1 00:00:00,633 --> 00:00:05,466 ♪♪ 2 00:00:05,466 --> 00:00:09,033 -An extraordinary hoard of lost treasure 3 00:00:09,033 --> 00:00:13,766 discovered in the Southeast Asian nation of Laos, 4 00:00:13,766 --> 00:00:18,800 53 pounds of gold, silver, and precious stones, 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,200 one of the most valuable finds in history. 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,100 -The number of objects, the size of the objects, 7 00:00:25,100 --> 00:00:29,900 the stage of preservation of these objects is amazing. 8 00:00:29,900 --> 00:00:32,400 -But what does this exquisite treasure reveal 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,066 about the society that made it? 10 00:00:36,066 --> 00:00:38,866 Could it shed new light on the early years 11 00:00:38,866 --> 00:00:41,233 of the Khmer civilization 12 00:00:41,233 --> 00:00:45,566 that went on to build the great medieval city of Angkor, 13 00:00:45,566 --> 00:00:49,366 home of the spectacular temple of Angkor Wat? 14 00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:55,966 Now, an international team of experts 15 00:00:55,966 --> 00:00:58,733 is using the latest technology to find out 16 00:00:58,733 --> 00:01:02,633 how these priceless objects were made... 17 00:01:02,633 --> 00:01:06,966 -How can I help to unravel this big mystery? 18 00:01:06,966 --> 00:01:10,366 -...and to discover who might once have used them. 19 00:01:10,366 --> 00:01:13,366 -Each process of metalworking leaves a mark on the object 20 00:01:13,366 --> 00:01:16,433 like a fingerprint. 21 00:01:16,433 --> 00:01:20,300 -Using LIDAR to scan the landscape, 22 00:01:20,300 --> 00:01:22,166 the team finds new targets 23 00:01:22,166 --> 00:01:25,000 for archaeological investigation, 24 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:29,066 where incredible discoveries are unearthed, 25 00:01:29,066 --> 00:01:31,266 including more gold 26 00:01:31,266 --> 00:01:33,033 and human remains. 27 00:01:33,033 --> 00:01:35,300 -There are human bones. 28 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:38,533 Maybe it was a king? 29 00:01:38,533 --> 00:01:40,733 -Their investigation into the treasure 30 00:01:40,733 --> 00:01:44,033 will take them through the jungle 31 00:01:44,033 --> 00:01:48,033 and on a grueling, once-in-a-lifetime expedition 32 00:01:48,033 --> 00:01:52,566 into the spiritual heartland of the mighty Khmer kings. 33 00:02:01,033 --> 00:02:05,300 ♪♪ 34 00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:12,033 ♪♪ 35 00:02:12,033 --> 00:02:14,900 In the city of Savannakhet in southern Laos, 36 00:02:14,900 --> 00:02:17,933 a priceless group of centuries-old artifacts 37 00:02:17,933 --> 00:02:21,333 is being moved to a secret location for scientific 38 00:02:21,333 --> 00:02:23,300 and historical analysis. 39 00:02:25,233 --> 00:02:27,900 One of the most important archaeological discoveries 40 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:30,600 ever made in Asia, 41 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,000 the collection is undergoing an intense examination 42 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,666 by an elite team of international experts. 43 00:02:37,666 --> 00:02:39,833 Ten months ago, 44 00:02:39,833 --> 00:02:43,933 the team dated the treasure to around the 8th century. 45 00:02:43,933 --> 00:02:46,200 Now, they're back again, 46 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,133 with new experts joining the investigation. 47 00:02:51,633 --> 00:02:53,700 Over the next two weeks, 48 00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:57,166 they'll analyze the treasure in meticulous detail, 49 00:02:57,166 --> 00:03:00,800 using state-of-the-art technology. 50 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,566 They want to find out how the items were made 51 00:03:03,566 --> 00:03:05,266 and what they were used for. 52 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,700 Anticipation mounts as the new team members wait 53 00:03:10,700 --> 00:03:12,833 to see the treasure for the first time. 54 00:03:12,833 --> 00:03:21,233 ♪♪ 55 00:03:21,233 --> 00:03:23,733 Finally, before them, 56 00:03:23,733 --> 00:03:26,766 priceless artifacts of gold and silver, 57 00:03:26,766 --> 00:03:28,966 more than 1,000 years old. 58 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,433 -The discovery of the treasure 59 00:03:32,433 --> 00:03:36,800 is major for the history of not only Laos, but Southeast Asia. 60 00:03:39,333 --> 00:03:42,600 -Archaeologist and goldsmith Barbara Armbruster 61 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,300 is seeing the treasure for the first time. 62 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:50,200 Barbara's an expert in the crafting of metals and alloys. 63 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,733 -Ah, ah, okay. There's the base. -Yeah, this is the base. 64 00:03:55,533 --> 00:03:57,933 -Knowing what metals were used, 65 00:03:57,933 --> 00:04:01,233 along with the craftsman's tools and techniques, 66 00:04:01,233 --> 00:04:04,633 might give the team a clue to where the items were produced. 67 00:04:04,633 --> 00:04:09,766 ♪♪ 68 00:04:09,766 --> 00:04:12,666 At the start, there is intense focus on 69 00:04:12,666 --> 00:04:15,333 one of the stars of the collection: 70 00:04:15,333 --> 00:04:18,200 a kendi, or water jug. 71 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,833 -It's so delicate. 72 00:04:20,833 --> 00:04:22,666 It's really the most beautiful object 73 00:04:22,666 --> 00:04:25,433 I've seen in this treasure. 74 00:04:25,433 --> 00:04:28,300 -To reduce the handling of such a precious object, 75 00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:30,600 it's being preserved digitally. 76 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,133 [ Camera shutter clicks ] 77 00:04:32,133 --> 00:04:35,566 Pascal Mora is an expert in photogrammetry. 78 00:04:35,566 --> 00:04:36,733 [ Camera shutter clicks ] 79 00:04:36,733 --> 00:04:38,500 -I use a turntable 80 00:04:38,500 --> 00:04:43,400 to be able to take picture on different angles. 81 00:04:44,833 --> 00:04:49,300 -He takes hundreds of overlapping photographs, 82 00:04:49,300 --> 00:04:52,966 which computer software will stitch together. 83 00:04:52,966 --> 00:04:56,866 -I have to take picture all around the object 84 00:04:56,866 --> 00:05:00,200 to be able to get all the detail. 85 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,833 -But before a 3-D model can be created, 86 00:05:02,833 --> 00:05:04,833 there's another step in the process. 87 00:05:06,966 --> 00:05:10,766 Laser scanning will capture details that photographs can't, 88 00:05:10,766 --> 00:05:12,266 like surface texture. 89 00:05:13,966 --> 00:05:16,766 -So, combining the two techniques, 90 00:05:16,766 --> 00:05:20,100 we are able to produce the best possible 3-D model 91 00:05:20,100 --> 00:05:22,633 with good geometry and good color. 92 00:05:24,300 --> 00:05:27,666 -The kendi is now digitally preserved for the future. 93 00:05:30,166 --> 00:05:32,366 The team will use the digital models 94 00:05:32,366 --> 00:05:35,166 in their quest to learn the origins of the treasure. 95 00:05:35,166 --> 00:05:45,933 ♪♪ 96 00:05:45,933 --> 00:05:50,433 The Khmer temple site at Vat Phou lies in southern Laos, 97 00:05:50,433 --> 00:05:53,566 five hours south of the treasure vault. 98 00:05:53,566 --> 00:05:55,600 The team believes that this area could 99 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,800 have been the original home of these exquisite artifacts. 100 00:06:00,266 --> 00:06:04,733 -Vat Phou has always been in the Khmer inscriptions, 101 00:06:04,733 --> 00:06:08,300 in the Khmer history, the most venerated place. 102 00:06:09,300 --> 00:06:11,300 It's a very sacred place. 103 00:06:14,766 --> 00:06:18,800 -The Vat Phou temple sits at the foot of Mt. Phu Kao, 104 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,400 three and a half miles from the Mekong River. 105 00:06:23,166 --> 00:06:24,900 In the 8th century, 106 00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:27,200 the royal Khmer city of Kurukshetra 107 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,333 was located here on the riverbank, 108 00:06:29,333 --> 00:06:31,433 within walking distance from the temple. 109 00:06:31,433 --> 00:06:35,933 ♪♪ 110 00:06:35,933 --> 00:06:38,700 Today, a small fishing village occupies 111 00:06:38,700 --> 00:06:40,533 the site of Kurukshetra. 112 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:45,133 For the treasure team, 113 00:06:45,133 --> 00:06:48,600 this city from the past is now of significant interest. 114 00:06:52,566 --> 00:06:55,866 Learning more about life here may shed new light 115 00:06:55,866 --> 00:06:57,600 on the priceless artifacts. 116 00:06:58,433 --> 00:07:00,266 -One here, one here. 117 00:07:00,266 --> 00:07:01,700 [ Speaking foreign language ] 118 00:07:01,700 --> 00:07:04,566 -The team led by Christine is beginning 119 00:07:04,566 --> 00:07:09,200 a major new excavation on the edge of Kurukshetra. 120 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:13,133 Inscriptions on a stone stele indicate that this city 121 00:07:13,133 --> 00:07:17,233 and the temple at Vat Phou may have been very prosperous. 122 00:07:19,300 --> 00:07:21,700 -Yes, you can put here. 123 00:07:21,700 --> 00:07:23,566 -The team wants to know more about 124 00:07:23,566 --> 00:07:27,233 how early Khmer society was structured. 125 00:07:27,233 --> 00:07:29,000 And LIDAR technology, 126 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,266 which can reveal evidence of buildings long gone, 127 00:07:32,266 --> 00:07:34,466 is opening a window into the past. 128 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,033 This is the first LIDAR map of Kurukshetra. 129 00:07:44,500 --> 00:07:48,933 From the largest features, like the huge boundary canals, 130 00:07:48,933 --> 00:07:50,866 down to the mounds 131 00:07:50,866 --> 00:07:53,933 where individual structures once stood, 132 00:07:53,933 --> 00:07:58,100 this new survey allows the team to target their excavation 133 00:07:58,100 --> 00:08:00,233 with pinpoint accuracy. 134 00:08:03,133 --> 00:08:07,333 And one site, on the outskirts of the city, stands out. 135 00:08:10,666 --> 00:08:14,333 At ground level, there is little to see with the naked eye. 136 00:08:16,766 --> 00:08:19,133 But the LIDAR data shows the team 137 00:08:19,133 --> 00:08:21,600 where they should begin their investigation. 138 00:08:23,733 --> 00:08:25,166 -16... 139 00:08:25,166 --> 00:08:27,433 -The length, width, and depth of the area 140 00:08:27,433 --> 00:08:30,800 to be excavated can be carefully plotted. 141 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,366 -So, this is four meter by four meter. 142 00:08:33,366 --> 00:08:36,400 It is the grid of our excavation. 143 00:08:38,466 --> 00:08:41,400 -The site's layout is a familiar one, 144 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,133 piquing the team's interest. 145 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,466 -On the middle, a working area, maybe for the servants. 146 00:08:49,466 --> 00:08:52,433 On the south, a sacred area. 147 00:08:52,433 --> 00:08:55,766 So, it's compatible with the palace we know in Angkor. 148 00:08:57,900 --> 00:09:00,600 -The realization that the footprint of the dig site 149 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,033 resembles that of much later palace sites in Angkor 150 00:09:04,033 --> 00:09:07,100 is evidence there might be strong connections 151 00:09:07,100 --> 00:09:10,933 between this early city and the great capital that 152 00:09:10,933 --> 00:09:14,066 the Khmer people constructed in the centuries that followed. 153 00:09:17,633 --> 00:09:20,966 The excavation of this site might shed new light 154 00:09:20,966 --> 00:09:24,366 on the pre-Angkorian society that crafted the treasure. 155 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,733 Back at the treasure lab, attention has returned 156 00:09:31,733 --> 00:09:34,100 to another one of the most significant pieces 157 00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:38,600 in the collection: the golden box. 158 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,833 Barbara is searching for clues to how it was made 159 00:09:41,833 --> 00:09:44,866 and what it might have been used for. 160 00:09:44,866 --> 00:09:48,833 -We are going step by step, very close to the object. 161 00:09:48,833 --> 00:09:52,466 Each process of metalworking leaves a print, 162 00:09:52,466 --> 00:09:56,100 a mark on the object like a fingerprint. 163 00:09:56,100 --> 00:10:00,866 And if you see that, you can deduce how the thing was made. 164 00:10:02,933 --> 00:10:07,566 -It is clear the box was made by a master craftsman. 165 00:10:07,566 --> 00:10:10,200 -The goldsmith uses a gold sheet, 166 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,933 which is hammered by striking with a hammer and on an anvil. 167 00:10:13,933 --> 00:10:15,800 And starting from that, 168 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,633 he is creating a three-dimensional shape. 169 00:10:20,266 --> 00:10:22,433 -But the longer Barbara works with the box, 170 00:10:22,433 --> 00:10:25,466 the more she questions what it's actually made of. 171 00:10:26,666 --> 00:10:29,700 -At the first sight, to me, to be got in gold, 172 00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:34,400 but having a closer look, I don't know. 173 00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:41,366 -Perhaps the golden box is not 100% pure gold after all. 174 00:10:42,933 --> 00:10:47,566 ♪♪ 175 00:10:47,566 --> 00:10:49,800 At the Kurukshetra site, 176 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,800 the team is digging through the Earth's layers of history, 177 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:57,733 moving back to the early days of Khmer power in Southeast Asia. 178 00:11:00,733 --> 00:11:02,633 -Each time we change level, 179 00:11:02,633 --> 00:11:04,633 usually it's 10 by 10 centimeter, 180 00:11:04,633 --> 00:11:06,766 we take another level. 181 00:11:06,766 --> 00:11:11,100 -Any artifacts within the layers could be minute. 182 00:11:11,100 --> 00:11:12,933 -They know perfectly what to do, 183 00:11:12,933 --> 00:11:16,233 and they know perfectly what to look, what to take out, 184 00:11:16,233 --> 00:11:20,500 what is good and what is wrong, what is not necessary to keep, 185 00:11:20,500 --> 00:11:25,866 because they are working with me since 2009. 186 00:11:25,866 --> 00:11:29,500 Mon -- She work with me since 30 years. 187 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:31,200 She's able to find one millimeter 188 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,066 by one millimeter gold leaf. [ Chuckles ] 189 00:11:34,066 --> 00:11:36,300 Incredible. I don't know how she do. 190 00:11:36,300 --> 00:11:38,400 [ Laughs ] She's very good. 191 00:11:41,933 --> 00:11:44,533 -Several layers have now been removed, 192 00:11:44,533 --> 00:11:47,866 exposing the earth to light and air for the first time 193 00:11:47,866 --> 00:11:49,566 in hundreds of years. 194 00:11:51,133 --> 00:11:53,466 But have they dug deep enough to find anything 195 00:11:53,466 --> 00:11:56,833 from the pre-Angkorian period? 196 00:11:56,833 --> 00:11:59,633 It's up to Christine's experienced eye. 197 00:12:01,266 --> 00:12:03,500 Spraying the exposed dry, 198 00:12:03,500 --> 00:12:08,900 dusty surface with water will reveal any color variations. 199 00:12:08,900 --> 00:12:11,533 These variations allow the archaeologists 200 00:12:11,533 --> 00:12:14,733 to identify sections in the wall that are called 201 00:12:14,733 --> 00:12:16,133 cultural layers. 202 00:12:16,133 --> 00:12:17,900 -Here is different than here. 203 00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:21,266 -And they have found evidence of human habitation. 204 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,533 The discovery of the cultural layer associated 205 00:12:25,533 --> 00:12:27,533 with human occupation of the site 206 00:12:27,533 --> 00:12:29,666 is a milestone for the team. 207 00:12:31,666 --> 00:12:34,166 The search for any historical artifacts 208 00:12:34,166 --> 00:12:37,366 left behind now intensifies. 209 00:12:37,366 --> 00:12:42,133 ♪♪ 210 00:12:42,133 --> 00:12:44,533 After painstakingly combing through layer 211 00:12:44,533 --> 00:12:47,133 after layer of earth at the dig site, 212 00:12:47,133 --> 00:12:50,466 finally, a breakthrough. 213 00:12:50,466 --> 00:12:53,133 The top of a pot is revealed. 214 00:13:22,766 --> 00:13:27,566 Excavating with such care is a time-consuming process, 215 00:13:27,566 --> 00:13:30,100 but the team is making real progress. 216 00:13:31,633 --> 00:13:35,866 And Christine is called to inspect another discovery. 217 00:13:35,866 --> 00:13:40,133 On the floor of the trench, part of another pot. 218 00:13:40,133 --> 00:13:42,400 -There is a lot of small fragments. 219 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,166 -Yeah, and you -- you see when we remove the... 220 00:13:45,166 --> 00:13:47,566 -Yeah, you take out the... 221 00:13:47,566 --> 00:13:49,300 -Yeah, take out one part of the pot. 222 00:13:49,300 --> 00:13:50,500 -Yeah. 223 00:13:51,733 --> 00:13:54,333 -Finding the pots is an encouraging sign 224 00:13:54,333 --> 00:13:56,233 that they're digging at the right level. 225 00:13:58,966 --> 00:14:01,933 -And you see the charcoal. They have the charcoal everywhere. 226 00:14:01,933 --> 00:14:03,800 -There is a lot of charcoal, 227 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:05,333 so it means that people lived on this level. 228 00:14:05,333 --> 00:14:06,833 There is a lot of things now. 229 00:14:06,833 --> 00:14:08,800 Before they found nothing, nothing, nothing, 230 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:13,166 and now we have the level where people live. 231 00:14:13,166 --> 00:14:17,500 With all the charcoal, it means that maybe it's a cooking area. 232 00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:22,233 ♪♪ 233 00:14:22,233 --> 00:14:25,533 -As the team digs down further... 234 00:14:25,533 --> 00:14:27,666 -Oh, I see something here. 235 00:14:27,666 --> 00:14:29,900 -...they make a startling discovery, 236 00:14:29,900 --> 00:14:32,600 revealing the wealth of this ancient site. 237 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,066 -Here it's yellow, yellow. 238 00:14:35,066 --> 00:14:39,000 -Unearthing the two pots now pales in importance. 239 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,166 -It's quite the middle of the hiding place. 240 00:14:43,133 --> 00:14:46,833 -The team's incredible find is unlike anything ever seen 241 00:14:46,833 --> 00:14:50,400 before in the history of archaeology in Southeast Asia. 242 00:14:53,833 --> 00:14:57,733 Nine exquisitely crafted gold lotus flowers lie 243 00:14:57,733 --> 00:14:59,866 beneath the bricks they've unearthed. 244 00:15:01,966 --> 00:15:04,100 -It is unique because 245 00:15:04,100 --> 00:15:08,900 it is the most earlier pre-Angkorian period we have. 246 00:15:08,900 --> 00:15:12,733 On all the area of Vat Phou, it's the first time 247 00:15:12,733 --> 00:15:15,833 that we found some kind of thing like this. 248 00:15:17,666 --> 00:15:20,366 It's very, very fragile because it's very thin. 249 00:15:20,366 --> 00:15:23,133 Gold leaves is very thin, you see? 250 00:15:23,133 --> 00:15:24,833 Less than one millimeter. 251 00:15:24,833 --> 00:15:27,033 We have to keep it very carefully. 252 00:15:27,033 --> 00:15:28,633 -Is it a lotus? 253 00:15:28,633 --> 00:15:30,533 -I think it's a lotus flower, yeah. 254 00:15:31,833 --> 00:15:34,066 -In Buddhist symbolism, 255 00:15:34,066 --> 00:15:37,533 the lotus represents purity of the mind, body, and speech. 256 00:15:40,166 --> 00:15:42,300 But lotus petals made of gold 257 00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:44,933 aren't the only man-made objects here. 258 00:15:44,933 --> 00:15:50,233 -Also, we found, close to the flower, a belly button. 259 00:15:52,066 --> 00:15:54,400 -These terra-cotta belly button ornaments were 260 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,800 an important symbol for Buddhists 261 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,600 and represented the main energy center of the body. 262 00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:04,066 -It means the middle, most important part. 263 00:16:04,066 --> 00:16:06,300 -Yeah, yeah, the most -- the most important part. 264 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:09,900 -It was like this. -Yeah. 265 00:16:09,900 --> 00:16:15,033 -And the flower was quite close to this, 266 00:16:15,033 --> 00:16:17,166 and the other flower everywhere like this. 267 00:16:19,366 --> 00:16:21,600 -The discovery of Buddhist artifacts here 268 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:23,833 provides a snapshot of Khmer life 269 00:16:23,833 --> 00:16:26,466 in Kurukshetra in the centuries 270 00:16:26,466 --> 00:16:30,100 before the great Hindu city of Angkor was founded. 271 00:16:32,633 --> 00:16:36,266 -So, in that time it seems that Buddhism and Hinduism 272 00:16:36,266 --> 00:16:39,633 can be close to each other without fighting 273 00:16:39,633 --> 00:16:43,666 and without nothing problematic between the two religions. 274 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:47,533 -The suggestion that Buddhists and Hindus 275 00:16:47,533 --> 00:16:52,400 lived together harmoniously can also be seen on the golden box, 276 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,300 which features iconography from both religions. 277 00:16:56,666 --> 00:17:00,400 The golden lotus flowers, the oldest ever found, 278 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:02,733 are further evidence that this region is 279 00:17:02,733 --> 00:17:04,866 where the treasure could have originated. 280 00:17:08,566 --> 00:17:12,400 But there's still more to uncover 281 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,900 because the team quickly realizes the lotus flowers are 282 00:17:15,900 --> 00:17:21,100 merely a decorative covering for what lies beneath: 283 00:17:21,100 --> 00:17:23,466 cremated human remains. 284 00:17:24,933 --> 00:17:28,666 -I am sure that it is cremated bones because bones un-cremated 285 00:17:28,666 --> 00:17:31,433 and bones cremated are totally different. 286 00:17:32,500 --> 00:17:34,100 It's the first time 287 00:17:34,100 --> 00:17:37,733 for us to find bones and gold deposit 288 00:17:37,733 --> 00:17:41,666 in the middle of this kind of place. 289 00:17:42,466 --> 00:17:44,833 -Given the volume of bone fragments, 290 00:17:44,833 --> 00:17:47,633 it would seem that only half of a cremated body 291 00:17:47,633 --> 00:17:49,700 was interred here. 292 00:17:49,700 --> 00:17:52,866 -If you burn a body, there is more bones than this, 293 00:17:52,866 --> 00:17:54,500 so maybe it's only one part. 294 00:17:55,666 --> 00:17:58,800 And maybe the other part of the bones in the Mekong River 295 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,366 because the Mekong River is also a sacred river. 296 00:18:05,266 --> 00:18:07,300 -The practice of cremation 297 00:18:07,300 --> 00:18:10,300 and the impact of the region's hot, humid climate 298 00:18:10,300 --> 00:18:12,133 and its acidic soil 299 00:18:12,133 --> 00:18:14,833 mean that few ancient human remains have 300 00:18:14,833 --> 00:18:16,666 ever been found in the area. 301 00:18:18,100 --> 00:18:20,000 According to Christine, 302 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,333 these are the oldest bones ever discovered from the Khmer era. 303 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,133 And the golden petals placed on top 304 00:18:29,133 --> 00:18:31,766 suggest who this person might have been. 305 00:18:33,433 --> 00:18:37,400 -They want to give more importance to these bones. 306 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,700 Otherwise they will not put gold on those bones. 307 00:18:40,700 --> 00:18:42,733 So, this is very interesting. 308 00:18:42,733 --> 00:18:45,200 Maybe it was a king? 309 00:18:46,633 --> 00:18:48,600 -The team's growing understanding of 310 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,233 the site's layout supports their theory 311 00:18:51,233 --> 00:18:53,700 that the remains could be royal. 312 00:18:54,766 --> 00:18:57,466 -If what I think is correct, 313 00:18:57,466 --> 00:19:00,400 that the big building was a palace, 314 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,900 you have a funerary area, and it could be the place 315 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:07,700 where they put the king after dying. 316 00:19:08,900 --> 00:19:13,033 And that's why they put also gold leaves on the bones, 317 00:19:13,033 --> 00:19:16,300 to never forget that it was a very important person. 318 00:19:17,333 --> 00:19:20,066 -It's an incredible thought. 319 00:19:20,066 --> 00:19:24,666 The remains discovered here could be an early Khmer king. 320 00:19:28,300 --> 00:19:30,533 Christine believes the find could date 321 00:19:30,533 --> 00:19:34,600 from as early as 450 A.D., 322 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:39,866 200 to 300 years before the treasure was likely made 323 00:19:39,866 --> 00:19:41,933 and about 700 years 324 00:19:41,933 --> 00:19:44,866 before the Khmer empire reached its peak in Angkor. 325 00:19:47,100 --> 00:19:48,900 The discovery of gold 326 00:19:48,900 --> 00:19:51,466 and the possible remains of royalty 327 00:19:51,466 --> 00:19:54,800 provides further evidence this was once a place 328 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:57,733 of significant wealth and power. 329 00:19:57,733 --> 00:19:59,666 Could this be the kind of place 330 00:19:59,666 --> 00:20:02,066 where the treasure might once have belonged? 331 00:20:04,866 --> 00:20:07,100 There were few places in the Khmer empire 332 00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:09,133 with the resources to craft the type of 333 00:20:09,133 --> 00:20:11,966 elaborate objects found in the treasure. 334 00:20:13,833 --> 00:20:16,566 Determining the exact composition of the metals 335 00:20:16,566 --> 00:20:20,400 used to make these items might help to reveal exactly 336 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:24,000 where the raw materials came from, a critical clue 337 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,800 in piecing together the origins of the treasure. 338 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,733 -Here comes the masterpiece. 339 00:20:29,733 --> 00:20:33,100 -David Bourgarit is an archaeometallurgist, 340 00:20:33,100 --> 00:20:37,300 an expert in ancient metal-making techniques. 341 00:20:37,300 --> 00:20:40,100 He will examine the box in hopes of determining 342 00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:42,266 what it's made of. 343 00:20:42,266 --> 00:20:44,400 -So, you see a very high relief, 344 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,466 which is nearly three-dimensional here. 345 00:20:46,466 --> 00:20:50,000 This is really something special. 346 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,766 And we find it also on the kendi. 347 00:20:54,133 --> 00:20:57,533 -And Barbara has a new theory to share. 348 00:20:57,533 --> 00:20:59,366 The archaeologist originally assumed 349 00:20:59,366 --> 00:21:02,333 the box was made of solid gold. 350 00:21:02,333 --> 00:21:04,966 But now, she isn't so sure. 351 00:21:04,966 --> 00:21:09,733 -In the first look, I thought this must be plain gold. 352 00:21:09,733 --> 00:21:13,966 But now I'm wondering if it's made of gilded silver. 353 00:21:13,966 --> 00:21:17,133 And so, it would be very good if you could show us 354 00:21:17,133 --> 00:21:22,233 that this also is gilded or the contrary. 355 00:21:22,233 --> 00:21:25,766 -Gilding is a technique by which a thin layer of gold 356 00:21:25,766 --> 00:21:29,233 is coated onto another surface, usually another metal. 357 00:21:30,833 --> 00:21:34,366 David has special tools that will offer preliminary insight 358 00:21:34,366 --> 00:21:36,500 into the composition of the box. 359 00:21:36,500 --> 00:21:39,900 -So, I have the light here and I have also a camera, 360 00:21:39,900 --> 00:21:45,266 which enables me to focus on the place I want to be. 361 00:21:45,266 --> 00:21:48,300 -The X-ray fluorescence scanner analyzes the makeup 362 00:21:48,300 --> 00:21:52,800 of an object, creating an elemental fingerprint. 363 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,900 And the results suggest that the box's appearance is misleading. 364 00:21:57,833 --> 00:22:00,400 -So yes, there's a lot of silver, 365 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,200 which shows that this cannot be gold. 366 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,300 So, we have one answer. 367 00:22:08,900 --> 00:22:12,033 -But David's X-ray scanner has limitations. 368 00:22:13,433 --> 00:22:16,500 -The apparatus we have is not able to distinguish 369 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:22,833 between a mass of gold, solid gold, and gilded silver, 370 00:22:22,833 --> 00:22:24,733 a layer of gold on silver. 371 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,666 -For clarity, the team now turns to 3-D scanning. 372 00:22:31,833 --> 00:22:35,200 By precisely measuring the dimensions of the box, 373 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,166 they can calculate its volume. 374 00:22:38,566 --> 00:22:40,100 Knowing the volume 375 00:22:40,100 --> 00:22:42,633 allows them to estimate what its weight should be 376 00:22:42,633 --> 00:22:46,633 if it's solid gold, one of the heaviest precious metals. 377 00:22:48,066 --> 00:22:51,700 It quickly becomes clear that it's not heavy enough. 378 00:22:53,333 --> 00:22:56,066 It seems that Barbara's hunch is correct. 379 00:22:56,066 --> 00:22:58,366 The box is not pure gold. 380 00:23:00,233 --> 00:23:02,333 -Because of the volume and the weight, 381 00:23:02,333 --> 00:23:07,366 it can only be made of silver, silver with a gilded layer. 382 00:23:07,366 --> 00:23:09,200 But the gold layer is so thin 383 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,433 that it does not impact the total weight. 384 00:23:12,433 --> 00:23:14,433 So yes, that's where we arrived to. 385 00:23:14,433 --> 00:23:18,033 -So, your hypothesis was good, so it is -- 386 00:23:18,033 --> 00:23:21,700 so it looks like gilded silver. -Well, it's what we expected. 387 00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:27,133 But as the cover is so well gilded, 388 00:23:27,133 --> 00:23:30,900 at the first look it seemed to be gold, yeah. 389 00:23:32,366 --> 00:23:37,066 -The next step is to find out where the metals were mined. 390 00:23:37,066 --> 00:23:39,366 Silver is abundant in Asia, 391 00:23:39,366 --> 00:23:43,100 making it hard to pinpoint where it was extracted. 392 00:23:43,100 --> 00:23:48,366 But gold is rare and can have distinguishing characteristics. 393 00:23:48,366 --> 00:23:52,066 Could the precious metal have come from the Vat Phou area, 394 00:23:52,066 --> 00:23:54,466 where the team thinks the treasure might have been made? 395 00:23:54,466 --> 00:23:58,833 ♪♪ 396 00:23:58,833 --> 00:24:02,233 Gold comes in many shades of yellow. 397 00:24:02,233 --> 00:24:04,166 To an experienced eye, 398 00:24:04,166 --> 00:24:08,666 those shades are clues to where the gold was mined. 399 00:24:08,666 --> 00:24:12,700 Pasitsay Syphakdy is a local goldsmith. 400 00:24:12,700 --> 00:24:16,600 After studying the box, he gives the team his opinion. 401 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,533 -[ Speaking foreign language ] 402 00:24:20,533 --> 00:24:26,033 -According to his experience, this gold may belong to Attapeu, 403 00:24:26,033 --> 00:24:28,866 one province in the south of Laos. 404 00:24:30,733 --> 00:24:34,133 -Attapeu Province is located in southern Laos, 405 00:24:34,133 --> 00:24:36,500 about 25 miles from Vat Phou. 406 00:24:38,733 --> 00:24:41,566 People still pan for gold there today. 407 00:24:45,266 --> 00:24:47,766 The use of Attapeu gold on the box 408 00:24:47,766 --> 00:24:51,666 is the strongest suggestion so far that major artifacts 409 00:24:51,666 --> 00:24:53,666 in the treasure might have come from the area 410 00:24:53,666 --> 00:24:57,833 around the important temple site of Vat Phou. 411 00:24:57,833 --> 00:25:00,466 Could the same source of gold have been used for 412 00:25:00,466 --> 00:25:03,166 both the box and the kendi? 413 00:25:03,166 --> 00:25:06,733 [ Conversing in foreign language ] 414 00:25:06,733 --> 00:25:13,733 -So, he says that the color, the composition of this kendi, 415 00:25:13,733 --> 00:25:16,966 it's exactly the same as the box. 416 00:25:16,966 --> 00:25:20,500 -So, this is the type of gold from Attapeu region? 417 00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:24,433 -Yes, according to his expertise. 418 00:25:24,433 --> 00:25:29,600 ♪♪ 419 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,266 -Knowing the gold came from near Vat Phou 420 00:25:32,266 --> 00:25:34,066 supports the team's theory 421 00:25:34,066 --> 00:25:36,066 that items in the treasure collection 422 00:25:36,066 --> 00:25:38,400 were made to be used at the temple. 423 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:43,533 ♪♪ 424 00:25:43,533 --> 00:25:45,500 And other items in the collection appear 425 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:47,400 as though they might also have been used 426 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,233 in religious ceremonies. 427 00:25:51,533 --> 00:25:55,033 The ornate candlesticks are a case in point. 428 00:25:55,033 --> 00:26:01,066 ♪♪ 429 00:26:01,066 --> 00:26:04,733 -The candlesticks, there are two major parts that we know. 430 00:26:04,733 --> 00:26:07,000 By the rivet holes on the upper part, 431 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,300 there must have been something still fixed on it, 432 00:26:10,300 --> 00:26:13,033 which we didn't find in the treasure. 433 00:26:13,033 --> 00:26:16,733 So I think there must've been some shallow bowl on it, 434 00:26:16,733 --> 00:26:20,633 fixed, and most probably for burning incense. 435 00:26:20,633 --> 00:26:23,800 -And what is interesting is that it is lotus petal. 436 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,000 -Mm-hmm. 437 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:30,733 -And usually, lotus petal is used for religious purpose. 438 00:26:30,733 --> 00:26:32,933 -It's for offering or...? 439 00:26:32,933 --> 00:26:39,533 -Yeah, you can find this kind of design on the temples. 440 00:26:39,533 --> 00:26:41,933 -The team is confident that objects like these 441 00:26:41,933 --> 00:26:43,766 would not have been out of place 442 00:26:43,766 --> 00:26:45,300 somewhere like the temple of Vat Phou. 443 00:26:48,766 --> 00:26:52,233 But why did the Khmer build a temple there? 444 00:26:52,233 --> 00:26:54,566 Inscriptions on a stone stele reveal 445 00:26:54,566 --> 00:26:57,933 that this temple remained important to the Khmer kings 446 00:26:57,933 --> 00:27:01,733 long after the decline of nearby Kurukshetra 447 00:27:01,733 --> 00:27:06,666 and the establishment of a new capital in Angkor to the south. 448 00:27:06,666 --> 00:27:09,900 Why was this temple site at the foot of Mt. Phu Kao 449 00:27:09,900 --> 00:27:12,533 so important to the Angkor kings? 450 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,733 Christophe and David Bazin are heading into the countryside 451 00:27:18,733 --> 00:27:21,000 to search for evidence of a lost highway 452 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,066 that stretched between Angkor and Vat Phou, 453 00:27:24,066 --> 00:27:27,366 mentioned in ancient inscriptions. 454 00:27:27,366 --> 00:27:30,700 Understanding the connections between these great sites 455 00:27:30,700 --> 00:27:34,766 could explain why Khmer leaders valued this area so highly 456 00:27:34,766 --> 00:27:38,200 and may shed new light on the links between these kings 457 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:39,666 and the treasure itself. 458 00:27:39,666 --> 00:27:42,666 -So, here we go on the left. 459 00:27:42,666 --> 00:27:44,933 -The archaeologists use satellite signals 460 00:27:44,933 --> 00:27:49,500 to align their current location with data from the LIDAR map. 461 00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:52,933 -I switch from satellite to LIDAR. 462 00:27:52,933 --> 00:27:55,933 We have 300, 400 meters to go. 463 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:58,833 We are more or less on it. 464 00:28:01,866 --> 00:28:03,833 -Leaving the car behind, 465 00:28:03,833 --> 00:28:06,333 they take to footpaths across the fields. 466 00:28:09,033 --> 00:28:10,866 At ground level, there's nothing 467 00:28:10,866 --> 00:28:13,300 to suggest this place might once have been 468 00:28:13,300 --> 00:28:14,866 a significant location. 469 00:28:18,466 --> 00:28:21,533 But laying the LIDAR data over the modern landscape... 470 00:28:23,833 --> 00:28:26,400 ...provides an astonishingly different view. 471 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:33,166 Christophe and David's footpath is no ordinary footpath. 472 00:28:35,633 --> 00:28:40,700 From Vat Phou, it stretches away to the southwest 473 00:28:40,700 --> 00:28:44,333 and continues on for 180 miles. 474 00:28:45,900 --> 00:28:50,100 A vast highway, leading all the way to Angkor, 475 00:28:50,100 --> 00:28:52,333 just as the inscriptions described. 476 00:28:54,066 --> 00:28:58,200 -It is strange how this road looks amazing 477 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,633 on the LIDAR itself. 478 00:29:00,633 --> 00:29:04,800 But on the ground, there looks like nothing. 479 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:09,566 -Inscriptions describe 480 00:29:09,566 --> 00:29:14,700 how this ancient highway was once a major trade route 481 00:29:14,700 --> 00:29:17,900 with raw gold from Attapeu being transported 482 00:29:17,900 --> 00:29:20,333 from Vat Phou to Angkor. 483 00:29:22,900 --> 00:29:26,533 -The road was linking settlements, was linking cities, 484 00:29:26,533 --> 00:29:31,700 and also other types of shrines, settlements, probably hamlets, 485 00:29:31,700 --> 00:29:34,400 built along the road. 486 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,733 -The original road surface is long gone, 487 00:29:37,733 --> 00:29:40,266 but evidence of this vibrant lost world 488 00:29:40,266 --> 00:29:43,466 can sometimes be found in what is now farmland. 489 00:29:44,766 --> 00:29:46,266 -Oui, une ceramics. 490 00:29:47,500 --> 00:29:50,300 -Yeah, so it's a ring. 491 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:58,333 -So, I will mark GPS point, 1637. 492 00:29:58,333 --> 00:30:01,100 -Yay, it may be a roof tile. 493 00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:07,066 Oh, yeah, that's great, the top part of a bottle. 494 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:13,200 -This is very nice. 495 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:15,100 -Uh, can't you find a bigger one? 496 00:30:15,100 --> 00:30:16,533 [ Laughs ] 497 00:30:16,533 --> 00:30:18,800 Wow, that's a nice one, 498 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,166 this beautiful design 499 00:30:21,166 --> 00:30:25,366 that's on the neck of a round bottle like this. 500 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:31,666 With nice decorative motifs here, with vertical lines. 501 00:30:31,666 --> 00:30:34,100 It's very diverse, huh? Good, good, good. 502 00:30:34,100 --> 00:30:35,233 Ey, regarde! 503 00:30:35,233 --> 00:30:37,766 That's the antefix 504 00:30:37,766 --> 00:30:42,566 on the edge of the roof, with lotus petal, 505 00:30:42,566 --> 00:30:45,300 with different flames around. 506 00:30:45,300 --> 00:30:49,133 So, that's what's making the rim of the roof quite beautiful. 507 00:30:49,133 --> 00:30:51,566 -The lotus leaf design on the tile 508 00:30:51,566 --> 00:30:53,300 suggests it could date from the time 509 00:30:53,300 --> 00:30:55,233 when Angkor was flourishing. 510 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,800 But this was much more than just a bustling trade route. 511 00:31:06,100 --> 00:31:10,700 The LIDAR scans show that the highway was 30 feet wide, 512 00:31:10,700 --> 00:31:13,666 far bigger than needed for simply moving goods. 513 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:18,833 Inscriptions record that this was a royal highway, 514 00:31:18,833 --> 00:31:20,400 made for kings. 515 00:31:22,166 --> 00:31:25,233 -Why do kings travel through their kingdom? 516 00:31:25,233 --> 00:31:27,066 Just to show that they are the kings. 517 00:31:29,033 --> 00:31:32,400 It is important to go through their own kingdom 518 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:36,233 to venerate the people, to show also their power. 519 00:31:38,466 --> 00:31:41,066 -But flaunting their power wasn't the only reason 520 00:31:41,066 --> 00:31:44,066 for the kings to go to the great temple site of Vat Phou. 521 00:31:47,900 --> 00:31:49,833 Looking toward Vat Phou, 522 00:31:49,833 --> 00:31:53,200 and once again using the LIDAR map to position themselves, 523 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:54,966 Christophe and David 524 00:31:54,966 --> 00:31:58,333 can see why the kings traveled this carefully planned road. 525 00:32:00,566 --> 00:32:04,200 -If we just take some steps aside, 526 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,800 we can really see the -- this alignment. 527 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:11,666 -There ahead, greeting any traveler from the southwest 528 00:32:11,666 --> 00:32:14,033 on this last section of the highway 529 00:32:14,033 --> 00:32:19,000 and towering over Vat Phou is the sacred mountain of Phu Kao. 530 00:32:20,566 --> 00:32:25,033 Inscriptions state how gold was moved from Vat Phou to Angkor. 531 00:32:25,033 --> 00:32:27,566 But heading the other way on this grand highway 532 00:32:27,566 --> 00:32:31,733 were Angkor's great Hindu kings. 533 00:32:31,733 --> 00:32:34,533 And this mountain was the reason they came. 534 00:32:37,966 --> 00:32:41,466 It is no accident that the Hindu temple site of Vat Phou, 535 00:32:41,466 --> 00:32:44,033 constructed over many centuries, 536 00:32:44,033 --> 00:32:46,833 is located at the foot of Mt. Phu Kao. 537 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,633 Hinduism and Buddhism 538 00:32:50,633 --> 00:32:54,033 had long coexisted throughout the region. 539 00:32:54,033 --> 00:32:57,666 But Hinduism was the predominant religion, 540 00:32:57,666 --> 00:33:00,966 with the god Shiva considered the supreme being, 541 00:33:00,966 --> 00:33:02,933 as seen on the temple's walls. 542 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,900 Devotees worshipped phallic-shaped objects called 543 00:33:08,900 --> 00:33:13,066 lingas, earthly representations of Shiva himself. 544 00:33:14,933 --> 00:33:18,033 The most sacred lingas weren't man-made. 545 00:33:19,766 --> 00:33:22,566 They occurred naturally, in the landscape. 546 00:33:23,933 --> 00:33:26,000 And Mt. Phu Kao, 547 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,566 topped with a natural 60-foot sandstone pinnacle, 548 00:33:29,566 --> 00:33:31,900 was the most sacred linga of all. 549 00:33:34,733 --> 00:33:38,866 Hindus believed it was the home of Shiva. 550 00:33:38,866 --> 00:33:42,933 The temple of Vat Phou and the neighboring city of Kurukshetra 551 00:33:42,933 --> 00:33:46,833 were built in its sacred shadow, hundreds of years 552 00:33:46,833 --> 00:33:48,500 before the treasure was made. 553 00:33:48,500 --> 00:33:53,800 ♪♪ 554 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:58,866 From the 9th century on, the Khmer empire expanded, 555 00:33:58,866 --> 00:34:01,166 with the great temple of Angkor Wat 556 00:34:01,166 --> 00:34:04,333 constructed in the city of Angkor in the 12th century. 557 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,366 Inscriptions reveal that the kings of distant Angkor 558 00:34:10,366 --> 00:34:13,800 would continue to travel the highway to the Vat Phou temple, 559 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,933 despite the neighboring city of Kurukshetra's decline. 560 00:34:21,666 --> 00:34:25,966 A royal procession of this size must have been a stunning sight. 561 00:34:27,833 --> 00:34:30,666 -Depicted on one beautiful bas relief in Angkor Wat, 562 00:34:30,666 --> 00:34:32,733 we see, actually, cavalries, 563 00:34:32,733 --> 00:34:36,666 we see generals, the troops, the priests, 564 00:34:36,666 --> 00:34:41,500 musicians, the king, his guards, his courtesans, 565 00:34:41,500 --> 00:34:44,200 and the princess and all the rest. 566 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:46,433 And so it's a very long procession. 567 00:34:46,433 --> 00:34:48,266 It would've been quite spectacular. 568 00:34:51,100 --> 00:34:54,033 -A huge investment of resources would have been required 569 00:34:54,033 --> 00:34:56,800 to make a royal pilgrimage of this size happen. 570 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:01,333 ♪♪ 571 00:35:01,333 --> 00:35:04,400 Evidence of the Khmer kings' devotion to Vat Phou. 572 00:35:07,033 --> 00:35:10,200 And there are similarities between the buildings in Angkor 573 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:11,733 and those at Vat Phou. 574 00:35:11,733 --> 00:35:16,000 ♪♪ 575 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,566 Some of the most impressive ones still standing here at Vat Phou 576 00:35:19,566 --> 00:35:21,400 were commissioned by the same king 577 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,433 responsible for Angkor Wat in the 12th century. 578 00:35:27,133 --> 00:35:31,100 And earlier Khmer kings also made significant offerings. 579 00:35:33,733 --> 00:35:36,066 Structures that predate the rise of Angkor 580 00:35:36,066 --> 00:35:38,533 can be found across the site, 581 00:35:38,533 --> 00:35:40,766 including ones built at the same time 582 00:35:40,766 --> 00:35:42,700 the treasure is believed to have been made. 583 00:35:44,533 --> 00:35:48,100 And the team's analysis of the treasure itself reveals 584 00:35:48,100 --> 00:35:52,000 how lavish and varied royal gifts to a temple could be. 585 00:35:53,266 --> 00:35:55,400 -So, Dominique, 586 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,166 I will show you something very interesting for you, 587 00:35:58,166 --> 00:36:02,266 and beautiful and one of the major pieces of the treasure. 588 00:36:02,266 --> 00:36:03,333 Look. 589 00:36:05,100 --> 00:36:09,400 As you can see, it is the shape of a boat, 590 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:11,600 and you see there is a beautiful inscription. 591 00:36:13,033 --> 00:36:18,366 -Dominique Soutif is an expert in ancient inscriptions. 592 00:36:18,366 --> 00:36:21,233 To decipher the words on the fragile bowl, 593 00:36:21,233 --> 00:36:23,433 he makes a mold of the inscription 594 00:36:23,433 --> 00:36:27,766 by easing damp rice paper into the delicate relief of the text. 595 00:36:29,366 --> 00:36:31,233 -Actually, it's a bit like when you're a kid 596 00:36:31,233 --> 00:36:35,533 and you put some pencil on a coin. 597 00:36:35,533 --> 00:36:38,466 -Adding ink onto the damp paper 598 00:36:38,466 --> 00:36:41,866 creates a highly accurate copy of the inscription. 599 00:36:41,866 --> 00:36:46,200 -You want another piece? -Let's see if it works or not. 600 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:48,766 -It's a long and delicate process. 601 00:36:52,233 --> 00:36:55,633 But finally, the meaning of the inscription is revealed. 602 00:36:56,566 --> 00:37:03,266 -The silver vessel mentions a large donation of vases, 603 00:37:03,266 --> 00:37:07,100 lands, and everything you need for the temple. 604 00:37:08,133 --> 00:37:11,300 -The detail of the list is astounding. 605 00:37:11,300 --> 00:37:15,466 Gardens, male and female slaves, 606 00:37:15,466 --> 00:37:18,600 fields and shapely lambs, 607 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:21,000 and dishes for the daily worship of Shiva. 608 00:37:21,966 --> 00:37:27,933 -It's a list of objects which were given to this god. 609 00:37:27,933 --> 00:37:31,166 It's a big royal donation made by a king. 610 00:37:33,066 --> 00:37:36,066 This donation was incredibly generous. 611 00:37:37,866 --> 00:37:40,200 -The discovery that the silver bowl lists 612 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:44,466 royal offerings to a temple is of enormous significance. 613 00:37:46,133 --> 00:37:47,633 The team now believes 614 00:37:47,633 --> 00:37:49,733 that other objects may once have served 615 00:37:49,733 --> 00:37:51,200 a religious purpose as well. 616 00:37:53,333 --> 00:37:55,100 -Because the inscription proves 617 00:37:55,100 --> 00:37:58,233 that they are directly dedicated to gods, 618 00:37:58,233 --> 00:38:01,900 we can be sure that all the objects of the treasure 619 00:38:01,900 --> 00:38:04,833 were coming from sacred temples. 620 00:38:07,666 --> 00:38:09,433 -But if the treasure collection itself 621 00:38:09,433 --> 00:38:11,666 was a royal gift to a temple, 622 00:38:11,666 --> 00:38:14,300 was it used in religious ceremonies? 623 00:38:16,566 --> 00:38:20,500 Dominique explains the rituals performed in Khmer temples. 624 00:38:21,733 --> 00:38:27,900 -This daily ritual for a god is comparable 625 00:38:27,900 --> 00:38:29,900 to the service of a king. 626 00:38:29,900 --> 00:38:31,633 You are offering to the god 627 00:38:31,633 --> 00:38:36,666 exactly what you would do for -- to the king in his palace. 628 00:38:36,666 --> 00:38:41,033 And you have to wake him up, to bathe him, 629 00:38:41,033 --> 00:38:45,633 to offer him food, incense, and to sing for him, 630 00:38:45,633 --> 00:38:47,900 to dance for him, and so on. 631 00:38:49,500 --> 00:38:52,266 -The god, represented by a linga housed 632 00:38:52,266 --> 00:38:54,233 in the central sanctuary of the temple, 633 00:38:54,233 --> 00:38:57,200 would have been tended to by high priests. 634 00:38:59,366 --> 00:39:01,400 The treasure could have played a key role 635 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,066 in these sacred rituals. 636 00:39:04,066 --> 00:39:07,000 -With the treasure that has been discovered, 637 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:14,033 there are at least four objects which were offered to gods. 638 00:39:15,500 --> 00:39:21,366 The boxes were probably used to store incense. 639 00:39:21,366 --> 00:39:24,500 The plates were dedicated to serve food. 640 00:39:25,733 --> 00:39:28,000 The kendi, probably for the bath. 641 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:32,733 -Bathing the god in the central sanctuary 642 00:39:32,733 --> 00:39:34,833 would have been one of the most significant parts 643 00:39:34,833 --> 00:39:37,966 of the ritual, 644 00:39:37,966 --> 00:39:41,333 one which required the most exquisite objects. 645 00:39:43,266 --> 00:39:48,266 -The kendi is a very rare discovery in gold. 646 00:39:48,266 --> 00:39:52,933 I think the only one which has ever been discovered 647 00:39:52,933 --> 00:39:55,466 for the pre-Angkorian period. 648 00:39:55,466 --> 00:39:58,666 This is quite exceptional, actually. 649 00:39:58,666 --> 00:40:01,766 It was probably used to pour water, 650 00:40:01,766 --> 00:40:05,300 especially if it's for the bath of the god. 651 00:40:07,900 --> 00:40:11,566 -In Khmer mythology, water was sacred, 652 00:40:11,566 --> 00:40:14,166 and rainwater falling on the natural linga 653 00:40:14,166 --> 00:40:18,200 at Mt. Phu Kao was considered the most sacred of all. 654 00:40:20,433 --> 00:40:24,033 It flowed down the mountainside to a holy spring, 655 00:40:24,033 --> 00:40:27,166 where the Vat Phou temple complex was constructed. 656 00:40:29,866 --> 00:40:32,233 Christine is exploring the site to see 657 00:40:32,233 --> 00:40:34,866 how these sacred waters were channeled right through 658 00:40:34,866 --> 00:40:36,200 the temple. 659 00:40:39,266 --> 00:40:42,166 Archaeology has shown that the Khmer people were masters 660 00:40:42,166 --> 00:40:45,266 of hydraulic engineering. 661 00:40:45,266 --> 00:40:49,000 An elaborate network of pipes once existed here, 662 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,633 channeling water down the mountainside 663 00:40:51,633 --> 00:40:53,933 and into the temple itself. 664 00:40:53,933 --> 00:40:56,400 -They take the water... -Uh-huh. 665 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:59,033 -...and from here to this entrance... 666 00:40:59,033 --> 00:41:01,300 -Through the...? -...through the hole... 667 00:41:01,300 --> 00:41:03,133 -Uh-huh. 668 00:41:03,133 --> 00:41:06,666 -The channel on some column was going down, 669 00:41:06,666 --> 00:41:09,766 to go inside the temple, the brick temple, 670 00:41:09,766 --> 00:41:11,866 and bathe the linga of Shiva. 671 00:41:11,866 --> 00:41:13,800 -Uh-huh. -Permanently. 672 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:15,700 And this spring is very holy 673 00:41:15,700 --> 00:41:18,433 because it's coming from the top of the mountain, 674 00:41:18,433 --> 00:41:21,333 where Shiva is sitting and meditating. 675 00:41:21,333 --> 00:41:26,933 ♪♪ 676 00:41:26,933 --> 00:41:29,166 Come, Souliya. I would like to show you 677 00:41:29,166 --> 00:41:32,466 the main place of the sanctuary. 678 00:41:32,466 --> 00:41:35,066 It was on this brick area 679 00:41:35,066 --> 00:41:39,266 that the main linga of the Shiva was. 680 00:41:39,266 --> 00:41:42,833 From the sacred spring coming from the top of the mountain... 681 00:41:42,833 --> 00:41:45,233 -Yeah, yeah. -...the water was coming 682 00:41:45,233 --> 00:41:48,266 by some channel in sandstone, 683 00:41:48,266 --> 00:41:53,200 from the spring until here and going... 684 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:55,566 -Through this? -...through the wall 685 00:41:55,566 --> 00:41:59,733 on this way to bathe Shiva permanently 686 00:41:59,733 --> 00:42:02,566 by the holy water of the spring. 687 00:42:04,533 --> 00:42:07,833 -The exquisite golden kendi could have been used 688 00:42:07,833 --> 00:42:10,300 in these sacred ceremonies, 689 00:42:10,300 --> 00:42:12,966 possibly in the presence of the king himself. 690 00:42:16,366 --> 00:42:20,666 -Arriving on the main access to the Vat Phou temple, 691 00:42:20,666 --> 00:42:24,333 we can imagine that the king or high dignitaries 692 00:42:24,333 --> 00:42:27,500 were visiting the main temple 693 00:42:27,500 --> 00:42:29,900 and honoring the god inside the temple. 694 00:42:31,966 --> 00:42:34,133 -But having arrived at the temple, 695 00:42:34,133 --> 00:42:38,200 would their journey have ended here 696 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,800 or could the kings have ascended the sacred mountain 697 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:43,266 to worship the holiest linga of all? 698 00:42:45,833 --> 00:42:48,833 Ancient writings suggest the kings of Kurukshetra 699 00:42:48,833 --> 00:42:52,333 might have done this, long before Angkor was founded. 700 00:42:55,366 --> 00:42:58,400 A Chinese text from around the 6th century 701 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:02,433 describes a temple to Shiva guarded by 1,000 soldiers 702 00:43:02,433 --> 00:43:03,766 at the summit of a mountain. 703 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:08,000 Is the text about Vat Phou? 704 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:11,000 ♪♪ 705 00:43:12,700 --> 00:43:16,666 [ Metal ringing ] 706 00:43:16,666 --> 00:43:19,433 Would climbing to the top of Mt. Phu Kao 707 00:43:19,433 --> 00:43:24,100 have been the most important journey a Khmer king could make? 708 00:43:24,100 --> 00:43:28,333 Devotion to Shiva was how kings justified their authority. 709 00:43:28,333 --> 00:43:31,600 -There is no doubt that people went there 710 00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:34,033 for worshiping in ancient times. 711 00:43:35,300 --> 00:43:36,800 -To find out more, 712 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:39,433 the team is preparing an ascent of their own. 713 00:43:42,333 --> 00:43:44,366 On their journey to the top, 714 00:43:44,366 --> 00:43:46,200 they will be searching for evidence 715 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:49,233 of religious ceremonies from the pre-Angkorian era. 716 00:43:51,866 --> 00:43:54,266 The climb will take two days. 717 00:43:56,866 --> 00:44:00,300 Even today, the mountain is considered sacred. 718 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:05,833 Access is restricted, with strict rules in place. 719 00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:12,466 Bad thoughts are not to be taken on the ascent. 720 00:44:12,466 --> 00:44:17,700 ♪♪ 721 00:44:17,700 --> 00:44:19,500 To assist their search, 722 00:44:19,500 --> 00:44:21,600 the archaeologists have LIDAR-scanned 723 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:24,300 the entire mountain for the very first time. 724 00:44:27,533 --> 00:44:30,800 But conquering the mountain will be no easy task. 725 00:44:33,533 --> 00:44:38,500 Mt. Phu Kao rises over 4,500 feet above sea level. 726 00:44:39,933 --> 00:44:43,366 Any unusual features appearing on the LIDAR scans 727 00:44:43,366 --> 00:44:46,066 will be explored by the team as they ascend. 728 00:44:46,066 --> 00:44:53,600 ♪♪ 729 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:56,500 Over time, landslides and erosion 730 00:44:56,500 --> 00:44:59,066 have buried sections of the mountain path. 731 00:45:01,466 --> 00:45:03,700 But this climb would never have been easy. 732 00:45:03,700 --> 00:45:08,400 ♪♪ 733 00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:10,400 Inscriptions from the time decree 734 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:14,466 that no one could be carried up the mountain. 735 00:45:14,466 --> 00:45:18,100 -That means everybody had to walk the same way we did. 736 00:45:18,100 --> 00:45:19,566 Kings, commoners -- 737 00:45:19,566 --> 00:45:21,600 Whoever actually had to come 738 00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:24,066 and worship the god on top of the mountain 739 00:45:24,066 --> 00:45:25,800 had to go that way. 740 00:45:25,800 --> 00:45:29,100 So, it's good to share that feeling in a way. 741 00:45:34,133 --> 00:45:35,966 -The meditative nature of climbing 742 00:45:35,966 --> 00:45:37,933 through this sacred landscape 743 00:45:37,933 --> 00:45:41,700 would have been part of the religious experience. 744 00:45:41,700 --> 00:45:44,100 -When you enter a sacred space, 745 00:45:44,100 --> 00:45:47,966 it's very important to have, like, good thoughts, 746 00:45:47,966 --> 00:45:51,066 being very focused on why you are doing this walk 747 00:45:51,066 --> 00:45:52,433 and where you want to go. 748 00:45:53,566 --> 00:45:55,233 -There are various inscriptions 749 00:45:55,233 --> 00:45:58,300 since the beginning of the Angkor and pre-Angkor period 750 00:45:58,300 --> 00:46:02,066 referring to the mountain as the presence of Shiva. 751 00:46:03,733 --> 00:46:05,566 But beyond, it's the whole mountain, 752 00:46:05,566 --> 00:46:09,333 which somehow is the god himself, 753 00:46:09,333 --> 00:46:11,333 and as such is a kind of a sanctuary. 754 00:46:11,333 --> 00:46:14,000 It's totally sacred, 755 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:18,600 and the inscription refers to that area as protected, 756 00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:20,766 like a kind of heaven 757 00:46:20,766 --> 00:46:24,466 where you can't hurt human beings or animals, 758 00:46:24,466 --> 00:46:29,600 where everybody should be somehow protected, 759 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:33,666 but where also you have to enter with a positive mind. 760 00:46:33,666 --> 00:46:37,900 ♪♪ 761 00:46:37,900 --> 00:46:39,933 -We cannot access to the top in one day. 762 00:46:39,933 --> 00:46:43,366 It's too difficult and we will use too much time 763 00:46:43,366 --> 00:46:46,266 because the final ascension, the final climbing, 764 00:46:46,266 --> 00:46:48,133 it's very difficult. 765 00:46:48,133 --> 00:46:54,166 So, we have a base camp at maybe two hours from the top. 766 00:46:54,166 --> 00:46:57,000 -Happy to stop walking for the day. 767 00:46:57,000 --> 00:47:01,733 -It was exhausting. [ Laughs ] It was really hot. 768 00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:06,033 -After a whole day of climbing through the jungle 769 00:47:06,033 --> 00:47:11,566 in extreme heat, the team has covered less than five miles. 770 00:47:11,566 --> 00:47:14,600 But they are just over 600 feet below the summit, 771 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:17,633 within striking distance of the holiest site 772 00:47:17,633 --> 00:47:19,833 in the Khmer world of the past. 773 00:47:23,633 --> 00:47:25,766 -Maybe we will understand more tomorrow 774 00:47:25,766 --> 00:47:28,133 about why the king needed to come here. 775 00:47:28,133 --> 00:47:43,133 ♪♪ 776 00:47:43,133 --> 00:47:46,033 -At first light, the team leaves camp. 777 00:47:47,766 --> 00:47:50,500 The sacred summit looms high above. 778 00:47:51,700 --> 00:47:53,566 -It's really beautiful, 779 00:47:53,566 --> 00:47:56,400 but it's going to be really steep at the end. 780 00:47:59,166 --> 00:48:01,100 -The jungle is now so dense, 781 00:48:01,100 --> 00:48:03,766 the LIDAR map is needed to safely plot 782 00:48:03,766 --> 00:48:05,133 the rest of the route. 783 00:48:05,133 --> 00:48:06,666 -We are just on the ridge here. 784 00:48:08,666 --> 00:48:10,633 We are going this way, 785 00:48:10,633 --> 00:48:13,766 and depending where the track will go, 786 00:48:13,766 --> 00:48:16,700 it may be interesting just to divert rapidly 787 00:48:16,700 --> 00:48:18,766 to see that stuff. 788 00:48:18,766 --> 00:48:22,066 -A shape on the screen has caught Christophe's eye. 789 00:48:22,066 --> 00:48:23,733 -Wow! -There is a depression here? 790 00:48:23,733 --> 00:48:27,166 -This is... -Yes, and where you want to see? 791 00:48:29,500 --> 00:48:31,866 -The structure looks man-made. 792 00:48:31,866 --> 00:48:36,233 -Yeah, it doesn't look like 793 00:48:36,233 --> 00:48:38,566 any natural thing we have seen before. 794 00:48:40,100 --> 00:48:44,466 -But the foliage is too dense to find anything at ground level. 795 00:48:44,466 --> 00:48:48,733 -Yeah, sure, it's very difficult sometimes under such vegetation 796 00:48:48,733 --> 00:48:51,133 to make sense of these kind of features. 797 00:48:53,100 --> 00:48:55,700 -A detailed archaeological investigation 798 00:48:55,700 --> 00:48:57,466 is needed to find out more. 799 00:48:59,766 --> 00:49:02,733 But the suggestion of human activity here 800 00:49:02,733 --> 00:49:05,200 means the team is on the right track. 801 00:49:05,200 --> 00:49:12,666 ♪♪ 802 00:49:12,666 --> 00:49:15,133 A final scramble takes them to the foot 803 00:49:15,133 --> 00:49:19,033 of the huge natural linga crowning the mountain. 804 00:49:19,033 --> 00:49:24,766 ♪♪ 805 00:49:24,766 --> 00:49:28,200 Finally, evidence of those who went before them. 806 00:49:31,366 --> 00:49:33,766 -The style of that linga suggests 807 00:49:33,766 --> 00:49:36,000 it's a pre-Angkorian one. 808 00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:39,000 Clearly people have been worshipping here -- priests, 809 00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:42,833 pilgrims -- and so why not the kings even -- 810 00:49:42,833 --> 00:49:45,366 even made the climb too? Why not? 811 00:49:47,100 --> 00:49:51,633 -Being in that sacred forest, that sacred mountain, 812 00:49:51,633 --> 00:49:53,300 it's something very touching. 813 00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:59,266 -On the sandstone wall of the linga itself, 814 00:49:59,266 --> 00:50:01,266 the team spots something 815 00:50:01,266 --> 00:50:03,700 that also appears on some objects in the treasure... 816 00:50:06,266 --> 00:50:07,900 Evidence of Buddhism. 817 00:50:09,100 --> 00:50:14,966 -You see the wheel here. It's a very common Buddhist symbol, 818 00:50:14,966 --> 00:50:19,466 which have been long found for thousands of years 819 00:50:19,466 --> 00:50:21,633 in Buddhist shrines. 820 00:50:21,633 --> 00:50:23,666 But what is really interesting is to see 821 00:50:23,666 --> 00:50:28,833 how this place remains sacred through different religions, 822 00:50:28,833 --> 00:50:31,900 by different pilgrims, worshipping different gods. 823 00:50:35,266 --> 00:50:38,566 -The archaeologists have now seen multiple examples of 824 00:50:38,566 --> 00:50:41,266 Buddhist and Hindu symbolism together. 825 00:50:44,700 --> 00:50:47,500 Perhaps sacred artifacts from the treasure 826 00:50:47,500 --> 00:50:50,500 were used in ceremonies here at the foot of the linga. 827 00:50:52,566 --> 00:50:55,433 But did any of the treasure make it to the very top? 828 00:50:57,400 --> 00:50:59,533 Only 60 feet remain. 829 00:51:01,266 --> 00:51:02,933 But they are the hardest. 830 00:51:04,333 --> 00:51:06,733 -No, you've got to take all that slack through. 831 00:51:06,733 --> 00:51:08,233 No, just stop climbing. 832 00:51:11,066 --> 00:51:13,333 That's it, get your knee up on up there, you're doing great. 833 00:51:13,333 --> 00:51:22,400 ♪♪ 834 00:51:22,400 --> 00:51:24,600 -Oh, wow! 835 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:26,566 Can we see Vat Phou? 836 00:51:26,566 --> 00:51:29,033 Right there? 837 00:51:29,033 --> 00:51:30,800 That's amazing. 838 00:51:32,600 --> 00:51:36,266 -I can clearly understand the feeling of the people. 839 00:51:36,266 --> 00:51:37,933 To be on the top of the top, 840 00:51:37,933 --> 00:51:40,833 to make a link with the god, I can feel this. 841 00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:44,766 -Any king that made it up here 842 00:51:44,766 --> 00:51:48,433 would have looked out across the vast expanse of his domain. 843 00:51:50,533 --> 00:51:53,266 -The ancient road is quite visible from the city here, 844 00:51:53,266 --> 00:51:58,133 going down and lost in the haze 845 00:51:58,133 --> 00:52:01,633 for over 200 kilometers, going to Angkor. 846 00:52:03,466 --> 00:52:06,433 -But there's far more here than just the epic view. 847 00:52:07,866 --> 00:52:09,266 -I'm surprised actually. 848 00:52:09,266 --> 00:52:12,300 There was a kind of pedestal of some sort, 849 00:52:12,300 --> 00:52:14,933 probably another very small linga. 850 00:52:14,933 --> 00:52:19,100 But only these small fragments are the witnesses 851 00:52:19,100 --> 00:52:23,000 of all the ceremonies which would have taken place here. 852 00:52:23,000 --> 00:52:26,833 -Christophe had no idea that these relics were here. 853 00:52:26,833 --> 00:52:30,533 From their shape, he thinks they predate Angkor. 854 00:52:30,533 --> 00:52:34,766 -Who would have come here? Kings, priests, commoners. 855 00:52:34,766 --> 00:52:36,933 We don't really know, 856 00:52:36,933 --> 00:52:40,066 but clearly people who may have come here full of devotion. 857 00:52:40,066 --> 00:52:42,166 -Whether objects from the treasure made it up here 858 00:52:42,166 --> 00:52:43,900 will never be known. 859 00:52:43,900 --> 00:52:46,100 But given what the team has learned 860 00:52:46,100 --> 00:52:50,233 about these stunning artifacts, they believe it's possible. 861 00:52:50,233 --> 00:52:52,300 -Performing a ritual here, 862 00:52:52,300 --> 00:52:57,433 you will need various objects, candles or incense sticks. 863 00:52:57,433 --> 00:53:00,833 The golden kendi is a perfect example of the kind of object 864 00:53:00,833 --> 00:53:03,400 which could have been brought in to be used 865 00:53:03,400 --> 00:53:05,200 for the rituals to worship. 866 00:53:08,433 --> 00:53:11,900 You are really on the top, the closest to the god, 867 00:53:11,900 --> 00:53:15,000 where your prayers and the rituals you will perform 868 00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:16,400 will be the strongest. 869 00:53:18,500 --> 00:53:22,233 -This is where the sacred water flowing into the Vat Phou temple 870 00:53:22,233 --> 00:53:24,433 begins its journey down the mountain. 871 00:53:25,966 --> 00:53:29,933 -If it's raining and the rain is like going on top of the linga 872 00:53:29,933 --> 00:53:32,633 and going down to the rivers and going to the city, 873 00:53:32,633 --> 00:53:35,433 so it becomes like holy by the fact that it's... 874 00:53:35,433 --> 00:53:38,000 -Completely. Exactly, yeah, yeah. 875 00:53:38,000 --> 00:53:40,666 This water, which is actually the source of life, 876 00:53:40,666 --> 00:53:43,866 would have come first on the head of Shiva, 877 00:53:43,866 --> 00:53:46,166 going, pouring through the mountain, through the rivers. 878 00:53:46,166 --> 00:53:48,900 And it will actually sanctify the whole territory, 879 00:53:48,900 --> 00:53:52,700 which is the best guarantee of power, 880 00:53:52,700 --> 00:53:56,300 to have this sanctified water not only 881 00:53:56,300 --> 00:53:58,833 in the rice fields around, in the ponds and so on, 882 00:53:58,833 --> 00:54:01,400 but also in the sanctuary of Vat Phou. 883 00:54:05,266 --> 00:54:08,833 -This mountain and the sacred landscape around Vat Phou 884 00:54:08,833 --> 00:54:10,633 could well be the place 885 00:54:10,633 --> 00:54:13,066 where the treasure truly belonged... 886 00:54:14,966 --> 00:54:17,233 ...where some of the first Khmer kings 887 00:54:17,233 --> 00:54:19,600 constructed their earliest temples. 888 00:54:22,666 --> 00:54:25,133 And over successive generations, 889 00:54:25,133 --> 00:54:28,466 even after the capital city moved to Angkor, 890 00:54:28,466 --> 00:54:31,366 Khmer kings returned here on their great highway 891 00:54:31,366 --> 00:54:35,200 to the cradle of their civilization 892 00:54:35,200 --> 00:54:38,900 so they could venerate the god who gave them the power to rule. 893 00:54:38,900 --> 00:54:43,400 ♪♪ 894 00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:48,433 By opening a new window into the rise of this great civilization, 895 00:54:48,433 --> 00:54:51,566 the investigation into the treasure highlights 896 00:54:51,566 --> 00:54:55,100 how the epic story of the mighty Khmer empire 897 00:54:55,100 --> 00:54:57,433 didn't begin in Angkor. 898 00:54:59,833 --> 00:55:01,700 When the treasure was made, 899 00:55:01,700 --> 00:55:05,366 Khmer society was flourishing here, 900 00:55:05,366 --> 00:55:10,600 around this sacred mountain, long before the rise of Angkor. 901 00:55:11,966 --> 00:55:14,400 ♪♪