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[narrator] a shocking discovery
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In an ancient egyptian city.
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The mutilated
remains of a pharaoh.
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[josef] when we saw these
texts that identified
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The king of upper and lower
egypt, it was quite astonishing.
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[narrator] it's a
mystery like no other.
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A tomb untouched for
thousands of years.
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And a royal slaying.
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[salima] it was a
humiliating, dramatic,
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And painful way
of being executed.
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[narrator] but the records
say this king never existed.
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This is a king that
we didn't know about.
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There are no monuments
that survive from him.
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[narrator] now, investigators
across the globe
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Are attempting to crack a
3,600-year-old cold case.
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[salima] there was a lot
of warfare.
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So there are a lot of suspects
that one has to consider.
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[narrator] revealing a
forgotten egyptian warrior king
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Who paid the ultimate price.
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[jane] he received this
huge penetrating blow
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To the back of his head,
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Quite a bit into
his brain matter.
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[narrator] his entire dynasty
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Wiped from the face of history.
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[kim] in the case of
these kings,
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We actually do have to
rewrite the history books.
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[josef] who was this king?
Who were his enemies?
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And ultimately, who did him in?
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[ax thudding]
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[suspenseful music]
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[narrator] the relics
of the past hold secrets
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[rubble crashing]
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[men yelling]
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-Written in gold,
-[water splashing]
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-Stone,
-[soldiers roaring]
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-[arrow whooshing]
-and blood.
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We can unlock them.
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These are the secrets of
history's greatest treasures.
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[dramatic music]
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[suspenseful mysterious music]
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Abydos, egypt.
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60 miles northwest
of modern-day luxor.
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[dramatic music]
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Nestled in the shadow of
the sacred anubis mountain
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Is the site of one of the oldest
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And most important cities
in the ancient world.
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[rebecca] abydos is an extremely
important religious center
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In ancient egypt from
the extreme earliest days
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Of ancient egyptian history.
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Used as a sacred space for
a huge number of pharaohs
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From every period
of egyptian history.
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So incredibly important and
that importance never waned.
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[ayman] abydos, was the main
cult center of the country.
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Exactly like the vatican
for the christians.
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Like mecca for the muslims
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[narrator] strewn
with sacred monuments
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And home to the tomb of
egypt's very first pharaoh,
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Abydos has fascinated
egyptologists
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Since its discovery
150 years ago.
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[josef] abydos is a huge site
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That covers many
square kilometers.
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There's still potential
for huge discoveries
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To be made beneath the sands.
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[sand whooshing]
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[tense music]
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[narrator] now this
ancient city has given up
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One of its most
remarkable secrets.
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A mysterious burial that
exposes a very different abydos.
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[men yelling]
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From a time when egypt
faced its darkest hour.
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And a forgotten dynasty fought
for the survival of egypt
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Before being wiped
from its history.
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-[men chattering]
-[gentle ambient music]
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May 2014.
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Egyptologist josef wegner
and a team of archeologists
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Are investigating the outer
limits of the ancient city.
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It's a wonderfully
preserved site.
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You can scrape away the sand
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And you're 4,000
years in the past.
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[suspenseful music]
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We spent quite a few
years excavating the ruins
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Of a large town.
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We realized that there was
a huge residential complex.
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[narrator] after
years of excavation,
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The team makes a
chance discovery.
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There may be a structure here,
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Kind of in the middle
of this square.
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[narrator] the opening
to a small tomb,
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The contents of which
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Would not only shake
the archeological world,
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They would ultimately rewrite
the history of ancient egypt.
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[josef] it's actually a
solid piece of limestone.
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[archaeologist] really?
Are they kidding me?
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It was a moment of excitement.
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We realized there was
this beautifully built
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Entrance ramp, that ended with
a limestone doorway.
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[narrator] the tomb dated
back over 3,500 years
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To around 1650 bc.
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A time in ancient
egyptian history
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Known as the second
intermediate period.
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But it was what was inside
that stunned the team.
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The dismembered
remains of a mummy.
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[dramatic music]
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And exquisite wall paintings
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That proclaim that
person was once a king.
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We were incredibly
surprised to find
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Decoration in this tomb.
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Beautifully colored images
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Of the four goddesses
that protect the burial.
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[gentle pensive music]
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[suspenseful music]
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[narrator] paintings like
these have only ever been found
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In elite and royal tombs.
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The kind of iconography
was very royal.
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So suddenly joe wegner was faced
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With what looked
like a royal burial.
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[josef] when we saw these texts
that identified the king.
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Lord of the two lands.
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King of upper and lower egypt.
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It was quite astonishing.
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[narrator] incredibly,
the team seems
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To have stumbled upon the
tomb and remains of a pharaoh.
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If proven, it will be
the greatest discovery
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Of an egyptian king
since howard carter
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Unearthed tutankhamun in 1922.
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The thing that gave it
away was when we came down
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Into the interior of
the burial chamber
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And could actually
see his throne name
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And his personal name.
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It was clear at that
point that it was a king.
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[narrator] deciphering
the faded royal cartouches
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That adorned the tomb,
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Allowed wegner to put a
name to its inhabitant,
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Woseribre senebkay.
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King of egypt.
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[gentle thoughtful music]
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But if wegner's discovery
really is a pharaoh,
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There's one big problem.
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Senebkay is a king that
we didn't know about.
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[narrator] there has
never been any mention
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Of a pharaoh with this name
in any egyptian records.
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[josef] there are no monuments
that survived from him.
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We have no one else in egyptian
history named senebkay.
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[narrator] and there are
other inconsistencies.
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Apart from the royal
cartouches and paintings,
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There's little else
about senebkay's tomb
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That indicates a royal status.
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[josef] typical pharaoh's tombs
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Are hundreds and
hundreds of feet long.
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Senebkay's tomb is a
fairly modest structure.
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And it may, in fact, be,
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Officially, the smallest king's
tomb ever found in egypt.
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[narrator] the tomb has
been looted in antiquity,
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And senebkay's body
ripped apart centuries ago
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In the hunt for treasure.
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But what was left was
unusually poor quality
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For a royal burial.
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[josef] there's a whole
range of reused material,
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From the walls to
the burial equipment.
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Lots and lots, in fact,
most of the material,
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Was taken from lots
of other tombs.
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Not only that, his
canopic chest as well
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Is composed of cedarwood,
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Which still bears the
decoration of an earlier king.
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So the carpenters that were
fashioning his burial equipment
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Were actually reusing wood
that had been plundered.
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[narrator] despite the
lack of royal trappings,
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Wegner remains convinced
the wall paintings
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Mean that senebkay was
revered as a pharaoh.
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[josef] when we'd see the texts,
"o lord of the two lands,"
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"lord of ritual," "king
of upper and lower egypt."
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That point we were fairly
convinced that senebkay
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Was a member of
this group of kings
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That ruled in the late
second intermediate period.
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[ayman] once he says it's king
from the local abydos dynasty,
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We expect that's gonna be a
turning point in history.
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[dramatic music]
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[narrator] the dismembered
corpse of a king.
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Buried with second-hand goods.
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Why was senebkay given
such a meager burial?
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00:09:13,630 --> 00:09:16,835
And why is there no apparent
record of his reign?
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[archaeologist speaks
in foreign language]
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His discovery is the beginning
of a worldwide investigation,
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To uncover the secrets
of a lost pharaoh,
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And reveal an egyptian dynasty
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That has been wiped from
history for almost 4,000 years.
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[kim] in the case of
these abydos kings,
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We actually do have to
rewrite the history books.
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They add another chapter.
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-[ominous music]
-[wind whistling]
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[narrator] in the windswept
desert of abydos, egypt,
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A mystery has emerged
from beneath the sand.
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A tomb decorated for a pharaoh
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00:10:01,870 --> 00:10:05,915
But filled with
secondhand grave goods.
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00:10:05,950 --> 00:10:08,075
And the badly
damaged body of a man
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00:10:08,110 --> 00:10:10,922
Who died 3,500 years ago.
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00:10:12,550 --> 00:10:14,762
The wall paintings
proclaim him a king.
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00:10:16,077 --> 00:10:18,355
But according to
the history books,
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00:10:18,430 --> 00:10:20,722
This pharaoh never existed.
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00:10:23,470 --> 00:10:25,595
[josef] senebkay's tomb
really was initially
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00:10:25,670 --> 00:10:27,522
A really major mystery.
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00:10:27,597 --> 00:10:29,275
After the rush of discovery,
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00:10:29,310 --> 00:10:32,995
We had a whole host of
questions now to answer.
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[narrator] if senebkay
really was a pharaoh,
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00:10:36,030 --> 00:10:38,955
His absence from the ancient
records is perplexing.
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00:10:38,990 --> 00:10:40,955
[dramatic music]
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00:10:40,990 --> 00:10:43,195
[flames whooshing]
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00:10:43,230 --> 00:10:46,555
[rebecca] the egyptians were
extremely keen to record
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00:10:46,590 --> 00:10:48,955
As much as they possibly could.
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One of the many
documents produced
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00:10:50,637 --> 00:10:53,282
By the ancient egyptian
state were kings lists.
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[narrator] kings lists
were celebrations
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00:10:57,070 --> 00:10:59,195
Of the great pharaohs of egypt.
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[suspenseful music]
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00:11:01,070 --> 00:11:05,515
Most of these surviving lists
were carved onto temple walls,
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00:11:05,550 --> 00:11:08,315
Detailing kings from
over 1,200 years
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00:11:08,350 --> 00:11:11,435
Of ancient egyptian history.
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00:11:11,470 --> 00:11:14,555
What these essentially
do is they list kings.
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In cartouches, they
have each name,
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00:11:16,990 --> 00:11:20,402
And it's meant to be done
in chronological order.
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Kings could look back and
marvel at the long line
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00:11:24,750 --> 00:11:27,442
To which they themselves
are being added.
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[narrator] despite not one,
but two of these carved lists,
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Being found less than a mile
from his tomb in abydos,
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Senebkay's name wasn't
recorded for posterity
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00:11:41,150 --> 00:11:43,475
Like his royal contemporaries.
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00:11:43,550 --> 00:11:45,955
Usually, you know about
kings from the kings lists,
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And then you go and find them.
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In this instance,
we had the body,
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And seemingly no kings lists.
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[thoughtful dramatic music]
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[narrator] the forgotten
reign of senebkay
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00:11:59,917 --> 00:12:01,202
Is all the more puzzling
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00:12:01,277 --> 00:12:04,875
Because, during the time
when he lived and died,
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00:12:04,884 --> 00:12:07,915
Every historical record
for the egyptian pharaohs
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00:12:07,950 --> 00:12:12,075
Refers to a seat of power
in another ancient city.
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Just 60 miles south of abydos.
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00:12:16,150 --> 00:12:19,435
[josef] the evidence for
kings ruling in egypt
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00:12:19,470 --> 00:12:21,355
Primarily relates to
the kings who ruled
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00:12:21,390 --> 00:12:24,555
From the southern city of
thebes during this time period.
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00:12:24,590 --> 00:12:27,522
[birds cawing]
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00:12:27,597 --> 00:12:29,682
[narrator] on the western
banks of the nile,
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00:12:29,757 --> 00:12:34,482
Thebes, now modern-day luxor,
was egypt's capital city.
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00:12:36,350 --> 00:12:40,635
But if the official history
show pharaohs ruling in thebes,
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00:12:40,670 --> 00:12:42,962
Could senebkay really
have been a king?
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00:12:44,190 --> 00:12:45,915
People have speculated
247
00:12:45,950 --> 00:12:49,155
That there may have
been other kings.
248
00:12:49,230 --> 00:12:50,875
But we didn't expect
that there would be
249
00:12:50,910 --> 00:12:52,242
A royal cemetery at abydos.
250
00:12:53,597 --> 00:12:58,355
[gentle suspenseful music]
251
00:12:58,430 --> 00:13:01,195
[narrator] 2,000 miles from
the heat and dust of abydos
252
00:13:01,230 --> 00:13:03,435
In copenhagen, denmark,
253
00:13:03,470 --> 00:13:06,995
Egyptologist kim ryholt
may have the evidence
254
00:13:07,070 --> 00:13:10,202
That proves the existence
of the pharaoh senebkay.
255
00:13:11,950 --> 00:13:15,035
He's spent 20 years interpreting
what's believed to be
256
00:13:15,044 --> 00:13:18,642
The most comprehensive
kings list ever found.
257
00:13:20,077 --> 00:13:23,035
This is the turin kings list.
258
00:13:23,070 --> 00:13:24,875
[narrator] this list,
unlike many others,
259
00:13:24,884 --> 00:13:29,315
Was written on papyrus,
not carved into stone.
260
00:13:29,390 --> 00:13:33,515
As a result, it has badly
disintegrated over time.
261
00:13:33,550 --> 00:13:37,955
As it is plain to see, it
is horribly fragmentary.
262
00:13:38,030 --> 00:13:40,795
[narrator] but ryholt believes
the remaining 300 fragments
263
00:13:40,870 --> 00:13:44,315
Of this ancient document are
the key to solving the mystery
264
00:13:44,350 --> 00:13:46,562
Of the forgotten abydos pharaoh.
265
00:13:47,950 --> 00:13:49,915
Because this list was written
266
00:13:49,950 --> 00:13:53,595
Just 400 years
after senebkay died.
267
00:13:53,630 --> 00:13:56,675
And it documents
every known ruler,
268
00:13:56,750 --> 00:13:59,762
Including some not
recorded anywhere else.
269
00:14:01,437 --> 00:14:03,915
The crucial section
of this document
270
00:14:03,950 --> 00:14:06,395
Is the 11th column over here,
271
00:14:06,430 --> 00:14:10,555
And in particular, this
cluster of fragments.
272
00:14:10,564 --> 00:14:12,882
Unfortunately, it's
a very, very damaged
273
00:14:12,957 --> 00:14:14,875
Part of the papyrus.
274
00:14:14,884 --> 00:14:17,675
But we can see there
was a group of kings
275
00:14:17,710 --> 00:14:20,315
That had not hitherto
been recognized.
276
00:14:20,350 --> 00:14:22,635
[tense music]
277
00:14:22,670 --> 00:14:24,882
[narrator] according
to the ancient text,
278
00:14:24,957 --> 00:14:27,435
This mysterious group
of unknown pharaohs
279
00:14:27,470 --> 00:14:29,922
Ruled around 1650 bc,
280
00:14:31,550 --> 00:14:33,835
Exactly the same
time that senebkay
281
00:14:33,870 --> 00:14:36,675
Would have lived and died.
282
00:14:36,750 --> 00:14:41,042
What we have here below is
presumably the abydos kings,
283
00:14:41,117 --> 00:14:44,115
But all that is preserved
in this cluster here
284
00:14:44,190 --> 00:14:47,955
Are the royal titles and
part of the royal names
285
00:14:48,030 --> 00:14:49,795
Of two of these kings.
286
00:14:49,870 --> 00:14:52,355
They preserve
partially a royal name
287
00:14:52,430 --> 00:14:53,915
That corresponds with the way
288
00:14:53,950 --> 00:14:56,475
Senebkay's royal
name is written.
289
00:14:56,510 --> 00:14:58,875
We have the element woser
and then something lost
290
00:14:58,884 --> 00:15:00,002
And then re.
291
00:15:01,917 --> 00:15:03,915
[narrator] woser re.
292
00:15:03,950 --> 00:15:06,315
Elements of a name so unusual,
293
00:15:06,350 --> 00:15:08,002
Nothing like it
had ever been found
294
00:15:08,077 --> 00:15:09,922
From this time in ancient egypt.
295
00:15:11,917 --> 00:15:13,755
And for almost two decades,
296
00:15:13,830 --> 00:15:16,522
Kim ryholt's theory
remained just that.
297
00:15:17,390 --> 00:15:20,075
[dramatic music]
298
00:15:20,110 --> 00:15:25,035
Until josef wegner's shock
discovery of the tomb at abydos,
299
00:15:25,070 --> 00:15:29,275
Where, emblazoned on the
walls is the full royal name,
300
00:15:29,350 --> 00:15:31,842
Woseribre senebkay.
301
00:15:31,917 --> 00:15:34,355
King of egypt.
302
00:15:34,430 --> 00:15:36,555
Archeological proof
of the existence
303
00:15:36,590 --> 00:15:39,915
Of a forgotten abydos dynasty.
304
00:15:39,950 --> 00:15:43,035
A number of colleagues were
skeptical towards the idea
305
00:15:43,070 --> 00:15:46,395
That there would have been
a local dynasty at abydos.
306
00:15:46,404 --> 00:15:48,875
[tools clattering]
307
00:15:48,884 --> 00:15:51,042
But the discovery of
the tomb of senebkay
308
00:15:51,117 --> 00:15:54,075
Is the kind of proof that
you're always hoping for.
309
00:15:54,110 --> 00:15:55,595
This is part of the crown name,
310
00:15:55,630 --> 00:15:59,795
The throne name of
the king, woseribre.
311
00:15:59,870 --> 00:16:03,275
So a new king and a lost
dynasty rapidly emerged,
312
00:16:03,310 --> 00:16:05,922
In the aftermath of the
discovery of senebkay's tomb.
313
00:16:08,510 --> 00:16:10,635
[narrator] kim ryholt's
painstaking deciphering
314
00:16:10,710 --> 00:16:14,882
Of the turin list is proof
that senebkay was a king.
315
00:16:16,190 --> 00:16:17,842
But it also provides a clue
316
00:16:17,917 --> 00:16:20,955
As to why he was
erased from history.
317
00:16:21,030 --> 00:16:25,435
-[flames whooshing]
-[men yelling]
318
00:16:25,470 --> 00:16:28,875
Senebkay and his abydos
dynasty ruled at a time
319
00:16:28,910 --> 00:16:31,475
When egypt was fighting
for its very survival.
320
00:16:31,550 --> 00:16:32,875
[dramatic music]
321
00:16:32,884 --> 00:16:35,675
Known as the second
intermediate period,
322
00:16:35,710 --> 00:16:38,955
The once-great empire
was on its knees,
323
00:16:38,990 --> 00:16:41,835
Embattled on every front.
324
00:16:41,844 --> 00:16:43,522
[salima] the second
intermediate period
325
00:16:43,597 --> 00:16:46,315
Was one of the most troubled
times in egyptian history,
326
00:16:46,350 --> 00:16:49,915
Where the country had broken
into lots of different pieces,
327
00:16:49,990 --> 00:16:51,922
And there was a lot of warfare.
328
00:16:53,230 --> 00:16:55,915
We see kingdoms splitting off
329
00:16:55,990 --> 00:16:58,795
And establishing their
own autonomous rule.
330
00:16:58,830 --> 00:17:01,435
And this is the point
at which unified egypt
331
00:17:01,470 --> 00:17:05,482
Ceases to exist and
instead becomes fragmented.
332
00:17:06,317 --> 00:17:08,402
[suspenseful music]
333
00:17:08,477 --> 00:17:11,675
[narrator] weakened by
political and economic decline,
334
00:17:11,684 --> 00:17:16,235
By the 1600s bc egypt was
facing threats of invasion
335
00:17:16,244 --> 00:17:19,115
From the nubians in the south
336
00:17:19,150 --> 00:17:22,522
And the increasingly
powerful hyksos in the north.
337
00:17:24,110 --> 00:17:26,402
[salima] the hyksos, were
a group of people
338
00:17:26,477 --> 00:17:29,362
Who came into egypt
from the northeast
339
00:17:29,437 --> 00:17:32,795
And basically proceeded to
take over the delta region.
340
00:17:32,830 --> 00:17:34,715
[men yelling]
341
00:17:34,724 --> 00:17:37,515
So you have warring groups of
people all over the country,
342
00:17:37,550 --> 00:17:40,875
Everyone saying,
"I'm king. I'm pharaoh."
343
00:17:40,884 --> 00:17:43,275
[josef] much of northern egypt
broke off
344
00:17:43,310 --> 00:17:45,675
And ultimately, we think of
the second intermediate period
345
00:17:45,684 --> 00:17:47,595
As a time of these
two rival kingdoms,
346
00:17:47,670 --> 00:17:51,442
The hyksos in the north and the
theban kingdom in the south.
347
00:17:53,150 --> 00:17:55,522
[narrator] few records exist
from this troubled time
348
00:17:55,597 --> 00:17:56,922
Of invasion and warfare.
349
00:17:59,390 --> 00:18:02,675
Now the discovery of senebkay
suggests that what was left
350
00:18:02,750 --> 00:18:06,122
Of ancient egypt was also
internally fractured.
351
00:18:07,630 --> 00:18:10,715
With not one, but
two egyptian rulers
352
00:18:10,750 --> 00:18:13,882
Proclaiming themselves
king of all egypt.
353
00:18:15,070 --> 00:18:16,515
The theban pharaoh
354
00:18:16,590 --> 00:18:21,915
And just 60 miles away
in abydos, senebkay.
355
00:18:21,950 --> 00:18:25,915
The discovery of
senebkay's tomb and body
356
00:18:25,950 --> 00:18:29,362
Really changes the picture
and gives us the correlation
357
00:18:29,437 --> 00:18:34,002
That we need for the
existence of an abydos dynasty.
358
00:18:34,077 --> 00:18:35,835
[kim] often you're asked,
"so does this mean
359
00:18:35,870 --> 00:18:38,395
"we will have to rewrite
the history books?"
360
00:18:38,430 --> 00:18:41,475
And in most cases, we won't.
361
00:18:41,550 --> 00:18:44,242
But in the case of
these abydos kings,
362
00:18:44,317 --> 00:18:46,882
We actually do have to
rewrite the history books.
363
00:18:46,957 --> 00:18:48,875
They add another chapter.
364
00:18:48,910 --> 00:18:51,835
[dramatic music]
365
00:18:51,870 --> 00:18:54,875
[narrator] pharaoh senebkay
and his forgotten abydos dynasty
366
00:18:54,884 --> 00:18:58,515
Existed alongside
the theban pharaohs,
367
00:18:58,590 --> 00:19:00,795
During one of the
most turbulent periods
368
00:19:00,870 --> 00:19:01,882
In egyptian history.
369
00:19:03,917 --> 00:19:06,635
[flames crackling]
370
00:19:06,670 --> 00:19:08,242
So who was senebkay?
371
00:19:09,630 --> 00:19:12,795
Can further examination
of the pharaoh's remains
372
00:19:12,830 --> 00:19:16,635
Uncover the truth about
this unknown ruler?
373
00:19:16,670 --> 00:19:22,315
And, how he and his dynasty
came to be erased from history?
374
00:19:22,350 --> 00:19:24,875
[josef] who was this king?
Who were his enemies?
375
00:19:24,910 --> 00:19:26,875
And ultimately, who did him in?
376
00:19:26,910 --> 00:19:29,515
[body thuds]
377
00:19:29,550 --> 00:19:31,915
[dramatic music]
378
00:19:31,950 --> 00:19:33,435
[narrator] the
startling discovery
379
00:19:33,470 --> 00:19:36,235
Of a long-forgotten
pharaoh, senebkay,
380
00:19:36,270 --> 00:19:40,235
Has revealed the existence
of a breakaway dynasty.
381
00:19:40,270 --> 00:19:42,882
That co-existed
alongside ancient egypt's
382
00:19:42,957 --> 00:19:46,075
Recognized pharaohs during
one of the most violent
383
00:19:46,110 --> 00:19:48,922
And volatile periods in
the country's history.
384
00:19:50,910 --> 00:19:52,875
[josef] senebkay's tomb I think
really illustrates
385
00:19:52,884 --> 00:19:56,075
Just how fractured
and broken egypt was.
386
00:19:56,110 --> 00:19:58,882
The fact that his tomb
builders repurposed material
387
00:19:58,957 --> 00:20:02,155
From earlier monuments
really reflects
388
00:20:02,190 --> 00:20:04,922
He wasn't a king with a lot
of access to great wealth.
389
00:20:07,870 --> 00:20:09,435
[narrator] senebkay's small tomb
390
00:20:09,470 --> 00:20:10,955
And second-hand grave goods
391
00:20:10,990 --> 00:20:13,435
Suggest he may have
been a pharaoh.
392
00:20:13,510 --> 00:20:16,795
But the region he ruled
over was badly impoverished.
393
00:20:16,830 --> 00:20:18,875
[wind whistling]
394
00:20:18,884 --> 00:20:21,995
And a lack of pharaonic
funds wasn't the only thing
395
00:20:22,004 --> 00:20:24,722
That made him different
from other pharaohs.
396
00:20:26,270 --> 00:20:28,995
Because scientific
analysis of his remains
397
00:20:29,070 --> 00:20:30,795
Reveals this lost king
398
00:20:30,830 --> 00:20:34,955
Wasn't afraid to get his hands
dirty on the battlefield.
399
00:20:34,990 --> 00:20:36,715
[josef] the inventory of wounds
400
00:20:36,724 --> 00:20:39,115
To senebkay's body
is quite stunning.
401
00:20:39,150 --> 00:20:42,675
[narrator] his scarred bones
reveal the abydos pharaoh
402
00:20:42,750 --> 00:20:44,995
Was wounded in combat.
403
00:20:45,070 --> 00:20:47,355
The injuries that
senebkay suffered
404
00:20:47,390 --> 00:20:51,995
Included major trauma to his
skull, traumas to his knees,
405
00:20:52,030 --> 00:20:56,555
His ankles, to his sacrum
at the base of his spine.
406
00:20:56,590 --> 00:20:59,602
Nearly all of his injuries
seem consistent with warfare.
407
00:21:02,190 --> 00:21:04,155
[tense music]
408
00:21:04,190 --> 00:21:06,882
[narrator] forensic
anthropologist dr. Jane hill
409
00:21:06,957 --> 00:21:09,315
Has discovered that
in his lifetime,
410
00:21:09,390 --> 00:21:13,115
Senebkay survived more than
a dozen devastating blows
411
00:21:13,190 --> 00:21:16,675
That penetrated right
down to the bone.
412
00:21:16,750 --> 00:21:18,875
[jane] we found evidence
of senebkay healing
413
00:21:18,910 --> 00:21:20,635
From multiple wounds.
414
00:21:20,670 --> 00:21:22,955
His seventh rib had
already successfully healed
415
00:21:22,990 --> 00:21:26,075
And he also had a healed
fracture on his face.
416
00:21:26,110 --> 00:21:30,315
Is an indication he was
not a stranger to violence.
417
00:21:30,350 --> 00:21:31,995
[ominous music]
418
00:21:32,004 --> 00:21:34,955
[narrator] the skeletal
scars suggest senebkay
419
00:21:34,990 --> 00:21:37,962
Fought numerous brutal
battles before his death.
420
00:21:40,990 --> 00:21:43,795
But leading from the
front was highly unusual
421
00:21:43,870 --> 00:21:45,242
For egyptian royalty.
422
00:21:47,550 --> 00:21:50,675
Despite evidence
to the contrary.
423
00:21:50,750 --> 00:21:52,155
[rebecca] portraying
yourself as a warrior
424
00:21:52,190 --> 00:21:55,042
Was a key part of being pharaoh.
425
00:21:55,117 --> 00:21:56,995
It showed the gods
and the people
426
00:21:57,070 --> 00:21:59,955
That you were doing your job.
427
00:22:00,030 --> 00:22:02,875
So the pharaohs would show
themselves on temple walls
428
00:22:02,884 --> 00:22:06,002
And in inscriptions,
being a warrior.
429
00:22:06,077 --> 00:22:08,555
Always at the front
of their troops,
430
00:22:08,590 --> 00:22:10,395
Leading them into battle,
431
00:22:10,404 --> 00:22:13,915
Showing everyone how
to do it, essentially.
432
00:22:13,950 --> 00:22:17,275
I'm not quite sure that
these are accurate.
433
00:22:17,310 --> 00:22:18,722
[gentle suspenseful music]
434
00:22:18,797 --> 00:22:20,882
He may have had
military training.
435
00:22:20,957 --> 00:22:22,635
The pharaoh was
far too important
436
00:22:22,710 --> 00:22:25,842
To have led his
troops into battle.
437
00:22:25,917 --> 00:22:28,315
-[flames whooshing]
-[men yelling]
438
00:22:28,350 --> 00:22:31,042
[narrator] the evidence of
trauma on senebkay's remains
439
00:22:31,117 --> 00:22:34,635
Suggests he stood out
among the pharaohs.
440
00:22:34,670 --> 00:22:37,515
Could it be that in the
troubled and turbulent period
441
00:22:37,550 --> 00:22:40,955
In which he lived, king
senebkay had no choice
442
00:22:40,990 --> 00:22:44,442
But to lead by example
and fight for his kingdom?
443
00:22:46,270 --> 00:22:48,075
[josef] I think in the
case of senebkay,
444
00:22:48,110 --> 00:22:49,955
This is quite likely
a period of time
445
00:22:50,030 --> 00:22:52,795
Where the kings themselves,
as trained warriors,
446
00:22:52,830 --> 00:22:55,115
Led their forces
physically into battle.
447
00:22:55,150 --> 00:22:58,955
It's really kind of a
fight for survival, I think.
448
00:22:58,990 --> 00:23:02,722
[salima] this was a time where
kings were warrior pharaohs.
449
00:23:02,797 --> 00:23:04,315
They were fighting
for their lives,
450
00:23:04,350 --> 00:23:06,795
For their people,
for their land.
451
00:23:06,870 --> 00:23:09,035
This is not just
a figurehead king,
452
00:23:09,070 --> 00:23:12,162
But it was someone engaged
in hand-to-hand combat.
453
00:23:14,590 --> 00:23:15,915
[narrator] the forensic evidence
454
00:23:15,950 --> 00:23:17,915
Clearly shows the abydos pharaoh
455
00:23:17,950 --> 00:23:20,042
Was no stranger to warfare.
456
00:23:21,710 --> 00:23:23,475
And was skilled
enough as a soldier
457
00:23:23,550 --> 00:23:25,922
To survive several skirmishes.
458
00:23:27,917 --> 00:23:29,522
But his remains reveal
459
00:23:29,597 --> 00:23:33,275
That senebkay's determination
to lead from the front,
460
00:23:33,310 --> 00:23:36,515
Was also what
ultimately killed him.
461
00:23:36,590 --> 00:23:38,795
[jane] he suffered defensive
wounds to his hands.
462
00:23:38,870 --> 00:23:41,955
There's an indication that
he tried to defend himself
463
00:23:42,030 --> 00:23:43,435
From his attackers.
464
00:23:43,510 --> 00:23:44,555
[men yelling]
465
00:23:44,564 --> 00:23:46,155
So he's likely on his knees
466
00:23:46,190 --> 00:23:48,675
Or in some sort of
crouched position.
467
00:23:48,750 --> 00:23:51,915
You know, we assume
that he's surrounded.
468
00:23:51,990 --> 00:23:54,515
[narrator] the marks on
senebkay's battered skeleton
469
00:23:54,590 --> 00:23:59,042
Paint a terrifying picture
of the king's final moments.
470
00:23:59,117 --> 00:24:03,435
And remarkably, 3,500
years after his death,
471
00:24:03,470 --> 00:24:05,202
Forensics can now determine
472
00:24:05,277 --> 00:24:10,002
Exactly how the pharaoh
met his bloody fate.
473
00:24:10,077 --> 00:24:13,195
[jane] senebkay suffered three
major wounds to his skull.
474
00:24:13,230 --> 00:24:15,035
One particular penetrating
wound to the back of his head
475
00:24:15,044 --> 00:24:16,882
Was likely the fatal blow.
476
00:24:16,957 --> 00:24:18,882
[ax thudding]
477
00:24:18,957 --> 00:24:20,402
The width of the wound indicates
478
00:24:20,477 --> 00:24:22,635
That the blade that struck him
479
00:24:22,670 --> 00:24:24,882
Extended quite a bit
into his brain matter.
480
00:24:24,957 --> 00:24:27,435
[ominous dramatic music]
481
00:24:27,470 --> 00:24:29,035
[narrator] a
catastrophic head wound
482
00:24:29,070 --> 00:24:31,835
Brought senebkay's
life to a brutal end.
483
00:24:31,870 --> 00:24:33,275
[ax thudding]
484
00:24:33,310 --> 00:24:34,955
And this fatal blow
is further evidence
485
00:24:34,990 --> 00:24:38,555
That senebkay was a pharaoh.
486
00:24:38,590 --> 00:24:42,722
Because it was more than a
lethal battlefield wound.
487
00:24:42,797 --> 00:24:46,242
It was a ritual killing
fit for a king.
488
00:24:48,670 --> 00:24:52,955
[gentle mysterious music]
489
00:24:52,990 --> 00:24:54,795
A clue to the motive behind it
490
00:24:54,870 --> 00:24:57,962
Can be found on display
in the cairo museum.
491
00:24:59,710 --> 00:25:01,315
[salima] here you can
see the king
492
00:25:01,390 --> 00:25:03,515
Taking the enemy by the hair
493
00:25:03,550 --> 00:25:04,995
And smiting him.
494
00:25:05,070 --> 00:25:06,475
[ax thudding]
495
00:25:06,510 --> 00:25:09,155
This image of smiting
represents power,
496
00:25:09,230 --> 00:25:11,042
Kingship, and victory.
497
00:25:11,117 --> 00:25:13,915
So really this is the
quintessential image
498
00:25:13,950 --> 00:25:16,882
Of showing victory
over your enemies.
499
00:25:16,957 --> 00:25:19,675
And the ideal person
that you would smite
500
00:25:19,710 --> 00:25:22,562
Would be the other
side's ruler or leader.
501
00:25:24,510 --> 00:25:26,235
[narrator] smiting was glorified
502
00:25:26,270 --> 00:25:27,835
Throughout the ancient world
503
00:25:27,844 --> 00:25:31,635
As the way a king should
dispatch his rival.
504
00:25:31,710 --> 00:25:35,155
The fatal strike
delivered by a club or ax.
505
00:25:35,230 --> 00:25:37,115
But in the case of senebkay,
506
00:25:37,150 --> 00:25:41,835
It was the pharaoh himself
who received the killing blow.
507
00:25:41,870 --> 00:25:43,755
Senebkay seems to fit
that evidence fairly well
508
00:25:43,790 --> 00:25:45,635
Because he does have this
huge penetrating blow
509
00:25:45,710 --> 00:25:47,515
To the back of his head.
510
00:25:47,550 --> 00:25:50,002
[salima] these kinds of wounds
suggest the humiliation
511
00:25:50,077 --> 00:25:52,795
Of senebkay by his enemies.
512
00:25:52,830 --> 00:25:55,915
This was a very public
way of being executed,
513
00:25:55,990 --> 00:25:58,075
So it was sending
a message saying,
514
00:25:58,110 --> 00:26:00,635
"we are victorious,
you are now nothing."
515
00:26:00,670 --> 00:26:02,675
[dramatic music]
516
00:26:02,750 --> 00:26:05,835
[narrator] destroyed in an
act of cruel humiliation,
517
00:26:05,870 --> 00:26:08,882
Senebkay led his
troops into battle
518
00:26:08,957 --> 00:26:14,235
And paid the ultimate price in
a death designed for royalty.
519
00:26:14,244 --> 00:26:17,475
Now forensic investigation
of this pharaonic warrior
520
00:26:17,550 --> 00:26:21,995
Suggests that though he lived
as a king, and died as a king,
521
00:26:22,030 --> 00:26:23,315
[ax thudding]
522
00:26:23,390 --> 00:26:26,082
Senebkay was not
born to be a king.
523
00:26:29,950 --> 00:26:32,882
-[people chattering]
-[suspenseful music]
524
00:26:32,957 --> 00:26:35,522
The discovery of
forgotten pharaoh senebkay
525
00:26:35,597 --> 00:26:39,282
Is unlocking the secrets of
an erased egyptian dynasty.
526
00:26:40,670 --> 00:26:42,875
Ruling from the
sacred city of abydos,
527
00:26:42,884 --> 00:26:46,962
This lost king was not like
other great egyptian rulers.
528
00:26:47,950 --> 00:26:49,915
A man of little wealth.
529
00:26:49,950 --> 00:26:54,515
And unusually for a pharaoh,
no stranger to the battlefield.
530
00:26:54,590 --> 00:26:57,195
But why did this one
pharaoh buck the trend
531
00:26:57,204 --> 00:26:59,675
Of royal privilege
and protection,
532
00:26:59,710 --> 00:27:01,602
In order to fight
from the front?
533
00:27:03,470 --> 00:27:07,475
[suspenseful music]
534
00:27:07,550 --> 00:27:11,115
Experts now suspect the answer
is hiding in plain sight
535
00:27:11,150 --> 00:27:13,122
On display in cairo.
536
00:27:15,437 --> 00:27:17,115
[salima] these are called
birth wands,
537
00:27:17,150 --> 00:27:21,842
And these are magical
instruments that also make noise
538
00:27:21,917 --> 00:27:25,995
That are protective
and are regenerative.
539
00:27:26,004 --> 00:27:28,402
[narrator] birth wands,
believed to have been presented
540
00:27:28,477 --> 00:27:33,035
To expectant parents, were
inscribed with watchful deities
541
00:27:33,044 --> 00:27:35,402
And adorned with the
name of their child.
542
00:27:37,150 --> 00:27:39,835
For almost a century
this birth wand
543
00:27:39,870 --> 00:27:42,402
Was simply an ancient
egyptian curiosity.
544
00:27:44,910 --> 00:27:49,035
Until the discovery
of senebkay's tomb.
545
00:27:49,070 --> 00:27:53,915
[salima] this one is inscribed
in a cartouche with sebkay,
546
00:27:53,950 --> 00:27:56,355
Which we think is
perhaps just a miswriting
547
00:27:56,430 --> 00:27:59,315
Or an earlier
writing of senebkay,
548
00:27:59,390 --> 00:28:01,682
The king of the abydos dynasty.
549
00:28:03,630 --> 00:28:05,835
[kim] it's notable that
the inscription
550
00:28:05,844 --> 00:28:08,875
Actually contains
a spelling error.
551
00:28:08,910 --> 00:28:11,435
And so it was not clear
before the discovery
552
00:28:11,470 --> 00:28:13,042
Of the tomb of senebkay
553
00:28:13,117 --> 00:28:16,875
That his name was even
supposed to be read senebkay.
554
00:28:16,910 --> 00:28:19,115
[narrator] but if this
artifact did belong
555
00:28:19,150 --> 00:28:24,115
To the lost pharaoh senebkay,
another mystery emerges
556
00:28:24,190 --> 00:28:27,842
Because birth wands were
never given to kings.
557
00:28:30,270 --> 00:28:32,075
[salima] it's really strange
to have this
558
00:28:32,110 --> 00:28:35,362
Royal inscription on it.
559
00:28:35,437 --> 00:28:38,722
It is, in fact, the only
birth wand that has the name
560
00:28:38,797 --> 00:28:42,115
Of a king inscribed
on it in a cartouche.
561
00:28:42,190 --> 00:28:44,402
So this is really unique.
562
00:28:44,477 --> 00:28:47,122
[ominous music]
563
00:28:48,270 --> 00:28:49,915
[narrator] egyptologists
now believe
564
00:28:49,950 --> 00:28:52,675
This unusual object
may be the key
565
00:28:52,750 --> 00:28:55,922
To explaining senekbay's
willingness to go into battle.
566
00:28:56,957 --> 00:28:59,915
And his rise to power.
567
00:28:59,950 --> 00:29:03,435
Because where it was found
provides a major clue
568
00:29:03,470 --> 00:29:06,882
To the lost pharaoh's origins.
569
00:29:06,957 --> 00:29:09,995
This birth wand was found
in the tomb of sobekhotep
570
00:29:10,030 --> 00:29:11,202
And his wife nefruptah.
571
00:29:12,637 --> 00:29:14,795
Now, sobekhotep was
an elite man
572
00:29:14,830 --> 00:29:17,795
Because he was a commander
of the royal troops.
573
00:29:17,870 --> 00:29:20,475
So he had very high
military position.
574
00:29:20,510 --> 00:29:22,835
[gentle suspenseful music]
575
00:29:22,910 --> 00:29:24,242
[narrator] the
occupants of the tomb
576
00:29:24,317 --> 00:29:26,602
Where the wand was
found were not royalty,
577
00:29:27,844 --> 00:29:31,195
But they were military elite.
578
00:29:31,204 --> 00:29:35,355
Finding this birth wand
in the tomb of sobekhoteb,
579
00:29:35,390 --> 00:29:38,002
But inscribed for senebkay,
580
00:29:38,077 --> 00:29:40,875
Means, obviously, there
was a close relationship.
581
00:29:40,884 --> 00:29:44,882
And one of the interpretations
is that, in fact,
582
00:29:44,957 --> 00:29:48,875
Sobekhotep and nefrutah
were his parents.
583
00:29:48,884 --> 00:29:51,915
[majestic music]
584
00:29:51,950 --> 00:29:54,242
[narrator] the discovery
of senebkay's birth wand
585
00:29:54,317 --> 00:29:58,875
Suggests the forgotten pharaoh
may not have had royal blood,
586
00:29:58,884 --> 00:30:01,562
But he was a warrior
born and bred.
587
00:30:02,884 --> 00:30:04,795
So could senebkay have risen
588
00:30:04,870 --> 00:30:06,955
To the ultimate rank of pharaoh,
589
00:30:06,990 --> 00:30:09,515
Not through divine birthright,
590
00:30:09,550 --> 00:30:13,955
But by proving himself
worthy on the battlefield?
591
00:30:14,030 --> 00:30:18,635
Generally, egyptian succession
went from parent to child,
592
00:30:18,670 --> 00:30:20,242
Parent to child.
593
00:30:20,317 --> 00:30:22,075
But during the second
intermediate period,
594
00:30:22,110 --> 00:30:24,635
It is not necessarily the case.
595
00:30:24,710 --> 00:30:26,955
People had to be extra special
596
00:30:26,990 --> 00:30:30,955
If they were going to
become rulers or commanders.
597
00:30:30,990 --> 00:30:33,475
Most importantly I think
for this time period,
598
00:30:33,550 --> 00:30:35,275
They would have
really had to be known
599
00:30:35,310 --> 00:30:37,915
As great fighters and warriors.
600
00:30:37,990 --> 00:30:40,715
[tense music]
601
00:30:40,750 --> 00:30:42,715
[narrator] senebkay's
battle-scarred body
602
00:30:42,724 --> 00:30:44,995
And suspected
military upbringing,
603
00:30:45,070 --> 00:30:48,115
Suggests the abydos
dynasty did not follow
604
00:30:48,190 --> 00:30:50,962
The traditional pharaonic
pattern of succession.
605
00:30:53,070 --> 00:30:55,762
A leader was chosen
based on merit.
606
00:30:58,030 --> 00:31:01,515
Now a closer look at his
skeleton may reveal the secret
607
00:31:01,550 --> 00:31:06,875
Of just why senebkay was
such a remarkable warrior.
608
00:31:06,910 --> 00:31:08,875
[jane] the wounds to his knees
were very interesting
609
00:31:08,884 --> 00:31:11,755
Because it doesn't make
sense for an assailant
610
00:31:11,790 --> 00:31:14,875
Who's on the ground to attack
those points on the body.
611
00:31:14,884 --> 00:31:16,955
So we think the purpose
of these particular wounds
612
00:31:16,990 --> 00:31:20,515
Was to bring him down
from an elevated position.
613
00:31:20,590 --> 00:31:22,235
It had been proposed
very early on.
614
00:31:22,270 --> 00:31:24,955
Perhaps his high
position was basically
615
00:31:24,990 --> 00:31:27,035
In the back of a chariot.
616
00:31:27,070 --> 00:31:29,682
-[dramatic music]
-[horse whinnying]
617
00:31:29,757 --> 00:31:33,522
[narrator] as king, senebkay may
have had access to chariots.
618
00:31:35,190 --> 00:31:37,522
A new form of battle transport,
619
00:31:37,597 --> 00:31:40,955
First introduced to ancient
egypt by their hyksos enemies,
620
00:31:40,990 --> 00:31:42,762
Around the time of his reign.
621
00:31:44,190 --> 00:31:46,115
But the forensic
evidence doesn't match up
622
00:31:46,190 --> 00:31:47,955
With this theory.
623
00:31:48,030 --> 00:31:49,795
[gentle pensive music]
624
00:31:49,870 --> 00:31:53,035
[jane] if you see how chariots
in egypt are designed,
625
00:31:53,044 --> 00:31:55,115
There's not really
good access points
626
00:31:55,150 --> 00:31:57,722
To these areas of the
body where he was struck.
627
00:31:59,390 --> 00:32:00,722
The fact that he is suffering
628
00:32:00,797 --> 00:32:01,915
These wounds in his lower body,
629
00:32:01,950 --> 00:32:03,515
In his joints of the lower body,
630
00:32:03,550 --> 00:32:05,435
Seems to indicate
they were exposed
631
00:32:05,470 --> 00:32:07,595
And that people could get
to them fairly easily.
632
00:32:07,670 --> 00:32:10,675
[dramatic music]
633
00:32:10,750 --> 00:32:12,875
[narrator] if his
wounds are inconsistent
634
00:32:12,910 --> 00:32:14,875
With chariot warfare,
635
00:32:14,910 --> 00:32:19,435
How did senebkay sustain
these unusual injuries?
636
00:32:19,470 --> 00:32:22,722
Further analysis has revealed
an extraordinary clue.
637
00:32:24,110 --> 00:32:27,955
Unique signs of wear on
senebkay's lower body,
638
00:32:28,030 --> 00:32:30,955
More usually seen
in modern skeletons.
639
00:32:30,990 --> 00:32:33,275
[jane] the kinds of ways that we
see this type of wear and tear
640
00:32:33,310 --> 00:32:37,195
On the human body is for
people who ride bicycles a lot,
641
00:32:37,230 --> 00:32:39,675
And people who ride
motorcycles a lot.
642
00:32:39,684 --> 00:32:42,075
And, we're not gonna
posit that the egyptians
643
00:32:42,110 --> 00:32:43,955
Invented the bicycle or
the motorcycle back then,
644
00:32:44,030 --> 00:32:47,275
So it's very much more likely
that they were riding horses.
645
00:32:47,310 --> 00:32:48,955
[horse hooves thundering]
646
00:32:48,990 --> 00:32:50,955
[narrator] there is only
one ancient equivalent
647
00:32:50,990 --> 00:32:52,555
That fits the bill.
648
00:32:52,590 --> 00:32:55,755
Senebkay rode into
battle on horseback.
649
00:32:55,790 --> 00:32:57,755
-[horse neighing]
-[sword swishing]
650
00:32:57,790 --> 00:33:00,195
[horse hooves rumbling]
651
00:33:00,270 --> 00:33:02,075
[jane] there have been in
multiple cultures,
652
00:33:02,150 --> 00:33:04,875
Studies done of what
happens to the people
653
00:33:04,884 --> 00:33:08,155
Who start riding horses where
horses are first introduced.
654
00:33:08,190 --> 00:33:09,835
There are eight
different markers
655
00:33:09,844 --> 00:33:11,155
And senebkay's got all of them.
656
00:33:11,230 --> 00:33:13,842
-[dramatic music]
-[men yelling]
657
00:33:13,917 --> 00:33:15,835
[narrator] now this
extraordinary discovery
658
00:33:15,870 --> 00:33:18,875
Is causing egyptologists
to rethink the way
659
00:33:18,910 --> 00:33:21,162
Ancient egyptians
engaged in battle.
660
00:33:22,724 --> 00:33:26,235
If this theory is true, then we
also have the first evidence
661
00:33:26,244 --> 00:33:29,675
That pharaohs rode on horseback.
662
00:33:29,710 --> 00:33:31,922
So it really would be
a spectacular find.
663
00:33:33,790 --> 00:33:35,515
[jane] if you wanna think of
a horse as technology
664
00:33:35,524 --> 00:33:37,795
Because it is a means
of transportation
665
00:33:37,870 --> 00:33:41,275
You can use at speed, to
attack or run down your foes,
666
00:33:41,310 --> 00:33:43,435
Then he was making full
use of that technology
667
00:33:43,510 --> 00:33:45,115
At the time of his death.
668
00:33:45,150 --> 00:33:48,722
[ominous music]
669
00:33:48,797 --> 00:33:51,962
[narrator] a military veteran,
skilled in the art of war,
670
00:33:53,990 --> 00:33:55,675
And an early adopter of the new,
671
00:33:55,684 --> 00:33:58,675
Terrifying equine war machine.
672
00:33:58,750 --> 00:34:01,842
-[sword thudding]
-[men yelling]
673
00:34:01,917 --> 00:34:07,275
Senebkay rose to the top,
to become pharaoh in abydos.
674
00:34:07,310 --> 00:34:11,835
But around 1650 bc his
rule came to an abrupt
675
00:34:11,870 --> 00:34:12,922
And violent end.
676
00:34:16,077 --> 00:34:17,915
Our conclusion was these wounds
677
00:34:17,950 --> 00:34:20,875
Were meant to
basically unseat him,
678
00:34:20,884 --> 00:34:22,882
So that his body could
no longer hold on
679
00:34:22,957 --> 00:34:25,275
To the back of the horse.
680
00:34:25,350 --> 00:34:27,915
[josef] once that occurred,
he was brought to the ground.
681
00:34:27,950 --> 00:34:30,115
That's probably when
the major ax blows
682
00:34:30,190 --> 00:34:31,835
To his skull took place.
683
00:34:31,844 --> 00:34:33,915
[dramatic music]
684
00:34:33,950 --> 00:34:35,435
[narrator] brought
down from his horse
685
00:34:35,470 --> 00:34:37,515
And brutally executed,
686
00:34:37,550 --> 00:34:40,922
Who finally defeated this
battle-worn warrior king?
687
00:34:42,510 --> 00:34:46,795
And why were both he and
the entire abydos dynasty
688
00:34:46,830 --> 00:34:49,115
Then erased from history?
689
00:34:49,190 --> 00:34:51,955
[salima] if senebkay died in
this way,
690
00:34:52,030 --> 00:34:56,962
It must have been a humiliating,
dramatic, and painful defeat.
691
00:34:57,917 --> 00:35:00,235
[ax thudding]
692
00:35:00,270 --> 00:35:03,842
[gentle mysterious music]
693
00:35:03,917 --> 00:35:06,315
[narrator] the discovery
of a lost egyptian dynasty
694
00:35:06,350 --> 00:35:08,442
Is rewriting ancient history.
695
00:35:09,870 --> 00:35:11,915
[dramatic music]
696
00:35:11,950 --> 00:35:16,635
[ayman] the existence of abydos
dynasty became real
697
00:35:16,670 --> 00:35:19,675
After finding physical
evidence,
698
00:35:19,710 --> 00:35:24,722
The tomb, and the murdered
king fighting for his kingdom.
699
00:35:26,430 --> 00:35:28,875
[narrator] the lost
king, senebkay.
700
00:35:28,884 --> 00:35:32,475
A warrior whose skill on the
battlefield, and on horseback,
701
00:35:32,510 --> 00:35:37,675
Saw him rise from common
soldier to all-powerful pharaoh.
702
00:35:37,684 --> 00:35:40,075
In a time when
egypt was crumbling
703
00:35:40,150 --> 00:35:41,922
And conflict was a way of life.
704
00:35:43,790 --> 00:35:46,635
His fatal wounds
suggest a ritual killing,
705
00:35:46,670 --> 00:35:50,075
Known as smiting,
delivered by a rival king.
706
00:35:50,150 --> 00:35:54,315
-[ominous music]
-[men yelling]
707
00:35:54,350 --> 00:35:56,715
But who was senebkay fighting
708
00:35:56,750 --> 00:36:00,115
In the bloody battle
that would be his last?
709
00:36:00,190 --> 00:36:03,362
There are a lot of suspects
that one has to consider
710
00:36:03,437 --> 00:36:06,875
When looking at the
death of senebkay.
711
00:36:06,910 --> 00:36:08,875
[rebecca] he possibly could
have come into contact
712
00:36:08,910 --> 00:36:11,635
With the nubians to the south,
713
00:36:11,710 --> 00:36:13,915
And the hyksos, who
were jostling for power
714
00:36:13,950 --> 00:36:15,915
Further north.
715
00:36:15,950 --> 00:36:17,515
[narrator] the second
intermediate period
716
00:36:17,550 --> 00:36:20,882
Between 1800 and 1570 bc,
717
00:36:20,957 --> 00:36:23,995
Saw egypt's once-great
empire shrunken
718
00:36:24,030 --> 00:36:25,682
And battling for survival.
719
00:36:27,070 --> 00:36:28,795
The hyksos and the nubians
720
00:36:28,870 --> 00:36:32,442
Were both fighting for control
of egypt's fractured lands.
721
00:36:33,950 --> 00:36:36,875
So could the king of one
of these foreign enemies
722
00:36:36,884 --> 00:36:39,315
Be responsible for
the deadly blows
723
00:36:39,390 --> 00:36:43,435
That brought senebkay's life,
and reign, to a brutal end?
724
00:36:43,470 --> 00:36:45,035
[dramatic music]
725
00:36:45,070 --> 00:36:48,882
It's a 3,600-year-old cold case.
726
00:36:48,957 --> 00:36:50,955
But investigators
have discovered
727
00:36:50,990 --> 00:36:53,755
A remarkable piece
of forensic evidence
728
00:36:53,790 --> 00:36:56,962
That could identify the
killer of the abydos king.
729
00:36:58,750 --> 00:37:03,842
The wounds to the front of
his skull were quite severe.
730
00:37:03,917 --> 00:37:07,195
We see a penetrating wound.
731
00:37:07,204 --> 00:37:08,475
[josef] there's a perfect
impression
732
00:37:08,510 --> 00:37:10,875
In the top of his skull,
733
00:37:10,910 --> 00:37:14,002
And we can see that the
blade that caused that
734
00:37:14,077 --> 00:37:19,042
Was 4 1/2 centimeters wide
and about 1/4 cm in thickness.
735
00:37:21,390 --> 00:37:22,882
[jane] from the profile
736
00:37:22,957 --> 00:37:25,522
It looks as though
it were a battle-ax,
737
00:37:25,597 --> 00:37:28,322
That's contemporary with the
second intermediate period.
738
00:37:29,150 --> 00:37:30,115
[ax thuds]
739
00:37:30,190 --> 00:37:31,755
[narrator] a battle-ax.
740
00:37:31,790 --> 00:37:35,362
Sharp and deadly enough to
slice through senebkay's skull,
741
00:37:35,437 --> 00:37:37,602
Leaving a near-perfect imprint.
742
00:37:39,470 --> 00:37:41,435
It's a remarkable clue.
743
00:37:41,470 --> 00:37:44,002
[tense music]
744
00:37:45,950 --> 00:37:48,882
And, in the penn
museum in pennsylvania,
745
00:37:48,957 --> 00:37:51,315
Josef wegner is
searching for a blade
746
00:37:51,390 --> 00:37:53,442
That matches the murder weapon.
747
00:37:55,310 --> 00:37:59,922
We do have an example here of
a nubian kurma short sword.
748
00:38:01,277 --> 00:38:03,675
Indications of the
weaponry on his bones
749
00:38:03,710 --> 00:38:06,522
Probably don't really conform
with this kind of weaponry.
750
00:38:08,030 --> 00:38:10,242
The hyksos have
very characteristic
751
00:38:10,317 --> 00:38:13,842
Battle-ax forms that they used.
752
00:38:13,917 --> 00:38:16,882
It has a very narrow
front to the blade,
753
00:38:16,957 --> 00:38:19,115
It looks more like
a kind of a pick
754
00:38:19,150 --> 00:38:23,435
With actually a
concave end to it.
755
00:38:23,470 --> 00:38:26,242
[narrator] neither of the
foreign weapons are a match.
756
00:38:27,757 --> 00:38:31,835
But there is another
shocking possibility.
757
00:38:31,844 --> 00:38:35,922
A blade that's a perfect fit
for senebkay's ancient injury.
758
00:38:37,390 --> 00:38:41,042
You can see it's a
very slender weapon.
759
00:38:41,117 --> 00:38:45,595
There's a nice rounded cutting
edge on the front of it
760
00:38:45,670 --> 00:38:48,235
And then a little bit
of a turn in the angle.
761
00:38:48,270 --> 00:38:50,402
So it would have been
a lightweight weapon,
762
00:38:50,477 --> 00:38:53,035
But one that you could
wield with a lot of force.
763
00:38:53,070 --> 00:38:54,635
[ax swishing]
764
00:38:54,670 --> 00:38:55,915
[narrator] the
weapon that matches
765
00:38:55,950 --> 00:38:57,915
Senebkay's fatal head wound
766
00:38:57,950 --> 00:39:00,042
Isn't hyksos or nubian.
767
00:39:02,190 --> 00:39:04,642
It's an egyptian battle-ax.
768
00:39:05,684 --> 00:39:07,202
[josef] in senebkay's cranium
769
00:39:07,277 --> 00:39:09,475
We have actually
the whole impression
770
00:39:09,550 --> 00:39:11,275
Of the leading edge
of the battle-ax,
771
00:39:11,350 --> 00:39:13,795
That would have come
in, right like this,
772
00:39:13,870 --> 00:39:16,875
And embedded itself
in his skull.
773
00:39:16,910 --> 00:39:18,635
-[ax swishing]
-[ax thuds]
774
00:39:18,670 --> 00:39:20,675
So this is a typical
egyptian battle-ax.
775
00:39:20,750 --> 00:39:22,835
This is the primary weapon
776
00:39:22,910 --> 00:39:25,195
That was probably used
in the death of senebkay.
777
00:39:25,230 --> 00:39:28,242
[dramatic music]
778
00:39:28,317 --> 00:39:31,595
[narrator] the forensic
evidence is clear.
779
00:39:31,670 --> 00:39:34,642
Senebkay didn't fall
victim to a foreign enemy.
780
00:39:35,990 --> 00:39:38,482
His murderer was
much closer to home.
781
00:39:40,884 --> 00:39:43,915
[josef] we have a lot of
examples of these battle axes
782
00:39:43,950 --> 00:39:45,915
Almost identical to the type
783
00:39:45,950 --> 00:39:49,922
That dealt senebkay his death
blow in the theban region.
784
00:39:52,477 --> 00:39:56,162
[salima] at this point egypt
was in small pieces.
785
00:39:57,150 --> 00:39:58,882
There was no sense of unity.
786
00:39:58,957 --> 00:40:01,675
So if you're theban
and you want to get rid
787
00:40:01,710 --> 00:40:04,042
Of someone from abydos,
you'll just go kill them.
788
00:40:06,030 --> 00:40:09,275
[narrator] did senebkay
meet his bloody fate
789
00:40:09,310 --> 00:40:13,955
At the hands of his
own theban neighbors?
790
00:40:14,030 --> 00:40:15,995
If the thebans thought
that they were under
791
00:40:16,030 --> 00:40:19,635
Any kind of threat, I
have very little doubt
792
00:40:19,710 --> 00:40:21,922
That they would have
struck back with force.
793
00:40:23,350 --> 00:40:24,995
If they thought senebkay
794
00:40:25,070 --> 00:40:27,955
And his region or his
kingdom was a threat,
795
00:40:28,030 --> 00:40:28,995
They would have dispatched him.
796
00:40:29,070 --> 00:40:31,642
No question.
797
00:40:34,750 --> 00:40:36,115
[ominous music]
798
00:40:36,190 --> 00:40:37,915
[narrator] if the
lost abydos pharaoh
799
00:40:37,990 --> 00:40:40,955
Was killed by a theban ax,
800
00:40:40,990 --> 00:40:42,955
Josef believes the
manner of his death
801
00:40:42,990 --> 00:40:44,395
Could be the final clue
802
00:40:44,430 --> 00:40:46,922
In determining who
dealt the fatal blow.
803
00:40:48,750 --> 00:40:52,995
I can't imagine it would be
just a common foot soldier.
804
00:40:53,070 --> 00:40:55,515
The indication that
he may have been held
805
00:40:55,550 --> 00:40:58,115
And smote on the
head with a battle-ax
806
00:40:58,190 --> 00:41:01,475
Is a symbol of an enemy king.
807
00:41:01,550 --> 00:41:03,595
[narrator] in a
battle of dynasties,
808
00:41:03,670 --> 00:41:06,635
The prime suspect in the
killing of king senebkay,
809
00:41:06,710 --> 00:41:10,955
May well have been the
rival theban pharaoh.
810
00:41:10,990 --> 00:41:13,755
[jane] if both of these men are
claiming to be the true
811
00:41:13,790 --> 00:41:17,115
Representative of heaven and
earth for the nation of egypt,
812
00:41:17,150 --> 00:41:19,915
Then that's the only way
he could have been put down
813
00:41:19,990 --> 00:41:23,922
By one of his enemies, as
a foe of the true pharaoh.
814
00:41:24,990 --> 00:41:27,035
[ax thudding]
815
00:41:27,070 --> 00:41:29,475
[gentle pensive music]
816
00:41:29,550 --> 00:41:31,955
[narrator] an abydos
king brutally executed
817
00:41:32,030 --> 00:41:34,042
As an enemy of his own nation.
818
00:41:35,870 --> 00:41:38,955
His vanquished dynasty
written out of history,
819
00:41:38,990 --> 00:41:43,682
Until a chance discovery
3,600 years later,
820
00:41:43,757 --> 00:41:46,962
In the sands of egypt's
most sacred city.
821
00:41:48,797 --> 00:41:51,762
[salima] it's fabulous to
have found senebkay.
822
00:41:54,030 --> 00:41:57,195
And knowing that the
abydos kings existed,
823
00:41:57,230 --> 00:42:00,882
Really shifts our
understanding.
824
00:42:00,957 --> 00:42:05,435
And maybe more excavations
will reveal other kings
825
00:42:05,470 --> 00:42:09,515
And shed more light on
this complex time period.
826
00:42:09,524 --> 00:42:12,875
[dramatic music]
827
00:42:12,910 --> 00:42:14,315
[narrator] senebkay
and his dynasty
828
00:42:14,350 --> 00:42:15,915
Have finally been restored
829
00:42:15,950 --> 00:42:17,842
To their rightful
place in history.
830
00:42:19,950 --> 00:42:23,955
But why were they erased
in the first place?
831
00:42:24,030 --> 00:42:25,522
[josef] egyptians like to...
832
00:42:25,597 --> 00:42:27,115
They like to simplify
their history.
833
00:42:27,190 --> 00:42:30,155
They like to view it as a
succession of dynasties,
834
00:42:30,230 --> 00:42:32,715
One after another.
835
00:42:32,750 --> 00:42:35,275
Senebkay and his dynasty were
probably considered to be
836
00:42:35,310 --> 00:42:38,155
A period of time that egypt
837
00:42:38,190 --> 00:42:40,555
Didn't wanna live
through again.
838
00:42:40,590 --> 00:42:42,955
The kings lists are
by no means complete.
839
00:42:42,990 --> 00:42:47,275
In fact, a number of them
are incredibly incomplete.
840
00:42:47,310 --> 00:42:50,155
Kings would routinely
omit names of kings
841
00:42:50,190 --> 00:42:51,915
That had come before them.
842
00:42:51,950 --> 00:42:53,315
Maybe they were rivals.
843
00:42:53,390 --> 00:42:55,042
Maybe they were too weak.
844
00:42:55,117 --> 00:42:58,075
You don't want any
weaklings in there.
845
00:42:58,150 --> 00:42:59,915
[narrator] both
the abydos dynasty
846
00:42:59,990 --> 00:43:01,755
And their king, senebkay,
847
00:43:01,790 --> 00:43:04,722
Were deliberately stricken
from the royal records.
848
00:43:06,797 --> 00:43:09,955
Although senebkay was buried
with as much pharaonic ceremony
849
00:43:10,030 --> 00:43:12,355
As his struggling
nation could afford,
850
00:43:12,430 --> 00:43:16,002
His life and his reign
were doomed to be forgotten
851
00:43:17,710 --> 00:43:20,315
In a history that was
written by the descendants
852
00:43:20,350 --> 00:43:23,515
Of the triumphant
theban pharaohs.
853
00:43:23,550 --> 00:43:26,955
[salima] ultimately, the thebans
managed to unite egypt,
854
00:43:26,990 --> 00:43:29,755
So then we get a new kingdom
855
00:43:29,790 --> 00:43:32,562
And a united egypt
under one pharaoh.
856
00:43:34,244 --> 00:43:36,722
[narrator] the extraordinary
discoveries of josef wegner
857
00:43:36,797 --> 00:43:40,715
And kim ryholt have now
rewritten that history,
858
00:43:40,724 --> 00:43:45,195
Shedding new light on one of
ancient egypt's darkest times.
859
00:43:45,204 --> 00:43:47,362
When the country was fractured
860
00:43:47,437 --> 00:43:50,235
And rival pharaohs
fought for power,
861
00:43:50,244 --> 00:43:53,955
A warrior king rode
into battle on horseback
862
00:43:54,030 --> 00:43:56,635
And paid the ultimate price.
863
00:43:56,710 --> 00:43:59,082
[ax thudding]