>> Schappert: WHEN I WALKED UP
THE STEPS, THE FIRST THING
I THOUGHT OF WAS, I AM IN
A DIFFERENT PART OF THE WORLD. THIS IS ALL THAT'S LEFT OF ONE
OF THE GREATEST CULTURES EVER,
THE ANCIENT MAYA.
THEY VANISHED AFTER NEARLY A THOUSAND YEARS OF DOMINANCE. [men grunting]
>> [shouting]
>> Schappert: WE KNEW THE MAYA
WERE GREAT ARCHITECTS AND ASTRONOMERS.
NOW WE KNOW THEY WERE ALSO
WARRIORS, MAYBE ONE OF THE
GREATEST WARRIOR CULTURES EVER. THESE WARRIORS LEFT CLUES TO
HOW AND WHY THEY FOUGHT, AND
I WANT TO FOLLOW THOSE CLUES TO
SEE IF WARRIORS WERE AT THE CENTER OF ONE OF HISTORY'S
GREATEST MYSTERIES:
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE MAYA.
MY NAME IS TERRY SCHAPPERT. I'M A GREEN BERET SENT ON COMBAT
AND TRAINING MISSIONS
AROUND THE WORLD.
I'M PART OF A LONG LINE OF ELITE WARRIORS SOLDIERS
TESTED IN BATTLE.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO REVEAL THEIR
WEAPONS AND TACTICS IS TO EXPERIENCE THEM MYSELF.
IT'S DEEP.
I'M ABOUT TO SEARCH FOR THE
HEART OF THE MAYA WARRIOR. Captioning by<font color="#00FF00"> CaptionMax
www.captionmax.com</font> GUATEMALA.
ALMOST 2,000 YEARS AGO,
THIS WAS THE CENTER OF ONE OF
THE LARGEST CIVILIZATIONS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. AT ITS HEIGHT, THE MAYA
POPULATION WAS MORE THAN
10 MILLION, AND THEIR BIGGEST
CITY, TIKAL, WAS TWICE THE SIZE OF ATHENS.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW A LOT ABOUT
THIS CULTURE.
IN A WAY, A LOT IS UNKNOWN, SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO EXTRAPOLATE
HOW THESE GUYS WERE
A WARRIOR CULTURE.
I MEAN, WE KNOW THEY WERE, BUT THE SPECIFICS WE'RE GONNA HAVE
TO FIND FOR OURSELVES.
THIS IS GONNA BE REALLY GOOD. MY JOURNEY STARTS WITH
A WEAPON...
[both grunting]
ONE WE KNOW EXISTED ONLY BECAUSE THE MAYA LEFT US
PICTURES OF IT.
SO THIS IS A MAYA WAR CLUB.
NOW, I'VE NEVER HANDLED SOMETHING QUITE LIKE THIS.
I'VE HANDLED SWORDS, DAGGERS,
BOWS, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF:
WESTERN WEAPONS. THIS IS JUST REALLY EXOTIC.
CHECK OUT WHAT THIS IS.
IT'S A PIECE OF WOOD--DIFFERENT
KINDS FROM AROUND HERE. LOTS OF GOOD HARD WOODS
IN THIS AREA--
WITH THE HEAVY PART AT THE END,
WHICH GIVES IT A REALLY GOOD DOWNWARD, PENDULUM KIND OF A--
KIND OF A FEEL TO IT.
BUT THE KICKER FOR THIS WEAPON
IS THE RAZOR-SHARP VOLCANIC GLASS BLADES ON THE END.
THIS IS OBSIDIAN, ONE OF THE
THINNEST, SHARPEST CUTTING
SURFACES KNOWN TO MAN, LITERALLY ONE MOLECULE THICK.
IT GOES DOWN TO A REALLY FINE
POINT HERE.
I MEAN, I HAVE TO BE-- I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL TOUCHING IT
'CAUSE IF I WENT TOO HARD,
IT'S GONNA CUT MY HAND.
THIS WEAPON IS AWESOME. I MEAN, IT'S JUST A SIMPLE IDEA:
A PIECE OF WOOD, YOU KNOW, WITH
SOME GLASS IN THE END OF IT,
BUT IT'S BRUTAL. >> YEAH, IT'S REALLY SHARP.
>> Schappert: REALLY SHARP AND
REALLY SCARY.
NOBODY KNOWS FOR SURE HOW THE MAYA USED THIS WEAPON, BUT
TO ME, IT FEELS LIKE A CROSS
BETWEEN A SLASHING WEAPON,
LIKE A SWORD, AND A BLUNT FORCE WEAPON, LIKE A CLUB.
YOU COULD ALSO THEN USE THIS
TO FINISH THE GUY OFF
AND KNOCK HIM OUT. I MEAN, YOU CAN HIT THE GUY WITH
THE FLAT SIDE AGAINST THE SIDE
OF THE HEAD, BREAK HIS JAW, AND
KNOCK HIM OUT, BUT YOU DIDN'T KILL HIM, OR YOU COULD ALSO,
YOU KNOW, POP HIM REALLY HARD
WITH THIS.
SO BOOM LIKE THIS, OR FLAT ON THAT.
SO BASICALLY YOU GOT A WEAPON
HERE THAT'S GOT, YOU KNOW, THE
POTENTIAL TO INCAPACITATE OR KILL AND THEN ALSO TO KNOCK
'EM OUT SO YOU CAN TAKE 'EM
AWAY FOR A CAPTIVE. AND I'M ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE THE
CUTTING POWER OF THIS WEAPON
FIRSTHAND.
[grunts] WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
AND LOOK AT THIS.
AS I WAS SWINGING IT AND I CAME BACK AROUND...
[grunts]
I FELT IT NICK MY LEG.
THAT'S A PRETTY SERIOUS GASH RIGHT THERE, AND I BARELY
NICKED IT.
GET THE--I THINK THERE'S
STERI-STRIPS IN THERE. I'M GONNA HAVE TO SEAL IT.
THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY
NEED SUTURES.
IT'S DEEP. THIS IS THE DANGER OF TRYING TO
TEACH YOURSELF WEAPONS...
OH, THAT STINGS.
SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS. IT'S JUST--YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS?
IT'S JUST KIND OF DEEP.
AS LONG AS IT'S KEPT CLEAN,
I THINK I'LL BE OKAY. I'M A SPECIAL FORCES MEDIC, SO
I'VE DONE LOTS OF TRAUMA STUFF,
AND I'VE SUTURED UP WOUNDS.
I CAN'T GET TO MY BACK LEG RIGHT NOW.
JUST THE ANGLE OF IT, I CAN'T
GET TO IT, SO I'M HAVING MY
BUDDIES FROM THE CREW CLEAN IT OFF AND TRY TO USE STERI-STRIPS,
WHICH IS BASICALLY TAPE,
TO KIND OF TAPE IT TOGETHER.
THE WORLD OF WARRIORS: SHARP EDGES AND BLUNT TRAUMA. IN A WAY I DIDN'T EXPECT,
I'M ALREADY LEARNING ABOUT
HOW THE MAYA WARRIORS FOUGHT.
THE KEYS TO<i> WHY</i> THEY FOUGHT CAN BE FOUND INSIDE THE GREAT
CITIES THEY LEFT BEHIND.
DURING THEIR TIME, MAYA CITIES
WERE SOME OF THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD, BUT BY THE 1800s WHEN
ARCHEOLOGISTS FOUND THEM, THEY
LOOKED LIKE THIS.
UNDERNEATH ALL OF THAT IS AN ACTUAL MAYA PYRAMID SWALLOWED
BY THE JUNGLE.
NOW, UNCOVERING THESE STRUCTURES
IS REALLY ONLY HALF THE PUZZLE. TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE MAYA,
YOU'VE GOT TO CRACK THE MAYA
CODE.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT HERE? >> THIS IS A MONU--MONUMENT THAT
THE MAYA CALLED STELE.
>> Schappert: ON THESE STELE
IS THE MAYA HIEROGLYPHIC LANGUAGE, AND EXAMPLES OF IT ARE
FOUND THROUGHOUT THE ANCIENT
MAYA WORLD.
>> IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, ONLY THE MAYA HAD A STRUCTURED
LANGUAGE.
HERE'S THE DATE: 2, 5, 5.
THAT'S 12. >> Schappert: MM-HMM.
>> THIS IS THE NAME OF THE
PERSON WHO PERFORMED ALL
THESE THINGS, AND HERE IS HIS TITLE,<i> INICH AHAU.</i>
>> Schappert: WITH ALMOST 800
KNOWN SYMBOLS, EACH WITH
MULTIPLE MEANINGS, THE MAYA LANGUAGE IS INCREDIBLY COMPLEX,
AND IT'S ONLY RECENTLY AFTER
HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF STUDY THAT
ARCHEOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DECODE IT.
SO DO THESE STELAE GIVE US ANY
SORT OF CLUES ABOUT THE WARRIOR
CULTURES? >> MANY OF THEM DO.
AND YOU HAVE THEM, BECAUSE
THEY--YOU SHOW THE KING,
HE'S GOT A SPEAR, AND YOU SEE A CAPTIVE SOMEWHERE,
AND THEIR NAME'S ALL OVER.
>> Schappert: THE CAPTIVES'
NAMES? >> RIGHT, SO WE KNOW EXACTLY
WHO THEY WERE.
>> Schappert: WOW. MAN, CHECK THIS OUT.
COME HERE AND TAKE A LOOK
AT THIS.
THIS IS ANCIENT REALITY BROUGHT TO LIFE IN STONE.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS
A VICTORIOUS WARRIOR
STANDING OVER THE LOSER. AND WE CAN TELL BY LOOKING AT
THIS THAT THIS GUY WAS A REALLY
IMPORTANT, POWERFUL WARRIOR.
HIS HEADDRESS IS HUGE AND AMAZING.
IT GIVES HIM FEET
OF EXTRA HEIGHT.
AND HERE'S THE REAL KEY TOO. LOOK DOWN BELOW HERE.
THIS GUY IS ACTUALLY
HOG-TIED, MAN.
HIS LEGS ARE TIED BEHIND HIM, HIS HANDS ARE BOUND, AND YOU CAN
SEE PIECES OF A VERY ORNATE
COSTUME, BUT SOME PIECES ARE
MISSING, AND THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT.
THIS SHOWS THAT THIS CAPTIVE AND
LOSER WAS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT.
WHAT'S SURPRISING IS NOT THAT THE MAYA FOUGHT WARS BUT<i> WHY</i>
THEY FOUGHT THOSE WARS.
THIS WAS NOT ABOUT TERRITORY OR
RESOURCES; THESE WARRIORS WERE FIGHTING TO CAPTURE NOBLES TO
SACRIFICE, BECAUSE FOR THE MAYA,
THE KEY THAT OPENED THE DOOR TO
THE SUPERNATURAL WORLD WAS BLOOD.
[percussive tribal music]
[horn blowing]
THE MAYA RELIED ON ASKING THEIR GODS AND ANCESTORS FOR GUIDANCE
AND BLESSINGS.
IN THESE RITUALS, KINGS AND
NOBLES WERE THE PRIESTS, THE TEMPLE WAS A PORTAL TO THE
OTHER WORLD, AND SPILLED BLOOD
PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE. LOOK AT THESE GUYS EMERGING
FROM THE TOP OF THAT PYRAMID. WHAT A SIGHT EVEN TODAY IN THE
MODERN WORLD.
I ACTUALLY GET GOOSE BUMPS
WATCHING THIS. SO, ED, WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF BLOOD IN THE MAYA RITUALS?
>> IT'S MAINLY AUTO-SACRIFICE.
IT'S PEOPLE LETTING THEIR OWN BLOOD, WHICH MEN TYPICALLY DO
BY CUTTING THEIR PENISES
AND THEN DRIPPING IT ONTO PAPER.
THEY BURN THAT. THAT SMOKE BECOMES THE CONDUIT
TO GO UP INTO THE SKY AND TALK
TO THEIR ANCESTORS.
NO ONE ELSE IN THIS TOWN CAN DO THAT; ONLY SOMEONE OF
THAT ROYAL BLOOD CAN DO IT.
>> Schappert: THAT'S THEM.
THEY CAN DO THAT. >> ABSOLUTELY, AND THIS ABILITY
TO CONTACT AND HONOR THE GODS
IS EVERYTHING.
[horns blowing] >> Schappert: THIS RITUAL SHOWS
WHY THEY FOUGHT WARS.
IT WASN'T FOR CONQUEST.
INSTEAD, WAR WAS A WAY TO TAP INTO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
AND MANY OF THE SIGHTS AND
SOUNDS OF THAT WORLD SURVIVE
TODAY. [deep, rumbling howl]
WHEN YOU FIRST HEAR THIS NOISE--
WE HEARD IT AT 3:00 IN THE
MORNING--IT LITERALLY SOUNDS LIKE DEMONS.
[deep, rumbling howl]
OH, HERE COMES ONE RIGHT NOW.
LOOK AT HIM. [howling continues]
WE'RE LOOKING FACE-TO-FACE WITH
HOWLER MONKEYS.
THEY'RE AMAZING. I MEAN, THEY'RE REALLY GOING AT
IT TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
THIS IS--GIVES SUCH A GREAT
SENSE OF PLACE, OF WHERE WE ARE. WE'RE NOT BACK IN THE STATES.
WE'RE IN GUATEMALA IN THE
JUNGLE, AND THESE GUYS LIVE
HERE, AND THEY WERE THERE WHEN THE MAYA WERE THERE.
AND THE ANIMALS FOUND HERE MAY
EVEN HOLD A KEY TO UNDERSTANDING
THE MAYA WARRIORS, A KEY THAT EVEN THE GLYPHS DON'T OFFER.
THE GLYPHS ARE TELLING US A LOT
ABOUT MAYA WARRIOR CULTURE, BUT
THEY DON'T SAY MUCH ABOUT HOW THEY TRAINED.
SO HOW DID MAYA WARRIORS
DEVELOP BATTLE SKILLS?
WELL, LIKE MANY OTHER CULTURES, THEY PROBABLY LEARNED THEIR
FIRST LESSONS IN WARFARE
WHILE HUNTING.
AND THE WEAPON THEY USED WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BLOWGUN.
A LONG, STRAIGHT PIECE OF WOOD
IS SPLIT WITH TWO GROOVES IN
EACH SIDE HOLLOWED OUT TO CREATE A CHAMBER WHEN THE PIECES ARE
FITTED BACK TOGETHER.
THE DARTS, MADE OF SHARPENED
WOOD, HAVE COTTON BUNDLES ON THE END TO SEAL THE CHAMBER AND
PROPEL THE MISSILE.
WHEN FIRED, THE WEAPON'S LONG
BARREL ENSURES THE DART WILL FLY STRAIGHT INTO THE TARGET. THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY FUN.
I MEAN, YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH,
YOU EXPEL IT OUT, AND IT FLIES
REALLY STRAIGHT. I MEAN, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M
ACTUALLY USING A REAL-LIFE
BLOWGUN.
AMAZING. BYRON HERNANDEZ GARCIA IS
A MODERN-DAY MAYA KEEPING THE
TRADITIONS OF HIS ANCESTORS
ALIVE TODAY. SO BYRON HERE HAS MADE A REALLY
GREAT WEAPON.
IT'S REMARKABLE TO ME THIS IS
MADE BY HAND, BUT YOU CAN SEE, IN THE CHAMBER WITHOUT ANY KIND
OF MODERN TOOLS, THIS IS PRETTY
DARN STRAIGHT, AND WITH ITS
LENGTH, IT GETS UP ENOUGH FORCE BEHIND IT, IT'S GONNA SHOOT IT
REALLY STRAIGHT.
THE MAYA WOULD USE BLOWGUNS
TO HUNT BIRDS AND MONKEYS, TARGETS THAT WERE ANYTHING BUT
STATIONARY.
YOU KNOW WHAT'S COOL ABOUT THIS?
WHEN I'M SITTING HERE WITH BYRON, I CAN REALLY JUST GET AN
IDEA OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE BACK
THEN TO DO THIS.
I MEAN, I CAN SEE A KID BEING TAKEN AROUND WITH--BY HIS
FATHER, SHOWN HOW TO STALK,
HOW TO SNEAK UP ON STUFF,
AND HOW TO HIT WITH THIS. AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS
DEVELOPING YOUR HAND-EYE
COORDINATION AND YOUR ABILITY
TO TRACK AND MOVE THROUGH THE WOODS.
THIS IS A GREAT TOOL FOR THAT. FIRST CENTURY A.D.: THE MAYA
DOMINATE THE YUCATAN PENINSULA,
WHAT IS NOW GUATEMALA, MEXICO,
AND BELIZE. THEY START TO BUILD CITY-STATES
THAT LIVE MOSTLY IN PEACE.
ONE CITY-STATE IS ABOUT TO
USHER IN A MAJOR SHIFT IN THE MAYA WARRIOR CULTURE.
THAT SHIFT WILL HAPPEN HERE,
AT TIKAL.
AND IT MAY ULTIMATELY LEAD TO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE ENTIRE
MAYA WORLD.
WE KNOW WARFARE IN THIS CULTURE
WAS VERY DIFFERENT, AND NOTHING EPITOMIZES THAT MORE THAN THIS.
THIS IS A STONE AXE.
[grunting] USED BOTH AS A TOOL AND AS
A WEAPON, THE HEART OF THE STONE
AXE IS A BLADE CALLED THE CELT.
USUALLY MADE OF GRANITE, CELTS FEATURED A SHARPENED EDGE,
GIVING CUTTING POWER TO A HEAVY
WEAPON ALREADY CAPABLE OF
MASSIVE DAMAGE. YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE EDGE
RIGHT HERE.
I MEAN, THAT'S ACTUALLY A LOT
SHARPER THAN YOU WOULD THINK. THIS IS A REALLY HEAVY
WEIGHT BEHIND IT.
>> IMAGINE, TERRY, HITTING A GUY
WITH THIS KIND OF WEAPON, YOU CAN KNOCK HIM OUT
THE FIRST TIME, YOU KNOW?
>> Schappert: YEAH, IT'S
A PRETTY SCARY IDEA. I MEAN, I'VE HANDLED A LOT OF
DIFFERENT KINDS OF BATTLE-AXES,
BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN ANY ONE
QUITE LIKE THIS. I MEAN, THIS IS GONNA CAUSE NOT
JUST A BAD LACERATION AND
SHREDDING THE TISSUE.
IT'S GONNA BE BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA; IT'S GONNA BREAK BONES.
>> [shouting]
>> Schappert: SINCE BREAKING
BONES ALLOWED YOU TO CAPTURE INSTEAD OF KILL YOUR OPPONENT,
THIS WAS A PERFECT WEAPON FOR
THE EARLY MAYA WARRIORS, BECAUSE
THEY WANTED THEIR ENEMIES ALIVE, FOR RITUAL SACRIFICE.
NOW, HOW MUCH FIGHTING THEY DID
WITH THE STONE AXE ISN'T AS
IMPORTANT AS WHAT WE DO KNOW THEY DID WITH IT.
THEY USED THIS
TO DECAPITATE THEIR VICTIMS.
NOW, I WANT TO SEE HOW EFFECTIVE THIS IS AT SEVERING A NECK.
LOOK AT THAT.
NOT ONLY DID IT CUT THROUGH
"THE NECK." IT ALSO WENT THROUGH
THE CHOPPING BLOCK.
SO YOU CAN PICTURE A NECK BEING
STRUCK BY THAT: BLOOD SPRAYS OUT, BONES SHATTER,
INSTANT DEATH,
A REALLY INTIMIDATING WAY TO
MEET YOUR END. SO WEAPONS AND HUMAN SACRIFICE
WERE PART OF THE MAYA WARRIOR
ETHOS, BUT A SHIFT WAS COMING
THAT WOULD CHANGE THEIR WARFARE, AND THAT CHANGE WOULD COME FROM
OUTSIDE THE MAYA WORLD. FOURTH CENTURY A.D.: 600 MILES
OUTSIDE OF THE MAYA WORLD
IS TEOTIHUACAN.
THIS MAJOR CITY-STATE IN NEARBY MEXICO HAS A POPULATION OF MORE
THAN 200,000 PEOPLE, AND THEIR
INFLUENCE IS EXTENDING ACROSS
MESOAMERICA. WHEN THE WARRIORS FROM
TEOTIHUACAN ARRIVE IN TIKAL,
THEY IMMEDIATELY KILL AND
REPLACE THE KING. >> THEY COME MARCHING DOWN OVER
1,000 KILOMETERS, AND IT WASN'T
AN ARMY; IT WAS A FEW PEOPLE
THAT SOMEHOW HAD A GREAT INFLUENCE HERE.
>> Schappert: AROUND WHAT YEAR
WAS THIS?
>> TEOTIHUACAN ARRIVES JANUARY 17, 378 A.D.
>> Schappert: OH, SO THIS--
>> WE KNOW EXACTLY--
>> Schappert: YOU KNOW THE DAY THESE GUYS SHOWED UP.
>> IT'S BEEN RECORDED A NUMBER
OF PLACES HERE AT THIS SITE.
>> Schappert: THAT'S AWESOME. >> THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY WERE
VERY PROUD OF.
THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT DAY IT
IS; THIS IS THE DAY THAT THINGS CHANGED FOR TIKAL.
>> Schappert: TIKAL IS STILL
THE MOST POWERFUL MAYA
CITY-STATE, BUT AFTER CONTACT WITH TEOTIHUACAN, THINGS HAVE
CHANGED. TIKAL'S WARRIORS NOW EMBARK
ON A MISSION TO CONQUER
NEIGHBORING CITY-STATES.
IT'S A NEW TYPE OF WARFARE, AND THE MAYA WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
FOR THE MAYA, THIS TYPE OF
WARFARE WOULD SPREAD BEYOND
TIKAL. WAR FOR CONQUEST HAS REPLACED
WAR FOR SACRIFICE. SO HOW COULD A RELATIVELY SMALL
FORCE FROM TEOTIHUACAN CAUSE
SUCH A MAJOR SHIFT IN MAYA
WARFARE? THE ANSWER IS WRITTEN IN STONE.
>> THIS IS A FIGURE OF A MAN
DRESSED AS A TEOTIHUACAN
WARRIOR, AND MOST IMPORTANT, THIS IS THE SPEAR THAT IS
BROUGHT FROM CENTRAL MEXICO AND
WHICH WERE UNKNOWN TO THE MAYA.
>> Schappert: SO THE MAYA HAD NEVER--THE MAYA HAD NEVER FACED
THIS BEFORE?
>> NEVER.
>> Schappert: WOW. THE WEAPON THAT CHANGED
EVERYTHING WAS THIS, THE ATLATL.
SOMETIMES CALLED
A SPEAR-THROWER, THE ATLATL WAS A WEAPON THE MAYA HAD NEVER SEEN
BEFORE BUT QUICKLY ADOPTED.
THE SPEARS ARE ACTUALLY LONG,
FLEXIBLE DARTS THAT CAN BE THROWN WITH LETHAL ACCURACY AT
RANGES OF OVER 50 YARDS. WHY DON'T YOU KILL THAT HOLE
AGAIN THERE, TOUGH GUY?
>> ALL RIGHT, RIGHT BETWEEN
THOSE TWO FEATHERS. >> Schappert: YEAH, I'M WAITING.
>> WITHOUT HITTING EITHER.
>> Schappert: [laughs]
WHAT AN AWESOME WEAPON. I MEAN, HE PUT THAT EXACTLY
WHERE HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO,
AND WHAT'S AMAZING IS THAT THE
TECHNOLOGY IS BASICALLY A PIECE OF WOOD WITH A NOTCH IN IT,
BUT IT'S PERFECTLY DESIGNED.
WITH A SIMPLE SPUR IN THE BACK
TO HOLD THE DART, THE ATLATL EXTENDS THE ARM LENGTH OF THE
PERSON THROWING IT AND USES THE
SIMPLE POWER OF A FULCRUM TO
LAUNCH THE WEAPON. THE KEY TO THE ATLATL IS THE
SPRINGLIKE MOVEMENTS
OF THE DART.
THE TRANSVERSE WAVES MAKE THE DARTS TRAVEL FARTHER AND FASTER
THAN A STANDARD SPEAR.
>> IF THEY WEREN'T FLEXIBLE,
IF THEY DIDN'T FLEX LIKE THAT, IF YOU TRIED TO THROW A STIFF
SPEAR, IT WOULD JUST GO--
>> Schappert: IT WOULD FLY ALL
OVER THE PLACE, WOULDN'T IT? >> YEAH, IT WOULDN'T FLY WELL AT
ALL; IT WOULD JUST KIND OF
CARTWHEEL THROUGH THE AIR.
>> Schappert: YEAH, YOU NEED THE SPRINGINESS OF THIS TO BE ABLE
TO RECOVER FROM THAT POP, AND
THEN IT KIND OF RIGHTS ITSELF.
AND THIS TECHNOLOGICAL CONCEPT ISN'T UNIQUE.
ATLATLS HAVE BEEN USED BY
COUNTLESS CULTURES AND FOUND ON
EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT ANTARCTICA.
THIS IS--THESE--THIS IS
AN OLD WEAPON RIGHT?
>> THEY'RE NOT SURE--QUITE SURE HOW FAR THEY GO BACK, BUT THE
GUESS IS SOMEWHERE AROUND
20,000, 30,000 YEARS.
>> Schappert: AMAZING. SO THIS HAS BEEN IN USE FOR--
THIS IS AN ANCIENT
WEAPON, ACTUALLY.
>> YEAH. >> Schappert: NOW YOU HOOK ONTO
THE END.
>> HOOK ONTO THE END, AND IT'S
JUST INCREASING THE LEVERAGE THAT YOU COULD PUT IN
WITH YOUR HAND.
IT MULTIPLIES IT, YOU KNOW,
SOME NUMBER OF TIMES, 200 TIMES, 300 TIMES.
>> Schappert: PHEW.
YOU JUST CASUALLY JUST WENT LIKE
THAT; DIDN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE YOU WERE DOING ANYTHING.
THIS, BY THE WAY,
IS DEFINITELY A FIRST FOR ME.
I'VE SHOT ALL SORTS OF GUNS, ALL SORTS OF WEAPONS, NEVER BEEN IN
GUATEMALA SHOOTING AN ATLATL.
ALL RIGHT.
>> AIM THE TIP UP JUST SLIGHTLY. EXCELLENT.
>> Schappert: NAH, NOT--
NOT QUITE THERE.
OH! [sighs]
I'VE USED A LOT OF WEAPONS,
AND THIS SIMPLE WEAPON IS
ACTUALLY ONE OF THE HARDEST. >> IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU LET
YOUR ARM LAG BEHIND YOUR BODY,
LIKE A FASTBALL PITCHER.
>> Schappert: YEAH, IT LOOKS LIKE A PITCHER.
AH, OFF TO THE SIDE.
OH!
[laughs] IT'S--YOU KNOW, AGAIN,
YOU ALWAYS EXPECT TO BE GREAT
RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
NO, THAT WAS PRETTY CRAPPY, ACTUALLY. >> THERE IT IS.
>> Schappert: YES!
[laughs]
THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK, BUT THAT WENT RIGHT THROUGH.
IT--THAT FELT RIGHT.
>> MM-HMM?
>> Schappert: I ACTUALLY LISTENED TO YOU, AND I STAYED
KIND OF FLAT, AND IT'S
JUST SUBTLE STUFF.
>> YEAH, IT'S A FEELING THING. IT'S LIKE TRYING TO DESCRIBE
HOW TO BALANCE YOURSELF ON
A BIKE, BUT ONCE SOMEBODY
GETS IT, YOU CAN FEEL IT. >> Schappert: YOU'RE ON IT.
>> HERE, TRY IT AGAIN.
YOU GOT IT NOW.
>> Schappert: THAT FEELS COOL. YOU SEND IT, AND IT FLIES RIGHT
INTO THE TARGET.
AWESOME.
[laughs] OH, THAT'S AWESOME. BEFORE WAR FOR CONQUEST, MAYA
WARRIORS USED CLOSE COMBAT
WEAPONS.
SINCE THEIR GOAL WAS CAPTIVES FOR SACRIFICE, THEY HAD NO NEED
TO INFLICT MASS CASUALTIES ON
THEIR OPPONENTS.
NOW EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. THAT'S AWESOME. SO THE ARRIVAL OF TEOTIHUACAN
CHANGED WHAT THE MAYA FOUGHT
FOR, IT CHANGED THE WEAPONS
THEY USED, AND IT ALSO CHANGED SOMETHING ELSE:<i>
WHEN</i> THEY FOUGHT. THE MAYA HAD ALWAYS CHARTED THE
STARS, BUT NOW THE MAYA KINGS
LOOKED TO THE HEAVENS FOR SIGNS
THAT WOULD URGE THEM TO TAKE UP ARMS, AND IT WAS VENUS THAT
WOULD SIGNAL THE TIME FOR WAR. THE MAYA BELIEVED THAT
VENUS' POSITION IN THE SKY
WOULD GIVE THEM AN ADVANTAGE
ON THE BATTLEFIELD. SO WHEN THE STARS WERE ALIGNED,
THE MAYA WENT TO WAR. SIXTH CENTURY:
60 MILES NORTH OF TIKAL,
ANOTHER SUPERPOWER IS RISING.
CALAKMUL IS A GROWING MAYA CITY-STATE, AND THEY, TOO,
HAVE ADOPTED WAR FOR CONQUEST.
TOGETHER WITH SMALLER
CITY-STATES IN THE REGION, THEY FORM AN ALLIANCE CALLED
THE SNAKE KINGDOM.
THEIR GOAL: CONQUER TIKAL.
NOW MY GOAL IS TO FIND OUT IF THIS CULTURE'S WARRIORS
PLAYED A PART IN THEIR
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
MAN, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
WHEN THOSE GUYS CAME AROUND THE
CORNER, I FELT LIKE I WAS
LITERALLY IN ANOTHER WORLD. [horns blowing]
THIS IS AN ANCIENT BALL COURT,
AND IT'S THE NEXT STEP IN
MY JOURNEY TO DISCOVER THE MAYA WARRIOR. >> [speaking foreign language]
>> Schappert: THIS IS THE MAYA
BALL GAME, BUT IT'S WAY MORE
THAN A SPORT. FOR THESE PLAYERS, THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING AND
LOSING COULD LITERALLY MEAN
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.
THE<i> JUEGO DE PELOTA,</i> OR MAYA
BALL GAME, WAS A CENTERPIECE OF
THEIR CULTURE... [laughs]
SOMETIMES EVEN A SUBSTITUTE...
AWESOME.
FOR WAR. SO THE GOAL WAS TO TRY TO GET
THE BALL, THE<i> PELOTA,</i> THROUGH
THAT HOLE, THROUGH THE HOOP.
>> [speaking Spanish] >> THAT'S RIGHT.
THE BASIC RULES ARE THAT
YOU HAVE TO HIT THE BALL WITH
YOUR FOREARMS, YOUR CHEST IN SPECIAL LOCATIONS,
YOUR THIGHS, AND YOUR HIPS.
>> Schappert: THE STAKES WERE--
WERE VERY HIGH IN THIS GAME SOMETIMES.
>> THEY WOULD PLAY THE GAME, AND
WHOEVER LOST THE GAME WOULD BE
SACRIFICED. >> Schappert: WOW.
THE BALL GAME PLAYS A KEY PART
IN THE MAYA CREATION MYTH,
WHERE THE HEAD OF A GOD IS USED INSTEAD OF THE BALL, AND
PRISONERS FORCED TO PLAY THIS
GAME MAY HAVE SUFFERED
THE SAME FATE. ALL RIGHT, SO NOW I'M GETTING
SORT OF GEARED UP WITH SOME OF
THE--SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT
THEY USE, AND I'M PUTTING ON RIGHT NOW, LIKE, A FOREARM
GUARD.
IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE SOMETHING
YOU USE MAYBE IN MARTIAL ARTS OR IN FOOTBALL.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO A PART OF
THE RITUAL OF GETTING DRESSED
FOR BATTLE OR A GAME. THERE IS WHEN I PLAYED FOOTBALL.
YOU'RE PUTTING ON YOUR PADS.
IT IS WHEN YOU'RE GETTING YOUR
BODY ARMOR ON. IT'S A RITUAL, IT'S A WAY TO DO
STUFF, AND THAT'S WHAT'S
GOING ON RIGHT HERE.<i>
BUENO.</i> AH, HERE THEY COME. THIS WAS THE FIRST GAME EVER
PLAYED WITH A RUBBER BALL,
LONG BEFORE MODERN SPORTS,
AND IT IS NOT EASY. IT'S KIND OF--
[laughs]
THIS IS--
THIS IS REALLY HARD TO DO, MAN. IT'S COMING FROM ALL ANGLES.
NICE!
[grunts] YOU CAN SEE THIS WOULD TAKE
A LOT OF BODY CONTROL.
I MEAN, YOU'RE ALSO WORKING ON
A SLOPING GROUND AND A WALL THAT SLOPES OUT, SO THERE'S LIKE--
YOU'VE GOT TO PLAY ALL
THESE ANGLES. [grunts]
IT'S A REALLY FAST-MOVING GAME,
SO IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF JUST
HOW ATHLETIC YOU HAD TO BE TO SUCCESSFULLY PLAY THE<i> PELOTA</i>
BALL GAME.
AWESOME.
[exclaims] [laughs]
IT WAS--IT WAS--
[laughs]
THAT'S AWESOME. SO RIGHT THERE, YOU GOT THE PRO.
HE DOES IT ONCE, AND IN IT GOES.
THE COMMONALITY OF SPORTS
AND THE BUILDING OF, LIKE, A WARRIOR ETHOS AND A WAY OF
FIGHTING THROUGH PAIN AND
DISCOMFORT, IT'S HERE, EVEN IN
THIS RIGHT NOW, AND YOU CAN JUST FEEL IT, MAN.
YOU CAN FEEL IT IN WHERE WE ARE
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SIXTH CENTURY: THE MAYA WORLD IS ROCKED BY WAR FOR CONQUEST,
AND TIKAL IS ABOUT TO BECOME
A VICTIM.
CALAKMUL AND ITS ALLIANCE OF CITY-STATES KNOWN AS THE SNAKE
KINGDOM HAS TIKAL SURROUNDED.
IN 562 A.D., THEY ATTACK.
TIKAL, ONCE A MAYA SUPERPOWER, FALLS IN DEFEAT.
FOR THE MAYA, DEFEAT MEANT
CAPTURE AND SACRIFICE.
FOLLOWING THE BATTLE, SOME PRISONERS WERE FORCED TO HELP
CONSTRUCT HIEROGLYPHIC
STAIRCASES TELLING THE STORY OF
THE BATTLE THEY HAD JUST LOST. WHEN THEY HAD FINISHED BUILDING
THE MONUMENTS CHRONICLING THEIR
OWN DEFEAT AND CAPTURE,
THE PRISONERS WERE SACRIFICED, THEIR BODIES TIED INTO BUNDLES
AND THROWN DOWN THE STEPS
THAT THEY THEMSELVES HAD BUILT. WARRIOR CULTURES HAVE A LOT OF
WEAPONS, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF
A WEAPON THAT'S MORE PREVALENT
IN MORE WARRIOR CULTURES THAN THE SPEAR.
[both grunting] NOW, I'VE USED AND TRAINED WITH
A LOT OF SPEARS, AND WHAT MAKES
THE ONES THAT SAMUEL AND I HAVE
DIFFERENT ARE THAT THEY'RE MADE WITH OBSIDIAN BLADES.
THIS IS VOLCANIC GLASS, AND IT
IS LITERALLY RAZOR-SHARP.
NOW, THE ONE I'M HOLDING NOW IS KIND OF SHORTER AND THICKER.
THIS WOULD BE BETTER IN THE
THICK JUNGLE, FIGHTING.
A LONG SHAFT WOULD KIND OF GET IN YOUR WAY.
THIS IS A SHORT,
STABBING-UP-CLOSE, IN-YOUR-FACE
SPEAR WITH A LOT OF SLASHING CAPABILITY WITH THIS WIDE BLADE.
SO IF I WAS FIGHTING SAMUEL, AND
HE HAD A LONGER BLADE, I WOULD
WANT TO TRY TO GET INSIDE THE RANGE AND THEN OPEN HIM UP.
I WANT TO ELIMINATE HIS REACH
AND GET INSIDE OF HIM.
IF I HAD TO USE THIS ONE, THIS HAS GOT A MUCH LONGER
REACH, AND IF YOU SEE THE
DIFFERENCE, THE POINT IS
DIFFERENT. IT'S LONGER, THINNER,
MADE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY
FOR STABBING.
SO MY GOAL HERE IS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS LENGTH,
KEEP SAMUEL AT BAY, STAB HIM,
STAB HIM, AND THEN TRY TO MAKE--
WAIT FOR HIM TO MAKE A MISTAKE. THE MAYA WARRIORS WERE
WELL-VERSED IN THE USE OF BOTH
OF THESE SPEARS, AND THIS,
COUPLED WITH THEIR OTHER WEAPONS, MADE THESE GUYS REALLY
FEARSOME FIGHTERS.
AND THE KEY TO THEIR MOST
DEADLY WEAPONS WAS THE BLADE. FOR ALL THEIR AMAZING
ADVANCEMENTS, THE MAYA WERE
A STONE AGE CULTURE.
THEY HAD NO METAL TO WORK WITH, BUT THEY HAD THIS: OBSIDIAN.
THIS IS VOLCANIC GLASS, AND THEY
USED THIS TO MAKE LITERALLY THE
SHARPEST BLADES ON EARTH. AND THEY DID IT THROUGH
FLINTKNAPPING, AN ART THAT'S
OVER 2 MILLION YEARS OLD.
THE GOAL IS SIMPLE: HIT THE EDGE OF THE OBSIDIAN TO FRACTURE
A PIECE OFF THE BOTTOM
WITHOUT SHATTERING THE EDGE.
>> YOU CAN SEE THE CORTEX. >> Schappert: ACTUALLY, I HEARD
THAT GO WHEN HE HIT IT RIGHT.
YOU CAN HEAR--YOU ACTUALLY HEAR
THE ROCK FRACTURING. OH, MAN, I--YOU GOT IT.
LOOK AT WHAT HE JUST DID.
THIS IS LITERALLY LIKE
A SCALPEL. I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT SOMETHING--
>> IT'S SHARP. IT'S SHARP...
>> Schappert: WELL, I KNOW IT'S SHARP.
>> AS YOU KNOW.
>> Schappert: I'VE HAD
EXPERIENCE WITH THIS. THIS IS SHARP STUFF.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THE FLAKES OR
BLADES THAT ARE BROKEN OFF THAT
ARE USEFUL. THE CORE THAT FLINTKNAPPER
JIM WINN IS SCULPTING WILL BE
A DOUBLE-SIDED SPEAR POINT
OR KNIFE. THAT ALREADY LOOKS DANGEROUS,
MAN.
[both laugh]
YOU FORGET OUT HERE IN THE MODERN WORLD JUST HOW VITAL
AN EDGE IS,
A REALLY SHARP EDGE.
I MEAN, I'VE GOT A KNIFE, YOU KNOW, AND I CARRY THIS
AROUND WITHOUT REALLY THINKING
ABOUT IT.
THIS IS JUST-- THIS IS EVERYTHING, MAN.
IT'S NOT--A WEAPON IS
A SMALL PIECE OF IT.
THE TOOL ASPECT OF IT, TO BE ABLE TO CUT THINGS AND MAKE
THINGS--KEY, ISN'T IT?
>> YEAH, IT'S LIKE FIRE MAKING.
I MEAN, IT WAS A BIG ONE IN OUR CULTURAL EVOLUTION, YOU KNOW.
>> Schappert: YEAH.
OH, WOW, THAT'S AMAZING.
I'LL HAVE TO TRY--I'LL HAVE TO TRY ONE OF THESE.
>> YOU BET YA.
YEAH, LET'S GET YOU STARTED
ON THIS. SO YOU JUST WANT TO JUST KIND OF
PUNCH IT IN THERE LIKE THAT,
AND IDEALLY HIT IT RIGHT THERE.
IF YOU HIT TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE, IT'S GONNA--GONNA CRUMBLE.
OKAY, THAT'S GOOD.
>> Schappert: WELL,
I CRUMBLED IT. >> NO, THAT'S--IT'S NOT BAD.
>> Schappert: THAT WAS A LITTLE
TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE.
ALL RIGHT. MAYBE HERE?
>> TRY THERE, YEAH.
OKAY, YOU'RE HITTING IT
TOO HIGH, AND THAT'S WHY THE FLAKE WON'T RELEASE.
>> Schappert: SUBTLE STUFF.
IT'S THERE.
IT'S GOT TOO MUCH TO HOLD TOGETHER.
FOR THE FIRST STAGES OF THIS
PROCESS, HAMMERSTONES LIKE
SANDSTONE OR QUARTZITE ARE USED TO REMOVE LARGE FLAKES.
NOW I'M SWITCHING TO A SOFTER
ANTLER BILLET TO REMOVE EVEN
THINNER BLADES. HOW MANY PEOPLE GET TO SAY THEY
MAKE A STONE TOOL?
COME ON.
OKAY, SO LET'S TRY THIS. >> ALL RIGHT, MAN.
THERE YOU GO.
NOW KEEP THAT INTACT. YEAH--
>> Schappert: WOW, I ACTUALLY FELT IT FRACTURE ALL THE WAY
DOWN TO MY HAND.
>> THAT WAS A GOOD ONE.
>> Schappert: HOW COOL IS THAT? LOOK AT THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S A--IT'S A BENDY
SPEAR POINT, BUT THIS IS
A PRETTY BIG PIECE, AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
EVERY EDGE ON IT IS SHARP
AS HECK.
>> RIGHT HERE WHERE MY FINGER IS.
YEAH, YEAH, AND HIT IT DOWN
AND HIT IT HARD, MAN.
AH, GOD, THAT'S NICE. [both laugh]
I LOVE IT.
>> Schappert: YEAH.
ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S SEE SOME OF THE CUTTING POWER ON THE
LEATHER RIGHT HERE.
WOW.
YOU HEAR THAT? EFFORTLESS.
IT CUT THROUGH SOME THICK HIDE
RIGHT THERE, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE
THE POWER OF THIS AS A TOOL AND A WEAPON.
SEVENTH CENTURY:
WAR HAS RIPPED THE MAYA WORLD
APART FROM WITHIN. TIKAL, ONCE A CENTER OF MAYA
POWER AND CULTURE, IS IN THE
MIDST OF A DARK AGE.
FOR 130 YEARS, MONUMENTS AND BUILDING PROJECTS FALL ENTIRELY
SILENT.
BUT A NEW KING INTENDS TO
REVERSE THE CITY'S FORTUNES. SEVENTH CENTURY:
HISTORIANS ONCE THOUGHT THEY
WERE PEACEFUL, BUT THE MAYA ARE
PLAGUED BY WARFARE AMONG DIFFERENT CITY-STATES.
ONE REASON WHY CAN BE FOUND
DEEP IN THE PYRAMIDS,
THE TEMPLES OF THE MAYA KINGS. I'M ACTUALLY GETTING TO GO
BELOW ONE OF THE LEVELS
OF THE PYRAMIDS.
THIS IS GONNA BE GREAT. ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. THESE STEPS ARE REALLY SLIPPERY.
WE ARE NOW DOWN BELOW THE LEVEL
OF THIS PYRAMID.
[laughs] OH! LOOK AT THAT.
WOW.
LOOK AT THE FACE ON THIS THING.
I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
THIS IS A MASK OF THE GOD CHAAC,
THE MAYA GOD OF RAIN.
BUT WHAT'S REALLY FASCINATING IS THAT THIS MASK USED TO BE ON
THE OUTSIDE OF THE PYRAMID.
THE MAYA PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT TO
RESEMBLE STONE MOUNTAINS, A KING WOULD PERFORM RELIGIOUS
CEREMONIES ON TOP.
WHEN HE DIED, THE TEMPLE WOULD
BECOME HIS TOMB. THEN A FUTURE KING WOULD EXPAND
THE TEMPLE COVERING UP WHAT HIS
ANCESTORS HAD BUILT, A PROCESS
THAT WAS REPEATED OVER AND OVER AS THE PYRAMIDS REACHED
TO THE SKY.
AND WHAT THEY DID BY DOING THAT
WAS BE ABLE TO GET THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE BURIED
BENEATH THEM.
AWESOME.
>> TERRY,<i> PODEMOS IR A OTRO--</i> >> Schappert: NOW I'M ACTUALLY
GOING IN EVEN DEEPER.
THIS WAS COOL.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S WAITING FOR ME INSIDE.
ALL RIGHT. OKAY.
WOW, I'M REALLY, REALLY
UNDERNEATH THIS PYRAMID NOW. YOU CAN FEEL IT GET COLDER.
OH, MY GOD.
LOOK AT THIS.
THIS IS JUST LIKE THE ONE THAT'S OUTSIDE, BUT THIS IS EVEN
DEEPER UNDERNEATH.
I MEAN, YOU REALLY FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE STARING ALMOST INTO, LIKE, THE FACE OF A GOD,
CERTAINLY SOMETHING REALLY
IMPORTANT.
I GOT GOOSE BUMPS RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT THIS.
AND THIS SHOWS JUST HOW
IMPORTANT POWER FROM THE SPIRIT
WORLD WAS TO THE MAYA KINGS. 682 A.D.: MAYA KINGS ARE
BUILDING HUGE TEMPLES AND
FIGHTING WARS TO DOMINATE
THE REGION. ONCE A SUPERPOWER, TIKAL LIES
DORMANT, CONQUERED BY RIVAL
CITY-STATES, BUT THERE'S ONE
KING DETERMINED TO CHANGE THAT AND LEAVE HIS MARK ON MAYA
HISTORY.
[dramatic music]
HIS NAME IS JASAW CHAN K'AWIIL I.
WHEN HE ASCENDS TO THE THRONE,
THE ONCE POWERFUL TIKAL IS
CONSIDERED IRRELEVANT. HE INTENDS TO CHANGE THAT.
HE LEADS HIS FORCES AGAINST
CALAKMUL, THE REGION'S CURRENT
SUPERPOWER. TIKAL'S WARRIORS ARE VICTORIOUS.
THEY CAPTURE THE KING OF
CALAKMUL AND TAKE HIM BACK
TO TIKAL. >> THEY BROUGHT HIM
RIGHT INTO THE MAIN PLAZA,
AND THEY BEHEADED HIM AND
EXECUTED HIM HERE. >> Schappert: WOW.
THAT'S THE WAY--THAT'S THE WAY
STUFF WAS DONE.
>> ABSOLUTELY, AND THIS WAS A MOMENT THAT CHANGED TIKAL'S
DESTINY.
AFTER THAT, THEY START BUILDING
THESE GIGANTIC MONUMENTS. DESPITE VICTORY, STABILITY IN
THE MAYA WORLD WOULD CONTINUE
TO DETERIORATE, AND KINGS NOW
BEGAN BUILDING WITH SOMETHING NEW IN THE FOREFRONT OF THEIR
MINDS: DEFENSE.
MAYA KINGS ARE NOW MORE THAN
EVER THE TARGET OF INVADING ARMIES AND ASSASSINS.
AND THEIR ROYAL PALACES, LIKE
THE ONE AT TIKAL, ARE NOW BUILT
LIKE FORTRESSES. >> THESE ROOMS IN FRONT,
THESE WERE NICE.
THESE WERE FOR PRESENTATIONS
AND RITUALS. BUT IF YOU WANT TO GET TO THE
KING, YOU'VE REALLY GOT TO RUN
THROUGH A GAUNTLET.
>> Schappert: LEAD ME THROUGH IT.
HERE WE GO.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO GET TO
THE BACK TO THE KING'S ROOMS... >> Schappert: YEAH, DUCKING
THROUGH HERE, I'M VERY
VULNERABLE AS I'M COMING
THROUGH. THIS IS BAD.
NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO DUCK.
THERE'S A STEP THERE WHICH CAN
KIND OF MESS UP YOUR FOOTING. IT'S GONNA SLOW YOU DOWN.
YOU CAN'T FIGHT WITH
YOUR WEAPONS.
NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE. OH, BOY.
>> YEAH, BE CAREFUL HERE.
>> Schappert: THAT IS A DROP
RIGHT DOWN THERE. >> YOU GOT ABOUT 200 FEET
STRAIGHT DOWN.
THIS WAS ALL A BIG LAKE DOWN
THERE, AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY'S ATTACKING YOU FROM THIS SIDE.
>> Schappert: NO.
ARTHUR DEMAREST IS ONE OF THE
LEADING EXPERTS ON MAYA WARFARE. AND AS THAT WARFARE INCREASED
LATE IN THE MAYA CLASSIC PERIOD,
KINGS HAD TO WATCH OUT FOR
ENEMIES ON ALL SIDES. WE TEND TO--WHEN WE THINK OF
ANCIENT SOCIETIES, WE KIND OF
ROMANTICIZE THEM A LITTLE BIT.
WE THINK OF THE MAYA AS THESE VERY STARGAZING, SORT OF
PEACEFUL PEOPLE, BUT--
>> THEY WERE NEVER--THEY WERE
NEVER PEACEFUL, BUT BY THIS PERIOD, IT'S REALLY PICKING UP.
[men grunting and shouting] >> Schappert: AND TIKAL WILL
NOT SURVIVE.
THE WAR BETWEEN MAYA
CITY-STATES ESCALATES, AND SOON THEY WILL ALL DISAPPEAR. BUT WHY?
TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION,
I'M LEAVING TIKAL AND HEADING
DEEPER INTO THE JUNGLE. WOW, MAN, REALITY-CHECK TIME.
IT'S AMAZING TO THINK THAT I'M
TRAVELING ON THE VERY SAME RIVER
THAT THE MAYA WARRIORS DID. AND EVEN IN A MOTORBOAT,
YOU GET THE FEELING OF THIS
REALLY PRIMORDIAL JUNGLE
ALL AROUND YOU. THIS IS THE PASION RIVER,
A KEY TRADE ROUTE FOR THE
ANCIENT MAYA WORLD.
AND AT THE HEADWATERS OF THIS RIVER IS FRESH EVIDENCE MARKING
A SHOCKING AND VIOLENT END
FOR THIS GREAT CIVILIZATION. I'VE TRACED THE DEVELOPMENT OF
MAYA WARFARE FROM SACRIFICIAL
AND RITUALISTIC BATTLES TO
ALL-OUT WAR FOR CONQUEST. BUT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT BEFORE
MAYA SOCIETY COLLAPSED, MAYA
WARFARE CHANGED AGAIN, AND TO
FIND OUT HOW, I'M IN THE ANCIENT MAYA CITY OF CANCUEN. START OF THE NINTH CENTURY:
WARFARE BETWEEN CITY-STATES HAS
THROWN THE MAYA WORLD
INTO CHAOS. AS CITY-STATES CONTINUE TO
CONQUER EACH OTHER, NOBLES FROM
THE REGION FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES.
MANY TAKE REFUGE IN A GROWING CITY-STATE CALLED CANCUEN. UNLIKE TIKAL, CANCUEN IS JUST
BEING UNCOVERED.
AND THE ARCHAEOLOGIST IN CHARGE
IS ARTHUR DEMAREST. >> THIS WAS A PORT CITY.
THIS IS AT THE HEAD OF
NAVIGATION OF THE PASION RIVER,
WHICH IS THE--LIKE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
THIS IS THE SUPERHIGHWAY
OF THE MAYA WORLD.
>> Schappert: HUGE ARTERY. >> AND THIS RIVER SYSTEM HAS
ALWAYS BEEN A TARGET.
>> Schappert: SO CANCUEN IS
BUILT TO BE DEFENDED. LOCATED ON HIGH GROUND
SURROUNDED BY A BEND ON THE
RIVER BELOW, THE ONLY ENTRY INTO
THE CITY IS A NARROW ISTHMUS. SO THEY BUILD AN EARTHEN
DEFENSIVE WALL TOPPED WITH
WOODEN PALISADES TO PROTECT
THE CITY. AND IT'S HERE AROUND 800 A.D.
THAT A GROUP OF MYSTERIOUS
INVADERS, MOST LIKELY FROM
A RIVAL CITY-STATE, ATTACK. THE INVADERS QUIETLY CREEP
TOWARDS THE CITY USING THE
JUNGLE TO CONCEAL THEM.
THE MOMENT THEY SPOT THE DEFENSIVE WALLS, THEY STOP,
SIGNAL TO EACH OTHER,
LAUNCH THE SPEARS.
THE FIGHT IS ON. [men shouting and grunting]
THE INVADERS COME UP TO THE
WALLS AND PULL DOWN THE
PALISADES. THEY'RE IN.
THIS IS NOW A PITCHED,
HAND-TO-HAND,
CLOSE-IN FIGHTING BATTLE. THE CANCUEN DEFENDERS ARE DOING
THEIR BEST, BUT THEY'RE
COMPLETELY SWARMED BY THE
INVADERS. THEY'RE CUT DOWN RIGHT HERE
AT THE WALL.
THE DEFENSIVE WALLS ARE
BREECHED, AND THE ATTACKERS STORM TOWARDS THEIR ULTIMATE
GOAL, THE ROYAL PALACE.
>> [exclaims]
>> [shouts] >> Schappert: THE INVADERS SWARM
THROUGH THE CITY KILLING ANYBODY
THAT STANDS IN THEIR WAY.
THEY MAKE FOR THE ROYAL PALACE AND CUT DOWN ANY ELITE GUARD
THAT STANDS BEFORE THEM. THE KING AND QUEEN ARE CAPTURED
BUT, WITH FULL HONORS AND
REGALIA, ARE RITUALLY EXECUTED.
HOWEVER, THE ROYAL BLOODLINE MUST BE ELIMINATED, AND THE
INVADERS ARE NOT DONE YET. WHAT THEY DO NEXT MARKS ANOTHER
MAJOR SHIFT IN MAYA WARFARE.
THE MEMBERS OF THE REST OF THE
ROYAL COURT ARE LED HERE TO A CISTERN MEANT FOR RELIGIOUS
PURIFICATION.
BUT A THOUSAND YEARS LATER,
IT'S THE SITE OF A GRUESOME DISCOVERY.
>> SO WE START DIGGING, AND IT'S
ALL FILLED WITH SKELETONS.
IT'S ALL FILLED WITH--WITH ONE AFTER ANOTHER, AFTER ANOTHER.
IT WAS JUST--YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT TO DO.
>> Schappert: HOW MANY SKELETONS DID YOU--DID YOU COME--
>> IN HERE, THERE'S 31.
>> Schappert: WOW.
THIS IS A HECK OF A FIND FOR YOU GUYS.
>> THEY SAY THIS IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT OSTEOLOGICAL FIND
THAT'S EVER BEEN MADE IN THE MAYA AREA.
>> Schappert: WOW.
THE PRESERVED SKELETONS REVEAL
THAT THESE NOBLES WERE KILLED WITH SPEARS THRUST THROUGH THE
NECK, INSTANTLY SEVERING THE
SPINAL COLUMN.
AND BY DUMPING THE BODIES HERE, THE INVADERS POLLUTE THE CITY'S
WATER SUPPLY AND EFFECTIVELY
KILL THE ENTIRE CITY.
THIS IS A MAJOR SHIFT IN WARFARE.
INSTEAD OF CONQUERING CANCUEN,
THE INVADERS WANTED TO
COMPLETELY DESTROY IT, WIPE IT OFF THE MAP. WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE
WAY WARFARE KIND OF CHANGED
IN THE MAYA WORLD?
I MEAN, THAT'S A REALLY--THAT'S REALLY DIFFERENT, ISN'T IT?
>> OH, YEAH, YOU'VE GONE FROM
A HIGHLY RITUALIZED WARFARE
TO THEN MORE SERIOUS WARFARE. >> Schappert: YOU GET CHAOS.
REALLY, LIKE APOCALYPTIC STUFF. MAYA WAR FOR CONQUEST HAS NOW
BECOME WAR FOR ANNIHILATION.
AND ARCHAEOLOGISTS BELIEVE THIS
TYPE OF WARFARE SPREADS TO THE REST OF THE MAYA WORLD.
MAYA CITY-STATES ACROSS THE
REGION FALL.
WHY? SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS PLAY
A PART, BUT EVIDENCE NOW
SUGGESTS THAT THIS CHANGE IN THE MAYA WARRIOR CULTURE PUSHED THEM
TO COLLAPSE.
BY 900 A.D., MOST OF THE GREAT
MAYA CITIES ARE ABANDONED, EVENTUALLY SWALLOWED UP
BY THE JUNGLE. UNTIL I CAME TO THE JUNGLE AND
WALKED THEIR CITIES,
I ONLY KNEW THE MAYA FROM BOOKS
AND PICTURES. BUT NOW AFTER HAVING BEEN HERE,
THEY HAVE A UNIQUELY HUMAN FACE,
A FACE THAT I RECOGNIZE
IN ALL CULTURES. SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME, HUMANS
HAVE FOUGHT EACH OTHER.
THERE'S NOTHING GLORIOUS IN
THAT FIGHTING, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING GREAT IN EVERY
WARRIOR CULTURE.
TO ME, THE MAYA REPRESENT THE
POWER OF SACRIFICE, WHETHER TO THEIR GODS, THEIR KING,
OR THEIR CITY.
ULTIMATELY, THE MAYA STORY IS
A CAUTIONARY TALE. THEIR DEVOTION TO THEIR
CITY-STATES MAY HAVE HELPED END
THE CIVILIZATION FROM WITHIN,
A CIVILIZATION WE NOW KNOW WAS FILLED WITH WARRIORS.
