Secrets of the pharaohs

Companion to the PBS series focusses on three separate stories. "Tut's Family Curse" investigates possible reasons why the 18th dynasty failed and uses DNA evidence to construct a family tree of Tutankhamen's royal ancestors. "Lost City of the Pyramids" questions the accepted theory that armies of slaves built the pyramids by examining the recent excavation of a lost city where it is believed the pyramid builders lived. In "Unwrapping the Mummy" British scientists examine the mummy of an Egyptian noblewoman named Asru, who was chantress at Luxor. Autopsy of the mummy reveals details about life in ancient Egypt, including the prevalence of disease in the country. Web site includes maps and a pharaonic timeline, suggestions for further research, a 3-D exploration of Khufu's pyramid, and an explanation on how mummies are made.