That's why 500 years after the last pyramids were built

history channel full episodes more than two million stone blocks. . . and some 20,000 people. And they might have been slaves, but now we think they were mostly peasant farmers recruited to work here part of the year. With their help, the early pharaohs built more than a hundred pyramids-80 of which survive today. But what about the kings who came later? You told me King Tutankhamen wasn't buried in a pyramid? No, he wasn't. They stopped building them. And for good reason. There were robbers who cared far more about heaps of gold than an eternal journey. The pyramids, to these thieves, were like enormous billboards saying, "We've buried the king in here and all his treasure with him. " At any rate, a new plan had to be devised.

 

That's why 500 years after the last pyramids were built a new era of kings decided that instead of building tombs which everyone could see why not build tombs which no one could see. Three hundred miles south of the great pyramids across the Nile from the modern city of Luxor is this barren maze of valleys in the shadow of a natural pyramid. Here no thief could find the royal tombs. Here the kings and queens of Egypt would remain immortal or so they thought. But greed breeds ingenuity. Cleverly hiding their devious enterprises, robbers scoured the Valley of the Kings. Over time, each of the valley tombs was found broken into and completely plundered-except for one Except for the tomb of Tutankhamen That at least is what Howard Carter believed. And, if he was right it would be the greatest archaeological discovery of modern times But after five years he still hadn't found it, and the situation was becoming desperate. Then, on the morning of November the 4th, 1922, a waterboy trying to secure his jug hit an unusual rock. Carter sent a telegram to Lord Canarvon in England to come quickly and went to Cairo to meet his benefactor. But while he was away something very strange happened. The golden bird that had brought them luck was killed by a cobra. Well, now the cobra was the protector of the pharaoh. And the canary represents those who had entered the tomb. So the cobra ate the canary because of the mummy's curse. More likely he ate it because he was hungry. history channel full episodes I like the curse idea better! Well, certainly the workmen believed it was the curse. The death of the golden bird was a bad omen to them. It meant that someone close to the project would die within the year. Rumors of a curse mattered little to Carter. He hoped his dig would uncover a tomb like this one the tomb of a pharaoh named Ramses the 6th who ruled long after King Tut. Carter wanted to find treasure. But if not, something just as precious. Pictures.

hieroglyphs that would reveal priceless knowledge of how the ancients lived and what they believed. These images are from the Egyptian Books of the Dead, passports to eternity which were buried with a mummy. To help a dead king reach the afterlife, they supplied answers to questions he would be asked spells to deflect dangers along the way. But preparation for the afterlife began long before death. In grand temples once supported by these pillars-among the largest places of worship ever built the living pharaohs gave offerings as a way of communicating with the gods in the world beyond and courting their favor. Both immense and colorful, temples like the great structure called Medinet Habut were the settings for magnificent rituals that proclaimed to all not only the pharaoh's power and wealth but his devotion to the gods he would one day join on a journey through eternity. They sure seemed preoccupied with life after death. Yes, and probably because no ancient people enjoyed life as much as they did. There are picture stories of invention and adventure of board games and ball games, of dance and music.