This is the long-awaited sequel to the post about who will find Cleopatra’s tomb! I have been chewing my nails and searching the internet for any further clues lo these many months. Ten to be exact. The trail was cold. No updates on Dr. Martínez’ website or Facebook page, no online newspaper articles, no more PBS televised specials. The last program I saw, the archeologist’s pursuit of her goal was blocked by the high water table and impassable due to a faulty extraction pump. Yet, Dr. Hawass had blurted out a discovery publicly and was quickly hushed up. What was going on?

Last Thursday, I typed in my usual parameters, “Dr. Martinez Cleopatra” into my trusty little search engine that doesn’t track my info., Duck Duck Go. I was surprised because finally I found a new result! There it was, the title of a program with classic Doctora Martínez flair; Cleopatra: Sex, Lies and Secrets. The evening of Sunday 6/21, the two hour special on the most recent finds would air on the Science Channel. Great news, if we subscribed to cable. We do not.

My partner and I went over our options; get cable immediately ($400 a year), call a friend with cable (the evening of Fathers’ Day, probably not) or reserve lodging with cable. I called around and found out the Science Channel is not part of most hotel cable subscriptions. The next price point up, the upper middle range, I found exactly what I wanted and booked the Holiday Inn. So the three of us celebrated Fathers’ Day in style, take out poké dinner and a show. This was our first overnight out of the house since the winter holidays!

Three miles away from our house, we settled into the comfy beds and chairs of our lodging for the night, prepared to hear new stunning facts about Cleopatra at Taposiris Magna. In that we were sorely disappointed. What we saw was a one hour show, lengthened to 120 minutes by commercials; ten minutes of content, ten minutes of ads. The first half an hour was a review of who Cleopatra was, when she lived, who she loved. No novel information there. I admit that several very good graphic representations of how the Taposiris Magna site looked in Cleopatra’s day were interesting to see. However, the tantalizing clues about a new discovery, in the end was simply video of the previously stated mummies covered in gold leaf; a man and a woman who were most likely priests in the temples of Osiris and Isis.

That was a disappointment. Although each step of the archeological work is important, next time I’d like a more transparent description of what is to come in a program. We had a mini-vacation, so we’ll call it even. Fake Flamenco keeping you posted on the most recent developments in Dr. Martínez’ search for Cleopatra’s tomb.

Did you see the show? Have you seen the PBS Secrets of the Dead from last year?

Gracias for reading Fake Flamenco! Thanks for your comments and likes – ¡Olé! Rebecca

Dr. Kathleen Martínez Photo: Ben Wedeman CNN

Taposiris Magna Photo: Roland Unger