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Narrator: Egypt,
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The richest source
of archaeological treasures
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On the planet.
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Man: Oh, wow. Look at that!
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Narrator: Hidden beneath
this desert landscape
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Lie the secrets of this
ancient civilization.
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Man: I've never seen
something like this.
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00:00:29,630 --> 00:00:33,032
Narrator: Now, for
a full season of excavations,
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00:00:33,034 --> 00:00:36,135
Our cameras have been
given unprecedented access
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00:00:36,137 --> 00:00:40,973
To follow teams on the
front line of archaeology...
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Woman: This is
the most critical moment.
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(men grunting)
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00:00:44,512 --> 00:00:46,478
Narrator: ...Revealing
buried treasures...
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Woman: Oh!
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Man: Very lucky today.
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Man: Wow, lots of mummies.
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Woman: The smell is horrible.
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Narrator:
...And making discoveries
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That could rewrite
ancient history.
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Man: We've never had
the proof until now.
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Woman: This is
where it all started.
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Man: My goodness.
I never expected this.
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(applause)
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Narrator: This time,
archaeologists hunt
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For evidence of the death
of the pyramids.
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Man: My god,
these pieces are huge.
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Narrator: Claire follows
the tracks of the craftsmen
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Tasked with building
the giant monuments.
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Claire somaglino:
You can see very clearly
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That this site
was abandoned here.
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Narrator: Myriam
uncovers the mysteries
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Of the pharaoh's temples.
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Myriam seco alvarez:
This is from tomb 22,
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The mummy deposit.
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Narrator: And alejandro
comes face-to-face
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With the afterlife...
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Alejandro jiménez-serrano:
It's incredible.
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Narrator:
...In the long forgotten tombs
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Of egypt's far south.
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Alejandro: I have no words.
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♪ ♪
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Narrator: The west bank
of the river nile,
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Home to the world's
most iconic monuments--
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The mighty pyramids of giza.
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The pyramids once housed
the bodies of the pharaohs.
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But though ancient
egyptian civilization
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Lasted for nearly 3,000 years,
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Its kings only built huge tombs
like these for a few centuries.
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Egyptologists are still
trying to piece together
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Why the pharaohs stopped
constructing giant pyramids.
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For egyptologist chris naunton,
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The majesty of the ancient
structures makes the fact
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That egyptians gave up building
them all the more incredible.
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Ten miles south of
the legendary pyramids of giza
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Is saqqara.
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Chris naunton:
When we think about pyramids,
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We tend to think of giza,
I think,
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And the great pyramid of khufu,
in particular,
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But actually this is
where it all began.
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Narrator: Chris has come to the
birthplace of pyramid building
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To search for clues
to why egyptians built
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Giant pyramids
for less than 500 years.
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Constructed a century before
the iconic pyramids at giza,
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Egypt's first pyramid is
a 200-foot-tall mausoleum
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Of six huge
limestone platforms,
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Carefully engineered
to spread the weight of rock
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And prevent collapse.
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Deep inside is a giant shaft,
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26 feet wide and 82 feet deep.
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At the bottom, the intended
final resting place
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Of the pharaoh djoser.
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Chris: Ultimately,
that's what it's all about.
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It's where the body of the king
is going to rest in eternity.
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And to have gone to all
this trouble to create
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This incredible monument
around the body of that person
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Is pretty amazing.
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Narrator: To house his mummy,
huge chunks of granite
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Were slid down a passage
into the shaft and stacked,
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Creating a giant sarcophagus
19 feet long and 11 feet high.
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Chris: My god,
these pieces are huge.
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Wow, it's amazing.
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Pfff.
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Narrator: But this wasn't
just a tomb designed
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To secure the pharaoh's
physical body for eternity.
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Crucially, for success
in the afterlife,
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The pyramid ensured the king
was remembered by the living.
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Completed around 2650 b.C.,
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It sparked
an architectural revolution.
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Djoser's six-tier giant wasn't
just the first pyramid.
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It was the world's
first monumental structure
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Built in stone.
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Over the next century, egypt's
kings developed the concept,
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Building monumental tombs
all along the nile's west bank,
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Including the first
geometrically true pyramid,
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The red pyramid,
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And a misshapen experiment,
the bent pyramid.
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Then a dynasty of pharaohs
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Built the most iconic
monuments in egypt,
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The pyramids of giza.
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00:05:08,942 --> 00:05:10,709
But just a few short centuries
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After the great pyramid
of khufu rose from the desert,
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A new era was on the horizon.
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400 miles south of the pyramids
in modern-day aswan
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Is the heart of ancient egypt's
southernmost province.
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Professor
alejandro jiménez-serrano
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Has spent 11 seasons here,
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Unearthing the burials of
the region's wealthy governors.
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He believes they played a part
in the pyramids' demise.
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The pyramids
were symbols of power,
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Separating the kings
from the rest of society,
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Offering them privileged access
to the afterlife.
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But as the pharaohs erected
their pyramids in the north,
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Southern elites
were becoming richer
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And making their own plans
for eternity,
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Digging increasingly elaborate
tombs deep into the cliffs.
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Today alejandro's
excavating a new area
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Of their ancient necropolis.
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Narrator: It's 8:00 a.M.,
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And his team has already
called in a find.
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Alejandro:
We will see if we are lucky
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With this discovery.
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Not every day
you discover a tomb,
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So finger crossed.
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Narrator: A smooth area
of rock excites the crew.
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Alejandro: In this area,
you can see the ancient carving
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Trying to make a plane
that was going to be
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The facade of the tomb.
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Narrator: The naturally
jagged rock face
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Has been smoothed
with ancient chisels.
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If this is an elite tomb,
it could have inscriptions
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Which shed light on the role
the governors played
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In the pyramids' decline.
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Alejandro: This is
the typical tomb of members
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Of the elite here
in qubbet el-hawa.
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So, what we are looking for
is the door.
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Narrator: 400 miles downriver
on the nile's west bank,
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Chris has come to giza
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To explore the peak
of pyramid building.
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He wants to understand
how these monuments evolved
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From the early pyramids
at saqqara
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And to search for clues
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To explain
why they were abandoned.
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These stone giants
included new designs
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To protect the body
of the pharaoh from robbers
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After his death.
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On the outside
of khufu's great pyramid,
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A seamless cover of gleaming
limestone slabs and blocks
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Conceal the only way
into the pyramid,
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A narrow tunnel
60 feet above the ground.
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But this passage, too,
was sealed.
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Intruders would have
to break through
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Huge, six-foot-deep
granite blocks
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To reach a steep shaft leading
to the center of the pyramid.
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At the top, they would face
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Three more
massive granite slabs
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Before they finally
reached the tomb chamber,
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Where the king
and his riches lay buried.
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Alongside the great pyramid,
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Khufu's son, khafre,
built his own pyramid,
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And below it, a complex
of monuments and temples
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Designed to aid
his successful resurrection.
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Priests would come here
to make offerings
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In the shadow of the pyramid,
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Ensuring the pharaoh's name
was kept alive.
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One of these monuments
carefully positioned
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Is the ancient world's
most enigmatic sculpture,
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The great sphinx.
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Chris: The egyptians were
very interested in alignment,
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And one of the great
achievements here
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At giza plateau
is in their ability
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To lay out monuments like this
on a vast scale.
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The sphinx and the temple
in front of it
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And the pyramid behind
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Are actually all very carefully
aligned with one another.
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Narrator: Chris searches
for evidence
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Of when the pharaohs
abandoned their monuments.
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Between the creature's paws,
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He finds a slab
of a different stone
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Added 1,000 years later,
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The dream stele.
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Chris: It's called
the dream stele
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Because the text
describes a story in which,
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Before he was king,
thutmosis iv had a dream
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In which the sphinx spoke
to him, and the sphinx says,
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00:10:02,035 --> 00:10:04,669
"I am not in terribly
good condition.
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00:10:04,671 --> 00:10:07,172
I've fallen into disrepair."
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00:10:07,174 --> 00:10:09,274
Narrator: The hieroglyphs
claim the sphinx
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Had been allowed to drown
in the desert sands
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But that thutmosis
would be rewarded
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For restoring the sculpture
to its former glory.
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00:10:18,919 --> 00:10:23,154
Chris: If thutmosis iv to-be
could make the repairs
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00:10:23,156 --> 00:10:25,624
That are necessary
and clear the sand away,
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00:10:25,626 --> 00:10:28,526
Then in exchange,
the sphinx itself
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Will bestow the kingship
upon the young prince,
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00:10:32,466 --> 00:10:33,898
So in other words, the deal is
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00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:38,203
If thutmosis iv does what the
sphinx wants, he'll become king.
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00:10:38,205 --> 00:10:41,039
Narrator: Thutmosis believed
that to become pharaoh,
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He had to please
his glorious ancestors
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00:10:44,678 --> 00:10:47,312
And make sure the ancient
pharaohs' monuments
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00:10:47,314 --> 00:10:50,615
Were remembered and respected.
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00:10:50,617 --> 00:10:52,817
When he became pharaoh,
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Thutmosis did
renovate the sphinx
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During a period
known as the new kingdom,
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00:10:59,459 --> 00:11:01,526
The pinnacle of egyptian power
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00:11:01,528 --> 00:11:05,864
In a history stretching back
thousands of years.
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00:11:05,866 --> 00:11:08,933
The first small settlements
sprang up on the nile
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00:11:08,935 --> 00:11:13,004
Around 5000 b.C.,
farming the fertile land
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00:11:13,006 --> 00:11:17,008
And eventually growing
into the state of egypt.
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00:11:17,010 --> 00:11:21,846
Around 2700 b.C.,
the old kingdom began,
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00:11:21,848 --> 00:11:25,517
The time of the great
pyramid builders.
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00:11:25,519 --> 00:11:28,586
But in 2175 b.C.,
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00:11:28,588 --> 00:11:31,823
Their civilization
came crashing down
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00:11:31,825 --> 00:11:37,595
As rule disintegrated and
egypt descended into chaos.
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00:11:37,597 --> 00:11:41,566
500 years later,
the new kingdom was born--
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00:11:41,568 --> 00:11:45,070
The golden age of tutankhamun,
queen nefertiti,
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00:11:45,072 --> 00:11:47,539
And ramses the great.
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00:11:47,541 --> 00:11:51,009
But these pharaohs
built no pyramids at all.
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00:11:53,413 --> 00:11:55,313
By the time thutmosis iv
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00:11:55,315 --> 00:11:57,716
Had rescued the sphinx
from the sands,
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00:11:57,718 --> 00:12:01,152
The pharaoh's construction of
egypt's most iconic monuments
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00:12:01,154 --> 00:12:03,788
Had been totally abandoned.
222
00:12:03,790 --> 00:12:07,025
But why?
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00:12:07,027 --> 00:12:09,994
75 miles to the east
of the pyramids
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00:12:09,996 --> 00:12:14,566
Is ain sokhna
on egypt's red sea coast.
225
00:12:14,568 --> 00:12:17,235
French archaeologist
claire somaglino
226
00:12:17,237 --> 00:12:22,006
Has been digging up ancient
structures here for nine years.
227
00:12:22,008 --> 00:12:24,275
She believes
this remote outpost
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00:12:24,277 --> 00:12:30,715
Holds secrets that explain
the pyramids' boom and bust.
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00:12:30,717 --> 00:12:33,084
Many of the structures
she has found
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00:12:33,086 --> 00:12:36,254
Date to the peak
of pyramid construction.
231
00:12:46,366 --> 00:12:48,700
Narrator: But of all
the buildings she unearths,
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00:12:48,702 --> 00:12:52,337
None shows any sign
of long-term occupation.
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00:12:52,339 --> 00:12:55,640
Ain sokhna appears to be
an encampment.
234
00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:08,486
Narrator: Claire
searches for clues
235
00:13:08,488 --> 00:13:10,221
To what this camp could reveal
236
00:13:10,223 --> 00:13:14,793
About egypt's age
of the pyramid builders.
237
00:13:14,795 --> 00:13:17,695
Graffiti carved
into a nearby rock face
238
00:13:17,697 --> 00:13:19,664
Could provide evidence.
239
00:13:27,407 --> 00:13:28,907
Narrator: In the cliffs
above ain sokhna,
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00:13:28,909 --> 00:13:32,510
The dry environment has
preserved etchings in the rock
241
00:13:32,512 --> 00:13:35,480
Made by people
who passed through.
242
00:13:35,482 --> 00:13:39,484
Some of the carvings date
back only half a century,
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00:13:39,486 --> 00:13:42,487
But others are
thousands of years old.
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00:14:09,349 --> 00:14:11,983
Narrator: The graffiti suggests
the camp of ain sokhna
245
00:14:11,985 --> 00:14:15,186
Was a staging post
in a supply chain,
246
00:14:15,188 --> 00:14:17,889
One providing the resource
that the pharaohs needed
247
00:14:17,891 --> 00:14:21,159
More than any other
for their pyramid building,
248
00:14:21,161 --> 00:14:25,129
The must-have metal
for ancient stone carving--
249
00:14:25,131 --> 00:14:26,931
Copper.
250
00:14:26,933 --> 00:14:29,400
Claire believes it came
from the mines of sinai
251
00:14:29,402 --> 00:14:31,102
Across the red sea.
252
00:14:34,407 --> 00:14:36,641
When the pharaoh
needed more copper,
253
00:14:36,643 --> 00:14:42,046
He sent an army of workers
east across the desert.
254
00:14:42,048 --> 00:14:44,883
Some of them carried
flat packed boats,
255
00:14:44,885 --> 00:14:47,118
Which were assembled
at the coast
256
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:51,322
And sailed across the red sea.
257
00:14:51,324 --> 00:14:52,857
The men spent two months
258
00:14:52,859 --> 00:14:55,126
Laboring in the mines
of the sinai,
259
00:14:55,128 --> 00:14:59,631
Digging out hundreds of pounds
of copper ore.
260
00:14:59,633 --> 00:15:01,766
And once they'd
filled up the ships,
261
00:15:01,768 --> 00:15:05,270
They returned with the ore
to the mainland,
262
00:15:05,272 --> 00:15:08,573
Ready to haul back to the nile
and to the pyramids.
263
00:15:13,246 --> 00:15:16,281
The discoveries reveal
the port of ain sokhna
264
00:15:16,283 --> 00:15:18,750
Was critical to building
the largest structures
265
00:15:18,752 --> 00:15:20,785
The world had ever seen.
266
00:15:37,437 --> 00:15:39,437
Narrator: If claire's
to find evidence here
267
00:15:39,439 --> 00:15:43,141
Of the pyramids' downfall,
she needs to dig.
268
00:15:45,278 --> 00:15:47,312
On the west bank of the nile,
269
00:15:47,314 --> 00:15:50,915
Egypt's ancient
land of the dead,
270
00:15:50,917 --> 00:15:53,918
Hieroglyphics expert
christelle alvarez
271
00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,354
Is at the pyramid
archaeologists consider
272
00:15:56,356 --> 00:16:01,259
To be the last built
in the great age of pyramids.
273
00:16:01,261 --> 00:16:04,896
The tomb of pharaoh pepi ii
was built 400 years
274
00:16:04,898 --> 00:16:08,399
After the original
step pyramid at saqqara.
275
00:16:18,545 --> 00:16:21,079
Narrator: She hunts for clues
to why the obsession
276
00:16:21,081 --> 00:16:24,449
With pyramid building
began to end here.
277
00:16:26,653 --> 00:16:30,088
Hieroglyphs cover
almost every surface,
278
00:16:30,090 --> 00:16:31,556
Including the royal sign
279
00:16:31,558 --> 00:16:33,324
Bearing the pharaoh's name.
280
00:16:44,537 --> 00:16:46,204
Narrator:
The walls of khufu's tomb
281
00:16:46,206 --> 00:16:50,408
In the great pyramid at giza
were left blank.
282
00:16:50,410 --> 00:16:52,977
But here in pepi's tomb,
283
00:16:52,979 --> 00:16:54,846
They're filled
with incantations
284
00:16:54,848 --> 00:16:58,449
Designed to help the pharaoh
enter the underworld safely.
285
00:17:11,598 --> 00:17:13,865
Narrator: As the age
of the pyramids progressed,
286
00:17:13,867 --> 00:17:15,500
The pharaohs filled their tombs
287
00:17:15,502 --> 00:17:17,635
With more and more
magical protection
288
00:17:17,637 --> 00:17:20,638
For their bodies and souls.
289
00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:22,273
The texts kept their faith
290
00:17:22,275 --> 00:17:25,410
In the power
of the pyramids alive,
291
00:17:25,412 --> 00:17:28,946
Just as their power
over the kingdom of egypt
292
00:17:28,948 --> 00:17:30,982
Was about to collapse.
293
00:17:35,321 --> 00:17:37,288
Pepi ii's rule was marred
294
00:17:37,290 --> 00:17:41,392
By droughts, famine,
and civil unrest.
295
00:17:41,394 --> 00:17:44,829
(arguing and shouting)
296
00:17:44,831 --> 00:17:46,564
Worried about his afterlife,
297
00:17:46,566 --> 00:17:49,233
He covered his tomb
in magical inscriptions
298
00:17:49,235 --> 00:17:51,769
To guarantee
his spirit's security.
299
00:17:54,174 --> 00:17:58,910
When pepi died without an heir,
a power struggle ensued,
300
00:17:58,912 --> 00:18:02,413
Resulting in a century
of weak, short-lived kings.
301
00:18:04,417 --> 00:18:08,653
Lacking wealth and resources,
their pyramids were tiny
302
00:18:08,655 --> 00:18:10,521
Compared
to the mighty structures
303
00:18:10,523 --> 00:18:12,657
Of the great pyramid age.
304
00:18:27,340 --> 00:18:28,506
Narrator: The pyramid,
305
00:18:28,508 --> 00:18:31,342
A tradition that
defined a civilization,
306
00:18:31,344 --> 00:18:34,946
Was effectively extinct.
307
00:18:34,948 --> 00:18:36,447
At qubbet el-hawa,
308
00:18:36,449 --> 00:18:40,118
Near the southern
egyptian city of aswan,
309
00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:41,986
Alejandro hopes the burials
310
00:18:41,988 --> 00:18:44,589
Of ancient egypt's
most powerful elite
311
00:18:44,591 --> 00:18:49,160
Could help explain
the death of the pyramids.
312
00:18:49,162 --> 00:18:52,430
If this chiseled
flat rock wall is a tomb,
313
00:18:52,432 --> 00:18:56,868
Their secrets could
be just below his feet.
314
00:18:56,870 --> 00:19:01,639
He spots another clue
that a door is nearby.
315
00:19:01,641 --> 00:19:06,077
Alejandro: We have here
remains of termites.
316
00:19:06,079 --> 00:19:10,948
They used to eat the fresh wood
of the coffins.
317
00:19:10,950 --> 00:19:14,418
We are following
the pathway of the insects.
318
00:19:14,420 --> 00:19:17,321
Narrator: With delicate
artifacts potentially close,
319
00:19:17,323 --> 00:19:21,025
The team needs alejandro's
experienced hand.
320
00:19:21,027 --> 00:19:26,097
Alejandro:
Here we have the, the entrance.
321
00:19:26,099 --> 00:19:27,331
Amazing.
322
00:19:30,003 --> 00:19:32,370
Ah-ha! The end of the door.
323
00:19:37,944 --> 00:19:39,177
(exhales)
324
00:19:43,183 --> 00:19:44,248
It's amazing.
325
00:19:47,420 --> 00:19:48,819
Yeah.
326
00:19:48,821 --> 00:19:51,155
I have no words.
327
00:19:51,157 --> 00:19:53,791
Probably we are the first
that see this door
328
00:19:53,793 --> 00:19:56,928
In more than 4,000 years.
329
00:19:56,930 --> 00:19:58,596
Narrator:
The neatly cut opening
330
00:19:58,598 --> 00:20:00,364
Matches the style for elites
331
00:20:00,366 --> 00:20:04,168
In southern egypt at the end
of the pyramid age.
332
00:20:04,170 --> 00:20:07,004
It's a huge moment
for the entire team.
333
00:20:07,006 --> 00:20:10,107
(speaking arabic)
334
00:20:10,109 --> 00:20:12,176
Narrator: The race is on
to open up the doorway
335
00:20:12,178 --> 00:20:16,247
Before the site closes for the
day in just a few hours' time.
336
00:20:25,058 --> 00:20:26,490
Narrator:
It's already mid-morning
337
00:20:26,492 --> 00:20:29,527
On alejandro's dig
at qubbet el-hawa,
338
00:20:29,529 --> 00:20:32,964
And the workers' shift
ends at 1:00 p.M.
339
00:20:32,966 --> 00:20:35,933
Termites may have led him
to an elite burial,
340
00:20:35,935 --> 00:20:37,568
But to expose the doorway,
341
00:20:37,570 --> 00:20:40,537
The team must excavate
not just the opening,
342
00:20:40,539 --> 00:20:43,808
But the entire area
in front of the tomb.
343
00:20:43,810 --> 00:20:47,645
If they don't, the sand
will just flow right back in.
344
00:20:52,051 --> 00:20:53,784
It allows alejandro a moment
345
00:20:53,786 --> 00:20:56,487
To remind himself
what he's looking for--
346
00:20:56,489 --> 00:20:59,523
Evidence of powerful
egyptian nobles
347
00:20:59,525 --> 00:21:04,395
Whose rise spelled the end
of the age of the pyramids.
348
00:21:04,397 --> 00:21:06,264
Alejandro: In the period
that we are excavating,
349
00:21:06,266 --> 00:21:08,532
The head of the state
was the king,
350
00:21:08,534 --> 00:21:10,768
And under him was the vizier,
351
00:21:10,770 --> 00:21:15,339
And below the vizier, we have
the provincial governors.
352
00:21:15,341 --> 00:21:17,675
So these people, we might say
353
00:21:17,677 --> 00:21:21,846
That they were the number three
in the state.
354
00:21:21,848 --> 00:21:24,282
Narrator: Over 11 seasons
working here,
355
00:21:24,284 --> 00:21:26,017
Alejandro has found evidence
356
00:21:26,019 --> 00:21:28,686
That in this era
of egyptian history,
357
00:21:28,688 --> 00:21:31,455
The pharaohs were
losing their grip on power.
358
00:21:33,493 --> 00:21:35,126
While the kings got weaker,
359
00:21:35,128 --> 00:21:39,697
The governors of egypt's
provinces got richer.
360
00:21:39,699 --> 00:21:42,767
Alejandro discovers that
just as pharaoh pepi ii
361
00:21:42,769 --> 00:21:47,538
Was building what would prove
to be the last great pyramid,
362
00:21:47,540 --> 00:21:50,408
The tombs of a governor
at qubbet el-hawa
363
00:21:50,410 --> 00:21:52,610
Were expanding.
364
00:21:52,612 --> 00:21:54,679
Over the course
of pepi's reign,
365
00:21:54,681 --> 00:21:58,582
They increased in size
fivefold.
366
00:21:58,584 --> 00:22:01,585
The afterlife wasn't
just for pharaohs,
367
00:22:01,587 --> 00:22:04,188
And pyramids weren't
the only kind of tomb
368
00:22:04,190 --> 00:22:06,590
That could get you there.
369
00:22:06,592 --> 00:22:08,826
Alejandro: This is
what we hope to find
370
00:22:08,828 --> 00:22:12,196
In the tomb that
we have just discovered.
371
00:22:12,198 --> 00:22:15,232
It is a false door,
and it was the magic door
372
00:22:15,234 --> 00:22:19,970
That the dead used
to receive their offerings.
373
00:22:19,972 --> 00:22:22,573
Narrator: Egyptians believed
the spirit of the deceased
374
00:22:22,575 --> 00:22:25,009
Would reveal itself
to visitors,
375
00:22:25,011 --> 00:22:29,880
Taking offerings of food
to sustain it in the afterlife.
376
00:22:29,882 --> 00:22:32,350
If the new tomb
has a false door,
377
00:22:32,352 --> 00:22:35,419
It could hold a wealth
of hieroglyphic information
378
00:22:35,421 --> 00:22:37,722
About how powerful
the governors had become
379
00:22:37,724 --> 00:22:40,991
At the end of the pyramid age.
380
00:22:40,993 --> 00:22:44,095
Alejandro: What we are
hoping to find in the new tomb
381
00:22:44,097 --> 00:22:47,198
Is inscriptions showing us
not only the name,
382
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:51,702
But also his position
in the society.
383
00:22:51,704 --> 00:22:53,037
Narrator: With the site
ready to close
384
00:22:53,039 --> 00:22:54,939
For the day at 1:00 p.M.,
385
00:22:54,941 --> 00:23:00,611
They've excavated just far
enough for one person to enter.
386
00:23:00,613 --> 00:23:03,214
Alejandro gives in
to temptation.
387
00:23:07,487 --> 00:23:08,452
Man: In?
388
00:23:10,890 --> 00:23:13,257
Alejandro:
We have a lot of sand.
389
00:23:16,062 --> 00:23:20,164
And there is no trace
of plundering.
390
00:23:20,166 --> 00:23:23,567
Narrator: Looting was rife
in ancient egypt.
391
00:23:23,569 --> 00:23:25,636
(grunts)
392
00:23:25,638 --> 00:23:27,471
Even the giant pyramids at giza
393
00:23:27,473 --> 00:23:32,777
Were ransacked
and cleared of valuables.
394
00:23:32,779 --> 00:23:34,712
With no evidence of robbery,
395
00:23:34,714 --> 00:23:37,248
There's good reason for
alejandro to be optimistic
396
00:23:37,250 --> 00:23:42,520
About the treasures that may
lie beneath the tons of sand.
397
00:23:42,522 --> 00:23:44,522
Alejandro:
Archaeology is patience.
398
00:23:44,524 --> 00:23:49,493
It's patient work that
sometimes has lucky strikes.
399
00:23:53,032 --> 00:23:56,901
Narrator: At ain sokhna
on egypt's red sea coast,
400
00:23:56,903 --> 00:23:59,036
Claire's team
opens a new trench
401
00:23:59,038 --> 00:24:01,272
At the ancient encampment.
402
00:24:01,274 --> 00:24:02,673
(speaking french)
403
00:24:02,675 --> 00:24:05,543
Her colleague,
archaeologist adeline bats,
404
00:24:05,545 --> 00:24:07,111
Is piecing together the history
405
00:24:07,113 --> 00:24:09,380
Of the pharaoh's
copper expeditions.
406
00:24:21,127 --> 00:24:24,094
(speaking french)
407
00:24:28,067 --> 00:24:30,367
Narrator: She notices
a gap in the record.
408
00:24:48,254 --> 00:24:49,453
Narrator: A thick layer of mud,
409
00:24:49,455 --> 00:24:52,690
Laid down over decades
by winds and flooding,
410
00:24:52,692 --> 00:24:54,992
Covers the ashes of
the workers' cooking fires
411
00:24:54,994 --> 00:24:57,495
From the age of the pyramids.
412
00:24:57,497 --> 00:25:00,097
The discovery shows
no one came here
413
00:25:00,099 --> 00:25:02,366
For a century or more.
414
00:25:02,368 --> 00:25:05,503
It's critical evidence
of the death of the pyramids,
415
00:25:05,505 --> 00:25:07,438
Revealing that
the pharaohs gave up
416
00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,140
Their copper expeditions.
417
00:25:10,142 --> 00:25:12,476
The decline in their wealth
meant they could no longer
418
00:25:12,478 --> 00:25:15,813
Afford to build giant pyramids.
419
00:25:15,815 --> 00:25:21,385
As quickly as it had begun,
the pyramid age was over.
420
00:25:21,387 --> 00:25:23,287
But the pharaohs' belief
in the afterlife
421
00:25:23,289 --> 00:25:25,689
Was stronger than ever,
422
00:25:25,691 --> 00:25:28,826
So how did later kings
protect their bodies
423
00:25:28,828 --> 00:25:32,363
And secure their
passage to eternity?
424
00:25:41,607 --> 00:25:44,775
Narrator: 700 years
after the pharaoh pepi ii
425
00:25:44,777 --> 00:25:47,344
Built the last great pyramid,
426
00:25:47,346 --> 00:25:49,013
The pharaohs
of the new kingdom
427
00:25:49,015 --> 00:25:53,150
Had re-established
their supreme power in egypt
428
00:25:53,152 --> 00:25:57,922
And moved their capital south
to thebes, modern-day luxor.
429
00:26:00,459 --> 00:26:03,394
Chris crosses the nile river
here to investigate
430
00:26:03,396 --> 00:26:05,062
How the new kingdom rulers
431
00:26:05,064 --> 00:26:08,499
Sought to guarantee
their afterlife.
432
00:26:08,501 --> 00:26:11,168
These wealthy pharaohs
could have afforded tombs
433
00:26:11,170 --> 00:26:15,339
As grand as
khufu's great pyramid,
434
00:26:15,341 --> 00:26:16,774
But during the chaos following
435
00:26:16,776 --> 00:26:19,209
The end of
the old pharaoh's reign,
436
00:26:19,211 --> 00:26:23,080
The ancient pyramids
were ransacked.
437
00:26:23,082 --> 00:26:25,482
Ancient texts
describe the turmoil
438
00:26:25,484 --> 00:26:27,651
As bodies were cast out
from tombs
439
00:26:27,653 --> 00:26:30,788
And funerary goods disappeared.
440
00:26:30,790 --> 00:26:33,490
The pharaohs' mummies
were stolen or destroyed,
441
00:26:33,492 --> 00:26:37,261
Along with their dreams
of eternal life.
442
00:26:37,263 --> 00:26:39,163
Desperate to avoid that fate,
443
00:26:39,165 --> 00:26:42,933
The pioneering new kingdom
pharaoh, thutmosis I,
444
00:26:42,935 --> 00:26:47,771
Embarked on a revolution
in royal tomb building.
445
00:26:47,773 --> 00:26:50,507
Echoing the governors
in the south,
446
00:26:50,509 --> 00:26:53,644
He decided to cut his tomb
into the rock.
447
00:26:53,646 --> 00:26:57,748
His plan to protect his mummy
was to hide.
448
00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:03,887
In a valley west of thebes,
449
00:27:03,889 --> 00:27:07,091
The king picked a spot
and dug a shaft
450
00:27:07,093 --> 00:27:11,395
Over 600 feet deep
into the mountain.
451
00:27:11,397 --> 00:27:13,397
It had subterranean chambers
452
00:27:13,399 --> 00:27:17,134
For the riches he'd take
into the afterlife.
453
00:27:17,136 --> 00:27:19,937
And in a lavish tomb
at the bottom of the tunnel,
454
00:27:19,939 --> 00:27:25,175
A sarcophagus would
keep his body safe.
455
00:27:25,177 --> 00:27:26,877
Following his example,
456
00:27:26,879 --> 00:27:30,147
Nearly every pharaoh
for the next 500 years
457
00:27:30,149 --> 00:27:32,650
Dug tombs
into the mountain here
458
00:27:32,652 --> 00:27:35,786
To provide underworld palaces,
459
00:27:35,788 --> 00:27:39,690
Creating a subterranean city
of dead royals
460
00:27:39,692 --> 00:27:44,762
That became known as
the valley of the kings.
461
00:27:44,764 --> 00:27:47,898
One of the best preserved
tombs in the valley
462
00:27:47,900 --> 00:27:53,937
Belonged to one of egypt's
greatest pharaohs, ramses iii.
463
00:27:53,939 --> 00:27:54,972
Chris: As soon as you enter
464
00:27:54,974 --> 00:27:56,974
This tomb, you're really struck
465
00:27:56,976 --> 00:27:59,176
By the sort of monumental scale.
466
00:27:59,178 --> 00:28:00,978
All the surfaces are decorated.
467
00:28:00,980 --> 00:28:02,479
Hieroglyphic inscriptions
everywhere.
468
00:28:02,481 --> 00:28:04,081
Large images of the king.
469
00:28:06,552 --> 00:28:10,087
Really, really impressive.
470
00:28:10,089 --> 00:28:13,090
Narrator: Just as pepi ii
covered the last great pyramid
471
00:28:13,092 --> 00:28:15,159
With hieroglyphic spells,
472
00:28:15,161 --> 00:28:17,695
Ramses hoped magical art
would secure
473
00:28:17,697 --> 00:28:21,598
His dangerous passage
to resurrection.
474
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,200
Chris: It's a very
perilous journey,
475
00:28:23,202 --> 00:28:24,535
It's a very hazardous journey,
476
00:28:24,537 --> 00:28:27,137
And he encounters all kinds
of demons along his way.
477
00:28:27,139 --> 00:28:28,706
But with the help of the gods,
478
00:28:28,708 --> 00:28:30,574
Who accompany him
throughout the tomb,
479
00:28:30,576 --> 00:28:33,610
He's able to make
that journey successfully.
480
00:28:33,612 --> 00:28:35,145
Narrator:
The new kingdom pharaohs
481
00:28:35,147 --> 00:28:38,449
Believed their rock-cut tombs
would protect their mummies
482
00:28:38,451 --> 00:28:40,818
Where the pyramids had failed.
483
00:28:40,820 --> 00:28:44,088
But ramses' architects
left nothing to chance,
484
00:28:44,090 --> 00:28:48,092
Designing precipitous shafts
as they tunneled into the rock.
485
00:28:48,094 --> 00:28:50,060
Chris: This is a pretty
important part of the tomb.
486
00:28:50,062 --> 00:28:52,496
It's a well shaft, which is
a characteristic feature
487
00:28:52,498 --> 00:28:53,864
Of tombs in
the valley of the kings
488
00:28:53,866 --> 00:28:56,100
Designed to deter robbers,
489
00:28:56,102 --> 00:28:59,069
Beautifully decorated
with images of gods.
490
00:28:59,071 --> 00:29:00,571
Narrator: Even buried
hundreds of feet
491
00:29:00,573 --> 00:29:02,973
Down in the heart
of the mountain,
492
00:29:02,975 --> 00:29:06,110
Ramses feared his tomb
would be pillaged.
493
00:29:06,112 --> 00:29:08,445
Chris: Even though the tomb
would have been sealed
494
00:29:08,447 --> 00:29:09,780
And the idea would
have been, of course,
495
00:29:09,782 --> 00:29:13,684
That nobody would ever,
ever come in here again,
496
00:29:13,686 --> 00:29:16,954
It's still incredibly
beautifully decorated.
497
00:29:18,724 --> 00:29:20,891
For the eyes of the gods
only perhaps.
498
00:29:23,662 --> 00:29:25,829
Narrator: There was
just one problem.
499
00:29:25,831 --> 00:29:27,498
To live on in eternity,
500
00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:30,400
A king needed not just
to preserve his body,
501
00:29:30,402 --> 00:29:33,504
He had to be remembered
by the living.
502
00:29:33,506 --> 00:29:36,206
The pyramids had monuments
and temples attached
503
00:29:36,208 --> 00:29:40,344
Where priests celebrated
the memory of the dead pharaoh.
504
00:29:40,346 --> 00:29:42,746
Ramses did not want
to advertise the location
505
00:29:42,748 --> 00:29:46,483
Of his body and his riches
with a pyramid,
506
00:29:46,485 --> 00:29:51,822
But he still needed a monument
to keep his name alive.
507
00:29:51,824 --> 00:29:55,559
On the west bank
of the nile, near thebes,
508
00:29:55,561 --> 00:29:59,096
Ramses erected
a gigantic 80-foot gate
509
00:29:59,098 --> 00:30:03,567
On which he carved huge images
of himself smiting his foes.
510
00:30:05,871 --> 00:30:08,705
Behind it, his mortuary temple,
511
00:30:08,707 --> 00:30:11,942
Two courtyards lined
with his statues
512
00:30:11,944 --> 00:30:16,213
Led to a series of chapels
and a false door,
513
00:30:16,215 --> 00:30:19,583
Where priests would make
offerings and repeat his name.
514
00:30:22,454 --> 00:30:23,587
Surrounding the temple,
515
00:30:23,589 --> 00:30:26,723
He built mud brick walls
30 foot thick,
516
00:30:26,725 --> 00:30:29,893
Stretching more
than half a mile
517
00:30:29,895 --> 00:30:33,397
To turn his temple
into a fortress of worship.
518
00:30:37,670 --> 00:30:40,370
Just a mile
from ramses' temple
519
00:30:40,372 --> 00:30:44,875
Lies another great monument
to a new kingdom pharaoh,
520
00:30:44,877 --> 00:30:49,313
Thutmosis iii's
temple of millions of years.
521
00:30:49,315 --> 00:30:52,349
The temple has crumbled
since ancient times,
522
00:30:52,351 --> 00:30:54,918
But dr. Myriam seco alvarez
523
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,589
Is leading a project
to resurrect the site.
524
00:30:58,591 --> 00:31:02,092
Myriam: When we started
the project in 2008,
525
00:31:02,094 --> 00:31:05,229
All this was
a mountain of sand.
526
00:31:05,231 --> 00:31:07,531
Nothing was visible.
527
00:31:07,533 --> 00:31:10,567
Narrator: She wants to discover
exactly how these new monuments
528
00:31:10,569 --> 00:31:13,904
Were intended to secure
the pharaoh's afterlife
529
00:31:13,906 --> 00:31:16,373
Without a pyramid.
530
00:31:16,375 --> 00:31:20,310
Archaeologist manuel abelleira
searches outside the walls
531
00:31:20,312 --> 00:31:23,146
For clues to how
the temple was used.
532
00:31:26,185 --> 00:31:29,620
He meticulously records
every find workers unearth
533
00:31:29,622 --> 00:31:32,489
Around the temple walls.
534
00:31:34,894 --> 00:31:36,593
Manuel abelleira: Nice.
535
00:31:36,595 --> 00:31:38,028
(speaking arabic)
536
00:31:38,030 --> 00:31:40,764
Narrator: Ancient egyptians
made offerings of food,
537
00:31:40,766 --> 00:31:44,434
Like dates, to the memory
of the pharaoh,
538
00:31:44,436 --> 00:31:47,638
But among
the 3,500-year-old fruit,
539
00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:49,873
He finds more valuable objects.
540
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:03,287
Narrator: The beer jar
offerings mean
541
00:32:03,289 --> 00:32:06,256
Archaeologist
javier martinez-babón
542
00:32:06,258 --> 00:32:08,659
Can track the temple's history.
543
00:32:08,661 --> 00:32:12,296
Some bear the signature
hieroglyphs of later pharaohs.
544
00:32:28,914 --> 00:32:31,315
Narrator: The jars prove
that for centuries,
545
00:32:31,317 --> 00:32:33,850
Egypt's rulers made
offerings at this temple
546
00:32:33,852 --> 00:32:37,821
To keep thutmosis iii's
name alive,
547
00:32:37,823 --> 00:32:40,190
While his mummy lay
safely hidden
548
00:32:40,192 --> 00:32:42,392
In the valley of the kings.
549
00:32:42,394 --> 00:32:45,262
But myriam is discovering that
egyptians didn't just leave
550
00:32:45,264 --> 00:32:47,998
Offerings of beer and food
at the temple.
551
00:32:50,035 --> 00:32:52,970
With just minutes before
the site closes for the day,
552
00:32:52,972 --> 00:32:56,239
Myriam's team
unearths a burial.
553
00:32:56,241 --> 00:32:57,741
(speaking foreign language)
554
00:32:57,743 --> 00:32:59,776
The site has
strict time curfews,
555
00:32:59,778 --> 00:33:04,281
And a skeleton can't be
left exposed overnight.
556
00:33:04,283 --> 00:33:07,985
Myriam: If we find a body, we
have to remove in the same day.
557
00:33:07,987 --> 00:33:14,825
If we find something special,
we have to remove to be secure.
558
00:33:14,827 --> 00:33:17,527
Narrator: The team scrambles
to move the ancient skeleton
559
00:33:17,529 --> 00:33:20,197
Before the site shuts down.
560
00:33:20,199 --> 00:33:22,566
Myriam: In 20 minutes,
we will finish,
561
00:33:22,568 --> 00:33:26,370
So that's why we are
a little in a hurry.
562
00:33:26,372 --> 00:33:28,939
(speaking spanish)
563
00:33:28,941 --> 00:33:31,975
Narrator: With minutes to go
before the gates slam shut,
564
00:33:31,977 --> 00:33:35,746
The skeleton is safe
and ready for analysis.
565
00:33:35,748 --> 00:33:38,415
It could hold clues
to how well the temple
566
00:33:38,417 --> 00:33:40,784
Safeguarded
the pharaohs' afterlife
567
00:33:40,786 --> 00:33:43,920
In the era after the death
of the pyramids.
568
00:33:51,864 --> 00:33:53,063
Narrator:
The skeleton unearthed
569
00:33:53,065 --> 00:33:55,799
Outside thutmosis iii's temple
570
00:33:55,801 --> 00:33:59,569
Is not the first
myriam's team has discovered.
571
00:33:59,571 --> 00:34:03,073
It's one of more
than 125 ancient bodies
572
00:34:03,075 --> 00:34:05,909
They've unearthed
around the site,
573
00:34:05,911 --> 00:34:08,445
Many from a single tomb.
574
00:34:08,447 --> 00:34:11,181
Why they are here is a mystery,
575
00:34:11,183 --> 00:34:15,552
But some are preserved
in almost pristine condition.
576
00:34:15,554 --> 00:34:19,189
The bodies could shed light
on how thutmosis' temple
577
00:34:19,191 --> 00:34:22,192
Was supposed to function
after his death.
578
00:34:22,194 --> 00:34:24,027
Myriam has made it her mission
579
00:34:24,029 --> 00:34:27,597
To search every ancient body
for clues.
580
00:34:27,599 --> 00:34:31,034
Next in line is
a fully wrapped mummy.
581
00:34:31,036 --> 00:34:33,804
She can't risk removing
the linen bandages,
582
00:34:33,806 --> 00:34:37,474
So dental expert
dr. Roger seiler uses x-rays
583
00:34:37,476 --> 00:34:39,910
To scan for information.
584
00:34:39,912 --> 00:34:45,582
Myriam: We want to see
who was this individual,
585
00:34:45,584 --> 00:34:48,185
If it's a male or female.
586
00:34:48,187 --> 00:34:51,021
We want to see their age,
587
00:34:51,023 --> 00:34:52,556
What they eat,
588
00:34:52,558 --> 00:34:55,926
As much as possible
about this person.
589
00:35:00,532 --> 00:35:02,365
We have a head.
590
00:35:02,367 --> 00:35:03,900
Woman: Mm-hmm.
591
00:35:03,902 --> 00:35:06,336
Narrator: Roger examines
the skull to determine
592
00:35:06,338 --> 00:35:10,273
The skeleton's sex
and age at death.
593
00:35:10,275 --> 00:35:14,578
Roger seiler: So, the individual
was about 18, 20, 25 years old.
594
00:35:14,580 --> 00:35:17,180
The teeth are in good health.
595
00:35:17,182 --> 00:35:18,648
So it's a young individual.
596
00:35:18,650 --> 00:35:19,649
Myriam: Ah, okay.
597
00:35:19,651 --> 00:35:20,717
Roger: But that's
important for--
598
00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:22,986
Myriam: We know
if it's male or female?
599
00:35:22,988 --> 00:35:27,424
Roger: The angle here
could say that it's female.
600
00:35:27,426 --> 00:35:28,725
Myriam: Female. Maybe female?
601
00:35:28,727 --> 00:35:29,860
Roger: Maybe female,
602
00:35:29,862 --> 00:35:33,530
Together with the form
of the chin.
603
00:35:33,532 --> 00:35:37,467
Narrator: The x-ray suggests
the body is of a young woman.
604
00:35:37,469 --> 00:35:40,904
Myriam: This is from tomb 22,
from the late period,
605
00:35:40,906 --> 00:35:42,506
Where we found
the mummy deposit?
606
00:35:42,508 --> 00:35:43,573
Roger: Yes.
607
00:35:43,575 --> 00:35:45,142
Narrator: The tomb
she was buried in
608
00:35:45,144 --> 00:35:47,511
Dates to a time
nearly 1,000 years
609
00:35:47,513 --> 00:35:50,013
After the temple was built.
610
00:35:50,015 --> 00:35:53,150
It's a hint that the temple
was considered sacred
611
00:35:53,152 --> 00:35:56,987
Long after thutmosis iii
had died.
612
00:35:56,989 --> 00:36:01,958
If he was still remembered,
then his afterlife was secure.
613
00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:06,730
Myriam: Now we have to go
deeper to get more information.
614
00:36:06,732 --> 00:36:09,432
Narrator: Myriam needs to
discover who these people were
615
00:36:09,434 --> 00:36:12,769
To shed light
on why they were buried here.
616
00:36:12,771 --> 00:36:16,873
They work through the dozens
of mummies found at the site.
617
00:36:16,875 --> 00:36:18,942
Roger: The head is missing.
618
00:36:18,944 --> 00:36:21,845
But this is a,
I think it's an organ package,
619
00:36:21,847 --> 00:36:24,648
So they took out
the inner organs,
620
00:36:24,650 --> 00:36:28,685
They mummified them separately,
and put them back.
621
00:36:28,687 --> 00:36:30,420
Good mummification technique.
622
00:36:30,422 --> 00:36:34,257
Myriam: So, some of the mummies
in this mummy deposit
623
00:36:34,259 --> 00:36:37,027
Were high quality.
624
00:36:37,029 --> 00:36:38,228
Roger: High quality
mummification.
625
00:36:38,230 --> 00:36:40,297
Myriam: Mummification, yes.
626
00:36:41,533 --> 00:36:42,599
Narrator: The mummies suggest
627
00:36:42,601 --> 00:36:44,901
That high-status
ancient egyptians
628
00:36:44,903 --> 00:36:46,703
Were burying their dead here
629
00:36:46,705 --> 00:36:51,141
Almost to the end of
ancient egyptian civilization.
630
00:36:51,143 --> 00:36:53,343
They believed this site
held a power
631
00:36:53,345 --> 00:36:58,581
That would help propel
their souls to the afterlife.
632
00:36:58,583 --> 00:37:00,517
The team will need
to keep examining
633
00:37:00,519 --> 00:37:02,685
And comparing the finds,
634
00:37:02,687 --> 00:37:04,621
But with this analysis
complete,
635
00:37:04,623 --> 00:37:10,427
Myriam can return the body
to its eternal rest.
636
00:37:10,429 --> 00:37:12,729
They carefully lower
the precious remains
637
00:37:12,731 --> 00:37:16,132
15 feet down
the vertical shaft.
638
00:37:16,134 --> 00:37:18,235
Myriam: This is
the most critical moment,
639
00:37:18,237 --> 00:37:21,905
And always we are worried.
640
00:37:21,907 --> 00:37:25,609
(speaking foreign language)
641
00:37:25,611 --> 00:37:28,345
Narrator: The mummy is safely
in the burial chamber.
642
00:37:28,347 --> 00:37:30,046
Myriam: Well done.
643
00:37:30,048 --> 00:37:33,116
Narrator:
The team lays it to rest.
644
00:37:33,118 --> 00:37:37,854
Myriam: We have one more
individual in peace.
645
00:37:37,856 --> 00:37:40,023
Narrator: Myriam's discoveries
suggest the temple
646
00:37:40,025 --> 00:37:42,525
Remained sacred
for nearly 1,000 years
647
00:37:42,527 --> 00:37:46,463
After thutmosis iii's death,
648
00:37:46,465 --> 00:37:49,065
Preserving his memory
and his eternal life
649
00:37:49,067 --> 00:37:51,001
Just as long
as his body lay safe
650
00:37:51,003 --> 00:37:53,603
In the valley of the kings.
651
00:37:53,605 --> 00:37:56,673
The new kingdom pharaohs'
afterlife plan
652
00:37:56,675 --> 00:37:58,541
Appeared to be working.
653
00:38:00,746 --> 00:38:03,146
On the hillside
of qubbet el-hawa,
654
00:38:03,148 --> 00:38:06,082
Near modern-day aswan,
655
00:38:06,084 --> 00:38:08,018
Alejandro and his team
have removed
656
00:38:08,020 --> 00:38:10,587
More than 1,000
cubic feet of sand
657
00:38:10,589 --> 00:38:14,491
From the newly discovered tomb.
658
00:38:14,493 --> 00:38:18,461
Alejandro: We have been working
outside and inside,
659
00:38:18,463 --> 00:38:21,298
And we have the possibility
to have access
660
00:38:21,300 --> 00:38:26,169
To check if we have some remains
of the original burials.
661
00:38:26,171 --> 00:38:29,072
Narrator: If the tomb contains
hieroglyphic inscriptions
662
00:38:29,074 --> 00:38:34,344
Or grave goods, it could
help him identify the owner
663
00:38:34,346 --> 00:38:36,980
And uncover the burial
practices of the nobles
664
00:38:36,982 --> 00:38:40,350
Challenging the pyramid
building pharaohs' power.
665
00:38:43,422 --> 00:38:47,857
Alejandro: I can see
several fragments of bones.
666
00:38:47,859 --> 00:38:51,194
Narrator: The bones survive,
but whose are they?
667
00:39:00,605 --> 00:39:02,505
Narrator: Alejandro's
discovery of human remains
668
00:39:02,507 --> 00:39:05,141
Proves beyond doubt
that he's found a new tomb
669
00:39:05,143 --> 00:39:07,310
At qubbet el-hawa.
670
00:39:07,312 --> 00:39:08,978
But what he needs
is hieroglyphs
671
00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:13,283
To identify the tomb owner
and their status.
672
00:39:13,285 --> 00:39:15,919
If a mummy once lay
in this chamber,
673
00:39:15,921 --> 00:39:18,321
Perhaps the valuable
funerary artifacts
674
00:39:18,323 --> 00:39:20,623
Remain in an adjacent cavity.
675
00:39:23,328 --> 00:39:27,731
Alejandro: It's incredible.
676
00:39:27,733 --> 00:39:29,532
We have just the same material
677
00:39:29,534 --> 00:39:32,302
As we found
in the other chamber.
678
00:39:32,304 --> 00:39:35,171
Narrator: The tomb's
second chamber is empty.
679
00:39:35,173 --> 00:39:38,708
It has almost certainly
been entered by thieves,
680
00:39:38,710 --> 00:39:42,278
But alejandro finds that it
hasn't just been robbed.
681
00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:45,448
Telltale tracks on the walls
show it has been ravaged
682
00:39:45,450 --> 00:39:48,585
By an even
more destructive force.
683
00:39:48,587 --> 00:39:50,787
Alejandro: We can guess
that here there were coffins.
684
00:39:50,789 --> 00:39:53,223
There were perhaps boxes.
685
00:39:53,225 --> 00:39:57,894
And everything was eaten
by the termites.
686
00:40:00,565 --> 00:40:02,665
I've never seen
something like this.
687
00:40:04,369 --> 00:40:07,036
(sighs)
688
00:40:07,038 --> 00:40:11,241
It's wherever you look.
689
00:40:11,243 --> 00:40:12,909
Look at that.
690
00:40:12,911 --> 00:40:15,245
This is termites.
691
00:40:15,247 --> 00:40:17,647
I hate termites.
692
00:40:20,419 --> 00:40:21,918
Quite disappointing.
693
00:40:24,456 --> 00:40:27,090
The deception.
694
00:40:27,092 --> 00:40:30,126
But it's part of the game.
695
00:40:30,128 --> 00:40:33,329
Let's go.
696
00:40:33,331 --> 00:40:34,731
Narrator: Like the pyramids,
697
00:40:34,733 --> 00:40:36,599
The tombs cut
into the rock here
698
00:40:36,601 --> 00:40:40,537
Couldn't always save
the owners from destruction.
699
00:40:40,539 --> 00:40:43,706
Their carefully laid plans
to secure their afterlife
700
00:40:43,708 --> 00:40:46,242
Were thwarted.
701
00:40:46,244 --> 00:40:49,012
But the rich necropolis
at qubbet el-hawa
702
00:40:49,014 --> 00:40:50,814
May one day reveal yet more
703
00:40:50,816 --> 00:40:53,583
About the path the governors
of the south played
704
00:40:53,585 --> 00:40:56,619
In the pyramids' decline.
705
00:40:56,621 --> 00:40:57,821
Alejandro:
We have been very lucky
706
00:40:57,823 --> 00:41:00,824
During all the seasons
that we have been working
707
00:41:00,826 --> 00:41:01,825
In qubbet el-hawa.
708
00:41:01,827 --> 00:41:04,761
We have discovered
three new tombs,
709
00:41:04,763 --> 00:41:08,364
Nine intact burial chambers,
710
00:41:08,366 --> 00:41:11,401
But we have
discovered also that,
711
00:41:11,403 --> 00:41:16,439
That sometimes the story
has not the same ending.
712
00:41:16,441 --> 00:41:17,440
Narrator: He may not have found
713
00:41:17,442 --> 00:41:20,376
Hieroglyphic treasures
this time,
714
00:41:20,378 --> 00:41:24,047
But next time,
alejandro could be luckier.
715
00:41:26,952 --> 00:41:30,320
In the valley of the kings,
the new kingdom pharaohs
716
00:41:30,322 --> 00:41:32,388
Dug their tombs
deep into the mountains
717
00:41:32,390 --> 00:41:34,290
To protect them from robbers.
718
00:41:36,895 --> 00:41:39,395
Chris has come
to the most iconic tomb of all
719
00:41:39,397 --> 00:41:43,733
To find out how well
they succeeded--
720
00:41:43,735 --> 00:41:46,102
The tomb of tutankhamun,
721
00:41:46,104 --> 00:41:48,705
Discovered deep beneath
layers of rubble
722
00:41:48,707 --> 00:41:52,909
By archaeologist
howard carter in 1922.
723
00:41:55,847 --> 00:41:59,849
Chris: So, this is the exact
spot where carter would,
724
00:41:59,851 --> 00:42:02,485
For the first time,
have made a little hole
725
00:42:02,487 --> 00:42:03,753
In this blocking here
726
00:42:03,755 --> 00:42:06,422
And been able to see through
into the antechamber.
727
00:42:06,424 --> 00:42:09,092
So this is the moment
where famously he's asked,
728
00:42:09,094 --> 00:42:11,995
"can you see anything?"
and he says, "wonderful things."
729
00:42:11,997 --> 00:42:15,965
That's because he's looking into
this chamber, the antechamber,
730
00:42:15,967 --> 00:42:18,368
Which is absolutely
stuffed full of objects,
731
00:42:18,370 --> 00:42:21,137
As the whole of the tomb was.
732
00:42:21,139 --> 00:42:23,339
Narrator: Carter had uncovered
the richest collection
733
00:42:23,341 --> 00:42:27,577
Of artifacts ever discovered
from egypt's golden age,
734
00:42:27,579 --> 00:42:31,447
Including the pharaoh's
famous mask.
735
00:42:31,449 --> 00:42:33,716
But for chris,
the modern mythology
736
00:42:33,718 --> 00:42:36,352
Of the riches
of tutankhamun's tomb
737
00:42:36,354 --> 00:42:38,922
Is not the full story.
738
00:42:38,924 --> 00:42:41,691
It did contain
wonderful things,
739
00:42:41,693 --> 00:42:45,361
But the tomb
was not undisturbed.
740
00:42:45,363 --> 00:42:47,697
Tutankhamun's
funerary furniture
741
00:42:47,699 --> 00:42:51,534
Was piled up chaotically
as if ready to be removed.
742
00:42:51,536 --> 00:42:53,002
Chris: The tomb was robbed,
743
00:42:53,004 --> 00:42:55,004
Perhaps just a few days
after the funeral,
744
00:42:55,006 --> 00:42:56,773
When tutankhamun's body
was introduced to the tomb
745
00:42:56,775 --> 00:42:58,474
For the first time.
746
00:42:58,476 --> 00:43:00,944
Narrator: Small valuables
seem to have been taken
747
00:43:00,946 --> 00:43:03,146
By opportunistic looters.
748
00:43:03,148 --> 00:43:07,550
They had left the larger items,
perhaps intending to come back,
749
00:43:07,552 --> 00:43:10,186
But something stopped them.
750
00:43:10,188 --> 00:43:13,389
Chris: We now know there was
a flash flood in the valley,
751
00:43:13,391 --> 00:43:15,625
Which deposited
a mass of material
752
00:43:15,627 --> 00:43:17,627
On top of the entranceway
to the tomb,
753
00:43:17,629 --> 00:43:18,795
And once it dried out,
754
00:43:18,797 --> 00:43:21,931
It solidified to
the consistency of cement.
755
00:43:21,933 --> 00:43:25,234
It was impenetrable, and the
location of the tomb was lost
756
00:43:25,236 --> 00:43:29,038
Until howard carter
excavated the tomb in 1922.
757
00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:31,007
That was the first time
anybody had seen it
758
00:43:31,009 --> 00:43:34,644
Since the late 18th dynasty.
759
00:43:34,646 --> 00:43:37,280
Narrator: Tutankhamun's tomb
wasn't the only tomb
760
00:43:37,282 --> 00:43:42,151
In the valley of the kings
plundered by ancient thieves.
761
00:43:42,153 --> 00:43:44,687
All the tombs discovered so far
762
00:43:44,689 --> 00:43:48,491
Were robbed
of their treasures long ago.
763
00:43:48,493 --> 00:43:49,993
They offered
no better protection
764
00:43:49,995 --> 00:43:54,597
Than the mighty monuments
they replaced.
765
00:43:54,599 --> 00:43:56,332
The pyramids, too,
had been no match
766
00:43:56,334 --> 00:43:59,302
For determined grave robbers.
767
00:43:59,304 --> 00:44:02,005
And after years
of drought and conflict,
768
00:44:02,007 --> 00:44:06,542
The pharaohs could no longer
afford to build them.
769
00:44:06,544 --> 00:44:07,810
But the pharaohs achieved
770
00:44:07,812 --> 00:44:11,881
A different kind
of immortality.
771
00:44:11,883 --> 00:44:15,785
Their astonishing pyramids
remain as an iconic reminder
772
00:44:15,787 --> 00:44:20,189
Of the greatest civilization
of the ancient world.
773
00:44:23,495 --> 00:44:25,361
Captioned by
side door media services
66059
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