1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,320 NARRATOR: Egypt, the richest source 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:08,960 of archaeological treasures on the planet. 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,440 AHMED: Oh, wow! Look at that! 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,880 NARRATOR: Hidden beneath this desert landscape 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,360 lie the secrets of this ancient civilization. 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,960 [speaking in native language]. 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,320 ALEJANDRO: I have never seen something like this. 8 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,640 NARRATOR: Now, for a full season of excavations, 9 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,000 our cameras have been given unprecedented access 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,160 to follow teams on the frontline of archaeology. 11 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:40,880 MYRIAM: This is the most critical moment. 12 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,240 NARRATOR: Revealing buried treasures. 13 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:45,280 SALIMA: Oh! 14 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:47,280 AHMED: We were lucky today. 15 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,160 NOZOMU: Wow! Lots of mummies! 16 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:51,440 KATHLEEN: The smell is horrible! 17 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,920 NARRATOR: And making discoveries that could rewrite ancient history. 18 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,480 JOHN: We'’ve never had the proof until now. 19 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,880 COLLEEN: This is where it all started. 20 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,120 ALEJANDRO: My goodness, I never expected this. 21 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:11,320 NARRATOR: This time we unlock the secrets of 22 00:01:11,320 --> 00:01:14,360 Tutankhamun'’s golden treasures. 23 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,040 NARRATOR: Uncovering the mysteries buried with 24 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:20,920 the boy king, almost 25 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,960 three-and-a-half-thousand years ago. 26 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:26,040 ALEJANDRO: Definitely, we have something. 27 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,200 NARRATOR: Alejandro searches for the tombs belonging to the 28 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:30,840 rulers of the south, 29 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:32,520 who would have served the great Pharaohs. 30 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,240 ALEJANDRO: It'’s amazing. 31 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,280 NARRATOR: John and Maria head into the desert, 32 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,560 hunting for the lost quarries of Tutankhamun. 33 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,080 JOHN: My heart is pumping, yeah! 34 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,240 It'’s pumping. 35 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,240 NARRATOR: And Nozomu pushes excavation to the limit to 36 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,920 uncover the lost tombs of Tutankhamun'’s elite. 37 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:52,880 NOZOMU: It'’s really dangerous inside. 38 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,760 [theme music plays]. 39 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,520 NARRATOR: Egypt. 40 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:12,360 Birthplace of one of the most enigmatic civilizations in history. 41 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:19,880 The pyramid tombs, and the Valley of the Kings. 42 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,960 The final resting places of powerful Pharaohs. 43 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,880 Of the possible 63 tombs in the valley, 44 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,200 there is one that outshines the rest, 45 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,840 and has captured the world'’s imagination. 46 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,200 The tomb of Tutankhamun. 47 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,280 The boy king was just 18 years old when he died, 48 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,360 but his priceless golden treasures have made him the 49 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,840 most famous pharaoh of all time. 50 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,640 His funerary riches have been displayed all over the world, 51 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:58,520 but now they are all coming back to Egypt. 52 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:06,600 Cairo, in the shadows of the great pyramids. 53 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,320 Engineers are building a $1 billion museum 54 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,440 and research facility. 55 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,000 The Grand Egyptian Museum will house all Tutankhamun'’s 56 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,440 5,000 treasures in one place, 57 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,400 for the first time in 100 years. 58 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,440 One of the centerpieces of the museum, 59 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,520 will be Tutankhamun'’s golden coffin. 60 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:45,040 Ahmed Abdrabou is leading the research process to get it ready. 61 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,920 NARRATOR: The coffin was one of many priceless treasures 62 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,880 found in Tutankhamun'’s tomb. 63 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,520 When Howard Carter'’s team opened the tomb in November 1922, 64 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,760 they discovered a wealth of treasures and gifts the king 65 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,080 would need in the afterlife. 66 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,800 Six disassembled golden chariots, 67 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:25,760 his throne and provisions of food and wine. 68 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,800 Concealed behind a false wall was a stone sarcophagus 69 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,480 protecting a gold-plated coffin. 70 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:37,880 Inside it, two more coffins, 71 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:42,320 the innermost made of solid gold and covered in gemstones. 72 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,880 And inside that, the mummy of Tutankhamun, 73 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:47,960 wearing a magnificent death mask, 74 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,840 the most famous find in all of Egypt. 75 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,400 Ahmed needs to discover how the ancient artisans built 76 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,440 Tutankhamun'’s golden coffin. 77 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,600 The inside is made of wood, 78 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:08,520 but the outside is covered with a thin layer of precious gold. 79 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:21,560 NARRATOR: Under the lens, 80 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,840 Ahmed discovers an extraordinary secret. 81 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:39,000 NARRATOR: The ancient artisans could craft gold as thin as shrink wrap, 82 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,240 but to get a flawless finish, 83 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,160 they could not apply the gold directly onto 84 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,520 the uneven chiseled wood. 85 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:53,040 Ahmed investigates closer and finds a mystery layer 86 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,360 between the gold and the wood. 87 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,520 NARRATOR: Ahmed finds a 3,300-year-old secret, 88 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,120 known only to the top craftsmen closest to the King. 89 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,200 NARRATOR: The ancient craftsmen used linen bandages 90 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,600 to smooth out the jagged wood and create a perfect 91 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,120 finish for the thin gold. 92 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,080 Almost three and a half thousand years later, 93 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,120 we are still solving the mysteries of Tutankhamun. 94 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,360 Ahmed is on the hunt for more clues. 95 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:40,000 425 miles south of Cairo is the ancient 96 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,560 stronghold of Aswan. 97 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,880 It'’s here Tutankhamun would have positioned his most trusted governors 98 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:48,720 to defend the southern border between 99 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,720 Egypt and gold rich Nubia. 100 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:53,480 [speaking in native language]. 101 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:55,640 NARRATOR: Professor Alejandro Jimenez-Serrano... 102 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,280 [speaking Spanish]. 103 00:06:58,280 --> 00:07:00,680 NARRATOR: ...is back for his 12th season, 104 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,720 at the ancient site of Qubbet El-Hawa, 105 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,280 in search of the elite that once ruled here. 106 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:08,520 ALEJANDRO: What we have is the tombs of 107 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,800 the highest officials of the province. 108 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:13,480 Not only the officials, 109 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,240 but also their family and their assistants. 110 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,120 NARRATOR: For 16 years of his career, 111 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:22,800 Alejandro has been studying the tombs of the ruling 112 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,480 families of the south. 113 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,680 They would have served the powerful Pharaohs, 114 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,280 like Tutankhamun. 115 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,680 In 2017, he found the tomb of the brother of Sarenput II, 116 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,760 a powerful governor of Aswan. 117 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,200 Now, Alejandro is back, 118 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,640 in search of new evidence about this powerful clan. 119 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,960 [speaking Spanish]. 120 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,560 ALEJANDRO: It seems that we have something interesting. 121 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,720 Let'’s go. 122 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,200 NARRATOR: This could be the discovery he has been waiting for. 123 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,200 ALEJANDRO: It is exciting. 124 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,440 NARRATOR: 40 miles north of Aswan, 125 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:11,160 sit the sandstone quarries of Gebel El-Silsila, 126 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,440 used by the great pharaohs. 127 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,920 The enormous temples of Luxor and Karnak were 128 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,440 forged from rock quarried there. 129 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:28,680 JOHN: Skol! GROUP: Skol! 130 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:32,600 NARRATOR: John Ward and Dr Maria Nilsson have been 131 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,800 excavating together here for eight years. 132 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:38,800 Their home is a houseboat on the Nile. 133 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:40,680 JOHN: Nils, what about you, mate? 134 00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:42,800 NARRATOR: They are working with a team of archaeologists 135 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:47,280 to investigate the secrets of the ancient Egyptian quarries. 136 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,960 This year, John and Maria, 137 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,080 with their fittingly named dog, Carter, 138 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,520 want to solve an ancient mystery: 139 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:00,600 Was Tutankhamun also one of the powerful pharaohs 140 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,920 who used these quarries? 141 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,120 JOHN: There'’s always a delay. 142 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,760 NARRATOR: Today, they need to get to a remote spot 143 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,720 in the vast Egyptian desert with their workforce, 144 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,200 but their morning commute across the River Nile is 145 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,280 eating into precious sunlight hours. 146 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,760 MARIA: 28 minutes late already. 147 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:23,840 Every minute that we stand here waiting is a 148 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:27,040 lost minute on site. 149 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,680 NARRATOR: Workers finally on shore, 150 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:33,240 the hunt for Tutankhamun'’s lost quarry begins. 151 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:41,480 JOHN: Another day in paradise. 152 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:43,680 Sun, sand. 153 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:47,800 MARIA: Dirt. JOHN: Dirt. Stone. 154 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:49,680 Boiled eggs and cucumber. 155 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,880 NARRATOR: Their journey by road ends here. 156 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,640 To reach their destination, 157 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,000 they will have to carry their equipment by hand, 158 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,680 in 100 degree heat, 159 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:10,120 and across half a mile of steep, rocky hills. 160 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,680 JOHN: Okay then guys, are you ready? 161 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:15,240 MAN: Yeah. JOHN: Yalla Bina. MAN: Yalla Bina. 162 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,040 NARRATOR: Their late arrival means John and Maria will have 163 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,440 to split up to cover the massive site before it gets dark. 164 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:37,880 John is going to look for evidence of quarry workers'’ homes. 165 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,880 MARIA: Ready? 166 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:42,760 NARRATOR: While Maria hunts for clues that might date this 167 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,400 site to Tutankhamun'’s reign. 168 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:50,280 MARIA: I think the game of today is to establish 169 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:52,600 that this is from the time of Tutankhamun. 170 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:54,680 JOHN: Come on then, guys. 171 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:56,920 NARRATOR: John heads straight for an ancient 172 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:01,280 settlement maybe once used by a quarry workforce. 173 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,040 If he can find distinctive pottery with the tell-tale 174 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:07,800 markings, it could help him date the site. 175 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:09,640 JOHN: Look at the amount of pottery on the floor. 176 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:11,200 TRISH: This is where we should excavate. 177 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,480 MARIA: Where'’s the safest route down? 178 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:15,840 NARRATOR: While Maria starts her hunt for clues at 179 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,960 a quarry face that has been untouched for millennia. 180 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:26,080 40 miles south of Gebel El-Silsila, in Aswan, 181 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:29,960 workers excavating close to Governor Sarenput II'’s tomb, 182 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,440 find ancient chisel marks. 183 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,760 ALEJANDRO: Here there is something that is quite strange, 184 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:43,720 because we have a type of carving and this is smoother. 185 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:48,280 So this early we have no idea what we are going to find. 186 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:53,560 Hey, hey, hey, look! 187 00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:56,240 Sand is going down, 188 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,920 probably indicating that here we have a hole. 189 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,760 I'’ve seen this only when we have a funerary chamber there. 190 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,680 NARRATOR: It could be a tomb. 191 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,680 But is there any treasure buried beneath the golden sand? 192 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:27,360 NARRATOR: Alejandro and his team have centuries of rubble 193 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,080 to dig through before they can uncover what is hiding 194 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,640 in this corner of Qubbet El-Hawa. 195 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:36,040 ALEJANDRO: We can see only a smooth carving 196 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:41,200 of 10 centimeters and now we have 30 centimeters. 197 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,160 NARRATOR: If it'’s a tomb, it could belong to a leading 198 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:49,120 member of one of Egypt'’s most influential families. 199 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:54,960 ALEJANDRO: Ah, look! Yeah, ha-ha! 200 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,680 Look at that, it probably it would be a chamber. 201 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,160 We still have much material to remove, 202 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:09,520 but sure we have the burial chamber. 203 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:19,000 NARRATOR: Just 55 yards away lies the tomb of the head of a powerful family, 204 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:23,960 Sarenput II, the Governor of Aswan. 205 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,520 Is it possible that the tomb Alejandro is unearthing 206 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,200 nearby, could belong to someone as prominent? 207 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,600 ALEJANDRO: This tomb shows the grandeur of the governors, 208 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,520 they wanted to show their power. 209 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:47,200 NARRATOR: Sarenput II was a rich and influential leader. 210 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,520 He was an important Chief from Aswan, 211 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,720 part of a ruling class of commanding and wealthy families. 212 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,040 From an island on the Nile, 213 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,800 they controlled the gateway to Africa and 214 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:10,800 guarded important trade routes along the Nile into Egypt. 215 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,920 African traders brought in luxury goods for the pharaohs, 216 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:18,760 such as ebony, 217 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,440 leopard skins and ostrich eggs. 218 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,320 But most importantly of all, 219 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:28,160 they brought in gold from Nubia that filled the tombs 220 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:32,000 of the mighty pharaohs, including Tutankhamun. 221 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:37,720 [speaking in native language]. 222 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,360 NARRATOR: Just yards away from Sarenput II'’s burial chamber... 223 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,800 ALEJANDRO: OK. NARRATOR: Alejandro'’s team 224 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,360 excavates a tiny hole into their ancient tomb. 225 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,440 ALEJANDRO: Here we have some termites. 226 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:52,080 This is good evidence because they are always 227 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,840 looking for the coffins. 228 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,200 These are the great moments. 229 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,600 [grunts] 230 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,720 NARRATOR: Finally, this tomb can give up its secrets. 231 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:15,640 ALEJANDRO: It'’s amazing. 232 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:20,560 Some bandages, some bones. 233 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:25,480 We have the closing slab over there. 234 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,040 It'’s very well made, it'’s huge. 235 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,560 NARRATOR: Alejandro can see just the top of the tomb. 236 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,840 It will take his team days to excavate and 237 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:38,800 to discover its treasures. 238 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,120 400 miles north in Saqqara. 239 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:48,640 Tutankhamun expert, Professor Nozomu Kawai, 240 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:53,200 is back for his third season, excavating the Saqqara plateau. 241 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,120 NOZOMU: We just keep digging. 242 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,200 NARRATOR: He is looking for the tombs of the elite, 243 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,680 who would have served Tutankhamun. 244 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,320 An untouched tomb in this area could hold 245 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,120 priceless golden treasure. 246 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:09,200 NOZOMU: This is at the center of the administration and economy, 247 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:12,840 but the tombs of the high officials who are running the country, 248 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,880 has been missing. 249 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:20,440 NARRATOR: Nozomu found the entrance to what he hopes is a tomb. 250 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,800 This year he intends to go further and enter it. 251 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,440 NOZOMU: The entrance, it'’s covered with bricks. 252 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:33,080 NARRATOR: At the end of the tunnel, 253 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:37,920 Nozumu finds a mud brick wall and a stela. 254 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:43,040 An ancient inscribed stone, often commemorating the dead. 255 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:47,680 It'’s a clue to what could lie beyond the brick wall. 256 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,400 NOZOMU: If we excavate underneath, 257 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,480 we will probably find doorways. 258 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:55,840 So, actually, the entrance is pretty much 259 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:59,640 covered with the sand and rubble at this moment. 260 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:03,000 NARRATOR: It'’s a promising sign Nozomu is on the verge 261 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,960 of a huge discovery. 262 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:11,280 He knows this whole area houses burial chambers of the elite. 263 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,240 And a few hundred yards away, is a clue from one of 264 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,960 Tutankhamun'’s trusted servants. 265 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:23,800 Archaeologists in 1996, 266 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:28,680 found a rocky ridge buried under the desert sand. 267 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:32,160 Inside it, they uncovered a tomb. 268 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,080 When they removed the sand from the entrance chamber, 269 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,120 they revealed a stunning image on the wall. 270 00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:40,160 A young King Tutankhamun, 271 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,760 sitting on the lap of a woman. 272 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:44,720 They identified her as Maia, 273 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,120 a nurse who raised the boy king and 274 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:50,040 this was her tomb. 275 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:53,960 How many more of his closest allies lie undiscovered 276 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,000 inside the ridge? 277 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:05,040 Nozomu'’s team carefully remove the stela. 278 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,960 NOZOMU: This is the first find of the project. 279 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,120 We are really excited. 280 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:12,240 NARRATOR: In the field research tent, 281 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,080 Nozomu gets a closer look. 282 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,160 The stela shows three gods, 283 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:23,240 Sokar, Thoth and Anubis. 284 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:26,200 They are gods sometimes associated with the underworld. 285 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:32,280 And he'’s seen them somewhere before. 286 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:36,000 On the back of the famous death mask of Tutankhamun, 287 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,480 Sokar and Anubis are engraved in the hieroglyphs. 288 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,520 Could this be another clue that behind the brick wall at 289 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,360 the end of the tunnel, lies a tomb? 290 00:18:49,360 --> 00:18:54,680 375 miles south in the quarries of Gebel El-Silsila, 291 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,720 John and Maria are searching for evidence of 292 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,000 the lost quarry of Tutankhamun. 293 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,760 JOHN: Go into the fissure, go along it, 294 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:05,720 leave the big stone in situ. 295 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,800 NARRATOR: But to confirm it is Tutankhamun'’s quarry, 296 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,120 they need to date it, 297 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:14,160 and one way is to look for his distinctive style 298 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,520 of blue pottery. 299 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:19,160 JOHN: I need that to give me a definite chronology, 300 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:24,160 to put this squarely within Tutankhamun'’s period. 301 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,360 NARRATOR: Maria searches for clues at a quarry face 302 00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:30,440 that has been abandoned for centuries. 303 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:32,600 MARIA: Sometimes an inscription can just pop out, 304 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,240 because the light is perfect. 305 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:36,360 NARRATOR: She works with fellow archaeologist, 306 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:38,400 Dr. Nils Billing. 307 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,960 MARIA: We got an ankh right into it. 308 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,120 NILS: Yeah. Where? 309 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:46,920 NARRATOR: Ankh, means '’Life'’ in ancient Egyptian, 310 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:52,040 and the sound is the middle part of Tut-ankh-amun'’s name. 311 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,800 Maria and Nils need to find Tutankhamun'’s complete name, 312 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,840 which they expect to be displayed on a royal seal, 313 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,120 known as a cartouche. 314 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:04,080 If it exists here, it'’s proof this quarry was once 315 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:07,160 officially used by the boy king. 316 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,560 MARIA: Okay, so we know what level to search for, 317 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,360 so let'’s just scout the area. 318 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:15,920 NILS: Yo. 319 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:18,320 NARRATOR: If they find it, it could mean that the young 320 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:22,240 Tutankhamun was quarrying here for massive building projects, 321 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,040 previously unknown to archaeologists. 322 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,400 MARIA: Nils, over here! We got something. 323 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:42,040 NARRATOR: Maria continues her hunt for evidence this ancient quarry, 324 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,920 hidden away in the deserts of the south of Egypt, 325 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,240 was once used by Tutankhamun. 326 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,840 She searches for a cartouche, 327 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,000 used by Pharaohs to mark their property. 328 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:55,640 MARIA: Yes! 329 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:57,000 NARRATOR: A cartouche is not just a royal name 330 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,080 written in hieroglyphs. 331 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:03,720 Ancient Egyptians thought they had magical powers. 332 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:08,680 In 1922, Howard Carter found a golden shrine in Tutankhamun'’s tomb 333 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,720 that contained vessels of mummified organs. 334 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,000 On the inside chest, he discovered two cartouches, 335 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:20,800 believed to offer powerful protection from evil spirits. 336 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:25,040 Seven hieroglyphs spell out Tutankhamun'’s name. 337 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:29,320 Three more spell: Ruler of Thebes. 338 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:31,360 On the second cartouche: 339 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:33,760 the sun disk and the scarab beetle, 340 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:38,320 both symbols of immortality and rebirth. 341 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,920 These powerful signs helped the pharaoh'’s spirit 342 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,600 and soul find his body and resurrect him. 343 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:54,760 At the quarry face, Nils decodes the hieroglyphs. 344 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,240 NILS: We have the name of Tutankhamun. 345 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,160 That is a loaf of bread, 346 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,880 it has the phonetic value '’T'’. 347 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,120 The bird is '’UH'’, then '’ANKH'’. 348 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:09,960 Amun you can read here. 349 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,000 A feather is the sign for '’A'’. 350 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,280 And this sign, which is the sign of a monument, 351 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:20,120 and that is spelled out '’MEN'’, '’A-MEN'’. 352 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:25,160 Tut-ankh-amun. 353 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,280 NARRATOR: But something catches his eye. 354 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,240 NILS: This waterline is an '’N'’, 355 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,600 but actually they'’ve added another '’N'’ here, 356 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,320 which is unusual, and then you would have expected 357 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:39,120 another '’T'’ up here to fulfill the word, 358 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:43,320 to make the word complete, '’Tut'’. 359 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:47,400 NARRATOR: Have the team found Tutankhamun'’s name... 360 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,640 or have they found ancient graffiti? 361 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:57,040 375 miles north in Saqqara. 362 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:01,240 Nozomu hunts for the tombs of Tutankhahun'’s 363 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,720 inner circle of advisors. 364 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,120 His team is excavating what Nozomu hopes is a tomb from 365 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:11,120 the time of Tutankhamun. 366 00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:16,520 If he is right, it will be the discovery of his career. 367 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,080 And just yards away, outside the entrance, 368 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,440 they have a promising discovery. 369 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:24,880 NOZOMU: We found three mummies this morning. 370 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:33,000 NARRATOR: The mummies may reveal vital clues about the possible tomb. 371 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,880 So Nozomu works with mummy expert, 372 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:40,680 Professor Salima Ikram, to decode what they could be. 373 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,280 SALIMA: And the first thing to look at is this mummy. 374 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,800 It'’s really very lovely. 375 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:52,480 It'’s not oriented in the same way as the other ones. 376 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,080 NARRATOR: At this site, most of the mummies heads 377 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:56,840 point to the south. 378 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,120 This mummy'’s head, points to the north. 379 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:02,040 SALIMA: Oh! 380 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,680 And now we know why, because if you see here, 381 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:07,680 you'’ve got this band, 382 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,880 this tape with these two red strips on either side, 383 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,400 and this is very typical of the Coptic period. 384 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,040 NARRATOR: The Coptic period is Egypt'’s era of Christianity, 385 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:23,640 one-and-a-half-thousand years after the reign of Tutankhamun. 386 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,560 But Nozomu needs to know if all the mummies here 387 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:29,560 are from this later period. 388 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:35,080 The clues may be in how the mummies are prepared. 389 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,360 Long before the Pharaohs of Egypt, 390 00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:40,120 mummies happened naturally when dead bodies dried up in 391 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:42,880 the hot Egyptian desert. 392 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,640 The early Egyptian priests then started to deliberately 393 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,160 preserve the bodies of the dead pharaohs for the 394 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,200 afterlife, by covering them with a mixture of salts and 395 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,080 removing their brains, 396 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,840 guts and other internal organs. 397 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,640 Mummification grew in sophistication over centuries, 398 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,040 as priests stuffed the nose with seeds and replaced 399 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,680 the eyes with onions to make them even more lifelike. 400 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,320 But after the Romans invaded Egypt in 30 BC, 401 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,840 more importance was placed on the appearance of coffins. 402 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,320 As Christianity spread across Egypt, 403 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:20,080 mummification became more basic. 404 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,120 Salima has a quick way to date this mummy. 405 00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:25,320 If the remains are salty, 406 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,880 it means it could be an early Egyptian style burial, 407 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,920 when a lot of salt was used for preservation. 408 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:33,880 SALIMA: Desiccation was minimal, 409 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,480 but it'’s hard to tell, because the... 410 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:39,480 the sand a bit salty. 411 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:40,560 NOZOMU: Yes. 412 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,040 SALIMA: But, not enough for it... 413 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,760 NOZOMU: Yeah, yeah, we have crystals. 414 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,720 SALIMA: To precipitate but, it wasn'’t very salted. 415 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,840 NARRATOR: The lack of salt could mean this mummy is from the Coptic period, 416 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,440 when their simple mummification process did not 417 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,440 use as much salt. 418 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,240 SALIMA: You also in Egypt and at Saqqara, 419 00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,040 have a lot of reuse of tombs, 420 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:00,600 but they don'’t throw people out, 421 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,960 because you might get a curse upon you. 422 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:07,640 NARRATOR: This mummy shows that the Saqqara necropolis 423 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,040 was used all the way from the time of King Tutankhamun, 424 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,080 right up until the Coptic period. 425 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,480 But Nozomu'’s potential tomb appears to be unopened and 426 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,800 there is a chance the original occupant, 427 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:21,760 possibly from Tutankhamun'’s reign, 428 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:23,960 is still there. 429 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,000 Getting inside however is a huge challenge. 430 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:38,600 NARRATOR: The ceiling is incredibly fragile and the 431 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,920 team worry it will collapse. 432 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:47,680 NOZOMU: If the humidity raises it'’s not good for the structure. 433 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,720 NARRATOR: If they put one foot out of place, 434 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,600 the tunnel might collapse on their heads. 435 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,480 NARRATOR: In the lab of the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, 436 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,840 an army of specialists are working around the clock 437 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:13,840 to investigate and preserve Tutankhamun'’s treasures. 438 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:17,840 All 5,398 are set to go on display, 439 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,840 including a 3,300 year old chair, 440 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,000 once used by the Boy King. 441 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,920 It'’s down to Ahmed El Sheikha to restore it, 442 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:29,760 ready for museum visitors. 443 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,640 NARRATOR: But all Tutankhamun'’s treasures were 444 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,760 almost lost forever. 445 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:47,880 When Howard Carter discovered the tomb, 446 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:49,760 100 years ago, 447 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,960 he found it had been broken into long before, 448 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,520 but why did those first tomb raiders leave 449 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:57,440 so much treasure behind? 450 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,640 The robbers may have been the tomb builders themselves, 451 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,920 breaking in soon after sealing the tomb. 452 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,960 They stole as much as they could carry. 453 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:14,920 The theft was discovered and the shaft was filled 454 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:21,600 with limestone chippings. 455 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,560 But a second gang of robbers dug through the 456 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,000 rubble and carried away more of the riches. 457 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,120 Then a flash flood dumped a thick layer of rocks over 458 00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:32,560 Tutankhamun'’s tomb, 459 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:38,680 protecting it for nearly three and a half thousand years. 460 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:41,640 In the lab, Ahmed is trying to save a chair, 461 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:45,120 once sat in by Tutankhamun and he'’s discovered it'’s 462 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:47,880 made from a very fragile material. 463 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,880 NARRATOR: After Howard Carter'’s team excavated these artifacts, 464 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,040 they hoped to prevent decay, 465 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:03,400 by coating them with paraffin wax. 466 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,040 NARRATOR: 100 years on, 467 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:17,880 the once soft wax has hardened and the papyrus 468 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,360 is starting to snap. 469 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:25,160 Tutankhamun'’s ancient chair could break at any moment. 470 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:28,760 Ahmed must act quickly to save this priceless artifact, 471 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:30,720 but he faces a problem. 472 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:42,800 NARRATOR: The wax has made the papyrus brittle. 473 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:44,560 To save the chair, 474 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,280 Ahmed must carefully remove the wax with a scalpel, 475 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:49,920 but time is not on his side. 476 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,640 NARRATOR: It'’s a painstaking task, 477 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,920 but without the museums army of specialists, 478 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,640 these artifacts would eventually disintegrate, 479 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:08,240 and the treasures of Tutankhamun would be lost 480 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:14,800 again and this time, forever. 481 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,200 400 miles south in Gebel El-Silsila. 482 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:19,880 NILS: This was not done in haste. 483 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:21,560 MARIA: No. 484 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:23,360 NARRATOR: Maria and Nils think they have found 485 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,280 Tutankhamun'’s name carved into the quarry face. 486 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,560 MARIA: I find it intriguing. 487 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:30,600 NARRATOR: But the spelling mistake has thrown the find 488 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:32,520 into doubt. 489 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,600 MARIA: If Nils can confirm, then it is like a claim that 490 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:39,600 says that this quarry was used during the time of Tutankhamun. 491 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:43,440 NILS: It'’s made in the size that it actually should be seen. 492 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,120 This is official. 493 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,760 NARRATOR: Nils and Maria are now convinced Tutankhamun'’s 494 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:51,760 name was inscribed here officially. 495 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:57,280 It is vital evidence he used the quarry. 496 00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:59,360 JOHN: Just take this little bit here and just give 497 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,600 a sweep and see what we got. 498 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,600 NARRATOR: John looks for flashes of distinctive blue pottery, 499 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,880 pottery made in Tutankhamun'’s reign. 500 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:09,680 JOHN: Start in this area here. 501 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,600 NARRATOR: With this, he hopes to find a second way 502 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,600 to date the site and prove this settlement was used by 503 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:18,400 Tutankhamun'’s quarry workers. 504 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,080 JOHN: This is better, the smaller fragments is exactly 505 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,400 what I'’m after. 506 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:25,680 Heavy foot traffic within the encampment itself, 507 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,160 showing that people were coming and going. 508 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,880 NARRATOR: John has found small bits of broken pottery, 509 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,600 suggesting people once lived here, 510 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,760 but not the tell-tale Tutankhamun blue pottery. 511 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,320 MARIA: Where? Okay, hold on, follow, go, go! 512 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:42,760 NARRATOR: But they do find something astonishing. 513 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:44,520 JOHN: My heart is pumping yeah! 514 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:46,320 It'’s pumping. 515 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:50,000 NARRATOR: A rare amulet shaped like a scarab beetle. 516 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:54,560 MARIA: Now, the reason why we are excited about 517 00:31:54,560 --> 00:32:00,520 scarabs is of course that if you turn them and we got an imprint on them, 518 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:06,160 then that can give us a firm date. 519 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:09,280 NARRATOR: The scarab beetle represented rebirth, 520 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:15,240 so the ancient Egyptians made scarab shaped amulets as lucky charms. 521 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:20,040 They were made from stone, metal or even precious gems. 522 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,600 JOHN: This is what it'’s all about. 523 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:24,880 NARRATOR: Scarabs were often inscribed with a depiction 524 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:26,680 or name of a God. 525 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:32,680 The identity of the god could help date it. 526 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:34,520 JOHN: Oh. Are you ready? 527 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:38,200 I'’m gonna let you see it first. 528 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,120 MARIA: Okay, it'’s got a God. 529 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:42,160 JOHN: Okay. I gotta see it now! 530 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:45,760 Yeah! Oh wow! 531 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:50,880 NARRATOR: Can the scarab help prove this is Tutankhamun'’s quarry? 532 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:02,240 NARRATOR: John and Maria try to decode the engraving on the ancient scarab. 533 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,520 JOHN: We got a bit of glyph. Bit of glyph at the top. 534 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:06,840 Oh. 535 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:09,480 NARRATOR: They hope it can help them prove Tutankhamun'’s 536 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:11,960 quarry workers once lived here. 537 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:15,800 MARIA: Probably Horus, so it lies quite nicely in 538 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:20,320 the time frame of Tutankhamun. 539 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:21,680 Look above us. 540 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,600 Horus comes flying as we find it. 541 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:26,720 NARRATOR: An engraving of an ancient Egyptian god, 542 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:31,640 Horus, could place the scarab in Tutankhamun'’s reign. 543 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:35,880 His rule brought with it religious transformation. 544 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:39,360 Tutankhamun'’s father, the pharaoh Akhenaten abandoned 545 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:43,600 Egypt'’s old gods and decreed the worship of just one god, 546 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:45,600 the sun god. 547 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,160 But at the age of nine, Tutankhamun became one of the 548 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,640 youngest pharaohs ever. 549 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:53,200 He abolished the worship of a single sun god and 550 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:57,080 reinstated all the old Egyptian gods, like Horus, 551 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:01,440 under the rule of their king god Amun. 552 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,480 Maria and John'’s discovery of the sky god Horus here 553 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:08,520 is a clue the site dates to Tutankhamun'’s time. 554 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,200 MARIA: It is a great find. 555 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:12,720 Can it get any better? 556 00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:15,520 NARRATOR: But Maria and John need absolute proof this is a 557 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:20,560 Tutankhamun site and continue their search for the tell-tale clue, 558 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:25,880 Tutankhamun'’s distinctive style of blue pottery. 559 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,240 40 miles south in Aswan, 560 00:34:28,240 --> 00:34:32,680 Alejandro is back on site. 561 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,040 He'’s hoping to discover more about the family of 562 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:39,120 Governor Sarenput II. 563 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:43,040 Alejandro'’s team has now excavated the discovered tomb 564 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:45,800 and he can investigate it properly. 565 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,800 The craftsmanship and location of the rock cut tomb 566 00:34:55,800 --> 00:35:02,080 suggests this is the burial chamber of the elite. 567 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,440 But there is no mummy. 568 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:06,520 However, there are clues to who could have 569 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:12,400 been buried inside. 570 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:15,680 ALEJANDRO: These are the only remains that we found. 571 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:17,800 NARRATOR: The team finds fragments at the bottom of the 572 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,960 tomb that may hold the key. 573 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:24,000 These wooden shards are what'’s left of a coffin, 574 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:28,560 but Alejandro discovers unusual markings on them. 575 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,720 ALEJANDRO: I have just noticed the presence of a couple of eyes. 576 00:35:31,720 --> 00:35:36,080 Here we have one eye and another eye. 577 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:38,680 NARRATOR: These eyes are '’wedjat'’ eyes, 578 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:41,560 meant to let the dead see outside the coffin and they 579 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:46,240 normally match exactly the size of the body inside. 580 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:49,360 The small size and shape of the eyes tells Alejandro who 581 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:52,080 possibly occupied the tomb. 582 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:54,160 ALEJANDRO: This is a coffin of a child. 583 00:35:54,160 --> 00:36:00,680 Very, very young, I would say, almost a baby. 584 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,200 NARRATOR: With no more artifacts and without an 585 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:07,520 inscription to decipher, Alejandro will never know the 586 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:10,520 name of the tomb'’s owner, 587 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:14,760 but he can still decode more clues. 588 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,400 ALEJANDRO: Just from the colors and the type of wood, 589 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,960 this coffin was prepared for a member of the elite. 590 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:26,200 NARRATOR: Alejandro is closer to finding more of this powerful family. 591 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:29,000 His search for the governing rulers of Aswan and the Pharaohs'’ 592 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:34,560 most trusted subjects continues. 593 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:36,560 ALEJANDRO: We do not have here Tutankhamun but we 594 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:39,680 have some information which is in the end 595 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:41,440 what we are looking for. 596 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,440 NARRATOR: 400 miles north. 597 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:56,000 In the labs of the Grand Egyptian Museum. 598 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,560 [speaking in native language]. 599 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:02,680 NARRATOR: Ahmed is working on one of Tutankhamun'’s greatest treasures, 600 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:05,640 a golden processional chariot. 601 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,400 But like many of Tutankhamun'’s treasures found by Howard Carter, 602 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:12,600 it has also been preserved in wax. 603 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:15,080 Ahmed needs to remove all the wax, 604 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:19,120 but it has hardened to a brittle and precarious condition. 605 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:23,720 The delicate gold layer beneath makes this a precarious task. 606 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:38,520 NARRATOR: The task falls to conservation expert Ahmed. 607 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:42,880 He must make a special cleaning gel using ethanol 608 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:46,040 acetate and white spirit. 609 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,160 The slightest error in the solution risks 610 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:52,440 irreparable damage to the precious chariot. 611 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,440 NARRATOR: What should look like a thick gel, 612 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:07,480 has come out as a watery solution, 613 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:11,600 which could loosen more than just the wax. 614 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:23,600 NARRATOR: Ahmed cannot risk damaging the chariot. 615 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:26,120 All hopes are on the second batch. 616 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,120 NARRATOR: It'’s a nerve-jangling wait. 617 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:41,120 If Ahmed'’s got the mix wrong, 618 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:45,240 it could strip the gold from Tutankhamun'’s chariot. 619 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:52,680 NARRATOR: After ten anxious minutes, 620 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:55,200 it'’s the moment of truth for Ahmed. 621 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,760 Has the cleaning solution worked or has it caused 622 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:01,960 irreparable damage to the priceless chariot? 623 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,840 NARRATOR: Now, with a working solution, 624 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:21,400 Ahmed and the team will be able to restore the chariot to 625 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,760 sit proudly alongside Tutankhamun'’s other treasures... 626 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:32,680 Almost 400 miles south in Gebel El-Silsila. 627 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:36,840 John and Maria search for blue decorated pottery from 628 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:39,480 Tutankhamun'’s reign. 629 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:42,480 [speaking in native language]. 630 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,840 [exclaims] 631 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:48,880 NARRATOR: One of the workers spots a flash of blue in the golden sand. 632 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:59,240 JOHN: You are about to make me a very, very happy man, ooh. 633 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:04,760 Absolutely beautiful! 634 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:09,040 Both me and Maria have always said that this is the quarries of Tutankhamun, 635 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:12,960 but we'’ve never had the proof, until now. 636 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,440 NARRATOR: Maria takes a look to check for certain if it is 637 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,520 from the time of Tutankhamun. 638 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:27,480 MARIA: I would place these in the Tutankhamun period. 639 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:31,920 Blue signify royalty, the gods as well. 640 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:36,920 Blue is a very rare color for them to find and work with. 641 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:41,880 They do indicate that our worker'’s village is from the 642 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:45,280 time of Tutankhamun. 643 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,880 JOHN: Couldn'’t have wished for a better piece of evidence. 644 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,080 Excellent. 645 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,800 NARRATOR: John and Maria have the evidence they need. 646 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:58,440 They think they can prove this is the quarry of Tutankhamun. 647 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:09,000 375 miles north in Saqqara. 648 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:13,280 It'’s Nozomu'’s life'’s work to prove Tutankhamun'’s 649 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:17,720 inner circle of elite are buried here. 650 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:20,000 After three weeks he'’s discovered the entrance 651 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,920 to a tomb and now it'’s the moment of truth. 652 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:02,960 NARRATOR: If the ceiling collapses, it could be fatal. 653 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:06,120 But to see what'’s in there, someone will have to crawl 654 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:08,920 down the long corridor inside the tomb. 655 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:28,280 NARRATOR: Despite the fragile roof and the danger of collapse, 656 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:32,240 one of Nozomu'’s team crawls deeper into the tomb. 657 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,960 The risk is worth it. 658 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:41,760 Archaeological treasures are everywhere he looks. 659 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:04,840 NARRATOR: The team need to reinforce the ceiling before 660 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:10,280 they can all venture inside and truly examine what they have found. 661 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:27,200 NARRATOR: Nozomu'’s team will be back to uncover more of the 662 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:30,680 plateau'’s secrets next year and see if the elite of 663 00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:34,440 Tutankhamun are hidden below. 664 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:38,600 In the meantime, Nozomu must brick up the entrance to 665 00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:40,840 protect the treasures inside. 666 00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:45,080 NOZOMU: I'’m gonna dedicate to excavate here the rest of my life. 667 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:47,280 You know, this is just the beginning, you know. 668 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:49,680 NARRATOR: Almost three-and-a-half-thousand years 669 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:53,960 after his death and 100 years after his rediscovery, 670 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:58,440 Tutankhamun continues to beguile and fascinate. 671 00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:02,240 Inspiring archaeologists from all over the world to come to Egypt 672 00:44:02,240 --> 00:44:06,480 for the chance to add their names to history and find 673 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:08,520 their own lost treasures. 674 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:09,760 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.