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Archaeologists are about to open a coffin,
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sealed for more
than 2,000 years.
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It’s very risky
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there is a big crack
on top of the coffin.
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Inside could be a rare,
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undisturbed mummy.
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Are you ready to open?
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Ready? With the utmost care.
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Oh!
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The Valley of the Kings.
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Eternal home to the Pharaohs
of Ancient Egypt’s golden age.
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In these mountains
archaeologists have made some
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of history’s most
extraordinary discoveries.
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The bodies of Royals
dating back 3,000 years.
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The corpses of these
kings represent the peak of
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the art of mummification,
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preparing a dead
body with oils and
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linen wrapping to avoid decay.
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But the evolution of
this sacred custom is
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still shrouded in mystery.
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Why, and how, did Egyptians
start preserving their bodies?
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And what happened to
mummification when after
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more than 2,000 years
Ancient Egypt was conquered?
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Today, archaeologists across
Egypt search for mummies from
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the civilization’s
earliest days,
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and from its final reckoning,
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to shed light on
mummification’s rise,
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and fall.
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Texas-born Archaeologist
Meredith Brand encountered
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her first mummy in
London’s British museum,
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aged just seven.
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Ever since, she’s been
desperate to unlock the
secrets they contain.
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You can
hear the silence,
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the wind and feel that
this was a sacred place.
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Meredith has
come to the Pharaohs’ tombs,
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because she believes
the secrets of the
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origins of mummification
can be found here.
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This site
holds vital clues to
the mummification process,
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both in terms of
technology but also
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in terms of the ritual and the
reasons why Ancient Egyptians
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wanted so badly to
preserve their bodies.
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More than 60 tombs
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have been uncovered
in the Valley.
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Most are
decorated floor to ceiling
with elaborate imagery.
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Oh the carvings,
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the painting is
so fresh and vivid.
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These artworks
were designed to help carry
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the owner’s mummy
safely to the afterlife.
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Meredith searches for evidence
of the Ancient Egyptians’
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obsession with mummification.
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Oh this is
the scene I’ve come for!
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Okay so,
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what I can see here
is this jackal-headed god,
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Anubis and he’s
enacting mummification,
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which was his sacred role.
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The image represents
the very first mummification,
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performed by gods.
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The embalming of Osiris.
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According to legend
Osiris was one of
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the first gods
to walk the earth.
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But in a feud, he was
murdered by his brother, Seth,
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who scattered his
body parts across Egypt.
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Osiris’ wife searched the
length and breadth of the Nile
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to recover his broken corpse.
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With Anubis’ help, she
reassembled Osiris and
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00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,440
wrapped him
in strips of linen,
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resurrecting him
for a second life
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as ruler of the Underworld.
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From then on, powerful
Egyptians had their bodies
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wrapped and embalmed.
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So that just like Osiris,
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they could live
again in the afterlife.
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MEREDITH
This scene reveals the
ultimate goal of the king,
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which was a perfect mummy
so that he could successfully
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be reborn in the afterlife.
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The image
depicts the myth of the
origins of mummification,
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but it dates to
the New Kingdom,
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more than 1,000 years
after wealthy Egyptians began
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preserving their corpses.
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To find out exactly how the
earliest Egyptians mummified
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their dead, archaeologists
need to find one of the rarest
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of archaeological treasures.
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A mummy from the Old Kingdom.
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In Saqqara,
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World-renowned mummy expert,
Salima Ikram, has been
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called out to an
extraordinary find in one
of Egypt’s oldest cemeteries.
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Born in Pakistan, she
fell in love with Egypt on
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a family visit, aged nine.
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She’s spent a career poring
over its dried-out corpses,
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and not just humans.
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She’s examined the mummies
of dogs, cats, even a lion.
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In a tomb dating back
more than 4,000 years,
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archaeologist Mohamed Megahed
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has uncovered a
single human mummy.
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If it belongs to the
tomb’s original owner,
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it would be one of the
oldest mummies Salima,
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or anyone, has ever seen.
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SALIMA
If we actually do have
an Old Kingdom mummy,
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then it will be
terribly exciting.
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I’ve worked on
one or two others,
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and they are so rare,
but most of the time,
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burial chambers and entire
sites have been re-used long
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after the Old Kingdom
so I hope Mohamed is not
in for a disappointment.
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For four years,
Mohamed has led investigations
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into this mysterious tomb.
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Salima,
thank you for coming today.
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What he has
unearthed has stunned
the world of Egyptology.
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Under the sand and rubble,
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Mohamed discovered a corridor
leading to an antechamber,
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painted in stunning
detail and vibrant colors.
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Hieroglyphs reveal this is the
tomb of a man called Khuwy,
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a relation of the
royal family who lived
over 4,000 years ago.
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In the burial chamber
nearby there were four jars
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to hold mummified organs.
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A smashed, empty sarcophagus.
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And strewn all over
the floor, the fragments,
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of a mummy.
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It could be one of the oldest
Egyptian mummies ever found.
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But is it the bones of Khuwy,
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or an imposter?
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Last year, Mohamed’s team
found more mummies buried just
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outside the tomb’s walls,
from a much later era.
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If the mummy in the
burial chamber is from
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the same time,
it can’t be Khuwy.
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Salima is here to
examine the mummy,
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to try to
establish a positive ID.
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It’s rather a lovely
and huge and beautifully
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organized magazine,
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mashallah.
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If it does
turn out to be Khuwy,
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the corpse
could answer one of
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Egyptologists’
oldest questions.
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Just how early in their
history did Egyptians perfect
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the mysterious
art of mummification?
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Near the oasis city of Faiyum.
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00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:13,240
Egyptian Archaeologist
Basem Gehad has set up camp
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on the desolate site of the
ancient town of Philadelphia,
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to investigate
mummification at the end
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00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,480
of the Egyptian empire.
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00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,600
As a child, drawn to Egypt’s
archaeological secrets,
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Basem begged his father
every weekend to take him to
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the Pyramids or to
Cairo’s Egyptian Museum.
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These days he gets to live on
his own archaeological site,
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for months at a time.
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These are
our sleeping tents
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this is our kitchen, small
kitchen here, with a chef.
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Hello chef!
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Some 2,000 years
after the age of the Pyramids,
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the time of the
Egyptian Kings came to an end.
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Ancient Egypt was
invaded by Greece.
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00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,360
The Greeks had no tradition
of preserving their dead.
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Basem wants to know
how the conquest changed
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the practice of mummification.
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As you can see, there
is no evidence of anything
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on the surface, it’s only
sand and desert, that’s it.
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Today,
he’s on the hunt for
something incredibly rare:
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an intact Greek grave.
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Now, a new photograph from
a satellite has given him a
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fresh hint of where to dig.
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So the
shaded area that we
could see in the satellite
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images is an elevated area
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could be an area of interest
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for the excavation,
so let’s go.
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Basem’s team
strips away the thin layer of
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windblown sand from the mound,
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immediately beneath he
finds a promising clue.
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If it’s looted,
there is no compact sand.
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In this area the
sand is very compact
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00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,080
we have to remove it very
carefully and we will see.
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Within minutes,
Basem’s workers reveal the
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00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,840
outlines of six separate
burials cut into the rock.
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It’s a fantastic discovery,
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but are these
graves undisturbed?
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We are very
curious to see what’s inside.
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It could tell a
lot of stories,
wonderful stories about
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00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,600
how the Greeks and Egyptians
lived together in one space.
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The workers
clean away loose sand from
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each burial in search
of an untouched grave.
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It seems that
they found something here.
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It seems that my team
here found a vaulted tomb
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and it’s sealed, and we
know it’s sealed because
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the guy who sealed
it 2,000 years ago
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left his fingerprints
as a seal impression.
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00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:05,800
The unbroken
mud seal plastered over
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the tomb roof proves no-one
ever robbed this grave.
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Beneath the brickwork
should be a coffin,
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and its occupant should
reveal how the inhabitants of
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a Greek town in
Egypt buried their dead.
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Maybe we could find a
wooden coffin, if we are lucky
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maybe we could
find a pottery coffin
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maybe we could find a mummy
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or a skeleton, we will see.
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The sealed tomb
could contain an Egyptian,
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or a rare Ancient Greek body.
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In their homeland,
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00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,480
Ancient Greeks
didn’t mummify their dead,
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00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:54,080
but could their
practices have changed when
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00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,000
they settled among Egyptians?
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00:11:57,560 --> 00:12:01,560
To get inside the tomb,
Basem must destroy the seal
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00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:03,600
and dismantle
the mud-brick roof.
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00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:10,240
It seems that
it was very tightly closed
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so we are removing very
carefully brick by brick
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the blocking, in order to
see what could be inside.
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The structure
itself proves the tomb dates
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to the era of Greek rule.
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00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,040
The team now has to remove
just a few bricks before
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00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:29,320
they can see inside.
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00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,080
We know very
well that the larger
you go, the older you go
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00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,280
so we could say
from the mud brick size
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00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,840
that we are at
the second century.
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00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:40,160
Surprise!
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00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,920
The team breaks
through the roof of the tomb,
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00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,680
and catch their first
glimpse of its contents.
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00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:53,680
Oh...
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00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:55,880
It’s phenomenal!
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00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,120
I’m so excited.
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00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:01,920
It’s an
undisturbed coffin,
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00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,600
an incredible find, and
exactly what Basem hoped for.
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00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,160
The painted wooden casket
has a peaked roof,
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00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,200
not the rounded top
of Egyptian sarcophagi.
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00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,880
Greeks lived
side by side with
Egyptians in Philadelphia,
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00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,360
and this is almost
certainly a rare Greek burial.
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The question is, was
the occupant buried in
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00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:25,680
the Greek tradition,
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or Egyptian?
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00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:28,840
Until we open it
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00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,200
we just don’t know if
there's a mummy inside
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00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,840
or just a simple skeleton,
we just want to wait.
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To find out, Basem
needs to extract the coffin,
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00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:40,840
without crushing it.
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00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,960
In the desert of Gebelein,
just south of Luxor,
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00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,160
Meredith searches for evidence
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00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,880
of Egypt’s
earliest death rites.
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00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,960
She believes the myths that
drove Egyptians to mummify
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00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:00,040
their own bodies had
roots much earlier than
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00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:02,080
Ancient Egyptian civilization.
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00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,200
Prehistoric rock art depicting
wildlife suggests this area
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00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,360
was once a sacred place.
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00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:17,080
In the 19th century,
archaeologists identified
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00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:18,840
it as a burial ground.
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00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,400
This is a
desolate dry landscape,
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00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,640
nothing much to
see on the surface.
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00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:27,920
But underneath
these rocks and
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00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,440
sand there would have
been prehistoric tombs.
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00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:39,120
In 1896,
an Egyptologist from
the British Museum received
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00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,160
a tip-off of a
momentous discovery.
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00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,840
Buried under a thin
layer of desert debris,
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00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:50,120
local farmers had
found a mummified body,
249
00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,400
preserved in
astonishing detail.
250
00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:58,120
On the upper arm
tattoos of horned
animals were still visible,
251
00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,440
and from the head
sprouted tufts of red hair,
252
00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,240
earning this mummy
its original nickname,
253
00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:06,520
"Ginger."
254
00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,360
There was a puncture wound
to the left shoulder blade,
255
00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,800
and a fractured rib beneath.
256
00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,680
Forensic analysis has
revealed the body is male and
257
00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,200
over 5,000 years old,
258
00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,320
but how is this body
so perfectly preserved?
259
00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,200
For Meredith, the
evidence suggests the
260
00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,440
man’s mummification
was not planned.
261
00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,040
Instead, it was an
accident of nature.
262
00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,200
In this photo I
can see there’s no bandages or
263
00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,440
anything that would
have preserved this mummy.
264
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,600
So it would seem
that this was not an
intentional mummification.
265
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,480
He was preserved by the sand.
266
00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,160
There was no ritual or
magic or anything involved,
267
00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:53,240
just the drying
power of nature.
268
00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,400
Hundreds of years
before the first Pharaoh,
269
00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:03,000
this man lived around
the fertile flood plains
along the river Nile.
270
00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:07,920
But around his 20th birthday,
271
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,920
he was brutally
stabbed in the back,
272
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,160
and left for dead.
273
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,800
He was buried in
a shallow grave,
274
00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,160
with simple clay grave goods.
275
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,800
And covered with sand.
276
00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,000
But the desert sun and hot dry
sand quickly evaporated all
277
00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,360
the water from his body.
278
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,920
Stopping it from decomposing,
freezing him in time until his
279
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,640
discovery 5,400 years later.
280
00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,760
Archaeologists have found
no papyri that explain the
281
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,720
historical origins
of mummification,
282
00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,320
but Meredith believes the
practice could have evolved
283
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,400
from accidents of nature.
284
00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,840
Natural mummies like
the Gebelein man would have
285
00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:55,240
inspired Ancient Egyptians
that if they could use
286
00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:57,800
technology to harness
the power of nature,
287
00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,040
their bodies too could
last forever into eternity.
288
00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:04,120
MEREDITH It’s a
truly spectacular discovery.
289
00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,160
It tells us where
mummification started.
290
00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,360
In Aswan.
291
00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,840
Across the
river from the city,
292
00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,760
a team of Egyptian
archaeologists scours a
293
00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,040
remote hilltop necropolis.
294
00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:26,360
They hope its long-lost tombs
will hold evidence of how
295
00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:27,960
ordinary Ancient Egyptians
296
00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,640
prepared their dead
for the afterlife.
297
00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:36,360
The few tombs that have been
found suggest the people of
298
00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:40,760
Aswan used this burial
ground some 2,000 years ago,
299
00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,560
as Egyptian
civilization was in decline.
300
00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,640
Born in the town
beside the Nile,
301
00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,360
Archaeologist Sayed Elrawy has
302
00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,280
walked these
outcrops since childhood.
303
00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,400
High up and inaccessible,
304
00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,240
it is an ideal
location for a cemetery.
305
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,960
The tombs
were built on hills
to save them from robbers.
306
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,760
I think there are some
nobles and some workers here.
307
00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,800
Today, he
is investigating the
308
00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,000
unmistakable outline
of a buried stairwell.
309
00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:20,920
He believes this one
will lead to answers to how
310
00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,040
the less wealthy
treated their dead.
311
00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,000
I think we have a lot
of mummies inside the tomb.
312
00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:30,800
I’m a very
lucky archaeologist.
313
00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,280
The only
way to test his luck,
314
00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:37,160
is to dig.
315
00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,840
In the Old Kingdom
Necropolis at Saqqara,
316
00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,680
Salima has been called to
examine a mummy found in a
317
00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,560
noble’s lavish tomb.
318
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,440
She hopes an X-Ray will
help establish if it’s
319
00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,720
the original tomb owner.
320
00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:05,160
If it is, it could be one
of the oldest intentionally
mummified bodies ever found.
321
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,200
Where is Khuwy kept?
322
00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:11,400
Here is Mr.
- Khuwy.
323
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:12,880
Hello Mr. Khuwy!
324
00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:16,640
We will take it down.
325
00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,000
Okay, so
what we’ll do is,
326
00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:23,080
we'll do the X-Ray
of Khuwy right here.
327
00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:24,160
Okay.
328
00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:25,440
We have electricity,
329
00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:27,200
and then we’ll do the
developing in the other room.
330
00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:28,280
Perfect.
331
00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:30,000
So easy-peasy inshallah.
332
00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:31,320
Inshallah. Okay.
333
00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,040
Salima’s permit
to scan the mummy is
334
00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:37,720
only valid for one day.
335
00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,440
She’s turned to a
trusted piece of kit,
336
00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,440
an archaeologist’s
field X-Ray.
337
00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,600
SALIMA
Our X-Ray machine dates
to I think the ‘80s.
338
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,560
I know longer than some
of us have been alive.
339
00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,680
But it’s tiny it’s
easy to move around, um,
340
00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,360
the bad thing is though
because it’s not digital,
341
00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:02,920
you have to do your
photography and then
342
00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,360
your developing and then you
find out if it was a disaster
343
00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:06,840
or a success.
344
00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,840
Before ‘Khuwy’
goes under the scanner,
345
00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,440
Salima will conduct
a visual inspection.
346
00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:19,200
The moment of truth.
347
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,040
It’s the first
time she’s met the mummy.
348
00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:25,800
Ah.
349
00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,640
Only fragments
of the body remain.
350
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,480
So there is no head.
Yeah.
351
00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,120
But we have the ribs.
352
00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,240
And we have pelvis.
353
00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:45,960
I think he was quite fat.
354
00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,720
You know it’s a
good solid thigh.
355
00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,880
Thousands of years
spent in the tomb of Khuwy,
356
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,920
the Old Kingdom noble, have
not been kind to this mummy.
357
00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,920
Ah, it looks like a...
358
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,120
I think its rodents
have eaten this.
359
00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:02,320
Yeah, yeah.
360
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,560
If this
is Khuwy’s body,
361
00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:06,480
there’s not much of him left.
362
00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,800
But for mummy expert Salima,
363
00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,760
there is enough to
tell how it was preserved.
364
00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:15,400
That could give her a
rough idea of its age.
365
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:21,120
Right, smells
like a nicer quality mummy.
366
00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:26,880
This in particular seems to be
very impregnated with resins.
367
00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:28,400
I mean look at that.
368
00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,800
It’s extremely high quality.
369
00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:36,360
Ancient embalmers
bathed bodies in expensive
resins from tree sap,
370
00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,680
preserving the flesh before
they wrapped the corpse.
371
00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,600
Look at all of
this textile it’s beautiful.
372
00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:48,400
This is really very
fine quality linen.
373
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:50,840
Oh wow.
374
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,160
The mummy seems
to have been wrapped in the
375
00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,000
highest-grade of bandages.
376
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,120
This matches the
detailed picture of
377
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,360
Khuwy’s lavish lifestyle
depicted in his tomb.
378
00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,120
Khuwy was a
high-ranking official,
379
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,880
a member of the
Pharaoh’s Royal Court
during the Pyramid Age,
380
00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,560
near the beginning
of Egyptian civilization.
381
00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:21,840
Scenes painted in his tomb
show that he could afford the
382
00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,320
luxuries of fine food,
in vast quantities.
383
00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:30,440
And jars found in the tomb,
384
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,720
made to hold the mummified
organs of the deceased.
385
00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,480
Are more evidence of
a high-status burial.
386
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,320
A man like this could
certainly afford to have
387
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,440
his body embalmed in resin and
wrapped in the finest linen.
388
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:56,080
But for Salima, the quality of
the linen rings alarm bells.
389
00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,440
It’s extraordinary.
390
00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,720
The only time I’ve
so much of this kind
of good quality linen
391
00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,240
has been in the 21st dynasty.
392
00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,800
The 21st dynasty of
Egyptian Pharaohs reigned more
393
00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,640
than 1,000 years
after Khuwy lived.
394
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:14,600
Wrapped in the
most delicate linen and
395
00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,960
drenched in expensive resin,
396
00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,000
if this is Khuwy,
397
00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,920
then the art of mummification
was far more advanced in the
398
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,680
Pyramid Age than
experts believed.
399
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,600
Oh, good, Mohamed,
you are here at last.
400
00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:34,080
So what do you think?
401
00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:36,120
I think
it’s a beautiful mummy.
402
00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:38,440
So do
we have any other
403
00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:40,840
human remains
from the Old Kingdom
mummified like this?
404
00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:42,240
No.
405
00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,840
It could change entirely the
history of mummification if it
406
00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,600
happens to be Old Kingdom.
407
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,080
If this is Khuwy,
Salima will have to re-write
408
00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:56,320
her own textbooks on
Egypt’s oldest mummies.
409
00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,720
As yet, she’s not convinced,
410
00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,160
she will need to
see more evidence.
411
00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:10,080
On the cliffs above Aswan,
Sayed and his team are into
412
00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,000
their second day
excavating a fresh tomb.
413
00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,320
They hope it will reveal how
ordinary Ancient Egyptians
414
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,560
prepared bodies
for the afterlife as
their civilization faded.
415
00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,800
They’ve shifted several tons
of sand to expose the stairs.
416
00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:30,920
In the heat of
the early afternoon,
417
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:32,440
the work is punishing.
418
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:35,520
We have no
shelter from the sun.
419
00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:40,120
We need to work quickly
to excavate the tombs here.
420
00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:42,520
Sayed.
421
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:46,160
I think
they've found a door.
422
00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,240
If the
tomb contains bodies,
423
00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,280
they could hold clues to how
ordinary Ancient Egyptians
424
00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:54,080
preserved their dead.
425
00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:56,480
Can I have some light?
426
00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:04,760
Oh my God!
427
00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:14,040
Sayed’s
team has made an
extraordinary discovery.
428
00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,320
A rare tomb
packed full of mummies.
429
00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:23,720
There’s no air in here.
430
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,920
The remains of a
stone sarcophagus suggest the
431
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:33,960
bodies piled around it are not
the tomb’s original occupants.
432
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:35,840
So who are they?
433
00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:41,000
Team foreman, Abdul,
prepares a mummy for
initial inspection.
434
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:43,440
The mummy
is very delicate.
435
00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:48,040
You can see the
mummy is a man.
436
00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,520
Abdul delicately brushes to expose
437
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,080
the ragged remains of
the mummy’s bandages.
438
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,760
You can
see the mummification
is cheap mummification.
439
00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:01,800
You can see he is not noble.
440
00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:04,400
He is a poor man.
441
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:08,200
The mummy’s
condition suggests he was not
442
00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,680
wealthy enough to afford a
high-quality mummification.
443
00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,360
The other bodies buried with
him are also badly preserved.
444
00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,680
There’s not enough space
for Sayed to examine how
445
00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:23,400
this mummy was embalmed.
446
00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:25,960
So he decides to
extract the body.
447
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,800
A mummy this
poorly preserved
could fall apart with
448
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:32,560
the slightest shock.
449
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:38,360
In the Necropolis of
Ancient Philadelphia,
450
00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,720
near Faiyum.
451
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,400
Basem’s search has finally
produced an intact grave:
452
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,720
of an Ancient Greek.
453
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,720
Egypt’s conquerors did
not practice mummification
454
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:55,600
in their homeland, but what
did they do here in Egypt?
455
00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:01,040
To find out he
needs to release the
2000-year-old coffin.
456
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:06,120
So we’re
removing now, brick by brick
457
00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,160
it’s a very
sensitive operation.
458
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,520
With the top
layer of bricks removed,
459
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,320
Basem is able to inspect
the full length of the tomb.
460
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,520
Elaborate decorations on the
casket confirm his suspicions.
461
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,400
I’m 100% sure
that this is a Greek coffin
462
00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,640
but we have to take
it as fast as possible
463
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:29,640
because we can’t just
leave it exposed to the sun.
464
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,560
So we are going to lift
it up from the grave.
465
00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,560
The team has no
idea how degraded the roof of
466
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,720
the coffin might be.
467
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,120
Any mistake could
be catastrophic.
468
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,720
It is really stressful.
469
00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:55,960
Any single mud brick
that could fall on
this wooden coffin
470
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,120
will destroy it, so
we need to be sure.
471
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,760
The crew systematically
removes just enough bricks
472
00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:08,440
to open a gap wide enough for
the coffin to pass through.
473
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,320
It's
really tight inside
474
00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,360
so we are trying
to enlarge the space
in order to lift it up
475
00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:18,920
and it’s really delicate,
it’s really sensitive.
476
00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:22,960
Basem doesn’t
want to destroy any more of
477
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,880
the precious tomb
structure than necessary.
478
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:29,880
But the coffin
has to come out.
479
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,840
Released from the tomb, the
intricately painted coffin and
480
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,320
its occupant are in more
danger than they ever have
481
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,920
been in the last 2000 years.
482
00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,440
So now I
need to take this coffin
in the shade immediately
483
00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:54,120
because it’s very
delicate and very sensitive
484
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,160
we have to move it to
the car and to the tent.
485
00:28:58,600 --> 00:28:59,640
We’re gonna move it.
486
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,640
Let’s go boys, all together.
487
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,160
Whether it
holds a mummy or a skeleton,
488
00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,920
this coffin could
reveal how the Greeks,
489
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:09,640
who seized control of Egypt,
490
00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:11,160
buried their dead.
491
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,440
On the hilltop above Aswan.
492
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,040
Sayed’s mummy has
completed its journey to
493
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,720
the safety of
the analysis tent.
494
00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:28,400
It’s clear this mummy’s
afterlife has been traumatic.
495
00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,240
The mummy has
a hole, it’s from a robbery.
496
00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,080
Embalmers placed
carved stones in the wrapping
497
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,640
of wealthier mummies
as magical protection.
498
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,920
But it’s unlikely the poor
could afford that luxury.
499
00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:48,880
Maybe the
robbers left empty-handed.
500
00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,000
The secrets of how
this man’s body was mummified
501
00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,720
are hidden
within the bandages.
502
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,720
But Sayed can’t unwrap
him for fear the mummy
503
00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:00,840
will crumble into dust.
504
00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:05,040
The team needs to find
more lower-class mummies
505
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,160
to figure out how
Ancient Egyptians
preserved the poor.
506
00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,920
Across the site,
Sayed’s colleague,
507
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,360
archaeologist Hala Hussein,
508
00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:21,440
has spent weeks
uncovering a different tomb.
509
00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,600
She has also found mummies.
510
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,040
Or at least, bits of them.
511
00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:38,240
Hala’s tomb
contains the remains
of some 20 mummies,
512
00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,360
but they’re
in terrible condition.
513
00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,000
Evidence of wasps’ nests
suggest insects may have
514
00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,640
played a role in the damage.
515
00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,520
But in the destruction
lies an opportunity.
516
00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,960
The mummies’
bodies are exposed,
517
00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:57,120
allowing Hala to see
beneath the bandages,
518
00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:01,560
and search for more clues to
how ordinary Ancient Egyptians
519
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:03,360
tried to preserve their dead.
520
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:08,520
I don’t think
it’s rich people or nobles
521
00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:13,920
because the mummification
doesn’t tell us that.
522
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,800
I think it’s poor people.
523
00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:21,960
The Necropolis
contains almost 300 tombs.
524
00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:25,920
Each could have been the
eternal home for dozens of
525
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,000
ordinary Ancient Egyptians.
526
00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:33,000
Now, archaeologists can
begin to sketch a picture of
527
00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:34,880
their possible history.
528
00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,280
Each tomb was originally
cut for a single mummy,
529
00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:42,760
furnished with a
sandstone coffin.
530
00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:49,360
Their relatives added bodies
to the tomb when they died,
531
00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,000
until the family
died out or moved away.
532
00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:02,040
Hundreds of years later,
poorer Egyptians re-used
533
00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:03,920
the forgotten tombs,
534
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,440
filling them up with
badly mummified corpses.
535
00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:11,280
Before the tombs were looted,
536
00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,600
and the exposed
mummies destroyed.
537
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,720
Most of the mummies in Hala’s
tomb are too degraded to tell
538
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,320
much about the way
they were mummified.
539
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,240
But one body
offers a grisly clue.
540
00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:30,520
In a niche in the wall,
541
00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,440
Hala finds the
broken mummy of a baby.
542
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:38,000
Here, we have remains
543
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,560
just part of a child’s body
544
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:47,440
it has a stick
inside the body.
545
00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:53,160
The stick
was inserted in the
body to hold the head.
546
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,840
It suggests the body
was already decomposed
547
00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:57,680
when it was embalmed.
548
00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:01,280
Not only were the
poor mummified badly,
549
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:03,480
they were mummified too late.
550
00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:08,840
The bits of them that survive
suggest the afterlives of
551
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:13,000
these ordinary
Ancient Egyptians have
been far from peaceful.
552
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:17,160
Destroyed by insects,
and desecrated by robbers,
553
00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,920
any meagre valuables
ripped from their wrappings.
554
00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:23,800
But for Sayed at least,
555
00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:26,400
these mummies are
helping piece together
556
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,320
the mysterious fates
of the ordinary dead,
557
00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,560
at the end of
Egyptian civilization.
558
00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:38,040
Even though the tomb is
built on the top of the hill
559
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:39,600
the robbers still found them.
560
00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:47,720
But for me as
an archaeologist,
the mummy is the treasure.
561
00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:54,720
In Saqqara,
562
00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,560
Salima’s team prepares
the mummy found in the
563
00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,560
Old Kingdom tomb
of Khuwy for X-Ray.
564
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,080
They hope to learn
more about the body.
565
00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:09,320
To confirm it
could actually be
the 4400-year-old noble,
566
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,920
and one of the oldest
Egyptian mummies ever found.
567
00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:17,800
But Mohamed has more
evidence to bring to the case.
568
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:22,000
High-class mummies had
their organs removed
to stop them rotting.
569
00:34:23,240 --> 00:34:27,960
These were placed
alongside the mummy in
vessels called Canopic Jars.
570
00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,560
Mohamed found four of
these right next to the mummy.
571
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:34,720
Oh!
See?
572
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:36,120
They are beautiful!
573
00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:37,360
They are very nice.
574
00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:39,480
And it
was sealed nicely.
575
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:41,600
It was sealed,
all of them were sealed.
576
00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:44,200
Oh!
577
00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:45,520
Oh, look at that.
578
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:46,640
Yes.
579
00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:49,080
Oh I say...
580
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,200
We know for sure
this is Old Kingdom, Salima.
581
00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:53,280
The jars
are Old Kingdom.
582
00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:54,880
The jars
are Old Kingdom.
583
00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:57,000
Absolutely I
agree 100% Old Kingdom.
584
00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:58,200
Yes.
100%.
585
00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,040
Yes.
Jars Old Kingdom.
586
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:01,120
Oh you’re kidding me.
587
00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:03,680
Okay, trade.
588
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,200
Oh...
589
00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:11,160
That is nice!
590
00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:14,120
You’ve got lots
of bits of, um,
591
00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:15,600
cloth which is impregnated
592
00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:19,600
with resins or oils
or whatever this black
material is, black goo.
593
00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:21,760
Oh how nice!
594
00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:27,160
If the
resin in jars matches
the resin on the mummy,
595
00:35:27,240 --> 00:35:29,800
it means they both
date to the Old Kingdom.
596
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,920
The mummy’s exceptionally fine
linen dressing could overturn
597
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,880
decades of thinking and
prove mummification techniques
598
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,200
4,000 years ago were much more
advanced than first thought.
599
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:44,920
But the cutting-edge
chemical test that would prove
600
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:46,840
it will take months.
601
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:51,240
An X-Ray could take them a
step closer to confirmation
602
00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,480
that it is the
Old Kingdom noble, Khuwy.
603
00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,360
We want it
to be Khuwy so much.
604
00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:00,520
Imagine finding
someone from the Old Kingdom
605
00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:02,000
in their own tomb!
606
00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:04,000
I mean that’s fantastic.
607
00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,240
If Salima can
establish the mummy’s sex and
608
00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:12,280
social status, it could
help prove its identity.
609
00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:14,080
One.
610
00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:17,480
She sends a
pulse of X-Rays through
the mummified remains,
611
00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,680
onto a photographic plate.
612
00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:21,680
Yep, finished!
613
00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:24,600
Celebrate, wahoo!
614
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,480
But with time
running out on the permit,
615
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,760
Salima’s analysis depends on
whether her images come out.
616
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:33,720
Now for the hard part.
617
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:44,760
As evening
approaches in Saqqara...
618
00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:48,520
Salima hopes the X-Rays she’s
taken might help flesh out a
619
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,880
clearer picture of the
mummy from Khuwy’s tomb,
620
00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:53,720
and confirm it is male.
621
00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:58,120
To develop the images,
she must delicately bathe
622
00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:01,040
the slides in a
succession of chemicals.
623
00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:03,080
It’s really quite
fabulous because you’re
624
00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,000
sitting there with
this blank sheet,
625
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:08,840
and then suddenly
something appears by magic.
626
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:11,840
Don’t open yet.
627
00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:15,200
She can’t allow the
film to be exposed to anything
628
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:17,680
but dim red light.
629
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:19,840
I hope
that’s not too light.
630
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,560
The slides
must be dipped for exactly
631
00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,120
the right time in
each chemical bath.
632
00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:30,440
Any misjudgment, and the whole
exercise has been a waste.
633
00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:36,280
It’s an
adventure each time but it’s
a one-shot deal, generally,
634
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,200
and then there is
the absolute terror that you
635
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,600
won’t get anything and it’ll
just be a blank sheet of film,
636
00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:45,640
which is horrifying.
637
00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,800
Only when the last
exposure has been fixed can
638
00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,600
Salima begin to
assess her work.
639
00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:54,200
Zainab?
640
00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,880
I think you could
put on the light.
641
00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,080
This one looks totally blank.
642
00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:05,320
Oh no!
643
00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:07,240
it’s the vertebrae thank God!
644
00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:08,960
What a relief, oh my God!
645
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:16,880
I thought we’d messed up
quite terribly, oh God.
646
00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:20,480
Hanging the plates up to dry,
647
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,680
Salima and Mohamed can
finally see under the skin of
648
00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:26,000
the mummy they hope is Khuwy.
649
00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:27,760
Look at that!
650
00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:31,880
Their first
job is to confirm the
mummy is the right sex.
651
00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:34,080
Yeah.
652
00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:36,040
And we
are sure he is male?
653
00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:37,240
Yep, he’s a he.
654
00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:38,320
He is he!
655
00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:39,400
He’s a he.
He is he.
656
00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:41,760
He is he!
657
00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:46,040
A scan of
his fragmentary spine
provides more evidence.
658
00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:48,800
Growths on the vertebrae
suggest the mummy’s frame
659
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,080
carried a lot of weight,
a sure sign of nobility in
660
00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:53,560
the ancient world.
661
00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:57,480
He was
fat as well as big.
662
00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:00,480
So he was a tall man and a...
663
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,040
Mashallah, it really
fits with a nice burial.
664
00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:06,200
For me it looks
like Old Kingdom bones.
665
00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:10,080
The X-Rays
aren’t conclusive,
666
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,920
but a well-mummified,
well-fed man in the same
667
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:17,480
archaeological layer
as Old Kingdom jars
is too much to ignore.
668
00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,960
This really could be Khuwy.
669
00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:24,600
If so, experts will be
forced to re-think how
670
00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:28,840
advanced mummification was
in Egypt’s most ancient era.
671
00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:32,360
SALIMA It
was the only mummy that
was found in this tomb.
672
00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:34,480
It should belong
to the tomb owner.
673
00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:36,560
Of course, the style of
mummification is something
674
00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:38,800
we haven’t seen for
the Old Kingdom before,
675
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:40,960
but there’s
always a first time.
676
00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:42,320
This is uh...
677
00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:45,960
Pretty cool!
678
00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:49,360
We found
a very high-class tomb
679
00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,120
and inside this
high-class tomb
680
00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:54,760
we found a very high-class
mummification body.
681
00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:56,120
I think they match together.
682
00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,280
I think if it’s really Khuwy
683
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,320
this is a breakthrough in
the Ancient Egyptian history.
684
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,480
The story of the
rise of the mummy may need
685
00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:09,120
to be re-written.
686
00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:16,200
Outside Faiyum,
at the Necropolis of
Ancient Philadelphia...
687
00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:21,080
Basem has gathered his most
experienced team members
688
00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:22,840
in the analysis tent.
689
00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:28,120
The body in this coffin could
tell Basem what happened to
690
00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:31,240
mummification when the
Greeks conquered Egypt.
691
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:36,200
What we are
going to do is just
clean it with soft brushes
692
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,640
and then we will try to lift
up the cover of the coffin.
693
00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:41,960
The point is, it’s very risky.
694
00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,560
There is a big crack
on top of the coffin
695
00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:48,120
so hopefully we can do it
in a good way, inshallah.
696
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:53,880
The team removes the
dust from the coffin edges.
697
00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:57,320
It means their fingers
are less likely to slip as
698
00:40:57,400 --> 00:40:58,880
they lever off the lid.
699
00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:00,800
Are you ready to open?
700
00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,080
Ready? With the utmost care.
701
00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:13,000
Wow!
702
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:15,920
It’s my first time
to see something like this.
703
00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:20,760
I don’t remember ever seeing
it in one of the museums.
704
00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:22,080
It’s amazing.
705
00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:26,840
I’m just speechless.
706
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,640
Inside the
coffin is a small skeleton,
707
00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:35,880
in a basic wrapping,
but also, a statue.
708
00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:41,040
The artwork shows a
goddess in Greek terracotta,
709
00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:43,840
but the practice of placing
a figurine in the coffin
710
00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:45,720
is purely Egyptian.
711
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:50,440
It is an influence
between the Egyptian mindset
712
00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:52,720
and the Greek
myth and mindset.
713
00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:55,360
So here we can see how
714
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:58,440
both ethnic groups
influenced each other.
715
00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:02,400
Anthropologist Abdullah examines the body.
716
00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:08,120
We have a
female skull, one female skull
717
00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:09,800
skin, with hair.
718
00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:15,040
The skeleton
is a young girl and
719
00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:17,600
she bears clear evidence
of mummification.
720
00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:22,040
And then we
have also the wrapping
721
00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:24,560
and what is
interesting for us is that
722
00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:26,520
the coffin from
outside is Greek
723
00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:28,840
but then they started
to learn from Egyptians
724
00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:32,560
how to do wrapping
and start mummification.
725
00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:36,200
I’ve never seen
something like this before
726
00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:38,120
never seen something
like this before.
727
00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:42,680
The remnants of hair
and skin on the mummy show
728
00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:46,160
that 100 years after
Greeks had conquered Egypt,
729
00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:50,480
they had begun to change their
own sacred burial practices,
730
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:55,040
and adopt Egyptian ones,
including mummification.
731
00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:58,440
Within these
burials and mummies
732
00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:01,520
there is a lot of emotions,
there is a lot of feelings.
733
00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,480
Beloved people,
beloved families.
734
00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,800
You can hear their voice,
you can see their faces.
735
00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:11,600
From this site
736
00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:15,120
you can understand how
strong this culture was.
737
00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:19,760
Ancient Egyptians
invented and pioneered
738
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:22,080
embalming and mummification
739
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,840
and the Greeks adopted
the same tradition.
740
00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:31,000
With every new
body archaeologists unearth,
741
00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:33,840
the story of the mummies
of Egypt becomes clearer.
742
00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:39,480
Inspired by corpses preserved
by chance in the desert sand,
743
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:43,360
embalmers in the age of the
Pyramids refined techniques
744
00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:45,520
to freeze the body in time.
745
00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:50,720
For 3,000 years the
practice evolved and spread,
746
00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,680
from the Pharaohs down
to ordinary Egyptians.
747
00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:57,640
The myth and magic of the
mummy was potent enough to
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00:43:57,720 --> 00:44:00,640
enchant even the
invading Greeks.
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00:44:00,720 --> 00:44:03,040
All were intent
on resurrection,
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00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:05,240
and the glories
of the afterlife.