For the first time ever audiences will descend down a narrow shaft beneath desert sands to enter a world untouched, and watch as Discovery Channel exclusively reveals the most significant find discovered in the Valley of the Kings in more than 80 years. Located less than 50 feet from the tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62), the Discovery Quest expedition team of world-renowned archaeologists excavate and explore this new cache (KV63), unearthing coffins and delicate artifacts, sifting through intricate inscriptions and discovering unprecedented treasures when EGYPT′S NEW TOMB REVEALED premieres on Sunday, June 4 at 9 PM ET/PT.
Why is this tomb of painted coffins hidden in a chamber of solid rock in the Valley of the Kings? There are clues that it was used for embalming and it shares more than common real estate with that of the famed Tutankhamun. A seal with a faint inscription carries the word PA-ATEN, which an Egyptian expert believes is part of the former name given to Ankhesenamun, wife of Tutankhamun. Pieces of pottery found in the tomb match pottery in Tutankhamun′s tomb. The painted facemasks on the coffins have also been dated to this period. This past February, KV63 was first discovered, sending shockwaves through the archaeological and scientific world.
Science will tell us the true identities of who is buried in the coffins. Only Discovery Channel provides exclusive first-time access to the unearthing of an Egyptian tomb, step by step from exploration to examination.
EGYPT′S NEW TOMB REVEALED is the first Discovery Quest project of 2006. As the premier provider of the highest-quality factual programming in the world, the Discovery Quest fund reaffirms Discovery Channel′s commitment to support groundbreaking research and inventions that change our world. As part of this network initiative to support the scientific community′s work, The Supreme Council of Antiquities has enabled Discovery to follow the University of Memphis′ excavation.
For the first time ever, cameras have been allowed to follow the excavation of a discovery in the Valley of the Kings. Viewers will participate as detectives themselves -- witnessing each new item, as it is uncovered layer by layer. The tomb has sat vacuum-packed for more than 3,000 years. Now open, it is a race against time as exposure to the elements threatens to endanger its treasure trove of antiquities.
