1 00:00:01,689 --> 00:00:04,482 You know, this whole story is the greatest art heist in history. 2 00:00:08,793 --> 00:00:11,724 Did you personally take any of the statues that were here? 3 00:00:15,137 --> 00:00:18,172 It's like a thousand-year-old jigsaw puzzle. Ah! 4 00:00:21,172 --> 00:00:23,517 Back in the day, there would have been sculpture everywhere, 5 00:00:23,551 --> 00:00:26,620 temples, and then this huge pyramid looming over everything. 6 00:00:28,551 --> 00:00:29,827 Something went wrong in this city. 7 00:00:29,862 --> 00:00:31,793 Something made it collapse. 8 00:00:31,827 --> 00:00:34,724 No one really knows for sure what happened. 9 00:00:34,758 --> 00:00:36,448 -[Phakdey] Josh, come here. -[Josh] What did you find? 10 00:00:37,862 --> 00:00:39,896 [Josh] Ah! We have an inscription! 11 00:00:39,931 --> 00:00:41,241 Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! 12 00:00:41,275 --> 00:00:42,620 -Long way down. -[man] Yeah. 13 00:00:49,482 --> 00:00:51,862 This is literally a message from the past. 14 00:00:51,896 --> 00:00:53,724 We are right now the first people 15 00:00:53,758 --> 00:00:56,068 to see this in a thousand years. 16 00:00:56,103 --> 00:00:58,000 Oh, [bleep] This is unstable. 17 00:00:58,620 --> 00:00:59,862 Okay, here goes nothing. 18 00:01:00,827 --> 00:01:01,896 Oh, look at his face! 19 00:01:01,931 --> 00:01:03,551 Oh, my word. 20 00:01:10,034 --> 00:01:12,931 [suspenseful music playing] 21 00:01:20,793 --> 00:01:23,379 For centuries, the city of Angkor stood as 22 00:01:23,413 --> 00:01:26,862 the capital of Cambodia's mighty Khmer Empire. 23 00:01:26,896 --> 00:01:31,448 Its kings ruled there for 600 years, except for a brief 24 00:01:31,482 --> 00:01:33,689 and mysterious time when the capital 25 00:01:33,723 --> 00:01:36,241 was moved somewhere else entirely. 26 00:01:38,551 --> 00:01:42,344 In the 10th century, a king named Jayavarman IV 27 00:01:42,378 --> 00:01:44,827 decided to build a new center of power 28 00:01:44,862 --> 00:01:46,896 deep in the Cambodian jungle, 29 00:01:46,931 --> 00:01:49,413 a place known as Koh Ker. 30 00:01:49,448 --> 00:01:52,413 Jayavarman oversaw the construction of dozens 31 00:01:52,448 --> 00:01:55,965 of temples, reservoirs, and the tallest pyramid 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,931 in the entire country, all of it adorned with 33 00:01:58,965 --> 00:02:02,448 the finest statues in the history of the empire. 34 00:02:05,724 --> 00:02:09,550 But then, only 20 years later, the city was suddenly, 35 00:02:09,586 --> 00:02:13,275 mysteriously abandoned. Its ruins swallowed by the jungle. 36 00:02:14,965 --> 00:02:17,758 But why was it built in such a remote place? 37 00:02:18,310 --> 00:02:19,689 And why did it fall? 38 00:02:19,724 --> 00:02:22,551 Unfortunately, the art and sculptures from the city 39 00:02:22,586 --> 00:02:26,000 that could provide crucial answers have been relentlessly 40 00:02:26,034 --> 00:02:27,551 looted or destroyed. 41 00:02:31,862 --> 00:02:34,965 But now, an international team of investigators 42 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:36,551 is on the case. 43 00:02:36,586 --> 00:02:39,275 Archaeologists armed with the latest technology 44 00:02:39,310 --> 00:02:42,344 are working hand in hand with former looters 45 00:02:42,379 --> 00:02:46,241 to locate and restore these priceless masterpieces. 46 00:02:48,241 --> 00:02:51,379 So join me as I journey into the untamed jungles 47 00:02:51,413 --> 00:02:54,517 of Southeast Asia to literally piece together 48 00:02:54,551 --> 00:02:59,067 the statues and the secrets of Cambodia's lost capital. 49 00:03:03,172 --> 00:03:05,137 My name is Josh Gates. 50 00:03:05,172 --> 00:03:06,827 -Hello! -Explorer. 51 00:03:06,862 --> 00:03:08,344 -Here goes nothing. -Adventurer. 52 00:03:08,379 --> 00:03:09,931 [exclaims] 53 00:03:09,965 --> 00:03:11,172 Oh, that's a long way down. 54 00:03:11,206 --> 00:03:14,172 And a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 55 00:03:14,965 --> 00:03:16,689 I'm alive, for now. 56 00:03:16,724 --> 00:03:20,448 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for the unexplained, 57 00:03:20,482 --> 00:03:23,448 I travel to the ends of the Earth investigating 58 00:03:23,482 --> 00:03:25,413 the greatest legends in history. 59 00:03:25,448 --> 00:03:27,034 Ready to rock and roll. 60 00:03:27,068 --> 00:03:29,137 This isExpedition Unknown. 61 00:03:34,689 --> 00:03:38,137 Cambodia, one of my favorite places on Earth. 62 00:03:40,172 --> 00:03:43,000 We are steaming up the mighty Mekong River, 63 00:03:43,034 --> 00:03:45,482 the lifeblood of Southeast Asia. 64 00:03:45,517 --> 00:03:48,379 Beginning high in the Himalayas, these waters travel 65 00:03:48,413 --> 00:03:51,827 more than 3,000 miles through six countries, 66 00:03:51,862 --> 00:03:54,862 nourishing entire civilizations along the way, 67 00:03:54,896 --> 00:03:58,482 including the Khmer Empire, which blossomed into 68 00:03:58,517 --> 00:04:00,931 an ancient superpower. 69 00:04:00,965 --> 00:04:04,758 For 800 years between the seventh and 15th centuries, 70 00:04:04,793 --> 00:04:09,689 the Kingdom of Khmer controlled almost 400,000 square miles. 71 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,034 From its seat of power in Cambodia, 72 00:04:13,068 --> 00:04:15,620 it ruled over much of Southeast Asia, 73 00:04:15,655 --> 00:04:19,964 including present-day Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. 74 00:04:22,103 --> 00:04:24,931 The empire turned its aptitude for agriculture 75 00:04:24,965 --> 00:04:26,586 into vast wealth. 76 00:04:26,620 --> 00:04:29,068 Militarily, they were proficient in fighting on 77 00:04:29,103 --> 00:04:31,517 both land and water. 78 00:04:31,551 --> 00:04:34,689 This river was the source of much of their power, 79 00:04:34,724 --> 00:04:36,551 allowing for trade and spreading 80 00:04:36,586 --> 00:04:39,275 the empire's culture and influence. 81 00:04:39,310 --> 00:04:43,172 Today, the Mekong also flows through Cambodia's modern metropolis, 82 00:04:43,206 --> 00:04:47,206 an on-again, off-again capital founded in the 15th century. 83 00:04:47,241 --> 00:04:49,275 It's where our investigation begins. 84 00:04:49,310 --> 00:04:51,172 All ashore for Phnom Penh. 85 00:05:01,310 --> 00:05:04,000 Phnom Penh is known as the Pearl of Asia, 86 00:05:04,034 --> 00:05:06,310 and I've come here to begin my investigation 87 00:05:06,344 --> 00:05:10,172 into both the Khmer Kingdom and the theft of its treasures. 88 00:05:10,206 --> 00:05:13,482 My first stop is Cambodia's National Museum. 89 00:05:13,517 --> 00:05:16,965 Waiting inside is American attorney Brad Gordon. 90 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,310 -[Josh] Brad? -Josh. 91 00:05:18,344 --> 00:05:19,689 Hey, how are you, man? 92 00:05:19,724 --> 00:05:22,000 Brad has been working closely with the government 93 00:05:22,034 --> 00:05:24,034 and is leading a worldwide effort 94 00:05:24,068 --> 00:05:26,517 to locate looted art and antiquities 95 00:05:26,551 --> 00:05:29,034 and bring them back to Cambodia. 96 00:05:29,068 --> 00:05:30,827 I do feel slightly upstaged right now. 97 00:05:30,862 --> 00:05:32,034 Yeah, this is Garuda. 98 00:05:32,068 --> 00:05:34,517 Right, Garuda is the Hindu deity of the skies. 99 00:05:34,551 --> 00:05:36,275 -Yes. -And this comes from where? 100 00:05:36,310 --> 00:05:40,034 This comes from Koh Ker, an ancient royal capital of Cambodia. 101 00:05:40,068 --> 00:05:41,206 So let's talk about this place. 102 00:05:41,241 --> 00:05:42,724 Koh Ker is unique. 103 00:05:42,758 --> 00:05:44,310 It is a one-off, right? 104 00:05:44,344 --> 00:05:46,655 It's a capital way out in the jungle. 105 00:05:46,689 --> 00:05:48,275 Yes, it's remote. 106 00:05:48,310 --> 00:05:51,586 It was only for two kings, Jayavarman IV and his son, 107 00:05:51,620 --> 00:05:53,482 -Harshavarman II. -Right. 108 00:05:54,758 --> 00:05:58,689 In 921, Jayavarman IV shocked the Khmer Kingdom 109 00:05:58,724 --> 00:06:01,000 by uprooting the capital from Angkor, 110 00:06:01,034 --> 00:06:03,655 where it had been established for over a century, 111 00:06:03,689 --> 00:06:06,655 to the isolated jungle of Koh Ker. 112 00:06:06,689 --> 00:06:09,862 Jayavarman, and then his son, once he came of age, 113 00:06:09,896 --> 00:06:13,034 took power and ruled there for 20 years. 114 00:06:13,068 --> 00:06:15,758 But then, suddenly and inexplicably, 115 00:06:15,793 --> 00:06:18,724 the new capital collapsed. 116 00:06:18,758 --> 00:06:21,620 During the period of less than two decades, 117 00:06:21,655 --> 00:06:25,793 you have more than 50 temples being constructed at this site 118 00:06:25,827 --> 00:06:26,862 that's very remote. 119 00:06:26,896 --> 00:06:28,482 It doesn't make any sense. Why is it out there? 120 00:06:28,517 --> 00:06:30,896 Right. And they're carving things like this. 121 00:06:30,931 --> 00:06:33,586 Yes. They're making these magnificent pieces. 122 00:06:33,620 --> 00:06:37,172 They're unbelievably beautiful, and they're dynamic. 123 00:06:37,206 --> 00:06:40,551 [Josh] Before the arrival of the Koh Ker style, Khmer statues 124 00:06:40,586 --> 00:06:44,379 stood rigidly upright and wore stern expressions. 125 00:06:44,413 --> 00:06:46,448 But Koh Ker showed gods and kings 126 00:06:46,482 --> 00:06:49,551 that danced, flew, and smiled. 127 00:06:49,586 --> 00:06:51,793 And yet ,this statue is not up at Koh Ker. 128 00:06:51,827 --> 00:06:53,448 It is here in the middle of Phnom Penh, 129 00:06:53,482 --> 00:06:54,724 in the middle of the museum. 130 00:06:54,758 --> 00:06:55,758 How does it get here? 131 00:06:55,793 --> 00:06:58,896 If we go back to 1874, the French came here. 132 00:06:58,931 --> 00:07:02,827 They went up to Koh Ker, and they went temple to temple 133 00:07:02,862 --> 00:07:04,275 to collect statues. 134 00:07:05,862 --> 00:07:08,068 The French incursion into Cambodia sparked 135 00:07:08,103 --> 00:07:12,482 a historic wave of theft that continues to this day. 136 00:07:12,517 --> 00:07:17,068 Some masterpieces, like this one, have been repatriated. 137 00:07:17,103 --> 00:07:21,034 But when it comes to Koh Ker, that's just the tip of the iceberg. 138 00:07:21,068 --> 00:07:24,448 [Brad] So, Josh, in this room there are many statues from Koh Ker. 139 00:07:29,310 --> 00:07:31,137 Uh, these sculptures were looted, 140 00:07:31,172 --> 00:07:32,965 they were taken out of Cambodia, 141 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,241 and then, over the last decade, they were brought back. 142 00:07:35,275 --> 00:07:37,620 So it's not just the colonial French looting out there. 143 00:07:37,655 --> 00:07:39,241 There's a lot of it going on. 144 00:07:39,275 --> 00:07:40,827 We have waves of looting. 145 00:07:40,862 --> 00:07:42,551 When we look at the historical record, 146 00:07:42,586 --> 00:07:46,103 we could get into the early '70s, Vietnam War is raging. 147 00:07:46,137 --> 00:07:48,137 You have a number of statues going out. 148 00:07:48,172 --> 00:07:50,586 -And then, 1975 comes. -The Khmer Rouge. 149 00:07:50,620 --> 00:07:52,551 [Brad] Khmer Rouge. 150 00:07:52,586 --> 00:07:55,551 [Josh] The Khmer Rouge were a radical communist movement 151 00:07:55,586 --> 00:07:59,068 that seized Cambodia's government in 1975. 152 00:07:59,103 --> 00:08:01,379 Under the brutal leadership of Pol Pot, 153 00:08:01,413 --> 00:08:04,103 the Khmer Rouge only ruled for four years, 154 00:08:04,137 --> 00:08:07,448 but in that time, they were responsible for the genocide 155 00:08:07,482 --> 00:08:10,655 of an estimated two million Cambodians. 156 00:08:10,689 --> 00:08:13,689 To isolate their people from anything that might contradict 157 00:08:13,724 --> 00:08:16,862 their extreme doctrine, they also tried to destroy 158 00:08:16,896 --> 00:08:18,965 the existing Cambodian culture, 159 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,103 toppling temples and destroying written records, 160 00:08:22,137 --> 00:08:25,241 leaving painful gaps in the country's history. 161 00:08:25,275 --> 00:08:28,689 But when the Khmer Rouge fell, the looting didn't stop. 162 00:08:28,724 --> 00:08:31,482 Years of war and famine left people desperate 163 00:08:31,517 --> 00:08:34,136 for any way to feed themselves. 164 00:08:34,172 --> 00:08:38,344 And the market for Koh Ker's stolen art was only getting hotter. 165 00:08:38,379 --> 00:08:41,102 In the '80s, there was a lot of statues going out. 166 00:08:41,136 --> 00:08:43,448 In the '90s, it ramps up. 167 00:08:43,482 --> 00:08:46,137 Temples are being totally stripped. 168 00:08:46,172 --> 00:08:50,241 And a lot of that looting is being done by Cambodians at that point, right? 169 00:08:50,275 --> 00:08:53,068 Yes. Former child soldiers of the Khmer Rouge. 170 00:08:53,103 --> 00:08:54,413 Right. 171 00:08:54,448 --> 00:08:57,379 [Josh] Statues and other cultural treasures worth millions 172 00:08:57,413 --> 00:08:59,068 on the art market were funneled 173 00:08:59,103 --> 00:09:01,862 to auction houses who sold them to museums 174 00:09:01,896 --> 00:09:04,310 and collectors all over the world. 175 00:09:04,344 --> 00:09:06,931 This room alone contains masterworks that were once 176 00:09:06,965 --> 00:09:09,827 in the Met, the Cleveland Museum of Art, 177 00:09:09,862 --> 00:09:12,620 the Denver Art Museum, and the Norton Simon 178 00:09:12,655 --> 00:09:15,310 in Pasadena, among many others. 179 00:09:15,344 --> 00:09:18,482 Tracking all of this art down has become Brad's calling, 180 00:09:18,517 --> 00:09:20,758 making him a hero in Cambodia 181 00:09:20,793 --> 00:09:23,517 and the scourge of the black market. 182 00:09:23,551 --> 00:09:26,206 Do we have a sense of how many looted statues 183 00:09:26,241 --> 00:09:28,206 from Cambodia are still out in the world? 184 00:09:28,241 --> 00:09:31,379 So we're tracking 100 museums right now. 185 00:09:31,413 --> 00:09:33,620 There's more than 2,000 statues. 186 00:09:33,655 --> 00:09:35,896 -In museums? -In museums. 187 00:09:35,931 --> 00:09:37,275 And what about private collections? 188 00:09:37,310 --> 00:09:38,620 Maybe another 2,000. 189 00:09:39,793 --> 00:09:43,482 So, how would you feel if the Abe Lincoln monument 190 00:09:43,517 --> 00:09:46,241 was looted and it was here in Cambodia? 191 00:09:46,275 --> 00:09:47,551 Right. That would be insane. 192 00:09:47,586 --> 00:09:48,241 [Brad] Yes. 193 00:09:49,344 --> 00:09:52,827 Josh, not everything is on display to the public. 194 00:09:52,862 --> 00:09:55,034 There's one incredible sculpture 195 00:09:55,068 --> 00:09:56,862 that I want to show you from Koh Ker. 196 00:09:56,896 --> 00:09:58,172 -Here in the museum? -Here in the museum. 197 00:09:58,206 --> 00:09:59,275 -Follow me. -Yeah, sure. 198 00:10:02,655 --> 00:10:05,689 -Josh, um, this is the stone lab. -[Josh] Wow. 199 00:10:09,103 --> 00:10:11,620 Many important pieces that are returned to Cambodia, 200 00:10:11,655 --> 00:10:13,586 -they come here for restoration. -Got it. 201 00:10:13,620 --> 00:10:16,689 So, one of the most important statues to come back, to date, 202 00:10:16,724 --> 00:10:20,275 is this one here, which is Shiva, the Destroyer. 203 00:10:20,310 --> 00:10:21,620 [Josh] Yes. 204 00:10:21,655 --> 00:10:24,068 [Brad] And his son, Skanda, the god of war. 205 00:10:26,068 --> 00:10:29,724 You know, the images are in the image of a god, a Hindu god, 206 00:10:29,758 --> 00:10:34,379 but they also usually reflect the image of the royal family, 207 00:10:34,413 --> 00:10:38,344 so, possibly, this is King Jayavarman IV and his son. 208 00:10:38,379 --> 00:10:40,172 -Oh, his face on Shiva. -His face, yes. 209 00:10:40,206 --> 00:10:44,758 -Wow. -And his son, Harshavarman II, when he's a young boy. 210 00:10:44,793 --> 00:10:48,172 [Josh] Koh Ker's rulers are here, their faces reflected in 211 00:10:48,206 --> 00:10:50,448 their depictions of the gods. 212 00:10:50,482 --> 00:10:53,655 This statue not only has immeasurable cultural value, 213 00:10:53,689 --> 00:10:56,586 but it may also be able to help unlock the secrets 214 00:10:56,620 --> 00:10:59,206 of the city from which it was stolen. 215 00:10:59,241 --> 00:11:03,310 This statue was out at Koh Ker, and it was looted in 1997. 216 00:11:03,344 --> 00:11:05,758 And it went to a man named Douglas Latchford. 217 00:11:05,793 --> 00:11:09,275 You know, this whole story is the greatest art heist in history, 218 00:11:09,310 --> 00:11:11,965 and we see Douglas' fingerprints on everything. 219 00:11:13,482 --> 00:11:15,551 British art dealer Douglas Latchford practically 220 00:11:15,586 --> 00:11:18,827 industrialized the pillaging of Cambodian culture. 221 00:11:18,862 --> 00:11:21,172 Estimates of the number of statues that he smuggled 222 00:11:21,206 --> 00:11:24,172 from Koh Ker over the years range from 500 223 00:11:24,206 --> 00:11:26,310 to well into the thousands, 224 00:11:26,344 --> 00:11:28,551 including the Skanda and Shiva statue, 225 00:11:28,586 --> 00:11:32,758 which he attempted to sell on the black market for $25 million 226 00:11:32,793 --> 00:11:34,758 before his death in 2020. 227 00:11:37,137 --> 00:11:39,103 For the Cambodians, they don't like to put a price 228 00:11:39,137 --> 00:11:40,689 on the statues at all. 229 00:11:40,724 --> 00:11:43,172 They regard it as the souls of their ancestors. 230 00:11:43,206 --> 00:11:45,655 -[Josh] Mmm. -[Brad] So they're spiritual pieces. 231 00:11:45,689 --> 00:11:47,034 They're like living beings. 232 00:11:47,068 --> 00:11:48,068 [Josh] Right. 233 00:11:49,517 --> 00:11:51,551 So, what's going on at Koh Ker now? 234 00:11:51,586 --> 00:11:54,689 We have a whole team up at Koh Ker of archaeologists, 235 00:11:54,724 --> 00:11:57,448 and they're gonna go into places that 236 00:11:57,482 --> 00:11:59,241 nobody's ever gone in before. 237 00:11:59,275 --> 00:12:01,655 -Wow. -And what would be unbelievable 238 00:12:01,689 --> 00:12:04,172 is if we can find more statues. 239 00:12:04,206 --> 00:12:05,965 Do you think there are more statues? 240 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:07,310 Personally, for sure, yes. 241 00:12:07,620 --> 00:12:08,896 Wow. 242 00:12:08,931 --> 00:12:10,620 So, if you really want to understand the mysteries 243 00:12:10,655 --> 00:12:12,931 of Koh Ker, you have to go there. 244 00:12:12,965 --> 00:12:14,413 And are you going back up there? 245 00:12:14,448 --> 00:12:17,034 Yes, I'll be heading up there in a couple days, so I'll see you there. 246 00:12:17,068 --> 00:12:19,758 -All right, I'll see you at Koh Ker. -See you. 247 00:12:19,793 --> 00:12:22,517 [dramatic music playing] 248 00:12:22,551 --> 00:12:25,206 [Josh] It's time to see the lost capital for myself, 249 00:12:25,241 --> 00:12:28,344 but the trip is hardly a hop, skip, and a jump. 250 00:12:28,379 --> 00:12:30,793 So, in order to actually reach Koh Ker, 251 00:12:30,827 --> 00:12:32,862 we're going to have to undertake a journey 252 00:12:32,896 --> 00:12:35,965 that will take us about 250 miles north 253 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,965 and about a thousand years back in time. 254 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,482 First, I have to do something much more dangerous. 255 00:12:41,517 --> 00:12:44,379 I have to drive through the modern capital. 256 00:12:44,413 --> 00:12:46,241 Sure, just come on in here, wherever you need to be. 257 00:12:46,275 --> 00:12:47,379 Hi. Good morning. 258 00:12:47,862 --> 00:12:48,655 Hi. 259 00:12:50,241 --> 00:12:52,241 [upbeat country music playing] 260 00:12:59,862 --> 00:13:01,413 These people are driving on the sidewalk. 261 00:13:01,448 --> 00:13:03,068 Is that legal? I don't know. 262 00:13:03,103 --> 00:13:04,000 It doesn't matter. 263 00:13:09,758 --> 00:13:11,137 [dramatic music playing] 264 00:13:15,793 --> 00:13:18,931 [Josh] With Phnom Penh behind me, I speed 200 miles north 265 00:13:18,965 --> 00:13:22,000 toward the Khmer Empire's capital for generations, 266 00:13:22,034 --> 00:13:24,896 both before and after Jayavarman IV. 267 00:13:26,724 --> 00:13:29,586 At the heart of the kingdom is Angkor, which takes up 268 00:13:29,620 --> 00:13:32,965 an area roughly the size of Los Angeles, and which once 269 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,275 supported a population of over a million people, 270 00:13:36,310 --> 00:13:40,827 making it the largest pre-industrial metropolis in the world. 271 00:13:40,862 --> 00:13:43,103 [enthralling music playing] 272 00:13:52,103 --> 00:13:54,827 The city is loaded with stunning architecture, 273 00:13:54,862 --> 00:13:57,586 massive reservoirs, and ornate walls 274 00:13:57,620 --> 00:14:00,241 and gates, including the Door of the Dead, 275 00:14:00,275 --> 00:14:03,931 which was only used during the funeral of a king. 276 00:14:03,965 --> 00:14:08,413 In short, this was the alpha and omega of the Khmer world, 277 00:14:08,448 --> 00:14:11,413 so why would Jayavarman relocate the capital 278 00:14:11,448 --> 00:14:14,517 to a rural backwater in the middle of the jungle? 279 00:14:14,551 --> 00:14:17,379 To learn the answer, I need to push past Angkor 280 00:14:17,413 --> 00:14:19,931 and go deep into the Cambodian wilderness. 281 00:14:20,724 --> 00:14:21,931 Oh, there goes the paved road. 282 00:14:23,931 --> 00:14:25,551 All righty, into the jungles. 283 00:14:33,103 --> 00:14:34,793 This place is wild. 284 00:14:35,896 --> 00:14:38,758 Just a simple dirt road slicing through 285 00:14:38,793 --> 00:14:40,379 this endless green maze. 286 00:14:44,344 --> 00:14:47,517 It's another 70 miles through the jungle to my destination. 287 00:14:54,862 --> 00:14:57,413 It looks like there's nothing here, but we are about 288 00:14:57,448 --> 00:15:01,620 to arrive at the once mighty capital of the Khmer Empire. 289 00:15:01,655 --> 00:15:03,103 Welcome to Koh Ker. 290 00:15:10,896 --> 00:15:13,137 [mysterious music playing] 291 00:15:13,896 --> 00:15:14,758 [Josh] Okay. 292 00:15:16,551 --> 00:15:18,068 [motorcycle engine stops] 293 00:15:18,103 --> 00:15:19,034 Okay. 294 00:15:19,068 --> 00:15:20,103 [kickstand flips] 295 00:15:20,137 --> 00:15:21,275 Now we just need to get to the top. 296 00:15:22,034 --> 00:15:23,310 Let's go. 297 00:15:23,344 --> 00:15:26,862 I'm in the remote ruins of the Cambodian city of Koh Ker, 298 00:15:26,896 --> 00:15:30,172 once briefly the capital of the mighty Khmer Empire. 299 00:15:32,965 --> 00:15:35,275 Okay, here we go. 300 00:15:41,689 --> 00:15:44,620 To learn what caused the city's mysterious downfall, 301 00:15:44,655 --> 00:15:48,206 I climb up the immense step pyramid called Prasat Pram. 302 00:15:52,172 --> 00:15:53,448 [pants] Come on. 303 00:15:53,482 --> 00:15:56,310 It's more than just the tallest pyramid in Koh Ker. 304 00:15:56,344 --> 00:15:59,206 It's the tallest pyramid in all of Cambodia. 305 00:15:59,551 --> 00:16:00,758 [panting] 306 00:16:01,310 --> 00:16:02,965 Okay. 307 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,482 I got this. I got this. Just don't look up. 308 00:16:05,517 --> 00:16:06,793 Ah, I looked up. 309 00:16:07,137 --> 00:16:08,379 [exhales] 310 00:16:08,413 --> 00:16:11,206 And waiting for my sore quads at the top of this monster 311 00:16:11,241 --> 00:16:13,620 is my old friend, journalist Nick Ray. 312 00:16:15,379 --> 00:16:16,034 Nick! 313 00:16:19,137 --> 00:16:21,068 -Josh Gates. -How are you, man? 314 00:16:21,103 --> 00:16:22,724 -Great. Welcome to Koh Ker. -Great to see you. 315 00:16:22,758 --> 00:16:24,931 -It's been too long. -Been too long, man. 316 00:16:24,965 --> 00:16:27,344 [Josh] Nick literally wrote the book on Cambodia, 317 00:16:27,379 --> 00:16:29,379 or at least its Lonely Planet guide. 318 00:16:29,413 --> 00:16:32,827 And he's been a vital contact for me on many adventures. 319 00:16:32,862 --> 00:16:34,448 -[Josh] What a view. -[Nick] What an incredible view. 320 00:16:37,793 --> 00:16:39,517 I feel like we're on top of a mountain here. 321 00:16:39,551 --> 00:16:40,862 Well, we kind of metaphorically are. 322 00:16:40,896 --> 00:16:41,931 This is a temple mountain. 323 00:16:41,965 --> 00:16:43,551 This is meant to be home of the gods. 324 00:16:43,586 --> 00:16:46,206 -Right. -Basically, in the early 10th century, this represented 325 00:16:46,241 --> 00:16:48,896 the largest structure the ancient Khmers had built at that time. 326 00:16:51,896 --> 00:16:52,862 [Josh] And then the real question is, 327 00:16:52,896 --> 00:16:54,034 what the hell is it doing out here? 328 00:16:54,068 --> 00:16:57,827 Because before this city, the real seat of power 329 00:16:57,862 --> 00:16:59,310 was back at Angkor. 330 00:16:59,344 --> 00:17:00,413 [Nick] Absolutely. 331 00:17:00,448 --> 00:17:02,931 All the early capitals were there. Why? Water. 332 00:17:02,965 --> 00:17:05,103 They had the greatest lake in Southeast Asia. 333 00:17:05,137 --> 00:17:07,586 Right, because if you want to build an empire, you need people. 334 00:17:07,619 --> 00:17:09,586 And to keep them alive, you need water. 335 00:17:09,619 --> 00:17:10,344 Absolutely. 336 00:17:10,378 --> 00:17:11,792 And with water, you have rice. 337 00:17:11,827 --> 00:17:13,689 -Rice powered the empire. -[Josh] That's right. 338 00:17:13,723 --> 00:17:16,482 But out here, I don't see any big lakes. 339 00:17:16,517 --> 00:17:18,689 [Nick] No. There's a real lack of water out here. 340 00:17:18,723 --> 00:17:19,758 Scarce water resources. 341 00:17:19,792 --> 00:17:21,517 They really had to manage it carefully 342 00:17:21,550 --> 00:17:23,310 and make it last through the dry season. 343 00:17:23,344 --> 00:17:25,792 So, why go through all the effort? Why come out here and build? 344 00:17:25,827 --> 00:17:28,827 This king, Jayavarman IV, why would he move the capital here? 345 00:17:28,862 --> 00:17:30,793 This is the great mystery that is still vexing 346 00:17:30,827 --> 00:17:32,103 archaeologists and historians. 347 00:17:32,137 --> 00:17:34,896 We do not know enough, but we have some theories. 348 00:17:34,931 --> 00:17:37,413 One of the things we learned from the Angkor Empire 349 00:17:37,448 --> 00:17:40,965 was there was no primogeniture. 350 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,793 [Josh] Primogeniture is a fancy word for a royal inheritance. 351 00:17:44,827 --> 00:17:48,482 A ruler dies and his oldest son automatically takes over. 352 00:17:48,517 --> 00:17:51,586 But it didn't work that way in the Khmer Empire. 353 00:17:51,620 --> 00:17:54,482 Jayavarman IV could not automatically inherit 354 00:17:54,517 --> 00:17:58,862 the throne in Angkor, which meant that he had competitors. 355 00:17:58,896 --> 00:18:02,689 Did Jayavarman build here at Koh Ker to simply establish 356 00:18:02,724 --> 00:18:04,517 his own center of authority? 357 00:18:05,689 --> 00:18:06,655 [Josh] And another possibility? 358 00:18:06,689 --> 00:18:08,068 [Nick] He may have been from here. 359 00:18:08,103 --> 00:18:09,620 Did he want to bring the power back home? 360 00:18:09,655 --> 00:18:11,965 Was this a statement about, "This is where I'm from, 361 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,482 I'm gonna build up my base"? 362 00:18:13,517 --> 00:18:14,655 [Josh] Right. 363 00:18:14,689 --> 00:18:17,310 So regardless of why Jayavarman IV comes here, 364 00:18:17,344 --> 00:18:19,206 he pulls off something pretty incredible 365 00:18:19,241 --> 00:18:20,310 in a short amount of time. 366 00:18:20,344 --> 00:18:22,241 On a monumental scale, literally. 367 00:18:22,275 --> 00:18:24,724 He, followed by his son, Harshavarman II, 368 00:18:24,758 --> 00:18:28,034 they only actually have it as the capital for less than 20 years. 369 00:18:28,068 --> 00:18:30,206 Where you look now, you only see trees and forests 370 00:18:30,241 --> 00:18:32,103 and occasional peaks of a small temple, 371 00:18:32,137 --> 00:18:35,482 but in its day, this was on the scale of Angkor. 372 00:18:35,517 --> 00:18:39,000 [Josh] Beneath this lush canopy was once a formidable city. 373 00:18:39,034 --> 00:18:41,965 More than 50 temples, massive reservoirs, 374 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:43,793 and countless homes. 375 00:18:43,827 --> 00:18:48,137 A thriving metropolis that supported tens of thousands of people. 376 00:18:48,172 --> 00:18:49,689 [Nick] And the most important thing, which sadly 377 00:18:49,724 --> 00:18:51,586 we don't see today, was statues. 378 00:18:51,620 --> 00:18:55,413 Koh Ker was famous for these beautiful, vivid, dynamic statues. 379 00:18:55,448 --> 00:18:57,310 Pretty much all the statues were looted. 380 00:18:57,344 --> 00:18:59,551 So, back in the day, there would have been sculpture everywhere, 381 00:18:59,586 --> 00:19:03,241 temples, and then this huge pyramid looming over everything. 382 00:19:03,275 --> 00:19:05,724 [Nick] As giant as this seems today, it was even bigger 383 00:19:05,758 --> 00:19:08,275 in its heyday, because, according to inscriptions, 384 00:19:08,310 --> 00:19:11,827 there was a giant golden linga sticking out the top. 385 00:19:11,862 --> 00:19:16,379 Lingas are these, uh, spiritual stone phalluses. 386 00:19:16,413 --> 00:19:19,068 That's a very polite way of saying a giant golden [bleep]. 387 00:19:19,103 --> 00:19:21,172 [laughs] Yes, that's right. 388 00:19:21,206 --> 00:19:23,517 That's right. Well, you know, it's a family show, Nick. 389 00:19:23,551 --> 00:19:24,344 It's a family show. 390 00:19:25,586 --> 00:19:27,620 [Josh] Lingas are found at the summits of the Khmer's 391 00:19:27,655 --> 00:19:29,517 most important temples. 392 00:19:29,551 --> 00:19:33,000 They're said to represent an aspect of the god Shiva. 393 00:19:33,034 --> 00:19:36,068 And, apparently, this was a rather impressive one. 394 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:37,896 [Nick] There was a very large one. 395 00:19:37,931 --> 00:19:39,896 They believe it was 15 feet in height. 396 00:19:39,931 --> 00:19:40,965 [Josh] On top of this pyramid? 397 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:42,000 [Nick] On top of this pyramid. 398 00:19:42,034 --> 00:19:44,000 So, what happened to this golden linga? 399 00:19:44,034 --> 00:19:45,620 Well, this is still something of a major mystery. 400 00:19:45,655 --> 00:19:47,724 No one really knows for sure what happened. 401 00:19:47,758 --> 00:19:50,034 Some say that it was decapitated, if you like, 402 00:19:50,068 --> 00:19:52,310 and taken back to the seat of power at Angkor. 403 00:19:52,344 --> 00:19:54,517 What better way to put a rival capital in its place? 404 00:19:54,551 --> 00:19:56,517 -Than to chop off its linga. -Exactly. 405 00:19:56,551 --> 00:19:57,965 Right. 406 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,379 [Josh] Of course, the linga might also have been another victim 407 00:20:00,413 --> 00:20:02,310 of Koh Ker's infamous looters, 408 00:20:02,344 --> 00:20:04,586 the gold stripped and sold off. 409 00:20:04,620 --> 00:20:07,379 Other theories suggest it was never removed from the site. 410 00:20:07,413 --> 00:20:08,482 It could still be here. 411 00:20:08,517 --> 00:20:09,655 At the center of the pyramid, 412 00:20:09,689 --> 00:20:12,103 you've got this deep pit going down 413 00:20:12,137 --> 00:20:13,689 into the heart of the temple, 414 00:20:13,724 --> 00:20:15,310 sort of door to the underworld. 415 00:20:15,344 --> 00:20:16,862 Could the linga have toppled in there? 416 00:20:16,896 --> 00:20:19,724 Nobody really knows. So the linga has not been found. 417 00:20:19,758 --> 00:20:20,827 So what's in there? 418 00:20:20,862 --> 00:20:22,551 To be honest, nobody knows for sure. 419 00:20:22,586 --> 00:20:25,034 It's not a place that's been fully explored. 420 00:20:25,068 --> 00:20:26,965 It's basically a place that locals avoid. 421 00:20:27,413 --> 00:20:28,275 Okay. 422 00:20:29,655 --> 00:20:31,827 [Josh] Well, I'm not one to let a portal to the underworld 423 00:20:31,862 --> 00:20:34,586 stop me from finding a golden linga. 424 00:20:34,620 --> 00:20:36,482 Nick is going to try to get permission 425 00:20:36,517 --> 00:20:38,586 for me to enter the sacred pyramid. 426 00:20:38,620 --> 00:20:43,034 Unprecedented access to explore the crown jewel of Koh Ker for answers. 427 00:20:44,379 --> 00:20:46,103 However, these things take time. 428 00:20:48,896 --> 00:20:51,310 So the next morning, I return to my bike to get 429 00:20:51,344 --> 00:20:53,482 my first look at the rest of the city. 430 00:20:57,344 --> 00:21:02,137 The pyramid is just the tip of the spiritual iceberg at Koh Ker. 431 00:21:02,172 --> 00:21:04,931 I'm headed now to relink with Brad Wharton, 432 00:21:04,965 --> 00:21:08,137 who's working with archaeologists at an incredible temple 433 00:21:08,172 --> 00:21:11,344 that might help unravel the mysteries of the capital 434 00:21:11,379 --> 00:21:13,551 and the fate of its mighty kings. 435 00:21:15,137 --> 00:21:17,931 I drive, stunned, amidst the ruins. 436 00:21:19,379 --> 00:21:22,586 Past ancient temples that the jungle has destroyed, 437 00:21:22,620 --> 00:21:25,620 or, in some cases, simply added on to, 438 00:21:25,655 --> 00:21:28,379 with towers of cloying vines. 439 00:21:28,413 --> 00:21:32,379 This, it appears, is what remains of Koh Ker. 440 00:21:32,413 --> 00:21:35,068 Pretty much everywhere you look out at these jungles, 441 00:21:35,103 --> 00:21:39,344 there's construction, signs of life, signs of power. 442 00:21:40,586 --> 00:21:43,000 I pull up to reconnect with Brad Gordon 443 00:21:43,034 --> 00:21:45,000 at the ruins of a grand temple, 444 00:21:45,034 --> 00:21:49,034 where former looters have revealed that they stole priceless statues, 445 00:21:49,068 --> 00:21:51,103 and more may be waiting to be found. 446 00:21:52,379 --> 00:21:54,482 -Welcome to Koh Ker. -Ah, thrilled to be here. 447 00:21:54,517 --> 00:21:56,172 Okay, talk to me about this place. 448 00:21:56,206 --> 00:21:58,344 -[Brad] This is Prasat Krachap. -[Josh] Prasat Krachap. 449 00:21:58,379 --> 00:22:00,379 -Yes. -What's the significance of this temple? 450 00:22:00,413 --> 00:22:02,655 -Do we know what it was used for? -We don't know yet. 451 00:22:02,689 --> 00:22:05,275 This temple is known as the Temple of Inscriptions. 452 00:22:05,310 --> 00:22:07,379 -Hmm. -This temple has the most inscriptions 453 00:22:07,413 --> 00:22:09,068 of any temple in Cambodia. 454 00:22:09,103 --> 00:22:10,655 -In the whole country? -In the whole country. 455 00:22:10,689 --> 00:22:12,758 And we see one right here, right, on these columns, 456 00:22:12,793 --> 00:22:15,448 which is usually where you find them, or in the doorways. 457 00:22:15,482 --> 00:22:17,724 And you would think, with so many inscriptions, 458 00:22:17,758 --> 00:22:19,862 we might understand this place, but no. 459 00:22:19,896 --> 00:22:22,689 No, because it appears to be a list of names. 460 00:22:22,724 --> 00:22:25,172 -Uh-huh. -Thousands of names. 461 00:22:25,206 --> 00:22:27,379 [Josh] Most of the inscriptions found so far have been 462 00:22:27,413 --> 00:22:28,620 just like this. 463 00:22:28,655 --> 00:22:32,344 The results of a census, perhaps, or a roll of honor. 464 00:22:32,379 --> 00:22:35,000 But nothing that tells us how Koh Ker came to be 465 00:22:35,034 --> 00:22:36,862 or why it ceased to be. 466 00:22:37,965 --> 00:22:40,551 And have they found statues and sculptures here? 467 00:22:40,586 --> 00:22:43,931 Yes, the looters found an incredible number of masterpieces. 468 00:22:43,965 --> 00:22:45,793 Remember the Shiva and Skanda that we saw at 469 00:22:45,827 --> 00:22:47,000 -the National Museum? -Yes. 470 00:22:47,034 --> 00:22:49,103 The father and son? That came from here. 471 00:22:49,137 --> 00:22:50,344 That came from this temple? 472 00:22:50,379 --> 00:22:53,655 Yes, the way I learned about it was from a looter. 473 00:22:53,689 --> 00:22:55,068 -His name was Lion. -Right. 474 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,482 [Josh] Toektik, also known as Lion, was a former soldier 475 00:23:00,517 --> 00:23:02,241 in the Khmer Rouge. 476 00:23:02,275 --> 00:23:05,931 He started looting temples in the 1980s and formed a gang 477 00:23:05,965 --> 00:23:09,103 of over 450 desperate men and women 478 00:23:09,137 --> 00:23:11,689 who plundered statues wherever they went, 479 00:23:11,724 --> 00:23:15,000 their take easily numbering in the thousands. 480 00:23:15,034 --> 00:23:18,000 Late in his life, though, Lion began to have regrets. 481 00:23:19,517 --> 00:23:21,241 I became very close friends with him. 482 00:23:21,275 --> 00:23:24,413 He brought me here a couple years ago, and he shared with us 483 00:23:24,448 --> 00:23:27,965 all the secrets, all the places where he had looted. 484 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:29,862 [Josh] And did he steal other statues from here? 485 00:23:29,896 --> 00:23:32,827 Lion took a dozen statues from here. 486 00:23:32,862 --> 00:23:33,517 Wow. 487 00:23:34,758 --> 00:23:37,068 [Josh] The statues, though, were taken hurriedly, 488 00:23:37,103 --> 00:23:39,379 and many were damaged in the process. 489 00:23:39,413 --> 00:23:42,206 As a result, fragments remain, 490 00:23:42,241 --> 00:23:45,620 fragments that could be matched with looted statues abroad 491 00:23:45,655 --> 00:23:47,275 and used to help Brad bring 492 00:23:47,310 --> 00:23:49,896 those statues home to Cambodia. 493 00:23:49,931 --> 00:23:52,275 I see some hard hats back here, and I can hear digging. 494 00:23:52,310 --> 00:23:53,896 What's the mission right now? 495 00:23:53,931 --> 00:23:58,724 To find more fragments, more inscriptions, more statues. 496 00:23:58,758 --> 00:24:00,344 Everything out here is a mystery. 497 00:24:00,379 --> 00:24:02,965 We're trying to understand the story of this temple. 498 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,137 And, for that reason, we have to look underground. 499 00:24:06,172 --> 00:24:09,172 [Josh] The temple's entrance plaza has been buried for centuries 500 00:24:09,206 --> 00:24:11,965 and has never before been excavated. 501 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,137 Leading this brand-new effort is archaeologist Phin Phakdey. 502 00:24:16,172 --> 00:24:18,551 -What's the plan? We're going to excavate here? -Yeah. 503 00:24:18,586 --> 00:24:21,448 So we can already see there's some sandstone sticking up here. 504 00:24:21,482 --> 00:24:22,758 What else is here, do you think? 505 00:24:24,172 --> 00:24:25,965 Okay. That makes it exciting. Should we find out? 506 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:26,931 -Yeah. -Let's dig. 507 00:24:26,965 --> 00:24:27,862 -Come on. -Okay. 508 00:24:27,896 --> 00:24:30,517 [dramatic music playing] 509 00:24:30,551 --> 00:24:32,310 [Josh] We get to work digging into the ground of 510 00:24:32,344 --> 00:24:35,379 the temple's entrance with pickaxes and shovels. 511 00:24:45,137 --> 00:24:47,517 There are challenges upon challenges here at this site. 512 00:24:47,551 --> 00:24:49,896 First of all, the top layer of the soil in some areas 513 00:24:49,931 --> 00:24:52,448 is so hard you might mistake it for rock. 514 00:24:52,482 --> 00:24:55,517 And intertwined with all the ruins are massive roots 515 00:24:55,551 --> 00:24:56,724 that have to be chopped through. 516 00:24:59,241 --> 00:25:01,965 Just getting a few inches into the ground is hard labor. 517 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,068 I'm working with archaeologist Thach Phanith 518 00:25:12,103 --> 00:25:14,655 when we make our first discovery. 519 00:25:14,689 --> 00:25:16,379 So something coming into view here. 520 00:25:16,413 --> 00:25:17,344 This is carved, yeah? 521 00:25:18,586 --> 00:25:21,172 Oh, a human body here and here. 522 00:25:21,206 --> 00:25:22,620 Wow. 523 00:25:22,655 --> 00:25:25,068 Phakdey joins us as we carefully expose 524 00:25:25,103 --> 00:25:27,068 more of the carving. 525 00:25:27,103 --> 00:25:28,827 -Oh, this is a face. -[Phakdey speaking] 526 00:25:28,862 --> 00:25:30,137 Oh, look at this! 527 00:25:30,172 --> 00:25:32,034 And a face. And another face. 528 00:25:32,827 --> 00:25:34,275 Oh, my word. 529 00:25:40,241 --> 00:25:41,689 [dramatic music playing] 530 00:25:43,379 --> 00:25:44,655 -Oh. -[Josh] Hands are up? 531 00:25:44,689 --> 00:25:46,000 -[Phakdey] Yeah. -[Josh] Their hands are up. 532 00:25:46,034 --> 00:25:47,827 -They're praying? -[Phakdey speaking] 533 00:25:47,862 --> 00:25:49,275 [Josh] Yes. 534 00:25:49,310 --> 00:25:53,034 I'm in the ruins of the ancient Cambodian city of Koh Ker. 535 00:25:53,068 --> 00:25:55,655 Mysteries about its construction and collapse 536 00:25:55,689 --> 00:25:58,103 persist after a thousand years. 537 00:25:58,137 --> 00:26:02,034 But archaeologists here are seeking answers by restoring 538 00:26:02,068 --> 00:26:05,620 cultural treasures that have been relentlessly looted. 539 00:26:05,655 --> 00:26:09,517 Now we've found a remarkable slab of sandstone that no one 540 00:26:09,551 --> 00:26:13,448 has laid eyes on since the glory days of the Khmer Empire. 541 00:26:13,482 --> 00:26:17,862 And the exquisite carving on its front is literally divine. 542 00:26:17,896 --> 00:26:19,344 And so who are they praying to? 543 00:26:19,379 --> 00:26:21,172 Is this a person or is this an animal? 544 00:26:24,517 --> 00:26:26,517 Are they praying to somebody on the elephant? 545 00:26:30,344 --> 00:26:33,034 Indra is the god of the west, east, east? 546 00:26:33,068 --> 00:26:34,827 -East, the god of the east. -Yeah. 547 00:26:34,862 --> 00:26:36,241 And so maybe they're praying up 548 00:26:36,275 --> 00:26:37,586 -to Indra seated on the elephant. -Yeah. 549 00:26:37,620 --> 00:26:40,310 There's a whole scene here. There's a story being told here. 550 00:26:40,344 --> 00:26:43,413 -Yeah. -And that story will tell us more about this temple. 551 00:26:43,448 --> 00:26:44,586 Yeah. 552 00:26:44,620 --> 00:26:46,586 -Okay, let's read the next chapter. Come on. -Okay. 553 00:26:49,827 --> 00:26:51,137 [Josh] The tools of the trade here 554 00:26:51,172 --> 00:26:53,931 consist of brushes and soft bamboo sticks, 555 00:26:53,965 --> 00:26:56,862 which push dirt away without damaging the sandstone. 556 00:26:58,586 --> 00:27:00,689 -We have more people here, yes? -Yeah, yeah. 557 00:27:00,724 --> 00:27:02,379 -Same pose, praying? -Yes. 558 00:27:02,413 --> 00:27:06,034 If this is Indra, God of the East, would this be facing east? 559 00:27:07,068 --> 00:27:08,793 And east is which way? 560 00:27:08,827 --> 00:27:09,896 It's this way. 561 00:27:09,931 --> 00:27:11,827 So this stone would have been up and facing east. 562 00:27:11,862 --> 00:27:15,793 Therefore, we should have carvings on the outside facing west, right? 563 00:27:15,827 --> 00:27:17,137 And that would be the entrance here. 564 00:27:19,896 --> 00:27:22,586 [Josh] The long carving here was almost certainly part of 565 00:27:22,620 --> 00:27:25,172 an entryway to the temple known as a pediment, 566 00:27:25,206 --> 00:27:27,620 which is an ornate triangular feature 567 00:27:27,655 --> 00:27:30,551 that would have presided over the doorway here. 568 00:27:30,586 --> 00:27:33,172 So there should be really fine carvings on the other side. 569 00:27:34,344 --> 00:27:35,034 Wow. 570 00:27:39,103 --> 00:27:42,724 The whole crew kicks into a new gear to excavate the carving. 571 00:27:42,758 --> 00:27:44,827 More huge blocks of stone emerge 572 00:27:44,862 --> 00:27:46,965 from the earth all around us. 573 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,310 These could be more pieces of the entryway, 574 00:27:49,344 --> 00:27:52,310 a major find that would help explain more about 575 00:27:52,344 --> 00:27:54,689 the origins and downfall of Koh Ker. 576 00:27:57,275 --> 00:27:59,689 And it turns out that Phin Phakdey is the man 577 00:27:59,724 --> 00:28:01,068 with the lucky hand. 578 00:28:01,103 --> 00:28:02,344 [Phakdey speaking] 579 00:28:04,379 --> 00:28:05,448 -[Josh] Column piece? -Yeah. 580 00:28:08,965 --> 00:28:10,758 We have decoration up here, but no writing. 581 00:28:13,137 --> 00:28:15,275 [exclaims] We have an inscription! 582 00:28:15,310 --> 00:28:16,172 [Phakdey] Yeah. 583 00:28:18,241 --> 00:28:19,551 My word! 584 00:28:24,172 --> 00:28:25,206 [Josh] It's ancient Khmer. 585 00:28:25,241 --> 00:28:26,482 [Phakdey speaking] 586 00:28:27,172 --> 00:28:28,862 [laughing] 587 00:28:29,827 --> 00:28:32,137 So this has been completely buried, 588 00:28:32,172 --> 00:28:35,689 which means, right now, in this instant, 589 00:28:35,724 --> 00:28:38,620 we are the first people to see this inscription 590 00:28:38,655 --> 00:28:40,103 in a thousand years. 591 00:28:40,137 --> 00:28:42,758 This is literally a message from the past 592 00:28:42,793 --> 00:28:45,172 reaching out to us right now. 593 00:28:45,206 --> 00:28:48,551 Phakdey cleans out the inscriptions to make them legible. 594 00:28:48,586 --> 00:28:49,965 This column keeps going, yeah? 595 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,068 -It's underneath this huge root? -Uh-huh. 596 00:28:52,103 --> 00:28:54,931 The column has been buried for so long that a massive 597 00:28:54,965 --> 00:28:57,482 root system has grown across the top of it. 598 00:28:57,517 --> 00:29:00,310 To get the full inscription, we'll need to get chopping. 599 00:29:00,344 --> 00:29:01,448 Yep. 600 00:29:01,793 --> 00:29:02,724 Okay. 601 00:29:06,448 --> 00:29:08,379 [Phakdey speaking] 602 00:29:12,758 --> 00:29:15,103 [Josh] We'll be photographing and scanning the inscriptions 603 00:29:15,137 --> 00:29:17,103 to send to the National Museum, 604 00:29:17,137 --> 00:29:19,793 where experts can translate them. 605 00:29:19,827 --> 00:29:21,586 So, what about on the sides? 606 00:29:23,413 --> 00:29:24,931 So this just looks smooth, nothing here. 607 00:29:25,827 --> 00:29:27,000 And this side? 608 00:29:27,034 --> 00:29:28,068 Flank here too? 609 00:29:28,103 --> 00:29:29,103 [Phakdey speaking] 610 00:29:29,137 --> 00:29:30,344 -There's inscriptions? -Yeah, yeah, yeah. 611 00:29:31,586 --> 00:29:33,655 Look at that! There's writing on this side. 612 00:29:34,517 --> 00:29:35,551 -Dude! -Wow. 613 00:29:35,586 --> 00:29:38,000 Unbelievable! 614 00:29:38,034 --> 00:29:40,655 -And it's the column from the front of the temple. -Yeah. 615 00:29:40,689 --> 00:29:43,000 So it should tell us a lot about this building, right? 616 00:29:44,517 --> 00:29:45,965 New discovery. 617 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,620 -The Phakdey column? -[laughs] 618 00:29:48,655 --> 00:29:49,620 What do you think? 619 00:29:51,172 --> 00:29:52,758 The Josh column? 620 00:29:52,793 --> 00:29:54,172 I mean, it does have a nice ring to it. 621 00:29:54,206 --> 00:29:55,551 -I won't argue with that, Phakdey. -Yeah. 622 00:29:59,103 --> 00:30:00,103 I love this. 623 00:30:00,689 --> 00:30:02,310 Oh, this is incredible. 624 00:30:03,482 --> 00:30:05,000 Guys, more inscription here. Look. 625 00:30:05,034 --> 00:30:06,275 -Oh, really? -[Josh] Look, look, look. 626 00:30:06,310 --> 00:30:07,206 [Phakdey speaking] 627 00:30:11,172 --> 00:30:11,965 [Josh] More there? 628 00:30:13,689 --> 00:30:14,965 [Phakdey speaking] 629 00:30:16,413 --> 00:30:17,379 -Oh! -Oh! 630 00:30:17,413 --> 00:30:18,724 Look at that! More writing! 631 00:30:20,413 --> 00:30:21,758 [Josh] Wow. 632 00:30:21,793 --> 00:30:23,620 So somewhere on here. 633 00:30:23,655 --> 00:30:24,862 Maybe down here. 634 00:30:24,896 --> 00:30:26,137 Maybe this piece right here. Look at this. 635 00:30:26,172 --> 00:30:28,068 Ha! 636 00:30:28,103 --> 00:30:31,206 -It's like a thousand-year-old jigsaw puzzle. -[chuckles] 637 00:30:32,448 --> 00:30:34,137 That's incredible. 638 00:30:34,172 --> 00:30:36,344 So, do you guys have any super glue? 639 00:30:36,379 --> 00:30:38,551 -No. -[all laughing] 640 00:30:42,137 --> 00:30:45,517 [Josh] For an archaeologist, this is a field of dreams. 641 00:30:45,551 --> 00:30:49,689 We're finding literally tons of amazing material. 642 00:30:49,724 --> 00:30:54,034 And one of the most momentous finds is right under our feet. 643 00:30:54,068 --> 00:30:55,724 [dramatic music playing] 644 00:30:55,758 --> 00:30:56,827 [scraping] 645 00:30:59,413 --> 00:31:00,620 [Josh] Oh, sandstone. 646 00:31:05,172 --> 00:31:06,793 Yeah, it's like bumpy. Look at that. 647 00:31:06,827 --> 00:31:07,931 [Phakdey speaking] 648 00:31:07,965 --> 00:31:09,275 [Josh] I don't know. I don't know. What is it? 649 00:31:09,310 --> 00:31:10,482 [laughing] 650 00:31:11,724 --> 00:31:12,724 [Josh] Broken here. 651 00:31:14,172 --> 00:31:15,551 Looks like fish skin almost. 652 00:31:19,551 --> 00:31:21,862 -A lion? -Yeah. 653 00:31:21,896 --> 00:31:23,724 -This is the hair from the lion, the mane? -Yeah. 654 00:31:25,413 --> 00:31:27,137 -Head is here? -Yeah. 655 00:31:27,172 --> 00:31:28,034 -And the body? -Yeah. 656 00:31:29,068 --> 00:31:30,206 Get out of here. 657 00:31:30,724 --> 00:31:32,448 This is amazing. 658 00:31:32,482 --> 00:31:33,551 Often outside of these temples, 659 00:31:33,586 --> 00:31:36,448 you see lions, guardians of the temple. 660 00:31:36,482 --> 00:31:39,379 It's a tradition that carried on for centuries. 661 00:31:39,413 --> 00:31:41,275 We see it in Europe, even in America, 662 00:31:41,310 --> 00:31:42,793 lions guarding libraries 663 00:31:42,827 --> 00:31:47,379 and museums, guardians of knowledge or of sacred spaces. 664 00:31:48,620 --> 00:31:50,758 [Josh] This fragment is invaluable. 665 00:31:50,793 --> 00:31:55,103 If the rest of the lion is here, the fragment can restore the full piece. 666 00:31:55,137 --> 00:31:57,413 And if the rest of the lion has already been looted, 667 00:31:57,448 --> 00:32:00,068 the fragment can be matched to the larger statue 668 00:32:00,103 --> 00:32:03,344 and used as evidence to help repatriate one of 669 00:32:03,379 --> 00:32:04,793 Koh Ker's masterpieces. 670 00:32:06,482 --> 00:32:07,689 And it's just been sitting here, 671 00:32:08,482 --> 00:32:11,448 waiting silently for a millennium. 672 00:32:13,758 --> 00:32:15,551 Awesome. Do you want to leave this for a photo? 673 00:32:15,586 --> 00:32:16,758 Yeah. 674 00:32:16,793 --> 00:32:19,172 [Josh] Each piece that we find has to be photographed 675 00:32:19,206 --> 00:32:22,689 and scanned in situ before being moved for preservation, 676 00:32:22,724 --> 00:32:25,379 a process that will take several hours. 677 00:32:25,413 --> 00:32:28,724 While Phakdey's team does the hard work of cataloging the finds, 678 00:32:29,965 --> 00:32:33,241 I receive word that Nick Ray has come through. 679 00:32:33,275 --> 00:32:36,689 We have permission to explore the city's massive pyramid. 680 00:32:36,724 --> 00:32:38,862 Phakdey joins me to see for himself 681 00:32:38,896 --> 00:32:41,137 if the missing golden linga statue 682 00:32:41,172 --> 00:32:43,551 is hiding inside what the locals believe 683 00:32:43,586 --> 00:32:45,448 is a portal to the underworld. 684 00:32:46,724 --> 00:32:48,758 I see you've got some climbing experts here. 685 00:32:48,793 --> 00:32:50,241 [Phakdey] Yeah. 686 00:32:50,275 --> 00:32:51,931 And what do you think is down there? 687 00:32:52,827 --> 00:32:54,689 [Josh] Hm. Okay. 688 00:32:54,724 --> 00:32:56,724 -So are you going down? -[Phakdey] No. 689 00:32:56,758 --> 00:32:58,586 You just want someone to go first to look for snakes. 690 00:32:58,620 --> 00:33:00,241 -Is that what's happening here? -Yes. 691 00:33:00,275 --> 00:33:02,586 [laughs] Okay. 692 00:33:02,620 --> 00:33:05,206 [Josh] Phakdey has called in a rigging team, which has 693 00:33:05,241 --> 00:33:08,000 prepared a way for me to get safely into the shaft. 694 00:33:08,379 --> 00:33:09,827 One hopes. 695 00:33:09,862 --> 00:33:12,413 After all, it's a 50-foot dead drop 696 00:33:12,448 --> 00:33:15,206 surrounded by unstable stone walls. 697 00:33:15,241 --> 00:33:17,896 [dramatic music playing] 698 00:33:21,655 --> 00:33:25,000 I gear up and get ready to descend into the underworld. 699 00:33:25,344 --> 00:33:26,241 Okay. 700 00:33:27,344 --> 00:33:28,758 Let's get crazy. 701 00:33:28,793 --> 00:33:32,448 A task which Phakdey and his crew take incredibly seriously. 702 00:33:32,482 --> 00:33:34,448 [Phakdey speaking] 703 00:33:38,275 --> 00:33:39,172 Here okay. Yeah. 704 00:33:43,413 --> 00:33:45,206 [speaking prayer] 705 00:33:45,241 --> 00:33:47,379 [Josh] Phakdey is a trained archaeologist, 706 00:33:47,413 --> 00:33:51,137 but his veneration of this sacred place transcends science. 707 00:33:51,172 --> 00:33:53,655 After this ceremony, he will remain above 708 00:33:53,689 --> 00:33:55,103 while I enter the pyramid. 709 00:33:55,586 --> 00:33:57,344 Okay. 710 00:33:57,379 --> 00:34:00,206 [Josh] With the protection of the Cambodian spirits secured, 711 00:34:00,241 --> 00:34:02,827 it's time for me to go over the edge. 712 00:34:05,310 --> 00:34:07,620 Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Long way down. 713 00:34:08,344 --> 00:34:09,310 Boy. 714 00:34:11,655 --> 00:34:13,000 All right, I'm out over the edge. 715 00:34:15,379 --> 00:34:16,516 Okay, heading down. 716 00:34:26,757 --> 00:34:28,310 All right, I'm out over the edge. 717 00:34:29,896 --> 00:34:31,241 Okay, heading down. 718 00:34:34,931 --> 00:34:37,655 [Josh] In the middle of the largest pyramid in Cambodia 719 00:34:37,688 --> 00:34:41,275 is a 50-foot deep shaft said to lead directly 720 00:34:41,310 --> 00:34:42,724 to the underworld, 721 00:34:42,757 --> 00:34:44,965 so, naturally, I'm jumping in. 722 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,896 The stones are really mossy and overgrown. 723 00:34:47,931 --> 00:34:51,344 I'm terrified to think of what might be living in the cracks between them. 724 00:34:51,379 --> 00:34:54,551 Scorpions, snakes, things like that are very common here. 725 00:35:04,931 --> 00:35:06,000 Nice and slow. 726 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:11,965 [Josh] Yeah, I'm good. 727 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,344 No golden linga yet. 728 00:35:14,827 --> 00:35:17,896 Let me have a little more slack. Whew. 729 00:35:17,931 --> 00:35:21,241 A 15-foot-tall gold statue known as a linga 730 00:35:21,275 --> 00:35:24,517 once stood within a shrine at the top of the pyramid. 731 00:35:24,551 --> 00:35:27,000 It may have been taken by Koh Ker's looters, 732 00:35:27,034 --> 00:35:30,000 or fragments of it could be directly below me. 733 00:35:30,655 --> 00:35:31,551 Down, down, down. 734 00:35:34,172 --> 00:35:35,655 Okay, I'm approaching the bottom. 735 00:35:36,413 --> 00:35:37,448 Keep going. 736 00:35:40,310 --> 00:35:41,482 Okay, I'm down. 737 00:35:43,758 --> 00:35:45,586 Let's have a look down here, see what we see. 738 00:35:45,620 --> 00:35:48,000 [suspenseful music playing] 739 00:35:53,172 --> 00:35:54,137 [Josh] Not yet. 740 00:35:56,862 --> 00:35:58,241 Piece of ceramic here. 741 00:36:00,931 --> 00:36:04,137 It looks like it's terracotta. It's like earthenware. 742 00:36:05,275 --> 00:36:06,034 [Josh] Yeah. 743 00:36:10,241 --> 00:36:13,586 The ceramic could be from the roof of the original shrine 744 00:36:13,620 --> 00:36:15,310 that was here over the golden linga, 745 00:36:15,344 --> 00:36:18,655 which means that this artifact here, about a thousand years old. 746 00:36:18,965 --> 00:36:19,931 Amazing. 747 00:36:21,517 --> 00:36:24,896 Just a single piece and some very nasty looking spiders. 748 00:36:27,172 --> 00:36:28,965 Other than that, nothing here. 749 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,655 But there may be a reason we're not seeing that linga. 750 00:36:31,689 --> 00:36:33,241 I don't think that where I'm standing is actually 751 00:36:33,275 --> 00:36:34,689 the bottom of this shaft. 752 00:36:35,275 --> 00:36:36,965 Look at this. 753 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:41,931 So we can see here, the bottom, this is all compacted dirt. 754 00:36:41,965 --> 00:36:45,379 Underneath me, there could be much more to this pit. 755 00:36:45,413 --> 00:36:47,517 This pyramid's over 100 feet tall. 756 00:36:47,551 --> 00:36:49,344 I've only gone down about half that distance. 757 00:36:50,482 --> 00:36:52,275 Folklore is that this pyramid shaft goes 758 00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:54,724 all the way down to the underworld itself. 759 00:36:54,758 --> 00:36:57,758 And, since we can't get any further, who's to say? 760 00:36:57,793 --> 00:36:58,758 Maybe it does. 761 00:37:00,448 --> 00:37:03,137 [Josh] The ancient pyramid structure is precarious, 762 00:37:03,172 --> 00:37:06,068 so digging further down into the shaft could cause 763 00:37:06,103 --> 00:37:07,551 the walls to collapse. 764 00:37:08,310 --> 00:37:08,965 I'm coming up. 765 00:37:22,586 --> 00:37:24,068 -[stones crumbling] -[Josh] Oh, [bleep] 766 00:37:24,103 --> 00:37:24,965 This is unstable. 767 00:37:32,689 --> 00:37:34,620 [Josh] It's, like, terrifying. 768 00:37:34,655 --> 00:37:37,482 They're very slippery, and one just almost fell out. 769 00:37:37,517 --> 00:37:41,758 I'm hesitant to put too much of my trust in those blocks. 770 00:37:41,793 --> 00:37:45,241 [Josh] The shaft is clearly unsound, which makes being inside it 771 00:37:45,275 --> 00:37:47,689 even more dangerous than it was a minute ago. 772 00:37:47,724 --> 00:37:49,448 I just don't want to pull on these blocks now. 773 00:37:50,068 --> 00:37:51,758 Okay, new system. 774 00:37:51,793 --> 00:37:53,862 I'm just gonna go up the sides this time with my feet. 775 00:37:58,827 --> 00:37:59,724 Okay. 776 00:38:02,344 --> 00:38:04,586 Bracing my feet against the rock wall, 777 00:38:04,620 --> 00:38:06,827 I ascend as fast as I can. 778 00:38:10,620 --> 00:38:12,241 Can I put my weight on this? It's okay? 779 00:38:12,862 --> 00:38:14,379 -Okay. -Whew! 780 00:38:18,827 --> 00:38:19,482 Whew! 781 00:38:22,103 --> 00:38:23,000 [bleep] 782 00:38:24,551 --> 00:38:25,413 Never again. 783 00:38:27,137 --> 00:38:29,448 [Josh] Exploring further here will be impossible 784 00:38:29,482 --> 00:38:31,827 without some major league engineering. 785 00:38:31,862 --> 00:38:33,413 Along with a missing linga, 786 00:38:33,448 --> 00:38:35,896 there could be other statues that would fill in 787 00:38:35,931 --> 00:38:39,241 some of the blanks of Koh Ker's hazy history. 788 00:38:39,275 --> 00:38:40,724 But when it comes to this pyramid, 789 00:38:40,758 --> 00:38:43,586 perhaps that's where they belong, in between 790 00:38:43,620 --> 00:38:46,172 the world of the living and that of the spirits. 791 00:38:52,551 --> 00:38:55,344 The next morning, I return to Prasat Krachap Temple, 792 00:38:55,379 --> 00:38:57,793 where Phakdey's dig team is ready to extract 793 00:38:57,827 --> 00:39:00,172 the huge stones that were once part of 794 00:39:00,206 --> 00:39:02,241 the temple's magnificent entrance. 795 00:39:02,275 --> 00:39:06,172 Once we get the stones out of the ground, we hope to be able to reassemble 796 00:39:06,206 --> 00:39:08,448 the ancient pieces and reconstruct 797 00:39:08,482 --> 00:39:09,620 the temple's entrance. 798 00:39:12,068 --> 00:39:13,275 -You want me to hold this? -Yeah. 799 00:39:15,310 --> 00:39:18,482 Step one is erecting a system of scaffolding and pulleys 800 00:39:18,517 --> 00:39:21,206 that will hopefully make light work of the heavy rock. 801 00:39:25,034 --> 00:39:26,344 First thing we're going to try to move is this? 802 00:39:26,379 --> 00:39:27,275 Yeah. 803 00:39:28,206 --> 00:39:28,862 [chuckles] 804 00:39:33,827 --> 00:39:35,758 [man speaking indistinctly] 805 00:39:35,793 --> 00:39:38,241 Lifting pieces like this is hugely stressful 806 00:39:38,275 --> 00:39:40,344 because, even though these blocks are massive, 807 00:39:40,379 --> 00:39:41,862 they can still crack in half. 808 00:39:41,896 --> 00:39:45,379 And we have incredible art on this side and maybe underneath. 809 00:39:45,413 --> 00:39:47,448 The challenge is getting the straps underneath it 810 00:39:47,482 --> 00:39:49,137 and getting it balanced, so it doesn't swing out 811 00:39:49,172 --> 00:39:50,275 of control and break. 812 00:39:51,931 --> 00:39:54,103 The pulleys work by redirecting the force 813 00:39:54,137 --> 00:39:55,482 of the stone's weight. 814 00:39:55,517 --> 00:39:56,448 Okay, here goes nothing. 815 00:39:58,379 --> 00:40:02,068 In this case, about two tons, allowing us to quickly lift 816 00:40:02,103 --> 00:40:04,275 what would take a dozen of us by hand. 817 00:40:05,241 --> 00:40:07,034 It's clear. It's clear. 818 00:40:07,068 --> 00:40:09,413 It's crucial that we do this carefully. 819 00:40:09,448 --> 00:40:12,517 If the stone falls or if the rigging collapses, 820 00:40:12,551 --> 00:40:15,965 it would do more than damage a major archaeological find. 821 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,241 It would be potentially deadly. 822 00:40:18,275 --> 00:40:21,000 [all speaking indistinctly] 823 00:40:23,758 --> 00:40:25,034 [Josh] Go, go, go, go. 824 00:40:25,068 --> 00:40:26,827 Okay, stop. 825 00:40:26,862 --> 00:40:28,827 The first piece of the temple's entryway 826 00:40:28,862 --> 00:40:30,448 is out of the earth. 827 00:40:30,482 --> 00:40:32,379 Now we need to get to the rest of the stones 828 00:40:32,413 --> 00:40:34,689 before trying to put the puzzle together. 829 00:40:46,896 --> 00:40:48,241 Yeah. Good. 830 00:40:49,068 --> 00:40:50,758 -Okay, another one. -Good job. 831 00:40:50,793 --> 00:40:52,793 -[all clapping] -Good job, everybody. 832 00:40:54,482 --> 00:40:55,482 Is that lunch, or? 833 00:40:56,310 --> 00:40:57,241 No, okay. 834 00:40:58,896 --> 00:41:02,586 Next on our list is the slab that Phakdey and I exposed earlier, 835 00:41:02,620 --> 00:41:05,379 near where our lion fragment was found. 836 00:41:05,413 --> 00:41:08,758 One side was elaborately carved with the image of an elephant, 837 00:41:08,793 --> 00:41:10,827 which the team believes belongs to 838 00:41:10,862 --> 00:41:13,724 the Hindu god of the East, Indra. 839 00:41:13,758 --> 00:41:15,862 We think there might be more carvings underneath, yeah? 840 00:41:15,896 --> 00:41:16,827 [Phakdey speaking] 841 00:41:16,862 --> 00:41:18,000 So what's the plan? 842 00:41:18,034 --> 00:41:20,137 Lift it by the corner and then get another support? 843 00:41:20,172 --> 00:41:21,034 Right, okay. 844 00:41:22,448 --> 00:41:23,517 [speaking in local language] 845 00:41:31,448 --> 00:41:33,551 We're going to rotate this whole thing 90 degrees now, 846 00:41:33,586 --> 00:41:35,551 see if there's anything carved underneath it. 847 00:41:36,310 --> 00:41:37,965 Here we go. Here we go. 848 00:41:38,724 --> 00:41:40,068 Careful. Careful. 849 00:41:41,448 --> 00:41:42,586 [all exclaiming] 850 00:41:43,379 --> 00:41:44,517 Ah! Look at this! 851 00:41:50,689 --> 00:41:52,724 [upbeat music playing] 852 00:41:52,758 --> 00:41:54,965 This putt-putt course in Siem Reap boasts 853 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:57,103 incredible miniature versions of 854 00:41:57,137 --> 00:41:59,482 the Khmer Empire's greatest achievements. 855 00:41:59,517 --> 00:42:02,172 And if that's not enough, a hole-in-one on any hole 856 00:42:02,206 --> 00:42:03,586 gets you a free drink. 857 00:42:03,620 --> 00:42:05,827 And, yes, that includes beer, so let's do this. 858 00:42:10,172 --> 00:42:11,068 Good start. 859 00:42:15,137 --> 00:42:16,620 [exclaiming in frustration] 860 00:42:16,655 --> 00:42:19,034 Fortunately, I found some local kids who know 861 00:42:19,068 --> 00:42:21,275 this course like the back of their hand. 862 00:42:21,620 --> 00:42:22,413 Hold on. 863 00:42:23,689 --> 00:42:26,758 Yes! Nice work! Nice work! Okay. Shh-shh. 864 00:42:26,793 --> 00:42:27,862 Can I get a beer over here? 865 00:42:27,896 --> 00:42:28,965 I just got a hole in one. 866 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,000 And suddenly, it's a new game. 867 00:42:35,275 --> 00:42:36,206 Another beer, please. 868 00:42:38,862 --> 00:42:40,000 The kids are talented. 869 00:42:42,896 --> 00:42:44,586 Josh, it's your turn. 870 00:42:44,620 --> 00:42:46,241 I'm going to sit this hole out. 871 00:42:46,275 --> 00:42:47,620 Feel free to miss one, okay? 872 00:42:52,379 --> 00:42:54,172 [dramatic music playing] 873 00:42:57,379 --> 00:42:58,586 This is all carved. 874 00:42:58,620 --> 00:43:00,689 [Phakdey speaking] 875 00:43:00,724 --> 00:43:04,000 [Josh] In the ancient ruins of the Cambodian city of Koh Ker, 876 00:43:04,034 --> 00:43:06,482 I'm helping a team of archaeologists rebuild 877 00:43:06,517 --> 00:43:09,482 the entrance to a temple, which may explain why 878 00:43:09,517 --> 00:43:11,344 this one-time capital was built 879 00:43:11,379 --> 00:43:14,344 in the middle of the jungle and then suddenly collapsed. 880 00:43:15,620 --> 00:43:18,000 Look at how deeply this is carved. 881 00:43:18,034 --> 00:43:20,344 Mostly when we see these on the outside of temples, 882 00:43:20,379 --> 00:43:22,827 they're all weathered away, but you can see here 883 00:43:22,862 --> 00:43:24,206 the depth of this sculpture. 884 00:43:24,241 --> 00:43:25,413 It's incredibly vivid. 885 00:43:26,034 --> 00:43:26,896 There, look. 886 00:43:26,931 --> 00:43:28,137 -[Phakdey] Look at that. -Ha-ha! 887 00:43:28,586 --> 00:43:29,931 The head of god. 888 00:43:29,965 --> 00:43:31,896 The head of the god Varuna. 889 00:43:32,827 --> 00:43:34,275 Wow. 890 00:43:34,310 --> 00:43:37,068 Varuna was the Hindu god of the West. 891 00:43:37,103 --> 00:43:40,586 We already found the elephants of the God of the East, Indra, 892 00:43:40,620 --> 00:43:42,793 on the opposite side of this stone, 893 00:43:42,827 --> 00:43:45,206 so it makes sense that Varuna is here. 894 00:43:46,034 --> 00:43:47,103 Oh, I'm speechless. 895 00:43:49,172 --> 00:43:51,620 This is about as well-preserved as you can get, 896 00:43:51,655 --> 00:43:53,689 'cause it's just been face down in the sand, 897 00:43:53,724 --> 00:43:55,344 just waiting for a thousand years. 898 00:43:57,103 --> 00:44:00,206 Anxious to begin reassembling the pediment, we next turn 899 00:44:00,241 --> 00:44:03,448 our attention to the largest slab of stone we've uncovered. 900 00:44:06,241 --> 00:44:07,482 Yes, the big block. Okay. 901 00:44:07,517 --> 00:44:09,000 How much do you think this piece weighs? 902 00:44:12,137 --> 00:44:13,000 [Josh] Here we go. 903 00:44:14,068 --> 00:44:15,103 [speaking indistinctly] 904 00:44:17,103 --> 00:44:18,517 [Josh] Three-and-a-half tons. 905 00:44:18,551 --> 00:44:20,413 This thing weighs more than a moving truck, 906 00:44:20,448 --> 00:44:23,448 and we're lifting it with a contraption made out of spare parts. 907 00:44:25,034 --> 00:44:26,586 [all speaking indistinctly] 908 00:44:39,758 --> 00:44:42,413 [chuckles] It's working. 909 00:44:42,448 --> 00:44:45,551 Finally, we're left with only one more stone to turn, 910 00:44:45,586 --> 00:44:48,344 what appears to be the very top of the pediment. 911 00:44:48,379 --> 00:44:49,241 -We're going to try and lift? -Yeah. 912 00:44:49,275 --> 00:44:50,172 -This way? -Okay. 913 00:44:51,586 --> 00:44:53,241 [Phakdey speaking] 914 00:44:54,206 --> 00:44:56,241 [all grunting] 915 00:44:57,413 --> 00:44:58,931 -[Phakdey] Ooh. -[Josh laughs] 916 00:44:59,482 --> 00:45:01,103 Oh, unbelievable. 917 00:45:01,137 --> 00:45:02,103 Look at this. 918 00:45:02,137 --> 00:45:03,620 We have a figure here, yes? 919 00:45:04,241 --> 00:45:05,482 [Phakdey] Yeah. 920 00:45:05,517 --> 00:45:09,241 -And here, the god here with this framing. -Yeah. 921 00:45:09,275 --> 00:45:10,344 Beautiful. 922 00:45:11,034 --> 00:45:12,310 -Okay. -[all exclaiming] 923 00:45:14,896 --> 00:45:17,931 [Josh] We've managed to pull all of the stones from the ground. 924 00:45:19,310 --> 00:45:21,862 Now it's time to see how they all fit together. 925 00:45:21,896 --> 00:45:22,931 Watch your fingers. 926 00:45:24,413 --> 00:45:27,034 We start by placing one of the site's thinner slabs 927 00:45:27,068 --> 00:45:30,344 on top of the piece with the elephant carving. 928 00:45:30,379 --> 00:45:33,827 We lock the upper stone into place and rejoin 929 00:45:33,862 --> 00:45:37,965 a sculpture that has been divided for a thousand years. 930 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,413 Oh, look at that. The elephant is back together. 931 00:45:40,448 --> 00:45:43,310 Now with this middle section here, we can see our elephant. 932 00:45:43,344 --> 00:45:44,448 -Yeah. -Beautiful. 933 00:45:44,482 --> 00:45:48,068 Right here, second elephant, third elephant. 934 00:45:48,103 --> 00:45:50,137 So three different elephants here. 935 00:45:50,172 --> 00:45:53,137 The elephant is whole, and it even has a name, 936 00:45:53,172 --> 00:45:57,724 Airavata, mount of the Hindu God of the East, Indra. 937 00:45:57,758 --> 00:45:59,655 This is amazing. 938 00:45:59,689 --> 00:46:01,862 But the archaeologists are concerned that 939 00:46:01,896 --> 00:46:04,241 this stack is too fragile to build upon. 940 00:46:06,137 --> 00:46:09,344 Instead, we use the next layer as our new base 941 00:46:09,379 --> 00:46:11,965 and work upwards, now with the west side 942 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:13,793 of the pediment facing us. 943 00:46:13,827 --> 00:46:16,206 All right, since this piece is really stable, 944 00:46:16,241 --> 00:46:18,344 we're going to try to stack this piece on top of it 945 00:46:18,379 --> 00:46:20,103 in its original position. 946 00:46:20,137 --> 00:46:22,896 Despite having been in the ground for hundreds of years, 947 00:46:22,931 --> 00:46:25,689 the stones lock together in place perfectly. 948 00:46:27,275 --> 00:46:28,413 -[all groaning] -Good? 949 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:38,517 All that remains now is to place the ornate 950 00:46:38,551 --> 00:46:40,517 triangular capstone of the pediment. 951 00:46:42,241 --> 00:46:44,620 In just moments, we're going to get our first look 952 00:46:44,655 --> 00:46:48,000 at a reconstructed entrance of a temple of Koh Ker. 953 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:51,068 Okay. 954 00:46:51,103 --> 00:46:53,379 An ancient masterpiece that could tell us 955 00:46:53,413 --> 00:46:56,172 the full story of this doomed capital. 956 00:46:56,206 --> 00:46:57,482 Up, up, up, up, up, up. 957 00:46:58,620 --> 00:47:00,379 More, more, more, more, more. 958 00:47:01,310 --> 00:47:02,103 Almost there. 959 00:47:03,724 --> 00:47:06,448 [all speaking indistinctly] 960 00:47:11,137 --> 00:47:11,965 [Josh] Next time... 961 00:47:13,206 --> 00:47:16,172 The conclusion to myExpedition Unknown event 962 00:47:16,206 --> 00:47:19,068 in the jungles of Cambodia. 963 00:47:19,103 --> 00:47:22,448 A lot that we still don't know, which is what makes this really exciting. 964 00:47:22,482 --> 00:47:24,862 To restore priceless cultural treasures, 965 00:47:24,896 --> 00:47:27,344 I'll explore some of the most dangerous corners 966 00:47:27,379 --> 00:47:28,413 of Southeast Asia... 967 00:47:28,448 --> 00:47:30,551 Ooh, [bleep] Back up, back up, back up. 968 00:47:30,586 --> 00:47:33,655 ...and come face to face with the former Khmer Rouge soldiers 969 00:47:33,689 --> 00:47:36,034 responsible for their destruction. 970 00:47:36,068 --> 00:47:38,758 So there may be priceless statues here underwater? 971 00:47:40,172 --> 00:47:42,655 -Oh, there it is. -[man] Yep, right there. 972 00:47:42,689 --> 00:47:46,482 [Josh] Then I'll answer one of history's most persistent questions. 973 00:47:46,517 --> 00:47:50,379 Why did this miraculous city collapse into ruin? 974 00:47:50,413 --> 00:47:52,379 I don't see a huge structure here. 975 00:47:52,413 --> 00:47:54,551 -Like, where is it? -It's gone. 976 00:47:54,586 --> 00:47:57,931 [Josh] It's an urgent rescue mission with an incredible conclusion. 977 00:47:57,965 --> 00:48:00,413 On the next Expedition Unknown. 978 00:48:00,448 --> 00:48:02,620 -[Josh] You think it's part of a pedestal? -I recognize it. 979 00:48:02,655 --> 00:48:05,448 It's like we found a corner of a Picasso. 980 00:48:06,310 --> 00:48:08,724 Ah! Just interlocked into place.