Decoding the land of pharaohs

Archaeologists clearing the sands of time will improve understanding of civilization, report Wang Ru, Fang Aiqing and Wang Kaihao.

The words of the poet Percy Shelly ring out across this ancient land, "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

As the Nile ebbs and flows, time has witnessed civilizations rise from sand and stone.

The passage of time has also eroded the cultural wonders of the Karnak temple complex in Luxor, where Thebes, once the capital of ancient Egypt, proudly, magnificently stood.