Unit 3 ARCHAEOLGY
Narrator: wonderful artwork, ancient writing, and huge stone monuments. These are the remains of ancient Egyptian civilization which have amazed the world for centuries.
Egyptology was born in 1799, when the ancient Egyptian writing system – hieroglyphics – was first translated. Today, the archaeological season in Egypt starts in October, when a small number of archaeologists are allowed to start excavations. It is illegal to excavate or remove artefacts without permission, and security is tight.
These are the tombs of the ancient kings of Egypt. Down the dark passages, there are many clues about ancient Egyptian society. Complicated rituals surrounded death, and fantastic treasure was buried for use in the afterlife. Hidden underground, these painted tombs and fragile artefacts have been preserved by the dry air of the desert.
Before any discoveries can be made, these is always a large amount of earth and sand to move first. In the ancient city of Thebes, a team of archaeologists work to remove the sand that has hidden a tomb for two and a half thousand years. It is a time-consuming task but the site is so delicate, heavy machinery is not allowed and the earth must be moved by hand.
On the other side of the river Nile, in the Valley of the Kings, another team of archaeologists use the latest X-ray equipment to examine a mummy. The equipment can show the age, gender and cause of death of the mummy without damaging the fragile remains. The excavation is examined very closely. Every new artefact must be carefully recorded and nothing can be moved until it is photographed and preserved by experts. Every year, archaeologists continue to look for more evidence of this advanced culture under the hot Egyptian sun.