Tomb Hunters

Massive tombs found beneath the ruins of the Bubasteum, a temple in Saqqara, continue to astound archaeologists and change how we view Egyptian society during the Late Period. In this episode, we open a stunningly well-preserved painted coffin to find the mummy of a wealthy young woman. High-resolution scanning technology and x-rays reveal tragic secrets that create a picture of what family life might have looked like over 2,500 years ago. Also, the discovery of an ornate bronze statue provides a snapshot of Egypt as an incredibly well-connected trading network.

Egyptian archaeologists made global news when they came upon two massive tombs in Saqqara that date back more than 2,500 years. But they didn't stop there. They also discovered an unfinished tomb that appears to predate the other mega-tombs by around two millennia. It belonged to a prominent Judicial Tallyman named Pinomis and his family but exploring the burial chamber has raised many questions. Who was this judge? How did he achieve his wealth and status? And why did he choose to spend his eternal afterlife in a tomb only half-built?

In 332 BC, the Greek King Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, bringing more than 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian rule to an end. Yet many traditional rights and customs lived on, as evidenced by a recently discovered burial chamber at the Saqqara excavation site. Witness just how deeply the fusion between Greek and Egyptian cultures ran as archaeologists use the latest technology on newly discovered coffins, shedding light on what happened when new rulers took over Egypt... and why its animal cults flourished during Greek rule.