TLDR;
This documentary explores the life and legacy of Ramses the Great, one of ancient Egypt's most powerful pharaohs, and investigates the roles of queens in ancient Egypt, and uncovers the mysteries surrounding mummification practices.
- Ramses the Great's rise to power through military might, diplomacy, and strategic propaganda.
- The significant roles of queens in ancient Egypt, highlighting their power and influence.
- The evolution of mummification practices, from early natural preservation to sophisticated techniques.
- The exploration of tombs and temples to uncover the secrets of ancient Egyptian rulers and their beliefs.
Disturbing an Ancient Egyptian Tomb of Ramses the Great [0:04]
Archaeologists unearth a bricked-up entrance to an ancient Egyptian tomb dating back to the time of Ramses the Great, undisturbed for nearly 3,000 years. Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, ruled for 66 years, expanding Egypt's borders and constructing numerous monuments and temples. Across Egypt, archaeologists are currently excavating evidence to uncover the secrets of Ramses' ascent to power.
Ramses' Presence Across His Empire [1:45]
Colleen Darnell, an expert in hieroglyphs, visits Karnak Temple to investigate how Ramses made his presence felt throughout his empire. Karnak Temple, a vast complex built over 1,500 years by around 30 pharaohs, features a Hypostyle Hall, one of the largest religious rooms ever constructed. Despite numerous pharaohs contributing to Karnak, the name of Ramses II is prominently inscribed on nearly every column in the Hypostyle Hall. These columns, numbering 134 and towering up to 66 feet, are adorned with Ramses' name and stories of his life.
Ramses as a Warrior Pharaoh [4:38]
The temple walls depict Ramses' military victories, portraying him as a warrior pharaoh who expanded Egypt's boundaries. As a young prince, Ramses gained military experience alongside his father, Seti the First, and later commanded an army of 100,000 men. He personally led his troops into battle against the Hittite Empire of Kadesh, expanding Egypt's control and earning a reputation as a fearsome warrior king. These depictions of military triumphs on temple walls served to showcase the triumph of Egypt and order over chaos, represented by foreigners.
The Location of Tombs of Ramses' Nobles [6:54]
Fathi Yaseen, an Egyptian archaeologist, investigates the location of tombs of Ramses' nobles in Luxor's Deir El-Bahari to understand Ramses' reign. The location of these burials is unusual, as they are situated on the valley floor rather than on the hillsides, where ancient Egyptian elites typically buried their dead. Fathi's team previously discovered the cartinage of an elite, suggesting an important undiscovered tomb nearby, potentially containing treasure and inscriptions that could explain the tomb's peculiar location.
Excavating the Tombs of Ramses Generals [10:00]
Ola El Aguizy explores the tombs of Ramses' generals at the Saqqara Necropolis to understand how Ramses rewarded those who supported his rise to power. Ola is excavating the temple tomb of Iwrkhy, a senior general in Ramses II's army, who was originally from Syria. Iwrkhy served as a general to Ramses' father, Seti the First, and later became Ramses' right-hand man, leading the army and fighting alongside the pharaoh.
Discoveries Inside Iwrkhy's Tomb [12:22]
Ola's team discovers a 26-foot deep shaft in Iwrkhy's tomb, leading to an antechamber and another 39-foot shaft to the burial chamber, which is found empty. Behind a ripped-up wall in the first antechamber, Ola discovers a tomb much larger than initially thought, filled with debris and a potential treasure trove of items related to General Iwrkhy. Inside, she finds numerous funerary alabaster jars containing mummified food and wine, indicating a rich burial. The tomb is revealed to be a catacomb with multiple tombs connected together, including skeletal remains with a skull.
Uncovering Clues in the Debris [17:34]
Fathi's team excavates a 66-foot-long entrance corridor of an ancient tomb in Luxor's Deir El-Bahari, searching for clues about Ramses' reign. They discover funerary treasures, including ushabtis, small figures believed to serve the tomb's occupant in the afterlife. As they excavate, the sandy rock debris transitions to smooth white limestone, revealing the top of the tomb's entrance door. Fathi hopes the tomb will contain inscriptions explaining why the tomb owner chose such a low-lying site.
The World's First Peace Treaty [20:08]
Colleen explores Karnak temple, finding that Ramses was not only a warrior but also a diplomat, as evidenced by the world's first Peace Treaty with the Hittites inscribed on the temple walls. The Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty, or the Treaty of Kadesh, allowed Ramses to end his 20-year war with the Hittites, guaranteeing stability and prosperity in his reign. This peace allowed Ramses to focus on gathering wealth and constructing temples and monuments to celebrate his achievements.
Ancient Propaganda and Altered Statues [22:38]
Simon Connor and Eid Mertah investigate how Ramses used ancient propaganda through statues to wield power across his kingdom. Ramses built thousands of statues and strategically placed them across Egypt, with around 90 of them now in the Egyptian museum in Cairo. They discover that some statues were altered after being carved, with modifications around the ears, eyebrows, eyes, and mouth. By comparing these statues with unaltered ones, they find that Ramses modified older statues to resemble his own, using the prestige of his ancestors to increase his power.
Deactivating Statues and New Discoveries [28:17]
Ramses altered nearly one-quarter of his statues, originally belonging to other pharaohs, by re-carving them and claiming them as his own. After Ramses' reign, his statues were intentionally damaged to deactivate them. Fathi's team uncovers the full entrance to a tomb after days of hauling sand and soil, hoping it will provide clues about why tomb owners chose the site and reveal information about Ramses' reign.
Entering a New Tomb and the Beautiful Festival of the Valley [30:46]
Fathi enters a new tomb for the first time, seeking inscriptions to understand why elites chose the low-lying site for their necropolis. The walls are bare, so he searches the debris for other evidence. The discovery of a basket and pot in great condition suggests they were offerings placed at the tomb's entrance during the Beautiful Festival of the Valley. Nobles chose this site for its location for the festival, a prime spot to receive offerings. Ramses continued the festival, along with others, increasing his popularity and power.
Looted Tombs and Funerary Items [35:01]
Ola explores a hidden chamber in the tomb of General Iwrkhy, finding it looted with skeletons scattered throughout. She discovers a jar depicting Hathor, the goddess of love, and a canopic jar head, part of the funerary goods buried in the tomb. The discovery of these decorative items, made of prized alabaster, proves that Iwrkhy and his family were highly rewarded by Ramses the Great.
Inscriptions and Religious Scenes [37:35]
Ola uncovers a block covered in inscriptions depicting funeral mourners, revealing sacred funerary rites for the tomb owner's burial. The block could prove that Ramses' generals, like Iwrkhy, received elaborate funerary processions as part of Egyptian high society. Despite the work still to be done, Ola remains optimistic about finding significant information about Iwrkhy.
Ramses' Legacy in Ancient Nubia [39:30]
Colleen investigates Ramses the Great's legacy in ancient Nubia, where he sourced gold and built the impressive Abu Simbel temple. Inside the temple, she finds records of Ramses' military victories and an image of Ramses offering to his deified self, indicating that the temple was a place where Ramses could be worshipped for generations. By making himself a god, Ramses secured his legacy as Ramses the Great, building grand temples and proclaiming his divine right to rule more times than any other pharaoh.
Queens of Egypt and Hatshepsut's Temple [44:04]
The documentary shifts focus to the Queens of Egypt, exploring how they rose to power in a male-dominated world. Colleen Darnell explores Hatshepsut's temple, noting that Hatshepsut portrayed herself as a man, wearing a divine beard and holding symbols of royalty. Hatshepsut's cartouche identifies her as a daughter, not a son, indicating she was not hiding her gender but projecting power as a king.
Hatshepsut's Rise to Power [48:09]
Hatshepsut became king after her husband died and her infant nephew, Thutmose the Third, became king. She ruled as co-regent for 20 years before transforming into pharaoh herself. After Hatshepsut's death, Thutmose erased her name and images to secure the throne for his son, but her name survives as evidence of the power women could attain in ancient Egypt.
Exploring Hatshepsut's Temple and the Pyramid of the Unknown Queen [49:48]
Patryk Chudzik explores Hatshepsut's temple, excavating ground beside it to uncover an ancient tomb that might explain why Hatshepsut built her temple there and reveal something of how she ruled as a pharaoh queen. Mohamed Megahed explores the remains of a pyramid built for Queen Setibor, the wife of King Djedkare, aiming to discover her importance and why she had such a huge pyramid.
Discovering the Entrance of the Pyramid [55:14]
Mohamed discovers high-quality limestone, a sign of the entrance to Queen Setibor's pyramid, which no one has entered in the modern era. He faces the challenge of an unstable wall of sand and rubble blocking the corridor, risking a collapse. Colleen investigates Hatshepsut's reign, finding engravings that reveal she claimed kingship as her divine right and divine birth, using it as propaganda to claim her right to be a pharaoh.
Hatshepsut's Propaganda and Power [58:39]
Hatshepsut claimed divine birth, that she was the daughter of the god Amun, and projected an image of physical strength and divine right. She was a prototype for ruling queens throughout history. Mohamed's team excavates strange ruins next to Queen Setibor's pyramid, finding huge stone blocks with ancient hieroglyphs, suggesting Setibor was not just a royal wife.
Uncovering the Role and Power of Setibor [1:01:42]
The hieroglyphs suggest Setibor is not just a royal wife, and the block could be part of an important structure next to her pyramid, revealing the extent of her power and importance. The discovery of a door hinge reveals the width of the door, and the lintel bears Queen Setibor's name, suggesting it's part of the mysterious structure built next to her pyramid. Setibor used special granite, typically reserved for kings, not queens.
Hatshepsut's Temple and the Worship of Hathor [1:04:31]
Patryk investigates why Hatshepsut preserved an ancient tomb beneath her temple, hoping it can shed light on how she ruled as a pharaoh queen. Pottery expert Ania Wezranowska finds pottery and wooden figurines, and Patryk believes the tomb was used by a religious cult that worshipped Hathor, the goddess of motherhood and fertility. Hatshepsut built her temple on top of this hidden tomb because the valley had ancient links with the Hathor cult, promoting Hathor ahead of all other gods.
Exploring Setibor's Burial Chamber [1:07:04]
Mohamed's team builds an extra supporting wall to resume the search for Queen Setibor's burial chamber, facing the obstacle of an unstable wall of sand and rubble. They discover daylight inside the burial chamber, but part of the ceiling is not preserved. Mohamed finds parts of the north wall of the burial chamber, but there is still a lot of ancient rubble to remove.
Nefertari's Influence and Power [1:09:56]
Colleen visits Abu Simbel to investigate how women wielded power as queens, focusing on Nefertari, the wife of Ramses the Great. Nefertari is portrayed as having virtually equal power to Ramses, and an inscription reveals she achieved the status of a goddess. A letter shows she was involved in diplomacy between Egypt and the Hittites, helping broker a peace treaty. Ramses acknowledged his queen's importance on the walls of her temple, suggesting she had real political power.
Discoveries in Setibor's Burial Chamber [1:14:16]
Mohamed's team clears a path to Queen Setibor's burial chamber, but the roof has collapsed, and the walls could fall at any moment. They search for solid stone foundations beneath the walls to ensure safety. Outside Setibor's pyramid, Hana Vymazalova investigates the mysterious ruins, finding a roofing block with a night sky pattern, identifying it as part of Queen Setibor's funerary temple.
Setibor's Legacy and Influence [1:16:34]
Hana's discovery proves the mysterious building was Queen Setibor's funerary temple, and its size is more evidence that Setibor was a powerful woman. Mohamed notes that the funerary temple is the biggest built for a queen in the Old Kingdom. The team discovers a serdab, a chamber usually reserved for the statue of the pharaoh, indicating Setibor was the first queen to build one. Hana suggests that Setibor may have been related to the kings and helped Djedkare to the throne, making her the power behind the throne.
Hatshepsut's Temple and the Goddess Hathor [1:17:24]
Patryk wants to know why Hatshepsut chose the location for her temple and how she ruled in a male-dominated world. He hopes that the finds from a tomb beneath it might yield clues. The pieces look like religious charms, and Patryk heads up to a shrine that Hatshepsut built in her temple, dedicated to the cow goddess Hathor, directly above the tomb. The matching finds confirm that the tomb was used by a religious cult that worshipped Hathor.
The Power of Queen Setibor [1:21:29]
Mohamed's team searches for solid limestone foundations beneath the overhanging walls in Setibor's burial chamber. They discover solid stone foundations, allowing digging to resume safely. Mohamed and Hana find that everything was smashed, indicating stone robbers came and destroyed everything. They discover a serdab, a chamber usually reserved for the statue of the pharaoh, indicating Setibor was the first queen to build one.
Setibor's Role and Influence [1:23:53]
Hana thinks that the answer might be hiding on a column they discovered by her pyramid, inscribed with her name, Setibor. The last part of it, "Hor" stands for Horus, the falcon god. The Horus inscription reveals the true extent of Setibor's power. Hana notes that they are features which scream I'm the important queen, but at the same time, they are features which show that she is not a royal person, she's not the ruler, she's not the king.
The Mummies of Egypt and the Valley of the Kings [1:28:06]
The documentary shifts focus to the mummies of Egypt, exploring the evolution of mummification practices. Meredith Brand visits the Valley of the Kings, believing the secrets of the origins of mummification can be found there. She searches for evidence of the Ancient Egyptians' obsession with mummification, finding an image of Anubis enacting mummification, representing the very first mummification performed by gods.
The Oldest Egyptian Mummies [1:33:12]
Salima Ikram examines a mummy in Saqqara, hoping it belongs to the tomb's original owner and is one of the oldest mummies ever found. Mohamed Megahed has uncovered a tomb dating back more than 4,000 years, containing a single human mummy. Salima examines the mummy to try to establish a positive ID, hoping the corpse could answer how early Egyptians perfected the art of mummification.
Mummification at the End of the Egyptian Empire [1:36:08]
Basem Gehad investigates mummification at the end of the Egyptian empire, setting up camp on the site of the ancient town of Philadelphia. He wants to know how the Greek conquest changed the practice of mummification. Basem is on the hunt for an intact Greek grave, hoping to find out if the occupant was buried in the Greek tradition or Egyptian.
The Gebelein Man and Early Death Rites [1:41:49]
Meredith searches for evidence of Egypt's earliest death rites in the desert of Gebelein, finding a mummified body preserved in detail, known as "Ginger." Forensic analysis reveals the body is male and over 5,000 years old, preserved by the drying power of nature. Meredith believes the practice of mummification could have evolved from accidents of nature, inspiring Ancient Egyptians to use technology to harness the power of nature.
Exploring Tombs in Aswan and the Mummy of Khuwy [1:45:13]
A team of Egyptian archaeologists scours a remote hilltop necropolis in Aswan, hoping its long-lost tombs will hold evidence of how ordinary Ancient Egyptians prepared their dead for the afterlife. Salima examines a mummy found in a noble's tomb in Saqqara, hoping an X-Ray will help establish if it's the original tomb owner. She conducts a visual inspection, finding only fragments of the body remain, but enough to tell how it was preserved.
The Quality of the Mummy and the Greek Burial [1:49:17]
Salima notes the mummy smells like a nicer quality mummy, impregnated with resins and wrapped in fine quality linen. The quality of the linen rings alarm bells, as it's similar to that of the 21st dynasty, more than 1,000 years after Khuwy lived. Basem extracts a 2000-year-old coffin from a tomb in the Necropolis of Ancient Philadelphia, hoping to reveal how the Greeks buried their dead.
Mummies in Aswan and the Greek Tradition [1:57:14]
Sayed's mummy has completed its journey to the safety of the analysis tent, but it's clear this mummy's afterlife has been traumatic. The mummy's condition suggests he was not wealthy enough to afford a high-quality mummification. Hala finds the broken mummy of a baby, with a stick inserted in the body to hold the head, suggesting the body was already decomposed when it was embalmed.
The Mummy of Khuwy and the X-Ray Analysis [2:01:49]
Salima's team prepares the mummy found in the Old Kingdom tomb of Khuwy for X-Ray, hoping to learn more about the body. Mohamed finds four Canopic Jars right next to the mummy, which are Old Kingdom. Salima conducts an X-Ray analysis, confirming the mummy is male and that he was fat, fitting with a nice burial.
The Greek Coffin and the Story of the Mummies of Egypt [2:08:00]
Inside the Greek coffin, Basem finds a small skeleton in a basic wrapping, but also a statue. The artwork shows a goddess in Greek terracotta, but the practice of placing a figurine in the coffin is purely Egyptian. The skeleton is a young girl and she bears clear evidence of mummification. The remnants of hair and skin on the mummy show that 100 years after Greeks had conquered Egypt, they had begun to change their own sacred burial practices, and adopted Egyptian ones, including mummification.
The Tomb of Tutankhamun and the Valley of the Kings [2:12:10]
The documentary shifts focus to the tomb of Tutankhamun, exploring the mysteries surrounding his burial. Aliaa Ismail leads a team digitally reconstructing the valley's tombs, searching for clues as to how King Tutankhamun's tomb was built that might explain the mystery of his strange burial. Aliaa compares Tutankhamun's tomb to the tomb of Seti I, noting that Tutankhamun's burial chamber is small and poorly decorated compared to other pharaoh's tombs.
The Search for a Lost Temple [2:18:01]
Maria Nilsson and John Ward search for a lost temple near a quarry workers' village, following the lead of a 120-year-old archaeological report. They are searching for evidence that could back up their hunch that Tutankhamun built the lost temple. The team unearths a piece of pottery painted with blue lotus flowers, a typical motif from the time of Tutankhamun.
The Discovery of a Tomb and the Search for the Entrance [2:22:15]
Ezz El Noby excavates a giant tomb with an impressive pillared entrance in Asasif, hoping it can shed light on the mystery of Tutankhamun's tomb. The team uncovers a rope, a clue that there may be ancient mummies inside the tomb. Ola El Aguizy searches for the tomb of Ta Mwiyah, an important aide to the pharaoh who ruled Egypt 50 years after Tutankhamun's death.
The Excavation of Ta Mwiyah's Tomb [2:26:52]
Ola's team excavates the entrance to Ta Mwiyah's tomb, revealing a beautiful painted artwork on plaster. Maria and John's search for evidence of a temple that may have been built by Tutankhamun unearths a piece of pottery, confirming that the settlement dates to the era of the boy king. The team finds more and more pieces of dressed stone in the trenches and among the surface scatter, proving that there was something here that was more substantial.
Entering the Tomb and the Discovery of a Mummy [2:32:31]
Ezz prepares to enter a tomb he has just opened, discovering it is far bigger than the burial chamber in Tutankhamun's tomb. The team finds further passageways leading off the main hall and a false door. In the corner, Ezz spots a mysterious shape under the sand, revealing a mummy.
The Mummification Process and the Religious Revolution [2:37:30]
The documentary explores the mummification process and the religious revolution that shaped Tutankhamun's life. Maria and John think that the reasons why Tutankhamun had his quarries on the West Bank has a strong link with the priesthood, the priesthood of god Amun and that they wanted to see him with a fresh start. Tutankhamun agreed to return to the old ways, building on the opposite bank of the Nile to his father, to make clear his opposition to his father's reforms.
The Tombs of Tutankhamun and Seti I [2:42:21]
Aliaa compares the scans of the tombs of Tutankhamun and Seti I, revealing that Seti's tomb has so many carved details, it's so intricately done and very special, but when you go into Tut's tomb, it's just plaster and paint. The scans reveal that the plaster was still wet when they started painting over it, suggesting that somebody wanted to rush Tutankhamun's burial.
The Mystery of Tutankhamun's Tomb [2:44:46]
Aliaa investigates a puzzling portrait painted onto the tomb walls, depicting a figure dressed in leopard skin performing a sacred ritual. She travels to the tomb of Ay, the man depicted guiding Tutankhamun's soul to the afterlife, finding that it's very similar to the tomb of Tutankhamun. The artistic style of the two tombs suggests that Ay may have been responsible for decorating both.
The Religious Beliefs After Tutankhamun's Death [2:47:32]
Ola's team searches for the tomb of Ta Mwiyah, an important aide to the pharaoh who ruled Egypt 50 years after Tutankhamun's death. They find reliefs depicting the couple's journey to heaven and their eternal life in paradise, similar to scenes in Tutankhamun's tomb. The team finds a pillar decorated with a Djed pillar, confirming the nature of Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs in the years after the Amarna Revolution and Tutankhamun's death.
The Legacy of Tutankhamun [2:52:51]
Aliaa suggests that Ay buried Tutankhamun in the smaller tomb, so he could have the bigger tomb for himself. As a boy king, Tutankhamun navigated a royal court in turmoil, reinstating the priesthood, rebuilding Egypt's temples, and replacing the sun god, Aten, with the Egyptian gods of old. After his father's years of misrule, the reign of the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun saw Egypt restored to greatness.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu [2:56:13]
Steve Harvey investigates the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the culmination of hundreds of years of trial and error in pyramid building. He explores the restricted areas inside the pyramid, hunting for any clues to the life, and death, of this mysterious pharaoh. Steve finds that the burial chamber is almost entirely bare, but the walls are made of incredible granite that's been smoothed to a very high degree.
The Power and Dominance of the Giza Monuments [3:01:44]
John Ward explores the monuments of Khufu's dynasty, noting the power, dominance, and control that the pyramids and the Sphinx create. He believes what stood these kings apart was that they inspired devotion. The sheer volume of stone that has gone into building this and each individual block, represents the loyalty that they had for Pharaoh.
The Sun Temple and the Power of the Pharaoh [3:06:26]
Massimiliano Nuzzolo investigates a Sun Temple, dedicated to the most powerful god of the Pyramid Age, hoping to know how the kings of the Pyramid Age held on to power as their wealth and status declined. He finds pottery scattered across the site, and the team is excavating an area of the Sun Temple earlier archaeologists never touched. The missing Sun Temples could hold the secrets of how the later Pyramid Kings who followed Khufu held onto power.
The Tomb of Ka-Irsu and the Pyramid Kings [3:14:02]
Miroslav Barta digs in the very heart of the cemetery, in search of more elite tombs, wanting to know how much the later Pyramid Kings relied on powerful officials, like Ka-Irsu, to improve their public relations and promote loyalty. The team uncovers the exterior structure of a tomb, but a crucial clue is missing, the walls are bare. Miroslav will have to dig deeper, and find the burial chamber.
The Search for Buried Monuments [3:16:38]
John Ward joins Maria Nilsson at the ancient quarry of Gebel El-Silsila, searching for a new Sphinx to match the statue they unearthed last season. They believe the site still hides stone monuments that could reveal the Great Pyramid Kings' impact on Egyptian history. The team hits something solid, and they delicately work around the chunk of stone.
The Inscriptions and the Power of the Pharaoh [3:20:07]
Miroslav's computer software has sharpened the script from the high official's tomb, and the inscriptions should tell him the tomb owner's name and titles. The tomb owner was a close confidant of the Pyramid King, and his name is similar in form to the legendary wiseman, Ka-Irsu, whose teachings of loyalty to the pharaoh lasted 1,000 years. The team finds a stone, embedded in windblown sand, decorated with engravings, appearing to be a missing piece of a monument.
The Legacy of the Pyramid Kings [3:37:12]
The block appears to be a missing piece of a monument John and Maria have been trying to piece together for nearly a decade, a shrine to the, New Kingdom pharaoh who owned this quarry, Amenhotep the Third. By claiming to be the great god, and the son of Ra, the sun disk, Amenhotep III is following a tradition all the way back from the great pyramid builders. The Pyramid Kings' extraordinary monuments remained and their legacy inspired pharaohs 1,000 years later.