WEBVTT 00:01.366 --> 00:02.600 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% - Hey, I'm Rick Steves, 00:02.600 --> 00:04.433 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% back with more of the best of Europe. 00:04.433 --> 00:07.233 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% In this episode, rather than a particular place, 00:07.233 --> 00:08.666 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% we're going thematic 00:08.666 --> 00:11.266 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% and traveling wherever that theme takes us. 00:11.266 --> 00:14.700 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% And this time, it's the art of Prehistoric Europe. 00:14.700 --> 00:15.533 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5% The age? 00:15.533 --> 00:16.466 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5% Stone Age. 00:16.466 --> 00:17.833 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% They were prehistoric 00:17.833 --> 00:19.733 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% because nobody could write about it back then, 00:19.733 --> 00:23.033 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% but they were dang good with massive stone calendars. 00:23.033 --> 00:25.033 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% Thanks for joining us. 00:25.033 --> 00:27.866 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% (stirring music) 00:57.166 --> 01:00.166 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% A lot was going on in Europe in prehistoric times, 01:00.166 --> 01:01.700 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% from painted caves in France 01:01.700 --> 01:03.766 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% five times as old as the pyramids, 01:03.766 --> 01:05.133 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% to stone circles in England 01:05.133 --> 01:08.300 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% that still line up with the sun on special days. 01:08.300 --> 01:10.133 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% And plenty survives. 01:11.233 --> 01:13.433 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% We'll start as if going to an art gallery 01:13.433 --> 01:16.666 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% in the caves of those earliest Europeans. 01:16.666 --> 01:19.566 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% After finding meaning in mysterious stone circles, 01:19.566 --> 01:22.733 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% we'll explore massive burial mounds in Ireland 01:22.733 --> 01:26.566 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% and venture north to stony underground villages in Orkney. 01:27.366 --> 01:28.800 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% A visit to a site that shows 01:28.800 --> 01:30.600 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% how prehistoric people may have lived 01:30.600 --> 01:32.933 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% humanizes those distant relatives. 01:32.933 --> 01:34.400 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - That's how you get your fire. 01:34.400 --> 01:36.566 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% - We'll look into the long-gone eyes 01:36.566 --> 01:38.933 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% of remarkably preserved bog people 01:38.933 --> 01:41.166 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% and ponder how Prehistoric Europeans 01:41.166 --> 01:43.400 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% were fascinated with fertility, 01:43.400 --> 01:45.866 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% determined to pack smart for the afterlife, 01:45.866 --> 01:48.700 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and made finely-crafted ornamented horns 01:48.700 --> 01:50.766 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% that still play to this day. 01:52.133 --> 01:53.933 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% While venturing all over Europe, 01:53.933 --> 01:57.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% we'll see Stone Age cave paintings in France, 01:57.200 --> 02:00.233 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% megalithic wonders in England, Ireland, 02:00.233 --> 02:01.966 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% and distant Orkney, 02:01.966 --> 02:04.533 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% prehistoric artifacts in Denmark, 02:04.533 --> 02:07.766 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and fertility figurines in the Greek Isles. 02:10.333 --> 02:13.266 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% Once upon a time some 30,000 years ago, 02:13.266 --> 02:15.266 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% when the Ice Age glaciers melted, 02:15.266 --> 02:18.233 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% people had time to do more than just survive. 02:18.233 --> 02:22.133 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% Stone Age people assembled rocks like these with a purpose. 02:22.133 --> 02:25.066 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Eventually, civilization in Europe was born, 02:25.066 --> 02:27.166 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% and with that, so was art. 02:28.133 --> 02:29.633 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% Prehistoric Europeans, 02:29.633 --> 02:31.166 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% because they were human, 02:31.166 --> 02:33.300 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% were driven to create. 02:33.300 --> 02:35.400 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% Even before there was architecture, 02:35.400 --> 02:36.766 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% there were caves. 02:38.000 --> 02:39.233 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% In the south of France, 02:39.233 --> 02:42.000 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% with its honeycombed limestone cliffs, 02:42.000 --> 02:45.566 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% early humans painted surprisingly realistic scenes 02:45.566 --> 02:47.433 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% on the walls of caves. 02:47.433 --> 02:50.233 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% (plaintive music) 02:52.466 --> 02:55.400 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% From about 18,000 until 10,000 BC, 02:55.400 --> 02:57.666 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% long before Stonehenge and the pyramids, 02:57.666 --> 02:59.566 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% back when mammoths and saber-toothed cats 02:59.566 --> 03:00.833 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% still roamed the earth, 03:00.833 --> 03:03.133 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% prehistoric people painted deep inside caves 03:03.133 --> 03:04.666 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% in this part of Europe. 03:04.666 --> 03:06.500 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% These weren't just crude doodles, 03:06.500 --> 03:10.200 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% but huge and sophisticated projects executed by artists 03:10.200 --> 03:13.400 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% and supported by an impressive culture. 03:13.400 --> 03:15.533 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% The most famous cave, Lascaux, 03:15.533 --> 03:18.800 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% now has a precisely-copied replica next door 03:18.800 --> 03:21.833 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% built to help conserve the original. 03:21.833 --> 03:24.833 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% It's easy to underestimate the sophistication 03:24.833 --> 03:27.700 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% of people 10,000 or 20,000 years ago. 03:27.700 --> 03:31.033 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% These long-ago societies captured the world they knew 03:31.033 --> 03:33.266 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% with extraordinary skills. 03:33.266 --> 03:36.033 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% Wild animals are impressively realistic, 03:36.033 --> 03:38.100 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% caught in full motion, 03:38.100 --> 03:39.333 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5% running, 03:39.333 --> 03:40.733 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5% jumping, 03:40.733 --> 03:41.966 align:left position:35% line:89% size:55% facing off. 03:41.966 --> 03:44.966 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% (plaintive music) 03:44.966 --> 03:48.900 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% The canvas for these early artists was enormous. 03:48.900 --> 03:52.066 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% This cavern alone is a football field long 03:52.066 --> 03:56.100 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% with over 600 animals, life size or larger. 03:56.100 --> 03:59.266 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% By torch light, they'd flicker to life. 03:59.266 --> 04:01.900 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% - We are in the oxen room, 04:01.900 --> 04:05.166 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% the most spectacular room of Lascaux. 04:05.166 --> 04:08.300 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% It's a sacred place. 04:08.300 --> 04:09.833 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% We don't live in a church. 04:09.833 --> 04:11.966 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% They never lived in the caves. 04:11.966 --> 04:13.666 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% And it's a huge composition. 04:13.666 --> 04:15.733 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% It's a calculated composition 04:15.733 --> 04:20.600 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% because they have taken advantage of the strip of rock 04:20.600 --> 04:25.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% to relate in a circle to groups of bulls facing each other. 04:26.766 --> 04:28.966 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% And in the center of this composition, 04:28.966 --> 04:32.466 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% they have united the three principal animals of Lascaux, 04:32.466 --> 04:35.266 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% horse, ox, and deer. 04:35.266 --> 04:37.666 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% - [Rick] Is this a hunting scene? 04:37.666 --> 04:39.700 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - No, it's not a hunting scene, 04:39.700 --> 04:43.633 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% because on the walls the hunter doesn't exist. 04:43.633 --> 04:46.233 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% They never tell the everyday life. 04:46.233 --> 04:48.533 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% The meaning is more complex. 04:48.533 --> 04:50.233 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% - What is the biggest animal? 04:50.233 --> 04:52.166 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% - It's this bull. 04:52.166 --> 04:54.966 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% He's the largest painting in the cave, 04:54.966 --> 04:58.166 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% 16 feet from the top of the horn 04:58.166 --> 05:00.300 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% to the tip of the tail. 05:00.300 --> 05:02.700 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% - While over 15,000 years old, 05:02.700 --> 05:05.633 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% this was not the work of crude cavemen, 05:05.633 --> 05:10.100 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% but of a complex society that produced skilled artists. 05:10.100 --> 05:12.266 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% Flames from these oil lamps flickered 05:12.266 --> 05:15.200 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% in those art-covered caverns. 05:15.200 --> 05:18.533 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% Think of how impressive the challenges must have been. 05:18.533 --> 05:20.233 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% Hauling in materials, 05:20.233 --> 05:21.566 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% grinding paints, 05:21.566 --> 05:23.600 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% erecting scaffolding, 05:23.600 --> 05:26.466 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% all before that first prehistoric Michelangelo 05:26.466 --> 05:29.233 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% could reach up and paint the first stroke. 05:31.166 --> 05:34.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Surviving artifacts give insight into these people. 05:34.900 --> 05:37.200 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Mourners draped delicate jewelry 05:37.200 --> 05:39.633 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% on the corpses of loved ones. 05:39.633 --> 05:41.633 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Necklaces of stag teeth 05:41.633 --> 05:44.100 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and tiny shells strung together. 05:45.833 --> 05:48.466 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% These barbed spearheads and fish hooks 05:48.466 --> 05:49.966 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% would work well today. 05:49.966 --> 05:53.700 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% Finely-carved spear throwers show impressive naturalism 05:53.700 --> 05:58.166 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% for something three times as old as the oldest pyramids. 05:59.033 --> 06:01.333 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% Art is part of being human. 06:01.333 --> 06:04.133 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% We communicate and tackle problems. 06:04.133 --> 06:06.833 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% We imagine and evolve. 06:06.833 --> 06:09.033 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% What did the paintings mean? 06:09.033 --> 06:11.166 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% What emotions did they trigger? 06:11.166 --> 06:13.100 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Did they worship these animals, 06:13.100 --> 06:14.500 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% or capture them in paint 06:14.500 --> 06:16.933 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% to magically capture them in the hunt? 06:16.933 --> 06:19.366 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% We just don't know. 06:19.366 --> 06:22.166 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% But we do know that the people who painted these 06:22.166 --> 06:24.200 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% are like our close cousins. 06:24.200 --> 06:26.400 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% Compared to the beginning of humanity 06:26.400 --> 06:29.200 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% born in Africa 3 million years ago, 06:29.200 --> 06:32.100 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% Lascaux was like yesterday. 06:33.466 --> 06:36.366 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% (plaintive music) 06:48.400 --> 06:51.766 align:left position:27.5% line:77% size:62.5% Since early nomadic hunter-gatherers were prehistoric, 06:51.766 --> 06:53.400 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% with no written histories, 06:53.400 --> 06:57.200 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% we only know them from the mysterious clues they left us. 06:58.300 --> 07:00.400 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% And none are more mysterious 07:00.400 --> 07:04.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% than their huge stone monuments found all over Europe. 07:05.333 --> 07:08.066 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% This is from the Megalithic Age, 07:08.066 --> 07:12.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% characterized literally by big stones. 07:12.566 --> 07:14.900 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% At Stonehenge in England, 07:14.900 --> 07:16.700 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% huge carved stones, 07:16.700 --> 07:20.333 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% some over 20 feet tall and weighing 25 tons, 07:20.333 --> 07:22.033 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% stand in a circle. 07:22.033 --> 07:25.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% The stones were erected with Stone Age technology 07:25.000 --> 07:28.100 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% before the advent of metal tools. 07:28.100 --> 07:31.000 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% As we look at the museum's simple artifacts 07:31.000 --> 07:33.200 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and replica thatched hut hamlet, 07:33.200 --> 07:34.500 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% it's hard to imagine 07:34.500 --> 07:37.066 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% how these humble early people managed it. 07:38.533 --> 07:40.266 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% Huge stones like this replica 07:40.266 --> 07:43.433 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% were quarried, carved, and then moved for many miles, 07:43.433 --> 07:45.433 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% some of them from as far away as Wales, 07:45.433 --> 07:47.033 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% 200 miles to the west. 07:47.033 --> 07:48.600 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% They barged them down rivers. 07:48.600 --> 07:50.600 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% They may have rolled them on logs like this. 07:50.600 --> 07:51.766 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% Nobody knows for sure. 07:52.733 --> 07:54.433 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% Marveling at these stones, 07:54.433 --> 07:57.666 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% we ponder the purpose of these stone circles, 07:57.666 --> 08:01.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% perhaps sacred centers of ritual and worship. 08:01.533 --> 08:04.500 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We know they functioned as celestial calendars. 08:06.200 --> 08:09.700 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% As this 360-degree theater demonstrates, 08:09.700 --> 08:11.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the structure is aligned with the heavens, 08:13.333 --> 08:17.333 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% marking both the longest and the shortest days of the year. 08:17.333 --> 08:19.033 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% 4,000 years ago, 08:19.033 --> 08:22.700 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% locals could tell when to plant and when to party 08:22.700 --> 08:27.266 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% according to where the sun rose and where the sun set. 08:27.266 --> 08:28.933 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% And even today, 08:28.933 --> 08:31.733 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% as the sun rises on the longest day of the year, 08:31.733 --> 08:33.733 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% in just the right spot, 08:33.733 --> 08:37.066 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% it casts a powerful spell of wonder. 08:38.300 --> 08:41.133 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% (ethereal music) 08:42.166 --> 08:43.633 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% Nearby at Avebury, 08:43.633 --> 08:46.233 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% visitors wander through a cohesive ensemble 08:46.233 --> 08:49.433 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% of ditches, mounds, and megaliths, 08:49.433 --> 08:52.366 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% the work of people clearly on a mission. 08:54.100 --> 08:55.233 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% The huge circle, 08:55.233 --> 08:57.400 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% while now cut in two by a busy road 08:57.400 --> 08:59.466 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% and so big it contains a village, 08:59.466 --> 09:01.266 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% retains its allure. 09:02.866 --> 09:04.700 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% Of the hundreds of neolithic ruins 09:04.700 --> 09:06.566 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% that dot the English landscape, 09:06.566 --> 09:09.100 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% the Scorhill Stone Circle in Dartmoor 09:09.100 --> 09:11.133 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% is a favorite of mine. 09:11.133 --> 09:13.066 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% Tranquil and nearly forgotten, 09:13.066 --> 09:15.266 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% erected some 4,000 years ago 09:15.266 --> 09:18.233 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% by mysterious people for mysterious reasons, 09:18.233 --> 09:20.033 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% it's yours alone, 09:20.033 --> 09:22.200 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% the way a stone circle should be. 09:22.200 --> 09:24.833 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% It's just you and your imagination. 09:24.833 --> 09:27.166 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Enjoy the quiet. 09:27.166 --> 09:29.400 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% Ponder the 40 centuries of people 09:29.400 --> 09:32.433 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% who've made this enchanting landscape their home 09:32.433 --> 09:35.466 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% and the wisdom of today's English to protect it 09:35.466 --> 09:36.900 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% and keep it pristine. 09:38.633 --> 09:40.800 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% Hundreds of these Stone Age calendars 09:40.800 --> 09:43.000 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% are scattered over the Isle of Britain, 09:43.000 --> 09:45.666 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% each built by people working together, 09:45.666 --> 09:48.800 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% people doing more than merely surviving. 09:48.800 --> 09:51.566 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% My favorites are the ones that are tranquil, 09:51.566 --> 09:53.666 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% all alone in a field 09:53.666 --> 09:55.933 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% where you can reflect on the mysteries 09:55.933 --> 09:58.466 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% of who built them, and why. 09:59.766 --> 10:02.900 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% These earliest manmade stone structures 10:02.900 --> 10:05.366 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% were for the living and for the dead. 10:05.366 --> 10:07.533 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Most of what survives were tombs 10:07.533 --> 10:09.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% designed in a way that lined up with the heavens 10:09.966 --> 10:12.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that seemed to indicate a kind of religion 10:12.533 --> 10:15.533 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and a concern for the afterlife. 10:15.533 --> 10:17.633 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% Long before the pyramids of Egypt, 10:17.633 --> 10:21.766 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% the powerful had stone tombs built to protect their bodies. 10:21.766 --> 10:23.600 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% The soil that buried this structure 10:23.600 --> 10:25.833 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% has long since eroded away. 10:27.233 --> 10:30.933 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% These ancient people's lives were dictated by the seasons 10:30.933 --> 10:33.200 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% and the natural world around them. 10:33.200 --> 10:37.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Again, the greatest tombs aligned with the rising sun. 10:38.466 --> 10:41.333 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% This is a necropolis, a city of the dead, 10:41.333 --> 10:42.766 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% built in Ireland 10:42.766 --> 10:45.800 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% with several grassy mounds around one grand tomb. 10:47.066 --> 10:49.733 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% Being a passage tomb, it tracked the sun, 10:49.733 --> 10:53.366 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% with one tunnel facing east and one facing west 10:54.833 --> 10:58.766 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% aligned so that on both the spring and fall equinoxes, 10:58.766 --> 11:01.133 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% rays from the rising and setting sun 11:01.133 --> 11:03.300 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% shine down the passageways, 11:03.300 --> 11:05.700 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% illuminating its central chamber. 11:09.000 --> 11:11.966 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% - To give you an idea of the sweep of the history here, 11:11.966 --> 11:15.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% these sites were built approximately 5,300 years ago, 11:15.533 --> 11:19.366 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% approximately 3,300 BC, 11:19.366 --> 11:22.200 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% which puts them 500 years older 11:22.200 --> 11:24.300 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% than the oldest pyramids in Egypt, 11:24.300 --> 11:27.300 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% 1,000 years older than Stonehenge 11:27.300 --> 11:29.200 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% in Wiltshire in England. 11:29.200 --> 11:33.833 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% So, these people put a huge amount of energy and resources 11:33.833 --> 11:37.100 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% and basically, a huge amount of their wealth, 11:37.100 --> 11:39.900 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% into constructing these monuments. 11:39.900 --> 11:43.966 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% They were probably thinking not just about survival, 11:43.966 --> 11:46.800 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% but issues around life, death, 11:46.800 --> 11:50.000 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% the story of their tribe, their ancestors, 11:50.000 --> 11:51.633 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% issues like rebirth. 11:51.633 --> 11:52.600 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% Where did they come from? 11:52.600 --> 11:53.833 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% Where were they going to? 11:55.200 --> 11:58.233 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% - Nearby is an even older sacred mound, 11:58.233 --> 12:01.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% also built for some kind of ritual of the sun, 12:01.366 --> 12:04.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% an impressively large structure faced with white quartz 12:04.533 --> 12:07.233 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% and decorated with abstract engravings. 12:07.233 --> 12:10.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% It's a testament to the engineering abilities 12:10.000 --> 12:11.900 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% and desire to ornament 12:11.900 --> 12:15.033 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% of people from over 5,000 years ago. 12:16.366 --> 12:19.600 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% A narrow passageway leads to the central chamber 12:19.600 --> 12:22.366 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% under a 20-foot-high stone dome. 12:23.300 --> 12:25.533 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Bones and ashes were placed here 12:25.533 --> 12:28.066 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% under a massive mound of stone and dirt 12:28.066 --> 12:30.300 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% to wait for that special moment when, 12:30.300 --> 12:33.666 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% as the sun rises on the shortest day of the year, 12:33.666 --> 12:36.800 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% a ray of light shines into the passageway. 12:36.800 --> 12:38.733 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% And for 17 minutes, 12:38.733 --> 12:41.800 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% it lights the center of the sacred chamber. 12:44.600 --> 12:47.100 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% Perhaps this was the moment when the souls of the dead 12:47.100 --> 12:49.366 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% would be transported to the afterlife 12:49.366 --> 12:51.466 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% via that mysterious ray of life-giving 12:51.466 --> 12:53.200 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% and life-taking sunlight. 12:54.400 --> 12:56.600 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Long before the earliest pyramids of Egypt, 12:56.600 --> 12:59.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% across Europe, the last part of the Stone Age 12:59.000 --> 13:01.966 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% was marked by tribes settling down, 13:01.966 --> 13:05.500 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% shifting from hunter-gatherers to farmers. 13:05.500 --> 13:07.733 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% This was called the Late Stone Age, 13:07.733 --> 13:09.733 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% also called the Neolithic Age, 13:09.733 --> 13:12.066 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% still before the advent of metalworking. 13:14.200 --> 13:16.766 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% You'll find wonders from our distant past, 13:16.766 --> 13:20.600 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% both Stone and the later Metal Ages, far and wide. 13:20.600 --> 13:22.833 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% About as far south as you can go in Europe 13:22.833 --> 13:24.833 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% on the Mediterranean island of Malta, 13:24.833 --> 13:26.933 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% the landscape seems timeless 13:26.933 --> 13:29.100 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% and is dotted with prehistoric ruins 13:29.100 --> 13:32.900 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% dating back an astounding 5,000 years. 13:32.900 --> 13:35.800 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% Megalithic sites like Hagar Qim are evidence 13:35.800 --> 13:38.400 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% that in roughly 3000 BC, 13:38.400 --> 13:42.500 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% settlers from Sicily arrived here in search of arable land. 13:42.500 --> 13:44.166 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% While the humble mud brick village 13:44.166 --> 13:46.733 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% that once surrounded this temple is long gone, 13:46.733 --> 13:49.466 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% stones from the temple still stand. 13:49.466 --> 13:51.966 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% Archeologists believe this was a temple 13:51.966 --> 13:53.933 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% to a fertility goddess 13:53.933 --> 13:57.200 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% and that it functioned as a celestial calendar. 13:57.200 --> 13:59.733 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5% (bright music) 14:00.866 --> 14:03.633 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% But it seems most of Europe's oldest wonders 14:03.633 --> 14:05.900 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% are in Britain and Ireland. 14:08.033 --> 14:12.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Scotland is littered with reminders of prehistoric people. 14:12.200 --> 14:15.700 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% At Clava Cairns, three Bronze Age burial chambers 14:15.700 --> 14:18.233 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% date from about 4,000 years ago. 14:19.533 --> 14:22.300 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% Each was once buried under turf-covered mounds 14:22.300 --> 14:24.433 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% and surrounded by a stone circle. 14:26.366 --> 14:30.833 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% The central ring cairn has an open space in its middle. 14:30.833 --> 14:34.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% The two passage cairns each have an entrance shaft 14:34.133 --> 14:38.233 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% that, on the winter solstice, lines up with the setting sun. 14:38.233 --> 14:41.066 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% (peaceful music) 14:42.933 --> 14:46.200 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% Visitors are caught up in the peaceful wonder 14:46.200 --> 14:49.366 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% of this ancient and sacred site. 14:51.766 --> 14:53.933 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Enjoy the mystery of this place. 14:53.933 --> 14:57.233 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% Were these stone circles part of a celestial calendar? 14:57.233 --> 15:00.700 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% Was the soul of the deceased transported into the next life 15:00.700 --> 15:02.800 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% when the sun was just right? 15:02.800 --> 15:04.333 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% Nobody really knows. 15:05.733 --> 15:08.900 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% On the remote Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, 15:08.900 --> 15:10.233 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% a main attraction 15:10.233 --> 15:14.366 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% is the 2,000-year-old fortress of Dun Aengus, 15:14.366 --> 15:17.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% which hangs precariously on the edge of a cliff 15:17.333 --> 15:19.766 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% 300 feet above the Atlantic. 15:19.766 --> 15:23.366 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% (suspenseful music) 15:23.366 --> 15:26.633 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% The concentric walls of this mysterious Celtic fort 15:26.633 --> 15:29.700 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% are 13 feet thick and 10 feet high. 15:30.866 --> 15:33.766 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% As an added defense effective even today, 15:33.766 --> 15:36.800 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% the fort is ringed with a commotion of spiky stones 15:36.800 --> 15:40.600 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% called Frisian soldiers sticking up like lances. 15:40.600 --> 15:42.500 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% They're named after the ancient soldiers 15:42.500 --> 15:46.900 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% who used a wall of spears to stop a charging cavalry. 15:46.900 --> 15:49.100 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% Little by little, as the cliff erodes, 15:49.100 --> 15:52.733 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% the walls of this circular fort fall into the sea below. 15:53.833 --> 15:56.666 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% Dun Aengus can be mobbed by day-trippers. 15:56.666 --> 15:59.633 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% I make a point to be all alone her, 15:59.633 --> 16:02.300 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% where the crashing waves below seem to say, 16:02.300 --> 16:05.666 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% "You've come to the very edge of Europe." 16:12.300 --> 16:14.800 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% And on Scotland's dramatic Isle of Skye, 16:14.800 --> 16:16.366 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% if you know where to look, 16:16.366 --> 16:20.166 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% you can also find the scant remains of past civilizations. 16:21.500 --> 16:23.666 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% Just a short hike from a handy parking lot 16:23.666 --> 16:26.633 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% is Skye's best preserved Iron Age Fort, 16:26.633 --> 16:27.633 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5% Dun Beag. 16:29.400 --> 16:31.533 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% Exploring this prehistoric stone tower 16:31.533 --> 16:34.666 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% connects us with Skye's distant past. 16:34.666 --> 16:36.133 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% Judging from these stones, 16:36.133 --> 16:39.033 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% the tower once stood much taller. 16:39.033 --> 16:41.800 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% I love scrambling through ruined castles, 16:41.800 --> 16:45.000 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% and this one is particularly evocative. 16:45.000 --> 16:46.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - Well, people have been living on the Isle of Skye 16:46.533 --> 16:48.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% for thousands of years. 16:48.000 --> 16:49.333 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% And this place, if you imagine, 16:49.333 --> 16:51.233 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% it probably had a timber frame inside 16:51.233 --> 16:52.566 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% three stories high. 16:52.566 --> 16:54.200 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% They would get in here under times of attack. 16:54.200 --> 16:55.333 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% They could gather in here, 16:55.333 --> 16:56.833 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% the community, men, women, children, 16:56.833 --> 16:58.400 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and their domesticated animals, 16:58.400 --> 17:02.033 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% and we think this was built around about 2,000 years ago. 17:02.033 --> 17:04.866 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% (peaceful music) 17:07.966 --> 17:11.033 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% - On the Isle of Orkney at the far north of Scotland 17:11.033 --> 17:13.366 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% in what seems like just another field 17:13.366 --> 17:16.733 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% is a remarkable burial mound or chambered tomb. 17:17.700 --> 17:19.266 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% For 5,000 years, 17:19.266 --> 17:23.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% people have lowered their heads to enter this sacred space. 17:23.400 --> 17:26.300 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% (plaintive music) 17:30.266 --> 17:32.333 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% Wow, this is great! 17:32.333 --> 17:33.333 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% Tell me about this place. 17:33.333 --> 17:35.433 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% - This is a burial chamber, 17:35.433 --> 17:38.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% and to our right and our left and behind you 17:38.533 --> 17:40.200 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% are three tombs. 17:41.033 --> 17:43.400 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% On winter solstice, at sunset, 17:43.400 --> 17:46.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the sun streams through this position here 17:46.200 --> 17:48.466 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% and illuminates the back chamber. 17:48.466 --> 17:49.300 align:left position:42.5% line:89% size:47.5% - Wow! 17:49.300 --> 17:51.700 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% - The stone is sandstone 17:51.700 --> 17:54.400 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% and it's been hand-carved and corbeled, 17:54.400 --> 17:58.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% vaulted into position to make this beautiful chamber. 17:58.133 --> 18:02.166 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% And how Neolithic man managed to build this structure, 18:02.166 --> 18:03.300 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% no one really knows. 18:06.966 --> 18:08.733 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% - [Rick] Orkney is dotted with monuments 18:08.733 --> 18:11.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% recalling when it was a center of civilization 18:11.966 --> 18:13.500 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% back in the Stone Age, 18:13.500 --> 18:17.100 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% with more people then than there are on the island today. 18:18.233 --> 18:20.066 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% Imagine a community here, 18:20.066 --> 18:24.833 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% hunkered down in subterranean homes connected by tunnels. 18:24.833 --> 18:26.033 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% - There was a big community, 18:26.033 --> 18:28.433 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% 150 people living here at one stage. 18:28.433 --> 18:30.200 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% A third of the village remains. 18:30.200 --> 18:33.666 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% Two-thirds were taken away by the North Atlantic. 18:33.666 --> 18:35.133 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% People lived under the ground 18:35.133 --> 18:39.100 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% in stone-type igloo buildings with turf roofs, 18:39.100 --> 18:40.366 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and they lived under the ground 18:40.366 --> 18:42.533 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% to keep the weather out, to keep them warm. 18:42.533 --> 18:44.700 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% They were powered by oil lamps 18:44.700 --> 18:48.233 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% with whale oil and whalebone bases, 18:48.233 --> 18:50.333 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% and a very nice-looking community. 18:50.333 --> 18:53.133 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% (peaceful music) 18:57.633 --> 19:00.500 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% - While little remains from these prehistoric people, 19:00.500 --> 19:03.200 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% it seems clear the timeless mysteries 19:03.200 --> 19:06.466 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% of life, birth, death, and what lies beyond 19:06.466 --> 19:07.966 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% were on their minds. 19:08.933 --> 19:11.033 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% From the very earliest times, 19:11.033 --> 19:14.733 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% the most common art created was small statues of women. 19:16.333 --> 19:19.433 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% They have long been called Venus figurines. 19:19.433 --> 19:20.900 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% Across many ages, 19:20.900 --> 19:23.033 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% whether lean or bountiful, 19:23.033 --> 19:25.000 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% these have similar features. 19:25.000 --> 19:27.766 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% Arms folded, generic faces, 19:27.766 --> 19:30.400 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% and stylized breasts and pubic area. 19:31.533 --> 19:34.433 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% By emphasizing a woman's life-giving traits, 19:34.433 --> 19:36.766 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% they were likely fertility symbols, 19:36.766 --> 19:40.166 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% perhaps worshiped as a way to gain mother nature's favor 19:40.166 --> 19:44.400 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% for having a child, a good harvest, or rebirth. 19:46.133 --> 19:48.533 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% Amazingly, early people created such art 19:48.533 --> 19:51.266 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% before writing and before metal tools. 19:51.266 --> 19:53.966 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% The prehistoric era is divided into ages 19:53.966 --> 19:57.166 align:left position:35% line:77% size:55% defined by ever-more-sophisticated technology, 19:57.166 --> 19:58.433 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% from the Stone Age, 19:58.433 --> 20:00.833 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% to early metalworking in the Bronze Age, 20:00.833 --> 20:03.433 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% to stronger objects of the Iron Age. 20:03.433 --> 20:05.133 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% It's by their tools and weapons 20:05.133 --> 20:07.766 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% that we know how advanced a society was. 20:07.766 --> 20:11.266 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% And as prehistory progressed from stone to metal, 20:11.266 --> 20:13.466 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% art also took a step forward. 20:14.233 --> 20:15.833 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% The so-called bog people, 20:15.833 --> 20:17.966 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% whose bodies, weapons, and treasures 20:17.966 --> 20:19.733 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% were preserved in peat bogs, 20:19.733 --> 20:23.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% give us an intimate peek at prehistoric lives. 20:24.433 --> 20:27.366 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% As early people believed the gods lived in the bogs, 20:27.366 --> 20:31.100 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that's where they tossed their sacrificial offerings. 20:31.100 --> 20:32.666 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% After defeating your enemy, 20:32.666 --> 20:34.866 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% logically, you'd sacrifice him 20:34.866 --> 20:37.866 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% and toss his weapons to the bog gods. 20:37.866 --> 20:40.333 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% Because of the oxygen-free environment, 20:40.333 --> 20:43.133 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% this 2,300-year-old bog man 20:43.133 --> 20:45.800 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% looks like a fellow half his age. 20:45.800 --> 20:48.200 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% Archeologists think he looked like this 20:48.200 --> 20:50.633 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% in happier times. 20:50.633 --> 20:53.033 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% He sprawls out in his glass tomb 20:53.033 --> 20:55.266 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% as if to welcome visitors young and old 20:55.266 --> 20:57.933 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% to marvel at his skin, 20:57.933 --> 20:59.566 align:left position:42.5% line:89% size:47.5% nails, 20:59.566 --> 21:02.300 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% and even the slit throat he was given 21:02.300 --> 21:04.666 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% back at his sacrificial banquet. 21:06.133 --> 21:08.566 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% This elderly woman from Denmark 21:08.566 --> 21:10.833 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% whose coffin, carved out of an oak tree, 21:10.833 --> 21:13.133 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% was preserved in a peaty bog, 21:13.133 --> 21:15.800 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% must have believed in an afterlife. 21:15.800 --> 21:17.266 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% Imagine her loved ones 21:17.266 --> 21:20.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% tenderly placing these precious possessions with her. 21:20.533 --> 21:23.066 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% Still wearing her original wool blouse, 21:23.066 --> 21:25.733 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55% she packed a finely-carved horn comb, 21:25.733 --> 21:28.500 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% bronze jewelry, and a dagger. 21:28.500 --> 21:30.766 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5% (gentle music) 21:30.766 --> 21:31.800 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Back in Britain, 21:31.800 --> 21:33.633 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% we're driving deep into Scotland 21:33.633 --> 21:36.833 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% to learn how some of the original highlanders lived. 21:36.833 --> 21:37.966 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Across Scotland, 21:37.966 --> 21:39.866 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% little round islands on lakes 21:39.866 --> 21:43.066 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% are the remains of prehistoric fortified homes. 21:43.066 --> 21:45.000 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% These are called crannogs 21:45.000 --> 21:47.600 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and date back centuries before Christ. 21:48.833 --> 21:50.833 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% Here at the Crannog Centre on Loch Tay, 21:50.833 --> 21:54.100 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% one's been rebuilt using mostly traditional methods, 21:54.100 --> 21:56.766 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% and now welcomes visitors. 21:56.766 --> 21:58.733 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - This is the Scottish Crannog Center. 21:58.733 --> 22:01.166 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% It's a reproduction of a 2,500-year-old crannog 22:01.166 --> 22:03.466 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% that the archeologists are excavating 22:03.466 --> 22:05.966 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5% as we speak in Loch Tay right now. 22:05.966 --> 22:08.666 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% It was built out in the loch itself 22:08.666 --> 22:10.200 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% for defensive purposes. 22:10.200 --> 22:12.233 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% In Scotland, then, you had bears, you had wolves, 22:12.233 --> 22:15.066 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% you had big cats called lynx, 22:15.066 --> 22:16.700 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% other people roaming the countryside. 22:16.700 --> 22:18.100 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% And if you're out here in the water, 22:18.100 --> 22:19.933 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% there's only one way in and out, 22:19.933 --> 22:20.866 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% and that's the walkway. 22:20.866 --> 22:22.566 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% So, if you can keep that secure, 22:22.566 --> 22:25.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% you yourself in here are going to feel a lot safer. 22:25.566 --> 22:29.033 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% - [Rick] Guides demonstrate Iron Age technology. 22:29.033 --> 22:30.300 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Turning a lathe. 22:30.300 --> 22:33.533 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% (lathe scratching) 22:33.533 --> 22:34.900 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Grinding flour. 22:34.900 --> 22:36.800 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% - [Guide] These two stones against each other 22:36.800 --> 22:38.133 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% with the grain. 22:38.133 --> 22:39.866 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% - [Rick] And even starting a fire 22:39.866 --> 22:42.566 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% the really old-fashioned way. 22:42.566 --> 22:43.766 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% - [Guide] Watch that. 22:43.766 --> 22:46.400 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5% (bright music) 22:51.566 --> 22:52.533 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% - Cool! 22:52.533 --> 22:54.266 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - That's how you get your fire. 22:54.266 --> 22:56.600 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% - You can give the tools a try yourself 22:56.600 --> 22:59.233 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% and discover how easy the guides make it look. 23:00.900 --> 23:02.833 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Despite their simple technology, 23:02.833 --> 23:06.700 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% early people created some richly-decorated objects. 23:06.700 --> 23:08.133 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% All of these artifacts 23:08.133 --> 23:11.900 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% are unnecessarily beautiful and ornate. 23:11.900 --> 23:15.033 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% The creative spirit of humankind becomes evident 23:15.033 --> 23:16.366 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5% very early on. 23:18.166 --> 23:21.900 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% These were ritual objects made by sun worshipers. 23:21.900 --> 23:24.366 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% This chariot of the sun from Denmark 23:24.366 --> 23:27.133 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% illustrates how the sun was dragged across the sky 23:27.133 --> 23:29.300 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% by a divine horse. 23:29.300 --> 23:30.833 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% These horned helmets 23:30.833 --> 23:33.466 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% were worn by the ancestors of the Vikings 23:33.466 --> 23:36.500 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% as pagan priests sounded these horns, 23:36.500 --> 23:40.700 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% adding atmosphere to this now eerie ritual. 23:40.700 --> 23:44.800 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% Well 3,000 years old, they still play. 23:44.800 --> 23:47.433 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% The ornamental disc is a sun symbol, 23:47.433 --> 23:49.133 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% perhaps as if these horns played 23:49.133 --> 23:51.566 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% the magical music of the sun. 23:51.566 --> 23:54.300 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% (horns blaring) 23:55.833 --> 23:57.566 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% From Ireland to Greece, 23:57.566 --> 24:01.133 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% these early societies invested in art. 24:01.133 --> 24:02.766 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% These precious artifacts, 24:02.766 --> 24:04.133 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% from golden jewelry 24:04.133 --> 24:07.100 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% to finely decorated implements of daily life, 24:07.100 --> 24:10.066 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% are more reminders that those earliest Europeans 24:10.066 --> 24:13.633 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% had an eye for beauty and a passion for art. 24:17.233 --> 24:20.033 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Europe offers a lifetime of artistic treasures, 24:20.033 --> 24:21.700 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% and the more you understand its art, 24:21.700 --> 24:25.000 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% the more you'll appreciate the people who created it. 24:25.000 --> 24:26.433 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% I hope you've enjoyed our sweep 24:26.433 --> 24:28.966 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% through the highlights of Prehistoric Europe, 24:28.966 --> 24:31.133 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% and Prehistoric Europe is just the beginning 24:31.133 --> 24:33.100 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% of a fascinating story. 24:33.100 --> 24:34.233 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% I'm Rick Steves. 24:34.233 --> 24:36.766 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% Until next time, keep on traveling. 24:40.200 --> 24:41.333 align:left position:22.5% line:5% size:67.5% Hey, I'm Rick Steves, 24:41.333 --> 24:43.266 align:left position:12.5% line:5% size:77.5% host of "Rick Steves' Europe". 24:43.266 --> 24:44.733 align:left position:15% line:5% size:75% As you ponder whether or not 24:44.733 --> 24:47.600 align:left position:20% line:5% size:70% to become a supporting member of this great station, 24:47.600 --> 24:49.300 align:left position:22.5% line:5% size:67.5% I'd like to challenge 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