Beasts And The PharaohsSeptember 9, 2018

The discovery in Egypt of a 6,000 year old cemetery containing the remains of exotic wild animals reveals the origins of the ancient Egyptian’s obsession with animal Gods. Renee Friedman has been working at the Hierakonpolis, Egypt’s most ancient site, for over three decades, but nothing prepared her for the extraordinary discovery she made on the outskirts of the city - the remains of a baboon, carefully buried in amongst the graves of a royal cemetery. As Renee and her team continue their investigation, they discover more exotic animals - hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and even an ostrich. Most of the animals were not native to ancient Egypt - they had been captured and brought to Hierakonpolis from locations hundreds of miles away. When the skeletons were examined, they revealed an even more perplexing mystery.

Beasts And The Pharaohs was broadcast on SBS ONE at Friday 26 February 2021, 04:00. This episode was initially placed on Sunday 9 September 2018.