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[narrator]
The Valley of the Kings,
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an ancient burial ground...
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for Egypt's greatest pharaohs.
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[Sally] It never gets old.
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It's truly a really
special place.
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And the most famous
archaeological site
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in the world.
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[speaking Arabic]
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Let's go.
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Now, for the first time
in over 100 years,
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an elite team of archaeologists
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will excavate the tomb...
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of one of the most powerful
kings to have ever lived,
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Ramses III.
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The story of Ramses III
is sensational!
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[Meredith] Even the tiniest
clues about Ramses III's tomb
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would be an incredible find.
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[speaking Arabic]
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With unprecedented access,
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the team will dig
for three months...
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to unearth clues...
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I'm very excited.
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...and find lost treasures.
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Wow -- this is
a very incredible find.
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Unraveling a 3,000-year-old
murder mystery...
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[gaps] This is terrifying.
Wow!
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...that exposes one of the most
treacherous conspiracies
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of the ancient world.
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The idea that the pharaoh was
assassinated is extraordinary.
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In the burial chamber
of Ramses III,
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new evidence will be revealed,
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and three-thousand-year-old
secrets, discovered.
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Only in Ancient Egypt
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can you actually do
this sort of thing.
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[Salima] The Valley of the Kings
is a place of promise,
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of excitement.
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It is silent.
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It is mysterious.
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It's like
you're in another world.
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The Valley of the Kings
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lies in the very heart
of Egypt,
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hundreds of miles south
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from the Great Pyramids
of Giza.
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Three and a half
thousand years ago,
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the pharaohs stopped
building giant pyramids
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to transport their mummies
into the afterlife.
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Instead, they moved
to the valley...
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to build incredible
underground tombs.
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[Meredith] The tombs
are absolutely stunning,
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and they served as this
kind of resurrection machine
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to help the king
enter the afterlife.
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In their tombs,
the king's mummies were buried
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in nested coffins
with everything they would need
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in the netherworld.
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[Arto]
Food, furniture, clothing,
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little magical artifacts
that are supposed to help you
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and lots, and lots of gold.
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The wealth of Ancient Egyptian
kings was the stuff of legend.
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It's the reason
that archaeologists
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have scoured this unique
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and exclusive location
for centuries,
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and its secrets
continue to be revealed.
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[Brett] It's an extremely
challenging place,
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but the idea that archeology
of the Valley of the Kings
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is finished is not correct.
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Now, an elite team
of archaeologists
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is beginning an excavation
they hope will change history.
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In charge of the mission
is Dr. Anke Weber.
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[Anke] For more than ten years,
I always imagined
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what could be below my feet.
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This is the history
of humankind.
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It's an honor
to become part of this.
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Anke has negotiated
exclusive access
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to dig for three months
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in one of the most prestigious
tombs in the valley.
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[speaking Arabic]
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Beneath the valley floor
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lie over 60 tombs, cut
into the rock, rocky landscape.
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In the center,
the final resting place
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of the legendary
boy pharaoh, King Tut.
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But just 100 feet away
is the site of Anke's mission,
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Tomb KV11.
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Inside, decorated corridors
plunge deep into the rock,
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leading to a secret dig site
piled high with debris.
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This is the unexcavated
burial chamber
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of King Ramses III.
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[Arto] Ramses III is one
of the towering figures
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from Ancient Egyptian history.
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He defended Egypt
at a crucial, pivotal time
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of not just Egyptian history,
but in fact,
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the entire Mediterranean world.
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Ramses III is considered
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Egypt's last
great warrior king.
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Hieroglyphics reveal he ruled
for 31 years,
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building vast temples
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and battling marauding armies
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that threatened to destroy
Egypt's empire.
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Incredibly, Ramses' mummy
exists today,
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kept in a museum in Cairo.
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He was found
almost 150 years ago,
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half a mile from his tomb,
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high in the mountains,
above the Valley of the Kings.
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[Salima] It was really
one of the most
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earth-shattering finds.
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You get to actually look
at Ramses III,
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not just a statue, but at him.
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[Arto] The story of Ramses III
is sensational.
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Any sort of information,
no matter how little
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we can glean from all of this,
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would be very exciting.
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Now, for the very first time,
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Anke's team will fully excavate
inside the great king's tomb.
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Its entrance has already been
beautifully restored,
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filled with hieroglyphic text
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designed to transport
the king into the afterlife.
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But deeper down lies
the tomb's secret.
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An ancient scene
of destruction,
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off-limits for over a century
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and never fully
excavated before.
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Ramses burial chamber.
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[Anke]
It's absolutely incredible
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to be inside his burial chamber,
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where Ramses III
and the sarcophagus
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once rested,
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to revive him for the afterlife.
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Anke's mission is to clear
away the debris,
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to unearth the tomb's
lost artifacts,
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and finally unravel
the mysteries
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of this great
pharaoh's life and death.
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[Anke] This is our task now,
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bringing back the magic,
uh...of the burial chamber.
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The more we reveal
and uncover from the sand,
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the more we will
know about the person himself
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and find something that
was last seen by our ancestors.
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First, the team must haul out
the surface debris
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and search for any ancient
artifacts that lie beneath.
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Today we are very excited.
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This is the day we were
waiting for.
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I hope that we are lucky.
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The team works quickly,
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but the burial chamber
is a danger zone.
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Massive chunks of rock
have tumbled 20 feet
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from the ceiling above,
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leaving the tomb
incredibly fragile.
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Anke believes it's a result
of violent flash floods
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around 100 years ago.
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We are looking
to get more information
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about the flooding event,
but the area is very unstable.
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To avoid further damage,
the workers must wrestle
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the 500-pound boulders by hand.
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As they clear away the debris,
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something begins to appear.
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[Anke] It seems as if
this would be a piece of metal.
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Actually, it's very unusual,
uh...to find metals.
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We try our best to get
it out in one piece,
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uh...in order to see
what it actually was.
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But as the team clears
away the sand,
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there's a surprise.
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[Anke] This is not, um...metal.
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It's a piece of wood
going into this direction.
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What we have here, um...
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are parts of the spine
of a...living being.
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So, for now, it looks
as if it is covered
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with linen,
a little bit.
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So this would tell us
that some kind of
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mummification
took place.
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A piece of mummified
human spine
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is an intriguing clue,
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and a mystery
because Anke believes
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it shouldn't be here
in Tomb KV11 at all.
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The mystery is actually,
why do we have
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any kind of
remains inside KV11?
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We would never expect it here,
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because we know
that the mummy of Ramses III
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is not placed in KV11 anymore.
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Who does this mummified
spine belong to?
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And why is somebody else buried
inside Ramses' tomb?
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Clues could lie less than two
miles away at Ramses Temple.
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Egyptologist Meredith Brand
investigates the site
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to decode the mysteries
of the king's reign.
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It's one of the most famous
monuments in Egypt,
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Medinet Habu.
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[Meredith] I love
Medinet Habu Temple.
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It's really It's stunning
because it's so complete.
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Inside, there's amazing colors.
It's so well preserved.
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This is one of my favorite
temples from Ancient Egypt.
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This temple was built
for Ramses III
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so that people could
give him offerings
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and celebrate him during
his life and after his death.
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So what was celebrated
about Ramses III's reign?
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On almost every facade
is a scene of terror.
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Spilled blood...
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severed hands...
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and captured victims glorifying
the battles of the Pharaoh.
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[Meredith]
Looking at these walls,
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it's clear that Ramses III
wanted to show himself
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fighting enemies,
smiting everyone.
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This temple says, "I'm Ramses
III, and I'm a warrior king."
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So who was Ramses
fighting against?
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On the side of the temple,
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Meredith finds a fierce
conflict at sea.
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[Meredith] It's quite faint,
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but I can make out
this massive image
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of Ramses III shooting
a bow and arrow.
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At this melee of a battle,
we have ships and soldiers,
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and everyone's falling over
into the water.
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It's pure fighting and chaos.
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The chaos reveals
a group of marauding tribes
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known as the Sea Peoples.
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And they aren't the only
adversaries threatening
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the borders of Egypt.
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[Meredith] There's battles
of him fighting the Nubians.
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There's two separate battles
fighting the Libyans.
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Ramses III was enmeshed
in warfare.
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Ramses' temple records
his astonishing victories
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over the enemies
of the Egyptian empire.
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Ramses III was not a warrior
pharaoh necessarily by choice.
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This was thrust upon him,
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he truly, truly lived at one
of the most difficult times
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in which a king could reign.
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And the fact that
he managed to make out of it
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what he did is
a true testament
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to how great a king he was.
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Ramses was a celebrated
and successful warrior king.
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So how did he die?
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And why are the mummified
remains of someone else
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buried inside his tomb?
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Inside the tomb
of Ramses III...
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[speaking Arabic]
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...the team has unearthed
a piece of human spine.
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And soon, even more ancient
bones emerge,
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including what looks
like a mummified limb.
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We found here a large part
of a mummy, very clearly.
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We can see
the layers of linen
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that was soaked with,
um, resin
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in order to preserve
this body for eternity.
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So for now,
we can't tell exactly
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which part
of the mummy this is.
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However, it's very exciting,
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um, because it's
somehow like,
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coming closer
to all these people
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uh, who once were part
of the history of KV11.
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Ramses III's mummy
is no longer inside his tomb,
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now preserved in a museum.
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So who do these body
parts belong to?
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And why are they here?
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Anke spots a new clue nearby.
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What we have here are parts
of an Ancient Egyptian coffin.
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There are remains of a plaster
on top of the surface.
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You can see these dowels
inside the dowel holes.
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An expensive, plaster-covered
coffin suggests the mummies
252
00:15:33,334 --> 00:15:35,767
were once members
of the elite.
253
00:15:35,934 --> 00:15:38,100
Anke believes they were
probably buried here
254
00:15:38,100 --> 00:15:40,667
hundreds of years after
Ramses's death,
255
00:15:40,834 --> 00:15:43,467
when Egypt was
weak and fractured.
256
00:15:44,367 --> 00:15:47,200
They won't be able
to precisely date the burials
257
00:15:47,367 --> 00:15:49,200
until a lab analysis.
258
00:15:49,367 --> 00:15:52,667
But Anke has a theory on why
they were here.
259
00:15:52,834 --> 00:15:56,267
[Anke] Everybody wants
to be something special.
260
00:15:56,267 --> 00:16:00,868
Everybody wants to become part
of the history of something.
261
00:16:01,033 --> 00:16:04,067
So it is most likely
that the people,
262
00:16:04,234 --> 00:16:08,000
high-ranking officials,
decided, "Oh, yeah, why not
263
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,267
"be buried inside the tomb
of one of Egypt's
264
00:16:11,267 --> 00:16:14,767
most interesting and greatest
pharaohs of all time?"
265
00:16:16,968 --> 00:16:18,701
Ancient elites chose
to be buried
266
00:16:18,868 --> 00:16:20,968
in the valley's
magnificent tombs
267
00:16:21,133 --> 00:16:24,267
to pay homage to the kings
that came before them.
268
00:16:25,901 --> 00:16:27,367
And Ramses III
269
00:16:27,534 --> 00:16:30,200
was one of the greatest kings
of them all.
270
00:16:31,701 --> 00:16:33,868
So what was it that killed him?
271
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,868
Meredith Brand
has come to the National Museum
272
00:16:44,033 --> 00:16:47,567
of Egyptian Civilization
to investigate.
273
00:16:47,734 --> 00:16:49,868
[Meredith] It's such a unique
and special aspect
274
00:16:50,033 --> 00:16:51,801
of Ancient Egyptian culture
275
00:16:51,968 --> 00:16:55,467
that they preserve the dead,
and that now, for us,
276
00:16:55,467 --> 00:16:59,367
we can look into the face
of some of the greatest kings
277
00:16:59,534 --> 00:17:01,701
and queens
of Ancient Egypt.
278
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,701
The pharaoh queen, Hatshepsut,
279
00:17:06,868 --> 00:17:08,100
Ramses II,
280
00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:12,901
and none other
than Ramses III himself.
281
00:17:15,367 --> 00:17:19,267
[Meredith]
It's so remarkable to stand here
282
00:17:19,267 --> 00:17:24,000
and see this very important
and very powerful king.
283
00:17:24,968 --> 00:17:27,767
This mummy is
beautifully preserved.
284
00:17:27,767 --> 00:17:30,267
You can see his facial
features, even his teeth
285
00:17:30,267 --> 00:17:31,501
and his hair.
286
00:17:32,767 --> 00:17:35,701
The Ancient Egyptians
mummified the dead
287
00:17:35,868 --> 00:17:37,033
to preserve their bodies.
288
00:17:38,300 --> 00:17:41,100
They believed it would allow
their body and soul
289
00:17:41,100 --> 00:17:43,100
to reunite in the afterlife.
290
00:17:44,667 --> 00:17:47,200
And they strived
for perfection.
291
00:17:48,868 --> 00:17:51,567
A mummy like
Ramses III was done
292
00:17:51,734 --> 00:17:53,868
with such care and attention.
293
00:17:53,868 --> 00:17:57,067
The embalmers would have
removed his internal organs,
294
00:17:57,234 --> 00:18:00,367
washed him
with oils and perfumes,
295
00:18:01,367 --> 00:18:03,067
packed his body with salt,
296
00:18:04,167 --> 00:18:08,200
and then wrapped
his entire body up in linens.
297
00:18:08,367 --> 00:18:11,467
If something was wrong,
the embalmers could fix it
298
00:18:11,634 --> 00:18:14,300
so that when the deceased
got to the afterlife,
299
00:18:14,467 --> 00:18:16,367
not only would
their body be there,
300
00:18:16,367 --> 00:18:18,100
but it would be more perfect.
301
00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:20,667
On the surface,
302
00:18:20,667 --> 00:18:23,300
Ramses' mummy
looks completely intact.
303
00:18:25,167 --> 00:18:29,901
But X-ray scans reveal
a different and shocking story.
304
00:18:33,667 --> 00:18:35,767
Beneath the bandages,
305
00:18:35,934 --> 00:18:40,100
six healing amulets are packed
around Ramses's foot
306
00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:43,000
that conceal a missing toe,
307
00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,667
cut off with a heavy blade.
308
00:18:49,100 --> 00:18:51,501
On Ramses' neck,
309
00:18:51,667 --> 00:18:54,367
embalming resin fills
a deep gash...
310
00:18:55,767 --> 00:18:58,300
that splits the throat
right down to the bone.
311
00:19:02,367 --> 00:19:05,067
[Meredith] The cut
on Ramses III's neck,
312
00:19:05,234 --> 00:19:07,868
this severed the trachea
and the esophagus,
313
00:19:08,033 --> 00:19:11,267
and even nicked the bone
in his vertebrae.
314
00:19:11,267 --> 00:19:13,434
This is a mortal wound.
315
00:19:15,901 --> 00:19:19,667
This kind of gash
makes it clear
316
00:19:19,834 --> 00:19:21,801
that his death wasn't
some kind of accident
317
00:19:21,968 --> 00:19:23,767
or a result of old age.
318
00:19:23,934 --> 00:19:27,667
He met a violent end,
and all the evidence points
319
00:19:27,834 --> 00:19:29,000
to murder.
320
00:19:31,467 --> 00:19:34,000
[Salima] The idea that
the pharaoh was assassinated
321
00:19:34,167 --> 00:19:36,767
and by something
as violent as that,
322
00:19:36,934 --> 00:19:38,200
is extraordinary.
323
00:19:38,367 --> 00:19:40,801
It is an extraordinary
and terrifying thought.
324
00:19:42,467 --> 00:19:46,367
It would have been almost
unthinkable in Ancient Egypt
325
00:19:46,534 --> 00:19:48,501
to try to assassinate
the pharaoh.
326
00:19:50,367 --> 00:19:52,567
[Arto] Can you imagine
how difficult
327
00:19:52,734 --> 00:19:55,000
kind of an undertaking
that would be?
328
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,868
First of all,
it's not a one-man job.
329
00:19:57,868 --> 00:20:00,267
You need allies
in this sort of thing.
330
00:20:00,434 --> 00:20:04,501
You also need a motive.
Why are you killing the king?
331
00:20:04,667 --> 00:20:08,100
Surely you must have
a really good reason
332
00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:14,067
to actually undertake something
so incredibly risky.
333
00:20:14,234 --> 00:20:15,767
Who killed Ramses III?
334
00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:19,901
And why did they want
him dead?
335
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,267
Deep inside Ramses'
burial chamber,
336
00:20:32,100 --> 00:20:35,300
Anke and the team
search for clues.
337
00:20:37,767 --> 00:20:40,367
But the surface
of the tomb is a chaotic,
338
00:20:40,367 --> 00:20:42,567
jumbled mess of finds,
339
00:20:42,567 --> 00:20:46,267
making this mystery
difficult to unravel.
340
00:20:46,267 --> 00:20:48,701
[Anke]
We have pieces of pottery
341
00:20:48,868 --> 00:20:51,300
that belong to
a larger vessel.
342
00:20:51,467 --> 00:20:53,400
All these finds are mixed.
343
00:20:53,567 --> 00:20:57,000
Both ancient robbers
and Colonial-era explorers
344
00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,067
have rummaged
through the debris,
345
00:21:00,067 --> 00:21:03,868
like a crime scene that has
been revisited for centuries.
346
00:21:04,033 --> 00:21:06,467
We know
that this area is disturbed.
347
00:21:06,467 --> 00:21:10,701
It's always puzzling for us
to say what actually happened.
348
00:21:10,868 --> 00:21:13,367
But step by step,
we will investigate
349
00:21:13,367 --> 00:21:15,868
what happened here in KV11.
350
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,167
But hidden within the debris,
351
00:21:20,334 --> 00:21:23,100
Anke spots something
that may have belonged
352
00:21:23,100 --> 00:21:24,767
to Ramses III himself.
353
00:21:25,667 --> 00:21:28,667
We have here the lower
part of a wooden ushabti.
354
00:21:28,667 --> 00:21:31,000
It's rather destroyed.
355
00:21:31,167 --> 00:21:33,367
However, you can still see here,
356
00:21:33,367 --> 00:21:36,167
this is the beginning
of the lower part of the feet.
357
00:21:36,167 --> 00:21:38,667
It could be
over 3,000 years old.
358
00:21:39,767 --> 00:21:41,167
Across the chamber,
359
00:21:41,167 --> 00:21:43,567
the team finds
the missing head.
360
00:21:43,734 --> 00:21:45,667
[Anke] This definitely
belongs together.
361
00:21:45,834 --> 00:21:49,367
They must have been,
uh, disconnected somehow.
362
00:21:49,534 --> 00:21:50,467
That's amazing.
363
00:21:52,367 --> 00:21:54,767
Ushabtis are ancient figurines,
364
00:21:54,934 --> 00:21:57,067
often around a foot tall,
365
00:21:57,234 --> 00:21:59,667
that were buried
with the deceased.
366
00:22:01,100 --> 00:22:04,467
A king like Ramses
would have had hundreds.
367
00:22:06,567 --> 00:22:08,067
They acted as servants,
368
00:22:09,601 --> 00:22:11,868
inscribed with magic spells...
369
00:22:14,300 --> 00:22:17,267
so that if the dead was made
to work in the afterlife,
370
00:22:19,100 --> 00:22:22,767
the ushabti will say,
"Here I am,"
371
00:22:22,934 --> 00:22:25,000
and do the work for him.
372
00:22:27,467 --> 00:22:31,868
The team and the statue pieces,
searching for inscriptions
373
00:22:31,868 --> 00:22:33,701
that could reveal a name.
374
00:22:33,868 --> 00:22:35,667
[Anke] We have the hope
that they belonged
375
00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:38,167
to the pharaoh Ramses III.
376
00:22:38,334 --> 00:22:40,701
But hard evidence
of its original owner
377
00:22:40,868 --> 00:22:42,467
has been lost.
378
00:22:42,634 --> 00:22:44,701
The team will need
to keep searching.
379
00:22:46,868 --> 00:22:50,100
It's a promising start
that even among the chaos,
380
00:22:50,267 --> 00:22:53,567
there are still incredible
clues about Ramses' death.
381
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:56,701
[speaking Arabic]
382
00:23:08,801 --> 00:23:12,300
At the monumental temple
of Medinet Habu,
383
00:23:12,467 --> 00:23:16,501
built to honor pharaoh
Ramses III in life and death,
384
00:23:18,167 --> 00:23:20,767
Egyptologist Meredith Brand
385
00:23:20,767 --> 00:23:23,868
investigates the king's
brutal murder.
386
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,868
She wants to establish a motive
for his royal assassination,
387
00:23:31,667 --> 00:23:34,501
and believes the sheer number
of battle scenes
388
00:23:34,667 --> 00:23:37,767
on his temple walls
reveal a deeper story
389
00:23:37,934 --> 00:23:40,501
than just Ramses'
military prowess.
390
00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:43,167
[Meredith] These scenes
show Ramses III
391
00:23:43,334 --> 00:23:46,501
as this victorious ruler
who was indestructible.
392
00:23:46,667 --> 00:23:49,067
In some ways, it is true,
393
00:23:49,234 --> 00:23:52,100
but there was a larger issue.
394
00:23:52,267 --> 00:23:55,567
Ramses III was
surrounded by war,
395
00:23:55,734 --> 00:23:58,167
and this war
took a toll on Egypt
396
00:23:58,167 --> 00:23:59,400
and its economy.
397
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,267
Ramses' never-ending battles
398
00:24:03,267 --> 00:24:06,567
begin to drain the resources
of the country,
399
00:24:07,467 --> 00:24:10,467
and inflation spirals out
of control.
400
00:24:11,667 --> 00:24:14,567
-[distant shouts]
-Strikes, civil unrest,
401
00:24:14,734 --> 00:24:18,701
and even famine strangle
the heart of Egypt.
402
00:24:21,067 --> 00:24:24,400
Was Ramses killed because
of the crumbling economy,
403
00:24:24,567 --> 00:24:27,667
or were there
other motives at play?
404
00:24:27,667 --> 00:24:30,467
[Brett] Nobody ever blamed
the pharaoh for anything.
405
00:24:30,467 --> 00:24:34,901
He was theoretically perfect,
a divine ruler.
406
00:24:35,067 --> 00:24:39,067
What we do know
is that he had a number of wives
407
00:24:39,234 --> 00:24:41,868
and a large number
of children.
408
00:24:42,033 --> 00:24:45,667
And we don't think
that he designated
409
00:24:45,667 --> 00:24:47,868
an heir during his lifetime.
410
00:24:51,701 --> 00:24:54,267
In Ancient Egypt,
the firstborn son
411
00:24:54,267 --> 00:24:56,567
would normally
inherit the throne.
412
00:24:57,601 --> 00:24:59,267
But with no designated heir,
413
00:25:00,167 --> 00:25:02,200
the stage is set for a coup.
414
00:25:04,667 --> 00:25:06,567
[Arto] Let's say you do
have a motive.
415
00:25:06,734 --> 00:25:10,667
OK, how do you do it?
How do you find the allies?
416
00:25:10,667 --> 00:25:11,868
How do you know where --
417
00:25:12,033 --> 00:25:14,968
where people's loyalties stand?
418
00:25:15,133 --> 00:25:17,200
So you have to sort
of start, you know,
419
00:25:17,367 --> 00:25:20,200
um...checking the pulse,
as it were.
420
00:25:20,367 --> 00:25:23,367
See who might have
grievances, perhaps.
421
00:25:23,367 --> 00:25:27,267
Once you have that in place,
you need an entire network
422
00:25:27,434 --> 00:25:29,567
of people, but also
they need to be
423
00:25:29,567 --> 00:25:31,901
close to the person
of the king.
424
00:25:38,701 --> 00:25:42,801
Meredith investigates a copy
of an ancient papyrus
425
00:25:42,968 --> 00:25:45,067
originally discovered
near the site.
426
00:25:47,100 --> 00:25:50,200
[Meredith] This is an image
of an amazing papyrus
427
00:25:50,367 --> 00:25:52,501
from the time of Ramses III.
428
00:25:53,868 --> 00:25:56,467
It tells us
about a conspiracy
429
00:25:56,634 --> 00:25:57,767
to kill the king.
430
00:25:58,701 --> 00:26:00,501
It reveals the proceedings
431
00:26:00,667 --> 00:26:02,467
of a murder trial.
432
00:26:02,634 --> 00:26:04,367
[Meredith] It's shocking
the number of people involved
433
00:26:04,534 --> 00:26:05,701
in this conspiracy.
434
00:26:07,100 --> 00:26:09,000
It has everyone
in the palace.
435
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,000
It has people involved
with food.
436
00:26:11,167 --> 00:26:15,367
It has security, army,
and it has women of the harem,
437
00:26:15,534 --> 00:26:19,067
including Queen Tiye,
the wife of Ramses III.
438
00:26:20,467 --> 00:26:23,667
This is a courtroom drama,
playing out in front of our eyes
439
00:26:23,834 --> 00:26:27,167
that tells us when
and how Ramses III was killed.
440
00:26:28,367 --> 00:26:31,701
One of Ramses's secondary
wives, Queen Tiye,
441
00:26:31,868 --> 00:26:34,701
leads the conspiracy
to place her son,
442
00:26:34,868 --> 00:26:38,367
a younger, more minor
prince, on the throne.
443
00:26:39,567 --> 00:26:44,100
Some believe that after
a festival at Medinet Habu,
444
00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:47,267
Ramses is steered
into the apparent safety
445
00:26:47,267 --> 00:26:48,934
of his harem.
446
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,167
Here, the attackers pounce...
447
00:26:54,868 --> 00:26:59,000
and slice off Ramses'
toe in the struggle,
448
00:26:59,167 --> 00:27:02,834
before dealing
the mortal wound.
-[distant scream]
449
00:27:05,300 --> 00:27:06,667
Here's the critical thing.
450
00:27:07,601 --> 00:27:12,567
The assassination attempt,
that plot certainly succeeded.
451
00:27:12,734 --> 00:27:16,868
We know Ramses III
died as a result.
452
00:27:16,868 --> 00:27:22,000
But ultimately, the coup was
not successful.
453
00:27:23,501 --> 00:27:29,100
Over 30 perpetrators were
caught, tried, and sentenced.
454
00:27:29,100 --> 00:27:31,968
The punishments outlined
in this papyrus
455
00:27:32,133 --> 00:27:34,000
are quite severe.
456
00:27:34,167 --> 00:27:36,767
Some people had their nose
and ears cut off,
457
00:27:36,934 --> 00:27:39,167
but those actually in
the center of the conspiracy,
458
00:27:39,334 --> 00:27:40,467
they were executed.
459
00:27:41,367 --> 00:27:44,567
And Ramses' treacherous
younger son
460
00:27:44,567 --> 00:27:46,267
never made it to the throne.
461
00:27:48,467 --> 00:27:51,367
He was examined.
The judges found him guilty.
462
00:27:51,534 --> 00:27:55,100
They left him where he was,
and he killed himself.
463
00:27:55,267 --> 00:27:58,000
Ramses' murder was
a shocking family feud.
464
00:27:59,267 --> 00:28:03,167
But his death makes Ramses
even more important.
465
00:28:05,300 --> 00:28:06,868
A vast funeral procession
466
00:28:06,868 --> 00:28:10,400
leads his mummy
into the Valley of the Kings
467
00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:12,667
on a new journey...
468
00:28:14,767 --> 00:28:16,400
to become a god.
469
00:28:18,667 --> 00:28:23,667
How cool is it that we can
talk about so much detail
470
00:28:23,667 --> 00:28:26,567
around this historical event
471
00:28:26,734 --> 00:28:30,100
that took place
around 3,000 years ago?
472
00:28:30,100 --> 00:28:32,501
Only in Ancient Egypt
473
00:28:32,667 --> 00:28:35,667
can you actually do
this sort of thing.
474
00:28:37,100 --> 00:28:39,067
[dramatic music plays]
475
00:28:42,267 --> 00:28:43,968
Inside Ramses' tomb,
476
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,000
Anke and the team want
to investigate what happened
477
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,300
after the king's death.
478
00:28:50,467 --> 00:28:55,100
How did his tomb transform
Ramses into an immortal god?
479
00:28:56,167 --> 00:28:58,000
[Anke speaking Arabic]
480
00:28:59,367 --> 00:29:02,501
Hidden below the debris,
they have unearthed
481
00:29:02,667 --> 00:29:04,367
incredibly fragile pieces
482
00:29:04,534 --> 00:29:07,467
of 3,000-year-old
tomb decoration.
483
00:29:08,367 --> 00:29:10,100
[Anke] So beautiful.
484
00:29:10,267 --> 00:29:12,000
What we found here
485
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,868
is a piece
of the wall decoration,
486
00:29:14,868 --> 00:29:20,067
and it's the food of this god
here in the middle,
487
00:29:20,234 --> 00:29:22,868
and he's standing
right on top of a snake.
488
00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,300
It's very amazing
and very touching,
489
00:29:26,467 --> 00:29:30,367
because it's the first time that
we have such a complete piece.
490
00:29:30,367 --> 00:29:33,501
It's a very lucky find.
Very happy about it.
491
00:29:37,501 --> 00:29:40,300
The snake is a crucial clue
that connects
492
00:29:40,467 --> 00:29:43,100
with the decoration
in the rest of the tomb.
493
00:29:43,267 --> 00:29:45,167
[Anke] This is so impressive!
494
00:29:46,167 --> 00:29:47,901
The paintings tell a story
495
00:29:48,067 --> 00:29:50,167
of an elaborate
mythological journey
496
00:29:50,334 --> 00:29:54,834
Ramses must go on
to achieve eternal life.
497
00:29:57,300 --> 00:30:02,167
As night falls, Ramses follows
the path of the sun god
498
00:30:02,334 --> 00:30:05,000
as he voyages through
the dangerous waters
499
00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:06,467
of the netherworld.
500
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,300
To prove he is righteous,
501
00:30:09,467 --> 00:30:12,667
he must navigate
the flames of a lake of fire
502
00:30:13,667 --> 00:30:17,000
and appease Apophis,
the chaos serpent,
503
00:30:17,167 --> 00:30:20,167
who threatens to plunge
the world into darkness.
504
00:30:21,567 --> 00:30:22,667
If he succeeds,
505
00:30:23,567 --> 00:30:27,567
the pharaoh rises
as the sun god Ra,
506
00:30:27,567 --> 00:30:31,267
bringing order
and safety to the universe.
507
00:30:34,501 --> 00:30:36,167
[Brett] The king
in Ancient Egypt
508
00:30:36,167 --> 00:30:39,367
served an important
cosmological role.
509
00:30:39,367 --> 00:30:43,067
He was, during his lifetime
and after his death,
510
00:30:43,234 --> 00:30:44,667
the embodiment of the sun god.
511
00:30:46,267 --> 00:30:48,801
[Salima] The tomb itself,
it was really a machine
512
00:30:48,968 --> 00:30:52,167
to make you go from
this world to the next,
513
00:30:52,167 --> 00:30:54,701
to ensure the king's safety,
514
00:30:54,868 --> 00:30:57,167
to ensure
that day followed night,
515
00:30:57,167 --> 00:31:02,267
and the entire cosmos
would continue to exist.
516
00:31:03,267 --> 00:31:06,501
In the burial chamber,
the team carefully glues
517
00:31:06,667 --> 00:31:08,901
the fragile
painted plasterwork.
518
00:31:10,667 --> 00:31:13,467
It's so delicate,
they must lift it out
519
00:31:13,467 --> 00:31:15,667
with a stabilizing block
of sand below.
520
00:31:17,667 --> 00:31:19,567
[Anke speaking Arabic]
521
00:31:20,467 --> 00:31:22,767
Thank God, we have it.
522
00:31:22,767 --> 00:31:25,200
Uh...I'm quite relieved,
actually.
523
00:31:26,467 --> 00:31:28,767
Yeah, that's a very,
very special object.
524
00:31:30,567 --> 00:31:32,267
But hiding among the rubble
525
00:31:32,434 --> 00:31:35,567
is something even
more tantalizing.
526
00:31:36,467 --> 00:31:38,100
[speaking Arabic]
527
00:31:42,100 --> 00:31:46,300
With exclusive access inside
the tomb of Pharaoh Ramses III,
528
00:31:47,367 --> 00:31:49,667
Dr. Anke Weber and her team
529
00:31:49,834 --> 00:31:51,601
are hunting for artifacts
to unravel
530
00:31:51,767 --> 00:31:55,701
how the king was buried
after his brutal assassination.
531
00:31:57,100 --> 00:32:00,467
From the debris, they unearth
a mysterious stone.
532
00:32:01,467 --> 00:32:02,467
[Anke] This is amazing.
533
00:32:02,467 --> 00:32:05,968
We have found here a piece
of rose granite.
534
00:32:06,133 --> 00:32:08,167
I didn't expect that here.
535
00:32:08,167 --> 00:32:12,100
So we are going to lift
this object out now,
536
00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:13,667
very carefully.
537
00:32:15,100 --> 00:32:18,868
Rose granite is an expensive,
high-quality stone,
538
00:32:19,033 --> 00:32:22,000
far more precious
than the surrounding limestone
539
00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:23,501
of the chamber.
540
00:32:25,801 --> 00:32:27,601
Inside the Valley of the Kings,
541
00:32:27,767 --> 00:32:30,467
it would have been brought in
from over a hundred miles away
542
00:32:30,467 --> 00:32:32,200
to create one thing,
543
00:32:33,100 --> 00:32:35,367
the Pharaoh's sarcophagus.
544
00:32:35,534 --> 00:32:36,601
[Anke speaking Arabic]
545
00:32:48,100 --> 00:32:52,567
Oh, my gosh, that's amazing.
Please try to clean it.
546
00:32:52,567 --> 00:32:53,901
Make all your notes.
547
00:32:54,067 --> 00:32:56,100
I want pictures
from before the cleaning
548
00:32:56,267 --> 00:32:57,167
and after the cleaning.
549
00:32:57,334 --> 00:33:00,067
And we will see.
That's amazing.
550
00:33:01,267 --> 00:33:05,267
The team keeps digging
and reveals even more
551
00:33:05,267 --> 00:33:07,067
of the precious granite pieces.
552
00:33:07,234 --> 00:33:08,667
[speaking Arabic]
553
00:33:27,267 --> 00:33:30,667
We have a very clear
corner here.
554
00:33:30,834 --> 00:33:32,467
I'm quite speechless.
555
00:33:32,467 --> 00:33:36,367
There are many possibilities
what this can actually be.
556
00:33:36,367 --> 00:33:40,200
That it is most
probably part of a foot,
557
00:33:40,367 --> 00:33:43,868
but, um, one thing is clear,
it is amazing.
558
00:33:45,467 --> 00:33:49,267
If this is the foot
of Ramses III's sarcophagus,
559
00:33:49,267 --> 00:33:51,968
it's a huge discovery.
560
00:33:52,133 --> 00:33:55,767
This pieces would be
an incredibly rare clue
561
00:33:55,767 --> 00:33:58,067
about how the king was buried.
562
00:33:59,167 --> 00:34:00,801
But something doesn't add up
563
00:34:01,968 --> 00:34:05,901
because the sarcophagus
belonging to Ramses III...
564
00:34:06,868 --> 00:34:08,367
already exists.
565
00:34:16,100 --> 00:34:20,567
Removed from the tomb
around 200 years ago
566
00:34:20,734 --> 00:34:26,334
is a 10-ton granite monolith,
and a colossal matching lid.
567
00:34:28,801 --> 00:34:32,601
It's covered from top to bottom
with religious texts
568
00:34:32,767 --> 00:34:34,701
bearing the name
of the king.
569
00:34:37,167 --> 00:34:41,968
And the top is carved
with Ramses as Osiris,
570
00:34:42,133 --> 00:34:43,267
the god of death.
571
00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,467
[Arto] The story of
the sarcophagus of Ramses III,
572
00:34:50,634 --> 00:34:53,968
the lid is actually
in England,
573
00:34:54,133 --> 00:34:58,467
whereas the box itself,
it's in the Louvre in Paris.
574
00:34:58,634 --> 00:35:01,167
It's very sad
because when people excavate
575
00:35:01,167 --> 00:35:04,167
or find things -- nowadays
to keep everything together --
576
00:35:04,334 --> 00:35:07,601
but in earlier periods,
it wasn't the case.
577
00:35:07,767 --> 00:35:10,167
The lid of Ramses' sarcophagus
578
00:35:10,167 --> 00:35:14,000
now lies thousands
of miles from his tomb,
579
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,667
but there are pieces missing.
580
00:35:16,834 --> 00:35:19,467
Has Anke's team now
found one of them,
581
00:35:19,634 --> 00:35:22,767
among the sand inside
Ramses' tomb?
582
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:28,367
Anke inspects a digital model
of the lid for clues.
583
00:35:29,968 --> 00:35:32,100
She finds the granite
at the bottom,
584
00:35:32,267 --> 00:35:34,000
around the pharaoh's feet,
is missing
585
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,667
and has been
reconstructed for display.
586
00:35:37,901 --> 00:35:41,701
This is the exciting thing.
The feet are missing.
587
00:35:42,667 --> 00:35:45,868
It is most likely
that this object here
588
00:35:45,868 --> 00:35:50,100
is a part
of this sarcophagus lid.
589
00:35:50,267 --> 00:35:53,667
Anke has a missing
piece of Ramses III's
590
00:35:53,667 --> 00:35:56,667
3,000-year-old sarcophagus lid.
591
00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,167
That's so incredible,
and it would be my dream
592
00:36:01,167 --> 00:36:04,601
to virtually reunite
these pieces.
593
00:36:04,767 --> 00:36:06,701
If they can unearth
more pieces...
594
00:36:06,868 --> 00:36:10,300
[speaking Arabic]
595
00:36:10,467 --> 00:36:13,167
...the team might decode
the most critical part
596
00:36:13,167 --> 00:36:15,000
of Ramses' burial chamber.
597
00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:20,267
The sarcophagus is the focal
point of the burial,
598
00:36:20,434 --> 00:36:23,667
containing the king's
instructions
599
00:36:23,834 --> 00:36:26,367
for navigating the afterlife.
600
00:36:26,367 --> 00:36:28,267
If the king didn't make it
to the afterlife,
601
00:36:28,267 --> 00:36:31,267
the sun might not rise,
the world might end.
602
00:36:31,434 --> 00:36:33,767
It was so important
to have sarcophagus
603
00:36:33,767 --> 00:36:36,667
to protect his body,
so his afterlife
604
00:36:36,667 --> 00:36:39,200
maintained the cosmic balance
of Ancient Egypt.
605
00:36:39,367 --> 00:36:40,801
So the stakes were pretty high.
606
00:36:47,367 --> 00:36:50,100
Inside pharaoh
Ramses III's tomb,
607
00:36:50,968 --> 00:36:52,701
the granite pieces
keep coming,
608
00:36:53,667 --> 00:36:58,267
and now, crucially,
with inscriptions.
609
00:36:58,267 --> 00:37:00,667
[Anke] We keep finding
pieces of rose granite,
610
00:37:00,834 --> 00:37:03,033
actually almost daily.
611
00:37:05,501 --> 00:37:07,467
We can see that here on top,
612
00:37:07,467 --> 00:37:11,067
the surface is sculpted
with a snake.
613
00:37:11,234 --> 00:37:12,400
And here on the sides,
614
00:37:12,567 --> 00:37:14,868
we have hieroglyphs
that tell us more
615
00:37:14,868 --> 00:37:16,801
about the deceased person
616
00:37:16,968 --> 00:37:21,367
and, uh, that he was actually,
here, he's called a god.
617
00:37:21,367 --> 00:37:23,167
Named as a god,
618
00:37:23,334 --> 00:37:26,901
it is almost certain to belong
to Ramses' sarcophagus,
619
00:37:27,067 --> 00:37:30,067
and the pieces even
fit together.
620
00:37:30,234 --> 00:37:32,400
-[Anke] Oh, wow!
-Wow!
621
00:37:32,567 --> 00:37:35,400
That works very well.
It fits exactly.
622
00:37:35,567 --> 00:37:37,467
That's perfect!
623
00:37:37,467 --> 00:37:39,100
It's absolutely amazing.
624
00:37:39,267 --> 00:37:41,267
But something is strange.
625
00:37:41,434 --> 00:37:42,701
[Anke] Great.
626
00:37:42,868 --> 00:37:44,701
Can you check
this piece, please?
627
00:37:44,868 --> 00:37:46,567
These newest pieces of granite
628
00:37:46,567 --> 00:37:48,868
don't match
with any part of the lid
629
00:37:49,033 --> 00:37:50,300
that is already known.
630
00:37:51,501 --> 00:37:54,667
For Anke, it can
only mean one thing.
631
00:37:54,834 --> 00:37:56,167
[Anke] I guess
that we have something
632
00:37:56,334 --> 00:37:57,801
that is even more exciting.
633
00:37:59,067 --> 00:38:04,300
So, it might be that we have
here one or even two other lids
634
00:38:04,467 --> 00:38:07,100
that probably belong
to Ramses III.
635
00:38:08,367 --> 00:38:10,100
It would mean that Ramses
636
00:38:10,100 --> 00:38:12,367
didn't just have
one sarcophagus,
637
00:38:13,868 --> 00:38:16,400
but two or even three,
638
00:38:16,567 --> 00:38:19,300
nested inside each other.
639
00:38:19,467 --> 00:38:21,567
Why would the Ancient Egyptians
640
00:38:21,734 --> 00:38:26,167
build such a difficult
and complicated construction?
641
00:38:31,868 --> 00:38:35,467
Outside in the Valley of
the Kings, Anke investigates.
642
00:38:37,667 --> 00:38:39,901
She explores a nearby tomb.
643
00:38:42,100 --> 00:38:46,801
Its long corridors
extend deep into the rock,
644
00:38:48,667 --> 00:38:51,400
and open to reveal
the burial chamber
645
00:38:51,567 --> 00:38:54,467
of one of
Ramses' predecessors,
646
00:38:54,467 --> 00:38:57,100
a king named Merenptah.
647
00:38:57,100 --> 00:39:00,968
His tombs actually worked
like a template.
648
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:06,467
It's basically a clue of how in
the tomb of Ramses III
649
00:39:06,634 --> 00:39:08,801
it once looked like.
650
00:39:08,968 --> 00:39:10,567
In the center
of the burial chamber,
651
00:39:11,667 --> 00:39:13,667
assembled from granite
fragments,
652
00:39:13,834 --> 00:39:15,567
is a gigantic box.
653
00:39:17,567 --> 00:39:19,968
13 feet long
and 8 feet high,
654
00:39:20,901 --> 00:39:24,167
it's the largest sarcophagus
in the Valley of the Kings.
655
00:39:27,701 --> 00:39:32,000
Next to it, Anke finds
a massive granite lid
656
00:39:33,167 --> 00:39:36,300
covered in beautiful
religious carvings.
657
00:39:38,567 --> 00:39:43,000
The pieces are part of a set
of four stone sarcophagi
658
00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:46,167
that all once
nested inside each other.
659
00:39:47,367 --> 00:39:50,367
[Anke] It's unbelievable
that they were able to lift
660
00:39:50,367 --> 00:39:52,667
these tons and tons
of massive material
661
00:39:52,834 --> 00:39:55,868
inside the burial chamber.
662
00:39:55,868 --> 00:39:59,200
And Anke has a theory
why the Ancient Egyptians
663
00:39:59,367 --> 00:40:01,667
went to such lengths.
664
00:40:01,667 --> 00:40:05,000
[Anke] It was of religious
significance
665
00:40:05,167 --> 00:40:07,667
to protect the deceased pharaoh.
666
00:40:08,868 --> 00:40:11,601
So nesting,
and nesting, and nesting
667
00:40:11,767 --> 00:40:13,501
until you come
to the centerpiece
668
00:40:13,667 --> 00:40:17,100
wrapped in his royal
linen for the mummy.
669
00:40:17,267 --> 00:40:20,567
Protecting the mummy
of the pharaoh was critical,
670
00:40:20,734 --> 00:40:22,868
but very few kings
in history
671
00:40:22,868 --> 00:40:26,601
had nested sarcophagi
this large and elaborate.
672
00:40:28,167 --> 00:40:32,200
Was this how Ramses III's
mummy was buried too?
673
00:40:33,167 --> 00:40:35,400
[Arto]
Oh, it would be spectacular
674
00:40:35,567 --> 00:40:39,100
if maybe, just maybe,
Ramses III was in fact buried
675
00:40:39,100 --> 00:40:42,267
in more than one sarcophagus.
676
00:40:42,267 --> 00:40:44,167
It's such a rare find.
677
00:40:44,167 --> 00:40:47,567
These tombs have been
robbed in antiquity.
678
00:40:47,734 --> 00:40:49,901
So to find extra evidence,
679
00:40:50,067 --> 00:40:52,667
anything that lets us
piece together
680
00:40:52,667 --> 00:40:55,300
how these incredible
figures from history
681
00:40:55,467 --> 00:40:58,767
were buried, we'd all be
all the richer for it.
682
00:40:59,667 --> 00:41:02,667
Ramses III was one
of the greatest pharaohs
683
00:41:02,667 --> 00:41:04,901
to have ruled Ancient Egypt.
684
00:41:05,968 --> 00:41:08,767
Could Anke's team be
on the verge of a discovery,
685
00:41:08,934 --> 00:41:11,601
kept secret for 3,000 years?
686
00:41:17,267 --> 00:41:18,901
In Egypt's Valley of the Kings,
687
00:41:20,267 --> 00:41:24,400
a team of archaeologists is
excavating the 3,000-year-old
688
00:41:24,567 --> 00:41:28,167
burial chamber of the murdered
pharaoh, Ramses III.
689
00:41:30,601 --> 00:41:33,901
They are now over halfway
through a three-month mission
690
00:41:34,067 --> 00:41:37,267
to unravel the mysterious
happenings inside his tomb.
691
00:41:39,467 --> 00:41:42,501
So far, they have unearthed
sacred ashabti,
692
00:41:42,667 --> 00:41:45,601
meant to help the pharaoh
in the afterlife,
693
00:41:45,767 --> 00:41:48,901
and the body parts
of other ancient elites.
694
00:41:50,601 --> 00:41:53,667
Now lead archaeologist,
Dr. Anke Weber,
695
00:41:54,667 --> 00:41:56,467
believes she has found pieces
696
00:41:56,467 --> 00:41:59,367
of the most important
burial artifact of all,
697
00:41:59,367 --> 00:42:01,767
the pharaoh's sarcophagus.
698
00:42:04,067 --> 00:42:08,567
So far, we have found around
about 29 pieces,
699
00:42:08,734 --> 00:42:11,501
larger pieces of
a sarcophagus.
700
00:42:11,667 --> 00:42:16,100
Anke is now sure there are
at least two new sarcophagi
701
00:42:16,100 --> 00:42:19,567
that have never been discovered
or recorded before.
702
00:42:19,734 --> 00:42:21,701
It's quite amazing,
because, uh,
703
00:42:21,868 --> 00:42:24,367
if we imagine what
we have here,
704
00:42:24,367 --> 00:42:29,000
this hill in front of us,
there must be more below.
705
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:32,767
With enough pieces,
like a giant puzzle,
706
00:42:32,934 --> 00:42:37,067
the team could rebuild Ramses'
missing sarcophagi
707
00:42:37,234 --> 00:42:40,267
and reveal to the world how
this great king
708
00:42:40,434 --> 00:42:43,100
was supposed to rest
for eternity.
709
00:42:47,868 --> 00:42:50,067
In the heart of his tomb,
710
00:42:50,234 --> 00:42:53,167
Anke believes that Ramses
would have laid cocooned
711
00:42:53,167 --> 00:42:57,067
inside at least two immense
nested sarcophagi,
712
00:42:59,167 --> 00:43:02,534
all encased by
a gigantic outer box,
713
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:09,100
with the walls painted
with religious spells,
714
00:43:11,567 --> 00:43:14,901
and burial treasures,
filling every chamber.
715
00:43:16,601 --> 00:43:20,000
Ramses' tomb was designed
to be the ultimate
716
00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:21,968
resurrection machine.
717
00:43:27,367 --> 00:43:29,767
[Salima] What Anke
is slowly revealing,
718
00:43:29,934 --> 00:43:32,400
square by square,
painstakingly,
719
00:43:32,567 --> 00:43:37,567
is an extraordinary insight
into what was deemed necessary
720
00:43:37,734 --> 00:43:40,100
for a king to reach
the afterworld.
721
00:43:42,467 --> 00:43:48,067
For any pharaoh, their tomb is
your gateway to eternal life.
722
00:43:48,234 --> 00:43:51,167
So, where your body
is supposed to rest undisturbed,
723
00:43:52,167 --> 00:43:56,200
where you are memorialized
with the gods.
724
00:43:57,868 --> 00:44:00,767
But Ramses III's body
was not undisturbed.
725
00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:04,467
What used to be
a glorious tomb,
726
00:44:04,634 --> 00:44:07,467
today, it lies destroyed.
727
00:44:08,767 --> 00:44:13,767
The once nested sarcophagi
have been smashed to pieces,
728
00:44:13,934 --> 00:44:18,467
which would have left Ramses'
mummy completely exposed.
729
00:44:18,634 --> 00:44:20,467
[Arto] Here's the big mystery.
730
00:44:20,467 --> 00:44:22,767
If you were to go, right now,
731
00:44:22,767 --> 00:44:27,367
to Cairo, you would see
Ramses III himself,
732
00:44:27,534 --> 00:44:30,567
his mummy, Ramses III
in the flesh.
733
00:44:30,567 --> 00:44:33,200
So then, what gives?
734
00:44:36,300 --> 00:44:38,167
If such a magnificent tomb
735
00:44:38,334 --> 00:44:41,567
has descended into
chaos and destruction,
736
00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:46,868
how did Ramses III's
mummy survive?
737
00:44:51,367 --> 00:44:54,667
Inside the tomb of Ramses III,
738
00:44:54,834 --> 00:44:58,067
Dr. Lutz Popko is in charge
of deciphering
739
00:44:58,234 --> 00:44:59,601
the hieroglyphic texts.
740
00:45:03,667 --> 00:45:07,601
Just above the burial chamber
are ancient inscriptions,
741
00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:11,868
graffiti carvings that record
visits to the tomb
742
00:45:11,868 --> 00:45:13,467
after Ramses' death.
743
00:45:14,667 --> 00:45:17,667
It's basically
a list of names,
744
00:45:17,834 --> 00:45:20,667
so one name
and one title per line.
745
00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:24,801
Lutz decodes the text.
746
00:45:24,968 --> 00:45:27,601
[speaking Ancient Egyptian]
747
00:45:29,267 --> 00:45:30,767
And one name stands out.
748
00:45:30,767 --> 00:45:33,000
[speaking Ancient Egyptian]
749
00:45:33,167 --> 00:45:37,567
Butehamun, scribe
of the royal tombs.
750
00:45:37,567 --> 00:45:39,801
[Lutz] It was a very
famous person.
751
00:45:41,100 --> 00:45:43,601
Butehamun was born
752
00:45:43,767 --> 00:45:48,000
around 50 years after
the death of Ramses III.
753
00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:51,601
Um, but he was strongly
connected to him.
754
00:45:53,567 --> 00:45:55,200
Who was Butehamun?
755
00:45:56,667 --> 00:46:01,100
And why was he in Ramses' tomb
after the king had died?
756
00:46:02,367 --> 00:46:05,300
Ramses III's death
was a turning point
757
00:46:05,467 --> 00:46:07,167
in Egyptian history.
758
00:46:07,334 --> 00:46:10,367
He stewarded Egypt
to this successful point.
759
00:46:12,567 --> 00:46:15,868
But after him,
everything seems to have caved.
760
00:46:16,033 --> 00:46:19,701
Whether it was as a military
power, economically,
761
00:46:19,868 --> 00:46:22,767
it really started to crumble.
762
00:46:22,934 --> 00:46:26,367
The result was a lapse
in public security,
763
00:46:26,367 --> 00:46:27,968
public safety,
764
00:46:28,133 --> 00:46:30,100
such that the tombs
in the Valley of the Kings
765
00:46:30,100 --> 00:46:34,200
began to suffer grievously
from tomb robberies.
766
00:46:35,100 --> 00:46:38,167
Was Butehamun,
whose name was written
767
00:46:38,334 --> 00:46:39,767
in the tomb graffiti,
768
00:46:39,934 --> 00:46:42,367
robbing the tomb
of Ramses III?
769
00:46:49,367 --> 00:46:52,501
Behind the great temple
of Medinet Habu,
770
00:46:54,367 --> 00:46:57,200
Meredith investigates
the ruins
771
00:46:57,367 --> 00:47:00,067
of a once magnificent
pillared house
772
00:47:00,868 --> 00:47:03,501
that could provide
a missing clue.
773
00:47:03,667 --> 00:47:06,467
[Meredith] It's vast.
It has these huge columns,
774
00:47:06,634 --> 00:47:08,767
and it's in
this prime location.
775
00:47:08,934 --> 00:47:11,167
It's clear the house
belongs to a member
776
00:47:11,334 --> 00:47:12,634
of the wealthy elite,
777
00:47:13,567 --> 00:47:18,801
and Meredith finds the owner's
name inscribed on the pillar.
778
00:47:18,968 --> 00:47:23,167
It says here that his name
is Butehamun,
779
00:47:23,334 --> 00:47:26,968
an he's an overseer
of the royal treasury.
780
00:47:27,133 --> 00:47:31,767
A code for the king's tombs,
hidden just over a mile away.
781
00:47:31,767 --> 00:47:34,367
[Meredith] Ancient Egyptians
didn't have coin money.
782
00:47:34,534 --> 00:47:37,167
Rather, Butehamun's house
was so close
783
00:47:37,167 --> 00:47:40,567
to an underground
treasury for Ancient Egypt.
784
00:47:40,734 --> 00:47:43,000
The tombs of the pharaohs
in the Valley of the Kings
785
00:47:43,167 --> 00:47:47,901
had a vast amount of wealth
buried under the ground.
786
00:47:50,367 --> 00:47:52,000
With the economy crumbling
787
00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:54,400
and the Valley's
security failing,
788
00:47:54,567 --> 00:47:57,501
the wealth is too much
for the authorities to ignore.
789
00:47:58,901 --> 00:48:03,100
Just 84 years
after Ramses III is buried,
790
00:48:03,100 --> 00:48:06,167
Butehamun is sent orders
from the top.
791
00:48:08,200 --> 00:48:09,701
"Inspect the royal tombs,
792
00:48:11,267 --> 00:48:13,100
"unwrap the Pharaoh's mummies,
793
00:48:14,767 --> 00:48:18,000
and remove all
the treasures inside."
794
00:48:20,100 --> 00:48:21,567
What better way of getting gold
795
00:48:21,734 --> 00:48:23,200
than just going
and digging up the kings
796
00:48:23,367 --> 00:48:24,534
and taking what they could?
797
00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:29,901
Egyptologists are
still trying to work out
798
00:48:30,067 --> 00:48:34,267
how Butehamun actually
carried out what he did,
799
00:48:34,267 --> 00:48:36,367
how much he left behind,
what he took.
800
00:48:37,667 --> 00:48:40,400
But for the most part,
he -- he was
801
00:48:40,567 --> 00:48:42,601
pretty thorough
in what he removed.
802
00:48:43,667 --> 00:48:46,100
Butehamun was
no ordinary thief.
803
00:48:47,167 --> 00:48:49,601
He was in charge
of a government plan
804
00:48:49,767 --> 00:48:52,501
to dismantle
the Valley of the Kings
805
00:48:52,667 --> 00:48:55,801
and take the Pharaoh's
treasures from their tombs.
806
00:48:57,901 --> 00:49:00,467
Butehamun is such
a fascinating figure,
807
00:49:00,634 --> 00:49:03,968
because we really don't fully
understand his motivations.
808
00:49:04,133 --> 00:49:06,267
We know he was in
the Valley of the Kings.
809
00:49:06,434 --> 00:49:09,167
We know he was
rewrapping the mummies.
810
00:49:09,334 --> 00:49:10,868
But one of the biggest
questions is,
811
00:49:11,033 --> 00:49:13,067
was Butehamun
robbing the pharaohs?
812
00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:15,300
Or was he saving them?
813
00:49:21,467 --> 00:49:23,467
For 3,000 years,
814
00:49:23,467 --> 00:49:25,901
Ramses' mummy
was never seen again.
815
00:49:27,467 --> 00:49:29,701
[Salima] Everyone thought
that these mummies,
816
00:49:29,868 --> 00:49:32,868
the kings and queens,
had been lost.
817
00:49:34,000 --> 00:49:36,467
Until 1881.
818
00:49:37,400 --> 00:49:40,701
Authorities receive a tip-off
from a local family
819
00:49:40,868 --> 00:49:42,167
of goat herders.
820
00:49:44,267 --> 00:49:46,467
They had come upon
a secret hidden tomb
821
00:49:46,467 --> 00:49:48,200
high in the mountains.
822
00:49:54,100 --> 00:49:57,200
It was to become the greatest
archaeological discovery
823
00:49:57,367 --> 00:49:59,601
in Egypt's history.
824
00:49:59,767 --> 00:50:01,901
[speaking Arabic]
825
00:50:14,467 --> 00:50:18,000
Meredith has come to explore
the secret tomb.
826
00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:19,667
[Meredith] This is incredible.
827
00:50:22,100 --> 00:50:23,367
This is so remote.
828
00:50:23,534 --> 00:50:26,167
No wonder it was
hidden for 3,000 years.
829
00:50:27,501 --> 00:50:31,601
Today, the tomb is only open
to those with special access
830
00:50:32,567 --> 00:50:37,667
and a way to scale down
the precarious 40-foot shaft.
831
00:50:37,834 --> 00:50:40,467
[speaking Arabic]
832
00:50:44,667 --> 00:50:47,367
This is such a rare chance
to go down this shaft,
833
00:50:47,367 --> 00:50:51,400
but it's a massive drop.
I'm a little bit scared.
834
00:50:51,567 --> 00:50:54,400
All right --
[laughing].
835
00:50:54,567 --> 00:50:56,467
This is terrifying.
836
00:51:05,567 --> 00:51:08,100
In the mountains,
above the Valley of the Kings.
837
00:51:08,100 --> 00:51:11,968
[Meredith laughs]
This is so crazy!
838
00:51:12,133 --> 00:51:14,100
Egyptologist Meredith Brand
839
00:51:14,100 --> 00:51:18,000
is following the trail
of Ramses III's mummy.
840
00:51:18,000 --> 00:51:19,667
[Meredith chuckles]
841
00:51:19,834 --> 00:51:22,100
I never thought in a million
years I'd do this!
842
00:51:22,100 --> 00:51:25,267
She's trying to uncover
why his body wasn't found
843
00:51:25,267 --> 00:51:27,100
inside his tomb.
844
00:51:27,100 --> 00:51:28,167
[sighs]
845
00:51:29,467 --> 00:51:31,267
Good job!
846
00:51:31,434 --> 00:51:32,467
That was incredible!
847
00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:36,267
It's so high up!
I can't believe I did that!
848
00:51:45,901 --> 00:51:48,667
All right.
It's so dark in here.
849
00:51:55,100 --> 00:51:56,367
It's a bit eerie.
850
00:51:58,467 --> 00:52:01,267
This is hacked out
of the mountain.
851
00:52:02,968 --> 00:52:04,601
It seems like, in a hurry,
852
00:52:04,767 --> 00:52:07,200
there's absolutely nothing
even here.
853
00:52:08,868 --> 00:52:12,167
There's no decoration.
There's no -- no nothing.
854
00:52:12,167 --> 00:52:14,100
It makes it feel like
a cave,
855
00:52:14,100 --> 00:52:15,467
not something that --
that a human
856
00:52:15,634 --> 00:52:16,701
could have made.
857
00:52:26,100 --> 00:52:27,567
200 Feet into the mountain,
858
00:52:29,667 --> 00:52:32,167
Meredith finally
reaches an opening.
859
00:52:32,167 --> 00:52:34,868
[exhales]
Oh, wow.
860
00:52:37,367 --> 00:52:38,467
This is amazing.
861
00:52:39,467 --> 00:52:41,901
It's the site
of a secret cache.
862
00:52:44,367 --> 00:52:46,801
Oh, this is incredible.
Wow.
863
00:52:49,200 --> 00:52:53,501
This was the hiding place
of over 50 royal mummies,
864
00:52:53,667 --> 00:52:56,567
including the mummy
of Ramses III.
865
00:52:58,367 --> 00:53:02,501
This tomb looks carved in
a haste and a bit unplanned,
866
00:53:03,467 --> 00:53:06,100
but the mummies were here
for a reason.
867
00:53:06,267 --> 00:53:10,267
The king was a living god.
The mummy was vital.
868
00:53:11,367 --> 00:53:15,567
This was an official program
of removing the mummies
869
00:53:15,734 --> 00:53:17,400
from the tombs
in the Valley of the Kings
870
00:53:17,567 --> 00:53:19,701
and hiding them here.
871
00:53:19,868 --> 00:53:23,601
Although Butehamun,
overseer of the royal treasury,
872
00:53:23,767 --> 00:53:26,100
strips the kings
of their burial goods
873
00:53:26,267 --> 00:53:28,868
to rescue the failing economy,
874
00:53:30,901 --> 00:53:32,467
he also leads a mission
875
00:53:32,467 --> 00:53:35,667
to protect the kings
and queens for eternity.
876
00:53:37,868 --> 00:53:41,300
Eventually, the authorities
hide over 50 mummies
877
00:53:41,467 --> 00:53:43,100
in labeled wooden coffins
878
00:53:43,100 --> 00:53:46,801
to save their sacred bodies
from destruction.
879
00:53:50,367 --> 00:53:53,968
[Meredith] They chose a perfect
spot hidden from everyone.
880
00:53:54,133 --> 00:53:58,267
And for over 3,000 years,
no one knew
881
00:53:58,267 --> 00:54:01,367
where the mummies
of the pharaohs were.
882
00:54:01,367 --> 00:54:02,801
The discovery of this cave
883
00:54:02,968 --> 00:54:05,000
filled with the royal mummies
of the kings
884
00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:07,868
is probably
the most important discovery
885
00:54:07,868 --> 00:54:09,167
in all of Egyptology.
886
00:54:10,767 --> 00:54:13,267
We can now look
at Ramses III.
887
00:54:13,267 --> 00:54:14,567
We have his mummy.
888
00:54:18,667 --> 00:54:20,467
[Salima] To stand in front
of the royal mummies,
889
00:54:20,634 --> 00:54:22,067
it's sort of a game changer.
890
00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:27,200
You are there with
the most powerful people
891
00:54:27,367 --> 00:54:28,968
in the ancient world,
892
00:54:29,133 --> 00:54:32,567
but also you are being
able to, on some level,
893
00:54:32,567 --> 00:54:34,000
interact with them.
894
00:54:35,167 --> 00:54:37,467
It is a telescoping of time.
895
00:54:38,801 --> 00:54:41,167
It is meeting
an Ancient Egyptian.
896
00:54:41,167 --> 00:54:43,067
And for many people,
897
00:54:43,234 --> 00:54:46,767
it changes
their perception of the past,
898
00:54:46,767 --> 00:54:48,801
of Egypt as a whole,
899
00:54:48,968 --> 00:54:51,467
but also
how you think of the past,
900
00:54:51,634 --> 00:54:53,067
how you think
of the dead.
901
00:54:54,267 --> 00:54:57,000
The mummy
of Ramses III lives on
902
00:54:58,367 --> 00:55:01,000
and so too
does his legacy
903
00:55:01,167 --> 00:55:03,567
in the Valley of the Kings.
904
00:55:09,167 --> 00:55:12,100
Anke now has one
crucial question.
905
00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:16,467
Could there
be lost burial treasures
906
00:55:16,467 --> 00:55:18,400
that belong
to the great pharaoh
907
00:55:18,567 --> 00:55:20,467
still hidden inside his tomb?
908
00:55:22,100 --> 00:55:24,467
Finding something like this
would be so rare,
909
00:55:24,467 --> 00:55:28,767
it hasn't happened
in over 100 years.
910
00:55:28,934 --> 00:55:30,467
[speaking Arabic]
911
00:55:36,167 --> 00:55:38,968
[Anke] Since the time
of Howard Carter,
912
00:55:39,133 --> 00:55:42,567
since they were working
in the tomb of Tutankhamun,
913
00:55:42,734 --> 00:55:46,968
no original burial equipment
of an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh
914
00:55:47,133 --> 00:55:49,968
has been found here in
the Valley of the Kings.
915
00:55:51,100 --> 00:55:54,467
It would be amazing
to find some pieces
916
00:55:54,467 --> 00:55:56,601
that belong to Ramses III.
917
00:56:01,100 --> 00:56:03,767
Anke is relying
on the expertise
918
00:56:03,934 --> 00:56:07,267
and eagle eyes
of her right hand man,
919
00:56:07,434 --> 00:56:10,033
Rais Mahmoud Abu Diab.
920
00:56:12,501 --> 00:56:15,501
[speaking Arabic]
921
00:56:20,868 --> 00:56:22,567
[Rais continues in Arabic]
922
00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:41,801
[Anke] Our Egyptian workmen
are a great team.
923
00:56:41,968 --> 00:56:45,300
Believe me,
it's very challenging.
924
00:56:45,467 --> 00:56:47,701
You have to lift very
heavy limestones,
925
00:56:47,868 --> 00:56:49,367
and on the other way around,
926
00:56:49,367 --> 00:56:53,567
you're like brushing
tiny pieces out of the sand.
927
00:56:53,567 --> 00:56:56,067
It's absolutely incredible.
928
00:56:56,234 --> 00:57:00,067
[speaking Arabic]
929
00:57:05,901 --> 00:57:08,100
After almost a month
of heavy lifting,
930
00:57:08,100 --> 00:57:11,000
the team has now
cleared the top layers
931
00:57:11,000 --> 00:57:13,367
of limestone
debris from the tomb.
932
00:57:13,534 --> 00:57:16,167
[speaking Arabic]
933
00:57:20,567 --> 00:57:23,667
But beneath is an even
bigger challenge.
934
00:57:23,667 --> 00:57:26,367
The entire floor
of the burial chamber
935
00:57:26,534 --> 00:57:30,100
is encased in a rock-hard layer
of dried-out mud.
936
00:57:31,400 --> 00:57:34,667
Anke thinks it's evidence
of intense flooding
937
00:57:34,834 --> 00:57:37,367
from around 130 years ago.
938
00:57:37,534 --> 00:57:40,267
[Anke] The Valley of the Kings
is a dried-out riverbed.
939
00:57:40,267 --> 00:57:43,767
We have to imagine now,
this heavy force of water
940
00:57:43,934 --> 00:57:47,667
coming down from the hills
and taking everything with it,
941
00:57:47,834 --> 00:57:50,167
destroying everything
in its way.
942
00:57:51,701 --> 00:57:55,167
The team gives each clump
of sediment an ID number,
943
00:57:56,267 --> 00:57:58,100
before hauling them out
of the ground.
944
00:58:00,467 --> 00:58:03,667
They break open every single
one searching for artifacts
945
00:58:04,767 --> 00:58:07,667
and sift the sediment,
so that nothing is missed.
946
00:58:08,767 --> 00:58:11,901
But the flood destruction has
left very little behind.
947
00:58:13,000 --> 00:58:17,000
We have some older pieces,
like this very deteriorated
948
00:58:17,000 --> 00:58:18,100
piece of wood.
949
00:58:18,267 --> 00:58:20,601
It's a massive blow.
950
00:58:20,767 --> 00:58:23,467
With such extensive
flood damage,
951
00:58:23,467 --> 00:58:25,467
Anke faces the possibility
952
00:58:25,467 --> 00:58:28,968
might be no treasure
left at all.
953
00:58:30,267 --> 00:58:33,167
But as the team finally breaks
through the mud layer,
954
00:58:34,367 --> 00:58:37,067
Anke spots
something unexpected.
955
00:58:38,167 --> 00:58:39,868
This is not normal.
956
00:58:46,167 --> 00:58:49,501
Inside the tomb
of Pharaoh Ramses III,
957
00:58:49,667 --> 00:58:53,000
beneath the compacted
layer of mud,
958
00:58:53,167 --> 00:58:56,167
a strange type of sand
catches Anke's attention.
959
00:58:57,801 --> 00:58:59,968
It doesn't look like
the same sand found
960
00:59:00,200 --> 00:59:01,767
in the Valley of the Kings.
961
00:59:02,868 --> 00:59:06,367
And the one-foot deep layer
is smoothed out
962
00:59:06,534 --> 00:59:08,968
across the entire floor
of the burial chamber,
963
00:59:10,000 --> 00:59:14,100
as if it has been filled up
by someone on purpose.
964
00:59:15,167 --> 00:59:17,567
[Anke] It's very intriguing
and puzzling
965
00:59:17,567 --> 00:59:18,968
what this actually is.
966
00:59:19,133 --> 00:59:21,868
This is almost everywhere
on the same level.
967
00:59:21,868 --> 00:59:25,267
There's only a difference
of a couple of centimeters,
968
00:59:25,267 --> 00:59:28,801
and this is,
uh, quite mysterious.
969
00:59:28,968 --> 00:59:31,601
Anke takes the sand
to the team for analysis.
970
00:59:32,767 --> 00:59:34,267
Under the microscope,
971
00:59:34,267 --> 00:59:37,000
the grains
confirm her suspicions.
972
00:59:37,167 --> 00:59:40,667
The sand doesn't come
from the Valley of the Kings.
973
00:59:42,167 --> 00:59:44,868
[Anke] We are very curious
about the sand.
974
00:59:45,033 --> 00:59:47,667
It's very clean and uniform,
975
00:59:47,834 --> 00:59:52,367
not the typical, um, yeah --
sand that you would expect.
976
00:59:52,534 --> 00:59:56,100
Now we want to try to find out
where this originates from
977
00:59:56,267 --> 00:59:59,567
and why it was brought
there in this area.
978
01:00:00,567 --> 01:00:03,501
Why would anybody bring
over 20 tons of sand
979
01:00:03,667 --> 01:00:05,267
into this burial chamber?
980
01:00:07,501 --> 01:00:11,467
Anke has one outlandish theory.
981
01:00:11,634 --> 01:00:15,100
It involves the most famous
discovery of all time,
982
01:00:15,267 --> 01:00:18,000
King Tut,
and the man responsible...
983
01:00:19,567 --> 01:00:20,767
Howard Carter.
984
01:00:22,100 --> 01:00:24,567
[Anke] There are many
rumors surrounding
985
01:00:24,567 --> 01:00:26,767
the mystery of Howard Carter.
986
01:00:27,767 --> 01:00:32,100
One of those describes
that Carter actually hid
987
01:00:32,100 --> 01:00:35,000
some objects from the tomb
of Tutankhamun
988
01:00:35,167 --> 01:00:37,367
in order to keep
them for himself.
989
01:00:38,701 --> 01:00:42,000
We know that Howard Carter
was a chief inspector
990
01:00:42,000 --> 01:00:44,067
inside the Valley of the Kings.
991
01:00:44,234 --> 01:00:48,267
And we know that he worked
inside the tomb of Ramses III.
992
01:00:49,567 --> 01:00:52,167
We never know
what we will find.
993
01:00:52,334 --> 01:00:54,701
Still, there are
mysteries, to solve.
994
01:00:57,000 --> 01:00:59,300
Could this mysterious
layer of sand
995
01:00:59,467 --> 01:01:03,701
indicate that Howard Carter,
discoverer of King Tut,
996
01:01:03,868 --> 01:01:07,367
hid treasures
within Ramses III's tomb?
997
01:01:09,601 --> 01:01:11,567
[dramatic string music plays]
998
01:01:15,167 --> 01:01:17,901
In the hills above
the Valley of the Kings,
999
01:01:19,067 --> 01:01:22,868
Egyptian heritage expert,
Sally El-Sabbahy
1000
01:01:22,868 --> 01:01:25,467
is following
Howard Carter's trail.
1001
01:01:26,667 --> 01:01:29,567
She hikes to one of the most
sacred lookouts in Egypt.
1002
01:01:31,100 --> 01:01:33,000
[Sally] No matter
how many times
1003
01:01:33,000 --> 01:01:34,601
I've come to
the Valley of the Kings,
1004
01:01:34,767 --> 01:01:39,667
I'm still always struck
by just the scale of the place.
1005
01:01:39,834 --> 01:01:41,567
It just -- it never gets old.
1006
01:01:41,734 --> 01:01:44,801
You just keep learning,
you keep feeling humbled.
1007
01:01:44,968 --> 01:01:47,667
It's truly a really
special place.
1008
01:01:47,834 --> 01:01:51,567
Sally examines photographs
taken over 100 years ago.
1009
01:01:52,767 --> 01:01:55,367
They reveal the beginning
of Carter's mission,
1010
01:01:56,501 --> 01:02:00,167
to find the lost tomb
of a forgotten pharaoh
1011
01:02:00,334 --> 01:02:02,100
named Tutankhamun,
1012
01:02:02,968 --> 01:02:05,767
today known to the world
as King Tut.
1013
01:02:07,200 --> 01:02:09,067
Carter would have been
dealing with a much
1014
01:02:09,234 --> 01:02:10,767
uh, more barren environment,
1015
01:02:10,767 --> 01:02:12,501
much more
complicated environment,
1016
01:02:12,667 --> 01:02:14,868
because at that point
there was still a lot of debris
1017
01:02:14,868 --> 01:02:16,701
filling the valley.
1018
01:02:16,868 --> 01:02:18,267
From the valley floor,
1019
01:02:18,434 --> 01:02:22,067
Carter removes thousands
of tons of rubble.
1020
01:02:23,501 --> 01:02:28,400
Ancient floods have completely
concealed any sign of a tomb.
1021
01:02:28,567 --> 01:02:31,000
[Sally] Carter was dealing
with what we could describe
1022
01:02:31,167 --> 01:02:34,000
as almost
impossible circumstances.
1023
01:02:34,167 --> 01:02:36,000
You really get a sense
from this photo
1024
01:02:36,000 --> 01:02:38,367
of just the immense
amount of material
1025
01:02:38,367 --> 01:02:40,901
there was to work through
as an archaeologist
1026
01:02:41,067 --> 01:02:44,267
searching for really anything
in this valley.
1027
01:02:45,467 --> 01:02:47,567
After five years of digging,
1028
01:02:47,734 --> 01:02:52,100
Carter is still no closer
to finding the tomb.
1029
01:02:52,100 --> 01:02:53,367
[Sally] By this point,
1030
01:02:53,367 --> 01:02:56,667
he had one last
season with funding secured,
1031
01:02:56,667 --> 01:02:58,000
so it was make-or-break.
1032
01:02:58,000 --> 01:02:59,667
If he hadn't found the tomb
1033
01:02:59,667 --> 01:03:03,200
at that exact moment in time,
he probably never would have.
1034
01:03:04,300 --> 01:03:07,000
On November 4th, 1922,
1035
01:03:07,000 --> 01:03:09,367
battling the heat and dust,
1036
01:03:09,367 --> 01:03:13,067
finally Carter finds
what he's looking for...
1037
01:03:14,567 --> 01:03:18,100
a buried staircase
that leads
1038
01:03:18,100 --> 01:03:20,167
to a sealed doorway.
1039
01:03:22,100 --> 01:03:23,367
[Sally] And, um,
1040
01:03:23,534 --> 01:03:26,567
that's when he kinda carved out
a little hole and stuck
1041
01:03:26,734 --> 01:03:28,367
a candlestick through
and looked through,
1042
01:03:28,367 --> 01:03:29,868
and he made
that famous statement
1043
01:03:30,033 --> 01:03:32,000
that he had seen
wonderful things
1044
01:03:32,167 --> 01:03:35,167
because he basically
saw a full tomb
1045
01:03:35,167 --> 01:03:36,968
with all of its
funerary equipment,
1046
01:03:37,133 --> 01:03:38,367
which is something
that we had never seen
1047
01:03:38,534 --> 01:03:39,467
before or since.
1048
01:03:48,000 --> 01:03:49,467
Inside the tomb,
1049
01:03:50,667 --> 01:03:54,868
Carter finds a room
crammed full of chariots,
1050
01:03:56,701 --> 01:03:59,767
thrones, and gilded statues.
1051
01:04:01,167 --> 01:04:02,300
In the burial chamber...
1052
01:04:04,067 --> 01:04:06,667
is an intricately
carved sarcophagus
1053
01:04:07,901 --> 01:04:10,667
and a coffin
made of solid gold
1054
01:04:10,667 --> 01:04:13,667
that housed the mummy
of the king.
1055
01:04:13,834 --> 01:04:17,501
It's hard to understand now
the magnitude of the discovery
1056
01:04:17,667 --> 01:04:19,367
of the tomb of Tutankhamun,
1057
01:04:19,367 --> 01:04:24,467
but in 1922, it was the biggest
news story in the world,
1058
01:04:24,467 --> 01:04:27,000
and the gold,
the glamour, the glitz,
1059
01:04:27,167 --> 01:04:29,868
it made everyone
completely crazy
1060
01:04:29,868 --> 01:04:31,601
about Ancient Egypt.
1061
01:04:34,067 --> 01:04:39,300
[Arto] Finally, we actually got
a tomb in which all that wealth
1062
01:04:39,467 --> 01:04:44,367
of Ancient Egyptian kings
came to full display, like real,
1063
01:04:44,534 --> 01:04:48,901
actual objects reflecting
the splendor of the kings
1064
01:04:49,067 --> 01:04:50,567
of the New Kingdom.
1065
01:04:50,734 --> 01:04:52,400
The discovery
was a game changer
1066
01:04:52,567 --> 01:04:54,267
for the Valley of the Kings,
1067
01:04:54,267 --> 01:04:57,667
archeology,
and modern Egypt itself.
1068
01:04:58,667 --> 01:05:00,868
Personally speaking,
as an Egyptian,
1069
01:05:00,868 --> 01:05:04,267
this was such an amazing
moment in our history,
1070
01:05:04,434 --> 01:05:07,100
because it was really --
it took place at a turning point
1071
01:05:07,267 --> 01:05:11,467
when Egypt was forming
its own independent identity.
1072
01:05:11,467 --> 01:05:14,767
And Tutankhamun
literally was the face.
1073
01:05:14,934 --> 01:05:17,567
He gave us that identity
that was something of our own.
1074
01:05:26,467 --> 01:05:29,000
But despite
the earth-shattering find,
1075
01:05:29,167 --> 01:05:33,767
Egypt's growing independence
left Carter with a bombshell.
1076
01:05:34,801 --> 01:05:36,501
[Sally] Until that point,
1077
01:05:36,667 --> 01:05:39,000
what had dictated all
of the discoveries made
1078
01:05:39,000 --> 01:05:41,567
by foreign nationals
and missions in Egypt
1079
01:05:41,567 --> 01:05:43,467
was a 50-50 split.
1080
01:05:43,467 --> 01:05:45,267
And so Carter anticipated
1081
01:05:45,434 --> 01:05:47,801
that they would be able
to keep 50%
1082
01:05:47,968 --> 01:05:49,267
of whatever they found here.
1083
01:05:49,434 --> 01:05:53,200
And literally just mere weeks,
actually, before the discovery,
1084
01:05:53,367 --> 01:05:56,000
the Antiquities Department
changed that law
1085
01:05:56,167 --> 01:05:58,334
and got rid of
the 50-50 split.
1086
01:06:00,868 --> 01:06:02,868
I -- I think this was
a tough pill to swallow
1087
01:06:03,033 --> 01:06:04,067
for a very long time,
1088
01:06:04,234 --> 01:06:05,968
and Carter
did fight it for a while.
1089
01:06:06,133 --> 01:06:09,601
Carter had no treasures
to call his own,
1090
01:06:09,767 --> 01:06:12,767
and he was suspected
of stealing.
1091
01:06:14,300 --> 01:06:16,567
[Sally] There was
always a concern
1092
01:06:16,567 --> 01:06:18,968
from officials that something
could be taken
1093
01:06:19,133 --> 01:06:20,367
without their knowledge.
1094
01:06:20,367 --> 01:06:22,067
And so...
1095
01:06:22,234 --> 01:06:24,100
because of that,
Carter had to tread
1096
01:06:24,267 --> 01:06:25,567
very carefully.
1097
01:06:25,567 --> 01:06:30,067
Would Carter read have stolen
from the tomb of Tutankhamun?
1098
01:06:30,234 --> 01:06:33,100
And if so, could
he have buried treasures
1099
01:06:33,267 --> 01:06:35,000
just a few hundred feet away
1100
01:06:35,000 --> 01:06:38,067
in the burial chamber
of Ramses III?
1101
01:06:44,868 --> 01:06:46,200
Inside the tomb...
1102
01:06:47,467 --> 01:06:49,000
[speaking Arabic]
1103
01:06:50,467 --> 01:06:51,968
...Anke finds a clue,
1104
01:06:53,000 --> 01:06:55,801
a fragment of glistening
blue pottery.
1105
01:06:57,467 --> 01:06:58,801
It's broken,
1106
01:06:58,968 --> 01:07:01,968
but its vivid color
and decoration suggests
1107
01:07:02,133 --> 01:07:05,567
something ancient
and royal.
1108
01:07:05,567 --> 01:07:08,167
Wow, that's beautiful piece!
1109
01:07:09,467 --> 01:07:11,267
What is this treasure?
1110
01:07:11,434 --> 01:07:13,968
And more importantly,
which pharaoh
1111
01:07:14,133 --> 01:07:15,100
does it belong to?
1112
01:07:28,000 --> 01:07:29,868
Sally El-Sabbahy
1113
01:07:30,033 --> 01:07:32,767
investigates suspicions
that Howard Carter,
1114
01:07:32,934 --> 01:07:35,801
discoverer of King Tut,
stole royal treasures
1115
01:07:35,968 --> 01:07:39,000
and hid them
in Ramses III's tomb.
1116
01:07:40,901 --> 01:07:42,868
Just outside the valley,
1117
01:07:42,868 --> 01:07:45,767
she explores
his old dig house for clues.
1118
01:07:49,367 --> 01:07:51,667
[Sally] You really feel like
you're in the home of somebody
1119
01:07:51,834 --> 01:07:54,167
with a very strong
personality and character.
1120
01:07:55,801 --> 01:07:57,567
And I think that's such
a critical part
1121
01:07:57,734 --> 01:08:00,067
of understanding
who this person was.
1122
01:08:03,467 --> 01:08:04,767
Inside the house,
1123
01:08:05,868 --> 01:08:07,801
Carter's team had
a darkroom
1124
01:08:08,868 --> 01:08:12,400
and created thousands
of photographs of the dig
1125
01:08:12,567 --> 01:08:14,501
and its treasures.
1126
01:08:16,968 --> 01:08:20,000
Everything was photographed
in excruciating detail.
1127
01:08:20,968 --> 01:08:22,567
That was unprecedented.
1128
01:08:28,000 --> 01:08:31,100
By all measures, I think
that we can safely consider
1129
01:08:31,100 --> 01:08:32,601
Howard Carter a pioneer
1130
01:08:32,767 --> 01:08:35,400
in terms of how
he handled this discovery.
1131
01:08:37,868 --> 01:08:41,000
And yet, despite
his forensic approach,
1132
01:08:41,167 --> 01:08:42,601
Carter had a secret.
1133
01:08:44,300 --> 01:08:47,667
Rumors of stealing treasures
have followed Howard Carter
1134
01:08:47,834 --> 01:08:50,567
for over a century.
1135
01:08:50,567 --> 01:08:54,367
Now, finally, hard evidence
has come to light.
1136
01:08:56,567 --> 01:09:00,400
Shown for the very first time,
are unpublished letters
1137
01:09:00,567 --> 01:09:03,167
from 10 years
after the discovery
1138
01:09:03,167 --> 01:09:05,501
between one of Carter's
colleagues,
1139
01:09:05,667 --> 01:09:08,767
Alan Gardiner,
and other experts.
1140
01:09:09,767 --> 01:09:12,367
[Sally] It's apparently
addressing an amulet
1141
01:09:12,367 --> 01:09:15,567
that Carter gave
to Gardiner as a gift.
1142
01:09:16,767 --> 01:09:20,601
So this letter opens with this
really interesting sentence
1143
01:09:20,767 --> 01:09:23,267
that reads, "The whm amulet
you showed me
1144
01:09:23,267 --> 01:09:26,467
"has undoubtedly been stolen
from the tomb of Tutankhamun
1145
01:09:26,467 --> 01:09:28,868
before the objects
were sent to the museum."
1146
01:09:32,300 --> 01:09:36,467
The amulet, like this one,
was a perfect match
1147
01:09:36,467 --> 01:09:40,167
with the others that were kept
at the Egyptian Museum.
1148
01:09:40,167 --> 01:09:44,200
Gardiner confronts
Howard Carter in a letter.
1149
01:09:44,367 --> 01:09:46,567
"I deeply regret having
been placed
1150
01:09:46,567 --> 01:09:48,968
in so awkward a position."
1151
01:09:49,133 --> 01:09:52,167
The concern from Gardiner
was probably to have
1152
01:09:52,167 --> 01:09:54,067
an object like that
in his possession.
1153
01:09:54,234 --> 01:09:55,868
And I think there also
must have been
1154
01:09:55,868 --> 01:09:58,467
a bit of, uh,
embarrassment knowing
1155
01:09:58,634 --> 01:10:00,601
that he had also
kind of outed Carter.
1156
01:10:02,000 --> 01:10:04,868
What's really important
about these letters
1157
01:10:04,868 --> 01:10:09,567
is that this is the first,
not just written, but hard proof
1158
01:10:09,734 --> 01:10:14,367
that objects had been taken out
of the tomb of Tutankhamun,
1159
01:10:14,367 --> 01:10:17,167
apparently directly
by Carter himself.
1160
01:10:17,334 --> 01:10:21,367
So why was the theft covered
up for almost 100 years?
1161
01:10:22,701 --> 01:10:25,267
[Sally] What these letters
really show me
1162
01:10:25,434 --> 01:10:28,367
is that there was really
a concerted effort to
1163
01:10:28,534 --> 01:10:31,667
not tarnish
this incredible discovery,
1164
01:10:31,667 --> 01:10:35,667
by revealing
unsavory things about Carter.
1165
01:10:35,667 --> 01:10:38,968
Because at the end of the day,
this was not about Carter.
1166
01:10:39,133 --> 01:10:40,567
He was the discoverer, yes,
1167
01:10:40,734 --> 01:10:43,801
but this was about Tutankhamun
and his tomb,
1168
01:10:43,968 --> 01:10:47,100
and this incredible legacy
of the Valley of the Kings.
1169
01:10:49,067 --> 01:10:51,000
Hero or villain,
1170
01:10:51,000 --> 01:10:54,868
the discovery raises a new
possibility for Anke's mission.
1171
01:10:56,300 --> 01:10:58,200
[Meredith] There were
over 5,000 artifacts
1172
01:10:58,367 --> 01:11:00,467
found in the tomb
of King Tut.
1173
01:11:00,634 --> 01:11:03,300
Maybe Howard Carter took some
of these small finds
1174
01:11:03,467 --> 01:11:05,868
out of the tomb, and who
knows where they are?
1175
01:11:07,467 --> 01:11:10,567
Carter once worked
in Ramses III's tomb,
1176
01:11:10,734 --> 01:11:13,267
just a few hundred
feet from Tut.
1177
01:11:16,567 --> 01:11:19,167
Did Carter hide
stolen treasures
1178
01:11:19,334 --> 01:11:22,467
beneath the unexpected sand
that Anke has found?
1179
01:11:32,801 --> 01:11:35,000
At the team's dig-house
headquarters,
1180
01:11:35,167 --> 01:11:39,200
Anke and her colleague,
Lea Rees, investigate.
1181
01:11:39,367 --> 01:11:41,567
But as you can see...
1182
01:11:41,567 --> 01:11:45,100
They want to find out
when the sand was dumped there,
1183
01:11:45,100 --> 01:11:48,868
and they find a clue in notes
left by an explorer
1184
01:11:48,868 --> 01:11:51,367
from the late 1800s.
1185
01:11:51,534 --> 01:11:54,901
[Anke] Here we have one
from the year 1891.
1186
01:11:55,067 --> 01:11:57,801
He is writing how
vivid the colors are
1187
01:11:57,968 --> 01:12:00,167
in the burial chamber.
1188
01:12:00,334 --> 01:12:02,100
As of 1891,
1189
01:12:02,267 --> 01:12:05,467
the burial chamber was
still in pristine condition.
1190
01:12:06,767 --> 01:12:08,968
And a couple of years later,
1191
01:12:09,133 --> 01:12:12,801
in 1895, he's writing here
1192
01:12:12,968 --> 01:12:15,000
that the rooms
are "much damaged,
1193
01:12:15,000 --> 01:12:18,467
and need detain the traveler
but a short time."
1194
01:12:18,467 --> 01:12:22,767
So this means that already
something must have happened
1195
01:12:22,767 --> 01:12:25,868
and destroyed the rare
compartments so heavily
1196
01:12:25,868 --> 01:12:27,801
that they were inaccessible.
1197
01:12:27,968 --> 01:12:30,868
In just four years,
by 1895,
1198
01:12:31,033 --> 01:12:33,868
flooding must have already
destroyed the chamber.
1199
01:12:35,200 --> 01:12:37,267
It means the sand
must have been dumped
1200
01:12:37,434 --> 01:12:42,400
long before Carter worked
in the valley in the 1900s.
1201
01:12:42,567 --> 01:12:44,901
It would mean
that Howard Carter
1202
01:12:45,067 --> 01:12:47,267
is not the one
who could have brought
1203
01:12:47,434 --> 01:12:49,000
the sand layer inside.
1204
01:12:50,400 --> 01:12:52,801
So the blue pottery
doesn't belong to Tut.
1205
01:12:54,501 --> 01:12:58,067
But could that mean something
even more intriguing?
1206
01:12:58,234 --> 01:13:01,200
Could it belong
to Ramses III himself?
1207
01:13:12,167 --> 01:13:14,167
Back inside the tombs,
1208
01:13:14,167 --> 01:13:17,701
the team has now
unearthed over 20 pieces
1209
01:13:17,868 --> 01:13:20,167
of the mysterious
blue pottery.
1210
01:13:21,767 --> 01:13:26,000
[Anke] We have here some
very dazzling blue shining
1211
01:13:26,000 --> 01:13:29,667
glazed fragments
that came out of the bottom
1212
01:13:29,667 --> 01:13:31,767
from our excavation.
1213
01:13:33,467 --> 01:13:36,200
It could be the first burial
treasure discovered
1214
01:13:36,367 --> 01:13:39,100
in a king's tomb in 100 years.
1215
01:13:40,701 --> 01:13:43,000
They begin the painstaking task
1216
01:13:43,000 --> 01:13:46,467
of trying to glue
the fragments together.
1217
01:13:48,901 --> 01:13:51,868
Anke thinks they once belonged
to a set of vases
1218
01:13:52,033 --> 01:13:54,567
that held sacred oils
and perfumes.
1219
01:13:56,067 --> 01:13:58,767
[Anke] We are thinking
that it must have been
1220
01:13:58,934 --> 01:14:01,167
in the realm of beauty,
1221
01:14:01,167 --> 01:14:04,667
making yourself fresh
in the morning.
1222
01:14:04,834 --> 01:14:06,267
They are remarkable pieces.
1223
01:14:08,067 --> 01:14:12,300
But Anke hasn't been able
to prove the owner.
1224
01:14:12,467 --> 01:14:14,000
Until now.
1225
01:14:14,000 --> 01:14:17,367
[Anke] We found a very,
very special piece.
1226
01:14:17,534 --> 01:14:22,200
So we can probably compare
that here on one of the pillars.
1227
01:14:22,367 --> 01:14:26,167
The writing almost perfectly
matches Ramses III's name
1228
01:14:26,334 --> 01:14:28,767
on the walls of his tomb.
1229
01:14:28,934 --> 01:14:31,868
[Anke] The sign heka,
means ruler.
1230
01:14:32,033 --> 01:14:34,367
Without any doubt,
we have here
1231
01:14:34,367 --> 01:14:38,100
a part of the original burial
equipment of Ramses III.
1232
01:14:38,267 --> 01:14:39,601
It's amazing.
1233
01:14:41,167 --> 01:14:44,100
An original artifact
that brings Anke closer
1234
01:14:44,100 --> 01:14:47,501
to the great pharaoh
and his spectacular burial.
1235
01:14:51,367 --> 01:14:54,767
The fragments reveal
Ramses was buried
1236
01:14:54,767 --> 01:14:57,000
with at least four blue vases,
1237
01:14:58,601 --> 01:15:02,367
designed to hold sacred
perfumes and oils.
1238
01:15:04,367 --> 01:15:05,767
Placed within his tomb,
1239
01:15:07,000 --> 01:15:10,667
they may be the last surviving
treasures that belonged
1240
01:15:10,834 --> 01:15:12,868
to Ramses III.
1241
01:15:19,400 --> 01:15:21,601
It's, uh, simply beautiful
1242
01:15:21,767 --> 01:15:24,300
to have all these
pieces here together,
1243
01:15:24,467 --> 01:15:26,400
to see them shining,
and to know
1244
01:15:26,567 --> 01:15:29,100
that you actually hold
something that was supposed
1245
01:15:29,267 --> 01:15:32,367
to be with Ramses III
in his afterlife.
1246
01:15:33,801 --> 01:15:36,200
It's an incredibly rare find,
1247
01:15:36,367 --> 01:15:39,667
the kind of which hasn't been
seen in the Valley of the Kings
1248
01:15:39,834 --> 01:15:43,100
for over 100 years.
1249
01:15:43,267 --> 01:15:46,367
To now be finding actual
burial equipment of the king
1250
01:15:46,534 --> 01:15:49,067
whose tomb you're excavating
is pretty damn cool.
1251
01:15:49,234 --> 01:15:52,667
And it really does add a huge
amount of information
1252
01:15:52,667 --> 01:15:57,200
about what was being
buried with these kings.
1253
01:15:57,367 --> 01:16:00,167
Could anything else lie inside
the burial chamber?
1254
01:16:01,367 --> 01:16:03,501
On the floor of Ramses' tomb,
1255
01:16:03,667 --> 01:16:06,167
Anke spots evidence that
could help explain
1256
01:16:06,167 --> 01:16:08,267
the lack of treasures.
1257
01:16:08,434 --> 01:16:11,667
Almost everything could have
been burned to the ground.
1258
01:16:17,467 --> 01:16:19,567
In the tomb of Ramses III,
1259
01:16:20,968 --> 01:16:24,868
Dr. Anke Weber and her team
have just two more weeks to try
1260
01:16:25,033 --> 01:16:28,000
to excavate the great king's
burial chamber.
1261
01:16:30,167 --> 01:16:32,100
The last mystery to unravel
1262
01:16:32,100 --> 01:16:35,367
is why almost everything
they have found so far
1263
01:16:35,534 --> 01:16:38,667
has been damaged
or destroyed.
1264
01:16:38,667 --> 01:16:40,400
[Anke] We collect everything.
1265
01:16:40,567 --> 01:16:45,167
We take notes, pictures, to see
the wider context of an area.
1266
01:16:45,334 --> 01:16:48,501
All the finds must
be meticulously recorded.
1267
01:16:48,667 --> 01:16:50,701
[Anke] Once something
is excavated,
1268
01:16:50,868 --> 01:16:53,100
it is gone forever.
1269
01:16:53,100 --> 01:16:56,567
This is why it's so important
to do a decent job with that.
1270
01:16:57,567 --> 01:16:59,167
With the end of the dig
approaching,
1271
01:16:59,334 --> 01:17:02,100
the team hits
a major milestone.
1272
01:17:02,100 --> 01:17:05,067
[Anke] We are reaching parts
of the original floor level
1273
01:17:05,234 --> 01:17:07,067
of the burial chamber.
1274
01:17:07,234 --> 01:17:10,200
This is absolutely amazing.
1275
01:17:10,367 --> 01:17:12,701
Some parts of the tomb's
original floor
1276
01:17:12,868 --> 01:17:14,667
may not have
been seen for hundreds,
1277
01:17:14,834 --> 01:17:16,400
even thousands of years.
1278
01:17:18,267 --> 01:17:19,767
But everywhere Anke looks,
1279
01:17:19,934 --> 01:17:22,400
she spots something odd.
1280
01:17:22,567 --> 01:17:24,067
These are burn traces.
1281
01:17:25,000 --> 01:17:30,100
It's a mixture of the burned
wood, limestone, and ashes.
1282
01:17:31,567 --> 01:17:34,501
A fine layer of ash coats
many stones
1283
01:17:34,667 --> 01:17:37,067
on the burial chamber floor.
1284
01:17:37,234 --> 01:17:39,801
We have actually
a lot of evidence
1285
01:17:39,968 --> 01:17:42,300
for burning here inside
the burial chamber
1286
01:17:42,467 --> 01:17:44,868
that tell us a story about,
1287
01:17:45,033 --> 01:17:48,801
like, large fires
with immense heat.
1288
01:17:48,968 --> 01:17:50,767
The heat was so intense,
1289
01:17:50,934 --> 01:17:52,667
it's broken down
the limestone
1290
01:17:52,834 --> 01:17:54,567
the burial chamber
is carved from.
1291
01:17:55,567 --> 01:17:57,167
[Anke] As soon as
you touch it,
1292
01:17:57,334 --> 01:17:59,601
it starts chipping
from all sides.
1293
01:17:59,767 --> 01:18:03,267
You can, like,
crack it open like a cake.
1294
01:18:03,434 --> 01:18:06,467
So, um, it's in a very,
very bad shape.
1295
01:18:07,901 --> 01:18:11,200
It's puzzling, because nobody
brought charcoal
1296
01:18:11,367 --> 01:18:13,400
or -- or wood from outside.
1297
01:18:14,501 --> 01:18:17,667
What has been burning inside
the burial chamber?
1298
01:18:17,667 --> 01:18:21,100
The team finds small pieces
of wood scattered around,
1299
01:18:22,267 --> 01:18:24,167
pieces of coffins,
1300
01:18:24,167 --> 01:18:26,667
including the bodies
that were once inside.
1301
01:18:27,701 --> 01:18:30,400
[Anke] We didn't find
a complete mummy.
1302
01:18:30,567 --> 01:18:33,567
All the remains that we find
are only pieces.
1303
01:18:33,734 --> 01:18:35,200
This is quite suspicious,
1304
01:18:35,367 --> 01:18:38,367
but we also found traces
of burning.
1305
01:18:40,267 --> 01:18:43,868
It leads Anke to one
gruesome conclusion.
1306
01:18:44,033 --> 01:18:46,968
[Anke] We know that in
the 18th and 19th century,
1307
01:18:47,133 --> 01:18:50,367
mummies is served as fuel.
1308
01:18:50,367 --> 01:18:53,501
We have to imagine that
there was no electricity,
1309
01:18:53,667 --> 01:18:56,801
so the individuals
who visited needed light
1310
01:18:56,968 --> 01:18:58,968
in order to experience
the tomb
1311
01:18:59,133 --> 01:19:00,868
and to have
a look at the artifacts.
1312
01:19:02,400 --> 01:19:05,767
We, uh...believe that
these are firing places
1313
01:19:05,934 --> 01:19:09,167
that were used to enlighten,
uh, the darkness
1314
01:19:09,167 --> 01:19:10,767
of the burial chamber.
1315
01:19:12,200 --> 01:19:15,000
Robbers and modern explorers
1316
01:19:15,000 --> 01:19:17,868
would have lit huge fires
in the tomb,
1317
01:19:18,767 --> 01:19:21,801
burning everything
and anything they could find.
1318
01:19:24,267 --> 01:19:27,100
[Meredith] Anke Weber's
project in KV11
1319
01:19:27,100 --> 01:19:30,767
is cutting-edge
and innovative.
1320
01:19:30,767 --> 01:19:34,667
Using modern technology
to explore the tiny,
1321
01:19:34,834 --> 01:19:37,667
minute remains
is telling us so much
1322
01:19:37,667 --> 01:19:39,868
about the Tomb of Ramses III.
1323
01:19:39,868 --> 01:19:43,200
The paintings and this kind
of -- the sheer beauty of it
1324
01:19:43,367 --> 01:19:46,100
is just one part
of the story.
1325
01:19:46,100 --> 01:19:50,000
It's really a 3,000-year
history of activity
1326
01:19:50,167 --> 01:19:54,367
that begins with the king
and ends with our modern time.
1327
01:19:54,534 --> 01:19:56,367
Layer by layer,
1328
01:19:56,534 --> 01:19:59,067
Anke and the team can
now finally piece together
1329
01:19:59,234 --> 01:20:01,667
the complete story
of the tomb.
1330
01:20:05,400 --> 01:20:07,767
Inside a nested sarcophagus,
1331
01:20:07,934 --> 01:20:11,567
Ramses III lay in peace
for less than 100 years...
1332
01:20:13,100 --> 01:20:15,000
before his mummy was moved
1333
01:20:15,000 --> 01:20:17,167
into the safety
of the mountains.
1334
01:20:18,901 --> 01:20:23,868
Now empty, others used Ramses'
tomb for their burials.
1335
01:20:25,100 --> 01:20:28,267
Then came nearly 3,000 years
of destruction,
1336
01:20:29,467 --> 01:20:35,000
fires, brute force,
robbers, and explorers
1337
01:20:35,000 --> 01:20:38,868
all scarred the king's tomb.
1338
01:20:41,300 --> 01:20:44,801
Until finally,
floods inundated the chamber
1339
01:20:45,667 --> 01:20:48,000
and brought
its roof crashing down.
1340
01:20:54,067 --> 01:20:56,367
And the history of the tomb
is still evolving.
1341
01:20:57,701 --> 01:20:59,767
After three months of
nonstop digging,
1342
01:20:59,934 --> 01:21:02,901
the team has cleared
two shipping containers
1343
01:21:03,067 --> 01:21:04,300
worth of debris,
1344
01:21:05,367 --> 01:21:08,167
discovered original
burial treasures,
1345
01:21:08,167 --> 01:21:13,767
and opened a new chapter
in the story of Ancient Egypt.
1346
01:21:15,467 --> 01:21:18,000
[Anke] It feels
absolutely incredible
1347
01:21:18,000 --> 01:21:21,267
to have achieved so much.
1348
01:21:21,434 --> 01:21:22,767
We finally excavated it,
1349
01:21:22,934 --> 01:21:24,367
we cleared it
from rubble and debris,
1350
01:21:24,367 --> 01:21:28,667
and we found so many amazing
and wonderful things inside.
1351
01:21:28,834 --> 01:21:31,467
Now at the end
of the field season,
1352
01:21:31,634 --> 01:21:35,601
I feel like I became part
of the history of the tomb.
1353
01:21:36,567 --> 01:21:39,667
We grew closer
to this ancient pharaoh.
1354
01:21:39,667 --> 01:21:41,834
It's a long-life dream
that came true.
1355
01:21:44,267 --> 01:21:46,701
The last great pharaoh
of Ancient Egypt,
1356
01:21:48,801 --> 01:21:50,567
who was brutally murdered,
1357
01:21:54,000 --> 01:21:56,868
came to be buried
in a spectacular tomb
1358
01:21:58,767 --> 01:22:00,567
with an army of servants
1359
01:22:02,167 --> 01:22:03,767
and nested sarcophagi.
1360
01:22:06,100 --> 01:22:09,868
The tomb was Ramses'
portal to eternal life
1361
01:22:11,100 --> 01:22:13,901
in the heart of
the Valley of the Kings.
1362
01:22:18,501 --> 01:22:21,300
[Salima] There's still a lot of
work to be done in the valley.
1363
01:22:21,467 --> 01:22:25,100
Even now, there are places
where we don't know what lies
1364
01:22:25,100 --> 01:22:26,267
beneath the sand.
1365
01:22:27,467 --> 01:22:29,467
[Meredith] There is so much
more out there to find.
1366
01:22:29,467 --> 01:22:31,000
There's so much more
to excavate.
1367
01:22:31,000 --> 01:22:32,701
This is a never-ending quest.
1368
01:22:33,701 --> 01:22:37,767
Now Anke's goal is to restore
and conserve the structure
1369
01:22:37,767 --> 01:22:39,767
of the burial chamber
1370
01:22:39,767 --> 01:22:43,267
and make it safe
for visitors to enter,
1371
01:22:43,267 --> 01:22:45,400
so that the world
can bear witness
1372
01:22:45,567 --> 01:22:48,367
to the greatness
of Ramses III.
1373
01:22:49,200 --> 01:22:51,868
[Anke] We are
the connecting point.
1374
01:22:52,033 --> 01:22:54,501
Everything that we excavate
that tells us something
1375
01:22:54,667 --> 01:22:56,801
about our history
will bring us
1376
01:22:56,968 --> 01:23:00,267
to a past that can
shape a better future.
1377
01:23:01,400 --> 01:23:04,834
[speaking Arabic]
1378
01:23:07,267 --> 01:23:10,968
It's a quest that will fulfill
the Pharaoh's ultimate wish.
1379
01:23:12,467 --> 01:23:15,267
Speak the name
of the dead
1380
01:23:15,267 --> 01:23:18,567
and make them live again.
1381
01:23:18,567 --> 01:23:22,067
Ramses III lives on.