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NARRATOR: Egypt...
the richest source of
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archaeological
treasures on the planet.
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MAN: Oh, wow, look at that!
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NARRATOR: Hidden beneath
this desert landscape,
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lie the secrets of this
ancient civilization.
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[speaking native language]
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ARCHAEOLOGIST: I never
seen something like this.
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NARRATOR: Now, for a full
season of excavations,
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our cameras have been
given unprecedented access
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to follow teams on the
front line of archaeology.
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WOMAN: This is the
most critical moment.
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TEAM: Ahh!
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NARRATOR: Revealing
buried treasures.
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WOMAN: Oh!
MAN: We are lucky today.
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JOHN: Wow, lots of mummies.
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WOMAN: The smell is horrible.
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NARRATOR: And making
discoveries that could
rewrite ancient history.
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JOHN: We've never had
the proof until now.
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COLLEEN: This is where
it all started.
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ALEJANDRO: My goodness,
I never expected this.
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[applause]
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NARRATOR: This time,
archaeologists hunt for
some of the most intriguing
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Egyptian artifacts of all.
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JOHN: Oh, wow.
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NARRATOR: Mummies.
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JOHN: Oh, there's wrapping
and mummy everywhere.
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NARRATOR: John
and Maria discover a
hidden tomb entrance.
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[speaking native language]
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JOHN: Yes!
MAN: Oh!
JOHN: We have light!
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NARRATOR: Veronica and
Alberto investigate an
ancient crime scene.
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VERONICA: We found the
mummies everywhere.
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NARRATOR: And Alejandro looks
for treasures hidden beneath
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the bandages of
his prized mummy.
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ALEJANDRO: In five
minutes we will know.
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[theme music plays]
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NARRATOR: The ancient
Egyptians, famous for their
pursuit of immortality.
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They made mummies
by preserving the dead with
salts, oils, and wrappings,
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hoping their bodies
would live forever.
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And covering these mummies
with gold and jewels,
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they sought to guarantee
success in the afterlife.
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Yet, only a tiny fraction
of these mummies have ever
been discovered intact.
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Most were destroyed by ancient
thieves looking for treasure.
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For archaeologists, finding
an untouched burial is the
holy grail, and the chance to
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uncover extraordinary
new information about
the people and society
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of this great civilization.
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Among these archaeologists
are husband and wife team,
John Ward and Maria Nilssen,
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here for their 13th season
to excavate their site
in southern Egypt.
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JOHN: Okay,
everybody on the car.
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ARCHAEOLOGIST: Okay.
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NARRATOR: But before
they can start digging,
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they must transport their
20 strong team to the site.
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[speaking native language]
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NARRATOR: With
just one vehicle.
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JOHN: Don't push
me further off!
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[speaking native language]
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JOHN: Looks very
cozy in there.
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MARIA: Doesn't it!
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JOHN: I'll just precariously
hang off the back.
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[laughing]
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NARRATOR: The site
John and Maria want
to investigate today
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sits right on the mountaintop.
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TEAM: Oh!
[speaking native language]
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NARRATOR:
It's the final day
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their excavation permit
allows them to dig on site.
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MARIA: Come on, guys.
JOHN: Come on, guys.
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NARRATOR: This area,
Gebel el-Silsila, is known
for its huge stone quarries,
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where ancient pharaohs
mined stone for
their giant monuments.
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But it was also the site
of a small town built
to house the workers,
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where they lived,
died, and were buried.
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JOHN: Souka you're gonna be
with Nils and Souna.
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NARRATOR: John and Maria are
on the hunt for the graves of
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the town's middle classes, like the specialist stone masons.
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JOHN: Move that lot.
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NARRATOR: A tomb with any
mummies or burial goods could
hold valuable information
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about this ancient
Egyptian community.
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JOHN: So you've got about 10,
15 minutes to get that open.
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[speaking native language]
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NARRATOR:
John's particularly keen
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to investigate a
structure he's named Tomb 15.
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JOHN: We've got a monument
that once stood right
on top of this mountain.
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And, at some point in history,
some looters came along and
actually dug a hole
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through the floor of that
monument, and, lucky for
them, discovered a tomb.
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NARRATOR: The monument
could have sat on top
of a high status tomb.
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And, though he knows
it was looted for valuables in
antiquity, John hopes that the
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robbers may have left traces
of the tomb's owner behind.
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JOHN: I am hoping to find
remains of the mummies that
were entombed in there.
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Some indication of what they
were entombed with, their
funerary ware, to understand
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the importance or the status
of them within the community.
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NARRATOR: Keen to use every
minute of their last day,
Maria gets to work exploring
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a different part of the site.
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She quickly spots something
amongst the rubble.
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MARIA: Oh, John!
Do you wanna come in?
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JOHN: What have you got?
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MARIA: I actually think
that I got a game piece
here, a game board.
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What I can see are three
vertical lines and a series
of several horizontal lines.
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I found myself a senet game.
I know it's difficult to see.
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JOHN: Yeah, I can see.
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MARIA: I just turned
the stone around.
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NARRATOR: Senet was a
popular board game played
throughout ancient Egypt.
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It was also a
funerary offering.
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Squares of the game
representing different
hazards the deceased would
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need to navigate to
reach the afterlife.
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The great Tutankhamen was
buried with five senet games
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in his tomb in the
Valley of the Kings.
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Could this find be a hint
that an important mummy is
hidden somewhere nearby?
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MARIA: This is a
game that was played.
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JOHN: Well, it was played
by royals and laymen alike.
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JOHN: I mean, everybody, from
the workers all the way right
up to the viziers, all the way
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up to the living god, the
pharaoh himself played it.
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NARRATOR: But on closer
inspection, Maria isn't
sure that this senet board
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was a burial offering.
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MARIA: Look where I am,
I'm in beautiful shade,
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I got the breeze coming through.
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JOHN: True, true.
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MARIA: What if the men who
quarried these monuments,
what if they sat here,
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had their break, and you've
got the senet game here.
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NARRATOR: Perhaps not a game
for a deceased tomb owner,
but the tomb builders.
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Still an exciting sign they
are in the right place.
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MARIA: Wonderful.
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NARRATOR: But they only have
six hours left on site to find
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the chamber they
are looking for.
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JOHN: Jose!
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NARRATOR: 40 miles south,
along the Nile, in Aswan
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sits the hillside necropolis
of Qubbet el-Hawa.
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In his 11 years of working
here, Professor Alejandro
Jiménez-Serrano has already
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discovered four new tombs
and ten burial chambers.
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[speaking native language]
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NARRATOR: The site's
location, on ancient
Egypt's southern border,
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makes it a particularly
exciting place to excavate.
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ALEJANDRO: This area was
the frontier between Egypt
and Nubia where the people
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interchange not only
products but also ideas.
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Bilal, don't find
another tomb, hey?
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[laughing]
[speaking native language]
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NARRATOR: Last year at this
site Alejandro and his team
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made the discovery
of a lifetime.
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ALEJANDRO: Get ready.
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NARRATOR: An incredibly rare
undisturbed burial with a
4,000 year old wooden coffin
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containing a completely
untouched mummy.
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ALEJANDRO: Yeah, we
have been very lucky.
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It's impossible to explain
the feelings that I am having.
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NARRATOR: The coffin
is covered in hieroglyphic
markings, immediately giving
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the archaeologists
vital information about
who this mummy might be.
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The hieroglyphs reveal
the person inside is
a male named Shemai.
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They describe him as a priest
and overseer of the stores,
controlling the distribution
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of grain amongst the
local population.
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The markings also identify his
father as Khema, a governor,
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a powerful ruler in
the south of Egypt,
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and his mother as Satethotep,
the daughter of Sarenput I,
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a man trusted by the pharaoh
to be the founding governor
of this region.
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But these discoveries
came right at the end
of last season,
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and now the team are
keen to uncover more of
Shemai's life story.
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Alejandro begins the search at
a spectacular tomb nearby
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that he began excavating
two years ago.
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Thanks to the coffin, he now
knows that this belongs to
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one of Shemai's
distinguished relatives.
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ALEJANDRO: This is one of
the stars of the necropolis,
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it's the tomb of Sarenput I,
Shemai's grandfather.
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NARRATOR: On the outside wall
of the tomb is an intricately
carved family portrait.
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ALEJANDRO: We have Sarenput I
sat and receiving the homage of
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his wife, his mother,
his eldest daughter,
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Satethotep,
who was Shemai's mother.
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NARRATOR: But Shemai
himself doesn't appear.
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ALEJANDRO: We did not have
any reference to Shemai before
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the discovery of his
funerary chamber,
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so he was member of the family,
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but for any reason he was
never represented here.
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NARRATOR: Though Alejandro
has discovered other human
remains at this necropolis,
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he has never found any
of the family members
represented on this tomb wall.
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Now the body of Shemai,
the missing son, provides a
unique chance to investigate.
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Who were the people of
this great ruling family?
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And where did they come from?
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40 miles away in
Gebel el-Silsila,
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John and Maria hope
they are on the cusp of
their own mummy discovery.
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With time already very tight
to complete their work,
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Maria begins excavating
at tomb number nine.
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MARIA: Okay, are
you ready, Trish?
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NARRATOR: Working alongside
team member, Tricia Coletto,
she hopes this chamber will
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reveal more clues about Gebel el-Silsila's inhabitants.
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MARIA: Take a while
for the eyes to adjust.
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TRICIA: Eyes to
adjust a little bit.
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NARRATOR: Earlier this season
the team cleared this tomb and
found the stone slab empty,
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but the broken remains
of a mummy half buried
in the mud of the floor,
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looted by tomb robbers.
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MARIA: They find the mummies,
they will break them in half
for the sake of finding the
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few little glittery things
that might adorn these.
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NARRATOR: But the looters
feared the mummy's curse,
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so they completely
destroyed the mummy,
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hoping it could then never reap its revenge in the afterlife.
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TRICIA: The looters have torn
our little friend apart and
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unceremonially thrown him
or her back inside the tomb.
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NARRATOR: The small handful
of tombs that have been
discovered with treasures
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intact provide a glimpse
of why mummies were so
sought after by thieves.
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The most splendid is the
mummy of Tutankhamen.
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Beneath the stunning death
mask and under the wrappings
is a treasure trove of over
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100 ritual ornaments.
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Around the neck alone dozens
of precious amulets, covering
the chest a golden vulture and
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a winged cobra, deities
of upper and lower Egypt.
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On the navel
a black resin scarab,
a symbol of immortality,
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and around the waist and thigh
the king's prized daggers,
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made of gold and iron
hammered from a meteorite.
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These valuable objects were
meant for the afterlife,
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but were an irresistible
target for the living.
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To properly examine the looted mummy that they are working on,
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Maria and Tricia must
first carefully remove
it from the ground.
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MARIA: Now what I think
we should do this morning is
to lift this block to start.
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NARRATOR: But just as
they are ready to begin,
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Maria spots something
worrying in the sand.
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MARIA: That's concerning.
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TRICIA: Oh, yes, I see it.
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MARIA: Yeah.
We might have a snake.
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NARRATOR: Maria has spotted
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the fresh tracks
of a snake in the sand,
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and it could still be hiding
somewhere in the tomb.
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John joins them to
lend some support.
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TRICIA: Good luck.
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MARIA: Okay, if you're still
in here, I come in peace.
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Tapping a bit.
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JOHN: Maria, don't
tap it, just lift it.
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00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:00,240
MARIA: All right.
JOHN: Yank it.
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00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,440
MARIA: I don't want it to
end up falling on our mummy.
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00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:06,240
JOHN: Just be safe.
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00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,800
NARRATOR: Many of the
snakes in Egypt are deadly.
223
00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:13,400
JOHN: Are you okay?
MARIA: Yeah, there's tracks.
224
00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,720
JOHN: Yeah, don't
lift the stone.
225
00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,120
Try and keep back
from the door please.
226
00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,160
[grunting]
227
00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,120
JOHN: I got it.
228
00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:24,360
[grunting]
229
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,520
MARIA: Well.
JOHN: Nothing?
230
00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:35,440
I tell you what, I'm gonna
carry on with my work and
leave you with your snake.
231
00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:39,640
NARRATOR: Maria and
Tricia can't be completely
sure the snake has gone.
232
00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,280
MARIA: I removed a
hole where it entered.
233
00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:43,920
TRICIA: Okay.
234
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,320
You've scared him
off anyway, I think.
235
00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,760
NARRATOR: But with
the clock ticking, they
decide they must press on.
236
00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,080
TRICIA: We have to be careful
to distinguish what is
mummy and what is dirt here.
237
00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,840
MARIA: Yes.
TRICIA: The stone can go.
238
00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:01,120
NARRATOR: By excavating the
body from the mud, they hope
to discover more about the
239
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:05,160
role of this person in Gebel
el-Silsila's community,
240
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:09,120
but the state of the mummy
makes their task tougher.
241
00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:10,280
MARIA: More pieces.
242
00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:11,480
TRICIA: A little
piece of skull.
243
00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:13,440
MARIA: Yeah, I got more here.
244
00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,480
And they burn to such heat
245
00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,560
that the white
bones turn blue.
246
00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:25,120
NARRATOR: Ancient looters
would often burn the mummies
they found inside a tomb.
247
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:31,760
MARIA: They're after gold, and
by burning the mummies it's
easier for them to open them up.
248
00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:34,720
Very sad.
249
00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,440
NARRATOR: The ancient
Egyptians would have dreaded
this kind of mutilation,
250
00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:42,080
they went to huge lengths to mummify and protect their dead,
251
00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,760
believing that, to,
succeed in the afterlife
252
00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,960
key elements of the body and
soul must be preserved intact.
253
00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,880
The first was the Ren,
your identity and name.
254
00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:59,480
it lived for as long as
your name was spoken.
255
00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:05,160
Ib was the heart, the
seat of your soul, the
good force in your life.
256
00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:09,920
Sheut was the shadow, an
image of yourself that was
reborn every day at sunrise.
257
00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,760
Ba was the unique personality,
258
00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:19,160
it left the body in the form of a bird at night and at death.
259
00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:24,240
The Ka was the vital
essence, the force that
animated the individual,
260
00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,720
and the Khat was the
physical form of the body,
261
00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,920
which must be preserved, or
mummified, for the dead to be
262
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:35,440
granted eternal life.
263
00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:40,720
TRICIA: I feel like I
personally get attached when
I'm working on a mummy, and
264
00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:46,680
you feel like you're
getting to know them, and
you feel like a caretaker.
265
00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:51,880
NARRATOR: At Tomb 15, John has
just hours remaining to search
inside for any evidence of the
266
00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:56,200
tomb's owner's status in the
town, but he has a puzzle,
267
00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,080
right now the only way into
268
00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:02,440
the chamber is via the hole
dug by ancient looters.
269
00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,440
JOHN: Found the door yet?
ARCHAEOLOGIST: No.
270
00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,720
NARRATOR: John hopes that
if he can find the tomb's
original door, it could be
271
00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:15,080
inscribed with a name
or date identifying
who was buried here.
272
00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:19,560
JOHN: Theoretically it should
be somewhere in this area.
273
00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:23,760
NARRATOR: He decides he might
have more chance of locating
it from inside the tomb,
274
00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,000
descending through
the looters' tunnel.
275
00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,680
JOHN: I must admit I'm
a little bit worried
about going down there,
276
00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,520
but I know what to do if
I find a snake, call Maria.
277
00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,640
[speaking native language]
278
00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,800
JOHN: Oh wow.
279
00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,800
[panting]
280
00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:56,600
Oh, there's wrapping
and mummy everywhere.
281
00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:01,880
I am surrounded by the
remains of the poor souls
that were interned in here
282
00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,600
but have been completely looted.
283
00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:12,280
This is the part I really
want to get to, and find
out if this is, oh wow!
284
00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:15,200
[laughing]
285
00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:22,560
NARRATOR: An area of fallen
rocks could point the way to
the tomb's original entrance.
286
00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,520
JOHN: No, it's far too small.
287
00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:33,560
This is not big enough by any
stretch of the imagination,
so where's my entrance?
288
00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,720
NARRATOR: 75 miles north of
Gebel el-Silsila is Luxor,
289
00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:45,800
one of the richest
archaeological sites
in the world,
290
00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,840
home to magnificent
temples of the pharaohs,
291
00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:53,920
the tombs of the nobles, and
the great Valley of the Kings.
292
00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:01,280
Here, in the foothills
of the famous valley, at
the necropolis of Asasif,
293
00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:06,040
a team of archaeologists
from Spain works to solve
an ancient mummy mystery.
294
00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,760
The site is unusual because
of the sheer number of
295
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,120
ancient artifacts and the
level of devastation.
296
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,720
NARRATOR: Archaeologist,
Veronica García Martinez is
tasked with piecing together
297
00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,960
the thousands of shards
and fragments the
team has found here.
298
00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:46,400
NARRATOR: And amongst the
debris there's something
much more grizzly.
299
00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,840
NARRATOR: The mummies that
Veronica and her colleague
Alberto are investigating
300
00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:01,560
are in a very bad state.
301
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:14,680
NARRATOR: Just like John and
Maria's site, these mummies
were looted by thieves looking
302
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:20,200
for precious jewels and
amulets, and again the bodies
have been mutilated to avoid
303
00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:23,320
inciting the
curse of the dead.
304
00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,960
But here the robbers
were very particular
in their desecration.
305
00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:37,640
NARRATOR: By dismembering the
corpses like this, the looters
hoped to deny the dead of all
306
00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,560
possible means of
enacting their revenge
in the next life.
307
00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:01,760
NARRATOR: So far the
team has found more
than 350 mummies here.
308
00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:08,600
Now they want to know
why were so many people
buried in this one spot?
309
00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,880
They think the answer
could be connected to this
site's original purpose,
310
00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:16,520
as a tomb complex for
a man named Huy,
311
00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:22,520
vizier to King Amenhotep III,
who ruled from 1390 BC.
312
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,760
The vizier was a very powerful
position in ancient Egypt,
313
00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,560
second in command only
to the pharaoh himself.
314
00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:49,200
NARRATOR: Professor Francisco
Martin-Valentin works at the
heart of the burial ground.
315
00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:53,880
The once magnificent tomb
chapel that Huy himself spent
years designing and building
316
00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,000
in preparation for his death.
317
00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:11,400
NARRATOR: When Francisco began
his restoration work 11 years
ago, the chapel was in ruins.
318
00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:16,440
Now he's hoping that clues in
the stone wall inscriptions
could help solve the mystery
319
00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:17,920
of the mummies.
320
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,840
NARRATOR: As Francisco
puts the pieces of this
stone puzzle together,
321
00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,640
it's clear that
this tomb has not just
been weathered by time,
322
00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:41,160
it has been
systematically vandalized.
323
00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:45,720
All inscriptions
depicting the tomb's
owner have been mutilated.
324
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:50,840
He thinks the damage here
is not down to looters
looking for treasure,
325
00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,120
but someone much closer to Huy.
326
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:59,040
Huy was vizier during the
reign of both Amenhotep III
327
00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:03,440
and his successor,
Amenhotep IV.
328
00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:09,080
Amenhotep IV, in an attempt
to cement his power, soon
abolished the worship of
329
00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,280
traditional gods
in favor of just one,
330
00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:17,400
the Aten, and
changed his name to Akhenaten.
331
00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:22,560
Refusing to follow his heretic
king, Huy added inscriptions
inside his own tomb declaring
332
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:27,120
loyalty to the old gods.
333
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:33,480
When Akhenaten found out,
he ordered the destruction
of Huy's tomb chapel.
334
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:39,080
The Vizier, Huy, was never
seen again, and his mummy
has never been found.
335
00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:43,920
It seems that Huy was
murdered for his beliefs
by order of the pharaoh,
336
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,960
and by destroying his name
and likenesses, his Ren,
337
00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:54,880
the killers ensured that he
would never be able to pass
peacefully into the afterlife.
338
00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:58,680
But amongst the rubble
the team has found a
very special fragment,
339
00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,400
a rare image of
the vizier's face.
340
00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,720
NARRATOR: By reinstalling this
piece to its original position
in the wall inscription,
341
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,720
Francisco hopes
to right the wrongs
of these ancient vandals,
342
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:23,720
giving Huy back his Ren and, in theory, his place in eternity.
343
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:30,000
On the mountaintop
in Gebel el-Silsila.
344
00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,160
JOHN: What have you got?
345
00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,640
NARRATOR: John and his
team are searching for
a hidden tomb entrance,
346
00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:36,840
and things are looking up.
347
00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:42,520
JOHN: What it looks
like is actually the
entrance to Tomb 15.
348
00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,360
NARRATOR: To be sure,
John wants to see whether
this hole lines up
349
00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:47,880
with the chamber below.
350
00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,800
JOHN: We're gonna continue
now, clean this entire area,
and I would be downstairs
351
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:56,960
cleaning from up, or
down up, and hopefully
we'll meet halfway.
352
00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:05,840
NARRATOR: Maria gets word of
the discovery and arrives
353
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:09,120
to supervise the
team digging on top.
354
00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,360
[speaking native language]
355
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:16,040
MARIA: I can see light,
it looks like we've got
the ancient doorway.
356
00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:19,840
JOHN: I think they're
breaking through.
[laughing]
357
00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,560
NARRATOR: It seems
John could be in the
right place after all.
358
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:24,040
MARIA: Yeah,
[speaking native language]
359
00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:27,280
JOHN: I can hear Maria's voice.
Oop!
360
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:31,040
NARRATOR: The workers on the
surface pick up the pace, but
without knowing John's precise
361
00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:36,160
position below them, there's
a real risk the tomb could
collapse on top of him.
362
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,560
JOHN: Ah! We have light!
363
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,120
MARIA: Oh, aye-aye-aye!
You okay down there?
364
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,120
JOHN: Yeah. Come up.
365
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,160
I'm fine! I'm fine! Still alive!
366
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,000
[all laughing]
367
00:25:58,080 --> 00:25:59,480
MARIA: There's his head!
368
00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,000
JOHN: How are you doing, guys?
MARIA: Hi!
369
00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,720
NARRATOR: John finally breaks
through what he hopes is the
ancient doorway to the tomb.
370
00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:08,000
JOHN: I think we've
found the entrance!
371
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,040
MARIA: We did, it's a shaft.
372
00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:12,920
NARRATOR: But there
is still a puzzle.
373
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,680
This opening still doesn't
seem big enough to get a mummy
through it and into the tomb.
374
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:22,680
JOHN: Well, we'll continue
and take this back and see
where we can get up to.
375
00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:32,400
NARRATOR: At the necropolis
of Asasif in Luxor, inside
the vizier's tomb chapel,
376
00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,520
Francisco and his wife,
Teresa, have found the
correct location for the
377
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:41,200
fragment bearing Huy's face,
and are ready to restore it
to its rightful place.
378
00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:12,240
NARRATOR: After three and
a half thousand years,
379
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,480
Vizier Huy's image is
finally complete, and,
380
00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:17,800
according to
ancient Egyptian traditions,
381
00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:22,880
his spirit lives again
in the afterlife.
382
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:27,880
But this site still holds
a mystery, why did the
team find over 350 mummies
383
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,520
scattered around Huy's tomb?
384
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,360
Who were these people?
385
00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,640
Veronica and Alberto examine
one of the mutilated bodies,
386
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:40,120
inserting a tiny camera
in through its nose.
387
00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:49,840
NARRATOR: Veronica is looking
for a crucial sign that
388
00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,240
she can only find
inside the skull.
389
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:18,560
NARRATOR: Removing the brain
was a prestigious part of
390
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,880
mummification that
few could afford.
391
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:31,720
NARRATOR: This man's high
status is a clue to why he and
hundreds of other mummies are
392
00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:33,880
here at Huy's tomb.
393
00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,960
After the pharaoh Akhenaten
died, worship of the old gods,
394
00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:42,480
like Amun, the king of
the gods, was restored.
395
00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:46,880
Veronica and Alberto
think that Huy became
regarded as a martyr,
396
00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,440
and his tomb a place
of pilgrimage and
burial for the elites.
397
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,440
NARRATOR: Sadly, like so many
ancient mummies, this pilgrim
was later plundered for his
398
00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:26,560
burial riches, and
mutilated by the robber
to avoid a curse.
399
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:48,840
NARRATOR: 115 miles
south, in Aswan,
400
00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:52,240
Alejandro is on the
hunt for clues about another
401
00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:56,520
elite Egyptian, his
extraordinary intact
mummy, Shemai.
402
00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,840
[speaking native language]
403
00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:03,520
NARRATOR: The evidence
at the burial site revealed
his name and ancestry
404
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,920
within a family
of powerful governors.
405
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:13,400
But to uncover more about his
age, any amulets and perhaps
even further clues about this
406
00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,360
enigmatic ruling family
and where they came from,
407
00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:20,360
Alejandro must probe
Shemai's mummy itself.
408
00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:24,440
ALEJANDRO: Tonight we have
came here to the store of the
Ministry of Antiquities in
409
00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,200
Aswan where Shemai's
mummy is kept.
410
00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,640
We are going to transport
the mummy to the hospital
411
00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:33,800
in order to do a CT scan.
412
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:38,560
NARRATOR: It's been a
year since Alejandro last saw
Shemai, and now he hopes that
413
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:44,000
a CT scan will allow him
to peer beneath the mummy's
bandages for the first time.
414
00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:47,880
ALEJANDRO: When
I saw the box and the
mummies, it's a respect.
415
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:53,480
In that same ways it's
part of my family.
416
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:57,240
NARRATOR: The hospital is
across town and the CT scanner
is only available outside
417
00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:01,160
regular hours, which means the
team must travel at night,
418
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,320
the most dangerous time to
travel through the city.
419
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:09,480
ALEJANDRO: I'm nervous,
definitely, I'm nervous.
420
00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:14,440
NARRATOR: A mummy like
Shemai is a priceless ancient
artifact, and still a prime
421
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:20,760
target for thieves, so
armed police escort the team
through the busy streets.
422
00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:26,760
ALEJANDRO: Egypt was so
plundered in the past that
they try to avoid any kind
423
00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:30,640
of modern robbery or wherever.
424
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,680
NARRATOR: Shemai's
body could be wrapped
with precious jewels,
425
00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,160
a modern-day looter's jackpot.
426
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:48,400
NARRATOR: But the risks of
the journey are worth it for
Alejandro, who's desperate to
427
00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:53,320
find more about Shemai
after a year of waiting.
428
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:57,040
ALEJANDRO: I feel very excited
because it's an opportunity to
429
00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:00,560
know perhaps the
causes of his death,
430
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,680
or perhaps the amulets
that we are going to find,
431
00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:07,760
so it's amazing.
432
00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:14,200
NARRATOR: After a tense 30 minutes, the armed convoy makes it safely to the hospital.
433
00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:16,800
ALEJANDRO: We go.
434
00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:21,000
NARRATOR: But will the
scan give Alejandro the
answers he's looking for?
435
00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,520
A CT scan of Tutankhamen, the
world's most famous mummy,
436
00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,880
revealed an incredible
level of detail.
437
00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:37,320
Beneath 13 layers of bandages
lies Tutankhamen's body.
438
00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:42,080
The embalmers drenched his
head in tree resin to preserve
the soft tissues of his face.
439
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:50,200
X-ray evidence of healthy
teeth revealed a good diet,
and still developing wisdom
440
00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:55,800
teeth indicated he
died a late teenager.
441
00:32:55,880 --> 00:33:00,640
A hole in his skull and a
bone fragment in his head were
telltale signs the embalmers
442
00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,120
removed his brain.
443
00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:07,080
These features are all typical
of the advanced mummification
444
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,800
reserved for the
highest in society.
445
00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:15,800
[speaking native language]
446
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,440
NARRATOR: Alejandro hopes that
Shemai's CT scan might reveal
447
00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,880
the same kind
of forensic clues.
448
00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:28,560
Technicians carefully
place his prize discovery
onto the scanner.
449
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,120
TECHNICIAN: You
find it in a coffin?
450
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,120
ALEJANDRO: Yeah.
We excavated it last season,
451
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:35,880
and we have the titles,
which are very interesting,
452
00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,280
he was the overseer of
the grain store.
453
00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:41,640
TECHNICIAN: Mm-hm.
NARRATOR: As well as
looking for amulets
454
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:43,800
and a possible cause
of death,
455
00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:47,200
there is a mystery that has
puzzled Alejandro ever since
456
00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:50,960
he first opened Shemai's
coffin a year ago.
457
00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:54,440
ALEJANDRO: Oof,
uno venticinco. 125.
458
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,600
It's quite short.
459
00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:02,800
My daughter is more
or less like this, and
she is eight years old. So...
460
00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:05,640
NARRATOR: Could Shemai really
have been as young and
461
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:10,120
held the title of overseer
of the grain store?
462
00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:15,520
Alejandro hopes the scan
will finally help to
determine his true age.
463
00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:21,000
ALEJANDRO: We are going
to begin the scanning, so
we need to leave the room.
464
00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:29,560
NARRATOR: The forensic
anthropologists look closely
at Shemai's teeth to estimate
465
00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:31,480
his age when he died.
466
00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:33,440
ANTHROPOLOGIST: Nueve.
467
00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:35,160
ALEJANDRO: Nine years old?
468
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:37,320
Nine years old,
he's a child.
469
00:34:39,720 --> 00:34:42,480
NARRATOR: For Alejandro,
such a tender age at death
470
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,120
suggests that Shemai
never actually
471
00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:48,720
held the title
inscribed on his coffin.
472
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:52,080
ALEJANDRO: If he was only
nine years old when he died,
473
00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:55,000
it means that it's
impossible that he might
474
00:34:55,080 --> 00:35:00,160
hold in reality the title of
overseer of the grain store.
475
00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:04,440
NARRATOR: It's more likely
that this was a posthumous
promotion designed to give
476
00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:07,480
the boy a position of
status in the afterlife.
477
00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:10,240
[speaking native language]
478
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:15,360
NARRATOR: Alejandro is
getting closer to uncovering
Shemai's true story.
479
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:18,200
ALEJANDRO: Five minutes we
will know more about him.
480
00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:23,440
NARRATOR: In Gebel el-Silsila,
481
00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:28,440
Tricia has just over an
hour left to excavate
the mummy in tomb nine,
482
00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,560
when she discovers
something unexpected.
483
00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,880
TRICIA: Maria, would
you please come over?
484
00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:40,280
I think we have something
interesting, I think we
don't have one mummy,
485
00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:42,360
I think we have two.
486
00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:46,480
NARRATOR: A second mummy is
an intriguing development.
487
00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,320
Family members
were often buried together
in the same tomb,
488
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:52,640
so these two could be related.
489
00:35:52,720 --> 00:35:56,880
But both have been burned
by the ancient looters to
get at the precious amulets,
490
00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:59,240
fusing the mummies together.
491
00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:01,280
MARIA: Oh wow, look
how burned that is.
492
00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:04,560
TRICIA: I know. The resin is
now basically turned to stone.
493
00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:06,880
MARIA: Yeah, and
glued together.
494
00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,440
I don't know how
we're gonna do this.
495
00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:11,640
Let's see.
496
00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:14,680
NARRATOR: It's now a huge challenge to remove both bodies
497
00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:16,960
before the work must stop.
498
00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:18,640
[Tricia sighs]
499
00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:21,600
The problem is,
if we leave it here,
500
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:25,400
it will most probably
be destroyed even more.
501
00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:31,640
If we lift it, we might
have to actually take
that bone to the side.
502
00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:33,480
TRICIA: I think we
take the femur out.
503
00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:36,520
MARIA: And we're
fighting the time now.
504
00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:41,480
NARRATOR: With only one
hour remaining, Maria
faces a tough decision.
505
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:48,320
NARRATOR: She decides
that trying to lift
506
00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,120
the burnt mummies
out of the ground with
507
00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:52,480
so little time risks
too much further damage.
508
00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:57,040
MARIA: What we'll do
is protect it as far as we
can and we will rebury it.
509
00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:59,800
TRICIA: I think
it's the right idea.
510
00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:03,680
NARRATOR: Maria's disappointed
not to be able to remove
the mummies today, but the
511
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:08,440
discovery of two individuals
means she could have
found a family group,
512
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:12,800
an exciting prospect
to explore next season.
513
00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:15,280
TRICIA: You're going to stay
here for a while, my friend.
514
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:17,800
MARIA: Yeah, we did our best.
515
00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:23,240
NARRATOR: In Tomb 15,
John is still trying
to dig himself out of
516
00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:26,920
what could be the
original entrance.
517
00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,760
Having left her
mummies behind, Maria
heads back to help.
518
00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,240
MARIA: Let's see if we can...
519
00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:36,040
NARRATOR: And she's just in
time for a surprise discovery.
520
00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:39,600
[grunting]
521
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:41,360
JOHN: There's another doorway!
522
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,280
MARIA: What?
To where?
523
00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:45,520
JOHN: Another chamber!
524
00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:50,960
There's a whole new chamber
directly in front of me.
525
00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:55,320
I can see the chisel marks,
it's full of mummy wrappings.
526
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:58,480
NARRATOR: It's a
tantalizing find, a whole
new area of the tomb,
527
00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:02,920
potentially with a
rare intact mummy.
528
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:06,800
But they now have just minutes
left before they have to close
the site, so this will have to
529
00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,520
be another project
for next season.
530
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:16,440
Now John must stick to
his first task, finding
the tomb's original door.
531
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,400
JOHN: I just need to move
some of this sand so I
can get my butt in here,
532
00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:21,360
you can see I'm stuck again.
533
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:25,200
NARRATOR: There's no sign of
the grand entranceway John was
expecting, so could this small
534
00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:29,400
opening be the original
doorway after all?
535
00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:32,240
The only way to test if it's
wide enough for a human mummy
536
00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:35,080
is for John to climb
through the gap himself.
537
00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:43,400
[Maria laughing]
538
00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:46,880
[coughing]
539
00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:48,640
JOHN: Hello, darling.
540
00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:52,400
How are you?
541
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,880
MARIA: Happy to see
you on this side.
[laughing]
542
00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,080
JOHN: Wow, that was
something and a half.
543
00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,040
MARIA: Well done, you.
544
00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,200
NARRATOR: The
dimensions seem to fit.
545
00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:04,200
[laughing]
546
00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:08,080
JOHN: Absolutely amazing.
547
00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:11,440
NARRATOR: It's an unexpectedly
emotional experience for John.
548
00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:16,120
JOHN: Most of us get to
have the experience of
going through the entrance
549
00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:21,480
into tombs that have been
looted, not the other way round,
550
00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:25,360
coming out of the entrance,
having dug it from the inside.
551
00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:28,200
NARRATOR: If this is the
original door, it could hold
552
00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:31,320
crucial clues about
the tomb's owner.
553
00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:36,480
Sadly, there are no markings
to indicate a name or date,
but John and Maria are still
554
00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:40,160
able to glean
valuable information
from the stonework.
555
00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:43,360
MARIA: The shaft is absolutely
beautifully dressed.
556
00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:47,920
NARRATOR: The craftsmanship of
the masonry and the existence
of the extra chamber suggest
557
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,240
that this was an
important individual.
558
00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:56,000
JOHN: This tomb definitely
belonged to someone of some
status within the community.
559
00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:58,280
It wasn't just a worker.
560
00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:01,160
The other chamber, we've
just got a glimpse of it.
561
00:40:01,240 --> 00:40:05,560
What awaits us inside
is yet to be revealed.
562
00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:11,240
NARRATOR: At the university
hospital in Aswan,
563
00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:15,120
Alejandro waits nervously for
more information about Shemai.
564
00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:17,680
ALEJANDRO: Que tiene?
565
00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:19,080
ANTHROPOLOGIST: Necklace.
566
00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:21,680
ALEJANDRO: Ah, he
has a necklace.
567
00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:25,360
NARRATOR: Inside the CT
scanner the mummy is slowly
revealing its secrets.
568
00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:29,200
ALEJANDRO: He is wearing a
necklace with small beads.
569
00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:35,880
NARRATOR: But Alejandro still
has unanswered questions.
570
00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:40,000
The ancient Egyptians usually
mummified members of the
elite, removing their organs
571
00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:43,680
and brain while preserving
the rest of the body.
572
00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:48,160
Alejandro is keen to see
whether Shemai has received
the same treatment.
573
00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:51,400
[speaking Spanish]
574
00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:52,520
ALEJANDRO: Yeah.
575
00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:55,040
[speaking Spanish]
576
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:59,520
ALEJANDRO: Yeah, we can
see the remains of the
brain inside the head,
577
00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:01,960
so it was not taken out.
578
00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:07,280
The nose was not perforated
to drain the brain.
579
00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:11,600
NARRATOR: Over the course
of the evening, the scan
has revealed a host of
580
00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:15,480
new information about Shemai.
581
00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:19,960
Beneath the bandages is
a 4-foot 1-inch tall skeleton
582
00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:23,040
with little surviving tissue.
583
00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:26,000
His mouth has a mix of both
adult and baby teeth,
584
00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:30,280
which puts his age at death
around nine years old.
585
00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:35,040
Around the neck is a ceramic
necklace designed to magically
help him reach the afterlife,
586
00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:38,360
a hallmark of high status.
587
00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:42,560
But unlike other elite
mummies of the era,
588
00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:46,360
his brain, now shriveled,
was left in his skull.
589
00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:50,160
Why was Shemai's body
so poorly preserved
when he came from
590
00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:52,640
such a powerful
Egyptian family?
591
00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:57,440
Alejandro has a theory.
592
00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:02,440
ALEJANDRO: We need to
think that we are in the
periphery of the state.
593
00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:06,440
The best specialist would be
in the court, and we are in
594
00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:09,520
the southernmost
province of Egypt.
595
00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:13,080
They had no experts
in mummification here.
596
00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:17,240
ANTHROPOLOGIST: Ahora...
597
00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:19,240
This is new, it's different.
MAN: Yes.
598
00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:21,240
NARRATOR:
But the CT scan
599
00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:26,520
has one more surprise for
Alejandro, Shemai's ethnicity.
600
00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:31,240
ALEJANDRO: Well, they have
just told me that Shemai
601
00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:33,840
had the Nubian features,
602
00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:40,000
which means that the ruling
family was probably Nubian,
603
00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:43,760
and that was unexpected.
604
00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:47,960
NARRATOR: Examining Shemai's
anatomy closely, the thickness
of his bones and the shape of
605
00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:52,640
his nasal cavity, the
anthropologists think he
was a Black African,
606
00:42:52,720 --> 00:42:55,360
likely from neighboring Nubia.
607
00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:59,120
A huge revelation that challenges the prevailing image
608
00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:02,200
of the Egyptian
ruling class.
609
00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:07,480
ALEJANDRO: We always thought
the ancient Egyptian elite
were Mediterranean type,
610
00:43:07,560 --> 00:43:12,520
and in this sense Shemai
is representing the society
611
00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:15,600
of a frontier in which
612
00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:19,360
different ethnic
groups were mixed.
613
00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:24,680
At the end it doesn't
matter the color of your
skin, Shemai was Egyptian.
614
00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:27,760
NARRATOR: It's
been an incredible night of
investigation and discovery
615
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:32,440
for the team, who have
added a brand new page
to the history book.
616
00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:37,640
ALEJANDRO: Thank you very much
for your help, it's very useful.
617
00:43:37,720 --> 00:43:41,080
NARRATOR: With their
carefully preserved mummies
and elaborate tombs,
618
00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:44,760
the ancient Egyptians sought
eternal life after death.
619
00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:51,160
Despite a curse to protect
them from robbers, few
mummies ever survive intact.
620
00:43:51,240 --> 00:43:54,080
But for the lucky
archaeologists
who discover them,
621
00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:56,600
it's an incredible
opportunity to uncover
622
00:43:56,680 --> 00:44:00,320
the secrets of this
fascinating civilization,
623
00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:03,920
and by protecting and restoring the mummies, they help return
624
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,480
the souls of the ancients onto their path to immortality.
625
00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:09,640
Captioned by Cotter
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