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S1 · Episode 1 — Flesh and Bone · 2009-08-24

The bodies of our hallowed dead -- preserved and worshiped for generations. These objects are often called 'relics,' and their existence represents a near universal behavior in human culture. A relic could be the finger of a Catholic saint or a mummified ibis bird buried in an ancient Egyptian catacomb. For millennia people have ascribed meaning and power to the remnants of their hallowed dead. Egyptologist Dr. Kara Cooney visits sites of pilgrimage, both ancient and modern, to explain the reasons and motives behind the value we place on treasured flesh and bone.