National Geographic: Egypt - Quest for Eternity Page #2

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Egypt's history

do we have a place as important

as this abandoned?

Perhaps the secret still lies buried

in these mud-brick walls

sifting through the debris

of the centuries

the Fairservis team continues

to piece together

the history of the site

Many threads bind Egyptian

prehistory and history

But none is stronger than the

belief in immortality

But this one is interesting because...

Equipped with objects necessary

for the afterlife

these bodies were buried before

the first pharaoh built

his palace here

Right here, if I can just

pull this up a little bit

hair pins

found at the roof of the skull

Made of some quill-like or ivory,

I guess

Perhaps ivory

Perhaps ivory, yes.

Put that back there

In this capital, religion, tradition

and political power fused

foundations were laid on which

the longest lasting of

all ancient civilizations would rise

Two thousand years later

Egypt's religious capital

was Thebes

one of the richest

most powerful cities on earth

At its heart was the temple of

Amun at karnak

the largest place of worship

in the ancient world

As dynasty followed dynasty

the great complex was enlarged

and embellished

by a succession of pharaohs

Tutankhamun

whose fabulous tomb treasures

dazzled the world

a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut

called "the first great woman

in history"

the heretic Akhenaten,

first believer in one god.

And Ramses II, the greatest builder

of all time

called Ramses the Great

pharaoh while Egypt's power and

prosperity flourished

this warrior-king was to rule

for 67 years

bring peace to the empire,

father nearly 200 children

and leave his mark on fully half

the monuments in Egypt

Ramses was only about 20

when his father seti I died

in 1290 B.c.

Seti had ordered his funerary

temple built at Abydos

One of Ramses' first acts as pharaoh

was to travel there to complete it

To all Egyptians, this was the

most sacred city on earth

Here, drawn by some mystical

identification

with Abydos and the long-dead pharaoh

an extraordinary woman

known as Omm seti

was to come 3,000

years later

With a group of fellow Egyptologists

she celebrates her 77th birthday

Well, thank you very much

You certainly made it

a happy birthday

Make a speech

Make a speech? Oh, how lovely,

I am touched

I'm afraid its a mass-produced one,

but...

Never mind, no matter

My heart, my mother

My heart, my mother

My heart whereby I came into being

Do not stand up and witness against

me at the judgement

I think that is the text.

It should be

Yes, you've got it

Oh, thank you very much

To Omm seti at her 77th,

on her way to 110

Thank you. Let us drink to our dear

old friend Ramses II

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