1 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:06,320 KATHLEEN: Oof. 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,000 (dramatic music) 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,920 I'm not able to walk, but I can see. 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:14,560 There is an entrance. 5 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:20,400 NARRATOR: Just outside Alexandria, deep beneath a temple, 6 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,840 archaeologists are searching for the tomb of Cleopatra, 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:26,480 Egypt's last queen. 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,920 KATHLEEN: I have a hunch, and I think I... 9 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,160 I am about to solve this mystery with this door. 10 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,080 Oh... 11 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:45,280 (coughing) 12 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,440 I can't breathe. 13 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,160 NARRATOR: Ancient Egypt. 14 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,440 Its unparalleled monuments tell the story 15 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,680 of a civilization that spanned 3,000 years. 16 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,480 But its final chapter revolves around one beautiful 17 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:11,520 and beguiling woman, Cleopatra. 18 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,600 This legendary queen was Egypt's last ever pharaoh, 19 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,040 despite having a healthy son and heir. 20 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,120 Today, archaeologists across Egypt are investigating 21 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,040 the mystery surrounding the end of her reign. 22 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,440 Was Cleopatra a successful pharaoh? 23 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,560 What turmoil contributed to her downfall? 24 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,680 And where is her long-lost tomb? 25 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,040 On the outskirts of Alexandria, 26 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,040 at the temple of Taposiris Magna, 27 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:51,200 Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martinez is searching 28 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,880 for Cleopatra's burial chamber. 29 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,400 Its location is one of the greatest mysteries 30 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,160 in the history of Ancient Egypt. 31 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,680 KATHLEEN: I believe when we discover the tomb of Queen Cleopatra, 32 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,720 she will tell her story, 33 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:07,520 and it's going to be marvelous. 34 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,920 NARRATOR: Kathleen first heard the story of Cleopatra 35 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,160 when she was just 15 years old. 36 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,160 After 20 years as a successful lawyer, 37 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,880 she quit to dedicate her life to finding the lost queen. 38 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:23,440 KATHLEEN: She's my heroine. 39 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,840 I think she was an accomplished woman, 40 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:27,920 very advanced for her time. 41 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,080 She was a politician. 42 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,160 She was able to speak all the languages of her time, 43 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:34,880 nine languages. 44 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,400 She was a queen. She was a goddess. 45 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,960 I believe she was a genius. 46 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,040 NARRATOR: While many believe Cleopatra's tomb 47 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,040 to be in her capital, Alexandria, 48 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,080 Kathleen's investigations have led her 49 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,920 to the temple of Taposiris Magna. 50 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,920 She thinks Cleopatra used this temple to conceal her tomb. 51 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,560 ♪ ♪ 52 00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:01,680 KATHLEEN: Cleopatra was the human representation 53 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:02,960 of goddess Isis, 54 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,040 and this temple was dedicated to Isis. 55 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,920 That's why I believe she's buried here. 56 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,200 NARRATOR: It's Kathleen's twelfth season digging here, 57 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,080 and she's already discovered coins bearing the image 58 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,440 of the legendary queen, evidence the temple dates to her time. 59 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,280 KATHLEEN: Every year that I come to Egypt, 60 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,160 I'm putting a piece of the puzzle together. 61 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,720 I know I'm getting closer and closer. 62 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,520 NARRATOR: Last year, Kathleen used a network of geophones 63 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:40,640 to make an astonishing discovery. 64 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,640 Geophones record small vibrations in the earth's crust 65 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,800 to detect subterranean cavities. 66 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:53,000 At Taposiris Magna, they exposed a large empty space 67 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,320 below the temple. 68 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,800 Kathleen is eager to find out if this void could be 69 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,600 Cleopatra's long-lost tomb. 70 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:06,320 She attempted to access it via an ancient tunnel last season, 71 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,440 but heavy rains made it impossible to enter. 72 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,760 Now, because of an exceptionally hot summer, 73 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:14,920 the tunnel is dry. 74 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,120 Will it lead Kathleen to the mysterious void 75 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,720 and Cleopatra? 76 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:25,880 KATHLEEN: I know. 77 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,880 I know there's something very important down there. 78 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,160 NARRATOR: But even now, when the tunnel is dry, 79 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,760 exploring it is a serious challenge. 80 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:40,840 The only way in is down a dangerous rock-cut shaft. 81 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,360 To climb down the shaft, Kathleen's workmen must 82 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,920 install a chain of ladders. 83 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,800 It's a time-consuming task, but essential to get right. 84 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:57,600 With a 25-foot drop, any mistakes will be fatal. 85 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,080 KATHLEEN: We have to do it, but in a safe way. 86 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,080 Once the ladder falls, we're dead. 87 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:11,160 ♪ ♪ 88 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,000 NARRATOR: In Alexandria, 89 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:19,720 American Egyptologist Meredith Brand is also on the trail of Cleopatra. 90 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,320 The catacomb of Kom el Shoqafa 91 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,360 lies 65-feet below the modern city. 92 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,720 No one knows exactly who was buried here, 93 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:33,960 but it's one of the only surviving large tombs 94 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,000 of ancient Alexandria. 95 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:40,200 MEREDITH: It's gorgeous. 96 00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:43,360 We don't know what Cleopatra's tomb would have looked like, 97 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,560 and we haven't found any other royal tombs from her dynasty, 98 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,880 so this tomb here is our best approximation. 99 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:55,280 NARRATOR: Meredith was just 17 when she first came to Egypt. 100 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,320 She's since spent more time in ancient tombs 101 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,560 than back home in the U.S. 102 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,800 MEREDITH: Coming to places like this is one of the reasons 103 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,040 why I became an Egyptologist. 104 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:09,400 NARRATOR: Meredith examines the tomb's statues 105 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,320 and the carvings on the walls. 106 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,520 MEREDITH: This scene is fantastic. 107 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,280 You have a god, Anubis, the Jackal-headed deity, 108 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,400 mummifying the deceased and all the other gods 109 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,520 that you would expect to see in an ancient Egyptian scene. 110 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:33,000 NARRATOR: The carving is of a scene typical in ancient Egyptian burials, 111 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,840 but the tomb also has carvings from a different culture. 112 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:40,640 MEREDITH: Down here on the sarcophagus, 113 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,400 the scene is fully Greek. 114 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,920 This garland and the head of these figures 115 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,880 are 100% Greek. 116 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:56,400 NARRATOR: The tomb is a strange mix of Greek and Egyptian styles. 117 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,160 It's a clue to the true identity of Cleopatra 118 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,760 and the Egypt she ruled. 119 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,760 In 332 B.C., 120 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,280 Alexander the Great conquered Egypt 121 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,920 and founded the city of Alexandria. 122 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,440 He paved the way for a new dynasty of Greek pharaohs, 123 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:26,280 called the Ptolemies, who ruled from the new city. 124 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:31,080 300 years later, Cleopatra, aged just 21, 125 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:35,200 defeated her younger brother in battle to become Queen of Egypt. 126 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:38,840 Despite her Greek heritage, 127 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,240 she embraced Egyptian traditions, 128 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,520 wearing the dress and crown of the pharaohs of old 129 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,400 and becoming the first of her line to learn the Egyptian language. 130 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:53,480 This tomb is testament to the mix 131 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,560 of the two ancient cultures Cleopatra personified. 132 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,280 MEREDITH: This iconography forms a unique image 133 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,800 that reflects the culture of Alexandria at the time of Cleopatra, 134 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,280 a mixture of Greece and Egypt. 135 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,440 NARRATOR: Cleopatra ruled from this multicultural capital 136 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:11,840 for 20 years. 137 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,800 But according to ancient sources, in 30 B.C., 138 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:19,880 she committed suicide as the last ever pharaoh. 139 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,680 The clues to Cleopatra's many riddles, 140 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,000 the reason for her downfall and death, 141 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,760 and the location of her tomb 142 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,720 can be found in the ruins of this hybrid Greek and Egyptian world. 143 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,520 In Philadelphia, 144 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:44,640 an ancient city that dates from the reign of Cleopatra, 145 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:49,560 Egyptian archaeologist Basem Gehad and his team have set up camp. 146 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,360 BASEM: So this is the site of ancient Philadelphia. 147 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:58,280 It's very hot, windy like today, and sand. 148 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,280 It's not the best-case scenario to live in. 149 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,400 NARRATOR: Every year, Basem and his team spend weeks at a time 150 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:09,080 living in tents in the middle of this barren desert. 151 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,560 Despite the basic conditions, for Basem, 152 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:14,360 it's a dream come true. 153 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:19,680 BASEM: I've dreamed since I was a child to be an archaeologist and Egyptologist. 154 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:23,440 For this reason, I have this kind of full energy 155 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:28,240 to stand for many, many, many days and weeks in desert, 156 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:30,880 nonstop work and nonstop excavation. 157 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,400 NARRATOR: When Basem excavated here last season, 158 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,560 the team found a complex of vaulted tombs. 159 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,400 Inside one of the tomb chambers, 160 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:47,840 set back from the main gallery, 161 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,040 they discovered thin strips of painted wood, 162 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:54,120 reassembled to reveal a beautiful painting. 163 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,600 The team also found fragments of a human skull... 164 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,120 And some diamond-patterned linen. 165 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:10,480 Remarkable traces of a hidden necropolis below the sand 166 00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:14,280 and the people who lived here around 2,000 years ago. 167 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,720 Basem hopes to find an even bigger catacomb this year, 168 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,520 to investigate how the Greeks and ancient Egyptians 169 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:28,320 coexisted in Cleopatra's Egypt. 170 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,800 BASEM (off screen): We have many catacombs and tombs and graves 171 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:36,280 in this area that could give us information about the Greeks 172 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,040 and Egyptians who were living here together. 173 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:43,560 NARRATOR: But there is one big problem: 174 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,320 the site covers an area larger than 800 football fields 175 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,680 with no records of where the catacombs lie buried. 176 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,600 It's a tough call to decide where to start digging. 177 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:58,680 BASEM: It's just like as if you are searching for a needle 178 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,480 in this big desert. 179 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:04,920 NARRATOR: Basem finds some banks of raised sand 180 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,440 that match features he's spotted on satellite imagery of the site. 181 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,720 Together, they could be evidence of a large tomb 182 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:15,600 hidden beneath the desert floor. 183 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:20,400 The team mark out a trench and start digging. 184 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:25,320 They move tons of sand under the hot desert sun, 185 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,000 and by noon, Basem's hunch pays off. 186 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,760 BASEM: So we just found this staircase, 187 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,320 stairs that was rock cut in the rock, 188 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,600 in the mother rock, and it leads to the entrance. 189 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:41,080 We are thinking that it is a catacomb. 190 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,440 NARRATOR: What treasures lie beyond the stairway? 191 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,400 What could they reveal about Cleopatra's world 192 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,280 and the downfall of ancient Egypt? 193 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,680 BASEM: If we were super lucky, 194 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:57,160 we will have, like, an intact catacomb. 195 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,800 Maybe we could find the mummies. 196 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:05,000 NARRATOR: The team works all afternoon to clear sand from the entrance. 197 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:11,960 Finally, there's enough room for Basem to take a look 198 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,240 inside the tomb. 199 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:20,000 BASEM: I can see a lot of remains of mummy and skeletons. 200 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,400 NARRATOR: Basem crawls through the narrow opening in the rock. 201 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:33,400 BASEM: It's a unique example that we have here. 202 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,000 Animal offerings everywhere. 203 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:39,640 NARRATOR: Inside lies a huge catacomb complex 204 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:42,320 with 11 burial niches. 205 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:47,080 In front of one, Basem discovers an intact amphora 206 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:48,760 left above the sand. 207 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,720 (mysterious music) 208 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,120 BASEM: This kind of jars, wine jars, 209 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:59,600 were used on the turn of the Ptolemaic to the Romans, 210 00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:04,000 which is the date of the Cleopatra reign. 211 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:06,960 NARRATOR: It is evidence the catacomb is Greek 212 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,760 and dates to Cleopatra's time. 213 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,640 Now, the team must excavate the entire complex. 214 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,320 Apart from a few pieces of pottery above the sand, 215 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,400 it is almost entirely buried. 216 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,880 BASEM: We are very, very happy and extremely excited 217 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:25,720 to see what could be below the sand. 218 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,920 NARRATOR: They begin to clear the first burial niche. 219 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,000 BASEM: It's really tough work working in this condition. 220 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,440 The humidity is absolutely high. 221 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,680 It's really hot summer, and then dust 222 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:44,200 and the remains of organic materials, and it's really hard. 223 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:50,560 NARRATOR: The team carefully removes several cubic feet of sand 224 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,480 from the grave pit. 225 00:13:52,560 --> 00:13:55,160 BASEM: This is the most exciting part because you never know. 226 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:59,680 When you remove just two meters, you could find a wonderful thing. 227 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,280 The most interesting gift of the season 228 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,920 could be a few steps from your digging place. 229 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:14,720 ♪ ♪ 230 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:21,040 We have one skull and two left bones for two left legs. 231 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:22,720 Two different persons. 232 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:24,520 NARRATOR: Basem and forensic anthropologist 233 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,560 Abdullah Abdo Abdullah inspect the skull. 234 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:34,720 ABDULLAH: It's round, not sharp. 235 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,360 For a male. 236 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:37,520 BASEM: Yeah. 237 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,320 NARRATOR: From the bone structure, 238 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,200 Abdullah can tell it is an adult male. 239 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,160 ABDULLAH: I want to see his age. 240 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,320 NARRATOR: The formation of the skull reveals 241 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,840 the man was about 50 years old when he died. 242 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:56,760 BASEM: The sutures, which is the intersecting point 243 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:01,840 of the different part of the skull, starts to disappear. 244 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,920 For us, it's an indication for a real old man. 245 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:10,280 NARRATOR: He was likely the patriarch of an extended Greek family, 246 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:14,120 prospering in the reign of Cleopatra 2,000 years ago. 247 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,080 What more can this catacomb reveal 248 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,840 about Cleopatra's world? 249 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:22,400 After excavating down 3 feet, 250 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:23,960 Basem calls a halt. 251 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:26,920 BASEM: It seems that it is very difficult to maneuver 252 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:28,480 inside this locali. 253 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:32,080 As you see, this court is full of sand 254 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:33,880 and debris and materials. 255 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,760 It hinders us from going farther from work. 256 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,320 NARRATOR: The huge piles of sand in the catacomb's main room 257 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:46,040 make it impossible to reach down to the deeper levels of the burial niches. 258 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:49,920 The team must clear the sand from the entire room 259 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,160 before they can explore the niches fully. 260 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,400 But with their excavation permit ending in just a few days, 261 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:58,480 they have to work fast. 262 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,840 ♪ ♪ 263 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,600 At Taposiris Magna, 264 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:09,720 while her team build ladders down to the tunnel 265 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,360 and the mysterious void beneath the Temple, 266 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:17,200 Kathleen checks in with her crew at the other end of the site. 267 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:21,160 She's tirelessly looking for clues to Cleopatra's tomb 268 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,160 across the entire temple complex. 269 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:26,360 KATHLEEN: Cleopatra could be anywhere. 270 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,320 I will explore every inch of this archaeological site, 271 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,720 and I'm sure I will find her. 272 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:36,800 NARRATOR: To the east of the temple, 273 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,480 next to an ancient lighthouse, 274 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:43,080 Kathleen has already discovered a huge necropolis 275 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,480 from Cleopatra's time. 276 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,040 Last year, in a catacomb here, 277 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,920 her team made an extraordinary discovery. 278 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:58,120 While digging, the remains of a man emerged from the earth. 279 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,320 In his mouth, they found a golden tongue, 280 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,760 cast from pure 22-carat gold. 281 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,400 The tongue may have been meant to allow the deceased 282 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:09,280 to speak with the gods, 283 00:17:09,360 --> 00:17:11,880 and it's only one of four mummies like this 284 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,360 the team have found in the necropolis, 285 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,760 a sign this is a burial site of the elite. 286 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:25,000 KATHLEEN: We want to understand who are those who were buried here, 287 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:29,080 and what can we learn from this, 288 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,160 related to my search? 289 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,880 NARRATOR: And Kathleen has a new lead in this necropolis: 290 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,000 an intact tomb. 291 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:42,160 KATHLEEN: You can't express the excitement waiting to see. 292 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,800 It's been hidden, it's been hidden for so long, 293 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:47,760 and then we're here. 294 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,080 NARRATOR: First, the team needs to remove 295 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:54,240 the heavy limestone blocks that seal the burial. 296 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,080 KATHLEEN: Put it in the same position. No, here. 297 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,480 The same position. We put it here. 298 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,640 NARRATOR: Suddenly, one of the workers spots something in the sand. 299 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,600 KATHLEEN: What is that? 300 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,400 JUAN: It's metal, no? It's bronze. 301 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:14,120 NARRATOR: Kathleen and fellow archaeologist Juan Padilla 302 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:16,280 inspect the find more closely. 303 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:20,160 KATHLEEN: It seems it has some indentation. 304 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,600 JUAN: Yes, and some decorations. Yes. 305 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:24,480 KATHLEEN: This is a part of a clothing. 306 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,440 It is a fibula. 307 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,640 NARRATOR: A fibula is a small brooch 308 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:32,160 people used to fasten their robes in ancient times. 309 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:37,160 It was common around the time Cleopatra's rule ended, 310 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:41,920 evidence this tomb could date to the very last chapter of her reign. 311 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:46,800 Can this tomb reveal new information about Cleopatra's last days 312 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,200 and her hidden burial chamber? 313 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:54,880 KATHLEEN: It's a very good sign. And this is on the top. 314 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,680 So we have to see after we open what is inside the tomb. 315 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,920 NARRATOR: For over an hour, in searing temperatures, 316 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,200 the team haul tons of sand out of the tomb. 317 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:06,840 JUAN: Oh, wow! 318 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:13,520 ♪ ♪ 319 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,320 NARRATOR: Below the first set of limestone blocks, 320 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,720 they unearth part of a skeleton. 321 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:22,560 But it's unlike anything they've seen before. 322 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,560 KATHLEEN: Oh, my God! 323 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,800 NARRATOR: Kathleen and Juan examine the skeleton 324 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:35,280 as it emerges from its tomb. 325 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:37,560 KATHLEEN: We believe he's a man 326 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:41,880 because the structure of the bones are thick. 327 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,440 It looks like a heavy or a strong man. 328 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:50,440 NARRATOR: The man's lower leg bones stick out from below the blocks. 329 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:54,160 They are barely visible and covered in millennia of dirt, 330 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:58,400 but Kathleen and Juan can tell this is no ordinary skeleton. 331 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,600 JUAN: We can see perfectly how the human remains of 332 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:04,840 the skeleton are very well preserved. 333 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,200 Here, we can see perfectly the tibia, the ankle, 334 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,280 but we don't have here in this area 335 00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:12,600 any sign of the feet. 336 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:14,560 It's totally clear. 337 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,160 NARRATOR: The man's skeleton is well preserved, 338 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,880 but his feet have been cut off clean at the ankle. 339 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:23,920 KATHLEEN: Oh, my God! They cut his feet! 340 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,280 NARRATOR: Why did someone mutilate this man's body? 341 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:31,440 KATHLEEN: The first thought is a kind of punishment. 342 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:35,160 NARRATOR: It's possible this man had both his feet 343 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,680 chopped off when he was alive. 344 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,880 What had he done to warrant such a cruel punishment? 345 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:43,040 KATHLEEN: We need to find out. 346 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:46,160 I'm really anxious to remove all the stones 347 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,240 and see who he was. 348 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,160 This is not normal! 349 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,480 NARRATOR: The team remove the final blocks 350 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,920 and clear the sand to expose the upper part of the skeleton. 351 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:02,320 JUAN: We can see something, Kathleen. 352 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:03,800 KATHLEEN: Oh! 353 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:05,680 JUAN: I think that is part of the skull. 354 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:07,440 KATHLEEN: Wow. Oh! 355 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,800 I'm so happy. 356 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:12,960 NARRATOR: Kathleen investigates the skeleton 357 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:15,400 as it emerges from under the sand. 358 00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:18,200 KATHLEEN: You see under his chin, 359 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:20,760 you will find signs of mummification. 360 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:27,560 As well the eye and in the front, the forehead. 361 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:29,360 His feet has been cut, 362 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,320 but at the same time, which is really strange, 363 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:34,360 is that he has been mummified. 364 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,720 NARRATOR: Mummification was an act of respect for the deceased, 365 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:42,120 designed to keep the body intact, ready for the afterlife, 366 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,520 the ultimate reward for a virtuous life lived. 367 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,560 Yet Kathleen believes this man was mutilated as a punishment. 368 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,520 KATHLEEN: Maybe he belongs to a powerful family 369 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,760 or he had an important position, 370 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,200 but at the end, he got punished. 371 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,880 NARRATOR: This perplexing burial could be a sign of trouble 372 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,320 in the time of Cleopatra, 373 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:05,680 even a clue to her downfall. 374 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:07,440 It's all the more reason 375 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:10,720 Kathleen must continue her search for Cleopatra's tomb. 376 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,920 KATHLEEN: Every time we move forward, we excavate this site, 377 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,040 we find more and more archaeological evidence 378 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:21,480 that makes us understand that we are close. 379 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:32,720 NARRATOR: At the necropolis of ancient Philadelphia, 380 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,880 Basem and his team have painstakingly removed 381 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:41,360 several tons of sand from a catacomb dating to the time of Cleopatra. 382 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,840 BASEM: So what we have progressed until now in this catacomb 383 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,560 is cleaning the main court 384 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:50,240 and one of the grave cuts, the locali. 385 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,040 NARRATOR: Discoveries in the grave cuts 386 00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:56,760 might reveal more evidence of trouble in her reign. 387 00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:00,560 BASEM: So based on the status of the catacomb, 388 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,680 it seems that the tomb raiders were here before 389 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:07,080 and most of the grave cuts were disturbed. 390 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:11,000 NARRATOR: Tomb raiders looted this tomb in ancient times, 391 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:12,960 taking its gold and precious artifacts. 392 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,440 BASEM: Their only goal was to find wonderful objects. 393 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:21,000 So they left some of the things. 394 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:25,520 It seems for them not interesting, but for us, it's really interesting. 395 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,200 NARRATOR: Basem inspects the items the robbers left behind. 396 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,960 BASEM: We can see offerings from the family of the deceased. 397 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,080 This is a flask made from glass. 398 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:39,720 It's maybe used for perfumes. 399 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:45,120 So it seems that offerings were just laid out in front of the locali, 400 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,200 which fits very well with the beliefs of 401 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,040 the ancient Egyptians. 402 00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:53,120 NARRATOR: The ancient Egyptians believed 403 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,200 the deceased needed these offerings for the afterlife. 404 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:00,480 Finding them in a Greek tomb could be evidence 405 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,560 the Greeks here embraced Egyptian belief and custom, 406 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:07,280 just like Cleopatra in her capital, Alexandria. 407 00:24:07,360 --> 00:24:10,800 BASEM: We will keep looking here inside this catacomb. 408 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:11,920 And we will search, 409 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,080 we continue our search all over this necropolis. 410 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:19,000 NARRATOR: With only a few days of his dig season left, 411 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:21,560 Basem decides to focus his efforts 412 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:25,040 on the area just outside the tomb complex. 413 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,200 It's not long until his decision pays off. 414 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,760 BASEM (in Arabic): You want me to come to you? 415 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,160 Let's go and see this group over here. 416 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:37,440 What's going on? 417 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:44,200 (speaking Arabic) 418 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:46,280 NARRATOR: Barely visible in the sand, 419 00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:50,480 a thin strip of wood with faint traces of paint. 420 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,080 BASEM (in English): Oh, wow! 421 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:00,520 (mysterious music) 422 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:04,440 BASEM: It's a breathtaking moment for me. 423 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:08,160 NARRATOR: In the sands of the necropolis, 424 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,880 Basem has made an incredible discovery. 425 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:13,400 BASEM: So what we are looking at here 426 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,600 is one fragment of a mummy portrait 427 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:20,560 that is painted with the wax, the encaustic technique. 428 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:26,360 NARRATOR: Greek artists from Alexandria travelled south through Egypt, 429 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:27,840 along the Nile. 430 00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:35,280 People commissioned their portraits from the artists, 431 00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:37,760 who painted with hot beeswax onto wood. 432 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,640 The lifelike portraits were unlike anything 433 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,920 in Egyptian art. 434 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,880 People hung their colorful portraits in their homes. 435 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,200 When they died, the portrait was put on their face 436 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:57,520 before they were mummified, in the hope their spirit 437 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,440 would remember what they looked like in the afterlife. 438 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:04,800 BASEM: It's really a masterpiece. 439 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,920 NARRATOR: Despite the layers of dust, 440 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,680 Basem can clearly make out the face of the woman it depicts. 441 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:15,240 BASEM: We can realize all the detail, the hairs, eyes, 442 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,480 nose, lips, and even the necklace, 443 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,840 the green necklace from emerald, and the tunic, 444 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,360 the Greek tunic which is painted in purple. 445 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,280 NARRATOR: It's a beautiful portrait of a Greek woman 446 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:32,600 who lived and died here at Philadelphia around the time of Cleopatra, 447 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,360 some 2,000 years ago. 448 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,400 Basem thinks tomb robbers must have broken the fragile painting 449 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,880 when they tried to remove it from the grave. 450 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,360 BASEM: When it's broken into small fragments or slides, 451 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,560 for them, it's useless. 452 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,680 They could not sell it to the market, 453 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,080 so most probably, they left it at the site. 454 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,040 For us, it's a treasure. 455 00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:59,000 I can't see any kind of object 456 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:02,720 that could be more beautiful than this face. 457 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:09,440 NARRATOR: It's a great discovery, everything Basem has hoped for. 458 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,400 BASEM (off screen): The aim of the mission, 459 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,440 we can say that it's accomplished. 460 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:19,720 This single piece makes our work here worth it, 461 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,240 because it's--in itself, it's unique. 462 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:26,520 NARRATOR: It's possible that Cleopatra, too, 463 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,400 would have been buried with a life-like portrait of herself. 464 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,800 BASEM: We know very well that ancient Egyptians 465 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:38,160 were very keen in keeping the picture of the deceased. 466 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:42,760 It seems that the tradition continued during the Ptolemaic period. 467 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:46,280 They kept the same tradition, but they did it their own way, 468 00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:48,640 using a new tradition of paintings. 469 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,040 And then they put this 470 00:27:51,120 --> 00:27:54,360 wonderful, amazing, awesome portraits on the face, 471 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:58,000 and then they wrapped the whole mummy in an Egyptian style. 472 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:02,920 NARRATOR: Basem's discovery suggests that even outside Alexandria, 473 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,880 the Greeks of her reign followed Cleopatra's example 474 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:09,640 and embraced Egyptian customs. 475 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:12,640 And Cleopatra's respect for the old ways 476 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,120 won her favor with the Egyptians, 477 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,280 allowing her to rule over a prosperous, 478 00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:19,640 multicultural empire. 479 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,040 BASEM (off screen): Both nations lived 480 00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:25,560 very harmoniously together, 481 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:30,000 in a very mixed community, 482 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:31,480 mixed culture. 483 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:36,000 NARRATOR: The Greeks and Egyptians lived together in harmony. 484 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,760 So what was causing trouble in the time of Cleopatra? 485 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,760 What led to her downfall? 486 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:49,920 ♪ ♪ 487 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,160 In Alexandria, 488 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:55,560 Meredith has come to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 489 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:58,840 the city's modern library, to investigate. 490 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,280 MEREDITH: This is the modern library of Alexandria. 491 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:07,160 It's somewhere near where the ancient library would have been, 492 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:09,720 and the ancient library of Alexandria was renowned 493 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:13,560 through the entire Mediterranean world as the biggest center of knowledge. 494 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,400 It had the most amount of books ever collected. 495 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:21,440 NARRATOR: But it's not an ancient book that grabs Meredith's attention. 496 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,920 It's an unusual granite bust. 497 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:26,760 MEREDITH: This statue is remarkable. 498 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,800 It's got this Greek style haircut, 499 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:35,280 like a fringe that comes down, and it's wispy and curly. 500 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,080 So to me, this is-- this is a very Greek face. 501 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:42,120 And then on top of it is a traditional ancient Egyptian headdress 502 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:44,400 for kings called the Nemes headdress. 503 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:48,360 NARRATOR: The Nemes is a folded piece of striped cloth 504 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,920 covering the head and shoulders. 505 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,920 Worn with a crown, it identifies the wearer 506 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,280 as a pharaoh. 507 00:29:57,360 --> 00:29:59,960 MEREDITH: So, this is the headdress of an Egyptian king 508 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,280 with the face of a Greek man. 509 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,240 This is most probably Caesarion, 510 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,400 the son of Cleopatra 511 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:11,560 and a direct product of her relationship with Rome. 512 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:16,200 NARRATOR: Caesarion was the son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, 513 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,040 the great dictator of Rome. 514 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,720 The two began an affair when Cleopatra was fighting 515 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:24,760 a bitter civil war with her brother, 516 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:29,520 against their dying father's wish for them to rule together. 517 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:33,000 When Caesar and his army came to Alexandria, 518 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:36,480 Cleopatra seized her chance to win a powerful ally 519 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,360 and Egypt's crown. 520 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,840 As her brother's army patrolled the city, 521 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:47,160 Cleopatra smuggled herself into Caesar's chambers, 522 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,720 rolled in a rug, to meet him face to face. 523 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:56,840 Entranced, Caesar helped Cleopatra win her throne 524 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,600 and the two had a son, Caesarion. 525 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:02,400 But a few years later, 526 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:06,000 Roman senators, fearing Caesar's grip on power, 527 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:07,520 assassinated him, 528 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:11,320 and his three closest allies took control of Rome. 529 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:15,840 Cleopatra met with one of them, Mark Antony, 530 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,520 making her entrance on a golden boat. 531 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:24,320 They formed a new alliance and the two fell in love. 532 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:28,480 MEREDITH: Cleopatra has been painted as some wanton seductress, 533 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,840 but in actuality, all of her moves were strategic. 534 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,400 She was a smart woman who understood geo-politics 535 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,240 and understood Egypt and the Mediterranean world. 536 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:42,720 She made alliances based on who was in power 537 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:45,000 and who could help her secure the throne. 538 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:48,840 NARRATOR: Egypt was stable. 539 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,840 Cleopatra was firmly in control, 540 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,960 backed by a strong alliance with Mark Antony and Rome. 541 00:31:56,040 --> 00:32:00,080 But just ten years later, everything came tumbling down. 542 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:02,400 What went wrong? 543 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,160 NARRATOR: Meredith investigates a giant marble bust 544 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:13,240 just next to the statue of Cleopatra's son Caesarion. 545 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,320 MEREDITH: This statue is fantastic. 546 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,120 It's totally not Egyptian. 547 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,360 Everything about this screams Rome 548 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:26,560 from the white marble to the hairstyle, 549 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,800 the delicate portraiture in the face, the nose, everything. 550 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:31,880 This is a Roman statue. 551 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:33,920 This statue is Octavian. 552 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:39,440 NARRATOR: Octavian was Julius Caesar's adopted son. 553 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:42,560 After Caesar's death, Octavian moved quickly 554 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,360 to take power in Rome. 555 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:48,480 Mark Antony, and his alliance with Cleopatra, 556 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:50,400 stood in his way. 557 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:53,760 MEREDITH: They formed a huge super-block of power 558 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,280 that Octavian thought was a direct threat to his rule. 559 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:02,800 NARRATOR: And Octavian had a score to settle with Mark Antony. 560 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,000 MEREDITH: Mark Antony was married to Octavian's sister 561 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:10,400 while he was having an alliance and a relationship with Cleopatra. 562 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:14,640 So this upset him on a political level and a personal level. 563 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:19,120 NARRATOR: In 32 B.C., Octavian, backed by the Roman Senate, 564 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:22,280 declared war on Cleopatra. 565 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:25,320 Cleopatra's alliance with Mark Antony had put her, 566 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,120 and Egypt, in the line of fire. 567 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:30,920 MEREDITH: Cleopatra's relationship with Mark Antony 568 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,320 seemed like a brilliant strategy, 569 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:35,600 yet it led her into trouble. 570 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:44,000 NARRATOR: At Taposiris Magna, 571 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:47,720 the brutally mutilated but beautifully mummified man 572 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:52,400 may be a victim of Cleopatra's war with Rome. 573 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:53,880 KATHLEEN: This time was chaotic. 574 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:59,280 The first century, it was Cleopatra, Mark Antony, against Octavian, 575 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:02,480 and maybe he was on the wrong side, 576 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,360 and this is why he got punished. 577 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:07,360 It's a great discovery. 578 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:11,600 NARRATOR: Cleopatra would also be a victim of this war. 579 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:15,080 Now, Kathleen is hunting for her lost tomb. 580 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:18,960 She believes it is in a large cavity 581 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,440 she has discovered beneath the temple here. 582 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,960 Her team has finally set up a safe ladder system 583 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,680 at the top of the dark and narrow entrance shaft. 584 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:32,240 Now Kathleen can finally enter. 585 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:34,640 It's 25 feet deep. 586 00:34:34,720 --> 00:34:37,560 A fall from this height could kill her. 587 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:40,440 KATHLEEN: For some reason that I don't understand, 588 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:41,920 I'm not afraid. 589 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,360 I'm ready to go down. 590 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,760 (dramatic music) 591 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:52,000 ♪ ♪ 592 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:53,480 (overlapping chatter) 593 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:57,200 Oh, my gosh. Oh. 594 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:01,560 (breathing heavily) 595 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:05,440 The second stairs, it's really unstable. 596 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:07,280 (overlapping chatter) 597 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:09,440 It's moving. Oh, God. 598 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,320 NARRATOR: After a perilous descent, 599 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:21,000 Kathleen can explore the tunnel. 600 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:28,080 ♪ ♪ 601 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:31,040 KATHLEEN: This is marvelous! 602 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:40,560 We can see clearly 603 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:44,920 there are some traces 604 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,160 of painting of ancient time. 605 00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:51,800 We can see plaster here. 606 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:53,040 It was covered. 607 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:01,680 The construction of this tunnel 608 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:05,400 has been made by chisel, by hand. 609 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:11,600 Hundreds of meters. 610 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:14,320 NARRATOR: The tunnel is hundreds of feet long 611 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:16,920 and cuts through solid bedrock. 612 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,720 Carving it by hand would have taken years. 613 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:22,480 KATHLEEN: But why? 614 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:27,480 Why they will build this tunnel? 615 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,200 Why they will do such a big effort? 616 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:35,640 NARRATOR: Could the huge amount of time invested to dig 617 00:36:35,720 --> 00:36:38,840 and decorate this tunnel be evidence that it leads 618 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:41,480 to Cleopatra's long-lost tomb? 619 00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:46,760 Kathleen ventures deeper. 620 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:50,360 (Kathleen coughing) 621 00:36:56,720 --> 00:36:59,760 KATHLEEN: I can't breathe. 622 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,800 The air is... 623 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:04,920 is rotten. 624 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,000 I can't breathe any more here. 625 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,400 KATHLEEN: Oh! Wow. 626 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:20,920 NARRATOR: In Alexandria, 627 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:25,120 Meredith investigates what led to Cleopatra's mysterious death. 628 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:29,200 In the heart of her capital are the ancient ruins 629 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:31,040 of Kom El Dikka. 630 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,480 MEREDITH (off screen): Oh, this is an incredible site. 631 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:35,240 It's completely preserved. 632 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:36,720 This is stunning. 633 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:39,520 Looking around, there is no ancient Egypt here. 634 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:43,200 There is this amphitheater, a public bath, 635 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:45,760 broad streets. 636 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:48,480 Everything about this space is Roman. 637 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:51,760 NARRATOR: At Kom el Dikka, there is no trace 638 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:55,200 of Cleopatra's mix of Egyptian and Greek culture. 639 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:58,440 MEREDITH: It's evidence of a complete Roman takeover. 640 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,120 NARRATOR: Julius Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, 641 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,920 was threatened by Cleopatra and Mark Antony's alliance. 642 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,680 A year after declaring war, he made his move. 643 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:12,880 (dramatic music) 644 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:17,040 Octavian amassed a vast navy and attacked Cleopatra 645 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,960 and Mark Antony's combined forces. 646 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:26,880 The fleets clashed off the coast of Greece. 647 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:29,160 Octavian's navy won the day, 648 00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:32,160 and Mark Antony and Cleopatra each fled. 649 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:39,160 According to legend, Mark Antony later heard rumors 650 00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:40,680 Cleopatra was dead, 651 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:44,880 so he fell on his sword to join her in the afterlife. 652 00:38:46,720 --> 00:38:48,720 But Cleopatra was alive. 653 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:53,200 She rushed to his side, and he died in her arms. 654 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:58,240 MEREDITH: Mark Antony's death was the first step in Octavian 655 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:01,040 becoming the sole ruler and dictator of Rome. 656 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:02,680 But that wasn't enough for Octavian. 657 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:03,840 He was ambitious. 658 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:05,600 He wanted to expand the empire, 659 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:08,880 and he had his eyes set on the wealth of Egypt. 660 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,160 NARRATOR: Only Cleopatra stood in his way. 661 00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:14,600 MEREDITH: Cleopatra was a smart ruler. 662 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:17,680 She was capable, and despite all the challenges, 663 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,600 she kept Egypt safe and prosperous for a long time. 664 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:22,200 But she had backed the wrong guy. 665 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:23,720 Her empire was in tatters, 666 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:27,560 her lover was dead, and Rome was breathing down her neck. 667 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:30,400 Cleopatra, she had run out of options. 668 00:39:32,240 --> 00:39:35,600 NARRATOR: Legends say Cleopatra took her own life 669 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:37,960 using the venomous bite of a cobra. 670 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,160 Octavian had invaded Egypt 671 00:39:43,240 --> 00:39:47,200 and now searched for her son and heir, Caesarion, 672 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:49,640 but he had fled to the east coast. 673 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:56,760 The young king returned to Alexandria to beg for mercy. 674 00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:04,080 But Octavian ordered his death. 675 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:09,400 The age of the pharaohs was over. 676 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:12,560 MEREDITH: The death of Mark Antony, Cleopatra, and her son 677 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:16,760 gave full uncontested control of Egypt to Octavian. 678 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,640 NARRATOR: Octavian became Rome's first emperor 679 00:40:19,720 --> 00:40:22,440 and took the title Augustus. 680 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:26,160 Egypt became a province of his huge empire. 681 00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:29,320 MEREDITH: The Egypt that had survived for 3,000 years 682 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:31,080 was no more. 683 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,480 NARRATOR: And Cleopatra's body, and tomb, 684 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:35,560 have never been found. 685 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:39,800 (mysterious music) 686 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:42,000 ♪ ♪ 687 00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:43,880 At Taposiris Magna, 688 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:47,040 Kathleen is about 100 feet into the tunnel 689 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:49,840 when she suddenly spots something behind the debris 690 00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:53,320 and washed-in rubbish. 691 00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:54,880 KATHLEEN: Oh! 692 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,360 I am not able to walk, but I can see-- 693 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:03,080 I can see over there, there is an entrance! 694 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:07,400 Oh. 695 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:11,080 Just trying to see as much as possible. 696 00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:15,040 If we're lucky, we can see what is beyond the rubbish. 697 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:20,760 It continues. 698 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:24,400 You can see clear the tunnel continues. 699 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:26,400 This is it. 700 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:29,160 NARRATOR: The entrance is a tantalizing clue. 701 00:41:29,240 --> 00:41:31,640 Could it lead to an underground tomb? 702 00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:35,560 Perhaps even the lost tomb of Cleopatra? 703 00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:39,080 KATHLEEN: I have a hunch, and I think... 704 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:44,880 I'm about to solve this mystery 705 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:46,680 with this door. 706 00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:48,720 Yes. 707 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:50,720 Oh... 708 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:54,040 (coughing) 709 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:55,880 I can't breathe. 710 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,360 NARRATOR: After 30 minutes in the tunnel, 711 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:02,880 Kathleen is forced to return to the surface for fresh air. 712 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:04,440 KATHLEEN: I'm so tired 713 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:08,640 and my boots are slippery. 714 00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:12,120 (speaking Arabic) 715 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:15,440 NARRATOR: A huge mound of rubble blocks the mystery entrance 716 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:17,120 inside the tunnel. 717 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:20,280 Kathleen won't be able to clear it before her permits run out 718 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:22,600 in a few days' time, 719 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:27,920 but the tunnel and the void beyond it is more promising than she had hoped. 720 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,120 KATHLEEN: After all these years, 721 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:35,280 you can't imagine the excitement to go down and really explore. 722 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:38,400 The tomb of Cleopatra might be down there. 723 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:43,200 I'm really very proud of the work we're doing here. 724 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:46,120 So let's--we applaud 725 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:49,280 for all my team and all this effort. 726 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:53,960 NARRATOR: After years of searching, Kathleen could be closer than ever 727 00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:58,120 to discovering the lost tomb of Cleopatra. 728 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,080 KATHLEEN: These tunnels are leading us 729 00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:04,040 to probably one of the major discoveries of this century. 730 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:07,920 It looks intact. 731 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,840 NARRATOR: Every season, archaeologists unearth 732 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:13,880 new clues about Egypt's last pharaoh. 733 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:19,040 Their evidence shows Cleopatra skillfully ruled 734 00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:22,200 over a hybrid Greek-Egyptian society. 735 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:28,000 She forged clever alliances to secure her throne 736 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,560 and keep Egypt safe. 737 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:34,560 But she got caught up in Octavian's plans for domination. 738 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:39,280 As he engulfed Egypt in a violent war, 739 00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:43,280 Cleopatra might have had no other escape but to commit suicide 740 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:46,280 and hide her tomb from his wrath. 741 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:48,680 KATHLEEN: She outsmarted the Romans. 742 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:52,680 She outsmarted the most powerful army on Earth, 743 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:56,080 and I believe they brought her here 744 00:43:56,160 --> 00:43:58,400 and she disappeared at Taposiris Magna. 745 00:43:59,240 --> 00:44:01,480 NARRATOR: But while Cleopatra was defeated, 746 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:05,160 her memory lives on and captures the imagination 747 00:44:05,240 --> 00:44:07,520 to this day.