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(XiveTV theme)
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- [Narrator] Ancient Egypt.
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For over 3,000 years,
the world's most vibrant
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and puzzling civilization
flourished through war and peace.
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The Egyptians built great
cities, enduring monuments.
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They advanced mathematics and technology.
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Their astonishing legacy
survives to this day.
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Despite all their
brilliant accomplishments,
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the Egyptians seemed fixated
on one singular idea,
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their own deaths.
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No other culture invested
so much in the afterlife.
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Now, experts are unraveling the secret
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of this seemingly morbid obsession,
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by examining Egypt's most
elaborate tomb-builder,
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Ramses the Great.
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They're discovering how
the ancients crafted
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an intricate balance between
the world of the living
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and what lies beyond.
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Strange as it seems, Egypt's
celebration of death might hold
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the secret to the culture's longevity.
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Egypt, more than 3,000 years ago.
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Pharaoh Seti I is dead.
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Mourning priests and wailing women gather
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in the Valley of the Kings
to escort their leader
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to his resting place.
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His heir, Ramses, watches the
Opening of the Mouth ritual,
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to awaken the corpse's
senses in the afterlife.
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For a few moments more,
Seti still rules Egypt.
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Ramses can assume the throne
only after his father is buried
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and becomes a god.
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(dramatic music)
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The son inherits a powerful empire,
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where he'll rule over
millions of subjects.
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(dramatic music)
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People travel across
the country to worship
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their new pharaoh.
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Ramses' reign will span
an incredible 66 years,
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and he'll live longer than
most every other pharaoh,
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even outliving many of
his sons and daughters.
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Like all Egyptian rulers,
he'll spend much of his life
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planning for his death.
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Almost as soon as he takes the throne,
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he starts designing his tomb,
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insisting that it be more
magnificent than his father's.
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(dramatic music)
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But it should be at the same place,
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the Valley of the Kings,
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where generations of Egyptian
rulers began their journey
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to the afterlife.
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Ramses chooses a spot for his tomb,
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and appoints his royal scribe, Ramose,
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to be sure it's built properly.
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(dramatic music)
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Ramose is now one of the
most important people
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in the pharaoh's life,
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because he is responsible
for the pharaoh's afterlife.
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He will oversee every detail
of the massive royal tomb.
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Just after the pharaoh ascends the throne,
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laborers have already
started construction.
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The limestone vaults are still being dug,
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but now by Egyptologists.
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And perhaps no one knows
the Valley of the Kings
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better than Kent Weeks,
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who discovered the elaborate
burial complex of Ramses' sons.
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For 30 years, he and his
colleagues have carefully measured
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and mapped every underground chamber
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in order to conserve them.
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- The Egyptians were well
aware that there was no way
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anyone could predict how long a person,
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even a pharaoh, would live.
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And so, it was considered desirable
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to begin work on his
tomb early in his reign,
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so that, God forbid, he should die young,
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the process of burial
and the process of him
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making the journey into
the next life can begin
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without any delays.
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- [Narrator] The geography
of their country explains
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why death so obsessed the Egyptians.
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A small stripe of a
vivid and fertile land,
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surrounded by deadly deserts,
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Egypt seemed perched on the
threshold of life and death.
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(wind whistling)
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Long before the days of the Pharaohs,
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people here would have
noticed a peculiar phenomenon.
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(wind whistling)
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Corpses don't decay in
the dry scorching sand.
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Even after decades,
they stay almost intact.
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And if flesh can be
preserved indefinitely,
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maybe life can be too.
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- Once the body, the flesh is divorced
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from the clean desert sand,
it starts to deteriorate,
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and so perhaps when the
Egyptians came upon these bodies,
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they realized that they
really needed to do something
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to actively protect the
body, to preserve it
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so that the soul could
use it for eternity.
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- [Narrator] At the American
University of Cairo,
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Egyptologist, Salima
Ikram, and her students try
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to reconstruct the ancient
craft of mummification.
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Embalmers not only preserved
humans, but animals too.
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The students, with only sketchy
2,000-year-old instructions,
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rely on trial and error,
just as the Egyptians did.
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- In order to preserve the body,
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because they believed your
soul really needed the body
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to continue on into the afterlife,
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the Egyptians started to
experiment in different ways
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until they came up, ultimately,
with this mummification,
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which is the kind of mummification
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probably most commonly
practiced from about 1400,
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1500 BC, onward.
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- [Narrator] At first,
the corpse lays in natron,
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a natural desert salt.
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It has to be frequently changed
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until the mummy completely dries out.
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This could take up to 40 days.
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The students skip the ancient incantations
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while rubbing seven sacred
oils into the mummy's skin
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to keep it supple.
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The whole process might take 70 days,
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and then the mummy's ready for
wrapping in linen bandages.
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Over the millennia,
countless creatures got
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the royal mummy treatment,
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even crocodiles, the
holy animals of the gods.
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Some kings even took their beloved pets
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with them to the grave.
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And that reveals something about
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how the Egyptians
envisioned the afterlife.
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The city of Abydos was the
site of the cult of Osiris,
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the god of death and resurrection.
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In Ramses' time, thousands of
people came here every year
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to honor this god and
pray for eternal life.
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Even the new pharaoh and his
great royal wife, Nefertari
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make the pilgrimage.
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Like all visitors, they bring offerings
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to the sanctuary of Osiris.
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2,000 years before the
Valley of the Kings,
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Egypt's first pharaohs built
their cemetery in Abydos.
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The graves have been excavated
and looted many times,
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but archeologist, Gunter
Dreyer, still finds
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tiny funerary objects in the sand,
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like these models of garlic,
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that the deceased would
carry into the afterlife.
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The Egyptians apparently
saw the next world
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as identical to this world.
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Burial goods included
wine jars, arrowheads,
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small containers shaped like animals,
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and other familiar objects
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to make the afterlife comfortable.
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- [Translator] They didn't
always take real offerings
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into the grave, because they decay
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and wouldn't last for eternity.
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So they started to make models
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that represent those offerings
and worked just as well.
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Apart from clay models of
garlic, bread, or meat,
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we've often found models of poppy heads.
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Probably they hoped the deceased
would enjoy pleasant dreams
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in eternity.
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- [Narrator] The artifacts in
Abydos reveal how Egyptians
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imagined eternal life.
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From the ruins, Gunter
Dreyer and Martin Zasloff
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of the German Archeological
Institute, carefully reconstruct
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early royal burials.
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The way these tombs were
constructed suggests
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that very early, even two
millennia before Ramses,
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people had a solid concept
of life after death.
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The burial plots of the
ancient pharaohs are laid out
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like palaces for the next life.
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Deep inside the tomb, straw
mats line the main chamber,
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and a large wooden ark holds
the pharaoh's gilded coffin.
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The chamber was stocked
with food and jugs of beer
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for his journey to the next world.
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Archeologists also found the burial rooms
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for the pharaoh's courtiers,
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who had to die to serve
their departed king.
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(dramatic music)
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From nature, the Egyptians
learned that all life
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follows an eternal rhythm.
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(dramatic music)
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If the sun rises every morning,
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if the Nile floods every year,
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if grain springs from
the earth every summer,
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then it must be possible for
humans to rise from the dead.
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Tomb architecture expresses
this shining optimism.
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From a side chamber with
a statue of the pharaoh,
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a staircase rises to the west.
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From here, the departed
king would begin the journey
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of a lifetime, to the empire of the dead.
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The tomb's surface,
covered with cedar beams
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and straw matting, is
topped by a sand hill,
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a symbol of resurrection.
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- [Translator] A light motif
is that life is cyclical,
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and begins over and over
again, and thus, eternal.
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Every effort is made to help the dead
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with their resurrection.
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Therefore they build primal
hills on top of the tombs,
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symbols of life's creation,
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from which the dead could revive,
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and those elements become pyramids.
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- [Narrator] The creation
myth says all life emerged
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from the primordial ocean.
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As the water slowly drained,
it revealed the first piece
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of land, the primeval mound.
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The Egyptians relived
that genesis every year,
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as the Nile ebbed and
exposed fertile land,
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the promise of life's return.
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As the hill on the graves reached skyward,
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it became more abstract.
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In just four centuries,
the little mound grew
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into the Pyramid of Giza.
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Egypt's primal symbol became the pinnacle
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of architectural genius.
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(dramatic music)
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No civilization in the world
ever invested so much time
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and resources into tomb-building.
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But the investment in the afterlife,
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paid off in the here and now,
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based on what Egyptologist
Mark Lehner has found.
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He and his colleagues unearthed
a huge town surrounding
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the site of the giant pyramids.
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What he believes to be the birthplace
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of the Egyptian nation.
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- Certainly, the pyramids
had a large part in creating
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an identity, I think.
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They had to have been a socializing force,
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creating identity on a national scale.
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Egyptians is Egyptians,
whether north or south.
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- [Narrator] An incomparable
collective achievement,
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the Pyramid of Giza becomes
the tallest building
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in the world, unsurpassed
for almost 4,000 years.
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Over more than two decades,
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00:14:40,395 --> 00:14:43,885
countless workers built
this enormous site,
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which celebrates the
immortality of the pharaoh.
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These monuments express the cosmic order,
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which the king has to
preserve for the common good,
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even in the afterlife.
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Every Egyptian yearns for eternity,
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00:14:59,989 --> 00:15:03,817
but only the god, Osiris,
ruler of the Underworld,
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judge and god of the dead,
determines who is worthy.
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00:15:12,562 --> 00:15:16,206
Ramses beseeches Osiris
to grant him a long life,
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because he has ambitious
plans to extend Egypt's power
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and build his legacy.
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(somber music)
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And for that, he needs time.
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(somber music)
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Over the millennia, millions
of people come to Abydos.
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Countless fragments of
sacrificial bowls bear witness
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00:15:47,367 --> 00:15:51,534
to their belief in Osiris,
and in life after death.
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00:15:54,835 --> 00:15:58,370
Traditionally, some people
used bowls like these
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to write letters to their dead relatives,
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asking for help or advice.
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The content dealt with
everyday occurrences.
251
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:09,335
- There are letters
where a woman will come
252
00:16:09,335 --> 00:16:12,639
to her deceased husband's
tomb, and she'll say,
253
00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:15,532
"Excuse me, didn't you say
that your son should inherit
254
00:16:15,532 --> 00:16:16,762
"these plots of land?
255
00:16:16,762 --> 00:16:18,300
"Now, look, your brother's
coming and saying
256
00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:20,450
"that it's his son's."
257
00:16:20,450 --> 00:16:22,920
Or a woman will come and she will say
258
00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:27,920
to her deceased parents,
"Please help me conceive.
259
00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:31,503
"Don't you want your
household to live on?"
260
00:16:32,678 --> 00:16:36,480
- [Narrator] Ramses struggles
with greater concerns.
261
00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:39,012
He yearns to become the
most powerful pharaoh
262
00:16:39,012 --> 00:16:40,833
the world has ever seen,
263
00:16:40,833 --> 00:16:43,275
and starts by immortalizing himself
264
00:16:43,275 --> 00:16:46,406
with epic construction projects.
265
00:16:46,406 --> 00:16:49,995
He has to prove himself at Thebes.
266
00:16:49,995 --> 00:16:53,652
The city is already Egypt's showcase,
267
00:16:53,652 --> 00:16:56,235
with more than 50,000 citizens.
268
00:16:57,410 --> 00:17:01,082
At its center stands the
great Temple of Karnak,
269
00:17:01,082 --> 00:17:03,980
the most sacred place in the kingdom,
270
00:17:03,980 --> 00:17:07,647
because it's home to
the imperial god, Amun.
271
00:17:09,826 --> 00:17:14,210
At Karnak, Ramses' predecessors
built monumental pylons,
272
00:17:14,210 --> 00:17:16,627
a sacred lake and boulevards.
273
00:17:17,702 --> 00:17:19,394
On the west side of the river,
274
00:17:19,394 --> 00:17:21,630
stand the gigantic mortuary temples
275
00:17:21,630 --> 00:17:23,713
of the deceased pharaohs.
276
00:17:24,744 --> 00:17:28,069
How can Ramses surpass all this?
277
00:17:28,069 --> 00:17:32,077
How can he leave behind
an even greater legacy?
278
00:17:32,077 --> 00:17:35,494
He has the resources, he just needs time.
279
00:17:38,671 --> 00:17:41,129
As if obsessed, he starts with his tomb,
280
00:17:41,129 --> 00:17:43,760
carefully planning it to the last detail.
281
00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,260
The work will take many years.
282
00:17:47,778 --> 00:17:50,626
He relies on specialists, master builders,
283
00:17:50,626 --> 00:17:52,615
masons, craftsmen.
284
00:17:52,615 --> 00:17:54,695
They have their own department
in the administration
285
00:17:54,695 --> 00:17:56,244
of southern Egypt.
286
00:17:56,244 --> 00:18:00,411
They report to Ramose, who
reports to the pharaoh.
287
00:18:03,153 --> 00:18:05,924
To finalize the layout
of the tomb's interior,
288
00:18:05,924 --> 00:18:08,066
Ramose presents a floor plan,
289
00:18:08,066 --> 00:18:10,686
noting all corridors and
halls they want to dig
290
00:18:10,686 --> 00:18:14,402
for Ramses in the Valley of the Kings.
291
00:18:14,402 --> 00:18:17,737
Stone tombs demand perfect planning.
292
00:18:17,737 --> 00:18:20,776
Anything less would jeopardize
the pharaoh's chances
293
00:18:20,776 --> 00:18:22,943
of reaching the afterlife.
294
00:18:24,035 --> 00:18:27,753
It's an enormous responsibility
for Ramose to shoulder,
295
00:18:27,753 --> 00:18:30,586
but Pharaoh puts his trust in him.
296
00:18:35,632 --> 00:18:37,923
Like any royal burial vault,
297
00:18:37,923 --> 00:18:40,555
the crypt is more than a resting place.
298
00:18:40,555 --> 00:18:43,146
It also preserves the world order
299
00:18:43,146 --> 00:18:46,006
and must not be desecrated.
300
00:18:46,006 --> 00:18:49,089
(suspenseful music)
301
00:18:52,385 --> 00:18:53,718
Deep drop-shafts
302
00:18:56,555 --> 00:18:58,423
and fake walls are designed
303
00:18:58,423 --> 00:19:00,940
to foil grave robbers.
304
00:19:00,940 --> 00:19:04,656
The royal mummy must stay hidden forever.
305
00:19:04,656 --> 00:19:06,875
The pharaoh needs his
body to cross the borders
306
00:19:06,875 --> 00:19:08,458
to eternity.
307
00:19:08,458 --> 00:19:11,708
Without a mummy, there is no afterlife.
308
00:19:12,642 --> 00:19:15,725
(suspenseful music)
309
00:19:17,049 --> 00:19:21,503
The unfinished reliefs in the
front of the tomb are a bluff,
310
00:19:21,503 --> 00:19:25,518
so burglars think the grave wasn't used.
311
00:19:25,518 --> 00:19:28,669
A hidden floor leads
to the burial chamber,
312
00:19:28,669 --> 00:19:31,577
which conceals the pharaoh's sarcophagus.
313
00:19:31,577 --> 00:19:34,660
(suspenseful music)
314
00:19:36,861 --> 00:19:40,075
Beneath the mummy, another
enormous tunnel leads
315
00:19:40,075 --> 00:19:42,992
to the Underworld and eternal life.
316
00:19:44,375 --> 00:19:47,458
(suspenseful music)
317
00:19:49,989 --> 00:19:54,556
The tomb-builders lived in
a village called Set Maat,
318
00:19:54,556 --> 00:19:59,014
or Place of the World Order,
near the Valley of the Kings,
319
00:19:59,014 --> 00:20:02,933
on a dry and unwelcoming patch of ground.
320
00:20:02,933 --> 00:20:05,822
Despite being only a few
kilometers from Thebes,
321
00:20:05,822 --> 00:20:09,989
workers here are completely
cut off from the outside world.
322
00:20:12,263 --> 00:20:15,680
- One theory is that the
ancient Egyptians who lived here
323
00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,454
were sequestered because
they were involved in work
324
00:20:18,454 --> 00:20:19,704
on royal tombs,
325
00:20:20,676 --> 00:20:24,651
and what they were doing
had to be kept confidential.
326
00:20:24,651 --> 00:20:27,233
Not all Egyptologists like that idea.
327
00:20:27,233 --> 00:20:30,100
Another theory is that they
were working with raw materials
328
00:20:30,100 --> 00:20:33,319
of great value, silver, and
gold, and ebony, and ivory,
329
00:20:33,319 --> 00:20:36,675
and other precious materials
that had to be watched over.
330
00:20:36,675 --> 00:20:39,738
And here in this walled-in
community with guards
331
00:20:39,738 --> 00:20:42,404
on the only entrance, it
would have been possible
332
00:20:42,404 --> 00:20:46,487
to better protect these
raw materials from theft.
333
00:20:47,902 --> 00:20:50,991
- [Narrator] In Ramses' time, 25 families,
334
00:20:50,991 --> 00:20:54,432
Egypt's most talented
artists and craftsmen lived
335
00:20:54,432 --> 00:20:56,849
in the 80 houses of Set Maat.
336
00:20:57,721 --> 00:21:00,536
All their food and tools must
be carried over the mountains
337
00:21:00,536 --> 00:21:04,059
to their village and Ramose
records each delivery
338
00:21:04,059 --> 00:21:07,850
in great detail, before
handing out the supplies.
339
00:21:07,850 --> 00:21:10,600
(people talking)
340
00:21:13,586 --> 00:21:18,307
At Set Maat, Ramose is the
pharaoh's eyes and ears.
341
00:21:18,307 --> 00:21:21,841
Maintaining order here so
that Pharaoh would be able
342
00:21:21,841 --> 00:21:25,107
to claim his place in the world beyond.
343
00:21:25,107 --> 00:21:28,107
(people chattering)
344
00:21:29,407 --> 00:21:31,115
- This is a house very much like the house
345
00:21:31,115 --> 00:21:33,511
that Ramose probably lived in.
346
00:21:33,511 --> 00:21:36,044
He was certainly a VIP in this village.
347
00:21:36,044 --> 00:21:38,967
Being in charge of the
workforce carving and decorating
348
00:21:38,967 --> 00:21:41,022
the tomb of Ramses II,
349
00:21:41,022 --> 00:21:43,978
he was one of the most
important people around here.
350
00:21:43,978 --> 00:21:46,167
And one could assume that he
would come into this house
351
00:21:46,167 --> 00:21:49,143
at the end of the day
and kiss his loving wife,
352
00:21:49,143 --> 00:21:51,199
climb these stairs up to the roof,
353
00:21:51,199 --> 00:21:54,502
where he could relax in the
sweet breath of the north wind
354
00:21:54,502 --> 00:21:57,613
while his wife, down here in the kitchen,
355
00:21:57,613 --> 00:22:01,679
heated up the oven, baked
some fresh bread for him,
356
00:22:01,679 --> 00:22:04,125
added some spices for
dipping, and took those,
357
00:22:04,125 --> 00:22:08,533
and a couple of bowls of rather
thick beer up to the roof,
358
00:22:08,533 --> 00:22:11,943
for Ramose, her husband, to
relax at the end of the day.
359
00:22:11,943 --> 00:22:14,814
All of this, of course,
accompanied by screaming children
360
00:22:14,814 --> 00:22:17,896
and barking dogs and the
usual things that one finds
361
00:22:17,896 --> 00:22:20,938
in villages in Egypt even today.
362
00:22:20,938 --> 00:22:22,765
- [Narrator] Much of
what we know about Ramose
363
00:22:22,765 --> 00:22:26,930
and this village, was pulled
from the village rubbish pit.
364
00:22:26,930 --> 00:22:30,276
Egypt's trash is an
archeologist's treasure.
365
00:22:30,276 --> 00:22:33,266
Thousands of pottery shards
speak volumes about life here
366
00:22:33,266 --> 00:22:35,433
more than 3,000 years ago.
367
00:22:40,527 --> 00:22:44,779
These fragments of clay and
limestone were once notebooks
368
00:22:44,779 --> 00:22:46,361
and sketch pads.
369
00:22:46,361 --> 00:22:49,513
They show how the villagers lived.
370
00:22:49,513 --> 00:22:51,596
A mother suckling a baby.
371
00:22:53,069 --> 00:22:57,839
A woman applying make-up
in front of the mirror.
372
00:22:57,839 --> 00:22:59,922
A young boy tending pigs.
373
00:23:04,204 --> 00:23:06,121
A farmer leading a cow.
374
00:23:10,187 --> 00:23:13,205
A worker's life isn't easy.
375
00:23:13,205 --> 00:23:16,947
Ramose and his men trudge four
kilometers down a narrow pass
376
00:23:16,947 --> 00:23:20,877
to the work site in the
Valley of the Kings.
377
00:23:20,877 --> 00:23:24,714
Donkeys carry their tools,
their bread, their beer,
378
00:23:24,714 --> 00:23:27,393
and everything they need
for their 10-day work week
379
00:23:27,393 --> 00:23:29,226
away from the village.
380
00:23:30,673 --> 00:23:32,162
They make their camp at the foot
381
00:23:32,162 --> 00:23:34,662
of a gigantic natural pyramid.
382
00:23:38,735 --> 00:23:42,902
Ramose records his inventory
and notes who's sick,
383
00:23:48,479 --> 00:23:50,510
reporting on who's on leave
384
00:23:50,510 --> 00:23:53,596
and how the project's progressing.
385
00:23:53,596 --> 00:23:57,296
Women generally aren't
part of the workforce.
386
00:23:57,296 --> 00:24:00,922
Ramose's wife, Mutemwia,
sometimes brings wine or dates
387
00:24:00,922 --> 00:24:05,089
from the village, a welcome
change from the usual fare.
388
00:24:08,785 --> 00:24:11,742
The laborers are sworn to secrecy,
389
00:24:11,742 --> 00:24:13,571
but stories of the treasures hidden
390
00:24:13,571 --> 00:24:18,150
in the Valley of the
Kings manage to slip out.
391
00:24:18,150 --> 00:24:22,659
Below ground lies a hidden
village of the dead.
392
00:24:22,659 --> 00:24:27,655
This gigantic labyrinth of
tombs held 14 generations
393
00:24:27,655 --> 00:24:30,371
of kings during Ramses' times.
394
00:24:30,371 --> 00:24:33,562
And later would contain
more than 60 so-called
395
00:24:33,562 --> 00:24:35,145
houses of eternity.
396
00:24:36,056 --> 00:24:40,210
Some lie buried more than
400 meters into the stone.
397
00:24:40,210 --> 00:24:44,108
A fortune lay concealed
inside these chambers,
398
00:24:44,108 --> 00:24:45,441
looted long ago.
399
00:24:48,433 --> 00:24:50,538
The only complete royal
grave treasure recovered
400
00:24:50,538 --> 00:24:54,128
in modern times belonged to
one of Ramses' predecessors,
401
00:24:54,128 --> 00:24:55,856
Tutankhamen.
402
00:24:55,856 --> 00:24:59,237
His tomb contained more
than 5,000 objects,
403
00:24:59,237 --> 00:25:02,404
a fortune in gold, several royal beds,
404
00:25:03,380 --> 00:25:06,213
a golden chariot, statues of gods,
405
00:25:07,761 --> 00:25:10,678
and a jeweled-encrusted
throne for the pharaoh
406
00:25:10,678 --> 00:25:13,719
who died when he was only 20 years old.
407
00:25:13,719 --> 00:25:16,469
(haunting music)
408
00:25:18,087 --> 00:25:20,155
What robber could resist the lure
409
00:25:20,155 --> 00:25:23,072
of this subterranean treasure city?
410
00:25:25,790 --> 00:25:27,117
- There were several guard houses posted
411
00:25:27,117 --> 00:25:29,154
around the Valley of the Kings.
412
00:25:29,154 --> 00:25:31,705
Because of the steep hills
that surround the valley,
413
00:25:31,705 --> 00:25:33,852
they had pretty well-unobstructed views
414
00:25:33,852 --> 00:25:36,711
and can see anybody coming into the valley
415
00:25:36,711 --> 00:25:39,802
from quite some distance away.
416
00:25:39,802 --> 00:25:41,609
- [Narrator] In spite of precautions,
417
00:25:41,609 --> 00:25:44,322
cunning robbers still
infiltrate the valley,
418
00:25:44,322 --> 00:25:46,072
unseen by the guards.
419
00:25:47,444 --> 00:25:50,018
Some even manage to break
into the royal tombs
420
00:25:50,018 --> 00:25:54,167
or the warehouses, earning
an ill-gotten fortune.
421
00:25:54,167 --> 00:25:58,010
Tomb-raiding is usually an inside job.
422
00:25:58,010 --> 00:26:00,573
With no master plan at
the Valley of the Kings,
423
00:26:00,573 --> 00:26:04,740
looters probably get information
from Ramose's workmen.
424
00:26:10,391 --> 00:26:12,211
- Stealing their goods was one thing,
425
00:26:12,211 --> 00:26:15,133
but actually to go and destroy the body,
426
00:26:15,133 --> 00:26:18,114
to take off the jewelry,
break up the coffin,
427
00:26:18,114 --> 00:26:20,296
that was considered the absolute worst,
428
00:26:20,296 --> 00:26:22,239
because these people now had also
429
00:26:22,239 --> 00:26:24,489
no chance for an afterlife.
430
00:26:25,652 --> 00:26:27,751
- [Narrator] Ramose,
ultimately responsible
431
00:26:27,751 --> 00:26:30,458
for the site security,
does all he can to find
432
00:26:30,458 --> 00:26:33,374
and punish the informers.
433
00:26:33,374 --> 00:26:37,124
(speaking foreign language)
434
00:26:38,076 --> 00:26:40,743
His failure to prevent the
plundering won't sit well
435
00:26:40,743 --> 00:26:41,743
with Ramses.
436
00:26:43,768 --> 00:26:45,922
(speaking foreign language)
437
00:26:45,922 --> 00:26:48,566
The construction of their
pharaoh's tomb has suddenly
438
00:26:48,566 --> 00:26:50,774
become a top priority.
439
00:26:50,774 --> 00:26:53,337
Egypt has mobilized for war,
440
00:26:53,337 --> 00:26:57,504
and the crew must finish
before harm comes to Ramses.
441
00:27:00,064 --> 00:27:02,897
(dramatic music)
442
00:27:04,329 --> 00:27:07,829
Danger lurks at the borders of the empire.
443
00:27:09,006 --> 00:27:12,023
The Hittites, arch-enemies
of the Egyptians,
444
00:27:12,023 --> 00:27:14,241
are expanding their territory.
445
00:27:14,241 --> 00:27:18,734
And they're getting
dangerously close to Egypt.
446
00:27:18,734 --> 00:27:22,901
Ramses, as Egypt's Commander-in-Chief,
cannot look on idly,
447
00:27:23,785 --> 00:27:26,035
as his forces gird for war.
448
00:27:28,398 --> 00:27:30,817
He must leave Queen Nefertari.
449
00:27:30,817 --> 00:27:32,627
She is only one of his many wives,
450
00:27:32,627 --> 00:27:37,252
but she is his great royal
bride, the mother of his heir.
451
00:27:37,252 --> 00:27:40,002
(haunting music)
452
00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:43,857
The vizier and the officials
will take the reigns
453
00:27:43,857 --> 00:27:47,466
of government until the pharaoh returns.
454
00:27:47,466 --> 00:27:51,055
(dramatic music)
455
00:27:51,055 --> 00:27:54,633
Ramses strikes out to the
north with 20,000 warriors,
456
00:27:54,633 --> 00:27:57,527
the biggest army Egypt has ever mustered,
457
00:27:57,527 --> 00:28:00,777
to protect the frontiers of his empire.
458
00:28:04,444 --> 00:28:07,482
After one month, they close
in on the Hittite troops,
459
00:28:07,482 --> 00:28:11,482
based near the city of
Kadesh, in today's Syria.
460
00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:18,122
In Egypt, people are worried
about the war's outcome.
461
00:28:18,122 --> 00:28:21,254
Ramses is nowhere near
achieving his grand ambition
462
00:28:21,254 --> 00:28:24,516
of constructing the
empire's greatest monuments,
463
00:28:24,516 --> 00:28:27,433
and his own tomb is far from ready.
464
00:28:30,311 --> 00:28:33,719
Because their pharaoh is
risking his life in war,
465
00:28:33,719 --> 00:28:36,963
the workers have redoubled their efforts.
466
00:28:36,963 --> 00:28:39,431
While the stone workers
smash the shafts deeper
467
00:28:39,431 --> 00:28:41,932
into the limestone at
the back of the tomb,
468
00:28:41,932 --> 00:28:46,099
the front sections are
being plastered and painted.
469
00:28:50,506 --> 00:28:53,514
Ramose drives his men relentlessly.
470
00:28:53,514 --> 00:28:56,837
(speaking foreign language)
471
00:28:56,837 --> 00:28:58,550
It isn't enough to work fast.
472
00:28:58,550 --> 00:29:00,810
They have to work carefully as well,
473
00:29:00,810 --> 00:29:04,977
because every detail of a
tomb must be exactly right.
474
00:29:05,946 --> 00:29:08,779
(dramatic music)
475
00:29:11,978 --> 00:29:14,179
- The Egyptians themselves,
I think, clearly thought
476
00:29:14,179 --> 00:29:16,955
that preparations like
the decoration of a tomb
477
00:29:16,955 --> 00:29:19,528
and the furnishing of
a tomb were essential,
478
00:29:19,528 --> 00:29:21,009
if they were going to have a safe journey
479
00:29:21,009 --> 00:29:22,592
into the afterlife.
480
00:29:24,388 --> 00:29:26,842
- [Narrator] A pharaoh's
death can bring chaos
481
00:29:26,842 --> 00:29:30,685
unless he passes successfully
to the afterlife.
482
00:29:30,685 --> 00:29:35,377
For that, the paintings and
hieroglyphics must be perfect.
483
00:29:35,377 --> 00:29:38,324
Even in death, the pharaoh
must maintain order
484
00:29:38,324 --> 00:29:40,574
in the world of the living.
485
00:29:42,488 --> 00:29:46,119
Ceiling paintings show how
the god of the sky, Nut,
486
00:29:46,119 --> 00:29:49,189
swallows the sun in the evening,
487
00:29:49,189 --> 00:29:53,495
ferries her through the 12 hours of night,
488
00:29:53,495 --> 00:29:56,503
and gives birth to her the next morning,
489
00:29:56,503 --> 00:29:58,170
heralding a new day.
490
00:30:02,617 --> 00:30:04,287
Thus, the Valley of the Kings is more
491
00:30:04,287 --> 00:30:06,204
than a royal graveyard.
492
00:30:08,081 --> 00:30:11,331
It is the engine that drives the world.
493
00:30:13,643 --> 00:30:16,476
The master builders command great respect,
494
00:30:16,476 --> 00:30:17,810
(rocks tumbling)
495
00:30:17,810 --> 00:30:20,060
but also face great danger.
496
00:30:21,456 --> 00:30:24,430
(dramatic music)
497
00:30:24,430 --> 00:30:28,097
The deep limestone
chambers can be unstable.
498
00:30:30,773 --> 00:30:32,655
Accidents happen.
499
00:30:32,655 --> 00:30:34,538
Ceilings collapse.
500
00:30:34,538 --> 00:30:37,371
(dramatic music)
501
00:30:38,228 --> 00:30:41,895
When a worker gets hurt,
construction stops.
502
00:30:43,490 --> 00:30:45,924
With Egypt at war, Ramose can't afford
503
00:30:45,924 --> 00:30:49,751
to get behind schedule, especially
since the tide of battle
504
00:30:49,751 --> 00:30:52,418
is about to turn against Ramses.
505
00:30:55,967 --> 00:30:59,026
(horse hooves thundering)
506
00:30:59,026 --> 00:31:02,087
In Syria, near Kadesh,
Ramses and his army battle
507
00:31:02,087 --> 00:31:04,837
for their empire and their lives.
508
00:31:06,745 --> 00:31:08,604
The Hittites, fierce fighters,
509
00:31:08,604 --> 00:31:10,463
have trapped the pharaoh's division
510
00:31:10,463 --> 00:31:14,133
and forced the other
Egyptian units to retreat.
511
00:31:14,133 --> 00:31:17,010
The battle turns drastically
against the Egyptians
512
00:31:17,010 --> 00:31:20,010
and Ramses hardly manages to escape.
513
00:31:20,970 --> 00:31:24,854
Knowing he can't win,
he withdraws his troops.
514
00:31:24,854 --> 00:31:28,354
(horse hooves thundering)
515
00:31:30,771 --> 00:31:34,604
After months of fighting,
he returns to Egypt,
516
00:31:35,507 --> 00:31:38,424
where people celebrate his arrival,
517
00:31:39,434 --> 00:31:43,188
but no one must ever
know what really happened
518
00:31:43,188 --> 00:31:44,771
on the front lines.
519
00:31:46,602 --> 00:31:49,019
Ramses comes home in triumph.
520
00:31:49,955 --> 00:31:52,788
(dramatic music)
521
00:31:58,028 --> 00:32:01,028
He misleads his people and the gods,
522
00:32:02,103 --> 00:32:04,426
trumpeting his victory against the enemies
523
00:32:04,426 --> 00:32:06,009
of peace and order.
524
00:32:07,142 --> 00:32:09,236
(speaking foreign language)
525
00:32:09,236 --> 00:32:11,719
And he gets aways with it,
526
00:32:11,719 --> 00:32:16,117
because the Hittites, facing
epidemics and other problems,
527
00:32:16,117 --> 00:32:18,450
also back away from the war.
528
00:32:20,276 --> 00:32:22,109
The danger has passed.
529
00:32:27,140 --> 00:32:30,412
Ramses adorns the temple
walls with propaganda,
530
00:32:30,412 --> 00:32:34,495
portraying himself as a
great conquering general.
531
00:32:37,506 --> 00:32:41,589
The images show the Hittites
bent low before him.
532
00:32:45,281 --> 00:32:47,921
But even though he may not
have been a strong commander,
533
00:32:47,921 --> 00:32:50,848
Ramses is an astute politician.
534
00:32:50,848 --> 00:32:52,723
In his 21st year as Pharaoh
535
00:32:52,723 --> 00:32:55,503
and 15 years after the battle of Kadesh,
536
00:32:55,503 --> 00:32:59,420
the Egyptians and the
Hittites negotiate peace.
537
00:33:01,522 --> 00:33:04,473
A delegation of ambassadors
brings a history-making document
538
00:33:04,473 --> 00:33:05,306
to Egypt.
539
00:33:06,911 --> 00:33:10,266
It is the world's first peace treaty,
540
00:33:10,266 --> 00:33:14,999
a 3,270-year-old document,
written in cuneiform script
541
00:33:14,999 --> 00:33:16,332
and hieroglyphs.
542
00:33:17,199 --> 00:33:20,219
Both parties sign it,
promising to help each other
543
00:33:20,219 --> 00:33:22,460
fight their enemies.
544
00:33:22,460 --> 00:33:26,479
(speaking foreign language)
545
00:33:26,479 --> 00:33:29,121
The king of the Hittites also
promises one of his daughters
546
00:33:29,121 --> 00:33:34,110
to the pharaoh, a marriage
that unites the former enemies
547
00:33:34,110 --> 00:33:36,868
closer than any document.
548
00:33:36,868 --> 00:33:39,701
(dramatic music)
549
00:33:40,564 --> 00:33:44,365
The peace between the
nations will outlive Ramses.
550
00:33:44,365 --> 00:33:47,615
The pharaoh will never go to war again.
551
00:33:50,347 --> 00:33:53,868
He dedicates himself to
erecting new temples,
552
00:33:53,868 --> 00:33:56,220
and extending old ones.
553
00:33:56,220 --> 00:33:59,053
(dramatic music)
554
00:34:00,255 --> 00:34:04,246
With every obelisk, with every cartouche,
555
00:34:04,246 --> 00:34:07,021
and figure bearing his name and likeness,
556
00:34:07,021 --> 00:34:08,938
Ramses celebrates life.
557
00:34:10,336 --> 00:34:13,169
(dramatic music)
558
00:34:21,835 --> 00:34:23,147
In his funerary temple,
559
00:34:23,147 --> 00:34:25,504
he erects the greatest granite statues
560
00:34:25,504 --> 00:34:28,277
that his people have ever seen,
561
00:34:28,277 --> 00:34:31,110
becoming Egypt's greatest builder.
562
00:34:33,515 --> 00:34:37,383
And of course, that grandeur
extends to his grave,
563
00:34:37,383 --> 00:34:40,633
the largest in the Valley of the Kings.
564
00:34:44,130 --> 00:34:47,888
With his country at peace,
and Ramses' longevity,
565
00:34:47,888 --> 00:34:50,288
Ramose and his craftsmen have ample time
566
00:34:50,288 --> 00:34:54,221
to prepare a worthy tomb for their leader.
567
00:34:54,221 --> 00:34:57,221
(people chattering)
568
00:35:01,128 --> 00:35:02,454
At the end of each work week,
569
00:35:02,454 --> 00:35:05,279
they return to their village, Set Maat.
570
00:35:05,279 --> 00:35:07,862
(somber music)
571
00:35:11,146 --> 00:35:15,313
They celebrate the weekend
with parties, and drinks.
572
00:35:17,575 --> 00:35:21,912
But even their drinking
songs are tinged with death.
573
00:35:21,912 --> 00:35:24,027
"Give your heart every day to drink,
574
00:35:24,027 --> 00:35:25,797
"until the day when you go to the land
575
00:35:25,797 --> 00:35:28,147
"that loves silence."
576
00:35:28,147 --> 00:35:31,314
(upbeat tribal music)
577
00:35:32,268 --> 00:35:35,601
For Ramose, every day is deadly serious.
578
00:35:39,397 --> 00:35:41,563
In this life, he works ceaselessly
579
00:35:41,563 --> 00:35:43,896
for the pharaoh's next life.
580
00:35:46,682 --> 00:35:50,099
But what will become of him and his wife?
581
00:35:52,103 --> 00:35:56,690
For years, Ramose and
Mutemwia have wanted children,
582
00:35:56,690 --> 00:35:59,690
but their prayers have gone unheard.
583
00:36:00,615 --> 00:36:04,819
Ramose has dedicated his
life to serving the pharaoh,
584
00:36:04,819 --> 00:36:08,878
but at the expense of
building a legacy of his own.
585
00:36:08,878 --> 00:36:11,545
Without an heir, he has nothing.
586
00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,580
The two decide to adopt a son,
587
00:36:17,172 --> 00:36:20,505
and start preparing their own monuments,
588
00:36:21,798 --> 00:36:24,131
with faith and magic charms.
589
00:36:26,805 --> 00:36:29,638
(dramatic music)
590
00:36:37,623 --> 00:36:39,569
- The most important thing
that an Egyptian often took
591
00:36:39,569 --> 00:36:43,944
into the afterlife, was
something called a heart-scarab.
592
00:36:43,944 --> 00:36:47,057
Heart-scarabs were scarabs that
were placed over the heart,
593
00:36:47,057 --> 00:36:49,553
and on them was inscribed a special spell,
594
00:36:49,553 --> 00:36:53,233
which basically said that I
did good things in this life,
595
00:36:53,233 --> 00:36:57,677
and therefore, I should be
allowed into the afterlife.
596
00:36:57,677 --> 00:37:00,184
- [Narrator] On the dangerous
path to the afterlife,
597
00:37:00,184 --> 00:37:02,688
no one escapes scrutiny.
598
00:37:02,688 --> 00:37:04,805
Osiris, the judge of the dead,
599
00:37:04,805 --> 00:37:07,774
decides the fate of the deceased.
600
00:37:07,774 --> 00:37:10,260
The heart, the home of the conscience,
601
00:37:10,260 --> 00:37:12,714
must be as light as Maat's feather,
602
00:37:12,714 --> 00:37:15,464
symbol of the goddess of justice.
603
00:37:16,562 --> 00:37:19,968
If it is heavy with
sin, Osiris bars the way
604
00:37:19,968 --> 00:37:21,385
to the afterlife.
605
00:37:24,634 --> 00:37:27,346
Only those with a pure heart will get past
606
00:37:27,346 --> 00:37:31,565
the great Devourer, a female
demon with a crocodile's head
607
00:37:31,565 --> 00:37:35,234
and a body that's half-lion, half-hippo.
608
00:37:35,234 --> 00:37:37,698
It consumes the souls of sinners,
609
00:37:37,698 --> 00:37:40,448
condemning them to eternal death.
610
00:37:42,882 --> 00:37:46,238
For the pure of heart,
the afterlife continues
611
00:37:46,238 --> 00:37:47,905
much like this life.
612
00:37:49,690 --> 00:37:52,773
Eating and parties, but work as well.
613
00:37:55,815 --> 00:37:59,312
In the world beyond,
canals must still be dug,
614
00:37:59,312 --> 00:38:01,637
and fields tilled.
615
00:38:01,637 --> 00:38:04,220
(somber music)
616
00:38:10,599 --> 00:38:13,844
But the Egyptians
devised a clever solution
617
00:38:13,844 --> 00:38:16,094
for the afterlife's tedium.
618
00:38:19,452 --> 00:38:23,619
They put ushabtis, little
figures like clones of the dead,
619
00:38:24,825 --> 00:38:26,323
into the tomb.
620
00:38:26,323 --> 00:38:28,339
When Osiris calls the deceased to work,
621
00:38:28,339 --> 00:38:30,833
the ushabtis take the job.
622
00:38:30,833 --> 00:38:35,021
It's just one detail of
the complex burial process.
623
00:38:35,021 --> 00:38:38,771
Preparing for the
afterlife was big business.
624
00:38:40,133 --> 00:38:43,457
- For the Egyptians,
funerary rituals and in fact,
625
00:38:43,457 --> 00:38:45,523
an investment in the tomb
was also quite important
626
00:38:45,523 --> 00:38:48,649
because this was a major
part of the economy,
627
00:38:48,649 --> 00:38:51,763
and all of the trade that went around it,
628
00:38:51,763 --> 00:38:54,642
and all of the workmen, the embalmers,
629
00:38:54,642 --> 00:38:56,813
the people who quarried the natron,
630
00:38:56,813 --> 00:39:00,303
who ground it up, who traded
with the frankincense,
631
00:39:00,303 --> 00:39:01,751
who brought the textiles.
632
00:39:01,751 --> 00:39:04,169
All of this was a very
important component of society
633
00:39:04,169 --> 00:39:07,431
and economy and this is also
something that was rather key
634
00:39:07,431 --> 00:39:10,889
to the whole ancient
Egyptian economic system,
635
00:39:10,889 --> 00:39:13,806
and did keep society ticking along.
636
00:39:16,723 --> 00:39:19,453
- [Narrator] At the small
cemetery of Set Maat,
637
00:39:19,453 --> 00:39:22,856
Ramose builds tombs for
his wife, his relatives,
638
00:39:22,856 --> 00:39:24,748
and his servants.
639
00:39:24,748 --> 00:39:27,283
Though a fraction of the
size of the pharaoh's,
640
00:39:27,283 --> 00:39:30,158
it's an adequate eternal
home for his family,
641
00:39:30,158 --> 00:39:32,575
and includes a small pyramid.
642
00:39:36,112 --> 00:39:38,463
Once reserved only for pharaohs,
643
00:39:38,463 --> 00:39:41,257
the pyramid's popularity
spreads among the craftsmen
644
00:39:41,257 --> 00:39:42,879
of Set Maat.
645
00:39:42,879 --> 00:39:46,032
Her cemetery grows crowded with them.
646
00:39:46,032 --> 00:39:49,656
Everyone wants to be immortal
and the afterlife is open
647
00:39:49,656 --> 00:39:51,823
to all who prepare for it.
648
00:39:53,993 --> 00:39:56,410
Ramose dies at the age of 68.
649
00:39:57,545 --> 00:40:01,443
He had worked on Ramses'
tomb for almost 40 years.
650
00:40:01,443 --> 00:40:05,610
His adopted son becomes the
new royal scribe at Set Maat.
651
00:40:07,554 --> 00:40:09,961
And though the pharaoh
has already grown older
652
00:40:09,961 --> 00:40:14,917
than many of his predecessors,
his tomb is not yet finished.
653
00:40:14,917 --> 00:40:17,385
Osiris has granted him long life,
654
00:40:17,385 --> 00:40:21,468
but now he's found this
blessing is also a curse.
655
00:40:24,571 --> 00:40:27,448
Nefertari, his beloved wife,
656
00:40:27,448 --> 00:40:30,281
and 12 of his sons die before him.
657
00:40:34,169 --> 00:40:35,611
To overcome his grief,
658
00:40:35,611 --> 00:40:39,244
Ramses plans one more massive project.
659
00:40:39,244 --> 00:40:41,611
The biggest funerary monument ever built
660
00:40:41,611 --> 00:40:44,267
in the Valley of the Kings,
661
00:40:44,267 --> 00:40:48,434
a tomb for his sons, directly
opposite his own grave.
662
00:40:54,315 --> 00:40:56,626
30 years ago, when Egyptologist Kent Weeks
663
00:40:56,626 --> 00:41:00,793
uncovered the tomb, he didn't
realize what he'd found.
664
00:41:02,306 --> 00:41:04,904
When he started with the excavation,
665
00:41:04,904 --> 00:41:08,272
at what became known as
KV5, little did he know
666
00:41:08,272 --> 00:41:10,522
he'd begun his life's work.
667
00:41:13,816 --> 00:41:16,575
- The problem with KV5 is
that it's a unique tomb.
668
00:41:16,575 --> 00:41:18,322
There's nothing like it anywhere in Egypt,
669
00:41:18,322 --> 00:41:22,392
and so we really don't have
anything to compare it with.
670
00:41:22,392 --> 00:41:24,685
Basically, we have to be meticulous
671
00:41:24,685 --> 00:41:27,901
in collecting all of the
internal evidence we have here,
672
00:41:27,901 --> 00:41:30,329
because that's going to be the only source
673
00:41:30,329 --> 00:41:33,897
of information we have to
tell us who was buried here,
674
00:41:33,897 --> 00:41:36,465
why they were buried here,
how we divide the tomb up
675
00:41:36,465 --> 00:41:40,193
into a series of individual funeral suites
676
00:41:40,193 --> 00:41:43,110
for each of the sons, and how
we try and assign functions
677
00:41:43,110 --> 00:41:44,860
to each of the rooms.
678
00:41:49,330 --> 00:41:51,095
- [Narrator] By the time
Weeks and his colleagues
679
00:41:51,095 --> 00:41:55,666
had uncovered one chamber,
they'd already found another.
680
00:41:55,666 --> 00:42:00,378
So far, they've discovered
more than 150 chambers,
681
00:42:00,378 --> 00:42:02,442
and they're far from done.
682
00:42:02,442 --> 00:42:06,609
They suspect that many of
Ramses' 45 sons were buried here.
683
00:42:10,961 --> 00:42:15,805
From a hall of columns, a
corridor leads to the side tombs.
684
00:42:15,805 --> 00:42:19,021
A statue of Ramses depicted
as the god of death
685
00:42:19,021 --> 00:42:21,021
watches over everything.
686
00:42:25,049 --> 00:42:28,000
Because centuries of storms
have destroyed the interior
687
00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:31,667
of the tombs, Weeks
found little to salvage.
688
00:42:33,681 --> 00:42:35,986
But some artifacts of
extraordinary value managed
689
00:42:35,986 --> 00:42:36,903
to survive.
690
00:42:41,370 --> 00:42:43,994
Like these bones and skulls,
691
00:42:43,994 --> 00:42:47,244
which might reveal who was buried here.
692
00:42:48,404 --> 00:42:50,769
- This, I think, is almost
certainly one of the sons
693
00:42:50,769 --> 00:42:51,602
of Ramses.
694
00:42:53,138 --> 00:42:54,283
It was found in the tomb.
695
00:42:54,283 --> 00:42:55,963
I don't know which son it is,
696
00:42:55,963 --> 00:42:59,213
but I was looking at this more closely.
697
00:43:00,281 --> 00:43:04,012
We took samples of the skulls
and we also took samples
698
00:43:04,012 --> 00:43:07,504
of the associated long
bones, which is to say,
699
00:43:07,504 --> 00:43:10,254
the bones of the arm and the leg.
700
00:43:11,638 --> 00:43:13,926
We don't have the results
yet, but I'm pretty sure
701
00:43:13,926 --> 00:43:15,809
we're going to find that
they all are members
702
00:43:15,809 --> 00:43:17,392
of the same family.
703
00:43:18,297 --> 00:43:20,797
Could be very exciting.
- Yeah.
704
00:43:24,341 --> 00:43:27,555
- [Narrator] Ramses'
greatest wish was fulfilled.
705
00:43:27,555 --> 00:43:31,671
The gods granted him almost
70 years on the throne.
706
00:43:31,671 --> 00:43:34,504
(dramatic music)
707
00:43:35,833 --> 00:43:40,366
Most Egyptians have only
known this one pharaoh,
708
00:43:40,366 --> 00:43:41,783
Ramses the Great.
709
00:43:43,817 --> 00:43:47,468
He brought them an era
of peace and wealth.
710
00:43:47,468 --> 00:43:51,113
His architectural and
political legacy has given him
711
00:43:51,113 --> 00:43:52,946
a kind of immortality.
712
00:43:53,825 --> 00:43:57,274
(dramatic music)
713
00:43:57,274 --> 00:43:59,024
He dies at almost 90.
714
00:44:01,464 --> 00:44:03,761
Unbelievable at a time when
most people didn't reach
715
00:44:03,761 --> 00:44:05,668
half that age.
716
00:44:05,668 --> 00:44:08,197
(dramatic music)
717
00:44:08,197 --> 00:44:12,030
But when he finally
passes, his tomb is ready.
718
00:44:14,206 --> 00:44:17,039
(dramatic music)
719
00:44:21,702 --> 00:44:26,163
Ramses ruled at the peak
of his people's history.
720
00:44:26,163 --> 00:44:29,117
Still today, he's considered
one of the most important
721
00:44:29,117 --> 00:44:32,245
kings of Egypt, and certainly,
722
00:44:32,245 --> 00:44:34,858
no one left a greater mark on the land,
723
00:44:34,858 --> 00:44:37,622
having built colossal temples
on the southern borders
724
00:44:37,622 --> 00:44:40,776
of the empire, and in Thebes.
725
00:44:40,776 --> 00:44:43,609
(dramatic music)
726
00:44:44,606 --> 00:44:46,894
Ramses will depart his splendid tomb
727
00:44:46,894 --> 00:44:51,061
in the Valley of the Kings
and celebrate eternal life.
728
00:44:53,402 --> 00:44:55,762
And when he reaches the afterlife,
729
00:44:55,762 --> 00:44:59,566
he will help maintain order
in the land of the living.
730
00:44:59,566 --> 00:45:02,066
That idea consoles his people.
731
00:45:05,817 --> 00:45:09,225
- Given the population of
Egypt at the time of Ramses II,
732
00:45:09,225 --> 00:45:10,762
let's assume it's a
million and a half people,
733
00:45:10,762 --> 00:45:12,333
two million people.
734
00:45:12,333 --> 00:45:16,965
Given the enormity of the
death of the only ruler
735
00:45:16,965 --> 00:45:19,465
most Egyptians had ever known,
736
00:45:20,356 --> 00:45:22,894
I would think that Egypt was in something
737
00:45:22,894 --> 00:45:25,639
of a state of chaos, of confusion,
738
00:45:25,639 --> 00:45:29,889
and people just probably
wandered about shaking their head
739
00:45:29,889 --> 00:45:34,056
and wondering what the future
held, what was in store.
740
00:45:36,046 --> 00:45:37,923
- [Narrator] After Ramses' death,
741
00:45:37,923 --> 00:45:41,423
the empire begins a slow, gradual decline,
742
00:45:43,768 --> 00:45:45,731
but the count of the dead would continue
743
00:45:45,731 --> 00:45:47,731
for another 1,500 years.
744
00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:53,127
The Egyptian way of death
even survives the Egyptians.
745
00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:58,504
When the Romans ruled Egypt,
they adopt Egyptian customs.
746
00:45:58,504 --> 00:46:01,328
Emperors crown themselves as pharaohs,
747
00:46:01,328 --> 00:46:04,311
and assume the ancient
rituals of the death cult,
748
00:46:04,311 --> 00:46:06,916
including mummification.
749
00:46:06,916 --> 00:46:10,218
Based on the stylized death
masks of the pharaohs,
750
00:46:10,218 --> 00:46:14,598
the Romans create individual
portraits of their deceased.
751
00:46:14,598 --> 00:46:18,457
The Egyptian culture could not be erased.
752
00:46:18,457 --> 00:46:21,438
- To say that ancient
Egyptian religion was a glue
753
00:46:21,438 --> 00:46:23,486
that bound its people together,
754
00:46:23,486 --> 00:46:25,562
I think is a very true statement.
755
00:46:25,562 --> 00:46:29,102
It was one of those things, far
more than a common language,
756
00:46:29,102 --> 00:46:32,617
far more than common costume
or hairdo, or whatever.
757
00:46:32,617 --> 00:46:34,855
It was one of those things
that really gave you
758
00:46:34,855 --> 00:46:38,522
an emotional bond with
your fellow Egyptian.
759
00:46:40,448 --> 00:46:43,780
- [Narrator] To the Egyptians,
life, death, and afterlife
760
00:46:43,780 --> 00:46:47,474
were all one thing, celebrated
in astonishing monuments
761
00:46:47,474 --> 00:46:49,699
that have weathered the millennia.
762
00:46:49,699 --> 00:46:52,921
Pyramids, writing, temples and graves,
763
00:46:52,921 --> 00:46:56,347
bear witness to the idea that
the people saw their country
764
00:46:56,347 --> 00:46:58,097
as paradise on Earth.
765
00:46:59,908 --> 00:47:03,193
The belief in resurrection
would outlive the Egyptians,
766
00:47:03,193 --> 00:47:08,164
finding its way into Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam,
767
00:47:08,164 --> 00:47:09,968
and in this way,
768
00:47:09,968 --> 00:47:13,635
perhaps they really did
achieve immortality.
769
00:47:15,411 --> 00:47:18,078
(upbeat music)
770
00:47:45,036 --> 00:47:47,257
(XiveTV theme)
61171
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