- 4 months ago
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Amid the 2,000-year-old ruins of Egypt's Greek and Roman conquerors,
00:06archaeologists unearth something far older,
00:10the colossal face of ancient Egypt's greatest king.
00:14We have identified the owner of the statue to be Ramses II.
00:18A guardian, perhaps of a giant temple.
00:22Oh, Lord.
00:26Lost to time.
00:27We are about to rewrite history of the Ramesside period in Middle Egypt.
00:39Of all ancient Egypt's legendary pharaohs,
00:46none had a greater impact than the 19th dynasty king, Ramses II.
00:52In an extraordinary 66 years on the throne,
00:56he transformed the face of Egypt,
00:59immortalizing his reign in stone in every corner of the country.
01:05His powerful legacy endures in hundreds of vast temples and monuments.
01:10Now, archaeologists are searching the ruins and combing the desert,
01:17looking for evidence still hidden beneath the surface.
01:21They want to get inside the pharaoh's head,
01:25to ask what drove Ramses the Great to build on such an awe-inspiring scale.
01:31In the modern Egyptian city of El-Ash-Munin,
01:41halfway between the ancient cities of Memphis and Thebes,
01:46archaeologist Bassem Gerhad is scouring the ruins of another ancient town.
01:512,000-year-old structures testify to the area's significance as a center of religious power
01:59in Egypt's Greek, Roman, and Christian eras.
02:03But Bassem is hunting for something much older.
02:07This is the city of Hermes, ancient Hermopolis.
02:13What we can see now from the archaeological remains,
02:16this is only the top layer of the city.
02:19Our main goal is to understand the long history of this city
02:24across the history of ancient Egypt.
02:27We wanted to excavate here to see what no one had ever seen before.
02:32Later religious centers were often built upon earlier sacred sites.
02:40So what secrets from Egypt's pharaonic time do these crumbling ruins hide?
02:46In 2023, Bassem spotted a detail in the journals of pre-war German archaeologist Gunther Röder,
02:55which gave him cause for excitement.
02:58Even if the excavation of Gunther Röder were small,
03:02they found plants alive in the results.
03:04But what comes next, what we have found, was incredible.
03:10When the German archaeologists excavated this area in 1930,
03:15they uncovered the traces of walls and fallen columns,
03:20as well as the legs of two colossal statues.
03:25But they could not confirm what kind of building lay beneath the mud.
03:32Last year, Bassem's dig revealed a figure more than 12 feet tall,
03:38with the tell-tale beard and headgear of a new kingdom pharaoh.
03:44Features which matched those of the greatest of ancient Egyptian kings,
03:49Ramses II.
03:50It took two weeks of excavation to uncover the upper part of the colossal statue.
04:01And it took us enormous amount of effort to left the upper part to see the face.
04:08And it's an amazing moment.
04:13The discovery is all the more remarkable,
04:16because despite his extraordinary long reign and prolific building program,
04:21evidence of Ramses II in Middle Egypt is, until now, almost non-existent.
04:27We knew that Ramses II built the enormous amount of temples around Egypt,
04:33from Memphis to Aswan.
04:35But in this spot, in Middle Egypt,
04:37barely if you could see monuments that still have the name of Ramses II.
04:44Bassem has uncovered the first colossal statue of Ramses the Great
04:48ever found in Middle Egypt,
04:51a find of incredible archaeological value.
04:54So what else lies beneath the mud?
04:58Elsewhere in Egypt,
04:59colossal statues had one critical role,
05:02to protect the pharaoh's most sacred buildings.
05:06The German excavation,
05:07they highlighted that this might be the
05:10bilan, or the main gate,
05:13of a very important temple.
05:15It was clear for us that
05:17there's lots to be excavated around this colossal statue
05:20to uncover one of the lost temples
05:22of this important pharaoh.
05:25This would be something remarkable in this spot.
05:30To discover a missing temple of Ramses II
05:33would fill the mysterious hole in the great pharaoh's story.
05:39But before he can dig down in search of a building,
05:43Bassem must clear the precious colossal statue out of the way.
05:46So what we are doing now is the most complicated part of the story
05:50of lifting this statue.
05:53So one single mistake could turn the statue into small parts,
06:00which we don't want to witness.
06:03It's a high-risk winch operation.
06:05The straps must bear the entire eight-ton weight of stone,
06:10without concentrating stress on the statue's weak points.
06:16It is really a nervous moment.
06:19Get it wrong,
06:21and the only colossal statue of Ramses
06:23ever found in Middle Egypt
06:24could crumble to dust.
06:27Water, water, water.
06:29Near Luxor,
06:36on the Nile's west bank,
06:39as the hot air balloons
06:40rise above the site
06:42of Egypt's ancient religious capital,
06:45Egyptologist Meredith Brand
06:47is up to see the sunrise
06:49over one of Ramses II's
06:51grandest monuments,
06:53his funerary temple,
06:56the Ramiseum.
06:57It is so beautiful
07:00to be in the Ramiseum
07:01this early in the morning,
07:03seeing the sunrise,
07:04no one's here.
07:06This balloon launch behind me,
07:08it's just magical.
07:17Ancient records suggest
07:19Ramses took some 20 years
07:21carving and raising its giant columns,
07:24etching reliefs
07:27into almost every surface
07:29in his own honor.
07:31This is a beautiful temple,
07:34and all around
07:35there are colorful paintings
07:36and images of Ramses II.
07:38It was built to celebrate the king,
07:41ensuring he had a long
07:42and happy afterlife,
07:43and making sure
07:44that his memory lived on
07:46long after his death.
07:48Not only did Ramses II
07:54adorn every surface
07:55with reliefs and inscriptions,
07:58he also filled the temple
08:00with multiple statues of himself.
08:03The largest now lies in fragments,
08:06its eroded face
08:07gazing towards the sky.
08:09Oh, man, this is amazing.
08:12This is a mega statue.
08:14This is a statue of Ramses II.
08:17It's fallen over,
08:19but this would have been huge.
08:22It's a colossus.
08:24It would have been six stories tall
08:26and weighed 1,000 tons.
08:29It was one of the biggest statues
08:30ever from ancient Egypt
08:32and one of the biggest
08:33in the ancient world.
08:35Statues like this
08:36are why we think of Ramses II
08:38as Ramses the Great.
08:40Before its collapse,
08:42Ramses' colossal statue
08:44stood upright
08:45at the temple's entrance,
08:47a titan guarding
08:49the pharaoh's inner sanctum.
08:51It was an architectural pattern
08:53he repeated well beyond
08:55his funerary temple.
09:00Ramses built monuments
09:02at all corners of his kingdom.
09:05In the south,
09:05on a cliff face
09:07overlooking the Nile,
09:08he carved the great temple
09:10of Abu Simbel,
09:12featuring four colossal
09:1360-foot-tall statues
09:14of himself.
09:17In Karnak,
09:18a sacred site
09:19founded almost 700 years
09:21before his reign,
09:23Ramses stamped his mark
09:24by covering the pillars
09:26of its majestic hall
09:28with his name.
09:30In the Nile Delta
09:31in the north,
09:32he even built
09:33an entire city,
09:35Pai Ramses,
09:36so that all of humanity
09:38would know
09:39he was the greatest
09:40king of all.
09:46As soon as Ramses II
09:48took the throne,
09:49he started building
09:50amazing monuments
09:51like this.
09:52He wanted to make sure
09:54that his name lived on
09:55in Egypt and beyond.
09:56All of Egypt's pharaohs
10:00wanted to be remembered
10:01into eternity,
10:03but none built
10:04as prolifically
10:05as Ramses II.
10:08Why did he need
10:10so many temples?
10:16In Saqqara,
10:18in the shadow
10:19of the very first pyramid
10:21built in stone,
10:22archaeologist
10:24Ola El-Aghizi
10:25has returned
10:27to hunt
10:27for the great
10:28and the good
10:29of Ramses II's
10:30royal court.
10:33I've been here
10:33since 2005.
10:35I love it.
10:36I feel young
10:37when I am working
10:38in Saqqara
10:38and I feel old
10:40when I work
10:40in my books.
10:41I have back ache
10:43and it's too much work,
10:45but here
10:45I forget everything.
10:48Ola wants to know
10:49what impact
10:50the pharaoh's
10:51building projects
10:52had on Egyptians
10:53at the time.
10:56This is the site
10:58where there are
10:58the high-ranking people,
11:00so maybe we could
11:01find the big tomb.
11:03The years
11:04of painstaking study
11:05Ola has invested
11:06in Saqqara
11:07have paid dividends.
11:09In some seasons,
11:10it's led her
11:11into shaft tombs.
11:13Are we going
11:13to be able
11:14to get in, yes?
11:16Almost certainly
11:17from Ramses' time.
11:19But much
11:20of the evidence
11:21of the original
11:22tomb owners
11:22has been obliterated,
11:25destroyed
11:26by the activities
11:26of later Egyptians
11:28reusing the tomb
11:29for their own dead.
11:32This is full
11:33of skeletons.
11:36This year,
11:38Ola is moving west
11:39in search
11:41of fresh burials.
11:44For three days,
11:45her team
11:45has been hard
11:46at work
11:47hauling sand.
11:49Now,
11:50just like
11:51in previous seasons,
11:53an ancient structure
11:54is beginning
11:55to emerge.
11:57What we began
11:58to find
11:59is this angle here.
12:01So this angle
12:02shows that it is
12:03an entrance
12:04to something.
12:05And the thickness
12:06of this part
12:07of this monument
12:08is so big,
12:09so it proves
12:09that this is
12:10what we call
12:11a pylon.
12:11In ancient Egyptian
12:13architecture,
12:15imposing walls
12:16called pylons
12:17stood at the gateways
12:18to monuments,
12:19especially temples
12:20like the Ramasseum.
12:22To find one here
12:24is a good sign.
12:28Many tombs
12:29at Saqqara
12:30resembled the temples
12:31of Ramses,
12:33with large pylon gates
12:35at their entrance.
12:35worshipers would
12:38proceed through
12:39the temple
12:40to reach a
12:41pillared courtyard
12:41of limestone,
12:43the location
12:44of the owner's
12:45shaft tomb,
12:46and lay votive
12:48offerings
12:49at the far end
12:50of the temple,
12:51in a chapel
12:52decorated with
12:53texts and images
12:54of the deceased
12:55communing with
12:56the gods.
12:57The pylon
13:02is a strong
13:03signal
13:03that the structure
13:04could be a tomb.
13:06This side,
13:08it has to be
13:08an important one.
13:11What we are
13:12going to find
13:12right now,
13:13I'm not sure.
13:15It's luck.
13:16It's only luck.
13:17To find out
13:18for sure,
13:19Ola has only
13:20one option,
13:21to dig.
13:22Near Luxor,
13:29Meredith wants
13:30to understand
13:30why Ramses II
13:32built more temples
13:34than any other
13:35pharaoh.
13:37She heads inside
13:38to search for
13:39evidence of
13:40the Ramessian's
13:41purpose.
13:43One of the things
13:44that's striking
13:45about this temple
13:46is the sheer
13:46number of images
13:47of Ramses II
13:48and the gods.
13:50Oh, and this
13:50is a great image.
13:51So, it shows
13:54the hawk-headed
13:54god, Montu.
13:55He's associated
13:56with war,
13:57and he's holding
13:58Ramses II's hand
14:00and giving him
14:01life, the symbol
14:02of life.
14:03And it's like
14:03Ramses II
14:04is trying to
14:05emphasize his
14:06divine nature
14:07and his close
14:08relationship
14:09with the gods.
14:11Ramses inscribed
14:12the walls of his
14:13multiple sacred
14:14structures with
14:15thousands of
14:16images of himself
14:17communing with
14:18deities.
14:21But inside
14:23the temple,
14:24Meredith finds
14:25one god in
14:26particular stands
14:27out.
14:29The god most
14:30depicted in this
14:31temple is Amun.
14:32He's there.
14:34He's on all the
14:34columns.
14:35The god Amun
14:36is everywhere.
14:40Amun, whose name
14:42meant the hidden
14:43one, was the
14:44breather of life,
14:45invisible, but
14:47felt by all.
14:48In Ramses' time,
14:52he merged with
14:52the sun god
14:53to become
14:54Amun-Ra
14:55and rose up
14:56to be the
14:57king of the
14:57gods.
14:59He took on
15:00many forms,
15:01including a
15:02ram, a
15:03symbol of
15:03fertility.
15:05Egyptians
15:06believed Amun
15:07was the father
15:08and protector
15:08of all
15:09pharaohs.
15:11To affirm
15:12this link,
15:14Ramses
15:14portrayed himself
15:15with ram
15:16horns and
15:17promoted the
15:18Amun cult,
15:20building many
15:21temples to
15:22the god.
15:25Egyptians
15:26saw the
15:27gods as
15:27eternal and
15:28all-powerful.
15:31Amun
15:31commanded the
15:32kind of
15:33universal respect
15:34Ramses wanted
15:35for himself.
15:35Every scene
15:39Ramses inscribed
15:40on his
15:40temple walls
15:41was carefully
15:43composed to
15:44send a
15:44message,
15:45one that
15:47would be
15:47broadcast across
15:48Egypt by his
15:49trusted priests.
15:52In the
15:53heart of the
15:54temple,
15:55Meredith
15:56finds more
15:57detail.
15:59This is a
16:00really lovely
16:00image.
16:01It shows
16:02Ramses II
16:03kneeling in
16:04front of
16:04the god
16:04Amun,
16:05and he's
16:06gesturing out
16:07to him,
16:08and Amun
16:08is holding
16:08his hand,
16:09and he's
16:10giving him
16:10something.
16:12Thousands
16:13of years
16:13of weather
16:14have eroded
16:15the inscriptions.
16:17To see
16:17what the
16:18pharaoh was
16:18receiving
16:19from Amun,
16:21Meredith
16:22has to
16:22head east
16:23across the
16:24Nile River
16:24to another
16:26of Ramses'
16:27famous
16:27building
16:28projects.
16:28At
16:34El
16:35Ashmunin,
16:38Bassan's
16:39crew is
16:39ready to
16:40winch up
16:40the only
16:41colossal
16:41statue of
16:42Ramses II
16:43ever found
16:44in Middle
16:44Egypt,
16:46so that
16:48his search
16:48for a
16:48lost
16:49temple
16:49can
16:50begin.
16:52There
16:53is
16:53there.
16:56There
16:57is
16:57there.
16:57The
17:03manoeuvre
17:04is
17:04risky.
17:06If the
17:06statue
17:07drops,
17:08it will
17:08crush
17:08his
17:09evidence.
17:10It's
17:11a lot
17:11of
17:11tension
17:11and
17:12nerve
17:12in
17:12this
17:13moment.
17:14Eight
17:14tons
17:14limestone
17:16flying
17:17on the
17:17air.
17:19All
17:20what you
17:20are
17:20thinking
17:21is
17:21that
17:21when
17:22would
17:22be
17:22the
17:22moment
17:22that
17:23you
17:23just
17:23put
17:23it
17:24back
17:24on
17:24the
17:24ground
17:24safely.
17:27With
17:31the
17:31statue's
17:32torso
17:33hanging
17:33above
17:33the
17:33legs,
17:35Bassem
17:35takes
17:35the
17:35opportunity
17:36to
17:36confirm
17:37the
17:37two
17:37parts
17:38fit.
17:41It's
17:41a
17:42perfect
17:42match.
17:43The
17:48job
17:49now
17:49is
17:49to
17:49delicately
17:50lay
17:50the
17:51torso
17:51down
17:51in
17:52one
17:52piece
17:52and
17:55return
18:00for
18:00the
18:00base.
18:02So we
18:02have
18:03managed
18:03to
18:03lift
18:03the
18:04upper
18:04part
18:04of
18:04the
18:04statue.
18:06The
18:06condition
18:07looks
18:07really
18:07excellent
18:08to
18:08me.
18:09No
18:09cracks,
18:10nothing
18:10was
18:10lost
18:11from
18:11the
18:11statue.
18:12The
18:12beard
18:13is
18:13okay,
18:13nose
18:14is
18:14okay.
18:15This
18:15is
18:15an
18:15almost
18:16complete
18:16upper
18:16part
18:17and
18:17almost
18:17complete
18:18lower
18:18part.
18:18So you
18:19don't
18:19have
18:19to
18:20debate
18:21whether
18:21or not
18:21they
18:21belong
18:22to
18:22each
18:22other.
18:25Bassem's
18:26long-term
18:26plan
18:27is to
18:28reunite
18:28and
18:29restore
18:29the
18:29two
18:30parts
18:30of
18:30Middle
18:31Egypt's
18:31only
18:32colossal
18:32statue
18:33of
18:33Ramses
18:34the
18:34Great.
18:35The
18:36priority
18:36now
18:37is
18:38to
18:38find
18:38out
18:38what
18:39lies
18:39beneath.
18:41The question
18:42he wants
18:42to
18:42answer
18:42is
18:43did
18:44the
18:44statues
18:44once
18:45guard
18:45a
18:46mighty
18:47temple?
18:51In
18:52Saqqara,
18:53Ola's team
18:55has shifted
18:55tons of sand
18:57within the
18:57rectangular mud
18:58brick structure
18:59she hopes
19:00will be a
19:01Ramses-era
19:02temple tomb.
19:04They sift through
19:04every square foot
19:05in search of
19:06artifacts.
19:07the area
19:09is proving
19:10to be
19:10rich
19:10ground.
19:12All
19:13these
19:13things
19:13have been
19:14found
19:14on the
19:15surface.
19:16Sometimes
19:16the visitors
19:17themselves
19:18leave
19:19these
19:19as
19:19offerings
19:20to the
19:20gods.
19:22It
19:22not
19:22indicating
19:23the
19:23tomb
19:24but
19:24it
19:25indicates
19:25visitors
19:26to the
19:26tomb.
19:28Every
19:28single
19:29fragment
19:29will be
19:30sent
19:30for
19:30analysis
19:31to
19:31try
19:31to
19:31establish
19:32who
19:32visited
19:33this
19:33site
19:33and
19:34when.
19:34the
19:35high
19:36concentration
19:36of
19:37pottery
19:37sherds
19:38adds
19:38weight
19:38to
19:39Ola's
19:39theory.
19:40There
19:40could
19:41be
19:41a
19:41ramasside
19:42temple
19:42tomb
19:43visited
19:43over
19:44centuries.
19:46Suddenly
19:46a new
19:48find
19:49catches
19:49her
19:49workers
19:50attention.
19:50Look
19:51at this.
19:53This
19:53is a
19:53piece
19:53of
19:53material.
19:55It's
19:55linen
19:56sewn
19:57together.
19:58This
19:58linen
19:59probably
19:59was
20:00covering
20:01mummy.
20:03A
20:03scrap
20:03of
20:04sewn
20:04linen
20:04is
20:05strong
20:05evidence.
20:07It
20:08seems
20:08almost
20:09certain
20:09there
20:09were
20:10burials
20:10here.
20:13But
20:14is
20:14there
20:14a
20:14ramasside
20:15tomb
20:15still
20:15to
20:16find?
20:17And
20:18is
20:18it
20:18at
20:18all
20:18intact?
20:22To
20:23find
20:23out,
20:24Ola
20:24needs
20:24to
20:24go
20:25deeper.
20:26We
20:26are
20:27still
20:27in
20:27the
20:27level
20:28of
20:28one
20:28brick
20:28and
20:29not
20:29limestone.
20:30But
20:30as
20:31soon
20:31as
20:31we
20:31find
20:32anything
20:32in
20:32limestone,
20:33that's
20:34what
20:34I'm
20:34waiting
20:34for.
20:38Limestone
20:38cladding
20:39would not
20:39only
20:39confirm
20:40this is
20:40a high
20:41status
20:41tomb.
20:43It
20:43could
20:43be
20:43decorated.
20:45It
20:45could
20:45even
20:46reveal
20:46a
20:46name.
20:48We
20:48are
20:48on
20:48our
20:48way
20:49to
20:49find
20:49something
20:50important
20:50and
20:50something
20:51interesting.
20:52So
20:52that's
20:53excavation.
20:54Every
20:54day
20:55you
20:55have
20:55a
20:55surprise.
20:56in
21:01El
21:01Ashmoni
21:02with
21:06Ramses
21:06the
21:07Great's
21:07colossal
21:08statue
21:08removed
21:08to
21:09safety
21:09Bassem's
21:11team
21:12searches
21:12the
21:12freshly
21:13exposed
21:13pedestal
21:14stones.
21:16A
21:17small
21:17pile
21:17of
21:18debris
21:18suggests
21:19something
21:19was
21:19placed
21:20here
21:20before
21:21the
21:21statue
21:21was
21:22moved
21:22into
21:22position
21:23more
21:23than
21:233,000
21:24years
21:24ago.
21:28So
21:28this
21:29for us
21:29is a
21:29secure
21:30context
21:30where
21:30this
21:30was
21:31sealed
21:31beneath
21:31the
21:31legs
21:32of
21:32the
21:33statue.
21:36The
21:36material
21:37could
21:37give
21:37Bassem
21:38clues
21:38to
21:39the
21:39significance
21:39of
21:40the
21:40statue
21:40and
21:41whether
21:41it
21:42guarded
21:42a
21:42lost
21:42temple.
21:45But
21:46as
21:46the
21:46team
21:47explores
21:47the
21:47gaps
21:48between
21:48the
21:49pedestal
21:49stones
21:50the
21:51weather
21:51intervenes.
21:53So
21:53it
21:54looks
21:54like
21:54oh
21:57look.
22:01The
22:02short-lived
22:02dust
22:03whirlwind
22:03may be
22:04uncomfortable
22:05but
22:08as
22:08the
22:08flying
22:09sediment
22:09begins
22:09to
22:10settle
22:10Bassem's
22:12workers
22:13discover
22:13a
22:13clue.
22:15Oh
22:15you
22:16see
22:16amulet
22:18a
22:19scarab
22:19it's
22:21a
22:21protection
22:21amulet.
22:23Ancient
22:23Egyptians
22:24placed
22:25amulets
22:25of
22:25sacred
22:26scarab
22:26beetles
22:27to
22:27ward off
22:28danger
22:28and
22:29misfortune.
22:31Finding
22:31one
22:31here
22:32suggests
22:33the
22:33builders
22:33valued
22:34the
22:34statue
22:34highly.
22:39In
22:40ancient
22:41Egypt
22:41colossal
22:42statues
22:42of
22:43pharaohs
22:43had
22:44special
22:44significance
22:45meant
22:46to
22:46protect
22:46important
22:47buildings.
22:47but
22:49the
22:50statues
22:50themselves
22:51also
22:51needed
22:52protection.
22:54The
22:54ground
22:55around
22:55the
22:55statue
22:55would
22:56be
22:56carefully
22:56prepared
22:57and a
22:58pedestal
22:59built
22:59from
22:59stone
23:00blocks.
23:03Sacred
23:03items
23:04were placed
23:04among
23:05the blocks
23:05often
23:07jewelry
23:07or
23:07amulets
23:08charms
23:09to
23:09safeguard
23:09the
23:10king's
23:10likeness
23:10before
23:13the
23:13statue
23:13was
23:14lifted
23:14onto
23:14its
23:15perch
23:15to
23:17stand
23:17guard
23:18for
23:18eternity.
23:23Bassam
23:24decides
23:24to
23:25dig
23:25out
23:25the
23:25pedestal
23:26in
23:26search
23:26of
23:27more
23:27evidence.
23:28It
23:28looks
23:28like
23:29there
23:29are
23:29four
23:29blocks
23:30and
23:30we
23:30want
23:30to
23:31move
23:31them
23:31to
23:31look
23:32underneath.
23:36The
23:36exterior
23:37surfaces
23:37of the
23:38blocks
23:38are
23:39richly
23:39decorated
23:40with
23:40hieroglyphs
23:41celebrating
23:42Ramsey's
23:42reign.
23:47But
23:47within
23:48the
23:48pedestal
23:48all
23:49is
23:49not
23:50quite
23:50what
23:50it
23:50seems.
23:52There
23:52are
23:52some
23:52descriptions
23:52here
23:53they
23:54were
23:54intentionally
23:55intended
23:56to
23:56hide
23:56something
23:57which
23:57is
23:57the
23:57old
23:58reliefs
23:59they
23:59put
23:59face
24:00to
24:00face
24:00internally
24:00so
24:01no
24:01one
24:01will
24:01see
24:02this
24:02so
24:02this
24:02is
24:03the
24:03first
24:03time
24:03we
24:03see
24:03this
24:04new
24:04information.
24:07If
24:07the
24:08colossal
24:08statue's
24:09primary
24:09job
24:10was to
24:10guard
24:10a
24:10temple
24:11it
24:14seems
24:15there
24:15was
24:15also
24:16something
24:16it
24:16was
24:16designed
24:17to
24:17conceal.
24:24In
24:24Luxor
24:25on the
24:26Nile's
24:26east
24:26bank
24:27Meredith
24:29has come
24:30to the
24:30sprawling
24:30temple
24:31complex
24:31of
24:32Karnak.
24:32she's
24:37here to
24:38see
24:38what
24:38Ramses
24:39II
24:39was
24:40trying
24:40to
24:40convey
24:41to
24:41his
24:41people
24:42about
24:43his
24:43special
24:44relationship
24:44with
24:45the
24:45god
24:46Amun.
24:49Like
24:50the
24:50Ramesseum
24:51the
24:52columns
24:52and
24:52walls
24:53of
24:53Karnak's
24:53temple
24:54of
24:54Amun
24:54are
24:56lavishly
24:57carved
24:57with
24:57Ramses
24:58II's
24:59well
24:59preserved
24:59reliefs
25:00dedicated
25:02to his
25:02connection
25:03to the
25:03gods.
25:08Oh
25:09this is
25:09fantastic.
25:11Here
25:11it is.
25:12This is
25:13great.
25:14It's
25:14just like
25:14the image
25:15in the
25:15Ramesseum
25:16but there's
25:16some more
25:17details here.
25:18So
25:19there's
25:19Ramses
25:19II
25:20the king
25:20and he's
25:21kneeling
25:21down
25:22and the
25:22god
25:22Amun
25:23is
25:23offering
25:24him
25:24something.
25:24And
25:26behind
25:27there's
25:27a
25:28goddess
25:28Mut
25:28and
25:28she's
25:29also
25:29offering
25:29that
25:30same
25:30hieroglyph
25:31but like
25:31a whole
25:31row
25:32of
25:32them.
25:32And
25:32it's
25:33clear
25:33here
25:33it's
25:33not
25:33clear
25:34at
25:34the
25:34Ramesseum
25:34but it
25:36says
25:36Heb
25:37said
25:37the
25:38Jubilee
25:38Festival.
25:40The
25:40object
25:40Ramses
25:41is
25:41receiving
25:41from
25:42the
25:42gods
25:42is
25:43a
25:43jubilee
25:43a
25:44ritual
25:45celebration
25:45dating
25:46to
25:46the
25:46first
25:46pharaohs
25:47offered
25:48only
25:48to
25:48long
25:49reigning
25:49kings.
25:51On
25:51the
25:5130th
25:52year
25:52of his
25:52reign
25:54festival
25:55in his
25:55honor
25:56the
25:57Heb
25:57said
25:57at
25:58which
25:58he
25:59asked
25:59the
25:59gods
25:59permission
26:00to
26:00continue
26:01his
26:01rule
26:01over
26:02Egypt.
26:03The
26:04pharaoh
26:04reenacted
26:05the
26:05unification
26:06of his
26:06kingdom
26:07by wearing
26:07the
26:08white
26:08crown
26:08of
26:09upper
26:09Egypt
26:09and
26:10the
26:10red
26:11crown
26:11of
26:11lower
26:12Egypt.
26:13He
26:14took
26:14part
26:15in a
26:15ritual
26:16run
26:16around
26:17his
26:17temple
26:18to
26:18prove
26:19his
26:19vitality.
26:20If
26:21the
26:21gods
26:21were
26:21satisfied
26:22with
26:22his
26:22achievements
26:23they
26:25wrote
26:25the
26:25king's
26:26name
26:26on
26:26the
26:26leaf
26:27of
26:27a
26:27sacred
26:27tree
26:28to
26:29grant
26:29him
26:30another
26:30year
26:30of
26:31rule.
26:37Oh
26:37this
26:38is
26:38lovely.
26:39It's
26:39Ramses
26:39II
26:40in
26:41mid
26:41sprint.
26:42This
26:42race
26:43is a
26:43central
26:44part
26:44of
26:44the
26:44Heb
26:44Sedg
26:44Festival.
26:45It's
26:45the
26:45king
26:46proving
26:46that
26:47he's
26:47still
26:47powerful
26:48and
26:48vigorous
26:48after
26:4930
26:49years
26:49of
26:50reign.
26:50And
26:50if
26:51he
26:51can
26:51run
26:51he
26:52can
26:52still
26:52rule
26:52the
26:52country.
26:53So
26:57unusually
26:58long
26:59was
26:59Ramses
26:59II's
27:00reign,
27:01he
27:01was
27:01given
27:01multiple
27:02Heb
27:02Sedg
27:03festivals,
27:04reaffirming
27:05his
27:05vitality
27:06regularly
27:06after
27:07his
27:0730th
27:08year.
27:10Images
27:10of
27:10these
27:10celebrations
27:11cover
27:12the
27:12walls
27:12of
27:12the
27:13hall.
27:14They're
27:14repeated
27:15on his
27:15temples
27:16across
27:16Egypt.
27:19The
27:19festival
27:20was
27:20essential
27:20for
27:21Ramses
27:21II's
27:2266-year
27:23reign.
27:23It
27:24reinvigorated
27:25his
27:25relationship
27:25with the
27:26people
27:26and
27:26even
27:27more
27:27important,
27:28it
27:28established
27:28Ramses II's
27:29relationship
27:30with the
27:30gods
27:30who gave
27:31him the
27:32divine
27:32right to
27:33rule
27:33Egypt
27:33for years
27:34to come.
27:36Ramses'
27:37temples
27:37were designed
27:38to showcase
27:38his divinely
27:39bestowed
27:40power.
27:42Why was
27:43Ramses so
27:44concerned about
27:45proving his
27:45legitimacy
27:46with giant
27:48monumental
27:48temples
27:49advertising
27:50his right
27:50to rule?
27:51Bassem's
27:59team
27:59carefully
28:00lifts
28:00the
28:01stones
28:01that
28:01make
28:02up
28:02the
28:02colossal
28:03statue's
28:03pedestal.
28:04head
28:05down.
28:06The
28:10hidden
28:10inscriptions
28:11on its
28:11interior
28:12surfaces
28:12could help
28:14Bassem piece
28:14together the
28:15site's history
28:16and confirm
28:18whether the
28:18statues once
28:19guarded a
28:20temple
28:20built by
28:22Ramses II.
28:26As the
28:27team works
28:28to free
28:28the remaining
28:29blocks,
28:31Bassem has
28:31a chance
28:32to inspect
28:33the concealed
28:33decorations.
28:34It's
28:35clearly that
28:36this is
28:36Amarna
28:37period.
28:37We can
28:37see the
28:38remains of
28:38the
28:38cartousel
28:39of the
28:39Amarna,
28:40but also
28:40the solar
28:41disc with
28:41the raised
28:42hand,
28:43which is a
28:43sign of
28:44Amarna
28:45period.
28:46The
28:46Amarna
28:47period of
28:47Egyptian
28:48history dates
28:49to a
28:49hundred years
28:50before
28:51Ramses II,
28:53named for
28:53a short-lived
28:54city built
28:55by Pharaoh
28:56Akhenaten of
28:57the previous
28:58dynasty.
29:01Amarna was
29:02just a short
29:03river journey
29:03away.
29:04Its
29:05abandoned
29:05buildings
29:06could have
29:07supplied the
29:07stone not
29:08just for a
29:09statue base,
29:10but for a
29:10giant temple.
29:13By
29:13repurposing
29:14the Amarna
29:15stone,
29:16Ramses could
29:17not only build
29:17something to
29:18glorify his
29:19own reign,
29:20but also
29:21extinguish the
29:22memory of
29:22his predecessor.
29:25With the
29:26statue's
29:26pedestal lifted,
29:28Bassem now
29:29needs to dig
29:30down to find
29:30evidence of
29:31the building
29:32the statues
29:32guarded.
29:34under the
29:35supervision of
29:37Bassem's
29:37co-director,
29:38archaeologist
29:39Ivana Trinka
29:40Amrain,
29:42the team
29:43searches around
29:43the statue's
29:44foundations.
29:45just inches below
29:50the mud's
29:50surface,
29:51they hit
29:52solid stone.
29:53Do these
29:58ones connect?
29:59This one and
29:59this one?
30:00No.
30:02This floor,
30:03floor,
30:03okay,
30:04yep,
30:04it seems like
30:05this may be
30:05part of the
30:06floor.
30:07A stone
30:08floor could
30:09mean a lost
30:10temple is just
30:11a few feet
30:12away.
30:12It's very
30:13exciting,
30:14it's very
30:14exciting.
30:15In Saqqara,
30:23Ola's team
30:23has moved
30:24hundreds of
30:25buckets of
30:25sand in
30:26search of a
30:26ramicide tomb,
30:28recording every
30:29scrap of
30:30evidence on
30:30the way.
30:32But one
30:33crucial clue
30:34is missing.
30:35I dream
30:37of finding
30:38some limestone
30:39fragments,
30:40either in
30:41situ on
30:41the walls
30:42or in
30:43the sand,
30:44because it
30:44proves a lot
30:45about which
30:46period it
30:47belongs.
30:47I cannot
30:48see until
30:48I find
30:49any inscribed
30:50material.
30:52The tombs
30:53of high
30:53officials of
30:54Ramsey's
30:55time,
30:55here in
30:56Saqqara,
30:57copied the
30:58form of
30:58the pharaoh's
30:59giant temples.
31:02Evidence
31:02of limestone
31:03cladding would
31:04go a long
31:05way to
31:05proving this
31:06structure was
31:07a temple
31:07tomb.
31:09But with
31:10only hours to
31:11go before
31:11Ola's dig
31:12winds down
31:13for the
31:13Islamic holy
31:14season of
31:15Ramadan,
31:16time is
31:17running out.
31:19Ola decides
31:20to get her
31:21hands dirty.
31:23Oh my
31:24God,
31:25look at
31:25this!
31:27As she
31:28brushes close
31:28to the mud
31:29brick limits
31:30of the
31:30structure,
31:31the sand
31:32finally begins
31:33to give up
31:33secrets.
31:34So you
31:38see this
31:39piece,
31:40this
31:40fragment,
31:42limestone,
31:43this
31:43unfortunately
31:44is an
31:44empty
31:45fragment,
31:46but it
31:46shows that
31:47it might
31:47have been
31:48from the
31:48tomb
31:49itself,
31:50and it
31:50has
31:50mortar
31:51on the
31:51back.
31:52So it
31:52proves that
31:53it was
31:54stuck to
31:54the wall.
31:56The
31:57fragment may
31:57be undecorated,
31:59but it
31:59proves the
32:00structure
32:00was clad
32:01in fine
32:02limestone.
32:03Ola is
32:04no longer
32:04in any
32:05doubt.
32:06This was a
32:06high-status
32:07temple tomb.
32:105.5 meters.
32:12The whole
32:13length,
32:13it is a
32:14considerable
32:15tomb.
32:15It's a big
32:16one.
32:16It's not
32:17something small.
32:18The first
32:19court is
32:20more than
32:2018 feet
32:21long.
32:22This could
32:22be among
32:22the largest
32:23tombs Ola
32:24has found
32:25in this
32:25necropolis.
32:25years of
32:27diligent
32:27research and
32:28careful
32:29excavation
32:29have set
32:30her up
32:30for what
32:31could be
32:31a remarkable
32:32campaign
32:33next season.
32:34It's very
32:35exciting and
32:36I am happy.
32:37We don't
32:37know yet
32:37whose tomb
32:39it will
32:39be,
32:40but still
32:40it is
32:41a big
32:41achievement.
32:42The plan
32:42we are
32:43finding
32:44till now
32:44looks very
32:45much like
32:46the tombs
32:47we found
32:47before
32:48and that
32:48which are
32:49from the
32:50time of
32:50Ramses II.
32:52Why
32:52exactly the
32:53tombs here
32:54take the
32:54form of a
32:55ramasside
32:55temple
32:56remains a
32:57mystery.
32:58But when
32:59Ola returns
33:00answers could
33:01be waiting
33:02just below
33:03the sand.
33:04I want
33:05to find
33:05the old
33:06tomb.
33:06I want
33:07to find
33:07the shaft.
33:08That is
33:09the aim.
33:10We will
33:10continue
33:11next season.
33:19It's a
33:20new day
33:21in El
33:21Ashmunin.
33:22and
33:24Bassem
33:25has
33:25expanded
33:25the
33:26trenches
33:26around
33:26the
33:27base
33:27of
33:27Ramses
33:28colossal
33:28statue.
33:30He
33:31believes
33:31a pair
33:31of these
33:32statues
33:32once
33:33guarded
33:33the
33:33entrance
33:34to a
33:34lost
33:34temple.
33:36To
33:37confirm
33:37it,
33:38he needs
33:38to find
33:39the walls
33:39of the
33:40building
33:40itself.
33:40one of
33:45the
33:45targets
33:45of our
33:46mission
33:46is
33:47finding
33:47a
33:47complete
33:48temple.
33:49The
33:49only
33:49clue
33:50for
33:50this
33:50is
33:50to
33:51reach
33:51the
33:52foundation
33:52of
33:52the
33:52pillar,
33:53which
33:53is
33:53the
33:53main
33:54monumental
33:55gate
33:55of
33:55the
33:55temple.
33:58Bassem's
33:58workers
33:59have
33:59already
34:00shifted
34:00several
34:01tons
34:01of
34:01earth
34:01behind
34:02the
34:02statue's
34:03base.
34:03If
34:07there's
34:07a
34:08temple
34:08here,
34:09the
34:09giant
34:09gateway
34:10can't
34:10be
34:10far
34:11away.
34:12But
34:13the
34:13site's
34:14rich
34:14later
34:15history
34:15is
34:17proving
34:17an
34:17obstacle.
34:20Currently
34:20we do
34:21have
34:22mud
34:22brick
34:22wall
34:23might
34:24be
34:24later
34:24phase
34:25might
34:25be
34:25Roman
34:25Byzantine
34:26that
34:27might
34:27be
34:27attributed
34:28to
34:28the
34:28church
34:28somewhere
34:29that
34:30was
34:30here.
34:31More
34:31than
34:313,000
34:32years
34:33of
34:33history
34:33stand
34:34in
34:34the
34:34way
34:35of
34:35any
34:35Ramses
34:36era
34:36architecture
34:37Bassem
34:37may
34:37find.
34:39He
34:39can't
34:40destroy
34:40the
34:40more
34:41recent
34:41mud
34:41brick
34:42structure.
34:43He
34:43has
34:43to
34:43work
34:43around
34:44it
34:44while
34:45also
34:45cataloging
34:46every
34:46find
34:47from
34:47every
34:47era.
34:49Just
34:50as
34:50the
34:50German
34:51records
34:51inspired
34:52Bassem,
34:53any
34:53single
34:54detail
34:54here
34:54could
34:55provide
34:55a
34:56clue
34:56to
34:56future
34:57mysteries.
34:58There
34:59were
34:59plenty
35:00of
35:00people
35:00who
35:01are
35:01active
35:02in this
35:02area
35:03from
35:04the
35:04New
35:04Kingdom
35:04to
35:05my
35:05period
35:05Roman
35:06period
35:06until
35:07the
35:07Islamic
35:07period.
35:08Whenever we
35:09have
35:09a unit
35:10or layer
35:11that we
35:11are
35:11excavating,
35:12we collect
35:12the whole
35:12pottery,
35:13and it
35:13gives us
35:14the date
35:14of the
35:15occupation
35:15phase,
35:16who was
35:16living here,
35:17who was
35:17doing what.
35:18the
35:20end of
35:21the
35:21dig
35:21is
35:21approaching,
35:22and
35:23final
35:23proof
35:24of
35:24a
35:24ramasside
35:24temple
35:25still
35:26eludes
35:26Bassem.
35:27My
35:28hope
35:28today
35:29is
35:29to
35:30end up
35:30this
35:31trench
35:31with
35:32a
35:32conclusion
35:33that
35:33this
35:33was
35:34for
35:34sure
35:34Ramesses
35:34the
35:35second
35:35temple.
35:36If
35:37he
35:37doesn't
35:37find
35:38the
35:38foundations,
35:39Bassem
35:39will
35:40have
35:40to
35:40refill
35:40the
35:41trenches
35:41and
35:42come
35:43back
35:43next
35:43season
35:44to
35:44continue
35:44the
35:45search.
35:45At
35:51Bassem's
35:52dig
35:52site
35:52in
35:52El
35:53Ashmonin,
35:54his
35:55team
35:56scrapes
35:56out
35:56earth
35:57from
35:57a
35:57trench
35:58behind
35:58where
35:59Ramesses'
35:59colossal
36:00statue
36:00once
36:00stood.
36:02If
36:03Ramesses
36:03built
36:04a
36:04temple
36:04here,
36:05a
36:05monumental
36:06gateway
36:06will
36:07be
36:07the
36:07smoking
36:07gun.
36:09Despite
36:10the
36:10season's
36:11end
36:11approaching,
36:13the
36:13workers
36:13have
36:14to
36:14move
36:14slowly,
36:14layer
36:15by
36:15layer.
36:17As
36:17an
36:17archaeologist,
36:19we
36:19are
36:20familiar
36:20with
36:21digging
36:21in
36:21the
36:21sand.
36:21It's
36:22much
36:22easier.
36:23Here,
36:23we
36:23are
36:23doing
36:24much
36:24more
36:25effort
36:25because
36:26we
36:26need
36:26to
36:26cut
36:27in
36:27a
36:27very
36:27compact
36:28clay
36:28material.
36:29And
36:29it
36:30needs
36:30a
36:30very
36:30trained
36:31eye
36:31to
36:31differentiate
36:32between
36:33the
36:33mud
36:33bricks
36:33and
36:34the
36:35compact
36:35clay.
36:36For
36:36the
36:36moment,
36:37we
36:37keep
36:37high
36:37hopes
36:38on
36:38just
36:38tracing
36:39the
36:39exact
36:40limit
36:41of
36:41the
36:41gate.
36:43Suddenly,
36:43flecks
36:45of
36:45white
36:45rock
36:45begin
36:46to
36:46catch
36:46the
36:47worker's
36:47blades,
36:48a
36:49solid
36:50rock
36:50surface.
36:55This is
36:56what we
36:56were just
36:57talking
36:57about.
37:00Blocks
37:00of
37:01limestone
37:01that could
37:01be part
37:03of the
37:03monumental
37:04bellon
37:05gate.
37:06The
37:10limestone
37:10surface
37:11appears
37:12to
37:12cut
37:12laterally
37:13across
37:13the
37:13trench
37:14behind
37:14the
37:15statue,
37:16exactly
37:16where
37:17Bassem
37:17would
37:17expect
37:18a
37:18gateway's
37:19foundations
37:19to
37:20sit.
37:21Its
37:22location
37:22a few
37:23feet
37:23behind
37:24the
37:24statue
37:24is a
37:25huge
37:25piece
37:26of
37:26positive
37:27evidence.
37:28We
37:29are
37:29just
37:29two
37:29meter,
37:30one
37:30and
37:30half
37:30meter,
37:30which
37:31is
37:31like
37:31quite
37:31good
37:32distance
37:32to
37:32put
37:33a
37:33statue
37:33in
37:33front
37:33of
37:33the
37:33D-land.
37:35Well
37:35done.
37:36Few
37:38archaeologists
37:39of the
37:40modern
37:40era
37:40can
37:41claim
37:41to
37:41have
37:41discovered
37:42a
37:42lost
37:42ancient
37:43Egyptian
37:43temple.
37:45For
37:46Bassem,
37:46it's a
37:47career
37:47defining
37:48moment.
37:50We
37:50have
37:51arrived
37:51to
37:51very
37:51solid
37:52conclusions
37:52that
37:53we
37:53have
37:54found
37:54a
37:55temple
37:55built
37:56by
37:56Ramses
37:56II.
37:59So
37:59we
37:59are
38:00about
38:00to
38:00rewrite
38:01history
38:01of
38:02the
38:02ramasside
38:02period
38:03in
38:03Middle
38:03Egypt.
38:04It
38:05is
38:06really
38:06emotional
38:06and
38:06it's
38:07really
38:07important.
38:08It's
38:08a huge
38:09accomplishment.
38:10It's
38:10something
38:10that you
38:11could
38:11call it
38:12a
38:12benchmark
38:13in
38:13your
38:13career.
38:15Not
38:15only
38:15is
38:16the
38:16discovery
38:16a
38:17personal
38:17vindication,
38:19it's
38:19an
38:19answer
38:19to
38:20the
38:20mystery
38:20of
38:21Ramses
38:21II's
38:22absence
38:22from
38:23Middle
38:23Egypt.
38:24Outside
38:25of the
38:25capital
38:26but also
38:27outside
38:27of
38:28Luxor.
38:29Very
38:29few
38:29things
38:30that
38:30is
38:30known
38:30about
38:31the
38:31temples
38:31of
38:32Ramses
38:32II
38:32and
38:33how
38:33he
38:33did
38:34this
38:34project.
38:35Excavating
38:36this
38:36temple
38:37would
38:37add
38:37one
38:38more
38:38piece
38:39of
38:39information
38:39that
38:40could
38:40link
38:41the
38:41dots
38:41of
38:42the
38:42history
38:42of
38:43this
38:43very
38:43important
38:44king.
38:45Next
38:45season
38:46we will
38:46come
38:46back
38:46to
38:46the
38:47lovely
38:47colossal
38:48statue
38:48and
38:49also
38:49the
38:50wonderful
38:51temple.
38:53If
38:54the
38:54temple
38:54in
38:55El
38:55Ashmonine
38:56matched
38:56the
38:56grandeur
38:57of
38:57Ramses
38:57projects
38:58in
38:58Upper
38:59and
38:59Lower
38:59Egypt,
39:00this
39:01could
39:01become
39:01one
39:02of
39:02the
39:02largest
39:02excavations
39:03Egypt
39:04has
39:04seen
39:04in
39:05decades.
39:10At
39:11Karnak
39:11temple
39:12in
39:12Luxor
39:13with
39:15yet
39:15another
39:15building
39:16added
39:16to
39:16the
39:16great
39:17pharaoh's
39:17countrywide
39:18catalogue
39:19of
39:19monuments
39:19Meredith
39:20wants
39:21to
39:21explore
39:21why
39:22Ramses
39:23II
39:23felt
39:24the
39:24need
39:24to
39:24underline
39:25his
39:25legitimacy
39:26with
39:26so
39:26many
39:27temples
39:27covered
39:28with
39:28divine
39:29blessings.
39:30Ramses II
39:31built
39:32massive
39:32monuments
39:33carved
39:33with
39:34images
39:34of him
39:35and the
39:35gods
39:35and his
39:35Hebsed
39:36festival
39:36and in
39:37many ways
39:38this is
39:38what kings
39:39did.
39:40They built
39:40monuments
39:41but Ramses II
39:42took it to a
39:44whole new
39:44level and
39:45built on a
39:45scale that
39:46no king
39:46did before
39:47him.
39:48It's clear
39:48Ramses II
39:49wanted to
39:50build a
39:50legacy
39:51and he also
39:52wanted to
39:52show that
39:53he was the
39:53king to
39:54end all
39:54kings.
39:54Ramses'
39:57building
39:57projects
39:58testify to
39:59the ambitions
40:00he held
40:01to ensure
40:01he was
40:02remembered.
40:03But what
40:04else lay
40:05behind the
40:06extravagance?
40:09Meredith
40:10finds evidence
40:11in an
40:11object
40:12uncovered
40:12over a
40:13hundred
40:13years ago
40:14within
40:15Karnak's
40:15walls.
40:16This is
40:17a really
40:17lovely
40:17statue
40:18of a
40:18man named
40:19Paul
40:19Ramosu
40:19and it's
40:21an image
40:21of an
40:22elite
40:22scribe.
40:23He's
40:23sitting
40:23there
40:24with
40:24his
40:24palette
40:24and
40:24his
40:24pen.
40:25But
40:25Paul
40:25Ramosu
40:26would
40:26later
40:26become
40:27Ramses
40:28I.
40:29So this
40:30is
40:30Ramosu
40:30II's
40:31grandfather
40:31who
40:32was
40:32born
40:32an
40:33elite
40:34official
40:34and
40:35then
40:35who
40:35became
40:36the
40:36king.
40:38Paul
40:38Ramosu
40:39was a
40:39commoner
40:40who was
40:41the
40:41right-hand
40:42man of
40:43Pharaoh
40:43Horemheb
40:44and
40:44finally
40:45king
40:46of
40:46Egypt
40:46himself.
40:47When
40:48his
40:48grandson
40:49Ramses
40:49II
40:50came
40:50to
40:50power
40:51he had
40:51an
40:52image
40:52problem.
40:53He
40:53wasn't
40:54of
40:54royal
40:54blood
40:54so
40:55did
40:55everything
40:56he
40:56could
40:56to
40:57project
40:57his
40:58power.
41:00Ramses
41:00led
41:00aggressive
41:01military
41:01campaigns
41:02and
41:03publicized
41:03his
41:04image
41:04as a
41:04warrior
41:05king
41:05to
41:05his
41:06people.
41:07He
41:08hunted
41:08down
41:09inscriptions
41:09of
41:10pharaohs
41:10that
41:10came
41:11before
41:11him
41:11and
41:13had
41:13their
41:13names
41:13erased
41:14or
41:14hidden
41:14to
41:16kill
41:16off
41:17their
41:17memory
41:17and
41:18secure
41:18a
41:19legacy
41:19of
41:20his
41:20own.
41:24It
41:25seems
41:25Ramses
41:26II
41:26had
41:27two
41:27aims
41:28to
41:30establish
41:31his own
41:31right to
41:32rule
41:32beyond
41:32doubt
41:33and to
41:35ensure
41:36that
41:36history
41:36would
41:37judge
41:37him
41:37as
41:37the
41:38most
41:38powerful
41:38of
41:39leaders.
41:39His
41:41building
41:42program
41:42was
41:43central
41:43to
41:43both.
41:45Oh,
41:45I like
41:46this
41:46image.
41:47It's
41:47of
41:47Ramses
41:48II
41:48making
41:49mud
41:50bricks
41:50and
41:50building
41:51a
41:51temple
41:51laying
41:51the
41:52foundation.
41:53And
41:54maybe
41:54Ramses
41:54II
41:55put
41:55this
41:55image
41:55here
41:56because
41:56to
41:56him
41:56building
41:57was
41:57so
41:57important.
41:58And
41:59this
41:59image
41:59shows
41:59Ramses
42:00II
42:00not
42:00just
42:01building
42:01a
42:01temple
42:01but
42:02building
42:02his
42:02legacy.
42:05In
42:0566
42:06years
42:07on the
42:07Egyptian
42:07throne,
42:08Ramses
42:10II
42:10transformed
42:11the
42:12desert
42:12through
42:12his
42:13giant
42:13monuments.
42:14Not
42:15just
42:16in
42:16the
42:16traditional
42:17centers
42:17of
42:17power
42:18but
42:18everywhere.
42:21Today
42:21his
42:22name
42:22features
42:23on
42:23more
42:23ancient
42:24structures
42:24than
42:25any
42:25other
42:25pharaoh.
42:28Ramses
42:29II
42:29wanted
42:30to
42:30show
42:30that
42:31he
42:31was
42:31the
42:31best
42:32king
42:32ever
42:32from
42:32ancient
42:33Egypt.
42:33And
42:34in
42:34so
42:34many
42:34ways
42:35it
42:35worked.
42:36I'm
42:38here
42:38talking
42:39about
42:39Ramses
42:39II
42:403,000
42:41years
42:41later
42:42admiring
42:42all
42:43of
42:43his
42:43achievements
42:43and
42:45we
42:46call
42:46him
42:46Ramses
42:47the
42:47Great.
42:47Outro
42:50of
42:50the
42:51Great.
Be the first to comment