America Unearthed (2012–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - American Maya Secrets - full transcript

- HELLO. THIS IS JON.

- JON, THIS IS SCOTT WOLTER.

- HEY, SCOTT, HOW ARE YOU?

- WELL, NOT THAT GREAT.

I JUST CAME FROM THE SITE,

AND THE GOVERNMENT
WON'T LET ME IN.

IT'S BULL.

- INTERESTING.

WELL, I'D BE HAPPY TO SHOW YOU

THE VIDEOS FROM TRACK ROCK
THAT I SHOT LAST YEAR.

- WELL, I'D LOVE TO SEE IT.



I MEAN,
THAT'S THE NEXT BEST THING,

- BUT...
- GOD.

I'M HEADING BACK TO MINNEAPOLIS
RIGHT NOW.

COULD YOU MEET ME AT MY LAB
AND BRING THE FOOTAGE?

- ABSOLUTELY.
- ALL RIGHT.

LET'S PLAN ON MEETING TOMORROW.

I'LL SEE YOU THEN.

THE HISTORY THAT
WE WERE ALL TAUGHT GROWING UP

IS WRONG.

MY NAME IS SCOTT WOLTER,

AND I'M A FORENSIC GEOLOGIST.

THERE'S A HIDDEN HISTORY
IN THIS COUNTRY

THAT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT.

THERE ARE PYRAMIDS HERE...



CHAMBERS, TOMBS, INSCRIPTIONS.

THEY'RE ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY.

WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE
THESE ARTIFACTS AND SITES,

AND WE'RE GOING TO GET
TO THE TRUTH.

SOMETIMES HISTORY

ISN'T WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD.

AMERICA UNEARTHED - SEASON 1
EP - 1 - American Maya Secrets

I'M DYING
TO SEE THIS VIDEO HERE.

- OH, I'M GLAD
TO SHOW IT TO YOU.

- YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW,
I GOT TO TELL YOU.

THE GOVERNMENT
WOULDN'T LET ME IN.

HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN
AND TAKE THESE VIDEOS?

- WELL, I HAD A PERMIT
BACK IN 2011

AND SPENT A DAY AT THIS SITE.

IT'S A HUGE SITE.

I GOT CLIPS
OF A NUMBER OF ROCK WALLS

THAT FORMED TERRACES
GOING UP THIS MOUNTAIN SLOPE,

MAYBE OVER 100 OF THESE.

THEY'RE JUST ALL OVER THE PLACE.

- NOW, YOU SAID OVER 100?

- YEAH, IT'S AMAZING.

YOU KNOW, YOU'LL WALK ALONG.

ALL OF A SUDDEN,
THERE'S A ROCK WALL

AND THEN A RELATIVELY FLAT AREA.

NOW, THIS IS A SHOT
FROM UP AT THE UPPER ELEVATION.

SEE HOW NICELY CONSTRUCTED
THAT WALL IS?

AND THEN THERE WERE SOME
WATER FEATURES.

SOME OF THESE DAMS THAT WERE...

- RESERVOIRS OR SOMETHING.

- YEAH, TO CONTROL WATER.
- REALLY?

- AND THERE WERE SOME
ROCK CAIRNS UP THERE,

SOME TYPE
OF CEREMONIAL STRUCTURES,

AND I EVEN FOUND
A RECTANGULAR STONE FOUNDATION.

- FOR A STRUCTURE OF SOME TYPE?

PYRAMIDS PERHAPS?

- YEAH.
- OKAY.

SO WE HAVE ROCK FORMATIONS,

EXTENSIVE TERRACES
TO CONTROL WATER,

AND STONE FOUNDATIONS.

IS IT BIG?

- YOU COULD GET LOST UP THERE.

THE ONLY DIRECTION
THAT YOU WOULD KNOW TO GET OUT

IS TO GO DOWN.

I TELL YOU, IF YOU WANT
TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS...

AND THIS IS HOW I FOUND OUT
ABOUT THE SITE...

YOU NEED TO CONTACT
RICHARD THORNTON.

HE'S A NATIVE AMERICAN ARCHITECT
DOWN IN GEORGIA,

AND HE'S SPENT A DECADE
STUDYING THIS.

- DOES HE THINK THERE COULD BE
A MAYA-GEORGIA CONNECTION

AT THIS SITE?

- YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT
CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.

- I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, JON.

IF THE MAYANS CAME TO GEORGIA,

THIS COULD REWRITE HISTORY.

- HEY, HOW YOU DOING?

- I'M DOING GOOD. SCOTT WOLTER.

- RICHARD THORNTON.
GLAD TO MEET YOU.

- I WAS VISITING DOWN AT
CHATTAHOOCHEE NATIONAL FOREST.

- YES.

- TRIED TO LOOK
AT SOME MOUND STRUCTURES.

I'M INVESTIGATING
A POSSIBLE CONNECTION

BETWEEN THE MAYANS AND GEORGIA.

AND I TRIED TO GO LOOK
AT THESE MOUNDS,

AND I WAS DENIED.

- YOU'RE KIDDING.

- NO, I WAS DENIED.

FIRST OF ALL,
I TAKE IT YOU SUPPORT

THIS WHOLE
MAYAN-GEORGIA CONNECTION?

- WELL, I MEAN,
IT'S NOT EVEN A THEORY.

IT'S A FACT.

THE MAYANS ARE ONE

OF THE MEXICAN
NATIVE AMERICAN ETHNIC GROUPS

THAT BECAME THE CREEK INDIANS.

- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT, TO YOU,

PROVIDE EVIDENCE
OF THIS ASSIMILATION, REALLY,

OR THIS COMING TOGETHER
HERE IN GEORGIA FROM MEXICO?

- WE HAVE THE ARCHITECTURE.

WE HAVE THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS.

THE ART ARE VERY SIMILAR.
- OKAY.

- APPROXIMATELY 1/3 TO 1/2
OF THE WORDS

IN THE ITSATE-CREEK LANGUAGE
ARE EITHER MAYA OR TOTONAC.

- OKAY, LINGUISTICS?
- LINGUISTICS.

- SO WHAT ABOUT
THE ARCHAEOASTRONOMY?

I MEAN, LIKE THE MAYANS USED
WITH THESE AMAZING STRUCTURES

THAT ALIGN WITH THE SUN,
THE MOON, THE PLANETS

FOR PRACTICAL
AND RELIGIOUS REASONS.

IS ANY OF THAT
GOING ON AROUND HERE?

- YES, VERY MUCH SO,
AND THAT'S ONE AREA I'M...

I'M A CITY PLANNER,
SO, YEAH, I'M PRETTY STRONG AT...

SO I CAN HELP YOU THERE.

- DO YOU HAVE
ANY OF THIS ARCHITECTURE?

- I HAVE DRAWINGS
AND PHOTOGRAPHS, YES.

- IS THAT WHAT THEY
DON'T WANT ME TO SEE?

- I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T...

WHY? IT'S A MASSIVE SITE.

WANT TO KEEP IN MIND...

THIS PLACE IS A 1/2 MILE SQUARE
AT LEAST.

IT'S A TOWN. - OKAY.

- IT HAS OVER 300
STONE STRUCTURES.

IT'S LIKE NOTHING ELSE
IN AMERICA, REALLY.

IT'S BEEN RADIOCARBON-DATED
TO AT LEAST 1000 A.D.

- WHAT DO THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS
THINK ABOUT THIS?

- I THOUGHT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL
COMMUNITY WOULD GO GAGA.

YOU KNOW, THEY'D BE FIGHTING
OVER THE CHANCE TO BE THE ONE...

TO BE THE GREAT DISCOVERY
OF ALL THEIR LIVES.

WOULD YOU BELIEVE
THAT SOME PROFESSORS

WHO HAD NEVER SEEN
THIS TRACK ROCK SITE,

THEY FORMED
A POLITICAL ACTION GROUP

TO OPPOSE ANYTHING...

DISCUSSION OF THE TRACK ROCK
SITE AND IT BEING MAYAN?

NOW, WHY, I DON'T KNOW,

'CAUSE THEY'RE, LIKE,
600 MILES AWAY.

- SO YOU'RE ASKING ME
IF I WOULD BELIEVE

THAT THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY

MIGHT TRY TO SHUT DOWN
AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS?

UH, YES, I WOULD.

- OKAY.

- LOOK, PAL, I'VE LIVED IT,
OKAY?

I WAS HIRED TO INVESTIGATE
AN ARTIFACT

CALLED THE KENSINGTON
RUNE STONE.

- YEAH, YES, YES,
I'VE HEARD OF IT.

- WHEN I CAME OUT
WITH THESE RESULTS,

I WAS BLASTED,

AND IT REALLY PUZZLED ME
AT FIRST.

AND THEN IT PISSED ME OFF.

WELL, I'VE SPENT
THE LAST 12 YEARS

INVESTIGATING
THESE HISTORICAL MYSTERIES,

AND WHEN YOU TELL ME
THAT THERE'S PUSH-BACK

FROM THE PROFESSIONAL...
OR THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY,

I'M INTERESTED.

THAT'S A SURE SIGN

THAT THERE'S PROBABLY SOMETHING
GOING ON HERE.

THESE ARE SOME OF JON'S VIDEOS.

YOU CAN SEE THE ROCKS.

- MM-HMM.
THAT'S A RUIN OF A BUILDING.

- IT LOOKS LIKE
AN OFFERING ALTAR

WITH THE LITTLE HOLE HERE.

- I WAS THINKING THAT, ALSO,

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN
COVERED WITH CLAY

AND THEN PLASTERED
WITH LIME STUCCO.

- YOU KNOW, RICHARD,
I HAVE TO SAY,

WHEN I LOOK AT SOMETHING
LIKE THIS,

I'M NOT IMPRESSED.

YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT
I'D BE SEEING

THESE CUT, BEAUTIFULLY CLEAVED,
WORKED STONES

AND THESE BIG TEMPLES
THAT YOU THINK OF

WHEN YOU THINK OF PEOPLE
LIKE THE MAYA.

I MEAN, WHY DON'T WE
HAVE THAT HERE?

- THIS IS WHAT
MOST MAYA SITES LOOK LIKE

BEFORE THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS
GO TO WORK

AND THE ARCHITECTS LIKE ME
RESTORE THE RUINS.

THAT'S WHAT THEY LOOK...
THEY'RE JUST PILES OF ROCKS.

EVEN GREAT CITIES
THAT HAD A 100,000 PEOPLE

WILL BE PILES OF STONES
IN THE JUNGLE.

- WHAT DOES THIS SITE LOOK LIKE?

CAN YOU GIVE ME A VISUAL?

- THIS IS A COMPUTER
VIRTUAL REALITY MODEL.

- OBVIOUSLY,
THERE'S SOME ELEVATION HERE.

IT'D BE NICE TO SEE
SOME TOPOGRAPHIC LINES,

MAYBE A TOPO MAP.

- WELL, NOW, I HAVE TOPO MAPS
ON MY COMPUTER.

- OKAY, I WAS GONNA ASK...

- THIS IS A 3-D MODEL,

BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE
THE ACTUAL ELEVATIONS...

- I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.

- DO YOU SEE THE ACROPOLIS?

YOU SEE THAT IT'S TERRACED

JUST LIKE THE FIVE-SIDED MOUND?

AND IT'S FACING THE SUNSET
OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE.

- THESE ASTRONOMICALLY ALIGNED
STRUCTURES...

THE WHOLE VILLAGE...

THE WAY THEY'RE ORIENTED
IS VERY IMPORTANT.

- THERE ARE MANY MONUMENTS,

PERHAPS 50 STONE CAIRNS,

THAT SEEM TO BE MARKERS
HAVING TO DO WITH ASTRONOMY.

- SO WHAT IS THIS?

- THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
WHEN I KNEW THAT IT'S A MAYA.

WHEN I SAW THAT,
I SAID, "OH, MY GOSH."

ACTUALLY,
I SAID SOME OTHER THINGS.

BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU.
- TELL ME WHAT IT IS.

- IT IS A DEVICE THAT TAKES
THE WATER FROM THE SPRING

TO DROP THE WATER
TO THE APPROPRIATE TERRACE.

IT'S A CONTROL DEVICE
FOR DISTRIBUTING WATER.

WHAT I'M TRYING
TO EXPERIMENT WITH HERE IS,

WHY DID THEY DO IT?

WHY DID THEY BUILD THE TERRACES?

I AM MIMICKING

THE ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION
AT TRACK ROCK GAP.

THE MAYA CIVILIZATION
GREW THESE CROPS ON TERRACES.

- SO DO YOU THINK
WHAT WE HAVE AT TRACK ROCK

IS CONNECTED
TO THE MAYANS SOMEHOW?

- YES,
THERE'S A DIRECT CONNECTION.

- OKAY, WHY WOULD THEY NOT
LET ME IN TO SEE THIS?

I MEAN, IT'S JUST TERRACING.

IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE
THAT THERE'S MORE GOING ON HERE.

DO YOU THINK THERE'S
A CONSPIRACY MAYBE GOING ON?

- THERE'S SOMETHING FISHY
GOING ON UP THERE.

- I'M THINKING
THERE'S SOMETHING FISHY TOO,

BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.

IF THEY WON'T LET ME HIKE IN,

MAYBE I'LL FLY IN.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF LIDAR?

- WE'RE... WE'RE GONNA DO
THE NORTH-SOUTH LINES.

- ALL RIGHT, SOUNDS GOOD.

TAKE IT SOUTH, THOUGH,

'CAUSE I THINK I'M GONNA BE
COMING UP OVER...

- YOU WANT TO GO
UP AND AROUND, THEN.

- YEAH, UP AND AROUND.
- ALL RIGHT.

- THIS IS A VIRTUAL IMAGE

OF THE AREA
THAT WE'RE CURIOUS ABOUT.

THE MAIN THING IS,
IF THERE'S SOMETHING HERE,

WE'RE HOPEFUL
THAT YOUR EQUIPMENT

WILL PICK UP THESE TERRACES.

WE'RE INVESTIGATING
THE POSSIBILITY

OF A MAYAN-GEORGIA CONNECTION.

SOME RESEARCHERS THINK THAT

THERE MIGHT BE MAYAN RUINS
ON THIS SITE,

AND IF SO, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT A HUGE NEW CHAPTER

OF AMERICAN HISTORY
BEING OPENED UP.

- YEAH, I CAN FLY IT LOWER.

- THAT'S FINE.

WELL, YOU'RE NOT
THAT MUCH LOWER, RIGHT?

500 FEET?
- YEAH, 500 FEET RIGHT NOW.

I CAN MAYBE PULL UP ANOTHER 100.

- THE MAYANS IN MEXICO
DISAPPEARED AROUND 900 A.D.

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT THEY CAME TO GEORGIA.

YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE
TO HAVE IT COME TRUE,

BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE
THE EVIDENCE.

I TRIED TO GET TO THIS SITE,

AND THE GOVERNMENT
WOULD NOT LET ME DO IT.

THAT'S WHY THIS WAS PLAN "B."

HOW DOES THIS LIDAR WORK?

- WELL, WHAT YOU HAVE

IN BETWEEN THESE TWO PIECES
OF THE SYSTEM

IS A LASER HEAD AND A SCANNER
AND A GPS RECEIVER,

AND THEY'RE USING TIME STAMPS.

WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE
A POINT CLOUD,

WHICH IS A SET OF POINTS
ACCURATELY MAPPING

GEOREFERENCE
WITHIN A FEW CENTIMETERS.

- WITHIN A FEW CENTIMETERS?

- ABSOLUTELY.

- IT LOOKS LIKE
YOU'VE SET UP A GRID SYSTEM,

SO BASICALLY, YOU'RE JUST
REPRODUCING THAT GRID.

- WE KIND OF THINK OF IT
AS MOWING THE LAWN

WHEN WE'RE UP HERE,
BECAUSE IT'S DOWN AND BACK,

AND WE USE SOME OVERLAP

TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE DON'T MISS ANY GRASS.

SO HOPEFULLY ANYTHING THAT SHOWS
LIKE THERE WAS A SHELF

OR ANY ANOMALIES
IN THE BARE EARTH SURFACE

WILL HOPEFULLY SHOW UP THEN.

- THAT TYPE OF SCALE,

WE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO GET SOME DATA.

- YEAH, SOME STUFF MAY LOOK

LIKE IT BLENDS INTO THE GROUND,

BUT ANY KIND OF IRREGULAR
FEATURES STILL STAND OUT.

- IF WE'RE ABLE TO USE
YOUR TECHNOLOGY

AND FIND EVIDENCE OF
SOME OF THE THINGS WE SEE HERE,

THERE COULD BE
A MAYAN PRESENCE HERE.

- THAT WOULD BE AMAZING
TO FIND THAT OUT.

- IT WOULD BE.

- HERE IS THE INITIAL LOOK
AT THE ACTUAL LIDAR DATA ITSELF,

SO THE POINTS THEMSELVES,

SO YOU CAN SEE THE FLIGHT LINES

THAT WE FLEW RIGHT HERE.

AND THEN DOWN HERE
IS A PROFILE OF THE GROUND.

YOU CAN SEE THE TREES.

- OKAY, AND I SEE
THE CHANGE IN TOPOGRAPHY HERE.

THIS LOOKS
LIKE SOMETHING INTERESTING.

WHAT WOULD THAT BE,
THE BUMP THERE?

- MAYBE A MAN-MADE FEATURE.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE

ONE OF THE FEATURES
THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

- OKAY.
POSSIBLY A TERRACE, MAYBE?

- CORRECT.

THIS IS PRELIMINARY,

AND SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS,
WE'LL TAKE...

AND HAVE TO PROCESS THE DATA,

AND THAT WILL PROBABLY TAKE
A COUPLE WEEKS

TO GET THE FINAL DATA SET
SO THAT WE CAN VERIFY

IF THAT IS ACTUALLY
A MAN-MADE FEATURE OR NOT.

- A 3-D MAP...
ABOUT TWO WEEKS THEN.

- YEP.
- GREAT.

YOU KNOW, JAMIE, WHEN
I STARTED THIS INVESTIGATION,

I WAS PRETTY SKEPTICAL.

I MEAN, THE NOTION
THAT THE MAYANS CAME TO GEORGIA

SEEMED PRETTY FAR-FETCHED TO ME,

BUT AS I'VE GONE ALONG HERE,

THINGS ARE STARTING TO LOOK
MORE INTERESTING.

IF YOU CAN GENERATE A 3-D MAP

THAT LOOKS EVEN REMOTELY
LIKE THIS,

I TELL YOU WHAT,

WE COULD POTENTIALLY
HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S BIG.

- IF THOSE FEATURES ARE THERE,

WE'RE DEFINITELY
GONNA SEE THEM IN THE DATA.

- IT'LL TAKE TWO WEEKS
FOR AEROMETRIC

TO COMPILE ALL THE LIDAR DATA,

WHICH COULD HELP PROVE
A MAYAN CONNECTION TO GEORGIA.

IF THE MAYANS DID COME HERE,

I WONDER IF IT'S CONNECTED
TO THEIR PROPHECY.

THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION
BEGAN IN 2000 B.C.

AND STARTED TO COLLAPSE
AROUND 750 A.D.

WHEN THEY BEGAN TO ABANDON
THEIR CITIES EN MASSE.

THEY HAD TO GO SOMEWHERE,

AND THIS STONE NEARBY

COULD BE A CLUE
THEY CAME TO THE U.S.

- ARE YOU SCOTT?

- YES. GARY DANIELS, I PRESUME.

- THAT'S CORRECT.
- ALL RIGHT.

GREAT WEATHER.
A LITTLE WET TODAY.

BUT I GOT TO TELL YOU,
I THINK THE ROCK

LOOKS BETTER WET
THAN IF IT WAS DRY.

- I AGREE.

- WHAT MAKES THIS ROCK
SPECIFICALLY TIED

TO THE MAYA-GEORGIA CONNECTION,
IN YOUR MIND?

- BOTH CULTURES...
THE MAYA AND THE CREEK INDIANS...

USED THE EXACT SAME SYMBOLS

TO RECORD THE EXACT SAME EVENT.

- WELL, YOU KNOW, GARY,

I CLEARLY SEE
THESE SPIRAL SYMBOLS HERE.

WE GOT AN INDENTATION
IN THE MIDDLE.

THIS ONE HAS
A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT RINGS

WITH AN INDENTATION,

AND THEN WE HAVE
THESE CUPULES ALONG THE TOP.

I KNOW WHAT I THINK IT IS,
BUT WHAT DO YOU SEE?

- MY FIRST IMPRESSION
WAS THAT IT'S A STAR MAP.

I BELIEVE
THAT THIS RECORDS AN EVENT

WHICH HAPPENED IN 536 A.D.,

WHICH WAS A COMET IMPACT EVENT,

AND THAT WOULD EXPLAIN
WHY THEY WENT THROUGH THE EFFORT

TO CARVE THIS INTO THIS BOULDER.

THIS WAS NO EASY TASK.

- NO, IT WASN'T.

AND I HAVE TO SAY, GARY,
THAT I AGREE WITH YOU.

I'M PRETTY CONVINCED
THIS IS A STAR MAP AS WELL.

IT'S AN INTERESTING CONNECTION
WITH THE IMPACT AND THE SYMBOLS

TYING THE CREEK WITH THE MAYA.

I THINK THAT'S PLAUSIBLE.

BUT THIS MIGHT NOT BE

THE ONLY GEOLOGIC CLUE
THAT MAKES THE CONNECTION.

TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW
ABOUT MAYA BLUE.

- THE MAYA BLUE WAS A PIGMENT

THAT THE MAYA USED
IN THEIR MURALS,

AND IT LASTS A VERY LONG TIME
WITHOUT FADING.

- AND I THINK I UNDERSTAND
THE REASON FOR THAT.

MAYA BLUE IS
A VERY INTERESTING COMBINATION

OF A CLAY MINERAL
CALLED PALYGORSKITE

THAT THEY MIX
WITH AN INDIGO PIGMENT

MADE FROM AN ANIL PLANT,

AND THERE'S LOTS OF PALYGORSKITE
IN GEORGIA

BUT RELATIVELY LITTLE OF IT
IN MEXICO.

GARY, I THINK
THAT THE MAYA BLUE IN MEXICO

COULD HAVE BEEN MADE

WITH THE PALYGORSKITE CLAY
IN GEORGIA.

- THERE ARE STILL SITES
IN MEXICO

WHERE THEY HAVEN'T FOUND
THE ACTUAL SOURCE

FOR THE MAYA BLUE,

SO THAT'S DEFINITELY
A GOOD THING TO LOOK INTO.

- SO WE'VE GOT THE MAYA BLUE
PIGMENT MYSTERY

AS WELL AS STAR MAPS,
BOTH THERE AND IN GEORGIA.

THAT'S INTERESTING.

- AND THOSE ARE NOT
THE ONLY CONNECTIONS.

IT GOES MUCH DEEPER THAN THAT.

NOW, CHECK THESE OUT.

THIS COPPER PLATE
WAS UNEARTHED IN NORTH GEORGIA.

WHAT'S INTERESTING
ABOUT THIS IS THAT

ALMOST AN IDENTICAL IMAGE
AS THIS

WAS FOUND AT CHICHEN ITZA
IN THE YUCATAN.

- WOW.

THIS LOOKS LIKE
SOME TYPE OF SHAMAN

OR SOMEBODY
IN THE MIDDLE OF A RITUAL.

IS THAT A SEVERED HEAD? - YEP.

- AND YOU HAVE THIS
IN CHICHEN ITZA AS WELL?

- EXACTLY.
- WOW.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER SITES
THAT MIGHT

TIE INTO WHAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE?

- ABSOLUTELY.

JUST A FEW HOURS FROM HERE,

THERE'S A SITE CALLED OCMULGEE.

THEY FOUND AN ELITE BURIAL
THAT SHOWED CRANIAL DEFORMATION,

A KNOWN TECHNIQUE
IN THE MAYA WORLD

THAT THEY ALSO USED
ON THEIR ELITES.

CRANIAL DEFORMATION
IS A PROCEDURE THEY DID AT BIRTH

WHERE THEY PLACED THE CHILD
ON A FLATTENED BOARD,

PLACED ANOTHER BOARD
ON HIS HEAD,

WHICH FORCED THE SKULL
TO GROW IN A CERTAIN SHAPE,

WHICH GAVE THEM SORT OF
A FLATTENED APPEARANCE

TO THE FOREHEAD.

- WITH EVERYTHING
I'VE SEEN SO FAR,

HOW COME NOBODY KNOWS
ABOUT THIS?

- PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WRITING
IN THE LITERATURE...

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL LITERATURE...

ABOUT THIS CONNECTION
FOR 150 YEARS,

BUT IT HAS BECOME
A TABOO SUBJECT.

- I AM CONTINUALLY AMAZED

EVERY TIME I SEE SOMETHING NEW
THAT IS...

CHANGES HISTORY
IN A PROFOUND WAY,

AND IT GETS IGNORED,
SWEPT UNDER THE RUG,

AND PEOPLE THAT EVEN DARE
TO INVESTIGATE IT

GET CRITICIZED.

I'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT MYSELF.

GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY
TO MAKE IT STOP.

- THEY SAY SCIENCE CHANGES
ONE DEATH AT A TIME,

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT
IT'S GONNA TAKE.

- YOU KNOW WHAT,
I'M NOT GONNA WAIT

FOR THESE PEOPLE TO DIE.

SORRY. I'M GONNA GET ANSWERS.

LET'S GO TO OCMULGEE.

SO HOW LONG
HAVE YOU BEEN STUDYING

THIS MAYA-GEORGIA CONNECTION?

- WELL, I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING

THE GEORGIA-MEXICO CONNECTION
FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS,

BUT IT'S ONLY WITHIN
THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS

THAT I REALLY STUMBLED ON
THE MAYAN PRESENCE

IN BOTH FLORIDA AND GEORGIA.

- OKAY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF RICHARD THORNTON'S RESEARCH?

- YOU KNOW, MR. THORNTON
HAS PRESENTED A HYPOTHESIS,

AND THAT HYPOTHESIS
NEEDS TO BE TESTED.

IS THE TRACK ROCK SITE
A MAYAN SITE?

YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.

COULD IT BE?

ABSOLUTELY, IT COULD BE,

BUT WE'RE NEVER
GOING TO KNOW THAT

AS LONG AS THE ACADEMICS
ARE INSISTING THAT IT CAN'T BE.

- SO INSTEAD OF SITTING
IN YOUR CHAIR, TALKING ABOUT IT,

ACTUALLY GETTING OUT THERE
AND DOING SOMETHING.

- ABSOLUTELY.

MAKING PROCLAMATIONS
ABOUT WHAT IT ISN'T

SERVES NO PURPOSE.

- I AGREE.

WOW.

MAN...

- TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

THIS IS THAT MOUND.

- IT'S A SPIRAL MOUND, ISN'T IT?

THAT'S WITHOUT THE VEGETATION.

OH, NOW I CAN KIND OF SEE IT.

CAN WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK?

- LET'S GO.
- ALL RIGHT.

WE GOT MOUNDS IN MINNESOTA,

BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY THIS BIG.

- ABOUT ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR...

- YEAH, I SEE
AT LEAST ONE, TWO, THREE...

- FOUR OR FIVE LEVELS.

- MAYBE EVEN A FIFTH ONE
UP THERE.

THIS IS COOL AS HELL.

- THERE'S A SITE
CALLED XOCHITECATL IN MEXICO.

AND IT'S THE ONLY OTHER PLACE

IN NORTH AMERICA
OR CENTRAL AMERICA

THAT HAS A SPIRAL MOUND
EXACTLY LIKE THIS,

WHERE YOU FOLLOW THE SPIRAL
TO THE TOP.

NOT ONLY THAT... IT'S LAID OUT

EXACTLY LIKE THE MOUND SITE HERE

WITH A SPIRAL MOUND ON ONE END

AND THE SQUARE MOUND
ON THE OTHER.

THIS MOUND,
THE CREEK INDIANS SAID,

THIS IS WHERE THEY PERFORMED
THEIR SNAKE DANCE,

AND SO THEY MARCHED
IN PROCESSION AROUND THE MOUND

UNTIL THEY REACHED THE TOP
FOR THEIR CEREMONY.

THERE WAS ALSO LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

NOW, WHEN THE SPANISH
CAME TO LAKE OKEECHOBEE,

THEY FOUND THREE PEOPLE
LIVING AROUND THAT LAKE:

THE MAYAIMI, THE MAYAKA,
AND THE MAYAUACI.

SO YOU HAVE THREE PEOPLE
CALLING THEMSELVES "MAYA."

- IS THERE ALSO MAYBE
A CONNECTION TO MIAMI?

- ABSOLUTELY.

- THIS IS REALLY INCREDIBLE.

I HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE
WOULD BE A SPIRAL MOUND HERE.

WE HAVE SPIRAL MOUNDS IN MEXICO.

THIS MAYA-GEORGIA CONNECTION

IS REALLY STARTING
TO COME TOGETHER.

AND I'M FEELING IT.

AND I'M FEELING IT.

- WELL, GARY, YOU PROMISED ME
SOME ARCHAEOASTRONOMY.

I SEE A BEAUTIFUL
MOUND STRUCTURE HERE

WITH A LONG DOORWAY

THAT'S FACING PRETTY CLOSE
TO DUE EAST.

- ACCORDING
TO THE CREEK MIGRATION LEGEND,

THE VERY FIRST STRUCTURE
THEY BUILT

WHEN THEY ARRIVED HERE

WAS A MOUND
WITH A CENTRAL CHAMBER.

THE DOORWAY OF THIS EARTH LODGE
ALIGNED WITH THE SUNRISE.

- THERE'S NO QUESTION
THAT THE MAYANS

ALSO ALIGNED THEIR TEMPLES
AND THEIR STRUCTURES

ACCORDING TO ARCHAEOASTRONOMY.

- SO IS THIS PURELY
A COINCIDENCE?

CLEARLY THERE WAS SOMETHING
GOING ON.

- THIS IS FASCINATING.

I MEAN,
WE'VE GOT TWO LARGE MOUNDS.

WE'VE GOT THIS ONE HERE
THAT HAS AN OBVIOUS ALIGNMENT

BOTH TO THE SUN
AND TO THE STARS.

WE'VE GOT
THAT AMAZING SPIRAL STRUCTURE,

THE CRANIAL DEFORMATION.

I'M DYING TO GO TO MEXICO.

IF I CAN FIND SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT ARE HERE OVER THERE,

WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S HUGE.

- PLEASURE.

WELCOME TO THE SITE
OF CHICHEN ITZA.

EVERYTHING YOU SEE
IS ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.

- EVERYTHING?
- EVERYTHING.

- OKAY.

HOW BIG IS THIS SITE?

- IT'S REALLY HARD TO TELL.

WE DON'T HAVE A FULL MAP
OF THE SITE.

- I KNOW IT TOOK
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

TO BUILD SITES
LIKE CHICHEN ITZA.

THE MAYA EMPIRE WAS MASSIVE,

ENCOMPASSING PARTS
OF SOUTHERN MEXICO, GUATEMALA,

BELIZE, AND THE YUCATAN.

MANY PEOPLE THINK
THE MAYANS DIED OUT COMPLETELY,

BUT THEY DIDN'T.

EVEN SO, SOMETHING FORCED THEM
TO ABANDON THEIR MAJOR CITIES

BEGINNING AROUND 750 A.D.

AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE REGION
OR BEYOND,

TO THE UNITED STATES.

OH, WOW.

YOU KNOW, FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE,

IT'S JUST, LIKE, SYMMETRIC.

IT'S PERFECT.

THE LINES ARE PERFECT.

THAT'S AMAZING.

- THEY WERE COPYING
THE SHAPES OF THE MOUNTAINS.

- SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE
IS REALLY A MAN-MADE MOUNTAIN.

IT WAS INTENTIONALLY MADE
TO MIMIC THE MOUNTAINS.

I'VE RECENTLY BEEN TO A SITE
IN NORTH AMERICA

IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE DID THAT WAS AMAZING...

AND I HAVEN'T SEEN
THE FINAL RESULTS YET,

BUT I SAW SOME
PRELIMINARY DATA...

WAS SOME TECHNOLOGY
CALLED LIDAR,

WHERE, BASICALLY,
YOU FLY OVER AN AREA,

AND IT WILL COLLECT
THREE-DIMENSIONAL DATA

OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE AREA.

AND WHAT WE THINK WE SEE

ARE REMNANTS OF
MAN-MADE STRUCTURES AT THIS SITE

THAT ARE SOMEWHAT REMINISCENT
OF WHAT WE SEE HERE.

I'M WONDERING
WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE

ON THE POSSIBILITY
OF CONTACT WITH THE MAYANS HERE

POSSIBLY WITH
THE NATIVE CULTURES

IN WHAT IS NOW
THE UNITED STATES.

- I THINK IT'S VERY POSSIBLE.

- OH, YOU'RE SAYING THAT
FLAT OUT, OKAY.

WELL, YOU AGREE
WITH THE SPECULATION.

IF WE REALLY UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE MAYA DID HERE

AND IF WE REALLY THINK
THERE WAS CONTACT,

THEN WHAT WE DO IS TAKE
EVERYTHING THAT WE LEARN HERE

AND THEN USE THAT AS A GUIDE

TO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE OVER THERE.

- YES, I WILL AGREE.

YOU CAN MAYBE FIND MAYA THERE,

OR YOU CAN FIND GEORGIA
DOWN HERE.

WELL, THIS BUILDING
THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US

IS THE OBSERVATORY,

AND IT'S BEEN PROVEN
BY ASTRONOMERS

THAT IT'S A STRUCTURE
THAT ALIGNS

WITH DIFFERENT POSITIONS
OF VENUS

AND POSITIONS OF THE SUN.

- SO THOSE SMALL
LITTLE WINDOWS UP THERE,

THEY WERE USED TO TRACK
THESE PLANETS, TRACK VENUS.

- YOU KNOW THAT THIS WINDOW
ALIGN TO THIS PART OF THE YEAR,

AND THIS ONE ALIGNS
TO THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

THERE'S A CONNECTION BETWEEN
ARCHITECTURE, ASTRONOMY,

AND THE CALENDAR.

- WELL, THIS IS PART
OF A SCIENCE

WE CALL ARCHAEOASTRONOMY.

- RIGHT.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE BELIEVE

IS THAT CREATING THE BUILDING
THAT HAS ALIGNMENTS

WITH THE PLANETS AND THE SUN,

YOU ARE CREATING A LINK
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH,

SO THE BUILDING
IS THE LINK BETWEEN THE TWO.

- IN GEORGIA,
I SAW A SPIRAL MOUND.

I ALSO SAW A BOULDER
THAT HAD SPIRALS CARVED INTO IT.

SO THE SPIRAL IS VERY IMPORTANT
ACROSS GEORGIA,

AND IT SEEMS TO CONNECT
OVER HERE WITH THE MAYANS.

SO MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER
CONNECTION OR PIECE OF EVIDENCE

WE CAN TIE TOGETHER
BETWEEN THE TWO CULTURES.

- YEAH, I THINK
IT'S A VERY STRONG ELEMENT,

AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
FOR THE MAYA.

IT'S IN EVERYTHING.

- THIS IS CALLED
A NAUTILUS SHELL.

IT'S THE SPIRAL DESIGN.

WE HAVE SOMETHING HERE
CALLED THE FIBONACCI SEQUENCE.

AND IT'S JUST SIMPLY
A MATHEMATICAL CALCULATION

WHERE YOU ADD NUMBERS
SEQUENTIALLY,

AND IT WILL GROW EXPONENTIALLY,

CREATING, IN THIS CASE,
A SPIRAL.

MANY ANCIENT CULTURES
SAW THIS DESIGN,

FIGURED OUT
THE MATHEMATICS OF IT IN NATURE,

AND THEN INCORPORATED IT
INTO THE ARCHITECTURE

AND INTO THEIR ARTWORK.

- OH, YES, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
FOR THE MAYA.

BUILDINGS ARE DESIGNED
IN GEOMETRIC PROPORTIONS,

AND THEY'RE PLEASING
TO THE EYE OF THE HUMAN.

- WE'RE GETTING VERY CLOSE

TO THE END
OF THE MAYAN CALENDAR,

WHICH IS DECEMBER 21ST,

WHICH, IRONICALLY,
HAPPENS TO BE MY BIRTHDAY, SO...

AND MANY PEOPLE THINK

THIS IS GOING TO BE
THE END OF THE WORLD

BECAUSE OF THE MAYANS.

- WE'RE ENDING THE 12 BAKTUN.

THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO START
THE 13TH BAKTUN

DURING YOUR BIRTHDAY,

AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO SPEND
400 YEARS MORE

COUNTING DAYS
UNTIL WE GET TO THE 14TH BAKTUN.

IT'S A MARKER
FOR A NEW BEGINNING.

IF THE MAYANS WERE HERE,

IT WOULD BE
THE BIGGEST CELEBRATION

YOU CAN THINK ABOUT.

THERE WOULD BE OFFERINGS.

THERE WOULD BE SACRIFICES.

THERE WOULD BE CEREMONIES,

BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE END,

JUST THE BEGINNING
OF SOMETHING NEW.

WELL, I THINK
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT

THAT THE MAYANS
ARE GETTING SOME ATTENTION.

- I COULDN'T AGREE MORE,
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD

TO SEEING SOME OF THE CARVINGS
AT YOUR SITE HERE.

THERE WAS SOMETHING
THAT WAS FOUND IN GEORGIA.

- I HAVE SEEN
SIMILAR CARVINGS OF THIS...

THE HEAD OF THE CAPTIVE
ON THIS SIDE.

YES, I THINK I CAN SHOW YOU
SOMETHING SIMILAR AT THE SITE.

YOU CAN TELL THAT THE PERSON

HAS SOME SORT
OF A WAR INSTRUMENT IN HIS HAND,

LIKE THIS ONE RIGHT HERE.

HE HAS ALSO FEATHERS
IN THE BACK,

LIKE HE HAS COMING THIS WAY.

BUT THE MOST STRIKING PART
IS THAT...

THIS LITTLE HEAD
HANGING FROM HIS LEFT HAND

WHERE THE SPEARS ARE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THE HEAD

IS ALMOST IDENTICAL
TO THE ONE HE HAS.

IT MAY BE A CAPTIVE,

MAYBE SOMEBODY
WHO DOES THE WORK.

- REALLY, EVERYTHING THAT
YOU TALKED ABOUT I SEE HERE.

THIS IS PRETTY COMPELLING,
IS IT NOT?

- YEAH, I CAN SEE A RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE TWO SITES.

- I SEE A HUGE PIECE
TO A BIG PUZZLE

OF MANY CULTURES
COMING TO NORTH AMERICA

PRIOR TO COLUMBUS.

AND I THINK WE CAN PUT
THE MAYANS INTO THAT PUZZLE,

AND IT JUST COMPLETELY REWRITES

THE HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA
AS WE KNOW IT.

- OKAY, ALFONSO,

LET'S TALK ABOUT
WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR.

WE'VE GOT THE TEMPLES HERE.

WE'VE GOT SIMILAR
STONE STRUCTURES IN GEORGIA.

WE'VE GOT
THE LINGUISTIC CONNECTIONS.

WE'VE GOT THE ICONOGRAPHY
OF THE MURAL

THAT'S SO FANTASTIC.

IT'S VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL.

WE'VE GOT THE ARCHAEOASTRONOMY.

I TELL YOU,
WE'RE STARTING TO BUILD

A PRETTY STRONG CASE HERE.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME
ABOUT MAYA BLUE?

- LET ME SHOW YOU.

THIS IS THE SACRED CENOTE
OF CHICHEN ITZA.

- IT'S HUGE.

THIS IS A GIANT SINKHOLE.

IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE.

- WELL, THIS IS THE MOST
SPECIAL PLACE IN CHICHEN ITZA.

THIS IS WHERE IT GETS ITS NAME.

"CHICHEN" MEANS
"THE MOUTH OF THE SINKHOLE."

THAT MEANS THE CENOTE.

AND NOT ONLY IT'S A WATER PLACE,

BUT IT'S ALSO A SACRED PLACE
TO BRING OFFERINGS.

- WHAT DO WE KNOW
ABOUT THE BOTTOM?

WHAT'S ON THE BOTTOM?

- THEY FOUND MAYA BLUE.

THEY FOUND REMAINS OF CHILDREN
BETWEEN NINE AND TEN.

- THIS IS CRAZY.

WHY WOULD THEY THROW CHILDREN
IN HERE?

- THE BELIEF IS THAT CHILDREN

ARE THE IDEAL MESSENGER
TO THE RAIN GOD,

SO WHEN YOU WANT TO PLEASE
THE RAIN GOD,

YOU USE CHILDREN AS OFFERING,
SO YOU SACRIFICE THEM.

- OKAY, WOW.

GEOLOGICALLY, I'VE READ THAT

DOWN AT THE BOTTOM
OF THIS CENOTE,

THERE IS A 4-METER...
OR ABOUT 14-FOOT-THICK LAYER

THAT IS HEAVILY LADEN
WITH MAYA BLUE CLAY.

THAT REPRESENTS
A LOT OF MATERIAL.

HOW WOULD THAT MUCH MAYA BLUE
GET IN THE BOTTOM?

- ONE GOOD POSSIBILITY WILL BE

THAT THE CHILDREN
WERE PAINTED BLUE

BEFORE BEING THROWN
INTO THE CENOTE.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE HAVE
OTHER TYPE OF SACRIFICES,

SACRIFICES THAT WE KNOW
THAT HAPPENED IN CHICHEN

BECAUSE WE HAVE A CARVING

AND THE PAINTINGS
THAT SHOWS A PERSON

PINNED AGAINST A TRAPEZOID STONE

SO THEY CAN PUT PRESSURE
ON THE BACK,

AND THEY CAN USE A KNIFE
AND SLICE THE CHEST OPEN

AND PULL THE HEART OUT
AND THEN OFFER IT TO THE GODS.

- SO THEY PLACED THEM ON A ROCK
TO ARCH THEIR BODIES

SO WHEN THEY MADE THE INCISION,

IT WOULD NATURALLY OPEN,
AND THEN THEY WOULD GO IN...

YOU KNOW, I KNEW
THAT THEY USED THE MAYA BLUE

IN THE MURALS
AND IN SOME OF THE ARTIFACTS...

THE VESSELS AND VARIOUS THINGS...

BUT I HAD NO IDEA
THAT THEY WERE USING IT

TO PAINT THE PEOPLE
FOR SACRIFICE.

THAT'S... THAT'S...

- THAT'S WHAT WE ASSUME
BY THE AMOUNT OF MAYA BLUE

IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CENOTE.

- IS THERE ANY MAYA BLUE,
THE ORIGINAL MAYA BLUE,

STILL ON SITE HERE ANYWHERE?

- OH, YES, THERE'S STILL SOME
THAT WE CAN SEE,

AND THERE'S STILL SOME
ON INSIDE OF THE BUILDING.

- I THINK THE MAYA BLUE
COULD BE THE HARD LINK

BETWEEN THE MAYANS AND GEORGIA.

AS A GEOLOGIST,

IT JUST MIGHT BE
THE SCIENTIFIC PROOF

I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.

- THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE
OF MAYA BLUE.

YOU CAN TELL,
IT IS AROUND THE SQUARE.

MAYA BLUE WAS USED
FOR PAINTING BUILDINGS

AND PAINTING OFFERINGS

AND SOMETIMES
SACRIFICIAL VICTIMS.

- MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT
THE LONGEVITY OF THIS MATERIAL,

WHY IT LASTS SO LONG,

IS BECAUSE IT'S MADE
OF A VERY SPECIAL CLAY

CALLED PALYGORSKITE

COMBINED WITH A BLUE DYE
OR AN INDIGO DYE

MADE FROM ANIL LEAVES
AROUND HERE.

IT RESISTS ACIDS,
AND IT'S VERY DURABLE.

NOW, THIS TYPE OF CLAY
WE COMMONLY SEE IN CAT LITTER.

IT CAUSES CLUMPING.

WE ALSO SEE IT
IN ANTI-DIARRHEA MEDICINE

BECAUSE IT ABSORBS THE TOXINS.

SO THIS CLAY MATERIAL
IS VERY UNIQUE.

IT CREATES A DYE
THAT LASTS A VERY LONG TIME.

HOW LONG HAS THIS PIGMENT
BEEN SITTING ON THIS WALL?

- WELL, THE DATES WE HAVE
IS ABOUT 900 A.D.

THAT WOULD BE
ABOUT 1,100 YEARS AGO.

- 1,100 YEARS AGO.

- INDEED.

- SO THIS UNIQUE CLAY,

WHERE WOULD THEY GET
THIS SOURCE MATERIAL?

- I DON'T KNOW.

I HAVEN'T FOUND A SINGLE SOURCE.

- YES, AND THAT'S ANOTHER
IMPORTANT PIECE TO THIS PUZZLE

THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT,
AS WE DO HAVE

A VERY GOOD SOURCE
OF PALYGORSKITE IN GEORGIA.

AND THIS COULD BE THE SOURCE
FOR THE MAYANS,

AND I DO HAVE A WAY

I THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE
TO TEST THIS,

SO WE CAN COMPARE IT
TO SEE IF THIS

IS THE SAME SOURCE MATERIAL
AS GEORGIA FOUND HERE.

I'M GETTING REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT THIS CASE.

WE HAVE THE CRANIAL DEFORMATION.

WE HAVE EVIDENCE IN GEORGIA
OF THAT PRACTICE.

WE KNOW WE HAVE IT HERE.

WE HAVE THE WONDERFUL MURAL
THAT YOU SHOWED US

THAT HAD THE ICONOGRAPHY
THAT WAS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL

TO THAT COPPER PLATE
THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.

WE HAVE STONE STRUCTURES
IN GEORGIA

THAT HAVE A SIMILAR LAYOUT.

AT LEAST, IT APPEARS TO BE
A SIMILAR LAYOUT

TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE.

AND LASTLY,
WE HAVE ARCHAEOASTRONOMY,

WHICH TIES ALL PEOPLE TOGETHER,

BUT CERTAINLY THE CULTURE
IN GEORGIA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT

AND THE MAYA PEOPLE HERE.

WE STILL HAVE THE LIDAR DATA
THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT,

BUT I TELL YOU WHAT,
THIS IS LOOKING REALLY GOOD.

- ALL RIGHT, JAMIE,
SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT HERE.

- SO THIS IS THE LIDAR DATA
OF THE TRACK ROCK SITE.

- AND SO WHAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE...

THIS IS THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN
THAT WE WERE FLYING AROUND

WITH YOUR PLANE
AND SHOOTING WITH THE LIDAR.

WE'VE TAKEN THE TREES AWAY.

- I PUT MARKERS IN HERE

TO KIND OF INDICATE
IN RELATIONSHIP

TO THE PICTURE THAT YOU GAVE ME

OF THE SITE ITSELF.

- ARE YOU SAYING
THAT RICHARD THORNTON'S

RE-CREATION
OF WHAT HE THINKS IS THERE

CORRELATES WITH WHAT YOU FOUND
ON THE LIDAR?

- IN TERMS
OF MY LIDAR EXPERIENCE, YES.

- REALLY?

- I THINK THAT THERE'S
VERY STRONG INDICATION

THAT THIS CORRELATES VERY WELL.

YOU CAN SEE IT HERE, HERE.

YOU CAN SEE SOMETHING HERE,

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE ALL
THE LITTLE TERRACES DOWN HERE.

- THIS IS AMAZING.

WHAT ABOUT THE OCMULGEE SITE?

WERE YOU ABLE TO FLY OVER THERE?

- YEAH, WE ACTUALLY DID
GET DOWN THERE,

AND WE WERE ABLE TO FLY IT.

RIGHT HERE,
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT

IS THE ACTUAL LIDAR DATA,
SO HOW IT'S REPRESENTED.

THIS IS THE SPIRAL SITE.

- I THINK I CAN SEE
WHAT LOOK TO BE THE TERRACES

THAT WE SAW AT THE SITE.

THERE'S NO MISTAKING
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT IMAGE

THAT IT'S DEFINITELY A MOUND.

THE SPIRALS APPEAR TO BE THERE.

AND IT LOOKS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL

TO SPIRAL MOUNDS
THAT ARE DOWN IN MEXICO.

I TELL YOU WHAT...

THIS IS REALLY COMING TOGETHER.

I JUST... I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

I MEAN, WE'VE GOT SPIRAL MOUNDS
THAT THE MAYANS BUILT.

WE'VE GOT THEM IN GEORGIA.

WE'VE GOT ARCHAEOASTRONOMY,

BOTH THE MAYANS AND IN GEORGIA.

WE'VE GOT CULTURAL ICONOGRAPHY.

WE'VE GOT CRANIAL DEFORMATION.

WE'VE GOT LINGUISTICS.

IT'S REALLY COMING TOGETHER.

ALL THE PIECES
ARE BEGINNING TO FIT,

BUT THERE'S ONE MORE THING
THAT I WANT TO DO:

A QUICK TEST
THAT I THINK MIGHT BE

THE FINAL PIECE
THAT PULLS THIS ALL TOGETHER

TO PROVE
THAT MAYAN-GEORGIA CONNECTION.

HEY, ADAM... - MM-HMM?

- CHECK THIS OUT.

- WHAT DO WE HAVE?

- WE'RE GONNA MAKE
SOME MAYA BLUE.

IT'S A PAINT
THAT THE MAYANS MADE.

IT WAS VERY SACRED TO THEM.

THEY USED IT IN MURALS.

THEY ALSO USED IT IN SACRIFICE,
RITUAL SACRIFICES.

PAINT THE VICTIM HEAD TO TOE
IN THIS MAYA BLUE PAINT,

RIP THEIR HEARTS OUT,

AND THEN THROW THE BODY
IN A HUGE SINKHOLE

THEY CALLED THE CENOTE.

BUT I THINK GEOLOGY
IS GOING TO SOLVE THE QUESTION

THAT WE'RE TRYING
TO ANSWER HERE,

WHICH IS, DID THE MAYANS
USE GEORGIA CLAY,

SPECIFICALLY PALYGORSKITE CLAY?

USING INDIGO FROM ANIL LEAVES

AND PALYGORSKITE CLAY
FROM GEORGIA,

I'M GOING TO MAKE MAYA BLUE.

IF THE GEORGIA CLAY IN MY SAMPLE

MATCHES X-RAY TEST RESULTS

OF CLAY USED IN REAL MAYA BLUE,

THEN WE HAVE
A HARD GEOLOGICAL LINK

BETWEEN THE MAYANS AND GEORGIA.

WELL, BASICALLY
WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO

IS TO FIGURE OUT
IF THERE'S A MATCH

BETWEEN MAYA BLUE IN MEXICO

AND A SAMPLE OF PALYGORSKITE
FROM GEORGIA.

THEY DID FIND SOME SOURCES
IN MEXICO,

BUT THERE'S JUST
NOT ENOUGH SOURCES

TO EXPLAIN THE AMOUNT
OF PALYGORSKITE THAT THEY FOUND.

- WELL, I DEFINITELY THINK
WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS.

SO LET'S HAVE A LOOK.

- IF YOU'RE ABLE TO MAKE
A DEFINITIVE CONNECTION,

IT WILL PROVE TO ME
BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT

THAT WE DEFINITELY
HAVE THIS CONNECTION

BETWEEN THE MAYANS IN MEXICO
AND GEORGIA.

- HERE WE'VE GOT THE SCAN
THAT WE DID.

THE ONES LABELED "PA"
ARE THE PEAKS WE WOULD EXPECT

FOR THE PALYGORSKITE CLAY
STRUCTURE.

AND THESE ONES LABELED "QU,"

THESE ARE ONE
OF THE IMPURITIES PRESENT,

AND THIS IS THE MINERAL QUARTZ.

- SO THESE ARE
YOUR SIGNATURE ELEMENTS.

NOW THE QUESTION IS:

HOW DID IT COMPARE WITH
THE ACTUAL MAYA BLUE SAMPLE?

- IT ACTUALLY MATCHES
ALMOST PERFECTLY.

- SO WE HAVE A MATCH, DON'T WE?

- YES, WE DO.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

I'M SURPRISED,
BUT YET I'M NOT SURPRISED.

GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT I'VE SEEN,

THIS WAS THE FINAL PIECE
TO TIE THIS TOGETHER.

THERE'S A WHOLE HOST
OF ACADEMICS

THAT REFUSE TO BELIEVE
THAT THERE WERE CULTURES

THAT CAME TO NORTH AMERICA
PRIOR TO COLUMBUS,

AND IT'S BULL.

THIS IS SCIENTIFIC PROOF
OF A CONNECTION.

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DENY.

IT'S GOING TO MAKE
A LOT OF PEOPLE VERY EXCITED.

RICHARD THORNTON,
ONE OF THEM, WHO'S A RESEARCHER

THAT WAS ADAMANT THAT THERE
WAS ABSOLUTELY A CONNECTION

BETWEEN THE MAYANS
AND THE PEOPLE IN GEORGIA.

THIS TESTING HERE
NOT ONLY FORCES US

TO REEXAMINE THIS CHAPTER
OF AMERICAN HISTORY,

BUT IT DEMANDS THAT
WE OPEN UP THE WHOLE BOOK

TO GET TO THE TRUTH
OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.

MAYAN PROPHECY DOES DECLARE
2012 IS A TURNING POINT,

MAYBE NOT THE END

BUT THE START OF A NEW BAKTUN,

A NEW BEGINNING.

A NEW BEGINNING MIGHT HAVE BEEN

WHAT THE MAYANS WERE LOOKING FOR
IN GEORGIA.

WHATEVER IT WAS,

IT MUST HAVE INVOLVED
ARCHAEOASTRONOMY,

SOME SORT OF ALIGNMENT
TO THE STARS.

THERE ARE SO MANY
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

STILL OUT THERE.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED
ABOUT WHERE THEY WENT

AND WHAT THEY BELIEVED

IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

THERE'S MORE TO AMERICA
THAN WE REALIZE.

WE HAVE THE RIGHT

TO QUESTION THE HISTORY
WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT,

TO EXAMINE THINGS
WITH OUR OWN EYES.

MY JOB IS TO EXPLAIN
THE UNEXPLAINABLE,

TO FIND THE ANSWERS
TO QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PAST

WHEN NO ONE ELSE WILL.

IF YOU HAVE
A MYSTERIOUS ARTIFACT OR SITE

I NEED TO SEE,
I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

Subtitles Diego Moraes
www.oakisland.tk