Throng

The historical documentary series concludes. This instalment looks at the ongoing hunt for the tomb of Alexander the Great – conqueror and self- proclaimed pharaoh of Egypt. Gathering together old sources and new evidence, the search moves from the necropolis of ancient Egypt to the city that the king founded, Alexandria.

For centuries archaeologists have scoured Egypt for the missing tomb of Alexander the Great. The story begins in 332 BC, when the Macedonian general arrived in Egypt and expelled the occupying Persians. He was hailed as a liberator by the Egyptians and promptly set about claiming the throne for himself.

The historical documentary series continues. This instalment charts the life of Rameses II, the longest-lived pharaoh who is widely regarded as Egypt’s greatest ruler. New discoveries have shed more light on the king’s successful reign, while Egyptologists continue to debate the nature of his character and achievements.

Rameses II has often been called ‘Rameses the Great’. Ascending to the throne in c.1279 BC, he ruled for 66 years – longer than any other pharaoh – and is credited with bringing stability and prosperity to the nation. When his mummy was excavated, Rameses was found to be a small man, crippled by arthritis in his old age. Yet in life he was clearly able to impose himself on his people. The sheer number of temples constructed by Rameses in his own honour have prompted some historians to label him an egomaniac – yet modern Egyptologists now regard him as a powerful and decisive leader.

The historical documentary series continues. This episode explores the Valley of the Kings, the royal necropolis of the pharaohs. A new generation of Egyptologists presents revolutionary theories on why the pharaohs abandoned the pyramids as their burial sites in favour of these secret underground tombs.

Thursday 18th December at 8:00pm on five

The historical documentary series continues. This episode explores the extraordinary life of Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt. Depicted throughout history as a temptress who ruined two generals of Rome, scholars now believe that Cleopatra possessed great political ability and knowledge. Despite a lack of physical evidence of her reign, they are able to piece together the story of her rule during the dying days of Ancient Egypt.

Cleopatra has been popularly remembered as the great beauty whose affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony precipitated the conquest of Egypt by the Romans. But historians now believe that she was the victim of Roman ‘spin’ intended to blacken her name. “They turned her into a salacious harlot – this bubble-headed sex kitten who’s jumping in and out of bed with any available Roman,” says Dr Robert Steven Bianchi.

Thursday 11th December at 8:00pm

The historical documentary series continues. This episode explores the development of the pyramids, from underground burial chambers to soaring structures that revolutionised architecture. The film reveals the name of the man who designed the very first pyramid and shows how his ideas were refined and perfected, until pyramids eventually fell out of fashion altogether.

The pyramids of Egypt are the most enduring monuments of the ancient world. Around 80 of them still exist, but most of these were built in a short 100-year period, and they remain one of the world’s greatest mysteries. In a time before iron tools, with very little engineering knowledge, how and why did the Egyptians embark on such massive projects?

The historical documentary series continues. This episode explores the legacy of the Scorpion King, an Egyptian ruler who predated the pharaohs.

Recent developments, such as the excavation of the king’s tomb, have revealed surprising new details about early Egyptian civilisation.

In southern Egypt in 1898, a British archaeologist named James Quibell discovered an ancient Egyptian macehead depicting a king by the name of ‘Scorpion’. The artefact, a ceremonial type of club, was dated to 200 years before the first dynasty of pharaohs. “The Scorpion mace head radically changed people’s perceptions,” says Dr Reńe Friedman. “It took them back to a time for which they have no texts.”

Beginning on Five this week is a new historical documentary series probing the secrets of Ancient Egypt. In the first episode, scientists attempt to unravel the mystery of a 3,000-yearold ‘screaming’ mummy. The man was recovered from a tomb devoid of the usual trappings of Egyptian burial, with his features locked in a screaming expression. Who was this man and what does his fate reveal about the ancient Egyptian attitude to the afterlife?

In the vaults of the Cairo Museum lies a coffin containing a most unusual mummy. Discovered in a burial chamber in 1881, ‘Unknown Man E’ has puzzled generations of Egyptologists. He is sometimes known as the ‘Screaming Man’ for the gruesome scream that appears to contort his mouth. The nature of the man’s burial also throws up numerous questions and contradictions. Now, for the first time since 1886, scientists take a closer look at the mysteries surrounding his identity and his death.