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NARRATOR: The Black Sea.
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Home to lost tales of ancient
mariners that only now
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are coming into full view.
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DAN (off-screen): It's
like finding a dinosaur
with feathers.
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That's how rare it was.
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NARRATOR: What can a
surprising shipwreck reveal
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about the men who ruled these
waters for 1,000 years?
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MIKE: These ships were
feeding and maintaining
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a whole empire.
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DAN: And it help turn the
empire into one of the
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greatest ever known.
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NARRATOR: How does a glint of
precious metal reveal a battle
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to decide the fate
of two empires?
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DILARA: This event
changed naval warfare all
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around the world.
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NARRATOR: And what does a lost
U-boat say about Hitler's
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plans to build his
own empire here?
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Three mysteries.
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Three expeditions.
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One sea of secrets.
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(theme music plays)
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DAN (off-screen): The Black Sea
is filled with mystery.
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There's always been warfare,
strife and battles taking
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place on or near
the Black Sea,
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contesting for that territory.
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DAN (off-screen): There are so
many connections to be made,
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but there's so little
evidence to go from.
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NARRATOR: Between Europe and
Asia six countries crowd
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around the shores of the
Black Sea with just one small
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outlet connecting it
to the world's oceans.
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The vessels that plied these
waters over 1,000 years ago
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have long been a mystery.
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Historians have only a
handful of descriptions
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in ancient text.
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Finding an actual shipwreck
could change everything.
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DAN (off-screen): In 2007
I received an invitation
to come and take
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part in an expedition
to the Black Sea.
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And this was very exciting.
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MIKE (off-screen): It's really
been kind of unexplored.
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And so only a handful of
expeditions have really done
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surveys looking for
shipwrecks in these waters.
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The Black Sea's right in my
first year expeditions and so
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it's where I started to learn
the process of how we locate
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ancient shipwrecks.
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NARRATOR: Archaeologists have
long suspected the Black Sea
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could be hiding a treasure
trove of wrecks because of the
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unusual properties
of its water.
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DAN (off-screen): Well
the Black Sea chemistry
is unique because
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from about 600 feet all the
way down to the very bottom of
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the Black Sea there is literally
no oxygen in the water,
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in the so
called Anoxic layer.
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DAN (off-screen):
Everywhere else shipwrecks
are not preserved,
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mostly because of a very
nasty little sea worm.
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They eat everything.
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Meaning ships, rope, all of
the stuff that you would find
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on an, on an ancient
wooden ship,
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usually gone everywhere
else except the Black Sea.
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NARRATOR: No-one had ever
searched for shipwrecks in the
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deepest layers of the
Black Sea until 2000.
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DAN: The explorer
Robert Ballard set
out to explore the
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bottom of the Black Sea,
like it had never been
done before.
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MIKE (off-screen):
Dr. Ballard is the
world renowned ocean explorer
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who found Titanic in 1985.
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On his very first expedition
to the Black Sea no-one was
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ready for what he would find.
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Ballard's expedition
found shipwrecks
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near a town called Sinop.
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DAN (off-screen): They found
three Sinop shipwrecks right
off the bat,
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A, B and C.
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They were in an area of the
Black Sea that only partially
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preserved shipwrecks.
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And it was only, like all
archaeological excavations are,
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on the last day at the
last minute that they decided
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to look in deeper Anoxic
waters and that's when they
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found Sinop D.
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♪ ♪
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The team on the ship must
have been quite confused.
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DAN (off-screen): They were
looking at multiple vertical
timbers sticking out
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of the mud,
one of them quite large.
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And all of a sudden the
realization must have dawned
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on them this is an
ancient shipwreck.
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DAN (off-screen): They saw
structural features that
had never before been
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seen intact on an
ancient vessel.
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Only in illustrations.
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Prior to this shipwreck no
other ships had been found in
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the Anoxic layer
perfectly preserved.
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This meant that
archaeologists,
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for the first time,
could look at a
shipwreck in its full
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dimensionality and now there's
nothing we have to guess at.
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DAN (off-screen): Sinop D
was an unprecedented find.
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It's like finding a
dinosaur with feathers,
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that's how rare it was.
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But in 2000 all the team could
do was look at what they were
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seeing on the seabed.
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They didn't know the
date of the ship.
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It could have been an
ancient Greek ship.
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It could have been Roman.
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It could have built
200 years ago.
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They just didn't know.
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DAN (off-screen):
There was an
obsession to go back.
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MIKE: How old was the ship?
Where was it sailing to?
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Where was it coming from?
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MIKE (off-screen): A
lot of these things
were still a mystery.
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NARRATOR: When Dan and Mike
join the 2007 expedition
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they hope that new technology
will bring new answers.
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MIKE (off-screen): The 2007
expedition was specifically
designed for us
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to spend a week really
investigating this
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wreck in depth.
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In these waters that we're
exploring it's way too deep
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for scuba divers,
so we need to use
remotely operated vehicles
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to get down to those
depths and get good,
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high quality video
of these sites.
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DAN: We had a workhorse,
state of the art,
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remotely operated vehicle
named Hercules that could help
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us explore the wreck in
multiple ways and take high
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definition video of
the entire operation.
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So I remember this view
approaching Sinop D for the
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first time in 2007 and
just being blown away.
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MIKE: And here you have it,
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the well preserved
wooden shipwreck,
the mast still standing.
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DAN (off-screen): Yeah.
But the only one we have.
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They're very rare.
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MIKE (off-screen): And
you've got a piece of
rope still wrapped around
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the top which is unheard of.
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DAN (off-screen): I saw
the mast for the first
time and it was a magic
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moment for me.
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It was emotional.
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NARRATOR: Hercules allows the
team to measure every inch
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of what's left on
the sea floor.
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Before they can figure out the
ship's purpose they'll need to
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analyze the wreck's size,
shape and design.
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DAN (off-screen): What we
find is a 45 feet long ship.
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A single mast that probably
carried a square sail.
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There's no evidence of decking
in the middle of the wreck,
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so we can assume
it's a cargo hold.
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And lucky for us there's
cargo still on board.
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Typically when we stumble upon
an ancient shipwreck the first
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clue we look for is the cargo.
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DAN (off-screen):
Usually these clay
jars called amphoras.
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Amphoras carried everything.
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They carried olive oil,
they carried fish sauce,
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they carried wine.
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MIKE (off-screen): These
diagnostic amphoras that
can help us put
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a date on the wreck
and tell how old it is.
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Recovering an artifact
from a shipwreck is not a
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simple process.
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MIKE (off-screen): They use a
little sucker that the ROV
put on the amphora to
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pick it up without
damaging it.
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So they would move
it over to a net.
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Once we have artifacts in
these nets we get it on board
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as carefully as possible.
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Watching the ROV pilots
handle these, these
artifacts and put them
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carefully into these baskets
and then send them up to the
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surface is really nerve
racking because we
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don't want them damaged.
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NARRATOR: The hope is that a
close study of the clay jars
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will establish the
age of the shipwreck.
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♪ ♪
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PAOLO (off-screen): An
amphora holds a lot of
information about the
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ancient world.
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Amphoras can be dated quite
precisely because they're
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everywhere and they
are very well studied.
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PAOLO (off-screen):
So the amphoras can
be dated through their
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physical characteristics.
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Normally the,
the handles
and the neck,
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but also what we
call the foot,
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which is the bottom part.
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People can compare the
new find with the,
with the already
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studied one and establish
a quite precise date.
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PAOLO (off-screen): So for
Sinop they are fairly small.
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They are mostly carrot shape
and some of them have grooves
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that go around the entire
body of the amphora.
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And so those are quite
distinctive characteristics
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that a give a clear idea of
the date when Sinop D was
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sailing on the Black Sea.
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MIKE (off-screen): The
amphora that we documented
were dated to the
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5th and 6th
centuries AD.
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We had never before had a
shipwreck that is 1500 years
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old in its entirety,
preserved on the seabed.
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NARRATOR: The dates
mean Sinop D is sailing
at the tail end
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of the Roman Empire.
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What can it reveal about a
new power that's rising
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to take its place?
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♪ ♪
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DAN: Now that we knew what the
date of the ship was it was
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exciting because Sinop D dates
to this pivotal moment in
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world history.
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NARRATOR: By the 5th
Century the once mighty
Roman Empire is crumbling,
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except in the east
which breaks away to
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create the Byzantine Empire.
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It's capital no longer
Rome but the great city
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of Constantinople,
modern day Istanbul.
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PAOLO (off-screen): The choice
of Constantinople as the capital
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is mostly because of
its strategic position.
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It was located in-between
the two continents,
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Asia and Europe.
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It was by the sea so it could,
it could easily
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transport goods and,
and troops.
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PAOLO (off-screen): And so
Constantinople at the time
of the Byzantine Empire
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became the largest city in the
world and the most wealthy.
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NARRATOR: Constantinople's
wealth depends on Black Sea
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ports like Sinop.
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And Sinop D may have
played a pivotal role
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in Byzantine history.
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DAN: Now we had some
fundamental questions that we
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needed answers for.
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Among them how does this ship
connect to the history of the
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Byzantine Empire itself?
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DAN (off-screen): How
did it contribute to the
growth of the empire?
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NARRATOR: One way to answer
those questions is to
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investigate the ship itself.
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DAN (off-screen): The
wreck was so enticing,
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but the ship is so deeply
buried in sediment it was
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giving up its mysteries
with such great difficulty.
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DAN (off-screen): We
knew that we would have
to start excavating
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the shipwreck.
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With Hercules now we had the
capability of removing silt
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in large volumes.
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And exposing more
of its timbers.
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Oh yes!
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All the mud.
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Look at this Black Sea mud.
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MIKE: Yeah.
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It's really sticky and,
and almost like Jell-O
the way it moves.
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DAN (off-screen): I
remember just thinking,
"What a strange seabed."
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00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,280
Never seen anything
like that before.
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Removing the silt was
a painstaking process.
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The upper layers
very easy to remove,
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but as we dug deeper into the
mud the more thick the mud
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became and at that point
our work slowed way down.
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We managed to explore a little
bit of some of the planking
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but we were not able
to dig as deep as we
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wanted to unfortunately.
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We did not find anything that
would give away how the ship
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was constructed.
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It was a disappointment.
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NARRATOR: The Black Sea's
stubborn mud dashes the
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00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:51,640
expedition's hopes.
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00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:55,440
The secrets of Sinop D
remain unknown.
240
00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,880
Then comes news of a stunning
archaeological find.
241
00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:11,760
One that reignites the stalled
investigation into Sinop D.
242
00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:14,920
MIKE: Since the discovery
of Sinop D in 2000,
243
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:16,760
what have we learned
about ship building?
244
00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,480
DAN: We've been really
fortunate to find this
245
00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,920
graveyard of shipwrecks
in modern day Istanbul,
246
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:24,960
ancient Constantinople.
247
00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:29,000
DAN (off-screen): The old
harbor that served the city
was buried in silt over
248
00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,440
the centuries and as they were
clearing it out to build a
249
00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,400
subway they found 37
ancient shipwrecks.
250
00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:41,480
Lucky for us the discoveries
in this harbor called Yenikapi
251
00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:44,480
all date to the
Byzantine period.
252
00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:49,240
And what you see at Yenikapi
is an evolution of Black Sea
253
00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:51,480
shipbuilding techniques.
254
00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,080
Sinop D is right there in the
5th and 6th Century which is
255
00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:57,560
about the midpoint
between those 37 wrecks
256
00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,520
that were found.
257
00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,560
DAN (off-screen): Yenikapi
provides all the evidence
for the lower part of
258
00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,480
the ships because their upper
works were not preserved.
259
00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:09,440
Sinop D provides almost a
perfectly preserved example of
260
00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:11,440
the top to the middle.
261
00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,000
MIKE: Yeah.
262
00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:15,200
DAN: So now we can bring those
two together and get a full
263
00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,440
comprehensive picture
for the first time.
264
00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:22,240
DAN (off-screen): There
was this earlier tradition
in which shipwrights
265
00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,400
lock planks together edge to
edge and then they peg them
266
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,680
together so that they can't
slide and they can't come apart.
267
00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,880
And then inserted the skeleton
to help stiffen the hull.
268
00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:36,480
And then there's
this later tradition,
269
00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,000
it switched completely.
270
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:39,920
DAN (off-screen): It's where you
build the frames or the ribs
271
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,520
of the ship first.
272
00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:46,320
And then you plank it all
around it to create the shell.
273
00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:48,880
Edge joinery is
still being used,
274
00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:53,240
but it's not on the
elaborate scale that we had
275
00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:54,960
in the earlier tradition.
276
00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,840
DAN (off-screen): So
the result is cheaper,
faster ship construction.
277
00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:03,720
Fewer people needed
in the shipyard.
278
00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:05,240
Fewer trained people.
279
00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:06,520
Fewer skilled people.
280
00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:07,800
MIKE: And probably
less wood too.
281
00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:09,720
DAN: Less wood. Cheaper. Faster.
282
00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:10,800
MIKE: Yeah.
283
00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,520
DAN (off-screen): Because
of the dates suggested by
those amphoras we
284
00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:22,560
now know that Sinop D fits
within this transition
285
00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:25,520
between those two ship
construction techniques.
286
00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,240
So now we could piece together
all this evidence to finally
287
00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:36,240
see what's under the mud
and tell the full story
288
00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,800
of Sinop D's life.
289
00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:42,200
♪ ♪
290
00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,480
DAN (off-screen): Sinop D
is a cargo vessel.
291
00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:59,520
A merchant ship.
292
00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:02,760
Filled with amphoras.
293
00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:06,960
It was likely trading between
the very prosperous port city
294
00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,560
of Sinop and the
capital city itself,
Constantinople.
295
00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,560
It might have even been
heading to the same harbor
296
00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:14,840
where that earlier
graveyard of shipwrecks
297
00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:16,240
was found at Yenikapi.
298
00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:24,200
NARRATOR: The ability to
construct ships faster and
299
00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:28,440
cheaper is a game changer
for the Byzantine Empire.
300
00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:34,400
And the secret can be
seen in the Sinop D wreck.
301
00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,680
DAN (off-screen): With this
cheaper way of building
ships a middle class
302
00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,960
emerges who's able
to buy the ship,
captain the ship,
303
00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,280
act as the merchant
and actually create
their own wealth.
304
00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:52,560
So in this sense the Sinop D
shipwreck is a wealth creator.
305
00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,600
It's a type of economic
engine for the middle class.
306
00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,800
MIKE (off-screen): I don't
think it's a coincidence
that a new type of
307
00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,240
shipbuilding starts to arise
at the same time that the
308
00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,480
Byzantine Empire
begins to flourish.
309
00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:07,480
These trading ships,
like Sinop D,
310
00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,840
were feeding and
maintaining a whole empire.
311
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,840
And this is the beginning
of a long period of
lucrative trading.
312
00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:18,320
DAN (off-screen): This
was one of many ships
that helped generate
313
00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:20,240
the extreme wealth
of the empire.
314
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,120
And it helped turn the
empire into one of the
315
00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,280
greatest ever known.
316
00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:37,560
♪ ♪
317
00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:50,800
NARRATOR: Sinop
continues to be a key
port along the Black Sea
318
00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,960
long after the
fall of the Byzantines.
319
00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,760
And its waters
conceal other secrets.
320
00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:05,200
♪ ♪
321
00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:13,000
RASIM (off-screen): I have
lived in Sinop all my life.
322
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,760
And being underwater
is my passion.
323
00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:23,560
The Black Sea is as its name
suggests a black, dark sea.
324
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,520
RASIM (off-screen): In
other seas you see a
dark shade of blue
325
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:34,880
but this blackness of the
Black Sea is one worth seeing.
326
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,240
The darkness really
fascinates me.
327
00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:50,000
NARRATOR: Yasar Tarakci
has been finding relics
in Sinop harbor
328
00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:53,120
ever since he started
diving as a boy.
329
00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:57,120
He's found ancient Roman
and Byzantine artifacts
330
00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,320
and even old canons.
331
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:04,600
But one discovery proves to
be the find of a lifetime.
332
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,480
RASIM: In the early 1980s,
333
00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,960
because I was a
professional diver,
334
00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:15,560
I was called by a local
fisherman to rescue
335
00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,160
some snagged nets.
336
00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:23,160
RASIM (off-screen): During
the dive I couldn't see
anything because of the mud.
337
00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:27,120
But using our hands we
realized the nets were
338
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,760
covering an old ship.
339
00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:39,760
NARRATOR: The curious wreck
consumes Yasar for 40 years.
340
00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:44,440
What is this ship and how did
it end up on the sea floor?
341
00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:50,920
RASIM (off-screen): I
dived the wreck several
times and could see it
342
00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:52,640
was made of wood.
343
00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,960
I knew I wasn't looking
at a modern ship.
344
00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,000
It was well preserved
and in shallow water.
345
00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:05,320
That meant it
couldn't be ancient.
346
00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,840
That left open the possibility
that this wreck could be
347
00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,560
something from the time
of the Ottoman Empire.
348
00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:20,200
NARRATOR: During the 1300s
the Ottomans wrest control
349
00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:25,200
of the Black Sea from
the Byzantines and here
they build an empire
350
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:29,920
that lasts for six centuries,
creating one of the largest
351
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,520
and most feared
navies in the world.
352
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:40,080
However, there's almost no
archaeological evidence of it.
353
00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,360
DILARA (off-screen):
There should be many
shipwrecks in Yenikapi
354
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,560
but we don't have an
Ottoman's war ship.
355
00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:04,920
We know so many things about
the ship building activities
356
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:09,280
and traditions and
complex in Ottoman Empire,
357
00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:15,280
but we don't have an evidence
to show people that,
358
00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:18,360
yes, we got the correct
information or no,
359
00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,920
the information
was not correct.
360
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,840
That's why shipwrecks are
so important for every
361
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:26,240
Ottoman naval historian.
362
00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:31,120
NARRATOR: One reason
the empire's warships
are missing today
363
00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:35,320
has to do with an Ottoman
tradition of dismantling and
364
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,040
recycling old vessels.
365
00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:41,360
Yasar's find is
a big surprise.
366
00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:46,440
He believes it's Ottoman,
but is it?
367
00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:01,960
NARRATOR: Dilara comes
to Sinop to meet Yasar.
368
00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:05,240
(speaking native language)
369
00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:06,920
NARRATOR: And to investigate
the shipwreck he's spent
370
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,000
decades deciphering.
371
00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:16,520
♪ ♪
372
00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:27,560
DILARA: You dived here
and found a shipwreck?
373
00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,560
RASIM: Yes, we are more of less
situated above it.
374
00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,120
DILARA: Can I see the footage
you took during your dives?
375
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:46,640
♪ ♪
376
00:24:56,360 --> 00:25:00,200
RASIM (off-screen): Here you
can see the frames of the ship.
377
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,320
They are made from oak.
378
00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:09,080
The beam is still stable
in its original position.
379
00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,920
And you can see
copper on the hull.
380
00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,800
Because the hull is surrounded
by copper and rot proof oak
381
00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,200
it remained intact over time.
382
00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:45,320
DILARA (off-screen):
He said that the ship
is covered by copper,
383
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,240
which is really, really
important for me.
384
00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:49,520
Why?
385
00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,760
Because this confirms the
wreck is from the time
386
00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:54,880
of the Ottoman Empire.
387
00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,480
NARRATOR: Ottoman warships
relied on copper sheathing,
388
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,640
an innovation to
protect wooden hulls,
389
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:06,440
until the middle of
the 19th century.
390
00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,720
DILARA (off-screen): And now
we have a pivotal evidence.
391
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,000
It really gives a
lot of richness
392
00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,440
to Ottoman naval history.
393
00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:27,680
NARRATOR: It's now
clear that this is a
394
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:29,880
rare Ottoman warship.
395
00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,640
So now Yasar wants
to work out its name.
396
00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:37,360
Given its location he thinks
it may be a leftover from one
397
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,080
of the most famous battles
ever to take place
398
00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,200
in the Black Sea.
399
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:47,760
RASIM: I learned about the
Battle of Sinop from the
400
00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,440
oldest diver in Sinop
when I was about 15 or 16.
401
00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,480
RASIM (off-screen): He
told me about a shocking
attack on Ottoman ships
402
00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,600
anchored in the harbor here.
403
00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,840
It killed nearly 3,000 people.
404
00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,240
NARRATOR: The Ottoman's
face a rival power,
405
00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,600
the Russian Empire.
406
00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,920
And on November 30th, 1853,
407
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,320
in a bid for Black Sea
supremacy the Russian navy
408
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:26,040
smashes an Ottoman
fleet here in Sinop.
409
00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:38,360
The date tallies with
the age of Yasar's find.
410
00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:44,080
RASIM (off-screen): To
figure out the identity
of the wreck I turned
411
00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,920
to historical sources created
at the time of the battle.
412
00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:53,040
These sources included
pictures and a very important
413
00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:55,200
chart made by the Russians.
414
00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,240
This Russian chart details
the location of each
415
00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,240
ship they destroyed.
416
00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:12,320
♪ ♪
417
00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,240
RASIM: The Ottoman
ships were there.
418
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,040
DILARA: Forming a half moon?
419
00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:22,560
RASIM: Yes, a battle
formation of a half moon.
420
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,440
NARRATOR: Russian
sources suggest the
attack on Sinop harbor
421
00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,040
destroys 15 Ottoman vessels.
422
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,960
DILARA: So the Ottoman fleet
were left defenseless.
423
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,000
RASIM: Outsiders
referred to this area
424
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:44,000
as hell at the time.
425
00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:57,800
RASIM (off-screen): On the
Russian battle chart I
found one record that
426
00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:00,560
explained the location
of the wreck I found.
427
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,480
This is evidence it was
a victim of the battle.
428
00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:16,320
What's unexpected is that the
wreck is outside the harbor
429
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,200
and not in line with most
of the other ships that
430
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,720
went down that day.
431
00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,160
NARRATOR: Yasar examines a
memoir written by a survivor
432
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,200
of the attack.
433
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,200
It helps explain
the information
434
00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:34,680
on the Russian battle chart.
435
00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:39,920
Russian guns had crippled a
vessel named the Nesim-i-Zafer
436
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,520
leaving it afloat
but helpless.
437
00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:48,120
RASIM: The Russians
hauled out the ship
438
00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:50,040
as a trophy of their victory.
439
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,960
But about 6 to 7
miles from Sinop,
440
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,800
with the decks collapsing
and hull full of holes
441
00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,000
the ship was taking
on too much water.
442
00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,760
At that point they gave
up their trophy ship,
the Nesim-i-Zafer,
443
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:03,160
allowing it to finally sink.
444
00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:08,120
Instead they took 100 members
of her crew prisoner
445
00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:12,240
and they just left
the ship behind.
446
00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,360
NARRATOR: The story of Yasar's
find now comes into focus.
447
00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,080
Because the Nesim-i-Zafer
sank outside the harbor
448
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,720
the Ottomans never
tried to salvage it,
449
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,600
and the wreck remains
untouched for more
450
00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,440
than 130 years.
451
00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:38,120
RASIM: We found the
Nesim-i-Zafer thanks to
452
00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,040
fishermen's nets
that landed on it.
453
00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:43,600
RASIM (off-screen): We
couldn't have found it
otherwise since it was
454
00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,520
120 feet underwater.
455
00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:54,760
NARRATOR: The Black Sea keeps
a tight grip on its secrets.
456
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:59,120
But 300 miles west of Sinop
a 14-year-long quest
457
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:05,000
casts light on a secret Nazi
plan for world domination.
458
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,840
SELCUK (off-screen):
People come to me to
ask for my help to find
459
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,520
shipwrecks or identify them.
460
00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:31,800
I love the challenge of
finding a wreck that's
been lost to time,
461
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,560
revealing something
new about our history.
462
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:47,080
One of my most challenging
missions was back in 2006.
463
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,640
(speaking native language)
464
00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:53,440
SELCUK (off-screen): I
was asked to help find a
World War II German submarine,
465
00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:55,680
the U-23.
466
00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:57,560
(speaking native language)
467
00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,160
Incredibly the person
who contacted me was
the Commander himself,
468
00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:04,520
Rudolph Arendt,
who was 83 years old.
469
00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,000
(speaking native language)
470
00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,920
SELCUK: I found this
very interesting.
471
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,320
One of the most
fascinating stories of the
472
00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,920
submarine warfare.
473
00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,960
I was lucky that I had the
firsthand account of the whole
474
00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:26,880
story of U-23 from
the horse's mouth.
475
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:32,480
SELCUK (off-screen): I was
determined to find his
U-boat and discover exactly
476
00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:34,480
what happened to it.
477
00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:37,480
♪ ♪
478
00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:47,920
NARRATOR: Rudolph Arendt takes
Selcuk to the U-23's last
479
00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,240
known location.
480
00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:57,480
He remembers that the sub sank
off the Black Sea coast of
481
00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:01,360
Agva, 60 miles
east of Istanbul.
482
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:11,520
Rudolph came to the Black Sea
as part of Hitler's desperate
483
00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,440
war with the Soviet Union.
484
00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:26,160
RUDOLPH: In the winter of
1941, the German Army suffered
enormous losses in Russia.
485
00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:32,280
Then the attack had to
be stopped and was to
be continued in 1942...
486
00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:35,480
and that's why
Hitler's orders were
487
00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,200
that submarines had to be
sent to the Black Sea
488
00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,720
to keep the Russian
fleet in their ports
489
00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:45,120
and thank God that worked.
490
00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:50,080
But of course the whole
thing was far too late in
the course of the war.
491
00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:01,480
NARRATOR: By 1944 Germany
is losing to the allies.
492
00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:05,280
To stop U-boats from
falling into enemy hands
493
00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,520
Hitler's admirals issue
a dramatic order,
494
00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:12,760
telling Commanders
like Rudolph to sink
their own vessels.
495
00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,200
At the time he is only 21.
496
00:34:16,720 --> 00:34:21,240
RUDOLPH: That was an awful
moment for a commander
having to sink his boat.
497
00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:24,800
Whether you wanted to or not,
498
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:30,200
you had developed a very close
relationship with your boat.
499
00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,520
The submarine was actually
life insurance for us.
500
00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:37,280
As long as the boat worked...
we lived.
501
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:45,880
(speaking native language)
502
00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:48,280
NARRATOR: Rudolph's memories
provide Selcuk with
503
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:50,280
crucial evidence.
504
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:54,680
SELCUK (off-screen): When
Rudolph Arendt got the
order to scuttle his
505
00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:59,960
boat he found a suitable
bay and left 25
506
00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:01,720
of his people there.
507
00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:07,160
He had told me that after
dropping his crew he took out
508
00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:12,360
the submarine north,
placed explosives then got
509
00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:16,080
onto a small inflatable raft
510
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:20,440
and rowed back to his people.
511
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,760
NARRATOR: The problem is
Rudolph doesn't remember
512
00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:29,000
exactly where he
scuttled his U-boat.
513
00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:32,440
But he does have one
invaluable memento.
514
00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,760
SELCUK (off-screen): I was
lucky that Rudolph Arendt
had made a very
515
00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:41,400
nice sketch of the bay seen
from his submarine when he was
516
00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:43,120
dropping his crew.
517
00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:54,000
RUDOLPH: I made this sketch
to illustrate the spot
where the crew went ashore.
518
00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,200
I came up with the idea
519
00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:02,880
just to draw a sketch of what
I saw on that dark night
520
00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:08,760
and that can possibly be
used as a clue today.
521
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:15,520
SELCUK (off-screen): We
went from bay to bay and
eventually found one
522
00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:17,200
matching the sketch.
523
00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:21,640
If this was the landing point
then we now needed to head
524
00:36:21,720 --> 00:36:25,720
north in the same direction
Rudolph sailed the U-23
525
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:27,400
before scuttling it.
526
00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,240
NARRATOR: Selcuk looks for the
submarine with a side-scan
527
00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:36,680
sonar capable of mapping
large areas of the seabed.
528
00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:41,600
SELCUK: We, we, we searched all
this area north of this bay.
529
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:44,880
SELCUK (off-screen): But
we couldn't find anything.
530
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,160
We couldn't find a wreck.
531
00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:54,440
NARRATOR: The 2006 survey ends
with the final resting place
532
00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:58,400
of Rudolph's U-boat
still a mystery.
533
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:03,240
SELCUK: But I assured him that
I would be carrying on with
534
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,880
the search after
he went back home.
535
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,000
SELCUK (off-screen): After 2006
I was there several times,
536
00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:14,920
but I never found anything.
537
00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:23,520
Years later I applied to the
navy to look for it with their
538
00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:30,080
much more sophisticated sonars
and in 2019 they called me to
539
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,240
say that they had found
something with their
540
00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:36,480
multi-beam sonar in that
area where I have been
541
00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:39,520
looking for the U-23.
542
00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:42,400
♪ ♪
543
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:51,240
NARRATOR: The anomaly found by
the Turkish navy's survey is a
544
00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:56,880
huge break in the now nearly
14-year-long hunt for U-23.
545
00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:58,760
(speaking native language)
546
00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:03,520
NARRATOR: And ROV
descends into the Black
Sea for a closer look.
547
00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,440
(speaking native language)
548
00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:11,960
NARRATOR: Could this finally be
Rudolph's missing U-boat?
549
00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:20,240
♪ ♪
550
00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:29,120
SELCUK (off-screen): The wreck
has a list of 90 degrees,
551
00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:32,560
so it's practically lying
on her starboard side.
552
00:38:37,720 --> 00:38:41,600
♪ ♪
553
00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:52,120
The two periscopes.
554
00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,880
And then three torpedo
tubes at the bow.
555
00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:05,560
This is a very
distinctive shape.
556
00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:09,440
Definitely a submarine and no
other submarine in history was
557
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:12,040
ever lost in that area.
558
00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:16,960
There's no doubt, through the
dimensions this is the U-23.
559
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:22,480
NARRATOR: Selcuk concludes the
wreck is a class of U-boat
560
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:25,440
called a Type 2B.
561
00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:29,160
A smaller model than
typical Nazi U-boats,
562
00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:31,720
they offered a solution
to a major obstacle
563
00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:33,840
of the Black Sea attack plan.
564
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:38,360
MAN (over TV):
Throughout World War II,
Turkey,
565
00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:42,080
protecting her neutrality,
cut off all passage of warships
566
00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:44,800
to and from the Black Sea.
567
00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:49,840
NARRATOR: Because they can't
sail in Hitler orders that six
568
00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:53,400
of the smaller type U-boats
be dismantled and transported
569
00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:58,680
overland from Germany 2,000
miles via road and river
570
00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:00,880
to the Black Sea.
571
00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:03,640
None of the six U-boats,
however,
572
00:40:03,720 --> 00:40:06,160
will ever make it back home.
573
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,080
(explosion)
574
00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:18,720
Questions now turn to what
state the U-23 is in 75 years
575
00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:20,960
after it went down.
576
00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,200
SELCUK: Good day, Mr. Arendt.
577
00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:29,000
RUDOLPH: After 14
years we meet again.
578
00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:31,480
NARRATOR: Selcuk shares
the news with Rudolph,
579
00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:32,880
who's now 96 years old.
580
00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:35,160
RUDOLPH: Now you
have found the boat.
581
00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:37,960
SELCUK: Yes, and the
day after tomorrow
582
00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:40,240
I am personally
diving to the boat
583
00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:46,680
to closely examine the places
584
00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:50,120
where you positioned
the explosives.
585
00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:54,120
RUDOLPH: The explosives we put
586
00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:56,720
at the front by
the torpedo tubes
587
00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,280
and another in the
periscope shaft
588
00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:03,000
and the third at the back
on the ammunition box.
589
00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:07,760
The explosives took seven
minutes to detonate.
590
00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:13,360
Therefore we only had seven
minutes to leave the boat
591
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,560
and paddle away
from the submarine.
592
00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:21,320
So we were quite close
when it exploded.
593
00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:26,760
There was a huge explosion
at the stern of the boat.
594
00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:30,960
NARRATOR: Despite
setting three charges
595
00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:34,320
Rudolph only recalls
seeing one explosion.
596
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:48,680
RUDOLPH: It would make me
happy if I could get some
pictures of the boat.
597
00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:50,960
SELCUK: I will
certainly do that.
598
00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:54,960
RUDOLPH: Lovely, Mr. Kolay,
all the best,
599
00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:57,320
I wish you success
on the dive.
600
00:41:57,400 --> 00:41:58,480
SELCUK: Thank you very much.
601
00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:11,280
NARRATOR: Selcuk plans to
dive the length of the wreck,
602
00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:15,040
looking for clues to confirm
which of the three explosive
603
00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:18,200
charges sank the submarine.
604
00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:31,440
SELCUK (off-screen): We
will swim all along the
submarine and then I would
605
00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:34,880
like to find where
Rudolph Arendt told me he
606
00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:37,280
had put the explosives.
607
00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:48,240
NARRATOR: There's no
outward sign of damage
on the front of the sub,
608
00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:51,520
or near the periscope.
609
00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:57,240
As Selcuk moves
toward the stern.
610
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:02,280
SELCUK (off-screen):
There's an opening of
about two feet by two feet
611
00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:05,560
with the skin
sheets bent out.
612
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:13,000
This confirms to me that this
is the only explosion out of
613
00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:17,280
the three that succeeded
in sinking the U-23.
614
00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:29,320
Having researched this ship
for more than 14 years
615
00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:34,040
it meant a lot to me
when I saw the wreck
616
00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:37,480
and that it was the U-23.
617
00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:40,760
It was an emotional
moment for me.
618
00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:46,480
Of course this all will mean
a lot more to Rudolph
619
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,720
than it means to all of us.
620
00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:56,960
NARRATOR: The Black Sea has
only just begun to give up
621
00:43:57,040 --> 00:43:59,080
its secrets.
622
00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:03,840
Many more lie hidden in
its inky waters waiting
623
00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:05,680
to be discovered.
624
00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:08,520
Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.