WEBVTT FILE
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Downloaded from
YTS.MX
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NARRATOR:
Hidden in the world's iconic monuments,
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is an incredible
ancient knowledge of the sun.
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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DR. FABIO SILVA: This connection
with the sun and the sky,
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is actually timeless.
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NARRATOR: Twice a year, as light breaks
across the Earth,
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their secrets are revealed.
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DR. SARAH KLASSEN:
This entire space is engineered around
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this one moment in time.
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NARRATOR: Across thousands of years
and unrelated civilizations,
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ancient monuments unite
in perfect alignment to the sun.
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On the same single day,
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The Equinox.
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TORE LOMSDALEN:
They go and build this fantastic temple,
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unique in the world,
so there must be a driving force.
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NARRATOR: Each a miracle
of engineering and astronomy.
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DR. EFROSYNI BOUTSIKAS: With the
technology that they had at the time,
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it's amazing how much
they could have achieved.
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NARRATOR:
But how did the ancient astronomers
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create this global event?
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The human race in a simultaneous
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celebration of the sun on the Equinox.
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It's 6:15 a.m. in Cambodia.
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Today is the Equinox.
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An event that happens only twice a year,
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when day and night are almost
the same length all over the world.
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South East Asia waits for the sun.
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Huge crowds gather
at the world famous temple of Angkor Wat.
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They've come to witness an ancient
but spectacular special effect.
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The sun is up and rising,
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just to the east behind the central tower.
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But the real moment of truth
is still to come.
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♪♪
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(crowd cheering)
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DR. BOUTSIKAS:
The sun is important in all cultures,
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particularly in ancient cultures,
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because the sun is the thing that
allows people to survive.
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Without the sun there is no survival.
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It's not a coincidence
that it has been deified
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in ancient cultures
throughout the globe.
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DR. SILVA:
We still find this connection very deep.
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Every society that we have studied
all over the world and since pre-history
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seems to have had an interest
in the sun, the moon or the stars.
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NARRATOR:
And on the Equinox, our human obsession
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with the sun is revealed...
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in ancient sites around the world.
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2000 miles to the west,
the windows of the Indian temple
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of Sree Padmanabhaswamy
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frame the setting sun
with exquisite precision.
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In Egypt more visual
fireworks from the setting sun,
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as it merges into
the shoulder of the sphinx,
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with the Pyramid of Khafre
directly behind.
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In Europe,
the megalithic temples of Mnajdra
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predate the pyramids by 1,000 years.
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Here too is a solar phenomenon
that occurs only on the Equinox.
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In the Americas,
at Chichén Itzá in Mexico,
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dating back 1,000 years,
an hour long light show
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as a snake in shadow form slithers down
the side of the snake god's temple.
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Peoples from different continents,
centuries and cultures
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all independently celebrated the sun.
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DR. SILVA: They were keen
observers of natural cycles,
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keen observers of what was
happening in the sky.
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And they built that knowledge
into these structures themselves.
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DR. BOUTSIKAS:
When we examine these sites,
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what we see is not just
the skill that these cultures had,
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but also the importance of time
and astronomy and the sun in human life.
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It's mind boggling that they had
the capability to make these monuments.
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NARRATOR:
In the modern world, it's easy to forget
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that since the dawn of humanity,
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every culture on Earth
has relied on the sun.
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DR. SILVA: Prehistoric societies, before
the invention of writing or farming,
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we're already interested in the sky.
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And we find evidence for that
all over the world.
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NARRATOR:
Astronomy was the first science.
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Only astronomy makes
a reliable calendar possible.
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DR. BOUTSIKAS: You can't perform
agriculture farming practices,
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you can't sew, you can't plow
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unless you know
what time in the year it is.
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They had to know the movement of the sun
in order to be able to-to survive.
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NARRATOR:
In summer, the northern hemisphere
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tilts towards the sun...
and the days are longer.
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In winter, it's tilted away
and it's cold and dark.
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But when the seasons change,
the sun is directly over the equator,
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and both halves of the
planet face our star equally.
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Everywhere on Earth, day and night
are almost the same length, 12 hours.
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DR. SILVA: The word Equinox comes from
the Latin equinotium,
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which encapsulates the idea that the night
has the same length as the day.
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DR. BOUTSIKAS:
You come out of the darkness of the winter
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and your days now from the Equinox onwards
start to grow and become longer,
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because light brings life.
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The Equinox is the reaffirmation that
the world is waking,
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the cosmos is waking up again,
the Earth is waking up again.
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And your survival can carry on.
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NARRATOR: Ancient civilizations develop
the astronomical knowledge
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to plot the sun's movements
with precision.
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And then, the engineering skills
to celebrate those movements in stone.
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The mystery is, how did they do it?
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For archaeologist Dr. Sarah Klassen,
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the alignment with the sun at the Equinox
is one of the most spectacular features
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of the temple at Angkor Wat.
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Sarah is using new technology to discover
the secrets of ancient structures.
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DR. KLASSEN:
This is a total station
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and we use it in the field to collect
very high precision,
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uh, geographical locations
for points of interest.
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So we can use it for architecture,
like here at Angkor Wat.
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And we can then load into a computer
to understand how the temple was built,
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what angles, what the different lengths
are between the different features.
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NARRATOR:
The temple of Angkor Wat
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was built 800 years ago
by Emperor Suryavarman II,
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and stood at the heart of his empire.
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DR. KLASSEN:
You can tell that the ancient Khmer
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were extremely sophisticated
when it came to their engineering,
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both in terms of
the scale and the precision
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of the types of things
that they engineered.
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NARRATOR:
It's on the Equinox that this
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sophistication becomes clear.
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Angkor is aligned towards
the rising Equinox sun.
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One set of grid lines runs north to south.
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The others run west to east
into the rising Equinox sun.
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From the western gate,
a dead straight avenue
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leads directly to the heart of the temple.
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But modern measurements reveal that
the alignment is not quite due east.
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DR. KLASSEN: The one thing
that's really unusual about Angkor
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is it's not built exactly
on the cardinal directions.
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It's actually half a degree off.
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NARRATOR:
For these ancient masters of geometry ,
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half a degree would be
a huge margin of error.
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But in fact, it's no mistake.
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It's a deliberate stroke
of mathematical genius.
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DR. KLASSEN:
It's actually quite ingenious.
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We think they did this
so that during the Equinox
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the sun would rise
directly over that central temple.
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NARRATOR:
The trick is that the Equinox sun
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rises at due east.
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But in the minutes it takes to rise
to the height of the tower,
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it also moves right across the sky.
Half a degree off due east.
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If the tower was due east,
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the sun would be out of line
when it reached the top.
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So the architect's solution was simple.
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They rotated the entire layout
to compensate by exactly half a degree.
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DR. SILVA:
To create an alignment between
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the western gate, the top
of the tower and the sun
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on the day of the Equinox,
is a huge amount of skill.
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NARRATOR:
Eight centuries later,
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it's still a calculated,
mathematical miracle.
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One that proves the Equinox
was a vital moment
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for which the entire temple
was constructed.
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DR. SILVA: The beauty of Angkor Wat,
is in the mathematics of it.
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It looks and feels like everything
was minutely planned and,
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and detailed to a mathematical
level of precision.
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DR. KLASSEN:
After working here for over five years,
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it's really exciting to kind of
finally be here for this moment,
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that this entire
structure was built around.
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The energy of the crowd,
all the excitement of everyone being here,
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it's a very special moment.
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NARRATOR: A fraction, half a degree,
makes all the difference.
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DR. SILVA:
To actually capture the sun
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right at the top
of the central tower of Angkor Wat...
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They were using the sun to make
a statement about their own beliefs,
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and in this case, their own power
and their place in the cosmos.
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♪♪
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(crowd cheering)
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DR. KLASSEN:
The temples that we see today
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are not what the temple
would have looked like in the past.
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The temple may have been
coated entirely in gold,
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so you can imagine what it would look like
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with the sun
rising over the central tower.
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A powerful moment to experience.
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NARRATOR: The Emperor's architects
had got it right, to the last tiny detail.
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Angkor Wat is one of
the world's greatest ancient sites.
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But just one of many across the Earth
that celebrate the Equinox sun
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with a spectacular light show.
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As the Equinox sun leaves Cambodia,
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it continues its journey around the globe.
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In Kerala, 2000 miles to the west
on the south coast of India,
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the crowds have to wait for
sunset to witness the effect.
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The stunning temple
of Sree Padmanabhaswamy
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has a beautifully carved tower
dated 400 years after Angkor Wat.
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Through its series
of precisely aligned windows,
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the Equinox sun sinks into
the west like an elevator,
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lighting up stories
at five minute intervals.
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NARRATOR: Another quarter of the way
around the world in ancient Egypt,
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the setting Equinox sun hits two
of the most iconic structures on Earth.
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The Great Sphinx of Giza
and the Pyramid of Khafre
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are both believed to have
been built 4,500 years ago.
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On the Equinox, the setting sun merges
into the Sphinx's shoulder
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with the Pyramid of Khafre behind.
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The alignment of all the Giza pyramids
to the setting sun in the west
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is incredibly accurate,
within 1/15th of a degree.
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The ancients may have achieved this
using the simplest of tools.
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DR. SILVA:
One possible way of orienting structures
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to the point of the compass
is using the Indian circle method.
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This method consists of an upright pole
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and observing the shadow
that is cast by the sun
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between sunrise and sunset.
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And you would mark the movement
of this shadow on the ground.
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Then you would take a rope
of the same length
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as the wooden pole that you used,
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and you would tie it around the pole
and draw this circle on the ground.
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These intersect at two points,
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and if you draw a line
between these two points
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you've got a line
that is marking the east-west direction.
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When you look at it from above
it does seem to fit perfectly
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with the point of the compass.
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This method is so simple and so powerful,
so accurate that...
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it could actually be used by any society
anywhere in the world.
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NARRATOR:
On the day of the Equinox,
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the sun's journey
continues onwards onto Europe.
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Bathing the Mediterranean and light.
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On the island of Malta,
something incredible is happening.
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The rays of dawn penetrate
a pre-historic temple,
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a 1,000 years older than the pyramids,
with breathtaking precision,
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striking the center of
the ancient alter dead on.
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DR. SILVA: They were specifically
targeting the Equinox.
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Pinpointing the exact position of sunrise
at the Equinox is incredibly difficult.
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And that makes it even more amazing
that some societies did manage to do that.
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NARRATOR: It's a miracle
of astronomy and architecture,
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made five and a half thousand years ago.
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DR. SILVA:
The people in Malta were building these
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fantastic great massive structures,
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and building so many of them
on such a small archipelago,
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that this is unheard of
anywhere else in the world.
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NARRATOR: The temple at Mnajdra
is one of the oldest temples in the world.
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Built with stones weighing 30 tons each,
the equivalent of five elephants.
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DR. SILVA:
They clearly were not that primitive,
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they clearly have the skills,
the ability, the know-how.
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It's fantastic to think that this
was built to align with the Equinox.
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NARRATOR:
For the last ten years,
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archaeoastronomer
Tore Lomsdalen
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00:16:50.209 --> 00:16:53.912
has been focused on figuring out
exactly how they did it.
232
00:16:56.548 --> 00:16:58.417
LOMSDALEN:
Every time I come here, I'm amazed,
233
00:16:58.484 --> 00:17:01.186
and I think about
the knowledge they must have.
234
00:17:01.253 --> 00:17:04.890
They go and build this fantastic temple,
it's unique in the world,
235
00:17:04.957 --> 00:17:06.759
so there must be a driving force.
236
00:17:08.927 --> 00:17:12.231
NARRATOR: There are three separate
temples at Mnajdra,
237
00:17:12.297 --> 00:17:14.900
arranged in a clover leaf shape.
238
00:17:15.300 --> 00:17:18.270
They're aligned in different directions,
239
00:17:18.337 --> 00:17:22.041
with one facing east to the Equinox dawn.
240
00:17:23.008 --> 00:17:26.378
LOMSDALEN:
They knew what was going on in the sky.
241
00:17:26.945 --> 00:17:29.848
They oriented it towards
the eastern horizon
242
00:17:29.915 --> 00:17:36.221
to be able to observe how
the sun moved through a solar year.
243
00:17:37.523 --> 00:17:41.427
NARRATOR: As well as the days getting
longer and shorter through the year,
244
00:17:41.493 --> 00:17:46.665
the precise spot on the horizon
where the sun rises also moves.
245
00:17:47.433 --> 00:17:51.070
In December, it rises at
its most southerly point.
246
00:17:54.573 --> 00:17:58.310
At mid-summer, it reaches
the furthest north.
247
00:17:59.244 --> 00:18:05.050
The Equinox sunrise at due east will be
right in the middle of the two extremes.
248
00:18:06.051 --> 00:18:10.489
DR. SILVA: That middle point
would be close enough to the Equinox
249
00:18:10.556 --> 00:18:15.160
for them to build
a structure that was aligned to it.
250
00:18:17.162 --> 00:18:20.699
NARRATOR: Tore believes
the temple builders used this method
251
00:18:20.766 --> 00:18:23.702
to keep track of the sun
throughout the year.
252
00:18:23.769 --> 00:18:27.372
That Mnajdra was a calendar
built in stone.
253
00:18:27.673 --> 00:18:31.910
A tantalizing clue lies
at the winter solstice position.
254
00:18:32.244 --> 00:18:35.948
LOMSDALEN:
This hole could have been a marker
255
00:18:36.014 --> 00:18:39.318
for the builders when they build Mnajdra
256
00:18:39.384 --> 00:18:43.355
to align to the rising sun
at the winter solstice.
257
00:18:43.422 --> 00:18:45.190
It's so perfectly aligned.
258
00:18:48.060 --> 00:18:51.463
NARRATOR: There may have been
a similar marker for the Equinox.
259
00:18:51.530 --> 00:18:54.032
But this method isn't very accurate,
260
00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:58.537
especially on a steeply
sloping cliff top like Mnajdra.
261
00:19:00.506 --> 00:19:05.844
By the time the sun is high enough to see,
it already has drifted to one side.
262
00:19:07.613 --> 00:19:10.249
DR. SILVA:
You are going to be finding a point
263
00:19:10.315 --> 00:19:12.885
that isn't exactly due east,
264
00:19:12.951 --> 00:19:17.156
it's going to be slightly to the left
or slightly to the right of east,
265
00:19:17.222 --> 00:19:20.459
which builds in this error
into the method.
266
00:19:21.860 --> 00:19:26.632
NARRATOR: This method was likely only used
for the design of the first temple,
267
00:19:26.698 --> 00:19:30.736
believed to be a single
chamber facing the horizon.
268
00:19:31.069 --> 00:19:35.707
The Equinox sun would have entered
the temple at a slanting angle
269
00:19:35.774 --> 00:19:39.611
to hit the alter at one side,
rather than dead on.
270
00:19:40.445 --> 00:19:45.017
But over time, the temple was rebuilt
with new astronomical knowledge.
271
00:19:46.351 --> 00:19:47.986
LOMSDALEN:
There was an evolution
272
00:19:48.053 --> 00:19:52.291
in the astronomical knowledge
and development of the--
273
00:19:52.357 --> 00:19:56.595
of how they wanted
to have the temple oriented
274
00:19:56.662 --> 00:20:00.933
directly towards the Equinox sunrise.
275
00:20:02.467 --> 00:20:08.674
NARRATOR: And surprisingly, that
new knowledge may have come at night.
276
00:20:17.115 --> 00:20:18.684
In Malta,
277
00:20:18.750 --> 00:20:21.753
the ancient astronomers
needed a new method
278
00:20:21.820 --> 00:20:26.458
to align their temple precisely
to the rising Equinox sun.
279
00:20:28.126 --> 00:20:31.730
The answer, it seems, lay in the stars.
280
00:20:32.264 --> 00:20:35.100
DR. SILVA:
They were using particular stars
281
00:20:35.167 --> 00:20:40.505
that rise at the exact location
as the sun rises at the Equinox
282
00:20:40.872 --> 00:20:45.143
as very accurate markers for this event.
283
00:20:45.978 --> 00:20:48.780
NARRATOR: Astronomers believe
they used these pillars
284
00:20:48.847 --> 00:20:50.849
to mark their observations.
285
00:20:51.917 --> 00:20:54.186
There's a cluster of holes that's thought
286
00:20:54.253 --> 00:20:58.023
to represent the stars
in the Pleiades constellation,
287
00:20:58.090 --> 00:21:00.626
also known as the Seven Sisters.
288
00:21:00.993 --> 00:21:04.162
They're bright
and prominent in the night sky.
289
00:21:06.798 --> 00:21:10.636
By chance, the Pleiades rise at due east,
290
00:21:10.702 --> 00:21:13.405
the same place as the Equinox sun.
291
00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:16.942
But while the sunrise
moves along the horizon,
292
00:21:17.009 --> 00:21:20.279
the stars come up in the same place
every night,
293
00:21:20.646 --> 00:21:24.783
because they're 30 million times
further away than the sun.
294
00:21:26.051 --> 00:21:27.719
DR. SILVA:
Almost every night of the year
295
00:21:27.786 --> 00:21:29.988
you just spot where
the Pleiades are rising
296
00:21:30.055 --> 00:21:34.092
and you will know the sun will
rise at that exact spot
297
00:21:34.159 --> 00:21:35.594
on the days of the Equinox.
298
00:21:36.795 --> 00:21:38.697
NARRATOR:
The showpiece of the new temple
299
00:21:38.764 --> 00:21:40.966
would be the huge central alter
300
00:21:41.033 --> 00:21:43.669
to catch the rising Equinox sun.
301
00:21:44.036 --> 00:21:47.105
LOMSDALEN:
They develop more awareness
302
00:21:47.172 --> 00:21:53.645
and this whole temple was built
to center around the Equinox.
303
00:21:57.582 --> 00:21:59.918
NARRATOR:
It took more than 1,000 years
304
00:21:59.985 --> 00:22:01.920
to reach the final design.
305
00:22:02.621 --> 00:22:06.024
The alter was at the back
of a completely new chamber,
306
00:22:06.558 --> 00:22:08.660
so deep into the temple,
307
00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:14.199
the sun could never fully reach it,
except on the Equinox.
308
00:22:17.436 --> 00:22:22.307
Prehistoric humans sent a message
we can still read today.
309
00:22:25.510 --> 00:22:28.313
LOMSDALEN (off screen):
See the brightness, look how beautiful.
310
00:22:29.781 --> 00:22:34.052
NARRATOR: The Equinox sun still
comes right down the central corridor
311
00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:36.955
to bathe the altar piece in light.
312
00:22:37.222 --> 00:22:38.890
LOMSDALEN (off screen):
Look at the passage...
313
00:22:39.424 --> 00:22:40.992
All the sun is increasing.
314
00:22:43.428 --> 00:22:45.063
It's gone up 100% today.
315
00:22:45.964 --> 00:22:47.265
MAN (off screen): Whoa.
316
00:22:52.137 --> 00:22:56.775
NARRATOR: The light hits its target
with extraordinary precision.
317
00:22:57.175 --> 00:23:02.414
DR. SILVA: At the Equinox, this corridor
has just the right length
318
00:23:02.481 --> 00:23:04.449
to create this effect
319
00:23:04.516 --> 00:23:09.588
where the sunlight just hits the bottom
of this altar in the back.
320
00:23:10.122 --> 00:23:13.058
It's fantastic that this was
an intentional alignment.
321
00:23:18.130 --> 00:23:22.401
NARRATOR: Some of the first builders
built for the Equinox.
322
00:23:26.505 --> 00:23:29.441
LOMSDALEN: 5,000 years ago,
they made these temples.
323
00:23:29.975 --> 00:23:32.811
This is absolutely
their altar and it's amazing.
324
00:23:36.448 --> 00:23:38.717
NARRATOR:
Just one hour after Malta,
325
00:23:38.784 --> 00:23:44.423
the Equinox sun reaches across Europe
to rise on stone age Ireland.
326
00:23:46.658 --> 00:23:50.061
1,500 miles from Malta, the same effect.
327
00:23:50.695 --> 00:23:54.933
The dawn light hits ancient stone
at the back of a chamber,
328
00:23:55.734 --> 00:23:58.203
and a carved
symbol of the sun.
329
00:23:59.571 --> 00:24:02.040
This is Loughcrew in County Meath,
330
00:24:02.307 --> 00:24:06.111
a stone age site like
Malta and almost as old,
331
00:24:06.578 --> 00:24:09.481
dating back 5,000 years.
332
00:24:09.548 --> 00:24:13.084
A farming society was greeting
the arrival of spring.
333
00:24:13.885 --> 00:24:18.290
DR. SILVA: They were building
those relationships they had to the cosmos
334
00:24:18.356 --> 00:24:21.259
into the structures
that they were building
335
00:24:21.326 --> 00:24:23.528
or into the art that they were painting.
336
00:24:24.863 --> 00:24:28.467
NARRATOR: The light descends
to a second carved image of the sun.
337
00:24:29.534 --> 00:24:35.040
Prehistoric people marking the Equinox
as a matter of life and death.
338
00:24:35.740 --> 00:24:37.442
DR. BOUTSIKAS:
What you are basically doing
339
00:24:37.509 --> 00:24:42.280
is ensuring that the sun will shine
or will do what it's supposed to do
340
00:24:42.347 --> 00:24:44.683
in order for your crops to grow.
341
00:24:44.749 --> 00:24:49.855
You're addressing the cosmos, um,
in order to be able to ensure
342
00:24:49.921 --> 00:24:52.224
your own existence and your own survival.
343
00:24:58.630 --> 00:25:01.633
NARRATOR:
The Equinox leaves Europe far behind.
344
00:25:02.300 --> 00:25:06.004
The dawn light races across
the Atlantic Ocean,
345
00:25:06.071 --> 00:25:08.673
and finally hits America.
346
00:25:12.244 --> 00:25:14.613
In north western New Mexico,
347
00:25:14.679 --> 00:25:18.617
the sun climbs ever higher
over endless desert.
348
00:25:22.220 --> 00:25:24.723
Archaeoastronomer Anna Sofaer,
349
00:25:24.789 --> 00:25:29.694
has been drawn to the Pueblo ruins
of Chaco Canyon for more than 40 years.
350
00:25:32.030 --> 00:25:35.800
ANNA SOFAER: I am stunned
by the beauty of Pueblo Bonito.
351
00:25:35.867 --> 00:25:37.435
It is so gorgeous.
352
00:25:37.502 --> 00:25:42.774
Look at just those doorways
and the perfect right angles to the edges.
353
00:25:43.174 --> 00:25:46.745
Look at the way it's held up for so long.
354
00:25:47.078 --> 00:25:48.413
Isn't that incredible?
355
00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:51.716
(laughs)
That people built this 1,000 years ago.
356
00:25:52.317 --> 00:25:54.085
NARRATOR:
This is ancient territory,
357
00:25:54.152 --> 00:25:58.857
spanning more than 30,000 square miles
of the American south west.
358
00:25:58.924 --> 00:26:00.458
In the early 12th century,
359
00:26:00.525 --> 00:26:04.029
these were the lands
of the ancestral Puebloan people.
360
00:26:04.095 --> 00:26:08.533
One of the most sophisticated
civilizations of the ancient south west,
361
00:26:08.600 --> 00:26:11.102
who believe they'd been
lead here from the north,
362
00:26:11.169 --> 00:26:13.605
the spiritual home of their ancestors.
363
00:26:14.072 --> 00:26:17.509
The ancestral Puebloans
reshaped the canyon
364
00:26:17.576 --> 00:26:22.180
with hundreds of structures that
seem to grow organically from the rock.
365
00:26:22.581 --> 00:26:26.184
And their obsession with the Equinox
lead them to construct
366
00:26:26.251 --> 00:26:30.822
one the greatest single buildings
of ancient America,
367
00:26:30.889 --> 00:26:34.225
the iconic Pueblo Bonito.
368
00:26:39.297 --> 00:26:42.601
In the brutal high desert
landscape of New Mexico,
369
00:26:42.667 --> 00:26:48.173
archaeoastronomer Anna Sofaer
explores a mysterious ancient structure.
370
00:26:49.808 --> 00:26:52.243
This is Pueblo Bonito,
371
00:26:52.644 --> 00:26:56.481
one of the biggest single buildings
in ancient North America.
372
00:26:56.848 --> 00:27:01.386
Built in a place too barren to support
the numbers who could live here.
373
00:27:05.190 --> 00:27:09.995
SOFAER: This room shows you how large
the interior rooms of Bonito were.
374
00:27:10.295 --> 00:27:13.431
We're standing on the top
of the first story
375
00:27:13.498 --> 00:27:15.500
and we are in the second story,
376
00:27:15.567 --> 00:27:22.107
and then above those vigas,
those wood posts you see the third story.
377
00:27:22.173 --> 00:27:25.176
And you get a little look at
what was the fourth story.
378
00:27:25.243 --> 00:27:27.779
So it's a massive building.
379
00:27:28.246 --> 00:27:32.917
NARRATOR: The sheer scale sparks
the greatest mystery of Pueblo Bonito.
380
00:27:33.518 --> 00:27:37.889
Thousands came,
but very few stayed to live.
381
00:27:37.956 --> 00:27:40.725
SOFAER: It's really difficult to think
of people living here.
382
00:27:40.792 --> 00:27:45.263
If you imagine, two stories above
you, you're enclosed.
383
00:27:45.330 --> 00:27:47.899
You cannot have a fire.
You can't have a hearth.
384
00:27:48.433 --> 00:27:50.869
It's a great puzzle,
what were they doing?
385
00:27:55.540 --> 00:28:00.845
What we're looking at is a site
that was built for religious purposes,
386
00:28:00.912 --> 00:28:03.314
for very powerful beliefs.
387
00:28:03.381 --> 00:28:07.218
And those beliefs are based
on a relationship with the cosmos.
388
00:28:08.520 --> 00:28:12.123
NARRATOR: They came to Chaco Canyon
to worship the sun.
389
00:28:14.325 --> 00:28:17.595
Paul Pino is an elder
of the Laguna Pueblo,
390
00:28:18.029 --> 00:28:23.134
a modern community directly descended
from the original Puebloans.
391
00:28:24.069 --> 00:28:26.805
PAUL PINO:
The culture that created Bonito,
392
00:28:27.272 --> 00:28:29.174
that culture is not gone.
393
00:28:29.874 --> 00:28:34.412
It continues today
in the Pueblos here in New Mexico.
394
00:28:35.146 --> 00:28:38.783
(drums beating, chanting)
395
00:28:40.385 --> 00:28:46.091
My grandchildren are part of that culture,
396
00:28:46.858 --> 00:28:48.526
living every single day.
397
00:28:48.593 --> 00:28:54.365
They're a part of it, and they will
pass that onto their children.
398
00:28:55.033 --> 00:28:58.369
NARRATOR: Cameras are not permitted
inside Pueblo ceremonies,
399
00:28:58.436 --> 00:29:02.273
but in this rare footage,
worshipers are leaving a kiva,
400
00:29:02.340 --> 00:29:06.611
a circular underground structure
where rituals and meetings are held.
401
00:29:07.045 --> 00:29:10.081
PINO:
I believe that when the people lived here,
402
00:29:10.148 --> 00:29:15.887
they performed a lot of their ceremonies
much the same as the ceremonies
403
00:29:15.954 --> 00:29:17.789
that we do today.
404
00:29:18.323 --> 00:29:22.527
There's that continuity
from the past to the present.
405
00:29:23.862 --> 00:29:28.166
NARRATOR:
Pueblo Bonito alone has 36 kivas,
406
00:29:28.233 --> 00:29:31.269
with room for up to 50 people in each.
407
00:29:33.304 --> 00:29:37.509
The Puebloans saw order
in the way the sun moved,
408
00:29:38.143 --> 00:29:41.112
and mapped it onto Pueblo Bonito.
409
00:29:42.013 --> 00:29:48.186
On the Equinox, the sun rises in the east
at the end of the enclosing wall.
410
00:29:51.022 --> 00:29:56.227
Sunset happens in the west
at the other end of the enclosing wall.
411
00:29:57.929 --> 00:30:00.865
SOFAER:
This wall, that's the exterior wall
412
00:30:00.932 --> 00:30:02.801
of the building on the south side,
413
00:30:02.867 --> 00:30:08.206
is so exactly east-west
that on the nights on Equinox
414
00:30:08.273 --> 00:30:13.144
you can view the sun setting
on the trajectory of this wall.
415
00:30:21.719 --> 00:30:23.188
NARRATOR:
And Pueblo Bonito
416
00:30:23.254 --> 00:30:27.592
is only the largest building
in an entire ritual landscape.
417
00:30:28.126 --> 00:30:31.229
The whole canyon marks the Equinox.
418
00:30:32.430 --> 00:30:37.001
There are 14 great kivas,
like Casa Rinconada.
419
00:30:37.635 --> 00:30:43.541
The giant circles could each take
400 people, almost 6,000 in all.
420
00:30:44.709 --> 00:30:49.013
SOFAER: The kiva is so important
in the ancient Chaco culture.
421
00:30:49.080 --> 00:30:52.984
This is the ceremonial site
for most of their activities
422
00:30:53.051 --> 00:30:54.786
that were related to the sun.
423
00:30:55.954 --> 00:30:58.590
NARRATOR:
The kiva had a heavy earthen roof.
424
00:30:59.224 --> 00:31:02.894
In the dark interior, worshipers
would only see the sun
425
00:31:02.961 --> 00:31:05.263
through the niches in the walls.
426
00:31:05.330 --> 00:31:08.466
SOFAER: It was organized to
the cardinal directions:
427
00:31:08.533 --> 00:31:10.368
north, south, east, west.
428
00:31:10.435 --> 00:31:14.405
Over there, the north side of the building
has a rectangular structure
429
00:31:14.472 --> 00:31:19.177
with two doorways that are aligned
to the rising of the Equinox sun.
430
00:31:20.578 --> 00:31:24.549
NARRATOR: Everything is aligned
to the compass within a few degrees.
431
00:31:25.216 --> 00:31:30.054
The doorways of this rectangular structure
open east and west,
432
00:31:30.355 --> 00:31:34.525
so the rising Equinox sunrise
shines through both
433
00:31:34.592 --> 00:31:40.899
and floods the interior with light,
two days a year until the end of time.
434
00:31:41.366 --> 00:31:43.368
PINO:
The sky and the Earth were created
435
00:31:43.434 --> 00:31:44.969
at the same time in our belief.
436
00:31:45.336 --> 00:31:48.306
The sun was created to give light
to the world,
437
00:31:48.373 --> 00:31:53.077
so the sun and the Earth work together
to provide nourishment for the people.
438
00:31:54.145 --> 00:31:58.416
NARRATOR: The Equinox sun bursts
into kivas across the canyon.
439
00:31:59.517 --> 00:32:01.986
PINO:
It must have been, at this height,
440
00:32:02.053 --> 00:32:03.955
something phenomenal to see.
441
00:32:04.989 --> 00:32:07.558
DR. BOUTSIKAS:
What we are exploring are sites
442
00:32:07.625 --> 00:32:11.529
where people were gathering in order
to have this experience of space,
443
00:32:11.596 --> 00:32:13.765
but also this connection with the cosmos.
444
00:32:14.632 --> 00:32:16.167
PINO:
The alignments represent
445
00:32:16.234 --> 00:32:19.170
a particular order in how things are done.
446
00:32:19.938 --> 00:32:26.010
And sometimes in this modern age,
that order is missing.
447
00:32:26.377 --> 00:32:29.647
And we mess up our world.
448
00:32:31.916 --> 00:32:37.155
NARRATOR: The Pueblo marked the Equinox
with one final spectacular display.
449
00:32:38.423 --> 00:32:40.692
This is Fajada Butte.
450
00:32:41.059 --> 00:32:43.995
A scared overlook, where most likely,
451
00:32:44.062 --> 00:32:48.333
only the elite astronomers
of their civilization could ever go.
452
00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:53.271
On its side, Anna found
three sandstone slabs,
453
00:32:53.338 --> 00:32:57.275
appearing to be set by
hand against the rock face.
454
00:32:58.543 --> 00:33:01.779
There was a spiral pattern
carved into the rock.
455
00:33:02.380 --> 00:33:08.619
She was just in time to watch
a dagger of sunlight appear from nowhere.
456
00:33:08.686 --> 00:33:10.154
SOFAER:
The precision of that
457
00:33:10.221 --> 00:33:14.092
within a few minutes of noon,
I think it's four minutes of solar noon.
458
00:33:14.959 --> 00:33:18.029
NARRATOR:
On the west face, another spiral pattern:
459
00:33:18.096 --> 00:33:19.831
this time a double.
460
00:33:20.765 --> 00:33:22.834
SOFAER:
It has a dagger of light
461
00:33:22.900 --> 00:33:26.738
going up through the right lobe.
Again, noon Equinox.
462
00:33:27.438 --> 00:33:29.140
DR. SILVA:
What makes Chaco canyon unique
463
00:33:29.207 --> 00:33:30.708
with respect to the Equinox,
464
00:33:30.775 --> 00:33:35.046
is that it shifts the emphasis
from the sunrise or the sunset
465
00:33:35.113 --> 00:33:36.981
and puts it at noon.
466
00:33:37.048 --> 00:33:38.516
SOFAER:
It's like clockwork.
467
00:33:38.583 --> 00:33:41.719
It's like all of that
is happening at once.
468
00:33:41.786 --> 00:33:43.955
The sun dagger site marks Equinox.
469
00:33:44.022 --> 00:33:46.791
These two sites mark Equinox noon.
470
00:33:46.858 --> 00:33:50.628
It's the same that we see
in the buildings, the same people,
471
00:33:50.695 --> 00:33:55.733
the same mindset to align themselves
to the sun, the power of the sun.
472
00:33:57.969 --> 00:34:00.238
NARRATOR:
1,500 miles from Chaco,
473
00:34:00.304 --> 00:34:04.642
the Maya built structures
that dwarfed even Pueblo Bonito.
474
00:34:05.009 --> 00:34:09.113
And they created
the greatest solar effect of all:
475
00:34:09.180 --> 00:34:13.351
the climax of the sun's entire journey.
476
00:34:18.990 --> 00:34:22.660
In the ancient city of
Chichén Itzá, in Mexico,
477
00:34:22.727 --> 00:34:25.763
thousands of people have
gathered from far and near.
478
00:34:29.133 --> 00:34:31.903
In a few hour's time
at this ancient pyramid,
479
00:34:31.969 --> 00:34:34.539
they will witness quite possibly
480
00:34:34.605 --> 00:34:40.178
the single most spectacular effect
ever created with the Equinox sun.
481
00:34:40.711 --> 00:34:44.415
DR. SILVA: This is not your average
alignment to sunrise of sunset.
482
00:34:44.482 --> 00:34:47.785
This is a complicated 3D effect
483
00:34:47.852 --> 00:34:51.055
that involves the light of the sun
hours before it sets
484
00:34:51.355 --> 00:34:57.161
to construct this dynamic shadow play
that is uniquely Mayan.
485
00:34:59.564 --> 00:35:01.232
NARRATOR:
A 1,000 years ago,
486
00:35:01.299 --> 00:35:06.737
the vast Maya empire was centered here,
in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.
487
00:35:07.038 --> 00:35:11.209
But their civilization was
already 3,000 years old.
488
00:35:11.275 --> 00:35:15.079
It has become a byword
for sophisticated learning,
489
00:35:15.146 --> 00:35:20.518
astronomical knowledge and
above all, stunning buildings.
490
00:35:22.420 --> 00:35:27.258
This is called El Caracol,
Spanish for "The Snail,"
491
00:35:27.325 --> 00:35:29.460
because of its distinctive shape.
492
00:35:30.394 --> 00:35:33.064
DR. SILVA:
It has this dome shape at the top.
493
00:35:33.131 --> 00:35:37.468
When you look at it
from our modern, Western perspective,
494
00:35:37.535 --> 00:35:39.303
it looks just like an observatory.
495
00:35:39.670 --> 00:35:43.541
So maybe people were sitting
there inside this structure,
496
00:35:43.608 --> 00:35:47.512
looking for the sun
or the moon or the planets.
497
00:35:48.179 --> 00:35:51.849
NARRATOR: For site director,
Marco Antonio Santos Ramirez,
498
00:35:51.916 --> 00:35:55.887
El Caracol was a central
importance to the Maya.
499
00:35:57.188 --> 00:36:00.024
MARCO ANTONIO SANTOS RAMIREZ: The
astronomers would be in here all the time,
500
00:36:00.091 --> 00:36:02.260
and they were looked after
by many people,
501
00:36:02.326 --> 00:36:04.695
because they were the specialists.
502
00:36:04.762 --> 00:36:09.901
For century after century,
there was a continuous recording
503
00:36:09.967 --> 00:36:12.870
of all astronomical phenomena.
504
00:36:12.937 --> 00:36:16.274
DR. BOUTSIKAS:
Astronomical observations and knowledge
505
00:36:16.340 --> 00:36:20.311
was restricted to, uh,
specific elites, for example.
506
00:36:20.378 --> 00:36:24.448
And by doing that, what the Mayans
achieved to do is maintain power.
507
00:36:24.515 --> 00:36:29.020
So your power was maintained through
the knowledge of how the sky operated.
508
00:36:30.521 --> 00:36:33.257
NARRATOR:
By the time Chichén Itzá was built,
509
00:36:33.324 --> 00:36:37.328
Maya astronomers already
knew exactly how the sun,
510
00:36:37.395 --> 00:36:39.764
moon and planets would move.
511
00:36:39.830 --> 00:36:42.767
El Caracol is not so much an observatory,
512
00:36:42.833 --> 00:36:45.770
as a calendar made in stone.
513
00:36:45.836 --> 00:36:49.106
The slits in the walls were
deliberately placed
514
00:36:49.173 --> 00:36:53.544
to record the passing of the sun
on certain vital days.
515
00:36:54.178 --> 00:37:00.418
A pair of slits records a specific sunset
on the Equinox or the Solstice.
516
00:37:00.785 --> 00:37:06.190
RAMIREZ:
These alignments were used to establish
517
00:37:06.257 --> 00:37:08.426
which time of the year they were in.
518
00:37:08.793 --> 00:37:13.297
NARRATOR: Marco's colleagues have been
capturing the effects throughout the year.
519
00:37:13.364 --> 00:37:19.670
Reconstructing the detailed knowledge base
that the Maya had built up over centuries.
520
00:37:21.706 --> 00:37:24.809
RAMIREZ: See how the sun
was coming in these doors
521
00:37:24.875 --> 00:37:29.213
to register these lines of light
522
00:37:29.280 --> 00:37:35.786
that mark the specific times
they want to register.
523
00:37:37.088 --> 00:37:38.489
It may look very simple,
524
00:37:39.223 --> 00:37:41.125
because all you are seeing
is a line of light,
525
00:37:41.192 --> 00:37:44.729
but to get to this,
there is an ancestral knowledge
526
00:37:44.795 --> 00:37:46.597
going through many generations.
527
00:37:46.664 --> 00:37:49.333
NARRATOR: The
Maya knew the Equinox was vital
528
00:37:49.400 --> 00:37:51.469
for the survival of crops.
529
00:37:51.535 --> 00:37:53.971
RAMIREZ:
In the case of the Equinox,
530
00:37:55.473 --> 00:37:58.442
it was an important and symbolic moment,
531
00:37:58.509 --> 00:38:03.114
because the dry season
is the death season,
532
00:38:03.180 --> 00:38:06.217
and the rainy season is the life season.
533
00:38:06.284 --> 00:38:10.388
And it's probably marking the end of one,
534
00:38:10.454 --> 00:38:12.590
and the start of another one.
535
00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:17.561
NARRATOR:
To guarantee their survival,
536
00:38:17.628 --> 00:38:22.300
the Maya believed the gods had
to be placated at the Equinox.
537
00:38:22.366 --> 00:38:27.405
And at Chichén Itzá, one of the most
powerful gods was Kukulkan:
538
00:38:27.471 --> 00:38:31.642
a winged serpent who flew ahead
of the rain god Chac,
539
00:38:31.709 --> 00:38:33.678
bringing in the wet season,
540
00:38:34.211 --> 00:38:38.382
as his tail moved the wind
and swept the Earth clean.
541
00:38:40.017 --> 00:38:46.724
The Maya built their pyramid in his name
and carved his image into its façade.
542
00:38:47.458 --> 00:38:49.960
RAMIREZ:
Kukulkan is a creator god,
543
00:38:50.027 --> 00:38:55.399
creator of time, universe,
men, corn and fire.
544
00:38:55.466 --> 00:38:58.969
It's like a rebirth,
545
00:38:59.036 --> 00:39:03.341
a fight between these
two forces: life and death.
546
00:39:04.075 --> 00:39:05.710
NARRATOR:
At the Equinox,
547
00:39:05.776 --> 00:39:09.747
Kukulkan will be celebrated
with a spectacular light show.
548
00:39:15.319 --> 00:39:17.254
On the day of the Equinox,
549
00:39:17.321 --> 00:39:21.492
tourists at Chichén Itzá
wait for the spectacular moment
550
00:39:21.559 --> 00:39:24.562
that marks the arrival of the new season.
551
00:39:25.062 --> 00:39:26.464
GROUP: Kukulkan.
552
00:39:27.198 --> 00:39:29.900
NARRATOR:
It's now just minutes away
553
00:39:29.967 --> 00:39:31.869
and tension is rising.
554
00:39:32.670 --> 00:39:35.406
Clouds threaten to ruin
the crucial moment.
555
00:39:36.907 --> 00:39:41.879
The crowd prays they'll see the true
extent of Maya religious power.
556
00:39:42.580 --> 00:39:46.350
DR. SILVA:
To create this effect is very complicated
557
00:39:46.851 --> 00:39:51.122
and yet they've done this
almost 1,000 years ago
558
00:39:51.188 --> 00:39:54.959
without any of modern mathematics
or computer technology.
559
00:40:01.265 --> 00:40:07.204
RAMIREZ: All the people are around
Kukulkan pyramid waiting for that moment.
560
00:40:07.905 --> 00:40:09.774
NARRATOR:
The pyramids key feature
561
00:40:09.840 --> 00:40:13.043
is this sloping edge
on the north west corner.
562
00:40:13.110 --> 00:40:18.115
Each of the steps protrudes a little
in a triangle-shaped bump.
563
00:40:18.182 --> 00:40:23.421
The Maya realize that these would
cast shadows on the nearby staircase
564
00:40:23.487 --> 00:40:26.624
and they could use them to
conjure their illusion.
565
00:40:27.958 --> 00:40:32.630
RAMIREZ:
Here is where we will see the
566
00:40:32.696 --> 00:40:36.801
formation of the light
and shadow triangles.
567
00:40:37.334 --> 00:40:40.404
NARRATOR: The whole effect will happen
in three dimensions.
568
00:40:40.471 --> 00:40:44.008
The sun is moving in
a curve across the sky.
569
00:40:44.074 --> 00:40:47.445
The edge is sloping
down and sideways
570
00:40:47.511 --> 00:40:51.215
and the staircase is a flat
plain at a different angle.
571
00:40:51.282 --> 00:40:56.086
So the Maya architects had to solve
a highly complex problem.
572
00:40:56.153 --> 00:40:58.456
DR. SILVA:
This must have required amazing skills.
573
00:40:58.522 --> 00:41:03.761
What they must have done
is create a small scale 3D model,
574
00:41:03.828 --> 00:41:09.033
made of maybe wood or clay,
and actually go out there
575
00:41:09.099 --> 00:41:12.470
and use the actual light of the
sun on the day of the Equinox
576
00:41:12.536 --> 00:41:16.774
to cast light on this model
and play with it
577
00:41:16.841 --> 00:41:20.244
until they found exactly
the effect they were looking for.
578
00:41:21.612 --> 00:41:24.748
NARRATOR:
The basic shadow was a line of triangles,
579
00:41:24.815 --> 00:41:28.185
but if the Maya changed
the shape of the sloping edge,
580
00:41:28.252 --> 00:41:31.155
it would change
the shape of the shadow.
581
00:41:31.922 --> 00:41:35.993
They could use their model
to get the effect they wanted.
582
00:41:40.431 --> 00:41:43.868
NARRATOR:
The Equinox moment is almost here.
583
00:41:43.934 --> 00:41:48.405
RAMIREZ:
As the sun sinks to the west,
584
00:41:48.472 --> 00:41:52.142
the light and shadow triangles
will start forming.
585
00:41:55.379 --> 00:41:56.881
NARRATOR:
We cannot be certain
586
00:41:56.947 --> 00:42:00.518
what effect it must have had
on the watching Maya people.
587
00:42:03.053 --> 00:42:07.391
It must have been
part wonder, part terror.
588
00:42:08.092 --> 00:42:13.063
RAMIREZ: At this moment,
they are starting to show up.
589
00:42:23.974 --> 00:42:28.112
NARRATOR: Kukulkan himself had appeared
on the face of the Earth.
590
00:42:28.379 --> 00:42:31.882
It's not the shadows that count,
but the light.
591
00:42:32.182 --> 00:42:37.621
The brilliant outline of a serpent's body
slithering down the staircase
592
00:42:37.688 --> 00:42:40.724
to join his head at the base.
593
00:42:40.791 --> 00:42:43.694
RAMIREZ: They've come to see this,
the descent of Kukulkan
594
00:42:43.761 --> 00:42:47.264
and how it fertilizes Mother Earth.
595
00:42:47.932 --> 00:42:52.269
NARRATOR: For the Maya, this was
the ultimate expression of the Equinox.
596
00:42:52.336 --> 00:42:56.173
Kukulkan had descended
to Earth to banish the dry season
597
00:42:56.240 --> 00:42:59.310
and bring rain and new life.
598
00:43:04.748 --> 00:43:11.789
RAMIREZ: How wonderful it is that
the ancestral knowledge can still be seen.
599
00:43:12.489 --> 00:43:14.158
DR. SILVA:
In modern society,
600
00:43:14.224 --> 00:43:17.027
we have lost touch with
the environment that's around us
601
00:43:17.094 --> 00:43:18.762
and that includes the sky.
602
00:43:19.196 --> 00:43:21.799
But in particular we've
lost touch with the Equinoxes,
603
00:43:21.865 --> 00:43:24.835
which would be the true moments
of transition
604
00:43:24.902 --> 00:43:27.705
between the warm half of the year
and the cold half of the year.
605
00:43:32.176 --> 00:43:34.044
NARRATOR:
Leaving Mexico,
606
00:43:34.111 --> 00:43:36.614
the sun passes over
the Pacific Ocean
607
00:43:36.680 --> 00:43:39.583
and finishes its Equinox journey.
608
00:43:39.650 --> 00:43:42.720
Civilizations long forgotten,
609
00:43:42.786 --> 00:43:46.991
unknown to one another
celebrated this day.
610
00:43:47.057 --> 00:43:51.161
For the ancients,
the sun was the giver of life.
611
00:43:51.228 --> 00:43:54.465
First they needed
to understand its journey,
612
00:43:54.531 --> 00:43:57.234
then they wanted to harness its power.
613
00:43:57.301 --> 00:44:02.840
Developing the first knowledge
of astronomy and engineering to do it.
614
00:44:02.906 --> 00:44:04.775
Chasing the Equinox,
615
00:44:04.842 --> 00:44:08.679
the ancient astronomers
created a cosmic magic.
616
00:44:08.746 --> 00:44:09.947
Captioned by Point.360