1 00:00:03,727 --> 00:00:06,040 NARRATOR: Egypt, the richest source 2 00:00:06,075 --> 00:00:09,216 of archaeological treasures on the planet. 3 00:00:09,250 --> 00:00:12,426 SALIMA IKRAM: Oh, that's a fabulous one! 4 00:00:14,635 --> 00:00:18,742 NARRATOR: Beneath this desert landscape 5 00:00:18,777 --> 00:00:22,194 lie the secrets of an ancient civilization. 6 00:00:22,229 --> 00:00:26,405 MAN: Wow, you can see why the pharaohs chose this place. 7 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,513 NARRATOR: Now, for a full season of excavations, 8 00:00:30,547 --> 00:00:34,310 our cameras have unprecedented access 9 00:00:34,344 --> 00:00:38,210 to follow teams on the frontline of archaeology... 10 00:00:38,245 --> 00:00:42,076 MAN: I'm driving so fast because I'm so excited! 11 00:00:42,111 --> 00:00:45,597 WOMAN: It's an entrance, we can see an entrance. 12 00:00:45,631 --> 00:00:48,220 NARRATOR: Revealing buried secrets... 13 00:00:48,255 --> 00:00:49,428 ANTONIO MORALES: So I have just been told 14 00:00:49,463 --> 00:00:52,121 that they have found something. 15 00:00:52,155 --> 00:00:54,157 [laughing] 16 00:00:54,192 --> 00:00:55,434 MAN: A sphinx! 17 00:00:57,195 --> 00:00:58,817 NARRATOR: And making discoveries 18 00:00:58,851 --> 00:01:04,098 that could rewrite ancient history. 19 00:01:04,133 --> 00:01:05,203 MAN: Hey! 20 00:01:07,170 --> 00:01:09,759 NARRATOR: This time, archaeologists reveal 21 00:01:09,793 --> 00:01:12,313 what tomb raiders left behind. 22 00:01:12,348 --> 00:01:16,248 John investigates an ancient tomb-robbing scandal. 23 00:01:16,283 --> 00:01:20,390 JOHN DARNELL: Royal tombs are not robbed by random robbers. 24 00:01:20,425 --> 00:01:22,116 NARRATOR: US Homeland Security 25 00:01:22,151 --> 00:01:25,775 helps bring a stolen mummy back to Egypt. 26 00:01:25,809 --> 00:01:27,777 SALIMA: How fabulous. 27 00:01:27,811 --> 00:01:29,641 NARRATOR: And Don makes a discovery 28 00:01:29,675 --> 00:01:32,437 in a long-forgotten tomb. 29 00:01:32,471 --> 00:01:34,266 DON: Oh, my gosh. 30 00:01:34,301 --> 00:01:37,166 It has a possibility of being truly exciting. 31 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,653 ♪ 32 00:01:44,483 --> 00:01:49,143 ♪ 33 00:01:49,178 --> 00:01:51,870 NARRATOR: The Valley of the Kings. 34 00:01:51,904 --> 00:01:56,426 65 tombs hidden in this remote gorge, 35 00:01:56,461 --> 00:02:00,258 built to contain the mummies of Egypt's great pharaohs 36 00:02:00,292 --> 00:02:03,192 and their treasures. 37 00:02:03,226 --> 00:02:06,609 Throughout history these tombs have been raided 38 00:02:06,643 --> 00:02:09,715 from within just a few weeks of being sealed, 39 00:02:09,750 --> 00:02:12,373 right up to the 20th century. 40 00:02:14,893 --> 00:02:18,345 But to archaeologists, what the thieves left behind 41 00:02:18,379 --> 00:02:20,485 is still priceless evidence, 42 00:02:20,519 --> 00:02:25,628 helping them to unlock the secrets of ancient Egypt. 43 00:02:25,662 --> 00:02:27,285 MAN: Dr. Ryan. 44 00:02:27,319 --> 00:02:30,391 NARRATOR: Renowned American Egyptologist Don Ryan 45 00:02:30,426 --> 00:02:35,155 is kicking off his season in the Valley. 46 00:02:35,189 --> 00:02:37,329 DON: I first came to Egypt as a student. 47 00:02:37,364 --> 00:02:40,436 It was my priority to come and see this place. 48 00:02:40,470 --> 00:02:42,300 And I had a map of the Valley of the Kings, 49 00:02:42,334 --> 00:02:46,373 and I noticed amongst all thesetombs of these famous rulers 50 00:02:46,407 --> 00:02:48,720 there were all these little dotswith numbers on them, 51 00:02:48,754 --> 00:02:51,136 and those really intrigued me. 52 00:02:51,171 --> 00:02:53,483 NARRATOR: The dots on Don's maps represented 53 00:02:53,518 --> 00:02:57,453 the smaller and lesser-known tombs in the Valley. 54 00:02:57,487 --> 00:03:00,904 Don made these his area of expertise. 55 00:03:00,939 --> 00:03:02,665 DON: Working in various tombs around here 56 00:03:02,699 --> 00:03:05,426 has so many aspects that make it special, 57 00:03:05,461 --> 00:03:09,258 apart from it being the most famous archaeological site 58 00:03:09,292 --> 00:03:10,293 in the world. 59 00:03:15,333 --> 00:03:18,094 NARRATOR: Dig season runs from October to April 60 00:03:18,128 --> 00:03:19,820 and relies on the expertise 61 00:03:19,854 --> 00:03:22,754 of hundreds of skilled local workers. 62 00:03:22,788 --> 00:03:24,445 DON: I know this guy from before. 63 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:26,102 He's a good guy. 64 00:03:26,136 --> 00:03:27,724 This book is kind of special, 65 00:03:27,759 --> 00:03:31,418 because it goes back to my veryfirst field season in Egypt. 66 00:03:31,452 --> 00:03:33,834 This is 1989. 67 00:03:36,457 --> 00:03:37,803 Every tomb in the Valley of the Kings 68 00:03:37,838 --> 00:03:40,461 is a piece of a great puzzle. 69 00:03:42,774 --> 00:03:45,259 NARRATOR: Don's missions have focused on a cluster 70 00:03:45,294 --> 00:03:49,746 of small tombs at the edge of the Valley. 71 00:03:49,781 --> 00:03:52,646 Nearby is the impressive burial chamber 72 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,787 of Pharaoh Amenhotep II. 73 00:03:55,821 --> 00:04:01,102 But most of the surrounding tombs remain unidentified. 74 00:04:01,137 --> 00:04:04,796 All of them were looted centuries ago, 75 00:04:04,830 --> 00:04:08,282 any treasures stolen by robbers. 76 00:04:08,317 --> 00:04:11,734 But in some, they left behind mummified animals 77 00:04:11,768 --> 00:04:14,150 and ancient pottery. 78 00:04:17,464 --> 00:04:21,122 This year, Don is excavating one of the most mysterious 79 00:04:21,157 --> 00:04:24,643 tombs of them all: tomb number 49. 80 00:04:26,542 --> 00:04:30,339 Who it was built for remains a mystery. 81 00:04:30,373 --> 00:04:31,650 Thought to be empty, 82 00:04:31,685 --> 00:04:36,172 no one has excavated it for over a century. 83 00:04:36,206 --> 00:04:38,692 DON: We are the first archaeologists to go in there 84 00:04:38,726 --> 00:04:42,385 and clear the material out since 1906. 85 00:04:45,837 --> 00:04:49,254 I know from previous experience 86 00:04:49,289 --> 00:04:54,397 having excavated a number of tombs from that period 87 00:04:54,432 --> 00:04:58,332 that these early archaeologistsusually took the bigger things 88 00:04:58,367 --> 00:05:02,440 or the prettier things and left everything else inside. 89 00:05:02,474 --> 00:05:04,856 ♪ 90 00:05:04,890 --> 00:05:11,587 ♪ 91 00:05:11,621 --> 00:05:16,523 NARRATOR: Solving the mysteries of this tomb will be tough. 92 00:05:16,557 --> 00:05:19,836 The chamber is totally unmarked. 93 00:05:19,871 --> 00:05:22,598 DON: At this point we don't have any indication 94 00:05:22,632 --> 00:05:26,740 for whom this tomb might have been built. 95 00:05:26,774 --> 00:05:29,639 We have to look for all the little clues. 96 00:05:29,674 --> 00:05:32,159 NARRATOR: Don has become an expert in uncovering 97 00:05:32,193 --> 00:05:36,301 the secrets of these smaller, undecorated tombs. 98 00:05:36,336 --> 00:05:39,580 DON: The tombs I work with don't have any inscriptions, 99 00:05:39,615 --> 00:05:42,790 one can't just go in and read the walls. 100 00:05:42,825 --> 00:05:47,208 In the Valley of the Kings just having a burial chamber 101 00:05:47,243 --> 00:05:48,796 is a magnificent honor. 102 00:05:48,831 --> 00:05:51,109 It could have been a royal family member 103 00:05:51,143 --> 00:05:54,423 or it could have been a very high official. 104 00:05:54,457 --> 00:05:59,151 NARRATOR: Tomb 49 has been robbed by ancient tomb raiders, 105 00:05:59,186 --> 00:06:02,189 but that doesn't mean it's empty. 106 00:06:02,223 --> 00:06:04,571 DON: We'll clear this stuff outand we'll go through it, 107 00:06:04,605 --> 00:06:07,608 and it'd be really nice 108 00:06:07,643 --> 00:06:09,438 if we found something with a name on it. 109 00:06:09,472 --> 00:06:14,097 We might find some objects from the original burial. 110 00:06:14,132 --> 00:06:17,377 It has the possibility of being truly exciting. 111 00:06:17,411 --> 00:06:22,796 ♪ 112 00:06:22,830 --> 00:06:27,697 ♪ 113 00:06:27,732 --> 00:06:29,630 NARRATOR: The team has just three weeks 114 00:06:29,665 --> 00:06:32,322 to move several tons of earth. 115 00:06:32,357 --> 00:06:37,811 ♪ 116 00:06:37,845 --> 00:06:41,608 Each bucketful must undergo a fingertip search, 117 00:06:41,642 --> 00:06:44,542 with even the tiniest fragments pulled out 118 00:06:44,576 --> 00:06:47,268 for further investigation. 119 00:06:47,303 --> 00:06:51,790 DON: One never knows, it couldbe the last basketful of debris 120 00:06:51,825 --> 00:06:56,761 that might give up the answer that we're looking for. 121 00:07:02,732 --> 00:07:04,424 NARRATOR: At the entrance to the Valley 122 00:07:04,458 --> 00:07:10,671 sits a complex of tombs and temples called Deir El-Bahari. 123 00:07:10,706 --> 00:07:12,328 In the cliffs of this site 124 00:07:12,362 --> 00:07:15,365 are where important officials were buried. 125 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:21,337 ♪ 126 00:07:21,371 --> 00:07:22,649 ANTONIO: Shukran. 127 00:07:25,203 --> 00:07:27,343 How many people do we have today? 128 00:07:27,377 --> 00:07:28,758 ALI FAROUK: Total, 3-0. 129 00:07:28,793 --> 00:07:31,830 ANTONIO: So we need 10 more. 130 00:07:31,865 --> 00:07:33,729 NARRATOR: Professor Antonio Morales 131 00:07:33,763 --> 00:07:38,319 is an Egyptologist from the University of Alcalá in Spain. 132 00:07:38,354 --> 00:07:41,495 He's in charge of 30 international experts 133 00:07:41,530 --> 00:07:43,739 working here on one of the biggest 134 00:07:43,773 --> 00:07:46,742 archaeological projects in Egypt. 135 00:07:46,776 --> 00:07:49,814 ANTONIO: We came here to excavate two or three tombs 136 00:07:49,848 --> 00:07:52,126 that belonged to very prestigious, 137 00:07:52,161 --> 00:07:54,266 very powerful high officials. 138 00:07:54,301 --> 00:07:58,339 They provide much information about things like religion, 139 00:07:58,374 --> 00:08:00,307 beliefs, ritual practices, 140 00:08:00,341 --> 00:08:03,621 and about ancient Egyptian culture in general. 141 00:08:03,655 --> 00:08:05,105 NARRATOR: But this year, 142 00:08:05,139 --> 00:08:08,418 his government permit has come through late. 143 00:08:08,453 --> 00:08:10,179 ANTONIO: This season is going to be very intensive, 144 00:08:10,213 --> 00:08:12,871 because we were expecting to work for five or six weeks, 145 00:08:12,906 --> 00:08:14,701 we're actually going to do it for three weeks, 146 00:08:14,735 --> 00:08:18,532 which means that this is going to be double intensive. 147 00:08:18,567 --> 00:08:21,362 NARRATOR: Like the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, 148 00:08:21,397 --> 00:08:27,230 this site was also robbed by other ancient Egyptians. 149 00:08:27,265 --> 00:08:29,612 ANTONIO: Most of the ancient Egyptian tombs were plundered 150 00:08:29,647 --> 00:08:32,788 weeks or months after the funeral, 151 00:08:32,822 --> 00:08:36,619 so for us it's very interestingto try to come up 152 00:08:36,654 --> 00:08:40,658 with a reconstruction of what happened here. 153 00:08:40,692 --> 00:08:44,420 RAOUL: So those are the contents. 154 00:08:44,454 --> 00:08:47,457 NARRATOR: Last year, Antonio's team unearthed 155 00:08:47,492 --> 00:08:51,323 hundreds of body parts: 156 00:08:51,358 --> 00:08:56,501 mummies ripped apart by thieves looking for gold and jewels. 157 00:08:58,572 --> 00:09:00,885 ANTONIO: The robbers cut the bandages 158 00:09:00,919 --> 00:09:04,820 looking for as many objects as possible, 159 00:09:04,854 --> 00:09:06,476 and once they were finished with that, 160 00:09:06,511 --> 00:09:09,134 perhaps they burned the mummy, they throw it away, 161 00:09:09,169 --> 00:09:11,412 they didn't want to have any ghost, 162 00:09:11,447 --> 00:09:14,174 any visit from the afterlife. 163 00:09:14,208 --> 00:09:16,763 NARRATOR: Tomb robbers believed the dead would come back 164 00:09:16,797 --> 00:09:20,594 to haunt them unless they destroyed the mummy. 165 00:09:20,629 --> 00:09:22,147 But for the dead themselves, 166 00:09:22,182 --> 00:09:24,874 this was the worst possible fate. 167 00:09:24,909 --> 00:09:28,464 They needed their mummified body to remain intact 168 00:09:28,498 --> 00:09:31,329 to live on in the afterlife. 169 00:09:34,815 --> 00:09:36,541 So stopping thieves was about 170 00:09:36,576 --> 00:09:39,302 more than protecting your treasure, 171 00:09:39,337 --> 00:09:44,618 it was also about ensuring your eternal life. 172 00:09:44,653 --> 00:09:46,620 ANTONIO: Now I can go into the sarcophagus. 173 00:09:46,655 --> 00:09:48,208 NARRATOR: Antonio is investigating 174 00:09:48,242 --> 00:09:51,487 how the owner of this 4,000-year-old tomb 175 00:09:51,521 --> 00:09:55,387 tried to prevent his mummy from being destroyed by looters. 176 00:09:55,422 --> 00:09:58,874 ANTONIO: Now we are inthe deepest section of the tomb 177 00:09:58,908 --> 00:10:02,153 where his coffin and corpse was deposited. 178 00:10:02,187 --> 00:10:03,706 NARRATOR: The team knows this tomb 179 00:10:03,741 --> 00:10:08,124 must have belonged to an important official. 180 00:10:08,159 --> 00:10:11,541 There's no mummy, but the sarcophagus is covered 181 00:10:11,576 --> 00:10:14,165 with intricate hieroglyphs. 182 00:10:14,199 --> 00:10:18,790 Among them, the team finds the name of the owner. 183 00:10:18,825 --> 00:10:22,863 DAINA: So this area we can read, this Ipi, 184 00:10:22,898 --> 00:10:25,348 so the deceased is named Ipi. 185 00:10:25,383 --> 00:10:28,213 What you can see here is actually all the things 186 00:10:28,248 --> 00:10:31,147 the deceased needs for his afterlife. 187 00:10:33,702 --> 00:10:35,220 NARRATOR: Ipi was a vizier, 188 00:10:35,255 --> 00:10:38,672 a role second only to the pharaoh. 189 00:10:38,707 --> 00:10:41,226 A powerful statesman, 190 00:10:41,261 --> 00:10:46,335 he was buried in an ornately inscribed sarcophagus, 191 00:10:46,369 --> 00:10:50,719 covered in spells to protect him in the afterlife. 192 00:10:50,753 --> 00:10:53,307 To ensure his mummy stayed intact, 193 00:10:53,342 --> 00:10:56,725 Ipi's tomb was designed to stop robbers. 194 00:10:56,759 --> 00:10:59,866 The entrance was sealed by huge boulders. 195 00:11:02,420 --> 00:11:04,284 And inside the burial chamber, 196 00:11:04,318 --> 00:11:08,702 the sarcophagus was set into the floor, 197 00:11:08,737 --> 00:11:11,256 then covered with stone slabs 198 00:11:11,291 --> 00:11:14,466 so that the room appeared empty. 199 00:11:14,501 --> 00:11:17,642 ANTONIO: When robbers came,they will see an empty chamber, 200 00:11:17,677 --> 00:11:21,128 a wonderful floor, and they willthink that the chamber was empty 201 00:11:21,163 --> 00:11:23,199 because it was already stolen. 202 00:11:23,234 --> 00:11:25,339 NARRATOR: But even this clever design 203 00:11:25,374 --> 00:11:27,790 wasn't enough to stop thieves. 204 00:11:27,825 --> 00:11:30,586 Ipi's mummy and all his treasures 205 00:11:30,620 --> 00:11:33,313 were stolen centuries ago. 206 00:11:33,347 --> 00:11:39,560 ♪ 207 00:11:39,595 --> 00:11:42,702 [men yelling] 208 00:11:44,738 --> 00:11:50,468 Outside Ipi's tomb, there's an exciting discovery. 209 00:11:50,502 --> 00:11:52,781 ANTONIO: I have been told that just in one of the sections 210 00:11:52,815 --> 00:11:54,472 we started working this morning 211 00:11:54,506 --> 00:11:57,164 it seems they have found some kind of a structure. 212 00:11:57,199 --> 00:11:59,166 NARRATOR: Antonio's team has spotted 213 00:11:59,201 --> 00:12:01,306 an opening in the rubble. 214 00:12:01,341 --> 00:12:04,309 It could be an entrance to a hidden chamber, 215 00:12:04,344 --> 00:12:07,865 undisturbed for thousands of years. 216 00:12:16,149 --> 00:12:17,806 NARRATOR: In the Valley of the Kings, 217 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,326 Egyptologist Don Ryan is investigating 218 00:12:21,361 --> 00:12:24,260 the mysterious tomb 49. 219 00:12:26,780 --> 00:12:27,781 DON: It stops right there. 220 00:12:27,816 --> 00:12:30,232 [speaking Arabic] Right there. 221 00:12:30,266 --> 00:12:33,476 NARRATOR: His decision to carefully sift tons of earth 222 00:12:33,511 --> 00:12:37,549 from a seemingly empty tomb is paying off. 223 00:12:37,584 --> 00:12:39,828 The team has found several artifacts 224 00:12:39,862 --> 00:12:43,417 that might help reveal who the tomb was built for, 225 00:12:43,452 --> 00:12:47,318 including pottery, wood, and linen. 226 00:12:47,352 --> 00:12:48,871 DON: These are cloth fragments, 227 00:12:48,906 --> 00:12:50,321 and they tend to be well preserved. 228 00:12:50,355 --> 00:12:52,737 These could be 3,000 years old, 229 00:12:52,772 --> 00:12:55,775 because it's, it's dry down in the tomb 230 00:12:55,809 --> 00:12:58,778 and conducive to the preservation. 231 00:12:58,812 --> 00:13:00,572 It, it does tell you something, 232 00:13:00,607 --> 00:13:03,368 it tells you that if these are mummy wrappings, 233 00:13:03,403 --> 00:13:05,543 there was a mummy in there at one time, 234 00:13:05,577 --> 00:13:08,546 and that's of course important to know. 235 00:13:08,580 --> 00:13:11,204 NARRATOR: These pieces of ancient wood and pottery 236 00:13:11,238 --> 00:13:13,827 are over 3,000 years old. 237 00:13:13,862 --> 00:13:19,177 DON: This is probably a big chunk of coffin right here. 238 00:13:19,212 --> 00:13:22,180 And this is probably part of a dowel or some piece of wood 239 00:13:22,215 --> 00:13:25,770 that was used to hold bits and pieces of coffins together. 240 00:13:25,805 --> 00:13:27,289 ROSE: You guys got some good stuff. 241 00:13:27,323 --> 00:13:29,705 DON: Well, maybe, we'll see. 242 00:13:31,776 --> 00:13:33,467 NARRATOR: Based on what he's found, 243 00:13:33,502 --> 00:13:35,607 Don can begin to piece together 244 00:13:35,642 --> 00:13:40,716 what was actually inside tomb 49. 245 00:13:40,750 --> 00:13:44,893 A hidden staircase, chiseled out of solid limestone, 246 00:13:44,927 --> 00:13:50,312 leads to a six-by-three-yard chamber. 247 00:13:50,346 --> 00:13:52,176 The excavated pieces of wood 248 00:13:52,210 --> 00:13:56,732 were probably from an elaborately painted coffin, 249 00:13:56,766 --> 00:13:59,839 that held a tightly wrapped mummy. 250 00:14:04,878 --> 00:14:08,640 Stored around the coffin were everyday items, 251 00:14:08,675 --> 00:14:12,403 everything the tomb owner would need for the afterlife. 252 00:14:12,437 --> 00:14:16,096 ♪ 253 00:14:16,131 --> 00:14:20,618 It seems like tomb 49 is a conventional burial site, 254 00:14:20,652 --> 00:14:25,657 but who it belongs to is still a mystery. 255 00:14:25,692 --> 00:14:29,489 Suddenly, Don is called to the chamber. 256 00:14:32,250 --> 00:14:34,114 NARRATOR: Among the rubble is a remarkable treasure. 257 00:14:34,149 --> 00:14:35,529 DON: Oh! 258 00:14:35,564 --> 00:14:37,531 NARRATOR: Exactly what Don was hoping for. 259 00:14:37,566 --> 00:14:38,912 DON: Oh, my gosh. 260 00:14:38,947 --> 00:14:41,604 NARRATOR: An artifact with a name on it. 261 00:14:41,639 --> 00:14:44,918 DON: This is a ring made out of glass, 262 00:14:44,953 --> 00:14:49,440 and possibly we have on the surface 263 00:14:49,474 --> 00:14:52,719 the name of Ramses III, 264 00:14:52,753 --> 00:14:56,309 one of the great warrior pharaohs of Egypt. 265 00:14:56,343 --> 00:15:00,658 My team would be the first to hold this in over 3,000 years. 266 00:15:00,692 --> 00:15:02,556 NARRATOR: The ring is an extraordinary 267 00:15:02,591 --> 00:15:05,076 but unexpected find. 268 00:15:05,111 --> 00:15:08,597 If it does belong to the pharaoh Ramses III, 269 00:15:08,631 --> 00:15:10,288 it shouldn't be here. 270 00:15:10,323 --> 00:15:16,950 Ramses was buried in tomb number 11, not tomb 49. 271 00:15:16,985 --> 00:15:22,093 DON: How this object gotinto this tomb is the question. 272 00:15:22,128 --> 00:15:27,167 ♪ 273 00:15:27,202 --> 00:15:28,720 NARRATOR: At Deir El-Bahari, 274 00:15:28,755 --> 00:15:32,932 Egyptologist Antonio Morales and his team are working 275 00:15:32,966 --> 00:15:36,866 near the ransacked tomb of a pharaoh's right-hand man, 276 00:15:36,901 --> 00:15:39,248 the vizier Ipi. 277 00:15:39,283 --> 00:15:41,423 They've just discovered an opening. 278 00:15:41,457 --> 00:15:43,252 MOHAMED: What you can see here now is rubble. 279 00:15:43,287 --> 00:15:46,738 ANTONIO: After a couple of hourswe'll be able to see more. 280 00:15:46,773 --> 00:15:48,948 NARRATOR: The entrance is so well hidden, 281 00:15:48,982 --> 00:15:53,607 it's possible this chamber was never found by robbers. 282 00:15:55,506 --> 00:15:57,542 ANTONIO: He's going to clean all this area around, 283 00:15:57,577 --> 00:15:59,613 and then once we know what is around 284 00:15:59,648 --> 00:16:03,169 we can take up everything to see what is behind. 285 00:16:03,203 --> 00:16:05,516 But make sure you keep many people here working, 286 00:16:05,550 --> 00:16:07,656 we need to do all this quickly, okay? 287 00:16:07,690 --> 00:16:09,554 NARRATOR: With such a short permit, 288 00:16:09,589 --> 00:16:14,490 the team must work against the clock. 289 00:16:14,525 --> 00:16:15,940 ANTONIO: It seems that the structure we have found 290 00:16:15,975 --> 00:16:17,873 could be larger than we expected, 291 00:16:17,907 --> 00:16:19,599 so we need to clean first this area 292 00:16:19,633 --> 00:16:21,290 so that they can continue excavating 293 00:16:21,325 --> 00:16:25,812 to see whether we can go into this new structure underneath. 294 00:16:25,846 --> 00:16:28,263 NARRATOR: Antonio hopes for good results 295 00:16:28,297 --> 00:16:29,678 from this new chamber, 296 00:16:29,712 --> 00:16:33,095 because last season, close to Ipi's tomb, 297 00:16:33,130 --> 00:16:36,133 the team discovered something incredible: 298 00:16:36,167 --> 00:16:39,515 what Antonio suspects is the largest deposit 299 00:16:39,550 --> 00:16:44,796 of intact mummification equipment ever found in Egypt. 300 00:16:44,831 --> 00:16:46,729 ANTONIO: We found these 56 jars 301 00:16:46,764 --> 00:16:50,595 related to the mummification process of the vizier Ipi. 302 00:16:50,630 --> 00:16:54,737 NARRATOR: For ancient robbers, these jars had little value. 303 00:16:54,772 --> 00:16:56,394 ANTONIO: What we were not prepared for 304 00:16:56,429 --> 00:16:58,672 was when we really realized 305 00:16:58,707 --> 00:17:01,813 that some of the jars still kept their contents. 306 00:17:01,848 --> 00:17:04,851 It really makes it a treasure for us. 307 00:17:04,885 --> 00:17:08,199 NARRATOR: Despite being nearly 4,000 years old, 308 00:17:08,234 --> 00:17:12,514 the contents are in incredible condition. 309 00:17:12,548 --> 00:17:14,309 SALIMA: Raoul? 310 00:17:14,343 --> 00:17:16,276 Coming in! 311 00:17:16,311 --> 00:17:17,381 RAOUL: So this is the contents... 312 00:17:17,415 --> 00:17:18,416 SALIMA: Perfect. 313 00:17:18,451 --> 00:17:19,693 RAOUL: ...of one of the jars. 314 00:17:19,728 --> 00:17:22,110 NARRATOR: With 56 jars to process, 315 00:17:22,144 --> 00:17:25,147 Antonio has called in Salima Ikram, 316 00:17:25,182 --> 00:17:30,118 professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo. 317 00:17:30,152 --> 00:17:33,845 She's forensically examining all the items in the jars, 318 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,263 including mummified body parts. 319 00:17:37,297 --> 00:17:38,919 SALIMA: Sometimes it's a bit stinky, 320 00:17:38,954 --> 00:17:41,094 and then there are moments whereyou realize you're in touch 321 00:17:41,129 --> 00:17:45,271 with people's bodily fluids, which is a bit awkward. 322 00:17:45,305 --> 00:17:49,792 But it's fantastic because one is in touch, literally, 323 00:17:49,827 --> 00:17:52,174 physically, as well as sort of emotionally, 324 00:17:52,209 --> 00:17:56,109 with people who lived thousands of years ago. 325 00:17:56,144 --> 00:18:01,632 NARRATOR: Salima is investigating 300 natron bags. 326 00:18:01,666 --> 00:18:04,359 SALIMA: The natron is a mixtureof salt and baking soda, 327 00:18:04,393 --> 00:18:06,568 and it naturally desiccates and defats, 328 00:18:06,602 --> 00:18:07,776 because that's what we do 329 00:18:07,810 --> 00:18:11,262 as we--[slurp]-- dehydrate the body. 330 00:18:11,297 --> 00:18:14,369 NARRATOR: Ancient Egyptians practiced mummification 331 00:18:14,403 --> 00:18:17,786 to preserve bodies for eternity. 332 00:18:17,820 --> 00:18:21,652 First, priests removed the internal organs. 333 00:18:23,205 --> 00:18:25,759 To dry out these organs, and the body, 334 00:18:25,794 --> 00:18:28,728 the priests used sponges called natron bags 335 00:18:28,762 --> 00:18:33,560 to soak up fluids inside the corpse. 336 00:18:33,595 --> 00:18:36,632 The soul was believed to reside in the heart, 337 00:18:36,667 --> 00:18:40,947 so this organ was kept inside the body. 338 00:18:40,981 --> 00:18:45,400 The other organs were placed beside it. 339 00:18:45,434 --> 00:18:50,163 All materials used during the process were considered sacred, 340 00:18:50,198 --> 00:18:54,857 so everything was packed into jars and entombed close by. 341 00:18:58,206 --> 00:19:00,794 SALIMA: So this is the one that I'm going to start with, 342 00:19:00,829 --> 00:19:03,349 and it was early on in the mummification process, 343 00:19:03,383 --> 00:19:04,798 because it's really hard 344 00:19:04,833 --> 00:19:10,287 and it's absorbed a lot ofthe liquids, the bodily juices, 345 00:19:10,321 --> 00:19:12,185 and it's been smushed down, 346 00:19:12,220 --> 00:19:14,601 and you can see its different points of contact 347 00:19:14,636 --> 00:19:18,260 with Ipi's body. 348 00:19:18,295 --> 00:19:20,366 Ooh! Plumpy! 349 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,644 God, that's fat! 350 00:19:22,678 --> 00:19:25,785 And this one smells a bit different from the other one. 351 00:19:25,819 --> 00:19:29,202 This smells more of body andthe other one smelt more of oil. 352 00:19:29,237 --> 00:19:30,721 [sniffs] 353 00:19:30,755 --> 00:19:32,412 You know, if you look at anything long enough 354 00:19:32,447 --> 00:19:34,897 you will kind of figure out what happens. 355 00:19:34,932 --> 00:19:39,316 If forensic scientists can do it for murders now, 356 00:19:39,350 --> 00:19:42,698 we can do it for deaths a long time ago, 357 00:19:42,733 --> 00:19:45,287 because that's just what archaeology really is. 358 00:19:45,322 --> 00:19:47,910 NARRATOR: These materials are some of the oldest 359 00:19:47,945 --> 00:19:51,431 mummification deposits ever found. 360 00:19:51,466 --> 00:19:53,330 SALIMA: The earlier we can go in time, 361 00:19:53,364 --> 00:19:55,504 the better it is for us to try and track 362 00:19:55,539 --> 00:19:57,782 how mummification changed over time. 363 00:19:57,817 --> 00:20:01,303 So really, these are testaments,very physical testaments, 364 00:20:01,338 --> 00:20:03,926 to what happened and how. 365 00:20:07,792 --> 00:20:11,279 NARRATOR: 300 miles north in Giza... 366 00:20:11,313 --> 00:20:16,387 ♪ 367 00:20:16,422 --> 00:20:21,461 Here, in the shadow of the pyramids, 368 00:20:21,496 --> 00:20:23,705 a team of investigators is in pursuit 369 00:20:23,739 --> 00:20:27,398 of modern-day tomb robbers. 370 00:20:27,433 --> 00:20:31,264 Shaaban Abd-Elgawad is a government minister. 371 00:20:31,299 --> 00:20:34,302 He works with crime agencies around the world 372 00:20:34,336 --> 00:20:38,237 to locate stolen ancient Egyptian treasures. 373 00:20:54,322 --> 00:20:56,703 NARRATOR: Shaaban has already intercepted 374 00:20:56,738 --> 00:21:01,294 over 1,000 stolen artifacts from the global black market. 375 00:21:11,373 --> 00:21:13,651 NARRATOR: After a year-long operation, 376 00:21:13,686 --> 00:21:18,622 ancient mummy parts have been seized in the United States. 377 00:21:41,403 --> 00:21:42,922 NARRATOR: In the 1900s, 378 00:21:42,956 --> 00:21:47,202 thieves stole thousands of newly unearthed artifacts 379 00:21:47,236 --> 00:21:51,862 from the Valley of the Kings, including human remains. 380 00:22:14,781 --> 00:22:16,852 NARRATOR: Could these stolen artifacts 381 00:22:16,887 --> 00:22:22,306 be the mummified parts of one of Egypt's great pharaohs? 382 00:22:33,248 --> 00:22:36,562 NARRATOR: Shaaban is on his way to the Egyptian Museum, 383 00:22:36,596 --> 00:22:38,909 where the illegal artifacts are arriving 384 00:22:38,943 --> 00:22:41,221 from the United States. 385 00:22:51,715 --> 00:22:54,614 NARRATOR: Who the parts belong to is a mystery, 386 00:22:54,649 --> 00:22:57,548 but mummification was usually reserved 387 00:22:57,583 --> 00:23:00,344 for nobility and pharaohs. 388 00:23:00,379 --> 00:23:02,829 SHAABAN: We're going to the lab. 389 00:23:06,454 --> 00:23:08,801 NARRATOR: Shaaban and his team will finally see 390 00:23:08,835 --> 00:23:12,874 these extraordinary relics up close. 391 00:23:26,474 --> 00:23:29,856 ♪ 392 00:23:29,891 --> 00:23:36,345 ♪ 393 00:23:36,380 --> 00:23:42,835 ♪ 394 00:23:42,869 --> 00:23:49,289 ♪ 395 00:23:49,324 --> 00:23:55,917 ♪ 396 00:23:55,951 --> 00:23:57,539 NARRATOR: Finally home in Egypt, 397 00:23:57,574 --> 00:23:59,783 can forensic analysis reveal 398 00:23:59,817 --> 00:24:04,201 exactly who the hands and this head belong to? 399 00:24:04,235 --> 00:24:10,483 ♪ 400 00:24:10,518 --> 00:24:12,692 In the Valley of the Kings, 401 00:24:12,727 --> 00:24:16,213 Don and the local workers are starting their day 402 00:24:16,247 --> 00:24:18,146 with a team ritual. 403 00:24:20,389 --> 00:24:22,633 DON: One of our workers, his wife, 404 00:24:22,668 --> 00:24:26,741 she started making cakes for us,so he got the nickname Abu Cake. 405 00:24:26,775 --> 00:24:28,501 Yeah, take the whole thing. 406 00:24:28,536 --> 00:24:32,609 Don't be shy, you know it's good. 407 00:24:32,643 --> 00:24:36,198 A lot of times we start with tea and cake, 408 00:24:36,233 --> 00:24:39,132 and then we get right to work. 409 00:24:39,167 --> 00:24:41,756 NARRATOR: Today, Don is visiting one of the largest 410 00:24:41,790 --> 00:24:45,518 and most spectacular sites in the Valley... 411 00:24:47,555 --> 00:24:49,626 Tomb number 11. 412 00:24:52,456 --> 00:24:56,598 After his discovery of a ring that could belong to a pharaoh, 413 00:24:56,633 --> 00:25:00,464 he's hoping to verify the inscription. 414 00:25:00,499 --> 00:25:02,604 DON: We're in the tomb of Ramses III, 415 00:25:02,639 --> 00:25:07,436 perhaps the last great pharaoh of Egypt's Age of Empire, 416 00:25:07,471 --> 00:25:11,371 and of course he's entitled to a special and beautiful tomb 417 00:25:11,406 --> 00:25:14,271 in the Valley of the Kings. 418 00:25:14,305 --> 00:25:17,688 So he was obviously very powerful, was a great warrior. 419 00:25:17,723 --> 00:25:20,588 This magnificent, well-preserved temple 420 00:25:20,622 --> 00:25:25,524 shows him just causing havoc on foreign invaders 421 00:25:25,558 --> 00:25:27,940 and anyone else who gets in his way. 422 00:25:27,974 --> 00:25:31,322 NARRATOR: Each pharaoh had his own name and insignia, 423 00:25:31,357 --> 00:25:33,186 called a cartouche. 424 00:25:33,221 --> 00:25:36,155 It was a key part of tomb decoration, 425 00:25:36,189 --> 00:25:43,127 found on walls, the coffin, and precious artifacts, like rings. 426 00:25:43,162 --> 00:25:47,580 DON: In front of me, we have a depiction of his names. 427 00:25:47,615 --> 00:25:50,825 We have a seated figure of the goddess Ma'at. 428 00:25:50,859 --> 00:25:54,898 On the right we have the sign for Usar, or powerful, 429 00:25:54,932 --> 00:25:59,316 and then a sun disc up here for Ra. 430 00:25:59,350 --> 00:26:04,528 This is a blown-up image of thering we encountered in tomb 49. 431 00:26:07,911 --> 00:26:12,916 By looking at the hieroglyphs on the ring, 432 00:26:12,950 --> 00:26:15,332 you know, it's essentially identical. 433 00:26:19,336 --> 00:26:22,615 NARRATOR: Ramses III was a warrior, 434 00:26:22,650 --> 00:26:25,273 famed for battling Libya and other neighbors 435 00:26:25,307 --> 00:26:27,896 trying to invade Egypt. 436 00:26:27,931 --> 00:26:31,417 But his wars drained the state of its wealth, 437 00:26:31,451 --> 00:26:35,214 and in an argument over which son would inherit the throne, 438 00:26:35,248 --> 00:26:38,148 Ramses was murdered. 439 00:26:38,182 --> 00:26:42,324 Some believe his wife plotted to have him killed. 440 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,913 His burial and tomb were lavish. 441 00:26:44,948 --> 00:26:47,813 Golden amulets and jewelry would have been placed 442 00:26:47,847 --> 00:26:51,610 in every layer of his mummy wrappings. 443 00:26:51,644 --> 00:26:54,647 But Ramses' tomb fell prey to raiders. 444 00:26:54,682 --> 00:26:57,546 And like the tombs of many other pharaohs, 445 00:26:57,581 --> 00:26:59,652 the mummies were stolen, unwrapped, 446 00:26:59,687 --> 00:27:02,621 and stripped of their treasures. 447 00:27:06,590 --> 00:27:09,869 DON: This tomb is just across the way from tomb 49. 448 00:27:09,904 --> 00:27:15,495 I find it interesting that we, we find a ring of Ramses III 449 00:27:15,530 --> 00:27:16,704 inside tomb 49. 450 00:27:16,738 --> 00:27:20,155 Maybe that ring dropped off a mummy, 451 00:27:20,190 --> 00:27:22,710 it could've been dropped by tomb robbers. 452 00:27:22,744 --> 00:27:25,885 So we can start with an interesting idea 453 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:28,681 and then see where the evidence takes us. 454 00:27:28,716 --> 00:27:31,442 NARRATOR: Don's challenge now is to find out 455 00:27:31,477 --> 00:27:34,825 why a ring with Ramses III's name on it 456 00:27:34,860 --> 00:27:39,865 was found in the rubble of the mysterious tomb 49. 457 00:27:46,803 --> 00:27:48,321 NARRATOR: At Deir El-Bahari, 458 00:27:48,356 --> 00:27:51,635 Antonio and his team have been working to uncover 459 00:27:51,670 --> 00:27:54,569 a secret entrance found close to the tomb 460 00:27:54,603 --> 00:27:59,194 of a pharaoh's right-hand man, a vizier called Ipi. 461 00:27:59,229 --> 00:28:02,646 It could be a chamber built to hide treasures, 462 00:28:02,681 --> 00:28:05,822 or even a body, from thieves. 463 00:28:05,856 --> 00:28:12,173 ♪ 464 00:28:12,207 --> 00:28:13,933 After two days of digging, 465 00:28:13,968 --> 00:28:18,213 for the first time in possibly 4,000 years, 466 00:28:18,248 --> 00:28:20,768 the entrance is finally clear. 467 00:28:24,288 --> 00:28:26,187 MOHAMED: I will have a look now. 468 00:28:26,221 --> 00:28:32,158 ♪ 469 00:28:32,193 --> 00:28:33,504 Oh, yeah. 470 00:28:33,539 --> 00:28:35,955 ♪ 471 00:28:35,990 --> 00:28:41,443 ♪ 472 00:28:41,478 --> 00:28:47,587 ♪ 473 00:28:47,622 --> 00:28:50,763 Well, it's perfectly empty. 474 00:28:50,798 --> 00:28:54,663 There's nothing in there. 475 00:28:54,698 --> 00:28:58,253 Just a magnificent, rectangular, empty space. 476 00:28:58,288 --> 00:28:59,668 ANTONIO: So how was that? 477 00:28:59,703 --> 00:29:02,706 MOHAMED: Well, it probably had been dug for a burial, 478 00:29:02,741 --> 00:29:05,640 and it, it can fit for a small coffin, 479 00:29:05,674 --> 00:29:07,815 also funeral materials. 480 00:29:07,849 --> 00:29:10,231 ANTONIO: Anyway. 481 00:29:10,265 --> 00:29:12,543 MOHAMED: Of course this means that robbers, tomb robbers, 482 00:29:12,578 --> 00:29:17,756 actually was ahead and they took whatever was there. 483 00:29:17,790 --> 00:29:19,896 NARRATOR: The team removes all the rubble 484 00:29:19,930 --> 00:29:23,451 to verify the chamber has been completely stripped. 485 00:29:23,485 --> 00:29:24,693 ANTONIO: So we will like to find things 486 00:29:24,728 --> 00:29:26,385 in the way they were constructed, 487 00:29:26,419 --> 00:29:28,387 but all these robberies and plundering 488 00:29:28,421 --> 00:29:31,873 somehow tell us a lot about the, the rest of the process. 489 00:29:31,908 --> 00:29:35,359 NARRATOR: All they can do now is number the tomb 490 00:29:35,394 --> 00:29:37,534 and map its location. 491 00:29:39,432 --> 00:29:42,884 MOHAMED: Disappointment should not be a scientific thing, 492 00:29:42,919 --> 00:29:44,817 it's a, you know, it's human feelings, 493 00:29:44,852 --> 00:29:46,819 and of course sometimes you feel it, 494 00:29:46,854 --> 00:29:49,891 but you have to live with it. 495 00:29:54,689 --> 00:29:56,587 NARRATOR: On the other side of the site, 496 00:29:56,622 --> 00:30:00,626 Ipi's mummification jars are proving more rewarding. 497 00:30:00,660 --> 00:30:01,592 ANTONIO: Hello, Salima. 498 00:30:01,627 --> 00:30:02,628 SALIMA: Hey, Antonio. 499 00:30:02,662 --> 00:30:03,905 NARRATOR: One jar in particular 500 00:30:03,940 --> 00:30:06,701 contains something extremely unusual. 501 00:30:06,735 --> 00:30:10,187 ANTONIO: So I brought you this organ. 502 00:30:10,222 --> 00:30:11,913 SALIMA: Oh! 503 00:30:11,948 --> 00:30:14,847 We can see this is quite a well-preserved heart. 504 00:30:14,882 --> 00:30:17,677 You can see the different chambers, 505 00:30:17,712 --> 00:30:22,959 and here you can just see this very nice, reddish resin. 506 00:30:22,993 --> 00:30:25,444 And this sort of red/gold coloris important, 507 00:30:25,478 --> 00:30:28,757 because people used to use resinnot just because it deodorizes, 508 00:30:28,792 --> 00:30:31,484 disinfects, inhibits bacteria, and smells nice-- 509 00:30:31,519 --> 00:30:34,315 when you're a corpse it's good to smell nice-- 510 00:30:34,349 --> 00:30:36,904 but also because it gives you this color, 511 00:30:36,938 --> 00:30:39,216 and when you're being mummified,you're being transformed 512 00:30:39,251 --> 00:30:45,567 from a human being into a divinebeing whose flesh was of gold. 513 00:30:45,602 --> 00:30:47,707 NARRATOR: Found in the embalming jars, 514 00:30:47,742 --> 00:30:51,504 the heart almost certainly belongs to Ipi. 515 00:30:51,539 --> 00:30:56,855 SALIMA: It's sort of amazing toactually be holding Ipi's heart. 516 00:30:56,889 --> 00:30:59,271 But I mean, also you think, oh,my god, what is it doing here? 517 00:30:59,305 --> 00:31:01,273 Because it should be with Ipi, wherever he might be. 518 00:31:01,307 --> 00:31:02,653 ANTONIO: Yeah. 519 00:31:02,688 --> 00:31:04,310 NARRATOR: The ancient Egyptians believed the heart 520 00:31:04,345 --> 00:31:08,349 contained the soul and was vital in the afterlife. 521 00:31:08,383 --> 00:31:09,902 SALIMA: So it's amazing. 522 00:31:09,937 --> 00:31:12,940 NARRATOR: To find one separated from its mummy 523 00:31:12,974 --> 00:31:14,700 is extremely rare. 524 00:31:14,734 --> 00:31:16,702 SALIMA: This is the only mummified heart 525 00:31:16,736 --> 00:31:18,911 that I have ever seen. 526 00:31:18,946 --> 00:31:20,602 ANTONIO: Perhaps the embalmers made a mistake 527 00:31:20,637 --> 00:31:22,363 and thought that it was one of the natron bags. 528 00:31:22,397 --> 00:31:23,605 SALIMA: Yeah. 529 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:24,883 ANTONIO: To be put into the jars, yeah. 530 00:31:24,917 --> 00:31:26,677 SALIMA: I think they messed up,and we just hope that poor Ipi 531 00:31:26,712 --> 00:31:29,163 is not having a problem in the hereafter, 532 00:31:29,197 --> 00:31:32,683 because he's lacking this very key organ. 533 00:31:35,410 --> 00:31:37,896 ANTONIO: We have been studying the vizier Ipi 534 00:31:37,930 --> 00:31:39,828 from the historical point of view, 535 00:31:39,863 --> 00:31:41,692 and suddenly now you see yourself 536 00:31:41,727 --> 00:31:44,903 having the heart of, of this vizier. 537 00:31:44,937 --> 00:31:48,389 It's kind of impossible to imagine being so close 538 00:31:48,423 --> 00:31:53,290 to someone that you have been studying for so many years. 539 00:31:53,325 --> 00:31:55,396 For me this is the best job ever. 540 00:31:55,430 --> 00:31:59,227 The adventure of having to dealwith so many new questions 541 00:31:59,262 --> 00:32:03,162 every day, so many new decisions, new findings, 542 00:32:03,197 --> 00:32:07,718 exciting ideas, makes this job incredibly interesting, 543 00:32:07,753 --> 00:32:10,238 much more than any other thing in the world. 544 00:32:10,273 --> 00:32:12,689 ♪ 545 00:32:12,723 --> 00:32:19,351 ♪ 546 00:32:19,385 --> 00:32:20,973 NARRATOR: At tomb 49, 547 00:32:21,008 --> 00:32:25,150 Don's discovery of what might be a great pharaoh's ring 548 00:32:25,184 --> 00:32:28,394 has caught the attention of the authorities. 549 00:32:28,429 --> 00:32:31,777 DON: The director of the wider area here, 550 00:32:31,811 --> 00:32:34,780 it's a very, very important position to have, 551 00:32:34,814 --> 00:32:36,644 he wants to take a look at that ring 552 00:32:36,678 --> 00:32:40,924 with the name of Ramses III. 553 00:32:40,959 --> 00:32:42,891 NARRATOR: The chief inspector of the Valley 554 00:32:42,926 --> 00:32:47,689 assesses the progress of the excavations on site. 555 00:32:47,724 --> 00:32:50,347 DON: Bust out the jewelry box. 556 00:32:50,382 --> 00:32:52,349 Here it is. 557 00:32:52,384 --> 00:32:57,182 NARRATOR: He has the power to take over the dig at any time. 558 00:33:07,192 --> 00:33:09,849 NARRATOR: Any relics found in the Valley of the Kings 559 00:33:09,884 --> 00:33:13,750 belong to the government and must be verified and catalogued 560 00:33:13,784 --> 00:33:18,375 according to strict rules. 561 00:33:18,410 --> 00:33:20,136 [speaking Arabic] 562 00:33:20,170 --> 00:33:21,206 DON: Shukran. 563 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:22,759 INSPECTOR: Congratulations. 564 00:33:22,793 --> 00:33:26,349 NARRATOR: The inspector gives his seal of approval. 565 00:33:26,383 --> 00:33:28,454 INSPECTOR: Okay. Thank you. 566 00:33:28,489 --> 00:33:29,421 DON: You're very welcome. 567 00:33:29,455 --> 00:33:30,387 Thanks for coming out. 568 00:33:30,422 --> 00:33:31,906 INSPECTOR: Bye-bye. 569 00:33:31,940 --> 00:33:34,460 DON: The Egyptian authorities seem to be quite excited 570 00:33:34,495 --> 00:33:36,497 by, by the whole thing. 571 00:33:36,531 --> 00:33:38,292 I think he was impressed. 572 00:33:38,326 --> 00:33:39,741 So that's always good. 573 00:33:39,776 --> 00:33:42,537 INSPECTOR: For the ring, really it is, it's amazing, 574 00:33:42,572 --> 00:33:45,851 because, you know, it is the most important for us 575 00:33:45,885 --> 00:33:48,785 is continuing the name of Ramses III. 576 00:33:48,819 --> 00:33:51,236 ♪ 577 00:33:51,270 --> 00:33:55,861 ♪ 578 00:33:55,895 --> 00:33:58,588 NARRATOR: The ring is a major discovery, 579 00:33:58,622 --> 00:34:01,177 likely to end up in a museum. 580 00:34:01,211 --> 00:34:04,249 But for Don the question still remains; 581 00:34:04,283 --> 00:34:10,151 how did Pharaoh Ramses III's ring end up in tomb 49? 582 00:34:10,186 --> 00:34:12,843 One theory is that it was accidentally dropped there 583 00:34:12,878 --> 00:34:16,537 by robbers, and the ring isn't the only thing 584 00:34:16,571 --> 00:34:18,159 they left behind. 585 00:34:18,194 --> 00:34:20,886 DON: One of the things that makes this particular tomb 586 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:25,753 very special is that above its doorway 587 00:34:25,787 --> 00:34:30,516 we have two examples of ancient graffiti. 588 00:34:30,551 --> 00:34:33,519 It's written in red 589 00:34:33,554 --> 00:34:36,729 in a cursive form of, of hieroglyphs. 590 00:34:36,764 --> 00:34:43,219 And the graffiti talks about there being very fine linen 591 00:34:43,253 --> 00:34:49,363 and linen shawls being stored in this particular tomb. 592 00:34:49,397 --> 00:34:52,228 NARRATOR: The graffiti is actually a list of items 593 00:34:52,262 --> 00:34:57,474 commonly used to wrap mummies, and it's signed. 594 00:34:57,509 --> 00:35:00,719 DON: There's a prominent name mentioned, 595 00:35:00,753 --> 00:35:02,824 a fellow named Butehamun. 596 00:35:02,859 --> 00:35:04,447 NARRATOR: Could there be a link 597 00:35:04,481 --> 00:35:10,453 between Butehamun's list of materials 598 00:35:10,487 --> 00:35:13,214 and Ramses III's ring? 599 00:35:16,597 --> 00:35:19,841 Helping to discover how they might be linked 600 00:35:19,876 --> 00:35:24,260 are Professor John and Dr. Colleen Darnell. 601 00:35:24,294 --> 00:35:27,401 They've studied Butehamun's letters and inscriptions 602 00:35:27,435 --> 00:35:30,300 for decades. 603 00:35:30,335 --> 00:35:32,682 JOHN DARNELL: Rock inscriptionsare probably about as close 604 00:35:32,716 --> 00:35:36,755 as you can get to the mind of an ancient Egyptian thinking, 605 00:35:36,789 --> 00:35:39,447 "What do I want people to think about me? 606 00:35:39,482 --> 00:35:42,312 How do I want to present myself?" 607 00:35:42,347 --> 00:35:46,661 NARRATOR: Today, they're on their way to Butehamun's house, 608 00:35:46,696 --> 00:35:50,769 a temple complex called Medinet Habu. 609 00:35:50,803 --> 00:35:53,392 COLLEEN DARNELL: To visit temples that I read about 610 00:35:53,427 --> 00:35:55,325 when I was a 5-year-old 611 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:58,846 and to go back and be able to know what everything says 612 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,297 and the historical interrelationships 613 00:36:01,331 --> 00:36:04,990 is just truly a dream come true. 614 00:36:05,024 --> 00:36:11,755 ♪ 615 00:36:11,790 --> 00:36:14,620 NARRATOR: It's one of the most intricately inscribed sites 616 00:36:14,655 --> 00:36:16,415 of ancient Egypt. 617 00:36:16,450 --> 00:36:19,280 It should reveal more about Butehamun, 618 00:36:19,315 --> 00:36:20,730 a high-ranking scribe 619 00:36:20,764 --> 00:36:23,871 who oversaw the Valley of the Kings. 620 00:36:26,425 --> 00:36:29,394 JOHN: Where is the title that we need? 621 00:36:29,428 --> 00:36:32,845 Oh, wait, there's a Ma-ha. 622 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:36,228 COLLEEN: It's great to see, Bu-tehey-amun. 623 00:36:36,263 --> 00:36:40,577 So I think this is "overseer of the treasury." 624 00:36:40,612 --> 00:36:42,441 JOHN: But there is no treasury as such, 625 00:36:42,476 --> 00:36:44,271 there's no treasury building. 626 00:36:44,305 --> 00:36:47,377 Of course he is overseeing the greatest treasures 627 00:36:47,412 --> 00:36:48,620 of New Kingdom Egypt, 628 00:36:48,654 --> 00:36:53,349 he's in charge of the Valley of the Kings. 629 00:36:53,383 --> 00:36:56,662 NARRATOR: Letters have also survived that give more details 630 00:36:56,697 --> 00:36:59,700 about Butehamun's role in the Valley. 631 00:36:59,734 --> 00:37:02,979 JOHN: One of the really most important bits 632 00:37:03,013 --> 00:37:04,463 of direct information 633 00:37:04,498 --> 00:37:07,673 is this letter saying, "Get together a team." 634 00:37:07,708 --> 00:37:08,640 COLLEEN: Mm-hmm. 635 00:37:08,674 --> 00:37:10,262 JOHN: Of whom Butehamun is one, 636 00:37:10,297 --> 00:37:11,505 and they're basically told 637 00:37:11,539 --> 00:37:12,851 they have to carry out this commission. 638 00:37:12,885 --> 00:37:14,646 And the really important part here, 639 00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:16,855 it says, "Open one of the tombs," 640 00:37:16,889 --> 00:37:18,684 and that's interesting, because this is something 641 00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:21,860 then apparently it's, it's like a special mission. 642 00:37:21,894 --> 00:37:23,965 NARRATOR: The letters and inscriptions reveal 643 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,762 that 80 years after the death of Ramses III, 644 00:37:27,797 --> 00:37:30,248 Butehamun was given the official role 645 00:37:30,282 --> 00:37:33,181 of protecting the Valley from robbers. 646 00:37:33,216 --> 00:37:36,702 In reality, he was secretly ordered to loot the tombs 647 00:37:36,737 --> 00:37:40,396 of long-dead pharaohs like Ramses. 648 00:37:40,430 --> 00:37:42,570 One by one, he opened them up, 649 00:37:42,605 --> 00:37:47,299 taking any treasure to restore the wealth of Egypt. 650 00:37:47,334 --> 00:37:50,406 He even unwrapped the pharaohs' mummified bodies, 651 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:54,272 taking the gold and jewels hidden in the bandages. 652 00:37:56,274 --> 00:37:59,691 But Butehamun still respected the pharaohs, 653 00:37:59,725 --> 00:38:01,900 so he rewrapped them in new linen 654 00:38:01,934 --> 00:38:06,594 so they would remain intact for the afterlife. 655 00:38:06,629 --> 00:38:10,667 JOHN: Royal tombs are not robbedby random robbers, 656 00:38:10,702 --> 00:38:14,775 they're opened systematically by people like Butehamun. 657 00:38:14,809 --> 00:38:17,847 They're basically doing something for the state 658 00:38:17,881 --> 00:38:20,746 before actual robbers do it. 659 00:38:20,781 --> 00:38:25,441 For decades, the real source of wealth of the state 660 00:38:25,475 --> 00:38:27,891 is probably to a great extent 661 00:38:27,926 --> 00:38:29,928 what Butehamun and his associates 662 00:38:29,962 --> 00:38:32,620 are bringing out of the earlier royal tomb. 663 00:38:32,655 --> 00:38:36,175 NARRATOR: Did Butehamun drop Ramses III's ring 664 00:38:36,210 --> 00:38:39,455 while carrying out a state-sanctioned robbery 665 00:38:39,489 --> 00:38:41,905 in tomb 49? 666 00:38:54,608 --> 00:38:56,989 NARRATOR: In Cairo, the Egyptian authorities 667 00:38:57,024 --> 00:39:00,441 are battling modern-day tomb robbers. 668 00:39:00,476 --> 00:39:02,650 Stolen mummy parts intercepted 669 00:39:02,685 --> 00:39:05,515 on the international black market 670 00:39:05,550 --> 00:39:09,519 have been returned to the Egyptian Museum. 671 00:39:09,554 --> 00:39:12,384 Thought to be from the Valley of the Kings, 672 00:39:12,419 --> 00:39:16,768 could these be the mummified remains of a great pharaoh? 673 00:39:20,427 --> 00:39:23,395 NARRATOR: As Egypt's foremost mummification expert, 674 00:39:23,430 --> 00:39:28,262 Professor Salima Ikram has come to analyze the remains. 675 00:39:28,296 --> 00:39:31,921 SALIMA: It is always exciting tomeet another ancient Egyptian, 676 00:39:31,955 --> 00:39:34,233 even in bits and pieces. 677 00:39:37,271 --> 00:39:39,515 How fabulous. 678 00:39:41,862 --> 00:39:43,829 Oh! 679 00:39:43,864 --> 00:39:47,488 Well, this is just a child's hand. 680 00:39:47,523 --> 00:39:49,835 But look at those little rings. 681 00:39:49,870 --> 00:39:52,459 People who were robbing mummies, 682 00:39:52,493 --> 00:39:54,495 what they did was they would cut off pieces, 683 00:39:54,530 --> 00:39:56,601 because it was easier to sell to tourists, 684 00:39:56,635 --> 00:39:59,604 and hands were really very, very popular 685 00:39:59,638 --> 00:40:01,951 because often they had rings on them. 686 00:40:07,784 --> 00:40:09,234 Oh, wow! 687 00:40:09,268 --> 00:40:13,307 Okay, this, this is clearly the hand of an adult, 688 00:40:13,341 --> 00:40:19,451 but what's extraordinary is thatit's missing some of its digits. 689 00:40:19,486 --> 00:40:23,524 But even so, there's a ring. 690 00:40:23,559 --> 00:40:26,424 NARRATOR: A blue ring is clearly visible 691 00:40:26,458 --> 00:40:29,323 through the mummy's wrappings. 692 00:40:29,357 --> 00:40:31,187 SALIMA: Oh, wow! 693 00:40:31,221 --> 00:40:35,191 NARRATOR: But could this be a pharaoh's head? 694 00:40:35,225 --> 00:40:37,365 The methods used for mummification 695 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,367 changed over time. 696 00:40:39,402 --> 00:40:41,542 Salima is hoping to find clues 697 00:40:41,577 --> 00:40:43,993 that will help her date these remains. 698 00:40:44,027 --> 00:40:46,340 SALIMA: Oh, look! I think you can see its hair! 699 00:40:46,374 --> 00:40:48,791 Look. Right there's the hair. 700 00:40:48,825 --> 00:40:54,624 So there's hair here, and hair here. 701 00:40:54,659 --> 00:40:56,315 MAN: That means it's a man? 702 00:40:56,350 --> 00:40:57,385 SALIMA: Yes, it's a man. 703 00:40:57,420 --> 00:40:58,386 MAN: How old? 704 00:40:58,421 --> 00:41:00,803 SALIMA: How old? Good question. 705 00:41:00,837 --> 00:41:04,392 There, there's gold, and here. 706 00:41:04,427 --> 00:41:06,981 NARRATOR: Salima has spotted small flecks of gold 707 00:41:07,016 --> 00:41:10,951 all over the head, in particular around the eyes. 708 00:41:10,985 --> 00:41:15,818 SALIMA: This is a Roman-period mummy because it's gilded. 709 00:41:15,852 --> 00:41:17,509 NARRATOR: During Roman times, 710 00:41:17,544 --> 00:41:19,546 the bodies of important individuals 711 00:41:19,580 --> 00:41:22,238 were often coated with gold leaf, 712 00:41:22,272 --> 00:41:25,206 but at that time the Valley of the Kings 713 00:41:25,241 --> 00:41:27,968 was no longer used as a burial site. 714 00:41:28,002 --> 00:41:30,004 SALIMA: So this means it's unlikely 715 00:41:30,039 --> 00:41:32,213 that it's from the Valley of the Kings. 716 00:41:32,248 --> 00:41:34,457 Dealers would want to make up a good story 717 00:41:34,492 --> 00:41:35,872 that would hike up the price, 718 00:41:35,907 --> 00:41:37,840 and so the Valley of the Kings of course is a pedigree 719 00:41:37,874 --> 00:41:40,705 that most people would jump on. 720 00:41:40,739 --> 00:41:42,672 NARRATOR: He may not have been a pharaoh, 721 00:41:42,707 --> 00:41:44,847 but such liberal application of gold 722 00:41:44,881 --> 00:41:48,506 would've been reserved for someone extremely wealthy. 723 00:41:48,540 --> 00:41:49,679 SALIMA: These three pieces, 724 00:41:49,714 --> 00:41:51,681 I don't think any of them are related 725 00:41:51,716 --> 00:41:54,650 in terms of belonging to the same body. 726 00:41:54,684 --> 00:41:55,892 But still they're mummies, 727 00:41:55,927 --> 00:41:58,688 so they can teach us about mummification, 728 00:41:58,723 --> 00:42:00,448 the history of robbery, 729 00:42:00,483 --> 00:42:02,968 and the, you know, their own life history. 730 00:42:03,003 --> 00:42:06,247 So they're really very important pieces. 731 00:42:08,456 --> 00:42:11,839 NARRATOR: For Shaaban, from the Ministry of Antiquities, 732 00:42:11,874 --> 00:42:16,672 it's a rare victory over the tomb robbers. 733 00:42:16,706 --> 00:42:18,190 SHAABAN: It's very important for us 734 00:42:18,225 --> 00:42:22,850 that we recover allthe information for the history. 735 00:42:22,885 --> 00:42:26,267 This is very important that we will add some information 736 00:42:26,302 --> 00:42:29,823 to the history of Egypt andthe history of the whole world. 737 00:42:29,857 --> 00:42:33,447 This is an unbelievable feeling. 738 00:42:33,481 --> 00:42:37,762 ♪ 739 00:42:40,696 --> 00:42:42,629 NARRATOR: In the Valley of the Kings, 740 00:42:42,663 --> 00:42:45,666 Don Ryan is assessing all the discoveries 741 00:42:45,701 --> 00:42:49,290 excavated from tomb 49. 742 00:42:49,325 --> 00:42:53,916 He has an incredible new story for this tomb. 743 00:42:53,950 --> 00:42:56,263 DON: We're almost done. 744 00:42:56,297 --> 00:43:00,681 I would describe our season as unexpected. 745 00:43:00,716 --> 00:43:04,271 You have this chamber that wesifted through every bit of it, 746 00:43:04,305 --> 00:43:07,688 and we, we found some interesting things. 747 00:43:07,723 --> 00:43:11,554 This tomb, it was robbed like all the other ones 748 00:43:11,589 --> 00:43:15,282 and at a later point put to some other use. 749 00:43:17,042 --> 00:43:19,527 NARRATOR: Don's finds of the mummy wrappings 750 00:43:19,562 --> 00:43:22,945 and Ramses III's ring, 751 00:43:22,979 --> 00:43:25,879 combined with the graffiti outside the door, 752 00:43:25,913 --> 00:43:29,503 suggest this tomb could have played a central role 753 00:43:29,537 --> 00:43:33,196 in a state-sanctioned criminal plot. 754 00:43:33,231 --> 00:43:37,373 In here, Butehamun unwrapped royal mummies 755 00:43:37,407 --> 00:43:41,826 and stole the jewels hidden inside their bandages. 756 00:43:41,860 --> 00:43:45,381 Some treasures, like Ramses III's ring, 757 00:43:45,415 --> 00:43:47,866 were accidentally left behind. 758 00:43:47,901 --> 00:43:49,385 DON: All these little tombs, 759 00:43:49,419 --> 00:43:52,560 they're full of fascinating things, 760 00:43:52,595 --> 00:43:54,424 and when you put it all together, 761 00:43:54,459 --> 00:43:57,945 this place truly is amazing. 762 00:44:00,914 --> 00:44:04,676 Archaeology in the Valley of the Kings is by no means over. 763 00:44:04,711 --> 00:44:07,955 Just when you think it might be,it isn't. 764 00:44:07,990 --> 00:44:09,819 Captioned by Side Door Media Services