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NARRATOR: The mysteries
of ancient Egypt,
and its hidden secrets.
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MATTHEW: These tombs
represent the technology
of resurrection.
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00:00:12,663 --> 00:00:15,897
STEVEN: They created
monuments that make
the mind boggle.
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00:00:15,900 --> 00:00:18,033
NARRATOR: Some of their
greatest achievements,
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00:00:18,102 --> 00:00:21,804
lost beneath the sand and
water of the Nile valley...
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00:00:22,907 --> 00:00:25,273
until now.
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00:00:25,942 --> 00:00:28,444
Imagine if we
could empty oceans,
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00:00:29,980 --> 00:00:34,183
or drain the desert, and
reveal the secrets beneath.
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Now we can.
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00:00:38,789 --> 00:00:43,892
Using the latest
imaging technology
to pierce sea and sand
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00:00:45,129 --> 00:00:48,597
and turn accurate
data into 3D images.
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00:00:50,801 --> 00:00:54,703
Can scientists
solve the mystery of
Alexandria's Lighthouse
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00:00:54,739 --> 00:00:58,173
and recreate one of the
ancient wonders of the World?
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00:00:59,910 --> 00:01:05,180
Why did a Pharaoh build
15 mega-forts when none of
them saw a major battle?
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00:01:05,750 --> 00:01:07,649
LAUREL: This is a forgotten
age in Egyptian history
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00:01:07,752 --> 00:01:10,319
because we have lost
access to these monuments.
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NARRATOR: And what does
a fleet of boats, buried
six miles from the Nile,
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00:01:14,291 --> 00:01:18,393
reveal about Egypt's original
'Valley of the Kings'?
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR: Ancient Egypt...
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One of the greatest
civilizations on Earth.
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It lasts for 3,000 years.
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Its people develop a
remarkable written language
using pictures and symbols.
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They worship strange gods.
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And they build two
of the seven wonders
of the ancient world.
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00:02:02,006 --> 00:02:05,374
The first, the great
pyramids of Giza.
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-The ancients determined
the seven wonders because
they met certain criteria.
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It is the ingenuity of the
design, but it had to be built
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00:02:16,987 --> 00:02:20,589
on a super colossal,
over the top scale.
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NARRATOR: The Egyptians'
second ancient wonder is the
lighthouse of Alexandria.
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Known as the Pharos, it
is built on a grand scale
like the other wonders:
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00:02:30,935 --> 00:02:35,070
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
and the Colossus of Rhodes.
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Of the seven wonders, only
the pyramids now survive.
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But as the waters of the
Nile Delta drain away, can
the architectural marvel
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of the Pharos be brought
back to life from the seas
around Alexandria Harbor?
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And recreated accurately
for the first time a sight
that once dazzled the world.
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00:03:04,835 --> 00:03:08,503
-The Pharos ranked as one
of the seven wonders of the
ancient world because it was
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00:03:08,505 --> 00:03:11,506
something that had
never been seen before.
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00:03:13,076 --> 00:03:18,046
Some people say um the
beacon could be seen
30 miles out to sea.
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00:03:19,750 --> 00:03:24,453
NARRATOR: Alexandria's
lighthouse is a technological
and architectural masterpiece.
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Built in the third century
BC, it's the crowning
glory of a new capital city,
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founded by the conqueror
of Ancient Egypt:
Alexander the Great.
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-Alexandria was the
be-all and end-all.
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Um you might think of the
Champs Elysee in Paris or
Times Square in New York.
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Alexandria was all of
those things and more.
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Um it was the most
beautiful city that the
world had ever seen.
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NARRATOR: Egypt's new rulers
want the Pharos to send
a big and simple message.
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EMAD: They wanted to show
how powerful is the city.
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00:04:03,694 --> 00:04:08,330
So you'd need a sign, a
big huge banner that says
welcome to Alexandria.
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00:04:09,399 --> 00:04:13,368
The Pharos was created
mainly as a landmark.
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00:04:15,772 --> 00:04:18,206
NARRATOR: But once
Egypt's power has faded,
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Alexandria's famous lighthouse
falls into disrepair.
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The land beneath it slowly
subsides into the sea,
and in the 14th century
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00:04:28,118 --> 00:04:31,787
it finally collapses after
it's struck by an earthquake.
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00:04:34,725 --> 00:04:38,927
The Pharos is thought
to be lost here, beneath
23 feet of water,
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at the entrance of
Alexandria harbor.
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Now a French team of
archaeologists is trying
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00:04:51,875 --> 00:04:55,210
to rediscover its
true magnificence.
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00:04:56,280 --> 00:05:01,216
Using the latest undersea
imaging technology, they're
scouring the seabed for clues.
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00:05:02,486 --> 00:05:06,888
Their aim is to
digitally rebuild this lost
Ancient Wonder of the World,
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for the first time.
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00:05:10,060 --> 00:05:14,563
Leading the investigation is
architect and archaeologist
Isabelle Hairy.
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00:05:15,566 --> 00:05:18,500
She's been searching
for the truth about
Alexandria's lighthouse
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00:05:18,535 --> 00:05:21,236
for more than 20 years.
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ISABELLE: It's always very
rewarding to work on one of
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00:05:24,341 --> 00:05:26,575
the seven wonders of
the ancient world.
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I'd be lying if
I said otherwise.
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00:05:30,514 --> 00:05:32,613
NARRATOR: Isabelle's team is
working in one of the largest
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00:05:32,649 --> 00:05:35,784
underwater archaeological
sites in the world.
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00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,388
They investigate some
mysterious granite blocks.
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These remarkable remains
are clearly man-made.
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Could they be from the
missing ancient wonder?
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00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,935
Isabelle's task is to
unlock the true dimensions
and design of the Pharos.
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00:05:58,709 --> 00:06:01,877
But her job is made harder by
the wildly conflicting accounts
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00:06:01,978 --> 00:06:05,012
of what it actually looked lik.
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00:06:05,682 --> 00:06:09,284
-We came across
these quite extraordinary
images of the lighthouse.
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00:06:10,087 --> 00:06:13,488
NARRATOR: Different
impressions from past
travelers and artists shroud
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00:06:13,524 --> 00:06:16,691
the true appearance of
the lighthouse in mystery.
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00:06:17,494 --> 00:06:20,629
-It's depicted here as
the Tower of Babylon.
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00:06:21,598 --> 00:06:25,033
Here a very classical
building with floors
one above the other,
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00:06:25,035 --> 00:06:28,136
with doors opening
into mysterious rooms.
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00:06:29,706 --> 00:06:34,309
NARRATOR: Over time,
ideas about the Pharos
grew even more fantastic.
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00:06:35,445 --> 00:06:38,513
-One of the authors was
speaking about the Pharos
being so tall and so
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00:06:38,615 --> 00:06:43,918
extensively high, if a stone
was thrown from the top of the
lighthouse it would reach land
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00:06:43,921 --> 00:06:46,054
in 2 days or 3 days.
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00:06:46,156 --> 00:06:49,357
It's not true but it is saying
something about how those
people saw the lighthouse.
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00:06:50,761 --> 00:06:53,795
NARRATOR: Where
does the truth lie?
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00:06:56,934 --> 00:07:00,869
Will the underwater granite
blocks provide answers?
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00:07:03,006 --> 00:07:08,610
To find out, Isabelle's
team uses a technique called
photogrammetry capturing
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00:07:08,612 --> 00:07:12,614
thousands of detailed images
across the enormous site.
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00:07:13,283 --> 00:07:16,418
-This is closer view
here on the map.
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00:07:16,553 --> 00:07:19,387
This is block 1003.
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00:07:19,389 --> 00:07:22,657
-Do you think we can
go further, we can
go more on the North?
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00:07:23,860 --> 00:07:28,163
NARRATOR: After
28 weeks of diving and
with 50,000 photographs,
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00:07:28,232 --> 00:07:33,635
Isabelle has the data she
needs to finally unlock
the secrets of the Pharos.
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00:07:38,408 --> 00:07:42,310
Combining this unique
data with cutting edge
computer graphics means
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00:07:42,379 --> 00:07:48,283
that for the first time,
the waters around Alexandria
harbor can be drained away.
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00:07:52,822 --> 00:07:57,826
As the Mediterranean
begins to empty, surprising
shapes come into view.
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00:08:01,532 --> 00:08:06,835
Nearly 3,000 granite
blocks scattered across
three acres of the seabed.
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00:08:09,306 --> 00:08:14,142
These are not natural rock
formations, but clearly
the work of human hands.
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00:08:15,479 --> 00:08:19,214
Statue bases,
chunks of pillars.
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00:08:19,316 --> 00:08:22,817
All from a building of
monumental proportions.
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00:08:23,153 --> 00:08:28,623
The drowned ruins of a
genuine ancient wonder,
The Pharos lighthouse.
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00:08:30,227 --> 00:08:35,063
Brought back into
the light of day for the
first time in 600 years.
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00:08:37,701 --> 00:08:41,369
Already Isabelle's work has
delivered one revelation.
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00:08:41,772 --> 00:08:44,005
Some of the blocks from
the drained landscape are
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00:08:44,041 --> 00:08:47,175
a crucial clue to the
shape of the Pharos.
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00:08:48,445 --> 00:08:51,445
-Draining the site has enabled
us to see the lighthouse.
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00:08:52,215 --> 00:08:55,183
We've even found blocks
that might have formed
the corner stones,
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00:08:55,652 --> 00:08:58,320
but no blocks found underwater
indicated the walls sloped.
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00:08:59,656 --> 00:09:01,856
The walls were straight.
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00:09:02,959 --> 00:09:06,328
NARRATOR: This is the
first physical proof of
the lighthouse's design.
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00:09:07,030 --> 00:09:09,864
A huge advance on all
previous knowledge.
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00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:15,070
But piecing together the
rest of the underwater jigsaw
remains an enormous challenge.
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00:09:16,172 --> 00:09:17,672
-What we have here is a puzzle,
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00:09:17,674 --> 00:09:20,542
basically it's a
3000 pieces puzzle
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00:09:20,644 --> 00:09:23,011
that you have to try
to fit things together.
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00:09:23,146 --> 00:09:25,613
Will it fit or
will it not fit?
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00:09:26,583 --> 00:09:30,285
NARRATOR: And what's
more, some crucial parts
of the puzzle are missing,
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00:09:30,420 --> 00:09:33,788
taken to museums by
previous excavations.
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00:09:36,159 --> 00:09:40,395
But one important piece
lies nearby, abandoned
on the quayside.
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00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:47,168
-This was probably the
greatest discovery,
found on the site.
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00:09:49,806 --> 00:09:52,440
NARRATOR: But what is it?
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00:09:52,742 --> 00:09:56,377
-So, here we have a side
part of a door frame.
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00:09:56,380 --> 00:10:00,248
We know because this is
the place where the door
would have been fixed.
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00:10:01,384 --> 00:10:05,287
NARRATOR: This groove is
carefully carved as the
frame for a gigantic door.
127
00:10:07,291 --> 00:10:10,592
And incredibly, Isabelle can
match the frame's distinctive
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00:10:10,594 --> 00:10:13,728
shape to other stones
lying underwater.
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00:10:15,732 --> 00:10:19,067
They must all be pieces
from the same doorway.
130
00:10:21,638 --> 00:10:27,475
-By joining this huge fragment
almost 12 meters long together
with all the other fragments,
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00:10:27,511 --> 00:10:30,010
we can reconstruct a door.
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00:10:30,013 --> 00:10:33,181
It's one of the most
important pieces of the site.
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00:10:34,351 --> 00:10:36,551
NARRATOR: Now, for the
first time, it's possible
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00:10:36,653 --> 00:10:40,054
to recreate the
door to the Pharos.
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00:10:40,090 --> 00:10:43,624
The entrance to a Wonder
of the Ancient World.
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00:10:43,627 --> 00:10:46,527
-So now we are able to
connect it with the lintels.
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00:10:46,629 --> 00:10:49,497
The upright, ah perfect.
138
00:10:49,499 --> 00:10:51,900
That's great.
139
00:10:52,369 --> 00:10:55,603
NARRATOR: The drained site
reveals the lost fragments
of the giant doorframe.
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00:10:58,208 --> 00:11:02,377
Using the scanned images
of the seabed, its huge
blocks come into view.
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00:11:05,182 --> 00:11:08,449
Computer graphic technology
reverses the centuries.
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00:11:09,552 --> 00:11:13,221
The pieces of the doorframe
fit together perfectly.
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00:11:15,258 --> 00:11:19,627
And within the granite
frame a vast wooden
door was once fastened.
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00:11:22,098 --> 00:11:27,402
All of it reaching
41 feet high and weighing
more than 200 tons!
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00:11:30,039 --> 00:11:34,275
The Pharos entrance
is restored in the
place where it fell.
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00:11:35,412 --> 00:11:39,914
A monumental piece of
architecture dwarfing
anyone who enters.
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00:11:42,251 --> 00:11:47,222
For the first time, a part
of Alexandria's lighthouse
is accurately reconstructed.
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00:11:49,659 --> 00:11:52,360
But what does the rest
of the Pharos look like?
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00:11:52,396 --> 00:11:57,098
And does it truly deserve
its title as a wonder
of the Ancient world?
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00:12:03,606 --> 00:12:07,108
NARRATOR: Archaeologist
Isabelle Hairy continues to
search for the truth about the
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00:12:07,177 --> 00:12:09,544
Pharos lighthouse.
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00:12:12,882 --> 00:12:15,784
Historical reports
are conflicting.
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00:12:15,885 --> 00:12:20,588
But most agree on
one thing, that the Pharos
has three distinct levels,
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each shaped differently.
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Isabelle heads to the
place where the lighthouse
is thought to have stood.
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00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,734
Now the site of another
grand building, Qaitbay Fort.
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00:12:35,304 --> 00:12:41,442
Built in 1477, just 42 years
after the ruins of the Pharos
are last reported visible.
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Inside, an intriguing clue.
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00:12:48,452 --> 00:12:53,188
Isabelle believes that its
mosque is a small-scale
replica of the Pharos.
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00:12:56,259 --> 00:12:59,761
ISABELLE: You really get
the impression of being in the
ancient lighthouse even though
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00:12:59,763 --> 00:13:04,098
the scale isn't the same,
but there's this sense
of space, still present,
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00:13:04,100 --> 00:13:07,568
which we can feel
all around us.
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00:13:08,204 --> 00:13:10,438
NARRATOR: The main
tower is square.
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00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:14,175
Above, it's topped by
an octagonal and then
a circular section.
165
00:13:15,278 --> 00:13:19,780
Isabelle's theory is that the
Mosque's architects intended
this to be a tribute to
166
00:13:19,882 --> 00:13:23,317
Alexandria's most
famous building.
167
00:13:23,353 --> 00:13:27,188
So is the Pharos
shaped like this?
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00:13:28,491 --> 00:13:33,194
To solve this mystery,
Isabelle needs to compare
her 3D data with historical
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00:13:33,296 --> 00:13:37,298
reports and discover the
true scale of the Pharos.
170
00:13:39,536 --> 00:13:42,470
Some dimensions were recorded
by Medieval travelers.
171
00:13:44,674 --> 00:13:50,745
In 1166, Al-Balawi from Spain
penned a precise description
of the lighthouse,
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00:13:50,747 --> 00:13:53,715
reporting it to be
300 cubits high.
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00:13:55,619 --> 00:13:59,687
Over a century later, Moroccan
scholar Ibn Battuta recorded
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00:13:59,822 --> 00:14:03,524
the thickness of the
Pharos walls as 10 spans.
175
00:14:06,096 --> 00:14:09,464
The problem is these
units are lost to history.
176
00:14:12,502 --> 00:14:14,836
Until now.
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00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:19,908
The breakthrough
comes from the Pharos'
reconstructed door frame.
178
00:14:21,177 --> 00:14:25,813
Its outside edge reveals
the exact thickness of the
lighthouse's exterior wall.
179
00:14:28,385 --> 00:14:32,120
The dimension also
recorded by Ibn Battuta,
centuries earlier.
180
00:14:34,791 --> 00:14:38,793
His 10 'spans' is equal
to six feet ten inches.
181
00:14:41,464 --> 00:14:43,998
-It's a discovery that's
incredibly rewarding.
182
00:14:44,100 --> 00:14:48,536
We are now able to decipher
the texts of Ibn Battuta,
and the texts of Al-Balawi.
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00:14:52,242 --> 00:14:55,209
NARRATOR: It's a
huge leap forward.
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00:14:56,079 --> 00:14:59,213
Converting medieval units into
accurate modern measurement
185
00:14:59,215 --> 00:15:03,351
unlocks the true scale of the
Pharos for the first time.
186
00:15:06,122 --> 00:15:09,891
Combining all the
underwater evidence with
Al-Balawi's descriptions
187
00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,227
solves a centuries old puzzle.
188
00:15:13,463 --> 00:15:16,497
Revealing three
towers that match the
design of the mosque,
189
00:15:16,566 --> 00:15:22,737
making it possible to
reconstruct a lost ancient
wonder in exact detail.
190
00:15:25,975 --> 00:15:30,044
Statues from Alexandria's
museums return
to their original homes.
191
00:15:31,982 --> 00:15:37,719
Believed to be clad in
limestone, the Pharos reaches
almost 330 feet into the sky.
192
00:15:39,155 --> 00:15:42,123
The size of a 32 story
building, it's one of
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00:15:42,125 --> 00:15:45,460
the tallest structures
in the Ancient World.
194
00:15:48,598 --> 00:15:53,000
And all of it is thought
to be crowned by a wonder
of ancient technology,
195
00:15:53,069 --> 00:15:57,337
fires and iron mirrors
reflecting the light and
196
00:15:57,340 --> 00:16:01,075
the glory of Egypt
to the world beyond.
197
00:16:02,278 --> 00:16:04,545
-It could have looked like
the first skyscrapers built
198
00:16:04,681 --> 00:16:07,281
in Chicago at the end
of the 19th century.
199
00:16:08,084 --> 00:16:10,685
It's really a
fabulous structure.
200
00:16:15,225 --> 00:16:20,495
STEVEN: The ancients determined
the seven wonders because they
met certain criterias, and so
201
00:16:20,596 --> 00:16:25,700
the Pharos satisfies all
of those ancient criteria
of innovative design,
202
00:16:25,769 --> 00:16:29,537
that was actually built,
that was actually towering.
203
00:16:37,146 --> 00:16:39,980
NARRATOR: Most importantly the
Pharos marks the gateway to
204
00:16:40,082 --> 00:16:43,918
Ancient Egypt and the
mighty river Nile.
205
00:16:47,056 --> 00:16:51,993
More than 4,000
miles long, the Nile is the
longest river in the world.
206
00:16:54,397 --> 00:16:57,198
JON: The Nile was absolutely
central to Ancient Egypt.
207
00:17:00,804 --> 00:17:05,172
It was the seasonal flood
that brought this rich, black
mineral mud and deposited it
208
00:17:05,208 --> 00:17:07,941
on the fields and
made it fertile.
209
00:17:07,944 --> 00:17:10,945
It was actually that
that drove Ancient
Egyptian civilization.
210
00:17:11,046 --> 00:17:13,948
Without the Nile it
wouldn't have happened.
211
00:17:14,084 --> 00:17:17,818
NARRATOR: Six and a half
thousand years ago farmers
make these riverbanks their
212
00:17:17,821 --> 00:17:22,156
home, and a
civilization is born.
213
00:17:24,928 --> 00:17:29,831
Six miles west of the Nile,
draining, not water, but sand,
214
00:17:30,633 --> 00:17:35,369
reveals an ancient mystery
known as the Abydos boats.
215
00:17:36,406 --> 00:17:41,709
-It was completely unexpected
to find a phantom flotilla
in the middle of nowhere.
216
00:17:44,246 --> 00:17:48,382
NARRATOR: Why is there
a fleet of boats beneath the
sands of the Egyptian desert?
217
00:17:52,088 --> 00:17:58,126
Egyptologist Matthew Adams
has excavated Abydos'
mysterious boats for 30 years.
218
00:18:00,696 --> 00:18:06,734
MATTHEW: One would never know
by looking at this flat patch
of desert that underneath the
219
00:18:06,836 --> 00:18:12,807
sand is one of the most
remarkable discoveries ever
made in Egyptian archaeology.
220
00:18:14,610 --> 00:18:18,212
NARRATOR: The boats he
excavated have been reburied
in the sand to help
221
00:18:18,281 --> 00:18:20,481
preserve them for the future.
222
00:18:20,583 --> 00:18:24,886
Before then, they'd been lying
undisturbed for 5000 years.
223
00:18:27,657 --> 00:18:30,625
-Was this the result of some
great flood of the river that
224
00:18:30,627 --> 00:18:34,095
they sailed here and
were left stranded?
225
00:18:34,097 --> 00:18:38,766
It's a very strange
setting for a group
of boats like this.
226
00:18:39,001 --> 00:18:41,168
-You would think perhaps it
was a dried up quay or it was
227
00:18:41,270 --> 00:18:44,105
perhaps an area where
the Nile once ran.
228
00:18:46,075 --> 00:18:49,210
NARRATOR: Throughout
its history the Nile
has shifted course.
229
00:18:49,311 --> 00:18:51,579
But it never ran here.
230
00:18:52,748 --> 00:18:56,184
Abydos lies on
a desert plateau out
of the river's reach.
231
00:18:56,953 --> 00:19:00,655
So if the Nile didn't bring
these boats here, what did?
232
00:19:02,558 --> 00:19:05,793
To find out, Matthew's team
surveys the location of the
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00:19:05,928 --> 00:19:08,663
boats and the
surrounding terrain.
234
00:19:10,733 --> 00:19:14,535
Accurate satellite
mapping can reveal the
extraordinary world beneath.
235
00:19:17,006 --> 00:19:22,409
Combining this data with the
latest computer imaging allows
the Egyptian desert to be
236
00:19:22,512 --> 00:19:26,080
drained of sand,
grain by grain
237
00:19:27,584 --> 00:19:29,917
to solve an
ancient mystery.
238
00:19:34,590 --> 00:19:37,892
The desert begins to
reveal its secrets.
239
00:19:39,362 --> 00:19:44,599
Not one boat, Not two, but 14.
240
00:19:46,669 --> 00:19:51,105
The surviving fragments
of timber reveal
they are 60 feet long.
241
00:19:53,376 --> 00:19:56,444
All carefully lined
up in parallel.
242
00:20:00,650 --> 00:20:04,118
It's the oldest buried
fleet ever discovered.
243
00:20:07,490 --> 00:20:10,491
But who does it belong to?
244
00:20:11,260 --> 00:20:14,728
Reconstructing the boats
immediately reveals a clue.
245
00:20:16,132 --> 00:20:20,301
These are not simple
dugout canoes nor are they
boats made from reeds.
246
00:20:22,238 --> 00:20:26,407
They're substantial
rowing vessels, with space
for up to 30 oarsmen.
247
00:20:28,745 --> 00:20:33,480
More revealing still is
the way they're made from
carefully crafted wooden
248
00:20:33,483 --> 00:20:37,051
planks all stitched
together with rope.
249
00:20:38,387 --> 00:20:41,355
-These are they earliest
plank boats that
we have in this area,
250
00:20:41,457 --> 00:20:44,425
as status symbols
they're important.
251
00:20:45,094 --> 00:20:49,096
NARRATOR: 5,000 years
ago, this is cutting
edge nautical technology.
252
00:20:50,299 --> 00:20:54,969
-It's almost like taking a
sports car today and burying
it in the desert somewhere.
253
00:20:57,140 --> 00:21:02,509
NARRATOR: And in Ancient Egypt
only one person can afford
such an immense investment.
254
00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:10,051
-Only the king could expend
resources at this level
and was in a position to
255
00:21:10,386 --> 00:21:15,690
dispose of a fleet a
royal fleet in this way.
256
00:21:17,927 --> 00:21:20,995
NARRATOR: The 14 boats
belong to a Pharaoh.
257
00:21:21,864 --> 00:21:25,266
But what are they doing
abandoned in the desert?
258
00:21:31,007 --> 00:21:33,407
♪ ♪
259
00:21:33,409 --> 00:21:37,812
NARRATOR: To unravel the
mystery of the Abydos Boats
Egyptologist Matthew Adams
260
00:21:37,814 --> 00:21:40,848
hunts for clues
above the sand.
261
00:21:43,486 --> 00:21:47,488
Next to the buried fleet
stands a huge mud brick ruin.
262
00:21:49,591 --> 00:21:53,494
Here Matthew finds evidence of
an ancient belief system that
263
00:21:53,496 --> 00:21:56,630
could help explain
this desert secret.
264
00:21:59,334 --> 00:22:04,739
MATTHEW: These massive
walls created a kind
of religious space,
265
00:22:06,275 --> 00:22:11,578
where one of Egypt's
first kings was worshipped.
266
00:22:12,214 --> 00:22:17,118
NARRATOR: Excavations here
uncover ancient pots that
once contained food and beer.
267
00:22:18,254 --> 00:22:23,123
-Ceremonies took place in
here, focused on this king
as a kind of divine figure.
268
00:22:23,726 --> 00:22:29,730
Somehow these boats are part
of this religious expression
269
00:22:29,832 --> 00:22:33,100
and they're connected to the
activities of these early kings.
270
00:22:35,637 --> 00:22:39,273
NARRATOR: This enclosure
is built for the Ancient
Egyptians to worship their
271
00:22:39,342 --> 00:22:44,145
pharaoh as a god, as
long ago as 2700 BC,
272
00:22:46,315 --> 00:22:49,950
200 years before
the great pyramids.
273
00:22:50,719 --> 00:22:54,388
And more than a thousand
before Tutankhamun.
274
00:23:00,463 --> 00:23:03,164
But what is the connection
between this early worship
275
00:23:03,166 --> 00:23:05,866
of a Pharaoh and
the mystery fleet?
276
00:23:09,138 --> 00:23:13,007
A closer examination
of the drained boats
reveals the answer.
277
00:23:14,810 --> 00:23:18,712
Surrounding each one is a
curious mud-brick casing.
278
00:23:20,683 --> 00:23:23,984
The brick walls follow
the curve of the boats,
279
00:23:23,986 --> 00:23:27,688
completely covering
them from stern to bow.
280
00:23:28,891 --> 00:23:33,160
Returning them to their
original state reveals more.
281
00:23:34,563 --> 00:23:40,601
Built on the desert surface
each brick 'case' completely
encloses a single boat.
282
00:23:42,772 --> 00:23:46,407
And all are covered in a
layer of white plaster.
283
00:23:47,209 --> 00:23:50,611
Creating 14 boat graves.
284
00:23:54,983 --> 00:23:59,219
-When the boats were newly put
in place, you wouldn't have
seen the boats themselves,
285
00:23:59,321 --> 00:24:03,290
the wooden boat hulls,
you would've seen these
brick grave structures.
286
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:07,761
NARRATOR: The boat tombs are
designed to be highly visible.
287
00:24:08,130 --> 00:24:10,865
JON: This plaster would have
caught the light of the sun
when they were first built.
288
00:24:14,069 --> 00:24:18,472
-Seen from a distance
they would have been
glowing in the desert.
289
00:24:19,808 --> 00:24:23,043
NARRATOR: And all
to honor a Pharaoh.
290
00:24:23,579 --> 00:24:28,048
-Like the offerings
that were delivered for his
benefit inside the monument,
291
00:24:29,017 --> 00:24:35,222
bread and beer and wine,
the boats must represent
a kind of offering to him.
292
00:24:40,663 --> 00:24:43,998
NARRATOR: What beliefs
inspire the Ancient Egyptians
to create all of this,
293
00:24:45,134 --> 00:24:49,270
and to place it so
far away from the Nile,
where they actually live?
294
00:24:52,208 --> 00:24:55,208
Just a mile away,
there's another clue.
295
00:24:56,545 --> 00:25:01,548
This strange subterranean
architecture is built around
the same time the boats are
296
00:25:01,617 --> 00:25:04,451
left in the desert.
297
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:09,056
It's the last resting
place of one of Egypt's
earliest Pharaohs.
298
00:25:14,197 --> 00:25:19,633
-This is the spot where the
king ended his life in this
world and made the transition
299
00:25:19,768 --> 00:25:23,837
from here to the other
world, where he would
have his eternal life.
300
00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,708
NARRATOR: The tomb is
designed to ensure the dead
Pharaoh passes into another
301
00:25:28,711 --> 00:25:33,981
realm known as the
afterlife provided with all
the essential possessions he
302
00:25:34,050 --> 00:25:38,118
needs: food, drink,
even his servants,
303
00:25:38,220 --> 00:25:42,455
ritually killed to serve their
master beyond the grave.
304
00:25:43,558 --> 00:25:48,262
-These are the chambers
in which the courtiers and
retainers who were sacrificed
305
00:25:48,264 --> 00:25:51,665
to accompany the king into
the next world were buried.
306
00:25:52,100 --> 00:25:58,204
And the, whole assemblage, the
king in his burial chamber,
his funerary enclosure and the
307
00:25:58,207 --> 00:26:03,677
boats that were buried next
to it, the whole assemblage
is being translated from this
308
00:26:03,779 --> 00:26:07,014
world to the next to be
available to him there.
309
00:26:09,018 --> 00:26:11,685
NARRATOR: Just like the dead
courtiers, the Royal fleet is
310
00:26:11,687 --> 00:26:14,754
there to serve the
Pharaoh in the afterlife.
311
00:26:15,791 --> 00:26:20,127
So he can navigate
the celestial Nile
for all eternity.
312
00:26:23,332 --> 00:26:27,367
The Abydos boats mark the
beginning of a belief in the
afterlife that eventually
313
00:26:27,403 --> 00:26:30,704
creates the pyramids and
the Valley of the Kings.
314
00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:35,542
And more signs of that
connection still lie
hidden beneath the sand.
315
00:26:37,046 --> 00:26:40,714
So Matthew's team
carries out what's called
a 'magnetometry' survey.
316
00:26:41,684 --> 00:26:46,253
It detects variations in
the soil's magnetic field to
reveal structures underground,
317
00:26:46,255 --> 00:26:49,656
not seen for
thousands of years.
318
00:26:50,826 --> 00:26:53,660
ALEX: We walk over
it every day, but what we
don't see is all of this.
319
00:26:54,664 --> 00:26:58,799
NARRATOR: The data reveal
the origin of Egypt's
obsession with the afterlife.
320
00:27:00,603 --> 00:27:05,139
-All of these darks lines
that we can see here,
321
00:27:05,141 --> 00:27:08,475
these are all walls
from buried structures.
322
00:27:08,911 --> 00:27:10,978
Big ones, small ones.
323
00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:15,115
We can identify these
as tombs, which makes this
324
00:27:15,151 --> 00:27:18,686
a gigantic vast desert cemetery.
325
00:27:20,489 --> 00:27:22,690
NARRATOR: It's an
astonishing discovery.
326
00:27:24,894 --> 00:27:27,761
Draining the sand from the
rest of the plateau exposes
327
00:27:27,763 --> 00:27:31,532
Ancient Egypt's oldest
Royal burial ground.
328
00:27:32,534 --> 00:27:36,737
A landscape designed for
one purpose: Resurrection.
329
00:27:39,975 --> 00:27:44,378
Combining data from the
surveys and excavations with
computer generated imagery
330
00:27:44,447 --> 00:27:47,648
reveals the Pharaoh's
tomb from below.
331
00:27:50,018 --> 00:27:55,422
But now, drained
of sand, another nine huge
underground complexes appear.
332
00:27:56,925 --> 00:28:01,061
At least ten royal tombs
fill the valley floor.
333
00:28:03,899 --> 00:28:07,734
Built more than
a thousand years before
the Valley of the Kings,
334
00:28:07,737 --> 00:28:11,839
this is Ancient Egypt's
original city of the dead.
335
00:28:13,876 --> 00:28:17,344
And nearby, more
ritual enclosures where
Pharaohs are worshipped
336
00:28:17,413 --> 00:28:21,148
and the tombs of
the royal boats.
337
00:28:24,687 --> 00:28:29,289
It's the landscape at Abydos
that reveals the ultimate
reason why all these
338
00:28:29,391 --> 00:28:32,693
structures are built
so far from the Nile.
339
00:28:33,061 --> 00:28:36,964
It all sits at the
entrance of a narrow gorge.
340
00:28:37,933 --> 00:28:41,568
The gateway to the afterlife.
341
00:28:42,671 --> 00:28:47,841
-I think it's very likely that
the Ancient Egyptians viewed
this canyon as the road that
342
00:28:47,843 --> 00:28:50,777
led to the land of the dead.
343
00:28:50,780 --> 00:28:55,181
The sun set in the west, the
west was where the dead were,
that was the other world and
344
00:28:55,184 --> 00:28:59,420
this canyon leads directly
in that direction.
345
00:29:01,490 --> 00:29:05,725
NARRATOR: The people who
build this sacred site believe
that everything placed here is
346
00:29:05,728 --> 00:29:09,262
destined to join the
Pharaoh in the afterlife.
347
00:29:10,165 --> 00:29:15,669
-Abydos is vital because it's
the first area where we see
Pharaohs being deposited into
348
00:29:15,770 --> 00:29:21,008
graves and treated in
this specialized way with
gifts for the afterlife
349
00:29:21,010 --> 00:29:24,278
and that carries
on for millennia.
350
00:29:26,348 --> 00:29:30,818
NARRATOR: The tradition that
began with the Abydos boats
can be seen 200 years later at
351
00:29:30,953 --> 00:29:34,888
the pyramid tomb
of King Khufu.
352
00:29:35,891 --> 00:29:39,393
His mummified body accompanied
by a ceremonial boat.
353
00:29:42,498 --> 00:29:48,669
Around 1,200 years later
the boy King, Tutankhamun is
entombed with 35 model boats.
354
00:29:51,106 --> 00:29:56,877
Ensuring that in the afterlife
each Pharaoh can navigate the
all-important Nile.
355
00:30:04,119 --> 00:30:07,454
The Ancient Egyptians
are master builders.
356
00:30:07,723 --> 00:30:13,193
Their spectacular tombs and
temples populate more than
900 miles of the Nile Valley.
357
00:30:14,263 --> 00:30:19,466
But draining the waters
behind the Aswan dam reveals
something very different.
358
00:30:20,069 --> 00:30:24,337
One of the largest
state building projects
after the pyramids,
359
00:30:24,373 --> 00:30:28,408
a series of 15 massive forts.
360
00:30:29,077 --> 00:30:31,411
LAUREL: When we think about
ancient Egypt we think of
a peaceful society we think
361
00:30:31,513 --> 00:30:34,882
about temples and tombs
and we don't think
about the military.
362
00:30:35,850 --> 00:30:39,353
NARRATOR: And the forts
that the Egyptian military
build here are immense,
363
00:30:39,355 --> 00:30:43,690
as technologically advanced as
the castles of Medieval Europe
364
00:30:43,825 --> 00:30:47,160
that weren't built for
another 3000 years.
365
00:30:47,529 --> 00:30:51,765
And yet there is little
evidence that any
of them saw a battle.
366
00:30:52,501 --> 00:30:57,905
Can draining the Nile
reveal the true purpose
of the mystery forts?
367
00:31:02,878 --> 00:31:05,712
NARRATOR: For more than
50 years Ancient Egypt's forts
368
00:31:05,814 --> 00:31:08,916
are lost beneath the
waters of Lake Nasser...
369
00:31:09,618 --> 00:31:13,453
their exact purpose, a
mystery to archaeologists.
370
00:31:14,556 --> 00:31:17,290
Viewing them on the
lakebed is impossible.
371
00:31:18,227 --> 00:31:21,728
Sediment makes the waters
impenetrable to cameras.
372
00:31:22,331 --> 00:31:25,032
And diving here can be fatal.
373
00:31:26,402 --> 00:31:29,202
But there is one clue.
374
00:31:35,411 --> 00:31:40,714
Archaeologist Laurel Bestock
is travelling to its remote
location, deep in Sudan,
375
00:31:41,183 --> 00:31:44,417
near the Southern
end of Lake Nasser.
376
00:31:44,954 --> 00:31:49,022
Fort Uronarti, one of the
last surviving strongpoints
377
00:31:49,024 --> 00:31:52,692
from Ancient Egypt's
southern frontier.
378
00:31:53,829 --> 00:31:57,230
Laurel is fascinated by these
forgotten forts and has been
379
00:31:57,266 --> 00:32:00,700
excavating Uronarti
for six years.
380
00:32:01,035 --> 00:32:04,570
-I had thought that I
would never be able to see,
let alone study personally,
381
00:32:04,607 --> 00:32:06,406
such a place.
382
00:32:06,408 --> 00:32:11,244
That I could potentially
come here was a really a
personally profound and
383
00:32:11,346 --> 00:32:14,414
a career changing discovery.
384
00:32:16,118 --> 00:32:19,453
NARRATOR: Laurel is searching
for evidence to help her
reveal the secrets of the
385
00:32:19,455 --> 00:32:22,823
forts that lie beneath
the waters of Lake Nasser.
386
00:32:26,462 --> 00:32:32,799
Fort Uronarti itself is built
around 1850BC, during an era
known as the Middle Kingdom.
387
00:32:34,470 --> 00:32:40,640
It stands 200 miles south of
Ancient Egyptian territory in
what was once no man's land.
388
00:32:45,580 --> 00:32:49,049
-This represents
the edge of the known
world to the Egyptians.
389
00:32:49,051 --> 00:32:52,085
Egypt is behind me
up the Nile, that's
the familiar world,
390
00:32:52,087 --> 00:32:55,889
the world where the Egyptians
felt at home, they knew
how to behave in this place.
391
00:32:56,091 --> 00:32:58,692
It's a culture and a
landscape together.
392
00:32:58,694 --> 00:33:03,296
Out there is the rest
of ancient Africa, and
that's very much a,
393
00:33:03,298 --> 00:33:07,367
a place that the Egyptians
conceive of as terrifying,
it's where they view the
394
00:33:07,469 --> 00:33:11,471
people and even the
landscape itself as a
threat to their order.
395
00:33:15,611 --> 00:33:19,046
NARRATOR: Beyond Egypt
lies the land of Nubia...
396
00:33:19,481 --> 00:33:22,516
and the kingdom
of the Kushites.
397
00:33:23,852 --> 00:33:27,187
Their fearsome warriors
raid Egypt from the south.
398
00:33:27,856 --> 00:33:31,057
So the Pharaohs need to
secure their territory.
399
00:33:31,860 --> 00:33:36,129
Clues to how they do it
can be found at Uronarti.
400
00:33:36,165 --> 00:33:38,398
-Uronarti is really
built for defense.
401
00:33:38,466 --> 00:33:41,534
It's hard to imagine a space
that would be more difficult
to attack and you come up this
402
00:33:41,636 --> 00:33:45,004
steep hill and you're
met with this massive
fortified gateway.
403
00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,941
We're standing in
between the remains of
what was two towers,
404
00:33:48,944 --> 00:33:52,078
even thicker than the
walls of Uronarti itself.
405
00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,614
You can see how massive
the brickwork is here.
406
00:33:54,616 --> 00:33:58,318
It's even reinforced you can
see there are, are the remains
of beams coming through the
407
00:33:58,419 --> 00:34:02,122
walls that would
have acted like rebar in
reinforced concrete here.
408
00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,995
NARRATOR: Fort Uronarti
is a powerful deterrent
to the hostile Kushites.
409
00:34:10,198 --> 00:34:12,565
But it's barely a fraction
of the military might
410
00:34:12,568 --> 00:34:16,103
Ancient Egypt is about
to unleash on its enemy.
411
00:34:18,140 --> 00:34:21,641
Most of that military machine
now lies beneath Lake Nasser,
412
00:34:21,643 --> 00:34:24,978
one of the largest
reservoirs in the world.
413
00:34:27,382 --> 00:34:32,385
The forts are lost forever
when Egypt builds the Aswan
High Dam in the 1960s,
414
00:34:32,954 --> 00:34:36,590
to produce hydroelectric
power and control irrigation.
415
00:34:38,594 --> 00:34:42,128
The rising waters
threaten some of Egypt's
greatest monuments.
416
00:34:43,465 --> 00:34:47,801
So one of the world's
largest archaeological
salvage operations begins,
417
00:34:48,470 --> 00:34:52,706
involving 15 countries
and more than $72 million.
418
00:34:54,476 --> 00:34:57,611
Monuments that can't be moved
are excavated and recorded
419
00:34:59,948 --> 00:35:03,717
including Ancient Egypt's
lost fortresses.
420
00:35:07,055 --> 00:35:09,956
Today, one of
the most complete sets of
archaeological reports from
421
00:35:09,992 --> 00:35:13,927
that time is kept at the
Egypt Exploration Society.
422
00:35:15,731 --> 00:35:18,765
CEDRIC: First of all you see
how huge these forts were.
423
00:35:19,101 --> 00:35:22,102
NARRATOR: And reveals
some tantalizing clues.
424
00:35:22,637 --> 00:35:25,772
CHRIS: And yet, since this
was taken all of this is gone?
425
00:35:25,774 --> 00:35:27,641
-Completely flooded,
yes unfortunately.
426
00:35:27,742 --> 00:35:29,175
-Incredible
427
00:35:29,277 --> 00:35:31,444
-So this is why we're all so
thankful to the mission that
428
00:35:31,446 --> 00:35:34,915
has excavated and
recorded all these forts.
429
00:35:36,785 --> 00:35:39,986
NARRATOR: Today investigators
are analyzing the evidence to
430
00:35:39,988 --> 00:35:43,957
discover why the Egyptians
need as many as 15 forts.
431
00:35:48,330 --> 00:35:51,865
Using this data and the latest
computer graphic technology
432
00:35:51,934 --> 00:35:55,435
it's possible to drain the
waters from Lake Nasser.
433
00:35:58,941 --> 00:36:03,210
44 trillion gallons of water
are unleashed into the Nile
434
00:36:06,415 --> 00:36:10,717
slowly revealing a world
that's 4000 years old.
435
00:36:13,021 --> 00:36:17,057
Travelling south
beyond Ancient Egypt,
Fort Iken appears.
436
00:36:21,830 --> 00:36:24,830
Then Fort Askut.
437
00:36:24,867 --> 00:36:29,102
Furthest south two more,
Fort Kumma and Semna.
438
00:36:30,639 --> 00:36:34,407
Altogether a
total of 15 forts.
439
00:36:36,244 --> 00:36:41,047
Spanning 200 miles, it's
the longest fortified
frontier in the world,
440
00:36:41,416 --> 00:36:44,750
along this strategically
important stretch of the Nile.
441
00:36:44,986 --> 00:36:48,321
STEVEN: Because the Nile
river was the principal
thoroughfare up,
442
00:36:48,390 --> 00:36:50,857
the forts were
arranged north to south,
443
00:36:50,959 --> 00:36:54,361
stopping any invasion from
the south into the north.
444
00:36:55,296 --> 00:36:57,864
NARRATOR: The wall of forts
transforms the Nile into a
445
00:36:57,866 --> 00:37:01,134
formidable barrier
against the Kushites.
446
00:37:06,875 --> 00:37:08,541
But why do the
Ancient Egyptians
447
00:37:08,643 --> 00:37:12,345
need to dominate territory so
far beyond their heartlands?
448
00:37:14,382 --> 00:37:17,150
A clue comes from
a fort inscription.
449
00:37:17,219 --> 00:37:19,953
It reveals that much of
the frontier is created to
450
00:37:20,055 --> 00:37:23,756
satisfy one Pharaoh's
military ambition.
451
00:37:24,792 --> 00:37:28,428
PHARAOH: I have made
my boundary further
south than my fathers.
452
00:37:29,931 --> 00:37:33,433
NARRATOR: And how he
boasts about crushing
the Kushite enemy.
453
00:37:33,969 --> 00:37:36,703
PHARAOH: They are not
people one respects.
454
00:37:36,804 --> 00:37:38,905
They are wretches.
455
00:37:38,907 --> 00:37:43,476
I have captured
their women, gone to their
wells, killed their cattle,
456
00:37:43,879 --> 00:37:48,481
cut down their grain,
set fire to it.
457
00:37:51,620 --> 00:37:53,920
-They definitely claimed this
territory for their own by
458
00:37:53,922 --> 00:37:56,589
building these fortresses and
said 'this is Egypt's now'.
459
00:37:57,059 --> 00:37:58,925
JON: These forts are
representing a sort of
460
00:37:59,027 --> 00:38:01,761
consolidation of
power of the Pharaoh.
461
00:38:02,764 --> 00:38:04,864
NARRATOR: But why does
Ancient Egypt need so many
462
00:38:04,866 --> 00:38:08,234
forts constructed on
such a massive scale?
463
00:38:11,740 --> 00:38:15,074
Could they have been built to
protect something even more
464
00:38:15,077 --> 00:38:18,611
valuable than a
Pharaoh's power?
465
00:38:23,318 --> 00:38:28,054
NARRATOR: When Egypt's Aswan
Dam is built in the 1960s
the largest fort to disappear
466
00:38:28,056 --> 00:38:31,091
beneath Lake Nasser
is Fort Buhen.
467
00:38:32,627 --> 00:38:36,763
Hidden inside it is evidence
of Ancient Egypt's military
secrets.
468
00:38:38,433 --> 00:38:42,268
Draining the water from
Lake Nasser, reveals
traces of Fort Buhen,
469
00:38:42,370 --> 00:38:45,605
not seen for more
than 50 years.
470
00:38:47,542 --> 00:38:51,610
By combining the
archaeological data with
3D computer graphics
471
00:38:51,613 --> 00:38:55,081
Fort Buhen
is reconstructed.
472
00:38:55,350 --> 00:38:59,953
Revealing the nerve center
of Ancient Egypt's frontier
for the first time.
473
00:39:03,158 --> 00:39:06,226
And it's colossal!
474
00:39:07,195 --> 00:39:11,631
Buhen's vast footprint
covers an area 20 times
larger than Fort Uronarti.
475
00:39:14,703 --> 00:39:18,204
Its perimeter wall,
almost a mile circuit.
476
00:39:19,775 --> 00:39:23,410
The 36 foot high walls
dominate the riverfront.
477
00:39:26,481 --> 00:39:30,316
This is Fort Buhen in
all its original glory.
478
00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:36,056
And everything about it
is designed to intimidate.
479
00:39:39,628 --> 00:39:41,994
LAUREL: It really
shows the state power.
480
00:39:41,997 --> 00:39:44,396
It puts it outside so
it's not just a symbol
to the Egyptians,
481
00:39:44,433 --> 00:39:46,465
it's a symbol to other people.
482
00:39:46,468 --> 00:39:48,935
JON: These forts were
clearly about military power.
483
00:39:48,937 --> 00:39:50,470
They were about domination.
484
00:39:50,472 --> 00:39:53,272
-One of the purposes of this
monument is to be imposing.
485
00:39:54,476 --> 00:39:59,345
NARRATOR: The monumental
scale of Buhen is designed to
terrify the Kushite enemy and
486
00:39:59,447 --> 00:40:03,282
proudly display military
architecture so advanced,
487
00:40:03,318 --> 00:40:06,485
that it makes any
raid on it, futile.
488
00:40:07,189 --> 00:40:13,092
STEVEN: What's unbelievable
is if I told you, that all of
the features that you find in
489
00:40:13,194 --> 00:40:17,897
mediaeval European forts
were already in place
490
00:40:17,966 --> 00:40:22,969
in these mud brick forts
2000 to 1800 BC in Egypt,
491
00:40:22,971 --> 00:40:25,171
you would say
no, you're wrong.
492
00:40:26,775 --> 00:40:30,310
NARRATOR: 3,000 years
before the famous castles
of Europe are built,
493
00:40:30,445 --> 00:40:35,348
Fort Buhen has a dry moat,
a fortified gateway,
494
00:40:37,818 --> 00:40:41,454
defensive battlements and
sophisticated arrow loops
495
00:40:41,556 --> 00:40:45,058
with a firing
arc of 180 degrees.
496
00:40:46,594 --> 00:40:51,664
-Basically, everything
that you come to love about
a mediaeval fort is already
497
00:40:51,700 --> 00:40:55,502
there in the Middle
Kingdom forts in Egypt.
498
00:40:59,474 --> 00:41:04,677
NARRATOR: It seems the
intimidating power of the
forts achieves its aim.
499
00:41:06,081 --> 00:41:10,950
Archaeological investigations
here uncover almost
no evidence of fighting.
500
00:41:12,587 --> 00:41:16,622
Is this lack of violence,
a clue that the Nile
frontier has another,
501
00:41:16,724 --> 00:41:19,725
entirely different purpose?
502
00:41:20,629 --> 00:41:23,763
Evidence lies deep
inside Fort Buhen.
503
00:41:24,766 --> 00:41:29,769
Archaeologists believe that
within the citadel lies a
complex of enormous silos for
504
00:41:29,904 --> 00:41:32,805
storing precious grain.
505
00:41:35,243 --> 00:41:38,978
-The size of those granaries
means that they could hold way
more food than is necessary
506
00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:42,982
for the number of people who
would have lived at Buhen and
that's an important clue for
507
00:41:43,084 --> 00:41:46,652
us in terms of the economic
activity that's going on.
508
00:41:47,589 --> 00:41:50,757
NARRATOR: Egypt is
trading grain for gold.
509
00:41:52,193 --> 00:41:55,194
The forts not only
dominate Ancient Egypt's
southern neighbors,
510
00:41:55,296 --> 00:41:59,232
they also guard the
trade routes from the
gold mines of Nubia.
511
00:42:01,603 --> 00:42:04,404
To the Egyptians,
gold is all important.
512
00:42:04,806 --> 00:42:07,874
And Nubia is the main source.
513
00:42:08,076 --> 00:42:12,845
The Pharaohs and their
wealthiest subjects wear gold
and cover their coffins with it
514
00:42:12,847 --> 00:42:15,882
as the ultimate
symbol of power.
515
00:42:17,152 --> 00:42:20,486
-The building of the
fortresses was an attempt to
impose a trading monopoly on
516
00:42:20,488 --> 00:42:23,022
gold coming up from the south
and to make sure that this is
517
00:42:23,124 --> 00:42:25,992
all happening through
the Egyptian state.
518
00:42:26,494 --> 00:42:31,097
NARRATOR: No one can pass
through this 200-mile stretch
of territory undetected.
519
00:42:32,133 --> 00:42:35,969
Filled with soldiers,
the forts form an effective
surveillance system designed
520
00:42:36,104 --> 00:42:39,639
to trap thieves,
smugglers and raiders.
521
00:42:40,775 --> 00:42:43,876
By ensuring all trade
happens inside the forts
522
00:42:43,945 --> 00:42:47,480
Egypt secures the best
of the deals for itself.
523
00:42:51,253 --> 00:42:54,987
These are the Fort Knoxes of
the Ancient Egyptian world,
524
00:42:54,989 --> 00:42:57,991
trading gold and
defending it from attack.
525
00:42:59,494 --> 00:43:04,831
Inside both Fort Uronarti and
Fort Buhen there are clues to
the scale of that operation.
526
00:43:08,436 --> 00:43:11,471
-This space was a barracks
house, and this is a pattern
527
00:43:11,572 --> 00:43:14,473
we see repeated
throughout the fortress.
528
00:43:14,609 --> 00:43:19,746
NARRATOR: Buhen reveals
many similar barracks, divided
into larger communal areas and
529
00:43:20,648 --> 00:43:25,518
smaller rooms that
archaeologists identify
as sleeping quarters.
530
00:43:28,289 --> 00:43:30,690
-We can calculate how many
people might have been able to
531
00:43:30,825 --> 00:43:32,958
sleep in the fortress
at any given time.
532
00:43:32,961 --> 00:43:36,896
From the space that's here
it's a fairly decent space but
if you think of soldiers lying
533
00:43:36,898 --> 00:43:40,633
close next to one another this
could pack ten people in this
room with no problem and if
534
00:43:40,669 --> 00:43:46,105
you think I'm relatively tall
for an ancient Egyptian but if
I lie here with my companions
535
00:43:46,341 --> 00:43:49,509
next to me you can
get 10 of us in this
room with no problem.
536
00:43:50,545 --> 00:43:55,315
NARRATOR: Scaling up, it's
estimated that Uronarti
could house 400 soldiers.
537
00:43:56,484 --> 00:44:00,086
And Buhen thousands more.
538
00:44:02,090 --> 00:44:05,858
-So you're looking
at a multi-functional,
multi-purpose facility that
539
00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:11,063
was vibrant and alive and
was like a little city
contained within itself.
540
00:44:12,133 --> 00:44:17,537
NARRATOR: At full capacity the
whole fortress system could be
packed with 10,000 soldiers,
541
00:44:17,605 --> 00:44:20,940
scribes and officials.
542
00:44:21,575 --> 00:44:26,212
Operating such an advanced
frontier in far-flung
lands is the pinnacle of
543
00:44:26,314 --> 00:44:29,549
Ancient Egypt's
military achievement.
544
00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:34,820
An organizational feat on
a scale that's similar to
545
00:44:34,856 --> 00:44:38,090
the building of
the great pyramids.
546
00:44:39,427 --> 00:44:42,828
-You can see how this
architecture enables this
activity and really this
547
00:44:42,897 --> 00:44:47,633
bustling city on the
edge of the Nile here at
the edge of the world.
548
00:44:53,607 --> 00:44:57,677
NARRATOR: Ancient Egypt's
forts protect its unique
civilization from invasion and
549
00:44:59,247 --> 00:45:02,582
enable it to control
the gold trade.
550
00:45:03,351 --> 00:45:06,886
Bringing glorification
to its Pharaohs for
the centuries to come.
551
00:45:15,830 --> 00:45:20,299
By the 1st Century BC the
Ancient Egyptians are no more.
552
00:45:22,537 --> 00:45:27,173
But the mysteries they leave
behind beneath the Nile Valley
are a permanent reminder of
553
00:45:27,275 --> 00:45:29,976
their extraordinary culture.
554
00:45:31,913 --> 00:45:34,914
The legacy of
Ancient Egypt lives on.
555
00:45:35,617 --> 00:45:40,219
Its architectural treasures,
remarkable beliefs,
556
00:45:41,622 --> 00:45:44,757
formidable state power,
557
00:45:44,759 --> 00:45:50,930
and its golden voyages
between the worlds of
the living and the dead.
558
00:45:56,304 --> 00:45:57,470
Captioned by Cotter
Captioning Services.
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