The Story of Egypt

Professor Joann Fletcher goes in search of the building blocks of Egyptian civilization and finds out what made ancient Egypt the incredible civilization that it was. She travels almost 20,000 years back in time to discover north Africa's earliest rock art, discovers how the first writing was used to calculate taxes, and explores one of the first stone structures on earth - Egypt's first pyramid.

Joann explores how the Pyramid Age ended in catastrophe. In one of Saqqara's last pyramid complexes, Joann uncovers evidence of famine as the young Egyptian state suffered a worsening climate and political upheaval. With depleted coffers, Egypt was plunged into the dark ages and civil war.

Joann explores the dizzying heights of Egypt's civilization and the lives of the workers and artisans caught up in Egypt's most ambitious building project: the Valley of the Kings. But this golden age is threatened by the growing power of Karnak's priests.

Joann discovers how Egypt's enemies exploited a country weakened by internal strife, ultimately leading to its destruction. She leaves Egypt and journeys south to Sudan where she finds the remarkable story of the forgotten Nubian Kings. For a century, they ruled Egypt from their southern homeland, even building their own pyramids to bury their kings.