1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:06,367 This cross is to Pelayo what Excalibur is to King Arthur. 2 00:00:06,367 --> 00:00:09,467 -[Robert] 187,000. -[Josh] Versus how many men that Pelayo has? 3 00:00:09,467 --> 00:00:12,100 -[Robert] 300. -I've seen that movie. It's called 300. 4 00:00:12,100 --> 00:00:13,800 Yeah, they're not great odds. 5 00:00:13,900 --> 00:00:16,166 [Josh] Pelayo is kind of everywhere here, I'm learning. 6 00:00:16,233 --> 00:00:19,533 [Olalla] Yes, he's a hugely important symbol. 7 00:00:23,867 --> 00:00:25,266 Yeah! 8 00:00:25,333 --> 00:00:26,967 -Skeletons? From the time of Pelayo? -Yeah, yeah. 9 00:00:26,967 --> 00:00:28,467 Why don't you go there and meet them? 10 00:00:28,467 --> 00:00:29,900 -[Josh] Are they easy to get to? -[Pablo] No. 11 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,233 [sighs wearily] Okay, this is a good start. 12 00:00:32,700 --> 00:00:34,166 [groans] 13 00:00:34,166 --> 00:00:37,100 [Josh] Oh, my word, look at this place. 14 00:00:37,634 --> 00:00:39,533 This is an endless cave. 15 00:00:40,367 --> 00:00:42,266 Oh. [bleep] 16 00:00:42,266 --> 00:00:44,266 -We have a full skeleton here. -[Pablo] Mmm-hmm. 17 00:00:44,266 --> 00:00:46,166 Where's the skull? 18 00:00:46,233 --> 00:00:50,533 Nobody has even tread in some of these chambers in centuries. 19 00:00:50,634 --> 00:00:52,734 -Do I hear water? -Yes, it's a river. 20 00:00:52,734 --> 00:00:54,533 [Josh] This is exploration right here. 21 00:00:54,634 --> 00:00:56,900 There's something going on here that feels superstitious. 22 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,333 We got an opening right there. 23 00:00:58,867 --> 00:01:00,000 Oh, my word, it is full of bones. 24 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,333 Oh, my word, it is full of bones. 25 00:01:12,467 --> 00:01:14,000 [Josh] We've all heard of King Arthur, 26 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,066 the mythic warrior who vanquished an invading army 27 00:01:17,066 --> 00:01:18,800 to become king of the Britons. 28 00:01:18,900 --> 00:01:23,467 But there's another hero from Europe's Dark Ages you may never have heard of. 29 00:01:23,467 --> 00:01:26,467 A man who not only shaped the history of a nation, 30 00:01:26,467 --> 00:01:28,634 but the entire world as we know it. 31 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:30,000 His name is Pelayo, 32 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:30,634 His name is Pelayo, 33 00:01:32,367 --> 00:01:36,533 a humble sword-bearer in Muslim-controlled eighth-century Spain 34 00:01:36,533 --> 00:01:38,533 who rises up to unite his people 35 00:01:38,634 --> 00:01:41,433 and repels an army of thousands... 36 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,467 ...in a battle straight out of Game of Thrones. 37 00:01:50,100 --> 00:01:53,734 His victory leads to the birth of the Christian-Spanish Empire, 38 00:01:53,734 --> 00:01:55,700 which conquered much of the Americas 39 00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:58,734 and altered the course of Western history. 40 00:01:58,734 --> 00:02:00,000 That is, if the story of Pelayo is remotely true. 41 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,233 That is, if the story of Pelayo is remotely true. 42 00:02:02,734 --> 00:02:04,166 Like King Arthur, 43 00:02:04,233 --> 00:02:07,634 it's hard to know where history ends and legend begins. 44 00:02:07,734 --> 00:02:11,634 But now, archaeologists and historians are making discoveries 45 00:02:11,634 --> 00:02:13,533 that could unlock the truth. 46 00:02:14,500 --> 00:02:17,533 Beneath the crumbling ruins of an ancient castle, 47 00:02:17,533 --> 00:02:22,367 newly found artifacts could reveal Pelayo's true identity. 48 00:02:22,367 --> 00:02:24,734 And inside a perilous mountain cave, 49 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,467 explorers have made a grisly discovery in the darkness. 50 00:02:29,533 --> 00:02:30,000 Human remains from the time of Pelayo with a shocking tale to tell. 51 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,066 Human remains from the time of Pelayo with a shocking tale to tell. 52 00:02:36,166 --> 00:02:40,166 So join me as I search for the real king behind the myth, 53 00:02:40,166 --> 00:02:42,800 the true tale of the Christian hero 54 00:02:42,900 --> 00:02:49,266 who set Spain on the path to become a global superpower and changed our world forever. 55 00:02:54,500 --> 00:02:56,066 [Josh] My name is Josh Gates. 56 00:02:56,066 --> 00:02:57,166 Hello! 57 00:02:57,233 --> 00:02:58,166 [Josh] Explorer... 58 00:02:58,166 --> 00:03:00,000 -Here goes nothing. -[Josh] ...adventurer... 59 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:00,100 -Here goes nothing. -[Josh] ...adventurer... 60 00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:01,166 [laughs excitedly] 61 00:03:01,166 --> 00:03:02,467 Oh, that's a long way down. 62 00:03:02,467 --> 00:03:03,867 [Josh] ...and a guy who ends up 63 00:03:03,867 --> 00:03:06,367 -in some very strange situations. -[gasps] 64 00:03:06,433 --> 00:03:08,100 I'm alive! For now. 65 00:03:08,100 --> 00:03:09,533 [Josh] With a degree in archaeology 66 00:03:09,634 --> 00:03:11,867 and a passion for the unexplained, 67 00:03:11,867 --> 00:03:13,734 I travel to the ends of the Earth 68 00:03:13,734 --> 00:03:16,634 investigating the greatest legends in history. 69 00:03:16,634 --> 00:03:18,266 Ready to rock and roll. 70 00:03:18,333 --> 00:03:20,634 [Josh] This is Expedition Unknown. 71 00:03:27,367 --> 00:03:30,000 [Josh] Spain, home to beautiful beaches, all-night raves, 72 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,266 [Josh] Spain, home to beautiful beaches, all-night raves, 73 00:03:32,266 --> 00:03:35,634 and as much sangria and ham as you can eat. 74 00:03:35,734 --> 00:03:37,800 At least, that's what I was expecting. 75 00:03:41,634 --> 00:03:45,066 Plot twist. Spain is freezing right now. 76 00:03:45,100 --> 00:03:46,900 I'm in the northern part of the country 77 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,967 in the Picos de Europa mountains, 78 00:03:48,967 --> 00:03:53,066 and it's definitely more alpine than Ibiza. 79 00:03:53,066 --> 00:03:55,900 Turns out I waxed my back for nothing. What a waste. 80 00:03:59,967 --> 00:04:00,000 Since the story of Pelayo is so shrouded in myth, 81 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,166 Since the story of Pelayo is so shrouded in myth, 82 00:04:04,233 --> 00:04:07,266 we have to begin with the real locations 83 00:04:07,266 --> 00:04:09,500 that are associated with his story. 84 00:04:09,500 --> 00:04:11,367 And there's no better place to start 85 00:04:11,433 --> 00:04:15,100 than a high mountain sanctuary known as Covadonga. 86 00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:18,333 After all, Pelayo himself is supposedly buried there. 87 00:04:23,734 --> 00:04:26,634 Near the summit of the mountain is a grand basilica 88 00:04:26,634 --> 00:04:29,066 and statue dedicated to Pelayo. 89 00:04:29,700 --> 00:04:30,000 But I'm not here for sightseeing. 90 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,500 But I'm not here for sightseeing. 91 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:33,166 Now that I've climbed all this way, 92 00:04:33,166 --> 00:04:36,467 I'm actually going down into the mountain itself. 93 00:04:41,367 --> 00:04:44,100 This is the holy cave of Covadonga, 94 00:04:44,100 --> 00:04:46,066 and it's been considered a sacred site 95 00:04:46,100 --> 00:04:48,367 for as long as anybody can remember. 96 00:04:48,367 --> 00:04:52,000 But there's a reason that Catholics still make pilgrimages here today. 97 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,100 It's because this is where the legendary warrior Pelayo and his men 98 00:04:56,100 --> 00:04:58,634 were victorious against an invading army. 99 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:00,000 Here inside the sanctuary, I meet Medieval historian Robert Portass. 100 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000 Here inside the sanctuary, I meet Medieval historian Robert Portass. 101 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:05,266 -Hi, Josh. -Nice to meet you. 102 00:05:05,333 --> 00:05:05,967 Likewise. 103 00:05:05,967 --> 00:05:06,967 I have to say, this may be 104 00:05:06,967 --> 00:05:08,467 the most dramatic location 105 00:05:08,533 --> 00:05:09,634 for a chapel I've ever seen. 106 00:05:09,634 --> 00:05:11,367 Like, literally perched on a cliff. 107 00:05:11,367 --> 00:05:12,800 And, of course, here we are, 108 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:15,734 standing by the supposed resting place of Pelayo himself. 109 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,500 So, I have a lot of questions about Pelayo. 110 00:05:17,500 --> 00:05:18,800 -Okay. -When does this story take place, 111 00:05:18,900 --> 00:05:20,600 and what's going on here in Spain? 112 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,967 In the fifth century, the Roman Empire falls apart. 113 00:05:23,967 --> 00:05:27,467 And by the time we get to the early sixth century, 114 00:05:27,533 --> 00:05:30,000 a new political force has emerged in Spain, 115 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:30,066 a new political force has emerged in Spain, 116 00:05:30,100 --> 00:05:31,634 and that is the Visigothic Kingdom. 117 00:05:32,266 --> 00:05:33,467 [Josh] Meet the Visigoths, 118 00:05:33,533 --> 00:05:35,266 the barbarian Germanic tribe 119 00:05:35,266 --> 00:05:36,700 that becomes a Christian kingdom, 120 00:05:36,700 --> 00:05:38,634 invades Italy, takes down Rome, 121 00:05:38,734 --> 00:05:43,066 and ends up occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula AKA future Spain, 122 00:05:43,066 --> 00:05:45,367 with their capital in the city of Toledo. 123 00:05:45,367 --> 00:05:46,467 [doorbell chimes] 124 00:05:46,467 --> 00:05:48,000 [Josh] But wait, who's that at the door? 125 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:49,634 It's probably just the pizza we ord-- 126 00:05:49,734 --> 00:05:52,600 Oh, no, it's the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate. 127 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,166 In the year 711, this army of Arab and North African fighters 128 00:05:56,166 --> 00:05:59,533 destroy the Visigoth capital and conquer most of the country, 129 00:05:59,533 --> 00:06:00,000 giving them a foothold to launch attacks on the rest of Western Europe. 130 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,467 giving them a foothold to launch attacks on the rest of Western Europe. 131 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,600 And these guys are no joke, right? 132 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,634 I mean, they really do sweep the board here in Spain. 133 00:06:09,734 --> 00:06:11,734 Yes, with really astonishing speed. 134 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,367 So within a handful of years, perhaps three years, 135 00:06:14,433 --> 00:06:16,367 almost all of the peninsula is conquered. 136 00:06:16,367 --> 00:06:19,634 And it's in this landscape that our guy emerges. 137 00:06:19,634 --> 00:06:22,266 -This is where Pelayo comes on to the battlefield. -That's right. 138 00:06:22,266 --> 00:06:26,266 So, Pelayo exists both in history and in legend. 139 00:06:26,266 --> 00:06:27,900 [Josh] And what a legend it is. 140 00:06:29,634 --> 00:06:30,000 Pelayo is a young Christian Visigoth noble, being groomed for power 141 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,266 Pelayo is a young Christian Visigoth noble, being groomed for power 142 00:06:34,266 --> 00:06:37,166 under the mentorship of King Roderick in Toledo. 143 00:06:45,867 --> 00:06:48,367 In the first wave of the Muslim invasion, though, 144 00:06:48,433 --> 00:06:50,433 the Visigoth army is wiped out... 145 00:06:52,266 --> 00:06:54,266 ...and King Roderick is killed. 146 00:06:55,734 --> 00:07:00,000 Pelayo flees to the untamed northern borderlands of Asturias. 147 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:00,266 Pelayo flees to the untamed northern borderlands of Asturias. 148 00:07:00,333 --> 00:07:04,367 Here, he rallies a ragged frontier population to his cause, 149 00:07:04,367 --> 00:07:07,634 and prepares to face off against the Islamic forces 150 00:07:07,634 --> 00:07:11,166 in a battle to decide the fate of the Western world. 151 00:07:13,166 --> 00:07:17,734 Pelayo and his followers are pursued up to this vantage point here 152 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,100 where we are right now. 153 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:21,367 -Literally right here in this cave. -Right here. That's right. 154 00:07:21,367 --> 00:07:24,500 And then, ultimately, there's this, supposedly, this big battle. 155 00:07:24,500 --> 00:07:27,266 -This is Pelayo and his rallied forces... -Mmm-hmm. 156 00:07:27,333 --> 00:07:28,600 ...versus the Arab army. 157 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:30,000 And this is meant to be a fairly lopsided battle, right? 158 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:31,700 And this is meant to be a fairly lopsided battle, right? 159 00:07:31,700 --> 00:07:33,467 What are the numbers that we're talking about here? 160 00:07:33,467 --> 00:07:38,533 We're told that the Arab-Berber force is 187,000 strong. 161 00:07:38,634 --> 00:07:39,734 -Okay. -Yes. 162 00:07:39,734 --> 00:07:41,867 -Huge, huge army. -Absolutely. 163 00:07:41,867 --> 00:07:43,867 Versus how many men that Pelayo has? 164 00:07:43,867 --> 00:07:46,533 -300. -I've seen that movie. It's called 300. 165 00:07:46,634 --> 00:07:48,166 Yeah, they're not great odds. 166 00:07:49,634 --> 00:07:51,066 [Josh] Facing a slaughter, 167 00:07:51,066 --> 00:07:53,867 Pelayo prays to the Virgin Mary for help. 168 00:07:53,867 --> 00:07:56,233 And his prayers are seemingly answered. 169 00:08:01,634 --> 00:08:05,166 Charging onto the battlefield, wielding the cross of their faith, 170 00:08:05,166 --> 00:08:10,734 Pelayo and his 300 men find themselves aided by a series of miracles. 171 00:08:12,100 --> 00:08:15,100 Crushing boulders rain down from the heavens, 172 00:08:15,100 --> 00:08:17,734 surging rivers swallow the Muslim army, 173 00:08:17,734 --> 00:08:20,467 and volleys of arrows turn in mid-air 174 00:08:20,533 --> 00:08:23,467 back at the terrified archers who fired them. 175 00:08:23,467 --> 00:08:25,700 Admittedly, this blessing from above 176 00:08:25,700 --> 00:08:30,000 reads like a Marvel-sized special effects extravaganza. 177 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:30,634 reads like a Marvel-sized special effects extravaganza. 178 00:08:30,734 --> 00:08:34,467 But, according to the legend, over 100,000 Muslims are killed, 179 00:08:34,467 --> 00:08:38,166 and Pelayo is crowned the first king of Asturias. 180 00:08:38,700 --> 00:08:40,734 His line would become a dynasty 181 00:08:40,734 --> 00:08:44,266 that forms the beginnings of the Christian-Spanish Empire, 182 00:08:44,266 --> 00:08:48,634 which expands beyond Europe to explore and then conquer the New World, 183 00:08:48,634 --> 00:08:52,634 including land that would become the good old U.S. of A. 184 00:08:52,734 --> 00:08:55,066 And all of it starts in this cave. 185 00:08:56,266 --> 00:08:57,467 So this is a great story. 186 00:08:57,467 --> 00:08:58,533 -It's an amazing story. -Right? 187 00:08:58,634 --> 00:09:00,000 -It's an underdog story. It's heroic. -It is. 188 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:01,734 -It's an underdog story. It's heroic. -It is. 189 00:09:02,734 --> 00:09:05,166 -Is any of it true? -[chuckles] 190 00:09:05,166 --> 00:09:08,066 -Now, this is the difficult question to answer. -Right. 191 00:09:09,100 --> 00:09:11,634 [Josh] The main sources for the heroic Pelayo legend 192 00:09:11,734 --> 00:09:14,467 are all, unsurprisingly, Christian. 193 00:09:14,467 --> 00:09:17,166 But Islamic writers mention him too, 194 00:09:17,233 --> 00:09:19,467 painting Pelayo as a pathetic rebel 195 00:09:19,533 --> 00:09:21,800 who they don't even bother to attack. 196 00:09:21,900 --> 00:09:23,867 They do bother to mention him though, 197 00:09:23,867 --> 00:09:26,367 which probably tells us something. 198 00:09:26,433 --> 00:09:28,634 I think that Pelayo's too prominent a figure 199 00:09:28,734 --> 00:09:30,000 -to have been totally invented. -[Josh] Right. 200 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:30,800 -to have been totally invented. -[Josh] Right. 201 00:09:30,900 --> 00:09:32,467 And what can we say historically? 202 00:09:32,533 --> 00:09:34,367 -Let's take the tomb, for instance. -Sure. 203 00:09:34,367 --> 00:09:37,500 Is there any historicity to him being buried right here? 204 00:09:37,500 --> 00:09:41,066 We don't have a concrete indication that he's buried here. 205 00:09:41,100 --> 00:09:43,500 [Josh] The tomb dates back to about the year 1200 206 00:09:43,500 --> 00:09:46,867 and is mostly regarded as a symbolic burial. 207 00:09:46,867 --> 00:09:49,367 Furthermore, the crypt here will never be opened, 208 00:09:49,433 --> 00:09:52,066 lest it threaten the legend of Pelayo, 209 00:09:52,100 --> 00:09:54,100 which looms large here in Spain. 210 00:09:54,700 --> 00:09:56,734 So we have a lot of symbolism here, 211 00:09:57,266 --> 00:09:58,500 but where do we look 212 00:09:58,500 --> 00:10:00,000 to figure out if the story's true? 213 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:00,800 to figure out if the story's true? 214 00:10:00,900 --> 00:10:04,266 Well, some artifacts remain from the period in question. 215 00:10:04,266 --> 00:10:07,000 One particular object survives. 216 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,634 An artifact that may be from Pelayo's life? 217 00:10:09,634 --> 00:10:12,467 That's right. Perhaps even an artifact that he may have handled himself, 218 00:10:12,533 --> 00:10:14,734 which can be found locally, in fact, in Oviedo. 219 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,166 -All right, a good place to start. -Absolutely. 220 00:10:21,867 --> 00:10:24,266 I drive 50 miles from Covadonga 221 00:10:24,333 --> 00:10:27,467 to the capital of Asturias, the city of Oviedo. 222 00:10:36,100 --> 00:10:37,166 Over the centuries, 223 00:10:37,166 --> 00:10:39,266 Oviedo and the surrounding area 224 00:10:39,266 --> 00:10:42,867 has been occupied by Celts, Romans, and Visigoths. 225 00:10:42,867 --> 00:10:46,533 And the influences of all of them are still felt here today. 226 00:10:47,467 --> 00:10:49,266 I want to see the only known artifact 227 00:10:49,333 --> 00:10:52,467 associated with the legendary King Pelayo. 228 00:10:52,533 --> 00:10:57,066 So I duck out of the parade and head to the Cathedral of San Salvador 229 00:10:57,100 --> 00:11:00,000 to meet journalist and historian Olalla Pena. 230 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:00,867 to meet journalist and historian Olalla Pena. 231 00:11:00,867 --> 00:11:04,367 I have to say, I'm kind of overwhelmed. This is magnificent. 232 00:11:04,367 --> 00:11:06,467 It was ordered to be built 233 00:11:06,533 --> 00:11:08,734 by one of the descendent of Pelayo, 234 00:11:08,734 --> 00:11:10,533 the King Alfonso II. 235 00:11:10,533 --> 00:11:13,367 Pelayo is kind of everywhere here, I'm learning. 236 00:11:18,367 --> 00:11:19,467 Okay. 237 00:11:19,467 --> 00:11:20,900 I would love to see it. 238 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,166 Let's go. There's a crypt underneath the cathedral. 239 00:11:23,233 --> 00:11:24,533 [Josh] Oh, I love a good crypt. 240 00:11:28,166 --> 00:11:30,000 [Josh] Olalla escorts me underground, 241 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:30,166 [Josh] Olalla escorts me underground, 242 00:11:30,166 --> 00:11:34,266 having arranged for rare access to the Camara Santa, 243 00:11:34,333 --> 00:11:37,634 the holy chamber where the church holds sacred treasures. 244 00:11:42,367 --> 00:11:44,266 -[chuckles] -Wow, look at this. 245 00:11:44,333 --> 00:11:45,533 Oh. 246 00:11:51,367 --> 00:11:52,734 [Josh] What? 247 00:11:57,100 --> 00:12:00,367 This is the cross that Pelayo carried at Covadonga? 248 00:12:00,367 --> 00:12:03,166 -Yes. -In the defeat of the Muslim army? 249 00:12:03,166 --> 00:12:08,533 Yeah. According to the legend, he defeats the enemy with the help of this cross. 250 00:12:09,166 --> 00:12:11,433 [Josh] Spain's celebrated King Pelayo 251 00:12:11,500 --> 00:12:14,367 was said to have been a Christian Visigoth noble 252 00:12:14,367 --> 00:12:17,734 who allied himself with savage northern tribesmen 253 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:20,867 to evict the country's Muslim occupiers. 254 00:12:20,900 --> 00:12:23,512 I'm in a church crypt searching for the truth behind the legend 255 00:12:23,512 --> 00:12:24,533 I'm in a church crypt searching for the truth behind the legend 256 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,967 and getting exclusive access to one of Spain's holiest relics. 257 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,166 -And it's the actual cross? -According to legend, it is. 258 00:12:33,233 --> 00:12:34,634 So there's that word again, "legend," 259 00:12:34,734 --> 00:12:36,634 that always comes up with Pelayo, right? 260 00:12:36,734 --> 00:12:38,433 I mean, this cross is to Pelayo 261 00:12:38,500 --> 00:12:40,734 what Excalibur is to King Arthur, right? 262 00:12:44,166 --> 00:12:46,166 This cross is so ornate. 263 00:12:46,166 --> 00:12:51,166 It's not what I would imagine a warrior would be carrying into battle in the mountains. 264 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,734 -Right, a simple cross. -A simple cross. 265 00:13:00,734 --> 00:13:01,634 [Josh] In the legend, 266 00:13:01,734 --> 00:13:03,000 Pelayo's faith 267 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,266 and the wooden cross he carried into battle 268 00:13:05,266 --> 00:13:09,533 lead to divine intervention to defeat the invading army. 269 00:13:09,533 --> 00:13:13,734 Years later, one of Pelayo's descendants, King Alfonso III, 270 00:13:13,734 --> 00:13:19,467 supposedly gilded the cross and decorated it with 152 jewels. 271 00:13:19,467 --> 00:13:21,533 How do we know that his cross is in here? 272 00:13:36,367 --> 00:13:37,433 And is that true? 273 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:42,867 Okay. 274 00:13:47,900 --> 00:13:50,066 Okay, so, to the castle. 275 00:13:52,367 --> 00:13:53,512 To see where Pelayo's cross came from, 276 00:13:53,512 --> 00:13:54,734 To see where Pelayo's cross came from, 277 00:13:54,734 --> 00:13:57,333 and learn if this part of the legend holds up, 278 00:13:57,367 --> 00:14:01,266 I drive 30 miles north of Oviedo to Gauzon Castle. 279 00:14:04,166 --> 00:14:07,000 Working here to reconstruct the story of the castle 280 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,166 and its connection to King Pelayo 281 00:14:09,233 --> 00:14:11,734 is archaeologist Alejandro Garcia. 282 00:14:13,266 --> 00:14:16,634 -Alejandro, hey. -Ah. Hello, Josh. 283 00:14:16,734 --> 00:14:18,734 -How are you? Nice to meet you. -I'm out of breath. 284 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:20,266 -[chuckles] -But I'm good, I'm good. 285 00:14:20,333 --> 00:14:22,900 Okay, so, I've seen this cross at the cathedral, 286 00:14:22,900 --> 00:14:23,512 this beautiful gold gilded cross. 287 00:14:23,512 --> 00:14:26,166 this beautiful gold gilded cross. 288 00:14:26,233 --> 00:14:28,634 And it says, literally stamped, 289 00:14:28,634 --> 00:14:31,333 -that it was gilded here at Gauzon Castle. -Yeah, yeah. 290 00:14:31,367 --> 00:14:33,533 -Is that true? -Yes, that's true. 291 00:14:33,533 --> 00:14:35,333 -Oh, 100 percent? -Yeah. 292 00:14:35,367 --> 00:14:37,900 Oh, I thought you were gonna hedge, and be an archaeologist, 293 00:14:37,900 --> 00:14:39,634 and say, "We don't know. Maybe." 294 00:14:39,634 --> 00:14:42,533 -You feel confident? -In this case, we are confident. 295 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,066 Okay, why are you so confident? 296 00:14:48,100 --> 00:14:49,634 -Linked to the cross? -Yeah. 297 00:14:49,734 --> 00:14:51,533 [Josh] To make the Pelayo connection, 298 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,512 Alejandro brings me over to the other side of Gauzon. 299 00:14:53,512 --> 00:14:55,166 Alejandro brings me over to the other side of Gauzon. 300 00:14:55,233 --> 00:14:56,367 [Josh] So what did you find here? 301 00:14:56,367 --> 00:14:59,433 The most important is that we found, 302 00:14:59,500 --> 00:15:03,634 here we have in this little box, 303 00:15:04,100 --> 00:15:07,533 we have these pieces. 304 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:09,867 -Are these gems? -Yeah. [chuckles] 305 00:15:09,867 --> 00:15:13,000 [Josh] Wait, you found gems in the ground here? 306 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,100 Yes, in this side, yes. 307 00:15:15,100 --> 00:15:16,533 -[Josh] May I? -Yeah, you can. 308 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,266 -[Josh] These jewels look exactly like the gems... -Yeah. 309 00:15:19,266 --> 00:15:21,166 -...that we see on the cross. -Yeah. 310 00:15:21,166 --> 00:15:23,512 [Josh] The jewels here are exactly the same type and shape 311 00:15:23,512 --> 00:15:24,533 [Josh] The jewels here are exactly the same type and shape 312 00:15:24,533 --> 00:15:26,734 as those on the holy cross. 313 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,166 And archaeologists found remains of smelting fires 314 00:15:30,166 --> 00:15:32,367 in what was likely a workshop. 315 00:15:32,367 --> 00:15:35,867 Carbon dating of the charcoal puts it in the tenth century, 316 00:15:35,867 --> 00:15:39,266 at the exact time the cross was supposed to have been gilded. 317 00:15:40,100 --> 00:15:41,867 -So, we have a metal workshop... -Yeah. 318 00:15:41,900 --> 00:15:44,734 -...where metalworking, gilding was happening? -Yeah. 319 00:15:44,734 --> 00:15:47,433 -In the exact right time period? -Uh-huh, yeah. 320 00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:50,000 In the place where the cross was supposed to be made? 321 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,512 Yes, you are right. The cross was made here in 908. 322 00:15:53,512 --> 00:15:53,867 Yes, you are right. The cross was made here in 908. 323 00:15:53,900 --> 00:15:54,867 Unbelievable. 324 00:15:55,467 --> 00:15:56,266 [Josh] Amazing. 325 00:15:56,266 --> 00:15:58,000 This could be the very room 326 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,734 where Pelayo's victory cross was gilded. 327 00:16:00,734 --> 00:16:04,433 And it helps establish a firm connection to the artifact. 328 00:16:06,734 --> 00:16:09,734 But this isn't the only shocking discovery. 329 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:11,734 Alejandro's team is currently digging 330 00:16:11,734 --> 00:16:14,867 just outside the remains of the castle walls, 331 00:16:14,900 --> 00:16:17,634 and they've found items that shouldn't be there. 332 00:16:19,634 --> 00:16:21,000 Look at this. 333 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,367 -Here is a piece of pottery. -What... 334 00:16:23,367 --> 00:16:23,512 Oh, with a weird pattern. 335 00:16:23,512 --> 00:16:24,467 Oh, with a weird pattern. 336 00:16:24,467 --> 00:16:27,000 It's a special pottery. 337 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,533 Okay, special how? 338 00:16:34,166 --> 00:16:36,166 -Sixth or seventh century? -Yes. 339 00:16:36,166 --> 00:16:40,166 But the castle was built by Alfonso III in the tenth century, 340 00:16:40,233 --> 00:16:41,266 -so what is this doing here? -Yeah. 341 00:16:41,266 --> 00:16:43,000 It's here, this pottery, 342 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:48,467 because we are discovering that there was a castle here before Alfonso III. 343 00:16:48,467 --> 00:16:50,634 [Josh] The fact that there was a castle here 344 00:16:50,734 --> 00:16:53,266 centuries earlier than previously thought 345 00:16:53,266 --> 00:16:53,512 may fundamentally alter key elements of the Pelayo legend. 346 00:16:53,512 --> 00:16:57,433 may fundamentally alter key elements of the Pelayo legend. 347 00:16:58,467 --> 00:17:01,166 [Josh] What the team is discovering here reveals that, 348 00:17:01,233 --> 00:17:03,467 far from being savage frontiersmen, 349 00:17:03,467 --> 00:17:06,100 the Asturians that Pelayo lead into battle 350 00:17:06,100 --> 00:17:09,734 appear to have been a sophisticated and organized society. 351 00:17:10,533 --> 00:17:13,100 Arrowheads and blades found at the site 352 00:17:13,100 --> 00:17:16,900 confirm that they knew how to fight before Pelayo arrived here. 353 00:17:18,634 --> 00:17:22,533 In fact, there's even a version of Pelayo's story from the ninth century 354 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:23,512 that suggests he might not have come here 355 00:17:23,512 --> 00:17:24,734 that suggests he might not have come here 356 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,533 as an outsider from the big city of Toledo. 357 00:17:27,533 --> 00:17:29,867 Instead, he might have actually been from 358 00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:32,634 this northern area to begin with. 359 00:17:32,634 --> 00:17:36,734 So maybe Pelayo is less King Arthur and more William Wallace. 360 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,467 He's less of this nobleman who rises up, 361 00:17:39,467 --> 00:17:42,533 -and he's more of a local warrior. -Yeah. 362 00:17:43,900 --> 00:17:47,734 [Josh] But the artifacts here don't just challenge Pelayo's origin story. 363 00:17:47,734 --> 00:17:50,967 They're telling us more about the bedrock of the Pelayo legend. 364 00:17:51,367 --> 00:17:52,734 His Christian faith. 365 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:08,533 [Josh] This, too, defies our image of Pelayo 366 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:13,166 as the Christian noble assisted in battle by the Virgin Mary. 367 00:18:13,233 --> 00:18:17,634 Christianity was still in a time of great transition in this part of the world. 368 00:18:30,100 --> 00:18:30,900 Right. 369 00:18:35,634 --> 00:18:36,533 Right. 370 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:42,900 Uh-huh. 371 00:18:44,367 --> 00:18:46,433 [Josh] This is very significant. 372 00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:48,634 Incredibly rare evidence of burials 373 00:18:48,634 --> 00:18:51,166 has been found in a nearby cave system 374 00:18:51,233 --> 00:18:53,512 close to the site of the battle of Covadonga. 375 00:18:53,512 --> 00:18:54,100 close to the site of the battle of Covadonga. 376 00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:59,233 These remains could rewrite the true story of Pelayo and his warriors. 377 00:19:00,467 --> 00:19:03,266 [Josh] Our next stop is about 50 miles from here 378 00:19:03,333 --> 00:19:04,967 where, at this very moment, 379 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,066 archaeologists are making discoveries 380 00:19:07,100 --> 00:19:09,734 in a remote cave known as La Garma. 381 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:14,367 And there, deep underground, they're finding that the truth about the world of Pelayo 382 00:19:14,367 --> 00:19:16,867 is much darker than the gilded legend, 383 00:19:16,900 --> 00:19:18,900 and much more dangerous. 384 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:23,512 At the entrance to the La Garma cave complex, 385 00:19:23,512 --> 00:19:24,533 At the entrance to the La Garma cave complex, 386 00:19:24,533 --> 00:19:26,166 I meet a pair of explorers 387 00:19:26,166 --> 00:19:29,367 who have been crawling inside of these mountains for decades, 388 00:19:29,367 --> 00:19:32,000 Pablo Arias and Jose Angel. 389 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,166 Okay, so, you guys look ready for adventure. 390 00:19:34,166 --> 00:19:34,967 -Ready. -Yes. 391 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,100 Yes, okay. 392 00:19:36,100 --> 00:19:37,900 So, tell me about this cave that you're exploring. 393 00:19:37,900 --> 00:19:39,900 -What makes this place so special? -Well, 394 00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:41,634 Well, everything makes La Garma special. 395 00:19:41,634 --> 00:19:43,367 It's a unique place. 396 00:19:43,367 --> 00:19:45,166 It's called La Garma, and, why, why is it unique? 397 00:19:45,233 --> 00:19:47,000 Because people have been living here 398 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:48,734 for half a million years. 399 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,166 Boy, it sounded like you said a half a million years. 400 00:19:51,166 --> 00:19:52,367 Yeah, exactly. [chuckles] 401 00:19:52,367 --> 00:19:53,512 [Josh] There's human habitation in this cave 402 00:19:53,512 --> 00:19:54,000 [Josh] There's human habitation in this cave 403 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,900 -that goes back that far? -Yeah, yeah. 404 00:19:55,900 --> 00:19:57,734 Wow, okay. And has this cave 405 00:19:57,734 --> 00:19:59,467 -been fully mapped? -Not yet. 406 00:19:59,467 --> 00:20:01,433 There are many galleries unknown. 407 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:03,100 And you think there's more to find? 408 00:20:03,100 --> 00:20:04,967 -[Jose] Yes. -Okay. And so, what... 409 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,533 what sorts of things are you discovering? 410 00:20:06,533 --> 00:20:09,266 Right now, we are finding human skeletons. 411 00:20:09,266 --> 00:20:12,433 -From when? -From the time of Pelayo. 412 00:20:12,500 --> 00:20:13,867 This is extraordinary, 413 00:20:13,867 --> 00:20:16,266 'cause there's so little archaeological evidence 414 00:20:16,333 --> 00:20:17,433 from this time period. 415 00:20:25,634 --> 00:20:27,634 Meet skeletons from the time of Pelayo? 416 00:20:27,634 --> 00:20:28,734 Yeah, yeah. 417 00:20:28,734 --> 00:20:30,166 [Josh] Deep inside the mountains 418 00:20:30,166 --> 00:20:31,367 of northern Spain, 419 00:20:31,367 --> 00:20:33,467 archaeologists have made a discovery 420 00:20:33,467 --> 00:20:35,734 that could help tell the real story 421 00:20:35,734 --> 00:20:38,734 of the legendary warrior king Pelayo. 422 00:20:39,867 --> 00:20:41,266 So, tell me about these skeletons. 423 00:20:41,266 --> 00:20:44,066 Well, eh, you can see them yourself. 424 00:20:44,100 --> 00:20:46,000 -In the cave? -Yeah, yeah. They're inside the cave. 425 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,166 Are they easy to get to? 426 00:20:47,233 --> 00:20:49,166 -No. [laughs] -No, of course not. 427 00:20:49,166 --> 00:20:50,734 It's quite a difficult trip. 428 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:52,166 It's three hours underground. 429 00:20:52,233 --> 00:20:52,521 Three hours in darkness? 430 00:20:52,521 --> 00:20:53,634 Three hours in darkness? 431 00:20:53,700 --> 00:20:55,533 -Yeah. [chuckles] -Okay, well, 432 00:20:55,533 --> 00:20:57,000 I would like to meet them. 433 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,266 -Okay, let's go. Let's go. -Shall we do it? 434 00:20:58,266 --> 00:21:00,433 -Come on, let's do it. -[Pablo chuckles] 435 00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:04,433 [Josh] La Garma is firmly closed to the public, 436 00:21:04,500 --> 00:21:07,634 so this access is very, very special. 437 00:21:10,867 --> 00:21:12,734 As we approach the cave entrance, 438 00:21:12,734 --> 00:21:15,100 we're joined by Pablo and Jose's team, 439 00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:17,634 who'll be going into La Garma with us. 440 00:21:17,634 --> 00:21:19,800 Into the darkness. Here we go. 441 00:21:23,166 --> 00:21:25,967 I've been told this is a massive cave. 442 00:21:25,967 --> 00:21:28,734 Right now, though, it doesn't feel like it. 443 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:29,634 That's the entrance? 444 00:21:29,634 --> 00:21:30,967 -Yes. -Oh. 445 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,100 I should have skipped breakfast. Okay. 446 00:21:33,100 --> 00:21:35,066 -[chuckles] Let's go. -Go ahead. 447 00:21:38,467 --> 00:21:39,634 [softly] No way. 448 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:42,433 I mean... 449 00:21:47,734 --> 00:21:49,266 Might have to do this headfirst. 450 00:21:51,533 --> 00:21:52,521 Okay, 451 00:21:52,521 --> 00:21:52,867 Okay, 452 00:21:52,867 --> 00:21:54,166 it's not gonna be graceful, 453 00:21:54,233 --> 00:21:55,867 -but here I come. -[Pablo laughs] 454 00:21:55,867 --> 00:21:57,634 [sighing] 455 00:21:58,367 --> 00:21:59,867 [grunts] 456 00:22:02,533 --> 00:22:05,066 [grunts loudly] 457 00:22:05,100 --> 00:22:06,967 This is... This is a good start. 458 00:22:06,967 --> 00:22:08,867 [grunts] 459 00:22:08,867 --> 00:22:09,967 [Pablo speaking] 460 00:22:09,967 --> 00:22:11,867 Okay. Nobody wants to hear that. 461 00:22:15,166 --> 00:22:16,533 Are you kidding me with this? 462 00:22:18,166 --> 00:22:21,166 This cave has been preserved from outsiders for centuries, 463 00:22:21,166 --> 00:22:22,521 and microbes from the surface 464 00:22:22,521 --> 00:22:22,734 and microbes from the surface 465 00:22:22,734 --> 00:22:26,634 could potentially change the ecology inside La Garma. 466 00:22:26,634 --> 00:22:31,066 To prevent that, we change into footwear that's been sterilized. 467 00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:34,967 Properly shod, we are ready to descend the vertical shaft 468 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,367 which has been outfitted with a ladder. 469 00:22:37,367 --> 00:22:39,367 Oh, boy. Big drop-off. 470 00:22:44,266 --> 00:22:46,266 All right, on belay, coming down. 471 00:22:47,266 --> 00:22:50,433 Everything in this cave is damp and slick, 472 00:22:50,500 --> 00:22:52,521 so we make sure to use harnesses and clip in. 473 00:22:52,521 --> 00:22:53,100 so we make sure to use harnesses and clip in. 474 00:22:53,100 --> 00:22:56,100 One misstep and the drops are lethal. 475 00:22:56,100 --> 00:22:57,533 Oh, boy. 476 00:22:58,100 --> 00:22:59,734 That's a long way down. 477 00:23:02,266 --> 00:23:03,967 [breathing deeply] 478 00:23:07,467 --> 00:23:10,433 -Okay, I'm down. -[Pablo] Okay. 479 00:23:11,166 --> 00:23:12,634 [Josh] Now that I'm safely down, 480 00:23:12,700 --> 00:23:14,333 Pablo and Jose join me. 481 00:23:15,166 --> 00:23:16,467 Okay, we made it down the ladder. 482 00:23:16,467 --> 00:23:17,467 The first ladder. 483 00:23:17,467 --> 00:23:18,734 -The first ladder? -Yeah. 484 00:23:18,734 --> 00:23:20,900 -Oh. Okay, great. -Let's go. 485 00:23:22,467 --> 00:23:22,521 [Josh softly] The first ladder. 486 00:23:22,521 --> 00:23:23,734 [Josh softly] The first ladder. 487 00:23:24,467 --> 00:23:25,867 How deep is this cave? 488 00:23:25,867 --> 00:23:28,166 The answer? Very deep. 489 00:23:28,233 --> 00:23:32,066 There's almost a mile of known passages in La Garma. 490 00:23:32,100 --> 00:23:35,100 Pablo's team has mapped three distinct levels, 491 00:23:35,100 --> 00:23:36,867 each with a sheer drop, 492 00:23:36,900 --> 00:23:38,066 with some chambers that are 493 00:23:38,100 --> 00:23:39,734 more than 400 feet underground. 494 00:23:41,166 --> 00:23:43,734 To keep all of us from getting hopelessly lost, 495 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,467 they've marked the floor with reflectors 496 00:23:45,467 --> 00:23:46,967 to create a narrow path 497 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,900 through the dark and winding forest of stone. 498 00:23:53,734 --> 00:23:56,000 I mean, look at this place. 499 00:23:56,967 --> 00:23:58,367 Hoo! 500 00:24:00,867 --> 00:24:02,634 [Josh] We hike on into the darkness 501 00:24:02,634 --> 00:24:05,266 through one immense cavern after another. 502 00:24:05,266 --> 00:24:09,066 Eventually we find ourselves at the top of another drop 503 00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:12,066 where the archaeologists have rigged another ladder. 504 00:24:13,967 --> 00:24:15,433 Ladder number two. 505 00:24:15,500 --> 00:24:17,867 Oh, my word. 506 00:24:18,967 --> 00:24:22,521 Oh, boy. This is an endless cave. 507 00:24:22,521 --> 00:24:22,734 Oh, boy. This is an endless cave. 508 00:24:23,467 --> 00:24:24,734 [exhales sharply] 509 00:24:24,734 --> 00:24:27,266 Pablo graciously agrees to go first, 510 00:24:27,266 --> 00:24:29,634 then it's my turn to descend. 511 00:24:29,634 --> 00:24:32,266 Okay. Down we go. 512 00:24:32,333 --> 00:24:33,734 [breathing deeply] 513 00:24:39,166 --> 00:24:41,066 How is it so far down? 514 00:24:42,467 --> 00:24:45,066 It's like a black hole. [exhales] 515 00:24:47,634 --> 00:24:49,533 Oh! [exhales sharply] 516 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:51,467 -[bleep] -[Pablo] You all right? 517 00:24:51,467 --> 00:24:52,521 I'm all right! 518 00:24:52,521 --> 00:24:52,900 I'm all right! 519 00:24:58,533 --> 00:25:01,367 This is the third level of La Garma. 520 00:25:01,367 --> 00:25:03,367 Pablo and Jose lead us further 521 00:25:03,367 --> 00:25:06,734 until we enter a chamber dripping with stalactites. 522 00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:11,100 Well, Josh, this is the room I wanted you to see. 523 00:25:11,100 --> 00:25:14,433 [Josh] Oh, my word. Look at this place! 524 00:25:15,266 --> 00:25:17,266 Unbelievable. 525 00:25:17,266 --> 00:25:20,100 As we enter, the chamber is eerily quiet, 526 00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:21,467 like a sanctuary. 527 00:25:21,467 --> 00:25:22,521 And then I learn that we're not alone. 528 00:25:22,521 --> 00:25:23,900 And then I learn that we're not alone. 529 00:25:27,967 --> 00:25:29,634 [Josh] Oh, my God. 530 00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:31,166 This is a full skeleton. 531 00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:36,734 Oh, my God. 532 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,166 This is a full skeleton. Look at this. 533 00:25:40,166 --> 00:25:42,967 I'm deep inside the La Garma cave, 534 00:25:42,967 --> 00:25:45,066 an undisturbed time capsule 535 00:25:45,066 --> 00:25:48,367 from the era of Spain's heroic king Pelayo. 536 00:25:48,367 --> 00:25:49,967 We're searching for evidence 537 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:51,967 of the truth behind his legend. 538 00:25:52,900 --> 00:25:54,467 This might qualify. 539 00:25:55,900 --> 00:25:58,000 -We have a full skeleton here. -[Pablo] Mmm-hmm. 540 00:26:00,734 --> 00:26:02,130 Oh, there's another skeleton right there! 541 00:26:02,130 --> 00:26:02,533 Oh, there's another skeleton right there! 542 00:26:02,533 --> 00:26:05,066 -Yes. -How many of these skeletons are here? 543 00:26:05,066 --> 00:26:06,967 [Pablo] There are five in this gallery. 544 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,533 Five. And these are from the time of Pelayo? 545 00:26:09,533 --> 00:26:11,266 Yeah, yes, they are. 546 00:26:11,266 --> 00:26:13,066 [Josh] The archaeologists have discovered 547 00:26:13,100 --> 00:26:16,100 that this chamber is, in fact, an eerie necropolis. 548 00:26:16,100 --> 00:26:19,634 The skeletons have been carefully laid out on the floor, 549 00:26:19,634 --> 00:26:22,533 surrounded by broken pieces of stalactites 550 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,467 in some sort of burial ritual. 551 00:26:25,467 --> 00:26:27,634 Wow. Unbelievable. 552 00:26:27,700 --> 00:26:28,967 I'm trying to understand this. 553 00:26:28,967 --> 00:26:31,066 People brought these five bodies 554 00:26:31,100 --> 00:26:32,130 all the way down here? 555 00:26:32,130 --> 00:26:32,266 all the way down here? 556 00:26:32,333 --> 00:26:33,533 This whole trip that we've made, 557 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:34,734 they came the same way? 558 00:26:35,900 --> 00:26:37,066 [Josh] Ropes and torches. 559 00:26:37,066 --> 00:26:39,734 Think about that. With torches, how scary 560 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:41,634 -this environment would be. -Yeah, yeah. 561 00:26:41,634 --> 00:26:44,066 They must have felt like they were venturing into the underworld. 562 00:26:44,066 --> 00:26:45,533 Yeah, yeah. No doubt. 563 00:26:45,533 --> 00:26:48,000 Why? This must have been a kind of... 564 00:26:48,634 --> 00:26:50,634 ceremonial burial, in a way. 565 00:26:53,066 --> 00:26:55,634 Was any clothing found? Was any textiles found? 566 00:26:55,900 --> 00:26:57,266 [Pablo speaking] 567 00:27:02,967 --> 00:27:05,634 A metal belt buckle. And what does it look like? 568 00:27:05,634 --> 00:27:09,800 [Jose speaking] 569 00:27:12,967 --> 00:27:14,367 -[Josh] It has a cross? -[Jose] Yes. 570 00:27:14,367 --> 00:27:16,367 So these... these are Christians. 571 00:27:16,367 --> 00:27:17,734 Eh, we think so. 572 00:27:17,734 --> 00:27:22,533 I mean, there's something very heathen or pagan about this. 573 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,367 There are so few burials from the time of Pelayo 574 00:27:25,367 --> 00:27:28,233 that what we are seeing here is revelatory. 575 00:27:28,734 --> 00:27:30,367 It's clear that, at this time, 576 00:27:30,367 --> 00:27:32,130 Christianity existed alongside lingering pagan traditions, 577 00:27:32,130 --> 00:27:34,467 Christianity existed alongside lingering pagan traditions, 578 00:27:34,467 --> 00:27:37,266 including some very dark rituals. 579 00:27:38,900 --> 00:27:41,166 For being here over a thousand years, 580 00:27:41,166 --> 00:27:42,867 it's incredibly well-preserved. 581 00:27:42,900 --> 00:27:44,634 -Mmm-hmm. -Except for one thing. 582 00:27:44,634 --> 00:27:46,533 -The skull. -[Pablo] Mmm-hmm. 583 00:27:46,533 --> 00:27:47,634 [Josh] Where's the skull? 584 00:27:47,634 --> 00:27:49,367 [Pablo speaking] 585 00:27:49,367 --> 00:27:52,266 [Josh] Literally smashed down to a powder almost. 586 00:27:52,333 --> 00:27:55,166 Yeah, yeah. All of them have the skulls crushed. 587 00:27:55,233 --> 00:27:57,066 Why? Why crush the skull? 588 00:28:03,634 --> 00:28:04,734 To return? 589 00:28:04,734 --> 00:28:06,867 -[Jose speaking] -[Josh] Revenants? 590 00:28:06,867 --> 00:28:09,100 You're talking about vampires? 591 00:28:09,634 --> 00:28:11,066 In the Middle Ages, 592 00:28:11,100 --> 00:28:13,166 the belief that people could return from the dead 593 00:28:13,166 --> 00:28:15,867 as evil spirits was not only common, 594 00:28:15,867 --> 00:28:18,533 urgent measures were taken to prevent it. 595 00:28:18,533 --> 00:28:20,367 So-called revenant burials 596 00:28:20,367 --> 00:28:22,367 have been found all over the world, 597 00:28:22,433 --> 00:28:24,367 with the dead buried upside-down, 598 00:28:24,367 --> 00:28:26,100 with stones in their mouths, 599 00:28:26,100 --> 00:28:29,000 and even with the occasional stake through the heart. 600 00:28:30,166 --> 00:28:31,967 -But they're from the time of Pelayo. -Yeah, yeah. 601 00:28:31,967 --> 00:28:32,130 But who these five people are, we don't know. 602 00:28:32,130 --> 00:28:34,467 But who these five people are, we don't know. 603 00:28:34,533 --> 00:28:35,500 No, we don't know. 604 00:28:36,533 --> 00:28:39,367 [Josh] These bodies are an incredible discovery. 605 00:28:39,367 --> 00:28:40,967 We don't know who they were 606 00:28:40,967 --> 00:28:43,734 or why they were given such a strange burial, 607 00:28:43,734 --> 00:28:46,166 but the fact that things like this were happening 608 00:28:46,166 --> 00:28:49,166 shows us that all of the romantic imagery 609 00:28:49,233 --> 00:28:50,634 of Pelayo and his men 610 00:28:50,634 --> 00:28:52,634 as squeaky-clean Christian heroes 611 00:28:52,634 --> 00:28:55,900 isn't painting a full-enough picture of the time. 612 00:28:58,533 --> 00:28:59,967 We're pressing onward, 613 00:28:59,967 --> 00:29:02,130 further and deeper into the bowels of the Earth, 614 00:29:02,130 --> 00:29:02,867 further and deeper into the bowels of the Earth, 615 00:29:02,867 --> 00:29:06,467 toward a section of La Garma that has never been explored. 616 00:29:07,367 --> 00:29:09,166 -Okay, that's impressive. -[Pablo] Yes. 617 00:29:09,166 --> 00:29:11,533 This is the largest room that we have in the cave. 618 00:29:11,533 --> 00:29:12,967 -[Josh] This is crazy. -[Pablo] Yeah. 619 00:29:12,967 --> 00:29:14,367 [Josh] And it goes up even higher. 620 00:29:14,433 --> 00:29:16,066 Must be 150 feet up. 621 00:29:16,100 --> 00:29:18,066 -[Jose] Exactly. -[Josh] In a single room. 622 00:29:18,100 --> 00:29:19,533 How far underground are we here? 623 00:29:19,533 --> 00:29:20,634 Around 400 feet. 624 00:29:20,634 --> 00:29:22,634 -Four hundred feet underground. -Yeah. 625 00:29:24,533 --> 00:29:26,000 [Josh exhales] 626 00:29:27,967 --> 00:29:30,634 But to get to the unseen sections of La Garma, 627 00:29:30,634 --> 00:29:32,130 we're going even deeper, 628 00:29:32,130 --> 00:29:32,467 we're going even deeper, 629 00:29:32,533 --> 00:29:36,100 thanks to one last ladder placed by Pablo's team. 630 00:29:45,967 --> 00:29:47,867 Okay. 631 00:29:47,867 --> 00:29:49,066 Unlike the ladders above, 632 00:29:49,066 --> 00:29:51,166 it feels hastily rigged. 633 00:29:51,166 --> 00:29:52,634 To get to the bottom safely, 634 00:29:52,634 --> 00:29:55,100 we may need to resort to Pelayo's technique, 635 00:29:55,100 --> 00:29:56,634 prayer. 636 00:29:56,700 --> 00:29:58,367 -Jose? -Yes? 637 00:29:58,367 --> 00:30:00,467 -You like this ladder? -No, I hate this ladder. 638 00:30:00,467 --> 00:30:02,130 But it's the only ladder we have. 639 00:30:02,130 --> 00:30:02,367 But it's the only ladder we have. 640 00:30:02,433 --> 00:30:04,967 You ever think about starting a greeting card company, Jose? 641 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,166 Eh... I don't know. [chuckling] 642 00:30:07,166 --> 00:30:08,867 -What? -Nothing. 643 00:30:08,867 --> 00:30:11,467 It's very inspirational. Here we go. 644 00:30:12,900 --> 00:30:15,367 We clip in for one final descent, 645 00:30:15,433 --> 00:30:17,467 and then down we go. 646 00:30:18,266 --> 00:30:19,900 Is that a rung my foot's on? 647 00:30:20,533 --> 00:30:22,166 Okay. 648 00:30:22,233 --> 00:30:24,266 Boy, it's just blind. You can't see anything. 649 00:30:24,266 --> 00:30:26,467 [softly] Oh, this sucks. Okay. 650 00:30:26,467 --> 00:30:28,000 Okay, coming down. 651 00:30:45,100 --> 00:30:47,367 Hoo! Okay, I'm down. 652 00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:50,467 Shaking like a leaf. 653 00:30:50,467 --> 00:30:51,634 [chuckling] 654 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:53,266 [Josh] This is it. 655 00:30:53,333 --> 00:30:55,066 Literal rock bottom. 656 00:30:55,066 --> 00:30:57,367 We're heading into unknown territory, 657 00:30:57,367 --> 00:30:59,734 a new, unmapped level of tunnels 658 00:30:59,734 --> 00:31:02,130 here at La Garma that may contain more burials 659 00:31:02,130 --> 00:31:02,967 here at La Garma that may contain more burials 660 00:31:02,967 --> 00:31:06,533 and perhaps even a tangible connection to Pelayo. 661 00:31:16,467 --> 00:31:17,734 Down, down, down. 662 00:31:19,533 --> 00:31:20,867 Do I hear water? 663 00:31:20,867 --> 00:31:22,266 Yes, it's a river. 664 00:31:22,333 --> 00:31:24,066 -[Josh] The river runs through this level? -Yeah. 665 00:31:24,066 --> 00:31:27,066 -And I don't see any of your excavation markers here. -Nothing. 666 00:31:27,066 --> 00:31:28,467 -[Josh] This is new territory. -New territory. 667 00:31:28,533 --> 00:31:30,433 All right. Let's see what we find. 668 00:31:38,367 --> 00:31:39,533 We're really going in the river. 669 00:31:39,533 --> 00:31:41,900 [Pablo laughing] Yeah. Really. 670 00:31:47,467 --> 00:31:50,066 [Josh] We follow the river deeper into the mountain 671 00:31:50,066 --> 00:31:52,166 until there's nothing but a trickle left. 672 00:31:53,367 --> 00:31:55,967 At the end, we meet up with the rest of the team 673 00:31:55,967 --> 00:31:57,867 that's been working just ahead of us. 674 00:31:58,533 --> 00:32:00,634 Hola, hola, hola. 675 00:32:00,634 --> 00:32:02,130 All right, so here we are at the bottom of the world. 676 00:32:02,130 --> 00:32:03,000 All right, so here we are at the bottom of the world. 677 00:32:14,467 --> 00:32:17,367 -Okay, so, careful where you step... -[Pablo] Yeah. 678 00:32:17,433 --> 00:32:20,100 -...and see what you can find, yeah? -Okay. 679 00:32:20,100 --> 00:32:22,100 All right, here we go. Keep your eyes open. 680 00:32:33,266 --> 00:32:37,166 Nobody has even tread in some of these galleries 681 00:32:37,233 --> 00:32:39,734 and these chambers in centuries. 682 00:32:41,467 --> 00:32:43,000 This is exploration, right here. 683 00:32:49,367 --> 00:32:51,066 [speaking Spanish] 684 00:32:51,066 --> 00:32:53,734 -This is the end. -[Josh] Oh, look at that. 685 00:32:53,734 --> 00:32:55,066 We got an opening right there. 686 00:32:55,634 --> 00:32:57,166 That does look like a chamber. 687 00:32:57,166 --> 00:32:58,166 You climbing up? 688 00:32:58,233 --> 00:32:59,734 [Pablo] We are. Be careful. 689 00:33:01,166 --> 00:33:02,130 [Josh] Careful. 690 00:33:02,130 --> 00:33:02,634 [Josh] Careful. 691 00:33:04,634 --> 00:33:05,867 Careful, Luis. 692 00:33:05,867 --> 00:33:07,367 [Pablo] Can you see anything there? 693 00:33:07,367 --> 00:33:08,467 [exclaims in Spanish] 694 00:33:08,467 --> 00:33:09,967 Que pasa? 695 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:11,066 [Josh] You see something? 696 00:33:11,066 --> 00:33:12,967 [speaking Spanish] 697 00:33:12,967 --> 00:33:14,467 [Pablo] He says it's full of bones. 698 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,066 [Josh] It's what? It's full of bones? 699 00:33:17,100 --> 00:33:18,467 -[Pablo] Yeah. -[Luis speaking Spanish] 700 00:33:18,533 --> 00:33:21,266 -[Josh] Human bones? -[Pablo] Yeah. Yeah, for sure. 701 00:33:21,333 --> 00:33:23,800 -Can I see? -Yeah. 702 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,634 [exhales] I mean, they could not be in a worse place. 703 00:33:30,634 --> 00:33:32,130 [chuckles nervously] 704 00:33:32,130 --> 00:33:32,266 [chuckles nervously] 705 00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:35,800 Ha! Oh, my word! 706 00:33:36,967 --> 00:33:39,000 It is! It's full of bones! 707 00:33:46,166 --> 00:33:48,734 [Josh] Here in Asturias, they don't dance the flamenco 708 00:33:48,734 --> 00:33:51,266 or run with the bulls. Instead, they drink. 709 00:33:51,266 --> 00:33:54,867 Specifically, hard cider poured with a lot of flair. 710 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,266 The waiters pour the cider like this to aerate it. 711 00:33:58,266 --> 00:34:00,867 And, let's face it, because it's very cool. 712 00:34:00,867 --> 00:34:02,367 The best of them can even do it 713 00:34:02,367 --> 00:34:03,634 without looking at the glass. 714 00:34:07,266 --> 00:34:08,367 The whole thing? 715 00:34:08,367 --> 00:34:09,634 The whole thing. Okay, sure. 716 00:34:11,867 --> 00:34:12,320 That's smooth! 717 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:13,266 That's smooth! 718 00:34:13,266 --> 00:34:15,467 Can I pour it? Yes! 719 00:34:16,500 --> 00:34:18,000 You're going up? Okay. 720 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:19,867 Here we go. I got this, I got this. 721 00:34:19,867 --> 00:34:22,333 Going up here. Okay, ready? 722 00:34:23,700 --> 00:34:25,467 Oh, boy. That's all right. 723 00:34:25,533 --> 00:34:26,634 I'm getting some of it in there. 724 00:34:26,734 --> 00:34:28,867 [cheering and clapping] 725 00:34:29,634 --> 00:34:31,634 [Josh] I did all right. 726 00:34:31,734 --> 00:34:33,900 This tradition dates back to ancient times. 727 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:35,634 Who knows? Pelayo and his men 728 00:34:35,734 --> 00:34:36,867 may have celebrated their victory 729 00:34:36,867 --> 00:34:39,166 with a cider pour just like this. 730 00:34:39,867 --> 00:34:42,000 Keep it coming. Keep it coming. 731 00:34:45,367 --> 00:34:48,066 Ha! Oh, my word! 732 00:34:49,467 --> 00:34:51,166 It is! It's full of bones! 733 00:34:51,166 --> 00:34:53,066 It is full of bones. 734 00:34:53,500 --> 00:34:54,634 Deep in a cave, 735 00:34:54,734 --> 00:34:56,533 we're discovering the real history 736 00:34:56,533 --> 00:34:59,600 behind the legendary character of King Pelayo. 737 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:03,166 And we've just discovered a new burial site. 738 00:35:03,166 --> 00:35:05,634 I can see part of a mandible. I can see teeth. 739 00:35:05,734 --> 00:35:07,166 Long bones. 740 00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:10,233 It's different from the one we saw 741 00:35:10,266 --> 00:35:11,600 on the level above. 742 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:12,313 The skulls here aren't smashed at all. 743 00:35:12,313 --> 00:35:14,367 The skulls here aren't smashed at all. 744 00:35:14,367 --> 00:35:16,533 -[Pablo] Can you see anything else? -[Josh] No. 745 00:35:16,533 --> 00:35:19,233 It's just bones as far as you can see. 746 00:35:20,266 --> 00:35:22,634 Given the extreme effort surely required 747 00:35:22,734 --> 00:35:25,533 to bring the bodies down to this level of the cave, 748 00:35:25,634 --> 00:35:27,734 it's likely this was a hallowed place. 749 00:35:28,967 --> 00:35:31,266 Only artifacts will tell us for sure. 750 00:35:31,266 --> 00:35:32,867 Fortunately... 751 00:35:32,900 --> 00:35:35,100 There's... Oh, there's something metal here. 752 00:35:37,066 --> 00:35:39,066 There's something metal in here, for sure. 753 00:35:39,100 --> 00:35:40,634 -Pablo? -[Pablo] Mmm-hmm? 754 00:35:40,734 --> 00:35:41,867 Now what? 755 00:35:41,900 --> 00:35:42,313 Well, eh, let's see. 756 00:35:42,313 --> 00:35:43,266 Well, eh, let's see. 757 00:35:43,266 --> 00:35:45,166 We'll have to take some photographs. 758 00:35:45,166 --> 00:35:47,233 -Photogrammetry, yes? -Yeah. 759 00:35:47,266 --> 00:35:49,166 [Josh] Okay. Let's get them in here. 760 00:35:50,367 --> 00:35:52,867 This is a groundbreaking discovery. 761 00:35:52,867 --> 00:35:55,533 But we can't risk touching any of the bones 762 00:35:55,533 --> 00:35:59,634 before preserving the scene with a photographic 3D scan. 763 00:35:59,634 --> 00:36:02,533 To create a work space on a sheer ledge, 764 00:36:02,533 --> 00:36:05,533 the team sets climbing pins into the rock. 765 00:36:09,900 --> 00:36:12,313 Then, team member Carlos climbs up 766 00:36:12,313 --> 00:36:12,367 Then, team member Carlos climbs up 767 00:36:12,367 --> 00:36:14,700 and positions the camera, while his partner Luis 768 00:36:14,700 --> 00:36:16,867 controls the shutter remotely. 769 00:36:19,734 --> 00:36:22,467 [Josh] They quickly take hundreds of photographs 770 00:36:22,467 --> 00:36:24,467 that are instantly beamed to a computer, 771 00:36:24,467 --> 00:36:25,734 where they'll be stitched together 772 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:27,967 to create a final image. 773 00:36:27,967 --> 00:36:30,867 And it all takes place in the blink of an eye. 774 00:36:32,166 --> 00:36:34,066 -We have data, yes? -Yes, we have. 775 00:36:34,066 --> 00:36:35,900 Okay, let's see. What did we get? 776 00:36:36,467 --> 00:36:37,533 -Ha-ha! -Oh! 777 00:36:37,634 --> 00:36:38,967 This is incredible. 778 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,066 [Pablo] So many bones. 779 00:36:41,100 --> 00:36:42,313 [Josh] There are bones everywhere. 780 00:36:42,313 --> 00:36:42,734 [Josh] There are bones everywhere. 781 00:36:42,734 --> 00:36:44,600 -And in the back? -[Pablo] Look there. 782 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:46,266 [Josh] Wow, more in the back! 783 00:36:46,266 --> 00:36:47,734 [Pablo] A concentration there of bones. 784 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:49,867 [Josh] So many more than you can see from the entrance. 785 00:36:49,867 --> 00:36:51,266 It goes all the way back. 786 00:36:51,266 --> 00:36:53,433 How many people do we think this is? 787 00:36:56,467 --> 00:36:57,967 [Josh] Incredible. 788 00:36:57,967 --> 00:37:00,734 And the metal piece that's near the front is where? 789 00:37:02,700 --> 00:37:04,166 [softly] Where is that? 790 00:37:04,166 --> 00:37:05,166 Here. So here. 791 00:37:05,166 --> 00:37:07,000 This large piece of metal here. 792 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:08,600 Some big chunk of iron, yeah? 793 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:09,867 [Pablo] Yeah, it is. 794 00:37:09,867 --> 00:37:11,467 Okay, so... 795 00:37:11,467 --> 00:37:12,313 -There's a lot in here. -Yeah, yeah. 796 00:37:12,313 --> 00:37:13,533 -There's a lot in here. -Yeah, yeah. 797 00:37:16,967 --> 00:37:18,967 [Josh] It's incredible. It's just incredible. 798 00:37:18,967 --> 00:37:20,467 The preservation is so good. 799 00:37:20,467 --> 00:37:23,266 Yeah. Okay, we have incredible imagery. 800 00:37:23,266 --> 00:37:25,634 -Now what? -Now it's time to dig. 801 00:37:25,734 --> 00:37:27,100 Time to dig. 802 00:37:27,100 --> 00:37:28,634 -Yes. -Let's dig. 803 00:37:30,166 --> 00:37:33,467 [Josh] The scientists have tentatively dated this new burial 804 00:37:33,467 --> 00:37:35,367 to around the time of Pelayo. 805 00:37:35,367 --> 00:37:38,634 More importantly, there appear to be metal artifacts here 806 00:37:38,734 --> 00:37:40,000 with the bodies. 807 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,066 Now that we've documented the find, 808 00:37:42,100 --> 00:37:42,313 we get to excavate and see exactly what they are. 809 00:37:42,313 --> 00:37:45,800 we get to excavate and see exactly what they are. 810 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,100 Okay. Coming to you. 811 00:37:48,967 --> 00:37:50,634 This is going to be a type of archaeology 812 00:37:50,634 --> 00:37:52,533 I've never practiced before. 813 00:37:52,634 --> 00:37:54,233 Delicately moving human remains 814 00:37:54,266 --> 00:37:57,066 while dangling off the ledge of a cave. 815 00:37:57,066 --> 00:37:59,166 But we manage to gently clear the bones 816 00:37:59,166 --> 00:38:01,734 away from the mysterious metal object. 817 00:38:07,467 --> 00:38:08,634 [Josh] Got it. 818 00:38:08,734 --> 00:38:10,233 Once the bones are removed, 819 00:38:10,266 --> 00:38:11,967 Pablo can access the metal, 820 00:38:11,967 --> 00:38:12,313 which, over the last thousand years, 821 00:38:12,313 --> 00:38:13,967 which, over the last thousand years, 822 00:38:13,967 --> 00:38:16,433 appears to have been concreted to the cave. 823 00:38:19,166 --> 00:38:21,734 He gently chisels at the calcium buildup 824 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:23,634 on the wall to work it free. 825 00:38:24,166 --> 00:38:26,066 Until... 826 00:38:26,066 --> 00:38:27,266 -[Pablo] We got it. -You got it? 827 00:38:27,266 --> 00:38:29,100 -Yeah. -It's free? 828 00:38:29,100 --> 00:38:31,467 -It's free. -Okay, hold on. Here, I'll take it. 829 00:38:31,467 --> 00:38:33,166 Behind you, behind you. 830 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:36,333 -Okay, I have it. I have it. -Yeah. 831 00:38:39,634 --> 00:38:41,166 Oh, my word. 832 00:38:41,166 --> 00:38:42,313 It's an axe, yeah? 833 00:38:42,313 --> 00:38:42,433 It's an axe, yeah? 834 00:38:43,500 --> 00:38:45,634 You can see the hole for the handle. 835 00:38:47,533 --> 00:38:48,867 Unbelievable. 836 00:38:49,367 --> 00:38:51,233 Now holding an axe head, 837 00:38:51,266 --> 00:38:53,867 we rush back down to rejoin the rest of the team, 838 00:38:53,900 --> 00:38:55,333 so we can examine it. 839 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:57,367 I mean, look... look at this. 840 00:38:57,433 --> 00:38:58,967 -It's stunning. -[Pablo] Wonderful. 841 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:00,634 -[Josh] It's wonderful. -[Pablo] Yeah, yeah. 842 00:39:00,734 --> 00:39:03,533 So, this is, like, not a household chopping item. 843 00:39:04,700 --> 00:39:05,867 -This is a weapon? -Yes. 844 00:39:05,900 --> 00:39:06,867 [Josh] When is this from? 845 00:39:06,867 --> 00:39:08,166 [Pablo] Around Pelayo's time. 846 00:39:08,166 --> 00:39:10,467 So, who do you think this is, the person who owned this? 847 00:39:10,467 --> 00:39:12,313 -Was probably a warrior. -A warrior. 848 00:39:12,313 --> 00:39:13,066 -Was probably a warrior. -A warrior. 849 00:39:13,066 --> 00:39:14,867 In this period in Spain, do we find 850 00:39:14,867 --> 00:39:16,967 -many burials with weapons? -[Jose] No. 851 00:39:21,533 --> 00:39:22,800 -Rare. -[Josh] Rare. 852 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,066 Have you found anything like this before? 853 00:39:27,700 --> 00:39:29,700 [Josh] Wow. Incredible. 854 00:39:29,700 --> 00:39:32,266 An Asturian warrior from the eighth century 855 00:39:32,266 --> 00:39:34,533 buried near the Battle of Covadonga 856 00:39:34,634 --> 00:39:36,166 is beyond rare. 857 00:39:36,233 --> 00:39:38,800 And the implications are humbling. 858 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:41,166 This could be a warrior of Pelayo right here. 859 00:39:41,166 --> 00:39:42,313 Incredible. And now what will happen here? 860 00:39:42,313 --> 00:39:43,467 Incredible. And now what will happen here? 861 00:39:43,467 --> 00:39:44,900 Much more work to be done? 862 00:39:50,634 --> 00:39:51,634 [Josh] Good. 863 00:39:51,634 --> 00:39:52,867 And you'll send me lots of photos? 864 00:39:52,867 --> 00:39:54,166 Yeah, many, many. 865 00:39:54,166 --> 00:39:56,467 Hey, thank you so much. 866 00:39:56,467 --> 00:39:57,533 Gracias. 867 00:39:57,533 --> 00:39:59,066 [Josh] Thank you so much. 868 00:39:59,066 --> 00:40:01,800 Okay. The long journey back up to the surface. 869 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,066 -[Pablo] Okay. -Let's go. 870 00:40:08,533 --> 00:40:11,166 [Josh] In terms of the legend of King Pelayo, 871 00:40:11,166 --> 00:40:12,313 there's little doubt that he was 872 00:40:12,313 --> 00:40:13,266 there's little doubt that he was 873 00:40:13,266 --> 00:40:15,533 an actual historical figure, 874 00:40:15,533 --> 00:40:17,467 but his story didn't unfold 875 00:40:17,467 --> 00:40:20,166 the way the Christian chronicles would have us believe. 876 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:24,867 Evidence hidden in the foundations of Gauzon Castle 877 00:40:24,867 --> 00:40:26,867 suggests that, rather than being 878 00:40:26,867 --> 00:40:29,734 a shining Christian knight from the big city, 879 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:33,467 Pelayo might well have been a home-grown Asturian leader, 880 00:40:33,467 --> 00:40:36,066 a king of the north, a Braveheart, 881 00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:40,000 who rallied local warriors to win an improbable victory. 882 00:40:42,533 --> 00:40:44,634 The vampiric skeletons we found 883 00:40:44,634 --> 00:40:46,166 in the depths of La Garma 884 00:40:46,166 --> 00:40:47,867 show us that this was a time 885 00:40:47,900 --> 00:40:50,700 where Christianity was still deeply infused 886 00:40:50,700 --> 00:40:52,333 with pagan beliefs. 887 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,967 And as for the seemingly venerated warriors 888 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:58,533 buried deep in the cave, 889 00:40:58,533 --> 00:41:00,467 they could well be among those 890 00:41:00,467 --> 00:41:04,066 who fought victoriously at the Battle of Covadonga. 891 00:41:05,867 --> 00:41:07,266 What we do know 892 00:41:07,266 --> 00:41:09,467 is that, much like the Cross of Victory, 893 00:41:09,467 --> 00:41:12,313 Pelayo's story has been gilded, embellished, 894 00:41:12,313 --> 00:41:13,000 Pelayo's story has been gilded, embellished, 895 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,634 to animate a young country forging a new identity. 896 00:41:18,266 --> 00:41:23,166 And now, 1,300 years after Pelayo united his people, 897 00:41:23,233 --> 00:41:26,100 his story continues to inspire them.