Episode Highlights
Episode 1
Highlights
• Our knowledge of the tomb-makers’ lives comes from the ruins of their village near Thebes, the artwork and artifacts found in their tombs, and ostraca—stone chips that the Egyptians used like notebooks.
• Rather than memorializing a pharaoh and his deeds, royal tombs served as bridges between the corporeal world and the afterlife, where the dead ruler would take his place among the other Egyptian gods.
• The artwork and sculptures in the temples and tombs required an entire community working in harmony, with everyone blending their skills and sharing a vision.
Questions to Consider
- Why study ancient Egypt? How is archaeology relevant to modern life?
- How do you imagine future peoples will interpret your daily life? What objects and structures will they rely on to form their conclusions?
- Do you agree or disagree with Romer’s observation that our civilization has lost the ability to create as a community? Do you see parallels between the tomb-makers’ work and the Internet-based collaboration of our time?
The People We Meet
Ramose: A scribe in the royal tombs from about 1275 to 1241 BCE, under Ramesses II. Ramose showed such talent as a boy that he earned a place at scribal school—a rare opportunity for a messenger’s son. Scribe Huy adopted and trained him.
Episode 2
Highlights
• Linking heaven and earth, ancient Egyptian temples represented the reconciliation of life and death, the continuity of the state after a pharaoh died, and the annual rebirth of crops.
• In Egyptian thought, the pharaoh parceled out the land and its crops to the gods; after making a ritual offering, high priests redistributed this food to the people.
• Ramesses III lived in the royal court at the delta and left a weak bureaucracy to run Thebes, resulting in class divisions within the community.
Questions to Consider
- How well do you think ancient Egypt’s economy worked on a practical level? How did it differ from later economic communities, such as feudalism or communism?
- Would you swap your 21st-century lifestyle for that of an ancient Egyptian tomb worker? Why or why not?
The People We Meet
Paneb: The hot-tempered foreman of tomb workers from 1190 to 1175 BCE. His appointment sparked a feud with his predecessor’s family, splitting the village into two factions. Accused of crimes ranging from adultery to theft, he was eventually executed.
Kenhirkhopeshef: Ramose’s successor and senior scribe from about 1235 to 1191 BCE, he served under Pharaohs Ramesses II, Merneptah, Amenmesse, and Seti II. His extensive library contained the Book of Dreams, a papyrus scroll that gives great insight into the inner lives of ancient Egyptians.
Episode 3
Highlights
• Egyptian medical records, love poetry, and childbirth rituals demonstrate that women held relatively high status.
• Built with mathematical precision sometimes according to a Fibonacci sequence, Egyptian temples served as houses and processional venues for the gods—not necessarily as places of worship.
• Under scribe Amennakht and his son, Harshire, tomb art reached a stylistic and technical peak. However, Harshire lived to see the advent of tomb robbing, instigated by the tomb makers and their fellow villagers.
Questions to Consider
- If archaeologists 3,000 years from now uncovered our medical records, birthing practices, and literature, what Votive statue of village woman do you think they would conclude about the role of women in 21stcentury North America? How would it compare with that of ancient Egypt?
- How did Egyptian temple artwork differ, in both form and function, from later religious artwork in European churches and cathedrals?
The People We Meet
Amennakht: Senior scribe in the tomb-makers’ village from about 1165 to 1135 BCE (middle years of Ramesses III’s reign until Ramesses VI). Amennakht and his descendants served as scribes in the village for six generations.
Harshire: One of the senior scribes in the village during the reigns of Ramesses VII, VIII, and IX. When the vizier began to investigate tomb robberies, Harshire and his fellow scribe Pabes conspired to cover up the tomb-makers’ involvement in the plundering.
Episode 4
Highlights
• After civil unrest during the Year of the Hyenas, Herihor restored order to Thebes. Still, scribe Djutmose and his son, Butehamun, recorded increased tomb raiding, even in remote sites.
• Tomb robbers took everything of value from burial sites, including jewelry they hacked off the corpses.
• Clues such as chisel marks on the cliffs and carefully carved footholds reveal the locations of ancient tombs in distant valleys.
Questions to Consider
- What emotions do you imagine Howard Carter and other archaeologists felt when they crawled into long-lost Egyptian tombs for the first time? How would you feel?
- In recent years, Egyptian authorities have requested the return or loan of certain artifacts, including the bust of Nefertiti from Berlin’s Egypt museum and the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum. In your opinion, to whom do antiquities belong? Should foreign nations retain possession of past finds? Or does the home state have a greater right to discoveries?
The People We Meet
Djutmose: Senior scribe who ascended to his position during the Year of the Hyenas (1089 BCE), he led the village through some of its most difficult trials. His many surviving letters to his family demonstrate his great wit, understanding, and compassion and provide archaeologists intimate access to his life.
Butehamun: Son of Djutmose, Butehamun assumed leadership during his father’s extended travels. He eventually succeeded his father as senior scribe and supervised the recovery and reburial of many kings whose tombs had been desecrated.
Herihor: A professional soldier and probably a Libyan mercenary, Herihor ruled Thebes as Southern Vizier and High Priest of Amun, appointed by Ramesses XI in 1080 BCE. Herihor attempted to restore good government at Thebes and initiated a renaissance in tomb making, wielding power in the south that rivaled that of the pharaoh himself.
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