WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.080 Welcome in. It's really great to have you with 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.099 us today for another deep dive. Yeah, thanks 00:00:05.099 --> 00:00:06.820 for joining us. We've got a really fun one today. 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:10.119 We absolutely do. So today we are heading to 00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:13.039 a very specific, historically dense slice of 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:14.779 the Austrian landscape. I'm talking about the 00:00:14.779 --> 00:00:17.480 Meming Plateau. Right. And it's this remarkable 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:21.079 location that serves as, you know, a physical 00:00:21.079 --> 00:00:23.820 record of multiple entirely different eras. It 00:00:23.820 --> 00:00:27.199 really is. So today we are taking a, well, it's 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:30.480 a... concise but incredibly detail -packed wikipedia 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:32.780 entry and we're using it as our map a really 00:00:32.780 --> 00:00:35.520 fascinating map honestly exactly and our mission 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:37.799 today is to unpack how a single geographical 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:40.600 terrace can hold the fingerprints of ice ages 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.859 the footprints of ancient empires and even the 00:00:43.859 --> 00:00:46.140 bright lights of modern pop culture that's a 00:00:46.140 --> 00:00:48.840 lot for one piece of land it is so okay let's 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:50.539 unpack this because this isn't just a topography 00:00:50.539 --> 00:00:52.799 lesson you know it's a look at how the literal 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:55.420 physical shape of the earth dictates the entire 00:00:55.420 --> 00:00:58.219 flow of human history i love that And to truly 00:00:58.219 --> 00:01:01.000 understand a region like Tyrol, which is where 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:03.520 this plateau is located, you really have to start 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:06.219 with the literal ground beneath your feet. Right. 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:09.260 Because the geography isn't just a passive backdrop 00:01:09.260 --> 00:01:12.760 here. It is the primary actor. It sets the stage 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:15.280 for everything. Everything. Everything that happens 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.439 subsequently, the trade routes, the agriculture, 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:20.519 the modern tourism, it's all a direct reaction 00:01:20.519 --> 00:01:24.560 to a highly unusual geological foundation. So 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:26.769 let's... let's paint a picture of that foundation 00:01:26.769 --> 00:01:29.409 for you we are looking at an elevation suspended 00:01:29.409 --> 00:01:32.730 between 850 and a thousand meters high which 00:01:32.730 --> 00:01:35.530 is high up very high it's this massive mountain 00:01:35.530 --> 00:01:38.049 terrace sitting quietly at the southern foot 00:01:38.049 --> 00:01:40.329 of the maiming chain offering right above the 00:01:40.329 --> 00:01:42.329 upper end valley hovering is the perfect word 00:01:42.329 --> 00:01:44.750 for it it's a massive platform we're talking 00:01:44.750 --> 00:01:47.510 a stretch of land roughly 14 kilometers long 00:01:47.510 --> 00:01:49.909 and up to four kilometers ride in some places 00:01:49.909 --> 00:01:53.349 right 14 kilometers of elevated relatively flat 00:01:53.349 --> 00:01:56.959 terrain right in the middle of a jagged alpine 00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:59.079 environment. That is a significant geographical 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:02.000 anomaly. It's a huge footprint for a mountain 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.579 terrace. And what makes it structurally fascinating 00:02:04.579 --> 00:02:08.139 is its perimeter. The edges. Exactly. This isn't 00:02:08.139 --> 00:02:10.479 a plateau that gently rolls down into the surrounding 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:13.219 lowlands. No, not at all. Aside from the areas 00:02:13.219 --> 00:02:16.099 near the municipalities of Telfs and Marts, the 00:02:16.099 --> 00:02:19.080 southern edge features a sheer drop. A completely 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:22.159 vertical. Yeah, a 200 -meter steep drop straight 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:24.810 down to the inn valley. It's wild to think about. 00:02:24.870 --> 00:02:27.669 You have this massive flat plain that simply 00:02:27.669 --> 00:02:30.349 terminates in a cliff. It just ends. If you imagine 00:02:30.349 --> 00:02:32.909 standing on the edge of that 200 -meter plunge, 00:02:33.050 --> 00:02:35.770 it really puts the scale of the landscape into 00:02:35.770 --> 00:02:38.129 perspective for you. It does. And it immediately 00:02:38.129 --> 00:02:41.669 begs the question, how does an elevated 14 -kilometer 00:02:41.669 --> 00:02:45.030 -long flat surface with these insane steep drop 00:02:45.030 --> 00:02:47.189 -offs form in the middle of a mountain range? 00:02:47.370 --> 00:02:49.469 Right. How did it get there? And the answer takes 00:02:49.469 --> 00:02:52.370 us back to a massive terraforming event, the 00:02:52.370 --> 00:02:54.789 Worm Glaciation. What's fascinating here is the 00:02:54.789 --> 00:02:57.069 mechanics of that glacial era. Break that down 00:02:57.069 --> 00:02:59.849 for us. Sure. So this low mountain terrace isn't 00:02:59.849 --> 00:03:02.729 composed of, you know, a solid slab of bedrock 00:03:02.729 --> 00:03:05.229 that was just pushed upward by tectonic forces. 00:03:05.629 --> 00:03:09.169 Okay. It is composed of ground moraines and gravels. 00:03:09.210 --> 00:03:12.729 Leftover spaces. Exactly. During the Worm Glaciation. 00:03:13.669 --> 00:03:16.250 Colossal sheets of ice moved through this region. 00:03:16.370 --> 00:03:18.330 They acted like continental bulldozers. Just 00:03:18.330 --> 00:03:20.909 scraping everything in their path. Grinding down 00:03:20.909 --> 00:03:22.909 the rock, carrying immense amounts of debris. 00:03:23.150 --> 00:03:26.370 And eventually, as they receded, they deposited 00:03:26.370 --> 00:03:29.229 these ground moraines. Wow. So the plateau is 00:03:29.229 --> 00:03:32.669 essentially a 14 -kilometer -long deposit of 00:03:32.669 --> 00:03:35.169 glacial refuse. That is just incredible. You 00:03:35.169 --> 00:03:38.400 were standing on... millions of tons of gravel 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:41.379 and debris left behind by retreating ice. It 00:03:41.379 --> 00:03:43.300 completely reframes the space when you know that. 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:45.400 It really does. It's a landscape born out of 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:47.740 immense geological violence. But it isn't just 00:03:47.740 --> 00:03:50.159 a loose pile of gravel, right? It is highly structured. 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:51.580 Right, and that's where the southern boundary 00:03:51.580 --> 00:03:54.439 comes into play. Because to the south, separating 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:56.340 the terrace from the other side of the Inn Valley, 00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:59.319 sits the Ochberg Range. Or the Ochberg Zug, as 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:02.719 it's known. Ochberg Zug, thank you. And the composition 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:05.319 of that specific mountain chain is crucial here. 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:08.020 It's the key to the whole structure. The Ochberg 00:04:08.020 --> 00:04:10.419 Range is made of main dolomite. Which is a very 00:04:10.419 --> 00:04:13.840 specific type of rock. Right. Dolomite is a rigid, 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:16.680 coagulant rock. It doesn't weather into sauced, 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:20.120 sloping, gentle hills. It breaks off. It fractures. 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:23.339 It forms sheer, vertical, highly resilient walls. 00:04:23.579 --> 00:04:26.180 Like a fortress. Exactly like a fortress. This 00:04:26.180 --> 00:04:28.800 main dolomite acts as a massive retaining wall 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:31.350 on the southern edge of the plateau. So you have 00:04:31.350 --> 00:04:34.810 this 14 -kilometer bed of loose glacial gravel 00:04:34.810 --> 00:04:37.870 and ground moraines, essentially held in place 00:04:37.870 --> 00:04:41.329 or bordered by a solid fortress wall of main 00:04:41.329 --> 00:04:43.990 dolomite. Which then drops 200 meters into the 00:04:43.990 --> 00:04:46.550 valley below. It is a geographical trap. Or a 00:04:46.550 --> 00:04:49.389 funnel. A funnel, yeah. It is a highly defined... 00:04:49.579 --> 00:04:52.980 inescapable corridor and that incredibly specific 00:04:52.980 --> 00:04:55.899 physical structure dictates exactly where humans 00:04:55.899 --> 00:04:59.360 can and cannot travel geography really is the 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:01.740 ultimate funnel for human movement always if 00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:03.639 you are navigating a harsh alpine environment 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:07.040 a 14 kilometer stretch of relatively flat gravel 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:09.459 is a highway compared to the surrounding peaks 00:05:09.459 --> 00:05:11.360 it's the path of least resistance but because 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:13.240 of those 200 meter drop offs we just talked about 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:16.050 access to that highway is strictly limited You 00:05:16.050 --> 00:05:18.269 can't just climb up a 200 -meter cliff with a 00:05:18.269 --> 00:05:20.470 horse and cart. You certainly can't. You have 00:05:20.470 --> 00:05:23.290 to enter the plateau where the slopes actually 00:05:23.290 --> 00:05:26.610 allow it, which, according to our text, is specifically 00:05:26.610 --> 00:05:29.529 near those municipalities of Telfs and Mertz. 00:05:29.980 --> 00:05:33.139 So once you ascend at Telfs or Mutts, you are 00:05:33.139 --> 00:05:36.740 on the terrace. You traverse that 14 -kilometer 00:05:36.740 --> 00:05:40.120 expanse, and the geography naturally forces you 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:42.759 toward a specific exit point. Because you're 00:05:42.759 --> 00:05:44.980 walled in by the Dolomite. Right. So the plateau 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:47.660 ends in the west at the Holtzleiten Saddle. That's 00:05:47.660 --> 00:05:50.399 the natural exit. And from there, the road naturally 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:52.860 continues onward, funneling travelers into the 00:05:52.860 --> 00:05:54.860 Gergeltal and eventually toward the Fern Pass 00:05:54.860 --> 00:05:57.199 section. Which has been a crucial route for a 00:05:57.199 --> 00:05:59.339 very long time. Well, yeah. Here's where it gets... 00:05:59.339 --> 00:06:01.180 It's really interesting. Yeah. Because those 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:03.899 transit routes crossing this plateau from Telfsenmutz 00:06:03.899 --> 00:06:05.800 heading to the Fern Pass and on to Augsburg. 00:06:05.959 --> 00:06:08.180 They bring us directly into the era of the Roman 00:06:08.180 --> 00:06:10.699 Empire. Yes. We are talking specifically about 00:06:10.699 --> 00:06:13.379 the Via Claudia Augusta. Which is huge. It's 00:06:13.379 --> 00:06:16.600 massive. This wasn't just a local trail for shepherds. 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:21.220 This was a massive imperial artery used for military 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:24.939 logistics, for trade, for communication. The 00:06:24.939 --> 00:06:28.079 Via Claudia Augusta is an absolute master class. 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.920 in Roman engineering adapting to existing geography. 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:34.319 They were so good at that. They were the best 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:36.959 at it. They needed a reliable route to connect 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:39.980 the heart of the empire to Augsburg. And instead 00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:42.120 of fighting the mountains, they just utilized 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.779 the legacy of the Worm Glaciation. They let the 00:06:44.779 --> 00:06:46.939 Ice Age do the heavy lifting for them. Exactly. 00:06:47.160 --> 00:06:49.939 They marched their legions and drove their heavy 00:06:49.939 --> 00:06:52.319 supply carts right over those ancient ground 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:55.180 moraines. Utilizing the natural ramp at Tulfs 00:06:55.180 --> 00:06:57.000 and Metz. And exiting through the Holst Light 00:06:57.000 --> 00:06:59.449 and Saddle. like the geography demanded. It is 00:06:59.449 --> 00:07:01.889 the perfect marriage of glacial terraforming 00:07:01.889 --> 00:07:04.889 and Roman utility. It really is. But, you know, 00:07:04.930 --> 00:07:06.990 we don't just assume the Romans used this exact 00:07:06.990 --> 00:07:09.209 corridor because it looks convenient on a topographic 00:07:09.209 --> 00:07:12.069 map today. No, we have proof. There is tangible 00:07:12.069 --> 00:07:14.449 proof left behind on the plateau. Which is the 00:07:14.449 --> 00:07:17.089 best part. It is. Near the Holzleiten saddle, 00:07:17.329 --> 00:07:19.670 right where the geography funnels the route westward, 00:07:19.810 --> 00:07:22.970 an undated milestone was discovered. And that 00:07:22.970 --> 00:07:26.459 single artifact... anchors the historical reality 00:07:26.459 --> 00:07:28.980 of the space. Just a stone sitting by the road? 00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:32.060 But it means so much more. An undated milestone 00:07:32.060 --> 00:07:35.040 might seem like a minor archaeological find compared 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:38.620 to, say, a temple, but it represents continuous 00:07:38.620 --> 00:07:41.779 utilitarian transit. Everyday use? Right. It 00:07:41.779 --> 00:07:44.439 wasn't necessarily a grand monument to a specific 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:47.680 emperor's ego. It was a functional marker for 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:50.000 generations of travelers. Soldiers, merchants, 00:07:50.300 --> 00:07:53.129 messengers? All of them. forced onto this 14 00:07:53.129 --> 00:07:55.350 -kilometer terrace by the dolomite walls and 00:07:55.350 --> 00:07:57.410 the sheer drop -offs. If we connect this to the 00:07:57.410 --> 00:07:59.310 bigger picture, you really have to visualize 00:07:59.310 --> 00:08:01.750 the sheer scale of time intersecting in this 00:08:01.750 --> 00:08:04.490 one corridor. It's mind -boggling. It is. Picture 00:08:04.490 --> 00:08:06.250 this for a second. You have a Roman legionnaire 00:08:06.250 --> 00:08:09.129 tasked with expanding an empire, marching along 00:08:09.129 --> 00:08:11.610 the Via Claudia Augusta. Right. Every single 00:08:11.610 --> 00:08:14.310 step they take is on ground marines and gravels 00:08:14.310 --> 00:08:16.910 deposited by an ice age that predates their empire 00:08:16.910 --> 00:08:20.009 by massive geological eras. Thousands and thousands 00:08:20.009 --> 00:08:23.399 of years. And they are walking toward the Holzleiten 00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:26.300 saddle, not by choice, really, but because the 00:08:26.300 --> 00:08:28.879 Wurm glaciation carved the earth in a way that 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:31.639 made it the only logical path through the Alps. 00:08:31.699 --> 00:08:33.960 It just highlights how human ambition is entirely 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:36.820 constrained by geological reality. We think we're 00:08:36.820 --> 00:08:39.220 in charge, but the rock is in charge. Always. 00:08:39.539 --> 00:08:42.799 The Romans built the road, sure. But the glaciers 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:45.460 decided where the road could be built. Exactly. 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:48.539 The entire logistical network of that section 00:08:48.539 --> 00:08:51.759 of the empire was dependent on a deposit of glacial 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:55.759 gravel suspended 850 to 1 ,000 meters in the 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:57.940 air. That is such a cool way to frame it. So 00:08:57.940 --> 00:09:00.299 we have the Worm Glaciation setting the physical 00:09:00.299 --> 00:09:02.340 stage. Right. And the Roman Empire utilizing 00:09:02.340 --> 00:09:05.720 that stage to forge a vital transit route, leaving 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:08.500 behind an undated milestone as proof of their 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:10.919 passage. Which brings us to the present day. 00:09:11.059 --> 00:09:13.659 It does. It brings us to how this 14 -kilometer 00:09:13.659 --> 00:09:15.559 stretch of land is utilized today because the 00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:17.419 modern municipality is located here. And there 00:09:17.419 --> 00:09:20.120 are four main ones mentioned. Yes. Wildermiming, 00:09:20.139 --> 00:09:23.500 Maming, Obstig, and Mutz. They present a wildly 00:09:23.500 --> 00:09:25.480 different aesthetic than a harsh Roman mill. 00:09:25.549 --> 00:09:28.789 The utility of the land has completely shifted, 00:09:28.909 --> 00:09:31.570 and the visual landscape reflects that shift 00:09:31.570 --> 00:09:34.129 perfectly. It's not a rough frontier anymore. 00:09:34.409 --> 00:09:36.909 No, it is no longer just a rugged thoroughfare 00:09:36.909 --> 00:09:41.779 to be endured on the way to Augsburg. has been 00:09:41.779 --> 00:09:45.139 cultivated into a highly specific, curated environment. 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:47.820 Our text describes it as a small -scale division 00:09:47.820 --> 00:09:49.899 of the land. Which means it's heavily managed. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:53.179 Very managed. Instead of monolithic, unbroken 00:09:53.179 --> 00:09:56.720 tracts of wild forest, it is a delicate patchwork. 00:09:56.899 --> 00:09:59.039 Right. You have pasture fields alternating with 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:01.700 crops. And interspersed among the agriculture, 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:04.159 you have these beautiful larch meadows mixed 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:07.360 with open forest. It is an idyllic, highly manicured 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:10.919 landscape. that really softens the harsh geological 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:13.139 reality beneath it. It's a striking contrast 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:15.480 when you really think about it. It is. You have 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:17.899 a platform born from the crushing weight of glacial 00:10:17.899 --> 00:10:21.120 ice. Bordered by severe fortress -like walls 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:23.919 of main dolomite. Dropping 200 meters straight 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:26.299 down into a valley. Yet the surface itself has 00:10:26.299 --> 00:10:29.279 been transformed into this pristine quilt of 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:31.919 larch meadows and pastures. The land has been 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:35.370 totally tamed. Tamed is the perfect word, and 00:10:35.370 --> 00:10:38.070 that taming of the landscape has entirely changed 00:10:38.070 --> 00:10:40.649 its economic and social function. The roads are 00:10:40.649 --> 00:10:42.610 still there, but their purpose is different. 00:10:42.750 --> 00:10:45.509 Completely. Those ancient transit routes, the 00:10:45.509 --> 00:10:48.409 ones pioneered out of absolute necessity to cross 00:10:48.409 --> 00:10:51.450 the mountains, have evolved. Today, that exact 00:10:51.450 --> 00:10:53.690 same geography supports a network of walking 00:10:53.690 --> 00:10:56.409 paths and cycleways. The purpose of movement 00:10:56.409 --> 00:10:59.690 on the plateau has changed from survival and 00:10:59.690 --> 00:11:02.610 military logistics to recreation and leisure. 00:11:03.049 --> 00:11:05.350 People are choosing to go there just to be there. 00:11:05.549 --> 00:11:08.350 Exactly. People now seek out the memeing plateau 00:11:08.350 --> 00:11:11.970 specifically to experience the landscape, rather 00:11:11.970 --> 00:11:13.830 than merely passing through it to get somewhere 00:11:13.830 --> 00:11:16.799 else. And in the winter, that shift in utility 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:19.500 becomes even more apparent. Oh, definitely. Because 00:11:19.500 --> 00:11:22.259 those walking paths and cycleways transform into 00:11:22.259 --> 00:11:24.919 cross -country skiing routes. A huge draw for 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:27.539 the area. The entire 14 -kilometer stretch of 00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:29.879 alternating larch meadows, open forests, and 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:32.460 pastures becomes a highly popular recreation 00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:35.620 area. So you have modern recreationists gliding 00:11:35.620 --> 00:11:37.779 over the exact same ground moraines that the 00:11:37.779 --> 00:11:41.080 Romans marched across in sandals. It is the ultimate 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:43.600 luxury of the modern era, isn't it? It really 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:47.320 is. We can look at a 200 -meter sheer drop and 00:11:47.320 --> 00:11:50.080 a fortress of dolomite not as a terrifying obstacle 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:52.700 that threatens our journey or our lives. but 00:11:52.700 --> 00:11:55.840 as a breathtaking vista to be enjoyed on a weekend 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:58.539 cycling trip. The physical geography hasn't changed 00:11:58.539 --> 00:12:01.620 an inch. Only our relationship to it has. And 00:12:01.620 --> 00:12:03.519 because that relationship has changed, because 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:05.360 the landscape has been cultivated into something 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:07.840 so idyllic and visually stunning, it has drawn 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:09.940 a completely different kind of industry. This 00:12:09.940 --> 00:12:11.840 is my favorite part of the source material. It's 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.820 so good. The Meeming Plateau isn't just a hub 00:12:14.820 --> 00:12:17.320 for agriculture and cross -country skiing anymore. 00:12:17.580 --> 00:12:20.700 It has become a literal stage for pop culture. 00:12:21.289 --> 00:12:23.950 The transition from a geological anomaly to a 00:12:23.950 --> 00:12:26.629 television set is perhaps the most surreal evolution 00:12:26.629 --> 00:12:29.330 of the space. It really is. So this plateau, 00:12:29.450 --> 00:12:31.570 with its large meadows and striking mountain 00:12:31.570 --> 00:12:34.029 backdrops, is the setting for the fictitious 00:12:34.029 --> 00:12:36.549 village of Sonnenstein. Sonnenstein, right. And 00:12:36.549 --> 00:12:39.570 Sonnenstein is the primary location for a highly 00:12:39.570 --> 00:12:42.429 popular TV series called Bergdoktor or Mountain 00:12:42.429 --> 00:12:45.539 Doctor. So think about that. Millions of people 00:12:45.539 --> 00:12:48.399 who have never set foot in Tyrol. Who know absolutely 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:51.159 nothing about the Worm Glaciation. Or the Via 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:53.360 Claudi Augusta. They have an intimate visual 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:55.899 relationship with the Maiming Plateau. Exactly. 00:12:56.120 --> 00:12:59.639 To them, it isn't a 14 -kilometer deposit of 00:12:59.639 --> 00:13:02.980 glacial gravel. It is simply the picturesque, 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:05.929 charming home of a fictional doctor. You have 00:13:05.929 --> 00:13:08.509 audiences tuning in to watch modern medical drama 00:13:08.509 --> 00:13:10.990 unfold, and the dramatic tension of the scenes 00:13:10.990 --> 00:13:13.730 is visually supported by the Ackberg range, made 00:13:13.730 --> 00:13:16.250 of Maine Dolomite right in the background. Hiding 00:13:16.250 --> 00:13:18.669 in plain sight. Yes. They're looking at the whole 00:13:18.669 --> 00:13:20.889 slight and saddle and the 200 meter drop offs, 00:13:21.090 --> 00:13:23.710 completely unaware that the idyllic village of 00:13:23.710 --> 00:13:26.269 Sonnenstein is resting on an ancient strategic 00:13:26.269 --> 00:13:29.129 military thoroughfare. It really reinforces the 00:13:29.129 --> 00:13:31.970 idea that a landscape is a deeply layered palimpsest. 00:13:32.190 --> 00:13:34.830 A canvas that keeps getting painted over. Exactly. 00:13:34.919 --> 00:13:37.240 You have the raw, unforgiving canvas created 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:40.000 by the Ice Age. Then you have the utilitarian 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:43.100 lines drawn by Roman engineers. And now you have 00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:46.240 the glossy, highly produced veneer of modern 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:48.659 entertainment and leisure painted right over 00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:51.440 the top of all of it. But all those layers exist 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:53.940 simultaneously in the exact same physical space. 00:13:54.220 --> 00:13:56.860 When you cross -country ski through those large 00:13:56.860 --> 00:13:59.919 meadows today, you are interacting with all of 00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:01.419 it at once. You're touching all that history. 00:14:01.929 --> 00:14:04.570 The snow is falling on the crops of Obsteng and 00:14:04.570 --> 00:14:07.330 Wildermyming, covering the walking paths that 00:14:07.330 --> 00:14:10.669 evolved from Roman transit routes, burying the 00:14:10.669 --> 00:14:13.149 glacial gravels that formed the very foundation 00:14:13.149 --> 00:14:16.070 of the terrace. And that simultaneity is what 00:14:16.070 --> 00:14:18.610 makes studying a single geographical location 00:14:18.610 --> 00:14:20.830 so rewarding. You don't have to travel across 00:14:20.830 --> 00:14:23.370 the world to see different eras of history. No, 00:14:23.370 --> 00:14:25.490 you just have to dig straight down. I love that. 00:14:25.669 --> 00:14:29.049 The ground moraines, the undated milestone. the 00:14:29.049 --> 00:14:32.309 cycleways, the television cameras, they are all 00:14:32.309 --> 00:14:35.629 anchored to the exact same 14 kilometers of Earth, 00:14:35.769 --> 00:14:39.370 bound by the exact same dolomite walls. So what 00:14:39.370 --> 00:14:41.429 does this all mean? Yeah, it is the big question. 00:14:41.590 --> 00:14:43.850 When we look at this deep dive into the miming 00:14:43.850 --> 00:14:46.570 plateau, the ultimate takeaway is that geography 00:14:46.570 --> 00:14:49.370 is the longest running architect of human behavior. 00:14:49.649 --> 00:14:52.149 Without a doubt. The Meming Plateau is far more 00:14:52.149 --> 00:14:55.429 than just a mountain terrace suspended 850 to 00:14:55.429 --> 00:14:58.870 1 ,000 meters above the inn valley. It is a defining 00:14:58.870 --> 00:15:01.090 corridor where the physical constraints of the 00:15:01.090 --> 00:15:04.190 earth, you know, the sheer drop -offs, the holtzleiten 00:15:04.190 --> 00:15:07.070 saddle, the flat expanse of gravel, dictated 00:15:07.070 --> 00:15:09.870 centuries of movement. It forced the Romans to 00:15:09.870 --> 00:15:12.350 funnel their empire through a specific mountain 00:15:12.350 --> 00:15:15.169 pass. And thousands of years later, that exact 00:15:15.169 --> 00:15:18.759 same geography provided the perfect, secluded, 00:15:18.899 --> 00:15:21.700 picturesque patchwork of open forests and crops 00:15:21.700 --> 00:15:25.100 for modern recreationists and fictitious TV doctors 00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:27.740 to play out their lives. The land doesn't change, 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:30.159 only the people walking across it do. That is 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:32.340 beautifully said. Well, before we wrap up today, 00:15:32.460 --> 00:15:34.659 I do want to leave you, the listener, with a 00:15:34.659 --> 00:15:37.100 final thought to consider. regarding the layers 00:15:37.100 --> 00:15:39.139 of history we've been discussing. Go for it. 00:15:39.220 --> 00:15:41.879 We noted earlier that an undated milestone near 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:45.419 Holtzleiten serves as the primary tangible proof 00:15:45.419 --> 00:15:47.700 of ancient Roman transit along that route. Right, 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:50.440 just a simple stone. Exactly. And that detail 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:53.019 is a profound commentary on the discrepancy in 00:15:53.019 --> 00:15:55.960 timescales. Well, the Wurm glaciation took immense, 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:59.519 almost unfathomable geological eras to carve 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:02.659 out this mountain terrace. It moved unimaginable 00:16:02.659 --> 00:16:05.299 amounts of earth to create those ground moraines. 00:16:05.539 --> 00:16:07.879 Just a terrifying amount of power over thousands 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:10.799 of years. Yes. Yet when it comes to human history, 00:16:10.940 --> 00:16:15.120 it is a single, small, undated stone that anchors 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:17.879 our understanding of an entire empire's logistical 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:20.460 network in that space. That puts things in perspective. 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:23.559 It forces a very specific perspective. I ask 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:26.220 you this? As we cross -country ski or cycle across 00:16:26.220 --> 00:16:28.899 this ancient ground today, enjoying the curated 00:16:28.899 --> 00:16:31.740 large meadows and the modern recreation areas, 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:35.259 what seemingly insignificant, undated milestones 00:16:35.259 --> 00:16:38.840 are we leaving behind? Oh, wow. What small, everyday 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:41.320 objects will define the reality of our modern 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:44.200 era to whoever walks the meaning plateau thousands 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:46.519 of years from now? That is the exact kind of 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:48.559 question this landscape demands we ask. It really 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:50.320 makes you think about our footprint. Absolutely. 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:52.299 Well, I want to warmly thank you for joining 00:16:52.299 --> 00:16:54.820 us on this deep dive today. Exploring the physical 00:16:54.820 --> 00:16:57.120 and historical layers of the Miming Plateau alongside 00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:59.679 you has been a fantastic journey. It really has 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:01.919 been a pleasure. We hope this conversation encourages 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:04.319 you to look a little closer at the topography 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:06.960 of your own surroundings and to keep seeking 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.640 out the incredibly deep stories hidden in the 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:12.059 landscapes you interact with every single day. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:14.480 Until next time, take care.