Secrets of the Pharaohs
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Dev Varma
Liev Schreiber
John Anderton
Jane Blackmore
Linda Blixt
Tamara Bodenham
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Documentary that reveals secrets of the lost world of Egyptian mummies. Part 1, "Tut's Family Curse," investigates the remains of two fetuses buried in the tomb of boy king Tutankhamun. Two American scientists have been allowed to take DNA samples, for the first time, from the royal family and the fetuses, to determine who they were and if their premature deaths are linked to the end of Tutankhamun's family, the great 18th Dynasty that ruled Egypt during the second millennium BC. Part 2, "Lost City of the Pyramids," offers new answers to the question: who built the pyramids? A popular misconception is that they were built by slaves. Archaeologists have discovered the tombs of pyramid builders, together with large sections of the "town" where they lived. Scientists have been able to work out details of their lives, including what they ate, how they lived, the medical care they received and even who they were. Part 3, "Unwrapping the Mummy," undertakes a detailed examination of the mummified remains of Asru, a noblewoman and chantress who lived in ancient Luxor. Asru's body reveals hidden insights about an ancient Egyptian way of life that included disease, drugs, sex and the power of the mysterious blue lotus.
