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I'm Alice Roberts
and I'm on an adventure
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to look at the world's oldest
and greatest civilisation.
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I'm going to be travelling the
length and breadth of Egypt by train
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00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,335
to discover its ancient past.
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I want to understand how the tombs,
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temples and pyramids
came to be made
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00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:37,815
and dig even deeper
to understand what life was like
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for the ordinary people
that made them.
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00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,535
Along the way, I'll be meeting
archaeologists who are still working
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00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:46,855
to uncover the story
of ancient Egypt.
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00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,295
I'll be looking at some
familiar sights,
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00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,895
but also learning
about brand-new discoveries.
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TRAIN HORN TOOTS
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I've left the Nile Delta
and the Pyramids far behind me now
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00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,575
and I'm traveling further south,
further upriver.
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I want to get a wider picture of
ancient Egyptian society.
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00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,815
I want to find out about
everyday life.
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But I'm also going to one of
the most iconic landscapes,
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the religious centre of Egypt
for thousands of years.
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The train from Min ya to Luxor
hugs the Nile for 230 miles.
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I'm excited to see if Luxor lives up
to its reputation
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as the world's greatest
open-air museum.
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00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,655
Known to the Greeks as Thebes
and the Egyptians as Waset,
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00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,055
this city was the religious capital
of ancient Egypt.
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The Nile, as it flows past
modern Luxor, is thronged
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with tourist boats, from little
ferries to cruise liners.
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Later on, I'll be taking
a boat trip myself,
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but first I have
a meeting across the road here.
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Lying in the north of the modern
city of Luxor is Karnak Temple,
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the biggest religious complex
in the world
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and in use for around 2,000 years.
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I'm meeting Tayeb Gharieb Mahmoud,
the temple's director.
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00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,215
Tayeb. Good morning.
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00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:17,495
Welcome. Sabah al-kheir.
Sabah al-noor.
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00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,335
How long have you been here
as director?
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00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:26,215
Actually, I started my work here
as inspector in 2000... Yeah.
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...until this moment. Really?
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00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,975
And now I am the director
of Karnak Temples.
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00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,335
That's a nice job.
40
00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,295
Which means that...more than
20 years working in Karnak.
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00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,655
Yeah. Yes, I think...
I think it's amazing.
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It's a huge complex. Yeah.
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It's not one temple.
It's more than 12 temples.
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What's this over here?
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It's shrines for
the Triad of Thebes.
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We had three main gods here.
We have the god Amun
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00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:00,415
and his consort, the goddess Mut,
the goddess of motherhood,
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00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,695
and their son, the god Khonsu,
the god of the moon.
49
00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,015
So they're not really worshipping
individual gods,
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00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,295
they're worshipping a family group?
51
00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,015
Usually, yes.
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00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,615
Every city in Egypt had this kind
of triad.
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00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:18,655
This is the main concept
in the Egyptian religion.
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00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:20,975
Yeah.
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00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,695
This statue belongs to
the King Ramesses I,
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00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:30,095
one of the most important kings
in all of the ancient world.
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00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,215
Who's the person between his legs?
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00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,015
We think this is one
of his daughters. Right.
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00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:41,215
She was so close and he wanted
to represent her with him...
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00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,095
Yeah. ..as a princess.
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00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,815
Look at those lovely lotuses. Yeah.
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00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:49,815
It's... It's papyrus flower.
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00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:52,615
Papyrus flower. Yes, this one. Ah.
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00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,175
So papyrus must have been
an important plant?
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00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,575
Exactly, exactly.
It's a kind of sacred plant, is it?
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00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,655
It was sacred because the god
Horus was hidden
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00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,255
by his mother, the goddess Isis...
Yeah.
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00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:08,375
...from his uncle,
who wanted to kill him,
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00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,295
inside the marshes of the Delta
to save him.
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00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:14,735
And the Hypostyle Hall,
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00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:19,335
it's a representation
for the marshes of the Delta.
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00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:25,135
Egyptian temples typically have
a monumental gateway
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00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,895
called a pylon,
formed of two towers.
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00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:34,255
Inside, they have open courts
surrounded by colonnades
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and a roofed hypostyle hall
full of columns,
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the best room in the house.
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Where we are right now,
this is the Hypostyle Hall
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and this is the biggest
and hugest hall all over the world.
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It's just... I mean...
It consisted of 134 columns.
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SHE GASPS
This is unbelievable.
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00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,255
I don't think I've ever seen pillars
as big as this.
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00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:04,615
This is enormous.
It's the biggest, yes,
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00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:06,935
and tallest columns in
the Egyptian civilisation.
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00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,255
Yeah. And look at the colours.
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00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:11,135
Yes, this is the original colours.
Wow!
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We are talking about
more than 3,000 years.
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00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,055
I mean, they would have been so
bright, wouldn't they?
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Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
They're bright now.
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Yes.
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And we have this project to clean
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the whole part of
the Hypostyle Hall.
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00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,015
We started just about
eight or nine months,
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and we think that we will continue
for maybe four years.
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And these were holding up a ceiling,
were they?
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00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:40,375
Yeah, exactly, exactly. Or was it
open as it is today?
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No, it had ceiling, it had roof.
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The hall in general,
it was completely dark
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because this part of the temple,
it wasn't open for anyone.
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It was for the king
and his family... Right.
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...some...the most important persons.
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00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,095
The collection of temples and
chapels at the Karnak complex
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00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,855
is architecturally impressive,
designed to awe worshippers
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00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,415
to encourage that idea
of the pharaoh
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as not just close to the gods,
but a god in his own right.
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And there's no doubt that some
of the pharaoh's power
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came from military success.
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This temple was built by
the warrior-king Thutmosis Ill,
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who ruled over a vast empire.
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King Thutmosis built this temple
as a festival hall.
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It was for the festival
after his victories.
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This king, he was a warrior. Yeah.
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And he was the winner of
the famous battle
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in the Egyptian
civilisation, Megiddo,
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00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,655
between Egypt and the Palestines.
Yeah.
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And he made this victory.
And this is his addition, then,
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the part that celebrates
his victories?
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Exactly, his victory in Palestine.
118
00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,215
Yeah. Exactly, yeah.
And expanding his empire.
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00:07:58,240 --> 00:07:59,815
Yes, exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.
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00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,215
The pharaoh's power was intimately
bound up
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with the gods worshipped
in ancient Egypt,
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and yet one revolutionary pharaoh
would attempt
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00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,655
to change all that
and create his own religion.
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00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,735
I'm exploring the
Temple of Karnak in Luxor,
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00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,215
the religious centre
of ancient Egypt.
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00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:33,135
But there was one rebel pharaoh
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who didn't want to worship
the gods here.
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His name was Akhenaten.
129
00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,535
So what happened
with Akhenaten, then?
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00:08:43,560 --> 00:08:46,135
Because he doesn't attach
himself to Ra.
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He identifies himself
with another god.
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00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:52,175
It's a very difficult
and complicated era
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in the Egyptian civilisation.
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00:08:54,240 --> 00:09:00,655
The King Akhenaten, he wanted
to unify all the gods
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00:09:00,680 --> 00:09:03,455
under the umbrella of one god,
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00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,215
to be the controller
of all the gods. Yeah.
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00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,295
And for 17 years, he tried
to do that. Yeah.
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Even he migrated Thebes to Amarna.
139
00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:16,735
So Akhenaten comes along and says,
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00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,135
“No, actually. I'm leaving..."
Exactly.
141
00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,495
“I'm leaving all this behind..."
Yes, exactly.
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00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:23,015
“I'm going to go and set up
somewhere else,
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00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,375
“I'm going to have Amarna."
Especially...
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Especially because the priests
of the god Amun,
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they tried... We think that they
tried to make some problems for him,
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even maybe they tried to kill him.
Really?
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Yes. Yeah. Do you think he thought
that the priests here at Karnak,
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the priests of Amun-Ra were becoming
too powerful?
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00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,775
Yes, of course. Yes, of course.
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00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,775
It's very clear it was the priests,
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the high priest, he was the
controller of everything in Egypt.
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Even they became the rulers
of Egypt.
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00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,935
Oh, really?
Yeah. Yeah.
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00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:05,655
So there's that very
close relationship
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00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:08,495
between religion and royalty. Yeah.
156
00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,935
And at that point, actually,
it becomes the same thing.
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00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:12,975
Yes, exactly.
158
00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,375
It seems that Akhenaten was
attempting to wrest power away
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from the high priests,
but after he died,
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Luxor was restored as the religious
centre of Egypt.
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00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:27,375
Tayeb, thank you so much for that
wonderful introduction to Karnak.
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00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,855
I mean, it's such
an astonishing place to be.
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I'm going to go and do some drawing,
I think, if that's all right?
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I thank you. It was brilliant.
I hope to see you again. Thank you.
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00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:36,175
Bye-bye. Bye.
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In 1873, Egyptologist Amelia Edwards
visited Karnak,
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writing about the temples,
but also sketching them.
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I think I've found the precise spot
where she stood to draw this view.
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I like just slowing down
and sketching
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cos it makes you look really hard.
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00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:08,495
It makes you appreciate
this architecture even more.
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00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:12,255
I love the shadows that we've got
coming through
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and the way they play on
these pillars.
174
00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:19,735
Looking at Amelia's beautiful
field sketches in her book,
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we can see that obviously there's
been more renovation since her time,
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so it does look a little different,
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00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,815
but I think we're still looking in
the same direction,
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00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:32,215
and I think that...
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00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,615
...is that crosspiece there,
part of the ceiling.
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00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,975
But then it would have been really,
really different
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going right back into ancient Egypt,
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when this whole place would have
been roofed over,
183
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so we wouldn't have had any
of this sunlight streaming through.
184
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It would have been a very dark,
mysterious place
185
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representing the marshes where
the baby Horus was hidden
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00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:00,975
to keep him safe. And that's what
these enormous pillars represent,
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00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,735
the papyrus reeds of the marsh.
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I love the way the art and the myth
are all bound up together here.
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Leaving Karnak Temple,
I find an extraordinary path,
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00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,535
a perfect straight line stretching
a mile and a half
191
00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:26,495
that will take me to
the gate of another temple.
192
00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,375
This is the Avenue of Sphinxes,
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00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:36,575
an ancient processional route
that was built over 3,500 years ago
194
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,335
and was renovated through time,
most recently in 2021.
195
00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,335
So now it's possible, once again,
to walk all the way
196
00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,455
from the Temple of Karnak
to the Temple at Luxor.
197
00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,295
It's thought that this avenue would
originally have been lined
198
00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:02,695
with over 1,000 sphinxes.
Many have been lost or damaged,
199
00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,295
but some are in remarkably
good condition.
200
00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,415
It was created for
a grand procession,
201
00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:14,335
part of the annual Opet Festival
when people would carry statues
202
00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:16,895
of gods in boats along the route.
203
00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:21,655
It's great to be able to walk
the whole distance,
204
00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:25,975
but I would not want to do this
carrying a statue.
205
00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:31,295
The festival would be held
at the time of the Nile flood,
206
00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,175
which was celebrated because it made
the land fertile.
207
00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,815
A year without a flood was
a year of famine and suffering.
208
00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,375
I think I've just passed
the halfway mark
209
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:48,855
and I'm just heading under this
road bridge,
210
00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:54,655
and I can see the Temple at Luxor
really clearly now in the distance.
211
00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,455
Walking this sacred route means I'm
approaching Luxor Temple...
212
00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,255
...the same way as the worshippers at
the Opet Festival would have done.
213
00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,695
That is almost too impressive
for words.
214
00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,295
It's fantastic.
215
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,935
At the end of the procession,
once inside the temple,
216
00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,655
rituals would take place
to emphasise the link
217
00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,135
between the god Amun
and the pharaoh.
218
00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:43,815
And I'm meeting a friend here,
219
00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,215
archaeologist
Professor Sarah Parcak.
220
00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,135
It was a festival
to celebrate regeneration,
221
00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,455
both to reinforce the power
of the gods and their rebirth
222
00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,735
and regeneration and also to
celebrate and reinforce the power
223
00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,095
of the kings and their life force
and their Ka. Yeah.
224
00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:03,535
So the kings always wanted to be
seen as absolute legitimate rulers.
225
00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,375
Yeah. They were connected
to the gods. Yeah.
226
00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,775
I think that's fascinating
that the rulers,
227
00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,495
the pharaohs were really kind
of identifying themselves
228
00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,575
with this natural annual cycle.
229
00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,455
One of the principal duties of
the king was to be
230
00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,815
the guarantor of Ma'at, this...
231
00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:23,215
So Ma'at was the goddess of balance,
and they had to provide Ma'at,
232
00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,695
they had to ensure that everything
would remain in balance,
233
00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,775
that it would flood not too much,
not too little. Yeah.
234
00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,135
You know, this Goldilocks perfect
flooding that would allow for,
235
00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:36,695
enough food to get them through the
year and to put enough in storage.
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00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,095
If the soil-enriching floods
didn't happen,
237
00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,415
the harvest would be poor,
238
00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,735
and the king would have failed
in his primary duty
239
00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:50,615
to provide for his people.
240
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,815
It's really interesting thinking
241
00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,855
about how, actually,
environmental catastrophes
242
00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,215
can cause massive
political destabilisation.
243
00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,215
We have a lot of evidence throughout
ancient Egyptian history
244
00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:08,295
of droughts happening, and one of my
own personal areas of interest
245
00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:12,695
is the end of Egypt's great pyramid
age, around 2,200 years ago.
246
00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:17,095
And around this time we have
a king called Pepi ll,
247
00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,655
who rules for over 90 years,
and what we think we see -
248
00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,175
and we have a lot of environmental
peer-reviewed evidence for this -
249
00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,655
there's a sustained period
of droughts
250
00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,135
of a period of between
50 and 100 years.
251
00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,095
There are no more foreign
expeditions.
252
00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,535
No more pyramids are built.
There's great political instability.
253
00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:36,895
Power starts flowing
to the provinces.
254
00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,695
And there's drought.
You know, it's a big problem,
255
00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:41,095
and people are probably thinking,
256
00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,495
"Well, the king promised that it was
going to flood
257
00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,335
"and where's the flood?
Why isn't it coming?" Yeah.
258
00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,935
And, you know, even new evidence has
just come out
259
00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,255
for during the reign of Cleopatra,
260
00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:58,695
in studying volcanic eruption
in Alaska of all places.
261
00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:03,495
And it probably let enough
volcanic ash into the atmosphere
262
00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,895
where it had a pretty significant
impact on global climate,
263
00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:13,415
and we have a series of sustained
droughts in Cleopatra's reign
264
00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,455
which led to a lot of instability
and they're probably connected.
265
00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,175
You know, a lot of this work is
ongoing, but I'm fascinated
266
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,215
by environmental history and how it
impacts Egyptian culture.
267
00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:29,015
Sarah is a pioneer
in space archaeology.
268
00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,815
She doesn't dig on other planets,
but she uses satellite images
269
00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,615
to find new archaeological sites.
270
00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,975
Analysing those
multi-layered images,
271
00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,735
she can pinpoint specific locations
272
00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,935
where there could be exciting new
archaeology to investigate.
273
00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:51,015
How has Egyptology as a discipline
been transformed by new technology?
274
00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:52,975
The work I do with satellites,
275
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,415
allowing us to find previously
undocumented sites
276
00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,375
or features within sites. What have
you got that you can show me, then?
277
00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,375
Let's get out my computer and, um...
278
00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:06,295
...which of the 9,000 images that
I'm currently working on.
279
00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:07,855
I might not have time
to see them all.
280
00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,375
Really? Just 8,4277
CHUCKLING
281
00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:18,015
Let's look at the Great Temple
of Ramesses lll.
282
00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,735
Where's this, then? So this is on
the west bank of Luxor,
283
00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:22,295
so this is just across from us. Oh.
284
00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:23,895
And when you have
satellite imagery...
285
00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:25,495
So this is just a visual image.
286
00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:29,655
Oh, wow, look at that.
So you have a pretty, you know...
287
00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:34,015
...a pretty good understanding. We
can see pretty clearly the temple.
288
00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:35,495
So you can see the excavated temple.
289
00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:37,855
You can see the excavated,
and there's a little bit,
290
00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,935
like there's a hint
of some mud brick walls here. Yeah.
291
00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,735
This is just basic visual imagery.
292
00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,135
This is before using
the multispectral data. Yeah.
293
00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:47,735
And a lot of what I do...
294
00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,455
Like, it sort of looks like a
gobbledygook MRI image sometimes
295
00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:56,215
and you're like, "Trust me, there's
something there." Yeah.
296
00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:57,855
There we go. Oh, wow.
297
00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:01,055
So I just made it pop a bit.
So it looks a lot clearer now.
298
00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:03,775
A lot clearer. So when you order
imagery, you can fiddle with
299
00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,895
the bands to get the information
to be much, much more clear.
300
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,255
Even, you know, looking at these
images here
301
00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:11,815
and we can see so much buried
archaeology there. Yeah.
302
00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:13,655
I often get asked, you know,
303
00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:15,655
"How much of ancient Egypt
is left to find?"
304
00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,015
And it's like, "How long is a piece
of string? How can we really know?"
305
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,695
But also I'm a nerd and so I did
the maths. And?
306
00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:26,095
In the Delta alone, we have
excavated 1/1000th of 1%
307
00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:27,895
of the total volume of sites.
ALICE GASPS
308
00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:29,175
Oh, my goodness.
309
00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,535
And that's in the Delta,
not for all of Egypt.
310
00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,215
So we know this much. We see
headlines all the time
311
00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:36,575
of the amazing discoveries being
made. Yeah.
312
00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:38,615
And it's the tip of the iceberg.
It's a tiny bit.
313
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:42,015
But it's why... I mean, I'm excited,
right? I tell my students,
314
00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:44,855
"I hope you all prove me wrong,
then I've done a good job!"
315
00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,015
I'm going on a day trip
to the other side of the Nile.
316
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,055
If Luxor on the east bank is
the land of the living,
317
00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,055
over on the west bank,
it's the land of the dead.
318
00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,495
The Theban Necropolis is over there.
319
00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:13,415
And this Nile ferry is
the best way to get there.
320
00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:27,495
Everything I've seen so far has been
on the east bank of the Nile,
321
00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:30,135
Karnak, the Temple of Luxor.
322
00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:32,615
And now I'm headed over to
the west bank
323
00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,975
and I'm going to look
at Deir el-Medina
324
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,855
and go to the Valley of the Kings
and the Valley of the Queens.
325
00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:54,655
I'm in Luxor exploring
ancient Egypt,
326
00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,575
and this time, instead of traveling
by train,
327
00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,255
I'm taking my first boat trip
on the Nile.
328
00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,535
It's a kind of timeless scene, this,
all these boats thronging the Nile.
329
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,255
And this would have been the main
transport link through Egypt,
330
00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:23,135
right from the Mediterranean
all the way up to Aswan and beyond.
331
00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,495
The flood plain of the Nile
is full of life,
332
00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,815
with trees and luscious vegetation.
333
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:55,095
Then suddenly you reach the dry
and barren higher ground.
334
00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:57,335
This is where the dead were buried.
335
00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:00,975
Up and away from the banks of
the Nile,
336
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,735
this is where the rulers of Egypt
were buried around 3,000 years ago.
337
00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:09,535
Still early, but it's hot already.
338
00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,535
But before I go to explore
the magnificent tombs
339
00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,495
of the kings and queens,
340
00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:20,495
I'm going to see a very rare
archaeological site indeed,
341
00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:23,855
one that tells us about
the lives of more ordinary folk.
342
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,335
I'm really excited to be here.
343
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:31,855
I'm just approaching
a site that I'm really desperate
344
00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,095
to have a look at, because I think
what I'm going to get here
345
00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:40,735
is the best glimpse I've had so far
of everyday life in ancient Egypt.
346
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,175
Deir el-Medina was a village
for the artisans
347
00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:54,055
who worked on the royal tombs,
and their families.
348
00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,295
It was in use for 500 years.
349
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:04,375
As you see, all the mounds
around us are limestone.
350
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:08,695
I'm with Cedric Gobeil, who's worked
extensively on excavations here.
351
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,615
Cedric, you excavated here at
Deir el-Medina for many years,
352
00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,175
so introduce me to the site.
What am I looking at here?
353
00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,455
Well, actually, what we have is
the workmen's village.
354
00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:21,535
It's almost unique in Egypt.
355
00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:26,815
So it's roughly 68 houses and these
people, their life was devoted
356
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,135
in digging and decorating
the royal tombs
357
00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,495
in the Valley of the Kings
and the Valley of the Queens.
358
00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:34,855
This is really important to know
about, isn't it?
359
00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,175
You've got the amazing temples and
you've got the fantastic tombs,
360
00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,535
but, you know, you wonder
where the population at large is.
361
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,215
And what do we learn about
their lives?
362
00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:45,975
I mean, who were they?
Are they being treated well?
363
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,015
Are they effectively slaves?
You know, what was going on here?
364
00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,535
In fact, they were absolutely
well treated.
365
00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:56,175
They were a sort
of lower-middle class elite. Right.
366
00:23:56,200 --> 00:24:00,175
Because as they were engaged in
working for the royal tomb,
367
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,495
they had to be super well treated.
368
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,855
Some of them knew how to write
and read. Really?
369
00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,455
Absolutely. Which was
actually something,
370
00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,255
you know, that only a few percentage
of the people,
371
00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:12,095
of the population was able to do.
Yeah.
372
00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:16,655
Thanks to that, we have almost
on a daily basis their life.
373
00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,015
It's called the archive
of the tomb
374
00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:23,615
and we can trace the delivery
of goods that they were receiving,
375
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,815
their salaries, their absence
from work. That level of detail?
376
00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:28,855
Absolutely. We have also census,
377
00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:32,855
so we know more or less who was
living where and with whom. Yeah.
378
00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,215
So we have a sense also
of the family.
379
00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,215
This is absolutely extraordinary.
We can trace back their life
380
00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:40,095
almost on a day-to-day basis.
381
00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:42,495
What amazing resources
for archaeologists!
382
00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:44,895
To be able to come along
and reconstruct life.
383
00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,775
It's unique. Yeah. I dare to say
it's almost unique, yes.
384
00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:49,735
So what was their life like, then?
385
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,135
I mean, were they getting salaries?
Yes.
386
00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,375
Are we looking
at that kind of arrangement? Yes.
387
00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,015
They would receive a monthly salary
388
00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,695
in the form, in the shape of goods,
389
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,015
so either, you know, you would have
oats, you would have barley,
390
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,655
you would have, then, things to eat.
Yeah.
391
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:10,735
All the products that you would need
to survive and to live very well.
392
00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,055
So we don't... It's not
a monetary economy?
393
00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:14,975
No, back then there was no money.
394
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,655
Yeah. Yeah.
395
00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,255
Cedric has found evidence
of not just how these artisans lived
396
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,975
day to day, what their houses
were like, what they ate,
397
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,975
but something quite incredible -
398
00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,295
the world's first example
of industrial action.
399
00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,535
In terms of worker's rights,
do we know anything about that?
400
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,895
You're telling me that they
received salaries.
401
00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:36,895
Could they get annoyed about how
much they were being paid?
402
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,295
Could they ask for more?
Absolutely.
403
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:44,255
I would say the most explicit
example of these rights,
404
00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:46,615
work rights, is contained
on a papyrus -
405
00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:51,415
it's called the Strike Papyrus -
and on this papyrus, it tells us
406
00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:55,975
that during the year 29 of the reign
of Ramesses lll,
407
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,815
these workmen were supposed
to receive their monthly salary,
408
00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,255
but the salary didn't show up.
409
00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,815
So what they did, they completely
put down... Downed tools?
410
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:07,735
...their chisel and mallets. Yeah.
411
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:12,655
They felt entitled enough to
complain and to go on strike. Yeah.
412
00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,135
Isn't that extraordinary?
So more than 3,000 years ago,
413
00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:19,055
we've got the first evidence
in the world of workers' rights?
414
00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,415
Absolutely. Yeah. And what about
the tombs here?
415
00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:23,855
I mean, just walking up on to
the hill looking over the village,
416
00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:27,055
we've walked past a few tombs.
Whose are these tombs, then?
417
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:28,695
Of the same workmen. Right.
418
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,215
So this is also one of the reasons
why this site is so particular.
419
00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:35,655
They were living here,
but they were also dying here. Yeah.
420
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,455
And I think thanks to your work
here, it's now possible
421
00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:41,375
to go into some of these tombs,
so can we take a look?
422
00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:43,735
Absolutely. Yeah? It would be my
great pleasure. Absolutely.
423
00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:45,695
Lead on then, yeah.
Let's do so.
424
00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:50,735
Cedric wants to show me
the tomb of the family
425
00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:54,215
of a local craftsman
called Sennedjem.
426
00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,775
He worked on the royal tombs nearby,
427
00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:00,415
but for a lowly artisan,
his own tomb is rather special.
428
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,295
The mini pyramid is
a modern reconstruction.
429
00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:12,175
But inside is the original tomb,
more than 3,000 years old.
430
00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,375
So as we go down, please mind
your head.
431
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,775
It might be a little bit,
you know, low.
432
00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:20,295
Here as well.
433
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,855
And then we finally arrive.
434
00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:28,495
And here again, please mind
your head.
435
00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:30,775
So we're quite deep here.
Absolutely.
436
00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:35,895
Oh, my goodness!
437
00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,975
No! This isn't original?
Isn't it fantastic?
438
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,335
It hasn't been...
It hasn't been restored?
439
00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:44,495
Not at all. Almost looks like it was
made yesterday.
440
00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,495
It really does.
I mean, it's just amazing.
441
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,815
How old is this?
When does this date to?
442
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:56,175
The reign of Ramesses II,
1280 BC.
443
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:57,975
More than 3,000 years ago?
444
00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,935
Yes. And we have to imagine that
445
00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:02,655
all the coffins were piled here,
the furniture.
446
00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:06,255
Just amazing. Yeah. So a whole
family interred in this tomb? Yes.
447
00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,655
Buried in all this fantastic,
decorated tomb, yes.
448
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:15,015
These decorated artisan's tombs
are highly unusual.
449
00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,335
They don't show images of daily life
450
00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:19,815
as we see with
higher-ranking officials.
451
00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:24,135
Instead, they're full of religious
and mythological themes.
452
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:29,815
This is all magical iconography
and magical text in order to ensure
453
00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,615
the transformation of
the deceased and his afterlife.
454
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,095
Yeah. So what's happening in this
image here?
455
00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:38,455
What we are looking at actually is
a scene depicting the heaven,
456
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,935
the ideal world for the Egyptians
once they were dead. Yeah.
457
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:45,375
And it's a place full of,
you know, the harvest.
458
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,295
You have trees full of fruit
459
00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:50,615
and also it's all surrounded
by water,
460
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,335
so you will never lack water.
461
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,495
Here you have the god Ra,
the sun god,
462
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,815
in his barque travelling in the sky.
463
00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,695
As you see, he's presiding
over heaven,
464
00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,095
so it means this is a place that
the sun will always shine on.
465
00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,895
On this scene, you see
the deceased and his wife
466
00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,215
and they are receiving water
and food
467
00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:13,735
from what we call the tree goddess.
Oh, she's wonderful.
468
00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:17,175
Look, she's growing out of
the trunk of a tree. Absolutely.
469
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,855
And we've got these eyes.
Are they Eyes of Horus?
470
00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,175
Wedjat eyes, exactly. Eyes of Horus.
471
00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,855
And they are magical symbols
right there
472
00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,615
to ensure the protection of this
whole scene. Yeah.
473
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,655
Something else that is quite nice
to see
474
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:36,735
is Wepwawet and Anubis,
two jackal-headed gods.
475
00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:41,135
So they are protecting the ones
who are opening the ways
476
00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,255
to the necropolis, because this is
the house of eternity
477
00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,975
and, actually, his wish is
to be able to walk from it
478
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:51,575
and come back to it for rest. Yeah.
It's almost like a real house.
479
00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,895
Yeah, yeah. And in this case,
they are protecting him.
480
00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:56,375
They're fantastic, aren't they?
481
00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:04,095
Deir el-Medina, this fascinating
workers' village, is tucked away
482
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,455
in the hills just out of sight of
the place
483
00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,615
where the people who lived
here would have gone to work.
484
00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,935
They'd have been able to do
the commute on foot,
485
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,375
presumably carrying tools and food,
486
00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,295
because just a kilometre away from
the village
487
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,735
is the royal necropolis,
the Valley of the Kings.
488
00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:25,255
It contains 63 tombs
that we know of,
489
00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:28,975
including the resting places of some
of the most well-known pharaohs
490
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:31,655
from the annals of ancient Egypt.
491
00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,335
Each tomb was carved deep
into the rock,
492
00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,495
stocked with valuable
personal possessions,
493
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,615
and after the mummy of the dead
pharaoh was laid inside,
494
00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:42,255
it would be sealed.
495
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,615
I'm meeting Dr Bahaa Gaber,
director of the West Bank.
496
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,735
Bahaa! Alice, how are you? Hi.
497
00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,095
Lovely to meet you.
Lovely to meet you too.
498
00:30:58,120 --> 00:30:59,775
So we're going to go into the tomb
of SETI?
499
00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:02,535
Yes, let's go and have a look at
the tomb. Yeah? I'll follow you.
500
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:09,855
Bahaa wants to show me the biggest
and most impressive tomb first,
501
00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,095
belonging to the pharaoh SETI.
502
00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:16,935
Oh, my goodness! Here we are. And
immediately, as soon as you're in!
503
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:18,935
It's a beautiful tomb.
504
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,255
Descending the modern wooden steps,
505
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,095
I'm surrounded by
incredible decoration.
506
00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,415
The walls and ceilings are covered
in painted reliefs
507
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:29,455
carved into the plaster.
508
00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:31,135
Ah, look at that on
the ceiling. We've got...
509
00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:32,775
What is it, vultures flying there?
510
00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:34,295
Yeah. The vulture actually was
511
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,775
the goddess of protection
in ancient time.
512
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:41,135
And here you will see also
the beautiful goddess Ma'at.
513
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:42,495
She was the goddess of truth. Yeah.
514
00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:46,295
And she stretched the wings
to give protection to the king.
515
00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,455
That reminds me of the way that Isis
is represented
516
00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,055
on the foot of
Tutankhamun's sarcophagus. Right.
517
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:55,855
She has wings like this. Right.
518
00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:58,375
And that was a sign of protection
for the boy king.
519
00:31:58,400 --> 00:31:59,655
Yeah. Yes.
520
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,415
What I really like about this is
the confidence of the line work.
521
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,095
It's absolutely beautiful.
522
00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:08,255
I mean, these are consummate
artists, aren't they?
523
00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:09,815
Right, right.
524
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,295
It's... It's just so adept.
525
00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,855
What I also notice is that some of
the artwork seems
526
00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:19,775
to have been a work in progress.
527
00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:23,095
You can see how the artist sketched
the design in red
528
00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:25,415
before committing to black ink.
529
00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,775
The next stage would have been to
carve the relief and paint it,
530
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,135
but here they never got that far
before the tomb was sealed.
531
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:36,735
This scene shows Seti's red
sarcophagus as it's brought down
532
00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:40,055
this very shaft, being taken to its
final resting place.
533
00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:42,935
Can you see the coffin? Oh, yeah.
534
00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,175
It's coming through the green land
to the desert,
535
00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:50,575
and then suddenly the coffin will be
inside the tomb.
536
00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,935
He will cross from the first life
to the second life,
537
00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,935
from the earth to the sky.
538
00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,255
They must have had
a bridge across here?
539
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:00,575
In ancient time? Yeah.
540
00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,375
No, they didn't have any kind
of bridge. For security,
541
00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:05,695
that was closed. Well, there must
have been a bridge
542
00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:06,935
when they brought his coffin in?
543
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:08,735
Exactly.
THEY CHUCKLE
544
00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:10,455
That's right.
545
00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:12,455
And then the tomb carries on
down here?
546
00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,215
Yeah, such more and more and more.
It just goes on and on.
547
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:16,415
Exactly.
548
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:18,895
Just imagine how many people worked
on this tomb.
549
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,215
There's more over here.
Such an amazing...
550
00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:22,535
Look at the colours, still.
551
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:28,655
After 200 metres of stairs,
we finally enter Seti's tomb.
552
00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:31,935
And it doesn't disappoint.
553
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:37,375
Is this the burial chamber,
then, do you think?
554
00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:40,055
Yeah. Yeah. This is the last past of
the tomb. Yeah.
555
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:43,175
So what are we looking at here?
556
00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,855
It looks like gods and stars.
557
00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:48,535
Is it constellations?
558
00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:50,095
Yeah, yeah.
559
00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:54,535
All those images which are created
by solar discs, stars,
560
00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:58,855
so that's the imagination of
the ancient people about paradise.
561
00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:02,935
This is absolutely beautiful
and I'm...
562
00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:05,295
I'm kind of overwhelmed by
the whole thing.
563
00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:08,295
I think it's extraordinary
and stunning and...
564
00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:13,295
And then the one thing which I'm
looking at which is really kind of
565
00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,895
speaking to me is the fact that
there's this constellation up there
566
00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:18,895
in the shape of a lion. Yes.
567
00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:22,255
And we still call that Leo.
Yes, right.
568
00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:27,455
And that's a direct connection back
to ancient Egypt,
569
00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,015
the ancient Egyptian's understanding
of the world,
570
00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,935
the way they looked at the world,
and that's amazing.
571
00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:35,495
What incredible artists.
572
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:38,775
I am in awe of them.
573
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:40,335
Yeah, such an amazing tomb.
574
00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:46,215
Yeah, it's all about SETI,
but I'm just...
575
00:34:46,240 --> 00:34:50,535
I'm just blown away by the artists.
576
00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,055
Yeah. The artisans who made this.
577
00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,855
And yet we are still not
at the lowest level.
578
00:34:57,880 --> 00:34:59,655
There seems to be another tunnel.
579
00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:00,855
Now, what's this?
580
00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:05,495
That's actually the tunnel,
100-metre tunnel.
581
00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:06,855
Where does it go?
582
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,695
We did excavation on the tunnel
itself because we are...
583
00:35:09,720 --> 00:35:13,695
We dreamed one day that we will
find treasures inside that one.
584
00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:15,095
That there might be a sealed room?
585
00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:16,455
Exactly, exactly.
586
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:20,815
The king cut this tunnel to link
587
00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,375
between his first life
and the second life.
588
00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:25,135
Where does the tunnel go?
589
00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:29,495
We walked until 100 metres
and it never ended.
590
00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:30,975
So the excavation is unfinished?
591
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,895
Yes. You haven't got to the bottom
of that tunnel?
592
00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:34,135
Exactly, exactly.
593
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,495
We finished the excavation
because the oxygen not enough.
594
00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:39,215
Right, OK. Yes.
595
00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:42,415
So conditions became too difficult
to carry on working. Exactly, yeah.
596
00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:45,255
Who might be down there?
597
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:48,895
Until we finish the excavation,
we can't say anything. Yeah.
598
00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:53,575
Maybe the king was hiding something
behind. Yeah, yeah.
599
00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:58,655
And that's why we're still waiting
to see what will be there.
600
00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:01,015
That is the secret of this tomb.
Yeah.
601
00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,335
Keep looking, Bahaa. Yes.
I'll come back next year!
602
00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:05,055
OK, I'll be willing to do that!
603
00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,135
Valley of the Queens,
604
00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:16,495
called Ta-Set-Neferu
in ancient Egyptian language,
605
00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:19,055
which means "the beautiful place.”
606
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:28,855
I've come to Luxor and I'm on
the west side of the Nile
607
00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,295
with Dr Bahaa Gaber.
608
00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:34,935
Tucked among these Theban hills
are the Valley of the Kings
609
00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:36,975
and the Valley of the Queens.
610
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:38,975
Valley of the Queens,
611
00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:42,935
called Ta-Set-Neferu in ancient
Egyptian language,
612
00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:46,495
which means "the beautiful place.”
613
00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:49,255
Whereas earlier pharaohs built
immense pyramids
614
00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:52,855
to contain their tombs,
these valleys mark a change.
615
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:57,575
Here the ruling elite were making
use of a natural landmark,
616
00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:01,975
with their tombs hidden among these
limestone hills.
617
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:07,495
In one of the 91 tombs here is
Seti's daughter-in-law, Nefertari.
618
00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:11,215
This is also a beautiful
burial location,
619
00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:14,175
and also the same, it's the colours,
620
00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:17,375
amazing colour that you will see
here on the tomb.
621
00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,535
This is so beautiful, Bahaa.
622
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:23,215
Such an amazing tomb.
623
00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:27,735
You see the colours still until now,
more than 3,000 years
624
00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:30,575
and the colours are still until
now in a good condition.
625
00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,215
That's just gorgeous, isn't it?
Such a beautiful one.
626
00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:42,215
So what are we seeing
in these images?
627
00:37:42,240 --> 00:37:45,535
Who are these gods
and what does the writing tell us?
628
00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:49,535
It's parts from the sacred texts
which talk about the second life
629
00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:53,495
and the gates, the entrances
to the second life.
630
00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:56,695
So it talks about the gods that will
open the doors
631
00:37:56,720 --> 00:37:59,975
for the spirit of the queen
to live in paradise
632
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,655
on the end of the journey at night.
633
00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:04,495
So they're letting her through
those gates?
634
00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:05,775
Yes. Yeah.
635
00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:08,255
It's such an amazing feeling
when you are here.
636
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,415
It's very beautiful,
these kind of jewel-like colours.
637
00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:20,895
I love the ceilings. It's...
638
00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:24,575
You're closed in underground,
639
00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:26,855
but you still look up
and see the night sky.
640
00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:30,295
It does defy belief, doesn't it,
641
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:34,895
that these colours are here
more than 3,000 years later?
642
00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:40,215
The tomb of Nefertari is lavish,
643
00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:44,575
fit for the favourite wife of
the pharaoh Rameses II.
644
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:47,615
The king loved Nefertari so much.
645
00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:50,095
That's why he cut a beautiful tomb
for her like that.
646
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:52,135
It's almost like a pharaoh's tomb,
isn't it?
647
00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:56,095
I think that he treated his wife
like a pharaoh. Yeah.
648
00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:59,215
Like she is a queen of Egypt.
649
00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:17,335
Oh, look at this beautiful room.
650
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:23,495
This is fabulous.
651
00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:28,335
The paintings in here are glorious.
652
00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:33,695
We've got lots of gods around
the place.
653
00:39:33,720 --> 00:39:36,135
That's Osiris.
654
00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,295
But we've also got
Nefertari herself.
655
00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:41,615
I can see this figure of a woman
656
00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:44,935
and I can see her name in
a cartouche.
657
00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:48,575
So she's there, and there,
and there,
658
00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,895
and there, and over there,
so five times.
659
00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:56,815
And it's all Nefertari.
And she's really beautiful.
660
00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:00,295
Look at the combination of
the painting on the relief.
661
00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:04,295
So there's this sculpted ear
and nose and lips.
662
00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:08,695
And I love her headdress,
so this vulture headdress.
663
00:40:08,720 --> 00:40:11,735
Again, it's got a bit of relief
to it,
664
00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,575
but there's also some shadow here,
so that's really weird
665
00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:17,655
because there's no shadow
on the rest of her body,
666
00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:19,535
it's quite flat-looking,
667
00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:22,775
but up here we've got this little
bit of shading.
668
00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,455
Suddenly this is leaping out as
very three dimensional.
669
00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:31,175
Look at her earring and her
bracelets and her beautiful dress.
670
00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,495
She's wearing an under dress
671
00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:37,895
and then over the top of it, she's
got this sheer, fine linen,
672
00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:41,095
which is so, so fine we can actually
see through it.
673
00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:43,615
You can see her arm
underneath there.
674
00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:49,895
So we're getting
a real insight into...
675
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:51,535
Well, fashion, I suppose.
676
00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:54,015
High fashion.
This is the queen, after all.
677
00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,455
What's amazing about this is looking
at these tombs and...
678
00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:07,415
...there is obviously a standard way
of doing things.
679
00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:10,855
There are standard texts which are
going to be on the walls.
680
00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:13,455
You're going to have particular
gods reappearing,
681
00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:15,175
and goddesses. I love the...
682
00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:17,535
I love the way in as you go past
all those goddesses.
683
00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:20,815
There's one point where there are no
men in the room, it's just women.
684
00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:27,175
But also what this is is the tomb
of an individual,
685
00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:28,895
and here she is.
686
00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:32,615
So it's not just an idea,
687
00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:35,695
it's not just a representation
of a queen.
688
00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,855
This is someone. This is Nefertari.
689
00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:51,655
Before I travel back across the Nile
to Luxor,
690
00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:55,095
I've been given the chance to visit
the tomb of Tutankhamun
691
00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:58,575
in the Valley of the Kings
on my own.
692
00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:01,095
I've already seen
the objects from his tomb
693
00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:06,015
and his magnificent death mask and
his decorated, empty sarcophagus
694
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,575
in the Egyptian museum in Cairo.
695
00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:11,895
But this is where his stone
sarcophagus still lies
696
00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:15,575
and the mummified body of
the young king himself,
697
00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:20,095
brought back to the tomb in which it
was placed almost 3,500 years ago.
698
00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:27,615
English archaeologist Howard Carter
first came to Egypt in 1891,
699
00:42:27,640 --> 00:42:31,575
but it was 30 years later that he'd
make the discovery of a lifetime
700
00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:33,855
when he found the tomb
of Tutankhamun.
701
00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,095
Having discovered the steps down
to the tomb,
702
00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:43,095
on 26th November 1922,
Carter opened the doorway
703
00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:48,015
to find that the tomb inside
was intact, unplundered.
704
00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:52,375
He was surrounded by thousands
of incredible objects,
705
00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,855
furniture, jewellery and ornaments,
706
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:58,655
and everywhere the glint of gold.
707
00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:13,095
And here is the great
stone sarcophagus.
708
00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:16,735
Inside that would have been
the wooden sarcophagi gilded,
709
00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:20,495
covered in jewels. And inside
the innermost one of those,
710
00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:24,335
the mummified remains of
the pharaoh himself,
711
00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:25,695
Tutankhamun.
712
00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:30,335
And look how beautiful this is
713
00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:32,375
with these four
protective goddesses,
714
00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:36,695
wings outstretched,
protecting the pharaoh.
715
00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:55,175
And here he is, the most famous
pharaoh of them all
716
00:43:55,200 --> 00:44:00,175
by virtue of the fact that his tomb
was undisturbed
717
00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:04,095
when it was discovered
by Howard Carter in 1022.
718
00:44:04,120 --> 00:44:09,055
And analysis of his remains reveal
that he was young.
719
00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:11,855
He was around the age of 19
when he died,
720
00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,135
so he'd only been on the throne
for ten years.
721
00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:20,255
And there's been ongoing speculation
about the cause of death.
722
00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:23,455
It can be very difficult
to determine.
723
00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:27,895
Some said there's a head injury that
could have been the fatal wound,
724
00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:29,975
perhaps even he was murdered.
725
00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:32,575
But recent analysis has ruled
that out.
726
00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:37,215
The damage was postmortem,
it happened after his death.
727
00:44:37,240 --> 00:44:43,255
But DNA from his mummy has revealed
that he had malaria,
728
00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:46,455
so perhaps that is what led
to his early death.
729
00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:56,055
And of course, there were all those
extraordinary objects
730
00:44:56,080 --> 00:45:00,455
buried with him in this tomb
that are now in the Cairo museum.
731
00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:06,495
But Tutankhamun, Tut-ankh-amun,
is here, back in his tomb.
732
00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:17,495
Here in Luxor, I've seen how
religion and royal power
733
00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:20,535
went hand in hand in ancient Egypt.
734
00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:23,375
I've seen the tombs of pharaohs,
but also learned about
735
00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:26,575
the artisans who created those
beautiful tombs.
736
00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:30,535
But now I'm heading back
to the station
737
00:45:30,560 --> 00:45:34,535
to continue my journey towards
Aswan, my final destination.
738
00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:44,015
I'm continuing south, upriver,
739
00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,375
and I'll be stopping off at a whole
series of sites
740
00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:49,215
that are strung out like jewels
along the banks of the Nile.
741
00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:25,175
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