San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-24
By JAMES HENRY BREASTED

professor OF Egyptology and
Oriental history of Chicago Uniyer-
sitT).
Copyright by The san Antonio Light
Luxor, Egypt, Feb. 24.-At the re
quest of the discOverer 1 spent sew
eral days in a careful examination Of
the complicated and almost entirely
unstudied evidence contained in the
seals which the surviving officers Of
King Tutankhamen had pressed upon
the soft mortar covering the masonry
closure of his tomb doorway when he
was left in his last sleep more than
1000 years ago. / had stood in the
solemn silence of his tomb before the
mysterious sealed doorway guarded by
the kings two sentinel statues look
ing Serenely down upon me on either
hand and had studied over 80 seal i'm
pressiOns with which the doorway was
thickly covered from top to bottom.
They furnished convincing evidence
that the kings body still lay within
and they showed that the royal NOR
tuary furniture with which such an
august sepulcher was equiIpe was
likewise still within. On December
30, had left the tomb with this
knowledge and had voyaged slowly
back to Cairo dreaming of the mar.
velOus possibilities of such an almost
untouched royal burial. an absolutely
Unprecedented treasure of ancient art
religion and history.
On February 10. ! stood before the
sealed doorway again. The magnifi.
cent furniture which rad filled the
ante chamber had been removed and
only the statues of the king remained
on guard Thus cleared, the doorway
was more accessible than before. and
it confirmed the first conclusion l had
drawn.
First Peek Into Tomb.
Nevertheless it was a thrilling eX,
! perience the next afternoon to SEE
| Howard Carriers hammer and chise
skiIfully breaking away the first hare
| plaster bearing the seals and then dis
lodging the masonry filling behind
thus producing in a quarter Of an houI
small opening which revealed ont
corner of the imposing blue and gOlC
ca afalQue containing the bod. of Tut
ankhamPn. We were the first men o
the modern world TO look into tn
burial hall Of an ancient kings toni
still remaining essentially as it hat
looked when the priests and royal of
ficers closed and sealed it 1850 year
ago.
Through all the sweep Of the cen
turtles no human eye had looked int
this royal sPpplchrc. To step be
tween the kings two silent statues
unhecding their mute protests, to pas
along the front Of the mcgnificcn
catafalQup. to look through its one
doors. to see within two c.Osed ipnp
doors upon which the royal seal i'm
pressed there b. Il mOrtulry priest
was still unbroKrn and to realize tina
the august dead still slept within
all these were experiences which max
one keenIy aware of the fcc5lness o
language.
Beyond the sepulch,al hall la
another chamber. undoubtedly the las
in the tomb. Even the marvpls of th
ante chamber to which a few weeks
familiarity had accustomed US had no
prepared us for the amazing revela
ton Of this innprmOst chamber.
-Four GOddeSses Of Gold.
Among all its myriad treasures.
carry with me an imperislable vision
Of four lovely gOddesses in shinini
gold standing in winsome grace witt
ouiSpread arms and heads charmingl,
nolsed on one side as they guar
the sumpiuous EoId-cOvered shrine con
tanning the kings four mortuary vases