1 00:00:01,967 --> 00:00:03,000 NARRATOR: They're watching you. 2 00:00:03,033 --> 00:00:07,000 More than 6,000 satellites circle the Earth. 3 00:00:07,100 --> 00:00:11,467 Every day, they uncover new, mysterious phenomena 4 00:00:11,467 --> 00:00:13,300 that defy explanation. 5 00:00:15,467 --> 00:00:18,300 The lost terror dome of the ancients. 6 00:00:18,367 --> 00:00:21,767 Oh, wow! It's monumental. 7 00:00:21,767 --> 00:00:24,767 It's an absolutely incredible discovery. 8 00:00:24,867 --> 00:00:27,867 NARRATOR: The 13-billion-year-old cipher. 9 00:00:27,867 --> 00:00:30,000 The image seems like it cannot be from Earth. 10 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,100 The image seems like it cannot be from Earth. 11 00:00:32,166 --> 00:00:35,367 NARRATOR: and the mystery of the stolen warships. 12 00:00:35,467 --> 00:00:38,800 This is deeply troubling to the United States military. 13 00:00:40,467 --> 00:00:44,100 NARRATOR: Baffling phenomena, mysteries from space. 14 00:00:44,166 --> 00:00:46,400 What on Earth are they? 15 00:00:46,467 --> 00:00:48,767 [theme music playing] 16 00:01:05,266 --> 00:01:08,300 NARRATOR: Spring 2022. 17 00:01:08,367 --> 00:01:11,667 The province of Aydin in western Tuürkiye, 18 00:01:11,767 --> 00:01:14,166 a mountainous region steeped in history. 19 00:01:18,767 --> 00:01:21,900 Kerry Alexandra is making her way through these rugged 20 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,200 lands, hooked by a mystery revealed from the skies. 21 00:01:29,266 --> 00:01:30,000 ALEXANDRA: There's something really strange 22 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:30,467 ALEXANDRA: There's something really strange 23 00:01:30,567 --> 00:01:32,300 going on in these hills, 24 00:01:32,367 --> 00:01:34,867 and I can't work out quite what it is. 25 00:01:37,100 --> 00:01:40,000 NARRATOR: A drone passing over a remote, forested area 26 00:01:40,100 --> 00:01:42,166 has captured something unnatural 27 00:01:42,166 --> 00:01:43,467 in the landscape below. 28 00:01:47,467 --> 00:01:50,567 WALTERS: This is really perplexing, because it's 29 00:01:50,667 --> 00:01:53,867 a kind of donut or bagel-shaped structure 30 00:01:53,867 --> 00:01:57,066 right in the middle of this grove of trees. 31 00:01:58,166 --> 00:02:00,000 JANULIS: You've got what looks to be 32 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:00,166 JANULIS: You've got what looks to be 33 00:02:00,166 --> 00:02:03,266 a giant horseshoe rising out of the ground. 34 00:02:04,567 --> 00:02:08,500 It has to be manmade, because you can see stones 35 00:02:08,567 --> 00:02:10,467 that have been carefully aligned 36 00:02:10,467 --> 00:02:12,166 sticking out of it like ribs. 37 00:02:15,300 --> 00:02:17,367 NARRATOR: The newly-discovered structure measures 38 00:02:17,467 --> 00:02:20,100 around 300 feet in diameter 39 00:02:20,166 --> 00:02:23,600 and appears to be many centuries old. 40 00:02:23,667 --> 00:02:26,567 WALTERS: What this was for is unclear, 41 00:02:26,567 --> 00:02:28,300 but if it's ancient, it's a really 42 00:02:28,367 --> 00:02:29,767 extraordinary discovery. 43 00:02:31,367 --> 00:02:33,967 ALEXANDRA: I've never seen anything quite like it, 44 00:02:33,967 --> 00:02:37,100 and I'm really excited to discover what it actually is. 45 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:41,700 NARRATOR: The mystery structure's location 46 00:02:41,767 --> 00:02:42,900 intrigues historians. 47 00:02:45,867 --> 00:02:47,600 It sits in a region which held 48 00:02:47,667 --> 00:02:51,300 great strategic value to countless civilizations, 49 00:02:51,367 --> 00:02:55,000 including the Greeks, Hittites, and Persians. 50 00:02:56,367 --> 00:03:00,000 HUNT: Tuürkiye has been a land bridge between Europe 51 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:00,867 HUNT: Tuürkiye has been a land bridge between Europe 52 00:03:00,867 --> 00:03:06,266 and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. 53 00:03:08,166 --> 00:03:12,367 JANULIS: Because Tuürkiye has been a crossroads for humanity, 54 00:03:12,367 --> 00:03:16,000 determining who built this and what it is 55 00:03:16,100 --> 00:03:17,266 is a real challenge. 56 00:03:19,900 --> 00:03:22,667 NARRATOR: Alexandra suspects the structure's shape 57 00:03:22,767 --> 00:03:24,100 could offer a clue. 58 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:27,567 ALEXANDRA: I wonder if this is a burial mound. 59 00:03:28,867 --> 00:03:29,734 Tuürkiye is known for 60 00:03:29,767 --> 00:03:30,000 its incredible tombs, which don't look 61 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,500 its incredible tombs, which don't look 62 00:03:31,567 --> 00:03:33,900 dissimilar to the structures in this image. 63 00:03:37,266 --> 00:03:39,700 NARRATOR: There is evidence of human habitation in 64 00:03:39,767 --> 00:03:42,600 Tuürkiye stretching back more than a million years. 65 00:03:45,066 --> 00:03:48,400 The warriors and rulers who fought and died here have left 66 00:03:48,467 --> 00:03:51,700 their mark in the form of giant ornate tombs 67 00:03:51,767 --> 00:03:52,900 and mausoleums. 68 00:03:54,467 --> 00:03:58,166 HUNT: Tuürkiye has ringed tombs 69 00:03:58,266 --> 00:04:00,000 that include the Great Tomb of 70 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,266 that include the Great Tomb of 71 00:04:01,367 --> 00:04:03,667 King Antiochus the First 72 00:04:03,667 --> 00:04:06,900 at the very top of Mount Nemrut. 73 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,066 So it's possible that this could be 74 00:04:09,066 --> 00:04:12,367 the lost tomb of an ancient ruler of this region. 75 00:04:17,467 --> 00:04:19,767 NARRATOR: The image coordinates guide Alexandra to 76 00:04:19,767 --> 00:04:22,700 an isolated valley north of the town of Nazilli. 77 00:04:27,066 --> 00:04:30,000 When she reaches the site, its true scale becomes apparent. 78 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,000 When she reaches the site, its true scale becomes apparent. 79 00:04:35,967 --> 00:04:37,600 Oh, wow. 80 00:04:39,967 --> 00:04:41,867 It's huge. 81 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,266 I knew from the aerial images that it covered a wide area, 82 00:04:46,266 --> 00:04:48,367 but this feels monumental. 83 00:04:51,667 --> 00:04:53,500 You would have been able to see it from all over 84 00:04:53,567 --> 00:04:55,567 this area, which, of course, is exactly 85 00:04:55,567 --> 00:04:57,567 what you'd want if you were a rich and powerful ruler. 86 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,700 NARRATOR: As Alexandra explores the ruined structure, 87 00:05:04,767 --> 00:05:06,667 she discovers more evidence that 88 00:05:06,767 --> 00:05:09,066 it once served a ceremonial purpose. 89 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,467 ALEXANDRA: What you don't realize from above is just 90 00:05:12,467 --> 00:05:14,767 how deep this depression in the middle is. 91 00:05:16,166 --> 00:05:17,367 It really does make me think there 92 00:05:17,467 --> 00:05:19,100 might be a ritual element to this. 93 00:05:22,467 --> 00:05:26,066 NARRATOR: The circle is perhaps humankind's oldest symbol. 94 00:05:28,266 --> 00:05:29,867 For some ancient peoples, 95 00:05:29,867 --> 00:05:30,000 it signifies eternity or the earth and the heavens. 96 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,066 it signifies eternity or the earth and the heavens. 97 00:05:37,166 --> 00:05:38,166 For others, 98 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,767 it represents a gateway to the spirit realms 99 00:05:40,867 --> 00:05:42,166 and the afterlife. 100 00:05:44,367 --> 00:05:47,967 Many cultures in prehistory have 101 00:05:47,967 --> 00:05:53,467 used circular structures as ceremonial locations. 102 00:05:53,467 --> 00:05:56,867 So the fact that this is a circle could suggest 103 00:05:56,967 --> 00:05:58,066 ritual use. 104 00:06:00,166 --> 00:06:02,367 ALEXANDRA: So many ancient sites are built around 105 00:06:02,467 --> 00:06:05,166 a central area where the rituals took place. 106 00:06:05,266 --> 00:06:07,767 Just think of Stonehenge and other Neolithic sites. 107 00:06:11,166 --> 00:06:14,100 NARRATOR: Exploring further, Alexandra finds elements of 108 00:06:14,166 --> 00:06:17,000 the structure not visible in the aerial images. 109 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:20,667 ALEXANDRA: Oh, look at this. 110 00:06:22,767 --> 00:06:24,867 Oh, that's amazing. 111 00:06:28,166 --> 00:06:30,000 NARRATOR: A series of arches up to 20 feet high 112 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,266 NARRATOR: A series of arches up to 20 feet high 113 00:06:31,367 --> 00:06:33,467 line the perimeter of the giant circle. 114 00:06:35,567 --> 00:06:38,867 ALEXANDRA: This is just not what I expected to find here at all. 115 00:06:38,867 --> 00:06:39,867 It was clearly built by 116 00:06:39,867 --> 00:06:41,800 people with considerable technical skill. 117 00:06:44,900 --> 00:06:47,467 NARRATOR: The arches are evidence that the mystery 118 00:06:47,467 --> 00:06:49,600 structure is the legacy of an empire 119 00:06:49,667 --> 00:06:52,767 that ruled these lands some 2,000 years ago. 120 00:06:54,367 --> 00:06:56,567 JANULIS: These arches are a classic giveaway. 121 00:06:56,567 --> 00:06:58,967 They date from the Roman era, 122 00:06:58,967 --> 00:07:00,000 because the Romans developed arch architecture and turn it 123 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,667 because the Romans developed arch architecture and turn it 124 00:07:03,667 --> 00:07:06,500 into as much as science as an art form. 125 00:07:07,567 --> 00:07:10,100 WALTERS: The arch is a key component in Roman 126 00:07:10,166 --> 00:07:12,967 architectural mastery, because an arch enables you 127 00:07:12,967 --> 00:07:16,367 to build up enormous structures, which are very strong. 128 00:07:18,867 --> 00:07:21,800 NARRATOR: The structure did indeed have a ritual purpose, 129 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,367 one that satisfied the bloodlust 130 00:07:26,367 --> 00:07:28,266 of tens of thousands of people. 131 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:31,967 It has these connected archways 132 00:07:31,967 --> 00:07:33,867 and this huge circular shape. 133 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,900 I think this is a lost Roman amphitheater. 134 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:40,900 This is almost unbelievable. 135 00:07:43,500 --> 00:07:45,600 NARRATOR: The giant amphitheater has lain 136 00:07:45,667 --> 00:07:48,000 undiscovered for many hundreds of years, 137 00:07:50,467 --> 00:07:53,066 and that's not the only extraordinary thing about it. 138 00:07:54,467 --> 00:07:57,000 If this is some lost Roman amphitheater, 139 00:07:57,066 --> 00:07:59,867 then it's an absolutely incredible discovery. 140 00:08:01,166 --> 00:08:04,567 But that's something weird, because there isn't a single 141 00:08:04,567 --> 00:08:08,567 ancient reference to some big, monumental structure 142 00:08:08,667 --> 00:08:09,900 being here. 143 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:11,266 ALEXANDRA: What happened to it? 144 00:08:11,367 --> 00:08:13,266 Why did it fall out of the history books? 145 00:08:20,266 --> 00:08:23,567 NARRATOR: Coming up, tomb of the gladiators. 146 00:08:23,567 --> 00:08:28,200 This is a time capsule, which might rewrite the history books. 147 00:08:28,266 --> 00:08:30,000 NARRATOR: And teleporting warships. 148 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:30,900 NARRATOR: And teleporting warships. 149 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,467 WALTERS: What are a load of American military 150 00:08:33,467 --> 00:08:38,166 vessels doing in the middle of a desert in China? 151 00:08:47,166 --> 00:08:49,166 NARRATOR: Drawn by a mystery structure 152 00:08:49,266 --> 00:08:50,967 emerging from the earth, 153 00:08:50,967 --> 00:08:54,000 Kerry Alexandra has discovered a lost Roman 154 00:08:54,066 --> 00:08:56,600 amphitheater in the mountains of Western Tuürkiye, 155 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,800 one big enough to hold 20,000 people. 156 00:09:02,767 --> 00:09:05,000 ALEXANDRA: I could be standing in Tuürkiye's answer to 157 00:09:05,066 --> 00:09:06,200 the Colosseum. 158 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:11,354 NARRATOR: What puzzles archaeologists is that there is 159 00:09:11,354 --> 00:09:12,467 NARRATOR: What puzzles archaeologists is that there is 160 00:09:12,567 --> 00:09:15,567 no mention of the giant amphitheater in Roman texts. 161 00:09:18,667 --> 00:09:21,567 Analysts turn to Rome's conquest of Tuürkiye, 162 00:09:21,667 --> 00:09:25,400 known back then as Anatolia, for clues. 163 00:09:26,700 --> 00:09:30,567 HORTON: Anatolia was initially conquered 164 00:09:30,567 --> 00:09:34,300 by Alexander the Great, but subsequently fell 165 00:09:34,367 --> 00:09:39,266 into a series of smaller kingdoms and became 166 00:09:39,266 --> 00:09:41,354 one of the key arteries of trade 167 00:09:41,354 --> 00:09:42,567 one of the key arteries of trade 168 00:09:42,567 --> 00:09:45,867 between the east and the west. 169 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,500 NARRATOR: Determined to gain control of these 170 00:09:49,567 --> 00:09:53,066 vital trade routes, in 190 BCE, 171 00:09:53,066 --> 00:09:54,266 the Romans begin a brutal 172 00:09:54,367 --> 00:09:58,800 127-year campaign to defeat Anatolia's kingdoms. 173 00:10:01,767 --> 00:10:04,066 Once their conquest is complete, 174 00:10:04,066 --> 00:10:07,467 they embark on a plan to win over their new subjects. 175 00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:11,354 JANULIS: They went about making life under Roman rule enjoyable. 176 00:10:11,354 --> 00:10:12,767 JANULIS: They went about making life under Roman rule enjoyable. 177 00:10:13,767 --> 00:10:17,567 Make people want to be a part of the Roman empire, 178 00:10:17,667 --> 00:10:19,166 and it's a lot easier to conquer them. 179 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,266 NARRATOR: Blood sports play a key role in converting 180 00:10:26,266 --> 00:10:28,467 the locals to the Roman way of life. 181 00:10:30,100 --> 00:10:35,000 After the conquest, amphitheaters emerged as 182 00:10:35,066 --> 00:10:37,066 a really important part 183 00:10:37,066 --> 00:10:39,367 of maintaining social stability 184 00:10:39,367 --> 00:10:41,354 throughout Tuürkiye. 185 00:10:41,354 --> 00:10:41,500 throughout Tuürkiye. 186 00:10:41,567 --> 00:10:47,000 The very name "arena" is originally the word for "sand." 187 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:51,000 And the Roman populace 188 00:10:51,066 --> 00:10:55,300 was eager to see blood on the sand. 189 00:10:58,500 --> 00:11:01,000 NARRATOR: The Romans' obsession with mortal combat 190 00:11:01,066 --> 00:11:03,967 can be traced back to the Etruscans, 191 00:11:03,967 --> 00:11:07,000 the civilization who ruled much of Italy before them. 192 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:11,354 Gladiatorial combat forms part of their funeral 193 00:11:11,354 --> 00:11:14,300 Gladiatorial combat forms part of their funeral 194 00:11:14,367 --> 00:11:16,767 ceremonies, with the aim of giving 195 00:11:16,767 --> 00:11:19,567 the dead armed attendance in the afterlife. 196 00:11:20,867 --> 00:11:22,066 The first amphitheaters were 197 00:11:22,066 --> 00:11:25,367 actually in temporary wooden structures. 198 00:11:25,467 --> 00:11:27,767 WALTERS: But over the time, they morph into these 199 00:11:27,767 --> 00:11:31,867 massive buildings, which were central part of Roman life. 200 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:37,000 NARRATOR: As the size of amphitheaters increases, 201 00:11:37,066 --> 00:11:39,667 so does the amount of bloodshed witnessed within 202 00:11:39,767 --> 00:11:40,667 their walls. 203 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,900 During its 400 years of active use, 204 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,367 it's estimated that 400,000 people and more than 205 00:11:49,367 --> 00:11:52,900 one million animals die in the Colosseum alone. 206 00:11:55,367 --> 00:11:58,567 The roars of wounded animals 207 00:11:58,667 --> 00:12:02,266 and the cries of dying people were 208 00:12:02,266 --> 00:12:06,367 filling these amphitheaters, which acoustically were like 209 00:12:06,367 --> 00:12:11,354 megaphones, amplifying the sound of death. 210 00:12:11,354 --> 00:12:11,367 megaphones, amplifying the sound of death. 211 00:12:14,967 --> 00:12:16,900 NARRATOR: It's not known exactly when 212 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:18,400 this amphitheater was built, 213 00:12:19,967 --> 00:12:22,900 but discoveries made nearby could shed new light 214 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:24,967 on the lives of those who fought here. 215 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:27,667 What's pretty amazing is that 216 00:12:27,667 --> 00:12:31,667 archaeologists actually found a gladiator cemetery, 217 00:12:31,767 --> 00:12:34,066 and they studied their bones, and what they found is 218 00:12:34,066 --> 00:12:36,266 that they seem to have recovered 219 00:12:36,367 --> 00:12:39,400 from the injuries they sustained in the arena. 220 00:12:39,467 --> 00:12:41,354 These were gladiators who had died of old age. 221 00:12:41,354 --> 00:12:43,100 These were gladiators who had died of old age. 222 00:12:45,166 --> 00:12:47,767 NARRATOR: Studies suggest that while gladiators 223 00:12:47,767 --> 00:12:49,967 regularly sustained brutal injuries, 224 00:12:49,967 --> 00:12:53,166 only around 10 percent of their battles end in death. 225 00:12:53,166 --> 00:12:54,800 [audience cheering] 226 00:12:54,867 --> 00:12:56,300 [man shouts] 227 00:12:56,367 --> 00:13:00,066 NARRATOR: Some survive upwards of 150 fights, 228 00:13:00,066 --> 00:13:02,867 earning them vast sums and celebrity status for 229 00:13:02,967 --> 00:13:04,567 their deeds. 230 00:13:04,667 --> 00:13:07,600 They were the superstars of the Roman era. 231 00:13:07,667 --> 00:13:11,354 Women would throw themselves at gladiators in the street. 232 00:13:11,354 --> 00:13:11,667 Women would throw themselves at gladiators in the street. 233 00:13:11,667 --> 00:13:13,967 AUERBACH: They were seen as sexually desirable 234 00:13:13,967 --> 00:13:18,100 and even their sweat was sold as an aphrodisiac. 235 00:13:20,867 --> 00:13:23,967 NARRATOR: Amphitheaters endure as a focal point for Roman 236 00:13:23,967 --> 00:13:27,100 life until the turn of the 4th century CE. 237 00:13:29,867 --> 00:13:31,900 But events then unfold, which sound 238 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,767 the death knell for these extraordinary structures. 239 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:38,500 JANULIS: As Christianity began to spread 240 00:13:38,567 --> 00:13:40,200 through the Roman empire, 241 00:13:40,266 --> 00:13:41,354 it spelled the demise of the gladiator arena, 242 00:13:41,354 --> 00:13:43,967 it spelled the demise of the gladiator arena, 243 00:13:43,967 --> 00:13:48,166 because the Christian faith viewed the games as a sin. 244 00:13:48,166 --> 00:13:52,467 HUNT: So Rome outlaws gladiatorial combat, 245 00:13:52,567 --> 00:13:53,767 and they're abandoned. 246 00:13:57,266 --> 00:13:59,967 NARRATOR: Yet as Alexandra explores the hills 247 00:13:59,967 --> 00:14:01,500 around the lost amphitheater, 248 00:14:01,567 --> 00:14:05,000 she discovers clues that this one may have succumbed to 249 00:14:05,100 --> 00:14:07,066 a much more destructive force. 250 00:14:09,567 --> 00:14:11,000 ALEXANDRA: That looks like a wall. 251 00:14:12,567 --> 00:14:15,066 The structure in the aerial image isn't alone. 252 00:14:15,066 --> 00:14:16,567 There's other stuff here. 253 00:14:20,367 --> 00:14:23,767 NARRATOR: The untouched remains of several Roman structures 254 00:14:23,767 --> 00:14:25,066 litter the landscape, 255 00:14:25,066 --> 00:14:27,367 many of them consumed by the earth. 256 00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:30,667 ALEXANDRA: Look at that! 257 00:14:30,667 --> 00:14:33,567 Seems to be the top of an arch. 258 00:14:33,567 --> 00:14:34,667 I think there might be 259 00:14:34,667 --> 00:14:37,166 an entire Roman town buried beneath my feet. 260 00:14:41,500 --> 00:14:43,467 NARRATOR: At some point in the distant past, 261 00:14:43,467 --> 00:14:47,166 a mystery event engulfed the amphitheater and its town. 262 00:14:50,467 --> 00:14:52,266 Over the following centuries, 263 00:14:52,266 --> 00:14:54,266 it is lost to history 264 00:14:54,266 --> 00:14:57,200 before being revealed once more from the skies. 265 00:15:00,166 --> 00:15:01,700 I think it's incredible when you just 266 00:15:01,767 --> 00:15:05,400 stop to consider what might be buried here. 267 00:15:05,467 --> 00:15:07,367 It's like a kind of Turkish Pompeii. 268 00:15:09,900 --> 00:15:11,354 It raises some really tantalizing questions 269 00:15:11,354 --> 00:15:12,767 It raises some really tantalizing questions 270 00:15:12,867 --> 00:15:15,100 about what else could lie 271 00:15:15,166 --> 00:15:16,867 undiscovered on this very hillside. 272 00:15:26,967 --> 00:15:30,700 NARRATOR: Coming up, the $130 billion 273 00:15:30,767 --> 00:15:32,100 desert treasure trove. 274 00:15:32,166 --> 00:15:36,100 It was created as little as 10 seconds after the Big Bang. 275 00:15:36,166 --> 00:15:39,100 NARRATOR: And the lair of the crocodile god. 276 00:15:39,166 --> 00:15:41,354 JANULIS: They would sacrifice and mummify it, 277 00:15:41,354 --> 00:15:41,867 JANULIS: They would sacrifice and mummify it, 278 00:15:41,867 --> 00:15:43,767 sending it into the afterlife. 279 00:15:50,567 --> 00:15:54,166 NARRATOR: November 4th, 2018. 280 00:15:55,367 --> 00:15:58,667 A satellite passes over the Atacama Desert 281 00:15:58,667 --> 00:16:01,266 in Chile and captures this image. 282 00:16:04,967 --> 00:16:06,667 MORGAN: The image I'm looking at seems 283 00:16:06,667 --> 00:16:10,100 like it almost cannot be from Earth. 284 00:16:10,166 --> 00:16:12,166 It's got these bizarre grid 285 00:16:12,266 --> 00:16:14,767 patterns spread out across this landscape. 286 00:16:14,767 --> 00:16:16,979 It's really perplexing. 287 00:16:16,979 --> 00:16:17,266 It's really perplexing. 288 00:16:17,266 --> 00:16:18,867 AUERBACH: The lines are so perfect, 289 00:16:18,867 --> 00:16:22,367 the colors are so varied -- it's quite extraordinary. 290 00:16:24,367 --> 00:16:27,000 NARRATOR: Over 800 of the strange shapes 291 00:16:27,100 --> 00:16:30,100 are clustered together on the desert floor. 292 00:16:30,166 --> 00:16:31,500 RUBEN: This image is weird. 293 00:16:31,567 --> 00:16:34,467 It's almost like a set of LEGO bricks that 294 00:16:34,567 --> 00:16:36,367 have been dropped in the middle of the desert 295 00:16:37,867 --> 00:16:40,200 NARRATOR: Details in the image offer clues 296 00:16:40,266 --> 00:16:42,266 to the purpose of the mystery shapes. 297 00:16:42,367 --> 00:16:44,266 AUERBACH: There is evidence of 298 00:16:44,266 --> 00:16:46,979 infrastructure around these strange squares. 299 00:16:46,979 --> 00:16:47,000 infrastructure around these strange squares. 300 00:16:47,100 --> 00:16:51,467 You see what looks like maybe piping, there's roads. 301 00:16:51,567 --> 00:16:53,000 It looks like some kind of industry, 302 00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:55,166 but why would there be an industry 303 00:16:55,266 --> 00:16:57,166 in the middle of the Chilean desert? 304 00:16:59,367 --> 00:17:02,867 NARRATOR: Analysts turn to local geological data. 305 00:17:02,967 --> 00:17:04,800 Mineral records from this area show 306 00:17:04,867 --> 00:17:07,467 that it's incredibly rich in lithium. 307 00:17:07,567 --> 00:17:09,867 AUERBACH: Given the type of facility we're looking at, 308 00:17:09,867 --> 00:17:11,567 there's really only one answer. 309 00:17:11,567 --> 00:17:14,867 What we're looking at here is lithium extraction. 310 00:17:17,867 --> 00:17:19,800 NARRATOR: These deserts sit in the heart 311 00:17:19,867 --> 00:17:22,266 of the so-called Lithium Triangle, 312 00:17:23,367 --> 00:17:26,266 a 100,000-square-mile area rich 313 00:17:26,367 --> 00:17:28,867 in reserves of this soft, silver metal. 314 00:17:31,100 --> 00:17:34,166 That means these geometric shapes will help 315 00:17:34,166 --> 00:17:36,767 define the course of the 21st century. 316 00:17:38,467 --> 00:17:41,367 Lithium is indispensable to the modern world. 317 00:17:41,367 --> 00:17:44,266 Most of our electronics rely on lithium. 318 00:17:44,266 --> 00:17:45,600 AUERBACH: Lithium, in many ways, 319 00:17:45,667 --> 00:17:46,979 is really at the heart of modern technology, 320 00:17:46,979 --> 00:17:48,467 is really at the heart of modern technology, 321 00:17:48,567 --> 00:17:51,367 and some people have argued that lithium is 322 00:17:51,467 --> 00:17:55,100 the secret to weaning us off of fossil fuels as a society. 323 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:00,100 NARRATOR: Our planet holds around 14 million tons of 324 00:18:00,166 --> 00:18:01,367 lithium reserves. 325 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,900 Much of it has its origins in the dawn of creation. 326 00:18:09,700 --> 00:18:13,200 RUBEN: Lithium is one of the oldest substances in existence. 327 00:18:13,266 --> 00:18:16,979 It was created as little as 10 seconds after the Big Bang. 328 00:18:16,979 --> 00:18:17,000 It was created as little as 10 seconds after the Big Bang. 329 00:18:18,300 --> 00:18:20,767 MORGAN: Lithium is one of the oldest elements, because 330 00:18:20,767 --> 00:18:22,367 it doesn't take a lot to make it. 331 00:18:22,367 --> 00:18:25,000 It's basically like three hydrogen molecules 332 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:26,000 smashed together. 333 00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:29,967 NARRATOR: Over time, vast amounts of 334 00:18:29,967 --> 00:18:32,200 this primordial element are consumed by 335 00:18:32,266 --> 00:18:35,066 the cores of the countless billions of stars in 336 00:18:35,066 --> 00:18:36,166 the universe. 337 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,467 Some of it is also absorbed by our planet, 338 00:18:40,567 --> 00:18:43,767 where, in 1817, it is discovered 339 00:18:43,867 --> 00:18:45,467 by a Swedish scientist. 340 00:18:49,100 --> 00:18:52,367 Seven decades later, doctors learn that, 341 00:18:52,367 --> 00:18:56,867 when ingested, lithium has a surprising side effect. 342 00:18:56,967 --> 00:18:59,166 Lithium is an element that has 343 00:18:59,166 --> 00:19:01,667 an effect on the functioning of the brain. 344 00:19:02,767 --> 00:19:05,200 Lithium helps to reduce depressive symptoms. 345 00:19:05,266 --> 00:19:07,300 It can really help to elevate people's mood. 346 00:19:08,467 --> 00:19:11,700 We still don't know exactly why lithium 347 00:19:11,767 --> 00:19:13,467 is so effective as a mood stabilizer. 348 00:19:13,467 --> 00:19:14,600 We just know that it is 349 00:19:16,467 --> 00:19:16,979 NARRATOR: During the 1920s, lithium's mysterious. 350 00:19:16,979 --> 00:19:19,567 NARRATOR: During the 1920s, lithium's mysterious. 351 00:19:19,567 --> 00:19:22,266 mood-enhancing properties are advertised 352 00:19:22,367 --> 00:19:24,867 as a possible hangover cure. 353 00:19:24,967 --> 00:19:30,166 Lithium was actually put as an ingredient in a common soda. 354 00:19:30,166 --> 00:19:34,266 The slogan was "take the ouch out of grouch." 355 00:19:34,266 --> 00:19:36,567 And that soda today, though it doesn't contain 356 00:19:36,667 --> 00:19:39,166 lithium anymore, is known as 7UP. 357 00:19:40,967 --> 00:19:44,000 NARRATOR: After World War II, reports emerged that several 358 00:19:44,100 --> 00:19:46,979 heart patients suffer fatal reactions to lithium treatment. 359 00:19:46,979 --> 00:19:47,600 heart patients suffer fatal reactions to lithium treatment. 360 00:19:49,467 --> 00:19:53,467 The FDA subsequently bans the use of it as a medicine. 361 00:19:56,100 --> 00:20:00,166 But some doctors refuse to follow their guidelines. 362 00:20:00,266 --> 00:20:02,800 Doctors knew that it was working for their patients. 363 00:20:02,867 --> 00:20:05,400 So they began prescribing it anyway, 364 00:20:05,467 --> 00:20:07,266 giving rise to what became known 365 00:20:07,367 --> 00:20:08,867 as the lithium underground. 366 00:20:10,700 --> 00:20:13,000 NARRATOR: Over the following 21 years, 367 00:20:13,066 --> 00:20:16,667 a black market in lithium medicine flourishes as doctors 368 00:20:16,667 --> 00:20:16,979 illegally offer it to desperate patients. 369 00:20:16,979 --> 00:20:19,367 illegally offer it to desperate patients. 370 00:20:20,567 --> 00:20:24,500 Fortunately, by 1974, it was approved by the FDA, 371 00:20:24,567 --> 00:20:27,266 eliminating the need for any kind of underground markets. 372 00:20:28,367 --> 00:20:32,367 NARRATOR: Lithium continues to be used to control mood 373 00:20:32,467 --> 00:20:33,967 disorders today, 374 00:20:33,967 --> 00:20:37,467 but it's the element's use in batteries that has fueled 375 00:20:37,567 --> 00:20:41,100 a 21st century gold rush to the Atacama Desert. 376 00:20:42,266 --> 00:20:46,166 At this point, lithium is the "it" element. 377 00:20:46,166 --> 00:20:46,979 AUERBACH: Much of the capacity to create lightweight 378 00:20:46,979 --> 00:20:49,767 AUERBACH: Much of the capacity to create lightweight 379 00:20:49,867 --> 00:20:53,600 technology is really dependent on lithium batteries, 380 00:20:53,667 --> 00:20:58,700 from computers to phones to the electric car. 381 00:20:58,767 --> 00:21:01,000 Sites like this are really, 382 00:21:01,066 --> 00:21:02,767 in many ways, driving our technological 383 00:21:02,767 --> 00:21:04,500 revolution forward. 384 00:21:06,867 --> 00:21:10,066 NARRATOR: There are 7.5 million tons of 385 00:21:10,066 --> 00:21:12,166 lithium hidden beneath Chile, 386 00:21:12,266 --> 00:21:16,100 enough to power over 800 million electric cars. 387 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,867 To get at this $130 billion treasure trove, 388 00:21:21,867 --> 00:21:24,667 engineers must tap into a metal-rich, 389 00:21:24,767 --> 00:21:29,000 briny solution more than 100 feet below the surface. 390 00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:32,000 The lithium is extracted by pumping the briny water to 391 00:21:32,066 --> 00:21:35,667 the surface and then allowing the water to evaporate, 392 00:21:35,667 --> 00:21:38,000 leaving behind the salty lithium residue 393 00:21:38,066 --> 00:21:40,266 for us to collect. 394 00:21:40,367 --> 00:21:43,000 The different color pools in this image show 395 00:21:43,066 --> 00:21:45,500 different stages in the evaporation of the water. 396 00:21:47,266 --> 00:21:50,867 The lighter the pool, the more lithium, and vice versa. 397 00:21:53,367 --> 00:21:56,767 NARRATOR: Such is the importance of this metal that the U.S., 398 00:21:56,867 --> 00:21:59,467 Russia, and China are currently engaged in 399 00:21:59,467 --> 00:22:02,166 a battle for control of the Lithium Triangle. 400 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,700 The contents of the strange shapes seen from space may be 401 00:22:07,767 --> 00:22:09,367 as old as the universe, 402 00:22:09,467 --> 00:22:11,500 but they're playing a pivotal role 403 00:22:11,567 --> 00:22:12,800 in the future of our planet. 404 00:22:13,900 --> 00:22:16,979 What we see in this image now would be the equivalent of 405 00:22:16,979 --> 00:22:17,300 What we see in this image now would be the equivalent of 406 00:22:17,367 --> 00:22:20,100 looking at a coal mine 407 00:22:20,166 --> 00:22:23,567 in the 19th century or an oil derrick in 408 00:22:23,567 --> 00:22:25,800 the early 20th century. 409 00:22:25,867 --> 00:22:28,767 This is one of the most crucial resources in human history. 410 00:22:35,567 --> 00:22:39,767 NARRATOR: Coming up, China's mystery desert ghost fleet. 411 00:22:39,767 --> 00:22:42,100 I have to admit this is one of the weirdest 412 00:22:42,166 --> 00:22:43,867 images I've ever seen. 413 00:22:43,967 --> 00:22:46,979 NARRATOR: And the world's most dangerous farm. 414 00:22:46,979 --> 00:22:47,000 NARRATOR: And the world's most dangerous farm. 415 00:22:47,066 --> 00:22:49,100 There's been reports the animals 416 00:22:49,166 --> 00:22:52,266 were released into local rivers. 417 00:23:03,166 --> 00:23:05,600 NARRATOR: January 2022. 418 00:23:08,967 --> 00:23:11,467 A satellite passing over central China 419 00:23:11,467 --> 00:23:16,300 scans the 130,000-square-mile Taklamakan Desert. 420 00:23:17,967 --> 00:23:20,367 CAVELL: This is a bizarre sight. 421 00:23:20,367 --> 00:23:22,967 There is absolutely nothing for miles 422 00:23:22,967 --> 00:23:25,400 and miles, and then there's this massive object. 423 00:23:25,467 --> 00:23:26,908 It must be over 200 feet long. 424 00:23:26,908 --> 00:23:27,567 It must be over 200 feet long. 425 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,066 NARRATOR: Analysts boost the magnification 426 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,367 and discover something weird. 427 00:23:36,367 --> 00:23:39,767 What we've got here is really confusing, because it's 428 00:23:39,767 --> 00:23:42,767 a ship right in the middle of a desert. 429 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,567 This is just highly surreal. 430 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,667 As you look closer, you see that it's in perfect condition. 431 00:23:51,667 --> 00:23:53,100 It could sail again. 432 00:23:55,467 --> 00:23:56,908 NARRATOR: The massive vessel sits over 100 miles 433 00:23:56,908 --> 00:23:58,166 NARRATOR: The massive vessel sits over 100 miles 434 00:23:58,266 --> 00:24:00,767 from any large river or body of water, 435 00:24:02,900 --> 00:24:05,166 and the mystery doesn't end there. 436 00:24:05,266 --> 00:24:07,000 ORWOLL: As you zoom out, you notice that there's 437 00:24:07,066 --> 00:24:11,200 a whole series of ships in this desert. 438 00:24:11,266 --> 00:24:12,700 I have to admit this is one 439 00:24:12,767 --> 00:24:15,166 of the weirdest images I've ever seen. 440 00:24:16,767 --> 00:24:20,100 NARRATOR: Four giant ships litter the sands here. 441 00:24:22,100 --> 00:24:23,900 Some of them are lined with sensors, 442 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,867 weapons, and launch systems. 443 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,467 What's even more disconcerting is that these 444 00:24:29,567 --> 00:24:32,867 bear a striking resemblance to U.S. vessels. 445 00:24:34,100 --> 00:24:36,500 WALTERS: This is highly concerning -- you know, 446 00:24:36,567 --> 00:24:39,700 what are a load of American-like military vessels 447 00:24:39,767 --> 00:24:43,567 doing in the middle of a desert in China? 448 00:24:45,667 --> 00:24:49,066 NARRATOR: Details in the image offer disturbing clues. 449 00:24:50,166 --> 00:24:52,700 Two of the ships appear to be on tracks 450 00:24:52,767 --> 00:24:54,400 or rails of some kind. 451 00:24:54,467 --> 00:24:56,908 Now, the fact that it can move and is surrounded by sensors, 452 00:24:56,908 --> 00:24:58,800 Now, the fact that it can move and is surrounded by sensors, 453 00:24:58,867 --> 00:25:01,667 all these things tell me that 454 00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:05,000 these ships were built for target practice. 455 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,867 Similar to what we saw prior to World War II, 456 00:25:10,967 --> 00:25:14,767 the Japanese built models of U.S. warships 457 00:25:14,767 --> 00:25:16,500 before they attacked Pearl Harbor. 458 00:25:16,567 --> 00:25:18,266 The Chinese could be doing 459 00:25:18,266 --> 00:25:21,166 the exact same thing here in the desert. 460 00:25:22,266 --> 00:25:25,100 NARRATOR: One of the shapes matches the outline of a 461 00:25:25,166 --> 00:25:26,908 USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, 462 00:25:26,908 --> 00:25:28,300 USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, 463 00:25:28,367 --> 00:25:32,166 perhaps the most powerful class of ships on the planet. 464 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,166 Others appear to be carbon copies of 465 00:25:37,266 --> 00:25:41,200 the $1.8 billion dollar Arleigh Burke class destroyers. 466 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:48,667 In July 2022, Washington infuriates Beijing by deploying 467 00:25:48,767 --> 00:25:51,967 a fleet of such warships to the South China Sea. 468 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,908 The Chinese have consistently claimed territorial control 469 00:25:56,908 --> 00:25:57,600 The Chinese have consistently claimed territorial control 470 00:25:57,667 --> 00:26:01,300 over the South China Sea -- to Beijing it's theirs. 471 00:26:01,367 --> 00:26:04,567 ORWOLL: The U.S., on the other hand, is trying to sail ships 472 00:26:04,567 --> 00:26:07,300 through there to show that those are international waters 473 00:26:07,367 --> 00:26:08,700 and that China can't claim them. 474 00:26:11,367 --> 00:26:14,667 NARRATOR: Defense analysts fear the increasing number of Chinese 475 00:26:14,767 --> 00:26:17,000 and U.S. ships in these waters could 476 00:26:17,100 --> 00:26:20,100 trigger a conflict between the two superpowers. 477 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,767 There's an intense military standoff going on 478 00:26:24,867 --> 00:26:26,908 between the Chinese Navy and the U.S. Navy 479 00:26:26,908 --> 00:26:27,367 between the Chinese Navy and the U.S. Navy 480 00:26:27,467 --> 00:26:29,367 in the South China Sea. 481 00:26:29,367 --> 00:26:30,867 Like before a boxing match, 482 00:26:30,867 --> 00:26:33,266 both sides are squaring up to each other, 483 00:26:34,266 --> 00:26:36,700 and they want to show the other that they're not afraid. 484 00:26:38,567 --> 00:26:41,266 NARRATOR: The U.S. possesses the most powerful navy in 485 00:26:41,266 --> 00:26:44,367 the world and should theoretically dominate 486 00:26:44,467 --> 00:26:45,700 a sea war with China. 487 00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:49,567 But recent events have stoked fears 488 00:26:49,567 --> 00:26:51,800 that this may not be the case. 489 00:26:51,867 --> 00:26:55,266 U.S. defense officials believe that Chinese military 490 00:26:55,266 --> 00:26:56,908 hackers have used their expertise 491 00:26:56,908 --> 00:26:57,600 hackers have used their expertise 492 00:26:57,667 --> 00:27:00,266 to steal American secrets in order to improve 493 00:27:00,266 --> 00:27:01,400 their own weapons. 494 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,266 One of the concerns is China trying to reproduce 495 00:27:06,367 --> 00:27:07,567 U.S. technology 496 00:27:07,567 --> 00:27:11,300 and then utilize that to learn from us and beat us? 497 00:27:13,467 --> 00:27:17,066 NARRATOR: Up to 100,000 hackers operate in China, 498 00:27:17,066 --> 00:27:20,567 many of them for a shadowy state-run organization 499 00:27:20,667 --> 00:27:23,567 called Unit 61398. 500 00:27:24,567 --> 00:27:26,908 Over the years, China has gained quite a reputation 501 00:27:26,908 --> 00:27:28,000 Over the years, China has gained quite a reputation 502 00:27:28,100 --> 00:27:30,000 for spying on enemy nations 503 00:27:30,066 --> 00:27:32,066 and cloning their military designs. 504 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,667 If things keep heading in this direction, then 505 00:27:35,667 --> 00:27:39,800 the Americans might not be far off losing their superior edge. 506 00:27:42,266 --> 00:27:46,567 NARRATOR: In 2019, Chinese hackers reportedly infiltrate 507 00:27:46,667 --> 00:27:49,667 several U.S. naval institutions and contractors. 508 00:27:51,767 --> 00:27:55,200 The nightmare scenario is that the desert facility is using 509 00:27:55,266 --> 00:27:56,908 this stolen intel to target vulnerabilities 510 00:27:56,908 --> 00:27:58,467 this stolen intel to target vulnerabilities 511 00:27:58,567 --> 00:27:59,867 in the American fleet. 512 00:28:01,066 --> 00:28:03,667 The implications of this are really scary. 513 00:28:03,667 --> 00:28:06,900 If the Chinese are figuring out the weakest point of 514 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,567 American warships, then they know 515 00:28:09,667 --> 00:28:12,500 exactly where to strike a lethal blow to 516 00:28:12,567 --> 00:28:14,567 an American target. 517 00:28:14,667 --> 00:28:16,900 ORWOLL: They could be practicing how to knock out 518 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,000 their sensor systems, how to potentially 519 00:28:19,100 --> 00:28:22,667 board them and how to destroy them during combat. 520 00:28:26,967 --> 00:28:29,667 NARRATOR: The nature of the anti-ship technology 521 00:28:29,767 --> 00:28:32,567 being tested here is unclear, 522 00:28:32,667 --> 00:28:35,166 but it appears to be an ominous message 523 00:28:35,166 --> 00:28:38,867 to the U.S. government visible from space. 524 00:28:39,867 --> 00:28:42,100 MUNOZ: It is interesting that the Chinese have decided to 525 00:28:42,166 --> 00:28:45,867 build these in plain view of American surveillance 526 00:28:45,867 --> 00:28:47,600 and spy satellites. 527 00:28:49,066 --> 00:28:51,467 CAVELL: This could be a warning to the United States government. 528 00:28:51,467 --> 00:28:55,100 If you put your ships anywhere near the Chinese mainland, 529 00:28:55,166 --> 00:28:56,908 we're ready, and this is what we'll do to you. 530 00:28:56,908 --> 00:28:57,767 we're ready, and this is what we'll do to you. 531 00:29:05,266 --> 00:29:08,100 NARRATOR: Coming up, monster farm. 532 00:29:08,166 --> 00:29:09,967 Nothing on these animals is wasted. 533 00:29:09,967 --> 00:29:12,567 Even the blood and bile is collected. 534 00:29:12,567 --> 00:29:15,467 NARRATOR: And hunting the mafia from space. 535 00:29:15,467 --> 00:29:17,667 Satellites have been a breakthrough 536 00:29:17,767 --> 00:29:20,767 in the effort to crack down on these operations. 537 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,266 NARRATOR: January 12th, 2021. 538 00:29:33,467 --> 00:29:36,367 A satellite orbiting above central Thailand 539 00:29:36,367 --> 00:29:39,100 captures this in the fields far below. 540 00:29:40,367 --> 00:29:42,767 RUBEN: This is an agricultural area of Thailand. 541 00:29:42,767 --> 00:29:46,100 Usually, one would expect to see green fields. 542 00:29:46,166 --> 00:29:50,066 These are areas bordered in thick white. 543 00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:52,867 It almost looks like a set of 544 00:29:52,867 --> 00:29:53,928 paint palettes laid out on the ground. 545 00:29:53,928 --> 00:29:56,000 paint palettes laid out on the ground. 546 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,166 NARRATOR: Analysts study the mystery shapes in more detail. 547 00:30:02,266 --> 00:30:07,000 This appears to be a series of pools or tanks, 548 00:30:07,066 --> 00:30:10,367 and each of these tanks seems to be filled with 549 00:30:10,467 --> 00:30:12,567 greeny water. 550 00:30:12,567 --> 00:30:14,000 AUERBACH: It would appear 551 00:30:14,066 --> 00:30:15,867 this is some type of aquaculture. 552 00:30:15,867 --> 00:30:19,166 Something is being grown in this water. 553 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:23,928 NARRATOR: Local land records confirm this theory. 554 00:30:23,928 --> 00:30:24,367 NARRATOR: Local land records confirm this theory. 555 00:30:25,567 --> 00:30:28,867 AUERBACH: What we're looking at here is, indeed, a type 556 00:30:28,867 --> 00:30:32,000 of aquaculture, but one of the most frightening kinds. 557 00:30:32,100 --> 00:30:34,800 This is a crocodile farm. 558 00:30:37,367 --> 00:30:39,900 NARRATOR: The satellite has captured one of the largest 559 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,166 crocodile farming 560 00:30:41,166 --> 00:30:45,600 facilities in the world, containing around 150,000 of 561 00:30:45,667 --> 00:30:47,266 these giant reptiles. 562 00:30:48,300 --> 00:30:50,867 Primarily, crocodiles are farmed for two different 563 00:30:50,867 --> 00:30:53,800 parts -- for their meat and for their hides. 564 00:30:53,867 --> 00:30:53,928 KERLEY: In the west, cattle ranching is commonplace. 565 00:30:53,928 --> 00:30:57,367 KERLEY: In the west, cattle ranching is commonplace. 566 00:30:57,467 --> 00:30:58,767 It's acceptable. 567 00:30:58,767 --> 00:31:01,000 And crocodile farming, while less 568 00:31:01,066 --> 00:31:03,000 well known, isn't much different. 569 00:31:06,567 --> 00:31:09,266 NARRATOR: The farmers here raise juvenile crocs 570 00:31:09,367 --> 00:31:11,066 on a diet of chicken. 571 00:31:11,066 --> 00:31:13,467 When they're around three years old, they're ready 572 00:31:13,467 --> 00:31:14,900 for market. 573 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:17,300 Crocodile meat is very tasty. 574 00:31:17,367 --> 00:31:22,100 It gets used around the world as steaks, kebabs, you name it. 575 00:31:22,166 --> 00:31:23,928 Crocodile may not be that commonly eaten 576 00:31:23,928 --> 00:31:24,367 Crocodile may not be that commonly eaten 577 00:31:24,467 --> 00:31:25,767 in the United States, 578 00:31:25,767 --> 00:31:28,500 but it's lean, high in protein, and it's actually pretty good. 579 00:31:30,567 --> 00:31:34,266 NARRATOR: Some crocodile meat is also rendered into oil, 580 00:31:34,367 --> 00:31:38,166 which is used as a traditional medicine to treat anything from 581 00:31:38,166 --> 00:31:40,700 asthma to heart disease. 582 00:31:40,767 --> 00:31:43,000 Nothing on these animals is wasted. 583 00:31:43,066 --> 00:31:46,567 Even the blood and bile is collected dried out and formed 584 00:31:46,567 --> 00:31:48,166 into pills, because it's 585 00:31:48,166 --> 00:31:49,867 believed they have healing properties. 586 00:31:52,467 --> 00:31:53,928 NARRATOR: Today, around 50 countries farm 587 00:31:53,928 --> 00:31:55,100 NARRATOR: Today, around 50 countries farm 588 00:31:55,166 --> 00:31:57,100 crocodiles for meat and medicine. 589 00:31:59,266 --> 00:32:02,000 Recent discoveries suggest it's an industry 590 00:32:02,100 --> 00:32:05,100 that has its roots in ancient history. 591 00:32:05,166 --> 00:32:07,200 HORTON: There is quite a lot of evidence 592 00:32:07,266 --> 00:32:11,700 that the ancient Egyptians actually farmed crocodiles. 593 00:32:11,767 --> 00:32:15,266 BELLINGER: Archaeology has uncovered a site that is 594 00:32:15,266 --> 00:32:19,567 tantalizingly suggestive of breeding of crocodiles 595 00:32:19,567 --> 00:32:22,500 on an industrial level in Egypt. 596 00:32:26,667 --> 00:32:28,100 NARRATOR: Close to the River Nile, 597 00:32:28,166 --> 00:32:31,567 archaeologists discover incubation chambers containing 598 00:32:31,667 --> 00:32:34,300 desiccated crocodile eggs and a pool 599 00:32:34,367 --> 00:32:36,467 for raising hatchlings to adulthood. 600 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:41,100 The Egyptians began farming crocodiles for many 601 00:32:41,166 --> 00:32:43,967 of the same reasons they're bred for today, 602 00:32:43,967 --> 00:32:45,967 but one other component was 603 00:32:45,967 --> 00:32:49,367 that they worshiped a crocodile god. 604 00:32:51,166 --> 00:32:53,928 HUNT: The Egyptians had a god named Sobek, 605 00:32:53,928 --> 00:32:54,166 HUNT: The Egyptians had a god named Sobek, 606 00:32:54,166 --> 00:32:57,000 who was a crocodile head on a man's body. 607 00:32:59,467 --> 00:33:02,500 NARRATOR: Sobek is one of the oldest Egyptian deities, 608 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:06,667 seen as the creator of the world 609 00:33:06,767 --> 00:33:09,767 and worshiped as a god of fertility. 610 00:33:09,767 --> 00:33:13,500 Sobek was known as the Lord of the Dark River, 611 00:33:13,567 --> 00:33:15,467 and that dark river was the Nile, 612 00:33:15,567 --> 00:33:19,567 which was the very heart and soul of Egypt and the natural 613 00:33:19,567 --> 00:33:22,100 habitat of the Nile crocodile. 614 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:28,367 NARRATOR: The 4,100-mile-long Nile creates 615 00:33:28,467 --> 00:33:30,667 a vast fertile delta in the desert, 616 00:33:31,700 --> 00:33:34,200 meaning Egypt becomes the breadbasket 617 00:33:34,266 --> 00:33:35,500 of the ancient world. 618 00:33:38,066 --> 00:33:41,467 It also provides traders with access to the gold mines of 619 00:33:41,467 --> 00:33:42,600 the Sahara, 620 00:33:42,667 --> 00:33:45,100 generating huge wealth for the kingdom. 621 00:33:46,367 --> 00:33:51,000 The Nile was the lifeblood of ancient Egypt. 622 00:33:51,066 --> 00:33:53,928 JANULIS: It is what made them the powerhouse they were. 623 00:33:53,928 --> 00:33:53,967 JANULIS: It is what made them the powerhouse they were. 624 00:33:53,967 --> 00:33:58,567 So it was important to appease the god of the Nile, Sobek. 625 00:34:00,166 --> 00:34:01,767 NARRATOR: To appease Sobek, 626 00:34:01,867 --> 00:34:05,600 it seems the Egyptians farmed thousands of Nile crocodiles 627 00:34:06,767 --> 00:34:10,367 before subjecting them to ritual slaughter. 628 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:16,300 They would sacrifice a crocodile and mummify it, 629 00:34:16,367 --> 00:34:18,900 sending it into the afterlife. 630 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:23,166 Over the last century or so, thousands of crocodile mummies 631 00:34:23,166 --> 00:34:23,928 have been discovered throughout Egypt, 632 00:34:23,928 --> 00:34:25,266 have been discovered throughout Egypt, 633 00:34:25,266 --> 00:34:30,000 suggesting that this was a really widespread practice. 634 00:34:30,066 --> 00:34:32,867 NARRATOR: It is believed crocodiles are also farmed 635 00:34:32,867 --> 00:34:34,500 in the Roman period, 636 00:34:34,567 --> 00:34:37,500 but the practice then vanishes from the historical record. 637 00:34:38,667 --> 00:34:42,200 It reappears in the 20th century, when animals 638 00:34:42,266 --> 00:34:45,200 are sacrificed to a very different god, 639 00:34:45,266 --> 00:34:47,600 that of high fashion 640 00:34:47,667 --> 00:34:49,166 Crocodile skin is used throughout 641 00:34:49,166 --> 00:34:53,700 the clothing industry for suits, purses, belts, shoes. 642 00:34:54,867 --> 00:34:58,667 HORTON: Wild crocodiles have scars and blemishes on them, 643 00:34:58,667 --> 00:35:02,867 whereas the farmed crocodile skin is much more perfect. 644 00:35:02,867 --> 00:35:05,300 It's that skin which is preferred 645 00:35:05,367 --> 00:35:07,266 by the fashion industry. 646 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,767 NARRATOR: Thai farms kill a quarter of a million 647 00:35:12,767 --> 00:35:14,166 crocodiles each year, 648 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,467 but it seems these prehistoric predators are 649 00:35:18,467 --> 00:35:21,800 threatening to wreak their revenge for this butchery. 650 00:35:21,867 --> 00:35:23,928 There's been reports of floods in which 651 00:35:23,928 --> 00:35:25,900 There's been reports of floods in which 652 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:29,767 the animals being farmed were released into local rivers. 653 00:35:29,767 --> 00:35:33,900 They're scary -- count the teeth on a crocodile, 654 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,500 and let me count the ways in which I will avoid 655 00:35:36,567 --> 00:35:37,667 a crocodile. 656 00:35:42,100 --> 00:35:44,400 NARRATOR: Pressure is mounting to outlaw 657 00:35:44,467 --> 00:35:46,000 the farming of these reptiles. 658 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,000 But until then, the site in the image will remain 659 00:35:51,066 --> 00:35:53,867 a strange connection to the crocodile cult of 660 00:35:53,967 --> 00:35:55,100 ancient Egypt. 661 00:35:56,066 --> 00:35:58,967 It's amazing to think that crocodile farming has been 662 00:35:58,967 --> 00:36:00,767 around for millennia 663 00:36:00,867 --> 00:36:02,867 and here we can see it so clearly 664 00:36:02,967 --> 00:36:05,000 in a modern satellite image. 665 00:36:12,667 --> 00:36:15,567 NARRATOR: Coming up, hunting evil. 666 00:36:15,567 --> 00:36:18,867 This highlights the untapped potential of satellite 667 00:36:18,867 --> 00:36:22,367 technology for solving some of humanity's biggest problems. 668 00:36:31,667 --> 00:36:34,667 NARRATOR: October 7th, 2021. 669 00:36:36,300 --> 00:36:39,767 A satellite passing nearly 400 miles above the region of 670 00:36:39,767 --> 00:36:41,767 Rajasthan in northern India 671 00:36:41,867 --> 00:36:45,166 spots something strange in the landscape below. 672 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:49,600 KOUROUNIS: There's some weird structures out here 673 00:36:49,667 --> 00:36:51,166 in rural India, 674 00:36:51,266 --> 00:36:55,467 these almost perfect circles scattered about 675 00:36:55,467 --> 00:36:56,517 the countryside. 676 00:36:56,517 --> 00:36:56,867 the countryside. 677 00:36:58,667 --> 00:37:01,800 NARRATOR: Dozens of strange circles measuring over 678 00:37:01,867 --> 00:37:05,500 200 feet in diameter litter the landscape. 679 00:37:07,266 --> 00:37:11,734 They look almost like clock faces or even sundials, 680 00:37:11,734 --> 00:37:15,800 but there are so many of them, and they're really big. 681 00:37:17,100 --> 00:37:21,100 NARRATOR: To some, their shape hints at a ritual purpose. 682 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:26,166 India has a very long and deep history, 683 00:37:26,166 --> 00:37:26,517 and that history includes a lot of ceremonial sites. 684 00:37:26,517 --> 00:37:30,166 and that history includes a lot of ceremonial sites. 685 00:37:30,266 --> 00:37:32,900 Is it possible that these strange circular 686 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,567 patterns that we're seeing are burial mounds? 687 00:37:38,367 --> 00:37:41,967 NARRATOR: When analysts turn to Maxar's SecureWatch technology, 688 00:37:41,967 --> 00:37:45,767 it reveals the structures serve a very different purpose. 689 00:37:47,166 --> 00:37:48,266 With a closer look, 690 00:37:48,367 --> 00:37:50,300 what I can see is at the center of 691 00:37:50,367 --> 00:37:53,266 each one of these circles is a large chimney. 692 00:37:54,567 --> 00:37:56,517 These seem to be producing something that 693 00:37:56,517 --> 00:37:56,567 These seem to be producing something that 694 00:37:56,667 --> 00:37:59,767 is then being stored in these parallel areas. 695 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:04,467 NARRATOR: It appears the satellite image 696 00:38:04,467 --> 00:38:07,500 has uncovered evidence of one of India's most lucrative yet 697 00:38:07,567 --> 00:38:09,166 divisive industries. 698 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,166 These are actually brick kilns, 699 00:38:13,266 --> 00:38:15,100 and they're connected to some highly 700 00:38:15,166 --> 00:38:17,467 controversial activities. 701 00:38:17,567 --> 00:38:20,734 These kilns are deeply controversial, because they're 702 00:38:20,734 --> 00:38:25,066 central to many exploitative labor practices in India. 703 00:38:26,867 --> 00:38:28,867 NARRATOR: Evidence of brick manufacture in 704 00:38:28,967 --> 00:38:31,667 India dates back some 5,000 years. 705 00:38:34,567 --> 00:38:35,667 Over the centuries, 706 00:38:35,734 --> 00:38:37,467 they have been used to help create 707 00:38:37,467 --> 00:38:40,867 some of the country's most iconic structures. 708 00:38:40,867 --> 00:38:44,367 MORGAN: Brickmaking is a huge industry in India. 709 00:38:44,367 --> 00:38:46,400 It started by combining clay 710 00:38:46,467 --> 00:38:48,367 and straw and drying them in the sun, 711 00:38:48,367 --> 00:38:51,200 but it's obviously advanced a tremendous amount since then. 712 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:56,517 NARRATOR: Today, over 100,000 factories in India churn 713 00:38:56,517 --> 00:38:56,600 NARRATOR: Today, over 100,000 factories in India churn 714 00:38:56,667 --> 00:39:00,100 out around 250 billion bricks a year, 715 00:39:01,467 --> 00:39:04,867 20 percent of which are sent to the U.S. 716 00:39:04,867 --> 00:39:07,767 Like it has been for countless generations, 717 00:39:07,767 --> 00:39:10,667 the industry is built on the blood and sweat of 718 00:39:10,767 --> 00:39:13,667 an army of manual laborers. 719 00:39:13,734 --> 00:39:16,367 KOUROUNIS: As populations continue to grow in the world, 720 00:39:16,467 --> 00:39:18,867 the need for bricks increases. 721 00:39:18,867 --> 00:39:22,567 That creates a demand that needs to be filled, 722 00:39:22,667 --> 00:39:24,567 and, of course, that leads to some very 723 00:39:24,667 --> 00:39:26,467 unscrupulous practices. 724 00:39:28,867 --> 00:39:30,100 Across the country, 725 00:39:30,166 --> 00:39:32,800 syndicates known as the Brick Kiln Mafia 726 00:39:32,867 --> 00:39:36,767 are profiteering from this $160 million dollar industry. 727 00:39:39,100 --> 00:39:41,266 After bribing local officials, 728 00:39:41,367 --> 00:39:44,567 they construct factories like the ones in the image to 729 00:39:44,667 --> 00:39:45,900 exploit the economic 730 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,400 desperation of poverty-stricken families. 731 00:39:49,900 --> 00:39:52,100 RODRIGUEZ McROBBIE: Multiple families work in 732 00:39:52,166 --> 00:39:53,667 deplorable conditions. 733 00:39:53,767 --> 00:39:55,867 They work without access to food 734 00:39:55,867 --> 00:39:56,517 or clean water, and there's no safety equipment. 735 00:39:56,517 --> 00:39:58,600 or clean water, and there's no safety equipment. 736 00:40:00,667 --> 00:40:02,800 NARRATOR: Toiling in temperatures of up to 737 00:40:02,867 --> 00:40:07,100 116 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 hours a day, 738 00:40:07,166 --> 00:40:10,667 the workers face constant threats of violence. 739 00:40:10,767 --> 00:40:13,667 What's more, many of them are what's known as 740 00:40:13,767 --> 00:40:15,166 bonded laborers, 741 00:40:15,266 --> 00:40:18,667 making it impossible to find work elsewhere. 742 00:40:18,734 --> 00:40:23,266 The kiln owner will offer a prospective worker an advance, 743 00:40:23,266 --> 00:40:24,867 but what that means is that 744 00:40:24,967 --> 00:40:26,517 when that employee shows up for work, 745 00:40:26,517 --> 00:40:26,567 when that employee shows up for work, 746 00:40:26,667 --> 00:40:29,467 they're already in debt to the kiln owner, and they have to 747 00:40:29,567 --> 00:40:31,667 work to pay off that debt. 748 00:40:33,667 --> 00:40:36,667 The unfortunate reality is many of the people who work in 749 00:40:36,767 --> 00:40:39,734 these brick kilns find themselves trapped in a cycle, 750 00:40:39,734 --> 00:40:40,900 unable to escape. 751 00:40:43,467 --> 00:40:45,600 NARRATOR: To help pay off their debts, 752 00:40:45,667 --> 00:40:48,000 families force children as young as 753 00:40:48,100 --> 00:40:50,266 four to work for the criminal gangs. 754 00:40:52,266 --> 00:40:55,600 Although many of us find these practices horrific, 755 00:40:55,667 --> 00:40:56,517 we may be unwittingly contributing to 756 00:40:56,517 --> 00:40:57,667 we may be unwittingly contributing to 757 00:40:57,767 --> 00:40:59,600 their continuation. 758 00:40:59,667 --> 00:41:01,867 Bricks made from human suffering might 759 00:41:01,867 --> 00:41:03,767 have helped to build your home. 760 00:41:07,500 --> 00:41:10,400 NARRATOR: The brick mafia tries to escape justice by building 761 00:41:10,467 --> 00:41:13,266 their kilns in remote, isolated locations, 762 00:41:15,467 --> 00:41:18,166 but now, they are being hunted from space. 763 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,367 Satellites have been a breakthrough in the effort to 764 00:41:22,367 --> 00:41:25,066 crack down on these illegal kiln operations, 765 00:41:25,066 --> 00:41:26,517 allowing artificial intelligence to start 766 00:41:26,517 --> 00:41:28,266 allowing artificial intelligence to start 767 00:41:28,266 --> 00:41:31,066 identifying them from satellite pictures. 768 00:41:32,767 --> 00:41:35,867 NARRATOR: Using satellite data, authorities can identify 769 00:41:35,967 --> 00:41:39,900 the 300-foot-wide structures in an area larger than California, 770 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:42,600 New Mexico, and Texas combined. 771 00:41:44,300 --> 00:41:46,367 The brutal reign of the kiln mafia 772 00:41:46,367 --> 00:41:48,367 may soon be coming to an end. 773 00:41:49,767 --> 00:41:52,667 This really highlights the untapped potential 774 00:41:52,734 --> 00:41:54,100 of satellite technology 775 00:41:54,166 --> 00:41:56,517 for solving some of humanity's biggest problems. 776 00:41:56,517 --> 00:41:56,967 for solving some of humanity's biggest problems.