Egypt

Latest Episodes

• Season 1 Episode 6: The Secrets of the Hieroglyphs

  Drama-documentary exploring the career of Jean-Francois Champollion, who deciphered the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone. The linguist's new-found knowledge faces opposition from the Church and academics, so he travels to Egypt to prove his theories. His decoding of text on ancient monuments gives him an insight into the country's history - including a secret he is forced to take to his grave. Last in series

• Season 1 Episode 5: The Mystery of the Rosetta Stone

  Drama-documentary exploring the career of Jean-Francois Champollion, the linguist responsible for deciphering the Rosetta Stone. When the relic is moved to the British Museum, the French are left with only copies to work from. Champollion enters a race with Englishman Thomas Young to translate the hieroglyphics - and his recognition of demotic Egyptian letters on the stone sees him make the first breakthrough

• Season 1 Episode 4: The Temple of Sands

  Drama-documentary series following explorer Giovanni Belzoni's competition with fellow collector Bernardino Drovetti as the pair arrive in Thebes. Furious that his rival has removed the best of his artefacts from the city's temples, Belzoni reconsiders his strategy - and a stroke of ingenuity on his part leads to an important discovery at Abu Simbel - the temple of Ramesses II. Matthew Kelly and Joseph Long star