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Narrator: An undiscovered void
deep inside the great pyramid.
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Tantalizing new evidence
of lost tombs
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00:00:10,911 --> 00:00:12,945
in the valley of the kings.
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00:00:17,718 --> 00:00:22,621
Egypt's greatest monuments
conceal many unsolved mysteries.
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00:00:24,658 --> 00:00:28,727
Today, investigators use
pioneering 3-d modeling...
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00:00:28,729 --> 00:00:32,164
The feat of engineering here
is just astronomical.
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You can see the size of it.
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Narrator:
...Forensic analysis...
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00:00:36,370 --> 00:00:37,703
Lehner: There's no smoking gun.
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00:00:37,705 --> 00:00:40,472
There's no signature
left on the sphinx.
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00:00:40,474 --> 00:00:42,307
But there are clues.
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00:00:42,309 --> 00:00:46,612
Narrator:
...And sheer brute force
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00:00:46,614 --> 00:00:51,884
to make new discoveries about
egypt's seven greatest wonders.
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00:00:51,886 --> 00:00:54,119
Man: The ancient egyptians
took what they had
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00:00:54,121 --> 00:00:56,255
and used it ingeniously.
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00:00:58,526 --> 00:01:01,126
Narrator: These seven iconic
megastructures
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00:01:01,128 --> 00:01:06,131
set the benchmark
for human ingenuity.
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How do the pharaohs of egypt
build these superstructures
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00:01:09,637 --> 00:01:13,839
without the tools and machines
we take for granted today?
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What drives them to build
on a scale never seen before?
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00:01:26,053 --> 00:01:28,854
Now we reveal
how the powerful kings
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kick-start humanity's obsession
with colossal engineering...
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...To build the seven wonders
of ancient egypt.
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-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com
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captions paid for by
discovery communications
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the seven wonders
of the ancient world.
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The must-see most spectacular
monuments in antiquity.
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One structure on the list
stands out.
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The great pyramid of giza,
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00:02:03,257 --> 00:02:06,558
the oldest and most colossal.
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Created by an extraordinary
civilization,
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the ancient egyptians.
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The great pyramid is
the extraordinary legacy
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00:02:16,904 --> 00:02:19,738
of the powerful pharaoh khufu.
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00:02:19,740 --> 00:02:25,477
Even today, khufu's monster tomb
keeps giving up its secrets.
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Advanced scanning using
subatomic particles
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reveals a huge void
in the heart of the pyramid,
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00:02:36,924 --> 00:02:40,025
right next to the pharaoh's
burial chamber...
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Undiscovered for 4,500 years.
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00:02:46,834 --> 00:02:52,237
♪
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00:02:52,239 --> 00:02:55,941
a secret room longer than
four city busses
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is testament
to the enduring mystery
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00:02:58,145 --> 00:03:02,681
and massive scale of
khufu's great pyramid
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00:03:02,683 --> 00:03:05,350
and a stunning new discovery.
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00:03:09,023 --> 00:03:11,990
The mighty pharaohs of egypt
and their engineers
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are the masters
of building big.
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00:03:16,964 --> 00:03:19,231
But why do the pharaohs commit
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00:03:19,233 --> 00:03:23,569
the resources of an entire
empire to these monuments?
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00:03:27,875 --> 00:03:31,043
Rising out of the desert
on the edge of cairo,
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00:03:31,045 --> 00:03:36,281
the great pyramid of giza
stands at over 450 feet tall.
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00:03:38,285 --> 00:03:43,355
Built around 2,500 b.C., it is
the tallest structure on earth
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00:03:43,357 --> 00:03:46,658
for more than three
and a half thousand years.
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Khufu hopes his colossal tomb
protects his mummified body
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00:03:53,133 --> 00:03:55,467
until the very end of time.
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The ancient egyptians believe
the body is needed for the soul
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00:04:01,675 --> 00:04:05,611
to reach the underworld
and gain eternal life.
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00:04:09,416 --> 00:04:12,684
Archeologist mark lehner
has studied this monument
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for over 40 years.
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Well, the whole pyramid
was about this place
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00:04:20,194 --> 00:04:22,461
and this sarcophagus.
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00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:31,803
Narrator: The intricately carved
sarcophagus holds khufu's mummy.
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00:04:31,805 --> 00:04:33,972
The rest of the king's chamber
is filled
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00:04:33,974 --> 00:04:36,708
with treasures
of unimaginable wealth,
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00:04:36,710 --> 00:04:40,112
placed alongside
everyday objects like chairs,
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00:04:40,114 --> 00:04:42,581
bread, and beer --
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00:04:42,583 --> 00:04:46,418
everything a pharaoh needs
to live in the afterlife.
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00:04:50,257 --> 00:04:53,692
But this instantly makes it
a target for grave robbers
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00:04:53,694 --> 00:04:57,763
from the moment
the pharaoh is sealed inside.
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How do khufu's engineers protect
the pharaoh and his treasure?
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00:05:02,303 --> 00:05:09,174
♪
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solid walls 260 feet thick
surround the chambers,
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leaving the passageways
as the weak link.
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00:05:17,685 --> 00:05:19,217
So at the king's chamber,
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00:05:19,219 --> 00:05:21,153
workers carve out
a set of grooves
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just outside the entrance
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and fit three
massive granite slabs
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which workers drop down
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once the king's mummy
is safely inside.
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To block the entrance
to the passageways below,
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they fit three even
bigger granite blocks
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and cut off access
to the inner sanctum.
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Then they completely conceal
the entrance
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00:05:44,378 --> 00:05:47,179
under a seamless layer
of limestone.
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The builders hope that these
three layers of defense
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will keep robbers out.
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Outside the king's chamber,
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the granite slabs
are missing today.
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00:06:00,494 --> 00:06:03,395
But mark finds grooves
which once held ropes
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00:06:03,397 --> 00:06:05,297
to lower the blocks.
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00:06:05,299 --> 00:06:07,065
So the ropes came up and down
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00:06:07,067 --> 00:06:09,067
through these
semicircular grooves.
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The portcullis slab slid
down through these panels.
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So the whole thing was like
a primitive machine
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00:06:17,211 --> 00:06:20,379
that the builders
who closed the pyramid
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could put into action from the
other side after they got out.
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Narrator:
Khufu hopes when he dies,
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his mummified body will
lie undisturbed for eternity,
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00:06:33,761 --> 00:06:37,328
allowing it to reunite
with his soul,
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00:06:37,330 --> 00:06:40,632
giving him immortality
in the afterlife.
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His pyramid is the ultimate
resurrection machine.
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00:06:50,577 --> 00:06:55,447
A structure made from over
two million solid stone blocks
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assembled with
breathtaking precision,
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00:06:58,352 --> 00:07:02,421
many weighing more than a car.
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00:07:02,423 --> 00:07:06,324
Narrow hidden tunnels
lead to two massive chambers...
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00:07:09,630 --> 00:07:13,131
Designed to withstand
huge weights from above.
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00:07:16,136 --> 00:07:21,773
The ultimate resting place
for a pharaoh's body.
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00:07:21,775 --> 00:07:23,475
How do the ancients build
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00:07:23,477 --> 00:07:26,645
this six-million ton
immortal monument
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in the sands
of the egyptian desert?
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♪
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mark knows that when the
pharaoh khufu orders engineers
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00:07:38,759 --> 00:07:41,159
to build the largest
pyramid ever,
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he sets the ultimate deadline.
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They have to finish
before the death of the king.
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The engineer had his life
and reputation on the line
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in order to complete the pyramid
within the king's lifetime.
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It was long thought that khufu
ruled for 23 years.
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Recently,
new findings of dates suggest
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00:08:04,017 --> 00:08:07,819
khufu might have reigned
maybe 30-some years, maybe 35.
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00:08:07,821 --> 00:08:10,622
So it gives them
a little more leeway.
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00:08:10,624 --> 00:08:14,226
Narrator: Khufu sets
the challenge and the deadline.
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00:08:14,228 --> 00:08:17,028
The big mystery
is how do builders ensure
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00:08:17,030 --> 00:08:21,466
that the massive monument
is complete in time?
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00:08:21,468 --> 00:08:25,904
Quarrying expert adel kelany
and a team of master stonemasons
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00:08:25,906 --> 00:08:29,774
is trying
to answer this question.
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They need to square off
a limestone block
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00:08:32,179 --> 00:08:35,180
to restore a wall
near the pyramid.
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00:08:47,494 --> 00:08:51,897
First, they must split
a rough limestone block in half
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00:08:51,899 --> 00:08:54,366
using modern steel tools.
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00:09:00,541 --> 00:09:02,874
Striking the rock
in the right place
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00:09:02,876 --> 00:09:04,509
should make it crack.
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00:09:08,348 --> 00:09:10,115
Man: Oops.
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00:09:10,117 --> 00:09:11,850
The rock is split,
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00:09:11,852 --> 00:09:14,386
but it's tough going
for the tools.
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00:09:17,791 --> 00:09:20,458
Seeing how hard it is
to square off a block
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00:09:20,460 --> 00:09:23,762
with modern tools
highlights the challenges.
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00:09:43,850 --> 00:09:47,552
Experts think it might take
five workers up to half a day
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00:09:47,554 --> 00:09:49,921
to square off
and shape each block
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00:09:49,923 --> 00:09:53,925
so it fits perfectly
next to another.
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00:09:53,927 --> 00:09:56,461
Making every single block
in the pyramid
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00:09:56,463 --> 00:10:00,365
this accurate in the time
they have seems impossible.
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00:10:03,503 --> 00:10:07,772
So how do the egyptians do it?
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00:10:07,774 --> 00:10:09,975
Mark lehner believes
the pyramid builders
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00:10:09,977 --> 00:10:13,912
find a shortcut
to speed up construction.
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00:10:13,914 --> 00:10:16,748
Lehner: I think it would have
been well nigh impossible
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00:10:16,750 --> 00:10:20,251
to build the whole pyramid
with regular, squared,
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00:10:20,253 --> 00:10:22,787
nicely fitted blocks.
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00:10:22,789 --> 00:10:25,724
Narrator: The blocks inside
the pyramid look very different
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00:10:25,726 --> 00:10:28,293
from those
that make up the outside.
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00:10:28,295 --> 00:10:30,662
Higher up in the pyramid
and deeper in,
151
00:10:30,664 --> 00:10:33,865
look at this joint
between two stones.
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00:10:33,867 --> 00:10:36,801
Now it's a good six inches
to eight inches wide
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00:10:36,803 --> 00:10:39,738
and just stuffed
with big globs of mortar
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and smaller limestone pieces.
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00:10:42,676 --> 00:10:44,609
Narrator: Mark thinks that
the pyramid builders
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00:10:44,611 --> 00:10:47,012
used this technique
deliberately.
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The only way the egyptians
build something so large
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00:10:52,552 --> 00:10:56,087
so quick is to cheat.
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00:10:56,089 --> 00:11:00,158
Using rough blocks significantly
speeds up the process.
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00:11:03,397 --> 00:11:07,932
Khufu hopes his great pyramid
will ensure his eternal life.
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00:11:10,804 --> 00:11:15,674
It's a wonder that is still
giving up its mysteries
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and is so spectacular,
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00:11:17,477 --> 00:11:20,278
it remains unmatched
to this day.
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This monster tomb
is an incredible feat
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of ancient engineering.
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How do the king's builders
get the hastily carved stones
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450 feet in the air
using no lifting equipment?
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00:11:38,732 --> 00:11:40,765
And later,
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00:11:40,767 --> 00:11:43,601
new research is revealing
how the valley of the kings
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could be concealing the next
great archeological discovery.
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Narrator:
The great pyramid of giza,
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00:12:01,822 --> 00:12:06,725
the most celebrated wonder
of the ancient world.
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An attempt at immortality
by the powerful pharaoh khufu.
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A tomb so large no other
building surpasses it in scale
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for over 3,000 years.
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To build on such
an unprecedented scale,
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00:12:25,145 --> 00:12:30,715
the engineers cut and lay
more than 200 blocks a day.
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00:12:30,717 --> 00:12:33,885
The blocks on the exterior
are cut with such precision
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00:12:33,887 --> 00:12:38,223
you can barely fit a hair
in between them.
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00:12:38,225 --> 00:12:43,528
But just a few layers
further in, things change.
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Here, the builders cut corners,
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leaving huge gaps
between stones.
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00:12:50,470 --> 00:12:53,037
Every block of this
monster building requires
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00:12:53,039 --> 00:12:56,174
an army of workers
to set it in place --
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00:12:56,176 --> 00:12:59,144
evidence of khufu's
incredible power.
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00:12:59,146 --> 00:13:06,251
♪
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00:13:06,253 --> 00:13:08,353
how does the pharaoh's workforce
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00:13:08,355 --> 00:13:11,456
raise the tallest building
in the world
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00:13:11,458 --> 00:13:14,025
using no machines at all?
190
00:13:18,165 --> 00:13:21,232
Experts think that
ancient egyptians haul stones
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00:13:21,234 --> 00:13:24,402
using wooden sledges and rope.
192
00:13:24,404 --> 00:13:27,472
But the big riddle
is how they drag tons of stone
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00:13:27,474 --> 00:13:31,009
and sledge all the way
up the pyramid.
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00:13:33,180 --> 00:13:35,747
Just 76 yards from the pyramid,
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00:13:35,749 --> 00:13:40,518
mark lehner finds evidence
that points to a solution.
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00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:42,487
Lehner: So here, just off
the southwest corner
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00:13:42,489 --> 00:13:43,955
of the khufu pyramid,
198
00:13:43,957 --> 00:13:47,058
we have the foundations
of a ramp that still remains
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00:13:47,060 --> 00:13:51,095
that the egyptians used to make
this large stone tomb.
200
00:13:51,097 --> 00:13:53,598
Narrator: Dragging a large block
of a shallow ramp
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00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:55,667
like this isn't a problem.
202
00:13:57,737 --> 00:14:01,339
But then turn your imagination
to a straight-on ramp
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00:14:01,341 --> 00:14:03,074
that's sloped all the way up
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00:14:03,076 --> 00:14:06,978
to the top
of the great pyramid of khufu.
205
00:14:06,980 --> 00:14:08,880
Narrator: Could ancient builders
use ramps
206
00:14:08,882 --> 00:14:10,982
soaring up to this height?
207
00:14:14,554 --> 00:14:17,388
A ramp works well
for the lower levels.
208
00:14:19,459 --> 00:14:24,996
But as the pyramid rises,
the slope gets too steep.
209
00:14:24,998 --> 00:14:26,664
To keep the ramp shallow,
210
00:14:26,666 --> 00:14:29,234
it would need to be over
half a mile long
211
00:14:29,236 --> 00:14:33,137
and have as much building
material as the pyramid itself.
212
00:14:35,408 --> 00:14:40,678
So one theory is the egyptians
use a shallow ramp
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00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:45,283
until two-thirds of all blocks
are in the base.
214
00:14:45,285 --> 00:14:47,919
Then they build
a narrow spiral ramp
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00:14:47,921 --> 00:14:49,954
up around the edge
of the pyramid
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00:14:49,956 --> 00:14:53,291
to lift blocks
all the way to the top
217
00:14:53,293 --> 00:14:57,161
without making their ramp
too steep.
218
00:14:57,163 --> 00:14:58,496
Lehner: How do you build a ramp?
219
00:14:58,498 --> 00:15:00,198
This ancient ramp shows us.
220
00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,501
You build two retaining walls
of larger stones
221
00:15:03,503 --> 00:15:05,503
and then infill with
the material
222
00:15:05,505 --> 00:15:07,272
that must have been
everywhere at giza --
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00:15:07,274 --> 00:15:12,110
debris of stonecutting
and quarrying.
224
00:15:12,112 --> 00:15:16,581
Narrator: 20,000 workers
build khufu's massive tomb
225
00:15:16,583 --> 00:15:19,117
to protect
the mighty pharaoh's mummy
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00:15:19,119 --> 00:15:21,719
and give him hope
of eternal life.
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00:15:21,721 --> 00:15:26,391
♪
228
00:15:26,393 --> 00:15:28,192
unfortunately for the king,
229
00:15:28,194 --> 00:15:31,629
his formidable defenses
aren't enough.
230
00:15:31,631 --> 00:15:36,768
No mummy or treasures have ever
been found in the great pyramid.
231
00:15:36,770 --> 00:15:39,504
So tomb raiders
must have broken in.
232
00:15:42,709 --> 00:15:45,143
The mystery is where?
233
00:15:47,347 --> 00:15:50,315
Mark and engineer glen dash
investigate
234
00:15:50,317 --> 00:15:53,818
how the robbers
carry out the heist.
235
00:15:53,820 --> 00:15:56,421
So, glen, if you're gonna
get into the pyramid
236
00:15:56,423 --> 00:15:58,556
when it was complete,
237
00:15:58,558 --> 00:16:01,225
and you want to get in
from the original entrance,
238
00:16:01,227 --> 00:16:02,760
this is it.
239
00:16:02,762 --> 00:16:07,231
The casing stones that once
hid this entrance are long gone.
240
00:16:07,233 --> 00:16:10,268
And today, a metal
grille secures it.
241
00:16:10,270 --> 00:16:13,504
The pyramid builders'
efforts to hide
242
00:16:13,506 --> 00:16:18,076
and perhaps fortify
this entrance seem to work.
243
00:16:18,078 --> 00:16:20,578
Because robbers instead
begin tunneling in
244
00:16:20,580 --> 00:16:23,247
from a little lower down.
245
00:16:23,249 --> 00:16:26,084
Lehner: So the story goes that
they started on the center axis
246
00:16:26,086 --> 00:16:27,485
of the pyramid
247
00:16:27,487 --> 00:16:30,455
thinking that's where
the passages would be.
248
00:16:30,457 --> 00:16:33,558
And they heated the rock,
the limestone,
249
00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,627
and then poured cold water
or even vinegar,
250
00:16:36,629 --> 00:16:38,963
the story goes,
to crack it
251
00:16:38,965 --> 00:16:43,067
and gradually force their way
into the pyramid
252
00:16:43,069 --> 00:16:44,702
along this tunnel.
253
00:16:46,806 --> 00:16:49,674
Narrator: Only 30 feet below
the concealed entrance,
254
00:16:49,676 --> 00:16:51,943
the raiders break through
the casing stone
255
00:16:51,945 --> 00:16:55,079
and start tunneling.
256
00:16:55,081 --> 00:16:57,181
After carving through
257
00:16:57,183 --> 00:16:59,884
almost 100 feet
of limestone blocks,
258
00:16:59,886 --> 00:17:02,453
they hit the first
granite blocking slabs
259
00:17:02,455 --> 00:17:05,857
and dig around them
to reach the ascending passage.
260
00:17:07,827 --> 00:17:11,162
Then they have a clean run
to the king's chamber,
261
00:17:11,164 --> 00:17:13,731
only to face the final hurdle --
262
00:17:13,733 --> 00:17:16,000
the second set of granite slabs
263
00:17:16,002 --> 00:17:18,870
the pharaoh's engineers
have dropped in.
264
00:17:21,041 --> 00:17:23,941
The evidence suggests
they break through the barrier
265
00:17:23,943 --> 00:17:25,743
to reach the jackpot.
266
00:17:25,745 --> 00:17:32,383
♪
267
00:17:32,385 --> 00:17:35,219
mark thinks the accuracy
of the robbers' tunnel
268
00:17:35,221 --> 00:17:39,090
is almost too good
to be just a lucky break.
269
00:17:39,092 --> 00:17:41,125
It always seemed to me
that somebody,
270
00:17:41,127 --> 00:17:43,227
whoever made this tunnel,
271
00:17:43,229 --> 00:17:46,931
knew exactly where to turn
to get around the blocks,
272
00:17:46,933 --> 00:17:50,401
the granite plugging blocks.
273
00:17:50,403 --> 00:17:54,138
Whoever did this almost knew
where to turn.
274
00:17:55,942 --> 00:17:58,943
Narrator: This inside
information may help the raiders
275
00:17:58,945 --> 00:18:02,880
crack the defenses
of the great pyramid.
276
00:18:02,882 --> 00:18:06,951
But the real treasure
is impossible to steal --
277
00:18:06,953 --> 00:18:10,521
the building itself.
278
00:18:10,523 --> 00:18:13,057
Khufu's immense ambition
and power
279
00:18:13,059 --> 00:18:16,227
means the oldest and largest
wonder of ancient egypt
280
00:18:16,229 --> 00:18:18,362
still stands today.
281
00:18:21,768 --> 00:18:24,936
The great pyramid might be
the most iconic structure
282
00:18:24,938 --> 00:18:29,407
of this extraordinary
civilization.
283
00:18:29,409 --> 00:18:35,313
The second wonder, the sphinx,
is equally as recognizable.
284
00:18:35,315 --> 00:18:39,383
And later, is egypt's
most beguiling queen
285
00:18:39,385 --> 00:18:41,786
hidden in the valley
of the kings?
286
00:18:47,327 --> 00:18:52,497
♪
287
00:18:52,499 --> 00:18:54,732
narrator: The seven wonders
of ancient egypt
288
00:18:54,734 --> 00:18:56,767
are colossal symbols
of the power
289
00:18:56,769 --> 00:18:59,670
and wealth of the pharaohs.
290
00:18:59,672 --> 00:19:02,206
Their obsession
with attaining eternal life
291
00:19:02,208 --> 00:19:05,977
creates monuments rising
out of the harsh landscape
292
00:19:05,979 --> 00:19:10,148
on a scale
never witnessed before.
293
00:19:10,150 --> 00:19:13,918
Standing a short distance
from khufu's enormous tomb
294
00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:18,289
is ancient egypt's
second wonder,
295
00:19:18,291 --> 00:19:21,325
the sphinx.
296
00:19:21,327 --> 00:19:25,796
One of the largest sculptures
ever created.
297
00:19:25,798 --> 00:19:28,666
Built around 4,500 years ago,
298
00:19:28,668 --> 00:19:33,571
an instantly identifiable icon
of this celebrated civilization.
299
00:19:35,642 --> 00:19:38,576
Ancient stonemasons carved
the wonder directly
300
00:19:38,578 --> 00:19:42,446
from the limestone bedrock.
301
00:19:42,448 --> 00:19:46,217
But the enigmatic sphinx
is still shrouded in mystery.
302
00:19:48,321 --> 00:19:51,455
Unlike almost every other
egyptian monument,
303
00:19:51,457 --> 00:19:53,691
there are no
hieroglyphic inscriptions
304
00:19:53,693 --> 00:19:56,861
proclaiming the name
of the pharaoh who builds it.
305
00:19:56,863 --> 00:20:05,136
♪
306
00:20:05,138 --> 00:20:07,171
the head of the sphinx
is bigger
307
00:20:07,173 --> 00:20:09,674
than the head
of the statue of liberty.
308
00:20:12,178 --> 00:20:16,480
It's carved from
layers of ancient limestone
309
00:20:16,482 --> 00:20:20,051
and towers 65 feet above
the desert sand.
310
00:20:23,523 --> 00:20:25,856
It has a massive body
311
00:20:25,858 --> 00:20:29,694
as long as a jumbo jet.
312
00:20:29,696 --> 00:20:33,231
And under hundreds
of protective limestone tiles...
313
00:20:33,233 --> 00:20:38,603
♪
314
00:20:38,605 --> 00:20:42,807
its gigantic paws stretch out
longer than a dumper truck.
315
00:20:42,809 --> 00:20:47,144
♪
316
00:20:47,146 --> 00:20:50,181
the identity of who carves
this masterpiece
317
00:20:50,183 --> 00:20:54,919
is one of the most enduring
debates in egyptology.
318
00:20:54,921 --> 00:20:58,122
Whose face tops the most
recognizable statue
319
00:20:58,124 --> 00:20:59,757
in ancient egypt?
320
00:21:01,928 --> 00:21:04,362
Surprisingly,
the steep-sided hollow
321
00:21:04,364 --> 00:21:08,366
that the sphinx sits in
offers the best clue.
322
00:21:08,368 --> 00:21:11,002
Egyptologist mark lehner
323
00:21:11,004 --> 00:21:15,640
believes the egyptians dig down
to create the sphinx,
324
00:21:15,642 --> 00:21:17,842
removing thousands
of tons of stone
325
00:21:17,844 --> 00:21:21,545
to shape the statue's
massive body.
326
00:21:21,547 --> 00:21:24,915
Today, the steep-sided pit walls
that surround the sphinx
327
00:21:24,917 --> 00:21:29,420
still bear the ancient scars
of this mammoth excavation.
328
00:21:29,422 --> 00:21:31,722
Lehner: You have to imagine
what it looked like.
329
00:21:31,724 --> 00:21:36,727
This entire volume of quarry
was being worked.
330
00:21:36,729 --> 00:21:41,198
Blocks were being taken away
in the form of massive stones
331
00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,934
100 tons in weight.
332
00:21:43,936 --> 00:21:46,871
Narrator: Mark believes finding
these quarried stones
333
00:21:46,873 --> 00:21:50,241
is the key to revealing
who builds the sphinx.
334
00:21:50,243 --> 00:21:53,611
He suspects the blocks
don't go far.
335
00:21:57,150 --> 00:21:59,750
These ruins that sit
at the paws of the sphinx
336
00:21:59,752 --> 00:22:04,855
are once-lavish temples built
by the great pharaoh khafra.
337
00:22:04,857 --> 00:22:08,392
Mark is convinced the same
pharaoh creates both the sphinx
338
00:22:08,394 --> 00:22:11,062
and the temples
at the same time.
339
00:22:14,300 --> 00:22:16,867
I think they must have taken
the stones from the quarry
340
00:22:16,869 --> 00:22:19,904
that made the sphinx and moved
them directly to the front
341
00:22:19,906 --> 00:22:21,539
for making the temple.
342
00:22:25,545 --> 00:22:28,279
Narrator: Mark works with
fossil expert richard redding
343
00:22:28,281 --> 00:22:30,448
to search for
geological signatures
344
00:22:30,450 --> 00:22:33,918
hidden within
the stone blocks.
345
00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:36,153
The thickness of
the different-colored layers
346
00:22:36,155 --> 00:22:38,222
and the types of fossils
they contain
347
00:22:38,224 --> 00:22:41,158
give each block
a unique fingerprint.
348
00:22:43,896 --> 00:22:45,463
What do you see in there,
richard,
349
00:22:45,465 --> 00:22:47,698
in this yellow marly band?
350
00:22:47,700 --> 00:22:49,934
Redding: Well,
there's a lot of fossils.
351
00:22:49,936 --> 00:22:52,970
You do have a number here,
here, right here.
352
00:22:52,972 --> 00:22:57,375
That's a spiny oyster shell
right there.
353
00:22:57,377 --> 00:22:59,944
And we've got a bunch
of nummulites,
354
00:22:59,946 --> 00:23:03,848
these coin-shaped things.
355
00:23:03,850 --> 00:23:06,550
Narrator: After years of work,
356
00:23:06,552 --> 00:23:08,319
mark now has
a unique fingerprint
357
00:23:08,321 --> 00:23:10,755
for every block in this temple.
358
00:23:15,361 --> 00:23:17,261
To show the temple
and the sphinx
359
00:23:17,263 --> 00:23:20,664
are built at the same time
by the same pharaoh,
360
00:23:20,666 --> 00:23:23,768
he hopes to match the temple
stones back to the locations
361
00:23:23,770 --> 00:23:27,271
they are cut from
around the sphinx.
362
00:23:27,273 --> 00:23:30,207
First, mark compares the
thickness of the layers to see
363
00:23:30,209 --> 00:23:34,578
if he can find a perfect match
with any of the temple blocks.
364
00:23:34,580 --> 00:23:37,481
Just a little further on,
I'm getting...
365
00:23:37,483 --> 00:23:39,784
Yeah, 15.75.
366
00:23:39,786 --> 00:23:42,186
The layers
are a good match.
367
00:23:42,188 --> 00:23:44,422
But to seal the deal,
richard looks to see
368
00:23:44,424 --> 00:23:46,690
if the fossils match too.
369
00:23:46,692 --> 00:23:48,859
Redding:
That is another spiny oyster.
370
00:23:48,861 --> 00:23:52,062
The spiny oyster which matches
perfectly our block down there.
371
00:23:52,064 --> 00:23:54,231
You've got a lot of these
small nummulites.
372
00:23:54,233 --> 00:23:56,534
Hardly any of
the large nummulites.
373
00:23:56,536 --> 00:23:59,703
So, yeah, this fossil community
is very, very similar
374
00:23:59,705 --> 00:24:01,939
to what we were looking at
down at the sphinx temple.
375
00:24:01,941 --> 00:24:03,908
So it's a good match.
376
00:24:03,910 --> 00:24:05,810
There is still work to do,
377
00:24:05,812 --> 00:24:10,181
but these findings suggest
that mark's theory is correct.
378
00:24:10,183 --> 00:24:12,817
Every stone in the temple
is originally quarried
379
00:24:12,819 --> 00:24:14,985
from the sides of the sphinx.
380
00:24:18,891 --> 00:24:20,858
Using this methodical approach,
381
00:24:20,860 --> 00:24:24,295
mark believes he can match each
and every block in the temple
382
00:24:24,297 --> 00:24:28,999
to their original position
inside the sphinx enclosure.
383
00:24:29,001 --> 00:24:32,436
Two blocks from the front wall
of the temple
384
00:24:32,438 --> 00:24:35,439
match the mid-chest
of the sphinx.
385
00:24:35,441 --> 00:24:39,043
The geological layers
and the fossils inside them
386
00:24:39,045 --> 00:24:42,613
are the same.
387
00:24:42,615 --> 00:24:46,350
More blocks from the temple
perfectly align
388
00:24:46,352 --> 00:24:49,854
with the floor
of the sphinx enclosure.
389
00:24:49,856 --> 00:24:53,324
And the matches
keep on coming --
390
00:24:53,326 --> 00:24:57,728
layer after layer of stone...
391
00:24:57,730 --> 00:25:00,331
Completely filling the quarry.
392
00:25:02,335 --> 00:25:05,269
Identifying the source
of these temple blocks
393
00:25:05,271 --> 00:25:07,037
provides irrefutable evidence
394
00:25:07,039 --> 00:25:09,573
of which pharaoh
built this monument.
395
00:25:12,879 --> 00:25:15,546
Lehner: So if khafra built
the sphinx temple,
396
00:25:15,548 --> 00:25:18,916
it had to have been khafra
who made the sphinx,
397
00:25:18,918 --> 00:25:21,952
because they were part
of the same process.
398
00:25:21,954 --> 00:25:25,155
Narrator: Mark believes
he's finally ended the debate
399
00:25:25,157 --> 00:25:27,758
about the builder
of this egyptian wonder.
400
00:25:29,996 --> 00:25:32,162
Khafra tops his mega sphinx
401
00:25:32,164 --> 00:25:37,001
with a colossal carving
of his own face.
402
00:25:37,003 --> 00:25:40,037
He is the son
of the mighty pharaoh khufu,
403
00:25:40,039 --> 00:25:43,674
the builder
of the great pyramid.
404
00:25:43,676 --> 00:25:45,743
Khafra creates
a projection of power
405
00:25:45,745 --> 00:25:49,980
like no other to rival
his own father's towering tomb.
406
00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:58,455
Why does khafra carve
a giant human-headed lion?
407
00:26:00,893 --> 00:26:05,796
What inspires
this unusual sculpture?
408
00:26:05,798 --> 00:26:09,900
Are there clues to be found
lying at the paws of the sphinx?
409
00:26:12,104 --> 00:26:16,840
Also, does new scanning
in the valley of the kings
410
00:26:16,842 --> 00:26:21,145
reveal a missing tomb
beneath the desolate gorge?
411
00:26:31,223 --> 00:26:34,158
All along the nile,
the pharaoh's master
412
00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,861
egypt's unforgiving wilderness
to create seven wonders
413
00:26:37,863 --> 00:26:41,999
as statements
of their supreme authority
414
00:26:42,001 --> 00:26:45,469
and their desire to live
and rule forever.
415
00:26:47,773 --> 00:26:50,641
The sphinx standing in front
of the giza pyramids
416
00:26:50,643 --> 00:26:53,143
is no different.
417
00:26:53,145 --> 00:26:55,479
Lehner: Never before had
anything like this
418
00:26:55,481 --> 00:26:57,047
been seen in egypt.
419
00:26:57,049 --> 00:27:00,384
No colossal statue this size,
420
00:27:00,386 --> 00:27:02,620
this scale existed.
421
00:27:02,622 --> 00:27:06,256
Narrator: This unique sculpture
of a human-headed lion
422
00:27:06,258 --> 00:27:10,127
is carved during the reign
of the pharaoh khafra.
423
00:27:10,129 --> 00:27:13,230
Historians believe the human
features of the sphinx
424
00:27:13,232 --> 00:27:17,635
are once a direct likeness
of the pharaoh himself.
425
00:27:17,637 --> 00:27:20,804
But over thousands of years,
the harsh desert winds
426
00:27:20,806 --> 00:27:24,742
sandblast khafra's
carved features away,
427
00:27:24,744 --> 00:27:27,378
leaving just a few
tantalizing clues
428
00:27:27,380 --> 00:27:30,147
to how the sculpture
originally looks.
429
00:27:33,152 --> 00:27:37,121
The deep cuts in the face
are chisel marks left by vandals
430
00:27:37,123 --> 00:27:39,623
who chop off the nose.
431
00:27:39,625 --> 00:27:41,859
Based on other statues
of the time,
432
00:27:41,861 --> 00:27:45,729
this is what the nose
may have looked like.
433
00:27:45,731 --> 00:27:48,599
Stone fragments found
between the paws are clues
434
00:27:48,601 --> 00:27:52,236
that the sphinx
once has a beard.
435
00:27:52,238 --> 00:27:54,371
Traces of paint behind the ears
436
00:27:54,373 --> 00:27:58,008
could mean that it once
wears heavy makeup
437
00:27:58,010 --> 00:28:01,045
and what looks like painted hair
438
00:28:01,047 --> 00:28:04,948
is actually a regal headdress...
439
00:28:04,950 --> 00:28:08,318
Framing the immortal face
440
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,121
of the god-king khafra himself.
441
00:28:15,227 --> 00:28:20,631
But why does khafra create a
gigantic statue of a lion
442
00:28:20,633 --> 00:28:23,200
with a huge image
of his own face?
443
00:28:25,304 --> 00:28:27,071
Mark lehner believes the temple
444
00:28:27,073 --> 00:28:30,874
built directly in front
of the sphinx is a vital clue.
445
00:28:33,279 --> 00:28:35,779
Lehner: The curious thing is
that the axis to the temple
446
00:28:35,781 --> 00:28:38,716
does not aim directly
at the sphinx.
447
00:28:38,718 --> 00:28:41,518
It's as though the sphinx
is shoved to the north
448
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:43,220
and the axis
to the temple points
449
00:28:43,222 --> 00:28:46,423
past it
up the western horizon.
450
00:28:48,661 --> 00:28:50,828
Narrator: One other feature
of the temple layout
451
00:28:50,830 --> 00:28:53,230
might be a clue to what
the ancient egyptians
452
00:28:53,232 --> 00:28:56,900
are aiming the axis towards.
453
00:28:56,902 --> 00:28:58,168
Lehner: These two sanctuaries,
454
00:28:58,170 --> 00:29:00,104
which are in the form
of recessed bays
455
00:29:00,106 --> 00:29:03,607
and small niches,
define the temple axis.
456
00:29:03,609 --> 00:29:06,076
It's very compelling to think
that that's for the rising sun
457
00:29:06,078 --> 00:29:09,279
on the east,
the setting sun on the west.
458
00:29:11,383 --> 00:29:13,851
Narrator: Mark believes
the egyptian master builders
459
00:29:13,853 --> 00:29:15,919
do not do this accidentally.
460
00:29:15,921 --> 00:29:20,424
He thinks they deliberately
point the temple axis
461
00:29:20,426 --> 00:29:23,427
at the spot on the horizon
where the sun sets
462
00:29:23,429 --> 00:29:27,331
at a special time of the year.
463
00:29:27,333 --> 00:29:31,735
The sphinx temple
is oriented on this axis
464
00:29:31,737 --> 00:29:34,638
so that it is aligned
to the setting of the sun
465
00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,374
and the rising of the sun
at the equinoxes.
466
00:29:37,376 --> 00:29:42,379
♪
467
00:29:42,381 --> 00:29:44,748
narrator:
As the sun sets on the equinox,
468
00:29:44,750 --> 00:29:47,684
it drops directly behind
the shoulder of the sphinx
469
00:29:47,686 --> 00:29:50,420
and the south side
of khafra's pyramid.
470
00:29:54,794 --> 00:29:57,995
The shapes of khafra's pyramid
and his sphinx merge
471
00:29:57,997 --> 00:30:00,731
to become one
perfect silhouette.
472
00:30:04,370 --> 00:30:06,370
Lehner: Khafra and his builders
were trying
473
00:30:06,372 --> 00:30:08,939
to harness the power of the sun.
474
00:30:08,941 --> 00:30:13,243
And after khafra died,
he hoped that this alignment
475
00:30:13,245 --> 00:30:16,246
would be
a kind of resurrection machine.
476
00:30:16,248 --> 00:30:18,549
He was, in effect,
hitching himself
477
00:30:18,551 --> 00:30:20,951
to the eternal cycle of the sun
478
00:30:20,953 --> 00:30:25,189
so that he, too,
would rise in the afterlife.
479
00:30:25,191 --> 00:30:27,591
Narrator: Mark believes
the temple and sphinx
480
00:30:27,593 --> 00:30:30,360
are part of khafra's master plan
481
00:30:30,362 --> 00:30:36,233
to harness the power of the sun
to achieve resurrection.
482
00:30:36,235 --> 00:30:39,670
This ideology is set
to dominate egyptian religion
483
00:30:39,672 --> 00:30:42,873
for the next 2,000 years.
484
00:30:42,875 --> 00:30:45,075
Lehner: With this
monumental architecture,
485
00:30:45,077 --> 00:30:47,878
they were trying to
hitch themselves
486
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:49,947
to the power of the sun.
487
00:30:49,949 --> 00:30:53,617
Why?
Because they believed
488
00:30:53,619 --> 00:30:57,287
the king was literally
the son of the sun.
489
00:30:57,289 --> 00:31:01,124
And he needed the power
of the sun for effective rule
490
00:31:01,126 --> 00:31:06,096
over all of egypt
and all its inhabitants.
491
00:31:06,098 --> 00:31:09,666
Narrator: Khafra changes
the face of egyptian history.
492
00:31:12,271 --> 00:31:14,938
In building the sphinx
and the temple at its feet,
493
00:31:14,940 --> 00:31:18,675
he helps advance an era
of sun worship in egypt.
494
00:31:18,677 --> 00:31:23,780
♪
495
00:31:23,782 --> 00:31:25,349
the devotion to the sun god
496
00:31:25,351 --> 00:31:30,854
inspire many of the seven
wonders of ancient egypt.
497
00:31:30,856 --> 00:31:34,324
Successive pharaohs use
their control of a sun cult
498
00:31:34,326 --> 00:31:36,894
to produce the third wonder
499
00:31:36,896 --> 00:31:39,963
and a place of worship
on a scale unmatched
500
00:31:39,965 --> 00:31:41,665
in the ancient world.
501
00:31:44,003 --> 00:31:46,403
And how did the king's engineers
502
00:31:46,405 --> 00:31:49,306
raise the towering
100-feet obelisks
503
00:31:49,308 --> 00:31:52,409
using nothing
but pure human power?
504
00:31:59,151 --> 00:32:03,720
♪
505
00:32:03,722 --> 00:32:08,025
narrator: Ancient egypt,
where pharaohs ruled supreme,
506
00:32:08,027 --> 00:32:11,561
determined to live
and reign for eternity.
507
00:32:13,966 --> 00:32:16,667
The pharaohs' devotion
to the gods propels them
508
00:32:16,669 --> 00:32:21,505
to construct the third
astonishing wonder of egypt,
509
00:32:21,507 --> 00:32:27,778
the temple of karnak
on the nile in modern luxor.
510
00:32:27,780 --> 00:32:33,283
It's the largest religious
complex ever created,
511
00:32:33,285 --> 00:32:36,420
a vast site covering 200 acres,
512
00:32:36,422 --> 00:32:39,056
and the epicenter
of egyptian worship.
513
00:32:41,226 --> 00:32:44,061
At its heart stand
the colossal columns
514
00:32:44,063 --> 00:32:49,433
of the hypostyle hall
rising 70 feet.
515
00:32:49,435 --> 00:32:51,335
Massive granite obelisks
516
00:32:51,337 --> 00:32:54,938
guard the entrance to the most
sacred inner sanctum.
517
00:32:58,077 --> 00:33:01,912
It's from here that the powerful
kings rule over their empire
518
00:33:01,914 --> 00:33:05,282
in splendor and privilege.
519
00:33:05,284 --> 00:33:07,317
Karnak is like the white house,
520
00:33:07,319 --> 00:33:12,222
buckingham palace, and vatican
rolled into one.
521
00:33:12,224 --> 00:33:14,992
This giant temple
is continually expanded
522
00:33:14,994 --> 00:33:18,028
and reconstructed
for 2,000 years,
523
00:33:18,030 --> 00:33:22,065
with successive pharaohs
attempting to outdo the last.
524
00:33:23,635 --> 00:33:26,169
The elite allowed
to enter karnak
525
00:33:26,171 --> 00:33:29,439
are greeted by the massive
hypostyle hall.
526
00:33:32,845 --> 00:33:35,379
Here, foreign dignitaries
are received
527
00:33:35,381 --> 00:33:39,016
and mighty pharaohs rest
under the shaded columns.
528
00:33:41,553 --> 00:33:44,287
Behind it,
the festival hall obelisks
529
00:33:44,289 --> 00:33:47,691
mark an exclusive gateway
only priests and pharaohs
530
00:33:47,693 --> 00:33:50,460
can pass through
to the inner temples.
531
00:33:53,098 --> 00:33:55,565
At the heart of this
secret inner sanctum
532
00:33:55,567 --> 00:33:59,069
lies the most ancient
known temple.
533
00:33:59,071 --> 00:34:03,040
But experts suspect that
this site is revered for so long
534
00:34:03,042 --> 00:34:06,777
that even older temples
may be hiding in the ruins.
535
00:34:09,882 --> 00:34:11,748
The remains of this giant temple
536
00:34:11,750 --> 00:34:13,650
are slowly being rebuilt,
537
00:34:13,652 --> 00:34:17,320
a super-sized jigsaw puzzle
for the restorers.
538
00:34:17,322 --> 00:34:22,526
Piece by piece, this temple
reveals its mysteries.
539
00:34:22,528 --> 00:34:25,395
The spectacular hypostyle hall,
540
00:34:25,397 --> 00:34:29,466
the largest covered space ever
built by the ancient egyptians.
541
00:34:31,503 --> 00:34:34,204
These towering columns
still hold at least
542
00:34:34,206 --> 00:34:38,008
one unsolved mystery.
543
00:34:38,010 --> 00:34:43,713
Who constructs the crowning
glory of karnak temple?
544
00:34:43,715 --> 00:34:49,319
Inscriptions cover every inch
of this massive room.
545
00:34:49,321 --> 00:34:53,490
One name dominates
the central passageway --
546
00:34:53,492 --> 00:34:55,425
ramesses ii.
547
00:34:58,097 --> 00:35:02,032
Ramesses ii is believed
to have ruled for 66 years
548
00:35:02,034 --> 00:35:04,634
from 1279 b.C.
549
00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:11,842
Pharaoh of egypt at the
height of its wealth and power,
550
00:35:11,844 --> 00:35:15,112
he reportedly constructs
more major monuments in egypt
551
00:35:15,114 --> 00:35:17,013
than any other king,
552
00:35:17,015 --> 00:35:20,183
gaining him the nickname
"the builder."
553
00:35:23,622 --> 00:35:27,257
but although his mark
covers the hypostyle hall,
554
00:35:27,259 --> 00:35:30,827
erika feleg suspects that
ramesses could be taking credit
555
00:35:30,829 --> 00:35:33,163
for the work of one
of his predecessors.
556
00:35:35,367 --> 00:35:39,102
Today, erika uses new technology
to record the carvings
557
00:35:39,104 --> 00:35:41,438
and search for clues.
558
00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,908
This is a task that previous
generations of archeologists
559
00:35:44,910 --> 00:35:47,077
are unable to pull off.
560
00:35:47,079 --> 00:35:49,779
Feleg: The columns have never
been recorded in detail,
561
00:35:49,781 --> 00:35:52,983
and that's also because
of their enormous size.
562
00:35:52,985 --> 00:35:55,118
Traditional methods
would involve
563
00:35:55,120 --> 00:36:01,224
using transparent plastic sheets
to trace over the the figures.
564
00:36:02,294 --> 00:36:05,729
Because of the heat,
the light, and the gravity,
565
00:36:05,731 --> 00:36:08,131
all that plastic sheeting
would have sagged.
566
00:36:08,133 --> 00:36:11,601
So we would have
had distortions.
567
00:36:11,603 --> 00:36:13,570
Narrator:
Instead of tracing the images,
568
00:36:13,572 --> 00:36:16,439
erika uses photography
and special software
569
00:36:16,441 --> 00:36:22,746
to reveal the smallest details
hidden inside the carvings.
570
00:36:22,748 --> 00:36:27,684
She directs photographer
owen murray to take the images.
571
00:36:27,686 --> 00:36:30,520
Owen takes hundreds of photos
of the shaded column
572
00:36:30,522 --> 00:36:32,622
with an overhead light.
573
00:36:32,624 --> 00:36:35,458
This technique helps him
to capture every detail
574
00:36:35,460 --> 00:36:39,429
of the carved stone surface.
575
00:36:39,431 --> 00:36:41,798
Erika then uses
advanced 3-d modeling
576
00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:45,235
to stitch
owen's photographs together.
577
00:36:45,237 --> 00:36:50,106
She then unrolls the curves
into a single flat image.
578
00:36:50,108 --> 00:36:52,676
Feleg: If you look closely,
you can see traces
579
00:36:52,678 --> 00:36:55,912
of what used to be the outlines
of some of the hieroglyphs
580
00:36:55,914 --> 00:36:59,282
that were part
of that initial decoration.
581
00:36:59,284 --> 00:37:01,718
Narrator: Erika believes
these faint scratches
582
00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:03,787
hidden beneath
the main inscription
583
00:37:03,789 --> 00:37:08,091
are the scrubbed-out remains
of another pharaoh's mark.
584
00:37:08,093 --> 00:37:11,127
Once erika identifies
the overwritten text,
585
00:37:11,129 --> 00:37:14,064
she checks it out in real life.
586
00:37:14,066 --> 00:37:16,666
She uses mirrors
to manipulate the daylight
587
00:37:16,668 --> 00:37:20,303
to help the faint carved lines
stand out.
588
00:37:20,305 --> 00:37:24,107
Two large ovals you can see
contain the names
589
00:37:24,109 --> 00:37:25,775
of ramesses ii.
590
00:37:25,777 --> 00:37:28,111
And behind them,
you can still see the outline
591
00:37:28,113 --> 00:37:31,514
traces of seti I.
592
00:37:31,516 --> 00:37:33,316
Narrator:
At key points in the hall,
593
00:37:33,318 --> 00:37:34,985
especially along the grandest
594
00:37:34,987 --> 00:37:37,520
and most visible
central walkway,
595
00:37:37,522 --> 00:37:42,058
ramesses' name overwrites
that of his own father,
596
00:37:42,060 --> 00:37:43,693
seti I.
597
00:37:45,931 --> 00:37:49,666
And you can still see
the faint traces
598
00:37:49,668 --> 00:37:53,336
towards the left side
of the ramesses ii.
599
00:37:53,338 --> 00:37:55,071
Narrator: Ramesses is desperate
600
00:37:55,073 --> 00:37:57,674
to replace his father's name
with his own,
601
00:37:57,676 --> 00:37:59,342
a desire to be seen as
602
00:37:59,344 --> 00:38:03,713
the greatest-ever pharaoh
of ancient egypt.
603
00:38:03,715 --> 00:38:05,615
He ultimately fails to remove
604
00:38:05,617 --> 00:38:08,084
all the evidence
of his deception.
605
00:38:08,086 --> 00:38:11,221
And erika is certain seti I
is responsible
606
00:38:11,223 --> 00:38:13,957
for this feat
of ancient engineering.
607
00:38:16,161 --> 00:38:17,994
But how do seti's builders
608
00:38:17,996 --> 00:38:22,132
get multiple-ton roof beams
70 feet into the air?
609
00:38:24,870 --> 00:38:28,204
First, the egyptians build
the columns layer by layer,
610
00:38:28,206 --> 00:38:30,674
placing rough blocks
in a checkerboard pattern
611
00:38:30,676 --> 00:38:33,043
across the hall.
612
00:38:33,045 --> 00:38:36,913
Then they fill the entire area
with dirt
613
00:38:36,915 --> 00:38:42,185
and drag another layer of blocks
into place for 20 layers.
614
00:38:45,691 --> 00:38:47,791
When all the blocks
are in position,
615
00:38:47,793 --> 00:38:50,093
the mammoth roof beams
are carefully placed
616
00:38:50,095 --> 00:38:54,631
on top of the solid mass
of soil 70 feet high.
617
00:38:58,036 --> 00:39:00,136
Finally, the dirt is removed
618
00:39:00,138 --> 00:39:02,105
and the pillars
are carved smooth
619
00:39:02,107 --> 00:39:06,176
to create the largest
covered space in ancient egypt.
620
00:39:06,178 --> 00:39:11,348
♪
621
00:39:11,350 --> 00:39:13,583
sandstone blocks
allow one pharaoh
622
00:39:13,585 --> 00:39:17,220
to construct a hall big enough
to be worthy of the gods.
623
00:39:17,222 --> 00:39:23,193
♪
624
00:39:23,195 --> 00:39:25,628
seti and his great
hypostyle hall
625
00:39:25,630 --> 00:39:28,231
are never matched
by any future pharaoh,
626
00:39:28,233 --> 00:39:30,100
despite construction
at karnak
627
00:39:30,102 --> 00:39:34,070
continuing for another
thousand years.
628
00:39:34,072 --> 00:39:35,972
His power and wealth rivals
629
00:39:35,974 --> 00:39:39,142
that of the great pyramid
builder khufu.
630
00:39:39,144 --> 00:39:44,381
♪
631
00:39:44,383 --> 00:39:48,685
but no pyramid
is ever built for seti.
632
00:39:48,687 --> 00:39:53,390
Why do the pharaohs stop
building monumental pyramids?
633
00:39:53,392 --> 00:39:57,193
The next wonder of ancient egypt
provides clues.
634
00:39:59,431 --> 00:40:01,564
And how is a giant cliff side
635
00:40:01,566 --> 00:40:05,668
reconstructed to create egypt's
fifth spectacular wonder?
636
00:40:11,410 --> 00:40:18,381
♪
637
00:40:18,383 --> 00:40:21,684
narrator: The seven wonders of
ancient egypt are the biggest,
638
00:40:21,686 --> 00:40:26,222
tallest, and most awe-inspiring
monuments of the ancient world.
639
00:40:29,161 --> 00:40:31,161
These seven superstructures
640
00:40:31,163 --> 00:40:37,267
display the mighty pharaoh's
power and divine status.
641
00:40:37,269 --> 00:40:39,869
All except the fourth wonder.
642
00:40:42,107 --> 00:40:44,941
The valley of the kings.
643
00:40:44,943 --> 00:40:50,313
This wonder is built to remain
hidden from sight forever.
644
00:40:50,315 --> 00:40:52,982
This steep gorge,
sitting across the nile
645
00:40:52,984 --> 00:40:56,619
from the temple of karnak
in the modern city of luxor,
646
00:40:56,621 --> 00:41:03,259
is the exclusive burial ground
of pharaohs for 500 years.
647
00:41:03,261 --> 00:41:06,830
The first tomb is carved
around 1500 b.C.
648
00:41:06,832 --> 00:41:10,633
During a period known
as the new kingdom,
649
00:41:10,635 --> 00:41:12,836
hundreds of years
and several dynasties
650
00:41:12,838 --> 00:41:16,873
after the great pyramid
is finished.
651
00:41:16,875 --> 00:41:21,845
The powerful kings buried here
abandon giant pyramids.
652
00:41:21,847 --> 00:41:23,947
They take up vast resources
653
00:41:23,949 --> 00:41:26,749
and have become a magnet
for grave robbers.
654
00:41:26,751 --> 00:41:32,422
♪
655
00:41:32,424 --> 00:41:37,260
the tombs descend
for almost 450 feet,
656
00:41:37,262 --> 00:41:40,396
covered in intricate hieroglyphs
with spells to protect
657
00:41:40,398 --> 00:41:44,000
and transport the royal mummies
to the underworld.
658
00:41:46,538 --> 00:41:48,805
The pharaohs go
to incredible lengths
659
00:41:48,807 --> 00:41:53,243
to tunnel this subterranean maze
in a remote desert valley.
660
00:41:53,245 --> 00:41:58,681
♪
661
00:41:58,683 --> 00:42:02,085
beneath this valley
lie more than 60 hidden tombs
662
00:42:02,087 --> 00:42:04,354
carved deep into the rock.
663
00:42:04,356 --> 00:42:07,290
Most are similar in design.
664
00:42:07,292 --> 00:42:08,525
They're snaking tunnels
665
00:42:08,527 --> 00:42:11,227
descending
towards the underworld,
666
00:42:11,229 --> 00:42:14,697
creating a rabbit warren
of hundreds of painted chambers
667
00:42:14,699 --> 00:42:18,268
filled with hieroglyphs
and paintings of the afterlife.
668
00:42:21,439 --> 00:42:23,039
Hidden in the heart
of the valley
669
00:42:23,041 --> 00:42:27,677
lies the tomb of the most
famous pharaoh of all,
670
00:42:27,679 --> 00:42:31,014
king tutankhamun.
671
00:42:31,016 --> 00:42:32,982
This mysterious chamber
is stuffed
672
00:42:32,984 --> 00:42:34,484
with priceless treasures,
673
00:42:34,486 --> 00:42:37,020
unimaginable to those
that find them.
674
00:42:41,459 --> 00:42:45,028
Tutankhamun's tomb
is discovered in 1922
675
00:42:45,030 --> 00:42:48,598
by british archeologist
howard carter.
676
00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:50,767
Its discovery
and the remarkable amount
677
00:42:50,769 --> 00:42:55,071
of gold and jewels packed inside
astonishes the world.
678
00:42:57,742 --> 00:42:59,642
The most spectacular treasure --
679
00:42:59,644 --> 00:43:02,745
a 24-pound solid-gold death mask
680
00:43:02,747 --> 00:43:05,214
adorning tutankhamun's mummy.
681
00:43:07,586 --> 00:43:10,453
No other pharaoh's tomb
evades ancient thieves
682
00:43:10,455 --> 00:43:13,723
in the valley of the kings.
683
00:43:13,725 --> 00:43:15,992
Why is tutankhamun's
the only one
684
00:43:15,994 --> 00:43:19,262
to remain hidden
for 3,000 years?
685
00:43:22,167 --> 00:43:26,569
Egyptologist kent weeks
is hunting for answers.
686
00:43:26,571 --> 00:43:29,405
He believes there could be clues
in the original photos
687
00:43:29,407 --> 00:43:32,008
from howard carter's
excavations.
688
00:43:36,481 --> 00:43:39,215
Weeks: This is a photograph
of carter's workmen.
689
00:43:39,217 --> 00:43:40,516
It was here, eventually,
690
00:43:40,518 --> 00:43:43,286
they would uncover the tomb
of tutankhamun.
691
00:43:43,288 --> 00:43:45,822
It was in an area where nobody
had expected anything.
692
00:43:45,824 --> 00:43:47,957
But that's because
so much material
693
00:43:47,959 --> 00:43:49,726
had obscured the entrance
694
00:43:49,728 --> 00:43:52,061
to what turned out to be
the most exciting discovery
695
00:43:52,063 --> 00:43:54,597
in the valley of the kings.
696
00:43:54,599 --> 00:43:56,466
Look at the size
of these boulders --
697
00:43:56,468 --> 00:43:58,067
the size of basketballs.
698
00:43:58,069 --> 00:44:02,005
Some of them weighing
50, 60 kilos each.
699
00:44:02,007 --> 00:44:03,840
Narrator:
Kent suspects these boulders
700
00:44:03,842 --> 00:44:07,543
aren't put there
by the egyptians.
701
00:44:07,545 --> 00:44:10,613
Today, he's looking for
evidence of a natural event
702
00:44:10,615 --> 00:44:12,982
that may have buried
tutankhamun's tomb
703
00:44:12,984 --> 00:44:15,218
much deeper than its neighbors.
704
00:44:15,220 --> 00:44:17,453
Kent thinks a clue
lies in the graffiti
705
00:44:17,455 --> 00:44:19,756
on this towering cliff face.
706
00:44:21,993 --> 00:44:24,260
Weeks: We know of about
2,000 graffiti
707
00:44:24,262 --> 00:44:25,862
here on the hillsides
708
00:44:25,864 --> 00:44:27,230
in the valley of the kings,
709
00:44:27,232 --> 00:44:29,465
and they record little bits
of everything.
710
00:44:29,467 --> 00:44:31,734
And these are brief glimpses
of what life
711
00:44:31,736 --> 00:44:36,406
might have been like
back in ancient days.
712
00:44:36,408 --> 00:44:39,542
Narrator: Kent scours the cliff
for the faint inscription.
713
00:44:40,679 --> 00:44:44,080
My god, it's difficult.
714
00:44:44,082 --> 00:44:47,316
Yeah, this is it.
715
00:44:47,318 --> 00:44:49,752
It looks like nothing,
716
00:44:49,754 --> 00:44:53,456
but it is, in fact,
a proper inscription.
717
00:44:53,458 --> 00:44:55,858
This is the record of a scribe
718
00:44:55,860 --> 00:44:57,894
who brought three
of his sons here
719
00:44:57,896 --> 00:45:02,031
to observe the results
of a flash flood.
720
00:45:02,033 --> 00:45:04,033
Narrator: Kent thinks
that a desert storm
721
00:45:04,035 --> 00:45:05,802
may have triggered
a flash flood,
722
00:45:05,804 --> 00:45:10,339
cascading water into the valley
and over tutankhamun's tomb.
723
00:45:13,878 --> 00:45:16,512
The river dumps layers
of rocks and sediment
724
00:45:16,514 --> 00:45:18,815
over the closed entrance.
725
00:45:18,817 --> 00:45:21,784
When the hot egyptian sun
bakes the mud,
726
00:45:21,786 --> 00:45:26,289
it sets like concrete,
sealing the tomb beneath.
727
00:45:26,291 --> 00:45:29,492
Years later, tomb builders
unwittingly cover the area
728
00:45:29,494 --> 00:45:33,196
with stone chippings
and build work huts on top.
729
00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:39,102
Over 3,000 years,
more earth piles over,
730
00:45:39,104 --> 00:45:43,639
making tutankhamun's tomb
the safest in egypt's history.
731
00:45:45,243 --> 00:45:47,343
Buried beneath so much rubble,
732
00:45:47,345 --> 00:45:51,814
tutankhamun's tomb
is almost impossible to find.
733
00:45:51,816 --> 00:45:55,351
Weeks: When howard carter came
along to excavate that area,
734
00:45:55,353 --> 00:45:56,953
he saw the workmen's huts,
735
00:45:56,955 --> 00:45:59,489
he saw flood debris below it,
736
00:45:59,491 --> 00:46:01,624
until finally he discovered
the tomb
737
00:46:01,626 --> 00:46:03,960
he really had been
looking for all along.
738
00:46:07,599 --> 00:46:10,032
Narrator: When carter's men
unearth the tomb,
739
00:46:10,034 --> 00:46:12,502
they find it's crammed
with earthly treasure
740
00:46:12,504 --> 00:46:16,939
and items the king would need
in the afterlife --
741
00:46:16,941 --> 00:46:20,376
six dismantled chariots,
742
00:46:20,378 --> 00:46:23,479
his childhood throne,
743
00:46:23,481 --> 00:46:27,950
and provisions of food and wine.
744
00:46:27,952 --> 00:46:30,787
Two statues of the boy king
stand guard
745
00:46:30,789 --> 00:46:33,322
by his burial chamber.
746
00:46:33,324 --> 00:46:37,026
Beyond the false wall, a massive
shrine fills the room
747
00:46:37,028 --> 00:46:40,329
from wall to wall
with the glimmer of gold.
748
00:46:40,331 --> 00:46:41,798
Hidden in the treasury,
749
00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:46,068
the king's internal organs lay
mummified in a golden shrine.
750
00:46:46,905 --> 00:46:49,338
This trove of grave goods
barely fits
751
00:46:49,340 --> 00:46:52,775
inside the 1,000-square-feet
chambers.
752
00:46:52,777 --> 00:46:54,243
The tomb is much smaller
753
00:46:54,245 --> 00:46:56,913
than the other royal burials
in the valley.
754
00:46:56,915 --> 00:46:59,849
Why?
755
00:46:59,851 --> 00:47:02,451
Kent believes
the decoration in the tomb
756
00:47:02,453 --> 00:47:07,123
could provide clues
to its abnormal size.
757
00:47:07,125 --> 00:47:08,257
Kent works with a team
758
00:47:08,259 --> 00:47:11,160
carefully conserving
the delicate decoration.
759
00:47:13,431 --> 00:47:16,165
Lori wong finds
mysterious anomalies
760
00:47:16,167 --> 00:47:20,236
in the way
the ancient walls are painted.
761
00:47:20,238 --> 00:47:22,505
If we notice here
at the very base of the wall,
762
00:47:22,507 --> 00:47:24,440
you can see that
there's drips running down.
763
00:47:24,442 --> 00:47:26,776
Throughout this tomb,
we have drip marks.
764
00:47:26,778 --> 00:47:30,413
So it suggests
this very fast fluid action
765
00:47:30,415 --> 00:47:33,316
in terms of the application
of the painting materials.
766
00:47:36,855 --> 00:47:38,754
Narrator:
Kent has a rare opportunity
767
00:47:38,756 --> 00:47:41,324
to study the religious texts
up close
768
00:47:41,326 --> 00:47:44,627
inside tutankhamun's
burial chamber.
769
00:47:47,098 --> 00:47:51,968
He finds something else strange
about the imagery in the tomb.
770
00:47:51,970 --> 00:47:54,470
Weeks: In other tombs,
long corridors were filled
771
00:47:54,472 --> 00:47:58,608
with column after column
after column of religious texts.
772
00:47:58,610 --> 00:48:04,180
Here we have just a few
highly abbreviated scenes.
773
00:48:04,182 --> 00:48:06,482
Narrator:
The key scenes are all there,
774
00:48:06,484 --> 00:48:08,818
but the artwork is nowhere near
as elaborate
775
00:48:08,820 --> 00:48:12,989
as the carvings found
in other tombs.
776
00:48:12,991 --> 00:48:15,324
Weeks: The absence of detail
in the religious texts
777
00:48:15,326 --> 00:48:18,661
is unusual by any standard.
778
00:48:18,663 --> 00:48:20,329
Narrator: Kent believes
the drip marks
779
00:48:20,331 --> 00:48:22,498
and abbreviated religious
decoration
780
00:48:22,500 --> 00:48:25,134
can only mean one thing.
781
00:48:25,136 --> 00:48:28,104
People were operating
under a time constraint here,
782
00:48:28,106 --> 00:48:30,673
and that accounts for
a lot of the painting,
783
00:48:30,675 --> 00:48:33,976
the absence of detail in the
religious texts on the wall,
784
00:48:33,978 --> 00:48:37,179
the highly abbreviated form
of the book of the dead.
785
00:48:37,181 --> 00:48:39,081
Time was of the essence.
786
00:48:39,083 --> 00:48:42,685
For whatever reasons, political
or religious or what have you,
787
00:48:42,687 --> 00:48:44,954
they did want
to get it done quickly.
788
00:48:46,891 --> 00:48:50,693
Narrator:
The famous pharaoh dies at 18.
789
00:48:50,695 --> 00:48:53,796
Young, even by
ancient egyptian standards.
790
00:48:56,901 --> 00:48:59,201
His untimely death
may have put pressure
791
00:48:59,203 --> 00:49:03,406
on the tomb builders to quickly
finish an incomplete job.
792
00:49:03,408 --> 00:49:10,279
♪
793
00:49:10,281 --> 00:49:12,682
the discovery of
tutankhamun's burial
794
00:49:12,684 --> 00:49:15,651
in the inhospitable
valley of the kings
795
00:49:15,653 --> 00:49:18,020
only highlights
the astonishing achievement
796
00:49:18,022 --> 00:49:21,023
to construct this wonder
of ancient egypt.
797
00:49:24,362 --> 00:49:28,364
But some suspect the unusual
nature of the boy king's tomb
798
00:49:28,366 --> 00:49:32,435
may hide further secrets --
799
00:49:32,437 --> 00:49:36,839
the missing tomb
of a mysterious egyptian,
800
00:49:36,841 --> 00:49:40,443
the powerful queen nefertiti.
801
00:49:40,445 --> 00:49:43,946
New evidence indicates
a huge cavity lies behind
802
00:49:43,948 --> 00:49:48,884
the decorated walls
of tutankhamun's tomb.
803
00:49:48,886 --> 00:49:52,888
Is this the lost tomb
of the enigmatic queen?
804
00:49:53,124 --> 00:49:57,426
And what can an underwater
discovery tell us
805
00:49:57,428 --> 00:50:00,696
about the legendary
lighthouse of alexandria?
806
00:50:10,975 --> 00:50:13,342
Narrator:
Egypt's seven ancient wonders.
807
00:50:13,344 --> 00:50:15,444
Extraordinary feats
of engineering
808
00:50:15,446 --> 00:50:19,482
built out of a desire
for immortality.
809
00:50:19,484 --> 00:50:21,450
The powerful pharaohs
are determined
810
00:50:21,452 --> 00:50:23,953
the superstructures
will please their gods
811
00:50:23,955 --> 00:50:26,022
and secure an afterlife.
812
00:50:29,427 --> 00:50:32,795
The valley of the kings
is no different.
813
00:50:32,797 --> 00:50:35,865
An astonishing maze of tombs
carved deep underground
814
00:50:35,867 --> 00:50:40,369
for the pharaohs
of egypt's new kingdom.
815
00:50:40,371 --> 00:50:44,206
But mystery still surrounds
this royal burial site.
816
00:50:46,377 --> 00:50:50,146
One tomb remains
unaccounted for --
817
00:50:50,148 --> 00:50:55,317
a chamber for
the great queen nefertiti.
818
00:50:55,319 --> 00:50:59,254
She is known for her beauty,
but also holds great power
819
00:50:59,256 --> 00:51:02,091
ruling alongside
tutankhamun's father,
820
00:51:02,093 --> 00:51:05,227
akhenaten.
821
00:51:07,231 --> 00:51:09,865
Archeologists are still
trying to understand
822
00:51:09,867 --> 00:51:12,234
the life of
this enigmatic queen,
823
00:51:12,236 --> 00:51:14,303
and the discovery of her tomb
824
00:51:14,305 --> 00:51:17,440
would be the greatest
archeological find in egypt
825
00:51:17,442 --> 00:51:20,409
since the hundred-year-old
discovery of her stepson,
826
00:51:20,411 --> 00:51:23,946
tutankhamun.
827
00:51:23,948 --> 00:51:27,583
Tutankhamun's premature death
could have forced tomb builders
828
00:51:27,585 --> 00:51:32,121
to repurpose
someone else's tomb,
829
00:51:32,123 --> 00:51:35,524
leaving many to suspect
that the lost tomb of nefertiti
830
00:51:35,526 --> 00:51:40,096
could be found
behind these chamber walls.
831
00:51:40,098 --> 00:51:42,631
Previous investigations
inside the tomb
832
00:51:42,633 --> 00:51:45,568
produced conflicting
and disputed results.
833
00:51:48,239 --> 00:51:51,240
Now, in 2020,
stunning new evidence
834
00:51:51,242 --> 00:51:54,743
from ground-penetrating radar
detects hidden cavities
835
00:51:54,745 --> 00:51:56,779
beyond the walls.
836
00:51:58,916 --> 00:52:02,718
A tantalizing new lead,
837
00:52:02,720 --> 00:52:05,621
but why would the body
of a queen be here
838
00:52:05,623 --> 00:52:09,225
in the valley of the kings?
839
00:52:09,227 --> 00:52:12,194
Archeologist anna stevens
hunts for evidence
840
00:52:12,196 --> 00:52:15,631
of the final whereabouts
of queen nefertiti.
841
00:52:18,536 --> 00:52:22,972
She explores nefertiti's
husband's tomb for clues,
842
00:52:22,974 --> 00:52:26,008
150 miles
from the valley of the kings
843
00:52:26,010 --> 00:52:28,344
in the ancient city of amarna.
844
00:52:31,015 --> 00:52:32,982
Akhenaten is the only pharaoh
845
00:52:32,984 --> 00:52:37,353
who decides not to be buried
in the valley.
846
00:52:37,355 --> 00:52:40,389
A tomb is carved for him
overlooking amarna,
847
00:52:40,391 --> 00:52:43,259
a vast new capital
he establishes.
848
00:52:46,731 --> 00:52:50,299
Akhenaten's tomb is designed
like those of other pharaohs,
849
00:52:50,301 --> 00:52:55,337
extending deep underground
with multiple chambers.
850
00:52:55,339 --> 00:52:59,475
But one thing stands out
to anna as highly unusual.
851
00:52:59,477 --> 00:53:03,812
Nefertiti is shown to be almost
as powerful as her husband.
852
00:53:03,814 --> 00:53:06,115
Stevens: The key figure here
is obviously akhenaten.
853
00:53:06,117 --> 00:53:07,383
He's the largest figure.
854
00:53:07,385 --> 00:53:09,618
He's the one
who is closest to the aten.
855
00:53:09,620 --> 00:53:11,921
And he, of course,
is the head of the family.
856
00:53:11,923 --> 00:53:13,756
He's the head of the city.
857
00:53:13,758 --> 00:53:16,592
And, of course,
he's leading egypt as well.
858
00:53:16,594 --> 00:53:19,361
But you can see also
that nefertiti's represented
859
00:53:19,363 --> 00:53:20,996
a really quite a large scale.
860
00:53:20,998 --> 00:53:26,235
She, like her husband,
akhenaten, is semi-divine.
861
00:53:26,237 --> 00:53:27,970
Narrator: Anna believes
the pharaoh wishes
862
00:53:27,972 --> 00:53:29,538
for his beloved nefertiti
863
00:53:29,540 --> 00:53:32,374
to be buried alongside him
in amarna.
864
00:53:34,478 --> 00:53:37,379
Most pharaohs tombs
of the new kingdom
865
00:53:37,381 --> 00:53:40,049
were cut just
for the king himself.
866
00:53:40,051 --> 00:53:43,819
The royal tomb at amarna
is a little bit more unusual,
867
00:53:43,821 --> 00:53:46,989
and there's a really prominent
suite of secondary chambers
868
00:53:46,991 --> 00:53:48,424
that look as though
they were intended
869
00:53:48,426 --> 00:53:51,160
for nefertiti's burial as queen.
870
00:53:53,898 --> 00:53:55,931
Narrator: But the chambers
carved for her
871
00:53:55,933 --> 00:53:58,901
appear to have never contained
a mummy.
872
00:53:58,903 --> 00:54:00,636
Stevens: The suite of chambers
that seems to have been
873
00:54:00,638 --> 00:54:02,738
cut for her is unfinished.
874
00:54:02,740 --> 00:54:07,676
So it's unlikely that her body
was actually interred here.
875
00:54:07,678 --> 00:54:10,379
Narrator: No burial has ever
been discovered in amarna
876
00:54:10,381 --> 00:54:12,982
for nefertiti.
877
00:54:12,984 --> 00:54:15,851
If she isn't buried
alongside her husband,
878
00:54:15,853 --> 00:54:17,386
could the newly discovered
chamber
879
00:54:17,388 --> 00:54:20,256
in the valley of the kings
be hers?
880
00:54:23,094 --> 00:54:26,695
Egyptologist aidan dobson
hunts for further clues
881
00:54:26,697 --> 00:54:29,431
to where nefertiti could be
buried along the nile
882
00:54:29,433 --> 00:54:31,700
near luxor's western bank.
883
00:54:36,440 --> 00:54:38,540
Here, a range of rocky mountains
884
00:54:38,542 --> 00:54:40,442
close to the valley of the kings
885
00:54:40,444 --> 00:54:45,281
houses the tombs
of ancient thebes' nobles.
886
00:54:45,283 --> 00:54:49,451
One small tomb
remains closed off.
887
00:54:49,453 --> 00:54:53,322
Aidan has gained special
permission to unlock the tomb.
888
00:54:58,029 --> 00:54:59,328
Once inside,
889
00:54:59,330 --> 00:55:02,931
he decodes the artwork
that covers its chambers.
890
00:55:04,535 --> 00:55:05,934
Dobson: Well,
this is the tomb chapel
891
00:55:05,936 --> 00:55:09,071
of a priest called paheri.
892
00:55:09,073 --> 00:55:11,440
Narrator: Graffiti dates the
tomb to just after
893
00:55:11,442 --> 00:55:13,042
akhenaten's death.
894
00:55:13,044 --> 00:55:16,078
It reveals
that another ruler seizes power
895
00:55:16,080 --> 00:55:19,982
before his son tutankhamun.
896
00:55:19,984 --> 00:55:21,984
Aidan believes it is nefertiti
897
00:55:21,986 --> 00:55:24,987
who shockingly claims
the throne.
898
00:55:24,989 --> 00:55:29,325
Dobson: It's dated to year three
of king neferneferuaten,
899
00:55:29,327 --> 00:55:30,859
who we are almost certain
900
00:55:30,861 --> 00:55:34,330
is none other
than the former queen nefertiti,
901
00:55:34,332 --> 00:55:37,099
the wife of akhenaten.
902
00:55:37,101 --> 00:55:41,403
Narrator: Nefertiti seizes power
following her husband's death,
903
00:55:41,405 --> 00:55:45,774
perhaps acting as regent until
tutankhamun comes of age.
904
00:55:48,045 --> 00:55:50,579
If nefertiti is now a pharaoh,
905
00:55:50,581 --> 00:55:52,514
it makes her burial
in a lost tomb
906
00:55:52,516 --> 00:55:55,784
in the valley of the kings
much more likely.
907
00:55:57,855 --> 00:55:59,455
The tantalizing new void
908
00:55:59,457 --> 00:56:01,890
revealed next to
tutankhamun's tomb
909
00:56:01,892 --> 00:56:05,127
could be
her more extensive chambers.
910
00:56:07,898 --> 00:56:11,633
But what would a royal tomb
for nefertiti look like?
911
00:56:15,206 --> 00:56:17,773
The grandest tomb
in the valley of the kings
912
00:56:17,775 --> 00:56:21,143
belongs to seti I.
913
00:56:21,145 --> 00:56:24,980
This tomb
is a polished masterpiece.
914
00:56:24,982 --> 00:56:27,416
Its chambers
are incredibly precise,
915
00:56:27,418 --> 00:56:29,985
with perfectly aligned
pillared halls
916
00:56:29,987 --> 00:56:31,720
and raised relief paintings
917
00:56:31,722 --> 00:56:34,289
carved onto the walls.
918
00:56:34,291 --> 00:56:37,359
Hidden beneath
king seti's burial chamber,
919
00:56:37,361 --> 00:56:43,198
a rocky corridor extends over
300 feet down into the bedrock,
920
00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:47,569
as deep as
the great pyramid is high.
921
00:56:47,571 --> 00:56:50,906
With 17 immaculately
decorated chambers,
922
00:56:50,908 --> 00:56:53,742
this vast burial
is six times larger
923
00:56:53,744 --> 00:56:55,811
than the tomb of tutankhamun.
924
00:56:55,813 --> 00:57:02,785
♪
925
00:57:02,787 --> 00:57:05,120
today, a team of archeologists
926
00:57:05,122 --> 00:57:08,424
excavates the valley
searching for nefertiti.
927
00:57:10,995 --> 00:57:15,130
The discovery of the lost queen
will only add to its reputation
928
00:57:15,132 --> 00:57:19,067
as a wonder of ancient egypt.
929
00:57:19,069 --> 00:57:22,237
The extraordinary craftsmanship
of the ancient egyptians
930
00:57:22,239 --> 00:57:25,607
carves the labyrinth of tombs
in the valley of the kings
931
00:57:25,609 --> 00:57:27,276
deep underground.
932
00:57:29,280 --> 00:57:31,647
These very same skills
are harnessed
933
00:57:31,649 --> 00:57:33,549
by another powerful pharaoh
934
00:57:33,551 --> 00:57:37,920
to sculpt the next wonder
of ancient egypt,
935
00:57:37,922 --> 00:57:41,457
the rock-hewn temple
of abu simbel.
936
00:57:50,634 --> 00:57:52,968
Narrator: The seven wonders
of ancient egypt
937
00:57:52,970 --> 00:57:55,037
are the creation
of mighty pharaohs
938
00:57:55,039 --> 00:57:56,572
determined to honor the gods
939
00:57:56,574 --> 00:58:01,910
and mark out their own place
in history.
940
00:58:01,912 --> 00:58:03,212
The fifth wonder is
941
00:58:03,214 --> 00:58:05,614
an extraordinary taming
of the landscape
942
00:58:05,616 --> 00:58:09,418
by one king who takes this
further than any other,
943
00:58:09,420 --> 00:58:11,720
abu simbel.
944
00:58:13,991 --> 00:58:17,092
Constructed by ramesses ii,
945
00:58:17,094 --> 00:58:19,428
he doesn't build
on top of the terrain
946
00:58:19,430 --> 00:58:23,165
but carves directly into it.
947
00:58:23,167 --> 00:58:27,936
This remarkable temple is cut
deep into a huge cliff face
948
00:58:27,938 --> 00:58:32,508
rather than being built
from traditional stone blocks.
949
00:58:32,510 --> 00:58:35,010
It is ramesses' attempt
to be known
950
00:58:35,012 --> 00:58:38,247
as the greatest pharaoh
of all time.
951
00:58:38,249 --> 00:58:43,852
♪
952
00:58:43,854 --> 00:58:47,756
the monument is built
so precisely that twice a year,
953
00:58:47,758 --> 00:58:50,859
the rising sun illuminates
the inner sanctum
954
00:58:50,861 --> 00:58:53,996
that houses the gods.
955
00:58:53,998 --> 00:58:55,631
Many believe the display marks
956
00:58:55,633 --> 00:59:00,068
ramesses' birthday
and coronation.
957
00:59:00,070 --> 00:59:03,138
How does ramesses execute
a meticulous design
958
00:59:03,140 --> 00:59:05,407
on such a huge scale?
959
00:59:09,079 --> 00:59:11,747
The statues of ramesses
are 15 times
960
00:59:11,749 --> 00:59:14,716
the height of the average man.
961
00:59:14,718 --> 00:59:18,987
Each mighty head is 13 feet wide
962
00:59:18,989 --> 00:59:20,889
and adorned with
the double crown
963
00:59:20,891 --> 00:59:25,460
symbolizing power over egypt.
964
00:59:25,462 --> 00:59:28,564
At his feet
stand ramesses' children,
965
00:59:28,566 --> 00:59:29,798
wife, and mother,
966
00:59:29,800 --> 00:59:34,036
a royal guard
for the sun god ra.
967
00:59:36,140 --> 00:59:39,908
At the summit sit
22 sacred baboons
968
00:59:39,910 --> 00:59:45,013
whose cry the egyptians believe
welcomed the rising sun.
969
00:59:45,015 --> 00:59:49,151
How do ramesses' masons
sculpt this entire cliff face?
970
00:59:52,389 --> 00:59:55,190
Workers first need
to cut away the surface rock
971
00:59:55,192 --> 00:59:57,960
to prepare it for carving.
972
00:59:57,962 --> 00:59:59,995
They then precisely cut designs
973
00:59:59,997 --> 01:00:04,299
personally approved
by ramesses onto the rock.
974
01:00:04,301 --> 01:00:07,569
But shaping the four
65-foot-high statues
975
01:00:07,571 --> 01:00:09,972
is no simple task.
976
01:00:09,974 --> 01:00:12,140
Getting the measurements wrong
977
01:00:12,142 --> 01:00:15,110
could jeopardize
the whole project.
978
01:00:15,112 --> 01:00:16,845
So how do the stonemasons
979
01:00:16,847 --> 01:00:21,750
ensure all the statues
are identical?
980
01:00:21,752 --> 01:00:24,720
Archeologist and explorer
john ward
981
01:00:24,722 --> 01:00:27,689
believes they scale up
an ingenious technique
982
01:00:27,691 --> 01:00:30,659
traditionally used
to paint tombs.
983
01:00:30,661 --> 01:00:35,397
What I'm holding here is a
picture of an unfinished relief
984
01:00:35,399 --> 01:00:37,799
in a tomb in thebes.
985
01:00:37,801 --> 01:00:40,068
But what it shows
is the grid technique
986
01:00:40,070 --> 01:00:44,406
that the artisan applied
to the wall prior to painting.
987
01:00:44,408 --> 01:00:46,475
Narrator: The grid breaks
a complex picture
988
01:00:46,477 --> 01:00:51,113
down into lots of smaller,
easier to draw images.
989
01:00:51,115 --> 01:00:54,282
This grid allows them
to transfer any image
990
01:00:54,284 --> 01:00:57,819
from a scale drawing
onto a much larger surface.
991
01:01:00,991 --> 01:01:02,424
Narrator: To build this wonder,
992
01:01:02,426 --> 01:01:04,993
the master masons
use scaffolding to mark out
993
01:01:04,995 --> 01:01:07,729
giant rows
of horizontal lines.
994
01:01:09,833 --> 01:01:12,467
Then from the top
of the cliff face,
995
01:01:12,469 --> 01:01:15,370
it's likely they hang
weighted ropes
996
01:01:15,372 --> 01:01:19,941
and draw vertical lines
to complete their grid.
997
01:01:19,943 --> 01:01:24,880
Using this system,
they scale up smaller drawings
998
01:01:24,882 --> 01:01:29,451
to produce outlines of ramesses
on the rock face.
999
01:01:29,453 --> 01:01:33,522
Only after marking out
the facade and the entranceway
1000
01:01:33,524 --> 01:01:35,824
do workers begin
to cut their pharaoh
1001
01:01:35,826 --> 01:01:38,760
and the chambers of his temple
into the cliff.
1002
01:01:38,762 --> 01:01:44,099
♪
1003
01:01:44,101 --> 01:01:47,436
the skill of ramesses'
master masons enables the king
1004
01:01:47,438 --> 01:01:52,240
to create a monument
that satisfies his ego.
1005
01:01:52,242 --> 01:01:55,677
But there's another mystery.
1006
01:01:55,679 --> 01:01:58,980
The workers pay attention
to every detail,
1007
01:01:58,982 --> 01:02:03,051
so why is this wonder
covered in deep cracks?
1008
01:02:03,053 --> 01:02:07,622
This one clearly cuts through
just above the ankle
1009
01:02:07,624 --> 01:02:09,491
and continues all the way
1010
01:02:09,493 --> 01:02:12,594
into the pillar
behind this great statue.
1011
01:02:15,132 --> 01:02:18,767
Narrator: Abu simbel is hewn
from solid rock.
1012
01:02:18,769 --> 01:02:21,937
So where do these cracks
come from?
1013
01:02:21,939 --> 01:02:24,806
The clue lies in their age.
1014
01:02:24,808 --> 01:02:28,710
These cracks aren't made
in antiquity.
1015
01:02:28,712 --> 01:02:31,580
They're made just 60 years ago.
1016
01:02:34,284 --> 01:02:38,086
In 1960, the government
of egypt builds a new dam
1017
01:02:38,088 --> 01:02:39,721
across the nile.
1018
01:02:41,825 --> 01:02:44,793
It transforms two
and a half million acres
1019
01:02:44,795 --> 01:02:48,630
of desert into farmland.
1020
01:02:48,632 --> 01:02:53,668
But the dam also creates
a giant lake.
1021
01:02:53,670 --> 01:02:56,805
To prevent abu simbel
being submerged,
1022
01:02:56,807 --> 01:03:00,776
international engineers mount
an unprecedented rescue mission.
1023
01:03:04,615 --> 01:03:07,249
They cut the temple into pieces
1024
01:03:07,251 --> 01:03:13,221
and rebuild it on higher ground,
away from the rising waters.
1025
01:03:13,223 --> 01:03:15,590
They cut the monument
into individual blocks.
1026
01:03:15,592 --> 01:03:18,260
And I'm standing
right next one here.
1027
01:03:18,262 --> 01:03:21,062
This cut line descends
all the way down
1028
01:03:21,064 --> 01:03:25,667
and then continues all the way
along here to this corner
1029
01:03:25,669 --> 01:03:27,269
and then descends here.
1030
01:03:27,271 --> 01:03:31,173
This huge megalithic block
once laid down there
1031
01:03:31,175 --> 01:03:32,808
in this original position.
1032
01:03:32,810 --> 01:03:35,811
And each block was actually
hoisted by crane
1033
01:03:35,813 --> 01:03:39,748
to this location,
creating the new abu simbel.
1034
01:03:41,985 --> 01:03:44,019
Narrator:
Rescued from destruction,
1035
01:03:44,021 --> 01:03:47,789
this stunning temple is not just
a wonder of ancient egypt,
1036
01:03:47,791 --> 01:03:50,992
but also a wonder
of modern engineering.
1037
01:03:54,832 --> 01:03:57,299
Why does ramesses go
to great lengths
1038
01:03:57,301 --> 01:03:59,701
to build this cliff-face marvel?
1039
01:04:02,406 --> 01:04:04,606
Is it another temple
for the gods
1040
01:04:04,608 --> 01:04:06,575
like many along the nile?
1041
01:04:08,879 --> 01:04:12,314
Decoding hidden messages
could reveal the answer.
1042
01:04:16,053 --> 01:04:18,286
And how do
the pharaoh's engineers
1043
01:04:18,288 --> 01:04:23,124
create egypt's sixth wonder?
1044
01:04:23,126 --> 01:04:25,527
These soaring obelisks.
1045
01:04:32,870 --> 01:04:37,639
♪
1046
01:04:37,641 --> 01:04:40,609
narrator: Abu simbel's
spectacular carved cliff face
1047
01:04:40,611 --> 01:04:44,312
stands alongside the greatest
monuments of ancient egypt
1048
01:04:44,314 --> 01:04:47,048
as one of its seven wonders.
1049
01:04:47,050 --> 01:04:50,218
Built to revere the gods,
1050
01:04:50,220 --> 01:04:52,187
it's a colossal statement
of power
1051
01:04:52,189 --> 01:04:54,456
by a status-hungry pharaoh.
1052
01:04:57,394 --> 01:05:00,362
But is ramesses ii's
rock-hewn wonder
1053
01:05:00,364 --> 01:05:03,465
just another temple
for worshiping the sun?
1054
01:05:07,304 --> 01:05:09,104
Abu simbel is a spectacle
1055
01:05:09,106 --> 01:05:12,674
in stone carved
from the cliff face.
1056
01:05:12,676 --> 01:05:18,780
Four colossal statues
of ramesses adorn the front.
1057
01:05:18,782 --> 01:05:22,050
Hidden behind
the magnificent facade
1058
01:05:22,052 --> 01:05:26,121
runs a giant 30-foot high
hypostyle hall
1059
01:05:26,123 --> 01:05:29,724
flanked by eight imposing
statues of the pharaoh.
1060
01:05:31,728 --> 01:05:34,429
160 feet inside the cliff
1061
01:05:34,431 --> 01:05:37,899
sits a sanctuary
to the great gods of egypt.
1062
01:05:40,804 --> 01:05:45,173
But is abu simbel really just
a temple to these deities?
1063
01:05:45,175 --> 01:05:50,312
♪
1064
01:05:50,314 --> 01:05:52,948
decoding its hidden messages
1065
01:05:52,950 --> 01:05:58,219
could unlock the secrets
of ramesses' ambition.
1066
01:05:58,221 --> 01:06:00,689
John ward is convinced
that if he can discover
1067
01:06:00,691 --> 01:06:04,192
the identities of the figures
inside the temple,
1068
01:06:04,194 --> 01:06:07,495
he can reveal its true purpose.
1069
01:06:07,497 --> 01:06:12,667
Three statues represent
the old gods of egypt --
1070
01:06:12,669 --> 01:06:15,904
ptah, lord of truth,
1071
01:06:15,906 --> 01:06:19,074
amun, lord of the sky,
1072
01:06:19,076 --> 01:06:23,878
and on the far right,
the sun god ra.
1073
01:06:23,880 --> 01:06:27,315
But who is the fourth figure?
1074
01:06:29,553 --> 01:06:33,655
John discovers a clue
hidden in plain sight --
1075
01:06:33,657 --> 01:06:39,294
an encrypted message
carved on the temple facade.
1076
01:06:39,296 --> 01:06:42,597
Ward: Standing above the
entrance here is the sun god ra,
1077
01:06:42,599 --> 01:06:46,067
but ramesses has done
something pretty ingenious.
1078
01:06:46,069 --> 01:06:49,637
He's hidden a message
within the statue itself
1079
01:06:49,639 --> 01:06:54,509
that reveals the true function
of this temple complex.
1080
01:06:54,511 --> 01:06:56,978
Narrator: With his falcon's head
and sun disc,
1081
01:06:56,980 --> 01:07:00,482
at first glance,
the statue looks like ra,
1082
01:07:00,484 --> 01:07:03,118
the most important egyptian god,
1083
01:07:03,120 --> 01:07:06,821
creator of the earth
and of life itself.
1084
01:07:06,823 --> 01:07:10,959
But his hands hold clues
to a different identity.
1085
01:07:10,961 --> 01:07:13,628
The right one
grasps an user,
1086
01:07:13,630 --> 01:07:17,065
a symbol denoting
the word strength.
1087
01:07:17,067 --> 01:07:21,503
And in his left hand,
he holds the symbol ma'at,
1088
01:07:21,505 --> 01:07:23,905
meaning truth
and justice on earth,
1089
01:07:23,907 --> 01:07:27,776
order and harmony in the cosmos.
1090
01:07:27,778 --> 01:07:29,044
But joined together,
1091
01:07:29,046 --> 01:07:31,746
these three symbols
spell another word --
1092
01:07:31,748 --> 01:07:33,615
usermaatre,
1093
01:07:33,617 --> 01:07:37,685
a name that reveals
the temple's true purpose.
1094
01:07:39,756 --> 01:07:42,624
Ward: Usermaatre was
the throne name of ramesses ii,
1095
01:07:42,626 --> 01:07:44,325
and it was the name
that he was known by
1096
01:07:44,327 --> 01:07:46,561
throughout
the whole land of egypt.
1097
01:07:46,563 --> 01:07:50,498
The symbolism that surrounds us
proves that he built
1098
01:07:50,500 --> 01:07:54,502
and dedicated
this temple to himself.
1099
01:07:54,504 --> 01:07:57,072
Narrator: The statue above
the temple's entrance,
1100
01:07:57,074 --> 01:07:59,340
the fourth figure
in the sanctuary --
1101
01:07:59,342 --> 01:08:05,847
they both represent ramesses
not as a man, but as a god.
1102
01:08:05,849 --> 01:08:10,351
♪
1103
01:08:10,353 --> 01:08:14,055
all pharaohs are
considered divine,
1104
01:08:14,057 --> 01:08:18,093
but secondary to
the old gods of egypt.
1105
01:08:18,095 --> 01:08:21,629
Ramesses goes one
step further.
1106
01:08:21,631 --> 01:08:24,866
He dares to claim
he is their equal.
1107
01:08:27,204 --> 01:08:32,006
By depicting himself
as a giant-sized living god,
1108
01:08:32,008 --> 01:08:35,910
ramesses takes the first step
to securing his status
1109
01:08:35,912 --> 01:08:37,545
as the greatest.
1110
01:08:41,985 --> 01:08:45,787
The next spectacular monuments
on the list of egypt's wonders
1111
01:08:45,789 --> 01:08:49,791
are earlier attempts by mighty
pharaohs to project their power.
1112
01:08:52,329 --> 01:08:55,563
These soaring obelisks
are the largest stones
1113
01:08:55,565 --> 01:08:59,467
ever worked by the egyptians.
1114
01:08:59,469 --> 01:09:04,873
How they create these monoliths
is still unsolved.
1115
01:09:04,875 --> 01:09:10,745
Can new investigations
unearth the answers?
1116
01:09:10,747 --> 01:09:14,182
And can pioneering excavations
reveal the truth
1117
01:09:14,184 --> 01:09:17,485
about egypt's final wonder,
1118
01:09:17,487 --> 01:09:20,555
the legendary lighthouse
of alexandria?
1119
01:09:25,428 --> 01:09:30,765
♪
1120
01:09:30,767 --> 01:09:32,066
narrator: Seven wonders
1121
01:09:32,068 --> 01:09:34,602
constructed by
all-powerful pharaohs
1122
01:09:34,604 --> 01:09:38,239
to revered gods defined
the ancient egyptians.
1123
01:09:40,377 --> 01:09:42,277
The sixth wonder,
1124
01:09:42,279 --> 01:09:45,580
the obelisks of ancient egypt,
1125
01:09:45,582 --> 01:09:47,515
are no different.
1126
01:09:47,517 --> 01:09:50,652
These soaring monoliths
are the tallest sculptures
1127
01:09:50,654 --> 01:09:53,655
ever created by
the king's engineers.
1128
01:09:53,657 --> 01:09:58,860
Cut from one single piece
of super-hard pink granite,
1129
01:09:58,862 --> 01:10:02,197
the tallest stands
at over 100 feet
1130
01:10:02,199 --> 01:10:06,301
and weighs 450 tons --
1131
01:10:06,303 --> 01:10:10,705
an unmissable show of power
by a pharaoh.
1132
01:10:10,707 --> 01:10:13,408
These enigmatic stones
fascinate all those
1133
01:10:13,410 --> 01:10:15,977
that see them for millennia.
1134
01:10:15,979 --> 01:10:19,447
Starting with the romans
in 335 a.D.,
1135
01:10:19,449 --> 01:10:22,584
they are transported
around the world.
1136
01:10:22,586 --> 01:10:26,621
And more now stand
in places like new york,
1137
01:10:26,623 --> 01:10:30,291
london, paris, and istanbul
1138
01:10:30,293 --> 01:10:32,527
than remain in egypt.
1139
01:10:32,529 --> 01:10:38,666
♪
1140
01:10:38,668 --> 01:10:43,271
they are taken from karnak,
the largest temple ever built.
1141
01:10:47,510 --> 01:10:51,613
Its imposing gateways
hide this holy site from view.
1142
01:10:55,285 --> 01:11:00,555
The enormous covered halls are
dedicated to egypt's chief god,
1143
01:11:00,557 --> 01:11:05,193
amun-ra.
1144
01:11:08,865 --> 01:11:13,468
At its center stand
spectacular giant obelisks,
1145
01:11:13,470 --> 01:11:16,304
guarding the most sacred
inner sanctuary
1146
01:11:16,306 --> 01:11:19,907
and topped with pure gold.
1147
01:11:19,909 --> 01:11:25,380
But these massive monoliths
still confound archeologists.
1148
01:11:25,382 --> 01:11:27,982
How do ancient engineers
transport
1149
01:11:27,984 --> 01:11:29,450
and erect these giants
1150
01:11:29,452 --> 01:11:31,719
almost 100 miles to karnak
1151
01:11:31,721 --> 01:11:34,555
using no crane
or lifting equipment?
1152
01:11:38,962 --> 01:11:42,030
Historians believe
the egyptians dig canals
1153
01:11:42,032 --> 01:11:43,531
deep into the landscape
1154
01:11:43,533 --> 01:11:48,102
so water from the nile
flows towards the quarries.
1155
01:11:48,104 --> 01:11:51,306
The obelisk is suspended
over the water.
1156
01:11:51,308 --> 01:11:54,342
Then a boat is weighed down
with tons of stone
1157
01:11:54,344 --> 01:11:57,378
so that when it is empty,
it picks up the obelisk
1158
01:11:57,380 --> 01:12:01,215
and carries it down
the nile to karnak.
1159
01:12:01,217 --> 01:12:03,718
At karnak, hundreds
of construction workers
1160
01:12:03,720 --> 01:12:07,455
then gradually dig away
the earth with great precision
1161
01:12:07,457 --> 01:12:11,626
to tilt the giant stone upright.
1162
01:12:11,628 --> 01:12:15,663
Lastly, they slot the base
of the obelisk into a groove
1163
01:12:15,665 --> 01:12:19,534
and attach ropes to haul it
into its final position.
1164
01:12:21,938 --> 01:12:25,039
Researchers have yet
to prove the theory.
1165
01:12:27,277 --> 01:12:30,511
In aswan,
archeologist adel kelany
1166
01:12:30,513 --> 01:12:33,414
conducts a dangerous
and pioneering experiment
1167
01:12:33,416 --> 01:12:35,650
to do just that.
1168
01:12:35,652 --> 01:12:37,318
He hopes to finally show
1169
01:12:37,320 --> 01:12:41,389
how the egyptians raised
these stunning sculptures.
1170
01:12:41,391 --> 01:12:45,927
Adel and his team construct a
mud brick room and a long ramp.
1171
01:12:45,929 --> 01:12:49,597
His plan is to haul the obelisk
to the top of the room,
1172
01:12:49,599 --> 01:12:53,701
fill the room with sand,
and then slowly release the sand
1173
01:12:53,703 --> 01:12:56,571
to tilt the obelisk
into position.
1174
01:12:56,573 --> 01:12:59,607
But first, he must pull it
up the ramp.
1175
01:12:59,609 --> 01:13:01,509
Weighing three tons,
1176
01:13:01,511 --> 01:13:04,112
it is heavy enough
to cause a serious injury
1177
01:13:04,114 --> 01:13:07,815
if the experiment goes wrong.
1178
01:13:07,817 --> 01:13:10,385
Adel calculates
that he will need 30 people
1179
01:13:10,387 --> 01:13:12,720
to pull the obelisk
up the slope.
1180
01:13:12,722 --> 01:13:19,660
♪
1181
01:13:19,662 --> 01:13:26,601
♪
1182
01:13:26,603 --> 01:13:29,570
little by little,
they pull it up the slope.
1183
01:13:46,089 --> 01:13:48,923
It's a titanic battle
to haul the obelisk
1184
01:13:48,925 --> 01:13:51,159
to the top of the ramp.
1185
01:13:51,161 --> 01:13:53,728
Adel believes that
to move a full-size
1186
01:13:53,730 --> 01:13:57,131
320-ton obelisk the same way
1187
01:13:57,133 --> 01:14:00,968
would require
about 1,000 workers.
1188
01:14:00,970 --> 01:14:03,971
At last, they reach the top.
1189
01:14:03,973 --> 01:14:06,274
The first stage is complete.
1190
01:14:06,276 --> 01:14:09,877
But now they must try to move
the obelisk into position.
1191
01:14:12,382 --> 01:14:14,615
Adel fills the room with sand
1192
01:14:14,617 --> 01:14:18,419
and begins
the raising operation.
1193
01:14:22,792 --> 01:14:24,592
Workers pull out the bricks
1194
01:14:24,594 --> 01:14:26,828
from two of the windows
of the mud brick room
1195
01:14:26,830 --> 01:14:30,331
to start removing the sand.
1196
01:14:30,333 --> 01:14:32,633
This should lower the base
of the obelisk
1197
01:14:32,635 --> 01:14:35,636
and pivot it
until it is nearly upright.
1198
01:14:39,409 --> 01:14:43,578
From there, the team should
be able to pull it vertical.
1199
01:14:43,580 --> 01:14:46,514
Adel must carefully control
the release of the sand
1200
01:14:46,516 --> 01:14:50,318
to maneuver the obelisk
carefully onto the plinth below.
1201
01:15:08,771 --> 01:15:10,037
Little by little,
1202
01:15:10,039 --> 01:15:13,241
the workers remove the sand
from the sandbox.
1203
01:15:16,179 --> 01:15:18,846
It takes three hours
to maneuver the obelisk
1204
01:15:18,848 --> 01:15:22,250
within one foot of the plinth.
1205
01:15:22,252 --> 01:15:24,552
To raise the 97-foot obelisks
1206
01:15:24,554 --> 01:15:27,321
still standing at karnak
the same way,
1207
01:15:27,323 --> 01:15:28,923
adel believes ancient workers
1208
01:15:28,925 --> 01:15:33,060
would have needed
a mud brick room 98 feet high
1209
01:15:33,062 --> 01:15:36,464
and around a month
to take away the sand.
1210
01:15:46,042 --> 01:15:51,612
Now adel and the team
must pull the obelisk upright.
1211
01:15:51,614 --> 01:15:54,882
It's a tricky operation.
1212
01:15:54,884 --> 01:15:56,951
If they use too much force,
1213
01:15:56,953 --> 01:15:59,620
they could tip
the obelisk right over.
1214
01:16:11,601 --> 01:16:14,969
[ cheers and applause ]
1215
01:16:15,805 --> 01:16:17,939
after a nerve jangling wobble,
1216
01:16:17,941 --> 01:16:22,109
the obelisk settles on its base.
1217
01:16:41,831 --> 01:16:44,465
Adel and the team
have successfully shown
1218
01:16:44,467 --> 01:16:48,336
that the sandbox method works.
1219
01:17:04,187 --> 01:17:06,954
Adel believes he's finally
unraveled the secret
1220
01:17:06,956 --> 01:17:12,126
of the pharaohs' mystifying
giant status symbols,
1221
01:17:12,128 --> 01:17:16,330
spectacular monoliths seen
by millions around the world.
1222
01:17:18,768 --> 01:17:20,868
The final wonder
of ancient egypt
1223
01:17:20,870 --> 01:17:24,338
is equally shrouded
in myth and intrigue,
1224
01:17:24,340 --> 01:17:28,809
but is now lost from sight.
1225
01:17:28,811 --> 01:17:33,514
Are any of the legends of the
lighthouse of alexandria true?
1226
01:17:42,592 --> 01:17:44,625
Narrator:
The last of egypt's wonders
1227
01:17:44,627 --> 01:17:48,496
dazzles the ancient world.
1228
01:17:48,498 --> 01:17:51,999
The lighthouse of alexandria.
1229
01:17:52,001 --> 01:17:55,202
It is the final wonder
on the original greek list
1230
01:17:55,204 --> 01:17:57,805
of seven wonders
of the ancient world.
1231
01:17:59,876 --> 01:18:03,277
A soaring stone tower
built at the port entrance
1232
01:18:03,279 --> 01:18:05,780
to this ancient city,
1233
01:18:05,782 --> 01:18:08,449
said to be the tallest building
in the world.
1234
01:18:08,451 --> 01:18:12,286
A burning light shone out to sea
to guide ships into egypt's
1235
01:18:12,288 --> 01:18:15,356
spectacular new capital.
1236
01:18:15,358 --> 01:18:18,192
At the very top,
a giant golden statue
1237
01:18:18,194 --> 01:18:20,728
to the greek conqueror of egypt,
1238
01:18:20,730 --> 01:18:25,232
alexander the great,
depicted as a shining sun god.
1239
01:18:29,739 --> 01:18:33,941
Built from super-strong pink
granite and limestone blocks,
1240
01:18:33,943 --> 01:18:36,577
it is an ancient skyscraper.
1241
01:18:37,914 --> 01:18:41,882
Halfway, immense bronze tritons,
greek gods,
1242
01:18:41,884 --> 01:18:46,153
are a sign of merging
of the old and new religions...
1243
01:18:48,224 --> 01:18:51,859
While mirrors beam
a blazing light across the sea,
1244
01:18:51,861 --> 01:18:54,195
making alexandria
visible to ships
1245
01:18:54,197 --> 01:18:57,498
still a day's sail away.
1246
01:18:57,500 --> 01:19:02,336
Rumors even tell of a deadly
weapon at the tower's summit.
1247
01:19:02,338 --> 01:19:06,273
This is one of many legends
that surround this giant.
1248
01:19:09,312 --> 01:19:13,848
The lighthouse no longer
stands in alexandria,
1249
01:19:13,850 --> 01:19:15,750
so separating fact from fiction
1250
01:19:15,752 --> 01:19:19,687
about this incredible wonder
isn't easy.
1251
01:19:19,689 --> 01:19:24,625
How tall is this
supersized structure?
1252
01:19:24,627 --> 01:19:26,694
Archeologist emad khalil
1253
01:19:26,696 --> 01:19:28,963
believes alexandria's
eastern harbor
1254
01:19:28,965 --> 01:19:30,598
holds the answer.
1255
01:19:33,436 --> 01:19:38,506
In 1303, an earthquake
destroys most of the lighthouse,
1256
01:19:38,508 --> 01:19:42,576
but its fallen remains
still rest on the sea floor.
1257
01:19:42,578 --> 01:19:48,883
♪
1258
01:19:48,885 --> 01:19:52,286
what do we have here
is 13,000 square meters
1259
01:19:52,288 --> 01:19:55,256
of remains underwater.
1260
01:19:55,258 --> 01:19:59,193
Narrator: Emad hopes the remains
hidden from view for 700 years
1261
01:19:59,195 --> 01:20:02,196
could finally allow him
to determine the true height
1262
01:20:02,198 --> 01:20:06,901
of the lighthouse and put an end
to some outlandish myths.
1263
01:20:09,038 --> 01:20:12,139
Some say the huge tower
is so tall
1264
01:20:12,141 --> 01:20:14,175
that a stone
falling from its summit
1265
01:20:14,177 --> 01:20:16,911
would take two days
to hit the ground.
1266
01:20:19,081 --> 01:20:22,316
Others that sailors
could see the lighthouse beacon
1267
01:20:22,318 --> 01:20:25,319
up to 300 miles out to sea.
1268
01:20:25,321 --> 01:20:30,658
♪
1269
01:20:30,660 --> 01:20:32,293
khalil: It's a huge puzzle,
basically.
1270
01:20:32,295 --> 01:20:37,198
And you want to put it back
together without reference,
1271
01:20:37,200 --> 01:20:40,968
without a picture to base
your reconstruction on.
1272
01:20:40,970 --> 01:20:43,637
And this is the main
challenge of the site.
1273
01:20:43,639 --> 01:20:47,508
Narrator: This mammoth block is
a crucial piece of the puzzle.
1274
01:20:47,510 --> 01:20:49,143
It was hauled from the harbor
1275
01:20:49,145 --> 01:20:52,746
and will help emad
calculate the lighthouse height.
1276
01:20:52,748 --> 01:20:57,284
This huge object, which is
about 70 tons in weight,
1277
01:20:57,286 --> 01:21:00,321
is the right side of the main
entrance of the lighthouse.
1278
01:21:00,323 --> 01:21:03,357
The right side of the doorway
of the lighthouse.
1279
01:21:03,359 --> 01:21:07,261
The the angle here is where
the wooden door would have fit.
1280
01:21:09,665 --> 01:21:11,532
Narrator: Working out the height
of the lighthouse
1281
01:21:11,534 --> 01:21:15,469
from its broken pieces is tough.
1282
01:21:15,471 --> 01:21:18,639
Luckily, an arab writer
from the 14th century
1283
01:21:18,641 --> 01:21:20,441
offers a helping hand.
1284
01:21:22,778 --> 01:21:25,546
He records some of the only
reliable measurements
1285
01:21:25,548 --> 01:21:29,016
of the lighthouse.
1286
01:21:29,018 --> 01:21:31,452
He measures the dimensions
of its base
1287
01:21:31,454 --> 01:21:33,053
and the width of the door frame
1288
01:21:33,055 --> 01:21:37,224
in an ancient unit
called the span.
1289
01:21:37,226 --> 01:21:40,261
Khalil: Looking at the doorway,
1290
01:21:40,263 --> 01:21:44,765
of the side of the doorway,
we have 6'10."
1291
01:21:44,767 --> 01:21:48,936
and now we can vertically relate
the actual evidence
1292
01:21:48,938 --> 01:21:50,604
to the literary sources,
which mention
1293
01:21:50,606 --> 01:21:54,508
that the measurement
would be 10 spans.
1294
01:21:54,510 --> 01:21:57,478
Narrator: This recovered block
allows emad to establish
1295
01:21:57,480 --> 01:22:01,749
that one alexandrian span
equals eight inches.
1296
01:22:04,620 --> 01:22:06,287
We can start rebuilding
1297
01:22:06,289 --> 01:22:08,589
not just the dimensions
of the lighthouse
1298
01:22:08,591 --> 01:22:12,259
but the entire complex
of the lighthouse.
1299
01:22:12,261 --> 01:22:14,795
Narrator: Translating the
ancient measurements reveals
1300
01:22:14,797 --> 01:22:20,200
that the lighthouse stands on
a 100-foot-square base.
1301
01:22:20,202 --> 01:22:22,036
This gives emad
a starting point
1302
01:22:22,038 --> 01:22:26,006
to estimate
the building's height.
1303
01:22:26,008 --> 01:22:28,642
He combines greek
principles of proportion
1304
01:22:28,644 --> 01:22:32,713
and imagery from ancient coins
to finally get his result.
1305
01:22:36,852 --> 01:22:40,154
We think that it was
300 feet in height.
1306
01:22:40,156 --> 01:22:43,357
And so basically
it was an ancient skyscraper.
1307
01:22:43,359 --> 01:22:45,893
Nothing like this
in the ancient world.
1308
01:22:45,895 --> 01:22:47,594
Narrator:
The lighthouse of alexandria
1309
01:22:47,596 --> 01:22:50,130
soars higher than
any other stone tower
1310
01:22:50,132 --> 01:22:51,799
in the ancient world,
1311
01:22:51,801 --> 01:22:55,736
and even the first
20th-century skyscrapers.
1312
01:22:57,807 --> 01:23:00,441
A greek wonder equal
to all produced
1313
01:23:00,443 --> 01:23:03,410
by the extraordinary
ancient egyptians.
1314
01:23:06,816 --> 01:23:11,352
With nothing more than sheer
human power and raw ambition,
1315
01:23:11,354 --> 01:23:12,953
the great pharaohs of egypt
1316
01:23:12,955 --> 01:23:16,790
conquered the extreme
desert landscape
1317
01:23:16,792 --> 01:23:20,861
to build monuments that cement
their legacy for eternity.
1318
01:23:23,265 --> 01:23:27,401
Their astonishing monuments
are taller,
1319
01:23:27,403 --> 01:23:32,239
bigger, and more elaborate
than ever before,
1320
01:23:32,241 --> 01:23:34,541
creating seven national wonders
1321
01:23:34,543 --> 01:23:37,945
unmatched by any
in the ancient world.
1322
01:23:37,947 --> 01:23:45,619
♪
1323
01:23:45,621 --> 01:23:53,260
♪
1324
01:23:53,262 --> 01:24:01,001
♪
1325
01:24:01,003 --> 01:24:08,609
♪
117780
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