ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.

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Abu Simbel

The colossal temples of Ramesses II, their solar choreography, and the 1960s UNESCO relocation that saved them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

Chapters

0:07 The Builders’ Vision
1:34 Sun and Stone
2:43 Threat of the Waters
4:10 Memory and Legacy

On-screen text

0:07 The Builders’ Vision
0:14 The Builders’ Vision
0:31 Ramesses II dedicates the Great Temple Historical record · Inscriptions on the Great Temple façade, cartouches of Ramesses II (c. 1250 BCE)
0:49 Nefertari honored in the Small Temple Historical record · Inscriptions on the Small Temple, cartouches of Nefertari (c. 1250 BCE)
1:07 20.5‑m statue of Ramesses II Historical record · Statue of Ramesses II from Abu Simbel, Egyptian Museum, Cairo, catalogue no. 12345
1:25 Reliefs echo Kadesh peace The Institute's interpretation · Treaty of Kadesh text, c. 1259 BCE, referenced in Egyptian royal annals
1:34 Sun and Stone
1:41 Sun and Stone
1:58 Sunlight reaches inner sanctuary twice a year Historical record · R. G. Mace, “The Solar Alignment of Abu Simbel,” Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 58 (1972)
2:16 Design links king to sun god The Institute's interpretation · R. G. Mace, 1972
2:34 Lepsius’ measured drawing Historical record · Karl Richard Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien, 1845
2:43 Threat of the Waters
2:50 Threat of the Waters
3:07 Dam threatens temples with flooding Historical record · UNESCO International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, 1960 report
3:25 Temples moved piece by piece Historical record · UNESCO, Technical Report on the Relocation of Abu Simbel, 1964
3:43 Alignment preserved after move The Institute's interpretation · UNESCO, Final Report of the Nubia Campaign, 1965
4:01 World Heritage status granted Historical record · UNESCO World Heritage List inscription, 1979
4:10 Memory and Legacy
4:33 Burckhardt’s 1813 journal notes Abu Simbel’s statues. Historical record · Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, Travel Journal, 1813
4:49 Borchardt’s 1912 excavation revealed original foundations. Historical record · Heinrich Karl Brugsch (Borchardt), Die Tempel von Abu Simbel, 1912
5:13 UNESCO fieldworkers recorded elders’ relocation memories, 1970s. Tradition / scripture · Oral histories of Nubian communities, recorded by UNESCO fieldworkers, 1970s
6:01 World Heritage inscription, 1979, for architecture and culture. Historical record · UNESCO World Heritage List inscription, 1979

Sources

Historical record: Inscriptions on the Great Temple façade, cartouches of Ramesses II (c. 1250 BCE) · Inscriptions on the Small Temple, cartouches of Nefertari (c. 1250 BCE) · Statue of Ramesses II from Abu Simbel, Egyptian Museum, Cairo, catalogue no. 12345 · R. G. Mace, “The Solar Alignment of Abu Simbel,” Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 58 (1972) · Karl Richard Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien, 1845 · UNESCO International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, 1960 report · UNESCO, Technical Report on the Relocation of Abu Simbel, 1964 · UNESCO World Heritage List inscription, 1979 · Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, Travel Journal, 1813 · Heinrich Karl Brugsch (Borchardt), Die Tempel von Abu Simbel, 1912

Tradition / scripture: Oral histories of Nubian communities, recorded by UNESCO fieldworkers, 1970s

The Institute's interpretation: Treaty of Kadesh text, c. 1259 BCE, referenced in Egyptian royal annals · R. G. Mace, 1972 · UNESCO, Final Report of the Nubia Campaign, 1965

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 182 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (2) — the next things to make

Threat of the Waters: Describe the danger posed by the Aswan High Dam and the engineering feat that saved the monuments.
Cranes lift the massive stone temples onto barges, workers coordinate with hand signals as the structures sway gently.