Decoding Saqqara: The Secret Hieroglyphs of the Pyramids

With its myriad mysteries, ancient Egypt continues to work its spell. The necropolis of Saqqara, roughly 30 kilometers from Cairo, holds one of Egypt’s most fascinating treasures: the pyramid of pharaoh Pepi II. Few know of it as it is closed to the public, yet it holds the vastest collection of texts of all currently known pyramids. For the first time in 90 years, teams from the international archeological mission in Saqqara open and decipher this wondrous tomb. How did the Egyptians build the pyramids? Their walls are covered in hieroglyphs, but what story do they tell? How to crack the mystery of texts that are over four thousand years old? Using technological innovations such as photogrammetry, endoscopes, hyperspectral imaging and ultra-high resolution photography, this documentary alternates live scenes with staged interviews to plunge us into Saqqara’s history and offer new insights into the pharaohs’ tombs. (ZED)