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Myth Hunters reveals true stories of quests seeking legendary objects – hordes of lost Spanish gold, the Temple of Solomon, the body of King Arthur, the relics of Joan of Arc; objects that offer their finder either unlimited power or wealth - or both
2013
Nazi military commander Heinrich Himmler's search for an Aryan race he believed came from the mythical underwater city of Atlantis. He claimed that while the city was lost under the sea, its inhabitants had fled to the Himalayas. However, the search for evidence to prove the theory would ultimately harm his peace of mind.
The story of Indiana-born treasure hunter Mel Fisher, who spent much of his life hunting for sunken Spanish treasure galleons off the coast of Florida. In 1985 he made the headlines after locating the 1622 wreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha. However, his successes came at a high personal cost.
The story of amateur treasure hunter Adolph Ruth who set off into the Superstition Mountains, Arizona, in 1931 in search of the location of a rich gold mine allegedly founded by a German immigrant who never revealed its location. An expedition found his clothes containing a detailed map and a note indicating the explorer had succeeded in his quest, although his body was later discovered in a gully with two bullet wounds to the head.
South African councillor Athol Stark searches for missing gold buried during the Boer Wars with help from a Zulu family.
2012
The armies of Nazi Germany crossed the border with Austria, but when Hitler arrived in Vienna just 2 days later, the very first thing he did was to go to the Hofburg museum to lay claim to what appeared to be a simple Roman spear head. This spear head was something that Hitler had apparently coveted ever since he had first nurtured ambitions to become the ruler of a new German Reich. After the end of the Second World War, the lance was lost. Walter Horn, a US Army lieutenant who had fled Germany, went in search of the Holy Lance.
For 2000 years, adventurers have been searching for the ship that, according to the Bible, saved Noah, his family and the animals from the great flood that God wanted to use to wipe out evil from the earth. In the last 50 years, the American creationists in particular have taken over the search. They believe that finding the Ark on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey would be the ultimate proof that the theory of evolution is wrong and that every word of the Bible is true. The documentary accompanies three of these creationists on their perilous expeditions.
Richard Knight has traveled the world as an actor, entertainer and odd-job man. But then the story of Captain Kidd's pirate treasure wouldn't let him go. He discovered marked maps in Kidd's estate and located the probable treasure island: Hon Tre Lon. However, this belonged to communist Vietnam. Knight and his partner Fred Graham were caught trespassing and arrested. After 14 months, Knight was finally released after a ransom was paid. However, he did not give up hope for the treasure.
The biblical King Solomon was famous for his wisdom, women, and wealth. The Queen of Sheba gave him gold from the mysterious land of Ophir. For thousands of years, adventurers and explorers sought the source of gold, King Solomon's mines. German explorer Karl Mauch believed he had found Ophir deep in the heart of South Africa. While archaeological excavations in the early 20th century proved otherwise, his discovery of an ancient site proved to be one of Africa's most important archaeological discoveries. King Solomon's mines remain lost.
For many it is the eighth wonder of the world: the Amber Room. Frederick I gave it to the Russian tsar in 1716, in 1941 the Germans stole it and brought it to Konigsberg, today's Kaliningrad. At the end of the war, the Amber Room disappeared without a trace - the starting signal for the greatest treasure hunt of the 20th century. For many years, the Soviet secret police and the Stasi directed the search. Finally, in 2002, a German company financed a replica that can be seen today in St. Petersburg's Summer Palace. But the search for the original continues.
The Honjo Masamune is perhaps Japan's most legendary sword, but no one knows where it is. Forged in the 13th century, it became the ceremonial sword of the Tokugawa samurai dynasty for 250 years. Since 1868 it was passed on from one generation to the next, but after the Second World War it disappeared. It may have been melted down undetected in occupied Japan, but experts believe it may have made its way to the United States as a souvenir. Today it would be worth millions and collectors hope that the lost sword of the samurai will one day be found.
For centuries, the Holy Grail has been regarded as a holy relic that brings life-force and its location have repeatedly given rise to a wide range of myths. In 1935 the writer Otto Rahn was ordered to Berlin and met Heinrich Himmler there. The Reichsfuhrer-SS commissioned Rahn to search for the Holy Grail. It was to be exhibited in Wewelsburg, used by the SS, which Himmler wanted to make his Camelot. Rahn traversed all of Europe in search of the Grail, but in the end he had to pay for his search with his life.
According to legend, the Egyptian god Thoth gave the Book of Thoth to the people. With its help, the future can be predicted. The Greeks incorporated a version of the book into their culture, the Christians rejected it as pagan. In the 17th century it supposedly influenced Freemasons, in the 18th century tarot card readers. Finally, in the 20th century, the flower power movement of the 1960s was based on its content. But since the actual book has not yet been found, it is doubtful that it ever really existed.
Legend has it that somewhere in South America there is a city of gold: Eldorado, the remnant of a kingdom that once lay deep in the Amazon jungle. British explorer Percy Fawcett believed in the legend. From 1906 he was regularly on expeditions in the border area between Bolivia and Brazil. In 1925 he started the Eldorado search with his son Jack and his best friend Raleigh. The disappearance of Percy Fawcett is still one of the greatest mysteries in history. The numerous search and research expeditions that were sent to unravel this mystery were all unsuccessful. There was indeed a mythical civilization in the jungle, but the riches of the true Eldorado had nothing to do with gold.
In 1944, Heinrich Himmler sent SS soldiers to Italy to search for a missing document. It is the oldest version of the work Germania, which Tacitus wrote in 98 BC. The book describes a noble and pure human race, the descendants of which the Nazis saw themselves as. With the work, Himmler wanted to prove that the Germans descended from superhumans, who the Nazis called Aryans. For this task, Himmler put together a special unit called Ahnenerbe to locate the missing manuscript.
The Ark of the Covenant has been missing for over 2000 years. According to legend, it contained the power of God and was carried into battle by the Israelites as a weapon. In 1982, American Ron Wyatt claimed he found the Ark in Jerusalem, but he had neither witnesses nor evidence. Findings from recent excavations in Israel suggest that there may have been more than one Ark, as other portable shrines have also been called the Ark of God.
In 1924, young Anna Mitchell-Hedges found an unusual object in the jungles of Central America: a crystal quartz skull. One theory is that he is part of an ancient legend. One day, 13 of these skulls will unite into one and reveal the great mysteries of life. Some of these crystal skulls have already surfaced and are on display in museums around the world. The program explores the question of what is actually behind the secret of the crystal skulls.
In the 1990s, German historian Michael Hesemann examined one of the most important Christian relics: the Titulus Crucis. The small piece of wood is said to have hung on the cross of Jesus and made known his name. But is it real or a medieval fake? Hesemann traveled across Europe and the Middle East to trace the history of this piece of wood, said to be 2000 years old. Eventually he confirmed the authenticity of the relic, but according to an examination using the scientifically approved C-14 method, it is a fake.
2014
19th-century explorers John L Stephens and Frederick Catherwood altered our view of the Maya civilisation and uncovered great wonders such as this El Castillo (Kukulkan) pyramid, Mexico. Stephens even bought the Mayan city of Copan for $50 with the mis-guided intention of moving it along the river to US museums. The Mayans were one of the greatest civilisations of all time, building incredible structures without the use of metal tools, horses or carts. Even with these constraints, their buildings are as large as, if not larger than, some of the astounding Egyptian wonders.
In the early 1800s a party of men headed by a Thomas Beale set out from Virginia to the Colorado Rocky Mountains where they discovered gold. After mining a fortune in gold ore they exchanged it for treasure, which they then buried in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Beale recorded the secret location of the treasure in three numerical codes that when decoded would reveal the treasures value, its location and to who it belonged. Then in 1897 Clayton Hart discovered the three coded papers and soon after found out that they could reveal a great treasure in a pamphlet that revealed a deciphered paper revealing its value. With the help of his brother George, Clayton spent the next 50 years trying to uncover the location of Beale's treasure. They went to great lengths to break the ciphers, including assistance from America's top code breakers and even the supernatural!
The dying days of World War II. Hitler was in his bunker, unable to accept defeat. But most Nazis knew the game was up. It was time to start hiding evidence of their crimes. A unit of SS officers were instructed to transport boxes to the Salzgammergut lake district in the Austrian Alps. Their destination was one of the most remote and deepest lakes in the region: Lake Toplitz. On 1st May 1945, eyewitnesses still alive today saw the SS Officers throwing the boxes into the lake. Local rumours grew: the boxes were full of stolen gold. It was the biggest bank heist in history.
At the end of the 19th century, the Priest of Rennes-le-Chateau, Berenger Sauniere mysteriously and suddenly became fabulously rich. Rumours spread the priest had discovered buried treasure, but others claim Sauniere had uncovered a secret so profound, it could rock the foundations of the Catholic Church; evidence of a bloodline of Christ, the Holy Grail. Sauniere’s housekeeper, confidante and later lover, Marie Denarnaud was the only person who knew the truth, which she was going to reveal on her deathbed. However, she had a stroke and could not speak, leading many to this day to question what the truth is. Had the cup of Christ really been discovered?
A desert in California is said to hold something truly astonishing. According to the myth, somewhere in the Mojave Desert is a ship wreck with a precious cargo. In 1870 Charley Clusker, a Mexican War veteran, seasoned traveller and California Gold Rush prospector, would risk everything to find the legendary Lost Ship of the Mojave Desert. His search would cross one of the harshest environments on earth. But only around 10 miles from the ship's reported location Charley found himself in mortal danger. Despite narrowly escaping with his life Charley was determined to find the ship and set out into the desert once again. This time he ran out of food and water. After days in the desert with nothing to drink he was close to death. Just as he was about to turn back a second time something on the horizon caught his eye - a mighty Spanish galleon. Although he was desperate to get the ship Charley had no choice but to return to town.
While on holiday in Spain researching a book, American author and writer Janice Bennett, found herself looking at an exhibit in the cathedral in Valencia, which was claimed to be the Holy Grail. Although initially unimpressed she decided to find out more and her subsequent research took her on an exciting voyage of discovery, from first century Jerusalem to 21st century Spain. By tracing the history of this relic and examining all the supporting evidence, she has concluded that it could well be what claims believe it to be. The power and symbolism of the Quest for the Holy Grail has had a huge impact on western culture for centuries, and this programme sets out to understand what within biblical tradition and emerging Christianity was meant by the grail, and how historic events, myth and the Middle Ages turned it into something completely different.
A quest for buried treasure allegedly hidden on an island near Costa Rica is undertaken by a German adventurer in the late 19th century, which eventually went on to influence the novel Treasure Island.
This week’s episode turns to King Arthur who according to legend was Britain's greatest king. He led his Knights of the Round Table from Camelot, a vast, spectacular castle built on a hill, and was supposed to have bravely fought AngloSaxon invaders and united the country. But there's very little evidence he reallyexisted. In the 1960's a team of archaeologists, led by Leslie Alcock, set out to prove the myth was real. After five summers digging where tradition had the location Camelot to be, a hill just off the A303 in South Cadbury, Somerset they discovered Dark Age fortifications dated exactly to the time King Arthur was supposed to have lived, and a great hall, suitable for a King or leader of some kind. Proof, they believed, that Arthur, or someone very like him existed.
This week’s episode turns to history’s greatest story of war loot - the legend of Yamashita's Gold. During WW2, it's said the Japanese Imperial Army had a covert, systematic looting operation in place and amassed a huge fortune. But in June 1942, the tide of the war turned and the stolen gold was apparently hidden in 175 different locations throughout the Philippines. Yamashita’s Gold captivated Roger Roxas and after a decade of hunting he decided to risk everything to find it once and for all. Roger's quest led him to cross President Ferdinand Marcos - one of the most brutal dictators of the 20th century.
Yesterday’s fascinating series continues this week in America’s Rocky Mountains where according to legend, a fortune in gold bullion lies buried. The only clue to the treasure's location is a cryptic map, drawn by the sole survivor of a doomed French expedition. Colorado folklore states his descendants seek the gold for almost 200 years. But, just when it appears to be within their grasp, The Curse of Treasure Mountain strikes. Disease, violence, alleged supernatural forces - all have thwarted treasure-hungry adventurers seeking the hidden bullion. This is the incredible story of a fortune in gold, found and then lost in the Rocky Mountains.
In 1911, Hiram Bingham was a young scholar specialising in modern Latin American history at Yale University. He was 36-years-old, married to Alfreda Mitchell, an heiress to the Tiffany diamond empire, they had six children and lived in a thirty-roomed mansion on top of a hill. Bingham was a man who seemed to have all the comforts of life, but he was restless and driven. During a field trip to Peru in 1909, he was invited by his guide to see an ancient Inca site high up in the Andes Mountains. This set him on a path that would change his life forever. Bingham learned how in the sixteenth century, the great Inca Empire fled from the ferocious onslaught of Spanish Conquistadors and built a last stronghold deep inside the Amazon jungle. A place they named Vilcabamba. There, they made their final stand against their ruthless enemy, but with their death, the memory of where this last refuge was, disappeared.
Historically the 'face of God' has been linked to the one of the greatest Catholic relics - the Veil of Veronica - a similar miraculous image, created on the day of Christ's crucifixion. When stumbling under the weight of the cross His brow was mopped by St Veronica - and an imprint of his face was left on her cloth. Throughout the middle ages this image was revered and worshipped by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visiting Rome - and even created its own guild of artists, dedicated to selling reproductions of the image to pilgrims. But after the rebuilding of St Peter's basilica - designed as a new home for all the greatest Christian relics - suddenly and without explanation the veil disappeared from view was it lost, or even stolen? The Vatican claims to still have the veil but it is no longer on public view.
According to legend, somewhere in Texas lies buried a vast treasure of Spanish gold. At the turn of the 20th century, one man is on a mission to find it. His name is Dave Arnold. Guided by a cryptic map he unearths three mysterious stones.
