Volume 1 ends with "The Great Pharaoh and His Lost Children," detailing the excavation of tomb KV5, a lost burial site in the Valley of the Kings. This excavation resulted in one of the greatest finds in modern archaeology, something that is still being examined and explored today. Ramses the Great fathered hundreds of children, at least fifty of them sons. Could KV5 be their final resting place?

Volume 2 starts off with a fascinating look at daily life in ancient Egypt. Most studies of Egypt tend to look more at the Pharaohs, or the mythology and religions of Egypt, so this part was especially interesting to me. The disc ends with a look at Egyptian burial practices, including some new discoveries. The best part of Egyptian studies is that even though there have been archaeologists and Egyptologists studying the country for centuries, there is always more to learn. I think Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids is the best part of this collection.

Julius Caesar's Rome (322 minutes) — includes a timeline of Roman emperors, and scene selection. It's telling that Rome gets the most attention of any 'ancient civilization' in this package — though I often wonder if Rome shouldn't be considered the first 'modern' civilization, rather than a truly ancient one. In any case, this two-volume set starts off with a well done biography of Julius Caesar, and the story of Antony and Cleopatra (on volume 1). Volume 2 of the set has an excellent discussion of the republic and the Empire. "Building an Empire" shows Rome's expansion from the time of Julius Caesar forward, and the final years of the empire are examined in "The Enduring Legacy."

My only disappointment with this set lies in what's not included. Everything in it is interesting and informative, but it's far from a complete look at ancient civilizations. Seven hours on Rome, three and a half on Egypt, only one hour each on the Aztec and Inca civilizations, and almost three hours just on Alexander (not much at all about the Macedonian civilization, unfortunately). Surely A&E/History Channel could have found an hour on the Mayas to go with the Incas and Aztecs, and an hour about the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent in Mesopotamia. Something on far eastern civilizations also would have been appreciated. As it stands, it's an interesting survey of the more popular ancient civilizations that leaves out some of the more fascinating aspects of ancient history.