[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
NARRATOR: In a 21st century
museum and a 3 and 1/2 thousand
year old tomb,
Egyptologists are piecing
together the supernatural
story of Tutankhamun's life
after death--
of a pharaoh on a mission
through the underworld
fighting against the
forces of darkness
to save the sun and the
earth from annihilation.
With the highest
possible stakes,
the people who packed
Tutankhamun's tomb did
everything in their
power to ensure he
was prepared for
the mission ahead.
SALIMA IKRAM: The
ancient Egyptians
were very big on insurance.
So they had lots of
safety nets in case
one thing didn't work,
one spell didn't work,
there was a backup spell.
If this got destroyed, there
was another backup object.
So you always had
things that would help
you get to where you wanted to.
NARRATOR: Egyptologists
now believe
this is why Tutankhamun took
5,000 objects to the afterlife.
The more he took, the
more chance he had
of defeating the
demons and overcoming
the obstacles that lay ahead.
But one shocking find has always
perplexed archaeologists--
the mummified bodies
of two baby girls.
Today, their fragile
remains are being conserved
at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
DNA analysis reveals these
two tiny girls were most
likely Tutankhamun's daughters.
But tragically both
had been stillborn--
one girl at around four months
and the other at nearly full
term.
SALIMA IKRAM: There was such a
high mortality rate for infants
and sort of stillborn
children in the ancient world
that it's not surprising.
But it is extraordinary to
have them carefully mummified,
wrapped up, cocooned,
put in these coffins,
and placed in their
father's tomb.
NARRATOR: These tiny mummies are
an incredibly rare discovery.
But Egyptologist Joyce
Tyldesley believes
there is an explanation
for their burial
alongside the pharaoh.
She suspects they were the
ultimate insurance policy.
 Tutankhamen was very wealthy.
He could have dug a
grave for his daughters
anytime he wanted to.
So the fact that their bodies
had been saved to be buried
with him suggests that
perhaps it's not just
a practical reason, but
there's a ritual reason
for them being there as well.
NARRATOR: In ancient
Egyptian art,
women and girls were
often cast as protectors
standing alongside their
fathers or the gods.
And for Joyce, they were more
than simply good luck charms.
They were active participants
in Tutankhamun's journey
through the underworld.
JOYSE TYLDESLEY: By
being either physically
in the boat with Tutankhamun
or just having their spirits
supporting him while
he's in the boat,
Tutankhamun will be protected
by these two daughters who
he has in the tomb with him.
