Five thousand years ago, a kingdom emerged on the banks of the Nile. The "Two Lands" of Southern and Northern Egypt slowly unified, and rulers like Narmer established their authority. The origins of the kingdom are murky, but archaeology can uncover secrets. In this episode, we meet the first ruler of the land, get a sense of Egypt and its people, and introd ... Show More
Yesterday
228: Three Funerals & a Sed Festival
Loss and rejuvenation. Ramesses third decade in power was a time of death. The King's Great Wife Nefertari passed around year 25. Almost simultaneously, his mother Tuya, his second wife Iset-Nofret, and his eldest son Amun-her-khopeshef all passed to the west. We meet these figur ... Show More
31m 3s
Feb 16
227: The One Where Iset Poisons Ra
What is the true name of god? Once upon a time, Ra ruled the earth directly. But the great goddess Iset/Isis desired to know his private name, the one hidden from all outsiders. A name that, if known, would grant the knower magical power over the sun god. To gain the knowledge sh ... Show More
34m 20s
Feb 9
226: Nefertari's Tomb and Book of the Dead
The tomb of Queen Nefertari is one of the masterpieces of New Kingdom funerary monuments. The tomb is stunningly preserved, with an array of exquisite images, evocative texts (from the Book of the Dead), and traces of her burial goods. In this episode we explore the sepulchre, it ... Show More
28m 20s
Dec 2020
Ancient Egypt & Geopolitics
One of the luxuries of living in Ancient Egypt was that you were surrounded by massive deserts, protecting you from people who wanted to cut your head off. Well, at some point between 1650 – 1550 BC (who knows really), the Kingdom is invaded by barbarian hill people. The occupati ... Show More
1h 38m
Aug 2022
Tutankhamun | 1. Unearthing the boy king’s lost tomb
One hundred years ago, in 1922, Egyptologist Howard Carter made one of the most spectacular discoveries in the history of archaeology, when he unearthed the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. In the first episode in our new series on the life, death and legacy of ... Show More
45m 30s
Feb 2021
Egypt Before the Pharaohs
<p>Pyramids, mummies, and pharaohs define our understanding of ancient Egypt, a timeless and eternal land. But the Nile wasn't always ruled by god-like kings, and long before they emerged, Egypt was home to other peoples and other ways of life. As Egyptian civilization emerged, t ... Show More
44m 39s