Treasures of Knowledge

Unearth secrets involving Jonah and the Whale,a lost Egyptian princess, a Viking grave, and more.

How did a band of villains managed to break into Hawara, the Fort Knox of Egyptian pyramids, to steal the treasures of the great Pharaoh Amenemhat III? In Egypt 1888, famous Victorian Flinders Petrie finally broke into the burial chamber of King Amenemhat III – one of the wealthiest pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom. Petrie had hoped that the discovery of the King’s tomb would make his name, and perhaps his fortune. But after a year of digging when he finally peered into the resting place of the old king, he found that the tomb had been plundered.

Documentary that goes behind the scenes at the British Museum. A curious breed of experts cares for some of the BM's most important and fragile treasures; they are the conservators. Metals conservator Alex Baldwin is giving a makeover to a corroded Roman bronze statue affectionately known as Charlie, Karen Birkholzer is approaching the end of a six-year project conserving Egyptian wall paintings from the tomb of Nebamun, and gallery manager Brendan Moore has a problem with a stuffed monkey.