[happy instrumental music] ♪ ♪ - ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, HERE'S SOME PRETTY BIG NEWS FOR A TINY TOWN
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. TURNS OUT THE STONE STRUCTURES ON MALCOLM PEARSON'S PROPERTY
DOWN IN SALEM MIGHT BE OLDER
THAN PEOPLE THINK. SOME ARE SAYING
THEY COULD BE OLDER THAN CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
HIMSELF. NOW, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING. BUT I GUESS
WE NEED TO WAIT AND SEE. IN SPORTS, THE RED SOX FACED THE YANKEES
LAST NIGHT AT FENWAY IN THE FIRST
OF A THREE-GAME SERIES. [suspenseful instrumental music] ♪ ♪ - 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] STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND
IS ONE OF THE MOST AWE-INSPIRING ANCIENT SITES
ON EARTH. EVEN TODAY, ITS ORIGIN AND PURPOSE
REMAIN SHROUDED IN MYSTERY. ONE THING ARCHAEOLOGISTS
KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT ITS CONSTRUCTION
TOOK OVER 2,000 YEARS. ONE THING THEY DON'T KNOW
IS WHO BUILT IT. THERE'S NO DOUBT THE SITE, ORIGINALLY COMPRISED
OF SOME 150 STONES, WAS THE WORK
OF SOME ADVANCED CIVILIZATION THAT KNEW ENOUGH ABOUT THE SUN,
MOON, AND STARS TO ALIGN THESE STONES
WITH THE HEAVENS IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY. BUT WHAT IF I TOLD YOU WE HAVE OUR VERY OWN STONEHENGE
IN THE UNITED STATES? AND THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THE TWO SITES
WERE BUILT BY THE SAME PEOPLE. I'M ON MY WAY
TO INVESTIGATE IT RIGHT NOW. AMERICA'S STONEHENGE IS A PREHISTORIC SITE
IN SALEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE. THE OWNER SAYS
THE STONE STRUCTURES HERE DATE BACK 4,000 YEARS. I GOT A CALL FROM HIS SON,
KELSEY. HE'S DISCOVERED
A SOLAR ALIGNMENT, AN EXAMPLE OF ARCHAEOASTRONOMY
THAT HE WANTS ME TO SEE. - SO THIS IS
THE CENTRAL OBSERVATORY. THIS IS WHAT
I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT, WHY WE CALL IT
AMERICA'S STONEHENGE. - JUST LIKE AT STONEHENGE, SOMEONE PLACED STANDING STONES, LARGE, VERTICAL ROCKS, IN A CIRCLE. THE PLACEMENT IS KEY. WHEN VIEWED
FROM THE CENTER OF THE SITE, EACH STANDING STONE
LINES UP WITH THE SUN ON IMPORTANT DAYS OF THE YEAR. THE SOLSTICES,
THE LONGEST AND SHORTEST DAYS, THE EQUINOXES,
WHEN THE SUN IS ON A LEVEL PLANE
WITH THE EARTH'S EQUATOR, AND THE CROSS-QUARTER DAYS, WHICH FALL MID-WAY BETWEEN THEM. - THIS IS THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
SUNRISE STONE. SO ON SUMMER SOLSTICE, THE SUN BASICALLY JUST RISES
RIGHT OVER THERE, RIGHT OVER THE STONE,
JUST KIND OF COMES AT A DIAGONAL AND THEN JUST KIND OF TRACKS
ACROSS THE SKY. AND THEN ON THE SUNSET, IT JUST COMES RIGHT OVER TO... - RIGHT OVER HERE? - SUMMER SOLSTICE
SUNSET STONE THERE. - YOU REALIZE THIS SAYS
AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT YOUR SITE. WHOEVER WAS HERE IS MARKING THESE IMPORTANT DATES
OF THE YEAR, LIKE MANY ANCIENT CULTURES
ALL OVER THE WORLD DID. I'VE BEEN SEEING
THIS A LOT LATELY. IT'S CALLED ARCHAEOASTRONOMY. IT'S HOW ANCIENT CULTURES USED
THE SUN, MOON, STARS AND PLANETS IN THEIR ARCHITECTURE
AND DESIGN. I SAW ARCHAEOASTRONOMY
IN GEORGIA, WHERE IT CONNECTED
NATIVE AMERICANS TO THE ANCIENT MAYANS. AND I SAW IT
IN A CAVE IN OKLAHOMA WHERE MARKINGS THAT ARE PART
OF AN EQUINOX ILLUMINATION MAY HAVE BEEN LEFT BY THE CELTS. THE ANCIENT PRACTICE
OF ARCHAEOASTRONOMY SEEMS TO TIE MANY HIGHLY ADVANCED
CULTURES TOGETHER, AND IT ALSO SEEMS TO
TIE THEM TO AMERICA. YOU KNOW,
I'M LOOKING AT THAT STONE, AND IT LOOKS VERY INTERESTING. IS THERE ANY CHANCE
WE COULD GO DOWN AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT CLOSER? - SURE. - OKAY. WELL, THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING. CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT,
SPECIFICALLY, WHAT HAPPENS
WITH OUR ALIGNMENT HERE? - SURE, YEAH, WELL,
BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS, ON SUMMER SOLSTICE,
THE SUN WILL RISE RIGHT ABOUT-- RIGHT ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE HERE,
AND JUST KIND OF GO AT-- ALMOST LIKE A PERPENDICULAR
TO WHERE THE STONE IS. AND JUST GO RIGHT ACROSS AND JUST KIND OF RISE
UP DIAGONALLY-- - UP IN THE SKY. - WELL, WE THINK, ACTUALLY, ORIGINALLY, IT PROBABLY
WAS GONNA BE UP HERE. AND, YOU KNOW,
OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, IT PROBABLY MOVED. - WELL, IF IT MOVED,
THAT'S VERY INTERESTING, BECAUSE, OVER TIME,
THE EARTH'S AXIS DOES SHIFT, - RIGHT. - YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THE EARTHQUAKE
IN JAPAN RECENTLY. IT WAS DOCUMENTED THAT THE AXIS OF THE EARTH ACTUALLY MOVED
ABOUT 8 CENTIMETERS. NOW, THAT MAY NOT SEEM
LIKE A LOT, BUT OVER TIME,
OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS, IT ADDS UP. SO, ACTUALLY,
TO HAVE THE ALIGNMENT MOVE MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE CAN ACTUALLY USE
THAT FOR DATING, AND SO AS, YOU KNOW,
THE EARTH'S AXIS SHIFTS, THESE ALIGNMENTS DO SHIFT, AND THAT COULD INDICATE
A SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF TIME. - WELL, YOU KNOW,
WE ACTUALLY HAD SOMEONE COME UP AND CHECK THAT OUT. - REALLY?
- AND THEY, UH-- FROM HOW FAR IT'S MOVED. THEY ACTUALLY DATED THE SITE
BACK TO ABOUT 3,800 YEARS AGO. - 3,800 YEARS.
OKAY, WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT. THAT'S REALLY
AN IMPORTANT THING, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT,
BY USING ARCHAEOASTRONOMY, THAT'S ACTUALLY
A MORE ACCURATE WAY OF DATING THEN CARBON 14. SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, YOU'VE GOT
A PRETTY ANCIENT SITE HERE. CLEARLY, THIS ISN'T NATURAL... [laughs]
A NATURAL POSITION. THIS WAS PLACED IN THE GROUND. IT APPEARS
TO HAVE BEEN QUARRIED. IT LOOKS TO ME
LIKE IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN WORKED
A LITTLE BIT. AND ALL THE SURFACES
ARE DEFINITELY WEATHERED, SIGNIFICANTLY WEATHERED AND DEFINITELY INDICATES TIME. THIS HAS BEEN HERE
FOR A LONG TIME. - WELL, YOU KNOW, ALSO WE CALL THIS PLACE
AMERICA'S STONEHENGE, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE
OF THE STANDING STONES, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER THING
THAT I'VE FOUND THAT I THINK
REALLY DIRECTLY TIES THE SITE INTO STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND. - REALLY?
- YEAH. - WELL, IF YOU'VE GOT TIME,
I'D LOVE TO SEE IT. - SURE, LET'S GO.
- ALL RIGHT. KELSEY,
LET'S SEE WHAT YOU GOT HERE. - ALL RIGHT,
WELL, A FEW MONTHS AGO, I WAS ON GOOGLE EARTH. AND I WAS KIND OF DRAWING ALL THE LINES OUT
ON THE ALIGNMENTS, JUST BASICALLY
TO SEE WHERE THEY GO. AS I WAS DRAWING ONE OUT ON THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
SUNRISE ALIGNMENT-- YEAH, I KEPT TAKING IT OUT
FURTHER AND FURTHER, AND, YOU KNOW,
I NOTICED IT WENT OVER NOVA SCOTIA
AND NEW FOUNDLAND. - AND NORTH--
KIND OF A NORTHEAST DIRECTION. OKAY.
- RIGHT. YEAH. AND THEN AS I TOOK IT OVER, I NOTICED
IT WENT RIGHT OVER ENGLAND, AND I THOUGHT
THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING, SO I KEPT ZOOMING
IN FURTHER AND FURTHER. AND I NOTICED
IT WENT THROUGH STONEHENGE. - WAIT A MINUTE.
WHAT? - IT'S GOING ALL THE WAY OVER
THROUGH STONEHENGE. NOT ONLY DOES IT GO
JUST THROUGH STONEHENGE, IT ACTUALLY GOES RIGHT THROUGH ONE OF THE TRILITHONS
AT STONEHENGE. - WAIT A MINUTE, THROUGH ONE OF THE TRILITHONS
AT STONEHENGE... - RIGHT.
- FROM AMERICA'S STONEHENGE? STONEHENGE IS
THE MOST WELL-KNOWN MEGALITHIC SITE OF ALL TIME. IT'S A SACRED SITE, BUT NO ONE KNOWS
WHO BUILT IT OR EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS USED FOR. BUT MAYBE WHOEVER BUILT IT
BUILT THIS TOO. IT'S AMAZING, BUT I SEE THIS LINE
CONTINUES OFF TO THE EAST. WHERE DOES THAT GO? - YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BELIEVE
WHERE THAT GOES. - LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT-- WE'RE STARTING AT AMERICA'S STONEHENGE
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND THIS SUMMER SOLSTICE LINE EXTENDS TO STONEHENGE
IN ENGLAND. - IT ACTUALLY GOES RIGHT
THROUGH ONE OF THE TRILITHONS. - THAT'S AMAZING. BUT I SEE THIS LINE
CONTINUES OFF TO THE EAST. WHERE DOES THAT GO? - YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BELIEVE
WHERE THAT GOES. - OKAY, I'M READY. ALL RIGHT. - SO THEN IT STARTS GOING OVER
TOWARDS THE MEDITERRANEAN. - YEAH. YOU'RE KIDDING ME. - YUP, IT GOES
RIGHT THROUGH BEIRUT. - ARE YOU SURE THAT'S RIGHT? - I DOUBLE-CHECKED IT. - BEIRUT, LEBANON? WELL, THAT'S THE ANCIENT HOME
OF THE PHOENICIANS. OKAY,
YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS? DO YOU THINK THERE
IS A CONNECTION HERE BETWEEN THE PHOENICIANS
AND AMERICA'S STONEHENGE? - I THINK
IT'S DEFINITELY POSSIBLE. - WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT. IF YOU'VE GOT A CONNECTION HERE, THIS REWRITES A HUGE CHAPTER
OF AMERICAN HISTORY. THIS ISN'T KIDDING AROUND. THE PHOENICIANS
WERE BASED ALONG THE COASTLINE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
IN MODERN DAY LEBANON. THEY WERE
AN ANCIENT SEAFARING CULTURE THAT EMERGED AROUND 1,200 B.C. THEY WERE KNOWN
FOR TRADING WITH DISTANT LANDS. MAYBE THEY EVEN MADE IT
TO AMERICA. THEY'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR INVENTING THE ALPHABET
WE USE TODAY. SO, KELSEY,
HOW DID YOUR FAMILY FIND OUT
ABOUT AMERICA'S STONEHENGE? - WELL, MY GRANDFATHER ACTUALLY
HEARD ABOUT IT ON THE RADIO WHEN HE WAS GETTING HIS HAIR CUT
BACK IN 1955. YEAH, AFTERWARDS, HE WENT UP
AND CHECKED THE SITE OUT. HE WAS SO INTRIGUED BY IT,
HE JUST HAD TO BUY IT. IT WASN'T ALWAYS CALLED
AMERICA'S STONEHENGE. AND THERE WAS ACTUALLY A BOOK
WRITTEN BACK AROUND 1907. IT REFERRED TO IT
AS PATTEE'S CAVES. - WHO'S PATTEE? - HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE
THAT WAS ON THE SITE AND LIVED THERE FOR THE 1700s
AND INTO THE 1800s. - OH, REALLY?
- YEAH. - WELL, I KNOW YOU GUYS
THINK THIS IS AN OLD SITE, BUT WHY COULDN'T
HE HAVE BUILT IT? - WELL, I CAN SHOW YOU. THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHERE
PATTEE'S HOUSE WAS. - RIGHT IN THIS AREA RIGHT HERE?
- YEAH. - THERE'S NO WAY
THAT PATTEE BUILT THIS. IT JUST REEKS
OF BEING REALLY OLD. AND IF IT'S OLD,
IT'S IMPORTANT. - SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT HE USED
THE EXISTING STONE STRUCTURES UP IN THAT AREA
FOR ANIMAL PENS. - HE BUILT THOSE HUGE,
MASSIVE WALLS FOR ANIMALS WHEN HE'S GOT ALL THESE TREES
AND HE COULD HAVE USED WOOD? - THAT'S WHAT THEY THINK.
YEAH. - [laughs]
WELL, I DON'T BUY THAT ONE. I MEAN, LOOK AT THE SIZE
OF THESE ROCKS. - I WOULDN'T WANT TO MOVE THEM. - WHAT'S THAT BIG SLAB THERE? WAS THAT LIKE A ROOF? - WE THINK
THAT WAS MOST LIKELY A ROOF SLAB FOR A CHAMBER RIGHT THERE,
AND IT COLLAPSED. - YOU KNOW WHAT'S INTERESTING
ABOUT ROCKS LIKE THAT? THOSE ACTUALLY
SERVE AS CLOCKS AS WELL AND INDICATE SOMETHING
ABOUT THE AGE OF A STRUCTURE. THIS HAS A GENUINE FEEL TO IT. AND IT'S--IT'S AMAZING. I MEAN, LOOK AT ALL THIS. - WE DO HAVE ONE MORE THING THAT TIES THIS SITE
INTO THE PHOENICIANS. - IT TURNS OUT KELSEY'S DAD
HAS A STONE FROM THE SITE. IT HAS A CARVING ON IT, MAYBE SOME KIND
OF ANCIENT MESSAGE. - SCOTT,
THIS IS THE BAAL STONE. IT WAS FOUND IN 1964. - WHAT DOES IT SAY? - WELL, IT SAYS,
"TO BAAL, ON BEHALF OF THE CANAANITES,
THIS IS DEDICATED." - THE CANAANITES? FROM THE LAND OF CANAAN.
- THAT'S RIGHT. - THAT'S WHAT
THEY USED TO CALL THEMSELVES, BUT EVERYBODY IN THE REGION
CALLED THEM THE PHOENICIANS. THEY GOT ALL OVER
THE KNOWN WORLD AT THAT TIME, AND MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THEY MADE IT OVER HERE
TO NORTH AMERICA. - AND THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES
OF POSSIBLE PHOENICIAN WRITINGS ALL THE WAY FROM MAINE
DOWN TO BRAZIL. - WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT. IF THIS IS INDEED
A PHOENICIAN INSCRIPTION, YOU'VE REALLY GOT SOMETHING
IMPORTANT HERE. - ABSOLUTELY. - I MEAN, TOGETHER WITH
THE ALIGNMENT THAT YOU FOUND, YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT AN INCREDIBLE SITE, AN INCREDIBLE DISCOVERY. AND IT REALLY JUST BLASTS APART
THE HISTORY BOOKS AND PLACES EUROPEANS HERE
IN NORTH AMERICA AROUND 3,500 YEARS AGO. BEFORE I MAKE ANY CONCLUSIONS, I NEED TO MAKE SURE
THIS INSCRIPTION IS OLD AND THAT THE LINES
ARE MAN-MADE, NOT NATURAL. BY USING A 3-D MICROSCOPE, I CAN SEE HOW DEEP
THE GROOVES GO AND IF THE INSCRIPTION HAS BEEN
WEATHERING FOR A LONG TIME. WHAT I WANT TO DO IS, I WANT TO FOCUS
ON THIS GROOVE RIGHT HERE, WHICH I NUMBERED
AS NUMBER THREE. GROOVE NUMBER THREE, AND THAT CORRESPONDS
TO THIS GROOVE RIGHT HERE. THIS IS ABOUT 4,000 MICRONS FROM THE HIGHEST POINT
DOWN TO THE DEEPEST POINT. THIS ONE CLEARLY IS
A MAN-MADE GROOVE. IT LOOKS LIKE IT HERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT HERE. I CAN ALREADY TELL
MANY OF THESE MARKS THAT MAKE UP THE INSCRIPTION
COULD BE CENTURIES OLD, AND THERE'S NO DOUBT
THEY WERE DELIBERATELY MADE. BECAUSE IT REFERENCES
THE CANAANITES, I HAVE TO CONSIDER
THE PHOENICIANS, BUT I NEED TO KNOW MORE. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE HERE
THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT POSSIBLY COULD TIE
THIS SITE TO THE PHOENICIANS? - WELL, THERE IS ONE MORE THING. IT'S ACTUALLY UP ON THE SITE. WE CALL IT
THE SACRIFICIAL TABLE. - SACRIFICIAL TABLE?
- YES. - WELL, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE
TILL I SEE THAT. - AND THIS IS
THE SACRIFICIAL TABLE. - THIS? DO YOU THINK THERE WAS REALLY
HUMAN SACRIFICES HERE? - WE BELIEVE
THE SACRIFICIAL TABLE COULD HAVE BEEN USED
FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL SACRIFICE. THE STONE'S
ABOUT 9 FEET BY 6 FEET. IT SITS ON FOUR LEGS. IT WEIGHS ABOUT 4 1/2 TONS. AND ON TOP IS
A RECTANGULAR-SHAPED GROOVE THAT'S ABOUT 6 FEET BY 4 FEET. AND THE TABLE'S
TILTED TOWARDS ME. SO IF THERE WAS A FLUID,
SUCH AS BLOOD, ON IT, IT WOULD GO INTO THE GROOVE, AND THEN IT WOULD CONTINUE
IN THE GROOVE TOWARDS THIS LITTLE
RUNNEL RIGHT HERE. AND IT WOULD GO
INTO POSSIBLY A LITTLE VASE. THERE IS A CUTOUT
IN THE BEDROCK WHERE A VASE COULD SIT. - WELL, I SEE THE GROOVE. AND YOU THINK
THIS WAS FOR CHANNELING BLOOD? THAT'S AMAZING. THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE
THAT I SEE. AND YOU SEE ALL THIS CRACKING
AND THIS LAYERING HERE ALONG THE ENTIRE SURFACE? THAT'S WHAT WE CALL
EXFOLIATION WEATHERING. IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHEN DEAD SKIN
PEELS OFF YOUR BODY. THAT'S INTERESTING
FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. FIRST OFF,
THAT INDICATES A LOT OF WEATHERING
HAS GONE ON HERE. THIS IS WETTING AND DRYING,
FREEZING AND THAWING. AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF LOSS
OF MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE, WHICH INDICATES SIGNIFICANT AGE. AND I THINK THIS COULD PROBABLY
BE USED AS A WEATHERING CLOCK. I SEE
SIGNIFICANT WEATHERING HERE THAT APPEARS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE ASTRONOMICAL ALIGNMENTS
THAT WE SAW, WITH THE STRUCTURES
THAT ARE HERE, WHICH INDICATE
THAT THIS IS A VERY OLD PLACE. - THERE'S ONE MORE SECRET
TO THE TABLE I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU. - OH. - [echoing voice]
HELLO, SCOTT WOLTER. - WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT? - HELLO, SCOTT WOLTER.
- [laughs] SO YOU'RE THE MAN
BEHIND THE CURTAIN? - THAT'S RIGHT
- THAT'S FUNNY STUFF. [laughs]
SO WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? - WELL, SCOTT, YOU'RE STANDING
IN THE ORACLE CHAMBER. AND WE CALL IT
THE ORACLE CHAMBER BECAUSE OF THIS TUBE HERE THAT GOES THROUGH THE WALL
ABOUT 6 FEET, FROM THE ORACLE CHAMBER
WHERE WE'RE STANDING OUT TO THE SACRIFICIAL TABLE. AND WE THINK DURING A CEREMONY, PERHAPS PEOPLE WATCHING ABOVE WOULD HEAR
THIS VOICE COMING OUT. AND IT WOULD BE LIKE A GOD
OR A SPIRIT TALKING TO THEM. AND IT WAS PROBABLY
A PRIEST OR SHAMAN ACTUALLY SHOUTING
THROUGH THE TUBE. - INTERESTING. SO REALLY WHAT WE HAVE IS
AN EXAMPLE OF ARCHAEOACOUSTICS, THE SCIENCE OF WHERE THE ANCIENTS
WOULD MANIPULATE SOUND, TYPICALLY IN RITUALS,
BY USING SOMETHING LIKE THIS TUBE HERE
TO CREATE A PRETTY SCARY SOUND. AND IN THIS CASE,
CAN YOU IMAGINE SOMEBODY SITTING ON THAT TABLE
ABOUT TO BE SACRIFICED AND HEAR THAT VOICE? I MEAN,
IT MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY SCARY. I CAN'T HELP MYSELF.
DO YOU MIND IF I GIVE IT A TRY? - BE OUR GUEST, SCOTT.
- OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS BAAL. GET OFF MY LAWN. I'M GLAD I CAME
TO INVESTIGATE THIS SITE. I DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S MORE INTERESTING: THE SACRIFICIAL TABLE,
THE BAAL STONE, OR THE SUMMER SOLSTICE LINE THAT CONNECTS
AMERICA'S STONEHENGE TO THE ONE IN ENGLAND AND, FURTHER EAST,
TO BEIRUT, LEBANON, HOME OF THE ANCIENT PHOENICIANS. I PLAN ON COMING BACK
FOR THE SOLSTICE, BUT RIGHT NOW, I'M HEADED
TO MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE TO TALK TO AN EXPERT
ON PHOENICIAN CULTURE. - HEY, SCOTT. MARK MCMENAMIN.
- HEY, SCOTT WOLTER. MARK, I JUST CAME BACK FROM A VERY INTERESTING PLACE
CALLED AMERICA'S STONEHENGE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW THAT WAS DISCOVERED
BY KELSEY STONE, THE SON OF THE OWNERS, WAS A LONG-RANGE ALIGNMENT
THAT STARTS AT THEIR SITE THAT GOES FROM THEIR SITE
TO STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND AND THEN EXTENDS
TO BEIRUT, LEBANON, WHICH IS THE ANCESTRAL HOME
OF THE PHOENICIANS. WHO WERE THE PHOENICIANS? - THE PHOENICIANS WERE A GROUP
OF MIDDLE EASTERN PEOPLE. AND THEIR CENTER
WAS IN MODERN LEBANON. AND THEY DEVELOPED COLONIES
WESTWARD FROM THERE, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH
WAS CARTHAGE. THE CARTHAGINIANS
WERE PHOENICIANS ON STEROIDS, BECAUSE THEY WERE THE MOST
POWERFUL PHOENICIAN CULTURE THAT EVER DEVELOPED. ALSO, THEY TENDED
TO BE VERY SECRETIVE, SO IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE
TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT
THE PHOENICIANS KNEW, WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO. AND WE'RE STILL TRYING
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM. AND IT'S A DIFFICULT TASK, BECAUSE THERE'S
NOT MUCH EVIDENCE. THE PHOENICIANS
REALLY SORT OF APPEAR AROUND 1,200 B.C. THEY WERE TRYING TO BUILD
TRADING CENTERS AND COLONIZATION CENTERS. AND THEY BEGAN TO MOVE BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH
ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST. PART OF THE REASON FOR
PHOENICIAN SUCCESS AS NAVIGATORS WAS THE FACT THAT THEY WERE ABLE
TO NAVIGATE AT NIGHT. AND THIS IS BECAUSE
THEY KNEW ABOUT POLARIS, THE POLE STAR. - POLARIS IS ALSO KNOWN
AS THE NORTH STAR. AND IF THE PHOENICIANS
KNEW ABOUT IT, CHANCES ARE THEY KNEW
ABOUT THE REST OF THE SKY TOO: THE SUN, THE STARS,
THE MOON, THE PLANETS. AND THAT MEANS
THEY WOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE
OF ARCHAEOASTRONOMY TO CREATE
THE SUMMER SOLSTICE ALIGNMENT FROM AMERICA'S STONEHENGE
TO STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND. - THIS PROPOSED ALIGNMENT
AT AMERICA'S STONEHENGE IS VERY INTRIGUING. AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT IT WILL CONNECT
TO SOME RESEARCH THAT I DID, IN PARTICULAR,
A STUDY THAT I MADE OF A GROUP OF PHOENICIAN COINS THAT HAD BEEN MINTED
IN CARTHAGE IN 350 B.C. AND THAT I INTERPRETED
AS HAVING A MAP ON THE REVERSE OF THE COIN. - YOU HAVE A PICTURE
OF THE COIN? - YES.
- THIS IS...THIS IS GOOD. - HERE'S A PICTURE
OF THE COIN RIGHT HERE. OKAY, HERE ARE TWO IMAGES
FROM THE BRITISH MUSEUM. YOU CAN PICK OUT THE ISLANDS
PRETTY CLEARLY. SARDINIA IN THE CENTER, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL POINT
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN. AND WE'VE GOT SICILY THERE,
THE TRIANGULAR ISLAND, THE BOOT OF ITALY COMING DOWN. IBERIAN PENINSULA HERE. THIS STRAIGHT LINE HERE IS PROBABLY
THE NORTH COAST OF AFRICA. INDIA HERE,
AND THIS IS AMERICA. AND THIS ALMOST LOOKS TO ME LIKE
THEY ARE GIVING US THE GULF OF MEXICO
THERE IN FLORIDA. BUT THAT COULD BE SUBJECT
TO INTERPRETATION. - WELL, THAT'S FASCINATING. COUPLE OF THOUGHTS HERE.
- SURE. - IF THEY'RE HERE, THEY WERE PUT THERE
FOR A REASON. AND, I GUESS, UNTIL
A BETTER THESIS COMES ALONG, I LIKE YOURS--
I LOVE YOURS, BUT... - WELL, THANK YOU. I THINK THAT THIS GIVES US AN INSIGHT
INTO THE PHOENICIAN PSYCHE. - ABSOLUTELY. - AND, REMEMBER, THEY'RE
EXTREMELY SECRETIVE, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE
GIVING AWAY THE STORY, SO TO SPEAK. HOWEVER, THERE WAS-- THEY HAD ENOUGH EGO...
[laughs] TO WANT TO HAVE SOME KIND
OF RECORD TO WHAT THEY HAD DONE. SO HERE ON THESE COINS,
IN THESE TINY LITTLE IMAGES, THEY WERE GIVING US AN EXTREMELY CONDENSED
PHOENICIAN GEOGRAPHY, YOU KNOW,
TELLING A HUGE STORY IN A COUPLE OF MILLIMETER
SPACE HERE. - THERE'S ONE OTHER THING
I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT. IT'S THIS SACRIFICIAL TABLE. DID THE PHOENICIANS
PRACTICE HUMAN SACRIFICE? - YES, THEY DID. AND I THINK
THE EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING THAT THEY DID
PRACTICE HUMAN SACRIFICE. AND I THINK
THERE'S A LOT OF SOURCES, BIBLICAL AND OTHERWISE, SUGGESTING
THAT THIS WAS THE CASE. - DO YOU THINK THE PHOENICIANS MADE IT TO NORTH AMERICA,
OR NOT? - THEY PROBABLY WENT FARTHER THAN ANYONE
IS WILLING TO ADMIT TODAY. THEY HAD THE SHIPS TO DO SO. I THINK THE PHOENICIANS COULD EASILY
HAVE CROSSED THE ATLANTIC. THEIR WHOLE HISTORY SUGGESTS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE
TRIED TO DO THIS. DIODORUS, A GREEK HISTORIAN, REPORTS THAT PHOENICIANS
KNEW ABOUT THIS GIGANTIC ISLAND
OUT IN THE ATLANTIC WITH NAVIGABLE RIVERS. THE ONLY PLACE
WITH NAVIGABLE RIVERS ONCE YOU GET
PAST SPAIN IS AMERICA. - WHEN I WENT
TO AMERICA'S STONEHENGE, I WAS AMAZED TO LEARN
ABOUT A POSSIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT SITE
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND. BOB STONE PURCHASED
AMERICA'S STONEHENGE IN 1955, BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THIS ANCIENT PLACE
NEEDED TO BE PRESERVED. YEARS LATER,
WHEN HIS GRANDSON KELSEY MAPPED THE SITE'S
SUNRISE SOLSTICE LINE, HE DISCOVERED THAT LINE
STARTED AT AMERICA'S STONEHENGE AND WENT STRAIGHT
TO STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND. AND NOW I'M HEADING THERE TO SEE
IF THESE TWO ANCIENT SITES WITH MASSIVE STANDING STONES
ARE CONNECTED. SO, HENRY, I'M HERE
BECAUSE I'M INVESTIGATING A MEGALITHIC SITE
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE CALLED AMERICA'S STONEHENGE. AND THERE APPEARS TO BE
A CONNECTION TO STONEHENGE HERE. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STONEHENGE. - WELL, STONEHENGE, I MEAN, IS-- IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
FAMOUS PREHISTORIC MONUMENTS, BUT, I THINK,
A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS
REALIZE ABOUT IT IS THAT IT TOOK OVER 1,000 YEARS
TO MAKE WHAT YOU CAN SEE NOW. - TO CONSTRUCT?
- YEAH, YEAH. THERE'S LOTS
OF DIFFERENT PHASES. AND IT GETS REINVENTED
THROUGH TIME. - WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE
THINK ABOUT STONEHENGE, THEY THINK
ABOUT WHAT'S RIGHT HERE, BUT YOU'RE SAYING
THAT IT GOES ALL AROUND US, EVEN BEYOND WHERE WE ARE? - YES, YEAH,
I MEAN, GOING BACK FOR A COUPLE OF THOUSAND
YEARS BEFORE, YEAH,
YOU'VE GOT VARIOUS MONUMENTS IN ALL SORT
OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. THE FOCUS OVER TIME
BECOMES STONEHENGE. - THESE STONES.
- YEAH. - STONEHENGE IS
THE MOST WELL-KNOWN MEGALITHIC SITE IN THE WORLD. IT CONSISTS
OF 150 ENORMOUS STONES, THE TALLEST OF WHICH
RISES 22 FEET FROM THE GROUND. BUT IN THE BEGINNING,
AROUND 3,100 B.C., IT WAS JUST A "HENGE," A DITCH, A BANK,
AND SEVERAL ROUND PITS, BUT EVEN THEN, IT WAS
A POPULAR GATHERING PLACE. BEING A GEOLOGIST, I'M VERY INTERESTED
IN THE ROCKS, THE STONES. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE STONES. THERE'S A VARIATION
IN THE GEOLOGY, IS THAT RIGHT? - YEAH,
THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TYPES: THE VERY BIG STONES
ARE SARSEN, AND THEY COME
FROM SORT OF THE LOCAL AREA, YOU KNOW,
WITHIN 20 MILES OR SO. THE BLUESTONES,
WHICH ARE THE SMALLER ONES-- THEY'RE STILL VERY BIG.
- YEAH. - THEY COME FROM SOUTH WALES,
SO, YOU KNOW-- - SO HOW FAR AWAY IS THAT? - WELL, IT'S ABOUT 150 MILES, BUT IF YOU THINK, ACTUALLY, HOW THEY WOULD HAVE
TRANSPORTED THEM. - YEAH.
- AND THAT'S NOT STRAIGHT. - THAT'S A HECK OF A TASK. - 240 MILES MAYBE. I MEAN,
THAT'S AT THE HEART OF IT. - THAT REALLY SUGGESTS SOPHISTICATION AND COORDINATION AND SOMETHING
AT A PRETTY COMPLICATED LEVEL. - I THINK THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT
OF SOPHISTICATION. PEOPLE DO KNOW
WHAT THEY'RE DOING. I MEAN, THE FACT
THAT THEY CAN BUILD STONEHENGE, THE AMOUNT OF LABOR
WHICH GOES INTO BUILDING SOMETHING LIKE THAT
IS INCREDIBLE. I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE ESTIMATED
SOMETHING LIKE 30 MILLION HOURS. - 30 MILLION HOURS?
- OF WORK, YEAH. - AND HOW MANY PEOPLE, SAY,
TO MOVE ONE OF THOSE STONES? - THERE'S NO REAL WAY
OF TELLING. IT'S SOMETHING WHICH WE CONTINUE
TO SORT OF THINK ABOUT. BUT THE FACT THAT THEY DID IT, I MEAN, IT'S A MASSIVE FEAT
OF ENGINEERING. WE KEEP ON FINDING THEY'RE MORE
SOPHISTICATED THAN WE THOUGHT. SO IT MIGHT SAY 600 PEOPLE, BUT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
JUST A COUPLE. - THE BLUESTONES MAY NOT BE
THE BIGGEST STONES HERE, BUT FOR ME,
THEY'RE THE MOST INTERESTING. THEY'RE SAID
TO HAVE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE, AND I THINK AMERICA'S STONEHENGE
HAS THAT TOO. THE BLUESTONES CAME FROM A LAND THAT WAS BELIEVED
TO HAVE HEALING POWERS. ARCHAEOLOGISTS THINK STONEHENGE MAY HAVE BEEN
A FRANCHISE OF SORTS, A CLOSER VERSION
OF A FARAWAY, SACRED PLACE. THERE'S NO DOUBT THESE STONES
WERE PLACED HERE FOR A REASON. AND IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO
WITH THE SUN AND THE SOLSTICE, JUST LIKE IT DOES
AT STONEHENGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. IF WE THINK BACK
TO ANCIENT TIMES, WERE THERE RITUALS GOING ON? WHAT WERE THE PEOPLE
DOING AT THIS SITE? - WE CAN SEE
SOMEBODY'S FOLLOWING, ON THE SUMMER SOLS-- YOU KNOW,
THE DAY OF THE SOLSTICE, PEOPLE STARTING THEIR DAY
AT THE EASTERN PITS, AS FROM HERE, YOU CAN OBSERVE
SUN RISING ON THE SOLSTICE. AND THEN THEY'RE FOLLOWING
THE SUN ROUND. SO, BASICALLY, THE ACTUAL-- THIS LONG RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE
IS BASICALLY JUST A WALKWAY. SO YOU FOLLOW ROUND
THE PERIMETER, FOLLOWING THE SUN
IN FRONT OF YOU ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S A BIT LIKE A CHURCH
OR A CATHEDRAL NOW. YOU HAVE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS. AND I THINK ALL OF THOSE
WOULD BE HAPPENING HERE. - WHY DO YOU THINK
IT WAS SO IMPORTANT FOR THESE ANCIENT PEOPLE TO TRACK THE MOVEMENTS
OF THE CELESTIAL BODIES? - THE PEOPLE ARE FARMERS. THEY RELY ON SEASONS.
THEY RELY ON UNDERSTANDING. THEY KNOW WHEN TO PLANT CROPS
AND WHEN TO HARVEST THEM, BUT ACTUALLY HAVING A SENSE
OF HOW THAT TIME DEVELOPS, I THINK,
IS REALLY IMPORTANT. YEAH, THE IMPORTANCE
OF THESE BODIES, I THINK, IT'S FUNDAMENTAL TO BEING HUMAN
AND BEING FARMERS, BUT ALSO SOMETHING
WHICH THEY CELEBRATE. - TELL ME A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE ARCHAEOASTRONOMY HERE. - WELL, THERE'S BEEN,
AGAIN, A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK. YOU'LL SEE THERE
ARE SORT OF STONES DOTTED AROUND THE SITE. - I SAW A BIG ONE--
WELL, I CAN SEE IT RIGHT HERE-- THAT BIG STANDING STONE
OVER THERE OFF TO THE SIDE. - THAT ONE'S KNOWN
AS THE HEEL STONE. NOW, THE WEIRD THING
ABOUT THAT STONE IS, IT'S UNDRESSED. IT HASN'T BEEN WORKED LIKE ALL THE OTHER STONES
ON SITE. BUT WHAT SEEMS TO BE IMPORTANT
IS THAT STONE, WHENEVER YOU LOOK
AT THE CENTER OF STONEHENGE AND LINE THINGS UP, AND PEOPLE HAVE DONE THIS
IN THE PAST, THAT'S THE STONE
WHICH LEADS YOU TOWARDS THE SUMMER SOLSTICE SUNRISE. IF YOU LINE UP THE HEEL STONE
WITH EACH OF THOSE PITS, ON ONE SIDE, IT MARKS SUNRISE
ON THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, AND THE OTHER ONE, IT MARKS
SUNSET ON THE SUMMER SOLSTICE. I DON'T KNOW;
IS THAT MORE THAN COINCIDENCE, THAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE LINING UP WITH TWO VERY SORT
OF SIGNIFICANT SET OF EVENTS? - I DON'T THINK
IT'S A COINCIDENCE. NO, I DON'T. I HAVE SOMETHING
I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU. IT'S A NEW DISCOVERY
OF ARCHAEOASTRONOMY AT AMERICA'S STONEHENGE. IT'S A SUMMER SOLSTICE LINE RUNNING FROM THE SITE
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE DIRECTLY TO RIGHT HERE. - MY INITIAL REACTION WOULD BE:
THAT'S BEYOND POSSIBLE. - WHEN I WAS
AT AMERICA'S STONEHENGE, A MEGALITHIC SITE
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, I LEARNED ABOUT A NEW DISCOVERY
BY THE OWNER'S SON, A CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT SITE
AND STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND. FROM THERE,
THE LINE EXTENDS EVEN FURTHER, TO MODERN DAY LEBANON, WHICH WAS THE HOME BASE
OF THE PHOENICIANS. I WANT TO FIND OUT
IF A STONEHENGE EXPERT THINKS ALL THREE SITES
COULD BE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND TO THAT
SPECIFIC ANCIENT CULTURE. SO HERE WE HAVE THE ALIGNMENT THAT STARTS
AT AMERICA'S STONEHENGE AT THE CENTER
OF THE OBSERVATORY. AND THEN AS YOU EXTEND
A LINE THROUGH AND CONTINUE THAT LINE, IT COMES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AND COMES RIGHT HERE
TO STONEHENGE. WHEN YOU LOOK HERE
AT A CLOSE-UP, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH
THAT CENTRAL TRILITHON. THEN, IF YOU EXTEND THAT LINE, IT GOES TO BEIRUT, LEBANON,
THE HOME OF THE PHOENICIANS. AS INCREDIBLE AS IT IS,
IT APPEARS TO BE THERE. WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? - I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLE. I CAN'T IMAGINE THERE'S A LINK, OTHER THAN THE POSSIBILITY
THAT PEOPLE ARE MARKING
THE SAME SORT OF ALIGNMENTS. AND, I THINK,
ALSO, WHEN YOU EXTEND IT ONTO THE PHOENICIAN WORLD, THEIR WORLD STARTS
AROUND ABOUT 1,200 B.C., AND THIS SITE'S
SORT OF FINISHED, REALLY, BY ABOUT 2,000 B.C., SO THERE'S A GOOD
800 YEARS OR SO DIFFERENCE. INTERESTINGLY,
I THINK STONEHENGE HAS ATTRACTED PEOPLE IN PREHISTORY
FROM QUITE FAR, FAR AWAY. THERE'S A BURIAL
JUST OVER THERE. THERE'S A COUPLE OF BURIALS
FROM OVER THERE, ONE FROM ABOUT 1,400 B.C. SO IF PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE, IT'S FEASIBLE THAT
THE PHOENICIANS MIGHT HAVE BEEN. YOU KNOW,
IT'S NOT BEYOND POSSIBILITY, BUT THEY COULDN'T
HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN OF STONEHENGE, BECAUSE IT'S TOO EARLY. - I DON'T THINK
THERE'S ANY QUESTION THAT THIS SITE
WAS AN OBSERVATORY, AND IT WAS SACRED. WHEN WE HAD THESE ANCIENT PEOPLE
GOING TO OTHER PLACES, LIKE NORTH AMERICA
AND OTHER CONTINENTS, SOMETHING THAT WAS SACRED, THAT WAS VITAL
TO THEIR EXISTENCE AND THEIR BELIEF SYSTEM, THEY WOULD BUILD THOSE
IN OTHER PLACES. AND COULD PERHAPS
THESE SACRED SITES BE CONNECTED OR CONNECT THESE PEOPLE
ACROSS THE CONTINENTS? - I THINK
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I THINK THESE SITES
ARE SACRED IN THAT WAY, AND I THINK
POSSIBLY PEOPLE MOVE, BUT ALSO, EQUALLY MAYBE, JUST PEOPLE ARE SO SIMILAR IN WHEREVER
THEY LIVE ON THE PLANET, THAT THEY ALL OBSERVE
THE SAME SORTS OF THINGS. WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE
ACTUALLY MOVE OR DON'T MOVE
BETWEEN THESE PLACES, THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE SIMILAR SORTS OF SITES
ALL OVER THE PLANET, ALL RESPECTING
THE HEAVENLY BODIES AND SO ON, I THINK
IT'S JUST A REALLY NICE THING. YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING
ABOUT HUMANITY AND BEING HUMAN. - WELL, I THINK THE ONE THING
THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY AGREE ON, IF NOTHING ELSE, PLACES LIKE STONEHENGE
AND AMERICA'S STONEHENGE PROVE HOW IMPORTANT
TRACKING THE CELESTIAL BODIES WERE TO THESE ANCIENT PEOPLE. THE PHOENICIANS
COULDN'T HAVE BUILT STONEHENGE, BUT THE SITE
STILL MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SACRED SANCTUARY FOR THEM. I THINK THE FACT THAT THIS PLACE DIRECTLY ALIGNS
WITH AMERICA'S STONEHENGE ON THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
IS NO MISTAKE. ARCHAEOASTRONOMY
LINKS MANY CULTURES TOGETHER, LIKE THE MAYANS IN GEORGIA
AND THE CELTS IN OKLAHOMA, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO WHAT LINKS THE PHOENICIANS
TO OUR VERY OWN STONEHENGE, PROOF OF WHICH I'M ABOUT TO SEE
WITH MY OWN EYES. THEY COULD BE THE ONES
WHO MARKED AN IMPORTANT DAY, THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, WITH A STANDING STONE
AT THE SITE OVER WHICH
THE SUNRISE TAKES PLACE. HEY, GUYS.
- GOOD MORNING, SCOTT. - HI, DENNIS.
HI, KELSEY, HOW YOU DOING? - GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?
- GOOD. - HOW DID THE TRIP GO?
- I HAD A GREAT TRIP. I'VE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD STUFF
TO SHARE WITH YOU, BUT I'M EXCITED
TO SEE THAT ALIGNMENT, SO... THE SUN'S COMING UP.
SHOULD WE HEAD OUT? - I'M READY.
- SOUNDS GOOD. - LET'S GO. WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE THE SUN RISE
OVER THE SOLSTICE STONE, TO SEE THE ALIGNMENT
KELSEY STONE DISCOVERED THAT LINKS THIS SITE
TO STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND. IF YOU WERE TO DRAW A LINE
DIRECTLY THROUGH THE SUN AS IT RISES OVER THIS STONE, IT WOULD RUN RIGHT THROUGH THE CENTER TRILITHON
AT STONEHENGE AND THEN CONTINUE ON
TO LEBANON, ONCE THE CENTER
OF THE PHOENICIAN EMPIRE. TO ME, IT'S PROOF OF AN ADVANCED UNDERSTANDING
OF ARCHAEOASTRONOMY AND OF AN ANCIENT CONNECTION
TO THE UNITED STATES. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU SAY BUT,
"WOW, THAT'S AMAZING?" - IT NEVER GETS OLD. - TELL YOU WHAT,
WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS AN AMAZINGLY ACCURATE
ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR, IS NO ACCIDENT. I SAW THE EXACT SAME THING
AT STONEHENGE. THEY USE STANDING STONES
JUST LIKE THIS TO TRACK THE SEASONS. THEY USED IT FOR WORSHIP. I THINK THEY ALSO USED IT
FOR NAVIGATION TO COME TO THE NEW WORLD,
AMONGST OTHER PLACES. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. THE BEGINNING OF STONEHENGE
PREDATES YOUR SITE HERE. THE LATER STAGES DO CORRESPOND, ESPECIALLY WITH
THE STONE-ERECTING PERIOD, SO THERE MIGHT BE
A CONNECTION THERE. THE PHOENICIAN CONNECTION
IS A LITTLE BIT TENUOUS, BECAUSE THIS ACTUALLY PREDATES
THE PHOENICIANS BY A LITTLE BIT, MAYBE IT WAS
A PROTO-PHOENICIAN GROUP. WE'RE NOT SURE. YOU KNOW WHAT'S GREAT IS, YOU'VE GOT A SACRED SITE
IN ENGLAND. YOU'VE GOT A SACRED SITE HERE. AND THERE'S NO DOUBT
THAT THEY'RE CONNECTED, WHETHER IT WAS
THE PHOENICIANS OR NOT. WHAT IT TELLS US IS THAT SOME HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED
CULTURE, PROBABLY THE ELITE
IN THAT CULTURE, CAME OVER HERE AND ESTABLISHED
THIS INCREDIBLE SITE. AND IT'S SITES LIKE THIS THAT CONNECT THE NEW WORLD
TO THE OLD WORLD. THE STONE FAMILY WANTED TO KNOW IF THE PHOENICIANS
MADE THEIR SITE. IT'S A QUESTION THE FAMILY
HAS BEEN TRYING TO ANSWER SINCE BOB STONE BOUGHT THIS
MYSTERIOUS SITE BACK IN 1955. WHILE I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE
THE PHOENICIANS MADE IT THERE, I BELIEVE THEY COULD EASILY
HAVE MADE IT TO THE AMERICAS. SOMEBODY HAD TO ASSEMBLE
THOSE HUGE STONES. SOMEONE WITH A VAST KNOWLEDGE
OF ARCHAEOASTRONOMY. I BELIEVE ARCHAEOASTRONOMY IS WHAT LINKS TOGETHER
MANY ADVANCED CIVILIZATIONS AND IS WHAT LINKS SOME OF THEM
TO AMERICA. I BELIEVE THERE WAS CONTACT
BETWEEN ANCIENT CULTURES. IT MAY BE
WHY AMERICA'S STONEHENGE WAS BUILT WHERE IT WAS, TO CREATE A PLACE
IN THE NEW WORLD THAT LINED UP WITH A SACRED SITE
IN THE OLD WORLD. PEOPLE WERE CONNECTED. AND WE'RE JUST STARTING
TO FIND OUT HOW.
