Secrets of the Dead

Announcer

COMING UP ON "SECRETS OF THE DEAD," A MYSTERIOUS ROMAN ISLAND.

Woman

IT'S LIKE ALCATRAZ-- BLEAK, DESOLATE, LONELY.

Announcer

A BANISHED PRINCESS.

Woman

DENIED ALL LUXURIES, NO MALE VISITORS.

Announcer

AN ISLAND SO RUGGED FEW SHIPS SURVIVED THE VOYAGE THERE.

Man

IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT 5 WELL-PRESERVED SHIPWRECKS ARE DISCOVERED WITHIN ONE CONTAINED AREA. THE LAST TIME SOMEONE TOUCHED IT APPROXIMATELY 2,100 YEARS AGO.

Announcer

"THE LOST SHIPS OF ROME" ON "SECRETS OF THE DEAD."

Narrator

THIS IS VENTOTENE, AN ITALIAN ISLAND WITH A MYSTERIOUS PAST. JUST OFF ITS SHORE LIES A WATERY GRAVEYARD FILLED WITH THE REMAINS OF ANCIENT ROMAN SHIPS. NOW A TEAM OF DEEP SEA EXPLORERS IS SETTING OUT TO UNCOVER THE MYSTERY OF THESE WRECKS AND WHY THEY WERE LOST.

Man

IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT 5 WELL-PRESERVED SHIPWRECKS ARE DISCOVERED WITHIN ONE CONTAINED AREA.

Narrator

RECOVERING SOME OF THE ANCIENT CARGO COULD REVEAL NEW SECRETS ABOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND THIS ENIGMATIC ISLAND. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. IT'S A BIG ONE. THE DIVE SITE IS MORE THAN 300 FEET UNDERWATER, EXTREME CONDITIONS WHICH WILL TEST THE CREW'S COURAGE AND EQUIPMENT TO THEIR LIMITS. I JUST HEARD THIS BIG BANG! JESUS. THIS EXPEDITION IS A COMBINATION OF EXTREME DIVING AND ARCHAEOLOGY.

FOGHORN BLOWS

Narrator

VENTOTENE IS A TINY ITALIAN HOLIDAY ISLAND JUST 43 MILES OFF THE COAST OF NAPLES. IT IS ALSO THE SITE OF ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS IN RECENT HISTORY.

Translator

THIS IS THE RECOVERY ROPE.

Narrator

IN 2009, ARCHAEOLOGIST TIMMY GAMBIN AND HIS CREW SCANNED THE SEABED SURROUNDING THE ISLAND WITH SONAR EQUIPMENT AND DISCOVERED 5 ANCIENT ROMAN SHIPWRECKS, AND NOW THEY'VE RETURNED TO RETRIEVE THE ANCIENT CARGO, UNTOUCHED FOR MORE THAN TWO MILLENNIA. OK. LET'S GO. SEE THE BOW SECTION. THE FIRST DIVE IS TO THE WRECK OF A ROMAN MERCHANT SHIP, FILMED USING A REMOTE CAMERA CALLED AN ROV. YES, YES, YES. THE SHIP'S WOODEN HULL HAS LONG SINCE ROTTED AWAY, BUT ITS CARGO OF AMPHORAE IS INCREDIBLY WELL-PRESERVED. THE TEAM WANTS TO BRING ONE OF THESE JARS TO THE SURFACE AS THEY CAN PROVIDE PRECIOUS CLUES ON HOW THE ANCIENT ROMANS LIVED, BUT THIS TREASURE IS UNDER 360 FEET OF WATER, NEARLY 3 TIMES DEEPER THAN A RECREATIONAL SCUBA DIVER CAN GO.

BEEPING

Narrator

SO FAR, THE CREW HAS ONLY BEEN ABLE TO GET THEIR ROBOTIC CAMERA DOWN TO FILM THE WRECK. SENDING HUMANS DOWN PROVES MORE DIFFICULT. ITALIAN CAMERAMAN ROBERTO RINALDI IS A DEEP SEA DIVER WHO'S WORKED WITH LEGENDARY EXPLORER JACQUES COUSTEAU. TOGETHER WITH HIS PARTNER MARCO, NICKNAMED NUMERO UNO, HE'LL DESCEND TO THE TO BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN WHERE THE WRECKS LIE. DIVERS MUST USE SPECIAL EQUIPMENT WHEN GOING SO DEEP. THE COMPRESSED AIR NORMALLY USED FOR SCUBA DIVING CAN HAVE DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS. YOU CAN FEEL A BIT DIZZY, YOU CAN FEEL SLEEPY. YOU CAN FEEL EUPHORIC, BUT BASICALLY YOUR BRAIN IS NOT WORKING IN NORMAL WAYS, NOT WORKING AS IT SHOULD WORK, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT TO EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU ARE DIVING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DIVING DEEP. INSTEAD OF AIR, THE DIVERS BREATHE A FINELY TUNED MIX OF OXYGEN, NITROGEN, AND HELIUM, AND FOR BACKUP, THEY'VE RECRUITED A TEAM OF MILITARY DIVERS FROM A SPECIAL BRANCH OF THE CARABINIERI, A PART OF THE ITALIAN ARMY. THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS ONLY HAVE THIS HIGHLY SKILLED TEAM FOR 5 DAYS, SO THE CLOCK IS TICKING. OK. NOW PUSH, PUSH. OUT ON THE OCEAN, ARCHAEOLOGIST TIMMY GAMBIN BEGINS THE FIRST PHASE OF THE MISSION, LOCATING AND MARKING THE SHIPWRECK.

Gambin

OUR STARTING POINT IS A GPS WAYPOINT. ONCE WE'RE ON THAT POINT, WE PUT DOWN A SHOT LINE, WHICH IS BASICALLY A ROPE WHICH WILL LEAD THE DIVERS FROM THE SURFACE TO THE WRECK SITE.

Narrator

THE CREW TRIES TO MANEUVER THE BOAT PRECISELY OVER THE WRECK AND THEN DROPS A LEAD WEIGHT. THE WEIGHT MUST LAND AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE WRECK WITHOUT SMASHING THE PRECIOUS CARGO. OK. CLAMP WEIGHT.

WHISTLES

Narrator

NOW ALL EYES ARE ON SKIPPER AARON PODESTA.

Gambin

AARON'S NICKNAME FROM THE ITALIAN PART OF THE TEAM IS SNIPER, CECCHINO BECAUSE OF HIS ACCURACY. OK. IT'S ON THE BOTTOM? IT'S ON THE BOTTOM.

Narrator

THE SNIPER IS CONFIDENT HE'S HIT THE MARK, BUT THE CREW MUST CONFIRM HIS ACCURACY. THEY MOBILIZE THEIR DIVING ROBOT, THE ROV. ITS VIDEO CAMERA WILL SHOW THE ROV PILOT WHERE THE SHOT LINE HAS LANDED. IF THE MARKER IS TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE WRECK, THE DIVERS MAY STRUGGLE TO REACH THE SITE. RIGHT THERE, RIGHT THERE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE-- WE FOUND IT. JUST FOUND IT. JUST ON. RIGHT ON?

Gambin

WE'RE EXTREMELY HAPPY. AARON WAS ABLE TO GET THE SHOT LINE DOWN WITHIN TWO METERS OF THE SITE, WHICH WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE 110-METER DEPTH THAT EXISTS BETWEEN US AND THE SITE IS-- I THINK IT'S A GOOD SHOT.

Narrator

ROBERTO AND MARCO START THE DIVE. THERE IS NO DIRECT LINE OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DIVERS AND THE BOAT, SO FROM NOW ON, THEY'RE ON THEIR OWN. AS THE DIVERS DESCEND THROUGH THE WATER, THE PRESSURE ON THEIR BODIES REACHES OVER 150 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH, 5 TIMES THAT OF A CAR TIRE. AND THERE IT IS, THE WRECK THEY'VE BEEN SO EAGER TO FIND. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS THAT A HUMAN BEING HAS BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR THESE AMPHORAE. THE WRECK IS SO WELL-PRESERVED, SOME AMPHORAE ARE STILL STACKED IN THEIR ORIGINAL POSITIONS. NONE OF THE CONTAINERS HAVE INTACT STOPPERS, SO THERE'S LITTLE HOPE OF FINDING ANY OF THEIR ANCIENT CONTENTS INSIDE. AT SUCH EXTREME DEPTHS, THE DIVERS CAN ONLY SPEND A FEW MINUTES AT THE WRECK, SO THEY MUST QUICKLY DECIDE WHICH AMPHORA TO BRING TO THE SURFACE. IT MUST BE CLEAR OF THE OTHER AMPHORAE SO THEY CAN LIFT IT OUT WITHOUT BREAKING IT.

MUFFLED

Narrator

NUMERO UNO SPOTS THE PERFECT TARGET. HE CLIPS THE RECOVERY LINE AROUND THE AMPHORA AND STARTS HIS ASCENT. DIVING IN SUCH DEEP WATER ALSO MAKES RESURFACING MORE COMPLICATED. IF THE DIVERS CAME STRAIGHT UP TO THE SURFACE, LETHAL GAS BUBBLES WOULD FORM IN THEIR BLOODSTREAM. INSTEAD, THEY MUST COME UP VERY SLOWLY TO CLEAR THE HIGH-PRESSURE GASES FROM THEIR BODIES. IT TAKES MORE THAN 3 HOURS. NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE SURFACE CREW TO RETRIEVE THE ROV. CAN WE RECOVER? LET'S START POCKING UP. YOU GUYS, CAN I JUST GET A MINUTE TO SORT THINGS OUT? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE REST OF THIS CABLE WENT. ROBERTO AND MARCO HAVE A SHOT LINE DOWN FOR THE DECOMPRESSION. WE'VE GOT THE ORIGINAL SHOT LINE DOWN WITH AN AMPHORA ATTACHED, AND WE'VE GOT OVER 120 METERS OF ROV CABLE DOWN. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THESE 3 CABLES ARE FREE FROM ONE ANOTHER.

MOTOR WHIRRING

Narrator

WELL DONE. GOOD RECOVERY. HOOK IT INTO TO THAT CHANNEL. YES, YES, YES, YES. THE CREW CAN START PULLING UP THEIR TREASURE. IT'S A DELICATE OPERATION. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW FRAGILE THE ANCIENT POTTERY IS. IF THE BOAT BOUNCES IN THE WAVES AND JERKS THE LINE EVEN SLIGHTLY, IT COULD EASILY BREAK THE AMPHORA'S NECK. OK. CAREFUL. SHE'S THERE. WHILE THEY ARE EXCITED TO CATCH THEIR FIRST GLIMPSE, THEY MUST BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS. BRING THE TOP, THE TOP. ONCE OUT OF THE WATER, THE AMPHORA'S FULL WEIGHT HANGS BY A SINGLE THREAD. BUT IT SURVIVES WITHOUT A SCRATCH. IT IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, GIVEN THAT IT SPENT THOUSANDS OF YEARS UNDERWATER.

Gambin

MY FIRST REACTION IS A FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC FEELING. THE LAST TIME SOMEONE TOUCHED IT, APPROXIMATELY 2,100 YEARS AGO, IT WAS THE STEVEDORE WHO WAS PUTTING IT CAREFULLY INTO THE HOLD OF THE SHIP, THINKING THAT IT WAS GONNA SAFELY MAKE IT TO ITS DESTINATION. OOH, OOH, OOH, OOH.

Narrator

THIS SIMPLE PIECE OF POTTERY HOLDS IMPORTANT CLUES ABOUT THE SHIPWRECKS, AND IN THE HANDS OF AN EXPERT LIKE TIMMY, IT WILL OPEN UP A WINDOW INTO ANCIENT ROMAN LIFE. ON BOARD THE EXPEDITION SHIP, THE CREW HAS A CLOSER LOOK AT THEIR FIND. THE AMPHORA'S CONTENTS HAVE LONG SINCE VANISHED, SO TIMMY CAN'T TELL IMMEDIATELY WHAT IT CARRIED, BUT HE CAN BUILD ON THE DETECTIVE WORK OF OTHER ARCHAEOLOGISTS. HE COMPARES THIS VESSEL TO A DATABASE OF KNOWN AMPHORAE TYPES AND FINDS A MATCH. THIS AMPHORA DATES FROM THE FIRST CENTURY B.C., ORIGINATES FROM ITALY, AND WAS MADE TO CARRY WINE. WHAT IS CONSIDERED TREASURE TODAY WAS ACTUALLY A VERY COMMON OBJECT IN ANCIENT ROME. THESE CONTAINERS HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE JERRYCANS OF ANTIQUITY, BUT RATHER THAN FUEL, THEY WERE USED TO CARRY FOODSTUFFS. WITH THEIR POINTED ENDS, AMPHORAE CAN'T STAND ON THEIR OWN, BUT IN FACT, THEIR UNIQUE SHAPE MADE THEM PERFECT SHIPPING CONTAINERS. STACKED INSIDE A SHIP, THE TIP OF TEACH AMPHORA FITS PRECISELY INTO THE NECK OF THE ONE BELOW TO FORM INTERLOCKING LAYERS. THE LAYERS MAKE THE MOST OF THE AVAILABLE SPACE AND KEEP THE CARGO STABLE. THE HUMBLE AMPHORA WAS A CORNER STONE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. IN FACT, IT WAS JUST AS MIGHTY AS THE SWORD. WITHOUT THE VITAL GOODS IT CARRIED, ROME COULD NOT HAVE SUSTAINED ITS 500-YEAR REIGN. THE CARABINIERI TAKE THE AMPHORA TO THE LOCAL MUSEUM FOR CLEANING AND DISPLAY, BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS WHERE WAS THIS BOATLOAD FULL OF WINE GOING? WAS IT DESTINED FOR VENTOTENE? WHEN THE SHIP SANK IN THE FIRST CENTURY B.C., VENTOTENE HAD ONE VERY IMPORTANT RESIDENT, AUGUSTUS, THE FIRST EMPEROR OF ROME. CLASSICIST ANNELISE FREISENBRUCH HAS COME TO THE ISLAND TO LOOK FOR TRACES OF THE GREAT RULER.

Freisenbruch

YOU CAN SEE WHY THIS WAS A GOOD PLACE FOR HIM TO HAVE A HOLIDAY HOME HERE BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU PEACE AND QUIET. IT'S THE ONE THING YOU'RE CERTAIN OF GETTING HERE.

Narrator

AUGUSTUS CHOSE THE ISLAND AS THE SITE FOR A LUXURIOUS IMPERIAL VILLA, SET IN SPECTACULAR SURROUNDINGS. IT WAS BUILT AS A SEASIDE RETREAT, WHERE AUGUSTUS COULD RELAX AND RECOVER FROM THE BUSINESS OF RUNNING AN EMPIRE.

Freisenbruch

THESE STEPS HERE ARE THE REMAINS OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LARGE COMMUNAL BATHING ROOM FOR AUGUSTUS AND HIS FRIENDS TO ENJOY. SO OVER HERE, YOU'VE GOT A SAUNA WHERE YOU COULD COME AND SIT AND SWEAT BEFORE GOING INTO ONE OF THE OTHER BATHS, FOR EXAMPLE THE FRIGIDARIUM. SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE A GREAT KIND OF HEALTH SPA, THIS PLACE.

Narrator

THIS VILLA WAS CLEARLY A PLACE FIT FOR AN EMPEROR. WAS THE WINE FROM THE SHIPWRECK DESTINED FOR THE IMPERIAL CELLARS OR PERHAPS TO FUEL A ROMAN ORGY? THE ANSWER LIES WITH THE WOMAN WHO LIVED IN THIS PALACE, PRINCESS JULIA, THE EMPEROR'S DAUGHTER. ANNELISE HAS STUDIED JULIA'S TRAGIC STORY.

Freisenbruch

JULIA IS AUGUSTUS' ONLY DAUGHTER, AND HE HAS EVERYTHING SET UP FOR HER TO BE THE GOLDEN GIRL OF HIS REGIME. SHE IS A PAWN ON A CHESSBOARD, SHE IS A PIECE TO BE MOVED AROUND TO SUIT AUGUSTUS' POLITICAL ENDS.

Narrator

WHEN AUGUSTUS COMES TO POWER, ROME IS A DECADENT AND MORALLY CORRUPT METROPOLIS. EAGER TO REFORM HIS IMPERIAL CAPITAL, THE EMPEROR VOWS TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. HE MADE A VIRTUE OUT OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS RESTORING A KIND OF GOLDEN AGE OF ROME, A MORALLY PURE PERIOD IN COMPARISON WITH THE POLITICAL AND MORAL CORRUPTION THAT WAS SEEN TO CHARACTERIZE THE REPUBLIC. SO JUST AS HE HIMSELF MADE A VIRTUE OUT OF CLAIMING TO DRESS FRUGALLY, TO LIVE SIMPLY, HE INSISTED THAT HIS WIFE, HIS DAUGHTER JULIA, AND HIS FEMALE RELATIVES SHOULD FOLLOW A SIMILARLY UNIMPEACHABLE PATTERN OF LIVING. BUT JULIA REBELS AGAINST HER FATHER'S STRICT MORAL CODE AND SEEMS TO SEEK OUT SCANDAL. THE WORST THING SHE WAS SAID TO HAVE DONE WAS TO HAVE HAD SEX ON THE ROSTRUM, THE SPEAKER'S PLATFORM IN THE FORUM, FROM WHERE OF COURSE HER FATHER HAD PROBABLY ISSUED HIS MORAL LEGISLATION OF 18 B.C. IN WHICH HE HAD MADE ADULTERY A CRIMINAL OFFENSE FOR THE FIRST TIME. ONE OF JULIA'S ALLEGED LOVERS IS EXECUTED WHILE SHE IS BANISHED TO THE VILLA ON VENTOTENE, A SEEMINGLY MILD SENTENCE, BUT THE EMPEROR MAKES SURE HIS ADULTEROUS DAUGHTER CAN FEEL HIS WRATH.

Freisenbruch

SHE WAS TO BE DENIED ALL LUXURIES. NO MALE VISITORS WERE ALLOWED TO VISIT HER. SHE WAS TO BE PREVENTED FROM DRINKING WINE AND ESSENTIALLY MADE TO LIVE THE LIFE THAT HER FATHER COULDN'T IMPOSE ON HER WHILE SHE WAS LIVING IN ROME.

Narrator

JULIA'S VILLA IS THE ONLY PLACE OF NOTE ON THE ISLAND, SO THE WINE ON THE WRECKED SHIP MUST HAVE BEEN HEADED ELSEWHERE, TO THE NEW PROVINCES OF ROME. THE LOCAL TRIBES IN FRANCE AND SPAIN HAVE A HUGE APPETITE FOR WINE, BUT ROME HAS FORBIDDEN THEM FROM MAKING THEIR OWN. WINE MERCHANTS FROM MAINLAND ITALY CAPITALIZE ON THE LOCAL PROHIBITION AND SELL THEIR WINE FOR HUGE PROFITS. THEY CAN AFFORD TO RISK LOSING A WHOLE SHIP AND ITS CARGO, WHICH WASN'T A RARE OCCURRENCE. THE SUNKEN SHIP CARRYING WINE FROM THE BAY OF NAPLES PROBABLY RAN INTO TROUBLE ONLY A DAY INTO ITS VOYAGE AND SANK NEAR VENTOTENE.

WATER BUBBLING

Narrator

FOR PRINCESS JULIA, VENTOTENE WAS HER OWN PERSONAL ALCATRAZ, BUT FOR ROMAN SAILORS, IT WAS AN OASIS, WHERE THEY COULD FIND SHELTER, FOOD, AND WATER, AND ALL THIS THANKS TO EMPEROR AUGUSTUS, WHO TRANSFORMED VENTOTENE FROM BARREN ROCK TO BLOSSOMING ISLAND. BEFORE ROMAN TIMES, THERE WAS NO FRESH WATER ON THE ISLAND. IT HAS NO NATURAL SPRINGS. TODAY NEARLY EVERY DROP OF WATER ON THE ISLAND IS SHIPPED FROM MAINLAND ITALY IN THIS TANKER. SO HOW DID AUGUSTUS SUPPLY HIS VILLA WITH WATER? CIAO, SALVATORE. CIAO, TIM. WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL HISTORIAN SALVATORE SCHIANO, TIMMY GAMBIN SETS OUT TO LEARN WHERE AUGUSTUS GOT HIS WATER FROM. THE ROMANS HARVESTED THE WATER FROM THE SKY BY PAVING OVER PART OF THE ISLAND.

Translator

THIS PAVEMENT, WHAT WAS IT MADE OF? COCCIOPESTO, HYDRAULIC MORTAR MIXED WITH POTTERY SHARDS AND VOLCANIC SAND.

Narrator

THE LARGE PAVED AREAS COLLECTED RAINWATER AND FUNNELED IT INTO A SERIES OF COLLECTION CHAMBERS. FIRST THE WATER FLOWED THROUGH DECANTATION POOLS TO FILTER OUT THE DIRT AND DEBRIS. THEN IT WENT UNDERGROUND TO A HUGE CISTERN CARVED FROM THE ROCK.

Gambin

FIRST THING THAT STRIKES YOU IS HOW COOL THE TEMPERATURE IS INSIDE. SO IT MUST HAVE KEPT THE WATER FROM TURNING STAGNANT. SO THE ROMANS PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO KEEPING THE WATER FRESH. TO KEEP THE WATER FROM ESCAPING, THE ROMANS USED ONE OF THEIR MANY AMAZING INVENTIONS, WHICH WAS THIS CONCRETE THAT SET UNDERWATER. WE USUALLY COME ACROSS THIS IN HARBOR STRUCTURES SUCH AS QUAYS AND WHARFS, BUT IN THIS CASE, THE ENGINEERS HAVE USED IT IN THIS UNDERGROUND CISTERN.

Narrator

AUGUSTUS BUILT TWO OF THESE BIG WATER COLLECTION SYSTEMS, WHICH COULD GATHER MORE THAN 250,000 GALLONS OF WATER A YEAR. HIS ENGINEERS CONNECTED THE TWO CISTERNS AND CARVED A NETWORK OF TUNNELS DEEP INTO THE ROCK OF THE ISLAND TO TRANSPORT THE WATER WHERE IT WAS NEEDED. THIS TUNNEL, WHICH CARRIED WATER TO JULIA'S VILLA, IS A MASTERPIECE OF PRECISION ENGINEERING.

Gambin

THIS TUNNEL IS OVER ONE KILOMETER LONG AND TAKES THE WATER FROM THE MAIN CISTERN AND FEEDS IT TO THE LOWER PART OF THE ISLAND. CUT IT TOO STEEP, AND THE WATER WILL JUST RUN OFF. TOO FLAT, AND THE WATER WOULD STAGNATE. SO THE ROMAN ENGINEERS HAD TO GET THE LEVELS ABSOLUTELY SPOT-ON. IT'S INCREDIBLE HOW THEY MANAGED TO ACHIEVE THIS, EVEN THOUGH THEY DID NOT HAVE THE MODERN TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE TO ENGINEERS TODAY.

Narrator

THE NEXT WRECK THE CREW DISCOVERS IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL. WHEN EXPERTS FIRST SEE THE SONAR IMAGE, IT LOOKS LESS LIKE AN ANCIENT SHIP AND MORE LIKE A PILE OF CAR TIRES.

Gambin

IF YOU SWIM THE PERIPHERY...

Narrator

BUT WHEN TIMMY GETS HIS REMOTE CAMERA ON SITE, HE KNOWS HE'S MADE A STUNNING DISCOVERY, A SHIPMENT OF ROMAN KITCHENWARE CALLED MORTARIA. IT'S ONLY THE SECOND TIME A WHOLE BOATLOAD OF MORTARIA HS EVER BEEN FOUND.

SPEAKING ITALIAN

Narrator

THE WRECK SANK EVEN DEEPER THAN THE FIRST ONE, NEARLY 380 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE. THE SHIP'S CARGO LIES IN TWO SEPARATE PILES, WHICH SUGGEST THE SHIP SANK VIOLENTLY. CLOSE INSPECTION REVEALS THAT THE PILES ARE MADE UP OF HUNDREDS OF THESE CLAY BOWLS. ALL OF THEM ARE ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL, A CLEAR INDICATION THAT THEY WERE MASS-PRODUCED AND SHIPPED IN BULK. THESE SIMPLE OBJECTS REVEAL HOW ROMAN TECHNOLOGY CONQUERED THE WORLD. AHA! THE POTTERY IS SO ROBUST, NUMERO UNO HAS NO PROBLEM BRINGING IT TO THE SURFACE. IT'S HEAVY. THERE IT IS. THERE IT IS. YEAH. OK. BRAVI, BRAVI. PIANO, PIANO, PIANO. OHH! BRAVI. GRAZIE. INTO THE BOX. PUT IT... OK. DO YOU HAVE THE NET? YEAH, I GOT THE NET. JEEZ. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. THE OBJECT IS INCREDIBLY WELL-PRESERVED. LET'S TURN IT OVER SO WE CAN SEE IT. EVEN TINY DETAILS OF THE POTTER'S WORK ARE STILL VISIBLE AFTER 2,000 YEARS. YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE WORK AT THE RIM. THIS ANCIENT PIECE OF CLAY IS A PREFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW ROMAN IDEAS SPREAD THROUGH THE EMPIRE. THIS CARGO IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ROMANIZATION THAT'S GOING ON IN THE FIRST CENTURY B.C., WHERE THE ROMANS ARE EXPORTING KNOW-HOW LIKE CUISINE, THE MAKING OF OLIVE OIL, THE MAKING OF WINE TO THE NEW PROVINCES. GEJTU THE SHIP'S COOK DEMONSTRATES HOW THE TOOL WAS ACTUALLY USED BY AN ANCIENT CHEF. COOKS TODAY WILL RECOGNIZE IT AS A MORTAR AND PESTLE. IT'S THE ANCIENT ROMAN VERSION OF A FOOD PROCESSOR, AND EVERY KITCHEN IN THE EMPIRE WOULD HAVE HAD ONE. ONE OF THE INTERESTING FEATURES ABOUT THE MORTARIA IS THIS COARSENESS ON THE INSIDE. THE POTTER WOULD HAVE INCLUDED THIS GRIT, WHICH CONSISTS OF SMALL STONES AND ROUGH PIECES OF CERAMIC, AND IT JUST SIMPLY MAKES THE ITEMS EASIER TO GRIND WITHIN IT. HMM? GEJTU WHIPS UP A RECIPE FROM THE OLDEST KNOWN COOKBOOK BY THE ANCIENT ROMAN WRITER APICIUS. IT'S A SAUCE MADE FROM EGGS, LEEKS, AND HERBS, THE KIND OF FOOD A COMMON ROMAN WOULD HAVE EATEN. THE SAUCE HAS STARTED TO TAKE SHAPE, AND IT'S NOT LOOKING VERY DIFFERENT TO WHAT A MODERN DISH WOULD LOOK LIKE TODAY.

SPEAKING ITALIAN

Narrator

GEJTU SERVES UP HIS ROMAN SURPRISE AT DINNER. HOW WILL THE ANCIENT RECIPE GO DOWN?

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Narrator

THIS SIMPLE MEAL GIVES THE CREW A TASTE OF PRINCESS JULIA'S FRUGAL LIFE IN VENTOTENE. SERVED AS A CANAP AT A DINNER PARTY, IT IS PLEASANT ENOUGH, BUT IT'S A FAR CRY FROM THE RICH FOOD SHE WOULD HAVE ENJOYED BEFORE HER EXILE, A FITTING PUNISHMENT FOR THE GIRL WHO DARED TO DEFY THE EMPEROR.

Freisenbruch

WELL, THIS LOOKS LIKE A LOVELY, SIMPLE MEDITERRANEAN SUMMER LUNCH. YOU KNOW, TO US IT ACTUALLY LOOKS VERY TASTY, NICE SORT OF THING TO HAVE ON A HOT DAY, BUT TO JULIA, THIS WOULD REPRESENT DENIAL FOR HER, SOMEONE WHO'D BEEN USED TO THE SOCIAL SCENE OF ROME, TO GOING TO LAVISH DINNER PARTIES AND SO ON. WHEN SHE CAME TO VENTOTENE, WE'RE TOLD THAT AUGUSTUS IMPOSED A VERY FRUGAL, MONASTIC REGIME ON HER. I'M SURE AUGUSTUS FELT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF VINDICTIVE SATISFACTION IN KNOWING THAT PROBABLY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE HIS REBELLIOUS DAUGHTER ACTUALLY HAD TO DO EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED HER TO DO. WE'RE TRYING TO HEAD FOR THIS SHIPWRECK, WHICH IS IN THIS AREA HERE.

Narrator

THE THIRD WRECK PROMISES TO BE ESPECIALLY INTERESTING. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL WRECK TO GO VISIT, PARTICULARLY WITH ALL OF THE AMPHORAE SPREAD OUT. A MASSIVE PILE WENT DOWN COMPLETELY INTACT. YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE PHOTOGRAPHS, YOU'VE GOT THE CLASSIC STACKING... TIMMY HAS ANALYZED THE ROV FOOTAGE AND IDENTIFIED THE TYPE OF AMPHORA FOUND. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS PROBABLY A VARIATION OF THIS TYPE. IT DATES FROM APPROXIMATELY THE FOURTH CENTURY A.D., COMES FROM NORTH AFRICA OR MODERN-DAY TUNISIA, AND WAS IN ALL PROBABILITY CARRYING THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONDIMENT CALLED GARUM. THE GARUM THE AMPHORAE CARRIED WAS A HIGHLY PRIZED COMMODITY, A PUNGENT FISH SAUCE THAT WAS ESSENTIAL TO ROMAN COOKING. TWO PINTS OF THE BEST GARUM COULD FETCH THE ROMAN EQUIVALENT OF $1,000, SO THIS SHIP WOULD HAVE BEEN WORTH MORE THAN $60 MILLION TODAY. THE WRECK IS INCREDIBLY WELL-PRESERVED, AND THE CREW HOPES TO RECOVER AN AMPHORA THAT STILL HAS TRACES OF ANCIENT GARUM INSIDE.

BEEP

ENGINE STARTS

Narrator

IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR DIVE NUMBER 3, BUT AS THEY HEAD OUT TO SEA, BLACK CLOUDS APPEAR ON THE HORIZON. IN THE HARBOR YOU GET A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. YOU THINK THAT IT MAY HAVE CALMED DOWN. COMING OUT, WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, IT'S INCREASING. YOU CAN FEEL IT INCREASING. IT'S NOT A DYING WIND. IT'S A WIND THAT'S PICKING UP. TODAY, THE MEDITERRANEAN REVEALS ITS UGLY SIDE. STAND BY.

INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO

Narrator

WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO TURN AROUND. THE CREW HEADS BACK TO BASE EMPTY-HANDED. IN PORT, THEY MEET UP WITH DIVER ROBERTO RINALDI, WHO NEVER EVEN LEFT THE SHORE. NO. WE WENT OUT FURTHER THAN THE LEE OF THE ISLAND, AND IT'S A WIND THAT'S NOT SETTLING DOWN. IT'S A WIND THAT'S GETTING MUCH STRONGER, SO... IT'S BETTER WE STOP. YOU'D BE OK AT 100 METERS. AHH. HA HA HA! NO. IT'S NOT OK BECAUSE IF ANYTHING HAPPENED, I MEAN, 4-HOUR DECOMPRESSION, YOU DON'T GET RID OF IT, HUH? NO. THAT'S RIGHT. TOO DANGEROUS. THIS IS JUNE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. WE'RE MEANT TO BE DEALING WITH HEAT WAVES AND NOT WITH CONSTANT STRONG NORTHWESTERLY AND PERSISTENT RAIN. IT'S A DISCOURAGING SETBACK FOR THE TEAM, BUT THEY HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. PUT A LAYER OF... TIMMY TEAMS UP WITH GEJTU TO MIX TOGETHER A BATCH OF GARUM. OK. SEA SALT. AND... ANOTHER LAYER OF FISH. THIS VALUABLE SUBSTANCE IS MADE FROM NOTHING MORE THAN SALT AND FERMENTING FISH. OK. A BIT MORE SALT. OK. THE LAST LAYER NOW. THE ACTUAL PREPARATION OF GARUM IS RELATIVELY UNKNOWN. THERE ARE VARIOUS THEORIES AS TO ITS CONSISTENCY, AS TO ITS PREPARATION, BUT THIS IS OUR EXPERIMENT, AND HOPEFULLY IN A FEW DAYS' TIME, WE'RE GONNA SEE WHAT THE TASTE-- WHAT GARUM WAS ACTUALLY LIKE. NOW YOU NEED TO GET A WOODEN SPOON, OK? ONE OF THE CRUCIAL ELEMENTS OF THIS PREPARATION ARE THE ENTRAILS OF THE FISH. IT'S THE DIGESTIVE FLUIDS THAT HELP IN THE FERMENTATION PROCESS. OF COURSE ALL THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN A BIG VAT. THE GARUM FACTORIES WERE HUGE COMPLEXES BY THE SEASIDE, AND THIS PREPARATION WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN A STONE VAT, AND ONCE MIXED, THE VAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED FOR A FEW DAYS. OK. UM, WHICH WAY SEES THE SUN MOST? I THINK WE CAN LEAVE IT... LEAVE IT HERE. YES. AS THE FISH BAKE IN THE SUN, THEIR DIGESTIVE JUICES LEAK OUT OF THE GUTS AND START TO BREAK DOWN THE FLESH. SOON THE FISH BEGIN TO OOZE AN OILY SLUSH. THIS IS THE GARUM... AND IT CONTAINS A POWERFUL TASTE ENHANCER. TODAY WE CALL IT MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE OR MSG. GLUTAMATE TRIGGERS CHEMICAL RECEPTORS ON THE TONGUE THAT CAN MAKE THE BRAIN CRAVE IT LIKE A DRUG... WHICH EXPLAINS THE PASSION FOR GARUM IN JULIA'S TIME.

Freisenbruch

IT WAS USED QUITE UBIQUITOUSLY ACROSS THE WHOLE EMPIRE, AND CERTAINLY ACCORDING TO THE COOKBOOK WE HAVE FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD "APICIUS," HE HAS GARUM FEATURED IN ALMOST EVERY RECIPE IN THERE, EVEN IN THE SWEET THINGS, WHICH SEEMS COMPLETELY BIZARRE TO US WHEN YOU'VE ACTUALLY SMELLED THE STUFF. YOU SORT OF THINK, YOU KNOW, "GOD, WHAT A DISGUSTING PROSPECT OF HAVING THIS IN CUSTARD."

Narrator

JULIA WOULD HAVE CONSUMED GARUM NEARLY EVERY DAY, BUT IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THE MASSIVE SHIPMENT FROM AFRICA WAS DESTINED FOR HER VILLA. SO WHAT WAS THIS SHIP DOING AT VENTOTENE?

THUNDER

Narrator

A NEW DAY DAWNS, BUT THE WIND AND RAIN HAVE NOT CEASED. THE WEATHER IS NOW THREATENING THE SUCCESS OF THE ENTIRE MISSION. THE CREW HAS JUST ONE DAY LEFT ON THE ISLAND. BUT TIMMY GAMBIN USES THE TIME TO EXPLORE THE ENGINEERING MASTERPIECE IN THE EMPEROR'S TRANSFORMATION OF VENTOTENE, THE PORT. THIS ISLAND HAD SMALL, SANDY BEACHES, SO ANYBODY WISHING TO LAND WOULD HAVE HAD TO ANCHOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BAY AND TAKE A SMALL BOAT TO LAND. THE ROMANS, WISHING TO BUILD SOMETHING MORE PERMANENT HERE, HAD TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, AND TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, THEY DECIDED TO BUILD A FORMAL PORT, AND HERE WE ARE STANDING ON THE OUTER SEAWALL OF THIS FANTASTIC PIECE OF ROMAN ENGINEERING. RATHER THAN THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF BUILDING LARGE SEAWALLS OUT, EXTENDING OUT INTO THE SEA, THEY DECIDED TO EXCAVATE A BASIN INTO SOLID ROCK. AUGUSTUS' ENGINEERS PICKED THE ONLY SPOT ON THE ISLAND WHERE THE LAND MEETS THE SEA IN A GENTLE SLOPE. HERE THEY STARTED DIGGING INTO THE VOLCANIC ROCK AND CARVED OUT A DEEP BASIN 10 FEET BELOW THE SEA LEVEL. THE WORKERS EXCAVATED MORE THAN 120,000 TONS OF ROCK BY HAND, AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT. BUT THEN CAME THE MOST DIFFICULT TASK, REMOVING THE LAST OF THE ROCK SO SHIPS COULD ENTER THE HARBOR. THE SEA LEVEL HAS RISEN BY NEARLY 3 FEET SINCE ROMAN TIMES, SO MUCH OF THE PORT'S STRUCTURE NOW LIES HIDDEN UNDERWATER, BUT THE TEAM HAS BEEN GIVEN SPECIAL PERMISSION TO EXPLORE WHAT'S LEFT OF AUGUSTUS' WORK. 6 FEET DOWN, THEY SPOT THE ORIGINAL WARF WHERE THE ANCIENT SHIPS WOULD HAVE DOCKED. THEY FIND HUGE BOULDERS, WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN USED TO TIE UP THE SHIPS. AND AS THEY NEAR THE TIP OF THE ANCIENT PIER, THEY SPOT STRANGE STRIATIONS IN THE ROCK. THEY COULD BE THE TOOL MARKS OF ANCIENT ROMAN DIVERS, WHO DUG OUT THE ENTRANCE UNDERWATER. THEY HAD TO HOLD THEIR BREATH, DIVE DOWN, AND HACK AWAY AT THE ROCK WITH HAMMERS AND CHISELS UNTIL THEY'D CARVED AN OPENING WIDE AND DEEP ENOUGH FOR SHIPS TO PASS.

Gambin

ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS IS THE ENTRANCE. IT'S CUT EXTREMELY DEEP INTO THE ROCK. I DON'T KNOW. I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW THEY COULD DIG THIS IN THE WATER. OK. THIS IS SOFT ROCK, BUT IT'S A ROCK, SO IT MUST NOT BE EASY, HUH, AT ALL. THOSE WERE HEAVY WHEN WE TRIED TO PICK UP SOME. AND ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE ENGINEERING TO GET DIVERS DOWN 2,000 YEARS AGO TO CUT THAT CHANNEL. THOSE WERE THE REAL DIVERS. YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. NOT US. HA HA HA!

Narrator

AUGUSTUS' PORT MADE VENTOTENE AN IMPORTANT HUB IN THE ROMAN TRADING EMPIRE, AND IT'S STILL IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER AFTER 2,000 YEARS. THE PORT IS THE REASON THE NOW SUNKEN SHIPS WERE HERE. THE QUESTION IS WHY DID THEY PERISH SO CLOSE TO THE SAFETY OF THE HARBOR? IN THE AFTERNOON, THE WEATHER SUDDENLY CLEARS, SO TIMMY AND SKIPPER AARON GO OUT TO EXPLORE WHAT MAY HAVE SUNK THE SHIPS. AT LEAST 4 OF THE 5 SHIPWRECKS THAT WE'VE DISCOVERED WENT DOWN WHOLE, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A SCENARIO WHEREBY THESE VESSELS WERE ACTUALLY SWAMPED, FILLED WITH WATER, AND THEN WENT DOWN TO THE SEABED AS A WHOLE. IT MAY BE THAT VENTOTENE ITSELF IS TO BLAME FOR THIS STRANGE OCCURRENCE.

Podesta

THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU COME TOO CLOSE TO AN ISLAND, APART FROM THE BIG WAVES COMING ALONG WITH THE WIND, YOU ALSO GET A BACKWASH AS A REBOUND FROM THE ROCKS, WHICH CAN STIR UP A PRETTY CONFUSED SEA. SO AT ONE STAGE, YOU'D BE ROLLING ONE WAY, AND IF THE TIMING IS CORRECT, YOU'LL GET A WAVE COMING THE OTHER WAY, WHICH WILL KEEP ON ROLLING YOU OVER.

Narrator

IN HIGH SEAS, THE ROMAN SHIP'S PRECIOUS CARGO BECOMES A LIABILITY. THERE'S A LIMIT TO HOW MUCH PRESSURE THE STACKED AMPHORAE CAN TAKE.

CREAKING

Narrator

EVENTUALLY, SOME OF THEM BREAK, UPSETTING THE SYSTEM OF INTERLOCKING LAYERS AND SHIFTING THE CARGO. THE SHIP BECOMES HEAVIER ON ONE SIDE AND LISTS OUT OF BALANCE. NOW VULNERABLE TO THE WAVES, THE SHIP IS EASILY SUBMERGED AND SINKS TO THE SEAFLOOR COMPLETELY INTACT. THE FATE OF THE SHIPWRECKED ROMAN SAILORS HAS BEEN LOST IN TIME, BUT THE STORY OF PRINCESS JULIA CONTINUES TO FASCINATE HISTORIANS. THEY HAVE RECENTLY TAKEN ANOTHER LOOK AT HER LIFE AND FOUND THAT MAYBE SHE WASN'T A HARLOT AFTER ALL BUT SOMETHING FAR MORE DANGEROUS. Freisenbruch,

voice-over

THE CHARGE OF ADULTERY WAS OFTEN IN ROMAN SOCIETY AN EXCUSE TO GET OPPONENTS OUT OF THE WAY. MANY SCHOLARS ACTUALLY NOW BELIEVE THAT JULIA'S CRIME MAY NOT, IN FACT, HAVE BEEN ADULTERY AT ALL. THERE IS A THEORY THAT PERHAPS JULIA'S REAL CRIME WAS INVOLVEMENT IN A POLITICAL CONSPIRACY OF SORTS AGAINST HER FATHER.

Narrator

AUGUSTUS CRUSHED MANY PLOTS TO STAY IN POWER, AND HE ISN'T GOING TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR HIS DAUGHTER. SO HE BANISHES JULIA TO KEEP HER AWAY FROM ROME AND HIS POLITICAL POWER GAMES. Freisenbruch,

voice-over

WHEN JULIA CAME HERE, SHE WOULD HAVE HAD NO IDEA HOW LONG SHE WAS DESTINED TO REMAIN HERE. THIS MUST HAVE SEEMED LIKE A LIVING DEATH. JULIA WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN VERY POPULAR BACK IN ROME WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND THEY WERE SAID TO HAVE PROTESTED AGAINST HER EXILE, AND ALTHOUGH INITIALLY AUGUSTUS REFUSED TO LISTEN TO THEM, AFTER 5 YEARS IT SEEMS HE DID RELENT.

Narrator

AFTER 5 YEARS, AUGUSTUS ALLOWS JULIA TO LEAVE VENTOTENE, BUT HE WON'T LET HER RETURN TO ROME. JULIA SPENDS THE REST OF HER LIFE FAR FROM THE POWER CENTER OF ANCIENT ROME IN WHAT IS TODAY REGGIO DI CALABRIA. SHE DIES AT AGE 53 JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER HER FATHER, APPARENTLY STARVED TO DEATH BY THE NEW EMPEROR TIBERIUS, WHO WAS ALSO HER HUSBAND. ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE EXPEDITION, THE CREW TACKLES THE DEEPEST WRECK OF ALL. IT'S NEARLY 500 FEET DEEP AND HOLDS ONE LAST SECRET, A CARGO OF MYSTERIOUS CYLINDERS. OBJECTS LIKE THESE HAVE NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE, AND TIMMY IS KEEN TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE. SO FAR, THE CREW HAS ONLY SEEN MURKY ROV FOOTAGE. NOW THEY WANT TO BRING UP ONE OF THE CYLINDERS. OK. YOU'RE UP. AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THE WEATHER FORECAST IS PROMISING. IT'S THE ONLY DAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SHOT AT THIS, AND WE'VE BEEN PREPARING METICULOUSLY YESTERDAY AND THIS MORNING, AND WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT OUR BEST SHOT. SPIRITS ARE HIGH, BUT AS THE TEAM APPROACHES THE DIVE SITE, THE WAVES PICK UP AGAIN. WAIT. OH. IT'S A BIG ONE. DESPITE THE HEAVY SEAS, THE CREW PREPARES FOR THE DIVE. ON 3. 1, 2, 3. THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT, BABY. SWIM. I'M REALLY GETTING JERKED AROUND. WHAT'S THE DEPTH? 109, AND I SEE THE SHOT LINE. THE CONDITIONS QUICKLY GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, AND AS THE WRECK APPEARS ON THE ROV CAMERA, THERE'S MORE BAD NEWS. THE SHOT LINE HAS LANDED CLOSE TO THE SHIP BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH. THERE IT IS.

SPEAKING ITALIAN

Translator

ROBERTO, THE SHOT LINE IS 10 METERS AWAY FROM THE SITE. WE CAN'T BRING IT UP AND MOVE IT.

Narrator

TIMMY CONSULTS THE DIVERS. THE ROV? THE ROV IS ON THE SITE. IF YOU CAN DO IT...

Gambin

THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THE RECOVERY BECAUSE--"A," BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER AND, "B," ALSO THE DISTANCE, AND THE WEATHER DOESN'T ALLOW US TO PICK THIS UP AND REDEPLOY. YOU SEE, IMAGINE NOW-- IMAGINE SOMETHING WEIGHING 200 KILOS OR 150 KILOS AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ONE OF US WILL END UP GETTING INJURED.

Narrator

THEY CAN'T BRING UP A CYLINDER TODAY, BUT ALL IS NOT LOST. NOTHING BEATS THE HUMAN EYE, SO THE DIVERS ARE GONNA GET A GOOD VISUAL INSPECTION DONE OF THESE OBJECTS, AND HOPEFULLY ROBERTO'S FOOTAGE OF THE SITE WILL HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MAKEUP OF THIS MYSTERIOUS CARGO. THIS IS THE TOUGHEST OF ALL THE DIVES. ROBERTO AND MARCO ONLY HAVE A SLIM WINDOW OF 10 MINUTES AT 480 FEET. EVERY EXTRA MINUTE THEY SPEND AT THE WRECK MEANS AN EXTRA HOUR OF DECOMPRESSION. WHEN THEY REACH THE BOTTOM, THEY DISCOVER THEY FACE YET ANOTHER CHALLENGE. THE WATER OF THE TARGET IS AS BLACK AS NIGHT, CLOUDED BY SEDIMENT. THE DIVERS VENTURE INTO THE DARKNESS ALONE BECAUSE IN THESE CONDITIONS IT'S TOO DANGEROUS TO HAVE THE ROV FOLLOW THEM. FROM THE SURFACE, THE CREW CAN ONLY WATCH THE DIVERS' LIGHTS IN THE DISTANCE. AFTER ROBERTO FINISHES HIS SURVEY OF THE WRECK, THE CREW MUST WAIT UNTIL HIS DECOMPRESSION IS DONE BEFORE THEY CAN WATCH HIS FOOTAGE. WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS THAT SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG WITH THE DIVE. AFTER A 5-HOUR WAIT, THEY GET A CALL FROM THE DIVE BASE. EXPLODED, HUH? AS YOU CAN SEE, SOMETHING VERY THICK. TRY TO BREAK. TRY TO BREAK. PART OF ROBERTO'S CAMERA WAS CRUSHED BY THE EXTREME WATER PRESSURE. THIS WAS PERFECTLY ROUND BEFORE BEFORE. NOW IT'S COMPLETELY SQUEEZED, HUH? HA HA HA! ALL BENT. COMPLETELY. YOU'RE A LUCKY GUY. ALWAYS. ALWAYS. YOU'RE BORN LUCKY. YOU DON'T BECOME LUCKY. HMM. BUT FOR TIMMY, THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER. HE SPENT 12 1/2 MINUTES DOWN THERE. 12 1/2? 12 1/2. YOU SEE? I'M GOOD, HUH? HA HA! YOU WERE MEANT TO SPEND 10, YOU NAUGHTY MAN. YEAH, BUT A CAMERA ON THE RIGHT THING. ONLY A FEW MINUTES INTO THE DIVE, ROBERTO GOT INTO TROUBLE. VERY BLACK, COMPLETELY BLACK.

BANG

Narrator

I JUST HEARD THIS BIG BANG LIKE THIS, AND IT WAS VERY STRONG IN MY HANDS AND IN MY STOMACH, AND IT WAS NOT LONG TO REALIZE THAT SOMETHING IMPLODED.

Mullen

THIS ONE HERE?

BANG

Mullen

TOOM. THIS IS THE SECOND ONE. THE SECOND ONE WENT? JESUS.

Narrator

THE SHRAPNEL FROM THE IMPLOSION COULD HAVE SHREDDED ROBERTO'S EQUIPMENT OR EVEN INJURED HIM, AND AT THIS DEPTH, A FAST RESCUE WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE. A LESSER DIVER WOULD HAVE ABORTED THE MISSION, BUT ROBERTO PUT HIS CAMERA DOWN TO GET HIS HANDS ON ONE OF THE MYSTERIOUS OBJECTS. AND I TRIED TO PULL IT UP. IT WAS STUCK ON THE BOTTOM. NO WAY TO MOVE, NOT EVEN TO MOVE A LITTLE BIT. THERE IS A HOLE HERE, AND I TRIED TO PUT THE FINGER INSIDE AND TRIED TO MOVE AND SEE THAT-- I MEAN, IT'S COMPLETELY STUCK. YOU THINK THAT ALMOST DEFINITELY THERE IS SOME FORM OF METAL. MM-HMM. I WOULD SAY YEAH. AND THIS BLUISH BELONGS TO THE MATERIAL. THIS I CAN TELL FOR SURE.

Mullen

COULD HAVE BEEN LEAD. LEAD IS A BLUE GRAY.

Narrator

THE CYLINDERS KEEP THE CREW GUESSING, BUT THEY'VE GATHERED OTHER CLUES ABOUT THE WRECK. THESE AMPHORAE PROVE THAT THE SHIP SANK AROUND 2,000 YEARS AGO. TIMMY THINKS IT MAY HAVE BEEN HEADING FOR THE CITY OF ROME WITH A HOLD FULL OF GRAIN. THIS WOULD HAVE ROTTED AWAY OVER THE MILLENNIA AND LEFT ONLY THE POTTERY AND THE MYSTERIOUS METAL CYLINDERS. WHETHER THEY WERE SOME FORM OF RAW MATERIALS BEING TRANSPORTED, WE STILL DON'T KNOW, BUT WE'RE A STEP CLOSER TO SOLVING THAT MYSTERY. IT'S BEEN 5 DAYS SINCE THE TEAM STARTED THE EXPEDITION, AND THEIR TIME IN VENTOTENE IS COMING TO AN END, BUT THEY'RE ABOUT TO FACE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF ALL. AFTER DAYS OF STEWING IN THE SUN, THE GARUM IS READY TO BE SERVED.

SPEAKING ITALIAN

Translator

SO SHALL WE TASTE THIS GARUM? HAVE A SMELL. WE'VE TAKEN THE ANCIENT RECIPE. AAGGGGHHH! HA HA HA!

SPEAKS ITALIAN

Narrator

AT FIRST, THE CREW IS SUSPICIOUS, BUT FINALLY, THE GARUM WORKS ITS ANCIENT MAGIC.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

LAUGHTER

Mullen

THAT'S NOT BAD. COME ON, COME ON, COME ON. WITH A LITTLE COMPANION WINE.

SINGING IN ITALIAN

Narrator

THE TREASURE THE CREW HAS FOUND OFF THE COAST OF VENTOTENE HAS GIVEN THEM AN APPETITE FOR MORE ADVENTURE. THEY MAY JUST COME BACK NEXT YEAR TO ADD MORE PIECES TO THE GREAT JIGSAW PUZZLE THAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

SINGING IN ITALIAN

Narrator

BRAVO! BRAVO!

WHISTLING

Narrator

CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY FRIENDS OF NCI CAPTIONED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE --www.ncicap.org-- THE "SECRETS OF THE DEAD" INVESTIGATION CONTINUES ONLINE. FOR MORE IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS AND STREAMING VIDEO OF THIS AND OTHER EPISODES, VISIT PBS.ORG. THIS "SECRETS OF THE DEAD" EPISODE IS AVAILABLE ON DVD FOR $24.99 PLUS SHIPPING. TO ORDER, CALL 1-800-336-1917.