- [grunting] - [grunts] [both grunting] - [panting] [suspenseful instrumental music] ♪ ♪ [camera shutter clicks] [camera shutters clicking] - THE HISTORY THAT
WE WERE ALL TAUGHT GROWING UP IS WRONG. MY NAME IS SCOTT WOLTER, AND I'M A FORENSIC GEOLOGIST. THERE'S A HIDDEN HISTORY
IN THIS COUNTRY THAT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT. THERE ARE PYRAMIDS HERE-- CHAMBERS, TOMBS,
INSCRIPTIONS. THEY'RE ALL OVER
THIS COUNTRY. WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE
THESE ARTIFACTS AND SITES, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET
TO THE TRUTH. SOMETIMES HISTORY ISN'T WHAT
WE'VE BEEN TOLD. [percussive music] [wind whistling] [suspenseful instrumental music] ♪ ♪ - SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE? - WE'RE COMING UP ON
THE ARIZONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, WHERE THEY HAVE
32 LEAD ARTIFACTS INSCRIBED WITH LATIN. THEY WERE DISCOVERED BY A MAN
NAMED CHARLES MANIER IN 1924, WHO WAS OUT ON A SUNDAY DRIVE
JUST OUTSIDE OF TUCSON. AND, APPARENTLY, THEY DATE BACK
TO 800, 900 A.D. THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT, POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT, GROUP OF ARTIFACTS. IF WE'RE ABLE TO GENERATE SOME REAL HARD EVIDENCE THAT PROVES
THESE THINGS ARE REAL, I MEAN, THIS IS A HUGE DEAL. IT'S INCREDIBLE. - HERE'S A SWORD
STICKING OUT OF THE GROUND. - LOOKIT.
IT'S STUCK RIGHT IN THE HILL. - YEAH. - SEE, THAT IS SO PERFECT. - IS THAT ONE OF THE SWORDS? NO, IT'S A CROSS. - NO.
YEAH, THAT'S A CROSS, I THINK. THE ONE I LIKE IS THE LABARUM, IF YOU FIND PICTURES OF THAT. - OH, I THINK
I HAD SOME OVER HERE. THE LABARUM?
IS THAT WHAT WE ARE CALLING IT? - OR THE PIZZA PADDLE.
[laughs] WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. - LABARUM SOUNDS MORE OFFICIAL. - WE HAVE GOT TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THESE TWO GUYS RIGHT HERE. - WELL, THEY FOUND
ABOUT 24 PIECES, 26, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. - CHARLES MANIER
FOUND THE INITIAL ONES, THEN HE PARTNERED
WITH TOM BENT. TOM BENT WAS AN ATTORNEY, BUT THEY WERE
WORLD WAR I BUDDIES. SO WHO ARE WE MEETING TODAY? - WE'RE MEETING CHARLES BENT,
THOMAS BENT'S GRANDSON. - THE GRANDSON, OKAY. MR. BENT, HOW YOU DOING?
- OH, I'M JUST FINE. - IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU.
- I'M GLAD TO BE HERE. - YOU'RE A GRANDSON OF ONE
OF THE ORIGINAL DISCOVERERS. HOW DOES THIS STORY
UNFOLD FOR YOU? - IT WAS KIND OF SECRETIVE.
- SECRETIVE? - YEAH, AS I WAS GROWING UP, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT US TO KNOW
THAT WE HAD THE ARTIFACTS. - SO YOU--
DID YOU GROW UP WITH THESE? - YES.
- IN THE HOUSE? - IN THE HOUSE.
- WOW. - BUT I'VE BEEN INTERESTED
IN THEM, AND, I GUESS,
BECAUSE OF MY GRANDFATHER. HE JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THEY WERE
AND HOW THEY GOT THERE. BUT IT WAS MY GRANDMOTHER
THAT PUT THE KIBOSH ON IT. SHE FELT THAT... I WOULDN'T SAY A WASTE OF TIME, BUT I THINK SHE THOUGHT
IT WAS A WASTE OF HIS TIME. HE WENT THROUGH GREAT PAINS
TO DIG THESE THINGS OUT, DOCUMENT HOW THEY WERE ENCASED AND WHERE THEY WERE FOUND,
HOW DEEP. AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE SAY, "OKAY, YOU FOUND THESE.
THAT'S GOOD. HOWEVER, THESE WERE PLANTED." AND HE WOULD SAY,
"WHY WOULD SOMEBODY "PLANT THESE THINGS THINKING, 'SOMEDAY THESE
ARE GOING TO BE FOUND, AND, BOY, AM I GOING TO
PULL A BIG HOAX.'" I THINK HE DID THINK THAT, "OKAY, THESE ARE OFFICIAL. "YOU KNOW, I DUG THEM OUT. I KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH
TO GET THESE." HE JUST WANTED THE TRUTH. - WOULDN'T YOU THINK
THAT THESE ACADEMICS THAT ARE STUDYING THIS HISTORY HAVE THESE INCREDIBLE ARTIFACTS THAT SUDDENLY ARE JUST THRUST
IN FRONT OF THEM-- "HERE, THESE ARE THE FIRST
AND ONLY OF THEIR KIND." WOULDN'T YOU THINK
THEY'D BE ALL OVER IT? - I WOULD THINK SO. I THINK, AT TIMES, THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO REWRITE THE HISTORY,
YOU KNOW? - BUT, YOU KNOW,
THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT REWRITING HISTORY,
I'VE HAD-- I'VE HEARD MANY PEOPLE SAY THAT, "WELL, GEE, THIS WORK YOU DID
REWRITES HISTORY. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO
REWRITE HISTORY." WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT
MY ANSWER IS? WELL, THEN, REWRITE IT. - MY HONEST OPINION IS THAT MY GRANDFATHER, KNOWING HIM LIKE I DID, DID NOT PLANT THESE OR ANY OF THIS OTHER STUFF. I THINK HE TRULY BELIEVED
THAT THERE'S SOMETHING HERE. THERE'S SOMETHING HERE
THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCOVERED OR NEEDS TO BE FOUND OUT. - I HAVE AN IDEA THAT WILL GET US TO THE TRUTH AND PROVE TO CHUCK THAT HIS GRANDFATHER WASN'T PART OF A HOAX. AS A GEOLOGIST, THIS MYSTERY
IS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. THERE'S A MYSTERIOUS, ROCKLIKE RESIDUE
ON THE OBJECTS. BY EXAMINING THAT MATERIAL AND VISITING THE SITE WHERE THE RELICS
WERE DISCOVERED, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL HOW LONG
THE ARTIFACTS WERE BURIED. YOU KNOW WHERE THE ARTIFACTS
WERE FOUND? - I THINK SO.
- OH, OKAY. OKAY. - I THINK ONCE I'M THERE
AND I SEE IT, THEN I CAN PROBABLY FIGURE OUT
WHERE THE DIG WAS. THIS IS THE SPOT, BECAUSE RIGHT THERE,
WHERE THAT WATER TOWER IS, THAT'S THE OLD HOUSE. THAT'S WHERE
MY GRANDPARENTS LIVED. THE ARTIFACTS' SITE SHOULD BE
JUST RIGHT OVER THIS HILL. I WAS GONNA MAKE YOU
WALK THROUGH BUSHES. YEAH, THIS IS IT.
- ALL RIGHT. - THIS WAS PART OF THE DIG,
IN THIS SECTION. AND SOME OF THE ARTIFACTS, LIKE THE FIRST ONE
THEY FOUND, WAS ACTUALLY STICKING OUT
A LITTLE WAYS, AND THAT'S HOW THEY FOUND THEM. THE HARD PART WAS JUST
DIGGING THEM OUT OF THIS... - LIMESTONE.
- YEAH. - BASED ON THOSE PICTURES
FROM YOUR GRANDFATHER'S REPORT, THEY WERE LITERALLY EMBEDDED
IN THIS CALICHE. CALICHE IS THE KEY
TO FINDING THE TRUTH. IT'S A TYPE
OF SEDIMENTARY ROCK DEPOSIT FORMED THROUGH
THE EROSION PROCESS. CALICHE IS A-- BASICALLY WHAT THEY CALL
'DESERT CEMENT.' THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE HERE. THIS CALICHE
IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THIS IS A PROCESS
THAT TAKES TIME. THE IMPORTANT THING
ABOUT CALICHE IS, IT'S A TYPE OF LIMESTONE. IF THE LIMESTONE HERE MATCHES THE DEPOSITS
ON THE RELICS, THEN I DON'T SEE HOW THEY COULD HAVE BEEN
A MODERN-DAY HOAX. BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN: JUST HOW LONG
HAVE THEY BEEN HERE, AND WHO DID THEY BELONG TO? THERE ARE SOME TESTS
WE CAN DO TO VERIFY HOW LONG
THAT PROCESS TAKES. IF THESE THINGS ARE REAL,
THESE ARE HUGE. I WANT TO KNOW MORE. WE'VE GOT TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS. - I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF 32 LEAD CROSSES,
SWORDS, AND RITUAL OBJECTS UNEARTHED OUTSIDE OF TUCSON
IN 1924 ARE PART OF AN UNTOLD HISTORY
HERE IN THE SOUTHWEST OR PART OF A MODERN HOAX. THE GRANDSON OF ONE OF THE MEN
WHO DISCOVERED THE ARTIFACTS WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUTH, AND I HAVE EVERY INTENTION
OF GIVING IT TO HIM. SO FAR,
THE GEOLOGY AT THE SITE HAS ME LEANING TOWARD
AUTHENTICITY, BUT BEFORE
I MAKE ANY CONCLUSIONS, I NEED TO TAKE
SOME CALICHE SAMPLES AND TEST THEM. I'M JUST GONNA CHOP
SOME OF THIS STUFF DOWN, SO JUST CATCH IT IN THE BUCKET. I WANT THE GRAVEL
AND THE ROCKS AND EVERYTHING
AND THE SAND AND THAT WHOLE... THIS IS ALL CALICHE RIGHT HERE. THAT'S A BIG ROCK. WELL, IT'S JUST A TESTAMENT. THIS--THIS NATURALLY HAPPENS, AND IT'S REALLY STRONG. THIS CALICHE
IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THIS IS A PROCESS
THAT TAKES TIME. I'M HOPEFUL TO VERIFY
HOW LONG THAT PROCESS TAKES. SO THAT'S IT.
THAT'S ALL I WANT. CALICHE IS OBVIOUSLY
VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE ARTIFACTS WERE FOUND
ENCASED IN THE CALICHE. GRAB MY BACKPACK. SHOULD BE A BOTTLE INSIDE
THE SIDE POCKET THERE. - ANTACID TABLETS? - YEP.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S MADE OF? - CALICHE? - [chuckles]
ESSENTIALLY, YES. IT'S CALCIUM CARBONATE, AND WHEN YOU GET AN ACID BUILDUP
IN YOUR STOMACH, YOU POP A COUPLE OF THESE,
AND IT NEUTRALIZES THE pH. WE USE IT ALL OF THE TIME. - SO IF I GET SICK, I SHOULD GO IN THE DESERT
AND EAT SOME DIRT? - [laughs] BASICALLY, YES. THEY'VE BEEN USING IT
FOR 2,000 YEARS OR LONGER. SO IT WORKS JUST AS WELL NOW. - WELL, THAT'LL SAVE ME
SOME CASH. - WHOA. OH, HO, HO. - BEEN QUITE SOME TIME
SINCE I HAVE SEEN THESE. - WOW! I MEAN, LOOK AT ALL OF THESE. - THIS--THIS IS... WAIT.
WE GOT TO PUT GLOVES ON. HERE YOU GO. YOU GOT 'EM, GRANT?
- YEAH. - WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME
YOU SAW THESE? - OH, LET ME SEE.
[chuckles softly] MANY YEARS AGO. I THINK
I WAS MAYBE IN HIGH SCHOOL. - LOOK AT THIS ONE. - THIS IS ODD. WHAT THE HECK? SO THIS IS WHAT, A.D.? IT'S RIGHT HERE.
IT'S A.D. DCCC. SO THAT'S 800 A.D. - YEAH.
MM-HMM. - WERE THEY USING A.D. THEN? - I DON'T KNOW. - IF A.D. WASN'T IN USE, THAT WOULD BE A CRITICAL CLUE, SUGGESTING THESE ITEMS
WERE A HOAX. WE GOT TO CHECK THAT OUT,
'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? IF WE DON'T CHECK IT OUT AND SOMEBODY ELSE DOES AND SAYS, "HEY, SHERLOCKS..." THAT'S IMPORTANT.
- RIGHT. - WERE THEY USING A.D. REGULARLY
IN 800 A.D.? - WHAT WOULD HAVE DONE THAT? - WHAT THE HECK IS THAT? - IT LOOKS LIKE
SOMETHING WAS STABBED AT IT. - CAN YOU HAND ME MY LENS
OVER THERE? WELL, THERE'S AN IMPACT.
- YEAH. - THERE'S AN IMPACT RIGHT HERE,
AND THAT'S WHAT BROKE IT. - YEAH.
- LOOKIT. RIGHT HERE. THERE'S A GROOVE
THAT GOES IN LIKE THIS, AND THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT BROKE IT. THIS THING HAD TO BE
ON A HARD SURFACE. I MEAN,
IF SOMEBODY WAS HOLDING THAT. THAT HAD TO BE LAYING DOWN, AND SOMETHING HIT IT
FROM THIS ANGLE, 'CAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE ROUNDED LITTLE TIP
GOING IN HERE, AND IT'S NOT SHARP. SO THERE'S SOMETHING WEIRD
GOING ON HERE. - THAT WOULDN'T BE FROM A FIGHT.
- NO, IT'S-- SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING
TO THESE. MAYBE THEY WERE BROKEN
IN SOME TYPE OF RITUAL. THAT'S THE ONLY THING
THAT I CAN THINK OF. GRANT,
DIDN'T YOU TRANSLATE THIS ONE? - YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY LATIN. IT TALKS ABOUT A KING THEODORUS AND GOING ACROSS THE SEA
TO A NEW SECRET LAND. - THEODORUS WAS A ROMAN LEADER. HE AND HIS BROTHERS
WERE WARRIOR PRINCES DURING THE TIME OF CHARLEMAGNE. SOME BELIEVE HE VOYAGED
TO AMERICA IN 775 A.D. WHAT'S ON THE BACK OF THIS ONE? WE'VE GOT SOMETHING
THAT LOOKS LIKE A BRONTOSAURUS OR A DINOSAUR. WHAT IS THAT? IT HAS A FORKED TONGUE. THAT MAY TELL US SOMETHING, BUT THAT'S A QUESTION
THAT WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE. [grunts]
OKAY, THAT'S NICE AND HEAVY. OH, JEEZ. LOOK AT THE GREEN ON THERE.
YEAH, AND THE BLUE. THAT'S MALACHITE. AND THE BLUE IS AZURITE,
AND IT'S GORGEOUS. AND THERE'S CALCITE HERE,
AND THERE'S SAND GRAINS. WELL, THIS IS CRYSTALLINE. IF THAT'S CRYSTALLINE, THAT HAD TO HAVE GROWN IN PLACE. WELL, THIS IS
LIKE FIBROUS GROWTH. IT'S A RADIATING MINERAL. IT KIND OF RADIATES
WITH NEEDLES. THIS COULD BE ONE
OF THE SMOKING GUNS, REALLY IMPORTANT SMOKING GUNS. JUST LIKE CALICHE IS A CLUE TO HOW OLD THESE RELICS ARE, SO IS WHAT I'M SEEING HERE. THIS IS LIKE FORENSIC RUST. IT TAKES HUNDREDS OF YEARS
TO FORM. AND IF WE CAN TAKE
A CLOSER LOOK, WE'LL KNOW WHETHER
IT REALLY DATES TO 800 A.D., THE DATE INSCRIBED
ON ONE OF THE CROSSES. GETTING THESE RELICS UNDER
A 3-D MICROSCOPE IS CRITICAL. IT'S THE ONLY TECHNOLOGY
AVAILABLE THAT CAN RE-CREATE
THE EXACT FEATURES OF THE INSCRIBED SYMBOLS,
LINES, AND CARVINGS. IT'S INVALUABLE
IN THE NEW SCIENCE OF ARCHAEOPETROGRAPHY, THE USE OF GEOLOGY TO HELP
SOLVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MYSTERIES. SEE, HERE IS THE EDGE
OF THE METAL RIGHT HERE. SO THIS IS A LITTLE RECESS HERE. ALL OF THIS AREA HERE
IS A DEPRESSION. AND THIS IS THE HIGH SPOTS HERE. IT SEEMS TO ME--
WHAT I SUSPECT IS, IS THAT
THAT GREW ON THE BACK AT THE SITE
WHERE THEY WERE FOUND. AND WHAT MAKES THIS SO IMPORTANT
IS THAT THAT TAKES TIME. - ABOUT HOW LONG DOES THAT TAKE? - I WOULD SAY AT LEAST DECADES AND MORE LIKELY
HUNDREDS OF YEARS. NOW, LOOKIT, THAT LETTER IS COMPLETELY OBSCURED
WITH SECONDARY DEPOSITS. THIS LETTER RIGHT HERE. NOW, IF I CAN MOVE THIS
OUT OF THE WAY. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH LENGTHY
DEPOSITION OF THESE DEPOSITS. THIS TAKES TIME. ALL RIGHT, LET'S FLIP THIS OVER,
AND LET'S TAKE A LOOK. I WONDER IF THE DEPOSITS
ARE THE SAME. WHAT THE HELL? GRANT, LOOK AT THAT. AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE
RIGHT THERE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? OH, MY GOD.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! - GRANT, LOOK AT THAT! AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE
RIGHT THERE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? OH, MY GOD.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! IT'S A CROSS OF LORRAINE. IT'S A DOUBLE-BARRED CROSS. THIS IS THE PATRON SYMBOL
TO THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. THE TEMPLARS
WERE RELIGIOUS KNIGHTS WHO USED THE CROSS OF LORRAINE
THROUGHOUT THE CRUSADES AND PERHAPS EVEN BEFORE. THE DOUBLE-BARRED CROSS
ALSO REPRESENTS THE DRAGONFLY, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT SYMBOL
TO NATIVE AMERICANS. IN THAT WAY, IT WAS A SYMBOL
BOTH GROUPS SHARED. ALL RIGHT, GUYS,
LET'S SUMMARIZE WHAT WE HAVE. THEY'RE EITHER REAL,
OR THEY'RE NOT. AND ARE THERE THINGS ON HERE
THAT TIP THIS INTO THE REAL
OR NOT REAL CATEGORY? I MEAN,
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. THE DISCOVERY
OF THE ARTIFACTS-- THERE WERE PEOPLE PRESENT. THERE WERE ARCHAEOLOGISTS
THAT EXCAVATED THESE THINGS, NO ONE QUESTIONS
THE VERACITY OF THE DIG. THAT'S A CRITICAL POINT. THIS A.D. THING--
THAT'S HANGING OUT THERE. WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT
THAT WAS IN USE OR NOT. AND THE OTHER THING IS, WHAT IS THE DEAL
WITH THAT DINOSAUR? I DON'T UNDERSTAND. ALL OF A SUDDEN,
THAT THING SHOWS UP. ALL THE OTHER SYMBOLISM
LOOKS REALLY GOOD, BUT THAT THING BOTHERS ME, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT. - I WANT THE ANSWER
OF WHAT THESE THINGS ARE, WHERE THEY CAME FROM, IF THEY'RE PLANTED,
IF THEY'RE REAL. I NEED TO KNOW. - I REALLY WANT
TO FIGURE THIS OUT, AND I WANT TO DO IT FOR YOUR GRANDFATHER
AND FOR YOU. TO GET TO THE TRUTH,
WE HAVE TO VERIFY AGE. THE MINERALS ARE KEY. FIRST, THERE'S THE CALICHE. THIS IS LIKE DESERT CEMENT THAT
TAKES HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO FORM. THEN THERE'S THE MALACHITE
AND AZURITE, BEAUTIFUL MINERALS, WHICH GREW AND CRYSTALLIZED
UNDERGROUND WHILE THE ARTIFACTS WERE BURIED. THEY CAN ALSO TAKE
HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO FORM. AND THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENT
WE CAN LOOK INTO: THE LEAD ITSELF. I REALLY NEED TO TRY
TO FIND A SOURCE FOR THIS LEAD. IS THERE ANY PLACE AROUND HERE
THAT MIGHT HAVE A MINE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY
BE A SOURCE FOR THE LEAD
TO MAKE THESE ARTIFACTS? IF THERE'S NO VIABLE SOURCE FOR LEAD AROUND HERE, IT COULD CAST DOUBT
ON THEIR LEGITIMACY. - THERE'S A OLD YUMA MINE...
- OKAY. - THAT THEY THINK
THE LEAD MIGHT'VE COME FROM. - AND IT'S NEAR HERE? - I DON'T KNOW.
FOUR OR FIVE MILES, I THINK. - GUYS ALL READY?
- HI, KRISY, HOW ARE YOU? - GOOD.
HOW ABOUT YOURSELVES? - GOOD. GOOD.
READY TO HIKE. - WATCH THE BARBWIRE. SO WE JUST KIND OF
WORK OUR WAY UP, AND THEN THAT'S THE ACTUAL MINE. - IF I CAN FIND LEAD
AT THE YUMA MINE, IT TELLS ME THAT THE CROSSES,
SWORDS, AND ARTIFACTS COULD HAVE BEEN MADE HERE,
WHICH MAKES SENSE, SINCE I DON'T KNOW
IF ANY OVERSEAS EXPLORERS WOULD HAVE CARRIED THESE THINGS
ALL THE WAY TO THE SOUTHWEST. SEE, THERE'S STUFF
ALL ALONG HERE. THIS WHOLE SIDE HERE IS ALL ORE. HERE'S ANOTHER PIECE HERE. YOU KNOW,
IT'S POSSIBLE OUR GUYS THAT MADE THOSE ARTIFACTS
WERE HERE, RIGHT HERE,
DIGGING OUT THIS MATERIAL. GOD, IT'S EVERYWHERE. [whistles] SEE THAT FRACTURE
RUNNING RIGHT HERE? - YEAH. - SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE
ALL THIS ORE RUNNING IN A SEAM LIKE THIS
AND THEN RUNNING OFF INTO THESE FRACTURES
ON THE SIDE. - HOW WOULD THEY HAVE GOTTEN
THAT OUT? - WELL, WITH MANUAL LABOR. THEY MUST'VE HAD PICKS
OF SOME KIND AND HAMMERS. HECK, THEY COULD'VE EVEN TAKEN
HEAVY STONES AND JUST POUNDED THE ROCK-- THIS STUFF WILL BREAK UP-- MELT IT DOWN, AND MAKE THE LEAD-- IT'S ACTUALLY
A PRETTY SIMPLE PROCESS. IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE HERE. IT WOULD'VE BEEN NO PROBLEM. FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S
MORE THAN ENOUGH LEAD ORE HERE TO MAKE THE ARTIFACTS
800, 1,000, 2,000 YEARS AGO. THE ONLY THING LEFT NOW IS, WE DO NEED
TO TAKE THAT GRAVEL SAMPLE, GO BACK TO THE LAB,
AND TEST IT. BUT ALL WE NEED TO DO IS FIND JUST A LITTLE BIT
OF LIMESTONE IN THERE. AND THERE'S OUR SOURCE
OF CALICHE, PERCOLATES DOWN,
CEMENTS THE ARTIFACTS. IF THEY'RE REAL,
THE QUESTION IS: WHO MADE THEM? WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? AND WHY DID THEY COME HERE? - WHEN I LEFT ARIZONA, I PROMISED CHUCK BENT
SOME ANSWERS. HE DESERVES TO KNOW,
ONCE AND FOR ALL, IF THE ARTIFACTS HIS GRANDFATHER
FOUND ARE ANCIENT, OR IF HIS GRANDFATHER
WAS PART OF AN ELABORATE HOAX. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MYSTERY FOR NEARLY A CENTURY, BUT NO ONE'S EVER USED GEOLOGY
TO TRY TO SOLVE IT. I KNOW THE TESTS
I'M GOING TO DO ON THE CALICHE
FOUND ON THE ARTIFACTS WILL TELL ME HOW OLD
THE CROSS AND ARTIFACTS ARE, BUT THOSE TESTS
CAN'T TELL ME WHO MADE THEM. TO FIGURE THAT OUT, ALL I HAVE TO GO ON
ARE THE SYMBOLS, SYMBOLS LIKE
THE CROSS OF LORRAINE, A SYMBOL USED
BY THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AND POSSIBLY OTHER GROUPS. SYMBOLS ARE LIKE TRADEMARKS, SOMETIMES USED BY
THE SAME GROUPS FOR CENTURIES. AND SOMETIMES,
SYMBOLS SEEM TO TURN UP IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES. [cell phone beeping] [phone line trilling] - HELLO. BILL MANN. - HEY, BILL,
THIS IS SCOTT WOLTER. I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO YOU. I'M LOOKING
AT THE STRANGEST THING. WELL, BILL,
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS RESEARCH ON THE TUCSON LEAD ARTIFACTS. AND WHEN I STARTED
TO INVESTIGATE THEM, I SAW SOME INCREDIBLE SYMBOLOGY
ON HERE AND SYMBOLS
THAT LOOKED MASONIC TO ME, AND I KNOW
WITH YOUR MASONIC BACKGROUND THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE
TO HELP ME OUT. - THIS IS TERRIFIC STUFF, SCOTT. - NOW, HERE'S A COUPLE
OF THE ARTIFACTS HERE. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE THAT WAS FOUND BY A MAN
NAMED CHARLES MANIER IN 1924. OVER THE COURSE
OF THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, HE AND HIS WORLD WAR I BUDDY,
A MAN NAMED THOMAS BENT, FOUND OVER 30 LEAD ARTIFACTS
BURIED UNDER UP TO 6 FEET OF CALICHE,
CEMENTED SAND, AND GRAVEL. AND WHEN I CAME ACROSS
THESE THINGS, I WAS ABSOLUTELY FASCINATED. AND THEY'RE JUST COVERED
WITH SYMBOLS. - SOME OF THESE SYMBOLS,
I DO RECOGNIZE. THIS IS
A REALLY IMPORTANT SYMBOL. THIS IS THE CROSS OF LORRAINE. - [chuckles]
EXACTLY. THAT'S WHY I WAS EXCITED
TO CONTACT YOU. I MEAN,
I SAW IT ON THESE ARTIFACTS, AND THEN I STARTED
TO DO RESEARCH, AND I STARTED FINDING IT
IN ALL KINDS OF PLACES. I WAS AT THE GAS STATION. AND I LOOKED UP
AT THE EXXON SIGN. LOOK AT THAT.
- RIGHT THERE. THE CROSS OF LORRAINE WAS REALLY
THE SYMBOL OF THE MEDIEVAL KNIGHTS TEMPLAR ORDER
OF THE FIRST CRUSADES, AND IT'S CONTINUED TO THIS DAY. IT'S KNOWN
AS THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS TO THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR, BUT IT'S REALLY
THE CROSS OF LORRAINE. - IT'S A RED DOUBLE-BARRED CROSS
ON A WHITE BACKGROUND WITH THE BLUE BORDER
ON THE BOTTOM. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? - WELL, THE RED AND WHITE'S SUGGESTIVE OF THE COLOR
OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. THE BLUE REPRESENTS
POSSIBLY THE OCEAN AND THE NOTION
THAT THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR SAILED ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
TO NORTH AMERICA AND ESTABLISHED
CERTAIN SECRET SANCTUARIES. - THE PERSON THAT DESIGNED THIS WAS A MAN NAMED RAYMOND LOEWY, WHO ALSO DESIGNED
THE STUDEBAKER CAR AND THE SHAPE
OF THE COCA-COLA BOTTLE. - THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING. RAYMOND LOEWY
WAS RUMORED TO BE A FREEMASON. - IF LOEWY WAS A FREEMASON, IT WOULD MAKE PERFECT SENSE
FOR HIM TO INCORPORATE A TEMPLAR SYMBOL
INTO ONE OF HIS LOGOS. PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT, BUT IT'S ACCEPTED AS FACT THAT MANY FREEMASONS
ARE MODERN-DAY KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. ONE ORGANIZATION
EVOLVED FROM THE OTHER. WHEN THE TEMPLAR ORDER
WAS BANNED AND THE KNIGHTS BURNED
AT THE STAKE, THEY DIDN'T JUST DISAPPEAR. THEY ESCAPED,
TOOK THEIR IDEOLOGY WITH THEM, AND STARTED OVER. I WANT TO SHOW YOU
SOMETHING ELSE. I FOUND HIS NOTES THAT HE USED WHEN HE WAS DESIGNING THIS LOGO. AND HERE YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS THE ONE
THAT WAS ACCEPTED. BUT LOOK AT SOME
OF THESE OTHERS HERE. I MEAN,
THOSE LOOK FAMILIAR TO YOU? - THE SQUARE AND COMPASS,
WHICH IS, AS YOU KNOW, A HUGE SYMBOL
WITHIN FREEMASONRY. - WELL, EXACTLY, IT'S THE MOST
COMMON SYMBOL OF FREEMASONRY. I MEAN, IT'S BASICALLY-- YOU TAKE TWO "V"s,
INVERT ONE, AND PUT THEM
ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, BUT REALLY SYMBOLIZES DUALISM, THE CONCEPT OF OPPOSITES
THAT KEEP THINGS IN BALANCE: MALE/FEMALE,
HEAVEN AND EARTH, GOOD/BAD, LIGHT/DARK. BUT THERE'S
ALSO A PRACTICAL SIDE TO THE COMPASS
AND THE SQUARE. THESE ARE TWO
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BUILDING INSTRUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN USED
FOR MILLENNIA, GOING BACK AS FAR AS WE KNOW, TO BUILD IMPORTANT STRUCTURES THAT MANY CULTURES
ALIGNED WITH THE STARS, THE MOONS, THE PLANET, VENUS, IN WHAT
WE CALL ARCHAEOASTRONOMY. THE FACT
THAT THE CROSS OF LORRAINE APPEARS ON THE TUCSON ARTIFACTS SUGGESTS TO ME
THEY ARE SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO EITHER THE TEMPLARS
OR THE FREEMASONS. THE 800 A.D. DATE
INSCRIBED ON ONE OF THE CROSSES IS ABOUT 300 YEARS TOO EARLY
FOR THE TEMPLARS. BUT MAYBE
THERE IS STILL A CONNECTION. I'M ABOUT TO DO SOME TESTING ON SOME CALICHE SEDIMENTS
THAT I COLLECTED WHERE THE TUCSON ARTIFACTS
WERE FOUND. AND IT'S GOING TO
HELP ME DETERMINE WHETHER THESE ARTIFACTS INDEED HAVE BEEN IN THE GROUND
FOR A SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF TIME AND ESSENTIALLY PROVE
THEIR AUTHENTICITY. BUT, ON ANOTHER LEVEL, THE PRESENCE
OF THE CROSS OF LORRAINE ON THESE ARTIFACTS
ALSO IS A SIGN OF AUTHENTICITY. WELL, GRANT, ARE YOU READY
TO TEST SOME CALICHE? - YEAH, LET'S DO IT. - THE WHOLE POINT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE
IS TO SEE, "COULD THIS CALICHE
HAVE FORMED NATURALLY IN THE FIELD
WHERE WE SAW IT? " NOW, IT LOOKS OBVIOUS, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO PROVE IT. WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THE SAMPLES
WE COLLECTED FROM THE SITE. YOU CAN SEE
ALL THIS WHITE MATERIAL HERE. - MM-HMM.
- THAT'S THE CALICHE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A SOURCE
FOR THE CALICHE: LIMESTONE. AND IF WE HAVE THAT, THEN IT MAKES SENSE THAT WE HAVE A SOURCE THAT COULD PERCOLATE DOWN AND ENCASE THE ARTIFACTS IN THE CALICHE THAT WE SAW. THE ARTIFACTS ARE REAL. THE QUESTION IS:
ARE THEY OLD? ONCE WE DO THE WORK, IF WE FIND
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, THEN THIS IS
AN AMAZING DISCOVERY. - FIGURING OUT WHETHER OR NOT
THE TUCSON ARTIFACTS ARE AUTHENTIC RELICS
FROM 800 A.D. ALL COMES DOWN
TO A SINGLE TEST. WHEN CHARLES MANIER
AND THOMAS BENT DISCOVERED THESE ARTIFACTS
IN 1924, THEY WERE ENCASED IN CALICHE, A NATURAL CEMENT-TYPE
OF DEPOSIT THAT CAN TAKE HUNDREDS OF YEARS
TO FORM AND WOULD BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE
TO FAKE. IF THE CALICHE ON THE ARTIFACTS IS A MATCH
TO THE ROCK SAMPLES OF LIMESTONE WE TOOK AT THE SITE, I'LL BE CONVINCED
THESE ARTIFACTS WERE LEFT BY ANCIENT EXPLORERS
TO THE SOUTHWEST. SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO HERE IS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE
ALL OF THESE BAGS. WE'RE GOING TO INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFY EACH PARTICLE AND SEE
IF WE HAVE A LIMESTONE SOURCE. WE HAVE TO HAVE A SOURCE
FOR THE CALICHE. AND IT'S GOT TO BE
ABOVE THE ARTIFACT. SO IF WE HAVE THE LIMESTONE, RAINWATER'S
GONNA PERCOLATE DOWN. IT'S GONNA DISSOLVE IT OUT,
BRING IT DOWN, AND THEORETICALLY CEMENT IT INTO THE LAYER
WITH THE ARTIFACTS. - WE'D BE ABLE TO TELL
IF IT'S THE SAME STUFF THAT'S ON THE ARTIFACTS? - YES, WE WILL. IF THIS DOES ALL PAN OUT AND IT SHOWS
THAT IT DID FORM NATURALLY, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE
THAT ANYBODY FAKED ANYTHING, IF WE HAVE THE SOURCE,
EVERYTHING ELSE FITS, GAME, SET, MATCH. EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE
WITH THE CALICHE TESTING. WE DO HAVE
THE LIMESTONE SOURCE UP ABOVE. IT PERCOLATED DOWN
THROUGH THIS SEDIMENT PILE AND ENCASED THE ARTIFACTS
IN CALICHE. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. THEREFORE,
SINCE WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE OF FAKERY OR HOAXES AT ALL, AT THIS POINT, I'M READY TO SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY
IN MY MIND THAT THESE ARTIFACTS
ARE ABSOLUTELY LEGITIMATE. NOW, THEY DATE TO ABOUT
THE EIGHTH TO NINTH CENTURY. AND IN LOOKING
AT THE GEOLOGIC FORMATION, BASED ON WHAT I KNOW
ABOUT THE GEOLOGY, EVERYTHING FITS. WE STILL HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS
HANGING OUT THERE THAT NEED ANSWERS,
ONE BEING: WAS THE TERM "A.D."
USED IN THE YEAR 800? ONE OF THE RELICS CLEARLY SHOWS
A DATE OF 800 A.D. I HAD GRANT
DO THE RESEARCH ON THIS TO CONFIRM ITS LEGITIMACY. - IT DOES WORK, 'CAUSE DURING THAT TIME,
THEY WERE USING A.D. - AND THEN THERE'S THE CARVING OF WHAT LOOKS LIKE A DINOSAUR. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME
IN THE FOSSIL WORLD, AND I NEVER HEARD OF ANY DINOSAUR
WITH A FORKED TONGUE. THAT'S GOT TO BE A LIZARD. AND WE'RE IN THE DESERT
IN THE SOUTHWEST, LIZARDS ALL OVER THE PLACE. TO ME,
THAT'S GOT TO BE WHAT IT IS. THERE'S NO QUESTION WE'VE GOT
A PRE-COLUMBIAN PRESENCE HERE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA
IN THE EIGHTH AND NINTH CENTURY. BUT WHO COULD IT BE? THE ONLY THING
THAT I CAN THINK OF PERSONALLY IS A PRECURSOR
TO THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. I THINK THE CROSS OF LORRAINE IS THE SYMBOL
THAT PROVES IT'S POSSIBLE. THE TEMPLARS ULTIMATELY
EMBRACED THAT SYMBOL, SO PERHAPS ITS APPEARANCE HERE IS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES
IT WAS USED BY RELIGIOUS REFUGEES THAT WERE PART
OF A LARGER ORGANIZATION THAT LATER SPAWNED THE TEMPLARS. I KNOW THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
MADE IT TO AMERICA IN 1362. I KNOW THIS
BECAUSE OF MY PAST WORK STUDYING THE KENSINGTON RUNE STONE
FOUND IN MINNESOTA. THE TEMPLARS LEFT
THEIR HOOKED "X" SYMBOL ON THAT ARTIFACT AND MAYBE
ANOTHER AFFILIATED GROUP WAS HERE IN THE SOUTHWEST
BEFORE THEM AND LEFT THE CROSS OF LORRAINE
SYMBOL BEHIND. WELL, ONE THING I KNOW
FOR SURE IS, CHUCK BENT
IS GONNA BE HAPPY THAT THE GEOLOGIC WORK
WE'VE DONE HERE HAS PROVEN THAT THESE THINGS
ARE ABSOLUTELY REAL. AND I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL HIM. [doorbell rings] HEY, CHUCK.
COME ON IN. GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANKS FOR COMING. - I WOULDN'T MISS THIS.
- [laughs] I WANTED TO TELL YOU IN PERSON ABOUT THE RESULTS
OF THE TESTING. - THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN GNAWING AT ME
FOR QUITE SOME TIME. - LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. [sighs] WHAT IF IT TURNS OUT
THESE ARTIFACTS ARE A HOAX? - IT'S NOT GONNA
MAKE ME FEEL GOOD. BUT AT LEAST I WILL KNOW...
- MM-HMM. - AND THEN THERE WON'T BE
THIS QUESTION ABOUT, "WELL, WERE THEY PLANTED?" BECAUSE IF THEY WERE, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S BECAUSE MY GRANDFATHER
PLANTED THEM. - HE FOUND SOMEBODY ELSE'S HOAX IF THAT'S WHAT IT
TURNS OUT TO BE. - RIGHT. - LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT WE DID, OKAY? WHEN YOU TOOK GRANT AND I OUT TO THE SITE
WHERE THE ARTIFACTS WERE FOUND, WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE A SAMPLE
OF THE SAND AND GRAVEL AND THE CALICHE
THAT CEMENTED IT TOGETHER THAT THE ARTIFACTS
WERE FOUND IN. IN THE LAB, I WAS ABLE
TO LOOK AT THAT MATERIAL. AND, FIRST OF ALL, THE CALICHE ON THE ARTIFACTS AND AT THE SITE IS THE SAME. THE OTHER THING IS,
ON THE BACK OF THE ARTIFACTS, WHERE WE TOOK THAT SAMPLE, WE ALSO SAW THE MALACHITE
AND THE AZURITE TOGETHER WITH THE CALICHE. WELL, AFTER DOING MY ANALYSIS, MY ONLY CONCLUSION
THAT I CAN DRAW IS THAT THOSE MINERALS IN THAT ENVIRONMENT
AT THAT PLACE HAD TO HAVE TAKEN
HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO FORM, SO THAT CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING: THEY'RE GENUINE. - GENUINE? - THEY'RE GENUINE. YOUR GRANDFATHER
WAS TELLING THE TRUTH. AND THERE'S NO WAY THAT
THAT COULD'VE BEEN FAKED. - HOW OLD DO YOU THINK
THE ARTIFACTS ARE, THEN? - WELL, ONE OF THE ARTIFACTS
IS DATED TO 800 A.D. THIS WOULD MAKE THEM
1,200 YEARS OLD, AND WHAT'S NICE
ABOUT THE WORK WE DID IS, THE GEOLOGY IS CONSISTENT
WITH THAT DATE. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE
ASKED IS, "WAS A.D. USED AT THAT TIME?" AND IT TURNS OUT IT WAS. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT THESE ARTIFACTS. AND TO WALK INTO THIS,
TO SEE THE ARTIFACTS, TO BE ABLE TO TEST 'EM,
TO MEET YOU, AND TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS TODAY IS REALLY AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT THAT. - OH, I'M SURE MY GRANDFATHER--
HE'S HEARING ALL THIS. AND I'M SURE
HE'S REAL--REALLY HAPPY. - IT FEELS REALLY GOOD
TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU THIS, BUT THE THING THAT'S SITTING
NOW IN MY HEAD IS, WHO WERE THESE PEOPLE? WHO MADE THESE ARTIFACTS? AND WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? AND IF YOU REMEMBER, WHEN WE WERE TOGETHER
WITH GRANT, WE WERE LOOKING
AT THE ARTIFACTS, DO YOU REMEMBER
THAT DOUBLE-BARRED CROSS OF LORRAINE
THAT WE TALKED ABOUT? - RIGHT. - THAT'S REALLY
A VERY IMPORTANT CLUE AS TO WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE. WELL, WE KNOW
THAT WAS USED BY THE TEMPLARS, AND SINCE IT WAS USED BY THE PEOPLE
THAT MADE THESE ARTIFACTS, THEY HAVE TO BE RELATED. SO THEY WERE A PRECURSOR
TO THE TEMPLARS. DURING THE RESEARCH I DID, THERE WAS A PRECURSOR
TO THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR IN SOUTHERN FRANCE
AT THAT TIME. AT ABOUT THE EIGHTH AND NINTH
CENTURIES, THEY WERE BEING PERSECUTED,
ACCORDING TO SOME SCHOLARS, BY SOME MUSLIM GROUP COMING FROM
THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE MOTIVATION
FOR THEM TO COME OVER HERE. - HOW WOULD
THEY HAVE GOTTEN OVER TO WHAT'S NOW ARIZONA? - THEY CAME BY SHIP. BUT THE EXACT ROUTE,
WE DON'T KNOW. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE. SINCE THE ARTIFACTS ARE HERE,
THEY GOT HERE. - IT'S LIKE A WEIGHT'S
BEEN TAKEN OFF. I MEAN, ALL THESE YEARS
NOT KNOWING REALLY WHERE THEY CAME FROM,
IF THEY WERE REAL OR NOT, TO BE ABLE TO SIT HERE
AND FIND OUT THAT THEY ARE ACTUAL RELICS, THAT MY GRANDFATHER WOULD BE SO RELIEVED
TO KNOW THAT. - I THINK IF YOUR GRANDFATHER
WERE ALIVE TODAY, I THINK HE'D BE HAPPY THAT THE TRUTH ABOUT THE RELICS
IS FINALLY OUT. AND I'D LIKE TO THINK
THAT HE WOULD BE HAPPY THAT MODERN SCIENCE WAS
FINALLY ABLE TO CLEAR HIS NAME. THE COLLECTION OF LEAD CROSSES
AND CEREMONIAL OBJECTS PULLED FROM THE DESERT CEMENT
OUTSIDE OF TUCSON IN 1924 ARE SOME OF THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT
ARTIFACTS I'VE SEEN UNEARTHED
IN AMERICA YET. JUST LIKE SO MANY
OTHER IMPORTANT FINDS, THEY WERE WRITTEN OFF
BY ACADEMICS WHO REFUSED TO BELIEVE
IN SOMETHING THAT GOES AGAINST THE HISTORY
WE'VE BEEN TOLD. I BELIEVE IT'S ANOTHER CASE
WHERE MODERN SCIENCE HAS VINDICATED
NOT JUST AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIND BUT A MAN. THAT MAN
WAS CHUCK BENT'S GRANDFATHER. THOMAS BENT
SUFFERED YEARS OF ATTACKS FROM PEOPLE CONVINCED
HE'D PERPETRATED A HOAX. THESE RELICS
COULD ALSO BE CONNECTED TO THE EARLIEST APPEARANCE
IN AMERICA OF THE RELIGIOUS REFUGEES WHO WOULD ULTIMATELY BECOME
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR, WHOSE AMERICAN EXPLOITS
I'M JUST STARTING TO REVEAL.
