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NARRATOR: Egypt.

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The richest
source of archaeological
treasures on the planet.

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MAN: Oh, whoa!
Look at that!

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NARRATOR: Hidden beneath
this desert landscape

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lie the secrets of this
ancient civilization.

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ALEJANDRO: Ooh. I'’ve never
seen something like this.

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NARRATOR: Now, for a full
season of excavations,

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our cameras have been
given unprecedented

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access to follow
teams on the front
line of archaeology.

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MYRIAM: This is the
most critical moment.

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NARRATOR: Revealing
buried secrets.

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SALIMA: Oh!
AHMED: We are lucky today.

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NOZUMO: Wow! Lots
of mummies.

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KATHLEEN: The smell
is horrible.

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NARRATOR: And making
discoveries that could
rewrite ancient history.

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PROF. JOHN: We'’ve never
had the proof until now!

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DR COLLEEN: This is
where it all started.

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ALEJANDRO: My goodness,
I never expected this.

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NARRATOR: This time,
archaeologists unlock the
secrets of one of Egypt'’s

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most legendary Pharaohs,
Ramses the Great.

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DR ISKANDER: This must
have been used by
probably Ramses himself.

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NARRATOR: John and Colleen
search the desert for
clues to Ramses'’ success.

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DR COLLEEN: This is
like the greatest hits
of Ramses'’ victories.

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NARRATOR: Aliaa races
to save one of Egypt'’s
greatest treasures.

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ALIAA: If it tips over it
would definitely damage
the surface of the tomb.

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NARRATOR: And Fathi
excavates deep into
the earth to uncover

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the mysteries of an
ancient necropolis.

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NARRATOR: In over
3,000 years of ancient
Egyptian history,

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no Pharaoh comes close
to rivalling Ramses
the Great.

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During his 66 years
on the throne,

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Ramses raised
the Egyptian empire

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to the zenith of
its wealth, culture
and power.

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He created a vast legacy,

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and was so revered that
nine further pharaohs
would take his name.

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He would build more statues,
monuments and temples
than any other pharaoh,

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forever changing
the face of Egypt.

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Now archaeologists
across the country
are searching

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for the secrets of
his success.

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In the ancient
city of Abydos,

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Dr Sameh Iskander
leads a team on a
mission to excavate

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what some archaeologists
believe is the first temple
built during Ramses reign.

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DR ISKANDER: Egypt after
Ramses is a completely
different country.

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This is his beginning.

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There'’s something
personal about this.

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And that'’s what really
got me into interested
in this temple.

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NARRATOR: He hopes
clues found in
Ramses early reign

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can unlock the mystery
of what fueled his
future success.

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But first, Sameh must
settle an age old debate
over whether this is truly

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the first monument
built by Ramses.

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DR ISKANDER: Well,
what we'’re looking
here is any clues

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as to when this
temple was built.

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NARRATOR: The team digs for
foundation deposits deep
beneath the temple walls,

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offerings buried at the
start of construction,

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which they hope will
provide vital information
about the temple'’s origins.

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Instead of foundation
deposits, worker unearth
something incredible.

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DR ISKANDER: Cartouches!
Extremely unusual
cartouches.

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Unprecedented in
any Egyptian temple.

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NARRATOR: These oval
markings were used to stamp
the names of pharaohs

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onto their monuments.

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The hidden cartouches
spell out two names.

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DR ISKANDER: The
one on the left is
Ramses Meri Amun,

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that'’s the name given to
him when he was born.

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And the other one is
the throne name that
the one given to him

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when he became the
pharaoh, Ramses II.

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NARRATOR: Ramses throne
name would not have
been inscribed

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on the foundations unless
he began its construction.

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DR ISKANDER: This temple
was built during the reign
of Ramses II, period.

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No more argument
about that.

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NARRATOR: Ramses would go
on to build more monuments
than any other pharaoh,

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but the cartouche
proves this temple is
where it all began.

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DR ISKANDER: This is his
beginning and was starting
to build a legacy.

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NARRATOR: Ramses began
his prolific campaign

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of monument building
with this temple.

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At its entrance, an
imposing granite doorway
led to a courtyard

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surrounded by figures
of Osiris, the god of
this temple.

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In each corner of
the temple, buried
in the foundations,

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golden cartouches
spelling his name, Ramses II,
the chosen of Ra.

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On the south-western
wall of the temple,

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Sameh investigates a
recently sealed doorway,

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which appears to lead
away from the building.

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DR ISKANDER: This door
was left open for
almost 3,000 years.

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What is the reason?

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Something must have gone
on through this door.

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NARRATOR: Sameh'’s team
begin excavating around
the doorway for clues

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about where it might lead.

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50 miles south in the
Valley of the Kings

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is the magnificently
decorated tomb of
Ramses'’ father,

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Seti the First, who
ruled for 11 years before
Ramses came to the throne.

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Aliaa Ismail has come here
to study the decorations

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for clues about what
legacy Ramses inherited
from his father.

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ALIAA: You can see
that the pigments have
survived all this time.

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NARRATOR: A detail in
the stunning mural
catches her eye.

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ALIAA: Here you can
see the blueness
here in the hair.

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NARRATOR: This blue
pigmentation reveals
incredible evidence

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about Seti'’s reign.

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ALIAA: We have, here, lapis,
and lapis was brought
from Afghanistan.

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NARRATOR: The pigment was
brought over 2,000 miles
to be used in this tomb.

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It'’s a clue that
Egypt could have
entered a golden era

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before Ramses ever
came to the throne.

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ALIAA: We can see
strong trade relations,

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in terms of wealth,
power and politics.

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It'’s like China and
America put together.

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NARRATOR: Ramses success
may have been built on the
back of the achievements

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of his father.

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But discoveries like
this are at risk of
disappearing.

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ALIAA: Tombs were made
to be closed forever and
once we have opened them,

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the presence of air
and moisture keeps
degrading the tomb.

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NARRATOR: Aliaa is
training a team of
young conservationists

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to help preserve the
tomb through cutting edge
3D scanning.

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ALIAA: For thousands of
years, the locals have been
the guardians of this place

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and now they'’re doing
it just with modern
technology.

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NARRATOR: For team member,
Mina Fahim Rezk,

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it'’s a welcome chance
to protect his Egyptian
heritage.

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NARRATOR: Tomorrow, they
will use their training
to create a 3D record

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of Seti the First'’s
tomb before it
vanishes forever.

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South of the Valley of
the Kings in Luxor is
the Asasif necropolis.

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This sprawling graveyard
covers over 1,000 years of
ancient Egyptian history,

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with burials from 800 years
before Ramses time to many
centuries after his death.

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Project director, Fathi
Yaseen, and his team,

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are excavating a newly
discovered shaft.

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NARRATOR: The size of the
shaft means it could lead
to an undiscovered tomb.

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But, after two weeks
excavation, their dig
hasn'’t produced any finds.

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NARRATOR: Just feet from
the mouth of the shaft,

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Fathi spots something
in the ground. It'’s
rare pottery.

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Fathi examines it closely
to determine its age.

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NARRATOR: The find is from
the time of Ramses'’ rule.

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It'’s a promising sign
the shaft also leads to
a tomb from this period.

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NARRATOR: Just north
of the shaft,

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one of the team
unearths a hole leading
deep into the ground.

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NARRATOR: It looks
promising, but the
entrance is unstable.

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NARRATOR: It'’s a
tantalizing, but
risky new lead.

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In Abydos, at the first
temple constructed by
Ramses,

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Sameh discovers a walkway
of limestone blocks

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leading away from the
sealed up temple doorway.

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At the end of the path
is something incredible.

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DR ISKANDER: Low and behold,
we come across a palace.

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NARRATOR: This is the
find of a lifetime.

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Ramses the Great'’s
private palace.

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DR ISKANDER: We were
shocked.

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We really did not
expect this here.

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NARRATOR: Sameh and
his team immediately
begin excavating

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this magnificent discovery.

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DR ISKANDER: The entire
site was covered for up
to 4 meters.

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NARRATOR: Ramses path
to greatness began
here in Abydos,

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but he wasn'’t the first
pharaoh to build here.

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Just 950 feet south
of Ramses'’ palace

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is the temple of his
father, Seti the First.

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Sameh has come here
looking for clues
about why both Ramses

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and his father chose
to build in Abydos,

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a site which had fallen out
of favor and been abandoned
by previous rulers.

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DR ISKANDER: Here is
Seti the First, his
son, Prince Ramses,

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who later will become
Ramses the Great.

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NARRATOR: A relief known
as the King'’s List,

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records the pharaohs from
the first dynasty up to
the time of Ramses.

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Within it, hidden clues
may reveal why Seti and
Ramses returned to Abydos,

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and if it played a
part in Ramses'’ success.

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DR ISKANDER: Obviously,
there is something
missing here.

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NARRATOR: Multiple
kings have been
erased from history.

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DR ISKANDER: Why
they were missing?

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Because they are
horrific kings.

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NARRATOR: These pharaohs
ruled before Ramses
and Seti came to power.

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During this period,
the old religions and
gods were abandoned.

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DR ISKANDER: What Ramses is
trying to do is to restore
the old Egyptian religion.

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NARRATOR: Abydos is where
early Egyptians believed
the god, Osiris was buried.

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They considered it a
sacred site, and from
the first dynasty,

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chose to build
their tombs here.

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Archaeologists unearthed
a tomb dating to 2,000
years before Ramses'’ rule.

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Inside it, a
treasure hoard with
over 400 wine jars.

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An ivory scepter.

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An ancient obsidian bowl.

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And the oldest examples
of Egyptian writing.

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Priceless ivory tags
bearing the names of
regions of ancient Egypt.

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This tomb is believed
to belong to a man
called Scorpion,

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one of Egypt'’s very
first kings.

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By building in Abydos,
Ramses and Seti

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hope to ensure
the success of
their dynasty.

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Forever associating it
with the first kings,
such as Scorpion,

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and one of the most revered
ancient gods, Osiris, ruler
of the underworld.

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DR ISKANDER: That'’s what
this temple is all about.

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Build this temple in
the domain of Osiris,
which is Abydos.

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NARRATOR: Ramses built his
power through a connection
to the old ways.

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But, could developments
made during King
Scorpion'’s reign

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have been what allowed
Ramses to spread that
power through his empire?

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In the town of El-Khawy.

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Hieroglyphics experts,
John and Coleen Darnell
are on a mission

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to unravel the mystery of
Ramses'’ path to greatness.

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Above an historic
trade route,

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they have discovered
ancient inscriptions.

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PROF. JOHN: I think what
we'’ve got here is one

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of the earliest
hieroglyphic inscriptions.

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NARRATOR: Carved
into the mountain are
depictions of animals,

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but these are more
than just drawings.

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PROF. JOHN: This is
someone actually
writing these signs.

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They'’re letters,
not pictures.

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NARRATOR: These carvings
mark a huge moment
in human civilization.

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They show an ibis with
two storks on either side
and form something new.

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A picture representing
a word.

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This is an early version
of a hieroglyph akhet,

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the ancient Egyptian
word for horizon.

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This could be one of the
oldest examples of written
language ever found.

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To confirm the age
of the inscriptions,

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John and Colleen compare
them with records

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of the ancient texts found
in the tomb of one of
Egypt'’s first kings.

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Scorpion.

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DR COLLEEN: These are
the same signs as in the
early tomb at Abydos.

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NARRATOR: They are
a perfect match.

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00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:07,080
At over 5,000 years old,
these are the first

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00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:10,320
monumental hieroglyphics
ever discovered.

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00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,520
And one of the
earliest examples of
written language.

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DR COLLEEN: This is the
first time we can read a
hieroglyphic inscription.

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00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,320
NARRATOR: John
deciphers the symbols.

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00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,360
The akhet hieroglyph,
along with the symbol
of a bull,

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00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:31,640
reveals a remarkable
connection between

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00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:37,280
this early writing
and Ramses'’ success
2,000 years later.

215
00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,320
PROF. JOHN: We have royal
power equals solar power.

216
00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:46,080
The king on earth is
as the sun in the sky.

217
00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:50,320
NARRATOR: The texts are
an early example of
Pharaonic propaganda.

218
00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,800
DR COLLEEN: This
absolutely is an
ancient billboard.

219
00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,240
NARRATOR: Ramses not
only associated himself
with the old king

220
00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:04,320
by building in Abydos,
he used the power of
written language

221
00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:09,720
developed during
Scorpion'’s reign to spread
the success of his empire.

222
00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,360
PROF. JOHN: This is
exactly the statement of
the basis of authority

223
00:17:13,360 --> 00:17:17,480
on which Ramses II
himself ruled.

224
00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:22,400
DR COLLEEN: This is
where it all started.

225
00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,840
NARRATOR: To further
unlock the secrets
of Ramses success.

226
00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:27,880
DR COLLEEN: Shukran!

227
00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,040
NARRATOR: John and
Colleen must look
for more clues

228
00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,400
in the monuments he
left behind.

229
00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:39,960
In Luxor, at the
Necropolis of Asasif,

230
00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,200
Fathi'’s team is excavating
the infilled shaft

231
00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:47,200
in the area dating to
the time of Ramses.

232
00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,600
They have now reached
a depth of 30 ft.

233
00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:55,320
The workers must move
thousands of tons of
earth without machinery.

234
00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:05,680
NARRATOR: Sayed Al
Qurnay oversees the
site'’s safety.

235
00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,520
NARRATOR: He must
constantly monitor the dig'’s
progress for any danger.

236
00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:28,040
NARRATOR: So far,
nothing has been
discovered inside.

237
00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:30,800
But, they are now
approaching the
bottom of the shaft

238
00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,200
and the signs are
promising.

239
00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,840
NARRATOR: Suddenly, one
of Fathi'’s sharp eyed
workers spots something

240
00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:51,520
in the ancient debris.

241
00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:08,520
NARRATOR: This is the
first discovery made
in the shaft at Asasif.

242
00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,040
NARRATOR: Buried in
the debris is an
exquisitely carved

243
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,560
miniature statue
known as a shabti.

244
00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,560
NARRATOR: Ancient Egyptians
believed these tiny figures
would come to life

245
00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,680
and serve the
tomb'’s occupant
in the afterlife.

246
00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:38,440
As they dig further,
a treasure trove of
shabtis begins to emerge.

247
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:50,080
NARRATOR: In total, they
discover 30 beautifully
carved shabtis.

248
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,000
As Fathi excavates
further,

249
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,600
he spots something
else in the debris.

250
00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:21,240
NARRATOR: Tools like
this were used to
excavate chambers

251
00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,160
deep beneath the ground.

252
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,160
NARRATOR: The team
could be just inches

253
00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:34,320
from discovering a
burial chamber.

254
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:43,920
In Luxor, close to the
Valley of the Kings,

255
00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:47,080
Ramses built his
mortuary temple.

256
00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,200
The Rammeseum.

257
00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:54,280
Colleen has come here
hoping to unravel the
mystery of Ramses'’ success

258
00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:58,120
through clues in
the monuments he
left behind.

259
00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:01,880
DR COLLEEN: This is where
he set up one of the most
colossal statues

260
00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:06,160
ever created in
ancient Egypt.

261
00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,160
NARRATOR: Started in
just the second year
of his reign,

262
00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:11,360
this huge shrine was
built for worshippers

263
00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:15,120
to pray for Ramses'’
immortal soul.

264
00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:17,760
From his very beginnings,

265
00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:22,960
Ramses was already focused
on being remembered long
after his death.

266
00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,840
But, Colleen believes
this temple might
reveal Ramses'’ success

267
00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:31,240
was due to more than
building monuments
of remembrance.

268
00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:36,000
DR COLLEEN: If you don'’t
have the backing of an
amazingly wealthy country,

269
00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,640
you can'’t commission
a colossal statue
like this one.

270
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,800
NARRATOR: Neighboring
the temple are vast
vaulted chambers

271
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,080
more suited to storage
than worship.

272
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:53,640
DR COLLEEN: These
storage rooms dwarf
the stone temple.

273
00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:59,120
NARRATOR: Inside,
Colleen finds a clue to
what was stored here.

274
00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:02,960
DR COLLEEN: The
hole is in the roof.

275
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:09,800
So this entire giant
room would have been
filled with grain.

276
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,560
NARRATOR: These huge silos
reveal there was as much
an economic function

277
00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:17,640
to the temple
as a religious one.

278
00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:24,280
DR COLLEEN: It'’s
16,500 cubic meters
of grain storage.

279
00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,680
That'’s a phenomenal
amount of wealth.

280
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:35,040
These grain stores
could feed a significant
portion of Ramses'’ army.

281
00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,920
NARRATOR: Ramses had both
the wealth to build
monuments for his worship

282
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,920
and the resources to
feed a standing army
of around 20,000 men.

283
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,000
DR COLLEEN: Without these
economic resources,

284
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:55,680
Egypt'’s military
victories would have
never happened.

285
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,000
NARRATOR: Ramses may
have had a huge army
at his disposal,

286
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,920
but to understand how
he put it to use,

287
00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,360
Colleen will have
to search more of the
monuments he left behind.

288
00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:14,000
In Abydos, in the
newly discovered
palace of Ramses II,

289
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:19,320
Sameh pieces together
fragments of buried
pottery.

290
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:25,080
DR ISKANDER: Very fine
material, has nice rim.

291
00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:27,520
NARRATOR: Next to where the
pottery was discovered,

292
00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:31,000
workers unearth a
mysterious pit.

293
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:34,800
DR ISKANDER: We have
some surprise here.

294
00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:38,120
NARRATOR: The original
stones have been
warped by heat.

295
00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:43,160
DR ISKANDER: This is all
melted sandstone all
around here.

296
00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:47,240
NARRATOR: Within the pit
are molds which perfectly
match the pottery.

297
00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,640
DR ISKANDER: This is like
a frozen moment in time.

298
00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:55,240
NARRATOR: The molds
are clues to the pit'’s
original purpose.

299
00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:59,920
DR ISKANDER: We realize
we are now coming
across a furnace.

300
00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:02,920
NARRATOR: Sameh
believes this
furnace was a kiln

301
00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:07,200
used to make bowls for
Ramses'’ private palace.

302
00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,480
DR ISKANDER: This must
have been used by
probably Ramses himself.

303
00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:15,760
And we'’re getting close and
close to him as a person,

304
00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:20,760
as a pharaoh,
as a human being.

305
00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,080
NARRATOR: Just feet
from the furnace,

306
00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,080
Sameh discovers a
mysterious niche.

307
00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,920
This alcove was cut into
the walls of the palace

308
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,680
and sealed up with
ancient bricks.

309
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,120
DR ISKANDER: Inside
there was a large object.

310
00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:42,920
NARRATOR: Nearby, they
discover more niches,
but these are also empty.

311
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:47,840
DR ISKANDER: A lot
of interesting, but
confusing data.

312
00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:51,040
NARRATOR: To reveal
the purpose of these
strange niches,

313
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,600
Sameh'’s team must continue
their painstaking search.

314
00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:03,840
NARRATOR: On the border
with ancient Nubia,

315
00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,040
Ramses built another
massive monument.

316
00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:10,440
The mountain temple
of Abu Simbel.

317
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:15,680
Colleen has come here
searching for clues about
how Ramses'’ military skill

318
00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,680
contributed to the
success of his empire.

319
00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:23,480
DR COLLEEN: This is
like the greatest hits
of Ramses'’ victories.

320
00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:30,280
NARRATOR: Ramses
consolidated his
empire in the south,

321
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:34,440
and pushed north to
confront his powerful
enemies, the Hittites.

322
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,560
DR COLLEEN: In temples
all over Egypt,

323
00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:43,080
he recorded his victory
against the Hittites.

324
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,640
Or so he wanted
us to think.

325
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:53,640
NARRATOR: Around 1300 BC,
the Egyptians fought
their arch rivals,

326
00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:57,240
the Hittites, at the
fortress city of Kadesh,

327
00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:00,760
in possibly the largest
chariot battle in history.

328
00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:06,960
The light Egyptian chariots
had the edge of the heavy
Hittite war machines.

329
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,960
Ramses recorded the
victory as a massacre,

330
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,000
but in reality it was
more of a draw.

331
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,480
The two kings
agreed a truce

332
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,040
resulting in the
world'’s first recorded
peace treaty.

333
00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,080
DR COLLEEN: It enabled
the Egyptians to spend
all of their resources

334
00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:31,080
on peacetime pursuits,
building massive
constructions like this,

335
00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:35,720
and usher in a golden
age for Egypt.

336
00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,040
NARRATOR: Instead
of waging costly
military campaigns,

337
00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:43,800
Ramses built his
success through a
mastery of diplomacy.

338
00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,120
But, to win the hearts
of his citizens,

339
00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:51,480
he still needed to
depict himself as
a mighty warrior.

340
00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:57,120
DR COLLEEN: He'’s on his
chariot alone with the
reins tied behind his back

341
00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:00,640
so that he'’s free to
shoot his bow.

342
00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,080
We knew that this is a
little bit of propaganda,

343
00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,800
because even the
hieroglyphic text says
that his shield bearer,

344
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,840
Mena, was riding in
the chariot with him.

345
00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,640
NARRATOR: Ramses was
a master of ancient
public relations.

346
00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:18,600
Happy to bend the truth
to promote an image which
would appeal to his people.

347
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,080
In the temple'’s
inner sanctum,

348
00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:30,600
Colleen discovers another
secret of Ramses'’ success.

349
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:36,240
Here, by placing
his statue between the
greatest gods of Egypt,

350
00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:42,640
Ramses used a clever
trick of the light to
engineer his own divinity.

351
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:47,560
DR COLLEEN: Twice a
year, the sun rays reach
all the way through

352
00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:54,240
the temple illuminating
these figures in the
sanctuary.

353
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:58,480
NARRATOR: Colleen believes
Ramses used this solar
alignment to convey

354
00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:05,480
a powerful message that he
was the living embodiment
of the sun god.

355
00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:11,560
DR COLLEEN: Truly, here
at Abu Simbel, Ramses II
is not just a king,

356
00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:13,840
he is a god!

357
00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:26,320
NARRATOR: At Ramses'’ palace
in Abydos, Sameh has
discovered another niche,

358
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,480
but this one hasn'’t
been emptied.

359
00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:31,720
DR ISKANDER: Look at
this, another hole.
WORKER: Yes.

360
00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:35,840
DR ISKANDER: Another
hole here. So, it'’s one
on top of the other.

361
00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:42,080
NARRATOR: It'’s crammed
full with an astonishing
number of skeletons.

362
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:45,480
It'’s impossible
to tell how many.

363
00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,320
DR ISKANDER: Two heads
here at least, so far.

364
00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:53,320
NARRATOR: They search
for other niches, and
find more bones

365
00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:57,360
sealed all around the
walls of the palace.

366
00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,920
DR ISKANDER: We have
something very interesting
that'’s now emerging.

367
00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:05,080
NARRATOR: The remains
aren'’t human, but
include bull skeletons.

368
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:10,720
This discovery might be
evidence Ramses controlled
a mysterious religious cult.

369
00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:18,080
One of the most popular
cults of ancient Egypt
thrived under Ramses.

370
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,800
The cult of Apis.

371
00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:25,520
Priests chose a
bull to embody the
creator-god, Ptah.

372
00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,680
The Egyptians worshipped
the bull as an oracle,

373
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:33,200
and interpreted his
movements as prophecies.

374
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:39,800
When an Apis bull died, it
was ceremoniously buried
and a new bull chosen.

375
00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:44,080
Ramses heavily
promoted bull worship
during his reign,

376
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,520
reinforcing his
divinity through
this powerful cult.

377
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,480
Ramses may have
built a connection
to the bull cult,

378
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:59,200
but Sameh can'’t be sure
this palace was a
sacred cult site.

379
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:03,880
Unlike the Apis cult,
which ceremoniously
buried its bulls,

380
00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:08,680
these remains have been
crammed into the walls
without ceremony.

381
00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:10,800
DR ISKANDER: So far,
there'’s really no pattern.

382
00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,240
They'’re scattered and
they are almost in a
random way.

383
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:16,600
NARRATOR: Was this
truly a sacred site?

384
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:20,520
Or could Ramses'’
private palace had
become a dumping ground

385
00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,320
for the carcasses
of livestock?

386
00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:25,280
DR ISKANDER: It'’s a
mystery that we
have to resolve.

387
00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,480
NARRATOR: In the Valley
of the Kings,

388
00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,480
today, Aliaa and their team
attempt to record history,

389
00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,760
creating a 3D scan of Ramses'’
father Seti'’s tomb

390
00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:46,680
in the hope
of preserving it for
future generations.

391
00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:50,520
They carefully load the
precious scanning equipment

392
00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:52,840
and make their way
to the tomb.

393
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,360
ALIAA: The work today'’s
going to be very scary

394
00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:58,840
because we'’re
really worried.

395
00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,440
We don'’t want to
touch anything.

396
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:07,520
NARRATOR: The towering
ceilings in Seti'’s tomb
are 20 feet high.

397
00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:12,440
To capture their secrets,
the team must build a huge
scaffold just inches

398
00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,480
from the priceless walls.

399
00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:19,800
ALIAA: Can we start
by assembling the
legs, please?

400
00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:23,920
Please be careful.

401
00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:29,120
NARRATOR: Any mistake would
cause irreparable damage

402
00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:32,400
to one of the most
precious tombs in Egypt.

403
00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,960
ALIAA: Guys, could we
start putting it up?

404
00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:38,520
[foreign dialogue]

405
00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:49,680
NARRATOR: On the north side
of the Valley of the Kings,

406
00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:54,720
Colleen is exploring
the inscriptions in
Ramses II'’s tomb.

407
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:59,040
In 1213 BC, after 66 years
on the throne,

408
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:04,480
Ramses died aged 96 and his
mummy was sealed here.

409
00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:09,920
In life, Ramses declared
himself a god, but Colleen
has come here to discover

410
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,360
if Ramses was as
successful in death.

411
00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:21,880
DR COLLEEN: There'’s
Apep! So, Apep is
the chaos serpent.

412
00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:25,200
He'’s the one that tries
to stop the sun god.

413
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,080
NARRATOR: The
hieroglyphics show Ramses
slaying the serpent,

414
00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,200
a role normally reserved
for the sun god.

415
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,960
DR COLLEEN: That'’s the
power that Ramses is trying
to harness in his tomb,

416
00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:40,360
that he wants to become
like the sun god.

417
00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:46,960
NARRATOR: In death, Ramses
intends to take on the
god'’s cosmic duties.

418
00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:52,280
Deep inside the tomb,
scaffolding supports
Ramses'’ burial chamber.

419
00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:55,880
It was heavily damaged
by ancient flooding.

420
00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,360
But, when archaeologists
discovered the tomb,

421
00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:03,600
Ramses'’ mummy and nearly
all his riches were gone.

422
00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,800
DR COLLEEN: His mummy
would have been placed
here in the coffin,

423
00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:11,840
but now it'’s no
longer here.

424
00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,120
NARRATOR: Ramses'’ story
doesn'’t end here.

425
00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,880
In search of his final
resting place,

426
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:25,560
John and Colleen
follow a trail high
into the cliffs.

427
00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:30,400
Hidden in the rock face
is a secret shaft, which
is normally sealed.

428
00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:34,040
Today, it has been
opened especially for
their investigation.

429
00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:36,880
But it'’s a long way down.

430
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:41,000
DR COLLEEN: Can'’t see
the bottom from here.

431
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,720
PROF. JOHN: Well, it'’s
sufficiently deep shaft.

432
00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:46,200
DR COLLEEN: Wow!

433
00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,000
NARRATOR: In Luxor'’s
necropolis of Asasif,

434
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:58,480
the team has excavated
the shaft to a depth
of 45 feet.

435
00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:02,160
Fathi thinks he is on
the verge of a huge
breakthrough.

436
00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:16,880
NARRATOR: The excavation
has uncovered what
may be a burial chamber.

437
00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:20,880
The chamber is filled
with debris nearly up
to its ceiling,

438
00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:23,880
but there'’s enough room
for Fathi to measure
the space.

439
00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:38,920
NARRATOR: It'’s a
promising sign that
an important mummy

440
00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:42,080
could be buried deep under
the compacted debris.

441
00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:47,560
But Fathi is concerned
about the chamber'’s
safety.

442
00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,920
NARRATOR: Ancient geological
disasters could have
compromised its integrity.

443
00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:09,840
Fathi clears his
team out and meets with
Sayed for an assessment.

444
00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:19,520
NARRATOR: Part of the
chamber'’s ceiling has
collapsed.

445
00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:45,360
NARRATOR: Work cannot
continue in the chamber

446
00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,600
until a specialist
arrives to make it safe.

447
00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:53,560
The team will have to
wait to find out what
is buried inside.

448
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:12,960
NARRATOR: In the
Valley of the Kings,

449
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:16,440
in the tomb of Ramses
father, Seti the First,

450
00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:19,880
Aliaa'’s team assembles a
huge scaffold just inches

451
00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:24,400
from one of ancient
Egypt'’s most perfectly
preserved murals.

452
00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,680
Any damage would
be catastrophic.

453
00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:31,880
ALIAA: If it tips over,
it would definitely damage
the surface of the tomb.

454
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,440
ALIAA: I was just
informing one of
my colleagues

455
00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:43,400
that she is getting
too close to the wall.

456
00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:48,720
NARRATOR: The
scaffold is up.

457
00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:51,880
Now, they must calibrate
the 3D laser scanner,

458
00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:55,800
which will allow them
to model the surface of
the tomb'’s paintwork

459
00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:58,760
in microscopic detail.

460
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:00,840
ALIAA: The dust
is a huge problem.

461
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:05,840
No matter how much
you wipe it clean,
it never gets clean.

462
00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:09,080
NARRATOR: The equipment
is set up and they are
ready to start.

463
00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,320
ALIAA: So exciting!

464
00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:14,680
NARRATOR: It is now
the moment of truth.

465
00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:17,720
Will Aliaa'’s hard
work bring results?

466
00:37:17,720 --> 00:37:21,280
Or will all her efforts
have been for nothing?

467
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:24,720
ALIAA: Now we'’re going
to see what happens when
we press the magic button.

468
00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:36,520
NARRATOR: Aliaa and her
team begin scanning.

469
00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,360
Each pass of the scanner
takes three minutes,

470
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:43,880
so they have a nerve-racking
wait to see if their
operation is a success.

471
00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:47,040
ALIAA: It'’s almost like
we'’re making history.

472
00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:50,960
NARRATOR: The scan
is complete and the team
rush to check their data.

473
00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:55,280
ALIAA: Yay! [applause]

474
00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:02,480
Finally, it seems like all
the hard work has paid off.

475
00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:05,400
NARRATOR: The scan has
worked perfectly, capturing

476
00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:09,480
the surface of the tomb
in microscopic detail.

477
00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:12,000
ALIAA: It'’s only through
understanding the complex

478
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,960
biographies of these
surface layers

479
00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:19,880
that we can
understand and preserve
and protect this tomb.

480
00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:26,840
NARRATOR: These
records will help save
the tomb'’s decorations,

481
00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:30,600
and could reveal more
secrets about the
life of Ramses

482
00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:32,960
and his father, Seti.

483
00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:37,640
ALIAA: Only about ten
percent of what is out
there has been discovered

484
00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:43,000
and there'’s much more, much
more for us to see and for
future generations to see.

485
00:38:50,720 --> 00:38:54,240
NARRATOR: At Ramses'’
palace in Abydos,

486
00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:59,040
Sameh'’s team is on the
brink of a new discovery.

487
00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:02,560
Unlike the random
skeletons scattered
around the palace,

488
00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:06,360
this bull has been
ceremoniously buried.

489
00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:11,360
DR ISKANDER: This is an
entire bull skeleton
completely intact.

490
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:15,880
NARRATOR: This matches the
practices of the Apis cult.

491
00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:22,520
Sameh believes this is
proof Ramses'’ palace was
a sacred cult location.

492
00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:27,480
DR ISKANDER: People
revered Ramses and
they want to bury

493
00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:31,880
the bulls right here
in his palace.

494
00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:35,960
NARRATOR: To learn more
about the cult, Sameh
searches for clues

495
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,880
to date the skeleton.

496
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:42,040
Buried around the bones
are fragments of pottery,

497
00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:45,440
which reveal incredible
new evidence.

498
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:48,640
DR ISKANDER: With the
pottery that we have all
over the place here,

499
00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:52,120
we are certain this is
Ptolemaic period,

500
00:39:52,120 --> 00:39:54,440
a thousand years
after Ramses.

501
00:39:56,240 --> 00:39:58,400
NARRATOR: It'’s an
amazing revelation.

502
00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:02,720
The Ptolemaic period
was ancient Egypt'’s
last dynasty,

503
00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:08,640
meaning this sacrifice
is from a millennium
after Ramses'’ rule.

504
00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:13,720
DR ISKANDER: Ramses'’ cult
lasted for a thousand
years after his time.

505
00:40:13,720 --> 00:40:18,080
Thousand years
after Ramses died

506
00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:22,080
This place is still
a divine place, a
sacred place,

507
00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:24,360
where offerings are
being made.

508
00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:31,720
NARRATOR: Sameh'’s discoveries
show that by instilling his
worship in the hearts

509
00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:36,560
and minds of his people,
Ramses engineered his
own path to greatness.

510
00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:41,640
DR ISKANDER: It'’s a
history. It'’s the
history of Egypt.

511
00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:44,600
It'’s the history of
humanity here and that'’s
what we go through.

512
00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:46,480
It is so exciting.

513
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:58,320
NARRATOR: Near the
Valley of the Kings,
through his cult,

514
00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:01,280
Ramses'’ legacy lived on.

515
00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:04,720
But to discover
his mummy'’s final
resting place,

516
00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:09,600
John and Colleen hunt deep
beneath the mountains.

517
00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:15,160
At the bottom of the
shaft, John discovers an
ancient painted message.

518
00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:20,640
PROF. JOHN: The text
describes activities
related to the reburials

519
00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,720
that went on here
in this tomb.

520
00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:26,160
NARRATOR: It'’s an
ancient record of
mummies being moved

521
00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:30,480
to this tomb 3,000
years ago.

522
00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:34,840
DR COLLEEN: It'’s as
if the ancient Egyptians
wanted to leave us clues.

523
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,880
NARRATOR: 150 years
after Ramses'’ death,

524
00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:47,520
Egypt suffered a period
of civil unrest.

525
00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:51,040
State officials could no
longer guard the Valley
of the Kings,

526
00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:56,400
so they stripped the tombs
of their treasure, taking
it for themselves.

527
00:41:56,400 --> 00:41:59,560
But they still revered
the royal mummies
buried there.

528
00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:07,520
In secret, they moved
nearly 50 ancient kings
to a hidden location.

529
00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:16,480
To investigate the
fate of Ramses'’ mummy,

530
00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:20,960
John and Colleen must go
deeper into the pitch- black,
crumbling tomb.

531
00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:24,600
PROF. JOHN: Look
at all of this.

532
00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:26,720
It'’s a bit unstable.
DR COLLEEN: Wow!

533
00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:31,680
The hard hats were
a good idea.

534
00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:35,600
NARRATOR: Explorers
discovered the royal
mummies in 1881,

535
00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:40,440
and sketched a plan
of where each pharaoh
was buried.

536
00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:45,160
Deep in the labyrinth,
John and Colleen
discover a small chamber

537
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:47,880
which could have
been Ramses'’ tomb.

538
00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:50,960
PROF. JOHN: I
didn'’t expect this.

539
00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:52,800
DR COLLEEN: Wow!

540
00:42:55,920 --> 00:43:00,760
PROF. JOHN: The body of
Ramses II was probably over
in here, in this chamber.

541
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:07,000
Ramses II spent about 28
centuries resting here...

542
00:43:09,240 --> 00:43:12,320
and it'’s quite
extraordinary.

543
00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:17,640
NARRATOR: This is
where Ramses'’ mummy
was discovered.

544
00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,440
His story continues
to this day.

545
00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:25,360
His mummy was moved to
the Cairo museum where
it'’s still on display.

546
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:34,120
DR COLLEEN: So, for Ramses II
to still exist today
is somewhat of a miracle.

547
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:40,600
NARRATOR: Ramses may
not have lived forever
in his intended tomb,

548
00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:44,120
but he did achieve a
kind of immortality.

549
00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:46,560
His name still lives
on today as the
greatest pharaoh

550
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:50,400
of this ancient
civilization.

551
00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:54,880
And it is through
the secrets and
clues he left behind

552
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:58,720
that we can reveal the
key to his success.

553
00:43:58,720 --> 00:44:01,520
DR COLLEEN: It'’s here
that we can fill in

554
00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:05,080
the story that we
know what happened.

555
00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:09,800
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