Egyptologists Open a Newly-Discovered Pyramid

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Dahshur, 15 miles south of Cairo, it's one of Egypt's most mysterious royal graveyards. Today, only a handful of pyramids survive. But the remains of many more lie hidden beneath the desert sands. Egyptologist Dr. Chris Naunton has spent his career hunting for these lost tombs. He has come to Dahshur, where Egyptian archaeologists have made a thrilling discovery. This is a pretty exciting moment. We're in-- it's a amazing kind of lunar landscape. And this is the Bent Pyramid just slightly closer to us, and what's known as the Red Pyramid behind it. But we're going to a much less well-known part of the site, where something very intriguing, to say the least, has been uncovered just very recently. NARRATOR: This crater was the site of a large quarry until workers stumbled upon blocks of finally cut limestone buried deep in the sand. Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities began to excavate. Excavations have revealed a passage that once led from the entrance to deep under the pyramid. The stairs lead to an underground complex, the heart of the pyramid. These huge blocks are protecting the only access to the chamber and any mummy and treasure that may be hidden inside. And unlike any other pyramid found so far, it still appears to be sealed. Egypt's Ministry of Antiquity has granted permission to raise the capstone to reveal what lies within. [SHOUTING] [INTENSE MUSIC] Finally, after three days of effort, the tomb gives up its secrets for the first time in almost 4,000 years. But what's inside is a shock. CHRIS NAUNTON: Oh, goodness me. NARRATOR: Its contents are in disarray. The archaeologists hoped to be unveiling treasure. But now, there's a mystery to solve. There are two questions here that we need to start trying to answer. One is, who was buried here. Who was this pyramid built for? And then secondly, how is it that an apparently completely sealed, unbreached burial chamber comes to have been disturbed? NARRATOR: It's becoming clear they've stumbled upon an ancient crime scene. Someone got here first and robbed the burial chamber.

Channel: Smithsonian Channel

Views: 2,875,019

Rating: 4.8008094 out of 5

Keywords: watch, TV online, Cairo, Facts, Khafre, Egyptologist, antiques, Dahshur, red pyramid, Documentary, channel, stream TV, ancient Egypt, great pyramid, video, Episodes, free tv, robbery, bent pyramid, quarry, Chris Naunton, smithsonian, pyramid, Khufu, free videos, step pyramid, looted

Id: mjiJrZD6_qY

Length: 3min 41sec (221 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 24 2020