Unearthed (2016–…): Season 7, Episode 13 - Seven Wonders of the Pyramids - full transcript

A maze of tunnels

hidden beneath
the world's oldest pyramid.

A strange wall that surrounds
a remote cliff-top pyramid.

Cryptic markings carved into a
pyramid hidden in a rain forest.

These and other
remarkable discoveries

could help solve the mystery

of why so many different
cultures around the world

build these enigmatic
megastructures.

This here completely rewrites
what we thought we knew

about the rise of civilization
in the americas.

Today, investigators use
pioneering technology



to reveal the secrets of
seven legendary pyramids.

It's kind of scary to think that
there's like hundreds,

thousands of tons of stone
over our heads right now.

This is not a maya hieroglyph.

This is actually something
completely alien.

We explore lost labyrinths

and unearth human remains
to decode the mysteries

of these iconic
engineering wonders

that seem to connect cultures

thousands of miles
and years apart.

captions paid for by
discovery communications

Today, ancient pyramids
can be found

in more than a dozen countries
around the world.

Their wide bases,
low centers of gravity,



and solid construction

allow early civilizations
to build these wonders

high above
the rain forest canopy

and visible for miles
in the desert,

looming over every other
manmade structure.

For more than 4,000 years,

diverse cultures
separated by both time and space

invest in constructing
these enigmatic monuments.

Why?

A clue may lie with
the first pyramid ever built,

the step pyramid of djoser.

When constructed
4,700 years ago,

it is the tallest structure
in the world

and the first large-scale
building made entirely of stone.

It's the prototype
for the pyramids

used by pharaohs for centuries,

forever changing
egypt's landscape.

It's located in saqqara,

at the center of an enormous
complex of ancient structures.

Here, 2,500 acres of sand

preserve the remains
of funerary monuments

spanning 3,000 years
of egyptian history.

Mastabas, huge rectangular
mud brick structures,

are the giant tombstones
of high officials.

Alongside them
are small pyramids,

the final resting place of
later kings and queens of egypt.

And towering over them all
is the first pyramid ever built,

the immense step pyramid
of djoser.

This grand monument would be the
pharaoh's final resting place,

a structure unlike anything
the world had ever seen before.

Why does djoser's
final resting place

take the form of a pyramid?

Brand-new excavations at
the site might provide a clue.

Investigators unearth

hidden underground rooms
near the pyramid,

which contain objects he needs
in the afterlife.

Under the sand
around djoser's pyramid

lies a massive trench
120 feet wide and 60 feet deep.

It could be just a quarry

where djoser digs up limestone
to build his tomb.

But maybe, like the burial
chambers under the pyramid,

it is meant to help djoser
reach the afterlife.

Both places hold objects
for the dead pharaoh

like food offerings, treasure,
and weapons.

This could mean the trench
is more than just a quarry.

The hidden chambers
that branch from the trench

suggest it might become

an important religious feature
itself.

The ancient egyptians believed

the pharaoh's spirit will
resurrect inside the pyramid

and consume any offerings
left for him.

He then embarks on a journey
filled with challenges

and obstacles before finally
reaching the underworld.

Investigators believe that

this trench might symbolize
his perilous journey

and it might help the pharaoh
overcome any obstacles he faces

in his path to the afterlife.

The most important part
of this journey

starts with the biggest monument
in the center of the complex,

the first pyramid ever built,

the step pyramid.

Why does djoser build it
on such a colossal scale?

A clue lies with a structure

built more than 300 years
before djoser's pyramid.

Egyptologist aidan dodson

has been working at saqqara
for over 30 years.

What we've got here actually
is the last remains

of the mastaba
of queen herneith,

who dates from 2800, 2900 b.C.

In its full glory,
herneith's mastaba

is 125 feet long,

53 feet wide, and 10 feet tall.

If a queen
of 200, 300 years earlier

could have something like this,
a king is going to want

something really,
really special.

Before the reign
of djoser, egypt is divided

and rife with social unrest.

But when he takes the throne
in the 27th century b.C.,

egypt is at peace, prosperous,
and united into one nation.

With increased wealth and power,

djoser can build bigger
than the mastabas of old.

Djoser needs to make a step
change in size and technology

to be able to mark himself out

as the beginning
of a great new era.

The first pyramid ever built
preserves its history within,

like an immense russian doll.

First, djoser builds
a square mastaba

200 feet long and 26 feet tall.

But he wants more.

He extends on all sides,
but it's still not enough.

So instead, it becomes the base
for the first-ever pyramid,

four stacked mastabas

towering 140 feet
above the ground.

He builds around it
and adds two more levels

completing the iconic
six-step pyramid.

Stacking smaller mastabas
on top of larger ones

is the most stable way to build
tall on a massive scale.

Djoser creates
the largest structure

the world had ever known

and begins a grand tradition

that transforms ancient
civilizations around the globe.

You've got a whole range of new
skill sets which are required.

A whole lot of people
who probably haven't

worked together
at that kind of level.

The step pyramid
is djoser's tomb,

the final resting place
of an almighty pharaoh,

designed to help him
into the afterlife.

And the process of constructing
the pyramid helps to unite

and organize egyptian society
into a powerful nation-state.

Incredibly,
around the same time,

another civilization
12,000 miles away

on the other side of the world
constructs its own step pyramid

at caral.

Why do ancient south americans
build a massive monument

in the same style
as the egyptians?

And is this great pyramid
also a tomb

for an almighty ruler?

Gruesome discoveries inside the
pyramid may hold the answers.

And why do later egyptian
pharaohs construct pyramids

with perfectly smooth sides?

Djoser's step pyramid in egypt

is the world's first pyramid.

But amazingly,
another civilization

on the other side of the world

starts constructing a giant
pyramid in the same step style.

The second wonder is
the greater pyramid at caral.

In the heart of peru.

This ancient city is home
to five smaller,

mysterious pyramids

that surround the
greater pyramid in the center.

How do different cultures

separated by thousands
of miles of ocean

devise the same
architectural blueprint?

Just like the ancient egyptians,

the people of caral
build bigger and taller

by layering smaller platforms
on top of larger ones.

This results in the oldest
pyramid in the americas.

Buried beneath layers of sand,
rock, and rubble

lies the largest pyramid
of caral,

abandoned for
thousands of years.

The pyramid covers an area
of five football fields

at its base,

a giant 60-foot-high structure
built from multiple platforms.

In front of it, a bizarre stone
ring with 10-foot-high walls

and stairs flanked
by two upright monoliths.

Nearby, archeologists find five
other pyramid-like buildings.

Why do the people of caral
build their pyramid?

Is this also a tomb
for an almighty ruler?

At the top of the structure
lie the crumbled walls

of a series
of interconnected rooms.

At their heart,
a ceremonial chamber

of huge significance
to the city's elite.

When archeologists
excavate this room...

...They discover
a gruesome secret.

In the rubble lies
the skeleton of a man

not seen for around 4,000 years.

Who could it be?

Can this discovery
shed new light

on the purpose
of these ancient structures?

Paleopathologist
guido lombardi examines

the bones of ancient skeletons

discovered throughout
caral's supe valley.

He's trying to work out
who these people really are.

Guido examines his spine.

He discovers bony growths
on his lower vertebrae.

His feet also show
signs of damage.

The evidence tells a tale
of incredibly hard labor.

This worker carries huge loads
over long distances.

But skull fractures
lead guido to believe

his death is no accident.

He suspects the man is attacked,

then thrown into a burial pit
while still alive.

The skeleton's position
reveals to guido why he died.

The man is killed and buried
within the pyramid

as a sacrificial offering
to the gods.

Archeologists think
the pyramids are the stages

on which religious rituals

are carried out
to unite the community.

Caral's pyramid is
once truly magnificent.

The circular plaza
is painted white.

This 10-foot-high ring

is a place for ceremonies
and large gatherings.

At the top of the vast
main staircase,

an altar with
a central fireplace

suggests organized religion
is at the heart of society.

And to house
the city's population,

there are enough buildings
for over 3,000 people.

The pyramid is the most
imposing structure

in the whole city.

It is central to
the organized religion of caral.

Just as djoser's gigantic
step pyramid

reflects
the pharaoh's importance

in both life and death,

investigators believe
the people of caral

build the greater pyramid

to host the most important
ceremonies and rituals.

Today, these ruins stand
in the middle of a desert

that gets less rain
than death valley.

How does a civilization
powerful enough

to build such
an incredible monument

survive in such
a hostile environment?

And in egypt,
a new pharaoh experiments

with trailblazing designs

that will change the concept
of a pyramid forever.

5,000 years ago,
at the same time

the ancient egyptians
are building pyramids,

a civilization in south america

is constructing its own
monumental structures

in the same style.

Building so many
incredible monuments

requires a huge workforce.

Experts believe caral is once
home to more than 3,000 people.

But today, the ruins sit
in a punishing desert

which gets less rainfall
than death valley,

the hottest place on earth.

So how does such
a huge population

survive in such a dry
and hostile environment?

Jeff rose is an expert
in early civilizations

trying to solve this mystery.

The one thing you really need
for a settlement

to flourish is water.

You need a water supply

that's both going to provide
water for the people

and it's also going
to nourish the plants.

So this entire enterprise
is contingent on whether or not

there's a reliable source
of fresh water.

Could the people of caral

rely on such small amounts
of rainfall?

A newly discovered mural
might hold a clue.

The coastal town of vichama
is just outside caral.

Here, archeologists uncover
relief carvings

that appear to show a toad
hovering above a human face.

In traditional andean belief,

toads are known
to represent rain.

The face below could represent

the ancient people
that live here.

Experts believe
this strange image

shows the people of vichama
are waiting and hoping for rain

and might even suggest

a period of drought
or climate change.

Do the people of caral
have a survival secret

which allows them to build
such incredible pyramids?

Jeff joins the archeological
team digging for answers.

Archeologist
aldemar crispín balta

is hunting for answers.

The supe river trickles
through the valley nearby.

Investigators believe they found
evidence the people of caral

have a clever way to channel
this water to their fields.

This faint channel,
barely visible in the rock face,

could be part of one of the
oldest irrigation systems

in the americas,

carved out at the same time

the ancient egyptians
are constructing canals.

A reliable water supply is
crucial for early civilizations

that want to build big.

Aldemar believes
what they discover here

is just a tiny fraction

of a massive system
of waterways.

But for the people of caral,
there is one big problem.

The supe river only flows
for five months of the year

between December and April.

The rest of the year, it's dry.

When the river has no water,

the people face
the deadly threat of drought.

To survive, they have to find
another water source

to feed the canals.

So where is this
lifesaving supply?

When the river dries up,

the supe valley
has a unique advantage.

Water from high in the andes
travels through permeable rock

and emerges in the valley
as freshwater springs.

This underground source

ensures farmers have water
all year round

to irrigate their thirsty crops,

even in the driest of times.

A year-round water supply
makes life possible at caral.

It allows them to irrigate
the fields that support

a thriving population.

But incredibly, experts
discover the people of caral

don't use this precious water
to focus on growing food.

Aldemar's team look for seeds

to uncover
what grows in the valley.

They discover the people
grew a few vegetables and fruit.

But the most common crop of all
comes as a surprise.

Cotton is not a source of food.

The builders of caral's lost
pyramids find ingenious ways

to extract every drop of water
from their harsh environment.

But why are they using it to
grow something they can't eat?

A clue might lie inside
one of the five smaller pyramids

found at caral,

a step pyramid
more than 60 feet tall

known as the gallery pyramid.

When archeologists first uncover
the gallery pyramid,

they discover a treasure trove
of unexpected objects,

including an offering that
contains fragments of a raft.

When they investigate further,

they unearth something
even more surprising.

In what is once
the ceremonial hall

on top of the pyramid,

they find the trunk of a tree

surrounded by carefully arranged
blue whale vertebrae.

Can these strange relics from
the distant sea help to explain

why the people of caral
grow crops they can't eat?

Gabriel prieto burmester
is an archeologist

who specializes in the marine
history of peru.

In his lab,
he examines artifacts

from an archeological site

near a coastal town
called huanchaco.

The settlement he is studying

is founded about
1,000 years after caral,

but gabriel believes
it can still shine a light

on caral's relationship
to the sea and its crops.

The first fishermen here hunt
sharks with hooks and lines.

And we have all these
shark vertebrae,

more than 16,000
that we currently excavated.

And of course, we have
these beautiful shark teeth,

you know, that tell us about
the capacity of these people

to actually hunt
these big and large fish.

Even so,
hunting 10-foot-long sharks

is a risky way
to feed their families.

It isn't long before
the people of huanchaco

utilize a new,
more efficient technology.

These are two beautiful
examples of a fishing net.

Nets allow them
to catch smaller fish,

but in greater numbers.

Perhaps the most
important thing is that

they were all made of cotton.

Today,
the fishermen of huanchaco

still use simple nets

while riding traditional
reed boats,

a way of fishing inherited
from their ancestors.

Gabriel thinks
that by using nets,

these ancient people are able to
catch more food than they need.

What they don't eat,
they exchange or sell.

The fact that
they are using fishing nets

to increase their fish catch

tells us about
a more open community

that is using a surplus
in marine products

to exchange for other goods.

Experts think
caral grows in size

and wealth through trade.

Trade allows the city
to become so prosperous

they can commit resources
to build on a scale

never before seen
on the continent.

The step pyramids in egypt
and caral

share a similar
step-shaped design

but have very different
purposes.

And why these giant monuments

appear on opposite sides
of the world

around the same time
remains an unsolved mystery.

50 years after djoser completes
the step pyramid in egypt,

a new pharaoh pioneers
a different design

and builds some of
the most unusual pyramids

the world has ever seen.

How do the egyptians develop
perfect, smooth pyramids?

And why do these incredible
structures also appear

in central america thousands
of years later with new designs

that push the limits
of the pyramid shape?

The step pyramid of djoser

stacks traditional mastabas
on top of each other

and starts a tradition
of pyramid building

in ancient egypt.

But 50 years later,
it is another pharaoh, sneferu,

who pushes
engineering boundaries

to create a new pyramid design.

The most unusual
is the third wonder.

The bent pyramid at dahshur.

Like djoser's step pyramid

and the greater pyramid
at caral,

a wide base and a low center
of gravity

allow sneferu to build
a structure

that towers above all others.

So why does sneferu construct
a bent pyramid?

Clues could lie with the other
pyramids he constructs.

Sneferu builds
three different pyramids.

His first, at meidum,
looks like a step pyramid

but now lies in ruins.

His next one, the bent pyramid,

has a crooked profile
but is in much better condition.

His last, the red pyramid,

is the only one
with perfectly straight sides.

Sneferu builds on
djoser's step pyramid design

and develops the modern idea
of the perfect pyramid.

Is his bent pyramid part
of his master plan?

Clues may lie at meidum

among the ruins
of sneferu's first pyramid.

Its stepped core
is once covered by sides

in a classic pyramid shape,

but these have now gone.

Archeologists believe
construction starts here

just before the bent pyramid.

Engineering geologist
colin reader

thinks it can tell us

why the bent pyramid
is such a strange shape.

That's because both pyramids

used similar
construction techniques.

What we've got from this
pyramid at meidum

and also at the bent pyramid
is mason's marks,

graffiti that were painted
by the quarry gangs

or the builders of the pyramids,

and that graffiti
is quite similar.

Some people have suggested
that it's so similar,

that the two pyramids
were built at the same time.

Meidum starts
as a stepped pyramid,

but in the pharaoh's
quest for perfection,

he adds an outer shell
to fill in its huge steps.

It gives the pyramid
straight sides.

But with nothing
locking the steps

and the outer shell together,

the layers begin to split
and slip down.

Just as the evidence suggests,

this pyramid collapsed during
the last phase of building,

taking that stepped structure

and converting it
into a smooth-sided pyramid.

Sneferu's idea for
smoothing out the steps fails.

But he has already
started work on the bent pyramid

using a similar design.

Colin explores
if its crooked shape

is due to the same
structural weakness at meidum.

We're here at
the bent pyramid at dahshur,

and we're investigating whether
there's any signs of movement

or settlement
within this pyramid.

He starts by examining
the exterior.

Here, the damage looks
superficial.

There are cracks.

You can see from the casing
around us

that there are cracks
running through it,

but that shouldn't be unusual.

Buildings like this will move
as they're constructed.

The ground will settle.

But colin soon spots
something more serious.

As we've come up
to the entrance door,

this seam in the casing seems
to drop around the entrance.

We look over there. It's flat.

It's horizontal,
as all the joints are.

As we get to this point
over the passageway,

the casing drops down,
runs horizontally,

and then rises up again.

That might be superficial.

We perhaps have to look at
whether that goes

any distance
inside the structure.

Colin heads down
a narrow passageway.

Inside the northern entrance,

he finds other stones
have also slipped.

We're at a point about

10 meters inside
the northern passage,

and at this point, we've got
quite a major movement.

This block here has dropped
about 20, 25 centimeters.

This crack, running
right across the passageway,

reveals a critical
structural weakness.

What this big drop tells us
is that,

that dip we saw on the casing,

just by the entranceway,
isn't superficial.

It runs the full length
of this passageway

for about 10 or 11 meters.

We are undoubtedly looking
at a major dislocation

in the structure
as it was being built.

The cracks alert
the pyramid builders here

to the risk of catastrophic
collapse like at meidum.

What they intended to
build at the bent pyramid

was a true,
straight-sided pyramid,

but with collapses here,
they might have been concerned

something was going to go wrong
at the bent pyramid.

The top of the pyramid
is too heavy

for the steep angle
of the sides.

At first,
the bent pyramid's cracks

may not look too serious.

Then the meidum pyramid
collapses catastrophically.

Fearing the same fate,

the architect here
designs a much safer,

but shallower summit.

This gives the bent pyramid
its strange shape.

The bent pyramid is the first
pyramid with smooth sides,

an astonishing achievement,

but sneferu is never
entombed here.

He tries again.

He strives for perfection

and puts everything he learns
from the failure

of his first two pyramids
into his final masterpiece.

The red pyramid.

Built just after
the bent pyramid,

sneferu's third mega tomb,
the red pyramid,

is the world's first
true pyramid.

Its straight, geometric sides
are flawless,

something later pharaohs
will copy for generations.

To the ancient egyptians,
this perfect pyramid shape

represents rays of sunlight,

a connection to the sun god

that the buried pharaoh
strives to become.

It takes sneferu three attempts
to build the perfect pyramid.

But his son takes this smooth
design to the extreme

and creates something
the world will never forget,

one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world.

Our fourth wonder,
the great pyramid of giza.

How is it possible to build
such a gigantic pyramid

that stands as
the tallest structure on earth

for more than 4,000 years?

And why do the egyptians
stop building mighty pyramids?

Could clues lie inside
one of the last

and strangest pyramids
ever built?

After centuries of
bigger and bigger monuments,

the largest pyramid the world
has ever known rises in egypt,

a new pharaoh, khufu,

builds on the success
of his father, sneferu,

but surpasses him
in scale and ambition

to build the fourth
pyramid wonder...

The great pyramid at giza.

The oldest of the seven
ancient wonders of the world,

it towers over
all of its predecessors,

more than 450 feet tall.

A structure made from over
two million solid stone blocks

assembled
with breathtaking precision,

many weighing more than a car.

A building with narrow,
mysterious tunnels

leading to two massive chambers

built from blocks
of the strongest red granite.

The ultimate resting place
for a pharaoh's body.

How does khufu build on a scale

that isn't matched
for thousands of years?

More than six and a half million
tons of solid stone

make up this
extraordinary monument.

Huge quantities of
a special red granite

form the chambers
inside the pyramid.

This stone comes from quarries
more than 550 miles away.

How do the ancient egyptians

shift these massive blocks
right across their kingdom?

There's a clue hidden at
the foot of the great pyramid.

Under limestone slabs,

archeologists make
a startling discovery...

A deep pit filled with pieces
of ancient lebanese cedar wood.

Some look like simple planks.

Others have more
elaborate shapes.

What are these ancient
bits of wood

and what are they doing
under the pyramid?

Scientists think they are parts
of a sacred contraption

buried alongside the pharaoh

designed to help him
in the afterlife.

At the nearby
conservation center,

director of restoration
essa zidan heads up a team

that stores the wooden pieces
as they come out of the pit.

Essa keeps the ancient
wooden pieces

safely locked and wrapped up.

He is the first person
to touch them

since the ancient egyptians.

Essa hopes this find will be
as spectacular as similar pieces

found in a neighboring pit
over 60 years ago.

In a museum built directly
over the earlier pit,

craftsmen assemble
the wooden pieces.

They form a boat buried
alongside the pharaoh khufu,

a vessel designed to transport
the king in the afterlife.

Restorers take almost 20 years
to carefully preserve

and rebuild this ancient vessel.

Archeologists discover this boat
has a very special design,

a design that helps
the pyramid builders

transport goods far and wide.

Khufu's royal boat comes in
neatly laid out pieces.

It's an ancient egyptian
flat pack design.

Each plank has holes so they
can tie together into a ship

which the crew can easily
take apart and rebuild.

Archeologists think
similar flat pack boats

are carried overland in pieces

and reassembled
on the banks of the red sea

to ship in copper
from the sinai.

And on the nile,
they carry heavy cargo,

precious building blocks
for the great pyramid.

Boats turn egypt's river nile
into a superhighway

for construction materials
and supplies

so builders can transport
the red granite

of the king's chamber more than
500 miles in less than a month.

Khufu's society is
entirely organized

around pyramid building

with a trained,
experienced workforce

and integrated infrastructure
that spans the kingdom.

So why do later egyptians
never surpass khufu's pyramid?

And why do they eventually stop

building pyramids altogether?

A clue might lie
with the next wonder...

The black pyramid.

And can hidden passageways
beneath a manmade mountain

in mexico reveal why
a new generation of pyramids

appear in central america
thousands of years later?

The great pyramid of
giza is the culmination

of around 100 years
of pyramid building in egypt.

But why is this great feat
of engineering

never surpassed in scale?

Why do the ancient egyptians
stop building pyramids?

A clue may lie with
one of the most unusual

and mysterious pyramids of all,

the fifth wonder,
the black pyramid.

More than 500 years after

khufu builds the great pyramid
at giza,

the black pyramid is one of
the final pyramids ever made.

The pharaoh amenemhat iii

constructs this giant pyramid

as his final resting place.

This crumbling ruin
is once a magnificent pyramid

that towers 250 feet
above the desert,

its entire surface clad
in gleaming white limestone

that reflects the sun's rays.

At its base,

a temple where the pharaoh
can be worshiped for eternity.

And in front of it,

a courtyard complete with
18 stone pillars.

A walkway flanked
by two high walls

leads up to the pyramid.

What causes this masterpiece
of ancient engineering

to collapse?

The black pyramid is different
to the great pyramids at giza.

Its exterior
is not made of stone.

It's made from mud bricks.

Is this evolution
in pyramid building

the reason for
the catastrophic failure?

I'm so thrilled
that I actually get to go into

amenemhat iii's pyramid

because I've been into
lots of pyramids and tombs

all over egypt,

but this is the first time
I'll go into this one.

I hope I don't get lost.

Archeologist salima ikram

investigates his decision
to build a pyramid in mud brick.

Sealed 4,000 years ago,

secret tunnels
inside the pyramid

have only recently been opened
to archeologists.

Salima has unique access
to explore this hidden treasure.

Outside, it looks like
this pile of rubble.

But when you get inside,

it's this extraordinarily
well finished

beautiful interior
with tura limestone

that is beautifully polished
and so smooth.

They put a huge amount
of effort here.

And these joints are terrific

because here you can just...
Look at that.

Amazing.

The tunnels are made

from the highest quality
limestone,

very different to
the mud and straw bricks

in the pyramid above.

It is a complete
and utter maze here.

One could get lost so easily.

The deeper I go, the more hot
and humid and sticky it becomes.

Oh, my god,
that is a huge crack.

I can get my whole hand
in there.

It's really frightening.

Deep underground,

the tunnels show dangerous signs
of deterioration.

Salima believes
the damage starts

even as the pharaoh's workers

are building
his final resting place.

Maybe the king's builders
thought that it would be

much better
to build in mud brick

because they have all of
these passages,

and mud brick
is not as heavy as stone.

So maybe they chose
mud brick deliberately.

But the plan doesn't work.

So many tunnels make the pyramid
hollow like swiss cheese.

And even with
a lighter brick exterior,

the pyramid collapses.

Pharaoh amenemhat's plan
to improve the design

of the pyramid ends in failure.

If the enormous maze of tunnels
contributes to the collapse,

why does he need them?

Salima believes he has
a very practical reason.

Amenemhat iii
must have built so many tunnels

because he wanted to make sure
that no tomb robber

found his way to the tomb.

In the egyptian belief system,

the pharaoh lives
forever in eternity.

But he can only do that if
his earthly body remains intact.

This huge maze of tunnels
is designed to thwart

even the most determined
tomb raider.

Once the pharaoh was buried

and all of this was filled up,

no one was meant to be here
except for the king

because this was
his eternal realm.

A pyramid is
a monumental grave marker.

It towers above the pharaoh's
subterranean burial chamber,

where his body
will lie for eternity.

The royal burial includes
offerings of food and drink,

even mummified bundles
of fine cuts of meat

for the pharaoh
to enjoy in the afterlife.

The pharaoh is also buried
with unimaginable riches...

Precious stone amulets,
fine gold and jewelry,

and pottery
embellished with jewels.

But if robbers break in
and disturb the tomb,

the pharaoh will no longer
be immortal.

Amenemhat hopes his maze
of tunnels is the solution.

But it helps to cause
a catastrophic collapse.

He builds another pyramid more
than 50 miles away at hawara

and is entombed there
when he dies.

But this, too, is raided,
his body desecrated.

500 years later, the rulers
of egypt's new kingdom

develop a new strategy
to stay safe

and secure in the afterlife

at the valley of the kings.

They construct secret tunnels

hidden inside
the sacred mountains...

Natural pyramids.

Here, the pharaohs hope
their tombs

will remain hidden
from grave robbers.

And the famous tomb
of tutankhamun

does survive untouched
into the modern era.

The age of pyramid building
in egypt is over.

But across the atlantic ocean,

the desire to build
on a gigantic scale

leads another ancient culture
to enter its own pyramid age.

They construct a monument
that rivals the scale

of the great pyramid of giza
at its base.

Why does the same pyramid shape
appear again

thousands of years later
on the other side of the world?

And how do so many
independent cities

grow wealthy enough to construct
such incredible monuments?

Thousands of years

after caral succumbs
to the desert

and the last pyramid
of egypt is built,

a new generation
of enormous pyramids

rise in central america,

unlike anything the world
has seen before...

The sixth pyramid wonder,

the pyramid of the sun
at teotihuacan

in modern-day mexico.

Its base rivals the size
of the great pyramid of giza,

covering an area of more
than nine football fields.

Each platform is a sturdy
foundation for the next,

rising more than 216 feet tall.

It sits at the center
of an elaborate plaza

which contains more than
2,000 ancient structures,

including another giant pyramid,

the highly decorative pyramid
of the feathered serpent.

Why do the people
of teotihuacan build

these enormous monuments
across their city?

Archeologist sergio gomez chavez

searches the city's
giant pyramid for clues.

He believes the key
is to understand

how the pyramid of the sun
is used.

The largest pyramid
in teotihuacan

hides a surprising secret.

Directly beneath
the pyramid of the sun,

archeologists unearth a tunnel
in the bedrock.

First, they think
it's a natural cave

until they hit
a carved-out chamber.

And beyond it, the remnants
of 17 thick manmade walls

built to block access
to the tunnel.

At the very end of the tunnel,

they find an elaborate chamber
carved in the shape of a clover.

Whatever this subterranean vault
is designed to hold,

it's meant to be
locked away for eternity,

buried under millions
of tons of rock.

Did the people of teotihuacan
create this pyramid

as a burial chamber
for an almighty ruler

like the pyramid tombs of egypt?

Clues might lie
with new excavations

at the nearby pyramid
of the feathered serpent.

Today, sergio explores a tunnel
he's recently uncovered here.

He hopes this tunnel will reveal
more of teotihuacan's secrets.

The first section of the tunnel

runs nearly 50 feet
under the pyramid

to a cross-shaped chamber
beneath the steps.

But then it cuts down again
into the bedrock

towards the center
of the pyramid

and opens out into
a second much deeper chamber.

Today, the team carefully remove
soil from two ancient pots.

After 2,000 years in soil,

the ceramic is
incredibly fragile.

Sergio uncovers thousands
of artifacts like this one.

Marks on the pots offer
tantalizing hints

of how they are carried.

Sergio believes that
all these rare objects

are offerings to the gods.

But does this tunnel
lead to a tomb

like those inside
the ancient egyptian pyramids?

So far, sergio finds
no evidence of human burials.

And dark marks at the very end
of the tunnel

suggest this dead end looks
very different in the past.

Sergio believes the marks
reveal this chamber

is once filled with water,
making it a religious shrine,

a gateway to the gods
of the underworld.

Today, the water table
is over 50 feet below ground.

2,000 years ago,
it is much higher,

filling the final chamber

with water
to form a subterranean lake,

a replica of
the mythical underworld

where the people of teotihuacan
make offerings to the gods.

The pyramid of the sun
may look similar

to the great pyramids of egypt
and the pyramid at caral,

but it serves
a completely different purpose.

Archeologists believe ancient
priests climbed the tall pyramid

at key times
in the celestial calendar

to be closer to their sun god.

But this powerful
pyramid-building culture

mysteriously vanishes
in the sixth century a.D.,

leaving only their
giant monuments behind.

How does teotihuacan's
society function?

Shocking discoveries
inside the pyramids themselves

offer evidence
of a bloodthirsty society

that builds tall
on the bones of their enemies

and another civilization
in the americas

pushes the boundaries
of pyramid design even further,

building far steeper
than any pyramid built before.

Today, pyramids are found

across multiple continents,

separated by oceans.

Although they look very similar,

they are all built
for different reasons

and reveal secrets
of the civilizations

that construct them.

Today, teotihuacan
stands abandoned.

The once-powerful civilization

that builds the giant
pyramid of the sun

and the pyramid of the
feathered serpent disappears.

They leave little evidence of
who they are and how they live.

Archeologists at mexico's
largest ancient city

are slowly assembling
the pieces of a monster puzzle.

Anthropologist
saburo sugiyama examines bones

unearthed from the ancient city
of teotihuacan.

Archeologists discover the bones

while tunneling deep
inside the body

of the feathered serpent
pyramid.

Inside the central cell
is a dark secret...

20 skeletons almost
completely intact,

carefully arranged in what
looks like a symbolic pattern.

And they're not alone.

In total, over 260 bodies

are built into the fabric
and foundation of the building.

The pyramid is a mass grave.

A truly gruesome find.

But the dead can yield
valuable clues

to the civilization
that lives here 2,000 years ago.

Who are the people
built into the pyramid?

The 20 carefully arranged bodies

lie at the center
of the pyramid.

They are surrounded
by precious possessions,

suggesting they are members
of a social elite.

In long trenches on either side

lie two rows of 18 soldiers

flanked by rows of eight women.

The pattern repeats around
the edge of the pyramid...

Rows of necklaced soldiers
bordered by rows of women.

A cross section of society

entombed in what looks like
a sacred symmetry.

But is this an ornate graveyard

or is it gruesome evidence
of ceremonial murder?

Saburo searches the bones

for evidence of human sacrifice
at teotihuacan.

Incisions on the jaw show
that an executioner

has slit the throat
of this victim.

260 people in total
are sacrificed

inside the feathered serpent
pyramid,

but who are they?

Saburo finds answers by
analyzing the bones of the dead.

Throughout our lives,
the water we drink

is locked inside the chemistry
of our growing teeth and bones,

and because water alters
from place to place,

saburo can extract
the ancient chemicals

to work out exactly where
these people grow up and live.

Some of
the high-status skeletons

seem to be from michoacán
250 miles away.

And some of the soldiers come
from guatemala,

900 miles away.

Saburo believes
these sacrificial victims

are conquered
and captured people.

This is evidence the people
of teotihuacan are aggressive

and fight their neighbors
using the riches of conquest

to fund the construction
of enormous ritual pyramids.

One of their neighbors
to the east are the maya.

The maya are
a rival civilization

that constructs
their own monuments

which push pyramid design
further than anyone in history.

Archeologists
uncover what happens

when two pyramid-building
cultures clash head on.

There are hundreds of pyramids

found all around the world.

The great pyramid of the sun

is the centerpiece of
teotihuacan in central america.

But even more pyramids
can be found 600 miles away.

Deep inside guatemala's
dense rain forest

lie the ruins of
a mysterious metropolis...

Nearly 3,000 structures
hidden in the trees,

including the seventh wonder,

the pyramids of tikal.

The largest pyramid, temple iv,

rises more than 200 feet
to pierce through the canopy.

It's the largest of
the city's six major buildings,

constructed
in the 8th century a.D.,

and is the tallest structure
ever built by the maya.

It's tikal's greatest
architectural achievement

and also its greatest mystery.

Hidden in the thick jungle,

the sides of
this incredible pyramid

are far steeper than any pyramid

that has ever been built before
anywhere in the world.

Temple iv is
a wonder of engineering.

Constructed of seven platforms

ascended by incredible
steep steps,

climbing over 200 feet.

At its top, a shrine to the gods

topped by
a distinctive roof comb.

But how this engineering marvel
still stands is a mystery.

Constructing such a steep
pyramid should be impossible.

So how do the maya do it?

Archeologist arthur demarest
is on a quest to find answers.

What is most impressive about
this pyramid is the steepness.

I mean, you look at the pyramids
in egypt and other places,

they're sort of like this.

To make something this steep

without reinforced steel girders

then is incredible.

And it's amazing
it's still standing.

It's in pretty good shape.

Arthur believes the secret

to how the maya build
this pyramid

with such steep sides
lies hidden deep inside it.

Going in here now to look
at the tunneling excavations

to try to figure out
how they pulled this off.

It's kind of scary to think
that there's, like, hundreds,

thousands of tons of stone
over our heads right now.

You can just hope it's stable.

Site director leopoldo gonzalez

helps arthur
with the investigation.

Inside each of
the temple's platforms,

they find a number
of mysterious chambers,

giant box-like compartments
with stone walls.

Leopoldo discovers
temple iv's builders

pack these box chambers
with rubble.

The maya know filling these
walled compartments with rock

makes each platform stronger

than if they are made of stones
held together with only mortar.

But with so many
of them stacked up,

how do the mayan engineers

prevent the entire building
from crashing down?

Leopoldo finds
a special structure

which he believes makes this
particular temple super stable.

Temple iv starts
as a rectangular stone platform

made of smaller box rooms

surrounding a stone core
that gives the temple strength.

Builders add platforms
one on top of the next.

On the last platform,
they place a shrine.

The central core's strength
makes it possible

to position thousands
of tons of cut stone

to make large spaces

for the veneration
of gods and ancestors.

The finishing touch
is an elaborate roof comb,

43 feet tall, intricately carved
with hieroglyphs

and mythical scenes.

Tikal's rulers build
the mega temples

as mighty stages
for huge rituals.

Arthur thinks these ceremonies

help increase the size
and population of tikal.

Tikal's power during this period

came from all of
the monumental architecture.

These buildings are settings
for gigantic rituals,

and that also brings
in followers.

And so you just have
all of it coming together

to create this magnificence.

But how do the people
of tikal grow so powerful

they could build pyramids that
rivaled those of teotihuacan?

Could these two separate

pyramid-building cultures
be linked?

Tikal, guatemala.

1,200 years ago,
this is a mighty mayan city.

Tikal's rulers build a great
pyramid to honor the gods

and draw in devoted citizens
to grow their power base.

But how does tikal
become powerful enough

to build this monumental pyramid
in the first place?

What is the spark that
ignites tikal's transformation

into a mayan superpower?

Hieroglyphic expert
simon martin hunts for clues.

When tikal started,

it really wasn't anything
particularly special.

There are lots
of places like it.

But then something changed.

It began to become a much more
dynamic and exciting place.

Simon's quest
for answers leads him away

from the city's largest temples
to one of its smallest.

He believes this building holds
the key to understanding

tikal's mysterious rise.

This structure is unlike
anything else in the city.

It's a king's palace built
just before tikal takes off

in the 4th century a.D.

It has two stories accessed
via grand stairways.

Most of tikal's temples
and palaces from this time

are enlarged over the years.

New kings add layers

to create some of the towering
pyramids we see today.

But this palace
is never enlarged.

Why is it preserved?

And can the story of its builder

unlock the answer to
tikal's spectacular rise?

Archeologists know the name
of the man who built it...

Jaguar paw, 14th king of tikal.

Why is his palace the only one
preserved in its original size?

Giant stone inscriptions
hold the clues.

But first, simon must decode
their information

from ancient mayan.

So, this is the hieroglyphic
name of jaguar paw.

And down here in 378,

he enters the water,

which is a metaphor for death.

Simon spots something
unusual chiseled

close to the date
jaguar paw dies,

a strange symbol
unlike any other on the stone.

This is not a mayan hieroglyph.

This is actually something
completely alien.

It depicts a spear thrower.

Underneath is
a phonetic spelling.

And essentially
what it tells us here

is the name spear thrower owl.

The different language reveals

that outsiders arrive
and take over.

But who are they?

Spear thrower owl...
This is something

that we see represented
on murals in central mexico

and more particularly
at the city of teotihuacan.

Teotihuacan is the capital

of a powerful rival civilization

600 miles west of tikal.

Teotihuacan is ruled
by spear thrower owl.

It's possible to see him
as the guiding authority.

This is the person
who everyone who works for.

This is the person
who is directing events

way up at teotihuacan.

Connecting jaguar paw's death

with spear thrower owl's symbol

reveals an invasion is behind
tikal's meteoric rise.

Through the third century a.D.,

tikal in the east is trading
with teotihuacan in the west,

importing ceramics and borrowing
its architectural styles.

But in 378 a.D.,

their relationship
dramatically changes.

Spear thrower owl sends an army
to March on tikal.

The rulers of tikal
are overthrown and its king,

jaguar paw, is executed

and replaced with
a king from teotihuacan.

With access to teotihuacan's
larger resources,

a succession of new dynasties

plot tikal's domination
of the mayan world.

The date in 378 is the
most celebrated in maya history.

It's recorded multiple times.

They saw it as being
a pivotal moment

which influenced not just tikal

but the whole of
maya civilization.

The new rulers from teotihuacan

invest in growing tikal's
power and prestige.

New architectural influences

lead to grander palaces
and pyramids

that transform
the city's skyline.

Except for one building.

So even after all these changes

and there was
a new regime in place,

they nonetheless left
jaguar paw's palace

entirely intact,

which is obviously a message
of some kind.

It's certainly symbolic.

Whatever it is,

it's certainly
the end of one era

and the beginning of the next.

In the great clash of
pyramid-building cultures,

the rulers of teotihuacan
take over tikal.

With the added power
of teotihuacan,

the mayan city of tikal
can flourish into a superpower

and build some of
the most impressive pyramids

on the continent.

This merger makes tikal
one of the largest mayan cities,

but it isn't the only one.

The maya built 40 cities
across central america,

many with their own pyramids.

Each mayan city
is completely independent.

So how do other competitive
mayan cities grow wealthy enough

to build their giant pyramids

without the resources
of teotihuacan?

A clue might lie
with other mayan sites

on the yucatán peninsula,

tulum and chichen itza.

The great mayan
pyramids of tikal

stand tall above the rain forest
canopy in guatemala,

massive monuments
that can only be built

with great wealth and power.

But like all mayan cities,
tikal is completely independent.

Each mayan city has a rival
ruler jostling for supremacy.

They never form an empire.

So how does each mayan city
grow wealthy enough

to build their own
incredible pyramids

without an empire behind them?

A clue might lie
in the coastal ruins of tulum.

Tulum is one of the last cities
built and inhabited by the maya,

surviving for more than 70 years
after the spanish conquest

in the 16th century a.D.

The temple and structures here
are on a smaller scale

than other mayan sites

but appear to be
no less important.

A unique defensive wall
surrounds tulum.

This feature is not seen
anywhere else

in the mayan world.

Why is this place
so important to the maya?

The temple now known as
el castillo may hold a clue.

The largest structure at tulum
is three stories tall,

designed in layers
like other mayan pyramids.

A shrine on the top
looks out over the ocean

from two distinct windows.

These openings appear
to mark a break

in a treacherous barrier reef
that surrounds the coastline.

The shrine points to a break
in the sea cliffs

and a shallow cove that acts
as a perfect landing beach

for trading canoes.

Tulum is a cliff-top fort
sheltered behind 16-feet-tall

and 20-feet-thick walls.

It is the center of a cult
that builds a temple

to the descending god

and worships the god of the bee.

In the city square, el castillo,

the tallest building in tulum,

stands on the edge of a cliff.

Connected to both land and sea,

tulum is a trading hub
for the maya.

The evidence at tulum suggests
that the maya here are trading.

Could this be the key
to their wealth

which allows them
to build giant pyramids?

The answer may lie at one of
the most famous mayan sites,

chichen itza.

Chichen itza is centered

on the astonishing
temple of kukulcan.

Memo de anda investigates
a complex road network

surrounding the city,
which might contain clues

to how the maya transport
goods for trade.

This amazing road
we're working on now,

it's one of the sacbes,
or white roads.

You can see it's pretty wide
and it's high.

I think they had a lot
of functions.

Communicating,
that's for sure one of them.

That's the main use of roads
is like umbilical cord.

You're just putting
the site together.

But there were a lot of reasons
just practically or symbolically

or to extend
the political boundaries.

Archeologists are
constantly finding new causeways

called sacbes.

The scale of sacbes they find
at chichen itza is vast.

These sacbes
crisscross over the city,

connecting the main temples
with quarries

and outlying communities.

One leads to
a sacred water source

nearly 1,000 feet away
through the jungle.

Others stretch
out of chichen itza

to distant settlements
nearly five miles away.

More than 90 of these
white roads are discovered

revealing the complex network
of this great metropolis.

They all lead back to the center
of chichen itza,

in its prime, a bustling city

with a population of
more than 30,000.

These sacbes were
really important.

They really helped
the cities to thrive.

But the causeways on their own

do not make chichen itza
powerful enough

to build giant pyramids.

There are no nearby rivers
for transport.

It is hundreds of years
before the first horses

arrive in mexico,
and the maya do not use wheels.

How can people travel
longer distances

or shift goods quickly?

125 miles northwest
of chichen itza,

archeologist jeffrey glover
and his team search for clues.

Water became the highway,
you know?

You would have hundreds,
thousands of these canoes

annually traveling up
and down the coast.

Home sweet home.

This is vista alegre,

the site of a mysterious,

long-abandoned
coastal settlement.

Jeffrey believes vista alegre
is once a seaport like tulum

with connections
to chichen itza.

He's trying to find evidence
to link the two sites.

Jeffrey and his team find the
remains of ancient structures,

shards of obsidian,
a glasslike rock

used to carved stone,
and fragments of pottery.

But a key clue comes from
a particular variety of pottery

known as
balantun black-on-slate.

So this is
balantun black-on-slate.

It has that lovely trickle
design that was really popular

across the yucatán
from the classic period.

You know, the cool thing
about this, right,

is that it's a domestic ware
that's very common at chichen.

It's what you typically
would find in households

at chichen.

The pottery evidence shows
this settlement is linked

to chichen itza.

Vista alegre is one cog in a
highly efficient trading machine

that serves the great city.

Long-distance trade
is based on the mayan canoe

and conducted by sea.

Each canoe is up to 60 feet long

and carries several tons
of cargo.

Each port is about 25 miles
from the next,

the distance that can be
traveled by canoe in one day.

This powerful trade network
stretches all around the coast,

stepping stones to
chichen itza's main port,

isla cerritos.

Up to 400 canoes
can trade here at one time.

This lucrative port strengthens
chichen itza's power

over the whole peninsula.

The mayan cities
are independent and competitive.

But their trade networks
allow each society

to grow wealthy enough to build

some of the most impressive
pyramids of the americas.

For more than 4,000 years,
civilizations around the world

stamped their mark
on the landscape

by constructing
giant stone pyramids.

With a wide base and each layer
acting as a foundation

for the next,

ancient civilizations
are able to build tall

and reach the skies.

Each pyramid is built
for different reasons...

To ensure a peaceful afterlife,

to display power,
or to glorify the gods,

but each one breaks records,

develops technological skills,
and sets new standards

of monumental engineering.

Pyramids are taller, wider,

and more massive than almost
every other structure

ever created.

Timeless architectural wonders

that long outlast the
civilizations that build them

and that will likely survive
thousands of years

into the future.

The original seven wonders
of the world

only include
the great pyramid of giza,

but these seven
incredible pyramids

deserve a list of their own.