1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,433 [ Bird screeches ] 2 00:00:10,433 --> 00:00:13,533 -Hidden in Southeast Asia's jungle terrain 3 00:00:13,533 --> 00:00:18,200 lie the remains of the spectacular city of Angkor, 4 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:22,700 once home to one of the greatest civilizations on earth. 5 00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:27,100 -Angkor was a very vivid city, full of life. 6 00:00:27,100 --> 00:00:30,200 -Angkor was the capital of the Khmer empire, 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,233 which controlled much of the region 8 00:00:32,233 --> 00:00:36,433 between the 9th and 15th centuries. 9 00:00:36,433 --> 00:00:39,000 The great temple of Angkor Wat, 10 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,066 still the largest religious site in the world, 11 00:00:42,066 --> 00:00:44,566 stood in the heart of the city. 12 00:00:46,500 --> 00:00:49,733 The stunning accomplishments of Angkor's great kings 13 00:00:49,733 --> 00:00:51,633 are clear to see. 14 00:00:53,533 --> 00:00:57,333 But the period that preceded the foundation of their great city 15 00:00:57,333 --> 00:00:59,200 is shrouded in mystery. 16 00:01:02,533 --> 00:01:05,566 Now, the discovery of an incredible hoard 17 00:01:05,566 --> 00:01:09,766 of stunning artifacts, unlike anything ever seen before, 18 00:01:09,766 --> 00:01:12,633 is providing surprising new clues 19 00:01:12,633 --> 00:01:16,100 about this early Khmer society. 20 00:01:16,100 --> 00:01:18,133 Pounds of gold, silver, 21 00:01:18,133 --> 00:01:22,333 and precious stones in pristine condition. 22 00:01:22,333 --> 00:01:24,400 -Oh, wonderful! 23 00:01:26,900 --> 00:01:29,600 -An international team of archaeologists 24 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,200 is searching for the origin and significance of this treasure. 25 00:01:35,900 --> 00:01:39,466 -This is the first state of the wall, here. 26 00:01:39,466 --> 00:01:44,633 -What will the treasure reveal about early Khmer society? 27 00:01:44,633 --> 00:01:46,400 -It's quite amazing. 28 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,200 -The team will study each artifact... 29 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,033 -Yes! Today we are really very lucky. 30 00:01:53,033 --> 00:01:56,166 -...excavate the site where the goods were found... 31 00:01:56,166 --> 00:01:58,133 -Ah, incredible! 32 00:01:58,133 --> 00:02:01,900 -...use the latest technology to reconstruct history... 33 00:02:01,900 --> 00:02:04,933 -This is the photogrammetry of the collapsed temple. 34 00:02:04,933 --> 00:02:07,533 -...and laser scan the jungle, 35 00:02:07,533 --> 00:02:11,366 revealing lost cities in astonishing new detail. 36 00:02:11,366 --> 00:02:15,900 -Do you think that this city was the capital of a kingdom? 37 00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:18,433 -Can the treasure open a new window 38 00:02:18,433 --> 00:02:21,400 into the early history of the Khmer people, 39 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,033 creators of one of the most powerful empires 40 00:02:24,033 --> 00:02:26,333 to rule the medieval world? 41 00:02:26,333 --> 00:02:29,200 ♪♪ 42 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,566 ♪♪ 43 00:02:42,833 --> 00:02:46,633 In the bustling city of Savannakhet in southern Laos, 44 00:02:46,633 --> 00:02:49,066 scientists and researchers from around the world 45 00:02:49,066 --> 00:02:51,366 are on their way to see a priceless hoard 46 00:02:51,366 --> 00:02:55,266 of early Khmer artifacts for the very first time. 47 00:02:58,833 --> 00:03:02,300 The treasure is one of the most spectacular discoveries 48 00:03:02,300 --> 00:03:04,500 in the history of Southeast Asia. 49 00:03:06,233 --> 00:03:08,700 -Ta ta, let's go... 50 00:03:08,700 --> 00:03:12,366 because we have a short time, so... 51 00:03:12,366 --> 00:03:14,466 -This carefully assembled team 52 00:03:14,466 --> 00:03:17,633 has been given just two weeks by the Lao authorities 53 00:03:17,633 --> 00:03:21,000 to analyze the mysterious treasure. 54 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,533 -How many minutes before to see it? 55 00:03:23,533 --> 00:03:25,433 [ Chuckles ] 56 00:03:25,433 --> 00:03:28,533 -The team gathered here is really a dream team. 57 00:03:28,533 --> 00:03:31,633 -I think it will be very interesting to look at it 58 00:03:31,633 --> 00:03:34,866 and try to understand what it could be. 59 00:03:34,866 --> 00:03:42,600 ♪♪ 60 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,666 -The team also wants to find out more 61 00:03:44,666 --> 00:03:47,700 about the tiny farming village where the treasure was found. 62 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,733 Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. 63 00:03:54,733 --> 00:03:56,933 More than a thousand years ago, 64 00:03:56,933 --> 00:04:00,066 it was part of the huge Khmer empire 65 00:04:00,066 --> 00:04:03,833 that stretched almost 400,000 square miles, 66 00:04:03,833 --> 00:04:06,100 with Angkor at its heart. 67 00:04:08,166 --> 00:04:11,500 It was here, in the modern village of Nong Hua Thong, 68 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:13,833 25 miles from Savannakhet, 69 00:04:13,833 --> 00:04:16,466 that the precious artifacts were found. 70 00:04:19,533 --> 00:04:21,266 The growth of the Khmer empire 71 00:04:21,266 --> 00:04:24,033 began around the start of the 9th century, 72 00:04:24,033 --> 00:04:28,666 coinciding with the Viking era in Europe. 73 00:04:28,666 --> 00:04:30,766 Khmer builders would go on to construct 74 00:04:30,766 --> 00:04:34,133 not only some of the greatest temples in history, 75 00:04:34,133 --> 00:04:38,300 but also vast networks of canals and reservoirs 76 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:40,566 for large-scale rice cultivation. 77 00:04:44,066 --> 00:04:46,800 The completion of the Bayon temple in Angkor 78 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:48,866 in the early 13th century 79 00:04:48,866 --> 00:04:53,066 marked a high point for the civilization. 80 00:04:53,066 --> 00:04:55,700 The team hopes the treasure will shed new light 81 00:04:55,700 --> 00:04:59,266 on the earliest years of this sophisticated society 82 00:04:59,266 --> 00:05:02,600 in the centuries before the foundation of Angkor. 83 00:05:05,166 --> 00:05:07,433 To ensure maximum security, 84 00:05:07,433 --> 00:05:10,400 the collection is kept in a secret location 85 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,633 in a heavily protected vault. 86 00:05:12,633 --> 00:05:18,666 ♪♪ 87 00:05:18,666 --> 00:05:24,266 Inside the vault, the team is stunned by what they see. 88 00:05:24,266 --> 00:05:26,500 -Oh, wonderful! 89 00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:28,833 I've never seen before like this. 90 00:05:28,833 --> 00:05:31,366 -The treasure is even more extraordinary 91 00:05:31,366 --> 00:05:32,933 than they anticipated. 92 00:05:32,933 --> 00:05:35,466 -That's quite amazing. 93 00:05:35,466 --> 00:05:38,600 Wow! Having such a gold and silver treasure 94 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,933 in front of your face is really impressive. 95 00:05:41,933 --> 00:05:45,266 -We have eight kilograms of gold here 96 00:05:45,266 --> 00:05:47,466 and 18 kilograms of silver. 97 00:05:47,466 --> 00:05:49,133 It's very huge. 98 00:05:49,133 --> 00:05:51,466 Never, we've never had something like this 99 00:05:51,466 --> 00:05:53,500 in all of Southeast Asia. 100 00:05:56,066 --> 00:06:00,700 -The exquisite artistry of these artifacts is unprecedented. 101 00:06:00,700 --> 00:06:04,800 -This level of craftsmanship on such precious material, 102 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:06,833 it's phhh! 103 00:06:06,833 --> 00:06:10,766 It's -- It's far beyond what I encountered already. 104 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,033 -With so much to do in just two weeks, 105 00:06:16,033 --> 00:06:19,000 the team wastes no time setting up a laboratory 106 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,100 inside the vault. 107 00:06:22,100 --> 00:06:29,200 Their job is to study 60 major artifacts and 1,800 fragments. 108 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,133 Each one will need to be analyzed 109 00:06:31,133 --> 00:06:33,666 to establish a date and provenance, 110 00:06:33,666 --> 00:06:37,966 then measured, cleaned, and conserved. 111 00:06:37,966 --> 00:06:41,366 Objects that are broken must be carefully reassembled. 112 00:06:41,366 --> 00:06:45,533 -I try to match it, but some parts is missing. 113 00:06:45,533 --> 00:06:47,200 -Yeah. 114 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:48,566 Good luck. 115 00:06:48,566 --> 00:06:50,600 -Thank you. 116 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:52,933 -Every item is photographed 117 00:06:52,933 --> 00:06:57,166 so it can be studied after the vault is closed. 118 00:06:57,166 --> 00:06:59,400 But for now, having the real thing 119 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,733 is the best way to catalog every detail 120 00:07:03,733 --> 00:07:07,933 and hunt for clues hidden within each object. 121 00:07:07,933 --> 00:07:12,433 -We are trying to solve where the objects are coming from, 122 00:07:12,433 --> 00:07:16,000 why they were buried into this place. 123 00:07:17,766 --> 00:07:22,766 -The huge diversity of this collection adds to its mystery. 124 00:07:22,766 --> 00:07:27,400 It appears to tell a complex story. 125 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,466 Not only are there many different types of objects, 126 00:07:30,466 --> 00:07:33,133 ranging from small bronze pieces 127 00:07:33,133 --> 00:07:36,733 to large prestigious gold artifacts, 128 00:07:36,733 --> 00:07:40,533 but some show foreign influences. 129 00:07:40,533 --> 00:07:42,700 -This is very strange. 130 00:07:42,700 --> 00:07:47,733 You know, this kind of design we can find in, uh... 131 00:07:47,733 --> 00:07:49,966 -Champa Kingdom. Yes, yes. -...Champa Kingdom. 132 00:07:49,966 --> 00:07:51,566 It's beautiful, huh? 133 00:07:51,566 --> 00:07:54,833 -Some reflect contact with the Champa Kingdom, 134 00:07:54,833 --> 00:07:58,533 located nearby in what is now Vietnam. 135 00:07:58,533 --> 00:08:01,800 Other artifacts appear to have come from further away, 136 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,866 like these silver plates from China. 137 00:08:04,866 --> 00:08:07,233 -But we never find any piece like that. 138 00:08:07,233 --> 00:08:10,266 It's really exceptional to find this kind of object. 139 00:08:12,933 --> 00:08:14,733 -The rarity of these pieces 140 00:08:14,733 --> 00:08:17,066 makes them more difficult to trace, 141 00:08:17,066 --> 00:08:20,800 even for the world's top experts. 142 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,700 There are so few references 143 00:08:22,700 --> 00:08:26,466 the archaeologists can draw on for information. 144 00:08:26,466 --> 00:08:28,366 But despite these challenges, 145 00:08:28,366 --> 00:08:31,033 Christine makes an early breakthrough. 146 00:08:31,033 --> 00:08:32,833 -I thought it was a sort of diadem, 147 00:08:32,833 --> 00:08:34,800 but it's not this. 148 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:36,866 It's partly gilded, yes. 149 00:08:36,866 --> 00:08:40,400 Only partly gilded. Here, there is no gold. 150 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,200 I think that it is from Khmer origin, 151 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:48,133 and what is very interesting is the two faces, uh, 152 00:08:48,133 --> 00:08:50,066 with a lot of teeth. 153 00:08:50,066 --> 00:08:53,766 So, it could be ancient and be pre-Angkorian. 154 00:08:55,733 --> 00:08:58,566 -Christine's hunch that the object is Khmer 155 00:08:58,566 --> 00:09:02,833 and predates Angkor is exciting for the team. 156 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:08,100 If she's right, it dates the treasure to a time in history 157 00:09:08,100 --> 00:09:11,733 that comparatively little is known about, 158 00:09:11,733 --> 00:09:15,766 a period when the Khmer civilization was on the rise. 159 00:09:18,633 --> 00:09:20,466 The next challenge for the team 160 00:09:20,466 --> 00:09:24,066 is to learn more about the place where the treasure was found. 161 00:09:24,066 --> 00:09:29,966 ♪♪ 162 00:09:29,966 --> 00:09:32,933 The village of Nong Hua Thong is in southern Laos 163 00:09:32,933 --> 00:09:35,333 on a tributary of the Mekong River. 164 00:09:37,633 --> 00:09:40,366 The team begins their excavation here 165 00:09:40,366 --> 00:09:42,100 to see if the history of the site 166 00:09:42,100 --> 00:09:46,300 sheds any light on the artifacts. 167 00:09:46,300 --> 00:09:51,533 Leading the dig is top archaeologist Nicolas Nauleau. 168 00:09:51,533 --> 00:09:54,466 -The main thing for us now will be to explain, in fact, 169 00:09:54,466 --> 00:09:58,966 why the treasure was here, all the context of the treasure, 170 00:09:58,966 --> 00:10:00,600 what has been before the treasure, 171 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,933 what has been after the treasure. 172 00:10:04,933 --> 00:10:09,900 -Nicolas has been given four weeks for this large operation. 173 00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:11,766 Most of his excavators 174 00:10:11,766 --> 00:10:14,866 are villagers being trained on the job. 175 00:10:14,866 --> 00:10:17,233 -We are a team of 60 people. 176 00:10:17,233 --> 00:10:21,200 It's a pleasure to share the knowledge with the Lao farmers 177 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:23,300 because they are very interested in their history, 178 00:10:23,300 --> 00:10:26,833 because it's the history of the village, also. 179 00:10:26,833 --> 00:10:30,700 I hope we will find maybe some artifacts, some nice artifacts. 180 00:10:30,700 --> 00:10:33,100 It's very exciting and it's just the beginning! 181 00:10:37,900 --> 00:10:41,966 -Nicolas and his team soon make their first important discovery 182 00:10:41,966 --> 00:10:44,366 more than six feet below ground. 183 00:10:46,833 --> 00:10:49,566 -It's bones. It's part of an animal. 184 00:10:49,566 --> 00:10:52,033 We have ashes from fires, different fires, 185 00:10:52,033 --> 00:10:56,666 and after they put the bones from their meal. 186 00:10:56,666 --> 00:10:59,233 It's probably part of a shoulder here. 187 00:10:59,233 --> 00:11:01,100 Also, we can see the shape here, 188 00:11:01,100 --> 00:11:02,466 it's a part of the -- of the mouth. 189 00:11:02,466 --> 00:11:04,333 We have the teeth. 190 00:11:04,333 --> 00:11:08,333 So, which kind of animal is it? It's too early to say that. 191 00:11:08,333 --> 00:11:12,333 It's quite rare, in fact, to find bones in this area. 192 00:11:12,333 --> 00:11:16,833 In Southeast Asia, the sediment, the soil, is very acid, 193 00:11:16,833 --> 00:11:20,866 so the bones normally, they completely disappear. 194 00:11:20,866 --> 00:11:23,800 It could be 100, 200 AD, maybe. 195 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:25,133 It's possible. 196 00:11:25,133 --> 00:11:26,800 It's very exciting. 197 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:35,833 -Finding evidence of such early human habitation is significant. 198 00:11:35,833 --> 00:11:38,000 It shows this village could have roots 199 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,500 that stretch back nearly 2,000 years. 200 00:11:45,566 --> 00:11:48,800 The first Khmer people lived in small settlements 201 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,000 centered around ponds. 202 00:11:53,166 --> 00:11:58,633 They were rice cultivators who venerated spirits in the sky. 203 00:11:58,633 --> 00:12:01,100 But starting in the 5th century, 204 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:04,333 as ideas from India, like kingship and Hinduism, 205 00:12:04,333 --> 00:12:06,700 began to permeate society, 206 00:12:06,700 --> 00:12:11,566 the social structure of Khmer villages began to change. 207 00:12:11,566 --> 00:12:14,300 The team hopes their excavation here 208 00:12:14,300 --> 00:12:18,733 will provide new insights into what Khmer society was like 209 00:12:18,733 --> 00:12:21,700 in the era they suspect the treasure dates to -- 210 00:12:21,700 --> 00:12:24,900 before the foundation of Angkor. 211 00:12:24,900 --> 00:12:27,366 The treasure was found near the bones 212 00:12:27,366 --> 00:12:29,766 but higher up in the layers of earth, 213 00:12:29,766 --> 00:12:32,666 meaning it was buried later. 214 00:12:32,666 --> 00:12:34,800 The way in which the objects were buried 215 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:39,533 could also provide the team with important information. 216 00:12:39,533 --> 00:12:43,600 To find out, one of the archaeologists, Viengkeo, 217 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:47,033 is on his way to meet the farmer who discovered the cache. 218 00:12:49,066 --> 00:12:50,766 Farmer Khieow Phommajack 219 00:12:50,766 --> 00:12:53,000 says his first encounter with the treasure 220 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,100 happened in a dream, 221 00:12:55,100 --> 00:12:58,866 when a monk showed him a field full of gold. 222 00:12:58,866 --> 00:13:01,233 -[ Speaking Lao ] 223 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:09,000 -A short while later, he was out in his field digging 224 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,300 when his spade struck something hard. 225 00:13:12,300 --> 00:13:14,333 -[ Speaking Lao ] 226 00:13:51,633 --> 00:13:58,033 ♪♪ 227 00:13:58,033 --> 00:14:00,800 -Now that they know how the items were found, 228 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:04,466 the archaeologists believe they were purposefully buried. 229 00:14:08,566 --> 00:14:10,400 The team focuses on finding out 230 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:12,700 who might have owned the treasure 231 00:14:12,700 --> 00:14:14,666 and why it was buried. 232 00:14:14,666 --> 00:14:19,666 ♪♪ 233 00:14:19,666 --> 00:14:22,733 In Savannakhet, inside the treasure vault, 234 00:14:22,733 --> 00:14:27,766 the priceless gold artifacts are being examined. 235 00:14:27,766 --> 00:14:30,533 With such elaborate construction and decoration, 236 00:14:30,533 --> 00:14:33,433 they are the most likely objects to offer up hints 237 00:14:33,433 --> 00:14:37,333 about who this collection could have belonged to. 238 00:14:37,333 --> 00:14:40,166 And the most impressive of the objects 239 00:14:40,166 --> 00:14:44,000 is the jewel-encrusted gold box. 240 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:45,666 -Did you see already something like this? 241 00:14:45,666 --> 00:14:47,266 -No, no. 242 00:14:47,266 --> 00:14:51,766 We have never seen such a very beautiful masterpiece. 243 00:14:53,866 --> 00:14:57,600 -Do you think -- Do you have an idea of the provenance of this? 244 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,433 -I think the object itself 245 00:14:59,433 --> 00:15:03,133 could come from somewhere in this region of Laos. 246 00:15:05,833 --> 00:15:11,533 -For the moment, we don't know at all the date of the gold box. 247 00:15:11,533 --> 00:15:14,833 That's the problem for us. 248 00:15:14,833 --> 00:15:17,966 I tried to find some comparison on bas-reliefs, 249 00:15:17,966 --> 00:15:21,333 on books, and I didn't find anything. 250 00:15:21,333 --> 00:15:24,633 It's totally unique. 251 00:15:24,633 --> 00:15:26,366 -For the box, I have no idea. 252 00:15:26,366 --> 00:15:30,266 I never saw such a box before like that. 253 00:15:30,266 --> 00:15:34,000 -The design of the box is of particular interest. 254 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,900 It features an unusual fusion of religious motifs 255 00:15:37,900 --> 00:15:40,233 represented by different birds, 256 00:15:40,233 --> 00:15:44,800 which may provide clues to its origin. 257 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,600 -You can see here some Garuda. 258 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:53,100 -The Garuda is an eagle that carried the Hindu god Vishnu. 259 00:15:53,100 --> 00:15:55,700 -On the top, these are some birds, 260 00:15:55,700 --> 00:15:58,400 take the soul to the paradise. 261 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,533 This is Buddhist. 262 00:16:00,533 --> 00:16:03,266 -This other bird is known as a hamsa, 263 00:16:03,266 --> 00:16:06,500 a type of swan that represents reincarnation 264 00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:08,533 in the Buddhist religion. 265 00:16:10,766 --> 00:16:13,566 Buddhism and Hinduism arrived in Southeast Asia 266 00:16:13,566 --> 00:16:15,766 around the 4th century, 267 00:16:15,766 --> 00:16:19,366 brought by travelers from India heading up the Mekong River. 268 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,566 The dual religious motifs 269 00:16:23,566 --> 00:16:26,100 suggest the box may have been made in a place 270 00:16:26,100 --> 00:16:31,400 and at a time when these religions co-existed. 271 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:35,366 Studying how the box was made may provide additional clues 272 00:16:35,366 --> 00:16:38,666 about how technically advanced that place was 273 00:16:38,666 --> 00:16:41,133 and even who the object was made for. 274 00:16:41,133 --> 00:16:45,100 -They were hammering a gold sheet from the inside 275 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:48,400 to make these shapes on the outside. 276 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:53,033 But they also added the gemstones in rows 277 00:16:53,033 --> 00:16:55,566 and then put a separate band of gold 278 00:16:55,566 --> 00:16:58,666 across the back of them to keep them in place. 279 00:16:58,666 --> 00:17:01,633 The craftsmen were experts. 280 00:17:05,866 --> 00:17:08,333 -With such impressive craftsmanship, 281 00:17:08,333 --> 00:17:10,533 could the box have been made in a workshop 282 00:17:10,533 --> 00:17:13,766 supported by the wealthiest patrons in society? 283 00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:20,333 -I think that the gold box is unique, it's for king. 284 00:17:22,666 --> 00:17:27,033 -Could this box be from a royal collection? 285 00:17:27,033 --> 00:17:29,300 The exquisite fabrication of an object 286 00:17:29,300 --> 00:17:33,600 typically made of terra-cotta suggests that's the case. 287 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,133 -Very, very beautiful, I've never seen this. 288 00:17:36,133 --> 00:17:39,000 First time in my life. 289 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,033 -They are quite sophisticated objects in terms of techniques, 290 00:17:43,033 --> 00:17:45,900 made of precious metals, gold and silver. 291 00:17:45,900 --> 00:17:50,966 They were clearly linked to kings or high dignitaries. 292 00:17:52,933 --> 00:17:55,333 -So, it could be the treasure of a king. 293 00:17:55,333 --> 00:17:57,300 Yeah, could be, 294 00:17:57,300 --> 00:18:00,600 but we have no archaeological evidence for the moment. 295 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,866 That's why the excavation continue on the site 296 00:18:03,866 --> 00:18:05,300 of Nong Hua Thong. 297 00:18:08,833 --> 00:18:10,466 -Back at the dig site, 298 00:18:10,466 --> 00:18:12,800 the team has made another important breakthrough 299 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,100 that may support their theory that the treasure 300 00:18:15,100 --> 00:18:17,600 could have belonged to an elite group of people. 301 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,000 They've discovered the remains of an old temple complex, 302 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,966 and Christine has come to have a look. 303 00:18:27,966 --> 00:18:33,266 Khmer kings built temples to show their devotion to the gods. 304 00:18:33,266 --> 00:18:38,700 Could this temple mean the site was once a royal enclave? 305 00:18:38,700 --> 00:18:42,066 And is there a link with the treasure? 306 00:18:42,066 --> 00:18:44,300 -Maybe there is a connection? -Maybe. 307 00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:46,533 If there is a connection, it's good for us. 308 00:18:46,533 --> 00:18:48,500 -I hope, yes. Lucky? 309 00:18:48,500 --> 00:18:50,433 -We will be lucky. 310 00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:56,766 -The style and size of these large bricks 311 00:18:56,766 --> 00:18:59,266 date the temple to the 7th century, 312 00:18:59,266 --> 00:19:03,566 about 500 years before Angkor reached its peak. 313 00:19:05,666 --> 00:19:08,000 But the team is even more excited 314 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:09,866 about the discovery of an artifact 315 00:19:09,866 --> 00:19:12,466 found inside the temple site. 316 00:19:12,466 --> 00:19:14,166 -Incredible! 317 00:19:14,166 --> 00:19:18,100 Totally similar that we found in the treasure of Nong Hua Thong. 318 00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:23,933 -The team has found a small cymbal, 319 00:19:23,933 --> 00:19:26,233 almost identical to one found with the collection 320 00:19:26,233 --> 00:19:27,933 back at the vault. 321 00:19:27,933 --> 00:19:29,833 -A sort of bell. -Okay. Cymbale? 322 00:19:29,833 --> 00:19:34,466 -Bell. Cymbale.  Une petite cloche. 323 00:19:34,466 --> 00:19:37,133 Usually there is two. 324 00:19:37,133 --> 00:19:40,200 -Khmer cymbals like this would have been used in a temple 325 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,266 as part of a religious ceremony. 326 00:19:43,266 --> 00:19:48,066 The cymbal's location could, in turn, help determine its age. 327 00:19:48,066 --> 00:19:52,433 -So, can you show me the exact place? 328 00:19:52,433 --> 00:19:55,166 Ah, you find directly on the ground? 329 00:19:55,166 --> 00:19:56,633 -Yes. 330 00:19:56,633 --> 00:19:57,900 -It was a little bit higher? -On the top. 331 00:19:57,900 --> 00:20:00,200 Yes, a little bit higher. 332 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,400 -Knowing where the cymbal was found, 333 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:07,333 the team is now able to date it to roughly the 7th century. 334 00:20:07,333 --> 00:20:08,933 Along with the temple, 335 00:20:08,933 --> 00:20:12,200 it suggests the presence of a royal or religious elite 336 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,666 here in the pre-Angkorian period, 337 00:20:14,666 --> 00:20:18,766 at the time the treasure might have been made. 338 00:20:18,766 --> 00:20:23,666 But further discussion is cut short by looming clouds. 339 00:20:23,666 --> 00:20:26,733 -I hope we will not have rain here today, 340 00:20:26,733 --> 00:20:29,933 because otherwise it will be a mess. 341 00:20:29,933 --> 00:20:34,066 The rain we have here in this area, it's a huge rain, 342 00:20:34,066 --> 00:20:36,533 and I'm afraid that the walls, with the sand, 343 00:20:36,533 --> 00:20:38,433 that they will collapse for sure. 344 00:20:38,433 --> 00:20:40,100 -Maybe we need to cover the trench? 345 00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:45,333 -Yes, maybe we need to cover the trench. 346 00:20:45,333 --> 00:20:50,333 -The team must cover up the dig site as quickly as possible. 347 00:20:50,333 --> 00:20:52,566 -Take some small tools, but take the plastic also 348 00:20:52,566 --> 00:20:56,066 to protect the occupation layer, the bones. 349 00:20:56,066 --> 00:20:58,766 So, the trench will be full of water. 350 00:20:58,766 --> 00:21:03,766 If it rains a lot, the bones will completely disappear. 351 00:21:03,766 --> 00:21:06,966 The rain, yes, the enemy of archaeology, in fact! 352 00:21:09,300 --> 00:21:11,366 [ Thunder crashes ] 353 00:21:13,233 --> 00:21:16,100 -The rain may have caused a setback on site. 354 00:21:16,100 --> 00:21:17,966 But at the vault in Savannakhet, 355 00:21:17,966 --> 00:21:22,133 there's been an exciting breakthrough. 356 00:21:22,133 --> 00:21:25,066 While sifting through the 1,800 fragments, 357 00:21:25,066 --> 00:21:26,833 Donna's found one 358 00:21:26,833 --> 00:21:29,866 that appears to have something intriguing on it. 359 00:21:29,866 --> 00:21:32,566 -Ooh! Ooh, look, you've got an inscription! 360 00:21:32,566 --> 00:21:35,333 -Oh, really, a character? -Look. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! 361 00:21:35,333 --> 00:21:38,133 Yeah, look! -I didn't even see it. 362 00:21:38,133 --> 00:21:41,833 Christine, you can come? 363 00:21:41,833 --> 00:21:43,900 -Oh, yes! 364 00:21:43,900 --> 00:21:47,100 -Inscriptions are a key source of historical evidence 365 00:21:47,100 --> 00:21:49,566 that can reveal the use, origin, 366 00:21:49,566 --> 00:21:52,600 or even the creator of an artifact. 367 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,333 -This one is in old Khmer. 368 00:21:55,333 --> 00:21:59,166 It is quite rare to find an inscription like this, yes. 369 00:21:59,166 --> 00:22:01,666 -It's a major find. 370 00:22:01,666 --> 00:22:04,533 Only about 1,400 inscriptions 371 00:22:04,533 --> 00:22:06,100 from the 900-year period 372 00:22:06,100 --> 00:22:08,900 spanning the rise of Khmer civilization 373 00:22:08,900 --> 00:22:11,466 through to the eventual decline of Angkor 374 00:22:11,466 --> 00:22:14,600 have ever been discovered. 375 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:16,400 The team is eager to see 376 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:19,900 if any other parts of the inscription can be found. 377 00:22:19,900 --> 00:22:22,766 -Ah ha ha, haha haha, look, look, look! 378 00:22:22,766 --> 00:22:25,933 -It seems Christophe has been lucky, 379 00:22:25,933 --> 00:22:28,833 but do the two parts of the inscription fit together? 380 00:22:28,833 --> 00:22:30,200 -No, no, no, no. -No, no, no. 381 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,433 -No. On the other side. 382 00:22:33,433 --> 00:22:34,433 -Ahhh. Oui!  -Yes! 383 00:22:34,433 --> 00:22:36,100 -Yes, yes, yes, that's it. 384 00:22:36,100 --> 00:22:37,900 -Yes! -Yes! 385 00:22:37,900 --> 00:22:41,633 -Today we are really very lucky. 386 00:22:41,633 --> 00:22:44,133 Two fragments back together, 387 00:22:44,133 --> 00:22:48,866 and we have some part of one fifth inscription. 388 00:22:48,866 --> 00:22:50,333 -Very much incomplete. 389 00:22:50,333 --> 00:22:53,266 -Very much incomplete, but anyway. 390 00:22:53,266 --> 00:22:56,366 -Another inscription, this one in Sanskrit, 391 00:22:56,366 --> 00:23:00,566 can be seen on the rim of a small silver bowl. 392 00:23:00,566 --> 00:23:03,400 -Interesting object. 393 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,566 -Inscriptions from the Khmer civilization 394 00:23:05,566 --> 00:23:09,300 were either written in old Khmer or in Sanskrit, 395 00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:14,533 a classical Hindu language often used for religious texts. 396 00:23:14,533 --> 00:23:16,633 -If it's poetry, it's Sanskrit. 397 00:23:16,633 --> 00:23:19,433 If it's just prose, it's Khmer. 398 00:23:22,300 --> 00:23:24,866 -In addition to studying the inscriptions, 399 00:23:24,866 --> 00:23:28,400 the team is also analyzing the design on various items 400 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,133 to help date them. 401 00:23:31,133 --> 00:23:34,533 Christine has turned her attention to a silver plaque 402 00:23:34,533 --> 00:23:39,000 with a particular Hindu god represented in a unique way. 403 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,866 -We are sure that it is Shiva, 404 00:23:40,866 --> 00:23:44,100 because he holds in his hand the rosary. 405 00:23:44,100 --> 00:23:49,533 Also, because he has a hair bun, and there is two worshippers. 406 00:23:49,533 --> 00:23:51,833 This kind of plate, I can give a date. 407 00:23:51,833 --> 00:23:55,433 It's coming from the 8th century. 408 00:23:55,433 --> 00:23:58,700 So, this was easy, and it is Khmer art. 409 00:23:58,700 --> 00:24:04,400 Totally sure, because it's the same iconography. 410 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:09,300 -Dating the plaque is a major breakthrough. 411 00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:11,066 Christine is now confident 412 00:24:11,066 --> 00:24:13,000 that the artifacts in the collection 413 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,600 were made from the 7th to the 9th century. 414 00:24:18,733 --> 00:24:22,166 The era is known as the Early Kingdoms period, 415 00:24:22,166 --> 00:24:24,866 when Khmer village chiefs were beginning 416 00:24:24,866 --> 00:24:29,900 to claim the right to kingship and create independent states. 417 00:24:29,900 --> 00:24:32,666 -There was a lot of small kingdoms 418 00:24:32,666 --> 00:24:35,166 and a lot of small city-states, 419 00:24:35,166 --> 00:24:39,833 which has a small territory all around the main city. 420 00:24:39,833 --> 00:24:42,233 -Could the location where the treasure was found 421 00:24:42,233 --> 00:24:46,166 at Nong Hua Thong have been an early city-state, 422 00:24:46,166 --> 00:24:49,600 rich and powerful enough to have such exquisite objects? 423 00:24:52,566 --> 00:24:56,400 The team has found additional evidence to support this idea. 424 00:24:59,900 --> 00:25:01,700 In Nong Hua Thong, 425 00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:05,133 at the exact location where the treasure was discovered, 426 00:25:05,133 --> 00:25:08,966 the archaeological team has now found a large structure 427 00:25:08,966 --> 00:25:11,833 below the ground surface. 428 00:25:11,833 --> 00:25:17,300 -This is the first state of a wall here. 429 00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:20,266 -Layers of ash near its bottom provide evidence 430 00:25:20,266 --> 00:25:25,200 that people lived inside the wall's enclosure. 431 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:31,500 -It's very interesting to find occupation on one side. 432 00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:33,400 -The discovery of this large wall 433 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:35,733 further supports the team's suspicion 434 00:25:35,733 --> 00:25:39,333 that Nong Hua Thong wasn't always the small farming village 435 00:25:39,333 --> 00:25:40,900 that it is today. 436 00:25:40,900 --> 00:25:47,033 ♪♪ 437 00:25:47,033 --> 00:25:49,666 To better understand the layout of the site, 438 00:25:49,666 --> 00:25:54,766 the team is taking to the skies for an aerial survey. 439 00:25:54,766 --> 00:25:59,900 They're using lidar, a game-changing technology. 440 00:25:59,900 --> 00:26:03,000 Millions of laser beams are fired from above, 441 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,000 and by measuring how long it takes the light to return, 442 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:10,366 the team can map lost features in the landscape. 443 00:26:10,366 --> 00:26:13,666 This is the first time this area has been analyzed 444 00:26:13,666 --> 00:26:15,266 using this method. 445 00:26:17,933 --> 00:26:21,100 With the tree cover digitally removed, 446 00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:24,566 the ghostly outline of a forgotten world appears 447 00:26:24,566 --> 00:26:27,866 for the very first time. 448 00:26:27,866 --> 00:26:30,466 This is where the treasure was found -- 449 00:26:30,466 --> 00:26:33,066 where the wall discovered by the archaeologists 450 00:26:33,066 --> 00:26:34,533 joins with another. 451 00:26:37,100 --> 00:26:40,100 The two walls created a protective boundary 452 00:26:40,100 --> 00:26:42,300 more than a mile and a half long. 453 00:26:44,266 --> 00:26:46,833 The team estimates that a site this large 454 00:26:46,833 --> 00:26:50,033 might once have housed nearly 8,000 people. 455 00:26:52,500 --> 00:26:56,400 A lost city revealed for the very first time. 456 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:05,566 The lidar scans show the outline of a potential royal residence. 457 00:27:05,566 --> 00:27:07,266 Its scale and shape 458 00:27:07,266 --> 00:27:11,066 suggest it could be the home of a local king or chief. 459 00:27:13,700 --> 00:27:16,600 The team had no idea an ancient city like this 460 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,866 existed in the area. 461 00:27:19,866 --> 00:27:23,933 And they're keen to investigate further. 462 00:27:23,933 --> 00:27:27,000 -Do you think that this city was the capital of the kingdom, 463 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,866 a very rich city? 464 00:27:28,866 --> 00:27:32,166 'Cause there is so many objects in the treasure. 465 00:27:32,166 --> 00:27:35,600 Eight kilograms of gold and 18 kilograms of silver. 466 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:36,933 -Yes. -So many objects, 467 00:27:36,933 --> 00:27:39,133 more than 200 objects. 468 00:27:39,133 --> 00:27:42,466 -The team's hypothesis is that the valuable collection 469 00:27:42,466 --> 00:27:45,100 was stashed where the two walls meet 470 00:27:45,100 --> 00:27:47,500 because it was a memorable spot. 471 00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:53,533 -You see, Viengkeo, the treasure was hidden in a special place, 472 00:27:53,533 --> 00:27:56,700 very easy to find again. -Yeah. 473 00:27:56,700 --> 00:27:59,400 -It has been hidden here to be protected, maybe. 474 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,866 -That's for sure, yeah. 475 00:28:02,866 --> 00:28:05,133 -If the treasure was buried to protect it, 476 00:28:05,133 --> 00:28:09,433 it's possible the city was in danger. 477 00:28:09,433 --> 00:28:11,866 During the Early Kingdoms period, 478 00:28:11,866 --> 00:28:16,800 city-states and local kings were often at war. 479 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,233 And here, high up on the bank above the river, 480 00:28:20,233 --> 00:28:22,233 Christine finds evidence 481 00:28:22,233 --> 00:28:25,800 that Nong Hua Thong may have been attacked. 482 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,533 -We found projectiles or cannonballs 483 00:28:28,533 --> 00:28:31,533 on the top of the cliff. 484 00:28:31,533 --> 00:28:33,700 We see very well from here, 485 00:28:33,700 --> 00:28:37,166 it is a high level here, and they are heavy. 486 00:28:37,166 --> 00:28:41,833 It's terra-cotta, so it's the right size. 487 00:28:41,833 --> 00:28:46,400 So, it is very easy, you see, to use it. 488 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,066 -To throw against the enemy. 489 00:28:48,066 --> 00:28:50,933 -To throw against the enemy the cannonball. 490 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,500 Maybe they used catapult to try to save the city. 491 00:28:57,500 --> 00:28:59,366 And before the attack of the city, 492 00:28:59,366 --> 00:29:03,833 the king wanted to preserve the treasure, 493 00:29:03,833 --> 00:29:06,800 so they put all the gold and the silver 494 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:11,333 and buried it in the earth to protect it and to save it. 495 00:29:11,333 --> 00:29:14,133 But maybe they didn't win, 496 00:29:14,133 --> 00:29:18,633 because nobody came back to take the treasure again. 497 00:29:18,633 --> 00:29:20,400 That's why we found it. 498 00:29:22,100 --> 00:29:23,933 -It's only a theory, 499 00:29:23,933 --> 00:29:28,200 but even if it could be proven, a big question would remain -- 500 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:32,533 Why would this small city have had such precious objects? 501 00:29:35,233 --> 00:29:37,866 The archaeologists think it's more likely 502 00:29:37,866 --> 00:29:39,466 that such splendid items 503 00:29:39,466 --> 00:29:42,966 would have come from somewhere larger or wealthier. 504 00:29:45,666 --> 00:29:48,533 And the riverbank now offers up a clue 505 00:29:48,533 --> 00:29:51,800 as to how that might have happened. 506 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,766 -Look, this one is clearly visible. 507 00:29:55,766 --> 00:29:57,266 -Archaeologists have found 508 00:29:57,266 --> 00:30:00,100 what appear to be hand-chiseled post holes. 509 00:30:00,100 --> 00:30:04,133 -They are quite 40 centimeters of diameter. 510 00:30:04,133 --> 00:30:08,533 -Each hole would have been carved to fit wooden posts. 511 00:30:08,533 --> 00:30:10,400 From the way they're made, 512 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:14,000 Christine estimates they could date to the 7th century. 513 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:17,166 They stretch all the way to the water. 514 00:30:17,166 --> 00:30:20,233 -I can see them doing a line like this. 515 00:30:22,033 --> 00:30:24,766 -Judging by the number and size of the holes, 516 00:30:24,766 --> 00:30:29,533 it's possible that this could have been a large pier or wharf. 517 00:30:29,533 --> 00:30:31,700 -And it's connected directly to the city... 518 00:30:31,700 --> 00:30:35,133 -Yeah. -...and quite directly 519 00:30:35,133 --> 00:30:38,333 to where we found the treasure. 520 00:30:38,333 --> 00:30:44,200 So, you see, Viengkeo, maybe the treasure was coming... 521 00:30:46,333 --> 00:30:50,166 ...with a boat and was hidden here, 522 00:30:50,166 --> 00:30:56,200 and maybe it's not the original place of the treasure. 523 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:59,200 Even if it is an ancient city. 524 00:31:01,366 --> 00:31:02,900 -It's a hypothesis, 525 00:31:02,900 --> 00:31:04,700 but it leads the team to consider 526 00:31:04,700 --> 00:31:07,100 why the treasure might have ended up here. 527 00:31:11,266 --> 00:31:13,400 The ancient city at Nong Hua Thong 528 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:17,433 is situated in a strategic location. 529 00:31:17,433 --> 00:31:20,333 Its position close to the Mekong River 530 00:31:20,333 --> 00:31:22,933 placed it on the main north-south trade route 531 00:31:22,933 --> 00:31:26,233 for the Khmer throughout history. 532 00:31:26,233 --> 00:31:31,966 ♪♪ 533 00:31:31,966 --> 00:31:33,933 -The Mekong River, 534 00:31:33,933 --> 00:31:38,833 it's very important to the life of the people. 535 00:31:38,833 --> 00:31:43,700 It's considered the sacred river. 536 00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:46,533 A lot of very important kingdoms, 537 00:31:46,533 --> 00:31:52,133 very important cities are located along this river. 538 00:31:52,133 --> 00:31:56,800 Mekong River is the main road in the ancient times. 539 00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:59,200 Of course, the kings at that time, 540 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:04,033 they could be traveling by boat in between their palaces, 541 00:32:04,033 --> 00:32:06,733 their capitals, upstream to downstream. 542 00:32:09,066 --> 00:32:11,566 -Inscriptions from the pre-Angkorian period 543 00:32:11,566 --> 00:32:13,466 reveal that some capital cities 544 00:32:13,466 --> 00:32:17,866 were richer and more powerful than others. 545 00:32:17,866 --> 00:32:20,433 Could the treasure have been brought to Nong Hua Thong 546 00:32:20,433 --> 00:32:23,133 by a wealthy dignitary from another kingdom? 547 00:32:26,833 --> 00:32:28,533 In the local language, 548 00:32:28,533 --> 00:32:32,866 Nong Hua Tong means the "Pond of the Golden Barge." 549 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,766 For the team, the wharf, 550 00:32:39,766 --> 00:32:42,033 in addition to the incredible diversity 551 00:32:42,033 --> 00:32:44,400 and artistry of the precious objects, 552 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,066 suggests that the treasure might not have been made 553 00:32:47,066 --> 00:32:48,733 where it was found. 554 00:32:52,500 --> 00:32:54,866 Their theory is that it could have come 555 00:32:54,866 --> 00:32:58,000 from a larger city-state with sufficient resources 556 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,500 to support a highly skilled workshop. 557 00:33:03,366 --> 00:33:07,466 Locating where that place might be is the next task. 558 00:33:07,466 --> 00:33:12,100 ♪♪ 559 00:33:12,100 --> 00:33:13,900 Back in Savannakhet, 560 00:33:13,900 --> 00:33:16,033 where the treasure is being studied, 561 00:33:16,033 --> 00:33:18,100 the experts are trying to work out 562 00:33:18,100 --> 00:33:20,800 where it might have come from. 563 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,466 By looking at the objects' possible uses, 564 00:33:23,466 --> 00:33:26,000 they're hoping to find some new leads. 565 00:33:28,233 --> 00:33:33,666 The silver bowl appears to be a religious ceremonial object. 566 00:33:33,666 --> 00:33:37,200 -We know that is a gift from a rich donator. 567 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:41,066 It was for the worshipping of Shiva. 568 00:33:41,066 --> 00:33:43,700 -The inscription on the bowl shows it was donated 569 00:33:43,700 --> 00:33:47,433 by a very important person, potentially a king, 570 00:33:47,433 --> 00:33:50,266 to be used in a temple. 571 00:33:50,266 --> 00:33:52,466 -It's very important for kings 572 00:33:52,466 --> 00:33:55,733 to give a lot of gifts to the gods. 573 00:33:58,300 --> 00:34:02,066 -It was common practice for Khmer kings to build temples. 574 00:34:05,266 --> 00:34:06,866 The connection to the gods 575 00:34:06,866 --> 00:34:10,066 sanctified the kings' right to rule 576 00:34:10,066 --> 00:34:13,733 and entrenched social hierarchies. 577 00:34:13,733 --> 00:34:17,000 -The power of the king is more or less justified 578 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,833 by the power of the gods. 579 00:34:19,833 --> 00:34:23,333 -The more powerful the king, the larger the temple, 580 00:34:23,333 --> 00:34:26,766 the more exquisite artifacts it might contain. 581 00:34:29,366 --> 00:34:31,933 The design and sheer value of the collection 582 00:34:31,933 --> 00:34:35,966 suggests it may have come from a major royal Khmer court. 583 00:34:38,133 --> 00:34:41,133 And given the discoveries the team has already made, 584 00:34:41,133 --> 00:34:44,966 Christophe has a hunch where that might be. 585 00:34:44,966 --> 00:34:48,600 -The number-one suspect to have this kind of object 586 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:51,433 would be, actually, the temple of Vat Phou. 587 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:59,466 -Vat Phou is located 220 miles down the Mekong River 588 00:34:59,466 --> 00:35:02,233 from Nong Hua Thong. 589 00:35:02,233 --> 00:35:06,133 It is the most venerated religious site in Laos. 590 00:35:06,133 --> 00:35:12,266 ♪♪ 591 00:35:12,266 --> 00:35:16,033 Every year, on the full moon of the third lunar month, 592 00:35:16,033 --> 00:35:19,233 thousands of worshippers flock to Vat Phou 593 00:35:19,233 --> 00:35:22,066 for a vast religious ceremony. 594 00:35:23,900 --> 00:35:25,700 Over three days, 595 00:35:25,700 --> 00:35:29,466 processions of chanting monks pay homage to their gods 596 00:35:29,466 --> 00:35:32,933 at this holy site. 597 00:35:32,933 --> 00:35:37,000 Although Buddhist today, the temple's roots are in Hinduism 598 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:40,200 and stretch back nearly 1,500 years, 599 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:42,966 long before Angkor reached its peak 600 00:35:42,966 --> 00:35:45,233 at the start of the 13th century. 601 00:35:47,533 --> 00:35:51,366 Vat Phou temple sits at the foot of Mt. Phu Kao. 602 00:35:53,666 --> 00:35:56,166 This distinctively shaped sacred mountain 603 00:35:56,166 --> 00:35:58,700 was believed by the early Khmer people 604 00:35:58,700 --> 00:36:02,533 to be the physical embodiment of the Hindu god Shiva. 605 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,700 Vat Phou was built in this sacred landscape 606 00:36:09,700 --> 00:36:13,566 to represent a virtual heaven on earth. 607 00:36:13,566 --> 00:36:15,933 Most of the surviving structures 608 00:36:15,933 --> 00:36:19,766 were built from the 11th to the 13th centuries. 609 00:36:19,766 --> 00:36:24,833 They cover nearly a mile, rising to a natural terrace. 610 00:36:24,833 --> 00:36:28,066 The holiest temple building is situated here, 611 00:36:28,066 --> 00:36:30,133 overlooking the Mekong. 612 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:35,500 For the research team at the vault, 613 00:36:35,500 --> 00:36:38,900 the sacred site of Vat Phou has all the hallmarks of a place 614 00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:42,300 that might have been able to afford the exquisite artifacts 615 00:36:42,300 --> 00:36:47,933 found 220 miles away at Nong Hua Thong. 616 00:36:47,933 --> 00:36:50,933 Christine also suspects that there might be similarities 617 00:36:50,933 --> 00:36:53,400 between the iconography on the treasure 618 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:56,800 and the designs on the temple itself, 619 00:36:56,800 --> 00:36:59,733 and she's heading there to find out. 620 00:36:59,733 --> 00:37:04,533 -So, it could be a connection for some object 621 00:37:04,533 --> 00:37:08,300 between the treasure on Nong Hua Thong and Vat Phou. 622 00:37:11,966 --> 00:37:14,000 -Matching iconography on the treasure 623 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:18,900 to carvings at Vat Phou could help link the two. 624 00:37:18,900 --> 00:37:22,000 Christine compares photos of the treasure 625 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:27,266 with the carved lintels above the doorways in the main temple. 626 00:37:27,266 --> 00:37:31,266 -On several objects of the treasure there is a face, 627 00:37:31,266 --> 00:37:33,700 which is very recognizable. 628 00:37:33,700 --> 00:37:36,500 This is the head of Kala. 629 00:37:36,500 --> 00:37:40,866 -According to Hindu mythology, Kala, the god of death, 630 00:37:40,866 --> 00:37:44,033 asked Shiva if he could eat people. 631 00:37:44,033 --> 00:37:48,366 Shiva refused and, as a penance, made Kala eat himself. 632 00:37:48,366 --> 00:37:53,666 -Yeah, you can see the teeth and the nose. 633 00:37:53,666 --> 00:37:55,833 -This is not the only artifact 634 00:37:55,833 --> 00:38:00,266 that shows a visual connection with the carvings here. 635 00:38:00,266 --> 00:38:02,600 The silver plaque is almost identical 636 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:06,633 to lintel carvings depicting life around Vat Phou. 637 00:38:06,633 --> 00:38:13,300 -In the middle, you have Shiva sitting and hanging the rosary, 638 00:38:13,300 --> 00:38:17,566 with the hair bun, between two worshippers. 639 00:38:17,566 --> 00:38:21,600 Shiva is the god for the hermits. 640 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,766 And we know that there was a lot of hermits 641 00:38:23,766 --> 00:38:25,733 living all around in the mountains, 642 00:38:25,733 --> 00:38:30,266 because it was the sacred mountain, the mountain of Shiva. 643 00:38:30,266 --> 00:38:32,433 -But while the iconography on the treasure 644 00:38:32,433 --> 00:38:34,233 and the temple match, 645 00:38:34,233 --> 00:38:37,166 the timeline doesn't. 646 00:38:37,166 --> 00:38:39,300 The main temple here in Vat Phou 647 00:38:39,300 --> 00:38:44,233 was built long after the treasure was produced. 648 00:38:44,233 --> 00:38:45,866 -The plate of Nong Hua Thong 649 00:38:45,866 --> 00:38:48,966 is more ancient than the lintel of Vat Phou, 650 00:38:48,966 --> 00:38:53,300 but it is exactly the same iconography. 651 00:38:53,300 --> 00:38:55,566 -To support the theory that some of the artifacts 652 00:38:55,566 --> 00:38:58,566 in the collection may have originated in Vat Phou, 653 00:38:58,566 --> 00:39:00,800 the team now needs to establish 654 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:03,366 if there was an earlier temple here, 655 00:39:03,366 --> 00:39:05,233 at the time the treasure was made. 656 00:39:09,833 --> 00:39:12,500 Lao architect Vissa Chanthaphasouk 657 00:39:12,500 --> 00:39:17,666 is an expert on the earliest history of Vat Phou. 658 00:39:17,666 --> 00:39:20,266 Her goal is to find out when different parts 659 00:39:20,266 --> 00:39:23,800 of the temple site were built. 660 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:27,333 -Part of my work consists of doing a survey 661 00:39:27,333 --> 00:39:30,033 with the new technology. 662 00:39:30,033 --> 00:39:32,900 -She's using a technique called photogrammetry, 663 00:39:32,900 --> 00:39:34,633 where thousands of photographs 664 00:39:34,633 --> 00:39:38,133 are digitally amassed into a 3-D image. 665 00:39:38,133 --> 00:39:40,400 -I will start from here. -Okay. 666 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:43,500 -Surveying the site is a major task, 667 00:39:43,500 --> 00:39:45,400 best performed from the air. 668 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,633 -Okay, let's go. 669 00:39:48,633 --> 00:39:51,433 -The first thing that we see is that Vat Phou is not alone. 670 00:39:51,433 --> 00:39:54,766 So, a lot more remains of Khmer structure 671 00:39:54,766 --> 00:39:57,766 all around the sacred mountain. 672 00:39:57,766 --> 00:40:01,466 -The aerial survey allows Vissa to identify ancient ruins 673 00:40:01,466 --> 00:40:04,666 that were once part of the landscape. 674 00:40:04,666 --> 00:40:07,733 Photogrammetry will then enable her to reconstruct 675 00:40:07,733 --> 00:40:12,333 and possibly date some of these sites. 676 00:40:12,333 --> 00:40:14,766 Today, Christophe is joining her 677 00:40:14,766 --> 00:40:16,933 to investigate a collapsed temple 678 00:40:16,933 --> 00:40:20,166 within the main temple complex. 679 00:40:20,166 --> 00:40:22,700 -Uh, is that supposed to be the door or what? 680 00:40:22,700 --> 00:40:25,866 -Yeah, we think that it's a door. 681 00:40:25,866 --> 00:40:28,733 We did photogrammetry of this part, 682 00:40:28,733 --> 00:40:31,300 and I tried to do reconstruction. 683 00:40:31,300 --> 00:40:33,633 -Okay, fine. Let's look at your computer, then. 684 00:40:33,633 --> 00:40:34,966 -Yeah. 685 00:40:34,966 --> 00:40:36,733 So, this is the photogrammetry 686 00:40:36,733 --> 00:40:39,866 of the collapsed building we are sitting on 687 00:40:39,866 --> 00:40:44,366 and the whole wall slab, so we got the height of it. 688 00:40:44,366 --> 00:40:47,633 -Vissa has taken the dimensions from the photogrammetry 689 00:40:47,633 --> 00:40:50,566 and a drawing made by an earlier architect 690 00:40:50,566 --> 00:40:54,833 to reconstruct the temple for the first time. 691 00:40:54,833 --> 00:40:57,333 -This is the reconstruction of the buildings 692 00:40:57,333 --> 00:40:59,433 that we are sitting on. 693 00:40:59,433 --> 00:41:02,533 -That's really, uh, brutal architecture. 694 00:41:02,533 --> 00:41:04,733 -The lack of ornamentation 695 00:41:04,733 --> 00:41:08,066 suggests the temple could be from the pre-Angkorian era. 696 00:41:08,066 --> 00:41:09,900 -In terms of dating for this building... 697 00:41:09,900 --> 00:41:13,600 -Yes, it's clearly the oldest building remaining... 698 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:14,700 -In -- -...just -- yeah, 699 00:41:14,700 --> 00:41:17,000 in -- in Vat Phou. 700 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,900 -Christophe believes this unadorned temple 701 00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:23,533 could date back to the 7th century, 702 00:41:23,533 --> 00:41:26,966 the same time period as some of the earliest artifacts 703 00:41:26,966 --> 00:41:28,900 in the treasure. 704 00:41:28,900 --> 00:41:30,666 -It's clear, then. 705 00:41:30,666 --> 00:41:36,100 The shrine in Vat Phou could have had this kind of object. 706 00:41:36,100 --> 00:41:38,866 -The team now suspects the cache of artifacts 707 00:41:38,866 --> 00:41:41,233 might have belonged to a king, 708 00:41:41,233 --> 00:41:46,266 who may have donated it to an early temple at Vat Phou. 709 00:41:46,266 --> 00:41:48,133 They also have a hunch there may have been 710 00:41:48,133 --> 00:41:50,500 a local community of metalworkers 711 00:41:50,500 --> 00:41:54,600 making religious artifacts at Vat Phou. 712 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:57,600 Bronze, made from tin and copper, 713 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:01,933 was used in the 7th century to fabricate ceremonial artifacts, 714 00:42:01,933 --> 00:42:04,133 like the cymbal found in the collection. 715 00:42:07,333 --> 00:42:10,733 Historical reports suggest the early Khmer people 716 00:42:10,733 --> 00:42:13,966 were mining copper in the Vat Phou area. 717 00:42:16,500 --> 00:42:18,200 To find out where, 718 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:22,100 an archaeological team led by metal expert Brice Vincent 719 00:42:22,100 --> 00:42:25,733 is going in search of a huge sandstone cliff, 720 00:42:25,733 --> 00:42:29,333 where a copper mine is rumored to be. 721 00:42:29,333 --> 00:42:32,933 -You see there is a cliff at 400 meters. 722 00:42:32,933 --> 00:42:36,366 -And to climb up there, it's how many hours? 723 00:42:36,366 --> 00:42:39,000 -Now it could be, maybe, two hours and a half. 724 00:42:41,333 --> 00:42:43,700 -Only four other copper mines have been found 725 00:42:43,700 --> 00:42:45,866 in the whole of Southeast Asia, 726 00:42:45,866 --> 00:42:49,500 so this is an important expedition. 727 00:42:49,500 --> 00:42:51,866 -So, great day. Great day. 728 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:58,800 -The team will be heading up the mountain through jungle terrain. 729 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,200 To maximize their chance of success, 730 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:04,600 they plot their route using a lidar map. 731 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:06,633 -We will follow this way, 732 00:43:06,633 --> 00:43:10,700 and after that we will follow the river, okay? 733 00:43:10,700 --> 00:43:14,433 -So, two hours climbing to find copper mineralization. 734 00:43:14,433 --> 00:43:18,300 It should be -- should be fine. 735 00:43:18,300 --> 00:43:19,500 Okay, let's go! 736 00:43:22,466 --> 00:43:24,966 -If the team finds evidence of mining, 737 00:43:24,966 --> 00:43:26,600 it would support the idea 738 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:30,233 that the Vat Phou area was a center of metalworking, 739 00:43:30,233 --> 00:43:35,266 the kind of place where the artifacts might have been made. 740 00:43:35,266 --> 00:43:37,233 -Here we are. 741 00:43:37,233 --> 00:43:39,566 -Yeah, so we follow the riverbed. 742 00:43:39,566 --> 00:43:41,900 -Maybe two kilometer more by walk. 743 00:43:45,266 --> 00:43:47,666 -The archaeologists are following in the footsteps 744 00:43:47,666 --> 00:43:49,666 of a French geologist 745 00:43:49,666 --> 00:43:52,400 who claimed to have found evidence of mining here 746 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:54,533 in the 19th century. 747 00:43:58,333 --> 00:43:59,766 Brice has an old map 748 00:43:59,766 --> 00:44:03,200 and a drawing from this long-ago expedition. 749 00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:09,833 -This was, yeah, the drawing made by Delaporte in 1866. 750 00:44:09,833 --> 00:44:12,466 And, uh, so I don't know if it was his imagination, 751 00:44:12,466 --> 00:44:16,233 but it looks like what we have around here. 752 00:44:16,233 --> 00:44:21,733 ♪♪ 753 00:44:21,733 --> 00:44:25,900 -The team may be treading a path used by early Khmer miners 754 00:44:25,900 --> 00:44:27,766 who went in search of the precious metals 755 00:44:27,766 --> 00:44:31,400 used in the treasure. 756 00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:35,333 -Copper was precious, rare, and so in ancient time, 757 00:44:35,333 --> 00:44:40,433 miners or kingdoms were looking for copper. 758 00:44:40,433 --> 00:44:44,266 -After three hours of hard climbing in the extreme heat, 759 00:44:44,266 --> 00:44:47,033 the group catches a glimpse of the huge cliff 760 00:44:47,033 --> 00:44:51,233 where they think the mine might be located. 761 00:44:51,233 --> 00:44:54,933 -Okay, so here we are. Almost! 762 00:44:54,933 --> 00:45:02,300 ♪♪ 763 00:45:02,300 --> 00:45:05,766 When we arrive on the site, we discover this monumental cliff. 764 00:45:05,766 --> 00:45:07,733 -Whoa! -The cliff is... 765 00:45:07,733 --> 00:45:10,966 -It's amazing. -Very impressive, actually. 766 00:45:10,966 --> 00:45:15,233 -Having located the cliff, the team forges on. 767 00:45:15,233 --> 00:45:18,966 They must find the mine and return before dark. 768 00:45:18,966 --> 00:45:22,433 -Over there, so on the top, you have a copper vein. 769 00:45:22,433 --> 00:45:25,866 You can see the copper. 770 00:45:25,866 --> 00:45:27,933 Of course, the access is difficult. 771 00:45:30,466 --> 00:45:31,933 -More exploration reveals 772 00:45:31,933 --> 00:45:35,900 exactly what the team is looking for -- 773 00:45:35,900 --> 00:45:38,400 signs of ancient copper mining. 774 00:45:40,766 --> 00:45:44,700 -Here you can see traces of tools -- tool marks. 775 00:45:44,700 --> 00:45:50,033 So, here it's very obvious, you can see the copper ore. 776 00:45:50,033 --> 00:45:53,433 So, they really try to access. 777 00:45:53,433 --> 00:45:55,900 -In addition to the tool marks and copper, 778 00:45:55,900 --> 00:45:59,266 Brice has also discovered a man-made cave. 779 00:45:59,266 --> 00:46:02,000 -This is quite -- quite amazing. 780 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:06,700 It's a spot of what we call fire-setting, 781 00:46:06,700 --> 00:46:10,033 and this is unique in Southeast Asia. 782 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:17,800 -Fire-setting is a traditional mining technique. 783 00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:19,566 The rock is heated. 784 00:46:19,566 --> 00:46:22,033 Then cold water is poured on it, 785 00:46:22,033 --> 00:46:27,166 causing it to crack and expose the minerals inside. 786 00:46:27,166 --> 00:46:32,800 -So, it's another evidence of copper mining activities. 787 00:46:34,500 --> 00:46:38,366 -Brice is keen to take samples. 788 00:46:38,366 --> 00:46:40,233 Chemical analysis will establish 789 00:46:40,233 --> 00:46:43,866 whether or not they contain copper ore. 790 00:46:43,866 --> 00:46:45,733 -So, we tried to take a sample here, 791 00:46:45,733 --> 00:46:47,600 but it's kind of hard to access. 792 00:46:47,600 --> 00:46:50,200 The rock here is quite hard, so... 793 00:46:52,133 --> 00:46:55,266 -We guess this was an ancient copper mine 794 00:46:55,266 --> 00:46:57,266 from the pre-Angkor period. 795 00:46:57,266 --> 00:46:58,833 From the time of Vat Phou, 796 00:46:58,833 --> 00:47:03,533 this resource was known and exploited here. 797 00:47:03,533 --> 00:47:06,500 -The mine confirms the archaeologists' suspicion 798 00:47:06,500 --> 00:47:08,966 that the local population would have had access 799 00:47:08,966 --> 00:47:13,133 to some of the metals found in the treasure. 800 00:47:13,133 --> 00:47:15,400 A place with these resources 801 00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:19,300 would be well-placed to serve the needs of a wealthy elite. 802 00:47:21,766 --> 00:47:24,666 An incredible carving in the Vat Phou museum 803 00:47:24,666 --> 00:47:29,800 reveals the presence of kings here, stretching back centuries. 804 00:47:34,233 --> 00:47:38,600 The Devanika stele was carved in 450 AD, 805 00:47:38,600 --> 00:47:42,233 around 300 years before the treasure was made. 806 00:47:45,900 --> 00:47:50,400 It's the oldest-known Sanskrit inscription in Southeast Asia. 807 00:47:55,300 --> 00:47:59,700 -Devanika was the king of kings, coming from far away. 808 00:47:59,700 --> 00:48:04,066 That, he is saying, "I am Maharajadhiraja." 809 00:48:04,066 --> 00:48:08,166 And he say that the mountain of Shiva 810 00:48:08,166 --> 00:48:12,533 was known since the antiquity. 811 00:48:12,533 --> 00:48:16,000 He say, "I come here because of the mountain of Shiva." 812 00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:19,966 So, he wanted to be as close as possible 813 00:48:19,966 --> 00:48:23,500 to the divinity, to the god. 814 00:48:23,500 --> 00:48:27,000 The Sanskrit is very, very nice. 815 00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:31,533 It's a beautiful poem. It's very well written. 816 00:48:34,566 --> 00:48:36,700 -From this foundation stone, 817 00:48:36,700 --> 00:48:39,300 the team knows that King Devanika 818 00:48:39,300 --> 00:48:44,600 started to build his royal city in the 5th century. 819 00:48:44,600 --> 00:48:48,700 It was located here, on the banks of the Mekong River, 820 00:48:48,700 --> 00:48:52,333 just 3 1/2 miles from the temple site of Vat Phou. 821 00:48:56,466 --> 00:48:58,700 Today, there's nothing to indicate 822 00:48:58,700 --> 00:49:02,666 that this was once a royal Khmer enclave. 823 00:49:02,666 --> 00:49:06,966 To understand the layout and size of this first royal city, 824 00:49:06,966 --> 00:49:11,466 the team has carried out a lidar survey. 825 00:49:11,466 --> 00:49:13,866 It's the first time this area has been mapped 826 00:49:13,866 --> 00:49:15,333 using this method. 827 00:49:17,633 --> 00:49:20,966 The lidar scan reveals King Devanika's royal city 828 00:49:20,966 --> 00:49:23,900 in extraordinary detail. 829 00:49:23,900 --> 00:49:28,633 A vast 2 1/2-mile moat surrounds and protects the city. 830 00:49:28,633 --> 00:49:31,366 This rectangular enclosure was the first of its kind 831 00:49:31,366 --> 00:49:33,733 in Southeast Asia. 832 00:49:33,733 --> 00:49:38,333 It's a shape that would later be echoed in Angkor. 833 00:49:38,333 --> 00:49:41,700 A walled inner sanctum may have been where the elite lived. 834 00:49:44,100 --> 00:49:47,400 Adding houses to the lidar map creates an image 835 00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:52,700 of how full of life this Khmer city might once have been. 836 00:49:52,700 --> 00:49:56,933 King Devanika called his divine city Kurukshetra. 837 00:49:58,733 --> 00:50:01,400 Although it was founded in the 5th century, 838 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:04,266 inscriptions show that this first royal city 839 00:50:04,266 --> 00:50:07,300 was still thriving at the time the treasure was made, 840 00:50:07,300 --> 00:50:11,366 between the 7th and 9th centuries. 841 00:50:11,366 --> 00:50:13,166 Could the treasure have been crafted 842 00:50:13,166 --> 00:50:15,466 by artisans living locally, 843 00:50:15,466 --> 00:50:19,833 made for a king to use at the nearby Vat Phou temple? 844 00:50:19,833 --> 00:50:25,000 ♪♪ 845 00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:27,266 -Would that be fabricated 846 00:50:27,266 --> 00:50:31,333 by any workshop here in the city in Vat Phou? 847 00:50:31,333 --> 00:50:32,933 Yeah, it's highly probable, 848 00:50:32,933 --> 00:50:34,966 because actually they had the customer next door, 849 00:50:34,966 --> 00:50:38,733 actually, the priests and the kings. 850 00:50:38,733 --> 00:50:40,666 -In Kurukshetra, 851 00:50:40,666 --> 00:50:44,100 Christine and Viengkeo have found more evidence 852 00:50:44,100 --> 00:50:46,200 to support the theory that some of the treasure 853 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:49,900 could have been produced in this area. 854 00:50:49,900 --> 00:50:54,333 An unusual shape on the lidar map has piqued their curiosity. 855 00:50:54,333 --> 00:50:56,033 -And this one is very interesting, 856 00:50:56,033 --> 00:50:59,400 because it is the only one that's circular. 857 00:50:59,400 --> 00:51:01,666 And with the moat all around. 858 00:51:01,666 --> 00:51:03,966 Mm-hmm, this is very interesting. 859 00:51:06,966 --> 00:51:08,666 -The team believes this temple 860 00:51:08,666 --> 00:51:11,900 might have been one of the most important within the city, 861 00:51:11,900 --> 00:51:16,600 so holy it could only be approached by boat. 862 00:51:16,600 --> 00:51:19,733 -It's surrounded by the moat. -Yes. 863 00:51:19,733 --> 00:51:24,633 -So, no one can access this monument. 864 00:51:24,633 --> 00:51:26,733 -The shape is significant. 865 00:51:26,733 --> 00:51:30,233 It suggests that this was not a Hindu temple. 866 00:51:30,233 --> 00:51:34,800 -This round shape, we think that could be a double stupa, 867 00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:37,433 so a Buddhist structure. 868 00:51:37,433 --> 00:51:42,266 There was not only Hindu temple and also Vishnu temple, 869 00:51:42,266 --> 00:51:46,900 but also Buddhism inside the ancient city. 870 00:51:46,900 --> 00:51:49,100 -The suggestion that Buddhists and Hindus 871 00:51:49,100 --> 00:51:52,866 lived harmoniously here in the pre-Angkorian period 872 00:51:52,866 --> 00:51:55,900 is in keeping with the design of the gold box, 873 00:51:55,900 --> 00:51:58,433 which reflects both religions. 874 00:51:58,433 --> 00:52:05,933 ♪♪ 875 00:52:05,933 --> 00:52:07,633 The investigation into the treasure 876 00:52:07,633 --> 00:52:09,833 has given the team a greater understanding 877 00:52:09,833 --> 00:52:12,366 of the early Khmer society... 878 00:52:12,366 --> 00:52:19,900 ♪♪ 879 00:52:19,900 --> 00:52:21,733 ...a society that would eventually go on 880 00:52:21,733 --> 00:52:24,633 to create the wonders of Angkor. 881 00:52:24,633 --> 00:52:29,733 ♪♪ 882 00:52:29,733 --> 00:52:34,133 And it all began here in the sacred landscape of Vat Phou. 883 00:52:37,366 --> 00:52:39,666 -We have been working for years in Angkor 884 00:52:39,666 --> 00:52:41,833 trying to understand the origin, 885 00:52:41,833 --> 00:52:45,066 and Vat Phou is an amazing case for that. 886 00:52:47,433 --> 00:52:50,866 -Vat Phou is the beginning of the Khmer civilization. 887 00:52:50,866 --> 00:52:56,900 ♪♪ 888 00:52:56,900 --> 00:52:58,933 -In Savannakhet, it's coming to the end 889 00:52:58,933 --> 00:53:02,100 of the last day in the vault. 890 00:53:02,100 --> 00:53:06,833 The treasure must be carefully packed away. 891 00:53:06,833 --> 00:53:08,933 The team will return again in 10 months 892 00:53:08,933 --> 00:53:11,266 to continue their investigation. 893 00:53:11,266 --> 00:53:14,900 -Can you turn the lid around? 894 00:53:14,900 --> 00:53:16,533 -Each object has to be wrapped 895 00:53:16,533 --> 00:53:19,966 in special acid-free paper to preserve it. 896 00:53:19,966 --> 00:53:22,933 -There is definitely an art to packing. 897 00:53:22,933 --> 00:53:24,766 Our whole goal, as always, 898 00:53:24,766 --> 00:53:28,333 is to preserve it for generations to come. 899 00:53:28,333 --> 00:53:30,033 Ahh, beautiful. 900 00:53:30,033 --> 00:53:31,533 Should be in perfect condition by the time -- 901 00:53:31,533 --> 00:53:34,500 when they open it up again. 902 00:53:34,500 --> 00:53:37,566 -It's not just the artifacts that have to be packed up. 903 00:53:37,566 --> 00:53:41,400 The whole laboratory must be cleared out. 904 00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:43,233 -There is only 40 minutes, 905 00:53:43,233 --> 00:53:47,300 and it will be very short to finish everything. 906 00:53:50,600 --> 00:53:52,233 -As the room is emptied, 907 00:53:52,233 --> 00:53:55,533 the team has time to reflect on their work. 908 00:53:55,533 --> 00:53:58,500 -It's weird. Strange, strange feeling. 909 00:53:58,500 --> 00:54:01,733 -We -- Really, we do a lot of work in only 10 days, 910 00:54:01,733 --> 00:54:04,166 and we can be happy. 911 00:54:06,866 --> 00:54:09,366 -They have learned a great deal. 912 00:54:13,166 --> 00:54:15,300 The team's research into the treasure 913 00:54:15,300 --> 00:54:18,733 has taken them from a farmer's field... 914 00:54:18,733 --> 00:54:20,500 to Vat Phou, 915 00:54:20,500 --> 00:54:23,733 the spiritual heartland of the first Khmer kings. 916 00:54:28,066 --> 00:54:31,500 The kings ruled their domain from Kurukshetra, 917 00:54:31,500 --> 00:54:33,766 the administrative capital, 918 00:54:33,766 --> 00:54:37,600 at a turning point in Khmer history -- 919 00:54:37,600 --> 00:54:40,100 when a collection of small city-states 920 00:54:40,100 --> 00:54:42,133 merged into a single, more powerful kingdom 921 00:54:43,633 --> 00:54:45,933 that started an empire. 922 00:54:50,233 --> 00:54:55,500 The treasure reflects this exact period in history... 923 00:54:55,500 --> 00:54:58,133 revealing the power, wealth, 924 00:54:58,133 --> 00:55:02,366 and ambition of the Khmer people... 925 00:55:02,366 --> 00:55:07,433 who would go on to build one of the greatest cities on earth -- 926 00:55:07,433 --> 00:55:08,866 Angkor. 927 00:55:08,866 --> 00:55:14,600 ♪♪