The Tomb of Tutankhamun – Centenary of Discovery

A Centenary of Discovery

There are extraordinary events that, with their significance, divide history into time before and after them. The discovery of the tomb of the previously unknown, prematurely deceased pharaoh Tutankhamun certainly belongs among the most famous.

Of all the Egyptian wonders, the legendary Valley of the Kings’ tombs arouses the most imagination. In this secluded and lifeless valley at the foot of the highest Theban mountain in the shape of a pyramid, a complex of over thirty tombs of exceptional pharaohs stretches. The wise men, architects, artists, and craftsmen of ancient Egypt created a magnificent royal resting place carved into the living rock, adorned with depictions of deities, mysterious symbols, and sacred texts using colors that have remained vibrant even after several thousand years. The content and meaning of the depictions and texts have not been fully deciphered to this day. Entrances and passages were carefully hidden and specially sealed to maximize protection against unwanted visitors and looters. Unfortunately, most of the tombs were already in a state of decay f a completely looted and forgotten empire.

Napoleon’s scientists and artists aroused feverish interest and search for the forgotten wonders of a mysterious civilization in the West. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Valley of the Kings was considered fully explored, and most researchers left the site in search of new challenges. However, a young British archaeologist named Howard Carter, completely convinced of the existence of Tutankhamun’s tomb, the restorer of the Theban theocracy, managed to persuade Lord Carnarvon, an enthusiast of ancient Egypt, to finance his research attempt. The collaboration between Carter and Carnarvon soon turned into a great friendship. It remained undisturbed during their sixteen-year-long joint search, even after Lord Carnarvon’s financial collapse due to the excessive costs of Carter’s excavations.

The excavations in the Valley began in very turbulent and uncertain times before World War I. The entire endeavor, apart from constant ridicule due to opes of success, he encountered countless obstacles and difficulties. Even after six seasons of systematic and extremely strenuous exploration, the relentless Valley had not revealed any of its remaining secrets. Carter then wrote: “We were almost ready to accept that we were defeated and prepare to leave the Valley to try our luck elsewhere.” But when the workers showed him the first step beneath the ruins of a worker’s hut on Saturday, November 4, 1922, he was on the verge of the most spectacular discovery ever recorded in the annals of archaeology, although he was not yet aware of it.
After two days of feverish clearing of millennia-old sand deposits, a staircase leading to sealed and sealed underground doors with the seal of the royal necropolis was revealed, without any markings indicating the pharaoh to whom it belonged. Although it was clear to him that they had found the entrance to the tomb, due to the doubt born out of previous disappointing discoveries, this seemed too good to be true.
After opening the first doors and Hidden beneath the long underground corridor filled with very confusing fragments from various periods ranging from the XVIII to the XX dynasty, the excitement was growing. A few days later, they arrived at new sealed doors that clearly indicated the tomb belonged to Tutankhamun. Even Carter himself couldn’t believe that his suspicions could come true.

The solemn opening of the “doors” was held on Sunday, November 26, in the presence of the recently arrived Lord Carnarvon and officials from the Department of Antiquities, according to official protocol, as well as journalists and photographers from The Times. After Carter managed to move the first stone blocks, under dim lights, they saw a stunning sight: a room, later named the antechamber, was filled with never-before-seen exquisite objects. On the right, in the corners, stood two impressive statues of the king in life-size, facing each other like guards. They were made of black ebony, wearing golden kilts and golden sandals, holding a scepter and staff. With a protective ureus on his forehead. Opposite the entrance stood gilded beds with the heads of the goddesses Sekhmet and Hathor and one bed with the head of the god Set. Between them, below them, and piled on top of them stood countless other exquisitely painted and gem-encrusted objects: a large and beautifully crafted golden and lapis lazuli scarab, a scepter made of solid gold, a priest’s robe made of leopard skin, adorned with gold and silver stars and a gilded leopard head, a throne inlaid with gold and various ceremonial depictions…
On the left side of the atrium was a collection of war chariots that gleamed with gold and ornaments, and behind them was a hidden open entrance to another chamber filled to the brim with various objects of immeasurable value, among which a game board for play and divination stood out – Senet.
Due to the dim light and the overwhelming impressions, they only realized later that two guards were standing in front of another set of sealed doors. They could barely restrain their desire to enter. Now, not to open this chamber, knowing that the holiest part with the sarcophagus is behind them. However, the feeling of responsibility prevailed in Carter, and he decided to interrupt further excavation until the previously discovered treasures were properly processed, protected, and removed from the rooms. The damages due to carelessness could have been irreparable. The initial conservation and relocation of the objects for processing took three months in an improvised laboratory set up in the empty tomb of Ramesses IV. Carter’s meticulousness, patience, and innovation in conserving and preserving artifacts still serve as a model for archaeologists today.

On Friday, February 17, 1923, with unprecedented public interest, the opening of the tomb chamber began, which Carter later described as “a dreadful test of our patience.” What they discovered was an impressive chest that almost completely filled the space. It was lined with gold from top to bottom, with shiny blue faience panels inserted on the sides, depicting… The text talks about ancient symbols. At the northern end of the chamber, there were, among other things, seven hooks. Unlike the walls of the vestibule, the chamber walls were adorned with colorful scenes and inscriptions, although they gave the impression of being hastily executed.

Inside the chest, there were three identical chests nested inside each other, like Russian nesting dolls, and they were adorned with special symbols. In the third one, there was a huge stone sarcophagus with a lid weighing over a hundred tons. Inside the stone sarcophagus, there were three more sarcophagi perfectly nested inside each other. All three contained different representations of the deified Tut•Ankh•Amon. In the third sarcophagus made of pure gold and weighing almost a hundred kilograms, the mummified body of the young pharaoh lay, with a golden mask also made of pure gold and precious stones.

The treasury connected to the burial chamber was filled with a fascinating collection. Anubis in the form of a jackal, placed on top of the coffin, seemed continually Guarding over the sarcophagus, four goddesses protectively cover the canopic jars inside an exceptionally crafted and decorated chest.

This astonishing collection, with over five thousand exquisitely made symbolic and practical objects, attracts millions and millions of visitors each year and ranks among the most magnificent exhibits of the Cairo Museum. It bears witness to a civilization fully aware of its spiritual values and the unwavering perseverance of the people who brought them to light.