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(overlapping chatter)
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NARRATOR: In Egypt's
ancient sandstone quarries,
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archeologists search
for traces of mighty Pharaohs.
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WORKERS: Yeah!
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NARRATOR: The Holy Grail is
hieroglyphs that shed light
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on the mysterious kings
who built the pyramids.
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We've got hieroglyphs.
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JOHN: Oh!
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MARIA: Oh, this is wonderful.
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JOHN: Look at that!
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NARRATOR: The pyramids of Giza,
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ancient Egypt's most iconic monuments.
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Egyptian civilization
spanned nearly 3,000 years.
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But their great age of pyramid-building
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lasted just over four centuries.
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Some 20 huge pyramids date from this time,
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concentrated on the desert plateaus
of the Nile's west bank,
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each built
to house the body of a mighty pharaoh.
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Now, archeologists across Egypt
are trying to unlock
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the secrets
of who these mysterious kings were,
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how they persuaded the people of Egypt
to build their giant monuments,
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and how they influenced pharaohs
for thousands of years after they died.
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Thirty years ago, American Egyptologist,
Steve Harvey,
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excavated the very last pyramid
built by an Egyptian king.
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He has spent a career
exploring these royal monuments.
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Today he's come
to the most famous one of all,
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to investigate the legendary pharaoh
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who built it 4,500 years ago.
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STEPHEN: The Great Pyramid
of Khufu here at Giza
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is the culmination of hundreds of years
of trial and error in pyramid building,
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but it's not only the perfect shape,
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it's the largest ever built,
and it's never surpassed.
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NARRATOR: The Great Pyramid
was a fortress
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designed to protect the pharaoh's tomb.
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Twenty-four feet off center, the entrance
would have been tricky to find.
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At the top of a 130 foot passage,
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a pulley system of ropes
dropped three enormous granite slabs,
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sealing off the entrance
to the burial chamber.
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Next, three giant blocks
slid down the shaft,
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closing off a grand staircase.
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This pyramid was a masterpiece
of engineering.
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Capped with a layer
of flawless white limestone,
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it was an unmistakable symbol
of the pharaoh's supreme authority.
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The Great Pyramid was one of the first
true pyramids ever built.
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None of the Pyramid Age Kings
that followed Khufu would match it.
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The incredible scale of his tomb
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suggests Khufu wielded remarkable power,
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but very little is known
about the king himself.
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Steve has been granted special access
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to explore the restricted areas
inside the pyramid,
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to hunt for any clues to the life,
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and death, of this mysterious pharaoh.
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STEPHEN: I'm gonna have
to stop for a minute, guys.
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Really is getting dark,
hard to see anything.
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It's not meant for coming and going,
that's for sure.
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NARRATOR: Steve heads
to the king's burial chamber
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at the very heart of the pyramid
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where mourners laid the Pharaoh's body
for his eternal rest,
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tightly secured
behind giant rock barriers.
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The chamber is almost entirely bare.
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STEPHEN: Even though
this space was protected by blocking,
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it was completely robbed out,
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and when archeologists
came to the sarcophagus,
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they found nothing inside.
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NARRATOR: For Steve,
evidence of the king himself
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survives in the only thing
that does remain,
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the chamber walls.
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STEPHEN: What really excites me
is that you can see
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this incredible granite
that's been smoothed to a very high degree
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and this one block
is something like 100 tons
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brought all the way from Aswan.
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This is an exotic stone,
it's not the natural limestone,
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so really, we have this amazing box
within this huge mountain of limestone.
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NARRATOR: Ancient quarrymen
cut the precious granite in Upper Egypt,
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then floated it 600 miles down the Nile.
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Khufu spared no expense to ensure
his resurrection to the afterlife,
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not as a mortal, but as a God.
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Steve heads deeper into the pyramid,
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in search of a closed-off second chamber
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which legend has it,
Khufu built this to hold his soul.
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On the other side of the necropolis,
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Archeologist John
Ward has come to Giza
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to explore the monuments
of Khufu's dynasty.
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He's spent a decade unearthing
the stonework of New Kingdom pharaohs,
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who lived 1,000 years
after the Pyramid Age ended.
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JOHN: Watch your toes, guys!
Watch your toes!
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NARRATOR: His discoveries
include an 11 foot tall Sphinx statue,
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a representation
of a God with the body of a lion,
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an animal revered by Egyptians
as a symbol of strength.
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It echoes the famous giant sculpture
guarding the Giza Pyramids.
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John wants to know
what was so special about these kings
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that pharaohs 1,000 years later
still mimicked their statues.
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These iconic monuments
are just shouting, screaming at us,
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power, dominance, control.
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I feel like this, I feel so insignificant.
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Together these pyramids and the Sphinx
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and the temples
create a landscape of power.
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NARRATOR: The huge sculpture
protects the necropolis,
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a giant symbol of supremacy,
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believed by many
to have the face of Khufu's son, Khafre,
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owner of Giza's
second largest Pyramid.
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Despite many visits here,
John has never been up close.
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Today, he's been granted special access
to explore its enclosure.
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JOHN: It's absolutely inspiring
I mean it's just, jaw dropping.
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I've waited 50 years to be here
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and now I'm here, it's just, wow.
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NARRATOR: Sixty-six feet high,
the Sphinx gazes east,
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toward the rising sun.
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JOHN: I know what it's like
to work with the living rock
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and how to carve it.
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This would have been
a monumental challenge.
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They only had copper chisels,
wooden mallets,
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it would have been a harsh environment,
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this dust would have been everywhere
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and yet the workmen,
the craftsmen, the masons,
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they were all willing participants
loyal to Pharaoh.
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NARRATOR: It would have taken
thousands of people,
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decades to construct
the epic monuments of Giza,
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but there's no evidence the pharaohs
enslaved people to build them.
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They didn't draw their power
over the people from force.
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John believes what stood these kings
apart was that they inspired devotion.
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JOHN: The sheer volume of stone
that has gone into building this
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and each individual block,
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represents the loyalty
that they had for Pharaoh.
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NARRATOR: The huge monuments
of Giza represent the peak
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of the Pyramid Age.
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So why was nothing built
on this scale again?
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At the height of Khufu's reign,
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reliable seasonal rains fed the crops
that ensured Egypt's prosperity.
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For three months every year,
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the Nile flooded
and inundated the farmland,
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so farmers couldn't work the fields.
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The farmers were free to help
build the king's enormous tomb.
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They believed he kept the Gods content
and the country fed.
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But soon after Khufu
completed his pyramid,
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Egypt began to suffer drought.
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As crop yields crashed,
so did the taxes
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coming into the state's treasuries
and despite the free labor,
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the Giza monuments
almost bankrupted Egypt.
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The people's loyalty began to falter.
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The kings' tombs
that followed got smaller
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while Khufu's Great Pyramid remained,
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dominating the Nile's west bank.
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The sheer power that he held.
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It's absolutely unbelievable.
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NARRATOR: It was a power
his struggling successors
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were desperate to replicate.
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At Abu Ghurab, Italian archeologist
Massimiliano Nuzzolo
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wants to know
how the kings of the Pyramid Age
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held on to power as their wealth
and status declined.
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He's spent his entire career
trying to understand
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a very different monumental structure,
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an enigma
whose mysteries captured his imagination
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in his very first student course
in Egyptology.
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This enormous scatter of ancient rubble
was once a Sun Temple,
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dedicated to the most powerful God
of the Pyramid Age.
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NUZZOLO: Each king wanted a pyramid
for achieving his resurrection.
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But this was not enough for
the fifth dynasty kings.
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They wanted something more.
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The king built this place
to turn himself into a God.
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The sun God.
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NARRATOR: The pharaoh, Nyuserra,
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didn't just want to become
divine in death.
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He built this temple
because he wanted to be worshiped
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as a God while he was still alive.
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Rising from the desert
was an enormous obelisk,
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the centerpiece of the temple.
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It was not a traditional stone needle
but shaped more like a pyramid.
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Monumental walls enclosed it,
creating a courtyard,
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where people could come
to worship the sun.
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The temple aligned perfectly
on an east-west axis
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with the path of the sun.
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So on the Summer Solstice every year,
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the sun rose through the entrance,
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traveled directly over the obelisk,
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and set at the western end.
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This alignment is identical
to that of the pyramids.
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Records suggest that six
of the pharaohs who followed Khufu
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decided to build a Sun Temples
as well as their pyramid
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to underline their divine status
to the people of Egypt.
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But almost all of these temples are lost.
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We know that there were six sun temples
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and we actually, so far,
have discovered only two.
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NARRATOR: Max hopes excavating
this sun temple will shed light
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on these kings' power,
and perhaps help him crack
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one of the biggest mysteries
in Egyptology,
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and find the other missing sun temples.
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The problem is
Max is not the first
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to decode this structure's secrets.
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Early Egyptologists excavated here
more than 100 years ago
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and left a mess of archeological
confusion in their wake.
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Well, this find is amazing
because it's a cover of matches
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left by the archeologists
during their work.
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NARRATOR: Along with their
discarded matchboxes,
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early 20th century excavators
left 4,500 year old pottery
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scattered across the site.
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As you can see here this area
of the temple is full of pot shards.
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But unfortunately, this material
is completely useless for us
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because it's out of a secure context.
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It cannot tell us anything
about the life of the temple.
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NARRATOR: If Max can find
undisturbed artifacts,
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they might reveal clues
the first archeologists missed.
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Even the smallest of finds
could be crucial in the hunt
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for the lost Sun Temples
of the Pyramid Age.
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NARRATOR: The team is excavating
an area of the Sun Temple
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earlier archeologists never touched.
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The missing Sun Temples
could hold the secrets
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of how the later Pyramid Kings
who followed Khufu held onto power.
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Their location remains
one of Egyptology's greatest mysteries.
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Untouched pottery here
in Abu Ghurab could help solve it.
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Mohamed Osman
is a senior archeologist here.
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We think that we found a jar, a beer jar.
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NARRATOR: Wheat beer was a major
source of nutrition for ancient Egyptians,
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but they used the same ceramic containers
in religious rituals.
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If you put it like this, this one.
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Yeah, it fits.
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NARRATOR: This could be
an offering made in worship of a Pharaoh
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or an ancient builder's
discarded lunch!
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Even after 4,500 years,
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the answer could lie in its contents.
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So it seems that it's not an actual
beer jar
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there was no actual beer inside.
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It was filled with mud
to be used in rituals.
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NARRATOR: For Ancient Egyptians,
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mud was a symbolic replacement for food,
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which they would offer to the Gods.
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The jar is buried not far
from a curious row of stone basins.
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Max and Mohamed believe
they were all part of an elaborate ritual,
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presided over by the pharaoh.
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Priests filled the stone basins
with water,
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which flowed out
across the temple's limestone floor,
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along 28 shallow grooves.
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The sacred liquid
washed over jars placed in the channels,
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purifying the offerings within.
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The priests brought
the symbolic offerings to the altar
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and left them to be consecrated
by the sun God's heat and light.
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They then climbed through
a passage in the obelisk,
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to emerge on the platform,
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facing east to bless the rising sun.
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The purification basins
have survived 4,500 years intact,
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00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,000
but the floor of Nyuserra's Sun Temple
has disintegrated.
242
00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:28,240
Mohamed and the team
explore underneath its fragmented remains.
243
00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:33,080
Just inches down,
they find a mysterious layer.
244
00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:39,320
What we have here is the foundation
of the stone pavement of the stone temple.
245
00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:44,280
And beneath that, there is an older
structure that used to be here.
246
00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:49,480
We still don't know when exactly
but it was built out of mud bricks.
247
00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:53,320
NARRATOR: Mohamed has found
mud bricks in several places
248
00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:55,040
beneath the Sun Temple floor.
249
00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,120
It suggests a large building existed here
250
00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:01,760
before Nyuserra's Sun Temple was built.
251
00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:07,560
If they find evidence that the earlier
mudbrick structure was sacred,
252
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:13,840
it could even be a missing Sun Temple
of another king of the Pyramid Age.
253
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:23,640
At Abusir on a desolate plateau
254
00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,760
within sight of Max's dig,
255
00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:29,520
are the pyramids of the pharaohs
who built the Sun Temples.
256
00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:34,520
Little more than a century
after Khufu had built his Great Pyramid,
257
00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,160
the Egyptian state
was weakened by drought.
258
00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,160
The later pharaohs' treasuries
were emptied by the cost
259
00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,760
of the previous kings' giant tombs.
260
00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,800
We have in front of us a history
of more than 2,000 years
261
00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:53,560
and most of the secrets
of this vast stretch of land
262
00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:55,720
remain, uh, still unlocked.
263
00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:58,920
NARRATOR: Czech archeologist,
Miroslav Barta,
264
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,840
has spent three decades
stripping back the sand
265
00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,640
from this necropolis.
266
00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:09,240
Twenty years ago, he pioneered the study
of pyramids as viewed from space.
267
00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:13,600
Today, he's firmly on the ground
in search of the secrets
268
00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,120
that explain how the later kings
of the Pyramid Age
269
00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:21,160
clung to power
as their wealth and status drained away.
270
00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,600
On this spot in 2018,
271
00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:31,960
he discovered the tomb
of a legendary wiseman, Ka-Irsu.
272
00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,160
Ka-Irsu was a powerful
royal court official
273
00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,800
and close advisor
to one of the later Pyramid Kings.
274
00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:47,200
As "Overseer of Royal Works,"
he designed the king's pyramid,
275
00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,920
and the temples that brought
the pharaoh closer to the Gods.
276
00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:56,720
But he was also the head
of the "House of Life,"
277
00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,760
a philosopher bringing the king's message
to the people of Egypt.
278
00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:08,280
His writings preached the importance
of complete loyalty to the pharaoh,
279
00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:12,800
a message that was still being repeated
a 1,000 years later.
280
00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,720
Miroslav is digging
in the very heart of the cemetery,
281
00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,560
in search of more elite tombs.
282
00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,200
He wants to know
how much the later Pyramid Kings relied
283
00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,520
on powerful officials, like Ka-Irsu,
284
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,960
to improve their public relations
and promote loyalty.
285
00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,200
Test pits have revealed a tomb
286
00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:41,200
right next to the pyramid of Neferikara,
one of the later Pyramid Kings.
287
00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,920
It could be exactly what he's looking for.
288
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,800
Only very important persons
289
00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,320
most of them coming from the Royal family
290
00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,880
could be, or had the privilege,
to be buried here.
291
00:19:56,120 --> 00:19:58,040
NARRATOR: After three weeks of digging,
292
00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,040
the team uncovers the exterior structure.
293
00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:07,440
But a crucial clue is missing,
the walls are bare.
294
00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:14,080
Without inscriptions,
Miroslav can't identify the tomb owner.
295
00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:19,040
If he's to uncover the secrets
of the Pyramid Kings' power,
296
00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:22,000
Miroslav will have to dig deeper,
297
00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,960
and find the burial chamber.
298
00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:35,320
Archeologist John Ward
299
00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,920
has returned to the ancient quarry
of Gebel El-Silsila,
300
00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,920
to join the Director of the Swedish
Archeological Mission,
301
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,200
his wife, Maria Nilsson.
302
00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:52,000
Last season, they excavated
an incredible monument,
303
00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:56,040
a Sphinx similar in form
to the Great Sphinx at Giza.
304
00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:00,400
This year, Maria and John
want to investigate the connection
305
00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:04,200
between the kings who built
the mighty monuments at Giza
306
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:08,320
and the pharaohs who carved out
Sphinxes 1,000 years later.
307
00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,880
MARIA: Are you ready
for some more fun, Carter?
308
00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,480
NARRATOR: They believe the site
still hides stone monuments
309
00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:21,960
that could reveal the Great Pyramid Kings'
impact on Egyptian history.
310
00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,800
A large pile of rock
not far from last season's statue,
311
00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,600
is exactly the right size
to hide another Sphinx.
312
00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,800
Today, they're going to try and dig it up,
313
00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,400
but they're making a slow start.
314
00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,760
JOHN: It's now coming up ten to eight,
and I've got absolutely no men here.
315
00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,120
(shouting)
316
00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,360
NARRATOR: Maria and John have just
under five hours digging time
317
00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,280
to move hundreds of wheelbarrows
full of stone.
318
00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,680
JOHN: My hypothesis is that we've got
another sphinx underneath.
319
00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:58,440
NARRATOR: But the team
cannot afford to rush,
320
00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,240
as they dig out
the mountain of loose rock.
321
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,280
JOHN: It's unstable spoil,
and if that came down on you,
322
00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:08,720
then you're just-- you're just buried.
323
00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,120
NARRATOR: With time already against them,
324
00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:15,520
the operation is a fine balance
between reward and risk.
325
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,160
JOHN: Be careful, boys, be careful.
326
00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:28,840
NARRATOR: At Abusir,
in between the pyramids
327
00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:33,080
Miroslav's team has reached
the bottom of the burial shaft.
328
00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,080
The chamber below
could contain the body
329
00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,120
of a high-ranking member
of a pharaoh's court.
330
00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:45,320
Two years ago, he discovered the tomb
of a wiseman called Ka-Irsu,
331
00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,240
an official whose job
was to promote loyalty
332
00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,840
to the king among the people of Egypt.
333
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:56,280
But was Ka-Irsu a one of, or did
all the later kings of the Pyramid Age
334
00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:59,960
have a dedicated official
to help them cling to power?
335
00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,240
(in native language)
Where are the lights, Osama?
336
00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:09,600
(in English) So here we are.
337
00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,880
NARRATOR: It's clear
that ancient robbers have ransacked
338
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:15,800
the tomb of treasures.
339
00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:18,360
But though the tomb's been looted,
340
00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,680
it may still contain evidence
of how the Pyramid Kings
341
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:26,120
held their power over Egypt,
even as their wealth declined.
342
00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,960
The state of the sarcophagus
confirms Miroslav's fears,
343
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,400
the robbers did a thorough job.
344
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:39,120
They just set up fire
345
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:41,480
on the corner of the lid
346
00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,880
then splashed it with water
347
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:49,240
so that the limestone
started to break into pieces.
348
00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,000
Lifted the lid, grabbed the mummy,
349
00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,320
pulled it out and searched it
for small valuables.
350
00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,680
That's how he ended up his journey.
351
00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:00,840
Sad story.
352
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,640
NARRATOR: The mummy may be destroyed,
353
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,160
but Miroslav's team
has alerted him to some faint red markings
354
00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,440
on the back of the sarcophagus.
355
00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:11,760
It's a crucial clue.
356
00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,760
It could be the one piece
of information he needs
357
00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,560
to identify the owner.
358
00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:19,920
So here it is.
359
00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:27,640
The only clue as to his identity
and social standing here.
360
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:33,000
NARRATOR: Was he, like Ka-Irsu,
an official propping up
361
00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:34,600
a weakened Pyramid King?
362
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,880
The script is too degraded
to read with the naked eye,
363
00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:42,600
but to an Egyptologist,
the general message is clear.
364
00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,240
Here we have the name
365
00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:49,880
and we have the principal title.
366
00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,560
NARRATOR: A title
means the man was important.
367
00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:57,920
He had a role
in the Pharaoh's court, but what?
368
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,720
Miroslav can't brush the dust
off the inscription
369
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:02,800
in case the paint flakes away.
370
00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,680
Instead, he takes
high-resolution photographs
371
00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,160
of every character.
372
00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,440
We will use special filters,
software filters.
373
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,520
Um, we do...
374
00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:19,520
general shots
375
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,240
and then we do details.
376
00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:28,520
NARRATOR: Miroslav must now
process the images and determine
377
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,680
if enough detail survives
to read the script.
378
00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:34,640
The signs are promising.
379
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:37,600
We are good, we are happy.
380
00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,360
We can have no doubts
about the social standing of the guy.
381
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,760
NARRATOR: This man was honored
with a burial amongst the pharaohs.
382
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,760
So, could he have played
a role in consolidating
383
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:50,920
the ailing Pyramid Kings' power?
384
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:57,360
To find out, Miroslav must decipher
exactly what his titles were.
385
00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:06,240
NARRATOR: In Abu Ghurab
Max and Mohamed's investigation
386
00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,560
has thrown up surprising evidence
beneath Nyuserra's Sun Temple.
387
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,720
The mud brick structure
below its foundations,
388
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:17,760
could help them find
the lost sun temples
389
00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:19,960
built by the later Pyramid Kings.
390
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:26,960
It's a delicate task, just identifying
the 4,500 year old bricks,
391
00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:30,960
relies on technique
honed through years of experience.
392
00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,840
MOHAMED: Finding mud bricks
is not an easy thing.
393
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,840
As it is actually buried in the same
material, the mud.
394
00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:44,440
So the archaeologist
has to listen to the sound of the metal
395
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,680
because they really can recognize it only
by listening to the trowel.
396
00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,760
So, uh, it's an amazing thing,
it's an amazing skill.
397
00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:56,080
NARRATOR: They've uncovered
bricks all over the site.
398
00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:01,560
It suggests this older mud structure
is far larger than expected.
399
00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,360
At the edge of the site, the team foreman,
400
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,680
Reis Khaled, makes a discovery.
401
00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:10,480
NUZZOLO:
We are cleaning this area where we found
402
00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:14,000
a base of a column
which is pretty unexpected
403
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:15,720
because it was never found before
404
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,160
in previous excavation.
405
00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:19,720
NARRATOR: It's a huge breakthrough,
406
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,600
a column could be evidence
that the mudbrick structure
407
00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,840
had a grand entrance made of stone.
408
00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,960
It's a really white,
high quality of white limestone
409
00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:32,480
that means of course that the building
was quite impressive.
410
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,720
NARRATOR: The column base
goes down more than two feet,
411
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:39,960
suggesting it must have supported
a huge entrance arch.
412
00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,640
I'm really excited
because we knew that there was something
413
00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:45,000
below the stone temple of Nyuserra
414
00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:49,520
but we don't know now if it is just
another building phase of the same temple
415
00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,080
or if it is a new building.
416
00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,920
Actually the fact that there
is such a huge monumental entrance
417
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,200
would point to a new building.
418
00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:00,640
So why not another sun temple,
one of the missing four sun temples?
419
00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,480
NARRATOR: If there is a lost
Sun Temple underneath
420
00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:07,760
Nyuserra's Sun Temple,
it would be a career-defining discovery
421
00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:09,720
for both Max and Mohamed.
422
00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:15,120
This makes me feel excited
and also confused.
423
00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,920
Uh, and a little bit frustrated
because, um,
424
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:24,520
what I would like to do now is actually
to dismantle the stone floor of Nyuserra
425
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,400
and go down to the next level
426
00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,720
where I can find
the rest of the architecture.
427
00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,760
NARRATOR: To prove the huge
mudbrick structure
428
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:38,080
is one of the legendary lost Sun Temples
of the later Pyramid Kings,
429
00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,640
they still need more evidence.
430
00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:48,000
On the Giza plateau
Egyptologist Steve Harvey
431
00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,160
is trying to reach
a mysterious second chamber
432
00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,560
in the heart
of Pharaoh Khufu's Great Pyramid.
433
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,000
STEPHEN: Oh, it's difficult.
434
00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,120
NARRATOR: He's hunting
for clues to the mysterious
435
00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:01,760
king's life, and death.
436
00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:05,320
But deep in the Pyramid,
the tunnels get tighter
437
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,600
and more treacherous.
438
00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:10,640
STEPHEN: What happened there?
439
00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:14,160
(in native language)
There's no light at all!
440
00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:17,520
STEPHEN: (in English)
I guess the power went out.
441
00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,400
NARRATOR: In an ancient tunnel
riddled with pits,
442
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,840
the lack of light is a real threat.
443
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:33,520
STEPHEN: The echo and the dark
certainly really reinforce
444
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,000
the fact you're in a hidden tomb.
445
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:40,560
NARRATOR: At the bottom
of a tunnel
446
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:45,160
little more than three feet square,
Steve finds the second chamber.
447
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:48,680
It's extraordinary.
448
00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:57,080
Just huge ceiling with this vault.
449
00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:03,440
You almost feel the weight of millions
of tons of stones above you.
450
00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:06,960
NARRATOR: Like Khufu's burial chamber,
451
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,600
archeologists found this room
entirely bare.
452
00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,120
It was designed with a niche
453
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,960
believed to hold the giant statue
that housed Khufu's soul.
454
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:20,960
Even this stood empty.
455
00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:25,480
But when archeologists explored
the finely polished walls,
456
00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:30,880
they found small, secret passages
that led out from the chamber.
457
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,960
STEPHEN: These are really
interesting features,
458
00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:35,760
kind of mysterious features.
459
00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:41,840
They go all the way to the exterior of the
pyramid and head up towards the sky,
460
00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:44,640
so what's most likely is that they have
461
00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:49,560
some kind of symbolic connection
to the night sky and to the stars.
462
00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,440
NARRATOR: Ancient Egyptians
were dedicated astronomers,
463
00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:59,400
who religiously
charted the movements of the night sky.
464
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:05,920
Priests particularly
revered two bright stars,
465
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:07,920
ever-present in the north,
466
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,520
whose permanence
they associated with eternal life.
467
00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,720
Khufu aligned his pyramid
directly with these stars,
468
00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,320
believing that's where the Gods resided.
469
00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:27,200
He may have built the shafts
to allow his soul to rise
470
00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:32,520
to the heavens to join the ever-present
stars and become a God.
471
00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,480
What still confounds archeologists,
472
00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:41,840
is the Pharaoh's final mystery.
473
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:46,880
He didn't leave a single inscription
to celebrate his life.
474
00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:49,400
They haven't decorated
with images,
475
00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,280
they haven't put hieroglyphs
on the wall and that's a choice
476
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,320
and a decision they made.
477
00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:57,320
And we have to think about why.
478
00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:02,760
NARRATOR: The greatest Pyramid King
left no lasting clue to his life,
479
00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:05,000
except his giant monument.
480
00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:10,200
His plan was to put life behind him
and become a God in death.
481
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,880
The weaker Pyramid Kings who followed him
wanted more.
482
00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:18,480
They needed the power of the Gods in life.
483
00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:28,600
NARRATOR: At Abu Ghurab, Max
and Mohamed are uncovering a vast mudbrick
484
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:33,600
structure beneath the foundations
of the Pharaoh Nyuserra's Sun Temple.
485
00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,720
It might be small steps going up.
486
00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:42,480
NARRATOR: If it is one of the four
legendary missing Sun Temples,
487
00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,720
it could help Max explain
how the struggling Pyramid Kings
488
00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:50,160
held on to power
as their status began to fade.
489
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:54,080
But he needs evidence
that the building was sacred.
490
00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:58,200
In the northeast corner
of the mudbrick structure,
491
00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,080
workers unearth an astonishing find.
492
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,240
This is a huge accumulation of beer jars
493
00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,240
which we found on the wall.
494
00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:08,400
On the main enclosure wall
495
00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:10,880
of the previous mud brick building.
496
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:12,360
Completely preserved.
497
00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:16,280
NARRATOR: They delicately brush
the pottery to free the jars
498
00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:17,720
from the surrounding earth.
499
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:21,520
It's heavy
500
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,520
and intact
501
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:27,880
and full of mud.
502
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:32,520
NARRATOR: Ancient priests used jars
full of mud as ritual offerings,
503
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:37,400
so these could be proof
this structure was a sacred temple.
504
00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:40,080
You think they were all deposited?
505
00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:45,400
I think they were deposited
and also very, like, carefully laid.
506
00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,120
The deposit might reflect some respect
507
00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,440
to the older building
that used to be here.
508
00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,080
NARRATOR: Even single ritual
offerings in the foundations
509
00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:57,200
of such old buildings are incredibly rare.
510
00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:00,040
This is a huge cache.
511
00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:05,080
Every time we remove a full jar,
we find another one.
512
00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:08,240
NARRATOR: For Max, they're crucial.
513
00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,920
They show the mudbrick building
was a religious site.
514
00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:17,320
MOHAMED: Very exciting moment,
very exciting moment.
515
00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:19,320
I'm pretty sure
that what we're excavating here
516
00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:20,800
is a previous sun temple
517
00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:24,800
on which Nyuserra built
his own new sun temple.
518
00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,840
NARRATOR: By building on top
of a previous king's temple,
519
00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:32,960
Nyuserra was making his Sun Temple
all the more sacred.
520
00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:38,280
Max's decade-long search
has finally born fruit.
521
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:42,040
You have to imagine that a few years ago
when we arrived here for the first time
522
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:46,120
all this area was completely covered,
nothing was visible.
523
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,960
I have now many proofs
that what we are excavating here
524
00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:52,840
is one of the lost sun temples.
525
00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:57,440
NARRATOR: It's a huge discovery
and unlocks a new chapter
526
00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:00,360
in the story of the kings
of the Pyramid Age.
527
00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:05,480
The Pharaohs who followed Khufu
were weak shadows of the man
528
00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:06,880
who built the Great Pyramid.
529
00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:11,120
But whichever king built
this newly discovered Sun Temple,
530
00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:16,680
did something Khufu did not,
he ensured he was worshiped
531
00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:20,160
as the offspring of the sun God
while he was still alive.
532
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,320
His Pyramid may not have rivaled Khufu's,
533
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,920
but with his Sun Temple,
he claimed the power of a living God.
534
00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,240
In the quarry at Gebel El-Silsila
535
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:40,040
Maria and John
are searching for a new Sphinx
536
00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,160
to match the statue
they unearthed last season.
537
00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:46,760
They're trying to understand the link
538
00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:49,440
between the legendary
Pyramid Kings of Giza,
539
00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,640
and the pharaohs
who ruled 1,000 years after.
540
00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:59,760
JOHN: As a symbol of power,
the Sphinx is everything.
541
00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:04,440
And when I look at the sphinx,
I can put myself
542
00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:09,520
into-- into the sandals of the craftsman
chiseling this one away.
543
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:13,560
And he did it for the love of Pharaoh.
544
00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:19,640
NARRATOR: John's team
strips away the top of a rockpile
545
00:36:19,720 --> 00:36:22,360
beneath a quarried pillar of stone.
546
00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:25,040
JOHN: We're gonna clear
this area, level off,
547
00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:28,200
we'll keep on cutting into the sand
because there's a lot of sand here.
548
00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,400
NARRATOR: The mound of spoil
has a core of ancient sand.
549
00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:36,960
For John, it suggests
the pile could hide another find,
550
00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:38,440
perhaps a sphinx.
551
00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:41,520
JOHN: What happens is when sand
is blown in as you can see now
552
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:42,680
the wind is blowing,
553
00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:45,760
coming from the north
and when it hits something,
554
00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:47,920
of course, it starts to build up
and build up and build up,
555
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,480
and that's what we've got here.
556
00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:54,080
NARRATOR: Just moments
after exposing the sand beneath the spoil,
557
00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:56,720
the team hits something solid.
558
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:01,960
- (speaking in native language)
- MAN: Yeah!
559
00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,240
(speaking in native language)
560
00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:05,520
JOHN: It's always the sand.
561
00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:07,640
Wherever there's a sand build-up.
562
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,600
You always guarantee
there's something there.
563
00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:14,760
NARRATOR: The team delicately
works around the chunk of stone.
564
00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:20,160
It could be a Sphinx,
or a precious part of another monument.
565
00:37:21,240 --> 00:37:23,920
JOHN: One has to be patient,
that's archeology at the end of the day,
566
00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:26,920
we don't rush things, it's not a race,
567
00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:28,800
there's no reward for coming first.
568
00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:29,880
MARIA: Isn't there?
569
00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:33,800
We race to learn!
570
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:35,960
Knowledge is the key.
571
00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:47,600
NARRATOR: In the field lab,
near the necropolis of Abusir...
572
00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,480
Miroslav's computer software
has sharpened the script
573
00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:53,600
from the high official's tomb.
574
00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:59,040
The inscriptions should tell him
the tomb owner's name and titles.
575
00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:03,240
If he played the same role
as the wiseman Ka-Irsu,
576
00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:05,840
it could prove he was not unique,
577
00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:09,520
and that other kings of the Pyramid Age
also depended
578
00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,760
on their officials
to maintain the people's loyalty.
579
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:18,040
It's actually, um, a great result
because we have
580
00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:20,840
two very important titles of the owner
581
00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:26,160
and we have his full name
so we can congratulate ourselves.
582
00:38:26,240 --> 00:38:27,880
We were extremely lucky, we have it.
583
00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:29,360
We have the full story.
584
00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:34,040
NARRATOR: In Ancient Egypt,
having a title meant power,
585
00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:37,080
and sometimes, access to the pharaoh.
586
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,960
The inscription opens
with a very strange title.
587
00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:43,280
The one with wonderful arm.
588
00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,240
We understand what it says
589
00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:47,720
but we have no idea, simply,
what it meant.
590
00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:52,200
Followed by another
very important ranking title in this case.
591
00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:57,120
Semer Wah'ty, "the only friend"
or the "sole friend of the king."
592
00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:02,400
And then the name, the personal name
of the tomb owner which reads as Ka-Ires.
593
00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:04,240
Ka-Ires.
594
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:08,920
NARRATOR: For Miroslav,
it's a highly significant combination.
595
00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:13,720
Not only was the tomb owner
a close confidant of the Pyramid King,
596
00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,760
but his name is similar
in form to the legendary wiseman,
597
00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:23,800
Ka-Irsu, whose teachings of loyalty
to the pharaoh lasted 1,000 years.
598
00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:30,240
Miroslav believes the owner of the new
tomb must be a direct descendant.
599
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:35,680
If so, Ka-Ires may have had the same role
in the royal court,
600
00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:38,120
spreading word of the pharaoh's power.
601
00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:43,840
It's a very rare opportunity
to really get in touch
602
00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:48,040
with somebody
who was venerated for centuries, you know.
603
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,840
Now we can say that we've got at least
604
00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:54,480
two generations of this famous sage.
605
00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:56,760
So this is quite a feat.
606
00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:03,000
NARRATOR: The pharaohs who followed Khufu
may not have had his wealth,
607
00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,920
but they masterminded ways
to bolster their fragile power.
608
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,120
They used officials to promote loyalty,
609
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:14,320
and they cast themselves as living Gods.
610
00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:19,200
So what legacy did they leave
to the Pharaohs 1,000 years later?
611
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:25,640
At Gebel El-Silsila...
612
00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,480
Just a few feet
from an unfinished sphinx statue,
613
00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:33,880
Maria and John's search
for more buried monuments
614
00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,520
has turned up a stone,
embedded in windblown sand.
615
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:42,840
They hope it will reveal clues
to the legacy of the Pyramid Kings.
616
00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:49,360
JOHN: It's nicely in the sand so the sand
is always a nice indication.
617
00:40:51,240 --> 00:40:55,560
NARRATOR: The flat edges and sharp corners
suggest it's not another sphinx.
618
00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:58,480
But it could be something even better.
619
00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:02,120
MARIA: We got hieroglyphs.
620
00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:04,320
JOHN: Oh!
621
00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:07,080
NARRATOR: An inscribed stone
could reveal
622
00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:10,800
more about the pharaoh
who carved the sphinx out of this quarry.
623
00:41:11,720 --> 00:41:13,440
MARIA: Oh this is wonderful.
624
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:14,720
JOHN: Look at that.
625
00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:17,840
NARRATOR: Decorated with engravings,
626
00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:21,200
the block appears
to be a missing piece of a monument
627
00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:24,880
John and Maria have been trying
to piece together for nearly a decade,
628
00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:30,120
a shrine to the, New Kingdom pharaoh
who owned this quarry,
629
00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,120
Amenhotep III.
630
00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:35,840
JOHN: This really is beautiful.
631
00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:41,080
We've worked with this monument for
years and when you find a piece like this,
632
00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:44,040
it just... it makes your heart go.
633
00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:46,760
MARIA: This is the crowning detail,
634
00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:53,320
it makes it all worth it, the-- the sweat,
the-- the tears, the-- the hassle.
635
00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:57,160
NARRATOR: As the crew begins the clean-up
636
00:41:57,240 --> 00:42:00,200
after five solid hours
of digging in the sun,
637
00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:03,520
Maria and John
begin to analyze their discovery.
638
00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:07,880
MARIA: Well, I have to say
that with or without sphinx,
639
00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:09,920
this has made my day.
640
00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:15,920
It says the "great God,
and then you've got the son of Ra".
641
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:19,320
It is a real statement
642
00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:24,400
- that Amenhotep III was the living God.
- Hmm.
643
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:28,200
NARRATOR: The shrine
stood above Amenhotep's quarry,
644
00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,640
proclaiming him offspring of the Sun God,
645
00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:33,840
exactly as the later
Pyramid Kings had done
646
00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:37,080
to rescue their status as supreme rulers.
647
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:42,320
MARIA: By claiming to be the great God,
and the son of Ra,
648
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:47,480
the sun disk,
Amenhotep III is following a tradition
649
00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:51,440
all the way back
from the great pyramid builders.
650
00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:53,400
I love it.
651
00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:56,720
JOHN: It's a major part of the jigsaw.
652
00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:00,240
It's history. Wonderful.
653
00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:05,200
NARRATOR: By carving sphinxes
and inscribing monuments
654
00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:07,280
with statements of divine power,
655
00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:09,960
Amenhotep III connected himself
656
00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:12,960
to his predecessors
who claimed to be Gods on earth,
657
00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:14,920
The Pyramid Kings.
658
00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:20,040
Every season, archeologists draw these
659
00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:23,440
ancient pharaohs further out
from the shadows of history.
660
00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:25,560
Mysterious figures,
661
00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:29,560
whose power rested not on force,
but devotion.
662
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:33,520
Their officials
promoted loyalty through teachings
663
00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:35,680
that echoed down through the ages.
664
00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:39,880
And their temples
helped cast them as divine descendants
665
00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:44,640
of the life-giving God of the sun,
but they couldn't hold on forever.
666
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:48,960
Five hundred years
after they built the first pyramids,
667
00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:52,400
Pyramid Age civilization collapsed.
668
00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:54,600
When Egypt rose again,
669
00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:57,960
the Pyramid Kings' extraordinary
monuments remained,
670
00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,400
their ideas survived,
671
00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:05,000
and their legacy inspired pharaohs
a 1,000 years later.