Ancient Egyptians (2003)
Ancient Egyptians(2003) This 4-episode The Learning Channel documentary series vividly brings ancient Egypt to life. Each episode is a dramatization of a different era in ancient Egypt’s long history, based on a particular period document that describes the events and even provides some of the on-screen dialogue. Voice-over narration by actor Jeremy Sisto guides the viewer through the recreation of the past and speculates about uncertainties in the surviving historical record.
Episode 1 imagines the battle of Megiddo in the 1400s BCE through the eyes of a fictional young man pressed into Pharaoh’s service as a foot soldier. Episode 2 recreates an investigation into a tomb robbery in around 1000 BCE involving a poor pauper, a high-ranking commander, and a royal governor. Episode 3 depicts a bloody power struggle over control of the temple of Amun. Episode 4 jumps centuries later to Ptolemaic Egypt to tell the story of abandoned twin girls received into the cult of the Apis Bull only to have their mother cheat them of their reward. Unfortunately, none of the episodes goes back earlier than the New Kingdom (established around 1550 BCE).
What makes this series remarkable is the effectiveness of its dramatic recreations. Unlike typical documentaries which use on-screen hosts or commentators, everything on-screen in Ancient Egyptians is part of the period recreation. The visual background of ancient Egyptian architecture, the period costuming, and particularly the people and spoken languages all provide a feel of authenticity. The recreations do not feature theatrical acting or extensive dialogue, and thus remains a documentary as opposed to a full docu-drama. The personal stories at the heart of each episode also make the series compelling for viewers turned off by didactic, non-dramatic historical documentaries.
In terms of historical interest, the series avoids the temptation to let the imagination run beyond what can be known from its sources—the narration admits where guesswork is needed or the sources might not be trustworthy and leaves the stories open-ended when the outcome is uncertain. In addition, the approximately 44-minute running length of each episode makes the series useful for middle- and high-school classrooms. However, the series is not recommended for audiences younger than 7th grade due to violence shown or implied in several of the stories (ironically, the battle of Megiddo episode is less graphically bloody).
Scott Metzger Pennsylvania State University sam59@psu.edu
