At 9 pm on October 9 [2006], the History Channel will launch their new weekly series "Engineering an Empire" with a two-hour special premiere episode on ancient Egypt, following various architectural marvels from the planning stage through the building phase. The program, which is arranged chronologically, includes background information describing what is happening in Egypt at the time of construction as well as mini bios on the rulers and architects who commissioned the work.

I thoroughly enjoyed the variation in monument types featured in " Engineering an Empire: Egypt" and learned a lot about the process of construction in ancient Egypt. The History Channel did a fantastic job featuring live re-enactments and computer animated recreations of how monuments were built using only simple machines, such as ropes, sleds and pulleys, and manpower, over the course of decades in some cases. These digital visuals helped illustrate how it really is possible to build a giant pyramid using men, ropes, and sleds; it just takes an incredibly long time. Instead of asking themselves, "How are we possibly going to construct an enormous monument to commemorate our god-king in the afterlife without the marvels of twenty-first century machinery?" the ancient Egyptians turned to the community and said "Hey, you 10,000 men! How about giving up the next 10 to 20 years of your life to build a tomb for your King? Food, shelter, and clothing provided, please bring own hammer." Too bad we don't see the invention of the labour union until much later in history. Not only was ancient Egyptian construction more advanced than anything else in the world during that time, but the sheer magnitude of organization and manpower is astonishing.

Using interviews with renowned Egyptologists, on-site narration by actor-historian Peter Weller, re-enactments of Egyptian workers and rulers, and pictures of artefacts and wall carvings and paintings, "Engineering an Empire: Egypt" tells how these monuments were constructed...

The DVD is available for pre-order on Amazon.com: The History Channel Presents: Egypt - Engineering an Empire.

Ten Thousand Men, One Million Stone Blocks, and a Couple of Sleds, Tracy Spurrier, Archaeology Magazine, Archaeological Institute of America, USA, September 28, 2006.

Alexander's tomb is an object of archaeological obsession, not for the treasures it might contain — they were almost certainly looted long ago — but for the body of Alexander. While living, Alexander was a demi-god; after his death, his divinity grew. Roman emperors visited his tomb because they wanted to be associated with his greatness. He was revered even by early Christians — during the fourth century they wore medals with the name Jesus Christ on one side and the Macedonian conqueror on the other.

Alexander died in Babylon in 323 B.C. after a lingering illness, possibly malaria or West Nile virus. As his remains were being taken back to Macedonia, Alexander's trusted general, Ptolemy, hijacked the mummified body and brought it to Memphis in an attempt to legitimize his own new position as king of Egypt. Thus begins the incredible story of Nicholas J. Saunders's (Basic Books, $26.00, £15.99).

There is no shortage of potential sites for the lost tomb. The most notorious is, of course, the sarcophagus in the British Museum that Napoleon's savants believed was Alexander's. Later, when hieroglyphs were deciphered, it was revealed that the sarcophagus was carved for Nectanebo II, the last native ruler of Egypt. So it's not Alexander's. Or is it? Nectanebo fled Egypt and never used it, so it is possible that Ptolemy buried Alexander in the vacant royal sarcophagus. There was even a faint rumour that Nectanebo was Alexander's father...

Losing Alexander, Bob Brier, Archaeology Magazine, Archaeological Institute of America, USA, Volume 59, Number 6, November / December 2006.

During the holy month of Ramadan many Cairenes flock at night to the heart of mediaeval Cairo, especially in the surrounding area of Al-Azhar for folklore performances and Oriental sohour. However, on Wednesday the scene was slightly different. In a departure from the norm, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga, Cairo Governor Abdel-Azim Wazir and a score of other high-ranking government officials paid a visit to Al-Azhar to attend a Nassir Shamma oud concert and help inaugurate three Mameluke edifices — Al-Ghouri, Mohamed Bek Abul-Dahab and Khan Al-Zaraksha — following their restoration.

In front of the awe-inspiring limestone façade of the Khan Al-Zaraksha edifice, embellished with fine mashrabiya windows on Al-Azhar Street, the tour began, led by archaeologist Ayman Abdel-Moneim, head of the Cultural Development Fund who explained the restoration works in progress.

Like so many Islamic monuments in mediaeval Cairo, decades of neglect and the steady encroachment of inhabitants have dealt a heavy blow not only to the historic structures but to the memory of Al-Azhar Street once filled with splendour. Pollution, subsoil water and high humidity have all contributed to the fast-decaying antiquities. Urgent steps are being taken to restore the mediaeval quarter's cultural heritage under the umbrella of the ambitious Historic Cairo Restoration Programme...

Hmm? It looks like all of Friday's posts have been lost in the ether!

Trio of ancients, Nevine El-Aref, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 817, October 19 - 25, 2006.