Miriam Cooke and Dominic Montserrat attempt to trace the origins of ancient Egyptian culture, aiming to establish whether it began with the people of the Nile Valley or was imported from another civilization. Visiting sites including Saqqara and Hierakonpolis, they examine archaeological evidence in a bid to piece together the past and answer some of history's most tantalising riddles
Dominic Montserrat and Miriam Cooke investigate the motivations behind the seemingly random positioning of the great Egyptian pyramids, whose locations were to change many times over 400 years. Possible theories include the influence of religion, the resolution of structural or engineering problems, and connections between the pharaohs' names and sites dedicated to the sun
An investigation into the origins of the mysterious stone gneiss, which was used by ancient pharaoh Kephren in all of his statues, but was not local to the area
Miriam Cooke and Dominic Montserrat investigate the case of Akhenaten, the pharaoh who tried to abolish the traditional Egyptian religion in favour of monotheism, and forced 50,000 of his people to move to the new city of Armana. Their investigation uncovers inscriptions that point to the abruptness of the leader's revolution and indicate an impulsiveness in his personality, but the mystery surrounding his motivation remains unsolved
Archaeologist Miriam Cooke and Egyptologist Dominic Montserrat attempt to unravel some of the most intriguing mysteries left by the ancient Egyptians, beginning with a historical puzzle surrounding the artefacts found in Tutankhamun's tomb. Discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, the treasure soon became famous throughout the world - but it is debatable whether it all really belonged to the boy pharaoh
Miriam Cooke and Dominic Montserrat examine how the ancient civilisation learned the secrets of mummification and honed their skills by making thousands of embalmed and wrapped animal mummies. They discover why certain creatures became associated with specific gods, and how the age-old traditions were changed by the rule of Alexander the Great and the Ptolemaic dynasty. Last in series