1 00:00:01,417 --> 00:00:04,166 (distant indistinct chatter) 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 4 00:00:10,375 --> 00:00:12,125 DR. CREASMAN: I start off by saying, 5 00:00:12,208 --> 00:00:15,291 "Hey, who wants to go scuba dive a pyramid in the Sahara?" 6 00:00:15,375 --> 00:00:16,917 And see what the reaction is. 7 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,208 ♪♪ 8 00:00:25,542 --> 00:00:28,083 As an archeologist, am I curious to open up a tomb, 9 00:00:28,166 --> 00:00:29,417 and look and see what's inside? 10 00:00:29,500 --> 00:00:31,625 Absolutely, I am. 11 00:00:31,709 --> 00:00:34,333 But no one's done anything quite like this. 12 00:00:34,417 --> 00:00:36,792 ♪♪ 13 00:00:36,875 --> 00:00:40,750 How do you excavate tombs in the desert underwater? 14 00:00:47,917 --> 00:00:51,333 Sudan has an incredible and long history. 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:54,291 For hundreds of years, 16 00:00:54,375 --> 00:00:56,458 people have been focusing on the really big, 17 00:00:56,542 --> 00:00:59,000 well-preserved monuments of Egypt, 18 00:00:59,083 --> 00:01:02,375 and overlooked what is today Sudan. 19 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:05,458 You have pyramids. 20 00:01:06,125 --> 00:01:09,208 You have burial chambers that are probably unexcavated. 21 00:01:09,291 --> 00:01:11,625 You have dozens of kings, 22 00:01:11,709 --> 00:01:14,667 dozens and dozens of queens and princesses and princes. 23 00:01:14,750 --> 00:01:17,417 To have the opportunity to go in and excavate these things 24 00:01:17,500 --> 00:01:18,834 is really incredible. 25 00:01:18,917 --> 00:01:22,417 ROMEY: Aah! Oh, look at that! Look at that, look at that! 26 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:25,458 That's gold! (laughs) 27 00:01:26,166 --> 00:01:28,834 DR. CREASMAN: Every time you go diving, 28 00:01:28,917 --> 00:01:30,750 you're putting yourself at risk. 29 00:01:30,834 --> 00:01:32,834 We are using surface-supplied air. 30 00:01:32,917 --> 00:01:34,834 It's one less thing to deal with: 31 00:01:34,917 --> 00:01:36,291 having a big tank on your back 32 00:01:36,375 --> 00:01:38,041 in a confined environment where 33 00:01:38,125 --> 00:01:40,500 you're not entirely sure how sturdy the walls are. 34 00:01:40,583 --> 00:01:42,500 DR. CREASMAN: Just so we're all clear on the plan. 35 00:01:42,583 --> 00:01:45,375 We go down to the chute. 36 00:01:45,458 --> 00:01:47,792 Hold onto the chute, take a couple of deep breaths 37 00:01:47,875 --> 00:01:49,333 and just hang out there. 38 00:01:51,083 --> 00:01:52,250 Good to go? 39 00:01:53,917 --> 00:01:55,333 Let's do it! 40 00:01:59,166 --> 00:02:00,750 And right as I hit the water, 41 00:02:00,834 --> 00:02:03,500 as the cold water starts to infiltrate into my wetsuit, 42 00:02:03,583 --> 00:02:06,250 I look up and start to have this thought about, 43 00:02:06,333 --> 00:02:09,125 "Okay, this is somebody's burial place. 44 00:02:09,208 --> 00:02:10,583 "This is a place to be respected. 45 00:02:10,667 --> 00:02:13,542 A place to be learned from. A place to understand." 46 00:02:13,625 --> 00:02:15,959 And it just registers. 47 00:02:21,041 --> 00:02:24,875 (breathing through apparatus) 48 00:02:28,041 --> 00:02:32,583 ♪♪ 49 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,667 NARRATOR: This watery grave is the 2,000 year old burial place 50 00:03:01,750 --> 00:03:04,333 of a Nubian king named Nastasen. 51 00:03:05,750 --> 00:03:07,875 DR. CREASMAN: Tombs give us time capsules. 52 00:03:07,959 --> 00:03:11,667 Glimpses into the history of a people and place. 53 00:03:13,625 --> 00:03:15,834 NARRATOR: Archeologist Pearce Paul Creasman 54 00:03:15,917 --> 00:03:19,000 is hoping to learn more about who Nastasen was, 55 00:03:19,083 --> 00:03:20,959 and the ancient world around him, 56 00:03:21,041 --> 00:03:24,208 from the secrets his pyramid still holds. 57 00:03:31,542 --> 00:03:33,333 More than nine meters above the dive, 58 00:03:34,166 --> 00:03:36,709 site inspector Fakhri Hassan 59 00:03:37,500 --> 00:03:40,250 and underwater archeologist Kristin Romey 60 00:03:40,333 --> 00:03:42,750 are positioned to receive buckets of mud 61 00:03:42,834 --> 00:03:44,625 sent up from the tomb floor. 62 00:03:46,291 --> 00:03:48,125 ROMEY: The goal of this season 63 00:03:48,208 --> 00:03:52,166 is to really begin to excavate the burial chamber of Nastasen. 64 00:03:54,875 --> 00:03:57,083 (breathing through apparatus) 65 00:03:57,166 --> 00:04:00,000 That requires moving a lot of material 66 00:04:00,083 --> 00:04:02,834 out of the burial chamber to be examined. 67 00:04:02,917 --> 00:04:06,041 ♪♪ 68 00:04:06,125 --> 00:04:09,291 NARRATOR: Each bucket holds a promise to reveal new clues 69 00:04:09,375 --> 00:04:12,250 about the king, and how he was laid to rest. 70 00:04:17,166 --> 00:04:19,083 ROMEY: So while we have divers 71 00:04:19,166 --> 00:04:22,250 down in the tomb and pulling up the buckets, 72 00:04:22,333 --> 00:04:24,375 the sieving needs to be done topside, 73 00:04:24,458 --> 00:04:27,041 because we can't allow this material to dry out. 74 00:04:31,709 --> 00:04:34,625 Just in case there's something particularly fragile, 75 00:04:34,709 --> 00:04:37,959 because it'll... it could literally just turn to dust. 76 00:04:38,041 --> 00:04:42,834 ♪♪ 77 00:04:42,917 --> 00:04:44,917 Looking for gold, and bones, 78 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,375 and anything that should not be in normal sediment. 79 00:04:48,458 --> 00:04:50,542 ABDALLAH: I have water if you want. 80 00:04:50,625 --> 00:04:52,208 ROMEY: Okay, I think this is good. 81 00:04:52,291 --> 00:04:53,208 -ABDALLAH: Enough? -ROMEY: But, um... 82 00:04:53,291 --> 00:04:54,917 Yeah, I think this is enough. 83 00:04:58,417 --> 00:05:00,458 Aah! Bingo! 84 00:05:01,542 --> 00:05:04,750 Five minutes in, and we already hit gold. 85 00:05:04,834 --> 00:05:07,625 It's gold foil, so imagine like aluminum foil 86 00:05:07,709 --> 00:05:09,583 that's been crinkled over time. 87 00:05:09,667 --> 00:05:11,083 It's paper thin. 88 00:05:11,166 --> 00:05:13,125 It's almost like tissue paper. 89 00:05:13,208 --> 00:05:14,917 Tissue paper made of gold. 90 00:05:16,500 --> 00:05:17,917 This is good. 91 00:05:19,583 --> 00:05:20,750 ABDALLAH: Good luck. 92 00:05:20,834 --> 00:05:22,291 ROMEY: Yep, good luck. 93 00:05:24,125 --> 00:05:25,917 Thank you, Nastasen! 94 00:05:28,583 --> 00:05:30,208 NARRATOR: To the archeologists, 95 00:05:30,291 --> 00:05:32,291 the early find of gold is a good sign 96 00:05:32,375 --> 00:05:33,834 they're on the right track. 97 00:05:35,542 --> 00:05:37,166 Even more exciting 98 00:05:37,250 --> 00:05:39,083 is what they discover next. 99 00:05:42,333 --> 00:05:44,875 ROMEY: Oh! (laughs) 100 00:05:49,041 --> 00:05:50,500 Hey, Fakhri! 101 00:05:50,583 --> 00:05:52,709 -ABDALLAH: What? -ROMEY: Who is this? 102 00:05:52,792 --> 00:05:54,750 NARRATOR: A figurine, called a shabti, 103 00:05:54,834 --> 00:05:57,834 is traditionally carved in the buried king's likeness. 104 00:05:57,917 --> 00:06:02,542 ABDALLAH: This may be, maybe... Nastasen. 105 00:06:02,625 --> 00:06:07,208 Because it's the same face... but we will see. 106 00:06:07,291 --> 00:06:09,500 We will study to make a comparison. 107 00:06:09,583 --> 00:06:11,458 -ROMEY: Mm-hmm. Yeah. -We will see. 108 00:06:11,542 --> 00:06:12,583 ROMEY: That's wonderful. 109 00:06:12,667 --> 00:06:13,792 ABDALLAH: Yeah, that's wonderful. 110 00:06:13,875 --> 00:06:14,792 ROMEY: Yeah, that's a good one. 111 00:06:14,875 --> 00:06:16,125 ABDALLAH: Yeah, that's a good one. Yeah. 112 00:06:16,208 --> 00:06:20,000 This is new information 113 00:06:20,083 --> 00:06:23,208 that lets us understand our history more. 114 00:06:27,125 --> 00:06:29,125 This site is important 115 00:06:29,208 --> 00:06:33,458 because it's one of the royal cemeteries of Kush. 116 00:06:33,542 --> 00:06:37,959 This is one of the most ancient kingdoms of Sudan. 117 00:06:40,041 --> 00:06:42,875 NARRATOR: Beginning more than 4,000 years ago, 118 00:06:42,959 --> 00:06:46,166 the kingdom of Kush ruled much of the Nubian desert, 119 00:06:46,250 --> 00:06:49,208 including what's now Northern Sudan. 120 00:06:49,291 --> 00:06:51,709 ♪♪ 121 00:06:51,792 --> 00:06:54,166 From 650 to 300 BC, 122 00:06:54,250 --> 00:06:57,083 the Kushites buried their royalty near Napata, 123 00:06:57,166 --> 00:06:58,875 the heart of their dynasty 124 00:06:58,959 --> 00:07:01,291 at its most powerful point in history. 125 00:07:01,375 --> 00:07:04,792 Nuri is one of the most important burial grounds in this region, 126 00:07:04,875 --> 00:07:07,583 situated at the 4th cataract of the Nile. 127 00:07:08,917 --> 00:07:12,250 DR. CREASMAN: There were more than 80 burials of kings, queens, 128 00:07:12,333 --> 00:07:15,291 princes, and princesses here at Nuri alone. 129 00:07:17,458 --> 00:07:20,333 There are only about 300 or 400 pyramids total 130 00:07:20,417 --> 00:07:22,375 in all of Egypt and Sudan. 131 00:07:22,458 --> 00:07:25,583 And for so many of them to be concentrated at this one place, 132 00:07:25,667 --> 00:07:27,625 that is incredible. 133 00:07:27,709 --> 00:07:30,291 This must have been the creme de la creme 134 00:07:30,375 --> 00:07:32,834 of the culture and society at the time. 135 00:07:33,500 --> 00:07:35,458 NARRATOR: Starting in 1913, 136 00:07:35,542 --> 00:07:38,125 American archeologist George Reisner 137 00:07:38,208 --> 00:07:40,709 excavated many Kush burial sites, 138 00:07:40,792 --> 00:07:44,000 discovering the tombs of its most prominent kings. 139 00:07:44,834 --> 00:07:46,583 ROMEY: Reisner was the first archeologist 140 00:07:46,667 --> 00:07:47,959 to excavate at Nuri. 141 00:07:48,041 --> 00:07:49,959 He really put Nuri on a map. 142 00:07:50,917 --> 00:07:54,625 NARRATOR: He and his team moved from pyramid to pyramid, 143 00:07:54,709 --> 00:07:57,250 but they began to run into a problem... 144 00:07:59,166 --> 00:08:00,291 water. 145 00:08:01,542 --> 00:08:03,000 When the men arrived 146 00:08:03,083 --> 00:08:05,333 at what's now known to be Nastasen's tomb, 147 00:08:05,417 --> 00:08:07,333 they found it partially flooded, 148 00:08:07,417 --> 00:08:10,208 and with one of the chambers collapsed. 149 00:08:11,750 --> 00:08:13,667 ROMEY: Reisner, from what I understand, 150 00:08:13,750 --> 00:08:16,542 sent a very reluctant worker into this dark tomb. 151 00:08:16,625 --> 00:08:19,417 And from what it seems like, this worker kind of 152 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:21,458 ran into the burial chamber, 153 00:08:21,542 --> 00:08:22,625 hastily dug a hole, 154 00:08:22,709 --> 00:08:25,875 pulled out a couple shabtis to confirm it was indeed Nastasen, 155 00:08:25,959 --> 00:08:27,625 and then they got out of there. 156 00:08:28,458 --> 00:08:31,667 DR. CREASMAN: They wanted to learn whose tomb it was. 157 00:08:31,750 --> 00:08:33,917 They ultimately got a couple shabtis 158 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,333 that had the king's name on it, Nastasen, but other than that, 159 00:08:37,417 --> 00:08:39,583 no one has been, as near as we can tell, 160 00:08:39,667 --> 00:08:41,959 no one's even been in this tomb 161 00:08:42,041 --> 00:08:44,041 since Nastasen was buried there. 162 00:08:47,917 --> 00:08:49,458 (goat bleats) 163 00:08:49,542 --> 00:08:52,250 NARRATOR: In the centuries since Nastasen was laid to rest, 164 00:08:52,333 --> 00:08:55,125 the Nile river basin has risen at Nuri. 165 00:08:57,083 --> 00:08:59,792 Climate change, industrial agriculture, 166 00:09:00,166 --> 00:09:03,583 and construction of dams have changed the levels of the water, 167 00:09:03,667 --> 00:09:05,750 flooding many of the tombs. 168 00:09:05,834 --> 00:09:09,166 It's these waters that may have saved the rich burials 169 00:09:09,250 --> 00:09:11,041 from a common fate. 170 00:09:11,125 --> 00:09:12,750 ROMEY: Of course, the problem with pyramids 171 00:09:12,834 --> 00:09:14,333 is that they're big targets. 172 00:09:14,417 --> 00:09:16,500 They say, "Hey, there's a big pile of loot 173 00:09:16,583 --> 00:09:18,208 buried underneath me. Come get it." 174 00:09:21,709 --> 00:09:23,250 Even in ancient times, 175 00:09:23,333 --> 00:09:25,667 these tombs were being plundered left and right. 176 00:09:32,709 --> 00:09:37,333 However, at Nuri it seems that these chambers were untouched, 177 00:09:37,417 --> 00:09:39,250 because the water rose. 178 00:09:42,125 --> 00:09:46,375 DR. CREASMAN: It becomes exceedingly more difficult to get to. 179 00:09:46,458 --> 00:09:50,208 Being underwater makes it off limits to most of humanity. 180 00:09:54,625 --> 00:09:56,333 NARRATOR: In 2018, 181 00:09:56,417 --> 00:09:59,500 Pearce Paul Creasman launched his first expedition 182 00:09:59,583 --> 00:10:01,834 to open Nastasen's tomb. 183 00:10:01,917 --> 00:10:05,250 He invited underwater archeologist Kristin Romey 184 00:10:05,333 --> 00:10:06,417 to join him. 185 00:10:06,500 --> 00:10:08,667 ROMEY: I've done shipwrecks, I've been in caves, 186 00:10:08,750 --> 00:10:10,500 but I think there is nothing, 187 00:10:10,583 --> 00:10:12,542 nothing in the world that compares 188 00:10:12,625 --> 00:10:15,250 to diving in a tomb under a pyramid 189 00:10:15,333 --> 00:10:17,959 in a desert in Sudan. Nothing. 190 00:10:19,834 --> 00:10:23,542 For the first time going into a tomb and not knowing, 191 00:10:23,625 --> 00:10:26,625 I really could not have expected better conditions, 192 00:10:26,709 --> 00:10:30,542 because the water level was not extremely high. 193 00:10:31,542 --> 00:10:34,500 NARRATOR: The water levels change from year to year, 194 00:10:34,583 --> 00:10:37,166 but it was immediately apparent why the pyramid 195 00:10:37,250 --> 00:10:39,417 had spooked Reisner's team. 196 00:10:42,041 --> 00:10:44,041 The groundwater from the Nile had risen 197 00:10:44,125 --> 00:10:47,000 into all three chambers of Nastasen's tomb. 198 00:10:47,083 --> 00:10:51,166 The smallest first chamber was completely submerged. 199 00:10:51,250 --> 00:10:53,208 The roof of the second chamber collapsed 200 00:10:53,291 --> 00:10:54,834 at some point in antiquity, 201 00:10:54,917 --> 00:10:57,417 creating an extra air pocket. 202 00:10:57,500 --> 00:11:00,917 The third and final chamber is where the king would have been buried, 203 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,291 surrounded by treasures for the afterlife. 204 00:11:05,583 --> 00:11:07,709 But for Pearce Paul and Kristin, 205 00:11:07,792 --> 00:11:10,083 braving the flooded chambers paid off. 206 00:11:10,166 --> 00:11:12,250 ROMEY: I think the big moment of realization 207 00:11:12,333 --> 00:11:14,250 of what we actually had 208 00:11:14,333 --> 00:11:16,125 in Nastasen's pyramid 209 00:11:16,208 --> 00:11:19,750 was when Pearce Paul led me to the third chamber in the back, 210 00:11:19,834 --> 00:11:22,458 and we were just waving our flashlights around, 211 00:11:22,542 --> 00:11:25,166 and he pointed to this little niche in the back wall, 212 00:11:25,250 --> 00:11:28,667 and the flashlight caught on little bits of gold in the niche, 213 00:11:28,750 --> 00:11:31,917 left there for centuries and centuries and centuries. 214 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:33,000 It was incredible. 215 00:11:33,083 --> 00:11:36,041 And when I realized that there was just like gold lying around, 216 00:11:36,125 --> 00:11:39,500 that this is an untouched burial. 217 00:11:41,709 --> 00:11:43,583 DR. CREASMAN: If anybody had been in that tomb to rob it, 218 00:11:43,667 --> 00:11:45,625 stands to reason they'd have taken 219 00:11:45,709 --> 00:11:48,542 the gold shiny stuff off of the shelf at eye level. 220 00:11:48,625 --> 00:11:50,375 NARRATOR: The untouched treasure is a hint 221 00:11:50,458 --> 00:11:53,125 that something else could be in the burial chamber. 222 00:11:55,083 --> 00:11:57,583 Something even rarer than gold. 223 00:11:57,667 --> 00:11:59,667 DR. CREASMAN: In the middle of the third chamber, 224 00:11:59,750 --> 00:12:02,583 there's a large mound. It's got stones all around it, 225 00:12:02,667 --> 00:12:06,125 and it is very conveniently about the size of a person. 226 00:12:06,208 --> 00:12:09,542 It's about six feet long and about three feet wide, 227 00:12:09,625 --> 00:12:11,875 and then a pile around it. 228 00:12:15,208 --> 00:12:17,375 NARRATOR: This season, a year later, 229 00:12:17,458 --> 00:12:19,709 Pearce Paul is hoping to uncover the burial, 230 00:12:19,792 --> 00:12:23,208 and learn whether Nastasen is still inside. 231 00:12:23,291 --> 00:12:25,291 DR. CREASMAN: Pyramids in general, 232 00:12:25,375 --> 00:12:29,375 don't often retain their intended occupants. 233 00:12:29,458 --> 00:12:32,458 It's actually exceedingly rare to find a pyramid 234 00:12:32,542 --> 00:12:33,875 with the person in it. 235 00:12:33,959 --> 00:12:37,458 ♪♪ 236 00:12:37,542 --> 00:12:39,875 ROMEY: If you're looking at, really kind of 237 00:12:39,959 --> 00:12:42,667 untouched royal burials in this part of the world, 238 00:12:42,750 --> 00:12:45,583 the last really big one was about a century ago. It was Tut. 239 00:12:45,667 --> 00:12:49,291 And he was really a relatively minor pharaoh 240 00:12:49,375 --> 00:12:50,625 in the bigger scheme of things. 241 00:12:50,709 --> 00:12:53,125 Tut's famous because he's got an untouched tomb. 242 00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:58,083 Nastasen, on the other hand, 243 00:12:58,166 --> 00:13:01,208 there's all sorts of major political upheaval 244 00:13:01,291 --> 00:13:04,208 in the ancient world that he's part of. 245 00:13:04,959 --> 00:13:07,625 Being able to excavate 246 00:13:07,709 --> 00:13:11,083 the untouched royal tomb of Nastasen, 247 00:13:11,166 --> 00:13:12,917 I think is going to be 248 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:14,959 an immense wealth of information. 249 00:13:17,333 --> 00:13:20,500 DR. CREASMAN: Nuri is one of the most intensive concentrations 250 00:13:20,583 --> 00:13:21,917 of pyramids anywhere in the world, 251 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,667 across any culture and civilization. 252 00:13:23,750 --> 00:13:25,709 (camel grunts) 253 00:13:25,792 --> 00:13:27,125 DR. CREASMAN: In Sudan, in fact, 254 00:13:27,208 --> 00:13:29,333 there are more pyramids than in Egypt, 255 00:13:29,417 --> 00:13:32,667 and this is a thing that people don't think of very often. 256 00:13:35,250 --> 00:13:39,291 NARRATOR: Kush and Egypt have a long, interwoven history, 257 00:13:39,375 --> 00:13:42,792 one that is just beginning to be more fully understood. 258 00:13:45,375 --> 00:13:48,000 ROMEY: Most of what we know in the history books 259 00:13:48,083 --> 00:13:49,291 about the Kingdom of Kush, 260 00:13:49,375 --> 00:13:52,125 comes from the perspective of the Egyptians, 261 00:13:52,208 --> 00:13:54,000 because the Egyptians had writing. 262 00:13:54,083 --> 00:13:57,500 And the Egyptians wrote everything down. Everything. 263 00:13:57,583 --> 00:13:59,125 They pushed a phenomenal amount of paper, 264 00:13:59,208 --> 00:14:01,208 we would say in today's world. 265 00:14:02,083 --> 00:14:05,875 And we are fortunate to have a lot of those records. 266 00:14:05,959 --> 00:14:09,667 But those records frame everyone outside of Egypt 267 00:14:09,750 --> 00:14:13,667 as somehow not equal to, or lesser than. 268 00:14:15,417 --> 00:14:17,667 History is written by the victors, the one percent. 269 00:14:17,750 --> 00:14:20,333 And archeology tells the story of the underdogs. 270 00:14:20,417 --> 00:14:22,166 The other 99 percent. 271 00:14:22,834 --> 00:14:26,792 The best way to really verify or disqualify a historical account 272 00:14:26,834 --> 00:14:28,333 is to look for the facts on the ground. 273 00:14:28,417 --> 00:14:30,375 Sometimes it jives with the history books, 274 00:14:30,458 --> 00:14:31,959 and sometimes it doesn't. 275 00:14:34,291 --> 00:14:36,709 NARRATOR: Archeologist Geoff Emberling has excavated 276 00:14:36,792 --> 00:14:38,583 many important Kush monuments, 277 00:14:38,667 --> 00:14:41,875 uncovering its past brick by brick. 278 00:14:41,959 --> 00:14:44,375 DR. EMBERLING: We know that from the very first moment that Kush 279 00:14:44,458 --> 00:14:48,959 appears in history, around 2000 BC, it was powerful. 280 00:14:50,417 --> 00:14:53,875 It was so powerful that the Egyptians at that time 281 00:14:53,959 --> 00:14:56,375 built a series of fortresses along the Nile 282 00:14:56,458 --> 00:14:59,875 to protect themselves against the military power of Kush. 283 00:15:01,542 --> 00:15:03,875 NARRATOR: From its prime position on the Nile, 284 00:15:03,959 --> 00:15:07,291 the Kush empire controlled trade routes from the south 285 00:15:07,375 --> 00:15:11,417 up to Egypt, transporting ivory, leopard skins, 286 00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:13,834 precious stones, and gold. 287 00:15:13,917 --> 00:15:15,792 DR. EMBERLING: They had the connections with inner Africa 288 00:15:15,875 --> 00:15:19,291 that could bring these exotic products all the way to Egypt, 289 00:15:19,375 --> 00:15:21,291 and to the wider Mediterranean world. 290 00:15:21,375 --> 00:15:22,625 ROMEY: They were the go-betweens, 291 00:15:22,709 --> 00:15:25,166 and they became very, very rich and powerful 292 00:15:25,250 --> 00:15:27,583 off being in that position. 293 00:15:28,834 --> 00:15:32,250 NARRATOR: Egypt relied on Kushite gold for their elaborate burials... 294 00:15:34,375 --> 00:15:38,291 and fierce Kushite warriors to supplement Egyptian armies. 295 00:15:39,125 --> 00:15:41,625 Eventually the Kushites gained so much power 296 00:15:41,709 --> 00:15:44,333 the Egyptians saw them as a threat, 297 00:15:44,417 --> 00:15:47,041 and invaded their neighbors to the south. 298 00:15:48,709 --> 00:15:52,250 For the next 400 years, Kush was controlled by Egypt. 299 00:15:54,542 --> 00:15:56,625 In the beginning, the Egyptians imposed 300 00:15:56,709 --> 00:15:58,583 their gods and temples on Kush. 301 00:15:59,333 --> 00:16:02,583 ROMEY: They were taking the elites of Kushite society 302 00:16:02,667 --> 00:16:04,750 and giving them Egyptian educations. 303 00:16:05,750 --> 00:16:07,500 NARRATOR: But the Kushites eventually became 304 00:16:07,583 --> 00:16:11,041 even more devout spiritual followers than their conquerors. 305 00:16:11,125 --> 00:16:14,291 Even as the Egyptian empire began to lose strength 306 00:16:14,375 --> 00:16:16,792 and withdraw in 1100 BC, 307 00:16:16,875 --> 00:16:19,250 the Kushites continued building their tombs 308 00:16:19,333 --> 00:16:21,208 in the shapes of pyramids. 309 00:16:22,583 --> 00:16:24,542 The jewelry found inside the burials 310 00:16:24,625 --> 00:16:27,792 makes clear their devotion to Egyptian gods. 311 00:16:29,041 --> 00:16:31,792 ROMEY: We know that by at least, at the bare minimum, 312 00:16:31,875 --> 00:16:34,750 by the 8th century BC, Kush is on the rise. 313 00:16:34,834 --> 00:16:38,875 They have thrown off the shackles of their Egyptian colonizers, 314 00:16:38,959 --> 00:16:41,792 but they do retain some Egyptian elements. 315 00:16:41,875 --> 00:16:43,583 NARRATOR: For the center of their kingdom, 316 00:16:43,667 --> 00:16:45,625 the Kushites took over a place 317 00:16:45,709 --> 00:16:48,458 full of spiritual significance to the Egyptians. 318 00:16:49,542 --> 00:16:51,208 A stunning sandstone butte 319 00:16:51,291 --> 00:16:54,417 rising high above the desert landscape. 320 00:16:54,500 --> 00:16:57,959 Jebel Barkal, or "sacred mountain." 321 00:17:00,125 --> 00:17:02,792 From here, the Kush kings were able to control 322 00:17:02,875 --> 00:17:05,333 an increasingly extensive territory. 323 00:17:07,208 --> 00:17:10,959 DR. EMBERLING: Ultimately, that rise of power led to the Kushites 324 00:17:11,041 --> 00:17:12,917 being able to conquer all of Egypt. 325 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,000 And that's historically just remarkable. 326 00:17:17,959 --> 00:17:20,041 NARRATOR: For nearly a hundred years, 327 00:17:20,125 --> 00:17:24,917 a succession of five Kushite kings ruled all of Egypt. 328 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:26,750 From Napata, their capital, 329 00:17:26,834 --> 00:17:31,041 they controlled more area than any other Egyptian pharaohs, 330 00:17:31,125 --> 00:17:34,959 stretching from modern-day Khartoum to the Mediterranean. 331 00:17:37,041 --> 00:17:38,834 One of these Kushite Kings, 332 00:17:38,917 --> 00:17:41,250 a renowned warrior named Taharqa, 333 00:17:41,333 --> 00:17:44,250 established Nuri as a royal cemetery. 334 00:17:45,375 --> 00:17:47,834 DR. EMBERLING: In many ways, Taharqa was the most notable 335 00:17:47,917 --> 00:17:49,417 25th dynasty king. 336 00:17:50,041 --> 00:17:52,625 The cemetery that he established at Nuri 337 00:17:52,709 --> 00:17:55,583 became the royal burial ground for Kush 338 00:17:55,667 --> 00:17:57,000 for over 300 years. 339 00:17:57,083 --> 00:17:59,458 So, he became the ancestor 340 00:17:59,542 --> 00:18:01,125 that the succeeding kings of Kush 341 00:18:01,208 --> 00:18:03,250 wanted to connect themselves to. 342 00:18:04,667 --> 00:18:06,750 NARRATOR: Kings like Nastasen, 343 00:18:06,834 --> 00:18:10,959 who Pearce Paul is hoping may still lie inside his tomb. 344 00:18:11,750 --> 00:18:14,625 I would like to find evidence of Nastasen himself. 345 00:18:14,709 --> 00:18:18,458 I'm not saying I want to come up face to face with him 346 00:18:18,542 --> 00:18:22,291 in the middle of the third chamber, um, in the dark, 347 00:18:22,375 --> 00:18:25,834 but it'd be an experience. 348 00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:33,041 NARRATOR: When Pearce Paul's team 349 00:18:33,125 --> 00:18:35,250 begins their second season of excavation, 350 00:18:35,333 --> 00:18:38,458 they find Nastasen's tomb in an unexpected, 351 00:18:38,542 --> 00:18:40,667 and unnerving condition. 352 00:18:40,750 --> 00:18:42,792 ROMEY: The morning of the first dive, 353 00:18:42,875 --> 00:18:44,667 I'll admit I was apprehensive. 354 00:18:44,750 --> 00:18:46,625 This was a completely different situation 355 00:18:46,709 --> 00:18:48,458 than it was last season. 356 00:18:49,583 --> 00:18:51,667 DR. CREASMAN: We were all really surprised 357 00:18:51,750 --> 00:18:54,250 about how much water was in there. 358 00:18:54,333 --> 00:18:57,125 The water table was considerably lower last year. 359 00:18:58,083 --> 00:19:01,709 This year we are now working with at least 15 feet more 360 00:19:01,792 --> 00:19:03,375 vertical of water. 361 00:19:08,333 --> 00:19:10,667 NARRATOR: Last season, the team attempted to pump the water 362 00:19:10,750 --> 00:19:12,917 out of the burial chambers, 363 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,709 but the water pressure coming from the outside of the walls 364 00:19:15,792 --> 00:19:18,834 puts the tomb at great risk of collapsing. 365 00:19:18,917 --> 00:19:20,709 DR. CREASMAN: When we tried to pump, 366 00:19:20,792 --> 00:19:22,625 it was just like a faucet running, 367 00:19:22,709 --> 00:19:25,208 and there's a hundred different faucets coming through the walls. 368 00:19:25,291 --> 00:19:27,375 I don't think it's worth the risk. 369 00:19:27,458 --> 00:19:30,083 It's more like putting a paper bag in the ocean, 370 00:19:30,166 --> 00:19:32,875 and then trying to take the water out of the paper bag. 371 00:19:32,959 --> 00:19:34,500 What do you think's gonna happen? 372 00:19:34,583 --> 00:19:36,166 The rest of the water is gonna rush in 373 00:19:36,250 --> 00:19:38,000 and try and... And it will crumple the bag. 374 00:19:39,834 --> 00:19:41,583 Regardless of whether or not 375 00:19:41,667 --> 00:19:44,000 we were able to safely and comfortably 376 00:19:44,083 --> 00:19:48,000 pump it dry and dig it, it's still a tomb. 377 00:19:48,083 --> 00:19:50,959 We don't want it to be a tomb for more than one person. 378 00:19:51,041 --> 00:19:53,041 Nastasen's plenty. 379 00:19:53,625 --> 00:19:55,375 SCHNEIDER: So you're coming in as well? 380 00:19:55,458 --> 00:19:56,709 ROMEY: I'm coming in as well. 381 00:19:56,792 --> 00:20:01,250 Okay. So, today we're actually gonna do excavation work. 382 00:20:01,333 --> 00:20:03,166 Dave is gonna be on the outside. 383 00:20:03,250 --> 00:20:05,875 -ROMEY: Okay. -Manning hoses, air, 384 00:20:05,959 --> 00:20:07,458 emergency whatever. 385 00:20:07,542 --> 00:20:09,291 And I will go in first. 386 00:20:09,375 --> 00:20:11,041 If we touch hands, I might squeeze once. 387 00:20:11,125 --> 00:20:12,750 If you squeeze once, it means okay. 388 00:20:12,834 --> 00:20:14,625 If you do multiple squeezes, 389 00:20:14,709 --> 00:20:16,750 I'm gonna pull you out through that chute. 390 00:20:16,834 --> 00:20:19,583 ROMEY: Even though I kind of laid awake the night before, 391 00:20:19,667 --> 00:20:21,000 kind of running through my head, 392 00:20:21,083 --> 00:20:22,500 okay, you go down to this staircase. 393 00:20:22,583 --> 00:20:23,792 This is the way you enter the tomb. 394 00:20:23,875 --> 00:20:25,208 Then you hit chamber one, chamber two. 395 00:20:25,291 --> 00:20:27,083 And I'm walking myself through it. 396 00:20:27,166 --> 00:20:28,834 I knew that regardless of how many times 397 00:20:28,917 --> 00:20:29,959 I was looping that through my head, 398 00:20:30,041 --> 00:20:32,125 it was not gonna be what I was going to encounter. 399 00:20:32,208 --> 00:20:33,625 -You'll be standing. -Okay. So I bring in 400 00:20:33,709 --> 00:20:34,834 an empty bucket in, 401 00:20:34,917 --> 00:20:36,750 and I write down the number of... 402 00:20:36,834 --> 00:20:37,917 DR. CREASMAN: The empty bucket on the next line. 403 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:38,959 ROMEY: ...The empty bucket on the next line. 404 00:20:39,041 --> 00:20:41,000 And then you figure out if it's A, B, C. 405 00:20:41,625 --> 00:20:43,166 NARRATOR: By carefully keeping track 406 00:20:43,250 --> 00:20:45,291 of where each of the buckets comes from, 407 00:20:45,375 --> 00:20:47,417 Pearce Paul will be able to match up 408 00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:50,000 any objects they find inside 409 00:20:50,083 --> 00:20:52,208 to specific areas of the tomb. 410 00:20:52,291 --> 00:20:54,041 My bucket came from, you know, 411 00:20:54,125 --> 00:20:55,458 the northwest corner of that... 412 00:20:55,542 --> 00:20:57,041 NARRATOR: Piecing together the burial, 413 00:20:57,125 --> 00:21:00,125 and laying clues to where Nastasen's remains might be. 414 00:21:00,208 --> 00:21:01,750 -ROMEY: Okay. -Does that make sense? 415 00:21:01,834 --> 00:21:03,166 Understood, okay. 416 00:21:03,250 --> 00:21:04,500 DR. CREASMAN: The biggest problem is gonna be panic. 417 00:21:04,583 --> 00:21:06,041 ROMEY: Of course, that's always what it is. 418 00:21:06,125 --> 00:21:07,417 You know, if something happens. 419 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:10,417 SCHNEIDER: Claustrophobia and panic are your biggest concerns. 420 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:13,500 DR. CREASMAN: Yeah. If you're inside and you are panicking, 421 00:21:13,583 --> 00:21:14,959 -get to the air pocket. -SCHNEIDER: Mm-hmm. 422 00:21:15,041 --> 00:21:17,417 -If you're by the front door, get out. -Yeah. 423 00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:20,959 Um, but get to the air pocket, sit and wait. 424 00:21:21,041 --> 00:21:22,542 Someone will come to you 425 00:21:22,625 --> 00:21:24,291 if you don't feel like you can get out on your own. 426 00:21:24,375 --> 00:21:25,834 It's not easy. 427 00:21:25,917 --> 00:21:27,750 You know, when you're topside, 428 00:21:27,834 --> 00:21:30,959 you're in this brilliant, you know, Sudanese sun, 429 00:21:31,041 --> 00:21:32,959 and you've got the desert stretching 430 00:21:33,041 --> 00:21:34,417 as far as you could see. 431 00:21:34,875 --> 00:21:37,542 And you walk down this ceremonial staircase, 432 00:21:37,625 --> 00:21:39,834 and it gets progressively darker and colder, 433 00:21:39,917 --> 00:21:41,750 and darker and colder. 434 00:21:41,834 --> 00:21:44,667 And once you're down in there, you're in another world. 435 00:21:44,750 --> 00:21:48,166 And it's a little bit scary, to be blunt. 436 00:21:48,250 --> 00:21:51,959 ♪♪ 437 00:21:59,542 --> 00:22:02,333 DR. CREASMAN: Okay. Kristin, you're going to be on this line. 438 00:22:03,291 --> 00:22:05,166 -ROMEY: Okay? -DR. CREASMAN: Yeah. 439 00:22:08,041 --> 00:22:09,250 Fire 'em up. 440 00:22:14,083 --> 00:22:16,875 (engine whirring) 441 00:22:22,500 --> 00:22:25,291 (oxygen blowing) 442 00:22:25,375 --> 00:22:28,917 ♪♪ 443 00:22:53,709 --> 00:22:55,709 ROMEY: The minute that your head goes underwater 444 00:22:55,792 --> 00:22:58,458 and you start pulling yourself through that steel chute 445 00:22:58,542 --> 00:23:00,041 into the chamber, 446 00:23:00,125 --> 00:23:03,166 and you kind of realize the gravity of what's going on. 447 00:23:03,250 --> 00:23:06,041 And then you realize that the visibility's shot. 448 00:23:09,458 --> 00:23:12,291 You have to kind of navigate your way through that first chamber 449 00:23:12,375 --> 00:23:14,750 to get into the air pocket in the second chamber. 450 00:23:14,834 --> 00:23:18,959 And it's just like every sense is 110%. 451 00:23:19,041 --> 00:23:21,417 You are just wired and just trying to figure out 452 00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:23,208 what's gonna happen next. 453 00:23:27,542 --> 00:23:29,917 (air bubbles) 454 00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:34,834 ROMEY: So you're going in with 19 now? 455 00:23:35,834 --> 00:23:38,542 -DR. CREASMAN: 19A. -ROMEY: 19A, you got it. 456 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,083 DR. CREASMAN: All right. See you in a few minutes. 457 00:23:43,208 --> 00:23:44,542 (indistinct chatter) 458 00:23:47,333 --> 00:23:48,625 ROMEY: 10:30. 459 00:23:48,709 --> 00:23:50,291 NARRATOR: Kristin notes the time, 460 00:23:50,375 --> 00:23:53,750 to track how long Pearce Paul is working in the third chamber. 461 00:23:57,208 --> 00:23:59,208 If he's gone more than a few minutes, 462 00:23:59,291 --> 00:24:01,750 she'll have to go in and try to find him. 463 00:24:01,834 --> 00:24:03,583 ROMEY: We know that the second chamber 464 00:24:03,667 --> 00:24:06,583 of the burial suite beneath the pyramid 465 00:24:06,667 --> 00:24:09,291 has already collapsed at some point in history. 466 00:24:09,375 --> 00:24:10,917 And so there's no reason why 467 00:24:10,959 --> 00:24:12,750 other parts of that tomb can't collapse. 468 00:24:16,291 --> 00:24:19,291 (breathing through apparatus) 469 00:24:22,458 --> 00:24:27,667 ♪♪ 470 00:24:36,083 --> 00:24:38,500 DR. CREASMAN: When we first got back here from last year, 471 00:24:38,583 --> 00:24:40,750 the water was crystal clear. 472 00:24:40,834 --> 00:24:42,917 We came in into the tomb 473 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:44,875 and came up, we thought there was an air pocket, 474 00:24:44,959 --> 00:24:46,792 the water was so clear that we just hit our heads 475 00:24:46,875 --> 00:24:49,166 and looked up and saw our bubbles going against the roof. 476 00:24:49,250 --> 00:24:51,333 What's... What's going on here? 477 00:24:51,458 --> 00:24:52,792 It was phenomenal. 478 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:55,834 NARRATOR: At first, Pearce Paul could clearly 479 00:24:55,917 --> 00:24:57,709 make out familiar landmarks... 480 00:24:57,792 --> 00:25:00,959 The niche that had housed flakes of gold. 481 00:25:03,542 --> 00:25:06,417 Decorative blocks cut from stone, 482 00:25:06,500 --> 00:25:08,250 and the burial itself, 483 00:25:08,333 --> 00:25:11,875 a mound of rocks that may still hold Nastasen's remains. 484 00:25:13,041 --> 00:25:16,333 But now, the visibility is next to nothing. 485 00:25:16,417 --> 00:25:18,458 DR. CREASMAN: Because of the rockfalls, because of the collapses, 486 00:25:18,542 --> 00:25:20,458 because of the sands that have blown into it, 487 00:25:20,542 --> 00:25:23,083 as soon as you start getting in there, you start stirring it up, 488 00:25:23,166 --> 00:25:24,709 and very quickly once we start working, 489 00:25:24,792 --> 00:25:26,000 it's zero visibility. 490 00:25:26,083 --> 00:25:28,458 It's as if you're doing it blindfolded, 491 00:25:28,542 --> 00:25:31,250 sometimes upside down, 492 00:25:31,333 --> 00:25:34,041 and you're just trying to do the best you can 493 00:25:34,125 --> 00:25:35,875 to understand the situation, 494 00:25:35,959 --> 00:25:37,625 and make this mental map. 495 00:25:47,166 --> 00:25:49,792 ROMEY: You are trying to find important things 496 00:25:49,875 --> 00:25:52,709 solely by touch. 497 00:25:52,792 --> 00:25:56,125 You cannot use your eyes, you cannot use any other sense 498 00:25:56,208 --> 00:25:58,667 but your touch and your mental memory. 499 00:25:58,750 --> 00:26:01,291 (breathing through apparatus) 500 00:26:06,792 --> 00:26:09,834 (breathing through apparatus) 501 00:26:19,834 --> 00:26:21,166 DR. CREASMAN: Wow. 502 00:26:24,583 --> 00:26:26,041 This is a shabti. 503 00:26:26,125 --> 00:26:28,208 It's buried with the king. 504 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,917 And it's a person to help him in the afterlife, 505 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,125 so he doesn't have to deal with the drudgery 506 00:26:36,208 --> 00:26:37,917 of day-to-day work. 507 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:39,959 (compressed air release) 508 00:26:42,458 --> 00:26:44,083 SCHNEIDER: I like that it's painted. 509 00:26:44,166 --> 00:26:45,834 DR. CREASMAN: Yeah. It's great! 510 00:26:45,917 --> 00:26:47,792 Incredible condition. 511 00:26:53,542 --> 00:26:55,750 (engine rumbling) 512 00:27:00,875 --> 00:27:03,458 -MAN: Thank you. -DR. CREASMAN: You're welcome. 513 00:27:03,542 --> 00:27:06,000 (engine rumbling) 514 00:27:10,417 --> 00:27:12,417 DR. CREASMAN: The season so far, I'm most proud of that 515 00:27:12,500 --> 00:27:14,583 we get out of the tomb every day safely. 516 00:27:14,667 --> 00:27:16,583 Uh, that is number one. 517 00:27:17,709 --> 00:27:20,542 Number two, I really do think we're making progress. 518 00:27:20,625 --> 00:27:22,291 I think we're learning more every day. 519 00:27:22,375 --> 00:27:24,667 We're getting information that makes this worth it. 520 00:27:31,667 --> 00:27:34,208 So, there's a major gap in our understanding 521 00:27:34,291 --> 00:27:36,917 in the transition of this one kingdom, 522 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,625 the people of Napata. 523 00:27:38,709 --> 00:27:42,250 After hundreds of years of burying their kings here, 524 00:27:42,333 --> 00:27:43,625 they just stop. 525 00:27:45,834 --> 00:27:48,458 Nastasen falls at a really important time for us. 526 00:27:48,542 --> 00:27:51,166 He is the last king buried at Nuri. 527 00:27:52,125 --> 00:27:54,041 Why do they stop? 528 00:27:54,125 --> 00:27:57,125 Why do they then move from one place to another, to another? 529 00:27:57,208 --> 00:27:58,375 Who makes those decisions? 530 00:27:58,458 --> 00:28:00,000 Because you don't bury yourself. 531 00:28:00,458 --> 00:28:04,583 (people speaking indistinctly) 532 00:28:10,750 --> 00:28:12,792 DR. EMBERLING: The 4th century BC in Kush 533 00:28:12,875 --> 00:28:15,166 was a little bit of a turbulent time, 534 00:28:15,250 --> 00:28:17,166 and we see this in a number of different ways, 535 00:28:17,250 --> 00:28:20,959 including the locations of royal burials. 536 00:28:21,083 --> 00:28:23,542 A king's decision about where to build his pyramid 537 00:28:23,625 --> 00:28:25,792 probably had a lot of different 538 00:28:25,875 --> 00:28:27,375 motivations behind it. 539 00:28:27,458 --> 00:28:29,792 NARRATOR: To investigate these motivations, 540 00:28:29,875 --> 00:28:33,000 and what could have caused this tumultuous time, 541 00:28:33,083 --> 00:28:36,250 archeologists Geoff Emberling and Sami Elamin 542 00:28:36,333 --> 00:28:39,458 are turning their attention from the elite to the ordinary. 543 00:28:39,542 --> 00:28:42,625 ♪♪ 544 00:28:42,709 --> 00:28:45,375 Nearby the royal temple that hosted coronations 545 00:28:45,458 --> 00:28:47,917 for a long line of kings and pharaohs, 546 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,417 Geoff and his colleagues are unearthing a town 547 00:28:50,500 --> 00:28:53,959 that hasn't seen daylight in thousands of years. 548 00:28:54,041 --> 00:28:57,542 DR. EMBERLING: I've always loved digging settlements. 549 00:28:57,625 --> 00:29:00,417 I'm always just interested in how everybody lived, 550 00:29:00,500 --> 00:29:03,291 and not just how the kings lived. I don't know, 551 00:29:03,375 --> 00:29:06,458 I kind of don't trust those people, those kings. 552 00:29:06,542 --> 00:29:09,000 (laughs) And I would rather be able to tell history 553 00:29:09,083 --> 00:29:13,709 in a way that included all of us and all of them. 554 00:29:13,792 --> 00:29:17,083 (indistinct chatter) 555 00:29:19,834 --> 00:29:21,709 NARRATOR: Geoff has been excavating royal temples 556 00:29:21,792 --> 00:29:24,750 and burials around Jebel Barkal for 14 years. 557 00:29:26,542 --> 00:29:28,208 But he'd always wondered 558 00:29:28,291 --> 00:29:30,083 where the people who built the structures 559 00:29:30,166 --> 00:29:32,208 and supported the elite lived. 560 00:29:32,333 --> 00:29:33,250 (people speaking indistinctly) 561 00:29:33,333 --> 00:29:35,500 He knew there must have been a town nearby, 562 00:29:36,291 --> 00:29:38,625 long ago buried under the sand. 563 00:29:39,875 --> 00:29:42,834 DR. EMBERLING: Those are the kinds of questions that keep me going 564 00:29:42,917 --> 00:29:44,709 as an archeologist. 565 00:29:44,792 --> 00:29:47,250 What is it that we don't know 566 00:29:47,333 --> 00:29:48,959 that's under our feet? 567 00:29:55,166 --> 00:29:58,959 NARRATOR: As building walls, streets, and alleys emerge from the sand, 568 00:29:59,041 --> 00:30:01,625 Geoff and his team can begin to piece together 569 00:30:01,709 --> 00:30:04,667 what this ancient city would have looked like. 570 00:30:04,750 --> 00:30:06,125 DR. EMBERLING: Yeah. 571 00:30:07,959 --> 00:30:09,542 NARRATOR: In the shadow of Jebel Barkal, 572 00:30:11,625 --> 00:30:13,917 at least 10 large buildings would have been anchors 573 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,709 to different neighborhoods, 574 00:30:15,792 --> 00:30:18,000 dividing the city into districts. 575 00:30:18,583 --> 00:30:21,125 Homes are organized into city blocks, 576 00:30:21,208 --> 00:30:23,959 an early indication of urban planning. 577 00:30:24,041 --> 00:30:26,625 What happened inside the homes may give a glimpse 578 00:30:26,709 --> 00:30:29,417 into how prosperous the people of Napata actually were. 579 00:30:32,458 --> 00:30:34,750 The section of the city Geoff is excavating 580 00:30:34,834 --> 00:30:37,667 seems to have been organized around a big building, 581 00:30:37,750 --> 00:30:40,000 with smaller structures around it. 582 00:30:40,083 --> 00:30:42,583 We're looking at the outer wall of this building. 583 00:30:42,667 --> 00:30:44,375 It goes down, it turns a corner, 584 00:30:44,458 --> 00:30:49,000 and so the... the building is extending off in this direction. 585 00:30:50,041 --> 00:30:52,375 We're hoping to find whatever it is 586 00:30:52,458 --> 00:30:56,000 that they were doing and making in this building, 587 00:30:56,083 --> 00:30:59,000 and you can't predict what that's going to be. 588 00:30:59,709 --> 00:31:03,458 But we expect that underneath our feet goes down centuries, 589 00:31:03,542 --> 00:31:05,375 if not 1,000 years. 590 00:31:06,667 --> 00:31:10,417 There's a series of rooms in between these walls. 591 00:31:10,500 --> 00:31:13,125 And then, that's the outside of the building 592 00:31:13,208 --> 00:31:14,792 where the pile of sand is, 593 00:31:14,875 --> 00:31:18,458 and that's where we start to find objects 594 00:31:18,542 --> 00:31:21,375 that were related to the use of the building. 595 00:31:21,458 --> 00:31:24,667 That's where the, frankly, the garbage was, 596 00:31:24,750 --> 00:31:26,834 and that's what tells us what people were doing here. 597 00:31:28,750 --> 00:31:30,417 NARRATOR: One of the town garbage pits 598 00:31:30,500 --> 00:31:32,583 indicates an ancient storeroom, 599 00:31:32,667 --> 00:31:35,583 which would have kept food, oils, and other essentials. 600 00:31:36,250 --> 00:31:39,583 Centuries later, the tossed away lids and labels 601 00:31:39,667 --> 00:31:43,000 that sealed the jars reveal more than meets the eye. 602 00:31:43,750 --> 00:31:46,291 BRAHE: Literally we found thousands of sealings 603 00:31:46,375 --> 00:31:50,208 in the pit here, which is very interesting. 604 00:31:50,291 --> 00:31:54,166 And I will pull one out here which was excavated this season here. 605 00:31:55,583 --> 00:31:59,500 It's made of clay and it's a jar stopper. That's on the top of the jar. 606 00:31:59,583 --> 00:32:03,667 You have cloth beneath and we have this lump of clay above 607 00:32:03,750 --> 00:32:05,917 in order to close the jar. 608 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:09,208 And when you have done that, you will take your golden ring like this one here 609 00:32:09,291 --> 00:32:14,041 and you will stamp the jar stopper with your... with your ring 610 00:32:14,125 --> 00:32:16,250 in order to preserve the sealing here. 611 00:32:16,333 --> 00:32:20,041 So, if you look closely through the magnifier you will be able to see 612 00:32:20,125 --> 00:32:22,458 the seal impression once in a while. 613 00:32:22,542 --> 00:32:24,667 NARRATOR: Each town official had his own ring, 614 00:32:24,750 --> 00:32:26,375 with its own unique image, 615 00:32:26,458 --> 00:32:28,875 a personalized seal to verify oversight 616 00:32:28,959 --> 00:32:32,166 and responsibility for the contents inside. 617 00:32:32,250 --> 00:32:35,500 But we have a nice example, one of the other sealings here. 618 00:32:35,583 --> 00:32:39,542 If you look closely here, you can see you have this elongated figure here 619 00:32:39,625 --> 00:32:42,041 and we think actually it's lion head over here. 620 00:32:42,125 --> 00:32:46,333 And you can see the half ring over here as well. That's another sealing as well. 621 00:32:46,417 --> 00:32:48,625 That would be the head of the crocodile, we think. 622 00:32:48,834 --> 00:32:50,834 (speaking indistinctly) 623 00:32:51,041 --> 00:32:54,000 NARRATOR: For Geoff, the seal impressions are evidence 624 00:32:54,083 --> 00:32:56,250 of a complex economic system, 625 00:32:56,333 --> 00:32:58,667 that may help reconstruct the royal power structure 626 00:32:58,750 --> 00:32:59,917 at Jebel Barkal. 627 00:33:01,959 --> 00:33:04,208 As the team digs deeper, 628 00:33:04,291 --> 00:33:06,542 they'll reach older layers of the town, 629 00:33:06,625 --> 00:33:10,291 and even more ancient clues as to how society operated. 630 00:33:12,041 --> 00:33:14,333 DR. EMBERLING: This season, we've got down to probably 631 00:33:14,417 --> 00:33:16,041 the 3rd century BC. 632 00:33:16,125 --> 00:33:19,041 So, probably the next level down is going to be 633 00:33:19,125 --> 00:33:21,250 the time of Nastasen. 634 00:33:22,291 --> 00:33:26,000 And it's very possible that we might find seal impressions 635 00:33:26,083 --> 00:33:27,583 with names of kings. 636 00:33:27,667 --> 00:33:29,917 Maybe even names of kings we don't know about. 637 00:33:30,959 --> 00:33:35,166 So there are possible ways that we could fill in that history. 638 00:33:35,250 --> 00:33:37,375 Of course, we can't guarantee that we'll find those, 639 00:33:37,458 --> 00:33:39,291 but they're here somewhere. 640 00:33:41,291 --> 00:33:42,959 NARRATOR: Soon after Nastasen's reign, 641 00:33:43,041 --> 00:33:44,917 around 315 BC, 642 00:33:45,542 --> 00:33:48,417 the Kushites moved their center of political power 643 00:33:48,500 --> 00:33:49,792 away from Napata. 644 00:33:52,291 --> 00:33:55,208 The forces behind this shift remain a mystery, 645 00:33:55,291 --> 00:33:58,000 but the archeologists are beginning to rule out 646 00:33:58,083 --> 00:33:59,792 one major possibility. 647 00:33:59,875 --> 00:34:02,417 DR. CREASMAN: You can get indications of how prosperous 648 00:34:02,500 --> 00:34:05,667 a time and place was based on the burials of people, right? 649 00:34:05,750 --> 00:34:07,959 Especially the burials of your kings. 650 00:34:08,041 --> 00:34:11,917 If the most powerful and important person in your society 651 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,375 is buried in a very modest way, 652 00:34:14,458 --> 00:34:17,709 it would suggest that either there is a cultural shift 653 00:34:17,792 --> 00:34:20,625 of some kind toward this sort of modesty, 654 00:34:20,709 --> 00:34:23,000 or that the resources weren't available. 655 00:34:23,083 --> 00:34:25,542 Nastasen's tomb isn't that. 656 00:34:25,625 --> 00:34:27,667 There are pretty good indications that he had 657 00:34:27,750 --> 00:34:30,375 all of the needs and equipments and resources 658 00:34:30,458 --> 00:34:31,792 that a king would have, 659 00:34:31,875 --> 00:34:34,041 and that he was well-equipped for the afterlife. 660 00:34:34,583 --> 00:34:36,083 ROMEY: Good morning. How are you? 661 00:34:36,166 --> 00:34:37,458 -DR. CREASMAN: Good, how are you doing? -ROMEY: Good. 662 00:34:37,542 --> 00:34:39,125 DR. CREASMAN: We had a pretty good day yesterday. 663 00:34:39,208 --> 00:34:40,750 ROMEY: Yeah? How good of a day? 664 00:34:40,834 --> 00:34:41,959 Pretty good. You want to come see? 665 00:34:42,041 --> 00:34:43,417 ROMEY: Yeah, I do. 666 00:34:45,333 --> 00:34:47,583 DR. CREASMAN: We got some interesting things out. 667 00:34:57,083 --> 00:35:00,250 ROMEY: Oh, wow. (chuckles) Yeah. 668 00:35:00,375 --> 00:35:02,166 (people speaking indistinctly) 669 00:35:03,583 --> 00:35:04,917 DR. CREASMAN: So... 670 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:06,500 -I think... -It's still got some gold on it. 671 00:35:06,583 --> 00:35:07,667 It would have been gold-leafed. 672 00:35:07,750 --> 00:35:09,041 -Yep. -It's got some more here 673 00:35:09,125 --> 00:35:10,542 and once we have it cleaned, 674 00:35:10,625 --> 00:35:12,291 more will come off underneath. 675 00:35:12,375 --> 00:35:13,458 That's gorgeous. 676 00:35:13,542 --> 00:35:14,959 DR. CREASMAN: If this is what we think it is, 677 00:35:15,041 --> 00:35:18,291 I'm only aware of one other really prominent example of this. 678 00:35:18,375 --> 00:35:20,709 So, it makes it an essential discovery. 679 00:35:20,792 --> 00:35:26,417 Have you seen the Hemén 680 00:35:26,500 --> 00:35:29,375 and Taharqa statuette in the Louvre? 681 00:35:29,458 --> 00:35:31,500 -ROMEY: Yes. -DR. CREASMAN: It's got Taharqa sitting, 682 00:35:31,583 --> 00:35:33,458 making offerings to the bird god? 683 00:35:33,542 --> 00:35:35,709 I think that's what this is. 684 00:35:35,792 --> 00:35:37,875 So there should be a little statue 685 00:35:37,959 --> 00:35:40,709 -of Nastasen making offerings. -ROMEY: ...offerings. 686 00:35:41,458 --> 00:35:43,375 So, we need to go find 687 00:35:43,458 --> 00:35:45,291 -the pair of Nastasen. -ROMEY: Nastasen. 688 00:35:45,375 --> 00:35:47,250 Okay, that's the mission. 689 00:35:47,333 --> 00:35:49,625 -Yep. -The mission taken on here. 690 00:35:49,709 --> 00:35:51,250 Wow. 691 00:35:51,333 --> 00:35:53,917 ♪♪ 692 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,125 NARRATOR: Over the next few days, 693 00:35:56,208 --> 00:35:59,250 the team pulls an increasing amount of evidence from the tomb, 694 00:35:59,333 --> 00:36:01,333 pointing to a burial of a king 695 00:36:01,417 --> 00:36:04,625 who wanted to be revered and remembered. 696 00:36:04,709 --> 00:36:06,458 ROMEY: All righty, we've got another box. 697 00:36:06,542 --> 00:36:08,500 -LEA KHOLMEYER: Okay. -ROMEY: For eight, bucket is eight. 698 00:36:10,667 --> 00:36:12,709 (singing in native language) 699 00:36:14,625 --> 00:36:16,792 MOHAMMAD: Okay. Okay. 700 00:36:16,875 --> 00:36:18,125 ROMEY: Shabti. All right. 701 00:36:18,208 --> 00:36:20,250 -Yeah, and charcoal. -Charcoal. 702 00:36:20,333 --> 00:36:21,917 -Yeah. -Okay. 703 00:36:23,333 --> 00:36:26,166 NARRATOR: Bits of charcoal could be evidence of a burnt offering 704 00:36:26,250 --> 00:36:27,834 made at the time of the burial. 705 00:36:27,917 --> 00:36:29,291 ROMEY: I've got more charcoal here. 706 00:36:29,375 --> 00:36:31,291 -I've got a good amount of charcoal. -MOHAMMAD: Charcoal. 707 00:36:32,125 --> 00:36:35,542 Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! 708 00:36:35,625 --> 00:36:37,000 -ROMEY: Whoa! -Yeah! 709 00:36:37,083 --> 00:36:38,542 That's the biggest piece of gold I've seen! 710 00:36:38,625 --> 00:36:40,667 -Biggest piece of gold. Yeah. -(indistinct chatter) 711 00:36:41,500 --> 00:36:43,917 (water running) 712 00:36:47,625 --> 00:36:50,542 NARRATOR: Gold foil that would have covered objects 713 00:36:50,625 --> 00:36:52,375 like the statue of the falcon god. 714 00:36:52,458 --> 00:36:53,625 -Beautiful. -I win? 715 00:36:53,709 --> 00:36:55,083 -No, you win. -Yes, you do win. 716 00:36:55,166 --> 00:36:56,667 -KHOLMEYER: You win. -(laughter) 717 00:36:56,750 --> 00:37:01,041 MOHAMMAD: Yep. Gold, gold. That piece of gold. 718 00:37:01,125 --> 00:37:02,417 ROMEY: Oop, more gold. 719 00:37:03,166 --> 00:37:04,625 KHOLMEYER: Here I'm leaving you a gift. 720 00:37:04,709 --> 00:37:06,709 -(Romey laughs) -KHOLMEYER: It's the bag. 721 00:37:06,792 --> 00:37:09,083 -Day of gold. -Day of gold. 722 00:37:09,166 --> 00:37:11,291 -Ah, there's some more right there. -Yeah. Yeah. 723 00:37:11,375 --> 00:37:13,375 Day of gold. 724 00:37:13,458 --> 00:37:15,792 (indistinct chatter) 725 00:37:21,583 --> 00:37:24,500 KHOLMEYER: Oh, hey. The biggest bone I've found yet. 726 00:37:24,583 --> 00:37:25,959 ROMEY: Oh, yeah. 727 00:37:26,667 --> 00:37:29,417 DR. CREASMAN: As we get closer to the central parts of the tomb, 728 00:37:29,500 --> 00:37:33,000 we started to find pieces of bone that are darkened. 729 00:37:33,083 --> 00:37:36,375 And yes, this could be from having been burned or charred, 730 00:37:36,458 --> 00:37:39,709 but this can be what happens to bones underwater. 731 00:37:41,458 --> 00:37:43,875 ROMEY: See that, what, is that leather maybe, or... ? 732 00:37:43,959 --> 00:37:45,792 -DUSABLON: Here? -ROMEY: It's in the mud. 733 00:37:47,458 --> 00:37:48,458 DUSABLON: Yeah. 734 00:37:51,208 --> 00:37:53,542 ROMEY: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. More leather. 735 00:37:57,709 --> 00:37:59,333 Yeah, that's leather. 736 00:37:59,417 --> 00:38:01,333 -KHOLMEYER: Okay, that's beautiful. -ROMEY: Yeah. 737 00:38:01,417 --> 00:38:03,959 DR. CREASMAN: We got out what we think are some pieces of leather, 738 00:38:04,041 --> 00:38:05,834 and if these are pieces of leather, 739 00:38:05,917 --> 00:38:09,166 that would be consistent with the types of burials 740 00:38:09,250 --> 00:38:11,542 from this time and place, in which they might have been 741 00:38:11,625 --> 00:38:14,709 put on or wrapped in a hide mat. 742 00:38:16,542 --> 00:38:19,875 If that's what this is, then it's another good indication 743 00:38:19,959 --> 00:38:22,291 that yeah, the king was, or is, here. 744 00:38:25,333 --> 00:38:26,458 (indistinct chatter) 745 00:38:26,625 --> 00:38:29,166 NARRATOR: With each day of discovery at Nuri, 746 00:38:29,250 --> 00:38:32,792 Pearce Paul is getting closer to honing in on what might be 747 00:38:32,875 --> 00:38:36,417 the burial, and body, of king Nastasen. 748 00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:37,959 DR. CREASMAN: As of today, 749 00:38:38,041 --> 00:38:40,041 the tomb looks something like this. 750 00:38:40,125 --> 00:38:44,333 You've got the niche up here. The entry. 751 00:38:44,417 --> 00:38:46,291 So this is the third chamber. 752 00:38:48,500 --> 00:38:52,417 We have some... a very large slab. 753 00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:55,458 I think this is a fall from the roof. 754 00:38:55,542 --> 00:38:58,041 Now, yesterday, because we moved a lot of the blocks 755 00:38:58,125 --> 00:39:01,667 from inside the burial chamber, things got a lot clearer. 756 00:39:01,750 --> 00:39:04,083 What we have is a basically flat tabletop. 757 00:39:04,166 --> 00:39:07,792 It feels like... It's so-- It's so shockingly flat. 758 00:39:07,875 --> 00:39:09,917 It feels intentional. 759 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,458 But this piece is big enough so that when I'm laying 760 00:39:13,542 --> 00:39:15,959 on top of it with my arms and legs spread out, 761 00:39:16,041 --> 00:39:18,875 I can barely touch the corners of all four at the same time. 762 00:39:18,959 --> 00:39:20,208 So it's massive. 763 00:39:20,291 --> 00:39:23,667 NARRATOR: Through his finds and careful mapping of their locations, 764 00:39:23,750 --> 00:39:25,709 Pearce Paul is able to reconstruct 765 00:39:25,792 --> 00:39:28,792 what he'd be seeing in the tomb if the water were clear, 766 00:39:28,875 --> 00:39:32,166 centered around the area where Nastasen may lie. 767 00:39:32,250 --> 00:39:34,041 DR. CREASMAN: So you have a big slab in the middle of the room. 768 00:39:34,125 --> 00:39:35,875 There's one rock left here, 769 00:39:35,959 --> 00:39:38,333 one piece standing up against the wall. 770 00:39:38,417 --> 00:39:41,083 This fell after the burial, 771 00:39:41,166 --> 00:39:44,667 because there is a shabti stuck under the corner of it. 772 00:39:44,750 --> 00:39:48,333 So the shabtis are actually lined up along two walls. 773 00:39:48,417 --> 00:39:51,291 We found a bunch of them in place here. 774 00:39:51,375 --> 00:39:54,208 And then they've been along the wall like this, 775 00:39:54,291 --> 00:39:56,875 every couple of inches all the way down. 776 00:39:56,959 --> 00:39:59,208 The falcon deity was over here, 777 00:39:59,291 --> 00:40:01,583 and it wasn't directly on the floor. 778 00:40:01,667 --> 00:40:04,500 And through out of here we got bone fragments, 779 00:40:04,583 --> 00:40:07,834 and we got what looks to be big patches of leather. 780 00:40:07,917 --> 00:40:10,125 If the king is in there, it makes sense for him to be 781 00:40:10,208 --> 00:40:13,458 in the middle of the room, and so he should be underneath this slab. 782 00:40:13,542 --> 00:40:15,125 Progress has been great. 783 00:40:15,208 --> 00:40:18,208 The goal had been to... to complete the excavation this season. 784 00:40:18,291 --> 00:40:19,583 I don't think we'll make it, 785 00:40:19,667 --> 00:40:21,875 in part because we're finding too much, 786 00:40:21,959 --> 00:40:24,125 which is a terrible and wonderful problem to have. 787 00:40:24,208 --> 00:40:25,792 If you think of it in some ways, 788 00:40:25,875 --> 00:40:27,917 archeology is kind of like 789 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:31,000 trying to figure out an ancient crime scene, right? 790 00:40:31,083 --> 00:40:32,458 Everybody's dead. 791 00:40:32,542 --> 00:40:34,458 Nobody can speak for themselves. 792 00:40:34,542 --> 00:40:37,166 And all you have is the physical evidence around it. 793 00:40:37,250 --> 00:40:39,333 But instead of spent shotgun shells, 794 00:40:39,417 --> 00:40:42,166 you've got pottery and inscriptions, 795 00:40:42,250 --> 00:40:45,458 and all these wonderful pieces of puzzle 796 00:40:45,542 --> 00:40:48,333 that you really have to patiently put together. 797 00:40:48,417 --> 00:40:50,917 Gosh, look at the visibility. I can even see bubbles 798 00:40:50,959 --> 00:40:52,750 -in there on occasion. -DR. CREASMAN: I know. So, you know... 799 00:40:52,834 --> 00:40:54,417 NARRATOR: Pearce Paul and Kristin 800 00:40:54,500 --> 00:40:57,500 review some of the footage of Nastasen's tomb 801 00:40:57,583 --> 00:41:01,125 to assess whether there's a possibility he's still inside. 802 00:41:01,208 --> 00:41:02,542 -...had been gilded... -ROMEY: Mm-hmm. 803 00:41:02,625 --> 00:41:04,333 ...that then got squished... 804 00:41:04,417 --> 00:41:05,959 NARRATOR: The rockfalls in the tomb 805 00:41:06,041 --> 00:41:08,166 block them from getting a clear picture. 806 00:41:08,250 --> 00:41:10,583 But it could also be a stroke of luck. 807 00:41:10,667 --> 00:41:12,750 How many... How many falls you think you got there? 808 00:41:12,834 --> 00:41:14,083 At least two. 809 00:41:14,166 --> 00:41:16,417 What I'm hoping is is that the things coming down 810 00:41:16,500 --> 00:41:18,750 from the ceiling, yes, they crush some stuff, 811 00:41:18,834 --> 00:41:21,041 -but they also push it out. -...from in. Yeah. 812 00:41:21,125 --> 00:41:24,750 We found some shattered parts of bone, probably human. 813 00:41:24,834 --> 00:41:28,333 -We found gold leaf, we found leather. -ROMEY: Mm-hmm. 814 00:41:28,417 --> 00:41:30,792 -DR. CREASMAN: We found a little statuette of a deity. 815 00:41:30,875 --> 00:41:32,417 ROMEY: So essentially, you're dealing with 816 00:41:32,500 --> 00:41:34,500 a tomb tsunami, in some sense. 817 00:41:34,583 --> 00:41:36,250 DR. CREASMAN: Yes. It's great, because I think 818 00:41:36,333 --> 00:41:39,250 the likelihood is high that there's more there, there, 819 00:41:39,333 --> 00:41:41,375 because it's protected. 820 00:41:41,458 --> 00:41:42,875 -ROMEY: Mm-hmm. -Smushed, but protected. 821 00:41:42,959 --> 00:41:46,000 DR. CREASMAN: I can imagine that this gigantic slab 822 00:41:46,083 --> 00:41:49,375 has prevented anybody else since that event occurred 823 00:41:49,458 --> 00:41:51,917 from doing anything to get to whatever is underneath it... 824 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,625 -Yeah. -...which is in the center of the room, 825 00:41:53,709 --> 00:41:55,208 -which is where all these burials are. -Which is... 826 00:41:55,291 --> 00:41:57,166 Yes. Which is where Nastasen 827 00:41:57,250 --> 00:41:59,000 -should be if he's in there. -DR. CREASMAN: Should be. Yeah. 828 00:41:59,083 --> 00:42:00,667 ROMEY: Now we just have to figure out... 829 00:42:00,750 --> 00:42:03,458 DR. CREASMAN: What's the technical way to do it, if at all, 830 00:42:03,542 --> 00:42:05,000 which is also one of the questions. 831 00:42:05,083 --> 00:42:06,667 Is this a thing that we can do today, 832 00:42:06,750 --> 00:42:08,542 or is it a thing that we leave to someone else in the future? 833 00:42:10,500 --> 00:42:13,417 ROMEY: For immediate gratification, that's disappointing, 834 00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:15,917 because you've got a big rock in the way. 835 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:19,041 But for our long term prospects, it's really intriguing. 836 00:42:19,125 --> 00:42:21,709 We may have Nastasen still inside that tomb. 837 00:42:21,792 --> 00:42:23,792 NARRATOR: After Nastasen's reign, 838 00:42:23,875 --> 00:42:26,166 and the mysterious move from Napata, 839 00:42:26,250 --> 00:42:28,917 the Kushites began a new era. 840 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:31,000 While still prosperous for centuries, 841 00:42:31,083 --> 00:42:33,500 the kingdom's power would never again extend 842 00:42:33,583 --> 00:42:37,083 as far as it had when it ruled Egypt. 843 00:42:38,500 --> 00:42:42,166 DR. CREASMAN: It is a really engaging time in human history 844 00:42:42,250 --> 00:42:44,166 and it's these foundations, 845 00:42:44,250 --> 00:42:45,500 these things that we look back 846 00:42:45,583 --> 00:42:47,250 in our own history books and say, 847 00:42:47,333 --> 00:42:50,083 "Gosh, these are important events in our world, too." 848 00:42:50,166 --> 00:42:52,375 (drone whirring) 849 00:42:52,458 --> 00:42:54,542 NARRATOR: For nearly 2,000 years, 850 00:42:54,625 --> 00:42:56,500 temples were built and rebuilt 851 00:42:56,583 --> 00:42:58,291 at the foot of Jebel Barkal. 852 00:42:59,750 --> 00:43:02,917 While the mountain's center of power didn't last forever, 853 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:05,375 its spirit endures today. 854 00:43:05,458 --> 00:43:08,583 DR. EMBERLING: These places and these kings of Kush 855 00:43:08,667 --> 00:43:12,417 are still really significant in modern Sudan, 856 00:43:12,500 --> 00:43:14,667 but it's beyond just history. 857 00:43:14,750 --> 00:43:18,375 It's a very rich connection that Sudanese have to these places. 858 00:43:19,834 --> 00:43:21,959 They all know about their historical importance, 859 00:43:22,041 --> 00:43:24,709 but they're also a part of their daily lives. 860 00:43:24,792 --> 00:43:27,709 ELAMIN: The people are very connected to the mountain itself initially. 861 00:43:27,792 --> 00:43:32,000 But in the recent years with the wave of archeological discoveries, 862 00:43:32,083 --> 00:43:35,500 the people have become more interested in the history and in the antiquities, 863 00:43:35,583 --> 00:43:37,125 and they now ask a lot of questions 864 00:43:37,208 --> 00:43:40,834 about the antiquities and the history and the civilization as well. 865 00:43:42,333 --> 00:43:45,000 DR. EMBERLING: One thing that archeology teaches us 866 00:43:45,083 --> 00:43:47,333 as we look over the centuries is that 867 00:43:47,417 --> 00:43:49,250 things really do go wrong. 868 00:43:49,333 --> 00:43:51,083 Cultures do collapse, 869 00:43:51,166 --> 00:43:53,458 civilizations disappear. 870 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:56,750 One of the things I take 871 00:43:56,834 --> 00:43:59,208 from studying archeology and history, 872 00:43:59,291 --> 00:44:04,458 is that the decisions that we make really matter.