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Secrets of the Tomb Builders

Episode 1 of 6

Dan Cruickshank explores stories from ancient Egypt. He searches for clues to the community of craftsmen who built burial chambers for the pharaohs.

Dan visits the magnificent underground tombs in the Valley of the Kings, in search of clues about the unsung heroes of this ancient world - the mysterious community of craftsmen who spent their lives building lavish burial chambers for the pharaohs.

The tombs are wonderful feats of art and engineering and Dan finds a wealth of intriguing evidence about the lives of the supposedly anonymous people who built them. Given rare access to the most complex tomb of all - the 150-room necropolis built for the sons of Rameses II - Dan speculates on the skill of the men who designed and excavated this tomb thousands of years ago.

In the tomb of Thutmosis III, he discovers an unfinished burial chamber, where the intricate process of tomb building was stopped in its tracks, leaving detailed evidence of the techniques of artwork used by these ancient artisans. Across the dry desert hills beyond the Valley of the Kings, Dan visits the village where the tomb-builders lived, explores their homes and reveals their personal lives through unique written records that have survived for thousands of years.

Were the tomb-builders slaves, forced to use their skills to glorify the dead pharaohs? Dan pieces together the truth, and reveals an unexpectedly intimate picture of these ancient artists and craftsmen.

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28 minutes

Last on

Tue 8 Nov 2022 02:00
±«Óãtv Four

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The Pharaoh Hunter

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:02

    Nic Raine, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

    Prophecy

  • 00:05

    Howard Shore

    The Lord of The Rings - The Two Towers - The Riders of Rohan

    Performer: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Nic Raine.

Credits

Presenter Dan Cruickshank
Producer Bettina Lerner
Series Producer Martin Mortimore

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