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Downloaded from
YTS.MX
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(speaking native language)
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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MAN: Mohamed!
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MOHAMED: Oh wow
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It's inscripted stone
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NARRATOR: In the
shadow of the pyramids,
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archaeologists make an
extraordinary discovery.
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MOHAMED: This oval shape,
this is the name of the
King, Khaafre,
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the owner of the
second pyramid.
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NARRATOR: They unearth a stone
inscribed with a cartouche,
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an ancient symbol
of the pharaoh.
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MOHAMED (off-screen):
Kha'afre, this is the most
important hieroglyphic sign
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and it's dating
back 2600 BC.
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NARRATOR: The Pharaoh,
Khafre, built the
second pyramid of Giza,
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could this astonishing
discovery of a four and a
half thousand year old
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stone bearing the
pharaoh's name,
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help to answer one
of Egypt's greatest
unsolved mysteries?
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ASHRAF: This is a
great discovery.
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NARRATOR: What happened
to the missing bodies
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of the great pyramid pharaohs?
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MARK: These are cold cases,
maybe the coldest robbery
case in the books.
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(theme music plays)
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NARRATOR: The ancient
Pyramids of Giza
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tower above the urban
sprawl of modern Cairo.
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The pyramids were
built four and a half
thousand years ago,
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as tombs for three
generations of pharaoh kings.
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The Great Pyramid of Khufu
stands over 450 feet tall.
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Khafre, his son, built his
tomb just 13 feet shorter.
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And Khufu's grandson,
Menkaure, built
the smallest pyramid,
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but it's still the height
of a 15 story tower block.
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These tombs are
giant fortresses,
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designed to keep the
pharaoh's corpses and
treasures safe for eternity.
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The man responsible
for preserving these
ancient monuments is
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Ashraf Mohie El Din, the
director of the Giza Plateau.
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Ashraf is a world famous
archaeologist and knows
more about this site
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than anybody else
on the planet.
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Today, he's spearheading
a pioneering excavation
that he hopes will
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transform our knowledge of
the pyramids and the pharaoh
kings who built them.
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ASHRAF: Everybody's dreaming
to come, to see the pyramid,
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I get the honor to
come every day.
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NARRATOR: Ashraf has
dedicated the last 20 years to
investigating this vast site.
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But there's one area that's
still shrouded in secrecy,
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largely untouched by
modern archaeologists,
until now.
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Due south of the pyramids,
is a barren one square
mile desert landscape.
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It makes up the
entire southern half
of the Giza Plateau.
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It's called the
Southern Field.
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Ashraf assembles a
team of over 60 workers,
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to undertake a vast
excavation beneath this
unchartered patch of desert.
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Over the course of the
next eight months,
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they will remove hundreds
of tons of sand,
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dumping it at the
base of the plateau.
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(speaking native language)
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ASHRAF: Guys, let's work
our way down like this
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Our work actually here,
to clear the sands,
step by step,
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layer by layer,
to see what is
under the sands.
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NARRATOR: Nobody knows what
secrets lie undiscovered
beneath the sands here.
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But historic excavations
across the Giza Plateau
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have led to
astonishing discoveries.
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West of the Pyramids,
archaeologists unearthed
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an enormous cemetery
for high officials.
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To the east, the tombs of
the Pharaoh Khufu's family.
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And gigantic
processional causeways,
with grand temples,
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including a temple devoted
to the great sphinx.
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Archaeologists have even found
the remnants of a harbor town,
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where pyramid building blocks
weighing up to 15 tons,
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were delivered on
board fleets of ships.
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But no-one knows for sure
what lies buried beneath
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the largely unexplored
Southern Field.
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As Ashraf's team
shift the sands...
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(speaking native language)
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MAN: Mohamed!
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NARRATOR: They unearth
a startling discovery,
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just a few inches
beneath the surface.
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MOHAMED: Oh wow
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It's inscripted stone
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NARRATOR: They find
a beautifully carved
limestone block.
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MOHAMED: It's buried
in soft sand
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This oval shape, we
call it a cartouche
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This is the name of the king
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NARRATOR: The team are
onto something big.
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ASHRAF (off-screen):
It's inscribed with the
name of the King Khafre.
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Kha Ef-Re, the owner
of the second pyramid.
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ASHRAF (off-screen): So, this
means, this block dates back
to the age of the pyramid.
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NARRATOR: What connects
this limestone block to
the pyramid pharaohs?
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Could this discovery here
in the Southern Field,
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finally shed light on
one of Egypt's greatest
unsolved mysteries?
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What happened to the mummies
of the pyramid kings,
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Khafre, Khufu and Menkaure?
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The bodies of these
pharaohs were once entombed
inside the pyramids,
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but have never been found.
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ASHRAF: It's a place to have
his mummy and his treasures,
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so it should be well secured,
well protected.
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NARRATOR: But keeping
the pyramids secure was
a formidable challenge.
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COLLEEN: We know from
both archaeological
and textual sources,
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that tomb robbery was always
a problem in ancient Egypt.
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NARRATOR: The
monuments failed.
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The first explorers to
enter Khufu's pyramid
in the ninth century
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find the burial chamber empty.
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Khafre and Menkaure's
bodies also disappeared.
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Doctor Mark Lehner is
a world leading expert
on the Great Pyramids.
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MARK (off-screen):
These are cold cases.
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Maybe the coldest robbery
case in the books.
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NARRATOR: Mark wants to
know how these enormous,
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fortified tombs
were broken into.
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He retraces the
robber's footsteps
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into the Great Pyramid
of Khufu to investigate.
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Khufu built the first
and largest great tomb
on the Giza Plateau.
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It's the only surviving
wonder of the ancient world.
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MARK (off-screen): Here,
they built the most perfect,
largest pyramid of all time.
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And they never
equaled it afterwards.
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NARRATOR: It's thought,
20 to 30,000 people
labored for two decades
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to complete this
incredible monument.
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Using enormous ramps to stack
up 2.3 million stone blocks.
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MARK (off-screen): They did
it with such an exactitude,
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that the base is off level
only by an inch around the
entire perimeter.
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NARRATOR: This wasn't
just a burial tomb,
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people worshipped the pharaoh's
memory here after he died.
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The pyramid would have
looked very different
when originally finished.
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Mark examines smooth
limestone blocks at the
monument's northern base.
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These blocks would have once
encased the entire pyramid.
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MARK (off-screen): This
brilliant outer casing was
also a line of defense
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against anybody who would come
in to plunder the royal burial.
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It was one gleaming sheet of
stone and nobody knew exactly
where the entrance was.
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NARRATOR: But
robbers did break in.
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They didn't hunt
for the entrance,
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because that would have been
concealed by the limestone.
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Instead, they tunneled right
through 100 feet of the
pyramid's building blocks
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until they hit an
internal passage.
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Mark climbs up through the
pyramid's grand gallery.
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These enormous structures
weren't just protected
from the outside,
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inside there were
even more anti-theft
devices to negotiate.
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At the top, Mark finds
evidence of an ingenious
pyramid locking mechanism.
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MARK: Thick ropes would
have run down these slots.
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Those ropes would
have controlled slabs
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that would slide
down these slots.
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Boom, boom, boom.
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To close the entrance into the
burial chamber of the pharaoh.
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NARRATOR: Mark believes that
when it was time to lock
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the pharaoh's body in his tomb,
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workers used a complex
network of ropes to drop
enormous granite slabs...
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sealing the burial chamber.
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The Ancient Egyptians
then released three
even bigger blocks,
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that slid down the
ascending passage,
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before slamming into
the end of the tunnel,
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totally blocking it off.
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Finally, they concealed
the pyramid's doorway,
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under a seamless
layer of limestone,
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making it impossible to
tell where the entrance lay.
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Ancient engineers thought
they'd built the perfect
pyramid protection mechanism,
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they were wrong.
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MARK (off-screen): The
anti-theft measures didn't work.
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The chamber has been empty
since recorded history.
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NARRATOR: We don't know
who carried out this crime,
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but Mark has a theory about
when the robberies took place.
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MARK (off-screen): It's my
sense that it was done,
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maybe very soon after the
pyramid was complete because
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those who made the
forced tunnel,
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seemed to have known how to
turn it just to connect
with the ascending passage,
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which is the way
up to the king's chamber.
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NARRATOR: We know from
the breath-taking discovery
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of Tutankhamen's golden
treasures that pharaohs were
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buries with great riches
for use in the afterlife.
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So the pyramid pharaoh's
burial chambers would
have been rich pickings.
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But the pharaoh's mummies
had no intrinsic value
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and the ancient tomb robbers
would likely have feared
these sacred remains.
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Ancient Egyptians believed
the key to eternal life
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was to preserve the
bodies of the dead.
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So when thieves
ransacked the tombs,
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they would grab all
the treasures buried
with the pharaoh.
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They even opened the coffins,
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to pluck gems and amulets
from the mummies.
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But we know from other
Egyptian tomb robberies
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that looters may have
feared the wrath of
the dead pharaohs
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and would have left their
preserved bodies behind.
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So why did all the royal
mummies disappear from
the Pyramids of Giza
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and where are they now?
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ASHRAF: Any Egyptologist
on this planet wishing to
find a mummy for a pharaoh.
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NARRATOR: If archaeologists
find those missing mummies,
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it would be an
enormous breakthrough
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in our understanding of these
ancient and enigmatic kings.
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MARK (off-screen): We don't
have a New York Times or a
Sunday Times
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that tells us about
these pharaohs.
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We just don't know
how old they were,
what they looked like,
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their personalities,
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we know these pharaohs
primarily from their monuments.
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NARRATOR: Could the
corpses of Khufu,
Khafre and Menkaure
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have been moved and reburied
elsewhere on the Giza Plateau
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to keep them safe
from further robbers?
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ASHRAF: I'm hoping in
the future, in our
excavations to find
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a hidden mummy of Khufu,
a hidden mummy of Khafre
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NARRATOR: Ashraf believes
that this stone,
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carved with King Khafre's name
is just the tip of the iceberg.
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What else lies buried
in the Southern Field?
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ASHRAF: I believe lots
of things in the future,
is waiting for us
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(speaking native language)
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NARRATOR: Ashraf's
team is now eight weeks
into their pioneering
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35 week excavation of
the Southern Field.
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The more sand they remove,
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the more extraordinary
discoveries they make.
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(speaking native language)
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NARRATOR: Unearthing
ancient clay pottery.
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ASHRAF: They've got
lots of jars, they put
beer, honey, milk, wine,
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even cheese to be
re-used in afterlife.
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NARRATOR: And huge mudbrick
structures Ashraf believes
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are the walls of
long buried tombs.
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ASHRAF: It extend from
here to over there.
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You see my colleague
over there?
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NARRATOR: And where
there are tombs,
there are bodies.
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(speaking native language)
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NARRATOR: As the team
continues to dig,
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they unearth dozens
of burial shafts.
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ASHRAF: We have more
than 50 shafts here,
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so I'm cleaning one by one.
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NARRATOR: It's now clear
that this unexplored patch
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of the Giza Plateau was once
an important necropolis,
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a vast cemetery dating
back some four and a
half thousand years.
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Who was buried here?
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Many of the shafts are
either empty or unfinished.
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But some...
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AHMED: Oh my God
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NARRATOR: Still contain
remnants of burials.
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AHMED: This burial chamber
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may be three meters inside
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Seven beer jars
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NARRATOR: One particular
shaft astounds them.
227
00:15:27,426 --> 00:15:28,594
ASHRAF (off-screen): Wow.
228
00:15:28,677 --> 00:15:31,388
NARRATOR: This shaft leads
to an interconnected network
229
00:15:31,472 --> 00:15:33,265
of underground chambers.
230
00:15:34,266 --> 00:15:37,436
ASHRAF: I think there is
many chambers to explore.
231
00:15:38,062 --> 00:15:40,856
NARRATOR: It's an
extraordinary discovery,
232
00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:44,735
this mysterious network of
chambers is a mass grave.
233
00:15:44,818 --> 00:15:50,240
ASHRAF: Lots of remains
of mummies, skeletons,
234
00:15:50,991 --> 00:15:53,744
bones and skulls.
235
00:15:55,204 --> 00:15:58,791
This is one of
the bandages which was
used to wrap the body.
236
00:16:00,334 --> 00:16:03,003
NARRATOR: Could these tombs
contain the missing bodies
237
00:16:03,087 --> 00:16:04,838
of the pyramid pharaohs?
238
00:16:07,716 --> 00:16:11,053
Some skeletons are ruled
out because of their size.
239
00:16:11,887 --> 00:16:16,392
ASHRAF: Oh my God.
It's a burial for a baby.
240
00:16:18,185 --> 00:16:21,188
ASHRAF (off-screen): I'm
working more than 20 years
now as archaeologist.
241
00:16:21,563 --> 00:16:23,273
This is for the
first time for me,
242
00:16:23,357 --> 00:16:26,318
to discover a burial for a baby.
243
00:16:27,861 --> 00:16:31,824
ASHRAF (off-screen): And
there is a beautiful mask.
244
00:16:35,244 --> 00:16:37,997
NARRATOR: In one hidden
corner of the tomb network...
245
00:16:40,457 --> 00:16:41,834
ASHRAF: Wow.
246
00:16:43,210 --> 00:16:44,878
Wow, wow, wow, wow.
247
00:16:45,462 --> 00:16:48,382
NARRATOR: Ashraf makes
another spectacular discovery.
248
00:16:49,466 --> 00:16:52,344
ASHRAF: A mask with
a Golden sheets.
249
00:16:55,305 --> 00:16:58,392
Wow! A golden finger!
250
00:16:58,517 --> 00:17:00,185
ASHRAF (off-screen):
I can see the nail.
251
00:17:00,602 --> 00:17:04,440
Oh my gosh,
he still has a hair.
252
00:17:05,357 --> 00:17:07,067
ASHRAF (off-screen):
A skull with a hair.
253
00:17:07,901 --> 00:17:12,364
The whole coffin was
covered with sheets of gold.
254
00:17:13,490 --> 00:17:18,203
NARRATOR: These golden
shards once formed part of
an ornately gilded coffin.
255
00:17:18,746 --> 00:17:21,040
ASHRAF (off-screen): I
believe got a high rank
256
00:17:21,123 --> 00:17:25,794
to have this golden
sheets on his coffin.
257
00:17:27,546 --> 00:17:29,715
NARRATOR: Such liberal
application of gold
258
00:17:29,798 --> 00:17:32,092
would have been reserved only
for the wealthy elite
259
00:17:32,176 --> 00:17:34,094
and high status Egyptians.
260
00:17:34,970 --> 00:17:38,265
And to find an elaborate
burial amongst the
scattered remains
261
00:17:38,348 --> 00:17:40,893
is a surprise for the team.
262
00:17:41,351 --> 00:17:44,271
They must now analyze
the body to investigate
263
00:17:44,354 --> 00:17:47,191
who was buried inside
this golden coffin.
264
00:17:48,067 --> 00:17:52,154
Could these even
be the remains of a
great pyramid pharaoh?
265
00:17:55,365 --> 00:17:59,203
Astonishingly, this wouldn't
be the first pharaoh's body
266
00:17:59,286 --> 00:18:02,372
to be found in a
humble mass tomb.
267
00:18:06,043 --> 00:18:08,962
Dr. Colleen Darnell
has devoted her career
268
00:18:09,046 --> 00:18:12,007
to studying Egyptian
beliefs about death.
269
00:18:13,133 --> 00:18:16,178
She investigates a spectacular
collection of mummies
270
00:18:16,261 --> 00:18:20,015
that could shed light on
why the bodies of the
pyramid pharaohs
271
00:18:20,099 --> 00:18:23,185
weren't found inside
their enormous tombs.
272
00:18:31,777 --> 00:18:34,530
These mummies date from
Egypt's New Kingdom,
273
00:18:34,613 --> 00:18:39,451
a time some 1,300 years after
the Giza pyramid pharaohs.
274
00:18:40,744 --> 00:18:41,954
In the New Kingdom,
275
00:18:42,037 --> 00:18:44,498
pharaohs no longer
advertised their burials
276
00:18:44,581 --> 00:18:46,250
with giant pyramids.
277
00:18:46,959 --> 00:18:49,628
Instead, they
conceal their tombs,
278
00:18:49,711 --> 00:18:53,257
carving them deep underground
in the Valley of the Kings.
279
00:18:54,007 --> 00:18:56,844
It was in this valley that
the New Kingdom pharaoh,
280
00:18:56,927 --> 00:19:00,305
Tutankhamen and his
golden treasures,
were found.
281
00:19:01,473 --> 00:19:04,935
But the final resting place
of these pharaoh's mummies,
282
00:19:05,018 --> 00:19:06,937
wasn't so final.
283
00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:09,690
COLLEEN (off-screen): This
is the mummy of Rameses III.
284
00:19:09,982 --> 00:19:13,610
You might think that he
was found in his tomb in
the Valley of the Kings,
285
00:19:14,236 --> 00:19:16,488
but over 100 years
after he died,
286
00:19:16,572 --> 00:19:20,325
his burial was removed and
his mummy was re-wrapped
287
00:19:20,659 --> 00:19:23,996
to be interred in
an unmarked tomb.
288
00:19:25,747 --> 00:19:27,875
NARRATOR: Inscriptions
on the linen wrappings
289
00:19:27,958 --> 00:19:32,171
allowed archaeologists
to identify the body
of Rameses III
290
00:19:33,505 --> 00:19:35,048
and he wasn't the
only pharaoh
291
00:19:35,132 --> 00:19:37,759
to be removed from his tomb
and re-buried.
292
00:19:38,677 --> 00:19:41,805
Thutmose the II,
believed by some to
be the pharaoh
293
00:19:41,889 --> 00:19:44,641
from the Bible's Exodus
was buried with him.
294
00:19:46,393 --> 00:19:49,313
So was Seqenenre Tao,
a king whose mummy
295
00:19:49,396 --> 00:19:52,482
suggests he came to a
gruesome end in battle.
296
00:19:53,692 --> 00:19:56,361
There were many more pharaohs
in that unmarked tomb,
297
00:19:56,653 --> 00:20:00,532
spanning some four and a half
centuries of Egyptian history.
298
00:20:01,909 --> 00:20:04,369
COLLEEN: Most of the kings
of the New Kingdom were
299
00:20:04,453 --> 00:20:07,164
buried together in
that unmarked tomb.
300
00:20:08,373 --> 00:20:11,460
NARRATOR: Why were these
great pharaohs removed
from their tombs
301
00:20:11,543 --> 00:20:13,712
and re-buried together?
302
00:20:14,254 --> 00:20:17,716
And could the same fate have
befallen the pyramid pharaohs,
303
00:20:18,133 --> 00:20:21,261
Khufu, Khafre
and Menkaure?
304
00:20:26,266 --> 00:20:29,186
NARRATOR: Dr. Colleen Darnell
hunts for clues
305
00:20:29,269 --> 00:20:31,980
to solve the mystery of why
dozens of pharaohs were
306
00:20:32,064 --> 00:20:36,902
removed from their original
tombs and re-buried in an
unmarked grave.
307
00:20:38,904 --> 00:20:42,199
Could this ancient
papyrus hold the answer?
308
00:20:42,282 --> 00:20:44,993
COLLEEN (off-screen): One
of the more remarkable
documents to survive
309
00:20:45,077 --> 00:20:48,664
from Ancient Egypt is
a transcript of the
310
00:20:48,747 --> 00:20:51,333
confessions of a tomb robber.
311
00:20:52,084 --> 00:20:55,128
NARRATOR: The papyrus was long
ago torn down the middle,
312
00:20:55,545 --> 00:20:58,632
the two halves now live
in different museums.
313
00:21:00,300 --> 00:21:02,678
But by bringing the
pieces together,
314
00:21:02,803 --> 00:21:06,390
Colleen can decode the ancient
confessions of a New Kingdom
315
00:21:06,473 --> 00:21:08,892
tomb robber named Amenpnufer,
316
00:21:08,976 --> 00:21:13,480
who broke into the tomb of a
pharaoh named Sobekemsaf II.
317
00:21:14,189 --> 00:21:19,569
COLLEEN: "We took our copper
tools and we broke into
318
00:21:19,653 --> 00:21:22,572
its very inner chamber."
319
00:21:22,656 --> 00:21:25,492
And we know that they're
going through the
mummies themselves
320
00:21:25,575 --> 00:21:30,205
because they talk about
a piece of Gold jewelry
321
00:21:30,289 --> 00:21:33,041
at the neck of the king.
322
00:21:35,669 --> 00:21:38,714
NARRATOR: Amenpnufer
admits to digging a tunnel
323
00:21:38,797 --> 00:21:41,091
into the tomb of the pharaoh.
324
00:21:42,634 --> 00:21:46,930
Once inside, he took as much
gold as he could carry,
325
00:21:48,432 --> 00:21:50,267
but he was caught.
326
00:21:50,350 --> 00:21:52,769
For his crimes,
a brutal punishment,
327
00:21:52,853 --> 00:21:55,605
sentenced to death
by impalement.
328
00:21:57,065 --> 00:21:59,443
This tomb robbery
and others like it,
329
00:21:59,526 --> 00:22:02,029
alarms New Kingdom authorities.
330
00:22:02,571 --> 00:22:04,156
Their Pharaoh's mummies,
331
00:22:04,239 --> 00:22:07,826
so sacred to the
Ancient Egyptians,
aren't safe.
332
00:22:08,285 --> 00:22:10,037
The authorities take action.
333
00:22:10,412 --> 00:22:13,749
COLLEEN: In order to
safeguard the royal mummies,
334
00:22:13,832 --> 00:22:18,628
they were moved,
re-wrapped and buried
together in an unmarked tomb.
335
00:22:21,089 --> 00:22:22,674
COLLEEN (off-screen): We
know that the plan worked,
336
00:22:22,758 --> 00:22:25,135
by moving them from the
Valley of the Kings,
337
00:22:25,218 --> 00:22:29,806
to an unmarked tomb,
they survived for
thousands of years.
338
00:22:31,558 --> 00:22:34,770
NARRATOR: If all of
these kings were moved
to an unmarked tomb,
339
00:22:35,896 --> 00:22:39,316
could the same fate
have befallen the
great pyramid pharaohs,
340
00:22:39,733 --> 00:22:42,819
Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure?
341
00:22:44,404 --> 00:22:48,742
Could their bodies have
been moved and buried
in an unmarked grave
342
00:22:48,825 --> 00:22:53,038
and could those graves lie
here in the Southern Field?
343
00:22:57,417 --> 00:23:01,254
Ashraf's team has cleared
up to 32 feet of sand.
344
00:23:03,507 --> 00:23:07,302
Their work reveals the vast
scale of this cemetery.
345
00:23:07,386 --> 00:23:12,682
ASHRAF: We have
one, two, three, four,
five tombs over there.
346
00:23:12,766 --> 00:23:15,644
ASHRAF (off-screen):
Those tombs were
completely covered with sand.
347
00:23:16,895 --> 00:23:21,525
NARRATOR: The most impressive
tomb they find lies at the
far edge of the site.
348
00:23:23,485 --> 00:23:26,154
The tomb is an incredible
limestone structure.
349
00:23:27,322 --> 00:23:30,283
Detailed engravings
cover its walls.
350
00:23:30,992 --> 00:23:33,245
One hieroglyph is familiar.
351
00:23:33,328 --> 00:23:36,623
ASHRAF (off-screen):
So, Kha-Ef-Ra.
352
00:23:37,207 --> 00:23:42,045
It was the same cartouche
in the block we found
in the excavations here.
353
00:23:44,297 --> 00:23:49,010
NARRATOR: Ashraf now believes
the block of limestone
bearing Khafre's name
354
00:23:49,094 --> 00:23:53,181
may have once formed part of
this beautifully carved tomb.
355
00:23:53,265 --> 00:23:56,977
But this tomb doesn't belong
to the pharaoh himself.
356
00:23:57,644 --> 00:24:01,898
ASHRAF: The hieroglyphics
here tells about his title,
357
00:24:02,023 --> 00:24:03,608
Webb Nisu.
358
00:24:04,067 --> 00:24:09,698
Kh F Ra, Hemm,
netter, the priest,
so this guy,
359
00:24:09,781 --> 00:24:14,369
he was the priest of
the Temple of Khafre.
360
00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:18,790
NARRATOR: This was the burial
chamber for a high priest.
361
00:24:19,291 --> 00:24:21,585
This priest would
have worked in the temple
362
00:24:21,668 --> 00:24:23,962
attached to Khafre's pyramid.
363
00:24:24,463 --> 00:24:27,007
The temple was built
as a place of worship
364
00:24:27,090 --> 00:24:30,969
to keep the pharaoh's
memory alive after death.
365
00:24:31,386 --> 00:24:36,391
The discovery suggests
that this Necropolis was
no ordinary cemetery.
366
00:24:37,142 --> 00:24:40,312
It was a burial site for
high-ranking officials
367
00:24:40,395 --> 00:24:43,273
who worked in the
very heart of Giza.
368
00:24:45,942 --> 00:24:48,987
ASHRAF (off-screen): To
find such a quality of
hieroglyphics like this,
369
00:24:49,070 --> 00:24:52,574
dates back from 4,500 years,
370
00:24:52,657 --> 00:24:54,409
this really a great discovery.
371
00:24:55,869 --> 00:24:57,537
NARRATOR: Further
study of this tomb
372
00:24:57,621 --> 00:25:00,248
could not only shine
a light on the life of Khafre,
373
00:25:00,332 --> 00:25:04,544
the great pyramid king,
but also those who
worshipped him.
374
00:25:08,089 --> 00:25:09,716
11 weeks into the dig,
375
00:25:10,133 --> 00:25:13,553
further excavations reveal
another strange shaft.
376
00:25:14,763 --> 00:25:18,808
This shaft is carved almost
ten feet deep into the rock.
377
00:25:19,059 --> 00:25:22,812
ASHRAF: Those blocks they
are covering the entrance
of the burial chamber.
378
00:25:23,438 --> 00:25:25,565
ASHRAF (off-screen):
It means it's intact.
379
00:25:25,982 --> 00:25:29,236
NARRATOR: Ashraf
sends site inspector,
Ahmed Ezz,
380
00:25:29,319 --> 00:25:31,488
down to help clear the blocks.
381
00:25:31,863 --> 00:25:33,490
AHMED: I hurt my finger,
you idiot
382
00:25:33,573 --> 00:25:34,824
RAMADAM: Wait, look at mine!
383
00:25:34,908 --> 00:25:37,160
(speaking native language)
384
00:25:38,453 --> 00:25:41,289
NARRATOR: They lift the last of
the enormous 80 pound blocks
385
00:25:41,373 --> 00:25:44,042
that covered the entrance
to the burial chamber.
386
00:25:44,668 --> 00:25:46,378
ASHRAF: Nearby Ahmed, I can
see there is something there
387
00:25:46,461 --> 00:25:49,422
maybe there is
something from wood,
I'm not sure yet
388
00:25:51,591 --> 00:25:52,926
It's a coffin!
389
00:25:53,426 --> 00:25:55,720
♪ ♪
390
00:26:01,017 --> 00:26:03,937
NARRATOR: At the
bottom of this newly
discovered burial shaft,
391
00:26:04,020 --> 00:26:05,897
in Giza's Southern Field,
392
00:26:07,023 --> 00:26:10,694
Ashraf is inspecting an
exquisitely painted coffin.
393
00:26:10,777 --> 00:26:12,195
ASHRAF: You can see the face
394
00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:15,490
his lips, his nose,
it's well detailed
395
00:26:16,449 --> 00:26:17,617
I'm speechless
396
00:26:18,076 --> 00:26:21,538
NARRATOR: This coffin
is an extraordinary,
one of a kind find.
397
00:26:22,706 --> 00:26:26,960
ASHRAF: If you have a
look here, we have
the beautiful Anubis
398
00:26:27,043 --> 00:26:29,588
the guardian of the tomb here
399
00:26:30,130 --> 00:26:32,632
NARRATOR: These markings
protect the owner's body
400
00:26:32,716 --> 00:26:35,468
so that he can flourish
in the afterlife.
401
00:26:35,552 --> 00:26:38,430
And this coffin even
has a false lid...
402
00:26:38,513 --> 00:26:39,639
ASHRAF: Wow.
403
00:26:39,723 --> 00:26:41,182
NARRATOR: An extra
line of defense.
404
00:26:41,808 --> 00:26:45,604
ASHRAF: It's a cover,
above a cover
405
00:26:46,938 --> 00:26:50,525
NARRATOR: In fact,
coffin after coffin
are being discovered
406
00:26:50,609 --> 00:26:53,570
scattered all across
the excavation site.
407
00:26:53,653 --> 00:26:55,530
Some are buried
in shallow sand.
408
00:26:55,614 --> 00:26:56,990
ASHRAF: What's this, Ahmed?
Wood?
409
00:26:57,115 --> 00:26:59,034
AHMED: Yes, that's wood
410
00:27:00,452 --> 00:27:02,996
NARRATOR: The team decode
the markings on the coffins.
411
00:27:03,747 --> 00:27:06,124
ASHRAF: It's like your
wife is giving a birth,
412
00:27:06,207 --> 00:27:11,296
I wish I can hold this
coffin between my arms,
he's my baby.
413
00:27:13,131 --> 00:27:17,969
NARRATOR: The coffins were
buried on top of and inside
the old kingdom tombs.
414
00:27:18,637 --> 00:27:22,515
But while the tombs
may date back to the
time of the pyramids,
415
00:27:22,599 --> 00:27:26,603
the caskets inside are
from a much later period.
416
00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:28,688
This style of wooden coffin,
417
00:27:29,064 --> 00:27:32,442
carved and intricately painted
to look like its inhabitant,
418
00:27:32,525 --> 00:27:35,820
did not exist when the
pyramids were constructed.
419
00:27:35,904 --> 00:27:38,698
ASHRAF: It's much later
than the pyramids time,
420
00:27:39,699 --> 00:27:43,286
the decorations,
the motifs of the scenes,
421
00:27:43,578 --> 00:27:45,872
it's a style of,
of late period.
422
00:27:46,915 --> 00:27:50,627
NARRATOR: The coffins of
the Southern Field date
from the late period,
423
00:27:50,710 --> 00:27:53,588
the term given by
archaeologists to a time
424
00:27:53,672 --> 00:27:57,258
2,000 years after the
Old Kingdom pharaohs.
425
00:27:59,052 --> 00:28:03,264
Why do these graves lie
amongst the tombs of
their ancient ancestors
426
00:28:03,348 --> 00:28:05,809
in the shadow of the pyramids?
427
00:28:07,227 --> 00:28:09,270
The time scales are enormous.
428
00:28:10,772 --> 00:28:13,608
The Pharaoh Khufu built
the first Great Pyramid
429
00:28:13,692 --> 00:28:16,486
around 2,500 BC.
430
00:28:17,237 --> 00:28:19,864
A further 1,300 years passed,
431
00:28:19,948 --> 00:28:22,450
before the rule of
the boy king,
Tutankhamen.
432
00:28:24,744 --> 00:28:28,289
And the late period
coffins unearthed in
the Southern Field
433
00:28:28,373 --> 00:28:31,710
came another 700 years
after even King Tut.
434
00:28:33,420 --> 00:28:37,674
In fact, these Egyptians
lived almost as close to
smart phones as they did
435
00:28:37,757 --> 00:28:39,759
to the pyramid pharaohs.
436
00:28:42,762 --> 00:28:45,682
It's a remarkable
twist to the tale,
437
00:28:45,765 --> 00:28:50,437
the Southern Field
appears to be a cemetery
on top of a cemetery,
438
00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,773
created 2,000 years apart.
439
00:28:54,107 --> 00:28:58,903
This burial site is
a window into an astonishing
chapter of Egyptian history.
440
00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:04,325
This site was once
an important old
kingdom necropolis,
441
00:29:04,409 --> 00:29:07,954
with limestone and mudbrick
tombs covering the hillside.
442
00:29:09,330 --> 00:29:11,833
But the cemetery's
peace was shattered.
443
00:29:12,876 --> 00:29:14,627
2,000 years later,
444
00:29:14,711 --> 00:29:19,048
the Late Period Egyptians
suddenly began to re-use
the necropolis,
445
00:29:19,674 --> 00:29:21,551
carving fresh shafts
446
00:29:21,634 --> 00:29:24,429
and re-opening ancient
burial chambers.
447
00:29:25,764 --> 00:29:28,600
Burying their dead on
top of and inside
448
00:29:28,683 --> 00:29:31,728
the ancient tombs of the
Old Kingdom Egyptians.
449
00:29:36,566 --> 00:29:38,985
The discoveries
here lead Ashraf,
450
00:29:39,068 --> 00:29:43,990
director of the Giza Plateau,
to propose an incredible idea.
451
00:29:44,699 --> 00:29:49,162
Could these late period
Egyptians have played a
role in the disappearance
452
00:29:49,245 --> 00:29:51,664
of the bodies of
the pyramid kings,
453
00:29:51,748 --> 00:29:54,584
Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure?
454
00:29:55,043 --> 00:29:56,795
ASHRAF: Maybe the
Late period people
455
00:29:56,878 --> 00:29:59,506
found the body of
one of the pharaohs
456
00:29:59,589 --> 00:30:02,175
and moved it some place else
457
00:30:02,258 --> 00:30:03,551
Maybe there's a mummy
458
00:30:03,635 --> 00:30:05,261
a great discovery of a pharaoh
459
00:30:05,345 --> 00:30:06,471
was waiting for us here
460
00:30:08,097 --> 00:30:11,100
NARRATOR: Although late period
Egyptians lived two millennia
461
00:30:11,184 --> 00:30:13,561
after the great
pyramids were built,
462
00:30:13,645 --> 00:30:17,273
they had an obsession
with the ancient
pharaohs who built them.
463
00:30:17,482 --> 00:30:19,901
ASHRAF: These people,
they were worshipping
464
00:30:19,984 --> 00:30:21,736
the pharaohs from
the Old Kingdom
465
00:30:22,278 --> 00:30:25,573
NARRATOR: Why did late
period Egyptians have
such a fascination
466
00:30:25,657 --> 00:30:27,867
with these ancient
pyramid pharaohs?
467
00:30:33,706 --> 00:30:36,417
Dr. Colleen Darnell
is a world expert
468
00:30:36,501 --> 00:30:39,003
in decoding ancient texts.
469
00:30:40,046 --> 00:30:42,674
She believes the walls
of a lesser-known period,
470
00:30:42,757 --> 00:30:46,344
nine miles south of Giza,
in Saqqara,
471
00:30:46,427 --> 00:30:49,097
could reveal the
reason late period Egyptians
472
00:30:49,180 --> 00:30:52,308
idolized the pyramid
pharaohs and may even
473
00:30:52,392 --> 00:30:56,062
have sought to protect and
preserve their royal mummies.
474
00:31:01,651 --> 00:31:04,320
Saqqara is an
ancient cemetery.
475
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,490
It neighbors the
Giza necropolis
476
00:31:07,574 --> 00:31:10,910
and built around the same
time as the Great Pyramids.
477
00:31:11,828 --> 00:31:14,289
17 pharaohs are buried here.
478
00:31:15,164 --> 00:31:18,668
Colleen investigates
the pyramid of Unas.
479
00:31:18,751 --> 00:31:22,380
It was built by King Unas
who lived just 100 years
480
00:31:22,463 --> 00:31:25,091
after the Giza
Pyramid pharaohs.
481
00:31:25,174 --> 00:31:29,012
COLLEEN (off-screen): The
exterior of the pyramid
of Unas is pretty eroded.
482
00:31:29,095 --> 00:31:33,308
But on the inside,
it's remarkably well preserved.
483
00:31:35,602 --> 00:31:40,356
NARRATOR: The interior of
Unas's pyramid is covered
with mystical symbols.
484
00:31:41,357 --> 00:31:45,236
These are the Pyramid texts,
magic spells designed to
485
00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:49,115
help the deceased achieve
immortality in the afterlife.
486
00:31:50,325 --> 00:31:53,661
These spells also reveal
why Late Period Egyptians
487
00:31:53,745 --> 00:31:55,496
may have gone hunting
488
00:31:55,580 --> 00:31:59,042
for the bodies of the
Giza's pyramid kings.
489
00:32:05,048 --> 00:32:07,884
NARRATOR: Colleen Darnell
decodes ancient spells
490
00:32:07,967 --> 00:32:10,845
carved into the walls
of the pyramid of Unas.
491
00:32:10,929 --> 00:32:16,893
COLLEEN: One of the spells
begins, "Hail King Unas,"
and then it says,
492
00:32:16,976 --> 00:32:22,357
"You have not gone away dead,
you have gone away, alive."
493
00:32:24,943 --> 00:32:29,280
COLLEEN (off-screen):
He's achieved eternal
existence in the afterlife.
494
00:32:30,239 --> 00:32:33,785
NARRATOR: These spells
don't just grant the
pharaoh immortality,
495
00:32:34,494 --> 00:32:38,915
they're also a road map to
becoming an all-powerful God.
496
00:32:38,998 --> 00:32:45,463
COLLEEN (off-screen): It says,
"The one whom he desires
to live, he shall live
497
00:32:45,546 --> 00:32:50,176
and the one who he desires
to die, he shall die."
498
00:32:53,554 --> 00:32:56,849
The spells of the pyramid
texts describe how the
499
00:32:56,933 --> 00:33:00,186
king becomes a god
in the afterlife.
500
00:33:01,396 --> 00:33:05,984
NARRATOR: These texts reveal
that pyramids weren't just
burial chambers,
501
00:33:06,067 --> 00:33:08,111
they were God-making machines.
502
00:33:09,404 --> 00:33:13,616
No pyramid texts were found
inside the Giza pyramids.
503
00:33:13,700 --> 00:33:18,371
But Colleen thinks that's
because the architects never
carved them into stone.
504
00:33:19,122 --> 00:33:22,166
COLLEEN (off-screen):
It's entirely possible
that the pyramids of Giza
505
00:33:22,250 --> 00:33:25,545
would have had pyramid texts
on papyrus scrolls included
506
00:33:25,628 --> 00:33:26,796
in the original burial,
507
00:33:26,879 --> 00:33:29,257
but all of that material
is now lost to us.
508
00:33:30,508 --> 00:33:33,302
NARRATOR: The pyramid pharaohs
built their enormous tombs
509
00:33:33,386 --> 00:33:35,805
to become Gods in
the afterlife.
510
00:33:36,973 --> 00:33:39,517
And 2,000 years
after their deaths,
511
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:41,811
that's exactly
what they'd become.
512
00:33:42,812 --> 00:33:46,566
They were now Gods to the
late period Egyptians.
513
00:33:48,568 --> 00:33:52,572
The late period marked
the dying days of
native Egyptian rule.
514
00:33:53,614 --> 00:33:57,702
Between 664 to 332 BC,
515
00:33:57,785 --> 00:34:00,246
Egypt was under attack
from Assyrians,
516
00:34:00,329 --> 00:34:03,124
Babylonians and Persians.
517
00:34:03,207 --> 00:34:05,668
In the Empire's
final decades,
518
00:34:05,752 --> 00:34:09,047
late period Egyptians
returned to Giza.
519
00:34:09,130 --> 00:34:11,841
They looked to the
pyramid pharaohs,
Khufu,
520
00:34:11,924 --> 00:34:16,721
Khafre and Menkaure for
protection in the afterlife.
521
00:34:16,804 --> 00:34:19,807
These were now their
Gods and the late period
522
00:34:19,891 --> 00:34:23,019
Egyptians wanted to be
buried beside them.
523
00:34:24,145 --> 00:34:27,815
COLLEEN: Late period
Egyptians idolized Khufu,
524
00:34:27,899 --> 00:34:30,485
Khafre and Menkaure.
525
00:34:30,568 --> 00:34:32,945
ASHRAF: That's why they
want to have their tombs
nearby the pyramids,
526
00:34:33,029 --> 00:34:36,491
they believed the
pyramid pharaohs,
they are Gods.
527
00:34:39,869 --> 00:34:44,832
NARRATOR: The late period
Egyptians worshipped the
pyramid pharaohs as Gods.
528
00:34:45,625 --> 00:34:50,963
So if they did find the
bodies of the ancient kings
left behind by looters,
529
00:34:51,047 --> 00:34:55,927
they would have wanted
to preserve and protect
the royal remains.
530
00:34:56,469 --> 00:34:59,013
Just like the mummies
of the New Kingdom pharaohs,
531
00:34:59,222 --> 00:35:03,059
re-wrapped and re-buried near
the Valley of the Kings.
532
00:35:04,102 --> 00:35:07,855
Could the late period
Egyptians have moved the
royal mummies to their own
533
00:35:07,939 --> 00:35:11,901
necropolis in the
Southern Field to
keep them safe?
534
00:35:14,821 --> 00:35:18,825
After 12 weeks of
intensive excavations
on the Southern Field,
535
00:35:18,908 --> 00:35:22,495
Ashraf's investigation
enters a new phase.
536
00:35:22,912 --> 00:35:24,664
(speaking native language)
537
00:35:25,206 --> 00:35:29,544
NARRATOR: The team will now
begin to open the coffins
found around the site.
538
00:35:29,627 --> 00:35:32,130
ASHRAF (off-screen):
Wow. It's a mummy.
539
00:35:32,213 --> 00:35:37,677
But, it's not for a tall or
a big guy, maybe he's 15, 16,
540
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,680
he didn't have
enough time or money
541
00:35:40,763 --> 00:35:43,182
to afford a
big burial for him.
542
00:35:45,476 --> 00:35:50,314
NARRATOR: Ashraf works with
expert osteoarcheologist
Dr. Amira Shahin,
543
00:35:50,398 --> 00:35:53,609
to examine the bones excavated
from the network of tombs
544
00:35:53,693 --> 00:35:55,486
beneath the Southern Field.
545
00:35:57,029 --> 00:35:58,698
AMIRA: We have
another clavicle...
546
00:35:59,657 --> 00:36:02,118
NARRATOR: But there is one
burial in particular that
547
00:36:02,201 --> 00:36:04,954
Ashraf is keen for
her to investigate.
548
00:36:05,746 --> 00:36:10,751
Can Amira's analysis
finally reveal who is
buried in the golden coffin?
549
00:36:11,711 --> 00:36:14,463
Will the body reveal
evidence of their status
550
00:36:14,547 --> 00:36:17,383
and a reason for their
elaborate burial?
551
00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:21,470
Could this even be the
body of a pyramid pharaoh?
552
00:36:21,554 --> 00:36:24,849
Re-buried by late
period Egyptians?
553
00:36:25,308 --> 00:36:31,522
AMIRA: According to
the shape of the, the skull,
these tiny bones.
554
00:36:31,856 --> 00:36:34,817
So this is most probably
a skull of a female.
555
00:36:36,110 --> 00:36:41,824
She died when all her
teeth are present, so
she's really young.
556
00:36:44,076 --> 00:36:46,412
NARRATOR: This is
no pyramid pharaoh,
557
00:36:47,288 --> 00:36:51,083
but the bones do reveal a
remarkable ancient practice.
558
00:36:51,167 --> 00:36:53,002
AMIRA: This is not normal.
559
00:36:53,836 --> 00:36:58,216
NARRATOR: Amira finds
a substantial hole just
above the right eye.
560
00:36:58,841 --> 00:37:01,260
The hole is unusually smooth.
561
00:37:01,928 --> 00:37:04,472
AMIRA (off-screen): This
is the surface of the
bone, it is not broken.
562
00:37:05,181 --> 00:37:08,226
This hole happened
before death.
563
00:37:08,309 --> 00:37:11,520
It has been made
by a physician.
564
00:37:12,188 --> 00:37:14,899
NARRATOR: This smooth,
circular hole,
suggests that
565
00:37:14,982 --> 00:37:19,862
this skull had
undergone an operation,
ancient surgery.
566
00:37:21,614 --> 00:37:24,659
ASHRAF: These people
get medical health
567
00:37:24,742 --> 00:37:28,204
600 BC, we have medical health
568
00:37:28,287 --> 00:37:31,082
for medium class people
569
00:37:31,165 --> 00:37:33,334
and this for me,
is something new
570
00:37:35,711 --> 00:37:38,881
NARRATOR: These bones
might not be those
of a pyramid pharaoh,
571
00:37:39,799 --> 00:37:41,968
but they're an
important discovery,
572
00:37:42,051 --> 00:37:45,346
revealing physical evidence
of ancient surgery,
573
00:37:45,429 --> 00:37:49,892
in a civilization known
for some of the earliest
surgical procedures.
574
00:37:51,811 --> 00:37:54,981
What of Khufu,
Khafre and Menkaure?
575
00:37:56,148 --> 00:38:00,403
Can Ashraf's excavations
reveal evidence to help
solve the mystery
576
00:38:00,486 --> 00:38:03,197
of what happened to
their mummified bodies?
577
00:38:04,073 --> 00:38:05,700
And what role, if any,
578
00:38:05,783 --> 00:38:09,245
late period Egyptians played
in their disappearance.
579
00:38:10,162 --> 00:38:13,791
Incredible evidence may
finally provide the answers.
580
00:38:14,333 --> 00:38:17,962
Evidence from inside
Menkaure's pyramid.
581
00:38:23,426 --> 00:38:28,055
NARRATOR: The enormous
monuments of Khufu and
Khafre tower 260 feet
582
00:38:28,139 --> 00:38:31,559
above the smallest pyramid
on the Giza Plateau.
583
00:38:32,101 --> 00:38:36,522
But Khufu's grandson,
Menkaure, still built a
tomb that towers over
584
00:38:36,605 --> 00:38:41,694
200 feet tall and weighs
in at 600,000 tons.
585
00:38:42,778 --> 00:38:44,905
In the hunt for the
missing pyramid pharaohs,
586
00:38:44,989 --> 00:38:48,534
this could be the most
important monument of them all.
587
00:38:50,202 --> 00:38:53,998
While the other two great
tombs have been open to
modern explorers since
588
00:38:54,081 --> 00:38:56,208
the beginning of
recorded history,
589
00:38:56,292 --> 00:39:01,172
the entrance to
Menkaure's pyramid was
buried deep in the sand,
590
00:39:01,255 --> 00:39:05,468
until the early 19th century,
when archaeologists finally
591
00:39:05,551 --> 00:39:08,512
dug down to access
the burial chamber.
592
00:39:08,596 --> 00:39:12,475
Inside, they found a
mysterious wooden coffin.
593
00:39:13,392 --> 00:39:16,270
The coffin now resides at
the British Museum and
594
00:39:16,354 --> 00:39:19,523
the inscriptions are worn
and difficult to read.
595
00:39:20,608 --> 00:39:25,613
Archaeologist, Dr. Lehner,
is a world leading expert
on the pyramids of Giza.
596
00:39:26,739 --> 00:39:31,160
He examines a copy
of a drawing made
almost 200 years ago.
597
00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:37,291
MARK: So this is
the wooden coffin,
found in 1837.
598
00:39:37,375 --> 00:39:41,003
MARK (off-screen): It's
inscribed for Menkaure,
as Pharaoh.
599
00:39:41,670 --> 00:39:47,593
And it says, "Oh Osiris,
Menkaure, king of
upper and lower Egypt.
600
00:39:47,676 --> 00:39:53,933
They cause that you'll exist
like a God, without enemies."
601
00:39:55,810 --> 00:40:00,564
NARRATOR: The text states
that this coffin contains
Menkaure's mummified body.
602
00:40:00,648 --> 00:40:03,984
It reveals that he hoped
to become a God upon death,
603
00:40:04,068 --> 00:40:06,946
just like the other
pyramid pharaohs.
604
00:40:09,073 --> 00:40:14,703
But there's a mystery,
the coffin is wooden
and shaped like a human.
605
00:40:15,204 --> 00:40:18,958
This style of coffin
is identical to the
late period burials
606
00:40:19,041 --> 00:40:22,128
being unearthed by Ashraf
in the Southern Field.
607
00:40:22,837 --> 00:40:24,797
MARK (off-screen):
It's named for Menkaure,
608
00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:27,258
but this is not his
original coffin.
609
00:40:27,341 --> 00:40:32,138
Everything about this
suggests that it was
put into the pyramid
610
00:40:32,221 --> 00:40:35,057
2,000 years after Menkaure died.
611
00:40:35,141 --> 00:40:37,017
And this is very strange.
612
00:40:37,518 --> 00:40:42,481
MARK (off-screen): Is this
a re-burial of Menkaure,
some 2,000 years later?
613
00:40:46,735 --> 00:40:51,031
NARRATOR: 2,000 years
after Menkaure was first
locked into his pyramid,
614
00:40:52,616 --> 00:40:55,828
late period Egyptians
entered the tomb,
615
00:40:55,911 --> 00:40:59,331
perhaps themselves hunting
for the pharaoh's body.
616
00:41:01,167 --> 00:41:04,879
They likely found the
burial chamber
desecrated from robbers
617
00:41:04,962 --> 00:41:08,132
and maybe they found
this body too.
618
00:41:08,507 --> 00:41:10,801
But Menkaure was a God,
619
00:41:10,885 --> 00:41:14,847
they couldn't leave his
sacred body unprotected.
620
00:41:14,930 --> 00:41:20,561
Instead, they re-wrapped
the mummy and placed
it in a new coffin.
621
00:41:21,353 --> 00:41:24,023
Holding a fresh
funeral for Menkaure,
622
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,152
restoring his body into
the pyramid he built.
623
00:41:28,944 --> 00:41:32,948
MARK (off-screen): We know
at this period they revived
the memories of these kings
624
00:41:33,032 --> 00:41:35,367
and in this case apparently,
625
00:41:35,451 --> 00:41:39,413
re-doing Menkaure's burial at
this time of renaissance,
626
00:41:39,497 --> 00:41:43,667
when they're reviving the cult
of these long dead pharaohs.
627
00:41:45,169 --> 00:41:49,757
NARRATOR: Menkaure's
body wasn't found
inside the casket.
628
00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:54,887
But the coffin itself
is evidence that a pyramid
pharaoh was moved by these
629
00:41:54,970 --> 00:41:59,683
late period Egyptians
and restored into
his ancient tomb.
630
00:42:00,976 --> 00:42:05,689
A God reburied 2,000
years after he died.
631
00:42:06,690 --> 00:42:10,277
Could the same fate
have befallen the other
pyramid pharaohs,
632
00:42:10,361 --> 00:42:12,530
Khufu and Khafre?
633
00:42:12,613 --> 00:42:17,409
There's one way to get answers,
find the missing bodies.
634
00:42:18,744 --> 00:42:22,998
We now know that the
vast Southern Field was
an important burial site
635
00:42:23,082 --> 00:42:25,834
for these late
period Egyptians.
636
00:42:26,752 --> 00:42:32,049
And Menkaure's coffin is
evidence that late period
Egyptians did indeed go
637
00:42:32,132 --> 00:42:37,596
looking for the ancient
pyramid pharaohs to protect
and preserve their mummies.
638
00:42:39,181 --> 00:42:44,436
This huge expanse of
desert may offer up a
pyramid pharaoh yet.
639
00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:49,900
ASHRAF: I will not stop
digging here because every
day I get more excited
640
00:42:49,984 --> 00:42:54,113
to find more things,
more finds, more
discoveries.
641
00:42:58,117 --> 00:43:00,661
NARRATOR: Months of intense
digging has unearthed a
642
00:43:00,744 --> 00:43:03,330
treasure trove of
unique discoveries.
643
00:43:04,331 --> 00:43:06,875
From the beautifully carved
tomb of a high priest
644
00:43:06,959 --> 00:43:10,045
who worked in the
shadow of the pyramids.
645
00:43:10,129 --> 00:43:13,882
To the shattered golden coffin
of a mysterious young woman,
646
00:43:13,966 --> 00:43:17,094
the recipient of
ancient surgery.
647
00:43:18,554 --> 00:43:21,432
And they've found
countless other artifacts
648
00:43:21,515 --> 00:43:24,476
that reveal extraordinary
details about the lives
649
00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:27,896
of those who built
Egypt's great pyramids
650
00:43:27,980 --> 00:43:30,608
and the people who
worshipped them.
651
00:43:30,733 --> 00:43:35,362
ASHRAF (off-screen): Since
I was a child, I was
dreaming to be excavator,
652
00:43:35,446 --> 00:43:40,784
to find new discoveries,
and I think I'm making
my dream come true,
653
00:43:40,868 --> 00:43:42,828
by being here in this site.
654
00:43:45,372 --> 00:43:47,583
NARRATOR: The hunt for
the pyramid pharaohs,
655
00:43:47,666 --> 00:43:52,463
Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure,
will continue.
656
00:43:53,839 --> 00:43:58,385
ASHRAF: Maybe in the
future we will find
their mummies hidden
657
00:43:58,469 --> 00:44:00,262
somewhere around the pyramid,
658
00:44:00,346 --> 00:44:05,392
maybe not, but it's going
to be fun to keep looking.
659
00:44:06,518 --> 00:44:07,728
Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.