1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,600 Down here is where the bones of Christopher Columbus were kept for centuries. 2 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,360 You feel 100% confident that he's here. 3 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:13,360 I don't believe it. 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:14,360 I know it. 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:15,360 This could be Christopher Columbus. 6 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:16,360 Come on! 7 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:17,360 Let's get out of here! 8 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:18,360 We're just getting knocked down. 9 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:39,720 Hey guys, come here! 10 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,720 My name is Josh Gates. 11 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:47,520 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration. 12 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,880 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:59,480 My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth as I investigate the greatest legends 14 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:00,480 in history. 15 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:01,480 We're good to try. 16 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:02,480 Let's go. 17 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:07,560 This is Expedition Unknown. 18 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,040 My search for the true story of Christopher Columbus, much like the man himself, has already 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,000 spanned two continents. 20 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,880 I've been to the Portuguese island of Madeira to sail in a replica of Columbus' flagship, 21 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:20,560 the Santa Maria. 22 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:25,400 And then cross the Atlantic to Haiti, where the real version was said to have run aground. 23 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,560 To find the legendary lost ship, I've been under the waves off the northern coast where 24 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,560 we documented incredible wrecks. 25 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:33,360 Oh my god! 26 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,240 And even discovered a historic cannon along the shore. 27 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:42,240 Now, archaeologist Elaine Norristin and I are on the coast of northern Haiti, trying 28 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:50,680 to confirm the theory that Christopher Columbus' wrecked flagship may be trapped on land. 29 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:55,800 We know that at least part of the boat was taken off the reef where it crashed in 1492, 30 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:01,800 and that Columbus hauled timbers onto land to form a fort called La Navidad. 31 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,440 What many people don't know is that not only did the Santa Maria crash, but Columbus left 32 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:11,920 39 of his men here while he sailed back to Spain for reinforcements. 33 00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:16,280 The fortress of La Navidad was designed to protect them, though the local Taíano people 34 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:22,840 had been nothing but friendly to Columbus and his men. 35 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:28,720 The fort has never been found, but this area is turning out to be an archaeological hotspot. 36 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,560 Everywhere we put a shovel, we get something. 37 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,480 Oh, oh, oh, oh! 38 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:37,480 Right there. 39 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,480 What is that? 40 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,480 Is that ceramic? 41 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,040 Look at that. 42 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,040 Look at that. 43 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,040 Wow. 44 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:52,040 Oh, oh, oh my God. 45 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:57,040 This is amazing. 46 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,040 Unbelievable. 47 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,040 Look at that! 48 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:06,320 This museum quality ceramic was made by the indigenous Taíano people and likely depicts 49 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:10,000 a leader, perhaps even the local king who met Columbus. 50 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:16,520 This is a significant piece and also that's a proof that the Taíano village was there. 51 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:17,520 Right. 52 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,040 How old do you think this is? 53 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,840 Maybe seven or eight hundred years. 54 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:27,600 What Alen and other historians are discovering here paints a grim picture of Columbus and 55 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:28,960 his crew. 56 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,400 According to historic documents, Columbus grew impatient when he couldn't find the 57 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,560 riches he promised to bring back to the court of Spain. 58 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:43,080 Soon, the friendly Taíano were being abused, forced to hunt for gold that didn't exist. 59 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:47,800 The mistreatment was so bad that after Columbus left a part of his crew behind, the natives 60 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,400 murdered them and burned the fort. 61 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,360 This artifact is proof that a significant settlement was located right under our feet, 62 00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:01,600 perhaps even the fort of La Navidad itself and the remains of Columbus' flagship could 63 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:02,600 be next. 64 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,080 I think there's no question that you're in the right spot, so it's just going to take 65 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:07,600 some time to find it. 66 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:08,600 Absolutely. 67 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:09,600 Wow. 68 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,880 But the story of Columbus doesn't end here. 69 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:17,740 After losing his flagship, Columbus limps back to Spain on a grueling two-month voyage. 70 00:04:17,740 --> 00:04:22,680 He's declared a hero and named the Admiral of the Ocean Sea and governor of everything 71 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:23,920 he's found. 72 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:29,360 But Columbus was blinded by a dangerous obsession to reach China and he was convinced that his 73 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:34,800 first voyage had almost made it, so he sailed again. 74 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,720 His second voyage brings him back across the Atlantic and past Dominica, Guadalupe, St. 75 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,600 Croix, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 76 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:48,800 On the northern coast of Haiti, he discovers his men are dead and his fort destroyed. 77 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,240 A third voyage brings him to the very edge of South America and back to Europe. 78 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:57,680 And his fourth voyage takes him along the edge of Central America and along Honduras, 79 00:04:57,680 --> 00:04:59,960 Costa Rica and Panama. 80 00:04:59,960 --> 00:05:06,120 All told, he sails nearly 50,000 miles, ping-ponging his way through the Caribbean, never once 81 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:11,160 setting foot on North America, and driven mad by his inability to understand where he 82 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:12,160 is. 83 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:17,920 It is a misguided but epic journey and the flagship that started it all may one day soon 84 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:19,920 be found. 85 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:25,760 So for today, the hunt for the Santa Maria continues. 86 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:27,680 That's not the end of the story. 87 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:32,560 Because maybe the greatest mystery associated with Columbus isn't the location of his flagship, 88 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,360 but the location of the explorer himself. 89 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,240 Though he died in 1506, that didn't stop his travels. 90 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,260 In death, his bones undertook a bizarre journey, jumping from continent to continent until 91 00:05:45,260 --> 00:05:50,120 finally two different countries laid claim to be his final resting place. 92 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,640 One of those countries is on this very island. 93 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,480 And so to get to the bottom of this mystery, I'm going to have to cross borders and oceans 94 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:01,320 and risk the scorn of two different nations to answer one very big question. 95 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:07,160 Where is Christopher Columbus? 96 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,480 The first possible location of Columbus' bones is in the Dominican Republic, which shares 97 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:12,960 a border with Haiti. 98 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,520 And it's not the friendly kind of sharing. 99 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:19,240 You guys have to go to La Dona and get your passport. 100 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:23,320 The remote border town of Malpas is a no man's land between the two nations. 101 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,280 And it's not the kind of place you want to spend too much time. 102 00:06:26,280 --> 00:06:36,040 I get my passport stamped, and get the hell out of dodge. 103 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,640 Unlike Haiti and its French influences, the Dominican Republic was a Spanish colony. 104 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,000 So it's Arovoir Creole, Ola Español. 105 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:49,080 Just over the border and already a very different feeling from the streets of border prints, 106 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,960 roads are wide and well paved, generally feels a lot more orderly. 107 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:58,280 It's a lot less chaotic. 108 00:06:58,280 --> 00:07:02,880 It's 168 miles from the Haitian border to the Dominican capital of Santa Domingo, where 109 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:06,800 Columbus' bones may be hiding. 110 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,800 On the way though, I pull off to see something that's been here since well before Columbus 111 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:11,800 arrived. 112 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:17,280 Up a dirt road and through the overgrown jungle is a network of massive caves, with a very 113 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,600 big secret. 114 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:24,200 In more than 55 chambers, one of the largest collections of pre-Columbian art in the new 115 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,120 world is concealed. 116 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:30,800 It was left here by the Taíno people who once thrived on these islands. 117 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:38,520 This is a shaman, animals, some kind of ceremonial dance. 118 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:43,400 In terms of unlocking the mystery of Columbus, so much of what we know about the arrival 119 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,120 in the new world comes from the European side. 120 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,520 It comes from Columbus' journals and it comes from other European historians. 121 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:55,920 This idea that there was no writing in the new world is not entirely true. 122 00:07:55,920 --> 00:08:01,320 We have these written clues that exist here in these caves that actually can tell us about 123 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:05,520 the people that were here before Columbus arrived. 124 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,560 There were no horses on these islands until European explorers brought them. 125 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:14,040 This symbol marks the moment after Columbus arrived and the beginning of the end for the 126 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:15,840 Taíno. 127 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:21,680 When Columbus came ashore in 1492, there were over one million Taíno throughout the Caribbean. 128 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:26,240 By 1528, the population was barely 500 people. 129 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:35,440 Mis-treatment, starvation, and disease killed off an entire civilization in 50 years. 130 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:40,320 Further into the caves, the art is gone, but there appears to be something else. 131 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:46,960 It's moments like this where an adventurer needs to stay calm, cool, and collected. 132 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:47,960 Holy f***! 133 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:48,960 They're touching me! 134 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:49,960 I'm fine. 135 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:50,960 Everything's fine. 136 00:08:50,960 --> 00:09:08,760 After recomposing myself, I continue my drive to Santa Domingo and am making great time 137 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:09,760 toward the capital. 138 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:10,760 Oh, perfect. 139 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:11,760 That looks good. 140 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,760 I guess I'll get the old AAA card out. 141 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:16,760 I'm pretty sure I do have free towing. 142 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:19,760 I'm changing a tire. 143 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:24,760 What am I doing? 144 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,760 F*** you. 145 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:29,760 Columbus had it easy. 146 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,760 No tires to change. 147 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:33,760 Hold on. 148 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,760 Back on the road, I finally roll into Santa Domingo. 149 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,760 I'm going to go back to the city. 150 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,760 I'm going to go back to the city. 151 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:55,760 The capital was founded by Christopher Columbus' brother Bartholomew in 1496, making it the 152 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,760 oldest European settlement in the Americas. 153 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:04,760 This city is a laid-back colonial time capsule, cobbled together from an age when explorers 154 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:13,760 like Ponce de Leon and Francis Drake called Santa Domingo home. 155 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:19,360 Just above the city, though, is another worldly structure, a massive 700-foot-long concrete 156 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:26,260 edifice in the shape of a cross. 157 00:10:26,260 --> 00:10:29,960 This is the Faro A Calón, or the Columbus Lighthouse. 158 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:36,760 It was built in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the new world. 159 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:42,160 It is an incredibly impressive building, but it is not without its detractors. 160 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,860 After all, it cost a fortune and took six years to build. 161 00:10:45,860 --> 00:10:50,560 The Lighthouse portion, which used to shine up and could be seen from as far away as Puerto Rico, 162 00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:55,560 well, that hasn't worked in years because every time they turn it on, the entire city blacks out. 163 00:10:55,560 --> 00:11:01,760 And to many people, this building looks less like a monument to an explorer and more like 164 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,560 a temple to a Catholic demigod. 165 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:14,960 Leo Perez is a historian who's been studying Columbus for decades. 166 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,960 Along with his assistant, he's agreed to show me the Lighthouse and its controversial prize possession. 167 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,460 This is a really incredible building. 168 00:11:23,460 --> 00:11:25,460 Absolutely. Absolutely. 169 00:11:25,460 --> 00:11:31,460 And this particular structure in the middle here, this mausoleum, what's inside this box? 170 00:11:31,460 --> 00:11:34,460 The real remains of Christopher Columbus. 171 00:11:34,860 --> 00:11:36,860 Right here. 172 00:11:42,860 --> 00:11:45,360 Afternoon in the Dominican Republic. 173 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:50,860 I'm on a quest to uncover the true nature of Christopher Columbus and his true final resting place. 174 00:11:50,860 --> 00:11:55,860 Here in the Columbus Lighthouse, historian Leo Perez has a simple answer. 175 00:11:55,860 --> 00:11:57,860 What's inside this box? 176 00:11:57,860 --> 00:11:59,860 The real remains of Christopher Columbus. 177 00:11:59,860 --> 00:12:01,860 He's right here. 178 00:12:01,860 --> 00:12:03,860 Right inside there. 179 00:12:04,260 --> 00:12:09,260 It's quite a feeling to be just a few feet away from the most famous explorer in the world. 180 00:12:09,260 --> 00:12:11,260 He got reds. 181 00:12:11,260 --> 00:12:14,260 But is this really the Admiral's final resting place? 182 00:12:14,260 --> 00:12:16,260 It's a question that has divided two nations. 183 00:12:16,260 --> 00:12:19,260 I've heard some people say that they think he's in Spain. 184 00:12:19,260 --> 00:12:23,260 Christopher Columbus died in May 2015, 2006 in Spain. 185 00:12:23,260 --> 00:12:31,260 Before he died, he wrote that he wanted to be buried in San Antonio. 186 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,160 That Columbus wished to be buried here at all is curious. 187 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,660 He had a love-hate relationship with the territory that he'd discovered. 188 00:12:38,660 --> 00:12:40,660 So why would he want to spend eternity here? 189 00:12:42,660 --> 00:12:46,160 You feel 100% confident that he's here? 190 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,160 Nobody has proof otherwise. 191 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:51,160 Right, they're here. 192 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,160 I don't believe it. I know it. 193 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:54,160 You know it. 194 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:59,160 The Dominicans submitted their bones for carbon dating, and while they do appear to be from the correct time period, 195 00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:03,560 they refuse to submit the DNA within the bones for genetic identification. 196 00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:06,560 Why not DNA test these bones? 197 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:12,560 Because we are sure, absolutely sure that we really have the remains of Christopher Columbus. 198 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:14,560 We don't have to show to anybody. 199 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:16,560 We have nothing to prove. 200 00:13:18,560 --> 00:13:20,560 Leo's opinion is rock solid. 201 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:22,560 He's as sure about this as gravity. 202 00:13:22,560 --> 00:13:26,560 But the Dominicans' refusal to test the bones raises a lot of questions. 203 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:31,960 So the only way to prove that Columbus is here is to get another sample of his DNA. 204 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:38,960 In order to find one, I'll need to go to the place where the explorer's remains were held before they were moved to the lighthouse. 205 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:48,960 I'm on my way to the nearby Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, when I realize that half the town is coming with me. 206 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:53,960 I'm here during the Holy Catholic Feast of Corpus Christi, which celebrates the Eucharist, 207 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:58,360 the belief in the power of the blood and body of Jesus Christ. 208 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:05,360 As we snake through the narrow streets, I'm struck by the fact that Columbus not only claimed this island, 209 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:09,360 but he and his followers infused it with religion. 210 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:15,360 Today, nearly 70% of the Dominican Republic is still Catholic. 211 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:20,360 I break away here at the Cathedral. 212 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:27,760 Columbus' bones, along with those of his son Diego, arrived here in 1541 and were placed in an altar beside the congregation. 213 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:33,760 Inside the Cathedral, I'm met by José Rodriguez, who works with the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo. 214 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,760 He's agreed to tell me the rest of the story. 215 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:40,760 This is an incredible building. How old is it? 216 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:49,760 It's 504 years old. A lot of history. There's even a cannonball from Sir Francis Drake lodged in the roof. 217 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:54,160 Amazing to think that something that's half a millennium old is still standing. 218 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:59,160 This cathedral is very closely associated with the story of Columbus. 219 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:01,160 Tell me what was discovered here. 220 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:07,160 It was really an incredible thing. They found a box that contained the actual remains of Christopher Columbus. 221 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,160 They weren't supposed to be there, but there they were. 222 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:17,160 Originally, two boxes of bones were shipped here, one containing Columbus and the other his son Diego. 223 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,160 Here's how it went down. 224 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:26,560 Columbus dies in Viadolid and his body goes to Seville and then across the Atlantic to this church in 1541. 225 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:35,560 Then, when it looks like the French are going to conquer Santo Domingo, the Spanish move the box containing the explorer's bones to Havana and then back to Spain for safekeeping. 226 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:44,560 But during church renovations here in 1877, another box is found with the inscription Columbus Admiral of the Sea. 227 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:51,960 The Dominicans moved their box to the Columbus lighthouse in 1992, believing that the Spanish took the wrong bones. 228 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,960 And just like that, we have two graves for one man. 229 00:15:55,960 --> 00:16:00,960 So can you show me where the bones that were found here, they were put into a mausoleum. 230 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:02,960 Where is the mausoleum? A donde? 231 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:04,960 Here? 232 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:09,960 Before being moved to the nearby lighthouse, the bones were in this church for nearly 250 years. 233 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:16,360 We roll back the carpet to find a fixture that marks the location of the old altar where Columbus was interred. 234 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:18,360 So this is the all that's left? 235 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,360 Is this marker? 236 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,360 The center? 237 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:24,360 The center of the mausoleum. And the bones. Where was his body? 238 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:28,360 They told everyone that Columbus was right there, but the truth is different. 239 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,360 To keep the bones safe, they were hidden under the floor. 240 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,360 And when was the last time somebody went down there? 241 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,360 It's been decades. 242 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,360 It was a secret that his bones were kept below. 243 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:41,760 Is it possible to see what's down there? 244 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,760 It's possible, but I can't be responsible for you. 245 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:46,760 If you go down there, you go alone. 246 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:48,760 Okay. 247 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:50,760 Okay. 248 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:56,760 I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to explore this venerated tomb. 249 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:04,760 I slide away the pews, pull back the floor grade, and prepare to descend down into the darkness. 250 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:06,760 That is one dark crypt. 251 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,160 How cool is this? 252 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:23,160 I'm getting an incredibly rare look beneath the floor of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, 253 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:28,160 where the remains of Christopher Columbus himself were interred for hundreds of years. 254 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,160 How cool is this? 255 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:36,560 I make my way through the passage, straining to see anything ahead of me. 256 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:41,560 So, lots of old brickwork down here with newer foundation above. 257 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:46,560 Perhaps a fragment of bone can still be found to conduct a DNA test. 258 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:56,560 So, this is it. This is where the sarcophagus probably sat that held the bones of Columbus. 259 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,560 It would have been right here on top of this old brickwork. 260 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:03,960 This is the exact spot where Columbus once laid. 261 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,960 I scour the platform for any fragments of bone, wood, or cloth. 262 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,960 Looks like some sort of straw, some sort of line. 263 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:12,960 But that's about it. 264 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,960 Everything major has been moved out, no markings, no inscriptions. 265 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,960 Just this very old platform where those bones would have sat. 266 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,960 So, the hunt continues. 267 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:28,960 So, if there's no DNA left in the crypt, and since the Dominicans refused to test the bones they've got, 268 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:31,360 you might think we're at a dead end. 269 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:33,360 Okay, let's keep moving. 270 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:38,360 But remember, there's another country in the world that claims to have the bones of Columbus. 271 00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:42,360 To explore their side of the case, and to figure out who Columbus really was, 272 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,360 I'm going to need to see where the great explorer died. 273 00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:48,360 And that means we're going to Spain. 274 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:58,360 Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain is, well, as Hemingway once wrote, 275 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:00,760 there's no country like it. 276 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:02,760 And with the obligatory Hemingway reference out of the way, 277 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,760 I can further say that Spain is indeed intoxicating. 278 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:07,760 This place is outrageous. 279 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,760 Is it possible for me to try? 280 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:11,760 But of course. Everything is possible in paradise. 281 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:13,760 This is a meat cone. 282 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,760 It's hot outside, nothing takes the edge off like a big cone of meat. 283 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:19,760 I mean, forget ice cream. 284 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:21,760 Thriving on fiestas and siestas, 285 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:23,760 it's Gothic cathedrals and Islamic domes 286 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,760 show the fingerprints of every culture that has been here. 287 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:30,760 Though Columbus wasn't born a Spaniard, 288 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,760 there are few historic figures more revered here. 289 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,760 In 1504, after four voyages to the new world, 290 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,760 Columbus returns to Spain one last time. 291 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,760 And on May 20th, 1506, 292 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:46,760 he dies of congestive heart failure in the city of Valladolid. 293 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:52,760 At the center of Valladolid is the Plaza Mayor, 294 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:55,760 filled with incredible history and striking architecture, 295 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,160 dating back to the 16th century. 296 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,160 It's here where I meet up with professor of history, 297 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,160 Javier Boreza Sanchez, 298 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:07,160 and archaeologist, Adrian Williams. 299 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:11,160 So Valladolid is the city where Christopher Columbus dies. 300 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:12,160 Yes. 301 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:13,160 And where does that happen? 302 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,160 Well, that happened in the convent of San Francisco, 303 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,160 which occupied this area of the Plaza Mayor. 304 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,160 So I do not see a convent here today. 305 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,160 It does not exist. That's right. 306 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:24,160 You can't find it anymore. 307 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,560 How does Columbus come to be buried in Valladolid? 308 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:29,560 Truthfully, Christopher Columbus did not plan 309 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:31,560 on dying here in Valladolid. 310 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:33,560 He was here to meet the new king and queen. 311 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:34,560 Death found him. 312 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,560 But what about the will that I heard about 313 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:38,560 in the Dominican Republic? 314 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:40,560 According to that, Columbus explicitly wished 315 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:42,560 to be buried in the new world. 316 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:44,560 So why was he buried here first? 317 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,560 He actually has a copy of the last will and testament 318 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:49,560 for Christopher Columbus, 319 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:51,560 written the day before he died. 320 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:53,560 Javier is holding the proof, 321 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:55,960 the last will Columbus dictated to a notary 322 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,960 right here in Valladolid days before his death. 323 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:00,960 And what does he write? 324 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,960 No habla de en que lugar quiere ser enterrado. 325 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:05,960 No habla del convento de San Francisco. 326 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,960 So in this document, there's really no mention at all 327 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:10,960 of the convent of San Francisco 328 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,960 or where he would like to be buried. 329 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,960 He doesn't really specify where he wants his remains to go. 330 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,960 There is absolutely no mention of where he wanted to be buried. 331 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:20,960 I know some folks in the Dominican Republic 332 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:22,960 who would be unhappy to hear that. 333 00:21:23,360 --> 00:21:25,360 Finding a fragment of Columbus's DNA 334 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:28,360 could not only tell us where the world's most famous explorer 335 00:21:28,360 --> 00:21:30,360 is buried, but it could tell us so much more 336 00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:32,360 about the man himself. 337 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:36,360 But the fact is, he was 100% buried here first 338 00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:38,360 before his body got moved around. 339 00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:42,360 So is it possible that after almost 500 years, 340 00:21:42,360 --> 00:21:44,360 some of Columbus is still here? 341 00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:49,360 So we believe that his remains were moved to Sevilla in 1509. 342 00:21:49,360 --> 00:21:51,360 Even if they were careful, 343 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,760 with removing the correct remains, 344 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:56,760 we don't know if they removed all of them. 345 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:57,760 Right. 346 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,760 Some of them might still be behind. 347 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:01,760 But in order to pinpoint this spot 348 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:03,760 where Columbus may have been, seems difficult. 349 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:06,760 Well, yes, I mean, the only way to get a good idea 350 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,760 is from above. 351 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,760 From up there? 352 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,760 From up there, exactly. 353 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,760 Let's do this. 354 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,760 Well, here I have a map of the general area. 355 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:26,760 The viaduct of today bears little resemblance 356 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,760 to the city that Columbus died in. 357 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,760 Adrienne is using centuries-old maps and GPS scans 358 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:33,760 to peel back the layers of time. 359 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,760 The plaza is key since it existed in Columbus's era. 360 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:39,760 So where inside the nearby structures 361 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:41,760 could he have been interned? 362 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,760 Well, we know he was buried in a chapel inside the convent. 363 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:46,760 Luckily, we still have these streets 364 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:48,760 that are still in the middle of the city. 365 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,160 A lot of those are the same streets? 366 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:53,160 Yes, yes, a lot of these are the same streets. 367 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,160 The exact location is a little difficult to pinpoint, 368 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,160 but it could be located around very close 369 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,160 to where this casino and restaurant are today. 370 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:02,160 One of the most famous explorers in the world, 371 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,160 he might be under a roulette table. 372 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:06,160 Well, he did like risk. 373 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:08,160 That's right, he's dead. 374 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,160 Returning to ground level, we reunite with Javier 375 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:13,160 and head to the possible site 376 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,160 where the city of Columbus was located. 377 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:17,160 We're going to go down the road 378 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,560 to Javier and head to the possible site of the convent, 379 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:21,560 which today is a lovely little bistro. 380 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,560 Can I have a churro? 381 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:28,560 Fortunately, we don't need reservations 382 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,560 to explore their ancient sub-basement. 383 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,560 In 2005, 17th century crypts 384 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:34,560 were discovered under the nearby casino. 385 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:36,560 We're hoping to get lucky 386 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,560 and find even more. 387 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,560 This is spooky down here. 388 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:48,960 Yeah, look at all the layers here. 389 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,960 You have brick and then plaster over that 390 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:52,960 and then over this old stone here 391 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:54,960 and beneath it all this really old wood. 392 00:23:57,960 --> 00:23:59,960 Who knows how old that is. 393 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:02,960 I hate the idea that this wood is holding anything up. 394 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:07,960 We searched the deep cellar of the restaurant 395 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:09,960 for any sign of a burial that could be 396 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:11,960 from the very beginning of the 19th century. 397 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:13,960 We found a very large, very large, 398 00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:16,360 restaurant for any sign of a burial 399 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:18,360 that could be from Columbus's time. 400 00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:22,360 Oh, got something. 401 00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:24,360 Hey, come here, come here, guys, come here. 402 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:26,360 Hey, how are you? Adrian, come here. 403 00:24:26,360 --> 00:24:28,360 Hey, guys, come here. 404 00:24:36,360 --> 00:24:38,360 Oh, look at this. 405 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:40,760 Hey, come here, come here, guys, come here. 406 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:42,760 I'm hot on the trail of Christopher Columbus's bones 407 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:44,760 in Viadolid, Spain. 408 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:46,760 Deep underground and close to his first burial spot 409 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:48,760 in a former convent, 410 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:50,760 I've just found something that could be a breakthrough. 411 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:52,760 Very small, but 412 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:54,760 no question about it, that's a bone. 413 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,760 Wow. 414 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:00,760 You know, look, his bones moved around so many times. 415 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,760 You never know. 416 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:04,760 This could be a piece of him or a piece of someone else. 417 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:06,760 I don't know. 418 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,160 You never know. 419 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,160 Who knows? 420 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,160 We're some other very important figure that was forgotten. 421 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,160 Right? 422 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,160 Ooh, more. 423 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,160 Look at that, more bone. 424 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:21,160 There's no question that this basement 425 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,160 is filled with remains from centuries past, 426 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,160 but what we've come across here 427 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,160 is not from human history. 428 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:29,160 I think we've got an animal bone here. 429 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,160 This looks like it could be from a dog. 430 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,160 Could be Columbus's dog. 431 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,160 That's a possibility. 432 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,560 So unless this is the remains of Tin Tin's dog Snowy, 433 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,560 I'm not in the presence of a famous explorer. 434 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,560 But the search isn't over. 435 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:47,560 I'm going to visit the city which the Spanish believe 436 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:49,560 is Columbus's final resting place 437 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:51,560 and where there's actual DNA 438 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:53,560 that could unlock the mysteries of the man himself. 439 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:55,560 I head to the train station. 440 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,560 Before I know it, I'm on the move again. 441 00:25:57,960 --> 00:25:59,960 While people in the Dominican Republic 442 00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:01,960 are convinced that they have the bones of Christopher Columbus, 443 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:03,960 folks here in Spain would disagree. 444 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:05,960 They believe that his bones are safe and sound 445 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:07,960 in the historic city of Seville. 446 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:13,960 Seville is the capital of the Andalusia region 447 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:15,960 and is the only river port in the country. 448 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:17,960 Phoenicians, Romans, Moors and Castilians 449 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:19,960 are the only ones who have the same history. 450 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:21,960 They're the only ones who have the same history. 451 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:23,960 They're the only ones who have the same history. 452 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:25,960 They're the only ones who have the same history. 453 00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:29,360 Romans, Moors and Castilians have all made their marks here, 454 00:26:29,360 --> 00:26:31,360 leaving behind incredibly varied buildings 455 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:33,360 from the Alcazar Castle, 456 00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:35,360 which moonlights on Game of Thrones, 457 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:38,360 to the famed bullfighting arena, the Plaza del Toros. 458 00:26:38,360 --> 00:26:40,360 Yes, yes, yes. 459 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:42,360 Just keep doing that, see. 460 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:47,360 I'm headed to Seville's archives 461 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:49,360 to do a bit of digging on Columbus 462 00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:51,360 and to get there, I hail not a taxi, 463 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:53,360 but a horse. 464 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:55,760 Seville, what's not to like? 465 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,760 This is the kind of city you fall in love with 466 00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:59,760 in about every 20 minutes. 467 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:01,760 You know what I mean? 468 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:03,760 The food, the people, you just think I could live here. 469 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,760 And then you go, oh, no, wait, it's 112 degrees. 470 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:07,760 I carry on to the archive of the Indies. 471 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:09,760 After all, the missing bones aren't the only clues 472 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:11,760 that can unlock the secrets of Columbus. 473 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:13,760 I carry on to the archive of the Indies. 474 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:15,760 After all, the missing bones aren't the only clues 475 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:17,760 that can unlock the secrets of Columbus. 476 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:25,760 This was the nerve center of the Spanish Empire, 477 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:27,760 30 miles of bookshelves 478 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:29,760 filled with all of Spain's most important 479 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,760 and heavily guarded documents. 480 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:33,760 Pizarro's maps, Cortez's diaries. 481 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:35,760 If you're a history nerd, you could die in here. 482 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:37,760 I'm meeting Consuelo Varela, 483 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:39,760 a professor at the Spanish National Research Council, 484 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:41,760 to try to understand who Columbus really was. 485 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:43,760 I'm meeting Consuelo Varela, 486 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:45,760 a professor at the Spanish National Research Council, 487 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:47,760 to try to understand who Columbus really was. 488 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:49,760 So much of what we know about Columbus 489 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:51,760 really comes from writings and journals. 490 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,160 What kind of man emerges from the journals? 491 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:56,160 A man who had an idea, 492 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,160 an entrepreneur in one sense. 493 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:00,160 Mm-hmm. 494 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,160 In Columbus's copy of Marco Polo's book, 495 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:04,160 he's made copious notes in the margins, 496 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,160 expressing his dreams of finding riches in China. 497 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,160 Marco Polo says that in the New World, 498 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,160 there were rubies, everything. 499 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:12,160 He's writing sapphires. 500 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,160 Sapphires, sapphires, rubies. 501 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,160 Right, rubies. 502 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,160 Then she shows me something even more impressive. 503 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:20,160 I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to read it, 504 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,560 but I'm going to read something even more impressive. 505 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:24,560 This is a document. 506 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:26,560 Wow. 507 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:28,560 This is from 1492. 508 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:30,560 Yes. 509 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:32,560 Oh, come on. 510 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:34,560 So this is four months before the voyage. 511 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,560 Yes. 512 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:38,560 This document is more than historic. 513 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:40,560 The signing of this piece of paper 514 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:42,560 was the turning of an age. 515 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:44,560 And what does the contract say? 516 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:46,560 If he discovers some lands, 517 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:48,560 he will be named Admiral of the Sea. 518 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:50,960 And he will be named Admiral of the Sea. 519 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:52,960 And he will be named Admiral of the Sea. 520 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:54,960 And he will be named Admiral of the Sea. 521 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:56,960 And he will be named Admiral of the Sea. 522 00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:58,960 And it turns out that Columbus was a pretty ruthless businessman. 523 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:00,960 If his original contract was still valid today, 524 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:02,960 we'd all be paying a tax to his family 525 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:04,960 on everything we bought. 526 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:06,960 But his writings also reveal 527 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:08,960 a fiercely skilled and curious navigator 528 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:10,960 who wanted to understand the unknown. 529 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:12,960 This is astounding to see this. 530 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:14,960 This document sets into motion 531 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:16,960 a whole new world, really. 532 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,360 His tenacity trip was incredible. 533 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,360 Like, to decide to go to the ocean 534 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,360 with those three vessels so small. 535 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,360 And he never really got the fame. 536 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,360 No, not at the moment. 537 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,360 Yeah. If he could see today 538 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,360 his legacy, what do you think he would? 539 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:33,360 Well, he will be very, very, the most happiest man in the world, 540 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:35,360 I suppose. 541 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,360 With a clear sense of the man behind the legend, 542 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,360 I head to the last major stop on my journey. 543 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:49,360 Another place where the explorer 544 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,360 might actually be located. 545 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,360 And just like the lighthouse 546 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:55,360 in the Dominican Republic, 547 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:57,360 this place isn't exactly subtle. 548 00:29:57,360 --> 00:29:59,360 This is the Great Cathedral de Sevilla. 549 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,360 It is the largest Gothic cathedral 550 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,360 on the planet. 551 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,360 It was built in the 15th century, 552 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:07,360 took more than 100 years to complete. 553 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:09,360 And it is an architectural masterpiece. 554 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:11,360 And it is, at least according to the Spanish, 555 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,360 the true final resting place 556 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:15,360 of Christopher Columbus. 557 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:19,360 The interior of the cathedral 558 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,360 is awe-inspiring, soaring, 559 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:23,360 mystical, and a place where us mere mortals 560 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:25,360 feel very small. 561 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,360 But there's no mistaking the main attraction here. 562 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:29,360 Rising up over the congregation 563 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,360 are four enormous statues 564 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:33,360 carrying a draped coffin. 565 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:35,360 It's so grand that you'd be forgiven 566 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:37,360 for thinking they've got the pope up there. 567 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:39,360 But in fact, it's believed by many 568 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,360 to be the bones of an explorer. 569 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,360 After going to the new world, 570 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,360 the Spanish moved what they believed 571 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:47,760 to be the right box with Columbus' bones 572 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:49,760 to Havana before bringing them back 573 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:51,760 to a monastery in Seville 574 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:53,760 and then here to the nearby cathedral. 575 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:55,760 But did they take the right box? 576 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:57,760 Or, like the Dominicans claim, 577 00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:59,760 is someone else buried here? 578 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,760 I try to get in for a closer look at the coffin. 579 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:03,760 But then this happens. 580 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:13,760 Very, very strict. 581 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:16,160 Journalists are not allowed to be on camera 582 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,160 with the tomb. 583 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,160 That's against the rules. 584 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,160 They have to remain separate. 585 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:24,160 Very, very guarded. 586 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:26,160 Despite making arrangements to film here, 587 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,160 church officials are really uptight 588 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,160 about anyone exploring this historic mystery. 589 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,160 Honestly, it feels like it's bordering 590 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,160 on conspiracy, and I try not to take it personally. 591 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,160 Not a lot of leeway in there. 592 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:40,160 Even just getting a camera crew in there 593 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,160 was a huge amount of effort. 594 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:44,560 First, I'm getting thrown out of a cathedral. 595 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:46,560 Are you kidding me on this show? 596 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:51,560 I may not have made it up to the coffin itself, 597 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,560 but fortunately for me, 598 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:55,560 someone else has. 599 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:57,560 Several years ago, the remains were briefly transferred 600 00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,560 to the University of Granada for testing. 601 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:01,560 So that's where I'm headed next 602 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,560 to see if they manage to decipher the DNA. 603 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:05,960 My meeting isn't for 24 hours, 604 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:07,960 so I disembark in the city of Pamplona, 605 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:09,960 where I can't help but notice that everyone is wearing 606 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,960 white, red, 607 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:13,960 and hiding behind a lot of very sturdy looking barriers. 608 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:15,960 This is the Festival of San Fermin, 609 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:17,960 though you might know it better 610 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:19,960 as the running of the bulls. 611 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:21,960 To witness the insanity for myself, 612 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:23,960 I toss on the traditional attire, 613 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:25,960 hoping to avoid an evil. 614 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,960 I'm not sure if I can get to the end of this video, 615 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:29,960 but I'm sure I can. 616 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:31,960 I'm sure I can. 617 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:34,360 In the meantime, I'm trying to get the attire, 618 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:36,360 hoping to avoid any blood spatter 619 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:38,360 on my crispy whites. 620 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:40,360 This is the definition of madness. 621 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:42,360 Here's what you need to know 622 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:44,360 about the running of the bulls. 623 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:46,360 It's been going on here in Pamplona for more than 624 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:48,360 200 years. 625 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,360 It's been in existence in Spain since the 14th century, 626 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,360 and it is really, really crazy. 627 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,360 They take 628 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:56,360 6 very angry bulls 629 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:58,360 that are going to die later on today 630 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:00,360 in the bullfighting arena, 631 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:05,360 exactly 8 a.m. 8,000 runners will flood these streets with one goal, to not get bored. 632 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:09,360 But it is without a doubt the most dangerous half mile in the world. 633 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:18,360 Since nothing in Spain is done with understatement, the bulls are released with the firing of a rocket in the main closet. 634 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:41,360 I'm searching for the truth behind the two different final resting places of Christopher Columbus, in both the New World and the Old. 635 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:47,360 Currently, I'm in Pamplona, where I'm trying to stay out of the way of some seriously angry livestock. 636 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:56,360 Proponents of the running of the bulls will tell you that there have only been 15 deaths since 1910, 637 00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:01,360 though failed to advertise that there are more than 100 gorengs and trampolines each year. 638 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:06,360 Just brutal. People just getting knocked down. 639 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:11,360 Bulls are dangerous, the other people are just as dangerous. 640 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:12,360 Of course. 641 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:29,360 When it's all over, the bloodshed is minimal and no one is dead. Other than the bulls of course, which I can't say I feel good about. 642 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:35,360 But as I wrestle with the question of whether or not this whole event is cultural or cruel or both really, 643 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,360 I'm distracted by a parade of giants. 644 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:49,360 There are four pairs of kings and queens here. One for each of the four corners of the world, including the Americas. 645 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:52,360 Something added to the festival after the discovery of the New World. 646 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:01,360 These guys are known as the caliquis. 647 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:08,360 So they are designed to guard and protect the royal statues and they do that by beating people up. 648 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:13,360 It's literally beating up children. 649 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,360 Oh God, oh God, now it's starting to hurt a little bit actually. 650 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:20,360 This guy has a serious anger management problem. 651 00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:25,360 With my senses now battered into numbness, I need to get to my meeting. 652 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:33,360 I jump back on my train to meet Dr. Miguel Botella, a professor of anthropology at the University of Granada. 653 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:37,360 How many years at the university? Cuántos años? 654 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:39,360 Forty-two years. 655 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:45,360 When Columbus' crypt of the Seville Cathedral was last opened, Dr. Botella was there. 656 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:52,360 In 2006, his team did DNA testings on what was inside and he's agreed to share their findings with me. 657 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,360 Had they opened the crypt in the cathedral in Seville before? 658 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:02,360 Since 1898, it hadn't been opened any time. 659 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:08,360 The problem he got is there were a lot of media and they were impression on him like, 660 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:14,360 please doctor open the box and they were sort of expecting that Columbus is going to be there 661 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,360 and there were only like 150 grams of ashes and bones. 662 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:20,360 There was only 150 grams. 663 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:22,360 So very little. 664 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:27,360 Very little. They believe that people in the past had taken pieces of bones as souvenirs. 665 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:30,360 So we were shocked to find there wasn't a full skeleton left. 666 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:34,360 So this is the inside of the box? 667 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:38,360 Inside the box there were small pieces of bones. 668 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:42,360 He shows me on a model what small pieces remained in the crypt. 669 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:47,360 Little bit of the jaw, arm, couple of leg bones and a little bit of vertebrae. 670 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:51,360 They removed the bones to do DNA analysis. 671 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:57,360 They then swabbed the gums of hundreds of people around the world with the last name Cologne in Spain or Colombo in Italy. 672 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:03,360 The idea was to try to determine Columbus' nationality but the results were inconclusive. 673 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,360 The DNA was a match but that doesn't settle the case. It only means it's the same family. 674 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:13,360 It could be Columbus or it could be his son if the wrong box was brought back from the new world. 675 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:17,360 We couldn't get enough DNA out of the sample to be sure. 676 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:23,360 In terms of the physical examination, do you think that the samples match Columbus? 677 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:29,360 Normally I'd compare the bones with the images of the person but Columbus never sat for a portrait. 678 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,360 So every painting you've seen of Columbus isn't him. 679 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:35,360 So every image that we have of him is made up? 680 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:43,360 All invented by painters who never met him. We have no idea what he looked like. 681 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:51,360 So I went to Santo Domingo and the people there are 100% confident that he's in Santo Domingo. 682 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,360 They say that everybody in Spain has it wrong, you guys are crazy. 683 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:57,360 Maybe, maybe crazy. 684 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,360 What do you say to the people there? How do you refute that? 685 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:08,360 If they are so confident then they should allow the world to test those bones. Until then Columbus and his grave are a puzzle. 686 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:11,360 Everything about him is a mystery, even in death. 687 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:18,360 However, even if the Dominicans don't open the remains of the lighthouse there might still be hope for an answer. 688 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:25,360 DNA technology is evolving fast. In the future machines may be able to use the small sample we have to get a definitive answer. 689 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:29,360 We've taken great pains to preserve the DNA we've recovered. 690 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:34,360 And were those samples kept here in this university? 691 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:36,360 Is it possible to see the sample? 692 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:38,360 Yeah. 693 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:44,360 I waste no time in racing downstairs to the DNA lab. 694 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:49,360 It's possible that a little bit of Christopher Columbus is on the other side of this door. 695 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:07,360 I'm at the University of Granada in Spain where I just learned that on the other side of this lab door might lay some of the actual remains of Christopher Columbus. 696 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:12,360 There you go. 697 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:23,360 Security is tight. And precautions are extensive. And why wouldn't they be? 698 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:30,360 As I've learned countries will go to extraordinary lengths to protect Columbus and his legacy. 699 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:32,360 Here it is. 700 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:34,360 This is it? 701 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:36,360 CC. 702 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:38,360 Christopher Columbus. 703 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,360 So this right here, this tiny piece of liquid. 704 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:43,360 Yeah. 705 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:44,360 This could be Christopher Columbus. 706 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:45,360 Yes. 707 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:51,360 What I'm holding against all odds is very possibly a small vial of liquid history. 708 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:57,360 This is incredible. The most famous explorer in the world that his DNA could be right here. 709 00:39:57,360 --> 00:39:59,360 Thank you so much for showing me this. 710 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:01,360 You're welcome. 711 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:03,360 I know it's a very little sample, but it's a big thrill. 712 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:04,360 Yeah. 713 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:05,360 It really is. It's amazing. 714 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:08,360 What else do you have in here? Anything cool? Zombies? 715 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:10,360 No. 716 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:11,360 Aliens? 717 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:12,360 Jimmy Hoffa? 718 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:23,360 They're not quite there yet, but any day now these scientists may be able to confirm the last resting place of the great explorer himself. 719 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:32,360 In the past two weeks, I have flown thousands of miles across the globe to shed light on the mysteries of Columbus. 720 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:39,360 And looking for his lost flagship, the Santa Maria, reports that it has been found now seem premature. 721 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:48,360 But there is evidence beneath the sea and on land of an entire era of history yet to be reported. 722 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:49,360 That is a cannon. 723 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:56,360 And in a search for Columbus's remains, I followed his five-century voyage across two continents. 724 00:40:56,360 --> 00:41:02,360 I've seen two coffins with his name on it and even held what could be a vial of his DNA. 725 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:12,360 My professional hunch is that after so many relocations, Christopher Columbus's remains are likely scattered across the continents that he himself connected. 726 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:21,360 But more than anything, I can't shake the feeling that I now know more than ever about Columbus and yet nothing at all. 727 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:25,360 The man remains frustratingly out of focus. 728 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:35,360 I see him as both hero and villain, who deserves the admiration for his daring mastery of the seas and condemnation for what he did when he crossed to the other shore. 729 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:40,360 But without him, none of us who call the New World home would be here. 730 00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:45,360 Without his vision and his tenacity, our own lives may never have come to be. 731 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:56,360 As citizens of the modern world, we have to live with Columbus's legacy, learn from his mistakes, celebrate his triumphs, and continue to explore new worlds beyond our own.