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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,309 NARRATOR: Ancient Egypt. 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,394 For over 3000 years. 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,831 the world's most vibrant and puzzling civilisation 4 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:14,112 flourished through war and peace. 5 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:19,189 The Egyptians built great cities. enduring monuments. 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:21,914 they advanced mathematics and technology. 7 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,113 Their astonishing legacy survives to this day. 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,556 What transformed a simple community of riverside farmers 9 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,275 into a great empire. outlasting all others? 10 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:38,914 Archaeologists have uncovered new clues from Dynasty Zero. 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,395 Egypt's very beginning. 12 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:46,276 A 5000-year-old tablet tells a fascinating tale 13 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:49,517 of warfare just before the founding of Egypt. 14 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,030 But is it really Egypt's birth certificate... 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,310 or civilisation's oldest lie? 16 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,274 Experts have begun to unravel the mystery of what really happened. 17 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:04,516 They are uncovering the truth about the enigmatic King Narmer. 18 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,598 the man who may have been the first pharaoh. 19 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,873 the man who possibly created Egypt. 20 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,718 Egypt around 3000 BC. 21 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,718 The time of Dynasty Zero. 22 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,639 Around one million people live on the Nile - 23 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,274 fishermen. farmers. hunters. 24 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,792 No single pharaoh rules this divided country. 25 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:39,956 Not yet. 26 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,357 But history may hinge on a royal messenger. 27 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,553 He's been travelling upstream on the Nile for weeks. 28 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,277 He carries an urgent reply to a message 29 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,393 sent by King Narmer. the ruler of the country's south. 30 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,910 The response could shape the destiny of the entire country. 31 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:05,395 uniting it in peace... 32 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,356 or plunging it into war. 33 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,793 King Narmer wants to expand his increasingly powerful southern kingdom 34 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,072 to include the disparate tribes of the north. 35 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,033 But the principalities of the delta in the north 36 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,754 have always remained beyond his reach. 37 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:29,318 Until recently. little was known about this crucial period in Egypt's history. 38 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:36,952 We are learning about Dynasty Zero only for the past 10 or 15 years. 39 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:39,993 We had no idea prior to that time 40 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:44,398 that there were kings. powerful rulers. in Egypt. 41 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,718 King Narmer has demanded that the northern tribes bow to his rule. 42 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:51,672 preferably without a fight. 43 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:53,836 The messenger finally arrives 44 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,077 with a response the king has anxiously awaited. 45 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,790 Control of the northern people would magnify Narmer's power and wealth. 46 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,514 But the news is disappointing. 47 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,679 The tribal chiefs of the Nile Delta defy his demands. 48 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,474 They want to remain independent. 49 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,356 But their decision apparently won't quell Narmer's grand ambition 50 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,120 to rule the whole of Egypt... 51 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,914 all the way to the Mediterranean. 52 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:30,318 Experts are just beginning to speculate about Narmer's actions 53 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,909 and his actual role in history. 54 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:42,952 After five millennia. it's difficult to separate fact from propaganda. 55 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,913 Supposedly. this relatively obscure king 56 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,271 took up the simple spears and stone clubs of his day 57 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,153 and went to war. vanquishing his enemies 58 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:57,036 and uniting the tribes and towns of Egypt into a single kingdom... 59 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:03,190 at least. according to what is now known as the Narmer Palette. 60 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,551 the most important source from that time. 61 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:11,515 The 5000-year-old stone inscription shows Narmer wearing two crowns. 62 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,711 representing all of Egypt. 63 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:18,072 But does that mean Egypt was founded by force? 64 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,389 Some Egyptologists speculate 65 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,070 that the tribal leaders had fought each other for generations. 66 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:47,033 But King Narmer sees the bigger picture. 67 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,073 He has consolidated his power in the south 68 00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:54,512 and assembled several hundred men to expand his domain. 69 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:01,834 The king tells his men that the northern tribes refuse to fall under his rule 70 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,349 and that the time to strike is now. 71 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:13,438 But Egyptologist Kent Weeks sees another origin for the Egyptian empire. 72 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,877 l think. myself. it was largely a peaceful operation. 73 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,952 And l think too that it was something that was the result 74 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,914 of a long period. gradual period. of assimilation. 75 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,432 l don't mean thousands of years but l certainly mean several generations. 76 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:41,239 during which time this gradual emergence of a unified culture came about. 77 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,837 Could Egypt be united in peace? 78 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,669 Or would it take a vicious war to bring the country together 79 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:50,950 in a single empire? 80 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:53,797 Was an act of suppression. 81 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:59,074 an absolute victory over enemy peoples necessary to create a great civilisation? 82 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:02,915 The answer to this question is crucial 83 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:07,716 to our understanding the next 3000 years of Egyptian history. 84 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,752 To find that answer. 85 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:18,272 scholars must gather evidence from every corner of the empire. 86 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,119 The swampy lands of the Nile Delta 87 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,869 swallowed the secrets of this pre-dynastic period. 88 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,514 But the southern desert hides many surprises. 89 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:35,271 including a political power centre dating to Dynasty Zero - 90 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,552 a place called Abydos. 91 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:43,117 lt was a magical settlement. 92 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,313 nestled in the desert lowlands next to the Nile River Valley. 93 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,389 ln this sacred centre. 94 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,115 the graves of the first pharaohs were discovered. 95 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:05,071 And Abydos may help scientists unravel how Egypt was founded. 96 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,075 The excavation here has been the life's work 97 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,840 of Egyptologist Gunter Dreyer. 98 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,953 The ancient ruins speak volumes about early Egyptian architecture. 99 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:31,510 But they're practically silent about how Egypt was founded. 100 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,276 These tombs. looted repeatedly over the last 5000 years. 101 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,278 hold little except broken pottery. 102 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,755 Dreyer's team spent 30 years 103 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,191 meticulously sifting through mountains of sand. 104 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,198 Some of the most spectacular finds 105 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,436 are no larger than a fingernail. 106 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,235 like this evidence of perhaps the world's earliest writing. 107 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:01,313 Next to the tombs of the very first pharaohs 108 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:07,436 lie some of the oldest graves so far. dating back to the 4th millennium BC. 109 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,990 lt's here. at the edge of this ancient cemetery. 110 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:19,910 that archaeologists found the tomb of the mysterious King Narmer. 111 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,236 ln fact. it's surprisingly modest 112 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,591 for the man who portrayed himself as a great war leader 113 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,268 and founder of the Egyptian empire. 114 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,597 And it wasn't even built to last. 115 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:58,279 These photographs from Dreyer's 1 g81 excavation 116 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:02,234 show what Narmer's tomb once looked like. 117 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,675 lt consisted of two simple brick-lined chambers. 118 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:12,192 one for a body. one for a few funerary ornaments. 119 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:17,076 Narmer's generic tomb seems to contradict his grand claim 120 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,192 as Egypt's unifier. 121 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,508 Just a few hundred years later 122 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,518 Egyptian tombs would grow to epic proportions. 123 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,156 taking thousands of workers decades to complete. 124 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,511 And entombed within them were rulers so powerful 125 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,393 they were venerated like gods. 126 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:42,196 Such achievements were only possible in a unified kingdom... 127 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,029 with a single ruler. 128 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,832 lf Narmer truly unified Egypt. 129 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,031 one would think he'd rate 130 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,596 that sort of monumental funerary treatment for himself. 131 00:09:57,800 --> 00:09:59,950 But apparently not. 132 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,796 Could Narmer's glory be nothing but an elaborate fiction? 133 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:10,470 Perhaps. 134 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:16,398 The most important monument to this king is the Narmer Palette. 135 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:22,470 a document to recount a battle that may or may not have happened. 136 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,159 For the next 3000 years. 137 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,955 every Egyptian king portrayed himself as a victor. 138 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:33,991 even if he never fought a war. 139 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,317 Narmer may have been no different. 140 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,153 There's another important centre of Dynasty Zero 141 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,557 that might help solve the mystery of the Narmer Palette. 142 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:50,912 lt's 250 kilometres south of Abydos... 143 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,554 in Hierakonpolis. 144 00:10:55,720 --> 00:11:00,714 This city had a pivotal role in the founding of the empire. 145 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:08,874 For 500 years. this was one of the great power centres of the south. 146 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:12,117 a vital part of King Narmer's rule. 147 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:21,359 And here. during the 1 gth century. 148 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:24,552 archaeologists found the Narmer Palette. 149 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,516 Archaeologist Renee Friedman has been working at Hierakonpolis 150 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,517 for more than a decade. 151 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,554 piecing together the few remaining traces of the ancient city. 152 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:41,389 She and her team have painstakingly assembled a picture 153 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,717 of what this place must have looked like. 154 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:50,351 They've learned to tease vital information from mundane ruins. 155 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,678 Like this foundation of a simple house. 156 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,111 She can even determine who it belonged to. 157 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,470 This is a house of a potter 158 00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:04,559 who. fortunately for us. burnt his house down with his own kiln. 159 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,194 ensuring its incredible preservation 160 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,837 because it's been cut into the native dirt. 161 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:15,316 And otherwise it would have eroded away. but because he burnt it 162 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,832 and made it like pottery - it's red like pottery now because of the fire - 163 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,713 it's preserved it against the wind and the elements. 164 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:24,717 So we can see and get a feel 165 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:28,310 for how the ancient Egyptians at this time actually lived. 166 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,158 Until tragedy burnished his place in history. 167 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,591 the potter lived with his family in a simple clay house. 168 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:39,836 like many of his neighbours. 169 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,916 ln the adjacent shop. he produced pottery for inhabitants of Hierakonpolis. 170 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,829 at that time one of the greatest settlements in the world. 171 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,429 Nearly 1 0.000 people lived here. 172 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,871 where a huge temple dominated the city centre. 173 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:05,710 But fire isn't the only way the structures of Hierakonpolis survived. 174 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:12,680 Archaeologists have excavated remains of central breweries and bakeries. 175 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:21,118 The most remarkable discovery. however. came from outside the city. 176 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:25,757 lt's a cemetery for the Egyptian elite. with about 200 tombs. 177 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,077 and not just people were buried here. 178 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:31,271 Antelopes. two elephants 179 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,313 and several dogs have been found in the sand. 180 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:39,196 With our elite. they were all buried with many animals surrounding them. 181 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:40,992 and it's unique in Egypt. 182 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:43,555 We don't know exactly why they chose to do this 183 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:45,557 but we think it's a symbol of power. 184 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:50,117 lt's a symbol of their wealth and their control of nature. 185 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:55,070 Their burial practices may seem strange to us 186 00:13:55,280 --> 00:14:00,877 but life in Hierakonpolis seems orderly and strikingly civilised. 187 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:05,119 The city stretched for 5 kilometres along the Nile. 188 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,870 When most Europeans still lived in fragmented settlements. 189 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,709 the residents of Hierakonpolis enjoyed a flourishing society 190 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,912 based on trade and cooperation. 191 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:27,591 And that suggests that Narmer's battle never happened 192 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:32,920 and that the Egyptians of the country's north and south united peacefully. 193 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,793 But it doesn't really prove it. 194 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,515 To get to the truth. we need to dig further back into history 195 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,508 to discover where the ancient Egyptians actually came from. 196 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:46,792 The search for roots of the very first Egyptians 197 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:52,199 takes us 500 kilometres across one of the driest deserts on earth... 198 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:54,152 the Sahara. 199 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,717 Prehistorian and climatologist Rudolph Kuper 200 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,515 has been exploring Africa's deserts for over 30 years. 201 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,314 Now he heads to the Gilf Kebir plateau 202 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,354 to examine a cave tourists discovered a few years ago. 203 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:15,311 The drifting sands of the Sahara have partially hidden the cave's interior. 204 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,830 As the archaeologists go to work. 205 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:24,751 they bring to light images unseen for up to 9000 years. 206 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,711 But Kuper and his team have years of work ahead of them 207 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:33,038 uncovering and interpreting the significance of this site. 208 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:38,670 lt may well be one of the world's largest prehistoric paintings. 209 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:43,358 The pictures on the cave walls show ancient people dancing. 210 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:47,599 like snapshots from a vivacious prehistoric world. 211 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:52,510 Strange creatures. beasts without heads... 212 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:58,597 hunters chasing deer. children at play. 213 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,839 And animals not associated with the desert... 214 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:06,431 antelopes. ostriches. even giraffes. 215 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:24,350 But who lived here. and why. remains a mystery. 216 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,152 Prehistorians Heiko Riemer and Franziska Bartz 217 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:31,635 are part of the expedition. 218 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:37,675 Everywhere. they've discovered evidence of early human habitation. 219 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,759 As they carefully examine the area around the cave. 220 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,157 they make some surprising discoveries. 221 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:56,237 Layers of sediment - deposits of an ancient lake - 222 00:16:56,440 --> 00:17:00,831 reveal why people could live in this deserted area long ago. 223 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,555 The landscape looked very different back then. 224 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:11,995 9000 years ago. the climate here supported a savannah. 225 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:18,830 Giant herds roamed the fertile plains of North Africa. 226 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:27,357 For 4000 years. human hunter-gatherers had more than enough to eat. 227 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,552 Then the rains stopped. 228 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:34,514 The savannah turned to desert. 229 00:17:54,760 --> 00:18:00,710 As the Sahara dried out. it became the motive force of Egyptian history. 230 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:04,879 The expanding desert drove humans before it. 231 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,550 Their search for water took them to the Nile. 232 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,593 where they stopped and settled. 233 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:16,392 Many generations later. 234 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:21,549 the people of the Nile constructed some of antiquity's greatest buildings 235 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:27,278 and became one of history's longest-lived civilisations. 236 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:31,268 A civilisation forged from diverse. embattled tribes 237 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:33,311 by the power of King Narmer... 238 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,279 at least. according to the Narmer Palette. 239 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:44,115 Now. the king's soldiers prepare for war. 240 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:48,359 Their weapons include not just lances and maces. but also bows and arrows. 241 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:52,473 like their ancestors hundreds of years ago in the savannah. 242 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,277 They train well. always ready for battle. 243 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,152 Narmer. his country's most senior warrior. 244 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:06,557 senses that war there will be. 245 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:23,236 And when it comes. he is prepared to lead. 246 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,276 But more than a military leader. 247 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,631 Narmer controls just about everything else as well. 248 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:38,676 Taxes. religion and the annual harvest fall under his command. 249 00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:44,078 As the chief administrator. 250 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,795 he travels with his family through the kingdom of the south. 251 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,915 The wellbeing of his subjects falls squarely on his shoulders. 252 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,909 But there is one thing he can't control. 253 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:02,953 one thing even more powerful than himself... 254 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:08,629 the mighty Nile. 255 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,628 The rising and falling tides of this gigantic river 256 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:20,311 determine the welfare of the whole country. 257 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:24,636 Jutting into the Nile River. 258 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:29,960 the island of Elephantine marks Egypt's southern border. 259 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:33,357 The early Egyptians considered it the source of the Nile 260 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,358 and. therefore. all life. 261 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:42,159 As early as Dynasty Zero. pilgrims flock to Elephantine. 262 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:45,272 one of the oldest sacred sites in Egypt. 263 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,870 They come to worship the goddess of the Nile floods... 264 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:52,992 Satet. 265 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,918 Called ''the donor of the cool water which springs from Elephantine''. 266 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:01,908 Satet plays a pivotal role in Egyptian life. 267 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:10,839 The real sources of the Nile weren't discovered until the 1 gth century. 268 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:18,476 Some of its water springs from the mountains of Ethiopia. 269 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:24,118 lt feeds into the Blue Nile. providing almost 60% of the Nile's volume. 270 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:30,033 And there's a second tributary - the White Nile in Sudan. 271 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,953 lt's here that one can see what the Nile looked like 272 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,391 at the time of the first Egyptians. 273 00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:46,799 A menagerie of African animals thrived in the river's fertile flood plains. 274 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:55,553 Papyrus and lotus plants flourished in the marshes. 275 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:02,956 At Khartoum in the Sudan. 276 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,390 the White and the Blue Nile merge 277 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:09,195 to form the longest river in the world. 278 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:12,432 And once a year. 279 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,950 the river lets loose its fury like no other. 280 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:21,109 delivering bounty - or destruction - along its entire path. 281 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:28,790 Each summer. weeks of severe rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands 282 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,276 swell the waters of the Nile enormously. 283 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:41,075 Kilometre by kilometre. the flood advances northward. 284 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,909 leaving only small islands poking above the water. 285 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:48,950 Depending on the amount of rainfall. 286 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,790 the water rises between 2 and 8 metres. 287 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,915 The floodwaters finally swallow the Nile Delta. 288 00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:03,510 turning much of it into a shallow lake. 289 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:11,910 For some of the first settlers. the flooding Nile often meant disaster. 290 00:23:12,120 --> 00:23:16,113 lf they built their house on low-lying land. they could lose everything. 291 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:20,518 To survive. they had to learn to live with the flood... 292 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:22,517 and use it. 293 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,832 The ancient Egyptians learned fast. 294 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:32,111 At the time of Dynasty Zero. 295 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:36,950 they would wait keenly at Elephantine for the first sign of the flood. 296 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:43,672 Their descendants even built a Nilometer. 297 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:28,793 For the ancient Egyptians. the height of the water is no random event. 298 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:34,711 lt flows as a blessing - or a curse - directly from their gods. 299 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,710 The people must be worthy. 300 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:43,436 As the water surges. it carries hope along with it. 301 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,871 The king is crucial to the process. 302 00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:52,715 lf he displeases the gods. his people will perish. 303 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,119 So King Narmer performs spiritual ceremonies 304 00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:00,199 to ensure that the floodwaters flow in the proper volumes 305 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,710 to bring a healthy harvest each year. 306 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:10,959 The rising waters renew the annual bond between the gods and the people. 307 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,754 And to ensure this great gift isn't squandered. 308 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:19,158 Narmer has to see that the water is properly managed. 309 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:25,079 Controlling the Nile flood. ensuring there were healthy crops each year. 310 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:28,352 was one of the many duties that fell on the pharaoh. 311 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:34,715 lt was his task to ensure that the gods treated us properly by raising the Nile - 312 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,469 not too much. not too little. but just enough for a good flood - 313 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,639 by producing adequate crops to provide surplus foods 314 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,196 for trade. and in case of emergencies and so forth. 315 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:51,549 The river brought dual gifts to the people of Egypt - 316 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,115 not one. but two great elements 317 00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:58,319 essential for the development of an advanced culture. 318 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,914 This is the reason Egyptian civilisation could exist. the River Nile. 319 00:26:04,120 --> 00:26:07,271 lt not only provided water. essential for all life. 320 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:12,395 but every year about a millimetre of fresh Nile silts were deposited 321 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:14,397 over the landscape of Egypt. 322 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:16,556 The nutrients in these silts made possible 323 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,639 the richest agricultural landscape on the face of the planet. 324 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:25,395 And the Nile silt does more than just feed the fields. 325 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,636 This muddy sediment 326 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:31,628 provides the building materials for huts and palaces. 327 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,833 Whole cities rise from mud bricks. 328 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,470 ln its marshes. papyrus flourishes. 329 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:44,559 providing the raw material for the very first paper... 330 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:47,949 for the chronicles of the scribes... 331 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,149 the letters of the living... 332 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,678 and the books of the dead. 333 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:06,117 But mud alone can't guarantee a good harvest. 334 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:11,440 People have to learn how to manage the Nile's great gift. 335 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:14,950 Through dams. reservoirs and irrigation canals. 336 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,118 the Egyptians learn to manage their agriculture. 337 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,790 simply but very effectively. 338 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:26,479 Even today. many farmers along the Nile use the same time-proven methods 339 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:28,591 as their ancestors. 340 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,108 The ancient Egyptians recognise only three seasons... 341 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:37,437 Flood. Planting and Harvest. 342 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,195 That's all that matters. 343 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:46,315 Each sowing season. they plant an area of 2.5 million hectares. 344 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,552 A ceremonial mace from the time of Dynasty Zero 345 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:55,276 shows a king inaugurating an irrigation canal. 346 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,995 The opening of the sluice gate is a ritual reserved for the king. 347 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,795 lt demonstrates the reverence of the ancient Egyptians 348 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,719 for the mighty and temperamental river. 349 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:09,271 After the flood subsides. 350 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,951 the stored water is channelled to irrigate the fields. 351 00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:20,953 ln the rich soil of the Nile valley. 352 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:24,596 the wheat grows faster than anywhere else in the world. 353 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,190 producing enough grain to feed an estimated one million people 354 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:31,278 at the time of Dynasty Zero. 355 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,957 Ancient tomb paintings depict cattle breeding 356 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:45,280 and the bounty that Egypt's agricultural society relied on. 357 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,034 Grain becomes the country's currency 358 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,949 and also Egypt's most important export. 359 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,316 Early on. the Egyptians realised 360 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:06,594 that cooperation amongst themselves was going to be key to their success. 361 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,156 And by success. l mean having agricultural surpluses 362 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:12,555 that could see them through the bad times 363 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,274 or having the ability to repair damage 364 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:18,870 that might be caused by a flood that was a bit too high. 365 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,993 This kind of cooperative effort also provided something extremely important 366 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:28,069 and that was the ability for specialists to develop in Egyptian society. 367 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:34,069 The Nile provides more than bumper harvests. 368 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:36,748 lt is also the country's main thoroughfare. 369 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:43,030 With no regular roads to connect the Egyptian towns. 370 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,800 people rely on the Nile to get around. 371 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,594 Boats are indispensable. 372 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:51,598 for food and transportation. 373 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:56,237 The Nile provides a dual lifeline for the people of Dynasty Zero. 374 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:01,393 By boat. Narmer and his family visit the entire kingdom. 375 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,512 Every village is in easy reach. 376 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:12,196 They travel south using wind power. 377 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:16,393 When they go back north. they're carried by the current. 378 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:19,515 The wind is faster than the current. 379 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,474 One cruises upstream at about 4 kilometres an hour. 380 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:28,358 Travelling from the delta to the far south 381 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:31,313 takes just 30 days. 382 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:40,479 Hundreds of model boats have been found in Egyptian tombs. 383 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:44,958 a testimony to their value. even in the afterlife. 384 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:51,713 Boats can carry crops. building materials. people - and their ideas. 385 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,718 Everyone possesses a boat. 386 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,795 The farmers and fishermen use small papyrus boats. 387 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:05,869 They're perfectly adequate for crossing from one bank of the Nile to the other. 388 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,197 For longer journeys. they sail in more substantial vessels 389 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:15,520 built from tougher materials. with more sophisticated construction methods. 390 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,114 These are boats built out of wooden planks. and we know that 391 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:23,438 not only by their shape but because we found one from about the same age. 392 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:25,551 These wooden planks are held together 393 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,911 in a way that nobody else in the world has built boats 394 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:33,671 and it's a way that actually reflects the construction of the papyrus raft. 395 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:39,709 The Egyptians built their earliest boats by lashing papyrus reeds together. 396 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,070 lifting the ends out of the water 397 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,750 and forming a crescent to cut through the waves. 398 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:57,310 A straw roof gave shelter and oars steered. 399 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:06,310 The first wooden boats mimicked the shape of the papyrus boats 400 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,512 and were constructed in the same way. 401 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:17,876 Wooden planks were sown together with straps made of grass or papyrus. 402 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:21,868 They were strong enough to haul heavy cargo over long distances. 403 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:26,437 But they could also be taken apart and carried over land. 404 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:31,111 They formed the backbone of the Egyptian trade and transport system 405 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:34,312 which began during Dynasty Zero. 406 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,033 Boats were the major means of transportation. 407 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:41,198 And having said that. they were also a major means 408 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:45,871 of bringing together the country. of unifying the country. 409 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:52,437 According to most of the archaeological evidence. 410 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,232 5000 years ago. 411 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,991 a prosperous agricultural and trading society flourished peacefully 412 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,555 along the banks of the Nile. 413 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,995 But one would never guess that. looking at the Narmer Palette. 414 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,309 The stone is a monument to war 415 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:11,909 with graphic depictions of violence. 416 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:13,792 the slaughter of enemies 417 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,470 and prisoners bound through their noses. 418 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,668 How can both accounts be right? 419 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:25,590 How can archaeologists reconcile the contradictions? 420 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,193 The Narmer Palette was discovered in the temple of Hierakonpolis. 421 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:36,279 so archaeologists believe King Narmer offered it to Horus. 422 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:40,712 the god of kings. to whom the temple was dedicated. 423 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:49,553 The Palette proclaims that Narmer. the ''unifier of both lands''. 424 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,991 laid the foundation for a great future. 425 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:57,149 But this could be part of the official cult of the king 426 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,555 rather than historical reality. 427 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:05,437 Narmer's great battle could be a metaphor. or an exaggeration. 428 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:12,117 ln Cairo. Belgian Egyptologist Stan Hendrickx 429 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:16,199 is allowed to examine the Narmer Palette for the first time in 1 00 years. 430 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:22,635 The tiniest detail could provide clues about events of 5000 years ago. 431 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,993 He and his team assess the data in their research facility in Belgium. 432 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:36,557 Perhaps some overlooked detail could solve the great mystery 433 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:40,469 that has confounded Egyptologists for decades. 434 00:34:42,240 --> 00:34:47,234 ls the Narmer Palette... does it refer to historical facts 435 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:52,833 or is it only a symbolic representation of the power of Egyptian kings 436 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,237 and of the violence that is related to this power? 437 00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:59,718 But even with precise copies of the reliefs. 438 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:02,195 the images remain cryptic. 439 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:06,439 There's a figure with papyrus growing out of its back - the enemy - 440 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:10,269 but we still don't know anything about him apart from his name. 441 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,869 Yet the weight of the evidence. Hendrickx believes. 442 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,629 suggests that the war really happened. 443 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:23,352 There are too many details referring to apparently specific places. 444 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:31,114 A specific person who... the name of his principal victim is mentioned. 445 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:33,993 There are too many of this kind of details 446 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:38,079 to accept that it's just a purely symbolic representation. 447 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,516 ln his headquarters in Abydos. 448 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:44,234 Professor Gunter Dreyer searches for evidence 449 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,318 among the fragments he has excavated. 450 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:54,634 Most of these ivory and clay tablets refer to shipments of oil and wheat. 451 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:02,798 But the oldest of them has some special information. 452 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:07,034 lt dates an oil delivery to a specific year... 453 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:09,957 ''The year... 454 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,311 ''that Narmer... defeated 455 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:15,795 ''the Papyrus people.'' 456 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,988 This tiny piece of clay has rewritten history. 457 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:52,832 Proof at last that descriptions of violence and warfare from Dynasty Zero 458 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,554 are more than simply mythical. 459 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,878 Archaeologist Maria Gatto. working deep in southern Egypt. 460 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:12,514 has found more evidence. 461 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,037 Rock art. long thought lost. 462 00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:22,633 that tells of a king whose power reached all corners of the kingdom. 463 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:27,678 These pictures have been vandalised over recent decades. 464 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,836 Luckily. they were photographed many years ago. 465 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,195 To study the pictures better. 466 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:42,834 Maria Gatto has transcribed them onto paper. 467 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:48,478 The drawings show an impressive. sweeping royal procession. 468 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:53,754 There was a king with the white crown and a stick. 469 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:56,315 Then there was a fan-bearer behind him 470 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,351 and then there was a dog in the centre. 471 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:01,870 So because of this iconographic connection with the Narmer Palette 472 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:04,913 and because of this presence of the dog. 473 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,873 we're wondering if this king might be Narmer. 474 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:13,351 Perhaps King Narmer wanted to impose his authority here too. 475 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:16,233 far from the centre of his power. 476 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:19,955 Many other similar depictions have been found across the region. 477 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:22,628 A reminder of who was in charge. 478 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,831 And so it seems likely 479 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:31,158 that King Narmer did unify Egypt by force. 480 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:37,152 When the north refuses to succumb to the rule of the south. 481 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:39,635 King Narmer plans for war. 482 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:54,709 Controlling the north is now essential for the rulers of the south. 483 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,878 As their prosperity and population have grown. 484 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:01,117 so has southern demand for luxury goods 485 00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:05,313 that can only be supplied via the Near East. 486 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:27,194 Narmer and his invading army set off on the long march north 487 00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:29,914 through unforgiving terrain. 488 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:35,870 The locals watch anxiously as Narmer's warriors pass. 489 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:43,951 The Papyrus people are determined to preserve their independence. 490 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,994 But Narmer has other plans... 491 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:51,351 and hundreds of warriors behind him. 492 00:39:54,960 --> 00:40:00,353 We now know that the Narmer Palette depicts actual historical events. 493 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,552 The outcome of Narmer's battle against the Papyrus people 494 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,594 unifies and transforms Egypt. 495 00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:16,197 This is one of the first great battles ever recorded. 496 00:40:17,480 --> 00:40:21,473 Somewhere in the Nile Delta. 5000 years ago. 497 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:24,877 King Narmer's royal forces of the south 498 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:28,914 clash with the principalities of the delta to the north 499 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:32,271 in a battle without mercy. 500 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:36,316 At stake is the independence of the northern people. 501 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:43,154 But eventually. Narmer and his army triumph. 502 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:52,392 One of Narmer's ceremonial maces shows a victory parade. 503 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:56,195 Narmer sits under a canopy with the crown of Egypt. 504 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:59,233 his standard bearers behind him. 505 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:05,355 The hieroglyphics record the booty... 506 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:09,590 1 20.000 captives. 507 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:13,195 more than a million goats. 508 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:16,359 400.000 cattle. 509 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:18,718 On the Narmer Palette. 510 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:22,469 the king inspects the lines of enemy dead. 511 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:27,434 They've been beheaded... and castrated. 512 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:32,469 Warfare is not only violence but also psychology. 513 00:41:33,720 --> 00:41:38,111 So... humiliation of your opponent 514 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:43,189 may break the resistance of your opponent. 515 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:47,358 For Narmer. victory is complete. 516 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:51,792 On the front of the Palette. he wears the crown of Upper Egypt. 517 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:56,753 On the back. the crown of Lower Egypt. 518 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:07,155 King Narmer has finished what his predecessors began... 519 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:10,636 the unification of the empire. 520 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:14,037 And to symbolise that unity. 521 00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:18,074 the two crowns of Lower and Upper Egypt are combined into one. 522 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:22,831 From now on. and for at least 3000 years to come. 523 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:25,031 every pharaoh will wear it. 524 00:42:25,240 --> 00:42:28,869 Something truly new has begun. 525 00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:50,151 Narmer's victory ushers in 3000 years - 31 dynasties - of god-like pharaohs. 526 00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:54,478 Great names will follow. names we still remember... 527 00:42:55,360 --> 00:42:56,998 Thutmose... 528 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:00,358 Amenhotep... 529 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:03,478 Akhenaten... 530 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:05,759 Ramses... 531 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:08,958 Hatshepsut... 532 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:11,549 and many others. 533 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:19,036 At last. the lotus of the south 534 00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:22,073 and the papyrus of the north are linked. 535 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:27,352 From now on. the pharaoh's most important task 536 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:32,714 is to protect the unity of the kingdom and to defend its borders. 537 00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:42,230 Egypt has become the first territorial state in history - 538 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:45,034 the first empire. 539 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:52,438 Before long. the country subdivides into administrative districts. the nomes... 540 00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:54,392 22 in the north. 541 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:56,397 20 in the south. 542 00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:01,589 When King Narmer dies. after a successful reign. 543 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:03,711 the entire country mourns. 544 00:44:07,720 --> 00:44:12,510 ln Abydos. Narmer's body begins its final journey. 545 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:17,879 Even here. at the time of Dynasty Zero. 546 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:22,949 the people of Egypt believe that death is the portal to eternal life. 547 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:27,995 Mummification is important. but not yet perfected. 548 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:31,510 Beneath the desert sand. 549 00:44:31,720 --> 00:44:35,156 an eternal home receives the crudely preserved body 550 00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:37,510 of the founder of the kingdom. 551 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:48,117 Burial here is a simple affair compared to what would come later. 552 00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:02,272 The end of Narmer's reign marks the beginning of a new era. 553 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:11,392 By the next generation. royal tombs are growing considerably larger. 554 00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:20,433 At Abydos. construction starts on a new cemetery area. 555 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:27,309 The necropolis of the first pharaohs of a unified empire. 556 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:50,033 The kings - now pharaohs - are no longer obsessed with war. 557 00:45:50,240 --> 00:45:54,028 but with eternal life awaiting them in the beyond. 558 00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:59,869 And so they turn their architectural ambitions to the construction of tombs. 559 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:10,035 Each successive pharaoh will build a grander underground tomb. 560 00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:16,395 And the monuments above them will reach new. extravagant heights. 561 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:21,989 They culminate in the pyramids. 562 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:28,594 an expression of the glory and power of the united Egyptian state. 563 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:33,269 The pyramids dazzled visitors then. 564 00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:36,278 as they still do today. 565 00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:38,277 Born out of warfare. 566 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:44,316 Egypt's peaceful and collaborative traditions ultimately prevailed. 567 00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:48,832 The blessings of the Nile gave rise to a civilisation of plenty 568 00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:53,272 where ample food created a wealthy culture. 569 00:46:55,720 --> 00:46:58,792 Civilisation sprouted and flourished. 570 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:03,758 united under godlike kings. 571 00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:09,392 The Age of the Pharaohs had begun. 572 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:39,349 Subtitles SBS Australia 201 1 49704

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