Humanity's interest in antiquities as historical monuments, which took shape in the science of archeology, was born from much more base motives. In the second half of the 18th century, those who went on excavations of antiquities dreamed not of finding unique evidence of bygone eras, but of gold and jewelry for personal enrichment.
Treasures of the Valley of the Kings
But in the 19th century, the situation gradually began to change, and archaeological excavations became the work of enthusiasts who were ready to spend time and money on their hobby, in return dreaming of glorifying their own name.
One of the most attractive points for archaeologists was Egypt, whose rich ancient history was not a secret.
Expeditions flocked to the Valley of the Kings, where dozens of tombs of pharaohs, as well as high-ranking representatives of the nobility of Ancient Egypt, were located in the rocky gorge.
The problem, however, was that the archaeologists who explored the tombs were not the first “guests” there. Despite all the stories about the “superstitious fear of the ancient Egyptians of the wrath of the gods,” the tombs were mercilessly plundered even in the era of the pharaohs, so that researchers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries only got what the plunderers, for some reason, disdained.
Professional and amateur
Howard Carter, the son of an English artist from Norfolk, came to Egyptology at the age of 17, joining the British Organization for the Archaeological Research of Egypt. Fellow Egyptologists noted Carter after he made a number of interesting discoveries during his exploration of the Djeser Djeseru - built in the 15th century BC. e. terraced mortuary temple and rock tomb at Deir el-Bahri.
Howard Carter. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Having become a famous archaeologist, Carter spent several years as inspector general of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities, inspecting the work of the American archaeologist Theodore Davis. During these works, the tombs of Thutmose IV, Horemheb, Ramesses Saptah,
Carter dreamed of a revolutionary discovery - the discovery of an untouched tomb. In 1906, he found a companion - an amateur archaeologist and collector of antiquities Lord Carnarvon. The lord was not just sick of Ancient Egypt, he dreamed of finding the tomb of Tutankhamun, the ruler of the 18th dynasty, whose very existence was questioned by historians.
Carter and Carnarvon began joint excavations in 1914, and managed to open the tomb of Amenhotep I and the burials of several queens of the 18th dynasty.
Then the expedition had to be curtailed due to the First World War, but after its end, Carter convinced the lord to return to the search.
The secret under the rubble
But time passed, and there was no result. Lord Carnarvon was also ready to abandon the senseless waste of money, but now Carter insisted on continuing the search. While working in other tombs, he accidentally discovered objects with the name of Tutankhamun. This meant that the pharaoh was a real figure and not a legend.
Lord Carnarvon. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
In 1922, Lord Carnarvon announced to Carter that he was financing the last season of excavations, and if there was no result now, there would be no result at all.
In November 1922, workers from the Carter expedition demolished the walls of barracks that had been abandoned by the archaeologists themselves five years earlier. At the same time, they removed a meter-long layer of rubble that was underneath them.
On November 4, 1922, work stopped. Carter, looking into the hole dug by the workers, found a step carved into the rock.
Apparently, the workers who once built the nearby tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses VI filled in the path leading to the entrance to the existing tomb. So they accidentally preserved it for millennia, hiding it from the eyes of robbers.
Excavations continued with renewed energy. At the bottom of the stairs, a door was discovered, blocked with stones, walled up and equipped with a double seal.
Carter was delighted to discover that he was dealing with a royal seal, which was used to wall up the tombs of the pharaohs. It seems his dream is finally coming true!
Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62), discovered by Carter. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
“Strange animals, statues and... gold began to emerge from the darkness.”
The archaeologist sent a telegram to Lord Carnarvon in England: “At last you have made a wonderful discovery in the Valley: a magnificent tomb with intact seals has been closed again until your arrival. Congratulations".
On November 23, the lord arrived at the excavations. When they continued, Carter discovered that one of the seals was not royal, but priestly. This happened if the tomb had to be closed again after the discovery of a theft by grave robbers.
Carter was upset by this fact, but the very presence of the seal indicated that the tomb had not been completely cleansed.
On November 26, 1922, the passage to the interior was cleared. This is how Howard Carter described the historical moment: “With trembling hands, I made a narrow crack in the upper left corner of the stonework. Behind it there was emptiness, as far as I could determine with an iron probe... they tested the air on the candle flame to check for the accumulation of dangerous gases, and then I slightly widened the hole, stuck the candle into it and looked inside. Lord Carnarvon Lady Evelyn Herbert And Egyptologist Callender stood nearby and anxiously awaited my verdict. At first I couldn’t see anything, because the stream of hot air from the tomb was blowing out the candle. But gradually my eyes got used to the flickering light, and strange animals, statues and... gold began to appear in front of me from the twilight - gold sparkled everywhere! For a moment - to those who stood next to me, it seemed like an eternity! “I was speechless with amazement.”
Tutankhamun on a chariot. Image from a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
"Golden Palace" of the Pharaoh
The room, which opened in November 1922, would later be called the Front Room. The treasures here were not located in the order that was originally intended. Apparently, the robbers were preparing to remove valuables, but were taken by surprise. The priests also did not restore everything to its original form, sealing the tomb.
Statue of Tutankhamun. Photo: Frame youtube.com
More than six hundred objects were discovered in the Front Room, which were carefully described and sketched. After completing this work, archaeologists were ready to open the burial chamber.
This happened on February 16, 1923. The “Golden Palace” turned out to be completely untouched by the robbers. Among the various valuables, which numbered in the thousands, the sarcophagus of the pharaoh was found, and in it his mummy with a death mask. Today, Tutankhamun's death mask, made of 11.26 kg of pure gold and many precious stones, is considered one of the most valuable objects ever discovered by Egyptologists.
The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, the first unlooted tomb in the Valley of the Kings, created a worldwide sensation. Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon entered the history of science forever.
“Forks of Death”: the truth about the “curse of Tutankhamun”
Like any sensation, especially one associated with Ancient Egypt, the story of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb could not help but acquire legends, the main of which, of course, is the “Curse of the Pharaoh.”
Carter himself also added some wood to the fire when he spoke about what happened at the moment of opening the burial chamber: “At that moment we lost all desire to open these seals, because we suddenly felt that we were invading forbidden possessions; this oppressive feeling was further intensified by the linen coverings that fell from the inner ark. It seemed to us that the ghost of the deceased pharaoh had appeared before us, and we must bow before him.”
Legend has it that those who disturbed the peace of Tutankhamun suffered an untimely death. The inscription in the tomb warned about this: “The pitchfork of death will pierce the one who disturbs the peace of the pharaoh.”
The first “victim of the curse” was Lord Carnarvon, who died on April 5, 1923 from pneumonia. The 56-year-old enthusiast died at a time when the study of the found valuables was just beginning.
Supporters of the reality of the “curse” count more than 20 victims of the “wrath of Tutankhamun”, including Howard Carter himself.
The archaeologist died in March 1939 in London, aged 64, from cancer. Already here you can feel that the “curse” is far-fetched - one of the two main “desecrators” lived for 16 years after the opening of the tomb.
As for the inscriptions threatening death, such were present in almost all tombs, which did not prevent robbers from taking out everything that had at least some value.
The best evidence that the “curse” is a real “fake” is statistics. A study of the biographies of the participants in the Carter expedition shows that their average life expectancy was 74.4 years. Perhaps the most anecdotal example is the presence of “victims” on the list Sir Alan Henderson Gardiner, author of a grammar of Middle Egyptian. The scientist died in 1963 at the age of 84!
But it just so happens that people are attracted to mysticism, and not real science. This was the case under Tutankhamun, and this continues today.
Back in 1922, British photographer Harry Burton took impressive photographs of the history of Howard Carter's archaeological excavations in the Egyptian pyramids. Black and white photographs on glass negatives tell the story of the English Egyptologist Carter, who arrived in Egypt in 1891 and since 1907 devoted himself to excavations in the Valley of the Kings.
The history of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the young ruler of Egypt, contains many unsolved secrets and is still closely studied by scientists. But for the first time in all their research, scientists are showing not black and white photographs of treasures from the Valley of the Kings, but color photographs from the excavation site of one of the most mysterious places on the planet.
The stunning images were presented by Factum Arte, a group of enthusiasts who recently created a life-size replica of Tutankhamun's tomb so that tourists can see almost every detail of the young pharaoh's tomb. The opening of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 caused a sensation throughout the world. The rich furniture and decorations amazed the public, and archaeologists were puzzled by the reasons for the death of the young king.
These are stunning photographs of Tutankhamun's burial chamber and items from the tomb's hallway. But it’s amazing how many years the research into the mysterious ancient treasures of Egypt has been going on; all the secrets are still far from being revealed. Discoveries made in Tutankhamun's burial chamber are far from complete, Egyptologists say, suggesting that King Tutankhamun's tomb may contain several hidden chambers.
Modern technologies used in the exploration of Tutankhamun's tomb to find secret chambers will begin today, said Egypt's Minister of Antiquities and Heritage Mamdouh al-Damati. It must be said that the plans of the Egyptian authorities regarding the pyramids generally include enormous plans - they plan to study all the pyramids using space scanning. And 2016, according to ad-Damati, should be called the Year of the Pyramids, in honor of the expected disclosure of the sensational secrets of the pyramids.
The chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun hides the entrance to the pyramid of Queen Nefertiti.
The marks on the north and west walls are strikingly similar to those seen by Howard Carter at the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb. This lends support to a new theory that Queen Nefertiti may be buried within the walls of a 3,300-year-old pharaonic mausoleum.
An interesting theory about the whereabouts of the Queen Mother was proposed last month by British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves. According to him, he found a hidden door hidden under the plaster on the wall of the burial chamber, which the Egyptologist is confident leads to the tomb of the mother of the supposed ruler, Queen Nefertiti.
"It seems to me that it is very likely that she died during the reign of her husband and was thus buried in Amarna, the city built by Akhenaten in Middle Egypt. But I believe that she will be buried somewhere in the Western Valley, and not in the center of the Valley Kings, Reeves theorizes.
Nefertiti, was the queen of Egypt and wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten during the 14th century BC, and they together established the cult of Aten, the sun god, and promoted the development of art in Egypt, which makes the couple strikingly different from all their predecessors.
Her title suggests that she was a co-regent and may have become the sole king after Akhenaten's death. But, despite her high status and position, her death and burial remains an unsolvable mystery from the depths of history. "If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but if I'm right, this is potentially the biggest archaeological find if we actually find the Nefertiti chamber," Reeves assures us.
The curse of the Egyptian pharaohs.
Half-forgotten ancient legends, some of them are kind and tell about giants who stood to protect people from evil demons, others, on the contrary, tell terrible things about death. One of the legends of the ancient world interprets that anyone who breaks into the tomb of the pharaohs will certainly die - theft and an attempt to disturb the peace of the pharaoh will be punished with death.
One way or another, fact or mysticism, many believed in the veracity of the legend about the curse of the Egyptian pharaohs after Lord Carnarvon died strangely. In 1923, on March 19, the lord was bitten by a mosquito, then he allegedly cut himself with a razor and became infected with something through the cut, but Carnarvon immediately became seriously ill - he died a month later.
This was not the only death among those who visited the tomb of Tutankhamun. But all the others died a considerable time after the opening of the tomb and being at a respectable age. The story with Lord Carnarvon is noteworthy in that at that time he transferred to the Times newspaper exclusive rights to all materials about the legend of the “curse of the pharaohs”, which he was able to write and give for “promotion” to the newspaper. It’s a strange thing - but the curse of the pharaohs came true against the lord very quickly.
The story about the tomb of Tutankhamun, the world-famous ancient Egyptian pharaoh, is briefly summarized in this article. The report on the tomb of Tutankhamun can be supplemented with interesting facts.
"The Tomb of Tutankhamun" short message
Tutankhamun was the pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of the pharaohs of Egypt, and he ruled the kingdom from 1347-1337 BC. This young ruler became a symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization and the most famous pharaoh thanks to the discovery of his tomb. She was the only one in the Valley of the Kings that was practically untouched by robbers.
The tomb of the pharaoh was discovered in the Valley of the Kings. And this is the only tomb that reached researchers in its original form. This despite the fact that it was clearly hidden by thieves twice. The tomb was discovered in 1922 by two Englishmen - Egyptologist Howard Carter and amateur archaeologist Lord George Carnarvon. Here they discovered a lot of decoration, a sarcophagus made of gold with the body of a mummified pharaoh. But let's talk about everything in more detail.
The history of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb
The search for Tutankhamun's tomb began in 1916. The idea of archaeologist Carter and Lord Carnavon seemed utopian to everyone, because until that time the Valley of the Kings had been shoveled up and down. But the British stubbornly pursued their goal for 6 years. Having dug up all the areas, they did not touch a small part of the area where, in their opinion, there were huts of the tomb builders.
Under the first hut, Egyptologists discovered a step leading down. Having begun to clear the stairs, the archaeologists below saw the walled up door of the tomb. It was a sensation. The opening of Tutankhamun's tomb happened on November 3, 1922. The first stage of work was completed. Carter decided to wait for Lord Carnarvon, who was in London.
On November 25, 1922, they went down to the tomb. Having reached the door, Carter realized that Tutankhamun’s tomb had already been opened before him, more than once, since the entrance was not walled up and sealed. In the corridor of the tomb, Egyptologists noticed broken and whole jugs - another fact of the activity of robbers. But a real surprise-mystery awaited them inside: why did the pharaoh’s treasures remain untouched? The surprise of archaeologists knew no bounds. After doing numerous jobs, Carter reached a room full of various objects.
So what did they find in Tutankhamun's tomb? In the first two rooms, vases, a golden throne, caskets, writing instruments, lamps, a golden chariot, numerous gold jewelry, precious stones, household items, and sawn-up ships were found. Carter was particularly impressed by the black sculptures of the pharaoh standing opposite each other, wearing golden sandals and aprons, with staffs, maces and a sacred cobra on his forehead. He also saw a beautiful feather fan, which crumbled into dust when touched by his hands.
Archaeologists, when they came to their senses after seeing the amount of treasure, discovered that there was no sarcophagus in these rooms. This means there is also a burial room.
A sealed third chamber was discovered between the sculptures of the pharaoh. and Carter decides to mothball further research in order to carry out organizational work and negotiations with the Egyptian government. In December he returned to work and began to describe, preserve and transport the treasures from the tomb. On December 27, the first batch of finds was brought to light. It was not very easy to do this, because some things made of fabric, leather or wood had practically decayed.
Exploration of the burial room
The burial room was covered with upholstered gold plates and decorated with blue mosaics. It opened in mid-February. A case containing a sarcophagus was also discovered. On one side of the case there were folding doors, closed with a bolt, although without a seal. Behind them was another, smaller one, without a mosaic, but with a pharaoh's seal. Hanging over it was a cover of sequined linen, attached to wooden cornices. After the archaeologists dismantled the last case, the lid of a large sarcophagus made of yellow quartzite opened in front of the researchers. Lifting the lid, Carter discovered a huge gilded relief portrait of Tutankhamun. In fact, it was the lid of a two-meter coffin with the contours of a male figure.
The golden sarcophagus contained the mummy of Tutankhamun, darkened by time and petrified. His chest and face were covered with a mask of gold. Since that time, the world has learned about the great pharaoh of Ancient Egypt - the young and mysterious Tutankhamun.
Where are the items from Tutankhamun's tomb located?
Items from the tomb of the pharaoh are in various museums on our planet. Today most of the exhibits are located in the Great Egyptian Museum. The pharaoh's golden death mask and sarcophagus are on display in the Cairo Museum.
Tutankhamun's tomb: interesting facts
A CT scan of Tutankhamun's body in 2005 showed that the pharaoh was 180 cm tall and ate well.
Tutankhamun and his wife had no children, although Ankhesenpaaton suffered two miscarriages. The bodies of two stillborn baby girls were mummified and placed in small coffins in Tutankhamun's tomb.
There is a legend about the curse of Tutankhamun's tomb. A series of deaths of several researchers who studied the burial are associated with the tomb. The first among the researchers to die was Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavations. He died almost five months after the opening of the tomb, on April 5, 1923.
Journalists counted 22 victims of the curse, 13 of whom were directly present at the opening of the tomb. And Howard Carter, who supervised all the work in the tomb, died last, in 1939 at the age of 66.
We hope that the report “The Tomb of Tutankhamun” helped you prepare for the lesson. And what you know about Tutankhamun’s tomb, you can leave through the comment form below.
Episodes from the history of the great archaeological discovery
“Oh mother Neith! Stretch your wings over me, eternal stars..."
Inscription on the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun
Robbers invaded Tutankhamun's tomb ten to fifteen years after his death. By some chance, the first, superficial robbery left the tomb largely undisturbed.
Photo fragment / November 1925. Tutankhamun's burial mask. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
In 1902, the Egyptian government allowed the American Theodore Davis to excavate in the Valley of the Kings. Davis dug for twelve winters in a row. He was lucky: he discovered the extremely interesting and important for science tombs of Thutmes IV, Sipt, Horemheb, the mummy and sarcophagus of the great “heretic king” Amenhotep IV. In the year when the First World War began, this concession passed to Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, who later revealed Pharaoh Tutankhamun to the world.
The third car registered in England belonged to him: motor racing was his passion. This passion led to a radical change in his life - at the very beginning of the 20th century. [in the book: "current"] century, he gets into a car accident near Bad Langenschwalbach, Germany: his car overturns. In addition to a number of serious injuries, the consequences of the disaster were damage to the respiratory tract; real attacks of suffocation make it impossible for him to stay in England in winter. So, in 1903, he first came to Egypt with its milder climate, and here he went to excavations that were carried out by various archaeological expeditions. A wealthy independent man who had not previously had a specific goal in life, he saw in this activity a truly magnificent opportunity to combine his passion for sports that had not abandoned him with serious pursuits of art. In 1906, he began independent excavations, but that same winter he came to the conclusion that his knowledge was completely insufficient. He turns to Professor Maspero for help, and he recommends young Howard Carter.
The cooperation of these people was unusually fruitful. Howard Carter was an excellent complement to Lord Carnarvon: he was a comprehensively educated explorer and, even before Lord Carnarvon invited him to supervise all his excavations, he had acquired a lot of practical knowledge from Petrie and Davis. But for all that, he was not at all an imaginative recorder of facts, although some critics reproached him for excessive pedantry. He was a man with a practical mindset and at the same time a rare brave man, a real daredevil. "
"Carnarvon and Howard Carter began working together. Only in the fall of 1917 did they manage to increase the scale of work so much that there was hope for success. Then something happened that we have already seen more than once in the history of science: from the very beginning they managed to attack that the place where, in fact, the discovery was subsequently made. However, a number of external circumstances - critical reflections, delays, doubts and, above all, “instructions from specialists" slowed down the whole business and led to the fact that it almost burst altogether. "
4.
Plan of the tomb on the website of The Discovery of King Tut exhibition
"Having begun excavations, Carnarvon and Carter, over the course of the winter, removed almost all of the top layer of debris and rubble inside the intended triangle and brought the excavations to the foot of the open tomb of Ramesses VI. "Here we came across a number of huts for workers - several huts that were built on a heap of fragments of flint, which, as is known, always serves in the Valley as a sure sign of the proximity of some tomb.”
The events of the next few years gradually became more and more tense.
Because of the tourists, or rather, because further excavations would interfere with the inspection of the tomb of Ramses, which is eagerly visited by tourists, Carnarvon and Carter decided to stop excavations in this place until more favorable times. Thus, in the winter of 1919/20, they excavated only at the entrance to the tomb of Ramesses VI and found there in a small cache some items of funeral equipment of known archaeological interest.
“Never before during our work in the Valley were we so close to a real discovery,” Carter later wrote.
Now they had “turned around,” as Petrie would say, the entire triangle, with the exception of that piece of land on which the workers’ huts stood. And again they leave this last section untouched, again go to another place, to a small hollow adjacent to the Valley of the Kings, to the tomb of Thutmes III, rummage there for two years in a row and in the end do not find anything valuable.
Then they get together and quite seriously discuss the question of whether, after such insignificant results of long-term research, the excavations should not be moved to a completely different place. As before, only that patch of land remains unexcavated where there are workers' shacks and a heap of flint fragments - a small piece of territory at the foot of the tomb of Ramesses VI. After much hesitation, they finally decide to devote another, this time really the last, winter to the Valley of the Kings. "
"On the third of November 1922, Carter (Lord Carnarvon was in England at that time) began demolishing the shacks - these were the remains of dwellings from the time of the 20th dynasty. The next morning, a stone step was discovered under the first shack. By the evening of the fifth of November, after they had been removed mountains of garbage and rubble, there was no longer any doubt that they had managed to find the entrance to some kind of tomb.
However, it could also be some kind of unfinished or unused, empty tomb. And if there was a mummy in it, it was possible that this tomb, like many others, had long since been desecrated and plundered. Finally, to go through all the pessimistic options, let’s say that the tomb could not have belonged to the king at all, but to some courtier or priest.
As the work progressed, so did Carter's excitement. Step by step was freed from the rubble and rubble, and by the time the sun suddenly set, as always in Egypt, everyone could see the twelfth step, and beyond it “the upper part of a closed, plastered and sealed door.” “Sealed door! So, really... This moment could excite even an experienced archaeologist.”
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Plan of the interior of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. From the book “Gods, Tombs, Scientists” by K. Keram, M., 1963.
Carter examined the seals: these were the seals of the royal necropolis. Consequently, there, in the tomb, lay the ashes of some truly high-ranking person. Since the workers’ dwellings had already blocked the entrance to the tomb since the 20th dynasty, it, at least from that time, should have become inaccessible to thieves. Carter, trembling with impatience, made a small hole in the door large enough to fit an electric light bulb, and found that the entire passage on the other side of the door was blocked with stones and rubble; this once again proved that they tried to protect the tomb as much as possible from uninvited guests.
When Carter, leaving the excavation under the protection of his most faithful people, returned home by moonlight, he had to enter into a difficult struggle with himself.
“There could be anything, literally anything, behind this passage, and I had to call upon all my self-control to resist the temptation to break the door now and continue the search,” Carter wrote in his diary after he looked into the hole he made in the door. Now, as he rode a donkey down the slope of the Valley of the Kings, he was overcome by a burning impatience. An inner voice whispered to him that after six years of fruitless labor he was finally standing on the threshold of a great discovery; and yet it is difficult not to admire this - he decides to fill up the excavation and wait for the return of Lord Carnarvon, his friend and collaborator.
6.
King Tutankhamun tomb "s hidden chamber discovered through testing temperature. dailymail.co.uk
On the morning of November 6, Carter sends a telegram to Carnarvon: “Finally, a wonderful discovery has been made in the Valley. A magnificent tomb with intact seals; everything is filled up again before your arrival. Congratulations". On the eighth he receives two answers: “I’ll come as quickly as possible”; “I expect to be in Alexandria on the twentieth.”
On November 23, Lord Carnarvon arrived in Luxor with his daughter. Carter spent more than two weeks in burning impatience, in agonizing anticipation in front of the newly filled up tomb. Already two days after the discovery, a hail of congratulations fell on him, but with what, exactly, was he congratulated - with what discovery, whose tomb? Carter didn't know this. If he had continued the excavation just a few centimeters, he would have seen an absolutely clear and distinct impression of Tutankhamun's seal. “I would sleep better at night and spare myself three weeks of painful uncertainty.”
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December 1922. Ornately carved alabaster vases in the antechamber. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
By the afternoon of November 24, workers had cleared all the steps. After getting off the last, sixteenth, Carter found himself in front of a sealed door. He saw prints of a seal with the name of Tutankhamun and at the same time what almost all tomb researchers had to face: traces of robbers, who managed to get ahead of scientists here too; here, as in other places, the thieves managed to do their job.
“Since the entire door was now visible, we were able to see what had previously been hidden from our eyes, namely: part of the walled up passage had been opened twice and sealed up again; The seals we had previously found - the jackal and nine captives - were attached to the part of the wall that was being opened, while the seals of Tutankhamun, with which the tomb was originally sealed, were on the other, lower untouched part of the wall. Thus, the tomb was not, as we had hoped, completely intact. Robbers have visited it more than once. The huts we have already mentioned indicated that robbers had been active before the reign of Ramesses VI, and the fact that the tomb was sealed again indicated that the robbers had not been able to clean it completely.” "
8.
Treasury / C. 1923. An assortment of model boats in the treasury of the tomb. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
“The decisive moment was approaching,” Carter writes, “with trembling hands we made a small hole in the upper left corner...”
Taking an iron rod, Carter passed it through the hole; the rod did not meet an obstacle. Then Carter lit a match and brought it to the hole: no sign of gas. He began to widen the hole.
Now everyone crowded around him: Lord Carnarvon, his daughter Lady Evelyn Herbert and Egyptologist Callender, who, as soon as he learned about the new discovery, hastened to offer his services as an assistant. Nervously striking a match, Carter lights the candle and with a trembling hand brings it to the hole, but the hot current of air escaping from the hole almost blows it out, and in the flickering light Carter is not immediately able to see what is behind the door. Gradually his eyes get used to it, and he distinguishes first the contours, then the first colors, and when finally the contents of the chamber located on the other side of the door become clearly visible to him, a victorious cry freezes on his lips... he remains silent. For those standing waiting next to him, this moment seems like an eternity. “Do you see anything there?” Carnarvon asks him, unable to bear the uncertainty any longer. Slowly, as if spellbound, Howard Carter turns to him. “Oh yes,” he says soulfully, “amazing things!”
9.
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. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
“There can be no doubt that in the entire history of archaeological excavations no one has yet been able to see anything more magnificent than what our lantern pulled out of the darkness,” said Carter, when the first excitement had subsided and the researchers, one after another, were able to calmly approach the hole made in the door. His words were confirmed when the door was opened on November 17 and a beam of light from a strong electric light bulb danced on a golden stretcher, on a massive golden throne, on two large mattely shining black statues, on alabaster vases, on some extraordinary caskets. The heads of strange animals cast monstrous shadows on the walls; like sentries, two statues stood opposite one another “with golden aprons, in golden sandals, with clubs and staffs. Golden images of sacred snakes were wrapped around their foreheads.”
10.
December 1922. A gilded lion bed and inlaid clothes chest among other objects in the antechamber. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
And among all this luxury of the dead, which was impossible to grasp with the eye, traces of the living were visible: near the door stood a vessel half filled with lime, not far from it was a lamp black with soot, in another place on the wall a fingerprint was visible, on the threshold lay a garland of flowers - last tribute to the deceased. Carnarvon and Carter stood as if spellbound, looking at all this dead luxury and at the traces of life preserved over so many millennia; A lot of time passed before they woke up and were convinced that in this room - a real museum of treasures - there was neither a sarcophagus nor a mummy. Was the question that had already been discussed more than once resurfaced: a tomb or a hiding place?
However, having walked around all the rooms step by step, they discovered another, third, sealed door between the sentries. “In our minds we already imagined a whole suite of rooms similar to the one we were in, also filled with treasures, and it took our breath away.” On November 27, they examined the door and, by the light of strong electric lamps, which Callender had managed to install by that time, they were convinced that almost at floor level, next to the door, there was a passage, also sealed, although later than the door itself. This means that robbers managed to visit here too. What could be hiding in this second chamber or second corridor? If behind this door there was a mummy, then in what form? Was she safe? There was a lot of mystery here. The layout of this tomb was also strange, unlike any of those found previously. Even more strange was the fact that the robbers tried to penetrate the third door, without paying any attention to the wealth that was in front of them. What were they looking for if they calmly walked past the pile of gold things lying in the first room? "
"...Carter only needed a quick glance to understand that a thorough study of all these treasures "would lead to a change, if not a complete revolution, in all previous views and theories."
11.
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. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
Soon, the researchers made another important discovery: in the chamber, among other things, there were three large beds. Looking under one of them, one of the researchers discovered a small hole. He called the others. Having illuminated the hole with a lamp, they saw a small side chamber, smaller than the first, but also filled to capacity with all sorts of household items and jewelry. As far as one could judge, everything in the tomb remained in the same form in which the robbers left it; they passed here “like a good earthquake.” And again the question arises: the robbers ransacked everything here, they (we can say this quite definitely) threw some things and objects from the side chamber into the front one, they damaged something, broke it, but stole almost nothing - even what was to say, it just fell into their hands. Perhaps they were scared away?
Up until this moment, everyone - Carter, Carnarvon, and the rest - seemed to be in a daze and had trouble understanding what they were doing. But now, having seen the contents of the side chamber, guessing that behind the third door something completely unusual awaits them, they begin to understand the complexity of the scientific problem facing them and how much work and strict organization its solution will require.
It was impossible to understand this find, even just what they had already discovered, in one season! "
12.
December 1922. Under the lion bed in the antechamber there are several boxes and chests, and an ebony and ivory chair which Tutankhamun used as a child. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
"When we now hear that Carnarvon and Carter decided to fill up the newly excavated tomb, we know that this had nothing in common with the similar actions of their predecessors, who quickly dug up, but no less quickly filled up the sites of their finds."
"One thing was clear to Carter: under no circumstances should one rush into excavations. Not to mention the need to firmly establish the original location of all found objects (this was important for dating and other determinations), one had to take into account the fact that a significant part of the utensils and many of the jewels were damaged, and before touching them, it was necessary to take measures for their conservation, that is, to process and pack them accordingly.Given the fact that this time it was a matter of a find of incredible volume, it was necessary to prepare an appropriate amount of packaging materials and various medications.
13.
Laboratory / 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. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “ The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
It was necessary to consult with specialists and create a laboratory where immediate research would be carried out on those important finds that could not be preserved. Just cataloging such a large number of finds already required a lot of preliminary organizational work. All these problems could not be solved by sitting still. Carnarvan needed to go to England, and Carter - at least to Cairo. It was then that Carter decided to fill up the excavation. Only such a measure could, in his opinion (although Callender remained on site as a guard), protect the tomb from modern followers of Abd al-Rasul. Moreover, as soon as he arrived in Cairo, Carter ordered a heavy iron grille for the inner door.
14.
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. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
The thoroughness and precision with which these most famous Egyptian excavations were carried out were largely due to the often selfless assistance that Carnarvon and Carter received from all corners of the world from the very beginning. Carter subsequently expressed his gratitude in print for the comprehensive assistance provided to him, and he had every reason to do so. He began by citing a letter sent to him at one time by a certain Ahmed Gurgar, who supervised the workers who took part in the excavations. We will also cite this letter, because we do not want to glorify intellectual help alone. Here it is:
Mr. Howard Carter, hsk.
Honorable sir!
I am writing a letter to you in the hope that you are alive and well, and I pray to the Almighty that He will not leave you in His worries and return you to us in good health, safe and sound. I take the liberty of informing Your Lordship that warehouse No. 15 is in perfect order, the treasury is in order, the northern warehouse is in order, and the house is in order and all the workers are doing what you ordered in your instructions.
Hussein, Gaz Hassan, Hassan Awad, Abdelad-Ahmed and everyone send you their best wishes.
I send my best wishes to you, all members of the Lord's family and all your friends in England.
Looking forward to your early arrival, Your humble servant
Ahmed Gurgar.
15.
Nov. 29, 1923 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker wrap one of the sentinel statues for transport. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
In response to Carter's timid request for help from members of an expedition working in the area of Thebes, Lysgow, head of the Egyptian department of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, placed his photographer Harry Burton at his full disposal, despite the fact that he was deprived of such the image of the worker he needs; in his response to Carter, he wrote: “Glad to be of some use. I ask that you give full consideration to Burton in the same way as any member of our expedition.” As a result, the draftsmen Hall and Hauser and the director of excavations in the area of the Lishta pyramids, A.K. Mace, also migrated to Carter. The director of the Egyptian State Department of Chemistry, A. Lucas from Cairo, placed himself and his three-month vacation at Carter's disposal. Dr. Alan Gardiner took up the work on the inscriptions, and Professor James G. Brasted of the University of Chicago hastened to apply his knowledge to determine the dating of the ancient seal impressions found by Carter.
16.
Sculptural portrait of Tutankhamun on the second golden sarcophagus. A garland of flowers is visible, which at the time of opening the sarcophagus still retained their natural color / Harry Burton photograph of King Tut wearing a floral collar similar to the ones on view in the exhibition; The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Somewhat later, on November 11, 1925, Saleh Bey Hamdi and Douglas E. Derry, professor of anatomy at the University of Egypt, began examining the mummy. A. Lucas wrote an extensive monograph, Chemistry in the Tomb, on metals, oils, fats and textiles. P. E. Newberry examined the wreaths and garlands of flowers found in the tomb and was able to establish what flowers grew three thousand three hundred years ago on the banks of the Nile. Moreover, he even managed to determine from the flowers and berries what time of year Tutankhamun was buried: knowing when the cornflower blooms, when the mandrake - the “apple of love” from the Song of Songs - and the black-berry nightshade ripen, he came to the conclusion that Tutankhamun was buried no earlier than mid-March and no later than the end of April. “Special materials” were also studied by Alexander Scott and H.J. Plenderleith.
This creative community of specialists (some of them were specialists in fields far removed from archeology and the history of the ancient world) was a sure guarantee that the scientific results of these excavations turned out to be more significant than any previous ones.
Now we could get to work. December 16 the excavation was reopened. On December 18, photographer Burton took test photographs, and on the 27th the first find was brought to the surface.
Thorough work takes time. Excavations in the tomb of Tutankhamun continued for several winters. "
Text from the book: Keram K. “Gods, tombs, scientists.” A novel of archeology. /Trans. from German A.S. Varshavsky - St. Petersburg: "KEM", together with the publishing house "Nizhny Novgorod Fair", N. Novgorod, 1994. P. 60, 156-184.
In the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, among the sandy mountains there is one place. Located near the ancient city of Thebes (modern Luxor). The arid valley has no vegetation. It is impossible for a traveler to find protection and shade from the tireless sun in these parts. The terrain is a mixture of sand and small stones. The air temperature in this part of the country in the winter months remains firmly at +40-45C. In the summer season it reaches +60C.
It was this place with a deserted, unremarkable landscape that about 3,000 years ago, the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt chose to find another life in the other world. Surrounded by countless treasures after death, they hoped that tomb robbers would not be able to discover them. Their efforts were not crowned with success: almost all the crypts of the royal persons of the pharaoh dynasty were plundered. Except for one - the tomb of King Tutankhamun, who died at the age of 18 in 1346 BC.
Egyptian priests and the tomb of Tutankhamun
There is historical evidence that attackers have repeatedly tried to find the resting place of the Egyptian pharaoh. However, the priests guarding the tomb in , reburied Tutankhamun. The location of his remains remained a mystery for more than 3,000 years. Enclosed in a massive sarcophagus made of pure gold, the Egyptian king was in complete darkness and incomprehensible silence. All this time he was in the familiar world of luxury in the palaces of the pharaohs. Golden chariots, statues made of precious metal and ebony, wooden boats for traveling to the other world. His golden throne, the king's toys, fragrant oils, precious jewelry and other items accompanying the royal person during life. Every corner, every niche of this tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh was filled with priceless objects for the culture and history of the most ancient civilization on earth.
The significance of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb
The English Egyptologist, Howard Carter, suggested that Tutankhamun's tomb was located in the Valley of the Dead in . However, archaeologists stated that all areas of this necropolis had already been studied and the crypt of the Egyptian king had not been found among them.
In 1914, with the financial and organizational support of the British-born Lord Carnarvon, Carter began his own excavations. For seven years his labors did not bring any results. Sponsors threatened to stop allocating money for the search. As a result, in November 1922, Lord Carnarvon announced that he could no longer support the project to find the tomb and believed that Carter’s luck had changed. At the same time, Egyptian workers were just one step away from one of the most important discoveries in human history: they discovered a path leading to the sealed door of the tomb of the son of the Sun.
Treasures of Tutankhamun's tomb. 1924 Tutankhamun's tomb: the story of discovery
Having opened this door, Carter's expedition discovered a corridor filled with stones and rubble. After the passage, another obstacle arose in front of the archaeologists, but this time the entrance was marked with the symbolism of King Tutankhamun. Carter was confident that he had found the king's tomb. But he was afraid that perhaps it had been plundered and not a single regalia of the pharaoh remained inside.
On November 26, Carter and Lord Carnarvon began to break down the second door. Carter later announced to the whole world that it was:
“A day of days, the most wonderful day I have ever experienced. It seemed to me that time stood still. We watched as workers cleared the passage and removed the bottom of the doorway. The decisive moment has arrived. With trembling hands, I took a step into the darkness. The day before we tested the space behind the door with an iron detector.
He showed that behind the wall there was complete emptiness. It was impossible to examine anything, since we did not use candles during the work due to possible harmful gases underground. Nevertheless, I took out a candle, lit it and moved inside the newly discovered room. Lord Carnarvon, Lady Evelyn, Carnarvon's daughter and Assistant Callender stood next to me, anxiously awaiting the "sentence."
At first I didn't see anything. The hot air coming out of the chamber extinguished the flickering of the candle. My eyes began to get used to the light. In the fog, the details of the things in the crypt began to become clear. There were animals, statues, objects unknown to me in appearance - everything glowed with gold. I was speechless with amazement. Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the wait, asked me: “Do you see anything?” All I could do was say, “Yes, wonderful things. Widen the passage a little more, then we can both see what's inside." The room was illuminated by an electric torch.
Ancient Egypt. Tutankhamun's tomb
Howard Carter: Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb
The “remarkable things” that Carter saw in this room turned out to be the largest collection of artifacts from the era of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt ever discovered. But this was just the tip of the iceberg. In the smaller room next to it, there were magnificent treasures. It took the archaeological expedition about 2.5 months to thoroughly clean the entrances and inventory the legacy of the Egyptian ruler.
A little later, Carter opened the fourth sealed door, where he believed the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was located. This is where his richly decorated golden sarcophagus was found.
“My first task was to locate the wooden lintels above the door. I carefully removed chips from the plaster and removed some stones that covered the top layer of the inscription. The temptation to find out what was behind the door was unimaginable. After 10 minutes of work, I made a fairly large hole in the wall and inserted a lantern into it. An amazing sight presented itself to me. For there, just half a meter from the door blocking the entrance to the cell, stood, apparently, a solid wall of gold. I started clearing the opening."
"The Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb": A documentary film was made by the BBC about the events of this great day in Egyptology.
As the stones were removed from the passage, the real picture emerged: we were at the entrance to the chamber where the king was buried. The wall blocking our path was covered with pure gold and served as protection for the sarcophagus. Stone by stone, we felt a tremor like an electric shock. This was without a doubt a grave. And we were in it!
The sarcophagus was huge, 17 pounds by 11 feet. And 9 feet tall. It occupied almost the entire area of the chamber. The space was separated by two steps from the walls on four sides. It almost reached the ceiling in height. It was overlaid with gold from top to bottom. Along its edges were inlaid panels of brilliant blue faience. They repeated over and over again magical symbols that served to ensure his strength and safety. A number of funerary emblems were laid out around the royal remains. In the northern part, seven oars of a boat were depicted, which served to transport the pharaoh across the waters leading to the underworld. The walls of the chamber, unlike the corridor, were decorated with scenes and inscriptions surrounded by brilliant flowers.
Opening of Tutankhamun's tomb: video