(slow twinkling music) - [Announcer] Reality Films. (slow gentle music) - [Narrator] Beyond
history, beyond memory, the ancient world
conceals many mysteries. From ancient Greece to
the remote Pacific Ocean, from holy relics to
Neolithic monuments, much of what was
known, what was found, and what was built is now
shrouded in legend and myth. We will unravel the secrets of ancient stone
circles and monoliths, discover the truth behind
the enigmatic Easter Island, the mystery of the death
of Alexander the Great, explore the wonder of
the Shroud of Turin, and the Knights Templar, and delve deep into the
extraterrestrial files on ancient aliens. Together, we shall journey
far across both time and space to lift this shroud. Together, we shall discover the top 10 mysteries
of the ancient world. Our great journey begins 6,000
years ago in northern France. Here stands around 3,000
megalithic standing stones, making Stonehenge look
tiny in comparison. These stones, collectively
known as the Carnac Stones, predate written history. Having been estimated to have
been built in around 4500 BC. This is around 2,000 years
before the Egyptians built the Great Pyramid at Giza. (slow gentle music) The stones themselves are
almost perfectly grouped into straight lines
and are separated into three main sites
across the area. Who built them, why, and how are the subject of much debate. And to this day,
remain a mystery. All we know for sure is that
they were built by a culture who occupied northern France before the rise of
the Celtic cultures. Some scholars have argued
that that long rows of stones are aligned to match
with the directions of sunsets and solstices. There have also been theories
stating that the stones acted as astronomical
observatories. This is similar to
some of the theories behind the uses of Stonehenge and many other stone
circles across the world. The people who built
this vast stone complex also left their mark
through other constructions. For example, the ruling
classes built a large tumulus, 12 meters high and
125 meters wide. This giant earthen
mound acted as a tomb for the chiefs of these
mysterious peoples, not dissimilar to the ways in which some of the
pyramids were used in Egypt. Among the great standing
stones can also be seen a number of large, impressive, and strange-looking chamber
tombs called dolmans. These tombs consist of several
large stones supporting a cap stone which were then
buried under a mound of earth. In many cases, the
mound has disappeared leaving a curious
looking skeleton of huge megalithic stones. Excavations of these tombs
have revealed some strange art carved on the inner surfaces. These generally
resemble serpents, presumably representing
their deities. They appear to have been
highly religious people. Perhaps their vast
complexes of standing stones were built to honor these
strange serpent deities. Due to their enigmatic nature, many myths have surrounded
the stones throughout history. Early Christians believed
that the stones represented ancient pagan warriors who
had all been turned to stone by Godly powers
of Pope Cornelius. Local tradition, however,
links the great stones to the Arthurian mythic cycle. The people of Brittany
state that they represent the soldiers of Roman legions
who were invading France. According to this myth, the wizard Merlin
had used his magic to turn the Romans into stone, thus explaining why they stand in such well-organized
and regimented fashion. The standing stones
of Carnac lie beyond the reach
of written history. Archeology has only been
able to tell us so much about this mysterious site and the strange
people who built it. Our search of the various
peoples throughout history who have encountered
this mysterious site have created fabulous tales
to explain the presence of so many thousands
of megalithic stones. Indeed, even today, the
Carnac stones remain one of the oldest and
strangest mysteries. Thus earning them a
place on our top 10 list. (slow subdued music) We remain now in the foggy
realms of prehistory, a time beyond the written word. A time known only through the
strange monuments left to us, and the myths passed
down through generations. However, our search for the
greatest mysteries of history now takes us across the waters to the island of
Albion, to Britain. Here lies one of the most mysterious wonders of
history, Stonehenge. The most famous prehistoric
monument in the world, Stonehenge stands in
the English countryside in the county of Wiltshire
in southern England. The site, as it survives, consists of a ring
of standing stones with each stone measuring at around 13 feet high
and seven feet wide. They generally weigh
around 25 tons each, a considerable amount
considering the
prehistoric culture who erected them had no
forms of advanced machinery. The stones themselves
are set in the midst of a dense complex of Neolithic
and Bronze Age monuments, including several
hundred burial mounds. Archeologists have
dated the construction of Stonehenge to around 3000 BC. However, the structure was built in several stages
throughout history, and the site was used
by pre-Neolithic peoples before the stones
were even erected. In fact, the site on
which Stonehenge was built appears to have
been significant, as far back as 8000 BC. Archeologists have found
the remains of at least five Mesolithic post holes. These holes would have
supported large pine posts which appear to have been
east/west orientation, and of possible
ritual significance. The next phase of building
at the site of Stonehenge began in around 3100 BC. This site consisted of a
large circular enclosure made from chalk with an
entrance to the north and one to the south. The exact purposes of this
structure are unclear, but archeologists have
found the cremated remains of 63 individuals at the site. This has led some
experts to believe that some of the first
stones brought to this site in this period acted
as grave markers. However, scientific analysis
of a number of animal remains found near the site in
this period seems to reveal that as many as 4,000
people gathered here, bringing animals from
as far as Scotland. It seems likely that these
early Britons came together to celebrate mid-summer
and mid-winter festivals. Up until around 3000 BC, archeologists have
continued to find cremated remains of individuals. This has led scholars to
believe that the early site of Stonehenge was often
used as a burial site. At this early stage, Stonehenge
was barely stone at all, and consisted mostly
of wooden structures. It it not until around 2600 BC that the builders of Stonehenge
began to truly adopt stone, and begin to build the
concentric structures
we see today. Interestingly, analysis
of the stone has revealed that much of it came
from as far as Wales, a vast distance to transport
heavy rocks in Neolithic times. From around 2600 to 2400 BC, a major phase of
building activity began. A total of 80
stones were erected. Many of these were
truly enormous, standing at almost
7.5 meters tall. At this time, the Stonehenge we think of today was
beginning to form. However, much of this large
standing stone complex is no longer visible to us. As many of the
stones were removed from the site
throughout history. It seems that these
enormous stones were possibly transported
by placing them on rows of rolling logs, a method seen also in China. However, the exact method by which Stonehenge
was built is unknown. Many claim that it would
have been impossible for Neolithic peoples to
build such a structure and point to extraterrestrial
intervention. Regardless, why would this
prehistoric culture go to such lengths and
efforts to construct such impressive, yet
mysterious structures? The people responsible
for Stonehenge left no written records, and the purposes behind it
are hotly debated today. It has been speculated by some that the complex had
a seasonal function. In fact, some of
the stones align with the sunset of
the winter solstice, and the sunrise of
the summer solstice. This, paired with the
archeological evidence for gatherings at these times, lends credence to
the possibility that the site was used
as both a calender, and a place of ritual
worship and celebration. Stonehenge may have also
had an astronomical function being designed as a form
of celestial observatory, allowing for the
prediction of eclipses, the solstice, the equinox,
and other celestial phenomena. Some scholars have
even suggested that Stonehenge may have
also been a site of healing. This is based upon the sheer
number of human remains found at the site with
deformities and trauma. Others state that the site was
a place of ancestor worship and linked to the other
surrounding Neolithic complexes. According to this theory, Stonehenge represented
the land of the dead with a ritual journey to
Stonehenge representing a ceremonial passage
from life to death. Just like the Carnac stones, the mystery surrounding this
Neolithic structure has led to the creation
of numerous myths. In the 12th century AD, the medieval historian,
Geoffrey of Monmouth, stated that Stonehenge
was, in fact, built by the wizard Merlin. Shrouded in myth, it's purpose
and meaning lost to the ages, Stonehenge is one of the
most mysterious feats of ancient engineering on Earth. Thus, Stonehenge more
than earned its place in our top 10 ancient mysteries. (slow riveting music) We go now to the ancient
Bronze Age Mediterranean, a world dominated by
three major super powers, the Mycenaeans of Greece, the Hittites of the near East, and the mighty Egyptian empire. In around 1200 BC, all but one of these
civilizations, Egypt, disappeared completely
from history in events known as the
Bronze Age collapse. The Mycenaeans were once
a flourishing civilization in what is today, Greece. Their tale begins
in around 1500 BC. From this date onwards,
the Mycenaeans became the most advanced
civilization in Europe, able to produce
incredible works of art, construct massive palaces
and fortifications, and effectively dominate much
of the eastern Mediterranean through both trade and warfare. In fact, it was the
Mycenaeans who were believed to have been peoples
of the Homeric myths. mighty heroes such as Achilles,
Odysseus, and Agamemnon. Across the Aegean Sea, the great Hittite empire
ruled a vast empire from their homeland
in modern-day Turkey. The Hittites were an
advanced civilization, able to dominate
surrounding kingdoms, such as Troy, using their
well-trained armies. However, by the 13th century BC, the Hittite empire had
weakened considerably, having lost lands to the
Egyptians and the Syrians. To the south, the mighty
Egyptian empire was flourishing having conquered
much of the Levant. Egyptian expansion
had often brought them into violent contact
with the Hittites. In fact, the largest
battle in history to that date had been fought
between the two empires at the battle of Megiddo. Memory of this terrible
battle survived in the term Armageddon. However, in the 12th century BC, all three of these
ancient superpowers encountered a
series of disasters which left only Egypt surviving. Though having lost its empire, every Mycenaean
city was destroyed. The Hittite empire collapsed. Nearly every major city in the Levant was
burned to the ground, and the Egyptians
found themselves having to fight tooth and nail against a mysterious people
arriving from the sea, the infamous Sea Peoples. Some historians have referred
to this event as the worst and most mysterious
disaster in ancient history, the end of a golden age
in humanity's history. And no one knows how
exactly it happened. It is possible that a number of environmental
factors were involved. For instance, we have evidence for a series of devastating
earthquakes hitting the Mediterranean at this time. This caused major damage
to a number of cities. We also have evidence
for wide-spread droughts which would have
caused mass starvation. And in fact, the sea level
had dropped considerably. However, what is most
curious is the fact that within a period of 50 years almost every significant city in the Mediterranean world
was burned to the ground, and no one knows why. Could the common people
have revolted en masse made desperate by their hunger. It seems likely, however,
that many of these cities were destroyed by
a mysterious people known as the Sea People. These strange peoples
always attacked by sea, hence the name,
and raided inland, much like the Vikings
of later periods. References to attacks
by sea are found from all three of the
ancient superpowers. In Greece, we hear of
the people of Pylos increasing coastal patrols, constantly on the lookout
for attacks from the sea. Then we hear nothing
from them at all, and their palaces are
burned to the ground. It is likely that Crete, too, as well as the
mainland, was attacked, for we see the Cretans moving
their settlements inland to escape this
mysterious threat. From the city of
Ugarit in the Levant, we hear of a desperate
plea for help to the king. Mysterious enemy ships
were beginning to appear and attack their territory. The letter reads, my father, behold, the
enemy's ships came here. My cities were burned, and they did evil
things in my country. Does not my father know
that all the troops and chariots are in
the Land of Hatti, and all the ships are
in the land of Lukka? Thus, our country is
abandoned to itself. May my father know it, the ships of the
enemy that came here inflicted much damage upon us. No one came to Ugarit's aid and the city was
completely destroyed. The plea fell on deaf ears. Few escaped the
advancing destruction. In Egypt, we also hear of an
attack by the Sea Peoples. However, unlike their neighbors, the Egyptians were
able to fight them off in a desperate sea battle. Egypt, therefore, was able
to survive their onslaught, albeit in a weakened state. The golden age of the Egyptian
empire had come to an end. However, it is unlikely
that the Sea peoples alone were responsible for
the Bronze Age collapse. The exact reason behind the
total destruction of some of humanity's most impressive
civilizations remains unknown. Thus, the Bronze Age collapse, perhaps the most devastating
event in all ancient history, makes it onto our list of
top 10 ancient mysteries. It has often been
thought that the collapse of the great Bronze Age
civilizations was inspiration for the tales of Atlantis. This, therefore, brings us onto our next great
ancient mystery, the enigmatic city of Atlantis. (slow calm music) According to the 4th century
BC philosopher Plato, the great civilization
of Atlantis lies beyond the pillars of Hercules, referring to what is known today as the Straights of Gibraltar. Mentioned in his works,
Critias and Timaeus, Plato describes the
city of Atlantis as a powerful nation
based on an island in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. However, in their arrogance, the Atlanteans had
offended the gods. And Plato tells us
that they were punished by the submersion of their
entire city beneath the waves. Atlantis fell into the
sea and then into myth. Most of Plato's contemporaries and students thought
that Plato was not actually referring
to a real place, but using a fictional
civilization as a tool to teach political philosophy. Some, however, believed
that Plato was, in fact, referring to a
true civilization, especially, the later 4th
century philosopher Crantor, who studied Plato's works
and traveled the world to investigate the
tale's origins. Like Crantor, many
subsequent readers of Plato have believed that there
is some truth to his words. And that Plato was either
referring to a real city or basing the Atlanteans
on real people. In the 16th century, interest
in Atlantis was renewed with many European scholars
associating the mysterious city with a newly
discovered Americas. European imaginations
were further inspired by the discovery of the
Mayans in Central America. No one had expected to find such an impressive
civilization in the New World, and many immediately
thought of Plato's tales. However, the
European discoveries of these impressive
cities of the Mayans did not originally think
the indigenous peoples they encountered
were responsible for
their construction. Instead, some believe that
these great cities and pyramids were built by the Atlanteans, and that the natives
of Central America were incapable of founding such
an impressive civilization. Others thought that the
Mayans could only be the inferior descendants of
the Atlanteans, an offshoot of a once technologically
sophisticated civilization which had lost
it's former glory. In this way, the early
Atlantean theories were strained by a degree of racism
and imperialism. Europeans were convinced
Mayan civilization could not have existed
without the help of a more advanced nation. A viewpoint influenced
by the self image of European colonizers as
the bringers of civilization to the less technologically
advanced nations of Africa, Asia,
and the Americas. Inspired by the great
lost civilizations of Central and Southern America many pseudo-archeologists
would continue their searches for an
Atlantean-American connection well into the modern era. The tales of Atlantis were
made even more fanciful by theosophists such as Madame
Blavatsky and Henry Olcott. These theosophists
saw the Atlanteans as a superior race endowed with psychic and
supernatural powers. According to the theosophist, Atlantis reached its peak
around one million years ago, but disappeared as a result
of internal conflict. The theosophist
conception of Atlantis directly contrasts Plato's. Plato saw the Atlanteans
as an antagonistic and deeply flawed race who
were eventually defeated in warfare by the
superior Greeks of Athens. It seems that time
had only increased the mysterious
nature of Atlantis as subsequent
generations created increasingly fantastical
editions to the legend. It was not until the 1960s when the science behind
continental drift and plate tectonics
became widely understood, that the idea of a lost
continent of Atlantis became an impossible concept. In light of this, new locations for Atlantis
began to be searched for by those convinced of the
reality behind the myth. The most logical theory
purposes that Atlantis was based upon the lost
ancient Minoan city of Thera in the Aegean Sea. The island flourished
as a naval trading power until it was
completely destroyed by a massive volcanic
eruption in around 1650 BC. The eruption generated
a megatsunami with waves 150 meters high. Thera and many other Minoan
cities throughout the Aegean were completely
destroyed by this event. And Minoan civilization
appears to have never completely recovered
its former glory. One theory which does
match Plato's position of Atlantis as outside
the gates of Hercules states that the Atlanteans
may have been based on the Canary or Madeira
Islands which lie west of the Straights of Gibraltar. Some say the location of
Atlantis is lying somewhere within the Bermuda
Triangle and even Cuba. Other theories have
placed Atlantis as far north as Doggerland
in the North Sea, and even Sweden, and Antarctica. In their search for Atlantis, those who believe
in its existence have never been
entirely consistent in their theories
of its location. If there is one place in
which Atlantis does exist, it is in the
imaginations of many who have been inspired
by Plato's tale. Academics today are
unanimous in their belief that Plato was using Atlantis
as a fictional allegory, a tool to teach
political theory. However, many still
believe in its existence and its mysterious nature
has heavily influenced our own culture. Lost to the waves
and lost to history, the city of Atlantis
has forever been one of the great mysteries
of the ancient world, more than earning its
place on our top ten list. We know move on to another mysteriously disappearing
civilization. In the Pacific Ocean, lies a barren and almost
uninhabited island, an island once
populated by a rich and flourishing
ancient civilization, an island known to
us as Easter Island. In the 19th century, the island's population
numbered at just over 100, however, the great stone
monuments which can be seen, and there're hundreds
across the island, tells us of a once great
ancient civilization. These great stone
monuments, known as moai, resemble huge human heads
sticking out of the ground, and they number at nearly
900 spread across the island. These impressive structures
were continuously built by these mysterious peoples
for a period of 500 years, around 1100 and up to 1600 AD. And they're
indicative of the time when the civilization at
Easter Island flourished. The statues were carved
from volcanic rock quarried from the site
of an extinct volcano. They appear to have been
built to commemorate the death of a clan leader. Each head took a team
of five or six men a whole year to create. After which, they were
transported to various points of the island to be erected. The heads were so huge
that special methods of transportation
had to be developed. Some of the largest
heads, in fact, weighed up to 82 tons. It is believed that each
head required a team of around 250 men
to transport it using a Y-shaped sledge
pulled along using rope ties around the statue's neck. Another possible method
of transportation involves tying ropes to
the head and rocking it then tugging it
forward as it rocked. Thus, using the head's momentum to pull it towards
its destination. This method would require
a team of around 15 men. Interestingly, however,
only around a quarter of the statues produced
were eventually erected. The rest were discovered
either in the quarry or on their way to be erected. It seems the people
of the island had not the time to
complete their great works before their
civilization collapsed. (slow reserved music) During its height, the
people of Easter Island, lived in various stone-built
settlements across the island. On the coast of the island
lived a mysterious group of astronomer priests in stone
structures known as tupa. These priests, like
many ancient peoples, observed and charted the
movement of the heavens. The people of Easter
Island also developed their own writing systems
called rongorongo. This script consisted
of pictographs and
geometric shapes, and was written right to
left, then left to right, in a winding snake-like fashion. The meaning of
these strange texts, however, remains a mystery. Only the ruling families
and the astronomer priests were able to read it. And none of these people
survived the extinction of their civilization. The island appears to
have been first settled in around 650 AD by a
mysterious tribe from Polynesia. It is rumored that their
chief dreamed of a rich land in the east and
so led his people in a great canoe expedition, eventually, discovering
Easter Island. When this civilization
was flourishing, it's nine tribes were all
ruled by a great high chief who descended from the
island's first chief. However, the island's
prosperity was not long to last. As the population increased, the island was subject to
extensive deforestation, and as a result,
the mass extinction of nearly all of the
island's plant life. Experts believe that
the island was once home to many species of plant life which grew in abundance
all across the island with some trees growing
up to 50 meters. By the 18th century, 21 species of tree and
all species of land birds had become extinct
on Easter Island, as a result of over-harvesting, over-hunting, and
climate change, all the problems faced by
our civilization today. The extinction of many
of these island trees meant that the people could no
longer build fishing vessels and much of the soil
lost its fertility, greatly affecting
agricultural production. The loss of their native
ecosystem meant also that many of the animals
which were a source of food disappeared from the island too. By the time Europeans arrived at the island in
the 18th century, the once great civilization was
a shadow of its former self. The population had
diminished drastically, no longer able to produce
any great stone structures. It has even been suggested
that the remaining population had to resort to
cannibalism to survive in the new world
they had created. The now weakened
and tiny population of Easter Island
eventually fell prey to the European slave
trade and disease. Today the island is
sparsely populated by the ancestors of a once
great ancient civilization. The fall of Easter Island's
civilization has been explained by a number of theories. Most of these revolve
around the exploitation of their natural environment. A stark warning to
our own civilization. Could we fall prey to
our own overpopulation and environmental destruction? Will all that remains
of us be our monuments? The disappearance of Easter
Island's civilization is both a mystery and a warning. An addition to our top 10
mysteries of the ancient world which may be more relevant
today than at any other time. (slow serious music) We travel now across the
waters to South America. Here, in the deserts
of Peru is a mystery that has long gone
unsolved, the Nazca Lines. On the dry ground of
the Peruvian desert can be found hundreds
of enormous lines. Many of them resembling
animals and human figures. The lines are formed
by a shallow trench and cover a staggering area
of 450 square kilometers. The largest figures
span nearly 12,000 feet, and include carvings of
condors, hummingbirds, monkeys, and spiders. The lines were created as part
of a huge earthwork project by the Nazca civilization
which flourished for a thousand years
between 500 BC and 500 AD. The lines are so well preserved
due to the extremely dry and windless nature of
the Peruvian deserts. For centuries, these enormous
lines went unnoticed. It was only in the 20th century that they began
to be rediscovered by civilian and military
aircraft flying over the area. However, the lines are not
only visible from aircraft, they can also be seen
from the surrounding hills and other high places. The ancient Nazca people
used simple tools, but advanced surveying
techniques to
construct the lines. However the lines remain, their construction
remains a great mystery to modern experts. Archeologists, ethnologists,
and anthropologists have studied the
lines and have come up with an interesting hypothesis. They state that the
Nazca people created them to be seen by their
gods in the sky. Another theory supposes
that the Nazca Lines were intended to act
as an observatory, a tool used to observe
places on the distant horizon where the sun and
other celestial bodies rose and set during solstices. This is not dissimilar to what
we have seen at Stonehenge. Many prehistoric
cultures constructed great earthworks
and stone buildings to observe the
stars and seasons. And they often linked
these observatories to ritual worship of their gods. Computer aided studies of
some of the animal figures by astronomers has revealed
that they correspond with astronomical
constellations. For example, according
to computer modeling, the giant spider figure is
actually a representation of the constellation Orion. However, this theory
does not correspond with many of the other
figures in the Nazca Lines, so we cannot be sure. Other theories
abandon the celestial and season theories
all together. For instance, one
explanation suggests that the lines are linked to
the Nazca culture's worship of mountain and water deities. These lines, according
to this theory, form part of a religious
ritual honoring these deities with the lines being used
as sacred paths leading to areas where they might
be properly worshiped. The proper worship of
these gods was essential in their decision whether or not to provide water to the land, a resource, especially in demand in such a dry and
inhospitable land. Other theories link the lines to possible irrigation
schemes planned by the Nazca, but this does not fully explain
the various animal figures. Some claim these figures exist
primarily as fertility gods. The wildest theory
suppose the Nazca Lines were either constructed by or
for extraterrestrial visitors who would be able to see
the lines from their craft. Although these explanations
are not currently accepted by today's academic community, who dismiss them due
to the lack of evidence for alien activity. Interestingly, however, there
is still no solid explanation behind the Nazca
Lines by academics. The reasons for
their construction and the exact methods behind
it are a complete mystery to all fields of scientific
and historical study. Another unsolved mystery
of the ancient world. (slow calm music) Our next ancient mystery
is not of a monument, but a man, the greatest
commander and conqueror of the ancient world,
Alexander the Great. In 323 BC, Alexander the Great, subjugator of the largest
empire the world had ever known died under mysterious
circumstances. Born in the Macedonian
city of Pella in 356 BC, Alexander was mentored by the
famous philosopher Aristotle until the age of 16. He became king of Macedon after his father Philip
was assassinated. Suspiciously, this
assassin was himself slain before he could be interrogated. And it is rumored
Philip was assassinated in a plot involving
Alexander and his mother to prevent Philip from
making his other son, had by another woman, king. When he became king, Alexander
quickly proved himself to be the shrewdest politician and best military
commander in the world. By the age of 30, he had
conquered the largest empire ever known without
losing a single battle. From the shores of Greece
to the Himalayan mountains, and the borders of India, Alexander's empire seemed
to span the world itself. He was hailed as a god in Egypt, and the king of kings in Persia. He founded over 20 cities
all across the world including the famous Alexandria. However, before he could
carry out his plans to conquer the rest
of the known world, Alexander died mysteriously
in his palace at Babylon after 12 days of suffering. The mysterious events
began one evening when Alexander was
holding a feast. Around mid-evening
the king was seized with intense pain and collapsed. He was immediately taken to
his bed chamber in the palace and given the best medical
treatment available. However, he soon
experiences tremors, stiffness in the neck, and
sharp pains in his stomach. This was followed by
excruciating agony whenever and wherever he
was touched on the body, making treatment
almost impossible. He was eventually reduced
to a fever and delirium, and experiencing
frequent hallucinations. In his final days, the
most powerful man on Earth could not speak and could
only move his head and arms. Ultimately, he found it
difficult to breathe, and he died at the
age of just 32. Four main theories
have been presented to explain Alexander's death, malaria, typhoid,
alcohol, and poisoning. Malaria is an
unlikely explanation. This disease is carried
by mosquitoes in
tropical locations, whereas Alexander's
palace at Babylon was in the middle of
a desert landscape in what is modern day Iraq, thus making the presence
of mosquitoes unlikely. Typhoid is also an
unlikely explanation. The disease is transmitted
through food or water, and usually affects an entire
population through epidemic. It is highly unlikely to result
in a lone and isolated case. If Alexander died of typhoid, then so would have many others, and this is not mentioned
in the historical sources. Alcohol is perhaps the least
likely explanation of them all. Common symptoms of
alcohol poisoning include nausea and vomiting. Alexander suffered
neither of these symptoms. One of the most frequent
believed theories is that Alexander was the victim
of assassination by poisoning. Assassination was rife
within the Macedonian courts. It was almost a
national tradition. After all, Alexander's own
father was assassinated under mysterious circumstances. However, the strongest
argument against poisoning is that Alexander suffered for
12 days before finally dying. Such long lasting
poisons are thought not to have existed in antiquity. Common poisons at this
time were hemlock, arsenic, wormwood,
henbane, and autumn crocus. All of which act
almost instantly. If it was poison, then it was a
calculated and cruel act using a substance
not commonly utilized by assassins of the day. In fact, some possible
candidates for the poison have been put forward
by toxicologists. One theory supposes that
Alexander's wine was spiked by the plant known
as white hellebore. This plant is bitter tasting and so the wine would've had
to be sweetened to consider it. But it is possible the king
was too drunk to notice. According to toxicologists, this plant may cause the
same symptoms reported to have been suffered
by Alexander. If the white hellebore was used then it seems that the
king's killer wanted to see him suffer for
a prolonged period, and so went to great lengths
to discover this new poison. Indeed, there is no doubt that
in his conquest of the world, Alexander may have made a
few enemies along the way. However, theories such as
this are mere speculation. We may never know the true
killer of Alexander the Great. From prince to king
of the known world, from man to god,
Alexander's death took him at the
height of his power. His death is a mystery, but so
also is his burial location. No one knows where
Alexander is buried, and scholars have been on the
hunt for it for centuries. A legend in life,
a mystery in death, Alexander the Great
earns his place on our list of great mysteries
of the ancient world. (slow mellow music) Our next ancient
mystery is no man, but an object that
has been the subject of much controversy and debate, the Shroud of Turin. Kept in the Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist in Turin, the shroud is a long
piece of linen cloth bearing the image of a man, a man many believe to
be Jesus of Nazareth. It is believed by many today that this cloth is the
very one that wrapped the body of Jesus Christ
after his crucifixion. Today, it is an object
of worship for many across the Christian world. The shroud reveals the
entire body of a man who appears to be
completely naked and holds his hands
across his groin. The man appears to be quite
tall, as well as muscular. He has shoulder length hair,
a mustache, and a beard. An image which is strikingly
like many representations of Jesus seen
throughout history. There are also various
reddish brown marks seen across the body of the man which have been interpreted
by forensic specialists as indicative of wounds. For example, there is a round
wound passing the man's wrist, and awkward gouge
penetrating his thorax, small punctures around his head, steams of blood
strewing down his arms, and various other wounds
all across his body. It seems then that the man
who once occupied the shroud suffered most, if not
all, of the wounds which were known to us from the
story of Jesus' crucifixion. The origins of the shroud
and the image upon it, however, remains a mystery
and are hotly debated topics among theologians,
historians, and scientists. The shroud is dated
possibly to the Middle Ages around the 14th century. Even this, however,
is hotly debated with some questioning
whether the documents we have do indeed reference
the Turin shroud. Although, there is possibly
an even early attestation to the shroud from the 1200s
when it was reportedly stolen from Constantinople
by the crusaders. However, it was unanimously
agreed that the shroud appears in documents dating to the
15th and 16th centuries. At this time, it was originally
owned by the House of Savoy, who in 1578 transferred it to
Turin, where it remains today. It was displayed to the
public in the 17th century. And in the 19th century, we see the shroud being
photographed for the first time whilst in public exhibition. Interestingly, although the
shroud is venerated by millions, the papacy has never
fully acknowledged it as the authentic
image of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, much care has gone into its restoration
and conservation. It is currently sealed
within a bullet-proof, airtight case and is
kept at a finely tuned and consistent environment. The temperature,
gaseous composition, and humidity inside the case
are carefully controlled to ensure the shroud
is well protected. Many of the faithful throughout
history have believed that the shroud is
indeed the one mentioned in the gospels of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John. The shroud is
respected by Christians of many denominations,
including Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans,
Methodists, Orthodox, Pentecostals and Presbyterians. Much scientific analysis has
been carried out on the shroud. The results of which have
drawn much controversy. Radiocarbon dating of the
shroud seems to indicate that it dates to either
14th or 13th centuries, more than 1,000 years after
the crucifixion event. The results of this study
have been challenged, however. Some state that the sample
which the scientists used was contaminated in some way. This has been denied by the
scientific community who states that the investigation was
carried out accurately. This has led some believers
to completely dismiss the reliability of carbon
dating all together. Furthermore, an examination
of the shroud's material, itself, has led to some
unexpected results. For example, other burial
shrouds that have been excavated from tombs near Jerusalem
have revealed different and simpler weaving
patterns than those seen on the Turin shroud. This has led some
experts to conclude that the Turin shroud
cannot have originated from Jerusalem at
the time of Jesus. However, in analysis of the
dirt particles on the shroud compared to the dirt found from
ancient tombs in Jerusalem, has indeed revealed them to
be almost exactly the same. a mysterious
contradiction, indeed. There's also been much
debate as to whether the image on the shroud
is pigment or real blood. Chemical analysis of the
shroud seems to point to the fact that it is
real blood of the AB type. But other scientists argue
that certain other pigments can give similar results
to those of blood. Every argument, either
supporting or refuting the authenticity of the shroud, has resulted in argument
from both sides. Many of the faithful
refuse to believe that the shroud is anything
but a holy relic of Christ. While some experts point to
various pieces of evidence to disprove its authenticity. Regardless, the origin and
nature of the Shroud of Turin is anything but conclusive. Today, it remains a mystery to
faithful and faithless alike, and earns it's place among the greatest
mysteries of antiquity. (slow restrained music) The Knights Templar have
long been associated with secrets and conspiracies. The actions of this
order of warrior monks and their sudden
disappearance have been the subjects of
much speculation. But perhaps the biggest
mystery of the order surrounds their origin of the
Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the site from which
they claim their name. Why did the Templars
choose this ancient site as their base of operations? And what were they looking
in the tunnels below it? Founded in 1118, in Jerusalem by the French knight,
Hugues de Payens, the Knights Templar soon
became the most powerful and wealthy organization
in the medieval world. Initially founded to protect pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, the Templars soon managed
to expand their spheres of operation throughout
many nations. They even became
successful bankers. They were a formidable
military force, being the first professional
standing army in Europe since the fall of the Roman
empire around 600 years earlier. Their wealth and
power was not to last. In 1307, the Knights Templar
in France were arrested by agents of King Philip IV. All members of the order
who did flee into hiding were rounded up,
imprisoned, and tortured. Thousands of knights, monks,
and other members of the order were tortured until
they confessed to
their various crimes, including heresy,
homosexuality, and fraud. Most likely, these
confessions were all false. Some state that King
Philip was in heavy debt from his wars and decided
to seize Templar wealth to balance the books. Thus, orchestrating an
elaborate series of accusations to level on the Templars in
order for his persecutions to seem legitimate
to the papacy. Regardless of the reasons behind the Templar's
disappearance, it remains a mystery even today. (slow solemn music) The penultimate place on
our top 10 ancient mysteries is occupied by the works
of one of the oldest and most mysterious
civilizations in the world. We shall now delve into a
world of strange ritual, magic spells, and
supernatural beings. We shall open the
Egyptian Book of the Dead. Dating to around 1550 BC, the Book of the Dead was used by Egyptian priests
for millennia. Its secret spells were said
to have guided the soul through the underworld
and onto the afterlife. And as such, copies
of it can be found in many burial tombs
and sarcophagi. The book was not a book as
we understand them today, with a cover and turnable pages. Rather, it was painted onto
a long scrolls of papyrus. The book's spells were
written in hieroglyphic or hieratic script,
onto these scrolls, and were often accompanied
by illustrations depicting the dead on their
journey to the afterlife. However, the spells found
in the Book of the Dead can also be seen written
on the coffins themselves. The Book of the Dead consisted of around 192 spells
and incantations. The Egyptians were
strong believers of the magical
power of the voice and ritual speech was
thought to possess a great deal of power. The Egyptian concept
of magic called heka was intimately linked to
their religious worship. Magic was used in
honor of the gods, and some spells were offered
to use the power to control. The spells found
in the book served as a range of processes. Some spells give the user mystical knowledge
of the afterlife. Others offer protection
against evil forces, with some even dealing
with the famous weighing of the heart ritual. In this ritual the gods weighed
the deceased person's heart to determine their purity, and to decide whether to
allow them into the afterlife. Each Book of the Dead
was not identical. The owner of each copy chose
from a large corpus of spells and decided which
ones suited them most. These spells were
then copied down allowing each person to tailor their own unique
Book of the Dead. There were, however,
certain conventions which had to be maintained
through all copies, and these often depended upon which was fashionable
at the time. For example, in
the Saite dynasty, it was common to organize each
chapter into four sections. Nevertheless, a common thread
binds all copies of the book. It is a single entity
of various forms. Importantly, the Book
of the Dead contained important chapters which aimed at preserving the body
of deceased after death. Along with the person's
spirit and intelligence, these were all seen
as essential qualities to be retained for the
persons in the next life. The Book of the Dead states
that in the afterlife its reader would join
the gods themselves and live in a paradise version
of the world of the living. They would want for nothing and would live a
happy for eternity. The book also states that
the dead would themselves gain new divine powers. However, the path to the
afterlife was a difficult one. The dead would need to pass
through a series of gates, caverns, mounds, guarded
by supernatural creatures. These were grotesque creatures
with heads of animals. One of these creatures
was even known as he who dances in blood. The book, however,
provided its owner with the correct spells
to ward them off. The ordeals ended with
the weighing of the heart. After passing this test, the dead would be reborn
into the afterlife. The Book of the Dead is one of
the most mysterious documents in ancient history. It speaks of strange
and powerful spells, fierce and grotesque
supernatural creatures, and a new plane of existence
for those who passed the gods' tests and proved
themselves worthy and just. The owner of such a book
would possess powers over life and death, and
over the gods themselves. The Book of the Dead, therefore, occupies the penultimate place in our top 10 ancient mysteries. (slow gentle music) The final place in our list
belongs to one of the strangest and most revolutionary ideas
ever to have been proposed. The idea that human
advancement in prehistory and ancient history
was the result of extraterrestrial
intervention. Our final place belongs
to the ancient aliens. Proponents of this
theory state that aliens made contact with
humanity at various points in the distant past, and
influenced our development. They provided us with
culture, technology, building techniques, and a
knowledge of agriculture. In return, we
worshiped them as gods. The deities worshiped
by all societies were, according to this
theory, actually aliens. The idea that aliens
visited ancient man and were responsible
for human advancement has not been popular in
established academia. However, the theory is based
on some interesting points and has a significant following. Scientists, such as
Carl Sagan, have stated that extraterrestrial
visitations to early man should not be discounted
as a fanciful theory, that beings possessing
the technology of
interstellar travel almost certainly exist. Sagan was followed
by Erich von Daniken, who in 1968 proposed
many theories about extraterrestrial
visitations in his book Chariot of the Gods? Daniken believed that many
of the great constructions and tools created by ancient
cultures were far too advanced to have been created by humans, and that they were
either created by aliens or aliens assisted
humans in their making. For instance, he
gives Stonehenge, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Nazca Lines, and the Easter
Island heads, as examples. Daniken goes on to point out
that many ancient cultures across the world appear to
depict spacecraft in their art, as well as non-human
creatures and artifacts which were too advanced to exist within the culture of the time. Proponents of
theories like this, often point to religious texts
and mythologies as evidence. For example, a common
theory is based upon the ancient Sumerian texts
found in cuneiform tablets. One of these, the Enuma Elish, states that humanity was
created to serve deities known as the Annunaki. This has been seen
as evidence by some that aliens came to Earth
to use humanity as slaves. Another text often cited
is the Hindu Ramayana. In this text, the
gods are portrayed as supernatural entities that transport themselves
using strange flying vehicles. In fact, there are many mentions
of mysterious flying craft. Even the Bible has
been used as evidence. For instance, in
the book of Genesis, 200 angels come down to
Earth to mate with humanity, creating a race of giants
known as the Nephilim. These angels are
called the watchers. They taught humanity
metallurgy, metal working, cosmetic, sorcery, astrology,
astronomy, and meteorology. Proponents of the ancient
alien hypothesis claim this is an early account of
alien interaction with mankind. However, perhaps the
strangest evidence used comes from the Book of Ezekiel. Here, a vision of
Ezekiel is recounted in which he sees
an immense cloud that emitted a brilliant light. According to this account, the cloud contained a fire, and the center of the fire
looked like glowing metal. And in the fire was what looked
like four living creatures. These creatures are
described as winged and roughly humanoid
in appearance. The passage goes on to
describe some strange, shiny wheel-shaped objects which
could fly around and along, and moved with strange
humanoid creatures. Daniken states that this
passage of Ezekiel proves early contact with aliens. This account is perhaps
the most striking of all due to its similarities
with modern UFO sightings. Some artifacts have also
been put forward as evidence. For example, the
elongated scores of some ancient civilizations
of the Americas are seen as proof that these
ancient cultures wish to emulate the appearance
of alien visitors. Critics of these
theories have argued that all of this
evidence can be explained without resorting to
aliens as an explanation. In fact, these theories
have been rejected by all credible fields of study. Nevertheless, can we truly
be sure that our ancestors were not visited by beings from another part
of the universe? Modern experts maybe too quick to discard these possibilities. One thing is for sure, and
that is we cannot be sure. Perhaps ancient man, as he busied himself about
with his various concerns, was being watched
keenly and closely by intelligences far
greater than our own. Regardless, the theory
of ancient aliens more than merits its
place on our list. (slow riveting music) In our exploration
of ancient mysteries, we have journeyed far and wide, we have flown across the world from the Pacific
to the Atlantic, from the English countryside to the far reaches
of the New World. On our quest, we've also
traveled through time, covering thousands
of years of history in our search for the
weird and wonderful. We've encountered an
image of the Messiah, witnessed the building
of the impossible, and even glimpsed into
extraterrestrial life itself. Though the journey does
not have to end here, the ancient world
is full of mystery, and holds many secrets for
those curious enough to look. (mid-tempo intense music)
