It has long been held that ancient Egyptians viewed the east bank of the Nile as life on Earth and the west bank as life in the hereafter, a vision that strictly ruled their urban planning. But recent archaeological digs at Thebes have revealed a somewhat different story. This program examines the houses of priests and other structures that indicate bustling activity on the funereal west bank—among the temple complexes as well as at Deir el-Medina, a village for the onsite laborers and craftsmen who were previously thought to be the only permanent residents of the necropolis. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)