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NARRATOR: Abu Simbel,
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the most breathtaking temple of
Ancient Egypt.
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A colossal monument,
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shaped from stone to honour the man
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who ordered its construction...
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.. Ramses II, also known as
Ramses the Great,
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his image carved into
the temple's entrance.
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Ramses II is Ancient Egypt's
most well-known pharaoh.
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Even his face seems familiar,
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thanks to his astonishingly
well-preserved mummy.
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In addition to Abu Simbel,
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Egypt has Ramses to thank
for dozens of temples
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and hundreds of statues.
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And he left his mark at Karnak
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where his memorial temple was
described in antiquity
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as "the most majestic of all".
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But it was said that according to
the ancient texts,
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the most magnificent achievement
of this builder and pharaoh
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was his capital, Pi-Ramses...
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..a forgotten city whose splendour
can only be imagined
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through the words of ancient texts.
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There stood extravagant temples
and palaces,
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testaments to the power
of a monarch.
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The walls of his monuments
documented his conquests,
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but his legacy is far greater.
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The exact location of this city
remained unknown
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until the 20th century.
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And today, thousands of years
after its peak,
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the remains of ancient Pi-Ramses
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are being meticulously excavated
by archaeologists
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who are gradually revealing
the secrets
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of this legendary lost city.
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Qantir is a farming village
located in the Nile Delta,
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about three hours' drive
northeast of Cairo.
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It is a long way from the more
well-known archaeological sites
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at Giza or the Valley of the Kings,
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which are located further south.
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Here, there are no ruins of temples,
no monuments.
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Only a mix of open fields
and assorted residential areas .
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And yet it is here that
archaeologists are unearthing
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the remains of Pi-Ramses.
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German professor
Henning Franzmeier
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leads this international team.
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Henning first visited this site
in 2005
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while he was still a student.
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He has participated in each of
the excavation campaigns since.
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(assistant speaking Arabic)
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- When we excavated here
five years ago,
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with a very small excavation
on the other side of this field,
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we found also sand like this,
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but we did not really understand
what it was.
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Just by excavating now here,
we really know what is it.
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It's actually a wall or what is left
of it, it's a foundation trench.
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NARRATOR: Foundations which are
anything but ordinary.
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Their width and depth are
surprisingly large,
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suggesting the existence of
a significant building.
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A temple perhaps?
Or even a palace.
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- It's a very huge wall, it's more
than two and a half meters wide
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and this already shows that
it's a huge building.
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And it's the first such huge and
monumental building
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that we ever excavated
here in Qantir
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over the past 40 years.
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NARRATOR: Since the beginning of
the 1980s,
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excavation campaigns have
continued here, one after another.
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Excavations which have revealed
a multitude of objects
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that all link Qantir to the pharaoh
Ramses II.
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Most of the artefacts
are kept here,
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a few kilometres from the site,
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in a secure warehouse under
the custody of the Egyptian police.
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(both speak Arabic)
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NARRATOR: Typically, no-one
is allowed to enter this space,
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not even archaeologists.
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But Henning Franzmeier has been
granted special permission
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to make an inventory of some of
the objects,
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which will later be exhibited
in the Cairo Museum.
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Many of the objects were discovered
before he began working on the site,
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so this will be his first
opportunity to see them up close.
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- It's some of the best finds of
the last 40 years.
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This is also very special kind of
sparrow arrowhead.
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NARRATOR: Remarkably preserved
pieces of weaponry, pottery,
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as well as bas-reliefs
and sculptures.
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The objects unearthed at Qantir
over the decades
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are exceptional in their variety.
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They are irreplaceable
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and priceless.
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This is a goddess in the shape of
a snake with a human head.
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And it might have been part of
a little shrine
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or something like that.
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For me it's a bit like Christmas.
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Opening presents
and such wonderful objects, it's...
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This is objects that I know myself
often from publications.
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Ramses is here on the left
and that is the god Amun.
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So here we have a typical stela
of a king smiting an enemy.
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Actually, every Egyptian king
is shown like this,
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holding by his hand some enemy.
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So it's not depicting something
that actually happened,
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but something that the king has
to do as part of his job.
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NARRATOR: All of the objects
unearthed by archaeologists in Egypt
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are the property of
the Egyptian State,
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and they are preserved onsite.
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But this was not always the case.
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In the 19th century, and during
the first decades of the 20th,
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archaeological treasures belonged to
those who discovered them.
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They were then often sold to
the highest bidder.
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This is how the Roemer and Pelizaeus
Museum
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in Hildesheim, northern Germany,
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was able to build up a collection of
Egyptian antiquities,
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many of which came from Qantir,
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and almost all of which are
directly related to Ramses II.
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The Hildesheim Museum is now
partly financing
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the excavations at Pi-Ramses.
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Among the most striking pieces
exhibited here
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is this series of steles
honouring the great pharaoh.
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- One thing about this stele
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is that they all show Ramses II.
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And indeed on this stele,
we found often persons
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with this particular kind of skirt,
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very much related to military
persons.
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And the king himself
in these statues
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is somehow referring to a warrior
aspect somehow
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because he was named
Montu-Ta-Uhi.
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So what is meant here is
a god Mont,
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he is a warrior god.
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So therefore the statues
he made of himself
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connected to this warrior god,
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to a mighty god who is protecting
Egypt.
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But also is an aggressive god
who frightens the enemies.
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NARRATOR: A great warlord
crushing his enemies
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and terrorising his rivals.
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This is how Ramses II is
most often represented.
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The walls of the temples
built during his reign
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are adorned with accounts of
his military exploits.
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But this is a misleading portrayal.
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Ramses was much more than
the battle-hardened king
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that his legend describes.
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He was an accomplished monarch,
as benevolent in peace
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as he was formidable in battle.
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FRANZMEIER: I think Ramses
was a very pragmatic type.
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He was definitely very smart
in acting.
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He stayed king for 67 years.
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And he must have been a good
politician in a certain kind of way.
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NARRATOR: Ramses II died
at the age of 92,
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probably in 1213 BCE.
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It was the longest reign
in Egyptian history.
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The longest, and in the minds of
the Ancient Egyptians,
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the most prosperous.
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During his 67-year reign,
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Egypt enjoyed 46 years of peace.
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Under Ramses II, there was
no debating Egypt's power.
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And the most obvious manifestation
of this power was its capital,
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Pi-Ramses.
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When arriving in Egypt
from the east or the north,
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Pi-Ramses was the first big city
one would encounter.
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There were tracts of housing,
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surrounding numerous temples
dedicated to the gods,
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and colossal statues of
the pharaoh.
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FRANZMEIER: After just
one day of going into the river,
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you already arrive at what
you would have thought is Egypt.
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Big monumental buildings.
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You would immediately arrive
in the centre of power.
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The first thing that
a foreigner sees
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when coming into Egypt
from the north
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is the new capital.
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NARRATOR: The city was built
between two branches of the Nile,
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intersected by canals that irrigated
its many terraced gardens.
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And in the middle,
the palace of Ramses II.
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And yet this spectacular city,
built in just 15 years,
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was occupied for less than
two centuries,
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and no traces of its former grandeur
can be found on Earth today.
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Every year, Henning Franzmeier
and his team return to Qantir
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and, plot by plot, try to uncover
the remains of this lost city.
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This year, it was this section of
land that they chose to excavate,
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a few hundred square metres,
covering the foundations
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of a building that must have been
particularly impressive.
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FRANZMEIER: What we have here,
in fact, is the foundation trench
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of the walls of this building.
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It's about 2.5 metres wide
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and between 60 and 80cm deep,
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filled with kind of pure sand.
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This means you have something like
80 or 90 cubic metres of sand.
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They just put in the foundation
trenches of the wall here.
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So in total they had like six or
eight modern trucks of sand,
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which, even though it doesn't look
that impressive anymore now,
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you will be able to understand
what kind of effort it took.
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And they must have transported it
from at least a bit of distance
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because directly here
we don't have sand.
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NARRATOR: At first sight,
it's hard to imagine
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what kind of building could have
required such a quantity of sand
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and such large foundations.
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But in the keen eyes
of the archaeologists,
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these trenches already provide
some clues.
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(camera shutter)
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NARRATOR: Seen from above,
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the sand-filled trenches seem
to trace the outline of a room,
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00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,480
in which the foundations of six
enormous columns can be seen.
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On one side of the room,
a smaller room
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with only four columns can be seen.
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00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,080
At the end of the first room, other
columns seem to form two rows
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which extend beyond
the excavation site.
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00:13:26,680 --> 00:13:27,680
(camera shutter)
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NARRATOR: Matthieu Goetz
is the team's architect.
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00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:37,000
For him, these are the remains
of a pharaoh's palace.
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- (speaks French)
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NARRATOR: What Matthew is hoping
to find in the palace foundations
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00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,920
is something like this - a brick,
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00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,440
bearing the signature and
royal titles of Ramses II,
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00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:24,560
like this one, discovered at Qantir
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and preserved in
the Hildesheim Museum.
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00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:30,160
- It's made from faience.
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So that means this was never used
as a real brick in a wall.
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The purpose of this model brick
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potentially was, it was used in the
foundation ritual
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00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:48,920
where the king was somehow
performing himself as a builder,
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00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,400
and we have scenes where
the king depicted himself
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00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,000
performing foundation rituals,
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00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,800
and we assume other kings
did so as well.
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00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,200
(lively chatter)
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00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,800
NARRATOR: Conducting
excavations in the Nile Delta
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00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:09,280
is always very challenging.
220
00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,360
More than half of the population
of Egypt lives in this region,
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00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:20,040
in an area that represents barely 3%
of the country's territory.
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00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,600
Urban development is rampant
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00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:28,600
and often conceals ancient remains
hidden in the earth.
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00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:30,440
(general chatter)
225
00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:35,480
NARRATOR:
Surrounding the settlements,
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00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,040
farmers grow wheat or rice
according to the season.
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00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,880
This agricultural production is
vital for a country
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00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,240
that is 96% desert and needs to feed
100 million inhabitants.
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00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:54,720
Each year, the archaeologists have
to negotiate with the farmers
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00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,080
and rent the plots
they intend to excavate.
231
00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:00,680
And, each year,
they have to change plots.
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00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,400
One might think that this expansion
of agricultural land
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00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:08,800
throughout the 20th century
is the reason
234
00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,600
why no visible traces of
Pi-Ramses' splendour remain.
235
00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,840
Yet this is not the case.
236
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,440
It was the Ancient Egyptians
themselves who,
237
00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:24,200
less than two centuries after
the end of the reign of Ramses II,
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00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,840
destroyed the city.
239
00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:37,120
To understand this, we must travel
to San el-Hagar,
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00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,320
20 kilometres north of Qantir,
to Tanis,
241
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,680
one of the Nile Delta's
most beautiful archaeological sites.
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00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:52,720
Tanis was the capital of
the pharaohs
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00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,640
of the 21st and 22nd dynasties,
244
00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,560
approximately two centuries
after the death of Ramses II.
245
00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,040
However, for decades,
246
00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,240
Egyptologists thought that Tanis
was Pi-Ramses.
247
00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,480
This archaeological misunderstanding
lasted
248
00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:14,760
until the middle of
the 20th century.
249
00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,760
Today, a French team,
led by Francois Leclere,
250
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,079
is excavating the remains of Tanis.
251
00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:29,680
- (speaks French)
252
00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,040
NARRATOR:
His cartouche is engraved in stone.
253
00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,920
His silhouette adorns
several bas-reliefs.
254
00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:56,920
And many monumental statues
dedicated to him...
255
00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:00,480
have been discovered here.
256
00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,840
More than enough to mislead
the first Egyptologists
257
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,040
who came to work here..
258
00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,760
- (speaks French)
259
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:51,120
NARRATOR: The Bible mentions
the name Pi-Ramses several times,
260
00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:52,280
notably in Exodus .
261
00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,960
But it never specifies its location.
262
00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,960
The region of Tanis is also
mentioned in the Bible
263
00:19:01,120 --> 00:19:03,200
and associated with the Exodus.
264
00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,560
For a long time, this ambiguity
contributed to the confusion
265
00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:11,840
between the two ancient cities.
266
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,440
Then, when several inscriptions
mentioning Ramses II were discovered
267
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,040
in Tanis in the 19th century,
268
00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,040
the question seemed to be settled:
269
00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,280
Tanis and Pi-Ramses were
one and the same.
270
00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:28,480
- (speaks French)
271
00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,160
NARRATOR:
From a 21st-century perspective,
272
00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:06,400
the idea of dismantling
ancient monuments to build new ones
273
00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:08,280
may seem sacrilegious.
274
00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:12,240
But in ancient times,
it was a common practice.
275
00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:18,440
- (speaks French)
276
00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,680
NARRATOR: One of the most striking
examples, at Tanis, is found here,
277
00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:55,000
on the remains of a temple gate,
erected by Pharaoh Sheshonk III,
278
00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,880
four centuries after the death
of Ramses II.
279
00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:04,400
This granite block bears the mark of
Pharaoh Cheops,
280
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:09,520
who reigned in the 26th century,
1400 years before Ramses.
281
00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:12,720
This quartzite block is signed
by Teti,
282
00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,080
who reigned 1,000 years
before Ramses II.
283
00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:20,640
These three granite blocks
are marked
284
00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:22,360
with the cartouche of Rameses II.
285
00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,120
As for this limestone block,
286
00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:27,360
it is signed Sheshonk I,
287
00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,480
who reigned three centuries
after Rameses II.
288
00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,200
Most of these blocks were removed
from Pi-Ramses.
289
00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:40,160
- (speaks French)
290
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:08,720
NARRATOR: In the middle of
the 20th century,
291
00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,240
archaeologists realised that
Ramses' successors
292
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,040
had built the city of Tanis
293
00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:15,800
by dismantling his capital
stone by stone.
294
00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:19,440
This reopened the mystery.
295
00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:22,840
Where was the original site
of Pi-Ramses?
296
00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:32,960
- And there..
297
00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:37,160
NARRATOR: Regine Schulz is
director of the Hildesheim Museum.
298
00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:38,800
She is also an Egyptologist
299
00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:42,040
and is responsible for monitoring
the excavations at Pi-Ramses.
300
00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:48,560
REGINE: We had no idea where
this place originally would be.
301
00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,640
There was no clear understanding
where originally this city was,
302
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,960
which was mentioned
in several texts.
303
00:22:55,120 --> 00:23:00,240
We have a very clear understanding
that it must have been a big area
304
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,840
where this city was located.
305
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,160
NARRATOR: As early as the 1930s,
306
00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,400
Egyptian archaeologists
were suggesting
307
00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,280
that Qantir was the most likely
location of Ramses' capital.
308
00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:12,680
But it was not until the 1970s,
309
00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,120
with the systematic excavations
310
00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:18,960
carried out by the
German archaeologist Edgar Pusch,
311
00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:22,240
that the site of Qantir was
definitively identified
312
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:23,400
as Pi-Ramses.
313
00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:27,760
REGINE: The idea was to find out
how big this area might be.
314
00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:30,480
And he talked to Helmut Becker,
315
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,880
who was a specialist for
magnetic analysis.
316
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,400
And he was the first one who really
worked in Egypt
317
00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:38,840
with this methodology.
318
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,200
Areas they looked at was very big,
319
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,840
altogether two square kilometres.
320
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,040
NARRATOR:
These magnetometric analyses,
321
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:52,560
derived from the then-most advanced
medical imaging technologies,
322
00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:54,880
first appeared on excavation sites
in the 1990s.
323
00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,440
They allow archaeologists to map
the subsoil of the areas
324
00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:02,120
they wish to excavate.
325
00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,280
To do this, the device measures
minute variations
326
00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,160
in the magnetic field
at ground level.
327
00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,240
These variations are caused by
the presence of materials
328
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,600
buried within the natural soil...
329
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,440
..the remains of walls, for example,
or sand-filled foundation trenches.
330
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:28,400
REGINE: Looking at the results of
the geometric analysis,
331
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,760
they tried to think a bit about how
big the city could have been,
332
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,320
and most probably
ten to 12 square kilometres.
333
00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:38,320
it's an unbelievable huge
ancient city,
334
00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:42,640
the biggest one which we know so far
from this time period,
335
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:46,080
not only in Egypt,
in the Mediterranean.
336
00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,720
NARRATOR: The dimensions of the
structures revealed by magnetometry
337
00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:52,240
left no room for debate.
338
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:55,800
This colossal city had to be
Pi-Ramses.
339
00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,280
Three decades later, Henning
Franzmeier and his team
340
00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,280
are still working
from this original map.
341
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,200
It helped them locate what
they believe
342
00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:09,560
to be Ramses II's palace,
343
00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:13,960
where they are currently carrying
out their excavation campaign.
344
00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:16,360
- (speaks German)
345
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,640
NARRATOR: According to the data
from the magnetometer,
346
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:44,080
the city of Pi-Ramses was enormous
for its time.
347
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,960
It is therefore likely that Ramses
had multiple palaces there,
348
00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:51,280
each serving a different purpose.
349
00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,640
What kind of role could the palace
on which Henning and his team
350
00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,360
are currently working, have played?
351
00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,160
REGINE:
Until now it has been speculation.
352
00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:04,040
It's a very very huge palace
353
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:05,920
and therefore it's a little unusual.
354
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,680
It is one of the biggest palaces
we know from Egypt.
355
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,520
On the other side, if you are
looking how big the city was,
356
00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,280
there's no doubt there had been
other palaces
357
00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,280
and also there must have been
some temples.
358
00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:27,040
So this means what we have
in the moment at different areas,
359
00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,600
we know some things about the living
areas,
360
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,160
we know some things about
the production areas
361
00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:34,760
and now the idea of is to look at
a very different area.
362
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,160
NARRATOR: To better understand
the nature of the building
363
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:42,680
they are excavating,
364
00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:44,520
the archaeologists meticulously
catalogue
365
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:47,840
everything they find on the site...
366
00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,240
A tiny fragment of pottery could be
a decisive clue,
367
00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:58,960
depending on the context in which
it was found..
368
00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:01,000
Where exactly was it discovered?
369
00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:02,720
At what depth?
370
00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:06,160
What else is nearby?
371
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,280
Each section of the site
is carefully photographed,
372
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:12,720
drawn and mapped
as the excavations proceed.
373
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:17,440
- (speaks Italian)
374
00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,320
NARRATOR: Each discovery
is geolocated
375
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,520
using what's called
a total station...
376
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:28,320
-196.
377
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,400
..a surveyor's tool, accurate to
the nearest centimetre.
378
00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,240
- 191.5.
379
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:36,960
NARRATOR:
Even tiny fragments of pottery
380
00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:41,120
are thoroughly described, measured
and referenced.
381
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,640
This work must be carried out
as close to the field as possible,
382
00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:46,240
so that no information is lost.
383
00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:52,680
HENNING: Like this, we can put this
find slip in a special bag
384
00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,080
with the pottery, with the find,
385
00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:59,160
so we will also after a very long
time still know where it comes from.
386
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,400
We don't have the need to always
keep up with data.
387
00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:04,040
Even if we are not here
for 20 years,
388
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,200
we will still be able to identify
what we have.
389
00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,200
NARRATOR: But in addition to
this old-fashioned work,
390
00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:17,280
the archaeologists also rely on
modern techniques
391
00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:19,600
to create the most complete record
possible.
392
00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,160
And one technique that has emerged
over the last decade
393
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,040
has completely revolutionised
the work of archaeologists...
394
00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,360
Photogrammetry.
395
00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:39,400
(camera shutter)
396
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,040
- (speaks French)
397
00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:57,000
NARRATOR:
The principle is simple:
398
00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,280
You take as many high-definition
photos as you need
399
00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,400
to capture the surface you want
to model in 3D,
400
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:04,960
varying the angles of the shots.
401
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:09,440
An exercise that sometimes leads
the archaeologist
402
00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:11,920
to perform a strange kind of dance.
403
00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:25,680
- You mustn't forget anything.
404
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:29,040
That's why it's good to have
a certain rhythm,
405
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,080
a certain way to do it.
406
00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:35,160
Especially around the corners, you
have to go back and forward again.
407
00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,400
NARRATOR: Frank is a digitalisation
specialist on the team.
408
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,760
He is responsible for modelling
the photogrammetric images.
409
00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:57,280
(loudspeaker announcement)
410
00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,040
NARRATOR: It's noon. The whole team
is about to go to the Dig House,
411
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:08,640
a home base rented by Henning
in the centre of Qantir.
412
00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:14,520
This is where the archaeologists
gather to work, sleep
413
00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:15,800
and have their meals.
414
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:25,400
Working through his lunch break,
415
00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,960
Frank Stremke begins to assemble
the photos taken the day before.
416
00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:34,680
- The most important thing is
to move the camera in between shots.
417
00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:38,040
You cannot just stay like this
because then there is no baseline
418
00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:40,880
between photographs which you need
to triangulate the distance
419
00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:42,440
to the object.
420
00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:46,960
NARRATOR: To produce this image,
for example,
421
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:48,280
448 photos were taken.
422
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,480
The software analyses them
423
00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:57,800
and identifies all the elements
that are common to several photos.
424
00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:02,240
Using a trigonometric formula,
it then stitches them together.
425
00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:06,920
In this case, it detected
ten million overlapping points.
426
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,680
- This one is used to calculate
the camera positions.
427
00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,000
So the blue area here,
the blue patches,
428
00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,200
is where the camera was positioned.
429
00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:21,680
And in the next step it reverses
the calculation
430
00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:26,720
and calculates outside world points
based on the camera position.
431
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:33,040
It's a circle. It's magic,
but it works! (laughs)
432
00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,560
Over the last ten years or so,
it has really changed archaeology.
433
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,600
NARRATOR: Thanks to the
photogrammetric modelling,
434
00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,520
archaeologists can now view
all the physical data from the field
435
00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:49,160
on a computer screen.
436
00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:56,160
They can observe a wall,
an object or a trench
437
00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,480
from angles that would be difficult
to achieve in real life.
438
00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:04,560
With a few clicks, they can make
every possible measurement
439
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:06,280
with pinpoint accuracy...
440
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:10,200
- (speaks French)
441
00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:58,240
NARRATOR: Material evidence
such as the base of a column,
442
00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:00,600
which could have helped
the archaeologists,
443
00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:03,280
is missing from the excavation site.
444
00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:07,320
But based on what has been
found in other palaces in Egypt,
445
00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:09,840
Henning Franzmeier offers
a hypothesis.
446
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:18,760
- The idea is that we have
such big walls, such large walls
447
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,480
because the rooms inside the
building might have been vaulted.
448
00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:26,320
It was one the one hand a high
building, a really tall building
449
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,440
where the room inside must have
reached six, seven meters of height,
450
00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:34,360
but also there might have been
vaults as a ceiling.
451
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,520
NARRATOR: If Henning's hypothesis
is correct,
452
00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,720
the throne room of the palace
must have looked like this.
453
00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:48,800
Above the six sand-filled foundation
holes, domed column bases,
454
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:50,560
like this.
455
00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:53,240
Above them, the columns themselves,
carved in stone
456
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,960
and topped with a rounded capital.
457
00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:00,840
The whole thing was probably
seven metres high.
458
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,680
The monumental columns may have
resembled this one, found in Tanis,
459
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,120
one which perhaps may have come
from the palace itself.
460
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,639
Above the columns, decorated with
painted motifs,
461
00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:21,120
a triple vault..
462
00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,960
According to Henning, the massive
pressure exerted by this vault
463
00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:26,639
and the height of the building
464
00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,120
justify the thickness of
the 2.5-metre walls,
465
00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:38,120
walls decorated with bas-reliefs,
featuring the king and the gods,
466
00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:39,480
like these, also from Tanis.
467
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:54,600
Imagine the feeling of entering
this imposing throne room
468
00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:57,640
and walking between these columns
toward the king.
469
00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,200
The power of Ramses, embodied by
this dramatic architecture,
470
00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:16,240
overwhelmed everyone he received.
471
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:30,680
Everything confirms
what the ancient texts describe.
472
00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:33,040
it was here that Ramses II chose
to establish
473
00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:35,560
the central hub of his rule.
474
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,280
But why choose
such an unconventional location,
475
00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:49,360
compared to Thebes,
the ancient capital?
476
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,480
And why choose a place so far
from Upper Egypt
477
00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:54,120
and its architectural treasures?
478
00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:57,960
Some answers have been provided
479
00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:01,120
since the initial excavations
carried out by Edgar Pusch
480
00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:03,320
at Qantir...
481
00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,800
Evidence of an extensive
weapons manufacturing industry
482
00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:09,880
REGINE: What was here is so unusual,
483
00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:14,160
it's something that Pusch defined
as assembly line workshops.
484
00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,000
This means it's not one small
workshop besides the other.
485
00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:21,040
It's really huge production area
planned as a unit.
486
00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:27,880
And that showed us also
that it was very essential
487
00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,080
to have a huge production for
the army,
488
00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,720
to protect the influence of
the Ramses emperors
489
00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:37,320
through this area.
490
00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:41,200
- 252. This is here.
491
00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,320
NARRATOR:
This hypothesis is confirmed
492
00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,080
by a number of artefacts discovered
by archaeologists
493
00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:51,040
in the remains of these workshops.
494
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:55,320
- What we have here is objects,
for instance relating to workshops
495
00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:57,520
where arms were produced,
496
00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,240
and so what we can see is the metal
weapons
497
00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:07,360
that are amongst the best
that were found in Egypt.
498
00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:10,920
Here we have a kind of harpoon,
really a beautiful piece,
499
00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:17,520
and an arrowhead,
a kind of winged arrowhead
500
00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:20,720
made of bronze, and this is really
hi-tech of the late Bronze Age.
501
00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:24,720
We in fact have evidence now
502
00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:30,840
that not for the troops themselves,
503
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,120
but for the production of weapons
504
00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:35,200
that these troops might have used.
505
00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:40,040
NARRATOR: Another relic is even
more significant -
506
00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:44,160
a remnant from an exceptional
military building.
507
00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:48,320
- So this is a fragment of
a door lintel from the royal stable.
508
00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:49,680
so what we see here is a horse
509
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:57,120
and the names of Ramses II.
510
00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,640
Ra-me-su...
511
00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:02,720
There's s missing,
but it's the God Amun.
512
00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:07,200
So it's Ramses beloved of Amun.
513
00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:11,120
Over every box in the stables,
boxes of six horses
514
00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,280
and there were dozens of these.
515
00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,080
Over every box
there was a door lintel like this
516
00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:25,200
with a horse, kind of adoring
the names of the king, of Ramses.
517
00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:31,480
NARRATOR: Once again, magnetometry
was used to discover these stables.
518
00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:35,560
And it took Edgar Pusch 12 years
to uncover them.
519
00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:41,520
REGINE: Nothing like this had been
discovered before in Egypt
520
00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:43,240
or in other places.
521
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:45,360
So everyone was very excited
522
00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:47,560
and this was also one of the reasons
523
00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:49,680
why then immediately
the idea came up
524
00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:51,480
to start excavation in this place.
525
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:58,040
NARRATOR: These stables, the largest
ever discovered in Egypt,
526
00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:02,360
covered an area of
14,000 square metres.
527
00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:04,640
They were divided into five rows
of ten stalls.
528
00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:08,040
Each row ended with
a 250 square metre room,
529
00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:11,520
which was used by the stablemen.
530
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,760
The ceiling of this room
was supported by ten columns,
531
00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:19,080
modelled after palm trees.
532
00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,600
The stables were accessed through
an impressive entrance,
533
00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:25,600
supported by four columns,
534
00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:27,800
decorated with the cartouche of
Ramses II,
535
00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,760
and bas-reliefs representing
the pharaoh conquering his enemies.
536
00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:41,480
Each stall could hold six horses.
537
00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:44,920
Their urine was collected
and used to tan leather.
538
00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:50,520
At the back of the stalls,
a rough sleeping area
539
00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:52,880
could accommodate a stablehand.
540
00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,800
When full, these stables could house
up to 460 horses.
541
00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:15,760
When Edgar Pusch excavated this
site,
542
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,560
he discovered several objects
related to the horses,
543
00:40:19,720 --> 00:40:22,880
such as this bronze bridle,
incredibly well preserved
544
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:24,720
after 3,000 years underground.
545
00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:32,200
As well as these parts
carved in stone -
546
00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,160
ornaments, decorating the war
chariots pulled by...
547
00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:38,840
the horses of Ramses II.
548
00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:44,120
REGINE: We have not found
full chariots,
549
00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:46,280
but we did find a lot of parts
of the chariot,
550
00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:50,320
parts which were made on one side of
course from stone,
551
00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:53,880
but also from other materials.
552
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:55,640
And by looking for
all this material,
553
00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:00,920
we could find out that they belonged
to a huge production of chariotries,
554
00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:04,360
and we also could reconstruct them.
555
00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:06,680
This was also very interesting,
556
00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:08,920
because they look
a little bit different.
557
00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:11,640
NARRATOR: War chariots were
the weapons of choice
558
00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:13,800
for the pharaoh's shock troops.
559
00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:17,160
It was a fearsome weapon,
designed for battle.
560
00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:18,480
But to battle whom?
561
00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:22,120
In this case, the geographical
location of Pi-Ramses
562
00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:24,880
provides some clues.
563
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:28,680
REGINE:
Besides the Egyptian empire,
564
00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,560
there was a second huge empire,
the empire of the Hittites.
565
00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:34,040
They were opponents of course
566
00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:38,880
and both interested in the eastern
Mediterranean area,
567
00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:41,120
particularly in the east.
568
00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:43,720
They wanted to have influence
to this area,
569
00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:47,880
not only for trade, but also
for their natural resources,
570
00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:50,760
and therefore there was a strong
competition
571
00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:52,440
and this was really dangerous.
572
00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:57,440
NARRATOR: When Ramses II
ascended the throne of Egypt,
573
00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:02,560
the Hittites already controlled the
territories of present-day Syria
574
00:42:02,720 --> 00:42:04,320
and Lebanon.
575
00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,320
If they succeeded in conquering
Palestine,
576
00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:11,080
Egypt would soon be under
their control as well.
577
00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:16,680
REGINE: I think this is one of
the main reasons
578
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:18,960
why it became so important to have
a capital
579
00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:21,480
which is more near to this area,
580
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:24,120
a capital in the east part of Egypt,
581
00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:28,400
a place where any kind of arms,
582
00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,840
any kind of chariots,
583
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,800
the horses are available
as quick as possible
584
00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:38,400
if there is any kind of danger
from the Hittites
585
00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:44,920
to influence this area in a way
the Egyptians don't like.
586
00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:49,320
(clamour)
587
00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:52,720
NARRATOR: We now know why Ramses II
chose to build his capital
588
00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:57,440
so far away from the traditional
centres of Pharaonic power:
589
00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:02,560
He wanted to block the threatening
advance of the Hittite empire.
590
00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:06,520
But archaeologists are only just
beginning
591
00:43:06,680 --> 00:43:09,320
to unravel the mysteries of Ramses'
forgotten city.
592
00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:13,080
Was it only a garrison town?
593
00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:16,040
And if so, why was it so large?
594
00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,760
Why did Ramses build a palace there?
595
00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,280
In Qantir, Henning Franzmeier's team
596
00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:27,320
continues to dig
in search of answers.
597
00:44:06,720 --> 00:44:09,080
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