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I think everybody's heard of the Knights Templar.

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But how much of it is true? How powerful were they?

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They are extraordinarily wealthy.

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If you want a legend, if you want treasure.

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Right.

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That's enough to start the story.

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Sure.

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There were terrible rituals.

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And where do we get this idea that they held the Holy Grail?

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This wasn't a ragtag group of knights.

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No, no, these guys were very highly organized, very well trained.

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Okay, headed down.

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Got something different here.

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There is no doubt in my mind at all that there is something hidden here,

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and I've got the evidence to prove it.

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Okay, here we go, fire in the hole.

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Oh, there's a void here. Come here, look, look, look.

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Wait, is this a skull?

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Oh, my word.

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The Order of the Knights Templar.

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Born out of the Crusades in the 12th century,

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it was one of the most powerful and secretive organizations on Earth.

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Founded to protect pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land,

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the Templars grew to become Europe's largest standing army since the Roman Empire,

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accumulating unfathomable wealth.

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But suddenly, in 1312, the Order was accused of heresy and disbanded.

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Its members were arrested, and its leaders burned at the stake.

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To this day, myths and conspiracy theories have shrouded the Templars' true history.

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So, who were they really?

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What happened to their legendary treasury?

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And is there any basis for the rumor that they held the greatest relic in Christendom, the Holy Grail?

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Archaeologists, religious zealots, Indiana Jones all have searched the world over for proof of the Templar treasure.

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Other than Indy, all have come up empty.

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But that may be about to change.

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In a crumbling manor house in England, a newly discovered underground passage may lead to Templar riches.

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And in Poland, an archaeologist is investigating a sealed tower in a Templar church

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that may unlock the secrets of the Order's meteoric rise and dramatic fall.

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So, choose wisely and join me on a hunt for the truth behind the Knights Templar.

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My name is Josh Gates.

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Hello!

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Explorer.

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Adventurer.

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Amazing.

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And a guy who ends up in some very strange situations.

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That was exciting.

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With a degree in archaeology and a passion for the unexplained,

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I travel to the ends of the earth, investigating the greatest legends in history.

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Okay, let's punch it.

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This is Expedition Unknown.

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My hunt for Templar truth and treasure starts in Jolly Old England.

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As much as I'd like to see the sights here in London and eat my weight in fish and chips,

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I'm on a quest to find the Holy Grail.

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Okay, that might be a long shot, but I am here to investigate the mysterious group,

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rumored to have once held it.

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To do that, I'm passing through one of the oldest parts of the city.

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This is Temple Bargate.

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In the Middle Ages, it was the most important entrance to the city of London,

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linking the Palace of Westminster to the Tower of London.

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And just beyond it lies the former headquarters of the Knights Templar in England.

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Down a narrow alley, tucked away from the modern world,

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I find a circular church that looks a bit like a medieval castle.

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I'm here to meet Dr. Jones.

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No, not that one.

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The Reverend Robin Griffith Jones.

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He doesn't carry a bullwhip, but he did write the book on the Knights Templar, literally.

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Reverend.

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Josh, good morning. Hello. How very nice to see you. How are you?

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Very nice to meet you.

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Welcome to the Temple Church.

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I mean, breathtaking.

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Isn't it just under the morning like this? Isn't it gorgeous? Absolutely wonderful.

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It's incredible.

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I want to make sure I get your title correct. It's a very specific title.

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I hope you get it right too.

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You are the Reverend and valiant master of that temple.

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Does that come with a sword and a shield?

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Well, he did. 800 years ago he did.

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It's now just has a clerical collar. You know, same difference.

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Same difference, exactly.

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So I think everybody's heard of the Knights Templar, right?

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True.

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But I think people know them from Indiana Jones and the Da Vinci Code and conspiracy stories.

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I think if you really pressed somebody and said, who were they,

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that they wouldn't really know. What's the real story?

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Well, it starts in the 1099 when the Christians take Jerusalem for the first time in hundreds of years.

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The center of the Christian world had been under Muslim control.

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That is, until the first crusade recaptured the Holy City.

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It becomes a pilgrimage destination, but the journey from Europe is long, perilous and expensive.

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Ambush attacks and robberies are common.

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And from this problem, a solution is born.

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In 1119, thereabouts a group of nine French soldiers, knights,

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go to the King of Jerusalem and say, we would like to form an order of monks,

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and we will also be warriors. We will protect pilgrims.

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So this is a kind of funny marriage, right?

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It's a very funny marriage indeed.

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And to be really honest, the first few years nobody knew what to make of them.

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I mean, it's really wrong. Monks pray, soldiers kill.

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But this medieval collective did both jobs very well, especially the killing part.

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Their fighting skills became legendary.

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And to make yet another George Lucas reference, the original outline for Star Wars

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called the pious, lightsaber-wielding warrior's Jedi Templar,

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which was of course later changed to Jedi Knights.

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At their height, the Templars build how many fortresses, how many churches around Europe in the Holy Land?

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There are hundreds of commanderies.

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Within England itself, there were 14 or 15 round churches like this,

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only four actually survived.

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Just in England?

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Just in England.

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What started as an order of just nine men grew into a large-scale,

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global organization that lasted almost two centuries.

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Round churches like this were modeled after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem,

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clever branding that connected the Templars to the final resting place of Jesus.

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And it paid off. Protecting pilgrims became big business.

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Because of course, you rarely keep your pilgrims safe if you keep the kingdom safe.

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Yes.

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This means they have to build an extraordinary system of endowments, land, treasure, and cash.

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Wealthy pilgrims regularly deposited funds with the Templars at the beginning of their journey to the Holy Land,

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in exchange for a promissory note.

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And then collected cash as needed at outposts along the way,

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the feudal equivalent of travellers checks.

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This makes them far more than just protectors of pilgrims in the Holy Land.

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They become essential to Europe's diplomatic, unpolitical, and financial life.

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The Templars became a transnational corporation,

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and tax-free donations from kingdoms and wealthy patrons made them richer than most nations.

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Today, on the Order of Billions.

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Among their holdings, at least according to legend, were the treasures of Solomon's temple,

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including the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail.

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So for a while, things are going great for the Templars.

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More than.

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More than, right?

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And the nerve center of all of it for them is Jerusalem.

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Yes, yes.

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And then what happens there?

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Well, the real crisis point is 1291, when the last foothold of the Christian presence in the Holy Land is over.

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The Holy Land falls back into Muslim hands, and the Templars find themselves without a mission.

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Yet they remain very wealthy and very powerful, and this rubs many the wrong way.

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Who ultimately is the one who's going to twist the knife in them?

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Philip the Fire King of France.

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Deeply in debt to the Templars and unnerved by their military might and religious authority,

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King Philip goes on the attack the Old Fashion Way, by starting rumors.

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Rumors that the secret initiation ceremonies of the Templar were steeped in heresy.

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In 1307, there were these charges that at the initiation ceremonies, there were terrible rituals.

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Denying Christ, urinating on the cross.

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I mean, you know, the list goes on. Most of this is clearly malarkey.

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But there was no way of disproving the charges.

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Right.

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Tortured into false confessions, many Templars were burned at the stake.

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The order was disbanded and exiled.

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In one fell swoop, the Knights Templar were no more.

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But what happened to all of their wealth?

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All of this business about Templar treasure and all of the hordes of things they had and relics from the Holy Land.

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I mean, where do we get this idea that these things are still out there?

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They were genuinely wealthy.

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There is one story that on the night before the arrest, 12 Knights Templar were seen leaving Paris with some treasure

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and they got onto 18 chimps and...

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Vanished.

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Completely vanished.

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Dot, dot, dot.

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Absolutely, dot, dot, dot.

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This unfinished story that a group of Templar Knights escaped by sea with treasure has fueled centuries of theories.

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I thank Dr. Jones and take to the English countryside to connect the dots.

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My trusty steed for this journey is a very British triumph scrambler.

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And just like the Templars, this steel horse can go wherever it wants, which makes me one very happy pilgrim.

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Researchers tracing the fleet of escaping Templar ships that left France have focused on England as a probable destination.

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But where exactly?

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Well, to find out, I'm motoring two hours north of London to a historic town where a hunt for Templar treasure is under way.

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Welcome to Burton Upon Trent.

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This was once the beer-brewing capital of the world, thanks to the monks at nearby Burton Abbey, who started brewing in the 11th century.

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The abbey is long gone, but the monks controlled another property in the area, one with direct ties to the Knights Templar.

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This is Sinai Park House, once a grand manor.

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Today, it's undergoing major restoration.

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I'm here to meet with the properties caretaker Kate Murphy and lawyer and historian David Adkins.

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Hi, Josh.

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Kate?

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Yeah, absolutely.

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Nice to meet you.

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David?

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Nice to meet you.

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Pleasure to meet you.

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I'm the elephant in the room here.

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I can't help but notice it needs a little work.

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Just a little bit of a do-or-up, as they would say.

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So, David, you're the historian here.

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Take me through some history.

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How old is this property?

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What's the timeline of this place?

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The first house to be built here was a manor house, going around 1066, just after the Norman conquest.

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And the only other property that's comparable is Burton Abbey, another stone building, about two miles in that direction.

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Right. There was a big, powerful abbey here, yes?

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Massively powerful.

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It was the most powerful abbey in central England.

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The temple of connection with Burton and Sinai starts after 1307.

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The French king was determined to get rid of the Templars to break the temple of power.

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So they were driven from Paris, and they loaded all the treasure that had come from Jerusalem onto a ship at the port of La Rochelle,

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and they depart from that port and sail away into the night.

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The treasure is never seen again.

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So how do we get these Templars from France to Burton?

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They sailed to England because it was the nearest country they could go to away from France.

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And also the monks of Burton Abbey were notoriously corrupt.

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You could buy the monks of Burton Abbey if you had money and needed a favor.

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The monks of Burton Abbey would be the people you would turn to.

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How do we put them here?

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When the Templars leave Paris in 1307, soon after that date, the monks of Burton Abbey take control of Sinai House.

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There's long been a rumor for centuries of a tunnel linking Sinai House to Burton Abbey down there in the Trent Valley.

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Has anybody investigated that?

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Yes. In the 1880s, a group of local professional people, doctors and lawyers, and they get together and investigate what's under Sinai House.

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And do they find anything?

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Yes. They went into the cellar, they broke through a tiny archway, and they went underground for a quarter of a mile.

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David believes that the tunnel was used by the Templars as a hiding place for the treasure they smuggled out of France.

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So as a historian, could those stories be true? Do you think there's really something hidden here?

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Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind at all that there is something hidden here, and I've got the evidence to prove it.

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So what is that evidence?

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We have a press article here.

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It says that explorers succeeded in finding the underground passage entrance, and after proceeding about a quarter of a mile were overcome by fumes.

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And then what? They turned back in this tunnel?

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They turned back, and it was never investigated again.

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Is there anything to corroborate this? Like is there any physical evidence in the house that this actually happened?

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Yes, absolutely. There are things in Sinai House that you absolutely must come and see.

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Please.

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Follow me.

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Whoa. This is, I mean, I feel like I've just stepped into a time machine.

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Well, we are in the 13-14-hundreds here, so I guess you have.

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Okay, well, we're going down.

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Whoa. Look at this place.

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Oh man, look at this brickwork. This is crazy.

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Oh my word, there's something there.

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I'm investigating an historic manor house in England in search of a secret tunnel which could lead to Knight's Templar treasure.

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Welcome to Sinai's Medieval Cellars, and this is the thing that we wanted to show you, because clearly there's something going on with this wall.

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It looks like, you can see this seam here, it looks like something's been bricked up.

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Yeah.

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And what is this?

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It looks like, you can see this seam here, it looks like something's been bricked up.

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Yeah.

234
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:16,000
And what is so intriguing about it is that it just fits like lock and key with this newspaper story and this account of some sort of tunnel here.

235
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,000
Yeah.

236
00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:21,000
Can we look behind this wall? Can we try to get back there?

237
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:25,000
As long as we don't have the building falling down, then yeah, absolutely.

238
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,000
We do want to avoid the building falling off.

239
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:37,000
Against a wall yet undeterred, Kate and David have arranged for Mason Dave Shepherd to carefully drill into the brick and hopefully get a look at what's behind it.

240
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,000
Okay, so what's the plan here?

241
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:44,000
Right, first off, what we're going to do is we're going to drill a hole straight the way through to try and get a camera in.

242
00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,000
State camera, yeah, okay, great.

243
00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:51,000
Once we drill through, past the resistance, we'll know, get a basic idea of how thick the wall is.

244
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,000
Okay, should we drill?

245
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,000
Yep, let's do it.

246
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,000
Come on.

247
00:15:55,000 --> 00:16:02,000
It's time to drill baby drill. Dave starts with a small masonry bit so he doesn't crack the whole wall.

248
00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,000
Okay, here we go, fire in the hole.

249
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,000
We drill cautiously into the centuries old mortar.

250
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:16,000
Until finally...

251
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,000
Oh, we're through.

252
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,000
It went through about where?

253
00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,000
About there.

254
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,000
So two or three layers of bricks?

255
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,000
Yeah.

256
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:27,000
But then no resistance?

257
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,000
Not at all, no.

258
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,000
Okay, so there's something back there.

259
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,000
We widen the hole just enough to get a look inside.

260
00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,000
Snake cam, going in.

261
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,000
Okay, going through the brick here.

262
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,000
It looks like a loose rock beyond the brick.

263
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:49,000
Let's pass that.

264
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:52,000
Oh, oh, there's a void here.

265
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,000
Come here, look, look, look.

266
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,000
That's all hollow space there.

267
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:58,000
There was something back here.

268
00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,000
It looks like whatever it is, it's collapsed in.

269
00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:06,000
So possibly it was a tunnel or something that's collapsed in on itself.

270
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,000
I mean, this could have been a tunnel, for sure.

271
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,000
But if it was, it's totally collapsed.

272
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,000
There is no way through this debris.

273
00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,000
I do see a chalice sitting on a table.

274
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:18,000
Is that significant?

275
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:19,000
Probably not.

276
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,000
Yeah, no, we'll just ignore that.

277
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,000
But I don't think there's a way through from this side

278
00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,000
without ripping this entire thing apart,

279
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,000
which, you know, is going to bring a lot of house down on top of us, I think.

280
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,000
Yeah, that's probably not a good idea.

281
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,000
Yeah, so we can try to attack it from the surface

282
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,000
and see, you know, if we can go above.

283
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,000
Yes.

284
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,000
To figure out where this went.

285
00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,000
Having discovered what may be the remains of a tunnel,

286
00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,000
we excitedly returned to the surface to search from the top down.

287
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,000
Kate calls in some reinforcements to help,

288
00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,000
and as it turns out, they're familiar faces.

289
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,000
Well, Josh, there's a few folks I'd like you to meet.

290
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,000
I believe you already know John.

291
00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,000
John, good to see you again.

292
00:17:58,000 --> 00:17:59,000
Good to see you. I'm Norrie.

293
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,000
Norrie, pleasure from our Boudica investigation.

294
00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:02,000
Absolutely.

295
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,000
That was a very exciting day.

296
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,000
I think there was more coins in one place than I've ever seen.

297
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:11,000
We have 6, 12, 18, 24, 25 coins.

298
00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,000
Fantastic.

299
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,000
And this is Dee Hillier, archaeologist.

300
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:15,000
Hello.

301
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,000
Dee, a real pleasure to meet you.

302
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,000
Pleasure to meet you too.

303
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,000
And I see a trusty ground penetrating radar here.

304
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,000
Yes, definitely.

305
00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,000
So, OK, what's the plan for today?

306
00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:23,000
Well, it's such a historical site.

307
00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,000
We want to have a look around and see what there is.

308
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,000
We're not sure what's going to be under the ground,

309
00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,000
but it'd be fascinating to find out and see.

310
00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,000
Yeah, I mean, just down in the basement,

311
00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,000
there's clearly evidence of, you know,

312
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,000
an arch ador that must have gone somewhere.

313
00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,000
So, I mean, anything could be down here, I suppose.

314
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,000
Yeah, we could have a good look and see.

315
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:42,000
Yeah.

316
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,000
We start our GPR scan in an open field outside the manor,

317
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,000
following a path from the direction of the bricked up tunnel

318
00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,000
to ward what was once Burt Naby,

319
00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,000
while John carefully monitors the results.

320
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,000
This might look like a very simple machine,

321
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,000
but in fact, it's doing something pretty slick.

322
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,000
The machine pulses radar signals down into the Earth,

323
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,000
which reflect back up to the machine.

324
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:10,000
We'll mark any disturbances with a flag to investigate further.

325
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:13,000
Hopefully, underneath one of them will be a Templar tunnel.

326
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,000
How am I doing, Dee?

327
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,000
Oh, brilliantly. Just keep it nice and straight.

328
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,000
Thank you. I used to mow lawns as a kid, so...

329
00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,000
Really? Did you make much money?

330
00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,000
No, and nothing's changed.

331
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,000
We meticulously run the GPR up and down

332
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,000
long stretches of the property near the house,

333
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000
leaving a trail of flags in our wake.

334
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,000
Stop.

335
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:39,000
You got something?

336
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,000
Yes. Dee?

337
00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:41,000
Yeah.

338
00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:42,000
Can we have a flag there, please?

339
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,000
Press on.

340
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,000
OK.

341
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,000
Be ready.

342
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:51,000
Stop.

343
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:52,000
More?

344
00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:53,000
Just back a touch.

345
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,000
Back.

346
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,000
That's it.

347
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,000
Stop.

348
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,000
Yeah, OK. Flag there, please, Dee.

349
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,000
Dammit.

350
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,000
Whatever these targets are, look how evenly spaced they are.

351
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:10,000
Yeah.

352
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,000
About two metres apart.

353
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,000
So, let's see how far this goes.

354
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:13,000
Yeah, OK.

355
00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,000
Stop.

356
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:18,000
So, same thing.

357
00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,000
We've got kind of matching targets on either side of the driveway.

358
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,000
Yeah, you can see.

359
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,000
OK, flags in.

360
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:25,000
Yeah, look at that.

361
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,000
Wow, it does. It looks like a big ditch here.

362
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:28,000
Yeah, yeah.

363
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,000
Something here is wrapped all the way around the house.

364
00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:34,000
So far, the line of flags indicates a subterranean anomaly

365
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,000
in the shape of a uniform path.

366
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,000
Could it be the collapsed tunnel connecting to Sinai Park House?

367
00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,000
There's a lot of different types of flags.

368
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:46,000
It's a very complex tunnel connecting to Sinai Park House.

369
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,000
There's only one way to find out.

370
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,000
We are not fooling around.

371
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:58,000
This excavator will get the scoop on what lies below the surface.

372
00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,000
It may look like a rough process,

373
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:07,000
but the excavator is actually delicately scraping layers of soil

374
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,000
as it digs through history.

375
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,000
Whoa, whoa, hang on. I think we've broken through here.

376
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:16,000
Wow.

377
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,000
The anomaly in the soil turns out to be a thick layer of clay.

378
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,000
Is that clay layer naturally occurring, do you think, Dee?

379
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:29,000
No, I believe it was put there purposefully as puddling clay.

380
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,000
And what is puddling clay exactly?

381
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,000
To make it waterproof, to seal it, essentially.

382
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:39,000
It's an absolute fact that in the 1200s, there was a moat around Sinai.

383
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:40,000
There was?

384
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:41,000
Yes.

385
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,000
So if in fact that's what we're looking at here,

386
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,000
this could be a moat that dates back to the Templar times?

387
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,000
A thousand years or even older.

388
00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,000
Wow.

389
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:53,000
This isn't a Templar tunnel, but it may well be a Templar-era moat

390
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000
that would have been used as a line of defense.

391
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,000
And John has convinced there's even more to find, below the moat.

392
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,000
Okay, so should we try to get down under it?

393
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:02,000
I believe so.

394
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:06,000
The radar data clearly showed that there was rubble at about three feet.

395
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,000
All right, let's keep digging.

396
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:18,000
After just a few more scoops, we suddenly uncover more pieces of the story.

397
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,000
Hold, yeah, hold something.

398
00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,000
Oh, wow.

399
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:26,000
Looks like a bridge tile.

400
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:27,000
And more.

401
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,000
So what is this?

402
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,000
It looks like terracotta, Roman tile, roof tiles.

403
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,000
How old do you think this is?

404
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:35,000
First century AD.

405
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,000
This is Roman era?

406
00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,000
Yeah.

407
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:38,000
Wow.

408
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,000
And that's right underneath this clay layer?

409
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,000
Yes.

410
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,000
And there's a lot of it, it looks like.

411
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,000
Which means it was a Roman defensive ditch and then they fold it in.

412
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,000
Later adapted into a moat?

413
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:48,000
Yes.

414
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:49,000
It's incredible.

415
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,000
What we've potentially uncovered is astounding.

416
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:56,000
A defended Roman settlement here would be an historic find.

417
00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:02,000
One that may explain the very existence of Sinai Park House right here on this site.

418
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:06,000
And it would likely have made it very attractive to the Templar as well.

419
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:12,000
So based on the data, this ditch, you think extends this way?

420
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:13,000
Yes.

421
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,000
And how big do you figure this is?

422
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,000
I think it encircles the whole of the property.

423
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,000
It's incredible.

424
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,000
I mean, this could have been a defensive structure, not only for the Templars,

425
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,000
but for earlier generations as well.

426
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,000
Right.

427
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,000
And if that's the case, that adds to the possibility of the Templars being here

428
00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,000
with wanting to defend something.

429
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,000
It just adds another layer to that story.

430
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:34,000
Right.

431
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:35,000
What are they defending?

432
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,000
They're pretty important and probably pretty valuable.

433
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,000
Based on what we've seen here and based on the fact that that door in the cellar goes somewhere,

434
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,000
I'd say there's a lot more searching to be done here at Sinai House.

435
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,000
I think that's very right.

436
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,000
Well, I'll be back in six months.

437
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,000
Please have it all dug up.

438
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:55,000
While there's no sign of Templar treasure at Sinai House,

439
00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:59,000
our discoveries here have turned out to be even older and no less significant.

440
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,000
David and Kate are determined to keep investigating the grounds,

441
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:09,000
which I have no doubt will yield many more remarkable finds in the years to come.

442
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:13,000
As the sun sets, one Templar mystery sparks another.

443
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:16,000
We know the Templars' power stretched from the Holy Land

444
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:21,000
all the way to here in England, in churches and properties like Sinai House.

445
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:26,000
The question is, how did they maintain influence over such a huge territory?

446
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:31,000
Equating themselves with the protective power of God was a good start.

447
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:37,000
But they would have needed to back that up with some muscle on the ground.

448
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:41,000
To find out how, I make my way to the London suburb of Woking

449
00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:49,000
to enroll in a little night school.

450
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:55,000
Oh boy.

451
00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:00,000
To learn how the Knights Templar were able to control the roads of Europe for hundreds of years,

452
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,000
I've come to the Skola Gladiatoria Historical Fencing Club.

453
00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:15,000
Currently hurting each other are founder Matt Easton and his appropriately named colleague, Jack Butcher.

454
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,000
Hello. I'm hoping one of you is Matt.

455
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:18,000
I'm Matt.

456
00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,000
Is that you? Otherwise I've just interrupted the weirdest mugging in history.

457
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:22,000
Jack.

458
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,000
Jack, nice to meet you. You guys are incredible.

459
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:24,000
Thank you.

460
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,000
Amazing.

461
00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,000
So, I see swords. I see shields.

462
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,000
Are we in Templar territory here with these weapons?

463
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,000
Yeah, we're reconstructing the fighting techniques of Sword and Shield

464
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:38,000
that the Templars might have used according to medieval fencing treatises.

465
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:42,000
So, they have this reputation as being really fierce warriors.

466
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,000
Is that well deserved?

467
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,000
I think all the sources from the time say that they were.

468
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,000
Yeah, I mean they were pretty much professional warriors of their day.

469
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,000
Full-time training and, you know, dedicated that lifestyle.

470
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:57,000
Their cavalry charge was famous and we know from the regulations of their order

471
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,000
their primary weapons the lance.

472
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,000
So, they took the cavalry element of it very, very seriously.

473
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,000
Right. This wasn't a ragtag group of knights.

474
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,000
No, no. These guys were very highly organized, very well trained.

475
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,000
Because they were wiped out so thoroughly,

476
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:15,000
specifics of the Templars' training slipped through the cracks of recorded history.

477
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,000
However, we know they were highly disciplined monks

478
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,000
who did little besides eat, sleep, pray and fight

479
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:25,000
using the deadliest weapons of their day.

480
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,000
As for me, well, I'm tall.

481
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,000
Maybe that'll be enough to keep me alive.

482
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,000
Can you give me a little Templar fighting 101 here?

483
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,000
We can do that, can't we? Yeah, we'll teach you some basic techniques.

484
00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:37,000
Without killing me?

485
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:38,000
Probably.

486
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:39,000
We'll try our best.

487
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:40,000
Probably.

488
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,000
On the loose promise that I probably won't die, I suit up for battle.

489
00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:51,000
The Templars invested heavily in the best armor and weapons money could buy.

490
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:56,000
Knowing that, I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed in this getup.

491
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:57,000
So, Josh, how do you feel?

492
00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,000
I feel like I'm wearing a lot less armor than this guy.

493
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,000
You've got enough of this, OK?

494
00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:02,000
You've got enough.

495
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,000
How about a full armor?

496
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,000
Here's a stick.

497
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:06,000
I don't even get a sword?

498
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,000
No, you get a stick to start off with.

499
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,000
OK.

500
00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:14,000
I start by learning to crawl before I can run, or in this case walk,

501
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,000
through some very basic fighting steps under the tutelage of Matt.

502
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,000
Now, where to hold the weapons?

503
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,000
You've got a few different options.

504
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:25,000
A really, really simple one is just hold this up here, ready to hit.

505
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:26,000
OK.

506
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:27,000
That's a good position.

507
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:30,000
Another variation of this is the hand in the same position, but with the point forward.

508
00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:31,000
OK.

509
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:32,000
Good.

510
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,000
So, if Jack's in the second...

511
00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:35,000
All that shit just got real.

512
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,000
He took a stance and I got real scared.

513
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,000
OK, God.

514
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:44,000
Matt offers me a few medieval combat techniques that the Templars may have used in battle.

515
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,000
And with that crash course, I'm ready to go.

516
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:49,000
And I'm killing him.

517
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,000
I hope.

518
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:57,000
We don our helmets and I prepare for my impending fight with the Black Knight.

519
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,000
None shall pass.

520
00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:02,000
This sucks.

521
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:09,000
Ow!

522
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,000
Ah, it's fine.

523
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,000
It's only a flesh wound.

524
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:17,000
And suddenly, I'm grateful we're only using sticks.

525
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:19,000
OK.

526
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:33,000
Ah!

527
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,000
OK, that was solid and I thought...

528
00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:36,000
You were right.

529
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,000
Right in the skull!

530
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,000
That was literally me watching myself get stabbed in the eye.

531
00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,000
It was like a 3D movie.

532
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:44,000
I yield.

533
00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,000
You did really, really well though.

534
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:47,000
Very, very good.

535
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,000
You're a natural.

536
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:49,000
You're not right.

537
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:50,000
I'm naturally dead.

538
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,000
Honestly, that was really good.

539
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,000
Woo!

540
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:55,000
Props to the Knights Templar.

541
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:56,000
Good.

542
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,000
It ain't easy.

543
00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:58,000
But you've learned some real techniques there.

544
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,000
You've learned some real fundamental fencing techniques.

545
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,000
I learned to make peace with God, just like the Templars actually.

546
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:05,000
Thanks very much.

547
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:06,000
How's it going?

548
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:07,000
It was brilliant.

549
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:08,000
Well done.

550
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:09,000
OK, I'm going to run away.

551
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:14,000
I leave Templar battle school even more impressed with their accomplishments.

552
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,000
But considering the Templars fighting prowess,

553
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,000
it's incredible how quickly they were decimated.

554
00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:23,000
And I'm anxious to learn more about the mysteries of their final days.

555
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,000
Fortunately, I get word of an archaeological site

556
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:30,000
making some remarkable discoveries that could provide answers.

557
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,000
So I pack my bags for a plane ride east to Poland.

558
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:44,000
Welcome to Western Poland.

559
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,000
We are just over the border from Germany.

560
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,000
And this is probably not a place that you associate with the Knights Templar.

561
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,000
At least I didn't.

562
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:58,000
Poland wasn't historically on the main route from Western Europe to the Holy Land.

563
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,000
So what were the Templars doing here?

564
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:05,000
The archaeological dig at a nearby church could offer some clues.

565
00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:10,000
I'm not exactly sure what a Templar church in the Polish countryside looks like,

566
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,000
but hopefully we can find it.

567
00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:17,000
Oh, my word.

568
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,000
I think we found it.

569
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:25,000
Towering above the Polish countryside is an imposing red-bricked chapel.

570
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:30,000
Like the temple church I saw in England, it looks more like a fortified castle.

571
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:36,000
In front of the enigmatic structure, I'm greeted by archaeologist and Templar historian

572
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:40,000
Dr. Shemislav Kolosowski and his translator Carl Lindholm.

573
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,000
This is incredible.

574
00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:46,000
It is. The first time I came here, I was totally amazed.

575
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,000
It's a Templar church in the middle of nowhere.

576
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:53,000
Right. I mean, you have this countryside and then this huge structure.

577
00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,000
When was this built?

578
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,000
When was this built?

579
00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:03,000
It was built in the late 1200s, shortly before the total destruction of the Templar knights.

580
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,000
The design of the church is really surprising.

581
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:10,000
It's a church, but it also looks kind of like a fortress, right?

582
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:13,000
We have these big towers. Those look like aeroslits.

583
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,000
Why is it designed this way?

584
00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:19,000
The church was known as a commandery, and it served as both a place of worship

585
00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:22,000
and a defensive outpost for the Templar.

586
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,000
It was a sign of the Templar's power to all who saw it.

587
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:31,000
A commandery is the name given specifically to outposts of the Knights Templar.

588
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:37,000
They would be led by a single commander and would be used as churches, forts, even as treasuries.

589
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:43,000
According to Dr. Kolosowski, this particular church was the headquarters of the Eastern European Templar

590
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:46,000
and a very important site during their last years.

591
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,000
So a very important place for them. Why is it here?

592
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:53,000
Why is this huge church in the middle of what's now Poland?

593
00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:59,000
As the Templar were losing control of the Holy Land and as they were being persecuted in France,

594
00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:03,000
this became the eastern edge of their territory in Europe.

595
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:09,000
With pilgrimages to Jerusalem now on hold and King Philip of France turning on them,

596
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,000
it was time for the Templar to redefine their mission.

597
00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:17,000
Commanderies like this one on the fringes of their territory would be the perfect place to regroup

598
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,000
and plan for an uncertain future.

599
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:26,000
When the Templar were disbanded, most of their buildings were either repurposed or torn down.

600
00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:32,000
Very, very few Templar artifacts have been found and confirmed burials of Templars, even fewer.

601
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:38,000
But I think we're on the verge of making some huge finds here, possibly even a Templar cemetery.

602
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,000
I see your heart at work here. How long have you been excavating here?

603
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,000
We've just begun to excavate this section,

604
00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:47,000
but there's a mystery in the building itself that I'd love for you to see.

605
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:48,000
Please.

606
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:55,000
As Dr. Kolasowski's dig team works next to the building, we make our way to the entrance of the Commandery.

607
00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:03,000
There, he introduces me to Janet Czervenska, a historian who's researching an interesting quirk in the church's architecture.

608
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,000
Okay, you have a bit of a mystery here.

609
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,000
Yes, and I think you will be very interested in it.

610
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:13,000
One of these towers has stairs, the second doesn't.

611
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,000
It's just a huge empty tower.

612
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,000
Yes, completely empty tower.

613
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,000
Have you seen other construction like this?

614
00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:28,000
We don't know of any similar towers, and most of the Templar structures that resemble this building have just one tower.

615
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,000
The plot thickens. It's even weirder.

616
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,000
So what do we think they used an empty tower for?

617
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,000
A place for treasure.

618
00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,000
A place for treasure, okay.

619
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:47,000
If this was the headquarters for the Eastern European Templar, it would certainly have contained a treasury with both cash and valuable documents.

620
00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,000
Can we look inside? Yeah.

621
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,000
In the back?

622
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,000
Yeah, let's take a look.

623
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,000
Let's have a look.

624
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,000
Wow.

625
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,000
Unbelievable.

626
00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,000
Beautiful place.

627
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,000
It is stunning.

628
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,000
And the mystery tower is back here.

629
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:05,000
Yes.

630
00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:06,000
Can I see?

631
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:13,000
Does it look here?

632
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,000
Oh my word.

633
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,000
Does it look here?

634
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:29,000
Oh my word.

635
00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:36,000
A mysteriously inaccessible tower in a commandery of the Knights Templar has me dreaming of Templar treasure.

636
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,000
Only there's no way to get to it.

637
00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:43,000
This is crazy. There really is no staircase of any kind.

638
00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:45,000
We've got only a lift-up cable.

639
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,000
And the cable comes from the roof?

640
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:48,000
Yes.

641
00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:49,000
So they just dropped it down?

642
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:50,000
Yes.

643
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,000
And so what are these little niches, these little cutouts in the wall?

644
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:55,000
We don't know.

645
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:57,000
The niches are inexplicable.

646
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:02,000
Janet says they don't in any way match the construction of the stairs in the other tower.

647
00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:07,000
And to get a closer look at them will unfortunately be a little bit, well, unconventional.

648
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,000
How do you get up there?

649
00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:13,000
The only way to get up is to come down.

650
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,000
Like from the roof?

651
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:16,000
Yes.

652
00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,000
Oh no, no, no.

653
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:20,000
It's not so high.

654
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,000
No, it is Janet. It's very high. And you know it.

655
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:24,000
Come on.

656
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:30,000
To get to the top, we make our way up the Southwest Tower, the one with stairs.

657
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,000
Josh, if you have a look.

658
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,000
Oh, look at that, a Templar cross. Wow.

659
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:41,000
Every step is made with bricks shaped like this.

660
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,000
So this is the original staircase?

661
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:47,000
Yes. It has been here for almost a thousand years.

662
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,000
Wow. Okay.

663
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:55,000
Okay. All right. Well, you know, what are the odds that it gives way today?

664
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:02,000
Okay.

665
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,000
Now we are on the roof.

666
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,000
Now that I've reached the top, it's time to go down.

667
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:12,000
Janet and the team have rigged the tower's cross beams with repelling gear so we can descend from above.

668
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:18,000
And by we, I mean me, because nobody else wants to dangle from Templar-era timbers.

669
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:25,000
We don't know what purpose this tower served or whether the niches could contain historic artifacts.

670
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,000
But there's only one way to find out for sure.

671
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,000
Okay. Here we go.

672
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:33,000
Tight fit.

673
00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:36,000
Whoo. Long way down.

674
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:43,000
I have plenty of repelling experience, but somehow doing it in a 12th century building seems a bit more risky.

675
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,000
Okay. Heading down.

676
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:56,000
So I'm at the first set of niches here right at the top.

677
00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:59,000
They look empty. Nothing here.

678
00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,000
Okay. I'm going down to the next level.

679
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:08,000
Okay. Be careful.

680
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:09,000
Yeah.

681
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:15,000
The niches are placed every three to four feet and are fairly regular throughout.

682
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:22,000
They don't spiral down like a staircase would, but they could have been placed here to support beams that have long rotted away.

683
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,000
Okay. Don't look down. Just keep working. Here we go.

684
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,000
All right. I'm at the next opening on the wall here.

685
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,000
What can you see there?

686
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:38,000
Some loose brick here.

687
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,000
More loose brick in here.

688
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:45,000
Nothing else.

689
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,000
Okay. Heading down.

690
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,000
I got no carvings. No nothing.

691
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,000
Pretty weird looking bat on the wall right here.

692
00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:58,000
Hey buddy. Sorry to bother you.

693
00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,000
All right. I'm at the next opening on the wall here.

694
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,000
Got something different here.

695
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,000
One of these openings goes way back.

696
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,000
Not like the others.

697
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000
Can you tell me more about it?

698
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:17,000
It's probably three or four times the depth of any of the other openings in the bricks.

699
00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,000
The question is why?

700
00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,000
I don't know. It's a good question.

701
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,000
It's filled with sand.

702
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,000
There's definitely loose brick back there.

703
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:29,000
Josh?

704
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:30,000
Yeah?

705
00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:31,000
Do you think it's a hiding place?

706
00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:32,000
Maybe.

707
00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:35,000
I can see that behind that mortar it goes back further.

708
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,000
But I can't get to it from this angle.

709
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:41,000
Because of the age and historical importance of this building,

710
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:44,000
we don't want to use any invasive methods like drilling.

711
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:48,000
We film and document the recessed opening before carrying on.

712
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:49,000
All right. I'm headed down.

713
00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:52,000
Okay. Great job, Josh.

714
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:56,000
I'm down.

715
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,000
Congratulations.

716
00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:02,000
Is it dusty?

717
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:04,000
Is it dusty? Yeah, a little.

718
00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:07,000
1000 year old Templar dust.

719
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:08,000
It's good for you.

720
00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:11,000
Okay. I'm off belay.

721
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:16,000
A thousand year old dust aside, our repel has aided the investigation

722
00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:20,000
and we've documented a previously unseen feature in the building.

723
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:24,000
In the future, Janet and the team will need to determine how they want to proceed

724
00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,000
as they continue to investigate the tower.

725
00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,000
However, no sooner have I reached the bottom.

726
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:32,000
Josh, Josh, come quickly.

727
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,000
Then I'm called back outside for some exciting news.

728
00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:37,000
What did you find?

729
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:41,000
We have discovered the wall and we think that maybe there's a burial here.

730
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:42,000
A burial here?

731
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:44,000
Oh, where it's dark?

732
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:45,000
Yes, space over there.

733
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:46,000
You can see there.

734
00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,000
Yes, you can see. Right.

735
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:53,000
The difference in color in these two sections of soil tells us at some point in time

736
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:56,000
the darker portion was disturbed or dug up.

737
00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,000
You think it's a complete burial?

738
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:03,000
It looks like it's facing east-west, which could mean it's a Templar period burial.

739
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:04,000
Wow.

740
00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:10,000
Templars were traditionally buried facing toward Jerusalem to witness the rapture and Christ's return.

741
00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:16,000
If this is a Templar burial, it may give us real physical clues about who they really were

742
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:20,000
and why so little of their material culture survives.

743
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:25,000
As the team carefully digs, another member scans the pit with a metal detector.

744
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:30,000
Good thing, too.

745
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,000
They found a coin there.

746
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:36,000
Oh, coin?

747
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,000
Yes, there's a coin.

748
00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:42,000
Ah, f***.

749
00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,000
You got a brush or something?

750
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,000
Official tool of archaeology, toothbrush.

751
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,000
It's made of, is it silver?

752
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:52,000
It's silver, yeah.

753
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:53,000
Silver, but old silver, yeah?

754
00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:54,000
It's patina, yeah.

755
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:55,000
It's patina, yeah.

756
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:56,000
That's bracteat.

757
00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:57,000
So what is it?

758
00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:58,000
Bracteatic.

759
00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:01,000
14th, 15th century.

760
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,000
14th, 15th century?

761
00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,000
So this coin could be 700 years old.

762
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:08,000
Yes, it is.

763
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,000
And for you to give that to me, that's so nice of you.

764
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:14,000
Thank you, bye-bye.

765
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:21,000
A coin from the Templar era buried in front of a commandery like this is a tantalizing discovery.

766
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:25,000
The team uses the find as fuel as they excavate further down.

767
00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:29,000
And we quickly learn that coins are the least of what this place has to offer.

768
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:30,000
What did you find?

769
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:33,000
Yeah, looks like we have a burial.

770
00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:34,000
Oh, oh, oh, right here.

771
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:35,000
Is that bone?

772
00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:46,000
In the historic English town of Burton-upon-Trent, they've been brewing beer since Templar times,

773
00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:51,000
making this the perfect place to seek out the holy grail or just a local ale.

774
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,000
Another beer, please.

775
00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:54,000
Yeah, no problem.

776
00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:56,000
Choose wisely.

777
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:06,000
He chose poorly.

778
00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:11,000
I got it.

779
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:13,000
I've seen the movie.

780
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:16,000
This is right, right?

781
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:17,000
Yeah, that's right.

782
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:18,000
Okay.

783
00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:19,000
Phew.

784
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:29,000
Looks like we have a burial.

785
00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:31,000
Oh, oh, oh, right here.

786
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:32,000
Is that bone?

787
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:33,000
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is a skull.

788
00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:34,000
Oh, there's a skull.

789
00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:35,000
Look at that.

790
00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:36,000
Can I come down?

791
00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:37,000
Yes, come down.

792
00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:42,000
I'm in western Poland investigating one of the last strongholds of the Knights Templar,

793
00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:45,000
and we may be about to make headlines.

794
00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:46,000
Is that the skull?

795
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:47,000
Yes.

796
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:53,000
Few relics from the Templars are still in existence, and a confirmed burial, even rarer still.

797
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:56,000
And so the body is laying, is this east-west here?

798
00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:57,000
Yes.

799
00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,000
So this may be Templar?

800
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:06,000
Yes, this may be Templar, because the head is west, but the face itself is looking east

801
00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:07,000
towards the holy land.

802
00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:16,000
This location for burials was a specially important one, so it was possible that it was somebody very important,

803
00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:18,000
and this was from the Templar period here.

804
00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:19,000
Okay.

805
00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:24,000
We're in the right era, and we're perched on the edge of a huge commandery.

806
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:27,000
Now for the question of the hour, is this a Templar?

807
00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:29,000
This is really amazing.

808
00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,000
Look at this.

809
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:35,000
I mean, this really actually well-preserved skull.

810
00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,000
Good teeth.

811
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:44,000
It's hard to tell on the tops, but the bottom teeth are in great shape, so maybe somebody who is eating well,

812
00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:45,000
somebody of status, maybe?

813
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:46,000
I don't know.

814
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:52,000
The condition of teeth in an historic burial is often a good indicator of social status,

815
00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:56,000
for the simple reason that only the wealthy got enough nourishment to have healthy ones.

816
00:43:56,000 --> 00:44:00,000
We might expect a Templar at a commandery to have teeth like this.

817
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:05,000
And there's one other strong indicator this man was once a Templar.

818
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:08,000
It appears the arms are bent.

819
00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:11,000
Templars were always buried when their arms crossed.

820
00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:12,000
Right.

821
00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:15,000
So we see his right arm is crossed like this.

822
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:18,000
There appears to be two burials, actually.

823
00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:19,000
What?

824
00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:20,000
They're on different levels.

825
00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:21,000
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

826
00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:22,000
Look at this!

827
00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:26,000
So we have a totally separate burial here, right?

828
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:29,000
And then this is directly underneath this, so...

829
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:37,000
In the Middle Ages, they didn't have a tradition of remembering the exact location of every individual burial.

830
00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:42,000
So if there were no monuments placed, they just kept burying people one onto another.

831
00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:43,000
Right.

832
00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:50,000
I'm a pair of bodies deep in this hole, and things are looking more and more like we found an exceedingly rare Templar burial.

833
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:56,000
But incredibly, this grave seems to be more than just a table for two.

834
00:44:56,000 --> 00:45:00,000
Something here.

835
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,000
Oh, is this...this is bone, yeah?

836
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:04,000
Yeah.

837
00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:07,000
Is that a third burial?

838
00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:09,000
Wait, is this a skull?

839
00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:10,000
Yes.

840
00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:12,000
Oh, my word.

841
00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:14,000
Another burial.

842
00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:17,000
That's three in this pit.

843
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:18,000
Oh, my word.

844
00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:19,000
Look at that.

845
00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:23,000
So we have burial upon burial upon burial here.

846
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:25,000
This is truly incredible.

847
00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:34,000
Every pile of dirt that you move reveals more of this person, maybe this Templar.

848
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:35,000
We don't know.

849
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:40,000
But more of their story is revealed with every handful of dirt.

850
00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:45,000
So this is pretty extraordinary.

851
00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:53,000
I think, Josh, that you are likely standing with several Templars at this very moment.

852
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:57,000
This is an important discovery and an emotional one.

853
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,000
This is more than just history.

854
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:01,000
These are individuals.

855
00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:06,000
However, I'll admit to being a little surprised not to see evidence of more pageantry here.

856
00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:08,000
Imagine the Templars.

857
00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:14,000
I think many people picture, you know, knights in armor with shields and swords.

858
00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:16,000
That's our fantasy of the Templars.

859
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:18,000
This is the reality, right?

860
00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:22,000
We have a burial here that is simple, that's humble.

861
00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:26,000
At heart, the Templars were monks doing the Lord's work.

862
00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:30,000
According to their traditions, this is how we should find them.

863
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:34,000
No swords, no shields, and no mythical treasures.

864
00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:36,000
The mythical treasures are here.

865
00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:43,000
They are real people who had real lives and real stories, and this is their real story right here.

866
00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:46,000
Still, we should probably make sure there isn't a grail down here somewhere.

867
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:48,000
Feel free to keep looking.

868
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:50,000
Yes, a little more, just a little more.

869
00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:52,000
We just, we gotta be sure, we gotta be sure.

870
00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:56,000
We know the Knights Templar were many things.

871
00:46:56,000 --> 00:47:00,000
Holy men, soldiers, financiers.

872
00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:06,000
Their wealth and the power it brought was the fulcrum on which all of medieval history turned.

873
00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:13,000
Yet 800 years after they were violently disbanded, most of what is left of the Templars are stories,

874
00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:16,000
and most of those have grown into legends.

875
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:22,000
Vast stockpiles of gold, the fortunes of entire nations, the cup of a carpenter.

876
00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:27,000
No one knows for certain what treasures, if any, are still out there to be found.

877
00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:32,000
But what we do know is that their existence so threatened the powers of Europe

878
00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:36,000
that the order was reduced to little more than a gauzy memory.

879
00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:37,000
But not anymore.

880
00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:44,000
Today, I met the Templar face to face, and I think I better understand the principles for which they lived,

881
00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:46,000
and in the end, died.

882
00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:49,000
Penitence, service, and faith.

883
00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:54,000
We may call them a secret society, but there's no conspiracy here,

884
00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:58,000
and their story is, in and of itself, a treasure.