Lost Treasures of Egypt (2019) s02e06 Episode Script

1
(dramatic music playing)
NARRATOR:
Egypt.
The richest source of archaeological
treasures on the planet.
MAN:
Oh, whoa! Look at that!
NARRATOR: Hidden beneath
this desert landscape,
lie the secrets of this
ancient civilization.
PROF. ALEJANDRO JIMENEZ-SERRANO:
(speaking foreign language) Ooh!
I've never seen something like this.
NARRATOR: Now, for a
full season of excavations,
our cameras have been
given unprecedented access
to follow teams on the front line
of archaeology.
MYRIAM:
This is the most critical moment.
NARRATOR:
Revealing buried secrets.
- PROF. SALIMA IKRAM: Oh!
- MOHAMED AHMED: We are lucky today.
NOZUMO (off screen):
Wow! Lots of mummies.
DR. KATHLEEN MARTINEZ:
The smell is horrible.
NARRATOR: And making discoveries
that could rewrite ancient history.
PROF. JOHN DARNELL:
We've never had the proof until now!
DR. COLLEEN DARNELL:
This is where it all started.
PROF. JIMENEZ-SERRANO:
My goodness, I never expected this.
(applauding)
NARRATOR: This time,
archaeologists unlock the secrets
of one of Egypt's most legendary pharaohs:
Ramses the Great.
DR. SAMEH ISKANDER: This must have been
used by probably Ramses himself.
NARRATOR: John and Colleen search
the desert for clues to Ramses' success.
DR. DARNELL: This is like the
greatest hits of Ramses victories.
NARRATOR: Aliaa races to save
one of Egypt's greatest treasures.
ALIAA ISMAIL: If it tips over it
would definitely damage the surface
of the tomb.
NARRATOR: And Fathi excavates
deep into the earth
to uncover the mysteries
of an ancient necropolis.
FATHI YASEEN: Look there's something here,
but we don't know yet.
♪♪
NARRATOR: In over 3,000 years
of ancient Egyptian history,
no pharaoh comes close
to rivaling Ramses the Great.
During his 66 years on the throne,
Ramses raised the Egyptian empire
to the zenith of its wealth,
culture, and power.
He created a vast legacy,
and was so revered
that nine further pharaohs
would take his name.
He would build more statues,
monuments, and temples
than any other pharaoh,
forever changing the face of Egypt.
Now, archaeologists across the country
are searching for the
secrets of his success.
In the ancient city of Abydos,
Dr. Sameh Iskander
leads a team on a mission
to excavate what some archaeologists
believe is the first temple
built during Ramses' reign.
DR. ISKANDER (in foreign language):
Hurry up, man.
Hurry up! Hurry up!
(in English): Egypt after Ramses
is a completely different country.
This is his beginning.
There's something personal about this.
And that's what really got me
interested in this temple.
NARRATOR: He hopes clues found
in Ramses' early reign
can unlock the mystery
of what fueled his future success.
But first, Sameh must
settle an age old debate
over whether this is truly
the first monument built by Ramses.
DR. ISKANDER: Well, what we're
looking here is any clues
as to when this temple was built.
NARRATOR: The team digs
for foundation deposits
deep beneath the temple walls,
offerings buried at the
start of construction,
which they hope will
provide vital information
about the temple's origins.
Instead of foundation deposits,
workers unearth something incredible.
DR. ISKANDER (off screen): Cartouches!
Extremely unusual cartouches.
Unprecedented in any Egyptian temple.
NARRATOR: These oval markings were used
to stamp the names of pharaohs
onto their monuments.
The hidden cartouches spell out two names.
DR. ISKANDER: The one on the left
is Ramses Meryamun.
That's the name given to
him when he was born.
And the other one is the throne name
that the one given to him when
he became the pharaoh, Ramses II.
NARRATOR: Ramses' throne name
would not have been inscribed
on the foundations unless
he began its construction.
DR. ISKANDER: This temple was built
during the reign of Ramses II, period.
No more argument about that.
NARRATOR: Ramses would go on to build
more monuments than any other pharaoh,
but the cartouche proves this temple
is where it all began.
DR. ISKANDER:
This is his beginning,
and was starting to build a legacy.
NARRATOR:
Ramses began his prolific campaign
of monument building with this temple.
At its entrance,
an imposing granite doorway
led to a courtyard
surrounded by figures of Osiris,
the god of this temple.
In each corner of the temple,
buried in the foundations,
golden cartouches spelling his name,
Ramses II, the chosen of Ra.
On the south-western wall of the temple,
Sameh investigates a
recently sealed doorway,
which appears to lead
away from the building.
DR. ISKANDER: This door was left open
for almost 3,000 years.
What is the reason?
Something must have gone
on through this door.
NARRATOR: Sameh's team
begin excavating around the doorway
for clues about where it might lead.
Fifty miles south in
the Valley of the Kings,
is the magnificently decorated tomb
of Ramses' father,
Seti the First,
who ruled for 11 years before
Ramses came to the throne.
Aliaa Ismail has come here
to study the decorations
for clues about what legacy
Ramses inherited from his father.
ISMAIL: You can see that
the pigments have survived all this time.
NARRATOR: A detail in the
stunning mural catches her eye.
ISMAIL: Here you can see the blueness
here in the hair.
NARRATOR: This blue pigmentation
reveals incredible evidence
about Seti's reign.
ISMAIL: We have here, lapis,
and lapis was brought from Afghanistan.
NARRATOR: The pigment was brought
over 2,000 miles to be used in this tomb.
It's a clue that Egypt could have
entered a golden era
before Ramses ever came to the throne.
ISMAIL:
We can see strong trade relations,
in terms of wealth, power and politics.
It's like China and America put together.
NARRATOR:
Ramses' success maybe have been built
on the back of the
achievements of his father.
But discoveries like this
are at risk of disappearing.
ISMAIL:
Tombs were made to be closed forever,
and once we have opened them,
the presence of air and moisture
keeps degrading the tomb.
NARRATOR: Aliaa is training
a team of young conservationists
to help preserve the tomb
through cutting edge 3D scanning.
ISMAIL:
For thousands of years,
the locals have been
the guardians of this place,
and now they're doing it
just with modern technology.
NARRATOR:
For team member Mina Fahim Rezk,
it's a welcome chance
to protect his Egyptian heritage.
MINA FAHIM REZK:
It's something in our blood.
You feel at home when you are
in a place such as Seti's tomb.
Like I'm going to pray for
my grandfather down there.
NARRATOR: Tomorrow, they will use
their training to create a 3D record
of Seti the First's tomb
before it vanishes forever.
South of the Valley of the Kings in Luxor
is the Asasif necropolis.
This sprawling graveyard covers over
1,000 years of ancient Egyptian history,
with burials from 800 years
before Ramses' time
to many centuries after his death.
Project director Fathi Yaseen and his team
are excavating a newly discovered shaft.
YASEEN:
The mouth of the shaft is huge
and it's going deep
so it's a very important shaft.
NARRATOR: The size of the shaft means
it could lead to an undiscovered tomb.
But, after two weeks' excavation,
their dig hasn't produced any finds.
YASEEN (in foreign language):
Cut it off here, like this.
NARRATOR:
Just feet from the mouth of the shaft,
Fathi spots something in the ground.
It's rare pottery.
Fathi examines it closely
to determine its age.
YASEEN:
This jar
could be 19th dynasty
Ramesside period.
NARRATOR:
The find is from the time of Ramses' rule.
It's a promising sign the shaft
also leads to a tomb from this period.
YASEEN:
It means for us it's a good day.
NARRATOR:
Just north of the shaft,
one of the team unearths a hole
leading deep into the ground.
EZZ EL NOBY:
It's maybe shaft.
Maybe unfinished tomb.
(in foreign language):
No, be careful.
NARRATOR: It looks promising,
but the entrance is unstable.
NOBY:
It goes down
and there's a fall
of fragment of rock here.
NARRATOR:
It's a tantalizing, but risky new lead.
In Abydos, at the first temple
constructed by Ramses,
Sameh discovers a walkway
of limestone blocks
leading away from the
sealed up temple doorway.
At the end of the path
is something incredible.
DR. ISKANDER: Low and behold,
we come across a palace.
NARRATOR:
This is the find of a lifetime.
Ramses the Great's private palace.
DR. ISKANDER: We were shocked.
We really did not expect this here.
NARRATOR: Sameh and his team
immediately begin excavating
this magnificent discovery.
DR. ISKANDER: The entire site
was covered for up to 4 meters.
NARRATOR: Ramses' path
to greatness began here in Abydos,
but he wasn't the first
pharaoh to build here.
Just 950 feet south of Ramses' palace
is the temple of his father,
Seti the First.
Sameh has come here looking for clues
about why both Ramses and his father
chose to build in Abydos,
a site which had fallen out of favor
and been abandoned by previous rulers.
DR. ISKANDER:
Here is Seti the First,
his son, Prince Ramses,
who later will become Ramses the Great.
NARRATOR:
A relief, known as the King's List,
records the pharaohs
from the first dynasty
up to the time of Ramses.
Within it, hidden clues may reveal why
Seti and Ramses returned to Abydos,
and if it played a part in Ramses success.
DR. ISKANDER: Obviously,
there is something missing here.
NARRATOR: Multiple kings
have been erased from history.
DR. ISKANDER:
Why they were missing?
Because they are horrific kings.
NARRATOR: These pharaohs ruled
before Ramses and Seti came to power.
During this period, the old religions
and gods were abandoned.
DR. ISKANDER:
What Ramses is trying to do
is to restore the old Egyptian religion.
NARRATOR: Abydos is where early Egyptians
believed the god Osiris was buried.
They considered it a sacred site,
and from the first dynasty,
chose to build their tombs here.
Archaeologists unearthed a tomb
dating to 2,000 years before Ramses' rule.
Inside it, a treasure hoard
with over 400 wine jars.
An ivory scepter.
An ancient obsidian bowl.
And the oldest examples
of Egyptian writing.
Priceless ivory tags bearing the names
of regions of ancient Egypt.
This tomb is believed to belong to
a man called Scorpion,
one of Egypt's very first kings.
By building in Abydos,
Ramses and Seti hope to ensure
the success of their dynasty,
forever associating it
with the first kings, such as Scorpion,
and one of the most revered
ancient gods, Osiris,
ruler of the underworld.
DR. ISKANDER:
That's what this temple is all about.
Build this temple in the domain of Osiris,
which is Abydos.
NARRATOR: Ramses built his power
through a connection to the old ways.
But, could developments
made during King Scorpion's reign
have been what allowed Ramses
to spread that power through his empire?
In the town of El-Khawy
hieroglyphics experts
John and Colleen Darnell
are on a mission to unravel
the mystery of Ramses' path to greatness.
Above an historic trade route,
they have discovered ancient inscriptions.
PROF. DARNELL:
I think what we've got here
is one of the earliest
hieroglyphic inscriptions.
NARRATOR: Carved into the mountain
are depictions of animals,
but these are more than just drawings.
PROF. DARNELL: This is someone
actually writing these signs.
They're letters, not pictures.
NARRATOR: These carvings mark
a huge moment in human civilization.
They show an ibis with two storks
on either side,
and form something new:
a picture representing a word.
This is an early version
of the hieroglyph "akhet,"
the ancient Egyptian word for "horizon."
This could be one of the oldest examples
of written language ever found.
To confirm the age of the inscriptions,
John and Colleen compare them
with records of the ancient texts
found in the tomb of one of
Egypt's first kings:
Scorpion.
DR. DARNELL: These are the same signs
as in the early tomb at Abydos.
NARRATOR:
They are a perfect match.
At over 5,000 years old,
these are the first monumental
hieroglyphics ever discovered,
and one of the earliest examples
of written language.
DR. DARNELL: This is the first time
we can read a hieroglyphic inscription.
NARRATOR:
John deciphers the symbols.
The akhet hieroglyph,
along with the symbol of a bull,
reveals a remarkable connection
between this early writing
and Ramses' success 2,000 years later.
PROF. DARNELL:
We have royal power equals solar power.
The king on Earth is
as the sun in the sky.
NARRATOR: The texts are an early example
of Pharaonic propaganda.
DR. DARNELL:
This absolutely is an ancient billboard.
NARRATOR: Ramses not only
associated himself with the old king
by building in Abydos;
he used the power of written language
developed during Scorpion's reign
to spread the success of his empire.
PROF. DARNELL: This is exactly the
statement of the basis of authority
on which Ramses II himself ruled.
DR. DARNELL:
This is where it all started.
NARRATOR: To further unlock the secrets
of Ramses success
DR. DARNELL:
Shukran!
NARRATOR:
John and Colleen must look for more clues
in the monuments he left behind.
In Luxor, at the Necropolis of Asasif,
Fathi's team is excavating
the infilled shaft
in the area dating to the time of Ramses.
They have now reached a depth of 30 feet.
The workers must move thousands of tons
of earth without machinery.
SAYED AL QURNAY:
It's very hard work.
You must have strong arms.
NARRATOR: Sayed Al Qurnay
oversees the site's safety.
QURNAY (in foreign language):
How's it going, boys?
NARRATOR: He must constantly monitor
the dig's progress for any danger.
QURNAY (in foreign language):
We are nearly finished.
(in English):
The safety is very important.
Very, very important for us.
NARRATOR: So far,
nothing has been discovered inside.
But, they are now approaching
the bottom of the shaft
and the signs are promising.
YASEEN:
At 10 meters, we have without
modern debris, it means
a good sign for us
because it was never excavated before.
NARRATOR: Suddenly,
one of Fathi's sharp eyed workers
spots something in the ancient debris.
(speaking foreign language)
YASEEN:
What?
Look. Something here,
but we don't know yet.
NARRATOR: This is the first discovery
made in the shaft at Asasif.
YASEEN (off screen):
Small statues.
Shabtis!
Tiny shabtis!
NARRATOR: Buried in the debris
is an exquisitely carved miniature statue,
known as a shabti.
YASEEN (off screen):
Four centimeters.
NARRATOR: Ancient Egyptians believed
these tiny figures would come to life
and serve the tomb's occupant
in the afterlife.
As they dig further, a treasure trove
of shabtis begins to emerge.
YASEEN:
More shabtis we found here.
NARRATOR: In total, they discover
30 beautifully carved shabtis.
As Fathi excavates further,
he spots something else in the debris.
YASEEN (off screen):
Something here we have.
I'm not sure yet but
Yes.
It looks like could be a hammer.
This using for cutting.
NARRATOR: Tools like this were used
to excavate chambers
deep beneath the ground.
YASEEN:
When we have tools
it means we have something else.
NARRATOR:
The team could be just inches
from discovering a burial chamber.
In Luxor, close to the
Valley of the Kings,
Ramses built his mortuary temple:
the Ramesseum.
Colleen has come here, hoping to unravel
the mystery of Ramses' success
through clues in the monuments
he left behind.
DR. DARNELL: This is where
he set up one of the most colossal statues
ever created in ancient Egypt.
NARRATOR: Started in just
the second year of his reign,
this huge shrine was built for worshipers
to pray for Ramses' immortal soul.
From his very beginnings,
Ramses was already focused
on being remembered
long after his death.
But, Colleen believes this temple
might reveal Ramses' success
was due to more than building
monuments of remembrance.
DR. DARNELL: If you don't
have the backing
of an amazingly wealthy country,
you can't commission
a colossal statue like this one.
NARRATOR: Neighboring the temple
are vast vaulted chambers
more suited to storage than worship.
DR. DARNELL: These storage rooms
dwarf the stone temple.
NARRATOR: Inside, Colleen finds
a clue to what was stored here.
DR. DARNELL:
The hole is in the roof.
So this entire giant room
would have been filled with grain.
NARRATOR:
These huge silos reveal
there was as much
an economic function to the temple
as a religious one.
DR. DARNELL:
It's 16,500 cubic meters
of grain storage.
That's a phenomenal amount of wealth.
These grain stores could feed
a significant portion of Ramses' army.
NARRATOR: Ramses had both the wealth
to build monuments for his worship,
and the resources to feed
a standing army of around 20,000 men.
DR. DARNELL:
Without these economic resources,
Egypt's military victories
would have never happened.
NARRATOR: Ramses may have had
a huge army at his disposal,
but to understand how he put it to use,
Colleen will have to search
more of the monuments he left behind.
In Abydos, in the newly discovered
palace of Ramses II,
Sameh pieces together
fragments of buried p ottery.
DR. ISKANDER:
Very fine material. Has nice rim.
NARRATOR: Next to where
the pottery was discovered,
workers unearth a mysterious pit.
DR. ISKANDER (off screen):
We have some surprise here.
NARRATOR: The original stones
have been warped by heat.
DR. ISKANDER (off screen): This is all
melted sandstone all around here.
NARRATOR: Within the pit are molds,
which perfectly match the pottery.
DR. ISKANDER:
This is like a frozen moment in time.
NARRATOR: The molds are clues
to the pit's original purpose.
DR. ISKANDER: We realize
we are now coming across a furnace.
NARRATOR: Sameh believes
this furnace was a kiln
used to make bowls for
Ramses' private palace.
DR. ISKANDER: This must have been
used by probably Ramses himself.
And we're getting close and
close to him as a person,
as a pharaoh, as a human being.
NARRATOR:
Just feet from the furnace,
Sameh discovers a mysterious niche.
This alcove was cut into
the walls of the palace
and sealed up with ancient bricks.
DR. ISKANDER:
Inside, there was a large object.
NARRATOR:
Nearby, they discover more niches,
but these are also empty.
DR. ISKANDER:
A lot of interesting, but confusing data.
NARRATOR: To reveal the purpose
of these strange niches,
Sameh's team must continue
their painstaking search.
NARRATOR:
On the border with ancient Nubia,
Ramses built another massive monument:
the mountain temple of Abu Simbel.
Colleen has come here searching for clues
about how Ramses' military skill
contributed to the success of his empire.
DR. DARNELL: This is like
the greatest hits of Ramses' victories.
NARRATOR: Ramses consolidated
his empire in the south,
and pushed north to confront
his powerful enemies: the Hittites.
DR. DARNELL:
In temples all over Egypt,
he recorded his victory
against the Hittites.
Or so he wanted us to think.
NARRATOR:
Around 1300 BC,
the Egyptians fought their arch rivals,
the Hittites, at the
fortress city of Kadesh,
in possibly the largest
chariot battle in history.
The light Egyptian chariots had the edge
over the heavy Hittite war machines.
Ramses recorded the victory as a massacre,
but in reality, it was more of a draw.
The two kings agreed a truce,
resulting in the world's first
recorded peace treaty.
DR. DARNELL: It enabled the Egyptians
to spend all of their resources
on peacetime pursuits,
building massive constructions like this,
and usher in a golden age for Egypt.
NARRATOR: Instead of waging
costly military campaigns,
Ramses built his success through
a mastery of diplomacy.
But, to win the hearts of his citizens,
he still needed to depict himself
as a mighty warrior.
DR. DARNELL:
He's on his chariot alone,
with the reins tied behind his back,
so that he's free to shoot his bow.
We know that this is a
little bit of propaganda,
because even the hieroglyphic text
says that his shield bearer,
Mena, was riding in the chariot with him.
NARRATOR: Ramses was a master
of ancient public relations,
happy to bend the truth
to promote an image which
would appeal to his people.
(dramatic music playing)
In the temple's inner sanctum,
Colleen discovers another
secret of Ramses success.
Here, by placing his statue
between the greatest gods of Egypt,
Ramses used a clever trick of the light
to engineer his own divinity.
DR. DARNELL:
Twice a year,
the sun rays reach
all the way through the temple,
illuminating these figures
in the sanctuary.
NARRATOR: Colleen believes
Ramses used this solar alignment
to convey a powerful message:
that he was the living embodiment
of the sun god.
DR. DARNELL:
Truly, here at Abu Simbel,
Ramses II is not just a king.
He is a god.
NARRATOR:
At Ramses palace in Abydos,
Sameh has discovered another niche,
but this one hasn't been emptied.
- DR. ISKANDER: Look at this, another hole.
- WORKER: Yes.
DR. ISKANDER:
Another hole here.
So, it's one on top of the other.
NARRATOR: It's crammed full
with an astonishing number of skeletons.
It's impossible to tell how many.
DR. ISKANDER:
Two heads here at least, so far.
NARRATOR:
They search for other niches,
and find more bones
sealed all around the walls of the palace.
DR. ISKANDER: We have something
very interesting that's now emerging.
NARRATOR: The remains aren't human,
but include bull skeletons.
This discovery might be evidence
Ramses controlled a
mysterious religious cult.
One of the most popular
cults of ancient Egypt
thrived under Ramses:
the cult of Apis.
Priests chose a bull to embody
the creator-god, Ptah.
The Egyptians worshiped
the bull as an oracle,
and interpreted his
movements as prophecies.
When an Apis bull died,
it was ceremoniously buried,
and a new bull chosen.
Ramses heavily promoted
bull worship during his reign,
reinforcing his divinity
through this powerful cult.
Ramses may have built
a connection to the bull cult,
but Sameh can't be sure
this palace was a sacred cult site.
Unlike the Apis cult,
which ceremoniously buried its bulls,
these remains have been
crammed into the walls without ceremony.
DR. ISKANDER: So far,
there's really no pattern.
They're scattered, and then--
Almost in a random way.
NARRATOR:
Was this truly a sacred site?
Or could Ramses' private palace
have become a dumping ground
for the carcasses of livestock?
DR. ISKANDER: It's a mystery
that we have to resolve.
NARRATOR:
In the Valley of the Kings
Today, Aliaa and her team
attempt to record history,
creating a 3D scan of Ramses' father,
Seti's tomb, in the hope of
preserving it for future generations.
They carefully load the
precious scanning equipment
and make their way to the tomb.
ISMAIL: The work today's
going to be very scary
because we're really worried.
We don't want to touch anything.
NARRATOR: The towering ceilings
in Seti's tomb are 20 feet high.
To capture their secrets,
the team must build a huge scaffold
just inches from the priceless walls.
ISMAIL: Can we start by
assembling the legs, please?
Please be careful.
NARRATOR: Any mistake
would cause irreparable damage
to one of the most
precious tombs in Egypt.
ISMAIL:
Guys, could we start putting it up?
(foreign dialogue)
NARRATOR: On the north side
of the Valley of the Kings,
Colleen's exploring the inscriptions
in Ramses II's tomb.
In 1213 BC, after 66 years on the throne,
Ramses died aged 96,
and his mummy was sealed here.
In life, Ramses declared himself a god,
but Colleen has come here to discover
if Ramses was as successful in death.
DR. DARNELL:
There's Apep!
So, Apep is the chaos serpent.
He's the one that tries
to stop the sun god.
NARRATOR: The hieroglyphics
show Ramses slaying the serpent,
a role normally reserved for the sun god.
DR. DARNELL: That's the power that Ramses
is trying to harness in his tomb,
that he wants to become like the sun god.
NARRATOR: In death, Ramses intends to
take on the god's cosmic duties.
Deep inside the tomb,
scaffolding supports
Ramses' burial chamber.
It was heavily damaged
by ancient flooding.
But, when archaeologists
discovered the tomb,
Ramses' mummy and nearly
all his riches were gone.
DR. DARNELL: His mummy
would have been placed here in the coffin,
but now, it's no longer here.
NARRATOR:
Ramses' story doesn't end here.
In search of his final resting place,
John and Colleen follow a trail
high into the cliffs.
Hidden in the rock face is a secret shaft,
which is normally sealed.
Today, it has been opened
especially for their investigation.
But, it's a long way down.
DR. DARNELL:
Can't see the bottom from here.
PROF. DARNELL:
Well, it's sufficiently deep shaft.
DR. DARNELL:
Wow! (laughs)
NARRATOR:
In Luxor's necropolis of Asasif,
the team has excavated the shaft
to a depth of 45 feet.
Fathi thinks he is on the verge
of a huge breakthrough.
YASEEN:
What we have now?
We have entrance of the room.
It is very important for us.
It is amazing.
NARRATOR: The excavation has uncovered
what may be a burial chamber.
The chamber is filled with debris
nearly up to its ceiling,
but there's enough room
for Fathi to measure the space.
YASEEN (off screen):
Wow, this is
quite a space.
When we have big room it means
the owner of the tomb
is high rank.
NARRATOR:
It's a promising sign
that an important mummy could be buried
deep under the compacted debris.
But Fathi is concerned
about the chamber's safety.
YASEEN (off screen):
We can see
the natural crack in the mountain.
Could be that an earthquake
affected this mountain.
NARRATOR: Ancient geological disasters
could have compromised its integrity.
Fathi clears his team out,
and meets with Sayed for an assessment.
QURNAY:
The situation inside the side chamber
with the rock, it's very bad.
NARRATOR: Part of the
chamber's ceiling has collapsed.
YASEEN: So you think you would like
to stop in the side room?
QURNAY:
The situation is dangerous.
YASEEN:
In that case we have to
stop the excavation.
Okay.
We have to bring our
professional architect here
to find a way how we can
make a consolidation.
QURNAY:
Yes, it's a very good idea.
NARRATOR:
Work cannot continue in the chamber
until a specialist arrives
to make it safe.
The team will have to wait
to find out what is buried inside.
YASEEN:
During our work we learned we have to
be patient and we have hope also.
Patience and hope.
NARRATOR:
In the Valley of the Kings
In the tomb of Ramses father,
Seti the First,
Aliaa's team assembles a huge scaffold
just inches from one of ancient Egypt's
most perfectly preserved murals.
Any damage would be catastrophic.
ISMAIL: If it tips over,
it would definitely damage
the surface of the tomb.
ISMAIL (in foreign language):
Be careful, Hajar!
The wall is right behind you.
I was just informing one of my colleagues
that she is getting too close to the wall.
NARRATOR:
The scaffold is up.
Now, they must calibrate
the 3D laser scanner,
which will allow them to model
the surface of the tomb's paintwork
in microscopic detail.
ISMAIL:
The dust is a huge problem.
No matter how much you wipe it clean,
it never gets clean.
NARRATOR: The equipment is set up,
and they are ready to start.
ISMAIL:
So exciting.
NARRATOR:
It is now the moment of truth.
Will Aliaa's hard work bring results?
Or will all her efforts
have been for nothing?
ISMAIL:
Now, we're going to see what happens
when we press the magic button.
(dramatic music playing)
NARRATOR:
Aliaa and her team begin scanning.
Each pass of the scanner
takes three minutes,
so they have a nerve-racking wait
to see if their operation is a success.
ISMAIL:
It's almost like we're making history.
NARRATOR: The scan is complete,
and the team rush to check their data.
- ISMAIL: Yay!
- (applause)
Finally, it seems like
all the hard work has paid off.
NARRATOR:
The scan has worked perfectly,
capturing the surface of the tomb
in microscopic detail.
ISMAIL: It's only through
understanding the complex
biographies of these surface layers
that we can understand and preserve
and protect this tomb.
NARRATOR: These records will
help save the tomb's decorations,
and could reveal more secrets
about the life of Ramses
and his father, Seti.
ISMAIL: Only about ten percent
of what is out there has been discovered,
and there's much more.
Much more for us to see,
and for future generations to see.
NARRATOR:
At Ramses' palace in Abydos,
Sameh's team is on the brink
of a new discovery.
Unlike the random skeletons
scattered around the palace,
this bull has been ceremoniously buried.
DR. ISKANDER: This is an
entire bull skeleton, completely intact.
NARRATOR: This matches
the practices of the Apis cult.
Sameh believes this is proof
Ramses' palace was a sacred cult location.
DR. ISKANDER:
People revered Ramses,
and they want to bury the bulls
right here in his palace.
NARRATOR:
To learn more about the cult,
Sameh searches for clues
to date the skeleton.
Buried around the bones
are fragments of pottery,
which reveal incredible new evidence.
DR. ISKANDER: With the pottery that
we have all over the place here,
we are certain this is Ptolemaic period,
a thousand years after Ramses.
NARRATOR:
It's an amazing revelation.
The Ptolemaic period was
ancient Egypt's last dynasty,
meaning this sacrifice is from
a millennium after Ramses' rule.
DR. ISKANDER: Ramses' cult lasted
for a thousand years after his time.
Thousand years after Ramses died!
This place is still a divine place,
a sacred place,
where offerings are being made.
NARRATOR: Sameh's discoveries
show that by instilling his worship
in the hearts and minds of his people,
Ramses engineered
his own path to greatness.
DR. ISKANDER:
It's a history. It's the history of Egypt.
It's the history of humanity here,
and that's what we go through.
It is so exciting.
(dramatic music playing)
NARRATOR:
Near the Valley of the Kings,
through his cult,
Ramses' legacy lived on.
But, to discover
his mummy's final resting place,
John and Colleen hunt deep
beneath the mountains.
At the bottom of the shaft,
John discovers an ancient painted message.
PROF. DARNELL (off screen):
The text describes
activities related to the reburials
that went on here in this tomb.
NARRATOR: It's an ancient record
of mummies being moved
to this tomb 3,000 years ago.
DR. DARNELL:
It's as if the ancient Egyptians
wanted to leave us clues.
NARRATOR:
150 years after Ramses' death,
Egypt suffered a period of civil unrest.
State officials could no longer guard
the Valley of the Kings,
so they stripped the tombs
of their treasure,
taking it for themselves.
But, they still revered
the royal mummies buried there.
In secret, they moved nearly
50 ancient kings to a hidden location.
To investigate the fate of Ramses' mummy,
John and Colleen must go deeper
into the pitch black crumbling tomb.
PROF. DARNELL (off screen):
Look at all of this.
- It's a bit unstable.
- DR. DARNELL: Wow!
The hard hats were a good idea.
NARRATOR: Explorers discovered
the royal mummies in 1881,
and sketched a plan of where
each pharaoh was buried.
Deep in the labyrinth,
John and Colleen discover a small chamber,
which could have been Ramses' tomb.
PROF. DARNELL:
I didn't expect this.
DR. DARNELL:
Wow!
PROF. DARNELL: The body of Ramses II
was probably over in here,
in this chamber.
Ramses II spent about
28 centuries resting here.
And it's quite extraordinary.
NARRATOR: This is where
Ramses' mummy was discovered.
His story continues to this day.
His mummy was moved to the Cairo museum,
where it's still on display.
DR. DARNELL:
So, for Ramses II to still exist today
is somewhat of a miracle.
NARRATOR: Ramses may not have lived
forever in his intended tomb,
but he did achieve a kind of immortality.
His name still lives on today
as the greatest pharaoh
of this ancient civilization.
And it is through the secrets
and clues he left behind
that we can reveal the key to his success.
DR. DARNELL: It's here
that we can fill in the story
that we know what happened.
Captioned by Point.360