Egypt's Lost Queens

**Egypt's Lost Queens** is the 8th episode in Season 4 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Josh continues his journey through Egypt to uncover the secrets, and possibly the final resting place, of two of ancient history's most powerful women rulers - Nefertiti and Cleopatra.

## Summary

At the Egyptian Museum, they do a scan of the Younger Lady mummy to be used for facial reconstruction. Josh then heads to Alexandria, Egypt and meets Mohamed El-Sayed, a diver for the Egyptian Museum. They go out into the harbour and dive to where Cleopatra's palace once was. Underwater, they see the Lighthouse of Alexandria and rubble and pottery from the palace. After diving, Josh goes to the Anfushi Fish Market and then to the Library of Alexandria where he meets Kathleen Martinez, an archaeologist.

Kathleen believes Cleopatra is buried at a temple associated with the goddess, Isis. They got to Taporsiris Magna, an archaeological site and descend a hundred feet into a shaft and find a piece of pottery as well as the head of a sphinx. Back on land they open a tomb and find funerary pottery and two skulls but neither one is Cleopatra.

Josh goes to Paris, France where he meets up with Aidan Dodson and they go to meet Elisabeth Daynès, a forensic reconstruction artist, who has reconstructed the face of the mummy they scanned at the Egyptian Museum. They face of the reconstruction is nearly identical to the busts of Nefertiti in museums across the globe. These means that most likely, the Younger Lady is Nefertiti and she is the mother of King Tut.

## Final Words

"Enduring for over 5,000 years, the story of Egypt is longer and deeper than the Nile that sustains this land of mystery. But after weeks exploring in its deserts and on its waterways, I'm now realising that we've only been getting half of that story. The other half, the one that tells of the great women of Egypt, has been buried for too long. Now, like so many of Egypt's secrets, dedicated explorers are digging it up for all to learn."

"I've seen how Hatshepsut's name belongs alongside Khafra and Ramesses as one of the greatest builders in history. And I've learned that Cleopatra was a heroic martyr, too important to be defined by the men that were enthralled by her. And I've learned that Nefertiti, known for so long as only a standard of exotic beauty, actually ruled Egypt as a pharaoh. As for the Younger Lady, her mummy was cast off and desecrated, her identity lost. Technology and artistry have helped us reach into the past and restore her face. It bears an uncanny resemblance to Nefertiti herself, giving us the chance to gaze into the eyes of an icon and see more than just a beauty, but someone real, complex, and substantial - a great woman of Egypt."

- Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* *This is where you can put notes and trivia, anything that is interesting or strange can be included here*

## Quotes

* "Yeah, let's get this bar closed. That's doing a lot."

## References

1. ↑ https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullset/2018/1/26/TEXU410H\_EXU\_Josh-Gates\_Giza-Egypt\_Great-Sphinx\_TC\_\_102017067.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.1280.853.suffix/1516980040199.jpeg