The Story of Egypt

How did the Egyptians, over the course of only a few hundred years, grow from primitive farmers into empire ruling pyramid builders? Professor Joann Fletcher is looking for the building blocks of the Egyptian civilization. On the journey, she discovers how the first writing was used to calculate taxes and explores one of the earliest stone structures on Earth - Egypt's first pyramid.

The first great age of Egyptian pyramid building was followed by a period of famine, strife and civil war that nearly ended the fledgling empire. Professor Joann Fletcher investigates the turmoil of this period, where poverty and a climate catastrophe split the nation into smaller states. But soon the empire made a comeback and began building even more temples and palaces for the mighty pharaohs.

The golden age of ancient Egypt resulted in the magnificent Valley of the Kings, built by its greatest pharaoh, Amenhotep III. But as the domination of the empire grew, turmoil at home increased. As Joann Fletcher reveals, conflict between the pharaohs and powerful priests threatened the stability of the nation. As religious influence flourished, the seeds for Egypt's destruction were sown.

Turmoil within Egypt gave its enemies the opportunity to invade and conquer the empire. Professor Joann Fletcher journeys to Sudan where she finds the remarkable story of the forgotten, conquering Nubian Kings. Their rule was followed by the Assyrian and Persian empires until the Romans, as Cleopatra ruled Egypt, invaded and the mighty Egyptian empire was lost forever