Ep 1. The Great Flood

In season 2 of Lost Cities with Albert Lin, the viewers are taken on a journey to explore some of the world's most intriguing lost cities and ancient civilizations. In the first episode of the season, titled "The Great Flood," the host Albert Lin sets out to explore the effects of one of the most catastrophic events in the history of human civilization - the Great Flood.

The episode starts with a brief overview of the Great Flood, a catastrophic event that was said to have occurred in different parts of the world. For instance, the flood was chronicled in the ancient Mesopotamian texts, where it is known as the flood myth of Gilgamesh. The story goes that the god Enlil unleashed a great flood to wipe out mankind because the humans were too noisy and disrupting the peace of the gods. However, one man, Utnapishtim, was warned by the god Ea and he built an ark to save himself and his family, along with the animals.

Lin sets out to explore what evidence, if any, exists for the Great Flood. He travels to various parts of the world to speak with experts and examine different sites that are thought to have been affected by the flood.

The first location that Lin visits is near the Black Sea, which is believed to have once been a freshwater lake. According to some theories, at some point in history, the Mediterranean Sea overflowed and flooded the Black Sea, which would have been catastrophic for the local communities. Lin meets with a scientist who is studying the remains of an ancient settlement that was submerged when the Black Sea flooded. The remains of ancient walls and foundations are still visible beneath the water, and Lin and the scientist discuss the possibility that this was once a thriving civilization that was wiped out by the flood.

Next, Lin travels to Turkey to visit a site that is believed to be the remains of the ancient city of Atlantis. This city was said to have been destroyed by the Great Flood, and its remains were thought to have been lost forever. However, recent discoveries suggest that the city may have been located near the Black Sea, and Lin meets with experts who are examining satellite images and underwater scans to determine if the city is still there.

Lin's journey then takes him to the deserts of Oman, where he examines an ancient irrigation system that was built using underground aqueducts. The system meets in a central point known as Falaj Daris, and archaeologists believe that this was once a thriving city that was destroyed by a catastrophic event. While Lin is exploring underground tunnels, he begins to wonder if this event could have been the Great Flood, and if the people who built the aqueducts were trying to find a way to protect themselves from it.

Finally, Lin returns to the Black Sea to examine a more recent event that caused catastrophic flooding in the region - the 1999 earthquake in Turkey. By examining the effects of this earthquake, Lin hopes to gain insight into what the landscape might have looked like after the Great Flood. He climbs a mountain to explore the new lake that was created by the earthquake, and speaks with locals to understand how the flood affected their lives.

Through these investigations, Lin tries to piece together what might have happened during the Great Flood, and if it was a real event that affected the world's ancient civilizations. He shows how scientists and archaeologists are using new technologies, such as satellite imaging and underwater scans, to uncover evidence of lost cities and civilizations that were destroyed by massive natural disasters. Ultimately, the episode highlights the power and devastation of natural disasters and how they shape the course of human history.