Search - National Geographic: Nefertiti and the Lost Dynasty on DVD

Desperately Seeking Nefertiti

Janna Silverstein | Seattle, WA USA | 11/17/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"National Geographic's "Nefertiti and the Lost Dynasty" is in the best tradition of NatGeo's archeology videos. An exploration of ancient evidence to piece together an outstanding mystery, it explores the question: What happened to Queen Nefertiti, and are her remains among a pair of previously unidentified mummies in the Valley of the Kings?

The video follows Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and National Geographic's man on the ground in Egypt, as he works with other scientists to scan two unidentified mummies in the hopes of identifying Nefertiti or other members of the 18th Dynasty's most notorious family.

Those looking for reenactments of ancient Egyptian events will be disappointed. But those who want to learn more about Nefertiti's family and history, as well as the archeological processes used to identify remains and link them to history will find much here to satisfy. The video offers technical information in layman's terms for the history buff, the archeology fan and especially those with an interest in ancient Egypt.

While I would have enjoyed a little more specific history and perhaps more reenactment, the focus here is more on the process of investigation, and the identification of two mysterious mummies that have been at the center of speculation about Nefertiti's fate for decades."