The ancient Egyptians believed that, in fact, you can take it with you. They envisioned a very down-to-earth afterlife that was pretty much just like life, and so the dead were buried with great attention to what they might need on the other side: food, drink, jewelry, nice furniture, and for the rich, even statues who would become servants. Since the Egyptian view of immortality was so closely tied to the physical body, mummification was essential, preserving the body and thus the spirit along with it for eternity. Though the most famous mummies are those of the pharaohs, even the poorest Egyptian did what he could to ensure that his body was preserved.

This is the fascinating topic of Egypt: Secrets of the Pharaohs, though that's not particularly evident from its fairly general title. One of the better National Geographic specials on Egypt, this documentary offers a nicely focused presentation that is both informative and very interesting. The main feature runs a full hour, and is very well paced and well structured. It starts with a look at the pyramids and other tombs, and works its way into an exploration of what we know about ancient Egyptian mummification and burial practices.

Several groups of archaeologists have the opportunity to show off their excavations and research during the course of the program. We learn about the excavations of pyramid workers' tombs, the method of construction used to make the pyramids, a pharaoh's funeral ship, the process of mummification, and many more fascinating topics related to the Egyptian quest for life after death.

Modern archaeological methods have improved dramatically over the last few decades, and even the last few years, so any viewer who has a mental image of an Indiana Jones-style figure digging away with a pickaxe in the desert will be quite impressed by the techniques shown at work here. We see how modern medical science, using x-rays, can extract a wealth of information from a single ancient bone, while new exploratory techniques promise to investigate a site without disturbing it.

The second, shorter feature on the disc is the thirty-minute Mummies of Gold. It's actually billed as a special feature, but given its length I'm considering it simply as part of the main DVD. Mummies of Gold focuses on one specific excavation of a large number of mummies dating from the little-known Greco-Roman period of Egyptian history. While this program shares the effective focus of the main feature, unfortunately it's much weaker in terms of content; most of the information presented is repeated from the main feature, and there's not much new material to fill it out.

The DVD

Video

The documentary is presented in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, its original ratio for television broadcast. The image is a touch above average. It's free of print flaws, and colors appear bright and natural; contrast is satisfactory. However, there is a moderate amount of noise in the image as well as edge enhancement, so the picture isn't particularly sharp.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is satisfactory for the program. The narrator's voiceover is clear and easily understandable, as are the voices of the archaeologists interviewed during the piece. There's no noise or distortion in the track.

Extras

The 30-minute program Mummies of Gold is billed as a special feature, but I've considered it simply as part of the main DVD, and discussed it in that section. Apart from that, the only special feature is a set of trailers for other National Geographic specials. Menus are straightforward and attractive.

Final thoughts

Egypt: Secrets of the Pharaohs offers a very interesting and focused look at ancient Egyptian traditions of burial, mummification, and the afterlife. Quite a bit of information is presented, and in a nicely structured and engaging way that makes the program very enjoyable to watch. The second, shorter feature, Mummies of Gold, is less interesting, though. On the whole, I would definitely recommend this DVD to viewers interested in ancient Egypt.