|
National Geographic Treasure Seekers Glories of the Ancient Aegean
|
| 00:00:13 |
In the dim past of Europe, |
| 00:00:19 |
the ancient bards told stories |
| 00:00:25 |
a time when men were heroes |
| 00:00:30 |
when the daring Theseus |
| 00:00:34 |
and soldiers clashed over the face |
| 00:00:39 |
who brought down the walls of Troy. |
| 00:00:43 |
For hundreds of generations |
| 00:00:51 |
Then in the 19th century, |
| 00:00:54 |
two remarkable men |
| 00:00:56 |
the myths were clues to the treasures |
| 00:01:03 |
Their extraordinary adventures |
| 00:01:05 |
uncovered the roots |
| 00:01:50 |
In the 19th century, |
| 00:01:56 |
Ancient Greece was considered |
| 00:02:02 |
its architecture the most beautiful; |
| 00:02:05 |
its ideas the foundation |
| 00:02:12 |
Yet its roots before the 8th century |
| 00:02:19 |
Did this extraordinary civilization |
| 00:02:27 |
Or did another, almost as advanced, |
| 00:02:34 |
The only accounts of |
| 00:02:37 |
that nearly everyone dismissed |
| 00:02:41 |
The first grade works of |
| 00:02:43 |
the Iliad and the Odyssey, were |
| 00:02:51 |
Who could have guessed that |
| 00:02:53 |
could lead the way to a real past? |
| 00:03:00 |
In Athens today a classical temple |
| 00:03:03 |
marks the grave of Heinrich Schliemann, |
| 00:03:10 |
To others, an impetuous fool. |
| 00:03:14 |
To Schliemann, Homer's stories |
| 00:03:18 |
and he set out to prove it. |
| 00:03:21 |
His incredible discoveries pushed back |
| 00:03:29 |
Schliemann's story |
| 00:03:32 |
in films, books, even grand opera. |
| 00:03:35 |
But none more fantastical |
| 00:03:41 |
I think he thought that |
| 00:03:45 |
And I think he had a kind of |
| 00:03:50 |
in which he was at the center |
| 00:03:52 |
was in concentric circles around him. |
| 00:03:55 |
I think he was |
| 00:03:59 |
Schliemann throughout his life was |
| 00:04:03 |
He, I don't think, distinguished |
| 00:04:08 |
between what is true |
| 00:04:12 |
He tended to tell the story |
| 00:04:17 |
Schliemann's personal myths stretched |
| 00:04:22 |
He was born in 1822 |
| 00:04:26 |
At the age of 7, he tells how |
| 00:04:30 |
with a picture of the ancient city |
| 00:04:35 |
Electrified by the site, |
| 00:04:37 |
the young Heinrich asked |
| 00:04:41 |
His father explained that Troy had |
| 00:04:48 |
Unconvinced, Heinrich disagreed: |
| 00:04:52 |
"Father," retorted I, |
| 00:04:56 |
they cannot have been |
| 00:04:58 |
Vast ruins of them must still remain |
| 00:05:04 |
In the end we both agreed that |
| 00:05:10 |
It's a wonderful story, but there's |
| 00:05:16 |
He tells us not a day went by |
| 00:05:21 |
of earning enough money |
| 00:05:24 |
But we have thousands of letters and |
| 00:05:29 |
There's no mention of going out |
| 00:05:36 |
Schliemann may have been trying to |
| 00:05:41 |
His mother died young, |
| 00:05:43 |
but not before his minister father |
| 00:05:46 |
by committing adultery |
| 00:05:49 |
Schliemann had to drop out of school |
| 00:05:55 |
All this, I think, etched itself |
| 00:06:00 |
He was left with a bitter, |
| 00:06:06 |
On the other hand, |
| 00:06:07 |
the drive for all that he achieved |
| 00:06:16 |
Schliemann's story continues |
| 00:06:20 |
He ran away to sea, |
| 00:06:23 |
and then became a clerk |
| 00:06:28 |
Toiling endlessly, |
| 00:06:30 |
by copying passages |
| 00:06:35 |
He mastered at least |
| 00:06:40 |
As Schliemann himself said: |
| 00:06:42 |
Talent means energy and persistence, |
| 00:06:49 |
Schliemann's talent was making money. |
| 00:06:53 |
With energy and persistence, |
| 00:06:55 |
the obsessive German became |
| 00:06:57 |
trading in commodities like indigo. |
| 00:07:05 |
In 1849, prospectors struck gold |
| 00:07:11 |
Ever the opportunist, Schliemann |
| 00:07:15 |
In Sacramento, he opened a bank, |
| 00:07:20 |
and lending them money at 12 percent |
| 00:07:25 |
After two years, |
| 00:07:30 |
My biggest fault- |
| 00:07:34 |
yielded countless advantages. |
| 00:07:37 |
And there were even more to come. |
| 00:07:40 |
Russia was on the brink of war, |
| 00:07:42 |
so Schliemann cornered the market on |
| 00:07:47 |
The Crimean War made his fortune. |
| 00:07:52 |
It seemed that everything |
| 00:07:56 |
except his social standing. |
| 00:07:58 |
His unhappy marriage to the daughter of |
| 00:08:05 |
The uneducated merchant was shunned |
| 00:08:10 |
Now in his mid-40s, |
| 00:08:11 |
Schliemann realized he wanted more |
| 00:08:15 |
He wanted respect. |
| 00:08:19 |
The situation in 1868 |
| 00:08:24 |
He'd divorced his first wife, |
| 00:08:27 |
He had sewed up his business |
| 00:08:30 |
and he didn't know what to do. |
| 00:08:32 |
He was going through a kind of |
| 00:08:36 |
And he took a journey to the |
| 00:08:41 |
It was during the course of |
| 00:08:45 |
he was looking for something to do with |
| 00:08:52 |
In June of 1868, Schliemann |
| 00:08:58 |
Buried under layers of volcanic ash |
| 00:09:02 |
this lost city was in the midst of |
| 00:09:09 |
Excavations had uncovered |
| 00:09:17 |
And rescued intimate frescos |
| 00:09:25 |
Schliemann was captivated |
| 00:09:35 |
For the first time he met a real |
| 00:09:43 |
It was the Italian's innovation to |
| 00:09:47 |
revealing the forms of the Pompeiians |
| 00:10:00 |
At this point, archeology was more |
| 00:10:05 |
with few precedents |
| 00:10:10 |
Needless to say, |
| 00:10:16 |
As he continued his travels, |
| 00:10:18 |
His diaries began to |
| 00:10:26 |
He would set off on |
| 00:10:29 |
and uncover the biggest |
| 00:10:32 |
the legendary city of Troy. |
| 00:10:35 |
But first he had to find it. |
| 00:10:45 |
When Heinrich Schliemann set out |
| 00:10:49 |
most people believed the city |
| 00:10:53 |
For one thing, it wasn't on the map. |
| 00:10:56 |
Legend had placed Troy on the Dardanelles, |
| 00:10:58 |
near the coast of present-day Turkey |
| 00:11:00 |
But no ruins identified |
| 00:11:08 |
It was as if the site |
| 00:11:11 |
the greatest war story ever told- |
| 00:11:16 |
But for thousands of years people |
| 00:11:21 |
How Helen, the face that launched |
| 00:11:25 |
had been taken away to Troy. |
| 00:11:30 |
How the Greeks had battled for |
| 00:11:34 |
led by the great king Agamemnon. |
| 00:11:40 |
How the war was finally won with |
| 00:11:49 |
In Homer's tale, |
| 00:11:50 |
the Greeks destroyed the great city |
| 00:11:57 |
Schliemann was just captured |
| 00:12:00 |
the descriptions of what goes on, |
| 00:12:03 |
everything about the human condition |
| 00:12:07 |
in a very poetic |
| 00:12:10 |
And the idea of finding the site |
| 00:12:14 |
between love and strife, |
| 00:12:16 |
between divine and human interaction |
| 00:12:19 |
was something that just |
| 00:12:23 |
With his copy of Homer as a guide, |
| 00:12:26 |
Schliemann examined the mound thought |
| 00:12:32 |
In the Iliad, two springs marked |
| 00:12:37 |
To his dismay, Schliemann found |
| 00:12:43 |
And trial excavations turned up |
| 00:12:48 |
But just as he was about to leave |
| 00:12:53 |
He met an Englishman named |
| 00:12:58 |
the site of many prior civilizations. |
| 00:13:01 |
Calvert believed his mound held |
| 00:13:07 |
Frank Calvert explained to Schliemann |
| 00:13:11 |
which took him below the Greek |
| 00:13:15 |
into deep deposits where were earlier. |
| 00:13:18 |
So he said there was a very good chance |
| 00:13:23 |
you will find the Troy |
| 00:13:26 |
And that convinced Schliemann; |
| 00:13:30 |
But Schliemann didn't have a clue |
| 00:13:34 |
Dear Mr. Calvert, have I to take a tent |
| 00:13:40 |
What sort of hat is best |
| 00:13:44 |
Please give me an exact statement of |
| 00:13:48 |
and of all the necessaries |
| 00:13:55 |
With Calvert's encouragement Schliemann |
| 00:14:05 |
On the first day, he hired 8 men. |
| 00:14:10 |
By day three there were 80. |
| 00:14:14 |
Caution was not his style. |
| 00:14:18 |
Assuming Homer's Troy lay |
| 00:14:21 |
Schliemann had his men dig a great |
| 00:14:27 |
One must plunge immediately |
| 00:14:30 |
Only then will one find things. |
| 00:14:36 |
On their way down the men uncovered |
| 00:14:41 |
But Schliemann didn't let these other |
| 00:14:45 |
You can see when he began that |
| 00:14:49 |
He was going in with winches |
| 00:14:53 |
The horrifying tales are spelled out |
| 00:14:57 |
Nowadays, one just blenches |
| 00:15:03 |
Numbers of immense blocks of stone |
| 00:15:07 |
cause great trouble and have to be |
| 00:15:13 |
All of my workmen hurry to see |
| 00:15:16 |
and settle itself at some distance |
| 00:15:25 |
Schliemann was discarding |
| 00:15:28 |
from thousands of years |
| 00:15:33 |
Thankfully, rains closed |
| 00:15:39 |
But the next year he was back, |
| 00:15:44 |
with 150 men under the command |
| 00:15:50 |
Often by Schliemann's side |
| 00:15:53 |
who won his heart |
| 00:15:59 |
Forging ahead, |
| 00:16:01 |
Schliemann continued to aim straight |
| 00:16:04 |
haphazardly uncovering |
| 00:16:07 |
and collecting pottery and other |
| 00:16:13 |
What Schliemann did was to go down |
| 00:16:18 |
And he did try to understand |
| 00:16:22 |
how the layers had built up |
| 00:16:25 |
He wasn't bad at either; |
| 00:16:31 |
Of course now we would do it |
| 00:16:35 |
but he was the one to reveal |
| 00:16:38 |
that this sort of thing could be done |
| 00:16:46 |
In the third season of digging |
| 00:16:54 |
Near the bottom of the mound |
| 00:16:56 |
workman uncovered the charred ruins |
| 00:17:00 |
It didn't look like much, |
| 00:17:02 |
but Schliemann declared it must be |
| 00:17:05 |
burned in the Trojan War. |
| 00:17:10 |
As he himself told the story, |
| 00:17:11 |
he dismissed his workman and began |
| 00:17:23 |
I cut out the treasure |
| 00:17:25 |
which was impossible to do without |
| 00:17:30 |
But I never thought of any danger. |
| 00:17:34 |
It would, however, been impossible for |
| 00:17:38 |
without the help of my dear wife who |
| 00:17:42 |
that I cut out in her shawl |
| 00:17:52 |
It was a fabulous find. |
| 00:17:54 |
Ancient silver and copper vessels. |
| 00:17:57 |
Bronze weapons. |
| 00:17:58 |
And most extraordinary of all, |
| 00:18:04 |
With Schliemann's usual panache, |
| 00:18:06 |
he announced that he had |
| 00:18:09 |
and the jewels of Helen of Troy. |
| 00:18:15 |
A photograph of Sophia Schliemann |
| 00:18:19 |
became one of the most celebrated |
| 00:18:24 |
Yet, Schliemann's account |
| 00:18:26 |
was controversial from the start. |
| 00:18:30 |
The story is certainly fiction in |
| 00:18:35 |
and that is that Sophie was not there. |
| 00:18:38 |
Sophie had left about three weeks |
| 00:18:42 |
So she was certainly not there |
| 00:18:46 |
in her shawl and carrying them off. |
| 00:18:49 |
The question is how much else is true? |
| 00:18:56 |
I think that although Sophie |
| 00:19:00 |
and we know that Schliemann |
| 00:19:03 |
that doesn't necessarily mean that |
| 00:19:08 |
I think, in fact, there are very good |
| 00:19:14 |
There are discrepancies with regard |
| 00:19:18 |
the day on which it was found, |
| 00:19:25 |
He makes wrong connections. |
| 00:19:27 |
For example, he misremembers exactly |
| 00:19:31 |
He associates them with |
| 00:19:34 |
But I think you also have to consider |
| 00:19:37 |
what he has left us with |
| 00:19:40 |
and what he has left us with is |
| 00:19:45 |
because he was so energetic, |
| 00:19:47 |
and spent so much money |
| 00:19:56 |
A master of 19th century media, |
| 00:19:58 |
Schliemann informed |
| 00:20:03 |
But first he carefully smuggled |
| 00:20:07 |
ignoring his permit stipulation that |
| 00:20:15 |
The crafty German was triumphant. |
| 00:20:19 |
Convinced that he'd |
| 00:20:21 |
buried in myth for more than |
| 00:20:26 |
Being Schliemann, however, |
| 00:20:28 |
even fame and recognition |
| 00:20:33 |
Homer pointed him in a new direction, |
| 00:20:39 |
He turned his sights to Mycenae, home |
| 00:20:49 |
According to Homer, the conqueror of |
| 00:20:56 |
Agamemnon returned home to Mycenae, |
| 00:20:58 |
only to find that his wife |
| 00:21:05 |
Late one night, |
| 00:21:12 |
It was another compelling tale- |
| 00:21:16 |
And with Mycenae, the fledgling |
| 00:21:25 |
Unlike Troy, the city |
| 00:21:27 |
It's picturesque ruins |
| 00:21:30 |
not far from the Aegean Sea. |
| 00:21:36 |
Hungry for gold, Schliemann began |
| 00:21:45 |
Within a few weeks, he discovered |
| 00:21:49 |
The man's luck seemed unbelievable. |
| 00:21:53 |
Pressing on, he unearthed |
| 00:21:57 |
filled with treasures |
| 00:22:07 |
Leaping to conclusions yet again, |
| 00:22:09 |
Schliemann declared he had discovered |
| 00:22:17 |
As it turned out, later archeologists |
| 00:22:22 |
But it didn't really matter. |
| 00:22:26 |
Schliemann had uncovered evidence of |
| 00:22:30 |
which had flourished 1,000 years |
| 00:22:39 |
The objects he'd unearthed |
| 00:22:47 |
He'd even found a helmet made of boar's |
| 00:22:55 |
Schliemann fabulous discovery at |
| 00:23:00 |
even the respect of |
| 00:23:05 |
Throughout the next decade, |
| 00:23:09 |
accumulating evidence of the wealth |
| 00:23:11 |
and splendor of this previously |
| 00:23:18 |
But Schliemann wasn't satisfied. |
| 00:23:24 |
In his heart, he knew |
| 00:23:28 |
on the primitive treasures |
| 00:23:34 |
How could he be sure that the walls |
| 00:23:39 |
were the same ones that |
| 00:23:45 |
That down those broken street |
| 00:23:53 |
It was time to return to Troy |
| 00:23:56 |
and make sense of that perplexing |
| 00:24:05 |
This time, Schliemann proceeded |
| 00:24:09 |
digging on the edge of the mound. |
| 00:24:12 |
And bit by bit, the old treasure hunter |
| 00:24:17 |
that he'd missed in his earlier days. |
| 00:24:23 |
Here, finally, was what he had been |
| 00:24:27 |
the ruins of broad streets, |
| 00:24:37 |
Schliemann should have been thrilled. |
| 00:24:39 |
But instead, his heart sank. |
| 00:24:44 |
It meant there was a lot of |
| 00:24:46 |
In a sense, |
| 00:24:48 |
he saw before his eyes 20 years |
| 00:24:58 |
For four days Schliemann retreated to |
| 00:25:09 |
From the beginning, |
| 00:25:10 |
he'd assumed that Homer's Troy lay |
| 00:25:17 |
Now his new discovery changed |
| 00:25:22 |
If he'd finally found the Troy of |
| 00:25:27 |
then 20 years ago he'd made |
| 00:25:32 |
For in his haste to dig to the bottom, |
| 00:25:35 |
he destroyed much of |
| 00:25:40 |
He'd never know |
| 00:25:49 |
Exhausted, Schliemann vowed to continue |
| 00:25:55 |
But it was not to be. |
| 00:25:58 |
Suffering from a terrible pain |
| 00:26:01 |
he traveled to Germany for surgery, |
| 00:26:03 |
then headed home to Greece. |
| 00:26:07 |
He never got there. |
| 00:26:11 |
Buried in Athens with a state funeral, |
| 00:26:13 |
Schliemann was mourned |
| 00:26:19 |
For 20 years he'd lit up |
| 00:26:23 |
with his drive and enthusiasm. |
| 00:26:26 |
Pursuing his childhood dreams of |
| 00:26:30 |
he pushed back the frontiers |
| 00:26:34 |
In the process, he put the |
| 00:26:42 |
Among the many he inspired was a |
| 00:26:47 |
who visited Schliemann |
| 00:26:55 |
Reaching beyond Schliemann's |
| 00:26:58 |
the intrepid Englishman would also |
| 00:27:01 |
into the far corners |
| 00:27:05 |
He would reawaken an even older |
| 00:27:08 |
for more than 3,000 years. |
| 00:27:20 |
Unlike Schliemann, Arthur Evans seemed |
| 00:27:26 |
His father, |
| 00:27:29 |
was a pioneer in studying the past. |
| 00:27:34 |
Born in 1851, |
| 00:27:37 |
in the English countryside |
| 00:27:44 |
But as the boy grew older, |
| 00:27:49 |
"Little Evans," |
| 00:27:52 |
He's kind of, in his early years, |
| 00:27:56 |
He's looking for something |
| 00:28:00 |
than his father and to prove |
| 00:28:03 |
And so as an expression of |
| 00:28:07 |
he did the most romantic thing |
| 00:28:10 |
which was to travel to the Balkans. |
| 00:28:16 |
From his first sight of |
| 00:28:19 |
Evans rejected any notion of |
| 00:28:26 |
Instantly at home, |
| 00:28:29 |
delighting in the colorful mixture |
| 00:28:41 |
To Evans the fact that the land |
| 00:28:46 |
The Slavs were rebelling against the |
| 00:28:51 |
Evans became a roving reporter |
| 00:28:57 |
Affected with bad eyesight, |
| 00:29:01 |
Instead, he used is walking stick |
| 00:29:04 |
which he named 'prodger' |
| 00:29:07 |
The mad Englishman with the walking |
| 00:29:11 |
and a thorn in the sight of |
| 00:29:16 |
He was quite a romantic. |
| 00:29:18 |
Much more volatile than his father. |
| 00:29:20 |
He did things like wearing a red cloak |
| 00:29:23 |
and riding on a black horse |
| 00:29:25 |
really quite dangerous |
| 00:29:28 |
He did it with a sense of drama. |
| 00:29:31 |
He wanted to be a spy, |
| 00:29:37 |
Evans sympathies were with the Slavs |
| 00:29:41 |
As the years went on |
| 00:29:45 |
his articles became |
| 00:29:52 |
His recklessness began |
| 00:29:55 |
whom Evans had married |
| 00:29:59 |
The young couple had settled |
| 00:30:02 |
Arthur's version of paradise. |
| 00:30:10 |
But in 1882, Evans articles |
| 00:30:16 |
Thrown into jail as a spy, |
| 00:30:23 |
Characteristically, |
| 00:30:26 |
to communicate with his wife. |
| 00:30:31 |
Breaking a tooth off his pocket comb, |
| 00:30:36 |
"Dear Margaret" |
| 00:30:37 |
He wrote in his blood, |
| 00:30:40 |
"I'm fine, but it would be wise |
| 00:30:46 |
His family did succeed in |
| 00:30:49 |
But Evans was expelled |
| 00:30:51 |
For him, paradise was lost. |
| 00:30:56 |
Once home in England the landscape |
| 00:31:02 |
Arthur missed the Mediterranean |
| 00:31:10 |
So he and Margaret took off |
| 00:31:13 |
a holiday that would have |
| 00:31:19 |
In Greece, the young couple |
| 00:31:23 |
revered by educated Europeans |
| 00:31:30 |
Evans was unimpressed. |
| 00:31:34 |
He was more interested in truly |
| 00:31:38 |
like the ones at Mycenae. |
| 00:31:42 |
Ever since the first newspaper |
| 00:31:46 |
Evans had been fascinated by |
| 00:31:52 |
He visited the German archeologist |
| 00:31:59 |
With great pride, |
| 00:32:02 |
the objects he'd unearthed at Mycenae. |
| 00:32:07 |
Evans was captivated. |
| 00:32:12 |
His nearsighted eyes would often |
| 00:32:18 |
And what excited him here were |
| 00:32:23 |
a design into wax or clay. |
| 00:32:31 |
Their intricate symbols reminded him |
| 00:32:34 |
like the Egyptian hieroglyphs. |
| 00:32:38 |
Could it be that |
| 00:32:40 |
had also mastered the art of writing? |
| 00:32:47 |
And if it was so advanced, |
| 00:32:50 |
then surely another civilization |
| 00:32:56 |
He seemed to feel almost instinctively |
| 00:33:01 |
I think that as one of the |
| 00:33:04 |
that Evans made was the sense |
| 00:33:06 |
that Mycenaean art wasn't the |
| 00:33:09 |
it was the end of something. |
| 00:33:10 |
So he had this sense that there |
| 00:33:13 |
And that, of course, was one of |
| 00:33:16 |
in the direction of Crete. |
| 00:33:21 |
In 1893, Evans' wife Margaret |
| 00:33:27 |
The couple had been living |
| 00:33:30 |
where Evans served as director |
| 00:33:37 |
Without his companion, |
| 00:33:40 |
For the rest of his life he would only |
| 00:33:48 |
Clearly, he needed a new adventure. |
| 00:33:52 |
His mind returned to |
| 00:33:55 |
and the enigma of the sealstone. |
| 00:33:59 |
He'd heard that the island of Crete |
| 00:34:03 |
It was time to see for himself. |
| 00:34:12 |
In 1894, Arthur Evans went to Crete, |
| 00:34:23 |
In ancient times it had been fabled |
| 00:34:33 |
Now under the control of |
| 00:34:35 |
it was timeless and unspoiled. |
| 00:34:41 |
Exactly the sort of place |
| 00:34:44 |
He traveled all over the island looking |
| 00:34:51 |
Here women called them 'milkstones' |
| 00:34:55 |
to ensure enough milk for their babies. |
| 00:35:04 |
Finally, he came to a great mound, |
| 00:35:06 |
still identified by the locals |
| 00:35:10 |
in Greek mythology, |
| 00:35:16 |
Arthur Evans couldn't resist |
| 00:35:20 |
that beneath this hill once lay the |
| 00:35:31 |
As the story goes, |
| 00:35:34 |
was required to send tribute |
| 00:35:39 |
Seven youths and seven maidens were |
| 00:35:43 |
to face the Minotaur, |
| 00:35:45 |
the terrifying monster half man |
| 00:35:52 |
No one came out alive. |
| 00:35:59 |
Then a youth named Theseus |
| 00:36:02 |
to mark his trail with |
| 00:36:16 |
The hero met the Minotaur |
| 00:36:31 |
Triumphant, |
| 00:36:39 |
When Arthur Evans arrived |
| 00:36:42 |
it looked like any other hill |
| 00:36:46 |
let alone a labyrinth. |
| 00:36:49 |
But Evans met a man who had found some |
| 00:36:54 |
He claimed there was much more |
| 00:37:02 |
Evans began to negotiate with |
| 00:37:08 |
It took him five years |
| 00:37:11 |
to wait until Crete gained |
| 00:37:16 |
Evans had learned as a collector |
| 00:37:19 |
that the only way really to control |
| 00:37:25 |
So Evans decided to own |
| 00:37:29 |
and to buy Knossos |
| 00:37:33 |
he would have a right to do |
| 00:37:34 |
whatever he wanted on it. |
| 00:37:36 |
On the 23rd of March 1900, |
| 00:37:54 |
In an effort to heal scars |
| 00:37:57 |
he hired both Muslims and Christians, |
| 00:38:05 |
Evans himself was almost overcome |
| 00:38:10 |
There is a bit of schizophrenia |
| 00:38:13 |
where he is trained by his father |
| 00:38:18 |
At the same time, |
| 00:38:19 |
the romantic explorer is desperate |
| 00:38:29 |
It didn't take long. |
| 00:38:32 |
Exactly one week |
| 00:38:35 |
Arthur Evans found clay tablets |
| 00:38:37 |
inscribed with two different systems |
| 00:38:41 |
Evans called them |
| 00:38:47 |
He would spend the rest of his |
| 00:38:55 |
Even more extraordinary lay in wait. |
| 00:39:02 |
Arthur Evans found in the very |
| 00:39:07 |
a wonderful gypsum throne, |
| 00:39:09 |
a stone throne still it in a place, |
| 00:39:13 |
in a room beautifully decorated with |
| 00:39:18 |
And he was instantly able |
| 00:39:21 |
this is the oldest throne in Europe, |
| 00:39:23 |
this is the beginning of |
| 00:39:32 |
The civilization Evans was uncovering |
| 00:39:39 |
While the rest of Europe |
| 00:39:42 |
these ancient people had resided |
| 00:39:49 |
Essentially it really was like |
| 00:39:56 |
where you had running water actually |
| 00:40:02 |
This sort of thing, most of Evans' |
| 00:40:08 |
You know, flushing toilets in their |
| 00:40:13 |
running through the houses. |
| 00:40:18 |
Elated by the extraordinary treasures |
| 00:40:21 |
Evans boldly announced to the world |
| 00:40:26 |
unimagined civilization. |
| 00:40:34 |
Older than Schliemann's Mycenae, |
| 00:40:37 |
and more than 15,000 years |
| 00:40:43 |
He decided these remarkable |
| 00:40:47 |
'Minoan' he called them |
| 00:40:53 |
This time Arthur Evans |
| 00:40:56 |
equal to his boundless imagination. |
| 00:41:05 |
As the years went on, |
| 00:41:10 |
Winter storms damaged |
| 00:41:15 |
Evans realized he had to |
| 00:41:20 |
It was only the beginning of |
| 00:41:26 |
Soon his workmen found evidence that |
| 00:41:28 |
the palace had actually had |
| 00:41:34 |
Evans sent two experienced silver |
| 00:41:44 |
They dug for weeks, |
| 00:41:45 |
eventually revealing the remains of |
| 00:41:55 |
Evans found the only way |
| 00:41:58 |
was to restore it to its former glory. |
| 00:42:03 |
All it would take was |
| 00:42:08 |
Really what started off as a first- |
| 00:42:14 |
grew out of hand a little bit |
| 00:42:16 |
because he began to really enjoy |
| 00:42:21 |
Little by little, Evans began |
| 00:42:29 |
Using his own fortune, |
| 00:42:33 |
based on his personal vision |
| 00:42:41 |
The project was controversial |
| 00:42:45 |
Evans used modern materials |
| 00:42:51 |
melding the ancient with the latest |
| 00:42:58 |
Evans was trying to recreate |
| 00:43:03 |
that we try to set up |
| 00:43:06 |
where people can experience |
| 00:43:09 |
Evans was trying to do the same thing |
| 00:43:13 |
He was criticized for building |
| 00:43:16 |
and in a sense that is |
| 00:43:24 |
He wanted people to be able to walk |
| 00:43:30 |
But really one is experiencing |
| 00:43:35 |
more than anything else |
| 00:43:47 |
Even Evans critics today admit that |
| 00:43:51 |
without his unifying vision. |
| 00:43:56 |
As more and more ruins continued |
| 00:43:59 |
Evans hired architects to help him |
| 00:44:01 |
make sense of the twisting |
| 00:44:06 |
He began to think that |
| 00:44:07 |
the palace itself had inspired |
| 00:44:11 |
for he found 1400 rooms |
| 00:44:19 |
The palace was reasonably |
| 00:44:23 |
but nothing like as well |
| 00:44:27 |
It is really quite important to walk |
| 00:44:32 |
and ceilings as well as |
| 00:44:35 |
the come up to about knee level. |
| 00:44:42 |
So with things like |
| 00:44:43 |
of which he was hugely proud, |
| 00:44:45 |
I think a lot of people have cause |
| 00:44:49 |
for allowing them the chance |
| 00:44:53 |
and to be surrounded by Minoan columns |
| 00:44:57 |
It has been a wonderful experience. |
| 00:45:09 |
Evans was inspired by the frescos. |
| 00:45:18 |
The fragments suggested a world |
| 00:45:22 |
a handsome people who lived |
| 00:45:27 |
But the images were |
| 00:45:33 |
So Evans took another leap. |
| 00:45:35 |
He hired a team of artists |
| 00:45:40 |
What emerged from Evans palette was |
| 00:45:45 |
unlike any other in ancient times. |
| 00:45:52 |
There were no images of war. |
| 00:45:56 |
Women were on an equal footing |
| 00:46:00 |
Priestesses led the worship |
| 00:46:05 |
How much of this inviting world |
| 00:46:09 |
and how much the creation of |
| 00:46:15 |
He idealized the Minoans. |
| 00:46:17 |
He had no real concept that |
| 00:46:20 |
an darker side to their nature, |
| 00:46:24 |
They were, for him, sort of |
| 00:46:28 |
They were people who lived |
| 00:46:31 |
a world which I think Evans saw |
| 00:46:34 |
They were always a bit of |
| 00:46:38 |
During Evans years at Knossos, |
| 00:46:40 |
the outside world was shattered |
| 00:46:50 |
Evans was horrified |
| 00:46:53 |
and raw power of the 20th century. |
| 00:46:58 |
Just as he had escaped |
| 00:47:02 |
he found solace in the refined world |
| 00:47:10 |
They became almost real to him, |
| 00:47:13 |
a perfect people who lived |
| 00:47:20 |
In his writings only once |
| 00:47:23 |
that his Minoans might have had |
| 00:47:28 |
He couldn't help noticing that |
| 00:47:30 |
everywhere he looked in the palace |
| 00:47:37 |
They reminded him of |
| 00:47:38 |
the innocent youths and maidens |
| 00:47:47 |
One fresco haunted him, |
| 00:47:50 |
a charging bull with a young acrobat |
| 00:47:57 |
What could be the meaning |
| 00:48:00 |
so like the bloody rituals |
| 00:48:11 |
"The sports of the Roman |
| 00:48:14 |
may be trace back to prehistoric times. |
| 00:48:18 |
Perhaps the legends of Athenian |
| 00:48:22 |
preserve a real tradition of such |
| 00:48:35 |
But most of the time Evans Minoans |
| 00:48:39 |
and polish of their eminent |
| 00:48:47 |
He was Sir Arthur now, |
| 00:48:52 |
He entertained frequently, |
| 00:48:54 |
but remained a private person, |
| 00:49:04 |
He spent much of his later years |
| 00:49:07 |
"The Palace of Minos." |
| 00:49:09 |
In defiance of modern technology, |
| 00:49:11 |
he wrote all four volumes in longhand |
| 00:49:19 |
Many of his friends |
| 00:49:21 |
was even beginning |
| 00:49:31 |
Throughout his writings Evans insisted |
| 00:49:39 |
He believed they had |
| 00:49:41 |
lording over the more warlike tribes |
| 00:49:48 |
Even in the face of |
| 00:49:50 |
he insisted that only an earthquake |
| 00:49:57 |
Other archeologists disagreed. |
| 00:49:59 |
They pointed to evidence which showed |
| 00:50:03 |
by the Mycenaeans sweeping in |
| 00:50:15 |
Evans could never accept the image |
| 00:50:28 |
To the end of his life Evans remained |
| 00:50:36 |
All over Crete other excavators |
| 00:50:39 |
revealing the outlines of |
| 00:50:42 |
that had flourished at the same time |
| 00:50:49 |
Their methods were not the same as his- |
| 00:50:56 |
No longer would a single vision |
| 00:51:02 |
The days of the treasure seekers |
| 00:51:07 |
There are instances |
| 00:51:09 |
as being wrongheaded, |
| 00:51:13 |
But what really strikes you |
| 00:51:17 |
if you're starting any piece |
| 00:51:21 |
if you're asking any questions, |
| 00:51:22 |
you can almost always go back to |
| 00:51:25 |
and find a starting point. |
| 00:51:27 |
You may not agree with |
| 00:51:29 |
but he almost always been there |
| 00:51:35 |
Regardless of whether it was true |
| 00:51:39 |
its elegance and grace- |
| 00:51:48 |
It continues to inspire more than a |
| 00:51:55 |
The treasure he'd unearthed |
| 00:52:00 |
It was the vision of a civilized world |
| 00:52:03 |
deep in the dark recesses of |
