1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 This is a god killer. This is death itself. 2 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,000 At some point though, in the 1400s, they vanish. 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:14,000 Yeah. 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,000 It looks like a structure. How awesome is that? 5 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,000 If this is real, it's history changing. 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,000 Look at that. There's bones everywhere. 7 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,000 Iceberg! Turn! Turn! 8 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,000 My name is Josh Gates. 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,000 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration, 10 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,000 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 11 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,000 It's just straight down! Unbelievable! 12 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,000 My travels have taken me to the ends of the Earth 13 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:04,000 Oh God! 14 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,000 as I investigate the greatest legends in history. 15 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,000 We're good to try. Let's go. 16 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 17 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,000 The Vikings. 18 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,000 Fearless warriors and intrepid seafarers 19 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,000 dominated northern Europe for hundreds of years beginning in the 8th century. 20 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,000 Their accomplishments are many, but how did they pull it off? 21 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000 My mission is to unlock the secrets of their success 22 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,000 and discover how far they truly traveled. 23 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,000 I began in the Viking homeland of Denmark, 24 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000 where I worked with archaeologists, 25 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,000 excavating the fortress of a powerful Viking king. 26 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,000 I discovered that far from being just brute fighters, 27 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,000 Vikings worked in unison on complex military projects. 28 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:57,000 There's real engineering here. 29 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,000 It's the first time in Denmark. 30 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,000 At another site, I learned that while they may have raided, 31 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,000 they were also skilled artists and traders 32 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,000 who crafted amazing precious objects. 33 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,000 That's incredible! 34 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,000 At a Viking festival, I channeled my inner Norse fighter 35 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,000 to find out what made the Vikings such lethal warriors. 36 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:18,000 Dying was a promotion. 37 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,000 Yes, absolutely. 38 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,000 And then quickly met my own demise on the battlefield. 39 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,000 Oh, ho, here I come. 40 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,000 I also discovered that one of the biggest keys to their domination 41 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,000 was in their mastery of shipbuilding. 42 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,000 Which allowed them to construct fast, 43 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:44,000 hardy vessels that they used to spread across the known world and beyond. 44 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,000 Now, I'm following the path of the Vikings by heading west. 45 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,000 I've flown to the island nation of Iceland, 46 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,000 which was first settled by the Vikings in the year 874. 47 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,000 I meet with archaeologists Kevin Smith and Gudmundur Olyfsson. 48 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,000 Josh. Hey, I'm Kevin. Nice to meet you. 49 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:02,000 Hi, nice to meet you. 50 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,000 They're investigating Norse mythology, the gods, monsters and magic 51 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,000 that have come to define the Vikings. 52 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,000 But the question is, how did this mythology help to make the Vikings 53 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,000 such a dominant force? 54 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,000 We'd like to take you up into the mountains here, 55 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,000 where mythology and archaeology all come together. 56 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:20,000 Let's go. Come on. 57 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,000 We pile into my defender and head away from town to ward Kevin's sight, 58 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,000 a cave deep in the backcountry. 59 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,000 To help illustrate what made the Vikings such a powerhouse, 60 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,000 he suggests we take the direct route, 61 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:38,000 which means leaving the highway in favor of basically no way. 62 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:43,000 I think in ten years of driving on some of the worst roads in the world, 63 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,000 you've found the worst one. 64 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,000 Perfect. 65 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,000 And before long, we hit a minor obstacle. 66 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:51,000 The road is gone. 67 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,000 Gudmundur, do you think we can get through that? 68 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,000 I think we can make it in this car. 69 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:58,000 All right. 70 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,000 Okay, boys, hold your breath. 71 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:03,000 Okay. 72 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,000 It's deep in here. 73 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,000 It's real deep. It's dragging it. 74 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,000 Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Here we go. Here we go. 75 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,000 Come on, girl. 76 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:28,000 There we go. 77 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:38,000 Go! 78 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:39,000 Ha-ha! 79 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:40,000 We got it! 80 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:41,000 Nicely done. 81 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:43,000 Woo-hoo! 82 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,000 We're alive! 83 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,000 We roll on, and I notice that we've gone from water 84 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,000 to a land that looks like it's been scorched by fire. 85 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,000 Iceland has 130 volcanoes, 86 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,000 one of which was blanketing this section of the island 87 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,000 with massive rivers of lava just when the Vikings landed. 88 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,000 So when the Vikings arrived here, 89 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,000 this eruption happened soon after? 90 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,000 Probably within the first decades of people's arrival. 91 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,000 I mean, to the Vikings, 92 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,000 that must have seemed totally supernatural. 93 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,000 Viking mythology is populated with not just gods 94 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,000 like Odin and Thor, 95 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,000 but giants and evil creatures 96 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,000 who face off in the ultimate battle called Ragnarok. 97 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,000 Yes, that Ragnarok. 98 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,000 They believed that a massive fire monster named Surtur 99 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,000 would emerge from the underworld 100 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,000 and engulf the Earth in flames. 101 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,000 So it may be that this whole notion of these Norse fire gods 102 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,000 was kind of born here. 103 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,000 It may be a product of sitting on their front porch 104 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:48,000 watching the world end. 105 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,000 Finally, Kevin's GPS indicates we've arrived at the end of the world. 106 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Finally, Kevin's GPS indicates we've arrived at our destination. 107 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,000 You can pull over anywhere up here. 108 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,000 Okay. 109 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:07,000 Parking in lava. 110 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,000 We pull over, grab helmets, 111 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,000 and Kevin leads us toward a terrifying site. 112 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,000 Oh, man! 113 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,000 Josh, welcome to the Cave of Surtur. 114 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,000 The fire god who will end the world. 115 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,000 And he is this fire giant. 116 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:34,000 This is a god killer. 117 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,000 This is death itself, the death of the world in all existence. 118 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,000 This cave has been associated with the fire demon Surtur 119 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,000 since the Vikings were here. 120 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,000 And Kevin's eager to show me what's lurking inside. 121 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,000 And in we go. 122 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:51,000 Wow! 123 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:52,000 I mean, it's enormous. 124 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,000 Some of these boulders that have fallen are the size of a car. 125 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:57,000 And heavier. 126 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,000 Your helmet is just there to protect your dental records. 127 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,000 Great. 128 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,000 Great, great, great. 129 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,000 Surtur Cave is actually a lava tube, 130 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:13,000 formed when flowing magma heartens into a crust that creates a massive tunnel. 131 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,000 Oh, wow! 132 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,000 This is a part of the cave that the ceiling has collapsed. 133 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,000 This looks like a wall. 134 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:23,000 And it is. 135 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,000 That's man-made. 136 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,000 That's man-made. 137 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:26,000 The top... 138 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:27,000 It blocks that big. 139 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:31,000 Which is about four and a half feet wide, three and a half feet high, many tons. 140 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,000 The top of this wall was 15 feet above the original floor of the cave. 141 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:36,000 And it's 30 feet wide. 142 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,000 It's one of the biggest man-made constructions from Viking Age Iceland. 143 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:41,000 Why would you put a wall there? 144 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,000 Yeah, that's a very good question. 145 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,000 Is it to keep somebody out or to keep something in? 146 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,000 So that's where the real story is. 147 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:49,000 Beyond the Wall. 148 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:50,000 Beyond the Wall. 149 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,000 We make like Jon Snow and go over the wall, 150 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,000 traversing more boulders into the collapsed section of the lava tube. 151 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,000 Now it is getting dark. 152 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,000 And this is what makes this cave so incredible. 153 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,000 Look at that, there's bones everywhere. 154 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:21,000 Wow! 155 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,000 It's littered with bones. 156 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,000 About 750,000 bone fragments. 157 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:32,000 And these are all animal bones? 158 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:33,000 Absolutely. 159 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,000 In fact, on the walls behind you, 160 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,000 we can see that there is dark or dark. 161 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,000 And this is what makes this cave so incredible. 162 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,000 Look at that, there's bones everywhere. 163 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:43,000 Wow! 164 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,000 There is dark organic staining. 165 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,000 It tells us that the bone pile was originally three feet thick. 166 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,000 This would have been all bone. 167 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:51,000 All bone. 168 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,000 One of the things that's really strange about it 169 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,000 is that there's no burned bone at all in this pile. 170 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:58,000 Okay. 171 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,000 Fragments of animal bones in the prime of their life, 172 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,000 but not cooked here. 173 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:07,000 So why were these animals here if not to be cooked and eaten? 174 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,000 Why build a rock wall in a cave? 175 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,000 Kevin has a theory. 176 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:17,000 Is it possible that what you're doing is giving offerings to searcher? 177 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,000 This fire giant. 178 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:20,000 It's his home. 179 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,000 And we have a wall out there which blocks the passageway 180 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,000 to prevent searcher from coming out. 181 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,000 Right. 182 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:27,000 And the punchline is in that case, 183 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,000 whatever they did here would seemingly have worked. 184 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,000 The volcano here never erupted again. 185 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,000 They survived the apocalypse. 186 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,000 It appears the Vikings may have pilgrimage to this cave 187 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:42,000 in a brave effort to appease one of the angriest demons in their mythology. 188 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,000 It just for me underscores again that the Vikings are living and exploring 189 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,000 and thriving really, all across the North Atlantic 190 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,000 in places that seem to us in the modern world uninhabitable. 191 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,000 Absolutely. 192 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,000 And constantly creating a new reality as they go. 193 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,000 The Vikings lived in a sort of blended reality 194 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,000 between the natural and mythological worlds. 195 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,000 They may have interpreted the volcanic events in Iceland 196 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,000 as a real fire demon and an impending apocalypse, 197 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,000 stopping at nothing to keep them at bay. 198 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,000 This is perhaps the greatest secret to the Vikings' accomplishments, 199 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,000 their unwavering commitment in the face of adversity, 200 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,000 both real and mythological. 201 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:27,000 It's amazing. 202 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,000 Yeah. 203 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,000 Okay, so we have a horrible drive home. 204 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,000 Everybody ready? 205 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:32,000 So yeah, let's do it. 206 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,000 Let's go. 207 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:34,000 My ass is hurting already. 208 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:41,000 With a deeper appreciation of the high stakes world of Viking beliefs, 209 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,000 I say goodbye to Kevin and Gutmunder and continue my expedition. 210 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:54,000 I've learned a great deal about what made the Vikings so successful in Iceland, 211 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,000 but they left behind other enduring mysteries in the next place they settled, 212 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 like why their entire colony vanished. 213 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:11,000 I'm walking in the footsteps of the Vikings on the island nation of Iceland. 214 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:17,000 But now, my journey is taking me to the site of one of the strangest Norse mysteries of all. 215 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,000 The mystery begins with the Viking explorer Eric Thorbilsen, 216 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,000 better known as Eric the Red. 217 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,000 Eric got himself banished from Iceland for manslaughter, 218 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:31,000 so in 986 he set off to explore a new land, 219 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:36,000 now I'm flying west, following the same route he traveled a millennium ago. 220 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,000 When Eric the Red sailed here, he tried to convince other Vikings to follow, 221 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,000 and so in one of the great marketing scams of all time, 222 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,000 he named this place Greenland, 223 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:53,000 but one look out the window reveals a chilly reality. 224 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:58,000 Greenland, the largest island on Earth, 225 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:02,000 locked under nearly a million square miles of ice. 226 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:09,000 In the interior, a frosted oblivion where no man can survive. 227 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,000 The 50,000 people who lived here, 228 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000 and the people who lived here, 229 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 were the only ones left to survive. 230 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,000 The 50,000 people who live here cling to the coasts, 231 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,000 which is the 20% of the island that isn't parked under a glacier. 232 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,000 It's only a few hours from Iceland to Greenland. 233 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,000 But unlike the bustling streets of Reykjavik, 234 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,000 things are a little quieter here. 235 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000 This is the town of Narcisswok. 236 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,000 Now that I'm here, the population has skyrocketed to 131. 237 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,000 There's an airstrip here because this used to be a US base 238 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,000 for Allied planes crossing the Atlantic in World War II. 239 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,000 But today, it is a typical Greenlandic village. 240 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:03,000 Colorful, functional, and very quiet. 241 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:06,000 Modern Greenlanders live a lot like their ancestors did. 242 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:11,000 They farm, they fish, hell they still kill whales and seal and walrus, 243 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,000 but they're not descended from the Vikings, 244 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,000 and Eric the Red. 245 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,000 People that are here now are mainly Inuit. 246 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,000 So what happened to all the Norse people? 247 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,000 There's an archaeologist named Christian Kokmadsen 248 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,000 who might be about to find the answer. 249 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,000 But reaching him won't be easy. 250 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,000 There are virtually no roads here, 251 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,000 so if you want to get between any two towns, 252 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,000 you have to travel by water. 253 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,000 Got it? 254 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,000 Alright, gear is on the board. 255 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,000 Let's set sail. 256 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:03,000 The entire coastline of Greenland looks like a million-piece jigsaw puzzle. 257 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,000 So to reach the archaeologist I've come to see, 258 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:10,000 we'll have to navigate a winding route to his excavation site. 259 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:18,000 Navigating through Greenland today is nearly as challenging as it was 260 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:20,000 when the Vikings were here. 261 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,000 It's just endless fjords and bays, 262 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,000 many of them choked with ice and fog. 263 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,000 Today we have GPS and sonar systems, 264 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,000 but a thousand years ago, 265 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,000 they had only the stars, the sun, and a lot of courage. 266 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,000 The icebergs are still moving. 267 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,000 While today's advanced technology helps identify icebergs, 268 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,000 the system isn't infallible. 269 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,000 So the captain asks that we remain hyper-vigilant, 270 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,000 as he keeps the vessel moving at a steady pace. 271 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:59,000 You really just have to watch and keep your eyes wide open. 272 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,000 Iceberg, turn! Turn! 273 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,000 I'm navigating the fog-covered southern coast of Greenland 274 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:31,000 on a mission to find out what happened to its once-flourishing Viking population. 275 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,000 But getting to my destination means playing a game 276 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,000 of dangerous dodgeberg. 277 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,000 Iceberg, turn! Turn! 278 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,000 Out of nowhere! 279 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,000 Oh, man! 280 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,000 Relieved that I won't be the subject of the next James Cameron movie, 281 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,000 we continue on through the mist. 282 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,000 We approach the GPS coordinates of the archaeological site 283 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,000 and are soon met by a small inflatable boat to transport us into the shallows. 284 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,000 Is one of you Christian? 285 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,000 Yeah, I'm Christian. 286 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,000 Hey, I'm Josh. Pleasure. 287 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,000 Okay, here we go. 288 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,000 Christian and his team ferry me to an awaiting tractor, 289 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,000 the only vehicle capable of making it to his site. 290 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,000 By the 11th century, north settlers are farming along the coasts 291 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:38,000 and hunting for valuable walrus meat and ivory in this unforgiving environment. 292 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,000 So what you're standing on here is actually an entire Norse farm, 293 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,000 most of it covered by sand. 294 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,000 At some point, though, in the 1400s, they vanish. 295 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,000 Yeah, still a mystery. 296 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,000 And I'm hoping the inside I'm going to take you to now 297 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,000 can be part of solving that puzzle. 298 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,000 Awesome. Yeah, let's go. 299 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,000 We travel on to a massive sandy expanse that Christian believes 300 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,000 may be the main part of the farm. 301 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,000 To find out what's really buried here, 302 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,000 his team has enlisted the help of geophysicist Steve Scruggs. 303 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,000 How are you, man? 304 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:17,000 Doing great. 305 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,000 Okay, so what's the plan for today? 306 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:23,000 I have what's called the EM-38 conductivity device. 307 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,000 If there's any structure, the EM-38 will pick it up. 308 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,000 Got it. You're going to use your cool high-tech machine to look for structures. 309 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,000 Yeah. Yeah. 310 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,000 I'm hoping it's going to give us a snapshot of those last days 311 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,000 and what happened. 312 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,000 Awesome. Let's do it, guys. 313 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,000 The EM meter sends an electromagnetic signal into the ground 314 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,000 and measures how it's conducted by the soil beneath the surface. 315 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:52,000 Steve scans the area, making meticulous passes over every inch of the site. 316 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,000 After hours of collecting data, 317 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,000 we gather around the computer to learn what's really under our feet. 318 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,000 Look at Christian foaming at the house. 319 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:04,000 I'm excited. 320 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,000 Okay, what did you find? 321 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,000 I see this. This is at the top of the dune. 322 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,000 You can see right angles, 323 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,000 and if you connect the dots, you kind of get a shape. 324 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,000 It looks like a structure. 325 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,000 It looks like a structure, doesn't it? 326 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:19,000 Yeah. 327 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,000 I'm super excited here. 328 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,000 We have some lines. 329 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,000 So there could be a room. 330 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:26,000 It's possible. 331 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,000 How awesome is that? 332 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,000 We could put in a trench somewhere to check. 333 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,000 It looks like under the surface. 334 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:37,000 One of the bonuses about this is it will also identify metallic content as well. 335 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,000 Did you find anything metallic out there? 336 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,000 There's definitely something there. 337 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,000 Okay, great. Let's get to it, yeah? 338 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:44,000 Come on, let's go. 339 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,000 We walk over to the newly identified area 340 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,000 and break out metal detectors to search the surface, 341 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,000 while Christian's team begins excavating a test pit. 342 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,000 Oh, got a hit here. 343 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:04,000 There we go. 344 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:05,000 What's that? 345 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:06,000 It's a nail. 346 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,000 That's incredible. 347 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,000 It's a Smith nail. 348 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,000 How old? 349 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:12,000 Well, this is Norse. 350 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,000 It's Norse? 351 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:14,000 Yeah. 352 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,000 Look at that. 353 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,000 That is awesome. 354 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,000 I mean, literally just at your feet. 355 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,000 There's history here. 356 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:22,000 Now we're cooking. 357 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:23,000 Okay, let's go. 358 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:27,000 Right there. 359 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:28,000 Oh, look. 360 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,000 It's a rivet. 361 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:30,000 It's a rivet. 362 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:31,000 Oh, it's a Norse. 363 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:32,000 Wow. 364 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:33,000 That's a nice find. 365 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:34,000 Awesome. 366 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,000 Of course, not all my finds are winners. 367 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,000 That is poop. 368 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:42,000 That is sheep poop. 369 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:43,000 That is gross. 370 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,000 With the test pit open, 371 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:48,000 Hey, Christian. 372 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,000 it's time to see if there's anything significant hidden underground. 373 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:53,000 What do you got? 374 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,000 So we've seen a stone here is definitely placed. 375 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,000 Uh-huh. 376 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:58,000 Running under the soil. 377 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,000 So we have a preserved wall here. 378 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,000 So does that mean that we're inside a structure? 379 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,000 We are inside a building here. 380 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:05,000 That's incredible. 381 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,000 So that means there could be good stuff preserved down here. 382 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000 It could be mostly buried under the sand. 383 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,000 Yeah. 384 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,000 We continue to scan the site, 385 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:19,000 and the farm continues to yield more metal and stone artifacts. 386 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,000 Is this a strike stone? 387 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Yeah, part of a fire startup. 388 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,000 But it's what we're not finding here 389 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:27,000 that may reveal the true fate of the Vikings in Greenland. 390 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,000 Well, it seems like they took valuable parts only left to what they didn't need it. 391 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,000 So that suggests that there was like an orderly abandonment in farms. 392 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,000 So we don't see their riches and their fine items kind of left in the house. 393 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:41,000 Things are just gone. 394 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,000 So what do you think ultimately happens to them? 395 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:46,000 Basically, they lost a reason to be here. 396 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,000 What they came for in the first place, 397 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:49,000 which was the Wall-Ros ivory, 398 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:50,000 was following a value. 399 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,000 Surprise is not good enough anymore. 400 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,000 I think people just took off to start a new life in some wells. 401 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:59,000 So they were economically driven to come here, 402 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,000 and if that economy dries up, then they go elsewhere. 403 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:03,000 Yeah, exactly. 404 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,000 Well, I'm excited to hear what's underneath all this sand. 405 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:08,000 You guys will keep digging? 406 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,000 Absolutely. 407 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:10,000 Awesome. 408 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,000 Hey, thanks guys. 409 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:12,000 It was a real pleasure. 410 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:13,000 Thanks. 411 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:19,000 With the fog lifted, 412 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,000 the mystery of the disappearing North settlers is now clear. 413 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,000 As skilled traders and farmers, 414 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,000 they knew when it was time to move on. 415 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,000 But where did they go? 416 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:35,000 The answer may lie with the son of Eric the Red. 417 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,000 Explorer Leif Erickson has gone down in history 418 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,000 as the architect of the Vikings' final phase of westward expansion. 419 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,000 It seems strange to find this huge statue of Leif Erickson 420 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,000 up on this hilltop in one of the most remote places in the world, 421 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,000 but it's here for good reason. 422 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,000 This may be the very spot that Leif Erickson set off from 423 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,000 when he sailed southwest to a mysterious destination known as Vinland. 424 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:04,000 Now, if you look at a map, 425 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,000 the only thing in that direction is North America. 426 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,000 So, how far south? 427 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,000 How far west? 428 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:14,000 The answers to those questions may rewrite the pages of history. 429 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,000 I'm in majestic Greenland, 430 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,000 getting ready to continue my journey west 431 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,000 to investigate the greatest Viking mystery of all. 432 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:32,000 Vinland. 433 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:36,000 It is a settlement that has vexed historians for centuries. 434 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Leif Erickson landed at the site in the year 1000. 435 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:44,000 The name appears in Viking sagas and historical records, 436 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,000 as well as on a controversial map that shows Greenland, 437 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,000 and then, far to the west, 438 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,000 a mysterious coastline labeled Vinland. 439 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,000 No one is sure of its exact location, 440 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,000 though archaeologists believe there's a strong contender. 441 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,000 In the 1960s, a site was discovered in Newfoundland, Canada, 442 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000 known as Lansall Meadows. 443 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,000 Based on radiocarbon dating of artifacts, 444 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,000 this is a confirmed Viking settlement. 445 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,000 But is it Vinland, or did they travel farther south? 446 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:19,000 Some believe they landed in what is now the United States. 447 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,000 There's only one way to find out. 448 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,000 Which means I'm headed home. 449 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,000 Beantown, baby. 450 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,000 Welcome to Boston, a.k.a. my hometown. 451 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,000 It's the cradle of New England. 452 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,000 Yeah, I'm coming home. 453 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,000 Famous for the arts, educational institutions, 454 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,000 a nearly fanatical devotion to sports, and of course seafood. 455 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,000 This is a town built on revolution. 456 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,000 Where patriotism runs deep. 457 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,000 And where everyone runs on Duncan. 458 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,000 And while I'm proud to be a local, 459 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:18,000 I admit that I've worked hard to bury my native accent. 460 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,000 Otherwise, I might say that I freaking love Boston, bro. 461 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,000 I'm from here. My father was born here. 462 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,000 Later on, we're going up to Revia Beach, 463 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,000 maybe go to Calloon, get a poopoo platter up in Saugus. 464 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,000 We're going to the socks game, hit the packy store, 465 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,000 get a sixer, get wicked, freaking hammer, bro. 466 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,000 Excuse me. Let us continue our search for the Vikings. 467 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,000 The truth is, here in Massachusetts, 468 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:48,000 stories of Viking landings are as beloved as baseball and baked beans. 469 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,000 Growing up around here, I was convinced that the Vikings discovered 470 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,000 what is now the United States. 471 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,000 I thought this was like an accepted historic fact. 472 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,000 Yet this, in high school, I even portrayed Leif Erickson 473 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,000 in a play where he discovered New England. 474 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,000 Now you might say, Josh, that is crazy. 475 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,000 But here in Massachusetts, the signs are everywhere. 476 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:17,000 This is Com Ave, a major road that runs right through the heart of the city 477 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,000 and it is being lured over by a Viking. 478 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:24,000 It was put up in 1887 during a period known as the Norse Revival. 479 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,000 This was a time when New Englanders were consumed with this idea 480 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,000 that the Vikings had discovered America. 481 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:34,000 So surely, there has to be some evidence to support this. 482 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,000 Right? 483 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,000 Consider exhibit A. 484 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000 The Norumbega Tower. 485 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,000 It was put up here in 1889. 486 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,000 According to this very elaborate plaque, 487 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,000 this was the site of a Viking fort. 488 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,000 It mentions Leif Erickson coming here in the year 1000. 489 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,000 And it mentions Vinland, saying that right here, where we are right now, 490 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:57,000 was part of Vinland. 491 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,000 And so what is the evidence? 492 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,000 Well, it's all in a name. 493 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,000 This area today is western mass, but it used to be called Norumbega. 494 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,000 And during this Norse Revival period, people were convinced 495 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:13,000 that Norumbega was a variation of Norvega, or Norway. 496 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,000 In other words, that Vikings must have come here 497 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,000 and that's how this area got its name. 498 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,000 There is just one small problem. 499 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,000 That's nonsense. 500 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,000 There's no archaeological evidence to support the claim. 501 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,000 Continuing south, I pack my car in Fall River. 502 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,000 This, right here, this is it! 503 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,000 A plaque that says, 504 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:40,000 A skeleton in armor was found near this spot by Hannah Borden Cook 505 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,000 in the month of May 1831. 506 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:48,000 And some historians believe that this skeleton was the remains of a Viking. 507 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,000 It had some sort of a metal chest plate on. 508 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,000 And the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, actually wrote a poem 509 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,000 about this skeleton claiming that it was a Viking. 510 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,000 Unfortunately, about 12 years later, 511 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,000 the skeleton and the armor it was wearing were lost in a fire, 512 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,000 which means what could be a bombshell piece of evidence 513 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:10,000 cannot be confirmed, but it also can't be dismissed. 514 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,000 I cross the border into Rhode Island 515 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,000 and continue south toward the coast 516 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,000 for one more attempt to salvage my Vikings in New England, 517 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,000 hopes and dreams. 518 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,000 This is the Newport Tower, 519 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:28,000 which many people have claimed is the remains of a Viking structure, 520 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,000 which would be incredible if that wasn't actually 521 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,000 the remains of a stone windmill built in the 1600s. 522 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:39,000 Okay, so it's clear my childhood was all a lie, 523 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:43,000 and these landmarks were built on a foundation of wishful thinking. 524 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:46,000 Basically, it was a way for Boston's Protestant elite 525 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,000 to align with a Viking origin story, 526 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:52,000 instead of with Columbus and his Catholic heritage. 527 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,000 One of the biggest proponents was a Harvard chemistry professor 528 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,000 named Eben Horseford, who spearheaded the construction 529 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,000 of most of the landmarks. 530 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,000 But before I close out my debunking tour of New England, 531 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,000 there's one last piece of evidence I need to check out. 532 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,000 There is one supposed Viking artifact here in Massachusetts 533 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,000 that has never been debunked, 534 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,000 and it could be the one that's the real deal. 535 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:18,000 It's located off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, 536 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,000 so named in the 1600s for its abundant wild grapevines, 537 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:25,000 perhaps also called Vinland 600 years earlier 538 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:29,000 for the very same reason that it was the most expensive vineyard 539 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,000 for the very same reason. 540 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,000 To many, this upscale island south of Cape Cod 541 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,000 is a summer refuge for tourists. 542 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,000 But to me, it's the filming location of my favorite movie 543 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,000 and its fictional town of Amity Island. 544 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,000 Can we put up the gratuitous Jaws reference counter, please? 545 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:55,000 Ah! 546 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:56,000 Perfect. 547 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,000 Gates, what is that, a 20-furter? 548 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,000 25, three tons of them. 549 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:03,000 Ding! 550 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,000 Amity, as you know, means friendship. 551 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,000 Not talking about pleasure boatin', 552 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:10,000 not talking about day sailin', 553 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:11,000 I'm talking about workin' for a livin', 554 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,000 I'm talking about sharkin'! 555 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:15,000 Nice finish, London! 556 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,000 How are ya? 557 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,000 They need a bigger boat. 558 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,000 I'm out on a dock at the crack of It's Still Dark Out, 559 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:32,000 not to hunt for sharks, 560 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:36,000 but to meet with Stone Mason Brothers, Jim and Bill Vieira. 561 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,000 What's up, Josh? 562 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,000 They think they know the whereabouts of a Viking artifact 563 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,000 that could genuinely upend everything we think we know 564 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,000 about the discovery of America. 565 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,000 Okay, first of all, why am I awake at this time, Godly Hour? 566 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,000 Because we're going to Noamans Land about three miles off the coast. 567 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:53,000 What is Noamans Land? 568 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:54,000 It's an island. 569 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,000 It's now a wildlife refuge. 570 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,000 Okay, so this is like an island off of Martha's Vineyard. 571 00:29:58,000 --> 00:29:59,000 Yeah, correct. 572 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:00,000 And what's out there? 573 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,000 In 1926, the original owner found what looks like a runic stone. 574 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,000 And it was photographed? 575 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,000 Yes, back in the 20s. 576 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,000 The large stone with runic letters carved into its face 577 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,000 was found on a remote section of beach, 578 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:17,000 and it appears in a number of photographs from the early 20th century. 579 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:20,000 And so what do you see in the photos? 580 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,000 Well, you can see it says Leif Erikson, 581 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:28,000 and it says M.I., which is 1001. 582 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,000 The Vikings certainly would have been exposed to Roman numerals at that point. 583 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Yes. 584 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:33,000 So it is possible. 585 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,000 Yes. 586 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,000 So there's both Roman numerals and runic inscriptions on it. 587 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,000 Yeah, the other thing that's interesting is Leif Erikson is written. 588 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:40,000 It's all I's. 589 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,000 There was no E in the alphabet back then. 590 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:43,000 Huh. 591 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,000 So if this is a hoax, it's a very ingenious hoax. 592 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,000 Or it's the real deal. 593 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:48,000 Yes. 594 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:51,000 If this is real, it's history changing. 595 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:55,000 But the island was later turned into an off-limits military test site 596 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,000 and remains uninhabited to this day. 597 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:00,000 And it's just been sitting out there this whole time. 598 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,000 What was a bombing range? 599 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,000 It has unexploded ordnance, maybe even in the water, too. 600 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,000 Wow. 601 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,000 Okay, this is sounding better and better. 602 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:08,000 Okay. 603 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:12,000 And do we think that the rock is still on dry land out there, or is it submerged? 604 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,000 From what we understand, it's submerged. 605 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,000 We get 100-year storms every three years now. 606 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,000 Correct. 607 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:21,000 This thing could easily get flipped out into the surf on its head 608 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,000 or covered with sand and disappear forever. 609 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:24,000 Right. 610 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:25,000 So now it's time to go find it. 611 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,000 Got it. 612 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,000 All right, let's go find it. 613 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,000 You ready? 614 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:29,000 You got it. 615 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,000 We grab our scuba gear and hop aboard, 616 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:38,000 making our way the three miles to Noamans Land 617 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,000 before the sea starts to get too gnarly for diving. 618 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,000 Conditions out here sound like they're not great. 619 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,000 It's choppy. 620 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,000 The visibility can be questionable. 621 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,000 And to add a little spice into the mix, 622 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:57,000 there are now great white sharks that frequent this area with the WOMA. 623 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,000 Get out of here. 624 00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,000 Yes. 625 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,000 Really? 626 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,000 That is correct. 627 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:02,000 Make sure I'm keeping score here. 628 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:07,000 We got rough water, unexploded bums, and now great white sharks. 629 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:08,000 Got it. 630 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:22,000 I'm in a boat with expert masons Jim and Bill Vieira, 631 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,000 speeding out from the coast of Martha's Vineyard. 632 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:29,000 The theory is that Leith Erickson arrived on these shores at the turn of the millennium 633 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,000 and carved the Viking equivalent of I Was Here 634 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,000 onto the face of a stone at his landing spot. 635 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:38,000 If we can find and date those markings, 636 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,000 it would rewrite American history. 637 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,000 The American history is the most important thing in the history of the world. 638 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,000 In the 30s, it would rewrite American history. 639 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,000 That's Norman's land right there. 640 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:50,000 That's it? 641 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,000 Yeah, that's it. 642 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,000 Wow, it's actually huge. 643 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,000 Yeah. 644 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,000 Do we know where off the island this rock is? 645 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,000 It's off the south cliff. 646 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:08,000 Okay, we still got a lot of coastline here, so how do we narrow that? 647 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:12,000 In the 30s, it was 40 feet from the bottom of the cliff. 648 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,000 Okay. 649 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:17,000 And it's next to this very large bowl called the Whale Rock. 650 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:18,000 Okay. 651 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:19,000 We have a picture of that. 652 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,000 These are the photos from the 20s and 30s right here. 653 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:22,000 Yeah, let's see. 654 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,000 So this is the supposed Viking rock here. 655 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,000 Correct. 656 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:31,000 And based on this guy sitting on top of it, what, it's about five feet long? 657 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:32,000 That's what it looks like. 658 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,000 Okay. 659 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,000 And then you're saying it's next to a bigger rock though. 660 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:37,000 Yeah. 661 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,000 It's nestled right up against Whale Rock. 662 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,000 Okay, so this is the Viking rock down here. 663 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:42,000 Yes. 664 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,000 And this giant thing here, this is Whale Rock. 665 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:48,000 Yes. 666 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:49,000 So that's what we're looking for. 667 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,000 Find Whale Rock, you find the Viking rock. 668 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:52,000 You got it. 669 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:58,000 A shifting coastline and rising seas have completely submerged what the Vieras believe is the Rune Stone. 670 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:03,000 But due to its much larger size, the Whale Rock could still be partially visible. 671 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,000 Could it be whenever these waves are breaking off of right here? 672 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,000 It seems a little too far out. 673 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:12,000 It's in the cliffs. 674 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:15,000 This one's out, definitely. 675 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,000 Wrong shape. 676 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,000 It needs to have a smooth top. 677 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,000 Not flat enough on top. 678 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,000 Check that one off the list. 679 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,000 Okay, moving on. 680 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:26,000 What about that one right there? 681 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:27,000 Right there. 682 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:28,000 Right? 683 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:29,000 That guy, the flat one. 684 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,000 Oh yeah. 685 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:31,000 That looks like the photo. 686 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,000 Look at the top, it's exactly the same shape. 687 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:34,000 Oh yeah. 688 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,000 I mean that's the first thing we've seen that's got that flat top to it. 689 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:37,000 Exactly. 690 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,000 What I don't see is this step down here. 691 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:45,000 Right now the tide's a little high to see that. 692 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:46,000 See that notch? 693 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,000 Right at the waterline. 694 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:51,000 Yes, it does it. 695 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:53,000 It notches down just like the photo. 696 00:34:58,000 --> 00:34:59,000 I didn't even find it. 697 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:01,000 Alright, now. 698 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:02,000 Step one. 699 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:03,000 Step one. 700 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:04,000 Oh yeah. 701 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,000 The problem is the thing we're really looking for is down here underneath it. 702 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,000 This is our Viking rock. 703 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,000 So that would be definitely submerged. 704 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:11,000 Yes. 705 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,000 What's the move here? 706 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,000 What do we do? 707 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:14,000 Kind of rough conditions. 708 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,000 One scuba. 709 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,000 Camera down there. 710 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,000 Let's see if we can get some pictures. 711 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,000 Okay, cool. 712 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:21,000 This is going to be interesting. 713 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,000 Tough spot. 714 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,000 Easiest thing to do would be to walk along that beach 715 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:34,000 and wait out in the surf, 716 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:35,000 but you can't go on the island. 717 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,000 It's strictly prohibited and it's literally full of unexploded ordinances. 718 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:40,000 So only way in is from the water side 719 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:43,000 and conditions are less than ideal. 720 00:35:58,000 --> 00:35:59,000 Come on, get the camera down. 721 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,000 Have a look, yeah? 722 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:01,000 Yeah. 723 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:02,000 Here we go. 724 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:09,000 The visibility is low 725 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:12,000 and the Atlantic surf is getting ready to rumble. 726 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:17,000 But it isn't long before I find a rock that could be the one. 727 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,000 Okay, this rap. 728 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:28,000 It's more than six feet. 729 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,000 You're bigger than the one I thought it was. 730 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:31,000 That's what I think too. 731 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,000 The photo, it's down by the notch over here. 732 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:34,000 Yeah, it's further off. 733 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,000 Let me drop down and look over there. 734 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:42,000 So back down I go to look for another candidate. 735 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:06,000 So that's just over five feet. 736 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:07,000 That seems perfect. 737 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,000 Based on the guy in the photo, I think that's what we're looking at. 738 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,000 It's got the same shape too as the photo. 739 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,000 That's right, yeah. 740 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:13,000 It has a new view. 741 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:14,000 Amazing. 742 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,000 So the problem is it's covered in seaweed. 743 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:20,000 Let's see if we can take a little bit of that top growth off it, yeah? 744 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:21,000 Nothing too intrusive. 745 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,000 We don't want to damage it at all. 746 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,000 We need to find some sign of those carvings 747 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,000 to confirm this is the real deal. 748 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:28,000 Here we go. 749 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,000 The vegetation is nearly impossible to remove. 750 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:41,000 So Bill switches from snorkel to scuba and joins me. 751 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,000 I'll take this flat side, you take the far side. 752 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:49,000 You got it. 753 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,000 Pretty soon it's all hands on deck 754 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:57,000 to find the runes on this rock. 755 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,000 Okay, we've loosened a bunch of seaweed. 756 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,000 I'm going to take a closer look. 757 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:12,000 Nothing here, not seeing anything. 758 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,000 Wait, what's that? 759 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,000 We got something. 760 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:24,000 There's definitely something coming. 761 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:28,000 There's definitely something carved into the rock here. 762 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,000 A straight line. 763 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,000 Jettapot. 764 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:44,000 I'm on the eastern Massachusetts coast with the Vieira brothers, 765 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,000 feverishly scraping away sea growth 766 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:51,000 to reveal what could be evidence that the Vikings landed here a thousand years ago. 767 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,000 Wait, what's that? 768 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:57,000 There's definitely something carved into the rock here. 769 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,000 A straight line. 770 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,000 Jettapot. 771 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,000 Yes, that's a straight line for sure. 772 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,000 And another one here. 773 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,000 That's amazing. 774 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:21,000 With our adrenaline pumping, I film as many close-ups as I can. 775 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:25,000 But the ocean current starts getting too strong 776 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,000 for us to stay on top of the site any longer. 777 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,000 Not wanting to get bashed to bits against whale rock, 778 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,000 we're forced to call it. 779 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,000 Those look like markings. 780 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,000 Yeah? I think this is the rock. 781 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,000 Is that it? Oh, absolutely. 782 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:49,000 No question. 783 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:51,000 Whatever was etched on that rock, 784 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,000 the remains of it, however faint, is still on it. 785 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,000 The million-dollar question, of course, is, is it Viking? 786 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:01,000 I hate to drop the harbor word inconclusive. 787 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:06,000 But it's so eroded, and the markings are so fine. 788 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:10,000 Nothing could have been in a place where it could really be analyzed. 789 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,000 We have to be proclamous. 790 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,000 But hey, maybe this is that first step. 791 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:18,000 If it doesn't get pulled out of here, it's going to be lost to time. 792 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,000 It wasn't washed to sea. 793 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:23,000 It wasn't blown away by a hurricane. 794 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,000 It wasn't hit by a bomb. 795 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:27,000 No sharks, they hated you. 796 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:29,000 That's awesome. Hey, nice work, man. 797 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:30,000 I'm top, seriously. 798 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,000 Yeah, nice work, dude. 799 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:34,000 Come on! 800 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,000 If the rock can be recovered and thoroughly studied, 801 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,000 some believe it could be proof, literally written in stone, 802 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:43,000 that the Viking set foot on what is now U.S. soil, 803 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:47,000 nearly 500 years before Columbus made his voyage to the New World. 804 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:58,000 My four-country exploration of the Vikings has brought me, 805 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:01,000 of all places, back to my childhood home. 806 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:06,000 I stand on the opposite side of the same ocean the Vikings looked over 807 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:10,000 a thousand years ago, and I try to imagine them. 808 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,000 Would I be able to leave the safety of my home 809 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,000 and sail into the frigid unknown? 810 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,000 My journey has revealed to me that the Vikings 811 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:24,000 weren't the one-dimensional raiders and pirates of popular culture. 812 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,000 They were organized builders. 813 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:30,000 They were artists, master engineers, sailors, 814 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:33,000 and yes, fierce warriors. 815 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,000 As to the true location of Vinland, 816 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:39,000 we'll see what evidence emerges. 817 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,000 But I believe it's probably somewhere in Canada. 818 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:46,000 But the fact that New Englanders have so fiercely embraced the Vikings 819 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:50,000 only underscores the power they still hold over our culture. 820 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,000 They were a force of nature, 821 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:55,000 and their adventures are still being discovered. 822 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:59,000 I can't wait to see where they take us next.