Entrance to King Tut’s tomb discovered - Nov 04, 1922 - HISTORY.com Entrance to King Tut’s tomb discovered Share this: Entrance to King Tut’s tomb discovered Author Entrance to King Tut’s tomb discovered URL Publisher A+E Networks British archaeologist Howard Carter and his workmen discover a step leading to the tomb of King Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. When Carter first arrived in Egypt in 1891, most of the ancient Egyptian tombs had been discovered, though the little-known King Tutankhamen, who had died when he was 18, was still unaccounted for. After World War I, Carter began an intensive search for “King Tut’s Tomb,” finally finding steps to the burial room hidden in the debris near the entrance of the nearby tomb of King Ramses VI in the Valley of the Kings. On November 26, 1922, Carter and fellow archaeologist Lord Carnarvon entered the interior chambers of the tomb, finding them miraculously intact. Thus began a monumental excavation process in which Carter carefully explored the four-room tomb over several years, uncovering an incredible collection of several thousand objects.

The most splendid architectural find was a stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested within each other. Inside the final coffin, which was made out of solid gold, was the mummy of the boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for more than 3,000 years. Most of these treasures are now housed in the Cairo Museum. Related Videos The Discovery of King Tut's Tomb By Jennifer Rosenberg Updated March 18, 2016. ** Update! In March 2016, scientists have radar scans of King Tut's tomb that show the possibility of hidden chambers not yet opened within King Tut's tomb.** Howard Carter and his sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, spent a number of years and a lot of money searching for a tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings that they weren't sure still existed. On November 4, 1922, they found it. Carter had discovered not just an unknown ancient Egyptian tomb, but one that had lain nearly undisturbed for over 3,000 years. What lay within King Tut's tomb astounded the world. Carter and Carnarvon Howard Carter had worked in Egypt for 31 years before he found King Tut's tomb.

Carter had begun his career in Egypt at age 17, using his artistic talents to copy wall scenes and inscriptions. Only eight years later (in 1899), Carter was appointed the Inspector-General of Monuments in Upper Egypt. In 1905, Carter resigned from this job and, in 1907, Carter went to work for Lord Carnarvon. continue reading below our video The Discovery of King Tut's Tomb George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, loved to race around in the newly invented automobile. Enjoying the speed his automobile afforded, Lord Carnarvon had an auto accident in 1901 which left him in ill health. Vulnerable to the damp English winter, Lord Carnarvon began spending winters in Egypt in 1903 and to pass the time, took up archaeology as a hobby. Turning up nothing but a mummified cat (still in its coffin) his first season, Lord Carnarvon decided to hire someone knowledgeable for the succeeding seasons. For this, he hired Howard Carter. The Long Search After several relatively successful seasons working together, World War I brought a near halt to their work in Egypt.

Yet, by the fall of 1917, Carter and his sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, began excavating in earnest in the Valley of the Kings . Carter stated that there were several pieces of evidence - a faience cup, a piece of gold foil, and a cache of funerary items which all bore the name of Tutankhamun - already found that convinced him that the tomb of King Tut had not yet been found.1 Carter also believed that the locations of these items pointed to a specific area where they might find King Tutankhamun's tomb. Carter was determined to systematically search this area by excavating down to the bedrock. Besides some ancient workmen's huts at the foot of the tomb of Rameses VI and 13 calcite jars at the entrance to the tomb of Merenptah, Carter did not have much to show after five years of excavating in the Valley of the Kings. Thus, Lord Carnarvon made the decision to stop the search. After a discussion with Carter, Carnarvon relented and agreed to one last season.

One Last, Final Season By November 1, 1922, Carter began his final season working in the Valley of the Kings by having his workers expose the workmen's huts at the base of the tomb of Rameses VI. After exposing and documenting the huts, Carter and his workmen began to excavate the ground beneath them. By the fourth day of work, they had found something - a step that had been cut into the rock. Steps! Work feverishly continued on the afternoon of November 4th through the following morning. By late afternoon on November 5th, 12 stairs (leading downwards) were revealed; and in front of them, stood the upper portion of a blocked entrance. Carter searched the plastered door for a name but of the seals that could be read, he found only the impressions of the royal necropolis. Carter was extremely excited: The design was certainly of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Could it be the tomb of a noble buried here by royal consent? Was it a royal cache, a hiding-place to which a mummy and its equipment had been removed for safety?

Or was it actually the tomb of the king for whom I had spent so many years in search?2 Telling Carnarvon To protect the find, Carter had his workmen fill in the stairs, covering them so that none were showing. While several of Carter's most trusted workmen stood guard, Carter left to make preparations. The first of which was contacting Lord Carnarvon in England to share the news of the find. On November 6th, two days after finding the first step, Carter sent a cable: "At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact; re-covered same for your arrival; congratulations."3 The Sealed Door It was nearly three weeks after finding the first step that Carter was able to proceed. On November 23rd, Lord Carnarvon and his daughter, Lady Evelyn Herbert, arrived in Luxor. The following day, the workers had again cleared the staircase, now exposing all 16 of its steps and the full face of the sealed doorway. Now Carter found what he could not see before, since the bottom of the doorway had still been covered with rubble - there were several seals on the bottom of the door with Tutankhamun's name on them.

Now that the door was fully exposed, they also noticed that the upper left of the doorway had been broken through, presumably by tomb robbers, and resealed. The tomb was not intact; yet the fact that the tomb had been resealed showed that the tomb had not been emptied. The Passageway On the morning of November 25th, the sealed doorway was photographed and the seals noted. Then the door was removed. A passageway emerged from the darkness, filled to the top with limestone chips. Upon closer examination, Carter could tell that tomb robbers had dug a hole through the upper left section of the passageway (the hole had been refilled in antiquity with larger, darker rocks than used for the rest of the fill). This meant that the tomb had probably been raided twice in antiquity. The first time was within a few years of the king's burial and before there was a sealed door and fill in the passageway (scattered objects were found under the fill). The second time, the robbers had to dig through the fill and could only escape with smaller items.

By the following afternoon, the fill along the 26-foot-long passageway had been cleared away to expose another sealed door, almost identical to the first. Again, there were signs that a hole had been made in the doorway and resealed. Wonderful Things Tension mounted. If there was anything left inside, it would be a discovery of a lifetime for Carter. If the tomb was relatively intact, it would be something the world had never seen. With trembling hands I made a tiny breach in the upper left-hand corner. Darkness and blank space, as far as an iron testing-rod could reach, showed that whatever lay beyond was empty, and not filled like the passage we had just cleared. Candle tests were applied as a precaution against possible foul gases, and then, widening the hold a little, I inserted the candle and peered in, Lord Carnarvon, Lady Evelyn and Callender standing anxiously beside me to hear the verdict. At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flame to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold - everywhere the glint of gold.

For the moment - an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by - I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, "Can you see anything?" it was all I could do to get out the words, "Yes, wonderful things."4 The next morning, the plastered door was photographed and the seals documented. Then the door came down, revealing the Antechamber. The wall opposite the entrance wall was piled nearly to the ceiling with boxes, chairs, couches, and so much more - most of them gold - in an "organized chaos."5 On the right wall stood two life-size statues of the king, facing each other as if to protect the sealed entrance that was between them. This sealed door also showed signs of being broken into and resealed, but this time the robbers had entered in the bottom middle of the door. To the left of the door from the passageway lay a tangle of parts from several dismantled chariots. As Carter and the others spent time looking at the room and its contents, they noticed another sealed door behind the couches on the far wall.

This sealed door also had a hole in it, but unlike the others, the hole had not been resealed. Carefully, they crawled under the couch and shone their light. The Annexe In this room (later called the Annexe) everything was in disarray. Carter theorized that officials had attempted to straighten up the Antechamber after the robbers had plundered, but they had made no attempt to straighten the Annexe. I think the discovery of this second chamber, with its crowded contents, had a somewhat sobering effect on us. excitement had gripped us hitherto, and given us no pause for thought, but now for the first time we began to realize what a prodigious task we had in front of us, and what a responsibility it entailed. This was no ordinary find, to be disposed of in a normal season's work; nor was there any precedent to show us how to handle it.

The thing was outside all experience, bewildering, and for the moment it seemed as though there were more to be done than any human agency could accomplish.6 Documenting and Preserving the Artifacts Before the entrance between the two statues in the Antechamber could be opened, the items in the Antechamber needed to be removed or risk damage to them from flying debris, dust, and movement. Documentation and preservation of each item was a monumental task. Carter realized that this project was larger than he could handle alone, thus he asked for, and received, help from a large number of specialists. To begin the clearing process, each item was photographed in situ, both with an assigned number and without. Then, a sketch and description of each item was made on correspondingly number record cards. Next, the item was noted on a ground plan of the tomb (only for the Antechamber). Carter and his team had to be extremely careful when attempting to remove any of the objects.

Since many of the items were in extremely delicate states (such as beaded sandals in which the threading had disintegrated, leaving only beads held together by 3,000 years of habit), many items needed immediate treatment, such as a celluloid spray, to keep the items intact for removal. Moving the items also proved a challenge. Clearing the objects from the Antechamber was like playing a gigantic game of spillikins. So crowded were they that it was a matter of extreme difficulty to move one without running serious risk of damaging others, and in some cases they were so inextricably tangled that an elaborate system of props and supports had to be devised to hold one object or group of objects in place while another was being removed. At such times life was a nightmare.7 When an item was successfully removed, it was placed upon a stretcher and gauze and other bandages were wrapped around the item to protect it for removal. Once a number of stretchers were filled, a team of people would carefully pick them up and move them out of the tomb. As soon as they exited the tomb with the stretchers, they were greeted by hundreds of tourists and reporters who waited for them at the top.

Since word had spread quickly around the world about the tomb, the popularity of the site was excessive. Every time someone came out of the tomb, cameras would go off. The trail of stretchers were taken to the conservation laboratory, located at some distance away in the tomb of Seti II. Carter had appropriated this tomb to serve as a conservation laboratory, photographic studio, carpenter's shop (to make the boxes needed to ship the objects), and a storeroom. Carter allotted tomb No. 55 as a darkroom. The items, after conservation and documentation, were very carefully packed into crates and sent by rail to Cairo. It took Carter and his team seven weeks to clear the Antechamber. On February 17, 1923, they began dismantling the sealed door between the statues. The Burial Chamber The inside of the Burial Chamber was almost completely filled with a large shrine over 16 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 9 feet tall. The walls of the shrine were made of gilded wood inlaid with a brilliant blue porcelain.

Unlike the rest of the tomb whose walls had been left as rough-cut rock (unsmoothed and unplastered), the walls of the Burial Chamber (excluding the ceiling) were covered with a gypsum plaster and painted yellow. Upon the yellow walls were painted funerary scenes. On the ground around the shrine were a number of items, including portions of two broken necklaces that looked as if they had been dropped by robbers and magic oars "to ferry the king's barque [boat] across the waters of the Nether World."8 To take apart and examine the shrine, Carter had to first demolish the partition wall between the Antechamber and the Burial Chamber. Still, there was not much room between the three remaining walls and the shrine. As Carter and his team worked to disassemble the shrine they found that this was merely the outer shrine, with four shrines in total. Each section of the shrines weighed up to half a ton and in the small confines of the Burial Chamber, work was difficult and uncomfortable. When the fourth shrine was disassembled, the king's sarcophagus was revealed. The sarcophagus was yellow in color and made out of a single block of quartzite.

The lid did not match the rest of the sarcophagus and had been cracked in the middle during antiquity (an attempt had been made to cover the crack by filling it with gypsum). When the heavy lid was lifted, a gilded wooden coffin was revealed. The coffin was in a distinctly human shape and was 7 feet 4 inches in length. Opening the Coffin A year and a half later, they were ready to lift the lid of the coffin. Conservation work of other objects already removed from the tomb had taken precedence. Thus, the anticipation of what lay beneath was extreme. When they lifted the lid of the coffin, they found another, smaller coffin. The lifting of the lid of the second coffin revealed a third one, made entirely of gold. On top of this third, and final, coffin was a dark material that had once been liquid and poured over the coffin from the hands to the ankles. The liquid had hardened over the years and firmly stuck the third coffin to the bottom of the second. The thick residue had to be removed with heat and hammering. Then the lid of the third coffin was raised. At last, the royal mummy of Tutankhamun was revealed.

It had been over 3,300 years since a human being had seen the king's remains. This was the first royal Egyptian mummy that had been found untouched since his burial. Carter and the others hoped King Tutankhamun's mummy would reveal a large amount of knowledge about ancient Egyptian burial customs. Though it was still an unprecedented find, Carter and his team were dismayed to learn that the liquid poured on the mummy had done a great deal of damage. The linen wrappings of the mummy could not be unwrapped as hoped, but instead had to be removed in large chunks. Unfortunately, many of the items found within the wrappings had also been damaged, many were almost completely disintegrated. Carter and his team found over 150 items - almost all of them gold - on the mummy, including amulets, bracelets, collars, rings, and daggers. The autopsy on the mummy found that Tutankhamun had been about 5 feet 5 1/8 inches tall and had died around the age of 18. Certain evidence also attributed Tutankhamun's death to murder.

The Treasury On the right wall of the Burial Chamber was an entrance into a storeroom, now known as the Treasury. The Treasury, like the Antechamber, was filled with items including many boxes and model boats. Most notable in this room was the large gilded canopic shrine. Inside the gilded shrine was the canopic chest made out of a single block of calcite. Inside the canopic chest were the four canopic jars, each in the shape of an Egyptian coffin and elaborately decorated, holding the pharaoh's embalmed organs - liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines. Also discovered in the Treasury were two small coffins found in a simple, undecorated wooden box. Inside these two coffins were the mummies of two premature fetuses. It is hypothesized that these were Tutankhamun's children. (Tutankhamun is not known to have had any surviving children.) World Famous Discovery The discovery of King Tut's tomb in November 1922 created an obsession around the world. Daily updates of the find were demanded. Masses of mail and telegrams deluged Carter and his associates. Hundreds of tourists waited outside the tomb for a peek.

Hundreds more people tried to use their influential friends and acquaintances to get a tour of the tomb, which caused a great hindrance to work in the tomb and endangered the artifacts. Ancient Egyptian style clothes quickly hit the markets and appeared in fashion magazines. Even architecture was affected when Egyptian designs were copied into modern buildings. The Curse The rumors and excitement over the discovery became especially acute when Lord Carnarvon became suddenly ill from an infected mosquito bite on his cheek (he had accidentally aggravated it while shaving). On April 5, 1923, just a week after the bite, Lord Carnarvon died. Carnarvon's death gave fuel to the idea that there was a curse associated with King Tut's tomb . Famous In all, it took Howard Carter and his colleagues ten years to document and clear out Tutankhamun's tomb. After Carter completed his work at the tomb in 1932, he began to write a six-volume definitive work, A Report Upon the Tomb of Tut 'ankh Amun. Unfortunately, Carter died before he was able to finish. On March 2, 1939, Howard Carter passed away at his home Kensington, London, famous for his discovery of King Tut's tomb.

The young pharaoh, Tutankhamun, whose own obscurity during his own time allowed his tomb to be forgotten, has now become one of the most well-known pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Having traveled around the world as part of an exhibit, King Tut's body once again rests in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Notes 1. Howard Carter, The Tomb of Tutankhamen (E.P. Dutton, 1972) 26. 2. Carter, The Tomb 32. 3. Carter, The Tomb 33. 4. Carter, The Tomb 35. 5. Nicholas Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun: The King, the Tomb, the Royal Treasure (London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1990) 79. 6. Carter, The Tomb 43. 7. Carter, The Tomb 53. 8. Carter, The Tomb 98, 99. Carter, Howard. The Tomb of Tutankhamen. E.P. Dutton, 1972. Frayling, Christopher. The Face of Tutankhamun.

Boston: Faber and Faber, 1992. Reeves, Nicholas. The Complete Tutankhamun: The King, the Tomb, the Royal Treasure. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1990. 4 November 1922: Discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb - MoneyWeek Home > 4 November 1922: Discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb 4 November 1922: Discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb 04/11/2014 Carter and Lord Carnarvon at the entrance to the tomb Egypt’s Valley of the Kings is a barren, arid place, near the west bank of the Nile. For 500 years, Egypt’s rulers were interred there, surrounded by inscriptions of Egyptian mythology, and priceless artefacts to help them in the afterlife. But if they thought they would be left alone, they had another think coming. Over the years, virtually all the tombs had been robbed, and the treasures lost.

But archaeologist Howard Carter, who had previously worked as Director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, was convinced there was one tomb that had yet to be found – the tomb of Tutankhamun, who lived in the 14-century BC (but not for very long – he died aged 19). Carter was working for George Herbert, AKA Lord Carnarvon, an amateur Egyptologist. But after spending seven years searching, he wasn’t coming up with the goods. So on 1 November, Herbert gave Carter an ultimatum – this would be the last year he would finance his digs. Three days later, Carter came up trumps. He discovered the top of the stairway to the lost tomb, undisturbed for over 3,000 years. He quickly sealed it back up and cabled his sponsor: “At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact; re-covered same for your arrival; congratulations.” It was not until 16 February 1923, however, that the burial chamber was opened. It was one of the most spectacular archaeological finds ever. The coffin, made of solid gold, weighed 110 kg.

At today’s prices, that’s about £2.8m-worth of gold. The tomb contained thousands of other objects, many covered in gold, including jewellery and weapons. It took until 1932 for everything to be cleared and categorised. The treasures became world famous, and embarked on a world tour in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, and again after the turn of the millennium. They returned to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in 2011. THE END OF OIL Understanding how the end of oil will affect your life and money is the single most important thing you’ll do in the next decade. And it will affect you, because it’ll affect everyone. But only a handful of people will be bold enough to see what’s happening and move early to take advantage. That’s exactly what our research report “The End of Oil” is designed to help you do. Profit from the fast-growing petcare sector The woman who runs New York's hottest hub The populist who's set to be Mexico's next leader Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb on Nov. 4, 1922.

– World Book INK worldbookblog Leave a comment “At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact; re-covered same for your arrival; congratulations.” These words were cabled by the British archaeologist Howard Carter to his sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, in Luxor, Egypt, on Nov. 4, 1922. Carter was with workers excavating in the Valley of the Kings, a narrow gorge near modern-day Cairo that was used as a cemetery by the pharaohs (rulers) of ancient Egypt. That morning, they had uncovered a stone step, which Carter recognized as the first trace of the entrance to a royal tomb. Nothing further could be determined until the heavy rubble above the steps was cleared away. Within two days, Carter had cleared enough debris to see that he had found what he had been searching for over six years–the nearly intact tomb of a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. The tomb’s appearance indicated that it had not been opened since ancient times. Three weeks later, Carter was finally able to open the tomb. On November 23, Lord Carnarvon and his daughter, Lady Evelyn Herbert, arrived in Luxor.

The following day, the workers had again cleared the staircase, now exposing all 16 of its steps and the full face of the sealed doorway bearing the name of Tutankhamun. On November 25, Carter and Carnarvon, along with Carnarvon’s daughter and one of Carter’s assistants, were the first to enter the tomb and view its contents. Carter later wrote: “At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flame to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold–everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment–an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by–I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, “Can you see anything?” it was all I could do to get out the words, “Yes, wonderful things.” The four rooms of Tutankhamun’s tomb contained more than 5,000 objects, including many beautiful carved and gold-covered items.

A magnificent lifelike gold mask of Tutankhamun covered the head and shoulders of the royal mummy. The site remains the only tomb of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh to be discovered almost completely undamaged. Get caught up on all your ancient civilizations with World Book’s Early Peoples ! Share this: 90th anniversary of the opening of King Tut's tomb - SFGate 90th anniversary of the opening of King Tut's tomb Archaologist Howard Carter first laid eyes on Tutankhamun's sarcophagus on February 16, 1923 February 15, 2013 8:43 AM Photo: Apic, Getty Images Close Image 1 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb The tomb of King Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922, but it wasn't until the following year when archeologist Howard Carter was finally able to locate the burial chamber and discover the sarcophagus of the ancient king. In this colorized photograph, Howard Carter, the English Egyptologist, is seen near golden sarcophagus of Tutankhamun in Egypt in 1923.

The tomb of King Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922, but it wasn't until the following year when archeologist Howard Carter was finally able to locate the burial chamber and discover the sarcophagus of the ... more Photo: Apic, Getty Images The tomb of King Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922, but it... Photo-4200563.56883 - SFGate Image 2 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Crates are brought out of the newly-discovered tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, circa 1923. Crates are brought out of the newly-discovered tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, circa 1923. Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images Crates are brought out of the newly-discovered tomb of Tutankhamun...

Photo-4200567.56883 - SFGate Image 3 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Tourists and souvenir hunters visit the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered by Howard Carter, in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. Tourists and souvenir hunters visit the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered by Howard Carter, in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. Photo: General Photographic Agency, Getty Images Tourists and souvenir hunters visit the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh... Photo-4200569.56883 - SFGate Image 4 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb English Egyptologist Howard Carter (1874 - 1939, right) walks with the patron of his research, archaeologist and 5th Earl, Lord Carnarvon George Herbert (1866 - 1923), at the Valley of the Kings excavation site, Egypt. That year the pair discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

less English Egyptologist Howard Carter (1874 - 1939, right) walks with the patron of his research, archaeologist and 5th Earl, Lord Carnarvon George Herbert (1866 - 1923), at the Valley of the Kings excavation ... more Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images English Egyptologist Howard Carter (1874 - 1939, right) walks with... Photo-4200568.56883 - SFGate Image 5 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Mr Callender, assistant to British archaeologist Howard Carter at the entrance to the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor. Mr Callender, assistant to British archaeologist Howard Carter at the entrance to the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor. Photo: General Photographic Agency, Getty Images Mr Callender, assistant to British archaeologist Howard Carter at...

Photo-4200570.56883 - SFGate Image 6 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (with hand on hip) attends the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun at Luxor, by the Egyptian government. Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (with hand on hip) attends the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun at Luxor, by the Egyptian government. Photo: General Photographic Agency, Getty Images Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (with hand on hip) attends the... Photo-4200571.56883 - SFGate Image 7 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Portrait of British archaeologist Howard Carter (1874 - 1939), who in 1922, under the patronage of George Herbert, discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of The Kings, Thebes, Egypt.

Portrait of British archaeologist Howard Carter (1874 - 1939), who in 1922, under the patronage of George Herbert, discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of The Kings, Thebes, Egypt. Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images Portrait of British archaeologist Howard Carter (1874 - 1939), who... Photo-4200572.56883 - SFGate Image 8 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb View of a wooden chest containing two statues of King Tutankhamun (14th century B.C.), excavated from King Tut's tomb on Howard Carter's expedition in November 1922. View of a wooden chest containing two statues of King Tutankhamun (14th century B.C.), excavated from King Tut's tomb on Howard Carter's expedition in November 1922. Photo: RDA, Getty Images View of a wooden chest containing two statues of King Tutankhamun...

Photo-4200565.56883 - SFGate Image 9 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia at the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun, at Luxor, by the Egyptian government. The occasion was marked with pomp and ceremony and foreign guests of note were welcomed. Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia at the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun, at Luxor, by the Egyptian government. The occasion was marked with pomp and ceremony and foreign guests of note were welcomed. Photo: General Photographic Agency, Getty Images Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia at the opening of the tomb of... Photo-4200574.56883 - SFGate Image 10 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb English Egyptologist Howard Carter and Mr. Mace opening the wall of the inner chamber of Tutankhamun's tomb. English Egyptologist Howard Carter and Mr. Mace opening the wall of the inner chamber of Tutankhamun's tomb. Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images English Egyptologist Howard Carter and Mr.

Mace opening the wall of... Photo-4200576.56883 - SFGate Image 11 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb A life-sized statue of Egyptian ruler Tutankhamun, found in the antechamber of his tomb at Thebes, on exhibition at Cairo Museum. It is made of wood, partly gilded and painted with black varnish. A life-sized statue of Egyptian ruler Tutankhamun, found in the antechamber of his tomb at Thebes, on exhibition at Cairo Museum. It is made of wood, partly gilded and painted with black varnish. Photo: Dudley Gordon, Getty Images A life-sized statue of Egyptian ruler Tutankhamun, found in the... Photo-4200579.56883 - SFGate Image 12 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb The officially re-opened tombs of Egyptian rulers Rameses 9th (left) and Tutankhamun at Thebes. The officially re-opened tombs of Egyptian rulers Rameses 9th (left) and Tutankhamun at Thebes.

Photo: General Photographic Agency, Getty Images The officially re-opened tombs of Egyptian rulers Rameses 9th... Photo-4200582.56883 - SFGate Image 13 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb People carrying a crate full of treasures from the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun at Thebes (modern Luxor and El-Karnak) escorted by armed soldiers. People carrying a crate full of treasures from the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun at Thebes (modern Luxor and El-Karnak) escorted by armed soldiers. Photo: General Photographic Agency, Getty Images People carrying a crate full of treasures from the tomb of Egyptian... Photo-4200580.56883 - SFGate Image 14 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Archaeologist Howard Carter standing over the coffin of Tutankhamun, the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, in1923. Archaeologist Howard Carter standing over the coffin of Tutankhamun, the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, in1923.

Photo: Time Life Pictures, Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image Archaeologist Howard Carter standing over the coffin of... Photo-4200566.56883 - SFGate Image 15 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb A gold coffin is lowered by rope and pulleys as a gold sarcophagus is hoisted up during the excavation of the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamun on Howard Carter's expedition, 1923. A gold coffin is lowered by rope and pulleys as a gold sarcophagus is hoisted up during the excavation of the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamun on Howard Carter's expedition, 1923. Photo: RDA, Getty Images A gold coffin is lowered by rope and pulleys as a gold sarcophagus... Photo-4200564.56883 - SFGate Image 16 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb English Egyptologist Howard Carter supervising carpenters preparing to re-seal Tutankhamen's tomb. English Egyptologist Howard Carter supervising carpenters preparing to re-seal Tutankhamen's tomb.

Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images English Egyptologist Howard Carter supervising carpenters preparing... Photo-4200577.56883 - SFGate Image 17 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Soldiers watching treasures being removed from Tutankhamun's tomb. Soldiers watching treasures being removed from Tutankhamun's tomb. Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images Soldiers watching treasures being removed from Tutankhamun's... Photo-4200578.56883 - SFGate Image 18 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb Men build a single track railway through the Valley of Kings for transporting cases of relics from Tutankhamun's tomb in Luxor. Men build a single track railway through the Valley of Kings for transporting cases of relics from Tutankhamun's tomb in Luxor. Photo: General Photographic Agency, Getty Images Men build a single track railway through the Valley of Kings for...

Photo-4200581.56883 - SFGate Image 19 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb British archaeologist Howard Carter at Tutankhamun's tomb. British archaeologist Howard Carter at Tutankhamun's tomb. Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images British archaeologist Howard Carter at Tutankhamun's tomb. Photo-4200573.56883 - SFGate Image 20 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb An artist retouches paint on a statue from the tomb of Tutankhamun for the Egyptian exhibit at Wembley. An artist retouches paint on a statue from the tomb of Tutankhamun for the Egyptian exhibit at Wembley. Photo: General Photographic Agency, Getty Images An artist retouches paint on a statue from the tomb of Tutankhamun... Photo-4200575.56883 - SFGate Image 21 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb The entrance to the Tomb of Tutankhamun exhibition at Wembley in 1924.

The entrance to the Tomb of Tutankhamun exhibition at Wembley in 1924. Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images The entrance to the Tomb of Tutankhamun exhibition at Wembley in 1924. Photo-4200583.56883 - SFGate Image 22 of 23 | The discovery of King Tut's tomb The gold mask placed over the head of the mummy of Tutankhamen, buried in his tomb at Thebes in the Valley of the Kings is displayed at the Tutankhamen Exhibition at the British Museum, London. It is made of beaten burnished gold, inlaid with glass and semi-precious stones. less The gold mask placed over the head of the mummy of Tutankhamen, buried in his tomb at Thebes in the Valley of the Kings is displayed at the Tutankhamen Exhibition at the British Museum, London. It is made of ... more Photo: Mike Lawn, Getty Images The gold mask placed over the head of the mummy of Tutankhamen,...

Photo-4200584.56883 - SFGate Image 23 of 23 Outbrain AR 9 Item-44548.56883 - SFGate 90th anniversary of the opening of King Tut's tomb 1 / 23 1922: The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb — in color November 1925 Tutankhamun's burial mask. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. Jan. 4, 1924 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker open the doors of the innermost shrine and get their first look at Tutankhamun's sarcophagus. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. In 1907, Egyptologist and archaeologist Howard Carter was hired by George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon to oversee excavations in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.

Carter had built a reputation for scrupulously recording and preserving discoveries. Carter searched the valley for years with little to show for it, which drew the ire of his employer. In 1922, Lord Carnarvon told Carter that he had only one more season of digging before his funding would be ended. Revisiting a previously abandoned dig site at a group of huts, Carter started digging again, desperate for a breakthrough. On Nov. 4, 1922, his crew discovered a step carved into the rock. By the end of the next day, a whole staircase had been uncovered. Carter wired Carnarvon, imploring him to come at once. On Nov. 26, with Carnarvon at his side, Carter chipped open a small breach in the corner of the doorway at the end of the stairs. Holding a candle, he peered inside. At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flame to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold — everywhere the glint of gold.

Howard Carter December 1922 A ceremonial bed in the shape of the Celestial Cow, surrounded by provisions and other objects in the antechamber of the tomb. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. The team had discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, the boy king who ruled Egypt from about 1332 to 1323 BC. Though there was evidence the tomb had twice been raided by ancient grave robbers, it was still remarkably intact. The tomb was crammed with thousands of priceless artifacts, including the sarcophagus containing the king’s mummified remains. Every object in the tomb was meticulously recorded and cataloged before being removed, a process that took nearly eight years. These photographs documenting the discovery of the tomb have been colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition The Discovery of King Tut, opening in New York on Nov. 21. With precisely crafted replicas and reconstructions, the exhibit allows visitors to step into exact recreations of three burial chambers just as the discoverers saw them.

December 1922 A gilded lion bed, clothes chest and other objects in the antechamber. The wall of the burial chamber is guarded by statues. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. c. 1923 An assortment of model boats in the treasury of the tomb. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. December 1922 A gilded lion bed and inlaid clothes chest among other objects in the antechamber. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. December 1922 Under the lion bed in the antechamber are several boxes and chests, and an ebony and ivory chair which Tutankhamun used as a child. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. c.

1923 A gilded bust of the Celestial Cow Mehet-Weret and chests sit in the treasury of the tomb. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. c. 1923 Chests inside the treasury. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. December 1922 Ornately carved alabaster vases in the antechamber. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. January 1924 In a "laboratory" set up in the tomb of Sethos II, conservators Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas clean one of the sentinel statues from the antechamber. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. Nov.

29, 1923 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker wrap one of the sentinel statues for transport. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. December 1923 Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas work on a golden chariot from Tutankhamun's tomb outside the "laboratory" in the tomb of Sethos II. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. c. 1923 A statue of Anubis on a shrine with pallbearers' poles in the treasury of the tomb. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. Dec. 2, 1923 Carter, Callende, and two workers remove the partition wall between the antechamber and the burial chamber. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford .

Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. December 1923 Inside the outermost shrine in the burial chamber, a huge linen pall with gold rosettes, reminiscent of the night sky, covers the smaller shrines within. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. Dec. 30th, 1923 Carter, Mace and an Egyptian worker carefully roll up the linen pall covering the second shrine. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. December 1923 Carter, Callender and two Egyptian workers carefully dismantle one of the golden shrines within the burial chamber. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. October 1925 Carter examines Tutankhamun's sarcophagus. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford .

Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. October 1925 Carter and a worker examine the solid gold innermost sarcophagus. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. c. 1923 Lord Carnarvon, financier of the excavation, reads on the veranda of Carter's house near the Valley of the Kings. Image: Harry Burton (c) The Griffith Institute, Oxford . Colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York. Share this story Color Photos Of The 1922 Discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb | Tutankhamun’s burial mask in color In November 1922 Howard Carter, funded by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was looking for the past in Egypt. On November 5th 1922, Carter wrote in his diary: “Discovered tomb under tomb of Ramsses VI investigated same & found seals intact.” On November 26 1922 he found a door in the sands and the rock.

It led to the tomb of king Tutankhamun (1332 – 1323 BC). Inside were fabulous treasures and the golden sarcophagus containing the king’s mummified remains. Now Dynamichrome have colorized Harry Burton’s photographs (via The Griffith Institute ) for The Discovery of King Tut, opening in New York on Nov. 21, 2015. This is time travel come alive… c. 1923 A gilded bust of the Celestial Cow Mehet-Weret and chests sit in the treasury of the tomb. “With such evidence, as well as the sealed doorway between the two guardian statues of the King, the mystery gradually dawned upon us. We were but in the anterior portion of a tomb” – Carter c. 1923 A statue of Anubis on a shrine with pallbearers’ poles in the treasury of the tomb. “With such evidence, as well as the sealed doorway between the two guardian statues of the King, the mystery gradually dawned upon us.

We were but in the anterior portion of a tomb” – Carter “As my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold – everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment – an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by – I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, ‘Can you see anything?,’ it was all I could do to get out the words, ‘Yes, wonderful things’” – Carter Chests inside the treasury. “We were astonished by the beauty and refinement of the art displayed by the objects surpassing all we could have imagined – the impression was overwhelming” – Carter Carter examines Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus. “The news of the discovery spread fast all over the country, and inquisitive enquiries mingled with congratulations from this moment became the daily programme” – Carter Jan. 4, 1924 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker open the doors of the innermost shrine and get their first look at Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus.

The Photographer: The photographer Harry Burton documented every aspect of the work in Tutankhamun’s tomb, from the first inventory-taking to the transfer of the last find to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Only in Burton’s photographs did the young pharaoh achieve true immortality. The Metropolitan Museum sent Burton as the excavation photographer; he was “Carter’s eye and memory.” With his enormous camera and cumbersome negative plates, Burton tirelessly trekked between the discovery site, his laboratory (which he had set up in the tomb of King Seti II) and his improvised darkroom in neighboring tomb KV 55 (all tombs in the Valley of the Kings are identified by a KV number – Tutankhamun’s tomb is KV 62). Dec. 30th, 1923 Carter, Mace and an Egyptian worker carefully roll up the linen pall covering the second shrine. December 1923 Inside the outermost shrine in the burial chamber, a huge linen pall with gold rosettes, reminiscent of the night sky, covers the smaller shrines within. December 1923 Carter, Callender and two Egyptian workers carefully dismantle one of the golden shrines within the burial chamber.

December 1923 Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas work on a golden chariot from Tutankhamun’s tomb outside the “laboratory” in the tomb of Sethos II. January 1924 In a “laboratory” set up in the tomb of Sethos II, conservators Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas clean one of the sentinel statues from the antechamber. Nov. 29, 1923 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker wrap one of the sentinel statues for transport. c. 1923 Lord Carnarvon, financier of the excavation, reads on the veranda of Carter’s house near the Valley of the Kings. December 1922 Under the lion bed in the antechamber are several boxes and chests, and an ebony and ivory chair which Tutankhamun used as a child. Ornately carved alabaster vases in the antechamber. December 1922 A ceremonial bed in the shape of the Celestial Cow, surrounded by provisions and other objects in the antechamber of the tomb. December 1922 A gilded lion bed, clothes chest and other objects in the antechamber.

The wall of the burial chamber is guarded by statues. Share this: Archaeologists enter tomb of King Tut - Nov 26, 1922 - HISTORY.com Archaeologists enter tomb of King Tut Share this: Archaeologists enter tomb of King Tut Author Archaeologists enter tomb of King Tut URL Publisher A+E Networks In Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon become the first souls to enter King Tutankhamen’s tomb in more than 3,000 years. Tutankhamen’s sealed burial chambers were miraculously intact, and inside was a collection of several thousand priceless objects, including a gold coffin containing the mummy of the teenage king. When Carter first arrived in Egypt, in 1891, most of the ancient Egyptian tombs had been discovered, and the majority of these had been hopelessly plundered by tomb raiders over the millennia. However, Carter was a brilliant excavator, and in the first years of the 20th century he discovered the tombs of Queen Hatshepsut and King Thutmose IV.

Around 1907, he became associated with the Earl of Carnarvon, a collector of antiquities who commissioned Carter to supervise excavations in the Valley of the Kings. By 1913, most experts felt there was nothing in the Valley left to be uncovered. Carter, however, persisted in his efforts, convinced that the tomb of the little-known King Tutankhamen might still be found. King Tutankhamen was enthroned in 1333 B.C. when he was still a child. He died a decade later at the age of 18 and thus made only a faint impression on the history of ancient Egypt. In the 13th century B.C., Tutankhamen and the other “Amarna” kings were publicly condemned, and most records of them were destroyed–including the location of Tutankhamen’s tomb. A century later, in the 12th century B.C., workers building a tomb for Ramses VI inadvertently covered Tutankhamen’s tomb with a deep layer of chips, further protecting it from future discovery.

After World War I, Carter began an intensive search for Tutankhamen’s tomb and on November 4, 1922, discovered a step leading to its entrance. Lord Carnarvon rushed to Egypt, and on November 23 they broke through a mud-brick door, revealing the passageway that led to Tutankhamen’s tomb. There was evidence that robbers had entered the structure at some point, and the archaeologists feared they had discovered yet another pillaged tomb. However, on November 26 they broke through another door, and Carter leaned in with a candle to take a look. Behind him, Lord Carnarvon asked, “Can you see anything?” Carter replied, “Yes, wonderful things.” It was the antechamber of Tutankhamen’s tomb, and it was gloriously untouched. The dusty floor still showed the footprints of the tomb builders who left the room more than 3,000 years before. Apparently, the robbers who had broken into Tutankhamen’s tomb had done so soon after it was completed and were caught before moving into the interior chambers and causing serious damage.

Thus began a monumental excavation process in which Carter carefully explored the four-room tomb over several years, uncovering an incredible collection of several thousand objects. In addition to numerous pieces of jewelry and gold, there was statuary, furniture, clothes, a chariot, weapons, and numerous other objects that shed a brilliant light on the culture and history of ancient Egypt. The most splendid find was a stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested within each other. Inside the final coffin, made out of solid gold, was the mummified body of the boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for 3,200 years. Most of these treasures are now housed in the Cairo Museum. Related Videos Burial site of Tutankhamun discovered: archive, 1 December 1922 | Culture | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close The discoveries of Mr. Howard Carter at Thebes reported by the Cairo correspondent of the “Times,” are likely to be of high importance to the student of comparative religion as well as to the Egyptologist.

The cache unearthed in the Valley of the Kings by Mr Howard Carter, who for sixteen years has been assisting Lord Carnarvon in excavations on the site of ancient Thebes, contains the funeral furnishings of King Tutankhamun. He was one of the Heretic Kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and it was he who reverted to the traditional polytheistic worship of the Egyptians which his father-in-law, Akhenaten, had exchanged for a more enlightened monotheism. Three sealed chambers have been discovered, and one of the three has not yet been opened. Its door is guarded by two life-sized bitumenised statues of Tutankhamun, with delicately carved features, hands, and feet, and head-dresses richly studded with gems. From their presence it appears possible that the unopened chamber may be the tomb of Tutankhamun. The outer chamber in which these statues stood was crammed with a medley of treasures. There were three magnificent state couches exquisitely carved, supporting beds ornamented with carving, gilt and inlaid ivory and semi-precious stones.

Beneath one of the couches was the state throne of Tutankhamun , which the “Times” correspondent describes as “probably one of the most beautiful objects of art ever discovered.” Pinterest Howard Carter with the golden sarcophagus of Tutankhamun. Photograph: Harry Burton/Apic/Getty Images A heavily gilt chair was adorned with portraits of the king and queen and encrusted with gems. Four chariots were in the chamber, their sides encrusted with semi-precious stones and richly decorated with gold, and a charioteer’s apron of leopard-skin hung over the seat of each. Other objects in the same chamber were a stool of ebony inlaid with ivory, boxes of exquisite workmanship, one of them containing royal robes, handsomely embroidered, a throne-stool with Asiatics carved upon it, bronze-gilt musical instruments, alabaster vases of intricate and unknown design, wreaths still looking ever-green, and large quantities of provisions for the dead, such as trussed ducks and haunches of venison, all packed in boxes. There was also a box containing rolls of papyri, and these, it is expected, will add considerably to our knowledge of the period.

The Secret of Tell-el-Amarna The discoveries are particularly important because of their profusion and variety. The last great discovery made in 1908 or 1909, was that of the body of Akhenaten in the tomb of his mother, Queen Thyi. The tomb had been plundered, and was not so richly stored as was that of Iniya and Tuiyu, the father and mother of Queen Thyi. This tomb was unearthed in 1905, and its discovery, from the importance and variety of the objects which it laid bare, may be considered the nearest parallel to Mr. Howard Carter’s find. The articles found in the 1905 excavation included a large amount of funeral furniture, with a chariot, chairs, beds, and cushions. Pinterest A poster from the Discovering Tutankhamun exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 2014. Photograph: (c) Brier-Remner Collection Mr. Howard Carter’s discovery may turn out even more important than this.

From the papyri in particular a great deal of light may be thrown upon the period of Tutankhamun and the great city of Tell-el-Amarna, whose ruins lie half-way between Memphis and Thebes. Tell-el-Amarna was founded by King Akhenaten, whose daughter was the wife of Tutankhamun. A good deal of excavation has been done on the site of Tell-el-Amarna, and the Manchester Museum has a substantial number of objects excavated there - one of the best collections, indeed, outside Berlin. In the Manchester Museum is a clay mould for a finger-ring with the name of Tutankhamun in hieroglyphics upon it, and there is also a slate-blue ring made from a similar mould and inscribed with the name of his wife, through whom he claimed the throne. Her name was Ankh-sen-pa-ateu. More is known today about Akenhaten than about his son-in-law. Their period is one of the most interesting in Egyptian history, and exceptionally interesting to the student of comparative religion. The first of them broke away from the old religion of Egypt, and the second returned to it.

They belonged to the eighteenth of the thirty dynasties that elapsed from the beginning of Egyptian history, which may be said to date from about 3400 B.C., to the conquest of Egypt in 332 B.C. by Alexander the Great. Pinterest The gold mask of King Tutankhamun. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP Akenhaten, who reigned from about 1375 to 1358 B.C., was a man in advance of his time. The first individual in history, Breasted has called him; the first man whose character stands out really plainly. He came to the throne as a boy, aged perhaps twelve, and appears to have been not more than about fifteen when he began to dethrone the traditional gods of Egypt. Possibly it is to his mother, who was regent, that the inspiration should be credited. At any rate, Akenhaten attempted to substitute for the old adoration of a multiplicity of gods, of whom Amen-Re was at that time the chief, the worship of one god, the sun’s disc, which he called Aten. He held that all life emanated from the sun, and he worshipped the power behind it.

He was the first known monotheist, and his belief was the more significant because of his conception of Aten not as a god for Egypt alone but as a loving god for all men.

Question: Who discovered and opened Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922?
Answer: Howard Carter