1 00:00:01,266 --> 00:00:03,766 ♪ ♪ 2 00:00:05,500 --> 00:00:09,300 ♪ ♪ 3 00:00:09,300 --> 00:00:12,533 NARRATOR: In Egypt, a team of archaeologists has made 4 00:00:12,533 --> 00:00:14,000 an extraordinary discovery. 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:15,300 ZAHI HAWASS: I never thought 6 00:00:15,300 --> 00:00:17,033 that anything like this would be discovered. 7 00:00:17,033 --> 00:00:21,300 NARRATOR: A cemetery hidden for millennia. 8 00:00:21,300 --> 00:00:22,800 AFIFI ROHIM: We can see the burial chamber. 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,866 NARRATOR: No one knew of its existence. 10 00:00:25,866 --> 00:00:28,100 We are in front of a sealed tomb. 11 00:00:28,100 --> 00:00:31,700 NARRATOR: How many tombs will they find? 12 00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:33,133 This is really exciting. 13 00:00:33,133 --> 00:00:35,700 NARRATOR: What lies within? 14 00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:36,900 ROHIM: We are sure 15 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:38,766 that this tomb intact tomb. 16 00:00:39,766 --> 00:00:41,800 NARRATOR: Now, from the Egyptian desert, 17 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,300 incredible artifacts emerge. 18 00:00:45,300 --> 00:00:47,300 HAWASS: Beautiful-- this is the first time 19 00:00:47,300 --> 00:00:48,733 I see something like this. 20 00:00:48,733 --> 00:00:51,766 NARRATOR: Who was buried here? 21 00:00:51,766 --> 00:00:53,933 These individuals were wealthy. 22 00:00:53,933 --> 00:00:56,000 NARRATOR: Now these lost tombs are revealing 23 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,100 a unique period in Egyptian history, 24 00:00:59,100 --> 00:01:03,766 when kings from the south conquered and ruled Egypt 25 00:01:03,766 --> 00:01:05,366 and Egyptian women 26 00:01:05,366 --> 00:01:07,966 had more power and prestige than ever before. 27 00:01:07,966 --> 00:01:10,300 JULIA BUDKA: The god's wife of Amun 28 00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:13,300 was really the female substitute of the king. 29 00:01:13,300 --> 00:01:16,133 MARIAM AYAD: The god's wife of Amun 30 00:01:16,133 --> 00:01:19,566 was as important as a medieval pope. 31 00:01:19,566 --> 00:01:22,233 NARRATOR: Who were these outsiders who ruled Egypt? 32 00:01:22,233 --> 00:01:26,066 And how did they help women rise to such heights? 33 00:01:26,066 --> 00:01:28,833 ♪ ♪ 34 00:01:30,566 --> 00:01:32,500 "Egypt's Tombs of Amun," 35 00:01:32,500 --> 00:01:35,800 right now, on "NOVA." 36 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,900 ♪ ♪ 37 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,466 ♪ ♪ 38 00:02:09,466 --> 00:02:11,966 NARRATOR: Ancient Egypt, 39 00:02:11,966 --> 00:02:16,000 a civilization that lasted for more than 3,000 years. 40 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,166 From towering pyramids 41 00:02:19,166 --> 00:02:22,133 to palatial rock-cut tombs, 42 00:02:22,133 --> 00:02:23,666 from sprawling temples 43 00:02:23,666 --> 00:02:27,266 to soaring obelisks, 44 00:02:27,266 --> 00:02:30,333 its long history is meticulously recorded 45 00:02:30,333 --> 00:02:32,100 on the walls of Egyptian temples, 46 00:02:32,100 --> 00:02:34,166 colossal statues, 47 00:02:34,166 --> 00:02:37,400 and the artifacts the Egyptians buried in their tombs. 48 00:02:38,966 --> 00:02:40,666 Leading the Egyptian people 49 00:02:40,666 --> 00:02:43,000 was a succession of about 300 rulers, 50 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,133 divided into 31 dynasties 51 00:02:46,133 --> 00:02:52,066 lasting from around 3200 to 300 BCE. 52 00:02:52,066 --> 00:02:55,066 These were the pharaohs, who were both heads of state, 53 00:02:55,066 --> 00:02:57,000 as well as divine intermediaries 54 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,933 between the people and their gods. 55 00:03:05,333 --> 00:03:08,000 Most of the history of Ancient Egypt 56 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,800 unfolds over three major periods of unity and prosperity. 57 00:03:14,100 --> 00:03:17,933 The Old Kingdom, the era of the pyramids. 58 00:03:17,933 --> 00:03:19,466 The Middle Kingdom, a classical age, 59 00:03:19,466 --> 00:03:22,766 when literature and the arts flourished. 60 00:03:22,766 --> 00:03:26,533 And the New Kingdom, when Egypt extended its control 61 00:03:26,533 --> 00:03:30,533 beyond its borders and became an empire. 62 00:03:30,533 --> 00:03:34,200 As well as three periods of instability in between, 63 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,966 called the First, Second, and Third Intermediate Periods. 64 00:03:40,233 --> 00:03:42,666 The New Kingdom is probably the best-known 65 00:03:42,666 --> 00:03:44,133 period in Ancient Egypt 66 00:03:44,133 --> 00:03:47,466 because we have all those temples, 67 00:03:47,466 --> 00:03:49,100 we have huge amounts 68 00:03:49,100 --> 00:03:53,100 of royal stelar texts and inscriptions. 69 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,700 Egypt was completely connected with the Mediterranean, 70 00:03:56,700 --> 00:03:58,166 with the Near East, 71 00:03:58,166 --> 00:04:00,233 with the south. 72 00:04:00,233 --> 00:04:02,900 It's really the first evidence 73 00:04:02,900 --> 00:04:05,166 for globalization in our history. 74 00:04:05,166 --> 00:04:07,033 ♪ ♪ 75 00:04:07,033 --> 00:04:10,900 People were living together, people were copying things, 76 00:04:10,900 --> 00:04:12,266 they're creating something new. 77 00:04:15,233 --> 00:04:19,433 NARRATOR: The New Kingdom is considered Egypt's golden age, 78 00:04:19,433 --> 00:04:21,800 a time of wealth, prosperity, and power. 79 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,400 ♪ ♪ 80 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,333 Pharaohs like Ramesses II 81 00:04:26,333 --> 00:04:28,300 and Hatshepsut 82 00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:31,166 build magnificent temples, and incredible treasures, 83 00:04:31,166 --> 00:04:34,266 like the ones found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, 84 00:04:34,266 --> 00:04:36,600 are produced. 85 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,200 But after nearly 500 years of splendor, 86 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:43,866 things start to change. 87 00:04:43,866 --> 00:04:45,500 There were internal political problems, 88 00:04:45,500 --> 00:04:47,300 economic problems, 89 00:04:47,300 --> 00:04:50,200 periods of hunger, civil wars. 90 00:04:52,133 --> 00:04:54,233 NARRATOR: During this time of declining prosperity, 91 00:04:54,233 --> 00:04:57,100 the state collapses, 92 00:04:57,100 --> 00:04:59,966 allowing self-proclaimed regional rulers 93 00:04:59,966 --> 00:05:03,300 to grab power and divide the country. 94 00:05:03,300 --> 00:05:05,500 After the fall of the New Kingdom, 95 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:07,900 Egypt fell into a dark, dark, dark age 96 00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:11,466 of political fragmentation. 97 00:05:11,466 --> 00:05:12,933 It's known as the Third Intermediate Period. 98 00:05:14,433 --> 00:05:17,233 NARRATOR: Starting in 1069 BCE, 99 00:05:17,233 --> 00:05:21,733 the Third Intermediate Period lasts for more than 300 years. 100 00:05:23,100 --> 00:05:26,366 The archaeological record from this period of Egyptian history 101 00:05:26,366 --> 00:05:28,266 is fragmented. 102 00:05:28,266 --> 00:05:29,833 The story of the people 103 00:05:29,833 --> 00:05:32,833 who lived during these times is largely unknown. 104 00:05:35,166 --> 00:05:36,900 But now 105 00:05:36,900 --> 00:05:38,900 new information is being uncovered 106 00:05:38,900 --> 00:05:40,700 400 miles south of Cairo, 107 00:05:40,700 --> 00:05:43,266 in an excavation happening 108 00:05:43,266 --> 00:05:46,133 in Egypt's richest archaeological area: 109 00:05:46,133 --> 00:05:48,800 Luxor. 110 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,300 BUDKA: The modern city of Luxor 111 00:05:51,300 --> 00:05:55,533 was the ancient Thebes, and for centuries, it was 112 00:05:55,533 --> 00:05:59,400 the religious capital of Egypt. 113 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,566 NARRATOR: Some of the most famous ancient sites are here: 114 00:06:02,566 --> 00:06:05,500 temples to the most important gods 115 00:06:05,500 --> 00:06:07,766 on the East Bank of the Nile; 116 00:06:07,766 --> 00:06:10,233 the funerary temples of the pharaohs 117 00:06:10,233 --> 00:06:15,233 and the vast Necropolis, or city of the dead, to the west. 118 00:06:15,233 --> 00:06:17,666 The popular belief is, we know already everything. 119 00:06:17,666 --> 00:06:19,966 We have deciphered the hieroglyphs. 120 00:06:19,966 --> 00:06:22,100 We have so many temples and tombs. 121 00:06:22,100 --> 00:06:24,100 We know what happened. 122 00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:26,400 This is actually not the case. 123 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,566 And every single archaeological dig 124 00:06:28,566 --> 00:06:29,900 can teach you a lot. 125 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:36,700 NARRATOR: In September 2020, 126 00:06:36,700 --> 00:06:38,333 a team of Egyptian archaeologists 127 00:06:38,333 --> 00:06:40,933 led by Zahi Hawass 128 00:06:40,933 --> 00:06:42,633 started excavating a new site there, 129 00:06:42,633 --> 00:06:46,100 on the West Bank of the Nile, 130 00:06:46,100 --> 00:06:49,933 and discovered a long-lost city. 131 00:06:49,933 --> 00:06:51,833 We discovered one house, 132 00:06:51,833 --> 00:06:55,766 and this house led us to this major important discovery. 133 00:06:57,833 --> 00:06:59,700 The lost golden city. 134 00:07:02,333 --> 00:07:04,933 NARRATOR: Built by Tutankhamun's grandfather 135 00:07:04,933 --> 00:07:06,300 Amenhotep III 136 00:07:06,300 --> 00:07:08,666 in the 14th century BCE, 137 00:07:08,666 --> 00:07:12,366 the lost city is a sprawling maze of serpentine walls, 138 00:07:12,366 --> 00:07:16,233 houses, workshops, and administration buildings. 139 00:07:17,333 --> 00:07:21,433 For centuries, no one knew of its existence. 140 00:07:21,433 --> 00:07:25,600 The lost city is built on prime ancient real estate 141 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,466 in the area known as Medinet Habu 142 00:07:28,466 --> 00:07:31,333 on the West Bank of the ancient city of Thebes. 143 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,166 It took the archaeologists nearly two years 144 00:07:36,166 --> 00:07:38,533 to fully excavate it. 145 00:07:38,533 --> 00:07:41,266 HAWASS: When we found the lost golden city, 146 00:07:41,266 --> 00:07:44,033 I really wanted to extend the area in the north. 147 00:07:44,033 --> 00:07:46,533 This is known in the map 148 00:07:46,533 --> 00:07:50,033 as the Triangle. 149 00:07:50,033 --> 00:07:53,000 This area is empty-- no one really ever excavated it. 150 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,633 NARRATOR: For decades, it's been just a patch of desert 151 00:07:57,633 --> 00:07:59,733 next to the main tourist route. 152 00:08:01,133 --> 00:08:04,000 Every morning, dozens of buses whiz past 153 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:05,966 on their way to the famous sites. 154 00:08:08,666 --> 00:08:12,033 Hundreds of tourists take to the sky on hot air balloons. 155 00:08:13,100 --> 00:08:16,966 It would seem an unlikely place for a big discovery. 156 00:08:16,966 --> 00:08:21,966 ♪ ♪ 157 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,633 In September 2022, 158 00:08:26,633 --> 00:08:30,866 two years after the lost city was discovered, 159 00:08:30,866 --> 00:08:33,733 the team starts excavating the Triangle. 160 00:08:33,733 --> 00:08:36,166 As soon as the archaeologists 161 00:08:36,166 --> 00:08:40,400 remove the first layer of sand, they uncover mud bricks-- 162 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:45,300 evidence that there might be more to be found. 163 00:08:45,300 --> 00:08:50,933 Zahi decides to concentrate the team's efforts in this area. 164 00:08:53,166 --> 00:08:55,666 Within days, they uncover a row of large pottery vessels. 165 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,566 Remarkably, they are still sealed. 166 00:09:01,566 --> 00:09:06,533 As they open one, they are about to find something very telling: 167 00:09:06,533 --> 00:09:11,166 a clear indication of what this site once was. 168 00:09:11,166 --> 00:09:13,733 Huh. 169 00:09:13,733 --> 00:09:15,400 What's this? 170 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:18,066 It's kind of plants. 171 00:09:18,066 --> 00:09:19,400 NARRATOR: The plants appear to have been burned. 172 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:21,433 What's this? 173 00:09:21,433 --> 00:09:23,166 ROHIM: Linen. Linen? 174 00:09:23,166 --> 00:09:27,066 And we will take all the filling outside 175 00:09:27,066 --> 00:09:29,266 to be sure what's behind this. 176 00:09:29,266 --> 00:09:31,833 HAWASS: Oh! 177 00:09:31,833 --> 00:09:33,600 Broken pottery! 178 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,566 This is a ritual. 179 00:09:37,766 --> 00:09:39,933 NARRATOR: The contents of the pots all relate 180 00:09:39,933 --> 00:09:42,000 to a funerary ritual. 181 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:43,466 BUDKA: During mummification, 182 00:09:43,466 --> 00:09:47,500 the embalming workshops produced leftovers 183 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:49,300 that was regarded as something important. 184 00:09:49,300 --> 00:09:51,033 They were not just put somewhere 185 00:09:51,033 --> 00:09:53,400 as trash, but they were arranged in deposits. 186 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,733 Sometimes they deposited linen, 187 00:09:55,733 --> 00:09:59,233 organic remains, botanical remains. 188 00:09:59,233 --> 00:10:03,833 Very often, we find broken pots inside the vessels. 189 00:10:03,833 --> 00:10:07,866 And this is what in general we call embalming cache. 190 00:10:07,866 --> 00:10:09,900 NARRATOR: An embalming cache is the collection 191 00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:12,066 of the precious leftovers of materials 192 00:10:12,066 --> 00:10:15,533 used during the mummification process. 193 00:10:15,533 --> 00:10:17,600 BUDKA: Finding a cache of embalming material 194 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,633 tells you immediately 195 00:10:19,633 --> 00:10:22,966 that you have found something associated with a cemetery. 196 00:10:22,966 --> 00:10:25,600 And you should probably look for a tomb nearby. 197 00:10:26,900 --> 00:10:29,966 NARRATOR: This is a momentous find. 198 00:10:29,966 --> 00:10:32,366 ♪ ♪ 199 00:10:32,366 --> 00:10:35,133 Is the team on the verge of a new important discovery? 200 00:10:35,133 --> 00:10:37,400 (people talking in background) 201 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,466 Excited, they split into groups, 202 00:10:40,466 --> 00:10:44,800 each tackling a different corner of the Triangle. 203 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,300 Soon, they uncover evidence of several tombs. 204 00:10:48,300 --> 00:10:51,366 The archaeologists are standing 205 00:10:51,366 --> 00:10:55,133 on a previously unknown burial ground. 206 00:10:55,133 --> 00:10:58,366 It's not every day that you find a brand-new cemetery. 207 00:11:00,433 --> 00:11:02,200 So this is really exciting. 208 00:11:05,966 --> 00:11:08,366 NARRATOR: When was this cemetery built? 209 00:11:08,366 --> 00:11:10,233 And who was buried here? 210 00:11:10,233 --> 00:11:14,166 HAWASS: Work in this big, large cemetery, it's a challenge. 211 00:11:15,866 --> 00:11:17,900 It needs to be excavated completely 212 00:11:17,900 --> 00:11:19,700 to understand the date. 213 00:11:21,333 --> 00:11:24,133 The excavation will give us more information 214 00:11:24,133 --> 00:11:26,866 about the people who are buried in this large cemetery. 215 00:11:30,033 --> 00:11:32,866 BUDKA: The burials are located on the West Bank, 216 00:11:32,866 --> 00:11:36,766 because in the Egyptian concept of the netherworld, 217 00:11:36,766 --> 00:11:39,366 the entrance to the netherworld is on the west. 218 00:11:39,366 --> 00:11:41,600 The sun rises in the east 219 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,066 and sets in the west, 220 00:11:44,066 --> 00:11:48,166 and this is what a human life should repeat. 221 00:11:48,166 --> 00:11:50,666 ♪ ♪ 222 00:11:50,666 --> 00:11:53,566 NARRATOR: The Ancient Egyptians invested vast amounts 223 00:11:53,566 --> 00:11:55,533 of wealth and energy 224 00:11:55,533 --> 00:11:58,933 preparing for life after death. 225 00:11:58,933 --> 00:12:02,166 The belief of the afterlife built Egypt. 226 00:12:04,633 --> 00:12:08,966 That belief made the Egyptian to build pyramids, 227 00:12:08,966 --> 00:12:10,966 tombs, and temples. 228 00:12:10,966 --> 00:12:15,700 NARRATOR: They believed that life continued after death, 229 00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:19,233 and the tomb was considered the house for eternity. 230 00:12:19,233 --> 00:12:20,966 For those who could afford it, 231 00:12:20,966 --> 00:12:24,333 the mummified body would have laid to rest 232 00:12:24,333 --> 00:12:27,866 inside beautifully decorated tombs. 233 00:12:27,866 --> 00:12:30,666 BUDKA: There's the popular belief that the Ancient Egyptians 234 00:12:30,666 --> 00:12:33,333 were obsessed by death, and that they were only 235 00:12:33,333 --> 00:12:36,133 caring about life in the netherworld. 236 00:12:36,133 --> 00:12:38,600 This is, of course, definitely not the case. 237 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:39,866 The Egyptians were people like us, 238 00:12:39,866 --> 00:12:43,000 so they wanted to live. 239 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,633 Mortuary rituals is actually something 240 00:12:46,633 --> 00:12:49,766 that helps the living to overcome, 241 00:12:49,766 --> 00:12:52,266 um, their sorrow, their grief. 242 00:12:52,266 --> 00:12:54,066 ♪ ♪ 243 00:12:54,066 --> 00:12:56,833 What you find in tombs 244 00:12:56,833 --> 00:12:59,900 tells you so much about society and about the living. 245 00:12:59,900 --> 00:13:03,733 ♪ ♪ 246 00:13:05,766 --> 00:13:08,533 NARRATOR: Tombs are time capsules 247 00:13:08,533 --> 00:13:10,733 that can preserve information 248 00:13:10,733 --> 00:13:12,800 about ancient people for millennia. 249 00:13:14,700 --> 00:13:19,533 HAWASS: You can gain a lot of knowledge and information about burials, 250 00:13:19,533 --> 00:13:21,700 and that's why this cemetery needs more excavation. 251 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,433 NARRATOR: The tombs in the Triangle are all different. 252 00:13:26,433 --> 00:13:29,200 Some have a shaft dug straight into the ground. 253 00:13:30,433 --> 00:13:33,800 And at the bottom, they open up to the burial chamber. 254 00:13:35,700 --> 00:13:38,366 Some have grand entrances, complete with a staircase, 255 00:13:38,366 --> 00:13:40,700 and more than one room carved into the rock. 256 00:13:45,533 --> 00:13:50,533 Archaeology is dangerous for archaeologists. 257 00:13:50,533 --> 00:13:53,033 ♪ ♪ 258 00:13:53,033 --> 00:13:54,733 It's hard work. 259 00:13:58,666 --> 00:14:00,833 (man grunts, people talking in background) 260 00:14:00,833 --> 00:14:03,133 It's to live dangerously. 261 00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:09,300 But to live dangerously, it's fun, also. 262 00:14:11,166 --> 00:14:14,166 It's amazing when you make a new, important discovery. 263 00:14:14,166 --> 00:14:17,400 ♪ ♪ 264 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,000 You completely forget dangers. 265 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,233 Archaeology is like a box of chocolate. 266 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,433 What is this? 267 00:14:26,433 --> 00:14:27,533 You never know what you get. 268 00:14:30,766 --> 00:14:32,800 Looks like part of a necklet. 269 00:14:37,866 --> 00:14:40,500 NARRATOR: Four months into the excavation, 270 00:14:40,500 --> 00:14:43,566 and the archaeologists haven't found any mummies yet. 271 00:14:43,566 --> 00:14:47,700 But intriguing artifacts emerge from the tombs. 272 00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:50,066 ROHIM: Here I found a metal eye 273 00:14:50,066 --> 00:14:52,100 used in wooden coffins. 274 00:14:52,100 --> 00:14:53,100 Wow! 275 00:14:53,100 --> 00:14:54,800 NARRATOR: A gold ring 276 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,133 with a carved carnelian. 277 00:14:57,133 --> 00:15:00,966 Amulets believed to protect the deceased 278 00:15:00,966 --> 00:15:03,933 with their magical powers. 279 00:15:03,933 --> 00:15:07,100 And shabtis, images of the tomb owner, 280 00:15:07,100 --> 00:15:10,333 who the ancient Egyptians believed 281 00:15:10,333 --> 00:15:12,933 did all the manual labor in the netherworld. 282 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:21,066 With only one month left before desert temperatures rise 283 00:15:21,066 --> 00:15:23,966 and work must stop, 284 00:15:23,966 --> 00:15:26,766 site director Afifi Rohim starts working 285 00:15:26,766 --> 00:15:31,633 in tomb number six, one that he finds most promising. 286 00:15:32,833 --> 00:15:34,433 The cut in the mountain is very good. 287 00:15:34,433 --> 00:15:37,866 We have a staircase and we have this corridor. 288 00:15:39,900 --> 00:15:44,400 Till now, most of the debris is still original debris. 289 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:45,466 Mm. 290 00:15:45,466 --> 00:15:47,233 (speaking Arabic) 291 00:15:47,233 --> 00:15:48,633 (Ahmed El Nasseh speaking Arabic) 292 00:15:48,633 --> 00:15:51,133 ROHIM: 293 00:15:51,133 --> 00:15:54,766 (Baghdadi speaking Arabic) 294 00:15:54,766 --> 00:15:55,800 ROHIM: Mm. 295 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,366 (others speaking Arabic) 296 00:15:57,366 --> 00:15:59,500 ROHIM: 297 00:15:59,500 --> 00:16:00,566 BAGHDADI: 298 00:16:00,566 --> 00:16:02,533 ROHIM: 299 00:16:02,533 --> 00:16:03,833 BAGHDADI: 300 00:16:03,833 --> 00:16:06,366 ROHIM: Mm. 301 00:16:06,366 --> 00:16:11,300 NARRATOR: Most tombs discovered in Egypt have been looted in antiquity. 302 00:16:11,300 --> 00:16:14,033 If there are no objects mixed in the sand, 303 00:16:14,033 --> 00:16:15,700 it could mean two things: 304 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:19,966 either the tomb is unfinished or no one has entered it 305 00:16:19,966 --> 00:16:23,000 since it was sealed thousands of years ago. 306 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:24,866 HAWASS: There is no tomb 307 00:16:24,866 --> 00:16:26,866 that could be looted 308 00:16:26,866 --> 00:16:30,966 if, in a shaft, you have clean sand. 309 00:16:30,966 --> 00:16:32,566 NARRATOR: This is tantalizing evidence 310 00:16:32,566 --> 00:16:37,200 that tomb number six might be intact. 311 00:16:38,866 --> 00:16:42,466 The workers remove bucket after bucket of sand. 312 00:16:42,466 --> 00:16:45,833 ♪ ♪ 313 00:16:49,733 --> 00:16:54,233 Then, suddenly, the density of the sediment changes. 314 00:16:55,633 --> 00:16:58,466 ROHIM: He start to find very compact layer. 315 00:16:58,466 --> 00:17:00,533 Looks like mother rock. 316 00:17:00,533 --> 00:17:02,800 And this means that all this layer 317 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:04,933 was the original layer, 318 00:17:04,933 --> 00:17:07,633 which, in the ancient time, they make it 319 00:17:07,633 --> 00:17:10,333 the filling for the shaft. 320 00:17:10,333 --> 00:17:13,100 If it is, it will be really untouch. 321 00:17:15,066 --> 00:17:17,900 NARRATOR: What drives archaeologists to endure 322 00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:20,666 the hot desert environment is the promise 323 00:17:20,666 --> 00:17:23,866 of revealing long-forgotten histories 324 00:17:23,866 --> 00:17:26,300 and, sometimes, the chance 325 00:17:26,300 --> 00:17:31,866 to come face to face with an Ancient Egyptian. 326 00:17:33,866 --> 00:17:36,300 In tomb number six, skilled worker Baghdadi 327 00:17:36,300 --> 00:17:40,100 is getting closer to the bottom of the shaft. 328 00:17:41,433 --> 00:17:43,933 For archaeologist Ahmed El Nasseh, 329 00:17:43,933 --> 00:17:46,066 this tomb is puzzling. 330 00:17:46,066 --> 00:17:49,700 EL NASSEH: We are still confused because we have natural layers, 331 00:17:49,700 --> 00:17:51,200 the compact layer, 332 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,966 similar to the bedrock, and below, 333 00:17:53,966 --> 00:17:55,933 we have sandy layer, which is loose. 334 00:17:55,933 --> 00:17:57,200 We will follow the bedrock 335 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,766 to find the limit of the burial shaft. 336 00:17:59,766 --> 00:18:01,500 (Baghdadi and El Nasseh speaking Arabic) 337 00:18:04,733 --> 00:18:05,766 EL NASSEH: He found mudbrick, 338 00:18:05,766 --> 00:18:07,366 so, I think we are 339 00:18:07,366 --> 00:18:09,200 in front of the blocked doorway. 340 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:10,700 ♪ ♪ 341 00:18:10,700 --> 00:18:12,500 NARRATOR: It's exciting news. 342 00:18:12,500 --> 00:18:14,966 There's a good chance the burial chamber 343 00:18:14,966 --> 00:18:16,966 has not been opened 344 00:18:16,966 --> 00:18:18,766 since it was originally sealed with mudbrick 345 00:18:18,766 --> 00:18:22,400 thousands of years ago. 346 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,666 Good news at the end of the day. 347 00:18:26,900 --> 00:18:29,766 ♪ ♪ 348 00:18:29,766 --> 00:18:33,033 NARRATOR: The following day at the excavation site, 349 00:18:33,033 --> 00:18:35,366 it all looks like a normal morning. 350 00:18:38,166 --> 00:18:42,533 But just below the surface in tomb number six, 351 00:18:42,533 --> 00:18:44,566 the expectations are high. 352 00:18:46,100 --> 00:18:50,166 Afifi is checking the mudbricks that block the entrance 353 00:18:50,166 --> 00:18:53,166 to the burial chamber. 354 00:18:53,166 --> 00:18:58,366 ROHIM: The seal of the doorway is just directly under the mother rock. 355 00:18:58,366 --> 00:19:02,966 It means that it, it never open before. 356 00:19:02,966 --> 00:19:05,566 This tomb was confusing for us. 357 00:19:05,566 --> 00:19:07,766 In the beginning, we thought 358 00:19:07,766 --> 00:19:10,833 there's nothing here. 359 00:19:10,833 --> 00:19:14,100 Was thinking that, stop the work and leave the shaft. 360 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:17,900 NARRATOR: And Afifi is also concerned 361 00:19:17,900 --> 00:19:22,600 about the safety of the crew working in the tomb. 362 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:24,133 The mother rock is not straight, 363 00:19:24,133 --> 00:19:27,366 so I try to check if it is still in original situ 364 00:19:27,366 --> 00:19:28,800 or just fall down. 365 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:32,900 NARRATOR: On closer inspection, 366 00:19:32,900 --> 00:19:36,300 Afifi notices that a couple of the mudbricks have collapsed 367 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:37,966 under the weight of the rock above, 368 00:19:37,966 --> 00:19:39,500 leaving a small opening. 369 00:19:41,566 --> 00:19:45,800 Over time, the sand has seeped through. 370 00:19:46,833 --> 00:19:49,733 With great anticipation, 371 00:19:49,733 --> 00:19:51,333 Baghdadi starts removing the mudbricks. 372 00:19:53,833 --> 00:19:56,233 Once the passage is cleared, 373 00:19:56,233 --> 00:19:59,533 work inside the chamber begins. 374 00:19:59,533 --> 00:20:02,233 At first, it's just clean sand. 375 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:07,466 But soon, artifacts emerge. 376 00:20:07,466 --> 00:20:08,966 HAWASS: Is this amethyst? 377 00:20:08,966 --> 00:20:10,433 Huh? ROHIM: Yeah, could be. 378 00:20:11,866 --> 00:20:15,133 Oh, oh! 379 00:20:15,133 --> 00:20:17,866 Beautiful vase-- God! 380 00:20:17,866 --> 00:20:19,700 (chuckles) Hm. 381 00:20:19,700 --> 00:20:21,200 This is not Egyptian. 382 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,666 This is so strange. 383 00:20:23,666 --> 00:20:27,500 Doesn't looks Egyptian-- even the colors. 384 00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:30,566 NARRATOR: The style of this tiny pot is nothing 385 00:20:30,566 --> 00:20:34,333 like any artifact the team has found before. 386 00:20:34,333 --> 00:20:37,700 Was it imported from a distant land? 387 00:20:37,700 --> 00:20:39,866 HAWASS: This is a very important discovery. 388 00:20:39,866 --> 00:20:43,233 The artifacts are now really unique. 389 00:20:43,233 --> 00:20:45,800 Very happy. 390 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,700 NARRATOR: Then Zahi comes face to face 391 00:20:49,700 --> 00:20:51,066 with a special object. 392 00:20:51,066 --> 00:20:52,433 HAWASS (speaking Arabic): 393 00:20:52,433 --> 00:20:54,833 This is the first time 394 00:20:54,833 --> 00:20:58,633 I see something like this. 395 00:20:58,633 --> 00:21:02,366 The lady is seated, 396 00:21:02,366 --> 00:21:04,133 having a gazelle on her hand 397 00:21:04,133 --> 00:21:06,766 and holding her son on the back. 398 00:21:08,466 --> 00:21:10,500 Can you hold this? 399 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,633 This is another one. 400 00:21:16,633 --> 00:21:18,266 She is standing, 401 00:21:18,266 --> 00:21:21,833 and on her back, she is holding a child. 402 00:21:21,833 --> 00:21:25,433 This could be someone from outside Egypt. 403 00:21:25,433 --> 00:21:28,566 NARRATOR: The statuettes confirm Zahi's hunch. 404 00:21:28,566 --> 00:21:33,700 The style of the artifacts is not traditionally Egyptian. 405 00:21:33,700 --> 00:21:36,566 The depiction of the face hints at people 406 00:21:36,566 --> 00:21:39,966 originating from beyond Egypt's borders. 407 00:21:41,633 --> 00:21:46,100 And then there's the speckled texture. 408 00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:48,000 The distinctive spotted look, 409 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,633 combined with the shapely woman's frame, 410 00:21:50,633 --> 00:21:53,266 was only produced during a crucial moment 411 00:21:53,266 --> 00:21:55,833 in the history of Egypt, 412 00:21:55,833 --> 00:21:59,833 when the country is ruled by foreigners: 413 00:21:59,833 --> 00:22:02,400 the 11th century BCE, 414 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,366 the start of the unstable Third Intermediate Period. 415 00:22:06,366 --> 00:22:09,833 Egypt had economic problems, only very short-lived kings, 416 00:22:09,833 --> 00:22:15,466 quarrels about the inheritance of the throne. 417 00:22:15,466 --> 00:22:16,600 Egypt was vulnerable. 418 00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:21,666 NARRATOR: But this changes when Egypt's southern neighbors, 419 00:22:21,666 --> 00:22:24,333 the Kushites-- also known as the Nubians-- 420 00:22:24,333 --> 00:22:29,333 take advantage of Egypt's weakness, and, in 712 BCE, 421 00:22:29,333 --> 00:22:33,466 they move in and conquer the Land of the Pharaohs. 422 00:22:33,466 --> 00:22:35,033 We refer to the Kushites 423 00:22:35,033 --> 00:22:38,666 as the kings of the XXV dynasty. 424 00:22:38,666 --> 00:22:41,933 And this dynasty was originally coming from modern Sudan. 425 00:22:41,933 --> 00:22:45,200 NARRATOR: Known for rich deposits of gold, 426 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:51,033 Nubia is home to some of Africa's earliest kingdoms. 427 00:22:51,033 --> 00:22:53,700 The Egyptians first called Nubia Ta-Seti, 428 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:55,666 the Land of the Bow, 429 00:22:55,666 --> 00:22:58,866 highlighting the skill of Nubian warriors. 430 00:22:58,866 --> 00:23:01,700 BUDKA: When the Kushites invaded Egypt, 431 00:23:01,700 --> 00:23:03,933 they erected a very, very powerful 432 00:23:03,933 --> 00:23:09,533 and very successful empire for roughly 70, 80 years. 433 00:23:10,766 --> 00:23:12,566 AYAD: The Nubians were restorers. 434 00:23:12,566 --> 00:23:16,166 After things were destroyed and the temples were neglected, 435 00:23:16,166 --> 00:23:19,466 the Nubians were now going to take care of everything, 436 00:23:19,466 --> 00:23:20,866 put everything back in order. 437 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,266 NARRATOR: Egypt is prosperous again. 438 00:23:25,266 --> 00:23:28,266 ♪ ♪ 439 00:23:28,266 --> 00:23:32,333 BUDKA: They made themselves kings of both Egypt and Kush. 440 00:23:32,333 --> 00:23:35,900 The Egyptian culture was part of their own heritage, 441 00:23:35,900 --> 00:23:40,433 because, in the New Kingdom, Nubia was an Egyptian colony. 442 00:23:42,366 --> 00:23:44,500 NARRATOR: Few written records or artifacts of the people 443 00:23:44,500 --> 00:23:48,933 that lived under Kushite rule in Egypt survive today. 444 00:23:48,933 --> 00:23:53,200 Which makes what the team is unearthing in the Triangle 445 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,566 especially rare. 446 00:23:55,566 --> 00:23:58,066 (speaking Arabic): 447 00:24:01,100 --> 00:24:03,366 I really could not believe 448 00:24:03,366 --> 00:24:05,633 that statues like this could exist. 449 00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:08,766 It's unique. 450 00:24:08,766 --> 00:24:11,566 The color. 451 00:24:11,566 --> 00:24:13,200 They are very realistic. 452 00:24:14,533 --> 00:24:19,000 NARRATOR: Not only do the two statuettes both show a woman, 453 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,133 but some of the small pots that have been found 454 00:24:21,133 --> 00:24:23,033 are for makeup. 455 00:24:23,033 --> 00:24:26,800 This tomb for sure belonged this woman. 456 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:30,233 NARRATOR: Women in Ancient Egypt have the right to buy 457 00:24:30,233 --> 00:24:32,666 and inherit property. 458 00:24:32,666 --> 00:24:34,433 They can represent themselves in court, 459 00:24:34,433 --> 00:24:36,666 own a business, and get divorced. 460 00:24:36,666 --> 00:24:40,600 But it isn't exactly an egalitarian society. 461 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,933 BUDKA: There was a small percentage of women 462 00:24:43,933 --> 00:24:45,533 who were highly privileged, 463 00:24:45,533 --> 00:24:48,733 but nevertheless, there was a gender bias in Ancient Egypt. 464 00:24:50,100 --> 00:24:52,666 This is why I think it's not fair to say 465 00:24:52,666 --> 00:24:55,433 it's a paradise for women in the ancient world. 466 00:24:55,433 --> 00:24:58,433 NARRATOR: But when the Kushites take over Egypt, 467 00:24:58,433 --> 00:25:01,600 they bring with them a Nubian culture 468 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,300 in which women have power. 469 00:25:06,100 --> 00:25:07,433 In the Kushite time, 470 00:25:07,433 --> 00:25:10,266 women had a different status 471 00:25:10,266 --> 00:25:11,700 than before and after. 472 00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:18,833 There is a matrilineal system for the Kushite kingdom. 473 00:25:18,833 --> 00:25:20,133 It was more important 474 00:25:20,133 --> 00:25:22,433 who was your mother than who was your father. 475 00:25:22,433 --> 00:25:24,600 And this might be the main difference 476 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:26,100 between Egypt and Kush. 477 00:25:29,666 --> 00:25:32,000 ♪ ♪ 478 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:35,433 NARRATOR: Mariam Ayad has spent her entire career studying 479 00:25:35,433 --> 00:25:37,200 Ancient Egyptian women, 480 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,733 and especially the women of the XXV dynasty. 481 00:25:40,733 --> 00:25:43,233 Zahi has invited Mariam 482 00:25:43,233 --> 00:25:48,066 to see the objects found in tomb number six. 483 00:25:48,066 --> 00:25:50,766 HAWASS: This tomb was really unique. 484 00:25:50,766 --> 00:25:53,266 We found some very impressive artifacts. 485 00:25:53,266 --> 00:25:55,400 If you look at the face... AYAD: Yeah? 486 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:56,566 ...it looks Nubian to me. 487 00:25:56,566 --> 00:25:58,400 It does look Nubian, for sure. 488 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,266 This body type of the standing woman... Yeah. 489 00:26:02,266 --> 00:26:04,500 That body type we find a lot during the XXV dynasty. Yes. 490 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:08,266 The heavier lower body, the heavier hips. 491 00:26:08,266 --> 00:26:11,033 I have never seen statues like this. 492 00:26:11,033 --> 00:26:14,233 I don't think there's ever statues of that type 493 00:26:14,233 --> 00:26:16,666 ever produced before or possibly even after. 494 00:26:16,666 --> 00:26:20,033 ♪ ♪ 495 00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:27,366 NARRATOR: When the Kushites conquer Egypt around 700 BCE, 496 00:26:27,366 --> 00:26:29,633 they decide to embrace 497 00:26:29,633 --> 00:26:31,700 the Egyptians' religious customs and beliefs. 498 00:26:32,766 --> 00:26:36,066 BUDKA: In Ancient Egypt, we cannot separate 499 00:26:36,066 --> 00:26:37,133 kingship from religion. 500 00:26:37,133 --> 00:26:39,533 Pharaohs invested so much 501 00:26:39,533 --> 00:26:42,233 in the religious landscape of Thebes. 502 00:26:43,233 --> 00:26:48,033 NARRATOR: And this strategy is best seen at Karnak, 503 00:26:48,033 --> 00:26:52,266 a vast temple complex where pharaohs dedicated 504 00:26:52,266 --> 00:26:55,500 great building projects to Amun, the king of the gods. 505 00:26:55,500 --> 00:26:59,700 ♪ ♪ 506 00:26:59,700 --> 00:27:01,733 When the Kushite kings arrive, 507 00:27:01,733 --> 00:27:06,133 they, too, make their marks here. 508 00:27:06,133 --> 00:27:09,633 One of the monuments, built by Kushite king Taharqa, 509 00:27:09,633 --> 00:27:12,433 reveals a new and distinctive 510 00:27:12,433 --> 00:27:16,833 level of power for women in Egypt. 511 00:27:16,833 --> 00:27:19,433 AYAD: We're here by the edifice of Taharqa at the sacred lake. 512 00:27:19,433 --> 00:27:22,066 We can't call it the temple, because it doesn't have 513 00:27:22,066 --> 00:27:24,766 some of the main features we associate with temples. 514 00:27:25,966 --> 00:27:27,333 The only part of the building 515 00:27:27,333 --> 00:27:31,400 that survives is the subterranean chambers. 516 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,700 NARRATOR: What's special about this monument 517 00:27:33,700 --> 00:27:36,566 is a relief on a wall hidden from view. 518 00:27:36,566 --> 00:27:39,666 AYAD: And because there's no proper entrance, 519 00:27:39,666 --> 00:27:42,333 we'll have to climb up. 520 00:27:42,333 --> 00:27:43,933 It's a part of the building with ritual scenes 521 00:27:43,933 --> 00:27:46,633 that are unique and not found elsewhere. 522 00:27:48,966 --> 00:27:53,600 NARRATOR: The scene Mariam is looking for is one-of-a-kind. 523 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,833 It depicts two figures protecting a sacred tomb. 524 00:27:58,833 --> 00:28:00,533 AYAD: On either side, 525 00:28:00,533 --> 00:28:04,633 the figures are facing outward as a way of protecting it. 526 00:28:04,633 --> 00:28:07,233 In Egyptian art, it's very rare for figures 527 00:28:07,233 --> 00:28:09,366 to be facing outward and not toward the center. 528 00:28:09,366 --> 00:28:11,733 The king is throwing four balls, 529 00:28:11,733 --> 00:28:14,066 and he's aiming at four targets-- 530 00:28:14,066 --> 00:28:16,933 east, west, north, and south. 531 00:28:16,933 --> 00:28:20,733 NARRATOR: Opposite the king, a female figure. 532 00:28:20,733 --> 00:28:22,600 AYAD: She is complementing his actions, 533 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:24,100 asserting the royal dominion 534 00:28:24,100 --> 00:28:25,533 over the four extremities of the Earth. 535 00:28:25,533 --> 00:28:28,866 She is drawing an arrow through a double-arched bow, 536 00:28:28,866 --> 00:28:31,866 and this is very rare, 537 00:28:31,866 --> 00:28:33,933 to find a woman actively arching. 538 00:28:33,933 --> 00:28:34,966 Very rare. 539 00:28:37,766 --> 00:28:40,900 Even the goddess Neith, who's known as the goddess of war, 540 00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:44,100 and who's often called the mistress of bow and arrows, 541 00:28:44,100 --> 00:28:46,000 she's mostly holding them in her hand. 542 00:28:47,033 --> 00:28:49,766 As far as Egyptian iconography is concerned, 543 00:28:49,766 --> 00:28:52,400 this is a unique representation of female power. 544 00:28:53,900 --> 00:28:55,800 NARRATOR: Who is this woman? 545 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:59,166 Her title is god's wife of Amun. 546 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:05,266 To understand how a woman might attain such power in Egypt, 547 00:29:05,266 --> 00:29:09,200 we need to go back 800 years, 548 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:13,733 when the title of god's wife of Amun first appears. 549 00:29:13,733 --> 00:29:16,433 Carved on a stone slab, or stela, 550 00:29:16,433 --> 00:29:18,933 is the title's earliest evidence. 551 00:29:18,933 --> 00:29:23,500 This is the Ahmose Nefertari's donation stela. 552 00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:26,233 Ahmose Nefertari was the wife of King Ahmose, 553 00:29:26,233 --> 00:29:27,766 the founder of the XVIII dynasty. 554 00:29:27,766 --> 00:29:30,933 As part of his larger state policy 555 00:29:30,933 --> 00:29:32,466 to put trusted family members 556 00:29:32,466 --> 00:29:34,100 in key positions around the realm, 557 00:29:34,100 --> 00:29:37,933 she was appointed as the god's wife of Amun. 558 00:29:37,933 --> 00:29:39,266 As far as we know, 559 00:29:39,266 --> 00:29:41,433 she's the first woman to hold that title. 560 00:29:41,433 --> 00:29:44,066 NARRATOR: With this stela, 561 00:29:44,066 --> 00:29:48,266 King Ahmose establishes the estate of the god's wife 562 00:29:48,266 --> 00:29:51,466 as a source of revenue for his queen. 563 00:29:51,466 --> 00:29:54,866 The stela records large amounts of gold, 564 00:29:54,866 --> 00:29:59,666 silver, and copper, as well as servants and land. 565 00:29:59,666 --> 00:30:02,333 AYAD: On the donation stela of Ahmose Nefertari, 566 00:30:02,333 --> 00:30:04,700 there is a very telling line. 567 00:30:04,700 --> 00:30:07,233 It says, "No future king shall ever revoke 568 00:30:07,233 --> 00:30:09,433 the estate of the god's wife of Amun." 569 00:30:11,333 --> 00:30:13,833 NARRATOR: With this line, Ahmose makes sure 570 00:30:13,833 --> 00:30:18,100 that this newly established estate will last in perpetuity. 571 00:30:18,100 --> 00:30:21,100 AYAD: The women who held that title 572 00:30:21,100 --> 00:30:24,300 remained financially independent, 573 00:30:24,300 --> 00:30:26,233 and it seems plausible to suggest 574 00:30:26,233 --> 00:30:28,400 that it's because of that initial endowment. 575 00:30:32,300 --> 00:30:34,800 NARRATOR: Although the title of god's wife of Amun 576 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:38,966 first appears during the New Kingdom, 577 00:30:38,966 --> 00:30:42,433 over time, the position becomes less relevant. 578 00:30:42,433 --> 00:30:44,033 But then, 579 00:30:44,033 --> 00:30:47,700 during the Kushites' reign, this role takes on 580 00:30:47,700 --> 00:30:50,300 a completely new and powerful meaning. 581 00:30:50,300 --> 00:30:52,533 AYAD: When the Nubians invaded Egypt, 582 00:30:52,533 --> 00:30:54,766 they were quick to recognize the political value 583 00:30:54,766 --> 00:30:56,100 of having that institution. 584 00:30:57,700 --> 00:31:01,433 The office was resurrected after centuries of oblivion. 585 00:31:01,433 --> 00:31:04,733 So Amenirdis I becomes the first Nubian woman 586 00:31:04,733 --> 00:31:06,200 to become a god's wife of Amun. 587 00:31:07,866 --> 00:31:09,966 NARRATOR: The Kushite princess Amenirdis 588 00:31:09,966 --> 00:31:11,766 is the sister of Pianky, 589 00:31:11,766 --> 00:31:14,866 the first king of the XXV dynasty. 590 00:31:14,866 --> 00:31:17,166 On becoming the god's wife of Amun, 591 00:31:17,166 --> 00:31:20,933 Amenirdis effectively takes control of Thebes. 592 00:31:20,933 --> 00:31:23,333 AYAD: Her installation served 593 00:31:23,333 --> 00:31:24,933 to achieve a smooth transition of power 594 00:31:24,933 --> 00:31:26,500 from the preceding dynasty 595 00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:28,933 to the Nubian rule in Egypt. 596 00:31:28,933 --> 00:31:32,466 ♪ ♪ 597 00:31:32,466 --> 00:31:34,600 Amenirdis participated in rituals 598 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:37,633 that no other woman was allowed to participate in before. 599 00:31:39,433 --> 00:31:42,500 BUDKA: In the XXV dynasty, the god's wife of Amun 600 00:31:42,500 --> 00:31:46,366 was much more important than in previous times. 601 00:31:46,366 --> 00:31:49,100 The god's wife of Amun was 602 00:31:49,100 --> 00:31:51,400 the female substitute of the king. 603 00:31:53,233 --> 00:31:55,000 AYAD: The god's wife of Amun 604 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,133 was as important as a medieval pope 605 00:31:57,133 --> 00:32:01,000 in terms of the temporal and religious power that she held. 606 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,900 NARRATOR: In a side corridor at the Cairo Museum, 607 00:32:04,900 --> 00:32:07,900 a statue found in Karnak Temple 608 00:32:07,900 --> 00:32:09,866 reveals how much power 609 00:32:09,866 --> 00:32:12,833 the god's wife of Amun, Amenirdis, really had. 610 00:32:12,833 --> 00:32:17,366 It's carved from alabaster, 611 00:32:17,366 --> 00:32:20,200 a soft, translucent form of gypsum rock. 612 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:21,833 (sighs) 613 00:32:21,833 --> 00:32:24,400 The one and only Amenirdis I, royal princess. 614 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:27,800 It's not very common to find 615 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:29,500 statues of that size in alabaster. 616 00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:33,300 She looks exactly like an Egyptian queen. 617 00:32:33,300 --> 00:32:36,000 The headdress, the modius crown on her head, 618 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:38,433 but she has that pendant of Amun, 619 00:32:38,433 --> 00:32:40,800 and that might be a Nubian feature. 620 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:44,900 On the back pillar, she asserts her moral character. 621 00:32:44,900 --> 00:32:47,533 She gave bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, 622 00:32:47,533 --> 00:32:50,033 and clothes to the naked. 623 00:32:50,033 --> 00:32:51,600 Now, this is significant, 624 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:54,000 because if you are giving food to the hungry, 625 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,633 water to the thirsty, you have agency. 626 00:32:56,633 --> 00:32:58,700 It's not just about generosity, 627 00:32:58,700 --> 00:33:01,100 it's also about having the means to do so 628 00:33:01,100 --> 00:33:03,300 and having the autonomy to do so, 629 00:33:03,300 --> 00:33:05,900 and to have a woman have that kind of inscription 630 00:33:05,900 --> 00:33:07,733 is very rare. 631 00:33:12,500 --> 00:33:14,300 NARRATOR: Back at the site, 632 00:33:14,300 --> 00:33:15,900 the statuettes from tomb number six 633 00:33:15,900 --> 00:33:19,033 signal a burial of the XXV dynasty, 634 00:33:19,033 --> 00:33:23,266 the period when Amenirdis was the god's wife of Amun. 635 00:33:23,266 --> 00:33:25,366 ♪ ♪ 636 00:33:25,366 --> 00:33:28,633 Now archaeologists are on the hunt for more clues 637 00:33:28,633 --> 00:33:32,100 that might reveal the identity of the woman 638 00:33:32,100 --> 00:33:35,500 buried in tomb number six. 639 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:39,166 But the excavation season is coming to an end. 640 00:33:39,166 --> 00:33:40,466 With summer approaching, 641 00:33:40,466 --> 00:33:42,233 the soaring temperatures 642 00:33:42,233 --> 00:33:45,633 would make work in the tombs impossible. 643 00:33:45,633 --> 00:33:49,066 ♪ ♪ 644 00:33:49,066 --> 00:33:51,133 With only a couple of weeks left, 645 00:33:51,133 --> 00:33:52,600 Afifi has found a vessel. 646 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:54,633 ROHIM: We found one of the canopic jars. 647 00:33:54,633 --> 00:33:57,800 It's from fine limestone. 648 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:02,933 And even the sculpture of the face is, is so good. 649 00:34:02,933 --> 00:34:06,733 NARRATOR: During the mummification process, 650 00:34:06,733 --> 00:34:09,300 the organs of the deceased would be removed 651 00:34:09,300 --> 00:34:11,066 and placed in these containers. 652 00:34:11,066 --> 00:34:14,333 They are known as canopic jars. 653 00:34:14,333 --> 00:34:16,766 ROHIM: Each burial have four canopic jars-- 654 00:34:16,766 --> 00:34:20,266 four organs of the deceased. 655 00:34:20,266 --> 00:34:22,533 NARRATOR: Each jar is topped with 656 00:34:22,533 --> 00:34:24,400 a different symbolic sculpture. 657 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:28,266 The heads represent the four sons of the god Horus. 658 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:34,166 Each was responsible for protecting a particular organ: 659 00:34:34,166 --> 00:34:36,666 the jackal for the stomach, 660 00:34:36,666 --> 00:34:39,033 the human head for the liver, 661 00:34:39,033 --> 00:34:41,100 the baboon for the lungs, 662 00:34:41,100 --> 00:34:44,500 and the falcon for the intestines. 663 00:34:47,866 --> 00:34:49,833 ROHIM: It's empty. 664 00:34:49,833 --> 00:34:52,566 NARRATOR: Afifi is looking for any inscription 665 00:34:52,566 --> 00:34:56,166 which could give us the name of the owner of this tomb. 666 00:34:59,466 --> 00:35:03,533 Just behind the first jar, a second one appears. 667 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:08,933 I want to take the body first. 668 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:12,966 Oh! 669 00:35:12,966 --> 00:35:16,000 It's nice inscriptions. 670 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,266 Yes, yes. 671 00:35:21,500 --> 00:35:24,300 I am not specialist in Ancient Egyptian language, 672 00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:26,433 but I can read, "Osir... 673 00:35:28,333 --> 00:35:29,966 ...djer," 674 00:35:29,966 --> 00:35:32,700 or, "djerek saa." 675 00:35:32,700 --> 00:35:36,366 Mean something related to Osir. 676 00:35:36,366 --> 00:35:40,000 NARRATOR: The inscription is a prayer to the god Osiris, 677 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,266 ruler of the underworld. 678 00:35:45,366 --> 00:35:47,500 I see the base of the lid. 679 00:35:47,500 --> 00:35:49,833 It's complete. 680 00:35:49,833 --> 00:35:52,300 No cracks-- nothing. 681 00:35:57,833 --> 00:35:59,266 It's baboon. 682 00:35:59,266 --> 00:36:01,733 (blows out) 683 00:36:01,733 --> 00:36:04,700 Now we have to consolidate the writing. 684 00:36:06,300 --> 00:36:08,200 NARRATOR: The jars have been hiding in the tomb 685 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:10,733 for nearly 3,000 years. 686 00:36:10,733 --> 00:36:12,600 Before they can be taken out, 687 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,733 conservator Seham Abdelazeim 688 00:36:16,733 --> 00:36:19,100 needs to carefully protect this ancient writing 689 00:36:19,100 --> 00:36:22,166 with a water-soluble cellulose binder. 690 00:36:22,166 --> 00:36:25,266 The jars don't reveal the name of the deceased, 691 00:36:25,266 --> 00:36:27,866 but Afifi believes there are more artifacts 692 00:36:27,866 --> 00:36:30,133 waiting to be found. 693 00:36:30,133 --> 00:36:33,333 But before he continues to excavate, 694 00:36:33,333 --> 00:36:35,133 he needs to secure the tomb. 695 00:36:35,133 --> 00:36:39,700 This layers of sediments is, is not strong 696 00:36:39,700 --> 00:36:42,566 and it is not safe for working, 697 00:36:42,566 --> 00:36:44,600 especially when you open it 698 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,033 and the fresh air gets inside. 699 00:36:47,033 --> 00:36:50,966 So it's decayed, and start to dry and fall down. 700 00:36:50,966 --> 00:36:54,366 So we need to make all this support 701 00:36:54,366 --> 00:36:57,766 and, to continue our work. 702 00:36:57,766 --> 00:36:59,666 ♪ ♪ 703 00:36:59,666 --> 00:37:03,866 NARRATOR: The excavation season has come to an end. 704 00:37:03,866 --> 00:37:05,833 The workers prepare supports 705 00:37:05,833 --> 00:37:08,466 in an effort to secure tomb number six. 706 00:37:08,466 --> 00:37:12,700 Once ready, Afifi locks it with a metal gate. 707 00:37:15,166 --> 00:37:17,733 The team needs to wait until September, 708 00:37:17,733 --> 00:37:21,266 when the excavation will resume. 709 00:37:26,033 --> 00:37:31,366 ♪ ♪ 710 00:37:31,366 --> 00:37:33,700 When you discover something interesting, 711 00:37:33,700 --> 00:37:35,566 you can feel happy. 712 00:37:35,566 --> 00:37:38,500 Of course, I have to be more patient, and... 713 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,300 When we stop excavation in the site, 714 00:37:42,300 --> 00:37:44,400 doesn't mean that the work stop. 715 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:45,933 Because we continue working, 716 00:37:45,933 --> 00:37:48,000 in writing the general report, 717 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:50,366 make analysis for the object, 718 00:37:50,366 --> 00:37:52,433 and still thinking 719 00:37:52,433 --> 00:37:55,500 about the future season. 720 00:37:55,500 --> 00:38:00,766 ♪ ♪ 721 00:38:04,233 --> 00:38:06,066 NARRATOR: Five months later, 722 00:38:06,066 --> 00:38:09,800 the heat has come and gone. 723 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:14,133 The archaeologists return to the excavation site, 724 00:38:14,133 --> 00:38:18,000 eager to pick up the work from where they left it. 725 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:22,900 ♪ ♪ 726 00:38:22,900 --> 00:38:28,100 As Afifi and Ahmed reenter tomb number six, 727 00:38:28,100 --> 00:38:29,966 something does not look right. 728 00:38:29,966 --> 00:38:31,333 ROHIM (speaking Arabic): 729 00:38:31,333 --> 00:38:33,300 EL NASSEH (speaking Arabic): 730 00:38:33,300 --> 00:38:35,733 ROHIM: 731 00:38:35,733 --> 00:38:37,900 ROHIM: All the tomb collapsed. 732 00:38:37,900 --> 00:38:40,100 All the roof collapsed. 733 00:38:40,100 --> 00:38:42,866 And there are cracks everywhere inside the tomb. 734 00:38:44,366 --> 00:38:46,966 NARRATOR: The ground above has caved in, 735 00:38:46,966 --> 00:38:52,366 filling the deep shaft that the team spent days excavating. 736 00:38:52,366 --> 00:38:56,500 And now, it's too dangerous to clear the debris. 737 00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:58,700 I think we lost this tomb. 738 00:38:59,900 --> 00:39:01,866 We can't remove the debris. 739 00:39:01,866 --> 00:39:04,466 We can't even just get inside to check it, 740 00:39:04,466 --> 00:39:09,566 because the cracks in the roof and the walls everywhere. 741 00:39:09,566 --> 00:39:12,133 It's not safe for the workers and for my team, 742 00:39:12,133 --> 00:39:15,833 and this is our job in archaeology. 743 00:39:15,833 --> 00:39:19,033 Nothing to do. 744 00:39:19,033 --> 00:39:21,866 Moving to the next stop. 745 00:39:21,866 --> 00:39:23,133 (speaking Arabic): 746 00:39:25,766 --> 00:39:28,000 NARRATOR: With sadness, the team has to give up 747 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:33,000 on ever finding the woman who was buried here. 748 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,966 She will likely remain in her tomb for eternity, 749 00:39:36,966 --> 00:39:41,100 just as she originally planned. 750 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:49,466 The Ancient Egyptians recorded everything, 751 00:39:49,466 --> 00:39:52,100 especially on their burial goods. 752 00:39:52,100 --> 00:39:53,766 Thousands of years later, 753 00:39:53,766 --> 00:39:55,733 the archaeologists are on the hunt for clues 754 00:39:55,733 --> 00:39:59,966 that might reveal details of long-lost lives. 755 00:39:59,966 --> 00:40:04,466 ♪ ♪ 756 00:40:04,466 --> 00:40:07,300 At the southern edge of the Triangle, 757 00:40:07,300 --> 00:40:09,066 in tomb number nine, 758 00:40:09,066 --> 00:40:13,333 the archaeologists haven't found any mummies. 759 00:40:13,333 --> 00:40:15,566 But sunk into the floor of the burial chamber, 760 00:40:15,566 --> 00:40:18,033 the lids of four canopic jars appear. 761 00:40:19,566 --> 00:40:22,066 ROHIM: We found this set of four canopic jars here, 762 00:40:22,066 --> 00:40:24,900 underneath the floor. 763 00:40:24,900 --> 00:40:28,933 I have to take it out. 764 00:40:28,933 --> 00:40:32,400 NARRATOR: Afifi examines the vessel in the hope it will reveal 765 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:35,133 the name of the person who was buried here. 766 00:40:35,133 --> 00:40:40,666 There is no text, just black decoration. 767 00:40:40,666 --> 00:40:42,833 Something strange for me-- 768 00:40:42,833 --> 00:40:45,866 the body is made from alabaster, 769 00:40:45,866 --> 00:40:48,366 but the head from limestone. 770 00:40:48,366 --> 00:40:52,066 NARRATOR: He carefully removes the second jar. 771 00:40:52,066 --> 00:40:54,166 Oh, it's different. 772 00:40:54,166 --> 00:40:55,533 It's made of alabaster, 773 00:40:55,533 --> 00:40:59,800 but it has a stand made of limestone. 774 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:02,633 It's rare to find canopic jar 775 00:41:02,633 --> 00:41:04,800 with a stone stand like this. 776 00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:07,866 And I think it has some inscriptions. 777 00:41:07,866 --> 00:41:11,266 NARRATOR: The inscription is lightly carved, 778 00:41:11,266 --> 00:41:13,600 but since alabaster is translucent, 779 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:16,766 Afifi tries to read it using a small light. 780 00:41:16,766 --> 00:41:19,600 I can read the text now. 781 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:23,633 "Djet medu Duamutef." 782 00:41:23,633 --> 00:41:26,033 It means "offering to 783 00:41:26,033 --> 00:41:31,166 Duamutef," one of four son of Horus. 784 00:41:31,166 --> 00:41:34,266 "Satirdis." 785 00:41:34,266 --> 00:41:38,800 Her name is Satirdis. 786 00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:40,933 So it's for a woman, 787 00:41:40,933 --> 00:41:44,800 and she was a female singer in Amun house. 788 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:47,066 NARRATOR: Finally, the team has a name 789 00:41:47,066 --> 00:41:50,066 for the owner of the tomb: Asetirdis, 790 00:41:50,066 --> 00:41:53,233 the singer, or chantress, in the Temple of Amun. 791 00:41:55,466 --> 00:41:57,800 AYAD: The god's wife had chantresses 792 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:00,133 in her entourage. 793 00:42:00,133 --> 00:42:03,166 Chantresses were very prominent in Theban society. 794 00:42:05,533 --> 00:42:09,100 In temple ritual, we would see women chantresses 795 00:42:09,100 --> 00:42:13,033 making music to the gods. 796 00:42:13,033 --> 00:42:14,800 It makes a lot of sense 797 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:17,766 that chantresses in the House of Amun 798 00:42:17,766 --> 00:42:19,300 would be buried just outside the temple 799 00:42:19,300 --> 00:42:22,533 at Medinet Habu, because that was thought to be 800 00:42:22,533 --> 00:42:25,233 the place of the primeval mound. 801 00:42:25,233 --> 00:42:28,000 NARRATOR: In Egyptian mythology, 802 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:31,133 the primeval mound was the first piece of land 803 00:42:31,133 --> 00:42:33,266 to emerge from the watery chaos-- 804 00:42:33,266 --> 00:42:36,700 where life was first created. 805 00:42:36,700 --> 00:42:41,633 AYAD: The god Amun would come across the river aged, tired. 806 00:42:41,633 --> 00:42:44,333 He comes back to this primeval place, 807 00:42:44,333 --> 00:42:47,100 where he would commune with eight primeval gods. 808 00:42:48,300 --> 00:42:50,966 He would go back rejuvenated and youthful again. 809 00:42:54,233 --> 00:42:59,166 NARRATOR: The tombs in the Triangle are located on this sacred land. 810 00:42:59,166 --> 00:43:02,433 The people buried here could have a close connection 811 00:43:02,433 --> 00:43:05,133 to the god Amun. 812 00:43:05,133 --> 00:43:07,000 The people who are buried here 813 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:09,400 could be working in this great institution, 814 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,633 the office of the god's wife of Amun. 815 00:43:12,633 --> 00:43:17,633 ♪ ♪ 816 00:43:17,633 --> 00:43:20,733 NARRATOR: And in the heart of this holy place, 817 00:43:20,733 --> 00:43:22,966 the god's wife, Amenirdis, 818 00:43:22,966 --> 00:43:26,233 has her own funerary chapel. 819 00:43:26,233 --> 00:43:28,900 AYAD: We are at the great temple of Medinet Habu, 820 00:43:28,900 --> 00:43:31,033 and everyone knows it 821 00:43:31,033 --> 00:43:32,300 for the funerary temple of Ramesses III, 822 00:43:32,300 --> 00:43:34,466 and they walk just straight past 823 00:43:34,466 --> 00:43:38,333 this wonderful chapel of Amenirdis. 824 00:43:38,333 --> 00:43:41,133 Even though the façade itself has wonderful inscriptions, 825 00:43:41,133 --> 00:43:42,933 no one ever stops to look at them. 826 00:43:42,933 --> 00:43:46,333 Here we have Amenirdis offering Maat, 827 00:43:46,333 --> 00:43:50,100 which is the concept of truth and harmony and global order, 828 00:43:50,100 --> 00:43:53,000 to Amun and his divine consort, Mut. 829 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:56,133 This representation is unique for a woman. 830 00:43:56,133 --> 00:43:58,466 It's unique because it's the prerogative of the king only, 831 00:43:58,466 --> 00:44:02,066 who is seen as the ultimate preserver of Maat. 832 00:44:02,066 --> 00:44:05,433 And we don't see that any time before that period. 833 00:44:06,566 --> 00:44:10,000 NARRATOR: In the XXV dynasty, the god's wife of Amun 834 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:12,866 has a much more active and visible role 835 00:44:12,866 --> 00:44:15,000 than ever before. 836 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:17,433 Only the king can build on sacred land, 837 00:44:17,433 --> 00:44:19,033 so the fact that Amenirdis 838 00:44:19,033 --> 00:44:23,500 has a large stone monument here is meaningful. 839 00:44:23,500 --> 00:44:25,433 AYAD: Construction of funerary chapels, 840 00:44:25,433 --> 00:44:26,833 any kind of temple, 841 00:44:26,833 --> 00:44:29,300 is the royal prerogative, and only the king could do that, 842 00:44:29,300 --> 00:44:31,433 but repeatedly, we see the god's wife 843 00:44:31,433 --> 00:44:33,833 erect chapels on their own. 844 00:44:33,833 --> 00:44:36,233 To anyone, even those who could not read, 845 00:44:36,233 --> 00:44:39,233 the iconography itself told any bystander 846 00:44:39,233 --> 00:44:43,733 that these women were as important as the king. 847 00:44:43,733 --> 00:44:47,100 NARRATOR: And historians believe that this level of prestige 848 00:44:47,100 --> 00:44:48,700 for women was only attained 849 00:44:48,700 --> 00:44:52,166 when the Kushites from Nubia ruled Egypt. 850 00:44:52,166 --> 00:44:53,800 BUDKA: I believe we have 851 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:55,700 a certain difference 852 00:44:55,700 --> 00:44:59,666 in the importance of women during the XXV dynasty, 853 00:44:59,666 --> 00:45:03,300 because they were just importing 854 00:45:03,300 --> 00:45:07,400 their role from Kush to Egypt. 855 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:09,100 The role of women 856 00:45:09,100 --> 00:45:12,366 was different in the Kushite culture. 857 00:45:12,366 --> 00:45:15,400 The royal women had much power, 858 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:18,000 and part of this was imported to Egypt. 859 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:20,400 I don't think it's a coincidence 860 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:22,566 that this office of the god's wife 861 00:45:22,566 --> 00:45:25,633 really flourished under foreign rule. 862 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:36,233 NARRATOR: Since excavation began in the Triangle, 863 00:45:36,233 --> 00:45:38,766 the team has uncovered several tombs. 864 00:45:40,366 --> 00:45:43,033 One has an impressive wide staircase. 865 00:45:44,300 --> 00:45:46,633 With a large quantity of debris removed, 866 00:45:46,633 --> 00:45:51,666 the archaeologists can now access the burial chamber. 867 00:45:51,666 --> 00:45:53,700 We remove all the debris from the room itself 868 00:45:53,700 --> 00:45:56,800 until we found a group of coffins. 869 00:45:56,800 --> 00:45:59,066 NARRATOR: The human remains 870 00:45:59,066 --> 00:46:02,400 are in a very bad state of preservation, 871 00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:03,900 the mummy wrappings and wooden coffins 872 00:46:03,900 --> 00:46:06,033 completely decayed. 873 00:46:06,033 --> 00:46:10,000 Only the bones of these individuals survive. 874 00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:12,133 EL NASSEH: Maybe it's a family tomb, 875 00:46:12,133 --> 00:46:15,133 and now we are working to find some object 876 00:46:15,133 --> 00:46:17,533 dating this tomb, 877 00:46:17,533 --> 00:46:19,466 like canopic jars with the titles 878 00:46:19,466 --> 00:46:20,566 and the name of the owner. 879 00:46:23,033 --> 00:46:25,366 NARRATOR: Skilled excavator Badawi 880 00:46:25,366 --> 00:46:28,566 carefully works around one of the coffins. 881 00:46:28,566 --> 00:46:32,700 Soon, the top of a canopic jar appears. 882 00:46:34,500 --> 00:46:37,366 HAWASS: The canopic jars have some inscriptions. 883 00:46:37,366 --> 00:46:39,466 It needs to be clear more. 884 00:46:39,466 --> 00:46:43,800 We still have to look for the other three. 885 00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:44,900 (speaking Arabic): 886 00:46:46,300 --> 00:46:48,333 ♪ ♪ 887 00:46:48,333 --> 00:46:51,133 NARRATOR: A second jar. 888 00:46:51,133 --> 00:46:53,333 ♪ ♪ 889 00:46:57,333 --> 00:46:59,333 And soon a third. 890 00:46:59,333 --> 00:47:01,900 HAWASS: Beautiful! 891 00:47:01,900 --> 00:47:06,166 This person has to be elite, an important person. 892 00:47:06,166 --> 00:47:10,433 It's really well done, modeled. 893 00:47:10,433 --> 00:47:12,900 The workshop that made this canopic jars 894 00:47:12,900 --> 00:47:16,300 are really perfect. 895 00:47:16,300 --> 00:47:17,466 NARRATOR: And finally, 896 00:47:17,466 --> 00:47:19,200 on the fourth and last jar, 897 00:47:19,200 --> 00:47:22,700 the name of the owner can be read. 898 00:47:22,700 --> 00:47:25,366 This is the name of him. ROHIM: His name is Mere. 899 00:47:25,366 --> 00:47:28,866 The name Mere Ren-Amun, 900 00:47:28,866 --> 00:47:31,300 the singer of the god Amun. 901 00:47:31,300 --> 00:47:34,666 This is really wonderful. 902 00:47:34,666 --> 00:47:36,733 This person was part of this important office. 903 00:47:36,733 --> 00:47:40,400 Those people, one day, were working, 904 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,033 singing, dancing 905 00:47:43,033 --> 00:47:48,166 behind the great god's wife of Amun. 906 00:47:48,166 --> 00:47:50,600 NARRATOR: But the style of the canopic jars 907 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:53,033 is different from the others found in the Triangle. 908 00:47:53,033 --> 00:47:54,766 HAWASS: As an archaeologist, 909 00:47:54,766 --> 00:47:58,866 you can look at canopic jars and know the period exactly. 910 00:47:58,866 --> 00:48:03,166 The modeling of the faces show 500 BC, 911 00:48:03,166 --> 00:48:06,400 the XXVI dynasty. 912 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:07,733 Through the archaeological evidence, 913 00:48:07,733 --> 00:48:11,266 you can say that the big large cemetery, 914 00:48:11,266 --> 00:48:13,200 it started in the north, 915 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:15,933 in dynasty XXV, 916 00:48:15,933 --> 00:48:19,700 continued to the edge of the city, 917 00:48:19,700 --> 00:48:21,833 known as the golden lost city. 918 00:48:21,833 --> 00:48:25,500 The tombs here dated to dynasty XXVI. 919 00:48:25,500 --> 00:48:27,733 NARRATOR: When Mere was alive, 920 00:48:27,733 --> 00:48:31,866 the Kushites of Nubia were no longer ruling Egypt, 921 00:48:31,866 --> 00:48:36,600 yet he is buried next to the people of the XXV dynasty. 922 00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:37,966 AYAD: For the Theban elites, 923 00:48:37,966 --> 00:48:39,933 this was a good burial ground. 924 00:48:39,933 --> 00:48:42,000 It mattered very little 925 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:44,633 who the ruling king was and from which dynasty. 926 00:48:46,366 --> 00:48:49,333 Between the XXV dynasty and the XXVI dynasty in Thebes, 927 00:48:49,333 --> 00:48:51,133 there is no material break. 928 00:48:51,133 --> 00:48:55,033 It's a continuous move from the one dynasty to the other. 929 00:48:56,766 --> 00:49:00,866 AYAD: The Theban people are Theban people, 930 00:49:00,866 --> 00:49:02,933 so there are generations of the same families 931 00:49:02,933 --> 00:49:04,666 living under different kings. 932 00:49:07,966 --> 00:49:10,266 NARRATOR: The reign of the XXV dynasty 933 00:49:10,266 --> 00:49:13,533 ends around 653 BCE. 934 00:49:13,533 --> 00:49:16,033 The new royal family 935 00:49:16,033 --> 00:49:18,833 that establishes the XXVI dynasty 936 00:49:18,833 --> 00:49:22,633 comes from the north of Egypt, from a city called Sais. 937 00:49:22,633 --> 00:49:27,333 But a new king doesn't mean that everything changes. 938 00:49:27,333 --> 00:49:30,533 AYAD: The transition from the XXV to the XXVI dynasty 939 00:49:30,533 --> 00:49:31,866 is very interesting. 940 00:49:31,866 --> 00:49:34,133 We have someone like Montuemhat, 941 00:49:34,133 --> 00:49:36,000 who was really a man for all seasons. 942 00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:37,766 He was already the mayor of Thebes 943 00:49:37,766 --> 00:49:39,166 under the Nubian rulers, 944 00:49:39,166 --> 00:49:41,166 he continued to be the mayor of Thebes 945 00:49:41,166 --> 00:49:42,933 under the new rulers, 946 00:49:42,933 --> 00:49:44,466 and all the while, he took part 947 00:49:44,466 --> 00:49:47,066 in the transition in the office of the god's wife, 948 00:49:47,066 --> 00:49:51,233 helping establish the new god's wife in place. 949 00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:54,966 NARRATOR: A new pharaoh. 950 00:49:54,966 --> 00:49:56,600 A new god's wife of Amun. 951 00:49:58,033 --> 00:50:00,633 And the people associated with this office 952 00:50:00,633 --> 00:50:05,733 keep Medinet Habu as their chosen burial ground. 953 00:50:05,733 --> 00:50:07,600 BUDKA: The title god's wife of Amun 954 00:50:07,600 --> 00:50:10,833 lasts until the end of the XXVI dynasty. 955 00:50:10,833 --> 00:50:13,666 AYAD: At the end of that time, 956 00:50:13,666 --> 00:50:15,600 Egypt is invaded by the Persians. 957 00:50:18,033 --> 00:50:20,500 And everything changes. 958 00:50:20,500 --> 00:50:22,633 NARRATOR: After the Persian invasion, 959 00:50:22,633 --> 00:50:25,466 evidence of the god's wife of Amun disappears. 960 00:50:27,433 --> 00:50:30,166 Lasting for more than a millennium, 961 00:50:30,166 --> 00:50:32,233 the title of god's wife of Amun 962 00:50:32,233 --> 00:50:34,300 was created in the XVIII dynasty. 963 00:50:35,866 --> 00:50:39,600 But it's 800 years later, in the XXV dynasty, 964 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:42,966 with the help of the Kushite pharaohs from Nubia, 965 00:50:42,966 --> 00:50:46,200 that the institution reaches its zenith, 966 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:49,966 Amenirdis's legacy forever imprinted on the artifacts 967 00:50:49,966 --> 00:50:55,100 and monuments she left behind. 968 00:50:58,500 --> 00:51:02,600 The archaeologists have unearthed buried treasures 969 00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:05,000 of a very special period of Egyptian history, 970 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:09,833 when the Kushite pharaohs of the XXV dynasty rose to power 971 00:51:09,833 --> 00:51:13,366 and wrote a new chapter into this rich civilization. 972 00:51:13,366 --> 00:51:16,466 They embraced Egyptian culture and beliefs, 973 00:51:16,466 --> 00:51:20,066 but also brought elements of their own culture, 974 00:51:20,066 --> 00:51:22,633 where women were financially independent 975 00:51:22,633 --> 00:51:25,500 and the power of the god's wife of Amun 976 00:51:25,500 --> 00:51:27,266 rivaled that of the king. 977 00:51:27,266 --> 00:51:28,733 AYAD: The god's wife of Amun 978 00:51:28,733 --> 00:51:32,066 is very inspiring and empowering to modern women today. 979 00:51:33,633 --> 00:51:36,766 The fact that they're not as well known to the public 980 00:51:36,766 --> 00:51:38,533 as Cleopatra or Nefertiti 981 00:51:38,533 --> 00:51:43,000 is just the sad reality of modern pop culture. 982 00:51:43,000 --> 00:51:45,866 ♪ ♪ 983 00:51:45,866 --> 00:51:47,466 HAWASS: A unique cemetery 984 00:51:47,466 --> 00:51:50,433 to bring more information about this period. 985 00:51:50,433 --> 00:51:51,700 Oh! 986 00:51:51,700 --> 00:51:53,266 We are making history. 987 00:51:55,300 --> 00:51:57,366 NARRATOR: Like the shifting sands of the desert, 988 00:51:57,366 --> 00:52:00,233 history is never static. 989 00:52:00,233 --> 00:52:03,933 It is a quest for understanding who we are, 990 00:52:03,933 --> 00:52:06,133 where we've been, and where we're going. 991 00:52:06,133 --> 00:52:08,833 AYAD: People looking at us from even 200 years from now, 992 00:52:08,833 --> 00:52:11,633 or 2,000 years from now, 993 00:52:11,633 --> 00:52:13,266 how they perceive women today 994 00:52:13,266 --> 00:52:16,966 is dependent on how much evidence do we leave behind. 995 00:52:16,966 --> 00:52:19,466 ♪ ♪ 996 00:52:41,166 --> 00:52:44,033 ♪ ♪ 997 00:52:44,966 --> 00:52:52,500 ♪ ♪ 998 00:52:56,333 --> 00:53:03,933 ♪ ♪ 999 00:53:07,766 --> 00:53:15,300 ♪ ♪ 1000 00:53:16,933 --> 00:53:24,466 ♪ ♪ 1001 00:53:26,100 --> 00:53:33,633 ♪ ♪