1 00:00:04,418 --> 00:00:08,560 NARRATOR: It's the New York City of ancient Egypt. 2 00:00:10,424 --> 00:00:14,704 The kingdom's most important center for international trade. 3 00:00:16,223 --> 00:00:20,813 The place where pharaohs come to be crowned and revered. 4 00:00:24,162 --> 00:00:28,925 The home of Gods and mythic heroes. 5 00:00:31,307 --> 00:00:34,758 Then, 2,000 years ago... 6 00:00:34,793 --> 00:00:38,590 It disappears without a trace. 7 00:00:40,178 --> 00:00:45,045 BOB: The legend informs us of a city in Egypt with a Temple of Hercules 8 00:00:45,079 --> 00:00:48,082 that was a great emporium, a trading center. 9 00:00:48,117 --> 00:00:52,914 It was an enormous source of wealth for Egypt proper. 10 00:00:54,399 --> 00:00:58,506 NARRATOR: Many have hunted for the fabled city on land, 11 00:00:59,921 --> 00:01:03,787 but no sign of it has ever been found. 12 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,930 One of the world's most celebrated archaeologists, 13 00:01:08,965 --> 00:01:12,417 Franck Goddio, believes he can succeed where others 14 00:01:12,451 --> 00:01:17,698 have failed by looking somewhere new. 15 00:01:19,286 --> 00:01:23,497 FRANCK: I thought it would be extraordinary to find it and 16 00:01:23,531 --> 00:01:30,228 excavate it and see what it could teach us about the past. 17 00:01:32,506 --> 00:01:35,750 NARRATOR: Franck puts together one of the biggest underwater 18 00:01:35,785 --> 00:01:39,099 archaeological expeditions ever undertaken, 19 00:01:39,133 --> 00:01:42,792 equipped with the latest technology. 20 00:01:44,276 --> 00:01:49,695 His goal, to track down the lost city of Heracleion. 21 00:01:50,455 --> 00:01:53,906 Unravel myth from history. 22 00:01:55,011 --> 00:01:59,257 And, re-write the story of Egypt. 23 00:02:11,752 --> 00:02:16,757 The hunt for Heracleion begins on the north Egyptian coast. 24 00:02:19,622 --> 00:02:22,659 Scouring the ancient texts Franck and his team have 25 00:02:22,694 --> 00:02:26,491 narrowed their search down to here. 26 00:02:27,802 --> 00:02:30,633 East of modern day Alexandria. 27 00:02:30,667 --> 00:02:34,740 A 40 square mile area in the bay of Abu Qir. 28 00:02:37,674 --> 00:02:42,955 In 1996 they start to scour the area in forensic detail... 29 00:02:46,649 --> 00:02:50,031 using the very latest nuclear magnetic resonance probes 30 00:02:50,066 --> 00:02:54,243 and high resolution sonar scanners, 31 00:02:54,277 --> 00:02:57,591 searching for any evidence that may lurk beneath these 32 00:02:57,625 --> 00:03:01,250 turbulent estuary waters. 33 00:03:01,284 --> 00:03:05,392 FRANCK: You have a team looking at you for days, it's fine. 34 00:03:05,944 --> 00:03:08,395 For weeks, OK. 35 00:03:08,429 --> 00:03:10,086 [speaking native language]. 36 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,123 For months, it start to be very hard and people are 37 00:03:13,158 --> 00:03:17,438 coming to you and say, "Um, Franck, uh, are you sure?" 38 00:03:21,339 --> 00:03:26,206 NARRATOR: All Franck has to go on are 2,000 year old stories. 39 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,588 They speak of a mighty metropolis in the Nile Delta 40 00:03:29,623 --> 00:03:32,384 with a massive port. 41 00:03:32,419 --> 00:03:35,525 The outside world's gateway to Egypt. 42 00:03:37,286 --> 00:03:40,392 And, a great temple dedicated to the Gods who give the 43 00:03:40,427 --> 00:03:44,983 pharaohs their right to rule these lands. 44 00:03:47,330 --> 00:03:50,575 Greek writers suggest Heracleion exists between 45 00:03:50,609 --> 00:03:54,786 the eighth and second centuries BC. 46 00:03:57,892 --> 00:04:00,654 But, their descriptions are mixed up with fantastical 47 00:04:00,688 --> 00:04:03,691 stories of mythical heroes. 48 00:04:04,830 --> 00:04:08,178 From the half God, Heracles, founding the city 49 00:04:08,213 --> 00:04:13,805 to Helen of Troy seeking refuge in its temple, with her lover, Paris. 50 00:04:16,532 --> 00:04:19,569 As months of searching turn to years, 51 00:04:19,604 --> 00:04:24,264 it would be easy to suspect Franck is chasing a myth. 52 00:04:26,714 --> 00:04:31,167 FRANCK: Of course, there is always a doubt that... 53 00:04:31,201 --> 00:04:33,997 is it existing, really? 54 00:04:34,032 --> 00:04:37,863 Are you looking in the right spot, you know? 55 00:04:37,898 --> 00:04:42,972 Always those question, give you the full responsibility of the 56 00:04:43,006 --> 00:04:47,390 mission whether it fails or it does succeed. 57 00:04:49,219 --> 00:04:52,153 [speaking native language]. 58 00:04:52,188 --> 00:04:55,985 NARRATOR: Finally, Franck spots something. 59 00:04:56,019 --> 00:05:00,369 A change in the magnetic readings bouncing off the sea bed, 60 00:05:00,403 --> 00:05:02,543 indicating that the sediment here has been 61 00:05:02,578 --> 00:05:06,202 disturbed by something. 62 00:05:06,236 --> 00:05:11,241 After four years of searching it's the lead he needs. 63 00:05:12,553 --> 00:05:16,971 He zeroes in on one corner of the bay where he discovers 64 00:05:17,006 --> 00:05:20,561 something unexpected. 65 00:05:20,596 --> 00:05:22,874 FRANCK: There is something very strange here. 66 00:05:22,908 --> 00:05:25,566 It's a straight line and, in nature, 67 00:05:25,601 --> 00:05:31,020 you very rarely find something absolutely straight. 68 00:05:31,054 --> 00:05:36,128 I had the feeling that there there was something very important. 69 00:05:40,443 --> 00:05:44,689 NARRATOR: Divers investigate what's behind the signal. 70 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,279 But, they find nothing. 71 00:05:49,314 --> 00:05:51,696 FRANCK: I was hoping something could be seen, 72 00:05:51,730 --> 00:05:57,011 and the diver came back saying, sand...flat sand. 73 00:05:57,046 --> 00:06:01,015 NARRATOR: But, Franck trusts his data. 74 00:06:02,223 --> 00:06:07,228 The divers return and begin to dig through the sand. 75 00:06:07,263 --> 00:06:10,404 It's several feel thick. 76 00:06:12,855 --> 00:06:17,031 So, armed with dredges, they set to work sucking up 77 00:06:17,066 --> 00:06:21,035 tons of sand and silt to see what lies below. 78 00:06:22,692 --> 00:06:25,419 It's a long, slow process. 79 00:06:25,454 --> 00:06:29,665 FRANCK: First foot of sediment we found some shard 80 00:06:29,699 --> 00:06:32,046 mixed with the sand. 81 00:06:32,081 --> 00:06:34,808 Ceramic. It's interesting. 82 00:06:34,842 --> 00:06:41,159 Then, on the third feet of the sediment something white appear. 83 00:06:44,887 --> 00:06:48,062 A limestone block. 84 00:06:48,097 --> 00:06:51,583 Beautifully preserved, like if it were new. 85 00:06:55,035 --> 00:06:57,900 NARRATOR: The quality of the limestone Franck uncovers 86 00:06:57,934 --> 00:07:02,352 means it must come from quarries further south. 87 00:07:03,733 --> 00:07:08,358 There is only one way it could have gotten here. 88 00:07:10,533 --> 00:07:14,537 FRANCK: There is no limestone whatsoever in the Bay of Abu Qir, 89 00:07:14,572 --> 00:07:19,991 so it was obvious that there was there something made by man. 90 00:07:22,407 --> 00:07:25,168 NARRATOR: Could this be part of the lost city Franck spent 91 00:07:25,203 --> 00:07:28,793 years searching for? 92 00:07:28,827 --> 00:07:32,175 With visibility limited to only a few feet it's hard for 93 00:07:32,210 --> 00:07:35,351 him to make out what he has discovered. 94 00:07:37,940 --> 00:07:41,668 But now, we can. 95 00:07:43,290 --> 00:07:47,294 Using sophisticated computer software to drain away water 96 00:07:47,328 --> 00:07:52,023 and sand to reveal an accurate picture of what lies beneath 97 00:07:52,057 --> 00:07:55,889 this corner of Abu Qir Bay. 98 00:08:00,859 --> 00:08:07,314 A series of limestone blocks gradually appears. 99 00:08:07,348 --> 00:08:12,008 All with the same regular shape. 100 00:08:12,043 --> 00:08:14,424 Some are stacked on top of each other in, 101 00:08:14,459 --> 00:08:17,980 what looks like, a wall. 102 00:08:19,395 --> 00:08:24,952 And, measuring ten feet wide and over 500 feet long it's huge. 103 00:08:26,229 --> 00:08:30,544 But, just beyond, more ruins. 104 00:08:32,581 --> 00:08:35,273 From the position of the limestone pieces, 105 00:08:35,307 --> 00:08:38,276 Franck believes this was once a single structure 106 00:08:38,310 --> 00:08:41,451 the size of a city block. 107 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:45,076 It's a remarkable find. 108 00:08:45,110 --> 00:08:49,701 The first glimpse of what maybe the famous lost city of 109 00:08:49,736 --> 00:08:52,601 Heracleion. 110 00:08:55,638 --> 00:08:59,193 BOB: Finding a large structure of limestone indicates an 111 00:08:59,228 --> 00:09:03,439 enormous expenditure of time, energy and resources because 112 00:09:03,473 --> 00:09:06,925 that limestone had to be quarried from further south in 113 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:11,620 Egypt, and that tells you that you're in an important site. 114 00:09:12,310 --> 00:09:15,071 NARRATOR: According to legend, the most important building in 115 00:09:15,106 --> 00:09:18,834 the lost city was its famous Temple to Heracles. 116 00:09:18,868 --> 00:09:23,079 Are these limestone blocks part of it? 117 00:09:23,114 --> 00:09:25,806 Franck needs more evidence. 118 00:09:28,119 --> 00:09:30,397 Returning to the drained landscape, 119 00:09:30,431 --> 00:09:32,710 something catches the eye. 120 00:09:32,744 --> 00:09:35,022 A different kind of stone. 121 00:09:35,057 --> 00:09:37,507 Black granite. 122 00:09:37,542 --> 00:09:41,822 Seven blocks of it leading to the temple. 123 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:47,863 Examining them more closely it's clear they've been carved. 124 00:09:49,485 --> 00:09:53,869 The face of a man and the body of a lion. 125 00:09:53,903 --> 00:09:56,423 They are sphinxes. 126 00:09:56,457 --> 00:10:00,945 Whatever this site is, it's ancient Egyptian. 127 00:10:03,706 --> 00:10:06,260 FRANCK: Discovering those sphinx was extremely exciting 128 00:10:06,295 --> 00:10:10,230 because we knew that we were on an Egyptian monument and, 129 00:10:10,264 --> 00:10:16,581 little by little, the whole picture came to our mind. 130 00:10:19,446 --> 00:10:22,622 NARRATOR: Sphinxes are symbols of protection. 131 00:10:22,656 --> 00:10:25,866 Great avenues of guardian sphinxes still exist, 132 00:10:25,901 --> 00:10:29,974 leading up to sacred Egyptian buildings. 133 00:10:31,147 --> 00:10:33,460 The size. 134 00:10:33,494 --> 00:10:35,807 The limestone. 135 00:10:35,842 --> 00:10:38,810 The avenue of sphinxes. 136 00:10:38,845 --> 00:10:42,607 All signs point to this being a temple and, maybe, 137 00:10:42,642 --> 00:10:47,301 the famous Temple of Heracles itself. 138 00:10:48,061 --> 00:10:51,478 FRANCK: To find a missing temple under the sea, 139 00:10:51,512 --> 00:10:56,069 under the sediment is something nearly unbelievable. 140 00:10:56,828 --> 00:11:00,487 BOB: It's, perhaps, the greatest archaeological 141 00:11:00,521 --> 00:11:04,733 discovery to have ever happened in the Nile Delta. 142 00:11:04,767 --> 00:11:07,356 NARRATOR: And, there's more. 143 00:11:07,390 --> 00:11:11,256 As Franck and the team scour the area for clues, 144 00:11:11,291 --> 00:11:15,813 they come across faces from a lost world. 145 00:11:24,649 --> 00:11:28,170 ♪ 146 00:11:28,204 --> 00:11:30,413 NARRATOR: Archaeologist, Franck Goddio, 147 00:11:30,448 --> 00:11:33,451 has discovered a mysterious ancient temple lying under 148 00:11:33,485 --> 00:11:37,110 water, just off the coast of northern Egypt. 149 00:11:37,144 --> 00:11:41,252 He believes it may be the famous Temple of Heracles, 150 00:11:41,286 --> 00:11:45,256 part of the lost city of Heracleion. 151 00:11:47,396 --> 00:11:52,159 To be sure, he needs more evidence of when it is built 152 00:11:52,194 --> 00:11:55,576 and who it belongs to. 153 00:11:59,477 --> 00:12:03,446 Searching for clues his team painstakingly syphons away 154 00:12:03,481 --> 00:12:08,279 hundreds of tons of sand from around the site, 155 00:12:10,384 --> 00:12:14,078 revealing parts of a huge statue. 156 00:12:15,217 --> 00:12:19,566 FRANCK: At the very beginning, we could not understand exactly what it was, because we saw 157 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:23,915 something looking like a foot, but it was so big that I said 158 00:12:23,950 --> 00:12:27,194 'no it must be something else'. 159 00:12:27,229 --> 00:12:30,646 But, suddenly, we found the face. 160 00:12:32,441 --> 00:12:34,650 NARRATOR: Hewn from red granite, 161 00:12:34,684 --> 00:12:38,274 this jumble of giant limbs and faces clearly represents a 162 00:12:38,309 --> 00:12:41,381 number of human figures. 163 00:12:42,313 --> 00:12:44,798 BOB: All I can say is wow. 164 00:12:44,833 --> 00:12:49,182 That is the largest complex of monumental statues ever 165 00:12:49,216 --> 00:12:52,150 discovered in the Egyptian Delta. 166 00:12:52,185 --> 00:12:55,395 It's extraordinary and unparalleled. 167 00:12:56,948 --> 00:12:58,985 NARRATOR: Their location reveals they stood just 168 00:12:59,019 --> 00:13:02,540 outside the temple entrance. 169 00:13:02,574 --> 00:13:05,992 Discovering whom they portray could help reveal the temple's 170 00:13:06,026 --> 00:13:08,684 true name and purpose. 171 00:13:08,718 --> 00:13:14,103 BOB: The $64,000 question is how do I identify the individuals 172 00:13:14,138 --> 00:13:18,107 represented by the statues because they are not inscribed. 173 00:13:25,011 --> 00:13:27,185 NARRATOR: Using data from the dive, 174 00:13:27,220 --> 00:13:30,361 we can do something never possible before. 175 00:13:30,395 --> 00:13:35,228 Digitally reconstruct these long lost figures. 176 00:13:35,573 --> 00:13:40,647 As the pieces come together, three colossal statues take shape. 177 00:13:40,681 --> 00:13:45,859 Each stands over 16 feet high and weighs over 6 tons. 178 00:13:48,897 --> 00:13:51,865 Carved atop the heads of two of the statues, 179 00:13:51,900 --> 00:13:55,662 a man and a woman, are royal crowns. 180 00:13:55,696 --> 00:13:59,183 A pharaoh and his queen. 181 00:14:01,910 --> 00:14:06,259 The presence and sheer scale of the royal couple suggest 182 00:14:06,293 --> 00:14:10,677 this is a temple of major significance. 183 00:14:19,789 --> 00:14:24,242 Egyptologist and art historian, Dr Bob Bianchi, 184 00:14:24,277 --> 00:14:28,074 studies the representation of pharaohs in ancient Egyptian art. 185 00:14:29,938 --> 00:14:33,562 He's come to the Temple of Kom Ombo near Aswan, 186 00:14:33,596 --> 00:14:36,979 where he believes images on the wall may shed light on the 187 00:14:37,014 --> 00:14:40,362 underwater statues in Abu Qir Bay, 188 00:14:40,396 --> 00:14:44,676 and help reveal the temple's age. 189 00:14:44,711 --> 00:14:47,610 BOB: So, royal images in any given period of Egyptian 190 00:14:47,645 --> 00:14:52,029 history, are characterized by what we call a period style. 191 00:14:52,063 --> 00:14:54,652 NARRATOR: Nowhere is this more obvious than in 192 00:14:54,686 --> 00:14:57,620 representations of the pharaohs. 193 00:14:57,655 --> 00:15:02,453 BOB: So, here we have an image of a pharaoh surrounding by deities. 194 00:15:02,487 --> 00:15:05,559 The first thing we notice is that the pharaoh's head is 195 00:15:05,594 --> 00:15:08,908 protected by a sacred cobra, The Uraeus, 196 00:15:08,942 --> 00:15:11,980 and the tail of the cobra has a little bit of a loop that 197 00:15:12,014 --> 00:15:14,085 goes to our left hand side. 198 00:15:15,466 --> 00:15:20,816 And then, there's this curious feature of the depression of the navel. 199 00:15:20,850 --> 00:15:24,199 That looks like a tear drop navel. 200 00:15:24,233 --> 00:15:28,237 All of these features, from the head into the torso, 201 00:15:28,272 --> 00:15:33,794 are exactly the same details that we found on the royal statue. 202 00:15:35,348 --> 00:15:40,801 NARRATOR: It's evidence that both carvings are from the same period. 203 00:15:40,836 --> 00:15:45,116 BOB: This particular example is dated to the Ptolemaic period, 204 00:15:45,151 --> 00:15:47,739 305 to 30BC. 205 00:15:47,774 --> 00:15:51,847 So, in my estimation, the statue found at the site is 206 00:15:51,881 --> 00:15:56,438 also to be dated to the Ptolemaic period. 207 00:15:56,472 --> 00:15:58,888 NARRATOR: The Ptolemies are the last pharaohs to rule 208 00:15:58,923 --> 00:16:03,997 ancient Egypt before it falls to Rome and, crucially, 209 00:16:04,032 --> 00:16:07,690 they rule at the same time that Heracleion itself is 210 00:16:07,725 --> 00:16:10,797 supposed to have existed. 211 00:16:11,591 --> 00:16:14,387 The date of the temple in Abu Qir Bay is a likely 212 00:16:14,421 --> 00:16:17,493 match for the lost city. 213 00:16:17,528 --> 00:16:21,049 The scale and location all suggest that the temple could 214 00:16:21,083 --> 00:16:26,261 have been the centerpiece of Heracleion. 215 00:16:29,885 --> 00:16:32,474 But, until Franck discovers whom the temple was dedicated 216 00:16:32,508 --> 00:16:36,409 to he can't know for sure. 217 00:16:36,443 --> 00:16:38,928 Ancient records state the temple in Heracleion was 218 00:16:38,963 --> 00:16:42,449 dedicated to the Greek God, Heracles. 219 00:16:42,484 --> 00:16:45,728 By the time of the Ptolemies strong trade links between 220 00:16:45,763 --> 00:16:50,147 Greece and Egypt mean their cultures are closely entwined. 221 00:16:50,181 --> 00:16:54,668 Greeks adopted Egyptian Gods and, vice versa. 222 00:16:56,567 --> 00:16:59,673 If this is the temple in Heracleion both Greeks and 223 00:16:59,708 --> 00:17:03,643 Egyptians would have worshipped its Gods. 224 00:17:10,270 --> 00:17:13,204 FRANCK: I thought let us go and do an excavation in the 225 00:17:13,239 --> 00:17:16,759 heart...of the heart...of the temple where, normally, 226 00:17:16,794 --> 00:17:22,386 the shrine containing the main God of the temple should stand. 227 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:28,047 And, we started to uncover, little by little, 228 00:17:28,081 --> 00:17:31,257 a red granite pyramid. 229 00:17:46,582 --> 00:17:49,896 NARRATOR: This unassuming stone shrine belonged to the 230 00:17:49,930 --> 00:17:53,727 main God of the temple. 231 00:17:53,762 --> 00:17:56,765 Studying it up close it's possible to make out 232 00:17:56,799 --> 00:18:00,424 intricately carved shapes running down the sides. 233 00:18:01,873 --> 00:18:04,566 They're faded and worn but they appear to be 234 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,362 ancient Egyptian writing. 235 00:18:07,396 --> 00:18:10,779 Hieroglyphs. 236 00:18:10,813 --> 00:18:16,543 The 2300 year old message is deciphered and it finally 237 00:18:16,578 --> 00:18:21,548 reveals which God this temple is dedicated to. 238 00:18:22,963 --> 00:18:26,346 FRANCK: What we have discovered was a shrine saying, 239 00:18:26,381 --> 00:18:29,487 "I am the house of the God Amun-Gareb." 240 00:18:29,522 --> 00:18:34,078 At that time we knew that we were in the temple of Amun-Gareb. 241 00:18:34,975 --> 00:18:38,772 NARRATOR: Amun-Gareb, the God who gives the pharaohs 242 00:18:38,807 --> 00:18:42,086 their right to rule. 243 00:18:42,121 --> 00:18:46,090 This is the place where the kings of Egypt come formally 244 00:18:46,125 --> 00:18:49,852 to receive their title. 245 00:18:49,887 --> 00:18:52,648 But, that's not all. 246 00:18:52,683 --> 00:18:56,721 FRANCK: There is a stela in Cairo Museum in three 247 00:18:56,756 --> 00:19:00,277 languages hieroglyph, demotic and Greek, 248 00:19:00,311 --> 00:19:05,282 saying that the Temple of Amun-Gareb was also 249 00:19:05,316 --> 00:19:08,457 the Temple of Heracles. 250 00:19:09,631 --> 00:19:13,221 NARRATOR: Finally. The proof Franck needs. 251 00:19:13,255 --> 00:19:19,158 He now knows that he's found the lost city of Heracleion. 252 00:19:19,192 --> 00:19:21,505 FRANCK: It was quite fantastic. 253 00:19:21,539 --> 00:19:26,061 With one artifact we had the identity of that temple but, 254 00:19:26,095 --> 00:19:29,685 furthermore, we knew that we were in the middle of the city 255 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:31,929 we were looking for. 256 00:19:31,963 --> 00:19:34,518 The city of Heracleion. 257 00:19:36,209 --> 00:19:37,590 BOB: Case closed. 258 00:19:37,624 --> 00:19:40,489 We've now been able to link the archaeological site with 259 00:19:40,524 --> 00:19:44,252 the Greek testimonia that came before it. 260 00:19:46,392 --> 00:19:51,120 NARRATOR: It's proof the city of Heracleion is more than a legend. 261 00:19:51,155 --> 00:19:56,125 Using Franck's data, the mighty temple is now revealed. 262 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,991 Just as it once stood in the heart of the city. 263 00:20:02,201 --> 00:20:07,516 FRANCK: The alley of sphinxes, the colossal statue in front. 264 00:20:10,795 --> 00:20:14,351 BOB: This must have just blown you away traveling either by 265 00:20:14,385 --> 00:20:20,080 sea or coming from land, to see this gigantic structure. 266 00:20:21,289 --> 00:20:24,809 It was absolutely breathtaking. 267 00:20:32,645 --> 00:20:37,857 NARRATOR: Now, knowing the huge significance of this legendary city, 268 00:20:37,891 --> 00:20:41,585 Franck's desperate to find the rest of it. 269 00:20:43,725 --> 00:20:46,106 While temples were built from stone, 270 00:20:46,141 --> 00:20:49,351 all other Egyptian buildings, including palaces, 271 00:20:49,386 --> 00:20:52,630 were made from mud brick which likely broke up 272 00:20:52,665 --> 00:20:56,462 and dissolved under water. 273 00:20:58,015 --> 00:21:02,882 To find traces of the city's crumbling ruins Franck employs 274 00:21:02,916 --> 00:21:05,609 a new piece of technology. 275 00:21:05,643 --> 00:21:09,751 A high resolution sub bottom profiler. 276 00:21:12,236 --> 00:21:14,583 It's high frequency sound waves are better able to 277 00:21:14,618 --> 00:21:18,863 detect wood and mud brick than magnetometers. 278 00:21:21,038 --> 00:21:26,043 At nearly 700 feet from the temple it detects something solid. 279 00:21:27,216 --> 00:21:30,219 FRANCK: I can see that it's not something very hard. 280 00:21:30,254 --> 00:21:34,120 It's not stone, but it does reflect the beams. 281 00:21:34,154 --> 00:21:38,020 Thus, it could be a layer of clay which is harder, 282 00:21:38,055 --> 00:21:41,265 and then, there's a layer of clay or wood. 283 00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:45,200 It's a very strange picture. 284 00:21:45,234 --> 00:21:48,824 NARRATOR: The underwater team investigates. 285 00:21:50,792 --> 00:21:57,108 Within a few hours they find the source of the strange signal. 286 00:21:57,143 --> 00:21:59,352 Wooden timbers. 287 00:21:59,387 --> 00:22:02,355 Could these really have survived from the days of the 288 00:22:02,390 --> 00:22:05,289 lost city of Heracleion? 289 00:22:11,537 --> 00:22:14,263 NARRATOR: Archaeologist, Franck Goddio and his team, 290 00:22:14,298 --> 00:22:18,716 are searching for evidence of Heracleion's famous port. 291 00:22:20,615 --> 00:22:23,790 Franck has discovered a mysterious wooden object which 292 00:22:23,825 --> 00:22:27,760 he believes could reveal clues about the city. 293 00:22:29,106 --> 00:22:31,833 The Mediterranean swell makes it hard for the divers to see 294 00:22:31,867 --> 00:22:35,319 what they've uncovered. 295 00:22:38,426 --> 00:22:42,464 But now, we can drain away thousands more tons of 296 00:22:42,499 --> 00:22:46,641 sediment from Abu Qir Bay to reveal what lies buried 297 00:22:46,675 --> 00:22:49,954 beneath the sand. 298 00:22:51,473 --> 00:22:55,132 The ghostly skeleton of a wooden ship. 299 00:22:55,166 --> 00:22:58,273 Its planks exposed to the light of day for the first 300 00:22:58,307 --> 00:23:01,966 time since the Age of the Pharaohs. 301 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:06,523 These are considered among the oldest wooden timbers ever 302 00:23:06,557 --> 00:23:11,631 discovered, yet they are in astonishingly good condition. 303 00:23:11,666 --> 00:23:16,429 The hull is largely intact and reveals the ship is flat bottomed. 304 00:23:16,464 --> 00:23:19,052 But, what's most extraordinary, 305 00:23:19,087 --> 00:23:22,366 is the way the hull has been pieced together. 306 00:23:22,401 --> 00:23:26,301 Franck has never seen this ship design before. 307 00:23:28,993 --> 00:23:31,479 He calls in maritime archaeologist, 308 00:23:31,513 --> 00:23:34,999 Damian Robinson, to help make sense of it. 309 00:23:36,345 --> 00:23:38,313 DAMIAN: The ship itself is built in a way that we've not 310 00:23:38,347 --> 00:23:40,039 seen in archaeology before. 311 00:23:40,073 --> 00:23:43,076 It's got a strange brick-like pattern of the planking, 312 00:23:43,111 --> 00:23:45,665 and the planks themselves are joined together in a way that 313 00:23:45,700 --> 00:23:48,254 hasn't been recorded. 314 00:23:48,288 --> 00:23:50,601 NARRATOR: Traditionally, wooden ships are made of 315 00:23:50,636 --> 00:23:53,466 long, thin planks. 316 00:23:53,501 --> 00:23:58,678 This bizarre layered design is totally unique. 317 00:23:59,541 --> 00:24:01,267 What is this vessel? 318 00:24:01,301 --> 00:24:04,822 And, why is it designed so strangely? 319 00:24:05,374 --> 00:24:08,585 The cargo it was carrying is long gone so they 320 00:24:08,619 --> 00:24:11,622 study the wood itself. 321 00:24:11,657 --> 00:24:14,038 DAMIAN: We took a whole series of samples of the wood, 322 00:24:14,073 --> 00:24:17,041 and you can look at the micro structure and identify what 323 00:24:17,076 --> 00:24:19,216 wood type it was. 324 00:24:19,250 --> 00:24:21,045 And so, this we were really fortunate, 325 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:24,842 that it was a wood type called acacia. 326 00:24:24,877 --> 00:24:28,501 NARRATOR: The stunted, curvy branches of the acacia tree 327 00:24:28,536 --> 00:24:31,987 are not ideal ship building material, 328 00:24:32,022 --> 00:24:35,059 but it's one of the only tree species that can endure 329 00:24:35,094 --> 00:24:37,993 Egypt's hot, dry climate. 330 00:24:38,028 --> 00:24:41,134 DAMIAN: It was a very exciting find simply because it enabled 331 00:24:41,169 --> 00:24:44,552 us to think that this was an Egyptian ship. 332 00:24:44,586 --> 00:24:46,968 NARRATOR: The wood reveals this was probably a local 333 00:24:47,002 --> 00:24:50,454 vessel, rather than a foreign trade ship. 334 00:24:50,489 --> 00:24:54,458 And, it can also shed light on where it travelled, 335 00:24:54,493 --> 00:24:58,462 thanks to a voracious marine mollusk called ship worm, 336 00:24:58,497 --> 00:25:02,224 which preys on sea faring wooden ships. 337 00:25:02,259 --> 00:25:05,504 DAMIAN: It was undamaged by ship worms and this helps us 338 00:25:05,538 --> 00:25:08,127 to think that, perhaps, this wasn't a sea going ship. 339 00:25:08,161 --> 00:25:11,475 That, perhaps, it was more of a river going ship. 340 00:25:11,510 --> 00:25:15,617 NARRATOR: The ship's wide, flat hull also points to river travel 341 00:25:15,652 --> 00:25:20,829 enabling it to navigate shallow water ways like the Nile Delta. 342 00:25:21,450 --> 00:25:25,765 But, the ship's purpose remains a mystery. 343 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:30,356 Studying the ancient texts reveals a vital clue. 344 00:25:30,390 --> 00:25:33,532 DAMIAN: Well, fortuitously, the Text of Herodotus tells us 345 00:25:33,566 --> 00:25:36,707 almost, word for word, how our ship was built. 346 00:25:36,742 --> 00:25:38,882 It was as if he'd been to a shipyard and seen one of these 347 00:25:38,916 --> 00:25:41,954 constructed and then written it down. 348 00:25:41,988 --> 00:25:44,508 NARRATOR: Using the words of Herodotus, 349 00:25:44,543 --> 00:25:48,132 we can now understand exactly how this boat is built and 350 00:25:48,167 --> 00:25:51,895 what it is used for. 351 00:25:55,346 --> 00:25:58,798 With the stunted wood of acacia most readily available 352 00:25:58,833 --> 00:26:03,251 shipwrights lay rows of short planks along the hull, 353 00:26:03,285 --> 00:26:08,152 offset like bricks, to minimize the pressure at each joint. 354 00:26:08,187 --> 00:26:13,330 Using this entirely new method of shipbuilding they create 355 00:26:13,364 --> 00:26:17,472 vessels 90 feet long and 26 feet wide, 356 00:26:17,506 --> 00:26:21,718 capable of carrying 120 tons of cargo. 357 00:26:23,167 --> 00:26:26,861 Ancient river trading barges called baris. 358 00:26:28,552 --> 00:26:31,728 DAMIAN: It's staggering that Herodotus can help us, 2,500 years later, 359 00:26:31,762 --> 00:26:35,559 to solve the mystery of how this ship was put together. 360 00:26:35,594 --> 00:26:38,251 NARRATOR: The presence of a single cargo ship hints that 361 00:26:38,286 --> 00:26:41,841 some sort of trade went on around the temple. 362 00:26:42,980 --> 00:26:47,606 But, it's not nearly enough evidence for an international trade center. 363 00:26:51,506 --> 00:26:54,026 As divers continue to investigate, 364 00:26:54,060 --> 00:26:58,340 they find strange, carved stone blocks scattered around the wreck. 365 00:27:00,066 --> 00:27:03,311 Their shape and design varies, but all have one thing in 366 00:27:03,345 --> 00:27:07,971 common, a hole approximately three inches wide. 367 00:27:09,869 --> 00:27:15,116 To Damian, it's clear these are holes for rope meaning one thing. 368 00:27:16,704 --> 00:27:20,052 DAMIAN: We've started to discover ancient anchors. 369 00:27:20,086 --> 00:27:23,676 Clearly, these anchors were thrown in to anchor the ship, 370 00:27:23,711 --> 00:27:25,816 but then, they got stuck, and so, 371 00:27:25,851 --> 00:27:28,405 they were just cut away and left. 372 00:27:29,613 --> 00:27:34,583 NARRATOR: In total the team uncovers more than 700 anchors. 373 00:27:35,792 --> 00:27:38,346 DAMIAN: The anchors are extremely significant because 374 00:27:38,380 --> 00:27:41,763 they enable us to work out which parts were land and 375 00:27:41,798 --> 00:27:44,628 which parts were anchorages. 376 00:27:44,663 --> 00:27:49,322 NARRATOR: It's clear now that hundreds of ships visited the city. 377 00:27:49,357 --> 00:27:53,810 Franck's data also reveals dozens more wrecks that litter the site. 378 00:27:55,190 --> 00:27:57,986 It's the largest collection of ancient shipwrecks ever 379 00:27:58,021 --> 00:28:02,197 discovered anywhere on earth. 380 00:28:03,474 --> 00:28:07,168 Plotting the locations of the wrecks and the anchors, 381 00:28:07,202 --> 00:28:11,137 Franck can now map the layout of the city. 382 00:28:13,036 --> 00:28:16,867 The outline of a central harbor appears... 383 00:28:16,902 --> 00:28:21,838 interconnected by a network of waterways and canals. 384 00:28:22,631 --> 00:28:26,912 The temple is surrounded by a huge port city. 385 00:28:26,946 --> 00:28:28,983 FRANCK: All those shipwrecks. 386 00:28:29,017 --> 00:28:35,714 Those hundreds of anchors we are pointing to a very active 387 00:28:35,748 --> 00:28:39,165 port which had been active for century. 388 00:28:40,477 --> 00:28:43,135 BOB: If you put the ships together with the statues, 389 00:28:43,169 --> 00:28:44,999 together with the size of the temple, 390 00:28:45,033 --> 00:28:47,070 together with the Greek descriptions, 391 00:28:47,104 --> 00:28:51,522 we have a picture of a thriving economic powerhouse. 392 00:28:54,525 --> 00:28:57,701 NARRATOR: Franck Goddio has uncovered that Heracleion was 393 00:28:57,736 --> 00:29:01,705 a great port city, but he has yet to find evidence it's the 394 00:29:01,740 --> 00:29:06,848 thriving international trade hub described by the ancient Greeks. 395 00:29:10,334 --> 00:29:13,786 As the team excavates further, they begin to uncover objects 396 00:29:13,821 --> 00:29:16,996 left behind by the city's inhabitants. 397 00:29:17,031 --> 00:29:21,656 From luxury jewelry and perfume bottles to simple wine 398 00:29:21,690 --> 00:29:24,763 amphora and cooking pots. 399 00:29:26,765 --> 00:29:29,422 Each object shines light on the everyday lives 400 00:29:29,457 --> 00:29:32,529 of the people here. 401 00:29:32,563 --> 00:29:35,704 And, analyzing the individual designs, 402 00:29:35,739 --> 00:29:40,364 the team discovers many of these artifacts were not made in Egypt. 403 00:29:41,987 --> 00:29:45,507 FRANCK: We have ceramic from all over the Mediterranean world. 404 00:29:45,542 --> 00:29:47,958 From Sicily. 405 00:29:47,993 --> 00:29:50,547 From Ateek. This is Ateek. 406 00:29:50,581 --> 00:29:54,620 Pristine. Quality. Important ceramic. 407 00:29:54,654 --> 00:29:56,656 NARRATOR: So far, Franck has identified pottery from 408 00:29:56,691 --> 00:29:59,590 18 different places. 409 00:29:59,625 --> 00:30:03,491 Some of it almost 3,000 years old. 410 00:30:05,251 --> 00:30:08,358 Mapping these findings reveals that a complex network of 411 00:30:08,392 --> 00:30:11,740 trade routes linked the port of Heracleion to the rest of 412 00:30:11,775 --> 00:30:15,054 the Mediterranean. 413 00:30:15,089 --> 00:30:20,853 This port city was clearly a thriving multi-cultural hub 414 00:30:20,888 --> 00:30:24,892 where, not only produce, but ideas and beliefs flowed 415 00:30:24,926 --> 00:30:29,275 between different cultures opening up ancient Egyptian 416 00:30:29,310 --> 00:30:34,004 civilization to the rest of the Mediterranean world. 417 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:37,490 BOB: The importance of this city cannot be underestimated 418 00:30:37,525 --> 00:30:41,529 because they now had ready access, 419 00:30:41,563 --> 00:30:45,119 via the maritime routes, to all of the luxury goods and 420 00:30:45,153 --> 00:30:48,639 the agricultural bounty of ancient Egypt. 421 00:30:51,435 --> 00:30:56,095 NARRATOR: The scale of the port reveals Heracleion was, 422 00:30:56,130 --> 00:31:00,203 likely, one of the most important cities in Egypt. 423 00:31:02,205 --> 00:31:03,896 DAMIAN: It's a bit like New York. 424 00:31:03,931 --> 00:31:06,416 It's got river fronts crammed with ships coming in from all 425 00:31:06,450 --> 00:31:09,350 over the trading world. 426 00:31:10,661 --> 00:31:13,733 BOB: Very cosmopolitan. Very colorful. 427 00:31:13,768 --> 00:31:16,357 Very picturesque kind of a place to be in. 428 00:31:16,391 --> 00:31:21,638 Analogous to any port city that you can imagine today. 429 00:31:24,848 --> 00:31:27,989 NARRATOR: Dating the artifacts discovered in Heracleion reveals 430 00:31:28,024 --> 00:31:32,131 that the city thrived from the eighth to second centuries BC. 431 00:31:33,650 --> 00:31:36,964 But, aside from its temple and role in international trade, 432 00:31:36,998 --> 00:31:40,588 we know next to nothing about it. 433 00:31:40,622 --> 00:31:44,592 What secrets can this shipwreck reveal about the key role 434 00:31:44,626 --> 00:31:49,769 this city played in the everyday lives of the people of Egypt? 435 00:31:58,433 --> 00:32:01,436 NARRATOR: Franck Goddio and his team are searching for clues 436 00:32:01,471 --> 00:32:06,372 to what life was like in the newly discovered city of Heracleion. 437 00:32:08,236 --> 00:32:13,000 As divers explore the site they discover yet another shipwreck. 438 00:32:13,034 --> 00:32:16,865 But, nothing about this one makes sense. 439 00:32:17,659 --> 00:32:20,110 FRANCK: You can see concentration of shipwreck 440 00:32:20,145 --> 00:32:22,354 here and there. 441 00:32:22,388 --> 00:32:25,046 But, there is one totally isolated. 442 00:32:25,081 --> 00:32:28,774 It's totally different from the others. 443 00:32:30,327 --> 00:32:33,917 NARRATOR: Not only is this wreck over 1200 feet from most 444 00:32:33,952 --> 00:32:38,646 of the other wrecks, it's in a canal right beside the temple. 445 00:32:41,235 --> 00:32:45,135 Franck suspects there is something special about this ship. 446 00:32:45,170 --> 00:32:49,070 It's hard to see the full picture in the murky water. 447 00:32:50,623 --> 00:32:54,903 But, we can finally reveal its secrets. 448 00:33:01,013 --> 00:33:03,533 A hull emerges. 449 00:33:03,567 --> 00:33:07,399 Long and shallow, it's beautifully crafted. 450 00:33:07,433 --> 00:33:10,402 With a width of only 6 feet it's clearly not designed to 451 00:33:10,436 --> 00:33:14,751 carry cargo or ferry people. 452 00:33:14,785 --> 00:33:18,134 The hull is remarkably intact. 453 00:33:18,168 --> 00:33:22,414 But, a hole in it reveals that a section of the keel is missing. 454 00:33:24,243 --> 00:33:29,041 And, unlike a baris, it's made from long, wide planks. 455 00:33:30,284 --> 00:33:35,047 It's clear to Franck, the ship is not made of acacia wood. 456 00:33:35,082 --> 00:33:40,087 FRANCK: We realize that that ship has been built from 457 00:33:40,121 --> 00:33:42,296 sycamore wood. 458 00:33:42,330 --> 00:33:48,647 Sycamore be the tree of life for ancient Egyptians. 459 00:33:48,681 --> 00:33:51,753 NARRATOR: Sycamore has a powerful significance in 460 00:33:51,788 --> 00:33:55,102 ancient Egyptian religion. 461 00:33:55,136 --> 00:33:59,037 Two sycamore trees marked the point on the horizon where Ra, 462 00:33:59,071 --> 00:34:03,282 the Sun God, rises every morning, and the Sky Goddess, 463 00:34:03,317 --> 00:34:07,700 Nut, takes the form of a sycamore branch. 464 00:34:08,218 --> 00:34:11,877 BOB: Sycamore is fraught with religious symbolism 465 00:34:11,911 --> 00:34:14,569 within the culture of Egypt. 466 00:34:14,604 --> 00:34:19,195 So, if this boat is made of sycamore, then all of the 467 00:34:19,229 --> 00:34:24,062 symbolic associations of sycamore are brought to bear on that boat. 468 00:34:24,096 --> 00:34:28,445 NARRATOR: So, what is the function of this spiritually important vessel? 469 00:34:31,966 --> 00:34:34,693 Egyptologist, Arto Belekdanian, 470 00:34:34,727 --> 00:34:37,937 believes he has an answer. 471 00:34:37,972 --> 00:34:41,665 The key evidence lies 600 miles south of Heracleion, 472 00:34:41,700 --> 00:34:45,359 at the Temple of Philae in Aswan. 473 00:34:45,393 --> 00:34:48,396 Among the images carved on the walls of this 2,000 year old 474 00:34:48,431 --> 00:34:52,987 temple there is a perfect match for the mystery ship. 475 00:34:53,712 --> 00:34:55,679 ARTO: So, this ship right here, 476 00:34:55,714 --> 00:34:59,062 you can see that it's long and slender and it is exactly the 477 00:34:59,097 --> 00:35:02,238 shape of the ship that was discovered in the canal. 478 00:35:02,272 --> 00:35:06,104 Right off the bat, I can tell you this is a processional barge. 479 00:35:07,415 --> 00:35:11,661 This is the barge that was used to carry the image of a God. 480 00:35:14,905 --> 00:35:17,874 NARRATOR: The theory that this is the processional barge of 481 00:35:17,908 --> 00:35:22,050 an Egyptian God explains its position near the temple, 482 00:35:22,085 --> 00:35:24,950 the home of the Gods. 483 00:35:24,984 --> 00:35:28,609 But, why it sinks remains a mystery. 484 00:35:31,439 --> 00:35:34,166 As divers hunt for clues around the wreck they stumble 485 00:35:34,201 --> 00:35:37,618 across a series of strange objects. 486 00:35:40,310 --> 00:35:44,728 Miniature models of the ritual barge made of lead. 487 00:35:45,660 --> 00:35:50,320 FRANCK: This is one of the best...you can see the papyrus here. 488 00:35:52,529 --> 00:35:55,429 And, we found 22 of them and now it's 23 with this one. 489 00:35:55,463 --> 00:35:57,638 DIVER: 23 now. FRANCK: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 490 00:35:57,672 --> 00:36:00,675 I love them. They're so nice. 491 00:36:00,710 --> 00:36:03,230 So strange, you know. 492 00:36:05,024 --> 00:36:08,787 NARRATOR: Nothing like these has ever been found before. 493 00:36:08,821 --> 00:36:12,549 Their position all around the ceremonial barge suggest they 494 00:36:12,584 --> 00:36:16,795 are offerings to the God it carried. 495 00:36:16,829 --> 00:36:20,039 ARTO: Unlike gold, that shiny, celestial, 496 00:36:20,074 --> 00:36:24,112 luminous metal associated with the Sun God, lead is dull. 497 00:36:24,147 --> 00:36:25,321 It's heavy. 498 00:36:25,355 --> 00:36:28,151 It has associations with the underground. 499 00:36:28,186 --> 00:36:30,981 These offerings were meant for the God Osiris, 500 00:36:31,016 --> 00:36:33,398 the ruler of the underworld. 501 00:36:34,399 --> 00:36:38,713 NARRATOR: Osiris was among the most popular of all Egyptian Gods. 502 00:36:39,749 --> 00:36:44,236 Worship of him culminated in a great annual festival where an 503 00:36:44,271 --> 00:36:47,619 image of the God was carried around the city in an 504 00:36:47,653 --> 00:36:51,450 elaborate procession of ships and boats. 505 00:36:52,693 --> 00:36:56,697 Arto believes the barge in Heracleion is the actual ship 506 00:36:56,731 --> 00:37:00,735 used in this iconic event. 507 00:37:00,770 --> 00:37:03,807 ARTO: As the barge of Osiris proceeded along the canal 508 00:37:03,842 --> 00:37:06,224 hundreds of torches lit the way. 509 00:37:08,433 --> 00:37:12,160 Crowds of people standing on either side of the canal, 510 00:37:12,195 --> 00:37:15,302 watching as the procession passed them by depositing 511 00:37:15,336 --> 00:37:19,098 votive offerings, pouring libations into the Nile. 512 00:37:21,411 --> 00:37:23,689 Fires were being lit. 513 00:37:23,724 --> 00:37:26,278 Meat was being cooked as a offering to the God. 514 00:37:26,313 --> 00:37:29,247 Incense was being burned. 515 00:37:32,802 --> 00:37:36,702 NARRATOR: But, given its prestigious role, 516 00:37:36,737 --> 00:37:40,396 how does this ship built to carry a God end up at the 517 00:37:40,430 --> 00:37:43,847 bottom of a canal? 518 00:37:44,331 --> 00:37:49,128 Returning to the drained landscape provides a clue. 519 00:37:49,163 --> 00:37:52,511 Looking closer at the hole in the hull it's possible to make 520 00:37:52,546 --> 00:37:57,309 out a series of repeated cuts in the surrounding wood. 521 00:37:57,344 --> 00:38:00,105 Saw marks. 522 00:38:00,139 --> 00:38:03,073 Franck can think of only one reason for this deliberate 523 00:38:03,108 --> 00:38:06,560 damage to such a sacred vessel. 524 00:38:06,594 --> 00:38:12,807 FRANCK: When such a barge was too old to be used anymore 525 00:38:12,842 --> 00:38:15,534 what to do with such an object? 526 00:38:15,569 --> 00:38:18,537 You could not destroy it because it has been touched by 527 00:38:18,572 --> 00:38:22,265 the God of the underworld, Osiris. 528 00:38:22,300 --> 00:38:27,684 To get rid of such a boat the only way was to give it back 529 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:32,655 to the God by sinking it on purpose. 530 00:38:34,691 --> 00:38:38,143 NARRATOR: After serving in Egypt's greatest festival the 531 00:38:38,177 --> 00:38:44,183 sacred barge itself becomes an offering to the Gods. 532 00:38:47,773 --> 00:38:51,363 The annual festival for Osiris is celebrated throughout 533 00:38:51,398 --> 00:38:56,437 Egypt, but the size of this ritual barge suggests it holds 534 00:38:56,472 --> 00:39:00,130 a particular importance in Heracleion. 535 00:39:00,165 --> 00:39:02,685 BOB: Size is always an index of power, 536 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:04,342 wealth and importance. 537 00:39:04,376 --> 00:39:08,311 And, to have a vessel of this size in that city, 538 00:39:08,346 --> 00:39:10,486 the largest ever found, actually in Egypt, 539 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:14,179 that would say this was probably the most important 540 00:39:14,213 --> 00:39:18,286 Osiris sanctuary in that particular part of the Delta. 541 00:39:18,321 --> 00:39:21,600 NARRATOR: The city of Heracleion rises to fame for 542 00:39:21,635 --> 00:39:24,465 its role in international trade. 543 00:39:24,500 --> 00:39:29,090 It also flourishes as an important religious center. 544 00:39:33,854 --> 00:39:37,271 And yet, this thriving metropolis now lies 545 00:39:37,305 --> 00:39:40,550 at the bottom of the sea. 546 00:39:41,620 --> 00:39:45,279 What can these cracks beneath the city teach us about its 547 00:39:45,313 --> 00:39:47,833 terrifying fate? 548 00:39:55,669 --> 00:39:58,603 NARRATOR: The city of Heracleion. 549 00:39:58,637 --> 00:40:02,330 The former trade emporium of Egypt. 550 00:40:03,539 --> 00:40:08,371 Now lies buried 20 feet beneath the waves of the Mediterranean. 551 00:40:09,924 --> 00:40:14,170 No historical texts record the demise of the city. 552 00:40:14,204 --> 00:40:17,518 But, Franck suspects a clue lies in what happened to the 553 00:40:17,553 --> 00:40:21,902 city's most iconic building, the temple. 554 00:40:25,768 --> 00:40:29,461 Excavating beneath the temple Franck finds chilling evidence 555 00:40:29,496 --> 00:40:33,258 that something catastrophic happened here. 556 00:40:36,468 --> 00:40:40,576 FRANCK: We have here human remains. 557 00:40:40,610 --> 00:40:45,477 We found them trapped under a block which fell from the 558 00:40:45,512 --> 00:40:51,379 temple and this, of course, reveals that there has been 559 00:40:51,414 --> 00:40:55,729 there a sudden event and human beings have been trapped. 560 00:40:56,557 --> 00:41:00,181 NARRATOR: Whatever happened, it happened fast. 561 00:41:05,186 --> 00:41:09,087 Geologist, Iain Stewart, tries to discover what triggered the 562 00:41:09,121 --> 00:41:13,263 temple's sudden destruction. 563 00:41:13,298 --> 00:41:17,923 Studying the location of Heracleion he has a prime suspect. 564 00:41:17,958 --> 00:41:19,338 IAIN: So, this is a map showing, essentially, 565 00:41:19,373 --> 00:41:21,686 the landscape of the eastern Mediterranean. 566 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:25,275 So, our site is located just in this little cusp here. 567 00:41:25,310 --> 00:41:27,519 And, from this, it doesn't really seem as if there's much 568 00:41:27,554 --> 00:41:30,764 in terms of danger or threat. 569 00:41:30,798 --> 00:41:33,974 But, actually, if we put on top the tectonic template 570 00:41:34,008 --> 00:41:35,527 what we find is these are all... 571 00:41:35,562 --> 00:41:37,909 these red lines are all fault lines, earthquake fault lines. 572 00:41:37,943 --> 00:41:39,876 So, when you look at it, you know, 573 00:41:39,911 --> 00:41:42,603 this is a tectonically active area. 574 00:41:42,638 --> 00:41:44,156 For me, it says one thing. 575 00:41:44,191 --> 00:41:45,675 And, that is that's earthquake. 576 00:41:45,710 --> 00:41:49,023 An earthquake has destroyed that temple. 577 00:41:49,921 --> 00:41:53,718 NARRATOR: Earthquakes regularly rock Egypt. 578 00:41:55,133 --> 00:41:57,549 Hundreds of quakes are known to have struck the 579 00:41:57,584 --> 00:42:01,346 northern coast since 2200BC. 580 00:42:03,451 --> 00:42:06,834 This explains the destruction of the temple, 581 00:42:06,869 --> 00:42:11,805 but not how an entire city disappears beneath the waves. 582 00:42:13,427 --> 00:42:17,845 Using Franck's data, we can drain deeper into the landscape. 583 00:42:23,230 --> 00:42:29,167 The sand and silt exposes a dense layer of clay underlying the city. 584 00:42:31,376 --> 00:42:34,759 Although the temple is built on top of the clay, 585 00:42:34,793 --> 00:42:39,177 limestone blocks now lie buried within it. 586 00:42:40,834 --> 00:42:46,149 Nearby the clay opens up in a huge crack almost two feet wide. 587 00:42:46,978 --> 00:42:49,601 It's buckled up at the edges as if something has 588 00:42:49,636 --> 00:42:53,053 burst its way up from below. 589 00:42:54,123 --> 00:42:57,229 Across the city there are many of these strange fissures in 590 00:42:57,264 --> 00:43:00,888 the underlying clay. 591 00:43:02,269 --> 00:43:06,722 Iain recognizes this unique geological fingerprint. 592 00:43:08,206 --> 00:43:11,519 It reveals Heracleion was struck by a terrifying 593 00:43:11,554 --> 00:43:14,488 after effect of the earthquake. 594 00:43:16,352 --> 00:43:19,079 IAIN: It looks like that muddy sea bed has been broken up and 595 00:43:19,113 --> 00:43:24,256 forced apart and the process most likely do that is liquefaction. 596 00:43:30,366 --> 00:43:32,817 So, liquefaction is this process that, 597 00:43:32,851 --> 00:43:34,888 if you have sediment with a lot of water in it, 598 00:43:34,922 --> 00:43:38,339 then the shaking that sediment forces the sediment particles 599 00:43:38,374 --> 00:43:40,307 apart and, under that great pressure, 600 00:43:40,341 --> 00:43:43,793 the water is forced up and breaks out at the surface. 601 00:43:43,828 --> 00:43:46,624 NARRATOR: Seismic activity loosens the underlying 602 00:43:46,658 --> 00:43:50,973 sediment releasing water which erupts through the clay, 603 00:43:51,007 --> 00:43:53,665 breaking it apart to form cracks, 604 00:43:53,700 --> 00:43:56,392 and buckling it upwards with the force. 605 00:43:56,426 --> 00:43:59,671 This pressure released, the ground collapses and behaves 606 00:43:59,706 --> 00:44:04,365 like quicksand, destabilizing anything built on top of it. 607 00:44:05,815 --> 00:44:08,749 IAIN: You get geysers and fountains of water producing 608 00:44:08,784 --> 00:44:11,131 a, kind of, quick sand. 609 00:44:11,165 --> 00:44:14,893 And, it's a really scary phenomenon. 610 00:44:15,445 --> 00:44:17,689 NARRATOR: Recent events in Palau, Indonesia, 611 00:44:17,724 --> 00:44:21,382 reveal how this process can carry away buildings and 612 00:44:21,417 --> 00:44:25,663 entire sections of land in a matter of minutes. 613 00:44:28,700 --> 00:44:34,257 Iain believes Heracleion's location made it even more vulnerable. 614 00:44:35,638 --> 00:44:38,399 IAIN: So, this city in the Nile Delta is built on layer 615 00:44:38,434 --> 00:44:41,920 upon layer of waterlogged sand piled on top of each 616 00:44:41,955 --> 00:44:46,304 other in an area that gets hit by earthquakes. 617 00:44:46,338 --> 00:44:49,548 So, this is a tragedy waiting to happen. 618 00:44:51,240 --> 00:44:53,656 NARRATOR: Piecing together all the evidence we can now 619 00:44:53,691 --> 00:44:58,903 finally reveal what happened to the great city of Heracleion. 620 00:45:11,018 --> 00:45:14,677 A massive earthquake strikes the temple sending its statues 621 00:45:14,712 --> 00:45:18,301 and pillars tumbling. 622 00:45:19,026 --> 00:45:23,755 IAIN: Things are starting to crumble down. 623 00:45:23,790 --> 00:45:26,724 And, everything is moving. The whole world is in motion. 624 00:45:28,829 --> 00:45:32,971 NARRATOR: Water erupts through the underlying clay... 625 00:45:33,869 --> 00:45:38,149 Suddenly turning the ground to quicksand, 626 00:45:38,183 --> 00:45:41,566 engulfing blocks from the temple. 627 00:45:43,879 --> 00:45:46,536 FRANCK: The currents would have collapsed several meters 628 00:45:46,571 --> 00:45:49,988 in a fraction of a second. 629 00:45:50,782 --> 00:45:53,267 NARRATOR: Loosened by the sudden release of water the 630 00:45:53,302 --> 00:45:58,756 land underlying the city begins to slide downhill. 631 00:46:00,378 --> 00:46:03,726 IAIN: Sliding towards the sea and beneath the waves. 632 00:46:06,039 --> 00:46:08,973 It must have felt like the end of the world. 633 00:46:10,181 --> 00:46:13,080 NARRATOR: This great city with its once thriving port and 634 00:46:13,115 --> 00:46:16,912 sacred sites is lost to the sea. 635 00:46:18,154 --> 00:46:23,746 FRANCK: So, the sea covered the whole area and sealed the site. 636 00:46:27,301 --> 00:46:30,718 NARRATOR: An extraordinary capital of trade, 637 00:46:30,753 --> 00:46:34,205 wealth and culture is gone. 638 00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:37,656 BOB: It was absolutely breathtaking. 639 00:46:39,106 --> 00:46:41,315 NARRATOR: A little over a century later, 640 00:46:41,350 --> 00:46:44,836 Egypt itself will fall to Rome ending the 641 00:46:44,871 --> 00:46:49,807 extraordinary 3,000 year reign of the great pharaohs. 642 00:46:52,430 --> 00:46:53,741 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.