1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,100 [Josh] This brings us to the mystery of Alexander the Great. 2 00:00:03,100 --> 00:00:05,567 His body and his tomb are missing. 3 00:00:05,567 --> 00:00:08,333 Crazy though it seems, we don't know where it is. 4 00:00:08,700 --> 00:00:10,400 Look at this place. 5 00:00:11,467 --> 00:00:12,867 What have you found here? 6 00:00:12,867 --> 00:00:14,767 -This was the foundation of a building. -Yeah. 7 00:00:14,767 --> 00:00:18,467 This part is the south end of the building. 8 00:00:18,467 --> 00:00:21,400 [Josh] Whatever this building was, it must have been important. 9 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,800 This base was made for a building very tall 10 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:26,367 and very big. 11 00:00:26,367 --> 00:00:28,500 [Josh] But is it big enough to be the tomb of Alexander? 12 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:31,367 We can't tell the dimensions because the north wall 13 00:00:31,367 --> 00:00:33,800 is hidden somewhere under that apartment complex. 14 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,367 We are very close to the modern street 15 00:00:36,367 --> 00:00:37,767 and this huge building. 16 00:00:37,767 --> 00:00:40,300 But recently, we found a tunnel. 17 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:41,400 You found a tunnel? 18 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,433 We can use the tunnel to see where the building goes? 19 00:00:43,567 --> 00:00:44,533 Yes. 20 00:00:46,667 --> 00:00:47,900 Okay, here we go. 21 00:00:50,867 --> 00:00:52,300 Oh, boy. 22 00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:56,433 This, this is about as tight as it gets. 23 00:00:58,867 --> 00:01:02,066 -Josh, look at this. -So more stones. 24 00:01:02,066 --> 00:01:03,900 This is the western wall, yeah? 25 00:01:03,900 --> 00:01:05,100 The end of western wall. 26 00:01:05,100 --> 00:01:06,367 -Aha. -And this. 27 00:01:06,367 --> 00:01:08,066 -Oh, this is the corner. -Yes. 28 00:01:08,066 --> 00:01:09,600 -This is the northern wall. -Yeah. 29 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,200 Oh, my word. 30 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,000 Josh, look to the side. 31 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,867 We've got ceramics and, oh, this is painted. 32 00:01:15,867 --> 00:01:16,800 Look at this. 33 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:18,200 Look at this. 34 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,133 This is painted plaster and more. 35 00:01:22,066 --> 00:01:24,800 We have a red, blue, and yellow plaster. 36 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,600 So I have seen these colors before in Greece 37 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:33,000 in the tomb of Philip II, Alexander's father 38 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,567 and you have found many of these? 39 00:01:34,567 --> 00:01:36,500 -Many. -This whole thing was painted. 40 00:01:36,700 --> 00:01:38,967 [laughs] 41 00:01:38,967 --> 00:01:42,667 This feels deeper than before. Why is this deeper? 42 00:01:42,667 --> 00:01:44,200 [alarm blaring] 43 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,300 [yells in foreign language] 44 00:01:47,867 --> 00:01:49,533 [all exclaiming] 45 00:01:52,166 --> 00:01:56,567 -There is a problem. Fix! -Please, hurry, tell anyone to fix it? 46 00:01:56,567 --> 00:01:59,400 Tunnel's filling with water. Get Josh out now. 47 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,500 The pumps are down. You have to get out of the tunnel. 48 00:02:02,500 --> 00:02:04,000 The pump is broken. 49 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:05,500 -Water's coming up. -This is flooding. 50 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:06,567 This is flooding. 51 00:02:06,567 --> 00:02:07,767 -Oh. -Yes, we go, we go. 52 00:02:07,767 --> 00:02:09,467 Come on, come on. Let's get out of here. 53 00:02:09,467 --> 00:02:13,300 [speaking other language] 54 00:02:17,266 --> 00:02:19,500 [in English] Here we go, guys. Come on, come on, come on. 55 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:21,100 Keep moving. 56 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,734 We are about to be underwater. Come on. 57 00:02:26,567 --> 00:02:28,133 [bleep] 58 00:02:29,667 --> 00:02:33,000 Come on. We're going to drown in here. 59 00:02:33,867 --> 00:02:35,800 I see them. They're coming out. 60 00:02:36,166 --> 00:02:37,600 We're coming. 61 00:02:37,867 --> 00:02:39,333 Okay. 62 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:44,367 -You guys okay? -Yeah. Yeah. What happened? 63 00:02:44,367 --> 00:02:46,166 The line broke. Are you okay? 64 00:02:46,166 --> 00:02:46,800 Yeah, I'm okay. 65 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:48,300 -You're okay? -I'm okay. 66 00:02:48,300 --> 00:02:49,367 We're okay. 67 00:02:49,367 --> 00:02:52,500 This is the first time I see the tunnel like that. 68 00:02:53,166 --> 00:02:55,400 -First time it's this flooded? -Yes. 69 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,500 -We saw the north wall and the painted plaster. -Great. 70 00:02:58,500 --> 00:03:01,100 -Now we know the size, yeah? -Yes, exactly. 71 00:03:01,100 --> 00:03:01,734 Okay. 72 00:03:01,734 --> 00:03:03,133 Can I get out of here now? 73 00:03:03,567 --> 00:03:04,967 It's about time. 74 00:03:04,967 --> 00:03:06,500 Come on, come on. Let's go. 75 00:03:06,767 --> 00:03:07,867 Oh, my word. 76 00:03:07,867 --> 00:03:09,300 That was close. 77 00:03:11,066 --> 00:03:13,266 The past is all around us. 78 00:03:13,266 --> 00:03:15,300 Oh, this is crazy. 79 00:03:15,667 --> 00:03:17,767 A world of mystery. 80 00:03:17,767 --> 00:03:18,500 This is a plane. 81 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:19,900 Yeah. 82 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:20,934 [Josh] Danger. 83 00:03:20,934 --> 00:03:22,700 We are about to be underwater. 84 00:03:22,700 --> 00:03:23,934 Whoa! 85 00:03:24,867 --> 00:03:26,000 And adventure. 86 00:03:28,467 --> 00:03:30,233 It's just straight down! 87 00:03:31,100 --> 00:03:33,200 [exclaiming] 88 00:03:34,367 --> 00:03:37,200 I travel to the far corners of the Earth 89 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,700 to uncover where legends end. 90 00:03:41,066 --> 00:03:42,567 And history begins. 91 00:03:42,567 --> 00:03:44,266 Okay, let's punch it. 92 00:03:44,266 --> 00:03:49,533 I'm Josh Gates, and this is Expedition Unknown. 93 00:03:55,166 --> 00:03:56,734 Oh, my God. 94 00:03:57,467 --> 00:03:58,300 [sighs] 95 00:03:59,066 --> 00:04:00,166 Okay. 96 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,166 Maybe a lunch break? 97 00:04:02,166 --> 00:04:04,500 What lunch break? It's two o'clock. 98 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:06,934 -We have more to do. -Oh, man. 99 00:04:07,567 --> 00:04:08,400 Mahmoud. 100 00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:10,700 She's relentless. 101 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,567 That shouldn't be a surprise. 102 00:04:13,567 --> 00:04:15,967 A person needs to be determined if they're going 103 00:04:15,967 --> 00:04:17,834 to find Alexander the Great. 104 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,200 The last resting place of history's greatest conqueror 105 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,467 is also the greatest missing persons case in history, 106 00:04:25,467 --> 00:04:29,066 not to mention a treasure-filled tomb beyond compare, 107 00:04:29,066 --> 00:04:32,834 one that has eluded scholars and adventurers for centuries. 108 00:04:34,667 --> 00:04:37,166 My own search kicked off in Vergina, Greece, 109 00:04:37,166 --> 00:04:39,767 in what were once the rolling hills of Macedon, 110 00:04:39,767 --> 00:04:42,567 a small tribal kingdom that grew into 111 00:04:42,567 --> 00:04:45,467 a lethal fighting force, thanks to Philip II, 112 00:04:45,467 --> 00:04:48,400 who began a revolution in warfare that his son, 113 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,800 Alexander, turned into a fun hobby called 114 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,700 taking over the world, spreading his empire 115 00:04:53,700 --> 00:04:57,333 from Macedon into Europe and as far as the edge of India. 116 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,967 Using honed military skills and innovative, 117 00:05:00,967 --> 00:05:03,767 long-handled spears known as sarissas, 118 00:05:03,767 --> 00:05:07,367 Alexander crushed the competing powers of his day. 119 00:05:07,367 --> 00:05:10,000 And how would you describe his reign? 120 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,467 The most successful military campaign in world history. 121 00:05:13,467 --> 00:05:15,867 [Josh] In Egypt, he was welcomed as a pharaoh 122 00:05:15,867 --> 00:05:18,300 and pronounced a living god. 123 00:05:18,300 --> 00:05:20,767 It could be argued that no person changed 124 00:05:20,767 --> 00:05:23,000 the world as much as Alexander. 125 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,667 Oh, and he did it all by age 32. 126 00:05:25,667 --> 00:05:27,867 I've never felt less accomplished. 127 00:05:27,867 --> 00:05:30,367 But then, a sudden and mysterious death 128 00:05:30,367 --> 00:05:33,867 from illness turned the game board upside down. 129 00:05:33,867 --> 00:05:35,967 It was probably the most devastating 130 00:05:35,967 --> 00:05:39,033 piece of news that the world had seen up to that point. 131 00:05:40,066 --> 00:05:43,100 [Josh] Philip's subterranean tomb in Greece glitters with 132 00:05:43,100 --> 00:05:46,166 ancient treasures and is adorned with the royal emblem 133 00:05:46,166 --> 00:05:48,300 known as the Vergina Star. 134 00:05:48,300 --> 00:05:51,567 This gave me a good idea of the even more valuable treasure 135 00:05:51,567 --> 00:05:54,500 that assuredly lies with his son, Alexander. 136 00:05:55,567 --> 00:05:59,233 Except, slight wrinkle, we don't know exactly where he is. 137 00:06:00,567 --> 00:06:03,567 After Alexander died in the conquered city of Babylon, 138 00:06:03,567 --> 00:06:06,300 his massive funeral procession was hijacked by 139 00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:09,066 one of his successors, the pharaoh Ptolemy, 140 00:06:09,066 --> 00:06:10,867 who arranged for his body to be brought 141 00:06:10,867 --> 00:06:14,934 to the harbor city Alexander founded, Alexandria, Egypt. 142 00:06:16,900 --> 00:06:19,400 2,000 years ago, the geographer Strabo 143 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,867 described the tomb as an immense structure 144 00:06:21,867 --> 00:06:24,166 with a pyramid roof surrounded by 145 00:06:24,166 --> 00:06:25,900 a large fortification wall. 146 00:06:26,867 --> 00:06:29,567 But after 20 centuries of earthquakes, tsunamis 147 00:06:29,567 --> 00:06:32,400 and modern construction, Alexandria is now 148 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,266 the largest city on the Mediterranean. 149 00:06:35,266 --> 00:06:39,166 And that's where archaeologist Calliope Papakosta comes in. 150 00:06:39,166 --> 00:06:42,166 She's used ancient sources to unearth roads 151 00:06:42,166 --> 00:06:44,900 that Alexander the Great himself designed. 152 00:06:45,767 --> 00:06:49,000 Those landmarks led her to dig a very big hole, 153 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:52,000 30 feet beneath modern Alexandria. 154 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,400 You're like excavating a city down here. 155 00:06:55,867 --> 00:06:58,166 In this sprawling site, we dug down 156 00:06:58,166 --> 00:07:00,600 to the so-called Hellenistic or Greek layer 157 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,767 and found a coin from the period right after Alexander's death. 158 00:07:04,767 --> 00:07:07,400 You know, just a 2,000-year-old coin, 159 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:08,867 no big deal. 160 00:07:08,867 --> 00:07:11,567 As well as the top of an ancient pillar. 161 00:07:11,567 --> 00:07:14,367 The question is, a pillar from what? 162 00:07:14,367 --> 00:07:17,000 Calliope has also discovered part of the foundation 163 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,300 of a building from the same period. 164 00:07:19,300 --> 00:07:22,900 By exploring and escaping from a flooded tunnel, 165 00:07:22,900 --> 00:07:24,867 we now know that the mystery building 166 00:07:24,867 --> 00:07:29,000 was 140 feet long and 110 feet wide, 167 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,533 massive enough to be Alexander's long-lost tomb. 168 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,000 But it's still circumstantial. 169 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,900 Calliope will need to uncover more secrets about 170 00:07:37,900 --> 00:07:40,834 the structure before she's able to declare victory. 171 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,700 -So let me show you this. -[Josh] This is painted. 172 00:07:46,700 --> 00:07:49,000 -[Calliope] It is painting. -[Josh] These red bands on here. 173 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:54,166 -Yes. -This is similar to decoration we find in tombs. 174 00:07:54,166 --> 00:07:56,367 So this may be like a funerary painting. 175 00:07:56,367 --> 00:07:58,900 I think it's a funerary painting. 176 00:07:58,900 --> 00:08:01,667 [Josh] These colors match those that I saw deep under 177 00:08:01,667 --> 00:08:04,100 the street on the other side of the building. 178 00:08:04,100 --> 00:08:08,367 So does this convince you that somebody was buried here? 179 00:08:08,367 --> 00:08:12,567 No, it's not enough. We must find much more to be sure about this. 180 00:08:12,567 --> 00:08:13,600 Yes. 181 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:15,467 One of those things is something that appears 182 00:08:15,467 --> 00:08:17,700 just outside the mystery building. 183 00:08:17,700 --> 00:08:19,300 You see these line of blocks? 184 00:08:19,300 --> 00:08:21,667 -Yes, these big limestone blocks. -Yes. 185 00:08:21,667 --> 00:08:23,767 These look like the big limestone blocks 186 00:08:23,767 --> 00:08:25,367 from the foundation of the building. 187 00:08:25,367 --> 00:08:27,166 The same size and material with 188 00:08:27,166 --> 00:08:28,000 the stones of the building. 189 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,367 But it's not the only line of blocks. 190 00:08:30,367 --> 00:08:32,300 We have one here. 191 00:08:32,300 --> 00:08:33,166 -Oh, behind us. -See? 192 00:08:33,166 --> 00:08:35,467 -One and second one. -Running parallel. 193 00:08:35,467 --> 00:08:37,867 Quite parallel to this line. 194 00:08:37,867 --> 00:08:40,967 So this is maybe a wall with fill in between. 195 00:08:40,967 --> 00:08:45,400 We have to continue the excavation to confirm that. 196 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,467 [Josh] The ancient writer Strabo says that Alexander's tomb 197 00:08:48,467 --> 00:08:52,166 was surrounded by a peribelos, or a large wall. 198 00:08:52,166 --> 00:08:54,900 Could that be what we're seeing here? 199 00:08:54,900 --> 00:08:58,567 Just the fact that this building might have a wall 200 00:08:58,567 --> 00:09:01,567 around it further reinforces that the building 201 00:09:01,567 --> 00:09:03,166 must have been very important. 202 00:09:03,166 --> 00:09:06,000 -Yes. -You don't build a huge fortification wall 203 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,100 around an insignificant building. 204 00:09:08,100 --> 00:09:10,667 So if this is a wall and it's running parallel 205 00:09:10,667 --> 00:09:13,266 to the building and maybe wraps around it, 206 00:09:13,266 --> 00:09:16,000 -that would be huge. -Exactly. 207 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,166 Do we see more blocks on the other side? 208 00:09:18,166 --> 00:09:21,367 We have found a few, but we must see if they continue. 209 00:09:21,367 --> 00:09:22,166 Okay. Can you show me? 210 00:09:22,166 --> 00:09:24,100 -Of course. -Yeah. 211 00:09:24,100 --> 00:09:26,900 To determine if this wall was constructed to surround 212 00:09:26,900 --> 00:09:31,000 the building here on the site, we go to see how far it extends. 213 00:09:31,900 --> 00:09:33,200 So here we are. 214 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:37,166 Yes, and you see that we found the continuation of the stones. 215 00:09:37,166 --> 00:09:39,200 The stones continue, at least for a little bit. 216 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,200 Yes, but not only here. 217 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,600 -There is the other line also. -Oh, the big stone over here. 218 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:45,166 -See this big block. -Yes. 219 00:09:45,166 --> 00:09:47,266 [Calliope] So we have the two lines of stones. 220 00:09:47,266 --> 00:09:49,000 [Josh] So two lines of stones continuing, 221 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,467 and maybe the fill in the middle. 222 00:09:50,467 --> 00:09:52,600 And it's headed in the direction of the building, 223 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:53,834 which is over there. 224 00:09:53,834 --> 00:09:57,000 The mystery building is here, and Calliope has discovered 225 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,867 what looks like a run of blocks that could be signs of 226 00:09:59,867 --> 00:10:01,300 a double-sided wall. 227 00:10:01,300 --> 00:10:04,700 Now, if those blocks continue and truly run parallel 228 00:10:04,700 --> 00:10:06,900 to the building, she could prove that 229 00:10:06,900 --> 00:10:09,400 this is a wall matching the one that surrounded 230 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:10,800 Alexander's tomb. 231 00:10:11,367 --> 00:10:12,567 So we need to go deeper. 232 00:10:12,567 --> 00:10:16,066 Deeper in the same layer with the stones, with the blocks. 233 00:10:16,066 --> 00:10:18,400 -Okay, so we dig? -Of course. 234 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:22,667 [Josh] Calliope's team is ready to search for 235 00:10:22,667 --> 00:10:24,767 the critical evidence below our feet, 236 00:10:24,767 --> 00:10:25,800 which means... 237 00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:28,433 it's time to get to work. 238 00:10:31,100 --> 00:10:33,600 Step one, move dirt. 239 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,367 Along with my friend from the tunnel, Mahmoud Samir, 240 00:10:36,367 --> 00:10:38,867 I join the dig team and we start progressing 241 00:10:38,867 --> 00:10:40,934 further and further back in time. 242 00:10:45,500 --> 00:10:48,567 -Calliope, when do we get a break again? -Twelve o'clock. 243 00:10:48,567 --> 00:10:50,300 -Is that okay? -Midnight, you mean? 244 00:10:50,300 --> 00:10:53,300 [laughs] You are already tired? 245 00:10:54,266 --> 00:10:56,000 No, no, no. Not at all. 246 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:01,200 Why am I the only one digging? 247 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,166 -[speaking other language] -[laughs] 248 00:11:05,166 --> 00:11:10,166 [in English] He said that you don't work, you make jokes with me. 249 00:11:10,166 --> 00:11:13,300 [Josh] Step two, stop joking and examine dirt. 250 00:11:15,300 --> 00:11:16,667 -We start sifting now. -Sifting the soil. 251 00:11:16,667 --> 00:11:18,066 Yes, okay, let's do it. 252 00:11:18,066 --> 00:11:21,100 The soil we've moved could contain priceless artifacts 253 00:11:21,100 --> 00:11:25,066 from the distant past, and we don't want to miss them. 254 00:11:25,066 --> 00:11:27,867 Okay, so what will we keep here? What are we looking for? 255 00:11:27,867 --> 00:11:30,400 Sometimes we found coins or charcoal like this. 256 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,767 -Ah, there's charcoal, yeah. Look at that. -Yes. 257 00:11:32,767 --> 00:11:34,500 -So evidence of burning here. -Yes. 258 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,567 Like this layer. 259 00:11:36,567 --> 00:11:40,400 [Josh] Alexandria has fallen victim to earthquakes and conflict, 260 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,767 I join the is most likely how the tomb became lost 261 00:11:42,767 --> 00:11:44,266 in the first place. 262 00:11:44,266 --> 00:11:45,967 Calliope, this burning layer here, 263 00:11:45,967 --> 00:11:48,066 is that like a destruction layer? 264 00:11:48,066 --> 00:11:49,133 I suppose so. 265 00:11:49,133 --> 00:11:52,667 We know that Alexandria had been burned many times. 266 00:11:52,667 --> 00:11:55,333 So this is a very interesting element. 267 00:12:00,900 --> 00:12:03,800 -Most of our coins, we found it like that. -Yeah? 268 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,533 -Most of them you found in the sifting? -Yes. 269 00:12:08,367 --> 00:12:10,033 -See. -Pottery? 270 00:12:11,467 --> 00:12:14,533 My God. There's just material everywhere. 271 00:12:22,066 --> 00:12:23,133 So bone here? 272 00:12:24,166 --> 00:12:25,467 -Bone? -Yes, bones. 273 00:12:25,467 --> 00:12:27,934 So small animal bones here. 274 00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:32,100 We keep digging, our eyes peeled 275 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:33,900 for telltale blocks of stone. 276 00:12:36,100 --> 00:12:39,133 Stone isn't the only thing here that tells tales. 277 00:12:39,767 --> 00:12:41,266 [speaking other language] 278 00:12:41,266 --> 00:12:42,533 [Josh in English] Oh, something green? 279 00:12:43,266 --> 00:12:44,133 Coin? 280 00:12:44,467 --> 00:12:45,900 Ah, another coin! 281 00:12:47,166 --> 00:12:48,467 It's corroded, but you can almost 282 00:12:48,467 --> 00:12:50,300 already make out something on there. 283 00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:53,300 -So what do you think, Calliope? -Yeah. 284 00:12:53,300 --> 00:12:56,667 -It can be cleaned more, but it's in a good condition. -Yeah. 285 00:12:56,667 --> 00:12:59,000 Okay, so maybe we can date the coin. 286 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:00,266 That would be huge. 287 00:13:00,266 --> 00:13:02,300 Help give us an idea of when we are here. 288 00:13:04,266 --> 00:13:06,567 Just above the site is a makeshift lab 289 00:13:06,567 --> 00:13:09,266 where Mahmoud catalogues the team's discoveries, 290 00:13:09,266 --> 00:13:11,967 including several other coins that have been unearthed 291 00:13:11,967 --> 00:13:13,433 in the past few days. 292 00:13:14,567 --> 00:13:18,667 With him is Khalid Ismail, a numismatist, or coin expert, 293 00:13:18,667 --> 00:13:21,100 who can hopefully tell us about the loose change 294 00:13:21,100 --> 00:13:22,834 we've pulled out of the ground. 295 00:13:23,867 --> 00:13:25,900 So these are all bronze coins, right? 296 00:13:25,900 --> 00:13:29,767 So we have this corrosion, this kind of blue-green corrosion on them. 297 00:13:29,767 --> 00:13:31,867 So how do we get them to a point where we can read 298 00:13:31,867 --> 00:13:32,867 what's on the coin? 299 00:13:32,867 --> 00:13:35,400 We have to completely cover coin by solution. 300 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:36,634 Got it. 301 00:13:36,634 --> 00:13:40,700 The solution is 5% formic acid mixed with distilled water, 302 00:13:40,700 --> 00:13:43,400 designed to eat away at the thick crust of corrosion 303 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,700 formed over thousands of years. 304 00:13:45,700 --> 00:13:47,700 Even after a few seconds here, 305 00:13:47,700 --> 00:13:49,667 we see this water's turning blue. 306 00:13:49,667 --> 00:13:51,800 Yes, it means we have active corrosion. 307 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:53,467 -Active corrosion. -Active corrosion. 308 00:13:53,467 --> 00:13:54,967 So that's being pulled out of the coin? 309 00:13:54,967 --> 00:13:56,100 -Yes. -Okay. 310 00:13:56,100 --> 00:13:58,266 Next up, a little elbow grease. 311 00:13:58,266 --> 00:14:01,200 Our expert applies a motorized copper brush 312 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:02,600 to the face of the coin. 313 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,500 This is delicate because you want to get rid of 314 00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:08,266 the corrosion, 315 00:14:08,266 --> 00:14:10,600 but not the markings on the coin. 316 00:14:19,567 --> 00:14:22,100 Okay, let's see what we can see. 317 00:14:22,100 --> 00:14:23,033 Khaled, you're up. 318 00:14:26,500 --> 00:14:27,333 An eagle. 319 00:14:27,700 --> 00:14:29,166 Yeah. 320 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,967 -May I? Look at that. You can see the eagle here. -Yes. 321 00:14:37,967 --> 00:14:40,300 -Isn't that beautiful? -Yes, it's amazing. 322 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:42,333 And can we see anything on the front side? 323 00:14:46,667 --> 00:14:47,734 A face? 324 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,266 And? 325 00:14:50,266 --> 00:14:52,567 -It's Alexander the Great. -That's Alexander. 326 00:14:52,567 --> 00:14:53,900 Yes. 327 00:15:02,066 --> 00:15:04,266 Oh, it's Alexander the Great. 328 00:15:04,266 --> 00:15:05,934 -That's Alexander? -Yes. 329 00:15:08,166 --> 00:15:10,600 -This is the head of Alexander. -Yes. 330 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:14,066 [Josh] I'm in Alexandria, Egypt, at a dig site searching 331 00:15:14,066 --> 00:15:16,567 for evidence of a fortification wall 332 00:15:16,567 --> 00:15:19,700 that we hope once surrounded a mysterious building 333 00:15:19,700 --> 00:15:23,166 that could be the tomb of Alexander the Great. 334 00:15:23,166 --> 00:15:26,200 Right now, though, we found some cold, hard, 335 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,000 and historic cash. 336 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,166 -He's looking to the right. -Yeah. 337 00:15:30,166 --> 00:15:32,500 You can see his nose and mouth. 338 00:15:33,467 --> 00:15:34,700 Alexander the Great. 339 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:36,266 Yes. 340 00:15:36,266 --> 00:15:39,100 [Josh] As we can see with a slightly less weathered coin, 341 00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:43,066 Alexander's very face was currency here in Alexandria, 342 00:15:43,066 --> 00:15:45,667 but surprisingly, not in his lifetime. 343 00:15:45,667 --> 00:15:49,800 -It's a coin that Ptolemies minted, not Alexander. -Right. 344 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,000 That means that Ptolemies continued to make coins 345 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,033 with the head of Alexander. 346 00:15:54,033 --> 00:15:56,200 This tells you everything you need to know about 347 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:57,767 his influence, his power. 348 00:15:57,767 --> 00:15:59,000 [Calliope] Yes, of course. 349 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,100 That's why Ptolemy wanted to bring his body in Alexandria. 350 00:16:02,100 --> 00:16:04,867 Whoever had the body of Alexander should be 351 00:16:04,867 --> 00:16:07,233 the greatest king. 352 00:16:07,367 --> 00:16:09,166 Incredible. 353 00:16:09,166 --> 00:16:13,166 Well, it's not the tomb of Alexander, but it's Alexander. 354 00:16:13,166 --> 00:16:14,667 At least we have a coin. 355 00:16:14,667 --> 00:16:17,667 Yes, that's history right there. 356 00:16:17,667 --> 00:16:20,467 The coin stamped with Alexander's face is likely 357 00:16:20,467 --> 00:16:22,266 from the centuries after his death, 358 00:16:22,266 --> 00:16:24,767 when the pharaohs that followed him co-opted 359 00:16:24,767 --> 00:16:27,400 his image to consolidate their power. 360 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,600 But it's a huge sign that our dig is getting close to 361 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,500 the layer from the time of Alexander's burial. 362 00:16:35,100 --> 00:16:37,567 We return to the trench, knowing from the coin 363 00:16:37,567 --> 00:16:39,767 that we're likely right above the layer where 364 00:16:39,767 --> 00:16:42,567 the fortification wall should be. 365 00:16:42,567 --> 00:16:46,533 On our way down, we find the remains of ceramic wine vessels. 366 00:16:47,100 --> 00:16:48,000 Look. 367 00:16:49,166 --> 00:16:50,667 It's very beautiful, huh? 368 00:16:50,667 --> 00:16:53,900 So we can see, we can get a sense here 369 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:55,533 of the size of these containers. 370 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:57,200 A lot of them. 371 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:58,100 Look at that. 372 00:17:00,467 --> 00:17:02,266 Big piece of the neck. 373 00:17:02,266 --> 00:17:04,100 Ooh, part of the handle down there. 374 00:17:04,100 --> 00:17:07,200 -[Calliope] Yeah. -Here we go. 375 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,200 -Broken but beautiful. -Yes. 376 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,266 Why do you think all these vessels were here? 377 00:17:11,266 --> 00:17:14,266 Because there were people working or living here. 378 00:17:14,266 --> 00:17:16,000 Something else? 379 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,867 -So this would be the very top of the vessel. -Yes, yes. 380 00:17:18,867 --> 00:17:20,000 Look at that. 381 00:17:21,066 --> 00:17:22,166 Beauty. 382 00:17:22,166 --> 00:17:25,367 But no wine left. This is a tragedy. 383 00:17:25,367 --> 00:17:27,300 -Yeah. -This is a tragedy. 384 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,166 And speaking of wine, I'm going to start drinking 385 00:17:31,166 --> 00:17:33,200 if we don't find something soon to confirm that 386 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:35,533 this line of stones was once a wall. 387 00:17:37,166 --> 00:17:38,600 Of course we will continue. 388 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:40,367 We have to excavate all this area. 389 00:17:40,367 --> 00:17:43,500 -Right. -I hope that in another spot 390 00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:47,567 -we'll find also this line to be continued. -Right. 391 00:17:47,567 --> 00:17:50,100 Calliope has been in this position before, 392 00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:52,000 but doesn't give up easily. 393 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,500 So we cross our fingers and keep going, 394 00:17:54,500 --> 00:17:57,900 finding only small pieces of broken stone. 395 00:17:57,900 --> 00:18:00,367 Look how many pieces there are. 396 00:18:00,367 --> 00:18:01,934 -[Josh] Limestone everywhere. -Yeah. 397 00:18:02,700 --> 00:18:03,867 Wow. 398 00:18:04,467 --> 00:18:07,166 -But we could... -[speaking other language] 399 00:18:07,166 --> 00:18:09,867 -[in English] Oh, no. -Really? 400 00:18:09,867 --> 00:18:11,100 -Did you find a stone? -Yes. 401 00:18:11,100 --> 00:18:12,266 -Yes. -It continues. 402 00:18:12,266 --> 00:18:13,467 -Yes. -Ha! 403 00:18:13,467 --> 00:18:17,467 This is for sure another one of these big limestone blocks 404 00:18:17,467 --> 00:18:18,967 that continues right through here. 405 00:18:18,967 --> 00:18:20,567 -This is just broken up in here. -Oh, my God. 406 00:18:20,567 --> 00:18:22,667 I will start crying now. 407 00:18:22,667 --> 00:18:26,600 No, I was disappointed when I didn't see this area 408 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,967 having the same stones. I said, maybe I'm wrong. 409 00:18:29,967 --> 00:18:31,800 But now you see. Look at it. 410 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:34,100 -You see? -It's amazing. 411 00:18:34,100 --> 00:18:36,800 -It means I'm right. -Yeah. 412 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:39,300 [Calliope] Great, great. 413 00:18:39,300 --> 00:18:41,266 [Josh] Let's go in and take a look. Come here. 414 00:18:41,266 --> 00:18:43,767 So up close and personal here, we can see 415 00:18:43,767 --> 00:18:46,100 this big limestone block, 416 00:18:46,100 --> 00:18:48,667 which looks exactly the same dimensions 417 00:18:48,667 --> 00:18:50,500 as the one leading up to it here. 418 00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:52,066 So this does continue. 419 00:18:52,066 --> 00:18:56,467 This is a long, continuous foundation of some kind in 420 00:18:56,467 --> 00:18:58,000 a parallel line with another one over here. 421 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,200 So I mean, that's pretty cool. 422 00:19:02,467 --> 00:19:05,000 We measure the stone to see if it matches the width 423 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,100 of the previously found section. 424 00:19:07,567 --> 00:19:09,667 -How wide? -60. 425 00:19:09,667 --> 00:19:12,000 -60 centimeters, okay? -Okay. 426 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,600 Let's check this one now. 427 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:17,867 -60. -60. 428 00:19:17,867 --> 00:19:19,600 -Exact same width. -Yes. 429 00:19:20,367 --> 00:19:22,033 -Okay. -Great, great, great. 430 00:19:23,100 --> 00:19:24,767 [Josh] This could be it. 431 00:19:24,767 --> 00:19:28,266 We've confirmed that there was likely a fortification wall 432 00:19:28,266 --> 00:19:31,166 that surrounded our building, a wall like the one 433 00:19:31,166 --> 00:19:34,100 mentioned in the ancient account of Alexander's tomb. 434 00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:37,100 We have this huge building with massive foundations 435 00:19:37,100 --> 00:19:38,367 right in the middle of the city, 436 00:19:38,367 --> 00:19:40,667 maybe surrounded by a large wall. 437 00:19:40,667 --> 00:19:43,600 In the royal quarter of ancient Alexandria. 438 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,300 Do you think that could be his tomb? 439 00:19:45,300 --> 00:19:48,867 For sure, it is a very important building 440 00:19:48,867 --> 00:19:52,000 of the royal area, of the royal court. 441 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,567 We need more evidence, more clues to understand the identity. 442 00:19:55,567 --> 00:19:57,400 Are you hopeful? 443 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,400 Of course, hope is everything in our work. 444 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:04,166 Alexander is one of the most towering figures in history. 445 00:20:04,166 --> 00:20:08,667 It is kind of remarkable that he's lost in a way. 446 00:20:08,667 --> 00:20:11,900 Yes, that's why it's so important to find the tools. 447 00:20:11,900 --> 00:20:14,000 So now we just need to excavate all of this 448 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,700 all the way to the end of the site today. 449 00:20:17,667 --> 00:20:19,000 I don't promise you this. 450 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,100 We can do it. Come on, guys. 451 00:20:20,100 --> 00:20:21,367 Let's get digging. 452 00:20:21,367 --> 00:20:22,367 Got a lot of work to do. 453 00:20:23,867 --> 00:20:26,600 Calliope has invested decades into this dig, 454 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,367 and I rest easy knowing that she won't stop 455 00:20:29,367 --> 00:20:32,600 until she's turned over every stone to confirm 456 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,266 whether this is Alexander's tomb. 457 00:20:35,266 --> 00:20:37,767 But while she continues to investigate here, 458 00:20:37,767 --> 00:20:40,300 another theory has emerged from an expert 459 00:20:40,300 --> 00:20:43,200 who believes Alexandria was not the final stop 460 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,100 for the conqueror's remains. 461 00:20:45,100 --> 00:20:47,967 In fact, he's got a wild theory that, if true, 462 00:20:47,967 --> 00:20:52,000 would change everything we think we know about Alexander. 463 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,000 To meet this researcher, I bid farewell to Egypt 464 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,300 and fly 2,000 miles to London? 465 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:01,900 [majestic music playing] 466 00:21:05,467 --> 00:21:07,467 The River Thames is flanked by some 467 00:21:07,467 --> 00:21:09,500 quintessentially English landmarks. 468 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:11,233 This is not one of them. 469 00:21:12,867 --> 00:21:15,467 Cleopatra's Needle is a 70-foot tall, 470 00:21:15,467 --> 00:21:19,000 180-ton Egyptian obelisk. 471 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,000 Here to tell me how this 3,500-year-old monument 472 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,467 ended up here is historian and author of five books 473 00:21:25,467 --> 00:21:27,900 on Alexander the Great, Andrew Chugg. 474 00:21:27,900 --> 00:21:31,266 How wild is that to see an ancient Egyptian monument 475 00:21:31,266 --> 00:21:32,800 right in the middle of London? 476 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:34,066 Yes. 477 00:21:34,066 --> 00:21:39,100 It's migrated its way from Heliopolis in Egypt to Alexandria, 478 00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:41,500 and from Alexandria eventually to here. 479 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:42,734 Yeah. 480 00:21:42,734 --> 00:21:44,367 We actually have one of these as well right in the middle of 481 00:21:44,367 --> 00:21:46,367 -Central Park in New York City. -That's right. 482 00:21:46,367 --> 00:21:49,367 They used to stand together in the middle of Alexandria 483 00:21:49,367 --> 00:21:51,767 -outside the Caesarean temple. -Right. 484 00:21:51,767 --> 00:21:54,166 So this was, at one point, 485 00:21:54,166 --> 00:21:56,567 where I've just come from, Alexandria, Egypt. 486 00:21:56,567 --> 00:21:58,266 And I guess it's a good reminder 487 00:21:58,266 --> 00:22:00,967 that many treasures from the ancient world 488 00:22:00,967 --> 00:22:04,367 had a way of migrating to other empires. 489 00:22:04,367 --> 00:22:06,800 Yes, things didn't always stay put. 490 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:07,567 Exactly. 491 00:22:07,567 --> 00:22:09,567 And that brings me to Alexander. 492 00:22:09,567 --> 00:22:12,100 You know, I've just seen these incredible excavations 493 00:22:12,100 --> 00:22:14,100 happening in Alexandria. 494 00:22:14,100 --> 00:22:14,900 What do you think? 495 00:22:14,900 --> 00:22:17,100 Do you believe Alexander and his tomb 496 00:22:17,100 --> 00:22:19,166 are still buried somewhere in the city? 497 00:22:19,166 --> 00:22:23,800 Well, I think it's more likely that they too have migrated. 498 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:24,967 Like The Needle here? 499 00:22:24,967 --> 00:22:26,600 Like The Needle here, exactly. 500 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:27,900 Okay, and what about his tomb? 501 00:22:27,900 --> 00:22:31,100 Part of his tomb may also have migrated. 502 00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:33,500 Not just that, but I'm hoping to show you 503 00:22:33,500 --> 00:22:35,900 -the proof. -Okay, I'm ready to be convinced. 504 00:22:35,900 --> 00:22:39,066 -Where do we go? -It's not far from here, just down the street. 505 00:22:39,066 --> 00:22:40,400 -Okay. -Follow me. 506 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:41,700 Down the street. 507 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,000 I follow Andrew to a very famous address. 508 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,867 As the sun begins to set, I'm geeking out 509 00:22:49,867 --> 00:22:52,667 because we're about to get an after-hours pass 510 00:22:52,667 --> 00:22:55,767 to spend a night at the British Museum. 511 00:22:55,767 --> 00:22:58,467 Welcome to the greatest collection of antiquities 512 00:22:58,467 --> 00:23:01,367 in the Western world and for a few hours, 513 00:23:01,367 --> 00:23:03,266 we have it all to ourselves. 514 00:23:03,266 --> 00:23:05,467 Absolutely stunning. 515 00:23:05,467 --> 00:23:09,567 Over eight million objects spanning all of human history 516 00:23:09,567 --> 00:23:12,767 including a classic bust of Alexander the Great 517 00:23:12,767 --> 00:23:15,200 and this little beauty, the Rosetta Stone. 518 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,900 A tablet inscribed in three languages, 519 00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:20,367 Egyptian, Greek and Demotic. 520 00:23:20,367 --> 00:23:22,967 This was the key to deciphering the hieroglyphics 521 00:23:22,967 --> 00:23:26,000 of ancient Egypt and changed our understanding 522 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:27,800 of their world forever. 523 00:23:31,266 --> 00:23:34,066 [Andrew] One of the world's great museums designed 524 00:23:34,066 --> 00:23:35,367 to inspire awe. 525 00:23:35,367 --> 00:23:36,667 And that it does. 526 00:23:38,867 --> 00:23:40,967 I'm just trying to keep from doing cartwheels 527 00:23:40,967 --> 00:23:43,300 as Andrew leads me into the Egyptian wing 528 00:23:43,300 --> 00:23:46,100 and one often overlooked object. 529 00:23:46,100 --> 00:23:49,600 Josh, I present to you my candidate for 530 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:51,800 the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great. 531 00:23:58,266 --> 00:24:01,500 You're saying this could be the sarcophagus of Alexander? 532 00:24:01,500 --> 00:24:04,767 -I think it very probably is. -Very probably is? 533 00:24:04,767 --> 00:24:06,867 That's a big claim, Andrew. 534 00:24:06,867 --> 00:24:10,166 Absolutely, but all the evidence points that way. 535 00:24:10,166 --> 00:24:13,000 [Josh] I've joined historian Andrew Chugg on his quest 536 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:17,600 for the last resting place of the conqueror Alexander the Great. 537 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,166 Which he believes is connected to this relic 538 00:24:20,166 --> 00:24:21,700 in the British Museum. 539 00:24:21,700 --> 00:24:24,467 There's only one problem with it that I can see. 540 00:24:24,467 --> 00:24:26,367 All right, let's start with this. It's empty. 541 00:24:26,367 --> 00:24:27,900 -Yeah. -So let's talk about this. 542 00:24:27,900 --> 00:24:30,100 This is a huge granite sarcophagus, 543 00:24:30,100 --> 00:24:33,300 and it looks very Egyptian, right? 544 00:24:33,300 --> 00:24:35,367 Covered in hieroglyphics. 545 00:24:35,367 --> 00:24:38,634 So any chance these say, here lies Alexander the Great? 546 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,266 If only it were that easy. 547 00:24:41,266 --> 00:24:44,367 We can read the hieroglyphs thanks to the Rosetta Stone, 548 00:24:44,367 --> 00:24:48,266 and they identify the sarcophagus as that of 549 00:24:48,266 --> 00:24:51,567 a preceding pharaoh called Nectanebo II. 550 00:24:51,567 --> 00:24:52,767 [Josh] Okay, buckle up. 551 00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:58,900 Nectanebo II was the last native-born pharaoh of Egypt, 552 00:24:58,900 --> 00:25:01,867 driven out of the country by the invading Persian Empire. 553 00:25:01,867 --> 00:25:04,867 And when he blew town, he left all of his stuff behind, 554 00:25:04,867 --> 00:25:06,600 and I do mean all of it. 555 00:25:07,500 --> 00:25:09,567 In the deserts of Saqqara in Egypt, 556 00:25:09,567 --> 00:25:12,200 historian James Rahm showed me where Nectanebo's 557 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,000 unused funerary temple once stood. 558 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,166 Since it was empty when Alexander died, 559 00:25:17,166 --> 00:25:20,700 it may have been the perfect place to temporarily store his body. 560 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:23,200 And what about the sarcophagus? 561 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,266 Does this stay in Saqqara? Is that where it was found? 562 00:25:26,266 --> 00:25:29,300 No, the sarcophagus is discovered in Alexandria. 563 00:25:29,300 --> 00:25:30,133 Wait a second. 564 00:25:30,133 --> 00:25:32,266 This sarcophagus, which weighs what? 565 00:25:32,266 --> 00:25:34,000 -Seven tons. -Seven tons. 566 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,400 Was moved hundreds of miles to Alexandria. 567 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,100 Exactly, yes. 568 00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:40,667 So why move this thing? 569 00:25:40,667 --> 00:25:44,500 He would only move this thing in order to carry the body 570 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:46,567 of somebody really important. 571 00:25:46,567 --> 00:25:47,834 Like Alexander the Great? 572 00:25:47,834 --> 00:25:51,233 Such as Alexander the Great, specifically Alexander the Great. 573 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,700 [Josh] Andrew believes that this sarcophagus containing 574 00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:59,400 the gold-lined mummy of Alexander was brought to Alexandria, 575 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,667 where it was used to hold the body inside his tomb 576 00:26:02,667 --> 00:26:05,567 and where it remained until the tomb itself disappeared 577 00:26:05,567 --> 00:26:07,266 around the year 400. 578 00:26:07,266 --> 00:26:09,100 Okay, this part sounds plausible, 579 00:26:09,100 --> 00:26:11,066 but now things get murky. 580 00:26:11,066 --> 00:26:14,200 Andrew also believes that the body and the sarcophagus 581 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:18,300 go their separate ways because of a major religious shift in Egypt. 582 00:26:18,300 --> 00:26:22,367 What happens historically is that the emperor of Rome 583 00:26:22,367 --> 00:26:25,000 decrees that Christianity will now be 584 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,467 the only legal religion. 585 00:26:27,467 --> 00:26:29,767 -Right. -And Alexander is a pagan god 586 00:26:29,767 --> 00:26:33,100 by order of the Senate, so this is a big problem. 587 00:26:33,100 --> 00:26:35,166 [Josh] Andrew contends that the sarcophagus 588 00:26:35,166 --> 00:26:38,000 and the body within were hidden to keep them safe 589 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,700 from the threat of a newly dominant religion. 590 00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:43,400 And what of this sarcophagus? Where does it go? 591 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,967 We know that it must have been moved from the tomb 592 00:26:46,967 --> 00:26:50,900 'cause it turns up in a rather unusual place. 593 00:26:52,300 --> 00:26:54,767 [Josh] And just as I'm starting to think that Andrew has read 594 00:26:54,767 --> 00:26:58,000 too many Dan Brown novels, he shows me this. 595 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,266 A map of Alexandria from 1575. 596 00:27:01,266 --> 00:27:04,367 On it is a structure known as the Attarine Mosque, 597 00:27:04,367 --> 00:27:08,266 depicted by a minaret and a small octagonal building. 598 00:27:08,266 --> 00:27:11,667 And Josh, can you see what's written underneath 599 00:27:11,667 --> 00:27:13,400 that small octagonal building? 600 00:27:13,667 --> 00:27:16,400 [Josh reading] 601 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:17,567 [Andrew] Exactly. 602 00:27:17,567 --> 00:27:21,767 And that is Latin for the House of Alexander the Great. 603 00:27:21,767 --> 00:27:24,266 [Josh] Andrew explains that by the late 1500s, 604 00:27:24,266 --> 00:27:27,767 the sarcophagus had moved to the mosque for safekeeping. 605 00:27:27,767 --> 00:27:30,066 And he's got the receipts. 606 00:27:30,066 --> 00:27:33,066 -We know that because of Napoleon. -Napoleon? 607 00:27:33,066 --> 00:27:34,200 Yes. 608 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:38,166 Napoleon came to Egypt in 1798 with an invasion fleet, 609 00:27:38,166 --> 00:27:40,166 and he took Alexandria. 610 00:27:40,166 --> 00:27:42,800 -[Josh] Right. -[Andrew] And that's when he found the sarcophagus. 611 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:45,567 If you look here on the next view... 612 00:27:45,567 --> 00:27:46,600 Uh-huh. 613 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:50,867 This is an engraving made by Napoleon's scholars. 614 00:27:50,867 --> 00:27:53,166 And now, are we inside this mosque? 615 00:27:53,166 --> 00:27:54,867 We're inside the courtyard of the mosque. 616 00:27:54,867 --> 00:27:57,066 You can see the minaret again here. 617 00:27:57,066 --> 00:27:59,700 And you can see the small octagonal building. 618 00:27:59,700 --> 00:28:02,300 And inside, if you look very carefully... 619 00:28:02,300 --> 00:28:03,467 [Josh] Get out of here. 620 00:28:03,467 --> 00:28:06,867 You can see the sarcophagus that stands right behind us. 621 00:28:06,867 --> 00:28:09,433 -It's here in the mosque? -Yes. 622 00:28:10,867 --> 00:28:14,000 [Josh] Once the British took Egypt from Napoleon in 1801, 623 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,667 the sarcophagus was brought here to London. 624 00:28:16,667 --> 00:28:18,800 This means, though it sounds crazy, 625 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,600 this seven-ton chunk of granite may actually have held 626 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,200 none other than Alexander himself. 627 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,367 But Andrew is sitting on an even bigger bombshell, 628 00:28:28,367 --> 00:28:31,266 the true location of Alexander's body. 629 00:28:31,266 --> 00:28:32,867 Right around the time 630 00:28:32,867 --> 00:28:35,800 that Alexander's tomb disappears, 631 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:39,600 we have the appearance of another really important tomb, 632 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:43,867 the tomb of St. Mark the Evangelist, no less. 633 00:28:43,867 --> 00:28:47,100 As in the Book of Mark, as in from the Gospels of The Bible? 634 00:28:47,100 --> 00:28:48,333 Exactly that Mark. 635 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,667 [Josh] Saint Mark the Evangelist was not only the source 636 00:28:52,667 --> 00:28:55,300 for a New Testament gospel, he was the founder of 637 00:28:55,300 --> 00:28:57,367 the Christian church in Alexandria. 638 00:28:57,367 --> 00:28:59,867 And it is true that his tomb conveniently 639 00:28:59,867 --> 00:29:03,667 materializes there just as Alexander's disappears. 640 00:29:03,667 --> 00:29:06,400 So what about the body? Where does the body go? 641 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,767 Andrew thinks that the body of Alexander 642 00:29:08,767 --> 00:29:11,767 and the magnificent Soma, his lavish tomb, 643 00:29:11,767 --> 00:29:13,767 were simply repurposed. 644 00:29:13,767 --> 00:29:16,500 Instead of belonging to the founder of Alexandria, 645 00:29:16,500 --> 00:29:19,266 they were rebranded as belonging to the founder 646 00:29:19,266 --> 00:29:21,567 of Alexandria's church, St. Mark. 647 00:29:21,567 --> 00:29:25,567 Now, wait a minute. I thought that St. Mark's body was in Venice. 648 00:29:25,567 --> 00:29:28,800 Isn't it in Italy in this giant basilica there? 649 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:30,567 Yes, that's because... 650 00:29:30,567 --> 00:29:36,000 uh, in 828 AD, when the Christians in Alexandria 651 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,300 were under pressure from Islam, 652 00:29:38,300 --> 00:29:41,467 they allowed some Venetian traders to take 653 00:29:41,467 --> 00:29:44,400 the body back to Venice and rebury it there 654 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:46,634 as the patron saint of the city. 655 00:29:48,266 --> 00:29:50,200 Wait a minute. Are you saying that the body of 656 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:54,000 Alexander the Great is in the tomb of St. Mark in Venice? 657 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:56,133 That's certainly the idea. 658 00:29:58,567 --> 00:30:01,767 [Josh] We are now in full Da Vinci Code territory. 659 00:30:01,767 --> 00:30:03,467 This theory, if it's true, 660 00:30:03,467 --> 00:30:06,166 would be like dropping a grenade into history, 661 00:30:06,166 --> 00:30:09,800 a revelation that the long-lost body of Alexander the Great 662 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,700 has been lying in Venice since the ninth century, 663 00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:16,166 masquerading as Saint Mark the Evangelist. 664 00:30:16,166 --> 00:30:18,967 And how could you possibly prove that? 665 00:30:18,967 --> 00:30:23,000 The body of St. Mark used to be in a crypt in Venice, 666 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,567 but the body in 1811 was moved upstairs 667 00:30:26,567 --> 00:30:29,367 because of the threat of continual flooding in the crypt. 668 00:30:29,367 --> 00:30:30,333 Uh-huh. 669 00:30:30,333 --> 00:30:33,767 Then, in 1960, an archaeologist discovered 670 00:30:33,767 --> 00:30:35,500 embedded in the wall of the crypt 671 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:38,066 an astonishing artifact, 672 00:30:38,066 --> 00:30:41,600 a block of sculpted ancient limestone depicting 673 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,767 a long-handled spear, as well as a shield bearing 674 00:30:44,767 --> 00:30:48,066 the Star of Vergina, the same Macedonian symbol 675 00:30:48,066 --> 00:30:52,000 that appears on the funerary box of Alexander's father, Philip. 676 00:30:52,667 --> 00:30:53,800 What is it? 677 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,200 Well, Andrew believes that Alexander's sarcophagus 678 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,467 was wrapped in a custom casing, 679 00:30:58,467 --> 00:31:02,867 a Macedonian layer covering the original Egyptian inscriptions, 680 00:31:02,867 --> 00:31:05,266 meaning that the block in St. Mark's Crypt 681 00:31:05,266 --> 00:31:07,266 was once mounted on the sarcophagus 682 00:31:07,266 --> 00:31:09,500 that is currently here in London. 683 00:31:10,367 --> 00:31:11,767 It's a jigsaw puzzle. 684 00:31:11,767 --> 00:31:15,567 If we could prove that this star shield block fits 685 00:31:15,567 --> 00:31:18,166 the sarcophagus, it would prove the theory. 686 00:31:18,166 --> 00:31:21,500 It's unlikely that the church will allow us to bring 687 00:31:21,500 --> 00:31:23,100 the block here, but if we could get 688 00:31:23,100 --> 00:31:26,000 a scan of the block, then... 689 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,000 If it interlocks with the sarcophagus, 690 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,800 we would have proved the theory. 691 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,667 It would demonstrate that Alexander's body 692 00:31:33,667 --> 00:31:37,266 was in this sarcophagus, and it would demonstrate that 693 00:31:37,266 --> 00:31:39,767 the body that was brought to St. Mark's originally 694 00:31:39,767 --> 00:31:41,467 was also Alexander. 695 00:31:41,467 --> 00:31:42,400 Exactly. 696 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:43,767 Okay. 697 00:31:43,767 --> 00:31:45,367 Does this mean we're going to Venice? 698 00:31:45,367 --> 00:31:47,967 -You're going to Venice. -All right, off to Venice. 699 00:31:47,967 --> 00:31:50,000 You just wait here, and I'll be right back. 700 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,000 Maybe don't wait here. It's going to take a few days. 701 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,767 -But I will be back. -Bon voyage. 702 00:31:53,767 --> 00:31:54,667 Okay. 703 00:31:54,667 --> 00:31:55,400 I'll be back. 704 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,767 To investigate Andrew's theory, 705 00:31:58,767 --> 00:32:01,467 I rush to Heathrow and fly from London, 706 00:32:01,467 --> 00:32:03,900 700 miles, to Venice, Italy. 707 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:08,867 This place has many names. 708 00:32:08,867 --> 00:32:12,266 City of bridges, city of canals, the floating city. 709 00:32:12,266 --> 00:32:14,266 Take your pick. They all fit the bill. 710 00:32:14,266 --> 00:32:16,667 That's because while Earth has plenty of perfectly 711 00:32:16,667 --> 00:32:19,166 good land to build on, at some point in history, 712 00:32:19,166 --> 00:32:22,166 somebody said, nah, let's do something much harder. 713 00:32:22,166 --> 00:32:24,000 And well, here we are. 714 00:32:26,367 --> 00:32:30,066 Believe it or not, this is my very first visit to Venice. 715 00:32:30,066 --> 00:32:32,500 That's right, I've been to over 100 countries, 716 00:32:32,500 --> 00:32:34,567 but I've never been to one of the most popular 717 00:32:34,567 --> 00:32:36,500 tourist destinations on Earth. 718 00:32:38,100 --> 00:32:43,367 126 islands connected by 472 bridges. 719 00:32:43,367 --> 00:32:46,166 It is as improbable as it is beautiful. 720 00:32:46,166 --> 00:32:49,100 There's just no place else like it on the planet. 721 00:32:50,767 --> 00:32:52,867 And at the center of this floating dream 722 00:32:52,867 --> 00:32:56,266 is the Square of St. Mark's, lorded over by 723 00:32:56,266 --> 00:32:57,900 its stunning basilica. 724 00:33:00,066 --> 00:33:04,000 When you first see St. Mark's, it literally takes your breath away. 725 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,266 And whether you find it majestic or a little gaudy 726 00:33:07,266 --> 00:33:09,467 or divine, one thing's for sure, 727 00:33:09,467 --> 00:33:11,233 it is unforgettable. 728 00:33:12,767 --> 00:33:14,166 Subtle it is not. 729 00:33:14,166 --> 00:33:16,066 Beneath the domes of the church are 730 00:33:16,066 --> 00:33:20,300 86,000 square feet of mosaics, marble, and gold, 731 00:33:20,300 --> 00:33:23,100 enough to cover nearly two football fields. 732 00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:25,500 It is one of the most opulent houses of worship 733 00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:29,000 in the world, and it is all to honor St. Mark. 734 00:33:29,867 --> 00:33:32,000 In particular, take a look at the mosaics 735 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,900 on the outside of the basilica. 736 00:33:34,900 --> 00:33:37,667 So St. Mark's remains were allegedly brought here 737 00:33:37,667 --> 00:33:41,567 in the year 828, when Venetian sailors stole his body 738 00:33:41,567 --> 00:33:43,266 from a church in Alexandria. 739 00:33:43,266 --> 00:33:45,800 They smuggled him out in a barrel of pork fat, 740 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:47,467 which, judging by the reactions, 741 00:33:47,467 --> 00:33:49,300 probably didn't smell very good. 742 00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:52,600 What's really weird, though, is the condition of his body. 743 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:55,800 So they brought him here 700 years after his death, 744 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:59,367 but do those look like 700-year-old remains? 745 00:33:59,367 --> 00:34:01,800 The mosaic shows onlookers gathered around 746 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:03,500 a fully intact corpse. 747 00:34:03,500 --> 00:34:05,567 Not a skeleton or a box of bones 748 00:34:05,567 --> 00:34:08,367 as one might assume after so many centuries, 749 00:34:08,367 --> 00:34:10,867 which could suggest the body was preserved 750 00:34:10,867 --> 00:34:12,867 or even mummified. 751 00:34:12,867 --> 00:34:15,867 Now, there is one really easy way we could solve this mystery. 752 00:34:15,867 --> 00:34:18,967 A scientific analysis of whoever's entombed inside 753 00:34:18,967 --> 00:34:21,100 could certainly help identify the individual. 754 00:34:21,100 --> 00:34:23,166 But unsurprisingly, the Catholic Church 755 00:34:23,166 --> 00:34:25,100 is not all that jazzed about the possibility of 756 00:34:25,100 --> 00:34:27,467 a St. Mark, Alexander switcheroo. 757 00:34:27,467 --> 00:34:29,367 So I've probably got a better chance 758 00:34:29,367 --> 00:34:31,266 of being made a saint than getting access 759 00:34:31,266 --> 00:34:32,367 to whoever's inside. 760 00:34:32,367 --> 00:34:35,166 But lucky for me, the thing I'm here to investigate 761 00:34:35,166 --> 00:34:37,133 isn't inside the church at all. 762 00:34:39,166 --> 00:34:41,567 Far from the crowded square, tucked away 763 00:34:41,567 --> 00:34:43,500 in the labyrinth of Venice's canals, 764 00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:46,166 is a place most visitors never see, 765 00:34:46,166 --> 00:34:48,467 the Cloister of St. Apollonia. 766 00:34:48,467 --> 00:34:50,400 It's here that the church has stored 767 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,967 the mysterious block discovered in the crypt of 768 00:34:52,967 --> 00:34:54,000 St. Mark. 769 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,767 I'm meeting with imaging expert Pietro Meloni, 770 00:34:56,767 --> 00:34:58,467 who leads me to the relic. 771 00:34:58,467 --> 00:35:01,467 -Well, Josh, this is it. -This is the piece? 772 00:35:01,467 --> 00:35:02,300 Yeah. 773 00:35:02,300 --> 00:35:04,033 [Josh] That's the symbol of Alexander. 774 00:35:12,066 --> 00:35:14,000 Right away, you can see that 775 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,800 this is something really special. 776 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:19,600 This is clearly that star shield that is like 777 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,166 the symbol of Macedonia. 778 00:35:22,166 --> 00:35:25,667 I'm in Venice, Italy, home to St. Mark's Basilica, 779 00:35:25,667 --> 00:35:29,400 in whose crypt this ancient casing block was discovered. 780 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,600 One researcher believes it once adorned 781 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,467 the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, 782 00:35:34,467 --> 00:35:36,867 which, if true, could tell us where 783 00:35:36,867 --> 00:35:40,266 his long-lost remains lie today. 784 00:35:40,266 --> 00:35:42,867 And this shield with the Macedonian symbol 785 00:35:42,867 --> 00:35:45,867 known as the Vergina Star isn't the only thing 786 00:35:45,867 --> 00:35:48,266 that connects to Alexander. 787 00:35:48,266 --> 00:35:51,300 -And have you seen the spear? -Oh, yes, this is a spear. 788 00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:53,967 This is the tip, and then it actually 789 00:35:53,967 --> 00:35:56,367 is broken off where the stone is broken, 790 00:35:56,367 --> 00:35:58,000 but clearly a long spear. 791 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,500 -It was a sarissa spear. -It does. 792 00:36:00,500 --> 00:36:03,767 It looks like a sarissa spear, like the exact spear 793 00:36:03,767 --> 00:36:06,800 that Alexander's army used to great effect. 794 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:08,967 Sarissas were long-handled spears 795 00:36:08,967 --> 00:36:10,867 pioneered by Alexander's father, 796 00:36:10,867 --> 00:36:14,767 which helped Alexander conquer most of the known world. 797 00:36:14,767 --> 00:36:16,600 And then we have something else here that 798 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,166 can't really tell what this is. 799 00:36:18,166 --> 00:36:20,266 Could be an arm, somebody holding the spear. 800 00:36:20,266 --> 00:36:22,000 Could be a leg, the way that it tapers. 801 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,767 But these are very evocative of Macedonia. 802 00:36:24,767 --> 00:36:27,667 Like, this is a very weird thing to find 803 00:36:27,667 --> 00:36:29,600 in the tomb of a Christian saint. 804 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:30,834 Sure. 805 00:36:30,834 --> 00:36:33,367 -We have to get a scan of this so that I can bring... -Yeah. 806 00:36:33,367 --> 00:36:35,100 ...that data back to the British Museum 807 00:36:35,100 --> 00:36:38,266 and see if this somehow links in with the sarcophagus 808 00:36:38,266 --> 00:36:39,667 -they have there. -No problem. 809 00:36:39,667 --> 00:36:42,400 -I have a scanner with me. -Let's get into it. 810 00:36:44,367 --> 00:36:47,367 Pietro breaks out an Artec Leo scanner. 811 00:36:47,367 --> 00:36:50,700 It takes 40 photos a second, which are knitted together 812 00:36:50,700 --> 00:36:54,100 to create an ultra-detailed 3D image of the block, 813 00:36:54,100 --> 00:36:57,600 accurate to within fractions of a millimeter. 814 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:00,700 We start scanning every square inch of the stone, 815 00:37:00,700 --> 00:37:03,800 making sure to grab data from multiple angles. 816 00:37:04,367 --> 00:37:06,000 It's painstaking work. 817 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,967 For those hard-to-reach spots, I stand atop a step ladder 818 00:37:08,967 --> 00:37:11,567 to scan above and behind the artifact. 819 00:37:11,567 --> 00:37:15,000 Eventually, though, we manage to cover the entire thing. 820 00:37:16,266 --> 00:37:17,800 Okay, moment of truth. 821 00:37:18,266 --> 00:37:19,266 Do we have a good scan? 822 00:37:19,266 --> 00:37:22,166 Yes, and it looks great. 823 00:37:22,166 --> 00:37:23,266 [Josh] Oh, look at that! 824 00:37:23,266 --> 00:37:24,767 -[Pietro] Yes. -[Josh] Amazing. 825 00:37:24,767 --> 00:37:27,266 All of these features really jump out. 826 00:37:27,266 --> 00:37:30,367 We can even see, to some extent, behind it. 827 00:37:30,367 --> 00:37:31,834 [Pietro speaking] 828 00:37:38,066 --> 00:37:39,567 Wow. But that's really interesting, 829 00:37:39,567 --> 00:37:41,667 because you get a lot of highlights. 830 00:37:41,667 --> 00:37:43,033 [Pietro] Yes. More details. 831 00:37:43,033 --> 00:37:45,567 [Josh] Much more detail when you look at it monochromatically. 832 00:37:45,567 --> 00:37:46,433 [Pietro] Sure. 833 00:37:46,433 --> 00:37:48,967 This looks awesome. Thank you so much. 834 00:37:48,967 --> 00:37:50,800 -No problem. -Okay. 835 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:52,500 Well, back to London. 836 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:56,667 With the scan complete, I hurry back to the British Museum, 837 00:37:56,667 --> 00:38:00,266 where I reconnect with historian Andrew Chugg. 838 00:38:00,266 --> 00:38:01,867 -Hi, Josh. -Right where I left you. 839 00:38:01,867 --> 00:38:03,300 Hi, welcome back. 840 00:38:03,300 --> 00:38:05,700 [Josh] To see if the block from St. Mark's in Venice 841 00:38:05,700 --> 00:38:08,467 once belonged on this sarcophagus found 842 00:38:08,467 --> 00:38:09,667 in Alexandria. 843 00:38:09,667 --> 00:38:12,667 I'd like to introduce to you Joe Steel, 844 00:38:12,667 --> 00:38:15,667 director and co-founder of Visualskies. 845 00:38:15,667 --> 00:38:17,100 -Great to meet you. -Nice to meet you, Josh. 846 00:38:17,100 --> 00:38:20,400 It's a 3D scanning company that can help us 847 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:21,867 with our reconstruction. 848 00:38:21,867 --> 00:38:22,867 -Terrific. -That's right. 849 00:38:22,867 --> 00:38:25,200 And you got the data that I sent from Venice? 850 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:27,200 Absolutely. I have it loaded here now. 851 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:29,100 -Did I do okay? -Fantastic scan. 852 00:38:29,100 --> 00:38:31,000 I've never seen better. I'm out of a job almost. 853 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:32,233 Oh, come on now. 854 00:38:32,233 --> 00:38:34,200 -You're laying it on too thick, Joe. -Yeah, I know. Sorry. 855 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:35,400 So let's take a look at it. 856 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,200 Yeah, so here we go. Here's the scan you did. 857 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,567 [Josh] This is amazing. It's like floating in free space here. 858 00:38:40,567 --> 00:38:43,266 [Joseph] Yeah, that's right. This is augmented reality. 859 00:38:43,266 --> 00:38:45,266 [Josh] Augmented reality will allow us 860 00:38:45,266 --> 00:38:48,367 to virtually place the casing block in real space 861 00:38:48,367 --> 00:38:52,467 and to see if it fits onto the sarcophagus in front of us. 862 00:38:52,467 --> 00:38:56,000 And I have to say, Andrew, it really is, as you described it, 863 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,266 this looks so Macedonian. 864 00:38:58,266 --> 00:39:01,100 This looks like that classic star shield. 865 00:39:01,100 --> 00:39:02,266 Absolutely. 866 00:39:02,266 --> 00:39:05,600 It has the symmetries and the spareness in the design. 867 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:07,467 It has life-size weapons. 868 00:39:07,467 --> 00:39:10,100 We can see a Macedonian cavalry sarissa. 869 00:39:10,100 --> 00:39:11,967 We can see the star shield itself. 870 00:39:11,967 --> 00:39:15,500 With the famously emblazoned Star of Vergina. 871 00:39:15,500 --> 00:39:18,800 And that very badly damaged feature there 872 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:21,767 is a pair of greaves, lower leg armor. 873 00:39:21,767 --> 00:39:23,567 So you think this would have been like battle armor? 874 00:39:23,567 --> 00:39:26,467 It's what we see in the same kinds of scenes in other contexts. 875 00:39:26,467 --> 00:39:27,333 Right. 876 00:39:27,333 --> 00:39:29,767 In fact, the greaves, or leg armor, 877 00:39:29,767 --> 00:39:32,467 of Alexander's father were prominently placed 878 00:39:32,467 --> 00:39:34,667 in his tomb back in Greece. 879 00:39:34,667 --> 00:39:37,166 On the side, if we rotate it around a bit, 880 00:39:37,166 --> 00:39:40,700 we can see that there's a Macedonian kopis sword, 881 00:39:40,700 --> 00:39:44,367 and it's suspended diagonally from a tasseled belt, 882 00:39:44,367 --> 00:39:45,800 which is hung around a peg. 883 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:47,867 [Josh] And this is also a Macedonian symbol? 884 00:39:47,867 --> 00:39:50,667 Absolutely pure Macedonian symbol seen in 885 00:39:50,667 --> 00:39:52,867 other Macedonian tombs of high status. 886 00:39:52,867 --> 00:39:54,800 [Josh] Okay, so now the big question is, 887 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:58,066 does this fit on top of the sarcophagus? 888 00:39:58,066 --> 00:39:59,233 So how do we figure that out? 889 00:39:59,233 --> 00:40:02,100 So what we can do is layer this on top of the sarcophagus 890 00:40:02,100 --> 00:40:04,467 as it exists today using augmented reality. 891 00:40:04,467 --> 00:40:07,100 We can actually walk around it and see if it fits. 892 00:40:07,100 --> 00:40:09,266 -Correct, exactly. -Wow, the future's amazing. 893 00:40:09,266 --> 00:40:11,100 -Okay, let's do it. -Yeah. 894 00:40:11,100 --> 00:40:14,567 [Josh] It is so cool to see this digital scan projected 895 00:40:14,567 --> 00:40:16,100 into the real world here. 896 00:40:16,100 --> 00:40:19,266 First thing I notice is that the block and the sarcophagus 897 00:40:19,266 --> 00:40:21,066 are really similarly sized. 898 00:40:21,066 --> 00:40:23,567 Yeah, I noticed the same thing, 899 00:40:23,567 --> 00:40:26,300 and the block and the sarcophagus 900 00:40:26,300 --> 00:40:29,066 are the same size within a centimeter, 901 00:40:29,066 --> 00:40:30,367 which is just crazy. 902 00:40:30,367 --> 00:40:32,100 Andrew, that's really promising 903 00:40:32,100 --> 00:40:33,100 right out of the gate. 904 00:40:33,100 --> 00:40:34,700 That's absolutely incredible. 905 00:40:34,700 --> 00:40:37,867 But it doesn't quite work with this on the end, though, right? 906 00:40:37,867 --> 00:40:39,867 It would kind of be hovering off there 907 00:40:39,867 --> 00:40:40,967 in free space. 908 00:40:40,967 --> 00:40:42,800 That's right. Let's try it over here. 909 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:44,133 -Yeah, down here? -Yeah, let's go. 910 00:40:45,967 --> 00:40:47,200 What do you think? 911 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,567 This doesn't work either because there's no real indication 912 00:40:50,567 --> 00:40:53,266 that this stone connected to a curved segment. 913 00:40:53,266 --> 00:40:55,600 If anything, it seems like a straight piece came in there. 914 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,233 Okay, we keep looking? 915 00:40:59,266 --> 00:41:03,166 We continue to test the block all around the sarcophagus. 916 00:41:03,166 --> 00:41:05,600 Andrew's theory is on the line here. 917 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:07,667 What if it doesn't fit anywhere? 918 00:41:07,667 --> 00:41:09,767 Oh, I think it will. I have faith. 919 00:41:09,767 --> 00:41:10,800 You have faith? 920 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:12,667 -All right. -Absolutely. 921 00:41:12,667 --> 00:41:14,066 Well, I hope that works out for us. 922 00:41:14,066 --> 00:41:16,600 Otherwise, we're all going to be at the pub in about a half an hour. 923 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:20,400 If the block doesn't fit, then the body in St. Mark's Basilica 924 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,467 may only be St. Mark, not Alexander the Great. 925 00:41:24,467 --> 00:41:26,467 And how boring would that be? 926 00:41:26,467 --> 00:41:28,767 So this also seems like a bad fit. 927 00:41:28,767 --> 00:41:30,467 We're not quite there yet. 928 00:41:30,467 --> 00:41:32,367 Could it have fit in the center somewhere, 929 00:41:32,367 --> 00:41:33,600 or you think it's an end piece? 930 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:35,300 It's an end piece, I'd say, 931 00:41:35,300 --> 00:41:37,300 because of the sword on the side. 932 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:41,700 Come on, come on. 933 00:41:43,166 --> 00:41:45,000 -There you go, yeah. -Oh. It fits. 934 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,700 -That's it. -That is it. 935 00:41:47,700 --> 00:41:48,667 Absolutely. 936 00:41:48,667 --> 00:41:50,400 Oh, my God. 937 00:41:56,967 --> 00:41:59,767 [Josh] At Calliope Papakosta's dig in Alexandria, 938 00:41:59,767 --> 00:42:02,166 her supervisor, Hosni, is in charge of 939 00:42:02,166 --> 00:42:03,600 keeping everything moving. 940 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:06,033 That, I quickly learn, includes me. 941 00:42:07,100 --> 00:42:11,367 [speaking other language] 942 00:42:11,367 --> 00:42:12,400 [in English] Okay, wait. 943 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:14,467 What is yalla, yalla? 944 00:42:14,467 --> 00:42:16,767 -And then what is the other one? -[speaking other language] 945 00:42:16,767 --> 00:42:18,467 What is [speaking other language] 946 00:42:18,467 --> 00:42:20,266 -[in English] Quickly, quickly. -Quickly, quickly. 947 00:42:20,266 --> 00:42:21,467 -Quickly, quickly? -Yes. 948 00:42:21,467 --> 00:42:23,100 -What is yalla, yalla? -The same. 949 00:42:23,100 --> 00:42:24,266 Same, same. 950 00:42:24,266 --> 00:42:25,600 It's all just you screaming at me. 951 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:27,467 Okay, I got it. I got it. Okay. 952 00:42:27,467 --> 00:42:29,967 Okay, I got it. Back to work. I got it. 953 00:42:29,967 --> 00:42:32,100 [speaking other language] 954 00:42:32,100 --> 00:42:34,266 -[in English] It's all just being screamed at. -[speaking other language] 955 00:42:34,266 --> 00:42:35,567 Okay. [speaking other language] 956 00:42:35,567 --> 00:42:38,667 -Yalla, yalla. -[speaking other language] 957 00:42:38,667 --> 00:42:39,634 [in English] Help me. 958 00:42:45,266 --> 00:42:46,567 -There you go. Yeah. -Oh! 959 00:42:46,567 --> 00:42:48,266 -It fits. -[Andrew] That's it. 960 00:42:48,266 --> 00:42:49,667 That is it. 961 00:42:49,667 --> 00:42:52,767 -Absolutely. -Oh, my God. 962 00:42:52,767 --> 00:42:56,367 -That is a perfect fit. -That's where it fits. 963 00:42:56,367 --> 00:42:57,667 Bang on. 964 00:42:57,667 --> 00:42:59,300 [Josh] In the British Museum in London, 965 00:42:59,300 --> 00:43:02,100 we're using augmented reality and have just matched 966 00:43:02,100 --> 00:43:05,900 a Macedonian funerary block found in the crypt of St. Mark 967 00:43:05,900 --> 00:43:09,767 to a sarcophagus found in Alexandria, Egypt. 968 00:43:09,767 --> 00:43:13,100 It means the body inside may have been none other than 969 00:43:13,100 --> 00:43:15,533 the conqueror Alexander the Great. 970 00:43:16,166 --> 00:43:19,333 Look at how perfectly that sits there. 971 00:43:20,266 --> 00:43:22,400 [Andrew] It's an excellent fit. 972 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:26,867 I mean, right down to this almost seems like it interlocks 973 00:43:26,867 --> 00:43:29,200 into the very edge of the corner here. 974 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:31,500 So the next step here is we can actually try 975 00:43:31,500 --> 00:43:34,467 to reconstruct the blocks that we're missing. 976 00:43:34,467 --> 00:43:35,400 Okay. 977 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:37,467 Andrew and Joseph have worked together, 978 00:43:37,467 --> 00:43:40,467 and using Andrew's decades of research on ancient Macedon, 979 00:43:40,467 --> 00:43:42,667 they've managed to visually reconstruct 980 00:43:42,667 --> 00:43:45,967 the rest of the casing that surrounded the sarcophagus, 981 00:43:45,967 --> 00:43:48,166 so that we can view what the complete tomb 982 00:43:48,166 --> 00:43:51,100 might have looked like for the very first time. 983 00:43:51,100 --> 00:43:54,700 -If this stone wasn't broken, it would look like what? -Let's go. Exactly. 984 00:43:54,700 --> 00:43:55,634 There we go. 985 00:43:57,100 --> 00:43:58,133 That's incredible. 986 00:43:58,133 --> 00:44:02,367 We need to test that the corner of the spear hits 987 00:44:02,367 --> 00:44:05,166 the bottom right-hand corner of the block. 988 00:44:05,166 --> 00:44:08,166 [Josh] Get out of here. Oh, my word. 989 00:44:08,166 --> 00:44:09,667 There it goes. Yep. 990 00:44:09,667 --> 00:44:12,000 It's through exactly the spot. 991 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:14,300 And this goes right to the edge of the curve 992 00:44:14,300 --> 00:44:15,500 of the sarcophagus. 993 00:44:15,500 --> 00:44:17,700 [Joseph] Exactly where there would have been another block. 994 00:44:17,700 --> 00:44:19,800 This is like magic. 995 00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:22,500 It means we have a fit between the casing 996 00:44:22,500 --> 00:44:25,400 and the sarcophagus in length as well as in height. 997 00:44:27,300 --> 00:44:28,967 And can you reconstruct the other sides? 998 00:44:28,967 --> 00:44:31,600 -Yeah, absolutely. And the end. Let's go. -Okay, what's that look like? 999 00:44:33,667 --> 00:44:36,000 Unbelievable. That is incredible. 1000 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:37,867 And can we see the long side over here? 1001 00:44:37,867 --> 00:44:39,100 Yeah, let's go. 1002 00:44:42,066 --> 00:44:44,233 Okay, so now this side. 1003 00:44:48,100 --> 00:44:51,900 -There we go. -Unreal. 1004 00:44:51,900 --> 00:44:54,600 -[Andrew] A mirror of the opposite side. -[Josh] Yeah. 1005 00:44:54,600 --> 00:44:56,300 They were big into symmetry, yes? 1006 00:44:56,300 --> 00:44:57,367 [Andrew] Absolutely. 1007 00:44:57,367 --> 00:44:58,767 Symmetry was the whole thing. 1008 00:44:58,767 --> 00:45:00,166 Look at that. 1009 00:45:00,767 --> 00:45:02,367 That is unbelievable. 1010 00:45:02,367 --> 00:45:05,667 -It just looks so perfect wrapped around it. -Perfect. 1011 00:45:05,667 --> 00:45:08,200 Just perfect in every way. 1012 00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:09,700 That's the way it fits. 1013 00:45:10,867 --> 00:45:12,333 Perfectly. 1014 00:45:15,066 --> 00:45:17,600 Okay, so, Andrew, I don't want to say that I doubted you, 1015 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:20,567 but when you first hear this story, 1016 00:45:20,567 --> 00:45:23,600 it sounds far-fetched, right? It sounds wild. 1017 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:28,000 But when you step through it, it sounds incredibly logical. 1018 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:30,166 We have followed the evidence. 1019 00:45:30,166 --> 00:45:32,667 We've ignored opinions and followed the evidence 1020 00:45:32,667 --> 00:45:33,867 at every step. 1021 00:45:33,867 --> 00:45:36,367 And we've unwound what you're correct is 1022 00:45:36,367 --> 00:45:38,000 a very tortuous story. 1023 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,800 And at the end, we found that 1024 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:44,000 we can bring the two parts of the story together, 1025 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:46,700 the sarcophagus in the British Museum 1026 00:45:46,700 --> 00:45:49,767 and the body that went to Venice. 1027 00:45:49,767 --> 00:45:51,867 And when we bring them together, 1028 00:45:51,867 --> 00:45:54,567 we find they click together precisely, 1029 00:45:54,567 --> 00:45:57,467 and they're literally a physical fit. 1030 00:45:57,467 --> 00:45:59,400 -Literally. -We've seen it today, haven't we? 1031 00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:00,300 We have. 1032 00:46:00,567 --> 00:46:01,867 Are you convinced? 1033 00:46:01,867 --> 00:46:04,667 I'm absolutely convinced this is definitely 1034 00:46:04,667 --> 00:46:05,767 Alexander's tomb. 1035 00:46:05,767 --> 00:46:08,400 I have to say I'm really gobsmacked by all of this. 1036 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:12,000 I just can't believe how compelling the data is 1037 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:14,900 and how well this fits. 1038 00:46:14,900 --> 00:46:19,467 And the digital picture painted here is just really, 1039 00:46:19,467 --> 00:46:21,367 really hard to ignore. 1040 00:46:21,367 --> 00:46:23,000 -Incredible. -Incredible. 1041 00:46:23,700 --> 00:46:24,967 Thank you so much. 1042 00:46:24,967 --> 00:46:25,967 -You're welcome. -Cheers. Thank you. 1043 00:46:25,967 --> 00:46:27,500 -Awesome work. -Thank you. 1044 00:46:32,600 --> 00:46:35,133 [Josh] The world has been around for quite a while. 1045 00:46:35,667 --> 00:46:37,200 Don't take my word for it. 1046 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:39,266 Just dig down into the soil of Egypt 1047 00:46:39,266 --> 00:46:44,100 and you'll see centuries and empires reduced to an inch of earth. 1048 00:46:44,100 --> 00:46:46,367 Or as a better writer than I once put it, 1049 00:46:46,367 --> 00:46:49,500 "Look upon my works ye mighty and despair." 1050 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:52,600 Well, not to contradict Mr. Shelley, 1051 00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:55,100 but Alexander the Great is eternal. 1052 00:46:55,100 --> 00:46:57,467 Not just a player within history, 1053 00:46:57,467 --> 00:46:59,667 but one of its guiding forces. 1054 00:46:59,667 --> 00:47:02,967 His brilliant military mind brought millions of lives 1055 00:47:02,967 --> 00:47:05,667 under his control, and his singular vision 1056 00:47:05,667 --> 00:47:07,867 married cultures. 1057 00:47:07,867 --> 00:47:11,967 There is likely nobody before or since who has had such 1058 00:47:11,967 --> 00:47:14,066 a lasting impact on the world. 1059 00:47:14,066 --> 00:47:17,266 In death, his body became a symbol of power, 1060 00:47:17,266 --> 00:47:19,600 and his tomb a sacred place. 1061 00:47:21,367 --> 00:47:23,800 Through the millennia, many have searched for 1062 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:26,100 his remains, for his mausoleum, 1063 00:47:26,100 --> 00:47:29,300 and for the treasure that may lie with them. 1064 00:47:29,300 --> 00:47:32,266 Perhaps his soma, the temple where he rested, 1065 00:47:32,266 --> 00:47:34,900 is only a few layers of dirt away, 1066 00:47:34,900 --> 00:47:37,233 hidden beneath a modern city. 1067 00:47:38,300 --> 00:47:41,166 And it's possible that his sarcophagus lies in 1068 00:47:41,166 --> 00:47:43,767 a country he never knew, as his remains 1069 00:47:43,767 --> 00:47:46,800 inspire millions in an unprecedented case 1070 00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:48,700 of mistaken identity. 1071 00:47:49,367 --> 00:47:51,767 One thing, though, is certain. 1072 00:47:51,767 --> 00:47:55,367 Alexander the Great will never be forgotten.