Ancient Egyptians

Egyptian Journeys with Dan Cruickshank episode 6: On a lonely island in the River Nile, Dan visits the last-known hieroglyphic inscription in Egypt and discovers the surprising truth about those responsible for the final, brutal collapse of this great civilisation, a culture that had lasted more than 3,000 years.       Travelling the length of the country, from Alexandria in the north to the beautiful temples of Dendera and Philae, Dan traces the key dramatic events that marked the decline in the fortunes of the ancient Egyptians and reveals the rich cast of characters – from Alexander the Great […]

Egyptian Journeys with Dan Cruickshank episode 4: Dan Cruickshank discovers the ingenious techniques that the ancient Egyptians used to make their pyramids, temples and mummies last forever, driven by their obsession with magic and the afterlife. The Egyptians believed they could live forever – that death was not necessarily the end. But to enjoy the afterlife depended on preserving the important things from this life – their bodies, possessions and monuments.       Dan explores how the ancient Egyptians pioneered remarkable ways of preparing for eternity. He visits the colossal, indestructible pyramids at Saqqara and Giza as well as

Egyptian Journeys with Dan Cruickshank episode 1: Dan visits the magnificent underground tombs in the Valley of the Kings, in search of clues about the unsung heroes of this ancient world – the mysterious community of craftsmen who spent their lives building lavish burial chambers for the pharaohs.       The tombs are wonderful feats of art and engineering and Dan finds a wealth of intriguing evidence about the lives of the supposedly anonymous people who built them. Given rare access to the most complex tomb of all – the 150-room necropolis built for the sons of Rameses II