1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 Tonight, our quest for El Dorado continues. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,000 We're now approaching your target coordinates. 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,000 There's no place you can land out here. 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,000 There's really no way to get down there. 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,000 Deep in the Colombian jungle. 6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,000 All right, so Jaguar, spider, snakes, plants. 7 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,000 Pretty much the whole jungle is trying to kill us. 8 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,000 Yes. 9 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000 Clues from a mysterious civilization point the way to hidden treasures. 10 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,000 Oh, come on. Look at this. 11 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,000 Look at this. 12 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,000 Are there other cities out there? 13 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:32,000 Absolutely. No question. 14 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,000 No question. 15 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Woo! 16 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,000 It's our most dangerous expedition ever. 17 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa, Brian! Brian! 18 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,000 I have never been in a jungle environment 19 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,000 that was more challenging than this one. 20 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,000 Ever. 21 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:51,000 Ah! 22 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,000 Dude! 23 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,000 As we uncover the truth behind the lost city of gold. 24 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,000 Aha! Is it a wall? Look at that! 25 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,000 My name is Josh Gates. 26 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:05,000 Hello! 27 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,000 Explorer. 28 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Adventurer. 29 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:09,000 This is sick! 30 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Whoa! 31 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,000 And a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 32 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,000 Woo! That was exciting. 33 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,000 With a degree in archeology and a passion for the unexplained, 34 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,000 I travel to the ends of the earth 35 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,000 investigating the greatest legends in history. 36 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,000 Okay, let's punch it. 37 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 38 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,000 Okay, here we go. Let's do it. 39 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000 My team is currently hiking in the mountains of northern Columbia. 40 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:41,000 It is hot, it is humid, and we are miles from civilization. 41 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,000 We got here the same way those before us did, 42 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000 by being obsessed with legends. 43 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,000 And no legend has sowed more destruction than El Dorado. 44 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,000 In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors mounted expeditions 45 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,000 to the new world in search of this fabled city of gold. 46 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:02,000 Their campaigns unleashed suffering and death, 47 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,000 and their thirst for treasure drove the extinction of entire civilizations. 48 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,000 But where did the story begin? 49 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,000 And could there really be gold and lost cities out there to be found? 50 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,000 I followed the trail of conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quisada 51 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,000 to Lake Guadalvida in Columbia. 52 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,000 Welcome to El Dorado. 53 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,000 Oh my God. 54 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,000 It was here that the indigenous Muisca people anointed their new chief 55 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,000 by covering him in gold and depositing offerings in the lake. 56 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:38,000 In time, the story of the golden man, El Hombre Dorado, 57 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,000 mutated into the legend of a golden city, El Dorado. 58 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,000 Imagine hearing stories of people covering themselves in gold. 59 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:51,000 They must be so dripping in gold that they can afford to bathe in it almost. 60 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,000 Their imaginations must have gone wild. 61 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:54,000 Yeah. 62 00:02:54,000 --> 00:03:00,000 At a Muisca burial site, we discovered real treasures that the Spanish never found. 63 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,000 It's gold. 64 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,000 Yeah, it's a piece of gold. 65 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,000 Unbelievable, look at this. 66 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,000 But the El Dorado myth is about more than just treasure. 67 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,000 It's about an entire lost city. 68 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,000 When the Spanish arrived on Columbia's Caribbean coast, 69 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,000 they encountered the gold adorned Tyrona people, 70 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,000 who retreated to strongholds deep in the mountains. 71 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:29,000 For the next 400 years, outsiders were unable to reach these mysterious cities. 72 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:35,000 Then, in the 1970s, looters discovered a massive Tyrona settlement deep in the jungle, 73 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,000 which they named Ciudad Perdida, or the Lost City. 74 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:43,000 Today, archaeologists at the site are using cutting-edge scanning technology 75 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,000 to reveal something extraordinary. 76 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:52,000 There may be more lost cities and priceless treasures even deeper in the interior. 77 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:58,000 My mission? Reach the team at Ciudad Perdida to find a real El Dorado. 78 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,000 We're carrying all of our filming equipment, 79 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,000 not to mention a week's worth of food and supplies, 80 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:09,000 20 miles up a mountain to Ciudad Perdida. 81 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,000 It's beautiful here. 82 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:11,000 It's beautiful, isn't it? 83 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Yes, which usually means it's also dangerous. 84 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:14,000 Yeah. 85 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:15,000 What should I be worried about in here? 86 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:16,000 We have jaguars. 87 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,000 We have 80 different kinds of spiders. 88 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,000 80, okay. 89 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,000 That I can handle. Let's talk snakes. 90 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,000 We have some deadly snakes here. 91 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,000 What do you have? 92 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,000 The pop rocks. 93 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:27,000 We call that the fertilizer lances. 94 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:28,000 That's very dangerous. 95 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:29,000 Yeah. 96 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:30,000 I have a little experience with them. 97 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,000 Packing enough venom in a single bite to kill a man six times over, 98 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:38,000 a fertilizer lance nearly punched my ticket in the jungles of Guatemala. 99 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:39,000 John, snake. 100 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,000 Snake right by you. 101 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:42,000 Where's the snake? 102 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,000 Snake, up above the snake. 103 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,000 And in this part of Columbia, 104 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:50,000 it's responsible for nearly 70% of all snake bites. 105 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,000 Perfect. 106 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,000 All right, so jaguars, spiders, snakes, plants, 107 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,000 pretty much the whole jungle is trying to kill us. 108 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,000 Yes. 109 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:58,000 At least we'll die in a beautiful place though. 110 00:04:58,000 --> 00:04:59,000 Yeah. 111 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Okay, guys, come on. 112 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:10,000 We need to hike more than six miles uphill to reach camp tonight. 113 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:14,000 Day two is another eight mile trek into the mountains. 114 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:20,000 And day three will bring us the final leg to meet the archaeologists at Ciudad Perdida. 115 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,000 As the afternoon wears on, the sky opens up. 116 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:30,000 Not surprising considering this area sees more than 157 inches of rain a year. 117 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Brian and Diego. 118 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,000 Real slippy to careful. 119 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,000 I want to lose that camera. 120 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,000 There's mud, and then there's whatever this is. 121 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,000 The trail turns into a giant slip and slide. 122 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,000 And as my tech supervisor Diego learns, it's not the fun kind. 123 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,000 You okay? 124 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,000 Yeah, I'm good. 125 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:58,000 We slog on. 126 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Still a few miles out from tonight's camp, our pace slows to a crawl. 127 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:19,000 And when the sun sets, our situation goes from uncomfortable to unviewable. 128 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,000 All right, well, we have lost the light. 129 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,000 The rain has stopped momentarily, and we are trying to get ourselves to camp. 130 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,000 You really don't want to be hiking here after dark. 131 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,000 It's a pretty dangerous place to be. 132 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,000 Exhausted and caked in mud, we stumble on for another mile, 133 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,000 desperately hoping to find our campsite. 134 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:39,000 I see lights. 135 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,000 Here we go, guys. 136 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,000 Okay. 137 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,000 Okay, home sweet home. 138 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,000 We're here, guys. 139 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:51,000 Look at this. 140 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:52,000 Salvation. 141 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:57,000 This simple shelter, built for the trek to the lost city, may not look like much. 142 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,000 But after today, it feels like El Dorado. 143 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:06,000 Great day, everybody. 144 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,000 Let's do it all again tomorrow. 145 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,000 Wonder what time the generator goes out. 146 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,000 Good night. 147 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,000 Good morning. 148 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,000 It was a horrible dream that we were in a... 149 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,000 No, it's all real. 150 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:27,000 Okay, here we go. 151 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,000 Today, we need to log eight miles to reach camp, 152 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,000 but our spirit and everything else is a bit dampened. 153 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,000 One of the real challenges up here is that everything is in a good place. 154 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:38,000 We have to be careful. 155 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:39,000 We have to be careful. 156 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,000 We have to be careful because the water is a bit dampened. 157 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,000 One of the real challenges up here is that everything is wet. 158 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:46,000 It is so humid. 159 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,000 It's raining. 160 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:48,000 It's misty. 161 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:49,000 You're sweating. 162 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,000 And then, no matter what you do, even if you hang your clothes up, 163 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,000 they end up like this. 164 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:54,000 Still soaked. 165 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Okay. 166 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,000 We make our first and easiest river crossing, 167 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:05,000 marching through verdant pastures as we approach the heart of the jungle. 168 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,000 After hours of hiking in swirling heat and humidity, 169 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,000 we encounter something I never expected to see out here. 170 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,000 People. 171 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:22,000 Passing us on the ridge is an indigenous family from a culture known as the Kogi, 172 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,000 descendants of the Tyrona. 173 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:25,000 Hold on. 174 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:26,000 Hold on. 175 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,000 The shed is bigger than the kid. 176 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:33,000 Amazing. 177 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:40,000 A short walk later, we arrive at their village where the Kogi live much as the Tyrona did. 178 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,000 No machines, no electricity, no written language. 179 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,000 Isolation has protected Kogi culture, which, despite appearances, 180 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,000 is actually incredibly advanced. 181 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:56,000 After all, they're living in harmony with one of the most punishing environments on Earth, 182 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:01,000 a place where European invaders, for all their might, simply couldn't cut it. 183 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:05,000 The knowledge and grand construction of their ancestors, the Tyrona, 184 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,000 was a secret to the outside world, 185 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:12,000 their own private El Dorado, until looters chanced upon the ruins. 186 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,000 Sergio. 187 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,000 Yes, Josh. 188 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:17,000 So explain this to me. 189 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,000 Looters found this lost city in 75. 190 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,000 These looters, they were farmers, 191 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,000 and they used to go out in the mountains for hunting. 192 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,000 Right. 193 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:27,000 These weren't like career criminals. 194 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:28,000 They were local guys. 195 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:29,000 Yes, they were just locals. 196 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,000 Got it. 197 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,000 And what did they find up here? 198 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,000 One of these guys was hunting, and he saw stone steps. 199 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,000 And that was it? 200 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:38,000 They knew something was here. 201 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:39,000 Yes. 202 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:40,000 Wow. 203 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,000 And so soon after that, gold starts showing up on the black market. 204 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:44,000 Yeah. 205 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:50,000 The farmers unearthed thousands of Tyrona offerings left in burial pits at Ciudad Perdida. 206 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:54,000 Some of this stunning jewelry is on display at the Museum of Gold in Bogota, 207 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:59,000 but much of it vanished, lost to the illegal antiquities trade. 208 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,000 And how do archaeologists find this place? 209 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,000 The thing is that the looters, they started to fight in and killing each other over the gold. 210 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Treasure of the Sierra Madre. 211 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:09,000 Have you ever seen that movie? 212 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,000 Humphrey Bogart, great movie. 213 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:12,000 Similar story. 214 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:16,000 Greed brought out the worst in the conquistadors and in these farmers. 215 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:23,000 Fortunately, one of them blew the whistle and led archaeologists to the ruins of a real-life Eldorado, 216 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,000 allowing it to be studied and conserved. 217 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:33,000 Nearly 40 years later, the team we're trying to reach believes that what's been found so far is just scratching the surface. 218 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,000 Okay, uphill? 219 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:36,000 Not so planned. 220 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:37,000 Let's go. 221 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:38,000 That's rude. 222 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,000 Okay, so Humphrey Bogart is this down on his luck prospector, right? 223 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,000 He's in a bar and this guy comes in and he's got a map. 224 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,000 We forge on mile after mile. 225 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:50,000 Hey, Brian. 226 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:51,000 What? 227 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,000 Have you ever seen Treasure of the Sierra Madre? 228 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:55,000 No. 229 00:10:55,000 --> 00:11:01,000 As dusk approaches, we find our shelter and try to get some rest. 230 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:06,000 We're back at it bright and early. 231 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,000 Just six miles to go becomes my mantra. 232 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,000 The trek is starting to feel like Groundhog Day. 233 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,000 Oh, look, another bridge. 234 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,000 Only this one is more of a bridge to be. 235 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,000 Okay, Josh, here's where we cross. 236 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:22,000 Okay. 237 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,000 All right, let's get wet. 238 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:25,000 Come on. 239 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,000 Let's do it. 240 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,000 Yeah, that is not warm. 241 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,000 Everybody's across? 242 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:40,000 Okay, let's do it. 243 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,000 From here, there's nowhere to go but up. 244 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:50,000 We climb higher and higher into the mountains until we finally get to the top of the mountain. 245 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,000 We're going to cross the mountain. 246 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:54,000 We're going to cross the mountain. 247 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,000 We're going to cross the mountain. 248 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,000 From here, there's nowhere to go but up. 249 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:07,000 We climb higher and higher into the mountains until we finally reach the first traces of the lost city. 250 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,000 Josh, do you see this? 251 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:10,000 Yes, stairs. 252 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,000 Yes, this is part of the lost city. 253 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,000 This was built by the Tyrona. 254 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:18,000 This was built by the Tyrona over a thousand years ago. 255 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,000 Unbelievable. 256 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,000 And look, it just goes up, up, up. 257 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:28,000 The entrance to Ciudad Perdida is a marvel, exactly 1200 steps engineered in dense jungle. 258 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,000 One, two, three, four. 259 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,000 These stairs are the only way in or out of the lost city. 260 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:39,000 The Spanish noted that Tyrona warriors were incredibly fierce, 261 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:44,000 using their tactical knowledge of the jungle to carry out lethal ambushes. 262 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,000 By funneling invaders onto narrow staircases like this, 263 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:53,000 the Tyrona were able to repel attacks and keep the Spanish at bay. 264 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:57,000 261, 262, 263, 264, 265. 265 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,000 But we will persevere. 266 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,000 Turns out every day was leg day for the Tyrona. 267 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:11,000 597, 598, 599, 600. 268 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:12,000 Halfway, guys. 269 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:13,000 Can we stop? 270 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:14,000 Thirsty. 271 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:15,000 I can't hear you. 272 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,000 Keep walking, everybody. 273 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:17,000 You're doing great. 274 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:18,000 You're doing great. 275 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,000 Everybody's doing great. 276 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,000 We're gonna die. 277 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:27,000 We climb on, and the ancient stair master literally takes my breath away. 278 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:31,000 But what we find at the top truly leaves me speechless. 279 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,000 After three days and more than 20 miles uphill, 280 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:41,000 we are among a small handful of people to reach one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the last century. 281 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,000 The lost city. 282 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:48,000 1198, 1199, 1200. 283 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,000 Oh, come on. 284 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:53,000 Look at this. 285 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:01,000 Woo. 286 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,000 Look at this place. 287 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,000 This is insane. 288 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,000 If you're looking for a lost city, here it is. 289 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:16,000 I'm searching for the truth behind the legend of El Dorado at Ciudad Perdida, 290 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:21,000 the ruins of a lost city hidden in the depths of the Colombian jungle. 291 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,000 What lies before us is a marvel of engineering. 292 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:30,000 More than 169 stone terraces spanning 88 acres, 293 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:36,000 all built on a 4,000-foot peak in the middle of a deeply inhospitable jungle. 294 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,000 Completely overgrown when it was first discovered, 295 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:45,000 archaeologists Santiago Geraldo and his team have been excavating this site for decades, 296 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:49,000 living and working out of their own makeshift village near the ruins. 297 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,000 Oh man, so great to meet you. 298 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,000 All right, good meeting you too. 299 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:53,000 I love your office. 300 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000 Beats a cubicle any time of day. 301 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:56,000 Right? I got a lot of questions. 302 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:57,000 Go, far away. 303 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,000 Let's start with this. When? 304 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:06,000 The place began to be built by what we think were sort of like pioneers coming into new farming areas around 650 AD. 305 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:10,000 Spanish called them all Tidona, but we don't know what they called themselves. 306 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,000 Right. 307 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,000 And when does this main section of the city get built? 308 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:18,000 This was built up sometime between 1100 and 1200 AD in a single push. 309 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,000 Okay. At its height, what do we think the population was here? 310 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,000 Anywhere between 2000 and 3000 people. 311 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Just in this? 312 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,000 Just in this town, in the upper part of the basin, over 10,000 people. 313 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,000 All this forest that you see wasn't here. 314 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:34,000 So what you'd have seen would have been farmland and patches of forest. 315 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:35,000 Right. 316 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,000 We see these big rings and these terraces. 317 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,000 Would all of these have a structure on them? 318 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,000 Yeah, all of these had structures on them. 319 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:42,000 Smaller rings are dwellings. 320 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:48,000 The really large rings are community spaces, feasting areas, workshops and what have you. 321 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,000 So kind of like the Kogi huts that I saw coming up. 322 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,000 It's very similar architecture. 323 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,000 It would have been bigger. 324 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,000 Yeah. 325 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:55,000 But a bit more sophisticated and polished. 326 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:56,000 Got it. 327 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:02,000 The terraced platforms we see today are just the foundations of this vanished metropolis. 328 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:09,000 Radiating out from the city center were hundreds of interconnected plazas stretching far into the jungle. 329 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:18,000 Each plaza was dotted with round, thatched roof buildings ranging in size from single family dwellings to massive multi-story town halls. 330 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:23,000 All landscaped with tropical fruit trees and fed by irrigation channels. 331 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:30,000 Now, after two decades spent exploring these ruins, Santiago is just starting to map its full extent. 332 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:31,000 That's extraordinary. 333 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:37,000 You know, that we have this thriving civilization here building absolutely stunning things. 334 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:42,000 And yet, I think to a lot of the world, Tyrona isn't a name that they know. 335 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:48,000 When the Tyrona culture built this mega city on a mountain, Europe was in the throes of the Dark Ages. 336 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:53,000 The Maya were in decline and the Great Inca Empire didn't even exist. 337 00:16:53,000 --> 00:17:00,000 But because the Tyrona didn't have a written language, most of what we know about them comes from their greatest enemy. 338 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,000 How did the Spanish talk about the Tyrona and their chronicles? 339 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,000 They described them as decked out in jewelry and finery. 340 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,000 Like most everyone had gold nosepieces, gold ear spools. 341 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,000 That was just daily use. 342 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,000 The Spanish must have really been intrigued by that. 343 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:20,000 When we talk about El Dorado, the Spanish obsession with this idea that there's a golden city, 344 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:25,000 is part of it fueled by places like this, spots that the Spanish could not easily get to. 345 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,000 It's always the idea that the indigenous folks are hiding something. 346 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,000 Sure, right. 347 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,000 But they're hiding it away. 348 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:32,000 Right. 349 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:40,000 Eager to get their hands on gold, the Spanish founded Santa Marta in 1525 and began raiding coastal Tyrona settlements. 350 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,000 But conquering this jungle citadel was too great a challenge. 351 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,000 This is far away from Santa Marta. 352 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:50,000 Getting here would have been a good eight to ten days. 353 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:58,000 And when they did venture deeper into Tyrona territory, the Spanish were turned back by the harsh jungle and fierce warriors. 354 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,000 The Spanish had a really hard time with the Tyrona. 355 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:06,000 Poisoned arrows, big stones tumbling down staircases, taking people down. 356 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,000 This is not a place that you would want to attack. 357 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:13,000 If you've got the high position, you can defend almost every single foot of the space. 358 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:19,000 But despite never reaching Ciudad Perdida, the Spanish still sowed the seeds of its destruction. 359 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,000 Why does it collapse up here? 360 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:22,000 Why does it all go away? 361 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:26,000 There were a number of epidemic cycles that were diseases brought in by the Spanish. 362 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:31,000 Smallpox, influenza, typhoid fever, cholera, bubonic plague. 363 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:35,000 And indigenous populations of the Americas had no immune response to them. 364 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,000 Ninety percent of the population dies. 365 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:43,000 The Tyrona ceased to exist as a sociocultural entity. 366 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:44,000 Right. 367 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 So from that time period until the 1970s, nobody's up here? 368 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:49,000 No one's up here. 369 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,000 It is literally lost the time? 370 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,000 Yeah, absolutely. 371 00:18:53,000 --> 00:19:01,000 When looters finally found the lost city, they dug up hundreds of Tyrona graves and stole thousands of golden artifacts. 372 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:05,000 But Santiago is convinced they barely scratched the surface. 373 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:13,000 He brings me to a Tyrona monument that may be the key to unlocking more lost cities and their treasures. 374 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,000 Okay, Josh, this is one of Ciudad Perdida's biggest mysteries. 375 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:20,000 Some people like to call it the Mapstone. 376 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,000 The Mapstone. 377 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:26,000 So it is this huge stone that looks like it is completely carved. 378 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:32,000 It's got all these incisions on it, and it's got it on this face, on the sides, but not on the back. 379 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:36,000 I haven't seen any other carved stones like this walking around. 380 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,000 There's nothing like this at the site. 381 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:43,000 Nothing like the Mapstone has been found throughout Colombia or throughout the Caribbean. 382 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,000 Wow. 383 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,000 What are some of the theories as to what this thing is? 384 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:51,000 Some people think that it's originally the map of Ciudad Perdida. 385 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:52,000 City map. 386 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:53,000 Welcome to Ciudad Perdida. 387 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,000 You are here. 388 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,000 Sure. 389 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,000 Okay. 390 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,000 But we've overlaid it on top of actual maps and they don't fit. 391 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,000 Me and my colleagues, we have a number of theories. 392 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,000 Like some sort of constellation map. 393 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:04,000 Aliens. 394 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:05,000 Oh, of course. 395 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,000 Okay, so it's probably not a star map made by little green men. 396 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:18,000 Santiago has a more down-to-earth hypothesis he's eager to test with the help of imaging expert Daniel Rodriguez Osorio. 397 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,000 I'm Josh. 398 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,000 Nice to meet you, man. 399 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Nice to meet you. 400 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:22,000 Talk to me. 401 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,000 What are we going to do? 402 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,000 We're going to take a bunch of pictures and then we're going to stitch them together. 403 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:31,000 That's going to allow us to see the depth and then to create a tree model. 404 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,000 So kind of help us get rid of the moss and all that and just bring out the line. 405 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,000 Let's get snapping. 406 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:37,000 Come on. 407 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:38,000 Go for it. 408 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,000 Let's go. 409 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:42,000 Work it. 410 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:43,000 Work it. 411 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:44,000 Show me sexy. 412 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,000 Okay, now you're a stone. 413 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,000 Daniel snaps hundreds of pictures of the mysterious Mapstone. 414 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,000 A few hours later, the images are rendered into a 3D model. 415 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:57,000 Whoa! 416 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,000 Look at that! 417 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:00,000 That is incredible. 418 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,000 That is very cool. 419 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Wow, and you can manipulate it in any direction. 420 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:11,000 If we want to get rid of all of the noise of the lakens and the moss, we just need to do monochrome. 421 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,000 This is really amazing. 422 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:18,000 One of the things that jumps out, of course, is these long paths that we see right here. 423 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:22,000 It appears to be representing a much larger territory. 424 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,000 Well, that begs a really important question. 425 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,000 Are there other cities out there? 426 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,000 No, absolutely. 427 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:27,000 Absolutely. 428 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:28,000 No question? 429 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:29,000 No question. 430 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:33,000 So deeper in this jungle, farther up in this basin, there could be other places like Seadodd-Perdida. 431 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:34,000 Yes, I'm absolutely certain. 432 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:35,000 How? 433 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:36,000 Let me show you. 434 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:44,000 We retire to the team's mess hall to review new intel that could lead to undiscovered cities and even Tyrona Gold. 435 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:46,000 Okay. 436 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:50,000 So? 437 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:57,000 So very recently, we were able to complete a four square mile LIDAR scan of the area around Seadodd-Perdida. 438 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,000 It's this laser scanning technology. 439 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,000 You did it with a helicopter or a plane? 440 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,000 We did it with a helicopter. 441 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:15,000 It sends out hundreds of thousands of lasers and they filter through the canopy, hit the ground, bounce back, and give us a very, very precise map of all the terrain. 442 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,000 So it's absolutely crazy. 443 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:18,000 Did it find anything? 444 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,000 Way more things than what we were expecting. 445 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,000 Everything in orange could be an archaeological site. 446 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:27,000 Wait a minute. 447 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,000 Everything on here that's orange is potentially a Tyrona site? 448 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,000 It's 300 acres of potential sites. 449 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,000 It's the whole basin? 450 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,000 Everything in orange appears to be Tyrona architecture. 451 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:43,000 Hundreds of round, flat terraces just like those at Seadodd-Perdida. 452 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:50,000 If these scans are accurate, dozens of lost cities and incalculable treasures lie hidden in the jungle. 453 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,000 This is far from legend. 454 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:57,000 This could be a real-life Eldorado just waiting to be discovered. 455 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,000 We knew that there were more sites. 456 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,000 But then when we saw this data, it was like, wow. 457 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:07,000 Okay, we've got a lot of walking to do. 458 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:08,000 Where are we? 459 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:09,000 Here. 460 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:16,000 So you've got this impressive Lidar data, but the question does remain, are these sites? 461 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,000 The only way of knowing it is to go out and verify them. 462 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,000 What on here looks promising to you? 463 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,000 This one right here. 464 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,000 It's located on a ridge line. 465 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,000 Very similar to the pattern that we find at Seadodd-Perdida. 466 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:28,000 There's no paths out there. 467 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:29,000 There's no... 468 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:30,000 No paths. 469 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:31,000 Nothing. 470 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,000 No. There's nothing upriver. No one lives upriver. 471 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,000 So what would it take to reach that place? 472 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,000 About a day or two, whether permitting. 473 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,000 It'll be a really hard hiding. 474 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:46,000 But before we bushwhack into the wild jungle, Santiago has arranged for a scout. 475 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:51,000 A helicopter that supplies the archaeologists here graciously allows me to hitch a ride. 476 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:57,000 To safely put boots on the ground, we first need to chart a path to the site. 477 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,000 Okay, let's fly. 478 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:12,000 We take off and fly toward the unknown, and hopefully the location of a truly lost city. 479 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:39,000 I'm lifting off from the ruins of Seadodd-Perdida, searching for a real El Dorado, a lost Tyrona 480 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,000 city hidden in the depths of the Colombian jungle. 481 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:49,000 Okay, let's chase these coordinates and get over our target site here in the Lidar. 482 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,000 Crossing over the first ridge. 483 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,000 We can see it dips way down to another valley. 484 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,000 I can see what looks like a creek down there. 485 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,000 We'll have to climb up this second ridge as well, it looks like. 486 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,000 By air, the target is just three miles away. 487 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:10,000 But with terrain this unforgiving, the question becomes, can we actually hike to it? 488 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,000 So here's the second ridge, and our target should be in here. 489 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:24,000 Oh, and it drops way down on the other side, looks like into a valley with another river there that we're going to have to cross. 490 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,000 Goes right back up in a vertical to a second ridge, that looks ugly. 491 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:34,000 There's no place you could land out here, there's really no way to get down there at this point. 492 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,000 We're now approaching our target coordinates. 493 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,000 The site should be somewhere right beneath us. 494 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,000 But all I can see is green. 495 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:50,000 There is just no break and there can't be not a clearing, nothing. 496 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,000 If something's down there, and I don't know that it is, we're going to have to find it the hard way. 497 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,000 We turn around and fly back to Ciudad Perdida. 498 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:04,000 The road ahead, or lack thereof, will be beyond challenging. 499 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,000 Tomorrow, we blaze a trail. 500 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:21,000 Brutally early the next morning, my crew and Santiago's team gather in the clouds to begin our next incursion into the jungle, 501 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:25,000 and towards what we hope is another lost city. 502 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:30,000 We go on this side of the mountain, cross a creek, and then head up that ridge line. 503 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,000 It looked a lot easier on the light arm map. 504 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,000 Yes, maps do lie quite a bit. 505 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,000 Yeah, this is a lot more vertical looking. 506 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,000 As the crow flies, it's really not that far. 507 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,000 Sure, but we're not crows. 508 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,000 As the snail crawls, it's a whole different ball game. 509 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:45,000 Okay, should we get into it? 510 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:46,000 Let's go. 511 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:47,000 You ready, everybody? 512 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,000 Let's do it. 513 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:56,000 We're hiking into territory that is so uncharted, it might as well be on another planet. 514 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:04,000 In fact, everything you're seeing from here on out, you may be the first people to see it, since the Tyrono were here 400 years ago. 515 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,000 Just remember, follow Santiago and Daniel. 516 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,000 If you're following me, you're in trouble. 517 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,000 These steps are real slick. 518 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:15,000 The stone steps are treacherous, but at least there's a path. 519 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:20,000 That doesn't last for long though, and soon we're completely on our own in the jungle, 520 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:25,000 surrounded only by nature and totally exposed to the elements. 521 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:29,000 We're basically off trail from this point onwards. 522 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,000 Stay. 523 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,000 Watch out. 524 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,000 You okay? 525 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,000 Yeah. 526 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,000 It's a challenge. 527 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,000 It's a real challenge. 528 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:56,000 Hey guys, let's get rain covers with the ready. 529 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,000 I think it's going to dump. 530 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,000 We're going to get wet. 531 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,000 It's like a slide, it's like a mud slide. 532 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:11,000 The rain pushes the needle on this hike from challenging to miserable. 533 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:15,000 This is where things get fun. 534 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:19,000 We're slogging down a steep ravine with zero traction. 535 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:22,000 It's a little like descending a mountain made of warm butter. 536 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,000 It's going to get slipperier and slipperier and slipperier. 537 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:27,000 Oh, f***. 538 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,000 It's just going to get way, way worse. 539 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:32,000 Than this? 540 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,000 Than this, yeah. 541 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,000 Time to go. 542 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:37,000 Let's go. 543 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,000 And if the ground sliding under our feet isn't enough, 544 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:45,000 we find out quickly that the rainforest itself is capable of leaving a mark. 545 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,000 Ah, God, I put myself. 546 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:49,000 You okay? 547 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:50,000 I don't know. 548 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,000 Ah, f***. 549 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,000 Let me see. 550 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,000 Fell down in the branch right into me. 551 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:00,000 I just got to clean out and look at it, but I don't think it's that deep. 552 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,000 One of those spiny palms. 553 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,000 Spiny palms, don't touch. 554 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:09,000 Everything in this jungle has evolved to play defense, even the trees, 555 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:13,000 many of which are covered in painful needles. 556 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:17,000 It's astounding that the Tyrona built cities in this environment 557 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:22,000 and easy to see why so many of the Spanish who searched for them never returned. 558 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:25,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa, Brian! 559 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:26,000 Brian! 560 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:27,000 Brian! 561 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:28,000 Yeah. 562 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:29,000 Are you okay? 563 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,000 Okay. 564 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:35,000 After sliding off the ridge, my director of photography, Brian, was saved from a far more dangerous fall 565 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,000 by a tangle of vines. 566 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,000 Okay. 567 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:42,000 Our local guides raced to the rescue, cutting away the vegetation. 568 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,000 Now, Rob, your first outing on Expedition Unknown. 569 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,000 Easier or harder than you were told? 570 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:55,000 I just want to survive the one, then we'll worry about the second one. 571 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:59,000 Welcome to the team, man! 572 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:05,000 Freed from the vines, we tossed Brian a rope and hauled him back up to somewhat safer ground. 573 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,000 Yeah, Brian! 574 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:09,000 Woo! 575 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:13,000 Crisis averted, we forge ahead. 576 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,000 Again. 577 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,000 Okay, right behind you. 578 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:23,000 I gotta say, I have made a career out of going to very remote, difficult places. 579 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:30,000 I have never been in a jungle environment that was more challenging than this one ever. 580 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:36,000 This...this is madness. 581 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:40,000 Woo! 582 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:44,000 We finally find some relatively level ground. 583 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:49,000 I'd be thrilled except for the river running through the middle of it. 584 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,000 You could almost do it here, but it's a little too spicy. 585 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Yeah, I mean, if you take a tumble right here, you're going down. 586 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,000 You're going down all the way to the river. 587 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:00,000 And it's raining, so does that mean this thing's going to get fatter? 588 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,000 Yeah, this is going to slow up. 589 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:02,000 Okay, let's get moving, guys. 590 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,000 We're just too heavy. 591 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:07,000 The recent rain is going to make this river impassable. 592 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,000 We cross now, or we don't cross at all. 593 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,000 All right, here we go. Nice and slow, everybody. 594 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:18,000 The rushing water nearly pulls me off my feet. 595 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:23,000 Nice and easy. A little deeper here. 596 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:28,000 If someone gets swept up in this current, they'll be in Brazil by sunset. 597 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,000 Almost there! 598 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:36,000 Something my field producer, Dave Deuce, learns the hard way. 599 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:43,000 Dave! Grab him! Grab his arm! 600 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,000 All right, here we go. Nice and slow, everybody. 601 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:56,000 Deeper here. Almost there! 602 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:03,000 Dave! Grab him! Grab his arm! 603 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,000 Give me a hand! Give me a hand! 604 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:09,000 Ah! Ah! F***! Come on! 605 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,000 Got this! 606 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,000 He's okay! F***! 607 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,000 He's okay! 608 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,000 Another close call. 609 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,000 After a cheating disaster, my producer Dave Deuce catches his breath, 610 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:30,000 and we soldier on in search of a lost Tyrona city deep in the Colombian jungle. 611 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:40,000 Over the river. Okay, what's the move? 612 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,000 So, everyone, the going is very steep, very slippery. 613 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,000 If you're going to grab anything, look before you grab, 614 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,000 because there's a lot of spiny, thorny stuff. 615 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,000 Okay, this is as bad as it's going to get, right? 616 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,000 Yeah, for the time being, yeah. 617 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,000 Tomorrow, it'll get worse. 618 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,000 Me, no happy. 619 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,000 We resume our trek into the mountains, as the rain resumes with a vengeance. 620 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:07,000 Fortunately, Santiago's team is equipped with the latest rain gear. 621 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,000 Nice hat! 622 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,000 This is truly insane. 623 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,000 It's basically no trail at all. 624 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:21,000 Just pulling yourselves up this super muddy incline, deeper into the jungle. 625 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,000 It goes on like this for hours. 626 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,000 A lot of loose rocks. Be very careful. 627 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,000 You don't dislodge something and send it down. 628 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,000 Hey, guys. 629 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:48,000 I just remembered I left my iPhone charger back at camp. 630 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,000 Go back down. 631 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,000 Hey, probably still I'm up here. 632 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,000 It's okay. 633 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,000 Here we are, equipped with the latest gear, struggling to trek just a few miles. 634 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,000 And yet, somehow, more than a thousand years ago, 635 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:10,000 the Tyrona were able to build sprawling cities and craft elaborate gold jewelry. 636 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:15,000 Seeing where they did it makes their accomplishments that much more impressive. 637 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,000 That was insane. 638 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,000 Everybody good? 639 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,000 Yep. 640 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,000 Okay, we're up the hill and it stopped raining. 641 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,000 So you got, what, two hours of daylight? 642 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:27,000 About the most. 643 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:29,000 You don't think we're going to make it up to location X here? 644 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,000 No, no, no. Too late now. 645 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:32,000 Okay. 646 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:33,000 We've got to make camp here. 647 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:34,000 When you say here? 648 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:35,000 Here is here. 649 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:36,000 Like here? 650 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,000 You know, this is the flattest area we're going to find. 651 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:39,000 Off we go. 652 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:40,000 All right, let's get into it, everybody. 653 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,000 We're making camp. 654 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:46,000 I see why the Tyrona built their massive terrorist platforms. 655 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:50,000 In these mountains, flat ground is a rare commodity. 656 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:55,000 Our first step in setting up camp is to clear an area large enough for our canopy. 657 00:34:55,000 --> 00:35:00,000 That would normally take hours, but thankfully, Santiago has brought along Beto, 658 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,000 who he calls a machete ninja. 659 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,000 It's cheaper than therapy. 660 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:13,000 Next, we construct a roof with rope, branches and tarp. 661 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:14,000 Good. 662 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,000 Okay, here we go. 663 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,000 Stretch it out. 664 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,000 Go. 665 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:21,000 Okay, here we go. 666 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:22,000 Stretch it out. 667 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:23,000 Okay. 668 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:24,000 Okay. 669 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:25,000 Okay. 670 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:26,000 Okay. 671 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:27,000 Okay. 672 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:28,000 Okay. 673 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:29,000 Okay. 674 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,000 Okay. 675 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:31,000 Okay. 676 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,000 Okay. 677 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:33,000 Okay. 678 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:34,000 Okay. 679 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:35,000 Okay. 680 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:40,000 Just in time. 681 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:41,000 Rain's back. 682 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:47,000 After a few finishing touches, I'd almost call it cozy. 683 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,000 And it's just that simple. 684 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:55,000 We built a hotel. 685 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:56,000 Amazing. 686 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:04,000 With shelter taken care of, we set to work on humanity's other basic need. 687 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,000 There we go. 688 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,000 Hey, we got fire. 689 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,000 We made fire. 690 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:18,000 Our little outpost is a far cry from a Tyrona city, but it'll do. 691 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:21,000 And once the sun goes down, we can at least rest for the night. 692 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,000 Sort of. 693 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,000 Okay. 694 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:30,000 Great day, everybody. 695 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,000 Sweet dreams. 696 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:36,000 All right. 697 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,000 On the move. 698 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:43,000 The next morning, we pack up the camp and faster than you can say, what the hell am I still doing here? 699 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,000 We're back on the hike. 700 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,000 Let's watch your footing and watch where you touch. 701 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,000 Super sketchy up here. 702 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:57,000 We trek all morning until we arrive at the last ridge we need to scale to reach our target. 703 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,000 We're going to reach the top of the mountain. 704 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:03,000 We're going to continue at the top of the mountain. 705 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,000 All right. 706 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:11,000 We're going to cut into the rock and start our morning until we arrive at the last ridge we need to scale to reach our target. 707 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,000 Okay. 708 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,000 So, how we doing GPS-wise? 709 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,000 Let me check. 710 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,000 Take a look at where we're at here. 711 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:19,000 Here we go. 712 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,000 Okay, so. 713 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,000 According to the GPS, we're sort of halfway up. 714 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,000 We still have a ways to go. 715 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,920 why one research is so difficult, 716 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:32,560 even why looting was so difficult, 717 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:35,760 and why the Spanish had such a hard time with these folks. 718 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:37,480 One of the things I keep thinking about 719 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:40,200 as I slip and fall and treach up this thing 720 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:42,560 is there might be nothing here. 721 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:43,400 Oh, for sure. 722 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:45,720 You know, that's one of the risks of exploration. 723 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:47,520 One of the benefits with the LiDAR data 724 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:50,240 is that we're moving towards a target. 725 00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:52,280 Whereas before we had the LiDAR data, 726 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:55,440 we were just like moving around in the forest. 727 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:57,320 Right, at least we've got a guide now. 728 00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:58,640 At least we've got a target. 729 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:02,840 For the Tyrona who connected all these sites 730 00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:04,960 with paths and stone stairs, 731 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:08,120 reaching other cities was an afternoon stroll. 732 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,680 400 years later, the jungle has swallowed everything. 733 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:14,440 Now, just seeing if something is out here 734 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:16,840 takes decades of archaeological research, 735 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,320 a cutting-edge helicopter LiDAR scan, 736 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:22,920 and a group of people nuts enough to trek out here. 737 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:23,960 Well, you know, maybe we find just 738 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:25,360 a perfectly preserved staircase 739 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:26,600 that just walked right up. 740 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:29,760 Don't think so. 741 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:32,400 Be positive, Santiago, it could happen. 742 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:34,280 OK, well, I guess we keep climbing, yeah? 743 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:34,760 Yeah. 744 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:35,520 All right, let's keep climbing. 745 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:36,640 Come on. 746 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,480 Don't fall and die, everybody. 747 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:41,920 The break's over, and the hike starts again. 748 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:57,200 OK. 749 00:38:57,200 --> 00:38:59,800 The final push-up of the mountain is punishing. 750 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:01,920 In the rain, it would be impossible. 751 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:05,400 Thankfully, the weather holds, and we keep going higher. 752 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:09,320 It seems to go forever, until it doesn't. 753 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:11,000 We're on level ground. 754 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:11,720 Woo! 755 00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:14,520 OK, coordinates wise, how we doing? 756 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:15,760 We are where we should be. 757 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:16,160 We're here. 758 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:16,760 We are here. 759 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:17,320 This is it. 760 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:18,280 This is it. 761 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:18,920 Nice work. 762 00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:19,600 All right, man. 763 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:20,920 Nice job, everybody. 764 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,320 Yeah, we are on the coordinates. 765 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:26,240 OK, Santiago, I don't know how to break this to you. 766 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:28,160 I do not see a lost city. 767 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:29,080 Of course not. 768 00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:33,120 We still need to verify that something is actually out here. 769 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:33,600 Right. 770 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:35,840 First thing to look for, flagstones. 771 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:36,520 Flagstones. 772 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:37,000 Yeah. 773 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:37,960 Those flat stones, right? 774 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:41,440 Flagstones, grinding stones, walls, anything 775 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:43,560 that looks made by humans. 776 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:44,000 OK. 777 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:45,680 That's where verification comes in. 778 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:47,200 Places are lost for a reason. 779 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:47,760 Absolutely. 780 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:48,320 Machete's out? 781 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:48,880 Absolutely. 782 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:49,600 Machete's out. 783 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:55,600 We get to work clearing centuries of growth 784 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:58,120 while keeping a sharp eye out for any evidence 785 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,000 of human construction underneath. 786 00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:12,040 Josh, hear that? 787 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:12,960 Is that stone? 788 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:13,680 It's stone. 789 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:14,480 Are you sure? 790 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:21,080 Hear that? 791 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:22,200 That does sound like stone. 792 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:22,920 Heal his tear back. 793 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:23,720 Come on. 794 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:26,600 OK. 795 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:30,000 Healy cuts a little bit. 796 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:30,800 Watch out. 797 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:31,600 Yeah. 798 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:35,560 OK. 799 00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:37,800 Lots of roots. 800 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:38,680 Oh, yeah. 801 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:39,560 Oh, there we go. 802 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,520 Look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look. 803 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:43,520 Ha ha! 804 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:44,560 Look at that! 805 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:45,800 Is it a wall? 806 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:46,680 Oh, my word. 807 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:48,320 Look at that! 808 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:49,320 This is a wall! 809 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:50,560 Unbelievable! 810 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:51,560 Ha! 811 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:59,120 While climbing the 1,200 steps to see you, Dodd Perdida, 812 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:02,720 my producer, Rob, thought of something so important, so 813 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:06,960 profound, so, well, you just have to see it to understand. 814 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:07,880 Wait, wait, wait. 815 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:10,200 Don't go all the way top. 816 00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:11,640 We got a gift for you. 817 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:12,680 What? 818 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:16,760 We got you something to celebrate the top of the steps. 819 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:19,800 Oh, my word. 820 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:22,480 This is genius. 821 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,720 Who wants to break a world record? 822 00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:25,800 Back up, everybody. 823 00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:33,800 There the well, brave slinky. 824 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:34,520 There the well. 825 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:52,600 OK, now who's going to hike down to get it? 826 00:41:55,720 --> 00:41:56,720 Is it a wall? 827 00:41:56,720 --> 00:41:57,720 Yeah, definitely a wall. 828 00:41:57,720 --> 00:41:58,720 Unbelievable! 829 00:41:58,720 --> 00:41:59,720 All right. 830 00:41:59,720 --> 00:42:00,720 It's a wall. 831 00:42:00,720 --> 00:42:01,720 We got pottery. 832 00:42:01,720 --> 00:42:02,720 What's that? 833 00:42:02,720 --> 00:42:03,720 Pottery. 834 00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:04,720 Hey! 835 00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:05,720 Pottery, look at that. 836 00:42:05,720 --> 00:42:07,720 So it's dark in the center, sort of reddish on the outside? 837 00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:08,720 Yeah, yeah. 838 00:42:08,720 --> 00:42:10,720 Yeah, it's a fine red type, tight on up here. 839 00:42:10,720 --> 00:42:13,720 You got a wall, we got pottery, we got a site. 840 00:42:13,720 --> 00:42:14,720 This is crazy. 841 00:42:14,720 --> 00:42:18,720 The Spanish spent centuries searching for El Dorado, 842 00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:21,720 and we just found traces of a city that may have fueled the 843 00:42:21,720 --> 00:42:22,720 legend. 844 00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:25,720 After clearing a portion of the wall, we scour the area, 845 00:42:25,720 --> 00:42:28,720 uncovering more evidence of habitation. 846 00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:30,720 Oh, we got more stone. 847 00:42:30,720 --> 00:42:31,720 Come here. 848 00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:32,720 Come here, check us out. 849 00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:33,720 Yeah, check, check. 850 00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:34,720 Look at this. 851 00:42:34,720 --> 00:42:36,720 There is stonework everywhere. 852 00:42:36,720 --> 00:42:37,720 Oh, yeah. 853 00:42:39,720 --> 00:42:42,720 There's more over here at the edge of a ring right here. 854 00:42:42,720 --> 00:42:43,720 Look at that. 855 00:42:43,720 --> 00:42:44,720 Right here. 856 00:42:44,720 --> 00:42:45,720 Look up here, there's a ring. 857 00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:47,720 We've got the edge of a ring right here, 858 00:42:47,720 --> 00:42:49,720 and we've got another edge of a ring right there. 859 00:42:49,720 --> 00:42:50,720 All this is a terrace. 860 00:42:50,720 --> 00:42:51,720 Just like see that, Perdita. 861 00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:52,720 Big open terrace. 862 00:42:52,720 --> 00:42:53,720 Yeah, yeah. 863 00:42:53,720 --> 00:42:54,720 60 feet across. 864 00:42:54,720 --> 00:42:55,720 Yeah. 865 00:42:55,720 --> 00:42:56,720 Come on. 866 00:42:57,720 --> 00:43:00,720 These terraced platforms would have been connected by stone paths 867 00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:04,720 and covered in round, thatched roof buildings. 868 00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:06,720 The wood structures may be gone, 869 00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:10,720 but we still find traces of what life was like inside. 870 00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:13,720 We've got a grinding stone over here. 871 00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:15,720 Oh, look at that. 872 00:43:15,720 --> 00:43:16,720 Grinding stone means people. 873 00:43:16,720 --> 00:43:18,720 This is kitchen, this is eating, this is family, 874 00:43:18,720 --> 00:43:19,720 this is everything. 875 00:43:20,720 --> 00:43:21,720 That's what it is. 876 00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:23,720 And it's just been sitting here waiting to be found. 877 00:43:23,720 --> 00:43:25,720 Think about the last person who touched this. 878 00:43:25,720 --> 00:43:27,720 That was 400 years ago. 879 00:43:27,720 --> 00:43:28,720 It's absolutely crazy. 880 00:43:28,720 --> 00:43:29,720 It's awesome. 881 00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:31,720 That's one of the things that I love about this job. 882 00:43:31,720 --> 00:43:32,720 This is so cool. 883 00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:33,720 I mean, that's history right there. 884 00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:34,720 All right. 885 00:43:34,720 --> 00:43:35,720 Awesome. 886 00:43:35,720 --> 00:43:36,720 All right, let's keep looking. 887 00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:37,720 I don't know what to do. 888 00:43:37,720 --> 00:43:38,720 I'm going to go get a knife. 889 00:43:38,720 --> 00:43:39,720 I'm going to get a knife. 890 00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:40,720 I'm going to get a knife. 891 00:43:40,720 --> 00:43:41,720 I'm going to get a knife. 892 00:43:41,720 --> 00:43:42,720 I'm going to get a knife. 893 00:43:42,720 --> 00:43:43,720 I'm going to get a knife. 894 00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:44,720 Let's keep looking. 895 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:48,720 Unfortunately, we soon discovered that although this lost city 896 00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:51,720 is a major find, we aren't the first to reach it. 897 00:43:52,720 --> 00:43:54,720 There's a looters trench over here. 898 00:43:54,720 --> 00:43:56,720 Yeah, these guys got into it really bad. 899 00:43:56,720 --> 00:43:58,720 More looter pits here. 900 00:44:01,720 --> 00:44:03,720 The looters were targeting Tyrona graves 901 00:44:03,720 --> 00:44:05,720 and the precious offerings left inside. 902 00:44:06,720 --> 00:44:08,720 But it's not just gold that was lost. 903 00:44:09,720 --> 00:44:10,720 Look at this. 904 00:44:10,720 --> 00:44:13,720 Here's another one of these looter pits. 905 00:44:13,720 --> 00:44:15,720 You can see this big depression down here 906 00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:17,720 under this fallen tree. 907 00:44:17,720 --> 00:44:20,720 This is so sad because this would have been 908 00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:23,720 the grave of a Tyrona person. 909 00:44:23,720 --> 00:44:25,720 It would have had pottery. 910 00:44:25,720 --> 00:44:26,720 It would have had their bones. 911 00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:30,720 It would have had perhaps gold ornaments and things like that. 912 00:44:30,720 --> 00:44:33,720 It sort of robs us of knowing more about the Tyrona, right? 913 00:44:33,720 --> 00:44:35,720 Because they didn't have a written language. 914 00:44:35,720 --> 00:44:39,720 And so their art, their gold, the things they made, 915 00:44:39,720 --> 00:44:41,720 this is how we know about them. 916 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:44,720 And so every time a looter comes up here and takes something, 917 00:44:44,720 --> 00:44:47,720 it's something that we will never, ever get to understand. 918 00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:53,720 But thanks to cutting-edge technology, 919 00:44:53,720 --> 00:44:56,720 archaeologists like Daniel and Santiago are finding a way 920 00:44:56,720 --> 00:44:58,720 to fill in some of the blank pages 921 00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:01,720 in the lost story of the Tyrona. 922 00:45:01,720 --> 00:45:03,720 What are the beach balls all about? 923 00:45:03,720 --> 00:45:06,720 There are reference targets up for laser scanning that we're doing. 924 00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:08,720 So we're going to do a laser scan down here. 925 00:45:08,720 --> 00:45:09,720 That's what this is? 926 00:45:09,720 --> 00:45:10,720 Yes. 927 00:45:10,720 --> 00:45:13,720 While Arreolaidr allows you to identify the sites, 928 00:45:13,720 --> 00:45:17,720 Thereseleida allows you to document the structures. 929 00:45:17,720 --> 00:45:18,720 It brings out the architecture. 930 00:45:18,720 --> 00:45:19,720 Got it. Okay. 931 00:45:19,720 --> 00:45:23,720 And even more importantly, digitizing these structures 932 00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:26,720 gives the archaeological community around the world 933 00:45:26,720 --> 00:45:28,720 virtual access to the site, 934 00:45:28,720 --> 00:45:33,720 from humble stone tools to massive landscape engineering. 935 00:45:33,720 --> 00:45:37,720 We are just beginning to unlock the secrets of the Tyrona. 936 00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:40,720 I feel privileged to help discover a new lost city, 937 00:45:40,720 --> 00:45:42,720 but for the archaeologists out here, 938 00:45:42,720 --> 00:45:44,720 the real work has just begun. 939 00:45:44,720 --> 00:45:46,720 How big is the site? 940 00:45:46,720 --> 00:45:48,720 How many people lived here? 941 00:45:48,720 --> 00:45:50,720 Do any unlooted artifacts remain? 942 00:45:50,720 --> 00:45:53,720 And what will they tell us about the culture? 943 00:45:53,720 --> 00:45:55,720 You have a lifetime's worth of work and then some. 944 00:45:55,720 --> 00:45:57,720 Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. 945 00:45:57,720 --> 00:45:59,720 More like four or five lifetimes worth of work. 946 00:45:59,720 --> 00:46:02,720 We really are just almost literally scratching the surface here. 947 00:46:02,720 --> 00:46:05,720 We're just peeling away the thinnest part of what's here. 948 00:46:05,720 --> 00:46:08,720 With Aerial Lidar and with Theresele Lidar, 949 00:46:08,720 --> 00:46:11,720 we're actually beginning to tease out how it all fits together. 950 00:46:11,720 --> 00:46:15,720 I have to say, just the experience of being here is pretty amazing. 951 00:46:15,720 --> 00:46:19,720 It's not every day you get to go to some place that is off the map. 952 00:46:19,720 --> 00:46:20,720 Absolutely. 953 00:46:20,720 --> 00:46:22,720 You know, a city out in the middle of the jungle 954 00:46:22,720 --> 00:46:24,720 that other than few enterprising looters, 955 00:46:24,720 --> 00:46:25,720 Absolutely. 956 00:46:25,720 --> 00:46:27,720 Nobody's stood here in hundreds of years. 957 00:46:27,720 --> 00:46:28,720 No. No. 958 00:46:28,720 --> 00:46:29,720 Another pin on the map. 959 00:46:29,720 --> 00:46:30,720 Another piece of the puzzle. 960 00:46:30,720 --> 00:46:31,720 All right, let's keep putting it together. 961 00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:32,720 All right. 962 00:46:35,720 --> 00:46:40,720 The Spanish came to the New World for gold, glory and God. 963 00:46:40,720 --> 00:46:43,720 They encountered cultures who prized gold, 964 00:46:43,720 --> 00:46:47,720 not for its material worth, but for its spiritual value. 965 00:46:49,720 --> 00:46:54,720 This fundamental disconnect is at the heart of the El Dorado myth. 966 00:46:57,720 --> 00:47:00,720 Hiding offerings was seen as hoarding wealth. 967 00:47:00,720 --> 00:47:04,720 The Golden Man ceremony was misunderstood as a golden city. 968 00:47:04,720 --> 00:47:08,720 The conquistadors dreamed El Dorado into existence 969 00:47:08,720 --> 00:47:12,720 and saw inaccessible sites like Ciudad Perdida 970 00:47:12,720 --> 00:47:15,720 as proof that it was real, but just out of reach. 971 00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:22,720 For centuries, their quest justified theft and outright genocide. 972 00:47:22,720 --> 00:47:27,720 Even today, gold lust lures desperate looters to steal clues 973 00:47:27,720 --> 00:47:32,720 that could help us understand the pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas. 974 00:47:33,720 --> 00:47:36,720 Thankfully, archaeologists are working tirelessly 975 00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:40,720 to unearth the secrets of these mysterious civilizations. 976 00:47:40,720 --> 00:47:43,720 Because the real El Dorado isn't some golden city, 977 00:47:43,720 --> 00:47:47,720 it's the places, peoples and stories that we've lost. 978 00:47:49,720 --> 00:47:51,720 And while they may not always glitter, 979 00:47:54,720 --> 00:47:58,720 those discoveries are worth far more than gold.