[mysterious music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [dramatic musical tones] - 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] [gentle music] ♪ ♪ I'M 30 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE
OF A UTAH LAKE, SEARCHING FOR
MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE. YEAH.
THAT MONTEZUMA. THE GUY WHO LED THE AZTECS
IN THE EARLY 1500s... BUT WHO MIGHT BE BETTER KNOWN
FOR MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE, THE ILLNESS NO TRAVELER
TO MEXICO WANTS TO GET. ALL RIGHT, GUYS,
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? - YEP. - WE HEAR YOU, SCOTT. - I WOULDN'T BE DOWN HERE
DIVING FOR THE TREASURE IF IT WEREN'T
FOR AN ANONYMOUS PACKAGE I RECEIVED
A FEW WEEKS AGO. [dramatic percussive music] WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS MAP, I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO THINK. I'D SEEN IT BEFORE. IT'S CALLED
THE DISTURNELL MAP. AN EXPERT I MET
RECEIVED ONE TOO, ALONG WITH
THE SAME CRYPTIC MESSAGE: "PLEASE PUT THIS TO GOOD USE." I CAME ACROSS IT
WHILE INVESTIGATING WHETHER AZTECS FROM MEXICO
HAD AN AMERICAN CONNECTION EITHER THROUGH AN ANCIENT
HOMELAND IN THE SOUTHWEST OR UNDERWATER PYRAMIDS
IN WISCONSIN. NOW, THAT'S A TRIP
I REMEMBER VIVIDLY. I GOT STUCK AT THE BOTTOM
OF ROCK LAKE UNDER THOUSANDS OF POUNDS
OF WATER. AND I CAME UP EMPTY. NO AZTEC PYRAMIDS. BUT MAYBE THE MAP MEANS
MY INVESTIGATION INTO THE AZTECS ISN'T OVER. THE AZTECS DOMINATED
THE CENTRAL REGION OF MEXICO BETWEEN THE 14TH
AND 16TH CENTURIES. THEIR MOST FAMOUS LEADER
WAS MONTEZUMA. ACCORDING TO LEGEND, THE AZTECS CAME FROM A PLACE
CALLED AZTLAN IN THE NORTH. THE DISTURNELL MAP PLACES IT
NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS REGION WHERE ARIZONA, COLORADO,
NEW MEXICO, AND UTAH MEET. BUT ON THE MAP I RECEIVED, THERE IS ANOTHER REFERENCE
TO THE AZTECS: THE WORDS "MONTEZUMA'S CURSE"
OVER UTAH. IF THIS WAS MORE EVIDENCE
THAT THE AZTECS GOT THEIR START IN THE UNITED STATES,
NOT MEXICO, I HAD TO CHECK IT OUT. THE FIRST CLUE I WANTED
TO UNDERSTAND WAS THE NAME INSCRIBED IN
THE BACK OF THIS GOLD TRINKET: FREDDIE CRYSTAL. I GET A LOT OF TIPS, BUT NOT USUALLY ONE
SO TANTALIZING AND CRYPTIC. WHO WAS THIS FREDDIE CRYSTAL, AND WHAT'S HIS CONNECTION
TO MONTEZUMA? I MANAGED TO TRACK DOWN
ONE PERSON WHO JUST MIGHT KNOW, AND WE'RE MEETING IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE UTAH DESERT. LOIS?
- YEAH. - THIS MYSTERIOUS PACKAGE
THAT I RECEIVED, THE NAME FREDDIE CRYSTAL
WAS IN THERE. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIM. - FREDDIE CRYSTAL SHOWED UP
ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO IN KANAB, AND WITH HIM HE BROUGHT A MAP
THAT HE SAID HE'D FOUND IN A MEXICAN MONASTERY. AND HE THOUGHT THAT MAP
SHOWED EVIDENCE THAT THE AZTECS HAD COME BACK
TO UTAH, AND THE TOPOGRAPHY ON THAT MAP
MATCHES THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THIS PLACE
WHERE I BROUGHT YOU TODAY. - OKAY. WHAT IS IT THAT FREDDIE
WAS LOOKING FOR? - WELL, FREDDIE WAS LOOKING
FOR GOLD. - GOLD.
- MM-HMM. - AZTEC GOLD.
- YEAH. - HERE? WHEN THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORS
MADE CONTACT WITH THE LARGEST EMPIRE
IN SOUTH AMERICA, THE AZTECS, THEY ALSO WROTE ABOUT
THE MASSIVE TREASURE THEY FOUND THERE. ACCORDING TO ONE ACCOUNT, THE SHEER QUANTITY OF VALUABLES
WAS BREATHTAKING. GOLDEN FACE MASKS
AND NECKLACES, INCREDIBLY ORNATE WEAPONRY, SILVER PLATES AND CUPS, AND THE LIST GOES ON. THE AZTECS GAVE THE SPANISH
SO MANY OF THESE GIFTS, IT TOOK THE CONQUISTADORS
THREE WHOLE DAYS TO EXAMINE THEM. EVENTUALLY, WAR BROKE OUT BETWEEN THE SPANISH AND AZTECS, AND LEGEND HAS IT THE HUGE TREASURE
JUST DISAPPEARED. SO HE WAS IN THIS AREA, AND WHAT WAS HE LOOKING FOR? - WELL, HE BELIEVED THAT THE AZTECS
HAD COME BACK TO UTAH, AND HE WAS LOOKING
FOR EVIDENCE OF THEM-- SOME TUNNELS, ROCK ART,
STUFF LIKE THAT. - OH, REALLY?
- MM-HMM. - IS THIS SOMETHING
THAT I COULD SEE? - YOU BET. IT'S ON GOVERNMENT LAND, BUT I'VE GONE AHEAD
AND GOT SOME APPROVAL FOR US TO GO THERE TODAY. GRAB YOUR STUFF
AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE. - ALL RIGHT. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ THIS PART OF UTAH IS CONSIDERED
CANYON COUNTRY. IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND REMOTE. THE PERFECT PLACE
TO HIDE SOMETHING YOU WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE
TO FIND. LOIS, YOU TALKED ABOUT
THAT FREDDIE HAD MAPS THAT HE GOT DOWN IN MEXICO
THAT LED HIM TO HERE. OBVIOUSLY, HE THOUGHT
THAT WAS THE GOLD, RIGHT? THAT THE GOLD WAS HERE
SOMEWHERE? CAN I SEE THESE MAPS?
- NO. THEY'RE GONE. I'VE DONE LOTS OF RESEARCH.
CAN'T FIND THE MAPS. IN FACT, FREDDIE HIMSELF
DISAPPEARED AFTER 1922. - DISAPPEARED?
- YEAH. KILLED, MAYBE COMMITTED SUICIDE,
MAYBE TOOK ON AN ALIAS. - SO HAS ANYBODY ELSE TRIED TO
FIND THIS TREASURE IN THIS AREA? - A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE. MOST OF THEM STOP LOOKING,
THOUGH, BECAUSE BAD THINGS
START HAPPENING TO THEM. - BAD THINGS. LIKE WHAT? - WELL, SOME OF THEM
HAVE ALMOST DIED. SOME OF THEM HAVE DIED. - REALLY?
- OH, YEAH, PLENTY. MORE RECENTLY, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE
SCUBA DIVE FOR THE GOLD. - WAIT A MINUTE. WHERE ARE THEY GONNA SCUBA DIVE?
I MEAN, THERE'S NO WATER HERE. - THERE'S ACTUALLY
AN UNDERGROUND WATER CAVE NOT TOO FAR FROM THIS AREA. - OH, THERE IS?
- YEAH. - AND THEY WENT SCUBA DIVING
INSIDE THIS CAVE. - THEY TRIED TO. EVERY TIME THEY WENT DOWN--
PROFESSIONAL DIVERS-- THEY'D GO DOWN,
EQUIPMENT FAILURES, LIGHTS GO OUT. ONE OF THE GUYS THAT WENT DOWN, HE CLAIMED A MOUTHPIECE
WAS TORN OUT OF HIS MOUTH, AND ANOTHER FELT HANDS
AROUND HIS NECK. IT FREAKED 'EM OUT THAT THEY
DIDN'T WANT TO DIVE ANYMORE. THEY DON'T EVEN WANT
TO TALK ABOUT IT. - ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT A CURSE? - SOMEWHERE IN THIS VAST EXPANSE
OF UTAH DESERT, MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE
IS SUPPOSEDLY BURIED. AT LEAST,
THAT'S WHAT I'VE LEARNED SINCE RECEIVING
A MYSTERIOUS MAP WITH A CRYPTIC MESSAGE. STORIES ABOUT SUDDEN DEATH, MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES, AND ILL-FATED SCUBA DIVES
HAVE LED MANY TO BELIEVE THAT THE AZTEC TREASURE
IS CURSED. BUT I HAVE TO WONDER:
WHAT'S THE REAL STORY BEHIND WHAT SEEMS LIKE A MYTH? SO THESE DIVERS ACTUALLY HAD
THEIR REGULATORS TORN OUT; THEY FELT LIKE
THEY WERE BEING CHOKED, AND ALL THESE THINGS
WERE HAPPENING. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT A CURSE? - WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE
IT IS CURSED. - WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS PROTECTING THE GOLD
FROM BEING FOUND. IS THERE SOMETHING TO THAT? - WELL, AFTER MONTEZUMA
WAS KILLED, HIS SUCCESSOR SENT WARRIORS,
SLAVES WITH THE GOLD. SOME PEOPLE ESTIMATE MAYBE
2,000 HAD TO TRAVEL NORTH-- - TO GET IT AWAY
FROM THE SPANISH? - YES, GET IT AWAY
FROM THE SPANISH, AND THEN WHEN THEY HID
THE TREASURE, THE AZTECS BELIEVED
IN HUMAN SACRIFICE, SO THEY KILLED THE SLAVES,
PROBABLY SOME OF THE WARRIORS, WITH THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD
STAY HERE AND GUARD THE GOLD. - WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK
THERE'S A CURSE HERE? - I DON'T REALLY BELIEVE
IN CURSES, BUT I'VE NEVER HAD TO LOOK
FOR THE TREASURE. - [chuckles] - I DO KNOW A FAIR NUMBER OF
PEOPLE IN KANAB BELIEVE IN IT. ABSOLUTELY. - OKAY, THOSE HAVE GOT TO BE
THE CAVES RIGHT THERE, RIGHT? - YEAH, THEY'RE RIGHT UP THERE. WHEN FREDDIE ARRIVED HERE, THE CAVE HAD BEEN WALLED UP
WITH STONE AND MORTAR. HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TOOLS. HE FLIPPED OUT
A POCKET KNIFE AND SCRAPED AWAY
AT THE LIMESTONE. AND THEN HE HAD TO CALL IN
OTHER PEOPLE. 3/4 OF THE TOWN CAME UP
AND HELPED FREDDIE. THAT WAS ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE. THEY FINALLY DID
GET THE WALL DOWN, GOT INSIDE, AND THE BULK OF THE CAVE
HAD BEEN BACKFILLED WITH SAND. - SO THE AZTECS SEALED IT UP
TO SEAL SOMETHING INSIDE. - YEAH, OR TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT. - OR TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT.
- YEAH. - I THINK WE NEED TO GO IN
AND TAKE A LOOK. WHAT DO YOU THINK? - THE GOVERNMENT IS
A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF IT,
BUT WE CAN GO PEEK IN. WE JUST CAN'T GO IN ALL THE WAY.
- ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET'S DO THAT. LOOK AT THESE DEEP
TOOL MARKS HERE. THIS IS EXCAVATION HERE
THAT WENT ON. I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE
THESE DEEP GOUGES. - THAT'S HOW THEY MADE THE CAVE?
- THEY WERE TUNNELING. AND THE THING ABOUT IT IS,
IS THIS ROCK TYPE, THIS SANDSTONE,
IS PERFECT FOR TUNNELING. THEY PROBABLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF SOME NATURAL FEATURES
THAT WERE HERE AND THEY JUST EXTENDED 'EM, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT
THAT WE'VE GOT TOOL MARKS HERE, AND YOU SEE 'EM GOING
ALL THE WAY AROUND. WE COULDN'T EXPLORE THE CAVE, BUT URBAN EXPLORERS HAVE. THEY FOUND DEEP TUNNEL SYSTEMS
WITH SMALL NOOKS THAT COULD'VE BEEN USED
TO HIDE TREASURE. WHAT'S MORE: THERE APPEAR
TO BE BOOBY TRAPS; ENDLESS HOLES IN THE FLOOR
THAT SEEM TO GO ON FOREVER. IT MAKES SENSE
THAT PEOPLE AREN'T ALLOWED IN THE CAVES ANYMORE. SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT
THEY'RE DOING COULD GET HURT OR EVEN KILLED. I HAVE TO SAY THAT
THAT WAS INCREDIBLE. I MEAN, WE'VE GOT
A VERY COMPLEX TUNNEL SYSTEM, AND MY MIND IS RACING RIGHT NOW
TRYING TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, BUT HERE'S WHAT I THINK
WE HAVE. THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRANCE, OR THE ORIGINAL ENTRANCE,
PROBABLY. IT'S CLEARLY MAN-MADE. THIS IS A SYSTEM OF TUNNELS AND BOOBY TRAPS
AND STEPS AND WHAT LOOKS LIKE
A REPOSITORY. DWELLING CAVES WOULD BE LARGER AND THEY WOULD BE
MORE COMPARTMENTALIZED. THESE ARE TUNNELS.
- YEAH. - THE AZTECS, IF THIS WAS
THEIR ANCIENT HOMELAND, THEY WENT TO MEXICO; THEY WERE UNDER SIEGE
BY THE SPANIARDS; AND THEY TOOK THEIR GOLD
AND BROUGHT IT UP HERE. TO ME, THAT MAKES
THE MOST SENSE. I MEAN, THE EVIDENCE
ALL COMES TOGETHER, AND IT POINTS TO THE AZTECS. - YEAH. - SO WHAT HAPPENED
WHEN FREDDIE WAS HERE? WHAT EXACTLY DID THEY FIND? - WELL, THEY DID FIND BONES;
THEY FOUND SOME BEADS, BUT NO TREASURE. - I THINK THAT IT WAS
PROBABLY ORIGINALLY DUG OUT AND WAS THOUGHT TO BE
THE FINAL REPOSITORY, BUT SOMETHING COULD'VE HAPPENED
THAT CHANGED THE PLAN. I THINK MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE
WAS PROBABLY RIGHT HERE, BUT IT'S NOT AT THIS LOCATION, SO THAT MEANS IT HAS TO BE
SOMEWHERE OUT HERE. AS PART OF WHAT I RECEIVED
IN THIS STRANGE PACKAGE WAS WHAT LOOKS LIKE
A PETROGLYPH. LET ME SHOW IT TO YOU. SEE IF THIS RINGS ANY BELLS
FOR YOU. - OH, I'VE SEEN THAT BEFORE. - OH, YOU HAVE?
- YEAH. IT'S CARVED IN THE WALLS BY THE PLACE WHERE THAT SCUBA
DIVING INCIDENT HAPPENED. - OKAY, SO THE PETROGLYPH,
THIS CURSE, IT'S ALL IN THE SAME PLACE. YOU KNOW, I'D REALLY LIKE
TO SEE THIS IF I COULD. - OH, NOT A PROBLEM. I KNOW A GUY WHO KNOWS A LOT
ABOUT PETROGLYPHS. - YOU KNOW, LOIS,
THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THIS, THIS MYSTERIOUS PACKAGE
IS NOT JUST ABOUT THIS AZTEC-AMERICA CONNECTION. I THINK WE KNOW THAT'S THERE. BUT THIS IS REALLY ALSO
ABOUT MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE, AND THAT TREASURE APPEARS
TO BE CURSED. - IT SEEMED TO ME THAT FREDDIE
CRYSTAL WAS ON TO SOMETHING WHEN HE CAME TO UTAH
MANY YEARS AGO AND FOUND
AN ANCIENT CAVE SYSTEM THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MADE
BY THE AZTECS. AFTER TALKING TO LOIS, I MET WITH THE ARCHAEOLOGIST
SHE TOLD ME ABOUT. HE IDENTIFIED A PETROGLYPH I THOUGHT COULD BE THE NEXT CLUE
TO THE MYSTERY. ACCORDING TO LEGEND, MONTEZUMA, THE LAST MAJOR KING
OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE, SENT HIS RICHES NORTH OF MEXICO. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THEY MAY HAVE
MADE IT AS FAR AS UTAH. AN EMPTY CAVE SYSTEM THERE
COULD BE ONE OF THE PLACES AZTEC WARRIORS HID VAST AMOUNTS
OF GOLD AND SILVER. THAT'S WHAT I ENDED UP
LOOKING FOR HERE, UNDERWATER. MANY EXPLORERS HAVE SEARCHED
FOR MONTEZUMA'S CURSED TREASURE. SOME HAVE EVEN DIED
TRYING TO FIND IT. HOPEFULLY,
THAT WON'T HAPPEN TO ME. ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT GOT ME HERE WAS A CRYPTIC CLUE
ON A MYSTERIOUS MAP. TURNS OUT THIS SAME SYMBOL
CAN BE FOUND ON STONES HERE IN THE DESERT. WELL, YOUR FRIEND LOIS
RECOMMENDED I TALK TO YOU ABOUT A MYSTERIOUS SYMBOL. LET ME SHOW IT TO YOU.
- SURE. - HAVE YOU SEEN THAT BEFORE?
- OH, YEAH. I'VE SEEN THAT MANY TIMES.
- WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT? - WELL, I KNOW THAT IT'S UNIQUE
TO THIS AREA. - OKAY. - AND I'VE DUBBED IT
THE KEY SYMBOL. - THE KEY SYMBOL.
- YEAH. I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE KEY
TO THE DISCOVERY OF MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE. - WELL, IF THIS IS RELATED
TO MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE, I REALLY NEED TO SEE
SOME OF THESE. - WELL, I CAN SHOW YOU ONE
NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE. - ALL RIGHT, I'M IN.
- COOL. LET'S GO. - LET'S DO IT. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ AHA. - THERE'S THE GLYPH. - WOW. SO THERE'S A BUNCH OUT HERE.
- RIGHT. - WELL, THIS IS MORE OF AN OVAL. WOULD YOU SAY THAT MOST OF THEM
ARE OVALS OR CIRCLES? - I'D SAY MOST ARE CIRCLE. - IT'S INTERESTING; THIS OVAL
SHAPE COMES ALL THE WAY AROUND. THIS LINE HERE COMES TO THE EDGE
OF THE OVAL, AND THEN IT DROPS DOWN, AND IT'S DEEPER HERE, AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY
OFF THE EDGE. I CAN TELL YOU THIS:
THIS WAS PACKED VERY DEEPLY, AND IT'S VERY WEATHERED. I THINK IT HAS BEEN HERE
FOR A WHILE--DECADES FOR SURE, MAYBE A FEW HUNDRED YEARS. [sighs] YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE
NATIVE AMERICAN. WHAT DO YOU THINK? - I'VE TALKED TO SOME
OF KAIBAB PAIUTES AND SOME OF THE SHIVWITS, AND THEY SAY THAT THIS ISN'T
PART OF THEIR CULTURE. - OH, REALLY?
- RIGHT. - SO THIS IS NOT
NATIVE AMERICAN, AT LEAST TO THE NATIVES
IN THIS AREA THAT YOU'VE TALKED TO. - RIGHT.
- OKAY. - LET ME SHOW YOU
SOME PHOTOGRAPHS. WHAT DO YOU SEE THERE
ON THAT ONE PHOTOGRAPH? - WELL, THIS ONE IS MORE
OF A CIRCLE. THERE'S ANOTHER PIT
ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. - RIGHT, THERE'S ALWAYS ONE
OR TWO HOLES WITHIN THE CIRCLE
OR THE OVAL. AND OF SOME OF 'EM
ARE QUITE DEEP. LIKE, YOU COULD STICK PEGS
IN 'EM AND DO A SIDE ALIGNMENT
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. - OKAY. YOU SAID MOST OF THESE
WERE CIRCLES, RIGHT? - RIGHT. - THAT'S INTERESTING, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE AZTECS HERE POSSIBLY COMING UP HERE
WITH THIS MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE. THESE GLYPHS COULD BE RELATED. HERE'S A POSSIBILITY. IT'S CALLED
THE LATITUDE EXERCISE. THIS ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE
WAS PASSED ON IN CULTURES ALL AROUND THE WORLD
GOING BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS. AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY COULD
DO IS, THEY COULD NAVIGATE. THEY COULD FIGURE OUT
WHAT LATITUDE THEY WERE AT SIMPLY BY USING A STICK. IF THE AZTECS DID COME HERE, MAYBE BRINGING
MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE, THE WAY THAT THEY COULD FIND
THEIR HOMELAND BY TRAVELING NORTH IS TO FIGURE OUT THEIR LATITUDE
BY USING THIS EXERCISE. - INTERESTING. - NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S
WHAT THEY'RE DOING HERE, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER POSSIBILITY. - IT CERTAINLY IS. - CAN YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT
AND POWERFUL THIS COULD BE? WELL, THIS ONE IS INTERESTING, BECAUSE IT'S GOT THE LICHEN. - AND THE LICHEN GROWTH ON THERE
IS OLD. WE'VE DONE A LICHENOMETRY TEST
ON IT, AND IT DATED OVER 500 YEARS. - OKAY. FALL OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE WAS
ABOUT 500 YEARS AGO. - TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PHOTO,
SCOTT. IT HAS A DOUBLE LINE
COMING OFF THE CIRCLE. THAT ACTUALLY LEADS
TO A BURIAL. - A BURIAL? - IT WAS EXCAVATED, AND THERE WAS
THREE SKELETONS FOUND, ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER. NOW, WHAT WAS AMAZING
ABOUT THESE SKELETONS IS, THEY WERE ALL ON THEIR LEFT
SIDES IN THE FETAL POSITION WITH NO ARTIFACTS; THEIR LEGS WERE BROKE OFF
JUST ABOVE THE ANKLE AND LAID NEXT TO THEM. THE AZTECS BELIEVED
THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO DIED WENT TO MICTLAN. RULED BY THE GOD
MICTLANTECUHTLI, IT WAS A DARK PLACE
WITHOUT ANY LIGHT OR WINDOWS, KIND OF LIKE A WOMB. THAT MAY BE WHY THE AZTECS
BURIED THEIR DEAD IN A FETAL POSITION-- TO REPRESENT
LEAVING THE WORLD IN THE SAME POSITION
THEY ARRIVED. ONE THING'S FOR SURE: THAT FETAL BURIAL POSITION SUGGESTS THAT THE SKELETONS
I SAW PICTURES OF COULD HAVE BELONGED
TO AZTEC PEOPLE. LET ME GUESS: THEY'RE GONE.
- THEY'RE GONE. - DO YOU THINK THAT BASED
ON THE STYLE OF BURIAL THAT THIS COULD'VE BEEN
A SACRIFICE? - I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT.
I'M NOT SAYING IT IS. I JUST DON'T KNOW. - NOW, THE AZTECS,
THEY CERTAINLY DID PRACTICE RITUAL SACRIFICE. IN FACT, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT
IN THEIR CULTURE AND THEIR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES. TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE, IT WOULD'VE BEEN AN HONOR
TO BE SACRIFICED. AND IF WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE AND AZTECS COMING
INTO THIS AREA, THEN THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT THERE WOULD'VE BEEN
SOME SACRIFICES GOING ON. - YOU KNOW, SCOTT,
THERE'S ANOTHER PLACE THAT YOU NEED TO VISIT. THERE'S A CAVE,
AN UNDERWATER CAVERN, THAT HAS THIS GLYPH
IN THE CEILING THAT'S BEEN PAINTED ON. MANY PEOPLE THINK
THAT THIS IS THE SITE OF MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE. - REALLY?
UNDER THE WATER? THERE'S ONE OF THESE
CIRCLE GLYPHS OVER THERE? - RIGHT. - I GOT TO CHECK THIS OUT. - WHEN I WENT TO THE UTAH DESERT
TO INVESTIGATE A VERY REAL BUT POSSIBLY CURSED
AZTEC TREASURE, THE LAST THING I EXPECTED
TO FIND WAS AN UNDERWATER CAVE WHERE THE RICHES
MAY HAVE BEEN STASHED. THE LEGENDARY MONTEZUMA, THE AZTEC'S LAST GREAT KING, IS RUMORED TO HAVE ORDERED
HIS WARRIORS TO HIDE HIS EMPIRE'S TREASURE
IN AZTLAN, THEIR NORTHERN HOMELAND. SOME PEOPLE SAY THE LAND
I'M ON NOW IS AZTLAN AND THAT THERE ARE MAPS
TO PROVE IT, LIKE THE ONE
THAT HAS LED ME HERE. TURNS OUT THE MAN
WHO OWNS THIS LAND IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR
WITH THE LEGEND AND THE CURSE THANKS TO THE STORIES
PASSED DOWN FROM HIS DAD. [chuckles]
HEY, LON, HOW YOU DOING? - GOOD.
HI, SCOTT, GOOD TO MEET YOU. - I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD A LOT
ABOUT THE MYSTERY OF MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT
THE AZTECS BROUGHT THAT TREASURE BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL HOMELAND, WHICH WAS BELIEVED TO BE
IN THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. AND ALL INDICATORS THAT I HAVE
SEEN POINT TO RIGHT HERE. - IN 1990, MY DAD, HE HAD BEEN
DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT THE AZTECS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT HE READ ABOUT WAS THAT THE AZTECS LIKED
TO HIDE THEIR TREASURE IN WHAT WAS CALLED WATER TRAPS. HE READ THAT THE LAKES HAD TO BE
35 FEET DEEP. SO HE CAME UP WITH A CANOE
AND HE MEASURED IT OUT. IT WAS EXACTLY 35 FEET DEEP. SO THAT REALLY PIQUED
HIS INTEREST, AND MY DAD PURCHASED
THE PROPERTY, AND SO HE STARTED TO DO
A LOT OF EXPLORING. - SO THIS IS WHERE YOUR DAD WAS
IN THE BOAT. - THIS IS ONE
OF THE THREE LAKES. HE WANTED TO GET SOME DIVERS
IN HERE, SEE IF THERE WAS ANY CAVES. SO THEY STARTED DIVING
ALONG THE WALL, AND THEY FOUND A CAVE. THEY STARTED GOING BACK
INTO THE CAVE, AND THE WOMAN CAME SWIMMING UP
TO THE SIDE OF THE MAN AND GRABBED HIS AUXILIARY MASK AND STARTED BREATHING
OUT OF IT. SO THEY CAME OUT,
AND DAD WAS ON A BOAT. THEY CHECKED OUT HER GEAR, AND HER TANK
HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. - WHAT?
- YEAH. - HER TANK
HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. - HER TANK
HAD BEEN TURNED OFF SOMEHOW. SO AS THEY TURNED IT BACK ON, THEY CHECKED THEIR GEAR ALL OUT, AND THEY WENT BACK IN. THEY GOT WAY BACK
INTO THIS CAVE, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. APPARENTLY, HE HAD A MICROPHONE, AND HE STARTED SCREAMING, "I'M BEING CHOKED OUT.
I'M BEING CHOKED OUT. I'M SEEING GHOSTLY FIGURES." THEY CAME UP TO THE BOAT, AND HER TANK
HAD BEEN TURNED OFF AGAIN. THEY PACKED UP THEIR GEAR
AND THEY TOOK OFF, AND TO THIS DAY,
THEY DON'T EVEN ADMIT THAT THEY EVEN DOVE THE POND. MY DAD CAME TO BELIEVE
THAT THERE IS A CURSE, AND, YOU KNOW,
I THINK THERE IS TOO. - SO THE DIVING THING
ESTABLISHED THAT THERE WAS A CAVE. WHAT WAS THE NEXT STEP? - DAD HIRED A COMPANY
OUT OF SALT LAKE TO COME DOWN AND DO GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR
UP HERE. - WHAT DID THE GPR FIND? - A SERIES OF CAVES AND CAVERNS. SO DAD HIRED A WELL DRILLER. THE WELL DRILLER DRILLED DOWN
WITH A FOUR-INCH HOLE AND WHEN THEY BROUGHT
THE DRILL BIT BACK OUT, THERE WAS GOLD ON THE TIP
OF THE DRILL BIT. - SO DO YOU THINK THAT
THAT SPOT IS WHERE
MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE IS? - THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
THAT IT PROBABLY IS. DAD ASKED THE DRILLER
IF HE COULD BACK WITH A TEN-INCH DRILL BIT. SO THEY GOT DOWN ABOUT 50 FEET, AND THE DRILL BIT BROKE OFF. SO THEY HAD TO QUIT. HE WENT HOME THAT NIGHT AND HAD A HEART ATTACK AND DIED. - DO YOU THINK THIS IS PART
OF THE CURSE? - ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.
I REALLY DO. - WELL, THE IDEA OF DRILLING
IS A REALLY GOOD ONE. WOULD YOU ALLOW ME TO DO
SOME MORE DRILLING HERE? - I DON'T WANT
ANY MORE DRILLING HERE. WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW,
TOO MANY TRAGEDIES EVERY TIME WE'VE TRIED THAT,
SO... - ALL RIGHT, WELL, MAYBE WE
SHOULD RETHINK THE DIVING THING. WOULD YOU ALLOW ME TO DO THAT? - YOU'RE WELCOME TO GO
INTO THE POND AND DIVE. - SO THAT'S--THAT'S WHERE
THE CAVE IS? - YEP. - LON, YOU MENTIONED
WATER TRAPS BEFORE. - RIGHT. - AND IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK
IS GOING ON HERE? - YEAH, THE GEOLOGICAL FEATURES
HERE ARE PERFECT FOR A WATER TRAP
IF I WAS AN EXCAVATOR. ORIGINALLY, THIS WATER
WOULD JUST FLOW ALL THE WAY DOWN
THROUGH THIS CANYON. SO WHAT THE AZTECS DID, ONCE THEY GOT THE CAVES
AND CAVERNS BUILT, THEY PUT THEIR GOLD
IN THE CAVERN AND THEY BLOCKED IT OFF, AND THEN THEY BACKFILLED
THE CHANNEL TO FLOOD THE AREA. - ENGINEERING WITH WATER
IS SOMETHING THAT WASN'T FOREIGN
TO THE AZTECS. THEIR HOMELAND IN MEXICO
WAS BASICALLY BUILT ON A SWAMP. - RIGHT. - YOU MENTIONED
A GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR. IT WAS DONE UP
ON THE TOPSIDE, RIGHT? - WHAT THEY DISCOVERED WAS
A CAVERN SYSTEM. THE CAVE CAME OFF THE BOTTOM
OF THE POND AND WENT IN ABOUT 200 FEET, AND THERE WAS A BIG CAVERN. AND THEN FROM THIS CAVERN, THERE WAS A CAVE
THAT CAME OFF OF THIS, AND THEN ON THIS SIDE,
THERE WAS A CAVE THAT CAME OFF AND IT WENT UP AND THERE WAS
A BIG CAVERN RIGHT HERE. - NOW, THE FIRST THING
I'D LIKE TO DO IS PUT ON MY GEAR
AND JUMP IN THAT LAKE AND GO CHECK OUT THAT TUNNEL, BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DIVING
IN TUNNELS, IT'S VERY DANGEROUS, SO I HAVE A BUDDY
THAT I CAN CALL WHO COULD BRING OUT AN R.O.V.,
PUT IT IN THE WATER, AND IT CAN SCOUT OUT THE CAVE
BEFORE WE GO DOWN. - SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
LET'S GET HIM. - YOU KNOW WHAT, LON? IF WE GO DOWN IN THERE AND WE FIND EVIDENCE
OF MAN-MADE TUNNELS, THEN THEY COULD BE CONNECTED
TO THE CAVERNS I'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT, AND IF THAT'S TRUE, MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE COULD BE
RIGHT DOWN THERE. - IT'S BEEN 100 YEARS SINCE
A MAN NAMED FREDDIE CRYSTAL BIKED INTO KANAB, UTAH, WITH A TATTERED TREASURE MAP
IN HIS HAND. HE WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS IS WHERE THE AZTECS
HID MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE. MY INVESTIGATION TURNED UP
A LOT OF CLUES TOO: MAN-MADE TUNNELS WITH SPOTS
FOR HIDING TREASURE, PETROGLYPHS
WHICH COULD'VE BEEN PART OF AN AZTEC NAVIGATION SYSTEM
TO FIND THE TREASURE, AND A HISTORY
OF BAD THINGS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE WHO SEARCH FOR
MONTEZUMA'S MOUNTAINS OF GOLD. I WASN'T ABOUT TO LET RUMORS
OF A CURSE STOP ME FROM TRYING TO SOLVE
THIS MYSTERY. HEY, ERIC.
- HEY, SCOTT, HOW YOU DOING? - HEY, GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAN.
- YEAH. - THANKS FOR COMING
ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YOU SEE THAT CAVE OVER THERE? I WANT TO GET DOWN
TO THE BASE OF THAT THING. I THINK IT'S ABOUT 30 FEET DEEP. NOW, HERE'S THE STORY. YOU HEARD
OF MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE? - WELL, YEAH, BUT I NEVER
TOOK IT SERIOUSLY. - WELL, I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO
IN THIS CASE. BACK IN THE EARLY 1900s, A GUY NAMED FREDDIE CRYSTAL
CAME OUT TO THIS AREA, BROUGHT A BUNCH
OF THE TOWNSPEOPLE TO A SYSTEM OF CAVES. HE WAS LOOKING
FOR MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE. THESE TUNNELS ARE
DEFINITELY MAN-MADE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE A REPOSITORY
TO ME. MAYBE THEY PUT THE GOLD
UP THERE, BUT IT'S NOT THERE NOW. I THINK IT WAS MOVED. AND IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE, AFTER TALKING TO SOME
OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE HERE, IT COULD BE DOWN THERE. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE ROVER DOWN BEFORE WE SEND ANYBODY
INTO THE WATER. - WELL, THEY SAY IF IT'S DIRTY,
DANGEROUS, DULL, OR DISTANT, IT'S BETTER
TO HAVE A ROBOT DO IT. - [laughs]
I LIKE THAT. - LET'S SHOW YOU WHAT WE HAVE. YOU WANT TO GRAB THAT LAPTOP?
- SURE. WE GOT THE TABLE OVER HERE. SO THIS IS THE LATEST
AND GREATEST, HUH? - YEAH, WE JUST BUILT IT
A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN
IN THE WATER YET. I'M REALLY EXCITED. - TAKE ME THROUGH IT.
- OKAY. WELL, THIS IS THE R.O.V., AND IT'S GOT THIS CAMERA
IN THE FRONT. IT'S ACTUALLY JUST
A USB WEBCAM LIKE YOU HAVE
FOR YOUR COMPUTER, AND THAT SENDS LIVE VIDEO
UP TO THE SURFACE. SO YOU CAN DRIVE IT AROUND
USING THIS GAMEPAD CONTROLLER. - OKAY. SHOULD WE GET THIS THING
IN THE WATER? - LET'S DO IT.
- ALL RIGHT. - HERE WE GO. - FLY IN HERE? - YEAH, I THINK
THAT'S GONNA BE ENOUGH. SHALL WE PUT HER IN?
- PUT HER IN. ALL RIGHT.
- OKAY. [mechanical whirring] - WELL, THE CAMERA'S WORKING. I CAN SEE WATER. - WATER, BUT WHAT ELSE
IS DOWN THERE? - YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN RUN IT
MAYBE INTO THE ROCK AND THEN WE CAN JUST DOWN-- - THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. - ALL RIGHT, LET'S KEEP GOING. CAN YOU GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT
TO THE BOTTOM? - YEAH, I'M INITIATING
A DIVE NOW. - OKAY. [airy music] ♪ ♪ CAN YOU GO TO THE LEFT
A LITTLE BIT THERE? - YEAH, LET ME GO THERE. ALL RIGHT, THERE WE ARE. WHY DON'T YOU TILT
THE CAMERA DOWN? PRESS THE Z BUTTON THERE.
- ALL RIGHT. - ALL RIGHT, THERE WE GO.
YEAH, THAT'S GREAT. - PERFECT. ALL RIGHT,
SO WE'RE ON THE ROCK HERE. CAN WE GO TO THE LEFT AND DOWN
A LITTLE BIT? - THERE WE GO.
- OKAY, THERE WE GO. LOOK AT THAT. YOU CAN EVEN SEE THE LAYERS
IN THE ROCK. KEEP GOING DOWN. - WOW, IT KEEPS GOING,
DOESN'T IT? - IT DOES. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE RIGHT
A LITTLE BIT? I MEAN, KEEP GOING DOWN.
- YEAH, THERE WE GO. OKAY, YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT THERE. - ALL RIGHT, THERE.
WE CAN SEE THE BOTTOM, YEAH. OKAY.
LOOK AT ALL THAT SEDIMENT. - WOW. - NOW GO DOWN A LITTLE FARTHER. THE SEDIMENT IS IN THE WAY. THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT COULD BE
AN OPENING. - OH, WOW. - OH, MAN. DAMN IT, THAT SEDIMENT
JUST GETS IN THE WAY. YOU KNOW WHAT, ERIC?
THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN THERE. I GOT TO GET IN THERE. THIS HAS BEEN GREAT.
THIS HAS HELPED ME SO MUCH. I THINK IT'S SAFE ENOUGH. I'M READY TO GO DOWN THERE,
BRING IN A TEAM OF DIVERS. THERE'S ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT
WHAT'S DOWN THERE. YOU HAVE TO GET WET. - A WHILE BACK, I GOT
THE STRANGEST PIECE OF MAIL. I'D SEEN THE MAP BEFORE:
AN OLD TREATY DOCUMENT SHOWING THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
AS THE AZTEC'S ANCIENT HOMELAND. BUT THERE WAS MORE--
A STRANGE SYMBOL AND A TRINKET THAT LED ME TO KANAB, UTAH. LEGEND SAYS THE LAST GREAT KING
OF THE AZTECS ORDERED HIS WARRIORS TO GATHER
THE RICHES OF THE EMPIRE AND HEAD NORTH. AND PEOPLE AROUND HERE THINK
HIS TREASURE IS IN AN UNDERWATER CAVE THAT I THINK I GOT A GLIMPSE OF
WITH AN R.O.V. I'VE DONE SOME DIVING
IN THE PAST, BUT CAVE DIVING IS A WHOLE
DIFFERENT, DANGEROUS STORY. BUT THIS IS MY BEST SHOT
IN FINDING THIS TREASURE, SO I FOUND A LOCAL GUY
AND HIS TEAM TO HELP ME OUT. HEY, WILF. - HEY, SCOTT.
HOW ARE YOU, MAN? - YOU'VE HEARD OF
MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE, RIGHT? - YES. - WELL, ALL INDICATORS POINT TO THAT CAVE RIGHT THERE. - I HAVE PERSONAL FRIENDS
WHO DOVE THIS AND HAVE HAD WEIRD EXPERIENCES. - I'VE TALKED TO A NUMBER
OF PEOPLE HERE, AND THEY SAID SOME PRETTY
INTERESTING THINGS LIKE PEOPLE PULLING
THEIR REGULATORS OUT; THEY FELT LIKE
THEY WERE BEING CHOKED. SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S A CURSE.
- I DON'T KNOW. I KNOW FOR SURE I'M GONNA
DRIVE HOME REAL CAREFUL. [chuckles] - FAIR ENOUGH. ALL RIGHT, GUYS, LET'S DIVE. - LET'S GO. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ [water splashes] [gentle music] ♪ ♪ - ALL RIGHT, GUYS,
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? - YEP. - WE HEAR YOU, SCOTT. - ALL RIGHT, WELL,
HERE'S WHERE THE R.O.V. SHOWED WHAT LOOKED LIKE
A CAVE ENTRANCE. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A VERY
NARROW ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE
AND THE TOP OF THE CAVE. IT'S PITCH BLACK IN THERE. DAMN IT! I REALLY WANT TO KEEP GOING, BUT THE ENTRANCE,
IT'S JUST TOO NARROW. - HEY, SCOTT,
I LOST VISUAL WITH YOU. TURN AROUND. - I HEAR YOU. I'M IN WHAT LOOKS LIKE
A TUNNEL ENTRANCE, BUT THERE'S TOO MUCH SILT. WHILE I DON'T BELIEVE IN CURSES, I DEFINITELY BELIEVE
IN BAD LUCK. IF WE WANT TO SEE ANYTHING
DOWN THERE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT ALL THIS SILT. WE'RE GONNA HAVE
TO DREDGE IT OUT. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ [engine turns over] ♪ ♪ GUYS, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG
WITH THE HOSE. THE DAMN THING'S NOT WORKING. I'M COMING BACK UP. [sighs] I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I AM COLD, I'M TIRED, AND I'M FRUSTRATED. IT'S JUST NOT PULLING OUT
ENOUGH SILT. - YOU'RE RIGHT, AND I THINK
I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. ROGER, BRING ME
THAT CORE SAMPLE. WE ALWAYS SAMPLE THE CORES. - OH, YEAH. - THIS IS SAND.
- IT'S HALFWAY FULL. - YEAH, SO WHAT'S HAPPENING,
IT'LL SUCK, BUT IT'S NOT PUSHING. - IT'S NOT DOING
WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO. - WELL, IT'S DOING ALL IT CAN DO
WITH SAND. - YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE IS A TUNNEL THERE. AND IF THIS IS A WATER TRAP THAT WAS MADE BY THE AZTECS, IT'S A DAMN GOOD ONE. THAT WAS DISAPPOINTING. BUT AT LEAST MY MASK
WASN'T RIPPED OFF MY FACE BY SOME UNKNOWN FORCE, SOMETHING THE LAND OWNER TOLD ME
HAPPENED TO DIVERS BEFORE ME. - HEY, SCOTT.
HOW DID IT GO? - WELL, WE WENT DOWN
INTO THE TUNNEL, AND IT JUST GOT SO MURKY
WHEN WE GOT TO THE BOTTOM. I GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS
LITERALLY ON MY KNEES AND THE TUNNEL KEPT GOING BACK. AND IT WAS KIND OF CREEPY,
I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. I WASN'T BEING--
MY REGULATOR PULLED OUT OR BEING CHOKED
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I FELT THIS URGE TO WANT
TO KEEP GOING, AND I DID GO IN A WAYS
AND THEN I STOPPED AND SAID, "THIS IS TOO DANGEROUS.
I CAN'T GO IN." IT GOT TIGHTER. WE BROUGHT IN
THE DREDGING EQUIPMENT, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE DIDN'T
HAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT TO DO IT. BUT TO HECK WITH THAT. THE SIMPLEST WAY TO GET IN THERE
IS TO DRAIN THAT LAKE. - THE PROBLEM IS, HAVE YOU HEARD
OF THE AMBERSNAIL? - AMBERSNAIL? NO. - WELL, THIS IS THE HABITAT
OF THE AMBERSNAIL. THE AMBERSNAIL HAS BEEN PUT
ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST. IN FACT, IF YOU HURT ONE
OF THESE SNAILS, IT'S A $50,000 FINE. - $50,000?
- $50,000 APIECE. - WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE
DRAINING THE LAKE THEN. - YOU KNOW HOW I TOLD YOU
ABOUT THOSE EARLY DIVERS? - YEAH. - WHEN THEY WENT INTO THE CAVE, THEY LOCATED
THESE SQUARE BLOCKS. YOU CAN SEE, OBVIOUSLY,
THESE BLOCKS HAVE BEEN WORKED. - ABSOLUTELY, THEY ARE
DEFINITELY MAN-MADE BLOCKS. WELL, THAT'S VERY INTERESTING, BECAUSE FREDDIE CRYSTAL SAID THAT HE FOUND
A STONE-AND-MORTAR WALL SEALING THE CAVES OVER
AT THE OTHER SITE. - EXACTLY. THE OTHER INTERESTING THING
ABOUT IT IS, AS YOU CAN SEE,
THERE'S CEMENT ON IT. - THOUGH IT'S PROVED
NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET INTO THAT CAVE, THE BEST PIECE OF EVIDENCE
TO SOLVE THIS MYSTERY MIGHT BE THE MORTAR
ON THESE ROCKS PULLED FROM THE LAKE
A FEW YEARS AGO. BY ANALYZING THIS SAMPLE
IN MY LAB, I CAN FIGURE OUT
IF THE MORTAR WAS MADE USING A MODERN CEMENTING
MATERIAL LIKE PORTLAND CEMENT OR SOMETHING MUCH OLDER WHICH COULD DATE
TO AROUND THE TIME WHEN THE AZTECS WOULD'VE BEEN
IN THE AREA. YOU KNOW WHAT, LON? THIS MORTAR SAMPLE COULD BE
THE FINAL CLUE TO HELP US KNOW
WHETHER THAT WATER CAVE HAS MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE OR NOT. BACK AT MY LAB, I TESTED THE MORTAR. IT'S MODERN. SO THOSE ROCKS PULLED
FROM THE LAKE A FEW YEARS AGO WEREN'T CONNECTED
TO THE AZTEC TREASURE. MY BEST BET TO SOLVE THIS CASE
WOULD BE TO DRILL INTO THAT UNDERGROUND CAVE, BUT THE LAND OWNER WON'T LET ME. HE'S WORRIED
ABOUT MONTEZUMA'S CURSE. I CAN'T BLAME HIM. AND BECAUSE OF
THAT RARE, ENDANGERED SNAIL, DRAINING THE LAKE
IS NOT AN OPTION. THERE'S GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE AZTEC TREASURE
MIGHT BE HIDDEN IN AN UNDERWATER CAVE
IN KANAB, UTAH. TROUBLE IS, FOR NOW, THERE'S NO WAY I CAN PROVE IT. IF YOU HAVE
A MYSTERIOUS ARTIFACT OR SITE I NEED TO SEE,
I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT. GO TO:
