,762 another even more impressive woodworking project, 112 00:04:56,764 --> 00:04:59,831 a fully functional Viking ship. 113 00:04:59,833 --> 00:05:02,267 When you said you had a boat, I didn't picture this. 114 00:05:02,269 --> 00:05:04,236 This is my boat. 115 00:05:04,238 --> 00:05:10,142 ♪♪ 116 00:05:10,144 --> 00:05:13,679 We set sail on a perfect, gloomy, overcast day, 117 00:05:13,681 --> 00:05:16,748 ideal for testing a sunstone. 118 00:05:16,750 --> 00:05:19,317 All right. This, I could get used to. 119 00:05:19,319 --> 00:05:23,822 My own Viking crew out here on the high seas 120 00:05:23,824 --> 00:05:26,658 dying of scurvy, freezing to death. 121 00:05:26,660 --> 00:05:28,226 Okay, here we go. All right. 122 00:05:28,228 --> 00:05:30,929 Let's do this, sunstone. 123 00:05:30,931 --> 00:05:33,532 Onboard with us is Dr. Balazs Bernath, 124 00:05:33,534 --> 00:05:36,435 an expert on light polarization. 125 00:05:36,437 --> 00:05:40,205 He's prepped the calcite I mined for use as a Viking sunstone. 126 00:05:40,207 --> 00:05:43,041 You have two slits now. 127 00:05:43,043 --> 00:05:45,877 You have to look through this slit, 128 00:05:45,879 --> 00:05:47,813 and you will see two images. 129 00:05:47,815 --> 00:05:49,381 I do. When I look through this, 130 00:05:49,383 --> 00:05:51,550 I see a double image of the slit on the backside. 131 00:05:51,552 --> 00:05:52,551 Exactly. 132 00:05:52,553 --> 00:05:55,020 The sunstone should work like this. 133 00:05:55,022 --> 00:05:57,756 As the calcite refracts light passing through it, 134 00:05:57,758 --> 00:06:01,026 you see two distinct lines inside the stone. 135 00:06:01,028 --> 00:06:04,029 Once you find the angle where the two rays look identical, 136 00:06:04,031 --> 00:06:07,599 then you know you're pointing it at the sun. 137 00:06:07,601 --> 00:06:08,667 You ready? 138 00:06:08,669 --> 00:06:10,635 Oh, I'm really excited. 139 00:06:10,637 --> 00:06:13,638 Sunstone, here we come. 140 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,942 It is really tough. It's very faint. 141 00:06:16,944 --> 00:06:18,310 There. -Okay. 142 00:06:18,312 --> 00:06:20,178 Remember the way, which way, 143 00:06:20,180 --> 00:06:21,947 the arrow is showing this. 144 00:06:21,949 --> 00:06:24,249 The arrow is pointing this way, so this is telling me, 145 00:06:24,251 --> 00:06:27,419 if this is working, that the sun is somewhere this way. 146 00:06:27,421 --> 00:06:30,956 We take a second bearing to hone in on the sun's location. 147 00:06:30,958 --> 00:06:33,358 I'm trying to not drop the sunstone in the sea. 148 00:06:35,095 --> 00:06:36,361 There. Right there. 149 00:06:36,363 --> 00:06:37,729 Right there. That's equal. 150 00:06:37,731 --> 00:06:40,365 Now try to estimate the intersection. 151 00:06:40,367 --> 00:06:41,533 Okay. 152 00:06:41,535 --> 00:06:42,734 The first estimation was pointing this way. 153 00:06:42,736 --> 00:06:44,236 The second estimation was pointing this way. 154 00:06:44,238 --> 00:06:45,604 Okay. 155 00:06:45,606 --> 00:06:47,305 So just follow those lines 156 00:06:47,307 --> 00:06:49,541 and try to say where the sun is. 157 00:06:49,543 --> 00:06:52,511 Sun should be here. 158 00:06:52,513 --> 00:06:54,546 Time to break out the twilight board. 159 00:06:54,548 --> 00:06:56,448 It's the moment of truth. 160 00:06:56,450 --> 00:07:00,051 Is the sunstone fact or fiction? 161 00:07:00,053 --> 00:07:02,420 Balazs compares our sunstone bearing 162 00:07:02,422 --> 00:07:04,890 with his modern magnetic compass. 163 00:07:04,892 --> 00:07:08,093 Here, let's line it up. 164 00:07:08,095 --> 00:07:10,095 It works. -It worked. 165 00:07:10,097 --> 00:07:11,930 That is unbelievable. 166 00:07:11,932 --> 00:07:13,265 That's almost a perfect match. 167 00:07:13,267 --> 00:07:15,534 -Yes, it is. -Well, I'm amazed. 168 00:07:15,536 --> 00:07:17,769 North, north. It lines up almost exactly. 169 00:07:17,771 --> 00:07:19,204 It's amazing. 170 00:07:19,206 --> 00:07:21,873 Viking sunstone, check. 171 00:07:21,875 --> 00:07:24,142 Maybe we could sail out to Greenland now. 172 00:07:24,144 --> 00:07:25,877 Oh, you think so? You're feeling confident? 173 00:07:25,879 --> 00:07:26,778 Oh, of course. 174 00:07:26,780 --> 00:07:27,846 Okay. To Greenland, guys. 175 00:07:27,848 --> 00:07:28,814 Let's go. -Okay. 176 00:07:28,816 --> 00:07:30,048 Let's get this thing in gear. 177 00:07:30,050 --> 00:07:31,883 Come on. -Yes. 178 00:07:31,885 --> 00:07:35,687 ♪♪ 179 00:07:35,689 --> 00:07:37,656 One thing is now crystal clear. 180 00:07:37,658 --> 00:07:40,192 The Vikings were sophisticated engineers 181 00:07:40,194 --> 00:07:43,829 whose brains matched their reputation for brawn. 182 00:07:43,831 --> 00:07:46,264 Viking sunstone is fact. 183 00:07:48,335 --> 00:07:50,802 There's another maritime mystery that I investigate, 184 00:07:50,804 --> 00:07:52,904 the recent discovery of what could be 185 00:07:52,906 --> 00:07:55,207 an ancient lost civilization, 186 00:07:55,209 --> 00:07:58,777 possibly the Atlantis of Asia. 187 00:07:58,779 --> 00:08:01,479 I'm talking about the Yonaguni Ruins. 188 00:08:01,481 --> 00:08:05,116 It's a controversial site with huge underwater rock formations 189 00:08:05,118 --> 00:08:09,921 that resemble walls, steps and other man-made features. 190 00:08:09,923 --> 00:08:14,025 Are these really the remains of an ancient sunken city? 191 00:08:14,027 --> 00:08:17,462 Is Japan's Atlantis fact or fiction? 192 00:08:17,464 --> 00:08:26,171 ♪♪ 193 00:08:26,173 --> 00:08:28,640 If you are a person that enjoys peace and quiet, 194 00:08:28,642 --> 00:08:30,609 Yonaguni Island may be for you. 195 00:08:30,611 --> 00:08:34,012 By peace and quiet, I mean not seeing a living soul ever. 196 00:08:36,350 --> 00:08:39,084 You'd be forgiven is Yonaguni doesn't ring a bell. 197 00:08:39,086 --> 00:08:41,553 That's because it's a small, remote island 198 00:08:41,555 --> 00:08:45,056 about 70 miles away from the shores of Taiwan. 199 00:08:45,058 --> 00:08:48,460 As peaceful as this is, I'm not here for relaxation. 200 00:08:48,462 --> 00:08:52,931 I'm here to investigate the legend of a lost world. 201 00:08:52,933 --> 00:08:55,200 My lonely bike ride takes me to the docks, 202 00:08:55,202 --> 00:08:56,735 where I'm about to meet up with the man 203 00:08:56,737 --> 00:09:01,039 who first discovered the ruins, Dr. Kihachiro Aratake 204 00:09:01,041 --> 00:09:03,041 and his son Shorty. 205 00:09:03,043 --> 00:09:05,110 Hi, there. I'm Josh. Thanks for having me aboard. 206 00:09:05,112 --> 00:09:11,750 ♪♪ 207 00:09:11,752 --> 00:09:18,390 ♪♪ 208 00:09:18,392 --> 00:09:21,159 When did you first find the Yonaguni Ruins? 209 00:09:24,498 --> 00:09:26,298 When you saw it, what did you think? 210 00:09:28,635 --> 00:09:29,634 It looked like Machu Picchu. 211 00:09:29,636 --> 00:09:31,002 Yeah, yeah. He got goose bumps. 212 00:09:31,004 --> 00:09:33,438 Did you immediately think that it was man-made? 213 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:34,472 Yes. 214 00:09:34,474 --> 00:09:35,774 INTERPRETER: It's unlike anything 215 00:09:35,776 --> 00:09:37,075 you've ever seen before. 216 00:09:37,077 --> 00:09:39,611 Once I saw the site, there was no doubt in my mind 217 00:09:39,613 --> 00:09:41,146 it must be man-made. 218 00:09:41,148 --> 00:09:43,982 Who do you think made the site? 219 00:09:43,984 --> 00:09:45,383 [ Speaking Japanese ] 220 00:09:45,385 --> 00:09:46,785 Only God knows. 221 00:09:46,787 --> 00:09:48,086 Only God knows. 222 00:09:48,088 --> 00:09:50,789 ♪♪ 223 00:09:50,791 --> 00:09:53,591 GATES: It could be an extraordinary find, 224 00:09:53,593 --> 00:09:54,993 a lost civilization, 225 00:09:54,995 --> 00:09:58,863 maybe thousands of years older than any ever recorded. 226 00:09:58,865 --> 00:10:00,799 It's a controversial claim. 227 00:10:00,801 --> 00:10:03,501 Conducting archaeological research that could verify 228 00:10:03,503 --> 00:10:05,470 the find has proven difficult, 229 00:10:05,472 --> 00:10:07,706 if not nearly impossible. 230 00:10:07,708 --> 00:10:10,075 There are intense rip currents here 231 00:10:10,077 --> 00:10:12,477 and deadly, venomous sea snakes. 232 00:10:14,915 --> 00:10:17,782 But that won't stop yours truly and crew. 233 00:10:17,784 --> 00:10:20,819 So my camera man, Evan, pumps himself up for the dive 234 00:10:20,821 --> 00:10:22,821 in his own unique way. 235 00:10:22,823 --> 00:10:23,955 I got to stay neutral. 236 00:10:23,957 --> 00:10:25,323 Plus, I got to do a lot of camera work, 237 00:10:25,325 --> 00:10:28,960 so it's gonna be real challenging for me, 238 00:10:28,962 --> 00:10:30,662 but I crush it daily. 239 00:10:30,664 --> 00:10:32,297 GATES: So modest. 240 00:10:32,299 --> 00:10:33,631 The best in the biz. 241 00:10:33,633 --> 00:10:37,202 I'm 100% 85% of the time. 242 00:10:37,204 --> 00:10:38,336 Every time. 243 00:10:38,338 --> 00:10:41,106 So this dive is gonna be good. 244 00:10:43,076 --> 00:10:45,744 I mean, it's hard to argue with that. 245 00:10:45,746 --> 00:10:48,580 GATES: It's time to get serious and get in the water. 246 00:10:48,582 --> 00:10:50,682 -Let's go. -Yeah, I'm ready. Let's do it. 247 00:10:50,684 --> 00:10:58,390 ♪♪ 248 00:11:00,293 --> 00:11:03,728 ♪♪ 249 00:11:03,730 --> 00:11:05,630 GATES: I'm off the coast of Japan 250 00:11:05,632 --> 00:11:07,732 investigating what could be the ruins 251 00:11:07,734 --> 00:11:10,368 of one of the oldest civilizations ever recorded. 252 00:11:10,370 --> 00:11:14,672 Are the Yonaguni Ruins fact or fiction? 253 00:11:14,674 --> 00:11:24,249 ♪♪ 254 00:11:24,251 --> 00:11:26,818 We battle through strong currents. 255 00:11:26,820 --> 00:11:29,287 Then the Yonaguni Ruins come into view. 256 00:11:44,538 --> 00:11:47,539 With so many flat surfaces and right angles, 257 00:11:47,541 --> 00:11:52,410 the structure looks designed by human hands, purposeful. 258 00:11:56,983 --> 00:11:58,449 Holy. 259 00:12:13,767 --> 00:12:15,400 But I'm not done here yet. 260 00:12:15,402 --> 00:12:19,470 Dr. Aratake has one more thing to show me before we surface. 261 00:12:19,472 --> 00:12:22,774 We round the corner, and I am stunned. 262 00:12:40,393 --> 00:12:43,861 As we surface, I'm still shaken by the whole experience. 263 00:12:45,599 --> 00:12:47,865 What is going on down there? 264 00:12:47,867 --> 00:12:50,468 I almost need to talk myself out of what I've just seen 265 00:12:50,470 --> 00:12:53,004 because that looks man-made to me. 266 00:12:53,006 --> 00:12:56,240 But I don't know how the hell that's possible. 267 00:12:56,242 --> 00:12:58,676 So now we just need to figure out what it actually is. 268 00:12:58,678 --> 00:13:01,446 ♪♪ 269 00:13:01,448 --> 00:13:04,248 Before we can determine if the theory of a lost city here 270 00:13:04,250 --> 00:13:07,418 is fact or fiction, I need more evidence. 271 00:13:07,420 --> 00:13:12,824 ♪♪ 272 00:13:12,826 --> 00:13:14,492 My next stop is in Osaka, 273 00:13:14,494 --> 00:13:16,628 where I meet with geologist and professor 274 00:13:16,630 --> 00:13:18,863 Masahide Furukawa. 275 00:13:18,865 --> 00:13:20,164 Professor, nice to meet you. 276 00:13:20,166 --> 00:13:21,633 -Nice to meet you. -Well, I brought you a present. 277 00:13:21,635 --> 00:13:22,667 I brought you some rocks. 278 00:13:22,669 --> 00:13:24,102 These are from Yonaguni. 279 00:13:24,104 --> 00:13:26,004 I want to understand if you think 280 00:13:26,006 --> 00:13:28,339 that what's at Yonaguni could be man-made, 281 00:13:28,341 --> 00:13:30,108 or if you're convinced that it's natural. 282 00:13:30,110 --> 00:13:34,078 [ Speaks Japanese ] 283 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,547 WOMAN: He believes that the waves hit the sandstone 284 00:13:36,549 --> 00:13:39,884 and overlap on each other and make the stairs. 285 00:13:39,886 --> 00:13:41,285 In every sandstone, 286 00:13:41,287 --> 00:13:44,188 there is a thin layer of mud in between, 287 00:13:44,190 --> 00:13:45,823 and that's where it starts cracking, 288 00:13:45,825 --> 00:13:47,859 and that's where it breaks off. 289 00:13:47,861 --> 00:13:49,027 GATES: The professor believes 290 00:13:49,029 --> 00:13:50,561 that the force of the ocean current 291 00:13:50,563 --> 00:13:53,097 causes the brittle rock formation to break, 292 00:13:53,099 --> 00:13:56,401 sometimes at almost perfect angles. 293 00:13:56,403 --> 00:13:59,337 We decide to take a crack at his theory. 294 00:13:59,339 --> 00:14:00,638 I don't know what's going to happen here, sir. 295 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:02,473 I'm not authorized to do this. 296 00:14:02,475 --> 00:14:06,577 ♪♪ 297 00:14:06,579 --> 00:14:10,782 -Oh. -So flat pieces. 298 00:14:10,784 --> 00:14:13,117 We have these 90-degree angles here. 299 00:14:13,119 --> 00:14:14,852 It looks very squared off. 300 00:14:14,854 --> 00:14:17,355 I think you might be onto something here. 301 00:14:17,357 --> 00:14:19,924 GATES: We verified that natural forces 302 00:14:19,926 --> 00:14:22,560 can make sharp angles and flat surfaces 303 00:14:22,562 --> 00:14:24,495 out of this brittle sandstone. 304 00:14:24,497 --> 00:14:26,264 And that underwater face? 305 00:14:26,266 --> 00:14:29,467 It's not clear that the rock was actually carved. 306 00:14:29,469 --> 00:14:31,703 The angles don't line up well enough 307 00:14:31,705 --> 00:14:34,472 to say conclusively that this was carved. 308 00:14:34,474 --> 00:14:37,775 It could just be a random geological occurrence. 309 00:14:37,777 --> 00:14:39,944 As much as I had hoped for the Yonaguni Ruins 310 00:14:39,946 --> 00:14:42,080 to be a forgotten civilization, 311 00:14:42,082 --> 00:14:44,982 the evidence seems to shatter under scrutiny. 312 00:14:44,984 --> 00:14:47,218 I'm sad to say it, but the notion of Yonaguni 313 00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:50,521 as Japan's Atlantis looks like fiction. 314 00:14:52,692 --> 00:14:55,026 In my next investigation, I'm looking for something 315 00:14:55,028 --> 00:14:56,861 that was definitely man-made. 316 00:14:56,863 --> 00:14:59,097 It was crafted by one of the greatest swordsmiths 317 00:14:59,099 --> 00:15:00,431 in the world. 318 00:15:00,433 --> 00:15:02,633 The Honjo Masamune blade, 319 00:15:02,635 --> 00:15:06,771 which Japanese legend says is imbued with magical powers. 320 00:15:06,773 --> 00:15:09,507 Seven decades ago, the blade was handed over 321 00:15:09,509 --> 00:15:13,344 to the occupying U.S. forces at the end of World War II. 322 00:15:13,346 --> 00:15:15,446 Then, the sword vanishes. 323 00:15:15,448 --> 00:15:16,881 Or does it? 324 00:15:16,883 --> 00:15:20,418 Rumors abound that the sword may never have really left Japan. 325 00:15:20,420 --> 00:15:23,454 Is the story behind the loss of the Honjo Masamune 326 00:15:23,456 --> 00:15:25,123 fact or fiction? 327 00:15:25,125 --> 00:15:31,696 ♪♪ 328 00:15:31,698 --> 00:15:34,465 I start my search for the sword in Tokyo, 329 00:15:34,467 --> 00:15:37,335 a glittering city full of spectacular sights, 330 00:15:37,337 --> 00:15:39,570 sounds and shopping. 331 00:15:39,572 --> 00:15:42,907 The Honjo Masamune is right here in this shop, 332 00:15:42,909 --> 00:15:47,845 and it is $1.20, worth a lot less than I thought. 333 00:15:49,983 --> 00:15:51,015 False alarm, folks. 334 00:15:51,017 --> 00:15:54,218 This one is plastic. 335 00:15:54,220 --> 00:15:57,889 The real Honjo Masamune is forged in the 13th century 336 00:15:57,891 --> 00:16:02,293 by Goro Nyudo Masamune, a highly-renowned sword maker. 337 00:16:02,295 --> 00:16:05,096 For hundreds of years, the famous weapon passes 338 00:16:05,098 --> 00:16:07,465 from one powerful hand to the next, 339 00:16:07,467 --> 00:16:10,535 and finally, to the noble Tokygawa clan. 340 00:16:10,537 --> 00:16:12,837 It is considered a national treasure, 341 00:16:12,839 --> 00:16:15,706 but World War II changes everything. 342 00:16:15,708 --> 00:16:18,309 When Japan surrenders in 1945, 343 00:16:18,311 --> 00:16:21,946 the Allied powers demand Japan's complete disarmament, 344 00:16:21,948 --> 00:16:24,215 including all personal weapons. 345 00:16:24,217 --> 00:16:26,717 The Tokugawa family hands over the sword 346 00:16:26,719 --> 00:16:28,586 at the local police station. 347 00:16:28,588 --> 00:16:30,721 So the real mystery of the Honjo Masamune sword 348 00:16:30,723 --> 00:16:32,857 starts right here, a pretty unlikely spot. 349 00:16:32,859 --> 00:16:35,326 This is the Mejiro Police Station here in Tokyo, 350 00:16:35,328 --> 00:16:36,627 and it was right here 351 00:16:36,629 --> 00:16:39,831 that, maybe, the finest sword ever made was lost. 352 00:16:39,833 --> 00:16:42,266 Official documents prove the blade was received 353 00:16:42,268 --> 00:16:43,634 by the U.S. Army, 354 00:16:43,636 --> 00:16:45,837 but what happened to it after that? 355 00:16:45,839 --> 00:16:48,372 Now, supposedly, the sword was then handed over 356 00:16:48,374 --> 00:16:51,075 to a U.S. sergeant named Coldy Bimore, 357 00:16:51,077 --> 00:16:52,944 but there's just one problem. 358 00:16:52,946 --> 00:16:55,513 He doesn't seem to exist. 359 00:16:55,515 --> 00:16:58,349 The U.S. Armed Forces have no record of any soldier 360 00:16:58,351 --> 00:17:02,053 serving in this area with the name Coldy Bimore. 361 00:17:02,055 --> 00:17:04,989 So if there is no American soldier by that name, 362 00:17:04,991 --> 00:17:06,524 who really took it? 363 00:17:06,526 --> 00:17:09,694 Are the official documents pure fiction, fudged, 364 00:17:09,696 --> 00:17:12,563 so someone could steal the valuable sword 365 00:17:12,565 --> 00:17:14,765 or maybe to keep the revered blade 366 00:17:14,767 --> 00:17:16,968 close to home here in Japan? 367 00:17:16,970 --> 00:17:21,539 ♪♪ 368 00:17:21,541 --> 00:17:25,676 My investigation takes me down a very dark alley 369 00:17:25,678 --> 00:17:27,678 to Tokyo's black market. 370 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,181 ♪♪ 371 00:17:30,183 --> 00:17:34,285 This is Golden Gai, a neighborhood of Tokyo rumored 372 00:17:34,287 --> 00:17:37,288 to be run by the Yakuza. 373 00:17:37,290 --> 00:17:40,024 Perhaps the Honjo Masamune has switched hands 374 00:17:40,026 --> 00:17:42,660 in this maze of streets. 375 00:17:42,662 --> 00:17:47,498 ♪♪ 376 00:17:51,038 --> 00:17:52,337 GATES: I've stepped into the alleys 377 00:17:52,339 --> 00:17:54,673 of underworld Japan investigating 378 00:17:54,675 --> 00:17:56,742 what is fact and what is fiction 379 00:17:56,744 --> 00:18:00,812 in the legends of the missing and mystical 13th century 380 00:18:00,814 --> 00:18:03,682 Honjo Masamune sword that disappeared 381 00:18:03,684 --> 00:18:05,751 at the end of World War II. 382 00:18:05,753 --> 00:18:08,554 The official story that it went to an American soldier 383 00:18:08,556 --> 00:18:11,857 named Coldy Bimore might be pure fiction. 384 00:18:11,859 --> 00:18:14,693 Is it, in fact, still here in Japan? 385 00:18:14,695 --> 00:18:18,597 If it is, the valuable blade is being kept secret. 386 00:18:18,599 --> 00:18:20,566 I meet with a black-market sword dealer 387 00:18:20,568 --> 00:18:23,468 who might have some information on where it's gone. 388 00:18:23,470 --> 00:18:25,370 He's agreed to talk on the condition 389 00:18:25,372 --> 00:18:27,339 that I conceal his identity. 390 00:18:27,341 --> 00:18:31,376 So very, very interested in the Honjo Masamune. 391 00:18:31,378 --> 00:18:32,778 Mm-hmm. 392 00:18:32,780 --> 00:18:34,379 But also in understanding 393 00:18:34,381 --> 00:18:36,648 these valuable swords in general. 394 00:18:36,650 --> 00:18:38,650 -Mm-hmm. -Are they allowed to be traded? 395 00:18:47,294 --> 00:18:51,697 By law, every Japanese sword is given papers of identification, 396 00:18:51,699 --> 00:18:53,932 but if a sword has no documentation, 397 00:18:53,934 --> 00:18:55,667 like the Honjo Masamune, 398 00:18:55,669 --> 00:18:58,203 there's no way to track it. 399 00:18:58,205 --> 00:19:00,706 And what about underground trading? 400 00:19:00,708 --> 00:19:02,040 Is that something that happens? 401 00:19:11,819 --> 00:19:13,085 He has another theory. 402 00:19:13,087 --> 00:19:15,187 Where could that sword have been kept safe at a time 403 00:19:15,189 --> 00:19:18,156 when the Allies were trying to find every sword in Japan? 404 00:19:24,698 --> 00:19:26,431 And so you think it's possible 405 00:19:26,433 --> 00:19:27,699 that the sword could have been 406 00:19:27,701 --> 00:19:30,836 hidden away in one of those imperial tunnels? 407 00:19:39,446 --> 00:19:42,848 ♪♪ 408 00:19:42,850 --> 00:19:47,452 I travel to Nagano where urban explorer Michael Gakuran 409 00:19:47,454 --> 00:19:48,954 is dedicated to investigating 410 00:19:48,956 --> 00:19:51,623 Japan's forgotten historical sites. 411 00:19:51,625 --> 00:19:56,294 ♪♪ 412 00:19:56,296 --> 00:19:57,963 Okay. Please. 413 00:19:57,965 --> 00:20:01,199 Could the mystical blade be here? 414 00:20:01,201 --> 00:20:02,934 -This is amazing. -Yeah. 415 00:20:02,936 --> 00:20:04,936 They used just dynamite to blast, blast, 416 00:20:04,938 --> 00:20:06,538 blast really deep into the mountain. 417 00:20:06,540 --> 00:20:08,707 Have the tunnels been widely explored? 418 00:20:08,709 --> 00:20:10,042 Well, certain sections have, 419 00:20:10,044 --> 00:20:12,010 but there's also many, many kilometers of tunnels 420 00:20:12,012 --> 00:20:13,945 that haven't been properly excavated. 421 00:20:16,517 --> 00:20:18,350 We go deep into the winding caverns 422 00:20:18,352 --> 00:20:20,152 with our metal detectors. 423 00:20:20,154 --> 00:20:22,587 [ Beeping ] 424 00:20:22,589 --> 00:20:23,588 -Whoa, big hit. -Yeah. 425 00:20:23,590 --> 00:20:25,557 -Big hit. -Oh, there's a coin. 426 00:20:25,559 --> 00:20:26,758 Oh, look at that, a coin. 427 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:27,959 -Huh. -Look at that. 428 00:20:27,961 --> 00:20:30,028 Something of value. 429 00:20:30,030 --> 00:20:32,464 We got 10 yen. 430 00:20:32,466 --> 00:20:34,933 10 yen. There it is. 431 00:20:34,935 --> 00:20:37,769 I mean, I'm finding treasure. 432 00:20:37,771 --> 00:20:40,305 I think the Honjo Masamune is worth more than 10 yen. 433 00:20:40,307 --> 00:20:41,473 You're an official treasure hunter now. 434 00:20:41,475 --> 00:20:43,041 But I'm not leaving here empty-handed. 435 00:20:43,043 --> 00:20:43,942 -Right. -Right? 436 00:20:43,944 --> 00:20:45,043 It's something. All right. 437 00:20:45,045 --> 00:20:46,545 I'm claiming this. We can split it. 438 00:20:46,547 --> 00:20:49,581 5 yen for you, 5 yen for me. 439 00:20:49,583 --> 00:20:52,050 GATES: Searching these tunnels is like looking for a needle 440 00:20:52,052 --> 00:20:53,985 in miles of haystack. 441 00:20:53,987 --> 00:20:58,090 ♪♪ 442 00:20:58,092 --> 00:21:00,792 Then I get word that a private collector 443 00:21:00,794 --> 00:21:03,695 has come into possession of an ancient sword. 444 00:21:03,697 --> 00:21:06,732 I meet the collector, Yoshitaka Shimizu, 445 00:21:06,734 --> 00:21:09,468 as well as British museum curator Paul Martin 446 00:21:09,470 --> 00:21:11,970 in an antique shop to examine the blade. 447 00:21:11,972 --> 00:21:20,178 ♪♪ 448 00:21:20,180 --> 00:21:21,780 GATES: It's beautiful. It really is. 449 00:21:21,782 --> 00:21:23,815 I mean, when you look at it on the edge, 450 00:21:23,817 --> 00:21:27,119 it's just impossibly sharp. 451 00:21:27,121 --> 00:21:31,022 Could this be the Honjo Masamune? 452 00:21:31,024 --> 00:21:33,692 INTERPRETER: No, it is not the Honjo, 453 00:21:33,694 --> 00:21:35,227 but it is a treasure. 454 00:21:35,229 --> 00:21:36,561 Absolutely stunning. 455 00:21:36,563 --> 00:21:37,996 How old is this blade? 456 00:21:37,998 --> 00:21:39,431 Just over 600 years old. 457 00:21:39,433 --> 00:21:42,000 -And the sword maker? -Masamune. 458 00:21:42,002 --> 00:21:44,002 -This is a Masamune? -Yeah. 459 00:21:44,004 --> 00:21:46,571 -This is a Masamune? -Yeah. 460 00:21:46,573 --> 00:21:48,306 -Really? -Yeah. 461 00:21:48,308 --> 00:21:50,008 -Really? -Yeah. 462 00:21:50,010 --> 00:21:52,310 That's amazing. 463 00:21:52,312 --> 00:21:54,212 That is absolutely incredible. 464 00:21:54,214 --> 00:21:56,515 It is beautiful. 465 00:21:56,517 --> 00:21:59,785 GATES: Holding another sword forged by Masamune 466 00:21:59,787 --> 00:22:01,953 in my own hands convinces me 467 00:22:01,955 --> 00:22:05,457 that the Honjo might also be out there somewhere, 468 00:22:05,459 --> 00:22:08,760 and that it very likely never left Japan. 469 00:22:08,762 --> 00:22:11,663 There are enough historical records of the sword to conclude 470 00:22:11,665 --> 00:22:15,634 that that Honjo Masamune was certainly real. 471 00:22:15,636 --> 00:22:18,069 But the official story that it ended up in the hands 472 00:22:18,071 --> 00:22:20,739 of an American soldier named Coldy Bimore, 473 00:22:20,741 --> 00:22:24,442 that is fiction. 474 00:22:24,444 --> 00:22:27,445 The Honjo Masamune wasn't the only treasure to disappear 475 00:22:27,447 --> 00:22:31,850 in the aftermath of World War II. 476 00:22:31,852 --> 00:22:34,319 As the Nazis rampage across Europe, 477 00:22:34,321 --> 00:22:39,491 they loot gold, artwork and countless other valuables. 478 00:22:39,493 --> 00:22:44,362 But in 1945, when the Allies close in on Axis territory, 479 00:22:44,364 --> 00:22:48,466 desperate S.S. officers ship treasure by secret rail lines 480 00:22:48,468 --> 00:22:53,638 to hide in caves, tunnels and wherever else they can stash it. 481 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,107 Recently, two researchers claimed to have uncovered 482 00:22:56,109 --> 00:22:59,110 hard evidence that deep under a hill in Poland, 483 00:22:59,112 --> 00:23:03,181 there's a whole trainload of buried gold, but is it real? 484 00:23:03,183 --> 00:23:06,451 Is the Nazi gold train fact or fiction? 485 00:23:06,453 --> 00:23:12,824 ♪♪ 486 00:23:12,826 --> 00:23:14,893 I meet up with another pair of investigators, 487 00:23:14,895 --> 00:23:17,829 Darek Tomalkiewicz and Olek Koper, 488 00:23:17,831 --> 00:23:21,066 right above where the gold train is supposedly buried. 489 00:23:21,068 --> 00:23:22,267 GATES: Thank you for meeting me here. 490 00:23:22,269 --> 00:23:23,802 This is the scene of the crime? 491 00:23:23,804 --> 00:23:24,836 Yeah. 492 00:23:24,838 --> 00:23:26,137 And the police have roped it off, 493 00:23:26,139 --> 00:23:27,739 and, obviously, there's police here now, 494 00:23:27,741 --> 00:23:29,708 so they're just making sure nobody comes in here. 495 00:23:29,710 --> 00:23:32,344 Is that what's happening? -The police secured the place. 496 00:23:32,346 --> 00:23:34,246 Sure, you got a train full of gold under your feet. 497 00:23:34,248 --> 00:23:35,814 People are gonna want to find it. 498 00:23:35,816 --> 00:23:36,848 Yeah, of course. 499 00:23:36,850 --> 00:23:38,683 Are these the same train lines 500 00:23:38,685 --> 00:23:41,119 that were running in the 1940s here? 501 00:23:41,121 --> 00:23:43,121 INTERPRETER: Yes, these are the same tracks 502 00:23:43,123 --> 00:23:44,556 that the Nazis built in 1944 503 00:23:44,558 --> 00:23:48,493 as part of construction for Project Riese. 504 00:23:48,495 --> 00:23:50,829 GATES: Riese means giant in German, 505 00:23:50,831 --> 00:23:54,566 which is all too appropriate for a project of this magnitude. 506 00:23:54,568 --> 00:23:56,635 The scheme was to build six massive, 507 00:23:56,637 --> 00:24:01,239 subterranean complexes all connected by underground rail 508 00:24:01,241 --> 00:24:03,909 and hidden from the eyes of the Allies. 509 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:10,382 Local legend says that in 1945, just before the end of the war, 510 00:24:10,384 --> 00:24:11,850 a train loaded with gold 511 00:24:11,852 --> 00:24:14,953 is heading down these tracks for Valchek, Poland, 512 00:24:14,955 --> 00:24:17,155 when, suddenly, it vanishes. 513 00:24:17,157 --> 00:24:20,492 ♪♪ 514 00:24:20,494 --> 00:24:23,061 Is it possible it was rerouted to Project Riese's 515 00:24:23,063 --> 00:24:27,365 subterranean rail line and might be buried right here? 516 00:24:27,367 --> 00:24:28,500 What happened here? 517 00:24:28,502 --> 00:24:31,303 What was discovered here? 518 00:24:31,305 --> 00:24:33,805 Recently, two men used ground-penetrating radar 519 00:24:33,807 --> 00:24:35,240 to search for the train. 520 00:24:35,242 --> 00:24:38,977 They showed some pictures, but nobody is 100% clear... 521 00:24:38,979 --> 00:24:42,113 -Right. -...about is it the train? 522 00:24:42,115 --> 00:24:45,517 GATES: The images could be a train full of gold, 523 00:24:45,519 --> 00:24:48,320 or it could be a train filled with deadly chemicals, 524 00:24:48,322 --> 00:24:53,058 or it could be nothing at all, just a shadow, a false hit. 525 00:24:53,060 --> 00:24:55,860 Finding out which, that's the challenge. 526 00:24:57,931 --> 00:25:00,732 Until the local government decides when or if 527 00:25:00,734 --> 00:25:02,300 to dig up whatever is down there, 528 00:25:02,302 --> 00:25:06,771 the police are keeping people out, but that doesn't stop us. 529 00:25:06,773 --> 00:25:10,041 These guys know other ways to get underground here. 530 00:25:10,043 --> 00:25:13,011 All right. Well, let's go check it out. 531 00:25:13,013 --> 00:25:14,279 Inside these tunnels, 532 00:25:14,281 --> 00:25:16,648 investigators have found guard stations, 533 00:25:16,650 --> 00:25:19,651 Nazi helmets and even weapons. 534 00:25:19,653 --> 00:25:21,987 There's no telling what we'll find as we head 535 00:25:21,989 --> 00:25:23,521 into this newly discovered 536 00:25:23,523 --> 00:25:26,124 and as-yet-unexplored section of the tunnel. 537 00:25:26,126 --> 00:25:28,159 GATES: This is not a tunnel. This is a hole. 538 00:25:28,161 --> 00:25:30,962 Just try to not touch the walls 539 00:25:30,964 --> 00:25:34,466 because, on the entrance, it can... 540 00:25:34,468 --> 00:25:36,634 -Fall and kill you? -Yeah. 541 00:25:36,636 --> 00:25:38,803 Got it. Okay. Got it. 542 00:25:38,805 --> 00:25:41,639 GATES: Very few people know about this hole. 543 00:25:41,641 --> 00:25:44,876 I doubt many folks would attempt to go down here anyway. 544 00:25:44,878 --> 00:25:47,412 It's a tight and very unpleasant squeeze. 545 00:25:47,414 --> 00:25:49,914 Oh, lots of spiders. 546 00:25:49,916 --> 00:25:55,120 ♪♪ 547 00:25:55,122 --> 00:25:56,755 Wow. 548 00:25:56,757 --> 00:25:59,257 ♪♪ 549 00:25:59,259 --> 00:26:02,494 We're not here long before we realize how deteriorated 550 00:26:02,496 --> 00:26:05,964 and unsafe these passages have become. 551 00:26:05,966 --> 00:26:07,999 Oh, no. 552 00:26:08,001 --> 00:26:09,234 Whoa. 553 00:26:09,236 --> 00:26:11,136 Oh, my lord. 554 00:26:15,341 --> 00:26:17,842 ♪♪ 555 00:26:17,844 --> 00:26:20,311 GATES: I'm in Poland about to venture into crumbling 556 00:26:20,313 --> 00:26:22,813 World War II tunnels to determine 557 00:26:22,815 --> 00:26:25,550 if the rumor of a trainload of Nazi gold 558 00:26:25,552 --> 00:26:28,920 buried here is fact or fiction. 559 00:26:30,857 --> 00:26:32,890 One thing that's definitely a fact? 560 00:26:32,892 --> 00:26:35,393 These tunnels are not safe. 561 00:26:35,395 --> 00:26:38,896 Oh, no. 562 00:26:38,898 --> 00:26:40,998 Whoa. 563 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:42,767 Oh, my lord. 564 00:26:42,769 --> 00:26:45,937 ♪♪ 565 00:26:45,939 --> 00:26:49,941 Just absolutely flaking apart, 566 00:26:49,943 --> 00:26:54,378 and that's what was holding up the ceiling. 567 00:26:54,380 --> 00:26:56,013 Do you think it's safe? 568 00:26:56,015 --> 00:26:57,515 Middle safe, maybe. 569 00:26:57,517 --> 00:26:59,684 Let's say. -Middle safe. 570 00:26:59,686 --> 00:27:02,820 ♪♪ 571 00:27:02,822 --> 00:27:04,689 GATES: We carefully trek forward, 572 00:27:04,691 --> 00:27:07,024 despite a tiny voice in the back of my head 573 00:27:07,026 --> 00:27:08,960 that's screaming at me to get out of here, 574 00:27:08,962 --> 00:27:11,362 but we've come too far to stop now. 575 00:27:11,364 --> 00:27:12,797 Oh, God. 576 00:27:12,799 --> 00:27:14,865 And I have to find out what's here. 577 00:27:14,867 --> 00:27:19,870 ♪♪ 578 00:27:19,872 --> 00:27:22,540 And then, our search comes to an abrupt halt. 579 00:27:22,542 --> 00:27:25,543 It looks flooded out. 580 00:27:25,545 --> 00:27:28,245 There's no gold train in sight, 581 00:27:28,247 --> 00:27:31,549 but maybe there are still other treasures to be found here. 582 00:27:34,020 --> 00:27:35,052 INTERPRETER: For us, these tunnels 583 00:27:35,054 --> 00:27:37,021 are a story that needs to be told. 584 00:27:37,023 --> 00:27:38,589 We have tools used by workers 585 00:27:38,591 --> 00:27:41,325 and hundreds of other artifacts from the war. 586 00:27:41,327 --> 00:27:44,829 These things may not be valuable in terms of money, 587 00:27:44,831 --> 00:27:49,667 but it's really valuable in terms of history. 588 00:27:49,669 --> 00:27:50,968 Right. 589 00:27:50,970 --> 00:27:53,471 I know everybody is so excited about this golden train, 590 00:27:53,473 --> 00:27:56,107 which may or may not even be there. 591 00:27:56,109 --> 00:27:59,043 -Mm-hmm. -But this is the real deal. 592 00:27:59,045 --> 00:28:00,645 It is very important stuff. 593 00:28:00,647 --> 00:28:02,380 It's great work, yeah. 594 00:28:04,917 --> 00:28:07,752 Okay, boys. Let's head for the surface. 595 00:28:07,754 --> 00:28:14,959 ♪♪ 596 00:28:14,961 --> 00:28:17,662 In the time since our visit, the Polish government further 597 00:28:17,664 --> 00:28:20,131 investigated the site and found no evidence 598 00:28:20,133 --> 00:28:22,967 that a gold train is parked underground here. 599 00:28:22,969 --> 00:28:25,636 Whatever might actually be in those tunnels, 600 00:28:25,638 --> 00:28:28,239 it's not a trainload of Nazi gold. 601 00:28:28,241 --> 00:28:31,709 This legend is fiction. 602 00:28:31,711 --> 00:28:34,245 It may have ended up being a bit of a wild goose chase, 603 00:28:34,247 --> 00:28:35,780 but sometimes that's how it goes 604 00:28:35,782 --> 00:28:37,281 when you're hunting down new leads 605 00:28:37,283 --> 00:28:40,184 and deciphering evidence to get to the truth. 606 00:28:40,186 --> 00:28:42,920 That brings me to a legendary treasure in Virginia 607 00:28:42,922 --> 00:28:45,623 that's worth up to $65 million 608 00:28:45,625 --> 00:28:49,493 for whoever finds the key to cracking Beale's codes. 609 00:28:49,495 --> 00:28:54,565 ♪♪ 610 00:28:54,567 --> 00:28:56,300 The story goes like this. 611 00:28:56,302 --> 00:28:58,669 In the early 1800s in the countryside 612 00:28:58,671 --> 00:29:01,439 near Bedford, Virginia, explorer Thomas Beale 613 00:29:01,441 --> 00:29:05,142 hides a huge amount of gold, silver and jewels. 614 00:29:05,144 --> 00:29:08,979 Then, he creates three encoded documents as a treasure map, 615 00:29:08,981 --> 00:29:13,384 entrusting them to a local innkeeper as he leaves town. 616 00:29:13,386 --> 00:29:17,755 He never returns, and his treasure is never found. 617 00:29:17,757 --> 00:29:20,925 In 1885, a publisher named James Ward 618 00:29:20,927 --> 00:29:23,828 prints the cracked code for one of the documents. 619 00:29:23,830 --> 00:29:25,663 It turns out it's a book code 620 00:29:25,665 --> 00:29:28,365 that uses another piece of writing as a key, 621 00:29:28,367 --> 00:29:32,069 in this case, the Declaration of Independence. 622 00:29:32,071 --> 00:29:37,007 It says that Beale's fortune is hidden in an underground vault. 623 00:29:37,009 --> 00:29:39,777 This treasure hunter thinks he's got a unique key 624 00:29:39,779 --> 00:29:40,911 to finding the gold. 625 00:29:40,913 --> 00:29:42,580 I'm hoping you're Justin. -Yup. 626 00:29:42,582 --> 00:29:44,081 -How are you? -Pretty good. 627 00:29:44,083 --> 00:29:45,249 -Nice to meet you, man. -Nice to meet you. 628 00:29:45,251 --> 00:29:47,518 GATES: In an old iron box from a flea market, 629 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,821 he found a copy of the Declaration of Independence. 630 00:29:50,823 --> 00:29:52,857 Well, I placed a black light on it and discovered 631 00:29:52,859 --> 00:29:55,292 the initial T.J.B., Thomas Jefferson Beale. 632 00:29:55,294 --> 00:29:57,061 Thomas Jefferson Beale, sure. 633 00:29:57,063 --> 00:29:59,930 He thinks it belonged to Beale himself. 634 00:29:59,932 --> 00:30:02,366 Also, I believe the document is a map. 635 00:30:02,368 --> 00:30:03,701 -A map to the treasure? -Yeah. 636 00:30:03,703 --> 00:30:05,102 Do you want to see it? -I'd love to see it, yeah. 637 00:30:05,104 --> 00:30:08,639 You got it? -Sure. 638 00:30:08,641 --> 00:30:10,174 Look at that. 639 00:30:10,176 --> 00:30:12,176 That is the Declaration of Independence. 640 00:30:12,178 --> 00:30:13,210 Yes, sir. 641 00:30:13,212 --> 00:30:14,612 GATES: Justin believes 642 00:30:14,614 --> 00:30:17,548 the ragged top edge of the document is a guide, 643 00:30:17,550 --> 00:30:20,217 ripped in such a way that it will match up with the horizon 644 00:30:20,219 --> 00:30:23,354 and reveal the location where the treasure is hidden. 645 00:30:23,356 --> 00:30:26,423 ♪♪ 646 00:30:26,425 --> 00:30:30,161 Okay, ready? Here we go. 647 00:30:30,163 --> 00:30:34,098 Justin and I raft down the James River with our guide, Rob. 648 00:30:34,100 --> 00:30:35,733 Rob, is this a pretty common occurrence for you, 649 00:30:35,735 --> 00:30:38,269 a couple of guys with a copy of the Declaration of Independence 650 00:30:38,271 --> 00:30:39,937 out on your raft looking for treasure? 651 00:30:39,939 --> 00:30:41,405 This is a first for us. 652 00:30:41,407 --> 00:30:42,840 He knows we're not sharing it with him, right? 653 00:30:42,842 --> 00:30:44,308 What was that, boys? 654 00:30:44,310 --> 00:30:45,409 Nothing. 655 00:30:45,411 --> 00:30:47,444 Nothing, just paddling forward, sir. 656 00:30:47,446 --> 00:30:48,445 All right. 657 00:30:48,447 --> 00:30:52,082 ♪♪ 658 00:30:52,084 --> 00:30:53,951 After hours of searching downstream... 659 00:30:53,953 --> 00:30:55,486 I don't know about finding treasure, Justin, 660 00:30:55,488 --> 00:30:58,255 but I have just about memorized the Declaration of Independence. 661 00:30:58,257 --> 00:31:01,525 Justin finally sees what he's been looking for. 662 00:31:01,527 --> 00:31:03,260 The ridge coming down this way. 663 00:31:03,262 --> 00:31:04,195 That actually looks like it works. 664 00:31:04,197 --> 00:31:05,396 -Here, hold it. -Let me see. 665 00:31:05,398 --> 00:31:07,031 Check it out. 666 00:31:07,033 --> 00:31:11,302 Dude, I got to tell you, that, weirdly, matches up. 667 00:31:11,304 --> 00:31:12,603 Let's get...Come. 668 00:31:12,605 --> 00:31:13,704 Let's get a camera behind this to look at this. 669 00:31:13,706 --> 00:31:15,706 That's pretty wild. Look at that. 670 00:31:15,708 --> 00:31:18,809 I mean, I don't want to say I thought you were nuts. 671 00:31:18,811 --> 00:31:20,744 I thought you were nuts. 672 00:31:20,746 --> 00:31:23,380 I mean, now I'm starting to feel like 673 00:31:23,382 --> 00:31:25,649 we're about to find a treasure. 674 00:31:25,651 --> 00:31:26,984 Come on. Let's go. -Let's do it. 675 00:31:26,986 --> 00:31:31,488 ♪♪ 676 00:31:31,490 --> 00:31:33,390 GATES: We trek through the woods looking for signs 677 00:31:33,392 --> 00:31:35,326 of Beale's vault. 678 00:31:35,328 --> 00:31:36,760 Then, we see it. 679 00:31:36,762 --> 00:31:38,495 -Oh, my God. -Holy. 680 00:31:38,497 --> 00:31:41,098 ♪♪ 681 00:31:41,100 --> 00:31:43,634 -That is a huge cave. -That's incredible. 682 00:31:43,636 --> 00:31:45,069 Yup. That's a vault. 683 00:31:45,071 --> 00:31:48,672 ♪♪ 684 00:31:50,375 --> 00:31:53,777 ♪♪ 685 00:31:53,779 --> 00:31:55,478 GATES: While treasure hunting in Virginia, 686 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,114 we may have just cracked Beale's code. 687 00:31:58,116 --> 00:32:01,051 -Oh, my God. -Holy. 688 00:32:01,053 --> 00:32:03,420 -That is a huge cave. -That's incredible. 689 00:32:03,422 --> 00:32:04,921 GATES: I mean, the paper just says what? 690 00:32:04,923 --> 00:32:05,855 A vault? -A vault. 691 00:32:05,857 --> 00:32:06,990 And it says underground, right? 692 00:32:06,992 --> 00:32:08,992 -Yeah. -That could be a vault. 693 00:32:08,994 --> 00:32:11,761 Yup. That's a vault. 694 00:32:11,763 --> 00:32:13,296 GATES: I'm pretty excited about the idea 695 00:32:13,298 --> 00:32:16,433 of finding $65 million worth of gold. 696 00:32:16,435 --> 00:32:18,668 Let's do it. I hope that's enough rope. 697 00:32:18,670 --> 00:32:20,937 Excited enough to rappel straight down 698 00:32:20,939 --> 00:32:22,238 into a very dark cave. 699 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:23,940 -Made it. -All right. 700 00:32:23,942 --> 00:32:26,042 Well, let's see how far back this thing goes, yeah? 701 00:32:26,044 --> 00:32:28,445 Go check it out. 702 00:32:28,447 --> 00:32:30,447 A lot of loose rocks. I got to tell you, 703 00:32:30,449 --> 00:32:32,382 I'm getting more and more confident as we go. 704 00:32:32,384 --> 00:32:34,584 I mean, look at this place. 705 00:32:34,586 --> 00:32:38,788 ♪♪ 706 00:32:38,790 --> 00:32:40,390 Okay, let's keep moving. -Oh, see something shiny. 707 00:32:40,392 --> 00:32:42,692 -You see something shiny? -Yeah. 708 00:32:42,694 --> 00:32:45,261 GATES: What do you see shining? 709 00:32:45,263 --> 00:32:47,897 That, it looks like the top of a lantern. 710 00:32:47,899 --> 00:32:50,033 Oh, my God. Look at that. 711 00:32:50,035 --> 00:32:51,234 This looks like it's from 712 00:32:51,236 --> 00:32:52,736 one of those old glass oil lamps. 713 00:32:52,738 --> 00:32:53,870 If they were using oil lamps down here, 714 00:32:53,872 --> 00:32:55,005 they were definitely coming through here. 715 00:32:55,007 --> 00:32:56,606 So the question is... 716 00:32:56,608 --> 00:32:58,441 Were they coming through here with an oil lamp 717 00:32:58,443 --> 00:32:59,743 toting a box full of gold? 718 00:32:59,745 --> 00:33:02,612 That is -- That is the question. 719 00:33:02,614 --> 00:33:06,149 We hike further in but hit a wall, literally. 720 00:33:06,151 --> 00:33:10,687 Well, I think it just about peters out here, Justin, 721 00:33:10,689 --> 00:33:12,088 end of the line. 722 00:33:12,090 --> 00:33:14,524 I don't see any other passages or tunnels in here. 723 00:33:14,526 --> 00:33:15,625 JUSTIN: Back to the drawing board. 724 00:33:15,627 --> 00:33:16,960 Yeah. 725 00:33:16,962 --> 00:33:18,328 Of course, now that I've come this far with you, 726 00:33:18,330 --> 00:33:19,796 if you do find it, I get a cut of the treasure, right? 727 00:33:19,798 --> 00:33:21,931 Yeah, I might give you a little something, something. 728 00:33:21,933 --> 00:33:24,367 It's hard to say if the map is a false lead 729 00:33:24,369 --> 00:33:28,505 or if we just haven't found the exact spot it marks yet. 730 00:33:28,507 --> 00:33:30,907 At what point in treasure hunting do we go get a beer? 731 00:33:33,311 --> 00:33:36,012 But maybe the real key to solving the treasure code 732 00:33:36,014 --> 00:33:38,214 is in one of the other two undeciphered 733 00:33:38,216 --> 00:33:39,582 Beale documents. 734 00:33:39,584 --> 00:33:41,985 It's odd that in over 130 years, 735 00:33:41,987 --> 00:33:45,855 no one has ever been able to crack the other two cyphers. 736 00:33:45,857 --> 00:33:48,324 Who better to figure it out than a guy who has literally 737 00:33:48,326 --> 00:33:50,860 made a career out of breaking codes? 738 00:33:50,862 --> 00:33:54,297 I meet with Todd Mateer, a crypt analyst at the NSA. 739 00:33:54,299 --> 00:34:00,136 He's agreed to examine the Beale papers using modern techniques. 740 00:34:00,138 --> 00:34:01,838 What he's found is bizarre. 741 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:05,975 It seems Beale made a strange mistake, actually, several. 742 00:34:05,977 --> 00:34:08,611 There's about five or six different errors, 743 00:34:08,613 --> 00:34:09,946 but only one of the errors 744 00:34:09,948 --> 00:34:11,815 will throw off the entire message. 745 00:34:11,817 --> 00:34:14,651 So this is a serious problem because the person 746 00:34:14,653 --> 00:34:16,653 that created the message 747 00:34:16,655 --> 00:34:18,822 and the person who recovered the message would have 748 00:34:18,824 --> 00:34:20,990 had to have made the exact same mistakes. 749 00:34:20,992 --> 00:34:23,359 So what's your professional assessment 750 00:34:23,361 --> 00:34:24,594 as a crypt analyst? 751 00:34:24,596 --> 00:34:25,595 I believe it's a hoax. 752 00:34:25,597 --> 00:34:27,263 You believe it's a hoax. 753 00:34:27,265 --> 00:34:29,099 And thereby meaning 754 00:34:29,101 --> 00:34:32,202 that the author of the papers... 755 00:34:32,204 --> 00:34:33,436 Is the same person 756 00:34:33,438 --> 00:34:35,805 as the person who cracked the code. 757 00:34:35,807 --> 00:34:38,708 According to his analysis, it's likely that someone, 758 00:34:38,710 --> 00:34:41,511 maybe the publisher himself, faked the cyphers 759 00:34:41,513 --> 00:34:44,114 and pretended to solve only one of them 760 00:34:44,116 --> 00:34:46,983 in order to cash in on would-be treasure hunters. 761 00:34:46,985 --> 00:34:50,854 ♪♪ 762 00:34:50,856 --> 00:34:53,723 It was nothing more than a brilliant marketing scam. 763 00:34:53,725 --> 00:34:57,260 It turns out the Beale codes are fiction. 764 00:34:58,764 --> 00:35:02,732 James Ward may have just been a crafty entrepreneur on the make. 765 00:35:02,734 --> 00:35:04,634 Skeptics say that might have been the motivation 766 00:35:04,636 --> 00:35:08,638 behind our next subject, Guillermo Antonio Farini, 767 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:13,276 who claimed to find an ancient city in the heart of a desert. 768 00:35:13,278 --> 00:35:16,546 But there is some evidence that could back his tall tale, 769 00:35:16,548 --> 00:35:18,915 so I set out to discover once and for all 770 00:35:18,917 --> 00:35:22,952 if the lost city of the Kalahari is fact or fiction. 771 00:35:22,954 --> 00:35:28,358 ♪♪ 772 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:33,563 In 1885, Farini, a celebrity circus performer, 773 00:35:33,565 --> 00:35:37,267 goes on a daring expedition into the Kalahari Desert. 774 00:35:37,269 --> 00:35:40,670 When he returns, he begins telling unbelievable stories 775 00:35:40,672 --> 00:35:42,972 about a lost city that he discovered, 776 00:35:42,974 --> 00:35:44,607 complete with stone columns, 777 00:35:44,609 --> 00:35:49,379 ruins, curved walls and even a carved cross. 778 00:35:49,381 --> 00:35:52,448 Farini draws a map showing its location in the desert, 779 00:35:52,450 --> 00:35:54,484 but the map isn't very accurate, 780 00:35:54,486 --> 00:35:57,520 so the lost city has remained, well, lost. 781 00:35:57,522 --> 00:36:03,793 ♪♪ 782 00:36:03,795 --> 00:36:05,028 I head into the desert 783 00:36:05,030 --> 00:36:07,363 with my new partner in crime, Adam Cruise, 784 00:36:07,365 --> 00:36:09,599 an expert explorer who has a new theory 785 00:36:09,601 --> 00:36:12,735 on the location of the lost city. 786 00:36:12,737 --> 00:36:14,904 Where do you think is the most plausible place 787 00:36:14,906 --> 00:36:16,372 that this city could be? 788 00:36:16,374 --> 00:36:18,474 Let's look at Farini's route where we know he went, 789 00:36:18,476 --> 00:36:20,543 and I think we need to concentrate on areas 790 00:36:20,545 --> 00:36:22,412 that nobody's been to along his route. 791 00:36:22,414 --> 00:36:23,680 So maybe instead of concentrating 792 00:36:23,682 --> 00:36:24,647 in the north area, 793 00:36:24,649 --> 00:36:25,782 let's go a little bit south 794 00:36:25,784 --> 00:36:27,350 and see what we can find over there. 795 00:36:27,352 --> 00:36:30,587 Mm-hmm. 796 00:36:30,589 --> 00:36:32,355 To get a better idea of where to look, 797 00:36:32,357 --> 00:36:37,026 Adam enlists some help from above, a local LIDAR crew. 798 00:36:37,028 --> 00:36:40,330 LIDAR is a laser technology that can scan structures 799 00:36:40,332 --> 00:36:43,233 hidden underneath surface vegetation. 800 00:36:43,235 --> 00:36:46,870 The guys go up covering miles of seemingly empty desert. 801 00:36:46,872 --> 00:36:56,779 ♪♪ 802 00:36:56,781 --> 00:37:00,550 Once the LIDAR does its job, it's time for the results. 803 00:37:00,552 --> 00:37:01,885 Did the LIDAR turn anything up? 804 00:37:01,887 --> 00:37:03,319 MAN: There was something really interesting 805 00:37:03,321 --> 00:37:05,255 I found just up here. 806 00:37:05,257 --> 00:37:07,023 Ah, now we're talking. 807 00:37:07,025 --> 00:37:08,324 Look at this, Josh. 808 00:37:08,326 --> 00:37:12,128 ♪♪ 809 00:37:13,398 --> 00:37:17,267 ♪♪ 810 00:37:17,269 --> 00:37:18,768 GATES: We're crossing the Kalahari, 811 00:37:18,770 --> 00:37:20,971 following in the footsteps of an explorer 812 00:37:20,973 --> 00:37:26,076 and circus performer named Guillermo Antonio Farini. 813 00:37:26,078 --> 00:37:28,078 We're investigating his claim of finding 814 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:29,980 a lost city in the desert. 815 00:37:29,982 --> 00:37:32,882 Is it all just part of his act, or is it real? 816 00:37:32,884 --> 00:37:36,019 Is it fact or fiction? 817 00:37:36,021 --> 00:37:40,223 To find out, we're pursuing new evidence found in a LIDAR scan. 818 00:37:40,225 --> 00:37:41,591 Did the LIDAR turn anything up? 819 00:37:41,593 --> 00:37:42,993 MAN: There was something really interesting 820 00:37:42,995 --> 00:37:44,894 I found just up here. 821 00:37:44,896 --> 00:37:46,696 Ah, now we're talking. 822 00:37:46,698 --> 00:37:47,897 Look at this, Josh. 823 00:37:47,899 --> 00:37:50,266 An elliptical shape, okay? 824 00:37:50,268 --> 00:37:51,735 That is wild. 825 00:37:51,737 --> 00:37:54,237 Farini mentioned an elliptical wall, 826 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:55,405 a circular wall. 827 00:37:55,407 --> 00:37:57,907 That fits this shape over here. 828 00:37:57,909 --> 00:37:59,275 -It totally does. -This is perfect. 829 00:37:59,277 --> 00:38:00,577 -Amazing. -Can you back it up a bit? 830 00:38:00,579 --> 00:38:01,911 -Sure, sure. -I just want to...Whoa. 831 00:38:01,913 --> 00:38:03,313 Stop right there. Look at this. 832 00:38:03,315 --> 00:38:04,681 Farini spoke about the ruins 833 00:38:04,683 --> 00:38:06,416 being at the base of a mountain. 834 00:38:06,418 --> 00:38:07,550 -Right. -Right? 835 00:38:07,552 --> 00:38:09,519 -That's a mountain, right? -That's it, yeah. 836 00:38:09,521 --> 00:38:11,221 This is pretty much what we're looking for. 837 00:38:11,223 --> 00:38:12,322 I don't know if it's a lost city, 838 00:38:12,324 --> 00:38:13,323 but it doesn't look natural. 839 00:38:13,325 --> 00:38:14,391 I think we should go look, Josh. 840 00:38:14,393 --> 00:38:16,960 Yeah. 841 00:38:16,962 --> 00:38:19,663 GATES: Could this be proof that Farini's lost city 842 00:38:19,665 --> 00:38:21,498 is more than fiction? 843 00:38:21,500 --> 00:38:23,266 Now that we've got the coordinates, 844 00:38:23,268 --> 00:38:25,335 we head into the desert. 845 00:38:25,337 --> 00:38:27,337 When we finally arrive at the site, 846 00:38:27,339 --> 00:38:30,040 we behold an amazing find. 847 00:38:30,042 --> 00:38:32,108 Look at that. 848 00:38:32,110 --> 00:38:33,977 CRUISE: Wow. 849 00:38:33,979 --> 00:38:35,512 Huge crescent. 850 00:38:35,514 --> 00:38:38,915 This is it. 851 00:38:38,917 --> 00:38:40,784 This is what we saw on the LIDAR. 852 00:38:40,786 --> 00:38:43,119 It does look like blocks, too. 853 00:38:43,121 --> 00:38:44,788 It's really wild. 854 00:38:44,790 --> 00:38:45,922 It's amazing. 855 00:38:45,924 --> 00:38:48,825 Aye, and look at here, Josh. 856 00:38:48,827 --> 00:38:50,460 Look at this! 857 00:38:50,462 --> 00:38:52,929 ♪♪ 858 00:38:52,931 --> 00:38:54,330 That's man-made. 859 00:38:54,332 --> 00:38:56,132 That is man-made. Look at that. 860 00:38:56,134 --> 00:38:57,434 This is a wall. 861 00:38:57,436 --> 00:38:58,868 That is a wall. 862 00:38:58,870 --> 00:39:00,336 Signs of civilization, right here. 863 00:39:00,338 --> 00:39:02,305 Absolutely. This could be a hut. 864 00:39:02,307 --> 00:39:03,440 Yeah. 865 00:39:03,442 --> 00:39:05,241 It could be a cattle enclosure. 866 00:39:05,243 --> 00:39:07,377 It's clearly very old. -A couple centuries, at least. 867 00:39:07,379 --> 00:39:09,045 At least a couple of centuries, maybe more. 868 00:39:09,047 --> 00:39:10,280 -Yeah. -Who knows? 869 00:39:10,282 --> 00:39:11,581 What's really crazy is that so much of it 870 00:39:11,583 --> 00:39:14,484 actually matches Farini's description. 871 00:39:14,486 --> 00:39:15,485 This is very good. 872 00:39:15,487 --> 00:39:19,489 ♪♪ 873 00:39:19,491 --> 00:39:21,624 GATES: We hike further in the sweltering heat 874 00:39:21,626 --> 00:39:25,161 pondering our next steps when, seemingly, out of nowhere, 875 00:39:25,163 --> 00:39:27,797 we spot definite signs of civilization. 876 00:39:27,799 --> 00:39:28,798 Oh, there's people. 877 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:30,233 -Huh, where? -Yeah, see the guy? 878 00:39:30,235 --> 00:39:32,569 -I know. -Hey. 879 00:39:32,571 --> 00:39:35,572 Hey. 880 00:39:35,574 --> 00:39:36,706 How are you? 881 00:39:36,708 --> 00:39:38,475 Meet Lionel and his friend. 882 00:39:38,477 --> 00:39:41,511 When we explain our mission, they offer to take us to a site 883 00:39:41,513 --> 00:39:44,447 they know of that's a few kilometers away. 884 00:39:44,449 --> 00:39:46,449 -Just climb up, aye? -Yes. 885 00:39:46,451 --> 00:39:48,718 -And we're in. -Yes. 886 00:39:48,720 --> 00:39:51,488 ♪♪ 887 00:39:51,490 --> 00:39:55,625 This is what we call the Kalahari Ferrari. 888 00:39:55,627 --> 00:39:57,260 I love it. 889 00:39:57,262 --> 00:40:01,531 ♪♪ 890 00:40:01,533 --> 00:40:05,001 We ride, and then we walk, 891 00:40:05,003 --> 00:40:07,370 and then we spot something startling. 892 00:40:07,372 --> 00:40:09,038 There's something up here. 893 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:10,306 Yeah, look at this. 894 00:40:12,711 --> 00:40:16,112 That is really weird. 895 00:40:16,114 --> 00:40:17,847 Definitely not natural. 896 00:40:17,849 --> 00:40:19,015 No. 897 00:40:19,017 --> 00:40:20,750 This is totally lined up here. 898 00:40:20,752 --> 00:40:23,386 Yeah, and it's almost like it was... 899 00:40:23,388 --> 00:40:24,587 It's like a piece of road. 900 00:40:24,589 --> 00:40:26,089 ...like a floor or a pavement or something. 901 00:40:26,091 --> 00:40:28,324 Yeah, I was gonna say it looks like a piece of road. 902 00:40:28,326 --> 00:40:30,794 It's kind of what Farini described. 903 00:40:30,796 --> 00:40:32,996 Farini wrote about a flat piece of pavement 904 00:40:32,998 --> 00:40:34,964 among crumbled rock structures. 905 00:40:34,966 --> 00:40:38,868 It certainly matches up. 906 00:40:38,870 --> 00:40:42,572 Lionel has one more spot to show us. 907 00:40:42,574 --> 00:40:44,574 Oh, look at this. Josh, look at this. 908 00:40:44,576 --> 00:40:47,076 ♪♪ 909 00:40:47,078 --> 00:40:48,878 GATES: These -- Wild. These are etchings. 910 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,548 Now, these are etchings, and these are really, really old. 911 00:40:51,550 --> 00:40:53,316 How old do you think these are? 912 00:40:54,786 --> 00:40:57,353 More than a thousand years. 913 00:40:57,355 --> 00:40:59,455 GATES: Later analysis of the etchings show that, 914 00:40:59,457 --> 00:41:02,492 indeed, Lionel was right. 915 00:41:02,494 --> 00:41:04,894 These are at least a thousand years old, 916 00:41:04,896 --> 00:41:07,797 carved by a little-known ancient civilization. 917 00:41:07,799 --> 00:41:11,067 ♪♪ 918 00:41:11,069 --> 00:41:13,236 Although Farini's map wasn't exact, 919 00:41:13,238 --> 00:41:16,139 and he may have embellished some details of his trip, 920 00:41:16,141 --> 00:41:19,742 there are indications of lost cultures in the Kalahari, 921 00:41:19,744 --> 00:41:23,546 making this story fact. 922 00:41:23,548 --> 00:41:26,082 There's nothing more satisfying than uncovering the truth 923 00:41:26,084 --> 00:41:28,017 behind these legends and myths... 924 00:41:28,019 --> 00:41:29,252 This is a Masamune? -Yes. 925 00:41:29,254 --> 00:41:30,954 GATES: It is beautiful. 926 00:41:30,956 --> 00:41:33,256 ...to determine what is ultimately fact... 927 00:41:33,258 --> 00:41:35,091 That is unbelievable. 928 00:41:35,093 --> 00:41:37,894 That's almost a perfect match. -Yes. 929 00:41:37,896 --> 00:41:39,128 ...and what it fiction. 930 00:41:39,130 --> 00:41:40,463 I believe it's a hoax. 931 00:41:40,465 --> 00:41:43,132 In the end, all expeditions are a blend of science... 932 00:41:43,134 --> 00:41:44,734 Did the LIDAR turn anything up? 933 00:41:44,736 --> 00:41:45,802 ...skepticism.... 934 00:41:45,804 --> 00:41:48,004 We have these 90-degree angles here. 935 00:41:48,006 --> 00:41:49,706 I think you might be on to something here. 936 00:41:49,708 --> 00:41:53,843 ...and sheer wonder, as in I wonder where we'll go to next? 937 00:41:53,845 --> 00:41:59,682 ♪♪