1
00:00:01,252 --> 00:00:05,754
William shatner:
Atlantis, a legendary utopia,
2
00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:07,840
and a model for urban
efficiency.
3
00:00:07,883 --> 00:00:10,759
The city of the future.
4
00:00:10,845 --> 00:00:14,346
And then one day it was gone.
5
00:00:16,517 --> 00:00:18,934
According to the ancient
greek philosopher plato,
6
00:00:19,020 --> 00:00:22,855
it was the glittering capital
of an advanced civilization,
7
00:00:22,940 --> 00:00:26,650
and then, suddenly, it vanished
from the face of the earth.
8
00:00:26,736 --> 00:00:29,570
Some believe it was
destroyed by an earthquake,
9
00:00:29,655 --> 00:00:33,198
others are convinced that
it sunk into the sea.
10
00:00:33,284 --> 00:00:35,451
And then there are those
who believe
11
00:00:35,536 --> 00:00:39,788
it rose up off the ground
and went...
12
00:00:39,874 --> 00:00:42,666
But was it only a myth?
13
00:00:42,752 --> 00:00:45,794
Or did the so-called lost
continent of atlantis
14
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:47,963
really exist?
15
00:00:48,049 --> 00:00:52,760
Well, that is what we'll try
and find out.
16
00:00:52,845 --> 00:00:54,845
♪ ♪
17
00:01:11,155 --> 00:01:14,073
shatner:
Within this modern city
stands the ruins of a citadel
18
00:01:14,158 --> 00:01:17,076
that was once the center
of ancient greece.
19
00:01:19,747 --> 00:01:21,538
The ancient greek civilization
lasted
20
00:01:21,582 --> 00:01:23,290
for more than three centuries.
21
00:01:23,375 --> 00:01:26,877
The greeks developed
a sophisticated culture,
22
00:01:26,962 --> 00:01:31,131
which had a profound impact
on western politics,
23
00:01:31,217 --> 00:01:32,883
science and philosophy.
24
00:01:32,968 --> 00:01:36,887
One of the best known
greek philosophers was plato,
25
00:01:36,972 --> 00:01:40,849
who wrote more than 20
important philosophical texts,
26
00:01:40,935 --> 00:01:43,268
known as "dialogues."
27
00:01:44,313 --> 00:01:47,189
ric rader:
Plato was doing his
major writing
28
00:01:47,274 --> 00:01:49,733
in the fourth century bce.
29
00:01:49,819 --> 00:01:52,820
And plato's works are
very serious,
30
00:01:52,905 --> 00:01:54,863
very sober philosophical
reflections
31
00:01:54,949 --> 00:01:57,074
on major, major questions.
32
00:01:57,159 --> 00:02:00,619
He is really the most
important philosopher
33
00:02:00,704 --> 00:02:02,246
in the western world.
34
00:02:02,331 --> 00:02:05,666
Richard freund: For most
of western civilization,
35
00:02:05,751 --> 00:02:11,004
plato is the basis for
our thinking and philosophy.
36
00:02:11,090 --> 00:02:14,424
But he's also partially
historian.
37
00:02:15,469 --> 00:02:20,055
And his work is still used
38
00:02:20,141 --> 00:02:24,726
in order to identify
the way life was in antiquity.
39
00:02:24,812 --> 00:02:27,604
Shatner:
Of all the influential writings
of plato,
40
00:02:27,690 --> 00:02:29,773
the one that is perhaps
the most fascinating
41
00:02:29,859 --> 00:02:33,026
and the most mysterious
is his account
42
00:02:33,112 --> 00:02:36,572
of a lost civilization
that existed centuries before
43
00:02:36,657 --> 00:02:39,950
the rise of ancient greece...
44
00:02:40,035 --> 00:02:42,995
Atlantis.
45
00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,790
Atlantis is a very important
story in western imagination.
46
00:02:46,876 --> 00:02:50,377
In the year 359 before
the common era,
47
00:02:50,462 --> 00:02:53,422
plato, the great philosopher,
told a story
48
00:02:53,507 --> 00:02:57,092
about a continent,
a large island,
49
00:02:57,178 --> 00:02:59,178
out in the atlantic ocean,
50
00:02:59,263 --> 00:03:02,681
and it became
a very powerful nation.
51
00:03:02,766 --> 00:03:04,975
It was home to
a fabulous civilization
52
00:03:05,060 --> 00:03:08,520
that began as the byword
for justice and compassion.
53
00:03:08,564 --> 00:03:13,775
It had a huge navy
that it used to travel
54
00:03:13,861 --> 00:03:17,654
from place to place
around the mediterranean.
55
00:03:17,740 --> 00:03:21,158
Andrew collins:
Plato tells us in his dialogues
56
00:03:21,243 --> 00:03:25,329
that the information came from
a famous statesman
57
00:03:25,414 --> 00:03:28,290
who visited egypt
by the name of solon
58
00:03:28,375 --> 00:03:29,875
a few centuries before.
59
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,337
Shatner:
Plato wrote that solon
traveled to northern egypt
60
00:03:33,422 --> 00:03:35,380
and entered a sacred temple
61
00:03:35,424 --> 00:03:38,342
dedicated to the egyptian
goddess neith.
62
00:03:38,385 --> 00:03:41,386
Within the temple was a column
63
00:03:41,472 --> 00:03:43,722
completely covered with
hieroglyphics
64
00:03:43,807 --> 00:03:46,767
on which the history
of atlantis was recorded.
65
00:03:46,852 --> 00:03:50,646
Egyptian priests told solon
the story of
66
00:03:50,731 --> 00:03:52,773
this lost civilization,
67
00:03:52,858 --> 00:03:54,816
which predated the egyptians
themselves.
68
00:03:54,902 --> 00:03:58,737
The egyptians would recount
the story of atlantis
69
00:03:58,822 --> 00:04:02,616
as a major, major part of where
their civilization came from,
70
00:04:02,701 --> 00:04:05,494
where they got a lot
of their knowledge.
71
00:04:05,579 --> 00:04:08,705
This was a very advanced
and technological civilization.
72
00:04:08,791 --> 00:04:13,669
And plato is reporting this
as a very, very important story
73
00:04:13,754 --> 00:04:15,545
for the ancient egyptians.
74
00:04:15,631 --> 00:04:20,342
Pretty much like the next day
after plato writes this,
75
00:04:20,427 --> 00:04:22,344
people start debating
whether or not it was true.
76
00:04:22,429 --> 00:04:26,515
Did plato mean this
as a fictional story,
77
00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,270
or was plato talking about
a historical occurrence?
78
00:04:31,355 --> 00:04:34,189
Shatner:
While it may sound like
the stuff of fantasy,
79
00:04:34,275 --> 00:04:37,818
in his dialogues
timaeus and critias,
80
00:04:37,903 --> 00:04:40,070
plato provides a wealth
of detail
81
00:04:40,155 --> 00:04:43,865
about what many believe
was a very real island nation.
82
00:04:45,786 --> 00:04:50,163
Hugh newman:
Plato described atlantis
as being a huge landmass,
83
00:04:50,249 --> 00:04:52,666
potentially in
the atlantic ocean.
84
00:04:52,751 --> 00:04:55,961
One of the main design specs
of atlantis was
85
00:04:56,046 --> 00:05:00,924
this huge area at the center
of the main city of atlantis
86
00:05:01,010 --> 00:05:05,429
that had concentric circles of
land and canals.
87
00:05:05,514 --> 00:05:08,849
It had a canal coming out
that went to the sea,
88
00:05:08,934 --> 00:05:11,893
and a great port was
built there.
89
00:05:11,979 --> 00:05:14,604
Young:
The concentric circles
of navigable canals
90
00:05:14,690 --> 00:05:17,649
suggest a well-planned
early marina.
91
00:05:17,693 --> 00:05:21,486
It is strongly oriented
to the sea.
92
00:05:21,572 --> 00:05:25,240
In the temple on the acropolis
at the center of atlantis,
93
00:05:25,326 --> 00:05:28,869
there is a statue of poseidon,
the creator god of the place.
94
00:05:28,954 --> 00:05:31,121
And he's got winged horses;
95
00:05:31,206 --> 00:05:33,332
a chariot with horses
that can fly.
96
00:05:33,417 --> 00:05:37,627
So there is also a transcendent
dimension implied.
97
00:05:38,964 --> 00:05:42,466
Shatner:
But if such a transcendent,
awe-inspiring place
98
00:05:42,551 --> 00:05:46,136
actually existed,
what happened to it?
99
00:05:46,221 --> 00:05:50,849
According to plato,
the atlanteans angered the gods
100
00:05:50,893 --> 00:05:54,227
with their pride,
what the greeks called "hubris."
101
00:05:54,313 --> 00:05:58,982
-(thunder crashes)
-and you definitely
don't want to do that.
102
00:06:01,403 --> 00:06:04,696
Young:
Atlantis got more and more vain,
103
00:06:04,740 --> 00:06:07,824
more and more abusive
in their hubris.
104
00:06:07,910 --> 00:06:11,995
A kind of arrogance
that was saying, "we are gods."
105
00:06:12,081 --> 00:06:16,833
that vanity of thinking that we
are as important as the gods
106
00:06:16,919 --> 00:06:21,380
tends to upset the gods,
and then the downfall comes.
107
00:06:21,465 --> 00:06:24,174
The downfall that is in every
greek tragic play
108
00:06:24,259 --> 00:06:25,592
is the same thing.
109
00:06:25,677 --> 00:06:29,012
People of great privilege
are brought down.
110
00:06:29,098 --> 00:06:30,555
(thunder crashing)
111
00:06:30,599 --> 00:06:32,557
picknett:
Atlantis disappeared
112
00:06:32,601 --> 00:06:34,393
in a day and a night
113
00:06:34,478 --> 00:06:38,313
due to some natural catastrophe,
114
00:06:38,399 --> 00:06:39,773
and ended up under the waves.
115
00:06:39,858 --> 00:06:45,570
Young:
The gods came and destroyed
the whole place.
116
00:06:45,656 --> 00:06:49,157
The people were killed,
the navy was destroyed,
117
00:06:49,243 --> 00:06:50,992
all in a day.
118
00:06:51,078 --> 00:06:54,871
And atlantis sinks into the sea.
119
00:06:57,292 --> 00:07:01,503
Freund:
When plato talks about
this catastrophic destruction
120
00:07:01,588 --> 00:07:06,425
of atlantis, I have to
take him seriously.
121
00:07:06,510 --> 00:07:09,636
And the people would say, "oh,
it's just a metaphor, atlantis."
122
00:07:09,721 --> 00:07:14,391
every metaphor has at its base
a nucleus
123
00:07:14,476 --> 00:07:17,436
of historical information.
124
00:07:17,521 --> 00:07:22,941
So even if he fictionalized it,
even if he elaborated it,
125
00:07:22,985 --> 00:07:28,113
at its nucleus,
it's a real historical place.
126
00:07:28,157 --> 00:07:31,700
Shatner:
Obviously, the best way to prove
whether or not atlantis exists
127
00:07:31,785 --> 00:07:33,243
is to find it.
128
00:07:33,328 --> 00:07:36,288
And rediscovering
mythological cities
129
00:07:36,331 --> 00:07:40,542
isn't as far-fetched
as it might sound.
130
00:07:40,627 --> 00:07:43,712
Other than the myth of atlantis,
the other great myth was
131
00:07:43,797 --> 00:07:44,880
the existence of troy,
132
00:07:44,965 --> 00:07:50,093
a city that rivaled the greeks
in power.
133
00:07:50,179 --> 00:07:53,680
We know about the trojan horse,
we know about helen of troy,
134
00:07:53,765 --> 00:07:55,432
we know about achilles.
135
00:07:55,476 --> 00:07:58,018
Shatner:
For centuries, scholars
scoffed at the notion
136
00:07:58,103 --> 00:08:00,270
that troy was a real place.
137
00:08:00,355 --> 00:08:02,772
That is until amateur
archaeologist
138
00:08:02,858 --> 00:08:06,276
heinrich schliemann went
looking for it in 1871.
139
00:08:06,361 --> 00:08:10,489
And believe it or not,
schliemann found troy.
140
00:08:10,532 --> 00:08:13,450
Pretty much where homer said
it would be.
141
00:08:15,329 --> 00:08:17,204
Kaku:
And that spawned
a whole industry
142
00:08:17,289 --> 00:08:19,956
of trying to find
other ancient cities.
143
00:08:20,042 --> 00:08:21,958
But I think it also
raised false hopes
144
00:08:22,002 --> 00:08:24,794
that we would find atlantis
the same way we found
145
00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:26,755
the city of troy.
146
00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,256
It may not be so easy.
147
00:08:28,342 --> 00:08:32,135
Shatner:
The modern search for atlantis
was kicked off
148
00:08:32,179 --> 00:08:34,137
back in the late 19th century
149
00:08:34,223 --> 00:08:37,599
by a rather curious
amateur scientist
150
00:08:37,684 --> 00:08:40,602
named ignatius donnelly.
151
00:08:42,397 --> 00:08:44,272
Christopher bader:
Ignatius donnelly wrote a book
152
00:08:44,358 --> 00:08:46,816
called atlantis:
The antediluvian world
153
00:08:46,860 --> 00:08:48,568
back in 1882.
154
00:08:48,654 --> 00:08:51,655
And this was a book that really
brought atlantis out of
155
00:08:51,740 --> 00:08:55,492
plato's fables and into
modern consciousness.
156
00:08:55,536 --> 00:08:57,744
He said atlantis really existed,
157
00:08:57,829 --> 00:09:00,539
really did have advanced
technology.
158
00:09:00,624 --> 00:09:04,334
Shatner:
For donnelly, researching
the story of atlantis
159
00:09:04,419 --> 00:09:07,546
became such an obsession
that he even went so far
160
00:09:07,631 --> 00:09:10,006
as to claim that
he knew precisely
161
00:09:10,092 --> 00:09:13,677
where atlantis would
one day be found.
162
00:09:13,762 --> 00:09:16,012
Young:
Ignatius donnelly said
atlantis was in
163
00:09:16,098 --> 00:09:18,473
a very specific place
in the atlantic ocean,
164
00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,642
that it sank,
and that the azores,
165
00:09:20,727 --> 00:09:23,228
the islands out there off Spain,
166
00:09:23,313 --> 00:09:26,147
are the tips of the mountains.
167
00:09:26,233 --> 00:09:28,358
Now we have good undersea
exploration.
168
00:09:28,443 --> 00:09:30,610
We can go down and see
the heavy silt
169
00:09:30,696 --> 00:09:32,445
that is at the ocean bottom
170
00:09:32,531 --> 00:09:35,073
that took millions of years
to build up.
171
00:09:35,158 --> 00:09:37,826
It couldn't have been
a civilization that sank
172
00:09:37,911 --> 00:09:39,327
a few thousand years ago.
173
00:09:39,413 --> 00:09:40,745
So he was wrong.
174
00:09:40,789 --> 00:09:43,748
But ignatius donnelly
advanced the idea
175
00:09:43,834 --> 00:09:48,128
that atlantis may have
physical history to it.
176
00:09:48,213 --> 00:09:52,716
Shatner:
Many researchers believe that
the best way to find atlantis
177
00:09:52,801 --> 00:09:57,012
is to look for it
where plato said it was located.
178
00:09:59,558 --> 00:10:04,477
Freund:
Plato gives us very specific
geographic locations
179
00:10:04,563 --> 00:10:08,148
for where atlantis was.
180
00:10:08,233 --> 00:10:12,235
He says it's by the pillars
of hercules.
181
00:10:12,321 --> 00:10:15,572
And the pillars were
actually two mountains,
182
00:10:15,657 --> 00:10:18,325
one located at
the rock of gibraltar,
183
00:10:18,410 --> 00:10:21,244
and the other located
in morocco.
184
00:10:21,330 --> 00:10:25,206
And these two rocks were
the pillars of hercules.
185
00:10:25,292 --> 00:10:28,501
So he's putting it in
a very specific location
186
00:10:28,587 --> 00:10:31,755
that every single reader
knew about.
187
00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,300
Shatner:
Does the key
to rediscovering atlantis
188
00:10:35,385 --> 00:10:39,804
lie in exploring the area
near the pillars of hercules,
189
00:10:39,890 --> 00:10:43,516
or what today we call
the strait of gibraltar?
190
00:10:43,602 --> 00:10:46,770
Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining
191
00:10:46,855 --> 00:10:49,272
the findings of a team
of archeologists
192
00:10:49,316 --> 00:10:52,442
who believe that the lost city
193
00:10:52,527 --> 00:10:55,445
is buried in Spain.
194
00:11:00,786 --> 00:11:03,328
Shatner: In southern Spain,
just a few miles off the coast
195
00:11:03,413 --> 00:11:07,916
of the atlantic ocean
lies doñana national park.
196
00:11:08,001 --> 00:11:11,294
Considered to be one of
the finest biological reserves
197
00:11:11,380 --> 00:11:16,174
in the world, the park
is filled with marsh wetlands,
198
00:11:16,259 --> 00:11:19,844
sand dunes
and many forms of wildlife.
199
00:11:19,930 --> 00:11:24,474
But in recent years,
archaeologist dr. Richard freund
200
00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,352
has come to believe
that this marshland
201
00:11:27,437 --> 00:11:29,813
hides a profound secret:
202
00:11:29,898 --> 00:11:33,525
The remnants of atlantis.
203
00:11:33,568 --> 00:11:36,945
Freund: We started our work
with the spanish archaeologists
204
00:11:37,030 --> 00:11:39,864
in doñana biological park.
205
00:11:39,908 --> 00:11:44,703
It's one of the largest marshes
in all of europe,
206
00:11:44,746 --> 00:11:49,207
about 250 square miles
of just marsh.
207
00:11:49,251 --> 00:11:52,043
The most important thing
about doñana
208
00:11:52,087 --> 00:11:56,881
is it's located right next
to the strait of gibraltar.
209
00:11:56,967 --> 00:12:01,886
This is the area
where plato says atlantis was.
210
00:12:01,930 --> 00:12:04,973
So, archaeologists in Spain
started to look
211
00:12:05,058 --> 00:12:07,892
in doñana biological park.
212
00:12:07,978 --> 00:12:10,687
And they invited us to come...
213
00:12:12,274 --> 00:12:14,107
...With our geoscience team
214
00:12:14,192 --> 00:12:15,775
to see if we could
narrow down the search
215
00:12:15,861 --> 00:12:18,903
using electrical
resistivity tomography,
216
00:12:18,989 --> 00:12:21,865
ground-penetrating radar
217
00:12:21,908 --> 00:12:24,033
and other geoscience.
218
00:12:25,579 --> 00:12:27,078
Shatner:
The archaeologists hoped
219
00:12:27,122 --> 00:12:30,415
that underground scans
would reveal the presence
220
00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:32,709
of the ruins of atlantis
buried underground.
221
00:12:32,794 --> 00:12:35,712
The results
of the underground scans
222
00:12:35,797 --> 00:12:39,215
showed that there were
distinct changes, or "breaks,"
223
00:12:39,301 --> 00:12:42,260
in the density and conductivity
of the soil.
224
00:12:44,306 --> 00:12:47,682
Richard freund claims
that these breaks
225
00:12:47,768 --> 00:12:52,562
indicate the location
of underground stone walls.
226
00:12:52,647 --> 00:12:55,648
Freund:
We were able to look
through the different layers
227
00:12:55,734 --> 00:12:57,609
and identify what we thought
228
00:12:57,652 --> 00:13:02,238
were the markings
of the ancient city walls,
229
00:13:02,282 --> 00:13:05,283
concentric circles
that one can see
230
00:13:05,368 --> 00:13:07,911
using electrical resistivity
tomography,
231
00:13:07,954 --> 00:13:10,455
where they were
below the surface.
232
00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:14,584
Where the ancient city
might have been.
233
00:13:14,669 --> 00:13:17,796
Then, we did core samples
234
00:13:17,839 --> 00:13:21,257
that went down into the dirt
235
00:13:21,301 --> 00:13:25,595
30, 40, 50 meters
below the surface,
236
00:13:25,639 --> 00:13:30,141
and it told us
there was organic matter
237
00:13:30,227 --> 00:13:34,938
that dated back
to about 5000 bce,
238
00:13:34,981 --> 00:13:38,441
some of the most ancient remains
239
00:13:38,527 --> 00:13:42,278
in this now close
sedimented marsh.
240
00:13:42,364 --> 00:13:44,823
So, now we have
the concentric circles,
241
00:13:44,908 --> 00:13:49,160
we have dating, so we know
that this is probably the area
242
00:13:49,204 --> 00:13:52,956
where atlantis was centered.
243
00:13:55,377 --> 00:13:57,585
Shatner:
But if there are
circular structures
244
00:13:57,671 --> 00:14:01,589
beneath the mud at doñana,
how did they become buried?
245
00:14:01,675 --> 00:14:04,926
According to freund,
the marshes were once the site
246
00:14:05,011 --> 00:14:07,512
of a large bay,
and the island of atlantis
247
00:14:07,597 --> 00:14:09,556
sat in the middle of it.
248
00:14:09,641 --> 00:14:12,350
He theorizes that,
at some point,
249
00:14:12,394 --> 00:14:16,187
an earthquake
and a tsunami struck.
250
00:14:16,273 --> 00:14:20,525
-(people screaming)
-the island sunk into the bay,
251
00:14:20,610 --> 00:14:25,864
and mud eventually covered
the lost city.
252
00:14:25,907 --> 00:14:30,076
Freund:
Plato seems to be describing,
in the destruction of atlantis,
253
00:14:30,161 --> 00:14:33,705
an earthquake
with a major mega-tsunami
254
00:14:33,790 --> 00:14:36,374
that basically inundated
255
00:14:36,459 --> 00:14:40,378
the entire island
with dirt and stone
256
00:14:40,463 --> 00:14:43,214
and they were not able
to get all the people out.
257
00:14:43,258 --> 00:14:46,885
It was a catastrophic event,
258
00:14:46,928 --> 00:14:53,558
and that catastrophic event
should be recorded in the marsh.
259
00:14:53,602 --> 00:14:56,477
Shatner:
Incredibly, freund also claims
260
00:14:56,563 --> 00:14:58,563
to have found
evidence underground
261
00:14:58,648 --> 00:15:01,566
not just of the structures
of atlantis
262
00:15:01,610 --> 00:15:05,987
but of the cataclysm that
supposedly destroyed the city.
263
00:15:06,072 --> 00:15:08,573
It just so happens that
in the middle of the circle
264
00:15:08,658 --> 00:15:12,493
where the walls
of atlantis were located,
265
00:15:12,579 --> 00:15:18,249
there was a consistent
methane layer in the marsh.
266
00:15:19,586 --> 00:15:21,711
Shatner:
But why is the presence
of a layer of methane
267
00:15:21,796 --> 00:15:25,423
in the doñana marsh
a significant find?
268
00:15:25,467 --> 00:15:30,887
Well, methane is a gas made up
of carbon and hydrogen.
269
00:15:30,972 --> 00:15:34,265
And in other studies,
archaeologists have concluded
270
00:15:34,309 --> 00:15:36,434
that the detection
of methane in soil
271
00:15:36,478 --> 00:15:40,480
can indicate the presence
of large numbers of dead bodies
272
00:15:40,565 --> 00:15:42,273
buried underground.
273
00:15:42,359 --> 00:15:45,944
And richard freund believes
that his discovery
274
00:15:45,987 --> 00:15:49,113
of a significant amount
of methane at doñana
275
00:15:49,157 --> 00:15:53,952
means that the bodies of
the atlanteans are buried there.
276
00:15:53,995 --> 00:15:55,703
40 feet below the surface,
277
00:15:55,789 --> 00:15:58,623
suddenly to find
this sealed layer,
278
00:15:58,708 --> 00:16:03,378
this is what confirms
not only the date,
279
00:16:03,463 --> 00:16:07,632
the time, but what happened
to most of the people.
280
00:16:07,676 --> 00:16:10,927
Humans, animals, agriculture
281
00:16:10,971 --> 00:16:14,305
had been sealed
and disintegrated.
282
00:16:14,349 --> 00:16:18,309
And that is one of the
indicators, the methane layer.
283
00:16:18,395 --> 00:16:22,814
Shatner:
Does richard freund's discovery
of a methane layer
284
00:16:22,899 --> 00:16:26,818
beneath the doñana marshes
suggest that atlantis,
285
00:16:26,903 --> 00:16:30,863
and the atlanteans themselves,
are buried there,
286
00:16:30,949 --> 00:16:32,824
waiting to be found?
287
00:16:32,867 --> 00:16:36,327
It's an intriguing possibility.
288
00:16:36,413 --> 00:16:39,706
However, since the doñana marsh
is a wildlife reserve,
289
00:16:39,791 --> 00:16:42,792
the archaeologists
are not permitted to dig there
290
00:16:42,836 --> 00:16:44,502
to try and prove their theory.
291
00:16:46,423 --> 00:16:49,173
But freund
and the spanish archaeologists
292
00:16:49,217 --> 00:16:52,343
were determined to keep
searching for answers.
293
00:16:55,140 --> 00:16:57,974
So, they sent underwater divers
to investigate
294
00:16:58,018 --> 00:16:59,350
the nearby ocean floor
295
00:16:59,436 --> 00:17:03,354
where they found
extraordinary evidence
296
00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,358
that an ancient city
once existed in this area.
297
00:17:07,402 --> 00:17:09,527
Freund:
What they were able to discover
298
00:17:09,612 --> 00:17:12,822
was there were massive walls,
299
00:17:12,907 --> 00:17:16,534
all in the area
right off of the coast.
300
00:17:16,619 --> 00:17:21,080
You have to wonder
"where did they come from?"
301
00:17:21,166 --> 00:17:24,042
so, what we were able
to piece together
302
00:17:24,085 --> 00:17:28,212
is this came from a major city
on the coast.
303
00:17:28,298 --> 00:17:33,426
And that city is,
most likely than not, atlantis.
304
00:17:34,554 --> 00:17:37,055
Shatner:
Is it possible
that richard freund
305
00:17:37,140 --> 00:17:39,974
has found the site
where atlantis was located,
306
00:17:40,060 --> 00:17:44,896
finally proving that
this lost civilization
307
00:17:44,981 --> 00:17:47,732
was, in fact, real?
308
00:17:47,776 --> 00:17:51,069
Freund:
The most mysterious thing
about atlantis
309
00:17:51,154 --> 00:17:56,032
is everybody knows
that it was destroyed,
310
00:17:56,117 --> 00:18:00,870
and yet most people
are looking for evidence
311
00:18:00,955 --> 00:18:03,664
that it wasn't
completely destroyed.
312
00:18:03,750 --> 00:18:08,628
In my opinion,
this site in southern Spain
313
00:18:08,713 --> 00:18:11,255
is where atlantis was.
314
00:18:11,299 --> 00:18:13,883
Shatner:
Richard freund believes
he is on the cusp
315
00:18:13,968 --> 00:18:17,428
of uncovering
the ruins of atlantis,
316
00:18:17,514 --> 00:18:20,264
but his theory faces
stiff competition
317
00:18:20,308 --> 00:18:22,433
from those posed
by other researchers.
318
00:18:22,519 --> 00:18:25,311
In fact, there are some
who argue that atlantis
319
00:18:25,396 --> 00:18:28,147
was located at another site
320
00:18:28,233 --> 00:18:32,777
that is roughly 100 miles west,
in portugal.
321
00:18:32,862 --> 00:18:35,530
And according to the man
who discovered that site,
322
00:18:35,615 --> 00:18:39,992
it fits virtually every clue
left by plato,
323
00:18:40,078 --> 00:18:45,248
in a way no other place on earth
can possibly match.
324
00:18:53,550 --> 00:18:55,258
Shatner:
British resarcher
peter daughtrey
325
00:18:55,343 --> 00:19:00,346
publishes a book titled
atlantis and the silver city.
326
00:19:00,431 --> 00:19:04,100
In it, daughtry argues
that if atlantis existed,
327
00:19:04,185 --> 00:19:06,602
the best way to find
its location is to take
328
00:19:06,688 --> 00:19:11,524
a much closer, more detailed
look at plato's writings.
329
00:19:11,609 --> 00:19:14,569
Daughtrey has been
exhaustively studying
330
00:19:14,654 --> 00:19:17,655
plato's dialogues for decades,
331
00:19:17,740 --> 00:19:21,200
and is confident
that he has found enough clues
332
00:19:21,286 --> 00:19:25,496
to solve the mystery
of atlantis.
333
00:19:25,582 --> 00:19:29,208
When I analyze plato, and in
the second dialogue, critias,
334
00:19:29,294 --> 00:19:30,918
it gave an awful amount
of detail.
335
00:19:31,004 --> 00:19:34,547
In fact, there are 100 clues,
but about 40 of them
336
00:19:34,632 --> 00:19:36,340
you couldn't hope to possibly
find today
337
00:19:36,426 --> 00:19:39,510
because they would have
all gone a long time ago.
338
00:19:39,554 --> 00:19:42,805
So I distilled it down
to just 60 clues
339
00:19:42,891 --> 00:19:44,891
that we could reasonably hope
to match today.
340
00:19:44,976 --> 00:19:49,562
Shatner:
When daughtrey drilled deeper
into plato's writings,
341
00:19:49,647 --> 00:19:53,191
he concluded that atlantis
wasn't located
342
00:19:53,234 --> 00:19:55,902
along the coast of Spain,
343
00:19:55,987 --> 00:19:59,739
but rather, the idyllic
algarve coast of portugal.
344
00:19:59,824 --> 00:20:03,117
Daughtrey:
When I'd finished
researching the 60 clues,
345
00:20:03,203 --> 00:20:05,786
all 60 fit with this area.
346
00:20:05,872 --> 00:20:08,831
One of the few crops
he speaks of in detail
347
00:20:08,917 --> 00:20:11,918
is-is chestnuts,
sweet chestnuts.
348
00:20:12,003 --> 00:20:14,629
That's one of the evocative
smells in the algarve.
349
00:20:14,714 --> 00:20:17,840
And the sweet chestnut
was endemic in portugal,
350
00:20:17,926 --> 00:20:19,425
and, well, iberia.
351
00:20:19,510 --> 00:20:21,302
He also said
it had another clue,
352
00:20:21,387 --> 00:20:24,013
which was great wealth.
353
00:20:24,098 --> 00:20:26,849
Well, that area
of southern portugal
354
00:20:26,935 --> 00:20:28,976
was one of the wealthiest areas
355
00:20:29,062 --> 00:20:31,646
for precious metals
in the world.
356
00:20:31,731 --> 00:20:34,023
Phoenicians were there trading
357
00:20:34,108 --> 00:20:36,859
with the algarve
for the precious metals.
358
00:20:36,945 --> 00:20:39,779
In fact, at one stage,
so much silver
359
00:20:39,864 --> 00:20:42,531
had been taken
by the phoenicians
360
00:20:42,617 --> 00:20:45,284
from this region
of southern portugal
361
00:20:45,370 --> 00:20:48,663
back to babylon,
the bullion market crashed
362
00:20:48,748 --> 00:20:50,915
because there was so much of it.
363
00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,294
Shatner:
But what about
the biggest clue of all?
364
00:20:55,380 --> 00:21:00,049
Didn't plato say
that atlantis was an island?
365
00:21:00,134 --> 00:21:03,594
Daughtrey:
A lot of people were
looking for an island,
366
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,722
and the word that plato used,
the ancient greek word,
367
00:21:06,808 --> 00:21:09,600
was nêsos, n-e-s-o-s.
368
00:21:09,644 --> 00:21:13,729
In actual fact, the greeks
had three definitions
369
00:21:13,773 --> 00:21:15,106
of the word nêsos.
370
00:21:15,191 --> 00:21:16,816
One was an island.
371
00:21:16,901 --> 00:21:18,234
The other was a big estuary
372
00:21:18,319 --> 00:21:20,945
with mudflats
and rivulets of water.
373
00:21:20,989 --> 00:21:22,947
And the other one
was a peninsula.
374
00:21:23,032 --> 00:21:26,117
And right outside
the straits of gibraltar
375
00:21:26,202 --> 00:21:28,494
you got the iberian peninsula.
376
00:21:28,579 --> 00:21:31,163
So that had been bedeviling
the search for atlantis
377
00:21:31,249 --> 00:21:33,040
for a long time, people
were looking for an island.
378
00:21:33,126 --> 00:21:34,500
It probably wasn't an island.
379
00:21:34,585 --> 00:21:38,421
Shatner:
But if the land, the nêsos,
of atlantis
380
00:21:38,464 --> 00:21:40,715
is located in southern portugal,
381
00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,384
where exactly
is the capital city?
382
00:21:43,469 --> 00:21:45,094
The one
with the concentric rings,
383
00:21:45,179 --> 00:21:48,431
the massive harbor
and the temple of poseidon?
384
00:21:48,474 --> 00:21:50,891
Daughtrey:
I turned to the clues
for the city,
385
00:21:50,977 --> 00:21:53,394
which were 18 of the 60 clues,
386
00:21:53,479 --> 00:21:55,396
and they're very precise
and detailed.
387
00:21:55,481 --> 00:22:00,318
Plato said that the capital city
was less than a kilometer wide.
388
00:22:00,403 --> 00:22:03,112
It had mountains at the back
of it, it was on a flat plain.
389
00:22:03,197 --> 00:22:08,326
It was encircled by three rings
of water and two of land,
390
00:22:08,411 --> 00:22:12,913
and the outer ring of water
was a big harbor.
391
00:22:12,999 --> 00:22:15,041
Shatner:
As daughtrey searched,
392
00:22:15,126 --> 00:22:17,418
he found only one place
in the region--
393
00:22:17,503 --> 00:22:19,420
or for that matter,
in the world--
394
00:22:19,505 --> 00:22:24,425
that fits every single one
of his 18 clues.
395
00:22:24,510 --> 00:22:27,803
And to his surprise,
that place was a city
396
00:22:27,889 --> 00:22:29,972
that is located in portugal,
397
00:22:30,058 --> 00:22:35,895
not on the bottom of the ocean,
nor buried under layers of mud:
398
00:22:35,980 --> 00:22:39,982
The old portuguese town
of silves.
399
00:22:40,068 --> 00:22:42,818
This ancient city,
400
00:22:42,904 --> 00:22:45,654
in the algarve region
of southern portugal,
401
00:22:45,740 --> 00:22:47,365
is set on the arade river,
402
00:22:47,408 --> 00:22:51,160
which links inland portugal
to the open ocean.
403
00:22:51,245 --> 00:22:54,121
Daughtrey:
Silves town itself is just
less than a kilometer wide.
404
00:22:54,207 --> 00:22:57,708
One of plato's clues was that
405
00:22:57,794 --> 00:23:00,336
it was only nine and a quarter
kilometers from the sea.
406
00:23:00,421 --> 00:23:03,005
The river that runs past silves
407
00:23:03,091 --> 00:23:04,548
and goes, you know,
out to the sea,
408
00:23:04,592 --> 00:23:06,759
it's exactly nine
and a quarter kilometers.
409
00:23:06,844 --> 00:23:10,179
Plato said that they built
the buildings
410
00:23:10,264 --> 00:23:12,848
from white, black and red rock.
411
00:23:12,892 --> 00:23:15,518
In fact, if you go to silves
now, you can see the pavement
412
00:23:15,603 --> 00:23:18,396
is in white, black
and red stone.
413
00:23:18,439 --> 00:23:22,775
Plato said there was a palace
at the top of the island.
414
00:23:22,860 --> 00:23:24,902
And silves,
there's an old castle there,
415
00:23:24,987 --> 00:23:26,445
the biggest in portugal.
416
00:23:26,531 --> 00:23:29,407
The current castle
is on a brow of a hill
417
00:23:29,450 --> 00:23:30,991
that is the same
land measurements
418
00:23:31,077 --> 00:23:33,369
as he gave for the palace.
419
00:23:33,454 --> 00:23:35,413
So all these clues
match to the city.
420
00:23:35,498 --> 00:23:37,039
There couldn't be two of them.
421
00:23:37,125 --> 00:23:39,625
And it really is the final
clincher, if you like,
422
00:23:39,710 --> 00:23:43,045
that that was where
plato was talking about.
423
00:23:43,131 --> 00:23:46,340
Shatner:
According to peter daughtrey,
424
00:23:46,426 --> 00:23:48,551
the city that is now
called silves
425
00:23:48,636 --> 00:23:51,637
was at the center
of a vast empire that stretched
426
00:23:51,722 --> 00:23:54,890
to include the area
of the doñana marsh,
427
00:23:54,976 --> 00:23:58,561
so it's entirely possible
that both he and richard freund
428
00:23:58,646 --> 00:24:03,023
have uncovered remnants
of atlantis.
429
00:24:04,026 --> 00:24:05,818
But questions remain.
430
00:24:05,903 --> 00:24:08,362
For instance, if atlantis
was a far-reaching,
431
00:24:08,448 --> 00:24:13,159
seafaring nation that traveled
throughout the mediterranean,
432
00:24:13,244 --> 00:24:16,579
then how come
no ancient artifacts
433
00:24:16,664 --> 00:24:20,040
from their civilization
have ever been recovered?
434
00:24:21,169 --> 00:24:23,586
Well, a recent discovery
435
00:24:23,671 --> 00:24:27,506
may have finally revealed
the ancient artifacts
436
00:24:27,592 --> 00:24:31,135
that archaeologists
have been searching for.
437
00:24:38,102 --> 00:24:40,895
Marine archeologists
recover dozens
438
00:24:40,980 --> 00:24:43,647
of mysterious metal bars
439
00:24:43,733 --> 00:24:48,360
from an ancient shipwreck
on the seafloor off of sicily.
440
00:24:48,446 --> 00:24:52,740
Metal bars that, incredibly,
match the description
441
00:24:52,825 --> 00:24:56,785
of a metal that was said to be
treasured by the atlanteans:
442
00:24:56,871 --> 00:24:58,829
Orichalcum.
443
00:24:58,915 --> 00:25:02,791
Newman: One of the mysteries of
atlantis that plato talked about
444
00:25:02,877 --> 00:25:05,794
was a type of metal
called orichalcum.
445
00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,297
This has been a big mystery
and a big debate,
446
00:25:08,382 --> 00:25:12,009
you know, for many decades
about what this really is.
447
00:25:12,053 --> 00:25:13,761
Freund:
The archaeologists said,
448
00:25:13,846 --> 00:25:17,765
"we want to know if this
is really orichalcum."
449
00:25:17,850 --> 00:25:20,768
so I sent a geoscientist
450
00:25:20,853 --> 00:25:23,479
with an x-ray
fluorescence machine
451
00:25:23,564 --> 00:25:26,315
that basically can
tell me the content
452
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,486
of that metal
without destroying the sample.
453
00:25:30,571 --> 00:25:35,824
And what he discovered was
it had all the characteristics
454
00:25:35,910 --> 00:25:39,036
of what orichalcum
traditionally had.
455
00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,830
It had zinc, it had lead,
456
00:25:41,916 --> 00:25:45,167
it had copper, it had tin.
457
00:25:45,253 --> 00:25:49,922
And these are all materials
that made orichalcum so famous.
458
00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:54,051
Could the very existence
of orichalcum
459
00:25:54,095 --> 00:25:57,888
really be tangible evidence
that plato's fabled
460
00:25:57,974 --> 00:26:00,683
lost continent actually existed?
461
00:26:00,768 --> 00:26:05,187
There are many who believe
the answer is yes.
462
00:26:05,273 --> 00:26:07,982
But does that suggest
that atlantis was located
463
00:26:08,067 --> 00:26:12,528
somewhere off the coast
of Spain, in portugal, perhaps?
464
00:26:12,613 --> 00:26:15,281
Or could it have been
somewhere else?
465
00:26:15,366 --> 00:26:20,077
Somewhere that few people
would ever imagine?
466
00:26:24,959 --> 00:26:29,461
Shatner:
Dayton, ohio, November, 1923.
467
00:26:29,547 --> 00:26:32,506
Edgar cayce,
an american psychic and healer,
468
00:26:32,592 --> 00:26:35,426
famous in the early 20th century
469
00:26:35,469 --> 00:26:37,803
for his ability
to see into the future,
470
00:26:37,888 --> 00:26:42,182
has a profound vision
while in a self-induced trance.
471
00:26:42,268 --> 00:26:45,561
-(babbling)
-but on this particular
occasion,
472
00:26:45,646 --> 00:26:49,732
cayce's vision
was not of the future
473
00:26:49,817 --> 00:26:52,192
-but of the distant past.
-(mumbles): Atlantis.
474
00:26:52,278 --> 00:26:55,237
Shatner:
He saw atlantis.
475
00:26:55,323 --> 00:26:58,073
But the atlantis that cayce saw
476
00:26:58,159 --> 00:27:01,076
did not resemble
an ancient city.
477
00:27:03,372 --> 00:27:08,584
Edgar cayce talks about atlantis
in his psychic readings
478
00:27:08,669 --> 00:27:12,671
as being a place
of high culture.
479
00:27:12,757 --> 00:27:16,717
Civilization beyond
even what we have today.
480
00:27:16,802 --> 00:27:19,470
They had everything
from crystals
481
00:27:19,555 --> 00:27:21,889
that could affect
your healing in the body
482
00:27:21,974 --> 00:27:25,392
to death rays, even airships.
483
00:27:27,313 --> 00:27:28,771
Bader:
He described atlantis
484
00:27:28,856 --> 00:27:32,483
as a place of a much greater and
much more advanced technology
485
00:27:32,568 --> 00:27:35,402
than either plato
or donnelly claimed.
486
00:27:35,488 --> 00:27:38,238
He claims that they were able
to levitate
487
00:27:38,324 --> 00:27:39,740
and have psychic powers.
488
00:27:39,825 --> 00:27:42,368
The downfall of atlantis,
according to cayce,
489
00:27:42,453 --> 00:27:46,997
was that atlantis had developed
giant crystal death rays
490
00:27:47,041 --> 00:27:50,501
and there was an internal
civil war on the island,
491
00:27:50,544 --> 00:27:52,836
that during that war,
the crystal death rays
492
00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:58,258
were set off and sunk the island
beneath the waves.
493
00:27:58,344 --> 00:28:01,387
Shatner:
Giant crystal death rays?
494
00:28:01,472 --> 00:28:07,643
As strange as it sounds,
that is what cayce said.
495
00:28:07,687 --> 00:28:11,563
Researchers believe that one way
to test his incredible claims
496
00:28:11,649 --> 00:28:14,108
is to look for the ruins
of atlantis
497
00:28:14,193 --> 00:28:17,111
where edgar cayce
thought it was located.
498
00:28:17,196 --> 00:28:21,115
Cayce said that atlantis wasn't
centered near the mediterranean,
499
00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,117
as most people believe,
500
00:28:23,202 --> 00:28:26,745
but rather, on the other side
of the atlantic ocean.
501
00:28:26,831 --> 00:28:30,124
Picknett:
Edgar cayce described atlantis
502
00:28:30,209 --> 00:28:33,210
as being just off
the coast of cuba,
503
00:28:33,254 --> 00:28:36,714
and there is some
quite persuasive research
504
00:28:36,757 --> 00:28:41,051
about, um, atlantis
actually being off cuba.
505
00:28:43,055 --> 00:28:46,056
Collins:
In September, 1998,
506
00:28:46,100 --> 00:28:52,020
I went to cuba and I hired
the help of a local archeologist
507
00:28:52,106 --> 00:28:54,857
who was able to take me
out to these caves.
508
00:28:54,942 --> 00:29:00,738
We found a veritable sistine
chapel of the ancient world.
509
00:29:00,823 --> 00:29:05,200
Seven chambers full
of the most incredible rock art
510
00:29:05,286 --> 00:29:08,787
showing these weird
concentric circles
511
00:29:08,873 --> 00:29:11,999
that were a complete mystery
to the archeologists.
512
00:29:12,084 --> 00:29:15,252
It was almost as if
I had a eureka moment,
513
00:29:15,337 --> 00:29:20,466
and I realized that this could
be the key to finding atlantis.
514
00:29:20,551 --> 00:29:23,469
Shatner:
In addition
to archaeological evidence
515
00:29:23,554 --> 00:29:26,889
linking cuba to atlantis,
researchers argue
516
00:29:26,974 --> 00:29:29,558
that there is also
historical evidence,
517
00:29:29,643 --> 00:29:33,061
in the form of accounts
written by spanish explorers
518
00:29:33,147 --> 00:29:35,647
in the 16th century.
519
00:29:35,733 --> 00:29:40,319
In 1552, a spanish historian
520
00:29:40,404 --> 00:29:45,741
by the name
of francisco lópez de gómara
521
00:29:45,826 --> 00:29:51,455
actually wrote that when
the spanish did arrive in cuba,
522
00:29:51,540 --> 00:29:54,082
they found
that the indigenous peoples
523
00:29:54,168 --> 00:29:57,211
had a tradition
that once all of these islands
524
00:29:57,296 --> 00:29:59,755
were one huge continent...
525
00:30:01,217 --> 00:30:04,009
...That had been broken apart
526
00:30:04,094 --> 00:30:06,637
by the waters
during a great cataclysm
527
00:30:06,722 --> 00:30:10,265
and split apart into the islands
528
00:30:10,351 --> 00:30:12,351
and the cays that we see today.
529
00:30:13,187 --> 00:30:15,479
Shatner:
According to geologists,
530
00:30:15,523 --> 00:30:17,189
such a cataclysm did take place
531
00:30:17,274 --> 00:30:19,691
in the atlantic ocean,
near cuba,
532
00:30:19,777 --> 00:30:22,444
more than 10,000 years ago.
533
00:30:22,488 --> 00:30:24,613
During the last ice age,
534
00:30:24,698 --> 00:30:29,409
sea levels were about
400 feet lower.
535
00:30:29,495 --> 00:30:33,205
Many of today's islands were
joined into large landmasses;
536
00:30:33,290 --> 00:30:37,417
island continents,
you might say.
537
00:30:37,503 --> 00:30:40,712
Then the ice began to melt,
creating sudden surges
538
00:30:40,798 --> 00:30:44,842
in ocean levels called
meltwater pulses.
539
00:30:46,470 --> 00:30:49,429
One particularly violent pulse
wreaked havoc
540
00:30:49,515 --> 00:30:53,517
on coastlines and islands
everywhere.
541
00:30:53,561 --> 00:30:56,895
Meltwater pulse 1b.
542
00:30:56,981 --> 00:31:01,817
Some people think that
meltwater pulse 1b took place
543
00:31:01,902 --> 00:31:05,362
precisely when atlantis
was supposed to fall.
544
00:31:05,447 --> 00:31:08,198
Now, of course,
this is a theory,
545
00:31:08,284 --> 00:31:11,076
'cause we're going back
10,000 years.
546
00:31:11,161 --> 00:31:13,579
Some people have claimed
that perhaps it was
547
00:31:13,664 --> 00:31:16,206
the sudden meltwater
being released
548
00:31:16,292 --> 00:31:20,377
that caused the flooding
which destroyed atlantis.
549
00:31:20,462 --> 00:31:24,298
Plato tells us that atlantis
was somewhere
550
00:31:24,383 --> 00:31:26,383
out in the atlantic ocean.
551
00:31:26,427 --> 00:31:28,010
But where, exactly?
552
00:31:28,095 --> 00:31:33,682
Is it possible that atlantis
awaits discovery
553
00:31:33,726 --> 00:31:35,851
off the coast of cuba?
554
00:31:35,895 --> 00:31:37,895
I actually think
the answer is yes.
555
00:31:40,107 --> 00:31:42,774
Shatner:
If edgar cayce was right,
and the ruins of atlantis
556
00:31:42,860 --> 00:31:45,360
can be found in the ocean
near cuba,
557
00:31:45,446 --> 00:31:49,281
then is it also possible
that atlantis possessed
558
00:31:49,366 --> 00:31:53,076
incredibly sophisticated
technology, as he described?
559
00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:55,370
Perhaps even technology
560
00:31:55,456 --> 00:31:59,541
that is more advanced
than our own.
561
00:31:59,627 --> 00:32:04,421
Airships, levitation,
psych powers.
562
00:32:04,506 --> 00:32:06,632
Sounds like something
out of science fiction,
563
00:32:06,717 --> 00:32:09,301
until we remember that,
according to plato,
564
00:32:09,386 --> 00:32:12,638
atlantis was created
by poseidon,
565
00:32:12,723 --> 00:32:16,808
the greek god of the sea,
and ruled by his children.
566
00:32:16,894 --> 00:32:18,727
And there are some
who believe that
567
00:32:18,812 --> 00:32:22,439
those same greek gods
were actually
568
00:32:22,524 --> 00:32:25,275
extraterrestrial visitors.
569
00:32:25,319 --> 00:32:29,071
But that's all too far-fetched
for rational minds
570
00:32:29,156 --> 00:32:31,239
like ours to accept.
571
00:32:32,618 --> 00:32:34,868
Or is it?
572
00:32:42,836 --> 00:32:46,380
Shatner:
Standing in the center of the
national archaeological museum
573
00:32:46,465 --> 00:32:49,466
is an ancient statue
that is referred to as
574
00:32:49,510 --> 00:32:52,010
poseidon of melos.
575
00:32:52,096 --> 00:32:55,764
Dated to the second century bc,
576
00:32:55,808 --> 00:32:58,642
it depicts the greek god
poseidon who,
577
00:32:58,727 --> 00:33:02,479
according to plato, was both
the ruler of the sea
578
00:33:02,523 --> 00:33:05,649
and the founder of atlantis.
579
00:33:08,028 --> 00:33:11,905
We hear from plato
that the gods drew lots
580
00:33:11,991 --> 00:33:14,908
and divided up the world
into areas
581
00:33:14,994 --> 00:33:16,868
that they would be
responsible for.
582
00:33:16,954 --> 00:33:21,206
And poseidon receives an island,
583
00:33:21,291 --> 00:33:24,626
and he finds a human woman
on the island,
584
00:33:24,712 --> 00:33:26,128
falls in love with her,
585
00:33:26,171 --> 00:33:28,880
and they have five sets
of twins.
586
00:33:28,966 --> 00:33:33,510
And the firstborn of the first
set of twins he names atlas,
587
00:33:33,554 --> 00:33:36,847
and he makes him
the king of atlantis.
588
00:33:36,890 --> 00:33:39,725
So the island is named for
that atlas,
589
00:33:39,810 --> 00:33:41,935
as is the atlantic ocean
590
00:33:42,021 --> 00:33:44,730
in which the island
was situated.
591
00:33:44,815 --> 00:33:47,607
The original inhabitants
of atlantis,
592
00:33:47,693 --> 00:33:50,861
the atlanteans themselves,
because they are
593
00:33:50,946 --> 00:33:54,865
the descendants of a god,
they are like gods themselves.
594
00:33:54,908 --> 00:33:58,076
They're not gods
on the level of poseidon,
595
00:33:58,162 --> 00:34:02,831
but they are endowed with
supernatural powers of sorts.
596
00:34:02,875 --> 00:34:07,711
Burdorff:
They have the best technology,
they have the most resources,
597
00:34:07,755 --> 00:34:11,381
they have civilization
crafted by a god
598
00:34:11,425 --> 00:34:14,259
for their greatest benefit.
599
00:34:14,344 --> 00:34:19,556
Shatner:
Were the atlanteans
really supernatural beings
600
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:23,060
with advanced technology
who descended from a god?
601
00:34:23,103 --> 00:34:27,064
Sounds like a wild fantasy.
602
00:34:27,149 --> 00:34:30,567
But, just like the rest
of the atlantis story,
603
00:34:30,652 --> 00:34:34,029
it begs the question:
Is there any way
604
00:34:34,114 --> 00:34:36,907
that it could possibly be true?
605
00:34:36,950 --> 00:34:42,454
Plato said the atlanteans were
the children of the gods.
606
00:34:42,539 --> 00:34:45,040
They were hybrid beings.
607
00:34:45,125 --> 00:34:47,918
They were part human, part god,
608
00:34:47,961 --> 00:34:51,421
where the gods have created
this race of beings.
609
00:34:51,465 --> 00:34:54,966
Many people have long believed
that this story is true,
610
00:34:55,052 --> 00:34:56,426
but they weren't really gods,
611
00:34:56,470 --> 00:34:58,345
they were actually
extraterrestrials,
612
00:34:58,430 --> 00:35:00,889
and they mated with
human females
613
00:35:00,974 --> 00:35:02,682
and created a hybrid race.
614
00:35:02,768 --> 00:35:06,895
This is a story that has
all kinds of hallmarks
615
00:35:06,939 --> 00:35:10,023
of genetic engineering
and the influence of
616
00:35:10,109 --> 00:35:13,276
an extraterrestrial
with this technology.
617
00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,779
It sounds like quite
a far-out idea,
618
00:35:15,823 --> 00:35:19,616
but there's a lot of analogies
in myths
619
00:35:19,701 --> 00:35:21,785
that don't really make sense
unless you look at it
620
00:35:21,829 --> 00:35:24,955
-from a technical perspective.
-(thunder crashes)
621
00:35:24,998 --> 00:35:26,832
henry:
In plato's dialogues,
he makes it clear that
622
00:35:26,917 --> 00:35:30,752
atlantis is a place
of genuine history.
623
00:35:30,838 --> 00:35:33,296
So what the story is
actually telling us
624
00:35:33,382 --> 00:35:36,591
is that there were
actual beings that came to earth
625
00:35:36,635 --> 00:35:41,138
and influenced human affairs
by creating hybrid offspring.
626
00:35:44,184 --> 00:35:46,768
Shatner:
Extraterrestrial hybrids.
627
00:35:46,812 --> 00:35:49,354
If this fascinating theory
is true,
628
00:35:49,439 --> 00:35:51,815
could it be that
the advanced technology
629
00:35:51,859 --> 00:35:55,819
associated with atlantis
was brought to earth...
630
00:35:55,863 --> 00:35:57,988
From another world?
631
00:35:58,031 --> 00:36:01,199
And perhaps more profoundly,
if the atlanteans
632
00:36:01,285 --> 00:36:03,827
descended from
extraterrestrials,
633
00:36:03,871 --> 00:36:09,416
could it be that
they didn't just disappear,
634
00:36:09,501 --> 00:36:12,002
but actually went home?
635
00:36:13,589 --> 00:36:15,797
One of the big problems
of atlantis
636
00:36:15,883 --> 00:36:18,133
is where is it?
Where did it go?
637
00:36:19,469 --> 00:36:21,178
There's so many places
around the world
638
00:36:21,263 --> 00:36:24,306
that atlantis is said
to have existed:
639
00:36:24,391 --> 00:36:30,061
Antarctica, the mediterranean,
cuba and other places.
640
00:36:30,147 --> 00:36:32,522
One of the ideas is that
it actually was
641
00:36:32,608 --> 00:36:36,026
some kind of spaceship
that lifted off
642
00:36:36,111 --> 00:36:39,446
and then would go and land
in another location.
643
00:36:39,531 --> 00:36:41,448
So many of the stories
we often find in greek myths
644
00:36:41,533 --> 00:36:45,702
do talk about these stars
falling from the sky
645
00:36:45,787 --> 00:36:48,622
and creating these islands
in the ocean.
646
00:36:48,707 --> 00:36:53,168
So atlantis could have actually
took off and left earth.
647
00:36:53,212 --> 00:36:57,505
Henry:
Cultures all around the world
talk about humans deciding
648
00:36:57,591 --> 00:36:59,341
to ascend or leave the planet
because of
649
00:36:59,426 --> 00:37:00,884
an impending cataclysm;
650
00:37:00,928 --> 00:37:03,220
a coming apocalypse,
like a great flood
651
00:37:03,305 --> 00:37:05,722
or a cataclysm of that nature.
652
00:37:05,766 --> 00:37:08,600
And this is what we might be
seeing in atlantis,
653
00:37:08,685 --> 00:37:10,560
where they know
this cataclysm's coming,
654
00:37:10,646 --> 00:37:14,231
and they decide it's time
to move into the stars.
655
00:37:16,235 --> 00:37:19,694
Shatner:
Atlantis a spaceship?
656
00:37:19,780 --> 00:37:22,197
It's an audacious theory.
657
00:37:22,282 --> 00:37:24,241
Which, perhaps,
is what you must expect
658
00:37:24,284 --> 00:37:26,243
when an entire continent
vanishes
659
00:37:26,286 --> 00:37:28,036
from the face of the earth.
660
00:37:29,081 --> 00:37:33,875
But... Did atlantis
really leave no trace?
661
00:37:33,919 --> 00:37:38,797
Or, in fact, could there be a
reflection of the lost continent
662
00:37:38,882 --> 00:37:40,298
in the modern world,
663
00:37:40,384 --> 00:37:41,716
and in the last place
664
00:37:41,802 --> 00:37:46,263
anyone would expect to find it?
665
00:37:51,645 --> 00:37:55,480
Shatner:
Orlando, florida. 1966.
666
00:37:55,565 --> 00:37:58,024
Only months before his death,
667
00:37:58,110 --> 00:38:02,946
walt disney announces his
most ambitious project to date.
668
00:38:02,990 --> 00:38:05,073
Dave bossert:
In 1966,
669
00:38:05,117 --> 00:38:09,953
really one of the last things
that walt talked about publicly
670
00:38:09,997 --> 00:38:14,416
was his designs for epcot,
671
00:38:14,459 --> 00:38:20,630
which stands for experimental
prototype city of tomorrow.
672
00:38:21,967 --> 00:38:25,260
And he had been amassing
property
673
00:38:25,345 --> 00:38:28,847
in the orlando area of florida
for a number of years
674
00:38:28,932 --> 00:38:31,641
before he finally made
this announcement.
675
00:38:31,685 --> 00:38:34,602
Shatner:
In the years
following disney's death,
676
00:38:34,646 --> 00:38:37,147
the epcot project moved forward.
677
00:38:37,232 --> 00:38:39,316
But without disney's
personal guidance,
678
00:38:39,359 --> 00:38:41,818
his ambitious plans
were scaled back.
679
00:38:42,821 --> 00:38:44,487
In his original vision,
680
00:38:44,531 --> 00:38:47,532
epcot was to be
not just a tourist attraction,
681
00:38:47,617 --> 00:38:49,993
but an actual city,
682
00:38:50,078 --> 00:38:53,330
a place where thousands
would live and work--
683
00:38:53,373 --> 00:38:54,998
a utopia.
684
00:38:55,083 --> 00:38:57,834
Bossert:
The designers, the imagineers,
685
00:38:57,878 --> 00:38:59,753
walt disney,
were all looking to see
686
00:38:59,838 --> 00:39:03,340
if they could create
this utopian society.
687
00:39:03,383 --> 00:39:06,551
And you have to remember,
as they were designing this,
688
00:39:06,636 --> 00:39:11,514
there was the cultural upheaval
of the 1960s starting to go on.
689
00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:13,850
Shatner:
But there's one thing
690
00:39:13,894 --> 00:39:16,478
few people know about epcot.
691
00:39:16,521 --> 00:39:18,855
Both disney's original design
692
00:39:18,940 --> 00:39:21,941
and the version
that was ultimately built
693
00:39:22,027 --> 00:39:25,320
resemble,
to a remarkable degree,
694
00:39:25,364 --> 00:39:28,198
plato's description of atlantis,
695
00:39:28,283 --> 00:39:31,785
right down
to the concentric rings.
696
00:39:32,746 --> 00:39:36,623
So, with epcot,
you had this center core,
697
00:39:36,708 --> 00:39:38,541
which would have been
the office buildings
698
00:39:38,585 --> 00:39:40,377
and live industry,
699
00:39:40,462 --> 00:39:42,587
and you had
these concentric rings
700
00:39:42,672 --> 00:39:44,798
that radiated out from that,
701
00:39:44,883 --> 00:39:49,219
with greenbelts separating
different areas,
702
00:39:49,262 --> 00:39:53,723
and this is very similar to
the description that plato gave.
703
00:39:53,809 --> 00:39:56,893
And instead of greenbelts,
they were waterways.
704
00:39:58,563 --> 00:40:02,148
Shatner:
Was walt disney creating
a modern-day atlantis,
705
00:40:02,234 --> 00:40:04,567
perhaps without
even realizing it?
706
00:40:04,611 --> 00:40:06,569
Bossert:
No one really knows
707
00:40:06,613 --> 00:40:09,781
what were those thoughts
that floated through his head
708
00:40:09,866 --> 00:40:13,368
about the lost city of atlantis.
709
00:40:13,412 --> 00:40:15,412
What was he thinking about it?
710
00:40:15,455 --> 00:40:17,122
What did he believe?
711
00:40:17,207 --> 00:40:18,957
We'll never know that.
712
00:40:19,042 --> 00:40:22,293
I firmly believe
that if walt disney
713
00:40:22,379 --> 00:40:24,921
had lived another 20 years,
714
00:40:24,965 --> 00:40:29,217
we may have seen
his vision of epcot
715
00:40:29,261 --> 00:40:31,928
really be a modern-day version
716
00:40:32,013 --> 00:40:34,431
of the lost city of atlantis.
717
00:40:36,226 --> 00:40:37,600
♪ ♪
718
00:40:37,686 --> 00:40:40,061
mcneill:
The idea of a utopian society
719
00:40:40,105 --> 00:40:44,023
has always captured
imaginations.
720
00:40:44,109 --> 00:40:47,610
And the way that this
intentionally planned community
721
00:40:47,696 --> 00:40:52,282
was conceived and designed
and executed
722
00:40:52,367 --> 00:40:55,160
speaks to the power
723
00:40:55,245 --> 00:40:58,580
of those models of utopian
societies that have come to us
724
00:40:58,665 --> 00:41:01,708
out of antiquity and tradition.
725
00:41:01,793 --> 00:41:04,627
Whether it's actually
still there to be found,
726
00:41:04,671 --> 00:41:07,338
or whether it's been
so badly destroyed
727
00:41:07,424 --> 00:41:09,382
that no evidence of it remains,
728
00:41:09,468 --> 00:41:11,801
what's really happened
to atlantis, we don't know,
729
00:41:11,845 --> 00:41:14,596
but I think one day
we'll find evidence of it.
730
00:41:17,309 --> 00:41:19,559
Could an advanced civilization,
731
00:41:19,644 --> 00:41:24,314
with technology
beyond our wildest dreams,
732
00:41:24,399 --> 00:41:28,067
have existed here on earth
thousands of years ago?
733
00:41:28,987 --> 00:41:31,654
It's certainly
a compelling notion.
734
00:41:31,740 --> 00:41:36,159
But maybe atlantis
was always meant to be a myth,
735
00:41:36,244 --> 00:41:40,288
a utopian city that
was conceived as an elusive goal
736
00:41:40,373 --> 00:41:42,332
for mankind to achieve,
737
00:41:42,375 --> 00:41:45,919
like camelot or shangri-la.
738
00:41:46,004 --> 00:41:48,505
In any case,
if atlantis did exist,
739
00:41:48,548 --> 00:41:50,757
let's hope that
someday we find it.
740
00:41:50,842 --> 00:41:54,010
It would be a shame
if all those legendary wonders
741
00:41:54,054 --> 00:41:58,056
stayed hidden
and those secrets remained...
742
00:41:58,141 --> 00:42:00,099
Unexplained.
743
00:42:00,185 --> 00:42:02,685
Captioning provided by
a+e networks