Product Description

This brand new four part series takes the viewer into the heart of Egypt to sites never before seen on film. Included here are the first-ever-filmed looks at legendary sites such as the Tomb of Ramses II, the Abydos Boat Graves, and the skeletons at Mendes. State-of-the-art archaeological equipment and cutting-edge computer technology are employed to offer a deeper, fuller analysis of artifacts and sites, thereby creating a greater understanding of the lives and civilization of the Ancient Egyptians.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17578 in DVD
• Brand: A&E
• Released on: 2001-06-26
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 200 minutes

Amazon.com
The four programs from the History Channel in Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids showcase current archaeological work that is changing how historians think about life in ancient Egypt. Some of the greatest temples and tombs of Egypt are visited, and authorities explain the significance of particular aspects of their construction. Efforts to restore temples that had been lost under centuries of sand are shown, and one episode focuses on the discovery of a massive complex of tombs in the Valley of the Kings, which only began to be fully explored in the mid-1990s. The host of these programs, British actor Peter Woodward, presents the material skillfully, keeping the interviews with scholars informative as well as entertaining. An episode focusing on the daily life of ancient Egyptians even features Woodward putting on the sort of makeup that ordinary Egyptians are believed to have worn as both protection from the sun and a fashion statement. Visits to archaeological digs, including a recently discovered remote site that inexplicably contains hundreds of mummies, demonstrate how what we have known about Egypt may only be a fraction of what is still left to be discovered. These programs are intelligent and the beautiful photography makes them that much more enjoyable. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews

Next-best thing to being there!
Egypt Beyond the Pyramids takes you into a world of the past. From Queen Hatshepsut's Deir el Bahari and the Great Temple at Karnak to Sety I's temple at Abydos and Ramsses the Great's family mausoleum , this video will entrap you in awe at the both the structures and the people who built them.

In the first hour, the film offers a close look at Sety I's magnificent temple which contains a hieroglyphic list of all the kings of egypt till Sety I's reign. From there we explore Queen Hatshepsut temples and their reconstruction.

A visual treat awaits in the second hour with the exploration of the Ramesseum and KV5 - the private mausolem for the family of the Pharaoh in the Valley of Kings. Having over 60 chambers, the KV5 is one of the most magnificent sites shown in the film.

The next two hours give a in-depth look at the people who built it all - the common people. At the city of Mendes, old skeletal bodies are discovered while Deir el Medina shows an amazing sight of a craftsmen city.

The life of the common person - what food they ate, how they dressed, marriage and status of women - all is discussed in this segment.

Finally, the film delves into last important part of the lives of ancient Egyptians - death and beyond death. We get a look at the Book of the Dead and it's role in the soceity.

Most of the first two segments provide a visual feast capturing the magnificent structures. The next two segments don't measure up in terms of footage, but compensate with a look into the actual daily lives of the people.

Highly recommended if you are interested in the egyptian civilization apart from the Pyramids.

Excellent documentary
When I first saw this DVD in Best Buy, I had to pick it up. And I was not disappointed at all. This CD explores aspects of Egyptian life that are rarely covered by popular media (AKA pyramids). You learn more about the culture and the daily life of Egyptians from here than from other sources. The presentation is definitely a production with an actor as the narrator, but he does a great job. The visuals are excellent and if you're interested in Egyptian history you will not be disappointed with this DVD. Included is a "making of" section that's pretty interesting -- including some outtakes.

An excellent documentary
This four-part documentary serves either as a great introduction to Egyptology, or as an interesting look at some recent developments in the field. Though the series is numbered somewhat oddly (the third and fourth installments serve more as an introduction into Egyptian belief and culture, while the first two are more in-depth), it covers adequately a broad range of topics, and handles its subject manner well. Far from being just another picumentary of the Pyramids and Sphinx (hence the title), this film provides a beautiful and satisfying look at the wonders of Egypt while providing detailed related information.

All in all, this is an excellent film. The section on KV5 was especially fascinating. In fact, the only thing I have to complain about was having to watch Peter Woodward put on Egyptian makeup in one of the episodes. This shouldn't be enough to drive you away, however; this is a great and informative film.