All language subtitles for Lost.Treasures.of.Egypt.Series.1.Part.6.Curse.of.The.Afterlife.1080p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.eng

Narrator: Egypt, the
richest source of

Archaeological
treasures on the planet.

Salima: Oh, that's
a fabulous one.

Narrator: Beneath
this desert landscape,

Lie the secrets of this
ancient civilization.

Ward: Wow, you can see why
the pharaohs chose this place.

Narrator: Now, for a full
season of excavations,

Our cameras have
unprecedented access

To follow teams on the
frontline of archaeology.

Ashraf: I'm driving so fast
because I'm so excited.

Kathleen: It's an entrance,
we can see an entrance.

Narrator: Revealing
buried secrets...

Antonio: I have just
been told that they
have found something.

Don: Oh my gosh.

Ward: A sphinx!

Narrator: And making
discoveries that could
rewrite ancient history.

This time, egyptologists
are in search of the
secrets of the afterlife.

Alejandro's team
discovers a 4000 year-old
sealed burial chamber...

Woman: Oh my god!
Alejandro: Bingo!

Narrator: John and
colleen decode an ancient
guide to the underworld...

Colleen: The texts and the
scenes and the hieroglyphs,

All make this tomb a
resurrection machine.

Narrator: And suzanne
makes a shocking discovery.

Suzanne: Someone put their
fist through in order
to get into the cavity.

Narrator: Ancient egypt.

One of the most sophisticated
societies in history.

The egyptians built the great
pyramids and giant temples,

Driven by one obsession:

They dedicated their entire
lives to preparing for death.

For centuries, archaeologists
have been trying to decode

The rituals and
techniques that

The ancient egyptians used
to enter the afterlife.

Dr. Colleen and professor
john darnell are heading
to the valley of the kings.

John: We're interested
in the study and the
understanding of the past

And bringing it into
the present, really
making it live again.

There is as of yet no real
substitute for the field work.

Narrator: For the past
250 years, the valley

Has attracted generations
of archaeologists.

The 19th century
was a prolific time.

Archeologists discovered
over 40 tombs, each revealing

More clues about the
ancient egyptian afterlife.

Colleen: The sky
is so blue today.

Narrator: In 1817,
one explorer uncovered
something remarkable,

The tomb of king
seti the first.

(speaking arabic).

Colleen: To understand the
ancient egyptian afterlife,

You have to study the
hieroglyphic text and scenes.

And the tomb of seti
the first is perfect
for understanding the

Foundations of the egyptian
belief in the afterlife.

Narrator: Beneath the
valley of the kings,

Seti's tomb stretches 450
feet down into the mountain.

It's the deepest
tomb in the valley.

Artists decorated ten chambers,

And seven ornate corridors,

With elaborate scenes.

These paintings, combined
with this immense tomb,

Played a crucial role
in the survival of

The pharaoh's
soul after death.

Colleen: Wow!

It's incredible to see
how well preserved all
the hieroglyphs are.

Narrator: The discovery of
seti's tomb was a turning
point in egyptology.

At the time, experts were
just learning to decode
hieroglyphic text,

And this tomb gave up
a wealth of secrets.

They found the structure of
the tomb itself played a role

In guiding the pharaoh
down to the underworld.

John: This descending
passageway is probably

One of the most important
elements of the tomb.

We have depicted on the walls
a text that shows and describes

The sloping passage down
that would propel the dead

Into the other world.

Colleen: The tomb of seti the
first is so deep in the cliffs,

It perfectly mimics the
architecture of the netherworld.

Narrator: Seti the first
reigned for 11 years,
expanding his empire by

Crushing middle eastern
and african rivals.

He died unexpectedly in
his 30s, but despite this,

Seti's preparations for the
afterlife were exceptional.

He poured his wealth and
power into building the most
elaborate tomb in the valley,

And quickly too.

Colleen: It's really
important to keep in mind
that this entire tomb

Was excavated, decorated,
painted in 12 years.

Narrator: Scribes wrote
entire books on these walls,

Instructions that would
help seti make it
through the underworld.

Colleen: "calling
this great god by

The netherwordly gods."

And that's exactly what we
see depicted here, the sun,

This great god as they refer
in the hieroglyphic text,

Being hauled by,
and the hieroglyphs
are even repeated here.

(speaking ancient egyptian).

The netherwordly gods.

Narrator: The images on these
walls reveal seti the first's
map through the afterlife.

The ancient egyptians believed
immorality could be achieved

By following the sun god, ra,

Who was born in
the east every day,

And died every night and
entered the underworld.

If seti's soul could
successfully navigate
the treacherous underworld

With the sun god, he too
would be reborn again every
morning in an eternal cycle.

So, his tomb contained
all the tools and detailed

Instructions for the
perilous journey.

Colleen: We have arguably
one of the best examples

Of transitioning
into the afterlife.

Narrator: Hidden in the
inscriptions, colleen finds
evidence that it's not only

Pharaohs who can make this
journey into the netherworld.

Colleen: Here people from
the north east of egypt,

Nubians from the south
libyans from the west.

Apparently, no matter
where you came from,

You could enjoy the
same blessed afterlife

As even the pharaoh of egypt.

Narrator: But to find out
how seti would transition
into the afterlife,

The darnell's will
need to decode

The inscriptions inside
the burial chamber itself.

140 miles south of the
valley of the kings in aswan,

A spanish archaeological team

Is excavating another
ancient necropolis.

Qubbet el-hawa was a
burial site for elite
members of society.

These 4,500 year-old
tombs offer vital clues
into burial rituals,

And how the ancient egyptians
prepared for the afterlife.

It's the team's tenth
season working here,

But egyptologist
martina bardñová

Is still getting used to
the 5:00 am starts.

Martina: I go to bed about
midnight or 1:00 am and
now I have to switch.

It's another kind of jet lag
about it, the working jetlag.

You are here because you
love the job, so that's it.

You wake up.

Narrator: This season, martina
is focusing on a new tomb.

Narrator: She hopes
this shaft might lead
to a burial chamber.

Narrator: Termites are
only found near a food
source, usually wood.

So, these insects are a
sign there may be something
behind the rock wall.

Across the hill, martina's
mission director, professor
alejandro jimenez-serrano,

Is taking a break.

Alejandro: It probably
is one of the best
moments of the day.

Alejandro: Bingo!

It seems that we have, uh,
another intact chamber, uh,
where martina is digging.

Let's go!

Narrator: Robbers have
ransacked egyptian
tombs for millennia,

So finding an untouched tomb

Would be an exceptional
discovery for the team.

(speaking arabic).

Alejandro: Ah-ha-ah-ho.
Can I step on here?

Martina: Yes, you can.
This is okay.

Narrator: If this is
an intact chamber,

It could contain mummies
and burial offerings.

Alejandro: Nobody in the
last 4,000 years has seen
what is behind this wall.

Narrator: Alejandro
now faces a challenge:

He can't risk smashing open
the wall to the burial chamber,

There may be precious
artifacts behind it.

Alejandro: Tell jose to bring
the computer and the camera.

Narrator: But he
does have a plan!

Alejandro: This big drill
we use to inspect before
opening any inter-chamber

Because we do not know
what we are going to find.

Narrator: He thinks it's
about 16 inches thick.

Alejandro: It seems
easy but it's not.

Uh, jose.

Martina: Yeah.

Narrator: Alejandro can't see
how far this chamber extends,

There could be tons
more debris to remove.

In the valley of the kings,

Swiss egyptologist
professor susanne bickel

Is returning for her
tenth dig season.

Today, the team is
reopening a tomb

Last excavated in the
1970s, tomb number 61.

Susanne: There's a
certain excitement, a
certain expectation.

Narrator: Susanne hopes
to find the original
owner of the tomb.

It could shed new light
on how ancient engineers

Tried to propel the dead
into the underworld.

Susanne: Oh, this
one is not very good.

Extremely small, and
clearly not finished.

It is just in the middle
of being prepared.

Now why did they
not finish it?

As long as you don't touch it,
it doesn't move by its own.

But erm, err,
oops, oh it does.

But I think getting out
would be a good thing.

The whole package
will come down.

It's really bad.

Narrator: The team must now
try to make the tomb safe,

Before they continue
excavations.

Professor bickel has excavated
11 tombs across the valley.

In the onsite lab, her
team is documenting and
analyzing their finds,

Including human remains.

Salima: Now that's great.
That's a fabulous one.

Narrator: Professor salima
ikram, from the american
university in cairo,

Is an expert in mummification.

She's investigating how
egyptians prepared for

The afterlife by
performing this technique.

Salima: There are certain
things that we already know
about mummification from

Different periods,
but of course it's
a learning process.

1, 2...

Woman: Yeah.

Salima: And see over
here how this goes under.

I think they wrapped the toes
separately and then they put

A bigger piece of textile on it,

And then they
wrapped it together.

Woman: Yeah.

Narrator: These body parts
provide vital new evidence

On how mummification
techniques evolved over time.

Salima: The embalmers
didn't always stick
to hard and fast rules

Because sometimes things
would be trendy for a while,

They'd die out,
then they'd come back.

You would get different
styles of mummification.

Narrator: The ancient egyptians
believed that after death,

The soul needed to
return to the body.

But if the corpse decayed,

It would become
unrecognizable and the soul
would be lost for eternity.

So, the embalmers mummified
the elite of egypt.

They ritually washed
the deceased, then
removed internal organs,

And used bundles of salt
to dry out the corpse.

They removed the brain
through the nose, but they
left the heart in place,

Where they believed
the soul would live on.

Finally, they wrapped
the mummy in linen,
and coated it in resins,

To ensure its features
would remain recognizable
for eternity.

Salima: So, this is an excellent
example of mummification

Where you can see
that this leg looks,

You know like a living
fat leg and that's because

They made cuts into the
flesh and then stuffed it.

They were making a
statue of yourself,

So after you're dead and you
were being disembodied,

You're all hollow
cheeked and sunken,

And this gives you your
full body back and

To make you in a more
permanent and more
statue-like better way.

Narrator: After a day
of excavation, tomb 61
is now clear of rubble.

It's safe for egyptologist
elina to examine it up close.

Elina: I think they started
and then they realized no,

It's not safe to
put any coffins in.

And so, they haven't done,
and they went away and looked
maybe for another place.

Narrator: Tombs needed to last
for eternity in the afterlife.

In some parts of the valley,
the fine-grained limestone
was the perfect material,

But flaky limestone
like this is unstable.

As sophisticated engineers,
ancient tomb builders would
have soon realized

The site was unsuitable.

With their excavation
of the tomb complete,

The swiss team packs up
and moves on to another
site in the valley.

In aswan, martina's spent two
days digging out this shaft,

In the hope of finding
an intact burial chamber.

Man: I've got down...

Martina: No, no, no because
its small, you are big.

Narrator: Beyond the
rocky debris, something
catches martina's eye.

Narrator: What martina first
thought was a corridor,

Is actually the burial chamber.

Alejandro: This is
the burial chamber.

Martina: Yes its...

Alejandro: So, we have
to proceed in a different
way with much care.

Congratulations!

It's a very nice discovery
because you have not
documented any kind of err,

Burial like this.

Martina: And he's not
eaten by termites.

Narrator: The coffin
is extremely fragile.

Moving the rocks surrounding
it could make it collapse,

But it's the only way to see
if there's a body inside.

Martina: Okay, let's continue.

Narrator: North of
qubbet el-hawa is the
necropolis of qurna.

It dates from 1500 bc.

There are over 300 tombs here,

The resting place of
high-ranking ancient
egyptian officials.

Egyptologist, laurent bavay
has been excavating this tomb
for the last eight years.

At the bottom of a
60 foot deep shaft,

He's made a
remarkable discovery:

A rare document called a
papyrus, vital for the
deceased in the underworld.

Laurent: Some of the
fragments of this papyrus have
been found in the room here.

Other fragments have
been found along the
wall in the first room.

The papyrus sat
next to the body of the
deceased in the coffin.

Narrator: The tomb is now
empty, and laurent is piecing
together the fragments,

So he can analyze this
mysterious text.

Laurent: We have here one of
the, of the most interesting
and exciting discoveries.

A papyrus that is actually
a book of the dead.

Narrator: The book of
the dead is an ancient travel
guide through the underworld.

Laurent: This is the document
that is placed in the coffin

Next to the mummy
to be ready for use,

Like a gps for a car, it
will lead you through the
way to your destination.

Narrator: The images in this
3,500 year-old book of the
dead depict crucial spells.

These helped the deceased
pass tests and challenges

On their journey through
the underworld.

In life, ancient
egyptians could buy
chapters of the book,

To make up their
own personal copies.

Laurent: There were workshops
producing books of the dead,

And then leaving
in the column of text,

They were leaving a blank,
where the person would
complete his name.

This example is written
for a woman, the title
and name, renena,

Mentioned here which in
itself is very exceptional.

She must have had a
very important role in
this, in this family.

You never know what
you will discover,

And this makes the thrill of
the work here in the field.

Narrator: For laurent,
the most exciting phase
is just beginning as

His team prepares
to analyze the text

And publish their findings.

In aswan, at a cemetery
for the rich and powerful,

Martina is preparing to open
her newly-discovered coffin.

Martina: Well now I will
take this, and I will see.

We've pulled part of the
coffin on the floor and so on,

We don't want to
break or whatever.

Narrator: But first, martina
has to get to the tomb.

A saharan sandstorm is
blowing in from the south,

These can last up to five days.

Narrator: The windspeed
is picking up, so martina
makes the call to leave now.

Narrator: As the sandstorm
reaches gale-force,

Even the 600 foot journey to
the burial shaft is a battle.

Martina: Ouch!

Oh no!

Alejandro: We are in a
very risky moment because

We have to extract
the human remains

And we want to continue.

Narrator: In the shelter of
the tomb, the team can now

Carefully remove the lid
of the terracotta coffin.

Martina: It's very heavy.

Oh my god!

Careful, ay.

(speaking arabic).

Careful.

Narrator: This is the first
time anyone has seen inside
the coffin for 4000 years.

Martina: Careful.
Oh my god!

A very ugly mummy.

Well it's not mummy,
it looks that it was simply
put, but not well bandaged.

Narrator: The terracotta
coffin contains no mummy,

But a skeleton shrouded
in black material.

As the sandstorm blows over,
the team removes a single pot,

The only object
discovered with the body.

Narrator: The team will
now analyze the pot, to
identify its contents.

It may reveal crucial
information about this

Person's preparations
for the afterlife.

Alejandro: It's amazing.

Narrator: This body's
tattered remains suggest
it was not fully mummified.

So why in this necropolis
for the rich and powerful, is
there such a modest burial?

Narrator: Just outside
the valley of the kings,
in dra' abu el-naga,

American egyptologist
suzanne onstine

Hopes studying mummification
methods will reveal how the

Physical body would play a
vital role in the afterlife.

Suzanne: Every day when
I come into the tomb,

I'm reminded of my
responsibility for
it so that we can

Consolidate and preserve what's
there for future generations.

Narrator: So far, suzanne
has found the remains
of over 200 bodies here.

Suzanne: When a man named
paneshy and his wife tarenu

Built the tomb they
intended it just for them.

But what we found is that
about 1000 years of other
people used the tomb

For their place of
burial as well.

Narrator: Suzanne spots
something remarkable
in the body parts:

They've been skewered
with wooden dowels.

Suzanne: The stick has
been inserted into the
spinal column in order

To help them to stand up
straight in the afterlife.

Arthritis would have been a
problem, so the afterlife they
wanted to be free of that,

And this is how they
address that situation.

Narrator: But it wasn't
only corrective surgery that
was performed after death.

Suzanne: This is a false limb.

These are prosthetics
for the afterlife.

What they've done is they've
mummified a bundle of sticks
in order to replace an arm.

In the afterlife you wanna be
whole and complete, that's the
whole point of mummification,

Is so that your body can
be recognized by your soul and
so that it's free of ailments.

This is a really good example
of how far they're willing
to take this practice.

Perhaps this person had a
congenital birth defect
and was missing an arm,

But for the afterlife
he has one.

Narrator: Suzanne's discovery
reveals the lengths that the
ancient egyptian's went to for

An improved life after death.

Suzanne: You know that the
embalmer talked to the family
and the family said, you know,

'dad had some
really bad arthritis,
could we do something

To help him out
in the afterlife?'

They're taking care
of their loved ones.

Man: Oh...
Suzanne: That fits.

(speaking arabic).

Suzanne: Very nice.

(speaking arabic).

Narrator: Suzanne has
found another burial ritual
that aided the deceased.

The tombs were filled with
objects that would come
to life in the underworld,

Magical servants
called shabti's.

Suzanne: When you go to
the afterlife you want it
to be easy and beautiful,

But if there's work to be
done, someone has to do
it and that's this guy,

The shabti figure.

It was the custom to include
about 365 of these figures,
and all of these figures then

Would have been part of a
regular burial assemblage.

Narrator: Shabtis would
often be inscribed with
the name of the departed.

This made them the eternal
servants of the deceased.

Suzanne: They also have
working implements for doing
the agricultural labor.

So, this guy is ready to
go to work at a moment's
notice in the afterlife.

Narrator: But almost every
one of the shabti figurines
has been smashed to pieces,

Along with the
mummies themselves.

This can only mean one
thing, grave robbers.

Narrator: In aswan, martina
is investigating the burial of
an unknown ancient egyptian.

The grave is small and
unadorned, highly unusual
for burials on this site.

She's hoping a forensic
analysis of the skeleton
will reveal more information.

(speaking spanish).

Martina: So right now, the
work, taking off the bandages,
registering what's there.

Martina: Yeah.

Martina: Can you
tell me the age?

Martina: Wow.

The average age or life
expectance was about 25,

And because far more many women
died during the childbirth.

When you have someone
who's over 70 it's...

I don't want to say a
surprise, but it's nice to
know and it's nice to get

Finally someone
who was really old.

Narrator: This woman lived
an exceptionally long life,

But it's a mystery why she's
not been properly mummified.

They carefully remove the
bones, so experts in the lab

Can continue to
analyze the skeleton.

Narrator: Now the team must
find more clues to figure
out why in a cemetery for the

Rich, this lady had
such a simple burial.

Back at base, it's a rare
opportunity to relax.

For alejandro, it's a
chance to call home.

Narrator: Each year,
alejandro spends four
months away from home.

Alejandro: You miss home,
obviously but I have the
privilege, err,

To work in something that
many millions would like to,

To work, and I'm not
going to complain,

But at the same time it's hard.

I missed the birth of my
eldest daughter and this is
something that my wife will

Not forgive me, and I
will not forgive myself.

Narrator: Just outside
the valley of the kings,

Suzanne and her team are
cataloging a collection of

Mummies that have been ripped
apart by ancient looters.

Suzanne: There would have been
probably up to 200 individuals
who were buried here in

Coffins and very nicely
laid out and cared for
by their families, err,

And in the, the looting process
this was all dismantled.

Narrator: Ancient egyptians
believed that to enter the
afterlife, the body must

Survive whole, but for tomb
robbers nothing was sacred.

Suzanne: The looting process
is really, really devastating.

Bodies were destroyed,
ripped apart, unwrapped
and left higgledy-piggledy

Everywhere in the tomb.

Narrator: These tomb
raiders were hunting for
something very precious.

The ancient egyptians believed
magical amulets could help

The deceased's soul
reach the afterlife.

One of these was shaped
like a scarab beetle,

Vital for surviving the
trials of the underworld.

Here, the god anubis would
test the dead's worthiness,

Weighing their heart
against a feather.

If the heart was heavier, it
was evidence of an evil life,
and would be devoured by a

Crocodile-headed monster,
trapping the soul forever.

But the scarab
amulet could help.

If priests placed it inside
the mummified body,

It would ensure success in
the heart-weighing trial.

Suzanne: In trying to protect
the body for the resurrection,

They would have put all these
magical symbols inside.

Narrator: But for robbers,
this made the mummies
highly-profitable targets.

Suzanne: They know exactly
what should be inside, and
they went right for it.

Narrator: Suzanne has
evidence of an especially
gruesome looting attack.

Suzanne: This individual
demonstrates the looting
process in a very personal

Way, and you can see it's the
torso of an individual just
with part of the leg attached,

And there's no
bandages left on him.

This jagged side is where
someone put their fist through
in order to get into the

Cavity and take
out any amulets.

Narrator: This poor soul may
no longer have protection in
the afterlife, but for suzanne

The looting has created
a unique opportunity.

Suzanne: While its
devastating, the amount of
information that we can get

From bodies that are already
unwrapped is far greater than
if they are wrapped because it

Allows us to have a
really good chance at
visual examination.

Narrator: Her remarkable
discovery of corrective
surgery after death, and

Mummified prosthetic
limbs, is one of the
biggest of its kind.

It reveals new levels of
obsession with living a
better life after death.

In the valley of the kings,

Deep within the tomb
of seti the first,

Experts in ancient inscription,
john and colleen darnell,

Are examining the
elaborate hieroglyphs.

They want to find out
how pharaoh seti planned
to reach the afterlife.

John: This is a
great text here.

Narrator: Each text plays a
specific role on the journey.

(reading ancient egyptian).

Colleen: Yeah that's great.

John: Yeah, then those who
are in this gate scream when
they hear the door slam shut.

Narrator: They've found one
of the most important texts
for safe passage through the

Netherworld, called
the "book of gates."

John: This is one of the
gates in the book of gates,

And this shows something of how

Egyptian religious
texts really often work.

Absolutely crucial for
literally navigating
the netherworld.

Narrator: The images of
the afterlife texts reveal
just how treacherous

Seti's voyage through the
underworld could be.

The journey was split into
12 gates, representing
the 12 hours of the night.

Each held a challenge
the dead must overcome.

The pharaoh's soul used
spells and passwords
inscribed on the walls,

To continue his journey.

Without the right guidance,
seti's soul could be cast
into a sea of fire,

To endure an
eternity of torment.

Colleen: Everything that these
texts are talking about is

Ensuring the eternal
existence of the king.

Narrator: They've now made
it to the most sacred of all
the chambers in the tomb,

Where the pharaoh's body
was finally laid to rest.

John: So here we're in the
sarcophagus room in the
tomb of seti the first.

We're in the final
major architectural
element of the tomb.

This, for the ancient egyptians
is the equivalent for the soul

Of sort of a spacecraft,
it gets you out of the
terrestrial realm and

Puts you beyond into
this other reality.

Narrator: Pharaoh seti
the first, built his
tomb deep underground,

So his soul could
traverse the netherworld.

Religious texts carved on
the walls of the tomb,

Ensured the king had
the passwords he needed

To travel into the afterlife.

Inside the burial chamber,
a giant stone sarcophagus.

This was inscribed with
the book of gates, and held
seti's mummy and amulets.

These gave him the
guidance needed to
pass through the gates,

And achieve immortality.

John: For the egyptians
you have to know all of this
information but then you have

To use it, you have to say
the spells, you don't just
read the book, you enact it.

And you don't just
have the amulet, you
use it in the right way,

To get the dead king
into the afterlife.

Colleen: And the text and the
scenes and the hieroglyphs

All make this tomb a
resurrection machine.

John: The ancient egyptians
would love the fact that
modern people were so

Interested in what they
did and what they thought.

They really believed that
the memory of the dead,

Thinking about the dead
would improve the future
existence of the soul.

Narrator: As a pharaoh,
egyptians spared no expense

To grant seti safe
passage to the afterlife.

But even ordinary egyptians
made sure they were prepared.

In aswan, martina and the
team have finished analyzing

The contents of the
pot discovered with
the elderly lady.

Martina: We found little
stone chips, and fragmented
insects and that's all.

Narrator: The insect
remains indicate it could
have contained food,

As an offering to the deceased.

Martina: The offerings were
usually placed near the head.

It can provide the deceased
with the liquids for
its use in the afterlife.

Narrator: The remains of bone
and fabric show this person
was only partially mummified.

Alejandro has a
theory about why,

In a graveyard for the rich,
there was such a modest burial.

Alejandro: Royal tombs are...

In the valley of the
kings are fully decorated
with rich and great goods.

But the absence in this burial
seems to indicate that this
person did not belong to a

High position in
the, in this society.

She might be a person who
worked for important people
and perhaps her position was

To continue assisting those
people after the death.

Narrator: This elderly
lady may have been a
servant or a nurse

For one of the powerful
families buried here.

Alejandro: We are working
to understand the past.

The discovery of the
intact chamber, it's always
a moment to remember.

But now we have to study all
the material that we have,

And this is exciting,
at least for me.

Narrator: Rich or poor,
ancient egyptians did
everything they could

To prepare for the afterlife.

The relics, rituals and
remains they left behind

Are now giving archaeologists

An insight into this
extraordinary society,

Unraveling the mysteries
of the afterlife to this day.

Captioned by cotter
captioning services.