close
close

Semainede4jours

Real-time news, timeless knowledge

    • 102 years ago, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time took place.
    bigrus

    102 years ago, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time took place.

    Harry Posted on

    Monday marked the 102nd anniversary of one of the most spectacular discoveries in archaeology, the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings on November 4, 1922. On that fateful day, British archaeologist Howard Carter wrote in his diary, “I have discovered the first traces of the entrance to the tomb (Tut-ank-Amon),” indicating the discovery of the tomb of the Golden King.

    Howard Carter had been excavating in the Valley of the Kings for a decade and was no stranger to the challenges of hunting for treasure in such an ancient and plundered place. He had been working with the British nobleman Lord Carnarvon, who had been financing excavations in the lands washed by the Nile since 1907. However, Lord Carnarvon began to doubt that his investment would pay off. In 1922, while Carter had been digging in the valley for five years without significant results, Lord Carnarvon pressured him to end the work. Lord Carnarvon granted Carter a final season’s leave in the autumn of that year; This was his last opportunity.

    Luckily, Carter and his team started excavations just three days ago and made an incredible discovery. A member of their team, the water boy, accidentally stumbled upon a stone that turned out to be the first step of an ancient staircase. Intrigued, Carter ordered rapid excavation, and gradually the team uncovered a series of downward steps leading to a sealed door bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions. These seals indicated that this was a royal tomb, and Carter realized that he was faced with the find of a lifetime – a historical event.

    Despite the concern, Carter decided to stop before opening the tomb. He knew he had to wait for the arrival of Lord Carnarvon, who was in England and wanted to witness the opening. Carter then ordered to re-pass the stairs and sent an urgent telegram to Lord Carnarvon, informing him of the find. The wait lasted almost three weeks; To the archaeologist it was absolutely infinite. Lord Carnarvon finally arrived in Egypt on 23 November with his daughter Evelyn Herbert. The next day Carter and Lord Carnarvon uncovered the staircase again and together they examined the threshold of the tomb.

    On November 26, Carter made a small opening in the door of the tomb and peered in with a candle to see inside. When Lord Carnarvon asked him if he had seen anything, Carter replied with the following statement that will go down in history: “Yes, I see wonderful things,” he replied. Inside, the archaeologist saw a magnificent collection of objects shining with the reflection of light: chests, statues, gilded furniture and other objects that were planned to be used in the young pharaoh’s journey to the afterlife.

    The tomb of King Tutankhamun is world famous as the only royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings whose contents have been discovered intact and relatively complete. On February 16, 1923, Howard Carter became the first person to set foot in the chamber containing Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus in more than 3,000 years. The burial chamber was officially opened in mid-February 1923, after Carter and his sponsor Lord Carnarvon first contemplated the interior of a burial chamber that had remained sealed for more than 3,300 years.

    More than 5,400 artifacts were found inside the tomb, which had been sealed for more than 3,300 years, including the ruler’s golden mask, chariots, a bed, jewelry, board games, food remains and numerous figurines, most of which were in excellent condition. Among the 18-year-old pharaoh’s most dazzling possessions is his morgue mask, which weighs more than six kilos of gold. They also found a leopard-skin coat, four game boards, six chariots, 30 jars of wine and 46 bows.

    The artifacts in Tutankhamun’s tomb reflect the lifestyle in the royal court and include items he would use in daily life, such as clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, incense, furniture, chairs, toys, utensils, weapons, and others. Among the treasures discovered were personal items and weapons that revealed unknown aspects of his daily life and rituals, including a magnificent collection of objects that he would use in his journey to the afterlife. A total of around 5,000 artifacts were discovered tightly packed inside the tomb, which, despite its immense wealth, was quite modest in size and architectural design compared to other tombs in the Valley of the Kings. According to the data of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Tutankhamun’s tomb is number 62 in the Valley of the Kings.

    In December 1922, the first artifact was exhumed and the cleaning of the antechamber began, which took seven weeks. The classification effort dragged on for years, as it involved more than 5,000 unique items. One of the most fascinating and meticulous moments in the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb was the unearthing of treasures hidden within the layers of linen surrounding his mummy. After years of excavation and cataloging of objects found in the burial chambers, Carter and his team faced the final challenge: opening the bandages surrounding the pharaoh, a process that began in 1925.

    Archaeologists and doctors began to carefully remove the layers of linen placed in mummification ceremonies to protect the body on its journey to the afterlife. As they removed each layer, they discovered an impressive variety of jewels and amulets carefully placed among the bandages. A total of 143 items were hidden next to the pharaoh’s body. Among them, golden crowns, intricate necklaces, bracelets of various metals and precious stones, and a number of amulets and talismans stood out, which carried deep symbolic and religious meaning in ancient Egypt. These objects, in addition to beautifying the deceased, were believed to have protective and magical powers that would assist the pharaoh in eternal life.

    Stay up to date with the latest news!

    Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter

    Some of the most notable finds included the royal crown that adorned Tutankhamun’s head and was made of gold, lapis lazuli and other precious stones. This royal symbol identified him as pharaoh even in death. Archaeologists also found two daggers, one of iron and the other of gold, placed at the pharaoh’s waist. The iron dagger, forged with a rare material at that time and decorated with complex motifs, is especially famous for its composition. Recent research suggests that this iron may have come from a meteorite.

    The task of documenting and excavating these objects was enormous and took almost a decade. Carter’s obsessive devotion to the process of preservation and cataloging made Tutankhamun’s discovery the best-preserved archaeological treasure in Egyptian history. The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb remains one of the most important archaeological discoveries to date. It made headlines in newspapers around the world and became a global sensation, with tourists flocking to Egypt and false reports about the deaths of expedition members shrouding Tutankhamun in a new veil of mystery.

    Shortly after the discovery of the tomb, Lord Carnarvon’s death on 5 April 1923 gave rise to rumors of a “curse” that was supposed to fall on those who disturbed the pharaoh’s rest. Lord Carnarvon died of an infection caused by a mosquito bite, aggravated by septicemia, and only six of the 26 people present at the tomb opening died within the next decade. News of Carnarvon’s death spread quickly, and some sensationalist media published theories about “Tutankhamun’s revenge”, spurred by the false report that 22 expedition members had died. An inscription inside the tomb was claimed to warn of the curse, but no evidence of its existence has ever been found.

    After Lord Carnarvon’s death, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes series, became interested in the story and wrote an article about possible causes, reinforcing the idea of ​​the curse and defending the hypothesis of supernatural punishment against those who desecrate the tomb. His vision was also supported by novelist Marie Corelli, who published a theory suggesting that some ancient Egyptian poisons may have been placed in the tomb to punish intruders. The deaths of other team members, such as Lord Carnarvon’s half-brother and archaeologist Arthur Mace, strengthened the narrative of the curse. Although most of these deaths can be explained by natural causes, the legend of Tutankhamun’s curse remains alive to this day.

    As the process of cataloging the items found in the grave progressed, suspicions arose that some of the items could have been stolen. In 1934, Alan Gardiner, the philologist and team member hired to translate the hieroglyphs, sent Carter a letter accusing him of gifting an amulet from the tomb, suggesting that the archaeologist had removed objects from the enclosed area without permission. This controversy, which seriously affected Carter’s reputation, was silenced during his lifetime, although rumors circulated within the field of British archaeology.

    Decades later, in October 2022, American Egyptologist Bob Brier published a series of letters in his book “Tutankhamun and the Tomb that Changed the World” that revealed new evidence of these accusations. According to Brier, both Egyptian officials and archaeologists of the time suspected that Carter and some of his collaborators had entered the tomb before the official opening and removed some items without registering. The book details how Carter gifted the objects from the tomb to his friend Sir Bruce Ingram, further strengthening theories of plunder.

    Carter spent his final years in solitude and died in 1939, aged 64, without receiving official recognition from the British government; He considered this one of the biggest disappointments of his life. Ironically, the “curse” associated with Tutankhamun’s name and the controversy surrounding it further increased his worldwide fame.

    The discovery was so extraordinary that it caused a stir in ancient Egypt throughout much of the world. A fashion inspired by Egyptian symbols and clothing emerged in Europe and America. In Spain, magazines and newspapers reflected this “Egyptian craze” in articles, reports, and even fashion designs and accessories inspired by the young pharaoh. Travel agencies began offering packages to Egypt, including “dances from Tutankhamun’s palace”, and recordings of Egyptian music were released, further increasing tourism.

    The magnitude of the discovery sparked worldwide interest, but access to details was limited from the beginning. This meant that other media outlets received information with great delay and in many cases had to resort to illustrations to visualize their news. In ancient Egyptian beliefs, preserving and constantly repeating a name was the assurance of the eternal life of the soul. Thus, a century after his discovery, Tutankhamun’s name continues to live on, repeated and invoked as one of the most enduring symbols of pharaonic culture.

    Sources: Infobae, Youm7, Al-Masry Al-Youm

    This article was written in collaboration with prolific artificial intelligence company Alchemiq.



    Harry
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like