1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 You know, this whole story is the greatest art heist in history. 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,000 Did you personally take any of the statues that were here? 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,000 It's like a thousand-year-old jigsaw puzzle. 4 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,000 Back in the day, there would have been sculpture everywhere, temples, 5 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,000 and then this huge pyramid looming over everything. 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,000 Something went wrong in this city. Something made it collapse. 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,000 No one really knows for sure what happened. 8 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Doss, come here. 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:36,000 Did you find? 10 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:37,000 I found a column. 11 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,000 Ah! We have an inscription! 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,000 Long way down. 13 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,000 Yeah. 14 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,000 Here we go. 15 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,000 Definitely seen the house curving on it. 16 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,000 This is literally a message from the past. 17 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,000 We are right now the first people to see this in a thousand years. 18 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Oh, f***! This is unstable. 19 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,000 Okay, here goes nothing. 20 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,000 Oh, look at this face! 21 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,000 Oh, my word! 22 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,000 For centuries, the city of Angkor stood as the capital of Cambodia 23 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,000 's mighty Khmer Empire. 24 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,000 Its kings ruled there for 600 years, 25 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,000 except for a brief and mysterious time 26 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000 when the capital was moved somewhere else entirely. 27 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,000 In the 10th century, a king named Jayavarman IV 28 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,000 decided to build a new center of power 29 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:49,000 deep in the Cambodian jungle, a place known as Gacke. 30 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:53,000 Jayavarman oversaw the construction of dozens of temples, 31 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,000 reservoirs, and the tallest pyramid in the entire country. 32 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,000 All of it adorned with the finest statues 33 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,000 in the history of the empire. 34 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,000 But then, only 20 years later, 35 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,000 the city was suddenly mysteriously abandoned. 36 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,000 Its ruins swallowed by the jungle. 37 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,000 But why was it built in such a remote place? 38 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:19,000 And why did it fall? 39 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,000 Unfortunately, the art and sculptures from the city 40 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,000 that could provide crucial answers 41 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,000 have been relentlessly looted or destroyed. 42 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:36,000 But now, an international team of investigators is on the case. 43 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,000 Archaeologists armed with the latest technology 44 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,000 are working hand-in-hand with former looters 45 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,000 to locate and restore these priceless masterpieces. 46 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:52,000 So join me as I journey into the untamed jungles of Southeast Asia 47 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,000 to literally piece together the statues 48 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,000 and the secrets of Cambodia's lost capital. 49 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,000 My name is Josh Gates. 50 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:05,000 Hello! 51 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,000 Explorer. 52 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:07,000 Here goes nothing. 53 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:08,000 Adventurer. 54 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,000 Woo-hoo-hoo! 55 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,000 Oh, that's a long way down. 56 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,000 And a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 57 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,000 I'm alive for now! 58 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,000 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for the unexplained, 59 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,000 I travel to the ends of the Earth, 60 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,000 investigating the greatest legends in history. 61 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:26,000 May you rock and roll. 62 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 63 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,000 Cambodia, one of my favorite places on Earth. 64 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,000 We are steaming up the mighty Mekong River, 65 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,000 the lifeblood of Southeast Asia. 66 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,000 Beginning high in the Himalayas, 67 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:51,000 these waters travel more than 3,000 miles through six countries, 68 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,000 nourishing entire civilizations along the way, 69 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,000 including the Khmer Empire, 70 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,000 which blossomed into an ancient superpower. 71 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 For 800 years between the 7th and 15th centuries, 72 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000 the Kingdom of Khmer controlled almost 400,000 square miles. 73 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,000 From its seat of power in Cambodia, 74 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,000 it ruled over much of Southeast Asia, 75 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,000 including present-day Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. 76 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:25,000 The Empire turned its aptitude for agriculture into vast wealth. 77 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:30,000 Militarily, they were proficient in fighting on both land and water. 78 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,000 This river was the source of much of their power, 79 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:38,000 allowing for trade and spreading the Empire's culture and influence. 80 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,000 Today, the Mekong also flows through Cambodia's modern metropolis, 81 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:47,000 an on-again-off-again capital founded in the 15th century. 82 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,000 It's where our investigation begins, all ashore for Panang Pen. 83 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,000 Panang Pen is known as the Pearl of Asia, 84 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,000 and I've come here to begin my investigation 85 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,000 into both the Khmer Kingdom and the theft of its treasures. 86 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,000 My first stop is Cambodia's National Museum. 87 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,000 Waiting inside is American attorney Brad Gordon. 88 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:17,000 Brad? 89 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,000 Josh. 90 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:19,000 Hey, how are you, man? 91 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,000 Brad has been working closely with the government 92 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,000 and is leading a worldwide effort to locate looted art and antiquities 93 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,000 and bring them back to Cambodia. 94 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,000 I do feel slightly upstaged right now. 95 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Yeah, this is Garuda. 96 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,000 Right, Garuda is the Hindu deity of the skies. 97 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:35,000 Yes. 98 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,000 And this comes from where? 99 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,000 This comes from Gakhe, an ancient royal capital of Cambodia. 100 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:41,000 So let's talk about this place. 101 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,000 Gakhe is unique. 102 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:44,000 It is a one-off, right? 103 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,000 It's a capital way out in the jungle. 104 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,000 Yes, it's remote. 105 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,000 It was only for two kings, Jaya Varman IV and his son, Harshavarman II. 106 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,000 Right. 107 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,000 In 921, Jaya Varman IV shocked the Khmer Kingdom 108 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,000 by uprooting the capital from Angkor, 109 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,000 where it had been established for over a century. 110 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,000 To the isolated jungle of Gakhe. 111 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,000 Jaya Varman and then his son, once he came of age, 112 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,000 took power and ruled there for 20 years. 113 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:18,000 But then, suddenly and inexplicably, the new capital collapsed. 114 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,000 During the period of less than two decades, 115 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,000 you have more than 50 temples being constructed at this site. 116 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,000 It's very remote. 117 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,000 It doesn't make any sense. 118 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,000 Why is it out there? 119 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:29,000 Right. 120 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,000 And they're carving things like this. 121 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,000 Yes. 122 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,000 They're making these magnificent pieces. 123 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,000 They're unbelievably beautiful and they're dynamic. 124 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,000 Before the arrival of the Gakhe style, 125 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:44,000 Khmer statues stood rigidly upright and wore stern expressions. 126 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:49,000 But Gakhe showed gods and kings that danced, flew and smiled. 127 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,000 And yet this statue is not up at Gakhe. 128 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,000 It is here in the middle of Panampe, the middle of the museum. 129 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:55,000 How does it get here? 130 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,000 If we go back to 1874, the French came here. 131 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:04,000 They went up to Gakhe and they went temple to temple to collect statues. 132 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:11,000 The French incursion into Cambodia sparked a historic wave of theft that continues to this day. 133 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,000 Some masterpieces like this one have been repatriated. 134 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:20,000 But when it comes to Gakhe, that's just the tip of the iceberg. 135 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,000 So Josh, in this room there are many statues from Gakhe. 136 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,000 These sculptures were looted. 137 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,000 They were taken out of Cambodia and then over the last decade they were brought back. 138 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,000 So it's not just the colonial French looting out there. 139 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,000 There's a lot of it going on. 140 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,000 We have waves of looting. 141 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:46,000 When we look at the historical record, we could get into the early 70s, Vietnam wars raging. 142 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,000 You have a number of statues going out. 143 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,000 And then 1975 comes. 144 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,000 The Khmer Rouge. 145 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:52,000 Khmer Rouge. 146 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:59,000 The Khmer Rouge were a radical communist movement that seized Cambodia's government in 1975. 147 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:04,000 Under the brutal leadership of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge only ruled for four years. 148 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:10,000 But in that time they were responsible for the genocide of an estimated 2 million Cambodians. 149 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:15,000 To isolate their people from anything that might contradict their extreme doctrine, 150 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,000 they also tried to destroy the existing Cambodian culture, 151 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:25,000 toppling temples and destroying written records, leaving painful gaps in the country's history. 152 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,000 But when the Khmer Rouge fell, the looting didn't stop. 153 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:34,000 Years of war and famine left people desperate for any way to feed themselves. 154 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,000 And the market for Gakhe's stolen art was only getting hotter. 155 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,000 In the 80s there was a lot of statues going out. 156 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,000 In the 90s it ramps up. 157 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,000 Temples are being totally stripped. 158 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,000 And a lot of that looting is being done by Cambodians at that point, right? 159 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,000 Yes. Former child soldiers of the Khmer Rouge. 160 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,000 Right. 161 00:08:54,000 --> 00:09:00,000 Statues and other cultural treasures worth millions on the art market were funneled to auction houses, 162 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,000 who sold them to museums and collectors all over the world. 163 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:10,000 This room alone contains masterworks that were once in the Met, the Cleveland Museum of Art, 164 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:15,000 the Denver Art Museum and the Norton Simon in Pasadena, among many others. 165 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,000 Tracking all of this art down has become Brad's calling, 166 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:23,000 making him a hero in Cambodia and the scourge of the black market. 167 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:28,000 Do we have a sense of how many looted statues from Cambodia are still out in the world? 168 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,000 So we're tracking 100 museums right now. 169 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,000 There's more than 2,000 statues outside of Cambodia. 170 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:35,000 In museums. 171 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:36,000 In museums. 172 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,000 And what about private collections? 173 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,000 Maybe another 2,000. 174 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:46,000 So how would you feel if the Abe Lincoln Monument was looted and it was here in Cambodia? 175 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,000 Right. That would be insane. 176 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:48,000 Yes. 177 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,000 Josh, not everything is on display to the public. 178 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,000 There's one incredible sculpture that I want to show you from Ka K. 179 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,000 Here in the museum. 180 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,000 Here at the museum. Follow me. 181 00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,000 Yeah, sure. 182 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,000 Josh, this is the Stone Lab. 183 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:06,000 Wow. 184 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:13,000 Many important pieces that are returned to Cambodia, they come here for restoration. 185 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,000 Got it. 186 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,000 So one of the most important statues to come back to date is this one here, 187 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,000 which is Shiva the Destroyer. 188 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:21,000 Yes. 189 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,000 And his son Skanda, the god of war. 190 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,000 You know, the images are in the image of a god, a Hindu god, 191 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:34,000 but they also usually reflect the image of the royal family. 192 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,000 So possibly this is King Jayavarman IV. 193 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:39,000 Oh, his face on Shiva. 194 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:40,000 His face, yes. 195 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,000 Wow. 196 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,000 And his son Harshavarman II. 197 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,000 When he's a young boy. 198 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,000 Ka K's rulers are here. 199 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:50,000 Their faces reflected in their depictions of the gods. 200 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,000 This statue not only has immeasurable cultural value, 201 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:59,000 but it may also be able to help unlock the secrets of the city from which it was stolen. 202 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,000 This statue was out at Ka K and it was looted in 1997. 203 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,000 And it went to a man named Douglas Latchford. 204 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,000 You know, this whole story is the greatest art heist in history. 205 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,000 And we see Douglas's fingerprints on everything. 206 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:19,000 British art dealer Douglas Latchford practically industrialized the pillaging of Cambodian culture. 207 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:23,000 Estimates of the number of statues that he smuggled from Ka K over the years 208 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,000 ranged from 500 to well into the thousands, 209 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,000 including the Skanda and Shiva statue, 210 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:34,000 which he attempted to sell on the black market for $25 million before his death in 2020. 211 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,000 For the Cambodians, they don't like to put a price on the statues at all. 212 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,000 They regard it as the souls of their ancestors. 213 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,000 So they're spiritual pieces. 214 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,000 They're like living beings. 215 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,000 Right. 216 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,000 So what's going on at Ka K now? 217 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,000 We have a whole team up at Ka K of archaeologists 218 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:58,000 and they're going to go into places that nobody's ever gone in before. 219 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:03,000 And what would be unbelievable is if we can find more statues 220 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,000 Do you think there are more statues? 221 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,000 Personally for sure. Yes. 222 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:08,000 Wow. 223 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,000 So if you really want to understand the mysteries of Ka K, you have to go there. 224 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,000 And are you going back up there? 225 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000 Yes, I'll be heading up there in a couple of days. So I'll see you there. 226 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,000 All right. I'll see you at Ka K. 227 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,000 See you. 228 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,000 It's time to see the lost capital for myself, 229 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,000 but the trip is hardly a hop skip and a jump. 230 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,000 So in order to actually reach Ka K, we're going to have to undertake a journey. 231 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:38,000 That will take us about 250 miles north and about a thousand years back in time. 232 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,000 First I have to do something much more dangerous. 233 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,000 I have to drive through the modern capital. 234 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,000 Sure. Just come on in here wherever you need to be. 235 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,000 Hi. Good morning. 236 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,000 Hi. 237 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:49,000 Hi. 238 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,000 These people are driving on the sidewalk. Is that legal? I don't know. It doesn't matter. 239 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:11,000 With Panam Pen behind me, I speed 200 miles north toward the Khmer Empire's capital for generations, 240 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,000 both before and after Jayavarman IV. 241 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:21,000 At the heart of the kingdom is Angkor, which takes up an area roughly the size of Los Angeles 242 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,000 and which once supported a population of about 1,000,000. 243 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Making it the largest pre-industrial metropolis in the world. 244 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,000 The city is loaded with stunning architecture, massive buildings, 245 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000 and ornate walls and gates, including the Door of the Dead, 246 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,000 which was only used during the funeral of a king. 247 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:04,000 In short, this was the alpha and omega of the Khmer world. 248 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:10,000 So why would Jayavarman relocate the capital to a rural backwater in the middle of the jungle? 249 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:16,000 To learn the answer, I need to push past Angkor and go deep into the Cambodian wilderness. 250 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,000 There goes the paved road. 251 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,000 Already into the jungles. 252 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,000 This place is wild. 253 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:36,000 Just a simple dirt road slicing through this endless green maze. 254 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,000 It's another 70 miles through the jungle. 255 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,000 It's another 70 miles through the jungle to my destination. 256 00:14:54,000 --> 00:15:01,000 It looks like there's nothing here, but we are about to arrive at the once mighty capital of the Khmer Empire. 257 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,000 Welcome to Gake. 258 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:13,000 Okay. 259 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,000 Okay. 260 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,000 Now we just need to get to the top. Let's go. 261 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:28,000 I'm in the remote ruins of the Cambodian city of Gake, once briefly the capital of the mighty Khmer Empire. 262 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,000 Okay. Here we go. 263 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:46,000 To learn what caused the city's mysterious downfall, I climb up the immense steppe pyramid called Prasat Pram. 264 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,000 Come on. 265 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:57,000 It's more than just the tallest pyramid in Gake. It's the tallest pyramid in all of Cambodia. 266 00:15:58,000 --> 00:15:59,000 Okay. 267 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,000 I got this. I got this. Just don't look up. 268 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,000 Ah, it looks up. 269 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:10,000 And waiting for my sore quads at the top of this monster is my old friend journalist Nick Ray. 270 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:13,000 Nick! 271 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,000 Josh Gates. 272 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:18,000 How are you, man? 273 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:19,000 Great. Welcome to Coocare. 274 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:20,000 It's been too long. 275 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:21,000 Been too long, man. 276 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:26,000 Nick literally wrote the book on Cambodia, or at least its lonely planet, Khmer. 277 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,000 And he's been a vital contact for me on many adventures. 278 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:31,000 What a view. 279 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:32,000 What an incredible view. 280 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,000 I feel like we're on top of a mountain here. 281 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:41,000 Well, we kind of metaphorically are. This is a temple mountain. This is meant to be home of the gods. 282 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,000 Right. 283 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:47,000 Basically, in the early 10th century, this represented the largest structure the ancient Khmer's had built at that time. 284 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,000 And then the real question is, what the hell's it doing out here? 285 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:57,000 Because before this city, the real seat of power was back at Angkor. 286 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:01,000 Absolutely. All the early capitals were there. Why? Water. 287 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,000 They had the greatest lake in Southeast Asia. 288 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,000 Right, because if you want to build an empire, you need people. 289 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,000 And to keep them alive, you need water. 290 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,000 Absolutely. And with water, you have rice. 291 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,000 Rice powered the empire. 292 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,000 That's right. But out here, I don't see any big lakes. 293 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,000 No, there's a real lack of water out here. 294 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:21,000 Scarce water resources, they really had to manage it carefully and make it last through the dry season. 295 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,000 So why go through all the effort? Why come out here and build? 296 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,000 This king, Jayavarman IV, why would he move the capital here? 297 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,000 This is the great mystery that is still vexing archaeologists and historians. 298 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,000 We do not know enough, but we have some theories. 299 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:38,000 One of the things we learned from the Angkor Empire was there was no primogeniture. 300 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,000 Primo-geniture is a fancy word for a royal inheritance. 301 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,000 A ruler dies and his oldest son automatically takes over. 302 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,000 But it didn't work that way in the Khmer Empire. 303 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Jayavarman IV could not automatically inherit the throne in Angkor, 304 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,000 which meant that he had competitors. 305 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:02,000 Did Jayavarman build here at Gake to simply establish his own center of authority? 306 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:04,000 And another possibility? 307 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,000 He may have been from here. 308 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,000 Did he want to bring the power back home? 309 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,000 Was this a statement about this is where I'm from, I'm going to build up my base? 310 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,000 Right. 311 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:18,000 So regardless of why Jayavarman IV comes here, he pulls off something pretty incredible in a short amount of time. 312 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,000 On a monumental scale, literally, he, followed by his son, Hashavarman II, 313 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,000 they only actually have it as the capital for less than 20 years. 314 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:30,000 What you look now, you only see trees and forest and occasional peaks of a small temple. 315 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,000 But in its day, this was on the scale of Angkor. 316 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,000 Beneath this lush canopy was once a formidable city. 317 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:41,000 More than 50 temples, massive reservoirs and countless homes. 318 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:45,000 A thriving metropolis that supported tens of thousands of people. 319 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:49,000 And the most important thing, which sadly we don't see today, was statues. 320 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,000 Kakea was famous for these beautiful, vivid, dynamic statues. 321 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,000 Pretty much all the statues were looted. 322 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,000 So back in the day, there would have been sculpture everywhere, temples, 323 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,000 and then this huge pyramid looming over everything. 324 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,000 As giant as this seems today, it was even bigger in its heyday, 325 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:09,000 because according to inscriptions, there was a giant golden linga sticking out the top. 326 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:14,000 Lingas are these spiritual stone fallacies. 327 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,000 That's a very polite way of saying a giant golden... 328 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,000 Yes, that's right. That's right. 329 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,000 Well, it was, you know, it's a family show, Nick. It's a family show. 330 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,000 Lingas are found at the summits of the Khmer's most important temples. 331 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,000 They're said to represent an aspect of the god Shiva. 332 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,000 And apparently, this was a rather impressive one. 333 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,000 There was a very large one. They believe it was 15 feet in height. 334 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:39,000 On top of this pyramid. 335 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,000 On top of this pyramid. 336 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,000 So what happened to this golden linga? 337 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,000 Well, this is still something of a major mystery. 338 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,000 No one really knows for sure what happened. 339 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,000 Some say that it was decapitated, if you like, 340 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,000 and taken back to the seat of power and corps. 341 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,000 What better way to put a rival capital in its place? 342 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,000 Then to chop off its linga. 343 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,000 Exactly. 344 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,000 Right. 345 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:00,000 Of course, the linga might also have been another victim of Gakkei's infamous looters. 346 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,000 The gold stripped and sold off. 347 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,000 Other theories suggest it was never removed from the site. 348 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:07,000 It could still be here. 349 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,000 At the center of the pyramid, you've got this deep pit 350 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000 going down into the heart of the temple, 351 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,000 sort of door to the underworld. 352 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,000 Could the linga have toppled in there? 353 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:16,000 Nobody really knows. 354 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,000 So the linga has not been found. 355 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,000 So what's in there? 356 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,000 To be honest, nobody knows for sure. 357 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,000 It's not a place that's been fully explored. 358 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,000 It's basically a place that locals avoid. 359 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:26,000 Okay. 360 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,000 Well, I'm not one to let a portal to the underworld 361 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,000 stop me from finding a golden linga. 362 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,000 Nick is going to try to get permission for me to enter the sacred pyramid. 363 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:41,000 Unprecedented access to explore the crown jewel of Gakkei for answers. 364 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,000 However, these things take time. 365 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:52,000 So the next morning, I return to my bike to get my first look at the rest of the city. 366 00:20:55,000 --> 00:21:00,000 The pyramid is just the tip of the spiritual iceberg in Gakkei. 367 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,000 I'm headed now to relink with Brad Borton, 368 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:06,000 who's working with archaeologists at an incredible temple 369 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,000 that might help unravel the mysteries of the capital 370 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,000 and the fate of its mighty kings. 371 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,000 I drive, stunned amidst the ruins. 372 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,000 Past ancient temples that the jungle has destroyed, 373 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,000 or in some cases simply added onto, 374 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,000 with towers of cloying vines. 375 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,000 This, it appears, is what remains of Gakkei. 376 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,000 Pretty much everywhere you look out in these jungles, 377 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:38,000 there's construction, signs of life, signs of power. 378 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:43,000 I pull up to reconnect with Brad Gordon at the ruins of a grand temple 379 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:47,000 where former looters have revealed that they stole priceless statues, 380 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,000 and more may be waiting to be found. 381 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:51,000 Welcome to Gakkei. 382 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:52,000 Ah, thrilled to be here. 383 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,000 Okay, talk to me about this place. 384 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,000 This is Prasakachap. 385 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:56,000 Prasakachap. 386 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:57,000 Yes. 387 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,000 What's the significance of this temple? 388 00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,000 Do we know what it was used for? 389 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,000 We don't know yet. 390 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,000 This temple is known as the Temple of Inscriptions. 391 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,000 This temple has the most inscriptions of any temple in Cambodia. 392 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,000 In the whole country? 393 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:09,000 In the whole country. 394 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,000 And we see one right here, right, on these columns, 395 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,000 which is usually where you find them or in the doorways. 396 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,000 And you would think with so many inscriptions, 397 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,000 we might understand this place, but no. 398 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,000 No, because it appears to be a list of names. 399 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Thousands of names. 400 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,000 Most of the inscriptions found so far have been just like this. 401 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,000 The results of a census, perhaps, or a roll of honor. 402 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,000 But nothing that tells us how Gakkei came to be 403 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,000 or why it ceased to be. 404 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,000 And have they found statues and sculptures here? 405 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:42,000 Yes, the Lutors found an incredible number of masterpieces. 406 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,000 Remember the Shivanskanda that we saw at the National Museum, 407 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:46,000 the father and son? 408 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,000 I came from here. 409 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:48,000 That came from this temple? 410 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,000 Yes, the way I learned about it was from a Lutor. 411 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,000 His name was Lyon. 412 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,000 Right. 413 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,000 Toek Tik, also known as Lyon, 414 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,000 was a former soldier in the Khmer Rouge. 415 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,000 He started looting temples in the 1980s 416 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:07,000 and formed a gang of over 450 desperate men and women 417 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,000 who plundered statues wherever they went, 418 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,000 their take easily numbering in the thousands. 419 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,000 Late in his life, though, Lyon began to have regrets. 420 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000 I became very close friends with him. 421 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,000 He brought me here a couple of years ago, 422 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,000 and he shared with us all the secrets, 423 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,000 all the places where he had looted. 424 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,000 And did he steal other statues from here? 425 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,000 Lyon took a dozen statues from here. 426 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,000 Wow. 427 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,000 The statues, though, were taken hurriedly, 428 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,000 and many were damaged in the process. 429 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,000 As a result, fragments remain, 430 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,000 fragments that could be matched with looted statues abroad, 431 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:48,000 and used to help Brad bring those statues home to Cambodia. 432 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,000 I see some hard hats back here, and I can hear digging. 433 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,000 What's the mission right now? 434 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,000 To find more fragments, more inscriptions, more statues. 435 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,000 Everything out here is a mystery. 436 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000 We're trying to understand the story of this temple, 437 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,000 and for that reason, we have to look underground. 438 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,000 The temple's entrance plaza has been buried for centuries 439 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,000 and has never before been excavated. 440 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:14,000 Leading this brand-new effort is archaeologist Pin Pachade. 441 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,000 What's the plan? We're going to excavate here? 442 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,000 Yeah. 443 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,000 So we can already see there's some sandstone sticking up here. 444 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,000 What else is here, do you think? 445 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,000 I don't know. 446 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,000 Okay, that makes it exciting. Should we find out? 447 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,000 Yeah. 448 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,000 Let's dig. Come on. 449 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,000 We get to work digging into the ground of the temple's entrance 450 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,000 with pickaxes and shovels. 451 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,000 There are challenges upon challenges here at this site. 452 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,000 First of all, the top layer of the soil in some areas is so hard, 453 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,000 you might mistake it for rock. 454 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,000 And intertwined with all the ruins are massive roots 455 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,000 that have to be chopped through. 456 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,000 Just getting a few inches into the ground is hard labor. 457 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,000 I'm working with archaeologist Tak Panet 458 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,000 when we make our first discovery. 459 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,000 So something coming into view here. 460 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,000 This is carved, yeah? 461 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,000 Two human bodies. 462 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,000 Oh, a human body here and here. 463 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:20,000 Wow. 464 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:24,000 Pakkade joins us as we carefully expose more of the carving. 465 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,000 Oh, it's his face. 466 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:27,000 Yeah, it's his face. 467 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,000 It's my face. 468 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,000 I mean, face and another face. 469 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,000 Oh, my word. 470 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000 Oh, hands are up? 471 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:42,000 Yeah. 472 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:43,000 Their hands are up there. 473 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:44,000 They praying? 474 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:45,000 Yes. 475 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:49,000 I'm in the ruins of the ancient Cambodian city of Gake. 476 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:54,000 Mysteries about its construction and collapse persist after a thousand years. 477 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,000 But archaeologists here are seeking answers 478 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:01,000 by restoring cultural treasures that have been relentlessly looted. 479 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,000 Now, we found a remarkable slab of sandstone 480 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:09,000 that no one has laid eyes on since the glory days of the Khmer Empire. 481 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:14,000 And the exquisite carving on its front is literally divine. 482 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:15,000 And so who are they praying to? 483 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,000 Is this a person or is this an animal? 484 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:19,000 I think it's animal. 485 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,000 It should be a fit of elephant. 486 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:23,000 Are they praying to somebody on the elephant? 487 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,000 Probably, because elephant is a vehicle of the intra gods. 488 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:31,000 Indra is the god of the west, east, east, east, the god of the east. 489 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,000 And so maybe they're praying up to Indra seated on the elephant. 490 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:35,000 There's a whole scene here. 491 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,000 There's a story being told here. 492 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,000 And that story will tell us more about this temple. 493 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,000 Yeah. 494 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:42,000 Okay, let's read the next chapter. 495 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:43,000 Come on. 496 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:50,000 The tools of the trade here consist of brushes and soft bamboo sticks, 497 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,000 which push dirt away without damaging the sandstone. 498 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:56,000 We have more people here, yes? 499 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:57,000 Yeah, yeah. 500 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:58,000 St. Paul's praying? 501 00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:59,000 Yeah. 502 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,000 If this is Indra, god of the east, would this be facing east? 503 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:03,000 Yes. 504 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:04,000 And east is? 505 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,000 Which way? 506 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:06,000 This way. 507 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,000 So this stone would have been up and facing east. 508 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,000 Therefore, we should have carvings on the outside facing west, right? 509 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:13,000 And that would be the entrance here. 510 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,000 Very important entrance. 511 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:21,000 The long carving here was almost certainly part of an entryway to the temple known as a pediment, 512 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:26,000 which is an ordinate triangular feature that would have presided over the doorway here. 513 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,000 So there should be really fine carvings on the other side. 514 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,000 Very fine carving. 515 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:31,000 Wow. 516 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,000 The whole crew kicks into a new gear to excavate the carving. 517 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:42,000 More huge blocks of stone emerge from the earth all around us. 518 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:47,000 These could be more pieces of the entryway, a major find that would help explain more 519 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,000 about the origins and a downfall of Gakke. 520 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:57,000 And it turns out that Pin Pachade is the man with the lucky hand. 521 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,000 Just come here. 522 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,000 I found a column. 523 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:01,000 Column piece? 524 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:02,000 Yeah. 525 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,000 We have decoration up here, but no writing. 526 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,000 We have an inscription. 527 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,000 Yeah. 528 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,000 My word. 529 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:16,000 Wow. 530 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:21,000 It's ancient Khmer. 531 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:22,000 Yeah, it's ancient Khmer. 532 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:32,000 So this has been completely buried, which means right now, in this instant, we are the first 533 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,000 people to see this inscription in a thousand years. 534 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:41,000 This is literally a message from the past reaching out to us right now. 535 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,000 Pachade cleans out the inscriptions to make them legible. 536 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,000 This column keeps going, yeah? 537 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,000 It's underneath this huge root. 538 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:53,000 The column has been buried for so long that a massive root system has grown across the 539 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:54,000 top of it. 540 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,000 To get the full inscription, we'll need to get chopping. 541 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:58,000 Yep. 542 00:28:58,000 --> 00:28:59,000 Okay, good. 543 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,000 It's still beautiful. 544 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:09,000 It's not broken much, so it can be translated by its book. 545 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:14,000 We'll be photographing and scanning the inscriptions to send to the National Museum, where experts 546 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,000 can translate them. 547 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,000 So, what about on the sides? 548 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:22,000 So this just looks smooth, nothing here. 549 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:23,000 Yeah, it's smooth. 550 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,000 And this side? 551 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,000 Flank here too? 552 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:26,000 It has inscriptions here. 553 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:27,000 There's inscriptions? 554 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:28,000 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 555 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,000 Look at that, there's writing on this side. 556 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:32,000 Dude! 557 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,000 Wow. 558 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:34,000 It's legible! 559 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,000 And it's the column from the front of the temple. 560 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,000 So it should tell us a lot about this building, right? 561 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:41,000 Information of the temple. 562 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:42,000 New discovery. 563 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,000 The Pachade column? 564 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:46,000 What do you think? 565 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:47,000 The Chewosh. 566 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,000 The Josh columns? 567 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,000 I mean, it does have a nice ring to it. 568 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,000 I won't argue with that, Pachade. 569 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,000 I love this! 570 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,000 This is incredible. 571 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,000 Guys, more inscription here. 572 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,000 Look, look, look. 573 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,000 Another sense down here. 574 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,000 More there. 575 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,000 Oh, it's my one. 576 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,000 Oh, look at that, more writing! 577 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,000 More here. 578 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:17,000 Wow. 579 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,000 So somewhere on here, maybe down here. 580 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:21,000 Yeah, down here. 581 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,000 Maybe this piece right here, look at this. 582 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,000 It's like a thousand-year-old jigsaw puzzle. 583 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,000 That's incredible. 584 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,000 So, do you guys have any super glue? 585 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,000 No. 586 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,000 For an archaeologist, this is a field of dreams. 587 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:45,000 We're finding literally tons of amazing material. 588 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,000 And one of the most momentous finds 589 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:50,000 is right under our feet. 590 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:55,000 Wow, I hate sensing. 591 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,000 Oh, sandstone. 592 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,000 Yeah. 593 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,000 It's like bumpy, look at that. 594 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:04,000 What is it? 595 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,000 I don't know. 596 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:06,000 Oh, no, what is it? 597 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:09,000 Broken here. 598 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,000 Looks like fish skin almost. 599 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:13,000 I see. 600 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,000 A part of the lion. 601 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,000 A lion? 602 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:18,000 Yeah. 603 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,000 This is the hair from the lion, the mane? 604 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,000 Yeah, it should be connected to the head. 605 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:23,000 Head is here? 606 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:24,000 Yeah. 607 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:25,000 And the body? 608 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,000 Yeah. 609 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,000 Get out of here. 610 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,000 This is amazing. 611 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,000 Often outside of these temples, you see lions, 612 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,000 guardians of the temple. 613 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,000 It's a tradition that carried on for centuries. 614 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,000 We see it in Europe, even in America. 615 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,000 Lions guarding libraries and museums, 616 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:44,000 guardians of knowledge, or of sacred spaces. 617 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,000 This fragment is invaluable. 618 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,000 If the rest of the lion is here, 619 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,000 the fragment can restore the full piece. 620 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,000 And if the rest of the lion has already been looted, 621 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:56,000 the fragment can be matched to the larger statue 622 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:59,000 and used as evidence to help repatriate 623 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,000 one of Gacke's masterpieces. 624 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,000 And it's just been sitting here, 625 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:08,000 waiting silently for a millennium. 626 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:10,000 Awesome. 627 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,000 Do you want to leave this for a photo? 628 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:13,000 Yeah. 629 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,000 Each piece that we find has to be photographed 630 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,000 and scanned in situ before being moved for preservation, 631 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,000 a process that will take several hours. 632 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,000 While Pakode's team does the hard work 633 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,000 of cataloging the finds, 634 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,000 I receive word that Nick Ray has come through. 635 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:33,000 We have permission to explore the city's massive pyramid. 636 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,000 Pakode joins me to see for himself 637 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,000 if the missing Golden Linga statue 638 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,000 is hiding inside what the locals believe 639 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,000 is a portal to the underworld. 640 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,000 I see you've got some climbing experts here. 641 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:46,000 Yeah. 642 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,000 And what do you think is down there? 643 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:49,000 I don't know. 644 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:50,000 Hmm. 645 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,000 Okay. 646 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,000 So are you going down? 647 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,000 No. 648 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,000 You just want someone to go first to look for snakes. 649 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:56,000 Is that what's happening here? 650 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:57,000 Yes. 651 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:58,000 Okay. 652 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,000 Pakode has called in a rigging team, 653 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:05,000 which has prepared a way for me to get safely into the shaft. 654 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:06,000 One hopes. 655 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,000 After all, it's a 50-foot dead drop surrounded 656 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,000 by unstable stone walls. 657 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:22,000 I gear up and get ready to descend into the underworld. 658 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:23,000 Okay? 659 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,000 Let's get crazy. 660 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:29,000 A task which Pakode and his crew take incredibly seriously. 661 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,000 You have to pray for spirit to protect you. 662 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:34,000 Please pray here. 663 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:35,000 Okay. 664 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:36,000 Yeah. 665 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,000 Pakode is a trained archaeologist, 666 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,000 but his veneration of this sacred place transcends science. 667 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,000 After this ceremony, he will remain above 668 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,000 while I enter the pyramid. 669 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:53,000 Okay. 670 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:56,000 With the protection of the Cambodian spirit secured, 671 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:59,000 it's time for me to go over the edge. 672 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,000 Long way down. 673 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,000 All right, I'm out over the edge. 674 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,000 Okay, heading down. 675 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,000 Good luck, Kios. 676 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,000 In the middle of the largest pyramid in Cambodia 677 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,000 is a 50-foot deep shaft said to lead directly to the underworld. 678 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,000 So naturally, I'm jumping in. 679 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,000 The stones are really mossy and overgrown. 680 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,000 I'm terrified to think of what might be living 681 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,000 in the cracks between them. 682 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,000 Scorpion snakes, things like that are very common here. 683 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,000 I'm not over the edge. 684 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:45,000 Okay, heading down. 685 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,000 Good luck, Kios. 686 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,000 Things like that are very common here. 687 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,000 Nice and slow. 688 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:05,000 Are you okay, Kios? 689 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,000 Yeah, I'm good. 690 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,000 No golden linga yet. 691 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,000 Let me have a little more slack. 692 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,000 Whew. 693 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:16,000 A 15-foot tall gold statue known as a linga 694 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,000 once stood within a shrine at the top of the pyramid. 695 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,000 It may have been taken by Gakhe's looters. 696 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:25,000 Or fragments of it could be directly below me. 697 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,000 Down, down, down. 698 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,000 Okay, I'm approaching the bottom. 699 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,000 Keep going. 700 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:36,000 Okay, I'm down. 701 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:38,000 Take care, Kios. 702 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,000 Let's have a look down here and see what we see. 703 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:48,000 Did you find any snakes? 704 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:49,000 Not yet. 705 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,000 A piece of ceramic here. 706 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,000 It's a porcelain. 707 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,000 It looks like it's terracotta. 708 00:35:58,000 --> 00:35:59,000 It's like earthenware. 709 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,000 Really? 710 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:01,000 Yeah. 711 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:02,000 Wow. 712 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,000 It's probably a roof tile. 713 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,000 The ceramic could be from the roof of the original shrine 714 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,000 that was here over the golden linga, 715 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,000 which means that this artifact here, 716 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,000 about a thousand years old. 717 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:15,000 Amazing. 718 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:20,000 Just a single piece and some very nasty-looking spiders. 719 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,000 Other than that, nothing here. 720 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,000 But there may be a reason we're not seeing that linga. 721 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:30,000 I don't think that where I'm standing is actually the bottom of this shaft. 722 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:31,000 Look at this. 723 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:36,000 So we can see here, the bottom, this is all compacted dirt. 724 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:40,000 Underneath me, there could be much more to this pit. 725 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,000 This pyramid's over 100 feet tall. 726 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,000 I've only gone down about half that distance. 727 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,000 Folklore is that this pyramid shaft goes all the way down to the underworld itself. 728 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,000 And since we can't get any further, 729 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,000 who's to say, maybe it does? 730 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,000 The ancient pyramid structure is precarious, 731 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:00,000 so digging further down into the shaft 732 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,000 could cause the walls to collapse. 733 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,000 I'm coming up. 734 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:13,000 This is unstable. 735 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:19,000 Are you good? 736 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:21,000 It's like terrifying. 737 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,000 They're very slippery and one just almost fell out. 738 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:29,000 I'm hesitant to put too much of my trust in those blocks. 739 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,000 The shaft is clearly unsound, 740 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:35,000 which makes being inside it even more dangerous than it was a minute ago. 741 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,000 The shaft is clearly unsound, 742 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,000 which makes being inside it even more dangerous than it was a minute ago. 743 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:44,000 I just don't want to pull in these blocks now. 744 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,000 Okay, new system. 745 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:48,000 I'm just going to go up the sides this time with my feet. 746 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:54,000 Okay. 747 00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:58,000 Bracing my feet against the rock wall, 748 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,000 I ascend as fast as I can. 749 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:06,000 Can I put my weight on this? 750 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:07,000 It's okay? 751 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:08,000 Okay. 752 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:16,000 I'm very scared. 753 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:20,000 Never again. 754 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:26,000 Exploring further here will be impossible without some major league engineering. 755 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,000 Along with a missing linga, 756 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:33,000 there could be other statues that would fill in some of the blanks of Gacke's hazy history. 757 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:37,000 But when it comes to this pyramid, perhaps that's where they belong, 758 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:41,000 in between the world of the living and that of the spirits. 759 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,000 The next morning, I returned to Prasat Khrichap Temple, 760 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,000 where Pakode's dig team is ready to extract the huge stones 761 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,000 that were once part of the temple's magnificent entrance. 762 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,000 Once we get the stones out of the ground, 763 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,000 we hope to be able to reassemble the ancient pieces 764 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:05,000 and reconstruct the temple's entrance. 765 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:08,000 You're going to hold this? 766 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:09,000 Yeah. 767 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,000 Step one is erecting a system of scaffolding and pulleys 768 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,000 that will hopefully make light work of the heavy rock. 769 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:21,000 First thing we're going to try to move is this? 770 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:22,000 Yeah. 771 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:30,000 You got them? 772 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,000 Lifting pieces like this is hugely stressful 773 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,000 because even though these blocks are massive, 774 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:38,000 they can still crack in half, and we have incredible art 775 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,000 on this side and maybe underneath. 776 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,000 The challenge is getting the straps underneath it 777 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,000 and getting it balanced so it doesn't swing out of control and break. 778 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:50,000 The pulleys work by redirecting the force of the stone's weight. 779 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:51,000 Okay, here goes nothing. 780 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,000 In this case, about two tons, 781 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:59,000 allowing us to quickly lift what would take a dozen of us by hand. 782 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:01,000 It's clear. 783 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:04,000 It's crucial that we do this carefully. 784 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,000 If the stone falls, or if the rigging collapses, 785 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:10,000 it would do more than damage a major archaeological find. 786 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,000 It would be potentially deadly. 787 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:24,000 The first piece of the temple's entryway is out of the earth. 788 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,000 Now we need to get to the rest of the stones 789 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,000 before trying to put the puzzle together. 790 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,000 Yeah! Good! 791 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:45,000 Okay, another one! 792 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,000 Good job, everybody. 793 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:50,000 Is that lunch or...? 794 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:51,000 No. 795 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:52,000 No, okay. 796 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:57,000 Next on our list is the slab that Pakode and I exposed earlier 797 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,000 near where our lion fragment was found. 798 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:03,000 One side was elaborately carved with the image of an elephant, 799 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:07,000 which the team believes belongs to the Hindu god of the east, Indra. 800 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,000 We think there might be more carvings underneath, yeah? 801 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:11,000 Yeah, exactly. 802 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:12,000 So what's the plan? 803 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,000 Lift it by the corner and then get another support? 804 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:15,000 Get another support. 805 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:16,000 Right, okay. 806 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:26,000 We're gonna rotate this whole thing 90 degrees now, 807 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:28,000 see if there's anything carved underneath it. 808 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,000 Here we go. Here we go. 809 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,000 Careful. Careful. 810 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,000 Ah! Look at this! 811 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:48,000 This putt-putt course in Siam Reap boasts incredible miniature versions 812 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:51,000 of the Khmer Empire's greatest achievement. 813 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:55,000 And if that's not enough, a hole in one on any hole gets you a free drink, 814 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:58,000 and yes, that includes beer, so let's do this. 815 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:03,000 Good start. 816 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:08,000 Ah! 817 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:13,000 Fortunately, I found some local kids who know this course like the back of their hand. 818 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:14,000 Hold on. 819 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,000 Yes! Nice work! 820 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:18,000 Nice work! Okay, shh. 821 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:20,000 Now get a beer over here, I just got a hole in one. 822 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,000 And suddenly, it's a new game. 823 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:27,000 Another beer, please. 824 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:31,000 The kids are talented. 825 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:35,000 Josh, it's your turn. 826 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:39,000 I'm gonna sit this hole out. Feel free to miss one, okay? 827 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:50,000 It's all carved. 828 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:51,000 No, that's sculpture. 829 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:55,000 In the ancient ruins of the Cambodian city of Gakei, 830 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:59,000 I'm helping a team of archaeologists rebuild the entrance to a temple, 831 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:04,000 which may explain why this one-time capital was built in the middle of the jungle, 832 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:06,000 and then suddenly collapsed. 833 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:09,000 Look at how deeply this is carved. 834 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:13,000 Mostly when we see these on the outside of temples, they're all weathered away, 835 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:17,000 but you can see here the depth of this sculpture, it's incredibly vivid. 836 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:18,000 There, look. 837 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:19,000 Look at that. 838 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:21,000 The head of God. 839 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:23,000 The head of the god Varuna. 840 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,000 Varuna was the Hindu god of the west. 841 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:32,000 We already found the elephants of the god of the east, Indra, 842 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:34,000 on the opposite side of this stone, 843 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:37,000 so it makes sense that Varuna is here. 844 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:38,000 Oh, speechless. 845 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:43,000 This is about as well preserved as you can get, 846 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:47,000 it's just been face down in the sand, just waiting for a thousand years. 847 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:50,000 Anxious to begin reassembling the pediment, 848 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:54,000 we next turn our attention to the largest slab of stone we've uncovered. 849 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:57,000 Now for the big mama-chama. 850 00:43:57,000 --> 00:43:58,000 Yes, the big block. 851 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:00,000 Okay, how much do you think this piece weighs? 852 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,000 Three and a half tons. 853 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:04,000 Here we go. 854 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:05,000 Good. 855 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:06,000 Mug saipong. 856 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:09,000 Three and a half tons. 857 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:11,000 This thing weighs more than a moving truck, 858 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:14,000 and we're lifting it with a contraption made out of spare parts. 859 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:36,000 Finally, we're left with only one more stone to turn, 860 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:39,000 what appears to be the very top of the pediment. 861 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:40,000 We're going to try and lift this way? 862 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:41,000 Yeah. 863 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:42,000 Okay. 864 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:46,000 One, two, three, go! 865 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,000 Unbelievable, look at this. 866 00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:55,000 We have a figure here, yes? 867 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:56,000 Yeah. 868 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:57,000 And here? 869 00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:00,000 The god here with this framing. 870 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:01,000 Beautiful. 871 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:02,000 Okay. 872 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:09,000 We've managed to pull all of the stones from the ground. 873 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:13,000 Now it's time to see how they all fit together. 874 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:15,000 Watch your fingers. 875 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:18,000 We start by placing one of the site's thinner slabs 876 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:21,000 on top of the piece with the elephant carving. 877 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:24,000 We lock the upper stone into place 878 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:29,000 and rejoin a sculpture that has been divided for a thousand years. 879 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:31,000 Oh, look at that, the elephant is back together. 880 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:34,000 Now with this middle section here, we can see our elephant. 881 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:35,000 Yeah. 882 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:36,000 Beautiful, right here. 883 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:39,000 Second elephant, third elephant. 884 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:41,000 So three different elephants here. 885 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:44,000 The elephant is whole and it even has a name, 886 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:49,000 Eravada, mount of the Hindu god of the east, Indra. 887 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:50,000 This is amazing. 888 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:53,000 But the archaeologists are concerned that this stack 889 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:57,000 is too fragile to build upon. 890 00:45:57,000 --> 00:46:00,000 Instead, we use the next layer as our new base 891 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:05,000 and work upwards, now with the west side of the pediment facing us. 892 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:07,000 Alright, since this piece is really stable, 893 00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:11,000 we try to stack this piece on top of it in its original position. 894 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:14,000 Despite having been in the ground for hundreds of years, 895 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:17,000 the stones lock together in place perfectly. 896 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:19,000 Good. 897 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:24,000 Another one. 898 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:31,000 All that remains now is to place the ornate triangular capstone 899 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:33,000 of the pediment. 900 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:36,000 In just moments, we're going to get our first look 901 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:40,000 at a reconstructed entrance of a temple of Gake. 902 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,000 Okay. 903 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:45,000 An ancient masterpiece that could tell us the full story 904 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:47,000 of this doomed capital. 905 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:49,000 Up, up, up, up, up, up. 906 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:51,000 More, more, more, more, more. 907 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:54,000 Almost there. 908 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,000 Alright. 909 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:04,000 Next time. 910 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:07,000 The conclusion to my expedition unknown event 911 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:10,000 in the jungles of Cambodia. 912 00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:13,000 A lot that we still don't know, which is what makes this really exciting. 913 00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:16,000 To restore priceless cultural treasures, 914 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,000 I'll explore some of the most dangerous corners of Southeast Asia. 915 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:22,000 Back up, back up, back up. 916 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:25,000 And come face to face with the former Khmer Rouge soldiers, 917 00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:27,000 responsible for their destruction. 918 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:31,000 So there may be priceless statues here underwater? 919 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:32,000 Oh, there it is. 920 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:33,000 Yep, right there. 921 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:37,000 Then, I'll answer one of history's most persistent questions. 922 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:41,000 Why did this miraculous city collapse into ruin? 923 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:43,000 I don't see a huge structure here. 924 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:44,000 Like, where is it? 925 00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:45,000 It's gone. 926 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:49,000 It's an urgent rescue mission with an incredible conclusion. 927 00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:51,000 On the next, Expedition Unknown. 928 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:53,000 You think it's part of a pedestal? 929 00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:54,000 I recognize it. 930 00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:57,000 It's like we found a corner of a Picasso. 931 00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:00,000 Ah! Just interlocked into place.