In this thrilling documentary, we journey under the sands and into the opulent tombs of the lost aristocracy of Ancient Egypt. We enter the fascinating final resting places of the noble class that served the pharaohs.

At Saqqara, a five thousand year-old burial ground on the banks of the Nile, we delve into the tombs of the rich and powerful in an attempt to solve a plethora of centuries-old mysteries. The finds uncovered at this site continue to supply archaeologists with unprecedented clues as to how the ancient Egyptians lived their daily lives.

For three thousand years, across thirty one Egyptian dynasties, Saqqara served as a burial place for royalty, government officials, courtiers, aristocrats, and even ordinary Egyptians. Sitting across the river from Memphis, Egypt’s first capital city, the enormous necropolis is also the site of the world's first pyramid, the Step Pyramid of King Djoser. The marvellous monument was designed to ease the ancient pharaoh's passage to the afterlife.

We look at a tomb that has provided new insights into the life of Egypt’s most famous pharaoh, Tutankhamen. The tomb of his wet nurse, Maia, shows that she was held in high regard by the pharaoh, and is bringing archaeologists one step closer to uncovering the truth about King Tut’s childhood.

Saqqara also contains the tomb of Netjerwymes, a wealthy man who possessed the rare ability to read and write. Netjerwymes’ burial chamber contained a statue of Ramses the Great, one of Egypt's most powerful rulers, who reigned from approximately 1279 to1213 BC. Ramses stands in front of a much larger statue of Hathor, the goddess of creation and guardian of the dead, appearing in the guise of a cow.

At the Bahariya Oasis, we also uncover Egyptian mummies and open tombs of the ruling elite, all of which tell terrifying and tantalising tales from the grave.