1 00:00:02,987 --> 00:00:05,687 ♪ ♪ 2 00:00:06,590 --> 00:00:11,860 NARRATOR: Lost civilizations. Mysterious sunken cities. 3 00:00:12,930 --> 00:00:16,231 And legendary Atlantis itself. 4 00:00:21,472 --> 00:00:24,072 Vanished beneath the waves. 5 00:00:24,375 --> 00:00:28,477 PATRICK: There is a huge amount of unrecorded human history beneath the 6 00:00:28,612 --> 00:00:32,214 ocean's surface that we don't know very much about at all. 7 00:00:34,284 --> 00:00:38,921 NARRATOR: Imagine if we could empty the oceans, letting the water drain away 8 00:00:40,123 --> 00:00:43,292 to reveal the secrets of the sea floor. 9 00:00:44,228 --> 00:00:48,363 Now we can, using the latest underwater technology. 10 00:00:51,635 --> 00:00:57,206 Piercing the deep oceans and turning accurate data into 3D images. 11 00:01:00,477 --> 00:01:05,748 Is this a huge underwater temple carved by a mysterious lost civilization? 12 00:01:13,791 --> 00:01:16,358 NARRATOR: Why are these perfectly circular stones 13 00:01:16,427 --> 00:01:20,129 lying at the bottom of a bay in the Aegean Sea? 14 00:01:20,230 --> 00:01:24,800 SIMON: There are shapes on the seabed that just don't make sense. 15 00:01:24,869 --> 00:01:29,404 NARRATOR: Are these just rocks, or the remains of an ancient city? 16 00:01:29,773 --> 00:01:33,074 JON (over radio): Parts of this are just beginning to be revealed for the first time. 17 00:01:33,310 --> 00:01:34,476 Wow. 18 00:01:35,613 --> 00:01:40,816 NARRATOR: And is the real site of Atlantis finally about to be revealed? 19 00:01:40,985 --> 00:01:42,951 -People want to believe in places like Atlantis. 20 00:01:42,953 --> 00:01:45,320 They want to believe in other worlds. 21 00:01:59,837 --> 00:02:02,571 (waves crashing) 22 00:02:07,812 --> 00:02:12,614 NARRATOR: Stories of sunken cities have fascinated for millennia. 23 00:02:15,753 --> 00:02:19,388 The most tantalizing of all: Atlantis. 24 00:02:29,366 --> 00:02:35,670 First described by ancient philosopher, Plato, a dazzling civilization 25 00:02:36,807 --> 00:02:41,510 destroyed by the gods as punishment for human pride. 26 00:02:51,055 --> 00:02:55,824 -People connect to that story, and it's because of this idea of an ancient civilization, 27 00:02:55,959 --> 00:02:59,962 a utopia, that we've evolved from. 28 00:03:00,063 --> 00:03:03,298 NARRATOR: 2,000 years later, the idea of Atlantis 29 00:03:03,433 --> 00:03:07,168 continues to fascinate A-list archaeologists. 30 00:03:07,838 --> 00:03:11,173 And the producers of B-list movies. 31 00:03:11,275 --> 00:03:14,209 MAN (over TV): Atlantis is the story of those who, like today, 32 00:03:14,311 --> 00:03:17,845 would use the marvels of science to conquer and enslave. 33 00:03:17,848 --> 00:03:20,782 Atlantis, a world that worships strange gods of science, 34 00:03:20,784 --> 00:03:23,919 of science, a science gone berserk. 35 00:03:23,921 --> 00:03:25,153 -Plato would have loved this okay? 36 00:03:25,289 --> 00:03:26,988 He would have had a great time. 37 00:03:27,090 --> 00:03:28,590 He would have said, 'at last, you know, people are listening to me. 38 00:03:28,592 --> 00:03:30,058 People are taking my story seriously.' 39 00:03:30,060 --> 00:03:33,261 And he would have enjoyed this immensely. 40 00:03:33,363 --> 00:03:37,332 NARRATOR: Using science, not science fiction, draining the oceans 41 00:03:37,334 --> 00:03:40,335 exposes new evidence about Atlantis. 42 00:03:40,337 --> 00:03:45,006 And other stories of great sunken cities, around the world. 43 00:03:46,343 --> 00:03:51,680 As the waters recede from around the remote Japanese island of Yonaguni, 44 00:03:53,283 --> 00:03:56,618 a mysterious formation begins to appear. 45 00:04:03,493 --> 00:04:07,362 Could it be the creation of an advanced, ancient people? 46 00:04:11,602 --> 00:04:14,736 Yonaguni lies in the East China Sea. 47 00:04:18,676 --> 00:04:21,310 The waters here are perilous. 48 00:04:24,114 --> 00:04:28,417 Schools of hammerhead sharks patrol, amid powerful currents. 49 00:04:31,588 --> 00:04:34,790 Typhoons frequently batter the island. 50 00:04:38,695 --> 00:04:42,197 For divers, it's the ultimate challenge. 51 00:04:45,369 --> 00:04:48,971 Kihachiro Aratake is one of the pioneers of diving here. 52 00:04:50,140 --> 00:04:55,077 KIHACHIRO: The water was crystal clear. 53 00:04:56,980 --> 00:05:02,150 I felt as though I was looking down from the seabed from the sky. 54 00:05:02,219 --> 00:05:05,687 NARRATOR: Searching for a new dive site, he makes a startling discovery. 55 00:05:16,066 --> 00:05:19,768 -I saw a steps-like formation, like terraced fields. 56 00:05:24,274 --> 00:05:27,743 I thought for a moment it was similar to the Machu Picchu ruins. 57 00:05:33,683 --> 00:05:36,718 So, I named the spot the submarine ruins. 58 00:05:39,689 --> 00:05:42,324 NARRATOR: It's an extraordinary spectacle. 59 00:05:46,730 --> 00:05:50,098 The size of five football fields. 60 00:05:55,472 --> 00:06:00,175 Smooth-sided walls rise up to the summit, the height of an eight-story building. 61 00:06:04,615 --> 00:06:08,583 Flights of stone steps climb up from the base. 62 00:06:10,220 --> 00:06:14,489 And on every side, the shapes and forms are strikingly regular. 63 00:06:20,430 --> 00:06:22,831 -It can't be formed naturally, without human involvement. 64 00:06:23,467 --> 00:06:25,233 It couldn't be like that. 65 00:06:25,969 --> 00:06:28,804 NARRATOR: So, what could it be? 66 00:06:32,242 --> 00:06:36,044 It's impossible to investigate the structure fully by diving. 67 00:06:41,985 --> 00:06:47,022 The only way is to conduct a survey using the latest scanning technology. 68 00:06:52,362 --> 00:06:56,464 HIRONOBU: Although the shallow waters around Yonaguni Island are close to human habitation, 69 00:06:57,134 --> 00:07:00,068 we don't know much about them. 70 00:07:00,337 --> 00:07:02,170 It's an unknown frontier. 71 00:07:09,146 --> 00:07:12,614 NARRATOR: Using sonar scans, Hironobu Kan records a 72 00:07:12,616 --> 00:07:15,650 complete digital map of the sea floor. 73 00:07:17,921 --> 00:07:22,357 Using this data, it's possible, for the very first time, 74 00:07:22,459 --> 00:07:28,630 to drain away the waters and reveal what lies beneath in exact detail. 75 00:07:33,103 --> 00:07:37,205 The summit of the mysterious structure begins to appear. 76 00:07:45,415 --> 00:07:47,515 (waves crashing) 77 00:07:47,518 --> 00:07:52,954 Water pours off its smooth terraced layers, exposing them once again to the sky. 78 00:07:58,361 --> 00:08:03,565 And with the monument left high and dry, its true scale becomes clear. 79 00:08:05,135 --> 00:08:09,171 Vast, imposing and spectacular. 80 00:08:15,445 --> 00:08:18,880 The incredible discovery attracts worldwide attention. 81 00:08:20,751 --> 00:08:25,754 Divers, journalists and TV crews flock to Yonaguni, all asking: 82 00:08:26,790 --> 00:08:29,558 what could this mysterious structure be? 83 00:08:31,295 --> 00:08:33,962 And scientists come here too. 84 00:08:34,131 --> 00:08:38,433 Among them is Professor Masaaki Kimura, one of Japan's top marine geologists. 85 00:08:43,207 --> 00:08:47,042 KIMURA: When I dived underwater to explore it I felt right away that it must 86 00:08:47,144 --> 00:08:48,910 be a man-made structure. 87 00:08:52,849 --> 00:08:56,651 NARRATOR: He finds several features that he believes indicate human activity. 88 00:09:05,295 --> 00:09:09,464 -Here, you'll see something that looks like the front gate of a castle. 89 00:09:09,666 --> 00:09:12,267 It's like a tunnel, and you go through it. 90 00:09:12,803 --> 00:09:17,672 NARRATOR: On the far side of the tunnel, a road loops around to a flight of steps. 91 00:09:18,208 --> 00:09:22,244 Watched over by two mysterious stone objects. 92 00:09:27,050 --> 00:09:32,053 -There are mound-like bulges here and here, and if you look at them, 93 00:09:32,155 --> 00:09:36,924 you'll find turtles with their necks extended, on both sides. 94 00:09:37,460 --> 00:09:42,297 NARRATOR: According to ancient Japanese folklore, the dragon god, Ryujin, 95 00:09:42,299 --> 00:09:46,701 lives in an underwater palace, watched over by turtles. 96 00:09:47,337 --> 00:09:50,638 To Professor Kimura, this indicates that the monument 97 00:09:50,740 --> 00:09:53,942 is so important it needs guarding. 98 00:09:54,745 --> 00:09:56,578 And that's not all. 99 00:10:00,416 --> 00:10:03,518 -If you go up this path you get to this place. 100 00:10:03,587 --> 00:10:05,653 This portion is triangular. 101 00:10:05,655 --> 00:10:09,123 That's why it's called the triangle pool. 102 00:10:09,225 --> 00:10:13,728 Since this is fairly big and shallow as well, you can relax in it. 103 00:10:14,431 --> 00:10:20,001 Also, the sea surface is very close to it and it's warm due to the sunlight. 104 00:10:20,037 --> 00:10:24,005 You feel chilly after you come out of the deeper area down there, 105 00:10:24,107 --> 00:10:26,341 and you can warm up here. 106 00:10:28,111 --> 00:10:33,147 NARRATOR: But the monument's most striking feature is its wide, flat terraces, 107 00:10:33,249 --> 00:10:36,584 Large enough to support thousands of people. 108 00:10:36,887 --> 00:10:42,257 Professor Kimura believes the gateway, stairs, turtles and terraces 109 00:10:42,392 --> 00:10:45,260 all point towards one purpose. 110 00:10:54,537 --> 00:10:58,573 -Judging from its shape, I think they used it as a castle. 111 00:11:00,777 --> 00:11:04,979 NARRATOR: But to prove his theory, Professor Kimura needs more: 112 00:11:05,015 --> 00:11:08,783 the artifacts of those who once lived here. 113 00:11:09,853 --> 00:11:12,787 He scours the structure looking for clues, and 114 00:11:12,823 --> 00:11:16,758 discovers what look like primitive tools. 115 00:11:17,727 --> 00:11:22,964 Then, hidden behind one of the great walls, the most remarkable find of all. 116 00:11:26,603 --> 00:11:30,605 -Look at this, a symbol is inscribed here and here's a hole. 117 00:11:30,706 --> 00:11:33,340 Probably, they hung this article like this. 118 00:11:33,343 --> 00:11:35,410 And here's something looking like a letter. 119 00:11:35,445 --> 00:11:39,280 Maybe it could be a kind of a talisman to protect people from evil. 120 00:11:39,715 --> 00:11:42,283 NARRATOR: For Professor Kimura, the case is closed. 121 00:11:42,352 --> 00:11:47,488 The artifacts and the monument's regular shapes prove that humans lived here, 122 00:11:47,557 --> 00:11:49,824 8,000 years ago. 123 00:11:49,826 --> 00:11:56,030 After that, rising sea levels claim the territory of this lost race of master builders. 124 00:11:56,266 --> 00:11:58,933 But is that the real story of Yonaguni? 125 00:12:04,458 --> 00:12:08,259 NARRATOR: Professor Kimura believes that this extraordinary structure 126 00:12:08,361 --> 00:12:13,231 off the coast of Japan is a gigantic castle, built long before the pyramids of Egypt 127 00:12:14,968 --> 00:12:18,202 by a mysterious lost civilization. 128 00:12:18,505 --> 00:12:20,772 But is it? 129 00:12:24,878 --> 00:12:31,116 With the water drained away, it's possible to scrutinize the monument in forensic detail. 130 00:12:34,821 --> 00:12:39,958 The edges appear regular and straight, as if made from blocks carved by human hand. 131 00:12:42,429 --> 00:12:46,231 But closer examination reveals something else. 132 00:12:46,733 --> 00:12:50,902 The surfaces are smooth and unbroken. 133 00:12:51,004 --> 00:12:54,772 The monument is not assembled from handmade blocks, 134 00:12:54,774 --> 00:12:59,778 but is in fact one solid mass of rock. 135 00:13:04,317 --> 00:13:08,987 HIRONOBU: The pyramid area and the headland behind it are connected with each other. 136 00:13:08,989 --> 00:13:13,658 The surface of the terrain has a lot of grooves, so you may think they are separate, 137 00:13:13,759 --> 00:13:18,730 but since they consist of the identical stone, they are originally connected. 138 00:13:21,034 --> 00:13:25,069 NARRATOR: The basic form of the monument is clearly natural. 139 00:13:26,173 --> 00:13:31,109 But what about the gateway, steps, turtles and pool? 140 00:13:33,213 --> 00:13:37,348 Could it be that an ancient people carved into this huge rock, 141 00:13:37,450 --> 00:13:41,586 transforming it into a great castle or temple? 142 00:13:43,890 --> 00:13:47,892 Studying the headland on shore provides the answer. 143 00:13:49,228 --> 00:13:53,331 The shapes here are strikingly similar to those found on the monument, 144 00:13:53,432 --> 00:13:57,969 and that's because they were formed in exactly the same way. 145 00:13:58,438 --> 00:14:02,573 Both are made of sandstone which, when subjected to stress, 146 00:14:02,576 --> 00:14:06,711 such as during an earthquake, can fracture along vertical faults, 147 00:14:06,846 --> 00:14:10,781 forming angular shapes and what look like steps. 148 00:14:11,951 --> 00:14:15,520 PATRICK: Put something like that underwater, have the water wash over the top of it 149 00:14:15,589 --> 00:14:21,125 and clear away all the debris, and you've got very, very fine step-like structures. 150 00:14:21,127 --> 00:14:25,263 But they're no more human made than any other structure down there. 151 00:14:26,333 --> 00:14:29,734 NARRATOR: The lack of tool marks is further confirmation. 152 00:14:29,736 --> 00:14:34,938 The forces which shaped this remarkable place are geological. 153 00:14:34,941 --> 00:14:37,008 But what of the artifacts? 154 00:14:37,043 --> 00:14:42,980 Perhaps the monument, if not built by ancient people, was inhabited by them. 155 00:14:42,983 --> 00:14:45,316 Walking these steps. 156 00:14:45,451 --> 00:14:48,853 Crowding these natural terraces. 157 00:14:50,624 --> 00:14:55,493 But so far, no other objects have been found, suggesting that the talisman and tools 158 00:14:56,830 --> 00:15:02,267 were dropped from a boat passing overhead, landing on the monument simply by chance. 159 00:15:04,136 --> 00:15:07,038 -The clear thing for Yonaguni for me is there's no pottery, 160 00:15:07,140 --> 00:15:09,040 there's no evidence of actual human occupation. 161 00:15:09,175 --> 00:15:11,542 There's not a single wall from the site. 162 00:15:11,644 --> 00:15:15,546 There's nothing on it, that indicates human activity. 163 00:15:16,883 --> 00:15:20,985 NARRATOR: The Yonaguni Monument is an extraordinary natural formation, 164 00:15:20,987 --> 00:15:23,955 created by epic geological forces. 165 00:15:24,858 --> 00:15:28,726 But its shapes appear so regular that many still believe 166 00:15:28,828 --> 00:15:32,396 it holds a secret, ancient purpose. 167 00:15:33,099 --> 00:15:37,468 JIM: You can take that leap if you have an imagination and say yes, 168 00:15:37,470 --> 00:15:42,140 this could be an ancient city beneath the sea but in the case of Yonaguni 169 00:15:42,241 --> 00:15:45,142 I'm in those ranks that feel that it's not. 170 00:15:45,211 --> 00:15:46,878 It's geology. 171 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:49,347 -We want to believe that science doesn't have all the answers. 172 00:15:49,415 --> 00:15:55,186 We want to believe innately that there is something out there that we can connect with 173 00:15:56,323 --> 00:15:59,023 spiritually and that hasn't really been polluted by 174 00:15:59,025 --> 00:16:02,060 being the subject of scientific discovery. 175 00:16:03,696 --> 00:16:07,631 NARRATOR: And still amongst the believers is Professor Kimura. 176 00:16:09,001 --> 00:16:15,039 He remains convinced that the monument was inhabited by his ancestors and continues to 177 00:16:15,041 --> 00:16:18,776 search for evidence to prove the doubters wrong. 178 00:16:24,884 --> 00:16:27,585 Beneath the oceans of the world lie many more 179 00:16:27,686 --> 00:16:32,323 tantalizing traces of possible lost civilizations. 180 00:16:33,226 --> 00:16:37,928 As the water continues to drain away, in the Eastern Mediterranean, 181 00:16:37,931 --> 00:16:42,633 astonishing structures emerge in a quiet island harbor. 182 00:16:45,772 --> 00:16:50,675 Is this jumble of shaped stones the architectural debris of a once great city? 183 00:16:58,618 --> 00:17:04,255 Alikanas Bay, a tourist hotspot on the island of Zakynthos, Greece. 184 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:12,196 Diver, Pavlos Voutos, sets out to take some underwater photos. 185 00:17:28,547 --> 00:17:32,884 NARRATOR: Pavlos swims farther out into the bay in search of clearer water. 186 00:17:37,157 --> 00:17:41,692 Then, out of the gloom, he sees something that will change his life. 187 00:18:07,353 --> 00:18:11,756 NARRATOR: The debris stretches out for hundreds of yards in all directions. 188 00:18:13,159 --> 00:18:18,830 The area is so large that Pavlos is convinced he's found the remains of an entire town. 189 00:18:59,171 --> 00:19:04,075 NARRATOR: The discovery sends a bolt of electricity through the world of archaeology. 190 00:19:06,312 --> 00:19:11,249 Professor Michael Stamatakis, immediately travels to Zakynthos to investigate. 191 00:19:29,435 --> 00:19:33,037 NARRATOR: Stamatakis recalls seeing similar shapes on land, 192 00:19:33,072 --> 00:19:37,575 at the site of an ancient settlement built over 2,000 years ago. 193 00:19:55,995 --> 00:20:00,331 NARRATOR: If the same shapes lie on the sea bed, they could indicate an ancient settlement 194 00:20:00,432 --> 00:20:04,969 just offshore concealed under the bay and forgotten about for centuries. 195 00:20:16,715 --> 00:20:19,750 Comparing the images is not enough. 196 00:20:24,958 --> 00:20:28,726 The only way to reveal a complete picture of the structures 197 00:20:28,795 --> 00:20:33,097 is a detailed underwater survey. 198 00:20:33,232 --> 00:20:36,968 Simon Brown is an expert in 3D modelling. 199 00:20:37,036 --> 00:20:40,304 But the task facing him is immense. 200 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,274 SIMON: Right now we're not quite sure how big the area is. 201 00:20:43,376 --> 00:20:47,778 I've estimated it's about 16 acres, which will be 202 00:20:47,780 --> 00:20:52,283 more than double the largest subject I've ever covered to date. 203 00:20:58,324 --> 00:20:59,857 It's a weird place. 204 00:21:00,426 --> 00:21:04,929 There is definitely features here that I have never seen anywhere else before. 205 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:08,532 They look out of place. 206 00:21:14,273 --> 00:21:19,210 But then I started to see more regular shapes that looked that cut stone. 207 00:21:19,345 --> 00:21:23,280 So my mind then starts to think, is it... 208 00:21:23,316 --> 00:21:25,216 is it manmade? 209 00:21:27,086 --> 00:21:30,888 NARRATOR: Can draining the waters of the Mediterranean provide the answer? 210 00:21:36,579 --> 00:21:38,879 NARRATOR: Simon Brown is mapping mysterious 211 00:21:38,881 --> 00:21:42,116 underwater structures discovered in a Greek bay. 212 00:21:42,819 --> 00:21:46,620 Could they be the remains of an ancient town? 213 00:21:47,823 --> 00:21:54,028 He takes nearly 4,000 high resolution photographs of the sea floor tracking each with 214 00:21:55,198 --> 00:21:58,399 pinpoint accuracy through GPS. 215 00:22:01,804 --> 00:22:06,640 Using these images, it's now possible to do something which has never been done before: 216 00:22:08,210 --> 00:22:13,213 drain the waters of Alikanas Bay and reveal, for the first time ever, 217 00:22:13,315 --> 00:22:16,083 a 3D plan of the entire sea floor. 218 00:22:20,490 --> 00:22:24,692 As the Mediterranean begins to recede, a world is exposed 219 00:22:24,694 --> 00:22:27,928 that's been invisible for thousands of years. 220 00:22:29,865 --> 00:22:34,168 First, the rocky shoreline is left high and dry. 221 00:22:35,204 --> 00:22:40,574 Then, from the dark depths, regular shapes begin to appear, 222 00:22:40,610 --> 00:22:42,443 hidden amongst the rocks. 223 00:22:45,815 --> 00:22:51,152 Could they be the bases of stone columns which together once formed a grand colonnade? 224 00:22:55,091 --> 00:23:00,027 The use of colonnades is a turning point in ancient Greek architecture. 225 00:23:01,564 --> 00:23:06,734 Builders can now switch from wood to stone, a far stronger material, 226 00:23:06,736 --> 00:23:09,770 to create ever larger temples to the gods. 227 00:23:11,374 --> 00:23:15,142 A colonnade in Alikanas Bay would prove that an important, 228 00:23:15,244 --> 00:23:17,878 ancient settlement once stood here. 229 00:23:18,214 --> 00:23:21,215 But some experts remain skeptical. 230 00:23:21,851 --> 00:23:24,151 PATRICK: There are structures all over the world that mimic 231 00:23:24,253 --> 00:23:25,886 something that humans may have created. 232 00:23:26,021 --> 00:23:28,555 Doesn't mean that humans created them. 233 00:23:29,391 --> 00:23:32,993 NARRATOR: With the water drained away, it's now possible to search the 234 00:23:33,095 --> 00:23:36,763 sea bed for evidence of human occupation. 235 00:23:37,366 --> 00:23:40,134 Fragments of the pots people cooked with. 236 00:23:41,704 --> 00:23:44,104 Charcoal from their fires. 237 00:23:44,106 --> 00:23:47,842 Tools for farming, and weapons for defending their homes. 238 00:23:48,844 --> 00:23:53,047 Any objects made of metal, clay or stone should have survived. 239 00:23:57,453 --> 00:24:00,220 But there's nothing. 240 00:24:00,756 --> 00:24:05,025 Which means these extraordinary remains, whatever they are, 241 00:24:05,127 --> 00:24:08,429 are not the relics of a lost town. 242 00:24:09,799 --> 00:24:11,365 So, what are they? 243 00:24:41,730 --> 00:24:45,833 NARRATOR: Further analysis reveals the formations are what geologists call 244 00:24:45,968 --> 00:24:47,901 'concretions'. 245 00:24:47,903 --> 00:24:53,607 Solid blocks of sedimentary rock formed by powerful volcanic activity. 246 00:24:55,077 --> 00:24:59,180 Underwater vents release methane from deep within the Earth. 247 00:24:59,282 --> 00:25:01,982 Combining with microbes and sediment, 248 00:25:01,984 --> 00:25:06,052 the methane causes regular circular shapes to form. 249 00:25:06,055 --> 00:25:09,289 Far from being a relic of ancient Greece, 250 00:25:09,291 --> 00:25:14,228 the structures here pre-date human activities by five million years! 251 00:25:17,967 --> 00:25:20,634 Despite all the evidence against his theory, 252 00:25:20,769 --> 00:25:24,338 Pavlos Voutos remains convinced that the fantastical 253 00:25:24,373 --> 00:25:28,142 landscape he discovered was shaped by his ancestors. 254 00:25:47,296 --> 00:25:49,329 NARRATOR: Classical civilizations dominate the 255 00:25:49,331 --> 00:25:52,499 Mediterranean for over a thousand years. 256 00:25:52,601 --> 00:25:57,304 Today, all around its coast, people tell stories of sunken cities. 257 00:26:00,509 --> 00:26:03,844 As the waters around Greece drain away further, 258 00:26:03,945 --> 00:26:07,647 an extraordinary underwater vista is exposed. 259 00:26:08,517 --> 00:26:13,287 Could these patterns on the sea floor be the remnants of an ancient city? 260 00:26:18,394 --> 00:26:22,963 The village of Elafonisos sits on a small island just off the Greek coast. 261 00:26:29,138 --> 00:26:32,740 At first glance, an ordinary fishing port. 262 00:26:34,043 --> 00:26:39,346 But in 1967, less than 100 yards out to sea, something attracts the attention of a 263 00:26:40,882 --> 00:26:43,817 visiting maritime archaeologist. 264 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:49,222 Snorkeling in 13 feet of water, Nicholas Fleming catches a glimpse of 265 00:26:49,292 --> 00:26:51,859 regular shapes on the sea floor. 266 00:26:54,363 --> 00:26:59,233 Then, exploring deeper, he sees what he thinks is evidence of human activity. 267 00:27:00,936 --> 00:27:05,271 FLEMING: I looked at these rows of stones, and I just had no idea what it was, 268 00:27:05,374 --> 00:27:10,043 but I realized immediately that it was manmade, that we were looking at a 269 00:27:10,045 --> 00:27:14,314 large part of a town, and I mean I just went crazy. 270 00:27:15,184 --> 00:27:19,520 NARRATOR: Fleming is convinced he has found something special. 271 00:27:19,621 --> 00:27:24,558 But could these simply be natural formations, mimicking human structures, 272 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,728 like the concretions of nearby Alikanas Bay? 273 00:27:28,264 --> 00:27:32,266 The following year, Fleming returns with a team of surveyors 274 00:27:32,368 --> 00:27:34,568 to discover the truth. 275 00:27:35,771 --> 00:27:39,740 Using tape measures, they document what they find. 276 00:27:39,842 --> 00:27:43,043 And the results are astonishing. 277 00:27:43,912 --> 00:27:48,015 The site is strewn with signs of human activity. 278 00:27:48,384 --> 00:27:54,721 Pots, storage vessels and tools lie across a huge area of the sea bed. 279 00:27:54,990 --> 00:28:00,694 There can be no doubt: Fleming has discovered the remains of an ancient town. 280 00:28:01,497 --> 00:28:05,399 It's named Pavlopetri after a nearby island. 281 00:28:06,268 --> 00:28:08,736 But who built it, and when? 282 00:28:11,207 --> 00:28:14,708 These questions inspire a generation of archaeologists. 283 00:28:15,377 --> 00:28:19,380 JON: Well I've always been interested in submerged settlement, submerged towns, 284 00:28:19,515 --> 00:28:21,414 and I'd read about Pavlopetri as a boy. 285 00:28:21,517 --> 00:28:26,320 And this idea of an intact, prehistoric town underwater just seemed you know 286 00:28:26,422 --> 00:28:28,555 incredibly romantic, incredibly exciting. 287 00:28:36,365 --> 00:28:41,468 NARRATOR: Henderson can now fulfill a childhood dream and explore this haunted 288 00:28:41,537 --> 00:28:44,137 underwater world for himself. 289 00:28:44,473 --> 00:28:46,339 -Here we have a quern stone. 290 00:28:46,441 --> 00:28:50,477 -You can see it's got a very concave, concave surface there. 291 00:28:50,579 --> 00:28:55,816 That's for grinding grain or whatever it was that you were turning into you know flour. 292 00:28:57,386 --> 00:28:58,685 That's quite a clear artifact. 293 00:28:58,754 --> 00:29:00,954 Very nice. 294 00:29:06,529 --> 00:29:08,595 There is a huge amphora. 295 00:29:08,631 --> 00:29:12,232 One, amphora, two amphora, three, four, five. 296 00:29:14,503 --> 00:29:16,837 This gives you an example of what's coming out of the sand, 297 00:29:16,972 --> 00:29:19,039 what's eroding out of the sand. 298 00:29:19,074 --> 00:29:22,609 Look, there's the base of an amphora, there's the amphora shape there, it's on its side. 299 00:29:24,046 --> 00:29:26,914 There's another one next to it and another one there. 300 00:29:29,885 --> 00:29:34,755 NARRATOR: And further into the bay, more evidence of human life, and death. 301 00:29:36,158 --> 00:29:41,161 -So, here's a cist grave. Edge set slabs. 302 00:29:42,465 --> 00:29:45,666 A very small one. Possibly for a baby. 303 00:29:47,369 --> 00:29:50,103 There are about 40 of these on the site. 304 00:29:53,709 --> 00:29:55,809 NARRATOR: Diving gives intriguing glimpses of 305 00:29:55,911 --> 00:29:58,745 objects lying upon the sea bed. 306 00:29:59,448 --> 00:30:02,182 But it's impossible to gain a complete picture. 307 00:30:07,056 --> 00:30:11,592 To do this, it must be mapped using the latest in underwater scanning technology. 308 00:30:20,469 --> 00:30:23,070 (waves crashing) 309 00:30:29,044 --> 00:30:34,781 Using this data, it's now possible to drain away the waters above Pavlopetri and 310 00:30:35,718 --> 00:30:40,821 bring sunlight back to a forgotten world and a true Sunken City. 311 00:30:48,864 --> 00:30:54,067 With the entire bay drained away, everything becomes clear. 312 00:30:58,306 --> 00:31:03,577 The lines are the foundations of buildings, laid out in clear streets. 313 00:31:05,647 --> 00:31:10,284 At the heart of the town is a large open area, perhaps an ancient market place. 314 00:31:16,025 --> 00:31:21,261 And nearby, the remnants of a huge structure, perhaps an important civic building. 315 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:30,003 The remains cover 20 acres and the town could have housed 4,000 people. 316 00:31:32,341 --> 00:31:36,009 A thriving, ancient settlement once existed here. 317 00:31:37,513 --> 00:31:41,715 The next challenge is to discover who built it. 318 00:31:42,251 --> 00:31:44,117 And when. 319 00:31:46,354 --> 00:31:50,123 -We know how old the occupation of the site is, because we've got pottery. 320 00:31:50,192 --> 00:31:53,860 And pottery particularly in this part of the world is very well dated. 321 00:31:54,463 --> 00:31:57,064 What was really exciting is we actually found evicdence of pottery 322 00:31:57,166 --> 00:31:59,666 from the end of the Stone Age. 323 00:31:59,969 --> 00:32:04,137 So, we've actually got occupation here from about 5,500 years ago. 324 00:32:04,139 --> 00:32:06,540 And then we've got every single bit of pottery you would expect 325 00:32:06,675 --> 00:32:08,341 up until about 1100 BC. 326 00:32:08,410 --> 00:32:10,477 There's no gaps in that. 327 00:32:10,479 --> 00:32:13,480 So, the place seems to have been continuously occupied throughout the Bronze Age. 328 00:32:15,417 --> 00:32:19,686 NARRATOR: Pavlopetri was occupied for 2,400 years during 329 00:32:19,722 --> 00:32:23,156 a revolutionary period of human development. 330 00:32:24,259 --> 00:32:29,730 At its peak in the bronze age, around 1700BC, it looked like this: a perfect example of the 331 00:32:32,634 --> 00:32:37,804 time when Europeans start to live in stone-built towns with regular laid out streets. 332 00:32:39,908 --> 00:32:42,776 But one question remains. 333 00:32:42,978 --> 00:32:47,313 Why did the builders of this town choose this particular location, 334 00:32:47,383 --> 00:32:50,117 in a remote part of ancient Greece? 335 00:32:52,321 --> 00:32:55,989 Exploring the drained landscape around the ancient city 336 00:32:55,991 --> 00:32:58,725 reveals an all-important clue. 337 00:32:59,761 --> 00:33:04,864 At its edge, a huge sand bank stretches out into the ocean. 338 00:33:04,867 --> 00:33:09,002 During the Bronze Age, people don't build ports out of stone. 339 00:33:09,771 --> 00:33:13,440 They bring ships up to the shore and then beach them. 340 00:33:14,576 --> 00:33:19,946 And Pavlopetri's location means it can exploit the trade routes that boom during the 341 00:33:19,948 --> 00:33:22,983 Bronze Age right across the Mediterranean. 342 00:33:26,088 --> 00:33:29,489 Evidence of early commercial activity is everywhere. 343 00:33:29,992 --> 00:33:33,159 -The interesting thing is we've clearly got a lot of material coming in. 344 00:33:33,195 --> 00:33:36,430 We found thousands and thousands of shards of very large storage vessels, 345 00:33:36,498 --> 00:33:39,565 which have been used for storing olive oil, wine, 346 00:33:39,568 --> 00:33:41,301 that kind of thing and generally anything. 347 00:33:41,436 --> 00:33:43,070 They were like the containers of the day. 348 00:33:44,206 --> 00:33:45,605 NARRATOR: And that's not all. 349 00:33:45,740 --> 00:33:50,176 Pavlopetri is also a hub for manufactory. 350 00:33:50,178 --> 00:33:54,447 -We've got a lot of evidence for loom weights, thousands of loom weights, 351 00:33:54,449 --> 00:33:57,917 way more than you would need for domestic production so it seems that maybe textiles were 352 00:33:58,019 --> 00:34:00,687 something that were being produced on the site and perhaps exported. 353 00:34:04,660 --> 00:34:08,428 NARRATOR: Pavlopetri is an extraordinary, bustling, vibrant port city. 354 00:34:09,565 --> 00:34:12,132 And an important center of trade. 355 00:34:12,433 --> 00:34:15,569 So how did such an advanced metropolis meet its end? 356 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:26,129 NARRATOR: An ancient, submerged city off the coast of Greece. 357 00:34:26,198 --> 00:34:29,399 How it came to lie on the sea floor is a mystery. 358 00:34:30,502 --> 00:34:32,869 JON: One of the interesting things about Pavlopetri and its submergence is that 359 00:34:32,971 --> 00:34:35,272 there are no historical references to it at all. 360 00:34:35,274 --> 00:34:38,341 It sunk under the waves and then it was out of sight, out of mind. 361 00:34:38,343 --> 00:34:41,278 And there's certainly no classical sources that refer to its sinking. 362 00:34:41,379 --> 00:34:44,748 And there's nothing until it's discovery really in the 20th century. 363 00:34:47,853 --> 00:34:53,089 NARRATOR: Scanning the drained bay could reveal what happened to Pavlopetri. 364 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,228 At the edge of the town, it's possible to make out three mysterious lines. 365 00:35:01,599 --> 00:35:06,803 These are strips of beach rock, formed by the action of sunlight on salt water. 366 00:35:08,073 --> 00:35:10,507 They form only near the shoreline. 367 00:35:11,209 --> 00:35:16,746 It can mean only one thing: earthquakes caused this land to subside into the sea. 368 00:35:18,517 --> 00:35:21,450 -So, there was a big earthquake, perhaps part of the remains went under the 369 00:35:21,453 --> 00:35:24,821 water, part of them are still surviving, then there was another earthquake it was 370 00:35:24,823 --> 00:35:27,424 pushed under then there was a third, and it was gone. 371 00:35:29,928 --> 00:35:34,998 NARRATOR: Pavlopetri is one of the most important Bronze age sites in the world, 372 00:35:35,067 --> 00:35:38,401 and the oldest submerged town ever discovered. 373 00:35:41,139 --> 00:35:44,174 But it's not alone. 374 00:35:52,918 --> 00:35:56,819 -A lot of the major finds in the next couple of decades are going to come from the sea. 375 00:35:56,822 --> 00:36:01,424 I think we have the potential to rewrite what we know about human history. 376 00:36:02,961 --> 00:36:08,698 NARRATOR: Pavlopetri is an extraordinary find, but it is not the legendary Atlantis. 377 00:36:11,537 --> 00:36:15,638 Various locations for Plato's dazzling city have been proposed, 378 00:36:15,674 --> 00:36:17,574 around the world. 379 00:36:18,176 --> 00:36:23,580 But most academic investigations point to one place: the Mediterranean. 380 00:36:25,050 --> 00:36:28,985 As its waters continue to drain away, at its western end, 381 00:36:29,087 --> 00:36:32,388 new and tantalizing evidence is revealed. 382 00:36:32,890 --> 00:36:38,795 Could archaeologists finally have found the site of Plato's famous lost city? 383 00:36:44,669 --> 00:36:49,472 Marc Gutscher is a geophysicist, long fascinated by Plato's story. 384 00:36:49,574 --> 00:36:52,742 MARC: I do think that becoming interested in Atlantis can be almost, 385 00:36:52,844 --> 00:36:57,013 like a bug or an infection or like gambling. 386 00:36:57,049 --> 00:37:00,517 I think one can become obsessed. 387 00:37:01,286 --> 00:37:07,089 NARRATOR: Plato wrote about Atlantis in 360BC, describing an advanced metropolis 388 00:37:07,092 --> 00:37:12,829 9,000 years before his own time, lost beneath the waves in a cataclysmic event. 389 00:37:16,034 --> 00:37:21,904 Marc Gutscher has analyzed Plato's texts, searching for clues to its location. 390 00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:27,176 -'This power came forth out of the Atlantic Ocean from an island situated in front of 391 00:37:27,279 --> 00:37:31,581 the straits which are by you called the Pillars of Heracles.' 392 00:37:33,318 --> 00:37:38,188 NARRATOR: The Pillars of Heracles is the name given by Plato to the maritime boundary 393 00:37:38,190 --> 00:37:40,957 of the ancient Greek world. 394 00:37:41,225 --> 00:37:42,926 Many locations have been suggested. 395 00:37:43,028 --> 00:37:47,864 But Marc believes he has the answer: The Straits of Gibraltar. 396 00:37:48,967 --> 00:37:54,804 -So here at Cape Spartel we're at the northern edge of the Moroccan Atlantic coast and 397 00:37:54,806 --> 00:37:57,607 just at the entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar. 398 00:37:57,609 --> 00:38:02,012 About 10 to 15 kilometers off to the north west there's a submerged bank. 399 00:38:02,113 --> 00:38:05,481 Some people have suggested that it might have been inhabited and it might have 400 00:38:05,517 --> 00:38:08,751 formed the origin of the Atlantis legend. 401 00:38:10,188 --> 00:38:15,758 NARRATOR: Today, this area sits under the second busiest shipping route in the world, 402 00:38:15,794 --> 00:38:19,095 a difficult place for sub-sea investigation. 403 00:38:20,631 --> 00:38:25,101 During a project to study rising sea levels here, Marc gets his chance. 404 00:38:27,972 --> 00:38:33,376 Using a remotely operated vehicle or ROV, he sets out to map the sea floor. 405 00:38:39,151 --> 00:38:41,818 (waves crashing) 406 00:38:46,491 --> 00:38:48,591 It's challenging work. 407 00:38:49,728 --> 00:38:53,463 -It was very difficult, both the towing of the camera was difficult, 408 00:38:53,565 --> 00:38:57,734 keeping the ship in place was difficult, and especially trying to keep the ROV 409 00:38:57,736 --> 00:38:59,703 in place was really, really difficult. 410 00:39:03,775 --> 00:39:08,178 NARRATOR: Finally, Marc gets the sonar scanning data that he needs. 411 00:39:13,851 --> 00:39:18,088 Now, combining this information with the latest computer graphics, 412 00:39:18,189 --> 00:39:24,226 it's possible to drain away the sea water from between the ancient pillars of Heracles, 413 00:39:25,196 --> 00:39:30,967 and attempt to solve one of the greatest archaeological mysteries of all time... 414 00:39:32,104 --> 00:39:35,305 Soon, rocks begin to emerge, and the 415 00:39:35,307 --> 00:39:40,042 unmistakable outline of an island gradually appears. 416 00:39:40,579 --> 00:39:46,116 Is this the site of Atlantis, exposed for the first time in 11,000 years? 417 00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:53,456 Once again, important clues lie in Plato's own writing. 418 00:39:53,558 --> 00:39:58,561 -Plato says that the city, and all of its war-like men, were destroyed in one day and night 419 00:40:00,565 --> 00:40:05,869 of terrible misfortune, caused by strong earthquakes and floods. 420 00:40:08,506 --> 00:40:13,810 NARRATOR: The island revealed by draining the ocean, sits on a subduction zone, 421 00:40:13,812 --> 00:40:19,549 a boundary between the huge tectonic plates that make up the Earth's surface. 422 00:40:19,650 --> 00:40:24,120 The exact point where the biggest earthquakes strike. 423 00:40:24,422 --> 00:40:29,759 A series of powerful earthquakes and tsunamis could have obliterated Atlantis and 424 00:40:29,828 --> 00:40:34,831 sent the island on which it rests down into the ocean depths. 425 00:40:35,167 --> 00:40:39,702 -You could imagine that during great earthquakes there might have been some subsidence, 426 00:40:39,704 --> 00:40:45,308 so if we were to take into account maybe 20 or 30 meters of subsidence due to those 427 00:40:46,178 --> 00:40:50,746 earthquakes, there might have been a somewhat larger island there. 428 00:40:51,316 --> 00:40:55,785 NARRATOR: The geology supports Plato's account of the destruction of Atlantis. 429 00:40:55,887 --> 00:40:59,789 But one other vital piece of evidence is still needed. 430 00:41:02,777 --> 00:41:06,012 NARRATOR: Draining the ocean has revealed a mysterious island 431 00:41:06,147 --> 00:41:09,616 exactly where Plato said Atlantis would be. 432 00:41:09,717 --> 00:41:15,488 But one other piece of evidence must be present for it actually to be Atlantis: 433 00:41:15,623 --> 00:41:19,559 The remains of substantial man-made structures. 434 00:41:19,561 --> 00:41:24,029 Using the drained landscape, it's possible to study the island's surface 435 00:41:24,065 --> 00:41:26,966 in extraordinary three-dimensional detail. 436 00:41:27,836 --> 00:41:32,371 Searching carefully for the remains of walls, temples, bridges, 437 00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:35,575 and anything constructed by human hands. 438 00:41:36,611 --> 00:41:38,378 But there are none. 439 00:41:38,846 --> 00:41:43,849 Nowhere on this mysterious island are there any lines or geometric shapes which would 440 00:41:43,919 --> 00:41:47,653 indicate the presence of a great, ancient city. 441 00:41:48,323 --> 00:41:52,458 MARC: Atlantis did not exist in the tiny island of Spartel. 442 00:41:52,893 --> 00:41:56,596 If it did exist traces of it have not been found. 443 00:41:58,133 --> 00:42:03,235 NARRATOR: However, the story of this submerged island is not over yet. 444 00:42:03,237 --> 00:42:06,873 There may be no trace of a city built out of stone. 445 00:42:06,975 --> 00:42:12,144 But evidence found on land nearby suggests that during the Stone Age, 446 00:42:12,214 --> 00:42:16,348 when sea levels were much lower, people did live here 447 00:42:16,351 --> 00:42:19,052 and in many other places just like it. 448 00:42:19,153 --> 00:42:23,823 And during this period, our human ancestors make some of the most important 449 00:42:23,892 --> 00:42:26,359 breakthroughs of all time. 450 00:42:26,661 --> 00:42:32,164 They learn how to farm, keep domesticated animals, use sophisticated tools, 451 00:42:32,234 --> 00:42:36,936 build wooden houses and begin to trade. 452 00:42:37,171 --> 00:42:41,341 Then, the last Ice Age comes to an end. 453 00:42:46,147 --> 00:42:52,384 Over the course of 15,000 years, sea levels rise by 400 feet. 454 00:42:52,754 --> 00:42:56,022 And the territory of these early people vanishes. 455 00:42:58,426 --> 00:43:02,595 Their tools, homes and weapons are washed away. 456 00:43:03,298 --> 00:43:09,168 That elemental human story may help explain the timeless appeal of the Atlantis legend. 457 00:43:10,405 --> 00:43:14,707 PATRICK: There are many, many stories out there in the world that recall times 458 00:43:14,809 --> 00:43:18,544 when land that was once inhabited was submerged. 459 00:43:18,646 --> 00:43:22,949 Did that information inform Plato's fiction about Atlantis? 460 00:43:23,885 --> 00:43:28,721 JON: I think there's no doubt, that almost every culture in the world has a flood myth, 461 00:43:28,856 --> 00:43:31,758 a deluge story, because we developed, as a species, 462 00:43:31,893 --> 00:43:33,960 within this period of rising sea level. 463 00:43:33,962 --> 00:43:38,564 So, that for me, is so fundamental to understanding ourselves as a species, 464 00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:40,333 that we should be looking into this. 465 00:43:42,037 --> 00:43:46,038 NARRATOR: Plato's story of Atlantis is about human folly 466 00:43:46,074 --> 00:43:49,709 and the destructive power of nature. 467 00:43:50,879 --> 00:43:57,082 Today, the rising level of the oceans threatens all coastal communities. 468 00:43:58,353 --> 00:44:03,823 Great port cities like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Dhaka are all at risk. 469 00:44:12,701 --> 00:44:18,137 And in North America there's one of particular concern. 470 00:44:18,473 --> 00:44:20,473 New Orleans. 471 00:44:20,574 --> 00:44:25,277 Sitting on the banks of the great Mississippi River, the city's average height 472 00:44:25,313 --> 00:44:28,347 is six feet below sea level. 473 00:44:28,550 --> 00:44:31,751 This makes it highly vulnerable to flooding. 474 00:44:33,054 --> 00:44:36,489 In 2005, disaster strikes. 475 00:44:38,026 --> 00:44:42,728 Hurricane Katrina causes a massive storm surge and the levees, 476 00:44:42,731 --> 00:44:45,932 designed to protect the city, are breached. 477 00:44:47,335 --> 00:44:50,536 The resulting floods are catastrophic. 478 00:44:50,739 --> 00:44:56,042 Nearly 2,000 people die and many more are left homeless. 479 00:44:56,511 --> 00:44:59,979 And the situation in New Orleans is getting worse, because the 480 00:45:00,048 --> 00:45:03,015 city itself is sinking. 481 00:45:03,852 --> 00:45:07,987 Due in part to the removal of groundwater, some districts of 482 00:45:07,989 --> 00:45:11,657 New Orleans are subsiding by two inches a year. 483 00:45:12,159 --> 00:45:14,994 JIM: Given ongoing sea level rise, which is a scientific fact, 484 00:45:14,996 --> 00:45:18,630 the time will come when some of our settlements in our time are under water. 485 00:45:18,633 --> 00:45:22,602 Cities like New Orleans, they all have suffered incursions of water. 486 00:45:22,604 --> 00:45:26,406 And the time will come when we will no longer be able to battle that incursion. 487 00:45:29,910 --> 00:45:34,213 NARRATOR: By the turn of the next century, New Orleans could be uninhabitable. 488 00:45:38,853 --> 00:45:44,290 A mysterious underwater city, studied by maritime archaeologists. 489 00:45:47,262 --> 00:45:49,429 A modern-day Atlantis. 490 00:45:55,236 --> 00:45:56,436 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.