Alexander the Great's Lost Tomb

This image features a close-up of the face of the 'Unknown Man E' - the Screaming Man.




Alexander the Great is one of historys greatest warrior kings, and was the leader of the most powerful nation in the ancient world. The location of his tomb has eluded archaeologists for nearly 2,000 years but new theories may help reveal its location.



Over 100 years ago an unidentified mummy was found lying alongside some of the most famous pharaohs in Egyptian history but his face is locked in an eternal scream. What caused this mans haunting expression? Why wasnt he mummified according to custom?



Cleopatra is one of the most famous and enigmatic figures who ever lived, believed to be the greatest woman in the ancient world. Archaeological excavations in her city of Alexandria allow us to reconstruct Cleopatras lost supercity and in doing so, understand the great woman herself. Examining her story, we learn that Cleopatra was not, as she's been portrayed for thousands of years, a temptress who ruled by sex and seduction, but rather an intelligent leader and a canny politician.


Is there more behind the mythical and violent leader known simply as the Scorpion King? New evidence suggests that his achievements may have layed the foundations of Egypt.How did the Egyptians build the tombs in the Valley of the Kings? This film uses the latest technology to look at the evolution of tomb building in the Valley, including the changes that were made to the layout and location of the tombs. The program investigates several questions, including: Did the pharaohs choose their tombs according to the geology of the Valley as some have suggested? What early technology was used to construct the tombs underground and what happened when it went wrong? How did the builders of the tombs live?

UNWRAPPING THE MYSTERY

“In 1881, a bizarre mummy was unwrapped by a team of Victorian Egyptologists. Known today as the Screaming Man or Man E, he was very different from previously discovered royal mummies; find out what makes him different:

Unknown Man E is nameless and, according to Egyptian beliefs, unable to move on to the afterlife because his body, wrapping, and coffin were left completely unmarked.

Unknown Man E was buried in an expensive cedar wood coffin, typically reserved for important historical figures.
At the original autopsy in 1886, it was suggested that Man E was Prince Man E was bound at the wrists and ankles, with such force that the evidence is still visible on the mummy today.
Man E was believed to have been poisoned at about the age of 23.
The entire mummification process took a total of 70 days.
The brain was usually extracted through the nose during mummification, but in the case of Man E it was squashed and deformed by the pressure of the bandages and showed no sign of the embalming process.