1
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:03,360
♪ ♪
2
00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,400
NARRATOR: Archaeologists
are about to open a coffin,
3
00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,120
sealed for more
than 2,000 years.
4
00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:11,640
BASEM: It’s very risky
5
00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:14,680
there is a big crack
on top of the coffin.
6
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,520
NARRATOR: Inside
could be a rare,
7
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:20,000
undisturbed mummy.
8
00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:23,520
BASEM: Are you ready to open?
9
00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:28,480
Ready? With the utmost care.
10
00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,360
TEAM: Oh!
11
00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,480
NARRATOR: The
Valley of the Kings.
12
00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:51,320
Eternal home to the Pharaohs
of Ancient Egypt’s golden age.
13
00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,480
In these mountains
archaeologists have made some
14
00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,320
of history’s most
extraordinary discoveries.
15
00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:04,160
The bodies of Royals
dating back 3,000 years.
16
00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,160
The corpses of these
kings represent the peak of
17
00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,840
the art of mummification,
18
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,240
preparing a dead
body with oils and
19
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:16,600
linen wrapping to avoid decay.
20
00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,680
But the evolution of
this sacred custom is
21
00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:23,480
still shrouded in mystery.
22
00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,440
Why, and how, did Egyptians
start preserving their bodies?
23
00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,120
And what happened to
mummification when after
24
00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,320
more than 2,000 years
Ancient Egypt was conquered?
25
00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,360
Today, archaeologists across
Egypt search for mummies from
26
00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,080
the civilization’s
earliest days,
27
00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,920
and from its final reckoning,
28
00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,760
to shed light on
mummification’s rise,
29
00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:53,200
and fall.
30
00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,320
Texas-born Archaeologist
Meredith Brand encountered
31
00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,520
her first mummy in
London’s British museum,
32
00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:07,120
aged just seven.
33
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,080
Ever since, she’s been
desperate to unlock the
secrets they contain.
34
00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:16,600
MEREDITH: You can
hear the silence,
35
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,400
the wind and feel that
this was a sacred place.
36
00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,880
NARRATOR: Meredith has
come to the Pharaohs’ tombs,
37
00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,200
because she believes
the secrets of the
38
00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,440
origins of mummification
can be found here.
39
00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,320
MEREDITH: This site
holds vital clues to
the mummification process,
40
00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,240
both in terms of
technology but also
41
00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,680
in terms of the ritual and the
reasons why Ancient Egyptians
42
00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,040
wanted so badly to
preserve their bodies.
43
00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:47,800
NARRATOR: More than 60 tombs
44
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:49,520
have been uncovered
in the Valley.
45
00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,680
Most are
decorated floor to ceiling
with elaborate imagery.
46
00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:57,280
MEREDITH: Oh the carvings,
47
00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,280
the painting is
so fresh and vivid.
48
00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,440
NARRATOR: These artworks
were designed to help carry
49
00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,240
the owner’s mummy
safely to the afterlife.
50
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,680
Meredith searches for evidence
of the Ancient Egyptians’
51
00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,240
obsession with mummification.
52
00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,760
MEREDITH: Oh this is
the scene I’ve come for!
53
00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,160
Okay so,
54
00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,560
what I can see here
is this jackal-headed god,
55
00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:29,960
Anubis and he’s
enacting mummification,
56
00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:31,480
which was his sacred role.
57
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,080
NARRATOR: The image represents
the very first mummification,
58
00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:37,760
performed by gods.
59
00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,880
The embalming of Osiris.
60
00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,120
According to legend
Osiris was one of
61
00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,400
the first gods
to walk the earth.
62
00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:52,840
But in a feud, he was
murdered by his brother, Seth,
63
00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,320
who scattered his
body parts across Egypt.
64
00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,120
Osiris’ wife searched the
length and breadth of the Nile
65
00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,720
to recover his broken corpse.
66
00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,280
With Anubis’ help, she
reassembled Osiris and
67
00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,440
wrapped him
in strips of linen,
68
00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:12,960
resurrecting him
for a second life
69
00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:14,640
as ruler of the Underworld.
70
00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,240
From then on, powerful
Egyptians had their bodies
71
00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,360
wrapped and embalmed.
72
00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,200
So that just like Osiris,
73
00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:26,120
they could live
again in the afterlife.
74
00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,240
MEREDITH (off-screen):
This scene reveals the
ultimate goal of the king,
75
00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,520
which was a perfect mummy
so that he could successfully
76
00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:38,440
be reborn in the afterlife.
77
00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,280
NARRATOR: The image
depicts the myth of the
origins of mummification,
78
00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,360
but it dates to
the New Kingdom,
79
00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,560
more than 1,000 years
after wealthy Egyptians began
80
00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,440
preserving their corpses.
81
00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,040
To find out exactly how the
earliest Egyptians mummified
82
00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,880
their dead, archaeologists
need to find one of the rarest
83
00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,640
of archaeological treasures.
84
00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,120
A mummy from the Old Kingdom.
85
00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,920
In Saqqara,
86
00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,040
World-renowned mummy expert,
Salima Ikram, has been
87
00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:19,880
called out to an
extraordinary find in one
of Egypt’s oldest cemeteries.
88
00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,160
Born in Pakistan, she
fell in love with Egypt on
89
00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,320
a family visit, aged nine.
90
00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,960
She’s spent a career poring
over its dried-out corpses,
91
00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,480
and not just humans.
92
00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:37,520
She’s examined the mummies
of dogs, cats, even a lion.
93
00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,560
In a tomb dating back
more than 4,000 years,
94
00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,840
archaeologist Mohamed Megahed
95
00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,640
has uncovered a
single human mummy.
96
00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,960
If it belongs to the
tomb’s original owner,
97
00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,440
it would be one of the
oldest mummies Salima,
98
00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,640
or anyone, has ever seen.
99
00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,040
SALIMA (off-screen):
If we actually do have
an Old Kingdom mummy,
100
00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:02,920
then it will be
terribly exciting.
101
00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,680
I’ve worked on
one or two others,
102
00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:09,200
and they are so rare,
but most of the time,
103
00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:13,120
burial chambers and entire
sites have been re-used long
104
00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:18,920
after the Old Kingdom
so I hope Mohamed is not
in for a disappointment.
105
00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,000
NARRATOR: For four years,
Mohamed has led investigations
106
00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:26,920
into this mysterious tomb.
107
00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:30,880
MOHAMED: Salima,
thank you for coming today.
108
00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,000
NARRATOR: What he has
unearthed has stunned
the world of Egyptology.
109
00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:40,520
Under the sand and rubble,
110
00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,760
Mohamed discovered a corridor
leading to an antechamber,
111
00:06:44,840 --> 00:06:47,840
painted in stunning
detail and vibrant colors.
112
00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:53,720
Hieroglyphs reveal this is the
tomb of a man called Khuwy,
113
00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,640
a relation of the
royal family who lived
over 4,000 years ago.
114
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,080
In the burial chamber
nearby there were four jars
115
00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,240
to hold mummified organs.
116
00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,680
A smashed, empty sarcophagus.
117
00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,320
And strewn all over
the floor, the fragments,
118
00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,200
of a mummy.
119
00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,040
It could be one of the oldest
Egyptian mummies ever found.
120
00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,240
But is it the bones of Khuwy,
121
00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:20,680
or an imposter?
122
00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:26,360
Last year, Mohamed’s team
found more mummies buried just
123
00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,440
outside the tomb’s walls,
from a much later era.
124
00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,760
If the mummy in the
burial chamber is from
125
00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,720
the same time,
it can’t be Khuwy.
126
00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,320
Salima is here to
examine the mummy,
127
00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,920
to try to
establish a positive ID.
128
00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:45,920
SALIMA: It’s rather a lovely
and huge and beautifully
129
00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,000
organized magazine,
130
00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:48,200
mashallah.
131
00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,560
NARRATOR: If it does
turn out to be Khuwy,
132
00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:52,280
the corpse
could answer one of
133
00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,040
Egyptologists’
oldest questions.
134
00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,360
Just how early in their
history did Egyptians perfect
135
00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:01,960
the mysterious
art of mummification?
136
00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,640
Near the oasis city of Faiyum.
137
00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:13,240
Egyptian Archaeologist
Basem Gehad has set up camp
138
00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:17,080
on the desolate site of the
ancient town of Philadelphia,
139
00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,720
to investigate
mummification at the end
140
00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,480
of the Egyptian empire.
141
00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,600
As a child, drawn to Egypt’s
archaeological secrets,
142
00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,880
Basem begged his father
every weekend to take him to
143
00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,200
the Pyramids or to
Cairo’s Egyptian Museum.
144
00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:39,360
These days he gets to live on
his own archaeological site,
145
00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:40,880
for months at a time.
146
00:08:41,680 --> 00:08:44,160
BASEM: These are
our sleeping tents
147
00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,240
this is our kitchen, small
kitchen here, with a chef.
148
00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:48,880
Hello chef!
149
00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,760
NARRATOR: Some 2,000 years
after the age of the Pyramids,
150
00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,800
the time of the
Egyptian Kings came to an end.
151
00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,360
Ancient Egypt was
invaded by Greece.
152
00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,360
The Greeks had no tradition
of preserving their dead.
153
00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,920
Basem wants to know
how the conquest changed
154
00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:13,600
the practice of mummification.
155
00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,280
BASEM: As you can see, there
is no evidence of anything
156
00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,400
on the surface, it’s only
sand and desert, that’s it.
157
00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:25,360
NARRATOR: Today,
he’s on the hunt for
something incredibly rare:
158
00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,280
an intact Greek grave.
159
00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:32,040
Now, a new photograph from
a satellite has given him a
160
00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,000
fresh hint of where to dig.
161
00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,640
BASEM: So the
shaded area that we
could see in the satellite
162
00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,560
images is an elevated area
163
00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:42,840
could be an area of interest
164
00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,280
for the excavation,
so let’s go.
165
00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,320
NARRATOR: Basem’s team
strips away the thin layer of
166
00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,200
windblown sand from the mound,
167
00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,240
immediately beneath he
finds a promising clue.
168
00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,440
BASEM: If it’s looted,
there is no compact sand.
169
00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,840
In this area the
sand is very compact
170
00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,080
we have to remove it very
carefully and we will see.
171
00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,000
NARRATOR: Within minutes,
Basem’s workers reveal the
172
00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,840
outlines of six separate
burials cut into the rock.
173
00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:18,400
It’s a fantastic discovery,
174
00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,840
but are these
graves undisturbed?
175
00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,800
BASEM: We are very
curious to see what’s inside.
176
00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:28,560
It could tell a
lot of stories,
wonderful stories about
177
00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,600
how the Greeks and Egyptians
lived together in one space.
178
00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,720
NARRATOR: The workers
clean away loose sand from
179
00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,040
each burial in search
of an untouched grave.
180
00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,280
(speaking in native language)
181
00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:46,440
BASEM: It seems that
they found something here.
182
00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:53,920
It seems that my team
here found a vaulted tomb
183
00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,480
and it’s sealed, and we
know it’s sealed because
184
00:10:56,560 --> 00:11:00,000
the guy who sealed
it 2,000 years ago
185
00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,000
left his fingerprints
as a seal impression.
186
00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:05,800
NARRATOR: The unbroken
mud seal plastered over
187
00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,040
the tomb roof proves no-one
ever robbed this grave.
188
00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,640
Beneath the brickwork
should be a coffin,
189
00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,680
and its occupant should
reveal how the inhabitants of
190
00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,760
a Greek town in
Egypt buried their dead.
191
00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,640
BASEM: Maybe we could find a
wooden coffin, if we are lucky
192
00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,880
maybe we could
find a pottery coffin
193
00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,120
maybe we could find a mummy
194
00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,360
or a skeleton, we will see.
195
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,680
NARRATOR: The sealed tomb
could contain an Egyptian,
196
00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,160
or a rare Ancient Greek body.
197
00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:48,280
In their homeland,
198
00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,480
Ancient Greeks
didn’t mummify their dead,
199
00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:54,080
but could their
practices have changed when
200
00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,000
they settled among Egyptians?
201
00:11:57,560 --> 00:12:01,560
To get inside the tomb,
Basem must destroy the seal
202
00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:03,600
and dismantle
the mud-brick roof.
203
00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:10,240
BASEM: It seems that
it was very tightly closed
204
00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:14,120
so we are removing very
carefully brick by brick
205
00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,560
the blocking, in order to
see what could be inside.
206
00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,200
NARRATOR: The structure
itself proves the tomb dates
207
00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,200
to the era of Greek rule.
208
00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,040
The team now has to remove
just a few bricks before
209
00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:29,320
they can see inside.
210
00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,080
BASEM: We know very
well that the larger
you go, the older you go
211
00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,280
so we could say
from the mud brick size
212
00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,840
that we are at
the second century.
213
00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:40,160
BASEM: Surprise!
214
00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:41,800
(clapping)
215
00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,920
NARRATOR: The team breaks
through the roof of the tomb,
216
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,680
and catch their first
glimpse of its contents.
217
00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:53,680
BASEM: Oh...
218
00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:55,880
BASEM: It’s phenomenal!
219
00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,120
I’m so excited.
220
00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:01,920
NARRATOR: It’s an
undisturbed coffin,
221
00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,600
an incredible find, and
exactly what Basem hoped for.
222
00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,160
The painted wooden casket
has a peaked roof,
223
00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,200
not the rounded top
of Egyptian sarcophagi.
224
00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,880
Greeks lived
side by side with
Egyptians in Philadelphia,
225
00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,360
and this is almost
certainly a rare Greek burial.
226
00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:24,320
The question is, was
the occupant buried in
227
00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:25,680
the Greek tradition,
228
00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:26,800
or Egyptian?
229
00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:28,840
BASEM: Until we open it
230
00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,200
we just don’t know if
there's a mummy inside
231
00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,840
or just a simple skeleton,
we just want to wait.
232
00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:38,680
NARRATOR: To find out, Basem
needs to extract the coffin,
233
00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:40,840
without crushing it.
234
00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,960
In the desert of Gebelein,
just south of Luxor,
235
00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,160
Meredith searches for evidence
236
00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,880
of Egypt’s
earliest death rites.
237
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,960
She believes the myths that
drove Egyptians to mummify
238
00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:00,040
their own bodies had
roots much earlier than
239
00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:02,080
Ancient Egyptian civilization.
240
00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,200
Prehistoric rock art depicting
wildlife suggests this area
241
00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,360
was once a sacred place.
242
00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:17,080
In the 19th century,
archaeologists identified
243
00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:18,840
it as a burial ground.
244
00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,400
MEREDITH: This is a
desolate dry landscape,
245
00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,640
nothing much to
see on the surface.
246
00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:27,920
But underneath
these rocks and
247
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,440
sand there would have
been prehistoric tombs.
248
00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:39,120
NARRATOR: In 1896,
an Egyptologist from
the British Museum received
249
00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,160
a tip-off of a
momentous discovery.
250
00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,840
Buried under a thin
layer of desert debris,
251
00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:50,120
local farmers had
found a mummified body,
252
00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,400
preserved in
astonishing detail.
253
00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:58,120
On the upper arm
tattoos of horned
animals were still visible,
254
00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,440
and from the head
sprouted tufts of red hair,
255
00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,240
earning this mummy
its original nickname,
256
00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:06,520
"Ginger."
257
00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,360
There was a puncture wound
to the left shoulder blade,
258
00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,800
and a fractured rib beneath.
259
00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,680
Forensic analysis has
revealed the body is male and
260
00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,200
over 5,000 years old,
261
00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,320
but how is this body
so perfectly preserved?
262
00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,200
For Meredith, the
evidence suggests the
263
00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,440
man’s mummification
was not planned.
264
00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,040
Instead, it was an
accident of nature.
265
00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,200
MEREDITH: In this photo I
can see there’s no bandages or
266
00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,440
anything that would
have preserved this mummy.
267
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,600
So it would seem
that this was not an
intentional mummification.
268
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,480
He was preserved by the sand.
269
00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,160
There was no ritual or
magic or anything involved,
270
00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:53,240
just the drying
power of nature.
271
00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,400
NARRATOR: Hundreds of years
before the first Pharaoh,
272
00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:03,000
this man lived around
the fertile flood plains
along the river Nile.
273
00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:07,920
But around his 20th birthday,
274
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,920
he was brutally
stabbed in the back,
275
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,160
and left for dead.
276
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,800
He was buried in
a shallow grave,
277
00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,160
with simple clay grave goods.
278
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,800
And covered with sand.
279
00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,000
But the desert sun and hot dry
sand quickly evaporated all
280
00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,360
the water from his body.
281
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,920
Stopping it from decomposing,
freezing him in time until his
282
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,640
discovery 5,400 years later.
283
00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,760
Archaeologists have found
no papyri that explain the
284
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,720
historical origins
of mummification,
285
00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,320
but Meredith believes the
practice could have evolved
286
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,400
from accidents of nature.
287
00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,840
MEREDITH: Natural mummies like
the Gebelein man would have
288
00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:55,240
inspired Ancient Egyptians
that if they could use
289
00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:57,800
technology to harness
the power of nature,
290
00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,040
their bodies too could
last forever into eternity.
291
00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:04,120
MEREDITH (off-screen): It’s a
truly spectacular discovery.
292
00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,160
It tells us where
mummification started.
293
00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,360
NARRATOR: In Aswan.
294
00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,840
Across the
river from the city,
295
00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,760
a team of Egyptian
archaeologists scours a
296
00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,040
remote hilltop necropolis.
297
00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:26,360
They hope its long-lost tombs
will hold evidence of how
298
00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:27,960
ordinary Ancient Egyptians
299
00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,640
prepared their dead
for the afterlife.
300
00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:36,360
The few tombs that have been
found suggest the people of
301
00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:40,760
Aswan used this burial
ground some 2,000 years ago,
302
00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,560
as Egyptian
civilization was in decline.
303
00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,640
Born in the town
beside the Nile,
304
00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,360
Archaeologist Sayed Elrawy has
305
00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,280
walked these
outcrops since childhood.
306
00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,400
High up and inaccessible,
307
00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,240
it is an ideal
location for a cemetery.
308
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,960
SAYED: The tombs
were built on hills
to save them from robbers.
309
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,760
I think there are some
nobles and some workers here.
310
00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,800
NARRATOR: Today, he
is investigating the
311
00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,000
unmistakable outline
of a buried stairwell.
312
00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:20,920
He believes this one
will lead to answers to how
313
00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,040
the less wealthy
treated their dead.
314
00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,000
SAYED: I think we have a lot
of mummies inside the tomb.
315
00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:30,800
I’m a very
lucky archaeologist.
316
00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,280
NARRATOR: The only
way to test his luck,
317
00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:37,160
is to dig.
318
00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,840
NARRATOR: In the Old Kingdom
Necropolis at Saqqara,
319
00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,680
Salima has been called to
examine a mummy found in a
320
00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,560
noble’s lavish tomb.
321
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,440
She hopes an X-Ray will
help establish if it’s
322
00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,720
the original tomb owner.
323
00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:05,160
If it is, it could be one
of the oldest intentionally
mummified bodies ever found.
324
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,200
SALIMA: Where is Khuwy kept?
325
00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:11,400
- MOHAMED: Here is Mr.
- Khuwy.
326
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:12,880
SALIMA: Hello Mr. Khuwy!
327
00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:16,640
MOHAMED: We will take it down.
328
00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,000
SALIMA: Okay, so
what we’ll do is,
329
00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:23,080
we'll do the X-Ray
of Khuwy right here.
330
00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:24,160
MOHAMED: Okay.
331
00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:25,440
SALIMA: We have electricity,
332
00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:27,200
and then we’ll do the
developing in the other room.
333
00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:28,280
MOHAMED: Perfect.
334
00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:30,000
SALIMA: So
easy-peasy inshallah.
335
00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:31,320
MOHAMED: Inshallah. Okay.
336
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:32,400
(laughs)
337
00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,040
NARRATOR: Salima’s permit
to scan the mummy is
338
00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:37,720
only valid for one day.
339
00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,440
She’s turned to a
trusted piece of kit,
340
00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,440
an archaeologist’s
field X-Ray.
341
00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,600
SALIMA (off-screen):
Our X-Ray machine dates
to I think the ‘80s.
342
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,560
I know longer than some
of us have been alive.
343
00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,680
But it’s tiny it’s
easy to move around, um,
344
00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,360
the bad thing is though
because it’s not digital,
345
00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:02,920
you have to do your
photography and then
346
00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,360
your developing and then you
find out if it was a disaster
347
00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:06,840
or a success.
348
00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,840
NARRATOR: Before ‘Khuwy’
goes under the scanner,
349
00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,440
Salima will conduct
a visual inspection.
350
00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:19,200
SALIMA: The moment of truth.
351
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,040
NARRATOR: It’s the first
time she’s met the mummy.
352
00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:25,800
SALIMA: Ah.
353
00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,640
NARRATOR: Only fragments
of the body remain.
354
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,480
SALIMA: So there is no head.
ZAINAB: Yeah.
355
00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,120
SALIMA: But we have the ribs.
356
00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,240
And we have pelvis.
357
00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:45,960
I think he was quite fat.
358
00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,720
You know it’s a
good solid thigh.
359
00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,880
NARRATOR: Thousands of years
spent in the tomb of Khuwy,
360
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,920
the Old Kingdom noble, have
not been kind to this mummy.
361
00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,920
SALIMA: Ah, it looks like a...
362
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,120
I think its rodents
have eaten this.
363
00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:02,320
ZAINAB: Yeah, yeah.
364
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,560
NARRATOR: If this
is Khuwy’s body,
365
00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:06,480
there’s not much of him left.
366
00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,800
But for mummy expert Salima,
367
00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,760
there is enough to
tell how it was preserved.
368
00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:15,400
That could give her a
rough idea of its age.
369
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:21,120
SALIMA: Right, smells
like a nicer quality mummy.
370
00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:26,880
This in particular seems to be
very impregnated with resins.
371
00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:28,400
I mean look at that.
372
00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,800
It’s extremely high quality.
373
00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:36,360
NARRATOR: Ancient embalmers
bathed bodies in expensive
resins from tree sap,
374
00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,680
preserving the flesh before
they wrapped the corpse.
375
00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,600
SALIMA: Look at all of
this textile it’s beautiful.
376
00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:48,400
This is really very
fine quality linen.
377
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:50,840
Oh wow.
378
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,160
NARRATOR: The mummy seems
to have been wrapped in the
379
00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,000
highest-grade of bandages.
380
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,120
This matches the
detailed picture of
381
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,360
Khuwy’s lavish lifestyle
depicted in his tomb.
382
00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,120
Khuwy was a
high-ranking official,
383
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,880
a member of the
Pharaoh’s Royal Court
during the Pyramid Age,
384
00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,560
near the beginning
of Egyptian civilization.
385
00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:21,840
Scenes painted in his tomb
show that he could afford the
386
00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,320
luxuries of fine food,
in vast quantities.
387
00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:30,440
And jars found in the tomb,
388
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,720
made to hold the mummified
organs of the deceased.
389
00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,480
Are more evidence of
a high-status burial.
390
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,320
A man like this could
certainly afford to have
391
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,440
his body embalmed in resin and
wrapped in the finest linen.
392
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:56,080
But for Salima, the quality of
the linen rings alarm bells.
393
00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,440
SALIMA: It’s extraordinary.
394
00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,720
The only time I’ve
so much of this kind
of good quality linen
395
00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,240
has been in the 21st dynasty.
396
00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,800
NARRATOR: The 21st dynasty of
Egyptian Pharaohs reigned more
397
00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,640
than 1,000 years
after Khuwy lived.
398
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:14,600
Wrapped in the
most delicate linen and
399
00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,960
drenched in expensive resin,
400
00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,000
if this is Khuwy,
401
00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,920
then the art of mummification
was far more advanced in the
402
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,680
Pyramid Age than
experts believed.
403
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,600
SALIMA: Oh, good, Mohamed,
you are here at last.
404
00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:34,080
MOHAMED: So what do you think?
405
00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:36,120
SALIMA: I think
it’s a beautiful mummy.
406
00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:38,440
MOHAMED: So do
we have any other
407
00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:40,840
human remains
from the Old Kingdom
mummified like this?
408
00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:42,240
SALIMA: No.
409
00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,840
It could change entirely the
history of mummification if it
410
00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,600
happens to be Old Kingdom.
411
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,080
NARRATOR: If this is Khuwy,
Salima will have to re-write
412
00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:56,320
her own textbooks on
Egypt’s oldest mummies.
413
00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,720
As yet, she’s not convinced,
414
00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,160
she will need to
see more evidence.
415
00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:10,080
On the cliffs above Aswan,
Sayed and his team are into
416
00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,000
their second day
excavating a fresh tomb.
417
00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,320
They hope it will reveal how
ordinary Ancient Egyptians
418
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,560
prepared bodies
for the afterlife as
their civilization faded.
419
00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,800
They’ve shifted several tons
of sand to expose the stairs.
420
00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:30,920
In the heat of
the early afternoon,
421
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:32,440
the work is punishing.
422
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:35,520
SAYED: We have no
shelter from the sun.
423
00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:40,120
We need to work quickly
to excavate the tombs here.
424
00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:42,520
WORKER: Sayed.
425
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:46,160
SAYED: I think
they've found a door.
426
00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,240
NARRATOR: If the
tomb contains bodies,
427
00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,280
they could hold clues to how
ordinary Ancient Egyptians
428
00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:54,080
preserved their dead.
429
00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:56,480
SAYED: Can I have some light?
430
00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:04,760
Oh my God!
431
00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:14,040
NARRATOR: Sayed’s
team has made an
extraordinary discovery.
432
00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,320
A rare tomb
packed full of mummies.
433
00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:23,720
SAYED: There’s no air in here.
434
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,920
NARRATOR: The remains of a
stone sarcophagus suggest the
435
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:33,960
bodies piled around it are not
the tomb’s original occupants.
436
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:35,840
So who are they?
437
00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:41,000
Team foreman, Abdul,
prepares a mummy for
initial inspection.
438
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:43,440
SAYED: The mummy
is very delicate.
439
00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:48,040
You can see the
mummy is a man.
440
00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,520
NARRATOR: Abdul
delicately brushes to expose
441
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,080
the ragged remains of
the mummy’s bandages.
442
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,760
SAYED: You can
see the mummification
is cheap mummification.
443
00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:01,800
You can see he is not noble.
444
00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:04,400
He is a poor man.
445
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:08,200
NARRATOR: The mummy’s
condition suggests he was not
446
00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,680
wealthy enough to afford a
high-quality mummification.
447
00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,360
The other bodies buried with
him are also badly preserved.
448
00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,680
There’s not enough space
for Sayed to examine how
449
00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:23,400
this mummy was embalmed.
450
00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:25,960
So he decides to
extract the body.
451
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,800
A mummy this
poorly preserved
could fall apart with
452
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:32,560
the slightest shock.
453
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:38,360
In the Necropolis of
Ancient Philadelphia,
454
00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,720
near Faiyum.
455
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,400
Basem’s search has finally
produced an intact grave:
456
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,720
of an Ancient Greek.
457
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,720
Egypt’s conquerors did
not practice mummification
458
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:55,600
in their homeland, but what
did they do here in Egypt?
459
00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:01,040
To find out he
needs to release the
2000-year-old coffin.
460
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:06,120
BASEM: So we’re
removing now, brick by brick
461
00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,160
it’s a very
sensitive operation.
462
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,520
NARRATOR: With the top
layer of bricks removed,
463
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,320
Basem is able to inspect
the full length of the tomb.
464
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,520
Elaborate decorations on the
casket confirm his suspicions.
465
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,400
BASEM: I’m 100% sure
that this is a Greek coffin
466
00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,640
but we have to take
it as fast as possible
467
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:29,640
because we can’t just
leave it exposed to the sun.
468
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,560
So we are going to lift
it up from the grave.
469
00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,560
NARRATOR: The team has no
idea how degraded the roof of
470
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,720
the coffin might be.
471
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,120
Any mistake could
be catastrophic.
472
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,720
BASEM: It is really stressful.
473
00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:55,960
Any single mud brick
that could fall on
this wooden coffin
474
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,120
will destroy it, so
we need to be sure.
475
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,760
NARRATOR: The
crew systematically
removes just enough bricks
476
00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:08,440
to open a gap wide enough for
the coffin to pass through.
477
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,320
BASEM: It's
really tight inside
478
00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,360
so we are trying
to enlarge the space
in order to lift it up
479
00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:18,920
and it’s really delicate,
it’s really sensitive.
480
00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:22,960
NARRATOR: Basem doesn’t
want to destroy any more of
481
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,880
the precious tomb
structure than necessary.
482
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:29,880
But the coffin
has to come out.
483
00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:32,840
(speaking in native language)
484
00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,520
(clapping)
485
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,840
Released from the tomb, the
intricately painted coffin and
486
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,320
its occupant are in more
danger than they ever have
487
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,920
been in the last 2000 years.
488
00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,440
BASEM: So now I
need to take this coffin
in the shade immediately
489
00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:54,120
because it’s very
delicate and very sensitive
490
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,160
we have to move it to
the car and to the tent.
491
00:28:58,600 --> 00:28:59,640
We’re gonna move it.
492
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,640
Let’s go boys, all together.
493
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,160
NARRATOR: Whether it
holds a mummy or a skeleton,
494
00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,920
this coffin could
reveal how the Greeks,
495
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:09,640
who seized control of Egypt,
496
00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:11,160
buried their dead.
497
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,440
On the hilltop above Aswan.
498
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,040
Sayed’s mummy has
completed its journey to
499
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,720
the safety of
the analysis tent.
500
00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:28,400
It’s clear this mummy’s
afterlife has been traumatic.
501
00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,240
SAYED: The mummy has
a hole, it’s from a robbery.
502
00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,080
NARRATOR: Embalmers placed
carved stones in the wrapping
503
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,640
of wealthier mummies
as magical protection.
504
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,920
But it’s unlikely the poor
could afford that luxury.
505
00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:48,880
SAYED: Maybe the
robbers left empty-handed.
506
00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,000
NARRATOR: The secrets of how
this man’s body was mummified
507
00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,720
are hidden
within the bandages.
508
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,720
But Sayed can’t unwrap
him for fear the mummy
509
00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:00,840
will crumble into dust.
510
00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:05,040
The team needs to find
more lower-class mummies
511
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,160
to figure out how
Ancient Egyptians
preserved the poor.
512
00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,920
Across the site,
Sayed’s colleague,
513
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,360
archaeologist Hala Hussein,
514
00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:21,440
has spent weeks
uncovering a different tomb.
515
00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,600
She has also found mummies.
516
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,040
Or at least, bits of them.
517
00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:38,240
NARRATOR: Hala’s tomb
contains the remains
of some 20 mummies,
518
00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,360
but they’re
in terrible condition.
519
00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,000
Evidence of wasps’ nests
suggest insects may have
520
00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,640
played a role in the damage.
521
00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,520
But in the destruction
lies an opportunity.
522
00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,960
The mummies’
bodies are exposed,
523
00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:57,120
allowing Hala to see
beneath the bandages,
524
00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:01,560
and search for more clues to
how ordinary Ancient Egyptians
525
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:03,360
tried to preserve their dead.
526
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:08,520
HALA: I don’t think
it’s rich people or nobles
527
00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:13,920
because the mummification
doesn’t tell us that.
528
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,800
I think it’s poor people.
529
00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:21,960
NARRATOR: The Necropolis
contains almost 300 tombs.
530
00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:25,920
Each could have been the
eternal home for dozens of
531
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,000
ordinary Ancient Egyptians.
532
00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:33,000
Now, archaeologists can
begin to sketch a picture of
533
00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:34,880
their possible history.
534
00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,280
Each tomb was originally
cut for a single mummy,
535
00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:42,760
furnished with a
sandstone coffin.
536
00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:49,360
Their relatives added bodies
to the tomb when they died,
537
00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,000
until the family
died out or moved away.
538
00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:02,040
Hundreds of years later,
poorer Egyptians re-used
539
00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:03,920
the forgotten tombs,
540
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,440
filling them up with
badly mummified corpses.
541
00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:11,280
Before the tombs were looted,
542
00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,600
and the exposed
mummies destroyed.
543
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,720
Most of the mummies in Hala’s
tomb are too degraded to tell
544
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,320
much about the way
they were mummified.
545
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,240
But one body
offers a grisly clue.
546
00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:30,520
In a niche in the wall,
547
00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,440
Hala finds the
broken mummy of a baby.
548
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:38,000
HALA: Here, we have remains
549
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,560
just part of a child’s body
550
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:47,440
it has a stick
inside the body.
551
00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:53,160
NARRATOR: The stick
was inserted in the
body to hold the head.
552
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,840
It suggests the body
was already decomposed
553
00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:57,680
when it was embalmed.
554
00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:01,280
Not only were the
poor mummified badly,
555
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:03,480
they were mummified too late.
556
00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:08,840
The bits of them that survive
suggest the afterlives of
557
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:13,000
these ordinary
Ancient Egyptians have
been far from peaceful.
558
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:17,160
Destroyed by insects,
and desecrated by robbers,
559
00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,920
any meagre valuables
ripped from their wrappings.
560
00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:23,800
But for Sayed at least,
561
00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:26,400
these mummies are
helping piece together
562
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,320
the mysterious fates
of the ordinary dead,
563
00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,560
at the end of
Egyptian civilization.
564
00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:38,040
SAYED: Even
though the tomb is
built on the top of the hill
565
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:39,600
the robbers still found them.
566
00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:47,720
But for me as
an archaeologist,
the mummy is the treasure.
567
00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:54,720
NARRATOR: In Saqqara,
568
00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,560
Salima’s team prepares
the mummy found in the
569
00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,560
Old Kingdom tomb
of Khuwy for X-Ray.
570
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,080
They hope to learn
more about the body.
571
00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:09,320
To confirm it
could actually be
the 4400-year-old noble,
572
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,920
and one of the oldest
Egyptian mummies ever found.
573
00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:17,800
But Mohamed has more
evidence to bring to the case.
574
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:22,000
High-class mummies had
their organs removed
to stop them rotting.
575
00:34:23,240 --> 00:34:27,960
These were placed
alongside the mummy in
vessels called Canopic Jars.
576
00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,560
Mohamed found four of
these right next to the mummy.
577
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:34,720
SALIMA: Oh!
MOHAMED: See?
578
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:36,120
SALIMA: They are beautiful!
579
00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:37,360
MOHAMED: They are very nice.
580
00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:39,480
SALIMA: And it
was sealed nicely.
581
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:41,600
MOHAMED: It was sealed,
all of them were sealed.
582
00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:44,200
SALIMA: Oh!
583
00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:45,520
Oh, look at that.
584
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:46,640
MOHAMED: Yes.
585
00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:49,080
SALIMA: Oh I say...
586
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,200
MOHAMED: We know for sure
this is Old Kingdom, Salima.
587
00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:53,280
SALIMA: The jars
are Old Kingdom.
588
00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:54,880
MOHAMED: The jars
are Old Kingdom.
589
00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:57,000
SALIMA: Absolutely I
agree 100% Old Kingdom.
590
00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:58,200
MOHAMED: Yes.
SALIMA: 100%.
591
00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,040
MOHAMED: Yes.
SALIMA: Jars Old Kingdom.
592
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:01,120
Oh you’re kidding me.
593
00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:03,680
Okay, trade.
594
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:06,200
(gasps)
595
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,200
Oh...
596
00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:11,160
That is nice!
597
00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:14,120
You’ve got lots
of bits of, um,
598
00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:15,600
cloth which is impregnated
599
00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:19,600
with resins or oils
or whatever this black
material is, black goo.
600
00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:21,760
Oh how nice!
601
00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:27,160
NARRATOR: If the
resin in jars matches
the resin on the mummy,
602
00:35:27,240 --> 00:35:29,800
it means they both
date to the Old Kingdom.
603
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,920
The mummy’s exceptionally fine
linen dressing could overturn
604
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,880
decades of thinking and
prove mummification techniques
605
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,200
4,000 years ago were much more
advanced than first thought.
606
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:44,920
But the cutting-edge
chemical test that would prove
607
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:46,840
it will take months.
608
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:51,240
An X-Ray could take them a
step closer to confirmation
609
00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,480
that it is the
Old Kingdom noble, Khuwy.
610
00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,360
SALIMA: We want it
to be Khuwy so much.
611
00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:00,520
Imagine finding
someone from the Old Kingdom
612
00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:02,000
in their own tomb!
613
00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:04,000
I mean that’s fantastic.
614
00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,240
NARRATOR: If Salima can
establish the mummy’s sex and
615
00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:12,280
social status, it could
help prove its identity.
616
00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:14,080
SALIMA: One.
617
00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:17,480
NARRATOR: She sends a
pulse of X-Rays through
the mummified remains,
618
00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,680
onto a photographic plate.
619
00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:21,680
SALIMA: Yep, finished!
620
00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:24,600
Celebrate, wahoo!
621
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,480
NARRATOR: But with time
running out on the permit,
622
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,760
Salima’s analysis depends on
whether her images come out.
623
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:33,720
SALIMA: Now for the hard part.
624
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:44,760
NARRATOR: As evening
approaches in Saqqara...
625
00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:48,520
Salima hopes the X-Rays she’s
taken might help flesh out a
626
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,880
clearer picture of the
mummy from Khuwy’s tomb,
627
00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:53,720
and confirm it is male.
628
00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:58,120
To develop the images,
she must delicately bathe
629
00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:01,040
the slides in a
succession of chemicals.
630
00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:03,080
SALIMA: It’s really quite
fabulous because you’re
631
00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,000
sitting there with
this blank sheet,
632
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:08,840
and then suddenly
something appears by magic.
633
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:11,840
Don’t open yet.
634
00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:15,200
NARRATOR: She can’t allow the
film to be exposed to anything
635
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:17,680
but dim red light.
636
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:19,840
SALIMA: I hope
that’s not too light.
637
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,560
NARRATOR: The slides
must be dipped for exactly
638
00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,120
the right time in
each chemical bath.
639
00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:30,440
Any misjudgment, and the whole
exercise has been a waste.
640
00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:36,280
SALIMA: It’s an
adventure each time but it’s
a one-shot deal, generally,
641
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,200
and then there is
the absolute terror that you
642
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,600
won’t get anything and it’ll
just be a blank sheet of film,
643
00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:45,640
which is horrifying.
644
00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,800
NARRATOR: Only when the last
exposure has been fixed can
645
00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,600
Salima begin to
assess her work.
646
00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:54,200
SALIMA: Zainab?
647
00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,880
I think you could
put on the light.
648
00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,080
This one looks totally blank.
649
00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:05,320
Oh no!
650
00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:07,240
it’s the vertebrae thank God!
651
00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:08,960
What a relief, oh my God!
652
00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:12,360
(laughing)
653
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:16,880
I thought we’d messed up
quite terribly, oh God.
654
00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:20,480
NARRATOR: Hanging
the plates up to dry,
655
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,680
Salima and Mohamed can
finally see under the skin of
656
00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:26,000
the mummy they hope is Khuwy.
657
00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:27,760
SALIMA: Look at that!
658
00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:31,880
NARRATOR: Their first
job is to confirm the
mummy is the right sex.
659
00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:34,080
SALIMA: Yeah.
660
00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:36,040
ZEINAB: And we
are sure he is male?
661
00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:37,240
SALIMA: Yep, he’s a he.
662
00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:38,320
He is he!
663
00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:39,400
ZEINAB: He’s a he.
MAN: He is he.
664
00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:41,760
SALIMA: He is he!
665
00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:46,040
NARRATOR: A scan of
his fragmentary spine
provides more evidence.
666
00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:48,800
Growths on the vertebrae
suggest the mummy’s frame
667
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,080
carried a lot of weight,
a sure sign of nobility in
668
00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:53,560
the ancient world.
669
00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:57,480
SALIMA: He was
fat as well as big.
670
00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:00,480
So he was a tall man and a...
671
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,040
Mashallah, it really
fits with a nice burial.
672
00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:06,200
MOHAMED: For me it looks
like Old Kingdom bones.
673
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:08,080
(laughter)
674
00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:10,080
NARRATOR: The X-Rays
aren’t conclusive,
675
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,920
but a well-mummified,
well-fed man in the same
676
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:17,480
archaeological layer
as Old Kingdom jars
is too much to ignore.
677
00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,960
This really could be Khuwy.
678
00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:24,600
If so, experts will be
forced to re-think how
679
00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:28,840
advanced mummification was
in Egypt’s most ancient era.
680
00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:32,360
SALIMA (off-screen): It
was the only mummy that
was found in this tomb.
681
00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:34,480
It should belong
to the tomb owner.
682
00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:36,560
Of course, the style of
mummification is something
683
00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:38,800
we haven’t seen for
the Old Kingdom before,
684
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:40,960
but there’s
always a first time.
685
00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:42,320
This is uh...
686
00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:44,440
(whistles)
687
00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:45,960
Pretty cool!
688
00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:49,360
MOHAMED: We found
a very high-class tomb
689
00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,120
and inside this
high-class tomb
690
00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:54,760
we found a very high-class
mummification body.
691
00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:56,120
I think they match together.
692
00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,280
I think if it’s really Khuwy
693
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,320
this is a breakthrough in
the Ancient Egyptian history.
694
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,480
NARRATOR: The story of the
rise of the mummy may need
695
00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:09,120
to be re-written.
696
00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:16,200
Outside Faiyum,
at the Necropolis of
Ancient Philadelphia...
697
00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:21,080
Basem has gathered his most
experienced team members
698
00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:22,840
in the analysis tent.
699
00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:28,120
The body in this coffin could
tell Basem what happened to
700
00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:31,240
mummification when the
Greeks conquered Egypt.
701
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:36,200
BASEM: What we are
going to do is just
clean it with soft brushes
702
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,640
and then we will try to lift
up the cover of the coffin.
703
00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:41,960
The point is, it’s very risky.
704
00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,560
There is a big crack
on top of the coffin
705
00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:48,120
so hopefully we can do it
in a good way, inshallah.
706
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:53,880
NARRATOR: The team removes the
dust from the coffin edges.
707
00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:57,320
It means their fingers
are less likely to slip as
708
00:40:57,400 --> 00:40:58,880
they lever off the lid.
709
00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:00,800
BASEM: Are you ready to open?
710
00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,080
Ready? With the utmost care.
711
00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:10,520
(gasping)
712
00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:13,000
MAN: Wow!
713
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:15,920
BASEM: It’s my first time
to see something like this.
714
00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:20,760
I don’t remember ever seeing
it in one of the museums.
715
00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:22,080
It’s amazing.
716
00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:26,840
I’m just speechless.
717
00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:28,920
(laughing)
718
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,640
NARRATOR: Inside the
coffin is a small skeleton,
719
00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:35,880
in a basic wrapping,
but also, a statue.
720
00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:41,040
The artwork shows a
goddess in Greek terracotta,
721
00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:43,840
but the practice of placing
a figurine in the coffin
722
00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:45,720
is purely Egyptian.
723
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:50,440
BASEM: It is an influence
between the Egyptian mindset
724
00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:52,720
and the Greek
myth and mindset.
725
00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:55,360
So here we can see how
726
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:58,440
both ethnic groups
influenced each other.
727
00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:02,400
NARRATOR: Anthropologist
Abdullah examines the body.
728
00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:08,120
ABDULLAH: We have a
female skull, one female skull
729
00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:09,800
skin, with hair.
730
00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:15,040
NARRATOR: The skeleton
is a young girl and
731
00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:17,600
she bears clear evidence
of mummification.
732
00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:22,040
BASEM: And then we
have also the wrapping
733
00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:24,560
and what is
interesting for us is that
734
00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:26,520
the coffin from
outside is Greek
735
00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:28,840
but then they started
to learn from Egyptians
736
00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:32,560
how to do wrapping
and start mummification.
737
00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:36,200
I’ve never seen
something like this before
738
00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:38,120
never seen something
like this before.
739
00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:42,680
NARRATOR: The remnants of hair
and skin on the mummy show
740
00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:46,160
that 100 years after
Greeks had conquered Egypt,
741
00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:50,480
they had begun to change their
own sacred burial practices,
742
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:55,040
and adopt Egyptian ones,
including mummification.
743
00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:58,440
BASEM: Within these
burials and mummies
744
00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:01,520
there is a lot of emotions,
there is a lot of feelings.
745
00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,480
Beloved people,
beloved families.
746
00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,800
You can hear their voice,
you can see their faces.
747
00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:11,600
From this site
748
00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:15,120
you can understand how
strong this culture was.
749
00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:19,760
Ancient Egyptians
invented and pioneered
750
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:22,080
embalming and mummification
751
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,840
and the Greeks adopted
the same tradition.
752
00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:31,000
NARRATOR: With every new
body archaeologists unearth,
753
00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:33,840
the story of the mummies
of Egypt becomes clearer.
754
00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:39,480
Inspired by corpses preserved
by chance in the desert sand,
755
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:43,360
embalmers in the age of the
Pyramids refined techniques
756
00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:45,520
to freeze the body in time.
757
00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:50,720
For 3,000 years the
practice evolved and spread,
758
00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,680
from the Pharaohs down
to ordinary Egyptians.
759
00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:57,640
The myth and magic of the
mummy was potent enough to
760
00:43:57,720 --> 00:44:00,640
enchant even the
invading Greeks.
761
00:44:00,720 --> 00:44:03,040
All were intent
on resurrection,
762
00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:05,240
and the glories
of the afterlife.