Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb- Astounding Archaeological Adventure

 After 'My Octopus Teacher’ won Best Documentary Feature last year at the Oscars, Netflix raised the bar as far as the quality of documentary features go. That led me to find another gem that released the same year on Netflix, Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb. Now I am no Egyptologist and my knowledge of archaeology may be as dry as a desert, but that doesn’t mar my fascination to discover the buried secrets of Egypt’s dead. In fact, it draws me to watch everything tomb-related. So exploring the secrets of the Saqqara Tomb came naturally and what I stumbled upon as a viewer were precious moments of exploration, excavation and excitement. Through the documentary, we are presented with parallel stories as a motley bunch of experts- archaeologists, historians, masters of language and script and osteologists reconstruct a different reality, lived 4,400 years ago. What they unearth is a treasure trove that generations of Egypt’s archaeologists have been unable to do- reveal the Saqqara Tomb that houses the hidden secrets of a high-ranked priest called Wahtye and his family’s mysterious deaths. Several ornate coffins and tombs are pulled out of the layers of sand and limestone under the pyramids. Workers toil in the heat of the sun breaking their backs to carefully dig out articles of daily use like games people played in the 12-13th century, artefacts and antiques shaped like cats and a beautiful sculpture of a lion. Excavators carefully climb down deep and suffocating shafts to fish out entire mummies and scattered skeletons. Particularly gripping is the discovery of a well-preserved mummified animal among heaps of domesticated and deified cat mummies that turns out to be the first lion ever to have existed in Egypt! Delicately spread out over an elaborate course of over two hours, we are able to enjoy an immersive experience of a lifetime that spells definitive results for the archaeological history and scientific advancements of Egypt. Usually a documentary of this nature could end up feeling very clinical, dull and ruminative, what sets the documentary apart is its ability to keep the viewers focused on the progress of each excavation while adding a human angle of the thrill and achievement of its ultimate discovery. The search for the deepest and darkest tales of erstwhile dynasties and generations demands an extremely exhausting level of passion, commitment and hard work that sets locals apart from the distant foreigner who may trip upon Egypt’s pyramids. Seeing Egypt through the indigenous perspective helps give a rich emotional context to the proceedings, we are as invested and nervous about the results as the researchers, who shrug off the sweat and toil as long as it gives them a chance to witness or get in touch with their history. British documentary director James Tovell gives us a piece of precious ancient Egypt, unravelled by modern Egyptians for whom these findings leave an indelible mark just like the hieroglyphs in the inner sanctum of the pyramids, often life-changing and unforgettable.