0:00:15 > 0:00:17Welcome to Pa-demi,
0:00:17 > 0:00:21an ancient Egyptian village where nobody's lived for over 3,000 years.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Believe it or not it was once really busy,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28teeming with life, a very noisy bustling kind of place.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32The village lies near a place called the Valley Of The Kings
0:00:32 > 0:00:35where ancient Egypt's Kings, known as pharaohs,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39were buried in huge tombs deep underground.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44And the men who built these royal tombs lived in the village with their families.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Archaeologists exploring here can learn a lot about the everyday lives
0:00:48 > 0:00:52of these working people, and thanks to one very special discovery,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56we can actually study two of the people who used to live here.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Their names are Kha and Meryt and they were husband and wife.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06When they died their bodies their bodies were mummified to preserve them
0:01:06 > 0:01:10and placed with all their clothes, furniture and even food
0:01:10 > 0:01:14in a secret underground tomb on the edge of their village.
0:01:14 > 0:01:21The tomb was so well hidden that no-one entered it again for 3,000 years.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26It wasn't until 1906 when an Italian archaeologist discovered it
0:01:26 > 0:01:31and took all the contents back to a museum in Turin in Italy.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36So who were Kha and Meryt?
0:01:36 > 0:01:38These are the mummies of Kha and Meryt in the museum.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42By using computer eye scanning we can create an image of what
0:01:42 > 0:01:45they looked like beneath the many layers
0:01:45 > 0:01:49of linen strips in which they are still wrapped.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52We know that Kha, who stood about five foot six,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55was a very striking-looking individual,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58with a rather prominent nose
0:01:58 > 0:02:00and a great fondness for lots of black eyeliner.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08But then when we turn to his little wife, Meryt,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12a very dainty little lady, standing about five foot two.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19She also had a long, crimped wig of dark brown, wavy hair
0:02:19 > 0:02:22which would have made her look really, really beautiful.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28The objects found in Kha's tomb are inscribed with hieroglyphics,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31which is how the Egyptians used to write.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35These little pictures and symbols tell us that Kha designed
0:02:35 > 0:02:39the royal tombs and was in charge of the workmen who built them.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44which, of course, made Kha and Meryt very important people,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48both to their neighbours and to the Pharaoh.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50But how did they live here?
0:02:50 > 0:02:53What did they eat? What did they drink?
0:02:53 > 0:02:57How on earth, in this really, really hot climate,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00did they keep themselves clean?
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Kha and Meryt lived with their family in this close-knit community
0:03:05 > 0:03:08in homes like these.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Over 3,000 years ago these houses would have had roofs
0:03:12 > 0:03:17with much higher walls which have crumbled away over time.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The houses gave them shade from the burning sun
0:03:20 > 0:03:22but I have to use an umbrella.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Archaeologists have carefully studied these houses
0:03:27 > 0:03:30to discover more about what each room was used for.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32So we go into the front room here.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37And this would be an area, really,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39where the woman of the house hung out,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41chatted, gossiped and so forth.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Kids running in and out. Up the stairs.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Around the corner into perhaps the most important room in the house,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50where the men would retire in the evening.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55This piece of furniture is what is left of an ancient Egyptian sofa.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58The gentlemen of the house, with enough time on his hands,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01could recline with his friends, drink beer, have a natter.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Then back up this little step and then into this area,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12which is quite a considerable size for a room like this.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Probably storage but also a bedroom.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20In the case of Kha and Meryt we know they had some beautiful beds.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23These beds were found in their tomb.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25The ancient Egyptians didn't have pillows,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27but used these wooden headrests
0:04:27 > 0:04:30which looked rather uncomfortable to us today.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36As we progress further into the highest part of the house,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39we come into a storage area, maybe for clothes,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41but almost certainly for food and drink also
0:04:41 > 0:04:46because this area directly adjoins this wonderful fitted kitchen.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49This is extraordinary, because we've actually got the built-in oven
0:04:49 > 0:04:51at the back of the house.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54And then here an Ancient Egyptian refrigerator.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58You'd want a cool drink - on a day like this, you can understand why.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01And the only way to do this was to sink the vessels
0:05:01 > 0:05:03into a pit deep in the ground.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07A little temporary roof over it to keep it as chilled as possible.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12So fridge, oven. They've got everything they needed.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Mud brick ovens, just like Kha and Meryt had,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19are still being used in Egypt today.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Just as in ancient times, they are still used to make bread.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27I've come to the house of this Egyptian lady to see how it is done.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Now, bread was the key ingredient in the Ancient Egyptian diet.
0:05:32 > 0:05:38This bread has been made using very similar ingredients to those used in Kha's day.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45It is an easy recipe made with wheat and barley flour, water and salt.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Around 50 loaves of bread of all different shapes and sizes
0:05:50 > 0:05:53were found in Kha and Meryt's tomb.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59It's a real direct link back into their world.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04The smell of this wonderful stuff, the feel of it, the way it was made.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11All Egyptians would have eaten this on a daily basis.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Egyptian bread is fantastic.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18so I am eating the very stuff that Kha and Meryt would have eaten
0:06:18 > 0:06:22every single day of their lives. It's fantastic.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28And this is where the grains to make the flour for the bread,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31the wheat and barley, were once stored.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34In ancient Egypt money didn't exist,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38so people were paid with things like sacks of grain.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41And as well as making bread with it,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44they could also use some of the grain two exchange for clothes,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47furniture and other things to eat.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53As well as bread many different kinds of food were discovered
0:06:53 > 0:06:56in Kha and Meryt's tomb, including fruit, vegetables,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58meat and spices.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Although this fruit now looks very old and dry,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06it would have looked delicious 3,500 years ago, when it was still fresh.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13And it's quite wonderful stuff.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16You have the staple of the ancient Egyptian life here, the bread,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19accompanied by the all-important onions and garlic.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22This was a standard sort of workmen's packed lunch.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25One of these on a daily basis with garlic here,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28that's kind of ancient Egyptian packed lunch.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The fruit, there were grapes,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and these amazing things.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37he had several sacks of these, these are dom palm nuts, although I have
0:07:37 > 0:07:43never personally eaten one, they apparently taste like caramel.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47There was another thing that the villagers needed a lot of,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and that was water.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Not that far away from the village is the River Nile.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Flowing right through the middle of their country,
0:07:55 > 0:08:00the Egyptians used the Nile to transport people and goods from place to place.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Most importantly, in a country with hardly any rain,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06the Nile was the only source of water.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Donkeys were used to carry this water to Kha and Meryt's village every day.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17Each family was given a daily allowance of about 100 litres of water,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21which would have been used for drinking and cooking and washing.
0:08:21 > 0:08:253,500 years ago in the village you would have needed this stuff
0:08:25 > 0:08:29at the end of a long day to have washed away the dirt and the sweat.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Now, of course, what goes in must come out.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Just like you and me, the ancient Egyptians went to the toilet.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42But they didn't have flushing toilets and toilet paper and so on.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45This unusual stool with a hole in it was discovered in
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Kha and Meryt's tomb and it had a very important purpose.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51When Kha and Meryt needed the toilet,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55they'd sit on this special stool, do what they had to do,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59which would land in a bowl of sand on the floor underneath this stool,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01and some rather unlucky servant would
0:09:01 > 0:09:03have to come along, take the bowl,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and then they'd throw the contents out on the surface
0:09:06 > 0:09:10of the desert, where the very hot sun would immediately
0:09:10 > 0:09:13dry any contents and kill all the bacteria,
0:09:13 > 0:09:18all the germs that would be found in whatever was in the bowl.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23So it was a very, very clever way of dealing with the waste that
0:09:23 > 0:09:26all of us produce on a daily basis. Very clever solution.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32It's amazing to think that 3,500 thousand years after they lived
0:09:32 > 0:09:34we can still discover
0:09:34 > 0:09:39so many details about the lives of Kha and Meryt, and all thanks to
0:09:39 > 0:09:43the hundreds of fascinating objects discovered in their tomb.
0:10:00 > 0:10:06Kha and Meryt are two ancient Egyptians who lived 3,500 years ago.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Their home was this desert village, now known as Deir el-Medina,
0:10:09 > 0:10:14but which they called Pa-demi, which just means "the Village".
0:10:18 > 0:10:21The tomb of Kha and Meryt was discovered by
0:10:21 > 0:10:26an Italian archaeologist in 1906, just over 100 years ago.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It was packed full of all their belongings,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31now kept in a museum in Turin in Italy,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and these tell us so much about their lives.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We know that Kha and Meryt were husband and wife
0:10:39 > 0:10:42but how did they meet and fall in love?
0:10:42 > 0:10:46How did they marry, and did they have any children?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49But it isn't just their belongings that can help us
0:10:49 > 0:10:51answer these questions.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55There are also clues to be found around their village.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59On the edge of the village is a place called the Great Pit,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01which became a massive rubbish dump,
0:11:01 > 0:11:06and when archaeologists began to excavate this area by digging down
0:11:06 > 0:11:09they made a remarkable discovery.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18And this is what was found here,
0:11:18 > 0:11:23literally tens of thousands of these pieces of pottery and stone,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26some with pictures, many more with words,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29giving us the real history of the village,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33because these are their notes, their reminders, their love songs,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37their laundry lists, the very voices of this village.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41And it's these ancient letters, lists,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45notes and poems which tell us so much about how couples
0:11:45 > 0:11:48like Kha and Meryt might have met and fallen in love.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Here are the words to a typical love poem that was
0:11:53 > 0:11:55found near the village.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57"Your hand is in my hand.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59"My body shakes with joy.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03"My heart is so happy because we walk together.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06"To hear your voice is like pomegranate wine.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08"I live just to hear it."
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Such poems were very popular in Kha and Meryt's time
0:12:12 > 0:12:17and some of the titles sound like modern pop songs today.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21There's Your Love, Down To The River, All Night And All Day.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25I wonder if Kha or Meryt ever sang any of these to each other?
0:12:28 > 0:12:33When a couple fall in love today, they may decide to get married.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36In ancient Egypt they didn't have the same kind of wedding ceremony
0:12:36 > 0:12:40that we have but there was something called bringing the bundle.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45To bring the bundle meant you wanted to indicate your desire to
0:12:45 > 0:12:47move in with the person who took your fancy.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52You'd bring all your belongings in a bundle to the person you loved.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55If they agreed, you'd move in together
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and become husband and wife.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01It seems both men and women could decide to bring the bundle.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Girls could be as young as 12,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06while boys were usually older teenagers.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Now, although the ancient Egyptians didn't have a marriage ceremony
0:13:12 > 0:13:15as we would understand it - they simply moved in together -
0:13:15 > 0:13:19they nevertheless would exchange love tokens,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21quite often in the form of rings.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Almost all of Kha and Meryt's belongings
0:13:24 > 0:13:27are now in a museum in Turin in Italy.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30This ring was discovered tucked under the funeral mask that
0:13:30 > 0:13:34was placed over Meryt's face when she was buried.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38It's so precious it's not yet on display in the museum.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46It spent all those thousands of years just tucked away,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49hidden away within Meryt's own wrappings.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53This is an incredible thing to hold.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It represents the love between Kha and Meryt.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The ring has the image of a cow on it, which represents
0:14:02 > 0:14:05one of the goddesses that Meryt would have worshipped.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Her name was Hathor, the powerful goddess of many things,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14including love and motherhood.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19All ancient Egyptian women wanted to be like Hathor.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24She's like a modern female celebrity that all women aspire to be.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27She had it all and she was worshipped here.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28Although only priests,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32priestesses and royalty were allowed inside temples like this,
0:14:32 > 0:14:37ordinary people would also come here, getting as close as they could
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and praying to Hathor to help them have a baby.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44It's possible Kha and Meryt would also have prayed to Hathor
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and asked for her help.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47And perhaps she did help,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51because they had at least three children, two sons and one daughter.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59We know Kha and Meryt had children because their son Nakht
0:14:59 > 0:15:04is shown painted on one of their boxes found in their tomb.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Two of their children are also shown on the walls of this building,
0:15:10 > 0:15:11called a chapel.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15After Kha and Meryt died,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17their children would come here with flowers
0:15:17 > 0:15:21to remember their parents and to pray and even to talk to them.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Their daughter is pictured here several times.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28She was also called Meryt, after her mother.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31And this is Meryt the mother, here,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and this is Meryt the daughter, behind her.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37The pictures on the walls of this chapel also give us clues
0:15:37 > 0:15:41about the things Kha and Meryt enjoyed during their lives.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Here we have Kha and Meryt's band.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47These are the musicians playing their music.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Modern musicians have studied music scenes from Egyptian tombs
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and made copies of ancient instruments to create
0:15:58 > 0:16:02the sort of music that Kha and Meryt may have listened to.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11So Kha and Meryt will have listened to music rather like this.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20And we also know they enjoyed playing board games.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Now, we're playing the ancient Egyptian game of Senet.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28It's a board game that the Egyptians absolutely loved.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33It was the ancient Egyptians' version of turning on a soap opera
0:16:33 > 0:16:37on TV at night, putting their feet up and enjoying themselves.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It's wonderful to think that because of the discovery
0:16:42 > 0:16:45of Kha and Meryt's tomb just over 100 years ago
0:16:45 > 0:16:47we can now learn so much about them,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51including the love they had for their family and for each other.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Archaeologists have spent many years discovering
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and studying ancient Egyptian tombs,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17so that we can learn more about this fascinating period of history
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and find out about the people who lived at this time.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28I'm about to go deep underground into an ancient Egyptian tomb,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31the places where the Egyptians went when they died.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35And it's really, really deep, really, really dark
0:17:35 > 0:17:39and really, really dangerous, so I'm going to have to be careful.
0:17:41 > 0:17:47This tomb belonged to a man named Kha, who lived 3,500 years ago.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49He built it for himself and his wife Meryt.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Their tomb remained secret for thousands of years
0:17:59 > 0:18:01but just over 100 years ago
0:18:01 > 0:18:04it was discovered by an Italian archaeologist.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11How wonderful to have been in that team of archaeologists
0:18:11 > 0:18:14who came down that day in February 1906.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19A procession of men eager to know what lay at the end of this
0:18:19 > 0:18:23really atmospheric series of tunnels and chambers.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30At the end of the tunnel lay a small room known as a burial chamber.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Oh, and a little colony of bats. I love bats.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39They certainly picked a great spot to live in.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Here the archaeologists found the mummies of Kha and Meryt,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46still in their coffins.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49But what a marvellous burial chamber.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Very plain, there's no decoration in here.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57But it was also packed with a treasure trove of amazing objects,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59the prized possessions of Kha and Meryt,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03now stored in a museum in Turin in Italy.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06The ancient Egyptians believed they could use all these things
0:19:06 > 0:19:09in the afterlife, their version of heaven.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14The discovery of Kha and Meryt's tomb was very unusual,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17because most other tombs in the village had already been
0:19:17 > 0:19:21broken into by thieves, who'd stolen their precious contents.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25But Kha was clever.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27He built his tomb in a very secret spot
0:19:27 > 0:19:31so it would be difficult for tomb robbers to find it.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33The importance of having a well-hidden tomb was something
0:19:33 > 0:19:36he'd learned in his job as an architect.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39But Kha wasn't just any architect.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44He designed and built magnificent tombs for Egyptian royalty,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46the great pharaohs themselves.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51And his special work tools, found in his tomb, are now
0:19:51 > 0:19:54kept in the museum in Turin, like this one.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56This is called a cubit.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00It's a bit like a ruler and was used to measure with.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03And here's another cubit, which was also found in Kha's tomb,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06but this one is covered in gold.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Now, it's a real honour to be allowed to hold this.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15And to think Kha himself held this about 3,500 years ago.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20He was given it as a reward for his magnificent tomb building.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23The ancient writing, or inscription, on this cubit
0:20:23 > 0:20:27shows it was one of the presents given to Kha by the Pharaoh
0:20:27 > 0:20:29as a reward for all his hard work.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It was too precious to be used when Kha was working,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36and instead would have been displayed like a trophy or a medal.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38And he really did deserve it,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40because it could be really tough building the royal tombs.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47To find out more about Kha's work, I'm travelling to
0:20:47 > 0:20:50the Valley of the Kings, where the tombs of the Pharaohs were built.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Here I'm meeting expert Steve Cross,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00to visit a tomb that was never actually finished.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04I'll follow in your footsteps.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08'These are copies of some of the tools Kha's workmen would have used.'
0:21:08 > 0:21:10We have a few of the small copper chisels,
0:21:10 > 0:21:14replicas of Kha's tools that the decorators would have used
0:21:14 > 0:21:18for the fine engraving, cutting out the hieroglyphs into the walls.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21For actually cutting the walls when excavating the tomb
0:21:21 > 0:21:24they used much larger chisels than these, something more like this size.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Up to about two centimetres wide. Well, feel the weight.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31- Very different.- Very different. Heavy duty.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36'If they came across a particularly hard piece of rock
0:21:36 > 0:21:41'they'd use a heavy stone called a dolomite pounder to chip it off.'
0:21:41 > 0:21:42Much more power.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46The tools were made of very valuable metal
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and at the end of each day they'd be weighed to make sure
0:21:49 > 0:21:52the workmen hadn't chipped off any metal to steal.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57The further along the workmen got cutting through the rock to build
0:21:57 > 0:22:01the tombs, the deeper underground they went and the darker it became.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09This is a lamp filled with sesame oil just like the ones Kha
0:22:09 > 0:22:11and his workmen would have used to see in the dark.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Can you imagine if this was your only source of light,
0:22:15 > 0:22:20in one of these really, really dark, pitch-black almost, rock-cut tombs?
0:22:20 > 0:22:25Not only that, but you were hammering away with metal and stone tools,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27chips of stone flying everywhere
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and you couldn't always see what you were doing.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It's certainly not a job that I'd want to do.
0:22:33 > 0:22:39One royal tomb could take 40 men or more many years to build.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43But once it was finished, what would a tomb like this have looked like?
0:22:43 > 0:22:49This is the place where my favourite pharaoh, Amenhotep III, was buried.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51It's a tomb that Kha actually designed
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and built with his team of workmen.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55It's closed to the public,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58but we've been given special permission to go inside.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00It's so exciting to be going in here
0:23:00 > 0:23:03and following in Kha's wonderful footsteps.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31The colours are fantastic.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Just think, Kha and his men designing these images,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37it's taken my breath away.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43I think the amazing detail in this tomb really does show why
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Kha deserved his royal rewards like the golden cubit.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50It's remarkable that 3,500 years after he died,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54we can still appreciate some of Kha's greatest achievements.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00If it wasn't for the work of archaeologists, who are still
0:24:00 > 0:24:05exploring tombs like this one, we'd know far less about them.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07These tombs are still revealing their secrets.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32Let me introduce you to Kha and his wife Meryt.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37These are two ancient Egyptians who lived 3,500 years ago.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40But why on earth are they still here?
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Their bodies haven't rotted away and that's because they were mummified.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47They were preserved in a very careful way.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49But why were they mummified?
0:24:49 > 0:24:53And, more importantly, how on earth do you mummify anyone?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58The Egyptians believed that even when you died,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01your soul stayed alive and travelled to the afterlife,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04a kind of heaven where you could live again for ever.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08But because your soul could also come back into your body,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12you had to look your best, just as you had done in life.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17And this meant the ancient Egyptians had to find a way to stop
0:25:17 > 0:25:20the body from rotting in such a hot climate.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23So this is where mummification came in.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28It was a process which had several stages and took 70 days.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33The first thing the Egyptians did would be to take out
0:25:33 > 0:25:36all their insides, starting with the brain.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39They usually used a metal hook, like this one, which they'd stick
0:25:39 > 0:25:43up the nose and then they whisked very vigorously inside
0:25:43 > 0:25:48the top of the skull and allowed the brain to come out down the nose.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52The next thing would be to take the inside of the body out
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and they did this with a piece of volcanic glass called obsidian.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59They used this to make a cut in the lower left side of the body,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03just here, a very clean cut.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06The people who did the mummification would stick their hands inside
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and pull out all the internal organs and preserve them separately
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and put them in jars called canopic jars.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16The only thing they left inside the body was the heart,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19so that would be left here, because for the Egyptians,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21they thought it was rather like the brain.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25It was the thing that allowed people to think and to feel,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29it was the seat of all learning. So they left the heart in the body.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Then they would dry out the body with a salt called natron.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38But the mummies of Kha and Meryt were prepared differently
0:26:38 > 0:26:40because their insides were not removed.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Although their mummies have never been unwrapped,
0:26:44 > 0:26:49they have been studied using X-rays and computerised scans.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53This one shows the inside of Kha's skull, and although the brain
0:26:53 > 0:26:56has dried out and shrunk, it's clearly been left inside.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04This is because the Egyptians were still trying out different
0:27:04 > 0:27:08and more effective ways to mummify people.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12The scans also show that underneath Kha and Meryt's wrappings,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15they wore special jewellery and charms known as amulets,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18which the Egyptians believed would help protect them
0:27:18 > 0:27:21on their dangerous journey into the afterlife.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27This shows the outline of huge necklace that Meryt is wearing.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33And to find out what this necklace might actually look like,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I've come here to the Petrie Museum in London where they have
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Egyptian jewellery found in tombs from the same time as Kha and Meryt.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46This beautiful necklace is very similar to the one
0:27:46 > 0:27:47we can see in Meryt's scan.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52It's the typical Egyptian necklace that you see in the tomb scenes
0:27:52 > 0:27:53and in the art.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00It's basically made up of numerous little moulded amulets that
0:28:00 > 0:28:04have been made in these sumptuous jewel-like colours.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10This is exactly the same thing that Meryt still wears.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Her mummy is still adorned in this beautiful broad colour,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17which we can see on the image of Meryt here.
0:28:17 > 0:28:23The green amulets represent lettuces and the blue ones, grapes.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Both of these are like good luck charms linked to the gods that Meryt
0:28:26 > 0:28:32worshipped in her life and wanted to still worship in the afterlife.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35From Kha's scan, we can see that underneath the gold jewellery
0:28:35 > 0:28:36all around his neck,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40he also wears a type of amulet known as a heart scarab.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43It lies on Kha's chest above his heart
0:28:43 > 0:28:46and it's very similar to this one.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49The Egyptians thought that one would be judged in the next world
0:28:49 > 0:28:51for any crimes committed in life.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53You had to answer to the gods.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Sometimes the heart might give false witness against you.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57The heart would jump up and say,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01"Well, actually in life the individual did this or that."
0:29:01 > 0:29:05So the heavy heart scarab was a means of suppressing the heart,
0:29:05 > 0:29:07keeping it quiet.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11The spell implores the heart to keep quiet,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14do not give full witness against me.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Basically, "Shut it."
0:29:16 > 0:29:19After this special jewellery had been placed on their bodies,
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Kha and Meryt were wrapped in an enormous amount of linen strips
0:29:23 > 0:29:25up to 200 metres long.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Their bodies were then placed in their coffins
0:29:28 > 0:29:31and taken to their underground tomb.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34They were now ready for their journey to the afterlife,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36where they would live for ever.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41The ancient Egyptians believed that mummification was needed to
0:29:41 > 0:29:44preserve their bodies for the afterlife.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48But mummification has also preserved Kha and Meryt's bodies for us,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52so that we are able to study them and learn about their lives
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and deaths 3,500 years ago.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17Kha and Meryt are two ancient Egyptians who lived 3,500 years ago
0:30:17 > 0:30:21in a small village between the River Nile and the desert.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25In 1906, their tomb was discovered by archaeologists.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30And their mummified bodies and almost all their belongings
0:30:30 > 0:30:34found in the tomb were brought to a museum in Turin in Italy.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38In this room is pretty much everything that was
0:30:38 > 0:30:40found in the tomb of Kha and Meryt.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Their jewellery and cosmetics, their furniture and clothes,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46even their food and drink.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Because the ancient Egyptians thought they'd need all
0:30:49 > 0:30:52these things in death, in the afterlife,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54because this was their version of heaven.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00The ancient Egyptians really loved life
0:31:00 > 0:31:02and wanted it to last for ever.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05They believed that death was like crossing the River Nile,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08and that the afterlife would be just like their life in Egypt,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10only perfect,
0:31:10 > 0:31:14free from any dangers or illness.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Here they would become immortal, which means they'd live for ever.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22But to get to the afterlife, you had to go on a long
0:31:22 > 0:31:25and dangerous journey through the underworld.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28So they made special guide books called the Book Of The Dead,
0:31:28 > 0:31:32which would help and protect them and make sure they reach the afterlife.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38This wonderful thing is Kha's Book Of The Dead, which is
0:31:38 > 0:31:41really just a collection of magical spells that allow him
0:31:41 > 0:31:44to find his way into the next world.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50The spells are written out in this papyrus,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53it's a sort of paper made from reeds,
0:31:53 > 0:31:55which are dried and stuck together.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59In fact, our word "paper" comes from the word papyrus.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Kha's Book Of The Dead is written on a rolled up papyrus scroll
0:32:05 > 0:32:09nearly 14 metres long and this is a copy.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15All of it is covered in these wonderful little signs,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18this picture writing called hieroglyphs, which is how the
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Egyptians wrote their language down.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25In this case, all these little signs and symbols give all the secret
0:32:25 > 0:32:29spells that Kha and Meryt would need to get through into the next world.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33And in Kha's Book Of The Dead,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36we can even see a picture of his funeral procession.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40These men are pulling his large coffin, known as a sarcophagus,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42towards his tomb.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46As today, the funeral was a very important ceremony
0:32:46 > 0:32:47when someone had died.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53This too was built around the same time as Kha and Meryt's was.
0:32:53 > 0:32:54The pictures on the walls
0:32:54 > 0:32:57show us exactly what an ancient Egyptian funeral procession
0:32:57 > 0:32:59would have looked like.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02All the dead man's belongings are being carried into his tomb
0:33:02 > 0:33:05so he can use them in the afterlife.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10You've got all sorts of things - the jars of perfume, the chair,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13the flowers, the food and drink.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17And, of course, this wonderful group of ladies here.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21These are the mourners, and yet these aren't this man's relatives
0:33:21 > 0:33:25or friends, they were hired to make the maximum noise possible.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28The more crying and wailing you had at your funeral,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31the more important people thought you were.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33If you look really closely, they are crying.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36They are such professionals they are crying so much,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38forcing themselves to produce tears,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40that their thick black eyeliner is running.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43And any women that wear mascara understand the problem.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47You start to cry, the make-up runs down your face.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49The ancient artist betrayed this so beautifully,
0:33:49 > 0:33:53with these dots of black coming down the women's faces.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58After the funeral procession got to the tomb,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Kha's coffin was raised upright so a special ceremony
0:34:01 > 0:34:03called "the opening of the mouth"
0:34:03 > 0:34:06could be performed by his eldest son.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10This magical ceremony was meant to bring all Kha's senses back
0:34:10 > 0:34:13to life so he'd be able to see, hear, touch,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16smell and taste again in the afterlife.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21His mouth was magically reopened by touching it with a special
0:34:21 > 0:34:23chisel called an adze.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Music was played to reawaken Kha's hearing,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29while dancing helped bring back his sight.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33Incense, perfumes and bouquets of flowers were presented
0:34:33 > 0:34:36to his nose to restore his sense of smell.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40And the finest food and wine presented to feed his soul.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48The Egyptians believed that Kha's soul was now woken from the dead,
0:34:48 > 0:34:51and safe within his mummy, was ready to face the long
0:34:51 > 0:34:54and dangerous journey through the underworld.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57It was a journey which they believed included many difficult
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and dangerous tests set by the gods.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04The last of these tests was known as "the weighing of the heart"
0:35:04 > 0:35:07and was judged by Osiris, god of the underworld.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13This would reveal if a person had been good or bad during their life.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19If they'd been naughty, bad, done anything to upset the gods,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22then the heart would be heavy with sin
0:35:22 > 0:35:25and so the heart was literally taken up like a piece of meat
0:35:25 > 0:35:28and thrown to this terrifying creature here.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30This is the Great Devourer.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35But if their heart was as light as a feather, the person passed the test
0:35:35 > 0:35:40and their soul was allowed to enter the afterlife and live for ever.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42In Kha's Book Of The Dead,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45it describes the kind of afterlife he wanted.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50His heart's desire was simply to sit with his beloved wife, Meryt,
0:35:50 > 0:35:54in a garden in a summerhouse enjoying himself
0:35:54 > 0:35:57and enjoying coolness of the north wind.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Having met Kha and Meryt, having entered their world,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08I think they've really achieved a kind of immortality
0:36:08 > 0:36:12because 3,500 years later, we're still talking about them.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17The ancient Egyptians truly believed that to speak
0:36:17 > 0:36:20the name of the dead was to make them live again.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23And, surely, they do.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd