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NARRATOR:
Alexandria, Egypt.
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A sprawling metropolishome to five million people...
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and one archaeologiston the quest of a lifetime.
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Pepi Papakosta is huntingfor the lost tomb of Alexander the Great.
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PEPI: Finding the tomb of Alexander is
the dream of every archaeologist.
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It's the holy grail.
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NARRATOR: Alexander ledan army 12,000 miles,
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conquered the known world,and became a living god.
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Pepi is combining ancient manuscriptsand modern technology
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to identify the exact locationof his lost city.
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She's unearthing stunning clues:Greek treasures...
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PEPI: She's beautiful.
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NARRATOR:
Hidden tunnels...
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And even a magnificent marble statuethought to be of Alexander himself.
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Each find leads her closerto the ultimate prize in archaeology.
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FRED: Pepi might just be
the closest archaeologist yet
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to uncovering the lost tomb
of Alexander the Great.
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PEPI: If my theory is correct,
I think there is a big possibility
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to find the tomb of Alexander.
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♪ ♪
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FRED:
I'm heading to the city of Alexandria
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founded by Alexander himself
almost 2300 years ago.
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NARRATOR:
Over the last 20 years,
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National Geographic archaeologistFred Hiebert
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has been involved in archaeologicaldiscoveries across the world.
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FRED: Pepi Papakosta is doing
some very innovative excavations.
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She's finding lots of artifacts
from the time of Alexander the Great.
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It's pretty exciting.
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NARRATOR:
Pepi has already discovered a treasure
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that caught the world's attention.
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PEPI: It was the last dayof the excavation.
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(Pepi gasps)
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(speaking in foreign language)
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I was about to give up.
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They showed me a small white marblein the side wall of the trench.
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NARRATOR: Over 20 feet below the surface,her team finds
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gleaming Greek marble in the muddy soil.
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(applause)
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PEPI: There was a possibility to beonly a small part of a marble.
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But the knee appeared,
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the leg, the second leg,
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then the body.
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It was something unbelievable.
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And then I saw a facevery familiar to me.
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I saw the face of Alexander the Great.
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It was an amazing moment.
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Maybe the most important momentof my life.
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I brought him into light againafter 2300 years.
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NARRATOR: Pepi's discovery of the statuecreates a buzz around the world,
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drawing the President of Greeceto visit her dig site.
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PEPI: All Greeks areinterested about Alexander.
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All Greeks admire him.
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Even today, he's alivein the soul of the Greeks.
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Alexander was the reason
to become an archaeologist.
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Alexander is the reason I am here.
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It's something I cannot control.
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It comes out of my soul.
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NARRATOR:
Alexander the Great is considered
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one of the finest military leadersof all time.
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He became a king aged just 20,
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after his father, Phillip II of Macedon,was brutally murdered.
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In 12 years, he marched his army12,000 miles, creating a vast empire
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that spread from Egyptto modern day Pakistan.
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In 332 BC, Alexander invaded Egypt,becoming Pharaoh and a living god.
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But at the age of just 32, he diedunder mysterious circumstances in Babylon.
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FRED: After he died, he was mummified,buried in Memphis.
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Then when the capital moved
to the new capital of Alexandria,
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they dug Alexander up and they created
a new tomb for him
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right in the center of ancient Alexandria.
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Then around 350 AD, the history
of Alexandria starts to go silent.
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There's earthquakes, tsunamis,
riots in the street.
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There are no more descriptions
of this beautiful royal city.
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Alexander's tomb goes missing.
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NARRATOR: There have beenmore than 140 recognized searches
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for the tomb of Alexander.
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Archaeologist Howard Carter;
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Heinrich Schliemann, the manwho discovered the ancient city of Troy;
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and even Napoleon Bonapartehave all been seduced by its mystery.
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PEPI: There are ancient references
about more or less where he was buried.
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NARRATOR: Pepi is studying the Greekand Roman ancient sources for clues
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to the location of Alexander'sfinal burial place in Egypt,
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but all were writtena few hundred years after his death.
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PEPI:
We have to rely on these sources.
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This is the only thing we have.
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Strabo, the Greek geographer who visited
Alexandria the first century BC,
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mentions clearly that
the tomb of Alexander is
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here in the city he founded.
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And also he describes that
Alexander was buried
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in the enclosure of the royal quarter.
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NARRATOR: The ancient citywith a royal quarter that Strabo mentions
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has long since vanishedunder modern day Alexandria.
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To find Alexander's tomb,Pepi must first find his lost city.
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Alexandria is Egypt'spremier Mediterranean city
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at the edge of the Nile delta.
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Today it covers over 100 square miles,about five times the size of Manhattan.
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Concealed beneath its streets isthe ancient Greek city Alexander founded.
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PEPI: It was a great city
founded by a great personality.
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But Alexandria isa difficult place to excavate.
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NARRATOR:
Pepi is digging in a public park
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the size of 17 football fields,
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one of the few places not coveredby the dense, urban sprawl.
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PEPI:
Shallalat Gardens is a huge area.
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It's about one million square feet.
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No one before exploredShallalat properly.
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NARRATOR:
Since finding the statue,
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her team has removedaround 20,000 tons of earth,
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almost twice the weightof the Eiffel Tower.
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PEPI (off screen): Just be careful, eh?
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NARRATOR:
Each layer Pepi excavates
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holds a sealed recordof the city's history.
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She's digging down over 30 feet
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through modern...
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Byzantine...
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and Roman layers...
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in her hunt for the Greek levelfrom the time of Alexander.
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Pepi is looking for fragmentsof Greek influence,
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clues to help her locatethe original ancient city.
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PEPI: Be careful now.
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Nice. It's a pot shard.
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But you can see the design,
the color, the black glaze.
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Be careful.
Maybe we find the rest.
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Try this way, this side.
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Oh! Very good.
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Oh, amazing.
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It's a female figure.
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She has wings and gold in the wings.
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She must be a goddess.
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I believe it's not from Alexandria.
Maybe it is imported from Greece,
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because it is a high level
and very early.
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She's beautiful,
even 2300 years older.
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But she's beautiful.
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NARRATOR: To help Pepiin her search for the ancient city,
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Archaeologist Fred Hiebertarrives on site.
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PEPI: How nice to see you.
Thank you for coming.
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FRED: It's great to be here.
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NARRATOR: He brings yearsof international dig experience.
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FRED: It's just amazing.
It's a massive, massive excavation.
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PEPI: Yes. It's very difficult,just to be honest,
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because of the huge quantity of debris
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and also the problem
of water we have here.
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We have to pump continuouslyin order to be able to excavate.
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Let's go to have a look.
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WORKER: Papakosta!
We have stuff!
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PEPI: Oh good, Mabruk.
I'm coming.
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You see it's a handle,
an amphora handle.
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Can you clean it? Yes?
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NARRATOR: Amphoras were large clay vesselswith handles containing wine.
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PEPI: These amphoras,
they used to come imported
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from Rhodes and Greek Islands
bringing wine to Alexandria.
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FRED: It would have been
at least a meter tall right?
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-PEPI: Yes.
-FRED: That's a lot of wine.
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-PEPI: Good quality of wine.
-FRED: Good quality of wine.
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PEPI: For sure Alexandrians were
very cheerful, very happy people.
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They used to drink a lot of wine.
(chuckling)
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NARRATOR:
Each amphora handle is stamped
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with the maker's nameand date of production.
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-PEPI: You see the Greek letters on it.
-FRED (off screen): Fantastic.
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PEPI: We find Greek names
in the land of Egypt.
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It's like a message in a bottle.
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FRED: Looks like you've dug right downto the very foundation of the city,
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the very streetsthat Alexander had walked in.
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NARRATOR:
Below this layer is soil and bedrock
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on which the original city was built.
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Alexander is said to have marked
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the outlinesof the first buildings himself.
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PEPI: Here it was built
the first Alexandria we know.
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FRED: The city that was decreed
by Alexander the Great himself.
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PEPI (off screen): Exactly.
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NARRATOR:
Pepi has identified his city.
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Now, she can focus her searchfor the Royal Quarter.
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But the ancient city doesn't give upits secrets easily.
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WORKER: Mahmood!
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PEPI: It's a matter of minutes to have
a destruction here.
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NARRATOR:
Alexandria, Egypt.
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Archaeologist Pepi Papakostaand her team are digging deep underground
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beneath the water table.
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Pumps are running 24/7
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to manage the constant up-flowof water out of the ground.
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WORKER: Mahmood!
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PEPI: The pipe broke.
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Tell Sochi to call Mahmood.
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WORKER: Mahmood!
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PEPI: He's there and...
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It's a matter of minutes to have
a destruction here, you know.
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NARRATOR: The silt laden water clogsthe pumps and pipes,
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building up the pressure.
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Each time they fail,
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within two hours, the site is floodedwith nearly 10 feet of water,
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delaying her dig by weeks.
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PEPI:
I'm so exhausted of this problem.
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NARRATOR: Pepi has uncovered tracesof Alexander's lost city.
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But until the flooding is under control,
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her hunt for the Royal Quarteris on hold.
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FRED: We know about the Royal Quarter
of Alexandria
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from the writings
of Greek geographer Strabo.
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It had palaces,it had a library, a museum.
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It also had the royal burial quarter
called the Sema.
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So, our expectations are to find
a beautiful and massive road system
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and a crossroads right in the center
would be the epicenter of the city.
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It would have been the area
of the Royal Quarter.
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That Royal Quarter has never been found.
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PEPI:
The quantity of water is unbelievable.
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When the pumps stop,we have a kind of a lake here.
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I always thinkthat water should be a nice thing.
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It's a blessing in our life.
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In my life, it's a disaster.
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But now, we've managedto decrease the water table.
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We pump the water 24 hours per day
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with 16 pumps, eight wells.
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Look, it's one of them.
We have many.
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I've defeated the Nile maybe.
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NARRATOR: With the water under control,her team can continue excavating.
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PEPI:
We are uncovering black stones.
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Even a small piece of a black stone
is very important
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for the archaeology of Alexandria,
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because we all know
that black stones is the material
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that the Roman streets were made of.
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Fantastic.
It's fantastic beautiful stones.
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The part we uncovered is about 25 meters.
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Can you imaginehow many people have walked on this?
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How many chariots, how many horses...
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Everything happened in this street.
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We have to understand
what is the relation between this road
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with the rest of our discoveries.
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NARRATOR: Roman roads were often rebuilton top of earlier Greek streets.
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Pepi returns to oneof her key historical guides,
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a plan of the ancient city.
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PEPI: This map was made
by Egyptian astronomer
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Mahmood Bey el Falaki in 1866.
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At that time the streets
and a lot of buildings--
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ancient buildings-- were obvious.
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NARRATOR: The map showsAlexandria had two main streets.
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The Canopic Way, nearly 100 feet across,running east-west...
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transected by another main street, R1,running north-south.
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PEPI: This is a satellite map
of modern Alexandria.
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And we are exactly here.
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These are the Shallalat Gardens.
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We made a transparency version
of the map of Mahmood Bey.
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NARRATOR: The maps are lined upusing the coastline as a guide.
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PEPI: When we line the old map
with a modern one,
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the result for me is fantastic!
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We see clearly that the cross roads
of the two broad streets
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of ancient Alexandria are very close
to the area we are excavating.
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NARRATOR:
From interpreting Strabo's writings,
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00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:18,560
she knows the Royal Quartercontaining the tomb of Alexander was
246
00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,120
to the North of the central crossroads.
247
00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,280
Pepi now has proof the crossroads are
248
00:17:26,360 --> 00:17:29,280
within a few feetof the Shallalat Gardens.
249
00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,360
PEPI:
I believe that the road we uncovered
250
00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:37,960
is the first parallel roadto the main Canopic street.
251
00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:44,600
NARRATOR: Pepi's road 'L2' runs throughthe north side of the Shallalat Gardens.
252
00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:50,200
FRED: Pepi's road is a game changer
in the study of Alexandria,
253
00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,800
because Pepi has actually found
254
00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,920
one of the main roads
described by Strabo.
255
00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,920
That puts the whole description
of classical Alexandria
256
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,600
in a frame of reference
where we can now say
257
00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,640
we are sitting in the Royal Quarters
of Alexandria.
258
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,160
NARRATOR: Pepi has excavated deeperin this part of Alexandria than anyone.
259
00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,320
She has revealedAlexander's ancient city.
260
00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:24,480
Now, she has rediscoveredthe royal quarter.
261
00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:30,360
She believes hidden within it liesthe tomb of Alexander the Great.
262
00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,240
And that's not all...
263
00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:38,720
After Alexander died, his empire was splitbetween his trusted generals.
264
00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:43,000
Ptolemy became the rulerand Pharaoh of Egypt.
265
00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:50,280
Ptolemy's dynasty lasted 275 yearsand more than 10 generations.
266
00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:55,400
Each ruler buried themselvesaround Alexander in a vast cemetery
267
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:56,960
within the Royal Quarter.
268
00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,680
They wanted to be closeto a god for eternity.
269
00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:09,160
FRED: Inside of Strabo's royal precinct is
a literal valley of the kings.
270
00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,880
Not a single Ptolemaic King
has been found yet.
271
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,640
PEPI: The tomb of Alexander isthe holy grail of archaeology.
272
00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:26,920
It's the dream of all the archaeologistsof the world.
273
00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,640
NARRATOR: In her huntfor the tomb of Alexander,
274
00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,400
archaeologist Pepi Papakostahas made a discovery
275
00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,160
greater than she couldhave ever imagined.
276
00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,640
She has rediscoveredthe Royal Quarter of ancient Alexandria,
277
00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:47,000
within which lies the Royal Cemetery.
278
00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,960
Classical sources tell usthat Alexander is buried here,
279
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,000
surrounded by the last Pharaohs of Egypt.
280
00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:00,160
PEPI:
I'm very happy because I believe
281
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:05,240
that there are a lot of possibilitiesthat we are in the right site.
282
00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:11,400
NARRATOR: Pepi has exclusive permissionto excavate anywhere
283
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,440
across the million square feetof the Shallalat Gardens.
284
00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,160
It's an enormous undertaking.
285
00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:22,640
PEPI: An archaeologist needs a lifetimeto dig at Shallalat gardens.
286
00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,200
We need the support of technology.
287
00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:32,160
National Geographic is going to support usand help us to use new technology.
288
00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:35,640
NARRATOR:
A cutting-edge geophysical method
289
00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,520
called Electrical Resistivity Tomography
290
00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:40,280
will produce a detailed picture
291
00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:43,360
of what liesbeneath the Shallalat Gardens.
292
00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:48,200
The findings will help guidewhere to dig next.
293
00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,560
Cables are laid across the gardens,and the method passes electricity
294
00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:55,240
deep into the ground.
295
00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,680
By taking hundreds of readings,the relative solidity of the Earth below
296
00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,200
is plotted onto digital maps.
297
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:10,680
Looser areas of sand or soil contrastwith dense areas like solid stone,
298
00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,120
the outlined remains of a building,or even a tomb.
299
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,800
PEPI: In the end,
we can have an idea if it is big,
300
00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,520
if it is small, how deep it is.
301
00:21:23,120 --> 00:21:26,960
NARRATOR: The survey will takethe specialist team ten days to complete.
302
00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:34,200
FRED: Lucan's Pharsalia is the only
detailed description of Alexander's tomb
303
00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,400
that survives from the ancient world,
a visit by Julius Caesar.
304
00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:44,400
"In eager haste he went downinto the grotto, hewn out for a tomb.
305
00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:48,400
There lies the mad son
of Phillip of Pella, Alexander."
306
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,840
So, his tomb was likelyto have a subterranean chamber
307
00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,360
to maintain a cool and constanttemperature all year.
308
00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:03,720
MARIA: So, we're now entering
the great tomb of Kom el Shoqafa.
309
00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:06,880
FRED:
It really is incredible here.
310
00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:10,480
NARRATOR:
With the Royal Quarter identified,
311
00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,360
Fred wants to find outwhat Alexander's tomb,
312
00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:17,000
and those of the Pharaohsburied around him, might look like.
313
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,680
MARIA: Can you imagine what it was like
when they carried their dead down here?
314
00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:24,560
FRED:
It's at least 60 feet down.
315
00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,600
I can't imagine trying
to bring a body down here.
316
00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,000
NARRATOR: Archaeologist Maria Nilssonis showing Fred the tombs
317
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,080
of the Greek citizens who livedin ancient Alexandria.
318
00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,440
It's a subterranean city of the dead.
319
00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:49,240
MARIA: It reminds very much
of a Greek temple, doesn't it?
320
00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:51,920
-FRED: It really does.
-MARIA: It's typical for Alexandria,
321
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,280
uh, these rock cut tombs.
322
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,480
So, here you have some great examples
323
00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:06,000
of how Egyptian art meets the newcomers.
324
00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,880
Here on the frieze you've got
the winged sun disc,
325
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,480
which is traditional for Egyptian art.
326
00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,160
But if we enter a little bit closer...
327
00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,200
here you can clearly see
the Greek elements.
328
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,200
FRED (off screen): Yes, the Medusa.
Incredible.
329
00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:29,240
MARIA: So, let's now enter
into the main sanctuary itself.
330
00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:30,480
FRED: Wow.
331
00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,120
MARIA:
And we've got a unique scene.
332
00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,840
FRED: Well, it looks like
a traditional mummification scene.
333
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:40,320
-MARIA (off screen): Indeed.
-FRED: Yes.
334
00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:44,280
MARIA: What we have here is
a depiction of Osiris,
335
00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:48,080
which is a representation
of the dead himself, of course.
336
00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:52,600
You've got Anubis who is performing
the mummification.
337
00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,200
And to just support
the entire mummification process,
338
00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:59,000
you've got the canopic jars underneath.
339
00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,400
FRED (off screen): Ah, where they would
put the kidneys and the liver and-- yes.
340
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,920
NARRATOR: The writing of historianQuintus Curtius Rufus tells us
341
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:12,920
that Alexander the Great was mummifiedlike the Egyptian Pharaohs before him.
342
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:19,040
FRED: It's not Alexander the Great's tomb,
but surely his tomb must share
343
00:24:19,120 --> 00:24:25,600
some connections with this type
of tomb: subterranean, carved,
344
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,840
with a number of different styles.
345
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:30,480
MARIA: Something like it, yes.
346
00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:35,760
I'm certain that he will have included
elements of the Egyptian culture too.
347
00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,280
We know from the sourcesthat there was a main chamber
348
00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:42,640
in which Alexander was placedin a sarcophagus.
349
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,720
FRED: This is the legacy,
putting Egyptian and Greek art together.
350
00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:49,960
This is the legacy
of Alexander the Great.
351
00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:51,160
MARIA: It is.
352
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:54,640
NARRATOR:
Like the catacombs here,
353
00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:59,080
an elaborate underground labyrinthwith passageways and tunnels
354
00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,520
would have formed partof Alexander's tomb complex.
355
00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:12,880
Back at the Shallalat Gardens,Pepi's team has discovered
356
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,200
something hidden in the subsurface.
357
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,720
PEPI:
We just found this construction,
358
00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,360
and we realized thatthere is a tunnel inside.
359
00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:29,880
It is interesting to have a look.
360
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:35,120
Oh!
361
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:38,640
It's man-made!
362
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:41,280
Oh, very interesting.
363
00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:46,760
I would like to be inside,
but I forgot my bathing suit.
364
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:52,160
Oh my god.
365
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,920
New adventures in this excavation.
366
00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,560
We have to go inside,but it's very difficult.
367
00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,440
We will ask for volunteers I think.
368
00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,000
We don't know how long it is,how deep it is,
369
00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:12,520
so it's better to have some precautions.
370
00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:18,560
And Ramadan if you feel afraid,
you come out, okay?
371
00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:21,360
Be careful please.
372
00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:22,440
RAMADAN (off screen):
Inshallah.
373
00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:31,360
PEPI: Maybe it leads to something else,
something interesting.
374
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:32,920
We'll see.
375
00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,920
NARRATOR: There is only a shallow pocketof air for her team to breathe.
376
00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:46,720
Hundreds of tons of earthlie above the passage
377
00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,240
that could collapse at any moment.
378
00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:00,360
(speaking Arabic)
379
00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:02,360
PEPI: Everything okay?
380
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,360
PEPI: You have to speak to us,
to talk to us.
381
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:12,840
Everything okay?
382
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,800
I wish it could leadto a secret door, to a chamber.
383
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,000
It's very long.
384
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,400
It stops or it goes on?
385
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,440
RAMADAN: Oh Papakosta,
there's something like a wall.
386
00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:01,880
NARRATOR: After 25 feet,there is major problem.
387
00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,320
The tunnel has collapsed.
388
00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,440
PEPI:
There is a lot of debris.
389
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,280
NARRATOR:
It's blocked with a pile of rubble
390
00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:13,680
covered in mysterious scorch marks.
391
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,400
There are also fragments of burnt rope.
392
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:27,200
It looks like this passageway has beensealed for hundreds of years.
393
00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:36,240
PEPI: It's not safe to excavate it moredue to the tons of soil, the street,
394
00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,440
and also a huge modern building.
395
00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:45,640
NARRATOR:
After 12 years of work on the site,
396
00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:48,080
it's a frustrating setback for Pepi.
397
00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:51,200
PEPI: Very difficult day.
398
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:59,320
But I'm not ready to say thatthere is nothing here or something big.
399
00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,080
I'm optimist.We keep going.
400
00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,600
I cannot stop.I have to go on.
401
00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,680
FRED: Alexander wasn't bornwith the title "Great,"
402
00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,240
but he had a strong lineage.
403
00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:22,320
He was the son of a powerful king,
Philip II of Macedon.
404
00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:28,600
Philip was buried in a town called Verginawith incredible finds.
405
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:34,040
This is one of the most amazing
archaeological finds of the 1970s.
406
00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:39,320
His skeleton was foundin an opulent golden coffin.
407
00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,640
There were wreaths
made out of solid gold.
408
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:44,920
Simply masterpieces of art.
409
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,320
If these stunning items were foundin his father's tomb,
410
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,800
what might Alexander's own burial hold?
411
00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,080
NARRATOR: The Greek geophysical teamdeliver Pepi the final results
412
00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:01,920
of the survey in the Shallalat Gardens.
413
00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:10,600
PEPI: The report shows about 14 anomalies,
that means archaeological targets.
414
00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:20,120
Out of the 14 points
that the geophysical survey suggested,
415
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,800
I decided to start from the biggest one.
416
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:25,760
We call it E3B.
417
00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:31,280
NARRATOR:
The largest of the 14 anomalies, E3B,
418
00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:34,280
is 800 feet from Pepi's current site.
419
00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:40,960
Before assigning a dig team,some preliminary exploration is needed.
420
00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:45,800
PEPI:
The next step would be drillings
421
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:51,400
in order to be surethat the suggested points were correct.
422
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,280
FRED:
This is the National Geographic Borescope.
423
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,880
We are going to put it downinto one of the boreholes here,
424
00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:06,240
so we will have a chance to lookdown inside at what Pepi is finding.
425
00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:13,720
It's a very fine high-resolution camera
on a long fiber optic.
426
00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:19,400
It's actually developedto inspect 747 airplane engines,
427
00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:23,560
and our engineers have adapted it
for archaeological investigation.
428
00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:30,240
It has this incredible robotic end herethat can look in every direction.
429
00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:38,400
Oh boy!
430
00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:43,360
-We'll start looking around.
-PEPI (off screen): Okay.
431
00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:46,960
-Uh, can you go up...
-FRED: You want up?
432
00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,640
PEPI: ...and go to the side?
433
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:56,360
Here, there are white signs
of limestone,
434
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:59,200
but I'm not sure if it is a construction
435
00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,200
or small random stones.
436
00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,000
NARRATOR:
Limestone is not naturally found here.
437
00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:08,560
Prized for its aesthetic qualityby the Greeks,
438
00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:12,120
it came from minesaround 30 miles outside the city.
439
00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:14,800
They may be seeing fragments
440
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,680
of the original building stonesof Alexandria.
441
00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:19,880
FRED:
We can look around
442
00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:22,800
and have a pretty good idea
that there is stones down there,
443
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:24,760
but it's not enough, is it?
444
00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:27,280
PEPI:
No, of course we have to excavate!
445
00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,240
-FRED: Absolutely.
-PEPI: But for sure, we know
446
00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:30,680
that we have to dig here.
447
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,400
NARRATOR: While workat her main dig site continues,
448
00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:41,040
Pepi splits her team and beginsto excavate the large anomaly, E3B.
449
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:47,280
FRED: This is actually a culminationof Pepi's obsession here in Alexandria.
450
00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,480
She started nearly 23 years ago,
451
00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:56,240
and here we are in the Royal Quarter
of the city of Alexandria.
452
00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:01,120
2300 years ago-- she knows that.
She has X marks the spot
453
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,560
with a Roman road
right in her other excavations.
454
00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,880
We know she's going to find something.
We don't know what it is.
455
00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:18,520
NARRATOR: Pepi Papakosta is huntingfor the lost tomb of Alexander the Great.
456
00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:21,760
She's identified the siteof his ancient city
457
00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,960
and confirmed the Royal Quarter within it.
458
00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:31,320
A team works at the main site,while 800 feet to the east,
459
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:36,040
a second team digs downto reach the largest anomaly, E3B.
460
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,960
They are already finding intriguing clues.
461
00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:44,080
PEPI: Ah, bravo!
462
00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:49,000
Good. See, it's a plaster,
but there is color!
463
00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:50,280
FRED: Ah, let's see.
464
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:53,040
Beautiful!
465
00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:55,720
PEPI: Blue, red. Yes.
466
00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:57,120
FRED: Great, great.
467
00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:58,920
PEPI:
Yeah. This is the type
468
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:03,080
of the Macedonian tomb's decoration,
you know that.
469
00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:07,120
NARRATOR:
Plaster with this intense blue color
470
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,600
is thought to be the world'sfirst artificial pigment,
471
00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:13,560
created by a calcium,copper, silicate mix.
472
00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:18,880
The same pigment is usedto decorate Alexander's father's tomb.
473
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:26,160
PEPI: It is interesting because we find
a lot of small things, of course.
474
00:34:26,240 --> 00:34:27,480
WORKER: Papakosta!
475
00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:31,080
PEPI:
Yes? Oh. Give it to me.
476
00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:38,560
Ibrahim, can you bring water?
477
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,840
-FRED: More marble.
-PEPI: This is white marble.
478
00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:45,680
-FRED: This is real marble.
-PEPI: Greek white marble.
479
00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,840
FRED: Well, it's really unusual
to see this here in Egypt,
480
00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:50,800
especially in the delta of the Nile.
481
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:56,920
There's no stone and there's especially
no Aegean marble like this.
482
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,600
PEPI:
It's very rare to find a Greek marble--
483
00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:02,480
a white marble in Alexandria.
484
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:04,160
It's just a good sign.
485
00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:06,360
Just an encouraging sign.
486
00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:07,680
FRED:
It's a great, great sign.
487
00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,080
NARRATOR:
Even with a large team of workers,
488
00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:16,960
removing around 400 tonsof soil, sand, and mud will take weeks.
489
00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:21,880
Fred travels back to the USwhile work continues.
490
00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:34,560
It's the end of the dig season,and unseasonal tropical thunderstorms
491
00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:36,320
are drenching the site.
492
00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:42,720
PEPI: It is the beginning of December,
so the weather is getting worse now.
493
00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:47,600
Most of the time this is a problem for usbecause it can create a danger.
494
00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:52,920
Soil can collapse,
workers can slip on the soil.
495
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:56,040
So, it is not easyto work under the rain.
496
00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:00,240
But we wait for the rain
to stop, and we continue.
497
00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:08,600
NARRATOR:
Once the rain clears, the team realize
498
00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:12,800
the E3B excavation siteis under four feet of water.
499
00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,880
PEPI: The work was very difficultthis time, because we had to fight
500
00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:21,040
with water above and water below.
501
00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:25,440
We went very deep.
502
00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:34,320
The soil is very fragile, and I was afraid
that it could collapse.
503
00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:38,720
And also the water level,
that is always a problem.
504
00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:43,880
NARRATOR: A powerful pump is loweredinto the flooded dig.
505
00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:54,880
PEPI:
This anomaly could be many things.
506
00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:57,640
It could be a building,it could be a monument.
507
00:36:57,720 --> 00:36:59,360
It could be even a tomb.
508
00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:03,600
I feel excited but also very nervous.
509
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:07,960
Maybe it will be something great,maybe it will be nothing.
510
00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:14,960
NARRATOR: Fred is back in Egyptand heading to the E3B dig site.
511
00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:20,400
Pepi and her team are inches awayfrom uncovering the large anomaly
512
00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,440
25 feet below the modern-day surface.
513
00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:32,320
-PEPI: Welcome back.
-FRED: Pepi, it's great to see you.
514
00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:33,840
PEPI: Nice to see you.
515
00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:35,120
FRED:
Oh my goodness, look at this.
516
00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:38,640
PEPI:
Yes. Hard work this time.
517
00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:41,280
FRED:
Wow, Pepi, that's so huge.
518
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,960
-PEPI: Yeah.
-FRED: How deep are you now?
519
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,840
PEPI:
23 feet, 25 feet, yes.
520
00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:49,640
FRED:
Pepi, it's an enormous amount of work.
521
00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:59,320
PEPI: The most difficult issue is
the water level, as all the time.
522
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:01,680
-FRED: As always, yeah.
-PEPI: As always.
523
00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,920
FRED: That's going to be very excitingto see what's underneath there.
524
00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:08,840
Shall we go take a look?
525
00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:10,600
-PEPI: Yes, of course.
-FRED: Great.
526
00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:21,520
Look at this.
527
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,040
Finally, we can see the bottom
of this incredible trench.
528
00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:36,280
♪ ♪
529
00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:47,040
PEPI: Look. Sandstone.
530
00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:48,320
FRED: Yeah.
531
00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:52,520
PEPI: Which is the natural bedrock
of Alexandria.
532
00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,840
FRED: So, that's the natural bedrock
of Alexandria?
533
00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:56,240
-PEPI: Exactly.
-FRED: Wow!
534
00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,720
PEPI:
But there is a human activity here.
535
00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,000
FRED:
This is a constructed layer, right Pepi?
536
00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:06,840
PEPI: It is exactly.
It is a constructed.
537
00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:10,760
NARRATOR: The large anomaly picked upby the electrical survey,
538
00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,920
is not the underground tunnel or chamberthat Pepi hoped to find.
539
00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:17,920
FRED:
What do you think it is Pepi?
540
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:24,480
PEPI: According to my opinion,
this should be a kind of a defensive ditch
541
00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:27,400
for the Islamic walls of east Alexandria.
542
00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:29,760
FRED:
Incredible, incredible.
543
00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,720
So, the city of Alexandria,
founded by Alexander the Great,
544
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:36,520
has changed and changedthrough the centuries.
545
00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:41,080
And here, it's clear 1000 years later,
they dug a giant moat
546
00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:43,320
to go around another wall of the city.
547
00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:46,680
NARRATOR: In this sectionof the Shallalat gardens,
548
00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:49,800
the Greek-Ptolemaic layer is missing.
549
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,560
It appears that this partof the Royal Quarter
550
00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:58,400
was totally destroyedas later inhabitants remodeled the city.
551
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,080
PEPI: I hoped, of course,
that it was something different.
552
00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:06,080
A construction or another material.
553
00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:10,040
FRED: Do you still believe that the tomb
of Alexander the Great is here?
554
00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:15,200
PEPI: The only logical place to be buried
at that time was in this area.
555
00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:21,560
NARRATOR: Dig site E3B has not yieldedAlexander the Great's tomb
556
00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:23,160
as Pepi had hoped.
557
00:40:24,240 --> 00:40:26,080
But 800 feet to the west,
558
00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:29,920
her second team has continuedexcavating the original site.
559
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:35,560
And 30 feet below the modern-day city,
560
00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:39,280
she discoversthe most extraordinary find of all.
561
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,440
PEPI:
So you see these big stones?
562
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:51,880
FRED: They're massive!
563
00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:53,280
PEPI: Yes.
564
00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:57,520
We took out two of them,
something very difficult,
565
00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:00,880
and we realized that, under,there is nothing more.
566
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:03,160
It's the bedrock of Alexandria.
567
00:41:03,240 --> 00:41:07,640
So, let me show you
how big this foundation is.
568
00:41:07,720 --> 00:41:11,600
It's a huge-- all this line.
569
00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:18,000
FRED: It keeps goingand going and going.
570
00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:22,840
Do you have any idea or thoughthow much further it's going to go?
571
00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:28,560
PEPI: We are about 200 feet,more or less, without arriving to the end.
572
00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:32,120
-FRED: Of a single building?
-PEPI: Yes, and it goes on.
573
00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:42,480
FRED: Clearly, these are
very large foundation stones
574
00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:44,880
for what would have been
a very large building.
575
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:47,720
What do you think it was?
576
00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:49,920
PEPI:
Yes, this is a good question.
577
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:55,480
In the Royal Quarter there were the mostimportant public buildings of Alexandria.
578
00:41:55,560 --> 00:42:00,280
So, I'm sure that this building should be
579
00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:03,760
one of these famous buildings of the past.
580
00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:09,640
NARRATOR: The vast foundation servesas a guide to recreate
581
00:42:09,720 --> 00:42:12,840
what this giant Greek buildingmay have looked like.
582
00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:17,440
Constructed in ice-white marbleand limestone,
583
00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:21,320
this would have been one of manytemples, palaces, and tombs
584
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:23,760
filling the Royal Quarter of Alexandria.
585
00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:30,520
Alexander's city became one of the mostbreathtaking sights of the ancient world.
586
00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:35,680
FRED:
The search for the tomb
587
00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,280
of Alexander the Great isparticularly special.
588
00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:39,760
It's a great mystery.
589
00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:44,400
But it's also great working with a scholar
who really is persistent,
590
00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:48,800
who really follows the story
and doesn't take no for an answer.
591
00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:51,640
And she's made incredible discoveries,
592
00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:56,160
Ptolemaic foundation wallsthat nobody has ever seen before.
593
00:42:56,240 --> 00:42:59,440
She's correlated thatwith a Roman road system
594
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:02,080
that was described in the 1860s
595
00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:04,680
and then sort of lost to history.
596
00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:10,560
She's excavated deeper in Alexandria
than just about anybody.
597
00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,560
NARRATOR:
Pepi's statue, now fully restored,
598
00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:17,280
has pride of placein the Alexandria National Museum.
599
00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:19,760
PEPI:
This statue changed my life.
600
00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:26,400
I never could imagine
that I could find a statue of Alexander.
601
00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:28,280
I'm very proud.
602
00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:34,200
I've uncovered his city,I've confirmed the Royal Quarter,
603
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:37,200
and now I'm going to continue my search.
604
00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:41,240
NARRATOR: Pepi has another13 anomalies to dig up,
605
00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:44,720
scattered throughoutthe Shallalat Gardens.
606
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:47,440
FRED: If there's anythingI've learned from Pepi,
607
00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:49,600
it's you have to keep trying.
608
00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:51,480
You have to keep going.
609
00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:53,160
Has she found it yet?
610
00:43:53,240 --> 00:43:58,240
Not yet, but I don't think there is
anybody who has gotten closer.
611
00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:02,240
PEPI: It's an amazing feelingfor an archaeologist.
612
00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:03,800
This is a gift.
613
00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:06,080
So, I don't have the right now to stop.
614
00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:07,840
I have to continue.
615
00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:09,520
Captioned by Point.360
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