1 00:00:02,087 --> 00:00:03,887 WILLIAM SHATNER: Massive stone circles that date back 2 00:00:03,964 --> 00:00:06,094 thousands of years... 3 00:00:06,174 --> 00:00:09,094 Rows of perfectly positioned pillars 4 00:00:09,219 --> 00:00:12,049 that stretch on for miles. 5 00:00:12,138 --> 00:00:15,718 And huge statues with secrets 6 00:00:15,809 --> 00:00:18,179 buried deep underground. 7 00:00:20,188 --> 00:00:22,768 All over the world, there are giant monoliths 8 00:00:22,899 --> 00:00:27,149 that our ancient ancestors carved out of solid rock, 9 00:00:27,279 --> 00:00:30,779 but what was the purpose of these huge stone monuments? 10 00:00:30,907 --> 00:00:34,247 Did they serve some kind of ritual function? 11 00:00:34,327 --> 00:00:37,087 Were they intended to honor the gods? 12 00:00:37,163 --> 00:00:40,753 Or is it possible that, as some believe, 13 00:00:40,834 --> 00:00:43,924 certain monoliths were actually designed to 14 00:00:44,004 --> 00:00:46,094 conduct energy? 15 00:00:47,132 --> 00:00:49,762 Well, that is what we’ll try and find out. 16 00:00:49,843 --> 00:00:51,883 ♪ ♪ 17 00:01:06,359 --> 00:01:09,529 SHATNER: Here, sitting atop a grassy clearing 18 00:01:09,654 --> 00:01:10,994 in the English countryside, 19 00:01:11,114 --> 00:01:13,864 about 80 miles west of the city of Plymouth, 20 00:01:13,992 --> 00:01:18,162 is a set of three monoliths that stand out 21 00:01:18,246 --> 00:01:20,376 from the natural landscape. 22 00:01:20,498 --> 00:01:22,368 In the language of ancient Britain, 23 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:25,080 the site was named Mên-an-Tol, 24 00:01:25,170 --> 00:01:27,290 which translates to 25 00:01:27,380 --> 00:01:30,670 "the stone of the hole." 26 00:01:32,260 --> 00:01:35,720 RONALD HUTTON: There’s nothing else on Earth quite like the Mên-an-Tol. 27 00:01:35,847 --> 00:01:39,687 It consists of a big, round stone 28 00:01:39,809 --> 00:01:41,889 with a big, round hole in the middle of it. 29 00:01:42,020 --> 00:01:44,640 It’s a couple of feet across. 30 00:01:44,731 --> 00:01:47,401 You can crawl through it quite comfortably. 31 00:01:47,525 --> 00:01:50,405 Uh, there’s a straight stone on either side. 32 00:01:50,528 --> 00:01:53,528 It’s highly visible in the landscape 33 00:01:53,657 --> 00:01:55,327 and bafflingly mysterious. 34 00:01:56,618 --> 00:01:58,788 SHATNER: Archaeologists believe that Mên-an-Tol 35 00:01:58,870 --> 00:02:02,450 was constructed around the year 2000 BC. 36 00:02:02,540 --> 00:02:06,080 It is also thought that there were once additional monoliths 37 00:02:06,211 --> 00:02:08,591 that encircled the center stone, 38 00:02:08,713 --> 00:02:11,383 which have been lost to time. 39 00:02:11,466 --> 00:02:13,556 There’s something very melodramatic 40 00:02:13,635 --> 00:02:15,095 about the Mên-an-Tol. 41 00:02:15,220 --> 00:02:17,390 There has to be a reason 42 00:02:17,514 --> 00:02:20,104 why ancient people had put up a big stone 43 00:02:20,225 --> 00:02:22,105 with a big hole in it. 44 00:02:22,227 --> 00:02:24,317 And the real thing to do with a stone with a hole 45 00:02:24,396 --> 00:02:28,946 is crawl through it, so there must be a good reason for that. 46 00:02:29,067 --> 00:02:32,077 Local folklore says that crawling through the center 47 00:02:32,195 --> 00:02:34,495 of the Mên-an-Tol is really good for you. 48 00:02:34,572 --> 00:02:36,822 Diseased children can get better, 49 00:02:36,908 --> 00:02:38,948 especially if they’ve got rickets. 50 00:02:39,077 --> 00:02:41,837 And if you put a couple of brass pins 51 00:02:41,913 --> 00:02:44,003 on the top of the holed stone, 52 00:02:44,082 --> 00:02:47,002 the way in which they fall off 53 00:02:47,085 --> 00:02:49,045 can predict your future. 54 00:02:49,129 --> 00:02:52,799 HUGH NEWMAN: When it comes to Mên-an-Tol in Cornwall, 55 00:02:52,924 --> 00:02:55,724 we have to question what is going on here? 56 00:02:55,802 --> 00:02:57,882 Is this really a magical place? 57 00:02:57,971 --> 00:03:00,261 Is it just ancient traditions? 58 00:03:00,348 --> 00:03:04,018 Or is there some reality to the power of these ancient stones? 59 00:03:05,645 --> 00:03:09,355 SHATNER: Mên-an-Tol is just one of approximately 1,300 60 00:03:09,441 --> 00:03:12,151 ancient monoliths that are scattered 61 00:03:12,277 --> 00:03:14,537 throughout the British Isles. 62 00:03:14,612 --> 00:03:19,492 It may sound outlandish to think that Mên-an-Tol 63 00:03:19,617 --> 00:03:21,457 and other standing stone sites 64 00:03:21,578 --> 00:03:24,248 can have a mystical affect on people, but 65 00:03:24,330 --> 00:03:26,540 who can say for sure that they don’t? 66 00:03:26,624 --> 00:03:31,134 Because even after centuries of study, these 67 00:03:31,212 --> 00:03:36,212 remarkable structures remain shrouded in mystery. 68 00:03:37,427 --> 00:03:41,397 HUTTON: Stonehenge gets all the fame and the recognition, 69 00:03:41,473 --> 00:03:44,893 but there are thousands and thousands 70 00:03:44,976 --> 00:03:48,526 of other prehistoric monuments that are worth attention 71 00:03:48,646 --> 00:03:50,486 up and down the British Isles. 72 00:03:51,608 --> 00:03:55,408 For example, Avebury is absolutely stunning 73 00:03:55,487 --> 00:03:57,947 because it’s a very big place. 74 00:03:58,031 --> 00:04:02,321 What you’re looking at there is an enormous bank 75 00:04:02,452 --> 00:04:05,032 with a ditch inside it, 76 00:04:05,163 --> 00:04:08,793 and inside this enormous circular enclosure 77 00:04:08,875 --> 00:04:13,965 was originally 100 stones in a circle, 78 00:04:14,047 --> 00:04:17,267 and inside this enormous circle of stones 79 00:04:17,342 --> 00:04:22,842 are the remnants of two other enormous stone circles. 80 00:04:22,931 --> 00:04:26,311 I mean, the place is so big that about half 81 00:04:26,392 --> 00:04:29,732 of a village was built inside it. 82 00:04:29,854 --> 00:04:32,944 It was an entire community. 83 00:04:34,150 --> 00:04:36,770 ANDREW COLLINS: The largest standing stone in Britain 84 00:04:36,861 --> 00:04:40,321 is known as the Rudston Monolith. 85 00:04:40,406 --> 00:04:44,456 It’s around 25 to 26 feet in height, 86 00:04:44,536 --> 00:04:49,456 but there is just as much of it under the ground, 87 00:04:49,541 --> 00:04:52,001 creating this huge, 88 00:04:52,085 --> 00:04:54,215 great monolith 89 00:04:54,337 --> 00:04:58,057 almost 60 feet in length. 90 00:04:58,132 --> 00:05:00,512 The significant thing about this is that 91 00:05:00,593 --> 00:05:03,593 the type of stone that it’s made from 92 00:05:03,721 --> 00:05:08,601 can only be sourced about 30 miles to the north. 93 00:05:08,726 --> 00:05:12,736 That meant that it was dragged in some way 94 00:05:12,814 --> 00:05:16,984 to its position in the village of Rudston, 95 00:05:17,068 --> 00:05:20,148 and we have to ask ourselves, 96 00:05:20,238 --> 00:05:23,038 is there a greater purpose behind all of this? 97 00:05:23,116 --> 00:05:25,956 And if so, what is that greater purpose? 98 00:05:26,077 --> 00:05:31,047 ED BARNHART: In the U.K., right now, we have thousands of known monuments, 99 00:05:31,124 --> 00:05:35,584 but there were probably thousands more, originally. 100 00:05:35,712 --> 00:05:37,882 We do know that 101 00:05:37,964 --> 00:05:41,764 the people who built the megaliths in the U.K. 102 00:05:41,843 --> 00:05:44,343 were early farmers, they were from 103 00:05:44,429 --> 00:05:48,429 4000 to about 2000 BCE. 104 00:05:48,516 --> 00:05:51,026 But we really don’t know what language 105 00:05:51,102 --> 00:05:52,892 they spoke, we don’t really know 106 00:05:52,979 --> 00:05:56,939 how they socially organized themselves or their politics. 107 00:05:57,066 --> 00:05:59,446 So, it’s still very much a question 108 00:05:59,527 --> 00:06:01,617 exactly why they built them. 109 00:06:03,156 --> 00:06:06,246 SHATNER: Why would prehistoric people go to the trouble of erecting 110 00:06:06,326 --> 00:06:09,376 heavy standing stones that weighed, in some cases, 111 00:06:09,454 --> 00:06:12,124 as much as 40 tons? 112 00:06:12,206 --> 00:06:16,966 Well, one theory suggests that these monoliths 113 00:06:17,045 --> 00:06:21,465 served as a connection to a higher plane of existence. 114 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,130 In many cases, these standing stones 115 00:06:26,220 --> 00:06:30,640 seem to be orientated towards celestial events, 116 00:06:30,767 --> 00:06:35,487 such as the rising and setting of the sun 117 00:06:35,563 --> 00:06:38,983 at the equinoxes and the solstices. 118 00:06:39,067 --> 00:06:43,077 And so, these monoliths are very clearly 119 00:06:43,154 --> 00:06:45,784 a reflection of this belief 120 00:06:45,865 --> 00:06:48,165 of contact with higher forces 121 00:06:48,242 --> 00:06:51,412 that would’ve taken place through the ceremonies 122 00:06:51,496 --> 00:06:56,086 and the rituals that would go on once, maybe twice a year. 123 00:06:56,167 --> 00:07:01,297 SHATNER: Were these monolithic sites built for ceremonial purposes? 124 00:07:01,381 --> 00:07:03,301 It’s an intriguing theory, 125 00:07:03,383 --> 00:07:06,803 and some researchers suggest that England’s 126 00:07:06,886 --> 00:07:10,766 standing stones were also connected to each other. 127 00:07:12,016 --> 00:07:15,526 Because, as it turns out, many of these monoliths 128 00:07:15,603 --> 00:07:18,903 appear to be geographically aligned 129 00:07:19,023 --> 00:07:24,323 on what are commonly referred to as ley lines. 130 00:07:25,822 --> 00:07:29,992 Ley lines, or leys, were first visualized 131 00:07:30,076 --> 00:07:33,746 by a thinker and visionary called 132 00:07:33,871 --> 00:07:36,331 Alfred Watkins in the 1920s. 133 00:07:36,416 --> 00:07:39,796 He wrote a book called The Old Straight Track, 134 00:07:39,877 --> 00:07:45,097 which said that a whole range of prehistoric monuments 135 00:07:45,216 --> 00:07:48,806 are connected by extremely long lines, 136 00:07:48,886 --> 00:07:51,266 even corridors, that stretch across 137 00:07:51,389 --> 00:07:53,009 the length and breadth of Britain. 138 00:07:54,726 --> 00:07:56,776 SHATNER: Alfred Watkins theorized 139 00:07:56,894 --> 00:07:59,104 that the straight lines which connect 140 00:07:59,230 --> 00:08:03,270 Britain’s monoliths were ancient trade routes. 141 00:08:03,401 --> 00:08:06,361 But some researchers disagree 142 00:08:06,446 --> 00:08:08,956 and claim that the massive stones 143 00:08:09,073 --> 00:08:10,953 were placed along ley lines 144 00:08:11,075 --> 00:08:14,875 to serve a more energetic purpose. 145 00:08:17,331 --> 00:08:20,751 COLLINS: It would seem that the whole long lines of monuments 146 00:08:20,877 --> 00:08:26,467 are connected with the geomagnetic fields of the Earth, 147 00:08:26,591 --> 00:08:31,051 and that the peoples of Britain 148 00:08:31,137 --> 00:08:35,227 created these stone circles and standing stones 149 00:08:35,308 --> 00:08:40,068 to enhance this natural energy of the landscape. 150 00:08:41,606 --> 00:08:44,276 SHATNER: Is it possible that ancient people, 151 00:08:44,358 --> 00:08:46,188 who did not even have written language, 152 00:08:46,277 --> 00:08:50,037 figured out how to use monoliths 153 00:08:50,114 --> 00:08:52,204 to harness the energy of the Earth? 154 00:08:52,283 --> 00:08:55,203 And if so, for what purpose? 155 00:08:56,788 --> 00:08:59,588 If prehistoric people believed that 156 00:08:59,665 --> 00:09:03,425 there were currents of Earth energy, 157 00:09:03,503 --> 00:09:05,753 then prehistoric monuments may have been 158 00:09:05,838 --> 00:09:07,798 put where they were in the landscape 159 00:09:07,882 --> 00:09:12,222 because they would have amplified prayers, 160 00:09:12,303 --> 00:09:17,013 invocations, chants, drumming, singing, and that would’ve 161 00:09:17,141 --> 00:09:19,061 considerably enhanced ceremonies. 162 00:09:19,143 --> 00:09:22,233 It’s going to create a very impressive effect 163 00:09:22,313 --> 00:09:25,063 for religious purposes. 164 00:09:28,986 --> 00:09:32,406 SHATNER: Although numerous intriguing theories have been put forward, 165 00:09:32,490 --> 00:09:35,450 ultimately, no one has been able 166 00:09:35,535 --> 00:09:37,125 to explain the purpose, 167 00:09:37,203 --> 00:09:40,753 placement, and construction of Britain’s 168 00:09:40,832 --> 00:09:43,502 remarkable monoliths. 169 00:09:43,584 --> 00:09:45,754 BARNHART: There’s a lot of things 170 00:09:45,837 --> 00:09:49,257 we don’t know about these megalithic structures. 171 00:09:49,340 --> 00:09:51,880 We really don’t know how they did it, 172 00:09:52,009 --> 00:09:54,339 why they did it. These are important questions, 173 00:09:54,470 --> 00:09:58,220 and we have certain hints, but most of it 174 00:09:58,349 --> 00:10:00,259 is still pretty much a mystery. 175 00:10:00,351 --> 00:10:04,771 What we can say is that there was a unified effort 176 00:10:04,856 --> 00:10:08,446 around building these monoliths, 177 00:10:08,526 --> 00:10:10,526 and that they are certainly 178 00:10:10,611 --> 00:10:13,191 cornerstone and symbolic of 179 00:10:13,322 --> 00:10:16,572 ancient Britain’s culture. 180 00:10:18,911 --> 00:10:21,371 The massive stone circles found throughout 181 00:10:21,455 --> 00:10:24,375 the United Kingdom are astonishing. 182 00:10:24,458 --> 00:10:27,828 But how were ancient people, with limited technology, 183 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:32,710 able to carve and transport such huge blocks? 184 00:10:32,842 --> 00:10:35,882 Perhaps the answer can be found by examining 185 00:10:36,012 --> 00:10:39,972 a number of large statues located on an island 186 00:10:40,057 --> 00:10:41,977 in the Mediterranean Sea. 187 00:10:42,059 --> 00:10:45,889 Statues that may be depicting 188 00:10:46,022 --> 00:10:48,442 real-life giants. 189 00:10:50,234 --> 00:10:52,074 NEWMAN: There was this giant stone head 190 00:10:52,195 --> 00:10:55,245 gazing back at him with these obsidian eyes. 191 00:10:55,323 --> 00:10:57,413 MATTHEW LACROIX: The classical Greeks and Romans 192 00:10:57,491 --> 00:11:00,121 discussed how there was an ancient giant bloodline 193 00:11:00,244 --> 00:11:02,284 on the island of Sardinia. 194 00:11:11,005 --> 00:11:14,265 SHATNER: On this island, located off the coast of Italy, 195 00:11:14,342 --> 00:11:17,882 a farmer in a region known as Mont’e Prama 196 00:11:17,970 --> 00:11:19,720 is tilling his fields, 197 00:11:19,805 --> 00:11:23,475 when he strikes what appears to be a large rock. 198 00:11:23,601 --> 00:11:27,101 But upon closer inspection, he realizes that his plow 199 00:11:27,188 --> 00:11:30,658 has revealed something far more amazing. 200 00:11:31,734 --> 00:11:36,154 It’s the head of a massive, ancient statue. 201 00:11:37,448 --> 00:11:39,818 The farmer started digging around it, 202 00:11:39,951 --> 00:11:42,281 brushing away the mud, pulled it out, 203 00:11:42,370 --> 00:11:45,540 and there was this giant stone head gazing back at him 204 00:11:45,623 --> 00:11:48,293 with these obsidian eyes. 205 00:11:48,417 --> 00:11:51,717 And so, this became quite a sensation at the time. 206 00:11:52,964 --> 00:11:55,304 It was one of the most important archaeological 207 00:11:55,424 --> 00:11:57,264 discoveries of the decade. 208 00:11:57,343 --> 00:11:59,513 BARNHART: Subsequently, archaeologists 209 00:11:59,637 --> 00:12:03,227 entered the area, and through the late ’70s, 210 00:12:03,307 --> 00:12:06,647 they dug, and they found over 5,000 fragments 211 00:12:06,769 --> 00:12:09,059 of these giant statues. 212 00:12:10,356 --> 00:12:13,656 We have archers, we have warriors, 213 00:12:13,734 --> 00:12:15,484 we have boxers. 214 00:12:15,611 --> 00:12:19,571 They are, generally speaking, about eight feet tall, 215 00:12:19,657 --> 00:12:22,417 and approach a ton in weight, 216 00:12:22,493 --> 00:12:26,243 and they are unique in the regard that, 217 00:12:26,330 --> 00:12:27,830 for their time, there was 218 00:12:27,957 --> 00:12:32,297 no other statuary that was in human form 219 00:12:32,378 --> 00:12:34,178 and size 220 00:12:34,255 --> 00:12:37,715 and that level of detail and sophistication. 221 00:12:39,176 --> 00:12:41,556 SHATNER: The monolithic statues came to be known as 222 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,719 the Giants of Mont’e Prama. 223 00:12:43,848 --> 00:12:47,898 According to archaeologists, they were carved by 224 00:12:48,019 --> 00:12:51,269 the Nuragic people, a mysterious civilization 225 00:12:51,355 --> 00:12:55,365 that lived on Sardinia nearly 4,000 years ago. 226 00:12:57,403 --> 00:13:00,823 The Nuragic people were the Indigenous population 227 00:13:00,906 --> 00:13:02,786 of Sardinia, 228 00:13:02,867 --> 00:13:06,957 beginning around 1750 BCE or so, 229 00:13:07,038 --> 00:13:10,168 and they were not the kind of society 230 00:13:10,249 --> 00:13:11,789 that would have writing. 231 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,750 So, we don’t know a lot beyond their everyday lifestyle, 232 00:13:16,881 --> 00:13:20,131 which would be in many ways similar to what was going on 233 00:13:20,217 --> 00:13:22,977 throughout the Mediterranean at the same time. 234 00:13:24,722 --> 00:13:26,802 SHATNER: Incredibly, some researchers claim 235 00:13:26,891 --> 00:13:28,431 that the reason why the Nuragic people 236 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:31,929 carved statues that were eight feet tall 237 00:13:32,063 --> 00:13:35,313 is because these monoliths 238 00:13:35,399 --> 00:13:38,979 were created in the image of an actual race 239 00:13:39,070 --> 00:13:41,570 of giants. 240 00:13:41,655 --> 00:13:43,995 NEWMAN: One of the strange things about these statues 241 00:13:44,075 --> 00:13:45,705 is that they appear 242 00:13:45,785 --> 00:13:48,535 to be buried underneath these kind of slabs of stone 243 00:13:48,621 --> 00:13:51,081 in this elongated grave, 244 00:13:51,207 --> 00:13:53,797 as though they were almost like ancestors 245 00:13:53,918 --> 00:13:55,758 being buried in the ground. 246 00:13:55,878 --> 00:13:57,838 Why they did this, we don’t know. 247 00:13:57,922 --> 00:14:00,002 But there are many legends of giants 248 00:14:00,091 --> 00:14:02,511 all over Sardinia and the stories go on and on and on. 249 00:14:02,593 --> 00:14:05,383 So, these could be the same giants 250 00:14:05,471 --> 00:14:09,141 who were memorialized in these particular statues. 251 00:14:10,476 --> 00:14:12,396 SHATNER: Could the monoliths of Mont’e Prama 252 00:14:12,478 --> 00:14:15,028 really be evidence that a civilization of giants 253 00:14:15,106 --> 00:14:19,326 once inhabited the island of Sardinia, as some believe? 254 00:14:20,820 --> 00:14:23,190 Many researchers think that it’s possible 255 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,030 and claim that there are additional clues in folklore 256 00:14:27,118 --> 00:14:30,918 throughout the Mediterranean. 257 00:14:30,996 --> 00:14:34,046 LACROIX: Diodorus, an ancient Greek historian, 258 00:14:34,125 --> 00:14:36,255 discussed how there was an ancient bloodline 259 00:14:36,335 --> 00:14:40,385 of the Athenian civilization known as the 50 sons of Hercules 260 00:14:40,464 --> 00:14:43,134 that mated with a mortal race of women 261 00:14:43,217 --> 00:14:44,807 to create a giant bloodline 262 00:14:44,885 --> 00:14:47,185 that built these monolithic statues 263 00:14:47,304 --> 00:14:48,844 on the island of Sardinia. 264 00:14:48,973 --> 00:14:51,143 NEWMAN: This story really put the idea 265 00:14:51,225 --> 00:14:53,355 into different philosophers’ heads 266 00:14:53,477 --> 00:14:56,817 that this was actually a very advanced culture 267 00:14:56,897 --> 00:15:01,657 that kind of led up to the time of the Nuragic people 268 00:15:01,735 --> 00:15:05,785 and culminated in the era of the Mont’e Prama giants. 269 00:15:07,074 --> 00:15:10,454 SHATNER: The massive monoliths of Mont’e Prama 270 00:15:10,536 --> 00:15:15,256 and stories from folklore aren’t the only pieces of evidence 271 00:15:15,332 --> 00:15:19,792 to suggest that giants once lived on Sardinia. 272 00:15:19,879 --> 00:15:23,879 Because there are also mysterious tombs 273 00:15:24,008 --> 00:15:27,018 located throughout the island that may have been 274 00:15:27,136 --> 00:15:30,686 where their oversized bodies were buried. 275 00:15:32,933 --> 00:15:35,563 TYKOT: What we see at Mont’e Prama, 276 00:15:35,686 --> 00:15:37,646 are totally separate structures 277 00:15:37,730 --> 00:15:39,520 for where they buried their deceased, 278 00:15:39,607 --> 00:15:42,657 and these are called the giants’ tombs, Tomba dei giganti. 279 00:15:44,069 --> 00:15:48,489 They are typically made of one very large stone 280 00:15:48,574 --> 00:15:52,834 that have a semi-hemispherical 281 00:15:52,912 --> 00:15:55,582 entry area, or front, 282 00:15:55,706 --> 00:15:57,296 that curves inward 283 00:15:57,374 --> 00:16:01,794 with the center part having a small hole down at the bottom, 284 00:16:01,879 --> 00:16:05,419 which is where the skeleton would have been interred. 285 00:16:05,549 --> 00:16:08,219 NEWMAN: As you see these giants’ tombs, what you realize 286 00:16:08,344 --> 00:16:11,094 is that it’s entirely made of large blocks 287 00:16:11,222 --> 00:16:14,222 with a small opening in the base. 288 00:16:14,350 --> 00:16:17,140 In tradition, these were the burial places 289 00:16:17,228 --> 00:16:18,688 designed for giants. 290 00:16:18,771 --> 00:16:21,651 They would actually build the tomb around it. 291 00:16:22,900 --> 00:16:24,610 This is one of the clues that 292 00:16:24,735 --> 00:16:26,615 kind of links with the legends 293 00:16:26,737 --> 00:16:29,077 that giants did exist in Sardinia. 294 00:16:29,156 --> 00:16:31,166 But there is further evidence that 295 00:16:31,242 --> 00:16:33,322 actual skeletons have been found 296 00:16:33,410 --> 00:16:35,780 in some of these giants’ graves. 297 00:16:36,997 --> 00:16:39,587 We have accounts from 1901, 298 00:16:39,708 --> 00:16:43,248 where there’s a report of four nine-foot skeletons 299 00:16:43,337 --> 00:16:46,927 being unearthed in the vicinity in northern Sardinia. 300 00:16:47,049 --> 00:16:50,509 And even relatively recently, there are reports of 301 00:16:50,594 --> 00:16:53,184 three skeletons being dug up in an area called 302 00:16:53,264 --> 00:16:55,604 Torralba, in southwest Sardinia. 303 00:16:55,724 --> 00:16:58,974 However, the problem is, is that most of the evidence 304 00:16:59,103 --> 00:17:00,853 has now disappeared. 305 00:17:00,938 --> 00:17:03,158 They’ve just gone missing, basically. 306 00:17:03,274 --> 00:17:05,274 And so, you have to question, 307 00:17:05,401 --> 00:17:07,521 why is this? Is there a cover-up? 308 00:17:08,946 --> 00:17:11,906 SHATNER: Is it possible that the bones of giants 309 00:17:11,991 --> 00:17:14,571 have actually been hidden from the public? 310 00:17:14,660 --> 00:17:16,990 It’s an intriguing theory, 311 00:17:17,121 --> 00:17:19,331 and it deepens the mystery surrounding 312 00:17:19,456 --> 00:17:21,916 the strange, towering statues 313 00:17:22,001 --> 00:17:24,371 uncovered at Mont’e Prama. 314 00:17:25,629 --> 00:17:27,879 BARNHART: The Giants of Mont’e Prama 315 00:17:27,965 --> 00:17:31,595 are very unique and enigmatic, 316 00:17:31,677 --> 00:17:35,767 and Sardinia’s myths and stories about 317 00:17:35,848 --> 00:17:38,978 who these people were typically talk about giants, 318 00:17:39,059 --> 00:17:41,519 but there’s a lot of things we don’t know 319 00:17:41,645 --> 00:17:42,985 about who these people were. 320 00:17:43,063 --> 00:17:46,363 And so, these giant statues 321 00:17:46,483 --> 00:17:49,483 are the mystery within that mystery. 322 00:17:50,821 --> 00:17:54,531 Were the statues of Mont’e Prama built to honor 323 00:17:54,658 --> 00:17:57,278 a society of actual giants? 324 00:17:57,369 --> 00:17:59,279 The fact that some of the statues 325 00:17:59,371 --> 00:18:02,411 are more than eight feet tall definitely makes you wonder 326 00:18:02,499 --> 00:18:03,959 whether it could be possible. 327 00:18:04,043 --> 00:18:06,083 And there’s another group of monoliths, 328 00:18:06,170 --> 00:18:09,090 located some 800 miles away in Western France, 329 00:18:09,173 --> 00:18:12,923 that is also associated with a lost civilization, 330 00:18:13,010 --> 00:18:18,260 a civilization whose mastery of mathematics and engineering 331 00:18:18,349 --> 00:18:21,389 was centuries ahead of its time. 332 00:18:23,228 --> 00:18:28,108 Carnac is a unique phenomenon from any other Neolithic sites. 333 00:18:28,192 --> 00:18:31,902 Right around 4000 BCE, engineers 334 00:18:32,029 --> 00:18:35,239 were creating these in a very exacting way. 335 00:18:42,164 --> 00:18:43,874 SHATNER: This peaceful countryside, 336 00:18:43,957 --> 00:18:46,007 located in the northwest part of France, 337 00:18:46,085 --> 00:18:50,215 is known for its rustic farms and wide fields. 338 00:18:50,297 --> 00:18:53,557 But jutting out from the green hills 339 00:18:53,634 --> 00:18:55,884 is something rather striking. 340 00:18:56,011 --> 00:18:57,721 It’s a formation 341 00:18:57,846 --> 00:19:00,356 of more than 3,000 stone monoliths 342 00:19:00,432 --> 00:19:02,472 that stretches across the landscape 343 00:19:02,559 --> 00:19:05,519 for an astonishing two miles. 344 00:19:05,604 --> 00:19:08,484 These monoliths are collectively known as 345 00:19:08,565 --> 00:19:11,485 the Carnac stones. 346 00:19:11,568 --> 00:19:14,648 Carnac is like enormous stationary giants, 347 00:19:14,738 --> 00:19:17,398 or needles plugged into the Earth, 348 00:19:17,491 --> 00:19:19,411 stretching as far as the eye can see. 349 00:19:19,493 --> 00:19:22,243 It’s a unique phenomenon 350 00:19:22,329 --> 00:19:25,659 from any of the ancient sites, because none of the others 351 00:19:25,749 --> 00:19:28,789 have these marching processions of stones 352 00:19:28,919 --> 00:19:32,249 in pretty straight lines running on for miles. 353 00:19:32,381 --> 00:19:36,341 There’s no other place in Europe or the U.K. 354 00:19:36,427 --> 00:19:38,887 that we see this kind of arrangement. 355 00:19:38,971 --> 00:19:41,431 Within Carnac is Europe’s 356 00:19:41,515 --> 00:19:44,105 largest single megalith. 357 00:19:44,184 --> 00:19:47,774 It was called the Menhir of Er Grah. 358 00:19:47,855 --> 00:19:52,735 Now, it’s fallen over, broken, and it’s in four pieces. 359 00:19:52,818 --> 00:19:58,578 But it was originally 60 tall and over 300 tons. 360 00:19:58,657 --> 00:20:03,287 At Carnac, there are thousands and thousands of stones, 361 00:20:03,412 --> 00:20:06,752 but the real draw are these alignments, 362 00:20:06,832 --> 00:20:09,212 with neat rows of megalithic stones 363 00:20:09,293 --> 00:20:11,043 going in a single direction. 364 00:20:12,212 --> 00:20:15,342 ERIN KAVANAUGH: Carnac has three main alignments, 365 00:20:15,466 --> 00:20:18,596 one of which is particularly interesting. 366 00:20:18,677 --> 00:20:23,017 It consists of 1,050 stones 367 00:20:23,140 --> 00:20:25,930 across ten different rows. 368 00:20:26,018 --> 00:20:28,988 And these are aligned east to west, 369 00:20:29,104 --> 00:20:32,814 and they decrease in size towards the east. 370 00:20:32,900 --> 00:20:35,270 So, there was definitely some sort of plan 371 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:37,190 going on with the alignments. 372 00:20:37,321 --> 00:20:40,951 But what that plan is remains a mystery. 373 00:20:41,033 --> 00:20:43,993 SHATNER: According to archaeologists, 374 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:45,829 the Carnac stones were positioned 375 00:20:45,954 --> 00:20:48,374 in approximately 4000 BC, 376 00:20:48,499 --> 00:20:52,289 making them older than the Great Pyramid of Egypt. 377 00:20:52,377 --> 00:20:54,847 But who constructed this extraordinary array 378 00:20:54,922 --> 00:20:56,802 of monoliths and aligned them 379 00:20:56,882 --> 00:20:59,512 with such incredible precision 380 00:20:59,635 --> 00:21:02,305 remains a mystery. 381 00:21:02,387 --> 00:21:06,477 There’s a huge amount of folklore about Carnac. 382 00:21:07,768 --> 00:21:11,108 The monoliths are often seen as sinners 383 00:21:11,188 --> 00:21:14,948 who are turned to stone by the Almighty for breaching 384 00:21:15,025 --> 00:21:17,985 a whole range of, uh, religious rules. 385 00:21:19,196 --> 00:21:22,956 Some see them as an army of the dead 386 00:21:23,033 --> 00:21:28,623 that rose up and began marching and then got turned into stone 387 00:21:28,705 --> 00:21:31,375 as death reclaimed them. 388 00:21:33,126 --> 00:21:37,506 KAVANAUGH: There’s also a theory that involves Merlin, 389 00:21:37,589 --> 00:21:39,299 the wise man, 390 00:21:39,383 --> 00:21:43,723 and that there was an invading Roman army, 391 00:21:43,846 --> 00:21:46,016 and to protect the local peoples, 392 00:21:46,098 --> 00:21:49,318 Merlin cast a spell upon the Roman soldiers, 393 00:21:49,393 --> 00:21:53,023 and turned them all into stone. 394 00:21:53,105 --> 00:21:56,565 And that’s why you have nice, neat alignments. 395 00:21:57,776 --> 00:22:00,446 SHATNER: The fantastic legends surrounding the Carnac stones 396 00:22:00,571 --> 00:22:03,361 may suggest that they had a mystical origin. 397 00:22:03,448 --> 00:22:06,618 But many historians believe the ancient monoliths 398 00:22:06,743 --> 00:22:10,743 are so perfectly aligned not because of magic, 399 00:22:10,831 --> 00:22:13,711 but rather mathematics. 400 00:22:13,792 --> 00:22:18,292 The alignments in Carnac are spectacular and elaborate. 401 00:22:18,422 --> 00:22:22,092 The scope of them is astonishing, 402 00:22:22,217 --> 00:22:26,767 but also, the alignments are geometrically perfect, 403 00:22:26,847 --> 00:22:29,687 in that there are Pythagorean theorems 404 00:22:29,766 --> 00:22:32,106 built within the stone alignments. 405 00:22:32,185 --> 00:22:36,605 SHATNER: For decades, some historians and archaeologists 406 00:22:36,732 --> 00:22:39,942 have argued that there appears to be 407 00:22:40,027 --> 00:22:44,657 precise triangles within the monolithic structure. 408 00:22:44,781 --> 00:22:46,911 Historians find this extraordinary because 409 00:22:46,992 --> 00:22:49,242 the Greek philosopher Pythagorus 410 00:22:49,328 --> 00:22:52,298 developed this geometric concept 411 00:22:52,372 --> 00:22:54,752 in the 6th century BC, 412 00:22:54,833 --> 00:22:57,543 more than 3,000 years after 413 00:22:57,628 --> 00:22:59,928 the Carnac stones were erected. 414 00:23:01,381 --> 00:23:03,091 MICHIO KAKU: When you take a look at the location of the stones, 415 00:23:03,175 --> 00:23:04,465 you can say, "Well, yeah, 416 00:23:04,551 --> 00:23:06,471 there’s a Pythagorean triangle there." 417 00:23:06,595 --> 00:23:10,305 And, just remember, these monoliths date back 6,000 years. 418 00:23:10,432 --> 00:23:12,392 So, the ancients were much more advanced 419 00:23:12,476 --> 00:23:14,606 than we give them credit for. 420 00:23:14,686 --> 00:23:17,066 SHATNER: If the builders of the Carnac stones 421 00:23:17,147 --> 00:23:19,947 used the Pythagorean theorem thousands of years 422 00:23:20,025 --> 00:23:21,945 before it was first defined, 423 00:23:22,027 --> 00:23:26,747 then how did they obtain such advanced mathematical knowledge? 424 00:23:26,823 --> 00:23:29,413 It’s a profound mystery. 425 00:23:29,493 --> 00:23:31,623 One that Alexander Thom, 426 00:23:31,703 --> 00:23:34,493 a professor of engineering at Oxford University, 427 00:23:34,581 --> 00:23:38,001 tried to answer in the 1950s. 428 00:23:38,085 --> 00:23:40,755 BARNHART: Alexander Thom really was 429 00:23:40,837 --> 00:23:42,677 on the quest to 430 00:23:42,756 --> 00:23:44,926 show us just how sophisticated 431 00:23:45,008 --> 00:23:48,258 these megalithic engineers and builders were. 432 00:23:48,345 --> 00:23:51,645 And he determined that-- by measuring 433 00:23:51,723 --> 00:23:54,683 about 600 different stones-- 434 00:23:54,768 --> 00:23:57,818 that there was basically a megalithic yard, 435 00:23:57,896 --> 00:24:00,196 and by yard, he meant yardstick. 436 00:24:00,315 --> 00:24:04,195 It was basically 2.7 feet, is what he thought 437 00:24:04,277 --> 00:24:09,617 was the unit of measure used to create these stones. 438 00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:12,200 KAVANUGH: According to Alexander Thom, 439 00:24:12,327 --> 00:24:16,297 the megalithic yard was precise to the millimeter, 440 00:24:16,373 --> 00:24:18,713 and that this was used to make 441 00:24:18,834 --> 00:24:20,794 the mathematical judgements 442 00:24:20,877 --> 00:24:24,677 inherent within these stone configurations. 443 00:24:24,756 --> 00:24:28,556 And he considered it to be a very serious scholarly idea. 444 00:24:28,677 --> 00:24:32,647 Alexander Thom believed that people across 445 00:24:32,723 --> 00:24:36,683 time and distance, such as between Stonehenge and Carnac, 446 00:24:36,768 --> 00:24:39,558 were using this megalithic yard. 447 00:24:39,646 --> 00:24:41,736 And we can see this in the evidence 448 00:24:41,815 --> 00:24:43,315 that they leave behind, 449 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:48,070 with the alignments and enormous monoliths. 450 00:24:49,573 --> 00:24:53,413 McGOWAN: There’s certainly a connection between the standing stones 451 00:24:53,493 --> 00:24:57,583 in Britain and the alignments in Carnac. 452 00:24:57,664 --> 00:25:01,544 However, that is just scratching the surface. 453 00:25:01,626 --> 00:25:04,886 I don’t think we even have the first idea 454 00:25:04,963 --> 00:25:08,763 of how extraordinary the intelligence was 455 00:25:08,842 --> 00:25:11,552 that created these alignments in Carnac. 456 00:25:11,636 --> 00:25:16,396 And Carnac needs and deserves so much more study 457 00:25:16,475 --> 00:25:19,105 to understand how exceptional 458 00:25:19,186 --> 00:25:22,776 these ancient monoliths actually are. 459 00:25:22,856 --> 00:25:25,776 Is it possible that there is a connection between 460 00:25:25,859 --> 00:25:28,279 the Carnac stones and other monoliths 461 00:25:28,403 --> 00:25:30,943 scattered throughout Europe? 462 00:25:31,031 --> 00:25:32,281 Some researchers believe 463 00:25:32,407 --> 00:25:34,207 that it’s a distinct possibility, 464 00:25:34,284 --> 00:25:36,244 and they also claim 465 00:25:36,328 --> 00:25:38,298 that these monoliths 466 00:25:38,371 --> 00:25:41,371 were part of an ancient network of sites that stretched 467 00:25:41,458 --> 00:25:44,128 not just across Europe 468 00:25:44,252 --> 00:25:46,462 but all over the world. 469 00:25:48,048 --> 00:25:50,638 TERRY HUNT: Why did the ancient islanders 470 00:25:50,717 --> 00:25:53,477 invest so much in these giant statues, 471 00:25:53,553 --> 00:25:54,933 and why are they here? 472 00:25:55,013 --> 00:25:56,643 LACROIX: Some of these moai were built 473 00:25:56,765 --> 00:25:59,265 by a much more ancient civilization than the Rapa Nui. 474 00:26:05,190 --> 00:26:07,360 SHATNER: 2,300 miles off the coast of Chile, 475 00:26:07,484 --> 00:26:10,784 an island rises from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. 476 00:26:10,862 --> 00:26:14,152 Called "Rapa Nui" by the locals, 477 00:26:14,241 --> 00:26:16,991 the island is perhaps better known by the name given to it 478 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:19,529 by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, 479 00:26:19,663 --> 00:26:24,583 when he landed here on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1722 480 00:26:24,668 --> 00:26:28,468 and dubbed it "Easter Island." 481 00:26:30,340 --> 00:26:34,510 Today, some 5,000 people make their home here, 482 00:26:34,594 --> 00:26:36,184 most of whom are the descendants 483 00:26:36,263 --> 00:26:39,013 of Easter Island’s original inhabitants, 484 00:26:39,141 --> 00:26:42,971 who were also named the Rapa Nui. 485 00:26:43,061 --> 00:26:45,311 But its most famous residents 486 00:26:45,397 --> 00:26:49,907 are the hundreds of massive, ancient monolithic statues, 487 00:26:50,026 --> 00:26:52,366 known as moai, 488 00:26:52,487 --> 00:26:55,827 that are scattered across its grassy cliffs. 489 00:26:57,450 --> 00:27:01,330 Easter Island is famous for its moai statues. 490 00:27:01,413 --> 00:27:05,083 They are these human depictions. 491 00:27:05,208 --> 00:27:09,498 Their faces are very long, and their chins are long, 492 00:27:09,588 --> 00:27:14,098 and there are over 900 of them on the island. 493 00:27:14,217 --> 00:27:17,597 About 95% of them 494 00:27:17,721 --> 00:27:22,891 were quarried at a crater called Rano Raraku, 495 00:27:22,976 --> 00:27:27,486 and there are a number of failed or just 496 00:27:27,564 --> 00:27:33,114 given up on moai still carved into the crater’s face. 497 00:27:33,236 --> 00:27:35,826 The moai vary quite a bit in size, 498 00:27:35,906 --> 00:27:38,156 but the average moai 499 00:27:38,241 --> 00:27:42,871 is about 12 to 13 tons and about 13 feet tall. 500 00:27:42,954 --> 00:27:46,254 So, people are really fascinated by this 501 00:27:46,333 --> 00:27:49,373 and continue to beg for an explanation 502 00:27:49,461 --> 00:27:53,091 of why did the ancient islanders 503 00:27:53,173 --> 00:27:56,883 in this remote location invest so much 504 00:27:56,968 --> 00:28:00,008 in these giant statues, and why are they here? 505 00:28:01,181 --> 00:28:03,181 SHATNER: Archaeologists estimate that the moai 506 00:28:03,266 --> 00:28:06,686 were created between 1400 and 1600 AD. 507 00:28:06,770 --> 00:28:10,520 For centuries, experts have been confounded 508 00:28:10,607 --> 00:28:12,737 as to what these massive headstones 509 00:28:12,817 --> 00:28:15,117 were intended to represent. 510 00:28:15,195 --> 00:28:18,115 But then, in 2010, archaeologists uncovered 511 00:28:18,198 --> 00:28:22,458 an important clue, when a series of excavations revealed 512 00:28:22,535 --> 00:28:28,295 that there was more to the moai than meets the eye. 513 00:28:28,375 --> 00:28:32,635 ROBERT SCHOOCH: They discovered the moai have torsos, 514 00:28:32,712 --> 00:28:37,382 and they have very long, thin arms and hands. 515 00:28:37,467 --> 00:28:40,597 They’re huge statues, 516 00:28:40,679 --> 00:28:43,389 and they’re buried up to their necks, 517 00:28:43,473 --> 00:28:47,063 literally, in sediment and debris. 518 00:28:47,143 --> 00:28:50,143 HUNT: The moai have details on the body. 519 00:28:50,272 --> 00:28:52,192 Some have petroglyphs on the body. 520 00:28:52,315 --> 00:28:54,815 And people are really fascinated by this 521 00:28:54,901 --> 00:28:58,111 because the common misperception of the moai 522 00:28:58,196 --> 00:29:00,456 comes from the really 523 00:29:00,532 --> 00:29:02,952 iconic photos of 524 00:29:03,034 --> 00:29:04,824 the heads alone. 525 00:29:04,953 --> 00:29:07,623 And so, people see that, and they just call them heads, 526 00:29:07,706 --> 00:29:10,796 but it’s correct to really refer to the moai as statues. 527 00:29:10,875 --> 00:29:15,965 SHATNER: The discovery of the full-sized moai statues only deepens 528 00:29:16,047 --> 00:29:18,677 the mystery surrounding them. 529 00:29:18,758 --> 00:29:21,258 The revelation that some of these monoliths 530 00:29:21,344 --> 00:29:24,594 are more than twice as big as previously believed 531 00:29:24,681 --> 00:29:27,101 naturally begs the question, 532 00:29:27,183 --> 00:29:32,273 how did the Rapa Nui move these massive stones into place? 533 00:29:33,189 --> 00:29:35,649 The transport of these giant statues 534 00:29:35,734 --> 00:29:38,364 has been a continuing mystery. 535 00:29:38,445 --> 00:29:41,495 For example, the largest moai ever transported 536 00:29:41,573 --> 00:29:43,203 goes by the name of Paro. 537 00:29:43,325 --> 00:29:47,665 Paro is about 33 feet tall, 538 00:29:47,746 --> 00:29:52,666 and he’s estimated to weigh about 75 to 80 tons. 539 00:29:52,751 --> 00:29:55,381 Paro was transported from the quarry 540 00:29:55,462 --> 00:29:57,592 to the platform where he was displayed, 541 00:29:57,714 --> 00:29:59,714 and it’s over three miles. 542 00:29:59,799 --> 00:30:01,669 So, it’s an amazing accomplishment. 543 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:04,840 BARNHART: The mystery of how they moved 544 00:30:04,929 --> 00:30:07,049 these giant statues 545 00:30:07,140 --> 00:30:10,010 has been a-a perennial question. 546 00:30:10,101 --> 00:30:12,481 When the first Europeans showed up 547 00:30:12,562 --> 00:30:15,402 and asked the local people how they did it, 548 00:30:15,523 --> 00:30:20,193 they said, "Well, the statues walked there themselves. 549 00:30:20,278 --> 00:30:21,898 "They walked from the quarry 550 00:30:21,988 --> 00:30:26,198 to these platforms they stand on, called ahu." 551 00:30:26,284 --> 00:30:29,414 And so, if we listen to the Rapa Nui, 552 00:30:29,496 --> 00:30:33,336 there was a magical quality to creating these moai. 553 00:30:33,416 --> 00:30:37,176 SHATNER: Is it possible that the moai somehow 554 00:30:37,253 --> 00:30:39,253 walked into place? 555 00:30:39,339 --> 00:30:41,549 Of course, it sounds impossible, 556 00:30:41,633 --> 00:30:46,223 but according to tests conducted by archaeologists in 2012, 557 00:30:46,304 --> 00:30:49,684 there may be some truth to this legend. 558 00:30:50,850 --> 00:30:53,140 What we showed in experiments, 559 00:30:53,269 --> 00:30:58,099 with a replica of an actual moai, 560 00:30:58,191 --> 00:31:01,731 is that the statues have a lower center of gravity 561 00:31:01,820 --> 00:31:05,070 that makes them lean forward, 562 00:31:05,156 --> 00:31:08,076 and if you attach ropes to the head, 563 00:31:08,159 --> 00:31:10,279 and rock the statue... 564 00:31:11,746 --> 00:31:14,256 ...the pendulum effect takes over, 565 00:31:14,332 --> 00:31:16,872 allowing it to fall forward, 566 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:18,500 and the statue actually walks. 567 00:31:18,628 --> 00:31:23,248 BARNHART: It turns out that it looks like, in the end, 568 00:31:23,341 --> 00:31:26,801 the Rapa Nui may well be right. Maybe they did walk there. 569 00:31:28,138 --> 00:31:32,358 SHATNER: Were the moai statues moved by an ingenious use of ropes? 570 00:31:32,475 --> 00:31:35,275 It’s just one of the many intriguing theories 571 00:31:35,353 --> 00:31:38,103 about these giant stone statues. 572 00:31:38,189 --> 00:31:41,439 But, ultimately, how they were transported 573 00:31:41,526 --> 00:31:43,866 and became buried up to their necks 574 00:31:43,987 --> 00:31:46,367 remains unknown. 575 00:31:46,489 --> 00:31:51,159 The moai of Easter Island really have come to represent mystery. 576 00:31:51,244 --> 00:31:54,664 Huge stone sculptures 577 00:31:54,747 --> 00:31:58,007 on a grassy, windswept island... 578 00:31:58,084 --> 00:32:01,464 people wonder who made these and why. 579 00:32:01,546 --> 00:32:04,806 And so, the mystery continues. 580 00:32:04,883 --> 00:32:07,673 Even after centuries of study, 581 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,430 the origins and true purpose of the amazing moai statues 582 00:32:11,514 --> 00:32:15,524 of Easter Island remain shrouded in mystery. 583 00:32:15,643 --> 00:32:20,273 But there have been monoliths created in modern times 584 00:32:20,356 --> 00:32:22,196 that are no less mysterious, 585 00:32:22,275 --> 00:32:25,575 including a nine-foot-tall metal pillar 586 00:32:25,695 --> 00:32:29,035 that was discovered in a remote desert canyon in Utah. 587 00:32:29,115 --> 00:32:32,535 A pillar that seems to have appeared 588 00:32:32,660 --> 00:32:34,530 out of thin air. 589 00:32:36,331 --> 00:32:39,121 KAVANAUGH: Monoliths appeared around the world, 590 00:32:39,209 --> 00:32:42,129 and so it attracted the public imagination. 591 00:32:42,212 --> 00:32:46,802 BARNHART: The sighting of this odd metal monolith was 592 00:32:46,883 --> 00:32:48,343 a shot heard ’round the world. 593 00:32:58,311 --> 00:33:01,521 SHATNER: In the remote sandstone canyons of the Utah desert, 594 00:33:01,606 --> 00:33:06,826 a team of biologists tracking sheep make a shocking discovery. 595 00:33:06,903 --> 00:33:11,653 They come upon a gleaming, 12-foot-tall 596 00:33:11,741 --> 00:33:14,571 metal monolith. 597 00:33:15,745 --> 00:33:18,205 It’s just a completely unearthly image. 598 00:33:18,289 --> 00:33:20,749 It’s this big, triangular prism, 599 00:33:20,833 --> 00:33:23,043 about 12 feet tall, 600 00:33:23,127 --> 00:33:25,257 firmly embedded in the desert ground 601 00:33:25,380 --> 00:33:30,170 in this incredibly remote place where there are no roads. 602 00:33:33,012 --> 00:33:34,932 GRADY: It’s very difficult to get 603 00:33:35,014 --> 00:33:36,104 anything out there, let alone 604 00:33:36,182 --> 00:33:39,682 a 12-feet-tall slab of metal. 605 00:33:40,937 --> 00:33:43,067 But what’s very weird about it is, 606 00:33:43,147 --> 00:33:44,857 using Google Earth satellite imagery, 607 00:33:44,941 --> 00:33:47,361 they eventually figure out that it has been there 608 00:33:47,443 --> 00:33:51,073 for four to five years without being discovered. 609 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,570 BARNHART: The sighting of this odd metal monolith, 610 00:33:55,660 --> 00:33:58,280 looking like some kind of 611 00:33:58,371 --> 00:34:00,451 otherworldly portal, 612 00:34:00,582 --> 00:34:03,872 was a shot heard ’round the world. 613 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,250 In some regards, it was not a monolith 614 00:34:06,337 --> 00:34:08,887 because "lith" means "stone," 615 00:34:08,965 --> 00:34:11,675 and this is a metal thing. 616 00:34:11,801 --> 00:34:14,131 But, still, it attracted everyone’s eyes. 617 00:34:14,220 --> 00:34:17,800 I think part of it was the-the mystery. How did it get there? 618 00:34:19,058 --> 00:34:22,058 SHATNER: Numerous theories were put forth as to who 619 00:34:22,145 --> 00:34:25,775 might’ve created the so-called "Utah monolith." 620 00:34:25,857 --> 00:34:29,447 And then, during the following months, 621 00:34:29,527 --> 00:34:31,407 the mystery took another twist, 622 00:34:31,487 --> 00:34:35,327 as similar monoliths started popping up 623 00:34:35,408 --> 00:34:37,958 all over the world. 624 00:34:38,036 --> 00:34:40,086 GRADY: Other people became inspired 625 00:34:40,163 --> 00:34:42,753 by this monolith in the Utah desert, 626 00:34:42,832 --> 00:34:46,422 and started copycatting from that. 627 00:34:46,502 --> 00:34:47,882 And so, 628 00:34:48,004 --> 00:34:52,004 another monolith appears in India. 629 00:34:52,091 --> 00:34:55,171 Shortly after that, one shows up in Italy. 630 00:34:55,261 --> 00:34:57,971 You get one showing up in Pittsburgh, 631 00:34:58,056 --> 00:34:59,976 right outside of a candy shop. 632 00:35:00,058 --> 00:35:02,818 There’s one that shows up in San Francisco 633 00:35:02,894 --> 00:35:05,524 that is made out of gingerbread. 634 00:35:05,647 --> 00:35:09,817 In the end, between November of 2020 and May of 2021, 635 00:35:09,901 --> 00:35:14,531 over 200 monoliths around the world just appear. 636 00:35:21,245 --> 00:35:23,955 SHATNER: While some wrote off the worldwide 637 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,170 monolith phenomenon as a cultural fad, 638 00:35:27,251 --> 00:35:30,291 historians were quick to disagree 639 00:35:30,380 --> 00:35:34,380 and claimed that something more profound was occurring 640 00:35:34,509 --> 00:35:37,879 that dates back to the dawn of history. 641 00:35:40,056 --> 00:35:44,226 Because, curiously, about 6,000 years ago, 642 00:35:44,310 --> 00:35:47,600 upright stones known as menhirs 643 00:35:47,730 --> 00:35:51,400 that bear a striking resemblance to the Utah monolith, 644 00:35:51,526 --> 00:35:54,076 were inexplicably erected 645 00:35:54,153 --> 00:35:56,783 all over Europe. 646 00:35:56,906 --> 00:36:00,706 When we look at this menhir phenomenon, 647 00:36:00,785 --> 00:36:03,585 there’s a time right around 4000 BCE 648 00:36:03,663 --> 00:36:05,203 where these sites pop up 649 00:36:05,289 --> 00:36:08,159 all over the place, at least in Europe. 650 00:36:09,293 --> 00:36:13,923 The most well-known are the ones that are in the U.K. 651 00:36:14,006 --> 00:36:17,426 and in France and Portugal and Spain, 652 00:36:17,510 --> 00:36:22,350 but it’s actually a much larger and more expansive tradition. 653 00:36:22,432 --> 00:36:24,432 They started creating these everywhere. 654 00:36:24,559 --> 00:36:28,939 In Germany, we have the Wotan stone. 655 00:36:29,063 --> 00:36:31,353 In Sweden, one of their most famous 656 00:36:31,441 --> 00:36:35,191 standing stones is the Menhir of Grandson. 657 00:36:35,278 --> 00:36:40,208 Overall, in Europe, there are over 35,000 658 00:36:40,283 --> 00:36:42,783 standing menhirs still today, 659 00:36:42,869 --> 00:36:45,529 in almost every country. 660 00:36:47,498 --> 00:36:50,958 SHATNER: The number of ancient menhirs located throughout Europe 661 00:36:51,043 --> 00:36:54,713 is staggering, and many historians have wondered 662 00:36:54,797 --> 00:36:56,927 why were so many monoliths 663 00:36:57,008 --> 00:37:01,228 created during the same time period? 664 00:37:01,304 --> 00:37:05,894 Travel and trade had been standard for thousands of years. 665 00:37:05,975 --> 00:37:09,315 People are observant, and they like to remember 666 00:37:09,395 --> 00:37:12,985 and replicate and interpret and represent. 667 00:37:13,107 --> 00:37:16,327 So, if somebody’s traveled to, say, 668 00:37:16,444 --> 00:37:19,114 Rudston in East Yorkshire, 669 00:37:19,197 --> 00:37:21,827 and then they go back to Germany, 670 00:37:21,908 --> 00:37:25,168 and they say, "Oh, I saw these amazing stones. 671 00:37:25,244 --> 00:37:27,494 Let’s have a go at making them." 672 00:37:27,580 --> 00:37:31,620 It’s not impossible that people may have just observed this 673 00:37:31,709 --> 00:37:33,329 and then imitated it. 674 00:37:34,921 --> 00:37:37,001 SHATNER: Is it possible that the phenomenon 675 00:37:37,089 --> 00:37:39,009 surrounding the Utah monolith 676 00:37:39,091 --> 00:37:43,131 was actually history repeating itself? 677 00:37:43,221 --> 00:37:47,351 And that humans have actually been imitating each other 678 00:37:47,433 --> 00:37:51,643 by building monoliths for thousands of years? 679 00:37:52,980 --> 00:37:55,020 BARNHART: It’s interesting that 680 00:37:55,149 --> 00:37:57,649 people don’t want to take credit in modern times 681 00:37:57,735 --> 00:37:59,075 for creating these monuments, 682 00:37:59,195 --> 00:38:01,995 and that may give us some insight 683 00:38:02,073 --> 00:38:04,493 into the mentality of the people 684 00:38:04,575 --> 00:38:07,245 that built ancient monoliths. 685 00:38:07,370 --> 00:38:09,950 They didn’t carve their names in there, 686 00:38:10,039 --> 00:38:12,619 and it perhaps was not about them, either. 687 00:38:12,708 --> 00:38:14,998 It was about the human compunction 688 00:38:15,086 --> 00:38:18,386 to make a piece of immortality. 689 00:38:20,550 --> 00:38:24,050 Are human beings hardwired to create 690 00:38:24,136 --> 00:38:26,646 and then replicate monoliths? 691 00:38:26,722 --> 00:38:30,142 Well, if that’s true, then it’s intriguing to think 692 00:38:30,226 --> 00:38:33,686 that we share this instinct with our ancient ancestors. 693 00:38:33,771 --> 00:38:37,401 And based on the number of monoliths 694 00:38:37,483 --> 00:38:39,153 being constructed today, 695 00:38:39,235 --> 00:38:41,735 it seems that humanity’s compulsion 696 00:38:41,821 --> 00:38:44,201 to build these mysterious structures 697 00:38:44,282 --> 00:38:46,912 shows no signs of stopping. 698 00:39:01,090 --> 00:39:03,800 SHATNER: Each year, around 150,000 people celebrate 699 00:39:03,926 --> 00:39:06,976 the oldest arts festival in all of Europe, 700 00:39:07,096 --> 00:39:10,556 which is known as the National Eisteddfod. 701 00:39:13,853 --> 00:39:15,523 Since 1176 AD, 702 00:39:15,605 --> 00:39:17,655 the Eisteddfod has been an annual celebration 703 00:39:17,773 --> 00:39:21,073 of Welsh culture that includes music, 704 00:39:21,152 --> 00:39:24,362 poetry, dancing, 705 00:39:24,447 --> 00:39:26,747 and more. 706 00:39:26,824 --> 00:39:30,244 The most curious part of the festival is that, every year, 707 00:39:30,328 --> 00:39:33,838 a set of 12 monoliths, 708 00:39:33,956 --> 00:39:36,216 known as Gorsedd Stones, 709 00:39:36,292 --> 00:39:39,502 are carved and then carefully placed in a circle. 710 00:39:40,504 --> 00:39:42,424 Although most of the Gorsedd Stone circles 711 00:39:42,506 --> 00:39:45,556 have been built in the last 200 years, 712 00:39:45,635 --> 00:39:47,685 they closely resemble 713 00:39:47,803 --> 00:39:50,853 the thousands of ancient monoliths 714 00:39:50,973 --> 00:39:53,973 that can be found throughout the British Isles. 715 00:39:56,312 --> 00:39:58,642 COLLINS: At each of these Eisteddfods, 716 00:39:58,731 --> 00:40:02,191 a Gorsedd Stone circle, uh, was created, 717 00:40:02,318 --> 00:40:03,988 so that there are now 718 00:40:04,111 --> 00:40:06,991 quite a number of them throughout Wales. 719 00:40:08,157 --> 00:40:11,247 And each one was resurrecting 720 00:40:11,327 --> 00:40:13,207 the beliefs and practices 721 00:40:13,329 --> 00:40:16,039 of a very ancient tradition 722 00:40:16,165 --> 00:40:19,175 to celebrate Welsh history 723 00:40:19,293 --> 00:40:21,583 and culture and tradition. 724 00:40:22,672 --> 00:40:24,882 SHATNER: Unlike the Utah monolith phenomenon, 725 00:40:25,007 --> 00:40:26,517 which was a modern interpretation 726 00:40:26,634 --> 00:40:28,224 of standing structures, 727 00:40:28,344 --> 00:40:32,604 the Gorsedd Stones are a literal recreation 728 00:40:32,682 --> 00:40:35,222 of the monoliths of the past. 729 00:40:35,351 --> 00:40:39,021 But what inspires the residents of modern-day Wales 730 00:40:39,105 --> 00:40:41,905 to erect pillars of stone? 731 00:40:43,192 --> 00:40:46,322 Well, some historians believe that 732 00:40:46,404 --> 00:40:49,614 people remain fascinated by ancient monoliths 733 00:40:49,699 --> 00:40:52,489 because these giant standing stones 734 00:40:52,576 --> 00:40:54,586 that were laid thousands of years ago 735 00:40:54,704 --> 00:40:58,334 are still part of our world today. 736 00:41:00,292 --> 00:41:01,872 BARNHART: Everywhere in Europe, 737 00:41:01,961 --> 00:41:06,091 there is some sort of megalithic architecture that 738 00:41:06,215 --> 00:41:09,475 modern communities are identifying themselves with. 739 00:41:09,552 --> 00:41:12,972 Sometimes, monoliths 740 00:41:13,055 --> 00:41:15,975 are actually just right along a country road. 741 00:41:17,226 --> 00:41:20,026 People pass it every day, like it’s an everyday object, 742 00:41:20,104 --> 00:41:22,814 but it’s thousands of years old. 743 00:41:23,899 --> 00:41:26,149 And it’s become part of that community. 744 00:41:26,235 --> 00:41:29,695 In some regards, perhaps that was the intention 745 00:41:29,780 --> 00:41:32,400 of the people who built it thousands of years ago. 746 00:41:33,868 --> 00:41:36,668 KAVANAUGH: Standing stones are striking, 747 00:41:36,746 --> 00:41:40,546 awe-inspiring, inexplicable, 748 00:41:40,624 --> 00:41:43,544 and this is a very compelling combination. 749 00:41:43,627 --> 00:41:47,507 It doesn’t matter whether they were built this year 750 00:41:47,590 --> 00:41:49,880 or 6,000 years ago, 751 00:41:49,967 --> 00:41:53,187 they’re fascinating, but why? 752 00:41:53,262 --> 00:41:58,012 Well, why are we fascinated by anything out of the ordinary? 753 00:41:58,100 --> 00:42:01,350 Because it’s magnificent. It’s humbling. 754 00:42:01,437 --> 00:42:03,357 It fills us with wonder. 755 00:42:03,439 --> 00:42:06,269 HUTTON: The great thing about monoliths 756 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,400 is that they are enduring. 757 00:42:09,487 --> 00:42:10,907 And once it’s there, 758 00:42:10,988 --> 00:42:14,858 it’s highly visible in the landscape, 759 00:42:14,950 --> 00:42:17,120 and it goes on forever, 760 00:42:17,203 --> 00:42:19,203 but they are enigmatic. 761 00:42:19,288 --> 00:42:21,748 Because, at the last analysis, 762 00:42:21,832 --> 00:42:25,172 the big, eternal question remains: 763 00:42:25,294 --> 00:42:26,754 why were they built? 764 00:42:26,837 --> 00:42:29,307 And that is a mystery 765 00:42:29,423 --> 00:42:32,513 which we may never solve. 766 00:42:32,635 --> 00:42:37,345 Was Stonehenge created to harness the energy of the Earth? 767 00:42:37,473 --> 00:42:39,893 Were the statues of Mont’e Prama 768 00:42:39,975 --> 00:42:42,685 actually based on real-life giants? 769 00:42:42,812 --> 00:42:46,102 Was there a global network of interconnected, 770 00:42:46,190 --> 00:42:48,150 ancient stone monuments? 771 00:42:48,275 --> 00:42:51,115 Perhaps. 772 00:42:51,195 --> 00:42:54,075 But while mysterious monoliths 773 00:42:54,156 --> 00:42:58,576 around the world were built to stand the test of time, 774 00:42:58,661 --> 00:43:01,741 their purpose and their power 775 00:43:01,831 --> 00:43:06,081 remain unexplained. 776 00:43:06,168 --> 00:43:08,538 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A+E NETWORKS