95 years ago the brightest archaeological discovery of the 20th century was made

On November 4, 1922, British artist and archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the first traces of the previously unknown tomb of Tutankhamun during excavations in Egypt.

In the 4th century AD, the last emperor of the unified Roman Empire, Theodosius I, ordered the closure of all pagan temples in the country. This led to the fact that in Egypt - at that time a Roman province - hieroglyphic writing finally died out.

The last inscription in Egyptian cursive writing has reached us from the 5th century. Since then, there has been no one left who could read or write in ancient Egyptian. Thus ended the incredibly long - more than four thousand years - history of civilization Ancient Egypt.

It was not remembered for several centuries, until in 1801 Napoleon returned to France from the Egyptian campaign, in which scientists also participated. They brought with them a large number of historical artifacts that were sent for storage to the Institute of Egypt, created shortly before.

Real Egyptomania has begun - Europe has discovered a huge ancient civilization: with pyramids, sphinxes and pharaohs. Explorers, travelers, artists and adventurers flocked to Egypt.

In 1822, the orientalist François Champollion, using bilingual Greek-Egyptian inscriptions, deciphered the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs on the famous Rosetta Stone, becoming the founder of Egyptology as a separate field of scientific knowledge.

Since England, Germany and France continued their political rivalry over the redistribution of colonies, including Egypt, they were interested in studying it. Collecting Egyptian antiquities became fashionable among the elite. Acquaintance with one of these collections prompted Howard Carter to go to Egypt.

He spent several seasons on expeditions, working in the ancient residence of Pharaoh Akhenaten and the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. He was soon appointed chief inspector of antiquities in Upper Egypt.

Photo: General form Howard Carter's excavations in the Valley of the Kings. © Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In this position, he participated in various activities for the excavation and conservation of historical monuments, including the site that made him famous - the Valley of the Kings. He lost his post after a brawl between rowdies French tourists and Egyptian sentries guarding the monuments. Carter sided with the Egyptians (or even the monuments).

For the next few years, he again worked as an artist, until in 1909 he met another wealthy British antiquities lover, Lord Carnarvon. Tom managed to obtain permission for large-scale excavations in the Valley of the Kings, and after a delay caused by the First World War, Carter began work.

The excavations continued for several years, but were completely fruitless; Lord Carnarvon lost patience and was ready to close the project, but the stubborn Carter insisted on one last effort. It was crowned with success when, finally, on November 4, 1922, in the desert rocks of Deir el-Bahri, an Egyptian water boy hired by Carter noticed a step carved into the rock.

Photo: View of the newly discovered tomb of Tutankhamun. It was in this state that it was discovered by Howard Carter and Lord Carvarnon. © The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images

The next day, workers cleared the entrance to the tomb, which was given the number KV62. It was located at the entrance to the tomb of another pharaoh - Ramesses VI. His tomb was “younger”, and, apparently, during its construction, the entrance to the “older” tomb was filled up.

The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb was a huge breakthrough due to the fact that it remained almost intact. It contained jewelry, seals with the name of Tutankhamun, flower wreaths, skeins of linen fabric, a special substance for mummification, painted vases and gilded funeral masks, including the most famous one - about 5 thousand items in total. The main find, of course, was a turquoise-encrusted pure gold sarcophagus containing the mummified body of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.


Photo left: Howard Carter and the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun. Photo: Harry Burton Photo right: Howard Carter at Tutankhamun's sarcophagus (colorized photograph) © Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Journalists entered the tomb a week after the researchers. An endless stream of tourists from all over the world flowed there, which began to interfere with the excavations. Eventually, Carnarvon, wanting to improve his financial affairs, sold exclusive rights to cover the excavations to The Times newspaper for £5,000 and 75% of the proceeds from the sale of articles worldwide. Journalists from other publications were furious, but Carter's team breathed more freely - the flow of journalists into the tomb decreased.

In April 1923, less than six months after the discovery of the tomb, Lord Carnarvon died suddenly from blood poisoning and pneumonia, apparently caused by the bite of an infected mosquito in Cairo. Shortly before this, the popular novelist Marie Corelli sent a letter to the editors of the New York World magazine in which she warned of dire consequences for anyone who disturbs the peace of Tutankhamun's tomb. Why she did this is unclear. Corelli died a year later without explaining anything to anyone. Nevertheless, the news of the “curse of Tutankhamun” was picked up by the press. Journalists attributed the early and unnatural deaths from the curse to three dozen people who had any connection with the tomb. An inscription allegedly carved on the wall of the tomb roamed the pages of newspapers: “Those who enter this sacred tomb will soon be visited by the wings of death.” Of course, it's fictitious.

Photo: Unopened seal on the door to Tutankhamun's tomb. Photo: Harry Burton

In 2002, epidemiologist Mark Nelson of Monash University in Australia examined historical evidence and traced the fate of the Europeans Carter mentioned as members of the Egyptian expedition that found Tutankhamun's tomb. It turned out that only 25 people could have been exposed to the harmful influence of the mummy, since they were present during key work in the tomb: the opening of the inner sanctuary, the opening of the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun, the opening of the three golden coffins placed in it and the examination of the pharaoh's mummy. Average age death for this group turned out to be 70 years - and after opening the tomb, they lived, again on average for the group, about 21 more years. Those who also collaborated with Carter during the opening of the tomb, but were not present at any time (11 people), lived about five years longer... but were on average the same five years younger. Thus, Nelson concluded, none of the members of Carter’s archaeological team suffered a terrible and sudden death, and there can be no talk of any curse from the pharaoh. True, there were also Egyptians in the detachment, but it was not possible to trace their fate and life expectancy. In any case, it was lower than that of Europeans, and Nelson did not include them in the study, which he published in the British Medical Journal.

Thus, the curse of the mummy turned out to be nothing more than “media hype.” The sinister image of the avenging mummy, however, was so loved by the public that it became part of world pop culture, and - along with Dracula and Frankenstein - the hero of numerous books, films, games and comics. The film “The Mummy” with Boris Karloff has become a classic of world cinema.

Following the opening of the tomb, a period of study began. Having made Howard Carter a world celebrity, the pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty of the New Kingdom Tutankhamun, or, as he is called in English literature, Tut, himself became one of the most famous kings Ancient Egypt. But scientists have not been able to find out much about his life. From the inscription on the tomb it is known that he was the son of the eccentric pharaoh Amenhotep IV, who amazed both his contemporaries and archaeologists by the fact that - 1300 years before Christianity! - proclaimed the monotheistic cult of the single sun god Aten in the pagan state and took the name Akhenaten in his honor. The cult, however, died out with the death of the ruler. Akhenaten's wife Nefertiti was apparently not Tutankhamun's mother. According to the ancient tradition of the rulers of Ancient Egypt, he himself was married to the daughter of Akhenaten, that is, to his half-sister.

Tutankhamun ascended the throne in 1343 BC. at the age of 9−10 years. His domestic political activities are known from the inscription on the so-called Restoration Stele. It follows from it that Tutankhamun refused to continue his father’s “monotheistic revolution” and began to restore the sanctuaries of the ancient gods, led by Amon. He also left his father's residence - Amarna, and it fell into disrepair.

The young pharaoh apparently led quite successful military campaigns abroad - in Nubia and Syria. At least in the tomb of his commander Horemheb there are inscriptions of gratitude for good service.

Photo: Painting from ~1327 BC depicting Tutankhamun defeating his enemies. Photo: Yann Forget

In the second half of the 20th century, the tomb did not provide scientists with any serious new knowledge, since it was impossible to access it when it was returned to the Valley of the Kings after exhibitions. Finally, in 2007-2009, a team of scientists led by Doctor of Archeology and former Minister of Antiquities of Egypt Zaha Hawass conducted a comprehensive anthropological, genetic and radiological study of the mummies of the pharaoh and his relatives.

The study showed that Tutankhamun lived poorly, but not for long. He had a cleft palate (congenital cleft of the hard palate and upper jaw), clubfoot, and Köhler's disease (deformations and tissue necrosis caused by impaired blood supply to individual bones of the foot). Before his death, he apparently suffered a fractured hip, which never healed. In addition, the causative agent of malaria was found in the pharaoh's brain tissue. Tutankhamun suffered from malarial encephalitis, and complications caused by the disease apparently caused his death.

At the same time, studies did not confirm that the pharaoh had diseases of the endocrine system and Marfan syndrome, due to which the limbs and fingers lengthen disproportionately, although this was suspected. Numerous images and reliefs of his father, Akhenaten, show his clearly feminine figure and probable gynecomastia. Scientists assumed that these were hereditary characteristics, and they could also appear in the son, but studies did not confirm this. A tomograph scan of the mummy allowed scientists to assume that Tut died at the age of approximately 19 years.


Photo left: G. Carter and A. Callender systematizing finds from the tomb of Tutankhamun © Hulton Archive/Getty Images. Photo right: Treasures discovered in Tutankhamun's tomb © Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Nicholas Reeves concluded that the strange depictions of Akhenaten are simply a tribute to the tradition of depicting pharaohs differently from their subjects in order to emphasize their divine status.

Eleven of his relatives were buried in the tomb along with Tutankhamun, including his sister-wife Ankhesenamun and six other ancestors. However, among them was not the most obvious and most interesting mummy - the wife of King Akhenaten, the beautiful Nefertiti.

From 1998 to 2002, Nicholas Reeves, who today can apparently be considered one of the most obsessive researchers of the tomb, continued to work in it. He noticed that Tutankhamun’s tomb was much smaller than the tombs of other pharaohs, which means it could have been built for the queen. Perhaps the pharaoh ended up there only because of his sudden death and the lack of a more suitable burial place. Then the queen herself must obviously lie somewhere nearby. Reeves shared this assumption with the former Minister of Antiquities of Egypt, Mamdouh al-Damati, and received permission to conduct georadar studies of the tomb.

Photo: Render of Tutankhamun's tomb. Image: Naeblys/PHOTODOM/Shutterstock

In 2000, radar revealed that there was indeed a cavity 14 meters outside the walls of Tutankhamun's burial chamber, as well as likely objects of bone, wood and metal. Reeves gave this cavity the name KV63, thereby classifying it as part of the tomb complex (the burial chamber, for example, is called KV62). Since then, there have been ongoing disputes between archaeologists and the Egyptian authorities about whether there really is another burial chamber in the rock, whether there is anything worthwhile in it and whether excavations need to begin.

In the meantime, violating the integrity of the burial is strictly prohibited, so for now particularly impatient researchers are forced to resort to “secondary sources.” For example, study copies of the tomb. Fortunately, some of them are very, very accurate: for example, the same Reeves closely examined a full-size replica of the tomb, created as part of a philanthropic project in 2014. Its creators made a “3D impression” of the KV62 by scanning the room with a laser. After studying the data obtained, Reeves saw traces of two previously unknown doorways behind the wall ornaments. They, in his opinion, are nothing more than entrances to other rooms of the tomb, and it is there that Nefertiti awaits the visit of archaeologists.

Reeves outlined his thoughts on this matter in a 2015 article. In it, he also provided images of what the doorway discovered behind the wall might look like, and also suggested that some of the drawings on the walls of the tomb depict Akhenaten’s wife.

Other researchers also joined the study of the tomb, in particular the Japanese radar scanning specialist Hirokatsu Watanabe. He examined the western wall of the main tomb and reported that with a 90 percent probability there was something there. But whether Nefertiti's sarcophagus is there still remains a mystery, and the scientific community continued to remain skeptical about this idea. Director of the Center for Egyptological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergei Ivanov then suggested that “ secret room“In fact, it’s just an unfinished tomb, the entrance to which was blocked as unnecessary. Watanabe's methods also raised doubts among his colleagues - the researcher was criticized for using outdated radar scanning methods and their interpretation.

Since then, a story about the cavity in Tutankhamun’s tomb and the possible presence of Nefertiti there has surfaced in the media with enviable regularity, but there is no fresh news from the tomb. Scientists and Egyptian officials are skeptical of Reeves' ideas. Breaking into the walls of the burial room is still prohibited.

Howard Carter worked on the search for Tutankhamun's tomb with his companion Lord George Carnarvon. In 1923, Lord Carnarvon died suddenly in a hotel in Cairo. The official cause of death was not precisely determined, since the level of development of medicine in Egypt at that time was still weak. It was either pneumonia or blood poisoning from a razor cut.

It was after this death that the press began to actively “trumpet” about the “curse of Tutankhamun.” Talk began about some mythical fungi and microorganisms that the priests left to destroy the robbers. And then Hollywood picked up the idea.

Of course, these are nothing more than fables. Lord Carnarvon was not a 20-year-old boy; he was already 57 years old at the time of his death. Pneumonia and blood poisoning were deadly diseases in those days, since antibiotics had not yet been invented.

Howard Carter himself died in 1939 at the age of 64. Logically, if the curse exists, it should have affected him first.

Another version says that there is no mysticism in the deaths of some expedition members. They were allegedly killed by Egyptian intelligence services to hide the falsification. This version is more realistic, we will talk about it in detail.

Allegations of falsification

There is an opinion that these excavations and the entire tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun are a fake. Allegedly, Carter and the Egyptian authorities built a fake tomb. This makes some sense, since Egypt made a lot of money from the sale of treasures.

Fans of this theory give the following arguments:

Firstly, at the time of Carter’s discovery, the entire Valley of the Kings had already been dug up, and it was no longer possible to find anything new there.

This argument can be immediately rejected. How is this impossible? Archaeologist Otto Schaden found another tomb here in 2005. And they will probably find more.

Second argument. Carter carried out excavations for a very long time - about 5 years. Allegedly, he spent this time building a fake.

This argument also means nothing. They can dig for 5 years, maybe 10, what’s surprising?

Third, some items look brand new. This is also possible, some items are better preserved, some worse.

Fourth, the coffin lid was split. Allegedly, this was done on purpose, since she did not fit through the door of the tomb. This argument is very dubious - the lid of the coffin split, what's surprising?

And there are a lot of similar arguments that cast a shadow of doubt, but do not prove anything.

Let's think rationally. These people claim that Carter spent 110 kilograms of gold to make a sarcophagus from it, and another 11 kilograms of gold for the mask. Found or produced approximately 3,500 artifacts.

He carved a tomb in the rock and produced two stone sarcophagi. I found somewhere an ownerless mummy of a man about 20 years old. Then he packed it all into the tomb and announced the discovery.

Read it all! He had to do all this undetected! Do you believe this is possible? Where do gold and money come from? How could this be done in secret? This is just unreal.

The museums that purchased these exhibits conduct examinations of the items in their collections. If Carter and the Egyptian government had carried out such a scam, it would have been exposed scientifically long ago.

In 1923, Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun among the sands of the “Kingdom of the Dead.” Not a single opened burial entailed as many deaths as the notorious tomb of Tutankhamun.

Unknown pharaoh

When Carter came up with the idea of ​​​​searching for Tutankhamun, he was already a recognized archaeologist who had lived in Egypt for a long time and was very famous for his other equally important finds - he was the one who dug the famous Temple of Hatshepsut, and also inspected the work of the American archaeologist Theodore Davis. In general, the Valley of the Kings by this time was a dug-out pit, most of the tombs, especially of large pharaohs, had already been found, and the ancient cemetery of the pharaohs did not promise new surprises. Only unknown pharaohs, whose name “did not thunder” in history, could give hope. One day, while working in Cairo on one of the Egyptian stelae, Carter came across a mention of a certain Tutankhamun, the successor of the scandalous Akhenaten, who revived the cult of Amun Ra, and then died suddenly. The main thing is that no one had heard anything about the tomb of Tutankhamun; it was not on the list of open burials in the Valley of the Kings.

last try

In 1906, Carter met the wealthy Lord Carnarvon, to whom he was introduced by the director of the Cairo Museum, Gaston Maspero. This meeting turned out to be very opportune for Carter, who was absorbed in his discovery. Lord Carnarvon, an ardent collector of antiquities, agreed to sponsor the search for an unknown tomb - he believed in his star. But there was no quick triumph; twelve years passed, with a break for the First world war, archaeologists have already dug up the entire Valley of the Kings, but have not found any traces of Tutankhamun. Science community was skeptical about the search for the ephemeral ruler of the 18th dynasty, and Carnarvon himself no longer believed in the success of the enterprise. But after a long search, Carter already knew where to dig.

Once, while working with Theodore Davis, Carter discovered a faience goblet and a broken wooden casket near the tomb of Ramses VI. Both objects had the name of Tutankhamun inscribed on them. Perhaps these items did not belong to the tomb of Ramses, but were once forgotten here by the priests during the funeral of an unknown ruler. We only need “one more season.” In 1922 the Lord granted Carter last try. And she was crowned with success. On November 4, 1922, his shovel hit something hard. It turned out to be a sealed door.

First disappointment

Stunned by his discovery, Carter telegraphed to the lord that he had found an unknown, unopened tomb, promising to temporarily stop work until he arrived. Carnarvanon immediately left London and was in place within two weeks. The tomb was dug up, this time to the end. At the bottom of the walled entrance there were seal impressions with the name... Tutankhamun.

It was a real success! Carter not only found an unknown tomb, but also proved that Tutankhamun was not his invention, but a truly historical ruler. But at that moment, those present were overcome with anxiety - there were signs of forced entry on the door, the tomb had already been opened, twice.

"The most wonderful day of my life"

The first door was followed by a hallway, followed by the next door. By the morning of November 26, the passage to it was cleared. The door was also walled up and sealed with the seals of Tutankhamun and the royal necropolis. And here there were traces of an autopsy.

The decisive moment had arrived - Carter punched a hole, held a candle, and saw something that no Egyptologist had been able to see before, and perhaps would never be able to see again. The archaeologist was speechless. This is how he later described his impression in his diary: “The impression was grandiose, vague, overwhelming... we had never even dreamed of anything like that. In front of us was a room, a real museum hall... full of all kinds of objects. Some seemed familiar to us, others were completely like nothing, and they were all piled on top of each other in inexhaustible abundance. It was my most wonderful day of my life.”

Vault or tomb?

However, the sarcophagus was nowhere to be found. Therefore, having recovered from the first impression, the scientists decided that they were mistaken - this is not a tomb, but just a hiding place. But when we looked more closely at the right wall of the room, where the black statues of the pharaoh stood facing each other - images of his Ka, we noticed another walled up door between them. The researchers now have hope - maybe there will be new treasures and, of course, the pharaoh himself.

Further searches had to be temporarily stopped. To begin with, it was necessary to record what had already been found: sketch, draw, make an inventory of objects. The work took a year - it was considerably complicated by the hype that arose around the new discovery. Journalists did not allow passage, and in Paris there was even a women’s toilet “Tutankham-style”.

Ghost of Tutankhamun

On February 16, 1923, they began to open the door that could lead to the burial chamber, but at the last moment the archaeologists sensed something was wrong: “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,” Howard Carter later recalled. But don’t stop halfway - the seals were broken, and behind them stood a huge golden sarcophagus, and countless treasures lay.

They say that archaeologists, blinded by the golden glitter, did not immediately notice a sign with a threatening inscription: “The pitchfork of death will pierce the one who disturbs the peace of the pharaoh.” Lord Carnanvon was the first to enter the tomb. A few months later he suddenly fell ill and died.

Was there a curse?

After the lord's death, rumors began to circulate about the curse of the mysterious pharaoh. This is not to say that they were founded out of nowhere; the Egyptians indeed always left signs with curses in case of uninvited guests. The inscription found in the tomb of Tutankhamun was no exception. But not a single opened burial entailed as many deaths as the notorious tomb of Tutankhamun, to which as many as 22 victims are attributed. Supporters of the “curse” version talked about the sudden and mysterious death of the pharaoh himself, who died at the age of 19, allegedly falling from a horse; about the chaos that was happening in the tomb itself - after all, usually everything in a burial is left in order, but in this case all things were scattered. What also seemed inexplicable was the fact that, despite the opening of the tomb by robbers, which occurred a couple of decades after the funeral itself, the looters did not take away even half of it. The things prepared for removal remained there. Something caught the attackers in the act.

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 walked towards 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 discovery 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.

On November 4, 1922, the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered in Egypt. The tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings, and it is the only almost unlooted tomb that has reached scientists in its original form, although it was opened twice by tomb thieves. It was discovered in 1922 by two Englishmen - Egyptologist Howard Carter and amateur archaeologist Lord Carnarvon. Numerous decorations were preserved in the tomb, as well as a sarcophagus made of pure gold with the mummified body of the pharaoh.

In 1907, Egyptologist and archaeologist Howard Carter was hired by George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, to oversee excavations in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. The scientist managed to create a good reputation for himself by scrupulously describing and preserving his discoveries.

Searches in the valley, which lasted for many years, yielded very modest results, which over time brought the wrath of Carter's employer upon him. In 1922, Lord Carnarvon told him that he would stop funding the work from the following year.

1. 1923 Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavations, reads on the veranda of Carter's house near the Valley of the Kings.

Carter, desperate for a breakthrough, decided to return to the previously abandoned excavation site. On November 4, 1922, his team discovered a step carved into the rock. By the end of the next day, the entire staircase had been cleared. Carter immediately sent a message to Carnarvon, begging him to come as quickly as possible.

On November 26, Carter, along with Carnarvon, opened a small hole in the corner of the door at the end of the stairs. Holding the candle, he looked inside.

“At first I saw nothing, hot air rushed out of the room, causing the candle flame to flicker, but soon, as my eyes adjusted to the light, details of the room slowly appeared out of the fog, strange animals, statues and gold - the glitter of gold everywhere” ( Howard Carter).

A team of archaeologists has discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, the youth king who ruled Egypt from 1332 to about 1323 BC.

Despite signs that ancient robbers had visited the tomb twice, the contents of the room remained virtually untouched. The tomb was stuffed with thousands of priceless artifacts, including a sarcophagus containing the mummified remains of Tutankhamun.

3. January 4, 1924. Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker open the doors to get their first look at Tutankhamun's sarcophagus.

Each object in the tomb was carefully described and cataloged before removal. This process took almost eight years.

4. December 1922. A ceremonial bed in the shape of a Celestial Cow surrounded by supplies and other objects in the front room of the tomb.

These photographs, documenting the discovery of the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun, have been colorized by Dynamicchrome for the exhibition The Discovery of King Tut, opening in New York on November 21, 2015.

5. December 1922. Gilded lion bed and other objects in the hallway. The wall of the burial chamber is guarded by black Ka statues.

7. December 1922. A gilded lion bed and an inlaid breastplate are among other objects in the front room.

8. December 1922. Under the lion bed in the front room there are several boxes and chests, as well as an ebony chair and Ivory, which Tutankhamun used as a child.

9. 1923 A gilded bust of the Heavenly Cow Mehurt and chests were in the treasury of the tomb.

12. January 1924. In the "laboratory" created in the tomb of Seti II, restorers Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas clean one of the Ka statues from the front room.

13. November 29, 1923. Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker wrap one of the Ka statues for transport.

14. December 1923. Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas work with the golden chariot from Tutankhamun's tomb outside the "laboratory" in the tomb of Seti II.